Denver coach Gary Kubiak, who has the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos off to a 4-0 start, spoke to the Atlanta media on Wednesday.
Here’s what Kubiak had to say:
Q: How’s quarterback Trevor Siemian doing with his shoulder injury? Will he be ready to go on Sunday?
A: "He didn't do anything today. We held him out today. It will be a day-to-day process. He's with us mentally. He took all of the walk-throughs. We'll see where he's at physically over the course of the next couple of days."
Q: What made you hire Kyle Shanahan back in the old Houston days? What do you see from his offense in Atlanta?
A: "They are exceptional. They are at the top of the league right now. They are moving the ball all over the place. Kyle is a very bright, very sharp and great teacher. He knows how to attack defenses and he works extremely hard. When Kyle was with me he coached receivers. Then he coached the quarterbacks. He was a coordinator. Kyle has moved up the ladder the right way by working his tail and obviously he's doing a tremendous job right now."
Q: When he was coordinating with you, when did you feel comfortable with letting him do his own thing?
A: "I was comfortable very quick. I couldn't tell you exactly win. You've got to understand, I grew up around Kyle or I should say we grew up around each other. I was a young coach for his dad. He was a kid and then when he was in college he was always around our program and what we did, obviously I knew Kyle very, very well. I was very comfortable with his knowledge and the way he goes about teaching, the way he can prepare guys and get players in position to make plays. So, I think he's exceptional."
Q: How have you all been able to keep it going after losing a legend like Peyton Manning?
A: "That's a part of our business. It's every changing. You're going to lose some players from time to time. Obviously, we lost a Hall of Fame quarterback last year so we are young at the position this year. That's part of coaching. Part of organizations and trying to continue to move forward. We put a good team together. That's part of the challenge more than anything."
Q: How is your secondary preparing for a threat like Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones?
A: "It's the ultimate challenge. The job that he does and Kyle moves him all over the place. In this league there is one challenge after another. You just try to get your guys to stay focused on what we do and how we do things. That's what we really try to do as a group. On defense, all 11 of us will have to play well. It's not about one guy. We really try to stay focused on our football team and what we feel like we need to do to be successful."
Q: How difficult does Atlanta’s versatility on offense make it to game plan against?
A: "It's extremely difficult because Kyle does move people all over the place and in this league you've got to do that get guys the ball. They are running the ball extremely well and they are making a lot of explosive football players. It's a lot of those guys making those plays for them. I think they are extremely balance with what they are doing and that's a credit to Kyle and the staff."
Q: How has Kyle evolved in this scheme from where it was in Houston to where it is today?
A: "I study his film all the time from being together for a long time and watching his growth. He's branched out. He's doing a lot of things. He's playing a lot of personnel. I think his offenses have new identities every year and that's a credit to him. He studies really hard. Like I said, you just watch that group grow together. Up front they are playing extremely well. They are not only throwing the ball, but (they are) running the ball well.
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