NEU » any team that fears failure is a te

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Ten games into the season, the Atlanta Falcons find themselves with exactly the same record as a year ago.Yet it feels a whole lot different.The Falcons (6-4) head into their bye week leading the NFC South and exuding plenty of confidence, even coming off a discouraging loss at Philadelphia.We all know this is a pretty special group to be a part of, coach Dan Quinn said. You can feel their connection, their tightness, how bad they want to go for it.At this point last season, the Falcons were also 6-4. But they had lost three games in a row -- none to teams that would make the playoffs. They were already out of the division race, having fallen far behind a Carolina team that was 10-0 and would reach the Super Bowl.Atlantas losing streak would grow to six games, and a season that started with such promise ended at 8-8.Quinn keeps insisting that his team learned some valuable lessons from its 2015 collapse, and indeed these Falcons look far more capable of reaching the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.While the 24-15 loss to the Eagles was a definite step back, the offense remains the most productive in the NFL (averaging 32 points per game) and seems to have found its groove in Year 2 under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The young defense -- which has started as many as four rookies -- is setting the sort of fast, aggressive tone that Quinn wants on that side of the line.In perhaps the most telling sign of where this team believes it is heading, the coaches and players all consider the bye week to be the midpoint of the season.In other words, they plan on playing up to four games beyond the regular season, which would mean a trip to the Super Bowl.You have to get rest this week and have a mindset that youre not preparing for the last six games of the season, but the mindset to play nine or 10 more, said quarterback Matt Ryan, who is having the best season of his nine-year career. Thatll be my message to everybody. Keep moving, but let your body and mind get right.The Falcons certainly hold a far more promising position in the NFC South than they did in 2015. The Panthers have slumped to 3-6, while Tampa Bay and New Orleans are struggling at 4-5, leaving Atlanta with a fairly comfortable 1+-game lead in the division race.The rest of the schedule looks highly favorable, as well. Four of the last six games are at the Georgia Dome, which will be replaced next season by a $1.4 billion retractable-roof stadium under construction next door. Kansas City (7-2) is the only remaining opponent with a winning record.The week off comes at a time when several key players are trying to get over injuries. Running back Tevin Coleman has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, but Quinn is confident that hell be ready to return when the Falcons host Arizona on Nov. 27. Punter Matt Bosher is contending with a recurring hamstring issue, but the extra week of rest gives him a chance to recover for the next game.The outlook isnt quite as clear for cornerback Desmond Trufant, the teams top coverage defender. He missed the last game with a left shoulder injury, and theres been speculation he could be done for the season. But Quinn said hes absolutely hopeful that Trufant will play again this season.The defense has gone through some growing pains, most notably getting gashed in the running game by the Eagles. But there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.After a disappointing rookie season, Vic Beasley has emerged as a pass-rushing force with 9+ sacks, tied for third in the league. Rookies Deion Jones, DeVondre Campbell and Keanu Neal are having a huge impact, as is second-year tackle Grady Jarrett.We still have a ways to go in improvement on our tackling and making sure our fits are exactly on point, Quinn said. We are gaining confidence in those players and how we like to play.Neal said the loss to the Eagles will be a huge motivating factor when Atlanta returns from its break.Were going into the bye week and it doesnt feel too good, he said. But its going to help us in the long run. Two weeks with that bitter taste in our mouth and we are going to come back ready to go.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Ron Santo Jersey Large . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Custom Carlton Fisk Jersey . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. http://www.customwhitesoxjersey.com/ .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Nellie Fox Jersey Large . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Custom Paul Konerko Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. Read part one of the interview herePakistan have 14 ODIs scheduled between now and next September, the cut-off date for qualifying directly for the 2019 World Cup in England. How realistic are their chances of making it to the World Cup without having to play the qualifiers, given they are ranked No. 9? I have to be realistic. We havent got the time, but we have started the journey now. We will have to start again. I have got a really good feel for the personnel and the areas we need to improve on. I have looked at people we can work with, people we can bring in, and I am comfortable we will be okay.Do you reckon Pakistan are behind the curve compared to the modern ODI teams? With the brand of cricket they are playing, definitely. We cant play that brand of cricket anymore. We have to be brave. You have to take the game on.Not playing in the IPL and other premier T20 leagues - do you reckon that has hurt their understanding and development of limited-overs cricket? And facilities and the domestic competitions, which are average. You cant blame them. Then they are potentially fighting for places all the time. There has been no stability [in the ODI side]. They start playing for themselves. We have a massive challenge in our ODI team.Fitness is amplified in one-day cricket - fielding, running ones, twos, threes. Sometimes in an over you are running six twos. If you are not fit enough, you cant run those runs. It is to the detriment of the team. Without a doubt, that message has started getting across. But it can only go across to the players if I am consistently delivering it. I am not going to tolerate players turning up unfit. They are professional athletes representing a country. It is not good enough [being unfit].Why was Mohammad Irfan not played in the Ireland ODI series? A bowler like him could have done with some overs under his belt considering he had not played for a few months? Irfan came into the ODI squad as a replacement for [Mohammad] Hafeez, so he wasnt with us [in Ireland]. That made it even worse for me because your replacement players are the ones with the fresh legs. They are the people who up the ante, who bring in fresh energy. And he comes in and starts cramping. That potentially cost us an ODI [in Cardiff].But he just got off the plane. That could have played a part in the cramps, considering his height. And about two days later he plays in the Cardiff ODI. Can you entirely blame him? Funnily enough, a couple of bowlers cramped in the same ODI, but they were fit enough to get back and finish their overs with the intensity required.I dont want to harp about Irfan. It could be about any other player that joins the squad in the future. I get disappointed when players arrive and are not at peak condition. Ultimately that is the reflection of the set-up I run. Ultimately that is the reflection of me and my support staff. We are judged by that, so I am not going to tolerate guys that jeopardise that. And it is not a Mohammad Irfan thing. It is an integral part of the Pakistan system. If I can change and make it 10% or 15% better, we have a better chance of success. I sat down the T20 squad and told them: when you arrive, you need to understand the standards demanded by this set-up; that you come in and meet minimum requirements. And those minimum requirements are lower than what South Africa or Australia have. I am taking baby steps at this point of time.Discipline is another aspect where you think things can improve. Can you talk about the example of Yasir Shah turning up two days late for camp when you first arrived in Pakistan? We thought he was arriving on Friday, but he came on Sunday. I had just arrived at the NCA. I am not sure what the communication between him and the PCB was, but I asked him, Hey Yas, werent you supposed to be here on Friday? He said, Yeah, coach, Im just two days late. Its okay. We both had a laugh and I went back to my room and thought, Gee, he is being serious. I hope he was joking.That sort of thing will not happpen again even if it was true? Absolutely not.ddddddddddddAre you going to take hard decisions in terms of players? I think we have to. If we keep picking the same [players], we are going to get the same, and we will be sitting at No. 9 in the world. We have nothing to lose. We just have to invest in some players. I know for a fact that from the first ODI to the fifth [in England], we changed the whole brand and style of cricket.In the first ODI, in Southampton, we played like cricket was played back in 2002. By the last ODI, in Cardiff, we chased down 302 with overs to spare. We took the attack to England. That is how we have to play. If we play the way we did in Southampton, we are not going to win the game.Grant Flower said he sensed insecurity among some ODI players, which was holding them back from expressing their game openly. Have you seen the same? Maybe there was [a sense of insecurity] with the old regime. In fact, probably there was. I would like to be able to think we can identify the players we can take forward and then invest time in them. Create clear roles for them and hopefully we will get the results. Because if we want them to play high-risk, high-octane stuff, we ought to back them for a period of time as well.You have seen various players in the PSL. What do you think of the pair of Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad making a comeback in the ODI set-up? They have to prove that they are not going to be a disruption to the team, because clearly in the past they have done things that werent right. I was not there, but clearly they have. They have to conform to the standards and requirements of the team.Azhar Ali, Pakistans ODI captain, is a committed player. But is he really a modern ODI cricketer? He is. He is getting better. He is a fantastic batsman. Azhars batting ability is brilliant, which means he can adapt without a doubt. Again, in the ODI series against England, he adapted throughout, so he is good enough.What about Shoaib Malik? He is the most experienced, yet that is not reflected in his numbers (in ODIs he averages 26.80 with the bat outside Asia, 38.72 in Asia, 24.41 in Australia, where Pakistan go on their next tour, and 12.94 in 19 innings in England, where the next Champions Trophy will be played next year). He knows where he stands. I was so happy to see him come out in Cardiff and play with a real intent that had probably been lacking just a little bit. I am talking about intent in his defence, intent in his attack. He committed to every shot. He was committed to that innings. I was so happy he came through that.Is there a reason he bats in the lower order? That was me. I wanted a guy that could finish for us. No. 6 is such an important and tough position in the batting order. Michael Hussey did it for Australia for a period of time. To be able to close off a run chase or finish off when you are setting a target is a real skill. And I wanted Shoaib Malik to do that. We promoted him to No. 4 in Cardiff and he gave us what he wanted, so maybe his role changes now, going forward. You said this recently: I dont want us to fear failure. I think any team that fears failure is a team that struggles. Why did you say that? I dont want us to be tentative, whether it is with bat, ball or in the field. I want us to be 100% committed to the decisions we make, because if we do that, well have a lot more chances of success than failure. I want us to play an attacking brand of cricket, a brand that is good to watch, a brand that inspires the players to play and gives you so much more gratification from your supporters. It must be a brand that challenges, a brand that stimulates, but it must be a brand that is encapsulated by fun.You need time to help build and grow that kind of brand. Is the PCB willing to give you that? I am pretty sure the PCB will give me the time. Definitely.Read part one of the interview here ' ' '