After putting up ridiculous numbers against the Chiefs (12 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery), Nicholas had a scheduled visit at the Canton, Ga., Publix store as part of the Atlanta Falcons Tailgate Team player appearances.

During his two-hour appearance at the store, a woman approached him and explained that her son would love to meet him, but he was practicing with his football team down the street. Not one to let an opportunity to reach out pass him by, Nicholas surprised the mother by saying he’d stop by the practice after his Publix appearance was over.

True to his word, Nicholas dropped by the practice on the way home and gave the football team — whose mascot is also the Falcons — a pep talk about the importance of hard work and seeing things through.

Watch Nicholas’ speech to the team below.

Whether it was the travel, the third straight game on the road or just getting used to the quickened pace of the regular season, players struggled Monday to put their finger on what caused the slow defensive start, but one thing is for sure: Settling down at halftime made all the difference.

“That was big to go out and play like we can play,” said linebacker Stephen Nicholas, who put together the most impressive defensive performance of the day with 12 tackles, two passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery. “We came out a little sluggish and didn’t get things done. But the second half, Coach (Mike Nolan) came in and made some adjustments and just told us to play like we can play, and that’s what we did the second half.”

That style of play came with plenty of enthusiasm and energy as the second half defense looked like a brand new unit against the Chiefs. The Falcons were able to get to QB Matt Cassel in the second half, as well as create turnovers.

The Chiefs had three straight offensive drives Sunday that ended with Falcons turnovers, and safety William Moore had one of the biggest. A pass tipped by Sean Weatherspoon tumbled to the ground, where Moore was able to dive out and snag it before it hit the ground.

A big play like that does big things for the team psyche.

“That momentum I was talking about,” Moore said Monday. “First half, we came out — I wouldn’t say a little dry — but we had to get our mojo going, and we came out in the second half swinging. If you see, Coach (Mike) Smith did a great job of preparing us, but we have to come out firing from the first quarter from now on.”

The Chiefs had several glaring numbers that the Falcons will likely be paying close attention to as they prepare for the Broncos to come to town with Peyton Manning for Monday Night Football. Kansas City saw a lot of success on third down, converting 69 percent of the time. In the red zone, the Chiefs were 2-for-2.

“When we look at the film, we always critique ourselves kinda hard, you know, things we could have done better,” defensive tackle Peria Jerry said. “It was good to get a couple turnovers. The offense had it going, but we’ve got to get more stops.”

Gonzalez got a few cheers throughout the game, but heard boos for the first time in his career in this stadium when he scored on a 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan in the third quarter to put the Falcons up 34-17.

Gonzalez finished it off with a slam dunk on the crossbar — his trademark touchdown celebration at Arrowhead Stadium for his 12 seasons with the Chiefs.

With 12 plays and 80 yards, Matt Ryan found Julio Jones alone in the end zone to his right for the first Falcons touchdown of 2012 to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead.

Since 2008, the Falcons are 34-9 when scoring on the first drive of the game. They’ve now scored 180 points on opening drives during that time.

NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal thinks the Falcons will do pretty good. Actually, he sees big things for the NFC South in general.

Rosenthal has the Falcons going 10-6 this year, tied in the division with both the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.

Writes Rosenthal: “Can three teams make it to the playoffs out of the NFC South? It happened in the AFC North last year.”

An interesting thought, but always a positive to see some faith in the Falcons. Your thoughts?

Click here for the Falcons’ Piedmont Healthcare Injury Report

Friday
Did Not Participate
DT Anthony Toribio – ankle (doubtful)
DL Allen Bailey – ankle (doubtful)
S Kendrick Lewis – shoulder (doubtful)

Limited Participation
LB Derrick Johnson – ankle (questionable)
CB Jalil Brown – groin (questionable)
CB Brandon Flowers – foot (questionable)
LB Jovan Belcher – groin (questionable)

Thursday
Did Not Practice
DT Anthony Toribio – ankle
DL Allen Bailey – ankle
S Kendrick Lewis – shoulder
LB Jovan Belcher – groin

Limited Participation
LB Derrick Johnson – ankle
CB Jalil Brown – groin
CB Brandon Flowers – foot

Wednesday
Did Not Practice
DT Anthony Toribio – ankle
DL Allen Bailey – ankle
S Kendrick Lewis – shoulder

Limited Participation
LB Derrick Johnson – ankle
CB Jalil Brown – groin
CB Brandon Flowers – foot

Click here for the Falcons’ Piedmont Healthcare Injury Report

Thursday
Did Not Practice
DT Anthony Toribio – ankle
DL Allen Bailey – ankle
S Kendrick Lewis – shoulder
LB Jovan Belcher – groin

Limited Participation
LB Derrick Johnson – ankle
CB Jalil Brown – groin
CB Brandon Flowers – foot

Wednesday
Did Not Practice
DT Anthony Toribio – ankle
DL Allen Bailey – ankle
S Kendrick Lewis – shoulder

Limited Participation
LB Derrick Johnson – ankle
CB Jalil Brown – groin
CB Brandon Flowers – foot

The special edition of The Rich Eisen Podcast also includes interviews with rapper Nas, sideline reporter Erin Andrews and Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte.

The show will also be available for download on NFL.com and iTunes.

Click here for the Falcons’ Piedmont Healthcare Injury Report

Did Not Practice
DT Anthony Toribio – ankle
DL Allen Bailey – ankle
S Kendrick Lewis – Shoulder

Limited Participation
LB Derrick Johnson – ankle
CB Jalil Brown – groin
CB Brandon Flowers – foot

After four preseason games, the line feels very comfortable with what they’re supposed to do when offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter calls for the screen.

“We do (enjoy it), to change it up,” center Todd McClure said. “If we get out there and get our blocks, there’s potential for a big play.”

If the preseason was any indication, running back Jacquizz Rodgers will handle a lot of the screen opportunities as far as toting the ball, but wide receiver Julio Jones looks to be in the mix there, as well.

The blocking scheme for linemen on the play — which is basically holding a block for a moment and then letting the defenders upfield so the offensive line can get out to the edge to block for the receiver — can sometimes cause them to miss the best parts of the play.

That’s OK with them. They’ll just catch the highlights later.

“We know we have the potential to be a really explosive offense this year, and sometimes you go out, you make the block, you may hear the crowd roar and you know something good just happened,” McClure said. “That’s what it’s all about for us. When you have a back or a receiver cut off of your block for a big play, that’s what it’s all about for us.”

But not when he’s working against an opponent.

Back during his rookie year, Ryan was in the middle of a game against the Oakland Raiders when, through the headset of his helmet, the subtle tones of a Madonna concert soundcheck began to reverberate through his ears.

Because the Madonna concert nearby at the Oracle Arena was running off the same frequency as Ryan’s headset at the Oakland Coliseum, Ryan was privy to the cacophony of Madonna warming up while he was trying to beat the Raiders.

“We were getting a pretty good soundcheck before the game and during the game, so they switched that off,” Ryan said while speaking to the media in front of his locker Wednesday. “I thought I was getting Punk’d at that point, but that was actually one of the craziest things that’s ever happened. You’re out there, getting ready, waiting for a play call to come in and you’ve got music in your ear. It’s something different.”

A recent switch by the NFL from analog to digital headsets virtually ensures that Ryan will never have to experience something like that again — regardless of whether he enjoys Madonna’s music or not. The crisp, digital result will clean up communication across the league.

Along with Ryan enjoying the digital difference will be the two other quarterbacks and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.

“They’re clear,” Ryan said of the quality. “It’s not like a walkie-talkie in your helmet anymore, so it’s more like a cell phone.”

The question is: Will there be more?

The Chiefs have several starters in question this week as injuries have plagued the team a bit during the preseason. The first official injury report comes out today, but KCChiefs.com reported earlier this week that some significant players could be in question for Sunday’s game.

The Falcons are preparing in a variety of ways. First, they’re going to go at practice as if the Chiefs will be with all their starters. From there, they’ll do plenty of work on the backups to make sure they’re prepared for as much as possible.

“They’ve been playing some time during the preseason, so you’ve got to look at the preseason games to see their techniques and things like that,” running back Michael Turner said. “You pick up the keys that way. You’re not going to get them in live action with the first unit, so you’ve got to pick and choose clips to look at.”

The uncertainty makes film study all the more important for the Falcons this week. With the Chiefs backups — much like those on the Falcons roster — spending a lot of time on the field during the preseason, there should be plenty of film to watch on the unknown players.

The Falcons, however, don’t need to watch tape on Hali to know how much the Chiefs will miss him. He’s serving a one-game suspension during the opening weekend.

“He’s a great player. He makes a lot of plays for their defense,” center Todd McClure said. “I can’t say we were upset when we saw that he wasn’t going to be playing, because he’s a great player. Phenomenal player. But they’ll have somebody that’ll line up where he was. They’re not going to just leave that spot vacant.

“They’re going to have somebody that’s paid to rush the passer that’ll be out there, so we’ve got to be on our A game.”

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan

• Nolan is extremely impressed with Kansas City offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, calling him one of the sharpest coaches Nolan has ever been around. The two worked together on Tony Sparano’s staff in Miami last year, with Nolan as the DC and Daboll as the OC. So, to say the least, there’s some familiarity there.
• Asked about how excited he was to unleash the defense after the preseason, Nolan — tongue firmly planted in cheek — said he showed everything he’s got during the preseason. Continuing with the mantra started Monday, Nolan echoed head coach Mike Smith’s comments by saying you’ll have to watch the game to find out.
• Nolan said linebacker Akeem Dent has done a “very good job,” and has been very impressed with how Dent has produced despite not seeing much defensive action last year. “All indications to me are that he’s going to be a good, solid player,” Nolan said. Nolan sees Dent right now as a two-down player, but in time said he could turn into a three-down backer.
• Asked if there was a player on his defensive line who’s not a starter that he expects to make a big impact, Nolan pointed to Peria Jerry (who will be starting for Corey Peters for at least the first six weeks of the season). Nolan said his expectations for Jerry coming into camp were “in limbo,” but he soon found confidence in the young defensive tackle. Nolan tempered his comments about rookie Travian Robertson, saying “if he gets a shot to go in there (Sunday), we’ll see. We don’t want to give him too many chances, but we’ll give him a few, I think.” More of Nolan’s well-played sarcasm.

Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter

• Asked how important he thought it was that he and Matt Ryan create a strong relationship from the beginning, Koetter expressed that he believed it to be extremely important from a communication standpoint and called communication one of Ryan’s best traits. Koetter said Ryan keeps asking him to go golfing, but knowing how good Ryan is at the sport, Koetter laughs and says he keeps making up excuses as to why he can’t go.
• Koetter knows that backup quarterback Luke McCown can get up to speed quickly when it comes to the things he’s missed by not being with the Falcons throughout training camp. McCown and QB coach Glenn Thomas have been having extra meetings to get on the same page and the process is going very well.
• Koetter likes the consistency that Michael Palmer and Tommy Gallarda provide behind Tony Gonzalez. Calling them both consistent, steady players, Koetter said the two are role players who are asked to be the same player day in and day out.
• Koetter admitted the Falcons purposely held things back during the preseason, as every team does. He said he’s excited about showing more of the playbook on Sunday. “You’ve got that little fear of the unknown, but you’ve just got to put your players out there, give them the tools to play fast and just trust that your guys can make plays,” he said.”
• Koetter knows that he won’t have to prepare for Kansas City Pro Bowl linebacker Tamba Hali, who is serving a suspension during Week 1. But with the Chiefs defense a bit banged up, it’s unknown right now who will play Sunday and who won’t. Regardless, Koetter says he’s preparing as if the Falcons will face everyone who’s healthy, with the exception of Hali.

Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong

• Armstrong likes the velocity that new long snapper Josh Harris puts on the ball and says the team is excited that he’s on the roster.
• The biggest improvement in punter Matt Bosher’s game, Armstrong said, is his attention to detail on specific technique. Armstrong believes the amount of time he’s put in on focusing on technique has helped him quite a bit. Armstrong says Bosher has a bit of a “fraternity” going with other punters in the league as they spent significant time together in the offseason working on different things.
• In scouting the Chiefs, Armstrong says the Kansas City special teams units “are big, and they can run.” Sound and well-coached, Armstrong believes the physicality the Chiefs have in that phase of the game will be a big challenge for the Falcons.
• Going through a list of cover players who he thought had solid preseason performances, Armstrong mentioned Robert James, Drew Davis (practice squad) and Antone Smith.
• Armstrong said kick returner Jacquizz Rodgers will be “a pleasant surprise” for Falcons fans. Noting the way Quizz sees the field and reads blocks, Armstrong has a lot of confidence in his abilities at that position.
• From the backup defensive ends, Armstrong is particularly impressed with second-year player Cliff Matthews. Matthews creates plenty of mismatches with his size and Armstrong really likes that about his abilities on special teams.
• Many people have asked about the decision to let Dominique Franks go and Armstrong was quick to point out Tuesday how impressed he was with Robert McClain on special teams. Competing in several different areas, McClain showed a lot of versatility that gave him the stamp of approval on Armstrong’s side of things.

Up three spots from their previous ranking, the Falcons land in the top 10 at the No. 9 spot above Denver and behind Baltimore.

NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison writes that he finds it hard to believe he’s putting the Falcons this high on the list, but goes on to say that a typical Matt Ryan stat line should include nearly 50 pass attempts and more than 350 passing yards.

Click here to view the entire NFL.com power rankings.

QB Luke McCown went from No. 4 to No. 12.

QB Dominique Davis from No. 14 to No. 4.

WR Kevin Cone will now wear No. 15 after wearing No. 12.

And finally, veteran safety Chris Hope gets his career number back by switching from No. 36 to No. 24.

The Falcons cut the roster down to 53 men on Friday, per the NFL’s rules, and then signed an eight-player practice squad Saturday and Sunday. A lot of familiar faces are gone from the locker room, replaced by new players, but for those new guys, the emotions were exhausting over the weekend.

“I was all over the place,” undrafted rookie guard Phillipkeith Manley said. Manley made the 53-man active roster. “Just seeing the ‘Grim Reaper’ and he walked right past me, I was like ‘Oh, my God!’ Then he said to me I was fine, so I went and lifted and whatnot. The whole time I’m looking over my shoulder, like ‘Please don’t come get me.’ We had the 53-man roster meeting and they said I made the team.

“From being down to being excited just like that. All over the place. I’m truly blessed to be here right now.”

That was the feeling from a lot of players who weren’t sure of their fate heading into the weekend. Kevin Cone was in a race for the No. 5 wide receiver position with a crowded group. During the all-important preseason finale, Cone made a couple of miscues, but was able to find redemption in a 49-yard touchdown catch.

On Saturday, when his phone didn’t ring, he knew he had done enough to make the team.

“Yeah, it’s always a good thing when you don’t hear anything,” he said. “When you get here, you’re still kind of nervous because you’re not 100 percent sure, so when you find out it’s unbelievable.”

At cornerback, Robert McClain — who had spent some time in Carolina before being signed by the Falcons in January — came into camp and the preseason to prove himself. He was rewarded with one of the 53 spots on the roster, but going through the process before didn’t reduce the stress.

But after the weeks of work he put in, he was happy with the body of work he put together to hopefully give the coaching staff a difficult decision to make.

“I felt good. I felt more comfortable, especially going into this year, having experience and playing in games,” McClain said. “The concept of our defense helped also, and the coaches. The coaches did well. The players and the athletes I’m around helped me learn different techniques and different styles of play.”

“Have we decided on who’s going to be the starting (right) guard, and who’s going to start at the corner position?” Smith asked rhetorically. “Come to the game on Sunday and see. We’re not going to discuss it, simply because I don’t want to give a competitive advantage to our opponent.”

That includes any other position in question, too — namely punt returner.

With Dominique Franks waived during the weekend’s cuts, Smith said Monday he has three players in mind who can take over those duties for the regular season, but would not divulge which players he has lined up for the job.

“We’ll trot that guy out there, hopefully on the first series that we’re out there on defense,” Smith said. “I don’t mean to be non-transparent, but I don’t think it gives us any advantage to talk about who’s going to play in what positions in our opening game.”