FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who is a candidate for the vacant Jacksonville job, would not comment on his status for that position on Tuesday when he met with the media.
"I'm totally working on the Giants," Mularkey said of the Falcons' opponent on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs. "That's strictly all business with that and trying to get ready for that."
On Monday, Falcons head coach Mike Smith said that Jacksonville had asked for and been granted permission to talk to Mularkey. The Jaguars are believed to be looking for an offensive-minded coach to help groom quarterback Blaine Gabbert, a first-round pick in 2011.
Mularkey is seen as having helped to develop Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan from the time he was drafted into an instant success in the NFL. Ryan played in the Pro Bowl last season and was rookie of the year in 2008.
Mularkey stuck to the party line on Tuesday that he had no time to worry about potential job offers possibly becoming a distraction.
"There's just so much going on different going on during the season, during the week," he said. "I can't tell you how from the minute we get here to the minute we get home, it's just so structured that there's not enough time to really focus on anything else. And I'm serious about that. Every minute has something going on in it and what's interesting is that at the end of the week when it's over, Friday comes around and everything is installed and put in, all the sudden it hits you on Friday, especially late in the season, you don't realize how tired you are because you don't have time to think about it 'til when it's all put in. There's too much going on, especially this time for any of us to be worried about anything but this game."
Mularkey went from being offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2001-2003 to being the head coach in Buffalo in 2004 and 2005, amassing a 14-18 record. He went 9-7 in his first season, as the Bills won nine of their last 12 games.
