Sean Weatherspoon has said that the Atlanta Falcons feel a sense of urgency going into the 2013 NFL season.

The NFC South champions reached the Conference Championship game last season, but let a 17-0 lead slip to allow the San Francisco 49ers to reach the Super Bowl.

The linebacker told the Falcons' official website: "We've got a lot of guys on this team that want to win and they want to win now. You know what the goal is and when the goal is what it is, the state of our franchise, where we are, everybody really gets it and we're a focused group.

"That focus goes with the sense of urgency we have. I mean, I know we're not supposed to talk about last year, but when things don't go your way and you were in the position to make things go your way and it doesn't go our way, it definitely makes you feel a certain way.

"When I come out here, I'm thinking about the times that aren't so great. When we're out here, we're working to make sure we don't put ourselves in that position again. We just want to come out here and get better each and every day. I think the main thing that will help us is focus. Focus is the main thing for us this year."

The Falcons play their first pre-season game against the Cincinnati Bengals next Thursday.