Here’s what Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had to say after the loss to the Eagles:
On going into bye week with a loss:
“Yeah, obviously disappointing… we did not play the way we are capable of today. But [that was a] good team that we played against. We had some opportunities, but we couldn’t really get into a rhythm offensively, and that’s a product of not converting enough 3rd downs. We’re disappointed. We’ll learn from it and get back to work tomorrow and take a look at it and get some rest. Hopefully we will come back refreshed and ready to play the remainder of the season.”
On what was working for the Eagles to stop the Falcon’s 3rd down conversions:
“I think we were in a lot of 3rd and long situations. That’s one of the things when you are playing against good defenses you want to stay on schedule. I’m not sure of how many 3rd and longs we had. We had a number of those. We came up a little bit short but we certainly can be better. Hopefully we’ll be able to look at what they did, make corrections from it, and be more productive moving forward.”
On the play where he hit RB Devonta Freeman and TE Joshua Perkins tripped and got called for interference:
“It’s tough. It’s part of the game; those kind of things happen. It’s disappointing, but there were procedural stuff that got us behind the chains today, and those are things that you can control, and we need to clean up if we are going to be at our best.”
On needing to fix those things:
“When we haven’t played well that’s been one of the issues, and hopefully that is something that we can correct.”
On why he didn’t throw the ball deep throughout the game:
“We took some shots down the field. We missed on the first opportunity to [WR] Julio [Jones] down the field on a 3rd down. We missed on a second one. We hit one. We also hit Gabe, [WR] Taylor Gabriel, for a long touchdown down the field, so I thought we did take some opportunities down the field. We just didn’t make enough of them.”
On how it feels to not score as much as past games this season:
“Yeah, that part is disappointing. We’ve done some good things. You know nothing of what we’ve done in the prior weeks is going to have any bearing on what we do today. That’s one of the things I’ve learned throughout my career. It’s disappointing for sure because we are capable of playing better than that. But I think it starts with first and foremost: we’ve got to be better on 3rd down. I think we were 2-of-11 on 3rd down. In order to get into a rhythm and get things going, you have to convert in those situations.”
On why he looked upset during the second field goal drive:
“I screwed up. I messed up one of our checks at the line of scrimmage, so I was mad with myself there. We took a sack on a second-down situation. We screwed up and that happens sometimes. Hopefully that won’t happen again.”
On the Eagles defense stopping the run game:
“It’s an important thing for us. I think I heard that we only had 13 rushing attempts. I think that’s part of it. We just didn’t really get into a rhythm. For us it’s sometimes that way when you’re playing against a good front. You just have to convert third downs and wear them out a little bit so you can get that run game going. Again, I think it comes down to that. We just didn’t stay on the field enough.”
On if he thinks they should have run the ball more:
“I don’t think we had that many opportunities to run on the field all that much. Late in the game we were in obvious passing situations. Again, I really think if we would have converted more third downs, we would have ran the ball better.”
On how it feels to lose near his hometown of Exton, PA:
“It is what it is. It’s good to see everybody that’s for sure. I’m glad that they can come out and support. But at the end of the day it’s a game. It is one game and we have to have the mindset of being locked in. It’s disappointing but it is what it is.”
On if it’s a disappointing way to go into the bye week:
“Yeah, a little bit. We had some momentum winning two games in a row. It’s disappointing heading into a week off like that. Typically, when you don’t play well, the most important thing is to get back onto the practice field and start preparing for another opponent. We have a week where you have to sit with it a little bit longer. Hopefully we can take advantage of getting the rest, getting some guys back and being fresh and ready to play down the stretch.”
On his message to the younger players heading into the bye week:
“You have to get rest this week and have a mindset that we’re not preparing for the last six games of the season, but the mindset to play 9 or 10 more. That’s what you have to prepare for and that’s why you have to take advantage of these opportunities where you can get some rest and be fresh. That’ll be my message to everybody. Keep moving, but let your body and mind get right.”
About the Author
