Here’s what Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had to say at his locker after the 22-10 loss to the Jets on Thursday:
On how he felt the game went: "I think there's some ups and downs for us as a team. I think for me, it's always exciting to get that first few series under your belt just to knock the rust off and get your feel back. I'm always excited for this time of the year to get started and get going. We've got a lot to do in the next couple of weeks, but we certainly have a good crew to be able to do that."
On whether the plan was for him to play more than past preseason games: "It was definitely the plan coming in. Dan (Quinn) and I have talked about that for a long time. We both kind of knew where that was going to go tonight."
On whether he anticipated taking some hits: "No, that's one of the things that happens this time of the year. When you're not game-planning and you're not going through a full week of preparation for an opponent that will give you some different looks, those kind of things happen. I think as a quarterback, it's good for you to deal with pressure and those kind of things. It kind of settles you down for as the season comes along. There's going to be days like that, that you've got to settle your feet, stand in there and make some plays. I'm glad to have had that opportunity tonight."
On whether that is how he felt during the game: "No, even going through it as a player, you just keep going on to the next series. One thing I've learned playing as long as I have is that you don't know how games are going to shake out. Sometimes you're going to start slow and then you catch fire in the middle. I thought we put together a nice drive. We weren't able to come away with a touchdown, but then we kind of picked up some steam when (Matt Schaub) came in right before the half. It was encouraging to see us improve as the half went on."
On whether the Jets sent more blitzes than other preseason opponents: "No, it's just different defenses and different styles of defense. I've gone against Greg Williams for a long time and I know that they've got all kinds of different pressure packages. First play of the game, they were trying to send two corners off of the edge. That's just their style. That's who they are. Having played against him in New Orleans, Cleveland and all over the place, that's kind of how they've played in the past."
On how good of a look that is for the offensive line: "It's huge. I think you talk about guys like Chris Lindstrom and it's his first time playing in the NFL. You get all these different looks and this experience under your belt, you're going to be better for it as we move forward. I also thought it was a good opportunity for Wes Schweitzer to come in and get some work behind Alex (Mack). I thought he did a nice job coming in. This time of the year is about improving, finding ways to get better and making sure that we're dialed in when we start week one."
On the bad center exchange with Wes Schweitzer: "That was just my fault. It's one of those things. We were working a lot of sideline cadence tonight. It was my fault."
On how he evaluates the drive he led: "Those kinds of physical mistakes happen. It's part of getting it ironed out this part of the year, too, is cleaning those things up. We've got one of the most reliable guys in Justin Hardy. He's got some of the best hands-on our team. So, those kinds of things happen from time to time. With Hardy, I'm sure he got his one out of the way this time of year because I'm sure there won't be another one the rest of the year. That's a good thing."
On if he feels the same way about the offensive line: "Yeah, for sure. Those kind of things happen. This time of the year is about working on your process and making sure you're getting some of those misses out of the way, whether it's me, whether it's our O-line, whether it's our defense. Whoever it is. It's about improving. I think we all will. We've got a great opportunity to work this coming week on what an actual in-season, preparation-type week is going to feel like. I anticipate us to have better execution next week."
On his completion to Calvin Ridley: "That was a pressure look that we got down. Calvin had a one-on-one on the outside and when he's got one-on-one opportunities, he's such a great route runner. He created really good separation at the top of his route and I just tried to put it in a place where he could make a play. He did a nice job of it and then had a really good run after the catch. So, good design, worked out well not knowing what they were going to play or kind of game plan for them. We had a good play up in that situation."
On what area they want to improve on this week: "We'll have to take a look at the film tomorrow to have our takeaways. Sometimes it's not as bad as you thought it might be and sometimes it's not good as you thought it might be before you watch the film. So, we'll take a look at that tomorrow, but we'll certainly evaluate that. We'll find one or two things we can improve on as a unit."
On getting a win in the preseason: "Obviously, you want to win every time you play, but a lot of times I don't remember the results at the end of the year of what we did in the preseason. That's me just being honest with you. Of course, you want to win every time you play, but I'd rather win 16 of them in the regular season."
On when the team starts to prepare for the season: "I usually don't get too far in front. But as we get to that fourth preseason game, I'll maybe turn on that film and get a little bit of work before we start that week of game-planning."
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