After the red-white scrimmage on Monday, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan spoke to the local media on a variety of topics ranging from the play of the offensive line to Tony Gonzalez's enshrinement Saturday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Here’s what Ryan had to say:
On offensive adjustments
“A lot of install at this point. We’re working through a lot of different things, figuring out how guys are going to fit into what we’re doing. We have some new pieces. I think the coaching staff has done a good job with that. As players, our focus is to just go out there and not make the same mistake twice as we’re installing things. If you mess up, that’s fine, but we’ve got to correct it and be better for it. I think that we’ve done a pretty good job of that the first couple days of camp.”
On whether the preseason showcases the younger players more
“Yeah, for sure, especially when you have the additional preseason game like we have this year. It’s a really good opportunity for our young guys to get out there with the lights on and showcase what they can do. I’m looking forward to watching those guys play this Thursday night and seeing their hard work come to fruition out there on the field.”
On his evaluation of the team in the second ‘block’ of practices
“I think we’re in a good spot. We’ve had a lot of install so far, putting a lot of different things in and trying to work on a bunch of different things that we’ll work on throughout the course of the year. I think it’s a really good chance to see how young players can take things from the meeting room out onto the practice field. Overall, I think we’ve done a nice job. Guys have worked really hard. We’ve got a long way to go through. To be the kind of football team we want to be, we’ve got a lot of hard work in front of us.”
On making sure everybody stays focused
“We’ve got a long way to go. Schauby [Matt Schaub] reminded me this morning that it’s not even August yet. We’ve got a ways to go with training camp. That’s good for us. The extra work, the additional days we’ve gotten, I think that’s going to help us. That’s an advantage for us. I think guys have had the right mindset, but there’s a lot of hard work in front of us You just have to focus on that day-to-day: giving yourself the right mindset to improve every chance we get.”
On his role during preseason games
“You help out where you can with some of the younger guys. Whether it’s things that you see that are going on or those kinds of things, you want everybody to go out there and be successful. For me, it’ll also be a really special week. One of my best friends, good friends [Tony Gonzalez] is getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. I’ll enjoy that part of it, too. I’m appreciative that we’re the team that’s going to be up there and to be able to see him a little bit prior to the enshrinement on Saturday. So, I’m excited for him, excited for this game for our young guys. It’s going to be a fun couple of days.”
On Ricardo Allen attending quarterback meetings
“It’s unique. It’s probably the first time we’ve had a guy on the defensive side sit in on our meetings. Did it surprise me? No. I talk to Ricardo and he hammers you with like a million questions every day. I know he’s really looking to gain any advantage that he can to be the best possible player he can be. I appreciate that so much from him as a teammate. It’s been cool to have him in there [the meetings] and also to get his perspective on how they [the defensive backs] look at certain things.”
On Ricardo Allen wanting to be an offensive coordinator
"I think he’s got a great feel for what’s tough on defenses. He’s the kind of guy that, for sure, he’s going to be a great coach when he’s done playing. I’m telling him he’s got a long way to go before he’s coaching. He’s a good player and he’s going to make a bunch of plays for us. So, that’s maybe 15 years down the road. He’s got a lot of playing to do before then.”
On the running back competition
“I think there’s a lot of depth for sure. We’ve got a lot of good players. That’s a good problem to have. We feel confident in all of them, but it’ll be fun to see those guys compete when they get onto the field and showcase what they can do when it’s live action and they’ve got the ability to break tackles, pass protect and showcase what they can do there. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m pleased with the group that we have. We have a lot of guys who are working hard.”
On the offensive line
“We’ve got a lot of depth at that position. Obviously, we had some free agent additions with James [Carpenter] and Jamon [Brown] that are huge for the depth for us as a team. Then, you add guys like Chris [Lindstrom] and Kaleb [McGary] through the draft and you’ve got four new guys in the building that are talented, tough and add to the unit as a whole. Right now, it’s a work in process. We’re figuring out who fits all together, who fits where. I’m just happy with the way those guys are approaching it, working and competing, but in a good way for all of us to be better.”
On younger players getting more reps
“It’s huge. You know, I think with Julio [Jones] being out, with Calvin [Ridley] being on the sideline for a bit, we’ve got young guys that I don’t always get the chance to work within a team setting. Individually I get to work with them, but they need to hear things – how I’m communicating in the huddle, the reminders I’m giving them when they break the huddle, the talk that we have after the play before the next play goes. I think it’s huge for me to get a feel for their body language and how they run routes, but I also think it's big for them to understand what’s expected of them when they get in the huddle. I always feel like this is a great opportunity this time of year when guys are down for guys to get in there and to feel comfortable in that huddle because at some point, inevitably throughout the year, they’re going to half to step up and make plays for us and they’re going to have to be in there. It’s been really good for us those last couple of days with those guys getting that extra work. “
On Austin Hooper and Dirk Koetter’s up-tempo offense
“I think that it’s good. You know, obviously, we’re prepared for that. It’s really good for our conditioning as players in practice. How much we use in the game, that will depend on the week and who we are going against and whether or not it’s an advantage for us. It’s really good for our conditioning right now, and to stretch these guys mentally, to see how well we know what we’re doing, so I think that part of it has been really good.”
On Tony Gonzalez and Austin Hooper
“Yeah, we’ve watched a lot of tape together. Both of them are similar in that they’ve got great length. Tony, a lot of his separation had to do with how long he was and his body position, not necessarily breaking people off with his route, but being in the right position with his body to be able to extend and catch. Hoop’s [Austin Hooper] very much the same way in that he’s got the length, and has the ability to use his length to be able to create separation. That’s one of the things we’ve talked a lot about and watched a lot of film with. They also catch the ball extended from their body very well. I think that’s a huge advantage, specifically on third down and red zone situations where windows are going to be tight, and you’ve got to be able to extend and have strong hands out in front. Both of those guys do a nice job of that. We talk about that all the time. Hoop’s doing a great job for us, but his body type reminds me a lot of Tony.”
On Russell Gage
“Russ is going a great job for us. I think year two in the system, he’s got a lot more familiarity with what we’re doing and he’s a lot more comfortable within the scheme. I think you can see that in the way that he plays, there’s a freedom when he’s not thinking so much and just going out there and letting his talent kind of shine. I’ve been pleased with how he’s done. I expect him to have a bigger role in what we do this year, in year two, because he’s so much further along.”
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