Here’s what Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said after the 38-14 win on Sunday:
On the run game: "Our run game was very explosive. They were very strong. You mentioned our third down conversions. Our pass protection was excellent throughout the day, too against a really good front seven for the Washington Redskins. I thought our five guys up front and our tight ends in addition to that played really well."
On his level of play: "I feel good. I do. I'm comfortable with the plans that we have. I'm prepared and ready to go week in and week out. I'm surrounded by excellent players and have a lot of trust in the guys around me to make plays and they've done it. It's exciting. It's fun to be a part of that."
On the Calvin Ridley touchdown: "It was huge. Points before the half have such an impact on wins and losses. For Calvin to be able to create the explosive and come out of the back in was awesome for us. To turn around and get the ball at the beginning of the second half, that game goes from a seven-point game to (21 points)…That's tough on a team and do that on the road is fantastic."
On Ito Smith's touchdown run: "Ito's run for a touchdown was awesome. It was impressive. I was able to kind of watch it from behind and I didn't think he was scoring at first and then he just kept going. It was cool to watch. He's a guy that continues to get better every time that he touches the ball and everything that he plays. There was a commitment to spreading them out and kind of keeping them off balance. I thought our run game kind of go going in the second quarter and then kept going through the remainder of the game. I thought it was a really good plan and execution by our offensive line and running backs."
On offensive improvement: "Well, I think red zone efficiency has been really good for us. We didn't do a good job of that in the opener, but since then, we've done a pretty good job of that. When you're scoring points, when you get your opportunities, that's key. I think we've protected the ball well. We had a turn over today but we protected the ball really well. When you're scoring touchdowns and taking care of the ball, that's a good recipe for success."
On Julio Jones and Ridley: "Julio doesn't have many bad days (laughs). I've been around a long time and haven't seen one yet so I mean. Calvin was a huge addition for us to have, in my opinion, three really good wide receivers."
On his thoughts on the Boston College vs. Clemson game next week: "Fired up. They're playing really well and finding ways to win. I'm proud of them and we had a tough test this week for sure. Clemson, I got a couple guys from Clemson on our team who I'll be talking to as the week goes on. I'm fired up for it. I think it's going to be a night game. I think it's a Saturday night game, so that'll be fun to watch for sure. They're doing a great job and [Boston College head coach] Steve Addazio has those guys playing really well."
On Jones' touchdown celebration: "I think it says everything about how he's viewed. He's the most unselfish player that you've been around. He's the most unselfish superstar that you can imagine. But the work that he puts in, the guys see that. They also see what he's done for everybody else too to open things up. So when he was able to get in at the end of the game, the celebration was fun to be a part of. Nobody deserves it more and I don't think anybody could've scored that we would've been happier for so that was cool."
On his weekly preparation: "I take a lot of pride in that in terms of having myself as best prepared as I can be week in and week out. One thing I've learned throughout my career is that you kind of have to stay even-keeled and trust your process and that's what I try to do. I try to make sure that I'm very on top of the game plan that we have week in and week out. I try to make sure that my body and skill set is as valid as it can be for that week. It takes commitment but we've got a lot of guys on our team who are of that mindset. I think that's why we've had some success."
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