TRANSCRIPT: Falcons HC Quinn and QB Ryan (12-7-16)
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TRANSCRIPT: Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn and QB Matt Ryan Conference Call (12-7-16)
Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn – Conference Call – December 7, 2016
(On how he thinks Rams QB Jared Goff has done through his first three starts)
“Number one, we definitely went through all of the passes. What I can say is, number one, I like the athleticism, where he can get outside the pocket to go create. I saw strength in the arm on some of the deep balls, the touch to go underneath – those are the first things that jumped out to me. They’ve got some featured guys and (know) how to use them. The strength of (WR Kenny) Britt, where do you want to throw the ball where he can fight for it. How to they feature (WR) Tavon (Austin), the screen game, I’ve always felt with different packages, they’ve been on point. To me, it kind of looks like they’re giving him the whole offense – just going against them through the years. It doesn’t seem there’s much that they wouldn’t hand to him and that shows a lot to how hard he’s working and his preparation to getting ready.”
(On if he sees any similarities between Goff and Falcons QB Matt Ryan)
“It’s a hard comparison for me, because I didn’t have a great chance to see Matt coming out. I think we competed against him when he was early (in his career). Both of them are very good competitors, I think that’s one of the things from Matt that people talk about a lot. He is a tough, stay-in-there, he’s going to let it rip and take the shot as a competitor. And Goff, I know, has a lot of those same qualities. He singlehandedly got hot in some games through college and I saw that reason alone of why people want to say this is the dude to build it around. And you see that in the play now to say that they’ve really got something there. As far as comparing the two guys, that’s harder for me. But if it is about the competitiveness, then they’re comparing the right guy if they’re comparing him to Matt.”
(On if it helps his game planning that he went against the Rams frequently when he was an assistant coach with the Seahawks)
“I certainly looked at the games that we had against them and it just seemed like every single one was a battle and I know that will be the case again this week. I know how tough (Rams Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher and their group is offensively, defensively and I’ve always been impressed by their (special) teams. They’ve made big plays on special teams ever since (Special Teams Coordinator) Coach (John) Fassel has kind of, in my opinion, with him and Coach Fisher, there’s been a lot of big plays, special teams-wise. I’ve definitely looked at those games and I looked at their game from Seattle this year, so I saw some familiarity. A different play-caller from when I was there when ‘Schotty’ (former Rams Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) was calling. But I think there’s some concepts that are the same and I’m sure they’re doing the same in terms of our style of what we play here. Defensively has some similarities in terms of a scheme standpoint, to what we did in Seattle. But past that, you get into the looks and how they’re featuring the players. On both sides, for us and for them, a lot of new faces as well.”
(On if he has any second thoughts about the two point conversion try last week and on his team’s ability to bounce back after a tough loss)
“We regret the outcome, but I don’t regret the decision to go for it. That part, I think was the right one to make. As it turns, the outcome was the thing that was a bummer. When you’re ahead one and had a chance to see if we could go up ahead (three), I think it was worth taking the shot to do. Now, it ended terribly for us in that way. So the psyche of our team is back, because we knew we had a good, tough opponent coming right back again, and heading across the country to do it. The intent and the focus for this game is on point. But we don’t regret the decision to go for it, we just certainly regret the outcome of how it turned.”
(On how he thinks the offense has grown in its second year under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan)
“It’s a good question and it definitely has. The concepts, each year, you can grow a little bit, but I think we have a real understanding of what we do best and how to feature the guys. One of the things we’re proud of is so many people have gotten involved in the offense, we’ve had different guys be able to set it off. We’ve had days where the tight ends were a real factor, we’ve had days where the running backs were a real factor and we’ve had days where the wide receivers were the real factors. Having different guys make catches, different guys be a factor in the run game – whether it was (RBs Tevin) Coleman or (Devonta) Freeman. That part has expanded, where we have, I would say a bigger stable of people that we utilize on a weekly basis. Knowing that when their time is here to attack and they get the rock, they’re ready to go for it. So, I would say that’s different.”
(On what has been different for Falcons LB Vic Beasley to be able to get 10.5 sacks at this point in the season)
“It’s a good question and one that we talk about regularly here. I’m going to give you an answer and I think it’ll make sense to you when you hear it. One, I think, going into the second year, he really found out and had to study to say, ‘Each tackle may set differently, I’ve got to prepare a little bit differently for this guy, how he opens, how he doesn’t.’ The film study for him has really ramped up and he has a better understanding of how to do that. So many times, your coaches say he has to go in and watch film. One player that was helpful for him to help him identify that has been (Falcons DE) Dwight Freeney, Dwight’s also educated him on some tips and things you see at the line of scrimmage. That would be the off-field work. And then I would say the on-field work has totally come in. It was never a question of the talent, it was a matter of applying that work to go battle for it each and every day. He recognized that life as a pass rusher is hard and you have to battle through it. So his practice habits totally ramped up, and like most players, when those habits keep improving and you play better, it gives you more intent to practice even harder with more intensity. And we’re totally seeing that come to light with Vic. What the fans don’t get to see is the work that he’s putting out here in Georgia on the practice field.”
(On question marks regarding injuries)
“We hopefully will have some of them back. We treat our roster like it’s a 63-man roster. That includes the practice squad guys – if they’re called upon to step up, we’re able to do that. We’ve done that on some positions defensively this year. We don’t think that would be the case with us offensively. We think some of the guys that are banged up are going to make it back in time for the game. Past that we do have a real standard of the guys and who is expected to do what. If they’re called upon, we’re expecting those guys to play well – then we would try to feature them in the best way we can. Part of our goal is learning each player and taking them as far as we can. Once we know the players well, we try to feature them in the things that they do well and not the things that they can’t do. That’s been something I learned long ago from all of the back to my 49ers days with Bill Walsh and that crew. That helped a lot, knowing what can the player do, so when that guy is up and gets his opportunity we try to feature him in the best way for him and for the team. But, we do think some of them will be back.”
(On having success against the Raiders and the Chiefs this year and who he thinks will have the edge in that matchup on Thursday night)
“Both of them are different. That’s a hard one. I don’t know – that’s a good one. I think it’s going to be different because the offense from Oakland seems high scoring, able to rally and their defense has made an improvement a while ago. I’ll lean towards Oakland. But anytime – you guys know – playing at Kansas City that could be a tough battle to go. I think this is a good Thursday Night (Football) match-up – I know some of the ones have not been for the fans. I would bet there will be more people tuning into this one than most. I think everybody is going to have a good game in front of us on Thursday night.”
(On what makes Falcons WR Julio Jones so special as a player on and off the field)
“It’s a good question – one that we don’t get to talk about a lot here. There’s a lot that doesn’t show up on the stats sheet regarding Julio. I think the first part would totally come down to the work ethic in terms of the way that he practices – by him kind of setting it off in terms of the receivers, they see the guy in the room who is the leader of it, working at the very highest level. From an athlete standpoint, he’s unique because as a big guy often times the big guys can’t change direction as well – for a 225-pound guy, he can play and cut like the smaller guys. Then in the air, he has the balance where he can go up and catch it. Often times when a guy goes up, catches it, and will fall – he has the ability to go up, find it, catch it, land on his feet and stay alive on these really difficult catches. Those are a couple things that stand out. But he’s loaded with humility – another reason why his teammates respect him so much. He knows he’s putting in the work just like everybody else. He’s been a dominate player for a long time and it would be easy for the ego to get in the way. Think about him, he was the best player coming out of high school in his class. Went to Alabama then helped them win a championship. Gets here and already on his second contract. But it’s really the humility and work ethic that stands out to me, when we get to see him on a regular basis.”
Falcons QB Matt Ryan – Conference Call – December 7, 2016
(On how the Rams’ defensive line stacks up against the Falcons offense)
“They’re as good as anybody. They’ve got a really good interior rush, and really good defensive ends. When you watch the film, they play really aggressively, very physical. So, we’re certainly going to have our work cut out for us.”
(On if he’s watched QB Jared Goff play)
“I haven’t seen him play at all really this year. Just none of our games have kind of mirrored up, in terms of teams’ defenses that we’ve been watching film of. Some of the earlier games we saw were with (Q
Case (Keenum). I haven’t really seen him play all that much yet this year.”
(On how the offense has been able to grow in the second year under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan)
“I think we’ve done a nice job of adding some different pieces to our offense. I think the emergence of guys like (WR) Taylor Gabriel, (WR) Mohamed Sanu, have been really impactful for us. Even some of our young tight ends; Austin Hooper has been a really good addition, and Levine Toilolo is having a good year. We’ve had some different pieces, and then I think Kyle has done a great job of putting ourselves in position to succeed. Both of our running backs Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman have done a great job as well.”
(On how does the addition of WR Mohamed Sanu free up WR Julio Jones)
“I think Mohamed has got a really good skill-set. He’s a big, physical guy. Does a great job for us in the slot and in third down situations. Takes some pressure off of Julio in that way that he can make plays for us when ‘Ju’ gets doubled and he gets singled up, he can move the chains for us. But, I also think the addition of Taylor Gabriel and WR Aldrick Robinson, some guys with some speed opposite Julio has helped us as well.”
(On what makes Jones so special)
“He’s an incredible athlete. He’s as physically gifted as anybody I’ve been around, but he works extremely hard. Prepares really, really well every week. Plays with great effort. He’s exactly what you want – he’s unselfish, he wants to win. When you have leaders on your team like that, it sets a great example for everyone else.”
(On if Jones will be available this week, and the evolution of their chemistry)
“Can’t comment on injuries, or anything like that. Obviously, ‘Ju’ and I have a great connection. We’ve played together for a long time now. I think there’s just a level of trust between he and I that comes with experience. I think he kind of knows what I’m thinking, and he knows how I see things. I know his body language really well, and I trust him to make plays. When you have a guy like that, you’ve got to give him opportunities.”
(On how difficult it is to recuperate from a turf toe injury)
“I’ve never really run all that well anyhow (laughter). So, it didn’t make that big of a difference for me. I think there’s varying degrees. Everybody has got different levels. Obviously, they can be painful and tough to go through. It took a little bit of time for me, but we’ll see where he’s at.”
(On how he sees the Raiders/Chiefs game playing out this Thursday)
“That’ll be a good game for sure. Obviously, both of those teams are really good. Both are playing really at a high level right now. I can’t call it. It’ll be a great game, exciting to watch. I’m sure it’ll be a physical game. I know both those teams are very physical.”
(On the versatility of RB Devonta Freeman)
“He’s extremely versatile. Catches the ball extremely well out of the backfield, has great hands, he’s a great route runner. But, he’s also extremely dynamic for us running the ball, whether it’s inside the tackles or getting outside as well. He’s one of the few guys that can really do it all. He’s a good pass-protector for us as well. He’s been great for us.”
Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn – Conference Call – December 7, 2016
(On how he thinks Rams QB Jared Goff has done through his first three starts)
“Number one, we definitely went through all of the passes. What I can say is, number one, I like the athleticism, where he can get outside the pocket to go create. I saw strength in the arm on some of the deep balls, the touch to go underneath – those are the first things that jumped out to me. They’ve got some featured guys and (know) how to use them. The strength of (WR Kenny) Britt, where do you want to throw the ball where he can fight for it. How to they feature (WR) Tavon (Austin), the screen game, I’ve always felt with different packages, they’ve been on point. To me, it kind of looks like they’re giving him the whole offense – just going against them through the years. It doesn’t seem there’s much that they wouldn’t hand to him and that shows a lot to how hard he’s working and his preparation to getting ready.”
(On if he sees any similarities between Goff and Falcons QB Matt Ryan)
“It’s a hard comparison for me, because I didn’t have a great chance to see Matt coming out. I think we competed against him when he was early (in his career). Both of them are very good competitors, I think that’s one of the things from Matt that people talk about a lot. He is a tough, stay-in-there, he’s going to let it rip and take the shot as a competitor. And Goff, I know, has a lot of those same qualities. He singlehandedly got hot in some games through college and I saw that reason alone of why people want to say this is the dude to build it around. And you see that in the play now to say that they’ve really got something there. As far as comparing the two guys, that’s harder for me. But if it is about the competitiveness, then they’re comparing the right guy if they’re comparing him to Matt.”
(On if it helps his game planning that he went against the Rams frequently when he was an assistant coach with the Seahawks)
“I certainly looked at the games that we had against them and it just seemed like every single one was a battle and I know that will be the case again this week. I know how tough (Rams Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher and their group is offensively, defensively and I’ve always been impressed by their (special) teams. They’ve made big plays on special teams ever since (Special Teams Coordinator) Coach (John) Fassel has kind of, in my opinion, with him and Coach Fisher, there’s been a lot of big plays, special teams-wise. I’ve definitely looked at those games and I looked at their game from Seattle this year, so I saw some familiarity. A different play-caller from when I was there when ‘Schotty’ (former Rams Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) was calling. But I think there’s some concepts that are the same and I’m sure they’re doing the same in terms of our style of what we play here. Defensively has some similarities in terms of a scheme standpoint, to what we did in Seattle. But past that, you get into the looks and how they’re featuring the players. On both sides, for us and for them, a lot of new faces as well.”
(On if he has any second thoughts about the two point conversion try last week and on his team’s ability to bounce back after a tough loss)
“We regret the outcome, but I don’t regret the decision to go for it. That part, I think was the right one to make. As it turns, the outcome was the thing that was a bummer. When you’re ahead one and had a chance to see if we could go up ahead (three), I think it was worth taking the shot to do. Now, it ended terribly for us in that way. So the psyche of our team is back, because we knew we had a good, tough opponent coming right back again, and heading across the country to do it. The intent and the focus for this game is on point. But we don’t regret the decision to go for it, we just certainly regret the outcome of how it turned.”
(On how he thinks the offense has grown in its second year under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan)
“It’s a good question and it definitely has. The concepts, each year, you can grow a little bit, but I think we have a real understanding of what we do best and how to feature the guys. One of the things we’re proud of is so many people have gotten involved in the offense, we’ve had different guys be able to set it off. We’ve had days where the tight ends were a real factor, we’ve had days where the running backs were a real factor and we’ve had days where the wide receivers were the real factors. Having different guys make catches, different guys be a factor in the run game – whether it was (RBs Tevin) Coleman or (Devonta) Freeman. That part has expanded, where we have, I would say a bigger stable of people that we utilize on a weekly basis. Knowing that when their time is here to attack and they get the rock, they’re ready to go for it. So, I would say that’s different.”
(On what has been different for Falcons LB Vic Beasley to be able to get 10.5 sacks at this point in the season)
“It’s a good question and one that we talk about regularly here. I’m going to give you an answer and I think it’ll make sense to you when you hear it. One, I think, going into the second year, he really found out and had to study to say, ‘Each tackle may set differently, I’ve got to prepare a little bit differently for this guy, how he opens, how he doesn’t.’ The film study for him has really ramped up and he has a better understanding of how to do that. So many times, your coaches say he has to go in and watch film. One player that was helpful for him to help him identify that has been (Falcons DE) Dwight Freeney, Dwight’s also educated him on some tips and things you see at the line of scrimmage. That would be the off-field work. And then I would say the on-field work has totally come in. It was never a question of the talent, it was a matter of applying that work to go battle for it each and every day. He recognized that life as a pass rusher is hard and you have to battle through it. So his practice habits totally ramped up, and like most players, when those habits keep improving and you play better, it gives you more intent to practice even harder with more intensity. And we’re totally seeing that come to light with Vic. What the fans don’t get to see is the work that he’s putting out here in Georgia on the practice field.”
(On question marks regarding injuries)
“We hopefully will have some of them back. We treat our roster like it’s a 63-man roster. That includes the practice squad guys – if they’re called upon to step up, we’re able to do that. We’ve done that on some positions defensively this year. We don’t think that would be the case with us offensively. We think some of the guys that are banged up are going to make it back in time for the game. Past that we do have a real standard of the guys and who is expected to do what. If they’re called upon, we’re expecting those guys to play well – then we would try to feature them in the best way we can. Part of our goal is learning each player and taking them as far as we can. Once we know the players well, we try to feature them in the things that they do well and not the things that they can’t do. That’s been something I learned long ago from all of the back to my 49ers days with Bill Walsh and that crew. That helped a lot, knowing what can the player do, so when that guy is up and gets his opportunity we try to feature him in the best way for him and for the team. But, we do think some of them will be back.”
(On having success against the Raiders and the Chiefs this year and who he thinks will have the edge in that matchup on Thursday night)
“Both of them are different. That’s a hard one. I don’t know – that’s a good one. I think it’s going to be different because the offense from Oakland seems high scoring, able to rally and their defense has made an improvement a while ago. I’ll lean towards Oakland. But anytime – you guys know – playing at Kansas City that could be a tough battle to go. I think this is a good Thursday Night (Football) match-up – I know some of the ones have not been for the fans. I would bet there will be more people tuning into this one than most. I think everybody is going to have a good game in front of us on Thursday night.”
(On what makes Falcons WR Julio Jones so special as a player on and off the field)
“It’s a good question – one that we don’t get to talk about a lot here. There’s a lot that doesn’t show up on the stats sheet regarding Julio. I think the first part would totally come down to the work ethic in terms of the way that he practices – by him kind of setting it off in terms of the receivers, they see the guy in the room who is the leader of it, working at the very highest level. From an athlete standpoint, he’s unique because as a big guy often times the big guys can’t change direction as well – for a 225-pound guy, he can play and cut like the smaller guys. Then in the air, he has the balance where he can go up and catch it. Often times when a guy goes up, catches it, and will fall – he has the ability to go up, find it, catch it, land on his feet and stay alive on these really difficult catches. Those are a couple things that stand out. But he’s loaded with humility – another reason why his teammates respect him so much. He knows he’s putting in the work just like everybody else. He’s been a dominate player for a long time and it would be easy for the ego to get in the way. Think about him, he was the best player coming out of high school in his class. Went to Alabama then helped them win a championship. Gets here and already on his second contract. But it’s really the humility and work ethic that stands out to me, when we get to see him on a regular basis.”
Falcons QB Matt Ryan – Conference Call – December 7, 2016
(On how the Rams’ defensive line stacks up against the Falcons offense)
“They’re as good as anybody. They’ve got a really good interior rush, and really good defensive ends. When you watch the film, they play really aggressively, very physical. So, we’re certainly going to have our work cut out for us.”
(On if he’s watched QB Jared Goff play)
“I haven’t seen him play at all really this year. Just none of our games have kind of mirrored up, in terms of teams’ defenses that we’ve been watching film of. Some of the earlier games we saw were with (Q
Case (Keenum). I haven’t really seen him play all that much yet this year.”(On how the offense has been able to grow in the second year under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan)
“I think we’ve done a nice job of adding some different pieces to our offense. I think the emergence of guys like (WR) Taylor Gabriel, (WR) Mohamed Sanu, have been really impactful for us. Even some of our young tight ends; Austin Hooper has been a really good addition, and Levine Toilolo is having a good year. We’ve had some different pieces, and then I think Kyle has done a great job of putting ourselves in position to succeed. Both of our running backs Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman have done a great job as well.”
(On how does the addition of WR Mohamed Sanu free up WR Julio Jones)
“I think Mohamed has got a really good skill-set. He’s a big, physical guy. Does a great job for us in the slot and in third down situations. Takes some pressure off of Julio in that way that he can make plays for us when ‘Ju’ gets doubled and he gets singled up, he can move the chains for us. But, I also think the addition of Taylor Gabriel and WR Aldrick Robinson, some guys with some speed opposite Julio has helped us as well.”
(On what makes Jones so special)
“He’s an incredible athlete. He’s as physically gifted as anybody I’ve been around, but he works extremely hard. Prepares really, really well every week. Plays with great effort. He’s exactly what you want – he’s unselfish, he wants to win. When you have leaders on your team like that, it sets a great example for everyone else.”
(On if Jones will be available this week, and the evolution of their chemistry)
“Can’t comment on injuries, or anything like that. Obviously, ‘Ju’ and I have a great connection. We’ve played together for a long time now. I think there’s just a level of trust between he and I that comes with experience. I think he kind of knows what I’m thinking, and he knows how I see things. I know his body language really well, and I trust him to make plays. When you have a guy like that, you’ve got to give him opportunities.”
(On how difficult it is to recuperate from a turf toe injury)
“I’ve never really run all that well anyhow (laughter). So, it didn’t make that big of a difference for me. I think there’s varying degrees. Everybody has got different levels. Obviously, they can be painful and tough to go through. It took a little bit of time for me, but we’ll see where he’s at.”
(On how he sees the Raiders/Chiefs game playing out this Thursday)
“That’ll be a good game for sure. Obviously, both of those teams are really good. Both are playing really at a high level right now. I can’t call it. It’ll be a great game, exciting to watch. I’m sure it’ll be a physical game. I know both those teams are very physical.”
(On the versatility of RB Devonta Freeman)
“He’s extremely versatile. Catches the ball extremely well out of the backfield, has great hands, he’s a great route runner. But, he’s also extremely dynamic for us running the ball, whether it’s inside the tackles or getting outside as well. He’s one of the few guys that can really do it all. He’s a good pass-protector for us as well. He’s been great for us.”
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 | Shaky | 507 | December 07, 2016 12:45PM |
