CHARLOTTE -- Here’s what the Falcons had to say after the 9-7 loss to the Panthers on Sunday:
BIJAN ROBINSON, running back
On his fumble: “It was a helmet. He came and hit the ball out. For me, like, I’ve got to be more discipline. When I’m in traffic and there is more traffic, I have to two-hand lock it. As a young player, that’s growing in this league, I have to understand that, you know when you’re in traffic, guys are trying to get the ball out. For me, I’ve got to be better as a player myself and be more discipline when those situations come. It was rainy. My arms were wet. There were so many things that were going on. I know I had to keep that ball in tight. Understand that something like that can’t happen anymore.”
A.J. TERRELL JR, cornerback
On what needs to be fixed: “Just finishing. I feel like we just have to finish games. Play a complete, four quarter game and just play complementary football and make the stops and put points on the board. Overall, just getting the game done and won.”
On the last drive of the game: “We had opportunities to make plays and we let some of them slip. Eventually, got them all the way down field and came to a game-winning field goal, but those are things that we can control and that’s what I was talking about. We have to just make the plays and just get off the field and give our offense another opportunity to close the game out or vice versa, we close the game out.”
On what the defense needed to do to close the game out: “Like I said, just making the plays that were there. We left some plays out there on the field that, like I said, got them down there. Overall, I felt like we played a good game, but not good enough to get the W. That’s where we go back to the drawing board just as a defense, as a team. Handle those situations differently and make the stops that are there for us and make plays when we needed.”
On if the loss stings: “Yeah, it definitely stings. Like you said, two division losses, back-to-back. On the good side, I know it’s not over with. We still have a fight in it. Of course, these last two games were crucial. Definitely a tough pill to swallow.”
CALAIS CAMPBELL, defensive end
On his reaction to the loss: “This one hurts. I feel like we didn’t make the plays we needed to. They forced two turnovers and we didn’t get any. Games like this when the weather is the way it is, turnovers are crucial. But even then, stuff like this we got to win the ball game. This one hurts. I don’t know if there is anyone here who thought we were going to lose this ball game. They played hard. They made the plays that you needed to do to win the ball game. But for us I feel like you got to figure out something. This wasn’t good enough. This wasn’t to the standard that I feel like we have been playing at since the bye week. And in last week, I feel like that one was tough, but this one definitely stings a lot more. At the end of the day, as long as there is football left to play, we have to continue playing. We still can still give ourselves a position to have a chance. We are going to need a whole lot of help, but just have to keep moving forward and keep fighting and do that best we can.”
On the best way for the team to find consistency: “I think we can’t have any lapses. We have to be 60 minutes. Every play - have to lock in. Go out there and play good football. And this football, it is not always going to be perfect. You are going to have some plays here and there, but you just can’t have plays that beat you. Today was one of those days where it was just an ugly game. Hard to do a lot of different things. We were both sides limited, but at the end of the day, they made the plays when they had to. They got the calls. They got the tough breaks. But we had some breaks too, so it is just the way it is. But two turnovers that is the difference in the game. We knew in this ballgame with the conditions being the way they were going to be. Creating turnovers was going to be a big part of our success and we didn’t create turnovers. As a defense, you can’t speak on the ball game in this setting if you can’t take the ball away. And that is something we practice and put a lot of emphasis on and tip our hat to them because they did a good job of protecting the ball.”
JAKE MATTHEWS, left tackle
On the team not being able to close games: “That’s a good question. Obviously, we’re still trying to figure it out. We got to finish games. It doesn’t matter how the first three quarters or how the first part of the game goes. We’ve got to find a way to finish them and we just gave them too many opportunities at the end.”
On if he still believes head coach Arthur Smith is the right guy: “Absolutely. Because I believe in what he stands for and what we’re trying to do here and I’m absolutely bought in.”
On if offense confidence is an issue: “It doesn’t feel like that when we’re getting down in the red zone and scoring. Obviously, we had the one touchdown drive and then other opportunities where we got down there and we couldn’t finish. If we score on those other drives down there, it’s a completely different game so we just got to find a way to seal the deal.”
On where he thinks Desmond Ridder’s confidence is right now: “I’ve known Desmond for two years and he’s the type of player that is always going to bring it every weekend. I have no doubt in his confidence or abilities.”
On where the team’s confidence is in Ridder: “As high as it can be. I’m very confident in him and I truly believe that he’s the guy.”
KADEN ELLISS, linebacker
On the Panthers last drive of the game: “It sucks. You really just have to say congrats to them. The last drive they made a few plays. They also put it in the air a few times. They ran the ball a few times as well. At the end of the day, we didn’t stop enough plays. That is an area we must come through for the team.”
On how the Falcons played different in the first half versus the second: “We were flying around and hitting. We had a good idea of what type of game it was going to be. I think that both offenses began to move the ball.”
On the Falcons running game: “I think that both teams decided that running the ball is not going to work. That is when both offenses began to throw the ball. That allowed for the ball to get moved around a little bit. At the end of the day, we started off doing what we needed to do. We simply just didn’t come through.”
The Bow Tie Chronicles
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