Here’s what the Falcons were talking about after the game:
DURON HARMON, safety
On his interception: “It just comes down to the little things. The team that executes best in the fourth quarter, usually wins. We have to tip our hats to the Bills because they did that.”
On being eliminated from the playoffs: “It’s very difficult because that’s why we play the game. At this point in my career, I know it’s getting closer to the end, but you know, you come back to play, to play meaningful games and get to the playoffs to get the chance to win championships. Play for championships. We fell short. It’s tough.”
On if there was a lesson to learn in defeat: “We are a young team. This will be a feeling that hopefully everybody in this locker room will remember. Leaving the field with the Bills clinching a playoff berth. Hopefully, use it as some type of motivation to get back to this point where we are playing meaning football in late December, early January and we’ll be the ones clinching a playoff berth.”
A.J. TERRELL, cornerback
On the loss: “The results didn’t come out how we wanted. We played a good team game, but didn’t come up with the W toward the end. So, just something that we can get better on and learn from it. They just made a halftime adjustment and started running the ball more.”
On shadowing Stefon Diggs: “Just the game plan that we had coming in. Just low on bodies team wise. We just had to make things work. Stefon is a great player in the league. Much respect to him. That was just a job and task that I had today.”
On the backups Darren Hall and Kendall Sheffield: “They did real good today. You’ve got the next man up mentality. They came in and did their job. Just proud of them boys.”
On his interception: “It was two-minute. It was cover 3. We knew they were trying to push the ball down the field. It just overlapped No. 2 and made a play on the ball.
On his family from Rochester, New York: “It was definitely just great to play in front of my family. Never really got a chance to outside of playing at Syracuse in college. It was a great environment. A big game that we had for them to come out and support (was great). I love all of them to death. I really appreciate the support.”
On closing out the season: “Try to get a win, Just go in and prepare for the Saints and get a win at home.”
FOYE OLUOKUN, Linebacker
On the defense: “We came out swinging.”
On his assessment of the game: “It was a fun game. Meaningful ball out there late in the season. Going into the game, we knew what the stakes were. All in all, I thought we played up and down but a fun game, a physical game and then at the end, we let it get away from us there. We came out swinging. I’m proud of the guys for playing a physical game in the snow, but there are definitely things we should clean up. The game’s over, but there are things we could’ve done better to get the win.”
On whether the defense clogged throwing lanes for QB Josh Allen to where they went away from the pass in the second half: “From what I saw, I think they had a tough time throwing the ball. He started to try to make plays with his feet and try to force a little bit of stuff and that’s probably why they got away from it. We turned him over too, so that’s probably why they went away from it, trying to find something that was going to work for them going late into the game.”
On whether the defense worked on getting pass deflections when game-planning or based on the flow of the game: “Well, we’re always trying to get turnovers as a defense. That’s the most important thing, especially in the NFL, getting the ball away from the other team and getting more possessions for your offense. I think we did scout them up where we knew he was going to try to use that arm talent and leg talent to try to force some plays and we were able to catch some of the ones that he threw to us. In terms of that, that was good on our part.”
PARKER HESSE, Tight end
TE Parker Hesse
On being on the practice squad this season and stepping up today: “That’s basically the job description as a practice squad guy or a guy that’s third or fourth at your position. You’ve got to be ready at a moment’s notice. Obviously, late in the year, injuries, COVID, what have you, you have to be able to go in and fill in at a moment’s notice. We’ve got guys up and down this roster, on the practice squad, that have been doing that the past few weeks and have done that this week, and that’s just how we operate. It’s next-man-in. We don’t flinch. Just take care of business.”
On when he knew he would play this week: “I mean, Hayden tested positive Wednesday, so you kind of know there’s a pretty good chance, going through the game plan and just the amount of personnel formations we’ve got, stuff like that. You just have to prepare every week that way but I kind of knew on Wednesday there was a good chance of it.”
On his transition from DE at Iowa to TE in the NFL: “It’s been a lot of fun. I love playing the position. I’ve just been very fortunate that I’ve had people that have believed in me and my potential along the way because certainly when I started, it didn’t look great all the time, and just like any player, there are a lot of things that I have to improve on that I just keep learning every day, but fortunately for me, throughout my young career so far, I’ve had people that have believed in me. That just gives you confidence to go out and say, ‘If they believe I can do it, there’s no reason I can’t. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and that’s what I hope to do.”
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