NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Here’s what Falcons quarterback Taylor had to say after the 28-23 loss to the Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium:
When did they come to you and say get ready to go? “I was actually taking a leak and I hear Arthur (Smith) calling my name, so I came out and he said ‘you are in’ and that is kind of how it happened.”
On the four scoring drives, what was working? “We stuck to the game plan. Take the easy completion, take the guy that is open, try to get first downs. You get enough first downs, the next thing you know you are in a scoring position. And once we get down there, it’s try to score a touchdown. I think on the first two drives we ended with field goals. I will have to go back and look at film but maybe there were things I could have done better and maybe we could have scored a touchdown, but we moved the ball pretty good in the second half just came up short.”
Did you know Desmond Ridder was in concussion protocol? “Yeah, I did. I heard that was the main reason I went out there for the second half. Things were going pretty well so I think you just kind of stuck with it.”
Do you feel like you should be the starter? “Oh, no. I mean, this is Desmond’s (Ridder) team. He’s played great throughout the year. You know, obviously there were a couple of hiccups here and there, but he’s progressing every week. He’s working hard and Logan (Woodside) and I are doing everything we can to help him in any way we can. So, obviously, ultimately that’s Arthur’s (Smith) decision. But tomorrow we’re going to come in and try to get better from film and proceed as usual.”
You’ve been in this backup situation before. How do you approach it now, kind of knowing that there are maybe some questions out there? “Oh, it’s the same as the last two years. When we brought in (Ryan) Fitzpatrick in Washington. He was the guy. I did everything I could to help him. You just got to stay ready as a backup. And that’s your role. So obviously it was the same thing last year with Carson (Wentz). So, this isn’t foreign territory to me. I’ve lived this last two years. So again, they brought me here to back up Des (Desmond Ridder) and help in any way and if he goes down for whatever reason, go in there and do that. Again, we will see what happens next week.”
Does that make what you did today easier in some ways. The fact that you have been in the same position before? “Yes, you know, I’ve been in that position before. And again, I grew up a Packer fan. I grew up watching Brett Favre and the guy had a lot of passion and had a lot of fun out there and that’s what I try to do. Go out there and try to have some fun, sling it around a little bit and go score some points. Again, we just fell a little short.”
What was it like operating the offense today? “It was fun. Obviously, it’s my first regular season in this offense with these guys. They are very supportive and those guys battle, they battle to the very end. So great group of guys. It’s a lot of fun to play with them. And, again, I just wish we came with the win in that one.”
Van Jefferson said he just dropped the last one. How tough was that? “The unfortunate part is everyone is going to highlight that. Van dropped a fourth-and-1 pass, wide open. It’s not on him. Obviously, that is the last thing you see and maybe we go on from there and score but there are a lot of things we did in the first half and maybe the second half that we could have done better and maybe not put us in that position. Van is beating himself up over it but, we had a great game up until that and we’ll come back stronger next week.”
Why did the offense run a lot smoother while you were in the game? “I don’t know. We will go back and look at film. Maybe they were playing a little bit different in the first-half defense, but I don’t know. We had to kind of get our two-minute mode there for a little a little while to make it up some ground. When you are in two-minute mode the defense plays a little softer. So, we’ll see, we’ll go back and look at film tomorrow.”
How was Desmond Ridder helping you during the game? “He was great, very supportive. Obviously, every time we come off the sideline and we look at the (tablets), kind of going over what we see. So again, as a young quarterback like that, to be in that type of position, that’s a tough position to be in. But he’s very, very good with it and again, I hope he is alright.”
How did Drake London impact the offense? “Yeah, Drake’s (London) a great player. He’s one of those guys if you see him one-on-one, you want to give him a shot. He has proved that he can make those plays. So, when we don’t have him out there, obviously, it’s a loss. But again, I think those guys who stepped in played great. You saw (Khadarel Hodge) catch a ball over the middle and break, four tackles and get a 60-yard gain. Mack (Hollins) showed up, Scotty (Miller) showed up. So again, it’s just a credit to that receiver group. They push each other all time. Those guys stepped up pretty well.”
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