FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is looking forward to facing his former head coach, Dan Quinn the new defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Falcons (4-4) are set to face the Cowboys (6-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“I mean, listen, I love Dan,” Ryan said of his head coach from 2015-20. “He’s an awesome person. He’s a great coach. I really enjoyed playing for him. And so, I wish him nothing but the best. But he knows what this week is about for both of us. It’s about trying to get a win.”
The Falcons are coming off a stunning 27-25 win Sunday against the Saints. They needed a field goal at the buzzer after they blew an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys, who had won six in a row, lost 30-14 to Denver on Sunday. Quinn’s defense missed 14 tackles in the game.
“He’s an incredible competitor,” Ryan said. “So, once we’re playing, it’s about going against their defense. I’m sure ‘Q’ will be locked in the same way.”
After being fired five games into last season, Quinn went back and re-evaluated his defensive units over the past eight seasons. He’s no longer just sitting in a cover-3 zone and attacking the ball. His unit in Dallas has been much more multiple, with an array of disguises. He’s also playing more man-to-man defense.
“I think every year you evolve and feature the players that you have differently,” Ryan said. “I think he’s done a nice job of using the guys that they have there in Dallas, and trying to emphasize their strengths, allowing them to play fast and physical and fly around.”
The Cowboys are led by rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, who has 38 tackles and five sacks. Second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs leads the NFL with seven interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns.
“Their defense has played really well this year,” Ryan said. “I think he’s done a great job.”
Ryan guided the Falcons to the Super Bowl and won the franchise’s only MVP award under Quinn. He remembers mostly the good times together.
“I mean, it’s impossible to pick one,” Ryan said. “Dan, he’s a great friend and guy that I have a ton of respect for. So, it’s impossible to pick one. But there’s so many times.
“For the people who were here and got to know him, he’s as good of a person that you are going to find. I don’t have one that I can pull from, I’ve got tons. He’s just a great person.”
Ryan and Quinn have continued to keep in touch via text messages.
“He’s always asking about how my kids are doing and stuff like that,” Ryan said. “So he and (his wife) Stacey are great people. And yeah, he’s kept in touch. And I’ve kept in touch.”
Former Falcons safeties Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee followed Quinn to Dallas. Neal has moved to linebacker while Kazee has started all eight games at safety.
“Yeah, I mean, he was a great teammate for a long time,” Ryan said of Neal. “He’s playing a little bit different role and position than he was here in Atlanta. But he’s doing a nice job.”
Neal has played in six games for the Cowboys and has 24 tackles and two tackles for losses.
“He’s always been a physical player,” Ryan said. “For him to kind of move down more into the box and play some of that linebacker spot, he’s more than capable of doing it. He’s played really well. So, I know he’s a great player. I know how tough he is and how hard he works. So, it’s going to be a challenge.”
Ryan knows that Quinn is aware of his strengths and weaknesses.
“I think it comes down to making plays on the field on Sunday,” Ryan said. “He’s got knowledge of my skill set for sure. I know some of the guys on their defense, too, and they know me and those kind of things.”
Ryan learned a few things from Quinn that he can use to get himself and the Falcons ready.
“I think more so than anything from what I’ve learned from him is that he’s going to have his guys ready to play,” Ryan said. “They are going to understand what they are trying to do. He’s really good about that.”
The knowledge pendulum swings both ways.
“The familiarity of knowing that their guys will be ready to go, those guys are going to know what they are trying to accomplish on the defensive side of the ball,” Ryan said. “We’re going to have to step up to that and match that and hopefully be better than that.”
The Bow Tie Chronicles
For more content about The Atlanta Falcons
ADVERTISING
Follow me on Twitter @DOrlandoAJC
On Facebook at Atlanta Falcons News Now
Atlanta Falcons coverage on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Falcons’ 2021 schedule features trip to London, January trip to Buffalo
Atlanta Falcons schedule and scores
Bye Week
Next four games
Falcons at Cowboys, 1 p.m. Sunday
Patriots at Falcons, 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18
Falcons at Jacksonville, 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 28
Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 5
About the Author
