Here’s the what the Falcons said after the 17-14 loss Sunday to the Chiefs:
YOUNGHOE KOO, KICKER
CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THAT KICK? “I just pushed it. I know I have to come through when my name is called at that time. I just didn’t come through. But I’ll learn from it and move on.”
WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, IS IT A MECHANICAL THING? IS IT SOMETHING YOU KNEW RIGHT WHEN IT CAME OFF YOUR FOOT? “I haven’t really done that all season. It was a different surface that I played on (Sunday) and I had a hard time figuring it out. Different surface or not I have to make that kick.”
DID NERVES PLAY A ROLE AT ALL WITH SECONDS LEFT, WITH WHAT’S AT STAKE? “No, you can’t think about that stuff, right? It’s the same stroke every time. Like I said, I had a hard time figuring that out. I have to come through.”
WHAT’S THE MOOD IN THE LOCKER ROOM AFTER THIS ONE? YOU GO TOE TO TOE WITH THE DEFENDING CHAMPS AND NOW IT ENDS THE WAY IT DOES, WHAT’S THE MOOD? “We’ve had a lot of close games this season. We would have liked to close it out as well. We just learn from it and move on, week by week.”
DOES IT GET DISHEARTENING WITH THE WAY YOU GUYS HAVE DEALT WITH SOME LOSSES? “We’re just that close, whether it’s a play or two. We’re right there every time. I think we just have to learn to finish and get better from that.”
COACH MORRIS SAID IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE THAT HE WENT UP AND GAVE YOU A HUG AFTERWARD. WHAT WAS THE STORY FROM YOUR SIDE OF THINGS AFTER THE KICK AND DID ANYONE ELSE COME UP WITH WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT? “At that moment I just have to come through when my name is called at that time. I’ll learn from it. It is what it is. I’ll definitely work harder from that. Next time, I’ll make it.”
Credit: AJC
GRADY JARRETT, DEFENSIVE TACKLE
On the defense’s game plan: “You know, we came out, did the necessary game plan we did to try to affect them in the pass game (and) run game. We executed well to our best abilities. They had a couple plays where they got out, but to hold them to under 20 points is a task for anybody. We just came out and did what we do.”
Being able to play with anybody: “I mean, we can play with anyone. That’s almost the must frustrating part, having lost the games that we lost at the margin of defeat that we had, it could go either way. We got a strong team, good team, we just didn’t finish out in multiple games how we want to. That can definitely take a toll on you, but you’ve gotta just keep working and just try to find what that thing is that’s holding us back from having success and coming out on top. It’s just unfortunate to come out with another close loss like this again.”
Toll of close losses: “As a competitor, whenever you don’t get the W, it always affects you. It’s just what you do with that feeling, you know? We’ve gotta be motivated to go back to get better and open up the wound so you can see where you can get better, versus pouting and, you know, ‘Oh, why me?’ Never been that guy and never will be. It’s about how you respond. At the end of the day, we’re blessed to be able to play this game, but wins is what you keep you around. Wins is what you do it for. Wins is why they pay you, so we’ve gotta find a way to get some wins.”
Pressure on Mahomes: “Yeah, it was good. I feel like there’s still a couple plays out there that we could’ve got, but for the most part, we definitely got him moving around, forced a couple incomplete passes, interceptions, and got a couple hits. Definitely felt good to be able to affect him.”
Did you say anything to AJ after the dropped INT? “Just next play. We’ve just got to the next play. There’s more than one play in the game that got us the L. He made a heck of a play. If he doesn’t reach up, even if it’s not a PBU, it’s a chance that they catch a touchdown. At the end of the day, he made a great play. He’ll learn from that and I’m sure that it’ll motivate him to make that play next time he’s in position.”
Fans thinking about draft order, coaches/players mindset: “I think it’s the last thing from our mind as players and coaches. We prepare to win, week in and week out, day in and day out. Let the timing of that take care of itself. We don’t have no control over that anyway, so we’ve gotta control the controllables.”
On Koo miss: “It was surprising. He’s done kept us in so many games over this year and just won so many games for us. At the end of the day, you know that he did his best. Stuff happens, you know? He’s a Pro Bowler for a reason. He definitely earned it. The best is yet to come for him and that may be a motivating factor to just get better. At the end of the day, we know he did his best. We love him and we loved on him after the kick because we know he means to this team and what he put into this team this year, so we appreciate.”
On being named to the Pro Bowl: “Definitely is an honor to be selected to my second consecutive Pro Bowl. Definitely just the respect that people have for me around the league, so I definitely appreciate that. Just celebrated it with my family. I don’t know if we celebrated — we enjoyed it. I think they expected it and it’s kinda like an expectation now, you know? It was a good moment but definitely trying to finish this season as strong as we can and control what we can going forward.”
Credit: AJC
AJ TERRELL, CORNERBACK
Dropped INT: “Just went up for the ball and came down with it. The ground just bobbled it loose. Wish I could have it back, but it just is what it is.”
Did the ground knock it out? “I had it. I had it coming down and then the force of the ground just bobbled it.”
Thinking about Hill grabbing it to score? “It was just reacting. Just out there just making plays. Just out there and reacting and making a play to it.”
Defensive game plan, 17 points for Chiefs: “Just trusting the system and each other. Just coming in knowing, just trusting gin the game plan we can always come down to the wire and win these close games. We have so many this year. it ain’t new to us. We’ve just gotta put games away.”
Validation of feeling like you can play with anyone: “I definitely believe we can play with anyone. It’s shown this whole season. We’ve just got to finish and put games away, whether we’ve got the lead or whether we don’t, we always come down to a nail-biter.”
Growth throughout this season in tough matchups: “Definitely grown a lot. Like I said, I look forward to these matchups. I’m here for a reason, to go out there and make plays and help the team get to a Super Bowl.”
How much does losing so many close games wear on the team? “We don’t even look at it at that perspective. We know we’ve got a lot of them under our belt where we had lost close games, but knowing as a team that we can play with anybody, we just come in every week just trying to get the job done and just believing in each other.”
Keanu growth throughout the year: “Definitely a leader in the back seven. He made a great play on the ball. It wasn’t nothing I didn’t expect. Just a great leader, great baller. Just a big brother to me.”
Fans thinking about draft position, does that conflict with what players think about? “I’m just a player. I don’t really get into the draft. I’m here for a reason and they drafted me, so all I do is control me.”
Is there a moral victory of the defense playing so close against Super Bowl champions? “No. I feel like, like I said, we’ve had so many close games. We want to put these games away. We’re not satisfied with just playing a close, good game but we want to put games away and win. We took a loss and it wasn’t good. We didn’t win, so it just is what it is.”
Falcons’ 2021 draft position
(Before Week 16 action)
1. Jacksonville
2. New York Jets
3. Cincinnati
4. Carolina
5. Falcons
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