Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who hasn’t recorded a passer rating of 100 points or better over his past eight games, figures to have a tough day against the third-ranked defense in the league.

San Francisco allows just 299.1 yards of total offense per game.

Here’s a brief Q&A with Ryan and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.

Q: What does it mean to you going in to play the perhaps the last game in Candlestick Park?

A: It's pretty cool. It's a stadium, for a lot of the veteran guys, it's a place that you grew up watching. Big games were played there. Steve Young. Joe Montana. Those guys were just making plays. There is a lot of history in that place. For it to be the last game there, is going to be really cool.

Q: How are their outside linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith playing?

A: Both Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith are playing very well right now. Aldon Smith, since he's been back, has been playing really, really well. He's very good at rushing the passer. Ahmad Brooks is tied for the lead in sacks (with Smith with 8.5 each). Both of those guys are creating problems in the passing game. They are both physical against the run. They do a really good job within their scheme.

Q: How is rookie Eric Reid doing at safety for Dashon Goldson?

A: He's a long and athletic guy. He'll come up and he's physical. Which is the M.O. of their defense. They pride themselves on being physical at the point of contact. He fits well within their scheme.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The city of Atlanta gave Georgia State University the green light to start construction on a new baseball facility. (Courtesy of Georgia State University Athletics)

Credit: Georgia State University Athletics

Featured

Waymo autonomous vehicles operate across 65 square miles inside I-285 and have been involved in six incidents with Atlanta Public School buses since May. Waymo issued a recall because of their cars briefly stopping or slowing down before continuing forward while a bus was stopped and flashing its lights. (Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools)

Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools