Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who hasn’t thrown more than one touchdown pass in each of the past three games, hopes to pull out of a slump against Tampa Bay.

The Falcons defeated the Buccaneers 31-23 on Oct. 20 at the Georgia Dome.

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

Q: What’s been behind (Tampa Bay’s strong) starts against Seattle (21-0) and Miami (15-0)?

A: We know they are a team playing with some confidence, and you can throw their record out when you look at what they've done the last few weeks. On the defensive side of the ball, I think they've played really, really well.

Q: How can the Falcons get their first road win this week?

A: It's certainly important for us. We have to focus on trying to find a way to get that done. I think the way that you do that is that you focus on playing well. That's the biggest thing. We have to work hard and play well.

Q: What type of linebacker is Lavonte David developing into for Tampa Bay?

A: He's really, really good. Extremely athletic. He's one of the better cover linebackers in the league. I think he's leading their team in sacks, too. He's flying around. They do a great job with using him in their pressure package. Typically, from those athletic guys, you don't see them be as physical as he is. He brings both, and it's a good combination. He's tough to go against.

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