Opening Statement:
“(We) certainly viewed this game as a measuring stick for us. I wanted to really see how we’d respond after our ball game up there a couple weeks ago and we certainly did. We knew it was going to be a very tough matchup and it was so good having the grit and determination right down there all the way until the end to make some stops. [It was a] complete team win and (I’m) really proud of the effort of the fellas today.”
On the key to getting pressure on Panthers QB Cam Newton:
“It was an important part at the end. We knew we’d try to get him off of the spot. He can be such a dangerous runner, not only in the pocket when he hitches up. But really, I think the message was all for the guys coming together and over the last couple weeks I’ve felt that improvement take place and it was a huge play by Vic Beasley Jr. at the end who forced the fumble. I think Adrian Clayborn recovered it, exactly the competitiveness that you want. That’s a blast about coaching in the NFL. (There) are these moments that come up and, like I said, we knew it was going to be a terrific matchup for us and one we were ready to do.”
On QB Matt Ryan’s effort today:
“It was an extremely gutsy performance by Matt (Ryan) and the toughness that he showed is appreciated by the team, by the staff, and everybody in the organization. Today, he was an absolute warrior. There are a number of guys who got banged up and at the half said ‘hey, it’s all hands on deck.’ (Paul) Soliai went down, (Justin) Durant went down, and guys just kept stepping up to answer the challenge. That’s what you do for each other as a teammate. I thought Matt was a perfect shining example of the toughness that he showed for the club.”
On throwing deep today:
“Yeah, we drew that one up a number of times. No, honestly, it was an example of two guys who have a special connection and making a play come alive where Matt got flushed out of the pocket and gave Julio a shot. Generally when you throw it in his direction, good things usually happen and that was the case on that one. I thought just a gutsy performance by those two especially.”
On the comeback from the opening drives:
“I thought that was a really important one. If you remember on the play, I think there was a third-down stop and it ended up being a foul on the play where we ended up getting a first down. For us to have a chance to go answer after they went down to score, I thought that was a really crucial part of the game especially on that first drive. They had just driven all the way down, scored, we were almost three and out, and that penalty allowed that drive to get going. I think that was what gave us the momentum right off the bat so there’s certain times in the game where those plays come up. You never know exactly when they’re going to happen and that was certainly the case then.”
On the offense coming together and Matt Ryan and Kyle Shanahan relationship:
“I thought another guy was Roddy (White) with some of the crossing routes. You know, he had just tremendous catches going inside and the in-breaking routes. We’ve put a lot of time and emphasis into that and the third downs and the red zone to make sure we’re capitalizing on those. That emphasis has certainly paid off, you know, all the work that goes into on the third down stuff and how to feature the routes. These guys are really good in terms of mixing up their pressures and coverage so it was an important one for us for sure.”
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