Matt Ryan has passed for 4,071 yards and needs 73 yards Sunday against Tampa Bay to break the team record of 4,143 yards set by Jeff George in 1995.
If the game is a blowout and he needs 30 yards, one wonders if coach Mike Smith will leave him in the game to break the long-standing mark, a la Sean Payton of the Saints on behalf of Drew Brees against the Falcons on Monday night.
Here’s a brief Q&A with Ryan and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.
Q: How do you plan to rebound from the New Orleans game?
A: I think that's part of the deal in this league. There's going to be some weeks where you don't play as well as you would like and don't have the outcome that you expect to have. But part of being a professional is putting it behind you, focusing in on the next opponent. ... Everyone's focus is 100 percent on playing well this week and trying to beat the Buccaneers.
Q: What are the keys to beating Tampa Bay?
A: The key is focusing on ourselves and making sure that, regardless of what they do, we play at a high level and are prepared.
Q: How difficult will it be to focus on Tampa Bay when you know you’re already in the playoffs?
A: We kind of understand where we're at and know that we'll be playing in January, but it's important for us to play well this week and get some momentum heading into the playoffs.
Q: Can you get that momentum in one week?
A: I think it's just we've got to have a great week of preparation, we've got to prepare well and then we've got to play well and try to carry that over.
