Here’s what Matt Ryan had to say about the Vikings:
Q: What at the hallmarks of a Mike Zimmer defense?
A: "Number one, they play physical across the board. Defensive line, second level, secondary. They all play physical. They are solid tacklers. They do a nice job within their pressure packages. They give you a bunch of different looks. Stress your protections, so we have to be on top of that. ... We have to play physical. That's the biggest thing."
Q: How complex are their blitz packages?
A: "They'll bring it from anywhere. That's the number one thing that you'll see from them. They trust all of their guys in different rush schemes. They'll bring it with safeties, with linebackers. They'll get home with just four rushing. They do a nice job of putting guys in different spots. … We have to do a really good job of identifying where people are at and being solid in our pass (protection)."
Q: What makes Minnesota safety Harrison Smith such a force?
A: "He does it all. They use him in their pressure packages quite a bit. He's very good in zone coverage, playing half the field, but also playing a deep third. He's good when he's down in the box against the run game. He tackles extremely well. He covers in man-to-man coverage against running backs and tight ends. He's the complete package and he's physical at that position."
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