Is Matty Ice back for good?

After struggling with turnovers and a mid-season losing streak, quarterback Matt Ryan’s gutsy performance against the Panthers hardly went unnoticed around the Falcons locker room.

“He took a lot of big shots last week, but it just shows what kind of competitor that he is,” wide receiver Roddy White said. “He just got up and just kept pushing and led his team to a win. That’s the Matt Ryan that we know and love, that you could depend on year in and year out, that he’s displayed over the last seven years.”

Ryan was listed on the injury report Wednesday with a hip injury, but fully participated in practice. He insisted he sustained no more wear and tear than any other player on the roster after a tough game.

For Ryan, taking hits is sometimes necessary.

“It’s part of how some games shake out,” Ryan said. “You have to be aggressive and get the ball down the field at certain times. I thought we did a great job on creating explosive plays. Sometimes you got to get in there in the pocket and take some of that stuff because there’s great stuff going on down the field.”

Ryan finished the Falcons’ 20-13 win over the Panthers completing 23-of-30 passes for 306 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for the first time since Nov. 11 against the 49ers.

On Sunday at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons face the Saints in a rematch of the game that produced the Falcons’ first loss of the season and sent their season spiraling to seven losses in eight games.

“(I remember) that nasty taste that broke our undefeated record and it was a rivalry game in New Orleans,” running back Devonta Freeman said. “We were doing good. We had the juice. We were doing everything it took a team to win and they just broke that. That’s always, to me, a slap in the face. We’re going to go out there and take it and get this (win).”

Since the Falcons and Saints last met, the Falcons’ offense struggled with turnovers, losing 23 in 10 games, including 11 Ryan interceptions.

“Each year brings it’s own challenges,” Ryan said. “There’s certain things that challenge us throughout every season and this year’s no different. There are challenges that came up this year. There’s positive things that came up this year. But as far as (this year being) more challenging or less challenging and all those kind of things, every year I’ve found is tough and you’ve got to be prepared and ready to go every week. That’s the mindset I’ve always had.”

After just two turnovers in their past two games, the Falcons’ improved ball security will be tested when they face a Saints’ defense that forced three fumbles in their first meeting, two of which were lost inside the Saints’ 30-yard line.

“I think consistency is the key,” Ryan said. “Throughout different times of the year, I don’t think we were very consistent. I think if we can build that consistency and play the way we’re capable of week in and week out, I think we’ve proven that we can play really good football. But we need to do it more often and we need to do it every time we show up.”