Quinn not happy with fumbles, missed tackles and overall execution

Also, the team’s major source of offensive power, Matt Ryan passing to Julio Jones, appears offline.

Jones has had 19 targets over the past two games, but has caught just nine passes, including just 3 for 54 yards against the Bucs.

Here’s what Quinn had to say before preparing for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints:

OPENING STATEMENT: "Heading into this game, as division games go, I just had a sense that this one was going to go all the way (to the end). When we talked, way back, I thought this division was going to be a battle. The teams were going to fight like hell against one another and that's been the case so far. (There are) some things, as we went through the film this morning, that we need to get cleaned up for sure. But I thought creating a turnover in the redzone by (Keanu) Neal with the fumble recovery and that one and Levine (Toilolo) taking care of the ball and getting it in the endzone on Devonta (Freeman's) fumble, I thought that was a real factor for us. On third down for us to have a number of opportunities to convert, was huge. None (was) bigger than Freeman yesterday, who had six third down conversions. Those are the things that allow us to keep drives going. When we have those opportunities to do that, that's when our run game can keep going, grinding and to dig for it. Defensively, we went through it. The third down part we saw our improvement in that area. I don't have the total number of missed tackles, but it was way too high in our opinion…then on the special teams side of things, I thought Roberts had a chance to impact the game like he did with his returns. Matt Bryant, this year alone, I believe he's seven of eight on 50-yard-plus field goals. He's a guy who just continues to deliver and battle for it. We are going to turn the page quick to New Orleans. It's Tuesday for us. It's only one game in between so there is no big breakdown to do with the exception of our game and their game yesterday. Those are the things and the highlights form yesterday. For us to have 35 carrries, I thought that was a big impact. We made it through the game well form an injury standpoint. No setbacks from yesterday….We'll likely see (Andy) Levitre getting some work heading into this week. I'll give you an update on him tomorrow and where we'll go…There's no change in the status of Tevin Coleman at the moment. I'll give you and up to date on him as it goes through the week. That's our recap of the game. We though the turnover margin was really significant. We were disappointed that we lost another interception. That's either five or six on the year on some fouls. Lost one from (Ricardo) Allen. As it went back to the end, we thought it could come down to the football…you know how important that is and how we talk about it. Glad to open it up to your questions."

On Grady Jarrett being happy with Takk McKinley's play and his performance last night:
"That's been a real sign of respect coming from another teammate. When you're a first-year player, a rookie, that's really what you're trying to do is earn that respect and let your teammates know you can count on me to get the job done. On the sack, it was really well executed not just by him on the play, and he got the ball out, which you know I'm happy about, but it's that coordination of the four rushers going. I'll give [Jameis] Winston credit. He avoided some at the end to extend some plays, but on that particular play, not only was it a good rush by Takk, it was also set up well by Grady, by [Adrian] Clayborn, the way it was orchestrated in terms of the pass rush stunt. All those guys can communicate and keep making improvements in that way. There are a lot of things that we're rushing better, and Takk is a big part of that, and we're encouraged by his improvement as he's going."

On Devonta Freeman's effectiveness in the run game and the pass game:
"Well, we thought we'd have a real shot to get him involved in a big way, both in the run game and the pass game. We sensed they would probably play in a different style outside at receiver against Julio [Jones] and the guys, and they did, and so when that happens, good for the offense to go and attack in a different way. But it was not just the run game. I thought it showed really the identity the way you wanted to finish runs on corners and safeties and linebackers, but for him to have the six third-down conversions, I thought that was a huge number for a guy to have at the running back spot that many conversions. After the game, I thought it was vintage him, the toughness, the finish, and also vintage him, he was beating himself up for the fumbles that he lost because he takes real pride in that part of his game. We're excited about what he did yesterday and what we can do at the position moving forward, and it's another area that we love to attack, but when the run game gets going like it did yesterday, that's a good thing that allows you to own the ball and finish plays, and he certainly did that."

On evaluating Julio Jones' targets and production:
"We'll certainly analyze it, and you know why, just because he's such a factor in what we do and how we want to play. We'll go back and reassess that to see. We're always going to take our shots to him and always get our targets there. Sometimes when the look is not there and we go to somebody else like for example, Free [Devonta Freeman], those are other opportunities to do that, but you're right, that connection between Matt [Ryan] and Ju [Julio Jones] and really the rest of the offense, especially in our pass game where we know it takes all 11 at the run, the play action of how to feature him. For sure he's a factor in all that we do and definitely keep wanting to assess that to make sure not only is he at his best, but that makes us at our best."

On where the pressure came from on the blocked field goal:
"Yeah, I felt inside for sure. I haven't been all the way through the teams yet, but on the field I had a pretty clean look to see where it came from, and we made the adjustment on that to make sure we could handle it inside. But you're correct, that's where it came, right over Austin [Pasztor]."

On the team growing from battles in close games:
"I think you get molded and you get hardened some as you go through those. I know we've had maybe four or five of them that have gone down to the last play at Detroit, the Jets, Seattle, Tampa, this one here and Chicago and then another one that was kind of right near the end with New Orleans a couple weeks ago. At the end of the game, it does show. We've actually had a couple that we lost in the last minute with Miami and Buffalo. Here's what I like about that, when you put it into those words. There is a hardening that takes place, a confidence that comes from that, from being in those environments, to know this is our time to stand up and make your opportunities count. Going through those as a coach, you're not ever disappointed about being in close games because you do gain some stuff from that. I do love the toughness of our team and the resiliency our guys have. It really shows in those end-of-the-game moments. As it goes on the road, the biggest factor oftentimes is the crowd, and it'll be a hell of an environment in New Orleans this week. We try to simulate that as well as we can, doing a lot of the no-huddle work that we do, but that's a big factor. The team is familiar. We've got a real process we go through when we travel to try and make so much of it feel the same due to our process to get ready, so that'll be, again, at hand this week. But at the end of the games, being in some of those environments and those close battles, I do think you can gain some things from that, and we certainly have."

On whether the coaching staff communicates playoff implications to the team:
"You know, we don't. As we're going through it, we just try to stay locked in on this one, and the reason being is we know that's the road to it, but we just don't want to take any steps, miss a step along the way, and so this division, that's really where the focus comes for us. That's why this week it's all in us against them, this matchup, this battle, and we just kind of stick to the process of getting ready. We have a way to get there that we know by the time we get to game day, the preparation is right, the mindset is right, and we don't want to look past anything. It's going to be a hell of a game, but we don't really look past that or any sigh of relief or any of those things. We just go for it for this week."

On whether the preparation process changes with a shorter week:
"It didn't, and the reason being, after our game against New Orleans we had an extra day where we did some self-scouting, even went back and assessed our game against New Orleans. Preparation-wise it doesn't. As long as we have the process that we go through Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, those four days, we have almost a theme of each day how we go through it, and we trust that process, and we know when we go through it, that takes care of the learning. For us, we try not to miss a step, and that's the big message I had with the staff this morning. Even though you played them recently, no shortcuts, no missteps, it's the process that we go through to get ready. That's our standard, so we're going to go right through it again in terms of having it on a short week. We've done that already this year on Monday night coming back and playing, so we know what that feels like, looks like, and we'll go put the plan in action."

On how much better this 9-5 team can be:
"I totally recognize the question, and it was actually a pretty big topic, and that's why I was so lit up last week in a good way about the things we can improve upon, and I thought we're nowhere near our ceiling. For us to have some of the missed tackles that we did and maybe not own some parts in this game like we did, that part I know we can control. That part I do think the team can take another step, and as far as how many, I don't know that, but what I can say is some of the ones at the ball, some of the ones of our situation stuff, we're improving in that area, man, the third down, the red zone part, that part is coming together, and I like the toughness that this group has. They've been through it together. They've battled through it. They've had some scars to go along the way, so I like where their confidence is. I like where their toughness is. We're not executing at the level I'd hoped we would in all phases yet, and we haven't nailed that time where it's offense, defense, and special teams hitting it all together, so that lights us up in a good way. As far as the division goes, I knew it was going to be a good fight all the way through, and they just are, almost throw the records out and just go fight for it. That's what we kind of expected going into last night as well, so that's kind of where we're at again this week. Nine wins, their wins, it's us, them, this week, at their spot, and let's go battle for it. All the external stuff kind of goes away, and you just throw all your focus into this matchup, this game, and that's really how we approach it."

On how he would have reacted to a minus-four turnover differential:
"I would have said really low because if you had told me that part of being in the minus at this part of the year when we really try to emphasize it, that part is going. We've lost I think five or six on some fouls, and I think that would make a real difference where we've lost some interceptions. It happened again yesterday where there was a defensive holding penalty that cost the one for [Ricardo] Allen. Those six interceptions, that's a big difference, man, in terms of going from 11 takeaways up to 17 or however many it is into that spot, that's a big difference. That part of our game we've got to get cleaned up because we know where we can go to when the ball is right and glad we took a good step in that direction last night."

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