QB corner: Ryan ready to lead battle-tested Falcons back into the playoffs

Ryan, who just completed his 10th regular season, is 3-5 in the playoffs and 0-2 on the road with wildcard playoffs losses at Arizona after the 2008 regular season and at the New York Giants after the 2011 season. Both of those teams went on to play in the Super Bowl.

“We’re all excited for this opportunity,” said Ryan on Tuesday. “We’ve all worked really hard throughout the offseason and throughout the season to get here. I expect us to have another good week of preparation.”

Ryan guided the Falcons to a 11-5 record as a rookie and earned a wildcard berth. They faced Kurt Warner, who’ll call this game on national radio, and the Cardinals.

Things were going along well with Falcons leading 17-14 until Darnell Dockett tossed guard Harvey Dahl into Ryan and caused a fumble in the third quarter. Arizona’s Antrel Rolle scooped up the fumble and returned it for a touchdown. The Cardinals went on to win 30-24.

“It feels like it was yesterday, honestly, it goes by so quick,” Ryan said. “But I think you learn from all of those experiences. You learn that you have to get into your routine and make it feel really normal. Then go out there and execute and play the way your capable of. Settling in and knowing that making it feel normal is the key to this time of the year.”

Last season, the Falcons stormed to the Super Bowl after going 11-5 and earning the second seed. They dismantled Seattle in the divisional round 36-20 and thrashed Green Bay 44-21 in the NFC championship game.

In the Super Bowl, the Falcons went up 28-3 before their historic collapse and were defeated 34-28 in overtime by New England.

Those two defeats, the first one to the Cardinals and the one to New England, has shaped the way Ryan plans to get ready, for the first time as a sixth seed, for the Rams.

“I think it’s trusting your process and believing in the process that we have as a team and as an organization,” Ryan said. “We do a very good job during the week of getting ourselves prepared and ready to play.”

By sticking to the routine is a key part of getting ready for the playoffs for Ryan.

“That provides confidence,” Ryan said. “I think guys need to focus on doing the best that they can with where their feet are at on that time of the day. If we do that, we’re locked in at meetings, practice and walk-throughs.

“That’s going to give us the best chances to be successful on Saturday night.”

Matt LaFleur, who was Ryan’s quarterbacks coach for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, is the Rams’ offensive coordinator. Ryan isn’t concerned that he’ll share the nuances of the Falcons’ attack with the Rams’ braintrust.

“He obviously knows our personnel, knows our guys and the scheme pretty well,” Ryan said. “But at the end of the day, these games come down to guys on the field. When we get our chances, we have to make some plays.”

The Falcons played the Rams last season and blasted them, 42-14, on Dec. 11, 2016. But the Rams have been retooled under rookie head coach Sean McVay and veteran defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

“We are familiar with some of what they do and I’m sure they are familiar with some of what we do,” Ryan said. “It’s going to be a good test and good battle for us. When we get our chances as players, we have to make plays.”

The Falcons, even after their traumatic Super Bowl appearance, were the only team to return to the playoffs in the NFC. The Seahawks, Cowboys, Packers, Lions and Giants did not make it back.

Because of the return trip, some consider the Falcons to be dangerous as the most battle-tested playoff team in the conference.

However, Ryan is not buying that line of reasoning.

“I don’t think about that stuff so much,” Ryan said. “I’m sure that there are players on other teams that have had playoff experience that they can help with. We worry mostly about our building and guys inside of our building.”