What Matt Ryan had to say about the Vikings

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan gives wide receiver Mohamed Sanu five after he played quarterback for one play and threw a touchdown pass to Julio Jones during the first half against the Buccaneers Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Atlanta.

Credit: Curtis Compton

Credit: Curtis Compton

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan gives wide receiver Mohamed Sanu five after he played quarterback for one play and threw a touchdown pass to Julio Jones during the first half against the Buccaneers Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Atlanta.

Here’s what Matt Ryan had to say about the Vikings:

On Everson Griffen: "(Right defensive end Everson) Griffen plays in their front four and creates problems on the edge in terms of pass rush, but he's also very good against the run." (He's tied with Arizona's Chandler Jones for the NFL lead with 12 sacks.)

On safety Harrison Smith: "Harrison Smith is a down safety who does a great job of making plays in the run game. He's very physical. He does a great job in their pass-rush scheme, too. They use him to pressure quite a bit. He's also solid in coverage." (He leads the Vikings with three interceptions.)

On cornerback Xavier Rhodes: "Rhodes on the outside is a very good corner. Strong. Had a great year last year and has had a great one this year so far."

On how the Vikings are 9-2: "One, they've got good players and that helps. I think their scheme is very sound. (Coach) Mike (Zimmer) has always done a great job defensively of having a lot of guys around the line of scrimmage, creating a lot of different pressure looks."

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