Here’s what Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, the reigning most valuable player of the National Football League, had to say on Sunday:
On the flow of camp in preparation for the first preseason game:
"I think the first 10 days or so of camp have been really good. I feel like we've gotten in good work on the field. We're flying around and doing a good job. We still have a lot of things to improve on and a lot of individual things at each position that I think we can do better. The positive thing is we're improving every day and looking forward to getting an opportunity later this week to go down and play a different team."
On the situational drills he has been pleased with so far:
"To us, 50 percent of the game is non-first and second down calls. You're in third down and red zone situations. You're in two-minute and four-minute situations. All kinds of different things come up. The better we can be in situational football, the more success we'll have. I think Dan Quinn has done a great job of putting us in those situations every day and forcing us to concentrate not only on just executing the play, but also understanding what scenario in the game we're working on."
On Josh Magee, Marvin Hall, and Reggie Davis' performances during camp:
"I think those guys have done a good job. All three of the guys you mentioned have. Josh is athletic and has really good change of direction. Hall has gotten a lot of reps with the ones and some of the other guys being limited on reps. He's done a great job. I think he's gotten a really good grasp of the offense pretty quickly. Reggie is a local guy that shows really good speed and has made some really good plays for us down the field. I've been impressed with all three of those guys."
On how the fan support has been in the preseason this year:
"I didn't realize today was the last day, but I think the support has been awesome through training camp. For as long as I've been here, these are some of the biggest crowds I've seen. Today especially showing some appreciation for our military and having a bunch of the families from TAPS out here. To be able to see them and spend
time with them was really fun. Just having so many people on the hill supporting us during practice has been great.”
On whether the grind of camp feels different at the age of 32:
"I feel pretty good. We don't have to go two times a day in pads like we did when I was younger. That part of it is pretty nice, but my body feels really good. I felt like I came into camp in great shape. I feel like I've been getting really productive workouts at practice and taking care of myself off the field."
On the communication he has with the wide receivers:
"I think that time is critical and that's what is so great about training camp. We have the opportunity to really focus on ourselves and not the opponent we're going against. I have the opportunity to talk through some things on the field with our guys and get them familiar with what I'm seeing, how things look from my end, and where I would expect them to be at. I also like to hear their feedback about what puts stressors on the corners they're going against. I think that stuff is invaluable so we have those conversations with all of our guys. There's constant communication throughout practice."
On preparing for the mental grind of an NFL season:
"I think for me balance is the key. It's a long year for sure and staying mentally fresh is really important. I've learned that throughout my career. It's about balancing your life and making sure that you're as fresh as you can possibly be so you're as productive as you can be in the meetings and out here on the practice field. That's different for everybody. I think everybody is an individual and everybody needs different things. For me, I've kind of figured out my routine and feel pretty good."
On how his conversations with Julio Jones are different from those with rookie wide receivers:
"I think with a young rookie you're really just emphasizing the basic points and trying to make sure they understand from a conceptual standpoint what we're trying to do. With Julio, we have so many reference points of experiences we've had throughout our careers together that I can ask him to explain some other things to the guys too. That's where his leadership is so important for us. He's such a great mentor to that position group and really our entire football team, but our conversations are probably just a little bit further along because we've had so much experience with each other."
On younger wide receivers improving his precision in the passing game:
"I'm always pushing to try and be as precise as I can be. That's something where every day we go out to practice and that's a focus point for us as at the quarterback position, is to see how accurate and precise we can be. When you have young guys in there, I think one of the biggest things that you have to realize is understanding what a good ball is and then if it wasn't a good ball adjusting to where they're at. I think experience for me has helped me get to a place where I can explain to a young guy that even though we didn't complete that one the ball was still where it needed to be. You have to get yourself into this position, but also there are times where they run a pretty good route and I've got to put it in a better spot. I think experience knowing that with young guys is really important."
On improving his relationship with Steve Sarkisian during camp:
"I think our relationship was good from the start. I think the more time you spend with each other, the more you get on the same page. I think that is probably what has happened throughout the spring and really throughout the first week and a half of training camp. We've gotten a better feel for how he calls plays when we get into our team periods and are moving the ball and just playing football. I've gotten a better feel for his demeanor and how things come in. Also, I've been very vocal about things that I like. I think we're further along than we were in the spring, but again with the games coming up we still have a long way to go."
On what he likes most about working with Sarkisian:
"I think he's really smart. That's probably the thing that I've noticed on the field and in the classroom. He's been around and coached in a lot of different places with a lot of different skill types. I think when coaches do that they become very well-versed in a lot of different things. I think Sarkisian has been around a lot of different places and a lot of different players. He has some really good concepts and ideas."
On what he is working on for the first preseason game:
"For me it's about going out there and trying to start fast. Whenever you get this first preseason game, we're knocking the rust off when we first get into training camp. You're doing that same thing the first time you go out there and play. It's different when things are live. I want to see where we're at for sure and where I am at from a timing and feel perspective. With whatever opportunity we get out on the field and however long Dan Quinn has us go, I want to make the most of it and compete to try to be the best that we can be."
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