“This was definitely a hard-fought football game. We didn’t get the outcome that we wanted. It comes down to making plays, and there were a handful of plays that was the difference in the game today.”
— Falcons coach Mike Smith on the 21-20 loss to the Panthers
“We’ll get everybody healthy and back. We’ll look good on paper again until the season starts. Hopefully, we can get through 16 games with everybody healthy and we can get some good luck next year.”
— Falcons wide receiver Roddy White on the hard-luck season
“This one was real tough. This is just the way our season has been. It’s hard for me to explain the things that are going on that put us in this situation. We fought and we played hard even when we knew that we were out of the playoffs. We kept on fighting, which is a true reflection of our leadership. We just have to get better.”
— Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora on the loss
“I was on the sidelines, and the way it was going, it looked like we were going to pull out the game. But that’s just the way that things have been this year. Last year, that would have been a touchdown. This year, it just hasn’t worked out for us.”
— Umenyiora on how it’s been a tough-luck season for the Falcons
“They are a good team. They have a good quarterback, good offensive line. They are a solid football team. Their defense is the most impressive part about them. It’s going to be tough for people to beat them.”
— Umenyiora on how deep the Panthers can go in the playoffs
“This game right here was an example of the whole season. We fell short by one point. In the league, one point is like 10. We came out every week and while we were struggling, we fought. We have a lot of emphasis going into the game to finish. We just didn’t get the outcome that we wanted. We finished, and we fought hard. We have to get better next season.”
— Falcons safety William Moore on the game reflecting the tough times of this season
“You can look at the whole season and see how many times we fell short by a touchdown or less. We have to think that if we get guys back like (Kroy) Biermann, Julio (Jones), (Sean Weatherspoon) gets healthy and Sam Baker, I think we’ll be a beyond great football team. This season, I think we did great. The record doesn’t indicate what type of plays that we put on the field.”
— Moore expects a quick rebound next season
“That’s kind of the way the whole season has kind of been. We didn’t finish out those games that we normally win in the final minutes. That’s kind of been our story. Mistakes. Execution. Not getting the job done. That’s one of those things that we have re-evaluate in the offseason and find out what the problem is, get back next year and work on it.”
— Falcons center Joe Hawley on the season
“For me personally, to get back in the weight room, put a little size on, get a little stronger and learn from the older guys. But there is still going to be a lot of growing.”
—Falcons linebacker Paul Worrilow, who finished with 13 tackles Sunday
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