Sports Radio Interviews

Matt Ryan: “I think I am making better decisions this year than I was last.”

Two years removed from the Michael Vick situation, the Atlanta Falcons are now sitting in a better position than they were before #7 decided to do what he did.  This was a blessing in disguise for the Falcons.  Speaking as an Atlanta fan, we got rid of that coward in Bobby Petrino, replaced Rich McKay with Thomas Dimitroff, are no longer bogged down from Vick’s contract, and have the best young quarterback in the league.  Who would have thought that this kid out of Boston College was going to be a franchise quarterback?  Thomas Dimitroff believed in him and he also believed in Mike Smith, who is now in his 2nd year with Atlanta. 

This weekend is a big game for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. With the Bears and the Falcons both at 3-1, Sunday night’s game should be fun to watch.  The Falcons offense vs. the Bears defense will be a great chess match but I expect the Matt Ryan to deliver once again this week.  In the game last year, Ryan led a Falcons comeback with an unbelievable last-minute drive.  The difference this year will be that Matt won’t need a comeback to prevail.

Matt Ryan joined the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio to talk about whether he feels that the Falcons are flying under the radar and whether he likes it or not, whether Sunday night is a time to show the world that Atlanta can play some pretty decent football, the Bears rush defense this year vs. last year, the difference in Roddy White’s game last week vs. San Francisco, and what he has felt more comfortable about in the first quarter if this season from last year.

On whether he feels that the Falcons are flying under the radar and whether he likes it or not:

“We definitely like it.  You know there have been some hot starts by some teams this year.  Obviously the Saints, the Giants, those guys in the NFC are playing really well but we are just focusing on taking care of what we can do and week in and week out trying to win and keep pace and count them up at the end of the year.”

On whether Sunday night is a time to show the world that Atlanta can play some pretty decent football:

“Well it is going to be a big game and this is a good football team coming in here Sunday night.  I think if we can go out there and get the job done that would be big for us because any time you can win in conference that helps you out at the end of the year.”

On the difference in Roddy White’s game last week vs. San Francisco:

“You know I feel like we both had been close early on in the season.  We missed a couple of things here and there.  This past Sunday we kind of hit those plays that we had missed earlier in the season and that is going to happen.  When you get into midseason form there is going to be more explosive plays and Sunday was just a product of that.”

On being “close” and whether there is an actual adjustment he can make as far as fine tuning his throwing motion or whether it is a feel that he has to adjust:

“It’s a little bit of both.  It is a little bit of fine tuning in practice.  We talk about within our offense all the time being in that landmark, being in the right spot and putting the ball in the landmarks so that we can make plays.  In both cases, my fault that the ball may not have been on the landmarks of the field where we wanted it and he might have been off a little bit too.  It is fine tuning your mechanics and working on that in practice but also just getting a feel for it.  Getting a feel for it in game-action too which is completely different from practice.”

On what he has felt more comfortable about in the first quarter if this season from last year:

“Getting through my progression…  You want to make decisions as a quarterback and want to be accurate.  I think I am making better decisions this year than I was last.  That comes from experience but I feel that I am getting through the progression better and checking the ball down when you need to which is something that you have to learn.  I feel a lot better with that.”

 Matt Ryan on The Scott Van Pelt Show

Tags: Atlanta Falcons #2, Bears vs. Falcons, Boston College, Falcons QB, Falcons savior, Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons, Tony Gonzalez, young NFL superstar