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The Atlanta Falcons’ victory over the Detroit Lions should have been about a Super Bowl caliber team finally playing like one, winning consecutive games and doing so on the road in Detroit. It could have been about the Falcons mostly quieting down Calvin Johnson except for one long touchdown. Instead, a day later, it was all about what some Atlanta Falcons players say they heard when quarterback Matt Ryan was injured during the game. Several Falcons players say they heard Ndamukong Suh and other defenders yelling for Ryan to get off the field and for the medical staff to bring on the cart. Atlanta cornerback Brent Grimes says cheering for such a thing will come back to people. Brent Grimes joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Two Live Stews to discuss going up against Calvin Johnson, a play where he made a breakup on the talented Lions wide receiver, how Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford played, what the victory meant heading into the bye, the things that were allegedly said to Matt Ryan when he got hurt and how in the world he dropped the easiest interception ever.
What was your thought process last week as you prepared for Calvin Johnson?:
“Just go out and compete. You know that they’re going to take their shots with him. He’s big, like an NBA two-guard at receiver. He can run. He’s got all the tools to make big plays in this league, so you know they’re going to take their shots at him. You’ve just got to be always ready and when you get your chance, just go and compete.”
There was a big play where you went up and broke up a pass intended to him. What happened there?:
“As the play was developing, it’s going pretty fast. So you’re not thinking, you’re just reacting really. He ran a little out and up. That’s one of his go-to routes, really. … I recovered from the fake and then I saw the ball in the air. I just went up and made a play on the ball. Once it’s in the air, you’re thinking, ‘Can I get two hands up in the air or do I just have to go up with one?’ … I just went up with one and went for the breakup.”
Grade Matt Stafford and what you saw from him as the Lions’ quarterback on Sunday:
“I think he’s a good quarterback. He has all the tools to be a great quarterback. He has the arm talent, can make every throw. He’s accurate, but we did a good job, our D-line, sending pressure at him and keeping him uncomfortable. … That’s what we did to him yesterday. He felt a lot of heat on him and so he was a little rattled in the pocket and made things difficult.”
How much different would the feeling be if you were 3-4 instead of 4-3 in the standings?:
“It’s a huge difference. Just being in this league for the amount of time I’ve been here, the week after a win and a week after a loss is so much different and so much better, especially going into a bye. You definitely want to go into a bye with a win, a little momentum. We’ve won two games in a row now.”
Allegedly Ndamukong Suh said some disparaging things about Matt Ryan when he got injured. What did you hear?:
“I heard that they were yelling at him like, ‘Get him out of here. Get the cart.’ Stuff that you just shouldn’t say. We’re all out there competing and you’re trying to hit the quarterback and intimidate him. That’s all part of the game, but you don’t really want to see anyone get hurt. That’s just not what you want to happen. And I heard several people on the sideline saying that’s what the dudes were doing on the field and I couldn’t really believe that. … For you to mock somebody when they’re on the ground and they are possibly seriously hurt where they might need a cart to take them off the field, that’s just not cool. That comes back to people when they do something like that.”
What in the world happened when you dropped the wide open interception?:
“I don’t know, man. I guess it was just too easy. That one hurt real bad. I’ve never got an interception that came that easy to me, ever in football. That was pretty embarrassing.”
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