What the Falcons said – 2024 Week 7: Seahawks at Falcons

“I'll start and then I can answer any questions you have. A tough day at the office, to be sure. Professional football has a way of testing you that way and now we have to kind of – we're talking about it. Determination, having courage, reacting, going back to work tomorrow, talking openly about how each of us can do certain things better have to, and just see how we can play better Improve and put together a good week of training and then try to play your best football next Sunday I had the penalties that kind of set us back and then the second one, the throw against Ray-Ray. I felt like if we had hit that, maybe he wouldn't have gotten any points off that drive that that play made. I missed the surgery, was big and then the third drive scored, and then the fourth drive, the two minute drive, we weren't able to sustain that drive. A big part of offensive success is hanging on and not having that penalty or this or that negative play that sets you back and is hard to overcome and today we did things sometimes but we weren't able to do that Play in and maintain Play enough to score enough points and win.

On the Seahawks' pass rush and how things felt in the pocket after going flawless for a couple of games:

“They had a good rush plan. It's hard to give a clear answer yet because my eyes are kind of downwards. So if you fall behind, it's also important that we start fast enough so that we can stay somewhat in our form and not in these two -Minutes mode must expire the game continues.

How the team addresses the false start penalties:

“I think that’s kind of unique this week. Some of them were just trying to make a check, trying to blitz out of a game. And sometimes it's just unfortunate. And we have to keep going. “I’m going to loosen the screws this week and be better up front.

On Raheem Morris saying that the team suffered defeat in all three phases and whether he felt that too:

“I think we didn’t go down on the first possession and score. We would have liked to have started faster. We had the penalties that affected that very drive. We converted a first down, converted and moved the football on the second drive as well.” But then I just missed the play against Ray-Ray that I thought was important when they had the opportunity to get behind the defense , and we weren't able to make contact, that was one I wanted back.

How you as a team can leave this game behind but also learn from it:

“Well, it’s both, right? I mean, you definitely go in tomorrow and we have to be hard on ourselves, train each other hard, be open about what each of us can do better. You kind of have to start with yourself and improve.” Your hand and say, “I have to do better.” So that's part of what good teams do, but of course you also have to move forward, and that's what Wednesday's league is about , that you can't let your previous opponent beat you twice, and I think that's what he's trying to say. At some point you turn the page and often move on “Like” can shake you up and sharpen your focus a little, and that's certainly what you want from a performance like this.”

On whether he would tell his teammates to forget about this game or not:

“I think it's everything. I think whether it's meetings, whether it's your own conversations, whether it's on the practice field, I just think everyone understands that you have to get back to work. You have to improve, you have that. I have to fix things that weren't good enough and you have to understand that winning or losing is every game for itself. Next Sunday is coming and you have to start over there and try to achieve a much better performance.”

On the question of whether it's easier to dismiss this game and view it as an aberration or a fluke because the team won in different ways:

“Well, I think it’s an opportunity to learn from it. I don't know how to throw it away. I think, as Bijan said: At some point you throw it away and move on, but not before you talk about it.”, hey, I have to do better here, why didn't this work better, where were we deficient?

Where can we be better? They ask these questions. You are open about it. You take over the coaching. You tell each other the truth and then you have to move on no matter what. And this rebound applies in professional football after a serious defeat, but also after a win. You have to be able to learn from a game and still move forward.”

On what was frustrating for him, aside from the penalties and the absence of Ray-Ray McCloud early in the game:

“Sales always play a big role. Certainly the sack-fumble was a tough play. That was my fault. I felt like on a third down I probably tried a little too hard to try to convert it and not turn it into a fourth down and have it long or have it. At some point you probably just have to throw it away or as a check -Go down to Bijan. If it's not a first down, you learn your lesson in a way. Those two plays play a big role for me, and I think those are the ones that stand out right now.

On whether he feels he needs to be more vocal now that the team had a game like today after a three-game winning streak:

“I think I should really be the same person. You have to be yourself, and in my case as a quarterback, I think it's probably relatively vocal. But you don't change who you are. I think, player.” You have to spot a fake from a mile away. But who I was should be, and we just have to communicate well, have productive meetings tomorrow and we all have to learn from what took place and how to improve.