EXCLUSIVE: Matt Ryan notches biggest win of young career
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes in the first quarter against the Saints. Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — The victory over the Saints has to be the biggest of Matt Ryan’s young career.
In 2008, he had the big win at home over the Chicago Bears, when the team pulled it out in the final 12 seconds. There was also the big win at Green Bay his rookie season.
Last season, the Falcons beat the New York Jets on the road. They went on to reach the AFC championship game.
In an AJC exclusive, Ryan talked about some of the key plays and how he was going to sleep well, dreaming about that 19-play drive:
MATT RYAN, quarterback
WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE TEAM: “I definitely speaks to the character of the guys on our football team. We continue to fight and play hard. But that’s kind of been our M.O. for the last couple of years. We continue to battle regardless of what is going on out there. When you do that, it gives yourself a chance.”
ON GONZALEZ AND RODDY: “Just reading it out. That’s the biggest thing. Early on, the ball kind of found Tony and he was huge on the first touchdown drive. Later on, Roddy started to get some catches. We kind of spread the ball around to the backs as well. I thought we did a good job offensively of taking what they gave us all day and we were able to put some points in doing that.”
ON THE 19-PLAY DRIVE: “That was a great drive and it ate up a lot of clock in the second quarter. 10:38. With that said, I’m going to sleep pretty good tonight as a result of the 19 play drive.”
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317 comments Add your comment
truth
September 27th, 2010
1:52 pm
I’m sure no one on this team considers himself to be “DA MAN.” And that’s a good thing. They will win alot of games with that mind set.
1911A1
September 27th, 2010
1:58 pm
Some guys could have Catherine Zeta Jones cooking breakfast for them naked, and they’d still find fault with something.
Drew Brees' Colon
September 27th, 2010
1:58 pm
The New Orleans bars were so empty after the game that I thought there was a storm coming. My bad, the storm had already moved through the Sewer Dome, y’all can come out of hiding now, Aints “fans.”
Cable Guy
September 27th, 2010
1:59 pm
Ryan, that’s purdy funny. I don’t care who you are.
Wheelie
September 27th, 2010
2:03 pm
Alright, I was pretty bummed out about the Segway guy running off the cliff but the big Falcons win did make me feel better.
Bitchin' Dude
September 27th, 2010
2:06 pm
1911A1. It’s totally weird but that actually happened to me one time. I kept smelling a darn fishy smell.
Winston Wolfe
September 27th, 2010
2:17 pm
Someone needs to tell Ryan that he looks like a complete and utter a-hole when he puts his helmet atop his head and walks around on the sideline. Also, Houston is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad that Dumta Robinson is now a Falcon!!!!
FanFromBeginning
September 27th, 2010
2:45 pm
So interesting the comments on here…..The Falcons go into New Orleans and come home with a win. Sure there is a missed field goal, but there were missed catches and bad calls both ways. Are the Falcons a playoff team? We will know in another 14 weeks. Are the Saints a contender to compete again for the title? We will know in 14 weeks. In the end, Mike Smith brought a very good team to a hostile enviorment, used the skills of a talented quarterback, running backs, and defense, and left with a win. The Saints fans can accept it or whine, the Falcon fans have a right to rejoice (seems to me there were missed field goals last year that let the Saints leave with a victory…..). It was an important win for the Falcons and has the potential to be a wake up loss for the Saints. In the end, the Falcons were the better team Sunday.
Accept it, and quit whinning!
Falconidae
September 27th, 2010
2:46 pm
Reminds me of the big miss Mike Michel of Philadelphia made in the playoffs in 1978. I believe it was a 29 yarder as well. Falcons went on to be Division champions 2 years later. Perhaps the Falcons will get the breaks the Saints needed to win the Super Bowl last year.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
September 27th, 2010
2:51 pm
It wasn’t luck when we literally CRAMMED the ball down the throats of the Saints defense, after the missed FG. They COULD NOT stop us when the game was on the line.
In years past, WE’D have missed that field goal, and the Saints would have crammed it down OUR throats for the win.
Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it Saints fans!? LOL
G
September 27th, 2010
3:01 pm
tbone…….FYI fellas. We lost 3 games last year. Two in the division and one to a playoff team. Don’t believe your hype. The Falcons will NOT make the playoffs. Enjoy your victory because it’s all downhill for the dirty birds from here on out. Michael Turner will never finish the season standing up on his own. I know it and you know it.
STILL TALKING ABOUT LAST YEAR. LOOKS LIKE THATS ALL THE AINTS FANS WILL GET TO TALK ABOUT FOR A WHILE.
soccerblows
September 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
here’s a couple of reasons why the Saints will not have the same success as last year…
1. They CANNOT run the ball….. absolutely no reason for opposing defenses to prepare for that.
2. Because they cannot run the ball, teams will play the pass more often than not.
Granted, Brees will get his his stats, but it won’t have the same effect as last year.
3. Because of this, Brees will throw substantially more interceptions than last year.
Regardless of all of this, the Saints are still a very dangerous teams, we better watch ourselves when the 27th of December comes around…..
GO FALCONS!!!
Falconfan
September 27th, 2010
4:01 pm
WE DIDNT WIN BECAUSE WE WERE LUCKY! WE WON BECAUSE THE SAINTS WERENT ABLE TO WIN IT WHEN THEY HAD THE CHANCE! WE WERE THE BETTER TEAM THAT DAY!
reckingball
September 27th, 2010
4:01 pm
The saints, they lost. Kinda choked there, when the game was on the line.
DaJoKeR
September 27th, 2010
4:03 pm
SORRY SAINTS VOODOO TOYS DIDNT WORK…… WE FLY IN ANY WEATHER!!!! SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO SEEN THIS B 4!!!!! YO G WE HAVE MORE RBs THAN JUST TURNER…. SHOUT OUT TO THE O LINE….. THANKS FOR THE BIG DIFFERENCE IN TIME OF POSESSION….. EVEN WITH THE EXTRA POSESSION FOR THE SAINTS WHEN THE FLUKE PUNT WENT OFF DECOUP’S FOOT…. ATL RISE UP!!!!!
SadDawg (formerly WonderDawg)
September 27th, 2010
4:09 pm
Congrats to our QB on our great victory.
htwo0rider
September 27th, 2010
4:12 pm
seenthisb4. Regarding your comment about the game being local, actually it was a nationally aired, as I watched in San Diego. Your win against the winless 49ers came when Hartley’s kick was partially blocked, and barely fluttered through as time expired. Wow…you really took it to the niners. Moreover, our “lucky” QB has not made any underhanded interception tosses lately.
keeping it Real
September 27th, 2010
4:16 pm
He is still a very every day QB in the NFL! yes they won on the backs of the run game not the shoulder of Matt Ryan. The defence was the Key not Matt Ryan.
He had a good Game let’s be real no turn over. He can’t take over a game Fact. He has a weak arm. The run game keep the ball over 30 min. in the game. He is still no Mike Vick of old with a better team! He is just plane QB Matt Now 2 and one in the NFC south!! Sam Baker is still a bust!
Shadyman
September 27th, 2010
4:19 pm
It was 11 seconds not 12…. ILMAO!
Football fan
September 27th, 2010
4:20 pm
preston Drake, you are the idiot. The quarterback of my team won a Super Bowl in his 2nd year. He now has 2 Super Bowl wins. Falcon fans are so silly!!!!!!!
preston Drake
September 27th, 2010
4:25 pm
Football fan,
I am just annoyed at the Matt Ryan bashing…… i’m guessin your a steelers fan?
what the heck are you doing on this board then? GET OFF
btw, your quarterback like to rape college girls…
truth
September 27th, 2010
4:35 pm
keeping it Real……..you’re stupid. Folks that like to TRY and put down Matt Ryan are really showing your football I.Q. Must be Vick fans. Your jealosy SHINES through. You’re trying to prove your point but Matt just keeps proving ya’ll wrong. BLAA BLAA BLAA say on with your words it’s all you have………and please keep it up we are all LAUGHING at you. BWAA HA HA HA!!!!
Football fan
September 27th, 2010
4:36 pm
Preston Drake, the truth hurts. You know the Falcons still have not done anything. Yes I’m a Steelers fan. They beat the “mighty” Falcons in game one. You need to check your English, “like”. By the way, every team has problems. Did a Falcons qb named Vick have problems????? You just keep on living in Falcon dream land and wish they could win a Super Bowl.
truth
September 27th, 2010
4:36 pm
Matt Ryan had the highest winning percentage of any FORMER Falcons Qb, since the franchise came into existance. So please idiots say on and be proven wrong!!
truth
September 27th, 2010
4:37 pm
Sorry HAS THE HIGHEST WINNING PERCENTAGE.
reckingball
September 27th, 2010
4:38 pm
Ole weak-arm threw the ball from his 30yd line, to the saints 10 yd line in OT. That is pretty good for a weak-arm QB.
truth
September 27th, 2010
4:38 pm
Just saying…..
preston Drake
September 27th, 2010
4:42 pm
Football fan,
that still doesn’t answer my question……. What are you doing here?
hiramsaint
September 27th, 2010
4:51 pm
sorry truth and rekingball but i’m posting as me . i have a job and can’t be consumed with the keyboard all day everyday. i post as me along with someone else who pirates my name ans seenthisb4. it’s a loser whoever it is .
truth
September 27th, 2010
4:53 pm
You need a job like mine hiram, I get paid to do this all day. Guess it’s true you would have a hard time blogging while running the window at Taco Bell.
truth
September 27th, 2010
4:54 pm
Is good to hear from you Hiram. Wasn’t that one heck of a game? Love’m but hate’m too.
hiramsaint
September 27th, 2010
4:57 pm
congrats again. although the falcons fan love the excuses you won’t get them from me. the players we fielded lost to the players you fielded so as a team we lost to your team. i could go on -ala front row- about the bad calls and all the starters we were missing but thats not my thing. it’s a long season so good luck on chasing that wild card birth!
hiramsaint
September 27th, 2010
5:04 pm
wrong again- i don’t eat that crap and don’t care for the area it comes from if ya know what i mean. sittin’ in front of a keyboard is a mind number for me if that was my job. i much prefer different locations and the outdoors though occasional reports require me to sit here once a month or so and mentally degenerate. yes , even with the loss , it was one of the best games i’ve ever seen. we couldn’t stop your run attack and y’all couldn’t stop our pass attack. intangibles decided the game. now y’all got to be able to keep up that intensity for 13 more games! can you?
Falcon Jim
September 27th, 2010
5:16 pm
Hey hiram. I was just looking a the schedule for the first time in a while. With the win yesterday, it doesn’t seem as tough. I would say we have a real shot at 12 – 4. Maybe not, but if they win the games they should (which is hard to get all them) they could have one of the better records.
I won’t gloat on yesterday, just it was really really a fun game !
Hope you are well……………..
F.J.
truth
September 27th, 2010
5:19 pm
We can. Can ya’ll possibly make it 5 or more games with out Bush? I like they way you said you wouldn’t make excuses but then did a spin and did. Fact is the Falcons tried to hand the game back at times, problem is ya’ll wasn’t man enough to reach out and take it. Ya’lls defense couldn’t keep their hands off their hips gasping for air. That’s what happens when you don’t make a change in the off season. Another truth if ya’ll don’t learn how to stop the pass and run ya’ll are in trouble. We see how relying on the turnovers works out when it don’t happen.
truth
September 27th, 2010
5:21 pm
The entire NFL know ya’ll kryptonite(sp) know, unable to stop the run. Ya’ll got away with it in San Fran but not in the big sleezy.
Jordan
September 27th, 2010
5:36 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2010/09/26/falcons-shock-the-saints-at-the-superdome-in-spare-time/
ed
September 27th, 2010
7:39 pm
i am so proud of the way the falcons played against the saints. matt ryan played a very solid game and the offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage and opened up some gaping holes for turner and snelling. defensively the falcons tackled well against the run and held their own against the pass. im happy with the way smitty and mularkey game planned we are 2 and 1 with the 49ers coming to town next week i love the continuity among the coaches and players and im certain that smitty will have them ready next week. 24 hours to enjoy this win and then its back to business.
hiramsaint
September 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
like i said , theres alot of season left- good luck. also i wasn’t making excuses , i was punkin’ on front row! i think we’re ok without bush , moore did more than an adequate job in his stead
Dennis
September 27th, 2010
7:49 pm
@ STB4 – you keep saying the Falcons were lucky, but you seem to forget the Falcons gave you two free gifts that had you not had them, there wouldn’t have even been an overtime.
And I’m still glad I never ran into YOU in the quarter after one of the games.
gt dub
September 27th, 2010
8:33 pm
just luck.matt needs 2 show a whole lot more guts when he takes off and runs with it.needs to take a hit for that extra yard or 2.he would win the hearts of his teammates and which would return the favor and protect him even better.he looks like a sissy when he slides before getting hit by a defender.PLEASE do this for our team and fans and take that lick and get that fisrt down before you slide and slide like a man for now on. (GO FALCONS)
Rajuncajun
September 27th, 2010
8:36 pm
What a joke, dirty birds. This was your season and superbowl. All downhill now, rednecks. You had the better effort and pure luck yesterday, but not the better team. You will realize this soon. Win a superbowl and I will come back and congratulate. Until then, show some consistency and win a ring. Oh yeah, you can’t. Btw, your coach is one weird dude. Who is still Dat? We dat! Stay classy, rednecks.
BirdDawg24
September 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
saints hurt themselves. they are an explosive team.one of ,if not the best out there.falcons are my team and i love em , but we got lucky.to many penalties at the wrong time. blown coverages, great win but still got a lot of work to do. Matt Ryan , u became the leader of the falcons today.you led your team.great job!special teams, u need to run some laps.
BirdDawg24
September 27th, 2010
8:54 pm
Falcons need a deep threat.and secondary help. then they will be hard to stop.
Common Sense
September 27th, 2010
9:05 pm
Very simple concept required in order for the Falcons to win. Take care of the ball. Winning the turnover battle will lead to numerous victories. Guaranteed.
ATTENTION ALL SAINTS FANS
September 27th, 2010
9:27 pm
STOP BITCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!……FALCONS WON….FAIR AND SQARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
27-24
September 27th, 2010
9:32 pm
The username says it all
Frank Wilson
September 27th, 2010
9:40 pm
Reckingball,
I can tell by your comment you are a long time Falcons sufferer. Ditto.
I remember when the 49ers and Rams would each beat us at their place practically every year.
Now it’s out turn.
No mercy……………
Falcon Jim
September 27th, 2010
11:11 pm
Rajun Cajun, you are one friggin joke! This was just the beginning of the season and we will have OUR SB while y’all are still putting your trailers back together. It was no luck………WE KICKED YOUR ASS!!!! We do HAVE, now, the better team.
How dare you insult Coach Smith? I bet you are a challenged individual and get off making insults.
Also, one more thing…………
Redneck is the last group of people that the racist can attack that is still politically correct. You cannot call any other group racist names without being called down.
I’m calling YOU down.
When you use the term “Redneck,” YOU are being ignorant. YOU are being a RACIST!
Your credibility is zero. Whatever point you were trying to make is nullified because everyone sees you for the ignorant racist you are.
PMC
September 28th, 2010
12:01 am
how do you come in with a name like RaginCajun…and then tell other people to be classy?
Don’t you have some Alligators to Wrestle Swamp Man?
You might want to find some narcotics for your coach so he can focus better on the kicking game…or lack there of.
Good luck finding the salve for your wounds in a 46 year old leg.
Stay Classy… Yall… Cheers.