Head Coach Mike Smith
"There are really a couple of things that I would like to talk about today. The first thing is that I wanted to announce that Matt Ryan will be our starting quarterback for the season opener against the Detroit Lions. We have looked at the body of work through about 3,000 snaps since he has been here. We feel like he has won the starting quarterback position. With that being said, at this point in time, we have not determined who the number two and number three quarterbacks will be. It is still open competition just like there is a lot of competition going on for other spots on the team. Matt will start against Baltimore on Thursday night, but D.J. (Shockley) will be the first quarterback in. This will give him a chance to work with the first team."
Q: Clarity has become a big thing for you. Could you talk about that?
“We have evaluated Matt through OTAs, mini-camp, training camp and over the course of three preseason games. After reviewing Matt’s progress, we feel like he has won the starting job.”
Q: Besides the body of work, you also watch how players behave and interact with each other. How much of that do you take into account such as how they players take to him when they are not in the huddle?
A: I think that Matt has done a very good job in bonding with his teammates. We are watching everything he does from in the chow hall to how he interacts with the players. I think he has done a very good job. I think he is going to be the guy who will lead us through the season.
Q: What do you think about those guys who think it is a little too early for him?
A: I think you have to make an evaluation. As we went through this process, we spent a large amount of time in long discussions on where we wanted to go with this. We think Matt is ready and he has earned this opportunity to be our starter. We feel he gives us the best opportunity to win. At the end of the day, winning is what we really want to do.
Q: Part of the decision process is how the supporting parts around him work such as the offensive line and the running game. What do you see in those areas that complement him and help him succeed?
A: I think first we are going to have a very good running game. The guys that we have, Jerious Norwood and Michael Turner, do a very nice job running the ball. We also have some other backs that do a great job. It will be interesting to see how that plays out over the next five or six days. I think the offensive line has shown that we can block for the run. It was good to see Todd Weiner out there this past weekend. We have possibly our starting five intact and I think they will be a very sufficient group.
Q: You talk about the body of work and how it is the convincing process out of all of this. Is a point of no return for him? Does he know that he has to go the whole way and are you ready to deal with it?
A: Yes, we are. We feel Matt gives us the best opportunity to win not only in Detroit but in the long run. Matt is very astute and he has picked up our system. The only thing that I have to keep repeating is this is a learning curve for a quarterback in this league. He is going to see some things that he has not seen before. I think that Matt is the kind of guy that will see something once and might get fooled but the next time it comes up, he will be ready for it. I anticipate you won’t see the gaps that a lot of people think.
Q: When things have gotten a little rough for him, could you elaborate on the poise Matt has shown?
A: I think he has shown a lot of poise. After the interception in the Indianapolis game before halftime, he just shook it off. We talked about it after the game and he said he was glad he got that out of the way in the preseason. He had got a very good outlook about the game of football. He is a guy that has a good understanding of playing quarterback in this league. He has worked hard and I think he is mature beyond his years. It will be a great season for him to come in and be our leader.
MORE FROM THE RYAN ANNOUNCEMENT:
- RELEASE: Ryan named Falcons Week 1 starter
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Matt Ryan
- TRANSCRIPT: Mike Smith | Matt Ryan | Todd McClure | Keith Brooking
- BLOGS: Ryan to be Named Starter | Ryan to Start... What are They Saying?
- BOARDS: Talk about the news with other Falcons fans
