Linebacker Keith Brooking
Q: The only thing louder than the eruption after that last field goal was that fourth and goal, that defensive stand that really made that play relevant. Tell me about that stand and what it means to this game.
A: “I think it was just an attitude and a mentality to get down there. Defensively you just got to bow up and believe that you’re going to get the job done, and have that belief that all 11 of us had. And it wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but we beat a pretty good team out there today, and we just stayed in the game. I think it was a very critical game for us, as far as where we’re at in the course of the season. Obviously there’s still a lot of football to be played, but we’re 4-2 and we’re feeling very good about our football team going into the bye weak with a lot of confidence. There are always bumps and bruises along the way but I think it came at a good time.”
Q: Take us through your emotional rollercoaster from the touchdown that gave them their first lead with 11 seconds to go to the final kick.
A: “Well, defensively, you want the game in good hands and you really want to stop them, because we were all talking about how the game was on us. If we would have stopped them, we win. Obviously it’s very disappointing for them to throw that touchdown on us with 11 seconds to go, but at the same time it says a lot about the character of our football team, just believing in (quarterback) Matt Ryan and (wide receiver) Michael Jenkins. Matt made a great throw, Jenkins made an unbelievable catch, and Elam redeemed himself after that one miss. It was great.”
Defensive Lineman Jamaal Anderson
Q: How does this victory feel?
A: “It’s unbelievable, especially with what we had to go through last year. We just knew that we could do it. We came in and worked hard everyday at practice. Starting in training camp we really believed in the players here, the coaching staff here and the organization that put us together.”
Q: Is it a good way to go into a bye week?
A: “Definitely. It is a great way to go into it. Now we’ll have a chance to heal up and get ready for the next game.”
Q: It must be a big confidence boost for you guys as well.
A: “Yeah definitely. Last weak was an even bigger one, since we won that game on the road at the famous Green Bay Lambeau Field. We new what we were capable of doing. We came in and got the win today. The coaches were kind of scared that we would be lackadaisical, but we came in full speed, up-tempo, fast and they could definitely see that we were ready for this game.”
Q: What was the attitude like on the sideline after the Bears scored with 11 seconds left?
A: “Of Course everybody was down. I mean who wouldn’t be down after that, but after I saw (wide receiver) Mike Jenkins make that catch, I knew the kick was going trough. I honestly think that (kicker) Jason Elam missed that first field goal to put himself in that position (laughing). So of course everyone was upset, but we got the win and it’s past us. We have to look forward to the following week after the bye week.”
Kicker Jason Elam
Opening Statement:
“I’m really happy that kick went through and happy for my team. Our guys had been fighting so hard for so long. They are really hungry to win. We want to show our fans what were all about.”
Q: Could you take us through the last kick?
A: “I saw that Michael Jenkins actually made the catch and it was no questions about it. I saw two seconds on the clock and I was about as shocked as anyone. You just go on the field and try to make it like any other kick. It’s a golf swing. Some of the guys asked me about the field goal before because things don’t always go like you want them to. You just don’t want to let the previous play affect the next play. I’m just very thankful the kick went through.”
Q: Who was the first player to get to you?
A: “P Michael Koenen; and he did a great job. My snapper and holder did a tremendous job and they made me look a lot better than I am.”
Q: Have you ever had a game end like that before?
A: “Yes. There have been a few over the years. The one that comes to mind was the season opener last year when I was with the Denver Broncos and we played in Buffalo. We had no timeouts and had to run on the field and kick it. The Chicago Bears are a great football team and we knew we would be in for a hard one today. I’m excited. This win will do great things for our confidence. We are really gelling as a team. We got a bye week coming up so we should be healthy. Hopefully we will do something down the stretch.”
Quarterback Matt Ryan
Opening Statement:
“I think everybody is excited with the win. I thought we played a very good Chicago Bears team today. They played an entire 60 minutes and we did the same thing. W just had the last punch. We were able to make a couple big plays at the end of the game with K Jason Elam’s clutch kick being the biggest one. This win is a great story heading into the bye week.”
Q: On the last winning possession:
A: “We had the play called on the side line. We thought we had enough time to get the ball to the sideline. To pull it off, we needed to get the ball there on time, make the completion, and get out of bounds. We thought we could get all that done in five seconds, with one second remaining for a field goal attempt. I am excited we were able to do all those things. WR Michael Jenkins ran a great route and I was able to make a good enough throw. He was in the right spot and he made a great catch. Elam made a clutch kick for our team to finish the game.”
Q: How was the offense able to adjust to Chicago’s stingy rushing defense?
A: “Their front seven is one of the best in the league. They’re stout against the run and also good at putting pressure on the quarterback. I thought our offensive line did a great job in the pass protection and allowing enough time for me to get the ball out. We have confidence in our receiving core against one-on-one match-ups. Each of them were able to make plays for the offense.”
Q: On building on this win:
A: “It is very early in the season, but I hope we can build on the momentum. We are happy to be going in the bye week at 4-2. We can get some rest now and be ready to make it the rest of the season.”
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-BEARS GAME:
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete game coverage from AF.com
- GAME RECAP: Late field goal lifts Falcons to victory
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more from the NFL.com Game Center
- GAME BLOG: Follow the action in the live game blog
- J. MIKE'S BLOG: News and more from the Managing Editor
- GAME NOTES: Official game notes from the Georgia Dome press box
- TRANSCRIPTS: Head Coach Mike Smith | Falcons | Bears
- CNN VOTE: CNN polls Falcons fans on presidential race in game
- HIGHLIGHTS: Game highlights from NFL Network
- PRESS CONFERENCE: Head Coach Mike Smith | Ryan | Elam
- FROM THE LOCKER ROOM: Milloy | Anderson | Jenkins | White | Abraham | Norwood
- TAILGATES: Falcon Al checks out new features at Touchdown Tailgate | Blog
