Head Coach John Fox
Q: Could you talk about how Atlanta got the jump on you early?
A: “I thought that we didn’t come out and play fast enough. Ultimately, that is me. I thought our guys fought back. It was a great opportunity to make a huge play on third down. It must have been a 60 or 70-yard gain. I thought that was going to be the turning point of the game. I thought Atlanta did a great job. They did a great job executing the game plan. Like I told the team, we got out coached and out played.”
Q: Could you talk about that 69-yard play that was kind of the turning point of the game?
A: “It was one of the biggest plays in the game. I told those guys I was proud of them. They fought back.”
Q: Could you talk about how the run defense struggled today?
A: “Every phase of our team struggled. I thought that the run was not as good as we had expected. I think that I need to give credit where credit is due with Atlanta. I thought they had a great game plan. They were playing faster than us early.”
Q: Do you think it is safe to say that this division is wide open right now?
A: “I think it was wide open from the get-go. It usually is. I think we just need to play it out and see what happens.”
Q: Do you think your guys were shell-shocked there at the beginning?
A: “No, I just think we started off slow, offensively and defensively. They came out no-huddle and played fast. They had a lot of different personnel groupings and did a good job hiding their substitutions. It caused us to be a little bit behind on defense. On offense, we didn’t get a first down until the third series. We finally got back into it before the half. Then we came back out in the third quarter and made a game of it. I thought we had a chance to get back into it.”
Quarterback Jake Delhomme
On starting slow for the second straight game:
A: “It’s disappointing. Last week we started out a little slow and the same thing happened again this week. It’s frustrating. You want to come out fast and start fast. We gave ourselves some manageable situations and we just didn’t convert. You are down 17-0 before you wake up.”
On the team getting going:
A: “We dug ourselves a hole and then got it back to 24-21. The stall didn’t help us. They started fast and I give them credit. We didn’t start fast, but we tried to make a game of it. In the end it was not meant to be.”
On coming back from such a deficit:
A: “I never doubted that the guys would come back. It’s frustrating and we need to start faster. We need to have that edge and that sense of urgency. For some reason we have started slow over the last couple of weeks. We have to travel to a tough place to play next week against a very good football team. We sure need to start a whole lot faster than the last two weeks. They made more plays then us all day long. You have to get ready top bounce back.”
Cornerback Chris Gamble
On getting behind early in the game:
A: “The Falcons brought their ‘A’ game today. They played hard all throughout all four quarters. They started fast. We’ve got to get it together and start faster. We’ve been starting slow these past few weeks, and we need to get together.”
Q: What were your impressions of the rookie quarterback Matt Ryan?
A: “That guy plays like a veteran. He hits his keys, and he looks off real well. He’s not a rookie as far as I’m concerned. I can’t believe he is a rookie.”
Linebacker Thomas Davis
On being down more than two touchdowns early:
A: “No matter what happens, we can’t go into Green Bay next week and play like this. If we do, it’s for certain we will leave with the same outcome. We’re going to get it right.”
Q: How did you evaluate quarterback Matt Ryan?
A: “He was efficient. He didn’t make any mistakes. That’s pretty much why they came out with the win.”
Defensive End Julius Peppers
On getting down early in the game:
A: “You can’t get down by that many points, whether you’re home or away. You can’t do it against good teams. We’ve just got to play better.”
Q: You terrorized their rookie quarterback in your first meeting. What are your thoughts now?
A: “Well, he’s getting better. I mean he’s not really a rookie anymore. It’s Week 12. He’s dangerous."
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-PANTHERS GAME:
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more from NFL.com
- GAME RECAP: Falcons use big plays to send Panthers home with loss
- GAME NOTES: Official game notes directly from the Georgia Dome press box
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: Thoughts and news from the AF.com managing editor
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Ryan | Turner | Douglas | Davis | Coleman
- TRANSCRIPTS: Head Coach Mike Smith | Falcons | Panthers
- NFL NETWORK: Highlights | Can't Miss Play | Douglas Punt Return | Scoreboard
- TOURING THE TAILGATES: "Falcon Al" checks in on Falcons fans
- INACTIVES: Inactives and starters from the Falcons-Panthers game
- REVIEW AND RESPOND: Ask questions via Voices Heard
- RING OF HONOR: Vote for the next member of the Falcons Ring of Honor
- DISCUSS: Talk about the game with other fans on FalconsLIFE
- PHOTOS: Images from the Falcons victory over Carolina
