Turnover Woes Continue: Once again, the Falcons were undone by some costly turnovers—including a late interception in Minnesota's end zone. Dan Quinn constantly preaches how important it is to take care of the football, and until they cut down on self-inflicted wounds, it'll be difficult to get back in the win column.
"I absolutely think (we're beating ourselves)" said Matt Ryan. "On the offensive side of the ball, we've moved it pretty effectively, but we haven't capitalized in terms of touchdowns and given the ball away too much. Teams are too good in this league to give them opportunities to stay in games and to beat you."
Tevin Rebounds: After a particularly damaging fumble—his third of 2015—RB Tevin Coleman rebounded by putting together an 18-carry, 110-yard performance against Minnesota. This marks the first time he's amassed 100 rushing yards in the NFL. The coaching staff showed a lot of faith in the rookie for Indiana, who mentioned in the locker room that his confidence remains high despite some early adversity.
"That's all you can ask for," Coleman said of his team's support.
Wheeler Steps Up: When starting LB Justin Durant was forced out with an ankle injury, recently-acquired veteran Philip Wheeler filled in and led the team with 11 tackles, six of which were solo. The Georgia Tech product has proven to be an aggressive, consistent force since joining the team midseason and should be a valuable asset moving forward.
"We have lots of faith in Philip," Quinn said. "He's played different scenarios—he's played Mike, he's played Will (linebacker). He's an experienced player and one we totally count on."
Ryan Holds Self Accountable: Ryan threw a pair of costly picks against the Vikings, which, in the end, made it extremely difficult to mount a comeback. The 30-year-old signal caller understands he has to get back on track for Atlanta to right the ship.
"It starts with me," he said. "I've got to be better in terms of decision-making and knowing when to throw the ball away and cut our losses and kick a field goal. But we've got to really look in the mirror hard on Monday and Tuesday before we get out on the practice field on Wednesday to see what we can do differently to stop that for happening."
