Head coach Pete Carroll
On Dan Quinn, his defensive coordinator from 2013-14:"He's awesome. He's a great guy to work with – you guys know. He's a great coach, great at relating to the players. Really fun to be around. We had a lot of fun. We wish him the best. We're really excited for his success."
On Atlanta's offensive success:
"They've got a great offense. Kyle's done a fantastic job. He's been a guy that I've looked at for a long time, really having kind of his eye on the prize here. He knows how it works and how it fits together. They mix things beautifully; they match stuff for their personnel really well so their guys can do it well. They're getting everything they can out of their running backs; they're getting everything they can out of their receivers, their quarterback. The O-line is really solid. It's just a well-oiled machine, and it's kind of what I've come to expect from the work that Kyle does."
On Matt Ryan's improvement this year:
"I don't see it that much differently other than you can see the growth (in the system). The word we talk about is chemistry between throwers and catchers. There really is a lot to that. And you can see just the benefit of the years together, really the benefit of being in the same scheme for the two years. They started out (well) two years ago, and it got a bit harder on them the second half of last year. And they just captured what they had gained from the experience, the familiarity with the coach and the scheme and the premises and the principles of the coaching. They're just maximizing it, and they're as good as you can get. I just think that's a natural progression if you're fortunate and you have good players and good coaches, and that's what we're seeing."
On the challenges of facing Julio Jones:
"I think the challenge is the connection that he and the quarterback have, where they'll throw the ball at times with just impeccable timing and placement and max out an opportunity that really doesn't look like much. It might look like the guy's covered, but they still make a play. Julio has the ability and the catching range, and Matt has the sense and the great accuracy to put the ball where he wants to. Things happen that are out of the norm because those guys are so connected."
On Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman:
"They've rushed for close to 2,000 yards and they've caught almost 90 passes out of that position. So both guys are really explosive. They have their own style, but they both kind of resemble the production. They're very fortunate. It's a good way to go."
Quarterback Russell Wilson
On the development of Atlanta's rookies on defense:
"All those guys – they don't play like rookies, they don't play like young guys. They look really experienced and they play fast, they play smart. They know where they're supposed to be and they do a great job of it. You can definitely notice that on film. They have a lot of great players on their defense and offense, too, as well, so they can be a great team for a while with those young guys."
On how Atlanta's secondary has stepped up without Desmond Trufant:
"Obviously losing Trufant is a tough thing because he's such a great player. He's made so many great players for them. But (Jalen) Collins has really stepped up for them and has played at a high level. He's got good speed, he's got good hands, he can make a lot of plays. He's really stepped up to the challenge for those guys and helped try to fill the void for them."
On Ryan's performance this season:
"I think Matt Ryan's always been a great quarterback. I don't think it's just this year; I think he's always been a great quarterback. He's always been a guy to be able to win football games and make plays and do a lot of good things. I don't think it's anything new for Matt at all. I have tons of respect for Matt Ryan and how he goes about his business and how he plays the game of football."
