Head coach Dirk Koetter
On Atlanta's offense evolving into a versatile unit:
"Yeah, they sure have. I think Kyle is doing a great job with his game plans. Obviously they've got three really good skill players in Julio, Matt (Ryan) and Freeman. But Coleman, the way they're using Coleman, he's really come into his own. Getting Sanu back (is big); Gabriel is now playing a nice little role for them. DiMarco plays his role. I think adding Mack was a really good add for them to solidify the center of their line. So they're impressive on offense. They're rolling right now."
On Matt Ryan and his strong first half:
"Well, I'm a Matt Ryan fan 14 out of the 16 weeks of the season. So, you know, I think very highly of Matt, not only as a player, but as a person. But we're gonna be trying to knock him down 60 times on Thursday night, and he knows that. Definitely having a great year. I mean, it doesn't matter what I think. His numbers and his play speaks for themselves. Our job is to figure out how to slow him down."
On Atlanta's improved pass rush:
"Yeah, Beasley, seems like Beasley has got his confidence going as a rusher. I'm sure that's why they picked him where they picked him. Then they've got really good complementary players around him. Clayborn does a great job with games. He can win one-on-one (matchups). Babineaux has always been a guy that's been really good inside. Of course Jarrett has that lightning-fast, quick first step. So they're deep with their D-line. They do a very good job with their games. And they're playing with a lot of confidence right now."
Cornerback Brent Grimes
On how he's approaching the Falcons on a short week coming off a tough loss:
"Well, with a short week you got to get over it. It was a tough loss, like you said. You got to get over it really fast and get onto the next game, which is a Thursday night game, and nobody really likes it, but it is what it is. It's a division game against a good team, so it's a big game."
On the Falcons offense:
"It's a really good offense. They've got a lot of great players on it. Matt Ryan, Matt's really good, Julio (too) obviously. But outside of those two, there are a lot of people who can make plays. I can just keep naming names. It's a really good offense. They were a good offense (on opening day) and they're a good offense now. They're one of the best offenses in the league from Week 1 to now. They'll do different stuff every game, but that's game plan-wise. But really, it's just a really good, explosive offense. If you're not on your stuff, they can make you look really bad."
On what it takes to contain Julio Jones:
"It's a team effort, just (like) with anyone in the NFL. Julio is a great player. He has every skill you want for a wide receiver. ... How do you stop Julio? It's a team effort for any great receiver in the league, especially Julio who's probably the best. So you just have to, as a team, affect the quarterback. You have to play tight in coverage and make plays where you get a chance."
On how he approaches a divisional game against his former team:
"I treat every game the same. I feel like it's disrespectful to say, 'I got up for this game more than (another).' No, it's an NFL game. You're going and playing, and if you're saying you get up more for another game, then what are you doing in the other games you're playing? Every game is very important in the NFL. To me, you have to be up for every game. And the fact that this is a division game — it's worth more, but your level of play shouldn't change because of such and such game."
