Quarterback Matt Ryan:
"We came down here and I think we handled the environment really well. But we just didn‟t play overall as well as we‟d like to. I think for the most part the differences were real small. They made the plays and we didn‟t today. We‟ve got to learn from this and improve."
"We had a lot of opportunities today. We moved the ball down the field and gave ourselves a chance to win that football game at the very end and we just didn‟t make the play."
"The third down play was just one of those things. Steven (Jackson) ran a great route, I let it go and kind of got bumped around. Even though it was the right call we just didn‟t make the play and then certainly we didn‟t make the play on the fourth down."
"Any time you lose it stinks and certainly today it stinks that we didn‟t get the outcome we wanted. We gave ourselves a chance and we just fell short. The thing is part of being a professional and part of handling as a veteran is being able to move on and realize you‟ve got to put it behind you. We‟ve got a whole season in front of us and there‟s a lot of football to go. We did some things well and we‟ve got to clean up the things we didn‟t do well and try and do better next week."
Running back STEVEN JACKSON:
"Coming out here we knew and expected it was going to be a tough hard game and the environment down here in New Orleans was going to be loud, and the rivalry was just as competitive as I‟ve been hearing about. But we went out there and made some plays but we also left some plays out there."
On the Saints' defense:
"They did a good job of mixing personnel up. When opportunities came up they made the plays to keep us off the field and in the end of the day that was the difference."
On the third-down play on last drive:
"When my number is called I expect to make plays. Difficult, easy, whatever; that‟s the expectation I have for myself. I don‟t live in a "what if‟ world, I expect to make the play. I expect to make the play. I dropped the ball, I dropped the ball. Yeah it wasn‟t the easiest catch, but I‟m not a person who makes excuses. But as we grow together, and as the guys see me play over the next couple of weeks, I will make the tough plays. Football is a game of inches and that‟s the expectation I have of myself."
Tight end TONY GONZALEZ
"You knew that coming in that it was going to be a dogfight – it always is. And when you look at the history they always come out on top, and then we come out on top when we have them at home. Give them credit, but at the same time we just have to play a lot better. Our defense came out and played real strong for us. Obviously Drew Brees is one of the best players to ever play the game and to hold him like that I thought they did an outstanding job.
"Offensively we‟ve got to protect a lot better. We know we have the horses to do it. I think we will take a lot of positives away from this game moving forward."
On the final offensive play for the Falcons:
"It was like they were covering me all day, like brackets – a double team. We tried to throw it over the top; somewhere along the backside with Julio (Jones) back there, but give them credit – they made the play. The ball was up in the air and I liked my chances, but we were just a fingertip away. So for that give them credit."
Receiver JULIO JONES on the final offensive play for the Falcons:
"They doubled me after showing us a lot of different looks before the play. All I know is that I was doubled. It was a crazy last play and one we just didn‟t make."
Center PETER KONZ
"I thought the communication on the field was good today and I thought everybody fought hard and we never gave up. But at the end of the day it comes down to making one play, so we are going to make our corrections."
Defensive tackle COREY PETERS
"We did some good plays out there today and some bad. Being a perfectionist you always want to do better. We‟ve got to cut out the explosive plays they got on us but what we have to do now is get back and look at the tape and definitely fix what we didn‟t do right out there today."
On Drew Brees' performance:
"Hey, he‟s a great player and we respect him a lot. We knew coming in what he‟s capable of and we respect him a whole lot. But, you know, we‟ll get another opportunity to see and compete against him down the road."
"This place (Mercedes-Benz Superdome) is real loud and it was very different from college but it was good to see a lot of family and friends out there cheering me on. Even though it was my first game I felt comfortable out there and I am glad I have a game under my belt."
