Here’s what Falcons players had to say after their 23-7 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night:
Dontari Poe, defensive tackle
On the defense: "We have a lot to improve on since we didn't win the game."
On the run defense: "We have a lot to improve on. That's part of it."
On whether they were expecting the run: "They can run and pass and that just so happens to be what they did."
On whether it's difficult to play in New England: "Every place in the league is difficult."
On the fog: "It's just a part of the game."
Alex Mack, center
On the offense: "It is frustrating. The key is to continue working hard. It's a long season. A lot of games are left. If we just work hard day-in and day-out to get better, by the end of the season we should be a good team."
On being a couple plays a way: "I think it goes down to there were plays out there and we didn't make them. Whether if it's third down, red zone all of those little things add up. When you are playing a game against a good team, like the Patriots are, you have to make them. It's really tough to play from behind. We just didn't have enough time."
On offense misfiring: "I think we just need to do better in the red zone. I think we have more production on first and second down, get better on third down and better in the red zone. Once, we're there we should make plays."
On red zone play: "Last year, people stepped up and made plays. That's all that it takes. It takes 11 guys on the field working really hard together. That's all it takes."
On New England defense: "We knew they were a good defense. They were good in the red zone and they continued to be good in the red zone. There was meat on the bones, but kudos to them. They did a really good job or making plays and really make it hard on us."
On fourth-and-goal play: "I think it's dangerous to look at one play and be like 'that's the one.' Because it's a combination of all of them. I think early in the game, first or second down didn't really go very well. It just as important as the one played late in the game. Every day, every play getting yards. That one hurts, because it's fourth-and-1."
Jake Matthews, left tackle
On what's wrong with offense: "If you look at our numbers, we are moving the ball. We are having trouble finishing in the red zone and on third down. We had opportunities to score. We had ample opportunities to be in that game. But we have to finish and execute and it starts with us five up front. We have to do a better job."
On the scoring offense: "We just need to rely on the things that made us so good last year. We have to get better at that this year. There was a learning curve at the beginning of last year as well. We hit our stride as the season went out. We have plenty of games left. We're not where we want to be at 3-3, obviously but there is a lot room for improvement and a lot of more games to play. We'll be more confident heading into it."
Devonta Freeman, running Back
On the lack of offense: "It's now that we just have to finish. It's a group effort, I just feel we need to finish and win the game. We need to do whatever it takes to win the game. I don't care what it is. We just have to go back to the drawing board, figure out ways to win, that's all that I can say."
On if he would have liked to get the ball on the goal line: "I'm a competitor, so of course. But when any player's number gets called they have to execute."
On adjusting to new offensive play calls: "It is what it is. We all come here and work as a group effort. The coaches, players, the whole brotherhood. It's all on us. We just have to figure out a way to close."
On the fourth downs and trying to change the momentum: "Just trying to be aggressive and the coach is going to trust us in those situations. We just need to do whatever it takes to convert."
On offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian taking some criticism: "I think it's on all of us. Nobody can point fingers at nobody. We just have to figure out ways to win. On all three phases, offense, defense and special teams, just figure out a way to win. There isn't pointing no fingers at anybody, because when we win the Super Bowl there isn't going to be any pointing fingers at how good we were. So we'll just take this as a lesson."
On playing in the fog and if it affected the game: "I remember playing in the fog at my high school national championship game down in Orlando, Florida against Dr. Phillips; it was a similar situation. It's just foggy for the fans, but on the field it's kind of clear. No it didn't affect us at all."
On the expectations of the team from last year to this year: "Every year is a new year. In the NFL you are either getting good or getting better. You are never staying the same. You will never be okay all year long; you're either getting better or getting worse. A lot of teams are getting better, so are we. We just need to figure out ways to close and finish."
Julio Jones, wide receiver
On what went wrong: "It is just situational ball and we did poorly on third down and in the red zone today. It is plain and simple. We went out with a great effort, everything was there we just didn't connect on third downs and in the red zone."
On what are the causes of not connecting: "We were just off and that is it. We just weren't on the same page."
On the frustration of not winning: "We are never frustrated, let's clear that up and nothing about it is frustrating. It is football and on any given Sunday we just have to keep working and just keep putting the work in. We are not going to get down on ourselves and we are not going to hang our heads. We are just going to keep putting the work in and just wait until it pays off."
Mohamed Sanu, wide receiver
On the play of the offense: "We just didn't connect on a few things. We had a couple missed opportunities on third down, fourth down, first, second down. We just have to execute better and play better as a whole."
On if he ever played in fog like tonight and if it had an effect on the game: "No. You just have to focus a little more. It was weird but you just have to go out there. They have the same element. I could see."
On the Patriots defense: "They play zone, they plan man. They do what they do. They did a good job. We just didn't connect on plays we had opportunities on. They capitalized on opportunities that we didn't. Guys stepped up, made plays and did a really good job and we just didn't capitalize on our opportunities."
Ryan Schraeder, right tackle
On if he ever played in fog like tonight, and if it had an effect on the game: "I don't think so. I don't know if it was that foggy [to impact the game]. I'm not back there throwing the ball or catching it, it seemed foggy but on the field you could still see. I know on the tablets we use to go over things you could see what was going on with that. We just adjusted and talked about what we saw."
On the game: "Execution. You have got to execute. In the red zone there was a couple times we should have scored and we didn't put the ball in the end zone.
