Hours after the NFL announced Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan as the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week, reporters gathered around his locker, waiting to hear from the team's star signal-caller; while answering questions about winning the award for the second time this season, Ryan's main focus continues to be on preparing for a talented Vikings defense.
"They are a very good front-seven," Ryan said. "They're physical at the point of attack in the front four. They have good linebackers; (Vikings LB) Chad Greenway is a guy who's played for a long time and is as good of a player as there is. We've got to bring it. We've got to be up for the challenge, up for the physical play; I think our offensive line will be."
Ryan has faced the Vikings twice in his career, victorious in both contests, totaling 40-of-58 pass attempts (69 percent) for 396 yards and 4 TDs, equating to a passer rating of 111.0. The Vikings are now coached by Mike Zimmer, the former defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, who will likely use game film of his former team's Week 2 success against the Falcons to formulate tough defensive schemes for Sunday's contest.
"I'm sure that Minnesota is going to look at that film and know exactly what Cincinnati was doing and probably use a lot of the things that we saw in that game," Ryan said. "We'll have to be prepared for what we saw a couple of weeks ago."
