Falcons head coach Mike Smith's opening statement, following the 27-17 win: "It felt like we played good football. In all three phases, we were able to finish, something we have not been able to do. Defensively, I really felt we (put) a good game plan in place. The coaches did a very nice job. We were able to put pressure on the quarterback. We hit him 11 times, sacked him four times and created some turnovers there in the second half. It was definitely a team win. We stated early in the week that our goal was to be 1-0 and we got that accomplished. We'll get on the plane, get back to Atlanta, and go for our next 1-0 week."
Falcons QB Matt Ryan on playing from behind: "In the fourth quarter, we go down by one, but the response drive – the going out there, running the football effectively, throwing the football effectively and then ultimately being opportunistic and being able to punch that in and then get the two-point conversion on top of that, I think those are the drives you have to make in order to win football games and I think it was a good step for us in the right direction."
Ryan on what his emotions were like, following the game: "Joy. It had been too long since we'd won a game. It's always better when you come out on the right end. So, we'll enjoy this win, but we also know, with the way the division is shaking out, we're right in the mix. We've got a long road in front of us – seven games to go – but we've got to try to knock them off one at a time."
Falcons RB Steven Jackson on the team's performance as a whole: "That is the one thing that is special about the game of football: it takes all 53 men, all three units. The defense really played stellar. They got off the field when they needed to. Hats off to Tampa Bay, they did a really good job of putting themselves back in the game. I thought we responded well as a team."
Jackson on next week's game against Carolina: "It'll be a tough one; Carolina has a physical team and defense. We are going to get some film study in and prepare for another tough one."
Falcons WR Julio Jones assessing the win: "We left a lot of plays out there first of all, myself included. We were making plays left and right and everyone got a catch in the game or made a play. The running game worked real well for us."
Jones on taking advantage of second chances: "No question. We just have to keep working, stay positive, keep working and believe in each other. There is a lot of ebb and flow to this game, but nobody can get uptight or frustrated. It's going to happen and it's never going to be a perfect game. It's all about the character the team has to keep going and try to get the next score."
Falcons CB Desmond Trufant on the concern of a comeback: "There was no concern. We know they're going to make some plays. This is the NFL — there's ebbs and flows in the game — but we didn't wavier. We knew, no matter what, it was going to happen and with what position we were in, we were going to win this game. Regardless of what we had to do, we were going to come away with this win. I'm proud of the team and we just got to keep this going."
Falcons WR Roddy White on his touchdown catch: "We had that drawn up and it was a play we wanted to execute. We got the right coverage; they played man coverage down by the goal line. When you are doing crossing routes down there, it is so hard to cover, so guys get lost. They ran over the top and gave me an opportunity to score."
Falcons LB Paul Worrilow on the interception by safety Dwight Lowery: "That was huge. I knew he caught it as soon as he did and then they called it incomplete. I mean, that was just a great reaction on the ball and that's what I was talking about — being able to close games out. When you get that opportunity, you capitalize on it and he did a good job on that."
