Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith said rookie quarterback Matt Ryan will start against the Tennessee Titans Friday evening. The starters are expected to work with the first team through the first two quarters and early in the second half during the team's third preseason contest.
"When you go into your third game you want to try to take your first unit through halftime and through the first series of the second half," Smith said. "We're going to take our guys through the second half baring a couple of guys that might be a little banged up."
Ryan leads all Falcons quarterbacks this preseason with 175 passing yards one touchdown and one interception. In two games the rookie has a 68.6 quarterback rating.
But this will be his first start.
"I talked to Coach Smith about that before so it's exciting to be out there and go in right away. We're going to have a good week of preparation and hopefully we can play well Friday night," Ryan said Monday afternoon. "The biggest thing is you have to stay composed. Guys move faster in the NFL than they do in college so you have to make smart decisions toward the end of a play. The big thing is to stay relaxed and go out there and stay composed."
Ryan admits he didn't make the smartest decision in his last game when he threw his first interception. The pick was returned by Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden for a touchdown.
The rookie said he reviewed the tape Monday. He learned and will put it behind him. If his quick progress through the off-season is any indication, it may be a while before he makes a similar mistake.
"I think I've made pretty good progress and continued to improve since I got here," he said. "I think I'm a lot farther along than I was when I started and hopefully I can continue to make strides as the year progresses."
No comments:
Post a Comment