FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Matt Ryan overheard the question being asked – a reference to the Atlanta Falcons ’fall in the Super Bowl LI to the New England Patriots – and broke a joke even before he completed it.
“I didn’t,” Ryan left unseen. “I’ve never heard of it.”
Ryan, of course, knew the reference. The Falcons faced New England – and their quarterback, Tom Brady – 28-3 during the Super Bowl LI, before losing for the last time 34-28.
Ryan, 36, who said Wednesday he would be open to playing as long as Brady has it, has a 0-5 life against Brady, between his time in New England and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ryan made it clear that losing the Super Bowl doesn’t cross his mind, and it’s not something he thinks about when he faces Brady, as he will on Sunday.
“Of course we want to win. It won’t make up for it,” Ryan said. “You know, it’s one of those things. It’s part of your past, it’s part of what happened.
“But he has no influence this week.”
Ryan said he focuses more on the defenses facing the quarterbacks who are on the other side, in part because they are not on the field together. Facing former New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees year after year helped him teach that.
Brees is already retired and acting as an NBC analyst, but Ryan has yet to face another future Hall of Fame quarterback Brady.
“Tom is the same type of player. Regardless of how the games are done, he’s mentally tough and does a great job staying in the present and operating at a high level,” Ryan said. “So you know you have to be on the same level by your side. But it’s about their defense. The defense they play with creates a lot of problems for us and we have to find ways to attack it.”