When two Falcons legends get together to talk about the current team, you get some interesting conversations and insights. That was the case with Michael Vick and Morten Andersen recently, as Vick weighed in on new coach Arthur Smith, how Matt Ryan is playing, and rookie Kyle Pitts.
Vick was recently on the Great Dane Nation podcast hosted by former Falcons’ kicker Morten Andersen. Vick discussed a plethora of topics with Andersen, such as the current state of the Falcons’ franchise.
On Arthur Smith:
“I think Arthur [Smith] is doing a great job,” Vick said. “The culture that he’s brought from Tennessee, I think it’s translating. I think being able to have that relationship with Matt Ryan after Matt has been through maybe 3-4 head coaches, 3-4 different systems. There’s a lot of information that can be shared there. I think we’re playing tough, good football. Now, it’s a situation where we gotta get better each and every week. I think what we’ve done best up to this point is learning from our mistakes. They made some mistakes early in the season. They definitely had a chance to beat Tampa Bay, but made some mistakes and lost other games early.”
On Kyle Pitts and Matt Ryan:
“I think Kyle Pitts has been a big addition. His presence itself opens things up due to double teams. Matt has the experience knowing how exploit that, Arthur being in Tennessee having one of the most dominant offenses over the last couple of years. Defense is playing well, but we always play tough. We always play with pride and play tough but I think it’s another level. This is the perfect time to hit our stride. In regards to Matt [Ryan], I think Matt is playing consistent, playing amazing, and right now it looks like he has 3-4 years left in him.”
Certainly, the Falcons are hoping that Ryan can indeed keep this same playing level for a few more seasons as his contract suggests he’ll be in Atlanta for a bit, and Atlanta has repeatedly put their faith in him to deliver in the early days of Smith’s tenure. Ryan has no doubt shown this season, even with limited offensive weapons at times, that he hasn’t dropped off.
There’s more interesting discussions in here as well, but it’s encouraging to see a longtime Falcon like Vick who is clearly watching the team closely liking what he’s seeing even if the results on the field have been pretty uneven so far. We’ll hope he’s right that this team is going to hit its stride soon.
To listen to the Great Dane Nation’s full interview with Michael Vick, click here.