Saints vs. Falcons: Matt Ryan wants to improve red zone play Thursday

As the Atlanta Falcons prepare for their game Thursday against the New Orleans Saints, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan believes that one of the keys in avenging their lone loss of the season is to perform better when the team is in the red zone. In their game on Nov. 11, the Falcons reached the red zone six times but were only able to score a touchdown three times:

"The last time we played them we fell short a little bit in the red zone. For us, playing against New Orleans it's imperative when you have your opportunities in that part of the field you have to take advantage of that and score touchdowns.

When asked about Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Ryan talked about how much respect he has for him, but hopes that he doesn't outclass him when the two teams take the field on Thursday night:

"Hopefully not much this Thursday. He's one of the great players in the League. That's for sure. He does a lot of things well. He's a great player."

While a win against the Saints could potentially put a dagger in any playoff chances that they have, Ryan is focused on what the Falcons need to do to keep their season going strong:

"Not really. I don't think you can worry about what other people have going on. We have enough issues ourselves and we have enough going on our own. Our focus needs to be on that."

The Falcons play the Saints on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The game will be televised nationally on NFL Network.