Panthers head coach Ron Rivera

On the loss
“Quite honestly, we didn’t coach to our abilities or play to our abilities.”

On the defensive struggles on third down
“That was probably our biggest disappointment. We had some good third and long situations, and did not get to the quarterback. Again, give them credit. Their guys made some plays with their feet and got outside the pocket a couple of times.”

On the penalty against CB Charles Tillman on the Falcons’ first drive
“That was huge. That’s one of those things we will have to look at and talk to the league office about what happened … We should have gotten off the field and we didn’t. I’m not making any excuses. They scored the touchdown and it’s 7-7. Bottom line, you’ve got opportunities you have to make plays.”

On needing to bounce back from a loss
“We’ve accomplished a lot. To be 14-1 at this point in the season is tremendous, so let’s not lose sight of that. This is not the end of the world, obviously. It’s not even the end of the season.”