Matt Ryan has said that the New England Patriots' defense plays "extremely physical".

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback will line up against the AFC East side's defensive line this Sunday.

The 28-year-old told reporters: "I think they play extremely physical. I think that's one of the things when you turn on the film and you watch them, their front seven has been extremely physical.

"Their linebackers specifically have been really good in terms of their blitz scheme. They use a lot of single-man blitzes with their backers, but they're so strong and so physical that they do a great job of creating pressure with that, as well as in the run game, shedding blocks and being able to make tackles one-on-one.

"We've been close in the two games that we've lost, but we haven't made plays that decide the games, and we haven't been able to close out those games. We need to do a better job of that moving forward."

The Falcons, who were the top side in the NFC in 2012, have won just one of their first three games this season.