Atlanta Falcons: 7 Biggest Storylines Coming Out of Week 1

The Atlanta Falcons finished last season 13-3 and entered this season with high hopes. But in their opener against the Chicago Bears, they were flat-out dominated on both sides of the ball, losing 30-12.

The schedule does not get any easier for the Falcons as they play the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers in the next couple of weeks.

These are the top storylines for the Falcons coming out of Week 1.

7. The Amount of Pass Attempts by Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan attempted 47 passes last Sunday versus the Chicago Bears. Now, I understand that the losing team becomes more and more one dimensional as the deficit gets bigger and bigger, but the Falcons offensive identity is in the balance that they have.

Michael Turner is one of the most consistent running backs in the game, and he only had 10 carries. He did rush for 100 yards on those 10 carries, though.

The Falcons need to find a good offensive balance if they want a chance to defeat Philly next week.

6. The Offensive Line Struggles

Matt Ryan was sacked five times and hurried many more times yesterday. The Falcons had two first-year starters playing at center and guard, which could have contributed to the poor play.

The loss of Pro Bowl guard Harvey Dahl to free agency may have been bigger than the Falcons thought. This is one area of concern for the Falcons that they have to shore up moving forward.

5. Success of the Defensive Line

The Falcons defense sacked Bears quarterback Jay Cutler five times. While newcomer Ray Edwards failed to record a sack, he helped free up John Abraham, who had two.

The defensive line looked really good as they constantly pressured Cutler, making life difficult for the inconsistent quarterback.

4. Matt Ryan's Turnover Problems

Matt Ryan threw one interception and fumbled the ball once, which led to a defensive touchdown for the Chicago Bears.

If this trend continues, the Falcons cannot expect to win many games, especially with the schedule that they have this year.

Matt Ryan is a very consistent quarterback and has been developing nicely ever since he entered the league. The Falcons need him to be the Matt Ryan of the past if they want to make it back to the playoffs.

3. Defensive Tackling Issues

Matt Forte's 56-yard touchdown reception was largely the product of poor fundamental tackling by the Falcons defense.

Young linebacker Sean Weatherspoon attempted to knock Forte out of bounds instead of wrapping him up. Forte stayed in bounds and, more importantly, went on 20 more yards to score a touchdown.

Poor tackling was a trend for the Falcons defense against the Bears.

2. Lack of Chemistry with Julio Jones

Julio Jones only had five catches in his first game as a Falcon. Although those five catches totaled 71 yards, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones repeatedly were not on the same page with one another.

The Falcons gave up a lot of future players with high hopes for the instant impact of Julio Jones. He has to produce in big ways for the Falcons.

1. A Struggling Michael Turner

Michael Turner ran for 100 yards on 10 carries. If this seems like a great average, it's because it is a great average.

Now take away Turner's big run of over 50 yards, and he had nine carries for 40 yards, with many of these going for little yardage.

Turner is 29, which means that he is approaching that 30-year-old wall that all running backs seem to hit.