Atlanta Falcons Week 2 Preview: 4 Things Team Must Do to Avoid 0-2

I don't think I need to remind you, but in case you missed Sunday's game, the Atlanta Falcons looked horrendous.

With such high hopes surrounding this team, everyone was let down during the first regular season game. There was no defense at times, the offense couldn't protect Matt Ryan and a couple turnovers resulted in 14 points for the Chicago Bears.

Now the Falcons weren't the only team who disappointed fans this past weekend, so maybe it's just going to take a few games to settle in.

Let's hope that's not the case, though. The Philadelphia Eagles roll into town for a Sunday night game at the Georgia Dome. If the Falcons wish to avoid an 0-2 start there are several things they need to work on. 

1) Tackle the Ball Carrier

Matt Forte caught a screen pass from Jay Cutler around the 42-yard line in the first quarter against the Falcons. Instead of taking him down, Sean Weatherspoon chose to shove Forte in an attempt to push him out of bounds.

How did that one work out? Forte ended up in the endzone...

If you watched the Falcons play this past Sunday, you surely would have noticed more of their sub-par tackling abilities. They looked sloppy and out of place at times.

Dunta Robinson attempted to take down Devin Hester on another screen play. The result, Robinson was left laying on the ground after a horrible misfire.

If the Falcons want to have any shot at beating the Eagles they will have to make smarter plays. Hopefully they realize by now that there are other players in the NFL with considerable talent, players that you can't shove out of bounds.

The Eagles have a ton of speed of their roster. Atlanta will have to go for the sure tackle if they want to keep things under control.

2) Block for Matt Ryan

The Bears had no problem getting their hands on Matt Ryan in the first regular season game.

Ryan was sacked five times and hit another 11. Check out the Eagles stats from this past weekend: five sacks and 11 QB hits. This does not bode well if the Falcons are going to perform the same way.

Chicago brought pressure as Atlanta was forced to pass often due to their deficit. The Falcon's offensive line fell apart multiple times and eventually it resulted in a fumble by Ryan that led to a Bears' touchdown.

The run game looked to be in good shape, but if they want to avoid 0-2 they will have to provide better support for Ryan.

3) Avoid/Utilize the Big Play

The Falcons allowed two plays on Sunday that went for over 50 yards. On both plays the ball was caught near the line of scrimmage.

Defense like this against Philadelphia isn't going to be pretty. We caught a glimpse of what they are capable of this past Sunday.

LeSean McCoy took a handoff on a draw play for 49 yards into the end zone. DeSean Jackson had a 41-yard reception in double coverage. Knowing that team, I'm sure we will see plenty more of these types of plays throughout the year.

The Falcons will have to be sure to avoid giving up big gains or scores. The couple plays the Bears broke for big yardage were momentum killers. They can't have that against the Eagles, especially with Michael Vick coming back to town.

Matt Ryan only average 6.8 yards per pass attempt against the Bears. We've heard all this talk about loosening up a bit on offense and going for some big gains. Where was it on Sunday?

Michael Turner broke a run for 53 yards to give the Falcons their longest play of the afternoon. Ryan had a couple big throws, but the closer they got to the red zone, the fewer chances they took. One drive resulted in a 25-yard field goal.

They love wearing down their opponents and the clock with conservative play calling, but they have to take some shots down field against the Eagles this Sunday.

4) Defending the Pass

The zone defense did not cut it against Jay Cutler. There were several occasions where the secondary dropped into zone coverage on third and long, and Cutler had no problem tossing an easy first down ball.

Thomas DeCoud could not hold onto the ball. He had two opportunities for interceptions and bobbled both of them. They have to capitalize on these chances, especially playing a team as good as the Eagles.

I could go on and on about the Falcons' secondary, but to put it bluntly, they need to get better. Fast.

Cutler had no problem passing for 300+ yards on just 22 completions. Dunta Robinson once again seemed confused about how you're supposed to defend in the NFL, and Chris Owens was a lost cause at times.

Get ready for a long season if they continue to play like this.