No End in Sight, for Atlanta's About Face

The way the Falcons were ripped apart in the divisional round by the Packers at home was disappointing. Ending their season on that note was downright disheartening. Signs of a decline were apparent heading into 2011.

In so many games in 2010, the Falcons played just well enough to squeeze out wins. Wins that catapulted them to a higher level than they actually were at in a division that saw the Saints fade back a tad. The division had the woeful Panthers and the Tampa Bay Bucs, who were just too young to disrupt the South.

A year later and things have changed. If Mike Vick was not knocked out of the second game, this team would easily be 0-3.

Before delving into the issues they are currently facing, lets look back at the 2010 season. Matt Ryan was as heroic as they came last season, as the Falcons won six games by seven points or less, finding ways constantly to come up with game winning drives, including a monster fourth quarter against the Ravens in a prime time game.

As the year progressed, Ryan continued to anchor the quarterback position even better. Roddy White’s rise as a dominant receiver had a lot to do with Ryan’s breakout year. White caught a career high 115 balls, surpassing his average over the prior two years by nearly thirty.

Maybe this team has a hangover from the lockout or is just unbalanced.

Too begin to point fingers, you’d have to narrow it down to the running back situation. Michael Turner was over worked a few years ago. Deciding to spend their mega free agent dollars on Turner in 2008 was thought of as a wise move. He did not have many miles being the back behind LT for years.

Backs with size though have had trouble keeping a steady work load without varying results. Turner was the catalyst to the Falcons rise from a team without much expected from it.

After an injury riddled 2009 season, Turner shed some weight and burst back on the scene in 2010 with over 1300 yards. His stats look good to start off the 2011 season and he has been the beneficiary of a few big runs, including a monster fourth quarter one against the Eagles.

Subtract that and Turner has been sub-par. A team with Turner’s size in the backfield wants chunks of consistent yards, not being shut down with minimal runs series after series. The Falcons are suddenly shifting from the rushing mentality to airing the football out.

This is a league in which balance needs to be priority. Most teams have a couple of running backs to set the tone, and wear down defenses for four quarters. Atlanta may have a great tandem of receivers, but at the rate that Matt Ryan’s throwing the football, he may not stay healthy. It could mean more hits on his receivers and more bruises for Matt Ryan’s back. He has had a rough go, early on being sacked thirteen times with four fumbles.

Maybe the offensive line would like to run block a little bit more instead of pass protect. There’s only so much an offensive line can do to contain blitzes and speed rushers. Ryan’s thrown the football already 122 times, and is on pace for 650 for the year. Unless they figure out a way to develop a New England dink and dump quick route offense, there is no way the Falcons turn this season around.

Atlanta may want to give more carries to rookie Jacquizz Rodgers and get this offensive balance under control.