Post by Guvmintcheeze on Oct 15, 2014 19:13:03 GMT
Matt Ryan looking for answers
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Fixing the broken Atlanta Falcons isn't just about cleaning up the defense.
Matt Ryan fully understands how the offense has sputtered as of late. The Falcons had a season-low 287 total yards in last Sunday's 27-13 loss to the Chicago Bears. And the Falcons didn't score in the fourth quarter, meaning they've been outscored 63-17 in fourth quarters this season.
"We're not playing good enough," Ryan said. "That's it: plain and simple. We're not playing as well as we need to be playing. And in order for us to win games and win games in this league, you've got to finish games strong. And we haven't done a good job of that.
"We've got to execute better. I know we say that a lot, but it comes down to execution. We've had opportunities to make plays and we just haven't made them. And we've got to remain confident in the belief that we're going to go out there and make those plays when they present themselves. You have trust in what you believe in. And for me, I think it's preparation and doing a great job in practice so that when games roll around, you feel like you're ready to do it."
The Falcons had a problem with drops in the last game. They also abandoned the run, with a season-low 13 rushing attempts for 42 yards.
Ryan was asked if the offense needed to put more emphasis on the running game.
"Certainly, we'd love to be able to run the ball a little more effectively that we have up until this point," he said.
Down and distance has been an issue for the offense as well. The Falcons have had 34 plays of third-and-8 or longer partly due to their inability to pick up substantial yardage on first and second down. They remain in the league's top 10 in third-down conversions (10th) but managed just 4 of 13 (31 percent) against the Bears.
"Situational football is huge, and that's the way that we prepare for different situations when they come up," Ryan said. "We know that, from an offensive standpoint, if you're in those third-and-10-plus, third-and-9 plus, you're chances of converting go way down. And we've got to do a better job on first and second down. And then when we're in those third-and-manageables, 2 to 5 [-yard] situations, we've got to execute at a high level."
Sunday's opponent won't make it any easier on the Falcons in terms of getting the offense back on track. Baltimore boasts the league's seventh-best run defense, allowing just 90.7 rushing yards per game.
"I think they've got some talented guys across the board that can make some plays," Ryan said of the Ravens. "They're two of the best, [Haloti] Ngata and [Terrell] Suggs, and we've got to be aware of where they're at. But they're a deep defense."
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Fixing the broken Atlanta Falcons isn't just about cleaning up the defense.
Matt Ryan fully understands how the offense has sputtered as of late. The Falcons had a season-low 287 total yards in last Sunday's 27-13 loss to the Chicago Bears. And the Falcons didn't score in the fourth quarter, meaning they've been outscored 63-17 in fourth quarters this season.
"We're not playing good enough," Ryan said. "That's it: plain and simple. We're not playing as well as we need to be playing. And in order for us to win games and win games in this league, you've got to finish games strong. And we haven't done a good job of that.
"We've got to execute better. I know we say that a lot, but it comes down to execution. We've had opportunities to make plays and we just haven't made them. And we've got to remain confident in the belief that we're going to go out there and make those plays when they present themselves. You have trust in what you believe in. And for me, I think it's preparation and doing a great job in practice so that when games roll around, you feel like you're ready to do it."
The Falcons had a problem with drops in the last game. They also abandoned the run, with a season-low 13 rushing attempts for 42 yards.
Ryan was asked if the offense needed to put more emphasis on the running game.
"Certainly, we'd love to be able to run the ball a little more effectively that we have up until this point," he said.
Down and distance has been an issue for the offense as well. The Falcons have had 34 plays of third-and-8 or longer partly due to their inability to pick up substantial yardage on first and second down. They remain in the league's top 10 in third-down conversions (10th) but managed just 4 of 13 (31 percent) against the Bears.
"Situational football is huge, and that's the way that we prepare for different situations when they come up," Ryan said. "We know that, from an offensive standpoint, if you're in those third-and-10-plus, third-and-9 plus, you're chances of converting go way down. And we've got to do a better job on first and second down. And then when we're in those third-and-manageables, 2 to 5 [-yard] situations, we've got to execute at a high level."
Sunday's opponent won't make it any easier on the Falcons in terms of getting the offense back on track. Baltimore boasts the league's seventh-best run defense, allowing just 90.7 rushing yards per game.
"I think they've got some talented guys across the board that can make some plays," Ryan said of the Ravens. "They're two of the best, [Haloti] Ngata and [Terrell] Suggs, and we've got to be aware of where they're at. But they're a deep defense."