Post by Guvmintcheeze on Sept 23, 2014 21:01:49 GMT
Matt Ryan: Fast start key in Minnesota
By Vaughn McClure | ESPN.com
The Atlanta Falcons have had their share of road woes as of late. Slow starts have contributed to their troubles in those contests.
The Falcons have lost three in a row on the road, dating back to last season, and are 1-8 in their last nine road games. They've been outscored 37-10 in the first quarters of their past six road games and only won one: a 34-31 triumph over Buffalo in Toronto.
As Matt Ryan prepares to face the Vikings in Minnesota Sunday, the Falcons quarterback knows getting into a rhythm early will be key in ending the road-losing skid.
"I think we've got to start off fast," Ryan said during his weekly radio show on Atlanta's 680 the Fan. "I think last time we were on the road, we did not start off fast. And the other thing is, we've got to convert third downs. The two games that we've played well, we've converted third downs at a high level. So, we need to start fast and convert on third down.
"You've got to put yourself in good position -- in third-and-short -- especially on the road. And you've also got to get first downs on first and second down. That's the key to playing good offensive football."
The Falcons currently rank fifth in the league on third downs while converting 50 percent of the time. They also are fifth in the league in first downs per game with an average of 24.3.
Ryan has engineered the league's top scoring offense through three games with an average just above 34 points per game. Of course, safety Kemal Ishmael's interception return for a touchdown against Tampa Bay last week helped those numbers. Regardless, it's hard to imagine any team keeping up with Ryan and the Falcons' offense when it's clicking, as it was in last week's 56-14 win against the Buccaneers.
The league took notice, which is why the Falcons made a leap in the latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings.
Roster move: The Falcons announced the signing of 6-foot-8, 308-pound offensive tackle Reid Fragel to the practice squad. Fragel was a seventh-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 out of Ohio State, where he played tight end before moving to tackle as a senior. To make room for Fragel, the Falcons waived tackle Terren Jones from the practice squad.
By Vaughn McClure | ESPN.com
The Atlanta Falcons have had their share of road woes as of late. Slow starts have contributed to their troubles in those contests.
The Falcons have lost three in a row on the road, dating back to last season, and are 1-8 in their last nine road games. They've been outscored 37-10 in the first quarters of their past six road games and only won one: a 34-31 triumph over Buffalo in Toronto.
As Matt Ryan prepares to face the Vikings in Minnesota Sunday, the Falcons quarterback knows getting into a rhythm early will be key in ending the road-losing skid.
"I think we've got to start off fast," Ryan said during his weekly radio show on Atlanta's 680 the Fan. "I think last time we were on the road, we did not start off fast. And the other thing is, we've got to convert third downs. The two games that we've played well, we've converted third downs at a high level. So, we need to start fast and convert on third down.
"You've got to put yourself in good position -- in third-and-short -- especially on the road. And you've also got to get first downs on first and second down. That's the key to playing good offensive football."
The Falcons currently rank fifth in the league on third downs while converting 50 percent of the time. They also are fifth in the league in first downs per game with an average of 24.3.
Ryan has engineered the league's top scoring offense through three games with an average just above 34 points per game. Of course, safety Kemal Ishmael's interception return for a touchdown against Tampa Bay last week helped those numbers. Regardless, it's hard to imagine any team keeping up with Ryan and the Falcons' offense when it's clicking, as it was in last week's 56-14 win against the Buccaneers.
The league took notice, which is why the Falcons made a leap in the latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings.
Roster move: The Falcons announced the signing of 6-foot-8, 308-pound offensive tackle Reid Fragel to the practice squad. Fragel was a seventh-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 out of Ohio State, where he played tight end before moving to tackle as a senior. To make room for Fragel, the Falcons waived tackle Terren Jones from the practice squad.
