FLOWERY BRANCH -- Until the past two games, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who’s in his 14th season in the NFL, had never two sub-60 passer-rating games back-to-back.
In a 43-3 loss to Dallas on Nov. 14, Ryan had a career-low passer rating of 21.4. Five days later against New England, in a 25-0 loss, Ryan had a passer rating of 51.6.
Ryan had some ideas about how he and the Falcons’ offense (4-6) can get back on track when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8) at 1 p.m. Sunday at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
Credit: Staff illustration
Credit: Staff illustration
“Obviously the last two weeks, we were not up to the standard we want to play,” Ryan said. “The only way I know to do is get back to work.”
The Falcons are 5-14 when Ryan has a sub-60 passer rating. He’s had two seasons in which he didn’t have any sub-60 passer rating games, in 2010 and in 2016 when he won the league’s MVP trophy.
Ryan has been without his top wide receiver in Calvin Ridley, who’s on the non-football injury list while addressing his mental well-being. Also, running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson suffered an ankle injury against Dallas and didn’t play against the Patriots.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith did not have an update on Ridley, while Patterson returned to practice Wednesday and was limited.
Before the Dallas loss, the Falcons had won four of their past six games and were moving the ball through the air. Their inability to run the ball was exposed even more without Ridley and Patterson. Also, tight end Hayden Hurst missed the New England game.
Ryan believes getting back on the practice field is key.
“Make sure that we’re doing stuff right in the walk-throughs and then have productive practices,” Ryan said. “So, that’s certainly what we’re looking for.”
Ryan believes they can get the offense, which hasn’t scored a touchdown over its past 26 possessions, back on track.
“We’ve got to put in the work,” Ryan said. “I really think we can do it. We’ve done it at times throughout the year, and we just have to keep putting in great effort during practice and making sure that we’re putting ourselves in positions to be successful when we’re playing.”
“I think sometimes, you know, when you have weeks like we've had, you know, it's not one thing. It's little things here and there that add up. We definitely have to be opportunistic."
The offense has stalled miserably.
“I think sometimes, you know, when you have weeks like we’ve had, you know, it’s not one thing,” Ryan said. “It’s little things here and there that add up. We definitely have to be opportunistic.”
The Falcons must improve in third-down situations. They have converted three of 22 third downs over the past two games. Overall, the Falcons are 50 of 130 (38.5%) on third downs.
“We still have seven games to go,” Ryan said. “There’s a lot of football to be played. A lot of things we can clean up and do better. We have to correct them now, but you can stay the course. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Credit: ArLuther Lee
Credit: ArLuther Lee
Falcons coach Arthur Smith doesn’t appear to be leaning toward making any wholesale changes or revamping the offensive line. He mentioned “schematic tweaks” as a possible path to recovery for the Falcons.
“You have a belief that it just takes one or two plays, one or two series to kind of get you into that rhythm and get you rolling,” Ryan said. “I think if we can do that … like we’ve shown at different times throughout the year, we can be explosive, score points and get the job done.”
The Falcons are trying everything from the line staying after practice for more work to watching more film of when they were moving the ball better.
“Finding the ways to get the guys as confident as we can, just in the right mental space,” Ryan said. “So, they’re going to go out there and play well. You’re always searching for different things. Whether it is showing some of the stuff that we’ve done well throughout the year. Kind of bringing those clips back up or it’s opponent clips that we’re going against. You try and use all those things.”
One common theme is eliminating procedural penalties and what the Falcons call “self-inflicted wounds.”
“It’s about doing the basics really well,” Ryan said. “It’s making sure that each position, each guy, whatever play is being called, you’re operating, how we’re coached to. You’re not trying to do too much sometimes or go outside of the scheme and try to do something heroic. It comes back to let’s do what we’re coached.”
After the Falcons drove to New England’s 14-yard line, a sack for a 13-yard loss and an illegal-formation penalty cost the Falcons a field goal against the Patriots.
“I mean, those kinds of things are hard to overcome,” Ryan said. “They make it really difficult for you to be consistent and efficient. I think we can do a better job than we’ve done the last couple of weeks.”
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Falcons at Jacksonville, 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 28
Tampa Bay at Falcons, 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 5
Falcons at Carolina, 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 12
Falcons at San Francisco, 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 19
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