Matt Ryan says consistency is key for Falcons

FLOWERY BRANCH —

To see a change and win their next game against the Vikings, quarterback Matt Ryan said everything comes down to consistency for the Falcons.

“Probably the thing that we haven’t done a great job of for the last couple of weeks is consistently playing like we’re capable of,” Ryan said. “I think that we’ve had spurts where we’ve done it really, really well, but continuing to do that snap after snap, series after series, and really week after week is what we have to get back to. And it starts this week.”

Ryan said the team is using this week in practice to build off the Falcons’ 24-21 loss to the Colts on Sunday and take it to the field against the Vikings this weekend.

“We can’t worry about anything else expect going against this Minnesota defense which is really good,” Ryan said. “They’re excellent. I think their front seven is very sold. They do a great job in terms of their scheme. They don’t do a ton of different things on first and second down, but they’re very sound in what they do.

Ryan said one of the most threatening features of the Minnesota defense is the extensive pressure on pass protection. He said the offense must be “on top” of the Vikings in those scenarios.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said going against Ryan and the Falcons’ offensive arsenal Sunday will be a challenge.

“To me, they are extremely explosive,” Zimmer said. “Matt Ryan is the guy who you always concern yourself with because of his ability to change things at the line of scrimmage. He has a fantastic arm.”

Although focus has primarily been on Ryan in recent weeks through four losses in the past five games, coach Dan Quinn said fixing mistakes is on the entire offense.

“Our confidence in (Ryan) is as high as it could be, because we have such belief and trust in him,” Quinn said. “We’ll do a better job taking care of the ball, and that’s not just for (Ryan), that’s for the whole offense.”

Just as he’s proclaimed all season, Quinn reiterated to get out of their losing streak, the team must protect the football. He said the bottom line in why the Falcons are struggling is that the offense is not protecting the ball or pushing the ball in scoring position off of takeaways.

With four turnovers, three from interceptions, Sunday against the Colts, Quinn said the offense is working on featuring Ryan in the best way to make him successful.

“The sky’s not falling,” Quinn said. “There’s a lot of things that we’re doing really well, but when we don’t take care of the ball, they’re overshadowed.”

With all the outside noise regarding Ryan’s performance at his position, Jones said the team blocks it all out.

“We have to be a family here, and we have to be a team,” Jones said. “Everybody’s going to have their own opinions about certain people. That (happens) week to week. Matt could go out and have a great game this week.”

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said Ryan is having a good season despite throwing 10 interceptions so far.

“I think Matt’s done a lot of good things this year, and I think he’s had a pretty good year,” Shanahan said. “We got to eliminate those turnovers, and that’s not just Matt, that’s all of us, all 11 players on the field and the coaching staff also.”

Ryan said he embraces the responsibility that comes with the quarterback position, and he’s ready to start winning games.

“For me, like everyone else, I want to get back to winning games, and when you do that, that’s all that maters and that’s what we’re working hard to do every day — to find a way to get it done this week, and no one wants to do that more than I do,” Ryan said.

“I understand what goes along with playing this position in this league. When it’s good, you get a lot of the credit and when it’s not good, you catch a lot of the blame, that’s part of the deal.”

Shanahan under fire for Falcons' sputtering offense

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- After a torrid start to the season, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is undergoing some intensive scrutiny as his unit has been slowed down to a crawl.

The Falcons scored 162 points while racing out to a 5-0 start. They have scored just 88 points over the past five games while posting a 1-4 record and are set to face the Minnesota Vikings (7-3) at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

"We've had six games that have been decided by four points or less and we are 3-3 in those and that's not good enough," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. "That's one of the best parts about this league, is the competition coming down to the end. Honestly, it's the part of the game I love the most. So, for us to be 3-3 in those close games, that won't cut it."

Quarterback Matt Ryan has committed 13 turnovers - 10 interceptions and three fumbles. He has also had three other fumbles that were recovered.

He clearly doesn't look comfortable in Shanahan's offense.

Ryan has accepted responsibility for his decision-making on the D'Qwell Jackson interception returned for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts last week and his other mishaps this season. He has said that his relationship with Shanahan is fine and that he just needs to play better.

"Number one, I think there are things that Matt is not doing well," Quinn said. "Probably, the biggest issue that came up (was) the pick that ended up resulting in a touchdown. ... It was a throw that he should not have made. It was one that he should have checked it down to the flat. Those are the decisions we count on him like crazy for us.

"Although there were some things in the Colts game that he did really well, that's one that I know he told you that he'd like to have back for us to be at our best."

Shanahan must do some tinkering to get Ryan going again. He needs to get the route combinations right. Ryan is not throwing to his right outside the numbers very well right now. He said he's not hurt, but he's sailing a lot of passes. Shanahan needs to call the routes he's throwing accurately.

The Falcons targeted wide receiver Roddy White nine times against the Colts. It was a season-high just as it appeared that he was being phased out of the offense.

Also, Shanahan needs to let Ryan run some no-huddle and attack defenses. Ryan was taught the no-huddle as a rookie and is extremely proficient in running the attack.

All of this, and Shanahan may not have his best running back as Devonta Freeman is in the concussion protocol.

"The story of the team is our philosophy, it's about the ball," Quinn said. "On the (games) that we do a good job going after defensively and taking care of where we are in the plus or at a zero turnover ratio, we are 5-1. The ones that we are not or in the minus, we're 1-3. So, for that philosophy, we've got to live that."

Ryan believes the Falcons can stop their tailspin.

"We've got a confident group in our locker room and guys that believe that we're going to be successful," Ryan said. "We haven't been there the last three or four weeks, but it's a long haul. The one thing that I've learned in my career is that you have to be steady throughout the 16-game regular season because there are lot of ups. There are a lot of downs. If you get caught kind of on either end, it takes away from how you prepare."

SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 27th regular-season meeting between the Falcons and the Vikings. The Vikings hold a 16-10 lead. They pounded the Falcons, 41-28, in Minneapolis last season. The greatest victory in Falcons history was in the 1998 NFC Championship Game victory over the Vikings in overtime. The win sent the Falcons their first and only Super Bowl.

GAME PLAN: The Falcons stand a good chance of knocking the Vikings out of their preferred game plan – run Adrian Peterson and set QB Teddy Bridgewater to work off play-action. Atlanta owns the league's top-ranked run defense and while those stats can often be explained away by typical game situations, the Falcons allow a meager 3.6 yards per carry.

Atlanta can legitimately stop the run, but Bridgewater can complement his ground game by picking on CBs Jalen Collins and Akeem King, the latest in the Falcons' turnstile at nickel back. Look for slot receiver Jarius Wright and TE Kyle Rudolph to have impacts on this game.

The Falcons' offensive struggles have now devolved into fatal flaw territory. They're hopeful of getting RB Devonte Freeman (concussion) back, but who is going to step up as a legitimate threat opposite WR Roddy White? Coordinator Kyle Shanahan came out of the bye week determined to get Roddy White involved, but he had four catches for just 24 yards on nine targets last week. Meanwhile, QB Matt Ryan was intercepted three times despite being sacked once and hit six times. It's clear teams have found something on film about Shanahan's scheme, and Ryan's struggles with decision-making and accuracy haven't helped matters.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Vikings WR Stefon Diggs, who has 36 catches for 573 yards and two touchdowns, vs. Falcons CB Jalen Collins, who's coming off a shaky showing against the Colts.

Diggs, despite only being active for seven games, has the second-most receiving yards among all rookies with 573 yards, trailing only Oakland's Amari Cooper, who has 736 through 10 games. Diggs, a fifth-round pick out of Maryland, also leads all qualifying rookies with a 15.9-yard average per catch. Collins, a second-round pick out of LSU, has played well in spurts, but had a bad holding penalty last week against the Colts.

--Vikings NT Linval Joseph, who is a load inside at 6-4, 329 pounds, vs. Falcons C Mike Person, who will receive some help from left guard Chris Chester.

According league stats, Joseph has 51 tackles, the most in the NFL among all defensive lineman. The Falcons will try to get Joseph moving from side to side with their outside-zone rushing scheme. Person will have to anchor strong up front while in pass protection.

--Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph, who had 29 catches for 288 yards and four touchdowns, vs. Falcons SS William Moore, who has struggled in coverage.

Rudolph set a new career-high with 106 receiving yards on six catches against the Packers, including a career-long 47-yard touchdown catch. He leads the Vikings in touchdown receptions. During this 1-4 slide, the Falcons have struggled against tight ends in loses to New Orleans and San Francisco.

Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan and Tom Brady feature in the latest Pick Six

Neil Reynolds analyses six NFL talking points from Sunday, including Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan and Tom Brady.

One of these Sundays the NFL is going to fail to serve up tasty headlines, dramatic results and outstanding individual performances. I'm just not sure that Sunday is coming any time soon.

It was another wild and dramatic weekend of NFL action, so here are the major talking points that we'll be discussing over our coffee-filled Monday!

Costly win for the Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger picked up a knee injury against the Rams

The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 2-1 on the season with a hard-fought 12-6 win against the St Louis Rams. But at what cost? Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is gone for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury that could have been a lot worse.

The Steelers did not like what they saw from young reserve Landry Jones in the preseason so they moved for veteran cover in Michael Vick. But what will he bring to the table as a starter? Vick admitted he was not ready when called into action for the Jets last season. So Steelers fans will have to hope he is more professional about his craft this year. I have my doubts.

There is going to be a massive drop-off from Roethlisberger to Vick, but the Steelers have enough talent around him to survive in the form of running back LeVeon Bell, wide receiver Antonio Brown and tight end Heath Miller. The loss of Big Ben could affect their chances of winning the AFC North given the fast start made by the very healthy Cincinnati Bengals, but they should be able to stay alive in the playoff race.

If they cannot generate points, these Steelers cannot always rely on their defence to bail them out. Watch this space.

Falcons impress again

Head coach of the Atlanta Falcons Dan Quinn remains undefeated

The Atlanta Falcons are 3-0 on the season and Dan Quinn remains undefeated as an NFL head coach. I'll get onto some of the individual performances in a moment but what has been notable about these Falcons this year is their mental toughness.

They had to grind out a tough one against Philadelphia in Week 1, come from 10 points down to beat the Giants in Week 2 and overcome a 28-14 deficit to top the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. There is some mental steel to this team now with Quinn at the helm.

Matt Ryan is still a top-tier quarterback when properly protected, Devonta Freeman is pounding away at defences in impressive fashion and Julio Jones is basically unstoppable at the moment. There is a lot to like with the Falcons after three weeks, but most impressive to me has been their attitude.

Problems in Miami

Ndamukong Suh of the Miami Dolphins looks on during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars

It's hard not to be worried about the Miami Dolphins following their lacklustre showing in Sunday's home opener against the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins stunk and worse than that, looked like they didn't care that they stunk as they fell to a 41-14 defeat in front of their own fans.

The Dolphins cannot establish the run, they have trouble protecting their quarterback and they have very little in the passing game outside of the ever-reliable Jarvis Landry. On defence, the high-priced pass rush is non-existent and they cannot cover in the secondary.

Performances such as this one will only serve to add even more pressure to head coach Joe Philbin and his hot seat that is warming by the day. The Dolphins are talented enough to turn their slow start around, but it has to begin with them looking like they actually give a monkeys!

Brady rolls on

Tom Brady looks to be in the form of his life

The New England Patriots are intent on sticking it to the rest of the league - that much is crystal clear now after their 51-17 mauling of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. We should be careful of crowning teams after three weeks, but here are your red-hot Super Bowl favourites.

The Patriots scored on their first nine possessions on Sunday before taking knees to end the game on their only march that didn't end with points. Tom Brady is in the form of his life following an off-season in which he believes his name was dragged through the mud for no good reason in the 'Deflategate' scandal.

I don't believe we should all be feeling sorry for Brady, but I cannot help but admire the way he goes about his business on Sundays. He threw the 400th touchdown pass of his illustrious career over the weekend and remains at the very top of the game.

Brady and Belichick are almost machine-like in their hunger for success. They don't look like a pair who have already cemented their legacy with four Super Bowl wins together. They're going for No 5 with a frenzy that has them singled out as the class of the league through the first three weeks of the new campaign.

Raider Revival

Oakland Raiders have responded well to new head coach Jack Del Rio

The Raider Nation is rejoicing this morning after the Silver and Black improved to 2-1 on the season with a 27-20 win over the Cleveland Browns.

I'm not about to proclaim that the Oakland Raiders are back, but they have responded well to new head coach Jack Del Rio and they have bounced back from a terrible opening day loss to Cincinnati.

What is most encouraging about these Raiders is that they can build around some exciting young talent for many years to come. Quarterback Derek Carr, running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Amari Cooper all had big days in Cleveland and Khalil Mack recorded two sacks on defence.

For the first time in many years, the future looks a shade or two brighter in Oakland. They're not all the way back, but they're moving in the right direction.

One man offense?

Cam Newton: Threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns for the Panthers

We talked quite a bit on Sunday about whether the Carolina Panthers were a one-man attack relying too heavily on star quarterback Cam Newton. We saw in Sunday's 27-22 win over New Orleans that these Panthers - who are short on offensive playmakers - are actually a two-man offense!

Cam was sensational as a dual threat. He looked decisive and in command as a passer as he threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns. But how he really befuddles defences is when he becomes a threat to run or pass on any given play. He added 33 rushing yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

But he didn't need to do it all by himself. Newton was ably assisted by Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen, who caught eight passes for 134 yards and two scores. Olsen is at the top of his game right now and that's good news for the undefeated Panthers.

Atlanta Falcons Rumors: Matt Ryan Defends Roddy White After Leonard Hankerson, Jacob Tamme Excel with Julio Jones as Devonta Freeman Starter with Tevin Coleman Out

The Atlanta Falcons are 3-0 including two road wins which is a far cry from what the team did last season. All of the focus has been on the offense as Kyle Shanahan is finally getting to be the offensive coordinator he has always wanted to be. The offensive is meshing so far while Julio Jones continues to have a monster season with record-breaking numbers in mind. However, one forgotten piece of the puzzle appears to be Roddy White, who had one catch in Week 3 that was called back because of a penalty.

White has now had two straight games of not getting his name in the boxscore. He was only targeted the one time and while the catch was impressive, the penalty erased it. Instead, players like Leonard Hankerson had three catches for 45 yards while Nick Williams, the undrafted free agent, had one catch for six yards in a critical third-down play. White was left forgotten again. According to AtlantaAllDay.com, White is potentially being phased out of the offense as Hankerson continues to excel under Shanahan.

White has started every game this season and is drawing a lot of respect from the opposing defense. While he has not been recording catches, his presence on the field is opening the door for Hankerson to become the second favorite target. Ryan has also been utilizing his supporting cast more with Jacob Tamme and Levine Toilolo looking good this season. That has taken a lot of looks away from White who is shaking off the notion of any drama and focusing on getting wins.

''I was open," White said, via AL.com. "Just didn't get the ball. We're 2-0. ... Nothing really to say. I just didn't catch a pass. I have moved past it.''

Part of White's disappearance could be the zone blocking scheme from Shanahan that has forced the offense to be more balanced. That was clear on Sunday as Devonta Freeman was the star of the show putting up his first 100-yard rushing game with three touchdowns. He replaced the injured Tevin Coleman and proved he is every bit the leading rusher Atlanta was hoping he would develop into. The Falcons clearly favored running the ball while Jones came up with big scores in the end. Ryan stressed that all of this is simply a reaction to the defense and not a knock on White.

"He's going to make a lot of plays for us," Ryan said. "... You hate seeing something like that not continue, primarily because I love Roddy. It stinks, but the game kind of shakes out. Coverage kind of dictates where it goes. He'll be a huge part of what we do all year."

Will this trend continue for White? The chances are slim, but no one should expect the veteran receiver to break any records this year. He has four catches for 64 yards, but as long as opponents continue to respect him on the field, the Falcons will continue to keep White as the starter. 

Winstometer Game 3: Jameis Winston resembles Matt Ryan

Jameis Winston's performance against Houston was solid and kept him in the upper tier of first-year quarterbacks.

After Winston and Tennessee's Marcus Mariota were drafted 1-2 in the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Times built a database of quarterbacks drafted in the first round since 1980.

Through three weeks, Winston's quarterback rating (77.92) almost perfectly mirrors that of Atlanta's Matt Ryan (77.02) in the first three weeks of his career.

Mariota continues to be a few slots higher at 110.89. He ranks second behind Byron Leftwich, who three weeks into his career had a rating of 145.99.

We'll track the progress each week and tell you what past quarterbacks this year's top picks most resemble through the same point in their rookie years.

The Tampa Bay Times created a database of all quarterbacks picked in the first round of the NFL draft since 1980. Each week, we compare Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota's cumulative performance against the others at the same point in their rookie seasons. You can compare quarterbacks by clicking on their names, which will highlight their performance in the graph. Also, if you hover over a line in the graph, it will identify the quarterback.

Ryan, Jones lead Falcons in comeback win

ARLINGTON, Texas - Julio Jones glided over the goal line on a diving touchdown. That quieted a Dallas crowd riled up by early hopes that the Cowboys might find a way to survive without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant.

Fill-in Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman did most of the rest of the silencing.

Matt Ryan connected with Jones for two touchdowns, Freeman ran for 141 yards and three scores starting for injured rookie Tevin Coleman, and the Falcons beat the Cowboys 39-28 on Sunday.

"We just want to move the ball — I don't care how we do it," said Freeman, who also had 52 yards receiving. "Run, pass, if we get three points on a field goal, as long as we move the ball and get points."

Freeman's third score early in the fourth quarter capped a rally from a trio of 14-point deficits for the Falcons (3-0), who didn't win their third game until Week 10 last year, and Week 13 in 2013.

Jones had his third straight 100-yard game to start the season, finishing with 164 and a clinching 2-yard score late in the fourth. According to the NFL, Atlanta is the first team to start 3-0 after trailing in the fourth quarter of each game.

"We clearly got punched in the mouth and we were looking to respond," said Dan Quinn, who joined Jim Mora (2004) as the only Atlanta coaches to start their careers with three straight wins. "Dallas certainly had us reeling all the way through and we had to battle like crazy to get back in it."

The Cowboys (2-1) had a six-game winning streak in the regular season snapped in backup quarterback Brandon Weeden's ninth straight loss as a starter going back to his two-year stint in Cleveland.

With Romo watching with a sling supporting his broken left collarbone, and Bryant also in street clothes because of a broken right foot, Weeden started 9 of 9 to push his streak of completions to 16 to start the season.

But the run ended with a second-quarter interception that turned the game in the Falcons' favour.

"We did a lot of really good things," Weeden said. "Maybe not so much in the second half."

Dallas running back Joseph Randle had 85 yards on his first three carries, including a 37-yard touchdown that helped the Cowboys to a 14-0 lead. He had just 2 yards on his final 11 runs, and the Cowboys had just three first downs in the second half after getting 20 before halftime.

Freeman, who started with Coleman battling a rib injury, had no trouble with the league's No. 1 rushing defence, getting 89 yards in the second half as the Falcons scored touchdowns on three straight possessions to overcome a 28-17 deficit. Atlanta was 9 of 14 on third down.

"When you are rolling on a third down, and you're running the ball effectively, that's when you get into a mode offensively where you think, 'No matter what happens, we're going to find a way,'" said Ryan, who was 24 of 36 for 285 yards without an interception.

The Falcons gave themselves a boost by driving to Matt Bryant's 32-yard field goal in the final 40 seconds of the first half to get within 11, the key play a 35-yard pass to Freeman to get into field goal range.

Weeden's ill-advised throw while scrambling to his left was easily intercepted by William Moore, putting the Falcons on the Dallas 23. Freeman's second score pulled them within a touchdown in the second quarter.

While Weeden rarely looked downfield after that turnover, Ryan and Jones got going after a slow start.

Jones had 137 of his yards in the second half, including a 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown that ended with a dive as he turned upside down and held the ball over the goal line in his outstretched arm. A 2-point conversion pulled Atlanta within 28-25.

Weeden was 22 of 26 for 232 yards, but Cole Beasley was the only receiver to catch a pass. Randle finished with 87 yards rushing and three touchdowns, matching his total from last season when he was NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray's backup.

NOTES: Atlanta TE Jacob Tamme didn't return after leaving in the first half with a head injury. ... Dallas RB Lance Dunbar had 10 catches for 100 yards, but several were futile attempts to get first downs in third-and-long situations.

Matt Ryan, undefeated Falcons believe, but can be even better

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews paid close attention when quarterback Matt Ryan decided to deliver an impromptu sermon in the locker room during Sunday's halftime.

The Falcons were down 11 points on the road to the undermanned Dallas Cowboys, who were playing without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant. The defense was getting dominated by the Cowboys' vaunted offensive line. Regardless, Ryan's confidence never wavered.

"He's going around at halftime saying, 'We're going to win this game,' and everyone was fired up," Matthews said. "He said, 'Let's just keep doing what we're doing offensively, and we're going to win.' And we did. So it was exciting."

Ryan's speech, which helped lead to a 39-28 victory, symbolized the manner in which these 3-0 Falcons are supporting each other. It's a product of a coach, Dan Quinn, who is intent on making the struggles of the past two seasons a distant memory. And it's a reflection of a quarterback who is a respected leader as one of the team's captain.

Ryan, who completed 24 of 36 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns, downplayed the significance of his locker room pep talk.

"It's just my message to those guys was, 'Hey listen, we're going to do this,'" Ryan said. "'We're going to go out there and play the way that we're capable of. We just have to take it one play at a time and just do your job. You don't have to do any more.' And I thought guys did a great job with that in the second half."

The Falcons are starting to develop a reputation as the comeback kids. They have overcome fourth-quarter deficits in each of their first three games. So imagine what could happen if they put it all together, particularly with what is, on paper, the league's weakest schedule.

Sunday was another step. The Falcons sought offensive balance going into the game and got it with 36 passes and 32 rushing attempts -- including Ryan's key, 18-yard scramble to preserve a scoring drive. Ryan targeted Julio Jones 20 times, and Jones responded with 12 receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns, his third consecutive 100-yard game. But more importantly, second-year running back Devonta Freeman had a breakout performance with a career-high 141 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 30 carries.

"He's just one of the most relentless competitors that's on our club," Quinn said of Freeman. "He just wants to battle for it. The toughness just comes through.

"For us to get that run game going today, more time together with the line and more time together with the whole group, it's a real style about how we want to play. And one that's going to be really important moving forward. It opens up so many of the key versions of play action, which is such a big important part of what we do. So for that to come alive today, I thought the offense just kept attacking."

Now the defense needs to learn how to do the same with consistency. Sure, there were some signature moments, such as linebacker Nate Stupar's key tackle for loss on the Cowboys' second drive of the second half that essentially forced a punt. Rookie Vic Beasley's sack of Brandon Weeden in the fourth quarter that kept the Cowboys from responding to the go-ahead touchdown run also was key. But the defense still missed too many tackles and gave up 131 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns before halftime.

Once the defense comes around and plays the fast and physical style of football Quinn desires without the mental mistakes, the rest of the league might be in trouble.

"We haven't reached our potential yet; that's what the mindset is," veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux said. "We know what type of team we are. We're a finishing team. Obviously, we didn't finish the first half like we wanted to or start the first half like we wanted to. They got 131 yards in the first half and minus [four yards] in the second half, so we came out and played Falcon ball in the second half."

The last two times the Falcons started the season 3-0 (2004, 2011), they ended up going to the NFC Championship Game. Does that carry any significance?

"Not at all," Babineaux said. "We're taking it one week at a time. All we can do now is look back at the things that we did wrong in the first half, correct them, and get ready for Houston next Sunday."