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.