Atlanta Falcons offense defies numbers in 6-1 start

The Atlanta Falcons improved to 6-1 with another fourth quarter come-from-behind victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, but the offense has begun to sputter following a white-hot start to the season under new coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

The Falcons’ third-down efficiency and in the red zone has steadily decreased. A rash of turnovers in the red zone has also stalled the attack.

Wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White contend that the offense is in a funk. Quarterback Matt Ryan clearly hasn’t been as sharp as he has been in previous seasons.

Jones had his first full week of practice last week, while Leonard Hankerson was limited in practice. Now, Hankerson left the game with hamstring strain and won’t practice on Wednesday.

There was also the change at center because of Mike Person’s ankle injury. But head coach Dan Quinn doesn’t believe that that the timing of the passing game is off.

“We think it’s more of factor of us taking care of the ball,” Quinn said. “Making great decisions when we can. There is always going to be times whether if it be on a drop, in terms of a throw or a route that you like; can we get those details down just right. I think we can… I don’t have a sense for the timing being off. I thought we had honestly one of our best weeks of practice last week heading into the ball game.”

Quinn seemed more perturbed by the penalties that slowed the offense. The Falcons had three penalties on first down, two holdings (Andy Levitre and Jake Matthews) and one block in the back (White) that killed drives before they got started against Tennessee. White’s penalty brought back a 41-yard run.

“We’ll be at our best when we don’t start some drives with first-and-20s and some long ones,” Quinn said. “That can make it extremely tough to get going. For one, let’s get rid of some of the penalties that start a drive at first-and-20. It’s so hard to convert when you get to that. We are at our best when we have the manageable third downs that we like.”

Turnovers in the red zone are also troubling for Quinn.

“As far as the red zone, certainly, when we are heading down there, we want touchdowns not field goals,” Quinn said. “Of our turnovers four of the 10 have occurred down in the red zone. That is a factor for sure as well. It’s an area of emphasis this week and certainly an area that we can get better at.”

Before the Monday night game, the Falcons ranked fifth in the NFL in total offense (403.1 yards per game) and fourth in scoring (27.6 points per game).

“Honestly, it’s about our whole offense and the different ways that we attack,” Quinn said. “Where we are headed … it’s all out there for us. We will do a better job of taking care of the ball, you bet we will.”