The Atlanta Falcons are floundering. The soaring NFC champs of a year ago are almost an invisible memory as the team struggles with a 1-4 record. Their wings seem to be broken.
The team is one of the most talented in all of the NFL. The receiving corps is almost unmatched. The quarterback is more than capable. They even have a decent running game. So where then lies the problem with winning games. Two places. One, are the injuries the team has suffered thus far in the season. Injuries to key defensive and offensive players have depleted the talent pool and continue to do so. Two, the play calling continues to be abysmal.
On the first reason, injuries, there really isn’t much to be done on that front. People are out until they are better. Some are out this entire season. So then the issue becomes how to replace them. Some are just about irreplaceable. Julio Jones is not someone you can just plug anyone into the spot and the play will be the same. Players like Julio are on a different level from other players, that’s just a fact. So replacing him isn’t really an option. What the Falcons have to do is find ways to use the people they do have the people they bring in the best way possible. Which leads us to the second reason.
Play calling. The Falcons absolutely refuse to run the 2 minute drill until basically the last 2 minutes of the game. When Matt Ryan is running that option and doing it well he is as good as anyone in the game. The Falcons move the ball with precision and results. Why then do you only use it when the game is on the line and even the smallest mistake costs you the game?? Then there is the “let’s run it up the middle” play that the Falcons seem absolutely wedded to on more plays than anyone else in the league. Please, please, somebody get a clue and realize that play is NOT one you should immediately default to on every single occasion. Come on, running Rogers up the middle at the goal line when he’s about 1/3 of the size of a nose tackle is insane! Especially when you have people like Tony Gonzalez and others to throw to and oh yes, 2/3 of the field to run around the OUTSIDE of the pile at the line!
The Falcons are all but out of the post season as of now. Their only hope is for the Saints to start losing and for the Falcons to win every single game they have left with the people they have left to play them. Tall order and even taller with broken wings.
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