EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Falcons offense misfired in the redzone in the first half and the revamped offensive line and secondary collapsed in the second half.
All of that and the Falcons still had a double-digit lead with a little over 17 minutes to play.
The defense, after giving up 558 yards, held the Giants to 317 yards.
Here are the Falcons’ grades for the 30-20 lost to the New York Giants.
GAME BALLS: Julio Jones, who had 11 catches for 105 yards. Also, last go back to the Minnesota game and give tight end Levine Toilolo a game ball for sliding down and playing tackle in a pinch. That was a
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
tough assignment.
C – Quarterback: Matt Ryan has to convert inside the red zone and on third downs. The Falcons were just 2 of 13 (15 percent) on third down conversion attempts. I'm not sure why they didn't throw at least one fade route to Jones when they were inside the 5. Ryan completed 29 of 45 passes for 316 yards and one touchdown. He finished with a passer rating of 83.2
D – Running backs: Steven Jackson had 13 carries for 37 yards for a poor 2.8 yards per carry average. He did have an 11-yard touchdown run. Devonta Freeman had four carries for 38 yards. Inexplicably, Antone Smith only had one carry. Overall, the Falcons rushed 21 times for 90 yards. They gained 34 yards on the final last-ditch drive at garbage time. So, they really had 56 yards on 19 carries (2.9 per carry) when the game mattered. Antone Smith had a 74-yard touchdown reception. In his career, Smith has scored rushing touchdowns of 38, 38, 48, and 50 yards while adding 54 and 74-yard touchdown receptions. He is averaging 50.3-yards per scoring play and 17.2-yards per touch.
C — Wide receivers/Tight ends: The Falcons got away from Jones in the second half. He was targeted 11 times and had eight catches at halftime. In the second half, he was targeted just five more times and had three catches. Roddy White and Devin Hester had four targets and caught two passes. White recorded his 700th career reception, becoming the 43rd player in NFL history to accomplish that feat. He is one of 11 active players with 700-or-more receptions. White finished the
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
game with two catches for 26 yards. Since 2008, his 559 catches are the fourth-most in the NFL.
C — Offensive Line: The unit gave up one sack and eight quarterback hits. Ryan bailed them out with his quick recognition of free blitzers. It was a respectable and game effort, but the quarterback was under too much duress, they couldn't block long enough on third downs and could not get the running game moving. The return of Justin Blalock should help.
C — Defensive line: Defensive end Kroy Biermann didn't let the Giants just walk around his end all day. He had five tackles and one tackle for a loss. After giving up 241 yards rushing to Minnesota, the Falcons held the Giants to 124 yards on 34 carries, for a respectable 3.6 yards per carry. Osi Umenyiora had a sack and a quarterback hit.
D — Linebackers: Paul Worrilow looked bad as he got bowled over on Andre Williams' touchdown run. Worrilow and Prince Shembo tied with safety Kemal Ishmael for the team lead with 14 tackles. There were no impact plays from the inside linebackers.
C — Defensive backs: The defensive backs came up strong in run support. Ishmael, Dwight Lowery and Dezmen Southward all made plays. There was a blown coverage in one of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's exotic looks that ended up with Paul Worrilow as the safety and he didn't get deep enough. Also, second-year corner Robert Alford didn't hold up as Eli Manning targeted him in the second half. He had four penalties, including two on one play. The Falcons gave up touchdown passes to Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham Jr., while they shutout tight end Larry Donnell. The grade would be higher but for Alford's struggles.
C — Special teams: Punter Matt Bosher had an off day. He averaged just 32.6 yards per punt and had one real stinker. The special teams set up the offense on the 21-yard line when Jonathan Massaquoi forced a fumble that was recovered by Eric Weems. Devin Hester averaged 11.5 yards on two punt returns and 20 yards on three kickoff returns. He made one bone-headed play
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
when he lateraled the ball to a team mate along the sideline.
C — Coaches: The offense came out and tried to establish the run. They had some success early, but once the Giants made their adjustments, they were able to shut the offense down. After their redzone failures in the first half, the Falcons only scored on one of seven second-half possessions. It seems like the defense has been getting roasted whenever it goes to one of those exotic looks. They may just want to sit in a zone and keep the ball in front of them.
NEXT UP: The Falcons (2-3) host the Chicago Bears (2-3) at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
GAME STORY: Giants storm back to beat Falcons 30-20
Falcons have not solved how to get Antone Smith the ball more
What the Falcons had to say after the loss to the Giants
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