After scoring only 13 points across their past two matchups, the Falcons are ready to turn the page.
“There’s an art to it of just going and moving on,” offensive coordinator Dave Ragone said. “Let’s play fast. Let’s roll. Are there going to be bumps in the road? Sure. Are there going to be good things that happen? Absolutely.”
That’s a skill at which quarterback Desmond Ridder excels, Ragone said. The Falcons (2-2) are sticking with Ridder, who has an 82.1 passer rating and ranks 31st in the NFL with a 29.1 quarterback rating.
His play is one of several concerns plaguing the Falcons’ offense. The Falcons rank last in the NFL in passing, averaging 156.3 yards per game. They also are tied for 29th in points, averaging 15.5 points along with four other teams.
Ragone said he’s “bunkered in” and hasn’t paid attention to the outside chatter about Ridder. Quarterbacks should be able to separate what happened after every play and keep rolling, which Ragone said Ridder has demonstrated through his eight games. Ultimately, Ridder is only one of 11 on the field, Ragone said.
The Falcons have struggled early in games, with frequent three-and-outs in the first quarter. Wide receiver Drake London said focusing on speed could be one way to fix this, saying players should be on their assignments and do well from the start.
Ragone also said playing fast is important, saying it typically leads to good things. Addressing the Falcons’ first-half woes means embracing “competence and rhythm” early in the game, he said, rather than regrouping at halftime.
He also thinks that focusing on energy, trust and the fundamentals are ways to fix the Falcons’ early struggles.
“You look at times when we are moving the ball and we’re doing good things, you can feel a different energy and different outcomes,” Ragone said. “Four games in, there’s a lot of football left. We’re not trying to excuse it – what I’m saying is we need to continue to build.”
The group’s intent, focus and energy in practice is no different than it was in April, Ragone said. The goal remains the same: keeping energy high and having it translate to games, he said.
Ridder also noted the importance of approaching practice with “good energy (and) good passion.”
“It’s addressing (what went wrong) and then making sure that lulls or whatever happens during the game doesn’t happen in practice,” Ridder said. “We never want to practice bad habits.”
Next up for the Falcons: the Texans (2-2), whose defense ranks among the best in the league in limiting passing and rushing.
Ridder said that preparing to successfully face the Texans will come down to the little things, no matter if it’s a missed block or a bad throw.
“For us, it’s about executing every single play,” Ridder said. “It’s about all 11 guys on the field doing their job and doing it to the fullest, and making sure that when we go out there, we’re playing as all 11 and not just two.”
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