The Falcons weren’t efficient overall running the ball against the Browns on Sunday but they did have some success in short-yardage situations.
Yet when the Falcons needed two yards to gain a critical first down late in the game, they opted to try for a long pass to wide receiver Devin Hester. That incomplete pass, as well as a Falcons timeout that coach Mike Smith later admitted was a mistake, left the Browns enough time to drive for a game-winning field goal.
The Falcons faced a third-and-two at Cleveland’s 35-yard line with 55 seconds left when Matt Ryan tried the deep pass to Hester. Falcons fullback Patrick DiMarco said he would have liked the chance to run for the first down.
“It would have been nice,” DiMarco said. “It definitely would have helped if we would have picked up the first down. It would have been a great situation. But we’ve got to move on to next week.”
Two plays before the incomplete pass intended for Hester, Falcons running back Steven Jackson gained three yards on third-and-1. Jackson also scored on second-and-goal at the Browns’ one-yard line earlier in the fourth quarter.
Falcons running backs gained just 57 yards on 21 carries (2.7 average) against the Browns with no runs longer than seven yards. Smith said the Browns frequently devoted an extra defender to stop the run and the Falcons never made them pay for it because they missed on some opportunities to complete long passes.
DiMarco said the Falcons have to be persistent running the ball.
“We’ve got to get pushing and keep pushing and, sooner or later, a few of them will hit big,” DiMarco said. “We haven’t had any really big runs yet to get that 130-, 140-yard game. The more tries we get the better chance we have of busting one and having that breakout game.”
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