The Falcons are built to score points, especially through the air. All of their marquee names play offense and most of their money and draft picks are invested on that side of the ball.
And yet there was Julio Jones, their star wide receiver, dropping two key passes on Sunday against the Bears. Roddy White, the franchise’s career leader in nearly every wide receiver category, also had two drops. Matt Ryan, the franchise quarterback, floundered behind an offensive line that still can’t protect him consistently.
The Falcons lost 27-13 to the Bears in large part because their offense misfired once again. They managed just one touchdown at the Georgia Dome against a Bears defense that rates average statistically and was missing all three starting linebackers because of injury.
The Falcons’ big-name offense has managed just three touchdowns in its past nine quarters.
“We feel like we’ve got the guys to do it but the key to success is doing it, not just feeling like you can do it,” Ryan said. “Our preparation has been solid. Our performance hasn’t been where it needs to be.”
It’s become a trend for the Falcons.
For the second straight week, the offensive line’s pass protection wilted when the opponent cranked up its pass rush after halftime. The Falcons again did nothing much in the second half outside of a long touchdown catch by running back Antone Smith. And the running game has become so ineffective that coordinator Dirk Koetter essentially abandoned it against the Bears.
In a new twist, the Falcons had an assortment of dropped passes by receivers. In addition to two each by Jones and White, tight end Levine Toilolo had three drops. Six of those seven drops would have resulted in first downs and added to the team’s season-low total of 12 first downs.
Jones declined an interview request before retreating to the showers. White wasn’t in the locker room when it was opened to media and never showed up. A team spokesman said both players were getting treatment from trainers.
Toilolo, a first-year starter, took responsibility for his drops.
“Those are huge plays,” Toilolo said. “They are plays I expect to make and they are plays my team expects me to make. When it comes down to it, I’ve got to make them.”
Most of the drops happened when the protection held up and Ryan had time to pass. Eventually, Ryan had trouble even getting off clean passes because the Bears’ pass rush got to him so quickly.
The Bears didn’t record a sack or a hit of Ryan before halftime. In the second half they sacked him four times and hit him seven other times on his 24 pass attempts.
“We have to protect our quarterback better,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We got him hit entirely too many times.”
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