FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons must get their rushing attack moving before defenses stop honoring their play-action fakes.
Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is using play-action at one of the highest rates in the league, but doesn’t have the rushing attack to support the fakes.
The Falcons are averaging 80.1 yards per game, which ranks 22nd in the league. The Falcons are averaging 2.8 yards per carry and will likely be without running back Tevin Coleman against Dallas at 1 p.m. Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
“I think offensively, the run game and the keepers that go along with it,” Quinn said when asked about areas of improvement.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is at the top of the NFL in completing passes off of the play-action fake.
Ryan is 11-of-16 in passes off of play action in 2015, which ranks him among the top five in the NFL. San Francisco’ Colin Kaepernick (17), San Diego’s Philip Rivers (17), Baltimore’s Joe Flacco (14), Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater (12) and Oakland’s Derek Carr (11).
He has also recorded 213 passing yards on those 11 completions from the play action fake, which ranks third in the NFL in that statistical category behind Kaepernick (253 yards) and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger (233).
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