FLOWERY BRANCH -- Summing up Sunday’s 30-12 season-opening loss to the Bears, Falcons offensive tackle Tyson Clabo called it a “recipe for disaster.”
There were too many turnovers, penalties and hits on quarterback Matt Ryan.
When all that happens it’s easy to overlook that the Falcons totaled 386 yards of offense or running back Michael Turner rushed for 100 yards on 10 carries. The loss stung and there was plenty of blame to go around.
“We haven’t done those things [in the past] and I don’t anticipate that we will continue to do them, not if we want to be successful,” Clabo said Monday.
The Falcons’ woes came in bunches in the second half:
- They committed nine penalties for 65 yards. Seven of the penalties for 55 yards came after intermission. This from the team that was the least penalized in the NFL last season.
- They had three turnovers; two fumbles and an interception. The most costly was Ryan's fourth-quarter fumble that Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher returned for a touchdown.
- Ryan was sacked five times, all in the second half. He was hit 11 times, 10 in the second half.
“That is not acceptable,” coach Mike Smith said of the hits on Ryan.
Much of the Falcons’ troubles after intermission came when the Bears had built a big lead. Atlanta was forced to abandon its game plan and throw the football. Turn a hard-hitting, talented defensive unit like the Bears loose, and bad things are going to happen, especially to the offensive line.
“It’s really tough when you are forced into throwing the ball every play to have a whole lot of success,” offensive guard Justin Blalock said. “They were able to make us one-dimensional. ... That’s what every defensive lineman dreams about, a chance to pin their ears back and just rush the passer with no consequence, without having to worry about a run game."
The Falcons played for the first time with an offensive line that featured a new starting right guard in Garrett Reynolds and center Joe Hawley subbing for the injured Todd McClure. The unit committed three penalties for 20 yards; one holding call and two false starts.
“Todd is a great player,” Clabo said. “Obviously, we are better with him. At this point, if we are going to use Todd not playing as an excuse, we are going to be like 0-4 and then it’s going to be a moot point. We’ve got to win, no matter who is in there.”
To many Falcons, the key to the game came on the opening possession of the second half. Trailing 16-3, the Falcons took the kickoff with a chance to cut the deficit to six points. The drive started on the Falcons’ 6-yard line after a holding call on the kickoff.
They started to march down the field, aided by Turner’s 53-yard run, but the drive stalled on the Bears’ 7-yard line and they settled for a field goal. It was the first, and only time with the game in question, that the Falcons were in the red zone. They moved inside the Bears’ 20-yard line with less than three minutes to play and turned the ball over on downs. The Falcons' offense failed to score a touchdown; the team's only six-pointer came on defensive end Kroy Biermann’s interception return.
The Bears answered the Falcons’ failed drive with a seven-play, 92-yard drive for a touchdown on their first drive of the second half.
“They extended the lead punch for punch,” Clabo said.
With a 17-point lead, the Bears made life miserable to the Falcons’ protective scheme.
“It’s not good,” Hawley said.
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