First-down success sparks Falcons’ offense

The Falcons went to Tampa Bay on Sunday stressing the need to be more efficient on first down to get their offense going.

They accomplished that goal and it helped lead to one of their most consistent performances of the season in the 27-17 victory on Sunday.

The Falcons had 24 first-and-10 plays against the Bucs (not counting a kneel-down to end the game). They gained four or more yards on 14 on those plays, including 10 of 12 in the second half.

Falcons running back Steven Jackson gained 73 yards on eight first-and-10 carries (9.1 average). Jackson had 40 yards on four first-and-10 carries in the fourth quarter, including a 27-yard run that set up a field goal to put the Falcons ahead 27-17 with 4:15 to play.

But the Falcons also mixed in plenty of passes on first-and-10. Quarterback Matt Ryan was 6-for-7 for 80 yards on first-and-10.

“You can’t just go out there and just run on first down,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “You’ve got to have balance. You want to be really balanced on first-and-10. I think all offenses strive to do that. Because when you get to other downs and distances it can be pretty skewed to what you are going to run.”