As playoffs approach, diverse Falcons offense flying high

D.J. Tialavea, freshly promoted from the practice squad and playing in his first NFL game on Saturday at Carolina, caught a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan. By the time Tialavea made it back to the bench, clutching his souvenir football, it appeared as if every member of the Falcons contingent had sought him out to offer warm congratulations — punctuated by coach Dan Quinn’s bear hug.

The play signified how seemingly every offensive player on the roster, from backups deep on the depth chart to the Pro Bowl stars, can make a play. Tialavea is the 13th Falcons player to catch a TD this season, the most in NFL history according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The play’s aftermath, when Tialavea’s teammates showered the fifth-string tight end with enthusiastic praise, was an example of what the Falcons say is a special team bond formed in Quinn’s second season as coach.

“This team is amazing, man,” Tialavea said after the 33-16 Falcons victory. “I don’t think anyone knows how much we care for each other. You say ‘brotherhood’ all the time, and it is a brotherhood, but it’s a lot deeper than that. I love these guys and respect them a whole lot and to have them celebrate with me was such an honor.”

On most teams, Tialavea might be fill in for a few plays as a blocker and never see the ball. The Falcons promoted him from the practice squad because they were short on tight ends after with Jacob Tamme went on injured reserve and starter Austin Hooper was sidelined with a knee injury.

But that’s not the way it’s worked with the Falcons this season. If their game plan calls for use of multiple tight ends then that doesn’t change even if one of them is new to the active roster.

Tialavea was the third tight end on third-and-goal the first quarter and when Carolina’s defense forced Ryan to scramble, Tialavea alertly broke from the back of the end zone to the front to receive the TD pass from Ryan. Another Falcons tight end, Joshua Perkins, scored the first points of the game with a 26-yard catch in the first quarter.

“They aren’t playing like (number) four and five tight ends,” Ryan said.

That’s been a theme this season for the Falcons’ offense. All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones is the top threat but, unlike last season, other players have made important plays when Jones had quiet days and when he missed two games because of injury.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, this season Ryan is 270-for-364 (74 percent) for 3,300 yards with 29 TDs and three interceptions when throwing to targets other than Jones. In 16 games last season Ryan was 271-for-396 (68 percent) for 2,720 yards with 13 TDs and 11 interceptions when not throwing at Jones.

The Jones-heavy attack has evolved into one in which Taylor Gabriel, salvaged from the waiver wire before the season, leads the Falcon with six touchdown receptions.

“I think it shows (Ryan) really trusts his training and knows that (with) his teammates here, the standard doesn’t change,” Quinn said. “And I think it goes deeper than that with the personnel staff to keep finding the right answers, the right guys. Then for the coaching staff, how to feature them and having that balance together, I think is an important thing.”