After film review and having time to reflect, Falcons coach Dan Quinn was not alarmed over the poor offensive showing by the first team against the Cardinals Saturday in the third exhibition game of the season.
Quarterback Matt Ryan was 4 of 11 passing for 36 yards and had an interception. Running back Tevin Coleman missed hitting on a big run and they were not able to get the ball to Julio Jones and Taylor Gabriel in the 24-14 loss.
“I would say more the disappointment (was) that we didn’t execute like we’re capable of,” Quinn said. “Any time you experience that, you’re kind of bummed and (upset) at the same time.”
The Falcons led the league in scoring offense (33.8 points per game), set franchise records in passing yards (4,944) and touchdowns (38) last season. Ryan started all 16 regular-season games and completed 373 of 534 passes (69.9 completion percentage; third in the NFL), with only seven interceptions and a 117.1 passer rating.
Ryan became the first Falcons player to win the league’s most valuable player award.
Against the Cardinals, Ryan was intercepted on his first pass. He later had a potential second interception dropped.
"We just never really got into a rhythm offensively," Ryan said. "That's something we would've liked to have done in that first quarter of work, but we didn't. That'll be something that we need to work on as we have this fourth (exhibition) season game coming up and then getting ready for the regular season."
Ryan and most of the skill position starters are not expected to play against the Jaguars on Thursday so they’ll have to fix what went wrong in practice.
“Intentionally, we tried to take some shots down the field,” Quinn said. “I would say it was one that we weren’t happy with how it looked at the end. As for a cause for any uproar or any of that, we certainly don’t feel that way.”
Coleman started for Devonta Freeman, who’s in the concussion protocol program.
“On the first play that he had the run, we were hopeful and thought we had a chance for a long one,” Quinn said. “It was one of the great teaching moments. This one could be except for if this block had happened. On every play, that could be the one. If we could have scored on that play, that would’ve been a 90-yard run. We felt like we could have, but we didn’t execute it.”
Quinn called the missed opportunity a “great teaching moment.”
ATLANTA FALCONS 2017 EXHIBITION SEASON
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What Matt Ryan had to say after the 24-14 loss
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