FLOWERY BRANCH– It doesn't get easier for the Falcons.
With a quarter of the season over, including three of four games on the road, the Falcons are 2-2. Not bad.
Next up is undefeated Green Bay Sunday night, followed by division rival Carolina and currently unbeaten Detroit. There is cause for concern because all three of the upcoming opponents are proficient in the passing game. The Falcons are tied for 24th in the NFL among pass defenses. Not good.
“We know what lies ahead of us,” defensive back Thomas DeCoud said Monday, the day after the Falcons allowed 319 yards passing in a 30-28 victory at Seattle. “Like coach [Mike] Smith likes to stress, we take one game at a time, one play at a time. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves and look too far down the road. We have to focus on the Packers because they are a really good football team.”
The quarterbacks the Falcons face in the next three weeks are currently in the top seven in the NFL in passing yards. Carolina’s Cam Newton is third (1,386 yards), Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is fourth (1,325) and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford is seventh (1,217).
Their favorite targets are near the top of the league in receiving. Carolina’s Steve Smith is second (530 yards), Green Bay’s Greg Jennings is sixth (366) and Detroit’s Calvin Johnson is 14th (321 yards).
With the one-game-at-a-time philosophy, it’s the Packers on the radar. They present a problem in Rodgers, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, who lit up the Falcons secondary in last season’s playoffs.
“We gave up a lot of passing yards [Sunday],” Smith said Monday. “So each and every day as a coaching staff or as a football team you have concerns. This one is obvious. … We are not going to stop these guys. We have to slow them down. They are playing outstanding football, especially in the passing game. Aaron Rodgers is operating about as effectively as you can.”
The Falcons are tied for 21st in the NFL in total defense after four games, allowing 372.8 yards a game. Seattle amassed 372 yards Sunday and save for a missed 61-yard field goal attempt nearly handed the Falcons a loss despite Atlanta holding a 20-point third-quarter lead. The Seahawks had 186 yards passing in the second half. Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson had only one touchdown pass in the three previous games before throwing three against the Falcons.
Jackson’s final two touchdown passes came on third-and-six situations in the red zone, both in the second half of the near comeback. Rodgers is at a higher level among quarterbacks. As he did in January, he presents the Falcons secondary with numerous issues.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Smith said. “We have to make sure we put some pressure on [Rodgers]. That’s going to be important. We have to make sure we win our one-on-one matchups in the pass rush when we get them. And we’ve got to make sure we win our one-on-one matchups out in the secondary and with the linebackers.”
The Falcons may not want to look too far ahead, but they must be concerned about the future. Despite one victory, Carolina has scored one fewer point than the Falcons. They are third in the NFL in total offense (440 yards). Detroit is not the same team as in years past. They are tied with Green Bay atop the NFC North with perfect 4-0 records. The Lions are 11th in the league in total offense.
While the Falcons’ secondary will not be solely responsible for the outcome of those games, there will be immense pressure on the unit.
“It’s welcomed pressure,” DeCoud said. “We thrive on that competition and we look forward to it.”
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