The Falcons’ future looked so bright that everyone needed sun glasses after they opened the season with a thrilling overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Now, that seems like light years ago as the Falcons continued their slide into oblivion.
With the offensive line unable to protect quarterback Matt Ryan and the defense off balance, the Falcons were trounced 29-7 by the Baltimore Ravens before 71,181 fans at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.
“Coming into the game, we knew they had a very good defense,” Ryan said. “Their front seven is outstanding.”
Ryan was under seige as he was sacked five times and hit nine times by the Ravens. The offense, which continued to struggle on third downs, never got in sync and gave up a safety in the fourth quarter.
“We had way too much pressure,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Our quarterback was hit and sacked way too much. There were numerous times where we didn’t have a chance to get the play off. It’s very difficult for a quarterback … we have to do better with our protection.”
Tackles Jake Matthews and Gabe Carimi had tough days trying to block Baltimore’s Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs. Dumervil and Pernell McPhee ended up with two sacks each. Suggs had one sack on the safety.
Ryan completed 29 of 44 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown and was out-performed by Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, who completed 16 of 25 passes for 258 yards, including a late touchdown pass to Torrey Smith with the game already in hand.
“They won the line of scrimmage both with their strength and their quickness,” Smith said. “They beat us cleanly off the edge a couple of times. We didn’t pass some (stunts) off inside. Matt was under duress (from stunts) and the one-on-one pass rush as well.”
The Ravens improved to 5-2, while the Falcons dipped to 2-5. The Falcons, who were hoping to rebound from a 4-12 season in 2013, were also 2-5 after seven games last season.
The Falcons have lost three straight and four out of five since a season-opening, 37-34 win over New Orleans.
They have lost 11 of their last 12 road games, including four this season. They haven’t beaten an opponent with a winning record on the road since a 24-23 victory at Tampa Bay Nov. 25, 2012.
The Falcons were in danger of being shut out for the first time since Tampa Bay beat them 27-0 on Dec. 5, 2004. Ryan’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White with 7:12 to play averted the shut out.
The Falcons started right where they left off last week against the Bears with a dropped pass on the first play of the game.
The offense had a three-and out after a poor kickoff return by Devin Hester. The offense, with Ryan forced to throw short and quick passes, couldn’t come up with any points over seven first-half possessions.
The Falcons’ drives ended with a punt, punt, fumble, punt, punt, a fumble recovery and missed field goal.
Matt Bryant’s 57-yard field goal attempt hit the cross bar.
With 37 seconds left and a 14-0 lead, the Ravens took the ball at their 47 and were able to move down to the Falcons’ 20 yard line and kick a 38-yard field goal as time expired for a 17-0 halftime lead.
The Ravens added a 38-yard field goal on their first possession on the third quarter to make it 20-0.
The Falcons drove the ball down to Baltimore’s 32 on their next possession. They elected to go for it on fourth-and-7, but Ryan was sacked. Cornerback Robert Alford intercepted Flacco, but the subsequent offensive drive was stalled again after another unsuccessful fourth-down try.
After Ryan’s touchdown pass to White, the offense suffered a safety and after they couldn’t move the ball again, the Ravens, with a 22-7 lead threw a 39-yard deep pass to Torrey Smith for a touchdown.
The play didn’t settle well with some of the Falcons.
“The had the game,” cornerback Desmond Trufant said. “I didn’t feel that it was necessary for them to do that… .if that’s how we are going to play, that’s how we’ll play next time when we see them.”
In addition to not mounting much of a challenge, the Falcons continued to take on injuries.
Center Peter Konz suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. He walked off the field with trainers, but was later loaded on a cart and taken into the locker room.
Konz was taking over for center Joe Hawley, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Minnesota on Sept. 28. He was schedule to return to Atlanta to receive a MRI, while the team traveled director to London.
James Stone, an undrafted rookie from Tennessee, replaced Konz.
Some Falcons took solace in the fact that the NFC South is watered down this season as the Falcons trail Carolina (3-3-1). New Orleans (2-4) and Tampa Bay (1-5) are also struggling.
“As ugly as it is at 2-5, we’re still in the mix in our division,” Ryan said. “We just have to get better.”
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