With the Falcons falling behind in so many games, the team’s passing attack has been put under major stress.
They’ve been forced to pass behind a shaky pass-blocking line for an average of 40.2 attempts per game.
Quarterback Matt Ryan’s ability to read defenses and diagnose blitzes basically has allowed him to stay alive and function without a running game.
However, Ryan’s production has suffered.
While Ryan is on pace to break some of the team records he set last season, his overall production is down, and he’s on track for a career-high in interceptions.
He’s on pace for 644 attempts and 432 completions, and both would eclipse last season’s record marks of 615 and 422.
He’s on track to pass for 4,596 yards, less than his 4,729 yards last season. He has completed 67 percent of his passes in 2013 after his team-record 68.6 percent last season.
Ryan also is on pace to throw 26 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. Last season, he tossed a team-record 32 touchdown passes, and his previous high for interceptions in a season was 14 in 2009 and 2013.
Also, Ryan’s average yards per attempt is down from 7.7 yards in 2012 to 7.1 this season.
“If you play the right way, make the right throws and right decisions and right reads, all of the statistics fall in line,” Ryan said. “When you aren’t winning games, the statistics aren’t where they need to be. I think if you start winning games, those things take care of itself.”
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