'Frustrated' Falcons Blame Slow Start in Loss vs. Bucs
Through three quarters, the Atlanta Falcons' offense trudged along without points as the team trailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-0.
While the unit didn't have a single three-and-out, several drives stalled near midfield, whether it be due to penalties, sacks or the natural flow of the game.
But when the game entered its final 15 minutes, the Falcons hit their stride, scoring two touchdowns on three offensive possessions. Ultimately, Atlanta's defense, heavily setback by controversial penalties, couldn't get the ball back to its offense for a potential go-ahead drive, leaving the Falcons left wondering "what if."
"What if" the offense had started faster?
"What if" the officials hadn't made a pair of highly questionable calls?
"What if" the six-point swing between kickers following a Younghoe Koo miss and Ryan Succop make hadn't occurred?
The fact of the matter is that none of these hypothetical or actual swings went in Atlanta's favor, as Tampa Bay pulled out a 21-15 home victory to claim first place in the NFC South.
As for theories behind the slow start, quarterback Marcus Mariota believes it was a mixture of the Falcons' offensive execution and the Buccaneers' stout defense.
"They're a great defense, and at times we were getting in our way," Mariota said. "I think we were able to come into halftime and make some adjustments, guys flew around and made some plays. As you get going and get into a rhythm, that's when this offense plays well. We've got to be able to start better and get into a rhythm earlier so we're not in these deep holes when we get into the fourth quarter."
Perhaps nobody encompassed Atlanta's Sunday afternoon quite like Mariota, who was nine of 18 for 84 yards entering the fourth quarter but heated up late, going five of seven for 63 yards in the final frame.
Not all of Mariota's difficulties were his fault. He was sacked a season-high five times, and the absences of running back Cordarrelle Patterson and tight end Kyle Pitts shone brightly from the start.
The Falcons managed to run for over 150 yards and now rank third in the NFL in rushing yards per game but left tackle Jake Matthews remains centered on the final score.
"We took too long to get going," said Matthews. "It was too late towards the end. There's room to improve and some good things, but it's frustrating because it could be a different game if we were rolling a little better on offense that first half and really not (waiting) until the fourth quarter."
Matthews believes Sunday's game could've gone differently had the Falcons started sooner. He's not alone in that belief, as running back Caleb Huntley, who had eight carries for 34 yards, echoed similar sentiments.
"It was frustrating that they were just doing simple stuff to stop us that we can practice and stuff like that," Huntley said. "We figured out a way to execute (in) the second half, but I wish we did the whole game because it would have been a different story."
Unlike Mariota, Matthews sides more with Huntley and feels as if the blame falls squarely on Atlanta's shoulders while also providing reasons for optimism moving forward.
"It felt like we just weren't executing," Matthews stated. "It's frustrating when you kind of do that to yourself, but that's the biggest thing - we know that if we can all be on the same page, play with urgency, we know what to do and how to do it, we can be successful, it just took us too long to start doing that."
Matthews, who stressed his frustration a number of times post-game, went further into detail on what held Atlanta's offense back.
"Really everything," claimed Matthews. "Protection and running the ball. We had some penalties too, so we've got to execute just in a broad sense, (which is) easier said than done. It's just frustrating - I keep saying it - but it took us too long to start executing so we're out of it by then."
As for what sparked the Falcons' 15-point fourth quarter, rookie receiver Drake London, who hauled in four receptions for 35 yards, offered his take.
"(The) sense of urgency," London said. "I think that was a big thing. Go out there and just execute."
As the clock ticked down, intensity built on Atlanta's sideline, and the "urgency" London referred to kicked in. The battle moving forward will be coming out of the locker room with the same energy and focus that the team fostered during the final 15 minutes.
Receiver Olamide Zaccheaus mentioned that taking strides in that area begins in practice, and Atlanta appears likely to put an emphasis on starting fast in next Sunday's matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
In the meantime, the Falcons will go back to the drawing board, attempting to carry their momentum and urgency from one week to another.
"Sometimes it doesn't go your way, sometimes it does," said the 21-year-old London. "All you can do is just keep on fighting and trying to break that barrier and get through that."
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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