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LISTEN: How Can Falcons Improve in Red Zone?

Locked On Falcons: What Went Wrong in the Red Zone?
LISTEN: How Can Falcons Improve in Red Zone?
LISTEN: How Can Falcons Improve in Red Zone?

Arguably the biggest moment in the Atlanta Falcons' 31-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers Sunday came at the end of their first offensive drive.

After recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff inside the red zone, the Falcons found themselves with 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line. But they could not get in after four plays.

They had a chance to seize momentum for the game, but by not scoring at an opportunistic moment, they relinquished all momentum and handed it to the Niners. The Falcons never seemed to recover after that moment.

"Yeah, we have to find a way to get in the end zone," said Ryan. "We had our chances. We moved the ball, we put ourselves in great position a handful of times. Special teams with the opening kickoff put us in a really good position."

Had the Falcons converted that first drive into points, we could possibly be talking about their decent playoff hopes with the Detroit Lions on deck this week. However, with the loss, the Falcons' playoff hopes dipped to two percent and now all the Falcons can do is ponder what could have been.

On this episode of "Locked On Falcons," host Aaron Freeman reviews the All-22 film from the Falcons' Week 15 loss to the 49ers, focusing on the team's red-zone struggles and poor offensive line play.

First, he discusses whether the team's inability to convert in the red zone was due to execution or play-calling concerns and how that contributes to the ongoing debate about whether the bulk of the Falcons' problems are due to a talent deficiency. 

Then, he analyzes Kaleb McGary's struggles against Nick Bosa and why despite that, he continues to believe that Jalen Mayfield is the team's biggest liability up front. 

He breaks down why it's more important for the Falcons to upgrade their interior offensive line this offseason than the right tackle spot. 

Finally, Aaron answers a listener question about how to evaluate offensive coordinator Dave Ragone's role and contributions to the team.

Aaron deals with all that and more on this episode of "Locked On Falcons." For more podcasts and information, join us here.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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