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.
