Has Anyone Here Actually Taken The Time To Watch The Games And Figure Out What Is Different From The First 4 Weeks To To The Last 7?

[Kayoh]

Everybody is pointing fingers at Shanahan and yet I haven't seen a single post detailing what he's actually doing wrong. Just a bunch of "the offense isn't working so it's OBVIOUSLY Shanahan's fault!" garbage. What if he's playing the right calls and Matt is making the wrong decisions? Or, worse yet, the right calls are being made, but the opposing teams are just bracketing Julio and nobody else is getting open? I know the easy thing to do is to throw the coordinator under the bus but I haven't seen any actual proof that he's calling the wrong plays so consistently that it's the reason our offense is sputtering the way it is.

[octoslash]

It's not necessarily that he makes the wrong calls, it just looks to me like Ryan has no confidence in the plays in the first place (and no flexibility to change them at the line). This entire scheme has Ryan frustrated, and when a good QB gets frustrated, he tends to give the ball to the other team a lot.

[Kayoh]

It's not necessarily that he makes the wrong calls, it just looks to me like Ryan has no confidence in the plays in the first place (and no flexibility to change them at the line). This entire scheme has Ryan frustrated, and when a good QB gets frustrated, he tends to give the ball to the other team a lot.

The QB being frustrated isn't necessarily because of the playcalls though. That's just a symptom of losing. I'm looking for the cause of losing, not the effects of it. You know what I'm saying?

[marvinthemartian]

It's not necessarily that he makes the wrong calls, it just looks to me like Ryan has no confidence in the plays in the first place (and no flexibility to change them at the line). This entire scheme has Ryan frustrated, and when a good QB gets frustrated, he tends to give the ball to the other team a lot.

I agree. Schroeder said opponents have figured us out. That's a coaching and scheme problem. The offense has lost confidence in the OC

[gazoo]

After several games this year defenders who played us said they knew what plays we were running prior to the snap. The 49ers and yesterday the Vikings defenders are all quoted in media saying they figured us out from watching film. Yesterday, head coach Mike Zimmer said he had figured our offense out from watching film. Does anyone question whether New Orleans had our offense figured out when we played them??

Just a few weeks ago Roddy and Julio said to the AJC after things had broken down that they were concerned that the defenses that were playing us knew what plays we were calling and had adjusted to us.

This is a huge problem that is being rationalized and ignored by many here. Don't take my word for it, Roddy and Julio play of the offense and voiced this concern to the AJC.

Another problem is the staggering amount of mistakes across the board on offense. Way more mistakes each each week than interceptions. The offense is a comedy of errors the last serval weeks and shoots itself in the foot a multitude of ways.

[roguebeaver]

How many times and from how many sources must we hear, the Falcons offense has been deciphered, decoded and laid bare for all to see, before we see what the problem with the offense is. Are we, the fans and the Falcons coaching staff that blind? Shannahan isn't the genius that some thought he was.,,,he just has his daddy's playbook and try's to use it..,much like a practicing magician with an advanced book of magic. He'll eventually blow everything up!

[Atlfanstckndenver]

Everybody is pointing fingers at Shanahan and yet I haven't seen a single post detailing what he's actually doing wrong. Just a bunch of "the offense isn't working so it's OBVIOUSLY Shanahan's fault!" garbage. What if he's playing the right calls and Matt is making the wrong decisions? Or, worse yet, the right calls are being made, but the opposing teams are just bracketing Julio and nobody else is getting open? I know the easy thing to do is to throw the coordinator under the bus but I haven't seen any actual proof that he's calling the wrong plays so consistently that it's the reason our offense is sputtering the way it is.

oh I've been watching. I've watched every painful moment of it. 4th and 1.....5 wide! Seriously tho, i think whatever's going on is in one way or another a lack of melding from our qb and coordinator. In fact I think they downright might not like eachother.

[Atlfanstckndenver]

After several games this year defenders who played us said they knew what plays we were running prior to the snap. The 49ers and yesterday the Vikings defenders are all quoted in media saying they figured us out from watching film. Yesterday, head coach Mike Zimmer said he had figured our offense out from watching film. Does anyone question whether New Orleans had our offense figured out when we played them??

Just a few weeks ago Roddy and Julio said to the AJC after things had broken down that they were concerned that the defenses that were playing us knew what plays we were calling and had adjusted to us.

This is a huge problem that is being rationalized and ignored by many here. Don't take my word for it, Roddy and Julio play of the offense and voiced this concern to the AJC.

Another problem is mistakes across the board. Way more mistakes each each week than interceptions. The offense is a comedy of errors the last serval weeks and shoots itself in the foot a multitude of ways.

which is another indication that Ryan doesn't have the checks he would like or needs to get things going.

[Statick]

When Ryan does playaction in where he fakes the handoff and boots out left...really, there's no one on the defense that is going to buy into Matt actually being a threat to run it, so that fake goes by the wayside. The LE or LB doesn't bite on it and it ends up with Matt with a defender in his face and having to rush a throw and/or getting pounded in the process.

This scheme is built for a dual threat QB and Quinn needs to recognize that Shanny has sold him some BS that he can fit his system around a pocket passer.

[Mid-Nite-Toker]

Everybody is pointing fingers at Shanahan and yet I haven't seen a single post detailing what he's actually doing wrong. Just a bunch of "the offense isn't working so it's OBVIOUSLY Shanahan's fault!" garbage. What if he's playing the right calls and Matt is making the wrong decisions? Or, worse yet, the right calls are being made, but the opposing teams are just bracketing Julio and nobody else is getting open? I know the easy thing to do is to throw the coordinator under the bus but I haven't seen any actual proof that he's calling the wrong plays so consistently that it's the reason our offense is sputtering the way it is.

If Shanny is making wrong calls...its been to the detriment of the run game. Yet, the run game is thriving.

I see MR making a lot of wrong decisions...weakest link IMHO.

You absolutely won't see a post detailing what Shanny has done wrong. As for Ryan, its chronicled.

[NewtonLaws]

It's Shanahan's passing philosophy. Teams have figured it out. It also doesn't help the offense if the OC tells the world that he will do everything he can do to get Julio the ball. There is a reason why Shanahan hasn't been successful with every team he has been at.

[notthatcool]

You absolutely won't see a post detailing what Shanny has done wrong. As for Ryan, its chronicled.

As a fan we can see Ryan turning the ball over. We cannot see what is going on in team meetings and prep work leading up to Sunday. Even before the turnovers we were struggling to get the ball in the endzone. Now with the turnovers it is a complete train wreck.

So you won't see posts, or facts, detailing what Shanahan is doing wrong. If it is his fault the players, coaches, or people inside Flowery Branch would see it (and they aint posting here).

[Clark Kent™]

Most rational/logical posters realize that the difference has been turnovers. Considering the fact that in our first 5 games we were 5-0 when we were on the + side of the turnover battle and we are 1-6 since we have been on the - side of the turnover battle. There is no other way to slice it. The opposing view is hopefully just Matt Ryan huggers and not really this ignorant.

And most rational/logical posters also realize that even if Shanahan was making tons of bad calls (which he clearly isn't considering our pass offense was #14 in the league and our rush offense was #4 in the league) it wouldn't matter because Ryan has options when he gets to the line of scrimmage. He is the last one to touch the ball. Its on him if he is throwing inaccurate passes, staring down receivers, or getting baited by a DB into throwing a pick (both of the latter which happened yesterday).

[Mid-Nite-Toker]

As a fan we can see Ryan turning the ball over. We cannot see what is going on in team meetings and prep work leading up to Sunday. Even before the turnovers we were struggling to get the ball in the endzone. Now with the turnovers it is a complete train wreck.

So you won't see posts, or facts, detailing what Shanahan is doing wrong. If it is his fault the players, coaches, or people inside Flowery Branch would see it (and they aint posting here).

I can see Ryan making inexcusable turnovers regardless of the HC/coordinator...he(MR) has and is doing it (turnovers).

[since68andcounting]

When Ryan does playaction in where he fakes the handoff and boots out left...really, there's no one on the defense that is going to buy into Matt actually being a threat to run it, so that fake goes by the wayside. The LE or LB doesn't bite on it and it ends up with Matt with a defender in his face and having to rush a throw and/or getting pounded in the process. This scheme is built for a dual threat QB and Quinn needs to recognize that Shanny has sold him some BS that he can fit his system around a pocket passer.

That doesn't make sense. If Matt has a defender in his face that means they ARE respecting the possibility of him running it. Otherwise, they would be back in coverage.

[IronHead34]

Im arguing this in another thread. Defenses are getting better. They have adjusted to the pass-happy rules of the NFL. Sure, let Julio get 100+ yards a game, just dont let him score. Tighten up the Red Zone and hold em to three.

Once you show that you only throw to JJ and Tamme, defenses can smell you out and devote their time to covering just those two.

[capologist]

How is it that teams have figured us out yet we have no problems moving the ball between the 20's? The answer to that question solves the riddle. Bottom line, Matt is trying to do way too much (along with penalties and fumbles)...

[Ghosts of Glanville]

That idiotic pistol formation handoff to Ward on 2nd and long told me where the problem lies

[Mid-Nite-Toker]

How is it that teams have figured us out yet we have no problems moving the ball between the 20's? The answer to that question solves the riddle.

+1 red zone turnovers suck...MR leads the NFL.

[dothan_birdman]

IMHO, its the same problem we had with the last few OC- predictability, at least in the passing game. The first part of the season, opponents were caught off guard by our new running game. I can attribute that success to Freeman figuring things out and our patchwork OL working in Zone block scheme. Once teams got enough tape on us to see 1) the OL strengths and weaknesses, 2) the scheme patterns and weaknesses, and 3)how MR2 and the rest of the team reacted and adjusted. Now MR2 is rushing things and clearly has no confidence in himself or his OL. The OL in all fairness while good in run blocking for the most part, has no center strength and the right side seems to collapse MUCH faster than the left. I often see the "pocket" look like a half moon as it collapses.With no lane to step into it's obvious MR is stressed and trying to rush. I think that's whats exacerbated his locking onto one read. To be blunt, MR is struggling badly, both because of external factors AND his own weaknesses.

I think it would be fair to attribute the -1 yard checkdowns to player faults and not being as familiar with the new schemes as needed. As far as the short yardage run game, I'm not surprised. That still requires a punch in the mouth run game more than finesse and KS doesn't seem able to do that. The fumbling and the butt snaps are more of the same mix of player distractions and weak consequences from staff.

In short, we have a MIX of issues, imho. The talent is close to acceptable as evidenced by our close losses in games and self destruction costing us games as much or more so than the opponents simply beating us. We do that to ourselves. The OC is missing something. I think he's overthinking things and expecting the players to be mere chess pieces and not working within their strengths consistently. The three throws to Roddy in a row and the focus on Julio (as he verbalised it) seem to support that.

The fix? 1) I'd change Oc or at the least playcalling duties. NOW. 2) get a 2nd rd talent(or better) to sit behind MR2 and groom a la Rodgers or the guy in Denver.3) FA center- we need proven skill there.4) FA PR specialist and draft LBs. I hate saying next season, but as we all know, it is a process.

[gazoo]

As a fan we can see Ryan turning the ball over. We cannot see what is going on in team meetings and prep work leading up to Sunday. Even before the turnovers we were struggling to get the ball in the endzone. Now with the turnovers it is a complete train wreck.

So you won't see posts, or facts, detailing what Shanahan is doing wrong. If it is his fault the players, coaches, or people inside Flowery Branch would see it (and they aint posting here).

Thus Roddy and Julio both telling the AJC our biggest problem is defenses know what plays we are calling prior to the snap coupled with the fact we are playing too slow, lining up too slow Which gives defenses extra time to line up properly. Additionally, defensive players and head coaches have been. saying after playing us they know what plays we are calling prior to the snap.

[Dirtybird56]

When Ryan does playaction in where he fakes the handoff and boots out left...really, there's no one on the defense that is going to buy into Matt actually being a threat to run it, so that fake goes by the wayside. The LE or LB doesn't bite on it and it ends up with Matt with a defender in his face and having to rush a throw and/or getting pounded in the process. This scheme is built for a dual threat QB and Quinn needs to recognize that Shanny has sold him some BS that he can fit his system around a pocket passer.

It's not that Matt has to be a threat to run. If he IS a threat to run then that backside defender doesn't close down on the RB because he has to respect the QB could run. This is obviously not our case

What happens sometimes is the backside defender is able to make up the ground and get in Matt's face as he tries to throw, because Matt is a little too slow rounding off the turn. And CB's can close in on the crossing routes at the last second because of it. But most of all, it's clear to me Ryan is not as comfortable throwing on the run as I expected. We saw Matt extend plays with some really nice throws on the run in 2014, but he's not comfortable nor consistent when doing it by design on the rollouts. I guess we'll see if he becomes more comfortable with it in the future, but I'm thinking he's a straight pocket passer

[Mega Flare]

The team sucks.

[freakyfalcon]

I blame the Saints fans and their voodoo lol. Something changed during and after that game in New Orleans.

[IronHead34]

I blame the Saints fans and their voodoo lol. Something changed during and after that game in New Orleans.

I think that Rob Ryan was the blind squirrel that got the nut that game. He figured it out and made the blueprint for the others. It killed the confidence of the team, and now they have to pull out of the tailspin.