Atlanta’s First-Team Offense Finds It’s Groove

[FentayeJones]

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Atlanta’s First-Team Offense Finds It’s Groove

Andrew Hirsh

atlantafalcons.com

The Falcons offense took major strides in Week 2 of the preseason and inspired a lot of confidence by getting off to a strong start

Atlanta’s starting offense entered its second preseason game with a clear set of goals: Improve upon last week, develop a rhythm and stay balanced.

In just nine plays and four minutes off the clock, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan could check all of those boxes.

During its first chance of the evening, the offense put together an impressive 71-yard touchdown drive. They ran the ball on five occasions and threw it four times, and all but one snap — an incomplete pass — netted positive yardage.

Ryan was accurate and efficient; Mohamed Sanu made a six-yard catch, his first as a Falcon; Julio Jones snagged a 20-yard reception; the offensive line bested Cleveland in the trenches; and Devonta Freeman, elusive as ever, added the exclamation point with a 19-yard dash into the end zone.

“I thought it was good,” Ryan said. “It was obviously a good drive for us on that first one. We ran the ball really well all night which is encouraging to see. I thought we made some plays in the pass game. I thought we were a little bit more sharp than we were the first week.”

“I feel like our operation is really smooth. I feel we were efficient. I got in and out of the huddle really well and really fast. I felt like the tempo was really good. I’m pleased with where we are at.”

Ryan’s next two bids didn’t yield any points, but there were some encouraging moments to take away from those series — especially the third one, when Atlanta marched 41 yards down the field and in just 1:31. The Falcons looked poised to score during that possession after moving the sticks twice, but a negative run, a dropped pass on 3rd and 4 and a missed field goal resulted in a turnover on downs.

The highlight of that sequence was composed by Sanu, who atoned for a holding penalty by grabbing a short pass over the middle and sprinting for a 32-yard gain. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder finished the contest with 45 yards on three receptions, the second of which showed how he can use his size and strength to push downfield.

He’s definitely a physical guy,” Jones said of Sanu. “He doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s aggressive. He’s got great speed and a lot of power and he showed it tonight.”

Moving forward, Atlanta’s offense can use the tape and experience from Thursday’s win to continue to build momentum and iron out kinks before the exhibition schedule draws to a close. Next week will be the team’s dress rehearsal for opening day, according to Ryan, and if the Falcons can enjoy the kind of progress they made at FirstEnergy Stadium, they’ll be in good shape when the outcomes begin to matter.

“We’ve got some work to do, there is no doubt about that,” Ryan said. “We’ve got a couple of weeks to do it. You want to kind of being hitting your peak when we get to the regular season and continue to get better throughout the year. I thought we were better tonight than we were the first week. That’s going to be a challenge for us going into the third preseason game.”

http://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/blog/article-1/Atlantas-First-Team-Offense-Finds-its-Groove/e7de9af5-caf2-41dd-8613-c2c46ede2096

 

[red falcon]

Sanu definitely looks like a weapon, I'm excited to see how we will use him.

[gazoo]

It's a good point about our offensive line. We really controlled the LOS and did a great job blocking.  I don't recall seeing our OL get pushed back off the ball all game. 

LSt year the interior of our OL was pushed back constantly.

[PokerSteve]

Sanu is going to blossom into a full-out beast as a complement to JJ and the rest of our offensive weaponry. When you look at his size, speed, the  physical way he works his routes, the way he can rip off mega YAC, you have to get excited about our offense this year.

When this offense hits its stride somewhere around mid-season, I see it becoming an 11-man Terminator; an unstoppable, relentless killing machine, slicing up defenses like a Waring blender on steroids. An offense that will have even the smarmy Falcon-hating national pundits salivating and singing their praises.

[The_Establishment]

7 minutes ago, PokerSteve said:

Sanu is going to blossom into a full-out beast as a complement to JJ and the rest of our offensive weaponry. When you look at his size, speed, the  physical way he works his routes, the way he can rip off mega YAC, you have to get excited about our offense this year.

When this offense hits its stride somewhere around mid-season, I see it becoming an 11-man Terminator; an unstoppable, relentless killing machine, slicing up defenses like a Waring blender on steroids. An offense that will have even the smarmy Falcon-hating national pundits salivating and singing their praises.

It probably will not take til mid season.  More like week 1.

[TheFatboi]

1 hour ago, WhenFalconsWin said:

Hopefully, Shanny and the first team offense of last year will be a distant memory on this board.  

It has to be. I'd say this is the best collection of offensive talent both the Falcons have had in a long time and Shanny period. 

[JayOzOne]

I take very little of value from exhibition games. All they do is offer glimmers of what we may see during the regular season. I am more interested in the fact that the coaches are playing Schweitzer so heavily than I am what Sanu and Julio do in a quarter or less. WIth that said, it is cool to watch the players on the bubble rise or sink to the occasion when they have the biggest audition of their lives.

[JayOzOne]

1 hour ago, PokerSteve said:

Sanu is going to blossom into a full-out beast as a complement to JJ and the rest of our offensive weaponry. When you look at his size, speed, the  physical way he works his routes, the way he can rip off mega YAC, you have to get excited about our offense this year.

When this offense hits its stride somewhere around mid-season, I see it becoming an 11-man Terminator; an unstoppable, relentless killing machine, slicing up defenses like a Waring blender on steroids. An offense that will have even the smarmy Falcon-hating national pundits salivating and singing their praises.

?? I don't recall you ever making hyperbolic statements, Steve. I think you left your account signed on and a co-worker decided to post for you. 

Just kidding. But your optimism fuels mine more than a lot of other posters' would.

[Xfactor]

I just watched the game for the second time. They looked better,  but I cringe every time I see Ryan run Shanahans offense. Schaub and Simms looks more comfortable than Ryan and I really believe it will bite us in the regular season.

[TheFatboi]

5 minutes ago, Xfactor said:

I just watched the game for the second time. They looked better,  but I cringe every time I see Ryan run Shanahans offense. Schaub and Simms looks more comfortable than Ryan and I really believe it will bite us in the regular season.

Ryan looked very comfortable thur. I think that's just your fear from 2013/2014 lingering. As is with most falcons fans. If Matt was gun shy watching the other 3 qb's perform well with backups should get him out of his shell and show him there's nothing to fear anymore. 

[PokerSteve]

12 minutes ago, Xfactor said:

I just watched the game for the second time. They looked better,  but I cringe every time I see Ryan run Shanahans offense. Schaub and Simms looks more comfortable than Ryan and I really believe it will bite us in the regular season.

I hear you. The fate of this team lies on whether Matt Ryan can learn Shanahan's new system. Relax, he's going to be fine. This offense is going to have a lot of DC's wondering why they chose football as their profession.

[PokerSteve]

1 hour ago, JayOzOne said:

?? I don't recall you ever making hyperbolic statements, Steve. I think you left your account signed on and a co-worker decided to post for you. 

Just kidding. But your optimism fuels mine more than a lot of other posters' would.

Dan Quinn is just mildly optimistic compared to how fired up I am about this team! Getting some studs and depth across both sides of the ball.

I'd like to see us start posting a lot of early W's, gain confidence as a team and soar into the play-offs playing our best football.

 

[Jesus]

It's important to note that our offense isnt even close to rolling at full speed. In two games we've targeted Julio 3 times. This last game it was just once and still had 2 scoring drives. I say two cause I know Bryant doesn't miss that kick.

Looks like we are working Sanu specifically.

[Tim Mazetti]

4 hours ago, PokerSteve said:

Sanu is going to blossom into a full-out beast as a complement to JJ and the rest of our offensive weaponry. When you look at his size, speed, the  physical way he works his routes, the way he can rip off mega YAC, you have to get excited about our offense this year.

When this offense hits its stride somewhere around mid-season, I see it becoming an 11-man Terminator; an unstoppable, relentless killing machine, slicing up defenses like a Waring blender on steroids. An offense that will have even the smarmy Falcon-hating national pundits salivating and singing their praises.

I like your writing style. Well done. This put your post over the top: "....an unstoppable, relentless killing machine, slicing up defenses like a Waring blender on steroids."  Are Waring blenders still being made?

[PokerSteve]

14 minutes ago, Tim Mazetti said:

I like your writing style. Well done. This put your post over the top: "....an unstoppable, relentless killing machine, slicing up defenses like a Waring blender on steroids."  Are Waring blenders still being made?

Thank you, sir. I don't like to admit it, but I was a journalist once upon a time. As for Waring blenders, yeah they're still around. This one best represents my vision of the Falcon O:

https://www.amazon.com/Waring-Commercial-MX1500XTS-Reprogrammable-Enclosure/dp/B005DTP1IY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471721725&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Waring+Blender&psc=1

[Tim Mazetti]

24 minutes ago, PokerSteve said:

Thank you, sir. I don't like to admit it, but I was a journalist once upon a time. As for Waring blenders, yeah they're still around. This one best represents my vision of the Falcon O:

https://www.amazon.com/Waring-Commercial-MX1500XTS-Reprogrammable-Enclosure/dp/B005DTP1IY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471721725&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Waring+Blender&psc=1

• Xtreme hi-power blender comes with sound enclosure for serious noise reduction.......At away games.

 

• Includes container which is constructed of stainless steel material for durability.......Focus on the prize. Birds have depth. No serious injuries.

 

• Dual PULSE feature with reprogrammable speed control and easy to clean electronic membrane keypad.....The team is  well coached and disciplined.

 

• Variable speed and time selections for maximum control over consistencies..........Ah, my favorite!...But I won't go on!

[PokerSteve]

15 minutes ago, Tim Mazetti said:

• Xtreme hi-power blender comes with sound enclosure for serious noise reduction.......At away games.

 

• Includes container which is constructed of stainless steel material for durability.......Focus on the prize. Birds have depth. No serious injuries.

 

• Dual PULSE feature with reprogrammable speed control and easy to clean electronic membrane keypad.....The team is  well coached and disciplined.

 

• Variable speed and time selections for maximum control over consistencies..........Ah, my favorite!...But I won't go on!

You also saw the obvious comparisons, huh?!  Epic!

[putnam6]

2 hours ago, PokerSteve said:

Thank you, sir. I don't like to admit it, but I was a journalist once upon a time. As for Waring blenders, yeah they're still around. This one best represents my vision of the Falcon O:

https://www.amazon.com/Waring-Commercial-MX1500XTS-Reprogrammable-Enclosure/dp/B005DTP1IY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471721725&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Waring+Blender&psc=1

I thinking you are mixing kool aide with your vodka in the blender,or you got laid lol or both.

whatever the reason dig the optimism and think the potential is there for the offense dominate early. Which is some bad azz news for Smitty and the Bucs defense.