Quinn wants Falcons to stay calm
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons are guarded against letting four losses in their past five games rattle their confidence.
But after the team reached the Super Bowl last season, it’s hard for others to overlook the fact that the Falcons are just 4-4 halfway through the schedule and trail in the division standings, two games behind NFC South leader New Orleans.
Atlanta’s offense shows little resemblance to the unit that led the league in scoring last season. The Falcons have scored no more than 17 points in any of their losses, even though quarterback Matt Ryan has most of the same surrounding cast.
Atlanta may be trying to recapture last season’s winning formula, but center Alex Mack said that’s no reason to look for changes.
“I think the key is just to try to do what you do, trust in the process you
have,” Mack said Wednesday. “What we’ve been doing has been good. We just need to make a couple more plays. I don’t think anything drastic needs to change.”
However, the Falcons need a quick turnaround if they hope to return to the playoffs, and that sense of urgency could lead players to press. It’s a concern for coach Dan Quinn, who wants his players to avoid “white-knuckling” as they prepare for Sunday’s visit from the Dallas Cowboys.
“Sometimes with more pressing, more white-knuckling, you lose the focus,” Quinn said, “and that’s what you really want to avoid getting into.”
Atlanta’s offense has done a better job moving the ball than scoring. Ryan is seventh in the league with 2,157 passing yards but only tied for 16th with 11 touchdown passes.
Quinn said the struggles, which continued in last week’s 20-17 division loss at Carolina, forced him to ask if the team is “getting all the preparations and details right.”
“If it is, we’ve got to stick to that course and don’t waver off of it,” Quinn said. “If it’s not, then what part of your game can you improve on moving forward?”
Quinn said he told players they “have got to have the conviction to stay on course and do better.”
Safety Ricardo Allen said players aren’t losing confidence.
“The tone was: We know what we can do,” Allen said of the message in Monday’s team meeting. “We know as a team what we’re capable of. Just go out there and do our job. Just give a little more, take it to another level.
“We have another whole half of the season. Get it rolling. Get the small things right.”
Backup plan
Falcons kicker Matt Bryant, battling a right calf injury, did not practice Wednesday. With his status for Sunday’s game still uncertain, the team re-signed Mike Meyer to its practice squad.
Meyer made three of four field-goal attempts in the preseason, was released before the season and then was signed to the practice squad on Oct. 11 for one week when Bryant was slowed with a back injury but did not miss a game.