The Falcons fell to the Los Angeles Rams, 37-10, on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game was every bit as ugly as the score suggests.
The offense couldn’t move the ball, the defense fell short and special teams even let the team down at different points. It wasn’t the kind of effort you’d hope to see from a desperate Falcons team, but it’s the kind we’ve come to expect this season.
Here are four takeaways from Sunday’s blowout loss to the Rams.
Matt Ryan got knocked out of the game
Ryan wasn’t playing his best football, throwing for 159 yards and an interception for a passer rating of 60.6. He was forced to leave the game in the fourth quarter when he suffered an ankle injury after being sacked by Aaron Donald. Matt Schaub came in and went 6-for-6 with a touchdown pass, but Atlanta’s already slim playoff chances become nonexistent if Ryan misses any time.
Atlanta’s special teams were bad
Rams punter Johnny Hekker converted a fake on fourth down by completing a 21-yard pass. Falcons kicker Matt Bryant went 1-for-2 and missed a field goal near the end of the first half when the game was still within reach. Vikings kicker Greg Zuerlein made three of four field goals. Falcons return man Russell Gage took a six-yard loss on a punt return. Overall, it wasn’t a good showing for Atlanta’s special teams.
Dan Quinn has officially lost this team
Between the Falcons getting out to another early deficit, Devonta Freeman losing his cool and more special teams blunders, this team seems to have officially checked out. Atlanta, who was considered a contender entering the year is now 1-6 and on a five-game losing streak. The players haven’t publicly blamed Quinn, but it appears the message of the former Super Bowl head coach has gone stale. Could this be the week Arthur Blank makes a change?
Fourth-straight game with zero sacks
There were so many other problems, it was almost easy to overlook the Falcons failure to record a sack for their fourth-straight game. How that’s possible when they have Grady Jarrett pushing the pocket as good as any interior defensive lineman in the league is beyond me. Somehow this defense became too predictable and now has just five sacks in seven games.
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