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[The Falcon Jedi]

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Falcons' offense rules against Rams
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Falcons' offense rules against Rams

BY BILL COATS • bcoats@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8189 http://www.STLtoday.com | No Comments Posted | Posted: Sunday, November 21, 2010 8:00 pm

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buy this photo Dilip Vishwanat NOVEMBER 21, 2010 -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. The Falcons beat the Rams 34-17. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

The hard-charging Rams defenders had been piling up sacks in bunches: 18 in the last four games and a league-high 28 for the season. But that was before they ran into Atlanta's veteran offensive line and savvy young quarterback.

The result? The Rams were sackless in St. Louis in a 34-17 loss to the Falcons on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.

"You have to give them credit. They came in with a great game plan and they executed it," cornerback Ron Bartell said. "They made the plays that needed to be made and they won the game."

The Rams, who had recorded at least one sack in every game, were smothered by a finely tuned Falcons offense that stung them through the air and gashed them on the ground.

"They've got a good rhythm on offense," defensive tackle Fred Robbins said. "They keep the tempo up; they're in sync with everything."

Atlanta (8-2), which sports the NFC's best record, rolled up 391 total yards — 138 rushing and 253 passing. The Falcons converted nine of 17 third downs, ran 70 plays to 54 for the Rams, had a decisive field-position edge and enjoyed a time-of-possession advantage of almost 12 minutes.

It spelled a rough afternoon for a rising Rams defense that had moved to No. 12 overall among the NFL's 32 teams.

"When you're playing a really good team like that, you've got to be perfect," defensive end Chris Long said. "And we weren't. We were far from it."

The Falcons' five offensive linemen average about eight years of service in the league. It's a cohesive unit that had yielded just 15 sacks in the first nine games.

Running behind it was stout Michael Turner, who pounded out 131 yards on 28 carries, including a 39-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes that capped the scoring. Only Oakland's Darren McFadden had topped the 100-yard mark vs. the Rams this year.

The 5-foot-10, 247-pound Turner is "a tough guy to tackle; he really is," linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "If you try to go high on him, he's so stocky and so strong in his legs that unless you really get an unbelievable shot on him, he's not going to go backward.

"There were definitely some plays where we went too high on him, and that's when he broke tackles."

But the linchpin to an Atlanta offense that ranked eighth in the league going into the contest is quarterback Matt Ryan, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2008. Keeping the Rams guessing with a variety of audibles and often throwing after quick drops, Ryan was rarely pressured while connecting on 26 of 39 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns.

Ryan, who wasn't intercepted, compiled a glitzy 101.8 passer rating. "That's a really good quarterback," Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said.

"Matt Ryan, he has great command of that offense, and that makes all the difference in the world," Bartell said. "He reminds me of a young Peyton Manning, the way they run the offense, with the hurry-up and switching the personnel in and out."

Ryan's first TD toss, a 12-yarder to wide receiver Brian Finneran, drew the Falcons even 10-10 in the second quarter. His second, a 2-yard pitch to tight end Justin Peelle, put them up 23-17 in the third.

"We kind of changed it up," Ryan explained. "We had some quick snaps, but we also used some clock and also some dummy cadences to kind of a get a look from them. ... We moved the ball pretty effectively."

Combating the quick throws is a difficult challenge. "There's a reason he hasn't been sacked a lot," Long said.

"All you can do is just keep grinding, keep fighting," said defensive end James Hall, whose 7½ sacks are a team high. "Try to beat your man and get there."

Added Laurinaitis: "All you can really do is try to bat the ball down or get tackles on the quick throws. Because missed tackles will really make those quick throws hurt you."

The Rams had a few of those, along with 'some blown assignments, stuff like that," Laurinaitis conceded.

Ryan hooked up with wideout Roddy White nine times for 83 yards. That boosted White's league-leading receptions total to 79, and he became the first in the NFL to reach four figures in receiving yards, with 1,017.

"They're definitely a good offense; they've got a lot of weapons," Laurinaitis said. "And they've got a good quarterback ... they've got a great quarterback."

[evo]

(11-22-2010 12:00 AM)The Falcon Jedi Wrote:  "They're definitely a good offense; they've got a lot of weapons," Laurinaitis said. "And they've got a good quarterback ... they've got a great quarterback."

Forget what the experts said about Ryan, as long as the other team's defenders keep talking about Ryan like this is ALL WE NEED!

[NOVAFalconFan]

(11-22-2010 12:08 AM)evo Wrote:  Forget what the experts said about Ryan, as long as the other team's defenders keep talking about Ryan like this is ALL WE NEED!

Agreed. Matt is the Ice-ssassin in this offense.

[Arkansas Falcon]

(11-22-2010 12:08 AM)evo Wrote:  Forget what the experts said about Ryan, as long as the other team's defenders keep talking about Ryan like this is ALL WE NEED!

/\/\/\/\This.