Bad Loss at Home is a Bad Rebound from a Good Loss on the Road

Sunday’s second half performance in the Dome was not the way the Falcons wanted to rebound after a tough loss last week. While last week was regarded a good loss, this week’s game was unquestionably a bad loss.

In my pregame questions I asked what the Falcons could do to take advantage of presents that the Chargers usually give their opponents. This season the San Diego Chargers have found new ways to lose football games every week, but this Sunday the Falcons found a way to lose the same way they did last week – giving up a late lead in the fourth, an ill-timed interception to flip the script, and relying the referees to throw a flag for pass interference on Julio Jones.

When the Falcons jumped out to a 5-0 start last season then stumbled to a 3-8 record the rest of the way, there was caution with the 4-1 start to this season. After losing to the Seahawks in Seattle, there wasn’t much concern for losing because the Falcons “looked good” in the loss. After losing to the San Diego Chargers in the Dome, fans shouldn’t hit the panic button yet but there is definitely a level of concern for how the Falcons are playing in the fourth quarter.

Against the Broncos and the Seahawks, the Falcons were outscored in the fourth quarter 22-3. Against the Chargers, the Falcons were outscored 10-3. 32-6 in the last three games is alarming. Most people are giving the Falcons a pass when comparing this year’s team to last year’s because they have ‘looked better against better teams.’

This outcome could have been avoided more than other losses in recent memory for the Birds. When the Falcons were up against the Seahawks they were moving the ball through the air more effectively, so when they took to the air on the pass that Julio Jones bobbled and deflected into an interception that resulted in losing the lead – it was excused.

When the Falcons took to the air with the LEAD in the fourth after moving the ball effectively on the ground, it was questionable. Worse than that, it was forced into double coverage and Matt Ryan made a bad throw. The pass was intercepted, inviting the Chargers to drive down the field and take the lead or tie the game. After Robert Alford deflected the go ahead touchdown to Antonio Gates at the goal line, the Chargers settled for a game tying field goal to tie the game with 18 seconds left.

After watching the kickoff sail through the back of the end zone, the Falcons offense moved the ball as fast as they could with 18 seconds and three timeouts. Matt Ryan made a 25-yard catch and throw with the defensive line breathing down his neck in a telephone booth sized pocket to Julio Jones in a small window. Timeout was called with 11 seconds left. On the next play pass interference should’ve been called to put the Falcons within Matt Bryant’s guaranteed range.

Instead they were forced to try a 58-yard field goal. While it had the distance, it bounced off the bottom of the left upright for Bryant’s first missed field of the season that let the game go to overtime.

In overtime the Falcons won the toss and drove the ball to midfield. The drive was stalled to a fourth and short after a failed 3rd and 1 quarterback sneak. Instead of punting, forcing the Chargers to drive at most 99 yards and at least 80 yards for the win, the Falcons went for it on fourth down with a very questionable toss against the 5th ranked rush defense – not a great decision. It was stuffed giving the Chargers a short field to drive and win the game with a chip shot field goal.

The decision to go for it on fourth down in overtime at midfield was the most avoidable situation all game. If you go for it because you don’t trust your defense, then you’ve got to come up with something more creative than a pitch to the left, because if you don’t get it then you’re putting the defense that you don’t trust in a worse spot than trusting them to keep San Diego from driving 80-99 yards. If the decision was made because you want to be aggressive then call something more aggressive than a pitch in a goal line set with the defense stacked in the box. You had Julio Jones in man coverage by himself on the other side of the field, put the ball in his hands.

While this team ‘looks better against better teams’ in their first 7 weeks compared to last year’s 5-2 start, there are some concerns that this team might not have the ability close out games, and the schedule doesn’t get much easier.

Next week the Falcons will face their third straight opponent that has had extra time to prepare. The Seahawks had a bye, the Chargers played on Thursday night the week before and this week the Packers played on Thursday night before traveling to Atlanta.

The tough schedule isn’t only filled with tough opponents but tough situations. After the Falcons are done facing the three teams that have extra time to prepare, the Birds will have a short week to turn around and get ready for the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, who they’ve dropped three in a row too, on Thursday night.