Atlanta Falcons: 5 Things Learned Vs. Texans
By John Buhler
The Offense is Now a Balanced One
I had a feeling this would happen at some point in 2015, but not during Week 4. The Atlanta Falcons now have a balanced offense. The zone blocking scheme and the creative mind of OC Kyle Shanahan is working out wonderfully with the Falcons.
Matt Ryan was 19 for 27 through the air for 256 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons ran the football 35 times against the Houston Texans for 135 yards and 4 touchdowns. Not since the Dirty Birds had prime Michael Turner in its backfield could we say that Atlanta ran the ball more than they threw it in a game.
More from ATL All Day
- Atlanta Braves: Felix Has Already Shown Enough to Win a Rotation Spot
- Atlanta Braves Implode Late To Phillies, Cole Hamels Remains Sidelined
- Kyle Wright Shines As Folty Struggles In Atlanta Braves Loss To Red Sox
- Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
- Atlanta Braves: Grapefruit League Play Check Up
Ideally, you would want you team to throw for over 250 yards and rush for over 100 on the ground every week to have a strong chance at winning. To me, that feels balanced and we saw that in Week 4’s obliteration of the Houston Texans.
Matt Ryan’s only touchdown was a quick 3 yard strike to Leonard Hankerson in the red zone. However, he didn’t have to carry the offense in Week 4, the ground game did that for him. I attribute Atlanta’s balance on offense to a laser focus in practice and during meetings in Flowery Branch. This, and the revamped offensive line, has made the Atlanta Falcons into having one of the most well-rounded offenses in football. Good news for your Atlanta Falcons, bad news for everybody else.
Next: Leonard Hankerson is Automatic in the Red Zone