NE Atlanta News

The Atlanta Falcons are grappling with third-down inefficiencies, which have been a recurring issue in their first three games of the regular season. The team has converted only 8 out of 27 third-down attempts over these games, leading to concerns about their offensive consistency.

Kirk Cousins, the team's quarterback, acknowledged the problem after their recent loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. "That clip is not good enough," he stated. Head coach Raheem Morris also highlighted the importance of improving third-down performance during a Monday afternoon press conference. "We gotta do a better job of getting third downs on offense and we gotta do a better job stopping them and getting off the grass on defense," Morris said. He emphasized that third downs impact time of possession and scoring points.

Morris believes that enhancing their third-down conversion rate will allow the Falcons to control the game more effectively. "It will allow you to keep the ball a little bit longer, so you can play a little bit of the soccer game we are capable of playing, particularly if we get our run game going," he explained.

To address this issue, Morris mentioned that they constantly self-scout and analyze patterns in protection, route concepts, and decision-making on each play.

Week-by-week analysis reveals specific challenges:

**Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers**

The Falcons were 2-of-9 on third down. They struggled mainly in third-and-long situations (0-for-5). Despite some open receivers, Cousins seemed uncomfortable in the pocket due to his long absence from live action since Week 8 of 2023.

**Week 2 vs. Philadelphia Eagles**

Again converting only 2-of-9 third downs, they managed to avoid many third-and-long situations but still failed to gain enough yardage for conversions consistently. Notably, successful conversions led directly to points scored.

**Week 3 vs. Kansas City Chiefs**

In this game, despite having several short-yardage situations (third-and-short), they still managed just one conversion out of four attempts in such scenarios due to an ineffective run game.

Major themes emerged from analyzing these plays:

- The Falcons have only converted one-third-and-short play.

- Successful conversions have resulted in significant gains.

- Third-and-4 situations have been problematic.

- The second half has seen very few successful conversions; none occurred in any game's third quarter.

Coach Morris and quarterback Cousins both recognize that addressing these issues is crucial for achieving success moving forward.