The Atlanta Falcons' offense went to great lengths during the offseason to improve in the red zone.
So much for that after Week 1.
The Falcons were held to 12 points in last week's loss Michael Dickson Jersey , scoring just one touchdown in five trips inside the Philadelphia 20-yard line. They came away with no points three times and settled for a short field goal on another.
"It kind of goes without saying that we've put a good bit of work into there and we're not going to assess where we're at on one performance, but that part of our game needs to improve, and it certainly will," coach Dan Quinn said Monday. "We just know we have work to do in that spot."
Atlanta (0-1) is unlikely to catch much of a break this weekend when Carolina (1-0) visits Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Panthers' defense kept Dallas out of the red zone until midway through the fourth quarter when the Cowboys scored their lone touchdown. Carolina hit quarterback Dak Prescott 10 times and sacked him six times.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked four times and hit 13 by the Eagles. Two sacks came on the 12 snaps Atlanta took in the last two minutes as Ryan drove the offense 70 yards and ended the game with a short incompletion to star receiver Julio Jones.
Quinn was just as disappointed in the game's opening drive. The offense looked dynamic on its first seven plays, driving to the 1 on three long catches by Jones and two strong runs by Devonta Freeman, but the offense quickly stalled.
From that point on, Freeman ran just four times for 11 yards, and Tevin Colman had nine rushes for 19. Quinn stopped short of criticizing offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian's play-calling before adding that Atlanta must do a better job of balancing its attack to blend in more runs.
It will be tough against Carolina, which ranked No. 3 against the run last year. Philadelphia ranked No. 1.
"When you play good fronts Stephon Gilmore Jersey , it's hard to get the run game going, but you have to find ways to do it because eventually some of those runs break," Quinn said.
"Sometimes the zero run goes for 10. You've got to keep digging and taking your shots at it. It's a big part of what we do. We've got incredibly high standards for our run and how we do it and the way we feature the backs."
The offensive line has to do its part and stay on blocks to create some creases to exploit. Freeman and Coleman need to be more active in the screen passing game, too.
"We've just got to be effective early," left guard Andy Levitre said. "They've got a good front, so it's staying on guys and giving backs a chance to hit it and make some plays. Those guys are well capable of doing that."
NOTES: LB Deion Jones was held out of practice with a sore foot. Quinn said it was too early to tell if Jones will miss more time this week. ... The team signed LB Corey Nelson, S Keith Tandy and DE Steven Means as reserves. ... WR Christian Blake was signed to the practice squad. ... CB Deante Burton and long snapper Jeff Overbaugh were waived.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) r12; Jamal Adams was surprised by what he saw when he first came to the New York Jets: a negative environment the likes of which he wasnr17;t familiar.
The second-year safety told Bleacher Report in a story published Tuesday that the Jets appeared used to losing and some players wanted to do only the bare minimum. The interview was conducted a few months ago.
r0;Ir17;m very passionate,r1; Adams said Tuesday when asked about his comments. r0;Coming in Noah Spence Jersey , I was wide-eyed. I just wanted to come in and work hard and make an impact. The things that came out, I didnr17;t feel very strong as far as me saying that.r1;
Adams said he has no regrets about the comments, which made for some buzz on a hot, steamy day at training camp.
r0;Everybody was used to losing,r1; Adams said in the Bleacher Report story. r0;You can always tell that vibe. I came in, and it was like everybody wanted to do the bare minimum. They didnr17;t want to go above and beyond. They didnr17;t want to take that extra step.r1;
Adams, the Jetsr17; first-round pick out of LSU last year, insisted he never meant to disparage any of his teammates. He also acknowledged that he was speaking about players who are no longer with the team, but did not identify them.
Despite being in the NFL for just one year Lance Alworth Jersey , Adams is already considered a leader on the Jets because of his work ethic and willingness to lead by example.
r0;I do things a little different as far as how passionate I am when Ir17;m on the field,r1; he said Tuesday. r0;In this world, period, not everybody works as hard as someone else. Those things are left unsaid and wer17;re moving forward.r1;
Coach Todd Bowles said he spoke to Adams twice about the playerr17;s comments r12; on Tuesday and a few weeks ago.
r0;Jamal is a very young player, and her17;s a very smart player, and he speaks from his heart,r1; Bowles said. r0;We talked about it. He didnr17;t mean a lot of the things that came out wrong.r1;
Teammate Leonard Williams said Adamsr17; comments were r0;a little bold,r1; and thought he perhaps needed to say things differently r12; although Williams was not critical of him.
r0;I donr17;t blame Jamal at all for what he said,r1; Williams said. r0;He probably just didnr17;t word it in the best way. Her17;s a young guy. He has a lot to learn on and off the field. This is part of the off-the-field stuff he has to learn.r1;
Adams wouldnr17;t directly address the comments Melvin Ingram Jersey , but insisted that the culture of the team is much better now than it was a year ago r12; and that his teammates are r0;gelling.r1;
r0;I never want to bash any of my teammates, thatr17;s not what Ir17;m here for,r1; Adams said. r0;Those guys know that. Again, itr17;s never going to be about me. Itr17;s always going to be about this team and what we can do to build this culture up each and every day.r1; Adidas Shayne Gostisbehere Jersey
