There is an old football saying that continues to hold true year in and year out at all levels of the game.
It simply says that offense makes headlines but defense wins games. It is true at the high school, college and professional levels. A prime example of it at the professional level is the current plight of the Atlanta Falcons.
While the Falcons have a strong offense led by quarterback Matt Ryan, running backs Stephen Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers and wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones, their defense has difficulty stopping anyone.
The Falcons, who have lost four games in a row yielding a 2-5 record, will take on former University of Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Stafford and the 5-2 Detroit Lions Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in London, England.
“Right now we are behind the eight ball, and all kinds of things can happen,” Ryan told Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports writer D. Orlando Ledbetter this week. “We have the right people in the locker room, the right leaders and the right coaches to turn this around.”
Ryan suffered through his first losing season in 2013 when the Falcons went 4-12, and he was hoping to turn things around this season, but several injuries on the offensive line and a young defense that lacks experience have hurt them.
“We need to worry about this coming week,” Ryan told Ledbetter. “We need to prepare better, practice better and play better. We know what to do, but we haven’t done it yet.”
If the Falcons hope to salvage the season and have any hope of even a wild card playoff slot, they must right the ship offensively and defensively soon. The time is getting shorter and shorter.
Regardless of how this season turns out for the Falcons, If I was team president Rich Makay and team general manager Thomas Dementroff, I would concentrate my entire college player draft next spring on the defensive side of the ball because that is obviously where they need the most help.