Falcons Report Card: Atlanta lucky to be undefeated

Matt Ryan was due for a bad game at some point, but Sunday's game symbolized Atlanta's need for a better rushing attack.

By Mike Singer

Oct 15, 2012 at 3:17 pm ET • 2 min read

The Falcons did just enough to stop Oakland and enter its bye week as the league's lone undefeated team. (US Presswire)

Despite a sluggish, often times incoherent offensive performance from quarterback Matt Ryan, Atlanta entered its Week 7 bye as the NFL’s lone undefeated team.

Call it resolve or luck, but the Falcons rallied for the third consecutive week, beating the Raiders 23-20 on a game-winning 55-yard field goal from Matt Bryant.

Offense: C-

Ryan threw three first-half interceptions and was under constant heavy pressure due to poor offensive line play. Running back Michael Turner contributed just 33 yards on 11 carries, highlighting the Falcons' one-dimensional offense and Atlanta was just 2 for 9 on third-down conversions. Atlanta's 286 yards of total offense was a far cry from the 376 yard per game average they had entering the game. Of course, many of these immediate concerns are assuaged due to the victory and can be addressed by coach Mike Smith during the bye week. Previous game's grade: B

Defense: B

The Falcons' defensive line created excellent leverage in the trenches but poor tackling permitted 149 rushing yards. The Falcons rank 27^th in the NFL at rush defense, allowing 143.8 ypg.

Defensive end John Abraham recorded three sacks and a forced fumble, but the biggest play of the game came from cornerback Asante Samuel, who jumped a five-yard out route and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown. Most of the momentum generated from that play was lost though, as the Raiders responded with an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to tie the game. Previous game's grade: A

Special teams: A-

Bryant nailed the 55-yard game-winning field goal with a second remaining. The kick was the second-longest kick of his career and his longest since joining the Falcons in 2009. He made three of four attempts on the day and his lone miss -- a 43-yard first-quarter attempt -- was his first miss of the season. Previous game's grade: A

Coaching: C-

The Falcons played lackadaisically and looked unprepared to face the Raiders, who were fresh off their bye week. Specifically, they made the same mistakes -- poor tackling, turnovers, bad play-calling -- that made against Washington in Week 5, and were fortunate to escape with an unblemished record.

The most obvious coaching lapse from Sunday’s game came from the offensive series following Jonathan Babineaux’s fumble recovery. After an incomplete pass on first down, Atlanta couldn't punch it in despite back-to-back rushing attempts by Turner and FB Jason Snelling, who has six rushes all season. Had Atlanta not abandoned the rush earlier in the game, a play-action pass may have been available to TE Tony Gonzalez, who thrives in red zone situations. Previous game's grade: B+

For more Falcons coverage, follow Mike Singer @CBSFalcons.