Falcons built the one offense that can keep pace with the Packers

The Atlanta Falcons are headed to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2012 for one reason — the strength of their offense. On Sunday, the Falcons will face another dynamic offense in the Green Bay Packers, but Atlanta has demonstrated it can hold its own.

The Packers offense has been on a tear, winning eight in a row. They finished the season ranked fourth in scoring. Aaron Rodgers threw just seven interceptions over the entire regular season, and his pick against the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional round was his first in 317 passes.

Atlanta’s offense may not get as much national attention as Green Bay’s, but the Falcons are hot too, riding a five-game winning streak that includes last week’s Divisional win over the Seahawks.

They also finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in scoring, and Matt Ryan wrapped up the year having made a strong case to be named the NFL’s most valuable player in 2016. He did so by hitting a league-record 13 players for touchdowns this season.

“If you look at the course of the season, not only the production that they have, No. 1 in the league in points. The production speaks for itself,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. “But really, the thing that jumps off the film is their consistency. They’ve been doing it at this high level the whole year.”

There’s no doubt that the Falcons offense is filled with playmakers, and it’s difficult to defend. Just ask any of the five teams Atlanta hung 40-plus points on during the regular season.

That’s a big jump from last season. In 2015, this offense averaged a pedestrian 21.2 points per game. Now they’re putting up over 30 points per game.

So why exactly are the Falcons so successful on that side of the ball this season?

For Matt Ryan, the second season in Kyle Shanahan’s system is a charm. Prior to Shanahan’s arrival in Atlanta, Ryan had two offensive coordinators — Mike Mularkey, now the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, and then Dirk Koetter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach.

When the Falcons made the transition from Mularkey to Koetter, they kept the language and terminology of the offense the same. With Shanahan’s arrival, everything changed. Not only was it a transition to a zone-blocking scheme from a more traditional blocking setup, but it was an entirely new language.

“I’m sure, along with everybody else, the more familiar you are with something, especially at this level, there’s so much separation, and just split-second decisions,” tight end Levine Toilolo said. “And I’m sure for him, the fact that it’s his second year in the offense and with Kyle, I’m sure he’s playing a lot faster and more comfortably in the system.”

Another full offseason for Ryan, and the rest of the offense, to adapt to Shanahan’s scheme and the associated language has made all the difference.

Ryan has connected with 13 different receivers in the end zone this season, and he has completed passes to 15 different players. The Falcons have pretty incredible depth at wide receiver, but we’re not talking about big-name playmakers at wide receiver outside of Julio Jones.

Aldrick Robinson. Taylor Gabriel. Justin Hardy. None of these guys were household names or big fantasy draft targets, but Ryan has managed to elevate the talent of each, and Shanahan has found ways to highlight their respective skill sets in ways that benefit the Falcons on the field.

Hardy said it’s a brotherhood mentality that helps this offense thrive.

“There are no egos,” Hardy said. “Everybody’s doing their job, and when you have that, it leads to great things.”

The two running backs, Tevin Coleman and especially Devonta Freeman, are more widely known for their prowess on the ground. Both, however, have become big factors in the Falcons’ passing game. Both had over 400 receiving yards during the regular season. Coleman had three receiving touchdowns, and Freeman had two.

At tight end, the Falcons are working with a number of young players — rookies Austin Hooper and Joshua Perkins have both caught touchdown passes. Tight end D.J. Tialavea’s first, and only, NFL reception was a touchdown pass from Ryan against the Carolina Panthers.

This only works because Atlanta’s offensive players’ priority is winning as a team.

“We have so many playmakers but I think first and foremost, it’s just how unselfish everyone is,” Toilolo said.

This versatility is also a real challenge to defend. When Jones is on the field, defenses have to respect his playmaking potential. That means cheating at least a safety over to help in coverage, and sometimes Jones draws triple coverage.

But knowing that Ryan has hit 14 guys not named Julio Jones for receptions this season, defensive coordinators have to try to account for the speed and playmaking ability of Gabriel, Mohamed Sanu, Coleman, and others. To say it’s difficult is a grave understatement.

While the Falcons have a wealth of playmakers at skill positions, even if you’d never heard of them before this season, a ton of credit has to go to the offensive line, and particularly the upgrade at center, Alex Mack.

That was a weakness for the Falcons in 2015. With a converted guard, Mike Person, at center, the middle of the line was a liability, and it adversely impacted guard play, too. Guards Andy Levitre and Chris Chester had to compensate for instability at center, and the result was a lot of pressure up the middle.

With Mack, the number of self-inflicted wounds from inadequate center play are no longer an issue.

“Instead of having a handful of messed up plays in the game, we’re reducing those numbers, I feel like, so giving our offense an opportunity to have more success,” Levitre said.

Atlanta has been fortunate, too, to keep all five starters on the field for the entire season. That continuity is fundamentally important.

“Excellent offensive line play, the ability to have those five starters playing week in and week out is so beneficial, and you can see that they’re very much in sync, both in the run and protection,” McCarthy said.

Mack said it’s not just him, and it’s not just the offensive line.

“I think why we’ve had a lot of success is that everyone’s really bought in and they’re making the blocks,” Mack said. “Receivers are blocking great on the run plays, and really making those small runs really big ones because they’re on the second-level blocking.”

Ryan finished the 2015 season with 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. This season, with Mack anchoring the offensive line, Ryan threw 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. That stability makes a tremendous difference.

One thing that hasn’t changed for Ryan is the way that he prepares each week. His teammates and coaches alike praise his focus and leadership on and off the field.

Dan Quinn said Ryan’s process to prepare for games is on another level this season, and that’s helped the offense succeed.

“I think what’s important to understand, he has a real process that he goes through to get ready. He’s totally nailed that this year,” Quinn said. “I can’t tell you what his shift was exactly from years past, but I can tell you from our time here, I think there’s a shift in his preparation, in his process to get ready.”

Wide receiver Eric Weems said Ryan’s steadiness is key.

“I think his consistency — his consistency of preparation that he’s been doing,” Weems said. “He’s been doing the same thing every week, getting guys in the meeting room and studying film.”

And left tackle Jake Matthews said Ryan has always been this consistent.

“It’s no surprise to me to see the success he’s having,” Matthews said. “He’s a great, great player, and I’m happy to have him in the locker room.”

But the thing that has changed for Ryan this season is the confidence he plays with. When he drops back to pass, his footwork is sure. He’s making reads quickly, finding and hitting open receivers decisively. This can be attributed to his preparation, but also the protection from the line, his development in this scheme and the sheer number of offensive playmakers.

As a matter of fact, Ryan’s confidence has been the main factor in Atlanta’s offensive improvement, according to Weems.

“I think Matt is the major key to that, putting guys in position to win, getting the right things called to put players in position to get the ball and make plays,” Weems said.

Until the divisional win over the Seahawks, Ryan had just one postseason victory in his entire career. Last week’s decisive win over Seattle demonstrates how much Ryan has grown since the Falcons got dominated by Green Bay in the Divisional round following the 2010 season.

“It’s a complete offense,” McCarthy said. “They challenge you both in the action passing game, the drop back, and they can run a ball with anybody. So it’s a big challenge for us this week.”

Rodgers and the Green Bay offense also present a big challenge for Atlanta’s young defense, but Ryan and the Falcons offense are capable of keeping up with the Packers. The question that remains is whether any team can keep up with the Falcons.