Falcons know their offense is up against a different animal this week

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Atlanta Falcons put up offensive numbers that you simply don’t see in the National Football League last Sunday. In fact, you really don’t see them much in college. Maybe in a video game. . . On rookie mode.

More than 500 yards in the air for quarterback Matt Ryan, 300 yards receiving for superstar receiver Julio Jones, truly unbelievable numbers against a Carolina defense that was so proud just one year ago.

They know this week won’t be quite as easy.

“They are built differently for sure,” Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said of Denver’s defense compared to Carolina’s. “On the outside edges, I think that’s where so many things can be disruptive when you’re facing Denver. With Carolina, sometimes it’s right down the middle. The big guys inside and the two inside linebackers, the strength of the safeties.

“We totally recognize the uniqueness that they have based on the rush ability that they have,” he added. “Not only just outside but now with the addition of the way Wolfe is playing inside. The speed they have at linebacker and then all the experience, savviness and technique that the secondary plays with, we know we have our hands full… Quite a bit different from Denver to Carolina, in terms of looking at the two schemes.”

Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders said he would retire if he ever had a game like the one Jones put down last week, but the Denver secondary wasn’t quite as impressed. While having the utmost respect for the Falcons offense, after watching the film, more than one member of the secondary were flabbergasted by what they saw from the Carolina defense. In scheme and effort.

T.J. Ward spoke on it. He simply couldn’t allow himself to simply sing the praises of the Falcons after what he saw.

“Not as impressive as it sounds,” he said of the big numbers from last week. “There was a lot of broken coverages and guys left wide open. They still did a good job finding them, but it wasn’t the game that I thought it was after watching it.”

On the other side, Matt Ryan was adamant that the Broncos defense is as impressive as it sounds.

“I think it’s an excellent defense, I think they’re talented across the board,” he explained. “In the front seven, some really good playmakers, some speed rushers, solid linebacker play. In the backend, talented corners, good safeties. Very talented across the board, very sound in their scheme, they play well, they’re opportunistic. Very good at getting the ball and taking it away, so we’re going to have our work cut out for us.”

At 4.3 yards per play allowed, the Broncos defense leads the NFL. At 7.5 yards per play, the Falcons offense leads the NFL. Something has to give.

Quinn has a Super Bowl ring sitting at home because of the old adage that great defense beats great offense, and while he wouldn’t quite admit to the fact that he believes in that adage, he did admit that this Broncos defense reminds him of a defense that he once coordinated. The defense that shut down Peyton Manning and the best NFL offense of all-time in Super Bowl 48.

After all, many believe this defense was built because of that defense.

“There are a lot of similarities,” he explained. “One, I think they are really good ball-hawks, for the team to be plus-three right now, you just have a sense for a guy having the knack for a play, a pick-six that goes for a touchdown. You definitely feel the pass rush there, the communication you can see amongst the guys, how hard they’re playing for one another. Generally, in really good defense, how hard you play, the ability to get that ball, that connection and that communication that takes place amongst the teammates. It can be a 3-4 scheme, a 4-3 scheme, but if you have those things going for you, the ball-hawking, that communication, that toughness, that tackling, whatever system you’re playing in, that’s what makes you unique. I definitely see a lot of that on their club.”

The Falcons know they’re up against a different animal this week when it comes to the matchup for their offense, and maybe Dan Quinn has nobody to blame but himself.