FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked a season-high six times during the Falcons' 41-17 loss to the Steelers on Sunday.
And on Monday, coach Dan Quinn was asked about his evaluation of the Falcons' offensive line and where the breakdowns occurred. Quinn offered a very pointed good news/bad news assessment.
"The good news for me when we go through those – they're definitely correctable," Quinn said. "But, it cannot happen."
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Four of the Steelers' six sacks came in the first half, and defensive end T.J. Watt finished with three for the afternoon. Watt's last sack resulted in fumbled and a fourth-quarter touchdown by linebacker L.J. Fort, who recovered the ball in the end zone for Pittsburgh's final points.
"I wish there was one thing I could put it on," Quinn said. "It wasn't all dropback, it wasn't all third downs. There was certainly some on some blitzes, and ones that weren't blitzes that were a four-man rush. So I'd say it was a combination of things. At times we didn't pick up like we'd like, there were other times that we got beat at the point of attack."
Ryan, who took more hits than he had all season long, was sacked four times on first down. According to Quinn, Ryan did undergo X-rays after the game on his foot and the results came back negative.
"They make the second downs so much longer – we overcame a few, but not to the level that we need," Quinn said.
