PHOENIX – The Falcons traveled to Arizona following their recent loss to the Houston Texans (2-2) to get acclimated ahead of the upcoming matchup with the Arizona Cardinals (1-3-1). Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and coach Dan Quinn believe the trip came at the right time as the team is hoping the extra time together will help them get back on track.
"It's been a good trip for us so far," Ryan said. "We're at a point where we've got to turn the tide. We've got to find a way to play better."
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The expectations the Falcons have for themselves on offense are high. As Julio Jones said, the unit expects to score between 21-28 points a game with the talent they possess.
They've showed flashes of the type of offense they can be, but consistency has been what's missing. Whether it be penalties or turnovers that have stalled drives, the Falcons have yet to put their best game together for four quarters and that's the focus moving forward.
"We haven't been able to put a complete football game where for four quarters we've played consistent football," Ryan said. "That has to be our mindset, to have a week of practice that gives us the best chance to be consistent for four quarters."
Atlanta's offense should be able to take advantage of the Cardinals' young secondary that features rookies Byron Murphy Jr. and Deionte Thompson. Arizona ranks No. 28 in the league in scoring, giving up 27.6 points per game.
The Cardinals strength on defense is the play of their outside linebackers led by veteran Terrell Suggs and Chandler Jones who have combined for 7.5 of Arizona's 12 total sacks.
It'll be up to Atlanta's offensive line to play well in pass-protection for the Falcons to dominate through the air like they hope to do.
The Atlanta Falcons are spending a week in Phoenix leading up to their Week 6 contest against the Cardinals. Take a look at the first day of practice in this gallery, presented by Quikrete.
