FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Winning the time-of-possession battle doesn't equal success.

In fact, the San Francisco 49ers currently boast the best average time of possession (35:38) in the NFL, yet they're 1-2 entering Week 4. The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, rank last in the league (21:26) but share the same 1-2 fate.

There are other pairings that prove this point, too.

Take the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings for example. Both are a perfect 3-0. The Steelers, though, are No. 2 in average time of possession (33:55), whereas the Vikings are No. 29 (27:21).

It's a classic case of quality versus quantity. Doesn't matter how long a team possesses the ball if it doesn't wind up in the end zone or through the uprights. What matters are the points scored, not the length of time it takes to add them — or prevent them in the defense's case.

The Atlanta Falcons, who also have a 1-2 record and are 31st in average time of possession (24:36), know this and keep points at the forefront of their thinking. In their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Falcons showed glimpses of their vision and how there are multiple paths to an ideal outcome.

Upon kickoff, the Falcons' offense used just seven plays to march 70 yards downfield and score on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to wide receiver Drake London. The drive took just three minutes and 53 seconds.

The Chiefs offense then strung together an opening drive of 17 plays for 75 yards, taking 8:21 off the clock. The drive, however, ended with an interception by Falcons safety Justin Simmons.

So, even though Kansas City possessed the ball for more than double the time, Atlanta held the more important 7-0 score advantage.

That, folks, is also a perfect example of complementary football. Offense adds points. Defense prevents points.

Sure, an evenly split time of possession would be nice. Neither unit gets overworked. But it's not realistic. There's always bound to be some gap in possession time within games.

Right now, the Falcons' defense (106:12) has played 32 minutes and 24 seconds more than the offense (73:48). That is a number the team would like to reduce as the season progresses.

The defense, though, has proven it can better take on the added pressure. The unit is nationally tied for 13th in points allowed per game and 18th in yards allowed per game. The defense has given up just four touchdowns, but the offense has only accomplished five of its own — a letdown in the complementary aspect of the game

Overall, the offense hasn't done as well in its matching statistical categories, tied for 26th in points scored per game and 20th in yards totaled per game.

An area of play that has impacted the offense's all-around success is third down. The Falcons have a 22.22% success rate in that regard, which means Atlanta is keeping its drive alive less than a quarter of the time. That ranks the Falcons 29th.

The defense is having a similar issue on third down. Opposing teams are converting 45.45% of their attempts. That ranks the Falcons 26th.

Basically, the offense isn't sustaining enough drives to consistently score points, and the defense isn't creating enough opportunities to get off the field. That has led to the imbalance in time of possession. Notably, though, it hasn't led to a lopsided scoring margin for the Falcons, who have been outscored by only 12 points despite opponents possessing the ball for over an entire half of football more than the Falcons. If there's a reason for optimism, it's that.

All in all, it does still appear the offense needs to pick it up in Atlanta, start carrying its weight a little more with the New Orleans Saints coming to town Sunday. Because maybe, if the time-of-possession scale does tip a bit more in the Falcons' favor, that'll mean the offense is operating at a better clip as it strives to find the right balance between efficient and explosive.