FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — If there were ever a time for the Atlanta Falcons offense to prove itself in the red zone, it is Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The Bears red-zone defense is ranked last in the NFL, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on 72.5% of their attempts in the red area this season. The Falcons, on the flip side of the ball, are in the bottom half of the league inside the red zone, but not last. Atlanta's offense ranks 26th with a 48.8% touchdown conversion rate in the red zone.
"Just continue to work on it, get better at it," Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke said. "Hopefully, we can turn those field goals into touchdowns this week."
Those field goals would be in reference to the five Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo made last Sunday in Atlanta's 29-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Three of them were set up because the Falcons stalled out in the red zone.
The offense, meanwhile, scored two touchdowns, both of which were from beyond the enemy's 20-yard line.
"Clearly, you'd love to have seven touchdowns," Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said, "but there are other things that sometimes you're playing different scenarios."
Fair. The Falcons' final two visits to the Colts' red zone did come in the fourth quarter when Atlanta held a double-digit lead. Smith admitted to keeping his calls more conservative at that point in the game in order to ensure the Falcons kept their advantage.
Below is a look at every Falcons drive from Week 16.
| Drive | Quarter | Start | Finish | Result | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q1 | ATL 25 | IND 24 | Touchdown | 5 plays, 75 yards |
| 2 | Q1 into Q2 | ATL 3 | ATL 31 | Punt | 4 plays, 28 yards |
| 3 | Q2 | ATL 27 | ATL 34 | Punt | 3 plays, 7 yards |
| 4 | Q2 | ATL 14 | *IND 4* | Field Goal | 14 plays, 82 yards |
| 5 | Q2 (Drive ends with 0:05 left in half) | ATL 25 | IND 29 | Field Goal | 8 plays, 46 yards |
| 6 | Q3 | ATL 25 | IND 31 | Touchdown | 8 plays, 75 yards |
| 7 | Q3 into Q4 | ATL 25 | IND 23 | Field Goal | 12 plays, 52 yards |
| 8 | Q4 | ATL 38 | ATL 45 | Punt | 3 plays, 7 yards |
| 9 | Q4 | 50 | *IND 17* | Field Goal | 6 plays, 33 yards |
| 10 | Q4 | IND 18 | *IND 7* | Field Goal | 6 plays, 11 yards |
Putting up points in seven of the 10 series is an accomplishment.
However, there's potential for more, and the Bears present that opportunity with the red zone being one of their weak spots on defense. The issue for the Falcons could be getting there.
"How the numbers are done and everything else, I gotcha," Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone said. "But when you watch them and you study how they play, they're a really good defense for a reason."
Chicago has the No. 1 rush defense with opponents averaging just 80.7 rushing yards per game.
Through the air, however, may be where Atlanta can make its move. Chicago has the No. 25 pass defense with opponents averaging 237.5 passing yards per game.
"As long as we get it to the 30-35, we feel good with Koo. He's a great kicker," Heinicke said. "As long as we don't hurt ourselves, we feel like we have a good shot of doing stuff in the red zone."
Related notes:
-- The Falcons have had more touchdowns than field goals in seven games. They also had more field goals than touchdowns in seven games. There was one game in which the totals matched. So, really, there's no consistent skew there.
-- There has only been one game this season in which the Falcons had a 100% red-zone conversion rate, and it was their Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. There have been three games in which the Falcons had a 0% red-zone conversion rate, and those were their Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions, their Week 13 win over the New York Jets and their Week 16 win over the Colts. So, again, one result does not consistently equate to another.
-- The Falcons have 287 points total. Koo is the leading scorer with 113 points, off 23 extra points and 30 field goals. The Falcons' 28 touchdowns leads the way with 168 points. The other six points come from a safety and two 2-point conversions.
Take a look as the Atlanta Falcons put in the work in Flowery Branch for the game against the Chicago Bears.
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts #8 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III #3 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith #81 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman David Onyemata #90 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke #4 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman John Leglue #66 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes #21 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter #0 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell #24 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham #95 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Bud Dupree #48 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jeff Okudah #1 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Tre Flowers #33 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant #27 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith #81 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jeff Okudah #1 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Tre Flowers #33 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie #17 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts #8 during practice at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
