During the preseason, penalties were a problem for the Falcons. It was concerning primarily because under head coach Mike Smith, the Falcons have been a very disciplined teams when it comes to preventing penalties against themselves.
Since 2008 when Smith took over in Atlanta, the Falcons have been called for 318 accepted penalties, the lowest total in the NFL during that time span.
The penalty troubles during the preseason have been solved and once again the Falcons are ranked in the top 10 in the league in regards to the fewest penalties. They have been ranked there for each of Smith's first four seasons.
Atlanta's 18 penalties against are the fewest in the league this season. Heading into the Oakland game last week, the Raiders were ranked second behind the Falcons, but inside the Georgia Dome last Sunday they were flagged 12 times, bringing their total to 31.
