Matt Ryan is taking the blame and he is ok with that. The Atlanta Falcons have been struggling on offense over the past few weeks and the quarterback is determined to carry that blame over anyone else. Yes, Ryan is to blame for some of the issues including the turnovers that have plagued the unit, but he certainly is not responsible for all of it as players come to the quarterback's defense heading into Week 9.
The Falcons are approaching a must-win game. With the San Francisco 49ers struggling, the Falcons must capitalize or they risk things beginning to fall apart. Ryan has heard the criticism all week. People are wondering if he is injured. They are wondering if he and Kyle Shanahan are not on the same page. The quarterback is fine with the criticism and vows to prove people wrong.
"There's no doubt that playing this position garners certain attention," Ryan said, via ESPN.com. "That's just part of the nature of the sport right now and what it is. But that's outside. That's outside stuff. Inside this locker room, I really feel like it's all of 63 of us -- practice squad guys included -- pulling our weight equally during the week. I get there's going to be criticism. I understand that. I understand that's the nature of playing this spot. And I'm fine with dealing with that. But it comes down to, for me, you can't worry about it. You can't listen to it. It is what it is."
The Falcons are prepared to play without Leonard Hankerson this weekend which will put stress on players like Roddy White and Nick Williams to step up alongside Jacob Tamme. According to running back Devonta Freeman, while the 49ers might be struggling on offense their defense is still very physical and should be a tough matchup.
"I see a lot of great things,'' Freeman said, via ESPN.com. "They're physical. They're smart. They've got a lot of vets. They're going to be where they need to be. Just a physical defense and a run-hit defense. They're mentality is to stop us. We've got to come out with the energy and come prepared and ready to play."
The 49ers gave up plenty of rushing yards to Todd Gurley and company last week against St. Louis including a 71-yard touchdown run. That could mean big things for Freeman and Tevin Coleman if the offensive line can hold up. With Mike Person dealing with an ankle injury, there might be changes up front that could factor into the game.
