Falcons to focus on selves after 1-3 start

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Roddy White and Osi Umenyiora say that the Atlanta Falcons can fix their mistakes.

Coach Mike Smith says the team has no other choice after stumbling to a 1-3 start.

In losing consecutive regular season games for the first time in six years under Smith, the Falcons have myriad problems to correct.

Several starters are injured. Atlanta’s red zone offense and defensive sacks per pass attempt both rank 28th in the NFL. The Falcons’ defense ranks second-worst in third-down efficiency.

Quarterback Matt Ryan seems to be getting hit consistently in the pocket, and his throws are too often hurried.

“We had some protection issues, we had some routes that weren’t run right, we had some drops, we had some missed throws,” Smith said on Monday. “I can assure you we are addressing it as a coaching staff with our team.”

White and Umenyiora say they’re looking forward to practice Tuesday when Smith will have the starting offense and starting defense work against each other.

Atlanta gets an extra day of work this week with the New York Jets (2-2) visiting the Georgia Dome next Monday night.

White, along with defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, is the longest-tenured Falcon at nine years and doesn’t like to think too much about the last time Atlanta was 1-3.

That was the infamous 2007 season under first-year coach Bobby Petrino, who quit after losing 10 of 13 games.

White never imagined that the current team would lose three of its first four after beginning the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but he believes players can draw from the bitter experience of Petrino’s tenure and avoid a similar lapse in morale.

“You just don’t panic,” White said on Monday. “You are what you earn in this league, so we’re 1-3. You just go out there and correct the problems that you have and get ready for the next game.”