Lost in the concern over whether the NFL’s officials are throwing too many flags is whether they’re tapping the brakes on no-huddle offenses.
Falcons coach Mike Smith believes that, in Cincinnati on Sunday, the men in black and white made it hard to put the pedal to the metal.
“Each game has a completely different dynamic in terms of the tempo,” Smith said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That was a game where both teams hardly ever huddled. When you watch the game, you could see that they had their no-huddle offense going as well. I think sometimes the officials can slow a tempo game down.”
Smith pointed out that, on several occasions, the offense and defense were lined up and ready, but an official was standing over the ball.
“I think if you look, there were plays where both teams wanted to get out there and play, but there was a stoppage by the officials,” Smith said. “They stood over the ball a lot more in this game than they had in other games.”
The Falcons hope to have more success running the no-huddle attack on Thursday night against the Buccaneers.
“I think the key for us is continuing that tempo and being able to convert on third downs,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “We did not do a good enough job last week.”
This week, keep an eye on whether the Falcons can unleash the kind of pace they want on offense, speeding up the attack. If it works, it will mean less commentary from Phil Simms between plays. Which could result in a ratings spike from the Denver market.