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A weekly examination of the Falcons’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 4 | Last Week: 14 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

Dropping another two slots in the rankings shouldn't be a surprise, as the No. 16 Falcons fell to 1-3 with a 30-23 home loss to the Patriots.

Issues remain on both sides of the ball. A 1-for-6 red zone performance against the Patriots showed the Falcons have a serious problem despite having one of the league's top quarterbacks. Even Matt Ryan admitted not helping the cause with some poor throws against a stingy Patriots defense.

Defensively, the Falcons continue to give up big plays at the wrong time. They surrendered a 47-yard touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount right after allowing the Patriots to convert a third-and-19 from their own 12-yard line. For the game, the defense allowed the Patriots to convert 54 percent (7-of-13) on third down.

Injuries haven't helped the Falcons' cause, either. Steven Jackson (hamstring) remains out while left tackle Sam Baker (knee) went down against the Patriots. Roddy White continues to recover from a high ankle sprain, while starting linebackers Akeem Dent (ankle) and Paul Worrilow (knee) are banged up too, as is cornerback Asante Samuel (thigh).

At least the Falcons have a chance to get back on track in their next two games: against the Jets (No. 22) and the Bucs (No. 31). A bye week in between those games should allow the Falcons to get healthier.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- When the Atlanta Falcons' offensive linemen emerged from meetings Monday afternoon, tackles Sam Baker and Lamar Holmes limped in unison on their way out the door.

Holmes, wearing a black protective sleeve on his left leg, actually looked a bit more hobbled than Baker, although it was Baker who exited Sunday’s game against the Patriots prematurely after sustaining another knee injury. He played 22 snaps before being replaced by Holmes.

The fact that Baker walked under his own power and without the use of crutches could be a positive sign, although head coach Mike Smith declined to give any status updates until Thursday’s injury report is released. The Falcons host the Jets on ESPN "Monday Night Football"

Baker returned to the starting lineup Sunday after missing Week 3 with knee and foot injuries then went down again. It is unclear when Holmes might have gotten banged up.

Although both players have had their struggles, the Falcons would be in a bind if both are ailing come Monday. Jeremy Trueblood seems to have settled in at right tackle, and the next player in the tackle rotation is rookie free-agent pickup Ryan Schraeder from Valdosta State.

Mike Johnson was spotted at the facility Monday, but the offensive lineman cannot help his team now. The projected starting right tackle suffered a season-ending broken left leg and dislocated left ankle back in August.

Smith said the offensive line played its best game of the season Sunday in terms of protection. In order to keep improving as a unit, the line has to stay healthy.

The linebacker position also has been hit with a rash of injuries. Akeem Dent suffered an ankle injury against the Patriots, while Paul Worrilow, who supplanted Stephen Nicholas in the starting lineup Sunday, sustained a knee injury. Worrilow seemed OK walking around the locker room Monday while Dent was nowhere to be seen. The Falcons already lost starting linebacker Sean Weatherspoon until at least Week 11 with a foot injury. Weatherspoon was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return.

Other injuries to monitor include wide receiver Roddy White's continued recovery from a high-ankle sprain, running back Steven Jackson's progression from a hamstring injury, and cornerback Asante Samuel's bout with a nagging thigh issue.

Update: During the open period of Tuesday's practice, Jackson was in shorts, huddled with the trainers on a side field. He did not have a helmet. Julio Jones (knee), Worrilow, and Samuel were without helmets, too, while White, Baker, and Dent were nowhere to be seen.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Although Matt Ryan put the blame on himself, his teammates had his back.

There was no need to doubt Ryan when he led the Atlanta Falcons to a 13-3 record and playoff win last season. And the 1-3 Falcons see no reason to doubt their quarterback now despite a few errant passes in Sunday's 30-23 loss to the New England Patriots.

"Matt Ryan has a lot of pride in this game and he works really hard to do well," running back Jason Snelling said. "He makes those throws in practice; some of the ones that he felt like he missed.

"As a teammate, you see it and you want to rally around him and tell him we have to make more plays to help him. We have to put him in situations where, if he doesn't make the perfect throw, that we help him by making great catches or we do more things to help him so we're not in those [desperate] situations."

Ryan threw for a career-high 421 yards Sunday, but one would have thought he threw five interceptions based on his self-critique. He took full ownerships for poor throws to Roddy White on a couple of fourth-down plays in the red zone.

On the Falcons' final drive, Ryan completed 1 of 4 passes for three yards in the red zone. He threw a ball too high to Harry Douglas and maybe too far to the left of Tony Gonzalez. Then on the fourth down, his pass to White was tipped away by Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib.

"Roddy has made a ton of plays for us -- and for me, specifically -- since I've been here," Ryan said after the game. " … I've got to try and give him a better opportunity to make a play on that ball."

Ryan, of course, didn't mention the poorly run routes or the eight dropped passes, as graded by Pro Football Focus. He didn't point the finger at right tackle Lamar Holmes, who surrendered a third-down sack in the red zone that forced the Falcons to settle for a field goal. Center Peter Konz also appeared to give up a sack in a game head coach Mike Smith said was by far the best for the offensive line in terms of protection.

"So we need to get rid of those [sacks] because it's our job to keep Matt clean," Konz said, "and also to keep the defense from having those hurries because anytime he feels pressure, we're not going to get the best throw off. So we need to protect a little bit better."

Ryan talked about what he needed to do better in order to correct the team's red zone issues before next Monday night's date with the Jets.

Smith was asked how he would approach Ryan coming off such a difficult and possibly critical loss.

"I think you have to be brutally honest with one another," Smith said. "And I believe this: When you win, the quarterback and the head coach probably get too much credit. When you lose, they get the lion's share of the blame.

"I know that Matt and I are very aware of that. And we have to do what we've always done, and that's put the previous game behind us and move on."

An examination of four hot issues from the Falcons’ 30-23 loss to the Patriots:

Matty Ice-Cold? Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw for a career-high 421 yards, including 201 yards in the fourth quarter alone. But on the Falcons’ final desperation drive, Ryan threw three bad passes in the red zone following a 49-yard connection with Julio Jones. Ryan admitted he should have given Roddy White a better opportunity to make a play on fourth-and-7 from the Patriots’ 10-yard line, when cornerback Aqib Talib batted the ball to seal the win. Ryan also missed a wide-open White on another fourth-down play from the Patriots' 7. It’s hard to criticize a guy who has engineered 22 game-winning drives, but even Ryan knows he has to play better and possibly improvise more -- particularly in the red zone.

Defensive breakdowns: The Falcons' defense had its share of issues throughout the game. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will be asked exactly what happened on that third-and-19 play in the fourth quarter when Tom Brady found Kenbrell Thompkins for a 26-yard gain from his own 12-yard line. The Falcons faked an all-out blitz, went with a three-man rush and managed to let Thompkins get behind them in coverage. William Moore added to the misery with a hit-to-the-head penalty. Giving up that play is inexcusable, based on the down and distance, and it has to be addressed immediately.

On the line: The offensive line remains a question mark, although Ryan was sacked just twice. One of those sacks -- allowed by Lamar Holmes -- came in the red zone and forced the Falcons to settle for a field goal. Center Peter Konz whiffed on the other sack allowed. Left tackle Sam Baker went down with a knee injury but picked up two successive penalties before exiting. If Baker is out a significant amount of time, the Falcons might want to consider looking around for more offensive-line help based on the struggles Holmes has had at tackle.

Fountain of youth: If there was a positive to come out of Sunday’s game, it was the play of veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez. He ran smooth routes and dominated his one-on-one matchups against linebackers en route to a career-high 149 receiving yards on 12 catches. Gonzalez was targeted a team-high 14 times after subtly bringing up his touches last week. More than anything, Gonzalez showed just how valuable he'll be to Ryan for the rest of the season. We’ll see if Ryan tries to talk him out of retirement once again.

ATLANTA -- There was no long, drawn out explanation as to why the Falcons gave up a 47-yard touchdown run to the Patriots’ LeGarrette Blount in the fourth quarter Sunday night.

Safety William Moore had a simple response to what happened.

"Everybody’s got a responsibility on the field,’’ Moore said. "You’ve got a gap to be in, and a responsibility. If one person misses their gap, it’s off to the races. And that’s what happened on that one. We didn’t execute that play.’’

The defense is sure to be scrutinized even more this week following some missteps against the Patriots. The Falcons surrendered three plays of 40-plus yards to Tom Brady and the Patriots -- four if you count the 41-yard pickup that came as a result of Brady’s 26-yard pass play to Kenbrell Thompkins on third-and-19 coupled with a 15-yard hit-to-head penalty tacked on against Moore.

The 1-3 Falcons, who were 13-3 last season, have surrendered big plays in every game this season. In a season-opening loss against the Saints, it was Drew Brees’ 67-yard, catch-and-run hookup with receiver Kenny Stills. Then against the Rams, the Falcons allowed Sam Bradford to find Chris Givens for a 47-yard pickup.

In Miami, the Falcons watched Dolphins running back Lamar Miller break off a 49-yard run that set up a touchdown.

Then Sunday night, Blount’s run really helped the Patriots seize the momentum. It appeared linebacker Akeem Dent had the best chance of stopping Blount up the middle before Blount bounced it outside and outran the defense.

"We didn’t play as sound as we wanted to and that we have in the past weeks against the run,’’ safety Thomas DeCoud said. "That’s one thing that’s going to get corrected, and we’ll get back to our old ways.’’

The Falcons actually showed flashes on defense in the final minutes when they needed a big stop. By then, it was too late.

So what can the Falcons do to rectify their defensive problems? The return of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon would help, but Weatherspoon will be sidelined until at least Week 11 with a foot injury. And now fellow linebackers Dent (ankle) and Paul Worrilow (knee) are a banged up, too.

Not to mention cornerback Asante Samuel sat out Sunday with a thigh injury, intensifying the pressure on rookie cornerbacks Marcus Trufant and Robert Alford.

In other words, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has a lot of challenges ahead. We’ll see how Nolan and the defense respond.

As Tony Gonzalez held court in front of his locker Sunday, the last thing on his mind was relishing his career night.

The Atlanta Falcons veteran would have traded all 149 of his receiving yards for a win. Instead, Gonzalez and his offensive mates were left to wonder what could have been had they scored touchdowns in the red zone -- and had the defense not given up a handful of big plays in a 30-23 loss to the undefeated New England Patriots.

A week after head coach Mike Smith repeatedly preached about the need to be more effective in the red zone, the Falcons responded with a 1-for-6 showing inside the 20. Those six trips inside the 20 were the most in a game by any NFL team this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Gonzalez could not hold back his frustration while reflecting on those numbers.

"We've got to be able to put up points, and we should," Gonzalez said. "We have the players and we have the system to get it done. We've done it before in the past. It's just right now we're not clicking, for some reason, throughout the whole game.

"We start out good. But, for whatever reason, in the second half … and it's all of us, collectively. It's no one person that we're going to point the finger at anybody. But I'll tell you what: It's got to get figured out."

It is hard to figure how a team touted as a Super Bowl contender suddenly fell to 1-3. History says the odds are stacked heavily against the Falcons now. According ESPN Stats & Information, only 9 percent of teams that start a season 1-3 have gone on to make the playoffs since 1990. In order to beat those odds, the Falcons have to figure out a way to score touchdowns -- immediately. Atlanta leads the league with 18 red zone drives this season but is fifth worst in touchdown conversion (38.9) on such drives, according to Stats & Information.

During a pregame interview with a local radio station, quarterback Matt Ryan talked about possibly needing to score 35 to 40 points to defeat the Patriots. His words turned out to be prophetic. And the Falcons might have reached those numbers had it not been for their red zone blunders.

"Not our best effort in the red zone tonight," said Ryan, who passed for a career-high 421 yards while completing 34 of 54 passes. "We had chances. We really did. We just didn't make plays."

Those red-zone issues were evident from the start. The Falcons had first-and-goal from the Patriots' 5-yard line on their initial drive yet could not punch it in as Ryan threw incompletions on second and third downs. The Falcons settled for Matt Bryant's 23-yard field goal.

In the second quarter, the Falcons went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Patriots' 7-yard line. Ryan rolled out and sailed a pass too high for an open Roddy White.

"It was a bad throw," Ryan admitted. "Roddy ran a good route, and I made a poor throw."

White also was Ryan's target on the Falcons' final drive of the game, when the Patriots double-covered Gonzalez on fourth-and-7 from the Patriots' 10.

The Falcons had a chance to complete a dramatic comeback from a 17-point deficit and force overtime. Instead, Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib played tough man-to-man defense on White, forcing the incompletion.

"Bang-bang play. We just didn't make it," Ryan said. "We didn't make the play when we needed to. I've got to try and give him a better opportunity to make a play on that ball."

Ryan accepted plenty of the blame, but there was enough to spread around. The running game tandem of Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling was ineffective, although Rodgers had some success with screens. The offensive line allowed too much pressure on Ryan during key stages of the game. And rookie tight end Levine Toilolo dropped what appeared to be a sure touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

"Anytime you have an opportunity to make a play, you've got to make it," Toilolo said. "I know it takes a great deal of respect for the team to trust me, for Matt to trust me. Bottom line is I didn't make the play. That's something I have to do."

The Falcons obviously cannot afford to drop the ball too many more times this season. They already have fallen behind the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints, who take a 3-0 record into Monday night's showdown with the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Still left on the schedule are games against the mighty Seattle Seahawks, the dangerous San Francisco 49ers, and the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers. Not to mention the all-important rematch with New Orleans on Nov. 21.

There are so many aspects the Falcons need to fix.

Defensively, they cannot keep surrendering big plays. The Falcons gave up three plays of 40-plus yards, including a 47-yard touchdown run by Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount. That play was preceded by an unacceptable Tom Brady 26-yard hookup with Kenbrell Thompkins on third-and-19. William Moore added to the misery by picking up a 15-yard hit-to-head penalty against Thompkins.

The Falcons also need to get healthier. Getting White fully recovered from a nagging high-ankle sprain and getting Steven Jackson back from a hamstring injury could help solve some of the red zone woes. And being banged up at linebacker is not helping the defense stop the run.

More than anything, the Falcons cannot afford to lose confidence despite the dismal start.

"We've got a great football team here,'' said receiver Julio Jones, who posted his third-straight 100-yard receiving game. "Everybody just has to keep practicing and just don't give up on the season.''

Salvaging it will not be an easy task.

ATLANTA -- Observed in the locker room after the Atlanta Falcons' 30-23 loss to the New England Patriots:

Ryan remains optimistic: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is not used to seeing a 1-3 record. As down as he was about Sunday's loss to the Patriots, Ryan tried to keep a positive outlook. "We all understand where we're at," Ryan said. "Obviously, it's not where we want to be. We certainly would like to be sitting in a different position, but we are where we are. We know we've got a long haul in front of us. Twelve more games to go. A lot can happen during that time, but our mindset has to be on next week."

Questionable call: Safety William Moore wasn't the least bit pleased with being flagged for a hit to the head on Patriots receiver Kenbrell Thompkins in the fourth quarter. It helped set up a Patriots touchdown. "I totally don't agree with it," Moore said. "Just playing [the] ball. It's going to be a huge fine, them saying he was defenseless. I was just playing football, man." Moore was asked if he felt he hit Thompkins' head. "Not at all," Moore said. "I actually tried my best to not hit a defenseless player and make it as legal as I could."

Red zone woes: Once again, the Falcons struggled in the red zone. They were 1-for-6 in terms of red zone efficiency. The lone touchdown was Tony Gonzalez's 11-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. "You've got to be able to put up points, and we should," said Gonzalez, who finished with 149 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Quite a fight: Julio Jones complained to the officials during the game about the physical play of Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib, who talked trash to Jones the entire game. Talib got the last word in helping limit Jones to six catches despite being targeted 13 times. "I've just got to go out there and play football," Jones said of the battle with Talib. "It could have been some calls, but they didn't call them. It is what it is."

ATLANTA -- A few thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' 30-23 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night:

What it means: The Falcons now find themselves in unfamiliar territory -- on the outside looking in. Since 1990, only 9 percent of teams have made the playoffs after a 1-3 start. One of those 22 teams (out of 258) was the 2002 Falcons, who finished 9-6-1 and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in a divisional playoff game after beating the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card game. But this Falcons team has a tall task, with teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, the Packers and the San Francisco 49ers still remaining on the schedule. And the Falcons were supposed to be a Super Bowl favorite.

Stock watch: If there was a bright spot in the loss, it was the play of tight end Tony Gonzalez. He indirectly lobbied for more touches leading up to the game and responded with 12 catches for 149 yards. His showing included seven catches for 90 yards in the first half and a 21-yard touchdown before halftime on which he shook a falling defender. Gonzalez, who added a second score late, was Matt Ryan's primary target on a night when Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib locked up Julio Jones. If only Gonzalez could play defense.

In the zone: The Falcons got off to a bad start in terms of red zone efficiency, driving down to the Patriots’ 5-yard line on their first possession, then settling for Matt Bryant’s 23-yard field goal. Ryan overthrew Roddy White on fourth-and-2 from the Patriots’ 7-yard line. Then Ryan was sacked on third-and-5 from the Patriots’ 18, causing the Falcons to settle for another field goal. In other words, an offense that needed to improve its red zone efficiency struggled once again.

Run down: The Falcons actually performed well against the run the first three games, surrendering just 79 yards per game to rank fifth in the league. Then they imploded against the Patriots and got gashed. No run was more significant than LeGarrette Blount’s 47-yard touchdown sprint that was the final difference. With injuries mounting at linebacker for the Falcons, other teams might follow the Patriots’ lead and run the ball down against the Falcons.

Line shuffle: Sam Baker returned to the starting lineup at left tackle after missing last week with a knee/foot injury. The Falcons opted to keep Jeremy Trueblood at right tackle and benched Lamar Holmes. Well, Holmes was right back in the lineup after Baker exited the game with a left knee injury and didn’t return. Baker picked up two bad penalties before going down. If Baker’s injury isn’t serious, it will be interesting to see how the Falcons proceed at tackle moving forward.

What’s next: The Falcons face the struggling New York Jets on "Monday Night Football" on Oct. 7 at the Georgia Dome. Under Mike Smith, the Falcons are 1-3 on Monday night, 10-24 all time.

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Falcons starting linebacker Akeem Dent exited Sunday night's game againt the New England Patriots with an ankle injury.

Dent suffered the injury attempting to make a tackle as Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run. Dent had his right ankle taped but did not return.

Omar Gaither replaced Dent in the lineup. Paul Worrilow, Dent's replacement, suffered a knee injury in the game and was on the sideline.

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Falcons left tackle Sam Baker exited Sunday night's game in the second quarter with what appeared to be a left knee injury.

Baker fell to the ground while trying to block, then was helped off the field by the training staff. After a few minutes in the bench area, Baker was taken to the locker room.

Baker started the game despite being questionable coming off knee and foot injuries. He missed last week's game against Miami.

Lamar Holmes, who was benched because of Baker's return to the starting lineup, replaced Baker at left tackle. Jeremy Trueblood started at right tackle, although Holmes started the season as the starting right tackle.

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