ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Aside from the fast start, the most impressive thing about Atlanta coach Mike Smith might be his transparency.

Game-by-game look at how Falcons have balanced their offense Wk. Opponent Net Rushing Net Passing Net Yards 1 Detroit 318 156 474 2 at Tampa Bay 105 129 234 3 Kansas City 186 192 378 4 at Carolina 118 150 268 5 at Green Bay 176 194 370 6 Chicago 75 301 376 8 at Philadelphia 77 258 335

In a league (and a world) where not everyone is as genuine as you might think, Smith is what he is. And, so far, that's working nicely with the Falcons at 4-3.

Smith has done exactly what he said he would. At his introductory press conference in January, Smith stressed the importance of offensive balance.

"On the offensive side of the ball, I think it's going to be very important to run the football," Smith said in January. "When you are able to run the football and control the line of scrimmage, you'll be able to open the passing game downfield. I think that's something that's very important. When you are able to do that, you'll be able to have an explosive offense."

Even after deciding to go with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, Smith hasn't veered from his philosophy. He's let Ryan throw more than a lot of people might have expected and that's been allowed because the running game has been good enough to occupy defenses.