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Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian spent the offseason Sam Martin Jersey , training camp and preseason fine-tuning an Atlanta offense that's expected to be elite in his second year.When the Falcons and Eagles open the NFL regular season Thursday night in Philadelphia, Sarkisian will be back in his role as play-caller, giving him a chance to move past some of the disappointment of eight months ago."To say that we had a fourth-and-goal at the 2 against the team that went on to the win the Super Bowl and it was a bang-bang play tells you that we're very close, and it's been this offseason of getting over that hump," Sarkisian told The Associated Press this week."So we're very hungry and looking forward to the opportunity."Sarkisian's first season wasn't exactly a bust. The offense led the NFL in third-down percentage and ranked eighth in passing as Atlanta went 10-6 and won a wild-card playoff game at the Los Angeles Rams.But the Falcons dropped from first in scoring to 15th. Quarterback Matt Ryan, the league MVP the year before, threw 18 fewer touchdowns, was intercepted five additional times and had his passer rating fall over 16 points from the NFL's best.Even worse, the offense developed a reputation for being predictable. Atlanta scored its only touchdown in the divisional playoff game after the Eagles lost a fumble at their 18-yard line. The Falcons, who were favored to win, went scoreless in the second half.Yet they still had a chance to sneak away with a win before it all fell apart at the 2.With the ball on the left hash mark, the Eagles said they knew the call before the snap as soon as tight end Levine Toilolo motioned right across the formation . They had only one half of the field to defend as Ryan rolled right and came under quick pressure.Julio Jones, the star receiver and obvious target, fell down in the right side of the end zone, but got up quickly enough against cornerback Jalen Mills to turn and face the quarterback. Ryan lofted up a perfect pass. The ball went through Jones' hands .Sarkisian Quandre Diggs Jersey , a former head coach at Washington and Southern Cal, has been through similar moments before, but this was his first big test as a coordinator in the NFL. He said he did the best he could."You put together a plan throughout the week and you get into situations and things are going accordingly, you trust the plan," he said.The Falcons are hoping to improve in Sarkisian's second year the way they did in the second season of his predecessor, Kyle Shanhan, who called the plays that helped Atlanta win the 2016 NFC title.Sarkisian said he feels more comfortable this time around, and it's obvious why.Ryan and Jones and center Alex Mack are three of the league's best at their positions. Running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are tough to defend in the open field and the receiving corps that still includes dependable veteran Mohamed Sanu and added Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley as a first-round pick.The biggest issue is getting the ball to Jones more often in the red zone. Sarkisian was heavily criticized last year for not having Jones, a two-time All-Pro, dialed in more often as Ryan's No. 1 option inside the opponents' 20."I think I'd be remiss not to say we need to get No. 11 the ball," Sarkisian said, "and we need to make sure you defend No. 11, and Julio demands coverage that way."Notes: Long snapper Josh Harris was limited in practice Tuesday after missing Monday's session with a hip injury. Coach Dan Quinn said he Harris will be a game-time decision. Two reserves, G Ben Garland and CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, will not play Glover Quin Jersey , but the Falcons are otherwise healthy. No one would argue that Matthew Stafford is better than Tom Brady.But on Sunday night, Stafford was able to play a lot longer, and that made a significant difference.The Lions have put up big fantasy football numbers in the past, but had more of a sustained and stable offense, in beating the Patriots 26-10.Things are a little more balanced offensively for the Lions (33 runs, 36 pass attempts), and that actually seemed to make their quarterback more effective. There was no better example of that than in the third quarter, when they answered a Patriots touchdown drive with one of their own.Having run the ball more successfully (more on that in a bit), there were things open downfield for Stafford, and he hit Marvin Jones for a 33-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive.Stafford did his part, going 27-of-36 for 262 yards and two touchdowns.For the night, the Lions had nearly a two-to-one edge in time of possession (39:15-20:45). And while that can be a misleading stat at times, it was a reliable indicator in this game. Brady wasn’t able to do the thing he normally does because he didn’t have a chance.And now that they have a more well-rounded offense, Stafford may have a better chance himself.Here are five more things we learned during Sunday Night Football:1 The Lions’ search for a running game has been perpetual http://www.lionscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-ricky-jean-francois-jersey , since that brief moment of James Stewart competence right after Barry Sanders left.But they had what appeared to be some pop on the ground Sunday, with a pair of rookies leading the way.Running back Kerryon Johnson, their second-round pick, had 101 yards on 16 carries, breaking a streak of 70 games without an individual 100-yard rusher. That’s over four seasons without one.That was with LeGarrette Blount getting 16 carries himself, and Theo Riddick getting snaps on passing downs. But Johnson looks like the kind of back who could become a regular producer there.And while it wasn’t as obvious, first-rounder Frank Ragnow is part of that process as well. A mauling run-blocker, he helped open some holes up front to make things easier. He might be their center long-term, but has been an upgrade to the line already.2. The Patriots didn’t activate recently acquired wide receiver Josh Gordon, and they clearly could use an explosive element on offense.Of course, they knew they’d be adjusting once wide receiver Julian Edelman was suspended the first four games of the season, but it’s unusual to see them struggle to move the ball the way they have.The law firm of Cordarrelle Patterson, Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett isn’t going to take them far, and the lack of talent at the wide receiver position is both notable and hampering Rob Gronkowski‘s ability to make a difference. Teams can double-team Gronkowski with impunity because there isn’t another option on offense to make them regret it.And this was happening against a Lions team without its best pass-rusher (Ziggy Ansah), which entered the game 31st in the league in scoring defense.The early returns on first-round running back Sony Michel also haven’t been astounding Cheap Ziggy Ansah Jersey , though it’s far too early to make a final evaluation on him. That Brady guy is still pretty good at football, so throw dirt on them now at your own risk. But they’re very much a work in progress, which is why they made the low-risk/potentially high-reward Gordon deal.3. Any coach will tell you that every week is different in the NFL.But this is two weeks in a row the Patriots have gotten to a dreadfully slow start.The Jaguars scored touchdowns on their first two drives and scored on four of their first five drives, en route to a 24-3 lead at halftime. That turned into a 31-20 win for Jacksonville. The Lions were up 13-0 at halftime.There’s something to be said for making halftime adjustments, but you need to be close enough for them to matter.4. The Patriots were without several starters on defense, but they looked like a team that could use an infusion of speed on that side of the ball as well.Of course, things will naturally improve when inactive guys Trey Flowers, Eric Rowe and Patrick Chung are back, but the Patriots are more strong than fast, and the Lions were able to exploit that around the edges.5. The Patriots also started 1-2 in 2012. They finished 12-4 that season, and went to the AFC Championship Game.So it’s probably too soon to bury this team. Call it a hunch.