X-factor: Falcons must create turnovers

Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant celebrates with Brian Poole after intercepting Aaron Rodgers of the Packers during the second quarter September 17 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant celebrates with Brian Poole after intercepting Aaron Rodgers of the Packers during the second quarter September 17 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Falcons are 3-1, just as they were at this point last season, yet there’s something demonstrably different about this team, and coach Dan Quinn is suitably miffed about the issue.

On the way to the Super Bowl last season, the Falcons were plus-11 in turnover margin, which ranked No. 5 in the NFL, and this season the Falcons are minus-4, 29th in the League.

The Falcons want to do something about that beginning Sunday against the Dolphins (2-2).

“We’re certainly going to try to ...” Quinn said. “If you asked me if after four games we’d have only two takeaways, I’d have said, ‘In the first half?’”

Cornerback Desmond Trufant registered the Falcons’ only takeaways with an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown in a win over the Packers.

Quarterback Matt Ryan has all six Falcons turnovers – in the past two games – on five interceptions and a peculiar lost fumble against the Bills that looked to many as if it were an incomplete pass.

It would be easy to attach four asterisks to this unbalanced equation, as three of Ryan’s interceptions went off the hands of Falcons receivers, and Quinn said that, “I thought we missed some opportunities (for takeaways). “I didn’t think there was a lack of going for it. I thought we dropped a few interceptions that we really needed to capitalize on. We really need to be mindful for some of the forced fumbles.”