Falcons May Be Without Ryan's Security Blanket Sunday

The Falcons have had a surprisingly potent passing game this year, but we may find out on Sunday if it's truly a one-man show.

Roddy White is questionable after suffering a concussion during practiice on Wednesday. If he can't play, there's a pretty good chance that the Falcons passing game may disappear without him. Atlanta has had a pretty good passing game in the first five weeks of the season, but it's all because of White.

No wide receiver in the league has played a larger role in his team's passing game--and it's not even close. No other receiver accounts for more than half of his team's passing yards. White also has half (two) of the team's passing touchdowns and half (19) of the team's first downs through the air.

ON HIS OWN
Here's a look at the five receivers in the league with the highest proportion of their team's receiving yards.
Name, Team	Pct of Comp.	Pct. of Yardage
Roddy White, Atl	37%	54%
Derrick Mason, Balt	34%	48%
Dwayne Bowe, KC	31%	47%
T.J. Housmanzadeh, CIN	32%	44%
Calvin Johnson, Det	23%	38%

Basically, when Matt Ryan drops back to throw. He's usually looking for White first, and everyone else second. That's helped Ryan look like a veteran instead of a rookie--he doesn't have too many decisions to make when he starts to drop back.

And it's worked up to now. That's probably because Mike Mularkey has done a good job of throwing when team's expect to see the run, and running when team's expect to pass. With safeties coming up to stop Michael Turner, it gets more difficult to double team White.

And as soon as White gets deep for a pass or two, like he did last week against the Packers, it opens up things for the running game.

But it also means that if White can't play today, the Falcons all of a sudden are left trying to piece together a passing attack based around Michael Jenkins, an inexperienced Harry Douglas, Brian Finneran and a tight end corps that really isn't accustomed to catching the ball.

Hopefully White will be able to play, because if he can't, it will be the Falcons running game that will singlehandedly have to keep Atlanta in the game.