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According to ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure, receiver Roddy White made his point clear after the Falcons beat the Buccaneers when he said, "We've got to execute better and get down in the red zone and score [touchdowns], not field goals." It's a theme the Falcons need to carry with them into Sunday's game at Carolina.

As McClure suggested, that sounds like nitpicking for a team that ranks third in the NFL in red zone percentage (71.4). But the margin for error is so slim this season for the 3-6 Falcons as they attempt to make a second-half push and compete for the NFC South title.

Looking back against the Buccaneers, McClure believes the Falcons should have been at least 3-of-4 in the red zone, if not 4-of-4. Remember, an uncovered Devin Hester dropped a sure touchdown in the end zone. At the same time, the Falcons shouldn't have put themselves in a third-and-19 situation after having a first down on the Bucs' 10-yard line.

A false start on Ryan Schraeder and a sack of Matt Ryan pushed the Falcons back 12 yards during that red zone opportunity.

The other failed red zone trip was a little more understandable, considering rookie running back Devonta Freeman picked up 9 yards on third-and-10 that left the Falcons with a fourth-and-1 at the Buccaneers' 15. Head coach Mike Smith wisely went with the fourth-quarter field goal to give his team the 10-point cushion that made for the final margin.

Now as the Falcons look ahead to Sunday, they'll be up against the Panthers defense ranked second to last in the league in red zone defense, allowing opponents to convert almost 70 percent of those opportunities. Philadelphia was 4-of-4 in the red zone against Carolina on Monday night.

The Falcons -- and fantasy owners with Falcons on their rosters -- need all the help they can get.

As Pro Football Focus' Mike Clay notes, after scoring an impressive 15 touchdowns during their first four games (3.75 per game), the Falcons have totaled a miserable nine in their past five (1.8 per game).

Julio Jones and White rank 11th and 30th, respectively, in fantasy points among wideouts this season, and should be locked into lineups.

"Otherwise," Clay wrote, "there's not a ton to love here."

He added that Atlanta is a pass-first team, but there's been an effort to run it more the past two weeks. Clay believes that makes Ryan more of a borderline QB1 option. Steven Jackson has four rushing touchdowns, but shares the backfield with three other backs. Harry Douglas is worth WR3 consideration when the matchup is right.