FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons, a team built to be an offensive juggernaut, has sputtered out to a 2-4 record and appear headed for another disappointing season.

For the second straight game, running back Antone Smith was pretty much the only Falcons player making plays.

Smith’s 41-yard catch-and-run score was the only Falcons touchdown after halftime in the 27-13 loss to the Bears. His 74-yard touchdown catch against the Giants a week earlier was the only Falcons score in the second half of the 30-20 defeat.

Smith now has scored a touchdown in five of six Falcons games, and each score has gone for at least 38 yards. He has scored two of the three touchdowns the Falcons have scored in the past nine quarters.

Smith’s five touchdowns this season have come on just 23 touches; last season he scored two touchdowns on seven touches. It’s no wonder Falcons fans call for Smith to get more chances, though Smith has refused to be drawn into that debate.

“I don’t think just one guy can do it,” Smith said. “There’s no way in the world I’m the one guy making plays. It seems that way, but I’m not. A lot of guys are out there blocking, Matt (Ryan) is throwing the ball and Steven (Jackson) is doing a good job. Without them, I don’t have any success at all.”

Against the Bears, Smith trailed Jackson (20 snaps) and Jacquizz Rodgers (17) in playing time. He had 11 snaps and rookie running back Devonta Freeman had 10 snaps. Smith had just two rushing attempts and four receptions, with four of those touches coming after halftime.

Smith’s latest long scoring play came with the Falcons trailing the Bears 13-3 in the third quarter.

While Smith is rolling, the Falcons need the rest of their playmakers to get in gear as they are set to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Falcons are built to score points, especially through the air.

And yet there was Julio Jones, their star wide receiver, dropping two key passes against the Bears. Roddy White, the franchise’s career leader in nearly every wide receiver category, also had two drops. Ryan, the franchise quarterback, floundered behind an offensive line that still can’t protect him consistently.

The Falcons’ big-name offense has managed just three touchdowns in its past nine quarters.

“We feel like we’ve got the guys to do it but the key to success is doing it, not just feeling like you can do it,” Ryan said. “Our preparation has been solid. Our performance hasn’t been where it needs to be.”

It’s become a trend for the Falcons.

For the second straight week, the offensive line’s pass protection wilted when the opponent cranked up its pass rush after halftime. The running game has become so ineffective that coordinator Dirk Koetter essentially abandoned it against the Bears.

Jones and White had dodged interview requests.

Tight end Levine Toilolo, a first-year starter, took responsibility for his drops.

“Those are huge plays,” Toilolo said. “They are plays I expect to make and they are plays my team expects me to make. When it comes down to it, I’ve got to make them.”

REPORT CARD VS. BEARS

–PASSING OFFENSE: F – Matt Ryan completed 19 of 37 passes for 271 yards and was victimized by his receivers. He had one interception and finished with a passer rating of 73.1. The offense had a season-low 12 first downs and converted on 4 of 13 (31 percent) third downs. Over the past two games, the offense has converted on 6 of 26 third downs (23 percent). Julio Jones, who had two dropped passes, caught four passes for 68 yards against the Bears. Tight end Levine Toilolo had three dropped passes against the Bears. Roddy White, who has been struggling this season, had two dropped passes against the Bears.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: F – The Falcons had to abandon the run after getting off to a good start. Steven Jackson had 25 yards on six carries with a long of 14 yards. He wants more carries to get a rhythm, but the Falcons continue to pass. The line got off to a good start, but for the second week in a row they crumbled in the second half. Overall, the Falcons rushed 13 times for a season-low 42 yards.

–PASS DEFENSE: F – Bears quarterback Jay Cutler orchestrated explosive pass plays of 74, 47, 26, 25 and 20 yards. Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant appeared to be passing wide receiver Alshon Jeffery off to safety Kemal Ishmael on the 74-yarder. Cornerback Robert Alford had a nice breakup on a fade route to Brandon Marshall. Both Marshall and Jeffery had over 100 yards receiving. “Obviously, there was some confusion on some deep routes, and we’ve got to be much better at it,” coach Mike Smith said. There was no sustainable pressure again. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora appears to be getting frustrated with this designated pass rusher nonsense. The Falcons have started to cut Kroy Biermann’s snaps. He played 42 of 73 snaps (58 percent). He played 68 percent against the Giants and 75 percent against the Vikings. Biermann and Paul Soliai split a sack.

–RUSH DEFENSE: F – The Bears ran the ball 28 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Joplo Bartu started for Prince Shembo, who was questionable with an ankle injury. He’d started the past two games and was supposed to get more action as a pass rusher. He played 12 plays on special teams. Bartu and Paul Worrilow had six tackles.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: C-minus – The Falcons wasted two 50-yard-plus field goals from kicker Matt Bryant. Punter Matt Bosher booted a 23-yard punt and failed to pin the Bears inside the 20. Devin Hester had two punt returns for 10 yards with a long of 12. He had two kickoff returns for 44 yards, including a long of 26.

–COACHING: F – The plan to rotate so many players on defense hasn’t worked and has led to some of the confusion, especially in the secondary. Also, the coaches still haven’t figured out how to get the ball to their most consistent playmaker, running back Antone Smith. They’ll have to figure out a way to get things moving over this tough stretch of the season or it’s going to be another losing season. The offense was held to a season-low 42 rushing yards and a season-low 12 first downs. The third-down woes continued as the receivers dropped seven passes. If the Falcons are going to turnaround the season, the coaching staff most make some bold moves.