FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons are hoping their second season with coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan brings more familiarity, confidence -- and wins.A few new key players might make an even bigger difference.The Falcons improved from 6-10 to 8-8 but missed the playoffs in Quinns first season. There was improvement, especially on defense, but the failure to take advantage of a 5-0 start left the season feeling more like a letdown.The teams biggest offseason addition could be a difference maker for quarterback Matt Ryan, 31. Three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack left Cleveland to sign a five-year, $47.5 million deal.Mack will be expected to provide the stability and leadership at center the team has lacked since Todd McClures final 2012 season.Even after the release of Roddy White, the most accomplished receiver in franchise history, Ryan has potent playmakers with receiver Julio Jones and dual-threat running back Devonta Freeman. Mohamed Sanu was signed to be the No. 2 receiver.Ryans 21 touchdown passes in 2015 were his fewest since his 2008 rookie season. His 16 interceptions were the second most of his career.Ryan organized and paid for a passing camp which preceded OTAs and minicamp. He said having a year in Shanahans system has made a difference. Thats important because there were calls for Shanahan to be replaced after it appeared Ryan had not adjusted well to the zone-blocking scheme.I think were further along this offseason, Ryan said this month. I think thats going to bode well for us.Ryan said theres certainly an adjustment period following a coaching change, but added I think we handled it pretty well.The key newcomers on defense include linebacker Courtney Upshaw, defensive end Derrick Shelby and rookie strong safety Keanu Neal. Each should start. Another rookie, linebacker Deion Jones, also could play a big role.Here are some story lines to watch for the Falcons training camp:KUDOS FOR KEANU: Neal was drafted from Florida to be an anchor for the defense. Quinn believes Neal has the toughness to play close to the line like a linebacker and the pass coverage skills to defend tight ends and running backs. Quinn said Neal showed in minicamp the mental quickness and the speed that he plays with.Quinn said the strong safety position is so important to his scheme that he drafted Neal with the No. 17 overall pick instead of looking for pass rush help.NEW ROLE FOR BEASLEY: Quinn, the former Seattle defensive coordinator, couldnt find instant answers for the teams persistent pass-rush problem. The Falcons were last in the league with 19 sacks. They have ranked no higher than 28th in sacks since 2012.Vic Beasley Jr., last years first-round pick from Clemson, had four sacks while spending most of his time at defensive end. The plan this year is for Beasley to play strongside linebacker in the base defense and defensive end in nickel packages. Quinn estimates the Falcons will be in their nickel package at least 60 percent of snaps.Shelby had 3 1/2 sacks with Miami last season.HELP FOR JULIO: Perhaps no receiver added to the roster would have prevented defenses from assigning an extra defender to Jones. His 136 catches for 1,871 yards in 2015 each ranked as the second-best totals in NFL history.Last year, Freeman had 73 catches and tight end Jacob Tamme had 59 as Ryans top options to Jones. Sanu, who signed a five-year, $32.5 million deal, could be in position to flourish as the new top complement to Jones. Sanu was a part-time starter with Cincinnati.Second-year receiver Justin Hardy could earn a job as the No. 3 receiver with a strong camp.QB INSURANCE: Ryan made every start for the sixth straight season, but his durability may disguise the effects of the constant pounding. Ryan has been sacked at least 30 times in three straight seasons -- the three highest totals of his career.Ryans new backup is veteran Matt Schaub, 35, who played for Shanahan in Houston. Quinn said Schaub has added a real calming presence.HESTERS HEALTH: Devin Hester, 33, is coming off toe surgery. He played in only five games last season and needs a strong camp to show he has regained the speed that made him one of the top return specialists in the game.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLAuthentic NHL Jerseys Cheap . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. NHL Jerseys From China . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. 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Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup.Mississippi States first game without star quarterback Dak Prescott was a dud.The offense stalled, the defense gave up big plays and special teams had crucial errors in a stunning 21-20 home loss to South Alabama. Now coach Dan Mullen is trying to figure out some answers before Mississippi State (0-1) opens Southeastern Conference play against South Carolina (1-0) on Saturday.There are issues everywhere that weve got to get fixed, Mullen said.Mississippi State had a productive offense the last two seasons largely thanks to Prescott, who is about to make his first NFL start with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Prescott was a perfect fit for Mullens version of the spread offense -- gifted at running and throwing while making quick decisions with the ball.Now the Bulldogs -- who blew a 17-0 halftime lead on Saturday -- are trying to run the same offense with quarterbacks Damian Williams and Nick Fitzgerald.Through one game, the results werent pretty. The Bulldogs had 382 total yards and scored just three points in the second half against a Conference USA defense.If you look at grades, guys actually graded pretty well and did a good job, Mullen said. Then there would be a glaring critical error at a key moment of the game.Williams played most of the game under center and had some success, completing 20 of 28 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown while also running for 93 yards.But the 6-foot-1, 229-pound junior isnt much of a threat to throw deep down the field. Once South Alabama figured that out, the Jaguars were able to contain the Bulldogs short passes and running plays.South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said Mississippi States offense hasnt changed much, though it was obvious that Presscotts talent is hard to duplicate.ddddddddddddchematically, theyve been very successful over the years, Muschamp said. They tailor their system to what their quarterback can do. Theyre not going to give that quarterback as much as they gave Dak.Fitzgerald -- who started against South Alabama -- has a better arm and would be more likely to give Mississippi State a vertical passing option. But the sophomore missed on his first three passes of the afternoon and was quickly benched.Mullen didnt give many clues about who would play on Saturday.Everybody competes every single week for us, Mullen said. Well see how everybody does in practice this week.Mississippi States defense and special teams could use some improvement as well. The Bulldogs are young in the secondary and gave up several big plays in the second half. South Alabama quarterback Dallas Davis -- a sophomore making his first career start -- threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns.Mississippi State kicker Westin Graves made a career-long 48-yard field goal in the game, but also missed a 28-yarder in the final seconds that would have given the Bulldogs the win. It bounced off the left upright.Its the consistency of performance, Mullen said. Not `Can we do it? We can do it, because weve shown that we can do it. We have to do it every single snap of the game and have a consistent performance.---AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this story.---Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP . AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org . ' ' '