The Atlanta Falcons bussed up I-85 to Charlotte to take on the underachieving Carolina Panthers in Week 10 and came back to Atlanta without a much-needed win.

Unfortunately for the Dirty Birds, Michael Turner tweaked an ankle in the second quarter and the team never recovered.

It’s a shame. You had a feeling that Turner was going to have one of his best days running the football and one of the best days the team has ever seen a rusher have.

The Falcons will try to go back to the drawing board after their 28-19 setback and create a game plan to defeat the New York Giants in a Week 11 matchup at the Meadowlands.

In the interim, it’s time to dole out the grades for the rather frustrating setback in North Carolina.

Quarterback: I have resisted the temptation to dole out that dubious “F” to franchise quarterback Matt Ryan, coming tantalizingly close to doing so in Atlanta’s loss in Dallas. Well, the rookie who defied logic with his sensational 2008 campaign finally had an almost complete stinker of a game and gets the dreaded mark for this one.

Ryan did not show up in the first half, completing 7-of-19 passes for 48 yards, an interception and a QB rating of 23.4. While he picked it up in the second half, he withered in crunch time, tossing a costly interception with the Falcons at midfield in the game’s final minutes.Grade: F

Running Backs: Perhaps the lone bright spot for the Falcons. Other than the injury to Turner, it was a great night for the running corps. Turner imposed his will on the Panthers, rushing nine times for 111 yards in the first half. Jason Snelling picked up where Turner left off, finishing with 61 yards on 18 carries.

Every cloud has a silver lining, and it was the runners who provided a reason for optimism in this one. Grade: A

Jason Snelling filled in for the injured Michael Turner and kept the Falcons' running game going with 61 yards.

Receivers: Not a bad night for the receiving corps, as the unit collected 192 yards in the air, highlighted by Roddy White’s seven grabs for 98 yards. However, the receivers puzzlingly disappeared when needed most, setting up some field goals instead of touchdowns when the Falcons had the ball deep in Panthers territory. Grade: B

Offensive Line: Not a horrible day for the O-line. Ryan was not sacked in this one. They ripped open holes on the ground for Turner and Snelling. The loss can’t be pinned on the offensive line’s shoulders.Grade: B

Defensive Line: Not very good. No sacks in this one. The two-headed monster of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams rumbled for 172 yards. Delhomme has been ordinary this season when pressured, but without much of anything coming from the D-line on Sunday, he completed 15-of-24 passes for 194 yards and two scores. Grade: D

Linebackers: Carolina’s hurry-up offense seemed to rattle these guys and the rest of the Falcons' D, as the Panthers posted 21 first-half points. You’d think that by the time Week 10 rolls around that no matter how depleted the Atlanta defense is, it would have that part of its game figured out.

There were way too many missed first tackles by this unit and the Atlanta D overall. Tackling is not a tag-team game. Too many times in this one, the first guy would grapple with a Carolina player, but need help to finally get them to the ground. Grade: D

Secondary: See Linebackers and Defensive line. They allowed 195 yards in the air and got burnt time and time again in the hurry up. Grade: D

Tye Hill and the Falcons' secondary had a tough time against Steve Smith and the Panthers' hurry-up attack.

Special Teams: Epic fail. The numbers for Mike Koenen and Eric Weems were decent in this one, but the combination of Ryan's struggles and the special units' ineptitude cost the Falcons the football game.

Jason Elam missed an easy 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that would have put the Falcons ahead 22-21 late. He can’t do that.

After the Atlanta D atoned for Elam’s sins, Weems had a chance to take it to the house on the ensuing punt return. He got to midfield, but got jacked up by punter Jason Baker.

The punter? Seriously? Eric, you should be ashamed of yourself. Grade: F

Coaching: Am I the only one who was confused a little bit by coach Mike Smith’s gameplan? Let’s see, Turner was ripping run after run on Atlanta’s first drive, and you got the ball down to the Panthers' 17. But the Atlanta running back didn't touch the ball after that.

Ryan threw a trio of incomplete passes, and Elam is kicking a field goal instead of Atlanta making a trip to the end zone.

Couple that with Atlanta's inability to make quick adjustments to Carolina’s hurry-up game, and it’s a recipe for a bad grade. Grade: F

-- PHIL FOLEY