The Atlanta Falcons, losers of four consecutive games, held a players-only meeting Monday in hopes of getting back on track for the stretch run, according to multiple team sources.

It is unclear how long the meeting lasted, but head coach Dan Quinn was informed before it took place. One source indicated the effectiveness of the meeting won't be known until the 6-5 Falcons take the field against the 5-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa. It is a critical game, with the Falcons and Buccaneers outside the six-team NFC playoff race as the seventh and eighth seeds, respectively.

With each passing week, frustration has mounted for the Falcons, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Matt Ryan has struggled miserably, with 13 turnovers -- 10 interceptions and three lost fumbles -- over the past seven games. There have been obvious concerns about whether offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense has overwhelmed Ryan. The offense has been scaled back in increments over the past few weeks. Teammates have indicated Ryan has been more than willing to raise his concerns behind closed doors.

Publicly, Ryan has pointed the criticism at himself. He followed the same procedure during his weekly radio show Tuesday.

"I know that I'm capable of doing it, and I believe that I'm going to do it every time we step onto the field,'' Ryan said of playing at a high level. "You have to believe in your ability. You have to believe in the guys around you. And I do. And I expect every time I go onto the field to play at a really high level and give us a winning performance. I haven't done that the last couple weeks, but it's in there. I'm hell-bent on doing everything that I can to ensure that happens this week.''

Quinn, in his first year, won over his team with a hands-on, player-friendly approach. Based on such a reputation, he more than likely viewed the players-only meeting as a spark, rather than a deterrent.

Quinn will address the media at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday.

Atlanta held a players-only meeting Tuesday aimed at getting the Falcons back on track for the stretch run as they have lost four games in a row, according to sources. AP Photo/John Bazemore

The Falcons started the season 5-0, then tailed off after a 31-21 loss to NFC South rival New Orleans in Week 6. They have lost five of their past six games, with turnovers and penalties the primary issues.

Of the NFC teams, the Falcons have the toughest remaining schedule over the next five weeks, given their two matchups against undefeated Carolina (11-0) in a three-week span. Sunday's game against the Buccaneers is the first of three consecutive road games, followed by Carolina and Jacksonville (4-7).

The Bucs and rookie quarterback Jameis Winston defeated the Falcons 23-20 in Week 8.