Falcons: Ryan may have some limitations
Carolina's Richard Marshall (31) came down with Matt Ryan's high pass that was intended for Michael Jenkins in the fourth quarter. (David T. Foster III/Charlotte Observer).
ONE GAME FROM FIVEHUNDREDVILLE – The 28-19 loss to Carolina may be the low point for the Falcons under second-year head coach Mike Smith.
They have played hard in every game over the 26-game Smith era, but it may have been just the second time that they were defeated when they were favored. (You guys can look that one up, but I know they were favored to win on the road in Arizona for the playoff game last year.)
But the schedule doesn’t get any easier. They travel to rickety Giants Stadium for a showdown with Tom Coughlin and the G-men, who are 5-4 and have been stewing about it over their bye week.
When considering the Falcons schedule this season — four games against teams coming off byes -– and the aftermath of the DeAngelo Hall incident, it doesn’t appear that the Falcons have many friends at the league office. The schedule is atrocious and how Hall got away without being fined is one of the great mysteries of our time. Hall did say he was going to give his “peeps” a call.
After rolling back down I-85 late last night, I had a little extra time to think about the five things we learned from the game.
1. The Falcons still don’t have a left cornerback. The Falcons knew that Tye Hill probably wasn’t the answer when they traded for him, but were likely hoping that by acquiring him and Brian Williams before the outset of the season, that the other corners would step up their games. Brent Grimes played much stronger, but his man was still open. It’s probably time to go ahead and include rookie Christopher Owens in the rotation at left cornerback. At least get him some spot duty.
2. Matt Ryan may have some limitations. One NFL quarterback coach told me and a few other friends at the NFL
Get you a Matt Ryan Fathead image for your fan room.
Combine last spring that he wasn’t completely sold on Matt Ryan. Stunned and perplexed, we asked why? The coach said that Falcons offense was so simple last year that teams would figure it out. He said with a 1,700-yard back, that all Ryan had to do last season was find the single safety and throw away from him. The Falcons knew this. That’s why they spent most of their offseason working on the passing attack and why they went out and got Tony Gonzalez. One other thing, the second knock on Ryan coming out of the draft was that he sailed passes to the left. Both of the interceptions were passes to the left on Sunday. The No. 1 knock was he threw too many interceptions, but that was blamed on the quality of the Boston College receivers. (Matt has a Fathead deal. You can get a life-sized image of Ryan in the Falcons’ throwback jersey at Fathead.com.)
3. Where in the heck is John Abraham? With teams knowing that at least one receiver (usually the one guarded by the left cornerback) is going to be open, they are running their “quick game” stuff against the Falcons. Slants and quick outs to get the ball out fast. Rarely did Jake Delhomme take a seven-step drop and drive the ball up-field. So Abraham and the rest of the defensive line don’t have enough time to get to the quarterback like they did in the first half against Washington when they had five sacks. But still Abraham only has 3.5 sacks. I’m inclined to concur with Jeff Schultz that the 16-plus sack Abraham from 2008 has been abducted by aliens.
4. Long snapper might not be long for the roster spot. Had too much other stuff going on with Turner being hurt and Ryan’s picks and by the time I tried to find long snapper Bryan Pittman, punter Michael Koenen or kicker Jason Elam, they were on one of the buses. But clearly the timing was off on the 34-yard field goal kick and Elam wasn’t happy about it. But when you got four hours to drive you can come up with some theories. My neighbor George – a season ticket holder and Falcons road warrior – and I were wondering if the Falcons were trying to draw the Panthers offsides (they only needed an inch) and maybe somebody forgot to tell Elam? Maybe they weren’t supposed to kick it. Just line up try to draw them offsides and then if the Panthers didn’t jump, just take the penalty and kick it from 39 yards?
5. The Falcons can block kicks. A big special teams play got lost in the shuffle. Defensive end Chauncey Davis busted through to block a Panthers 51-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter. The blocked field goal was the first for the Falcons since Nov. 30, 2008 at San Diego. Earlier this season, cornerback Brian Williams blocked a Carolina punt in Week Two. “Me, Jamaal (Anderson) and Babs (Jonathan Babineaux) had a great push and once we get those two steps we have to throw our hands up,” Davis said. “The ball was coming. We got a great push, got the guys knocked back and I got my hands up.”
The Falcons will find out more about Michael Turner's ankle sprain today. If it's a high ankle sprain, he could miss a lot of action. (Chuck Burton/Associated Press).
It had to be a long ride back to Flowery Branch for the Falcons. They kicked away a winnable game, running back Michael Turner might be out for awhile and their second-year quarterback has to find his magic for them to make a playoff run.
“It’s was real tough,” Davis said. “We had plenty of opportunities to take over the game. We just kept making mistakes.”
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238 comments Add your comment
welikebaseball2
November 16th, 2009
10:45 am
humble(1): Ugh. Can anybody defend Ryan’s poor play without tagging his critics as “Vick supporters.” That seems to be a bit of a wildcard. Let the record show, I’m not a “Vick supporter,” I’m a Falcons supporter & I’m excited by exciting play from our QB position…no matter who’s behind center. And we wonder where the divide comes? Folks like you continue to pair any Ryan critique with Vick support. You’re the one bringing up Vick. Is it fair to say anyone pro-Ryan is anti-Vick? Of course not. The two should have nothing to do with each other in terms of pure football talk. But then again, that’s too much like right.
washedup
November 16th, 2009
10:48 am
Welikebaseball. . .what are you reading? All I’ve read has been critical of Ryan the past few weeks. It doesn’t look like he’s getting a free pass to me. He has played poorly, and that’s what has been said. Personally, I’m starting to believe that getting Gonzalez is more of a curse than blessing. . .He’s so sure-handed,as opposed to #12, Ryan goes to him even when he shouldn’t. But clearly, Ryan has made some poor choices, and even worse throws since the first two games.
# 2 = Loser
November 16th, 2009
10:49 am
RE: Ryan *MAY* Have Some Limitations
MAY have?
MAY ????
Saying Ryan *M A Y* have some limitations is like saying you *M A Y* get your shirt sleeve wet if you stick your arm is a bucket of water.
Way to go on picking out a “FRANCHISE” QB, Mr. GM !
welikebaseball2
November 16th, 2009
10:55 am
washedup: I was responding to posts giving Ryan the “it’s his 2nd year” pass…and there have been tons of them. Wonder what I’m reading? Just read through the posts on this very board. If it doesn’t apply to you it doesn’t, As for your take on Gonzalez, good point. Ryan has tipped defenses that he’s zoning in on him. I don’t think Jenkins has played that bad actually. I’d definitely like to see the ball spread around like it was at the beginning of the season (1st couple games). We’re becoming a little too close to predictable. If it’s not a running play, they simply bracket Gonzalez.
rbrewbaker
November 16th, 2009
11:03 am
Did anyone else find the 3rd down QB sneak right before the missed FG a very odd call? Ryan has just got 5 years on the previous play and to have him run twice in a row seemed very strange to me.
T.C
November 16th, 2009
11:13 am
JAMES OF BALL GROUND,You have murder in your heart because of a football game and what someone did that didn’t effect you and all you know is his name and he plays football? You have serious problems and need to stay off your computer for the FBI want be knocking on your door.
North FLA Falcon
November 16th, 2009
11:14 am
A few thoughts … we need a reliable kicker. Maybe Elam needs to hang it up … did we ever look into picking up Edge James? would be nice to have another power back … one big problem with Ryan is that he can’t scramble. He is a bull running up the middle say on 3rd and short but he can’t run or make yardage on a busted play … we need a nasty agressive Dline for 60 minutes … I like our chances vs. the Giants they are fading and we have played well up there in the past. GO BIRDS!
Falcons73
November 16th, 2009
11:16 am
I watched the game yesterday (as well as every game this season) and Ryan is definitely a work in progress. He has clearly shown that he can and will be a very good quarterback, but he is in year 2 of that progression. The NFL is a very humbling league where every team has access to mounds and mounds of film. It’s obvious that teams have found Matt’s tendencies/weakness and have exploited them. The one thing that is truly disturbing is the development of “happy feet” and stepping out (instead of up) in the pocket.
A lot of this can be attributed the offensive line’s uneven play and the earlier lack of a consistent running game. It’s PIVOTALLY important for the Birds to RUN THE FOOTBALL well and CONTROL the clock (two elements that made them good last year). This defense is not built to be on the field for additional possessions and must rely on the offense to keep them on the sideline.
Our hope is that Turner can make it back in a few weeks and that the Falcons can squeeze out a win in NY this week. I didn’t think that we would go on the road and beat both Carolina & NY, so this Sunday is HUGE!!!!
Bill
November 16th, 2009
11:18 am
Good job Mr. Orlander.
The blame is not on just one person its a TEAM and we have many problems at present. Hopefully the GM and Coach Smith will work it out.
KingTu, Vicks in Philly riding the bench………..maybe he will return to his football skills self.
James
November 16th, 2009
11:19 am
Turner is out for a very long time. Pick up Larry Johnson. He has learned his lesson and the high character, Atlanta coaching staff will rub off on him favorably.
TMoney
November 16th, 2009
11:19 am
I think we might want to take a look at the stats from first season as starter to second year of some of the people Ryan is being measured against:
Peyton Manning Year 1 – 326-575, 3739 Yds., 26 TD, 28 INT, 71.2 Rating
Peyton Manning Year 2 – 331-533, 4135 Yds., 26 TD, 15 INT, 90.7 Rating
Tom Brady Year 1 – 264-413, 2843 Yds., 18 TD, 12 INT, 86.5 Rating
Tom Brady Year 2 – 373-601, 3764 Yds., 28 TD, 14 INT, 85.7 Rating
Drew Brees Year 1 – 320-526, 3284 Yds., 17 TD, 16 INT, 76.9 Rating
Drew Brees Year 2 – 205-356, 2108 Yds., 11 TD, 15 INT, 67.5 Rating (Lost job after 11 games)
Brett Favre Year 1 – 302-471, 3227 Yds., 18 TD, 13 INT, 85.3 Rating
Brett Favre Year 2 – 318-522, 3303 Yds., 19 TD, 24 INT, 72.2 Rating
Matt Ryan Year 1 – 265-434, 3440 Yds., 16 TD, 11 INT, 87.7 Rating
Matt Ryan Year 2 – 316-530, 3570 Yds., 25 TD, 21 INT, 78.8 Rating (ESPN Projection)
I’d say Ryan’s numbers so far are more equivalent to those of Brees and Favre’s early years, not Brady or Manning. Though it is interesting to point out that of all the players on this list, only Manning’s QB rating improved from year 1 to 2. The man is a freak of nature.
Ex wideout
November 16th, 2009
11:21 am
wmatlanta
November 16th, 2009
10:32 am
No one said anything when Ryan and Elam came through to steal one from Chicago last year. This game is NFL Karma evening things out We’ll be fine in the long run with Ryan.
The hell? Until Ryan can make plays and win the critical big games I’m not sole on this “franchise” quarterback. The reality is coming out about Ryan and everyone is getting tired of him saying he’s still young making mistakes. Him and the media needs to stop pampering himself and keep it real.
The media hyped this guy up when he was left Boston College and he always been average QB. Back to back winning seasons seems to be fading away, but Ryan the “franchise” QB needs to get it right before we say it’s time to pack up and leave town.
Roy
November 16th, 2009
11:22 am
The Falcons should have won that game and even though there were somemistakes on the field, there were some off the field too. How is it that with 2 minutes 39 seconds left; you are on the Panthers 40 yard line; the Panther’s rush has been hasseling Ryan all day; our running game working very well even with out Turner, you have Ryan throw the ball deep? And to the left side where he has more trouble completing passes. And he had been throwing high all day.
We could have easily picked up 15 yards, run the clock down and kicked a field goal and waled away a winner.
I know that they are paying Ryan the big bucks but the guys on the headsets aren’t being paid to shabbly either. Ryan does what he is told to do from the guys that wear the headsets. Before you serve up Matt Ryan question a coordinator first.
TMoney
November 16th, 2009
11:23 am
I have also noticed a very disturbing trend, and I’m not sure how to fix it. In his career, when Ryan throws 30 or more times in a game, the Falcons are 4-9 including the Arizona playoff game. When throwing less than 30 times, the Falcons are 12-1. It really seems like Ryan is best when he doesn’t have to throw the ball too much.
Falcons record based around Ryan passing:
40+ passes – 0-5
30-39 passes – 4-4
>30 passes – 12-1
North FLA Falcon
November 16th, 2009
11:23 am
The Falcons seem to pick up players in the draft and also free agents, who are prone to injury (Baker, Jerry). Plus we have a lot of guys who get hurt and who stay hurt for a long time (Norwood). I *know* football is a violent game and all that. But is there something wrong with our conditioning? Or is this just rotten luck? Seriously.
Andrew
November 16th, 2009
11:24 am
At least Ryan shows up early and stays late to try and correct his problems. Vick was always the last one to show up on gameday and to practice, and the first one out the door. I could care less about the whole dog-fighting thing, I was praying that the trade rumors surrounding him BEFORE he got caught were true. Ryan will be fine–he’s only 24, he certainly has the talent, and unlike Vick he has the desire and determination (not to mention the guts to stay in the pocket).
T.C
November 16th, 2009
11:25 am
Humble(1),whats the difference of someone being a vick fan and you being a ryan fan? they like who they like just like you do.vick is not a disease,he is a human being and had/have fans just like every other football player.
SirReal
November 16th, 2009
11:27 am
1) I dont care what anyone says, Ryan is playing SCARED and defenses can sense it. He’s not what everyone thinks he is. We bought into the hype b/c we made the playoffs last year. That was due to TURNER’S 1700 yard performance last year. All Ryan had to do was manage the game and make a few key throws.
2) TD whiffed on this draft. He rolled the dice on injury prone players and it backfired. Plain and simple.
3) Why is Jello-leg Elam STILL on the roster?! We arent even asking him to boot 50 yarders and he cant even make chip shots. He’s done. I dont understand why we keep him. It reminds me of when we held on to Adam Jennings last year. FOR WHAT?!
4) Mularkey’s offense has become predictable and basic. Teams know what we’re gonna do b/c Ryan gives it away.
5) Lastly, we have a swiss cheese secondary at the CB position. I say we dump all of them after the season is done. We cant do much worse with what we have. At least Williams was solid. Thats my take on all this.
Cannonball Butler
November 16th, 2009
11:28 am
The difference is Ryan plays for the Falcons.
NoleRick
November 16th, 2009
11:29 am
I cant wait for Ryan to prove all of you idiots wrong.
singndablues
November 16th, 2009
11:29 am
A two tight end set is not exactly the best option for a dynamic passing attack. Too often we only have two receivers out on a passing play. We rarely spread the field. That hardly pressures the defense especially a pass defense like the Panthers who have one of the top rated pass defenses. Our passing game seems to be very conservative compared to last years and much easier to defend. The commentator mentioned numerous during the game about how he was amazed at how tight the coverage was on every pass play even with our running game getting big chunks of yardage. I thought adding Tony would open up our passing attack but it seems to only have made it more conservative and predictable.
A Rod
November 16th, 2009
11:31 am
Matty Ice is like Vanilla Ice: 1 hit wonder baby!
T.C
November 16th, 2009
11:34 am
Tmoney,you can compare numbers until the sky turns gold.truth is,ryan will never be a manning,brady,favre,or brees.hell he will never be a mcnabb.
Navigator
November 16th, 2009
11:34 am
I can already see where these discussions are leading, after two years Matt Ryan is not the next coming of (pick your favorite). I think the solution might be simpler than most would say. Last year Ryan had an extra blocker at tight end, and now the tight end is being used too much as a receiver. Think about it, one less blocker, and a young quarterback, and of course the many times fired Mularky running the offense. Falcons get smart and put the real tight end back in to block.
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:34 am
Typical Atlanta media report. Matt has a bad day and the falcons lose and what do we get. All the negative things about Matt Ryan come out. Everything he throws left is high..two int to the left that were over throws. Where was all the reporting prior to this game. Yes last year things were kept simple, rookie QB, weak schedule. The guy has played just over 20 games and you expect him to be a Manning. Like I said this morning on JS blog, Mr. Blank should not try to build a new stadium, he should move the Falcons to a city where the media and fans appreciate this team.
dawg fan 4 life
November 16th, 2009
11:34 am
What is going own with that defense we have? I think the Owens kid should start, because he can’t do any worse than the the other two jokers. I see a lot of fans are blaming Matt Ryan, but it’s also coaching. Why does the kid toss the ball out of bounds so much, that is a waisted down, they need to have check downs to the running backs that can at least get you a few yards, but tossing the ball out of bounds is not always the answer. Well I’ve been a fan for 38 years and it looks like I’m headed toward another disappointing season, but one thing for sure I will always love the Falcons.
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:36 am
T.C, how in the hell do you know what he will be. I was here when Farve was with the Falcons and you could not keep him out of the bars and sober long enough to find out what he was going to be. You freaking people are clueless.
Puff the Magic Dragon
November 16th, 2009
11:44 am
T.C -
We would like for you go to to the home of “James of Ball Ground” with a big cake as a peace offering while wearing your #7 Falcons jersey. Hopefully, the two of you will have a good fellowship and will become the best of friends. If you are lucky, maybe you can even get the REAL M.V. to go with you, too.
Just be sure to carry a BIG KNIFE in one of your hands for cutting said cake when you ring the doorbell.
Peace.
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:45 am
I think we should go back the way it was two years ago.
JASon
November 16th, 2009
11:46 am
Our offense has three great options-gonzalez, white, and turner- and yet we are still not getting it done. I think equal blame for this goes to Ryan as well as the coaching staff. Its just a little disappointing since we were all expecting the defense to be the achilles heal this season- but yet its the offense letting us down.
Many of us said 9-7. And that is looking more and more accurate as each week passes.
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:46 am
Navigator, has it been two years. I did not know this season had ended.
Randy
November 16th, 2009
11:49 am
I know injuries are part of the game. But we seem to be having a rough year in this area. Add that to the schedule and Ryan’s sophomore slump, I think this team has done OK. I see hope for the future. I see a Super Bowl contender in a year or 2 from now. Ryan and the Falcons will fly high soon.
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:50 am
Nobody wanted 9-7. Everybody wanted a Super Bowl appearance. Last year we won a couple games that we should have lost. 9-7 would have been good. This year we lost one we should have won. But since we have not made any progress since the beginning of the 2008 season…lets throw the entire team under the bus and start over….
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:51 am
Randy, at least somebody on the blog has some sense. Good job.
JeffC
November 16th, 2009
11:53 am
Having spent 9 hours in the car round trip in one day to see the game in Charlotte, I’ve got to vent. I put this loss completely in the hands of Ryan. Two momentum killing interceptions and he should have had a third on the goal line if Gonzalez hadn’t knocked the ball out of the defender’s hands. We had a great running game yesterday both with Turner and Snelling. Ryan had time to throw. It was a perfect weather. Even the crowd noise in Charlotte wasn’t that bad with the open air stadium. So what the hell is going on? Second year or not, yesterday all Ryan had to do was protect the ball and let our running game do the rest. We need to take a page from the Carolina playbook and turn Ryan into a caretaker like they’ve done with Delhomme… at least until he proves he can handle the added responsibility.
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:54 am
SirReal for new GM of the Atlanta Falcons. He is so smart. He would have picked Dorsey in the 3rd round. Dorsey, where is he now. Who knows. Falcons win next week and these blogger will be praising the offense, defense, and special teams. Our coaching staff will be the best and smartest in the land. Fair weather fans and media.
nick deleo
November 16th, 2009
11:54 am
will norwood start next week against the giants or will the guy who played yesterday? apparantly norwood missed the game yesterday because of his kid being born, not the hip injury.
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:55 am
JeffC, fair weather fan. don’t go the next time.
iron head
November 16th, 2009
11:56 am
hey…these are the falcons. what do you expect? they’re losers! always have been, always will be!
MR
November 16th, 2009
11:56 am
nick deleo, what difference does it make if Norwood is there or not. Problem with this team is the QB.
Karl
November 16th, 2009
12:00 pm
I hate to be so negative, but folks, I have been hearing this all my life. I have followed the Falcons for 40 years since I was a little kid. There is always some problem keeping them from being a top team. It’s always either a bad O-line, or crappy defensive backs, or an idiot for a coach, or the Smith family not knowing what to do with a football franchise (thankfully we don’t have that problem anymore), or any number of other difficulties. It just piles up over the years until you wonder if this team will ever be one of the good ones. Is it the curse of Norm Van Brocklin?
nick deleo
November 16th, 2009
12:00 pm
yeah i hear ya MR, i was wondering who will start for fantasy reasons. Matt Ryan is a good QB though and he’s gonna be alright. maybe not this year but he’s gonna be putting up #’s in atlanta for a long time
tyger
November 16th, 2009
12:02 pm
The Great White Dope …
pisses in his pants and perhaps shts the season away. It’s as reliable as the Mayan calendar – everytime yoos guys go overboard with the great white hype, your self-annoited savior implodes. Reminds me of Gerry Cooney.
Question now is not how good he will be but how bad? Is he Ryan Leaf bad or Joey Harrington bad?
Or is he more Matt Schaub? Remember him, the pocket passer the Falcoons needed to get to the next level. Who happens to have laid every color egg in the Easter basket in Houston.
1. Matty Slice is good, not great. He has a pop-gun arm and happy feet.
2. He cannot throw the deep ball w/o winding up like Kyle Farnsworth.
3. His “intelligence” will not overcome his lack of physical gifts.
4. He’s a PR doll – but that won’t win games.
5. Eli is similarly situated but had a better overall team, especially the O-line.
FalconFan
November 16th, 2009
12:02 pm
If anyone sees Abraham anywhere, please report it to Falcons officials. He hasn’t shown up since week 1. I wonder if Grady Jackson had more to do with Abraham’s success than the casual fan like me knows?
Also, I am still not sold on Jenkins as the 2nd receiver. We don’t use 3 receivers much this year, instead using Gonzalez split out. Harry Douglas has been a huge loss. He was open down field to give Ryan another option – and they put Jenkins in the slot some when this happened, making him a mis-match for the other teams nickel corner. Gonzalez is a mis-match too, but not a downfield mis-match.
Am I the only one who hates the roll-out pass play that we never complete? The defense only needs to cover half of the field and gets to use the sidelines as another defender – it’s just a bad play and we run it 3 times per game.
JeffC
November 16th, 2009
12:02 pm
MR, you just agreed with me that the problem here is the QB. So what’s your point?
NativeAtlantanInDC
November 16th, 2009
12:02 pm
I thought I was watching Jeff George out there yesterday. It’s looking like a 7-9 type year….sad, but true…this team has too many holes and liabilities
Marvin
November 16th, 2009
12:03 pm
Man, this blog is unleashed and off the hook.
MR
November 16th, 2009
12:04 pm
MV is a felon and will never play football again. If he was able to perform the Eagles would be using him in some capacity. When McNabb was out he did not play. That should tell you idiots something. The one thing Atlanta does not need is MV.
EAAAASSY
November 16th, 2009
12:04 pm
bunch of fair weather fans. you’d think this was a UGA blog
nick deleo
November 16th, 2009
12:05 pm
come on atlanta help a brother out. Norwood or Snelling next week?