Good QBs are torching the Falcons’ secondary
NEWARK – There is one thing that is becoming clear as the Falcons hit the .500 mark.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning had his best game of the season, passing for almost 400 yards against the Falcons. (Associated Press).
Teams with above average to great quarterbacks are going to feast on the secondary.
Falcons coach Mike Smith won’t single out the secondary, but tighter and more instinctive coverage would probably get more passes batted down or defense.
“We gave up a lot of passing yards,” Smith said. “That’s very obvious. Way too many passing yards. It’s team defense. It’s not just the secondary. It’s a combination of the secondary, linebackers and defensive (linemen). We’ve got to make plays on third down. We continue to struggle on third down. It’s a combination of a number of things. But we can not give up, those type of yards in the passing game and expect to have the success that we want to have.”
Domenik Hixon pulls away from the Falcons secondary. (Associated Press)
The Falcons have been beaten by Tom Brady (277 yards passing), Tony Romo (311), Drew Brees (308), Jake Delhomme (195) and Eli Manning (a career-high 384). (Brady, Delhomme and Manning have started in Super Bowls).
The Falcons have beaten Chad Pennington, Delhomme, Shaun Hill, Jay Cutler and Jason Campbell.
If this “good quarterback” theory holds up, the Falcons will be in trouble against Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb and Brees and the Saints. They should be OK against Josh Freeman (twice), Mark Sanchez and Ryan Fitzpatrick. If this hold up, the Falcons are headed for a 9-7 record which would snap the 44-year curse. However, that will not likely get them into the playoffs.
THE SECONDARY WOES: The secondary was exposed in the preseason by Philip Rivers and more importantly by Baltimore reserve John Beck.
The Falcons signed Brian Williams, but he suffered a knee injury and is on injured reserve. They traded for former first round pick Tye Hill, who received a shot, but got a quick hook against Carolina last week and did not even grace the field against the New York Giants.
The Falcons had opportunities to address the problem.
- They could have signed Domonique Foxworth. He was the team’s best corner last season. They elected not to over pay for his services. Maybe over pay was the move to make.
- They could have drafted Vontae Davis in the first round with the 24th pick. He went on the next pick to Miami at 25 after the Falcons selected Peria Jerry.
- They could have signed Ty Law. The five-time Pro Bowler was signed by Denver on Nov. 7.
- They could have signed Chris McAlister. He was signed by the Saints last week and was inactive on Sunday.
New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham (82) comes down with pass for a first down as Atlanta Falcons cornerback Chris Houston (23) defends in the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
ABRAHAM SPEAKS UP: Defensive end John Abraham has not had a full sack since the San Francisco game in Week Four. He has just 3.5 sacks after racking up a franchise record 16.5 last season.
He had a quarterback hit against Eli.
“The D-line has to do a better job of getting (Manning) down,” Abraham said. “The pressure was good, but we weren’t getting him down. If we get him down, you don’t have to worry about that stuff (the passing yards).
Q & A WITH BRENT GRIMES
Q: How can you all tighten things up in the secondary?
A: “Just do the fundamentals. Do our techniques and make plays when we have the opportunity.”
BAKER PLAYED STRONG: Left tackle Sam Baker returned to the lineup and appeared to have a strong game.
“It was not the outcome that we wanted,” Baker said. “We fought hard until the end. It’s just frustrating right now, but I came out OK.”
The offense was proud of how they rallied in the second half.
“It’s huge,” Baker said. “We had a chance to show some character at the end, just to get back in the game and put ourselves in position to win it, was huge for us.”
COIN TOSS BLUES: Matt Ryan called tails in overtime. The ref dropped the coin, picked it up and then flipped. Ryan didn’t now if it was tails on the drop.
“If we would have got that ball, things would have been different,” Tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “That’s the way the luck strikes. You have to give them credit. They took the ball, which you would think that . . . the team that gets that coin toss gets the ball and they usually win. That’s what happened.”
Ryan was not kicking himself for not calling heads.
“Those are the rules,” Ryan said. “You can’t be frustrated with the system.”
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196 comments Add your comment
MV6
November 23rd, 2009
4:37 pm
I think I said at 3:14 D-Dawg, we add nuttin to our secondary! Unless you count Ty Hill, we did get 1 pick 6 from him at least!
Overtime
November 23rd, 2009
4:41 pm
D-DawgDavis
the reason we havent been signing because if for say Roddy white gets injured(god forbid) but we signed McKenzie the we are goin to have to release someone then try to sign some one off our practice squad…basically we are hold that roster room in case of injuries
DownGoesFrazier
November 23rd, 2009
4:50 pm
I hope Phillies does play Vick most of the game vs. Falcons. That’s one so called QB we don’t have to worry about torching the secondary.
EJtheDJ
November 23rd, 2009
4:52 pm
I have to think that the coaches and GM are seeing the same things we’re seeing. That being said, they’re evaluation of what’s available personnel-wise to fix these problems must be a lot different than what we think. At this stage, maybe it’s their opinion that whoever is out there can’t come in and do a serviceable job as a replacement. Obviously at CB there isn’t an abundance of talent available otherwise they would already be playing somewhere. With so many needs in this defense, one player won’t make a difference anyway.
primetime
November 23rd, 2009
4:54 pm
2010 1st draft pick of the falcons takeprime eric berry aka the great one
primetime
November 23rd, 2009
4:57 pm
let me take that back we need to draft tim tebow
overtime
November 23rd, 2009
4:59 pm
I think the key is we need to murder Tampa to show the NFL we are still the team to beat n when i say murder i mean 55 points at mim n so we can get some of the young corners some playin time in a real game
tyger
November 23rd, 2009
5:03 pm
Falcoons make good showing…
despite the obvious, I’m proud of my Falcoons. You can’t find a more hostile environment to play this time of year and to come outta there with 2-3 opportunities to win is a sign of character. But the outlook is grim, they can only play the year out and hope for help late. We’ll see.
Unfortunately, I’m already forced to look toward the off-season. We need help at CB, WR, DL, OL.
CB – do we draft one in the 1st rd? Risky proposition but we need 5 star talent. Enough of the smoke and mirrors, it aint good enough. Brian Williams will be back and Houston is average. Beyond that, we’re in trouble. Chris Owens and Chevis have underachieved. Falcoons have to take a corner in the 1st/2nd rd. – rd. 3-4 havent produced for us at all.
WR – Harry Douglass will be back. Finneran is Finneran. White is good, but where’s the long ball gone? Jenkins is playing below avg. How can New Orleans stockpile so much explosive talent and we only have one?
DL – Bierrman, Sidbury, Davis, Jerry, Abraham, Babineaux, Anderson didn’t get a sack between them. Do we keep working this core group are take the best available there?
OL – How far can we go with street free agents, Dahl and Clabo? McClure aint gettin no younger and Baker is out 50% of the time. Don’t we need some top-line talent there also?
S – Thomas DeCoud and Eric Coleman have made us proud. But what’s in the future for William Moore? A healthy Moore is an asset but he’s depth at the wrong position, they’ve got to figure how to get him on the field. Maybe nickel back???
Its time to start mock drafting and looking at potential free agents. This team is good but wont be great without key fixes.
Hold Out
November 23rd, 2009
5:05 pm
My question is: Where is Roddy White? For someone who held out for more money. Our number one guy. He hasn’t made any big plays in the pass few games. How many catches has he had over the passes few games?
doggie dunnit
November 23rd, 2009
5:10 pm
If the Birds miss the SuperBowl, they can always play UGA in the Dead Doggie Bones Bowl.
Greg from Marietta
November 23rd, 2009
5:14 pm
Last year was an anomaly and never should have happened (but did due to the exceptionally weak schedule). This year is what you would expect from a very young team with a 2nd year quarterback (except that Ryan is playing better than a typical 2nd year QB). But as Smitty well knows, “Offense sells tickets and Defense wins championships!” So, until our defense matures and the weaknesses get worked out the Falcons will be a Good but not a Great football team. I’m proud of the strides that they have made and there are signs that in the coming years they will be a Great Team.
overtime
November 23rd, 2009
5:14 pm
tyger:
our OL is great we have maybe top 2 best run blockin lineman in the nfl dont forget we built out ol to run the ball not to sit in the pocket like Peyton or Tom look at there teams the cant run the ball to kill the clock or get a 1st down Wr we will be maybe the top 5 passing next year because we will be fresh at Wr n Tony G. is goin to open up our play book CB is obvious we need to make a big trade n try to get maybe Cromartie or Asomugha is wanna get out of Oakland n go to a team that needs him n can win…prime example Tony G. i mean come on who though Atlanta was goin to end up with a H.O.F TE..no one so i think we are goin to have a great season next year unless INJURYS happen(god forbid)
cutter
November 23rd, 2009
5:26 pm
I watched the Monday interview with Chris Houston on AtlantaFalcons.com. He looks like he’s either about to or has already been crying. Check it out when you get to the website go to media lounge at the top. Looks like he just got some bad news.
overtime
November 23rd, 2009
5:30 pm
cutter
that very tru i just watched it
cutter
November 23rd, 2009
5:31 pm
tyger- Brian Williams signed a 1 year contract. Do you re-signed a 31 yr old CB coming off of total knee reconstruction???
overtime
November 23rd, 2009
5:34 pm
cutter
thats tru ive never seen a vet. corner comin back off of a injury like that
John
November 23rd, 2009
5:59 pm
Our off season should be focused on bringing in proven DB’s and another receiver that can take the pressure off Roddy White. We are getting blasted in every aspect of the passing game and need to solidify our defensive secondary. We can’t afford to keep up with the inconsistency if we want to be an elite championship caliber team.
eastbound and down
November 23rd, 2009
6:15 pm
as a baltimore resident, foxworth has done little or nothing this season the ravens. the baltimore secondary has commited a ton of penalties and it is their pass rush that creates the problem for other teams. i don’t think there is a ravens fan in the state that is satisfied with this guy’s performance.
hiramsaint
November 23rd, 2009
6:40 pm
overtime…….. still the team to beat…. are you serious? you never were the team to beat and 5 have proven that already with at least 3 more to come
hiramsaint
November 23rd, 2009
6:41 pm
p.s. the saints already signed mckenzie
mark
November 23rd, 2009
7:05 pm
PROMOTE CHRIS OWENS>>>>>>>> BENCH BRENT GRIMES….. WAKE THE **** UP FALCONS COACHS>>>>> DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike
November 23rd, 2009
7:21 pm
I had been saying all year go after McAllister. In the off season they could have made a run for Bryan McFadden as well, but they didn’t. if Houston ever learned to turn and locate the ball, he may be ok. When ever there is a well thrown ball he gets burnt, and whenever the ball is poorly thrown he generally runs through the receiver and gets a pass interference. Grimes although he plays with a lot of heart and determination, he is just physically over amtched most times. That being said it is not all the secondary. The defense as a whole gets pressure on the first and sometimes second series of the game ( see Brady, Rome, Brees, and Manning yesterday) and then after that the QB has all day to stand in the pocket and torch the secondary.The Falcons need to upgrade the line and secondary. Maybe an DE to compliment Abe (Bierman is a ball hawk, but lets face it he will never get consistent pressure on the QB….he is probably better suited as a strong side LB)and a NFL caliber starting corner. Houston, Grimes, Jackson, and Hill are at best nickel guys anywhere else. Owens may emerge and Brian Williams is not a bad #2 guy.The defensive upgrades need to happen through free agency, not drafting a guy and letting him learn for a year or two. We also need to look at kickers, not in the off season, but this week. Againt New Orleans, Carolina, and yesterday if Elam makes the kicks that a NFL kicker should make, then the complection of the whole game is changed, and maybe we are 7-3 or at worst 6-4 now. Also it may not be a bad idea to think about a receiver. Life should get better with Harry Douglass back next year (saying he does not lose a step). I think Roddy is a #1 with the right #2. Jenkins is not a #2. He is a possesion guy you bring in to get you the 6-7 yards you need for a first down. Just wait until he is double covered, and on the sideline…because he can not seem to reel the easy ones in.
D Hall
November 23rd, 2009
7:25 pm
The secondary can only do what the coaches teach them, but I do agree turn your heads around. They are only doing what they are told.
Defensive Letdown in Giants Stadium | The Bird Cage
November 23rd, 2009
7:26 pm
[...] starved of talent, but something’s got to give concerning opposing teams and their quarterbacks (check out DOL’s new blog where he gives some great solutions the Falcons could have made @ CB). Any team with a halfway decent quarterback will have a record day against the Falcons. Did the [...]
tyger
November 23rd, 2009
7:43 pm
Too early for the Falcoons Easy Button but…
2010 CB Prospects to Watch
1. Donovan Warren, Michigan, 6′0, 182, 4.38
2. Ras-I Dowling, Virginia, 6′2, 200, 4.5
3. Joe Haden, Florida, 5′11, 185, 4.39
4. Trevard Lindley, Kentucky, 6′0, 177, 4.41
5. *Robert Vaughn, UConn, 6′0, 192, 4.49
6. *Dominique Harris, Temple, 6′3, 218, 4.54
7. *Robert Johnson, Utah, 6′3, 193, 4.47
8. Patrick Robinson, Fla. St., 5′11, 190, 4.43
9. Jerome Murphy, South Fla., 6′1, 185, 4.39
10. *Myron Rolle, Fla. St., 6′2, 218, 4.46
11. Kyle Wilson, Boise St., 5′10, 187, 4.44
12. Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt, 6,2, 205, 4.5
13. Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest, 6,0, 191, 4.40
14. Crezdon Butler, Clemson, 6,0, 185, 4.39
15. Leroy Vann, FAMU, 5′9, 187, 4.39
* Safeties that could play CB
Falcoon CBs are too small, focus is on improving size and ball-hawking ability.
Also consider:
WR Dez Bryant, Oka. St. could be available – do you pass on that type talent to fill needs?
DT Richard Seymour, OAK, FA – do you spend to fix the DL finally?
CB Nate Clements, SF, FA – do you go with proven veteran?
What are the salary cap ramifications? Who wont be back next year? Do we need a Place kicker?
dawg fan 4 life
November 23rd, 2009
8:15 pm
How did we get Grimes as a CB.
gman
November 23rd, 2009
8:42 pm
folks its not only our corners is our defensive back coaches, we need some good veterans
at corner to show chir houston how to play. lets not forget he’s never had a vet to show him the way
i mean deangelo hall messed this boy up, brian williams is ok but hes not been there playing long enough. i agree houston needs to be benched, but not let go, he can stick with anybody he just
has bad technique, and it can be fixed falcon coaches just have not found the way. he needs some body on the feild to show him. maybe make him walk around all day looking backwards, or something. how can coaching not fix this i dont get it. its not all houstons fault. coaches need to step up and get this kid together, so while everyone is blasting houston, lets hear some coach blasting
crabapplejoe
November 23rd, 2009
9:10 pm
Spectator wrote: “Mike Peterson cannot carry Brooking’s jock. Giants tight end had a nice game, huh? Did you see Peterson trying to catch up after he was beaten by ten yards over and over?”
Glad to see someone else was watching the game….do you think that this means Petersons will not be going to the ProBowl afterall? LOL
thunderbull56
November 23rd, 2009
9:45 pm
Write it,write it on your forehead,write it on the palm of your hand.Dan Reeves,Jim Mora,and before them, and now,Smith too, let the other team’s tight end KILL YOU.Watch the film, O Yea of little faith.Watch,watch, as the the other teams tight end schools your linebackers and safetys and what the h#$$ else you drop back.While our erstwhile minions try to cram passes into an unfrickinopen tight ends paws.Free advice to any tight end aspiring to the Hall of Fame;Pray to play the Falcons at least once if not twice a year,BC,I can promise you, WIDE OPEN SPACES.
Mike
November 23rd, 2009
9:46 pm
Gman I do agree with you that Houston needs some coaching. You can not teach a corner to run down field with any receiver in football, which Houston can do. He is always in position to make a play. He now needs someone to help him with his technique. If he would get his head around and make plays on the ball rather than the receiver, he would be a top tier corner in the NFL.
Falcon 8211
November 23rd, 2009
9:48 pm
I said that too mike should have got chris mcallister . I hope the falcons can win 5 of the last 6 which is possible but a lot of improvements need to be made. the only games left are philly and new orleans that i’m worried about. we need one of them to make the playoffs the rest should be winnable games for us
Falcon 8211
November 23rd, 2009
9:49 pm
mike they kept saying yesterday that houston was playing the receiver that he needed to play the ball.
jka
November 23rd, 2009
9:51 pm
Regarding Foxworth: he was pretty much earmarked for Baltimore from Day 1,,,,,,where he been under fire for poor play. TD did the right thing on this one…….
The other option I don’t see is getting Owens some snaps…..Not only are the current CBs playing poorly, they also have little upside; Grimes & Hill won’t get taller, Jackson won’t get faster and Houston apparently will never learn to TURN AND PLAY THE BALL. Considering Owens was a 4-year starter in college, he should have been able take some snaps in the slot if nothing else….If not, this sure looks like a blown 3rd round pick
Mike
November 23rd, 2009
11:03 pm
Falcon I have said that all year (except last week against Carolina where for the most part he kept S Smith quiet). I find myself screaming everytime I see a ball headed his way…get your head around, unfortunately he never hears me…jka I saw Owens in a scrimmage and in preseason and really liked his agressiveness. I think he has a lot of upside,but that is yet to be seen. I thought last year we should have been trying to upgrade the secondary with a free agent, and I hope TD will see that this year. That being said no matter who is covering, we have to get some pressure on the QB. Falcon, the sad thing is we could win 5 out of 6 and still miss the playoffs. We really need the Philly game, and hope for Green Bay to lose a couple down the stretch.
JEM
November 24th, 2009
12:35 am
If they don’t finish 9-7, I might be done. 35 long years. I hear L.A. needs a team. Atlanta gets a new expansion team in a few years. New team, new identity.
Falcons better finish at least 9-7.
LantaFalcons
November 24th, 2009
1:35 am
I swear if I watch the game this sunday and see a defensive player playing the receiver and not looking back to see where the ball is … first I’m going to scream and then I’m going to start questioning whether or not the coaches are drilling into their heads the utter importance of playing the ball!!!
Jerry Jones
November 24th, 2009
8:33 am
If Roger Goodell gave the Cowboys 4 bye teams to play, I’d fire the motherf–ker.
TrueBlueBravesFan
November 24th, 2009
8:40 am
Ive noticed a consistent theme with the Falcon’s secondary. They can’t play man to man coverage. Our corners seem incapable of playing bump and cover at the line. I can understand why that is the case with Grimes. That’s why he seems to always be 5 yards off the line of scrimmage. What I don’t understand is why Houston seems so bad at it. He’s a big athletic corner who played a lot of bump and cover in college. What happened to him. Losing Williams was perhaps the biggest loss of the season because Williams could at least Jam properly at the line. I think OC’s have come to figure this out and they are calling plays that exploit cover 2 zone. Unfortunately its not an easy problem to solve if your defensive line doesn’t step up because almost any zone can be beat. That’s the advantage of man coverage……You can’t beat it with quick throws. Unfortunately Man coverage requires good Dbacks. I think this years outlook is bleak with this personnel.
stendec
November 24th, 2009
9:09 am
Drag Morten Anderson out of retirement! Force Jason Elam into retirement. The Falcons HAVE a secondary? Fooled me! A breakeven record is not worth a damn. Matt Ryan choking big time. Looks like Joey Harrington! Nothing to look forward to or get excited about from here on out. Except, of course, keeping streak intact. Believe these untalented heartless quitters will! To Hell with them. Happy Thanksiving! ++STENDEC++
I'm Gumby, dammit!!
November 24th, 2009
9:50 am
In response to the header of this article, Jake Delhomme was included in the list of “good” QB’s that have beaten us. I would think that only proves that mediocre to bad Qb’s can torch our secondary as well.
North FLA Falcon
November 24th, 2009
10:10 am
The questions about overtime are interesting. How about this: do a similar format to college but instead of starting at the opponents 25, start at their 40. So each team at least gets a freakin possession. That way you pretty much need at least one first down for a more makeable FG, or a decent drive for a TD. Or else face a long clutch field goal. It would open up the field a bit and create some excitement. It’s funny that the owners are concerned about “players safety” during overtime games during such a violent sport, with frequent concussions and serious injuries. Play the game! And settle OT in a fair and equitable manner.
Ryan
November 24th, 2009
10:46 am
Have to wonder how much of the quarterback syndrom is related to playing on the road and vice versa. We’ll find out in weeks 13 and 14 when McNabb and Bledsoe come to Atlanta. I have to think that if the Falcons and Saints play roughly the same they did earlier this year the Falcons pull out the win at home.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 24th, 2009
11:44 am
Pat – you are a RACIST, bias idiot. Ryan is a CHOKE and if it was not for his fumble, the team would have won the game. You still didn’t answer my question.
At this stage, who had the sophomore slump, Ryan or Vick.
You are a RACIST.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 24th, 2009
11:46 am
Oh my bad
sdgsdgsdgsdg
November 24th, 2009
1:56 pm
boooop!
Into Metrics & Probabilities
November 24th, 2009
2:00 pm
Someone please advise Matt Ryan that calling heads on the toss instead of tails has the better probability of winning the toss. Statistically that is the better choice.
He called tails at the start of the game and loss the toss to the Giants so why oh why did he go back out there for the overtime toss and call tails again???????
Mr.guy
November 24th, 2009
2:19 pm
the falcons should draft eric berry, he can play saftey or corner either way he’s better than every db on our roster
BS artist
November 24th, 2009
3:13 pm
Choke
Little man can’t get any attention today, life is tough when you live to instigate on blogs. Try life son.
BS artist
November 24th, 2009
3:15 pm
Choke calling someone a racist? Look in the mirror child.
Teejaystudio
November 24th, 2009
3:32 pm
Chris was picked up on waivers so the poopy teams had first shot at him. We couldn’t control that one. Dimitroff beefed up the D but lots of them are hurt. Hope we can find A way to keep winning and get to post season.