7 reasons to ‘Back away from the ledge’
Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones said he looked up too late for the ball. (Associated Press)
BIRDLAND – Here are my seven reasons to back away from the ledge.
I’m sensing that the Falcon Nation did not have a very good weekend after the 34-16 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday night. (I went to see my neighbor/season-ticket holder George. He normally likes to talk Falcons, but he was paying bills. Anybody would rather talk football than pay bills!)
It seems like folks are ready to jump off of buildings and bandwagons. Why? The Falcons, the defending NFC South champs, haven’t even reached the season-opener yet.
I watched the game again on the NFL Network on Sunday and came away with
The Vince Lombardi Trophy on display at the Super Bowl. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC)
seven reasons to back away from the ledge:
- Jacquizz Rodgers can run without blocking. He made guys miss in the backfield and still was gaining yards. So, hmmm, what would he do with some blocking?
- Chris Redman can’t play quarterback without blocking. The reserve line made him look bad. Tight end Marquez Branson almost got Redman decapitated on one play. However, I don’t know what Redman was thinking on the pass to Kerry Meier. He tried to thread the needle with two defenders surrounding Meier? That’s how 95-yard touchdown returns happen.
- The Falcons have two punt returners. Eric Weems and Dominique Franks are electric on punt returns.
- Who’s the referee who called pass interference on tight end Tony Gonzalez? We need to check his ref card.
- The Falcons threw 42 passes in the first half because they were working on their no-huddle attack and pass protection. Normally, they would have worked on the no-huddle during OTAs.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward (86) tries to break a tackle by Arizona Cardinals cornerback Roderick Hood (26) during the first quarter of the NFL Super Bowl XLIII football game, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. The former UGA standout is now an accomplished ballroom dancer, too. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
- It was Pittsburgh. They’re usually pretty good. I heard they’ve won at least a couple of those shiny Vince Lombardi trophies.
- Julio Jones will make that catch next time.
Here’s the rewind story from the game:
Most starters played deep into the third quarter, but the Falcons were thumped 34-16 by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night at Heinz Field.
The defeat dropped the Falcons to 0-3 in the exhibition season.
“We made way too many mistakes offensively, defensively and special teams,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We gave up too many explosive plays there in the first half.”
What we learned
1. Pass defense must improve. Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, who was on pace to throw for 428 yards, shredded the Falcons’ pass defense. On a 77-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown, Brent Grimes nearly made a spectacular pass breakup at Pittsburgh’s 45, but it was a score nonetheless. The swift Brown split safeties William Moore and Thomas DeCoud and outran them to the end zone. On a 44-yard TD pass, Brown was flanked to the left with Dominique Franks in coverage. He ran a post and got behind Franks. Roethlisberger stepped up in the pocket inside of defensive end Ray Edwards, who was on the ground, and threw to the end zone.
2. Julio Jones is fast. The fleet receiver can get open deep. He zoomed past Pittsburgh’s star safety Troy Polamalu, but dropped the pass in the end zone. “I looked early and put my head down, trying to make up some ground,” Jones said. “I just looked too late when I got to the end zone. That’s no excuse. I still have to make that play.”
3. Edwards will help the pass rush. Edwards did not record a sack in his debut with the Falcons, but he had some good pressure. With the Steelers worried about the perimeter rushers, John Abraham and Edwards, defensive tackles Jonathan
Matt Ryan completed 22 of 42 passes for 210 yards with a TD and an interception in a loss to Pittsburgh. (Associated Press)
Babineaux and Vance Walker broke free for sacks. Edwards and Abraham switched sides several times, with Edwards rushing from the right and Abraham rushing from the left. The Falcons also dropped Edwards into coverage at least three times. It’s reasonable to conclude that the Falcons didn’t sign him to a five-year, $30 million contract because of his coverage skills.
Injury report
No injuries for the Falcons were announced during the game. However, Smith said a couple of players left the game with injuries and did not return. Center Todd McClure (knee) was among them. Smith said he’d have a full report on Monday. Defensive tackle Corey Peters (knee), cornerback Dunta Robinson (hamstring) and defensive end Lawrence Sidbury (ankle) did not play. Peters likely won’t play against Baltimore in the exhibition season finale, while Robinson has a shot. Both have been rehabbing with the training staff.
The numbers game
42
The Falcons threw 42 passes in the first half. They wanted to unleash the passing attack and get a good read on Garrett Reynolds and Mike Johnson in pass protection against the Steelers’ vaunted 3-4 defense. Both held up well in their battle for the starting right guard spot.
23
Kicker Matt Bryant made all three of his f
These two have to get the pass defense figured out. Here, Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder emphasies a point with head coach Mike Smith during defensive drills with players in the first padded practice at training camp in Flowery Branch on Monday, August 1, 2011. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
ield-goal attempts from 23, 30 and 46 yards. He has made all eight of his field-goal attempts in the exhibition season and, dating back to last season, Bryant has converted 23 straight field-goal attempts.
13
The number of players who caught passes against the Steelers, including Kevin Cone, the former Georgia Tech receiver, who had one catch for nine yards.
Sound bite
“Those are some of the plays that we just need to make. It was good really on both ends. We kind of got the ball to the right spot. We just have to come down with those. Julio has made those plays before in college and he’s going to make plenty of those plays for us.”
– Quarterback Matt Ryan on Jones dropping a deep pass in the end zone.
Loose ends
Ryan completed 22 of 42 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His 10-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White was his third of the exhibition season. … Eric Weems set up the Falcons’ lone touchdown drive with a 48-yard punt return. … Jones was the team’s second-leading receiver with five catches for 59 yards. … Running back Jacquizz Rodgers led the team in rushing with 38 yards on seven carries. … Wide receiver Harry Douglas, who’s having a strong exhibition season, had three catches for 31 yards and had a touchdown-saving tackle. … Safety William Moore led the team in tackles with six. … Tight end Tony Gonzalez was called for offensive pass interference to nullify a 2-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
What’s next
Atlanta (0-3) plays Baltimore (2-1) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Georgia Dome. The Ravens defeated the Redskins 34-31 on Thursday.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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196 comments Add your comment
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
12:12 pm
Also, to add to that:
Julio Jones leads all rookie WR in catches, yards, first downs and is tied for 1st in plays over 20 yards. By comparison, AJ Green does not lead in any category.
Hollywould
August 29th, 2011
12:12 pm
Did they tell him to kick 30 yard punts so they can cover those also?
buckhead benny
August 29th, 2011
12:18 pm
I just can’t wait to not see turner or snelling on third downs. Think how much more powerful that attack will be when the linebackers really have to have their eyes in the backfield to account for J. Rodgers? Tony Gonzales just became more open and so do several other receivers I bet. I just hope the Falcons don’t try and stick with Snelling for too long at the beginning of the season just because Jaquizz is a rookie- Michael Turner looks like Frankenstein coming out of the backfield and trying to turn his head to catch the ball.
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
12:29 pm
Snelling is actually a really good 3rd down back. He can catch for a RB. He can run between the tackles. Not as shifty as Quizz, but he is a much better blocker. Not sure you are going to see Quizz on 3rd downs. His blocking is a liability on 3rd down right now. Not saying he won’t improve.
just sayin'
August 29th, 2011
12:31 pm
@Don’t….talk about delusional…nice one Hollywould…and did they tell Melt to keep throwing those quick outs over the receivers heads to see how the ball boys can catch?….can’t wait to see Melt’s next ‘javelin’ toss into double coverage towards the end zone…
realitycheck
August 29th, 2011
12:33 pm
I guess my posts continue to be blocked unless they are one liners because I don’t buy into this “everything’s gonna be fine” garbage. Things aren’t fine and aren’t gonna be. Don’t want to write more because the post monster will eat it.
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
12:36 pm
Right because no good QB ever overthrows a receiver right? Some of you are completely ignorant.
Me
August 29th, 2011
12:37 pm
HEY T.D. PLEASE SIGN ANOTHER CB OR MAKE A TRADE TO GET SOMEONE ! PLEASE !!!
Me
August 29th, 2011
12:41 pm
WE ARE A GOOD TEAM BUT WE HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE MAIN REASON WE LOST IN THE PLAYOFFS. OUR SECONDARY ! ! I LOVE THE FALCONS BUT HISTORY IS BOUND TO REPEAT ITSELF.
DHunt
August 29th, 2011
12:48 pm
Yep JSS, I remember you in here every week last season talking about how terrible we were on the way to a 13-3 season. In case you didn’t notice, all but one team lost their last game last season (happens that way every season), so only one team gets to spend the off season talking about their great final game of the season. If you are a Packer fan, you’re in the wrong place, but that would explain a lot of your comments.
Man of Reason
August 29th, 2011
12:51 pm
It is unbelievable to me how much some of you think you know compaired to what you actually know. You could put Tom Brady out there and if you ask him to throw 42 passes against that team in less than two quarters you are going to get similar numbers. Anyone judging this team off those conditions is an idiot.
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
12:54 pm
Exactly, but trying to explain preseason to some of these people is like trying to explain quantum physics to a cave man. You believe what you want to believe, but any one who knows any thing about football knows that they were not putting the team in a position to succeed. They were putting them in a position to evaluate specific aspects of the team.
just sayin'
August 29th, 2011
12:56 pm
@Reason….an idiot, or you could believe like Don’t…they were just ‘testing’ scenarios….
just sayin'
August 29th, 2011
12:58 pm
just like Melt was ‘testing’ how GB would react to a sideline floater for the second half…
ASHCAN.
August 29th, 2011
12:59 pm
Dled,don’t try and find excuses for this team,facts are facts.they have no depth,there secondary will be toasted against pass happy teams and they don’t look very explosive to me.The offense is good but not explosive which tells me we will give up points as quick as we score points.
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
1:04 pm
Just Sayin, you aren’t sayin anything that makes any kind of sense. You have absolutely 0 football IQ. So, you honestly think that throwing 42 t i m e s in less than two quarters was the coaching staff trying to win that game? Really? You do realize that no coach in the history of the NFL has ever done that in a real game right? So, when the coach himself says they wanted to evaluate the pass protection against a 3-4 scheme, you think that is a big conspiracy too right? Yes, idiot about fits perfectly.
ASHCAN.
August 29th, 2011
1:11 pm
@ DONT FEED AINTS TROLLS,really???(about evaluation). So what other plans do the falcons have for this season???? since you were in the meeting.Looked like to me all the starters played a half and the better team shined.Edwards wasn’t even a factor,his name wasn’t called once.Grimes(who is super over rated) got toasted and will continue to get toasted this season.This tean addressed one side of the ball(Offense) but don’t realize that DEFENSE wins trophys!!
just sayin'
August 29th, 2011
1:12 pm
@Don’t most knowledgeable fans know the coaches use the 3rd preseason game to get their players into ‘game condition’ mode…they use the 4th game to do their evaluations/scenario testing…not saying smith was hell bent on winning this game, but i’m sure he wasn’t testing whether Melt could over/under throw his receivers…but he certainly found out that Melt still needs some work….along with all of the DBs…
Man of Reason
August 29th, 2011
1:14 pm
They were just testing scenarios genius. They even said that. They were looking at pass protection and no huddle offense. What is so friggin hard to understand about that. If you wanted to see how your line pass protected against the best 3-4 defense in the league, something you can’t replicate in practice, what would you do? You would go out there and tell you QB to throw it and just keep throwing it no matter what. Is that hard to grasp?
ASHCAN.
August 29th, 2011
1:20 pm
Just like last season 13-3 all you heard is ifs,maybe’s and buts(excuses).Reading these posts is the same excuses different season.After this season you will hear more excuses.The excuses i hear already is “its pre-season”.If they(falcons) was un-defeated in this pre-season,you will be reading from most bloggers superbowl.So lets not act like something that needs to be fixed is not broke.GET ME A SECONDARY!!!!!!!!
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
1:21 pm
Dude, why are you so thick? You might do that IF you had a regular off season with OTAs where you work on… oh I don’t know…. pass protection and no huddle. They didn’t have that. The coaches felt it was more important to have a look at those things than to win a meaningless game. This isn’t hard to understand.
Man of Reason
August 29th, 2011
1:25 pm
I love how you guys say 13-3 season like it was something anyone could do. We lost to the Super Bowl Champs. Guess what… so did every other team that faced them in the playoffs. Wow, what do you guys eat for breakfast? Paint chips?
rm
August 29th, 2011
1:42 pm
Quick, bring a bucket! That secondary is leaking like nobody’s business! They are going to regret not making any changes to the secondary in the off-season. Owens needs to be released on the first round of cuts and they need to search the waiver lines for some help, please!
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
2:03 pm
We need that “Hide yo wife, hide yo kids” guy to post on here. At least if you are going to post that the sky is falling and a 13-3 team is going 0-16, you can be entertaining like that guy.
falcon
August 29th, 2011
2:06 pm
Is it too late for Mike Mularkey to find another job. 1st and goal from the 5 yard line and he calls for 3 passes, then a field goal. Are we doing to concede the run play all year long? 2nd down and 2, and we get Redman tossing a wounded duck down the field that is returned 95 yards for a score. Game over.
just sayin'
August 29th, 2011
2:06 pm
good point, war…..@Don’t, to your point, you can forget about 2010 and 13-3…everybody’s 0-0 now…
Bocefus
August 29th, 2011
2:07 pm
If you guys are looking for a falcons message board where you have free speech, check out http://www.deviantsunderground.com. No, we don’t touch kids, we just have a terrible name. We are a diverse bunch, we have a gay, a black nationalist, a couple of fat guys, a basement dwelling, disfigured freak, an angry conservative that lives with mommy and a some awesome people who say awesome stuff, about cool topics.
Sid
August 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
D. Orlando Ledbetter August 29th, 2011 7:24 am
HJones — I didn’t want to be too hard on Edwards in his first game back. I do know that he got off to a slow start last season. 1 sack in first 7 games or something like that. Falcons can’t afford a slow start from him with their schedule.
***********************************************************************************
Edwards took a couple of plays off, that has me a little concerned.
BLEED RED & BLACK
August 29th, 2011
2:32 pm
D – LED, Please stop giving us a false sense of hope…We looked bad in all facets of our game…O – play calling was lackluster, sure it was the STEELERS…BUT THE ELITE TEAMS that win “those shiny Vince Lombardi trophies” seem to not only get it right in preseason but also transfer that momentum over into the regular season….Sorry but Ryan needs to exude more confidence in the pocket….PLEASE REMOVE 70% OF THE DINK AND DUNK PLAYS FROM PLAYBOOK….We just bought a Porsche but scared to drive it over 50 MPH….D-LED making a comparison of our starters against Miami…DUDE REALLY? Miami is not a threat to win ANYTHING(THIS AINT ‘72)…BTW let the coaching staff know their zone D wreaks of garbarge… Don’t get me wrong, I support the franchise but we will never hoist Lombardi trophy in this town until we stop settling for meidocrity from this team and staff…I need to see something againt BMORE!!!!…Let you guys tell it….It’s only preseason….I can’t wait to hear the excuses the morning of 09/12….Our offense is going to need a ton a points to win this year…..We have local HIGH SCHOOLS with more explosive playbooks than ours…..Not backing away from the ledge….just stepping inside to make sure my sheet is tied tight enough to the radiator…
D. Orlando Ledbetter
August 29th, 2011
2:35 pm
Hollywould — I will ask the punter about that. (I don’t believe so!)
Testes
August 29th, 2011
2:38 pm
Testes 123….testes 123
Dada
August 29th, 2011
2:41 pm
i’m wondering why DC does not go man to man more on 3rd down. I’m sorry, the Zoning on 3rd down has not, and will not work. Lets see how our DBs match up on man to man coverage w/ the Safeties covering up top.
Just a thought BVD. We’ve got fast athletes, lets utilize them. enough w/ this Read & React nonsense. Don’t believe me, check your 3rd down conversion percentage.
My 1 cent
Doesn't look good yet
August 29th, 2011
2:47 pm
I hope we are all overreacting, but after the GB game last year, we haven’t been given anything to get excited about. My panties have been in a wad ever since…all up in my va J J
A good thumping of Chicago game 1 would make me feel better.
HJones
August 29th, 2011
3:09 pm
Sid, Dled should have asked the defensive coordinator why Edwards was dropping into pass coverage. It doesn’t make common sense to me when we got him for the pass rush. I want to know why?
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
3:12 pm
Because it was a zone blitz and that is what you do. The goal is to rush from somewhere unexpected while dropping the person you expect to be rushing into coverage.
Chandler going Deep..
August 29th, 2011
3:15 pm
Eagles 42, Falcons 24
just sayin'
August 29th, 2011
3:15 pm
if you ask Don’t, Edwards was just ‘testing scenarios’ to see how the Steelers offense would react…you know, after game 4 and he doesn’t have any sacks, he can help Grimes cover the wide outs…
Man of Reason
August 29th, 2011
3:20 pm
Really? Because it looks to me like he said it was because it was a zone blitz… which is absolutely right. Maybe if you would actually quit trolling and learn something about football, you could contribute to an actual conversation
Peachy Red and Black
August 29th, 2011
3:23 pm
I see upside all the way. Not worried about the regular season. If there is place to make mistakes and have the coaching staff evaluate, teach and coach, preseason is the place. I am especially not worried since this is to be expected with practically no off season. I would like to see the Falcons make a move for Samuel, especially sharing a division with Drew Bree’s.
Man of Reason
August 29th, 2011
3:30 pm
Thank BaJebus! Someone else who understands this wasn’t a normal off season and that the coaches might have used this preseason differently because of that. Wow! Next we will get someone in here to post that you don’t throw the ball 42 t(i)mes unless you are more concerned with evaluating pass protection than winning a game that doesn’t count.
Mr. Swamp People
August 29th, 2011
3:32 pm
just sayin’ — i want you to test my scenario! u knoe wha m sayin?
just sayin'
August 29th, 2011
3:40 pm
didn’t know they had swamps in Mid Town…goes to show you, huh?
gill turner
August 29th, 2011
3:50 pm
decoud # 28 u need too give that money back to the falcons
Not too bad
August 29th, 2011
3:59 pm
Honestly, I was pretty happy about what I saw. We moved the ball at will against the Steelers, and if not for an errant pass to a wide open Harry Douglas, a dropped Touchdown by Julio on the bomb and and a pass inference call against Tony G. we would have put up 24 points in the first half on the mighty Steeler D.
Defensively, the Steelers basically scored on three lucky plays – two big pass plays on Brent Grimes where he was right there but just missed the ball and an interception returned for a TD on Redman.
I would still like to see us get a veteran corner to play the nickel, but I don’t think its the end of the world if we don’t
hiramsaint
August 29th, 2011
4:07 pm
@ don’t feed- you guys looked horrible-hehehehehehehehe
hiramsaint
August 29th, 2011
4:08 pm
@ not to bad- i was happy too! move the ball and settle for 3 pts….WD!!!!!
loel.
August 29th, 2011
4:15 pm
As I said last week, Take Turner out of there anyone else would be an improvement..
JSS
August 29th, 2011
4:57 pm
“”
1. I’m a professional football fan, I can care less about the petty dustups that most of you have going on in your fantasies in “Snarky Central.”Do I think the Falcons are a “terrible” football team? No, but they are 5 touchdowns or 2 field goals away from being 9-7 or 10-6. The previous season was the gift from Mark Sanchez in his first real bad weather game which broke the “streak,” not because Matt Ryan suddenly morphed into Tom Brady in the Meadowlands.
2. Great QBs make overthrows, but not the same throw in the same spot since Day One. Corners know it, that is way they shade that route and the really good ones Samuels, Clements, Barber and safeties like Reed and Polamalu jump it and make it regularly on Matt Ryan.
3. Try as he (Ledbetter) likes to tell you otherwise to the “great transition,” this team works best not when Matt Ryan is throwing it, but when Turner is running it… There is no great secrets in the Falcons playbook. Come on, most of you have you have been watching the game long enough to know that. Love him or hate him, Mularkey has not been hiding the playbook. he did not forget how to call a screen since his days in Pittsburgh. Smith wants so badly to impose his will on other teams, pooh on them for actually figuring out how to stop them… 13-3 means nothing, just like the 1980 team being 12-4. You carry fondness for the moment, but the actuality is that they lost… Do you think fans in Pittsburgh are going around bagging like Falcons fans about being AFC Champs? I can tell you, no! They know they lost the Super Bowl, it hurts them, but they went on and said it plainly, Ben can’t throw those INTs. Mendenhall can’t lay the ball on the ground. The Packers made a similar realization after losing to the Giants at Lambeau in their element in OT in the NFC title game. They did not get the taste slapped from their mouths. They had miscues along the way. The Falcons on the other hand out the so-called NFL elite have made the least change in terms of that place in understanding of any team… The proof will be in the pudding…
Don't feed Aints trolls (It isn't 2009 anymore)
August 29th, 2011
5:16 pm
Those teams weren’t built over night. This team is just now recovering from decades of mismanagement and poor ownership. The Petrino year is probably the worst year any pro team has ever had in the big scheme of things. In the last three years, this organization is building into a championship organization. You cannot compare this team to a team like the Packers and the Steelers yet, because this team is not run by an organization like that yet. It is becoming one, but that takes years of building on top of success. We had never had back to back winning seasons when Smith and TD got here. Look at what they have done. 3 winning seasons. Ranked in top 5 of both scoring offense and defense. More pro bowlers than any other team last year. This organization is building something elite.
In Ben’s third year he threw 26 interceptions. He has had double digit INTs for 5 out of his 7 years. If Ryan had a defense like that then he would have 3 rings by now. Ben is a mediocre QB who benefits from really good field position.
This team isn’t the Packers or Steelers or Patriots… but they are certainly doing a lot to get to that level.
Rufus1
August 29th, 2011
5:17 pm
b