7 things wrong with the Falcons
Sporting Atlanta's version of the cheese heads, the ice heads Chris Elliott, Brian Sutton and Danny Boswell (left to right) cheer for Falcons quarterback Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan as he takes the field to play the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons (2-3) will try to circle the wagons against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers (1-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
The one thing that sticks out from our chats with Falcons coach Mike Smith this week is notion that the coaches and players have to work together to right their ship.
“It starts with the coaching staff and the players,” Smith said. “We’re only going to fix this together. We’re not going to fix this individually. It’s not one person, it’s not one thing.”
Man, it sure isn’t one thing. Here’s my little list of 7 things that need some fixing.
- Penalties. They have 32 penalties through five games after being the least penalized team in the league last season with 58 penalties. Tyson Clabo’s holding made sense under the “you can’t let the quarterback get killed” doctrine. Roddy White’s penalty made sense, too. He was complaining about the late hit – that wasn’t called – when Ryan took a pop while sliding. The illegal substitution and illegal formation penalties are pee wee football penalties. Those are the ones that must be eliminated.
Matt Ryan calls an audible at the line of scrimmage during 1st half action against the Packers. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
- Where’s the Ice Man? Quarterback Matt Ryan is not playing well (seven touchdowns, six interceptions). He had his fourth-lowest passer rating (53.6) in four seasons against the Packers. He had a 49.3 on Dec. 28, 2008 in a season-finale 31-27 win over St. Louis, a 46.6 against New Orleans in a 35-27 loss on Nov. 2, 2009, and 29.3 in the second game of his career, a 24-9 loss to Tampa Bay. The Falcons are 16-0 when he has a passer rating of 100 or more. They need the razor-sharp 100-point man going forward.
- Pass defense. The secondary is still hemorrhaging yards. They are giving up 294.2 yards per game which ranks 28th in the league. Chicago’s Jay Cutler (312), Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson (319) and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (396) have all passed for more than 300 yards against the Falcons. (If Jermichael Finley doesn’t have two drops, Rodgers would have passed for more than 400 yards.)
- Pass rush. Defensive end Ray Edwards, signed to help the pass rush, only has one sack and John Abraham is battling another groin injury. Edwards acknowledged that he has been slowed by knee surgery that he had during the lockout. “It’s getting better and better each week, and it’s starting to show in my play,” Edwards said. Also, Edwards, who was signed to a six-year, $30 million contract, eased into a new role. With Minnesota he rushed solely from left end. The Falcons flip-flop their ends depending on the matchups, so he’s played some left and right end. “I’ve adjusted,” Edwards said. “Actually, my first sack came from the right side. I definitely have adjusted to it.” Perhaps the Falcons need to drop the whole notion of harassing the quarterback and actually getting them on the ground.
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Packers kicker Matt Crosby nails a long field goal over the reach of Falcons defensive end Ray Edwards. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
Protect the Ice Man. The offensive line, with one new starter, has given up 14 sacks and 35 quarterback hits. However, they have given up only one sack in the last two games.
- Run game: Michael Turner rushed for 100 yards against Chicago and 114 against Philadelphia. The “Ground and Pound” attack has sprung Turner for 20 yards against Tampa Bay, 70 against Tampa Bay and 56 against Green Bay.
- Third down woes. The Falcons are allowing the opposition to convert on 46.3 percent of their third downs, which is 30th in the league. Curtis Lofton has a plan. “Put pressure on the quarterback,” Lofton said. “Get sacks. Sacks equal great coverage and great coverage equals sacks. We have to just keep working together and playing together as a team.” Ask if he could pinpoint the issue, Lofton said, “It’s a combination of different things.”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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347 comments Add your comment
JSS
October 13th, 2011
8:22 am
Your numbers are all screwed up… No. 2 is number 1, the myth of Matt Ryan – Game changer has finally been imploded. That is because No. 6 is number 2, ground and impose our will (pound) has finally caught up with what people warned what was going to happen, smush mouth football (not smash mouth). Hawley might be a “stud” (Ledbetter’s description), but the middle 3 is as much of a problem as Baker’s pass protection. Dahl apologists will say it is his absence, but the dirtiest player in the game was getting his head handed to him the final 5 games of last year too… Safety tackled Turner, what does that tell you? The DB has no business in your backfield, that play is a non starter.
The big missing number is No. 8 The Thomas Dimitroff Affair. He is morphing into the football version of Billy Knight. He overpays for players who don’t fit his system (see Robinson and Edwards). His picks are killing the Falcons, Bosher, the O and D linemen, and the Over-the-Top Gang (DeCoud and Moore) are chasing everybody. I don’t have problem with them shedding picks for Jones, he rarely hits on the picks he has taken (see Peria Jerry or Christopher Owens)…
I won’t even address the disaster that is the Falcons pass rush and the effect on all things feeding (or starving) from the faulty hull of a line and its lack of pressure from backers Lofton and hurting Stephen on the S.S. Zone Defense. Watching the back seven must be like watching the ill-fated Lusitania last hours. Everybody knows there a submarine coming, but eventually the torpedo hits and the ship goes down!
Have it Snarky Central!!!
teamguy
October 13th, 2011
8:23 am
Why don’t most of you guys tell the truth? You don’t like Ryan because he’s not the guy that the Feds hauled off to prison. Bigots don’t just come in one color.
bob
October 13th, 2011
8:30 am
play calling too predictable. Soft zone defense on 3rd downs. Play “not to lose” when get lead instead of trying to increase lead. too conservative play calling with lead in trying to run out clock. Injuries are going to hurt this week.
dub366
October 13th, 2011
8:31 am
where is Matt running for his life. he just not the QB that you all think he is. talk about changed until you get another QB then you’ll have the same problem every sunday or when ever they play.
Really?
October 13th, 2011
8:32 am
The call for a bruising running back is reasonable and Turner often is not that man. He’s turned into TJ Duckett dancing too much before trying to hit the small hole that, by that time, is closed. However, Schnelling, although not big, is punishing, or was before his recent concussion. He was back in the last game and caught a couple passes, but he can be that person if given the opportunities. The biggest problem is the use of the players. We actually have a lot of speed for a change, but running curl routes stops the momentum that has to get started again once they turn up field. Quizz needs to be used more as well.
But this is a waste of my time and yours. The Falcon players, coaches and administration don’t read this stuff! I quit. Really.
JSS
October 13th, 2011
8:32 am
People don’t like 55.1 QB rating performances on the 2nd most pass attempts in the entire league! You can’t run that tired excuse anymore… Ryan is stinking it up…
observer
October 13th, 2011
8:38 am
What do Falcons do? FALCONS RISE UP!….before the snap count
P
October 13th, 2011
8:40 am
FIRE THE COORDINATOR AND THAT WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS…
P
October 13th, 2011
8:41 am
FIRE THE COORDINATORS AND THAT WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS…
The Big Fat Blogger
October 13th, 2011
8:41 am
To sum it all up, its the Coaching! Coaching! Coaching! We have had the talent for years, yet we always managed to choke in the big games… why is it that someone like Chris Houston is all of a sudden playing decent Football??? Heck, even Jamal Anderson is putting a little pressure on the QB since he got to Indy… Get rid of Murlarkey and Van Gorder and see how this team turns around……
The Judge Says;
October 13th, 2011
8:43 am
Coach Mularkey, you’re fired! You are pompass, predictible, and time sir, “has passed you by!” “Pack” up and be gone.NOW! Coach Van Gorder, you’re fired at seasons end unless you get the secondary fixed starting this weekend. Oh, and you must shave that bad stasch dude, looks goofy! Coach Smith…your grades are slipping, and we are starting to have concerns with your ability to motivate and direct your charges sir! Stop with the pie in the ski stuff, call it like it is, address your coacjing issues and correct it, or you to sir, will be gone!! Arthur Blank, now you have spent the money, you have attracted Sam Jackson to speak for the team, sorry but he can’t keep calling for the fans to “Rise Up” and have them respond, when the team fails to heed the call. The “ice man” has gone cold, “the burner” has flammed out, and and oh my god, the leg issues, Bosher, Julio, and Abes crotch??? Seems the birds are wounded, and whether or not the swan song has begun, can only be addressed and answered in the next two games. Don’t win them both, and and we know we’ll still be absent a playoff win till next year! What do Falcons (fans) do? Ask for the team to ‘Rise Up!!”
JF McNamara
October 13th, 2011
8:47 am
Teams crowd the line because Ryan has a popcorn arm. It limits Turner’s ability to rush because everyone is up close. They try to go over the top, but he can’t get the ball far enough that the receiver doesn’t have to slow down and let the defense catch up.
Instead of trying to get explosive plays over the top, they need to put in Rodgers and go more West Coast short passes.
Jimmy Crack
October 13th, 2011
8:48 am
Blocking and tackling, DOL, blocking and tackling. Head coach stuff.
willie
October 13th, 2011
8:51 am
Obviously Ryan is nowhere near as good as Peyton Manning, but they are similar in that they are both immobile QBs that need time in the pocket to be successful. I think the OL is getting better and that is the key to our offense.
Mark
October 13th, 2011
9:02 am
four of your stated problems are the fault of putrid offensive line play. Offensive line should be number one on your list and I don’t even see it listed as a specific problem. It’s simple.The offensive line is derailing this team!!!
Jimmy Carter
October 13th, 2011
9:09 am
I can sink any team.
Just put me in coach (into any commercial).
B-man
October 13th, 2011
9:11 am
My #1 frustration is the change to such conservative playcalling after getting a lead. Almost killed us against Seattle, did kill us against Green Bay. Continue with the same playcalling that got you a 14 point lead. After we got up 14 against GB, we went into clock management mode and everyone in the country knew Turner was getting the ball up the middle on first down. I loved the quick pitches and misdirections in the first quarter. In this league, you don’t go into “preserve the win” mode until half way through the 4th quarter. STAY AGRESSIVE AND KEEP TRYING TO SCORE! We can still be agrressive and stay with the running game but we have to mix it up. Can’t keep running the same 3 Turner Trap plays we’ve been running. THEY GET STUFFED EVERY TIME. Turner gets lucky and breaks about 1 per game which pads his stats. Other than that we get tons of 2 yard losses on first down which are back breaking.
Mularky
October 13th, 2011
9:11 am
U wannabees don’t know didley.
Kiss my grits.
Cam
October 13th, 2011
9:13 am
Man has your GM made a mess.
I’m thinking my first 500 yard game.
B-man
October 13th, 2011
9:16 am
As for the knuckleheads who are criticizing Ryan’s arm…that is NOT the issue. If you actually watched the game, he OVERTHREW Julio and Harry several times in the last couple of games. Accuracy on the deep ball has been more of the problem than arm strength.
But thank you for your comments, it lets the rest of us know which ones have no football knowledge whatsoever.
PMC
October 13th, 2011
9:16 am
Nobody…. circles the wagons…like the Atlanta Falcons.
Amy
October 13th, 2011
9:19 am
You left out punting. We have the worst punter in the league.
Keeping it Real
October 13th, 2011
9:25 am
Agree with Amy. I do not understand why this problem isn’t being corrected. There must be 100 punters out there that can do a better job than Bosher. He wasn’t anything special for the U and he is less than special in the pros.
PMC
October 13th, 2011
9:25 am
#8 – The 3rd Quarter. Coming out of halftime they look like the 2003 Falcons. Yeah, Doug Johnson and Kurt Kittner’s Falcons.
painter
October 13th, 2011
9:27 am
So what’s working with the Falcons?
JSS
October 13th, 2011
9:31 am
@ painter…
Their GA HOV Hot Pass!
OPEN YOUR EYES
October 13th, 2011
9:33 am
NOBODY GO TO THIS GAME AND TEACH THIS MANAGEMENT A LESSON!!!!!!!!!
joe white
October 13th, 2011
9:36 am
MADFALCON is 100% correct our coachs are stinking it up and I put more blame on mike smith cause he the head coach and you would think by now he would have took over the defense by now since his background is a defense.our offense is dismal and needs a wake up
painter
October 13th, 2011
9:41 am
I don’t want to watch this weekend, but I will.
SeenThisBFalcon
October 13th, 2011
9:43 am
BAHHUMBUG
William Smith
October 13th, 2011
9:44 am
Some people can judge talent and some can’t. Matt Ryan when he was drafted was to become the next John Elway. We’re waiting! The Packers drafted late in round 1 and got Aaron Rodgers, and they are not waiting. Then there is the blockbuster deal for Julio Jones. With Matt Ryan as QB this is like buying 50 yard line tickets to your favorite teams games, and then realizing you don’t have a way to get to the games.
Rosalind
October 13th, 2011
9:47 am
Jimmy, it’s not your fault the Falcons sux.
They always have suxed.
I think it’s in the Bible.
What do Falcons do?
They sux.
Phil
October 13th, 2011
9:49 am
Matt Ryan should be shipped off and a real qb brought in along with a new GM. These 2 are a disgrace. Mediocre would be an understatement to describe their performance.
Big Mike
October 13th, 2011
9:50 am
I looks like while we had little injuries last year, we are not so lucky this year. The seven things wrong with the Falcons need to be addressed immediately. Coaches are not making adjustments during the game quickly enough. We don’t need to wait to the seasons over to address our problems. (Robinson on Defense is a joke)
lions
October 13th, 2011
9:52 am
TD should be fired.
ME TOO
October 13th, 2011
10:02 am
The punter is not a problem yet. The team has not played good enough for the punting to be a problem. The punter is way down on the list of little problems. The big one need solving first. Offense is the biggest problem.
78Dawg
October 13th, 2011
10:08 am
Get used to being a bad team. We habe NO draft next year. Thanks you Tom Dimitroff..You idiot !!!
COACH
October 13th, 2011
10:10 am
They would have plenty of high picks at next year’s draft if they keep going this way…except that they gave them all away!!! Great move. How did that work out for Minnesotta when they traded for Herschel Walker????
LambordiLivesOn
October 13th, 2011
10:19 am
I see Ledbetter likes to play the VICTIM card…when Matty took a pop while sliding…R U Kidding me…maybe the Falcons should play TOUCH football, he wasn’t even touched, besides on any hit you can’t STOP in the middle of launching…what a CRYBABY…White had a late hit…WHAT late hit…losers make EXCUSES and that’s exactly what the FALCONS are LOSERS and there deadbeat writers…take your beat down like a man and accept you were outplayed…even after all the dirtybird play after the whistle…they don’t call you dirty birds for nothing….
Eagles fan
October 13th, 2011
10:24 am
Don’t feel bad.
U could be us.
89viking
October 13th, 2011
10:26 am
is it too late to make a trade for a LT bc sam baker is going to get matty ice on IR before the season is over…..the falcons should have let baker go and gotten someone,,,anyone,,,that can at least throw a look out block,,,thats more than baker can do!
LambordiLivesOn
October 13th, 2011
10:26 am
Falcons are a shell of the team they were last year…They’ll be lucky if they make the playoff’s as a wild card…Plain and simple, the Packers SHUT YOU DOWN…they took away your run game and SHUT DOWN your pass game…YOU HAD NOTHING! 106 Yards in the last 42 minutes of the game and the PACKERS put up 25 POINTS…The Packers are simply BETTER, better talent, more talent and better coaching…even our water boy is better…time to admit who’s the class of the NFL, a hint, it’s not a bird and the Lombardi Trophy is named after there coach…
Observation
October 13th, 2011
10:33 am
The punter would not be a big issue except it reveals more proof Dimitroff has little skill at evaluating talent.
He has no idea who to draft after the obvious first 10 picks.
That is the main reason he made the trade.
We can’t second guess his picks if he has traded them away.
Exactly like Reeves trading next year’s 1st round pick for a TE in 1999.
Both times the Falcons have done this, the late 1st round pick has turned out to be much higher as the Falcons tanked.
LambordiLivesOn
October 13th, 2011
10:36 am
Punter-Makes sense. If your GM expects your team to get beat down then obviously he wants a good punter…becs a BEATDOWN is on his mind…it’s not a matter of if the FALCONS will get beat down, it’s how bad they’ll get beat down…like for example: ZERO POINTS in the last 42 minutes of there SB sunday against the PACKERS…that’s called a BEATDOWN
skip
October 13th, 2011
10:41 am
I’ve watched the Falcons since day one. Only the names change. The results are always the same: a good season now and then followed by a slide back into mediocrity.
YESWECAM
October 13th, 2011
10:42 am
Better figure it out quick, cause CAM’s coming to town!!!!!!!!!!
YESWECAM
October 13th, 2011
10:43 am
I have a feeling this will be one for the ages. Ryan vs Newton..My money is on Cam. Noodle arm Ryan needs to go play high school football..LOL
LambordiLivesOn
October 13th, 2011
10:46 am
Plus Noodle are is gonna be without another one of his so called threats, Jones, it just gives the Panthers an extra guy to bring up in the box and stop fat boy…it’s gonna be a long day, and long yr for the dirty birds…35-17..dirty birds fall again out of there nest…
Southern Man
October 13th, 2011
10:49 am
I bet Chris, Brian and Danny felt pretty silly after the game with those “hats”….
JAYBO
October 13th, 2011
10:50 am
I been telling people for a while now that Matt Ryan is just an average NFL quarterback!!! He will not get this team to the next level….cant handle pressure well!!!