Are the Falcons the Raiders of the NFC South?
The Falcons and the Lions, two of the most penalized teams in the league in 2011, combined for 21 penalties in their raucous 23-16 affair last Sunday. AP
BYE WEEK VILLE – The Falcons committed 11 penalties for 80 yards against Detroit.
The Falcons are fourth in the NFL with 50 penalties. Last season they were the least-penalized team in the league with 57 infractions.
Detroit leads the league with 71 followed by Chicago (56), Washington (54) and Atlanta (50). Jacksonville and New England also have 50 penalties.
The Oakland Raiders, the perennial bad boys of the league, are eighth with 46 penalties.
The Falcons and the Lions combined for 21 penalties and 164 yards in that 23-16 smash-dancing fest last Sunday.
[Note to self. . . . make sure to ask Smitty what the bye-week "drill down" revealed about the 50 penalties in seven games.]
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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163 comments Add your comment
iceBIRDcold11
October 27th, 2011
10:27 am
Last year being the “least” penalized team in the league got us a first round loss. What would make your article more interesting would be to tell where Green Bay and Pittsburgh ranked last year.
falconsrus
October 27th, 2011
10:31 am
word cdog us against the world RISE UP
THE INFAMOUS DK
October 27th, 2011
10:44 am
As for me.. Im a Falcon fan for lie.. My parents have been season ticket holders for 37 years and i have been for ummmm 15. Wow! Didnt know it had been that long. Im a every year when I was growing up the family vacation was a roadtrip to New Orleans kind of a guy. I bleed this.. I just want to see my Falcons win one before my Mom leaves here.. Yeah she’s a bigger fan than my Dad and he’s a rabid falcon fan. So Falcons we support you in whatever yall doing but dagnabit win one for the hometeam..
lowdownjj
October 27th, 2011
10:55 am
Yo @Who Dat We aren’t in 3rd place. And this is pretty alarming. Penalties kill drives on offense and extend drives on defense. We need to clean this up. Procedural and pre snap penalties are the ones that really are inexscusible. I can live with the effort penalties or the ” I am beat, save my QB’s life” holds
Dwayne
October 27th, 2011
11:31 am
DOL, I understood your article.
Frank Gerber
October 27th, 2011
12:05 pm
People who post “First” live vapid lives. Do something productive!
Tommy
October 27th, 2011
12:26 pm
Raiders of the NFC? No. The penalties are starting to come down a bit, and we draft players based on more than their 40 time.
What we the Falcons are becoming is the Chargers of the NFC–10+ wins a year, but no playoff success (so far).
tt44
October 27th, 2011
12:50 pm
Hey DOL, are the Falcons picking up another blocking back to allow Snelling the opportuinty to rest up Turner? What say U?
darren
October 27th, 2011
12:56 pm
Damm Orlando ! Is this what you came up with in a eight hour day ? Please cut and paste from the Atlanta Falcon website like you normally do. At least I can read a good article twice. How did you get your job? Wow !
Someone get Sean Peyton his painkillers! His leg hurts!
October 27th, 2011
1:01 pm
At least he doesn’t subject us to stupid song lyrics like the Braves’ beat writer.
Mikey
October 27th, 2011
1:43 pm
Thought provokking comparison… however, I don’t see the Falcons as “bad boys” so much as just to sloppy a football team at this point. I know our guys are capable of much more and I expect that with additional work they will improve. The majority of the penalties have come from lining up offsides, poor blocking, not understanding what “blocking in the back” is and not remembering the snap count. Our team is better than this and I’m sure they all understand how detrimental these dumb penalties are to winning in the NFL. I have no doubt that our fine team of coaches and players will be working on this. They will soon be operating at a very high level when we see the penalties diminish.
Delbert D.
October 27th, 2011
1:47 pm
The Raiders haven’t been the same since Stabler and Biletnikoff. Just no fun to watch.
St Simons - we're on Island time
October 27th, 2011
1:57 pm
Certainly not the Raiders, they’re the biggest team in the NFL
and we’re one of the smallest, if not the smallest. Went out to
Flowery Branch on fan day, and swear to bejeesus, my cute but dizzy
wife says, “I guess the Falcons will come out right after this High
school team gets through practicing” Um honey……
You know DLed you can pull down those dork posts on p 1
keith
October 27th, 2011
2:08 pm
I wouldn’t mind more silver and black on the uniforms
John Kimble
October 27th, 2011
2:11 pm
You might want to look up the definition for the word perennial, Dled.
Lets do some research:
2005. 28th with 101 penalties.
2006. Tied 26th with 85 penalties.
2007. 7th with 99.
2008. 30th with 74.
2009. 25th with 86.
2010. 2nd with 117
John Kimble
October 27th, 2011
2:13 pm
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/downs/sort/totalPenalties/position/defense/year/2009/order/false
and a link, so you can double check.
John Kimble
October 27th, 2011
2:22 pm
The stats above are for the Raiders.
John Kimble
October 27th, 2011
2:28 pm
The Raiders are perennially near the top in least penalties committed. Nice try, Tootsi.
CGD..
October 27th, 2011
2:48 pm
SuperBowl WINS:
Raiders: 1
Falcons: Maybe never? 0×46 and counting….Yawn…………………………….
CGD..
October 27th, 2011
2:50 pm
Ryan is 24th in passing now?? Wow…
Velocity is killing your accuracy Sir…..Watch the film…
rudy
October 27th, 2011
3:18 pm
the thing is, the falcons are winning football games and pretty well organized organization….
jackets77
October 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
This dude is a joke for a beat writer…no way he would ever make in a real media city with his usual crap he puts out there
Falcons > Everyone
October 27th, 2011
4:45 pm
I think the Falcons were (and still are) feeling the effects of no OTAs. Nobody else had OTAs either but some of the things we did well last year, such as protect Matt and limit penalties, are problems this season. With all the struggles, the Falcons are still only one game behind the Saints and one game behind where we were last season (5-2). C’mon, people, the Colts are next. 5-3 is inevitable going into the New Orleans home game.
Have some confidence in your team, folks. They’re one game out of first – don’t pack up your tent and go home, only to say “go Falcons” when they’re doing well. Just because we’re not scoring 62 points on an 0-7 team with their third-string QB is no reason to panic. Just because we’re not leading the league in every category you want them to doesn’t make our boys losers. Underachieving? Yes, but it’s early and we do have a favorable schedule coming up. I feel good about where the Falcons are right now, and that’s on an upward trend.
hiramsaint
October 27th, 2011
4:52 pm
what you actually are is…….3rd place in the nfc south-no surprise there!
hiramsaint
October 27th, 2011
4:54 pm
@ rudy–i find that to be rhetorically rhetoric
extremus
October 27th, 2011
5:26 pm
I’m not at all happy with all of these penalties this year, especially the drive-killing (or on defense, extending) ones. I don’t know who or what’s at fault; it may be that the Falcons underestimated the impact of the personnel changes on the lines especially, but it HAS to stop. I’m sure it has Mike Smith frustrated but he has to get this problem under control.
rash
October 27th, 2011
5:37 pm
well no d. orlando ledbatter i believe the lions would be!!!!!
Leeman Bennett
October 27th, 2011
7:29 pm
If you can’t really think of something to write a column about, don’t write it! Best in the league last year, now fourth in the league. I don’t get it.
SeenThisB4
October 27th, 2011
7:37 pm
APS must be to blame here.
Leeman: Read it again, they were best in the league last year. This year they are fourth, but fourth worst. In other words, they are ranked 28th in the league, this year. From 1st to 28th. Get it now?
mopman
October 27th, 2011
9:08 pm
O K ….I LIKE THE WAY YOU GUYS ,PLAYED ALL 4 QUARTERS, KEEP IT UP.” AGAIN PLAY 4 BEAT ANYBODY”
extremus
October 27th, 2011
9:21 pm
Maybe aliens abducted Mike Smith and inserted Jerry Glanville’s brain into his skull; as I recall, the Falcons were heavily penalized during his “black uniforms and helmets” tenure.
Nah, it’s not THAT bad or inconsistent…yet. But the penalties DO need to end.
topman
October 27th, 2011
9:34 pm
THE OFFENCE GOT TO STAY AGGRASSIVE, TAKE CHANCES DOWN FIELD, AND MABE A FEW TRICK PLAYS. Y’ALL GOT THE TALENT ,” JUST DO IT “. OFFENCE YOU GOT TO WANT TOO BE ON THE FIELD, BE GLAD TO BE ON THE FIELD.TAKE OVER.
al davis says
October 27th, 2011
11:37 pm
JUST WIN BABY!
hbcuclassics
October 28th, 2011
12:51 am
HBCU Football Update
Miles 9
Stillman 7
Final
…
Miles 2011 SIAC Western Division Champs!!!
http://www.hbcuclassics.com/
CuseFalcon
October 28th, 2011
2:18 am
Dled………you must be seriously bored…….cmom man!!!!!
falcon
October 28th, 2011
7:50 am
Bring back Harvey Dahl. I would have loved to have seen Big Harvey going up against Suh.
Penalties smenalties! It’s all subjective. The refs could throw a flag on every single play if they wanted to. I’ll bet there are officiating crews who lead the league every year in penalties called.
Nativebird
October 28th, 2011
8:08 am
Nope. Falcons penalties are bonehead mistakes and poor play, very few to aggressiveness and excessive roughness, the type of penalties the Raiders have been known for. ie. Sam Baker holds because he get’s his lunch handed to him by most DE’s. He’s becoming another bust in a long list of Falcon 1st round busts.
The Real Falcon
October 28th, 2011
8:50 am
Why is this guy a starter? And now with Johnson out we are stuck with him:
Courtesy of Pro Football Focus:
He’s no Harvey Dahl
Finances are finances, and in the condensed free agency period we had this year Harvey Dahl was able to escape Atlanta leaving the Falcons short on talent at the spot. Garrett Reynolds (-7.1) has replaced Dahl, only missing 14 snaps against the Packers, and has failed to play up to anywhere near the level of Dahl’s performances. This week against Detroit marked the sixth time he has graded negatively this season with this performance being comfortably his worst. He started badly by giving up a sack to Ndamukong Suh early in the first quarter, saved only by Suh trying to take Matt Ryan’s helmet off by the face cage, and followed that up with two further pressures (both to Suh). Of as much concern as anything else will be his trio of false start penalties, including two on back to back plays. Whether down to noise or the knowledge that he needed a good first step to match Suh, these were drive killers that the offense could do without as they pushed the Falcons out of field goal position and cost them points.
The Real Falcon
October 28th, 2011
8:52 am
Is he hurt or what?
Courtesy of Pro Football Focus:
Missing tackles in bunches
This week’s game marked the fifth time in the last two seasons that William Moore (-1.9) has missed multiple tackles in a game. Not exactly what you’re looking for in a safety. Moore missed three tackles this week, two in the running game and one in the passing game, to mark his worst day tackling since he missed four in an abysmal performance last season in Tampa Bay. Not executing in this facet of play is a problem anywhere on defense but deep in the secondary it tends to lead directly to bad things and that was the case for Moore here. Pursuing an in route by Calvin Johnson late in the third quarter Moore failed to secure his tackle on the massive wide-out, falling off and allowing Johnson to scamper away to a 57 yard score. The coverage may not have been Moore’s but the missed tackle led directly to the score. The Falcons need much better security from him and right now he has failed to deliver on his draft stock for Atlanta.
The Real Falcon
October 28th, 2011
8:54 am
But here we go.
Courtesy of Pro Football Focus
Another rounded performance
A week after a spectacular interception on a screen Corey Peters (+2.2) came up with another strong all round showing, outshining his fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux. Peters was stout in run defense, providing difficulties for Rob Sims (standing him up on two occasions at the line, including the first snap of the game) and Dominic Raiola. Peters also showed that he is not only a load in the middle but, as with last week against the Panthers, flashed his ability in space. Last week he pulled off the interception, while this week he was able to cut down Matthew Stafford for a sack in the right flat on third & goal and then, most crucially, picked up a pass defense on the Lions final drive of the game that prevented a pass interference call on third down. The Falcons have been looking for some time for a player to go with Babineaux in the middle of their defense, so when Babineaux rediscovers his best form Atlanta could now have a fine pairing at tackle.
Where is Jerry?
Tracy Mitchell
October 28th, 2011
9:25 am
The Falcons will be lucky to get a wildcard spot. At 13 and 3 last year you get blown out in the second round of the playoffs with a bye week. Granted you got drilled by the eventual champion, so what chance does this team have to go any where. i am not drinking the Kool-Aid. We are just playing out the string. Playoffs….NOT THIS YEAR.
lanier
October 28th, 2011
10:18 am
nope afraid they are just the same old Falcons
PMC
October 28th, 2011
11:23 am
Wouldn’t the Falcons have to win a few championships before this designation?
D Money
October 28th, 2011
11:41 am
DOL, you swung for the fences and missed on this one…lol
GHunt
October 28th, 2011
12:06 pm
DOL, What are the chances that Svitek will supplant Sam Baker at the RT position? Will Smitty during the bye week take a look at Baker at the right guard position? Svitek had no holding penalities, nor sacks allowed in the Lions game.
The Real Falcon
October 28th, 2011
12:25 pm
Baker plays LT
Derrick Orlamdo Ledbetter
October 28th, 2011
1:42 pm
Seen & Hiam……………………go back to gigging crawl-dads.
Derrick Orlamdo Ledbetter
October 28th, 2011
1:42 pm
Detroit played DIRTY ! ! !
Derrick Orlamdo Ledbetter
October 28th, 2011
1:44 pm
Obankruptbama…………….worst presiedent ever.
Nihilist.
Fundamentally f’d America.
not a fan of ledbetter
October 28th, 2011
6:51 pm
Actually the NFL statistics show that there are eleven teams with more penalties than the falcons Mr. Ledbottom