Report card: Falcons grades for win over the Saints
Here are the Falcons’ grades for the 23-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome.
GAME BALL: Safety William Moore, who finished with 11 tackles, two interceptions, two passes defensed and two tackles for losses gets the AJC “Game Ball.” He was a big-time enforcer from his strong safety position and that allowed free safety Thomas DeCoud to go down inside and play some rugged man-to-man coverage on Saints tight end Jimmy Graham.
F — Quarterbacks: Matt Ryan’s pinpoint accuracy was off. He had season lows for completions (18), yards (165) and completion percentage (54.5). For the first time this season, the offense disappeared for a major portion of the game and converted just 1 of 11 third downs (nine percent).
B — Running backs: Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers came out strong on the first drive before the running game disappeared. They combined for 126 rushing yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. Turner, Rodgers, Jason Snelling and Mike Cox combined for eight catches for 38 yards. Cox, who is getting up to speed, had some nice lead blocks in the run game. Turner had a potentially key fumble late.
C — Receivers: Tight end Tony Gonzalez and wide receiver Julio Jones were solid. Roddy White had an off night. Gonzalez had four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. Jones had five catches for 48 yards. White was targeted seven times, but made just one catch. He had one bad drop on a third down. Harry Douglas had two targets, but no catches. He did a great job of breaking up an interception on a deep pass.
C — Offensive line: The line opened the game kicking some behind and taking some names, but then tailed off. Ryan said they quick-counted the Saints early to jumpstart the running game. Guard Peter Konz and left tackle Sam Baker struggled in protection. Ryan was sacked once, but was hit six times. The line couldn’t open any holes when they needed to run out the clock.
B-minus – Defensive line: Defensive end John Abraham had the only sack and it was a big one that knocked the Saints out of field goal range. The Falcons did affect Drew Brees and got him off his mark several times. They registered six hits on Brees. Kroy Biermann was buzzing around the quarterback for most of the game. Jonathan Babineaux and Cory Peters had interceptions, although Peters’ was nullified by a penalty. The normally disruptive Vance Walker was kind of quiet.
A — Linebackers: Stephen Nicholas and Sean Weatherspoon played all 77 of the defensive snaps. Nicholas had five tackles and Weatherspoon had four. Both had a pass breakup and Weatherspoon had an interception that led to a field goal. Akeem Dent played 18 percent of the snaps (14 of 77) and Mike Peterson played one snap.
A — Defensive backs: The group had an F after the first game against the Saints mostly because of their missed tackles in the run game and for their failure to cover Graham. But they showed up big in the second game with Moore and DeDoud leading the way. Cornerbacks Dunta Robinson, Robert McClain and Christopher Owens also turned in strong games. Asante Samuel tried to give it a go with his shoulder, but came out after the first series.
B — Special teams: Matt Bryant was booming kicks in warm-ups. He made one from 58. He missed one from 61. So, when he went out for the 55-yarder, he just had to duplicate his pre-game warm-ups and was on the money. It tied his longest field goal kick of the season. Punter Matt Bosher was a busy man. He had a 42.8 net average on six punts and placed one down inside the 20. He also had six punts against Denver and Washington earlier this season. The coverage units gave up too much ground to punt returner Darren Sproles, who averaged 15.5 yards on four returns, and kickoff returner Travis Cadet, who averaged 23.5 yards on four returns.
A-minus — Coaching: Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan took away Jimmy Graham and made Drew Brees look like Derek Anderson. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is hot-fire coming out the gate on his script, but the 1 for 11 on third downs is why this grade is not a solid A or A-plus. Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong must get the coverage units back on point.
NEXT UP: The Falcons (11-1) travel to play the Carolina Panthers (3-8) at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 at Bank of America Stadium.
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92 comments Add your comment
Mikey
November 30th, 2012
6:02 pm
The F on Ryan is way too low. I would reseve that for a QB who made lots of mistakes and lost the game for them. Ryan did an amazing job to stay in the game the whole time. The inside rush pressure was quick and consistent for 75% of the plays. The outside rush was rough too but less consistent. He never threw one interception and managed to nail a nice touchdown. I would hate to see the outcome from a real F performance at the QB postion. I would give the O-Line a D on this one. They opened up blocking with precision but tailed off quickly. The defensive pressure is typical of what they will face during the playoffs so they will have to make adjustments quickly. The O-Line play really reminded me of the second half of the Giants game last post-season. Thank you Mr. Nolan and the entire DEFENSE! I’m optimistic that the offense can make corrections. Mike Smith and Dirk Koetter will figure out how to keep this offense firing on all cylinders with that kind of defensive pressure. Nice WIN! GO FALCONS! YOU ARE RISING UP!
Mikey
November 30th, 2012
6:02 pm
The F on Ryan is way too low. I would reseve that for a QB who made lots of mistakes and lost the game for them. Ryan did an amazing job to stay in the game the whole time. The inside rush pressure was quick and consistent for 75% of the plays. The outside rush was rough too but less consistent. He never threw one interception and managed to nail a nice touchdown. I would hate to see the outcome from a real F performance at the QB postion. I would give the O-Line a D on this one. They opened up blocking with precision but tailed off quickly. The defensive pressure is typical of what they will face during the playoffs so they will have to make adjustments quickly. The O-Line play really reminded me of the second half of the Giants game last post-season. Thank you Mr. Nolan and the entire DEFENSE! I’m optimistic that the offense can make corrections. Mike Smith and Dirk Koetter will figure out how to keep this offense firing on all cylinders with that kind of defensive pressure. Nice WIN! GO FALCONS! YOU ARE RISING UP!
technofalconeer
November 30th, 2012
6:03 pm
I thought Michael Turner was giving it all he had last night- it was good to see- jacquizz still working his way into more playing time. Cox at Fb good again- good to see defense rise up!!
Hobbler
November 30th, 2012
9:27 pm
Great win! We own this division and we know it! We only need OL help and DE pass rusher help next year to be able to dominate over the nfl. Maybe Honey Badger in 3rd or 4th round to return kick-offs and punts… and move up to get Jarvous Jones (just dreaming).
bobbyg
November 30th, 2012
9:55 pm
glad they won. but was not impressed!
RunninWithTheDawgs
December 1st, 2012
5:58 am
Yep ! Matt Ryan had a bad night, but kook at all the great games he’s had. You’ve also got to consider that he just got through with getting beat up in Tampa only four days before that. This kid has a ton of physical and mental pressure on him. Leave him alone !
Why throw Nolan in the same sack as Koetter? If anyone deserves an A+ it’s Nolan. Then you can give Koetter the B- he deserves. GO FALCONS !
RunninWithTheDawgs
December 1st, 2012
6:03 am
For more yardage out of Turner, run him to the edge more rather than up the middle. That first run around right end took everybody by surprise and got us 35 yds. plus it gave him a couple of steps to build up a head of steam.
Ray
December 1st, 2012
6:36 am
You give Matt Ryan a F for the game he had 5 ints, but this one????????
With the way the O-line was playing I mean good grief.
Samuel
December 1st, 2012
7:15 am
Yeah, Matt Ryan needs to be more consistent in his play going forward. He has to improve his pocket presence and work on his accuracy under duress. Similar to Drew Brees, he can slide around just a little to buy time and still beat you down field. The defense almost sacked him alot, but he was able to escape. The giants will becoming to town in December, I’ll get a good gauge on Matty Ice when they play.
Wabe
December 1st, 2012
8:33 am
don’t read many of your articles…
and i see why. not sure how you give Ryan an F [and I agree, he didn't play well], but the O-Line a C.
maybe you should break the O-Line portion of it down into 2 separate sections, pass protection vs. run blocking.
because there’s a reason why matt ryan had a terrible night and the offense was out of rhythm all night. you can start with Ryan’s first throw to Gonzo where he got hit on the throw and the ball was nearly picked and that’ll tell you the story for the rest of the night.
pass protection was abysmal [ F- ].
booger
December 1st, 2012
9:15 am
Nice to be a t h u g=less team…………..
‘ Me- Angelo’ fined, MVDOGKILLER done for season.
Mikefalcon63
December 1st, 2012
9:43 am
Koetter should get a D for this game… The Aints could not defend the run early and we abandoned it for the pass. We needed to keep pounding the ball on them even if we did have some runs for only 1 or 2 yards. Otherwise, Koetter has been solid this season. But I think he was lost Thursday night at times.
Once Recent Reader
December 1st, 2012
9:50 am
Have to agree with most posters . . .the F is a bit harsh. For his first 4 seasons I have been a strong Ryan supporter during the “Noodle Arm – Choke” debates. But I’m also very fair minded. Look at the stats, then go look at the game itself. C – to me seems very fair, heck a C. No Ints is big ib that game. Nothing spectacular I agree. But an F seems to be very emotional or at minimal a grade that is simply making a statement and does not map to the overall result and stats.
1 & done
December 1st, 2012
10:45 am
If 11-25 for 126 through 3 quarters is not an F, then it should be a G or H.
Once Recent Reader
December 1st, 2012
11:10 am
1and done, you leave out the fact of one key TD pass and NO Ints. It was a very pedestrian day for Ryan, very . . .but an abject failure?
Great Falconi
December 1st, 2012
12:06 pm
QB only gets an F if he turns the ball over too much or plays like Mark Sanchez (or both).
Rick in Warner Robins
December 1st, 2012
1:03 pm
Don’t know how you can give Ryan an F…the receivers dropped a number of passes. You can’t fault him for that. On top of that, the line was…well, they were sorry like always. How you can say Dunta Robinson had a good game, I don’t know. As usual, he was beaten a number of times…even when the ball wasn’t thrown towards him. He couldn’t cover my 87 year old, semi-crippled father. One thing is for sure…Robinson and others need to quit doing all the showboating and just play the game. They’re an embarrassment.
D man
December 1st, 2012
1:48 pm
DLed – an “F” for the QB??? No way, he managed a lead and made some plays early then again late to help us win. With no turnovers and a TD pass, I give him a B-…
60 yd bomb from his own endzone.
December 1st, 2012
5:23 pm
What a shame. A QB that’s physically tough (see the horrifying shot he took at Clemson, see him shrug it off and get right back in the game), smart as hell, and consistently steps up his play when the game’s in the balance (that’s how BC won enough to be ranked 2 nationally late in Ryan’s senior year), has to deal with such a porous offensive line. How the hell are they going to protect him against the Giants in the playoffs? Their D-front will just abuse your O Line. Pressure will ruin even the best QBs, sooner or later. I’ve watched Brady get progressively worse the last few seasons, culminating in his 4th quarter meltdown in last years Super Bowl, when he couldn’t hit a receiver in the numbers if he was 5 feet away. That’s because he, too, has had to deal with an O-line that was fine against most, but useless against the best pass pressure Defenses (especially Ravens, Giants). Ryan should sue Dmitroff for negligence for assembling this very weak pass protecting line.
And the reporter that gave him an F should be fired or just laughed out of town.
Falconsssssssssssssssssssssss
December 1st, 2012
8:32 pm
ummmmmmm based on these grades you would think we lost 49-0
Sis-Boom-Bah Humbug
December 2nd, 2012
7:26 am
Assigning a grade of F to Ryan’s performance in the recent Saints game is purely & simply IDIOTIC. That such a grade was given by a professional sports writer is beyond belief, unless the point is merely to provoke controversy. But no Falcons partisan wants manufactured controversy.
Furthermore, the likelihood of the Falcons’ again having as high a caliber quarterback as Ryan is about the same as their again compiling another 11-1 record without him.
It would be an outright franchise disaster for the Falcons to lose Ryan, say in free agency. But his leaving would be understandable on at least two counts:
1. he might want to go where they have a credible pass blocking,
2. he might want to escape the irrational & unwarranted criticism that he has relentlessly experienced in Atlanta.
Of course, I do not believe Arthur Blank will let Ryan depart, because the aftermath would result in VALID & UNMITIGATED CRITICISM!
DR. FALCON
December 2nd, 2012
12:38 pm
AN “F” FOR MATT RYAN? REALLY, LEDBETTR? DIDN’T MATT THROW A CRITICAL TD PASS TO GONZO? THAT MATTERS, DOESN’T IT? WHATEVER! ALL THAT MATTERS IS, WE STOPPED DREW BREES’ TD RECORD! WE ALSO FORCED HIM TO THROW A CAREER HIGH 5 INT’S! TAKE THAT! THE SAINTS RUINED OUR PERFECT SEASON, AND WE RUINED THEIR “FAINT” PLAYOFF HOPES!
DR. FALCON
December 2nd, 2012
12:41 pm
HEY LEDBETTER, HOW ABOUT I GIVE YOU AN “F”?
Esquire
December 2nd, 2012
1:21 pm
http://tinyurl.com/cft6zhs
Awesome pics from Thursdays Falcons pummeling of the Caints.
Chris
December 2nd, 2012
2:40 pm
Pretty generous giving the o-line a C, especially if Ryan gets an F don’t you think?
DR. FALCON
December 2nd, 2012
6:48 pm
IT’S ENOUGH FOR ME THAT WE FORCED BREES INTO 5 INT’S, STOPPED HIS TD STEAK, & KNOCKED THE ‘AINTS OUT OF THE POSTSEASON! FOR THAT, THE WHOLE TEAM GETS AN “A-PLUS”!
Silly aint's Fans
December 2nd, 2012
7:04 pm
2012 NFC SOUTH DIVISION CHAMPION ATLANTA FALCONS !!!!!! s uck that aint’s !!
63-39-5
December 2nd, 2012
7:31 pm
win at your worst but you cant lose when your at your best
Disgusted
December 2nd, 2012
7:37 pm
Congratulations for another division title.
You have to get through the reg season to have a shot at the playoffs — it counts for something
Disgusted
December 2nd, 2012
7:40 pm
I give Ryan a B as a QB — won’t give him a higher grade till he at least wins a playoff game.
The Falcons are good — as for the playoffs will cross that bridge when it comes.
Falcons fans have had it so much worse.
Disgusted
December 2nd, 2012
7:42 pm
For this game Ryan should have gotten a D+ or C-. He is better than that. The line was inconsistent too.
Taylor
December 2nd, 2012
11:29 pm
http://www.dirtiestbird.blogspot.com
atlfanjw
December 2nd, 2012
11:34 pm
Enter your comments here
Dylan
December 3rd, 2012
3:40 am
Roddy White and Julio Jones deserve a D-.
HORRIBLE GAMES by both of them!!!!
Im not worried though. They have proven that they are great WR’’s, they just had an off game.
I have a feeling the falcons offense will be lights out vs Carolina
Getaway
December 3rd, 2012
7:22 am
Playoff atmosphere, one of the best offenses in the NFC, Ryan gets an “F”, yet the team still wins…again.
San Fran and Chicago with their celebrated QBs, not so much.
I guess this means NY is once again the media darling in the NFC? or Is it 8-4 Green Bay?
truth
December 3rd, 2012
8:53 am
Dled,why do you dislike Ryan so much? Its so painfully obvious that your own personal feelings and hangups dominate your opinion of him-All he does is Win games,so lets just hate on him all day long,right?
warfalcon
December 3rd, 2012
9:37 am
No let up on the PANTHERS put it on them,they are part of the NFC South.LETS GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
St Simons
December 3rd, 2012
10:46 am
get home field, dont get anybody hurt
D. Orlando Ledbetter
December 3rd, 2012
11:13 am
truth — What are you talking about? You’re way off base.
Jim in DC
December 3rd, 2012
11:33 am
I just saw the F you gave for QB rating. Are you kidding me???? A TD and no interceptions…a well managed game and you give an F!!!! You are saying Matt Ryan couldn’t have played any worse.
And how could you possibly give receivers a C with the number of dropped balls they had???
Go back and watch the game.
old falc
December 3rd, 2012
12:36 pm
@ Mikey you are dead on I can remember some real F,s
hbcuclassics
December 3rd, 2012
6:10 pm
Black College Power Poll
Week 14
1. Bethune
2. Winston Salem
3. Tennessee State
4. UAPB
5. Jackson State
6. Tuskegee
7. NC A&T
8. Howard
9. Alabama A&M
10. Alabama State
http://www.hbcuclassics.com