Report card: Falcons grades for loss to chatty Panthers
CHARLOTTE — Here are the Falcons’ grades for the 30-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at the Bank of America Stadium.
GAME BALL: None awarded this week.
F — Quarterbacks: Matt Ryan’s numbers don’t look bad, but most of the action came after the offense contributed to digging the 23-0 hole by doing much of nothing on their first three possessions. He completed 34 of 49 passes for 342 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He had a passer rating of 94.1. The Falcons were 2 of 8 (25 percent) on third down conversions. That’s 3 of 19 (15.7 percent) over the last two games.
F — Running backs: Michael Turner had seven carries for 14 yards. Rodgers had 21 yards on four carries. After falling behind, the Falcons had to move away from the running game. Turner added a late rushing touchdown and has one in each of the last four games. He has eight rushing touchdowns this season.
F — Receivers: Roddy White had nine catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Julio Jones needs three more yards to eclipse 1,000 for the season. White’s 4-yard touchdown was his 50th career receiving touchdown. He is one of three wide receivers in team history to record 50 career touchdown receptions, joining WR Terance Mathis (57) and Andre Rison (56).
F — Offensive line: Ryan was sacked twice and hit six times.
F — Defensive line: Defensive tackle Corey Peters had one of the few pressures on Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, but he got away. Vance Walker had the team’s only sack. There were three other hits on Newton. Walker’s sack was his third of the season which ranks tied for third on the team this season behind defensive end John Abraham (10.0) and defensive end/tackle Jonathan Babineaux (3.5).
F — Linebackers: The Panthers rushed for 195 yards on 32 carries. The Panthers rushed for 199 yards in the previous meeting. The Falcons need to figure out how to stop read-option quarterbacks. They could see Robert Griffin III again or San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick in the playoffs. Stephen Nicholas led the Falcons with nine tackles. Also, the problem against screens reared its ugly head on DeAnglo Williams’ 53-yard touchdown play. (See Carolina and Chicago games from 2011.)
F — Defensive backs: Steve Smith got loose for seven catches and 109 yards. Greg Olsen made a nice grab on his touchdown catch. Chris Hope made his first start as a Falcon and finished with two tackles.
F — Special teams: Why is the kicker out smack talking?
F — Coaching: Either the Falcons weren’t ready to play or they just got rolled.
NEXT UP: The Falcons (11-2) face the New York Football Giants (8-5) at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
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131 comments Add your comment
John
December 11th, 2012
12:41 am
Does anyone REALLY believe this team can win a playoff game? There is NO running game and teams have learned how to cover the pass offense. Falcons have had perhaps the weakness schedule in the league. Here is comes again, they are toast in the first round.
As a season ticket holder, this story is getting very old. A coaching change at the top is the beginning.
Then again, we are being asked to pay for seat licenses. That is when my interest is done.
IlliniDawg
December 11th, 2012
3:46 am
These grades are re****ed. You can’t give every element of the team an F. Especially when we actually played okay in the second half. Also, as a professor who gives out grades regularly, when yu give everyone and F, you lose the significance of signaling to the really poor performers just how bad they were. I.e., if you give every aspect of the team an F, then you cannot specifically draw attention to the defensive line play which was atrocious – moreso than the Ryan and the receivers.
Essentially, your grades come off as a stupid little schoolboy rant, with little meaning. But that is par for the course with this column.
IlliniDawg
December 11th, 2012
3:47 am
Sorry for the couple of spelling errors. It’s late and my contacts are blurry.
jerry
December 11th, 2012
5:07 am
For the ability to display desperation, agony, tautness, tenseness, insecutity, and the complete opposite of Tom Brady in a facial expression, I give Matt Ryan an A++++++.
jerry
December 11th, 2012
5:09 am
insecutity??????????? what’s that? ha ha
Bills fan
December 11th, 2012
5:13 am
Kudos, Mr. L., for telling it like it is.
My only objection would be that one guy who always comes to play is Tony G. If we had 53 of him we’d be in SB every year.
LDawg
December 11th, 2012
5:14 am
It sounds a little more like DLed is pouting. We lost. Big deal. Carolina had nothing to lose and were cheesed the last time we played. That is a big motivator. ATL defense couldn’t get them off the field in the first half – so no chance for the offense. Of course, it looked as if Mularkey was still calling the plays. (No, anything but that!!!) Maybe they were trying to see if they could actually come back from a deficit that big, like last time. (The answer is no.) Ice threw for 342 yards in ONE HALF. (And I do think we were robbed of a 2-point conversion.) Things started clicking once we went to no-huddle. Should use that all the time.
Of course, if we play like this against NYG, they will eat us alive – worse than Seattle did to AZ.
Rodster
December 11th, 2012
8:20 am
A little harsh on the defense. The offense gave them no help in the first half. I put this loss squarely on the offense. Turner is done. Get rid of him and his salary and get a young back. Running backs are a commodity in the NFL unless your name is Adrian Peterson. The defense was constantly on the field and got the crap pounded out of them. With consecutive 3 and outs from the offense I don’t expect any defense to hold up for an entire half without giving up some points.
@urethrafranklyn
December 11th, 2012
10:16 am
I agree with all of the grades except QB, WRs and special teams. Not sure how the WRs and special teams can get less than a B or B-.
Ryan I’d give a C- since he threw for a lot of yards and charged us back in the second half, but when the offense ultimately fails he must bear the responsibility. He also often showed some alarming and uncharacteristic lack of poise.
North FLA Falcon
December 11th, 2012
10:29 am
The playoffs begin on Sunday. If we care — if we can make plays — if we really want this — we can make a statement win vs the Giants. If not — we will back into the playoffs and risk an away game in the first round!
coleski
December 11th, 2012
10:58 am
Is there any grade lower than an F? But kicking coming Sunday. Is ther any way the Falcons can
forfeit a playoff game? They will just be shamed more than what has already transpired. THis Falcons
team is just like so many more have been. They will make you ashamed of their play. Does anyone
anywhere know anyone that might make a change in this franchise? Its the same old thing over and
over and over again. They’ll tease you enough until you think, well they’re finally going to have a decent team. But then they revert to their old ways.
rhettt
December 11th, 2012
12:09 pm
Before we shut down the Falcons after 13 games, please note the 1967 Green Bay Packers. Their season record was 9-4-1. Then the playoffs started. They won the “ice bowl” against the Dallas Cowboys and went on to win the Super Bowl that year, fairly easily. I would rather the coaches not show all the arsenal on offense nor defense until the playoffs. And then open the playbook to their strengths. Who wins each division each year is almost of no benefit if the playbook had to be opened to achieve that status. Run enough of the playbook to win and stay competitive and when the playoffs begin there are plays the opposition have not practiced against. I think it’s wonderful the Falons are 11-2 and have enough sense to maintain being competitive yet not give away the key to the vault.
1 and done
December 11th, 2012
3:18 pm
You might as well get ready for 3-4 picks from Matt Pick6 Ryan.
Matt
December 11th, 2012
3:52 pm
we’re 11-2. That was a bad loss. Let’s put this behind us and move on. Are a lot of you guys even Falcons fans?! Let’s get behind this team and cheer for them win or lose. Every team in the league has problems.
Once Recent Reader
December 11th, 2012
10:42 pm
D-Led. I questioned the QB F last week. Even with “better numbers” this week, I’m ALL for the Fs across the board even if they performed better in the 2nd half. As with last week I thought the F was more of a statement grade. Well this week I think your Fs are again a statement grade – BUT it’s a very good Statement!
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BirdLover
December 12th, 2012
1:42 am
Ryan gets 3 F’s– get him either outta here, some steroids, or give him a clipboard
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Mikey
December 12th, 2012
8:48 am
This game stunk and the grades are appropriate. I hope it serves as a wakeup call to all our Falcons. This was a real team loss and the level of competition was well below what we have come to expect from this organization. There is still a month to learn and prepare for the playoffs. I anticipate that our Falcons will take advantage of that to continue their imrovement and be fully prepared to contend come playoff time. We need one more win and lots of excellence all around! GO FALCONS! YOU CAN RISE UP!
doghgoneit
December 12th, 2012
11:30 am
We’re in the playoffs! I don’t care how many games they lose before the first round. THERE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!
PlanB
December 12th, 2012
1:13 pm
The panthers have alot of talent and were given a reason to play harder due to statements made. People try harder when motivated. A good team whipped us. We beat them with less than a minute to go with a 59 yard pass last time. We’re 11-2. Yes, these things happen but some of you want to look at W’s & L’s and say nothing about weaknesses that we need to fix. We have some weak players in some positions. Even with no injuries we have some weak players. We are also making coaching mistakes. Many of us see that and even if we are 13-0 we will still discuss what we think it takes to make this team better. It doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the progress we have made. It’s just that when you get there don’t settle for just that. Try to make it better. We had a good start then things slowed down. Almost like back to last year. I have to ask, has MS taken the reigns back???
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Charleston Jacket
December 12th, 2012
7:03 pm
championship caliber teams don’t let teams with a 3-9 record whip them up and down the field. Don’t see this team mentally tough enough to go very far in the playoffs. As much as I detest T Brady and NE, they looked like champions against Houston and played like champions. Folks we have a ways to go before we can compete consistently at the top level. We lack the warrior heart – not sure this is something this team will grow into anytime soon.
Alan H
December 12th, 2012
10:35 pm
The Falcons have just had a stretch where they have defined SNAFU. PLEASE CUT THAT OUT AND RISE UP.
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