Atlanta Falcons: Birds Squeak by Raiders to 6-0
Another Win with a Sloppy Effort
Thank Goodness for Abe (AJC)
The Atlanta Falcons are the only undefeated team in the NFL, so why do fans feel so nervous or unfulfilled? After roaring out of the gates to a 3-0 start and looking excellent in all phases of the game, the Birds have come back to Earth a bit and looking pedestrian in all areas of the game, especially on offense. On one hand, the team is showing mettle, heart, and determination in finding ways to win, even if very ugly. However, if it continues for several weeks, a disturbing trend begins to take shape and what once was a strength starts to become a weakness because the team is putting itself in positions to have to win at the last minute due to the overall poor play. The fact is that the Falcons are 6-0, even though they’ve not looked very good lately. But isn’t getting a win, however you attain it, better than losing? Many teams thought to be “dominant” by the media elite talking heads have suffered losses to teams believed to be at the bottom. That speaks to NFL’s parity and winning the first 6 games, however it’s done, is a testament to the Falcons, their coaches, and their players. Whether or not it will serve to benefit or harm in the future is yet to be determined, but the reality is that the Falcons are undefeated and 31 other teams are not. A look at the Raiders game……….
Once a Strength is Becoming a Weakness
At first, it was a great strength showing determination, mettle, and finding a way to win at the last second. The Falcons didn’t play great against an inspired Panthers team coming off a bye week. They willed themselves to a win with less than a minute. Then came a Redskins game that was filled with major mistakes, slogging around, until they finally put together a TD drive and subsequent defensive stand to win the game. OK, it’s on the road and the Redskins have shown a lot of promise. A third week in a row of not playing good is a disturbing trend and is now becoming a weakness. Fact is, the Falcons are putting themselves in these situations where they must scratch and claw from behind to win the game. No other series identifies it better: Asante Samuel makes a beautiful pick six to seemingly put the game away. Then the Raiders offense commences to go right down the field to score with two minutes and not needing any of their 3 timeouts. Once a great strength of character and will is simply becoming a product a weak and sloppy play.
Matt Ryan’s Bad, Bad Day
This is About Right (AJC)
Let’s all hope it was just one of those days because it was a really bad one. Ryan threw 3 interceptions (all weren’t necessarily his fault), but some were. He seemed to have happy feet due to poor offensive line play. Not all was on him, but he had plenty of bad throws and misfires all on his own. He missed open receivers, threw the ball high, and generally had an awful day all around. Maybe it was just a bad day against a well-schemed defense. Perhaps the play-calling didn’t help any. The lack of running game surely isn’t helping and neither are the drops. Ryan’s had an excellent year to date, but he needs a game like he had vs. San Diego to erase the Raiders performance.
Abraham the Ageless Wonder
Thank goodness the Falcons found a way to keep John Abraham. The guy is a complete stud and is warming up his Ring of Honor flag as we speak. We as fans always mention Tony Gonzalez when discussing a Falcon that defies age. But Abraham deserves that praise too. He turned 34 this year and many (including this author) wondered how much he had left in the tank. Well, he’s proving once and for all just how awesome he is and by default how anemic our pass rush is without him. He notched 3 sacks, forced a fumble at a crucial time, and got several holding calls against him. In short, he was unblockable. Already, he has 6 sacks in 6 games. Abraham is the man.
Does the Offensive Line Need a Shakeup?
No, it wasn’t the worst performance of the year (that would be Carolina with 7 sacks in one game), but this offensive line is causing heartburn for Falcons fans looking forward on the schedule when they play really good defensive lines. They weren’t outright terrible in pass blocking in the beginning of the season, but now they’re looking as bad as last year. And run blocking is another nightmare altogether. But really, how much should have been expected with the EXACT SAME starting offensive line as last year?
Baker is a little better, but not dominant. Blalock is the only rock on the team. Todd McClure is on the downside of 35. Garrett Reynolds is only slightly better than last year and that’s saying very little and many think he would be better at his natural position of tackle anyway. And then there’s Tyson Clabo. He has had an absolutely atrocious year. They’re just not getting it done and it shows. Sure, Michael Turner and the running backs aren’t making plays and the play-calling seems mediocre at best recently, but this is what most fans expected when literally no changes were made. Thomas Dimitroff deserves some criticism for the past of the this line, but he used his first two picks (2nd on Peter Konz, 3rd on Lamar Holmes) on offensive linemen. Why not try these guys out for a few series and see what happens? Why not mix it up some and move some of these guys around? Is one of the best overall linemen in the entire draft (Konz) really not good enough to start somewhere on this offensive line? Of all the issues that’s most maddening fans: Mike Smith and the coaching staff’s refusal to try anything different regarding the offensive line two years running.
Speed Needed at Running Back
This may just be an excuse in trying to make up reasons why the offense has been doing so poorly, but here goes: the Falcons need more speed in the backfield. It’s been well documented here in The Cage about Michael Turner and his slowing down or not fitting in this new offense among many other things. The Falcons coaching staff decided to go with Turner as their feature back this year and, even though a few times he’s done OK, mostly he’s looked completely out of sorts with this new offense. Gone are the days of one of the best lead blocking (and highest paid) fullbacks in the league clearing holes, the days of a power-run first offense, and offensive line opening “garage-sized holes” as Cage member SOMEBODY said. The best running backs in the league simply slow down as they approach 30 years old and especially with Turner having so many carries in such a short amount of time.
Running Game is Anemic (AJC)
The issues go beyond Turner, however. Jacquizz Rodgers was thought to be somewhat of an answer and may even contend for close to 40-50% of Turner’s touches, but that surely has not been the case. Maybe it’s play-calling or just lack of playing time, but Rodgers has not turned into the player many fans expected. On the 3rd and 1 toss play to Rodgers, he had room to get the first down, but was easily caught and dropped for a loss. Even his specialty of catching the ball in space had issues when he bobbled a well-timed screen that could have gone for many yards. The odd man out has definitely been Jason Snelling. Many ream the call to give Snelling the ball on 3rd and short, but many times he tends to run just as hard as Turner and does a better job of hitting the hole. The cold truth is that the Falcon simply don’t have speed at running back and haven’t for quite some time. Antone Smith has shown some serious speed in pre-season only to never get touches in a game. What could it hurt? Look no further than Alfred Morris of the Redskins and Andre Brown of the Giants (filling in for Ahmad Bradshaw) tearing it up this year alone. Like the OL issue, that’s a major thorn for fans as well, a refusal to mix it up and give some guys a few chances. From where it stands now, running back surely could be a candidate for a 1st or 2nd round pick in 2013.
Defensive Tackle Could Use a Corey Peters Boost
Peria Jerry, Jonathan Babineaux, and Vance Walker have done a good job getting penetration in the backfield so far this season. Thought to be a possible weakness, they’ve done an admirable job overall. But they sure could use a boost, especially in the run game from a guy by the name of Corey Peters. Believed to be the best overall defensive tackle for the Falcons by many fans, Peters has been out the entire season going all the way back to training camp. He may not be ready for the Eagles game, but getting him back on a defense that could tighten up will be a nice shot in the arm.
More Issues at LB
Not having Stephen Nicholas at full strength really has shown just how fragile the Falcons linebacking corps is. Akeem Dent and Mike Peterson were on the field at the same time many times throughout the game, with Dent playing the entire game. Dent occasionally shows some promise as a very young player in the run game, but he’s just as lost as Curtis Lofton was in pass coverage. As the season wears on, the decision to not sign a linebacker for backup purposes may end up biting the Birds at some point.
Why is the Offense Digressing?
Happening Much Less than it Used to (AJC)
Is it the anemic run game? Is it the offensive line? Is Matt Ryan simply coming off his hot start? Are defenses figuring out what the Falcons want to do? Is it just execution, or is it bad play-calling? Who knows exactly why the Falcons have continued to devolve on offense the last three weeks, but this much is certain: it definitely has. The Falcons looked unstoppable against a pretty good San Diego defense, but has hit a wall of sorts since. They left many points on the board vs. Carolina and gave up 7 sacks. They played 3 quarters of weak offensive football in DC before finally getting it together. And they looked as bad as they ever have against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Whatever the reason, the coaching staff and offense better get some things figured out before a tough part of the schedule starts coming up.
Harry Douglas Needs More Snaps
This is nothing new and it has nothing to do with that spectacular off-the-helmet catch he made on the ground, but Harry Douglas should get not only more snaps on offense, but more touches as well. The idea is that it’s impossible to cover all of the Falcons aerial weapons, but despite only a few occurrences, Douglas just doesn’t get that many looks. Either that or Dirk Koetter doesn’t know how to use him correctly. Seemingly, it would be a coordinators dream to have such an explosive slot man (and to his credit, he’s giving him more looks than Mularkey did), but he never seems to get chances to do what he does best which is to catch and run in space. Perhaps this is more of a critique on formations (3 receiver, 1 TE, single back) sets than anything else, but if you’re going to be an explosive passing team, you have to maximize all your weapons and the slot doesn’t seem to be getting enough snaps or targets. No disrespect intended, but do we really want to see Mike Johnson / Joe Hawley as a 3rd TE, Lousaka Polite, or Tommy Gallarda get on the field instead of HD?
The Tight End Cupboard is Bare After Gonzalez
This is really more about going forward than this year, but Sunday’s game brought to light just how bare the tight end cupboard will be when Gonzalez does finally hang up his cleats. Michael Palmer is hurt and there’s a belief that he can at least bridge a gap until a new tight end is developed, but after that, there’s not much. Tommy Gallarda is about exactly what he was coming out of college: an undrafted free agent. And this is really more on Dimitroff than anyone. He’s not invested any consequential draft picks on tight ends since 2008. In fact, the only tight end he’s ever drafted was Keith Zinger in the 7th round. Palmer may can get it done, but the position as a whole looks to be getting a huge hit when Gonzalez leaves.
Falcons Must Develop Another Defensive End
Bryant Makes Another Late Save (AJC)
As mentioned above, thank goodness for John Abraham, because without him, the Falcons wouldn’t have much of any pass rush from the DE spot. As with tight end, the Falcons have failed to develop any significant production or player from the defensive end spot not named John Abraham. This is year 5 of the Mike Smith / Thomas Dimitroff regime and despite all the supposed talent at DE, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of promise. Ray Edwards appears to be looking more and more like a weak free agent move (as many fans, including this author admit through gritted teeth). Kroy Biermann should move permanently to linebacker, his natural position, most fans believe and is too light to make an impact at DE. Then there’s Lawrence Sidbury who some thought may see an increased role under Mike Nolan, only to continue his disappearing act in 2012. Jonathan Massaquoi and Cliff Matthews may hold some talent, but they’re always ending up on the inactive list every Sunday. The Falcons signed Abraham to a 3 year contract, so theoretically they have a few more years, but they’ve already had 5.
Fans Seem to Be Pretty Evenly Split
Here in The Cage, it appears to be pretty evenly split among fans and their beliefs / opinions. Some feel that the NFL is the most parity-driven sport in the entire world and that “Any Given Sunday” is a true reality in that each win is special in the National Football League. Hard to argue when you see teams like the Patriots, Packers, 49ers, and Steelers losing games many think they shouldn’t. The Falcons may not be flawless, but they’re finding ways to win and are, so far, the only undefeated team in the NFL. It’s hard to argue against that belief.
On the other hand, fans rightly point to similarities to 2010 when the Falcons were “finding ways to win” as they are now, while not playing great football, went 13-3, and got downright embarrassed in the Debacle in the Dome. In other words, not only losing in back-to-back playoff appearances, but getting blown out and humiliated has corroded the idea of “getting the benefit of the doubt.” There’s nothing the Falcons can do about the postseason right now but win and get there, but those 2010 Falcons seemed to be getting worse as the postseason approached, not better. It’s also hard to argue that point as well.
The Bird Cage Faithful’s Turn
1) Simple Kickoff – where’s your confidence level after week 6?
2) Are the come-from-behind wins still a strength or are they now a weakness?
3) What was up with Matt Ryan’s bad day: one awful game or disturbing trend?
4) Is John Abraham nearing potential Ring of Honor status soon? Can he keep up this pace all season?
5) Is the Falcons offensive line finally due for a shakeup? What would your starting 5 be at Philly?
6) What should the Birds do @ RB? Is more speed desperately needed?
7) What’s your thoughts on the DT play?
8.) Are the LB issues keeping you up at night? Thoughts on Dent?
9) It’s an impossible question, but why is the offense digressing so bad?
10) Should Harry Douglas or others get more touches?
11) What should the Falcons do about TE after Gonzalez retires?
12) What is the deal with the Falcons failure to develop ANY OTHER defensive end?
13) What side do you fall on: happy to 6-0 and plenty of time to correct problems or seriously worried about what the future holds?
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468 comments Add your comment
Big Lou
October 17th, 2012
1:22 pm
http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=nfcsouth&id=40423
To those putting the blame mostly on coaching. Falcons are not only undefeated, but leads the league in dropped passes.
Big Lou
October 17th, 2012
1:27 pm
The more I think about it, the more it seems clear to me that the bad play versus the Raiders were due to everyone trying to be perfect, instead of playing the game. All these execution problems seem to show me that players are too worried about their record. Or, they just came out unfocused against them.
Matty Bicep
October 17th, 2012
1:27 pm
BL, not are we the only undefeated team, there is only one 1-loss team. There are not 0 win team…I am guessing that has rarely ever happened. Sure we have talent, but the other teams have just as much trying to stop us.
Matty Bicep
October 17th, 2012
1:30 pm
I also think that being undefeated become a distraction, and teams don’t generally perform at their best as the pressure mounts game after game… Really, I don’t expect to see us come out and hit on all cylinders until we actually lose a game.
Matty Bicep
October 17th, 2012
1:38 pm
If you throw out the teams that have only played 5 games, there is:
1 undefeated team
3 one loss teams
2 one WIN teams
21 teams with 2-3 or 4 losses, all within 2 games of each other.
Chop Buster
October 17th, 2012
2:08 pm
SW sorry to hear about your loss. My prayers go out to you and your family.
Matty Bicep
October 17th, 2012
2:28 pm
Stat of the Day.
On Sunday, Ryan converted his 19th “tied or come from behind” 4th quarter/Overtime victory (Game Winning Drive). That give him a .633 W-L percentage when being tied, or down one score in the 4th quarter (He has been tied or down one score in the 4th quarter 30 times), passing Tom Brady at .617 for #1 in NFL history with at least 30 opportunities.
Also, the overall list of tied or come from behind 4th quarter-OT victories is:
Dan Marino 51
Payton Manning 48
John Elway 46
Brett Farve 45
Warren Moon 37
Tom Brady 37
Vinny T 33
Joe Montana 31
Ice in 4 years has 19. If he plays 10 more years, he is on track for 65.
BTW, MV7 has 14.
Slant Pattern
October 17th, 2012
2:39 pm
“Stat of the Day.” – MB
Excellent find MB. I will have to find the article but M. Ryan is nearing the halfway mark to that record that Brees just broke for consective games with a TD…21 in row I think. I would love it if he could take that one from Bree’s stat padding, cheating arse lol.
single white dove
October 17th, 2012
2:56 pm
Our offensive line needs to hold the gap. I think that thwe holes close too fast…js
Matty Bicep
October 17th, 2012
3:32 pm
I said it before, Ryan is the best QB to be drafted since Aaron Rogers in 06. As the old guard retires, I expect Rogers-Ryan to be the new Brady-Manning. We have a few promising young guys, but like Cam is finding out, you have to evolve as Defenses study your tape, and continue to evolve.
Right now it is 1-1 regular season and 0-1 in the playoffs, but I suspect there will be many more, and both of them retiring with a handful of records and a few rings for each.
Last week, meh, a lousy game, but come crunch time, he showed what he is about. Like I said, I don’t expect then to play their best until they lose a game and get the undefeated pressure off.
Paddy O
October 17th, 2012
4:38 pm
MB and I disagree on a lot, but in trusting in the Ryan Express is not one of them. The key to Ryans off play the last 3 games? Bad O line play – especially if you are not expecting it.
Paddy O
October 17th, 2012
4:39 pm
If Clabo is really hurt, why keep trotting him out there like we did Baker? Make him look bad? We should have a viable replacement for him at this point.
DePlane
October 17th, 2012
6:58 pm
SW, I’m sorry for the late words, I’ve been away. Our hearts go out to you and your family at this time of your Angel’s passing to the great father in the sky. Despair not, and remember all the good she brought into your life, helping to make you who you are today. Which by all accounts is a fine man who we are blessed to have as a huge part of the cage. Your memories of her will always be with you and there for you to take strength and solace in from the life she lived and the incredible meaning she gave to yours. Peace Brother.
DePlane
October 17th, 2012
7:00 pm
Big Ray, so glad to see your back to giving us your insight and wisdom, and hope you are feeling much better as time goes on.
WR
October 17th, 2012
7:17 pm
As part of the debate about the current status of the Falcons, now some argue giving up the picks for Julio has cost the Falcons alone the DL and OL. That is a valid opinion but without much reliability. One, the Falcons were already invested in Sam Baker who hasn’t been that bad this year, finally, Blalock is solid, McClure wasn’t yet set to be replaced, Clabo was coming off a Pro bowl year, which left RG as the only potential selection in the 2nd rd, yes the 2nd rd because the Falcons gave up their 1st for a 1st, unless we would assume they could take the RG in the 1st the following year another pick they gave up. Now that’s considering the OL, on to the DL, Abe was solid, there was no solid expectations for the other DE spot opposite Abe, just two years earlier the Falcons drafted a DT and the jury was still out because he suffered a major knee injury and it normally takes a season or 2 before a player comes back from such injury. Babs was solid at the other DT position, so its a reach to believe the Falcons would have went there in the 1st place.
Lastly, there’s reality, when considering reality, one has to consider the draft is like a good game of poker even when not dealt out in Vegas, its all about hindsight. Like Coop, I wanted Dorsey when the Falcons took Ryan, as we eat our crow the logic isn’t lost, it’s alot easier to find a good DT then it is to find a franchise QB. The real truth is that if the Falcons hadn’t gotten anything out of the trade, its a ridiculous trade to have made, but they got one of the up and coming Superstar receivers in the league. Sure the argument can be made, well they could have had such and such, that’s not a reliable argument because even if such and such is excelling now, there was no guarantee they would have with the Falcons, but factually as a Falcons fan you can say that Julio is take the top off of opposing defenses, and causing DC’s great concern, hindsight hasn’t changed, its still 20/20, reality hasn’t changed either, it rarely matches up with hindsight.
DePlane
October 17th, 2012
7:25 pm
I’m not going to worry myself about the Falcons shortcomings, the lack of respect in the media and the credit that nobody gives them. Begrudgingly ranked #1 in ther power rankings with all sorts of disclaimers and caveats.
Much analysis has been done on the way they have played this season, and moreso Who they have played. The citing of the combined losing record of the teams they have played, blah, blah, blah. For those of us who have been watching these Falcons for forty years have learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth. 6-0. Again…..6-0. Do they have issues? Duh, of course! Show me one team in the league who doesn’t!
Brady and company lost to the Seahawks! The 9′ers were pounded by the Giants! Houston was annihilated by Green Bay! There are what, 11 or 12 3-3 teams?
The Ravens lost Ray Lewis and Ladarius Webb!! Michael VIck is a fumbling machine and the Iggles are -9 in turnovers while the Falcons are +10!!
The Falcons have their issues, but they don’t have “those” kind of issues.
The point is that parity reigns supreme in the NFL and the term “elite” is overused and fleeting. Teams who you expect to win all the time just plain don’t and if you could pickem’ every week then head to Vegas or get a bookie…your a genius and can make a fortune.
Me, I’ll take 6-0 and enjoy it to the hilt….even with all of our issues. Sure Ryan had a bad game last week, and the last three weeks they haven’t looked so good while WINNING. But what did they do when things weren’t going perfectly for them? They freakin’ persevered! They didn’t lay down and they didn’t give up. The team has got some mojo! They are a TEAM to be reckoned with no matter who they play.
Like I said, we got issues. But me…I’m savoring the moment during this bye and enjoying 6-0 right now. It is unlikely any team is going to win every game. But, it isn’t beyond probability and the Falcons have won EVERY game, right Now! Enjoy it!!!
I think they will make adjustments, I think they will work hard. Look at everything they have done to get to the point of being a consistent winner over the last four years. They know what the next step is…playoff win. They know what to do to get there, and I believe will know what to do when they get there this time.
But first things first with the NFC East and Division opponents coming up. You don’t get to the playoffs unless you win during the regular season. And this team is all about taking care of its business, right now!
ymmotretsof
October 17th, 2012
7:31 pm
I like the 6-0 start. I hate to say it but they could be in for a hard time against some old foes if thry don’t wake up and get a better game plan. The last three teams seemed to know what was coming. The defence has to learn to stand up and stop teams when it counts. Matt Ryan can not keep called the bring them back at the end of the game.
DePlane
October 17th, 2012
7:41 pm
Rip, Beat, Crush, Escape, Edge, Squeak! Lol! Telling it may be D3…or maybe not…but I’ll add Win at the end of that and look for future headlines that say Dominated, Pulverized, and take Squeak again any day!
DePlane
October 17th, 2012
7:49 pm
“We are a scoring team” – Mike Smith
Not a passing team, not a running team…but a scoring team. Any way you can get it baby!
I like that mentality. This team is a chameleon. It can change its colors to suit the situation. It can go into attack mode in an instant. I think there is more to come from Koetter and Nolan. I don’t believe we have seen everything in the arsenal. We are in the middle of the second quarter of the season. Expect some new wrinkles. Smith will ground this team in his clockwork like workman attitude. Not too high, not too low. A week and a half of Bye time to tweak things and fix things.
Matty Bicep
October 17th, 2012
8:29 pm
Brady and company lost to the Seahawks! The 9′ers were pounded by the Giants! Houston was annihilated by Green Bay! There are what, 11 or 12 3-3 teams?
Lets for forget about San Diego, for all the gnashing of teeth when Payton tried to claw his way back into our game, it could be worse, way worse….I was watching ESPN and everyone was complaining how San Diego just does not know how to put teams away….hmm, maybe it is not that easy after all.
JB FALCON
October 17th, 2012
9:06 pm
So how does the cage feel about 6-0? Judging by what I have read so far I think the cage is leaning towards concerned optimism. The have been many optimistic posts and a lot with concerns, which is normal. We ALL want the same thing, it’s just that some are more “homers”, if that’s what you want to call optimists, and I am one, and some offer more concerned criticism but the bottom line, as has been said is that we are 6-0.
I can’t quit thinking about the 13-3 season where we won a bunch of games by the skin of our teeth, just like we have won the last three games, and that worries me, BUT, this team has not played anywhere near their ability this year. We know the team is better than the last three last minute games. We will use the next week and a half to study our shortcomings; make some revisions or changes and come out playing a good game against the Iggles. Then we’ll re-evaluate.
I think we will see what this team can do one game at a time. All we want is to see this team get to and WIN the dayem Super Bowl. The, just maybe the media would put us up there with the Skaints.
Sportaree
October 17th, 2012
9:19 pm
SW
This is from a card we got for a friend that lost her husband Sunday. I wanted to share it with you.
Love lives on forever
in each memory
and each thought
Of those
who’ve shared our lives
and all the happiness
they’ve brought.
Love lives on forever
It will never fade away
For, in our hearts,
our loved ones
are with us every day
DePlane
October 17th, 2012
9:20 pm
MB…you got it right…it ain’t that easy!! Any Given Sunday. I’m not taking anything for granted that’s for sure…all the more reason to enjoy…..6 and Zero!!
DePlane
October 17th, 2012
9:22 pm
Amen to that Sportaree….
falcon21
October 17th, 2012
9:27 pm
Not dogging Mike Smith here but it is hard to figure out why we cannot dominate a team that we are supposed to. Poor game planning, too easy on the players during the week of practice before? I understand close games against reasonably good teams but damn, we struggle against everyone. Thoughts anyone?
falcon21
October 17th, 2012
9:32 pm
That is a fact Sportaree, thank you for sharing it with us.
Big Ray
October 17th, 2012
10:35 pm
DePlane ,
Thanks, bro!
Dhunt ,
Please don’t get me wrong. I think you’re on target on much of what you said about Biermann and his sack stats. He has NOT given us enough evidence to assure that he’d be successful at a LB position. I just don’t think that he can with the way that our defense is set up, especially personnel-wise.
I played the game at the LB and then interior DL positions…doesn’t make me an expert. You might want to defer to Big Lou who played there longer, and knows more about it than I do, I suspect.
That said, I have studied it due to interest and I feel that while our DTs haven’t played badly, they are by no means able to dominate in most games, if any.
Domination isn’t necessarily determined by measuring sack numbers or even tackles. It has more to do with creating problems or winning line of scrimmage battles. Key example include:
1) Commanding double teams.
2) Making plays in the backfield frequently, not just against teams with weaker interior OL players.
3) Making opposting teams/offenses/coaches gameplan for you.
Corey Peters was on that road prior to his injury. In fact, he made more plays at the DT position last year and the one before than even Babs. And Babs is clearly our best guy this year, but he doesn’t compare favorably to the better DTs in the game. He’s a penetrating DT, not a guy who stacks the line by himself and assures that you are NOT going to run through gaps on one side of the Center, you will have to go to the outside or go to the other side altogether.
We need a DT that does that. Guys like this make DEs and LBs so much more effective.
Matty Bicep
October 17th, 2012
10:42 pm
21, Newton? McFadden, rg3? Don’t say we have more talent. You underestimate our opponents, but I am sure Smitty dont.
Big Ray
October 18th, 2012
12:03 am
And now to answer the questions ….
Heh, if you think I tore up a keyboard just yapping about the DL…I got one for ya….
1) My confidence level isn’t shot by any means. This team has issues. Which team doesn’t? I would/will be more concerned if we are playing like this a game or two after the bye week. We might even be a bit “rusty” or “jittery” after the by week, but that better not last more than a quarter…if that long. If we play like we don’t know what the F we are doing in the next game or so…then my confidence level will have issues. Until then, hard to have confidence problems when the team has yet to lose, even if they didn’t earn their last win.
2) Here is where I’m going to get snappish…so be warned .
It seems to me that you have to have more than one bad day to even be concerned about a trend. This last game against Oakland was Ryan’s only truly “bad” game. In the other five games, Ryan’s TDs outweighed/outnumbered his INTs.
Yes, Ryan absolutely has issues. Locking onto WRs too hard, telegraphing his next move, holding the ball a little too long sometimes, missing the wide open guy, etc. All of these problems are fixable. In fact, Ryan doesn’t have any “unfixable” issues…unlike some other QBs. However, we seem to either ignore or otherwise not acknowledge substantial surrounding circumstances, such as:
a) Pressure. Look folks, you cannot clamor up and down for our defensive front to create pressure on opposing QBs, KNOWING that doing so causes a QB to make mistakes or get completely out of rhythm…. and then all but ignore that the VERY SAME THING happens when our QB gets pressured too much. It’s like some of us don’t want to either discredit our OL or credit the opposing defense. And I’m sorry, but there isn’t a correct play call that will guarantee that lack of protection can be overcome on a given play. You can run screens all you want, they don’t work if blockers aren’t effective. You can dump off to the RB all you want, doesn’t work if the QB is trying to avoid getting his head taken off. Example is one of those picks Ryan threw. He had the open man, he lined up the throw…he got hit right as he let the ball go…the result was an INT. Now you can sit there and say he should have taken the sack…but if he did, you’d also say he held the ball too damn long. You can’t have it both f@cking ways. A star QB is going to try and make the play he knows he can make, not hold the ball and take a sack.
b) Progression. Unless you know the order in which the progression goes in each play, then how can you claim that Ryan ignored or missed the open WR? How do you know that the “open” guy was the 1st or 2nd guy in the progressin of a play? What if said guy was the 3rd, 4th, or 5th option? And guess what? When you don’t have time to throw (which Ryan didn’t against Carolina very much, and didn’t against Oakland), you DON’T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL OF YOUR PROGRESSIONS!!!!! Guess what else that means? You have a choice…get sacked, throw the ball away, or try to make a play with wherever you progression stopped…because you only had a second or maybe even less than that (or only slightly more than that) to make a decision.
So when the protection is bad AND you have guys dropping the ball, it’s gonna be hard to hit that open guy or get into any sort of rhythm.
Take a look at Ryan’s numbers through six games and then take a look at the numbers Aaron Rodgers has put up. Now take that “trending argument” and tell me which guy a person should be more concerned about. Take into account that Rodgers has had arguably worse protection than Ryan has had…through more games at that. And Rodgers is bonafide “Elite”…no seriously, go take a look.
4) Abe deserves to be in the Falcons ring of honor, I think. However, the pace he can keep during this season isn’t exactly a “pace”, per se. Abe is not what he once was…and we even have him on a snap count. And, though he has good speed and technique, Abe gets held more than a cold beer at a hot party.
He will continue to do what he does – be very solid against the run, be spectacular against teams with weak pass protection on his side, and not do a whole lot pass rush-wise against teams with solid pass blocking. And he’s still our best pass rusher. But more on that later.
5) To this day I am curious as to exactly how Reynolds beat out Konz for the job at RG. And I am just TIRED of Clabo and his bum hip or whatever the excuse is now. My starting five would be McClure, Baker, Blalock, Konz (RG) and Reynolds (RT). Just give it a whirl, I say. You can always change it during the game if it’s disastrous.
I want to see the massive Holmes out there, but I also think its wiser to try that next season.
6) Others have mentioned this. We either need to trade for a RB who has true speed, or draft one. Either way works for me, just let it be a smart deal.
I like JaQuizz Rodgers. He’s shifty, elusive, and quite tough. Still needs to work on consistent pass catching. I do like him, and I want him on this roster. That said, he does not have that game-breaking, homerun threat speed. If he did, we’d have seen it already. It’s not there. Antone Smith…not sure what the problem is, but dude just doesn’t get the burn. And this is under two different OCs, so I’m less inclined to think the problem is with coaching. Maybe Smith doesn’t pick up protection coverages well or something. And while he does have speed, I haven’t seen that consistent homerun threat from him either.
We need somebody else. A guy who reliably catches out of the backfield. Explodes to the hole. Adjusts well and makes something out of nothing…even when it’s at the line of scrimmage (something Turner and Quizz don’t seem to have enough of). A guy who absolutely GASHES defenses. And we need that next season. Draft a guy or trade for him. And then commit to developing and using him.
7) I think the DT play is adequate to the point of solid for what we have. We have a group of guys who peak out at 304 lbs. None of them can command a double team, regardless of the opponent. Two can penetrate on a consistent basis – Peters and Babs. Walker stacks well and can penetrate often enough, but is more of a stopper than a guy who pushes the pocket.
In fact, I think our run defense is better when Walker is in the game, because he is big enough to hold his spot and help his side of the defense, allowing LBs and DEs to make plays at times. But either he doesn’t do it enough, or he doesn’t play enough to do it enough. Take your pick.
If you ask me, Travian Robertson is our best bet in the long run, if we’re going to continue to go with “smaller” DTs. By that, I mean guys under the 310+ range. Robertson is “for real” strong and came into to the NFL at 6′4″ and 304. He has the frame to put on more…could probably play just as quick and just as hard at 310-315…maybe even 320. Pair him with a healthy Peters and we could be looking at a strong interior if we keep a 4-3 defense.
But either way, we need more size/strength at the position. Especially if we run a 3-4. It will help our DEs, and it will help our LBs. Believe that.
8 ) Nolan was smart enough to see that our defense would be more effective against the predominant passing games of today by going with just two LBs on most plays, and using 5 DBs. Does it hurt us in defending the run? Yes….it does. And I must point back…again…at he interior of our DL. Look, if we’re stronger there, then we have less of an issue. Our DBs are hard hitters and like to come up and support against the run.
Dent played 100% of the snaps in the last game. He had 8 tackles, which was pretty solid. Still struggles in pass coverage, but I don’t think we should be surprised by that at all. He needs seasoning. However, things are scary after that. Mike Peterson is clearly at the end of his career. Robert James looked good in preseason…but we seem to have forgotten about him.
When Nicholas and Spoon are in the game, we are able to do a lot of things and even stop a lot of the gashing that teams do against us when we can’t push the middle of the line.
9) Playcalling is an issue. Of course, we can expect that to a degree. Some of this is totally unexplainable, like throwing to Hawley not once but twice in a game. WTF that was about is beyond me. I think I know what they were trying to do, but it was crazy. However, Koetter has only been working with these guys for months. He doesn’t even know what all will work against which team, and there is more for him to learn.
But playcalling is neither the main issue nor the only issue. Part of the issue is knowing when to use the no huddle and when not to. Even now, we are finding that we use it almost too late, too many times. It’s like we are expecting this suddenly sorry pass protection to stiffen up at any moment…but it’s the same damn guys from last season, as D3 explained. It was also the same last year – protection was better when the no huddle was used. If scoring is an issue like it was against Oakland, clearly we need to figure out that we need to use it quicker, more often, and to score more frequently. Then we can bandy about a bit with simple OC-led play calling.
The other issue, and the biggest one is execution. Aside from miserable pass protection, there is the dropped passes. Too many times we blame play-calling when..if the guy would catch the damn ball, the play would be made. Or, a WR zigs when he should have zagged, doesn’t come back to the ball…whatever it is, it affects the offense. Too many times we’ve watched a drive stall because of a drop. But all we can think of is the failed plays that surrounded THAT failure. If you can’t execute, you can’t call certain plays because you can’t set the defense up for something they don’t expect. Why? Because you forced yourself into a 3rd and long and they KNOW what your options are now…
10) HD has to get the ball more. I’m not saying target him 5 more times per game or something like that. But he has got to get the ball more, especially in screens. He’s fast, shifty, and elusive. And nobody will be looking to cover him with the perfect bait in Julio or Roddy. That’s not the only reason to involve him more, though. The next reason has to do with the only-too-near future…
11) I believe we are just about well and truly screwed when it comes to the TE position. It will be difficult to find someone with even HALF of Gonzalez’s talent and skill. It’s all but impossible anyway, because TG is very possibly the best TE to play the game. So you aren’t going to replace a legend.
However, the Falcons need not do that. What they have been needing to do is find some young pass-catching talent that can stretch defenses in ways that are downright painful. Find another Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, etc. Find a guy who is as tall or taller than most LBs, but posseses speed that is more akin to a WR than a blocker.
And therein lies the problem. The Falcons have come into contact with guys of this kind of potential, and they seem far more interested in blocking skills than they do pass-catching skills. It makes no damn sense, to be honest, because we use TG SO MUCH, and it’s clear that he is downright integral to our offense. Hell, our QB needs TG’s ability and uses him as a security blanket all the time. Why would we not be looking for a replacement of some sort??!!
No, instead we toss aside the Chase Coffmans of the world, ignore the Lamark Browns and other speedster-capable pass catching big bodies…and we cling to the blockers like Tommy Gallarda. Michael Palmer has some potential, but is he a credible threat to defenses? If he is, we would not know, now would we?
My point isn’t that we can’t find talent, it’s that we refuse to commit to developing it. News Flash – Tony G wasn’t always a good blocker in the NFL. He had to learn. What separates him from the crowd has always been what he could do as a receiving target.
I don’t know what is wrong with our brass, but they just don’t seem to get it. And unless we are just happy with using a lot of 3 and 4 WR sets which will include a significantly heavier dose of Harry Douglas, our passing game is about to regress badly once TG retires. Seriously. I mean think about it…more teams will employ more DBs as time goes on. And whereas they struggled with covering TG as well as JJ and Roddy, now they would only have to contend with our two outside threats…and we would HAVE to run with a slot WR more often. Guess what? Slot receivers do NOT block the way TEs can. This affects more than just pass protectin, it also affects the run game.
12) This is a two part issue.
a) Simply recall what Mike Nolan was quotes as saying not long after he joined the Falcons organization. He said that all of our DEs would be linebackers in his scheme if he was running a 3-4 here. That pretty much sums it up. It’s not like teams can’t run DEs that weigh anywhere from 255 to 275 lbs. Hey, the Giants do it all the time. But that brings me to a second point, which I have already covered a LOT.
b) Are our DEs really that bad? I have no idea what happened to Sid the Kid, but he doesn’t play now. Cliff Matthews doesn’t play either. The guys who get burn are those who can stack the edge against the run and be effective in that way. They would be Abe, Edwards, and the Bier Truck. Of the three, only Abe is a bonafide pass-rushing DE.
Now look at the NY Giants and understand something – they run a 4-3 with bigger DTs. Their lightest guy is 299 lbs, and he doesn’t play as much as the other guys do. They run mostly with bigger boys like Chris Canty (injured but returning. Dude is 6′7 and 317lbs), Linval Joseph (6′4″ 323 lbs), Shaun Rogers (6′4″ 350 lbs), and Marvin Austin (6′2″ 312 lbs). The other two guys (Markus Kuhn 6′3″ 299 lbs and Rocky Bernard 6′2″ 301 lbs) are their LIGHTWEIGHTS.
My point – we may have issues developing DEs, but there is an undeniable link to the effectiveness of our DEs and the capabilities of our DTs. We have smaller, lighter-weight DTs. Those kinds of guys will always have trouble pushing the pocket and wrestling with the myriad of 315-335 lb behemoths on the other side of the line. But when you have guys on your interior DL that are above the 310 lb threshold, you have a MUCH better shot at making those big OL players focus and/or help each other to engage them…leaving DEs to win battles on the outside with their speed and/or technique.
If you CAN’T push the pocket from the middle, your outside rushers are at a disadvantage.
This also explains Abe’s inability to come up big in tougher games, to some degree. He has to work harder, and has to also do it pretty much alone.
13) I’m happy to be 6-0. It’s a milestone, all milestones should be recognized.
At the same time, there is quite a bit of room for improvement. Here’s a counter-question for all of us, though it may trend more towards those who might feel far more anxious about the future.
If execution was better, would we be as worried about play-calling and things like that? I’ll go ahead and say that I rather doubt it. Catch a few more passes, wrap up on a few more tackle opportunities, make a few more blocks…and the complexion changes. Of course, one could make similar arguments about play calls and things of that nature. Might be a moot argument, I don’t know. But I do know that if you make the play, it’s hard to question the call…
I’ll be more anxious if we are having very similar issues in games 7 and 8 as we were in games 4 and 6.
Big Ray
October 18th, 2012
12:08 am
And now I need a new keyboard.
GREAT stuff by Paddy O . Hit the nail on the head and didn’t need 40 million paragraphs to do it. Unlike me….
Slant Pattern
October 18th, 2012
1:11 am
“We need somebody else. A guy who reliably catches out of the backfield. Explodes to the hole. Adjusts well and makes something out of nothing…” – BR
Late night buddy, found this ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWeRthcQxyc&feature=related ) which is killing my sleep schedule but well worth it. Prolly not your style, but for those that understand, that is something pretty special. You have once again brought up alot of great points, its too late to get into great detail with them all but I’ll respond to this one. Some iguana lovin’ bastard really wanted a guy in this draft that few if any agreed with. That guy is on the Rams now and in all fairness we didn’t have a chance to get him without moving up which even I prolly wouldnt have done. My question is how did that iguana guy know that we needed that guy long long ago and our brass didn’t? That could seem ego driven but the reality is that one just wonders how a by all acounts rank amateur can envision what we are currently going thru by just watching youtube videos of decade old college films, but yet the string pullers cannot. Others realized this too and made suggestions for scat backs as well. So many things we are currently going thru were called out long ago and not just by that a-hole. You bring this up regarding other positions like TE in other parts of your novel that we can go over tommorrow. It does make one wonder for sure.
Slant Pattern
October 18th, 2012
1:12 am
Late Night Blog Snack Check
“We need somebody else. A guy who reliably catches out of the backfield. Explodes to the hole. Adjusts well and makes something out of nothing…” – BR
Late night buddy, found this ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWeRthcQxyc&feature=related ) which is killing my sleep schedule but well worth it. Prolly not your style, but for those that understand, that is something pretty special. You have once again brought up alot of great points, its too late to get into great detail with them all but I’ll respond to this one. Some iguana lovin’ bastard really wanted a guy in this draft that few if any agreed with. That guy is on the Rams now and in all fairness we didn’t have a chance to get him without moving up which even I prolly wouldnt have done. My question is how did that iguana guy know that we needed that guy long long ago and our brass didn’t? That could seem ego driven but the reality is that one just wonders how a by all acounts rank amateur can envision what we are currently going thru by just watching youtube videos of decade old college films, but yet the string pullers cannot. Others realized this too and made suggestions for scat backs as well. So many things we are currently going thru were called out long ago and not just by that a-hole. You bring this up regarding other positions like TE in other parts of your novel that we can go over tommorrow. It does make one wonder for sure.
Slant Pattern
October 18th, 2012
1:12 am
Sorry BR, tried to respond. The blog monster has the late night munchies.
Wings
October 18th, 2012
7:14 am
JB Falcon – “I can’t quit thinking about the 13-3 season where we won a bunch of games by the skin of our teeth, just like we have won the last three games, and that worries me, BUT, this team has not played anywhere near their ability this year.”
The next 3-4 games are similar to the big games and going to the playoffs in 2010, and we should see an indication of the potential of the team.
Paddy O
October 18th, 2012
10:00 am
BR – thanks – I liked the V8/transmission analogy brought by BL – however, my analysis is nowhere as thorough as yours – I don’t like typing that much!
SG
October 18th, 2012
10:02 am
Asante should like this from this morning’s Philly Inquirer: “Eagles’ Reid lucky he’s not held to his own standards.” http://ow.ly/ezPWf
Paddy O
October 18th, 2012
10:03 am
I still don’t think we are utlizing Quizz property – for a small guy, he has a ton of blocking heart – but why use him like that? I still think we should use turner as our FB, as slow as he is. What we really want is Sproles, or Reggie Bush, or CJ Spiller – what I used to call our Dave Meggett guy. I think Snelling could take that roll. But, we’ve never appreciated him. He won that Raven’s game.
Paddy O
October 18th, 2012
10:05 am
Plus, we are still not a WCO as typically envisioned. I still think hiring Knapp back would pay good dividends – but, Welcome Back is still getting his feet wet.
Big Lou
October 18th, 2012
10:27 am
Big Ray
The problem with changing the Oline, even if it’s for a series, against a team like the Eagles is that they have a defensive line that has the ability sometimes to dominate a game. That one little test can cost Matt Ryan his year or career with a brutal hit. If you are going to make huge changes to an offensive line, I would do it against a team with a weaker line play to give a chance for the newer Oline to develope real-game cohesiveness.
Great posts, by the way. My eyes hurt from reading so much. Lol
D3
October 18th, 2012
10:52 am
WR, SP — Posts are out!
D3
October 18th, 2012
10:59 am
And therein lies the problem. The Falcons have come into contact with guys of this kind of potential, and they seem far more interested in blocking skills than they do pass-catching skills. It makes no damn sense, to be honest, because we use TG SO MUCH, and it’s clear that he is downright integral to our offense. Hell, our QB needs TG’s ability and uses him as a security blanket all the time. Why would we not be looking for a replacement of some sort??!!
No, instead we toss aside the Chase Coffmans of the world, ignore the Lamark Browns and other speedster-capable pass catching big bodies…and we cling to the blockers like Tommy Gallarda. Michael Palmer has some potential, but is he a credible threat to defenses? If he is, we would not know, now would we?
My point isn’t that we can’t find talent, it’s that we refuse to commit to developing it. News Flash – Tony G wasn’t always a good blocker in the NFL. He had to learn. What separates him from the crowd has always been what he could do as a receiving target. — Big Ray
HERE! HERE! That was exactly the point I was trying to make when Tommy Gallarda’s fanboy started inferring I was d@mn dumb or something for thinking that the TE position was bare when TG leaves. My main point is that Dimitroff and Co. have not been able to develop ANY legitimate TE over a 5 year period other than Palmer. It seems that they simply go, “hey we’ll just sign a bunch of UDFA’s every year, rotate them out, and hope we snag the next Tony Gonzalez.” You couldn’t spend one draft pick of significance on a d@mn TE? A 5th or 6th?
Matty Bicep
October 18th, 2012
11:03 am
I am a little disappointed that Konz has not been able to crack the Oline….Agree on Quizz, but he HAS to catch that screen pass. If he could show consistent hands, i would like to see him in the slot like a wes welker, see him has a check down guy who can make people miss.
I think HD is overrated in the cage, other than making a play in the pre-season last year, I cant think of him doing anything special. He is on the field, so Ryan can go to him if he wants, but something is lacking, I think he might struggle with separation.
Hamad Meander
October 18th, 2012
11:31 am
SW – you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. We are sorry for your loss.
Coop
October 18th, 2012
11:52 am
I am a little disappointed that Konz has not been able to crack the Oline – MB
I’m dissapointed the coaches REFUSE to put Konz in the lineup.
As for Quizz, I like him and think he is best out of the backfield. Agree on dropped screens, However this is a new concept our coaches decided to implement this year. According to some of the coaches on the talk shows, screens are fairly difficult to execute. It take near perfect timing from several members of the O.
I don’t agree with him in the slot. I am a HD fan. He has not been decidely explosive, but neither has Quizz. I think HD has more speed and is therefore more of a threat. I think more crossing routes would help HD and MR2. We will never have a Wes Welker type, cause we rarely run the type of routes he runs in NE.
LRD
October 18th, 2012
11:53 am
Seminole… just saw the news.. and my deepest sympathy to you and your family. May your angel find peace with The Host of Angels.
Unca' Bob
October 18th, 2012
12:30 pm
Big Ray,
I read a while back TD stating that the TE of our futher was already on our roster. M Palmer. We haven’t seen much of him because TG is still with us and very usefull and productive. I wouldn’t sit TG for Palmer either.lol
waynester
October 18th, 2012
12:42 pm
HCMS likes to dance with the ones who brung him to the dance, guys he trusts in the heat of battle. Our coordinators and position coaches see these guys every day around the facility, in the weight room, training room, practice fields, etc. If one of the young guys is outworking and out-practicing a vet–he’ll get more snaps…that’s what we drafted them for. Most of them just aren’t ready to supplant a starter due to lack of technique or consistency. We’d better hope our front line guys stay healthy while the young guys learn, since we’ll probably be forced to play some of them as the weeks roll on and attrition occurs….
Coop
October 18th, 2012
12:55 pm
I’m not concerned about TE yet. TG is obviously great. Though he’s said he’ll retire, he may decide to go another round. Moreover, I give TD grief about some of his draft picks and the coaches for their development, but the front office has shown it is not afraid to go out and get guys.
We signed Turner, Edwards, and Robinson. Traded for TG and Samuel. Moved up to grab Baker and JJ.
They probably missed on Baker and Edwards,but my point is that they don’t just use the draft. TD is a whealer and a dealer. So if T retires AND Palmer isn’t the guy, maybe we grab a TE in FA or trade.
I se us getting a new feature RB, TE, and DE next year. Could be any method mentioned above.
More concerning to me is the development of Sidbury, Johnson, Jackson, Hawley, and now Matthews, Massaquoi, and Konz. Is it me, or do we draft a ton of Linemen just to sit on the bench? Since TD and Smitty came in, only Peters, Jerry, Walker, and Kroy were drafted for DL and played any substantial minutes (and that may be generous for Walker… who should see a ton more time IMO).
As for the OL, Blalock, McClure, and Clabo (I think…) have all been on the line since 2008.
JB Falcon
October 18th, 2012
1:12 pm
And speaking of using our rookies, here’s this from Pat Y;
The Atlanta Falcons have gotten only 26 snaps out of their draft class. That’s No. 31 in the NFL (San Francisco’s rookies haven’t played any offensive or defensive snaps).
The Falcons are fond of saying that second-year receiver Julio Jones is part of this year’s draft class and that’s a valid point. But logic coming into the season would have said the Falcons would be getting a little more out of their rookies. Heck, I know a lot of readers out there thought third-round pick Lamar Holmes was going to win the starting job at left tackle. Guess what? Holmes has yet to play a down on offense.
The only two Atlanta rookies to play have been second-round guard Peter Konz (19 snaps) and seventh-round defensive tackle Travian Robertson (seven snaps).
Matty Bicep
October 18th, 2012
2:36 pm
I’m dissapointed the coaches REFUSE to put Konz in the lineup.
They have not refused to put him in the lineup, he has played 19 snaps. Have you studied every snap? My guess is Smitty, TD, our new line coach, and Welcome back, and Ryan have studied each and every one from a full field camera, and if he was doing everything he is suppose to do, and doing it better than whom he replaced, my guess is he would have cracked the starting lineup.
And I am not sure if it is the routes that get Welker open, or if it is his quickness combined with he and Brady’s mojo that makes them so productive….Quizz has quickness, would be interesting if he could pose the same matchup problems.