Atlanta Falcons: Birds Fall to Saints
Too Little, Too Late
That's About Right (Bill Feig)
All the media-elite-talking-heads should be ecstatic, the Falcons finally lost and they lost to everyone’s favorite darlings, the hated Saints. But hey, it’s only the regular season and, as we all know, the regular season doesn’t matter, right? The late game magic finally ran out and, frankly, the Birds deserved to lose. They started fast, blew way to many opportunities, and allowed the Saints to dictate the entire game, save the last quarter. Even Falcons fans and Bird Cage members knew they’d lose at some point, but it just had to be to the Bountygate Saints. A look at the Falcons first loss……….
Blew a Fast Start
The Falcons couldn’t have asked for any better start to the game. They had some big plays, scored on their first drive, and literally intercepted the first play of the hated Saints. Even though there was a shadow, garbage penalty on Asante Samuel for “excessive celebration,” the Falcons bogged down and settled for a field goal. Sure, it was points, but the chance to go up 14-0 was definitely a wasted opportunity. After a hot start, the Falcons evidently went back into conservative mode where Drew Brees had enough time to bake a cake and do his taxes and the offense was hell bent on running Turner through a brick wall and taking losses on first down. It looked as though the game may get out of hand until the defense finally found a way to stop the hated Saints and the offense pulled themselves out of their hyper-conservative funk. Fact is, the Falcons had been living on borrowed time with their comebacks, and that magic finally ran out.
Let Matt Ryan Carry This Team
Defense Shredded (Bill Haber)
Ryan had a career high with 402 yards and 3 touchdowns and yet the Falcons offense always finds a way to bring it back to Turner. This is a new day and it’s a new Falcons team. Michael Turner has done a magnificent job for the Falcons since he’s been here and may be on a track for the Falcons Ring of Honor, but his time has passed. Not sure whether it’s Smith or Koetter, but the truth is that most times when Turner gets the ball instead of Ryan, it’s usually not as good. This doesn’t mean that the Falcons have to throw the ball 50 times every game, but at some point, Ryan should be allowed to do what Brady, Manning, Rodgers, and Brees do with their teams.
ZERO Pass Rush
For the longest time fans were able to blame Brian Van Gorder and by extension Mike Smith. Well, we have one of the best coordinators in the game and it’s true that Sean Weatherspoon was surely missed, but the Falcons don’t have much of anything in terms of rushing (or even disrupting) the quarterback. Drew Brees had enough time to cut the grass, do the dishes, and plan his Bountygate party in the pocket on Sunday. The Falcons mustered one sack, but rarely was pressured whatsoever. The defense stepped up some in the second half, but overall it was another pitiful display by the defense in pressuring the QB. Fans no longer know whether it’s the defensive tackles, the defensive ends, the linebackers, or the scheme to pressure the QB. They were sent on bltizes on Sunday, but most times they looked pedestrian and were easily picked up. John Abraham is the lone exception and how long does it take to get him some help. This did not look like the defense who confused and stymied Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers at all. Somethings got to give with the defense and lack of pressure.
Wasted Plays
400 Yards, 3 TDs = Loss (Bill Haber)
This is not a hatchet job on Michael Turner. The guy has done wonders for this franchise and likely will get a look at the Falcons Ring of Honor, but fans can easily see and call a wasted play coming on first down to Michael Turner. Given first and goal and a chance to go ahead in the game, the Falcons predictably go to Turner (as they always seem to do) to not only a stop, but a loss on the play. It was brought up in the offseason whether or not Turner fits in the offense and it becomes painfully clear every single week that giving the ball to Turner on first down is a wasted play. It’s not necessarily his fault, but seeing undrafted Chris Ivory run like a man possessed makes Turner seem like relic on the Falcons offense.
Franks Not the Answer
This is not meant to be slam against Dominique Franks, but the punt return game has become nothing more than catching the punt with a fair catch and surely is not threat to return it and get some yards. Perhaps Eric Weems was undervalued after all (this author admits). Dominique Franks had a blast on the scene in preseason with his dynamic punt return for a touchdown, but ever since he seems tentative at best and weak at worst at returning punts. The Birds put Harry Douglas back at punt returner with the game on the line and he offered little more.
Shadow Calls
The Falcons deserved to lose. Period. But of course this will come off as sour grapes and may have not made a difference in the grand scheme, but there were some pretty bad calls in New Orleans, a city known for it’s penultimate honesty (Bountygate’s the same as the Iraq War, right Brees?). There was the first part of the game and the “excessive celebration” that Fox never showed. Antone Smith evidently made a penalty on special teams, also not shown at all on Fox. There was the catch that Harry Douglas made as we all saw on tape, but they couldn’t overturn because the initial call was botched to Hades. Again, the Falcons deserved to lose, but the calls all seemed to go the Hated Saints way.
Chris Ivory vs. Michael Turner
One of Most Pitiful Plays on D EVER! (Bill Feig)
This is not meant to be a hatchet job on Michael Turner. It really isn’t. Turner has been a rock, a stud, and one of the main reasons that the Falcons have been one of the most consistent teams in the National Football League. The argument is always that Turner isn’t very good because the offensive line is so bad. That is an accepted truth with Falcons fans. We all know how poor the OL is. It’s been that way ever since Bill Fralic and Mike Kenn retired. However, one needs to take one look at Saints running back Chris Ivory and the way he runs the football and how Michael Turner runs. Ivory was an undrafted free agent and ran like a man possessed against the Falcons, running tough, delivering blows, refusing to go down, and generally carrying the ball with force. Flip over to Michael Turner and you see the exact opposite. Turner has never seemed to fit in this offense and evidently Coach Smith is afraid of upsetting Turner because after he seemed frustrated with his lack of carries (and subsequent production), Smith and Co. have been committed to giving him the ball regardless. Again, it’s not a hatchet job on Turner, but the fact is that Turner is the exact opposite of dynamic.
Make Changes or Expect Insanity
Even though the media elite are salivating over the Falcons loss and their emphasis that these are the “same old Falcons,” the coaching staff have control over that. Although they seem to overdramatize the Birds issues on the offensive line and running game, they do have a point. The Falcons had woeful losses last season and in the playoffs because they couldn’t muster a few yards. That point couldn’t be any more true, but it can be broken down into a few areas. Albert Einstein said that “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” is the definition of insanity. The Falcons have changed only one thing in moving Peter Konz to right guard (only after Garrett Reynolds was injured) on the offensive line from last year’s OT debacle to the hated Saints and Meltdown in the Meadowlands. Why did fans expect anything different? After a supposedly “open competition” in the offseason, the offensive line looked exactly the same. Some were holding onto a new “OL coach and new offensive coordinator” in making all the difference. Please. Same goes for the running back situation.
At Least Mike Johnson Scored (Bill Feig)
Thomas Dimitroff hasn’t done a great job of drafting offensive linemen or invested hardly anything in the running back corps, but he did draft two potential-laden OL and it took Garrett Reynolds getting injured to get Peter Konz in the lineup. For all the talk of other running backs getting looks, that’s become a distant memory. It’s the Turner show and all others are lucky to get scraps. Jacquizz Rodgers has shown he can run the ball and we all know that Snelling can too. Antone Smith has speed, but is never seen. After seeing the Saints plug in a new offensive lineman at right tackle and bring up their 4th or 5th running back to look fantastic (Ivory), the Falcons seem stuck in their same old, same old. There’s evidently a refusal to make many changes on the Falcons offensive line or in the backfield, so Albert Einstein’s looking pretty correct.
What Happened to the Defense?
The same defense that held a slew of quarterbacks in check and forced Peyton Manning into three interceptions in the first half, looked just as pedestrian as any Falcons defense that’s lined up in recent years. The Falcons produced no pass rush whatsoever, only mustering one sack and never pressuring Brees at all. How many times will defenses allow elite QBs to pick them apart. Great teams and defenses have proven that pressuring the quarterback is the only way to knock them off their game. While it wasn’t quite reminiscent of the Debacle in the Dome seeing Aaron Rodgers pick apart the defense, it wasn’t far off. Not only that, but tackling was as bad as it ever was under Brian Van Gorder. That long TD run by Ivory has to go down as one of the worst defensive meltdown plays in Falcons franchise history and completely jumpstarted a struggling Saints team. After being so creative with his multiple and different looks, Nolan’s defense was a mirror image of it’s failed soft-zone predecessor. Why not try William Moore in some linebacker looks, for instance. The Falcons defense of old was not good, and especially not good against the Saints. The thought was that Mike Nolan was supposed to change all that.
Overrated? Sure………….
C'mon Smitty, It Was Time (Bill Feig)
A word of advice to Falcons faithful would be to tune out the MTV Sports, Entertainment Tonight Media Elite for the next few weeks. They finally got everything they wanted: the Falcons lost, they’re overrated, they should be 1-8 instead of 8-1, the Bountygate Saints are back on top, and it’s the “same old Falcons” as everyone always says. Too bad Mary Hart and Mario Lopez can’t give their opinions on the NFL, football, and those terrible, overrated Falcons.
Bird Cage Brothers Fallout Corps’ Turn
1) Simple Sack – how bad of a loss is this: just a loss or a reason to believe the Falcons are the worst team in the NFL?
2) At what point did you get a bad feeling on the game? How tough was blowing a good start?
3) Is this Michael Turner or Matt Ryan’s team? Are there still handcuffs on Ryan?
4) Please, please help fix this anemic pass rush.
5) Why has the Falcons pass rush remained so terribly poor?
6) How about those Turner playcalls right up the gut?
7) Anyone else at punt returner?
8.) Thoughts on the Mercedez-SuperDome officiating?
9) Please explain the Curious Case of Michael Turner.
10) Has Albert Einstein pegged one Coach Mike Smith?
11) What happened to Mike Nolan and his defense? Yikes
12) Promise yourself a prize if you can ignore the MTV Sports / Entertainment Tonight media-elite-talking-heads-experts for a few weeks………..or maybe ever.
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1,221 comments Add your comment
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
1:36 pm
“NO is now back on its feet. TB is GOOD. and Carolina – if Cam cleans up his turn overs – is also good. Our divisional games will be a good litmus test.”
it is the NFL, one of those teams is gonna make a run for a WC spot, it is called momentum. You don’t keep it for 19 games, that is why it has never been done. I swear I think people don’t like competition.
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
1:36 pm
the growth you folks were asserting was emotional and mental. I don’t see growth; I see the removal of shackles.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
November 12th, 2012
1:37 pm
With all due respect to Mike Nolan, he most certainly deserves it…but, last year around the same time, our defense was statistically rated around 10th in the league. I’m not saying I want BVG back, I’m just sayin…
Big Lou
November 12th, 2012
1:37 pm
Good banter, gents. It was kept civil for once… I wonder why?
Anyways, be blessed and try to keep things positive. 8-1, baby!
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
1:39 pm
I don’t I want to crush the opposition. One reason I’ve always liked the 84 Bears.
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
1:39 pm
85
Big Lou
November 12th, 2012
1:40 pm
“With all due respect to Mike Nolan, he most certainly deserves it…but, last year around the same time, our defense was statistically rated around 10th in the league. I’m not saying I want BVG back, I’m just sayin…”
Points per game, people. Points per game. Yard percentages are like corvettes for old people. Yeah, it looks nice and shiny… but you’re still old. Falcons were stopping the run because everyone was passing instead… all perspective.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
1:40 pm
I don’t defend Turner, he is slow, and I expect to see him be used less and less, he has lost the productivity he had. But we can’t rely on scheme to overcome our OL getting pushed back 3 yards into the BF. There is never 1 reason why you lose. Turner touched the ball 13 our of 120+ plays, he never turned it over. He is not WHY we lost.
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
1:41 pm
when I ran a pizza store in AThens, my goal was to put the other guy(s) out of business.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
1:41 pm
Paddy O, Me too on the 85 bears, Sure, but the NFL is a little different today.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
1:42 pm
goal was to put the other guy(s) out of business. And, were you successful?
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
1:44 pm
he is the reason. we failed to score on that last goal line. that comes down to 3 items: Turner; bad play calling (Mike Johnson as TE? really? stupid cute), and MR2 throwing the ball slightly off to RW.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
1:48 pm
Paddy, if he scores, it just changes the complexion of the game, it does not assure a guaranteed result. Had we scored with a minute and a half left, you don’t think Brees would have given it a shot? We also lost because Roddy misjudged the the ball.
It is the outcome as designed by the NFL rule book. Pinball Football.
SeminoleWarrior
November 12th, 2012
1:53 pm
D3,
As my esteemed brother has reminded me today, emotions are a powerful part of who I am. But I am glad that I have BL to keep me focused and in a constant state of thought.
He may not agree with me (and he doesn’t) but he is always respectful and insightful. He is my brother from another mother.
D3
November 12th, 2012
1:54 pm
BL / Paddy — Good points. The run play selection is really terrible. I still believe that Turner should be getting his touches cut way down. I still think that Turner could be of some use and if he’s a true team player, he would suck it up for the team and play some fullback. Problem solved. But anyway, those playcalls are terrible. He’s like 5-7 yards behind Ryan and I saw him one time run a frackin’ counter. Are you kidding me? Arguably one of the slowest starting RBs in the NFL is running a counter? It’s not a knock against Turner, per se, but rather that he simply doesn’t fit in this new offense.
E43
November 12th, 2012
1:54 pm
I don’t think the running game is that complicated to figure out. In my opinion, none of our running backs have the speed or quickness to get to the outside anymore. Basically, defensive lines will pinch on running downs. I don’t think that the Oline is at fault because the RB’s should be able to beat that pinch on the outside but they don’t. Turner used to run counters and beat the pinch. Instead, our RB’s run right into walls. Dunn did the exact same thing once he lost most of his speed at about the age of 30 something? Meanwhile Norwood had no issues averaging 6 ypc behind the very same Oline.
I’m not saying that they should bust down doors and get Norwood back on the team. I know that Antone Smith’s kryptonite is definitely not outside runs. I think the Falcons should at least give him a few caries. Worst case scenario is that they burn their top pick on a situation they didn’t even research enough.
Anyone remember when Julio Jones took a pitch and ran it for a first down?
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
2:00 pm
pizza fast did go out.
SeminoleWarrior
November 12th, 2012
2:01 pm
E43, what I am saying is that finding a versatile, effective back will be critical in the 2013 off season.
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
2:01 pm
nah, not on Roddy – the ball was about 5′ too right – if MR2 had lead Roddy a wee bit more – OR, Tony G was open on that play. but, that is the problem with precise execution. occasionally, it does not happen.
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
2:02 pm
if we score, we have a lead. far more likely to win if you have an actual lead near the end of the game.
Big Lou
November 12th, 2012
2:03 pm
SW
For sure, bro. I’m glad to have you back in the mix. You are the example on what good debate is.
SeminoleWarrior
November 12th, 2012
2:07 pm
It is good to be home. And all I want is for my Falcons to give me that shot, that realistic shot, at the Lombardi. We may not agree on how to get there but damn it, we ALL want to get there.
tdawgmom
November 12th, 2012
2:09 pm
My first Falcons T Shirt was and still is a no. 33, given to me by my son and daughter n law. I love watching Michael Turner get clear and make those long, productive runs. Having said that, those moments just do not occur very often; they are at the very least far and few between. When our career is not productive, we just have to accept the inevitable. That”s what Coach Smith needs to do. Michael Turner’s time is over. It’s time for a younger running back with fresher legs. It just drives me literally insane when I see Turner being given the ball on 1st down every damn time and he either gains a yard or loses yardage. You have this talented, intellectual quarterback on the field that sees and knows what needs to be done. You also have this talented new offensive coordinator that realizes Ryan’s talents. For Gosh Sakes!! Please, Coach Smith let them take the Falcons to the next level! I love you, but your are driving me crazy.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
2:15 pm
He looked like he had a beat on it, but then it went over his head. He looked like he was making an adjustment to the throw, but would have been hit in stride over the shoulder had he just kept going.
Fact is, the ball was over his head, he slowed down. I guess like everything else, we saw it different, lol.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
2:21 pm
Roddy was running backwards, the ball was over his head. There is no reason I can think of for a receiver to be running backwards, unless he is compensating for a underthrown ball, but since the ball was was 5 yards over his head, that is not the case.
Had he just kept running, has an over the shoulder grab, granted, not a optimum play you want to win a game, but it is a play Roddy makes generally.
Wings
November 12th, 2012
2:32 pm
BL – I feel that if this game didn’t wake up Mike Smith on how ineffective Tuner is in this offense, then nothing will.
It will not wake him up. Two years ago, almost 99% of the posters here were saying the two coordinators were serious problems. It took Smitty that long to react and probably by pushing from AB. You need to back to the 2010 games and look at some of the posts. Turner had the zero and negative yards then. If you examine the stats of the games lost in 2010 only, you will see the terrible running efforts of Turner.
BL and MB, both of you need to respect other peoples opinions. If you can’t, maybe the two of you should have your own blog until you grow tired of each other and recognize you both are exactly a like. BL you are what you accuse other of being. SW has EARNED the right to post anyway he wants to post. You need to keep your “knee jerk” comments to yourself. Neither one of you get it no matter how many cage members tell you.
Wabe
November 12th, 2012
2:36 pm
Todd McClure on struggling run game: ‘More to it than five guys up front’
—–
That right there should send a STRONG SIGNAL to Smitty/Koetter about not what we the fans have to say about Turner, but what his own teammates are feeling. They’ve lost confidence in him just as we have.
Wabe
November 12th, 2012
2:39 pm
“That’s two totally different ballgames,” McClure said. “That’s what [ticks] me off more than anything is you guys are going to write about how bad we are up front and that we can’t get in the end zone. But there’s more to it than just blocking up front, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
“I get really frustrated when I hear things and read things knowing there’s more to it than five guys up front but we take the brunt of the blame. I don’t want to talk about that anymore because I don’t want to say anything I regret.”
The Falcons managed 46 yards on just 18 carries against the Saints, who were the worst team in the league against the run entering the game. Atlanta running back Michael Turner, who was dropped for a loss of one yard on third down during the penultimate possession, gained just 15 yards on 13 carries.
McClure didn’t elaborate on the issues in the running game but said the struggles are about the offense overall not just the line.
“It is in every aspect of it,” he said. “But we get the ball on the one, we are expected to get it in. I just get frustrated sometimes the past couple years. There’s more to it than just lining up and blocking the guys wherever they line up. And that’s it. I can’t talk about it anymore.”
Wings
November 12th, 2012
2:40 pm
E43 – Anyone remember when Julio Jones took a pitch and ran it for a first down?
JJones took a pitchout last week against the Cowboys and ran for 18 yards. He ran around the Cowboys best defensive player Ware who got to Matt Ryan often.
Arno
November 12th, 2012
2:41 pm
I do not blame Turner one bit. Turner has been a known factor to everyone for weeks. This loss is on the coaches. Painful to see interim coach Vitt have his players better prepared!
Yeah, the Falcons will be told-you-soed by the media– but the Saints/Falcons game was the closest score of the weekend.
Wabe
November 12th, 2012
2:41 pm
Please Smitty, get the freakin’ message. He pretty much took a shot at Turner. He might’ve said he don’t wanna say anything he regrets, but that’s a pretty obvious jab at Turner’s inability to hit the holes.
Turner carried it 13 times for 15 yards. Quizz had more yards than that on one simple run where he made a move in the open field to break one for about 18-19 yards. The proof is in the pudding.
D3
November 12th, 2012
2:42 pm
Wabe — Wow, seems like a not so subtle veiled shot at Turner. Either that or Koetter / Smitty. Can’t imagine he’d be talking about Matt Ryan, the receivers, or Gonzo. Yeah, Turner is just done. I said it in the off-season and I still stand by my belief.
Wings
November 12th, 2012
2:43 pm
Wabe good post.
Wings
November 12th, 2012
2:44 pm
DONE!
Wings
November 12th, 2012
2:48 pm
Arno exactly. A coaching failure.
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
2:59 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2012/11/12/atlanta-falcons-todd-mcclure-on-struggling-run-game-more-to-it-than-five-guys-up-front/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_falcons_blog
Wabe posted it first, but I think everybody should click on this link just once, LOL.
There is no doubt where McClure’s ire is leading. And once you hear it from the O-line’s leader….what else is there to say, really?
Take that one however you will.
Time to make a change. McClure needs to repeat this to Koetter and Smitty. Or leave a copy of that article, printed out…taped to their office windows.
Just sayin’….
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
3:00 pm
Wow, is it good to have Seminole Warrior back.
More flavor to pour back into the Cage melting pot!
Arno
November 12th, 2012
3:14 pm
Smith will not take kindly to the locker room venting to outside ears– so McClure must be dealing with a pretty intense level of frustration…
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
November 12th, 2012
3:22 pm
SW, your “disconnect” theory may have legs…and starting to take its first steps, per Todd McClure.
Big Lou
November 12th, 2012
3:23 pm
Wings
Earned? This is a blog.
Also, have you seen SW and I with our convos? We love each other like brothers and never disrespect each other. There you go spewing nonsense again and trying to start something out of nothing. Lol
Learn to read before you criticize me for false info.
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
3:24 pm
The thing about the defense…
I get what is being said about discipline and it certainly makes sense.
I think there’s an equally concerning issue – execution up front. A few thoughts to chew on, and I realize you very well could chew them up and spit them out –
1) The DL is just not there. And we can break this down further in the next point.
2) Babs isn’t what he was (age), Peters is legit but probably playing at about 65%-70%…something I warned of before. He may not reach even 90% before the regular season is over, but we’ll see. Walker is a good backup. The fact that he is performing as well as the starters is less a testament to how good he is and more a testament to how degraded our starting DTs are. Jerry is a 1st round bust. Never really materialized. Travian Robertson is possibly stronger than any other guy in that unit, but isn’t ready and we wouldn’t even know if he WAS because Smitty is not going to go with a rookie unless he MUST, as he did with Corey Peters. Just ask Peter Konz, but that’s another story…
3) Abe gets held a lot, but his disappearing act is nothing unusual. Ray Edwards is a free agent bust. Really hate to say that because he is strong and has a little speed, and I thought full health would get him where we need him. But I also realize there is another reason why our DEs can’t get the job done – they aren’t always in one-on-one battles because our DTs rarely occupy more than one blocker. I’ve literally seen Kroy Biermann double-teamed out there play after play. And he’s our smallest (but fastest) DE. There always seems to be either a mammoth OT or an OT and a helper ready to take him on. Happens to Abe as well at times. Nobody has seen or heard from Sidbury or anybody else.
4) The linebackers. I notice the problems occur when Weatherspoon isn’t on the field. He’s our guy. He’s fast, intuitive, and a natural playmaker.
Here’s the deal on Stephen Nicholas – he has emerged because of Weatherspoon. Spoon accounts for so much and has to be accounted for on so many plays that it leaves Nicholas free to chase things down and make plays of his own. He couldn’t do that next to Lofton, who was a straight up run-stuffing tackler who would hit anybody that got close, but couldn’t cover an ant with his shoe. Weatherspoon can literally be anywhere, do anything. Nicholas has benefited from that.
And so it is no strange thing that when he is playing next to Dent, he can’t perform as well.
Speaking of Dent, he is exactly what Lofton was. And that’s what he was trained up to be. So really…why be disappointed in him? Somebody has to work with him on coverage. But he wasn’t even allowed to play much this year until somebody got injured…his seasoning has come in fits and starts, but he’s doing what he was kept around to replace – tackle ball carriers, support the run.
Mike Pete makes plays against the run in spots, if he’s on the field. He’s all but out of the game. We have nothing else. Robert James is a forgotten man.
5) I won’t get into the backfield because it’s known what the deal is. Willy Mo is struggling…don’t know why. He and Decoud were kicking arse early in the season. Our CBs are all veterans except McClain (who is darn good, by the way) but this is exactly where the discipline issues are. Hard to explain. Very hard. Dunta and Asante are being straight up wild out there. This game illustrated that more than most.
6) Bottom Line – there is not enough healthy individual talent in key areas in the front 7, and not enough discipline in the back 4.
Teams can’t run on you up the middle and off tackle if your front four can at least hold the point of attack and stack the line of scrimmage…and our defensive line simply cannot/is not doing that right now. Our historically best past rusher is quickly becoming just that – history.
Our best DT is Corey Peters. I say that because I’m working off of what he has become before injury vs. what Jonathon Babineaux has become due to age. It’s a close call between the two, but Peters still shows and ability to bat passes down despite his lack of health and when he gets his legs/strength back, he won’t get pushed off the ball. Problem is…and I repeat…Peters is nowhere near healthy. He’s just healthy enough to play “some” snaps. And we are playing him because we are desperate. Let’s just be freakin’ honest about that.
The LB corps is lost without Weatherspoon. I think we have forgotten about it, but this is why the injury to Tatupu was truly devastating. Tatupu had the mind, the fire, the instincts to do much of what Weatherspoon does for this defense. Hell, he had done it for Seattle when healthy. Losing that type of player and then being left with only one other type like that (Spoon) means you better not lose that one guy. And you see what kind of effect it has had. Sometimes the effect can’t be readily seen on paper. We’re a different defense with Weatherspoon on the field.
SW is right….we need more LBs. Good ones. Ones that aren’t one-trick ponies.
Overall, we need more guys that don’t rely on other guys to be able to do their own jobs right now. Because that is exactly what we have right now. Our DEs (except Biermann who should really be playing LB) can’t do anything unless our DTs are performing well. Our penetrating DTs can’t do their job unless another bigger DT is next to them and performing well. Our LBs are lost unless our best LB is on the field.
And I’m betting Nolan understands all this infinitely more than we ever will.
D3
November 12th, 2012
3:33 pm
BR — @ 3:24 PM…….perfectly said brother. So in what you just posted, what’s a bigger need with our 1st round pick: DT or LB?
crowmeat
November 12th, 2012
3:50 pm
Lets all face it..the birds have been lucky most of the year! Made saints out of Kotter and Nolan..The best game they played and won!? The Denver game when Nolan threw out all the different defensive fronts and drove Manning NUTS! For some unknown reason Nolan has refused to use that scheme again!! We had our chance’s too seal this victory..all we had to do was “cash in” at the goal line!
Ryan still can not survey the field and find the open receiver..Gonzo was open like a book all day, even on that last possession, did you see him shaking his hand in disgust because he was wide open and Ryan try’s to force it to White who was covered!?
Look folks, if you don’t have the run game to offset the defense and the pass game..you will not get the results you want!! So, my questions are these: How do you go from top shelf run game to the worst run game in the league, in 1 season, when you have basically the same players?
Why is D. Robinson playing in front of R.McClain..Robinson get beat bad Every week!? Why is A. Samuel still here? M.Turner? Why can’t the offensive line get a “push”? Why does the D get no pressure on the QB? Why can we Not stop the run up the gut?
It goes on & on and I personally believe we don’t have the right players in the key spots..Nor do we have the right brain trust in O & D coach’s..Yes Smith says the same ole tired b/s from week to week, BUT do you see the corrections from week to week? NO!!
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
3:55 pm
I would go with a tackle, a really good one just impact the game so much more. A really good tackle can impact a game more than a LB. At Tackle makes DEs and LBs better, that that impacts our secondary.
I leader LB is very important, but we have on with Spoon.
Big Lou
November 12th, 2012
3:57 pm
Big Ray
Great analysis, and I want to add on that. The real issue of the defensive line is only the QB pressure, not the inability to stop the run. That’s where the discipline of the LB/CB/S comes in. The gaps were filled and the RB was dead to rights in most of their touches… but they couldn’t tackle and make the plays. In turn, you force the linemen to play the gaps instead of getting to the QB unless it’s an obvious pass situation.
Also, Mike Nolan relies on zone blitzes/disguising coverages to get pressure on the QB, instead of relying on the defensive line. Problem is, he has to hold on the blitzes half the game because the players werent disciplined enough to stop the run.
To be honest, it was just a poorly executed game. They did much better the second half and that’s why the Saints only got 10 points.
I agree that Edwards is a bust. Jerry is washed up, with some flashes in the pan. Need a LB, as well. I felt Dent did a great job, but a LB is needed for depth. Yet, the defense this year is better than we had in years past. It’s the Saints… they have a potent offense.
I do agree that not having Spoon is a huge hit, but he will be back next week.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
4:02 pm
The Denver game when Nolan threw out all the different defensive fronts and drove Manning NUTS! For some unknown reason Nolan has refused to use that scheme again!
Maybe because he does not need it? I hope we don’t have a reason to put that on tape until we get to the playoffs. I do agree, I saw it against the Chiefs, and against the Broncos then it went away.
LRD
November 12th, 2012
4:02 pm
McClure… man o man.. the one thing the Falcons cannot afford, and Thomas D has done a good job thus far (as far as we can see) is a divided locker room being led by the old man in the center.
In some ways, what he had to say, needs to be said, but that is something McClure probably regrets having said on the record and not something said behind closed doors.
BUT then maybe Turner’s ego and pride will kick in and make him prove his critics wrong.. that is if he is fast enough to catch the comments
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
4:09 pm
And regarding Clabo, that is why I assume that it is not always Smittys Stubborness. If a coach is not putting his players in position to win, he loses the team. If he has a better guy on the bench, he loses the team. He has not lost this team in 4+ years, but I do sense he will if he does not institute some changes, but not looking for anything wholesale.
Actually, more than a DT or a 235 pound RB who can fall forward and push the line, somebody with fresh young legs.
Big Lou
November 12th, 2012
4:10 pm
Matty B
You can’t run that type of defense with Dent out there. It’s meant for versatile backs like Spoon. That’s probably why you didn’t see it often. It also didn’t help that the Falcons weren’t in many 3rd and long situations, since they couldn’t stop the run.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
4:13 pm
True BL, but we did not see it much in other games since Denver. Again, the more we use it, the less effective it be. It is high risk, we did it against Carolina on the go ahead TD in the 4th quarter and got burned. You just can’t use that too much.