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
D3
November 12th, 2012
4:17 pm
Not too awful much in terms of likely free agents @ DT, but here’s a guy to keep an eye on……..
Terrance Knighton (JAC) – NT – Knighton has been among the Jaguars few bright spots over the last couple years after being selected in the 3rd round out of Temple. Knighton has been known to put on extra pounds in the offseason, which can be a concern, but when in (relative) shape, he’s among the best run-stoppers in the league. In game tilted towards passing and stopping the pass, it’ll be interesting to see the value of a young, strong run-stopping nose tackle.
26 years old, 6′3, 330 lbs.
Also keep an eye on Michael Johnson, DE @ Cincy. Although they’d likely keep him, he would be worth taking a shot on. Even though I assume Ray Edwards deal probably prohibits that.
In terms of the draft, there’s quite a few big boys this year…….
Star Lotulelei – 6′3 – 320 ——— Long gone by our pick
John Jenkins – 6′3, 358 ——— As a Dawgs fan, not necessarily sure he’s worth a first rounder.
Jesse Williams – 6′3, 320 — 1st rounder
Kawan Short – 6′3, 315 — 1st or 2nd rounder
Sylverster Willaims – 6′3, 320 — 2nd or 3rd.
Anyone under 310-15 lbs, forget. We have plenty of “light butt” DT’s.
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
4:31 pm
matty – you and I are talking about different roddy plays. the winning drive PRIOR to the last saints possession is where we HAD TO score – and I believe the last pass play was up the middle to roddy, deflected. That was the game right there. Somehow, the Saints handed us another opportunity – and that is where you are talking about. I think Ryan’s arm has continue to get stronger, and simply surprised Roddy by its capability. It was an odd play with Roddy running backwards.
Whynot Us
November 12th, 2012
4:35 pm
Let me begin by saying that I absolutely HATE losing to the Aints. I remember many seasons where my sole consolation was “at least we’re not New Orleans.” Then we got to the Super Bowl first, but blast it, they won one first. This is the perspective from which I write.
This was NOT a bad loss for this team. First, they did not do the little things that they have done consistently since MS became head coach. They beat themselves with too many little (correctible) mistakes. Since the game came down to the last play, the players got a powerful learning tool in why consistency with the little things that can be controlled (beyond physical ability) matter. The Falcons, in the MS era, have been a team that does not usually beat itself. In this game they beat themselves. This is correctible, and I trust that MS and his staff will do so! The Aints are still undisciplined and resultingly gave the Birds ample opportunity to pull out the game.
Second, we were missing key players who are assumed to be back (or more healthy) before the playoffs. Yes, the Aints were missing Sproles, but our team is a little different with Spoon and JJ at full speed. That provides hope for a different result in big games going forward.
Third, this game came at a good spot in the schedule: playoffs already a comfortable liklihood. (Not many expected that this early.) The coaching staff has seen vulnerabilities exposed. They have sufficient time to plan and scheme for how to best use the available personnel to stregthen our vulnerable areas. After this loss, they should have a very enthusiastic group of learners to work with. They can be shown on film that if they correct just a few of their mistakes, it can make a difference in the outcome of the game. Good lesson to learn and a good time to learn it. We have always known that this year will be judged by what happens in the playoffs.
In terms of our personnel issues, for this year we have the players we have. I trust this staff to get the most out of the personnel available. They know they need some form of running game to keep teams honest in the playoffs. They will do what they think gives them the best chance to win with the guys they have to work with.
Longer term, I am personnally comforted by the fact that we have AB as an owner. I can envision him watching the game with TD and saying “the right tackle position is hurting the team, we need to do something about that going forward.” (For example.)
I hate losing to the stinkin’ Aints, but I am still very optimistic about this team now and going forward!
john self
November 12th, 2012
5:01 pm
The falc
ons need jonathan dwyer as their featured back. He does not stop when he hits the line. Mr blank get in touch with the steelers now and see wht it would take to get him.
john self
November 12th, 2012
5:02 pm
Enter your comments here
falcon21
November 12th, 2012
5:02 pm
You guys have been on a roll today, good stuff. SW, darn glad to see ya.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
5:06 pm
The falcons need jonathan dwyer as their featured back. He does not stop when he hits the line. Mr blank get in touch with the steelers now and see wht it would take to get him.
Yup. We need an RB that can get a yard by himself more times than not. I am not sold on Snelling in that role, he hits the old, but he does not carry guys.
BobbyDawg
November 12th, 2012
5:14 pm
Matty Ice is tough. He has to be to take the pounding that some of these d dish out. That being said the next time we just have to get a yard to win a game I vote bootleg. It’s something the opponent hardly ever sees and MR2 is pretty quick out of the hole. With 8 men in the box he’d probably walk in.
Whynot Us
November 12th, 2012
5:27 pm
P.S. – TG is a beast! It has been fun watching the latter part of his career. He has spent years working very hard on his body to stay at his Hall of Fame caliber play for so long. And he’s smart about taking hits. He’s the kind of guy I want to go into battle with.
Big Lou
November 12th, 2012
5:41 pm
Man
I can’t wait to see how the Falcons respond next Sunday. Thrash is being thrown on them from everywhere. I feel bad for the Cardinals.
Ken Strickland
November 12th, 2012
5:45 pm
CAGERS-Admittedly I don’t have much to go on, but I believe our continued failures on 3rd/4th and short rests squarely in the lap of HC MSmith. Over the yrs he’s insisted on using his biggest RB, and running to the same side, inside the OTs, on every attempt. Remember last yr when we had a 3rd or 4th and short and Mularkey had JRogers in the gm, and Smitty called time out and replaced him with MTurner?
Whenever DEFs see MTurner in the gm in short yardage situations, they know it’s going to be an inside run and LBs come in low to fill any gaps. Unless you have a power blocking OL, or an OL that has no trouble making holes, it’s best to either go over or under the DL. MTurner hasn’t shown he’s capable of doing either, but JRogers has certainly demonstrated an ability to go under and around DLs. We should definitely take a long look at JSnellings ability to jump over the DL.
MTurner is still a load when he gets up a head of steam, but otherwise he’s become rather easy to bring down. When it comes to our RB situation, its time for Smitty to stop going with BIG(MTurner), and start going with BETTER(JRogers and JSnelling).
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
5:46 pm
That being said the next time we just have to get a yard to win a game I vote bootleg.
I thought about that too, but at 8-0, it ain’t worth the risk. If we can agree that anything is NOT wrong with this team, it is MR2. Let him break a leg….Now, maybe we can go wide, a toss to Quizz….
Whynot Us
November 12th, 2012
5:47 pm
Haven’t gotten through all the posts yet, but getting the undefeated monkey off our back helps us get back under the radar a little. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The most important thing for this team now is don’t lose back to back and hit their groove late in the season.
Ken Strickland
November 12th, 2012
5:50 pm
D3-At the risk of being redundant, I’ll say GREAT ARTICLE, as always. Tell me, what positions do you think we’ll focus on with our top 2 picks in next yrs draft, based on what you think our greatest needs have been so far?
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
5:50 pm
Bengals 31, Giants 13. I guess the Giants are done….(snicker).
BobbyDawg
November 12th, 2012
5:58 pm
Yeah, the bootleg would have to be for that special occasion like in a playoff game. No need to put your team’s life on the line if it’s not a life or death situation.
Paddy O
November 12th, 2012
6:03 pm
Giants typically go through a slump during the boring parts of the season. If they qualify for the playoffs, watch out.
Ken Strickland
November 12th, 2012
6:03 pm
Also, after reading the question that was posed to OC TMcClure about our OL run blocking problems, and reading his response, I began to wonder. He said the OL wasn’t the issue and made reference to play selection. I know he wasn’t taking a shot at new OC DKoetter, who’s done an excellent job of calling the plays.
Therefore, it has to be a shot at the conservative and predictable approach that’s characterized HC MSmith, particularly in short yardage situations. In short yardage situations, we always run the same player(MTurner), the same play(open handoff), in the same area(between the OTs), usually in the same direction(to the left), and usually with the same results(failure).
Smitty has got to keep his GRUBBY LITTLE HANDS, as BIG RAY once put it, off the OFF.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
6:10 pm
I would keep Turner in, and play action to him up the middle every play, but not give him a single carry….I bet we put up 35 points in the 1st half.
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
6:34 pm
crowmeat ,
A couple of statements you make kill the rest of what you say:
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!?
That’s odd. If Ryan can’t survey the field and find the open receiver, then how did he manage to pass for 411 yards? Ok, let’s try that again…
Secondly, the best QBs will miss the open guy from time to time. TG may have been disgusted about being open, but what about when he was open with 16 seconds to go, Ryan put it right on his hands…and he dropped it? Would have been a first down, would have stopped the clock, and would have extended that drive, giving us another chance. TG blew that one, not Ryan.
Third…on the long pass to Roddy White – Ryan threw the ball long, where only Roddy could get it. Roddy slowed down, then tried to speed up while running backwards. He blew it. He keeps running, turns his head in time (instead of turning his whole body while watching the ball), he makes the catch…TD…game over.
That alone makes your rant off target.
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
6:40 pm
Ratty White has a pedigree of a LOOSAH!l ,
I know you’re just a troll and probably won’t show up again, but I genuinely want to thank you for posting. I haven’t laughed so hard and so freely all day long.
The fact that your team is 4-5 and ours is 8-1 puts the lie to the idea that your team is better..but then there are these little inconvenient facts.
You lost to Carolina. We beat them
You lost to Kansas City. We DESTROYED them
You lost to Washington. We beat them
You lost to Denver. We beat them
It’s okay, you just got everything backwards. We’re better, we’re winning. You’re still losing (4-5…hello…). By the way, I hope y’all like Joe Vitt. Because that’s your new head coach for the forseeable future. Sean Payton will leave that miserable bile-filled swamp for greener pastures…most likely in Texas…
Cheers!
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
6:48 pm
D3 ,
I’ll agree with MB . Give me a big, strong, talented DT. We know you have to win the battle at the line of scrimmage. We haven’t been able to push the pocket in quite some time, at least with any sort of consistency. A bit DT does that. Such a guy also will often tie up the Center and a Guard, leaving the under tackle a chance at speed/gap penetration.
We can get good LBs in later rounds. Dent is a guy we should keep around and develop…get him started heavily on pass coverage…he knows how to do the run support thing. There are always more “workable” LBs available in the draft…some guy who gets overlooked and what not…than there are credible DTs that can get started in your rotation right away.
Good DTs also make your DEs more effective.
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
6:49 pm
Big Lou ,
Very good stuff on the tackling issue. You’re right…we have a lot of plays where the LBs or more specifically the DBs were in position but missed horribly. Decoud said so on the radio..acknowledging also that they cleaned it up in the 2nd half.
Yeah, looking forward to the return of Spoon. He doesn’t miss tackles much and gets fired up when he or other guys do. Spoon’s speed, angle to the ball/ballcarrier, and overall versatility from sideline to sideline cannot be overestimated.
Big Ray
November 12th, 2012
6:50 pm
Not to mention his “nose” or instincts.
darrell starks
November 12th, 2012
7:09 pm
Todd Mcclure is not the answer no more, Okay we made a change with Konz now it time for change at center, Falcons are not able run the ball is because of the lack of strength up the middle, Turner has no speed to hit out side so his only alternative is up the middle, SO GUEST WHAT WITH NO STRENGTH UP THE MIDDLE ON THE OL YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE RUN THE FOOTBALL.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
7:12 pm
Yea, linebackers are sorta like runningbacks, their value has diminished, and you can find workable ones in later rounds, a puzzle piece. A DT is the foundation we lack.
It would have been pretty funny had he caught it. If TG caught that ball, we would have had at least 2 more chances to throw it in the endzone, and with Iceman, you just never know….But he can’t find the open receiver.
darrell starks
November 12th, 2012
7:13 pm
OL
HOLMES, BLALOCK, KONZ, CLABO, BAKER,
This strength on OL will allow the Falcons to run up front.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
7:13 pm
Holmes is not a good run blocker.
darrell starks
November 12th, 2012
7:15 pm
Quizz need get ball more than Turner after watching the both in backfield after 9 games.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
7:16 pm
Holmes has pretty good pass rush technique, but his run D sucks. Why else does a monster tackle with good pass technique be a “reach” in the 3rd round?
darrell starks
November 12th, 2012
7:18 pm
Matty Bicep are you serious did you see him in preseason ?
HOLMES IS A BEAST BROTHER
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
7:20 pm
I want J Dyer. Is the trade deadline passed?
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
7:22 pm
He is is a beast I agree, but his run block is suspect. He was pretty good in the preseason going against other team 3rd stringers. We will find out this week, if he is pushing people around in practice, he will be out there.
darrell starks
November 12th, 2012
7:23 pm
Matty Bicep you can have Emmit Smith in backfield, if your running back is getting hit in the backfield then you have and Major issue on the OL.
GO ALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!
falcon21
November 12th, 2012
7:30 pm
You said it Darrell,
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
November 12th, 2012
7:32 pm
D3 – Great analysis of the key issues and I totally agree with everything you’ve pointed out.
The Saints used 4 different RBs during the game and the Falcons continue to only use primarily Turner. I still can’t understand why they keep doing the same plays with Turner and expect a different results…….NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!
Whynot Us
November 12th, 2012
7:38 pm
Feeling a little ignored here. Ya’ll want me to go away?
DePlane
November 12th, 2012
7:38 pm
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?
In the scheme of things, this loss should be a wake up call. It isn’t time to throw the baby out with the bath water, but it sure is time to change the water. The Falcons are obviously not the worst team in the NFL, but they are certainly not the best.
2) At what point did you get a bad feeling on the game? How tough was blowing a good start?
I got a bad feeling after we failed to score a touchdown and settled for three and then Ivory made our D look like they were in a circus stunt on his way to an easy 7. That was tough, and instead of being up 14-0 all of a sudden its 10-7 and the momentum has swung.
3) Is this Michael Turner or Matt Ryan’s team? Are there still handcuffs on Ryan?
It is Matt’s team, when they take the cuffs off.
4) Please, please help fix this anemic pass rush.
This was a dissapointment. Seems like I watched Brees stepup and sidestep time and time again while the rush slid on by him. The point of attack always seemed to be on the outside leaving him plenty of space to step up into. When they did collapse the pocket, dude is so slippery and knows where to move, meanwhile Jimmy Graham is seperating and Brees finds him or somebody open. We bit on the pump fake, play action and were fooled when we thought it was pass and it was run.
5) Why has the Falcons pass rush remained so terribly poor?
Its tough when your premier pass rusher is 34 and asked to do it all by himself. Does Sidbury, Matthews or Massaquoi have any thing to help? Or are they just taking up space? Who is Ray Edwards? Or more appropriately, where is he. There is too much wasted space on the roster with players who either never see the field, or don’t play up to their potential. Wouldn’t you be terrified to get in the game for a play, screw it up and never get to see the field again? Players make mistakes, and they have to be given the opportunity to learn. How can they do that ridin’ the pine? Sure, the coaches know them best and play who they think gives them the best chance. But what happens when those players don’t perform? Nothing! The other guys don’t have a chance.
Did Davis give up on the route on that bomb that was picked? Probably. Bet we don’t see him for a while. Yet two weeks ago he proved he can play. He just made a mistake.
6) How about those Turner playcalls right up the gut?
I’m sick of those. I espoused last week that I finally saw the reasoning behind doing that. To keep defenses honest. However, I’m totally flip-flopping now. Those are bone-headed wastes of valuable plays. With an arsenal like we have and as much as we are passing now we should have goal line series completely built around the passing game. Period. If you already know the result you’re going to get, why the hell do you continue to run the most predictable play in the world?
A wise man once told me “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got”. Dang he was right.
7) Anyone else at punt returner?
So, is Franks being told to fair catch everything? Have the gunners on opposing special teams been so good he’s been forced to FC most of the time? I don’t know. But I do think he has more ability then we are seeing. HD to me is frail and would get eat up if we put him in there every time.
Who else ya got?
8.) Thoughts on the Mercedez-SuperDome officiating?
Home field bias. HD clearly caught that ball on replay. Head judge: “I don’t know, looks like he caught it” Upstairs: “Yeah, but you ruled it incomplete on the field”. Head Judge: Yeah, I guess I can let it stand or I might get mugged on the way out of here”.
9) Please explain the Curious Case of Michael Turner.
It’s a mystery. A real Agatha Christie novel. An inside job. Who the eff knows! Hey, you guys remember that time in your life you knew you were wrong about something and you stuck to you’re guns no matter what and wouldn’t admit it? That’s the Falcons and Michael Turner right now. I heard HCMS on the radio “Well, it’s not just one guy, its all three levels”. Hey Coach! It’s one guy, plus a coupla more guys! But mostly its one guy.
10) Has Albert Einstein pegged one Coach Mike Smith?
It’s hard to argue with your analogy D3. Maybe Coach is insane! lol! The likely story is that he is fiercely loyal, bull-headed stubborn, and slow to change. But he has proven already that he is willing to change and I hope that he realizes it now instead of later. I wonder if he has a quarter by quarter plan for working in some of the other options. I wonder if there is a pre-conceived plan on who will play, for example if Turner gets injured? There must be. Might want to try that plan sans injury to see what it will yeild.
11) What happened to Mike Nolan and his defense? Yikes
I think when they game plan for each opponent they determine what they think will work and go with it. When it doesn’t work, I give credit to Nolan for making adjustments. But they had to know Graham would be a big target. They had to know the Saints would try and run the ball early. But instead they got caught unprepared and it bit them in the arse. We literally suck at stopping the run, period.
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.
I promise I won’t let those low down, good for nothing, talking heads get to me. The game is played on the field. I saw it and I don’t need them to interpret it for me. Bottom line is we lost to the hated and wretched Saint’s. It hurts today as much as it did yesterday and it will hurt tomorrow. But it ain’t the end of the world and there’s a game to play next week. Has it burst the bubble? Yes. Should we have won that game? Yes, there is no doubt in my mind. Roddy is right; they GAVE them the game on a silver platter no less. But we get another shot at those bastards in our house and I beleive the outcome will be different.
In the mean time, the Falcons gotta lot of splaining to do at Flowery Branch, and better do some soul searching and decide who they really are.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
7:40 pm
I agree with you Whynot. Never want to lose, especially to the Aints, just need to get past the Undefeated talk. It becomes such a distraction.
Whynot Us
November 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
Thank you.
DePlane
November 12th, 2012
7:49 pm
D3, blog monster alert! I usually don’t respond directly to all your questions but this time I did and it got eaten!
falcon21
November 12th, 2012
7:51 pm
“Hit their groove late in the season”, I totally agree Whynot Us.
darrell starks
November 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
Are the Falcons a flawed team ?
RANK 19TH ON DEFENSE IN PASSING
RANK 25TH ON DEFENSE IN RUNNING
Falcons must get better on defense specially against the run.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
7:59 pm
Agree with you 21 and W, now time to lick our wounds, get off the news, let the undefeated talk stop, and remember our goals.
I saw ESPN and they were doing the same old falcon schik, and Carter said, “I think Atlanta is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Playoffs”.
falcon21
November 12th, 2012
8:05 pm
Yep Matty, it’s time to make some adjustments and get on with the season. The loss is out of the way and I hope Smitty learned a little something from it.
Matty Bicep
November 12th, 2012
8:10 pm
Actually 21, if we are gonna lose, I am glad we lost exactly like this. If we lost by turning the ball over a bunch, it could be brushed off as a bad day, but this is causing soul searching.
It exposed our weakness to get a yard, and I think it is reaching a fever pitch.
Also, in years past, Turner was statistically productive that can justify him getting the ball, but he is not this year. He is not in that 4.5 YPC range.
falcon21
November 12th, 2012
8:23 pm
Oh yes we have problems in more ways than one. We will go with what we have, that is the Smitty way and has been for years. 8 and 1 is great but a loss in the first round would suck. I guess we can hope for a bye.
D3
November 12th, 2012
8:27 pm
Whynot — Certainly not my friend. You’re always appreciated in the Cage. Sometimes the flow of the Cage is kind of weird. Sometimes we just post, others we respond to certain people, but your excellent comments and insight are always welcome. Not too worried about losing to the Cardinals RE: your comment about the losing back-to-back. Smitty I think is undefeated after a loss or something like that. I am worried about our upcoming rest of the schedule. No gimmes in there and if we all of sudden lose to Tampa Bay, true worry would / could start to set in. Smitty usually finds a way to get things fixed, so let’s hope that’s the case. Hate having all these division games bunched all up at the end.
DePlane — Post is out.
D3
November 12th, 2012
8:33 pm
Ken — Thanks. I’ll elaborate on it a touch more tomorrow, but I think it’s finally time to draft a dominant DT that is well over 315 lbs. It’s so much easier to build around a core guy like that instead of the other way around. There’s a plethora of big boys in this years draft. I would then say RB or CB in the second round. We may be OK for one more year with Samuel, DRob, McClain, and Owens for one more year, but we’re going to have to invest in CB at some point. I also really believe we’re going to have to cut deep (Turner, Grimes, Babs) and spend somewhere in free agency. More on it tomorrow. Gotta hit the pillow.
Ken Strickland
November 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
We’re now seeing the negative side of playing 3 CBs and 2 LBs. Don’t get me wrong, it can work to perfection, but in order for that to happen we have to somehow get better production from our current DL, or we have to seriously upgrade it. I think our OL situation will be resolved as soon as OT LHolmes is ready, or is given a chance to start, and the decision is made to finally replace TMcClure.