Atlanta Falcons: Birds Stumble to Ugly Win Over Cardinals
Going for Ugliest Win in NFL History?
One of Those Days (AJC)
Goodness gracious. This is one of those games that sees the Falcons win a game they shouldn’t even been close. How can a team turn the ball over 6 times and still win a game? Well, the Falcons found a way to do it. A win is a win is a win, but if the Falcons play like they did today it’s going to a bad collapse ready to happen. A look at one of the ugliest wins in NFL history……..
A Win, But…………….
The Falcons once again found a way to win the game, especially at home, but goodness gracious, the idea of winning an NFL game with turning the ball over 6 times is unthinkable. Gone are the days of feeling good about coming back and winning the game. The Falcons put themselves in that position and it was just an ugly display of awfulness for 95% of the game. Matt Ryan threw 5 , yes FIVE, interceptions in one game and somehow won the game. The Falcons better improve in a very quick manner because a their schedule gets infinitely harder in a hurry. However, the ugliest win in the world is always better than the prettiest loss in history.
Despite All the Bad, they Find a Way to Win……Again
It was one of the worst imaginable games, but the Falcons still somehow found a way to win the game. They are continuing to win the games even though not playing nearly close to their best. Although much in the post may sound negative, the underlying point is that this team keeps finding ways to win and that’s surely helping them in confidence. Watch out if this team ever puts together 60 minutes of their A game.
Ryan’s Collapse Day
Was This One Picked? (AJC)
Maybe it’s the case that 2 or 3 of the interceptions that Matt Ryan threw weren’t his fault, but good Lord it was a terrible display by the franchise quarterback. It started by his first play from scrimmage that was picked from a tipped pass. Another pass was tipped, but overall this looked like the QB from 2009 that was tentative, worried, and unsure of himself. The lack of running game, rather the insistence of running Michael Turner regardless of the circumstances, likely is taking it’s toll. Ryan found a way to win the game in the end, but everyone’s new favorites Tampa Bay Bucs are ready to celebrate Ryan’s career interception day next Sunday.
Loss Hangover
You can’t call it a trap game when you lose the week before, but the Falcons suffered from an ugly game seeing a team that saw a weaker opponent and played accordingly. The Falcons came out flat, executed poorly, and generally played awful. It wasn’t a deal of coming off a great game that you won and celebrated as such, but rather a game that was awful and you felt just as terrible. It was a tough game to get up for, but the Falcons nearly blew an opportunity to win one at home.
Questionable Play-Calling
Let’s get past the point of starting and running Michael Turner in spite of what actually works, but the play-calling and route combinations were pretty horrid to say the least. It seemed as though once the Falcons started moving the ball with Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling that a stall flag was raised and Turner was inserted back in the game. Although painfully clear to most Bird Cage members that the new way to dominate on offense is with versatile and responsive running backs, Koetter, Smith and Co. are bound and determined to force Michael Turner regardless of what the circumstances say. Not only that, but there were several times where the WR route combinations were terrible. Several times it was seen receivers and tight ends were running into each other’s zones. There is so much talent to be seen, however it seemingly gets minimized by a somewhat decent defensive coordinator. Better get it fixed or it’s going to be a bad slide to end the season.
To Turner Do Us Part
Turner, Turner, Turner (AJC)
Evidently Mike Smith is attached to Michael Turner and feels that he can’t make success without him. It’s not a smash against Turner himself, but the fact remains that when Jacquizz Rodgers or Jason Snelling are the feature backs (sometimes in at the same time), the offense simply rolls better, that has been the case all the way back to preseason. It appears to many that the offense is at it’s peak when Quizz or Snelling are in the game. Funny enough, when the Falcons offense is rolling and doing great, there is a need to bring Turner back in the game to slow it down and generally make the offense predictable, weak, and not good. If Mike Smith doesn’t adjust accordingly, fans may be looking at 0-4 in the playoffs. This isn’t to say that Turner doesn’t have a place on the offense, but it’s painfully clear that, regardless of what the coaching staff force, he is no longer a feature back and the offense is insanely predictable when he’s in the game.
Anyone Else at Punt Returner
It doesn’t feel good to talk down about any Falcon and Dominique Franks has surely absorbed some criticism, but the simple fact remains that Franks is just not getting it done returning punts. Franks doesn’t fair catch and that leads to terrible starting field position and he looks very timid returning punts. Even when there’s several openings, Franks looks to get tackled as soon as possible and any dynamic ability he showed in the preseason is definitely gone. At what point will the Falcons coaching staff make a change? There’s always Harry Douglas and they brought back Tim Toone and, just like those first down Turner runs, returning punts are becoming wasted plays at best and horrible miscues that lead to awful field position at worst.
Always Ball First
Abe and Kroy Stand Firm (AJC)
This really doesn’t apply to this game since the Cardinals won the toss and elected to defer, but throughout the season, it seems as though the Falcons always get the ball first to open the game. Mike Smith believes in getting the ball first and trying to go down and score to set the tone for the game. That’s all fine and good when you go down and score a touchdown, but more times than not the Falcons are going 3 and out, stalling on drives, and in worst case scenarios, turn the ball over essentially wasting a possession and even helping the opposing team. Most want to get their defense on the field first to see if they can make an early stop, score themselves first, set the tone for the game, and even get the ball back at halftime. Of course you can’t control who wins the toss, but when your defense is outperforming your offense, it may be time to rethink that strategy.
Time to Panic on Run Defense?
The Falcons continue to have major issues stopping the run. Each week the Birds are finding new ways to make rather unheralded running backs look like perennial Pro Bowlers on the ground. To it’s credit, the defense stiffened up when they needed to, but much of that had to do with pitiful quarterback play from the initial starter and then a brand new rookie. It’s a total team failure effort. The defensive tackles are getting blown up, the defensive ends are getting pinched, the linebackers are taking poor angles and getting blocked easily (Akeem Dent looking at you), and the defensive backs are taking poor angles themselves. And many of them are tackling poorly. Fans shudder to think about playing against some of the better running backs in the league and one of the best, rookie Doug Martin, looms in less than a week. Break out those prayer beads.
Offense Has Become Predictable
Great Play by Babs (AJC)
Attribute it to play-calling, the fact that Turner makes the offense predictable, weak offensive line play, or just poor execution, but the strain is becoming apparent on Matt Ryan and the offense. The Cardinals and other defenses are pinning their ears back and going after Ryan and trying to throw him off his game. It worked pretty well on Sunday. Also throw in those wasted 1st down runs and it’s easy to see the offense getting picked up with ease. Evidently there’s a hesitancy to let Ryan run the no-huddle. To be fair, the offense has been pretty good throughout the year, but as the season starts it’s final drive, the Falcons are showing some eerily similarities to seasons past.
McClain a Future Starter?
Some positive news from the game is the continued excellent play by cornerback Robert McClain. The undrafted free agent is potentially moving out of a role player / nickelback and possibly into a future starter for the Falcons at some point. With their two other corners on the downside of 30 and Brent Grimes coming back from a significant injury (and likely not re-signed), McClain’s good play is a great and needed sign for the future.
Spot on Commentary
We all complain about the media and the game announcers, but Daryl Johnston and his crew was pretty spot on. At one point Johnston said that “if the Falcons play like this against a quality opponent, it’s going to be a different outcome.” Also at some point in the game, Tony Siragusa said the “Falcons were doing everything in their power to keep the Cardinals in the game.”
Minimal Impact from new DE’s
This shouldn’t come as a massive surprise, but Ray Edwards release didn’t lead to any new explosions from any of the other defensive ends Lawrence Sidbury, Cliff Matthews, or Jonathan Massaquoi. It was only one game and Kroy Biermann is still taking the majority of snaps as the new starter, but there’s a hope that one of these guys can show some promise.
Just Another Bad Game or Paper Tigers?
Despite Everything, they're 9-1 (AJC)
Are we the ones who are wrong after all? The Falcons are 9-1 and that’s nothing to sneeze at in the NFL, but it’s getting harder and harder to defend some of the things the Falcons do and they way they play. They blew an enormous opportunity to essentially bury the hated Saints and the Bucs are suddenly right on their heels in the division. They obviously can’t control their schedule and have won 90% of the games they’ve played, but many of what seemed big victories at the time (Chargers, Eagles, etc) aren’t looking nearly as good, lost a huge division game, and have looked downright terrible against some of the league’s worst (Raiders, Panthers, Cardinals). Many in the media have felt the Falcons are paper tigers of sorts, gobbling up weaker opponents and looking generally weak overall. Fact is, fans are having a harder and harder time defending the Birds as of late, but they are tied for the best record in the NFL through 10 games and every team beneath them has their own set of problems and issues. Bottom line is we’ll know everything we need to know in the next 11-12 days. It won’t matter how ugly the wins are if they find a way to pull out W’s against the Bucs and Saints.
Game of the Year to Date
What an enormous game looms for the Falcons. The Falcons travel to Tampa Bay to play one of the hottest teams in the NFL and play one of the biggest games of the season. Considering what’s at stake, it has to be the largest. The Bucs are only 3 games behind the Falcons and winning here would put the Birds in a great position for the division, giving them a 4 game lead with 5 games to go. However, if the Falcons lose, the door swings wide open once again putting the Bucs only two games behind the Falcons and some difficult games coming up (Saints, Giants, @ Lions). If the Falcons can go down and win any way possible, fans will get some sense of comfort back. If the Birds go blow one on the road, as they did in New Orleans, it’s a whole new ballgame.
Bird Cage Faithful’s Turn
1) Simple Run Stuff – your thoughts on the Falcons ugly, ugly win?
2) What in goodness name happened to Matt Ryan?
3) What’s your confidence level right now?
4) Did the Falcons suffer from a “loss hangover” or did they just play down to their competition?
5) What’s going on with the play-calling on offense?
6) Will the coaches stick with Turner regardless of the realities on the ground?
7) What is the deal with punt returner?
8.) Does it annoy you that the Falcons always get the ball first?
9) Time to hit the panic button on run defense? Why so bad?
10) Why has the offense become so predictable?
11) Is Robert McClain a potential future starter?
12) Are the Falcons paper tigers after all?
13) How big is the Bucs game on Sunday?
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1,276 comments Add your comment
Paddy O
November 21st, 2012
12:02 pm
BR: I’ve got a number of GP100 – started out with a Ruger Blackhawk, but could not stand the slow reload of single actions. I’ve got 4″ in the car; but on the range usually take a pair of 5.5″ – however, I prefer the SS; now, with the revolvers, I usually use 38 special – cheaper and less noise impact; but the Henry big boy, I use 357 exclusively now – as you know, the 38’s have smaller brass, and unless you can see the seat it is tough to determine if you’ve cleaned it adequately. My first Ruger was a 44 mag Super Redhawk – and that gun most likely would cease violence except in the case of dealing with psychos – it is that intimidating “staring straight down 44″ – is not a joke. I’ve also got a pair of bandoliers that allow me to almost get up to a combat load. I hope I never really need them, though!
Paddy O
November 21st, 2012
12:05 pm
somebody said a lot of folks don’t like Tom Coughlin – which I don’t relate to – unless your the biggest loser Tiki Barber. Coughlin did a nice job with the expansion team, and has the Giants playing great football come post season. and, coughlin will get fired up if his team or the refs are screwing up. compare him to the bombastic Rex Ryan with the Jets.
Paddy O
November 21st, 2012
12:13 pm
Irregardless of mommy blank, I consider this TB game to be essential. If we win and NO loses, we pretty much seal up the division. If the opposite occurs, we have a fire fight the rest of the year. Personally, I suspect the TB wins against lesser opponents does indicate that they are not as good as they appear to be. But, with a new coach and some tremendous momentum, precisely who they are is not at this point ascertained. However, I will say the the KC chiefs suck donkey.
Arno
November 21st, 2012
12:14 pm
Other guys have to get into the mix, and Ryan has to make these guys viable options. — Wabe
M. Johnson
D. Davis
Not sure I understand your point, unless you are saying Ryan needs to build on it.
Slant Pattern
November 21st, 2012
12:19 pm
“somebody said a lot of folks don’t like Tom Coughlin – which I don’t relate to” – Paddy O
They are probaly refering to the fans that have continud to call for his head even after the SuperBowl wins. Both Coughlin and Mini-Manning have taken alot of criticism from their fanbase before winning the big one and oddly enough still get calls for their firing. People say the mini-Manning is elite and all that blah blah but in reality he is not very consistent. The Vagiants lose alot of games maybe they shouldn’t because their style offense seems based as much on luck as anything else because it surely isn’t a conservative/ consistency based as say Smitty’s. This let Manning spray and pray works in big games it seems…call it luck or whatever you will but they got rings. People will complain when your conservative and they will complain when you throw caution to the wind…seems the deal is to know when and if it works for your team.
D3
November 21st, 2012
12:24 pm
Paddy — I like Coughlin and in no way think he’s a prick like baby Harbaugh. I think what BR was referring to was the fact that early on, a lot of players didn’t care for him
Matty Bicep
November 21st, 2012
12:30 pm
Paddy, TB important for it is our next game, and as you point out, can all but seal the division. I don’t mean to downplay it, but D3 put a question up, I answered it rationally and was personally attacked and called a name. WTF.
Regardless, I never expect smooth sailing all season long, but until the rough seas sink the ship, you have a chance to find land.
darrell starks
November 21st, 2012
12:30 pm
Falcons have not done the no huddle pass 3 games why ?
When Falcons are doing the no huddle the running game is better and Matt Ryan passing game is more efficient, let Matt just do his thing and run the fast pace offense and this team will flow better specially in running game, Turner need more scream plays to get him rolling also.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matty Bicep
November 21st, 2012
12:36 pm
I also like Coughlin, as I have pointed out, he was stubborn and never quit his belief that he must run the ball despite not being about to all season. Yet, he ran the ball to a trophy.
Look, I am of the philosophy that there is one say to skin a cat. i also believe that you choose a philosophy and stick with it. Changing schemes and whatnot mid stream rarely leads to success. Sure, you can tweek it, and massage it, and set up transitions, but change based on panic is rarely successful.
darrell starks
November 21st, 2012
12:40 pm
Falcons sleeper waiting in the wing.
Just like they found Robert Mcclain there are 3 players will make and immediately impact this year if given a chance.
Travian Robertson, Cliff Mathews, Lamar Holmes.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paddy O
November 21st, 2012
12:43 pm
The TB game is one of the tougher ones to anticipate. I was happy with our play against Philly & Dallas. Our play against NO was not bad. AZ did the same thing as Carolina. WE MUST have stout G to G blocking – and any of our 3 RB’s can block – although Quizz can get freight trained. To me, you want to win early than coast. Falcons 33, TB 28. However, if we get bad rushing stoppage and no QB pressure, we’ve got problems. Now, Nolan has predominantly fixed our 3rd down conversion problems.
Big Lou
November 21st, 2012
12:45 pm
Don’t take the bait!
I anxiously await the injury report.
Matty Bicep
November 21st, 2012
12:48 pm
I agree, the TB game will be a dog fight. I do agree that our problems in the running game might be more of our stop the pass scheme that we have to adjust. In this case, I think we need to make Josh Freeman prove he can beat us.
Unca' Bob
November 21st, 2012
12:59 pm
Some of worst games have been against teams coming off of a bye week. Carolina, Oakland, and Zona. The Eagle game we both had byes.
Matty Bicep
November 21st, 2012
1:09 pm
No just teams coming off bye weeks, teams coming off bye weeks fighting for their lives and their seasons seemingly on the line, when we were in the drivers seat.
Matty Bicep
November 21st, 2012
1:16 pm
Every bye week game we played was against teams coming off byes, trying to get to that .500 mark, thinking this could be the turn around game. We have been somewhat “lucky”, but really, it goes back to Ryan and our 2 minute offense.
Even as bad as he played Sunday, he got us a much needed 3 with only 30 seconds. That is was seems to separate us from other teams…..Also would be interested in the thought on the Bronkowski thing.
Matty Bicep
November 21st, 2012
1:28 pm
“but when he gets off to a bad start (many times through the TWP’s (Turner Wasted Plays)), he ends up struggling all game.”
Gotta call this out. If starting the game handing the ball to Turner gets Matty in a bad rhythm, he pretty much would have never had a good game, for I think every game has started off with a MT33 play.
Yet the ONE time he does NOT start the game off handing it to MT, he has a career worst day. IDK, seems like Ryan is pretty comfortable handing the ball to turner since he has won 70% of his games.
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
1:54 pm
Don’t take the bait!
Thank you, Big Lou. And this bears repeating….
Unca' Bob
November 21st, 2012
2:02 pm
I made a mistake. Carolina was coming off a Thursday night game. Washington had the bye
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
2:15 pm
Wabe ,
Salient point on Matt Ryan making guys around him better. I thought he did that with Harry Douglas a bit in the last game.
I’m with D3 on this one. The minute I feel that he’s been given the reins to this team is the minute I’ll scrutinize his play even more and judge him more harshly. Until then, the only control I see him having (even these days) is when he audibles or when we’re running the no huddle offense.
Sure, the passing game has evolved significantly between the addition of Koetter and the personal evolution of Ryan himself. But there just isn’t that trust element yet, it seems. And the tighter it gets, the less we see it.
I’m sure some would argue that Ryan throwing the ball 50 times in a game is a sign of the offense being handed over to him. Not necessarily so. That just means that more pass plays are being called than before.
I won’t use this phenomena to excuse Ryan’s flaws or his mistakes. But I also think he can’t be as great as the other guys you mentioned without having the full chance to do so. And I honestly don’t know that Smitty will ever get there. He is a guy that works hard off of percentages and time of possession. And he does seem glued to certain precepts.
But we shall see.
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
2:20 pm
I heard some interesting things on sports talk radio today.
Colin Cowherd (who I’m not huge fan of) had Teddy Bruschi on the line.
Bruschi said that when it comes to division games, that first game is all about putting your best foot forward from the coaching staff down to the last guy on the team.
Then he said “But that SECOND game…that’s all coaching. Because you’ve seen the other team’s gameplan, their tendencies. You know what they want to do, what they will do, what they have done. And now you adjust.”
Keep this in mind….because we have played the Saints already and we should see some adjustments from what we did in that game. The first Bucs game is this Sunday. And we already know what Carolina will do against us.
These games are going to tell us something about our CS….not just the players.
Being healthier won’t hurt at all, of course. I’m looking forward to the return of Spoon and hopefully a healthy and confident Julio Jones.
Zoomie
November 21st, 2012
2:31 pm
I’m not that worried about TB. Of course, it’s the NFL and anything can happen, but I just don’t think they bring enough to the table to go head-to-head with a Falcons team that doesn’t shoot themselves in the foot. And since the Birds spent all day Sunday firing while holstered, I think they probably spent all their faulty ammunition.
I believe Nolan can afford to sell out to stop the run. The Falcons secondary can handle everything Tampa can send downfield, and Freeman is just not one of the elites than can take a team on his back. The Falcons have been effective in the past at rattling him, but he’s also one of those “big boys” who’s shaken a defender or two and even carried some a few yards downfield. TB will come to play, but it won’t be enough. Tampa’s riding high on a winning streak, but the Falcons will be their momentum brake this week.
What we’ll see Sunday is a physical game, where TB tries to bully Atlanta, and the Birds will try to do just enough to keep the score in their favor. Ultimately, the Falcons’ D will clamp down on the Bucs’ run game and Freeman won’t be able to pull off enough of those lucky pass plays of his (primarily due to pressure from the Falcons’ D). The Bucs just won’t be able to corral the Falcons’ receiving corps and I think Falcons’ fandom will finally get to enjoy a game without the cardio-pulmonary issues that have accompanied some of the ones from recent past.
I see some are dreading the contest. I think that may just be the lingering taste of vomit from the Cards game; the Falcons will take this one comfortably.
Matty Bicep
November 21st, 2012
2:47 pm
Not sold on Freeman either. Tampa is playing hard nose football, and have a little momentum, but nothing dynamic.
If we can contain the run, take away the deep stuff, and make Freeman read coverages and throw underneath all day, I think he turns it over, I don’t see them putting up a lot of points.
Offensively I don’t really know what to expect. Hopefully we get Turner going………just kidding just kidding.
John Waynesworld
November 21st, 2012
2:47 pm
You’re right though, UB, teams with that extra week to recuperate (and fume) seem to really come out flying, just like we did after ours. I don’t think too many teams could have stopped us that week against Philly. Additionally, the Cards needed that game last week in the worst way and wow, did their defense play like it. I had also made a comment that good teams sometimes play down to the competition, and last week was sort of a combination of us playing down and Arizona playing fiercely desperate. Of course a win is a win, no matter what idiotic ex-players on TV say, for instance that we played horribly but Houston’s win was some kind of brave gut check against a “hungry” team. Yeah, a 1-8 team in the Jags, as opposed to one of the top defenses in the NFL that we had to face. I know it is just a bunch of noise that we have to ignore until January, but it is quite annoying all the same.
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
2:52 pm
No doubt we have the goods. No doubt whatsoever.
I just know that the Bucs are better and more disciplined than they were a year ago. Vincent Jackson is the top threat in the passing game, but as you said…he’s not a guy that just can’t be handled, you just can’t let him do whatever he wants.
That said, we BETTER clamp down on the running game, because that is part of what is making Josh Freeman so good.
Unlike some places I can think of, the Bucs quickly realized that Doug Martin should be the guy in the backfield over the ol’ incumbent LaGarett Blount….and Martin has paid dividends. We can’t let him gash us to death, because if we do…that’s when Freeman comes into play. He doesn’t throw a lot of passes…but when he does, he is pretty effective. So much of that has to do with how effective the Bucs run the ball.
And we all know that is a weakness for us.
I’m not saying we should be scared. I’m saying we CANNOT play against these guys the way we have the last two games. I have no reason to believe that we will play nearly like we did against Arizona. But we also won’t have a great chance of winning if we play like we did against Oakland, Carolina, and New Orleans.
Why?
Make no mistake. Tampa is a top 10 offense. If you’re talking simply about points, they’re tied for 4th in the League in points per game. That’s one spot ahead of us, and I think we can all make this point – our offense is more dangerous from a skill player stand – we have better WRs, better TE, better QB….Yet they are outperforming us. And that’s with a rookie HC…Hmmmmmm…
We can’t decide to start tackling somewhere in the late 2nd quarter or the 2nd half.
Can’t stall scoring drives or end them with field goals 75 percent or more of the time.
Can’t turn the ball over.
Can’t let the run beat us to death.
Thing is, we give up the yards on the ground but don’t often let teams get the score. Gotta keep that up. There is no doubt of whether or not we can do it, it’s all a matter of if we will. Need to take this division and keep it, no questions asked, no arguments.
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
2:56 pm
Zoomie ,
Don’t take that as me arguing with you. I’m just hoping Smitty and his staff have these guys focused and ready to play. Smitty has had such a good record of performance after a loss, but it was almost like everybody was determined to undermine that abstract statistic against Arizona. I saw a LOT of lack of focus, particularly on one side of the ball.
Time to get dialed back in. Smitty is usually pretty darn good about that (I still have some issues with him, though).
Ryan taking a step forward and putting this on his back will also help. He needs to grab the reins…snatch ‘em if he has to. Whatever it takes to show the guys that he is ready for war and plans to lead the charge.
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
2:57 pm
JWW ,
Yeah, the double standard….LOL.
Good points, good to hear from you, it’s been a minute.
Zoomie
November 21st, 2012
3:19 pm
Of course, who am I to prognosticate? I predicted that Nolan would have a surprise for the New Orleans game and, boy, did he! He channeled his inner-BVG and produced a game that convinced me I could’ve been watching a re-run of just about any of the Falcon-Taint match-ups from the last five years.
Yep; I was surprised as hell!
I believe TB is a disciplined, well-coached, and dangerous team. I just believe Spoon will be back, JJ will be feeling better, MR2 will shake out the cobwebs, and the Birds will play a solid game on Sunday and come away with the win.
Then, with the taste of pirate blood fresh on their breath, they’ll be ready to host the hated Taints and their cute little fleur-de-lis, which appropriately represents their lily-livered, swamp-soaked origin, which barely rises above the primordial ooze from which they slither.
(And hopefully, they’ll win this time . . .)
Zoomie
November 21st, 2012
3:28 pm
Oh no, Big Ray, I didn’t take it as arguing. It’s right to point out the opponents’ strengths and record. No team . . . NO TEAM . . . can be overlooked in the NFL.
I mean, look at the trouble that the unflappable Texans, the Righteous Terrors of the AFC, had with the Florida-Coastal Polecats on Sunday.
Talk about a wake-up call . . .
John Waynesworld
November 21st, 2012
3:38 pm
Thanks, Big Ray, and you’re right about Vincent Jackson. He is the one we need to bracket at all times, regardless of their running game success. Despite his occasional brain lapses, Jackson is the guy who can make points happen in a hurry if a DC doesn’t put two men on him at all times.
Make no mistake, this will not be a low scoring affair and both sides will have big stats. In fact, their rookie RB will most likely get 100+ yards and possibly a TD or two and Freeman may even have a 300-yard day. That said, if we keep Jackson out of the end zone, I think we win this game.
30-28 Falcons in a nail biter (and another week of no respect for the victory, lol)
JB Falcon
November 21st, 2012
3:44 pm
JWW, I can live with a 30-28 win. I’d even take 28.1 – 28! I’m just hoping Spoon, JJ, and Asante are able to play. We need to win these division games and they’re not getting any easier.
falcon21
November 21st, 2012
3:50 pm
If our o-line plays better and our D can get a little pressure on Freeman along with Matt Ryan being himself and not Jell George we should win.
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
4:40 pm
JWW ,
I don’t care about the respect part. Talking heads give Eli Manning the “Elite” tag for bringing the Giants back in the last minute after the Bucs damn near took them out. We win 30-28, it’s legit.
Besides, if we score 30 points without the defense scoring any, then you know quite a few things went right. Even if we get points from the defense you know some things went right (on the defensive side of the ball at least). I’d be happy with takeaways against an offense that is putting up over 28 ppg….
Slant Pattern
November 21st, 2012
4:42 pm
“No doubt we have the goods. No doubt whatsoever.
- continued ” – BR
Good stuff BR. You are gonna make me have to work harder to look good at this rate. Tampa is us back in 2010 altho not quite that good or pretty. We need to come to grips with being more like the teams that stomped that template into the ground and leave the old behind. Tampa has no answer to what we can do unless we let them. Let them grind the clock for us on the offensive possessions. We just have to get a lead and keep growing it forcing them into a one dimensional play catch up scenario that effectively eliminates the Mussel Hampster from the field and lets him crawl up where he belongs. Freeman is meh and wilts when put into that position. If Smittyball is in effect then all bets are off and I give us little to no chance.
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
4:51 pm
Zoomie ,
Great humor….LOL.
Yeah, funny how the Texans get all the credit in the world for that, huh? Oh wait, they won a playoff game last year, didn’t they? Instant SB contender credit!
Big Ray
November 21st, 2012
4:55 pm
SP ,
Thanks and definitely agreed on that last part. Our best games have come with getting an early lead, then expanding it. Grinding shouldn’t go on until we have a decent lead. We started grinding and stalling early against NO, and found out that a 10 point lead is not sufficient to do so against that kind of opponent. Would have worked in Arizona, but that’s because they have a crappy ass offense.
Birdman
November 21st, 2012
5:03 pm
Hello Cage
The Falcons are going against the worst pass D in the NFL this Sunday . Going to be a scary close game I think tho . I think our Birds will bounce back after a horrible win to the Card;s and take care of the Buc;s this week . I hope the Spoon and Jones are in the game but if there not ready please save them for next Thursday night .
Jones and his injuries kinda scare me some tho . That is as far as a players goes
Falcons 34 to 21
Happy Thanksgiving Cage .
I hope you all have a great Blessed Thanksgiving tomorrow. Keep in mind the Blessings we all have received this year. And please keep in Prayer all the brothers and sisters that are less fortunate than us.
GO FALCONS !!!!!!!
E43
November 21st, 2012
5:03 pm
Big Ray- I actually though that the Falcons were leaning less on the receiving core when it matters. I thought that Matt Ryan wasn’t forcing the ball to Roddy White on third down as much. I thought the first downs picked up by Turner, Snelling and Rodgers through the air actually give guys like Douglas more oppportuities. A huge contribution to Ryan’s efficiency in my opinion is some of the screen passes. On the flipside, I dont like Matt Ryan checking into any type of flare pass. That is where I dont like Gonzalez and Roddy especially being utilized. Roddy will catch 112 catches this year. My issue is that some of those are completely unncecessary with guys like Rodgers on the field.
Didn’t Julio Jones get re-injured on one of those flare passes?
Birdman
November 21st, 2012
5:34 pm
Just heard Weatherspoon will play this Sunday. I just hope he is OK to play
JB Falcon
November 21st, 2012
6:16 pm
BM, also:
Defensive tackle Peria Jerry (thigh), wide receiver Julio Jones (right ankle), safety Charles Mitchell (calf) and cornerback Asante Samuel (right shoulder) did not practice.
Defensive end John Abraham (back), defensive tackle/end Jonathan Babineaux (neck), kicker Matt Bryant (kick), wide receiver Kevin Cone (groin), cornerback Christopher Owens (thigh), running back Michael Turner (groin) and defensive tackle Vance Walker (ribs) were all limited.
Got the above from DOL’s blog. I hope none of these guys have any kind of setback. We need to show some strength in the games within our devision.
JB Falcon
November 21st, 2012
6:24 pm
As much as I want all of our players healthy “now” I double clutch my brain and think the most improtant thing is to have them all fully healthy when the playoffs start. We can lose a couple or maybe even three and still get in but I don’t want to limp in with our most important players less than 100%.
Wabe
November 21st, 2012
6:30 pm
Arno,
My thoughts weren’t meant to be a knock on Matt Ryan. The point would really be an indictment on the offense as a whole.
I understand we have RW84, J.Jones, and Tony Gonzalez, so the touches are gonna be limited. I get that. I just think that should make it that much easier for guys like Harry Douglas, or Drew Davis, or anybody else for that matter, to get open and see the ball go their way. For whatever reason, the Falcons offense isn’t explosive.
You can mention Ryan finding Drew Davis, and you’re correct, he found Davis a couple times in that Eagles game, but that’s about it. The Mike Johnson TD was just one play. What I mean by getting others involved in a larger role would be like what the Saints can do with a guy like Lance Moore. Is Lance Moore that much more talented than a guy like HD? But, Moore does find himself playing a pivotal role in the Saints offense. He does get his catches, but he’d be considered what? The 3rd or 4th option on that team behind Graham, Colston, and even Sproles on some days.
Take the Pats as an example. They have plenty of options. They use a guy like Woodhead or Edelman. Edelman went over 100 all purpose yards for them this past Sunday.
The Packers have Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb, Jermichael Finley, but a guy like James Jones can still have himself great seasons out there.
My point is, these guys use every bit of the talent they have on the roster. They find these guys. They all contribute. They don’t just look for 2 or 3 guys to carry the load. They trust their scheme, and whoevers the open guy, they’ll get the ball in their hands.
Maybe I’m just micro-analyzing here. I just think there should be no way our offense should be slowed in any way, shape, or form. Even if they’re covering all three of our top options, that should leave guys like HD – Quizz – Drew Davis open to make plays. Either the route combos aren’t where they need to be or Ryan’s locking into only a couple people. I understand he’s gonna look through his progressions. And most plays, RW, JJ, and TG will be his first 3 progressions. But, we need to find ways to use those guys to set up big plays for some of the guys the defenses ain’t expecting to get hit with a big play from [HD/Drew Davis/Quizz].
LeeVancleave
November 21st, 2012
6:45 pm
I dont think that Ryan is the QB LONG-TERM for this team. However, for the short-term, I am of the opinion that Ryan is good enough to lead the Falcons to a superbowl win. In short, that might be good enough. Ryan will never be mistaken for Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, John Ellway, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Terry Bradshaw, but if Trent Dilfer, Eli Manning or even Ben Rothlisberger can win a superbowl, then I think Ryan can too. It also takes a little luck to get the job done as well. I have seen two Ryans out there playing football. The first Ryan–was the guy who won this past sunday–who is completely clueless about how to play the QB position who threw 5 turnovers and turned the ball over another time. The other Ryan is the QB we have all come to know and love, whose nickname is “Matty Ice” because when Ryan is on and Ice shows up–there is nothing he cant do on a football field. Ryan has increasingly become a Jeckyll and Hyde quarterback–sort of like Mark Sanchez of the Jets, but Ryans skill sets are outstanding and is consistently better than Sanchez. So my view of the Falcons is just watch them with cautious optimism and dont expect them to do anything. If they surprise you and win a superbowl then thats just icing on the cake. Oh incidentally, if ryans team (our Falcons) get to the superbowl game–I think Ryan is good enough to win the game and win it convincingly. Go Falcons–see you in New Orleans in January.
Arno
November 21st, 2012
6:46 pm
Wabe– thanks for the explanation. And I agree: I would love to see more targets for Ryan on a routine basis… except for this: Does he have the time in the pocket that Brees has? We saw what pressure did to Matt at the end of the Saints game. Thus the TD to M. Johnson was designed all the way.
LucasMcCain
November 21st, 2012
6:49 pm
Lee Vancleave: that was the best blog of the day so far. You said it all, you are excited about our Falcons and you didnt leave much doubt that this might be our year. I hope the Falcons win the superbowl AND the Georgia Bulldogs win the BCS National Championship both in the same season. That would be a feat for the ages and its starting to look like its about to happen. Stay tuned!
JJ
November 21st, 2012
6:52 pm
JB, playoffs…playoffs..PLAYOFFS???
I want everyone healthy for next thurs against the most corrupt, evil empire in the nfl. Would love to win against the bucs, panthers and giants…but in reality I only care about one game. If we lose that game, everything else is tarnished…even if we made it back to the piss city in feb…tarnished.
For me, it all boils down to 11-29-12!!!!!!!!!!!
So sit anyone whos not a 110% this week, our game of the yr is in 8 days!!!
JMHO
JJ
November 21st, 2012
6:59 pm
leevancleave, your an idiot if you dont think Ryan is the best qb this franchise has ever had, and only Bartkowski is a distant 2nd. Look at his numbers and compare them to any other qb in there first 5 yrs…like I said, idiot or just not that knowledgeble about qbs in the nfl.
JB Falcon
November 21st, 2012
7:02 pm
Wabe, you idea is interesting and I too believe we could be more explosive with the weapons we have, but, the three teams you mentioned all have one thing that we don’t. Teams that are playing them all have to play them is if they just might try a running play for major yardage. Teams playing the us don’t really have to worry about that so much. Does that idea float or am I also micro-analyzing?
JB Falcon
November 21st, 2012
7:05 pm
JJ, someone once said I owned a tackle shop and threw out a bunch of lures. I don’t but I think you just bit one.
JJ
November 21st, 2012
7:12 pm
Ok, tu chei!