Atlanta Falcons: Birds Embarrassed by Panthers
One of Worst Losses in Smith Era
No Falcon in Sight (Chuck Burton)
>>>>>NOTE<<<<<<<
Some Cage members are having a hard time finding The Bird Cage through normal channels, so make sure to bookmark the following in your favorites:
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-fans
It’s hard to know where to start on this one. To be blunt, this was one of the worst losses in the entire time that Mike Smith has been head coach. This team has serious problems and they just proved to all the doubters and skeptics that they may be right after all. The Falcons may not always win while under Smith’s reign, but they usually always play hard and fight until the end. Well, that appeared not to happen on Sunday in Charlotte. The Falcons were not only beaten, but flat out embarrassed. Fans likely started getting that same sick feeling in the back of their throats the way they did the last two years in the playoffs, because that’s how bad they looked. A look at the horror show that was:
Offense Just Pitiful
One Bright Spot (Chuck Burton)
15 yards in the first quarter. 40 total yards in the first half. Michael Turner 2 carries for 3 yards. Do those stats strike you as a team ready to make waves in the postseason? Sure, they turned it on when they decided to start playing, but by that point it was entirely too late. When they were well behind, they decided to start playing a little offense and looked pretty good in the no-huddle which bogged back down when they needed points. The running game was non-existent, the line was horrible, and Matt Ryan was off yet again. Most of us tried to chalk up the poor offensive game vs. the Saints as just a blip, but they actually looked worse against the Panthers.
Rodgers Should Get Bulk of Carries
That’s putting it nicely. The fact has long been that Jacquizz Rodgers has shown way more upside and the ability to carry the bulk of carries in the backfield. All Falcons fans appreciate what Michael Turner has done for this franchise and he’ll likely have a banner hung in his name when it’s all said and done, but he’s just not getting it done. It’s hard to part with players who have meant so much to the franchise, but the time has come. Mike Smith obviously hasn’t got that memo. The entire offense played terrible so it’s unfair to scapegoat just one player, but Jacquizz Rodgers is just better and the facts don’t lie. Rodgers had 21 yards on 4 carries and Michael Turner carried the ball 7 times for 14 yards.
Just a Blip or Playoff Preview?
Yuck (Chuck Burton)
This game had trap written all over it. The Falcons clinched the NFC South and were playing a 3-9 team with the Giants coming up next week. Fans are trying their best to chalk it up as just a blip, but there’s a growing fear that we’re starting to see an eerily similar storyline. In 2010, the Falcons won a lot of close games en route to a 13-3 season and the NFC #1 seed. The rest, of course, is history seeing the Birds have a complete meltdown catastrophe vs. the Packers. Being completely objective, the Falcons are still 11-2, have already won their division, and are still leading the NFC, but the nightmare scenarios are getting worse and not better with the Falcons seemingly playing their best football at the beginning of the season and playing their worst football closer to the playoffs. There’s still 3 games left and all 3 teams will be good tests for the playoffs. This one can be chalked up to a trap game, but we’ll know everything we need to about this team the next three weeks, starting with the Giants at home in a one week.
Ryan is Trending Downward
Yes, he threw for 325 yards and one touchdown, but he also does not look the same quarterback that he did in the first half of the season. He missed throws, looked jittery in the pocket, and just didn’t seem to be in a good rhythm. Maybe it’s playing behind a weak offensive line, maybe he’s suffering from a weak running game, or maybe his coordinator is not helping him at all. Who knows why, but the results say that Ryan is going in the opposite direction. He looks the most comfortable in an open, no-huddle type offense, but for whatever reason, the coaching staff seems to avoid it except when they are 23 points down. Here’s to hoping Ryan gets it figured out and quickly.
Defensive Line Must Improve
It’s been common knowledge that John Abraham has been the Falcons only pass rush for a long time. Problem is, when he’s not completely on his game, the Falcons have nothing else. Biermann has great hustle, but is more of a linebacker playing as a defensive end. No one has taken advantage of Ray Edwards absence whatsoever. In particular, the defensive tackle position appears particularly weak. Peria Jerry has never turned that mythical corner, Corey Peters is likely not 100%, Vance Walker is a good rotational player, and Jonathan Babineaux is playing more defensive end and on the downside of his career. The Falcons were gashed by the run yet again and it allowed Cam Newton be precise in his passing. All considering, the defense did pretty decent since the offense didn’t help whatsoever until entirely too late.
Where’s the No-Huddle?
This is Done (Chuck Burton)
Matt Ryan always does best in an open, no-huddle type of offense. If you think about some of Ryan’s best games, they have come from those type of gameplans going all the way back to the Ravens game in 2010. This offense is more in sync, has more rhythm, and it masks some of the weaknesses on the offensive line. The Falcons were at their best early in the season with many of the no-huddle type of looks and yet they are going away from it with diminishing results. Even the run game seems more productive in the no-huddle. Do they have to stay in all the time? No, but why not go with what works best. They only implemented it when they were down 23 points and, sure enough, they went right down the field. The great mystery remains.
Bad Calls
This may come off as sour grapes and ultimately it likely didn’t matter with how poor the Falcons played, but there were several questionable calls at a very critical juncture in the game. The first was one of the worst calls of the entire season. The Falcons scored a touchdown and converted a two point conversion. Even the line judge ruled the 2 point conversion good and was evidently overruled. The ref said that Roddy White bobbled the ball, but the replay clearly showed he never bobbled the ball whatsoever. It was only two points, but it seemed to cut down some of the Falcons building momentum. Another play showed a critical catch by a Panthers receiver who appeared to drop the ball, the play was ruled incomplete, but the refs overturned that call. Finally, Dunta Robinson was called for holding a play where the defense seemed to get a stop. He was holding and it was the right call, but there were tons of times when Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez, and John Abraham were being held to no avail.
Tackling Still an Issue
Weak Tackling (Chuck Burton)
This is an issue that was supposed to get fixed earlier in the season, but the Falcons are still having issues bringing down their opponents. Corey Peters couldn’t bring down Cam Newton for a sack (but also got no help at all either) and there were several other instances where the Panthers running back or quarterback got extra yards after the first hit. At best, they’re simply inconsistent. Some weeks they’ll tackle well and others, they won’t. If they don’t get it fixed in a hurry, they won’t be going far in the playoffs.
Bird Cage Painkillers Turn
1) Simple missed tackle – how awful was this game?
2) Does this rank as one of the worst under Smith?
3) Is it panic time with the offense?
4) What’s most to blame on offense (besides the OL)?
5) When will the Turner Era end? Should it end?
6) Was this just a blip or playoff preview?
7) What is wrong with Matt Ryan?
8.) Which is worse: offensive or defensive line?
9) Why do the coaches refuse to run no-huddle, open attack?
10) Bad calls or sour grapes?
11) Will tackling ever get consistent?
12) Are you terrified of upcoming Giants game?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,438 comments Add your comment
Greg Mendel
December 9th, 2012
11:05 pm
Yo, Rip. Give English a chance!
(G’night.)
Geo
December 9th, 2012
11:05 pm
. Or how about the toss sweep to Jacquizz that worked so well and many other plays that had success to never be seen again. —
Chop Buster
I don’t get it either, but I’m tired of seeing it. Same with your point about not playing guys because of status. Same with running the same damn running plays, all two of ‘em. I’m watching Green Bay run it. I’m watching Detroit do the same. They are creative, their offense doesn’t always run or pass on “run” (which a run play is first down for us always, lately), or “pass” downs. It is nothing like the Falcons.
Wabe
December 9th, 2012
11:52 pm
One last point before I call it night…
Really a response to D3’s last question about the upcoming Giants game…
I’m excited about this game. This is by far the best opponent we will have played. They’ve already smacked 2 NFC contenders, and if the Falcons can beat them next week, I can bet folks will be feeling much different about this team.
It’s a week to week league. Unfortunately, I personally think I’ve seen enough of these guys to know what they are and what they aren’t. But, with all that said, it’ll still be interesting to see how we matchup. I think our Birds matchup well with a team like the Packers. The Giants, in my mind, no. But, coming off a loss, if they wisen up, we’ll see a lot more no huddle, and they’ll find ways to get the chains moving.
Our first real test comes 3 weeks prior to the playoffs. We’ll finally get a chance to see what this 11-2 team looks like against one of the league’s heavyweights.
cold ice truth
December 10th, 2012
12:22 am
we suck, this is 1 and 0 all over again, lets bring back vick next year and get to the NFC championship again, what was that??? today i wanted to puke, we looked worse than the oak raiders, we aint gonna win anything playing with this mentality, smith no tiene huevos!
marko
December 10th, 2012
5:49 am
That sucked. Last year my greatest concern was the uninspiring play of the offensive line. This weekend they reverted to last years form. This was an embarrassing loss, and there’s plenty of blame to go around, but still it’s hard to overlook the dismal play of the line. We won’t have to wait long to see how concerned we should be. The Giants have a better defensive front than the Panthers. Last year they dominated our offensive line. Not to mention ending our season on a sour note. Was Sundays debacle a blip on the radar screen, or a dismal sign of things to come. We won’t have to wait long to find out.
Jonathanatlanta
December 10th, 2012
6:06 am
I’m hopeful they will get things fixed before the playoffs. Lots of talent on this team. But in next years draft we need help on the O and D lines. With a healthy secondary we will be solid there. Turner is struggling but a bit hard to fault him when every time he’s handed the ball there’s a defender in his face.
jimmmb
December 10th, 2012
6:53 am
Mike Smith stresses discipline. So he should, and the Falcons generally play with discipline. Discipline overdone, however, can lead to a loss of passion. One only has to observe the first half of the game today to see the results.
John Waynesworld
December 10th, 2012
7:06 am
Trap game…Didn’t pack our defense…comfortable lead…
I am going to chalk up this loss to all the buzz words that go with “We Left Our Heart At Home”. That should sum it up, rather than we all go into a collective mental tailspin over losing a rather unimportant and OBVIOUSLY uninspiring game.
11-2, STILL the #1 seed with a 2-game cushion, and onto a much more inspiring game against the New York Giants. Payback does inspire, just ask the Panthers, and our guys will be ready for the G-Men this Sunday.
Note to ffl self…If Gostkowski pulls a hammy before tonight’s game I’m gonna cry.
Wings
December 10th, 2012
7:43 am
waynester – “The photo of the two Head Coaches kind of tells the story of the game…Rivera and the Panthers pi$$ed off and fired up and Smitty and the Falcons standing around bewildered, unsure of what just happened….”
That photo struck me in a weird way too. I think of Dumb and Dumber and it’s hard to say who is which.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
7:45 am
Phil, congrats on your superbowl win yesterday. Oh wait a minute, we aren’t even to the playoffs yet–which the Panthers won’t even sniff this year. Enjoy watching other teams from your couch this year!
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
7:54 am
I continue to remain unconcerned about the defense, with the exception of a weak interior DL.
On offense, I’m glad to see TG fed up with our BS.
However, I do want to hear similar fire from Ryan. I do understand he stays pretty cool about stuff, but I have seen him get all over his OL before, so a a bit more of that will help.
I’m going to maintain my stance on Ryan. I still think he has flaws that are very fixable, I still think he does more with less protection and worse gameplanning than most could do. I still think he’s presented with only a few options on several of our plays, none of them good.
I see a lot of inconsistency in the offense that has much more to do with scheme than “hey QB, just make the play.”
Why? Because if he gets sacked, it’s “he held the ball too long”. There’s always somebody seeing this “wide open” receiver, but you know what? Guys are rarely as open as we think they are, especially when we’re looking at a replay where it’s quite possible that the “open” guy is the 3rd read…by that time the defense is up Ryan’s ass.
I watched Manning scan the field repeatedly yesterday evening. Oh, he got chased some, but not all that much. Ryan doesn’t scan the field…yeah he does. When he has time, he makes some nice throws. When he doesn’t have time, he has a choice – hold the ball and get sacked, throw the ball away, or force a throw and get picked off.
I’m not saying this is the case every time, but when you expect your QB to “make a play”, this is what can happen. I beg for an explanation of why Ryan looked so confident and so sharp in the no huddle as opposed to whatever BS we were running prior to that. Why did he, with the exception of the forced throw while going for it on 4th down with 6 min left, look like he was in control…unlike how he looked for the majority of the game?
Why was the Panthers’ coverage so tight, as if (really, as if) they knew every play and how we’d run it…even when Ryan would check down? And we just gave up on the running game. It was as though somebody determined that if we couldn’t run Turner, then we simply did not need to run.
I didn’t see our WRs get a lot of separation yesterday, and I do not blame them (nor do I blame Ryan for not trying to force more throws than he did).
The routes suck monkey butt when scripted. It’s really that simple.
Why in the hell did we spot them a 23 point lead before going to what has proven to work all season long when we’re in trouble?
Here is what we did when we went to the no huddle: We forced Ryan and the rest fo the offense to play mistake-free football…two things happened.
1) We got a BS call on a 2 point conversion, which if called properly changes the complexion of the game.
2) On the next drive, Ryan makes a mistake while trying to make a play under duress.
You can talk all you want about how the QB is supposed to make the play. Last I looked, throwing the ball away is NOT making the play. Throwing the ball away would have done one thing – put a tired defense back on the field with the pressure of forcing a quick 3 and out while the other team tries to grind the clock, or somehow forcing a turnover (which is difficult when the opposing offense is taking no chances because they have a lead they can sit on).
Ryan is responsible for a lot, but he’s also being asked to overcome a lot.
What I saw was Ryan costing us a last gasp chance at pulling this one out. It was bound to happen after SEVERAL comeback attempts in which he did all that was necessary and more to make the winning drive happen. This time he didn’t. Mr. Murphy will get your ass sooner or later if you keep playing with him.
As for what cost us the game? That was our a mix of ineptitude that I thought this team was not capable of showing us. 35 yards in the first half? Since when? No wonder TG was mad. Ryan should have been mad, too.
I don’t want to hear one damn thing from anybody who isn’t mad, because mad is all anybody should be. That was insanely bad. Bad execution for sure, but even worse coaching.
Now instead of 4 games to fix the problems, we have three to fix them.
I just saw a Giants squad last night that will beat the dog snot out of us if we come to the game the way we did yesterday. And they will look good doing it, too.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
8:03 am
I’m excited about this game. This is by far the best opponent we will have played. They’ve already smacked 2 NFC contenders, and if the Falcons can beat them next week, I can bet folks will be feeling much different about this team.
I would be excited if I knew what to expect. I really don’t. What I do know is you don’t want to spot these guys a lead of any kind, let alone a three TD lead.
What I also know is that if we have Ryan playing from under center and Turner trudging towards the middle of the line, the Giants will eat Ryan for lunch and snack on Turner for desert.
Play out of the dang shotgun, for crying out loud. Go with dump offs (to Quizz/Snelling, not Turner) and screens/bubble screens, stop with the obvious 5 yard-towards-the sideline crap.
Best thing I’ve heard yet about next week is statistical history: Mike Smith rarely loses back-to-back games.
Yeah, well I don’t give an F about statistical history.
And you can tell me we’re 11-2 all you want. Nobody can take our 11 wins away, but nobody has to give us anymore wins, either. We could very well finish 11-5, and even though it’s only been two losses, this feels like a Smittyball season.
Start fast, then sit on the lead. Yeah, I did wake up angry. I don’t care.
RMikel58
December 10th, 2012
8:11 am
Pretty evident that letting the players off for a few days hurt the falcons. Was almost like the falcons that lost to Denver in the Super Bowl where it appeared the players had hangovers from partying too much.
Let them off again Mike and see what happens!
Wings
December 10th, 2012
8:14 am
Big Ray” – “I see a lot of inconsistency in the offense that has much more to do with scheme than “hey QB, just make the play.” And you can tell me we’re 11-2 all you want. Nobody can take our 11 wins away, but nobody has to give us anymore wins, either. We could very well finish 11-5, and even though it’s only been two losses, this feels like a Smittyball season. ”
I woke up the same way, BR. It is Smittyball. I said before the season started “leopards don’t change their spots”. The fans are being “robbed” by scheme.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
8:16 am
The RB and running game conundrum continues.
Watched the Packers run the ball from several different formations last night. They aren’t even a team that’s very good at running the ball. Yet they ran out of the shotgun, ran with a one back set, ran from 2 back sets, ran from any set they came to the field with. And they don’t even have a very good OL (ask Aaron Rodgers). But they sure did mix it up.
Still confounded about some things. The biggest is this – how the devil do you give Rodgers the ball and watch him get positive yardage…then pull him to the sideline like he did something wrong? How? Why?
He doesn’t miss his pass protection assignments. He is always looking to make somebody miss. He breaks tackles sometimes. Gives a second and sometimes third effort. Follows blockers. Finds holes. Doesn’t put the ball on the ground.
Yet there is an insistence that we give the ball to Turner more in the run game. We plug Quizz in for passes, but again…as soon as he makes a catch and a play, he gets taken right back out. Gee whiz, you think the defense (and defensive coordinators) don’t see that?
Here’s what opposing DCs think:
“Whew, Rodgers is out of the game. Well, we don’t have to worry about that the next play. They’ll either run it up the middle with Turner or try to go to Roddy on the sideline or Tony across the middle. Yeah, we can cover that.”
You leave Rodgers in the game and things will happen.
1) Rodgers will burn folks because they’re looking to cover JJ, Roddy, and TG…not Quizz.
2) Rodgers nearly always wins the battle when he is out in space. Very hard to track, very hard to tackle. He thrives in space.
3) Opposing defenses might actually start trying to account for Rodgers. That means somebody else is open or at least playing one-on-one with no help defender coming.
Take Rodgers off the field and suddenly our playbook looks very small and guess what? Defenses know what we’re going to do. They need only watch the QB’s eyes, because even the QB knows there are only certain options available during a scripted play with limited personnel on the field.
Now you’re asking your TE and WRs to get CLEAR separation…because if they don’t…and that includes against double/help coverage….Ryan will hold the ball and get sacked, or he’ll force a throw and possibly get picked off, or he’ll throw it away.
This is one of the effects that running so many plays with Turner does. We aren’t confusing anybody (opposing defenses)…except ourselves. We wonder why we’re “out of sync”, “can’t get anything done”, “3 and out”….because we limit ourselves to a handful of the plays out of the playbook Smitty stole (and kept) from Mularkey before he went to Jax-ville.
Speaking of which, how many screen passes did we throw yesterday? When did we throw them? Exactly…..
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
8:20 am
RMikeI58 ,
I’m not convinced that this is a matter of having too much time off. These are grown men, professionals. If giving them too much time off is a problem (ok, might be a problem for less committed guys like Ray Edwards and to an extent…Mike Turner), then this glowing, choir boy perfect locker room is not nearly what Dimitroff and Smitty are so proud of claiming it is.
I think this has nothing to do with professionalism and everything to do with piss poor planning due to thinking there ain’t nothing wrong with your gameplan if you’ve only lost one game with it.
?
December 10th, 2012
8:23 am
sorry mr. blank, you want see no super bowl ring this year. this is the sorriest falcon team thar i have ever seen. bobble head boy is not as good as he thinks he is. scam newton showed hima few things about being a quarter back. his entire team along with the coaches suck period.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
8:30 am
The main thing that concerns me with this lost is we were not competitive an entire half. It took you going in the locker room at half time to decide to come out in the no-huddle? You start moving the ball on the Panthers throwing and then go back to Turner? This team has proven that it still has an issue playing consistently at a high level. Why not attack all opponents with the vigor you go after the Taints with? This team and coaching staff were sleeping at the wheel yesterday. We’ve seen this display of play too many times in the past–and it reared its ugly head again yesterday. Let’s see what they learned from all of this.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
8:33 am
Wings ,
What kills me is this –
1) Yeah, the record would seem to indicate on the outside that we are doing plenty right. I think a lot of folks (and I’m not talking just fans, I’m talking Team Staff) misunderstand. The game plan has not gotten us a lot of these wins.
I’ll tell you what has gotten us several of these wins. Nolan and his defensive players + no huddle/2 minute offense late in games. Smittyball has won some games – there is no doubt of that. We got a lead and held on in a handful of games (that would be Smittyball). But there were some games our defense kept us within striking distance and going outside the script resulted in game-winning drives.
Don’t think so? Our defense gives up all kinds of yards. I think we know exactly why – we have no pure shut-down unit. Our LBs haven’t been healthy all season and we play with only two of them a lot of the time. Our DL is weak on the interior and small on the exterior. Our secondary can’t stay healthy. Yet these guys are 6th in the League in lowest points allowed per game.
Mike Smith talks about fixing stuff every week. Yesterday’s game looks to me like we BROKE some extra things and didn’t fix a damn thing.
Definition of insanity – trying the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. I’m just going to call it “The Script” from now on.
Wings
December 10th, 2012
8:35 am
I heard and have read this statement by HC Smith several times since yesterday:
“They played well and we didn’t play up to our standard,” Smith said.
The statement has bothered me since I saw it the first time. I believe the team did play up to the standard. The standard has been established by HC Smith.
What is the STANDARD?
It is pretty much defined by the continued use of Michael Turner as the featured back. We all know Rogers should be the number one back. In fact, I suggest that Rogers has been the best offensive performer over a period of several games (5-6 games at least). And his success is ignored when Michael Turner is given the ball to score a one yard touchdown or Rogers is taken out of the game after a good play. It is defined when Turner is given the ball to make one yard at the beginning of games and on first down.
It’s defined by the reluctance of Head Coach Smith to make changes and to beat the crap out of another team. Instead, we get the CRAP beat out of us.
There is an old axiom that says “an organization or system operates only as good as its weakest component”.
The offensive line is performing to the standard established by running back Turner but caused by HC Smith’s stubborn and conservative ways. The offense seems to strive when Matt Ryan is running the “no huddle” because he is overriding the “system” and taking over the operation of the offensive team (away from HC Smith).
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
8:39 am
sorry mr. blank, you want see no super bowl ring this year. this is the sorriest falcon team thar i have ever seen. bobble head boy is not as good as he thinks he is. scam newton showed hima few things about being a quarter back. his entire team along with the coaches suck period.
Scam has 16 thrown TDs. Ryan has 24. Scam has 4 wins this season. Ryan has 11. Scam celebrates first downs. Ryan celebrates Division titles. Call me back when Scam can show Ryan something besides his ass. Which, oddly enough, is difficult to tell from his face. The only clue is where the helmet goes and sometimes even that is a question.
Wings
December 10th, 2012
8:45 am
Big Ray – ““Whew, Rodgers is out of the game. Well, we don’t have to worry about that the next play. They’ll either run it up the middle with Turner or try to go to Roddy on the sideline or Tony across the middle. Yeah, we can cover that.””
I left those double quotes around your statement because it is the TRUTH. Rogers performs like a back of 200 pounds and one that is much swifter than he is. He has been playing at a higher level than all other players in my opinion.
Can I get an AMEN TRUTH?
Wings
December 10th, 2012
8:47 am
Big Ray I can tell you woke up angry. Troll’s beware!!!
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
8:55 am
Agreed on the no huddle offense and how its success is linked to overriding The Script.
I will, however, not let Thomas Dimitroff get off scott free in this. He has been good in this, and I’m glad that he and Smitty are so close in their scheming and planning. However, there is a time to set back and follow these plans and schemes.
Smitty has had plenty of say in who we draft. Of that I’m absolutely sure, most HCs do.
But let’s follow the situation, point by point.
1) Blank completely blows TD and Smitty’s little statistical chart out of the water in a postseason press conference last year. He tells it like it is – the OL didn’t play well despite what the stats said. Not when it counted. TD and Smitty are given votes of confidence, but also mandates to fix stuff like this.
Pat Hill is hired after Paul Boudreaux is fired.
Smitty promises a wide open competition across all positions of the OL.
2) TD drafts an OT in the third round, some say the guy is a reach. But this guy was probably never even looked at as a real contender for playing time, even if he’s not injured. The fact that he was injured only made it easier to do the whole Apprenticeship thing. Funny thing is, the guy is known for his pass blocking and not his run blocking…a theme that runs across the entire OL…yet he gets no looks despite increasingly bad play by Tyson Clabo.
Meanwhile, the real story at Tackle surrounds Sam Baker, who is given the ultimate vote of confidence based upon the assertion that he will be healthy and therefore effective. All the while, quiet whispers about similar health poblems with Clabo come up…then quickly go totally silent. And this is just in the preseason…
3) TD drafts the best center in the entire draft. He and Smitty immediately tout him as a Guard without the guy having taken a snap with the team. Then, Smitty gives a guy who failed all last year the job ahead of the new guy…
4) TD signs Manuwai as a Guard to possibly start. Manuwai is cut, possibly due to health reasons, possibly due to something else. No other free agency moves are made in regard to guys who could actually get into the playing rotation.
5) Todd McClure is signed and almost immediately given the starting job.
6) Smitty trots out the EXACT SAME GUYS at the EXACT SAME SPOTS as last season.
What got fixed exactly? What changed? Pat Hill?
Give me a Effin’ break.
TD and Smitty might be BFF, but if these failures follow through into the postseason, somebody has to explain why an area of dire need was NOT fixed AT ALL.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
8:59 am
So if I’m TD, either change the damn flow of things and remember you’re the boss. Or be irrefutably linked to everything Smitty does and go down with him in flames.
Yeah, I know the season ain’t over and the playoffs have yet to be played for success or failure. I’m a fan who thinks ahead. I’m just a fan. The guys getting paid to do this ought to be thinking much further out than I am.
And if I’m TD, I might want to think hard on what Smitty is doing to FIX THINGS and how we’re gonna explain this later. Just a thought.
Wings
December 10th, 2012
9:05 am
BR that baffles me too how quite TD remains. I should say appears to be quite but it sure looks obvious to me he says nothing about making changes because none are made.
I am sure Arthur Blank is much smarter than me, and he has to see some of the issues that are not “fixed”. I feel a rude awaking coming in January.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
9:08 am
Wings
I woke up madder than I was yesterday. I don’t know how that happened. But I am straight up LIT.
Here is a little something from Yastinkas that gives a bit of insight into what typically happens when you limit yourself on offense. Limiting can happen a number of ways. It can be a coaching/scheme design. It can be a talent deficit issue. It could be a health issue. But whatever it is, the results are the same.
One thing that’s obvious: The Saints need a speed receiver. Aside from Joe Morgan, who still is being worked into the offense, the wide receivers weren’t getting any separation against the Giants. That forced Brees to lock in on tight end Jimmy Graham way too often. Both of Brees’ interceptions came on throws for Graham — one went off the tight end’s hands, and the other was underthrown against good coverage.
In the Saints case, it’s a talent problem, or at least Yastinkas would have us believe so.
Notice the key phrases/comments in this snippet .
“The receivers weren’t getting separation.”
“Forcing Brees to lock in on Graham way too often.”
Paraphrasing – “both interceptions came on throws to Graham”
Sound familiar, any of it? So even a record-breaking “hate him but gotta respect the stats” tainted superbowl winning QB know for his accuracy, good decisions and high powered offense can…ahem… lock in on a particular target and turn the ball over doing it ….
Funny…maybe Yastinkas is a Saints fan. Maybe he has a fathead poster of Brees in every room of his house.
Or maybe….even the best QBs in the NFL can make the same damn mistakes when forced into less than ideal situations.
Yastinkas says the Saints need a speedy WR so they won’t have to worry about having such a limited offense. Notice how Brees isn’t faulted for throwing into tight coverage.
If that was Ryan, what would be said? Hell, you need only look into our archives to find that out, or archive a Yastinkas article.
I find this so very eerily, oddly similar to our problems.
Only….we aren’t lacking speed. We are lacking other things. We still fail to get separation more often than not. How many of Ryan’s throws are to “open” guys? How many are tighter than we’d like to admit to? How many of them allow the WR to “go up and get the ball” or otherwise make a play?
The only ones that came like that yesterday came in our hurry up offense in the 4th quarter.
Let’s get an Effin’ clue, shall we?
woeismesince66
December 10th, 2012
9:09 am
The Falcons are playing pathetically. The whole kit and kaboodle. The coaches, the players even the
water boy. Swelled heads over a suspect record is a shame. Luck will hold only so long. I think the
Falcons have used up thiers. Now if they can play football would be a good time to start. I don’t think the Falcons are in the same league as the top tier of teams. I believe they are in for a tough 3 games.
I believe they will be lucky to win one.
Just remember YOU HAVE TO SUFFER A LOT TO BE A FALCONS FAN.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
9:10 am
Wings, AMEN BROTHER! You guys are at it hard this A.M.
Good Stuff!
Wings
December 10th, 2012
9:14 am
D3 – “To be blunt, this was one of the worst losses in the entire time that Mike Smith has been head coach. ”
D3, I know you have to keep balance, but I will say it is the WORST LOSS in the entire time that Mike Smith has been head coach.
The other losses even close would be the Green Bay and New York playoff games. I say it is worse than those two because those teams won the Super Bowl. And, I don’t give the Falcons any credit for those two losses because of the Super Bowl wins.
The loss yesterday was to a team that doesn’t win many games, and they beat the CRAP out of the Falcons because the team did not arrive to play. I recognize the defense played okay until they were exhausted. The Falcons should be improving not playing at the level we saw yesterday.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
9:15 am
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/42801/are-they-the-same-old-falcons
Guarantee you Pat had this halfway written by the start of the 2nd quarter, and all but finished by the start of the 3rd quarter.
I won’t get into the quotes. They’re repetitive and pointless.
D3
December 10th, 2012
9:16 am
Big Ray — Great post @ 8:16 am. Totally agree. I’m sorry, but that’s all Smitty right there.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
9:17 am
I don’t even think it’s arrogance.
I think honestly the attitude is “We’ll go with the script and if it’s a tough game, then we’ll just find a way to win like we have every other week.”
In other words, play not to lose.
“Other teams are going to look at the tape from today and try to do some of the same things,” Atlanta center Todd McClure said.
No sh!t.
E43
December 10th, 2012
9:22 am
1) I still think more people need touches on that offense
2) Wasted plays rules do not apply to the passing game around here. Everyone advocates the sissy fancy passing game with any excuse they can find. Makes me wonder how the check down king Jason Campbell would do with their offense.
3) I will not be surprised if the falcons lead the league in routes ran within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Acceptable if they are absolutely being whooped in pass protection. Unacceptable on the very first drive.
4) What is it with some of the passes Matt Ryan throws to anyone not named Gonzalez, White, or Julio? Will Antone Smith’s one play in the offense this season be a pass over his head?
5)Am I the only one that thinks certain receivers get wobblier passes than others? How much time does Matt Ryan spend with Kone, Davis, and Palmer/Coffman*?
6) I find it interesting that Matt Ryan is yet to throw over 200 yards in the playoffs. Cant say the reason is because they didn’t use the no huddle.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
9:22 am
D3 ,
Rodgers was a wonderful pickup in the 5th round. Mike Smith is wasting it. For a guy who is a supposed chess match type that pays attention to stats and averages, I cannot wrap my head around why he does what he does with Turner vs. what he does with Rodgers.
I really cannot see this being a fault of Koetter, who spent so much time in Jax-ville using a guy who is the more talented version of Quizz and nothing at all like Turner.
Schleprock
December 10th, 2012
9:24 am
Typical Atlanta sports team mentality. This is not a Super Bowl team. When are the people in this town get sick and tired of Atlanta being the city of almost. One of the other teams that have been there and done that will win the championship. It won’t be Atlanta because it’s not in their DNA. getting close will be good enough as it always has been. Those other teams expect to win. We expect to come close and thats what we’ll do again this year.
The city of almost will show it’s sports franchise mentality once again.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
9:28 am
I need to take a break. So mad….
In the theme of “hey it could be worse”, there is the Tampa Bay Bucs, who are finding out that they are NOT who they thought they were even when they felt they could have beaten us.
They lost to the cellar dweller Eagles who came alive under QB Nick Foles (really? Dude put up close to 400 yards on the Bucs…ouch!).
Josh Freeman looked like ass out there.
Here’s the crazy part – it was Foles who was sacked 5 times and hit 13 times total.
Tampa competed, but their defense melted down in the 4th quarter. Eagles tried to help them out by missing two FGs.
Geo
December 10th, 2012
9:31 am
Amen, Wings. Did anyone else notice that the large contingent of Falcons fans at the game yesterday booed every time Michael Turner ran it?
Don’t blame them a bit. Mike Smith needs to feel the heat from the fans — this sh!t won’t cut it.
Paddy O
December 10th, 2012
9:40 am
well, this game reinforces my belief that our coaching staff does NOT utilize extra long layoffs properly. How do we get shut out in the 1st half? I did not see too much bad execution. I saw horrendous play scheming. Welcome Back needs to be replaced.
Wings
December 10th, 2012
9:50 am
BIg Ray – “I need to take a break. So mad….”
I know BR. Those type of games and efforts are not entertaining or fun to watch. In fact, they are a complete waste of time. When I was watching yesterday, I thought of the times in my younger days (70’s) when I would drive to parents’ house in west Georgia, turn the antenna to watch the Falcons when games were not broadcast because of attendance. I would not do it today.
Geo – “Did anyone else notice that the large contingent of Falcons fans at the game yesterday booed every time Michael Turner ran it? ”
Thanks and I did hear those boos multiple times. I finally decided it couldn’t be Atlanta fans, but now I think you are right. There were not many fans there at all.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
9:53 am
Man I’m enjoying BRs comments this morning. Don’t get too worked though and blow a gasket. This team is what it is…not a dominant team in any phase and very inconsistent.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
9:56 am
Falcons issues point to coaching and a lack of game changing players (TD). We need a player comes to bust someone in the mouth every week.
Paddy O
December 10th, 2012
9:57 am
did anybody see anything innovative in our WR sets? anything? group sets? double stacked WR sets? anything? flare the RB out into flanks? we do NOTHING interesting. NOTHING innovative – and, we have the talent. Only time I saw us moving the ball is when Ryan went back to timing patterns to RW84. That is old stuff. Welcome Back sucks – he brings NOTHING to the team. We need A Mike Martz type OC.
DustyMac
December 10th, 2012
10:03 am
I’m a big Falcons fan, I’m not worried. They didn’t give us much of a chance when we went to the super bowl. Every Super Bowl winner in the last couple have had a bad game during the year in which they won the BIG ONE. This is no different, They the knowing public, writers, critics,didn’t give some of those teams a chance either, but yet the won the one that counted. Falcons will win it all this year. FALCONS WILL WIN IT ALL THIS YEAR!!!!! AND the New York Giants will be only the start of somethin Great! Rise Up and stop hating. Congrats Panthers you won your Super Bowl sunday. Thanks for the wake-up-call..
SG
December 10th, 2012
10:18 am
Yes, that was a hideous first half display. Yes, the D-line needs reinforcements. Yes, the O-line needs more. Yes the shifty, speedy Antone Smith needs some play while MT33 sits. And yes, Ryan has been looking more unsure, rattled, distracted, etc., since the start of the second half of the season.
That said, while I give the Panthers credit for showing up as the team they were expected to be at the start of the season, the Birds came in totally unprepared to play a Pop Warner team, (actually, I think some of the real team arrived in Charlotte on a flight that came in at half-time).
Through the remaining at least 4 games, I hope we see:
• Ryan controlling the O for a full 60 minutes (w/o a “Sleep Button” ever being deployed by HC/OC)
• Antone breaking in his running shoes
On the D side:
• I think Nolan’s getting the most out of current personnel, (aside from some tackling issues I like the way they’ve shaped up)
Have a good Monday all.
Zoomie
December 10th, 2012
10:22 am
Ever had to get a dog dipped? For two days afterward, he wanders around with a glazed look, no energy, listless and detached (probably feeling sorry for himself for smelling like moth balls). This pretty much describes the demeanor of the Falcons’ defense yesterday. Earlier this year, the coaches set aside time for a focus on fundamentals, including tackling. Looks to me like that lesson lasted exactly one game. A 72-yard touchdown by the QB on a read-option? Now, to any professional NFL defender, that should be downright humiliating.
Oh well, maybe they were sent for a flea dip before the Panthers’ game.
We’ve been watching the fit-and-start play of the offense, basically, since game 4. It’s time to be concerned. As TG says, the performance of the offense yesterday was ridiculous. With all the talent present, I’m going with scheming and game-planning as the obvious big issue from which all the execution issues originate. Koetter ain’t getting it done. Maybe CMS, or even TD, has him shackled to certain players, I don’t know. I do know this: the Falcons are not properly scheming to their strengths and to minimize their weaknesses. Yesterday the offense looked clueless (first half), then desperate (second half).
Already in The Cage, there’s been a lot of good suggestions on what could be done to fix many of the messes we saw yesterday. I’ll just say this: at this stage, I’m convinced it’s a failure to properly install an offense that suits the players on-roster. That’s ultimately Koetter’s responsibility and Smitty’s accountability. Time to put these two under the magnifying glass. Possibly in direct sunlight, if that’s what it takes.
Two random thoughts:
1) Giants strengths match up VERY favorably against the Falcons’ weaknesses. If the Falcons don’t do something completely different than what they’ve been doing, they’re 11-3 after next week.
2) I wonder how many times Ryan heard “Get the f*** off my field!” yesterday?
Matty Bicep
December 10th, 2012
10:35 am
When this season started, I put us down for a loss to Carolina, I figured Cam would beat us sooner or later, I did not expect him to 0-fer against us for his career…..I am just glad it was in a relatively meaningless game. Big test coming up next week, hopefully we got us a wakeup call.
Sis-Boom-Bah Humbug
December 10th, 2012
10:47 am
There is no one as far as I can tell who is upset by the JUST the Carolina loss. The consensus seems to be that the Falcons’ performance was utterly embarrassing because it was largely self-inflicted, or more accurately coach-inflicted. However, it is not just a case of having a bad game – it is a PATTERN of mediocre performance, even in wins over other weak opponents.
Even worse, the evident problems are still the same ones that have been cited for at least a year now. Except for the burst at the beginning of 2012, the problems never seem to change – they just become more obvious & inexcusable. Most frustrating right now is the regression to Smitty Ball regarding personnel, game planning & play calling. The result is painful to watch, and the fans are right to complain.
With the Carolina game, the Falcons seem to have already “peaked” with respect to their characteristic post-season level of play. Undoubtedly, Arthur Blank is more troubled by this situation than anyone else – it is simply incredible that a team with a 11-2 record merits so much sustained & well-deserved criticism.
The players have to be rather frustrated too. If things continue on the present course, such frustration might become public – not a good prospect. A win over the Giants would/will really make a huge difference in the near-term viability & credibility of the Falcons.
John Waynesworld
December 10th, 2012
10:49 am
“Satisfied” didn’t make the flight to Charlotte.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
10:54 am
CMS, the spotlight, microscope should be targeted in your direction. Some of us say he’s stubborn, inept…and slow to change, all that might be true, but, for a Coach that we criticize on a regular basis about being stubborn, slow to change, he sure has shown alot of inconsistency in some of his coaching decisions/strategies as of late.
1). Starting with the Arizona Cardinals game: He threw the challenge flag without knowing the proper protocol/rule to challenge that particular play. Compare him, at your own peril to the Lions Schwartz, if you will, if you’re comparing the two, they most certainly have Coaching simularities. Just Sayin
2). Not going for the two point conversion in the first game against the Saints. This situatuion didn’t meet his statistical criteria?
3). Choosing to go for the FG against Tampa, rather than punting, have them go 90 yards to score, opposed to 65.
4). If I am not mistaken? in the same game against the Tampa Bucs, he (Smith) mismanaged the clock just before halftime in this game. The falcons were set up deep in the redzone, with a 1st down, but due to the lack of clock management, we were only able to take one shot in the endzone. Bryant ended up missing the very short field goal…and Smith took the two time outs in the locker room with him, made a sandwich out of them, ate’em.
5). Choosing to chase points, go for the 2pt conversion in the Panters game. IMO, it didn’t make sense. If we kick the extra point, the score would have been 14-23, if we hold them, a TD and FG wins the game for us. Funny how Smith choose to go for the 2pt conversion in that situation, with essentially the entire 4th quarter to play, kind of went against that other steaming pile of reason he gave us about 4 weeks ago against the Saints, you know, the 7 minute rule.
I’m not suggesting Smith lies…he’s just inconsistent, kinda sorta like the team he Coaches. IMHO.