Atlanta Falcons: Birds Steamroll Giants
Wow!
What a Game! (AJC)
Fans have been waiting a long time for a statement game, and boy was it worth the wait. The Falcons utterly dominated every aspect of the game against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. It was one of the best and most complete games in the 5 years that Mike Smith has been head coach and likely one of the best in franchise history. Wanted to go ahead and get a new thread up and let you all discuss the great game that was. Rest of post will be finished soon. Enjoy………..
One of the Best Wins in the Smith Era
Last week was one of the worst losses in the Smith Era, but he followed it up with one of the best wins not only in his tenure, but likely in franchise history. The Falcons utterly dominated pretty much every aspect of the game. They moved down the field with ease on offense, getting almost every playmaker involved. The offensive line had one of it’s best game in years versus one of the best defensive fronts in all of football. The defense not only intercepted two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning twice, but also held the Giants on three 4th down conversions in the Falcons territory. The special teams stepped up to the plate and held David Wilson in check and the planning and preparation on the coaches part has to be one of the best in years. If fans were waiting for a complete game, they finally got it and then some.
Ryan’s Great Day
JJ with Two TDs (AJC)
AJC columnist Jeff Schultz wrote an article about Matt Ryan asking every player for an extra 30 minutes this week and promising an hour of his own time for every 30 minutes the players gave. The leadership off the field translated to an excellent day on the field. After a bad trend started to emerge the last few games, Ryan bounced back in superb fashion and led the team to one of it’s best offensive outputs of the season. Ryan was efficient (23/28), checked in to correct plays throughout the game, threw the deep ball, and came away with 3 touchdown passes. He did one of his best jobs distributing the ball in a long while. He found a way to include almost every offensive playmaker in some form or fashion. Here’s to hoping that Ryan is hitting his stride at just the right time and that turns out to be true, he’s going to a tough out for almost every defense.
Great Coaching Effort
Many of us here in The Bird Cage have been guilty of heaping criticism on the Falcons head coach (this author as guilty as anyone), but it’s only fair to give effusive praise when warranted as well. Coach Smith seemed to take the embarrassing loss to the Panthers personal and it “heightened their focus” while planning and preparing for the Giants. The scheme on offense, defense, and special teams was magnificent. They confused and harassed Manning on defense. The offensive scheme was one of the best in a long while, making a point to getting as many playmakers involved as possible and making it virtually impossible for the Giants to focus in on one or two players. The special teams held one of the most explosive returners in the game in check as well. A huge kudos to Coach Smith and the entire coaching staff on a near-flawless gameplan, preparation, and execution. Here’s to hoping that Smith can find a way to bottle that special week of practice for the playoffs coming up soon.
Excellent Tackling, Defense
Falcons D Stands Tough (AJC)
The Falcons found a way to fix one of their biggest issues on defense all year long: tackling. They wrapped up well throughout the game, which was a big factor in stopping the Giants 3 times on 4th down conversions. They carried a gameplan that did wonders to confuse and harass Eli Manning throughout the game. Only a few times did the Birds have issues stopping the Giants. They were able to shut down one of the more talented receiving corps in the NFL with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Dominik Hixon. It also was a total team effort. Chris Hope did an excellent job filling in for the injured William Moore. Stephen Nicholas had one of the better games he’s had in awhile, adding to the already stellar play of Sean Weatherspoon and rapidly improving Akeem Dent. The defensive line generated pressure and held firm against the run, one of the weakest areas through the season. Asante Samuel has brought a swagger to this defense and his presence was readily felt early in the game. Hats off to one of the best defensive efforts in recent memory.
Nice Run Mix
Michael Turner led the way and Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling added in some nice balance and formed a very complementary trio in the backfield. Turner saw most of the carries and ran as hard and well as he did all season. Rodgers may not have had the best final stat sheet (11 carries for 25 yards), but he injected some needed versatility and shiftiness in the backfield to Turner’s hard charging style. One of the most pleasant surprises was seeing Jason Snelling rack up 39 yards on 6 carries, running with drive and toughness. Snelling hasn’t gotten many touches this season, but he may have earned himself some more with his play on Sunday. Some will say that it was only a product of mop-up time, but there didn’t seem to be any wholesale changes on the Giants defense. Snelling basically ended the game all by himself, running for several first downs to end the game kneeling down inside the Giants own 10 yard line. It will always be a struggle getting all the backs involved with markedly less carries than the past due to the emergence of the passing game, but Dirk Koetter did a darn fine job of it on Sunday.
Huge Game by the Offensive Line
Great Day by Ryan (AJC)
No other unit has been so beleaguered and criticized as the Falcons offensive line. They may not be a more maligned unit on any team in the entire NFL. With their backs to the wall and facing one of the best fronts in the league (ones who owned them in last year’s postseason nonetheless), they gave Matt Ryan plenty of time and opened plenty of big holes for the running backs. It was by far one of the best played games by the Falcons OL in a long time. Like Smith with the Giants gameplan and preparation, only if they can figure out a way to bottle that scheme and execution for the playoffs.
HD’s Big Day
Sure, it was only 3 catches for 83 yards, but fans finally saw what they’ve been waiting so long for, which was to see the extremely talented slot receiver make an impact in a game in a big way. The thought was always that Douglas would start to get a ton of looks with defenses focusing on Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez first, but that hasn’t really come to fruition this year as expected. There’s only so many touches to go around and the Falcons already have two 1,000 receivers and a tight end that is well over 800 yards himself. However, Douglas had two huge receptions for long gains that helped change the face of the game. The catches added an element of versatility not seen to this extent in 2012 where defenders found themselves in an impossible position of trying to cover all the Falcons weapons. In fact, if Ryan had hit Douglas in stride on the first long reception, he may have taken it to the house. It was a beautiful sight to behold seeing essentially all of the Falcons weapons get in on the action, including HD, and much of the credit goes directly to Dirk Koetter for his superb gameplan and scheme.
Keep It Going……
Smitty Gets Huge Kudos! (AJC)
The Falcons have a 2 game lead in the NFC for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and seemingly only need to win one of the two final games to lock up the home-field advantage. However, if history has told us anything in the NFL lately, the team that’s playing the best football as the playoffs approach are usually the ones that go the deepest in the postseason. They couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the final drive towards the playoffs, but they will have their focus tested as they travel to the Detroit Lions who are 4-10 on the year and host the Bucs who sit at 6-8 after being 6-4 only a month ago. They talked about keeping the pedal to the metal before their clunker of the year in Charlotte. They also will not have the luxury of getting up for the defending Super Bowl Champions and also the team that knocked them out of the playoffs. With so many goals right in front of them, an issue of focus and motivation shouldn’t be a problem.
Bird Cage Victors Turn
1) Simple Steamroll – where does this game rank for you?
2) Is this the best game in the Mike Smith Era?
3) How does the coaching rank for you?
4) Is Ryan taking that final, next step?
5) Is the defense peaking for the playoffs?
6) Just a one game surge, or are the Falcons finally clicking?
7) Your thoughts on the running back mix?
8.) Can Smith and Co. bottle that preparation and practice for the playoffs?
9) Most importantly, can the Falcons keep it going?
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688 comments Add your comment
Big Lou
December 17th, 2012
3:41 pm
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/21411486/sharp-falcons-take-apart-giants-and-nonbelievers
Here’s a positive article on the Falcons.
Slant Pattern
December 17th, 2012
3:45 pm
“SP – well said.” – BR
The “that SP guy never gets anything right!” part? Thats just me bringing a different perspective, mind melding with and learning my opponents vulnerable parts…someones got to do it right
?
Zoomie
December 17th, 2012
4:10 pm
“1) Simple Steamroll – where does this game rank for you?” Been a fan since ‘66. Can’t remember a more sustained, dominating performance against a highly-regarded opponent.
“2) Is this the best game in the Mike Smith Era?” In my opinion, yes. So far . . .
“3) How does the coaching rank for you?” Well-called game. Timely adjustments on offense and defense. Not only was Manning kept off-balance, but so was Perry Fewell. The Falcons’ offense just kept “side-stepping” defensive adjustments. It was beautiful to watch.
“4) Is Ryan taking that final, next step?” Hmmm; not sure. I think he performed up to the level we’ve anticipated (hoped?) that he could. Yesterday’s level of play was expected for him in his fifth year. I think it’s the best game he played as a Falcon.
“5) Is the defense peaking for the playoffs?” The Falcons’ D is just having fun balling out, wide open, attacking offenses. They’re starting to play with that philosophy as a coherent unit, which makes them very dangerous. They played with a combination of higher urgency and higher discipline against the Giants. I certainly hope to see that carry over into the playoffs.
“6) Just a one game surge, or are the Falcons finally clicking?” I think they got up for this game because it was important to them. I hope they build on the momentum and don’t fall prey to the notion that they can turn on/turn off their level of performance at will. Again, after being a Falcon fan since ‘66, I’m sure you can understand my CAUTIOUS optimism.
“7) Your thoughts on the running back mix?” Finally! Used the available weapons and mixed them up in a way to keep the defense off balance. More of this, please! (Still, confused by having MT33 attack the edge and JR32 attack the middle. Maybe that was the point: confusion.)
“8.) Can Smith and Co. bottle that preparation and practice for the playoffs?” More than anything else at this level of competition, that’s their job. I think AB made that pretty clear last January.
“9) Most importantly, can the Falcons keep it going?” Yes. They can. They have every resource at their disposal to do so. Question is, will they? Even though I’m conditioned to doubt, I think they will. If they show up to play like that every week, there’s not a team out there that can beat ‘em.
Arno
December 17th, 2012
4:37 pm
6) Just a one game surge, or are the Falcons finally clicking?
D3’s crux question! Dan Reeves was quoted last week about how much he enjoyed the IDENTITY of his superbowl team. Our Falcons have been claiming to have an identity, always talking about their high level of confidence and high standards, but it seemed more like a locker room thing. We kept wondering what the H that identity was. Then the GAME happened. We saw it! Now that they have proved to themselves that they can bring that identity from the locker room to the field, their aggregate confidence in various phases will harden into concrete. I think we have the makings of a juggernaut.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
5:00 pm
1. Biggest win in history:
Hard to put this in front of our road wins against the Vikings or Green Bay, but it is the biggest regular season win in history.
2. Biggest win in Smittys tenure. No doubt.
3. Great Coaching I have come to expect, no turnovers, few penalties, overall smart football. Playcalling? It is always genius when it works, but if I never see that HD end around out an empty backfield again, I won’t be disappointed.
4. Final Step for Ryan….He took a big step this off season, it was one more inevitable milestone. Final step? He nah, he has a few more to go…He will have bad games again, even SB QBs have a bad game now an then, but the arrow is up for sure.
5. Our defense has played best in the biggest games this season, that is a very, very good sign. Except for a small meltdown in the 1st half against New Orleans, we have played very big in big spots. Anytime you take 5 away from the manning brothers…..I am guessing that ain’t ever happed before.
6. Running Back Mix? It ain’t our strength, but it is good enough. As everyone else, might like to see Snelling get a few more carries, I think we are going to really see what our RBs can do over the next few weeks.
7. Can we bottle it for the playoffs. Hope so.
8. Can we keep it going? If we do, we hoist the Lombardi. But really, the difference between this team and previous teams is our D, they are just having fun, flowing to the ball, and confusing QBs. Hope we can keep the tacking intensity up…..
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
5:06 pm
And BL, if your statement that you are ignoring me means you will not hurl unprovoked insults like you did at 9:37 last night, I am all for it.
falcon21
December 17th, 2012
6:12 pm
I have been hard on the o-line for years but yesterday they played great, good job o-line, now keep it up!!!
JB Falcon
December 17th, 2012
6:32 pm
21, some one is impersonating you at 6:12.
From what I’ve read it seems like Walker came alive in a big way.
Ken Stricklan
December 17th, 2012
6:34 pm
A healthy PJerry and CPeters really makes a big difference in our interior pass rush, and VWalker is starting to become a beast in the middle of our DL. I just can’t help thinking about how things are going to play out next season at RB, TE, LT, OC, DT, and CB.
If TE TGonzalez retires as expected, will we go with a blocking TE, with pass catching capabilities, 3 WRs and 1 RB formation? I’m also starting to wonder what position we’ll focus on in the upcoming draft.
falcon21
December 17th, 2012
7:03 pm
LOL JB, you don’t hear me saying good things about our o-line often!
Big Ray
December 17th, 2012
7:35 pm
O-line played up to expectations, maybe beyond them.
Ryan did exactly what he needed to do, and what any elite QB would/should do – asked his team to raise their effort, to take an extra half hour doing whatever they thought they should to put the extra work in. Then promised them that he’d do twice as much.
That’s taking total responsibility, that’s raising your accountability level above that of your peers. THAT is true leadership, not settling for new personal bests and an 11-2 record. That’s raising the bar.
Ryan’s performance may not have been the best that we’ve seen, but the work he put into getting back to where he could perform like this is what separates this from any other “mundane” 82% completion, 270 yard, 3 TD/0 INT performances.
Ryan LED this team – in practice and on the field.
THAT was the next step.
Chop Buster
December 17th, 2012
7:36 pm
I don’t know if any one has read this, but it’s a very interesting USA wrote quoting Roddy White, titled “Falcons Aren’t Afraid of Anyone Anymore.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/12/17/week-15-atlanta-falcons-rout-new-york-giants-roddy-white-says-falcons-arent-afraid-of-anyone-anymore/1774977/
Very interesting on the psyche of the Falcons previously compared to now.
DePlane
December 17th, 2012
7:46 pm
Who is Chris Hope?
Chris Hope is a veteran safety in this league drafted by the Steelers in 2002 and started 16 of 16 games in 04 and 05. He was signed by the Titans and started every game for them from 06 through 2010. He played in 10 games on 2011 and signed with the Falcons in 2012. Dude is a baller with 20 career interceptions and 700 tackles. He won a Super Bowl with the Steelers.
In 2007 dude suffered a spinal chord injury. Played the next 3 yrs as the Titans SS who won the AFC South in 2008. He played a great game last night. Another TD pickup that paid out some big dividends.
DePlane
December 17th, 2012
7:48 pm
Started every game 06-10 except 2007 when he was injured…only started 11 games that year.
DePlane
December 17th, 2012
8:03 pm
I’m all jacked up about the Falcons win…flying on cloud nine. What they showed me yesterday is that they will not settle for just another winning season. The Bird owns the Nest. It belongs to them…and nobody is coming into the Nest and winning. Birds forced the Giants to lay an egg in the Nest. A Giant Egg. Lol! I can’t tell you I’ve enjoyed this team any time over the last 40 years like I am now.
Time for basking in the sun is over tomorrow. It’s all business in preparation for locking up the #1 seed and Dome advantage for the playoffs. Armed with the knowledge that they can overcome any obstacle, focus after a loss and beat the defending champs in a big way, it should set their confidence level for the rest of the way. These Birds are ready to take flight and not only can they beat any team in the NFL, they can fly all the way to the SB.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
8:08 pm
Hope came back from Injury to go the the Pro Bowl in 08. Has 133 tackles in 2010, and was the “ring leader” of the titans secondary and held off season workouts. “A relentless worker in the weightroom”…Where does TD find these guys?
DePlane
December 17th, 2012
8:22 pm
Skip Bayless and whoever that other guy is can go take a long walk off a short pier, p*ss up a rope, jump off a bridge, leap from the top of the ESB, stand in the soup line, cross dress on ladies night, go powder their nose, slip on a banana and go play in traffic.
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
8:24 pm
DePlane – to steal your phrase “the Birds forced NY to lay a Giant Egg in the Dome”. I love it!
Zoomie – Quizz is actually quite effective running between the tackles. He’s small, which makes him hard to find amongst all the behemoths, he’s quick, has good vision and makes good moves. He does not have the straight line speed that would allow him to turn the corner in the NFL on a consistent basis, however.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
8:25 pm
Another thing not to be overlooked, we beat a number of “bad” teams, but we played them at critical junctures in their season, when beating us could have really turned their season around. We crushed teams and sent them into death spirals…..
Carolina first game, they were embarrassed by NY, had 10 days to prepair, and a W would have gotten them .500, only to go 1-3 and stick that towel on Cams head.
Cards…after starting 3-0, Coming off a bye needing a W to get to 4-5 and to stay in the Wild Card hunt….Only to go 3-6 and continue the losing spiral.
Oakland, a sky high 1-1 raiders team coming off a bye, looking to “right the ship” after beating the Steelers in week 1.
Eagles, a 3-1 eagles team with superbowl aspirations.
Basically, we played some “bad” teams, but all of them were playing for their life at make at critical points of their season. Funny how ESPN leaves that sorta stuff out.
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
8:28 pm
Paddy O – As usual, you have had some excellent posts today. If this source is accurate, 5 teams have had 3 thousand yard receivers (including TE) in one season.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_there_ever_three_1000_Yard_Wide_Receivers_in_the_same_team_in_NFL
Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or inclination to verify the accuracy of this information.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
8:29 pm
Even New Orleans 2, they had NFC South aspirations, and we sent them packing. We took everyones best, and I have said, and taken abuse by saying “there are no bad teams in the NFL”, and maybe that is a little strong, but there are no untalented teams, and any team is capable of putting a beating on anyone if you don’t buckle your chin strap.
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
8:30 pm
DePlane (8:22) – LOL
falcon21
December 17th, 2012
8:31 pm
Skip Bayless is an idiot to begin with. How he has a job is beyond me.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
8:33 pm
Don’t have a prob with quizz up the middle either, he ain’t no flyweight, finds that little hole to fall forward. I liked the 4ers V formation run last night, it was an earth mover for sure, has CK not dropped the ball.
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
8:34 pm
MB (8:25) – interesting observation.
FWIW, toning down the defensiveness and confrontation might help you enjoy the blog more. Not saying it’s all one-sided. Just sayin…
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
8:34 pm
You can choose to ignore rather than confront if you want to.
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
8:41 pm
I may pop in again later. See ya, Cage.
JB Falcon
December 17th, 2012
8:42 pm
Time @ 8:34, don’t waste you time brother.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
8:42 pm
I know time, I need to ignore the bait. Sometimes I have a few cocktails in me and maybe say things I should not have….Almost reminds me of high school.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
8:49 pm
Good advice Time, I take he bait, this place is a little highschoolish, hence JB at 8:34, like your not capable of forming your one opinion….
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
9:01 pm
MB – put the period after “bait” and it reads a little better.
Chris
December 17th, 2012
9:08 pm
Awesome win, totally dominating in every way. The Giants should have had some points but they made some questionable decisions and our Defence rose to the occasion. I was impressed with the O-line play and really hope it can continue. I think some of the O-line credit goes to the mix of RB’s and play calling. That sh*t bout Skip and Stephen was hilarious. Anybody know why we play on Saturday or am I just misinformed?
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
9:11 pm
Gotcha time.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
9:13 pm
We play Saturday because there are no college games. You are correct.
falcon21
December 17th, 2012
9:35 pm
2 bowl games Saturday.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
9:54 pm
21, I did not check, but you are correct, there are a couple of minor bowl games, but nothing of national appeal. The NFL generally takes Saturday slots in the weeks between the end of the regular season, and the big bowl season. But I sand corrected.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
9:55 pm
Stand corrected. but the falcons DO play on Saturday.
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
10:03 pm
Haven’t seen this mentioned in the Cage, yet. I found it interesting:
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2012/12/17/haters-roundup-national-view-on-falcons-has-changed/
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
10:05 pm
Better. Sometimes shorter is even better.
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
10:06 pm
OK, time to read a book for awhile. Later Cage…
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
10:06 pm
Interesting, I find 4 teams with 1000 yard receivers…
the 80 Chargers of Air Coryelle,
89 Redskins,
95 run and shoot falcons of Glanville (Terence Mathis, Bert Emmanual, and Eric Metcalf)
and the 04 colts.
My gut tell me it is a sign of a weakness, for although it speaks highly of the receivers, it makes me think teams are not spreading the ball around enough. If teams are regularly putting up 4000-5000 yard seasons, it would stand to reason we would see a lot more.
Really that is why getting HD involved is crucial. I have been the first to dump on him, but it has to be the scheme, chemistry with Ryan, or something.
Coop
December 17th, 2012
10:12 pm
Playing on Saturday cause no Monday Night Football. We are the Monday Night Football, just on Saturday due to Christmas Eve.
DePlane
December 17th, 2012
10:23 pm
Thanks Time!
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
10:26 pm
Yea, hope to see a lot of HD, Anton, Snelling, get the opportunities to make plays, and give DCs something to think about.
falcon21
December 17th, 2012
10:45 pm
Hello Coop, my o-line guy, hope you are doing well! 6am comes early so see you Cagers later!
Wings
December 17th, 2012
11:01 pm
Big Ray this one is for you.
My nephew told me he listened to an interview with S Weatherspoon last week and Weatherspoon was talking about his father.
Sean calls his father Big Spoon and Big Spoon calls Sean Little Spoon. Also, Sean uses Papa Spoon too.
Matty Bicep
December 17th, 2012
11:05 pm
Speaking of Spoons, why were the 9ers doing the “spoon”? Do they have weatherspoon on thier roster?
Michael
December 17th, 2012
11:27 pm
Geo,
I’ve been raving about Snelling since last year. The man is a beast when given an opportunity. As D3 noted, the Giants were running their first team defense while Snelling was running behind our 2nd team offensive line. The man is strong and runs hard.
Also as someone else wrote, the punt returner has to go. We have Antone Smith and Chris Owens (fast and very fast respectively) and Tim Toone (who has no fear) that we should give a shot. It certainly cannot get any worse and in the playoffs, may cost us if we don’t fix it NOW!!!
The Time is NOW
December 17th, 2012
11:34 pm
Chop Buster (7:36) – Thanks for the good read.
Night Cage.
Chop Buster
December 18th, 2012
8:42 am
Time is NOW…no problem. You’re welcome.