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
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 19th, 2012
8:15 am
IMHO.
D3
December 19th, 2012
8:32 am
Guys, if we lose to Seattle (even though they’ve had a great turnaround) or the Redskins with a rookie QB AT HOME, then we belong nowhere close to the Super Bowl. Getting torched by a red hot Aaron Rodgers AT HOME once is one thing, but even something close to that AGAIN, and by any rookie QB, or really any QB for that matter, is absolutely and positively UNACCEPTABLE!
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 19th, 2012
8:52 am
I am not afraid of the Falcons facing Russell Wilson and the Seahawks in the first round…and the Falcons aren’t either. IMO, two facets in stopping the Seahawks offense…and it begins with stopping (containing) Russell, M. Lynch in the run game, make Russell beat you with his arm.
D3
December 19th, 2012
9:02 am
Coop — I hear ya. That’s exactly what I want as well. But I’m a little worried our guys will come out flat on Saturday night after the huge win over the Giants. I surely hope that’s not what I see, but as we all know, Smitty isn’t the most consistent in blowing teams out that we should dominate. I would say that we should go out and dominate the Lions, get home field advantage, and maybe just play the key / core guys a half against the Bucs. I know there’s different philosophies regarding that, but you just never know in an NFL game vs. a rival. But then there’s the concern of not keeping the momentum going.
Chop Buster
December 19th, 2012
9:07 am
I think after that Carolina fiasco this team realized they can’t take ANY team for granted if they are going to achieve their end goal (Superbowl). Everyone sounded very focused after the Giants win as though they still haven’t accomplished anything. I’m expecting to see them get after Stafford and take away their strength (passing game/Calvin Johnson).
Wabe
December 19th, 2012
9:11 am
Agree with your premise D3.
But, it’s not really the fact that he’s a rookie, it’s more of his athleticism that worries me. But, we’ll see. I’m confident, regardless of who we draw, but we’re more suited to stop a prototypical pocket passer.
How we play this Saturday will be somewhat telling about where this team is headed. Do they gain steam and continue to play in another gear? If so, the league will recognize. Or do they go back down a gear and play the Lions the way we’ve been playing everybody else this season? I think how they play this week will show a lot about the focus that this team has. They have a great opportunity to really bottle up that confidence and carry it through into the postseason.
They ‘caught another gear’ this past weekend. Now, keep it there.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 19th, 2012
9:22 am
Chris Hope brought some attitude to the Defense IMO. Although filling in for Willie Mo…dude was staright up striking the ball carriers with authority, even on the one bone-headed play he got flagged on. Some things happen for reasons we can’t explain, Hope style of play at this juncture of the season, just before the playoffs begin, will bring an attitude, continued swagger to the Defense.
Chris was hitting so HARD…he was knocking his chin strap loose.
LRD
December 19th, 2012
9:28 am
Seattle has irked the football gods by running up the scores on opponents, where as Smitty took the knee on the 5yd line when he could have scored one more time against the Giants.,
Karma would be on our side.
snacktastic
December 19th, 2012
9:30 am
Nolan out after one season if he gets a ring? I would think that with just one season in a new town under his belt, he’d see if he could get a second ring before going elsewhere.
Anyhow, Seahawks/49ers will be the game to watch for Falcons fans this weekend. That is, if it doesn’t turn into a grinding, defensive slugfest a la Alabama/LSU in 2011. I doubt that will happen, though. Last week showed us that both of these offenses can score, though I’ll admit the defenses they were playing weren’t great.
Ken Stricklan
December 19th, 2012
9:52 am
For the 1st time this season the Falcons finally put together a compete gm where the OFF and DEF played 4quarters of solid football. On top of that, they did it against the reigning SB champs, who the so called experts were predicting would use this gm to start another SB run like they did last yr.
However, rather than look at this gm as the possible start of a SB run for the Falcons, they decided to say the cause of the blowout was poor play by the Giants, rather than a dominating performance by the Falcons. The Falcon players, coaches, and fans now know just how good this team can be when both OFF and DEF are clicking.
Even with the dominant performance against the Giants, changes have to be made to our OL, because we need to develop far more consistency with our run and pass blocking. Our current OL has shown it’s capable of protecting MRyan, just not on a consistent basis.
Arno
December 19th, 2012
10:58 am
12/16/2012
Falcons 34 / defending Superbowl champs 0
< >
The joy of identity proven.
Fixed in each competitor’s mind.
Owned together as their team.
From here on out, impossible that they would settle for anything less.
Detroit? The Falcons will be ready.
darrell starks
December 19th, 2012
11:38 am
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
December 19th, 2012
11:39 am
Falcons play a complete game against the Giants on defense and offense.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
December 19th, 2012
11:48 am
My game ball go to the hole team for having a complete game against Giants.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wings
December 19th, 2012
12:15 pm
Somebody, I posted that list of the worst head coaches earlier this week, and Mike Nolan was listed as one of the worst head coaches. The reasons were outlined when he was in SF. It may not mean anything and I hope he stays.
Big Lou
December 19th, 2012
1:07 pm
Here is the article (ESPN INSIDER) on why Matt Ryan should win the MVP award:
Over the past few years, the Associated Press MVP award process has been a lot like the Heisman Trophy. The field of contenders is generally very deep early on, but by the time the season is winding down it becomes quite clear who is going to win the honor.
This year is not following that pattern, as the field of qualified MVP candidates has not seen as much thinning as in past years. At this point there are at least three players (Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson) who look as if they have a very strong shot at being named the victor in this contest. As worthy as that trio of elite candidates is, there is one other player whose candidacy should be deemed as just as strong, if not stronger, than those three.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is having the type of exceptional campaign that would place him at the pinnacle of MVP consideration in most seasons, yet certain elements seem to working against him in garnering that goal.
Before detailing those elements, it is helpful to realize just how dominant Ryan has been this year.
He certainly holds up in the standard passing categories, as Ryan ranks second in the league in completion percentage (68.5) and fifth in passing yards (4,202), yards per attempt (7.8) and touchdown passes (27).
As impressive as those totals are, an even more remarkable achievement is Ryan’s No. 1 rank in the Pass EPA category of ESPN’s Total QBR metric.
Pass EPA gauges the number of clutch-weighted expected points a quarterback adds on plays with pass attempts, so a case can be made that no other QB has been as valuable on aerials as Ryan has been this year.
Ryan also shares some valuable Total QBR real estate with Brady in that they are the only two quarterbacks this season to post a Total QBR mark of 95 or higher in three games.
Those figures should establish Ryan as one of the front-runners for this award and his candidacy starts to look even stronger when putting those aforementioned elements into perspective.
These include:
“Clutch performance”
This is an area where Brady typically excels, something that is evidenced by his effort in driving the Patriots to nearly come back from a 28-point deficit against the San Francisco 49ers this past week.
That type of high-profile exhibit justly earns plenty of MVP attention, but no quarterback has been better at leading his team to late game victories this year than Ryan.
According to pro-football-reference.com, Ryan’s six game-winning drives tie him with Andrew Luck for the league lead in that category (game-winning drives being defined as an offensive scoring drive in the fourth quarter or overtime that puts the winning team ahead for the last time).
“History should not matter”
One of the reasons clutch performance means so much in Ryan’s case is that his history of postseason letdowns is a huge roadblock to his achieving the status of an upper-tier MVP candidate.
This should not be the case and a past MVP voting process affords us a perfect example of how this type of thing should be handled.
When Peyton Manning won this award following the 2003 season, he still had a long history of coming up short in big games.
Manning was 0-3 in the NFL playoffs (his playoff games that year came after the MVP votes were tallied), 0-1 in collegiate national championship games, 1-0 in SEC title games and 0-4 against his college team’s most important rival at that time (the Florida Gators).
Add those records up and Manning was 1-8 in what could arguably be called the biggest games of his football career up to that point. This abysmal won-loss mark could have kept voters from casting their ballots for him, but they did the right thing and overlooked his history on the way to granting Manning a share of that MVP honor.
“Don’t give extra credit for injuries”
Manning and Peterson have both shown tremendous grit in overcoming injuries. As much credit as one might be tempted to give those two for this particular achievement, the MVP award is not the correct forum through which to do that. To do so would be to penalize Brady, Ryan and any of the other potential MVP candidates for not having overcome injuries.
The proper place to reward those injury-specific circumstances is via the Comeback Player of the Year Award, an honor which Manning and Peterson should both share at season’s end.
Excellence over a full season should get more credit than excellence over a shorter period of time
As great of a season as Peterson has had this year, the truth of the matter is that it really has been a tale of two seasons.
Peterson’s first six weeks looked like this:
Week 1 vs. Jacksonville: 17 carries, 84 yards, two touchdowns
Week 2 at Indianapolis: 16 carries, 60 yards, zero touchdowns
Week 3 vs. San Francisco: 25 carries, 86 yards, zero touchdowns
Week 4 at Detroit: 21 carries, 102 yards, zero touchdowns
Week 5 at Tennessee: 17 carries, 88 yards, zero touchdowns
Week 6 at Washington: 17 carries, 79 yards, zero touchdowns
Tally those numbers up and it equals 113 carries for 499 yards and two touchdowns in six games. Add those to the 20 receptions for 139 yards Peterson posted in that time frame and it reveals a set of statistics that are a step or two below what one expects from an MVP award winner.
Peterson is rightfully getting ample credit for the incredible roll he has been on in his proverbial second season, but for six weeks he was a very good, but not great back. That fact should not be simply forgotten in the excitement to honor Peterson’s achievements from late October through the end of the season.
“Having the best record in the NFL should count for something”
If all other things are roughly equal, one can justifiably say that the MVP award should go to the best player on the best team in the league.
Each of these MVP contenders has a strong statistical case and plays on a team with a winning record, so they are in that sense roughly equal. Since Ryan is the only one of this group who can make the claim for being on a team that is tied for the best record in the NFL, that tiebreaker should give him the inside track for this award.
Article by KC Joyner
D3
December 19th, 2012
1:10 pm
It’s hard to argue with results, especially one that racks up close to 150 yards rushing, but I still believe that our offense has more potency and potential with Snelling, Rodgers, and A-Smith. Again, I really have no ground or basis to go on more than just what I’ve seen the last year and half regarding Turner. Someone earlier talked about the holes being really good and perhaps that Rodgers could have gained more yardage. It’s hard to say just that, because Turner did pretty well overall.
Turner – 16 carries, 52 yards, long 14
Rodgers – 11 carries, 25 yards, long 6
Snelling – 6 carries, 39 yards
The proof is in the pudding that Turner did a better job than Rodgers vs. the Giants, and that’s cold, hard stats. As I said, I really have no basis for it, but I still think that if we swapped Turner with Snelling or swapped the carries more like Rodgers getting 50% of the carries, Snelling getting 30-35%, and Turner switching roles with Snelling (being a kind of cleanup pile driver) at the end of the game.
The reasons have been discussed ad infinitum throughout the year, but Rodgers and Snelling just give more versatility to the offense in terms of being able to catch and run out of the backfield. I don’t really see that happening this year, but I really think it would make our offense even harder to stop. A few more items:
+ -If nothing else, hopefully, Snelling earned some more touches outright. He’s been the overlooked RB this year, and I think (as many have said) that Snelling runs harder than Turner, on a more consistent basis. In other words, comparatively, Snelling runs harder per touch than Turner more regularly. Turner will give you a good run, burst, or even a whole game every once in a while, but he’ll just as readily give you a clunker as well. I know it’s tough doling out a certain number of carries evenly, especially when there’s so few, but if nothing else, they could go with the hot hand. Who ever’s showing up and running the best, keeps getting the carries. That seems like common sense, but I’ve seen many times them take Quizz out when he’s running good, just to get Turner the ball.
+ -What is the deal with Antone Smith? More specifically, what is the deal with the COACHING STAFF regarding Antone Smith? Sunday makes two games in a row where they have tried putting him in the game and actually tried to get him the ball, only to have a bad throw by Matt Ryan setting up a screen (Panthers game) and give him the ball on a run that was called back due to the holding call (Giants game). And of course he’s never seen again. Either put the kid in and give him a shot, or don’t, but stop teasing him and us fans that we’ll actually get a chance to see his speed.
+ -I know that it’s easy to say that “Turner is Back” and he’s been running well lately, so he should continue to get the majority of snaps, but I’ll just say this. Despite having a great pass-rushing front on the Giants defense, they are particularly weak with their linebackers in stopping the run. Blackburn, Boley, Paysinger? So Turner is able to get some steam up when he runs. However, if we run into a stout run D front four and good set of LB’s (such as Seahawks and Niners), I can guarantee you that Turner will go back to some of his clunker performances.
Arno
December 19th, 2012
1:12 pm
Over the past 25 years, Nolan has coached for 9 different pro teams. I will be surprised if he jumps so soon from a pretty good gig in ATL. I’m also thinking he will want to see what he can do with a couple of drafts under his belt.
Big Lou
December 19th, 2012
1:16 pm
D3
Don’t forget that the Giants are one of the worst running defenses in the league. Turner will put nowhere near the numbers like that versus Seattle or the 49ers.
JB Falcon
December 19th, 2012
1:41 pm
Big Lou @ 1:07, you must have ESP. I saw that this morning and wished an “insider” would copy/paste it so us “outsiders” could read it. A very good article which makes a lot of sense.
The Time is NOW
December 19th, 2012
2:19 pm
Thanks, Big Lou! Good read.
Paddy O
December 19th, 2012
2:44 pm
On Nolan, depends if he sees what everyone else sees – he is in the Wade Phillips role – great DC, lousy HC. If Nolan has accepted his DC greatness and is satisfied with it, and we pay him well enough, he should stay. BUT, if MM got hired, Nolan will get calls if we win – and as TRUTH said, I’d be willing to trade Nolan for a WIN.
D3
December 19th, 2012
2:44 pm
What I don’t want to see……….
In follow up to what I was saying yesterday:
I don’t want to see us go back to some of the offensive clunkers we’ve witnessed against inferior teams vs. Detroit or Tampa Bay. Yes, they are both talented, but most NFL teams have some talent somewhere. Much like the Panthers, if we allow either of these teams to get confidence early, they will use that to their advantage about being able to “play for something” since they’re both out of the playoff picture. They can try to use beating us (one of the best two teams in the NFL in terms of record) as some sort of mythical springboard into next season. As ridiculous as that sounds, it beats the hell out of going out there to just earn a paycheck and get the season over with, particularly Tampa Bay. Detroit is a little different since they’re likely at a sort of crossroads with Jim Schwartz. Even though he led them to the playoffs last year, they’re wasn’t any sort of graceful landing, but rather a meteoric crash back to terrible.
The Bucs are obviously a different story. We’re not dealing with a Raheem Morris type of team, but rather a young and talented team that showed immense promise with a young head coach, only to fade late in the year. They are admittedly rebuilding towards the future and they would love nothing more than to catch us in the jaw right as we’re heading into the postseason.
Above all, I don’t want to see us come out sluggish and in a coma out of the gates. Will we look as fantastic as we did vs. the Giants? Hope so, but maybe not. However, I do not want to see us as pathetic as we’ve looked at times against some of the weaker teams like earlier this year (Panthers #2, Saints #2, Cardinals, Raiders, etc). I want to see energy, distribution, and most importantly creativity. I can’t stomach thinking that the awesomeness we witnessed vs. the Giants was a one-time blip and not the makings of something much more, especially getting ready for the playoffs.
Zoomie
December 19th, 2012
3:02 pm
“Turner will put nowhere near the numbers like that versus Seattle or the 49ers.” — BL
This is exactly what I was thinking while reading D3’s 1:10 PM. Against the 49ers, Turner will be more like a “Sta-Stuft Marshmallow Man.” Gonna have to get creative against that front 7.
Wings
December 19th, 2012
3:15 pm
From PatY at ESPN:
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Ryan has completed 50 of 57 attempts on screens. His completion and attempt numbers are second in the league behind Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has completed 64 of 74 screens.
Ryan’s 374 yards on screens rank No. 5 in the league. But the most important stat is that Ryan leads the league in touchdown passes on screens with five.
I would say our offense was stymied with MM, and it suffers when MT is in. I expect to see the offense Saturday to revert back to “normal” as D3 was worried about.
Arno
December 19th, 2012
3:25 pm
Falcons are grabbing a new normal by the throat and are not letting go. No way they loose this incredible opportunity to define the team!
D3
December 19th, 2012
3:35 pm
Wings — Man, I hope not.
Arno — Man, I hope so.
Not sure if this has been brought up at all, but did anyone see Big Daddy Lamar Holmes debut in the game on Sunday? I didn’t get to see it, but Dave Archer was raving about Holmes coming into the game and plowing a clear path straight ahead. Would love to see the big dawg make some more appearances, hopefully in blowouts the next two weeks. To be frank, I’d much rather see Holmes in as our extra TE instead of Mike Johnson.
Also, something to play around with the next few weeks: punt returner. There’s no excuse not to at least TRY SOMEONE DIFFERENT! We have Antone Smith and Tim Toone that could give it a shot the next two weeks. If they fall flat on their face, than so be it, go back to good ol’ Fair-Catch Franks. But I remember many times seeing holes open that someone with speed could add even more of an element to our team, helping our offense get that much closer to the endzone.
Geo
December 19th, 2012
3:44 pm
Speaking of Buffalo and screens and running backs, I’d really like to see C.J. Spiller in a Falcon uni.
Big Ray
December 19th, 2012
3:57 pm
Some players admitted to becoming too relaxed in their preparation for the Panthers game, which followed a tough victory against the rival Saints. After the humbling 30-20 defeat at Carolina, the Falcons responded with what they said was a focused week of practice before their 34-0 victory against the Giants on Sunday.
That ain’t all. And in the end, it’s on the HC.
Big Ray
December 19th, 2012
4:12 pm
That said, I think Smitty is fed the F up with let-downs.
We run over the Lions and the Bucs.
Wabe
December 19th, 2012
5:10 pm
Spoon’s about to be a guest on NFL 32 on ESPN 2.
Big Lou
December 19th, 2012
5:19 pm
Spooooooon!
Thanks for the heads up, Wabe.
Love that kid.
John Waynesworld
December 19th, 2012
5:37 pm
D3, completely agree with trying different returners, but since Franks has been the guy for so long, come playoff time the only thing I want the PR to do is catch the football and don’t lose yardage. As unimpressive as Franks’ returns have been, it seems as if he is doing exactly what the coaches are telling him, catch the ball and don’t lose yards. Franks is very stiff, protective of the ball, and always going north and south. He literally plays like if he loses a single yard they will bench him.
The insanity continues in the national press on our team. Some outlets barely gave highlights of the game and moved on to another NFC East team. The excuses for the Giants’ losing have been trickling in all week and are now bordering on heartbreaking. There is very little to zero credit going to the Falcons for slapping the Super Bowl champs into astonishment. One of their D linemen said after the game that they “couldn’t believe what happened” and had no answer for their utter failure following putting a 50 spot on New Orleans. Even their coach said they had a great week of practice and didn’t know what happened. I’ll tell you what happened, we happened.
Big Lou
December 19th, 2012
5:49 pm
Couple notes on the Lions:
1. Weak rushing game. That plays in Mike Nolan’s hands. I expect to see some INTs, exotic blitzes, and a scheme to lock down Calvin Johnson.
2. Balanced overall defense. Another test for the Falcon’s offensive line on establishing the run and pass protecting. I’m very interested in the schemes the OC is drawing up to counter Suh.
3. Short week. Who will benefits? Who will be focused?
4. Penalties. One of the most undisciplined teams(Lions) versus the most(Falcons). How will that play out on the field?
Time will tell, but it should be a decent game Saturday night.
Big Lou
December 19th, 2012
6:00 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2012/12/19/atlanta-falcons-still-no-consistent-running-game-with-playoffs-near/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_falcons_blog
Looking like the same ole fatty Turner up the middle. I don’t understand why they keep using him. He got most of his yards after contact due to the Giants poor tackling. Great defenses will eat our run game up if he continues to play.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 19th, 2012
8:12 pm
I’m not one to wish injury on players…but, if Turner tweeks his hammy just enough to miss one of the remaining games, the coaching staff has know choice but move Antoine up the depth chart, probably the only way we see Antoine in anything that resembles getting some burn in our RB rotation.
Thing about Turner getting a hamstring pull is unlikely…he’s built like my Aunt Bessie, big rear end…and hugh thighs. Tuner and Aunt Bessie’s Hamstrings are buried so deep in their thighs… making it next to impossible to pull one. We can always holdout hope, he misses the Team Charter.
phil
December 19th, 2012
8:21 pm
Whichever Big it was that nailed the ESPN writer for the piece on Cruz and that poor child, well said…
I despise articles like that.
I’m scared of whoever we play until we actually get done beating them. Seattle, whoever. Just the thought of wasted Turner one yard runs in the playoffs makes me sick right now. I really want a super bowl title, for me, my son and my dad while he’s still around to actually witness such an unthinkable miracle. And for the loyal fans of so many years.
It’s time.
phil
December 19th, 2012
8:23 pm
I personally don’t want to see this Smith kid fumbling the ball in some crucial spot….
JB Falcon
December 19th, 2012
8:41 pm
Somebody, does Aunt Bessie have an interest in sports?
phil, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Matty Bicep
December 19th, 2012
8:51 pm
With ya Phil on smith, the screen that Ryan missed him by 5 yards was on him, our MVP QB, who has the most accurate screen % in the NFL misses a receiver by 5 yards on a dump off? Ryan threw to a spot, Smith was not near it, could have been a diseaster. I hope he gets some garbage time the next few weeks just to see what he can do,, but we have come too far to pin our hopes on an unproven 4th stringer in the playoffs. Smitty don’t panic, or play desperate.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 19th, 2012
8:52 pm
JB, She’s probably faster than Turner.
LRD
December 19th, 2012
8:54 pm
Biggest concern(s) for Sat;
1) Suh knowing he is out of the playoffs and that we are in the playoff cheapshots one of our starters ended their season. And if it Ryan, then our year is over
2) Roddy White running his mouth and getting into it with the Lions D leading back to choice #1 above
3) Willie Mo is back in the line up, and goes out trying to prove he is the sheriff in town and injures himself again and making him less than probable for the play offs.
4) We blow out the Lions so badly that Smitty pulls Ryan beginning of the 3rd qrtr, throwing my FFL championship win this weekend out the window.
Matty Bicep
December 19th, 2012
9:04 pm
Seems the key to stopping the Seahawks is to stop Lynch, dude has been averaging 10 yards a carry. But lets face it, they put up big number against teams the pretty much quit. I think we could put together a game plan to stop Lynch, and make Russell beat us from the pocket. Although they have put up 50 points, Russel has barely put up 200 yards in the air. I am just glad he is putting up good film so we know what he can do.
Matty Bicep
December 19th, 2012
9:13 pm
Hope Nolan sticks around, I don’t seem him leaving unless he gets a HC position…..and after his last go round, I am not sure teams will be lining up…..plus, if we play deep into the post season, the timing won’t be great either, teams usually like to have their HCs in place before the Super Bowl is over, so maybe we will have that going for us….. Defensive genus’ do not have a great track record as the main guy…..But if MM can get a HC job…..
JB Falcon
December 19th, 2012
9:21 pm
LRD, 1) That’s possible and would be disasterous but Suh is under a magnafying glass
2) RW has a gag order
3) Willie Mo probably won’t play, because we won’t need him to do #4
4) My choice, I prefer reality over fantasy
falcon21
December 19th, 2012
9:34 pm
I think some team would hire Nolan for HC in a heartbeat but I don’t think Mr. Blank will let him get away, he will pay him well to keep him.
Ken Stricklan
December 19th, 2012
9:37 pm
BIG RAY-I have to agree with you on the Smitty being fed up part, especially after seeing what this team is really capable of with only 2 gms remaining. Bye week or no bye week, the playoffs for our Falcons begin this saturday night.
I expect both Koetter and Nolan to use these last 2 gms to work on areas of concern. On OFF I expect us to get off to a quick start and get a lead, then work on establishing our rushing OFF to control the ball and the clock.
JB Falcon
December 19th, 2012
9:37 pm
21, who was talking about Nolan?
falcon21
December 19th, 2012
9:42 pm
Paddy O @ 2:44.
Big Ray
December 19th, 2012
9:45 pm
Phil ,
It was me…hated that article. Ian O’Connor can go nail his pecker to a burning wall.
I understand what you’re saying on Antone Smith. The one time he got in for a play in the last bazillion games….he missed the pass. Might have been overthrown, maybe not.
Yet….he’s got speed. If he fumbles in practice a lot, then I get it…he sits…but then why’s he even on the squad if he’s that crappy….