All-Falcons Monday (Take III): VanGorder under gun again
Can Brian VanGorder, here with Falcons rookie cornerback William Middleton, help work miracles with the team's defense again? (Curtis Compton/ccompton@AJC.com)
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons won 11 games last season. I felt the need to type those words again as a reminder because after looking at some defensive statistics from 2008, I was afraid maybe I had imagined the whole season.
They had the 25th ranked rushing defense. They had the 24th ranked overall defense. They allowed 64 plays of 20-plus yards, which would’ve been just like the Pittsburgh Steelers, if only the Pittsburgh Steelers had been headless and limbless. (Full-bodied, the Steelers allowed only 27 such plays.)
The New Orleans Saints lit up Atlanta for 25 first downs and 521 yards. The Falcons won that game, 34-20.
“Now, we weren’t always perfect,” Brian VanGorder said, smiling. “But you look at points allowed, which is the key stat for a defense, and we did a pretty good job.”
VanGorder is the Falcons’ defensive coordinator. I venture to say that if you really want to know how many games the team will win this season, it starts with him. With Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, the question isn’t whether the Falcons will score a ton of points this season — the question is how many games they’ll be forced to win 34-30.
Gone from the defense are several veterans, including Lawyer Milloy and Keith Brooking. The team will be younger and faster. But there’s also the possibility they will be younger and faster but run in the wrong direction.
The Falcons finished 24th in yardage but 11th in scoring in 2008.
Then again, VanGorder and head coach Mike Smith (whose background is in defense) somehow managed to make things work a year ago. Opponents’ offensive possessions could have been measured by the acre. But the defense allowed only 20.3 points per game, nearly a touchdown better (5.6 points) than in 2007.
They didn’t do this with an inordinate number of sacks or interceptions or forced fumbles. They just did it with . . . well, we’re not exactly sure how they did it. Must’ve led the league in survival techniques.
VanGorder has heard the smoke-and-mirrors references. His response: “I don’t get concerned when I hear those things. From my standpoint, we had good chemistry and a bunch of guys committed to doing what they needed to do for us to win.”
When asked about the onus being on the defense, he said, “I think most of us, meaning defensive coordinators, always feel that way. Offenses across the league have gotten more challenging for us. But the pointing at the defense, the wondering about us and all that – we can’t focus on that.”
He’ll tell you he likes this situation. Young players he can mold. Young players he can be aggressive with. He said he considers himself, “a developmental coach.” It’s what made him so successful for four years at Georgia (a standard Bulldogs fans will tell you that Willie Martinez hasn’t quite lived up to).
It has taken VanGorder a while to get comfortable since then. A year at Jacksonville coaching linebackers. A forgettable season at Georgia Southern as the head coach. A year with the Falcons under Bobby Petrino in 2007, after which he accepted the coordinator’s job at South Carolina — only to make a 180 and decide to stay after Smith’s hiring (which didn’t thrill Steve Spurrier).
There will be some debate about who should get more credit for the defense: VanGorder or Smith. But there’s no questioning how players feel about him. As cornerback Erik Coleman said, “He did great last year in terms of instilling us with that sense of urgency. We love his aggressive [nature]. We take on the personality of our coordinator – being aggressive, being physical, flying around. That’s what we like to do. That’s part of our identity.”
It’s an identity that enabled them to win 11 games last season. Even if the numbers don’t quite add up.
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88 comments Add your comment
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
August 10th, 2009
3:52 pm
Probably time for him to bolt
Jeff Schultz
August 10th, 2009
3:58 pm
Touche.
Bryan G.
August 10th, 2009
3:59 pm
I know an SEC school in Athens that would love to have BVG.
Theophilus
August 10th, 2009
3:59 pm
VanGorder is a genius. One of the reasons the Falcons will become the next NFL dynasty.
Jeff Schultz
August 10th, 2009
4:02 pm
BryanG — wait, don’t tell me, um . . .
Preston
August 10th, 2009
4:03 pm
PLEEEEEEASE come back to UGA Coach! Our D needs you so bad. The talent is here, we just need a DC to get the most out of them and you did a remarkable job while you were here.
JB
August 10th, 2009
4:04 pm
Dawgs are missing his “emotion”…..He had it…Erk had it……
Preston
August 10th, 2009
4:04 pm
BTW, I love the Falcons but I love the Dawgs more.
Sonny Clusters
August 10th, 2009
4:05 pm
We was noticing how busy Jeff has been blogging on the Falcons and we realized he must be trying to make up with Arthur Blank after all that talk about Arthur not being much of a cowboy even if he owns the ranch. These Falcons stories could be good for more ticket sales and that will buy some more horse chowder for Trinity. Keeping a horse can be pretty expensive even when you are a rich landowner with your own football team and a horse that can whistle.
Preston
August 10th, 2009
4:05 pm
Jeff, do you know how much money CBVG makes now vs what he made as DC at UGA?
Eagleblue
August 10th, 2009
4:08 pm
I know a certain Southern Conference team that is glad he’s not with them anymore.
SimpleDawg
August 10th, 2009
4:08 pm
VanGorder is a damn good defensive coach. Just leave him alone. If he has good players, he can definitely coach them up.
The defensive line should be better, the linebackers will be solid, and the defensive backs will be fine as long as the front seven lives up to their promise.
Shadydave
August 10th, 2009
4:16 pm
Just shows it doesn’t matter if you give the other team 99 yards every time they touch the ball… it only counts if they score (of course, if you do that, they will, most of the time)
harleyman
August 10th, 2009
4:17 pm
JB- Please don’t use BVG and Erk in the same sentence. That’s sacrilegious.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 10th, 2009
4:19 pm
I don’t like paycheck jumpers. That said, he did break one off in the ol’ ball coach. Brownie points there.
SimpleDawg
August 10th, 2009
4:23 pm
The juxtaposition of “breaking one off in the Ol’ Ball Coach” and “brownie points” may paint the picture too clearly for some.
Mac
August 10th, 2009
4:25 pm
No, it was not a forgettable season at Georgia Southern. It will be a long time before we forget how he came in determined to “fix” what was not broken and in the process tore it all to heck. That said, as a Falcons fan, I hope he molds a great defense.
Bubba
August 10th, 2009
4:28 pm
Who cares about stats? Just win, baby!
gatorman770
August 10th, 2009
4:30 pm
Brian deserves a fair chance even if he was a former curdawg!
Cow
August 10th, 2009
4:35 pm
MOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Alan
August 10th, 2009
4:38 pm
This time last year we were all crying about what the season in front of us was going to be like, 12 months later we are worried about the defense. People stop and look at the leadership on this team, they have put the offense together that will worry the hell out of the opponets and they will put a defense together this year that will rival the Grits Blitz defense of the past. Have faith and believe. GO FALCONS!!!!
Bryan G.
August 10th, 2009
4:40 pm
Haha…I bet you can figure it out, Jeff.
Volman
August 10th, 2009
4:40 pm
Cow…you actually say “Shazooooooo”. Not mooooo.
PIG
August 10th, 2009
4:40 pm
SNORK,SNORK!!
DUCK
August 10th, 2009
4:43 pm
AFLAC,ER…I MEAN…QUACK,QUACK!!
Cb@CB.com
August 10th, 2009
4:49 pm
He owes me 20 bucks!
Platypus
August 10th, 2009
4:53 pm
WEEERK! WEEERK!
Just A Fan
August 10th, 2009
4:54 pm
haha knew this blog would buy the farm
Carl
August 10th, 2009
4:54 pm
mmm! I studied on it fer quite a spell, mmm, and I figger VanGorder is all we got fer now, mmmm, so’s we’d best get used to givin up, big plays, lotsa yards, and what have ye, mmmm, maybe we can keep them there other fellers from scorin’ too big, mmmm, I don’t know much about it though, mmmm, I never got picked fer it, mmm.
Mike
August 10th, 2009
4:54 pm
BVG also leads the league in widest mouth celebrations, but I love it. Rumor has it Mick Jagger called and asked how he gets his mouth to stretch that wide.
Mr. Papagiorgio
August 10th, 2009
4:56 pm
Jamaaal Anderson needs to step it up this year and earn his keep.
falcon
August 10th, 2009
5:05 pm
If a former Falcon’s player who played on North Ave had not gotten burnt like a piece of forgotten french toast on 3rd and 16, the Falcons had the Cardinals beaten in the playoffs. So all you Techies, whining about CBVG, stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
Georgia fan for life
August 10th, 2009
5:20 pm
How much is Van Gorder worth?
GSU
August 10th, 2009
5:32 pm
JB, how dare you compare that piece of crap BVG to Erk. All he does is leave somewhere the second he gets the chance, and the program, be it college or pro, is the worse for wear. Not because he is a good coach, but because he likes to take the money and run. That bum isnt good enough to get kicked in the face with Erk’s crap covered boot.
REALITY
August 10th, 2009
5:34 pm
Brian Van Gorder is awesome. He will have this defense dominating….watch!
Southside Falcon
August 10th, 2009
5:37 pm
People didnt think that much of the offense last and look how that turned out. All Im saying is you should never underestimate ANYTHING, the whole team suprised last why can’t the defense do the same this year?
"Mr. Falcon"
August 10th, 2009
5:40 pm
The Falcons defense was not great last year, but they were good! All those yards they gave up were trash yards. The Aints got all those yards after the Falcons had beaten them down for three quarters. The Falcons simply played the game with class. Smith is a classy coach, and Van G. does what he is told.
MJM
August 10th, 2009
5:42 pm
JB. Erk had it alright but VanGoober is a moron. Nothing like taking a Payton Award winning QB, switching him to WR and leaving him standing on the sidelines fot most of the season. The Goob didn’t do right with Jayson Foster one of the top 5 players ever to attend Georgia Southern.
Would Erk have done that, heck no.
"Mr. Falcon"
August 10th, 2009
5:48 pm
If the Falcons defense was so bad last year why couldn’t the Cardinals blow them out in the playoffs,”AT HOME”. If Milloy would have been healthy, Bouldin never would have taken that sideline pass to the endzone. Also if Brooking had not made that boneheaded play at the end of the game the Falcons could have made it to the Superbowl! Both of them are gone. That is called addition by subtraction.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 10th, 2009
6:16 pm
Mr Falcon, that game PROVED Milloy and Brookings were done.
jerry
August 10th, 2009
6:18 pm
Hell, I wouldn’t blame him if he left GSU for……………………………………..fill in the blank.
TheItalianDawg
August 10th, 2009
6:22 pm
it was BVG first season for the god sake and did pretty darn good, i’d love to see him in Athens.
Sonny Clusters
August 10th, 2009
6:24 pm
We was never going to make it at Clemson because they wanted us to go to class and that was not where we was best. Instead, one of us went to the Braves and the other to the second shift. I never regretted that until we started blogging here with Jeff and we realized that our first love is writing sports and blogging and being insightful. Knowing that Van Gorder has that sense of urgency would explain brief disappearances from the sidelines during the games. We’d do a blog on that if we had the chance.
The Grinch
August 10th, 2009
6:28 pm
Whatever it is BVG’s doing, he’s doing it well. I hope he sticks around long enough for when we have more defensive talent stockpiled. Next year’s draft and FA period will have this team just about loaded.
The Grinch
August 10th, 2009
6:29 pm
Loaded with talent, that is; not “loaded.” That’s what I’m fixin’ to do at my local watering hole.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 10th, 2009
6:30 pm
And for the record, I think he is a good coach. Attemting to skip a few rungs on the ladder makes his resume look shaky, which I have heard him admit in hind sight he would not do again given the chance.
Time will tell.
Jeff Schultz
August 10th, 2009
6:41 pm
Not surprise BVG is getting a lot of support from Bulldog nation
## Preston – don’t know numbers but I’d have to think it’s SIGNIFICANTLY higher. NFL coordinators make very good money.
Sage of Bluesland
August 10th, 2009
6:45 pm
Losing the fraudulent Hometown Hero (Keith Brooking) is truly ‘addition-by-subtraction’…Good ol’ Keith 3:16; It’s a shame it took a boneheaded play in the last game to finally show (the sheep) that the man was the most overrated, overpaid, bum of a linebacker that I’ve ever seen…
What, do ya’ll think his replacement will do much worse?! How can he?! I expect impact from linebackers–not ankle-grabs eight yards downfield.
Mikefalcon63
August 10th, 2009
6:50 pm
I don’t know if you know this or not, but there are several schools who would love to have BVG as their DC. Take that further, I would bet there would be a few NFL teams calling his name. Forget the year at Southern, people make mistakes and he probably figured out pretty quick that he is a better DC than HC.
Were you kidding?
August 10th, 2009
7:01 pm
Can that horse really whistle?