Falcons show why expectations should be tempered
I'm sure you recognize the face on the cover of Sports Illustrated's NFL preview issue, which says something about expectation level.
It was easy to forget, amid the defensive ruin and Charles Dimry flashbacks, that the Falcons actually won an exhibition game the other night against San Diego.
Thomas Dimitroff barely noticed.
“The third preseason game is very important in terms of setting a tone,” the Falcons’ general manager said. “That’s what was unfortunate about that game.”
Game 4 wasn’t much better. The Falcons lost to Baltimore on Thursday night, 20-3. The preseason reaffirmed what we already knew: This team will go as far as Matt Ryan and the offense carry them, because it won’t be the defense.
It’s easy to get drunk off one great season. The Falcons went 11-5 last season. Unexpected 11-win seasons lead to meteoric expectation levels. Some now believe 11 wins is the standard, rather than partly the residue of overachievement and a soft schedule.
But there was a lesson learned the other night. Several players didn’t perform to the levels that Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith had hoped. And by perform, we’re not referring to talent, but focus and effort. Those are two things the Falcons never lacked last season.
Want to see how quickly 11-5 turns into 5-11? This is the NFL. Start to think you’re better than you really are and watch how quickly the bottom falls out. That won’t play with Smith, who coached tough and physical defenses in Jacksonville. It certainly won’t play with Dimitroff, who came from an organization, New England, where the sum almost always exceeded the seeming value of the parts.
Baltimore fullback Jason Cook burns Chris Houston for a touchdown catch, another bad sign for the defense. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)
Asked what he was looking for in the team’s final dress rehearsal, Dimitroff didn’t hesitate: “I really want to see the second- and third-team players rise up. I want them to go into this with an element of poise. I want them to show that no matter where they are on the depth chart, they need to produce and they need to play with a sense of urgency. I’m speaking more of the defense.”
He also could have been speaking of the No. 1 defense. There are problems. Ten of the 11 starters were on the field in the first quarter — John Abraham being the notable exception — when the defense was schooled by the Ravens’ third-string quarterback, John Beck. Five days after San Diego backup Billy Volek (7-for-9, 102 yards, one touchdown) had a 150.9 quarterback rating against them, Beck engineered a 14-play, eight-minute, 91-yard touchdown drive on the Ravens’ first possession. That set the tone for the night.
Beck went 5-for-5 for 50 yards and a touchdown. (Rating: 147.9) I’m sure it was a very proud moment for Mr. and Mrs. Beck.
Dimitroff wants what he saw in New England — tough, physical, smart defensive players. The Falcons may get there eventually, but that’s not the team they have now.
Drawing conclusions from exhibitions always is risky. Certainly, two national publications look at the Falcons’ offense and expect that to translate to wins. Sporting News, the same outlet that projected a 1-15 record last season, this year predicts a run to the NFC title game. Sports Illustrated just put Ryan on the cover of its NFL preview issue, and picks Atlanta to win the NFC South (but lose in the first round to Green Bay).
A year ago at this time, most tabbed Atlanta to finish any where from last place to possibly having a chance to win six games (only if everything went right and Smith didn’t suddenly decide in Week 3 that he wanted to coach Arkansas). We got so much more than that.
Now expectations might be out of balance in the other direction. But if things go terribly wrong, at least we’ll know why.
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208 comments Add your comment
Rocky flop
September 3rd, 2009
9:38 pm
first
MOT
September 3rd, 2009
9:38 pm
Positives were Wilson, Biermann and a Thomas Brown moment.
Need to make some MAJOR changes on D. DB’s and LB’s are huge suspects. One acquistion (Hill) isn’t near enough.
Jamaaliver
September 3rd, 2009
9:47 pm
The sky is officially falling.
atlshirt.org
September 3rd, 2009
9:49 pm
help fight the recession, http://www.atlshirt.org
NRBQ
September 3rd, 2009
9:51 pm
Congrats, Rocky. Your life’s ambition accomplished.
Sonny Clusters
September 3rd, 2009
9:59 pm
They don’t look bad tempered to us. We was thinking they look like they won’t be able to cover all that much with those little DB’s.
lawton
September 3rd, 2009
10:10 pm
this debacle is on dimitroff this time. he SHOULDVE kept milloy to tutor moore ( and be insurance at safety), kept foxworth which is obvious, and grady jackson. the falcons have NOTHING up the middle of the defense. peterson gets pushed around at middlelinebacker. its gonna be a mess and im predicting a 6 or 7 win season.
Anton Chagura
September 3rd, 2009
10:13 pm
preson is over. Let the beatings brgin.
SGTBILKO
September 3rd, 2009
10:14 pm
Did we really waste a 3rd round pick on Chris Owens? Somebody find Milloys phone number Quick!
Anton Chagura
September 3rd, 2009
10:14 pm
sorry too many margs. let the beatings offically begin hic up!
BugKiller
September 3rd, 2009
10:16 pm
lawton… Peterson is playing WILL.
Lofton, on the other hand, is one of the lone brightspots on the defense at Mike. Notice the Falcons’ run defense is STOUT.
But because they’re having issues pressuring the QB (because of lame-@$$ guys like Anderson) their very average (that’s putting it nicely) is getting torched.
Anton Chagura
September 3rd, 2009
10:16 pm
That my friends was very VERY ugly.
GREGNORTON
September 3rd, 2009
10:16 pm
Time for me to swing and miss yet? Oops, wrong blog. I’m SO confused!
Glitchy
September 3rd, 2009
10:18 pm
Chris Houston is just awful. I have been incredibly optimistic, but with the schedule we have and the defense we have, it doesn’t look good.
D-Line will be OK, but LBs and DBs are not up to NFL standards. Hey Brooking haters, like our new LBs? Peterson is quite the upgrade. He may be small, but he’s slow…..
willie
September 3rd, 2009
10:21 pm
Wow, I wasn’t too concerned when S. Diego chewed us up with their great offense, but this was ugly. The Ravens 2nd string offense (and 3rd string QB) marching straight down the field for a TD. Now I am officially worried. At least Abe (clearly our best defensive player) wasn’t in, but still very ugly.
MOT
September 3rd, 2009
10:22 pm
Shockley gets let go tommorrow and Falcon’s make two major trades over weekend on D.
mudcat
September 3rd, 2009
10:22 pm
Owens sux, Houston sux, our whole secondary sux. The offense better score a LOT of points or we’re going 8-8 this year!
Jeff Schultz
September 3rd, 2009
10:24 pm
Just checking in. Obviously this doesn’t carry leave a great feeling going into the season opener. But I’m sticking to what I’ve said before: 10 wins, which this season might win the NFC South.
nhe
September 3rd, 2009
10:24 pm
Wow, the grammar around here is (dare I say) worse than the Falcons 3rd down defense. The pass rush will be fine. We’ll get the requisite 16 sacks from Abraham, and if Biermann and Sidbury are on the field as often as they should be, we’ll get another 10+ sacks from them.
The run defense looks good, though it drops off severely with the 2nd unit.
People keep saying we should have kept Foxworth. Wake up. He’s from Maryland, and he was an unrestricted FA – he was willing to take less to play for Baltimore – that’s his home. We weren’t going to sign him. You can’t blame TD for that.
It looks bad, but I think we’ll get the pass coverage worked out. I’m actually much more concerned about our inability to create turnovers – none from the first unit in 4 preseason games.
Henry D.
September 3rd, 2009
10:25 pm
Dimitrof got a little to fired up over his “genius”. He either got somewhat lucky last year or is has turned into a dufus this year. He has too many players who are back-up’s at best trying to start because he thought he couldn’t be wrong on a player.
And I am still disapointed with Van Gorder. He needs to get in some players faces and kick some butts.
Monster
September 3rd, 2009
10:30 pm
Wow.
Petersen sux. We need another LB. Boley will be missed. Wire will be playing.
Jerry is disappointing.
Houston, we have a problem.
Speed? Does not look like it.
Lofton: stud!
Bierman: could be….
Bring McMaster and Milloy in here.
Put Middleton and Owens on the practice squad for a year.
Hope William Moore was a good pick, b/c the remainder are dubious.
Beer Man
September 3rd, 2009
10:30 pm
Bierman should have won the starting job opposite Big Abe tonight. He’s played well this preseason and Jerry has looked good 2 weeks in a row. We definitely have issues, but we also have building blocks on Def starting with Lofton, Jerry, Babs, Predator, Bierman with Nichols and Peterson being decent pieces as well. I think I have officially given up on Houston. He gives up play after play and you can see he has lost all of his confidence. We haven’t seen Moore yet (really need him to be good) and the other guys are going to have to step up and play within the system….they have no choice.
Falcon 8211
September 3rd, 2009
10:31 pm
I hope TD and Smitty make some major D. trades because this D. sucks. On the other hand Chris McAllister is still a free agent maybe they will sign him but doubt it because he actually will cover receivers.
WHAT UP!!!
September 3rd, 2009
10:31 pm
Our defense holds them to 7 points through 3 qrts and then the scrubbs come in (many of them wont even come close to being starters) and blows the game. OH SH** THE SKY IS FALLING!! GIVE ME A FREAK”N BRAKE.
JEFF……….exit stage left. Go write somewhere else!!!
Bad News
September 3rd, 2009
10:33 pm
TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy
fanfan
September 3rd, 2009
10:34 pm
Has Shockley learned anything? Why do they keep him?
Joe Flacco
September 3rd, 2009
10:35 pm
You suckers couldn’t even score a touchdown or beat our 4th unit. Damn you people really suck!
nhe
September 3rd, 2009
10:36 pm
Folks – Biermann hasn’t played anywhere but right DE for the Falcons, and that’s Abraham’s primary spot (because its the right handed QB’s blindside). We will see Abe move over to left end to get Biermann on the field, but don’t expect Biermann to start in a position he hasn’t played, and don’t expect Abraham to suddenly move primarily to left DE.
Please dear God in heaven, find a way to keep Jamaal Anderson off my football field.
Reid Adair
September 3rd, 2009
10:37 pm
There are a lot of new faces on the defensive side. It is going to be interesting to see how long it takes them to come together – if they are able to do so at all.
Wozzeck
September 3rd, 2009
10:37 pm
It should be noted that ESPN generally tailors the cover to the market the magazine is appearing in. In other words, I just saw the same cover except with Aaron Rodgers in that helmet. But yes – expectations are high. Ryan just doesnt’ strike me though as someone who’s going to have us wondering “gee what happened to him” at the end of the season. I think he has “it” whatever the heck “it” is.
Wesley Wallace
September 3rd, 2009
10:39 pm
Foxworth and Prime Time are the only two great secondary players we have ever had. DeAngelo Hall is probably a better player now that he has his head on straight. They should have paid Foxworth. What were they thinking? Very tough schedule. I will be happy with .500 season. Maybe Dimitrof can pull a Foxworth out of his butt. That is a magic trick I will never get tired of seeing.
BugKiller
September 3rd, 2009
10:42 pm
How can ANYONE say Jerry is disappointing?
The Falcons run defense is STOUT.
It all begins up front with Jerry. He also has a couple of sacks this preseason.
Some of y’all need to get off the crazy train and come back to reality.
SickandTired
September 3rd, 2009
10:46 pm
The D will be fine people. Some of you are obviously Georgia fans on here and only know how to gripe. Trust this staff and this management team. We will get to where we want to go. BTW, DJ Shockley is done as a Falcon.
curtis
September 3rd, 2009
10:46 pm
we will be fine…..the d will gel, and the o will keep us in it till they do. ja98 actually got a sack too. still hope they don’t keep him around though.
Keith
September 3rd, 2009
10:49 pm
The defense is a downer. Of course, REMEMBER that Cincy beat the Colts 38-7 tonight. You think that’s actually going to happen during the regular season? Just keeping the preseason in perspective…..
poppa falcon
September 3rd, 2009
10:53 pm
I agree with “What Up”……..but our secondary is doing us NO FAVORS!!
nhe
September 3rd, 2009
10:54 pm
I hate that for DJ, but its true, he’s probably done. He throws a very accurate but very uncatchable ball – that’s why we see so many drops when he’s in there. He desperately needs to develop touch as a passer (he currently has less than Vick ever did).
Cedrick (Arlington, TX)
September 3rd, 2009
10:54 pm
Now, we should be worried about this team especially the defense. Our cornerbacks are all below 5′10″ and we do not have Grady jackson to clog the middle. Our defensive “STARTERS” in the first quarter but were unable to knock around the third string back-up QB of Baltimore. Instead this 3rd string back-up drove the team full of back-ups right down or throats to score a TD on our “1ST” team defense. No does anybody not feel scared after hearing this??
Monster
September 3rd, 2009
10:55 pm
Stout? Bugkiller, you and I are watching different games. But I’ve seen 4 preseason games. And Peria Jerry can not get off a block. I wish it were different. I thought he was a stud when we picked him. And I so hope I am wrong. But Warren Sapp never looked like this. Jerry is an average (at best) defensive lineman. And our run defense is not stout. If Lofton can not make the tackle, it is a 7 yard gain.
Bad News
September 3rd, 2009
10:58 pm
HA HA – Keep on dreaming Dorothy’s. Maybe Toto will fall out your butts
A Realist
September 3rd, 2009
11:01 pm
Again…the vertically challenged CBs got burned tonight against the Ravens. Hopefully when the regular season begins the pass rush will be there to help them out. Otherwise we’ll have to hope that the acquisition of Tye Hill will help the secondary real soon or that TD can find some help via the players being cut within the next couple of weeks.
Mr. Optomistic
September 3rd, 2009
11:03 pm
4 – 12 in ‘09?
Sure looking like it.
Bad News
September 3rd, 2009
11:08 pm
Mr. Optomistic
I say 3-13 but what the heck – it’s almost Christmas
Monsterisanidiot
September 3rd, 2009
11:16 pm
Jerry average? Are you crazy? He hasn’t played in an official NFL game yet and you call him average? What I saw out of Jerry was a ROOKIE making improvements in EVERY preseason game.
Some of you people are bat s*** insane. I’ll be happy with a 9 win season this year but don’t expect it with the schedule and inexperience on D. I still believe 2010 is our year.
Michael
September 3rd, 2009
11:19 pm
you know, I really really hate when people dip their chip so deep in a preseason game.
a lot of times preseason games are really not indicitive. its a combination of not scheming, not having the same intensity or feel, etc.
players admit that. they may not when they go on air interviews…but it is true. Cincy beat Indy tonight 38-7.
Detroit went 4-0 in preseason last year.
Let the game next week happen, then start bashing the teams expectations.
Cabbagetown Brown
September 3rd, 2009
11:21 pm
4 – 12 at best!
DrJ
September 3rd, 2009
11:22 pm
Defensive secondary really ugly. I still think Dimitroff will pull a good veteran DB out of the ranks of the unemployed after the final cut. But after watching our play so far, and looking at our schedule, it looks more like an 8 & 8 season.
PMC
September 3rd, 2009
11:22 pm
9-7 or 10- 6 is not a bad record.
They are doing a few things well on defense but they look like a young team. This happens. New Orleans is just as porous and Tampa is an absolute grease fire. We’re ok. I’m not expecting much by way of playoff victories this year, they are still building after all. Patience. The best part is that it looks like they will find ways to be in games and that’s really what you want, a chance to win it at the end and an offense that’s capable of getting it done. We are far from a complete team but they are being whipped into shape… it just takes time. They look better against the run this preseason than they did last year no question. Passing might be spray and pray for a while.
I think they might be a year or even two from competing for championships…. but they’ve got a nice shot at the division this year.
M45
September 3rd, 2009
11:23 pm
You cant jump to conclusions in this Gm.Mostly the Backups played.But there still a little to worry about on the defencive side .
Big Ray
September 3rd, 2009
11:27 pm
This team is not going 4-12, so some people may as well just get over it.
Yes, the defense looks awful, mostly against the pass. It will get better, but these are growing pains. This is the second year of a complete team rebuild. Why can’t people get that through their skulls? Last year was a pleasant surprise, and a percursor of what happens when you change the culture of a team in the right way.
Right now, this team has to prove that they won’t go from winners to losers. 8-8 keeps you from being a loser (though you’re not a winner). 9-7 makes you a winner. 10-6 makes you a team that must be reckoned with at all times.
Hold your horses. And by not overspending, Dimitroff assured the possibility of in-season signings or trades that will cost money.
Sorry, but holding onto Foxworth does just one thing for you: make sure that one receiver is covered for the most part in each game. And even that’s no guarantee.
Falcon 8211
September 3rd, 2009
11:34 pm
i hope our defense is better than what they have shown. hope td works some more magic
Bad News
September 3rd, 2009
11:35 pm
Preseason is over and the GM is still hunting for answers – BRILLIANT!
Falcon 8211
September 3rd, 2009
11:42 pm
oh yeah i still do not understand how td keeps his cool on screen when he knows he has a lot of work to do this week and ya’ll keep talking about other teams cutting players by cut down date. that is just a bunch of other teams rejects. you can not get a shut down corner that way. please people we need chris mcallister can you say 3 probowls and 1 superbowl ring already not to speak of experience and leadership. 1 year contract with incentives based on performance also he provides leadership to our young dbs
Charlie
September 3rd, 2009
11:50 pm
No story here, it is Pre-Season, we will be fine. They will get it figured out, got confidence in smitty.
Real story is Vick, HAHAHAAH. He is looking TERRIBLE, looks like Verron Haynes running the ball. Still can’t hold onto the ball.
Where is Falcon Sorry
BIGGATLDAWG
September 3rd, 2009
11:54 pm
we need some DT’S who can move the pile and get in the backfield. find the best cover corner on the cut wire. and a linebacker who can blitz when needed.
Charlie
September 3rd, 2009
11:55 pm
Bad New, there are 32 teams, and with the exception of New England, every other GM is looking for answers somewhere. Defense will be bad at the beginning of the season, but fortunately we have an offense that will be able to control the clock, and keep us in the games. Expect a lot of 41-38 scores. However, the defense is young and will improve as the season progresses. Pre-season don’t mean anything.
Josh M
September 3rd, 2009
11:58 pm
Good. Lord. People.
This is the preseason, just like the one last year when Detroit was the only team to go undefeated. Yeah, the d backfield looks suspect, but I’m reading some real Chicken Little crap here. Please, some of my friends need tickets – if you’re not into what’s going on, donations are welcome.
Snewo DAWG
September 4th, 2009
12:11 am
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is a good CB or two that can cover the opposing WRs worth a damn, and if the Falcons could get them before the season opener that would be great.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
12:15 am
HA HA – Can only score 3 points against the 4th unit
Hamad Meander
September 4th, 2009
12:17 am
Charlie – don’t ask for Falcon Sorry – he’ll show up as soon as he sobers up.
Ok, this was a preseason game. The intensity wasn’t there, it should have been there, but it wasn’t. That doesn’t mean that this is exactly how this team will play when the season starts. Let’s HOPE there is better D when it counts.
I’m not as concerned about the personnel as I am the intensity and smarts on the field. I think we’ve got a good group, but I’d like to see Anderson benched, Hill play well, and the safties call good coverages. I believe there will be a lot of coaching, film study, and practice next week that will help this team play solid enough on D to win lots of games.
Skee
September 4th, 2009
12:19 am
Just let the season begin and then end, then we’ll know!
Boo Boo
September 4th, 2009
12:24 am
They need to cut Brookings! He’s too old and too slow, and he’s affraid to hit anyone. Plus, he went to Tech. Sorry. Just miss those suggestions on how to fix a bad defense.
IlliniDawg
September 4th, 2009
12:25 am
I have always wondered why the Falcons secondary seems to suck every year. Outside of 1998, with Booker and Buchanon and Eugene Robinson, we have had either preening self-absorbed prima donnas (Deion, Deangelo, etc) or “smart” and “physical” [read short and slow] “blue collar”guys (Case, Bush, Dmry).
Brent S.
September 4th, 2009
12:30 am
I saw some brighter spots on defense this week.
Houston STILL sux
Jamal Anderson just needs to sit his butt down!!!!!.
Peria Jerry looked pretty good a few times. He’s a rookie still trying to get his feet wet.
I did like Chevis Jackson’s hustle on D tonight.
I guess the ONLY thing I was disappointed with tonight, was when we didn’t go for it on a few 4th and shorts. It’s pre-season, heck, why not. Let’s see what kind of “JUICE” we got.
Other than these spots, I feel the defense will grow and get better. Keep in mind, Ty Hill didn’t even play tonight! Once the season starts, our offense will click enough to help our defense out until they start to gel as a unit.
Brent S.
September 4th, 2009
12:31 am
Hey Boo Boo, I hope you were kidding about Brooking…you do know he is no longer a Falcon, correct?
Dan
September 4th, 2009
12:46 am
Great Falcon DB Roland Lawrence, Bobby Butler, Scott Case
Matt the Brave
September 4th, 2009
12:48 am
All I want is 9. Just 9 wins. They don’t even have to be pretty wins. Just have a winning season so we don’t have to listen to the crap that ESPN reports on every time they mention the Falcons. For the love of all that’s Sacred, just give me 9.
gcs
September 4th, 2009
12:51 am
I really liked what management did in year 1 but I think they took a step backwards when they dumped Brooking and Foxworth (and to a lesser degree Grady Jackson and Boley).
.
Dr. Warren
September 4th, 2009
12:52 am
When you can isolate a specific problem in preseason–such as an incompetent secondary–then it doesn’t matter that it’s just preseason. They are who you see they are. And that means we have real problems that will persist in the regular season.
Atlanta Falcons Talk » Blog Archive » Falcons show again why expectations should be tempered
September 4th, 2009
1:06 am
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/200…ld-be-tempered/ Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs Posted September 4th, 2009 in Atlanta Falcons Blogs. [...]
Gravy Train
September 4th, 2009
1:06 am
Bug, Why is it okay to single out players for the Falcons but not for UGA? Where were the vaunted defensive adjustments of BVG tonight? Why is his secondary getting torched four straight weeks now? When is he going to start “coaching them up” or “making more with less” as you say? No pressure from the front four and BVG is average. Got caught blitzing again tonight too. That’s all I’m gonna say. I just hope you are learning something along the lines of player execution. Especially when a DC has the advantage of having an unblockable DE as opposed to not having one.
Confused
September 4th, 2009
1:12 am
Is that what it is with DJ? He throws a very accurate but uncatchable ball? I’m not really disagreeing with that, but it’s funny the Ravens defender was able to catch it.
jeremy t.
September 4th, 2009
1:22 am
Why are some of you people saying 4-12? Are u serious? We have one of the best offenses in the league if not THE best, enough to carry us to at least 9 wins alone. The true problem is indeed the defense. Chris Houston and Jamaal Anderson are awful (Mckay picks) and should have developed by now. I was high on Chris Owens but he was torched tonight and Brent Grimes shows signs of athleticism but has dropped at least 4 balls he should have intercepted this preseason and did not look well early last season. The verdict is out on Decoud while Coleman and maybe Tye hill are guys to believe in. And why do some of you keep screaming bring back milloy? Did you see the same playoff game against the cardinals as i did? Yes, he’s good for leadership but his skills are have highly diminished. Look for Dimitroff to pull something off once final cuts are made. We’ll probably see 2 corners brought in.
Boo Boo
September 4th, 2009
1:23 am
Yeah Brent I know. I just miss the “let’s fix a bad D” on a 11-5 team. This team is just to easy to complain about.
Scottbravesfan
September 4th, 2009
1:33 am
Preseason doesn’t mean a damn thing.
Big B CH 99
September 4th, 2009
2:47 am
I know people will get mad, but I think U have to keep JPW over DJ b/c he just flat out outplayed DJ this preseaon, & since DJ can’t move up past 3rd string in his 4th yr, U have to say that he’s never gonna be more than a 3rd stringer, therefore U ahve to go w/ the rookie JPW.
Calvin G. Sims, Sr.
September 4th, 2009
2:56 am
Charlie, I was actually enjoying the rare silence from falconsorry. Be careful what you ask for. GO FALCONS!!!
Calvin G. Sims, Sr.
September 4th, 2009
3:05 am
Hey Dan, when you name good DB’s, don’t forget Kenny Johnson, circa 1980. He is often overlooked but boy could he play. He was ferocious too. A poor man’s Ronnie Lott.
The Anti Bug LIAR
September 4th, 2009
5:59 am
Hello Grim Reaper… Party of 53? Da… da da da.. da… da, da… da da…DA!!! How apt that they are bringing back those ugly 66 deadbird uniforms! Stop looking in the Way Back Machine!!! You better hope for a BAILOUT!!!
To the Future!
Jeff Schultz
September 4th, 2009
6:12 am
Sitting on MARTA, going to airport, heading for Stillwater . . .
Henry D – BVG does his share of yelling. But you can’t yell all the time. It’s about teaching, esp. with such a young defense.
Monster – Boley was pretty average last year. I think Jerry was a lot better last night than he had been. He was right there with Biermann.
Boo Boo – That was pretty funny.
Jeff Schultz
September 4th, 2009
6:18 am
FYI, Falcons Sorry was banned about 2 weeks ago.
jc_falcons
September 4th, 2009
6:27 am
TD and Smith have to know that the secondary is sub-par and that they better do something about it. There will be many available cb’s in the next week or 2 that are better than Houston or Grimes.
Bottom line….Arthur aint gonna be too happy if the secondary does not improve and starts costing us games.
Maxwell Snark
September 4th, 2009
6:35 am
Don’t you love your job? Work late, get up early and travel. Whoo hoo. Not.
I appreciate it, though.
midnite
September 4th, 2009
6:41 am
Saturday could be a very interesting and busy day for Dimitroff and the Falcons. I don’t think it’s time to throw in the towel yet. Keeping fingers crossed.
Chuckles Dimry
September 4th, 2009
6:56 am
I trained Chris Houston real hard this off-season. We worked a lot on footwork! It showed lat night, he was great! My secret weapon was my special bowling shoes. I could glide all over the place, but cutting could be tough. Sometimes I would slip but that was because the grass was slick. Someone in Canton asked for those shoes after Jerry Rice got lucky and scored five touchdowns against me. It was a fan in Canton GA and he wanted to burn them, like the toast they served me for breakfast the next morning at the Falcon in. Why was everyone laughing at my toast?
And why didn’t Jerry Rice thank me when he went into the Hall of Fame for making him better what with all of our classic battles and confrontations?
Jeff Schultz
September 4th, 2009
7:13 am
Maxwell Snark — Thanks. This is the side of the job people don’t see but I’m not complaining, especially these days.
Chuckles — Dimry was supposed to induct Rice at the Hall of Fame. But he got lost in coverage and ended up in Des Moines.
SirReal
September 4th, 2009
7:36 am
Ok, so how does the FIRST TEAM Defense get scrubbed up by a THIRD STRING QB?!!!!! I really do not think its the front seven. We’ll get it together with them….but this POROUS, SWISS CHEESE secondary (except Coleman, he’s solid) is TERRIBLE. Houston is NOT the answer, nor is Brent Grimes…..as much as I like TD, he may have whiffed on the D this year……
Nativebird
September 4th, 2009
7:40 am
Okay, yes surprise, the secondary is young and struggling. Thus the continued problems on 3rd down. The good news from last night was Peria Jerry, he showed up and showed WHY he is indeed going to be eventually an NFL star. GREAT PICK. indeed our DL played well. mr. BIERMAN, once again, showed why he needs to be at least on the 1st team rotation at DE, with Chauncy Davis.
again, it is clear Jamaal Anderson is the odd man out on this DL. All of our DE’s play better, and at DT, even Johnson is better. It’s sad, but this former overall #8 pick appears, IMHO, to be under the cut-line.
the youngster’s Owens and Middleton have SUCH a long way to go. Im wondering now if Dimitroff is slightly questioning his off-the-beaten recruiting paths to Furman and San Jose State. If not, he should be. Talking about a steep learning curve to the NFL.
Nativebird
September 4th, 2009
7:44 am
Oh, and yes, Dimitroff should consider packaging the former 1st rounder Anderson in a trade for some experienced NFL DB depth.
MiltonDawg
September 4th, 2009
7:54 am
the D line may have looked good, but dang, that secondary looks horrible!!! You had Jordan Beck basically picking apart our starting D. TD needs to add another DB asap!!! Anybody left from Arena League??
MiltonDawg
September 4th, 2009
7:55 am
JS- have you arrived in Stillwater yet??
Harleyman
September 4th, 2009
7:59 am
Time for Van Gorder’s head to roll. It’s funny, no one thinks he could be the problem.
One Starter
September 4th, 2009
8:28 am
The Ravens only played one starter all night and our D couldn’t stop that? Long, long season ahead.
MightyQuinn
September 4th, 2009
8:30 am
From what I’ve seen, the front seven is fine against the run, but they are not getting any pressure on the QB and that makes the shortcomings at corner and safety even more obvious. Its not just the DB’s that are the problem, its the entire pass defense. Even when they bring 7 guys in on a blitz its not happening, and THAT is a MAJOR problem. And I’m somewhat strangely sad falcons sorry is gone. Its kind of like when your crazy uncle dies. You wonder who’s gonna take over showing up in their underwear for thanksgiving dinner.
CrazyVol
September 4th, 2009
8:46 am
Wow, that’s 3 hours of my life I will never get back. Yea I know pre-season, but the Falcons looked sad in all areas. Went and got the Falcon car tag which allowed me to have access to the field before the game, and where did they put me? At the endzone with the Ravens??? Ask the ushers what was up with that, they stated it is what it is. Should have known it was going to be a baddddddddd night.
All I can say from last night is that Beck schooled the Falcons, and Owens…….well momma wont let me use the words I need to for Owens.
10 Wins Schultz?? Not this year.
Benjamin
September 4th, 2009
8:49 am
Yep…this gonna be a LONG season…
SO glad I didn’t waste the $300 to watch this debacle unfold via Sunday Ticket this season…
greg
September 4th, 2009
8:50 am
Before the preseason started I was saying 10-6 because the schedule is much tougher than last year. Then after the Detroit game I said 8-8. After the San Diego game 7-9. Now it’s going to be 6-10. Book it. This team is not very good.
Hollywould
September 4th, 2009
9:07 am
Good one on Dimry Jeff.
I need to be stimulated
September 4th, 2009
9:13 am
I’m on the Train.
Jump on and become a member of Peria’s Fan Club!
Jerry’s Kids!
Chef montuer
September 4th, 2009
9:14 am
4 wins max
Jamaal=Bust
September 4th, 2009
9:24 am
I think the team will be fine. The offense is going to score enough points to keep us in games and the young secondary will learn on the job and become tougher as the season progresses. We’ll take our lumps but I actually think our defense is kind of like Arizona’s defense last year. Mind you, we had a bend but not break defense last season and I see the same thing right now, we’ll be fine people. the sky is not falling, not until we start out 0-4. Then hit the panic button.
Go JP
September 4th, 2009
9:44 am
So when will they make the final roster cuts?
FalconsFan
September 4th, 2009
9:46 am
For those going on and on about the schedule and how tough it is, keep in mind that ALL of the NFC South has to play the AFC East and NFC East as well as each other. That’s 14 games where the opponents will be the same for the Saints, Bucs, Panthers and Falcons, taking the Bucs out of the equation, I see the Saints and the Panthers to be comparable teams to the Falcons overall. 9-7 may just win the NFC South and put the Falcons back in the playoffs. Right now all of the NFC South teams have weaknesses, at the end of the season beating one of the NFC South teams twice may just be the key to winning the division.
FalconsFan
September 4th, 2009
9:46 am
GO JP,
The final 53 have to be set by Saturday, 9/5, however that doesn’t mean the team is set in stone.
Nostradamus
September 4th, 2009
9:56 am
Mike Vick will win a Super Bowl ring before Arthur Blank does.
Go JP
September 4th, 2009
10:04 am
Thanks for the info FalconsFan… here is hoping that JPW makes the cut even thought the team may npt be set in sotne at least it will be closer to a reality for him.
Ripped Again
September 4th, 2009
10:04 am
Peter King from SI has the Falcons going 10-6 ,wonder what he’s been smoking !
jfreak13713
September 4th, 2009
10:15 am
Falcons look like a 10 – 6 team based on what I’ve seen so far. They will beat the teams they should but will lose games to tougher teams. 10 – 6 will probably get them a playoff spot but I don’t see them winning Super Bowl. Defense just isn’t good enough and offense can only take you so far. Falcons will be good and they may surprise us again with a 12 – 4 record and an NFC title?? I have my hopes!
YUP!!
September 4th, 2009
10:18 am
The 5% that know what pre-season means can stay. The other 95% can go hangout with Vick.
tidog
September 4th, 2009
10:20 am
I need a real Falcon fan for this. A 70’s Falcon seconday lead the league in int’s. “The Soul Patrol” Ray Brown SS, Clarence Ellis FS, Tom Hayes CB, Who was the other starting corner?
j
September 4th, 2009
10:41 am
superbowl bound folks. Your falcons will be superbowl champs this year.
m turner will rush for 2500 yards and 32 tds and retire after the 2009 season.
YUP!!
September 4th, 2009
11:00 am
I’ve been saying 12-4 since march and sticken with it.
GO FALCONS!!!!!
charlotte_dawg
September 4th, 2009
11:04 am
The D line can’t rush the passer, and the DB’s can’t cover. That is a perfectly cut, marinaded, seared, and grilled piece of suckage right there.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
11:05 am
I’m taking bets that Albert Haynesworth takes out Ryan in the 1st quarter – anybody wants some of that action?
But seriously, is there anyone concerned with Ryan’s play against the Chargers 2nd & 3rd units. The Chargers took all of their starters out of the game in the 2nd and half time, yet Ryan couldn’t deliver the ball to Roddy & Tony in the redzone.
He nearly had 3 PICK6. Now if the NOODLE ARM qb can’t move the chain due to PICKS and continue to struggle in the redzone, that means more time with the defense on the field.
You can’t have shoot outs (as you delusional people think) if there are no bullets in the chamber.
This team might even be worst than the 2007 team. At least in 2007 there were no expectations, but in 2009 if this team bombs, the NOODLE ARM quarterback will take a lot of heat from Arthur Blank.
It’s funny how you guys were raving about Dimitroff being a “Genuis” and now less than a season later, he can’t even assemble a good defense. When most teams are top heavy in talent and considering who to cut, the great TD is scratching his head (in private), now realizing 2007 was lucky and he is now over his head.
The Falcons will be the joke of 2009. The “TD/SMITH/RYAN” experiment will be over by 2010.
Chris
September 4th, 2009
11:07 am
i liked what i saw of our new DT Jerry (no clue how to spell his first name, hehe). Saw him being fairly disruptive a few times blowing up plays
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
11:18 am
Charlotte, you are right, our D line cannot put pressure on the passer, that John Abrahams guy just is terrible.
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
11:21 am
How many games have you seen where a defense starts out and can’t stop anyone, and come out in the 2nd half and shut other teams down?
Think, if a defense can look completely different from half to half, with the same exact players, simply by making adjustments, imagine how different a defense can look between 10 days, with different players.
You doomsaysers are losers
blord
September 4th, 2009
11:25 am
We have to be realistic. DT has went from GM of the year to a idot in some peoples books it seems. We knew a couple of things going in.
a. Our offense would be good and I still think it is going to be.
b. Our defense is going to be better at the end of the year than at the begining. I also still think that is the case. Or I certainly hope it is.
DT caught lighting in a bottle last year with Ryan and I don’t know that it is realistic to put that same expectation on Jerry. Rookies rarely come in and set the league on fire right away. Jerry is getting better and will continue too. I am still excited about him. Also, the last few weeks a lot of folks were praising Owens and his physical play and now they are killing him. Last night was bad but I not unexpected. Owens will be fine as long as he doesn’t have to play a major roll anytime soon. The secondary needs help but lets not jump off the ship yet. After all right now we are undefeated and we start with Miami who isn’t exactly an offensive machine throwing the ball thank goodness
Maxwell Snark
September 4th, 2009
11:27 am
Falcons will go 9-7 or 10-6 max.
Burp
September 4th, 2009
11:28 am
DT has went? I think you mean TD has gone.
"Mr. Falcon"
September 4th, 2009
11:30 am
There sure are a lot of dummies on this blog! Not one of you is psychic! PROfessional sports analysts seem to think the Falcons will have a good year. The PREseason is over! Lets see what happens next week shall we! There is nothing wrong with our defensive or offensive lines. That is a very good sign. Lets think positive people! We will not lose games in the trenches. This defense is YOUNG, and they SHOULD get better as the season goes on. However, #23 and #98 (both from Arkansas) are terrible.
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
11:35 am
Defense is more about schemes, packages and communication than individual players. We are young, fast, and learning. I am going on record to predict 35 combined sacks from Sid, Bier and Abe.
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
11:36 am
I am feeling giddy, I am going to throw predict 1 sack for Jam too.
SWAMI
September 4th, 2009
11:42 am
Jeff: Why was Falcons Sorry banned?
PMC
September 4th, 2009
11:43 am
How about Vick with the 2 fumbles a pick 4 sacks including a 35 yard loss. Reads like a stat line from 2006.
As much as we might be concerned about defense boy is it great to have that idiot out of town. No more 8-8 seasons that he mails in in between turnovers.
I wish him the best… but I doubt he gets on the field still playing that horribly.
blord
September 4th, 2009
11:44 am
Thanks Burp for the correction.
Winston
September 4th, 2009
11:58 am
Falcons 8-8.
IlliniDawg
September 4th, 2009
11:58 am
tidog:
I think you are talking about the 1974 Biirds, who had 23 INTs. The fourth member of the starting secondary was Ken Reaves. As good as those guys were, the 1975 and 1977 teams, with Rolland Lawrence, had 25 and 26 INTS respectively. You can find all of the stats and rosters and game reports at this URL: http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/teams.nsf/histories/falcons
SWAMI
September 4th, 2009
11:59 am
@PMC You better start worrying about the Falcons instead of MV7. These birds will be LUCKY to go 8 & 8. You will see what Vick can do when he destroys these chicken hawks. MV is a better cornerback than anyone in a Falcon’s uni. Probably a better linebacker too. LOLOL.
6 wins for the birds this year.
IlliniDawg
September 4th, 2009
12:01 pm
Jeff:
Dude sometimes you are funny as hell. That line about Dimry getting lost in coverage and missing Rice’s HOF induction has made me laugh all morning. Gosh that guy really did suck bad.
So who writes your material? Is that a line you picked up from somewhere else or your own stuff?
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
12:15 pm
Swami, Vick is done, he looks he is wearing cement shoes. He has no quickness. Did you see the sack fumble, he did not even scramble for the ball. I was a fan, and could care less about his dogfighting, he paid his price; just keepin’ it real, that’s all.
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
12:16 pm
I doubt Vick makes the cut in Philly. Good thing he got that degree.
Navigator
September 4th, 2009
12:26 pm
Jeff (if you read my comments) you know I seldom disagree with you, and really don’t this time. Looking at preseason is no measure of what a teams defense will do when the starters are playing together. Otherwise, the Giants defense last night was a dead give away that they will struggle, Not!!! With the talent improvements, the defense may not look up to snuff in the first four games, but watch them to continually improve the rest of the season. They know the one place they will struggle (corner back), but when they come out of vanilla defenses run during the preseason, they will scheme around that weakness (plus bringing in some free agents). The other part is the offense, and they will be better going into their second season together (don’t forget Tony G at tight end). 11-5 may be harder to make, but 10-6 is the minimum.
SWAMI
September 4th, 2009
12:34 pm
@Charlie: Vick has been completely OUT OF FOOTBALL for 2 years.
He will get it back.
I don’t expect you to be funny but at least try to be amusing. Just keepin it real.
JT
September 4th, 2009
12:38 pm
The Atlanta fans really do miss FALCON SORRY. Since you are the commisioner of this blog and have the almighty power can you reinstate FALCON SORRY like Comisionner Goodell reinstated Micheal Vick. Bring him back in week 3. Since FALCON SORRY feels for Vick and idilozes him why not have him experience the pain and the unfair treatment that Mr. Blank gave Vick. I know that FALCON SORRY feels that Mr. Blank had him suspended from your blog and back stabbed him just like he says that Blank did to Vick. I think that FALCON SORRY has served enough time. Please reinstste him before Jesse Jackson and Al sharpton get involved.
Any way, FALCON SORRY is correct on a few points. Vick is the best football player in the history of football, (that has done jail time that is). We need to forgive FALCON SORRY. Let’s look at his past and see how his environment has affected him. If his family had money he would have never gone to the Hellen Keller School of Thought University.
PLEASE BRING HIM BACK. HE WAS VERY ENTERTAINING.
YUP!!
September 4th, 2009
12:46 pm
Bad News……….you really don’t have a clue do you.
Everytime you diss the Falcons you end up eating crow.
Do us all a favor and stop breathing.
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
12:47 pm
Swami, you are right, he has been out of football, for 2 years. He is 2 years older, no guarantee he will ever “get it back”.
As a matter of fact, what he had was the gifts of youth, people have been trying how to “get it back” since the beginning of time.
I soulds like you are thinking from your heart, not your brain. I know what I saw, just keeping it real.
YUP!!
September 4th, 2009
12:47 pm
There you go SWAMI make excuses for the looser!!!
J-MAN
September 4th, 2009
12:50 pm
This upcoming draft is really low in talent as compared with the last 10 years so We need to use our picks to take a chance and go for it. There wont be a salary cap next year so with Billionaire Blank I totally expect a spending spree only behind Daniel Snider and Jerry Jones in fact. Lets trade our picks and get a corner and linebacker.
Lance
September 4th, 2009
12:53 pm
well, Falcons Sorry is gone, but we still have Bad News, who is kind of the poor man’s version of Falcons Sorry. The only difference is that Bad News is, somehow, actually dumber. Noodle Arm quarterback…LOL. I’ve got to think he’s joking and doesn’t even take himself seriously.
Hamad Meander
September 4th, 2009
1:12 pm
John Parker Wilson has won the 3rd string QB job on the field. Let’s see what the front office does about it. The way I look at it, the Falcons are screwed if they have to play the 3rd string QB, so why not keep the one that is cheapest and most effective?
I’m modestly optimistic about this season – injuries can change all of that, of course. With Gonzalez and the addition of some new defenders, the team should be mostly better on offense than last year, and maybe slightly worse on defense. I’ll take that. Now we just need to make sure the ball bounces are way more than not…..
Jay Falcon
September 4th, 2009
1:12 pm
To all of you who say we should have kept Foxworth, it was impossible. I remember reading he would have taken less money to play for his hometown team (the Ravens.) They payed him well, so imagine how much more it would have cost the Falcons.
JJFalconFor Life
September 4th, 2009
1:16 pm
All we need to do is “pump up the volume on our pass rush”. Basically get our first team rotation set on the d-line, let the Predator and whoever his sidekick turns out to be loose on the quarterback,then our “average looking” secondary will look a lot better.
Hamad Meander
September 4th, 2009
1:17 pm
Vick’s stats from his last preseason game: 7/11 for 26 yards (2.26 yards per attempt), one interception, 2 fumbles, 7 rushes for 35 yards and one TD.
Sounds like the old Vick is back to me…….
Hamad Meander
September 4th, 2009
1:19 pm
I meant the ball bounces “our way” – geeez, the average grammar and spelling on this message board has certainly influenced my abilities……
DaculaJones
September 4th, 2009
1:27 pm
I was so looking forward to a fun night in front of the TV watching the Braves & Falcons along with the start of the college football season, SC and NC State game and maybe catch a bit of Vick on the NFL network. All night long I kept thinking “This is the definitions of ineptitude”
1. The Braves bullpen has run out of steam due to overuse.
2. The Falcons D will come up with so many ways to keep themselves on the field this season, the O won’t have enough time to score any points this season.
3. If Vick wasn’t Vick, would he even make the Eagles roster?
4. After the opening drive turnover and score the SC NCS game went downhill fast. The last NCS drive where the endzone pass went through 2 defenders and a receivers hands was the picture of ineptitude.
HGN
September 4th, 2009
1:31 pm
Defensive line is a work in progress, and will get better. Defensive backfield is making NO progress. Should have kept Foxworth. It doesn’t matter which DB gets cut, one is no better than the other. TD needs to scan waiver-wire ASAP to find DB’s because the one’s we have just aren’t ‘cutting’ it. They’re either too small for the job or in some cases too slow. Either way its ending up costing us big gains or touchdowns. We need help on the defensive side of the ball , like yesterday.
ChippersLoveChild
September 4th, 2009
1:33 pm
Ryan is a regional cover boy along with Romo, Rodgers, and I believe Big Ben? Saying they put Ryan on his cover makes it seem like he was the only one.. the national spotlight isn’t completely on Ryan, but a lot will be expected.
midnite
September 4th, 2009
1:44 pm
I wonder since Mike Vick has underperformed(41 total yards in 27 plays)will his Eagles teammates drown, slam to the ground, or electrocute him like he did those dogs that underperformed?
midnite
September 4th, 2009
1:51 pm
Bad News-Almost does not count in the NFL. Why don’t you tell us which team you are a fan of? Oh I know, it’s whoever wins the SB each year.
steve mccachren
September 4th, 2009
2:11 pm
Charles Dimry was not that bad, no corner could single cover Jerry Rice the way Dimry was asked to. Charles was a starter for the Bronco’s after he left the Falcons. Just saying
YUP!!
September 4th, 2009
2:51 pm
Right on midnite!!!! BRING OUT THE BATTERY CABLES!!!!!
The Anti Bug LIAR
September 4th, 2009
3:09 pm
And these are the same people who always scream about bloggers bringing, defending, or mentioning Vick… They can’t go a day without inferring him here… My goodness!!! And the defense still sucks!!! How many more days before Noodles Pennington and Wildcat Brown rake up that 500 total yardage day?
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
3:56 pm
PMC
I think Vick plays for Philly – maybe you should go on their blogs if you want to discuss a former player.
Now, lets discuss NOODLE ARM, since he is the leader of the team.
Everybody blamed the tightends for his struggles in the redzone, so TD signs a hall of famer and once again he struggles in the redzone – who is to blame this time?
If it smells like a NOODLE ARM
If it walks like a NOODLE ARM
If it throws like a NOODLE ARM
Then folks – it must be a NOODLE ARM
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
4:01 pm
PMC
It’s apparent the truth is not something you are used to doing. You quoted Vick had a 35 yard loss.
Interesting. If the line of scrimmage is the 22-yard line and you are down on the 2 yard line, how does that equate to 35 yards?
I know crack destroys the brain, but in the real world, that is a 20 yard loss, so how did you come up with 35 yards?
Let me guess – it’s another attempt to fabricate the truth to paint a worst picture, even if it’s a flat out lie.
Just like the 4 sacks that he had – explain to me why a sack is the quarterback’s fault.
You my friend are an idiot
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
4:11 pm
CHARLIE
You and PMC needs to stop smoking that crack
There is no way Vick is getting cut!
The Commissioner is not going to watch all those number 7 jerseys walk away. The commissioner personally ordered the Eagles to sign him. The commissioner has shown Vick so much favortism it’s funny
As far as Vick being done, there is no qb in the history of the NFL that can miss 2.5 years of inactivity, no OTAs, no TRAINING CAMP, walk onto a field with 2 weeks and take the football field.
If a washed up qb can scramble for 16 & 11 yards while not being in football shape, then Matt Ryan needs to miss 10 seasons
As I write this blog, I’m watching NFL Live, and they are raving how well his ROCKET ARM, not NOODLE ARM (like someone else) and quickness will only get better once he gets into football shape.
Don’t worry, you will see how washed up he is on………
December 6 ———— THE MASSACRE IN THE DOME (The Story)
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
4:22 pm
MIAMI (Wildcat) DOLPHINS
I was thinking of going to a comedy show, but this game will be the funniest thing for the week
It’s going to be so damn funny watching Ricky Williams & Ronnie Brown run up and down the throats of these “GIRLIE BIRDS” 
Lets see what ole NOODLE ARM or better known as Mr. Eureka (sucks better than Dirt Devil), can do in the 1st game.
0-3 & done before the BYE
Sonny Clusters
September 4th, 2009
4:24 pm
We was wondering about what is the difference between Mike Vick fighting dogs and those children on the front page of this website fighting chickens? Maybe Jeff can tell us.
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
4:35 pm
Bad News, you might have a point, the NFL might keep him on a roster so they can sell jerseys to all the morons out there. I am sure it is the same guy spends $300 on a Jersey, but then can’t pay their mortgages
However, he was once among the fastests runners in the NFL, his foot speed is gone, and that is what seperated him from any other QB. Foot speed has nothing to do with playing or not playing. I would love to see he 40 time.
Arm stregnth is over rated, Look no further than Jeff George and Joe Montana.
Bottom line, unless he can transform into a passer who excels at reading defenses, he is done. My guess is he is too stupid to develop, and I have a lot of facts to back that up.
Just keeping it real.
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
4:45 pm
Vick had a lot of god give talents, formost he speed.
However, he smoked pot, did not work overly hard to train (as he admitted), and now that he is 30, it all caught up with him. he used to run like Barry Sanders, now he runs like Verron Haynes.
Playing football has nothing to do with speed, either you have it, or not. Once it is gone, it will never come back. You could kind of see it in 05 and 06, he had lost a step, now he has lost about 4.
He had world class speed, but he had low rent habits (smoking weed, fight dogs), and it all caught up with him.
He will go down in lore as the Mike Tyson of QBs.
BobStevens
September 4th, 2009
5:03 pm
I saw on tv last night how Vick was gushing with joy about being reinstated. Then he goes out and fumbles twice and literally stinks up the field with his poor and pathetic play. Vick is a wanna be, mediocre no-talent bum who is milking the NFL for his employment. He should be a garbage truck driver making his money honestly without taking advantage of his fans who are paying to see him literally steal their money.
YUP!!
September 4th, 2009
5:24 pm
Bads News……..in Vick’s case it’s always his fault. The DUMBA** can’t read a defense fast enough to get the ball to a receiver.
I love it when you post on here Bad News…..it gives retards hope.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
5:41 pm
Joe Flacco (big arm)
Tom Brady (big arm)
Eli Manning (big arm)
Peyton Manning (big arm)
stay with me now boys………
Ryan Leaf (NOODLE ARM)
Joey Harring (NOODLE ARM)
Mark Redman (NOODLE ARM)
Matt Ryan (NOODLE ARM)
Which group would you rather be associated with
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
5:45 pm
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=290103022
Oh the memories
Charlie
September 4th, 2009
5:59 pm
Jeff George (Big Arm)
Ryan Leaf (Big Arm)
FYI Brady’s arm stregnth is nothing special, that is how he lasted until the 6th round and could not even get on the field at Michigan. It just seems big because he makes the right reads, and is accurate.
Alan
September 4th, 2009
6:01 pm
The NAY SAYERS have had there day in the Sun, now that pre-season is over what will they do, maybe they could have a convention and dissappear.
GO FALCONS !!!!!
TradeMark
September 4th, 2009
6:23 pm
Geee-Seuss, Shultz, check your Prozac meds, you are missing some doses….one word and one word only…….preseason. OK? PRE-season.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
6:28 pm
Ricky Williams, Pat White & Ronnie Brown…………
ALLLLLLLLLLLL
DAYYYYYYYYYYYY
LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Let the beatdowns begin
Albert Haynesworth
September 4th, 2009
6:31 pm
I am a dirty player
I destroy immoble quarterbacks
I hate over-rated scrubs
I tried to punish Tom Brady on that massive body slam
Matt Ryan ——- I want to eat your flesh!!!!!!!!
Pete
September 4th, 2009
6:37 pm
One thing you can NEVER lose sight of : This is still Atlanta, home of sports fans broken hearts………….and dreams.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
6:54 pm
ESPN SAYS (Sorry guys
):
25. NFC South (order of finish)
Gene’s NFC South picks1.
New Orleans Saints — Two stats to remember: No team in the NFC South has ever won consecutive division titles, and in the previous seven seasons, five South teams have won the division after finishing last the year before.
The Saints finished last in 2008 with an 8-8 record, but they have an offense to die for and a new defensive coordinator (Gregg Williams) who should make a difference, and they play in a division that is available for the taking.
Brees and his 5,069 yards (65 percent completions on 635 attempts!) weren’t the problem; injuries and a crummy defense were (ranked 23rd in total defense, 23rd in pass defense). They also lost three games by three points, so 8-8 could have been 11-5.
Atlanta Falcons — NFL history suggests the Falcons won’t be able to repeat their successes of 2008, when they finished 11-5 with a rookie quarterback (Matt Ryan) and reached the playoffs. But I’m a big believer in Matty Ice, love the acquisition of Hall of Famer-to-be Gonzalez and don’t see any reason why Michael Turner can’t put up another 1,700-yard, 15-plus-rushing-TD season.
The defense is sketchy, especially in the secondary (the Falcons just traded for cornerback Tye Hill from the St. Louis Rams). And it would be nice if left defensive end Jamaal Anderson, their first-round pick of two years ago, would, you know, start making quarterbacks uncomfortable. He had only two sacks in 2008 and took the oh-fer as a rookie.
And yet, I pretend not to notice those things. I’m not saying they’re going to win 11 again, but no way do they fade into the world of sub-.500.
Carolina Panthers — The stat about no repeat winners in the NFC South? The Panthers won the division in 2008.
This isn’t a team without talent (Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, an experienced offensive line, Julius Peppers, good linebackers, head coach John Fox), but there are soft spots. Quarterback Jake Delhomme has to do better than the 15 TDs/12 INTs ratio of 2008 (and a blah-ish 59.4 completion percentage). The O-line lacks depth. The defense was 20th against the run, 16th against the pass.
Tampa Bay Bucs — The Bucs’ 9-7 record in 2008 is going to seem like the good old days after this season. Whatever they’re paying first-year head coach Raheem Morris, it isn’t going to be enough.
Derrick Ward, Jeff Faine, Antonio Bryant and Kellen Winslow are keepers, but this is a roster in major transition (and so is the coaching staff — they just canned their O-coordinator). And as in recent years, the quarterback position isn’t anything special (Byron Leftwich is the opening-game starter). Killer schedule, too.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
6:59 pm
ESPN SAYS (NFC EAST):
Note: Pay close attention to the comment about VICK will give defensive coordinators the SHAKES….. I love when (PAID) brains know what they are talking about
16. NFC East (order of finish)
Gene’s NFC East picks1.
New York Giants — I blew off the G-Men last year and they mocked me with a 12-4 record. Tom Coughlin might not be Mr. Warmth, but he’s a helluva coach and makes in-game adjustments better than just about anyone in his business.
The Giants are still looking for a playmaker wide receiver, but not much else. They’re as fancy as white bread, but they do the things that win games and win this division: run the ball, control the lines of scrimmage, control the clock.
Philadelphia Eagles — Two words: Brian Westbrook. If he stays healthy, the Eagles could easily win the division. If he doesn’t, then Philly is going to sweat out a playoff spot.
Westbrook just turned 30 and he’s never played all 16 games of a season. (Which explains why the Eagles drafted Pitt running back LeSean McCoy in the second round.) And in each of his last three years his yards per carry have decreased, from 5.1 in 2006, to 4.8 in 2007, to 4.0 in 2008. That’s still a respectable number — and you could argue that his real value is as a receiver out of the backfield — but the Eagles need a vintage Westbrook in 2009 if they want to finish ahead of the Giants and Cowboys.
What do I think of Michael Vick’s arrival? When he comes back (he’s eligible to play in Week 3), Vick will give defensive coordinators the shakes.
Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys are also looking for a playmaker wide receiver and, like the Giants, not much else. Roy Williams is supposed to be that guy, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Owens and his 10 TDs of a season ago are in Buffalo now, but so is his massive ego and divisive nature. Tight end Jason Witten had as many 100-plus-yard games as Owens last year (two). Owens also had eight games in which his reception yardage totaled 38 or less. I’m not saying Owens’ production won’t be missed, but he simply wasn’t worth the trouble anymore. Same goes for Pacman Jones.
There’s a lot to like about this version of the Cowboys, beginning with the tag team of running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones, and a refocused Tony Romo at quarterback. Witten and Martellus Bennett create matchup problems at tight end. And the defense will be more than solid. A semi-soft first-half schedule gives Dallas a chance at a 6-2 record. Game No. 9 is a rematch at Philadelphia, site of the Cowboys’ 2008 season-ending, curl-into-a-ball-and-get-whupped 44-6 game.
Washington Redskins — If 2009 Albert Haynesworth plays as hard as 2008 Albert Haynesworth, then the Redskins will cause problems for lots of teams. Causing problems doesn’t necessarily translate into wins, though. Six of their final seven games are toughies: at Dallas, at Philly, New Orleans, New York Giants, Dallas, at San Diego.
bigeasy830
September 4th, 2009
7:46 pm
People, I have been saying “Falcons will be 4-12 in 2009″ since February, because of the problems your defense is having and because during the regular season the Falcons offense have to prove that they can make the adjustment from what opposing defenses was doing to them late last season. If Matt Ryan cannot stretch the field with the deep passes and the deep out passes then it will severely limit your offense. Matt Ryan was very successful with that little comeback pattern to the sidelines last year but, after the opposing teams started to play more press coverage it took that play away from the Falcons. The key to your season is that first game, if you lose that one you will start the season 0-3 and going to SF on the 4th game will be no easy task.
Falcons will be 4-12 in 2009
“Back To Life, Back To Reality”
But don’t be bandwagon fans, I am a Falcons hater, you can be realistic about what you think your team will do thats fine, but “ride or die” with them bud if that is truly your team. don’t be fair weather fans that is why your franchise have never been consistent. You all have never had realistic points of view about your teams status and demanded that the management correct those problems in efforts to win a SUPER BOWL. Because ultimately winning the Super Bowl is the only satisfactory ending to a season for the organization and its fans.
Jeff Schultz
September 4th, 2009
7:51 pm
Milton Dawg – checking back in late. Busy day, did a Digi-blog of Stillwater you should check out.
Hollywould – thanks
Chef Montuer – not the optimist, are you?
Ripped Again – Peter and I are on the same page: 10 wins.
Swami – He was banned for continuously going over the line to ignite an oral race war. There have been countless warnings about this. We’ve probably banned a dozen readers/commentors for this or profanity (or both).
Jeff Schultz
September 4th, 2009
7:57 pm
Illini Dawg – Thanks, and that one was all mine. … I covered the 49ers in SanFran so I know that Rice burned everybody, but not like he burned Dimry. The Toast stands alone.
Navigator – We agree. I think there’s too much offense and the coaching/teaching on this team is so good that I can’t imagine this team falling apart this season.
Sonny – The difference is the kids were going to eat the chickens with a side of taters. Vick was not going to eat the dogs.
morris
September 4th, 2009
8:11 pm
Falcons sorry and bad news is probably the same person.
Hamad Meander
September 4th, 2009
8:47 pm
Here is what defensive coordinators are going to think when Vick is behind center: “Will we get an interception or a fumble on this play?” There’s no way DCs will “Get the shakes” when he is on the field. They better worry more about McNabb and all the new offensive tools he has to play with this year.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
9:40 pm
HAMAD MEANDER
It must really hurt when “P A I D” brains say the same things I do
Enjoy your 4-12 season and don’t forget to watch Vick deep into the playoffs. You can tell NOODLE ARM to pass you a hot wing
jeremy t.
September 4th, 2009
11:02 pm
hey bad news, why don’t you take that naysaying back to miami clown. Matt Ryan may not have a big arm but yet he still won ROY honors and threw for 3400 yards without tony gonzalez. Didn’t look great in the playoffs but neither did the defense. And comedy show agains Miami? Really? If Matt Ryan is a noodle arm then what is Chad pennington? he cant even throw the ball 25 yards downfield. I dare to say it but, even Chris Houston can cover what he throws. Bottom line is Falcons offense is excellent. While our defense is average and the secondary being mediocre with the exception of coleman. Def. not 4 losses with one of the best offenses in the league clown.
Bad News
September 4th, 2009
11:12 pm
ANALYSIS OF VICK & POST VICK ERA:
Vick’s last 3 seasons……..
2004
11-5
2005
8-8
2006
7-9
TOTAL:
26-22
POST VICK:
2007
4-12
2008
11-5
TOTAL
15-17
REMARKS:
In order for the post Vick era to equal or surpass the record of Vick’s last 3 seasons, the Falcons must have a record of 11-5.
Surely the post Vick era will not be outdone by a guy who did not study film or practice hard
Hms
September 4th, 2009
11:34 pm
Atlanta Falcons — NFL history suggests the Falcons won’t be able to repeat their successes of 2008, when they finished 11-5 with a rookie quarterback (Matt Ryan) and reached the playoffs. But I’m a big believer in Matty Ice, love the acquisition of Hall of Famer-to-be Gonzalez and don’t see any reason why Michael Turner can’t put up another 1,700-yard, 15-plus-rushing-TD season.
The defense is sketchy, especially in the secondary (the Falcons just traded for cornerback Tye Hill from the St. Louis Rams). And it would be nice if left defensive end Jamaal Anderson, their first-round pick of two years ago, would, you know, start making quarterbacks uncomfortable. He had only two sacks in 2008 and took the oh-fer as a rookie.
And yet, I pretend not to notice those things. I’m not saying they’re going to win 11 again, but no way do they fade into the world of sub-.500.
I’m confused about how this is supposed to be BAD NEWS if the analysis said the Falcons are not likely to go below the .500 level. Apparently somebody is a moron for posting this and saying “sorry Falcon fans” because above .500 level is a winning season. BAD NEWS is right, crack kills brain cells and does it quickly. Who cares if the post Vick era has the same record as the last 3 seasons with Vick. I would rather have the Falcons have consecutive winning seasons. HOW MANY CONSECUTIVE WINNING SEASONS DID THE FALCONS HAVE DURING THE VICK ERA. Yeah thought so. Come on BAD NEWS answer that question. Oh and for the comparison to be complete, lets go with Vick’s real last three seasons. ONe was actually on the football field. Two were in prison. Maybe that should be included in the so called post Vick Era. And whoever said Ryan Leaf had a noodle arm is an outright idiot. His arm strength was one of the most hyped things about him when he came out of college. Get your facts straight you jack legged goat chaser.
BIGEASY830 Vegas would love you for your stupid predictions. The only thing you wouldnt lose in a casino is your common sense because you have none.
Hms
September 4th, 2009
11:39 pm
Of course Falcons Sorry and Bad News is the same person. Go one further back and you will see that he is probably also Vick Supporter. There should be a law against allowing internet access in the loony bin but I guess this inmate needs some kind of release besides chasing down farm animals. I bet BAD NEWS gets banned from a petting zoo sometime during the season.
Vick Supporter
September 5th, 2009
12:52 am
Can you people for once talk about your own players instead of Vick? I forgot…you have no one to talk about
Vick Supporter
September 5th, 2009
12:59 am
What a shock…you people jump on Vick as soon as you get a chance….the man hasn’t played in 2 years..what do you expect? It shouldn’t matter to you falcons fans though, yet his name dominates your blogs.
YOU PEOPLE ARE A BUNCH OF LOSERS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE LOSER FANS. GET READY FOR YOUR ANNUAL 5-11 SEASON.
The Great Mike Vick Has Returned
Vick Supporter
September 5th, 2009
1:02 am
Matt “Noodle Arm” Ryan, LMAO.
Its the truth
Bad News
September 5th, 2009
1:19 am
11-5 In 2009 or else the “Post Vick era” failed……..
NOODLE ARM – Sucks
The BUST I knew he was
Vick Supporter
September 5th, 2009
3:15 am
To be 2 years away from football, Vick didn’t look too bad. If Ryan was to miss 2 years, he wouldn’t be able to throw the ball 10 yards
bigeasy830
September 5th, 2009
8:04 am
Hms, I made the prediction about the Falcons CBs right after they released Foxworth, was I wrong about that. Now what was your prediction prior to the beginning of the 2008 season about the Falcons. Go on and tell a lie that you predicted they would be 11-5 and make the first round opf the play-offs. I will love kicking your teeth in all season as your team suck eggs and lose game after game. Post under your usual blog name, don’t hide coward.
Falcons will be 4-12 in 2009
“Back To Life, Back To Reality”
SOUTHERN ATL
September 5th, 2009
9:01 am
I know that I am off subject on this one but I have a situation. I have a relative that will be celebrating his birthday this week. He is from Philly and is a Michael Vick fan. I wanted to purchase a Philadelphia Vick#7 jersey for him as a gift. Someone told me that Macy’s at Stonecrest Mall or Gwinnett Place Mall had them. I called them and they said that they do not carry them. I know that they are selling them on nfl.com but I did not want to go that route. Does anyone know of any vendor that is selling them in the ATL?
SOUTHERN ATL
September 5th, 2009
9:11 am
Off subject again…. Picked up Whitney Houston’s new CD I Look to You…it sounds great!!! This same relative said that one of the songs on the CD (“I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”) will be dedicated to Vick when Philly wins SUPER BOWL 44!!! Wow!!
ATLSUPERMAN
September 5th, 2009
2:45 pm
YES WE FINALLY DROPPED DJ!!!! HE BOUGHT HIS BUS TICKET THURSDAY! AND HE SHIPPIN OUT 2DAY!!!!!!! NO ROUND TRIPS PLZ
Bad News
September 5th, 2009
5:25 pm
Good for you “DJ” – Now you don’t have to be on the EMBARRASSMENT of the “Post Vick” nightmare. Now you and Vick can’t be blamed by you-know-who.
You will be on a playoff team while they watch from Matt Ryan’s grandma’s living room
Too bad they couldn’t get Turner, Abraham, Roddy, Norwood and Jenkins out of this loser town.
Michael Vick
September 5th, 2009
6:41 pm
Id like to help Out. I am back and working out in Philly. If you guys need me then see if you can arrainge a trade.
Vick-tory
Hms
September 5th, 2009
6:46 pm
Im a stupid fool. Im racist. Im an idiot. There are a lot of people who see me for my foolishness and so do I. Please ignore me. I like to wear my zipper in the rear of my pants to make things convient. I have a crush on Vick supporter and dont know how to tell him.
hero
September 5th, 2009
6:48 pm
MIKE Vick will have vengence!
hero
September 5th, 2009
6:50 pm
Mattie Lice
Bad News
September 5th, 2009
9:15 pm
hero
That’s hilarius – but that should be NOODLE ARM
This season will be done before the BYE!
Hey NOODLE ARM pass Dimitroff a hot wing
tree rollins
September 5th, 2009
10:49 pm
I’m looking at 7-9 this year with the tough schedule and no defense. Ryan, Gonzalez, Turner and Whilte will be exciting. And so will the defense 9in a bad way). If you’re a betting person, just play the OVER on every game.
Don’t look for any 10-7 struggles with this team.
Brent S.
September 6th, 2009
12:19 am
The Falcons need a good throwback safety in the likes of a guy we ALL remember very well named Scott Case!!! He punished receivers that came across the middle on him!!!!
Bad News
September 6th, 2009
12:43 am
Milloy to Seattle – I thought you guys said Mora didn’t know talent
Chuck Clausen
September 6th, 2009
6:40 am
he Falcons are going to be playing a tougher schedule, with a slightly better offense and a defense which is not a good as last year. 9 wins would be a great season and 7 or 8 are more realistic. In the long run shedding some aging defenders is going to be a great move, keeping them might have helped this year because of the important of leadership. But the older players they got rid of were not performing at level which is going to get us to the Super Bowl. Right now our 3rd down pass defense is about as bad as I think I have ever seen, that may have been because the defensive staff didn’t want to show anything in the preseason or that they have been caught with a bunch of defensive backs which can’t cover. Our Falcons, particularly the offensive line, are well coached; Mike and Thomas will both make good long term decisions. On defense we might have taken step back so the in the long run we can take 2 steps forward. It’s going to take a great coaching job to get 9 wins, but I think we have a great coach, so we have a chance for 9 wins.
BamaBirDawg
September 6th, 2009
10:50 am
Everyone likes to evoke the name of the old ‘Grits Blitz’. The Falcons do hold the record for fewest points allowed over a 14 game season. But as I recall, the blitz packages that earned this nickname and that record, were inspired by having an offense that was nearly incapable of scoring more than a single TD per game. The D was therefore forced to carry the load. And they did… all the way into the record books.
If the preseason is any indication, it will be just the opposite in 2009, with the offense having to score a mountain of points just to stay ahead of their opponents who should be able to move… pretty much at will. It reduces down to simply being able to score more than the other guys… and there’s no reason, barring injury or arrest, that this can’t be done. Then all we’ll need is a new tricky nick for the highest scoring record over a single, 16 game season.
Truth
September 6th, 2009
10:52 am
hey
Bad News
September 6th, 2009
12:07 pm
Thomas Dimitroff is making Rich McKay look like a wizzard. Think about it. Name one single player that he has cut, is on a losing organization:
Foxworth…………… Ravens
Boley…………… Giants
Brooking………… Cowboys
Vick……………. Eagles
Milloy………….. Seahawks
That just goes to show that he doesn’t know what he is doing. If you cut a player, they should be useless assets, but according to the “REAL” GMs, they are signed to make a contribution on WINNING organizations.
Signing Tony Gonzalez looks good on paper, but any arm chair qb could have made that move, based on Tony’s past success, but it was at the wrong time.
You don’t sign an aging veteran on a team that has a horrible defense that is being restructured. This defense is clearly 2-3 years at best, from becoming a decent one. Tony is 2-3 years away from retirement, so they will be in the same situation, once the defense becomes respectible.
A “REAL” GM would have save that number 2 draft pick and selected a tight end in the draft that can grow with the organization and spend the money that will be paid to Tony on some quality defensive players.
I keep hearing you people in “denial” & “delusional” talking about you can win with offensive shoot outs. That’s a big fairy tale, I think Dan Fouts and the Chargers already tried that and they forgot one thing – the offense can’t win without defense and even if it was true the Falcons are far from competing with the likes of New England offense.
The difference between the other high powered offenses in the NFL is that they actually have good defenses, which equates to them scoring and containing your offense.
Wishful thinking guys, but it’s not going to work. If Turner, White or Abraham gets hurt – this team is TOAST.
2007 Will repeat it’s self and there won’t be Vick or DJ to blame this time around
Brent S.
September 6th, 2009
7:16 pm
Bad news, you just hate the Falcons…by the way, you say Dallas is a “winning” organization? How come they haven’t won a play-off game in 12 years?
Bad News
September 6th, 2009
7:57 pm
Brent Last time I checked the Cowboys have 4 rings & the Falcons have zero.
What does hate have to do with facts?
Big Ray
September 7th, 2009
7:52 am
Vick Supporter,
Seriously. Why do y’all keep showing up here? You say the people here are racist and all hate Vick. Well, that’s wrong to begin with. I never hated Vick, and several others here don’t either. You also say we have nothing to talk about but Vick, and that it’s funny that we can’t stop talking about him. That’s not true of everyone either. What usually happens is somebody like Falcon Sorry or Bad News gets it started by pumping up Vick, and bashing Ryan.
Bad News sounds just like Vick Supporter 2, but who cares. What puzzles me is why in the hell y’all even bother showing up on ANY Atlanta Falcons blogs when you clearly don’t like the Falcons or their fans. If you ask me, that’s a hell of a lot funnier than Falcon fans talking about a former Falcon player.
Bad News,
The only person who ever made Rich Mckay look like a wizard was Tony Dungy. Those good Tampa Bay teams were more Dungy’s doing than anybody else.
By the way, Dimitroff was brought here to basically rebuild the team. You don’t do that by keeping all of your older players who aren’t still playing at a high level, or keeping younger guys who are not playing as well as expected. And please don’t add Vick to the group that got cut. That’s not fair to Vick or to the other guys. The other guys were cut due to performance vs. value (contracts). We all know if Vick hadn’t gone to prison for two years, no way would he have been cut. And no, he doesn’t look bad for a guy who went to prison for two years. What do you expect, he is/was a top notch athlete in the highest level of football. And it’s not like he had time to do anything but stay in shape.
The fact that Boley, Brooking, Milloy, and Foxworth went to winning organizations has little to do with Dimitroff’s judgement. Teams are constantly having to let guys go, usually because the individual wants more money than they want to pay, and they have other, younger options at the same position. You see it all the time. Why aren’t Julius Peppers and Albert Haynesworth with the same teams? Did Haynesworth go to a winning team? I’m just sayin’….
Anyway, 2007 will not repeat itself. Different GM, coach, and culture altogether.
By the way, the comment you made about the post-Vick era being a failure unless the team goes 11-5 again…..show me where Vick was able to lead the Falcons to consecutive 11-5 seasons, then we’ll talk. If you want to talk facts, the Falcons haven’t had consecutive winning seasons in years. And I won’t blame all that on Vick. That’s just the way it has been.
As you said, what does hate have to do with facts? I think you answer that question every single time you post….
Bad News
September 8th, 2009
1:09 am
Sorry guys yall know I am just a big ol prison biatch. I cannot get the stain of MV7’s man gravy off my teeth and I am addicted to it. But I want Matt Ryan’s man gravy next and I just cannot stand myself.