Brady and Patriots show Ryan and Falcons how it’s done
Matt Ryan had decent numbers but for the second straight game failed to engineer a touchdown.
(UPDATED AT 11:30 p.m.)
During his four years at Boston College, Matt Ryan watched Tom Brady win a Super Bowl, go through a regular season undefeated, throw for 50 touchdown passes, win an NFL MVP award and be named AP athlete of the year — all of which, of course, took a backseat to marrying Gisele Bundchen.
As the Falcons’ quarterback said earlier in the week, “It is impossible not to see him when you live in Boston because of his star power.”
It was impossible not to notice that star power Thursday night. Ryan, who has the potential to rank among the league’s elite quarterbacks one day, went against Brady, who has been there for about nine years and three Super Bowls now.
It was only an exhibition. But Brady remains on a level that Ryan — and others not named Manning — strive to reach. Ryan played three series in an exhibition against New England with some efficiency: 8-for-13 for 76 yards. Brady played three series and was a little better: 10-for-12 for 85 yards.
Ryan led one field-goal drive.
Brady led two touchdown drives.
There’s the difference.
New England won 28-10. Now, it’s dangerous to over-evaluate preseason games. Sometimes it’s dangerous to give any weight to them. Coaches don’t scheme. Veterans don’t play hard. Sometimes they don’t play at all.
But it’s safe to say it’s at least of some concern that the Falcons’ first-team offense has had five possessions in two exhibition games and has produced only two field goals (with two misses) and zero touchdowns.
“We’ve moved the ball really well,” Ryan said. “We just haven’t been able to capitalize on many drives.”
When asked how much weight should be given to the Falcons’ first-team defense not getting into the end zone, Ryan said: “I don’t think a lot. When we come into these things, we don’t game plan a lot. We watch basically zero tape. It’s an extension of training camp. We’re working on some different things, trying to improve on route combinations and stuff, seeing what we like and don’t like, what we want to take to the regular season. That’s probably a little bit different from the past two years, and I know it’s different for me. That’s going to be beneficial for us throughout the year.”
Does Ryan have an itch to get into the end zone in the third exhibition at Miami next Friday?
“No doubt,” he said.
There is little question the Patriots are ready for the season. Their offensive line dominated up Falcons, leaving Brady and running back Fred Taylor (28-yard touchdown run) to have fun shredding every misdirected body behind the line. Even if the Patriots’ second touchdown was a bit of a gift — the result of a phantom roughing-the-kicker penalty by Chevis Jackson on a field-goal attempt that extended a New England drive — that seemed like an afterthought, given the way New England functioned.
Ryan said he probably watched Brady “a little more tonight” than he did in last year’s regular season meeting, when he was more preoccupied with the game.
“It also was great just to watch him this week in practice,” he said. “There’s no mystery as to why he has been as good as he’s been. He works really hard and he’s diligent at what he does.”
Ryan has decent numbers in two games: 11-for-19 for 110 yards. He also was victimized by a Tony Gonzalez drop near the Pats’ 15. But two field goals in five possessions is not comforting.
“We start fast, move the ball to the plus side of the 50 and then we stall out,” coach Mike Smith said.
This has the chance to be a special season for the Falcons. All other factors notwithstanding, how far the Falcons go this season hinges on Ryan.
Let’s be clear: He did not have a bad season last year. He just didn’t live up to probably unrealistic expectations following his phenomenal rookie season, when he led the Falcons to the playoffs with an 11-5 record. Key numbers dropped off: completion percentage (61.1 to 58.3) and passing yardage (3,440 to 2,916).
He threw for more touchdowns (22 to 16), but also had more interceptions (14 to 11). But in Ryan’s defense, the Falcons had a lot more injury problems than the season before (Ryan himself had turf toe), and a down season by running back Michael Turner hurt the offense.
Few doubt that Ryan will evolve into one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Even Patriots coach Bill Belichick, whose team practiced in Flowery Branch this week, indicates he’s headed in that direction. As Belichick said, “We saw [New Orleans quarterback Drew] Brees last week, and we’ll see Ryan this week. That’s about as tough as it’s going to get. They are as good as anybody in this league.”
Ryan understands he’ll be the difference in the Falcons this season. Most quarterbacks are. The key? It’s not to play Brady’s style. It’s merely to play like Brady.
“The biggest thing that you may try to emulate is his consistency, not his throwing motion or footwork,” he said. “He has had a level of consistency that is evident year in and year out, week in and week out. That is the number one thing I would try to do that he does.”
When he gets there, so will the Falcons.
♦
Last five posts on demand (and free)
♦ Falcons LIVE blog: It doesn’t count but it’s still Ryan vs. Brady
♦ Richt makes a splash on Sportscenter (fully clothed)
♦ Glaus deserves credit for way he reacts to Braves’ trade
♦ Poll time: If Braves get Lee, should they drop-kick Glaus?
♦ Prado has three hits in comeback — and why not him for MVP?
♦
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152 comments Add your comment
Saint Arthur???
August 19th, 2010
11:08 pm
How about seeing Wes Welker tonight, that is simply unreal how he’s back from a torn ACL in just 9 months.
BugKiller
August 19th, 2010
11:14 pm
It doesn’t help matters when your offensive coordinator is more Greg Knapp, less Charlie Weiss.
Seriously, don’t people realize that Pittsburgh didn’t win a Super Bowl until AFTER Mularky left and Whisenhunt took over?
The offense positively hums when RYAN and not Mularky calls the plays from the line in the hurry up.
Mularky calls plays like he has no feel for the flow of the game. We Georgia fans saw this for four years on the defensive side with Soft Willie Martinez at the helm.
How many inane single-option rollouts did he have Ryan run last year?
How many times in 3rd and long situations did he leave Ryan without a midrange option or even an outlet receiver out of the backfield in the flats?
If the Falcons want to truly succeed on offense, they need to give Ryan play calling autonomy at the line of scrimmage, like what Peyton Manning has in Indianapolis.
Mike Mularky = Soft Willie Martinez.
waynester
August 19th, 2010
11:15 pm
Welker is not just a great player, either–he’s got the best attitude of any player currently in the NFL. It’s rare to see a human with his kind of drive to excel–I certainly don’t and can only marvel at the little guy…..
Mince
August 19th, 2010
11:18 pm
Very nice piece Jeff. We def have some tweaks, but better to get this out the way now, than when we are in the hunt for the division title late in the season. Side note: It will be a baaadddd day in the film room next week, especially defense. Too many missed tackles. Tighten up Birds!
Big O
August 19th, 2010
11:20 pm
Ryan cannot carry the whole team! He did his part! So let’s stop over analyzing Matt Ryan. He’s fine. Look elsewhere.
Heath
August 19th, 2010
11:27 pm
Phantom call or not (and it was) the Falcons have to guard against that. There’s no point in trying for a block against a team the NFL front office wants to succeed, because the refs will be instructed to throw the flag every time.
ScottBravesfan
August 19th, 2010
11:30 pm
You can’t blame Ryan for not throwing for a TD tonight. Gonzalez had an easy first down in the red and dropped the pass. But who cares it’s the preseason. The only thing that matters is that no one got hurt.
Tweets that mention Brady and Patriots show Ryan and Falcons how it's done | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
August 19th, 2010
11:31 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by R. Punteño Carranza, Jeff Schultz. Jeff Schultz said: Brady and Patriots show Ryan and Falcons how it’s done http://bit.ly/aNQnSP [...]
KGB
August 19th, 2010
11:33 pm
We’ve heard from the players that they want to step into the group of elite defenses in the NFL – not even close. They were out hustled and worst of all they were physically dominated. Long, long way from being anything other than a middle of the pack defense. This was sad to see. I was expecting so much more.
Manny
August 19th, 2010
11:36 pm
Here are my takes on this:
First of all, I only wanted to see the first team play on offense and defense. So that’s all I’m going to comment on.
Defensively, we were a little porous against the run. The pass defense is better. I’m concerned about our run defense, even though there were great defensive plays.
Biermann is already ready. Kim must make him very happy (or angry… whatever his motivation.) But dude’s ready. Also, it was great seeing Abraham making that big stop against the run.
Offensively- once again, heavy on TE usage. There were some RB passes mixed in, but not a lot of WR play. Plus, I think that the deep ball is no longer a part of our playbook. Matt Ryan looked OK today. Not spectacular. Not like he can make every throw. Not like a world beater. He looked OK. Once again. Average.
Michael Turner needs to run the football. It’s punishing. That dump pass? Not so much. As a matter of fact, he’s taking punishment, not giving it. Keep Turner banging and people will simply stop wanting to tackle him. I don’t like the scheme. (But I don’t like the scheme, period.)
But I think you’re seeing more dump passes, but in the regular season- Turner banging it and Matt Ryan passing to Gonzo. It works an average amount of time and I can see us having another winning season this year. (9-7)
Jeff Schultz
August 19th, 2010
11:48 pm
Folks, just updated the column with some fresh Ryan quotes.
FYI, spent some time in Mike Smith’s press conference and he was pretty upset with performance, from top to bottom. I’m sure D-Led will have it covered. I’d expect an angry coaching staff at practice this week, leading up to the Miami game next Friday.
Nice job on the live blog tonight.
icedawg
August 19th, 2010
11:49 pm
I know that it was a preseason game. The Patriots looked much better skilled, tackling, blocking, etc. than the Falcons. Let’s hope that the Falcons do the skill work and begin the season sharp. Otherwise it will be a repeat of last year.
waynester
August 19th, 2010
11:51 pm
Smith oughta be upset–somebody got lots of ’splainin’ to do…
fayncdawg
August 19th, 2010
11:52 pm
Uh-oh! This is how you perfofm on your home turf against a team NOBODY predicts to win more than 11 games this season (some say the Pats could win just 8). Very bad night! Hopefully this game was just a fluke!
waynester
August 20th, 2010
12:00 am
2 NFCSouth teams that led our division last season have already been spanked by the Pats–they’re for real. Anyone who thinks they’ll only win 8 games this season needs to put down the pipe. Just watched a very subdued and obviously pissed-off & embarassed Mike Smith press availability over on the Falcons’ website and he had some harsh words for tonight’s performance. “It’s unacceptable” he said. I think we can all agree on that….
Cooter
August 20th, 2010
12:00 am
Good article Jeff. I hope Ryan becomes as consistent as Brady. Time will tell. It’s going to be a fun ride.
Manny
August 20th, 2010
12:03 am
I agree because it was pretty lackluster. When you are trying to overcome a lackluster season from last year, you want to see you offense clicking. It wasn’t. And here’s why:
In the passing game, there wasn’t enough patience in the pocket in order for the play to develop. There wasn’t a good continuation in the passing game. So what’s happening is that Ryan is going through his progressions extremely fast and is hitting his check-downs. But I haven’t see him hit his primaries as much as those check-downs. Therefore, there are all these quick passes to TEs and RBs.
As a result, the run defense can stay up and not have to be stretched at all.
So, in short, we’re back to where we started: RBs carrying the bulk,Gonzo being the outlet. That’s easy to scheme against.
BMC
August 20th, 2010
12:03 am
Preseason
Week One: euphoria
Week Two.Reality check!
Week Three.We will still not see the team that will start week one.
Week Four.Just one more way the” N” “_uckmeover”" L” charges full price for pre-
season tix that extort,well you know.
"Darrell
August 20th, 2010
12:06 am
Ryan need pro bowl linemen like Brady, Turner need pro bowl linemen like Taylor, it starts up front. With the exception of Abraham and Bierrman we did not have in help on the line, although I will give Trey Lewis some credit, he was drawing double teams and he was providing a push in the middle.
grip
August 20th, 2010
12:12 am
The reason Ryan throws to his tight end so much is because his arm strength is weak, thats a fact, if this is pre-season why not take plenty of shots down field? He has been here for two full seasons and we have yet to stretch the field. He is the most over paid player in Atlanta, even over joe johnson.
falcons fan 4 ever
August 20th, 2010
12:18 am
the hoody wanted to show out tonight so tom can get his money.they will win every game in preseason im sure. its all about the money. we will be ok as long as nobody gets hurt before the season starts.we got half our team on the bench 4godsakes.
Tweets that mention Brady and Patriots show Ryan and Falcons how it's done | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
August 20th, 2010
12:21 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Roy Harris, Jeff Schultz. Jeff Schultz said: Just updated #Falcons game column with some Matt Ryan quotes. Pretty sad effort overall by team. http://bit.ly/9hWd4v [...]
waynester
August 20th, 2010
12:22 am
4ever
Only problem is, Peters, and Meier had knee injuries and Owens hurt his hand. Hopefully, nothing serious….
SWAT Native
August 20th, 2010
12:28 am
On a side note, speaking of Kim and Bierman, Kim was at the game tonight. The guys in front of me took a picture with her, and they say she’s MUCH sexier in person.
JASon
August 20th, 2010
12:38 am
Jeff, the second touchdown for Brady happened only because of the most bogus roughing the kicker penalty ever. I don’t think I can take another year of football, with all of its bogus nonsense. We have to deal with bogus referees, bogus announcers, and even more bogus journalists. The problem is, the falcons have a good team this year, and its going to be hard not to pay attention.
BMC
August 20th, 2010
12:48 am
The point being why do you have to pay for preseason, just to see the home games, in person?
Eric
August 20th, 2010
12:53 am
I feel like the first teams did ok. The run defense stiffened after the first drive and without the bogus “roughing” call we would have been at 7 to 3. Bierman looked fantasitc and Abe had some nice plays. MR looked sharp and Gonzo’s drop (along with the non-interference call on White) made things lookj worse than they really were. I try not to put much emphasis on the results of preseason games personally. I’ve see teams go 0-4 in the preseason then go 12-4 in the regular season. The results mean nothing but the efforts of some of our starters were encouraging….
Whopper Dawg
August 20th, 2010
2:54 am
Just think about it -
If you reversed the performances, we would be hanging Super Bowl banners mentally. As it is, we got smacked by a much better football team. Dismiss it as preseason all you want, but a smack down is what it was.
really?
August 20th, 2010
3:07 am
I thought Trey Lewis had a nice game. Bierman my wind up being a beast. Has anyone seen Thomas DeCoud?d
fayncdawg
August 20th, 2010
3:44 am
Waynester I guess somebody on ESPN is on crack. With that I believe 11 wins at the most for the Pats. Most likely 10! The way the Falcons played, maybe 6!
Brother John
August 20th, 2010
4:37 am
Does anyone have a dictionary? Look up the word malarkey in it. Defined. “Something that doesn’t have or make any sense.” We have the most vanilla, easy to defend offense in the NFL. Bring in Weiss. He’s wasting his life in KC…
Football Bat
August 20th, 2010
5:37 am
Is that Dahl putting a blatant facemask on the pats’ 91 in photo above? Play by play the Falcons looked pretty poor.
Jeff, good job on banning that MV7 loving, trash talking troll from last year. Or did all that crack he was smoking finally do him in?
d.carter
August 20th, 2010
5:53 am
Im gonna start calling him Matty Field Goal….Some guys are a little too plugged in at the QB spot and start to become robots instead of football players, maybe its all that time he is spending eating game film and honey nut x’s and o’s thats got him in constant dump down mode… All of the money were paying him i want to see some results and dont start with the back to back winning season nonsense, is that really the level of expectation around here? And stop with the he didnt have a bad season last year and the injury excuse! After cramming he is the next Brady or Manning down my throat for two years dont give me excuses give me results, such as a playoff win perhaps? Yes he has all the intangibles with the exception of a strong arm that you could want from a QB he certainly looks the part and had a great rookie season, but this is the big bad NFL where teams read tendencies and weakness right? So who’s to say that he wont be one of those guys who just puts up numbers that dont equate to meaningful post season wins ala Tony Romo or Carson Palmer??? So stop forcing me to believe that he is the next Brady or Manning and let him evolve into the best Matty “checkdown” he can be… Instead of calling it for what it actually is I am starting to hear the Mike Mularkey rumblings lol!!!
Word of advice Mike you better start getting the resume updated because the “COACH KILLER” isnt going to take the fall for this one you are. I hear that the unemployment rate is at 10% just get in line and enjoy the wait….
Samuel
August 20th, 2010
6:27 am
I think it’s safe to say That beirman is going to win the starting job at defensive end. I’m still not Impressed with our ability to stretch the field. We simply can’t get into the end zone. Weems kickoff returns aren’t that good either. I don’t get the feeling that he’s ever going to break one. We didn’t do a good job at stopping the run. For some reason we have a knack for giving up the big play. Sometimes I wish Matt would forget that Gonzo is on the field, I think it would help him in the passing game. In this game, I felt he, Tony was too much of a safety valve. But being that said I like to give a take, based on all the starters being out there. Then we’ll really see- if this is a good team or not. Can anybody say the Pittsburg Steelers?
Greg
August 20th, 2010
6:30 am
1. 3rd & 4, out. 3rd & 4, out. Did I just repeat myself? Sound familiar? No one getting open? No one? Or maybe Ryan just wasn’t seeing the open guys. Either way….
2. I agree with the comment above about Turner catching the ball out of the backfield. If he has to stop and turn to face the QB to catch the ball, he’s gonna get murdered. He’s got to catch those balls, in stride, going forward. Again, whose fault was this? Ryan’s?
2. The Pats hit harder and were quicker to the ball on defense. On offense, one got the impression they could have moved the ball and scored all night long. There’s just a talent gap between the two teams. Probably a coaching-smarts gap too. Nothing we can do about that.
OK, NOW will you huckersters...
August 20th, 2010
6:38 am
…dispense with all the hoopla and giddiness of what MIGHT be – this team, the Falcons, are no where near playoff contenders – we all knew the defense would be suspect, and now the offense has joined them as a joke. Two field goals in two games by the first team “O” – what a freakin’ joke – good thing it is only pre-season or the whole city would be tearing out its hair – might as well get an early start on that, however…
Bug
August 20th, 2010
6:49 am
I have a hard time getting down on Ryan after this game. The defense was ridiculously bad and special teams too. Brady was good like he always is, but he had alot of help from our defense. Also, too many dropped balls especially the one from TG which is not the norm.
Bottom line…defense MUST be significantly better than last year or this season will be very similar to years past.
Disgusted
August 20th, 2010
7:01 am
Playoffs? Did someone say playoffs? Unless something improves it doesn’t look promising even if it is pre season.
GeorgiaDawg
August 20th, 2010
7:05 am
same ole falcons…i don’t see any difference from last years team. Who did we add in the offseason, Robinson? chevis jackson is horrible..he needs to be on the scout team
GEORGIA97
August 20th, 2010
7:27 am
From what I saw last night it appears that Willie Martinez is teaching the Falcons how to tackle. Who the heck is #28 on defense? That big va-je-je totally whiffed trying to tackle Grandpa Taylor on his TD run. Simply pathetic.
Tech Fan Since 1950
August 20th, 2010
7:41 am
I went to the first Falcons game in Atlanta 40+ years ago and have not seen them in person since 1973. I have watched them on TV and listened on radio over the years and, of course, read the AJC. Except for a couple of years the Falcons are the same team year after year. The uniforms periodically change and so do the players, but less than mediocrity does not change. You folks at the AJC should spend more time on the college beats, for this Atlanta professional stuff (Braves excluded) is just not a good product.
JSS
August 20th, 2010
7:43 am
Phew!!! I thought the rotten eggs were in Iowa? Somebody call the CDC, the self-proclaimed “13-3″ Falcons are in need of a mandatory recall!
Nativebird
August 20th, 2010
7:44 am
Turner did not look crisp. Back to the ol’ hesitation move, at the line of scrimmage and when catching a pass. Not good. Without a running game, this offense has no passing game.
Defense….well, there’s only 1 difference between the debacle last night and last weeks game against KC….and that was the opponent.
Everybody all together now, let’s self medicate: “it’s only preseason, it’s only preseason”. Repeat.
hmmm….i dont feel any better.
Stinger
August 20th, 2010
7:51 am
Falcons wet their pants! Need Paul Johnson to coach!
stendek
August 20th, 2010
7:59 am
Still here Jeff? Too bad. You should have been fired ages ago! All the worst pal.
Larry
August 20th, 2010
8:04 am
We are now in the third year under this regime and there remains two constants:
1. We cannot stop our opponent on key third downs.
2. We still have not effectively incorporated into our offense a down field passing game.
This is on the coaches; this is on Mike Smith who hired, supervises and is accountable for his OC and DC.
Eric
August 20th, 2010
8:07 am
Here comes 7-9 ….
Steelers 35 Falcons 3
SimpleDawg
August 20th, 2010
8:13 am
What we learned from The Falcons/Patriots preseason football game:
The Patriots are a much tougher bunch than the Falcons. Their #1 offensive line manhandled the Falcon front 7. They gashed the Falcons defensive front at will.
Michael Turner doesn’t look any faster than he did last year…..the good news – he doesn’t look any slower either.
The Patriots DBs didn’t seem to have any difficulty covering any of our WRs.
Chevis Jackson probably shouldn’t be playing professional football.
The Falcons defensive line can be shoved around.
None of our recent defensive draft picks have had a significant positive impact in a football game…yet, except for an occasional play here or there.
Thomas and Smitty still have an awful lot of work to do to raise the value of my season tickets to match their price.
E-Falcon
August 20th, 2010
8:17 am
No big deal—the falcons were holding their offensive packages back. They didn’t want to show anything. when the season starts, they’ll light it up—bank on it.
falconidae from TAFT
August 20th, 2010
8:17 am
So, Jeff, Two questions:
Do you think that NE had an advantage by practicing with the falcons for two days?
Are the Falcons missing Jenkins that much on O?
SimpleDawg
August 20th, 2010
8:18 am
Oh, and Babs was rolling around like a big ol’ turd last night.
NES
August 20th, 2010
8:32 am
This was a big step back in moving forward to being consistent every game even in pre-season, no excuses for being man-handled by the Pats. Bierman and Trey Lewis were exceptional! CB Franks played as good as CB Jackson. By the way, i didn’t see any unassisted tackles by ‘Spoon either! i said he was a reach as a 1st round pick and isn’t ready to start. Mularky needs to go, this will be his last year with Falcons. He should have had Pittsburgh winning super bowls with all that talent, see results after he left Pittsburgh for proof. Also, TE Palmer made a nice catch and looks like a big target on the field, i hope he has more speed than Gonzo, yea Gonzo catches nearly every ball but he is rarely wide open with tighter coverages and he has lost separation speed. He is still very valuable to the falcons, we just need a TE with down field speed for a change of pace and stretch the field better also. Just look at TE Hernandez for the Pats last night, he can run and catch down the field on passing downs! Oh boy, William Moore to play against the dolphins! wonder how long he holds up under fire? bet he doesn’t play long, hopefully a quarter without being hurt again. Long way on the road to catching the Saints!
RAMBLINWRECK
August 20th, 2010
8:39 am
I agree with about all the comments on here. The one guy who says it’s “only preseason”..YOUR AN IDIOT! This was a beatdown was what it was and people wasted their time to come out and watch a pathetic showing! How do you not get up to play brady and the pats at home??
Turner as a WR?? He looks like he is in 2009 form to me. They call him the burner, his name should be “stinker” as he just looks like he can’t find the holes and doesn’t have a burst of speed to bust through the line. Ryan has not gotten us into the endzone yet either and all this talk about us just appears to be phony hype. Our defense looks bad and good teams will expose us all day. A good passing ream or runnning team will have a career day vs our defense.
Spoon looked like a virgin on prom night out there, didn’t mesh well, looked timid, just lost to be honest. There is noway that kid should be a starter yet. Not even close! We can’t get 3rd down stops YET AGAIN, and we think we are a good team? This is a preview to come folks i’m sad to say, and i’m starting to think 9-7 is looking good for these clowns. Just yawn when they take the field for what it’s worth! There is no playoff contender here people, just not enough talent and i’m wondering if coaching as well. I’m just ready to watch paul johnson coach up another tech team with 2 star kids back to another conference title!! I thought i was watching the 2009 GT defense out there last night in the georgia dome. Sad
Boss Dawg
August 20th, 2010
8:43 am
Maybe this will be the season we finally rid ourselves of Mularky. You have to put more emphasis on speed and slinging the ball around to score TDs. Part of the game is psychology, and you have to beat the other team on the score board to do that….FGs will not accomplish this.
North FLA Falcon
August 20th, 2010
8:45 am
THe defense really got gashed by the run. Brady made some clutch passes but I also thought we had decent pressure on him. The coverage was pretty good. Spoon got turned around in the end zone but that was a brilliant pass and catch. On offense, Turner does not have explosive speed. The play calling again was suspect, what was up with that “shovel pass” late in the first half. Ryan looked pretty sharp, they are keeping things pretty vanilla. The no huddle seemed to work and the “wild cat” type formation with 4 receivers is a nice look. Can we please find a reliable kicker. If Bryant is not consistent in a dome how will he make anything in outdoor stadiums??
Birdword
August 20th, 2010
8:45 am
“Sometimes it’s dangerous to give any weight to them.” Yet some chuckleheads will judge a season based on 3 series of a preseason game. They’d better stick to trolling the political pages.
SimpleDawg
August 20th, 2010
8:46 am
The only mitigating circumstances we can offer in defense of the poor performance displayed last night are……
We did get screwed on the roughing the kicker penalty. Pathetic.
Blatant interference against Roddy on a key 3rd down play. Somebody wasn’t paying attention on that play.
And the Patriots are exceptional holders on the offensive line…..I’m not sure what the referee and umpire were watching last night, but it certainly wasn’t the line play.
We still got whupped physically. That is indisputable.
RAMBLINWRECK
August 20th, 2010
8:48 am
Simpledawg,….BIG OL TURD? Classic man, good post. You can’t get anymore candid and pithy as that post! lol, but they all looked like a bunch of turds playing as a unit on both sides of the ball!! Did we pickup chevis jackson and franks on the side of the road in atlanta to just come play CB for us this year? Just put the word “roasted” on the back of their jerseys from now on.
Gator Fan
August 20th, 2010
8:49 am
It was great seeing Aaron Hernandez catch a TD and Brandon Spikes roaming the middle for the Pats. The Falcons need more Gators on their roster if they want to get to the SB…Go Gators!
Gator Fan
August 20th, 2010
8:49 am
Oh Yeah. and Fred Taylor running over the birds. How can I forget Fab-5 Freddie!
For Cryin' out loud Jeffy
August 20th, 2010
8:51 am
Did you watch the first 1/4?? You dumb writers and your fantasies about QB’s
I’d say the Patriots run game lead them down the field for two scores. How many 3rd downs did the Falcon D just get used by the Patriot run game? More than I can count is the answer.
Ryan was OK and this IS only preseason. I was most impressed with his two check down swing passes to Turner in his final series. Way to make the tough play kid…
ernisTbass
August 20th, 2010
8:53 am
The sun goes down
The sun comes up
It’s cold in winter
The defense sucks
some things are set in stone
I'm Gumby, Dammit!!
August 20th, 2010
8:59 am
Our defensive tackles were invisible.
Seems every pass we threw was between the hash marks. If you don’t go outside at least once in a while, it sure shrinks the field for their secondary.
Turner looked slow and hesitant, again.
Other than that, well, at least Smitty was pissed!!
Doves
August 20th, 2010
9:01 am
I already drank the Kool-Aid and bought into the hype that this team has big potential, and still believe it. But last night looked like a confused and lost defense, and an offense with no extra gear for getting in the end zone. If Mularkey does not find some plays in his book where we throw down field this team will do the same thing all year. Dink and Dunk to the 30, stall on 3rd down, miss a 45 yard field goal. Rinse and Repeat. Its pre season yes, but its time to start showing what you can do also.
RAMBLINWRECK
August 20th, 2010
9:02 am
Birdword, most of us watched the falcons in 8 quarters this year so far, and one was the chiefs for god’s sake. No offensive TD by 1st unit yet of a team that some say will play for the NFC title and a defense that looks like butter complied with no sign of improvement on defense. People look for improvement birdwork from year to year you know. I didn’t think we looked worth a crap vs the chiefs last week and they may be the worst team in the NFL this year. Are you really encouraged by anything other than biermann when you watch this team? All i see is a team giving lack luster effort, dumb playing calling, poor assignment football and i understand robinson is out, but he will not save a front 7 that can’t get CONSISTENT with a rush and get off the field on 3rd down dude. You gotta show people, not talk it. I think alot of people were told about how good this defense was gonna be, and i don’t see anything but average to suck man! Enjoy the kool aid though man or whatever is in your cup!
IDK Y
August 20th, 2010
9:03 am
FIRE BRIAN VAN GORDER!!!!!! THE DEFENSE UNDER HIM HAS BEEN HORRIBLE AND WILL BE AGAIN THIS YEAR
Astonished
August 20th, 2010
9:18 am
Forget the offense, which was mediocre at best. The defense simply disappeared. Three players around the runner, not a blocker in sight, and all three miss the tackle? All are going for the knock-down, instead of using their arms to help. And the vaunted “improved” DBs were simply out-foxed all night. When a recuperating Welker can make them look hapless, there’s no reason to talk about a division championship nor a playoff berth.
I don’t want to hear this junk about how many starters weren’t playing. A team lives and dies by virtue of its depth. And the Falcons don’t have any. If you can’t stop the opponent, it’s pointless to talk about the offense.
WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TERRENCE CODY
August 20th, 2010
9:26 am
OUR D-TACKLES GOT SMASHED LAST NITE,I TOLD YALL WE NEEDED TO DRAFT BIG TERRENCE CODY BUT NO ONE LISTEN,LOOK AT HOW THE FALCANTS GOT PUSHED AROUND,OUR DB’S LOOK LIKE BALLET DANCERS GETTING RUNOVER BY FRED TAYLOR!
P.S. WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TERRENCE CODY!
Steve
August 20th, 2010
9:27 am
Pats fan here just checking in, not trolling. I think some are being a little hard ont he Falcons. The roughing the kicker penalty was terrible… should’ve been a 5 yard running into if anything. So it should have been 7-3 or maybe 10-3. I would put more weight on next week’s game with Miami. Game #2 of the pre-season usually doesn’t mean much. I’m a Matt Ryan fan and hope for a very successful season for the Falcons. Your opinions on the Pats this year? I’m hoping for 11-5, but the schedule is brutal and 10-6 is more realistic. It’s weird not being the division favorite, but apparently the Jets have talked their way into it. Good luck guys.
WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TERRENCE CODY
August 20th, 2010
9:30 am
WE ARE TO SMALL ON DEFENSE,TO MUCH SPEED AND NOT ENOUGH SIZE IN THE MIDDLE,AND LAST NITE THE PATRIOTS EXPOSED IT!
Carlos
August 20th, 2010
9:33 am
I know they say don’t put much stock in the preseason, but unlike basketball or baseball which have a lot more preseason games they do have some weight as witnessed by the Patriots last night. Clearly the Pats were the more focused and are clearly better than the falcons. That right now is the difference. The Patriots are taking the preseason as if they are trying to make the playoffs while the Falcons are still searching for answers. No the preseason in all actuality carries no weight but when you only have 4 games it’s clear that the teams who are focused on the Super Bowl take every game including preseason serious. That’s what separates the good teams from the great teams.
WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TERRENCE CODY
August 20th, 2010
9:33 am
WE DRAFTED WITHERAWAYSPOON,INSTEAD OF TERRENCE CODY? LOOK AT HOW WITHERAWAYSPOON WAS BURNED FOR A TOUCHDOWN BY HERNANDEZ,AND MISSED TACKLES ON FRED TAYLOR!
AtlSouthside
August 20th, 2010
9:34 am
Falcons’ organization is cheap. We only do surface rennovations… It looks cute until we hit the field and 40 year-old RBs are destroying us…
AtlSouthside
August 20th, 2010
9:39 am
Matt Ryan is greatly overrated also… when I watch the games I cant help but think “Vick would’ve done this or Vick would’ve done that…”
I like Ryan, but he is a boring QB…after 6-7 years of the most electrifying QB in the NFL, its hard to be entertained by 10 yard pass plays…and slow fat, butterball RB (Turner)
ASHCAN.
August 20th, 2010
9:40 am
Folks expect more of this sorry play in the regular season.This bunch of bird flock is over-rated getting undiserved praise.What have they done besides hype everybody up on ryan like he’s the micheal jordan of football.D-fence wins championships something this team lacks.one guy at CB was picked up and all of a sudden they D-fense letting some of you tell it is ready? pleeease!! you got a unprooven d-fensive coordinator who is unsure of his self,not even gonna talk about all the holes from a player stand point.So all of you who have this hope of deception just go right ahead and set yourself up to recieve bird droppings in your face AGAIN.Remember the falcons chant,WAIT TIL NEXTYEAR!! SOMETHING SAID SINCE 1966.
papadawg
August 20th, 2010
9:41 am
No Falcons you are not among the elite yet
Too tough 44
August 20th, 2010
9:42 am
AWFUL DISPLAY OF FOOTBALL! DEFENSE! AWFUL! DEFENSE, TERRIBLE, DEFENSE, DISGUSTING, DEFENSE, NON EXISTENT, DEFENSE, HORRIIBLE, DEFENSE, SAD, DEFENSE, SHOULD BE ASHAMED, DEFENSE,LACKING DESIRE, DEFENSE LACKING ANYONE THAT CAN WRAP UP AND TACKLE, DEFENSE, WITHERSPOON…SAW HIM MISS TACKLES ALL NIGHT LONG, DEFENSE POOR! OH MY, JUST PLAIN OLD LOUSY…RISE UP DEFENSE! COACH SMITTY, BETTER KICK SOME A## OR WE ARE DONE!
vafalconfan
August 20th, 2010
9:43 am
Not ready for prime time defense. Better to see this now than the final preseason game like last year when the Chargers lit up our secondary.
Falcons Blues
August 20th, 2010
9:46 am
Last night–the falcons O and D got ripped and rolled by a good but not great NE team. This could be a long year. The falcons have more holes than my old jeans. Hopefully, they can in 9 or 10 and sneak into the playoffs, but if they play like last night, 7-8 wins looks more likely. I need a drink.
AtlSouthside
August 20th, 2010
9:54 am
I’m more concerned with our Offense than our Defense… Ryan needs to step up, and make plays… especially since he’s suppose to be the “newschool Tom Brady”… the truth is he was only given that crown to make people forget about MV7… then Roddy White has dropped a few easy balls this preason, reminds me of Roddy White pre-2007…he is a #2 WR… and Turner still a fat butterball, slow as molasses…reminds me of a baby TJ Duckett
AtlSouthside
August 20th, 2010
9:57 am
Why did we sign Tony G? Why is Jamal Anderson still on the roster? Why haven’t we signed a solid #2 WR (like a T.O.)
I think hell has frozen over
August 20th, 2010
10:03 am
As Steve the classy New England fan has chimed in. I wasn’t aware there was such a thing. I need to rethink everything in life now…
I believe your boys will fall in line close to where they were last year although an improved Brady will get you through a few of those games you guys lost late in the season. Not sure about your D as obviously our O is not a good reference point to base an opinion off of. I’d imagine they step it up a notch compared to last years squad as well. I hope the NYJs and Pats brawl it out twice this year.
SPS
August 20th, 2010
10:03 am
Take a deep breath everyone. IT’S PRACTICE! How much will this game mean in 2 weeks? Answer: Absolutely nothing! What conclusions can you draw from any exhibition game that will translate into the regular season? Answer: None.
Good grief you people frighten me, and some of you are registered voters too!
Yikes
Athens, Georgia
August 20th, 2010
10:06 am
`
… … Nesbitt for Heisman
.
AtlSouthside
August 20th, 2010
10:07 am
@SPS, you play how you practice… there is no magicall light switch that can be flipped on for gametime… practice makes perfect…
tackling is essential to being a solid defense, and if our starters, 1st round pick cant tackle a 40 year-old RB… this will be a long season… if the offense is gettin shutdown by the reserves, its definitely gonna be a long season…
Kneecap
August 20th, 2010
10:19 am
We cannot score enough points on offense to cover up what we are gonna give up on Defense.
Disaster.
Have to start looking at Brian V.G. because ALL ASPECTS of defense are SOFT
Poor drafting by Dimitroff..
Sid
August 20th, 2010
10:28 am
I don’t blame Smith for a little rant……….it was lackluster. Am I concerned…………not yet!
big mack attack
August 20th, 2010
10:29 am
Thomas D. is only good at picking free agents. And using Arthur Blank money.
He has not drafted well. Too many injury prone players that were injury prone in college.
Matt Ryan can only throw to 1 guy and a older albeit great tight end.
Opposing defenses just need to shut 1 and 1/2 guys down.
The Atlanta Defense is stealing the money. They have no reason not too. They lack any cohesion.
Ted Striker
August 20th, 2010
10:32 am
1) Lotta villagers out on the blogs with pitchforks and torches for an offensive coordinator who took the leagues 29th ranked team in scoring to 10th. And coached and game-planned his team’s YPG rushing to 2nd. And finished 6th in the league in total yards. All in one year.
2) Year-two drop off in productivity was less about scheming and coaching and adjustments than key injuries and underperformance by key players
3) Year 2 productivity was still sufficient for the team’s first consecutive winning seasons in history
4) Game plan didn’t cause a certain tight end to drop a pass
5) Willie Martinez has zero to do with Mike Mularkey but it’s interesting how some folks just obsess.
6) One thing about the comments today that is highly refreshing is lack of a certain topic that always generates ill will and senseless controversy. Kudos to everyone on that.
3rd & long
August 20th, 2010
10:35 am
Can we stop assuming Ryan will be an elite QB and make him prove it first? It’s only his 3rd yr and he has a lot of work to do in the meantime. Good news is I think he will put in the time & effort to become better and not skipping out early after practice to drown dogs in the pond behind his house
New England Patriots Links 8/20/10 – Wes Welker Returns In Well-Balanced Win « Acrylic Sports
August 20th, 2010
10:36 am
[...] Schultz (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Brady and Patriots show Ryan and Falcons how it’s [...]
big mack attack
August 20th, 2010
10:38 am
@Ted
What part of yesterdays game did the Falcons dominate their opponent?
smokemonster
August 20th, 2010
11:04 am
BIG BEN is a natural also. Like Brady it didnt take Ben three years to get good. Ryan is not going to be any good it shouldnt take this long.
mowreck
August 20th, 2010
11:06 am
So much for all the hype put out by the ATL News/Sports Media.
GSU Eagle 91
August 20th, 2010
11:12 am
I watched the entire game last night, and as I say at the beginning of every season, football games are won on the line of scrimmage. ( 42 years of saying it)
The Falcon O-Line is not getting a push forward on running plays, and when we get down into the red zone our drives stall because of the limited space to make bigger plays down the field…
Just run the ball, Falcons….Control the clock, and have yourself a 10-6 season..That is the best I can hope for….
NOLA
August 20th, 2010
11:18 am
who dat?
85Souf
August 20th, 2010
11:22 am
I hope the Falcons look a lot better next week with William Moore, Dunta Robinson, Peria Jerry, Bryan Williams, and Jerious Norwood in the game!
ugaclassof2004
August 20th, 2010
11:26 am
Bugkiller,
I don’t know if I agree with your assessment that Mularky is like Willie Martinez. Willie was just a bad coordinator all the way around. Mularky had his bone head moments( like running the Wildcat formation in the last 2 minutes of the New Orleans Saints game.), but overall I’ve felt he’s been pretty good.
I do agree with you about Ryan have a more active role in this offense. All the elite QB’s in this league are able to call their own plays and run the offense. Brees, Manning, Brady…all of these guys are essentially a coach on the field. That is going to be Ryan’s next level of development, because I believe this organization wants him to be that kind of QB.
NOLA
August 20th, 2010
11:32 am
those choir boys for the ‘cons look real pretty and wholesome until they strap on a chin strap.
Manny
August 20th, 2010
11:32 am
OK, I slept on it and I think that here’s the biggest problem with Matt Ryan. Matt Ryan’s approach to the game is very much like a good project manager. We like this because he’s very intelligent and efficient. He have a good work ethic and have the tools.
But he’s at work when he plays. What I would like to see is Ryan PLAY football. I mean, get comfortable enough where he take chances. I want a little more gun-slinger and less accountant. If Matt Ryan gets to the point where he take chances and PLAY football, he’s going to win playoff games. Period.
Watch this during the season. What I’m looking for is for something to click inside Ryan’s brain where he plays to win… even if he loses. I want to see him take a chance, make a mistake, lose the game and the world doesn’t come to an end. If Ryan plays to win, it’s going to be big-time around here. Right now, I’m seeing a QB that playing not to lose.
North FLA Falcon
August 20th, 2010
11:38 am
I agree with GSU Eagle. The TV announcers keep saying what a great, experienced O line we have. Yet we do not get a push. The Patriots man handled us consistently. Turner can’t hit the holes and there is no outside running game. They are pretty good at pass protect but they can’t block well for the run. Also is Sam Baker going to get a false start penalty in every single freakin game? Learn the snap count, dude!
EnoughBeingNice
August 20th, 2010
11:41 am
If Thomas D. stop drafting nice guys that can play violin an hold a tea cup with one finger pointing out, and seek out real hard nose football players that don’t mind putting a hat the opposing team, we would be better off. In retrospect, I wish we would have signed T.O. kept him on a short leech ,would made us a better football team, at least on offense.
Craig
August 20th, 2010
11:48 am
If I was Arthur Blank, here are my comments to Mike Smith, Thomad D. and coaches, this morning at 6 am.
“Mike, we are losing our fan support faster than the Titanic sunk”. I do not care if you have to play the entire 1st unit on offensive and defensive the entire game against Miami, but I want TOUCHDOWNS and a WIN. No EXCUSES. Let’s see what we really have here with this team, because what I have seen in the first 2 games have not impressed ANYONE! I need to see everyone’s best effort, so that “I” can make decisions going forward. Please remember who owns this team. You are all dismissed! Now go WIN!”.
REDPANTIES
August 20th, 2010
11:50 am
The falcons SUCKED it up last night!!! How do you expect to sell tickets with a display like that?
Vanilla or not, they looked AWFUL!!
Butterball Turner doing his dancing again!
Ryan can’t complete a drive
Defense cannot stop anyone
Witherspoon looks like a huge BUST!!!
Nice job Smitty and Dimmy!!
SAME OLE FALCONS!!!!
Buddy Roe
August 20th, 2010
11:50 am
I am sick of hearing these comparison. Every opposing team knows that in order to beat the Falcons, you have to stop Michael Turner. Offensive cordinators that play ball control or clock control do it for three reasons. Lack of trust with the QB, offensive line, and (or) a bad defense. With a pro bowl reciever in Roddy White, Hall of Famer in Tony G., 1700 yd rusher in Michael Turner, and a solid #2 and #3 recievers, I do not want to here excuses. Compare our skill people (RB,WR,TE) to the colts, ravens, texans, vikings, saints, patriots, eagles, and packers. With an exception of the vikings, we have a better RB, the best TE, and WR’s are just as good as those teams mentioned. Roddy White put up 1000 rec yds with Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich, and Chris Redman at QB when Petrino was here. So with all of that said, I do not want to here any excuses about Matt Ryan or this coaching staff. They supposed to be better overall and this offense should be more explosive.
EnoughBeingNice
August 20th, 2010
11:51 am
The problem is we need a team we attitude,not a team of chemist. We need players with attitudes, when they hit you,you stay hit.We need some roughneck football players.
Richard
August 20th, 2010
12:07 pm
Success in football is not hard to predict. There are teams that have franchise QBs and teams that don’t. The teams that don’t have one, won’t win the Super Bowl. Matt Ryan is not in that class yet. Until he gets there, the Falcons aren’t contenders.
This year the Super Bowl is going to be won by a guy named either Brady, Manning, Brees, Favre, Romo, Rivers, Roethlisberger, or Rodgers. The other teams are vying for wild crad spots unless new QB’s join that elite class.
Buddy Roe
August 20th, 2010
12:21 pm
I agree Enough Being Nice. All I here from the Falcons and Atlanta media, is our players hold charity events, were suits to press conferences, and says all of the right things. So What!!!! Brett Favre, Deion Sanders (former Falcons); Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Rodney Harrison, Mike Singeltary, Bill Romonoski, and many others have big personalities, outspoken, and have had some off the fied incidents. The bottom line is, their teams win Super Bowls, while our players bag groceries in the community. I am ok with this, however;” I Want Winners!!!” (Mike Singletary) I am sick of good ol boys and choir boys. This is football! Not a Church!
EnoughBeingNice
August 20th, 2010
12:24 pm
Thanks Buddy Roe.
robdawg08
August 20th, 2010
12:43 pm
When Falcons get into red zone they should run 3 plays ; 1)Pass to Gonzalez (TE),2)Slant to Roddy White (WR),and throw to Norwood (RB) screen pass. I think they would score a touchdown out of one of those 3 plays. Just sayin’…
now that's funny
August 20th, 2010
1:04 pm
I’m going to hit print on my pc and keep a copy of all the above rants. When we go to Pittsburg and pound them, and then pound Nola 2 weeks later, I want all of you to state publicly: “I am a terrible fan, and the falcons organization does not deserve me. I was wrong, and I’m stupid” You people should stop watching the Falcons if you honestly beleive this bs. IT’S PRACTICE.
The team did not game plan for New England.
Five defensive starters did not play. That’s half of the defense.
Three big time offensive players did not participate. That’s 1/3 rd of the offense.
We really do have the worst fans in pro sports. TO EVERYONE ON HERE: PLEASE DO NOT WATCH ANOTHER GAME!!!!!!!!!
Manny
August 20th, 2010
1:10 pm
NOW THAT’S FUNNY-
Now, that’s funny! Fans can say what they want to say. I hope that the Falcons not need blog police, LOL!
But seriously, the Falcons fans aren’t going to tolerate mediocrity anymore. We’re in a recession and the tickets are too expensive. And preseason looks a lot like last season.
REDPANTIES
August 20th, 2010
1:16 pm
NOW THATS FUNNY,
I will gladly say that if they win those two… I have been hyping them all offseason and last night they looked atrocious!
Ackshun
August 20th, 2010
1:31 pm
Well that was certainly a lousy performance. Looks like the Pats did a bit of game planning. The Falcons were expecting pass and they got run (even on 3rd and long). The defense should have adapted after the first drive, they didn’t. Mularkey had some pretty suspect play calling as the team neared the red zone but he may have been going conservative to keep Ryan healthy. JPW has to make quicker decisions and throw the BALL!! He left some huge plays out there last night. On the upside I look forward to Harry Douglas as Wes Welker this season in our little show called Patriots south. Still to get beat like that reflects poor coaching.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 20th, 2010
1:36 pm
preseason or not, last night’s game was horrible on both sides of the ball.
Drew
August 20th, 2010
1:37 pm
NE did not game plan for the Falcons. By saying Atlanta did not game plan, you almost make it seem like NE did. They did not. Scheming a little on D with some line blitzes is not a game plan. They never focused on Tony Gonzalez and I can guarantee you that is what BB would be focusing on for a game plan on D.
ReddJonn68
August 20th, 2010
1:53 pm
Nobody can remember the preseason records when the playoffs roll around. Still we did not cash in on offense once again & our d-line got pushed around along with our linebackers. Mind you teams like Dallas have not put the ball in the end-zone yet, this preseason either. Meaningless game or not if we don’t play better in the trenches our won’t be rising anywhere !!!!
Ted Striker
August 20th, 2010
1:56 pm
Big Mack Attack @10:38 — Not sure what your question had to do with my post. However since I never mentioned a team needing to “dominate” in game 2 pre-season — and you did — I figure you thought it was vital. Just remember: No team has won a championship by “dominating” a pre-season opponent.
Flip side of that. Lots of teams have made playoffs/won championships because they used a pre-season game experience to evaluate lesser known talent that ultimately made the roster and was a key contributer later.
Answer this: Where was Kurt Warner selected in the draft? Priest Holmes? Willie Parker? Antonio Gates? Jeff Saturday. Wes Welker? John Randle? Adam Vinatieri? James Harrison? All were undrafted free-agents.
Even last night’s golden boy for the Patriots nearly got passed over in the draft for a guy named Tim Rattay (now backup QB for the Las Vegas Locomotives.) Brady went #199 with a compensatory pick in the next to last round. Then almost got trimmed off the final roster. However he showed just enough to hang on as 4th string QB. They didn’t plan to keep 4. But they saw enough of him in pre-season to take a chance on the guy.
I’m not saying that Brett Favre would’ve ever been the guy in Atlanta because of a number of factors. However the coaching staff had him throw exactly 4 passes in his only pre-season camp with Atlanta. Is it possible that had Farve had gotten a few more post-season snaps they’d have at least seen a flash of SOMETHING to come?
You may think pre-season is the end-all be all and that’s an opinion you’re entitled to. However I’d rather not pull the panic lever based on what happen last night. I’d rather see the coaching staff evaluate the roster, let the starters focus on shaking off a little rust (rather than going for stats or getting injured).
Teams make improvement because they figure out what they want to do for the season during the pre-season and then they make adjustments and scheme week to week when it’s real football time.
Kushion
August 20th, 2010
2:03 pm
I love how some people come on the blog and act as if it’s their jobs to defend the Falcons against negative comments. The bottom line here is the Falcons played poorly last night in all three phases of the game heck the head coach was not pleased with the outcome last night so why should the fans be. I am so sick of hearing people compare Matt Ryan to future Hall of Fame QB’s like Peyton and Manning. He may get to that status one day and I truly hope he does but it’s very premature at this point to compare him to any QB destined for the Hall of Fame. Hell he needs to step up and try to out play Joe Flacco first. Yea, it’s preseason but a fan would like to see some type of progress from the previous year. New England ran the ball down our throats last season and guess what they did it again last night. Yea, it’s a process and I think we all realize that but part of a successful process is to see obvious progess and I don’t see any progress over last season. We still can’t stop the pass, we still can’t get off the field on 3rd down, we still have not opened up the offense, we still have a question mark at the field goal kicker position so quite naturely fans are gonna get frustrated. Never even mention the fact that Corey Peters heard something in his knee pop, William Moore can’t even take the freaking field, we don’t know what Peria Jerry is gonna contribute, we don’t have stability at the CB position opposite Robinson, Jerious Norwood…well I don’t want say too much about Norwood my words along my cause his hip to jump out of the socket. So to sum up there are alot of questions and uncertainties and one of the ways to calm those questions is to show PROGRESS not necessarily win every preseason game but show that you are better than the year before. When fans see that progession of the process coach speaks about so much then fans will do what fans do…jump on the bandwagon for a nice ride. Untill then get use to defending the dome Falcon blog police.
Kushion
August 20th, 2010
2:09 pm
Wow defending the dome just took on a new meaning.
Illegal AT QB # 2
August 20th, 2010
2:12 pm
Ryan is a nice guy ,now having that he is overrated he has a weak arm and a punk after he get hit a few time keep watching.Now so goes Turner so go the team. defense ho hum!! all the hype we the people know this pure hype!! Tickets any one -Not
Kushion
August 20th, 2010
2:23 pm
Mike Peterson said after the game he just needs to go watch the film and get better. Really Mike tens years into your career you think you are gonna get better? Child please!
AtlSouthside
August 20th, 2010
2:39 pm
I want Vick back…
Yes
August 20th, 2010
2:39 pm
yes, you can see why their franchise plays for championships and why the falcons play for back to back winning seasons
Yes
August 20th, 2010
2:41 pm
Weatherspoon’s neck hurts from trying to find the ball when it is thrown.
MIKE VICK TONIGHT!!!
August 20th, 2010
2:48 pm
Can’t wait to watch MIKE VICK on NATIONAL T.V. tonight!!!
THE REAL FALCONS QUARTERBACK!!! WISH HE WERE STILL HERE!!!
Yes
August 20th, 2010
2:51 pm
MIKE VICK = COACH KILLER
VICK VS.RYAN!!!
August 20th, 2010
3:05 pm
Whatever VICK does tonight will be INFINATELY more entertaing than what RYAN did last night….GUARAN-FREAKING-TEED!!!
Plus you throw in OCHOCINCO…T.O…and PAC-MAN?????
IT DON’T GET BETTER THAN THIS!!!!!
Navigator
August 20th, 2010
3:21 pm
Two things, the second touchdown in the first half was bad call by refs (kicker acting), and the Patriots left their first team O and D in for the whole first half. The Falcons didn’t even dress all of their players, so what New England showed us was questionable at best. The ref alignment allows more offensive holding, and it was apparent at times when the Patriots were tackling the defensive players. The Falcons need to learn how to use the placement to keep the defense off their QB too.
gdawginkalamazoo
August 20th, 2010
3:43 pm
“Ryan said: “I don’t think a lot. When we come into these things, we don’t game plan a lot. We watch basically zero tape. It’s an extension of training camp. We’re working on some different things, trying to improve on route combinations and stuff, seeing what we like and don’t like…..”
So you don’t practice getting into the endzone? Did you like not getting into the endzone?
ryan
August 20th, 2010
3:54 pm
Duh Jeff Schultz of course Brady is going School Ryan you have veteran coach one side and rookie coach on the other side it just shows that TD still has a lot of work to do. When have Brady and Moss you just can’t beat those guys .
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
August 20th, 2010
5:25 pm
The offensive line is like swiss cheese when it comes to protecting the QB on passing plays. ALSO THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR NEEDS TO GO!!!! AND QUICKLY!!!!! Murlakey’s play calling is awful!!!! The Falcons offense will continue to sputter all season until he’s relieved of his duties.
HELP WANTED FOR THE ATL FALCONS: One really creative offensive coordinator needed..apply at the GA Dome or Falcons’ Complex
Saints LSU
August 20th, 2010
5:27 pm
@ waynester the pats beat the saints 27 24 they kill you guys 28 10 don’t put the falcons on the same boat as the saints the saints has a better team GM & coaches & the saints kill the pats on Monday football & they kill you guys in New England
Edgar
August 20th, 2010
5:48 pm
What I saw last night was pathetic. It was nothing more than what you find in the AFL. I’m sick of it too.
bob
August 20th, 2010
5:52 pm
The Pats practiced with the Falcons twice, then Bellick had two days to review the tape and make adjustments. Anyone really surprised of the results?
kirkinga
August 20th, 2010
6:19 pm
This is a big season for the organization. Matt Ryan (it’s his team now, being the anti Vick is no longer good enough); the entire coaching staff; TD’s personnel evaluations and acquisitions; Rich McKay’s advice and counsel; as well as Arthur Blank’s ability to pick the right people to run his football team.
We have to wait until the end of this season, not preseason, in order to better informed judgments as to what the issues are and who to blame.
That said, as a fan through thick and thin, I sure would like to see a Falcons defense that could defend the pass and/or not give up so many big plays. The ineptness last night could have well been brought to us by the Smiths.
BirdDawg24
August 20th, 2010
8:16 pm
the defense could not stop the run, but they are not in trouble.the guys will get it going.it will be ok .come november.dec, all you folks will be jumping back on the bandwagon and all will be right with the world.it will be a bright sun shiny day and the birds will be singing again.and the non-belivers will say “I knew they would do it.
jo
August 20th, 2010
9:31 pm
Falcons = 9-7 lets be realistic people!
overrated
August 20th, 2010
10:29 pm
Ryan had one fluke year and everyone started thinking he was joe montana. He’s not that good. The falcons shouldn’t have gotten rid of matt schaub or vick. They will not make the playoffs—count on it.
Boca Baby
August 20th, 2010
11:11 pm
Come on Jeff, you want to put a lot of stock in a pre-season game? The Indianapolis Colts are 4-20 in preseason games since 2005. I will surely take their regular season numbers any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I know you want to sound the alarm of urgency at every turn but this is not one of those times.
Navigator
August 20th, 2010
11:41 pm
I keep seeing the same old crap, Vick versus Ryan. Are any of these people in check with reality, even a person with a low IQ can understand Vick isn’t here any more and won’t be back. Demeaning a 3rd year QB doesn’t make anyone’s argument stronger, but I guess the AJC really wants this stuff to continue on, probably even supports it.
Los Angeles
August 21st, 2010
6:52 am
.
Joshua Nesbitt for Heisman
.
Curtis LeMay
August 21st, 2010
10:16 am
Hi Jeff
Great piece and super web-page.
Anyway, Matt’s the real deal. He knows what it takes to win, and he is capable of it.
Good luck Falcons
Jeff Schultz
August 21st, 2010
11:24 am
Curtis LeMay — Thanks, and I like Matt a lot. Hope I didn’t give you the impression I don’t.
Harpie
August 21st, 2010
12:50 pm
Hey, AtlSouthside – stick it up YOUR southside!
Blake
August 22nd, 2010
1:39 am
Anybody know anything about Corey Peters.He said he heard his knee pop.Is he ok?
georgiadawgg
August 22nd, 2010
1:03 pm
i am worried about the falcons
JanusLowery
August 23rd, 2010
2:12 pm
The FALCONS are STILL INTIMIDATED by the Pats. The Falcons team on paper is BETTER than the Pats. The Pats have Brady so the Falcons get scared when they play the Patriots. Thats it, plain and simple. If the Falcons simply RELAX when playing the Pats and try and run up the scoreboard, the Falcons will crush the Pats 56-3. But unfortunately the intimidation factor is still there and the Falcons think they are playing a former superbowl team. The Patriots are no longer superbowl material and they are simply an ordinary team, probably among the bottom-feeders of the league. But when the Falcons play the Pats instead of playing smash-mouth football and taking their game to the Pats, the Falcons play like lambs like they are afraid of getting beat. The Falcons must CHANGE THEIR THINKING, and make a paradigm shift in their thought processes when they face the Pats and feel as though they will dominate the Pats, which they will. IT ALL MENTAL and the Falcons have their thoughts distorted when they are facing Bill Belechek, Tom Brady and the horrible Patriots. The Patriots stink and the Falcons need to realize that soon.
Saint Sal
August 23rd, 2010
4:32 pm
The saints will roll to another division title—take it to the bank and make it two super bowls in a row. The falcons have some gaps and will probably not even make the playoffs.
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
August 24th, 2010
1:32 pm
The Falcons will continue to struggle consistently throwing the ball down field until they acquire some better offensive linemen that can effectively block on passing downs. If you notice, Ryan rarely has time to look through all of his progressions because he’s running for his life or having to throw the ball away to avoid a sack. The OL is good at run blocking but can block pass rushers long enough for the QB to be able to throw the long ball down the field.
I am therefore you're not
August 25th, 2010
8:04 pm
If vick is sooo great like some people say, then why is he still the back up QB to the back up? Reid just doesn’t see any worth in vick. I don’t think he’ll last the entire season. He’ll get canned and will have to play as a back up in the UFL.That’s all he’s worth.
zorba
August 28th, 2010
7:17 am
Jeff, how about writing about our place kicking situation. Doesn’t look very good thus far!