Poll time: Who’s most important Falcon vs. Packers?
John Abraham has led the team with 13 sacks.
But his car slid off I-985 Monday.
Assuming I can get my car out of the garage, I’m off to Flowery Branch this morning for Falcons practice and a column later. If I can’t get out of the garage this morning, I’ll be live blogging off of “Curb Appeal” or some fabulous gemstones on QVC.
The subject of the intended Falcons piece likely will be John Abraham, assuming he can make it to the team’s facility safely after he slid off the road on Monday and had to be rescued by Kroy Biermann. (Nice teamwork.)
Loading ...Abraham, with 13 sacks, is having one of the best seasons of his career — even while near the end of his career. I’ll get into the whys and hows of that more later.
But here’s this morning’s question. Who’s the single most important player for the Falcons in this week’s playoff game against the Green Bay Packers?
The reflex action is to say Matt Ryan, simply because he’s the quarterback. But we’ve seen the Falcons win games this season when Ryan had only average, but mistake-free games.
The Falcons also don’t win this game if they can’t get some pressure on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who probably is playing as well as any quarterback in the league right now, other than Tom Brady.
So I’ve put up a poll of five Falcons. Pick one and tell me why he’s the most important. And don’t tell me you don’t have time to comment because I know you’re skipping work again.
By Jeff Schultz
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116 comments Add your comment
Section 346
January 11th, 2011
10:26 am
Matt Ryan is the key. Great QB’s make plays even when the running game is being shut down. Right now Ryan is a very good game manager, but he has yet to prove he can take over a game with his arm like Brees, Manning, Brady, Rodgers, Rivers, or even Tony Romo, I like Ryan and hope he develops into a great passer. Right now, though, he is more like Ben Roethlisberger, except without the benefit playing with a top-ranked defense.
idot
January 11th, 2011
10:27 am
The whole team, from coaches to special teams.
idot
January 11th, 2011
10:29 am
What was Abraham driving, a Grand Marquis?
idot
January 11th, 2011
10:30 am
They need to get all of those Falcons to the compound, before somebody gets busted up in a car wreck.
F-105 Thunderchief
January 11th, 2011
10:31 am
It ain’t Turner, folks. The line is getting no push and letting the defenses get penetration.
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 11th, 2011
10:31 am
Did Kroy get ABE preggers too? LOL Never trust Kroy. He has sex with Kim Z from the RHOA. That is just scary.
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 11th, 2011
10:34 am
Schultz
Where is SPUD WEBB of the NFL in your POLL?
Grimes has to have a HUGE Playoffs. QBs are going to pick on SPUD for sure. He better be ready and get the ball using his Hops.
birds1
January 11th, 2011
10:36 am
i say turner,it starts with the running game to set up the pass,if the falcons cant get the running game going, long day for ryan. packers will blitz alot, plus turner coming off 2 fumbles needs to focus on getting behind ovie. and get those big wholes open,if falcons get 120 yards on the ground we will win.
KimZ'spackage
January 11th, 2011
10:40 am
Don’t be hate’n on Kroy. He made sure John wasn’t Tardy for the Party. And what is wrong with Me? I am damn Hot and Talented too.
ijonathan
January 11th, 2011
10:44 am
Guys, Najeh Davenpoop couldn’t make it to this blog yet, something about going through his old Football Digest magazines from 1997 to work on some statistical models or something.
But he asked me to send in his ballot for him on the most important Falcons vs. the Pack, in this order.
Turner
Mughelli
McClure
Baker
Abraham
JA98
White
Clabo
Dahl
Gonzalez
Blalock
Beirmann
Babineaux
Bryant
Peele
Finneran
Weems
That QB guy
tony
January 11th, 2011
10:47 am
Bliz Bliz Bliz! They must bliz 90% of the time if they are going to win this game.
jfreak13713
January 11th, 2011
10:49 am
I am sick of the lack of respect the Falcons get from those at ESPN and other sports outlets! They pay more attention to the packers who have a worse record and the Falcons have already beat this year! Nobody knows who will win this game but this Flacons team deserves credit and national attention for the season that they’ve had.
I think Weems will be the critical player in the game by giving Atlanta good or poor field position. Shorter field with sustained drives spells points and time of position which favors Atlant. Turner will need to have solid game but everybody knows that. Ryan will be fine but if Turner isn’t running the ball well that forces Atlanta to throw more which puts Ryan at risk for pressure from Packers. This will have to be solid team effort this week if the Falcons want to win. No one player will mean more than another in my opinion. But Flacons unlike Packers are a complete team and can play as a unit to win a close game. The Packers have to rely on Rogers and if he has a bad game the lose. Even if he has a good game they still lose because there really is nothing else but him on offense!
Falcons win by 10!
JASon
January 11th, 2011
10:50 am
Whoever is blocking clay matthews
honest_abe
January 11th, 2011
10:51 am
tyson clabo. need further explanation? see winston justice.
birds1
January 11th, 2011
10:52 am
1998 superbowl the falcons got there running the ball with jamal andeson,1836 yards that year,smash mouth football,i remember the game, nfc title game with the vickings.we won. thanks to jamal and chandler and kicker anderson
honest_abe
January 11th, 2011
10:52 am
najeh davenpoop is still b*tching and moaning about shultzies vick articles.. hahahahaha
honest_abe
January 11th, 2011
10:54 am
sure the lack of national respect can be irritating. but i think its a good thing. i’ve never seen a number one seed in either conference overlooked quite like the falcons. on the bright side being angry and bitter beats overconfident which im sure the falcons won’t be saturday night.
Die Hard Falcon Fan
January 11th, 2011
10:56 am
Michael Turner because the Falcons are at their best when they have good balance between run and pass. If Turner doesn’t have a good day, it could be a long day for the Falcons.
mountain_jim
January 11th, 2011
10:59 am
The game plan does need to have more screens and draws for Snelling. And it Turner does not find and hit the hole with authority, give Snelling more of this carries. I agree with the poster above that poor game-planning and coaching were huge in the 3 defeats this season. I don’t want to see a fold like that Dallas game 30 years ago, from getting too conservative with a lead.
ijonathan
January 11th, 2011
11:00 am
Easily, the answer is Ryan/Mularkey/O-line. The Pack will likely play the run hard, because everyone buys into the meme that “if you stop fatty…err Turner…you stop the Falcons”. The Ravens tried that, and lost. You can put it in Ryan’s hands and win…IF Mularkey takes off the chains, goes up-tempo/no huddle and forces the action — from the start. None of this 3-yards and a cloud of crushed recycled tires. Sure, run it some, but mainly the pas/no huddle. And, make 3-4 downfield throws. Contrary to another meme, Ryan can throw the ball deep enough to stretch the defense, they just choose not to do it very often.
JSS
January 11th, 2011
11:01 am
None of the people you mentioned: Babineuax, DeCoud, Moore, Baker, Clabo, and McClure.
Green Bay exploited or attempted to exploit those portions of the Falcons game plan last time. Since the 2nd half of the Bears game, the Packers have been determined to run the ball 2) attack the safeties 3) get their running backs, Donald Driver, and tight ends into space. Defensively, they’ve used Matthews to draw double teams and let the strong safety or the strong side linebacker to attack the passing game. Dom Capers rarely makes the same mistake twice.
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January 11th, 2011
11:01 am
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Joey
January 11th, 2011
11:07 am
Mike Mularkey.
Old School
January 11th, 2011
11:08 am
The Offensive Line. If we run the ball, we keep it away from Rodgers and keep the defense fresh.
JSS
January 11th, 2011
11:08 am
ijonathan
January 11th, 2011
10:44 am
“Guys, Najeh Davenpoop couldn’t make it to this blog yet, something about going through his old Football Digest magazines from 1997 to work on some statistical models or something.”
What in the heck is that?
What about the 12th man baby?
January 11th, 2011
11:13 am
just asking
hjones
January 11th, 2011
11:17 am
The most important aspect is which offensive team plays. If the Matt Ryan oriented offense plays, then we will win. If the Michael Turner run- into-brick-wall offense plays, then we have no chance. So the outcome of the game depends upon the choice of Mike Smith and Mike Mularkey. We have the players to win; it depends on the choice of the coaches to put an offense on the field which is adaptable. If we start seeing Michael Turner have runs of 0, -1, -2, -4 yards, etc on multiple first and second downs, the coaching staff has failed.
If you were fat, would you name your son Michael Turner
January 11th, 2011
11:28 am
It does not seem to make any sense, but there is direct correlation between being able to run and hitting the wall.new poll——– is MT overweight ? yes or no
TheMediaTrainer
January 11th, 2011
11:29 am
No question Michael Turner is the critical fulcrum to the Falcons’ game this Saturday. If he’s running well, the offense opens up beyond one dimension and the Packers have much more to worry about.
Tom Pridemore was tough
January 11th, 2011
11:39 am
Michael Turner is the key clog to the offense Sat. nite….we need him to bang out yardage and keep GB off the field….
extremus
January 11th, 2011
11:59 am
Well, win or lose the credit and/or the blame tends to get spread around, and usually rightfully so. A quarterback who directs the traffic can do so expertly and without flaws only to be undone by a butterfingered receiver or an offensive lineman who lets his guard down even just a single time. Ditto with the defense; it’s a TEAM effort. So with that in mind, I don’t believe there is a “most” OR “least” important Falcon in this or any other game. Every man has to come ready to give his absolute best effort and leave everything on the field if we hope to advance.
Dr Henry
January 11th, 2011
12:00 pm
Easy!! Matty Bryant, being as this will probably be a OT game
BJH
January 11th, 2011
12:05 pm
gotta be the corners. we showed against the saints that we can get pressure, but we still couldn’t get the sacks. sticking with their great receivers down field will be key. I know our offense will put up points. Its up to the secondary to win this game
DawgDad
January 11th, 2011
12:17 pm
The safeties, DeCoud and Moore. They have to keep the game in front of them, not get suckered on play action or jumping check-down routes, and they have to keep an eye on the tight end. Green Bay can and will go deep, and those plays need to be shut down.
I understand why the mainstream sports press loves Rodgers and the Packers, but looking at this game as objectively as possible I don’t get the lack of love for the Falcons. Falcons bring something in ALL facets of the game, and they are tough as nails at home. TG has played a long Hall of Fame career waiting for this opportunity; he and Abe won’t leave anything in the locker room. Pack rallies late and makes it close, Falcons win 23-21.
Smashmouth
January 11th, 2011
12:20 pm
Schultz- Right question, wrong list of answers. A game like this of two evenly matched teams that are familiar with each other from recent match up will likely not be determined by the usual suspects. Both teams are good enough to scheme & focus to contain/take out the other teams primary focus forcing adaptation. My list of keys for ATL would be: Gonzalez (key 1st downs), Snelling (big plays after he catches the ball) Jenkins (dude’s going to see single coverage all day) and some combination of Finneran, Douglas & Peele catching GB with pants down. On D, Babineaux (rush up the front/run stuff), Bierman (doing his thing), Peterson (dude makes plays when we need them) & William “the hitman” Moore (GB already drops a bunch of should catch passes, wait until they’re wondering about his whereabouts on routes).
The loss to NO & Turner fumbles will have taken some pressure off of us by ending the win streak. The Smitty era has shown how this team handles adversity and I’d say being a dog to #6 seed at home as the #1 qualifies. Team will be focused and DEFENSE wins this one for us with run stuffing and overall disruption. RISE. UP.
D man
January 11th, 2011
12:32 pm
The Defense is the most important. We need to pressure Rodgers so he will make bad throws. Also need to do a better job containing him. Plus, the offense will be our best defense by keeping the Packers offense on the bench.
D man
January 11th, 2011
12:33 pm
The key to winning this game is turnovers and penelties. Lets win that battle and we should win.
JeanE
January 11th, 2011
12:33 pm
I voted for Ryan but it is a flawed question. They all need to play together and minimize mistakes. That’s what it takes to succeed, even if that’s not the “sexy” pick or choice. I want to see more intensity out of Michael Turner, guy needs to be a bit more ferocious and play to his size. Balance is the key! Spread the ball around and don’t be overly stubborn about the run game. Pressure Rodgers big time. Feed off of the crowd, go Birds!!
D man
January 11th, 2011
12:34 pm
It doesn’t matter. I’m just excited that we are still playing football. GO FALCONS!!!
Falcon Jim
January 11th, 2011
1:27 pm
Freddie ! ! !
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 11th, 2011
3:32 pm
CHOKE is a JOKE and always will be chasing Flacco, Sanchez and Vick’s playofff wins.
The only loser bigger than CHOKE are the ones that make up excuses for a 25 year old player, soon to be 26 that couldn’t duplicate the 22 year old former franchise qb that got his 1st playoff win
bighed
January 11th, 2011
3:33 pm
stop leaning so much on the run game, defenses are picking up on us running all the time. we have the weapons to throw to, lets use them
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 11th, 2011
3:35 pm
Joe Flacco….. 4 playoff wins (Never missed the playoffs)
Mark Sanchez….3 playoff wins (Never missed the playoffs)
What’s up CHOKE
Oh that’s right, you have been awarded a “bye” playoff win
MarjahMarine
January 11th, 2011
3:37 pm
Dunta Robinson/Brent Grimes (Coverage is key) (23%, 202 Votes)
Simple, you win the turn over battle and you are probably going to win the game. Rodgers does well against the blitz, so its up to the coverage unit to make a play. I doubt we will see Rodgers make the rookie “Favra like” mistakes that Brees made and turn the ball over to linemen.
Anil
January 11th, 2011
4:50 pm
I don’t think it matters who steps up from the Falcons side. Green Bay is playing on a different level. I think Greenbay will take this one easy. GREENBAY SUPER BOWL BOUND!!!
Falcons' Abraham excelling, even with thoughts on mom | Jeff Schultz
January 11th, 2011
5:03 pm
[...] – Poll time: Who is most important Falcon vs. Packers? [...]
ATL2SB
January 11th, 2011
5:15 pm
The entire linebacker corps. Gotta cover underneath routes, tackle, stop the run, and get pressure on Rodgers in blitz situations. GO FALCONS!
fabulous flying patrinos
January 11th, 2011
6:27 pm
every time i see a short bus it reminds me of the retard atlanta fans…lmao at you idiots…pack 38 turdbirds 2..(mercy saftey)
The spirit of Lombardi
January 11th, 2011
7:15 pm
You have a fine team Bird fans. Facts: Pack D will NOT give up more than 21 pts in this game. Your Off production will not determine the fate of the contest. Rested and potentially rusty Falcons must do two things to compete: Stop our precise slant patterns(young secondary?); Disrupt throwing lanes of ARod with interior push. I expect it to be a tight game(See Vegas line, they are always right) Turnovers will likely decide the fate of what I think will be the NFC representative in SB. Watch out,though, we are battle tested and on a roll!
the Boss
January 11th, 2011
7:30 pm
Hey “Anal”, woops sorry “Anil”, who gives rats ass what you think. Be sure to come back on Saturday late night and Sunday a.m for the Crow you will be eating.
“Choke” what happened? Your loser felon is out, everything you wet dreamed about is not gonna happen, now your biggest nightmare will be watching the Falcons advance. And by the way, nice job avoiding my great offer for FREE admission to Falcons/Panthers that was accompanied by a signed Vick jersey, your dream boy. LOSER. Now get back to work, the fries are done and the drive thru is slammed!