‘Explosive’ Falcons just opened season with a dud
What do they say about a picture telling a story? This one of Matt Ryan explains Falcons' day.
CHICAGO – When the Falcons said they wanted to get more explosive this season, did they mean like Wile E. Coyote explosive?
They said the intent was to open up the offense. Stretch defenses. They said they wanted to get more aggressive on defense. Pressure opposing quarterbacks. Let it fly, baby. Light the fuse. Problem is, when you don’t follow your own directions, it’s easy to inadvertently wire your big toe to the ACME dynamite kit. Then when you push the plunger on the season opener . . .
Boom!
The Falcons opened the season Sunday. Three hours later, all the remained was a pile of ashes.
Chicago Bears 30, Falcons 12. How’s that for your potential Super Bowl team? Instead of giving you a reason to forget their 48-21 playoff loss to Green Bay last January, the Falcons succeeded only in extending the hangover. They have been outscored in their last two games by 45 points.
And about that 0-4 record in the preseason. Maybe it’s not so meaningless after all.
“Stunned is an understatement,” linebacker Mike Peterson said.
“This isn’t what we planned on — it was awful,” Roddy White said.
It was worse than that. It was inexcusable.
Was all that talk about explosiveness just lip service? This was a season opener. This game followed months of hearing coaches, players and the front office talking about the need for wows and pyrotechnics on both sides of the ball. The Falcons traded a blur of draft picks so they could move up to draft wide receiver Julio Jones. They snagged defensive end Ray Edwards in free agency. They talked a big game.
But when the gates open, they pressed the trigger and a flag saying, “Bang!” popped out. The Bears didn’t play dead.
Many Falcons players chose to credit Chicago’s defense for playing a strong game and taking away the deep threat. But quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey seldom left the impression they were in attack mode. Ryan never threw deep. Never. He says he thought about it several times but there was nothing there. Ryan also committed two horrific mistakes — an interception by Brian Urlacher, which led to a second-quarter touchdown when the game was still 3-3, and fumbling in the third quarter, leading to an Urlacher return for another score.
Ryan also was hoping to leave his Green Bay playoff performance behind him. This didn’t help. He has five turnovers and one touchdown pass in his last two games.
The Falcons didn’t just look bad. They self-destructed. They did things that good teams, let alone Super Bowl contenders, never should do. The defense missed tackles, took bad angles on plays and blew coverages. They turned Jay Cutler (312 yards, two touchdowns) into Sid Luckman. They introduced Roy Williams, who got drop-kicked out of Dallas, to relevancy.
They were beat physically. Chicago defense may be good but it’s hardly Monsters, redux. This isn’t 1941 or 1985.
Offensively, the Falcons looked and played timid. They lined up White on one side, Jones on the other, and Tony Gonzalez and Harry Douglas between the two, as advertised. Then they cowered. Chicago often dropped eight players into coverage and taking away the deep ball. But don’t great players and great coaches adjust? They make plays. Instead, we were subjected to four quarters of check-downs.
Coach Mike Smith acknowledged the poor performance but he tried to temper concerns with, “Let’s not say the sky is falling.”
Gonzalez also sought to calm the masses.
“People outside the organization are going to push the panic button,” he said. “They’re going to think, ‘Oh my God. Overhyped. Over this. Over that. You know what? They’re full of it. If you want to think that, go ahead. Maybe it sells papers. Maybe it gives people something to talk about. But it’s one game. We’ve got the players to do something special. We just have to go out next week and play better. And we will next week, I guarantee it.”
Nobody should doubt the Falcons can still be a great team. But opening performances like this tend to alter perspectives, especially with Michael Vick and Philadelphia coming to the Georgia Dome next week.
Overhyped? It’s probably too early for such proclamations. But it would at least be nice to see the Falcons attempt what they advertised.
By Jeff Schultz
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750 comments Add your comment
Tell it like it is
September 11th, 2011
8:53 pm
After next weeks game the falcons will be 0-7 in thier last 7 games including preseason,sounds like a team on the rise to me.
alex
September 11th, 2011
8:53 pm
traffic, crime, public schools,lack of water AND the falcons and braves…Why do people move here? perhaps it’s the southern charm or the ambience, naw…….. SEEMS APPROPRIATE THAT THE “CITY WITH BROAD SHOULDERS” BEATS THE CRAP OUT OF THE CITY OF POSERS!
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
8:54 pm
Mr Blank, how much did you pay this bust Meltdown??? Ask for a refund….
shannon
September 11th, 2011
8:54 pm
Im so worried about next sunday….
M&M
September 11th, 2011
8:55 pm
Mike Vick
September 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
Miss me yet?
No we don’t ! But we could have retain our QB we gave to Texas. And we could have gotton Bret Farve here too !
John
September 11th, 2011
8:55 pm
Jim in Augusta….you’re right, ATL is a home game for Vick next week. He might do to the Falcons what he did to the Redskins last year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him put up 50+ points on the board.
Moorman
September 11th, 2011
8:55 pm
Jim in augusta, how in the world can vick bring down a team, that was already down thirty something years before Vick came to atlanta? And i remember, before Vick came, ALL falcon home games were blacked out……….
Ben
September 11th, 2011
8:55 pm
braves 0 and 6 with Philly and cardinals, falcons 0 and 5 including preseason, hockey team left and happy in place where people care. let rename Atlanta to loserville. by the way, dawgs also 0 and 2 and Athens very close to our city.
RB
September 11th, 2011
8:55 pm
My head is hurting, See you all next week. I’m Gone!!!!!!!!
SonofaDawg
September 11th, 2011
8:56 pm
The picture says it all! Lil Dink on his head, all game .
Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan
September 11th, 2011
8:56 pm
Matt “Vanilla Ice” Ryan… Do you actually feel that you’re going to make a difference next week.
( Remember last year in Philly. Your Homecoming when we lost to the Eagles without # 7) .
I hope you are ready this year GUY.
DA BEARS!!!!!!!!
September 11th, 2011
8:57 pm
OK LET ME BREAK IT DOWN FIRST DID U THINK U WERE BEATING US AT HOME QUIT DRINKN THE KOOL-AID THE COONS ARE NOT THAT GOOD MAYBE 7-9 NO PLAYOFFS THIS TEAM IS REGESSING ..THE OFF LINE WAS EXSPOSE..THE DEFENSE AND I USE IT LIGHTY WAS HORRIBLE ..FORTE RAN ALL DAY..AND U MADE CUTLER LOOK LIKE MONTANA…HEY IM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU ATL WITH MY GAMES AND BEING IN MY DIV I WILL PROBALY GO 8-8 ..9-7 AT BEST BUT I DEAL WITH REALITY …UNLIKE FALCON FANS
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
8:57 pm
Eagles 30 falcants 3 @ the Half……
Moorman
September 11th, 2011
8:58 pm
Jim in augusta, how could Vick bring down a franchise, that been down for over forty years?lol i remember when all falcon home games in the dome were blacked out, until Vick came to town……..lol
Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan
September 11th, 2011
8:59 pm
Hey Matt. I’m re-watching the game as I type this.. Why did you throw that PICK directly to the Bear’s Defense man.
Damn, You really no how to F up a Lovely Sunday Afternoon.
pete
September 11th, 2011
8:59 pm
Vick was 14-32 against the Rams.
Michael Vick
September 11th, 2011
9:00 pm
Am I mistaken, or did Brian Urlacher take me to school last seasson too?
JSS
September 11th, 2011
9:00 pm
I can’t help laughing because you are missing the point to the first post. He did say they were better, he said that there is a strong possibility that by the end of “next” season they could surpass Matt Ryan in their skills and abilities in the division.
Is he better than Drew Brees, nope. Freeman is about a half a season and another “explosive” wideout from being very dangerous to go along with that huge upside that he has. Cam newton haters, that kid showed today what a coach that realizes he has weapons can do. They have a QB that stay on his feet long enough to get Steve Smith the ball. With our safeties, that should send shivers down all of your spines…
The Falcons better get their blocking in order and keep Turner healthy. When he is on, you win… And that is point blank the clear fact…
pete
September 11th, 2011
9:00 pm
Vice was 14-32 against the terrible Rams
Michael Vick
September 11th, 2011
9:01 pm
I kind of remember Brian Urlacher smacking me around like a biaotch when I played for the Falcons too.
Troup Dawg
September 11th, 2011
9:01 pm
Romo is looking much better than Ryan. Jets are bringing the house and Romo isn’t freaking out and staining his pants like Ryan did today.
Did you guys notice, The Falcons never attacked the End zone today with 1 pass? Even inside the Bears 10 yd line Ryan never threw toward the end zone.
Dooley
September 11th, 2011
9:01 pm
Dunta Robinson must have learned how too tackle from Deion Sanders. At least Deion could cover. He is a complete Bust but Falcons have no one else.
QB/DB
September 11th, 2011
9:01 pm
0-5 you have to be concerned! If we would have found a way to keep M. Jenkins with Jones, Roddy, Gonzalas, Douglas plus the beast Dalh on the OL then the Offense would have been explosive. The OL is not Super Bowl or All Pro caliber. The DL either, we did a POOR JOB tackling. TD and CMS had better take a look at that roster and see what is available and stop messing around. The competition is explosive, we just can’t afford to sit still and rest on last year, we are the hunted! It looks like we are so interested in making the FALCONS explosive instead of playing what got the Falcons on the throne last year, Turner and Snelling pounding.
Najeh Davenpoop
September 11th, 2011
9:01 pm
“Najeh, you usually bring some relevant information and perspective to the conversation. That comment about Ryan being the worst QB in the division is straight out of the deranged, hate-driven playbooks of blog agitators like Falcons Sorry and “Choke”. You disappoint me, sir.”
I didn’t say he is the worst QB in the division. I said it is not that hard to envision a scenario where he could be the worst QB in the division by the end of next season. Freeman is statistically his equal and younger than him, and Newton looked every bit as poised today as Ryan did three years ago in his debut against Detroit.
JSS
September 11th, 2011
9:02 pm
Correction:
“He did “not” say they were better, he said that there is a strong possibility that by the end of “next” season they could surpass Matt Ryan in their skills and abilities in the division.
Luck is on our side
September 11th, 2011
9:02 pm
I say we tank the season and go after Andrew Luck. Matt Ryan is a pretender.
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
9:03 pm
Turner was “on”, ran for over 100.. Ice was melting…What else was news in the sports world today….
shannon
September 11th, 2011
9:04 pm
I bet u 50 bucks the Ga Dome will be chanting for Vick next Sunday
Matt Ryan
September 11th, 2011
9:04 pm
If I read the score correctly, the Panthers lost. I won my first game.
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
9:04 pm
Hey Mark Richt can out coach Smith….
Najeh Davenpoop
September 11th, 2011
9:08 pm
“I know Cam had a great game. But its only 1 game, and it was against the Cardinals, a team not not exactly known for their offense.”
True, it was only one game. It was also, by yardage, the greatest debut game a rookie QB has ever had. It is of course possible that when Newton faces better defenses — like next week against Green Bay — that he will suck. But today I saw him face complicated blitz schemes and maintain his footwork, keep his eyes downfield, and consistently hit the open man. He looked every bit as poised as Matt Ryan did against Detroit (another horrible defense) in his debut, and considerably more poised than Vick did in his rookie year. For a guy coming out of a single-read system, to play that way in his first game against a non-traditional defensive scheme was phenomenal.
Like I said, maybe better defenses will bring him back to Earth, but the way he put up those numbers today told me that this game was not a fluke.
La Krink James
September 11th, 2011
9:09 pm
Talk about chokers, I am watching the ‘boys.
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
9:09 pm
Falcants going 0-5 will mean at least 2-3 year setback…..
Mr. Blank you may want to start selling hammers again?
Donald
September 11th, 2011
9:10 pm
So every other qb can throw deep…seen it all day, but Ryan says it’s not there. Just because “it’s not there” doesn’t mean OUR guy can’t get it or get a pass interference. It’s sad seeing Cam Newton make Ryan look like a 3rd stringer. I mean, if our backups played, would it be any worse? Don’t think so.
derrick
September 11th, 2011
9:10 pm
you people need to stop it. The Falcons finally played a GOOD team and got EXPOSED. Over half of the teams that the Falcons played last year were .500 or less and some of you actually had the nerve to think superbowl? Come on…. The whippin they took from Green Bay last should have told you something.
Najeh Davenpoop
September 11th, 2011
9:10 pm
“Michael Vick
September 11th, 2011
9:00 pm
Am I mistaken, or did Brian Urlacher take me to school last seasson too?”
If putting up 26 points against their defense constitutes being “taken to school”, then yeah.
Bobby Petrino
September 11th, 2011
9:12 pm
How do you figure 0-5 is a 2-3 year setback. Noboby ashcanned a franchise worse then me, yet Ice took them to the playoffs the next season. NFL stand for not for long.
JSS
September 11th, 2011
9:12 pm
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
9:03 pm
“Turner was “on”, ran for over 100.. Ice was melting…What else was news in the sports world today….”
53 came on one play, what was his average on the rest? The line was horrible today.And according to the system applied by the bloggers on Ledbetter’s page, bad O-line play should not dictate a QBs ability to lead a team. That is why they decry Chris Miller and Michael Vick in their view. I personally think that is asinine!
Donald
September 11th, 2011
9:12 pm
And what is up with Robinson? Why did we sign him? Was he good at Texas? Cause he is a big fat awful mistake so far. Might as well have you playing Schultz.
Najeh Davenpoop
September 11th, 2011
9:13 pm
Thanks, JSS, for taking the time to actually read what I said in that post.
The FAILCANTS played today? Thought it was the Bulldawgs
September 11th, 2011
9:14 pm
i guess it is a red and black thang…..lmao….2 loser teams….
Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan
September 11th, 2011
9:15 pm
I say we tank the season and go after Andrew Luck. Matt Ryan is a pretender.
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
9:15 pm
Fact….Ryan is 7-8 against 10 win teams, Vick is 4-11….Please explain…
1-10 Against Ranked Teams (formerly BeerDawg)
September 11th, 2011
9:15 pm
Najeh….it may be a little premature to say Ryan is the worst of the 4 QB’s in the division…although not too far-fetched in my opinion
However, it is quite safe to say Ryan has the weakest arm of the 4…..
Great touchdown, FAILCANTS
September 11th, 2011
9:15 pm
Think your offense could score one next game????? Losers.
Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan
September 11th, 2011
9:15 pm
Andrew Luck Looked good against Duke Yesterday. Just Saying.
JSS
September 11th, 2011
9:16 pm
@ najeh…
No problem… They had their feelings hurt today..
J_ATL
September 11th, 2011
9:16 pm
What bothers me is that when you look at other teams in this league, they lose games but not like this. I blame the entire organization, a few beat writers and fans for drinking the kool-aid. If I hear about this 13-3 season one more time, I swear I’m going to lose it. PEOPLE that was last year. Get over it. The fact of the matter is that we were never as good as out record indicated, and any TRUE falcon fan would know that. This loss doesn’t surprise me, the way we loss does. Coming into the season with all of this “explosive play” talk and to come out and lose like this angers me. I feel like I’ve been lied to all off season. Though there were a few positives from this game (very few) the horrible plays/play calling greatly outweighed them. The one positive that I can take away from this game is that we have the most high character guys on this team than any other in the league. Too bad that doesn’t win games…
ijonathan
September 11th, 2011
9:16 pm
Najeh, if you indeed watched the Panthers game today, you would have seen that first long touchdown to Smith was quite underthrown and Smith was about 10-15 yards wide open behind the defenders. If you can’t make that throw, you don’t play in the NFL. I also saw Cam throw a “checkdown” pass at the end of the game, short of the 1st down, when he needed to get it in the endzone. Next.
FAILCANTS are SB Bound
September 11th, 2011
9:16 pm
Call us. We will get you some tickets so you can watch us win ring #2.
All the best,
Sean and Drew