‘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
shannon
September 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
I hope Matt Ryan does become a checkdown qb like joey harrington
shannon
September 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
does not
Hetch Hetchy
September 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
John, I still think Vick is a bust in the long run, if that’s what you are intimating.
John
September 11th, 2011
10:09 pm
Stat Man…they have given Matty Ice every opportunity to excel. He’s loaded on offense, something they never gave Vick. He had the worst OL, Roddy White couldn’t catch a cold, his best receiver was a tightend, he ran for his life practically every play.
Ditka
September 11th, 2011
10:09 pm
Yuse guys need to have a bratwurst and chill out. The season isn’t over yet but it will seem like it after week 3!
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:09 pm
Fact, Vick had 3 playoff wins in the first 4 seasons, but goose egg in the past 6….some clutch guy…
Mystikal
September 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
“When you move the ball down the field, you’ve got to finish those drives off with touchdowns,” Smith said.
Heard this all last year
DON’T TALK ABOUT IT, BE ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
Jimmy
September 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
The “playoff win” argument is very weak.
It is just another example of how desperate you Ryan haters are.
M&M
September 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
Hetch Hetchy
September 11th, 2011
10:02 pm
Falcons are going to get stomped again next week. Take that to bank.
Give me the odds and I will !
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
John, then how do you explain Vick going ohffer against 10 win teams LAST YEAR!!!
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
ICE Melt is a bust in the short run..imho
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:12 pm
Funny, you guys talk about vick winning some lousy WC game in 2003, but ignore his failure against 10 win teams LAST YEAR. My agenda, the truth, some of you just cannot handle the truth.
Hetch Hetchy
September 11th, 2011
10:13 pm
Odds aren’t out yet lol
sheezy
September 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
They played like trash today, that damn safety dropped two INT’S, defense still playing in a zone and offensive play-calling sucks!!
Ditka
September 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
The truth is , yuse guys stunk up my stadium
JSS
September 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
2001? Drew Brees would have been like Chandler behind that line… Reeves may have made Vick better but he got Chandler, Johnson, DeBerg and Jesus killed!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:04 pm
Fact, Vicks last season as a Falcon QB was a 7-9 season, we were 8-8 before that.
______________________________________________
Fact: Vick was last Falcons qb to beat Philly
Fact: Vick was last Falcons qb to win a playoff game
Fact: Vick is last Falcons qb to start pro bowl
Fact: CHOKE is the only qb in NFC (HISTORY) not to go from worst to first.
Need more facts?
M&M
September 11th, 2011
10:15 pm
Jimmy
September 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
The “playoff win” argument is very weak.
It is just another example of how desperate you Ryan haters are.
How is that weak ?!
You rather have good stats from your QB than playoffs and Superbowl Wins ?!! Wow !, That reminds me of another team here in this city ! 15 Division win, Although they do have a Championship Trophy….
Bigdog58
September 11th, 2011
10:15 pm
Hate to say it but we are in a funk. We have lost our last 6 games since the playoffs last year. I knew things were bad when we didn’t win a pre-season game. Need to get this fix in a hurry. The only good thing about this weekend was that everybody in the division lost.
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:15 pm
Try this STAT: 0-7 coming Sunday after another huge beatdown…
Numbers never tell the whole story Gomer…
Birdy
September 11th, 2011
10:16 pm
Lovie Smith is so ingenious with his Tampa-2 that he can prevent his opponents from even trying to challenge his guys deep. And the defense not only prevents ATTEMPTS at deep passes, it also bottles up the short pass and prevents ATTEMPTS into the end zone. And yes, as an added bonus, there is enough left over to also stop the run.
Lovie Smith is a pure genius. (Why didn’t Blank hire him instead of Mora?)
I wonder, since the Tampa-2 can stop teams from even ATTEMPTING to challenge our guys, since it stops teams from even ATTEMPTING to throw into the end zone, why don’t we deploy it exclusively? It is obviously the perfect, fool-proof defense, impossible to score against.
What are we waiting for??? Let’s play Tampa-2 so that we can go 15-1 and not yield any down field ATTEMPTS the rest of the year!
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:16 pm
You would think Ryan, Ryan Leaf, and Vick accomplishments rival Tom Brady by listening to you guys. But the truth is, neither have done much, but it took Vick 2.5 x more time to not do much….some of you cannot handle the truth.
Big Wally
September 11th, 2011
10:16 pm
I’m not a Ryan or Vick fan. Bring back Sara Jessica Parker Wilson.
sheezy
September 11th, 2011
10:16 pm
Stat Man and Hetchy: Vick is still better than Matt Ryan!! Falcons fall to 0-2 next sunday night!!
Ditka
September 11th, 2011
10:16 pm
Yuse guys need to lighten up on Matty Melt , I hear he has sensative skin!
John
September 11th, 2011
10:17 pm
Stat Man….Vick was the reason some of the teams never reached 10 wins, 2 wins over Dallas and 2 wins over NY Giants prevented them from reaching 10 wins….your stats are subjective.
1 title
September 11th, 2011
10:19 pm
atlanta—1 fluke title in all their pro sports. this is why atlanta is called loserville. but, it’s black mecca, so that counts.
Medicine Man
September 11th, 2011
10:19 pm
I think we can all agree on these facts no matter what side of the isle we may fall:
1. Matt does not liked contact of any sort.
2. Matt gives up on certain plays way too early.
3. Matt does not like contact of any sort.
4. Matt does not read past his first progressions consistently, before checking down.
5. Matt does not like contact of any sort.
6.Throwing the deep ball requires staying in the pocket taking a few shots to the body sometime occasionally.(Hurry up and read next fact)
7. Matt does not like contact of any sort.
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:19 pm
Fact, most accomplished QB in the 2001 draft? Hands Down Drew Brees, but we got suckered into taking some guy who had motivational issues.
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:20 pm
Mr Blank made two huge Mistakes that will hunt is ownership..
He fired the best coach the Falcants ever had,The only one to take em to the dance
He hired me, a moron….
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:20 pm
haunt^^^^^^
Najeh Davenpoop
September 11th, 2011
10:21 pm
“So, let’s take stock of all the great, awesome, athletic quarterbacks that are much better than Ryan and who draw the love of so many on this board…
[Soon to be MVP and dome-owner] Mike Vick
[the emergin, under the radar force in the sunshine state] Josh Freeman
[Late addition to the party] Cam Newton
Did I miss anybody? Maybe Donovan McNabb?”
Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, sooner or later Andrew Luck… all athletic, all playmakers, all have cannon arms, all are mobile.
It’s only about race if you make it that way. I’m not white or black. I don’t have a dog in that fight. (Pun intended.)
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:21 pm
Fact, being loserville and black mecca does not have to be mutually exclusive.
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:21 pm
his^^^ long day…..lol
playoff or else
September 11th, 2011
10:22 pm
if the falcons don’t make the playoffs this year, smith and dimitroff must go!
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:22 pm
Is Athens a Black Mecca Gomer? Just askin banjo man…
Najeh Davenpoop
September 11th, 2011
10:22 pm
“Hey, I’m not saying the kid didn’t have a great game. He did. One for the ages. But to say he looked incredibly impressive in every respect is a bit much. Hopefully you will get over your crush before he inevitably breaks your heart.”
If he had a “great game” “for the ages” in his first ever NFL game how is that not incredibly impressive?
Yes, for a guy coming off just one year in college running a single-read offense, it was incredibly impressive. He’ll only break my heart if he costs me money, though, and I don’t have him in either one of my money fantasy leagues.
ijonathan
September 11th, 2011
10:23 pm
Najeh, I know you’re not “white or black.” While you may not make it about race, others do. I just can’t figure out your instant infatuation with Cam Newton. One freakin’ game against the Cardinals. smh.
John
September 11th, 2011
10:24 pm
Stat Man…if Vick wins a Super Bowl, his accomplishments would be on par with Brees right? Brees only has 1 Super Bowl…
Jimmy
September 11th, 2011
10:24 pm
MM:
Please…you obviously didn’t see Aaron Rodgers shred the Falcon defense last year.
Funny…I don’t remember Matt Ryan playing all 11 positions on defense.
I don’t remember him playing on the offensive line…he was not responsible for the offensive game plan.
No QB “wins” playoff games by himself.
Saying some QB who can hand the ball off and make an occasional pass is a good QB and a “winner” because he played on championship TEAMS is another falacious argument.
It is not about what I want…it is about the simple truth.
I guess Dan Marino is not a legend because he was never on a Super Bowl winning team while Jim McMahon is because his team won.
Using “playoff wins” to criticize Ryan is light weight…meaningless…lacking.
M&M
September 11th, 2011
10:24 pm
1 title
September 11th, 2011
10:19 pm
atlanta—1 fluke title in all their pro sports. this is why atlanta is called loserville. but, it’s black mecca, so that counts.
Black Mecca ?! What do you mean by that ?!
M&M
September 11th, 2011
10:26 pm
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:20 pm
haunt^^^^^^
chilifrijole
September 11th, 2011
10:27 pm
DONT PANIC!! IT’S JUST ONE GAME…………………………
ijonathan
September 11th, 2011
10:27 pm
Nice selective editing Najeh. You said “incredibly impressive IN EVERY RESPECT.” It’s that last part I’m disputing. Checking down short of the first down marker, on 4th down, on his final drive, staring at the end zone, is anything but impressive. Kind of like saying the Falcons were explosive today.
Stat Man
September 11th, 2011
10:27 pm
John, stat man applauds your math skills, I will never understand why Beverly Harvard thought she needed to cheat the CRCT with talent like you in the APS student body.
Braves
September 11th, 2011
10:28 pm
Thank goodness the Dawgs and Falcons are on their way to disastrous years. Takes everyone’s focus off of us choking and missing the playoffs.
Jim Moron
September 11th, 2011
10:28 pm
UGA in Athens are 2-10 against Ranked opponents..6-7 last year are they considered loserville?
Oh thats right u voted for the guy with 2 dui’s twice…
Najeh Davenpoop
September 11th, 2011
10:28 pm
“Yet, Ryan is 7-8 against 10 win teams, Vick is 4-11. I am accused of having an agenda, my agenda is the truth, it appears the ones blowing Smoke about Vicks greatness, when he is a miserable 4-11 (including 0-2 last season) against 10 win team have an agenda. ”
I am too lazy to go back through Vick’s career and fact check that, but off the top of my head, Vick beat the 10-win Giants twice last year, so he most certainly wasn’t 0-2 against 10 win teams last year.
In any event, if you are going to compare Ryan to Vick, you are fighting a losing and fruitless battle. Ryan is not in Vick’s league until he wins playoff games. Compare Ryan to people around his age with his level of experience. Flacco, Freeman, etc. should be the people against whom he should be fairly compared.
TCCB
September 11th, 2011
10:30 pm
HELLO CHOKE!!!!
ijonathan
September 11th, 2011
10:30 pm
And by the way, for all you poker players out there, the “tell” that someone has a race agenda regarding the Falcons or the QB position, it’s when they trot out D.J. Shockley as an example of somebody who should have received more playing time or a shot at the starting job…or maybe that he wasn’t tutored properly. Either that, or they are delusional UGA fans.