Falcons finally show an offense worthy of their talent
Julio Jones, here scoring his second toucdown, led Falcons' 40-point assault. (Kansas City Star)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Season openers do not always indicate which way a season will go. But they are like taking off a mask. They can reveal beauty marks that wow admirers or moles that look like a third eye and scare small children.
If there was particular concern about the Falcons’ season opener, it was justified. This year’s first game would come on the road. Openers on the road haven’t mirrored the intersection of joy and bliss for this team. They had lost the last three. The offense hadn’t produced even one touchdown in 12 quarters and an overtime. Matt Ryan? Losses to Pittsburgh and Chicago produced seven sacks, two interceptions and a few rearranged major organs. And he was outscored by a defensive end (Kroy Biermann, interception return).
“I know I hadn’t won one of these on the road,” Ryan said. “It’s a hard thing to do.” True. It’s just not always that ugly.
But when the mask came off the Falcons Sunday, there was no third eye on offense. Just a pair of eyes in the coach’s box that seemed to be looking in the right direction.
Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter made his debut as the team’s offensive coordinator. The Falcons produced four touchdowns and four field goals in their first eight possessions. Only then was punter Matt Bosher summoned from his Barcalounger and asked to put down the sandwich and remote control because the team actually had to kick the ball to the other team. Bosher’s lone punt came with 3:16 left in the game.
Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes and finished with one of highest ratings of his career: 136.4. (AP photo)
“I think he had a bunch of holds [for placekicks],” Ryan said. “That’s better action for him anyhow.”
The Falcons won their season opener 40-24 over Kansas City. They led 40-17 early in the final quarter. OK. The Chiefs’ defense was significantly dented by injuries and a suspension. Three straight second-half turnovers also gift wrapped 13 Falcons’ points. But this was the kind of offensive showing they’ve been waiting for. For too long, they have been less than the sum of their parts.
Ryan was great (23 for 31, 3 TDs, 136.4 efficiency rating). Julio Jones was whatever is north of great (6 catches for 108 and 2 touchdowns in the first 2½ quarters). Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez each had strong supporting roles.
But the most credit should go to Koetter, whose play-calling – including this strange and wonderful creation from another planet called a screen pass – directed the whole show.
“This is what it was supposed to be like last year,” said White, in a veiled shot at former offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey. “This is what we expected.”
When asked directly about Koetter, White said: “He’s relentless. He goes after it no matter what. He never lets the defense relax. You can see what he’s capable of in play-calling. You just have to go out there and execute the plays.
“We don’t even know what he’s going to call. There might be a time when one play will come in, then he’ll say, ‘No, no. Let’s do this instead.’ It’s a whole lot different than last year.”
You won’t read any Koetter quotes in this column because head coach Mike Smith doesn’t permit any of his coordinators to speak after games — only on late Tuesday afternoons, when the last game has long passed and the next game is five days away.
But the reviews from players have been glowing. Gonzalez, whose third-quarter touchdown catch and trademark crossbar spike drew boos from the Chiefs’ fans — who used to be his fans — said: “I don’t know how, but Matt’s just understanding everything that’s going on with this offense. He’s got a complete grasp of it.”
When asked if he agreed with White’s assessment about Koetter being unpredictable, Gonzalez said, “Yeah, and that’s what you kind of want. One thing about this offense is it’s not one dimensional. We can run ball, we caan throw it to Roddy, Julio, Harry [Douglas], me. That’s going to keep defenses on their heels this year.”
Ryan is in his fifth season. Smith said of his performance Sunday, “That might be the best game that he’s played.”
It doesn’t guarantee anything for next week against Denver, or Dallas, New York or Detroit. But finally, we saw more than mere hints of this offense’s potential. In week one and on the road, that’s a significant plus.
By Jeff Schultz
•
Last 10 from the jukebox
– Short takes: 3 thoughts on Falcons’ win over Chiefs
– Short takes: 3 thoughts on Georgia’s win over Missouri
– Georgia starts slow, then writes the winning script
– Georgia needs to avoid playing catch-up in SEC again
– Weekend Predictions: Dogs, Falcons win, and a ‘Sack Schultz’ video update
– Falcons, Smith going to amusing extremes to get an edge
– Chipper Jones provides Braves with a needed miracle
– Has Georgia duped us again, or was this just a hiccup?
– Fredi Gonzalez knows if Braves fizzle, he’ll be one to catch heat
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
174 comments Add your comment
billyho55
September 9th, 2012
8:36 pm
DAMN GUYS, FAITH HILL STILL HAS IT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!
JSS
September 9th, 2012
8:36 pm
@ Phil
You do know the Hawks hired him (Weiss) as an advisor?
JSS
September 9th, 2012
8:38 pm
“Strawman arguments” oh no, I need to go and laugh for about a half-hour on that one…
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:38 pm
Choke is no joke until we actually win a playoff game….
billyho55
September 9th, 2012
8:38 pm
AND THE BLONDE ON THE HARDEES COMMERCIAL, GOOD GAWD OH MIGHTY!
Big Lou
September 9th, 2012
8:39 pm
Blah with a bunch of pos trolls. That’s why I never want to read these.
Marcus
September 9th, 2012
8:39 pm
If all goes well this season, we should be picking late in the 1st round of the 2013 draft (with the Lombardi Trophy sitting in Flowery Branch, reflecting the televised coverage of Mike Mayock & Co. next April), but if TD can somehow get William Gholston (Mich. State DE) either through trade up or Jedi Mind trick on the other 31 NFL GMs …
Big Crimson 75
September 9th, 2012
8:40 pm
Matty Ice is set for a big Season.
Offense looked great.
As for the D — at least we have Coaching this year!!
Ray Edwards & Bierman have got to step their game up.
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:40 pm
Yeah, JSS….i can’t imagine why they brought him back. My couch has more personality.
My TV has better ideas. My drink glass has more sense.
ijonathan
September 9th, 2012
8:40 pm
The talent on the Hardees commercial almost make those bbq burgers look edible…almost.
ijonathan
September 9th, 2012
8:41 pm
JSS, what is so funny about strawman arguments?
DawgNole
September 9th, 2012
8:43 pm
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:29 pm
And while an ass and annoying as can be, Choke has been right 4 years running…
___________________
It’s not a matter of being right or wrong. It’s the manner of presentation and–more importantly–the sick-minded motivation behind it.
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:43 pm
Big Dumb Lou – who’s making you read anything? Go color, doodle, drool, eat, babble a bit or something.
DawgNole
September 9th, 2012
8:44 pm
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:35 pm
Bob Weiss….
Why would you bring back the definition of catatonic? He couldn’t coach church league ball…
_______________
Co-sign. Always thought someone should check to see if he had a pulse.
DawgNole
September 9th, 2012
8:47 pm
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:38 pm
Choke is no joke until we actually win a playoff game….
_____________________
That won’t matter at all. It’ll be the same trash–with slightly modified excuses for it.
Kyle
September 9th, 2012
8:49 pm
Why do u guys care what some cracked out loser types on the internet? He’s either a Vick fan or a Saints fan and is taking his frustration out on an internet message board bc he’s pissed bc whoever he pulls for looked horrid and The Falcons & Ryan looked great. He posts this stuff on here bc he doesn;t have the balls to say it to anyone’s face. The only players that choked today were the saints that got owned by a rookie QB in his first ever start and Vick w his 4 INTs.
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:50 pm
Maybe so….
Trolls are people too
September 9th, 2012
8:50 pm
Although I was happy with the outcome, we as fans cannot afford to get this excited when playing one game against a team that did not have three of their defensive starters. 40 points is nice, but my concerns remain the same:
1) 3rd down defense. The Falcons gave up conversions on everything from 3rd and 5 to 3rd and 19! Some will argue scheme and/or talent in the secondary, but the obvious weakness is lack of pass rush. Maybe the Chiefs OL is solid– that doesn’t mean that the Falcons should only come away with two sacks! I don’t remember a single team making it deep into the playoffs without a very strong pass rush.
2) The offensive line still concerns me. I don’t know who lined up against Sam Baker, but I guarantee that won’t always be the case.
3) Michael Turner. To me, this guy continues to run directly into would be tacklers and has no vision or presence at all. I’ve heard everything from the “statistics” argument (he’s second only to AP in yards over the last five yards) to the “fullback” argument (he needs a hole to run through) but both of those arguments are not truly in context. In fact, watching his performance during the win-or-go-home games shows me why he was never a number one until we traded for him. I’m not denouncing what he’s done for the Falcons, but I don’t, nor ever did believe him to be the “future” a la Ray Rice, Arian Foster, Matt Forte, AP, Jamaal Charles, or even Doug Martin (who looks like the real deal btw!).
Those were just the negatives I harped on, but I’m a huge fan and will continue to believe in this team’s management because they’ve shown where their heart is and that’s good enough for me. From 40+ years of no back-to-back winning seasons to four in a row? Yea, I may have my opinions but there’s a reason I don’t work in the front office. Great Win Falcons! Here’s to hoping it’s only a taste of things to come!
Gomer
September 9th, 2012
8:57 pm
Matt “CHOKE” Ryan…..I know you now….I’m gonna bust your balls tomorrow on the turds of tech blog…..
phil
September 9th, 2012
8:59 pm
Hater…
DawgNole
September 9th, 2012
9:01 pm
Trolls are people too
September 9th, 2012
8:50 pm
Although I was happy with the outcome, we as fans cannot afford to get this excited when playing one game against a team that did not have three of their defensive starters. 40 points is nice, but my concerns remain the same . . . .
___________________
Won’t have to wait long to find out what we got. Next game (vs Denver/Manning) is a Monday-nighter, which means an ATL pro team will be thrust into the white-hot spotlight of the national stage. And most of us know all to well what that traditionally has meant for ALL ATL pro teams.
Get a win in that one, and it’s immediate early-season national respect.
ANOTHER loss, and it’s more of the same ol’ same ol’–plus the blogs will be “choked” with the stench of the contributors that ATL’s defeats inevitably generate.
phil
September 9th, 2012
9:01 pm
Turds of Tech blog….
Good grief.
phil
September 9th, 2012
9:05 pm
The stench of negative contributors….lol!
Day One Fan
September 9th, 2012
9:13 pm
Why are my truthful comments being deleted? I think I know.
Eric C.
September 9th, 2012
9:14 pm
MCR, choke, whoever you are, ha…c’mon, even an old salty cynic like you has to find some glimmer of hope in today’s performance…right?
Day One Fan
September 9th, 2012
9:16 pm
Certain comments are being allowed while others are deleted. What’s the matter Jeff? Cann’t handle what you know is the truth?
Day One Fan
September 9th, 2012
9:17 pm
I seems racism is a one way street.
Eric C.
September 9th, 2012
9:17 pm
The dream game trip that could have been…watch the Dawgs crash the Zoo party and then step over and watchTG throw down in KC, still kicking myself for not planning this out better. But kudos to those who did.
Trolls are people too
September 9th, 2012
9:18 pm
DawgNole,
Sadly, you’re absolutely correct. I guess it’s hard for most to tiptoe the line between fan and homer. I think haters are a good thing. I just never knew the AJC was so good that people not from here spent more time on these blogs than those that are.
randydlee
September 9th, 2012
9:20 pm
Is it me,or is the lack of pass interference calls by replacement referees a blessing.
Day One Fan
September 9th, 2012
9:22 pm
There are those on here who hate Matt Ryan simply because he is white, They acctualy feel the Falcons “turned their back on vick”. He was IN JAIL BEFORE BEING RELEASED. How was that turning your back?
LOL at the Braves
September 9th, 2012
9:23 pm
How much did you drink today?
Day One Fan
September 9th, 2012
9:26 pm
I am waiting for an answer.
Post-it
September 9th, 2012
9:29 pm
@Trolls. Good objective post. And while I think Turner has lost a half a step I’d still take him over Jamal Charles. I know he had a few decent runs today. But for the most part our defense made him look small and unsure of his lanes.
LOL at the Braves
September 9th, 2012
9:29 pm
I drank a lot. I just started on my second case of beer.
Mo
September 9th, 2012
9:35 pm
Was it me or did KC’s defense look confused the entire game?
Trolls are people too
September 9th, 2012
9:36 pm
Post-it,
I hear what you’re saying, and the Falcons second-half defensive adjustments were excellent. But I think Jamaal Charles has some incredible vision and his general ability to find a hole as opposed to looking for one would make me choose him over Turner. He looked great coming back off that injury too! I always cheer for a guy coming back from a potential career-ending injury.
LOL at the Aints
September 9th, 2012
9:39 pm
At LOL at the Braves,, not enough to have a conversation with you LOL!!
LOL at the Aints
September 9th, 2012
9:41 pm
Trolls are people too,, Good One,,,
JSS
September 9th, 2012
9:45 pm
Charles s coming back from reconstructive knee surgery… That’s why they got two more backs… They ran up the middle and right well and then after the half tried going left side for no good reason… From that point forward, they were doomed…
Buckhed Benny
September 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
I think our offensive line will benefit tremendoulsy from not trying to establish the run- I kept saying why dont you just give defensive coordinators a reason to blitz- the way they looked at it they one either way- it was either a run blitz for them or a pass blitz- Mularkey only had a few routes they called to run and the db’s sat on all of them- They loved it when Michael Turner ran- It chewed up clock and kept julio and roddy from going deep quick-
Mularkey just didn’t want to graduate into the new era of pass first football- He is a dinosaur and will be done soon down in Jacksonville- too predicatble
Our offenive line might be better than we think when you don’t have defenses pinning their ears back rushing every play….
Post-it
September 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
Good point on Charles. Hope he stays healthy. KC fans deserve a competitive team.
Trolls are people too
September 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
They definitely got Hillis for insurance, but he’s clearly a change of pace back and was brought in to complement Charles, which he did a horrible job of today. They were “doomed” once they had three turnovers on three consecutive drives. What was up with Cassel throwing the ball at Abraham’s feet? Even Abe looked at him like “really?!”
Post-it
September 9th, 2012
10:11 pm
That throw at Abraham’s feet was one of the most awkward plays I’ve seen a qb make in a long time. Though he did get rid of it without a penalty. Cassel went from pro bowl caliber in the first half to Joey Harrington’s twin in the second.
coacht
September 9th, 2012
10:17 pm
great start. Offense looked good…great even. A couple of field goals when TD’s were in reach but other than that…..Defense came on strong….obviously our use of 6 rotating defensive ends and lineman has a wearing effect that shows up in the second half.
coacht
September 9th, 2012
10:23 pm
To RandyLee
I also liked the fewer calls. Game seemed to move a lot smoother.
And I saw where Tony G was held a tad on one play in first half and the announcers made a big
deal about the no call on our touchdown pick play where Harry D had a block perhaps beyond
the one yard allowable distance for such blocks.
But I say fewer tickey tack calls made for a better game.
Jeff Schultz
September 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
OK folks. Once more, with feeling.
1) No race baiting.
2) No profanity.
3) No profanity even cleverly disguised with symbols to get past filter.
4) No anything else that you KNOW is going to tick me off.
Any violation of these rules will result in banning.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 9th, 2012
10:33 pm
Champ/Dumerville/Von Miller/Peyton says bring it.
They are going to embarrass you on national television.
Julio won’t be doing the dirty bird next week
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 9th, 2012
10:39 pm
EARLY PLAYOFF SUCCESS
Flacco has done it…………
Sanchez has done it………….
Tebow has done it………….
TJ Yates has done it……………
CHOKE not so much…..ha ha
Fred Macmurray
September 9th, 2012
10:40 pm
Proud of the guys today,, did what they needed to do,, now lets go dismantle the Broncos,,, Go Falcons,,,