LIVE: Falcons can make it 6-0 before getting a little rest
Michael Turner scored the wining touchdown last week at Washington. (AP photo)
Five games into the season, the Falcons (5-0) already have a 3½ game lead over Tampa Bay (1-3) and a four-game lead over New Orleans (`-4) and Carolina (1-4). They also are one of only two unbeaten teams in the NFL and lead the race for home field advantage through the NFC playoffs.
What does this all mean? Well, not quite nothing. But not nearly everything.
It’s only October, and as impressive as the Falcons have been in many areas — particularly pass offense, pass protection and to so me degree pass defense — they weren’t great in consecutive come-from-behind wins over Carolina and Washington. The biggest issues remain the running game and run defense, which also happen to be the two factors (along with quarterback play) that generally separate the Super Bowl contenders from the also-rans in December and January.
Today’s game against Oakland seems to set up perfectly. The Raiders (1-3) aren’t very good, they can’t run the ball (32nd) and their secondary is horrible. The Falcons also know they have a bye week after today, before going into a potentially difficult three-game stretch (at Philadelphia, home against Dallas, at New Orleans).
Matt Ryan should be able to throw the ball against this team. But at some point, the Falcons need to get their running game on track. Michael Turner had a 13-yard touchdown run in last week’s win at Washington but generally he has struggled this season behind a weak-blocking line.
Just a few bullet points and then I’ll open up the phone lines.
• Linebacker Stephen Nicholas (ankle) and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (groin) were both limited in practice this week but are in the lineup.
• Falcons coach Mike Smith (48-21) can tie Dan Reeves (49-59-1) as the winningest coach in franchise history in only his fifth season.
• Tight end Tony Gonzalez needs one touchdown catch to hit 100 in his career. He has four already this season — previous season totals with the Falcons: 6, 6 and 7 — and had 13 receptions for 123 yards and a TD at Washington.
That’s it for now. The cyber-venting lines are open. I’ll be here if you have any questions.
By Jeff Schultz
•
Earlier blogs from the digital jukebox
• Fan revolts out of control, one even wanted to fight UGA player
• Weekend Predictions: No sacrifices, but Falcons, LSU win
• Video blog: Are Falcons (5-0) really better than before?
• Radakovich says Johnson is ‘right person for job’
• Al Groh’s problems at Georgia Tech weren’t pure ‘fantasy’
• Falcons are easy highlight in Atlanta’s dark sports weekend
• Short takes: Gonzalez, Bryant and missing RG3 in Falcons’ win
• Braves’ Frank Wren needs to fix good, but not great, team
• Chipper Jones on loss in his finale: ‘Ultimately, I’m to blame’
• Spurrier should take a lesson from Richt on handling criticism
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
1,090 comments Add your comment
Billyho55
October 14th, 2012
2:10 pm
SHOULD BE A LOT WORSE RIGHT NOW! AFTER 3 INTS ONLY DOWN 6! I’LL TAKE THAT ANYDAY!
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:10 pm
Arch, what do we do now? Des, we try to score
J.J.M.
October 14th, 2012
2:11 pm
Dominique davis *clap clap clap*
Answer This
October 14th, 2012
2:11 pm
Still not worried
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 14th, 2012
2:11 pm
Billyho55
October 14th, 2012
2:08 pm
EVERY FREAKING INT THAT HAS BEEN THROWN IS DUE TO OFFENSIVE LINE PROTECTION! HE WAS HIT ON EVERY DAMN THROW!
__________________________________
Here comes the CHOKE excuses…..
HA HA
GritzBlitz
October 14th, 2012
2:12 pm
Matty Ryan might regret the GTFO my field a few weeks ago.
phil
October 14th, 2012
2:12 pm
Boooooo!
Mike
October 14th, 2012
2:12 pm
Need a better O-line
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:12 pm
How much does Rich McKay make for showing up at work?
stendek
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
Hi Jeff. I wonder how much went into bank account of one Matthew Ryan. Loser not even disguising fact that payoff is in! Utterly disgusting and unacceptable. Reral MR finally surfaced. What happened on hold in EZ on long Raider completion? Total BS. Nauseating!
Billyho55
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
HERE WE GO! I SAY TD ON THIS DRIVE AND GOING TO BE 14-13 AT HALF!
J.J.M.
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
Again we suck at screens
TROTTINGHOME
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
this not what the world expected
phil
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
Boooooooooooo!!
Pathetic garbage play!
5150 UOAD
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
He did not break the sound barrier….At the approach he went into a bad spin and lost speed. The Aerodynamics needed to PUNCH the HOLE caused a bad spin.
ijonathan
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
Wow, horrible execution by Rodgers. All you have to do is cut inside that block.
Sid
October 14th, 2012
2:14 pm
pitiful performance
stendek
October 14th, 2012
2:14 pm
MR is garbage!
oldfart
October 14th, 2012
2:14 pm
I wondered about the boost in pass protection when the replacement refs didn’t make a single holding call on the Falcons’ O-line. Now I see that concern was well founded.
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:14 pm
Arch, how much longer are we going to have to wear these orange aprons?
GritzBlitz
October 14th, 2012
2:14 pm
stendek
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
Hi Jeff. I wonder how much went into bank account of one Matthew Ryan.
Payoff? Really? Loosen the foil hat.
phil
October 14th, 2012
2:14 pm
Booooo!!
Disco Tex
October 14th, 2012
2:15 pm
Didn’t the Raiders read the ajc.com? Don’t they know they have no chance against the mighty Falcons?
Billyho55
October 14th, 2012
2:15 pm
NOT EVEN GONNA TOUCH THAT, PUNK! YOU KNOW YOU ARE AND WE DAMN WELL KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY ARE!
atlfalconsfan0125
October 14th, 2012
2:15 pm
The O-line sucks.
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:15 pm
Another flop
stendek
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
What is MR QB rating? Is a minus possible? Looks like that Dawg QB. Another loser!
phil
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
Nice half, choking losers!!
80sFalcon
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
Very poor showing 1st half for Atlanta. Babs looking good though
DawgNole
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
TROTTINGHOME
October 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
this not what the world expected
___________________
Oh it’s exactly what the world expected–the football world anyway.
Jeff Schultz
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
The end of a dreadful half.
Billyho55
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
DAMN, CAN’T GET EM ALL! SON OF A *%#+#
Mike
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
Well we aren’t looking that great today so far but if we win you can’t complain. We have a bye week next week to get all these things corrected….more
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
39 seconds. Arch, what will they do? Run a play Des
stendek
October 14th, 2012
2:17 pm
Losing? 13-7. The the Raiders? Not acceptable in any fashion! Way to go Matty Lice!
J.J.M.
October 14th, 2012
2:17 pm
Another slow start will end up getting the falcons
Superbowl or Bust
October 14th, 2012
2:18 pm
Raiders will never win this ballgame………………Falcons will blow em out in the 2nd half……………………………………….
atlfalconsfan0125
October 14th, 2012
2:18 pm
The Falcons have played bad at home this year. Weird.
Ivan
October 14th, 2012
2:18 pm
Richt must have visited the Falcons this week to explain theres more to life than wins and losses
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:18 pm
ATL’S OL is getting blown up.
Rey
October 14th, 2012
2:19 pm
CLABO BLOWS
DawgNole
October 14th, 2012
2:19 pm
Mike
October 14th, 2012
2:16 pm
Well we aren’t looking that great today so far but if we win you can’t complain. We have a bye week next week to get all these things corrected….more
____________________
There you go with those IFs again. “IF wishes were horses . . . .”
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:19 pm
@Ivan. LOL!! And quite true.
Des Wurham
October 14th, 2012
2:20 pm
Which team will be most inept today? Neither wants to win.
MTSeats
October 14th, 2012
2:20 pm
3rd week to come out flat. glad to see the MSmith process working.
J.J.M.
October 14th, 2012
2:20 pm
Turner 5 rushes…nuff said
dean
October 14th, 2012
2:20 pm
I think if I was the coach today I would look like I was going to explode, start to speak, then say something like “I…never mind.” then just walk away. Shaming, I think it’s called.
Billyho55
October 14th, 2012
2:21 pm
ALL YOU FAIR WEATHER, IGNORANT FANS NEED TO PICK ANOTHER TEAM TO ROOT FOR! “TRUE” FALCON FANS ARE WHAT THIS CITY NEEDS! YOU GUYS ARE WORSE THAN THESE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS FLIP FLOPPING EVERY WHICH WAY! COMMIT TO A DAMN TEAM FOR BETTER OR WORSE! GIMME ALL YOU GOT, IM READY!
? mark
October 14th, 2012
2:22 pm
Wecome back real Falcons
J.J.M.
October 14th, 2012
2:22 pm
When the falcons are not running ryan can’t throw the playaction which is the ONLY way he can complete a deep ACCURATE ball