Short takes: Ryan awful, defense great, win important
Matt Ryan had rough first quarter with three interceptions and taking hits like this. (AP photo)
(I’ll be back shortly with my column off the Falcons’ game against the Arizona Cardinals. Until then here are my three “short takes” on the game.)
1. Ryan’s nightmare afternoon: If the Falcons weren’t playing Arizona, which has one of the NFL’s worst offenses, they would’ve been blown out Sunday. As it was, Matt Ryan threw three interceptions in the first quarter (one actually was the fault of Roddy White, who dropped a pass and it was picked off in mid-air) and a career-high five in the game. With a fumble, the Falcons actually turned over the ball six times but Arizona capitalized with only one touchdown and two field goals — 13 points. Ryan had thrown as many three interceptions only twice previously in his career. But he did come through on the go-ahead drive, completing four of five passes and setting up the Falcons’ lone offensive touchdown drive (a one-yard run by Michael Turner). Trivia note: Ryan is the first quarterback since Bart Starr in 1967 to throw five interceptions and no touchdowns and win anyway.
2. Defense comes through: OK, for all the praise offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has been getting, this was Mike Nolan’s week. And everybody on the Falcons’ offense owes everybody on defense a nice dinner. The Falcons’ offense not only committed six turnovers, it often gave the Cardinals short fields to work with. Two of the Cardinals’ first three scoring drives were two plays for nine yards (touchdown) and four plays for nine yards (field goal). But the Falcons’ defense held Arizona out of the end zone after that first touchdown just 1:06 into the game and equaled the Falcons’ offense in t0uchdowns scored (one for Jonathan Babineaux on a fumble return, one for running back Michael Turner). Arizona was limited to 178 yards in total offense and its two quarterbacks were limited to 11-of-27 passing for 70 yards (three sacks). No Falcons player or coach who was asked could ever recall winning a game when their team committed six turnovers.
3. A big win because of what’s next: Losing to Arizona would not have crippled the Falcons in the NFC South (they started the day at 8-1 and with a three-game lead over Tampa Bay, four over New Orleans). But it might have made things uncomfortable. Here’s why: Atlanta faces divisional opponents in the next three games (at Tampa Bay, home against New Orleans, at Carolina), then finishes the regular season with three more difficult games: home against the New York Giants, at Detroit and home against Tampa Bay. Now at 9-1 with only six games to go, the odds are long that the Falcons are going to blow a six-game lead. And fortunately, this league doesn’t operate on style points, just wins.
By Jeff Schultz
Recent ramblings from the digital jukebox
• Georgia’s new reality: From on the brink to BCS title possibility
• Upsets launch Georgia into BCS title picture (updated game column)
• Short takes: Murray wakes up the offense
• Weekend Predictions: Dogs, Jackets, Falcons and the lust triangles
• Falcons’ flaws aren’t worse than any other NFL team
• College hoop kings provide rare thrills for Atlanta
• Falcons’ startling admission: Ray Edwards was a blunder
• Will SEC get team to BCS championship (answer below) (with video)
• Georgia wins SEC East, and looks like threat to Alabama
• Richt is coaching through pain (because he fell off a swing … honest)
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
118 comments Add your comment
Eric C.
November 18th, 2012
10:54 pm
“Ryan is the first quarterback since Bart Starr in 1967 to throw five interceptions and no touchdowns and win anyway.”
Wow, that is really impressive
MarkATL
November 19th, 2012
1:08 am
I think it is time to bring back a good FB like Ovie. He was a main reason why Turner was running so well. A good FB would solve a lot of problems for the running game!
Submariner683
November 19th, 2012
7:00 am
Matt “CHOKE” Ryan says “This Thursday the Falcants won’t be playing a quarterback less
team.”
You’re right, for once, at the same time, you show your incompetence. The Falcons won’t be playing any team this Thursday, quarterback-less or otherwise. Learn to read a schedule before posting.
I did notice how I saw few if any posts from Matt “Choke” Ryan when the Saints were 0-4 and 2-5.
w gillon
November 19th, 2012
7:17 am
I thank we should use RB Josh Vaughan off the practice squad,he is a hard running give him a shot
Samuel
November 19th, 2012
7:45 am
Tampa Bay will be a tough win, They have a breakaway running back and some skill players playing at wideout and tightend. Now the Falcons are banged up , with all the injuries they have, it will be interesting to see if they can pull out a win.On the grind-Go Falcons!
AgeGapMatch.com
November 19th, 2012
8:00 am
40 Plus Older Men Dating Younger WOmen via AgeGapMatch.com
FAILCANTS are frauds
November 19th, 2012
8:23 am
House of cards….no SB rings…no playoff wins with fatboy turner and smith…ratty ghetto white is a joke…saints own you last 11/13 games…truth hurts, huh? Lmao…perennial losers aka FAILCANTS…
heartofdarkness
November 19th, 2012
9:04 am
It looked like the Saints designed a defensive game plan that unhinged the Falcon offense. The Cardinals covered up Gonzalez and usually had two people around White. Jones seemed to be a non-factor, so the Falcons had to rely on the RB and slot positions. This scenario is likely to repeat itself throughout the rest of the campaign, Against the Cards, Ryan had a high completion ratio [10-12] to the #4 and #5 receivers. If the Falcons are to win against the better teams late in the season, the plays run for the lesser options in the offense will have to be more dynamic and lead to more scores. The defenses have been selling out with 8 and 9 man pressure in the gaps which has stalled the running game and collapsed the pocket quickly. Rogers, Douglas and maybe Davis becoming more of a threat against pressure could boost the running game.
Submariner683
November 19th, 2012
9:39 am
Being called perennial losers by a Saints fan. WOW! Have you bothered to look at the Saints record before Drew Brees showed up in New Orleans? Before Brees arrived the Saints were 1-5 in their, at that time, 30-year history. No playoffs at all for their first 21 seasons. Despite all their recent sucess, the Saints still have a pitiful 310-399 all time record. As soon as Brees retires or is injured, you can go back to being a the bag on the head wearing Aints. Are you too young to remember that reference?
Submariner683
November 19th, 2012
9:41 am
The 1-5 reference was the Saints’ playoff record. Didn’t elaborate.
Enkinan
November 19th, 2012
10:02 am
Ryan had a rough day, it didn’t help that every deflection went right into the Cardinal’s hands. I’m starting to see a bad pattern of not stopping the run and not being able to run forming here that isn’t going to cut it against the top tier teams. This needs to be addressed. Gotta give props to the defense for stepping up while being in very bad positions for the majority of the game.
GO FALCONS
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
10:19 am
2 > 7………………..yeah, Schaub was better too.
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
10:27 am
Coach, you owe your defense some 30 0z T-Bone Steaks!!!
Rule 15 Section 9 Instant Replay
INSTANT REPLAY
The League will employ a system of Instant Replay Review to aid officiating for reviewable plays as defined below. The following procedures will be used:
Coaches’ Challenge. In each game, a team will be permitted two challenges that will initiate Instant Replay reviews, except for plays when the on-field ruling is a score for either team, an interception, a fumble or backward pass that is recovered by an opponent or goes out of bounds through an opponent’s end zone, or a muffed scrimmage kick recovered by the kicking team. A team is also prohibited from challenging any ruling after the two-minute warning of each half, and throughout any overtime period. Each challenge will require the use of a team timeout. If a challenge is upheld, the timeout will be restored to the challenging team. A challenge will only be restored if a team is successful on both of its challenges, in which case it shall be awarded a third challenge, but a fourth challenge will not be permitted under any circumstances. A team may challenge an on-field ruling up until the next legal snap or kick. If there is a foul that delays the next snap, the team committing that foul will no longer be able to challenge the previous ruling. No challenges will be recognized from a team that has exhausted its timeouts.
A team that is out of timeouts or has used all of its available challenges may not attempt to initiate an additional challenge.Penalty: For initiating a challenge when a team is prohibited from doing so: Loss of 15 yards.
Replay Official’s Request for Review. After all scoring plays, interceptions, fumbles and backward passes that are recovered by an opponent or go out of bounds through an opponent’s end zone, muffed scrimmage kicks recovered by the kicking team, after the two-minute warning of each half, and throughout any overtime period, any Replay Review willbe initiated by a Replay Official from a Replay Booth comparable to the location of the coaches’ booth or Press Box. There is no limit to the number of Referee Reviews that may be initiated by the Replay Official. He must initiate a review before the next legal snap or kick and cannot initiate a review of any ruling against a team that commits a foul that delays the next snap. His ability to initiate a review will be unrelated to the number of timeouts that either team has remaining, and no timeout will be charged for any review initiated by the Replay Official. Reviews by Referee. All Replay Reviews will be conducted by the Referee on a field-level monitor after consultation with the covering official(s), prior to review. A decision will be reversed only when the Referee has indisputable visual evidence available to him that warrants the change.
Time Limit. Each review will be a maximum of 60 seconds in length, timed from when the Referee begins his review of the replay at the field-level monitor.
Reviewable Plays. The Replay System will cover the following play situations only:
(a) Plays governed by Sideline, Goal Line, End Zone, and End Line:
1. Scoring plays, including a runner breaking the plane of the goal line.
2. Pass complete/incomplete/intercepted at sideline, goal line, end zone, and end line.
3. Runner/receiver in or out of bounds.
4. Recovery of loose ball in or out of bounds.
(b) Passing plays:
1. Pass ruled complete/incomplete/intercepted in the field of play.
2. Touching of a forward pass by an ineligible receiver.
3. Touching of a forward pass by a defensive player.
4. Quarterback (Passer) forward pass or fumble.
5. Illegal forward pass beyond the line of scrimmage or from behind the line after the ball has been beyond the line.
6. Illegal forward pass after change of possession.
7. Forward or backward pass thrown from behind line of scrimmage.
(c) Other reviewable plays:
1. Runner ruled not down by defensive contact.
2. Runner ruled down by defensive contact when the recovery of a fumble by an opponent or a teammate occurs in the action that happens following the fumble.
3. Runner ruled out of bounds when the recovery of a fumble by an opponent or a teammate occurs in the action that happens following the fumble.
4. Ruling of incomplete pass when the recovery of a passer’s fumble, or the recovery of a backward pass, by an opponent or a teammate occurs in the action following the fumble or backward pass.
5. Ruling of a loose ball out of bounds when it is recovered in the field of play by an opponent or a teammate in the
action after the ball hits the ground.
Note 1: If the ruling of down by contact, out of bounds, or incomplete pass is changed, the ball belongs to the recovering player at the spot of the recovery of the fumble, and any advance is nullified. If the ball goes out of bounds in an end zone, the result of the play will be either a touchback or a safety.
Note 2: If the Referee does not have indisputable visual evidence as to which player recovered the loose ball, the ruling on thefield will stand.
Note 3: This does not apply to complete/incomplete passes, or the ruling of forward progress.
6. Forward progress with respect to a first down.
7. Touching of a kick.
8. A Field-goal or Try attempt that crosses below or above the crossbar, inside or outside the uprights when it is lower
than the top of the uprights, or touches anything.
9. Number of players on the field at the snap.
10. Illegal forward handoff.
11. A loose ball in play striking a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object.
Note: Non-reviewable plays include but are not limited to:
1. Status of the clock
2. Proper down
3. Penalty administration
4. Runner ruled down by defensive contact (not involving fumbles)
5. Forward progress not relating to first down or goal line
6. Recovery of a loose ball that does not involve a boundary line or the end zone.
7. Field-goal or Try attempts that cross above either upright without touching anything.
8. Inadvertent Whistle
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
11:10 am
Voice of Reason
November 18th, 2012
6:23 pm
CHOKE, you talk a lot of smack, but who do you pull for???
**************************************************
There’s a difference between smack talk and sitting at a pc and taking a dump on the keyboard. He will never give you any info that you can use against him but ya’ll still keep feeding the troll. If you respond he knows he’s got you by the short and gnarleys. And frankly it makes you look like half the idiot he is.
JUST DON’T READ HIS POST…………….SKIP IT…………….IT’S TRASH ………..IT’S WITHOUT MERIT………….
Understand you are responding to a mental case, someone seriously mentally ill,
QUIT WASTING YOUR TIME!!
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
11:28 am
@heartofdarkness
November 19th, 2012
9:04 am
************************************************
Roddy was our leading receiver, 8 catches – 123 yards
Tommy
November 19th, 2012
12:47 pm
‘Ryan is the first quarterback since Bart Starr in 1967 to throw five interceptions and no touchdowns and win anyway’
And Starr’s Packers won the Super Bowl that year. . . . just sayin’
JSS
November 19th, 2012
1:49 pm
The game when Starr threw 5 INTs was the 2nd game of the year, not the 10th! And they played a team as offensively inept at the Cardinals that day, the Bears!!! Grasping there…
Mr. SaintsFan Jr.
November 19th, 2012
6:59 pm
The birds nearly lost that game yesterday…..it’s obvious the Saints were still in Falcons minds, it’s seems we are in the minds of the fans as well, even when we don’t play the Saints come up in your discussions.