For the Falcons, the ‘D’ in ‘defense’ also stands for ‘dud’
One photo of John Abraham tells us all we need know. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Since Oct. 24, the day the Bengals had scored 32 points in the Dome, the Falcons’ defense had been more consistent than their star-spangled offense. (Five offensive Falcons to the Pro Bowl, only one defender.) It had held Baltimore to 21 points, Green Bay and New Orleans to 17. It was becoming the fleet and fierce unit general manager Thomas Dimitroff had envisioned as he was building.
Suffice it to say that TD the GM never envisioned what happened Saturday. Nobody did. Nobody could have.
A defense that didn’t yield more than 32 points in any game this regular season was overrun for 42 points — in the first three quarters. The D had made a big early play, Stephen Nicholas forcing a Greg Jennings fumble that Brent Grimes gathered. That enabled the Falcons to take a 7-0 lead. That would also be the last time over the next five Green Bay drives that the Packers didn’t score a touchdown.
Five possessions, five scores. The first four came on drives of 81, 92, 80 and 80 yards. (The final series spanned a mere 50.) The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers didn’t complete every pass, but he came close. Through three quarters he had passed 31 times, completing 27. He’d thrown for 330 yards in 45 minutes.
Rodgers had treated the Falcons’ secondary as if the signing of Dunta Robinson had never been consummated, as if Brent Grimes hadn’t developed into a big-play cornerback, as if nothing that occurred this regular season had been anything more than a sweet dream.
Alas, this was reality, stark and sobering. In a playoff game against a top-class quarterback, the Falcons’ newly tailored defense was made to seem shabby. The pass rush couldn’t get there, and nobody downfield could cover or tackle or do much of anything.
It was so bad that the Falcons, who’d led 14-7, ventured into the final period down by 28 points. This from a team that had, with Matt Ryan as its quarterback, lost only one Dome game before falling to New Orleans on Dec. 27. That night was disappointing, but not because of the defense. This night, by way of contrast, was so crushing as to make us wonder if the defense is indeed, as Dimitroff suggested this week, rounding into a championship unit.
Could Brian Williams have meant that much? He’s the Falcons’ fifth defensive back, the nickel man. He played in every regular-season game but hurt his knee against Carolina on Jan. 2. He couldn’t go Saturday, and into the nickel stepped Christopher Owens. Falcons defensive backs have had worse nights over the years — remember Charles Dimry against Jerry Rice? — but there haven’t been many. And Robinson and Grimes weren’t any better.
Credit Rodgers and the Packers for seizing on Williams’ absence. That said: Should losing your nickel man reduce a defense — a defense that ranked No. 5 in the 32-team NFL in points yielded — to rubble? If five possessions garner 35 opposing points, can you really be said to have a defense at all?
No, the offense wasn’t very good, either, and Matt Ryan was terrible. (His end-of-the-first-half interception will live in infamy.) But few offenses could have kept pace with the ravenous Packers this night, and certainly Mike Mularkey’s grind-it-out game plan is poorly suited for a point-a-minute game. This loss can be shared by all, but the defense was first — or, put more precisely, last — among equals.
But what now? Is this game a signal that the defense cannot hold up under duress, or was it simply one wretched night under the glare of the postseason? Thomas Dimitroff has some decisions to make, and they won’t be easy calls.
By Mark Bradley
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813 comments Add your comment
JB
January 16th, 2011
8:56 am
That panel on Fox before the game all picked GB ( except Bradshaw)and those are pretty insightful guys. They looked at this game with their head, not their heart. This was beat down. Falcons are about 4 players away on D and 2-3 on offense…..Had to believe this team won 13 in the NFL. Say’s a lot about the league this year.
Bob
January 16th, 2011
8:57 am
Where was some aggressive corner play, getting physical with those receivers at the line and then possibly being in position to pick off one of those quick passes? Our corners were more than ten yards off the line of scrimmage teh whole game.
harold
January 16th, 2011
8:58 am
LOOKED ALMOST AS BAD AS GEORGIA AND RICHT!
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
8:58 am
AL, dont be so quick to rip Matt like that he just wasnt the same after that 3 sided sack he took.Thats the way the game goes.Imagine a different outcome had we got our hands on Rogers first..Ya think?
BuzztheKiller
January 16th, 2011
8:58 am
Oh yeah, Packer fans in Atlanta (all ten of you)- move back up north if you love it so much. Oh that’s right, can’t get a job there, right? Smack on ATL, but you must love something about it!
Matty "ice" Cold
January 16th, 2011
8:59 am
The problem with Ryan is not arm strength. You can be a good QB in this league without having a cannon arm. Ryan’s problem is that he is not talented enough to make plays like an elite QB. He’s scared to take chances down the field, and when he does he is not accurate. As others have said before, stopping the running games means stopping the Falcons.
criminy
January 16th, 2011
9:00 am
Packers fans are far from classless. They are authentic die-hard football fans unlike the bandwagoners here in GA. I seriously doubt you would have seen a half empty stadium at Lambeau Field in the 3rd qtr.
Mick
January 16th, 2011
9:01 am
Hey “go pack”, you’re a disgrace to true Packer fans. We’re playing great right now, but have some humility for chrissakes, it might be us getting crushed soon.
Falcon fans, you need to stick with your team through good and bad like our fans do…it’s not always sunny for any team, and you had an excellent season.
Billyboy
January 16th, 2011
9:01 am
The only thing worse than the Falcons D last night is the AJC and Bradley’s articles. At least the Falcons have some good games.
John
January 16th, 2011
9:02 am
Con grads to the Falcons for giving us a great year. During that year however many occasion arose that even us fans could recognize rushing 3 defensive lineman would never get the job done against the better teams . They were lucky to beat GB the first time. Wake up coaches
ryan no blame
January 16th, 2011
9:03 am
ryan’s the man! the rest of the players didn’t show up—without any support he can’t win. the falcons need to draft a bunch of players to help ryan next year. if not, he will leave and go to another team.
bullwinkle
January 16th, 2011
9:04 am
Hate on Ryan all you want, but hang this blowout SQUARELY on the D.
BullDawgMike
January 16th, 2011
9:06 am
The old saying….DEFENSES win championships is one of the truest statements of all time. Having said that, the Falcons are not any different really than their baseball counterparts. The Braves likewise build teams for the regular season and then are complete duds once they get to the play offs.
Bravesbobblehead22
January 16th, 2011
9:06 am
D@mn, the Falcons got outplayed, outcoached and they need to look at losses to the Steelers, Eagles, New Orleans and this game and retool their D. Also they need to play more agressive on Offense since we know if they are down by at least 2 TD, with their conservative offense, it would be hard to catch-up. GreenBay is hot and I expect them to make the superbowl especially the way Aaron Rogers is playing. Like another blogger stated, if you look at the Falcons games this year, you had the feeling this may happen. Certain teams they should have blown away kept mighty close but they were able to pull off a win. Not against a hot team can you make those kinda mistakes and expect to win.
native
January 16th, 2011
9:08 am
Falcons will always be the Falcons….call it fair weather if you want, but that’s what 40+ years of losing does……that and all the carpetbaggers that have made this a “transient” city
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
9:08 am
Get Brian Williams back, take Robinson out behind the woodshed for an attitude adjustment,Mike Smith,you KNOW what you have to do in the coaches office,the rest of you guys keep your chin up and be proud of the progress youve made so far{we are), learn from this and well be looking forward to seeing some more strides made in the right direction and it WILL come. CHAMPIONS DONT QUIT ‘TIL THEY GET IT RIGHT.
Mike
January 16th, 2011
9:09 am
It was the same ol Falcons.
We don’t ever have championship caliber programs in Atlanta.
Come May, we will be having a conversation about the Hawks getting eliminated in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Thanks,
http://www.the404list.com
ww
January 16th, 2011
9:10 am
The sad thing is if the Falcons had played the best game of their lives, they still would have lost to Roger’s performance last night. Looking forward, Ryan has to get better, and since this was only his third season, he should get better. I hope he spends the off season in the gym, and with some of his receivers.
We might get lucky, Vince Wilfork was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round (21st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft, and we need a dominate DT in the middle to compliment Babineaux.
hjones
January 16th, 2011
9:11 am
The best advice was posted by
Get Rid Of Them
The problem is not with the players it is the Offensive and Defensive Coordinators. Get rid of both of them!! It was the worst game plan period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE FALCONS FOOTBALL TEAM IS A BUSINESS. SOMEONE OR TWO NEED TO BE FIRED!!! SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE ON THE COACHING STAFF.
Ron Elgin
January 16th, 2011
9:12 am
It just goes to show you that our coaches still do not know how to coach in the big game. Hopefully they learn, but the Falcons got out-coached.
Nauti-dawg
January 16th, 2011
9:13 am
16 games of good exciting football this year – obviously not ready for 19 games.
Last night was an embarrassment for the program & the city.
Ryan lost the game – fumble. Hesitant, throwing too late resulted in picks, bad decisions on audibles, throwing underneath too much – get the damn ball down field and get a vertical game! Mularky deserves equal credit on offensive side – he obviously was too busy surfing the net for houses in other cities to bother with a game plan this week.
Biggest decision for Dimetri is replacing Mularky with a coach with a vertical game!
Defense – VanGorter – what the hell happens to the stunts & rush we saw against NO? There are way to many needs for talent on D.- need backs, DE, young rushers. I’m a 55 year old white man and I could have covered better than our backs did last night (BTW VG – I’m available at NFL minimum salary – if you’re going to fold, save yourself some cash). I think VG is capable but there absolutely no creativity or adjustments last night – he phoned it in.
It will be interesting to watch draft & OC replacement in off season.
After suffering thru the Clampetts for so many years – I’m still a fan because I think Blank is committed to improving this team and getting the right personnel.
Ryan is not elite
January 16th, 2011
9:14 am
Matt Ryan threw for only 186 yards, 2 INTs, 1 fumble, and a QB rating of 69. His playoff record is now 0-2. Sadly, we have invested our entire franchise is this guy, so we are stuck with him for the next several years. He will never be an elite QB. His shortcomings have been covered up by a solid running game led by Michael Turner. When defenses stop Turner, and Ryan is forced to throw, then Ryan lack of passing skills gets exposed.
GT
January 16th, 2011
9:14 am
Growing pains. Green Bay looked like it was in our defensive huddle. Rogers is not only smart he is street wise. I bet their is a test score somewhere on quarterbacks that will back that up, I can’t imagine too many any smarter, maybe Brady, University of Michigan.
Green Bay lost to us once before in this same place, this season. The losing teams seem to garner more, if they have a winner’s pride, than winners do in those contest. When you say no one saw this coming I guess you mean the size of the loss. I can’t remember if it was Jeff or Mark but one of them drew up this exact picture.
Author Blank and Thomas Dimitroff will figure it out. I think the recent history of championship caliber pro teams will show a growth similar to ours. New Orleans kind of screwed the logic last year, but this year showed how winning can mess with a team’s head. I dealt Green Bay stuck around to have their picture taken or to water down our field. My real concern is who is going to be the offensive coordinator next year and is our defensive coordinator a one trick pony. Thomas Dimitroff will earn his pay this off season it will be a joy to watch him work.
pearl
January 16th, 2011
9:16 am
Abraham was obviously hurt, and the coaches put him in the game anyway. You can’t really blame a man who’s limping when the game started. The real problem, besides the defense, is that the Falcons have been over-rated all year, everybody has been lying for them and for making excuses for Matt Ryan from the beginning of the season — so I guess the Falcons and their coaches started to believe all the hype about themselves. They need to start by finding a QUARTERBACK and stop being afraid to tell the truth about Ryan. They’re over-sensitive about criticizing him because of the Vick influence on Atlanta. It’s that simple. Then, eventually, they might need a new head coach. I’ve never been impressed by Mike Smith — I think his leadership qualities are nonexistent, and every since I saw him put his hands on an opposing player (think it was D-Hall) in a game, I have had no respect for this guy.
Nativebird
January 16th, 2011
9:16 am
WRONG again Bradley…Offense could not follow the game plan. Your Defense CANNOT be expected to stop that offense, and everyone knew it going in…plan was: RUN RUN EEAT UP CLOCK KEEP ROGERS ON SIDELINE GIVE YOUR DEFENSE REST.
Ryan and Mularkey are NOT up to this level of play, clearly.
pearl
January 16th, 2011
9:17 am
Enter your comments here
kenny
January 16th, 2011
9:20 am
The shoe finally and inevidentably dropped..The score should have been 60 to 7.”no run..one and done” Falks have three true “all pro players” Tony G..Roddy W..and Mr. E Weems… The rest of the team are are all hard working, well coached B or C plus grade folks..with the exception of an aging Abe….Mr. Ryan IS the face of the Falcons: pretty good but limited and will never lead the team to a superbowl victory..At 13 and 3, the record looked good on paper, but along with being well coached and hard working, they were very lucky..Green Bay wasn t just better last night…They were the better team period and showed it in a big way last nite…Next year draft smarter, trade better and we Atlantans should not be embarrased like this again..Hopefully..
Al Beeski
January 16th, 2011
9:20 am
I agree 100% arm strength is not the #1 tool needed to make a great qb. However, i think Matty is really good & accurate, but his throws over 25 yards lack any type of zip & i think that’s a huge problem. I’ve been a falcon fan fan for 38 yrs. & i hope Ryan can take us to SB title, but his deep throws are so much more weaker than typical NFL arms (Brady, Manning, Rodgers, etc.)
Terry
January 16th, 2011
9:22 am
The Falcons should have went after Julius Peppers when he was out there. You will never beat the elite quarterbacks with no pressure. Matt Ryan is as good now as he will ever be. Too many physical limitations. This team was more of 9-7 team that got lucky and then got embarrassed on national t.v.
JB
January 16th, 2011
9:22 am
Well, most of us will go back to work Monday, ho hum….Most of these guys will Jet off to Hawaii for two weeks….ho hum….
Fletch
January 16th, 2011
9:23 am
Falcons, thanks for a classy product that make our city proud. A great year that wasn’t a “fluke”. I expect great things for the future!
dang
January 16th, 2011
9:23 am
The Falcons were 3-10 on 3rd down conversions. GB almost doubled the Falcons time of possession. How can the defense stop anyone when the offense can’t sustain a long enough drive to give the defense a rest?
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
9:24 am
Ryan plays bad only when hes not comfortable with the play called.He couldnt get it together with all the CHAOS the coaching staff stirred up.Adjustments couldve been made like they were all year and we wouldve been fine.Adjustments have to come from the staff. In post game interviews,every player was thinking the same thing,they just couldnt say it. Mike Smith will not rest until he does whats necessary to reach the next level. Even if it means changes in the personell around him.
falconfromduluth
January 16th, 2011
9:25 am
C’mon, be honest. This team is close and moving in the right direction. A couple of DB moves, an O lineman, a DE and another WR or RB and we’re there. Ryan is a stud – he didn’t have the benefit of going to school on a Favre – and he will only get better. The fundamentals are solid, just need 3-4 moves at some key skill positions and we’ve got a SB contender. Art has the jack and desire to make it happen. In Art we trust.
falconfan 24-7
January 16th, 2011
9:26 am
It was a tough loss for our team. The players and true fans are hurting. but this too willl pass. There will be 31 teams hurting soon. Go Falcons and congrats on a good regular season.
Too much dead weight on the bandwagon.
JB
January 16th, 2011
9:26 am
Nice to know we have an owner than won’t stand still and penny pinch ( see Buffalo and HC Chan Gailey, geez). They will bring in a FA or two, get a good first rounder, and get rid of a dud or two and be better next year. We need a scat back,full speed in one step type to go with turner.
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
9:27 am
And Pearl, that was the dumbest post so far. You should be proud of yourself. UGHHH!
JB
January 16th, 2011
9:28 am
And by the way….Van Gorder…We’ll gladly take you back in Athens
Fan Since Nobis
January 16th, 2011
9:29 am
I said a few blogs ago that the Falcons would be one and done. They have no winning tradition. They just recently put two winning seasons back to back. Now the need to put playoff seasons back to back. Tradition’s a progression, not just one season. Give them a break. All in all, it was a great season. Next season(if they have one) they need to repeat…then the seeds will have been planted..Good season Falcons!
Mayhem Is Coming
January 16th, 2011
9:30 am
What a supreme bomb, that mess was. It looked as though the Falcons were playing in the snow last week instead of preparing for GB. What is that crap Rogers is doing in the end zone after he scores? Some kind of pelvic thrust? Idiot. Falcons need a defensive do over, starting with Peterson. What happened at half time? Were there any changes in the offense and defensive schemes? “One and done.” May be done for awhile.
Bird Droppings II
January 16th, 2011
9:32 am
Some of you on this tread are fruads ,non- players and wannabes.Get a life and stop being so negative and always crticizing our teams.You are probably not true Georgians, anyway.
It is just a game.Get a life and move to another city.If the shoe fits, wear it!
john meyer
January 16th, 2011
9:33 am
@aaa , ahem the patriots barely escaped with a win AT THEIR HOUSE against the Pack without A. Rodgers. We WILL destroy that weak defense. BTW , where were you crying Falcons fans WHEN YOUR TEAM NEEDED YOU MOST in the second half? Already going home. The Falcons have a damn good team , but we are easily the class of the NFL ,even with 11 STARTERS on the IR. Good Luck New England … You are going to need it .hehehe
Fan of the Game
January 16th, 2011
9:34 am
A great story, Clay Mathews, a walk-on at USC and one heck of an NFL linebacker. He has more heart than the Falcons and the UGA defense. Don’t like his hair though.
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
9:34 am
Al, deep throws are over rated.Sure, theyre pretty when executed but what are the %ages of deep throws thrown,caught and iIntercepted. Smart play is always better than pretty.
oh well
January 16th, 2011
9:35 am
I don’t understand why people make excuses for Matt Ryan. It’s not his arm strength, it’s his decision making when he has to throw the ball down field. He is scared to stay in the pocket and make plays, and when he does go down field he is not accurate, and tends to throw interceptions (i.e. can’t read defenses). I know people think reading defenses is only a problem for “running QB’s”, but the truth is Ryan is just an average player. The only reason his completion percentage is above 60% is because his average yards per attempt is only 5 yards.
Fan of the Game
January 16th, 2011
9:35 am
Play before half was a game changer, could have been different maybe?
Fair-weather fans
January 16th, 2011
9:36 am
Attn: Native … If wasn’t for all the transplant you wouldn’t sellout your Dome. 44 yrs is nothing compare to Cubs 100+ yrs.
Falconbill
January 16th, 2011
9:36 am
Some venting of the disappointment in the loss is OK, but soon it will be time to move forward and start planning for next year. Yes this is a disappointing playoff loss, but as a long time Falcon fan I remember the days of no playoffs at all. Obviously, there is work to be done, but a franchise that had never had back to back winning seasons has now had three. We won playoff games and then had losing seasons the next year. We went to the Super Bowl in 1998, then had a losing season the next year.
Consistency gives you the best chance at reaching the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. The Falcons have been in the playoffs for 2 of the last 3 years. If they keep adding the individual pieces to the team then hopefully this trend will continue and give them a better chance in the years ahead.
Games like this happen in sports. A good team comes out flat, runs into a good team that is hot, and loses big.
Seeding really means nothing in the playoffs other than where the game is played, which sometimes can be beneficial. A prime example is just three short years past. Just ask the number #1 seeded and undefeated New England Patriots from the 2008 Super Bowl. 12 point favorites over a team they had beaten a few weeks before. With most observers, coronation of the Patriots as one of only two teams to ever go undefeated in the NFL, was a foregone conclusion. Somebody forgot to tell the Giants.
So, we move forward. This season is now done.
GO FALCONS!
falconholic 14
January 16th, 2011
9:37 am
Green Bay is on our schedule this upcoming season again. We will get revenge on them. . Go Falcons.
Fan of the Game
January 16th, 2011
9:37 am
Oh well – He needs more experience but he is not an average player. Look at some of the throws he made this year. An average player doesn’t have that good of an arm. His decision making has to improve but that will come. But believe me he is no average player. You don’t go 13 and 3 as average.