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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MY-TAG » For the Falcons, the 'D' in 'defense' also stands for 'dud' | Mark …
January 16th, 2011
11:39 am
[...] the article here: For the Falcons, the 'D' in 'defense' also stands for 'dud' | Mark … Medien zum Thema Medien by [...]
adam
January 16th, 2011
11:39 am
Went the earlier game in Atlanta and was so rudely treated after it. Eat the crow Falcant’s fans.
f****
January 16th, 2011
11:39 am
THEY WILL NEVER EVER WIN IN PLAYOFFS ARE GO TO SUPERBOWL..THIS IS A GOOD FOR NOTHING TEAM. I PROMISE YOU THEY WILL STINK NEXT SEASON AND AFTER FOR SURE. BYE BYE FALCONS …DO YOU HEAR WATER SPLASHING SINCE A LOAD OF FANS ARE JUMPING OFF TO OTHER TEAMS THAT ARE WORTH. GO COLTS..
FALCLOWNS are only a regular season team!
January 16th, 2011
11:45 am
Over the last 30 years only 4 NFC top seeds lost in the first game and the Falcons have now done it twice!!!! 13-3, #1 seed and you FAIL at an EPIC proportion….at best, you are a good regular season team….
SAINTS WIN the SB as the #1 seed, you are 1 and DONE! You are NOT WORTHY! You are only good at pretending, not contending…
So much for the Number 1 seed and the Super Bowl goes through Atlanta. It still may be for those with connectiong flights…..Who Dat!
Falcons73
January 16th, 2011
11:46 am
I hate to say this, but it’s this type of loss that discredits everything the Falcons accomplished this season. I mean, they EARNED the # 1 seed only to crap on it with THE WORST PERFORMANCE I HAVE EVER witnessed as a long time Atlanta fan.
It’s never a consolation to lose, but the manner in which they were dismantled makes me questions a lot of the “foundation of this team”. What the he!! were they doing on defense dropping 8 men in coverage and playing a soft zone???? Doesn’t it defeat the purpose playing this type of coverage??? It’s my belief that they should have blitzed most, if not all of the game due to the woeful pass rush.
The offense was OFFENSIVE and Matt Ryan laid a BIG FAT EGG in his second playoff performance. He looked unnerved the entire night and NEVER gained his composure (as witnessed by the interceptions and fumble). This is the second time around and he did not fair any better…I’M HUGELY CONCERNED BY THIS! This is the time that FRANCHISE QB’s should shine and AT LEAST GIVE THEIR TEAM A CHANCE.
With that being said, I am devastated as a HUGE Falcon fan and am embarrassed as we proved all that all the national media was right…WE ARE VASTLY OVERRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I mean #1 seed man…THIS HAS GOT TO BE A NIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!
Clay Mathews
January 16th, 2011
11:48 am
There are to many transplants in Atlanta,that’s why most people on here are hating on the falcons, because most of you are from either up north or somewhere else and your team isn’t in the playoffs so you are just hating on the falcons and that’s fine just show your true colors and don’t pretend to be falcons fans when your not!! MAN UP and show who you rout for before opening your mouths. BY the way you in Atlanta because the state you came from sucks a$$. I’ve been to every state in the union and to many country’s over seas and the only other state worth living in is the great state of Texas!! I’ve been a Falcons fan for 38 years and will continue to be one until the end of time!! So hate all you won’t The Falcons are still the best in the SOUTH!! I can’t believe anyone from Orleans would tell anyone that,place is a Sh$t hole,Hell NYC is not as nasty as New Orleans!!
mark twain
January 16th, 2011
11:49 am
IT STILL AMAZES ME THAT EVERYONE IS CALLING FOR RICHTS JOB, BUT NO ONE OVER AT NORTH AVENUE IS CALLING FOR JOHNSON OR HEWITTS JOBS, WELL THAT MAKES SENSE CAUSE TECH IS AN ACADEMIC SCHOOL NOT A SPORTS SCHOOL. WHAT A BUNCH OF LOSERS THEY ARE.
vuduchld
January 16th, 2011
11:55 am
Before the Falcons game last night, I chatted with a good friend of mine who extolled the virtue of the team. He rattled off all these stats, claiming that the Packers would lose and lose big. I politely told him that the regular season was done, that the Packers loss to the Falcons several weeks ago meant nothing and it was time to push the reset button. The Pittsburgh Steelers were down by 2 touchdowns yesterday aganist the Ravens, they gutted it out and found a way to win. Until the Falcons become a team that can “gut out” wins, they will always be pretenders. Matty Ice turned into Matty Melt. The defense is a mess. You folks are fooling yourselves if you think the Falcons are ready for the next level. A couple of weeks ago Atlanta beat up on the Seattle Seahawks. People argued that Seattle, given their losing regular season record shouldn’t even be in the playoffs. Well, where are they now!
theron sapp
January 16th, 2011
11:59 am
we atlanta fans are accustomed to one and done…braves did for years, now the falcons…when are the falcons brain trust going realize that an ELITE player is needed, not just a good one…ryan, turner, et.al. are good but not the elite players needed…make a list of the elite QBs in the league, ryan is not listed…same with turner…
Observer
January 16th, 2011
12:01 pm
Part of the Packers success besides, coaching and incredible talent are the loyal fans…something that was not in evidence last night. Good grief, the ariel shot of the Georgia Dome with all those empty seats…the rats were leaving the sinking ship…no support for the team at all..fair weather fans…not in Green Bay!!
Jim
January 16th, 2011
12:02 pm
Enter your comments here
One more embarrasment for this unbelievable sports town–and you wonder why the support isn’t there.
Frozen Rope
January 16th, 2011
12:02 pm
So much for the revamped Defense and the “sence of urgency”… The only urgency I saw was their urgency to get to the off season,,, Maybe next year.
Frozen Rope
January 16th, 2011
12:05 pm
Speed on Defense was much better,,, boy they were flying when they ran right past the guy with the ball….
Steve
January 16th, 2011
12:06 pm
The Falcons need to fire some coaches and players – namely Brian VanGorder and Chris Owens. The loss to the Packers was inexcusable – not because it happened but because of how bad it was.
The Real GM
January 16th, 2011
12:07 pm
This team got by on mediocre talent to
“Arthur Blank”
1-Please hire some talent this most talented guy on this team is “Roddy White”
2-Since we are stuck with “Matty your man Ice” he needs to be refined as in arm strength his ball does not have the speed of an Mike Vick or Aaron Rodgers he was the sexy pick. “you sucked up” you needed to wait on Mike Vick but you was scared of the Public Relations.
3. We all wanted Michael Turner but he needs a change of pace back. I pleaded with you all to draft Shon Green with NYJ he was on the board but you don’t listen to the fans. His tires is blew now he will only regress.
4. We have never had an intimidating defense we have no team speed no freaks of nature. We need some 6′3- 4.3-4.4 speed at DB – The Safeties are okay. We need some Hogs in the middle. We need some DE’s. Linebackers are so-so.Petersen old – John Abraham old
5. Were the fux was Tony Gonzalez before he faked that injury to retire.We need a true WR corps- with speed all this slow grind game is not scaring no one- It’s Boring-
So: Were the Falcons as good as 13-3 or as bad as 48-21? | Mark Bradley
January 16th, 2011
12:10 pm
[...] defense collapsed so comprehensively Saturday as to make it seem the Falcons played the entire game with two men in the penalty box. Their [...]
jc_dawgs
January 16th, 2011
12:12 pm
Our safetys are young…and we still dont have the personnel to generate a better pass rush with our DL. Not having Williams hurt our coverage ability and I just dont think Owens is the answer for the future as part of the secondary.
This was our biggest weakness prior to the season starting and it still is. We went up against a very good passing offense and it all got exposed.
I dont blame Ryan…he’s no dummy…he saw that it was a must that we match the Packers scoring because our pass D was not going to stop them. So he forced the issue and fell to the pressure of the big stage.
We need to get a beast at DE for starters and then a real good cover corner to play opp of Robinson. Move Grimes to nb and then we will be on our way to getting better against the pass.
The current D is still young…they will only get better.
Vick>>>>>Matty Meltdown
January 16th, 2011
12:12 pm
LOL @ anyone who thinks matty meltdown is better than vick
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
12:13 pm
Mark the defense didnt throw that stupid interception before the half so they didnt give up as many points as you listed. All the turnovers lead to this loss. Once that int before half happened it was game over. All on the offense.
Mark Bradley
January 16th, 2011
12:13 pm
Here’s a new column for a new day, also concerning the Falcons, in which I ask: Were the Birds 13-3 good or 48-21 bad?
Mark Bradley
January 16th, 2011
12:15 pm
The Falcons’ defense yielded four consecutive touchdown drives of an aggregate 333 yards. I’d say the defense was awful.
Mr. Negative
January 16th, 2011
12:15 pm
GOT MY STEAK ON THE GRILL!!! Can’t wait for baseball season! I’ve put on quite a few pounds these days.
falconut
January 16th, 2011
12:17 pm
Can we please get a real NFL defensive coordiator now?
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
12:17 pm
Thanks Mark!! i dont think they were as good but they found ways to win. Those close games against teams like San Fran and Cincy told me they middle of road and lucky.
Brian F.
January 16th, 2011
12:17 pm
The playoffs is never a good time to put up your one clunker of the year. IT MAKES EVERYTHING SEEM SO MUCH WORSE THEN WHAT IT REALLY IS. Everyone needs to relax. We are not that bad and they are a better football team.
Brian F.
January 16th, 2011
12:18 pm
Green Bay that is
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
12:18 pm
Im with Mr. Negative. Bring on the Braves season.
Tinyt
January 16th, 2011
12:20 pm
Sorry falcon fans. Your team was out coached, outrun, and TOTALLY embarrassed by the TRUE america’s team. Matt Ryan to the pro bowl instead of Aaron Rodgers???? SNUB. Tremon williams not picked? Another snub. I bet ALL of you know their names now! Falcons were overrated all year; Ryan is young and inexperienced, and the pack took full advantage of a boring, predictable offense.
I LOVED the chants of GO PACK GO coming over my surround sound; looked like all the falcon fans were embarrassed and left early. You’d NEVER find that at lambeau; packer fans are loyal in EVERY circumstance – remember the 70’s & 80’s? Very few wins, but the stands were full for every game.
Maybe next year……
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
12:21 pm
No I agree the D was awful but giving away points like they did at the half and the int in the end zone certainly didnt help.
Mark
January 16th, 2011
12:23 pm
You guys should’ve known after the horrible 49ers fumbled away a win in your house.
Atlanta fans are a DISGRACE!!!
January 16th, 2011
12:25 pm
I could not be happier that this team lost!!! My only wish it wasn’t by 30 points like I predicted. I always wanted Atlanta to win if the Saints couldn’t make it to the playoffs. But the Atlanta Falcons’ fans have become so obnoxious and the truth is you’ve won nothing!!!
Truth be told I was happier that Atlanta lost they way they did than I was sad to see Saints lose to the SeaHawks.
You Atlanta fans don’t even deserve a team. You bunch of hicks talked a big game but what about supporting your team and appreciating the season. It was a disgrace to see the stadium last night in the forth quarter.
You could have shot a gun through that stadium and not hit a Falcon’s fan. The team wasn’t the only losers last night the whole city of Atlanta were losers last night.
The team will get better but the fans will still be fair weather losers.The fans of this team are disgraces to this team. You bunch of fair weather fans shouldn’t have any professional teams at all.
You can run your mouths all you want about the Saints losing to the Seahawks. You can say what you want about Saints fans but even though they lost to Seattle there was thousands of fans out at the airport to meet them when they got home.
As fans you’re a DISGRACE!!!!
1eyedJack
January 16th, 2011
12:26 pm
We wuz undressed in public…and molested.
All the luck ran out of my Falcons shirt. Next year I buy a new shirt for the playoffs.
Packers/Falcons reaction
January 16th, 2011
12:27 pm
[...] Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 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. [...]
Barbara
January 16th, 2011
12:27 pm
Sad day in Atlanta the ice melted last night!! Owens, Robinson and a lot more need to go !!!!! Very bad night what happen in our dome?
Chris Ernest
January 16th, 2011
12:29 pm
Nobody saw this coming? I am 20+ year Falcons fan and I still started Rodgers and Jennings in my Playoff Fntasy League yesterday. Van Gorder IS and has been terrible. Cover 2/ Zone defense has ruined football and we play it worse than anyone. Only rushing 3 and 4 players and putting Defensive Ends into coverage every week almost makes me turn off the games. The few times we do blitz, the schemes do not allow the rushers to maintain their lanes which make every opposing scrambling QB look like Mike Vick. The teams that everyone respects put their foes away like New England does. New England does not run the ball 30 times with a three point lead and they never call off the defense. Hopefully we learned some valuable lessons including the fact that Van Gorder and Mularky need to go.
Hoot'n'Hopper
January 16th, 2011
12:29 pm
The Falcon’s are close. Very close. The team lacks enough playmakers, though, and that hinders what it can do in certain situations. The Falcons are built to take the lead and hold it. They must play mistake free, efficient football. They are not explosive enough to play in a shootout against teams like the Packers who, on the other hand, can score with anybody. Plus, you need some depth at certain positions.
Add some depth through the draft and FA and you’re in pretty good shape. Packer – Falcon playoff games could easily be commonplace in the next decade.
treaddawg
January 16th, 2011
12:30 pm
Reminded me of Ga/Tn game a few years ago, where the qb (can’t remember his name) picked the dogs apart the first half. No adjustments were made and he destroyed them in the second half as well. Now, as then, it begs the question, if the qb is going to destroy your secondary anyway, why not bum rush the guy? Make him hurry up, knock him down a few times even if it means a couple of penalties. Don’t let him just sit there and pick you to pieces at his leisure…at least make the process costly on some level, sheesh!!!!
Atlanta fans are a DISGRACE!!!
January 16th, 2011
12:34 pm
You can say what you want about Saints fans but even though they lost to Seattle there was thousands of fans out at the airport to meet them when they got home.
WHERE WERE THE FANS AT THE END OF THE GAME!!! THE FALCONS WEREN’T THE ONLY LOSERS LAST NIGHT. THE WHOLE CITY OF ATLANTA SHOWED HOW MUCH OF A LOSER CITY IT IS!!!!
Hoot'n'Hopper
January 16th, 2011
12:35 pm
Chris Ernst — Here was the Falcons coaches’ dilemma: Rodgers has the #1 QB rating in the league versus the blitz. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t (blitz). Better cover corners would help, plus some depth at the position is needed.
gray
January 16th, 2011
12:39 pm
Anyone knows that a QB like Rogers will destroy a team that does not pressure him. Other than GB’s first possession there was never much pressure put on him. We need another bigtime pass rusher. Look how the worst team in the NFL improved by getting SUH. Either trade or sign for that big time defensive lineman.
renton
January 16th, 2011
12:41 pm
To all the Falcons fans who are like why these Saints fans are comming on our board and talking all this sh*t, well last week when we had our hearts broken quite a few Dirty birds were talking so much sh*t on our beloved NOLA like they already won the superbowl that it definately deserved a little payback. When we won it all last year did any of our fans go to yall websites and rub it in , I think not . so now that payback has been payed out in full well see yall next year and lets not troll each others sites next time .
War Eagle 30082
January 16th, 2011
12:45 pm
I disagree with anyone that thinks this loss is not as bad as the playoff loss to Dallas 30 years ago. I was at that game, and at least we had a chance to win that game until late in the 4th quarter.
The pick 6 at the end of the first half was effectively the end of the game, especially knowing that the Packers were to get the 2nd half kickoff. Without that interception, we could have been down 21-17, and the game was still within reach.
The score in this game doesn’t indicate how thoroughly the Packers dominated the Falcons. In fact, it wasn’t as close the score suggests. This was a gruesome, pitiful, dreadful, stunningly epic failure.
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
12:45 pm
Hey dummys, Green Bay is a lot better than NO and ATL. They will give New England a run for their money in the super bowl
Michael
January 16th, 2011
12:47 pm
NFL is just a reality TV show fellas and the writers have a few more weeks to go. Enjoy it and don’t take it so seriously.
Atlanta fans are a DISGRACE!!!
January 16th, 2011
12:49 pm
You can run your mouths all you want about the Saints losing to the Seahawks. You can say what you want about Saints fans but even though they lost to Seattle there were thousands of fans out at the airport to meet them when they returned home.
As fans you’re a DISGRACE!!!! YOU’RE THE LOSERS NOT THE FALCONS!!!
old teach
January 16th, 2011
12:50 pm
The Falcons had moved the ball, and seemed to be getting better–until the interception for a score just before halftime. But the Packers were having the kind of night that comes along only rarely. Rodgers was pinpoint accurate, and the receivers were making great catches at opportune times. And don’t forget that Rodgers ran out of the pocket, spinning out of arm tackles several times in clutch 3rd down-and-long situations. The Falcons are a very good team that had a terrible night in a sudden death game. They may be two years or so away from a Super Bowl.
JDawg
January 16th, 2011
12:53 pm
Heck, we beat these guys earlier………Their QB is on fire and we had an off night……….that’s it……….Don’t pretend to make it something else!!!
What the hell happened???
January 16th, 2011
12:54 pm
You bunch of big mouth in ATL (ALL THE LOSERS) finally got what you had coming. Talking $#!T all year….
I HAVE TWO WORDS FOR YOU!!! NO PUNTS!!!
SO NOW SHUT THE *#@% UP!!!
MAD ONE
January 16th, 2011
12:57 pm
The falcons got outcoached. How can you be a head coach that don’t know what plays your DC & OC are calling. Please someone explain why vangorder & bularkey still have jobs because neither one of them knows how to game plan yet alone call plays. You had 8 days to prepare for this team & you came with a game plan that high school team could figure out by the middle of the first quarter. Mr. Blank you better find you a coaching staff quick or sell the team to someone who know something about football & picking talented players. Because you don’t have a clue on how to do that!!!!!!!!
UGA89
January 16th, 2011
1:10 pm
I’m afraid we blew a golden opportunity ..Chicago or Seattle? –c’mon. We won’t see 13-3, and a #1 seed, again in a while. GB was as strong a #6 seed as I can remember. Now I hope all of my anti-Vick friends who were pulling against the Eagles now understand why I was pulling for Philadelphia. Odd that Atlanta and New orleans, the two apparent strongest teams during the regular season, go down in flames and now sit at home and watch Seattle, Chicago and Green Bay battle for a Super Bowl berth. Makes me sick.