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
UUGH
January 16th, 2011
1:12 pm
The falcons are a lot like the city itself, high expectations, glimmers of greatness, but ultimately a major disappointment. Being a Falcons fan is like being in an abusive relationship where I just keep coming back for more. I love them, I will invest my emotional energy (as well as my dollars) to root for them next season. It will be fun, I will believe it will be different this time, i will be disappointed once again. Go Falcons! a loyal fan.
tony
January 16th, 2011
1:15 pm
Falcons 2007 Ranking:
Pass Offense Rank 18th
Rush Offense Rank 25th
Pass Defense Rank 23rd
Rush Defense Rank 26th
Based on those statistics we need to fix our rush defense more than anything but Mr.Blank want to kick Michael Vick off the team so he can draft another QB.
Now, I thought if Glenn Dorsey was to fall in our laps that it was a done deal. WOW, we they took a QB instead of Glenn Dorsey I thought I was having a nightmare. “This can’t be possible!” Some times it takes 20 years for players like Glenn Dorsey to come around but those ******** passed on him.
Glenn Dorsey NFL Career:
08-09 Tackles 46…….Sacks 1
09-10 Tackles 45……Sacks 1
10-11 Tackles 69……Sacks 2
This yoiung man is a natural born leader and a production machine. He proved that at LSU and now he’s proving it in the NFL. Think about this. The Saints drafted Sedrick Ellis in the 1st rd that same year and look at the impact he has had on their defense.
Detroit drafted Ndamukong Suh in the 1st rd and Tampa drafted Gerald McCoy in the 1st rd. Those guys have been more producted than ours. Bottom line, they should of taken Dorsey because our rush defense was BAD! The year after that they should have drafted big powerful offensive linemen.
Mark Bradley
January 16th, 2011
1:17 pm
Hard to believe someone is still advocating Glenn Dorsey over Matt Ryan. I mean, get real.
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
1:20 pm
4 sack in 3 yrs. Now your a dope. I will keep Ryan. Vick was in jail. We had to move on kid. Now you do also.
Mandingo
January 16th, 2011
1:20 pm
Cool, we have the Braves and the Falcons as reliable choke teams – this is a great sports city!
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
1:21 pm
Hey Mark, even the stats he listed were bad. Not a good spin to say the least.
Phillip
January 16th, 2011
1:21 pm
Is it possible for the Falcons to sign nnamdi asomugha this offseason? Im a huge grimes fan, but I feel that the defense would improve with robinson and asomugha as the starting corners and grimes playing as the nickel back/third corner. Grimes plays hard, but itd be better if he were 6′2 instead of 5′10.
William
January 16th, 2011
1:23 pm
All of you fair weather fans just go root for someone else. People are crying and moaning because of last night and it was hard to watch but just shut up. The Packers were able to exploit the weaknesses which the Falcons have had all year and use them against us. The issue is that we do not have a second wide receiver to play opposite of Roddy who knows how to run routes without pushing off, the OL does not know how to pass block, Matt Ryan needs to learn to get rid of the ball when he begins to feel pressure instead of taking the sack. On the defensive side of the ball, we need a couple of other lineman who can consistently rush the passer and we need 2 corners who can line up and consistently cover the other team’s wide receivers. Robinson was supposed to be the solution on one side but he plays soo soft it is pitiful and Brent Grimes is a good nickel corner but is not a #2 corner. TD and Arthur Blank need to sit down and decide what needs to be done in the off-season. The Falcons need to sign a couple of wide receivers and maybe see if there is a decent corner back who they can trade for who wants to play. I think the team needs to decide if Van Gorder is the right DC for Mike Smith’s team. He looked completely lost out there last night
Furman Bitcher
January 16th, 2011
1:23 pm
Grimes is 5′10″?? More like 5′7″
JB
January 16th, 2011
1:24 pm
Fire Mark Richt.. ( practicing for Monday’s blog)
Tweets that mention For the Falcons, the 'D' in 'defense' also stands for 'dud' | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
January 16th, 2011
1:25 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley. Mark Bradley said: Oh, and from Saturday night: For the #Falcons, the "D" in "defense" also stands for "dud." http://bit.ly/hhHTwa [...]
pmc
January 16th, 2011
1:27 pm
They need to change everything. Colors….. Uniforms…. Maybe cities.
Success is just foreign to Atlanta
SRF
January 16th, 2011
1:28 pm
tony – Blank DID NOT KICK vick of of the team just for fun – vick WAS IN JAIL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the HE(( was Blank supposed to do ??????????/
tony
January 16th, 2011
1:30 pm
Ok, lets get real. It just might take the falcons 20 years to be in a position to draft a player of Glenn Dorsey caliber in a time of need.
Dawg Whisperer
January 16th, 2011
1:33 pm
Most teams in the NFL would love to have Matt Ryan as their starting QB for the next several years. There are few rational comments when a fan’s team loses a big game. Hey, why don’t we just trade or cut everyone since most of the team players units have been criticized over this one game? So many childish comments from both Packer and Falcon fans on this blog.
Mandingo
January 16th, 2011
1:34 pm
Everything about this city sux
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
2:23 pm
@FFaClassless.The childish name slinging is truly a classy act. Abandon that stolen laptop,go get some grammar lessons and most of all GROW UP! I heard there was a few blogs out there that featured “kiddy quotes”. I truly beleive you would excel on those threads. GEEZ!!!
Jeff
January 16th, 2011
2:26 pm
Time to show VanGorder the door.
tony
January 16th, 2011
2:35 pm
Glenn Dorsey is a DT playing in a 3-4 defense kid. Its the duty of the outside linebackers to get the sacks. Glenn Dorsey done his job………stop the run. 69 tackles. Thats more tackles than JB and CB combine.
Rather Vick was in jail or not, Blank should have kept him on the team because that was the right thing to do. When you don’t forgive you get bad results. Dopes are those making the assumption Grow up kid.
Michael
January 16th, 2011
2:39 pm
You people act like your favorite character on Survivor or American Idol just lost. NFL is just a TV show people.
Tyler
January 16th, 2011
2:48 pm
What about Wannstedt, Dean Pees (LB Coach of Ravens) or Keith Butler (LB Coach of Steelers)?
Matt Ryan highly overrated
January 16th, 2011
2:51 pm
as a team what kind of defensive team do you patten after? now in this role we look at the team president ! the defence coordinator has flaws. for people who played and know the game know stop run first then pass! on offence QB play 5 yard passes when you are behind is not going to do it with teams take away the run. Teams said let Matt Ryan beat you and it not all Ryan fault. The game plan is to control the clock, but what happen when you can’t do that. The hold team is build on control of the clock. no quick strike in this team… I think we should be more speed and power speed in skill like and have speed and power in the back field.
Ryan would be gone because he has a weak arm!!! five and ten yard dump off is no anwser .you say he can read the defensive but his arm is weak so what does it matter. They are exposed on both sides of the ball. coaches front office and players all exposed on this team weakness just a fact. It was not even close. They were exposed and weakness put in all the light !!! !!
Matt Ryan highly overrated
January 16th, 2011
2:59 pm
mark you get real He has lost every play off game he has played ! you get real. weak arm!!!!!! . No truner he is nothing!! just a Fact!!!!
Loserville USA
January 16th, 2011
3:03 pm
Can you believe if there is a lockout that THIS is what we have to chew on until September 2012???
Epic, epic fail. 13-3 meant nothing.
In 1980, I was disappointed. Atlanta was better than Dallas.
This year, as it turns out was a total fraud.
KBB
January 16th, 2011
3:26 pm
We are running the New England system of picking underrated gritty players or guys off the scrap heap and making them into a no name but efficient pros. The problem is we dont have Bill Belichek we have Mike Smith and we dont have Tom friggin Brady we have Matt noodle arm Ryan.
bigworm
January 16th, 2011
3:28 pm
three players champ baily,haynesworth,pryce and speed on offence
Headlines
January 16th, 2011
3:32 pm
Atlanta ….. The city of ‘One And Done’ mentality. An all-to-common theme and the fans thought this sport was going to be any different. Easily predictable. The real men are still playing meaningful games. Good luck in front of those TVs during the Super Bowl. Chumps ….
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
3:40 pm
Call me crazy but I see this as an experience for Matt. Making the playoffs is a luxury in the NFL.For the team to do the things they’ve done in three years is a huge accomplishment! Especially if you insist on comparing them to Falcons past.The past was made by selfish team owners,the Smiths. and like most of you all I gave up on them a couple of times thru those years. But as soon as the Smiths FINALLY decided to sell, well it was only fair for us fans to give em another chance. Now that did not make us fair-weather fans as most of you are right now, We were smart enough to realize as long as the Smiths were owners the Falcons would always be disappointing. Do as I had to do..Blockout those painful memories of seasons past and view these “post Smith” Falcons as a brand new franchise in the league. The last three years weve been rebuilding from the ground up.To dismiss the fact weve made great strides and r headed in the right direction..well thats just ignorant. Ryans gettin his experience in which all great QBs went thru. Be patient we’ll get there. At least with owner A.B. and coach Smith theres hope. Imagine a time when offseason changes needed to happen and they simply did not. Its a privilege to watch a young team grow into a force to reckon with of the very near future. In the mean time if all youcan do is rip the guys for a bad game then youre quite welcome to follow other teams, I beleive there are 31 more to be exact.Enjoy!
DAVID
January 16th, 2011
3:44 pm
I have seen alot of really harsh comments.The performance or lack of one justifies it.I have been a Longtime Atlanta sports fans since 1980.And i have seen so many playoff disapointments.The history of Atlanta Sports is Are teams dont win and most times look awful in huge playoff games.It doesnt matter what sport.We are cursed??? I dunno.But since i have followed all the teams.Same thing everytime.WE SHOW NO HEART AND SO MANY STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN.I will always root for my teams always.But this was by far the worst playoff loss i have ever seen from any Falcons team.And probably the worst playoff performance by any Atlanta sports team EVER.Wow this was just disgraceful.But As we always say.I hate this.There’s always next year.DANG
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
3:44 pm
big worm..little brain
Sports Review
January 16th, 2011
3:46 pm
[...] For the Falcons, the 'D' in 'defense' also stands for 'dud'Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Packers' defense delivers biggest blows in routFort Worth Star TelegramMadison.com -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (blog) -Appleton Post Crescentall 3,043 news articles » [...]
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
3:47 pm
Headlines..so now its about the entire city? maybe you should just try moving.Think that would help your issues?
Sad
January 16th, 2011
3:47 pm
That was the WORST showing from the No. 1 seed of all times. Two weeks to prepare and nothing to show. Don’t know what it is about ATL Sports team. They just not ready for BIG TIME!!!!! I hope Matt Ryan learn something from Aaron Rogers, but he got schooled. And the Defense!?!?! They just not champions material.
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
3:49 pm
KBB…A.D.D.
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
3:56 pm
You know SAD, thats exactly what Matt did and will continue to do in order to get where he would like to be, he LEARNED. That’s what winners do. Are you catchin on yet?
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
4:00 pm
Loserville only sees an L over the whole season. Amazing!
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
4:08 pm
There again MANDINGO maybe moving would help you to feel better also.Check with Headlines, I think he may be doing the same. GOOD LUCK!
wayne
January 16th, 2011
4:16 pm
The packers beat us up and stole our lunch money and the bullies will continue to bully us until we put a stop to them. The team must move forward and continue to improve.
Rodley
January 16th, 2011
4:21 pm
Every now and then there is a matchup that defies reason or logic. The Falcons are still in a building phase. By all rights, we should have lost the games against the 49’s, Saints first game, and the previous Packer games. Big plays and/or turnovers (missed chip shot fieldgoals not withstanding) all helped the Dirty Birds eake out victories. Come on – Seatlle beat New Orleans last week – If one team in this league is on their game and the other is having an off day – this is what can happen – on any given week. You just expect them all to be on during playoffs. How would you like to have been a Philly or New Orleans sports bar last week? I thought only New England fans tore up their team this bad – even when the Patriots win they seem never satisfied. I am looking forward to the draft (D-fense please) and next year. It was a very exciting year in Atlanta for football.
Rodley
January 16th, 2011
4:25 pm
Oh – and by the way – Thanks Mr. Blank – you are a class act!
kenny
January 16th, 2011
4:27 pm
Mark, correct me if I am wrong, but couldn t the Falks have drafted Dorsey and still taken Flaco if they had passed on Mr. Ryan that year.. Also didn t they pass on Drew Brese.choose not to pick up Julius Peppers .and also didn t they pass on Clay Mathews, draft Mr. Witherspoon and in a previous draft, pick up Mr.Peoria Jerry and the “shutdown Donte Robinson” he he.. I know 20 20 hindsite is perfect, but all of these misques should be somewhat telling about player personel decisions..
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
4:28 pm
Rodley..Spot on man!
kenny
January 16th, 2011
4:28 pm
sorry pick up donte
kevin lewis
January 16th, 2011
4:31 pm
Come on kenny,thats just way too much for me to take in right now. Cant we just stick to the matter at hand. Ha!
Denise Green
January 16th, 2011
4:33 pm
They are who I thought they were: Losers pimped to high heaven. Now that’s where they stink to.
Georgia Tee
January 16th, 2011
4:42 pm
Let’s not let this lopsided loss define an otherwise great Falcon season. Shi$ just happens.
Jamie
January 16th, 2011
5:09 pm
Dunta- what a waste of money! cut his sorry ass now!
choke city
January 16th, 2011
5:13 pm
this is the biggest choke in atl history–home field advantage in the playoffs and they get blown out by a wild card team. I’m embarrassed and may not go to any games next year.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 16th, 2011
7:31 pm
“Mark, correct me if I am wrong, but couldn t the Falks have drafted Dorsey and still taken Flaco if they had passed on Mr. Ryan that year.. Also didn t they pass on Drew Brese.choose not to pick up Julius Peppers .and also didn t they pass on Clay Mathews, draft Mr. Witherspoon and in a previous draft, pick up Mr.Peoria Jerry and the “shutdown Donte Robinson” he he”
They could have picked Dorsey, but they would have had to trade back up in the first round to get Flacco. A smarter move, if they wanted Flacco, may have been to trade down from #3, pick someone like All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady, and then move back up to get Flacco. Essentially, they would have ended up with a QB of about the same caliber as Ryan (Flacco has better stats and more playoff wins, but Ryan has beaten him head to head and is usually more accurate) and ended up with a much better left tackle (Clady) than they got (Baker).
jonnyblaque
January 16th, 2011
7:46 pm
Matty Ice Cold. Simply put the “golden child” now looks kind of bronze.