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
grantham v. van gorder
January 16th, 2011
8:21 pm
who’s worse: todd grantham or brian van gorder? both make obscene amounts of money and their D’s have been total busts.
bernie
January 16th, 2011
9:09 pm
Enter your comments here
bernie
January 16th, 2011
9:14 pm
I love the Falcons but it seems as though the players aren’t very tough and it seems as though something is missing that is going to keep them from coming a great team. I don’t know if it is on the defensive side of the ball but it seems as though to me VanGouter isn’t the answer to The Falcons on defense.
Jake
January 17th, 2011
12:03 am
I like Matt Ryan, I think he’s a great young man who is very reliable. Unfortunately he cannot throw a long ball that strikes a great receiver dead in stride and right in his hands. And hence, he cannot strike fear in defenses. Roddy White is more than capable of going long. If we still had Chris Chandler or even Chris Miller. We would have a deep threat. The result is the lack of a quick strike offense. Once Mike Turner is stopped, Matt Ryan is useless. Matt Ryan is a drop back passer and the drop back passer is dead. He died in N.Y.when the Giants unleashed a guy named Lawrence Taylor. If you don’t believe me ask Ron Jaworsky. The Eagles answered back with a guy named Rocket Randall Cunningham. The rest is history
A quarterback today must have escapability. Aaron Rogers is an athlete!! Aaron Rogers is not Mike Vick, but you can’t tell Willaim Moore that. If he had only caught Rogers half of the time he was one on one with him in the backfield the game would have been different.
So, we must get a REAL big fast and strong safety or corner. Don’t misunderstand me, I like Mr. Moore. But he can’t come off the corner blitz for me or a championship team. Then there is the pass rush. The talents of John Abraham are wasted in a three man rush. He needs help!! Next year may be too late. No secondary looks good if the QB has all day.
So please, pick up two quality pass rushers for a four man pass rush and rotation. If you get a chance we need a change of pace running back as well. We need a guy who gets the ball and makes the fans stand up just so they don’t miss a thing and utter a collective gasp when they see it. And folks, we need a QB who throws the ball fast, hard and deep. Matt Ryan has mishandled the ball in two play off games thus far. Fumbling and throwing interceptions in “crunch time” I like Matt Ryan. He could date my daughter. But he can’t play QB for MY TEAM!!
Sports Review
January 17th, 2011
1:00 am
[...] Rodgers, defense lead Packers rout of Falcons in NFC divisional roundAHN | All Headline NewsFor the Falcons, the 'D' in 'defense' also stands for 'dud'Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Fort Worth Star Telegram -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [...]
kenny
January 17th, 2011
3:36 am
oops.. barry bonds..
DawgVoiceofReason
January 17th, 2011
10:59 am
Not many reasonable voices here. While the game was in fact terrible for the Falcons, it doesn’t mean they need to blow up the entire team and get rid of the coaching staff. Get real folks! You are OVERREACTING. Check out DawgDad, Steve (January 16th, 20114:12 am), Falconbill and few others for realistic perspectives on the Falcons’ loss to the Packers. Najeh also provides some good analysis (although he really needs to change the last part of his handle; hard to take anyone seriously with that name).
DawgVoiceofReason
January 17th, 2011
11:13 am
I don’t know what Coach Van Gorder could have done to improve the performance of his defense once the game started. He tried everything and nothing worked. He blitzed, he didn’t blitz, he dropped into coverage all at different times and none of it slowed Green Bay and Aaron Rogers. What are you going to do when your guys blitzing come free and then can’t make the tackle? What are you going to do when your base pass rush can’t get any pressure? What are you going to do when your linebackers and DBs are getting beat all over the field? But most importantly, what are you going to do when one of the best QBs in the league has the game of his life? He and his receivers played virtually flawlessly. Given the circumstance I just described, no defense was going to stop that. The Packers didn’t even need to run the ball, something the Falcons might have had success against.
Gr8tp8ntr
January 17th, 2011
2:48 pm
I just want to thank the people of Atlanta for the hospitality shown us all that made the trip. You showed poise and class and it was a lot of fun! You have a great football team – and I for one believe the NFC has not seen that last of the Atlanta Falcons. Truthfully – most GB fans didnt expect this type of game (we figured it was going to be a win, but very close) Aaron and the boys are on a ride that will culminate in a a Super Bowl appearance…..Thanks again Atlanta – we will see you soon!
AlanFalcon
January 18th, 2011
9:14 am
The Falcons were a year ahead of schedule and with very little playoff expierence, this year provided they play instead of strike shold be their year, Matt will be in his 4th and should have more say in the play calling, TD will have another year under his belt to put the final touches on the team and Smitty will have the fourth year as a head coach to put his system in place.
FALCON FANS DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP, REMEMBER WHERE WE HAD TO COME FROM(VICK AND PETRENO), I SAY WE NEED TO GIVE ALL A THUMBS UP AND LET THEM KNOW WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR.
truefalconfan
January 18th, 2011
1:51 pm
people dnt understand that yes ryan should have thrown the pass away BUT it all starts with the coach a real coach would have kicked a feild goal, at the worst we miss it and go in at the half down 7..after that horriable call the game was over…thanks alot mr so called coach of the year
SportsFan31313
January 18th, 2011
1:53 pm
NEVER PUT HOPE INTO THE TODAY’S FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SportsFan31313
January 18th, 2011
1:54 pm
The Dirty Birds are a over-rated team from the jump of this season with a very over-rated quarterback.
Should have never sold Michael Vick out. You got what you paid for……