The Falcons in 2012: The same players under better coaching
John Abraham didn't spread his wings and fly away. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Atlanta Falcons have told us what they think of themselves. They’ve told us they like their roster and have liked it all along. They’ve told us, tacitly if not flat-out, that they don’t believe a lack of manpower has stopped them short of the Super Bowl.
Otherwise they wouldn’t have spent the past three weeks re-upping nearly every free agent of consequence. John Abraham, Kroy Biermann, Thomas DeCoud, Harry Douglas, Todd McClure, Chris Redman, Jason Snelling: They’re all coming back. So is Brent Grimes, tagged as a franchise player. Yes, the Falcons did lose middle linebacker Curtis Lofton to New Orleans and kick returner Eric Weems to Chicago, but still …
If we’d known a month ago that the Falcons would keep eight of their 10 key FAs — and that Grimes and Abraham would be among the eight — wouldn’t we have said, “Job well done”?
Some of us would have. Others would have wondered, and are surely wondering still, why a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since January 2005 is so consumed with preserving the status quo. And the answer is:
Rightly or wrongly, the Falcons believe that they require no major roster-cutting-and-pasting. They believe the same players can, with different coaching, yield better results.
A caveat: Teams sometimes overrate themselves, and general managers are rarely heard to admit, “You know what? I really need to dump all these bums I’ve drafted.” But let’s remember:
Before Thomas Dimitroff was hired as GM in January 2008, the Falcons had never known consecutive winning seasons. Under Dimitroff, they’ve never had anything but a winning season. The man has earned the benefit of every doubt.
That said, something needed to change. The now-winning Falcons have fallen at the first postseason hurdle three times, and the past two losses weren’t even close. When that happens, an organization must ask itself: Is it the coaching or the playing? The Falcons’ answer has been resounding.
On the one hand, there’s a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator and a new line coach. On the other, there’s essentially the same roster. That’s not exactly a coded microdot of a message.
Heading into the playoff date with the Giants, the feeling in Flowery Branch was that the Falcons had the superior roster. (You’re free to argue. Wasn’t Eli Manning better than Matt Ryan? Wasn’t the Giants’ defensive front clearly stronger? I’m just telling you: That’s what the Falcons thought.) This presumed advantage resulted in a 24-2 loss on a day when the offense was, figuratively and literally, pointless.
This sorry showing was followed by an in-house sigh of relief when Jacksonville hired offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey as head coach, no real remorse when defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left for Auburn, and the not-very-difficult decision to fire line coach Paul Boudreau. A hint dropped in January has been confirmed in March: The Falcons didn’t see playing as their biggest failing.
As much as fans clamor for their team to land big-ticket free agents, that’s not always the path to glory. (Michael Turner? Great signing. Dunta Robinson? Less great. Ray Edwards? Too soon to tell.) The Falcons are banking on continuity, with a twist. The players are the same, but the schemes won’t be.
We can’t yet know if that will be enough to push a team starved for a Round 1 victory into the game bearing Roman numerals, but this much we can know: The architect sounds happy. In a text message Wednesday, Dimitroff wrote:
“Our ability to re-sign the bulk of our own targeted [unrestricted free agents] was a creative group effort by many in our organization, players included. In a year with many of our own players up for free agency, it takes give and take from both sides of the table. I am pleased and encouraged that we were able to keep our core together.”
The belief in this space was that the Falcons entered the 2011 season with the most gifted roster in team history. That feeling soon gave way to consternation: Why weren’t such good players being put to better use? The belief now is that the three new coaches — Dirk Koetter, Mike Nolan and Pat Hill — will do more for the Falcons than any pricey import, be it Mario Williams or Carl Nicks, would have.
The Falcons had enough players, and to their credit they’ve kept most of them. The roster may have remained status quo, but this organization is no longer in stasis.
By Mark Bradley
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215 comments Add your comment
Andy
March 28th, 2012
11:17 am
Give me kudos or give me death.
Andy
March 28th, 2012
11:18 am
Thought of that one last year, Mark. Dang Rickster wouldn’t let me use it for the longest time. Time to read your article now.
Mark Bradley
March 28th, 2012
11:19 am
I’ll opt for kudos, Andy.
PMC
March 28th, 2012
11:23 am
Ok, so if they fail in the playoffs this year what happens to Thomas?
Is he publically flogged?
Rainman
March 28th, 2012
11:23 am
I’d like to see a couple of veterans with some playoff experience added, preferrably in the trenches. If we can utilize our playmakers better, Quizz, Douglas,White, Jones then I like our chances to challenge for the south.
Tommy Maddox
March 28th, 2012
11:24 am
I’m with Han Solo as concerns this year:
“I got a bad feeling about this.”
PMC
March 28th, 2012
11:25 am
To his credit at least Andy Reid admitted he made some mistakes last year.
TD while being the best GM in this clubs 45 year history hasn’t admitted that he needs better players at a few positions in addition to better coaching.
zgoldatl
March 28th, 2012
11:27 am
as a season ticket holder, I’m definitely concerned about this year. However, I’ll be screaming in Section 301 nonetheless.
Mike
March 28th, 2012
11:30 am
It’s odd. It seems like post-Green Bay playoff beating, the Falcons plan has been.
“Get blown out, ignore secondary. Trade away a draft for a WR. Continue to struggle on D. Do nothing”
steverino
March 28th, 2012
11:34 am
The Pat Hill hire is going to yield favorable results, imo.
JSS
March 28th, 2012
11:38 am
Not really the same players, older and some noticeable losses. The problem see this team as being closer (like 1988 Hawks) than they truly are… The coaching only comes in handy if you’re close in the end…
Rickster
March 28th, 2012
11:41 am
Glad to help, Andy!
Paul
March 28th, 2012
11:47 am
I believe Curtis Lofton told the AJC after signing with the Saints that he believes the Saints have more talent than the Falcons. What truth might you see in that statement, Mark?
extremus
March 28th, 2012
11:49 am
While new schemes on both sides of the ball are definitely needed, I can’t help but be concerned about what lies in store for the Falcons in 2012. Let’s say they have an awesome regular season record (let’s say even 12-4 or 13-3) only to have yet another first-round exit (especially if they’re blown out again). Bye-bye Mike Smith and probably the rest of this newly-hired coaching staff, and the roster would be likely to have a LOT of turnover before the 2013 season. Talk about pressure, fair or not; everything really comes down to A) making the playoffs and B) winning absolutely no less than one game there this season.
To that point, I just am not certain whether the same group of guys who’ve had their butts handed to them for the past two playoff losses can really close such a gap in performance, even with better coaching. While I do credit Dimitroff for not blowing up the roster in some short-sided, panicky move, I’m also concerned that personnel needs that have been so glaring already seem largely to have gone unaddressed. There’s an unsettlingly Braves-like “We like the pieces we have in place” vibe going on, and only time will tell if such statements get 180ed come the end of the 2012 season.
realitycheck
March 28th, 2012
11:50 am
Last 2 losses by a combined 51 pts and no new additions and the subtraction of your leading tackler………Dimwit isn’t fooling me…….this team is going nowhere!
realitycheck
March 28th, 2012
11:53 am
Paul………..Falcons talent isn’t even close to that of the Saints………and we all know it whether we want to admit it or not. Only the dreamers will beg to differ.
Paul
March 28th, 2012
11:55 am
So, after 40+ years of mediocrity and the occasional playoff appearance, it seems fans expect whomever might replace Mike Smith — the most consistent coach to ever work for the Falcons — to be better than he in the record and playoff win department. You have got to give this man some time, beyond just this season, to learn how to be less conservative, more innovative, and continue winning 9+ games EVERY YEAR. If the Falcons begin to regress significantly this year or stop making the playoffs all together over the next two, then can the man. Until then, though, people need to calm down on the fire Mike Smith talk.
Rickster
March 28th, 2012
11:56 am
hopefully zgoldatl will be screaming with excitement – not frustration!
Tana
March 28th, 2012
11:57 am
I think the team is very close. Matt Ryan is considered on of the best QBs in the league, and out positions of White, Jones, Gonzalez, and Turner are some of the best at their positions. Defense was actually pretty good last year regardless of what anyone says. The offense was so muddled sometimes it took efforts y the defense to even keep games relatively close.
With Snelling and Rodgers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Turner traded away for some draft picks. Snelling is essentially what Turner was in 2008 (a backup who proved they can carry a load). Snelling can catch make him a three down back as well.
I believe Edwards and Robinson are not bust deals. Robinson only gets his name called the few times he gets burned, because he does a strong job covering and forcing passes towards Grimes who has remarkable ball hawk skills.
This is a team who was 10th in offense last season and 12th in defense. We gave up less than 100 yards per game on the ground. that doesn’t sound like a flawed defense to me. We missed our best corner to close the season.
Don’t jump ship on the Falcons before the draft even comes around. This is why everyone dogs Atlanta fans…you flake out at the sign of a cloud in the sky.
Until the fans can go one a Falcons blog and be confident in their team, we will continue to be the laughing stock of professional sports.
Lee Jay
March 28th, 2012
11:58 am
Falcons are trying to do what the 49ers did last season with new coach Harbaugh. Nice theory but w/o playmakers it won’t work. Addition by subtraction (lofton) won’t work. Tatupu and Manuwai need to prove it all season long. Let’s hope the Falcons hit home runs in the draft.
Tana
March 28th, 2012
11:59 am
In what the hell world do the 49ers have more play makers than the Falcons Lee Jay?
Tana
March 28th, 2012
12:01 pm
Ryan is better than Smith.
Turner is better than Gore.
Gonzalez and Davis may be among equals.
White and Jones are better than any WR on their roster.
J-Man
March 28th, 2012
12:02 pm
IMO it was a mistake not to resign Curtis Lofton. He was called a “2 down Linebacker” yet he has been in the top 5 in tackles since he came into the league. What really hurts is the fact he went to the Saints and that defense will be improved from this move whish is bad for Atlanta. Another thing I don’t understand is the wasting of cap-room on certain players. By that I mean paying $10 million for Grimes, Keeping Sam Baker and Peria Jerry on the team, paying Babineaux 5 mil when he has injury concerns, and paying Ovie Mughelli 4 million as a FB and not restructuring Matt Ryans contract and signing him to an extension to where he doesnt count as 13.5 million against the cap. Wasteful spending plain and simple. Also many Falcons fans are upset because Dimitroff said that he would be active in free agency…….obviously that isnt true so far.
Tana
March 28th, 2012
12:03 pm
San Francisco ranked 26th in offense but they have built a strong defense because Singletary was a DEFENSIVE GURU. Yet he was axed because the offense was bad. So Harbaugh comes in gets a little from a an offense with an amazing defense and gets all the credit.
**Frederick(Bailey)Douglass**
March 28th, 2012
12:04 pm
Mark,
The last piece that you DID NOT mention…if these changes bear the same fruit in 2012, there is only one coaching position left to change…
Choosing Abraham over Lofton is a mistake. Abraham has not had mutiple sack games against teams with winning records in quite some time. Lofton is not Patrick Willis or John Vilma…but he had more heart that any other player on the 2011 Falcons defense.
Only time will tell. However, hiring yes men and patting each other on the back rarely works out.
FBD
Tana
March 28th, 2012
12:07 pm
Peyton Manning lost his first three playoff appearances and the last one was a bigger blow out than ours. Enough said. Given the chance to build a team that was dismantled after 2008 takes more than 1 free agent signing or 1 draft.
Atlanta is a laughable city to the rest of the country because fans have no faith in their organizations decisions regardless.
SeminoleWarrior
March 28th, 2012
12:11 pm
Great post, Mark…
matt
March 28th, 2012
12:14 pm
Well Tom is a draft guru lets see if we can build a team through the draft but for a moment i was so looking forward to having super mario and the saints still have a man named brees they will be tough
zgoldatl
March 28th, 2012
12:17 pm
Knowing the Falcons, it will certainly be some of both Rickster
RobbE33
March 28th, 2012
12:19 pm
Conjecture is just that. Me, I’ll resign to be patiently optimistic.
It’s going to be a long summer.
Next Year (always next year for GA teams ......)
March 28th, 2012
12:19 pm
they still need some sort of play maker whether by FA or draft …. they may have a few new coaches but they still have the same offence and they still scored 0 offensive points against NY (and it would be ridiculous to completely blame MM for that) and that’s not good.
Khao$
March 28th, 2012
12:28 pm
Bad scheming by BVG isn’t the reason why our defensive front wiffed on tackles/shots on QB’s like Brees, Rodgers, and Eli. BVG wasn’t the reason Decoud missed some easy interceptions. It wasn’t BVG’s fault that his defense got tired because the offense couldn’t stay on the field in NY.
Believe it or not, I wasn’t a BVG fan. I despise his non-aggressive soft zone. However to lay blame solely at the feet of the coordinators is irresponsible. True, they have to put players in positions to make plays. However, once in position, the players must make plays. Nothing Decoud has shown me suggests he can do that. Yet he stays and Lofton goes.
Fire Smitty and Dimitroff.
BravesFan79
March 28th, 2012
12:29 pm
What choice did we have? If we had lost all those free agents who would we of replaced them with? unproven rookies? We did the best thing for the team. Which is once again a playoff contender. Which is all you can ask for in sports. Just ask the last 2 superbowl champs.
SimpleDawg
March 28th, 2012
12:32 pm
“Returning a bunch of players from a team that lost a bunch of games, usually isn’t a very good idea.”
John McKay
maurice
March 28th, 2012
12:39 pm
I didn’t see anything wrong with our defense against the Giants, it was the offense that was stagnant. No throws to Douglas. Hardly used Jaquizz. No protection for Ryan. We get a safety in the endzone and can’t score a touchdown after. That was the turning point in the game. MM stunk in this game BVG did as much as he could but with offense going 3 and out all the time the defense got tired. Not his fault. Our offense will be a lot better with protection for Ryan, a blocker for Turner, and using Quizz, Snelling, Julio, and Douglas on screen plays.
Pamela
March 28th, 2012
12:41 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now that’s too funny!
This is a sorry team..the Failcant’s suck big time! 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah…that’s left to be seen! UMMM…didn’t they say the SAME EXACT thing LAST year? Hmmmm 
ROD
March 28th, 2012
12:45 pm
Really? Do the FALCONS think we believe they have gotten better. Really? Hmmm….can I say the BUCS!!! I’ve been a long time Falcons fan, and I don’t have a good feeling about this. To resign Kroy B, who did absolutely nothing. Should have sign a better slot receiver, and not Douglas. I’m still concern about our quarterback. To me, this is a make or break year for him. If we do not make the playoffs, nor the Superbowl, the coach and QB needs to go. The draft will be very important for me.
Pamela
March 28th, 2012
12:47 pm
Now that I am off the floor laughing so hard at this article….you Failcant’s fans need to stick with your team. You all are the sorriest bunch of ’so called’ fans there is! New Orleans Saints fans..we are with them no matter what…and guess what? You and the entire world saw that we won the Superbowl the 1st time we played in it and now we are going for that ring again…we will not stop until we get another one….GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Reality
March 28th, 2012
12:54 pm
Tana, We “flake” because those clouds generally result in extended downpours.
Always thought CCR understood what it is like to be an Atl sports fan:
Long as I remember
The rain been coming down
Clouds of mystery falling
Confusion on the ground
Good men through the ages
Trying to find a sun
And I wonder, still I wonder
Who’ll stop the rain
maurice
March 28th, 2012
12:55 pm
@Pamela….Your team has no head coach,haven’t resigned your quarterback and you have the audacity to troll a Falcons blog? Get right with your team before you spew your vomit on ours.
SavDawg
March 28th, 2012
1:00 pm
If we don’t improve our OL we will not improve our FB team or our record! We can march almost any team with our skill reople but if MR doesn’t have time what good are our Skill people? our running game needs holes!! We have not spent our resources where we need to. LINE OF SCRIMMAGE.
SWAT Native
March 28th, 2012
1:00 pm
What’s amazing is that neither the Falcons, Hawks nor Braves felt that they needed any significant changes but remained committed to their cores. It will be interesting to see how all of that works out.
SavDawg
March 28th, 2012
1:01 pm
We can match “sorry”
Khao$
March 28th, 2012
1:02 pm
Pamela, no disrespect…you worry about finding an interim coach and whether half your roster will be suspended as a result of bounty gate and we’ll worry about the ineptitude of our team’s leadership.
Fire Smitty and Dimitroff.
JB
March 28th, 2012
1:04 pm
I do know that Georgia’s defense under Grantham resembles nothing of the Dawgs D under Willie Martinez, so there is hope.
Jimmy Crack
March 28th, 2012
1:06 pm
We had the players to win and we did win on mostly talent. Let’s just chalk up the past few season’s playoff failures to Mularkey having no creativity, and darn sure no appetite for halftime adjustments against quality teams.
Our defense in that playoff game, without our best Corner, held the eventual Super Bowl winners to 10 points until the 2:44 mark at the end of the 3rd Quarter of that game. It was the failure of our offense to win that game.
Matt Ryan's Dad
March 28th, 2012
1:06 pm
I’m just glad the Falcon’s don’t have any fans named Pamela…I’d take our hot Falcon women any day over those fuglies in New Orleans
BigHittas
March 28th, 2012
1:07 pm
Sorry, but DeCoupe wheels done fell off. If re-signing a safety with no pass coverage skills is promising, then I guess we’ll get more of the same. Especially since the teams that are dominating these days are pass happy.
Jonas Pate
March 28th, 2012
1:12 pm
birds fan’s who call for the head of the Comrade and Smitty are, to be polite, total idiots. Pls. disregard them. Those who understand football know what a good job they’ve done.
Fact: Lofton’s first year he was a two down backer. Falcons were 13th in the league in 3rd down D. Lofton’s 2nd and 3rd and 4th year he was a three down backer. Falcons were 22, 32, 29 in 3rd down D. Notice a pattern? Letting Lofton go to the Saints is the best move we ever made.
Spanish Speaking Sicilian
March 28th, 2012
1:12 pm
I know Dunta hasn’t really lived up to his ENORMOUS contract, but he’s still a top 15 corner. We don’t give him much credit. If he had a good (or even mildly decent) safety to watch his back, he would be a top 5 corner.
fred smith
March 28th, 2012
1:19 pm
I definitely think the new coaches will help on the offensive side. We certainly have talent on that side and the offense never looked in synch last year. However, on the defensive side, I believe it is more of a lack of talent issue and we certainly did not add to that talent level by letting go of our top tackler. We now need help in all three areas of the defense. Hope the offense can score 30 a game!
Dr. Warren
March 28th, 2012
1:20 pm
The 1980 team was the most talented Falcons squad ever–about four years before MB arrived in Atlanta, so I can excuse the error. A healthy Bartkowski with his cannon arm was a more dangerous qb than Matt Ryan. And don’t get me started on how William Andrews–on pace for the Hall of Fame before the terrible knee injury–was a more fearsome and multi-dimensional back than Michael Turner. Roddy and Julio are more talented than Jenkins and Francis, I give you that, but the latter rarely dropped passes.
birian v.g.
March 28th, 2012
1:24 pm
under better coaching? just how in the hell do you figure that?
PMC
March 28th, 2012
1:27 pm
Dunta almost single handedly lost the Houston game because he made the worst play of the game while Peterson made one of the best of his career.
Dunta held on a play where he made 0 impact whatsoever. It was horrible and it almost cost the Falcons the playoffs. It’s hard to forget blunders like that especially when you see his paycheck.
I appreciate what we have here now, I appreciate Smitty’s coaching and TD at GM. They have made this team into a very good NFL franchise. I’m frustrated because I don’t think we have seen much if any progress in the last 2 years. I feel like they are trending down more than trending up. They haven’t been competitive at all in the playoffs.
I don’t think the Falcons have been honest with themselves about where they are as a football team talentwise. I guess we’ll just have to wait until Sept to see all of free agency and the draft. If history is any indication, no one has any idea where they are going in the draft. Where everyone else sees a weakness, they don’t.
Sausage King of Chicago
March 28th, 2012
1:31 pm
Let’s see what Grady Jackson’s up to and switch to a 3-4!
Michael
March 28th, 2012
1:31 pm
Hey Mark, huge falcons fan, but my comment to you is an aside:
This is a fantastically written article. I wasn’t even ready to read such good writing while fantasizing about my sports team.
Great. Work.
PMC
March 28th, 2012
1:32 pm
Fans here HAVE NOT BEEN CLAMORING FOR BIG TIME FREE AGENTS, we are trying to have honest and truthful discussion about THE CHOICES THEY HAVE MADE.
They are getting to the playoffs yes, but they are brutally non competitive when they get there.
Also, how do we know that the coaches are better?
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
1:33 pm
Why do people keep pointing to the playoff games? Does anyone really believe it takes any incremental skill to win a playoff game that is not present to win a regular season game?
A three game sample size against two teams that won the Super Bowl and another that came within a two minute drill of doing so is not reason enough to blow this organization up.
PMC
March 28th, 2012
1:42 pm
The difference between those games I feel like George is that the top 12 teams in the game generally are in the playoffs. Typically the best QB’s and the best defenses.
Smitty has been remarkable with this team beating up on teams with bad QB’s. They’ve won almost every game they should have won (exceptions Tampa away last season but there aren’t many)
They have been deplorable against teams with exceptional QB’s primarily because they are horrible in the pass rush (brought back Biermann) and they are wretched on 3rd and long (brought back Decoud)
Additionally they are very poor against teams with multiple players that are good pass rushers.
They have been unlucky with poor draws in the playoffs, but they’ve been physically the weaker team each time going back to the Arizona game. They have been the softer team each time.
When they win, they impose thier will in the running game generally. They lose in the playoffs because they don’t have the talent to get it done against the better teams in the league and in the case of last year, the offensive scheme against the Giants, was austensibly backwards.
The Falcons are weakest where the best teams are the strongest (Line of Scrimmage)
Lee Jay
March 28th, 2012
1:48 pm
Standing pat and status quo gets you nowhere in this league. Playmakers are needed. None of the players on this current roster have shown they can make a big play in a big game (vs NO, GB, NO, HOU, NYG, ARZ). OK could not afford Mario, I get that. We could not get Tulloch or DeMeco Ryans, I get that. Marcus mcNeil is busted up, I get that. But no improvement on OL? No improvement on DL? Resign Decoud? Tag Grimes who chickened out of the playoff game? Perhaps the cap was tighter than we all thought but we can’t even afford LOFTON? NFL=not for long. Stand pat on status quo and that’s how long this team will continue winning 9+ games per season; Not For much Longer.
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
1:52 pm
Except that they’ve beaten four playoff teams the past two seasons, PMC (Baltimore, New Orleans, and Green Bay in 2010 and Detroit last season).
My point, I guess, is that the teams they’ve lost to in the playoffs aren’t losing to anyone. It isn’t just the Falcons that aren’t beating them. If they lost to New York this year and then New York got drilled by Green Bay, it might be more of a problem. But New York drilled the Falcons and turned around and did the same thing to the best team in football.
bart
March 28th, 2012
1:52 pm
More so than any other sport, success in the NFL hinges on competent coaching. The distribution of talent in the NFL is fairly even with a few exceptions. If you have the best coaches you can succeed. The last SB is a perfect example of this. Superior coaching on both sides. Lot’s of doubts prior to the playoffs on the talent levels of both the Giants & Patriots. Not sure about our new offense but I believe our defense under Nolan will become dominant with basically the same players. It’s all about coaching.
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
1:54 pm
Provide alternatives, Lee Jay. If you didn’t want DeCoud, then tell us who the Falcons should have signed and why he’d be a better player than the current one.
Jcard120
March 28th, 2012
1:57 pm
The saints are gonna be third in the division this year.
rivercard
March 28th, 2012
1:59 pm
Let’s get this straight. The Falcons didn’t make coaching changes . Their coaches who they have said they would not have replaced left them. Trying to spin the coaching change as pro active is a load of steamy nonsense.
They are what they are. An above average,but far from great team with no game changing players and below average lines. Not exactly a recipe for the Super Bowl trophy.
Dr. Warren
March 28th, 2012
2:01 pm
George Stein is making some very good sense. Well-argued, sir.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 28th, 2012
2:07 pm
You can have a Porche in Daytona but you won’t reach the finish line with a Vega engine.
That engine is CHOKE…………….
HA HA HA
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
2:08 pm
Thanks, Doc.
Nativebird
March 28th, 2012
2:10 pm
Please…can we please jettison the “boy we used to be real bad, isn’t the current regime just swell” excuses and placating of the 3 straight better than .500 seasons.
EVERY time it seems any one even questions the all knowing mr. Dimitroff, the status quo mediocraty defenders start off with utterly useless fact. eNUFF!
“That said, something needed to change. The now-winning Falcons have fallen at the first postseason hurdle three times”. Correction 4 times….MISSING the playoffs I’d say is falling before you even get to the first hurdle. No doubt though tis still the same race.
PMC
March 28th, 2012
2:15 pm
George, the Falcons weren’t competitive in those playoff games.
You’re using the “we ran into the buzz saw argument”, and that’s fine the Braves approach if you will.
24-2 last season, that’s almost impossible in the playoffs, to not even scratch on offense. Heads should roll after that, that was hard to watch even.
Before that, yes they beat Green Bay and Baltimore at home that season, those wins made me believe they had turned the corner, and then Tramon Williams stepped infront of a poorly thrown ball on 4th down went in for a score and the Falcons haven’t shown much since that play.
So the question then is WHY were the Giants and the Packers able to do that and the Falcons weren’t?
The talent played no part it that? Because that’s what Thomas Dimitroff has said with these moves.
It’s pretty difficult to trust an group that is unwilling to admit any fault.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 28th, 2012
2:16 pm
I mean seriously when is the light going to come on in Blank’s head that he screwed up 72 million dollars on a low level game manager?
He has thrown millions after millions on more pieces than any other qb in Falcants history ever had and yet he is 0-3 in the playoffs. Each appearance in the playoffs have just gotten worse regardless of all the money and draft picks that have been thrown away and wasted just to make this CHOKE look credible.
If you don’t get at least a playoff win in 4 long seasons, how much more time do you need in order to see what everyone else outside of Atlanta already know.
This dude is pushing 30 and he is just a BUST compared to other qbs that have landed 72 million dollar contracts.
Hell Joe Flacco earned a 30 million dollar contract with 5 playoff wins and never a ZERO point playoff performance.
Even the Offensive & Defensive coaches have abandoned ship.
Enough of this failed “Replace Vick” project………….It has failed miserably
SeenThisB4 = Pamela? What a coward
March 28th, 2012
2:17 pm
Amazed that any Aints fan would post here these days…has a defending super bowl champ ever had more humiliating playoff losses in subsequent seasons than the Saints??? Losing to two NFC West teams??? Really???
Just worry about your coach and that he doesn’t take too many painkillers now that he’s suspended.
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
2:20 pm
Green Bay wasn’t competitive against New York this year, either. Interestingly, they did beat the Giants in the regular season, though.
Look, I was disappointed in how the past two seasons ended, too. But, if I had to guess why they lost in such convincing fashion, I’d say some element of talent and coaching played a roll (but not that big of a roll). However, generally bad teams don’t get blown out like that, which leads me to believe there was just a lot of luck – or randomness, if you prefer – involved.
Peyton Manning didn’t win a playoff game until his sixth season. Just something to keep in mind.
bart
March 28th, 2012
2:24 pm
There seems to be some assumption that TD is only responsible for the roster. But he’s also responsible for the makeup of the coaching staff. Heads were going to roll and the coaches knew it so finding a new job before the ax fell was a smart move on their part – no “fired from” on their resumes.
rivercard
March 28th, 2012
2:27 pm
Bart – Then you are calling Blank and company liars, because they said unequivocally in their post exodus press conference that they were not going to change coordinators.
PMC
March 28th, 2012
2:27 pm
Fair points George, some luck was definately involved (we had free rushers in the GB game they just didn’t make the play some of that is definately luck), but I feel like if we had even adequate pass rush and we had cleaner pockets more often, we might fair better.
I haven’t given up on Matt by any means, but the guys beating us are obviously better at this juncture. I do wish they would let him run a fast paced no huddle more often because I feel like he’s much better in rhythm.
Great discussion, thanks.
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
2:32 pm
Agreed, PMC. Nice speaking with you, too.
wreckbuzz
March 28th, 2012
2:33 pm
The more I think about this, the more I agree with what the Falcons have done. Signing a free agent helps a particular position or at the most a position group.
A new coach, if he’s good, can affect every position on the field. The in-game calls will be different. The attitude will be different. The game plan will be different.
As a person who felt the offense was too conservative, especially considering the weapons on the field (Roddy, Julio, Tony, Douglas). I feel that group could light it up, and we saw flashes of that last season, if they let it fly. And they only had one loss on the OL, Harvey Dahl. I don’t think he took all their blocking ability with him. But the guys charged with stepping up in that spot were not prepared. That’s on the position coach. And the defense always seemed to scheme to be back on their heels. The few times they pulled out all the stops and took some chances they looked formidable (the OT Saints game comes to mind, when Drew Brees was flustered a lot).
Maybe personalities can make the difference. I mean, does anyone feel like the Falcons employed a lot of talent in the coordinator spots? I don’t. I feel like Mularkey was a good guy to break in Matt Ryan, but I don’t think he is viewed as an innovator like Sean Payton or Mike McCarthy. And Van Gorder wouldn’t have been a DC for most NFL teams. It’s debatable whether Dirk Koetter is an upgrade on Mularkey, but at least he’s not as conservative. But Mike Nolan is a definite upgrade on defense.
Jake
March 28th, 2012
2:35 pm
Did you see Dirk Koetter’s offense in Jacksonville this past year… not an uipgrade…
PMC
March 28th, 2012
2:37 pm
I mean we do have to be patient with FA, it is open until August and there is the draft. I tend to wear my opinions on my sleeve.
I’m pretty bullish on the CB position next fall probably more than most. I really like the guys we have coming back.
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
2:38 pm
Bill Walsh could not win with Blaine Gabbert at QB, Jake.
Jt
March 28th, 2012
2:40 pm
Mark, as I scroll through the blog, I see that this blog was a “hit and run”. You hit and then ran. I do not blame you. I think that is exactly what the Falcons are thinking and I am in agreement. If proven wrong by the end of the year, then I am willing to say I am wrong and the Falcons will have some tough decisions to make. I was always leery of Van Gorder as a coordinator-never understood the hiring even though he and Smith had a history together. They made some strides but in the end they were as terrible on 3rd and long as at the beginning and just unable to get off the field. They made some roster changes, but just did not improve. I thought it was good fate when he went to Auburn. On two fronts- I am a Falcon fan and an Alabama fan. Roll Tide! Mike Nolan damn sure comes froma good pedigree and is highly respected as a defensive coordinator. He brings a new perspective- that is definitely preferable to complete roster makeover- they have some good pieces.
On the offensive side, Mularkey seemed like a good fit in the beginning. Matt Ryan had one of his best years in his rookie year. They seemed to have a plan and an identity- run the football and throw off play action. It worked pretty damn good. As time went on their evolution seemed to take them in the opposite direction. Lack of identity and trying too hard to be something they were not. I do not know the new coordinator, but based upon the first few years, I am still confident in both Mike Smith and Dimitroff. If things stay the same and results are either no better or worse, then maybe a different route, but right now, I have hope for improvement.
JSS
March 28th, 2012
2:41 pm
The worst thing about George Stein and his augment on regular season wins is the following:
Plus .500 teams have feasted on the Falcons since the Ravens lost here on the final drive. All of teams they own victories (minus Detroit) were either won the final drive or because those teams left points on the field in the red zone. Green Bay and New Orleans have never made mistake again when they encountered the Falcons a 2nd or 3rd time. Atlanta had absolutely response to those adjustments. Look, the Giants are a tough match-up for the Packers, they can match firepower on offense when it comes to aerial weapons when it matters, the 50 and in… Moreover they have the great equalizer, that pass rush (had it with Spagnuolo and now Fewell). When you’re realistic, you know Atlanta does not have that component. It is a pipe dream that you are going to get some magic pixie dust from Nolan and Dirk to make it happen!
tree rollins
March 28th, 2012
2:42 pm
Let’s amend a few of your thoughts Mark. 1) We returned all the players EXCEPT our best tackler and replaced him with a guy out of football for a year = not an even swap by any stretch. 2) We didn’t replace the coaches – they QUIT and LEFT US – not a good sign. So we have an older team missing its best tackler from last year. Combined with all new coaches (Nolan may be an improvement). Not exactly resounding stuff! Why TD doesn’t get more heat for trading away nearly an entire draft for Julio when he could have gotten Mike Wallace, a proven receiver for a single 1st rounder, I’ll never know. Yeah that TD – he’s some kind of wizard at the controls!!!
Hillbilly D
March 28th, 2012
2:45 pm
If the lines are the same, the results will probably be the same.
tree rollins
March 28th, 2012
2:45 pm
And before everyone says Mike Wallace – that’s this year – we got Julio last year. We also could have gotten Brandon Marshall this year. The point is you don’t have to give up the farm to get a good wide receiver. I would love to play TD in a game of Monopoly. TD, I’ve trade you Park Place if you trade me all 4 Railroads and all the utilities. Sheesh!!
George Stein
March 28th, 2012
2:46 pm
Well, if they won on the final drive, I guess they didn’t happen. I love how you cherry-pick facts that support your claim and make excuses for the Packers but don’t extend the same courtesy to the Falcons.
Why don’t you enlighten me on what the adjustments were, JSS.
tree rollins
March 28th, 2012
2:47 pm
And why didn’t we go after Michael Bush if he was available? Is that because we think our “Burner” Michael Turner is better than Chicago thinks Matt Forte is?? I’d trade Turner for Forte any day of the week. For that matter, I’d trade him for Bush.
tree rollins
March 28th, 2012
2:49 pm
The only thing that Turner does related to “Burning” is the rug burn he gets when he’s knocked down at the line of scrimmage by hitting the hole too slow!
JSS
March 28th, 2012
2:51 pm
Bill Walsh won with Steve Dils and Jeff Kemp, he had something called a defense… What he could not do really was beat Bill Parcells in the playoffs after Parcells decided to build his team to beat the Niners…
bart
March 28th, 2012
2:56 pm
Rivercard – let’s not get overly dramatic and play the “liar” card. Their statements were more just the typical BS you might here from any owner & company. How many “votes of confidence” have we seen in pro sports followed shortly by a firing. This is just SOP – not grade-school “you called them a liar” crap.
hrn
March 28th, 2012
2:56 pm
san francisco had the same team with basically the same players when jim harbaugh put his scheme in they went 13 and 3
rivercard
March 28th, 2012
3:02 pm
Bart – Sorry I don’t have your truth divining rod. He said point blank he did not want them to leave. I will take him at his word. You obviously don’t. Call it what you will.
JSS
March 28th, 2012
3:05 pm
Adjustments
Packers took away all of the Falcons short to intermediate routes and flooded the middle 2/3rds of the Falcons strong side with secondary blitzes. They squatted on all out pattens and dared the Falcons to go over the top (they knew Atlanta couldn’t block them)… Falcons cannot block teams that have have secondary rushers.
The Saints rarely worry about the Falcons, they just try to get at DeCoud and Moore because they know that Falcons cannot challenge them up the middle enough to not be able to chip at Abraham and Brees can take his pick (usually Meechem or Graham against the back line… I could go on and on… They are overmatched (and it is rarely about the scheme)… The points that Saints left on the field in the 3rd and 4th qtr in Atlanta disappeared in the rematch… Simple as that, and that is the fact…
rivercard
March 28th, 2012
3:08 pm
JSS- You are correct. It basically correct that it comes down to having below average line play on both sides of ball. I am a little leery of how much you can scheme your way out of that problem.
Hillbilly D
March 28th, 2012
3:08 pm
If I were a coach, in any sport, and my owner came out with a public vote of confidence, I’d start working on my resume and touch base with all my old contacts.
jerry
March 28th, 2012
3:15 pm
If the Falcon’s problems resulted from poor coaching and not a lack of talent, how does that absolve Dimitroff and Smith from blame? Did they not hire these so called nincompoops and keep them around for four years? The insulation is gone. Time to put up or STFU.
rivercard
March 28th, 2012
3:20 pm
jerry – you are not supposed to ask those type of questions. Accept the spin, go forth and parrot it or you aren’t a “real” fan.
bart
March 28th, 2012
3:25 pm
Jerry – they’re not absolved and they have taken responsibility – just not as specifically as some bloggers might like. 4 consecutive years of winning seasons buys them more respect and extra time in my mind. How easily people forget our long history of failure with this franchise. I would love a SB trip but in the meantime winning seasons are much better than the majority of what other teams have to look forward to. We’ll get there.
JSS
March 28th, 2012
3:26 pm
“make excuses for the Packers but don’t extend the same courtesy to the Falcons.”
“Make excuses?” Where? I said they are a tough match-up… If they aren’t willing to realize they need make a change in how they approach Coughlin coached teams, well………. We know Mike doesn’t…
bart
March 28th, 2012
3:27 pm
hrn – excellent example with Harbaugh. Coaching can make the difference.
The Real Falcon
March 28th, 2012
3:31 pm
Using the same logic the Saints should have stayed put as well. However they did not. They lost a starting OG and went out and got another Pro Bowl OG. Not an out of football for a year OG.
They did not lose their middle LB (or may due to the scandal) but still signed a tackling machine in Lofton. They have not lost without quality replacement any player of merit on that team.
The Falcons cannot say the same and no wearing of rose-colored glasses or spin with hide that!
The Real Falcon
March 28th, 2012
3:33 pm
The lastest power rankings. Look down low.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d827e6cbc/article/how-does-free-agency-impact-nfl-hierarchy-bears-hit-top-five?module=HP11_cp
PMC
March 28th, 2012
3:35 pm
yeah but Harbaugh came in from where there was an epic void and they had more defensive talent than we do not to mention look at the absolute studs that they have drafted on the OL.
Our team is not remotely close to as physical and tough as San Francisco. They have Patrick Willis who we could have in the middle of our defense if not for JAMAAL FREAKING ANDERSON.
and people wonder why we have trust issues with our GM’s.
Look at San Francisco’s front 7 and their Offensive line and do a little comparison. They were amazingly undercoached until Harbaugh got there.
Hell look at Baltimore for the other Harbaugh. Coach Smith has some of the best numbers since he’s started of any coach in the NFL. Harbaugh is better (his talent is better too though I still like Ryan over Flacco every day of the week)
PMC
March 28th, 2012
3:37 pm
Coaching has made a difference, and our talent still isn’t good enough. We pick the wrong players…. A LOT.
QB/DB
March 28th, 2012
3:38 pm
This is not SUPER BOWL talent. Maybe Wild Card and one and done but not SUPER BOWL. Maybe if we get LUCKY in the Draft, get lucky with signing the RIGHT FA’s and get LUCKY with a great addition undrafted rookie or two. If we get lucky and avoid injuries, if Edwards, Robinson, Peria play like the money they are being paid, then MAYBE WE LUCK up and get into the second round but that depends on a lot of luck.
The Real Falcon
March 28th, 2012
3:39 pm
Mike Smith quote this week on the LB issue:
“I think those two guys are coming to camp and will compete for the Mike linebacker position,’’ Smith said during this week’s owners meetings. “They’ll be on even terms. It’s an open competition. We believe in open competition. We believe you get what you earn and you earn what you get.’’
How did that work out with the RG situation last year?
The Real Falcon
March 28th, 2012
3:41 pm
as Steve McQueen said in The Magnificent Seven: If brother, if!
PMC
March 28th, 2012
3:41 pm
The thing that impresses me about Coughlin is that his teams even when they are ridiculously flawed or injury riddled, they are always in it. I knew when they started last season they were beat up, but that they would be there at the end, not only were they there, they won the freaking Superbowl.
I wish I could be that confident here but the Giants have a ridiculosly good pass rush, I can’t say I’m really confident with the players returning that Mike Nolan is going to find it at least next year.
Ronald Millsaps
March 28th, 2012
3:50 pm
Andy– We don’t need your 11:17.
“spanish”– One is what he is, and statistics don’t always measure one’s production. In other words, he’s either a top-five corner now or a top-fifteen corner.
The Falcons werent’ better than the Giants, not even close. This team is too porous infrastructurally. The new coaches are an upgrade but could’ve been a better upgrade. I like Mike Smith; I just want him to work on his play-calling. A strong draft would help. Overall, be very fundamentally and infrastructurally strong; don’t look at the next receiver signing to be a cure-all.
Ronald Millsaps
March 28th, 2012
3:54 pm
“real”–The personnel and/or production might not have been ideal, but the ideology is correct.
Truthfully, every position on the field should be open at all times.
Roy
March 28th, 2012
3:55 pm
I think Matt Ryan is only an average QB. I think he was ranked last throwing the deep ball last year maybe the new coaching will help however this coaching staff could be worse we will see. I still say we really screwed up trading so many draft picks last year i thought TD was going to build through the draft and not trade them away!
FalconJim
March 28th, 2012
3:57 pm
Eh, sounds like the same-old, same-old to me…..we’ll see.
Ronald Millsaps
March 28th, 2012
4:01 pm
You don’t think there’s such a thing as working to MAINTAIN your job? You have to maintain your job just like you have to maintain your physical condition, your marriage, your front yard, etc.. Work is required. Many see that a guy starts at a spot for 10-12 years and assume his job was on auto-pilot. You didn’t see what he did behind from 4:16-12:59.
No, I’m not promoting job paranoia, as I can’t stand hearing people whine about job security-or, much more strongly, do anything the “boss” requests in the name of “job security”, i.e. spineless people with no character. Those who compete against incumbents have to do just as much maintenance as incumbents, and anyone losing a job can indeed regain it.
One reason why evolution and the big-bang theory (they’re connected, contrary to liberal propaganda) are false is that they completely violate the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which I just referred to in this post. The universe had to be maintained by a Creator, just like, yes, your job, your healthy marriage, your trim front yard.
DogTheMan
March 28th, 2012
4:05 pm
It was not te schemes. Player who execute alwasy succeed. Mularky did nt under throw Julio Jones, Van Groder did not get manhandled at the line of scrimmage like Abraham did.. What will teh excuse next year be???
Ted M
March 28th, 2012
4:10 pm
That is total BS…at one point Mike Smith he wasn’t planning on firing his OC or DC and he thought they were doing a great job.
They felt like they didn’t have any real options so they are giving us spin. 7-9 next season.
bart
March 28th, 2012
4:20 pm
All you nay-sayers will see – the atl defense will be night and day better than last years.
PMC
March 28th, 2012
4:22 pm
Being a blind and ridiculous homer doesn’t make one a good fan, it makes one a mark.
Caring makes you a good fan.
D. Bell
March 28th, 2012
4:46 pm
Hey AJC, the ShareThis button seems to be broken, b-t-dub.
KakNiqueTree
March 28th, 2012
4:48 pm
Pat Hill– THAT Pat Hill? David Carr’s coach at Fresno St?
mark
March 28th, 2012
5:01 pm
Ryan and the offense is the key when we struggle offensively we loose games period. Matt is a great kid with a lot of toughness but in big games so far he has come up short. Payton Manning was the same way for a long time and Drew Breese won the Superbowl in his 8th season as a starter. Matt has to tear it up this year for us to be a success b/c Defense is not going to be any better than last year.
reebok
March 28th, 2012
5:04 pm
the Falcons are an average team. With a weak schedule and some good luck, they could go 10-6 or 9-7. Against a tough schedule, they’d be lucky to go 8-8. It’s 50/50 whether they get to the playoffs – they did NOTHING to improve the team in the offseason – but if they do get in, they will be one and done again.
St Simons - we're on Island time
March 28th, 2012
5:30 pm
yes, what T Dimitroff has screamed in these mgmt actions is -
“it wasn’t meeeeeeeeeee!”
This is going to end badly, you know it is.
atlantato seattle2015
March 28th, 2012
5:40 pm
just beat the aints..I HATE THE NEW ORLEAN AINTS!!!NO OTHER TEAM HAVE I HATED SO DEEPLY…ARROGANT CHEATING BUNCH OF THUGS..AND NEW ORLEAN NAVTIVE PLEASE QUIT MOVING YOU A$$ES TO Atlanta IF YOU HATE ATLANTA AND THE FALCONS SO MUCH INSTEAD MOVE YOUR a$$eS to jackson,mississippi ..see we dont move to your stinkin city…cause we hate your team and all it stands for!!
Jfreak13713
March 28th, 2012
5:41 pm
They still can’t rush the passer and their secondary is average. With that said I still like this team and believe they will be good next year like they were this past year. I love Matt Ryan not be cause he is great but because he is steadily good. See Eli Manning as a guy who just got bettter with every year and eventually won a Super Bowl. They have very good wideouts and a solid but aging running game. The only issues are can they call the right plays at the right times in the game to win?? Hey Mike don’t sneak Ryan up the middle when you have Turner and Snelling in the backfield!
I like this team and the men running the team.
kevkat
March 28th, 2012
6:07 pm
Well, we see where keeping the Hawks core together is reaping benefits….or is it just the coaching..
Jonas Pate
March 28th, 2012
6:15 pm
Birds Fans: Anyone else amazed at the lack of football IQ on this blog?
By any estimation, The Comrade and Smitty have done a very good job. 5th in wins last 4 years. Fire them? To hire who? Twenty five teams in the league would trade places with our Coach/GM. How many years did Brees go before he won a playoff game? How many years did Manning go?
Look at Matt’s stats vs Brees first four years:
Brees: 62.1 completion %, 12,127 yards, 79 touchdowns, 53 interceptions, 84.6 passer rating
Ryan: 60.9 completion %, 14,238 yards, 95 touchdowns, 46 interceptions, 88.4 passer rating
Matt had more yards more TD, fewer INT’s, higher rating.
please stop embarrasing yourselves. i’m talking to you Khao$.
MaxxFalcon
March 28th, 2012
6:16 pm
“Pamela”, how about you GEAUX get a reality check. I know you live in a swamp and probably have limited access to the outside world, but in case you haven’t heard, your Head Coach is banned from the NFL for the upcoming season. Your GM is banned for half the year. You lost two 2nd round draft picks because of the deplorable actions of your dirty disgrace of a franchise, and you don’t have a 1st rd pick this year because of your trade up last year to get a mediocre pro running back in Mark Ingram. Love to break this to you, you are not winning a Super Bowl ever again. Hopefully Drew Brees leaves after this year and I can then watch your entire despicable fan base drown in your tears. What a joke that you would even show your stupid smiley faces on this blog, the audacity of your trashbag of a franchise and of your disgusting fans never ceases to amaze me.
LakeDawg
March 28th, 2012
6:19 pm
The problem might have been coaching on the offense, but VanGorder got all you can out of the defense. Of course, that might have been enough for a playoff win if the offense hadn’t been dead on arrival. Falcons might get a playoff win this year if everyone responds with new energy to the new staff, but they are no where near contending with the elite. And I wouldn’t be surprised at them missing the playoffs altogether.
Chop Buster
March 28th, 2012
6:21 pm
It’s not like the fans weren’t clamoring for changes to the coaching staff (OC/DC) all year. We all know this team has talent, but the knuckleheads that called themselves coordinators did not know how to use what they had. If the new coaching staff gets this team to play at an even higher level then TD and Mike Smith will look like geniuses. If the players turn out to be regular season winners and choke in the playoffs again…oh well…we all know what’s next. Or should I say who’s next out the door?
Disgusted
March 28th, 2012
6:21 pm
Well, Dunta and Ray Edwards could be better.
And Manuwai could be the answer at right guart. But, we still have Sam Baker, oh wait a minute, he is supposed to be better too.
I dunno. Whatever.
Chop Buster
March 28th, 2012
6:27 pm
“Heading into the playoff date with the Giants, the feeling in Flowery Branch was that the Falcons had the superior roster. (You’re free to argue. Wasn’t Eli Manning better than Matt Ryan? Wasn’t the Giants’ defensive front clearly stronger? I’m just telling you: That’s what the Falcons thought.) This presumed advantage resulted in a 24-2 loss on a day when the offense was, figuratively and literally, pointless.”
If this is true, someone in the organization is HIGHLY delusional. They are out of touch with reality. Again, mediocre players produce mediocre results. Everyone keeps talking about how TD and Mike Smith has turned this team around…very true. But isn’t that what a GM and HC is suppose to do? Win games in the regular season to give themselves a chance for the playoffs? I’m not discounting what they’ve done, but at some point you have to move beyond consecutive winning seasons and start winning playoff games, NFC Division Championships and then Superbowl. We need to take a BIG step this year.
Chop Buster
March 28th, 2012
6:28 pm
Sorry coaching is even worse than mediocre players though! We’ll see if coaching is the difference this year.
Big Crimson 75
March 28th, 2012
7:14 pm
This year will be the Team We expected to see last year!!
Ueeediot
March 28th, 2012
7:23 pm
I always love the “Falcons had a weak schedule” line.
You do know the Falcons had the same exact schedule as the other 3 teams in the division, except for 2 games. Its the same schedule in the division EVERY YEAR.
Cant wait to see what the game plan looks like from a coach who isnt a whiny child (looking at you Mike Mularkey).
Cant see how the defense got any better though.
And this bull**** about Chris Redman being an intregal part of this team and a valued FA says a lot about the talent scouting of this organization. Chris Redman cant even throw a ball 20 yds in a game twice much less win a game for you.
Why are you resigning a over the hill, never was, FA quarterback who isnt getting any better? Maybe because as a staff, youre ability to develop players is nill.
I still miss you Michael Boley. Im sure you all remember him….he is the guy who couldnt make it past being a 2 down LB…
Ueeediot
March 28th, 2012
7:25 pm
Every year you can find holes on the Falcons roster. Players who are just wasting space and not being developed.
Mike Smith needs to show some development of his own. I watched that fool waste 5 time outs in a single game against the aints last year. What has he done to get better with game management?
nobody
March 28th, 2012
7:46 pm
2 years ago we didn’t think it was the talent. Most of last year we didn’t think it was talent. We all talked about the awful coaching. Im glad the Falcons want to try to fix the team with better coaching before they go mortgage our future by dismantling the team.
Dirtysouth1
March 28th, 2012
7:56 pm
If most of these blogs are by true Atliens? You should be ashame of yourself, I remember old Fulton county stadium when it was cold and raining and we (Falcons) were losing and on our way to another last place finish and a top 5 pick! I know everyone has the opionion, but remember it can ALWAYS be worst i.e. Cleveland, St. Louis Cardinals, N.O. etc.
Joe Tess Fish House
March 28th, 2012
8:04 pm
Hears the prolblem with the Flacons. @ many fist round draft busts. Follow that up with trading 2 much of the draft for Juliet Jones.
I say its time Mr Dummytroff 2 go.
marcus
March 28th, 2012
8:06 pm
I think the coaching changes will work on the defense or I hope it does because it was like we got a few talented young corners but they haven’t seemed to got any better under bvg plus known his he messed up Georgia southern program when he was there how did even get a chance any ways plus I used to see smitty getting on to him all the time on the offense Matt need to spread the ball around better and I still think Harvey Dahl was our biggest lose we could of moved on without blalock
reckingball
March 28th, 2012
8:29 pm
The new coaches have got to help, the HeadCoach, needs to let up on his conservative game plans.
But, in my opinion, the Falcons desparately need to strenghten their OLine, that is what hurt them the most last season.
They also need to get a quicker pass rush, they can’t give Brees and QBs like him, all day long to pick them apart.
Lucas Mcain
March 28th, 2012
8:57 pm
So what we lost our best defensive player to our archrival,daggumit we resigned JOE ZELENKA!And dont forget we still have Sam Baker.When do super bowl tickets go on sale?!
Whopper Dawg
March 28th, 2012
9:12 pm
Maybe the new coaches can wave the magic wand. It is a bit puzzling how the former coordinators feel into discontent, they have been coaching and calling the same game since year 1, I would assume with the blessing of TD and MS.
I am afraid they think they have more stallions in the corral than they do. No one thought the Falcons has superior personnel than the Giants other than the Falcons FO.
shesoleo
March 28th, 2012
10:12 pm
I’ve been a fan of the Falcons since the very beginning, not like maybe some of you thats on this blog. I’ve been through many years of not wishing, but knowing we weren’t going to do anything that particular season even before it got started. This franchise has come so far since the likes of Rankin Smith and co. I understand the frustrations of wanting your team to be the best and win Super Bowls but,from where we’ve come from I feel that we are on our way. It’s almost laughable to me how people tend to forget how very bad we use to be given we didn’t know what back to back winning seasons were, not to mention even being in a playoff game. I understand this is the microwave generation, and everyone wants things fast and right now but me myself I feel the organization is headed in the right direction. Not being complacent are anything, nor am I saying we can’t improve in some areas but if I can make it through those years then I’m sure willing to give AB,TD,& MS the opportunity to build upon want they have started. FALCONS FAN FOREVER RIDE OR DIE!!!!!!!!
D-ROME
March 28th, 2012
10:20 pm
Everybody is on Decoud ,but he was not that bad ,and its not like it was a lot out there.People say they are Falcons Fans But these so called fans are sooooooooooo negetive.
Ueeediot
March 28th, 2012
11:09 pm
demanding improvement during the 5th year of a coaching staff is not being negative.
Loserville USA
March 28th, 2012
11:22 pm
As a west coast guy I don’t think many of you know how GREAT a hire Pat Hill is.
He is a terrific coach who will improve our OL by leaps and bounds. Guaranteed.
Raymar31
March 28th, 2012
11:30 pm
Hey, Maxxfalcon, thanks for the update captain obvious. We sure hadn’t heard all those things about the Saints. Evrything you said is true…..so what? The Saints will still dominate the pigeons yet again. You better hope Parcells doesn’t take the Saints job, which he just may. Saints just might win another Super Bowl! I believe you bird fans may never watch football again if that happens. Get ready!
GregG
March 29th, 2012
12:32 am
I think we should remember, for what it’s worth, that the three first-round losses were to the eventual super bowl champion. Were they that good or did beating the Falcons so handily give them the confidence they needed to proceed? Anyway, a corner and a couple of linemen, plus good luck with injuries could make all the difference. May be a linebacker, too.
JSS
March 29th, 2012
12:44 am
D-ROME
March 28th, 2012
10:20 pm
“Everybody is on Decoud ,but he was not that bad ,and its not like it was a lot out there.”
Ha ha, Hakeem Nicks is still laughing as he flew by him!!! Let’s go to the video…
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nfl/video-giants-hakeem-nicks-does-dirty-bird-after-td-vs-falcons
JSS
March 29th, 2012
12:54 am
DeCoud, ointment man!
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-fantasy/09000d5d824c0428/QB-Brees-to-WR-Meachem-67-yd-pass-TD
im a fan
March 29th, 2012
2:54 am
I love this team, i believe they will go far w/o MM & BVG, we need to take more risks in offense we have good playmakers let them make plays. personally i loved Lofton but letting him go doesn’t bother me tto much Tatupu & Dent should do a nice job. Weatherspoon is a beast & Nicholas aint bad, Edwards needs to UP his pass rush & we’re set. with a new defensive coordinator i believe we’ll be seeing The old texans Dunta Robinson on the field. offensively all we need is a few screen plays & we’re set. RISE UP BIRDSSSS!!!! GO FALCONSSS!!
Samuel
March 29th, 2012
6:03 am
How many pro bowls has Curtis Lofton been to? I’ll say he’s solid, but not great at anything. We shall see how the coaching staff improves the team. If they can’t, you have to look at Smitty closely. After all Smitty doesn’t seem to get his players to play at a high level when it counts.
Thursday morning buffet | Get The Picture
March 29th, 2012
6:55 am
[...] Mark Bradley (yeah, I know) surveys the offseason changes for the Falcons and notes that there was “no real remorse when defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left for Auburn”. [...]
ZACK
March 29th, 2012
7:31 am
NOTE TO THE FALCONS OWNER/ FRONT OFFICE: PLEASE DON’T LIE TO THE FANS! YOU TOLD US THAT THE COORDINATORS WOULD RETURN IF THEY DIDN’T “LEAVE” FOR NEW JOBS. KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THEY WERE THE BULK OF THE PROBLEM. THEN YOU TURN AROUND AND BRING BACK THE SAME TEAM AFTER SHOWING A DESIRE TO GET RID OF SOME OF THE DEAD WEIGHT.
NOTE TO SELF: LIE #3….MIKE SMITH “IS NOT ON THE HOT SEAT”…YEAH RIGHT!!!
Hilton Head.o.k.
March 29th, 2012
7:41 am
Has Head Coach Mr. Mike Smith finally assembled
an “explosive” coaching staff ?
Hilton Head.o.k.
March 29th, 2012
7:44 am
Or just a bunch of good ole’ boys from Jacksonville ?
Hilton Head.o.k.
March 29th, 2012
7:50 am
Defensive Coordinator Nolan knows his stuff.
colelinski
March 29th, 2012
8:15 am
You might be a Saints fan if you ever wore a paper bag on your head to a game. How about them
apples,Pamela?
Bounty Hunter
March 29th, 2012
8:24 am
” Wanted almost dead or alive ” .
Opie
March 29th, 2012
8:46 am
What the hell does better coaching do for inferior talent on both sides of the ball?
Opie
March 29th, 2012
8:48 am
Mark, I apologize! instead of losing to the Giants 20-2 with no offenisve points scored, we will lose 20-5 with better coaching and a field goal from the offense that can’t protect the quarterback with the avaerage arm!!
Opie
March 29th, 2012
8:51 am
Now that the staff has been replaced, what is your excuse for this season if we don’t win a playoff game? When will the HC Mike Smith bear some responsibility for being a lousy conservative HC. He threw his entire staff under the bus after last season. He is the reason for the 0-3 playoffs.
PMC
March 29th, 2012
9:07 am
Hakeem Nicks said after the game, (paraphrasing) I actually stopped to protect myself, I thought I was going to get popped, when I realized how much space I had I just took off and scored. Fantastic safety help there on that route. Good thing Decoud took a good angle.
yep, and we resigned Thomas Decoud to a 4 year contract. Here’s hoping Coach Nolan can lay hands like Mr. Miyagi
D man
March 29th, 2012
9:32 am
Here is the way I look at the Falcons of late. Since I started watching the birds with my dad back in the early 70’s, I have seen a lot of disappointing seasons and big losses. Most notable, the loss to Dallas in 81 in the playoffs when we had the BEST Falcons team EVER.
When we win a game, I feel great all week. When we lose a game I feel terrible until about Wednesday. So bottom line, I have had a lot more great weeks the last few years than the first 40. I love my Falcons and I know more great days are ahead.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
March 29th, 2012
9:35 am
Mr. Blank asked for the plan from Thomas and Smith! What you see is the plan. If the plan fails then it’s all on those two and they will be gone…just that simple. The offense was a joke under Mularkey and VanGorder is average at best at anything. Thomas traded his draft for Julio and Mularkey used the guy as a decoy 95% of the time. If Ryan can’t get the ball down the field this year then he as well is gone. There is few QB’s in the NFL that can’t complete the 5 yard passes Ryan depends on at this point so blowing up the QB position isn’t really that big of a deal.
Mikey
March 29th, 2012
9:47 am
I agree with the Falcons completely. I believe most NFL teams would gladly trade their whole team for the Falcon’s team in terms of personnel.
Offense
On offense last year I saw other teams react to the simple rush/pass offensive schemes and then the Falcons did nothing to counter the reaction. For example, they let a defensive end penetrate for more than a quarter before they make a substitution for an injured player, use a full back or run a screen his way. We seldom saw screens, counters, draws and the like designed to slow a big defensive rush. If all you do is straight ahead rush and drop back pass, there isn’t an O-line in the NFL that can stop the fast rush without counter measures on the play selection. As great as Michael Turner is, he will be stopped half of the time by a simple defensive rush. We needed far more reactions, variations and counter measures than what we saw.
Defense
The Falcons played the worst defensive scheme in the NFL under Van Gorder. I could never understand why Mike Smith allowed it to happen. It was actually a pretty good soft zone or Tampa 2 but the problem was that there rarely any variation in the defense. Good quarterbacks with lots of quality receivers know how to pick apart the soft spots in the zone for short completions. If you don’t have one of the best nickel or dime secondaries in the business, they will throw a bomb on four and five receiver sets. I could never understand why they brought in Dunta Robinson, one of the best man-cover corners in the NFL and then had him play NOTHING but soft zone. On the rare occassion where they varied the defense from play to play and mixed in some man coverage they manhandled the opposition. Review the first half of the Giants game or the Greenbay game… you will see a totally different defense and it was awesome. The Superbowl winning Giants looked befuddled in the first half under a varied defensive scheme (negative yardage, zero points, safety…). Unfortunately, the Falcons quit doing that. This defense needs to react to the unique capabilities of each player and to the opposition with variation. We will get that with Mike Nolan… Bravo!
tom
March 29th, 2012
9:48 am
Coaching should make an improvement. However, Matt Ryan has to step up. His performance has eroded in many ways. Keeping Grimes was stupid.
REAL Falcons fan
March 29th, 2012
9:52 am
Have some faith, this ATL Falcons team has done WAY better as far as winning games as any other group in franchise history. So what the Falcons didn’t make a splash in free agency? What do you want? For them to go out and get another Ray Edwards or Dunta? JUST BECAUSE THE MEDIA HYPES UP FREE AGENCY AND MAKE THE PLAYERS OUT THE BE BETTER THAN THEY ARE DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IT. Mario Williams was the only free agent that could have helped the falcons in my mind with a more aggressive pass rush, BUT we did not have the money to pay him. The media gets into your tiny minds people, you are watching to much sports center were they praise every team who makes these huge deals with mid range players or go after publicity stunts. Example: Peyton Manning before free agency, everybody questioned his ability to play in the NFL as an effective weapon after his injury. Peyton Manning during free agency, he is the jesus christ of football coming to lead whatever team he joins to the promise land. Don’t be swept up in the hype, the falcons roster is no more flawed than anyone elses, no team is going to be perfect. If you aren’t behind the team you root for then what team are you behind ? Sit back and watch, the “Fail-cants” will be just fine. Get on or get off, Falcons don’t need any more bandwagon fans. GO DIRTY BIRDS!
joe white
March 29th, 2012
9:56 am
Please dont panic people act like the falcons was a bad team with what we had. I will say this lofton great tackler cant cover, I know akeem and coached the young man in park trust me he will hit you and cover as well but that mean spoon will be able to what we drafted him for cover on third downs and offense if the line is fixed we are high powered and ready to roll. GO Falcons Section 301 seats 1-6.
Ivan
March 29th, 2012
10:04 am
Mark,
I see the optimism you have, but I don’t share it. The title, “Same Players Under Better Coaching” has yet to even be seen. We don’t know what these coaches can do with this roster. Allow me to point out:
Roddy White lead the league in dropped passes.
Ryan was one of the most inaccurate QBs on the deep ball.
The O-line was absolutely horrendous. They could not give our power back an inch when Smith gave the go ahead call on 4th down. More than once I will add. They also allowed Ryan to be the most sacked QB early in the season, and only through play design, was Ryan able to actually contribute his QB skills by “around week 6″.
The Defense was in position to make plays, but all too often failed to bring in the interception or simply missed the QB sack. Let’s not forget them jumping off sides to lose the game against Tampa Bay.
No. Not very many arguments can be made against the coordinators in this regard. The coaches put them into position to make the plays. The players missed. A lot. And now the majority of them are coming back. The new coaches actually have to conjure up a few more miracles to keep this train wreck on the tracks. Unless Koetter, Nolan, and Hill are going to suit up and block, catch, throw, and pressure the QB themselves, this team hasn’t improved.
PMC
March 29th, 2012
10:08 am
D Man, I feel the same way after wins and losses.
Open Minded
March 29th, 2012
10:28 am
Mark — I actually agreed with you. The message from Falcons HQ is clear… coaching is what they deemed the biggest overhaul needed. We fans may not agree entirely with their assessment nevertheless their actions manifest their thinking. We fans would liked to have seen some personnel action particularly on the offensive line or in the pass rush through free agency but they see things through a different lens. This will be a most interesting season !
Thanks for the really good article.
Van Brocklin
March 29th, 2012
10:33 am
It felt good on the day of September 16th 1973,
way down yonder in New Orleans.
Falcons 62 — Saints 7
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 29th, 2012
10:41 am
How can you support a qb that leads his team in the biggest game of the season to Z-E-R-O points in the playoffs?
That is B-U-S-T Material. That takes CHOKING to a whole new level
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 29th, 2012
10:44 am
2004 was a L-O-N-G Time ago……..
2014 will be the 10th anniversary
Van Brocklin
March 29th, 2012
11:09 am
Enter your comments here
PMC
March 29th, 2012
11:51 am
Can we get over the “front office lied about the coordinators” thing.
It’s what corporations do. This was as classy a way to let people go as it gets. They let them know quietly they wouldn’t be returning and to try and find a new place to go. Everything worked out. After scoring 0 offensive pts in the Giants loss there’s no way Mularkey could come back here.
29th on 3rd down was curtains for BVG.
The offensive lines performance meant Boudreau wouldn’t be back. They just aren’t going to publically acknowledge it out of respect for collegues who were part of a lot of wins for the team and served honerably.
Consider it an honerable discharge.
G
March 29th, 2012
12:33 pm
That O-line that took the saints to a Super Bowl a couple of years ago was worse than the Falcons. The O-line that took Rodgers and Eli to a Super Bowl was about as good as the Falcons, marginal at best. How do they score points and succeed in the post season? Folks, its the quarterback. Believe the smoking mirrors if you want, but an upgrade in QB will make a world of difference.
The running game will get back to top form as Ovie stays healthy. How much time does Matt need? He needs to make better decissions at a quicker pace. He needs to improve his timing and trust his receivers. His footwork in the pocket is frozen in ice. This QB has remained stagnant and a non-factor in big time games. The QB is the only major setback I see.
FalconFreak
March 29th, 2012
1:06 pm
So why will the offensive line be better able to protect Ryan this year?
FalconFreak
March 29th, 2012
1:08 pm
So why will the defense be better this year? A new coach? How many downs will he play? Will he split his playing time on the line with that of linebacker and secondary? Sheeeeeshhhh
G
March 29th, 2012
1:12 pm
The Falcons did not upgrade the line, or any other part of the team for that matter. You have what you have. With that being said, adjustments will have to be made between coach and qb. OC will have to design plays that don’t exploit his weaknesses, but at the same time maximize the strengths. The strength of the Falcons offense is the running game………in a passing league. Apparently, we can run block but can’t pass block. Go figure. Matt will have to do a better job getting the ball out of his hands quicker, and he’s going to have to extend plays on his own. Be creative.
all for one.....
March 29th, 2012
2:14 pm
Sorry fellow fans, l do not see the players we resigned as being players to take us to the Super Bowl. We must draft from the SEC not Big Sky. Com’on Man. TD get the scouting department in line and find players that can really play.
Falco peregrino
March 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
If the Falcons don’t win a playoff game, or don’t even make it to the playoffs, the Mike Smith is gone period. Thomas Dimitroff will get another chance with another head coach, if Rick Mckay isn’t planting things is Arthur Blanks head.
Bounty scandal Saints > Falclowns
March 29th, 2012
4:27 pm
Fact….Saints will own the Falclowns in 2012….as every other year..lmao…
bulldogbubba
March 29th, 2012
4:27 pm
Custers?
PMC
March 29th, 2012
4:52 pm
Young up and coming defensive end for the Super Bowl champion Giants = Jason Pierre Paul
Young up and coming defensive end for the Falcons = Kroy Biermann
See the difference in personnel yet?
Let me buy the groceries
March 29th, 2012
6:04 pm
The pitiful Saints are looking to pull 70 year old Bill Parcells out of the mothballs.
dan
March 29th, 2012
6:19 pm
I’ll say this about the Falcons, if they do ever win a playoff game , I think they could win two or three more. It won’t be a win one and then get blown out next week kind of deal. They’ll know what they need to do, and continue to be a factor in the playoffs.
This team really just needs some confidence. I think that Green Bay loss in the 2010 playoff’s really affected this team’s psyche this past year. In 2008 and 2010, this team proved they could win some big games, especially at home. But last year…IDK… they just seemed a little gun-shy. Some of that was play calling, but this team really needs some leadership from within the ranks. When things go bad, somebody needs to step forward and be like ” let’s go!!! Get your head out of your a$$”! That has GOT to happen if the Falcons are going to make that transition from pretenders to contenders.
dan
March 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
Also, another thing to keep in mind: Matt Ryan just finished his 4th year in the league. Let’s compare him to some others:
Aaron Rodgers: just getting off the bench in his 4th year, the Pack went 6-10.
Drew Brees: Threw 11 TD’s and 15 INT’s and was benched in favor of Doug Flutie in San Diego( not making this up)
Peyton Manning: Colts finished 6-10, didn’t win a playoff game until his sixth year in the league
That’s a pretty decent list of guys there. The Eli Manning’s, and Ben Rothlisberger’s, and Tom Brady’s…who have Super Bowl success, early , are rare.
So I say let’s hold off judgement on Matty Ice. It’s still early.
dan
March 29th, 2012
6:38 pm
*Actually I was wrong about Brees. He went 12-4 in 2004 and threw 27 TD’s and 7 INT’s. Still, getting replaced by Flutie at anytime in your career is embarrassing.
Son Of Bart
March 29th, 2012
9:23 pm
Same old, same old. If the article is accurate — why wait so long to fix it? By the way, DCs and OCs do not step onto the football field. OC from Jacksonville???? Give me a break! I fear the NFL as I remember it is going the way of everything else in this country. Downhill. I see a 7–9 season (at best) and another house cleanning and just more of the same old — same old. Just pathetic. Pitiful. Sorry for all us fans, but we’ve been sold “snake oil” yet again I’m afraid…
Sid
March 29th, 2012
10:46 pm
Khao$
March 28th, 2012
12:28 pm
Fire Smitty and Dimitroff.
**************************************************************
Brilliant, then what?
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 29th, 2012
10:53 pm
Matt “CHOKE” Ryan
March 29th, 2012
10:41 am
How can you support a qb that leads his team in the biggest game of the season to Z-E-R-O points in the playoffs?
That is B-U-S-T Material. That takes CHOKING to a whole new level
_______________________________________________________
What are you talking about ? What was the biggest game of the season he led his team in?
When did they have zero points in the playoffs, I don’t remember that. What does B U S T stand for and what kind of material do you mean? Why would you be concerned with choking, are you MMA?
d-bird
March 29th, 2012
11:15 pm
Mark my words. BLANKS will clean house this if the Falcons fail.
SunTrust Ron
March 29th, 2012
11:24 pm
It’s interesting that the coaching staff shortcomings weren’t viewed as a concern until the debacle in NY. When a team doesn’t show up offensively in a playoff game, the QB has to take the major share of the blame. In addition, Mike Smith has to accept his share as well. The buck stops with him. I’m not convinced the coordinators and position coaches were the problem. If the Falcons flounder again this year, who will they blame this time? My prediction is the Falcons will either win the division or fail to make the playoffs altogether. The 2012 team will not slide in as a Wild Card. Stay tuned.
mike
March 30th, 2012
12:04 am
You guys are pathetic …ibwish.you wouldn’t even comment if you’re going to be negative. RISE IP FALCONS FANS!!!!! THE F%$# IS WRONG WITH YALL!!!! Have some faith in the FO!! :/
Vw
March 30th, 2012
12:16 am
Great post
Gritsfed
March 30th, 2012
12:27 am
A few things: 1) The previous comment about the Falcons needing to sign some old veterans for the line play is spot on! 2) The OL sucks. That’s just telling it like it is! And unless that gets fixed, it is going to be a very long year for M. Ryan and us fans. 3) Letting Lofton go was a wasn’t good. The fact that he is now with our biggest NFL/Division rival, the Saints, makes it a HUGE MISTAKE–with both barrels!!! Finally, if you call yourself a profesional and get paid a lot of money and can’t win a playoff game because of “poor coaching,” there must be something sour in the water some place! You don’t make excuses at the NFL or any professional level! If a person is called a professional, paid as a professional and expected to win as a professional, don’t give me this nonsense about COACHING! Winners find a way to “win”…(thank you, Tim Tebow!) And people who are just hanging on for the ride, go to playoff games and get blown out because they do not have the intestinal fortitude and mental toughness to do what it takes to get it done in January! Which brings me all the way, back around, to point#1–the falcons need about 3 or 4 hardened veterans to show up, get in the locker room and show everybody how to win–versus N.O and especially in January!
Pmc
March 30th, 2012
1:03 am
If we can get the line sorted out at all this team should start scoring in bunches.
We all know how they love to play with a lead
Sonny Clusters is a douchebag
March 30th, 2012
8:21 am
10-6 at best. It’s gonna be a loooooong season, suckers!!!
Philzilla
March 30th, 2012
10:06 am
So…. what the headline alluded too is that the Falcons, until now, had coaches who weren’t getting the job done. And now we have hired coaches who can. Koo-Aid drinker
Pariah Jerry
March 30th, 2012
6:07 pm
y’all done hurt my feelings.
All I wanna do is get my check, no need for the hatin.
Jim
March 31st, 2012
6:48 am
Since the team began in 1966 the Falcons have always found a way to leave everyone saying “same ole Falcons.” The lone exception, of course, was 1998…and Chandler was run out of town because Blank wanted to fill the seats with the hip hop crowd, which he did. Never forget, it is all about the money. Only the fans care about W’s; the owners want the cash. So next year? No one will get excited until they win a playoff game, and I see nothing they have done player wise to indicate anything will change. The coaches didn’t drop passes (R. White). The coaches didn’t fumble (M. Turner). The coaches didn’t freeze and not be able to throw accurate passes under pressure (M. Ryan). I predict no real change in the post season if they make it…I was right the last two years with my predictions; I am confident I am right this go around, too.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 31st, 2012
5:52 pm
1. Saints
2. Tampa
3. Carolina
4. Falcants
CHOKE stole 72 million……Blank is a SUCKER
HA HA HA
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
March 31st, 2012
5:54 pm
Mr. Charlie
What is your new screen name you COWARD?
HA HA HA
bobby
April 1st, 2012
3:10 pm
BETTER COACHING AIN’T GOING TO HELP THAT SORRY OFFENSIVE LINE THAT’S ALL I GOT TO SAY THEY NEED FIVE NEW PLAYERS.
Falco peregrino
April 1st, 2012
6:05 pm
Mr. Bradley has been reading my posts, and rewriting them in a postive manner. It’s clear this organization thinks they have the personel, but unsure of the coaches. Switching coordinators on both sides of the ball spells “hot seat” for Mr. Mike Smith. No other way to look at it. They must win big in 2012.
Falco peregrino
April 1st, 2012
6:06 pm
Hey “Matt choke Ryan”, I’m so convinced you played QB. You are the worst of the Monday morning QBs.
NFL League Office
April 1st, 2012
6:10 pm
Oh when the Aint’s…..
Oh when the Aint’s
Oh whent the Aint’s go marching out!
Oh how I’d hate to wear Payton’s number!!!!!!!!!!!!
When the Aint’s go marching out!!!!
Sincerely,
Roger Goodell
GameReviewer
April 2nd, 2012
1:01 pm
Same team, UNKNOWN coaches. Count on more BLOWOUT losses to real playoff teams. More stupid 4th down calls by clueless Smitty. More falling and stumbling at the line for Turner. No secondary to cover receivers. No pass rush to speak of.
Yup, same ole Falcons.
GameReviewer
April 2nd, 2012
1:04 pm
Forgot to mention the good news. Julio will be WIDE OPEN. The bad news, Matt Ryan will be laying on the turf after being sacked because we have no O-line either.
GameReviewer
April 2nd, 2012
1:21 pm
These Saints fans on here always talkin about their “ring”. Oh, you mean that TAINTED ring that was acquired by CHEATING and BOUNTY HUNTING? That same ring that now has an ASTERIX * in the record book for ALL TIME? Ha Ha. You can keep that “ring”. Nobody wants it now.
sainthiram
April 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
well it looks like the failclowns may celebrate another winning season and continue on to 0-4 in the playoffs. after that the real coaching changes begin ! actually as a saints fan , i like mike smith as y’alls coach. we keep getting the wins!!
Phalcon Phil
April 2nd, 2012
6:29 pm
I think the talent level is ok. Too many indians not enough chiefs though. We have a bunch of Curtis Loftons. Good at one thing but bad at another. TD has a real problem finding elite talent. I think the coaches have done a damn fine job considering who they have at qb and on the dline.