The Falcons’ bye, the run defense and Abe’s honest effort
The "un-blockable" John Abraham slams into Carson Palmer. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Note: This post is an adjunct to the game column off the Falcons’ 23-20 victory over Oakland, which can be found here.
1. The Falcons’ bye week comes at a propitious moment. They’re 6-0 and riding high, and after three fourth-quarter escapes they’re getting the feeling they can win without playing their best. They need to disabuse themselves of that notion posthaste, and having a week away from football might serve as a reality check. If not, the guess is that Mike Smith will remind them that these past three games could easily have been lost when the team reconvenes next week in Flowery Branch.
2. The run defense is getting offensive, as it were. The Falcons ranked 28th among 32 NFL clubs in rushing defense entering Sunday’s game, and the Raiders, possessors of the league’s lowest-ranked running attack, ground out 149 yards. If that’s not a red flag, then Betsy Ross wasn’t a seamstress. Particularly galling was backup tailback Michael Goodson’s 43-yard burst to the Falcons’ 47 in a tie game with 5:41 remaining. Thanks to Asante Samuel, the Raiders didn’t score on the possession, but still.
3. If you have to have a one-man pass rush, John Abraham is the one man to have. He had three sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Offensive tackle Willie Smith, charged with trying to stop Abraham, was called for holding three times. The Raiders were flagged 13 times — 12 of those penalties were accepted — and five of those calls were holding against Raider linemen. Said Mike Smith of Abraham: “He was un-blockable.”
Oh, and if you’re wondering, “Where’s the Monday morning Heat Check?” … it’s right here.
Further reading: The Falcons are 6-0, but certain other numbers don’t add up.
By Mark Bradley
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109 comments Add your comment
The Falcons stay undefeated, but there’s cause for concern | Mark Bradley
October 15th, 2012
7:49 am
[...] further reading: Here are three other observations regarding the Falcons’ 23-20 victory over [...]
Rickyroo
October 15th, 2012
8:03 am
first?
Jamaaliver
October 15th, 2012
8:16 am
Mark, are you of the opinion that the struggles in the run game are more scheme and coaching? Tune had 5 carries for 25 yards the half Sunday. Not nearly enough carries. Koetter is looking more and more like Mike Martz every Sunday.
C from Marietta
October 15th, 2012
8:18 am
The Falcons are first in the only stat that matters. WINS!
My coach in college use to say statistics are for losers.
Mark Bradley
October 15th, 2012
8:20 am
Kudos, Rickyroo.
Blue Fender
October 15th, 2012
8:20 am
If we don’t get the running game going, we’re in serious trouble!
falCANS
October 15th, 2012
8:32 am
Yea Turner was off to real good start and instead of letting him gain momentum and rhythm we totally neglected him. Oh yea Akeem Dent sucks
Same old, same old...
October 15th, 2012
8:42 am
…First down at the two following a HUGE play, and the Birds lose yardage and cannot score a TD and have to settle for yet another field goal! And this situation is what doomed them last year and is supposed to be what the concentrated on alleviating during the off season and pre-season!
6-0 is great, but, as we all know, miracles can’t last forever, though they have been quite prevalent the last 3 weeks…
nbrdrdnk
October 15th, 2012
8:44 am
In 7 weeks the Falcons could easily be 6-6. Just sayin’…
Jacket Detective
October 15th, 2012
8:49 am
What did the Saints pay to get our linebacker?
Why didn’t we match the offer?
yeahsure
October 15th, 2012
8:49 am
In 7 weeks the Falcons could easily be 12-0. Just sayin’…
Sid
October 15th, 2012
8:53 am
mixed feelings:
on the one hand Ws are Ws & football ain’t figure skating: no points for artistic impression…
on the other hand the tackling yesterday looked like Tech – no, scratch that, it looked like WALTON!
on the 3rd hand how cool is it that we’re complaining about/dissecting HOW the Falcons got to 6-0 going into 1st bye? 5 years ago this would have been considered irrefutable proof of an omnipotent deity or confirmation of the coming Mayan apocalypse… great job all the way up & down the organization!
Rickyroo
October 15th, 2012
8:56 am
Well, my life is complete–except for that retirement plan thing. Falcons have issues, but it is nice to have such a lead on the division and a 6-0 start. Eventually, this will all be judged by the post season. As a long time fan, it is nice to be using playoff performance as your criteria for success or failure.
Jacket Detective
October 15th, 2012
8:56 am
The NY Giants just destroyed the SF 49ers.
Remember the beatdown they put on us on the way to their championship.
Why would a playoff game with them be any different this year?
And the Packers destroyed another team not as good as their record (like us): The Houston Texans.
Are we on the same level as the Giants and Packers?
Dream on.
Jacket Detective
October 15th, 2012
8:59 am
Week 6 in the NFL was statement week.
The Giants and Packers made them.
We didn’t.
The lowly Raiders were kicking our butts before Asanta Samuel saved us.
Fan since 66
October 15th, 2012
9:00 am
While it’s wonderful to be 6-0, the last 3 wins haven’t been very pretty. I think the main problem in stopping the run may be as simple as wrapping up the runner. Several times I saw the Falcons hit the runner hard, but bounce off and the runner continued for more yards. I think the Falcons are going to get the reputation as the hardest hitting team in the league, but they have to finish the tackle. I’m sure CMS sees the same thing and will address it. MR2 was uncharacteristically off target for a good portion of the game. Hopefully, that’s just a one game deal. All in all, a great way to enter the bye week, 6-0! That’s just about the best record in the whole danged league…wait a minute…it IS the best record in the whole danged league! Go Falcons!
yeahsure
October 15th, 2012
9:00 am
Look at every other team in the league. They have losses, many times to inferior teams. Falcons have had bad games but they won those games. That is the difference.
No team in the NFL is the 2007 Patriots. This isn’t madden. All teams have to fight for wins. That’s what Falcons did and they have time to improve as well.
This upcoming game against Philly could potentially be epic. In the sense that, we have a chance to get MV7 benched and end his career in Philly. Let’s make it happen. He owe it to him.
Rodgers Throws 6 TDs in Packers’ Rout of Houston – ABC News
October 15th, 2012
9:04 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
yeahsure
October 15th, 2012
9:09 am
What a bunch of whiners. How you play in week 6 does not affect how you play in week 18. Only win and losses matter. Dallas made a “statement” in week 1 by beating the Giants. Niners made a statement in the same week by beating the Packers. Seahawks beat the Patriots. SO WHAT!!
Ivan
October 15th, 2012
9:18 am
“Are we on the same level as the Giants and Packers?”
Yes. Next question….
yeahsure
October 15th, 2012
9:23 am
“Are we on the same level as the Giants and Packers?”
No. We currently have the top seed in the NFC.
GT Fan
October 15th, 2012
9:24 am
I don’t feel doom and gloom at all.
Say what you want, but the Raiders were coming off a bye week and anytime and NFL team has 2 weeks to get ready, they are going to give you their bestest of their best shot. Especially after physical game played by the Redskins and Panther the previous weeks.
The NFL is a funny league in that any given Sunday any team can win. Games are won on the scoreboard. What happens from 1st quarter to the end of 4th quarter doesn’t matter so long as at the end you have more points.
I’ll take what the Falcons have done and I don’t see anything wrong with it. All teams have problems. It’s something you play through. Find a way to win. That’s the mark of a championship team.
Ben
October 15th, 2012
9:36 am
Dungy was just on the Dan Patrick Show and he compared this Falcons team to his Colts Super Bowl team.
AzCat
October 15th, 2012
9:45 am
I’m sure some moron will now post that Tony Dungy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Monkey's can ask questions now?
October 15th, 2012
9:47 am
@yeahsure
Dunce.
Mike FR
October 15th, 2012
9:48 am
6-0 baby! Rise up!
So what if our last 3 wins have been all but pretty? I’d take a sloppy win over a beautiful loss any day. I don’t mind if Ryan is not tossing 4td performances every week (I do care for the ints) as long as at the end we are the team with more points on the board.
Any team can win any day…who was picking the giants to win over san fran? or seattle over the pats? bills over cards? .. Come playoff time, the only thing that will matter is how many w and l you have, not how well did you won ..I’ll take 16 horrible wins thank you very much
sam
October 15th, 2012
9:50 am
I’m seeing the glass as half full here. We’re not playing our best football and we’re still 6 – 0. The bye week should help us focus on the things that need shoring up. And remember, you want to be playing your best football in December and January.
phil
October 15th, 2012
9:51 am
What’s concerning? The inevitable collapse…..
This IS the Falcons.
This IS an Atlanta sports team.
Let’s get real and keep it all in context.
Ryder
October 15th, 2012
9:51 am
In the end it really comes down to the defense and how well they play going forward. If they can continue to pressure the QB (yes, it was Oakland but still…) then that will go a long way towards determining their success. Remember, the year Peyton Manning won his only title it wasn’t because their offense was light years ahead of everyone, it was because their defense stepped up to the plate. The line must get a consistent pass rush like they did yesterday if they plan on beating an Aaron Rodgers or Eli Manning or Jay Cutler in January.
phil
October 15th, 2012
9:52 am
Dungy is developing dementia…..
Jamaaliver
October 15th, 2012
9:55 am
Your screen name is Hurtful…but Mike Turner avg 5 yards per carry in the first half of a close game when our QB had 3 picks. Perfect time to lean more on Turner and Quizz. No reason we need a 3 to 1 pass to run ratio every single week.
longtimefan
October 15th, 2012
9:56 am
Here we are at 6-0, the only undefeated team in the NFL and our fan base tries to come up with reasons why we aren’t elite. As a famous coach said once, you are good as your record says you are. Case closed.
Rabid Bird
October 15th, 2012
9:57 am
I LOVE the Falcons! However this team is beginning to look eerily similiar to the Dan Fouts Chargers. Heavy on the tight end and no running game. Their stats looked good but they never got to the Super Bowl. Smith and the gang must develop new schemes to eat some clock and pound the ball once the weather is cold. Else, we might not see any difference in the postseason. Additionally, the run defense is cause for great concern. The coaches must do a better job of preparing a game plan that gives the team the best chance to win. I haven’t seen that yet. Let’s see what happens after the bye. Perhaps they need a painful loss to regain the sense of urgency.
ImGumbyD**MIT
October 15th, 2012
9:58 am
RIse up! I know at some point they will get beat, all I ask is not to lose their first game to the Eagles or Saints.
Rollo Lawson
October 15th, 2012
9:59 am
When will Corey Peters make it back? Maybe he can help the run defense. We should have stuck with running the ball. Turner looked good on his first couple of runs. Then Koetter abandoned it. I don’t blame Turner for being pi$$*d off. I was too. Koetter seemed determined to make Matt Ryan “the show” yesterday. His gameplan almost backfired big time.
Ted M
October 15th, 2012
10:00 am
If the Falcons could run the ball themselves their run defense would improve too. They got hammered on time of possession yesterday.
Not being able to run the ball is gonna haunt them in the playoffs.
Rollo Lawson
October 15th, 2012
10:01 am
When will Corey Peters make it back? Maybe he can help the run defense. We should have stuck with running the ball. Turner looked good on his first couple of runs. Then Koetter abandoned it. I don’t blame Turner for being pi$$*d off. I was too. Koetter seemed determined to make Matt Ryan “the show” yesterday. His gameplan almost backfired big time. Also, bench Garrett Reynilds!
shannyeight
October 15th, 2012
10:02 am
Great win for the Falcons, but they really do need to tighten up the run defense…that is a concern, because most teams are going to attack that achilles heel.I do feel in this later part of the season, they need to address the run more,keep defenses honest- dont just come out slingin the ball..plus, if you build a lead and the run game is effective, it grinds out the clock.
Yeah, I was groaning over the goal line 3 and out..they need to get better effort in the red zone. Samuel also needs to stop playin way off these receivers…dude doesnt have the closing speed he used to have, and cant make the plays he used to.
D man
October 15th, 2012
10:06 am
Great start to the season. We have a two game lead on home field advantage. The defense seemed to change the way we are defending the last couple of games. We are not blitzing like we were and we are not playing bump and run on the wide outs. They had too many third down conversions when we had them third and long. overall, the D looked pretty good.
The offense played terrible but good enough. Matt was hit while throwing two of those INT’s so I only fault him for one INT. We need to straighten some things out during the break.
Great first 6 games…
PMC
October 15th, 2012
10:07 am
Its funny how people want to dwell on the negative rather than see the good in what’s going on.
This has been completely different organization since 2008, it’s been professional, and hardworking and we have seen the results of that. They are STILL building. They are still getting better. Dimitroff has made contributions every year. If you can’t see that, keep crying about seasons past and waiting for the sky to fall.
Rollo Lawson
October 15th, 2012
10:18 am
People “cry” because we know that if we can’t/refuse to run the ball and can’t stop the run, we will be one and done in the playoffs.
AtlantaDude
October 15th, 2012
10:20 am
If the Falcons don’t win in the playoffs, it will not be because Matt Ryan can’t throw deep, or because they choked, or beacuse Atlanta teams never win in the post season.
It will be because they don’t have a championship caliber line on either side of the ball. Abraham is the only man on either line who is consistently superior to the player he lines up against. The rest of them are mediocre, and that may not be enough when it comes time to play the Giants, 49ers or even the Packers in the playoffs.
TN Dawg
October 15th, 2012
10:29 am
Just think about all the game when we wished we could have said “Abraham: “He was un-blockable.”
Excited the Falcons won yesterday but unfortunately at present they look like a “first round payoff loser”. Hope they can turn it around after the off week.
KC
October 15th, 2012
10:29 am
The Colts Super Bowl team had a week defense but they stepped up when it mattered most! I don’t know why people still complain when we’re 6-0! Yes we could’ve lost 3 of those games and be 3-3… would you not be complaining then? Would you feel better?
juice sourcer
October 15th, 2012
10:31 am
Just win!
yeahsure
October 15th, 2012
10:34 am
People complained when the Falcons were great at running the ball and stopping the run. Now that we have a vertical passing game and decent secondary, it’s more whining. There is no such thing as a complete team. Teams do what they have to do to win.
Getting Corey Peters back may help. Get Vance Walker and Peter Konz more playing time. Call Ovie and see how his health is. I don’t really see Polite making much of an impact.
jokeland
October 15th, 2012
10:38 am
gave up 474 yards c’mon Smitty got some things to work on. the birds will be fine
Leeman Bennett
October 15th, 2012
10:39 am
Yesterday’s game would have been very different if there was actual tackling. You know, when you wrap your arms around the ball carrier and actually bring him to the ground.
Rabid Bird
October 15th, 2012
10:43 am
Commentary about how the Falcons can be better in my opinion is NOT negative. I prefer to look at it as TQM (Total Quality Management)review. They are doing great but obviously could do better in a few areas. The coaches and players are saying the same thing. Negative is sticking your head in the sand while ignoring glaring issues.
Enkinan
October 15th, 2012
10:44 am
It was a well rested team coming off a bye and the Falcons found another way to pull off the win, but yeah, they need to do some work in the next two weeks. The tackling in particular was cringe inducing. I get going after a weak secondary, but Turner runs like a beast in the dome, you have to use him. Also, McClain had the game in his hands and instead of going down and sealing the victory he got greedy. I hope someone let him know about it on the sidelines.
OPEN YOUR EYES
October 15th, 2012
10:45 am
micheal turner needs to go he is slow and done!!!! we need to draft marcus lattimore from south carolina or TJ Yeloon from alabama!!!
Leeman Bennett
October 15th, 2012
10:46 am
47th!
JSS
October 15th, 2012
10:51 am
52nd
air of mendacity
October 15th, 2012
10:55 am
couldn’t watch game as I was on the road – but it did not sound any better on the radio than I assume it looked on TV. run D is in deep trouble and the secondary will get torched if we run into somebody like Rodgers, Brees or Eli. maybe bye week will help make some adjustments. Still – play 500 from here and would go 11-5 – would win division but not enough for home field through playoffs. Looks like 12 or 13 win season to me if we can just get a little better on D
And what’s with inability to gain 2 yds down on goal line? – the O line or Turner just not hitting crease hard enough.
bfred
October 15th, 2012
10:56 am
I don’t understand what’s happened to tackling, at both the pro and college levels. Everyone seems to want these highlight reel, high-speed shoulder tackles instead of just wrapping up and driving. The backs are often as big as the guys hitting them (bigger against the secondary) and can bounce right off. With sound fundamentals you can tackle anybody. My 10 year-old’s coach would bench his @ss if he tried to make a stop like that.
coach13
October 15th, 2012
11:00 am
They remind me of the BRaves from a couple of years ago. The team that led MLB in walk off wins or 9th inning rallies. THose are great for the media to talk about. They are great for fans to get excited about. HOwever, championships aren’t usually won this way. Relying on the HR, relying on a walkoff win, relying on your 4th quarter 2 minute offense to kick 55 yd wins is great, but you don’t want to have to rely on that to take you all the way to a championship.
hottrod
October 15th, 2012
11:03 am
“But we’re looking at something beyond just winning right now. We’re trying to be special and special teams don’t play like that.”.. Truth . A win is a win no matter how you got it . Falcons got 6 wins, BUT the defense once again has out performed the offense. Look at the Cardinals-Nats in baseball. Nats had the best record while Cardinal limped in and knocked them out.GO back to the Braves in 2010 and how they were 1st in May 31st only to end up as wildcards in October 3. It’s the momentum that matter and falcons must maintain it to win a playoff game.
TechRon
October 15th, 2012
11:06 am
Falcons have heart and Matt Ryan. That is great news. They have had 3 bad games in a row and won them all. Great news.
Bad news is that they played 3 teams that they were definitely much better than and had a tough time with all of them. Should not be. They were beat on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Their running game is not there. They cannot stop the run. Not good. Jaquizz Rodgers fails to run out of bounds at the end of the game when that had to be a major point discussed in the huddle. Big lack of focus there.
Still, Matt Ryan saved us again with a huge assist from Matt Bryant. Any win is a good win, but there are obvious problems. Turner is on the way out. He can’t do it anymore. Both lines need help.
air of mendacity
October 15th, 2012
11:07 am
agree with you bfred – it has gotten weak – with proper technique a much smaller guy can drop a big back in his tracks, but not by tackling up high or just bumping into them – I guess the problem is that it is painful to get low and get those knees and thighs wacking at you
hottrod
October 15th, 2012
11:19 am
The truth is the Falcons haven’t won a playoff game like the Dream, Braves & Hawks so until they do that, it is pretty accurate to pressure them to take it to the next level. They are the one team in Atlanta whose bar is lowered to ” can’t blame Matt Ryan” or “we’re 6-0 so we’re fine”.. Teams limp the season only to take out top teams. SO until they win something it’s just another team with a good season… In 1998 they celebrated the Superbowl before even playing in the superbowl 34-19. Since drafting Matt Ryan we have made the playoffs 3/4 times missing the playoffs in 2010. Held NFC South 1 time and lost to the eventual Champs 48-21. Lost 2 Wild Card playoff games in which one went to the superbowl ( Cardinals) and one actually being the superbowl champs (Giants).In the 3 playoff appearances, our offensive production has went down 30-24, 48-21 and last year’s 24-2. Joe Johnson took the Hawks to the playoffs 5 STRAIGHT years and still didn’t get the love Ryan has. Win one playoff game then the 6-0 record would matter
fansince74
October 15th, 2012
11:23 am
Ok, reality Check. This morning the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboy are 3-3 and 2-3. Why ? Because they have not been able to finish games they could of or should have won.. Yeah, the Falcons have some things to correct and with the coaching staff they have that will get done. They one thing that no one can say about the Falcons this morning is that they don’t know how to finish. Sure, they haven’t played their best football yet (outside of the Chargers game) but this team is learning how to win even when they aren’t playing up to par. I’d rather the Falcons finish and win than play well and find a way to lose.
Answer This
October 15th, 2012
11:30 am
@longtimefan
Keep talking like that and you will have “fans” ( I use that term very lightly) attack you on here. I am with you and I appreciate your fandom! Hard to be 6-0 and still have to apologize to those who sit here and whine and cry about the past….I choose to live in the present and not die like the past….I consider it yesterday…like this win! Its on to the next one, the most important game of the season. Keep being a REAL FAN longtimefan and enjoy the ride man! Yes we got problems but so do every other NFL Team! Lets appreciate whats being done right now and let our past unsuccessful runs be just that….PAST! We are talking about this year and we are 6-0 and we dont need to apologize to anyone about that or our past! RISE UP!
BK
October 15th, 2012
11:31 am
GREAT WIN!! I WAS THERE AND IT WAS OFF THE CHAIN . AFTER GOING TO THE GAME AND SEEING RAIDER FANS AND HOW CRAZY LETS ME KNOW CLASS ATL FANS HAVE..YOU COULD TELL WHO WAS A FALCON FAN AND WHO WAS A RAIDER FAN BY THE WAY THEY ACT,..LETS KEEP IT CLASSY BUT MOST IMPORTANT KEEP WINNING ..6-0 RISE UP ATL
BUBBA BEANS
October 15th, 2012
11:32 am
I hope yesterdays win was more of taking the raiders lightly than just being out played.
The D was pretty pathetic I mean its pretty bad when the Falcons win and I seem not satisfied
at all. I’m sure A. Blank did not have the warm fuzzy feeling either .Is spoon the only LB we had on the field yesterday I don’t recall one (dent) and how much did the falcons pay Edwards again!
Offensive line has to develop more holes for the backs consistently to run more because when turner has to shift laterally and not vertical most of the time loss of yards or no gain.
I mean 500 plus yds to the RAIDERS “COME ON MAN”
Stop the Madness
October 15th, 2012
11:40 am
Blog monster got my post. C’mon man…can ya help me out Bradley?
air of mendacity
October 15th, 2012
11:42 am
I won’t attack – I admit that it is hard to win in NFL and a win is a win – being a fan myself, I am just looking ahead and thinking what needs to happen for us to make the NFC championship game – if that happens with home field advantage – then anything can happen. D needs to get better though and inconsistency in running game needs to be fixed somehow.
Joey the Bull
October 15th, 2012
11:48 am
It is pretty simple. The Falcons can win no matter how much they hurt themselves. If you give the Falcons 40-50 sec on the clock, with no time outs, and they need to score 3 and you pin them on their 1 yard line, they have time and time again proved they will get those points. ICE has 19 game winning drives. The Falcons are 29-4 in the dome under Smith/ICE. The Falcons are just a few games away from securing the NFC S; I can’t think of a team that has closed out their division at the 10 game mark, but these Falcons at 10-0 will secure the South. The confidence and poise of the offense, how they get up and on the ball and move it speaks to their best-in-the-league time mgt skills. We saw what not being proficient in time mgt gets you yesterday with Dallas. Had that been the Falcons, they would have had time to center the ball between the hash marks and Bryant would have nailed it…it is the little things that will make the difference between a playoff appearance and a SB win. I think this team has something special about them, they know they will win-regardless of the situation. With 3:35 to go, down by 10-these birds would still find a way to win….
tony
October 15th, 2012
11:51 am
The falcons need to get stronger in the trenches. I hope they take Sheldon Richardson-DT in the 1st rd and Abry Jones-DT in the 2nd rd in the 2013 draft.
Dirty Bird
October 15th, 2012
11:54 am
I’ll tell ya what now,
it’s a whole lot easier to look at our problems at 6-0, than 3-3.
Don’t think it’s any physical issue, just mental ones. Ryan needs to work on his passing timing and such. These DBs are the fastest at this level, and they’ll come out of nowhere to make the play.
I think teams are starting to realize Ryan loves to go across the middle alot.
Turner looked good early on, but I think the failed goal line to go made them rethink the rush.
Just hope this team doesn’t become overwhelmed by the record, and the need to be flashy each week.
Just win, and avoid sloppy games.
A 6-4 record in the second half would probably get us the top seed in the conference, at 12-4.
With the Bucs twice, Saints twice, Panthers, Lions, Giants, Eagles, Cardinals,and Cowboys, I could see more than 6 wins, with some solid outings at home against the Boys, Giants, Cards, and Saints.
The Falcons’ bye, the run defense and Abe’s honest effort | football-feed.com
October 15th, 2012
11:56 am
[...] to Original Content From Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog): read more Related Articles Share About Author [...]
Joe
October 15th, 2012
12:08 pm
The Falcons need to use this week to recover, heal, and work on their individual issues. When they return to action in Philiy be ready for a tough, hard fought game.
around town
October 15th, 2012
12:30 pm
I don’t see why anyone would bear a grudge against M. Vick, at least not because he somehow betrayed the Falcons. He played hard while he was here, and did his best to help bring success to the franchise. That he got caught up in something otherwise distasteful was hardly a slap or damage to the Falcons.
phil
October 15th, 2012
12:42 pm
longtimefan
October 15th, 2012
9:56 am
Here we are at 6-0, the only undefeated team in the NFL and our fan base tries to come up with reasons why we aren’t elite. As a famous coach said once, you are good as your record says you are. Case closed.
********
It is this very simplistic, ignorant thinking that keeps us right where we are….
Eternal losers when it most matters.
Case closed.
phil
October 15th, 2012
12:44 pm
Answer This
October 15th, 2012
11:30 am
@longtimefan
Keep talking like that and you will have “fans” ( I use that term very lightly) attack you on here. I am with you and I appreciate your fandom! Hard to be 6-0 and still have to apologize to those who sit here and whine and cry about the past….I choose to live in the present and not die like the past….I consider it yesterday…like this win! Its on to the next one, the most important game of the season. Keep being a REAL FAN longtimefan and enjoy the ride man! Yes we got problems but so do every other NFL Team! Lets appreciate whats being done right now and let our past unsuccessful runs be just that….PAST! We are talking about this year and we are 6-0 and we dont need to apologize to anyone about that or our past! RISE UP!
************
As the resident moron resurfaces…..
Rise up?
It’s more like try not to fall flat….
phil
October 15th, 2012
12:48 pm
When the Giants come to town, they will dismantle us like Christmas legos…..
It will be yet another massacre. That’s a FOOTBALL TEAM right there, unlike our pathetic, candy-butts that struggle to beat even the worst of teams at times.
Heads need to roll and roll now!!!
phil
October 15th, 2012
12:50 pm
Joe
October 15th, 2012
12:08 pm
The Falcons need to use this week to recover, heal, and work on their individual issues. When they return to action in Philiy be ready for a tough, hard fought game.
**********
Better be ready to lose too….Vick will destroy us and the philly D will dominate as well against this crowd of rag tags. Not looking forward to it.
The Falcons’ bye, the run defense and Abe’s honest effort – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | GoogleITV.com
October 15th, 2012
1:00 pm
[...] reading here: The Falcons’ bye, the run defense and Abe’s honest effort – Atlanta Journal Consti… Share/Bookmark This entry was posted in Sports, Sports Google News and tagged 23-20-victory, [...]
ATL_Native
October 15th, 2012
1:26 pm
TURNER needs to look himself in the mirror and be honest. True the line could run block better but a lot of it is his own decision making, not running at full speed, and going down at first impact!
Be p!$$ed at yourself first Mike.
Smooth Operator
October 15th, 2012
1:28 pm
Jacket Detective
October 15th, 2012
8:56 am
********************************************
Undercover troll
Greg from Marietta
October 15th, 2012
1:35 pm
Don’t get me wrong I am a diehard Falcons fan and I am both astonished and proud of their monumental accomplishment of being 6 & 0. BUT they have given the good teams that they have yet to play a comprehensive film library of their glaring weaknesses. I have the utmost respect for coach Smith and his two coordinators BUT if they don’t do some radical changes and soon then the last two quarters of the season will be as ignominious as the first quarter has been ‘Glorious”!
cdog
October 15th, 2012
1:40 pm
the falcons will be there in the end.they need to get up for every team they have to play.they took oakland lightly and thats why the raiders were in the game.the falcons need to work on tackling better than what they did.they need to wrap up.the blocking needs to tune up also.oakland had a bye week prior to this game so thats why oakland was a step faster but good teams find ways to win and the falcons are the better team.this bye week should solve any problems they have.pressur and lane coverage on defense should give them a victory over the philadelphia eagles.
baddawg
October 15th, 2012
1:42 pm
Rather be lucky than good. In the Falcons case, they are both. This team has way better Kharma than the Jim Mora Jr. team that missed the playoffs after tanking the second half of their season, No real hot dogs, just good professional acting team members. Our only regret so far is that they don’t play this week. Gotta love those kickoffs.
The Monger
October 15th, 2012
1:46 pm
Phil is the resident idiot. Look phil, I am an Atlanta sports fan for many years and know of the painful, painful playoff loses of the Braves, Falcons, and Hawks. This is not news. However, the overwhelming, seemingly sarcastic, over-the-top negativity makes you look dumb. The truth is the Falcons are 6-0 this year, yet you speak of them like they are 0-6. You say the Eagles will dismantle them in 2 weeks, yet there is no proof of that….actually the proof is to the opposite, as the Falcons BEAT the eagles last year in the dome, so where is this coming from? You refer to them as “rag tags” and “pathetic candy butts” seemingly ignoring the fact we have an offense most teams drool over, including an MVP caliber QB in Matt Ryan, HOF Tight End Tony Gonzalez, Future HOF Wideouts in Roddy White and Julio Jones, Pro Bowl RB in Michael Turner, The current active leader in sacks in the NFL in John Abraham, not to even mention Sean Weatherspoon, Asante Samuel, and Dunta Robinson leading the defense. Your ignorant self really considers these “rag tags” and “candy butts”. You are pathetic, and can’t except fact…..THE FALCONS ARE 6-0, AND WILL BE 7-0 AFTER BEATING A MEDIOCRE PHILLY TEAM THAT LEADS THE LEAGUE IN TURNOVERS!!!
FALCONS 7-0 IN 2 WEEKS!!! I HATE THE FACT THEY HAVE A BYE AND I CANT WATCH ANOTHER FALCONS VICTORY THIS SUNDAY!! OH WELL, GUESS I WILL CATCH UP ON SOME YARD WORK IN THIS BEAUTIFUL ATLANTA FALL WEATHER.
Mike
October 15th, 2012
1:49 pm
This, among other columns, is the definition of nitpicking. So would it be better, on Oct. 15th, that the team lost a couple of ‘pretty’ ones and be 4-2? The fact of the matter is, whatever issues that were there, they found a way to win. And it hasn’t been just one aspect of the team that has been the main factor in any of the games. There are no perfect teams…HOU, GB, SF, NE have all proven that so far, as well as the Falcons. But at the end of the day, there is only ONE 6 and 0 team in the league.
The Monger
October 15th, 2012
1:51 pm
7-0!!!!! 7-0!!!!! Like Phil Collins says….. I can feel it comin in the air tonight…. 7-0 in 2 weeks.
is 16-0 a realistic possibility if our offense, and especially our running game start clicking on all cylinders? I would say it is a faint possibility, although I think we will end up 14-2 just like 1998. That will win us the division and home field….the rest is up to the falcons. I think the defense is closer to the team we saw against the Chargers and the 2nd half of the Chiefs game, we just need to get Nicholas healthy and get Peters back, and Nolan has to tweak some things in the run game and emphasize tackling. There is NO reason with this offense, and a great defensive coordinator that we have that we cant make a deep run in the playoffs…
Chopp
October 15th, 2012
2:07 pm
Matt Ryan will win us the Super Bowl.
KQuark
October 15th, 2012
2:16 pm
The Falcons started their bye week one week too early and still found a way to win. Sure they need to improve but they met a team off a bye going into a bye which usually leads to underperformance. It’s not Lofton’s absence hurting the run defense it’s Cory Peters who should be back after the bye week. That will give the Falcons a solid DT rotation instead of just depending on Walker and Jerry.
The Falcons are 6-0, but certain other numbers don’t add up | Mark Bradley
October 15th, 2012
2:32 pm
[...] 10th and 25th. Last season they were 20th in passing defense, sixth in rushing defense; these Birds are 11th and 27th. For those keeping score, the 2012 Falcons have improved over 2011 in exactly one of those six [...]
Nacho Cheese Sauce
October 15th, 2012
2:41 pm
In 7 weeks the falcons could be easily 8-4 Just sayin : (
Ron the Man
October 15th, 2012
2:49 pm
Any Falcon fan who would complain about this team after winning all of thier first six games has not been a Falcon fan for long. We who have followed them for years and dreamed of just being competitive in most of our games have reason to be elated by the 2012 version of the Atlanta Falcons.They have shown that they grab victory from the jaws of defeat instead of the usual defeat from the jaws of victory.They are not a great team yet, but with their increased confidence and never give up attitude they have shown the guts to make it happen when the odds were against them and the game was on the line.The Falcons have few superstars, but a team of winners because they play hard together. They make me proud to display my falcons emblems-and call them my team.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 15th, 2012
2:50 pm
FOOLS GOLD
Come playoff time the true CHOKE will resurface.
6 picks in the last 4 games vs mediocre teams with all
that talent on the team.
HA HA
Terry
October 15th, 2012
2:52 pm
One thing that Mike Vick has done since becoming an NFL QB, is fumble the football, he did it as a Falcon, and he still does it as an Eagle, not to mention that he has threw 8 interception, compared to 8 Touchdowns, yes Mike is an exciting player, but who wants a QB who turns the ball over all the time.
———–Games–Fumbles–interception–TDs
Matt Ryan—68——21——–52———109
Mike Vick—117—–85——–80———119
Stinger 2
October 15th, 2012
3:00 pm
phil seems to be lost and out of it.
gO dEeP
October 15th, 2012
3:45 pm
Take some Time Off Boys – You’ve earned it !
Get ready to Bring it on Home!
fansince74
October 15th, 2012
4:16 pm
@ Nacho Cheese Sauce: In 7 weeks the Falcons could also be 11-1 or be 12-0. So what’s your point other that being negative? Just sayin…
fansince74
October 15th, 2012
4:19 pm
@ Matt “CHOKE” Ryan. You sound like a brat. Go clean your room before your Mommy gets home.
me
October 15th, 2012
4:33 pm
@Matt “Choke” Ryan
Here are the stats on your hero’s playoff victory.
The defense forced five turnovers, including three by Brett Favre, who threw his second interception of the day and fumbled once. Linebacker Mark Simoneau blocked a punt deep in Green Bay territory, and linebacker Artie Ulmer recovered the ball and rolled one yard for a touchdown.
Vick’s numbers weren’t spectacular: 13-of-25 passing for 117 yards and one touchdown, plus 10 rushes for 64 yards
Oh, I almost forgot. You are a racist.
Norm
October 15th, 2012
5:14 pm
Vick has a career average of 1 fumble every 61 minutes
ub 1125
October 15th, 2012
5:16 pm
Why is eveyone complainin?………..Look at what happened to the best team in football(TEXANS) I like the Falcons bein direspected and flyin under the radar…….everything will be ok….the Dirty Birds are a team of destiny…..ask Harry Douglas and that 20 yard catch of a DBs helment.
ub 1125
October 15th, 2012
5:18 pm
Also Matt ” choke ‘: RYAN won adn VICK fumbled away another loss……..There are Eagles fans on their blog wishin they had MATT RYAN….LOL…..VICK sux and Karma is JUST for him and the EAGLES.
Barry
October 15th, 2012
5:40 pm
HEY Y’ALL:
“ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!!!” SEE YOU GUYS WHEN YOU GET OFF THE BREAK AND CONTINUE TO STUDY FOOTBALL DURING THIS SHORT BREAK. DO IT IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!” SEE Y’ALL!!
GO FALCONS!!!!!
THE “PROCESS” CONTINUES TO THE SUPER BOWL. “UNFINISHED BUSINESS”.
“FALCONS, RISE UP!!!!”. WE “RISE UP!!” IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!”
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a SECRET from a FALCON FAN. TELL EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
…………………….”ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!!!…………………….
…………………………………….
takeowndawg
October 15th, 2012
5:49 pm
Koetter’s lack of utilizing Michael Turner is definitely having an affect on the Falcons offense, particularly,the play action pass plays or, lack there of. Not giving Turner 20-25 carries will limit this team over the season and in the playoffs, if they make it. Clock control is important.
tidog
October 15th, 2012
5:59 pm
Tackling in the NFL is horrible and the Falcons are no exception. Some Nick Saban 101 tackling classes will cure their poor perfomance against the run. Wrap the hips or wrap the legs but some portion of the lower body must be locked and stopped. Seems as though some guys are making business decisions.when it’s time to make the tackle.
jc_dawgs
October 15th, 2012
6:48 pm
Focus back to last years post season and the 24-2 beating that we took against the Giants. Have we fixed those problems that lead to that loss? Thats the real question. Because make no mistake about it…the road to the super bowl in the NFC is going to involve beating the Giants. I’m just not so sure we are physical enough to do that yet.
Tom1
October 15th, 2012
7:12 pm
With this lack of a consistent running game and commitment to a diversified running attack, 1st tier defenses will continue to tee off on Matt, which will result in more interceptions, three and outs, and an injured franchise quarterback. A couple of generations of OC’s have wracked their brains trying get Mike Turner open just enough to get him up to cruising speed but he is too slow, too easy to hit, and mostly too easy to bottle up and bring down now. In his prime, not so long ago, The Burner could wear down defenses over the course of a game, but not any more. The offensive line may be the problem but it is what it is. Unless our new OC can develope a new scheme for Mike, I think his time early in the game needs to be reduced. I’m a die hard Falcon fan from the 60’s, win or lose, but certain things will continue to drive us crazy if left unchanged. Proud of our team, especially Mike. Go Falcons!!
paul
October 15th, 2012
10:50 pm
Falcons go .500 rest of the way. 11-5. Same result in play-offs as before. Lots of holes all over the field for this team. Love the new coaches — but they don’t play on the field. No Super Bowl in sight…
billybob
October 15th, 2012
11:58 pm
A tad too early to get in line for Super Bowl tickets. 6 and 0 only means something for this and the bye. 2 and 3 points wins against winning teams is a reason for optimism but not against loosing teams. I’m a 30 year Bird fan but I know better than to boast about this team.
Falcon's 6-0
October 16th, 2012
7:49 am
They, don’t need to get too cocky. Take one game, at a time. Don’t think, they will,go undefeated.They, will win the NFC South. Probably, will have the best record, in the NFC. And maybe the whole NFL.
New Orleans, WORST TEAM, EVER
October 16th, 2012
7:52 am
The AIN’T'S, will be celler, dweller’s ALL, SEASON. LONG.