Post-Game Thread: Falcons Get Thumped By Cowboys, 37-21
by Dave Choate on Oct 25, 2009 8:20 PM EDT
in Falcons News
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PrintSometimes life gives you lemons and you slip on the peels, stab yourself in the hand trying to slice them in half and spray yourself in the eyes with lemon juice, turning you into a bleeding, blinded mess of agony that yearns for the sweet solace of a non-citrus death. This would be one of those times.
It's becoming increasingly clear that these Falcons can win in any number of ways, but they only know how to lose one way thus far in 2009, and it's cringe-inducing. The Dallas Cowboys and Tony Romo made our defense look terrible for most of the game, and the offense really never got clicking to the extent it should for the Falcons. It was, in short, a bad loss.
But don't lose hope just yet. We're still 4-2, and an upset over the New Orleans Saints next week would put us within striking distance of the division again. Tough losses like this tend to skew perspective of this team, and that's not fair at this point. We still have a very good shot at a playoff spot and/or a winning season, and given that many felt we were due to backslide this season, that's fine with me. It's just going to take a while to wash this one out.
A few things to consider:
- I am in no way endorsing a line of thought that says Jason Snelling is better than Michael Turner, but....Turner didn't even manage 3 yards a carry against the Cowboys. He still had 18 carries. Meanwhile, Snelling cranked out 68 yards (18 more than Turner, ironically enough) on only seven carries. Just a thought.
- Our passing game went back and forth between anemic and quality all day, but those picks on long passes really sealed our fate. I'm not saying those weren't the right calls—given what was happening in the game at the time, I wholeheartedly endorse airing it out—just saying that they were backbreakers. We should have a little more luck against the Saints secondary next week.
- Speaking of secondaries, argh. That pretty much sums it up for the Falcons.
- Eric Weems actually got some action and impressed on a wide-open 30 yard touchdown catch. I still think the kid has a bright future.
- Blargh.
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Dave
The Falcons are a good young team that has a bright future. I know they will be in the play off mix at the end of the season. Romo was hot today. That kind of thing happens sometime. Matt Ryan is awesome. Things will come together. Good Luck the rest of the season.
Thanks man
And congratulations on your victory.
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Brooking
If it were up to me, Brooking just played himself out of any post-career recognition the Falcons could bestow on him – retired number, banner raised to the ceiling, etc. He was an immature brat all game, from the flapping arms to the ridiculous celebration over a Falcons 5-yard penalty. All on the way to a total of two whole tackles.
I agree completely with you...
Brooking acted like a complete a-hole, yelling at the falcons players and pointing to our sideline, a complete jerk!! He doesnt deserve any post career accolades from the falcons, let him get it from his current team- NOT!!!!
by ATLsince1972 on Oct 25, 2009 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Well now
Maybe it’s just because I didn’t have the unique delight of watching most of the game live, but I’d say this is just an unfortunate blip in an otherwise great career.
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by Dave Choate on Oct 25, 2009 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Cool your head
He was one of the best defensive players on your team for a LOOOOONG time.
You’re pissed with him and how he acted in this game? Try to be in his shoes… Think about all the press that he received last year… how much he sucked… how he needed retirement… how he should be retired already… and how your team didn’t needed him anymore…
Surely you would be fired up, so far this year he has shown to us Cowboys fans that he still has something left in his tank, he’s not just playing his heart out on the field, he actually makes plays all over the field, he just didn’t in this game. And he’s an example and leader for our younger players.
Viva México! Go Cowboys!
I think I see both sides of this coin
We loved Brooking, and we thought he was basically cooked when he left. So we all wished him well and said our farewells.
Of course he’s unhappy about being let go, and I can’t say I blame him for that. He really, really did look like he was done, so the Falcons made a smart football move.
So on one hand, yes, I understand him being fired up. On the other hand, seems to me as though he was trying to shove it in our faces a bit. Not sure I enjoy that.
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by Dave Choate on Oct 25, 2009 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions
That I can understand...
Or such a thing I thought when I was watching him overdoing things… And then I figured that our team needs such a guy…
He’s showing that people was wrong in thinking that he was done, he’s doing it by playing his heart out on the field and by being a really good teammate off the field.
Our whole team is also known for not playing their best when it matters the most and they need to show people that they’re wrong… Brooking is playing a part for our team, luckily several players will follow his example, you can change the way in which people think.
Viva México! Go Cowboys!
From an uninformed Cowboys fan's perspective:
Brooking said at one point in his post-game interview that one of the Falcons coaches had told him before he left that this was a young man’s game (which it is) and that it was time for them to move on. So I’m sure he felt he had a lot to prove to y’all in terms of him still having the ability. He also said that he was just messing with his friends/former teammates but he probably got carried away.
My point is, we Cowboys fans are enjoying what you guys have known and loved about Brooking for over a decade: his unquestioned raw emotion and love for the game, which translates into superb leadership and playmaking. I personally saw his actions as more of that same emotion instead of being immature, but it is what it is.
We definitely aren’t taking this win for granted, and good luck with the rest of your season.
I'm glad the rest of you finally figured this out
Brooking has been worthless for a long, long time. Yesterday just proved it even more than anything.
Driving the "Fire Willie Martinez" bandwagon since 2006
Oh...
… and Snelling is better than Turner. Absolutely. We saw warning signs of this last year, but overlooked it because of his gaudy numbers against the Kansas Citys and Detroits of the world – but the guy doesn’t run like he wants to get anywhere. The only runs he broke today were the ones he wasn’t touched at all.
I would never question the guy's heart
Because I don’t think that’s fair. But when you watch Snelling run, the guy looks like he wants every yard and he isn’t willing to take what the defense gives you. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case for Turner so far this year, and it’s beginning to affect the offense.
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Settle down now ...
To be fair, the Burner/Snelling battle doesn’t exactly constitute a zero-sum game. Turner is hurt (chest), while the ‘boys probably did not anticipate Snelling learning how to move laterally. I congratulate the man for a great individual effort, but Burner will turn the corner, I’m sure of it.
Reporter: How will you address all of the dropped passes?
Mike Smith: I don’t think that we were as sharp as we have been catching the football. It’s something that is very fixable. It’s VERY fixable.
When the Off. Coordinator asks you to carry the team
Failing to do so can leave you down and uninspired. I can’t blame the kid for trying his heart out to make something happen. It just wasn’t to be.
This sounded bad.
I listened to the second half on the radio, and I haven’t broken down film yet, but it sounded like a “pleeeeeze rub my tummy” kind of roll over loss: no physical anything on either side of the ball.
—AOb
How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?
GO FALCONS!!!
Blah
I mean, it sucks. But I’m not jumping ship. I need a minute to digest this …
Reporter: How will you address all of the dropped passes?
Mike Smith: I don’t think that we were as sharp as we have been catching the football. It’s something that is very fixable. It’s VERY fixable.
frustrating
We all knew coming into this season that our defense was going to be a work in progress and we would have to rely on our offense to win games. In every game this season (with the exception of the 49ers game, where they decided to temporarily put it together for 60 minutes), the offense has not carried this team the way they should be doing. They are inconsistent, unreliable, and seem to have absolutely no clue what they are doing out there at times. It is inexcusable to have SO MANY weapons on that side of the ball and yet be incapable of getting a first down. The first drive they slice through the Dallas D like butter and then inexplicably they can’t get a first down for 2 quarters. It’s getting ridiculous. It was the same problem against Chicago, but it got overlooked because the D stepped up and we came away with a win.
Michael Turner is suddenly becoming a liability, and that became obvious in this game. I wanted to blame it on the O-Line or the playcalling, but Snelling had no problem running the ball. I’m not suggesting we cut him or anything, but until we find someone who can average more than 1 YPC, it’s gonna be like trying to start a car without the keys and you’re going to see more disasters like what you saw today. You had hoped that the passing game – with a “rookie of the year” QB, a pro-bowl receiver, and the greatest TE of all time – could step up when the run game wasn’t working, but apparently not.
The worst part is that this should have been such a winnable game. I can handle losing @ NE, but at no point did I feel like we were overmatched today. I never saw anything from the other side that impressed me or wowed me. And I mean no offense to Cowboys fans because you guys clearly deserved to win today, but I didn’t come away from this game thinking we played a particularly solid team. There was absolutely no reason we should have lost today except that we just didn’t show up.
I still feel good about the long term of this team and i’m not trying to sound like a fairweather fan… i’ll be right back in front of the t.v. next Monday night and at the Dome when we play the Redskins in two weeks. This is just frustrating because it was the kind of game that makes you think maybe we aren’t as far along in “the process” as you had hoped. So unless our offense suddenly realizes what an absurd amount of talent they have, i’m definitely resetting my expectations for this year: still expect a winning season (which would be awesome for obvious reasons), but not sure at all about playoffs anymore.
by cheshire falcon on Oct 25, 2009 9:10 PM EDT reply actions
Your Issues With the Offense are Well Taken
Particularly Turner and the running game. Let’s be honest here, the running game hasn’t really been there all season for the Burner. I suspect it’s because teams are straight up loading the box and dialing up run blitzes on first and second down, but we’ve gotta do something to get the ball moving well on the ground. Above all else, we have to get the run game rolling again.
That being said, this game was a pretty standard NFL aberration. Our normally solid special teams did not play well. Our defense gave up some big plays. We missed a lot of tackles. The fact of the matter is, this happens to teams throughout the season. As long as there aren’t trends of it happening, it’s probably fine. The inability to run the ball well, however, is a trend, and it’s a legitimate cause of concern.
This game is a reminder that this is still a very young team. A talented team, but a young team nonetheless.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions
The thing with having a rookie of the year QB is...
He’s only in Year 2. I think part of our problem as fans is we’re expecting him to play like a perennial 13, 14 win QB already because let’s face it, he BLEW ALL OF OUR MINDS last year with his amazing QB play. I’m not saying that kind of win total won’t come at us at some point in the future, but keep it in perspective. He’s in his second year, he doesn’t have a team around him like Roethlisberger did in Pittsburgh. The best thing to do is just call these ‘growing pains’ and move on with it.
Even with "growing pains"
He’s still ahead of his pace for last year – don’t forget that. Yards per Attempt is slightly down, Interceptions are slightly up, but almost everything else looks slightly better than his numbers last year. He’s fine.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
Reality Check
The Falcons got crushed by a better team. You look at one drive and think hey, if we could only do that for the whole game and wish away the rest as an anomaly. Look at it from the other side: for Dallas that one drive was the anomaly and the rest of the game the natural order of things. Which way of looking at it is more logical?
Falcons are a good team. I expected them to win myself, but only because Dallas would beat themselves with mistakes. That didn’t happen, and the Falcons were simply over-matched.
Well, if you want to look at it that way
The game’s at Dallas, who had an extra week of rest to prepare. The Falcons are without their starting DT, best DB, and Wes Welker Jr. as well as their only speedy running back.
I think, if the Falcons had shown up, Dallas would have lost. Dallas is not a better team, but they played a better game. Even Detroit can beat someone if they don’t show up.
But realistically, Dallas should win that game every time no matter who it was. The fact that they responded after getting kicked in the teeth is good for them. In a neutral setting, Falcons take 7 out of 10 games. You heard me.
I didn't realize it was a squeaker
What was it, 16 points? How many passing yards for Romo, no interceptions, 330 or something like that? How many pressures and sacks – it’s not like you weren’t facing the game’s leader in sacks, and Dallas wasn’t even blitzing. And yet the better team lost?
In a “neutral setting” – what’s that, the playoffs? – when BOTH teams “show up” I doubt that the Falcons win at all.
Dallas is probably around the same level
More overall talent on both sides of the ball. But what they have in talent and ability they offset by a general lack of discipline and a tendency to make mistakes. After all, it is a Wade Phillips coached team.
That being said, a team with a load of talent isn’t necessarily “better” than a team who plays well coached turnover free football. But today the Cowboys came out and played to their overall capability. They just can’t do it every game. Probably because, well, they’re coached by Wade Phillips.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
You got that right!
On paper Dallas has the talent to beat anyone. I couldn’t really understand their problem until I saw a post-game interview with Wade Phillips. You said it, ’nuff said.
In the final analysis, all things considered, the better team is the one that won. Dallas was the better team this time, a dominating team in fact. We’ll talk about December in December and the playoffs if they get that far. The Falcons have a better chance at the playoffs in my opinion, but for now the better team by far is … Dallas!
The Win is the Thing
True. And today, Dallas was the better team. We also played absolutely terrible. So you beat a team coming off a big national TV victory who was injured in your house when you had a bye. So while your point is well taken that you won and deserved to do so, let’s curve the “by far” better comments just a tad. Because the only team that’s better, by far, than either of our teams is probably the Saints or Colts. The rest of that hodgepodge can probably play around 50-50 ball.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
ehhh...
Yah, i’m gonna have to strongly disagree with that as well. Dallas won the game yesterday and certainly outplayed the Falcons, but i don’t think they are nearly as good a team. I can tell when my team just gets beat by a better team and i’m more than happy to tip my hat admit it, but that’s not at all what happened yesterday.
by cheshire falcon on Oct 26, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the Cowboys are as good as the Falcons
Though we’re vastly different teams.
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by Dave Choate on Oct 26, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, put the shoe on the other foot.
I’m not calling Dallas bad, but don’t act like they’re in another league than the Falcons. They’re a similar team on the level of talent, as LetsGoFalcons have said, but like I said, even Detroit can beat someone that doesn’t show up. ATL didn’t show up, take your win and be happy.
By the way, I would mean the playoffs as a neutral setting but we all know Dallas will choke around week 14 and not make it, anyway. Wishful thinking that your Cowboys could make it that far, though.
I don't think anyone's a fairweather fan, by the way
It’s just difficult to deal with a loss like this without pointing a few fingers. Personally, I’d like to see the entire team step up against New Orleans next week.
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on a positive note
we have never lost back to back games with Smith, here’s to pulling an upset next week in NO.
Which leads me to my point, I don’t think it would be crazy to think the Falcons were looking a game ahead. They came out on fire, and thought the rest of the game would be easy. Obviously it wasn’t. Snelling looked great. Turner has been rather dismal outside the red zone this year.
I think we can all agree
Something is wrong with Michael Turner. I wish I was older and could give some good examples of how this has happened before aside from the Curse of 370. All these “curses” and crap like that, it’s all a crock of you know what. You’re either prepared or you aren’t.
I really, honestly think missing Norwood is a huge factor. I will keep saying it until he proves my theory either right or wrong.
I'm sure that's a factor, but again
We’re now six games into the season and Turner has exactly one “good” game to his name. I keep thinking he’ll turn the corner any second, but in the back of my mind I’m starting to fear that he never will. This team is about 10x better when the balanced attack is going.
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It's true.
But like you said, Turner’s had one good game. The balance hasn’t been there all season and we’re essentially throwing our young QB into the fire EVERY GAME.
If you want complete honesty, on Atlanta’s third or fourth drive today, they had a close up of Ryan in the shotgun right before the snap. I looked at his face and I could see there was a little fear in his eyes. You can’t have that in your QB if you want to win on the road. In order to alleviate some of that fear, you need a consistent running game, which we don’t have at the moment.
Ryan is still young. He may play like a Peyton at times, but let’s not exalt him just yet. He’s human, he’s only in year 2. He’ll be a great player, but not without more growing pains.
Yup, he's definitely not there yet
He plays great, he works hard. I have no doubt he’s going to be a stud. But he definitely wasn’t his usual poised self today. Dallas came after him and stuck him hard each play. Ryan hasn’t been hit like that all season. He’ll bounce back, but it probably got to his head a bit.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
and if your D starts to give up points in chunks, I think it’s human nature to sometimes want to put it all on your shoulders.
However, credit to their pass rush for not giving up after their miserable effort in our first drive. They did what they needed to do to win.
At least JA had a good game
He’s starting to come around. It’s a really welcome sign.
Chris Houston, however, still makes me cringe. He is NEVER in position to break up passes or even come close to interceptions.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 9:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I know now's not exactly the right time
To defend Houston, but I don’t understand how so many can be seeing him so differently than I am. Yes, he’s given up some plays – but he really has been pretty solid so far this year. I actually only remember 2 plays where he got beat against the Cowboys:
1) the Crayton TD – this was not his fault. The D should’ve gotten Romo, and after having good coverage for several seconds, Crayton shook him.
2) the play where he got the Illegal Contact penalty, and Miles Austin still caught the ball for 32 yards.
I’m sure there were a few others, but those are the 2 that stuck in my mind.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
I think he looks lost
Even if he’s playing reasonably well, he just doesn’t look to me as though he has any idea what he’s doing out there. He seems to be good for one dumb penalty a game and he just does not look for the ball, which contributes to said penalties.
Statistically he’s probably much better than I give him credit for, but it’s painful to watch the same dumb things happen week in and week out.
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by Dave Choate on Oct 26, 2009 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the difference between Turner and Norwood
Is that Turner no longer seems capable of making the home run play. Opposing defenses aren’t really concerned about him breaking to the outside. They pretty much know we’re going to run him between the tackles and they know he’s not fast enough to really break huge gains to the outside. Norwood keeps defenses honest because if he gets outside he has the ability to hit a huge play.
I’m actually wondering if there’s an issue with the playcalling perhaps being a bit too obvious. Every time we try to run the football, opposing defenses never seem too surprised by the play. I’m beginning to think that we tip our hand somehow, or that we need to mix some stuff up.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Now that you mention it
They do seem to be trying too many between the tackle running plays with Turner.
I think teams are seeing that as a trend and are keying on it. At that point, you HAVE to do something else, and I think without our scat back, Mularkey is hesitant to dial up some of the plays designed for Norwood b/c neither Turner nor Snelling are agile enough to pull them off.
Totally Agree
Or run some misdirection and get defenses keying the opposite way. Turner is agile enough to make some cuts even if he’s not lightning in a bottle outside. It just seems like we are running right into the teeth of the defense every time. Not even AP could break runs when you’re plowing into three defenders on each play.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't agree.
It isn’t a question of the home run. He’s not getting the 4- and 5-yard runs that keep keep your playbook entirely open. On 2nd-and-9 or 2nd-and-11 your options are limited where on 2nd-and-6 you can run any play in your book.
Holes are there momentarily, but MT isn’t hitting them for whatever reason. I love the guy, but do you give up the game plan every week for his benefit?
How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?
GO FALCONS!!!
It can certainly be said that Turner won't be lasting
If he’s constantly hitting a brick wall every time he runs.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I definitely agree that something is wrong with Turner, and it isn’t something mental. The guy is not running anything like last year. Snelling had 7 carries for 68 yards, found holes, and made big plays. I hope Turner is holding something (an injury) back, and not the team.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Oct 25, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Like after the NE game...
I think this can be a good thing. Remember this is a young team. We are still really rebuilding. Losses like this will hopefully jumpstart the team, like at the SF game
it just hurts
My football weekend’s enjoyment is pretty much determined if the Falcons win and if the Cowboys lose. Double whammy.
New Orleans is going to be tough.
not good at all
i painfully watched the whole game. for the most part we looked good against the run. i think JA98 dis a great job at tackle and Snelling played a hell of a game. the cowboys oline looked fresh. romo danced like Ali and picked up on our blitzes well. our offense looked bad!!! we didnt go deep or throw in much play action. Maybe we were just out gameplanned largely due to the bye week along with the fact the cowboys faced an almost must win situation. we play a better team next week but we can bounce back with a win.
by DEMBIRDZCUZ! on Oct 25, 2009 9:43 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Lets face it...
without the strong running game we had last season this team cannot expect Ryan to carry them. Without the running game the playaction passing game does not make the LB’s on the opposing team even flinch. And without the running game the opposing defenses can dial up blitzes all day long cuz it’s getting to where the falcons are almost a pass first team now and thats not a good thing for our offense. Cuz if the opposing team knows that if we do hand it off to turner he’s going right up the middle then thats pretty damn easy to stop!!! So why should the LB’s run in on a handoff to turner, cuz the defensive lines are doing just fine stopping him dead in his trax!!! I really think a combo of snelling and Norwood would be our most deadly combination in the backfield, IF norwood could stay healthy!! If we had those 2 guys back there then every team would have to respect the run and the playaction would work- like it did last year!! That is our biggest problem on offense , no team has any respect for our running game so they pretty much just go after ryan and we cant throw it deep cause we dont have the time too!! Hopefully this loss will help them get their heads out of their ass and play a solid game against NO next week- the saints showed that they are beatable today also!! I just hate that our offense looks like we run the same 15 plays the whole damn game, it’s awful how predictable we are on offense!!
Sorry for the language Dave but I watched this game at a sports bar today outnumbered by cowboy fans 50 to 2, so I’m still a little steamed at our performance today, I expected better, especially after the first drive!!
Maybe...
With the addition of Gonzalez, Mularkey almost feels obligated to pass the ball more.
I’m just speculating. I don’t know what’s wrong with the offense, but if we continue to fail at running the ball, we’ll keep losing.
No doubt
ATL hit the nail on the head. The reason we can’t get vertical throws is because Ryan has nowhere near enough time to let those develop. Dallas basically went to man coverage on our receivers and brought the house after Ryan, and he had nowhere to go with the ball. But all that was achieved because it became apparent that Turner was not going to be able to run the ball and move the chains.
Before we dump on him too much, Turner DID have a few good runs. When he was running well, it resulted in those two really good drives. But we didn’t run it consistently well, and that ended up stalling out drives
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m tired of the play calling——it’s gone from bad to worse. We come out in the 2nd half and Snelling runs over everyone on the way to quick points, the next series we forget Snelling is even on the team.
exactly
you have to go with what is working. watching the giants/cards right now and they asked the arizona coach if he expected to be running beanie wells so much. his reply, we put beanie in for a series and he ran really well so, we are going to go with that. it really baffled me when after a successful drive with snelling running all over them we went back to play calling as usual.
Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that. - Bill Shankly
by armchair quarterback on Oct 25, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions
2 bright spots
Weems actually playing offense and JA98 actually playing defense.
by acie4mvp on Oct 25, 2009 10:07 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
rec'd
JA played really well I thought. Weems had a nice TD catch even though the Dallas defenders basically quit on the play.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions
zippo..
thats just it though we dont use gonzo like we should be. How many catches did he make going down the middle of the field today? ZERO!! their having him run out routes-what? no LB in the league can cover him if he just releases down the middle of the field- easy catch and throw, but they got him running out routes to the stix or staying in and blocking-wtf? Dallas uses witten to perfection, mularky needs to watch their film and immitate it as much as possible!! I mean if you dont have the time to throw it deep then throw slant routes to roddy and gonzo and make the opposing defenses make open fiel tackles- geez this stuff aint that hard!! And why the hell did we not run any screens to slow down that dallas pass rush, thats basic playcalling 101!!!!!
Good point about the screens
My guess is that we’re not comfortable running them without Norwood, which for the life of me I can’t understand because Snelling has shown an ability to catch balls.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
But thats exactly how you stop the pass rush
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I realize that, and I understand
But let me make this clear, Snelling is not Norwood. Norwood is a rare type of athlete that can go sideways as fast as he can forwards. You can’t replace that. Snelling has good hands, don’t get me wrong, but he just can’t be a replacement for Norwood.
Sorry about that, I didn't mean to put it as a response to your 4.35 point
I meant it as an addendum to mine. You’re right, you can’t replace Norwood’s speed. With the ideal personnel, i.e. Norwood, the screen becomes a dangerous weapon. But even without him it should have been a serviceable option to slow down the pass rush. We just failed to use it.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with ya.
We just ran “Turner go forward” 20 times along with the “Oh crap it’s 3rd and long, please Roddy White or Gonzo catch this pass” 20 times in the game.
Everyone knows Snelling can’t replace Norwood. The two are entirely different. But that is still no excuse not to throw to him when we are getting blitzed all day long.
I agree, but you can't expect the same result from Snelling on a screen.
Which makes an OC more hesitant to use it.
I understand that, but at the same time, when you’re offense is doing so poorly, you have to try it.
but they did use snelling on checkdowns the last TD drive and he got a lot of YAC after he caught the ball.
Those oplays worked pretty well. I know they were in a prevent type defense but instead of snelling getting 12 yards he still would have gotten 6-7 yds making 2nd and 3rd downs much easier!!
by ATLsince1972 on Oct 25, 2009 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
exactly how you slow it down
and snelling and turner can catch, hell put weems back there to run a screen!!
I could do it.
As silly and big headed as it might sound, I try to predict what offenses will run in certain situations. I’m not gonna sit here and say I’m right all the time, but the plays I’m right on are usually first downs at the very least.
We have just as many if not better weapons than the saints..
but our offense looks vanilla compared to theirs, why- cuz of the playcalling, maybe we need a new offensive co-ordinator who will use ALL our weapons to their maximum capabilities!!1
hahaha
I tell ya though, there’s a reason why offensive coordinators choose the plays they do. We obviously see the downside very easily, but there’s some unnoticed genius that goes on that we sort of take for granted.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions
if that playcalling is unseen genius I would hate to see bad playcalling!! lol
by ATLsince1972 on Oct 25, 2009 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, in that case
Mularkey could just play Bingo with all the plays stamped onto little balls and put in a lottery machine.
We're one of the best teams in the NFL at scoring TDs when we're in the red zone.
There’s a number of teams that can’t say that.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:25 PM EDT up reply actions
It's true, but hell if we're not one of the worst at getting TO the red zone
against good defenses, mind you
EXACTLY,
we got to get inside the 20 first!!
by ATLsince1972 on Oct 25, 2009 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Just a point that Mularkey is actually a good offensive coordinator
His game plan just didn’t work today. Period. He needs to go back to the drawing board on the running plays. But he can and will get this offense rolling. Trust me on that.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll take this loss..
if we can go into NO next week on monday night football and beat the saints!!
LETS GO FALCONS!!
L-DAWG
Think about this.
What if we have too many weapons? And before you call me crazy, think about it. What a lot of the posts are saying is that “we’re not getting certain players involved enough”.
The problem with football is that only one player can get the ball during each play, the exception being extreme situations. You only get….what, somewhere in the realm of 60-80 offensive snaps a game? Think about it. You only carry 2 or 3 running backs, who share somewhere in the realm of 30-40 touches, nearly half of all the snaps taken. Some do more, some do less. The rest come in pass plays, obviously. Say a QB throws in the realm of 35 passes and completes 2/3, a solid number. That’s..23-24 passes. A good team has at least 7 different targets. Spread that evenly, each target only has about 3 completions. If you begin to skew those numbers more towards 2 or 3 of those targets, the other targets almost become a waste and could be used for something more useful, like an extra blocker, or blocking for a screen.
Well, maybe waste is the wrong word. But I understand the idea of using 5 receivers to run spaghetti junction on the field to confuse the defense, but at what point do you almost start beating yourself by doing that?
yes but wouldn't you think
that with a lot of weapons that somebody will be open on EVERY play???
by ATLsince1972 on Oct 25, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions
The problem I don't think isn't that we have too many weapons
The problem is that one phase of our balanced attack is basically inoperable and it’s messed up our ability to fool teams with the play action.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 25, 2009 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions
That's true.
Which would make all of our wins that much more impressive, considering half of the offense isn’t even working. It’s like a car running with half an engine. It should never win a race.
On a positive note...
I still think we’ll make the playoffs, but we got to get better as a team or we’ll be out in the first round!! The reason I think we’ll still make the playoffs is cuz we still got games against TB(2), car, wash, buff- thats 5 wins right there, so we only need to win 1-2 games aginst the saints(2), giants, philly, and the jets which I think we can and will do!! So we end up 10-6 or 11-5 which I think will be good enough to make the playoffs in the nfc, but I would at least like to have a home game in the playoffs, cuz I know if we would have played Arizona at home last year we would have beaten them!!!
I know that if Brooking hadn't bitten on that play fake.
We would’ve won that game. Our offense was red hot. They wouldn’t have been stopped if they’d gotten one more opportunity.
But now Brooking is playing for Dallas and bad-mouthing his former team like they owe him something.
i KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT ,
It still makes me sick how brooking just let the damn guy run right by him while he just stood in the middle of the field in nomans land!!
by ATLsince1972 on Oct 25, 2009 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
We have the 3rd hardest schedule the 1st half of the season but the 2nd EASIEST the second half of the season,
SO i think we’ll be just fine, there just things we need to work on-RUNNING GAME- AND WE’LL BE A LOT HARDER TO STOP ON OFFENSE.
At least we're losing on the road to good teams
and not losing at home to below average teams, when that happens then we are done for, but I don’t think that will happen, I see us going 7-1 at home this eason and 4-4 on the road.
fresh off work
read up on comments since my last. play calling is a problem 2 we definately ran the same plays. WE SHOULD use the play action regaurdless of rush efficiency because of the amount of handoffs. even if turner cant make it far the lbs will bite because they belive ryan will hand it off. regaurdless WE HAVE TO get back 2 runnin efficiently. any word on Ovie??? if Norwood ever gets back we need to see more screen passes to him AND PLEASE no more attemps between the tackles with him. pound turner and jason. give turner competition. strong front 7 and believe that the depth and rotation strategy will work in the long run for the secondary. offense needs help!
unbelievably horrible...
The game was even though i was preoccupied at jocks and jills. The slot receiver has not been utilized all year, maybe in part cause HD isn’t there, but who is supposed to step up? ERIC WEEMS! wow he’s been wide open all this time? The playcalling is getting questionable or maybe ryan is getting a lil jumpy. Why call an obvious pass play on third and 2? There was no option for a draw and we all know matt ryan rarely runs.
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
also
i don’t think turner sucks. He’s not that fast starting off. I think the scheming sucks because there’s no creativity in formations.
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
I think that's more the issue
It’s pretty hard to but big runs when there’s no room to make them happen. Turner is a tough between the tackles runner that is hard to stop when he gets forward momentum. He’s not a speedster who can dodge tackles in the backfield and take-off. Right now we’re being beaten at the point of attack and not controlling the line of scrimmage.
On a positive note, our run defense yesterday was VERY good against a very solid running team. Too bad our pass defense left a lot to be desired.
by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 26, 2009 9:18 AM EDT up reply actions
and another thing...
why were we playing prevent D on any play besides a hail mary? Remember how Romo almost got the first on 3 and 18?
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
I know that Dimitroff is focused on primarily building through the draft...
…but there wasn’t one good veteran DB available somewhere before the trade deadline?
I think the reason he didn't got for anyone
Is that this is still one year in a long term plan to make us an elite team. WE can’t forget that we’re not quite there yet.
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by Dave Choate on Oct 26, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
This
Let’s definitely not forget that both Smith and the Comrade stated that it was a three year plan and that we are only in year two. If we get our first back-to-back winning seasons and make the playoffs in year two of said plan, you better believe that is one hell of a success compared to 07 and even earlier.
"This is America, if we can’t self-righteously look down on others and blame them for our faults, the commies win."-----Cormican on Bleeding Green Nation w/r/t fans overreacting to the Eagles signing of Michael Vick
You all are going to think I'm crazy
A few years back an old jackass of a boss of mine told me a little theory. Monday night games are either blowouts or upsets. I understand its either both but, take a look at the Saints. Their undefeated by outscoring opponents but, nearly lost to Miami because Miami doesn’t know shit about clock management. (No offense Dolphins but, your a running team and are up 24-10 at the half use the clock to your advantage.) I have a hunch that this next game will really tell us if the Falcons are contenders or pretenders… and I believe we’re contenders
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