Falcons-Steelers Recap: The Agony Of Defeat
by Dave Choate on Sep 13, 2010 8:01 AM EDT
in Game Recaps
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PrintThere's no easy answers after a game like Sunday's.
The questions do spring right to mind, though. How could the offense let the team down on such a fundamental level? Where the heck did that incredible defensive effort come from? Why do the Falcons seem to lose urgency halfway through drives? You could raise a battery of questions like these, but ultimately what comes back at you won't be satisfying. Not that I won't try.
It was the first game of the season, for one thing, and the Falcons just seemed to lack the kind of cohesive offensive effort we'd like to see. The Pittsburgh Steelers are an incredibly tough team defensively. Wonky officiating and sheer bad luck certainly didn't help the team's cause.
At some fundamental level none of want to touch, the Falcons were exposed. They were exposed as a team who play a nervous sort of game when the defense against them comes out with their hackles up. Does that mean our Birds can't contend for a playoff spot? Absolutely not. Basing that kind of panic on a single game is reactionary at best. It does mean that the Falcons weren't as ready for the season as we'd hoped, and those who predicted that the team would take the division may have to scratch their chins a little this week.
As high as emotions are running out there right now, let's keep in mind that the Falcons were still extremely close to winning this game. Give the Steelers credit for being tough as nails in this one. There's a lot to be proud of and only a 0-1 record to show for it, as hard as that is to swallow. Fifteen games to go.
After the jump, I'm breaking it down. Join me.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The defense in general. Say what you want about the last three years of drafts, our free agent acquisitions and Brian Van Gorder's inability to maximize pressure. This defense looked mean, nasty and at times, completely dominant. They stuffed Rashard Mendenhall on all but one play. They got in Dennis Dixon's head, sacking him three times and picking him once. They provided one of the finest team efforts I've seen from the Falcons in the last several years.
It's going to be a hell of a lot of fun to watch these guys throughout the year. But they deserve individual attention, too. - If you saw blue lights and heard sirens Sunday afternoon, don't be alarmed. It was just Curtis "The Police" Lofton punching a Pro Bowl speeding ticket.
Eight tackles. Three assists. One sack. Helping out in coverage and in generating pressure. Lofton did a little bit of everything against the Steelers, and he looks like he's finally ready to take THE LEAP and become an elite linebacker in his third year in the league. There's nobody I'd rather having manning the middle than The Police. - Kroy Biermann and John Abraham are excellent bookends. They didn't generate the consistent pressure I had hoped for, especially in the first half, but they made life difficult for Dixon at times and each picked up a sack. Even the Steelers' backup linemen are good, so expect them both to have success against the Cardinals next week.
- Mike Peterson with a pick? You bet! Our favorite ancient linebacker has just earned himself a week-long pass from The Falcoholic. That interception was a thing of beauty, and it came at a truly critical moment in the game. Momentum, thy name is Mo Pete.
- Erik Coleman will catch flak for his failures on the climactic Mendenhall run, but he deserves to be recognized for everything else he did. Cheating up toward the line of scrimmage throughout the game, he notched seven tackles and two assists and was critical to the Falcons' success against the run. He may not hold on to his job forever with William Moore around, but he was awfully effective Sunday.
- I know it's hard to quantify on first glance, but I believe Brent Grimes was doing very well in coverage. The Steelers rarely tested him in this one, and it's because he was aggressive in shadowing his man all game long.
Honorable mention to Chris Owens, who is showing impressive physicality for a cornerback. Glad he's not hurt, too. - In a more general way, let me mention the secondary and interior line. Thomas DeCoud was his usual collected self, and the rotation of Peria Jerry, Corey Peters, Vance Walker and Trey Lewis generated pressure and absolutely stuffed the Steelers ground game for much of the day. Kudos to all.
- I wish Matt Ryan wouldn't lock in so hard on Roddy White—don't worry, we're discussing that further very shortly—but what a receiver this guy is. He whiffed on one pass early in the game and then took advantage of Bryant McFadden's unwillingness to let White get behind him, abusing the Steelers corner for 13 catches and 111 yards. He was the go-to guy today, and he will remain such.
- Both Harry Douglas and Eric Weems flashed ability in this one. It's great to see Dougie healthy and making a difference, but it's really encouraging to see Weems contributing at all in the passing game. The Falcons are going to need that kind of effort from all their receivers to mount an effective offense the rest of the year.
- Congratulations to Tony Gonzalez for notching his 1,000th career reception. A future Hall of Famer and a great guy, for sure. We'll hit this one in more depth later in the week.
LOWLIGHTS
- I'm revoking the nickname Matty Ice until further notice.
Ryan is so frustrating for Falcons fans, I think, because of our disparate expectations for him. Some have decried drafting him since the beginning, and every failure is another shell for the shotgun aimed at his reputation. Others have believed, sometimes fervently, that he's going to be an elite NFL quarterback. For those people, the way he launches passes over receivers' heads, refuses to set his feet and wilts under pressure are maddening and inexplicable.
The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle. Right now, Matt Ryan is an above average quarterback who isn't taking the strides forward he needs to. I'm taking away Matty Ice because despite his protestations to the contrary this pre-season, he isn't ready. Time after time, the Steelers sent creative blitz packages at Ryan and you could almost see the fear creeping from his pores. His 27 for 44 performance is fine on paper, but there were at least a dozen of those missed passes where he appeared to forget all the fundamentals he ever learned.
Then there was the Troy Polamalu interception. It's fine to defend Ryan here and say that Polamalu came out of nowhere for that pick, and it's not entirely inaccurate. It's a little dishonest to pretend that it didn't arise out of Ryan's frustrating tendency to stare down a receiver, or at the very least lock on well in advance of when he's throwing. The great NFL quarterbacks have a kind of all-encompassing field vision that allows them to find the open man. Ryan's just not there yet.
As harsh as that all sounds, he's not going to look this bad every week. I'm hopeful this game will serve as a wakeup call to a burgeoning young talent who seemed unconcerned by the team's vanilla performance in the pre-season. As Michael Turner showed today, sometimes the Falcons are going to have to lean on Ryan to win games. - Speaking of Turner, he was godawful today. Slow to the line, too hesitant to truck people over and looking miserable under constant pressure from the Steelers D, Turner barely average over two yards a carry. We're going to talk about Mike Mularkey next, because he shares in the blame for this, but aside from a handful of carries and one nice catch, this didn't look like the Michael Turner we know and love.
Again, too early to panic. The Steelers have historically been very hard to run on, so we'll need to see how The Burner bounces back against the Cardinals. - Mike Mularkey is the bane of my existence as a Falcons fan. The team wagged its fingers at doubtful fans after the pre-season, explaining that it was just vanilla scheming that made the offense look so bland. Sorry, gents, but you can't drop a single chocolate chip in a bowl of vanilla ice cream and expect it to make a world of difference.
If Mularkey were an artist, he'd be one in a fine studio, surrounded by high quality canvases, paints, and brushes. He'd thoughtfully stare at a canvas for a while, take out a plain brush and some black paint, draw a line on said canvas, and end his day. Except in small doses, he seems to entirely lack imagination. It's unforgivable to give Turner nineteen carries when so many of them are lazy up the gut runs or off-tackles that make not effort to confuse a sharp defensive front seven. That's to say nothing of his unwillingness to go for it on fourth down, and Mike Smith has to be included in the blame for that. Smith also earns anti-kudos for diddling around at the end of the first half.
But Mularkey also shares a blame in Matt Ryan's struggles. There's just not enough going on downfield, and when the team attempts to go for the long pass, the routes guys are running underneath aren't putting them in a position to bail our quarterback out. Mularkey has to go back to the drawing board and add some splashes of color to his gameplan. He's got the personnel and, as we've seen from a handful of jaw-dropping offensive efforts over the last two season, the intelligence to make great things happen.
I just want to see them. - It's not really fair to put Matt Bryant here, because he did nail his three other field goals. He even banged one in from 49 yards out, which is impressive. But I can't help but wonder what would have happened if he had made his first attempt, which could have potentially given the Falcons a 12-9 lead at the end of the game, when the rejuvenated defense was making life miserable for the Steelers. Tough break.
- The block was occasionally terrible, generally mediocre. It's not time to kick Sam Baker to the curb just yet, but he sure didn't look good out there today.
- I told you all to keep an eye on Dunta Robinson, but it's more likely you were covering them by the end of the game. Dunta got abused by Hines Ward on more than one occasion, and he just didn't finish some plays out. We were promised a return to form from a once-terrific cornerback, but the Falcons certainly didn't see that guy today. Cross your fingers for this one being a fluke.
- Gah! The offense. The offense. So many chances to win, including getting the ball in overtime, and the team blew every single one. I managed to calm down over the course of several hours last night, but I'm getting pissed off just thinking about it again. Time to self-medicate!
THE WRAPUP
Game MVP: Curtis Lofton. The entire defense deserves an honorable mention for a superlative effort.
Game Theme Song: Since this song title sprang to mind so many times during the game, I give you Is This It by The Strokes.
One Thing To Take Away: This might be the best Falcons defense in several years. Let's focus on that positive, at least.
Next Week: It's time for the Arizona Cardinals! Their offense isn't what it once was and their defense is certainly not the Steelers', but they're a tough team. Visit Revenge Of The Birds for more.
Final Word: Damnit.
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well Bryant's first FG missed because of the wind
you can’t really shoot him for it
"It's here, it's here, it's finally here" :Strongbad on football season
look on the bright side
Peyton lost to Houston so some of the elite QBs lost yesterday
"It's here, it's here, it's finally here" :Strongbad on football season
Being Indy
I would be more concerned about giving up 230 yards rushing to one guy. Makes our defensive issues look like specs of sand.
Yes we have defensive issues, they played great today but are still very susceptible to big plays. And that made the difference in this defensive battle. I won’t budge on this anymore.
When I get home from work I am going to download the torrent and watch the game. I will refrain from further commenting till then.
Overall Impression of Week 1: The NFC South is open to anyone right now. I didn’t see the Bucs game, but it seems like the rest of the games were sloppy for our division.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Sep 13, 2010 8:40 AM EDT up reply actions
i found a site
that hosts full game torrents. It is probably against rules to post, so unless I get a go ahead, try using google to find it. You have to register, but it requires no personal information other than an email address.
I watched the first quarter this morning before falling asleep. The Steelers coaches are amazing.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Sep 14, 2010 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Peyton Stats
But it was not due to Payton who showed a MVP Performance of 40/57 for 433yds and 3TDs
by GermanFalcon on Sep 13, 2010 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions
It was rough, but....
Our D was stellar even w/o Babs. I hate to defend Matt Ryan on this one but I will, he was getting pressured all day which resulted in happy feet once again. He did throw away fewer balls than any game last year. I still truly believe he will settle into his grove next Sunday. Once he realizes the potential of HD I’m positive we will see a balance.
I will list my biggest concerns below.
Matt Ryan- it starts here and ends here.
Michael Turner- can he not look for alternate lanes?
Mike Mularkey- this guy is killing us.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Sep 13, 2010 8:50 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
agree with you
but I’d reverse the order and list the “Mularkey problem” at number 1
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Time to weigh in
Where to start.Lets bring in this stat that was shown at the beginning.The steelers line as compared to our defensive line in terms of weight.The average difference was forty -eight pounds.Thats per man.Second the steelers have this inexplicable thing about the opening day.First they have had home games for eight or nine years in a row.They always win that first game.Its a thing with them.They concentrate on it.Its the first game and its real easy to be fired up on said day especially at home.The officiating really needs to be looked at.Not just here but thru out the league. Christ where do the get these guys?K-Mart?First of all Sam Bakers holding call was the third penalty all day for the Falcons and I saw said hold and I say Bull.Same for Ovie.I watched that and after watching all the blatant holds on both sides for them to call that a hold was worth killing over.If I had been the coach I would have gone out and nailed the sob for cheating.Then called out Goodell for allowing such crap to call the games.Its hard enough to play with out ass wipes changing things with …..their skewed view of things.Here is what pushes my buttons.Snap count.Un believable.Why did the coaches not try to do something about this?There are things you can do to stop it.Hell we could of gained eighty yards in off sides penalties with some creative snap counts.Thats what got me about this game all the little things that could have been done so easily to change things up.The game was that close.Just one small thing could have turned it all around.They could have been football Gods but instead here we sit writing things that no-one ever reads and the coach goes on into oblivion.Matt needs to be a bit more agressive but he will be fine.The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting the out come to be different so maybe we can run some different run configurations.I wish the Saints were next Sunday.I got a feeling that there will be some shit storms in Flowery Branch in the coming days.I predict we beat the crap out of our next opponent because every one will be so mad.There will be squirrles chased down and lectured.There will be Falcons in the sky trapped brought in and shown case studies on being dirty. last but not least I admit it was all my fault.I forgot to rub my cat’s belly yesterday before the game and chant we are the birds and FK you if you don’t like it.Every time so far that Ive done this we won big.
Forgot
By the way did anyone happen to read the ESPN SOUTH stuff last night.Pat Yas really showed his ass.I get it that he is mad but he should be called out for what he wrote.I expect that on the comments section but for him to sit there and say the crap he did was well immature to say the least.He attacked our ad campaign for Christsakes.I say get your head out of the saints ass and do what your supposed to do and report on the game.
yeah but
You could feel his frustration, it sounds really similar to our own. I wonder if he was really rooting for a Saints/Falcons showdown in the NFC Championship…
same thing on these boards
I read the article as well. He basically said the same things that us fans here at the falcoholic are worried about.
by VA Dirty Bird on Sep 13, 2010 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
there is a difference between worrying about it and writing in a mature manner.He is supposed to write about the NFC south not his favorite team(saints)
And what does our ad campain have to do with it.If he had bothered to actually watch the games he would have noticed that all exhibit season long we have been the same on offense.This game was no different.If he were a good writer he would go over the specifics rather than the broad strokes he made about how fked up we were.And whats with the attack on the ad campain all about.Hell this is the first real game the starters have played.No one really looked good out there.
Think you might be making too much of it
As Yoko and VA Dirty Bird said, I didn’t read it as insulting at all. That IS the ad campaign. We ALL (most?) are expecting them to “Rise Up” to respectability and/or elite status this year. Numerous media outlets are on the record having the Falcs as their trendy NFC South champion (and even in the Super Bowl in at least one case).
The Steelers were sans Big (and Little) Ben. Sans Byron “Can I Have Another Please Sir?” ’Wich. Dennis Dixon was who we thought he was! And we let em off the hook!!!
Great analysis
Our D really did look fantastic. If our offense does somehow get it together, combined with a much better schedule this year, this game could just be a blip on the way to the postseason.
Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO, SENSEI! Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO, SENSEI! Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO SENSEI! - John Kreese, Kobra Kai
Maybe a good thing
This way we get smacked in the mouth and all that preseason hype is out the window. Humility may make us stronger…
Hats off to the defense though. Best Falcons D I’ve seen in years.
by YokoFalcon on Sep 13, 2010 9:34 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Anata tadashii
there was just too much hype going into this season, as everyone expected our offense to hang 40+ points on every opponent. even the front office was reassuring us that the good Mularkey will show up. time to get down to earth and to some homework before the Cards come to the Dome.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
I really do agree that some blame falls on Mularkey
They were running the same play 2-3 times in a row. The interception play was the same deep comeback route White had been running all game, so of course Polamalu recognized it and got that damn (albeit impressive) pick.
Turner was struggling, and norwood looked good. Why did he only get 2 carries?
Why do we make it so obvious when we’re trying to pass to Tony Gonzalez?
It’s just irritating
"That's my teammate, man... That's my quarterback"
by TurnerTheBurner on Sep 13, 2010 9:42 AM EDT reply actions
if you recall that game from the previous season
when we went for a short run up the middle at the goal line and got stopped 4 times in a row you’d recognize we have the same Mularkey. question is – will he ever learn from his mistakes or not.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
All of our offense was awful.
Our offense is too vanilla, our O-line lacks talent, our running backs had no vision, the WRs were just okay, and our QB seems like he still has a lot to learn which is frustrating because our offense is so simple. I’m truly disappointed in the offense so much that I just don’t see how we can rely on them to keep us in games. Let’s face it people. We have a middle of the road offense the only way to fix it is to get talent and another OC with imagination.
Loved the defense.
Maybe I'm too much of a pessimist
But I wasn’t going ga-ga over our Defensive performance. It was good, but they had a guy at QB making his 2nd career start (and besides the INT he looked pretty darn good). They weren’t able to apply much pass pressure in the first half at all. They were able to focus on the run game, and Mendenall still had a decent game. Even if you take away the 50 yard run, they were still at 5.2 yards per play overall – just a tick below average (5.3 was AVG last season). Best Falcons Defense in years? Maybe, but that just shows how crappy they’ve been for the past few seasons if an “average” performance makes us think that way…
I still can’t talk about the Offense coherently yet. But 9 more plays for 59 fewer yards… They have to be absolutely perfect if they’re only going to get 4 yards per play. And Sam Baker at LT won’t allow that.
Big positive for me was Harry Douglas. He looked like he was really “back”.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
I see your point about the defense but
they did what they were suppose to do. Keep a team to field goals at the most. For our “light” dline to hold up against those beefy guys says something to me. I’m hoping Babs will make the defensive push up the middle better.
I hope you or someone else can help me understand our offensive philosophy…cause I’m stumped.
But this isn't happening in a vacuum, either
Dixon was making his first start, yes, but he’s pretty darn good. For everyone saying he’s a third-stringer, that’s because the Steelers are a generally conservative franchise. There’s no way Dixon’s not light years better than Leftwich.
Mendenhall is also a terrific back, so I don’t sweat the YPC as much as I normally would. We held ’em.
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by Dave Choate on Sep 13, 2010 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
And of course their fantastic D had a lot to do with our Offensive struggles… I was pretty much just bummed with the final outcome – hoping for so much more. But… Overtime loss on the road to (what looks to be) one of our toughest opponents? I guess I’m ok with that.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
It's just tough to dial back the microscope
In a strange sort of way, if we hadn’t been so close all game, I think the loss would be easier to stomach.
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and I would be ok
if we had lost 9-12 on that FG late in the 4th. we’d blame Ryan for the INT and that’s it.
but the steelers kept giving it back to us and we just screwed up. OT actually began the moment we got the ball back after the missed FG, and we said – “oh, no, thanks, we’ll let you win this one, we’re only guests here”. the game exposes to many flaws in gameplanning that it’s difficult for me to hang on to my original 10-6 prediction for the season.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
in addition to HD
I would also mention Weems – few expected he’d be doing so well as a receiver.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Interesting Stat
Mike Smith as a head coach has never won the first away game of the season. In fact, in all 3 of them, we’ve looked pretty awful. The last two years, we had a win or two under our belts, so it didn’t sting as badly.
Its true. I'm a Falcoholic! I just can't live without Falcohol!
by phoenix falcoholic on Sep 13, 2010 10:03 AM EDT reply actions
very very frustrating
This is not going to cut it. I put the blame on the entire organization. You live by the sword and of course we die by it. What the hell have we been doing all training camp. Weve had months to prepare for the Pittsburg D and yet we failed. We deserve better. I set aside 4 hours of my time on Sundays to watch this frickin team, and yet they always find a way to disappoint me. The problem is I cannot see myself cheering for any other team except the Falcons, so I guess im cursed.
I hear your pain
Somehow I think the preseason thang might have something to do with part of this.All of the Coaches are playing the system.lets think about it.Four games to be played yet the first teams on almost every team in NFL only let the starters play one quarter then the next two quarters etc.If you look around the league almost none of the starting offenses did well.Why?Because the first real game is the first real game the first team is invested in.If you watched the exhibits the only players who seemed really interested in the games were the second and third stringers.They as in the coaches are so paranoid about injuries that the exhibs are practically worthless in terms of the first team players.Remember last week Dunta gave an interview where he basically said that this first game would be a bust for him till he gets up to game speed and you cant get there till you really play a game.That said the idea of less pre and more regular makes a lot of sense.
Dunta
We were promised a return to form from a once-terrific cornerback
I’ve watched him his entire career, and what you saw yesterday is what you’ll get. He’s lost three or four steps, and he is no longer strong against the run. He was one of the worst CBs in football last year against just about any metric.
As far as the interview, he said the same thing last year about needing time to “get up to speed.” Of course, it didn’t stop him from writing “Pay me Rick” on his shoes when he was torched repeatedly by Mark freaking Sanchez. He didn’t show up for a game until Week 17.
Y’all can call it schadenfreude or sour grapes or whatever, but there simply aren’t many Texans fans sad to see him gone.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
I know
I suck that way. Sorry.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
by bigfatdrunk on Sep 13, 2010 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
No way! A Texans fan still so pissed with Dunta they post over here?
Never seen that before. You guys must be sad, as much time as you spend talking about him over here.
by TheAreopagite on Sep 13, 2010 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Very insightful
Yes, I am only here because I am sad, not because of our multiple posts about how poorly he was playing. Definitely not because he’s wanted anything to do with run support for several years. And, of course, most definitely not because I lobbied, with my small voice, against re-signing him.
Yes, you are correct.
And this is my sixth comment here. Again, you are entirely correct that I spend all my time talking about him here.
@EvilFalcon: All I’ve done in my comments here is try to set expectations. You’ll notice that it’s only the national media that still calls Dunta an All-Pro, top CB, whatever. Those of us who have actually, you know, watched the games will tell you otherwise. It became a running joke at BRB. But, maybe if you clap louder, it’ll help.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
I don't have a problem with you coming to chat about Dunta
And I don’t have a problem if your opinion of Dunta is pretty low. Given the way he played for you, you’re entirely justified.
But did you think that perhaps, maybe, possibly the best time to do so might not be after we just suffered a crushing overtime loss? You walked into a hornet’s nest.
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True
Look, I really don’t care one way or the other. I had several people send me the quote from your original post above (nice post, btw). It’s not that I’m here to break hearts or anything. As I mentioned, it’s about setting expectations.
I guess, as a Texans fan, I’ve learned to deal with crushing losses. Water off a duck’s back at this point.
Good luck!
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
And I hear you
You’ve got some special with Arian Foster, I think. Good luck to the Texans, as well.
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to put it simply
The bad outweighed the good. We looked just as uninterested as we did in preseason. We will bounce back against the cardinals but were suppose to, well see MORE teams of steelers caliber than the cardinals in the playoffs if we make it instead of watch it.
by CollegePark4Life on Sep 13, 2010 10:46 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Mularkey needs to get another job elsewhere
As Dave so succinctly stated, Mularkey’s lack of imagination and creativity is really handicapping our offense. Not to scapegoat him for all of our problems, but you can’t fire the players.
My sh!t list currently has Mularkey listed just below hemorrhoids and tapeworms. It’s going to be a long season if he & the Falcons don’t get it together.
by tom slick on Sep 13, 2010 11:05 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I could go for a good tapeworm right about now...
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
problem is
we knew this all along. he’s shown his lack of imagination last year, and the 4 runs up the middle by Snelling at the goal line just culminated that. and many of us thought that all those injuries handicapped out team. well, we got all of our starters back (except for Jenks), and the end result is a good indication of how good is our OC.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Exactly
The Falcons have been trumpeting their young, dynamic offense since TD & Smitty took over, and I’m starting to wonder where it is. Funny that, at this moment, our previously maligned D seems to have overtaken that vaunted offense! When your OC’s idea of creativity is an occasional end around to Douglas or Weems, you wonder “is that all there is?”.
It’s probably not a great idea to change OCs after one game (postseason makes much more sense), but how many more chances does this guy deserve? I wonder if this might be a case of Arthur Blank being loyal to a fault (see: Rich McKay still employed).
They need a book
They need a book up there in the booth.Lets see… jumping the snap count lets see page six..when ever the opposing team jumps snap count do this…hmmmm run game not working …ahhhhh page twenty three short pass to flat , let other back give it a try, draw plays Screens ad infinatum.
I just wanted to say this.
This web site is really fan tastic.I enjoy the members we have and their comments .Dave is a great writer and he should quit being a fireman and try getting paid for writing about sports.I come to this site first and often.I really enjoy the interaction we have on the post.If I can just get the right set up here I’d love to get in on the game comments.Twelve hundred post! Wow that is killer.It was coming so fast I could not even keep up. Thanks Dave!
Dave's a fireman?
I assumed he was a professional writer from the quality of his posts.
Kudos, Dave.
Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO, SENSEI! Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO, SENSEI! Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO SENSEI! - John Kreese, Kobra Kai
by DonnyBrasco on Sep 13, 2010 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I am a professional writer
Don’t know where the fireman meme popped up.
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by Dave Choate on Sep 14, 2010 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Go with it - chicks dig it.
Actually, they dig the writer thing too, I’m pretty sure.
Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO, SENSEI! Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO, SENSEI! Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it? NO SENSEI! - John Kreese, Kobra Kai
by DonnyBrasco on Sep 14, 2010 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions
in the dolpins preseason threat I believe
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Two things problems haven't gotten much of a mention....
1. I didn’t think I’d say this – but the offense really needs Michael Jenkins back – as soon as he can get ready, we need him.
2. The next couple of drafts/free agent periods need to be about offensive line and getting bigger/faster.
I think the outcome
would have been the same with Jenkins. The few catches that went to Weems and Douglas accounted for the passes that would have goin Jenkins way (maybe).
I think you nailed it Fear Me
The problem with the offense is not the pieces, could argue about better OL talent, rather it is the offensive schemes as a whole. Putting Jenkins back in the mix won’t help.
Dimitroff's already ahead of you in at least one area:
Offensive Line. 2 draft picks in 2010 (Mike Johnson, Joe Hawley); 1 in 2009 (Garrett Reynolds) – although he may have to go back to the well for another LT.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
it's just game one
It seems like we’re being way too hard on our team. I’m a steelers and falcons fan (born in PA, live ik ATL). I can tell you from watching this team play for years that when this defense is on, this is just how offenses look against them. I was really impressed by our d performance yesterday. One play in overtime and we win that game. That’s all I’m taking away from this one.
by NeedATicketToTheGame on Sep 13, 2010 12:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
It's only one game.
As i said on the Tweet post. Enough of the BS. I’m with everyone here. Give the Steelers credit. They are a solid team. The Birds had opportunites, didn’t take advantage of them. It’s funny, when the team loses, everyone is blaming Arthur Blank down to the Cheerleaders, fire coaches, get rid of players, etc. Want to overhaul the entire organization. For crying out loud, it’s just ONE FRIGGIN GAME! Got a whole season to go. Remember when the 2002 team started 1-3? Was I panicking? No. Give it time. I’ve been a fan for over 30 years, so I’m used to this stuff. Everyone is entitled to whine and cry, but enough is enough. Got other more important things to worry about.
Look at the bigger picture people
This is not about one game. It is about the offense playing like this for 15 games last season, through the pre-season and against the Steelers. The bad offensive schemes are a carry over from last year. Hopefully that will change after people look at tape from the game but if it doesn’t it will be a long season.
Yes, the Steelers have a very good defense but ATL had PLENTY of chances to score in that game. It should not have made it to OT. ATL’s offense has the propensity for making opposing defenses look better than they really are.
I don’t agree with you. I am looking at the bigger picture. I do agree however with the last couple of sentences. Let it go.
Let what go?
Either look at the whole picture or focus on “it’s only one game”. That’s your call but be realistic. This was not a problem the offense has had for “one game”. It’s more like one season plus one game.
I’m not throwing in the towel but I am tired of how the offense is still not producing and allowing teams that ATL should be stay in games.
Forget 2009
@mwalex: Why are you going back to 2009? It’s a done deal, and I don’t give a hoot about it. I in fact agree with your statement about the offense, believe me, I know. I am realistic here, but it is what it is, and this may be the year the defense may have to win some games, I don’t know. I think that expectations may be a little lofty at the moment. This I hope will be corrected. I not, I see changes coming. I’m letting it go, can’t do nothing about it now, and we as fans can’t control what is taking place out there on the field, and we talking about all this stuff means nothing.
Why am I going back to 2009?
Because poor offensive play was a constant last season and some of those same trends continued into this pre-season and against the Steelers. Injuries aside, ATL could not score TD’s once inside their opponents 30 yard line. Same as this pre-season, same as against the Steelers. The problems from last year might have been addressed but not vigorously enough.
You forget the past and you’ll repeat the same things over again. That is how the Falcons offense looked Sunday. I will let it go when the team shows signs of progress, like scoring three TD’s in one game.
They will score three TD’s in games this year. This could be one of those years that maybe the Falcons need to rely on the D more, especially if it can create turnovers and field position. I don’t know about you, but I’m done with all of this crappy offense, poor decision making stuff. I’m not going to worry about it because it’s not my problem. Moving on to next week, Thank You Very Much.
by EvilFalcon on Sep 14, 2010 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It pisses me off
All this talk about how we supposedly have this high powered offense and then come game time where does it go?? I was more worried about the defense but they played so well that I felt bad for them because the OFFENSE couldn’t get anything going. The DEFENSE kept us in the game and gave ryan many chances to win it for us, what makes you think that all of a sudden next week a light is going to come on and the “O” is going to show up and they haven’t shown anything since preseason started??
Stop feeding into the media
Our offense is no worse than last year.
The media made us believe we were that much better.
I have a feeling Douglas or Weems will have a coming out party like Miles Austin did against KC last year. Maybe against Cleveland when that game goes OT
Oops I said too much
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 1:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Pretty sure it matters....
but does anyone else seem to realize that we lost this game in OT? Sure it was just one game and all that stuff, but what really strikes me is the fact that we took this game to OT against a Steelers defense that can show up and shut down any offense in the league when they get it together.
Yes, the off play calling did induce kitten-punting rage and I like to think that was a very major part of this loss. But at the same time, it’s not like we lost this game in the first half and had the team mail it in.
As I mentioned in the other post, there are a lot of bright points in this game (yes, there are some even on offense if you drink enough and squint). At this point, I’ll have to wait and see if they can recognize the problems they had and fix them for the next game. If they lose to AZ at home, then I’ll start looking for the rope.
by ErrantFalcon on Sep 13, 2010 1:45 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I really hope
Weems and Douglas can be at least half of what Miles Austin became last year this year.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
for that to happen
Matt Ryan has to go deep once in a while. he rarely does – and maybe that’s not just his fault, but Mualrkey’s too
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
by Gemini-RU on Sep 13, 2010 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Not necessarily
He can go medium to some quick outs and curls and break free.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 1:52 AM EDT up reply actions
He has to throw more deep passes
If he doesn’t do that the defense will keep 7 or 8 in the box and kill the run game.
by mwalex on Sep 14, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Fair point
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions
In addition
I think we all need to stop putting so much expectations on Matt Ryan and Michael Turner.
It’s not like they aren’t trying
I think because of Michael Vick and Matt Ryans’/Turners 2008 success, all of a sudden we’ve made them the Messiahs of the team.
We need to take a step back and be more patient.
I know I know, we are falcons fans.
We’ve been patient for so damn long.
And I’m feeling the same about a personal situation I’m going through.
But unnecessary high expectations is what makes us jump to conclusions.
Yes I’m disappointed that they both didn’t look too well at times. But did Ryan throw 3 plus picks? Caused bad snaps and false starts? Look worse than Joey Harrington? Did Turner Fumble the Ball and get stuff for negative yardages.
He’s only in his third season. And maybe he’s looking to White and Turner because they are the only Mo-Fo’s that are getting open. Maybe our offense is too vanilla. Didn’t Vick have the same problem here with Knapp? Forcing it to Alge Crumpler all the time. We do need a better offense or a tweak, and more play making receiver and offensive line, but we did draft a few guys for that and some of them are injuried, and Douglas is getting reacquainted as well as Weems. Ryan did get the ball to Weems and Douglas at times and Gonzo Twice, and Roddy got over 100 yards against a good defense and an ineffective running game because the O-Line couldn’t protect and get a good push for all our running backs.
Yes disappointing, and a lot of improvements are needed.
But let’s see how the Falcons handle it in weeks 2-17. Week 1 is usually Aberation week. A lot of times teams that lose week one do better in the whole season than the team they lost against.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
no excuse 4 that loss
I can say however that I felt more comfortable when ryan released the ball. I used to be scared of him throwing a pic but despite a few overthrows and forces to gonzo he was pretty accurate. A lot of the locking on and zeroing in was due to him having no time. Sam bum ass baker was getting blown up all game. Weems is proving himself as a reciever he’s a hard worker and HD was great 2. Keep finnermans ass on the bench. Like I said the only way to overcome this loss is to beat the aints twice. But I’m not getting my hopes up anymore not because of the loss but because of dumb ass calls, not playing to potential and using what we have. Its like shouda woulda coulda! Shouldda killed them with norwood with more dump offs and screens that’s how you beat a blitz. Woulda if we didn’t hav such a stubborn staff and playcaller. Coulda went for a try with 40 seconds left on the clock or 4th and 2. But we didn’t and they won’t!
by DEMBIRDZCUZ! on Sep 13, 2010 3:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
…the only way to overcome this loss is to beat the aints twice. But I’m not getting my hopes up anymore…
That’s the Spirit!!
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 1:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I think you're being too harsh
You were way too hard on Ryan. He was playing against amazing coverage and a monster pass rush – some kind of adjustment needs to be made for that Steelers D. I mean, part of what makes a good pass rush effective is that it unsettles QBs even when the rush doesn’t get there – even great QBs! I honestly thought it was the best he’s looked since his rookie season. How many times did he make the right decision and a good throw only to be stymied by the sticky coverage? Yeah, he stared down Roddy on the pick, but what about Mularkey making the deep out to Roddy the staple of the offense and calling it over and over? Polamalu was playing the situation and playcall as much as he was playing Ryan.
It’s for the same reason that I can’t really call out Sam Baker for getting beat by some of the best rush backers in the league. Baker is what he is – a solid player (roughly an average LT in this league) who had a tough game against elite competition. Most tackles in the league can’t handle James Harrison one-on-one.
Maybe you're right, and I am being too harsh on fire
But awesome pass rush or no, he’s still making the same mistakes he made last year.
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Dave, great observation
but how much is Matt’s responsibility and how much is Mehlarkey’s? A good coach figures out how to coach individuals and set up schemes based on their skill and experience level. I just don’t see Mehlarkey doing that.
Remember the Greatest Show on Turf, and how dynamic that O was?
How many points did it take them to beat the Bucs in the NFC Championship? 11? Hell, they had only scored a field goal on offense before the fourth quarter. And I think their offense was alright.
The truth is, one game does not an offense make. We moved the ball down the field but couldn’t convert when it mattered. That can be fixed, because at least we had some positives to work off of. Now if this starts becoming a weekly thing, I will start to worry…
Awesome Point!
The Bucs always has a stern defense until 2009.
The Steelers could have the best defense in the league.
If they go 4-0 in the next few weeks without Ben and the number one over all defense in points allowed, will we feel a little better about this loss?
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 1:59 AM EDT up reply actions
the good and the bad of it...
One thing i’m getting really tired of hearing people say is “the Falcons blew a golden opportunity to beat the Steelers when they were playing Dennis Dixon at QB”. Even Pat Yasinkas on ESPN, who i usually like, keeps blowing that horn. The problem with that is WE DID beat Dennis Dixon. Our defense held them to 9 points in regulation… that is very good news. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. It’s not like Dennis Dixon hung 35 on us. So we did take advantage of that opportunity. It’s the part of the team that wasn’t going up against Dennis Dixon that blew it.
The bad of this game was all – and i mean ALL – on the offensive side of the ball. That’s where we lost, and i’m having a hard time making a judgment on this team because (a.) it was the first game and sometimes an offense needs a couple games to click and (b.) i think when the season is over, we’ll realize we went against one of the best defenses in the league on their homefield, making this loss look not as horrible as it feels right now.
But all that aside, right now i have no faith in this offense, simply because I saw the exact same things yesterday that I saw all throughout last season: Turner gets stopped, Ryan makes a couple of bad decisions that end up being game changers, and the offensive line doesn’t protect or open holes like it needs to. The result is tons of drives that start great and end up completely stalling which leads to blown opportunities quarter after quarter. People forget that even in a lot of the games we won last year, there were soooo many wasted opportunities and we should have killed some teams we barely ended up beating.
And it’s hard not to start blaming the coaching some. I hate doing that because i always feel like that’s kind of the cheap way out, but it’s gotten kind of ridiculous. I watch other solid offensive teams like New Orleans and New England, and apart from the fact that they have great QBs, they ALWAYS have guys wide open. Why is that??? And more importantly, why can’t we do that? Drew Brees isn’t threading the needle all the time like Matt Ryan is trying to do – he’s got wide open options play after play and he just makes good throws. At some point it’s hard for me to believe that something in our scheme isn’t leaving our receivers too well covered.
I dunno, i’m running out of answers. I am glad to see a defense that looks leaps and bounds better than it did, and if we are going to become a “defense first” team, that’s fine with me. But it’s inexcusable to have this many pro bowl players on our offense and EVER go a game without scoring a touchdown. We’ve poured too much $$ and too many draft picks into our offense to be getting absolutely nothing out of them.
by cheshire falcon on Sep 13, 2010 5:52 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I hated that Pat Yasinkas article
He sounded just as much as an asshole to me
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 2:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Good point
About the Saints having guys running around basically uncovered a lot. Then again, I’m pretty sure Sean Payton actually IS an offensive genius (while we have – at best – just a “good” OC). Tough standard to meet.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
BE PATIENT!!!
After reading most of these posts today, looks like blame is being handed out to Arthur Blank down to the parking attendants. My God, it’s only one game, and everyone is blaming everyone else. Think you can do better? Not me. For crying out loud, let’s be patient. This is going to take time. Want to go back to 2007? Remember 2002? started 1-3, 1991, 0-2. still made the playoffs. It’s a long season. This team going to be fine. When they start winning, everyone will be priaised. Will find out after Sunday’s game if that is the case. Pretty soon, if this keeps up, I’ll be blamed for al this. La de frickin’ da. Go Falcons. at least I don’t throw them under the proverbial bus!
DAMN IT!!
Havent we been patient enough? Year after year weare promised a SB caliber team. And what do we get? A team that falls fucking short. We are all getting tired. Im not gonna jump ship, because Im a true Falcons fan. But as a Falcons fan we are entitled to show our anger when we believe our team is falling short of expectations. Or when they promise things they can not come through (improved offense my ass) Thats my crappy rant. All i want is a SB champ! or at least become a elite team and not be know for being a mediocre one
by !AtlFalcons-fan! on Sep 13, 2010 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
When have we been promised a SB caliber team?
We’re in year three of a three year rebuilding process, which tells me we ought to be pretty good, but not necessarily at the top of the heap. And the years where we were promised that under McKay were lies.
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by Dave Choate on Sep 13, 2010 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Said very well
Right now all I want is a team that wins the games they are supposed to, beats the puddin’ out of bad teams and goes toe to toe with the better teams.
Well we did do the latter Sunday.
And until the season ends we don’t know how “bad” the Steelers are.
But I know, it’s a pride thing.
At this point it doesn’t matter if we got 15-1
It’s the fact that we lost a game to a “third string QB” only that he didn’t play like one.
And our team was “supposed” to be better.
We have to Feed that Monster of the Media saying we are good and living up to it.
IF a Rapper tells black people to wear our pants low and buy Escalades, we should do it!
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 2:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Promised
By who?
The media?
The media feeds us rat poison and tell us it’s a jolly rancher.
If you are tired of waiting, stop being an Atlanta Fan. That’s what we do…wait.
But I feel that this time it will come.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 2:07 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah...
It’s official
Losing 34-7 at home to the Eagles and Michael Vick last year was like winning the superbowl compared to this loss
2002 we did start 0-2 and had one of our better seasons.
I’ll be so hyped to see us win 13 of our next 15 games and see the people on this blog talk bad about our team then.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 2:04 AM EDT up reply actions
WE PLAYED THE STEELERS?
I am really close to blocking out yesterdays pitiful performance by our Offense. DEATH TO THE CARDINALS!!!!
by !AtlFalcons-fan! on Sep 13, 2010 7:52 PM EDT reply actions
Same bullcrap, year after year
I as watching Smith’s interview on the falcons site, and it is like a recording for every game. We have to improve, we have to improve….Damn, how about some emotion?, some coaching accountability?
Our offense sucks, I don’t know why everybody keep saying we have such a high powered offense. When was the last time we scared teams off with 21 + points?
I don’t know why everybody keep saying we have such a high powered offense
Media Hype
Don’t worry I fell for it too.
I’m just as stupid.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 2:11 AM EDT up reply actions
So uh......Dave.
You realize that’s Thomas DeCoud in that picture and not Brent Grimes…….right?
"Ryan, under center. Single receiver set, to either side. Ryan, gonna throw. First professional pass.....CAUGHT!! Jenkins! 30! 25! 20! 15! 10! 5! He lives in Atlanta!!!" -Wes Durham
by Zippo729 on Sep 13, 2010 8:35 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
.....Yes
They had the AP caption wrong and I must’ve run with it. Umm….oops.
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Starting slow
It’s not like there aren’t any franchises that are a playoffcontender every year and start off their season notoriously slow. The Chargers went to the playoffs 4 years in a row, and out of these 4 years it was only in 2006 that they had a winning record by week 7.
If we can become a contender like that, I’d have no problems with starting seasons slow. Of course, it would be nice, then, to figure out how to get to the Superbowl a tick faster than San Diego does…. ;)
yeah I don't want us to become SD
They are true Chokers…like the Braves.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 14, 2010 2:13 AM EDT up reply actions
McMuffin got burned 13 times for 111 yards, no kidding. That's why the Cardinals ditched him.
Next week your offense will be targeting his replacement Greg Toler. Thankfully for us he’s much better than McFadden. Cards vs Rams was a rough down to the last minute affair too. Seemed to be a lot of those this opening week. Reading your posts I feel like I’m back at Revenge of the Birds. Stellar play from the defense. Disappointing from the offense. Might be looking at another low scoring slug fest. Unless Derek Anderson can figure out how to complete a pass to Larry Fitzgerald, then it’s on.
Not a time to panic
Look, it’s just the first game of the season. It’s nothing to panic over. Yes, the offense was ineffective, and yes the defense was facing a third string QB but still it’s only the first game of the season. Ryan wasn’t that great but he wasn’t terrible either. The defense played great but gave up one big play at the wrong time. Dennis Dixon didn’t light the Falcons up, he just did well enough to not blow the game. The real problem was our running game got stuffed by a great D like it always does.
My rule is to watch a team play it’s first four games before passing judgement. So let’s give the Falcons a few more games before we decide how good or bad they are
by falconfanatic79 on Sep 14, 2010 12:24 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
One thing I noticed in the first quarter
I don’t think we were outplayed in this game, we were simply out-coached. The first 4 passes were 3 step drop dunk passes on soft coverage, and short runs just enough to get the first down.
Pressure was there when Dixon had to drop back, and coverage on some of the longer routes was good. Dunta was playing pretty soft, don’t know if it was by design, or him not being up to game speed yet.
Spoon and Lofton looked vicious in that first quarter. We should definitely look for another LB in this draft to compliment those two, and a DE to replace Abraham. We will have one of the nastiest front sevens in the league.
We definitely need some O linemen. They played very well against a formidable rush (only giving up 2 sacks on 44 attempts), but it’s clear at times they were just outclassed. A pro lineman should not be getting blown back like Dahl did on that first sack.
Turner looked real hesitant running. There were opportunities to cut back, or bounce out the run, and he just ran straight into guys, whether it was an o lineman, or a defender. One play it looked like he could have broken for 10+, but just gave up on and ran into a defender and got tackled.
Matt Ryan tried forcing the ball to Tony G too many times in the first quarter. I understand they wanted to get #1000 out of the way early, but seriously. And we really need to add a screen pass to Norwood in our playbook. The way they were blitzing it would have easily gone for 20 yards.
There was also a nice throw to Roddy that would have been a first down, but it went through his hands. I’ll admit it wasn’t the easiest to catch, but an elite receiver will make those plays.
I’ll comment some more after watching (hopefully) the rest of the game when I get home from work.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Sep 14, 2010 2:01 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Good point about Dahl
I re-watched most of the game last night, and it wasn’t just on that sack… Dahl was almost as bad as Baker, IMO. He was getting pushed 5 yards backwards what seemed like every other play.
I feel much better about Ryan after the 2nd viewing. He was getting pressured heavily (almost all of his Incomplete passes listed “Pressure by #__” in the play-by-play), but he was still 16-24 for 137 yards (with 1 Sack and the 1 INT) in the 3rd and 4th Quarters. That 5.7 YPA is still pretty low, but he led 2 drives that ended up with short FG’s (one starting from own 23, one from own 31).
I agree that the biggest problem was the O-Line getting dominated pretty much all game long.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
by orang3b on Sep 14, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
That is the problem
But what’s the solution? Mike Johnson, Joe Hawley, Will Svitek, et al?
The way Matt Ryan dealt with the pressure still concerns me. At times, obviously, he had no time to react whatsoever. But he’s got to grit his teeth, plant and make the accurate throws. There was an awful lot working against him, but I’d really like to see him thrive under that kind of pressure.
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by Dave Choate on Sep 14, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed on Ryan
O-Line solution? Not sure. Obviously, PIT’s got some really great Defensive players, so we’ve got to see if this continues to be a problem. If it does, I wouldn’t mind seeing Garrett Reynolds at RT or RG (he is listed as back-up Tackle, but played Guard almost exclusively in pre-season) or maybe Mike Johnson at either G spot, depending on who the Coaches think is the biggest problem… If Baker’s the biggest problem, the solution will have to wait for the 2011 Draft, though.
Next test: Card’s duo of the fantastic Darnell Dockett and underrated Calais Campbell. I’m not scared of their LB’s at all though.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
if anything
this maybe in the long run a good loss for the Falcons. This should make the team Mad and want redemption and revenge and take it out on the other 30 teams
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And to Whyte Bler 000
I think our problem on Offense is our O-Line
It would explain why Ryan may have had happy feet in the pocket and looked jittery.
It would explain why Turner (and to some extent – Snelling Norwood and A Smith) were all ineffective making Ryan throw more and Sam Baker being…well Sam Buster.
When problems add up, go to the common denominator.
You say that Snelling Smith and Norwood were better, they are more speedier than Turner. Turner’s style is not to blow through the lines. I am so tired of seeing us saying Turner is slow. That’s Bullshit.
Turner style is a patient runner…find a hole and blow through it…make some cuts and break some tackles…and power through the last defender for extra yards.
He’s still good, maybe not 2008 ish, but with a bad O-line, he’ll look worse.
We maybe didn’t use Norwood more because he gets hurt a lot, and Snelling has migrane issues, and A Smith is still learning.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
I agree with you up to the Norwood statement. We can’t use, “He gets hurt a lot,” as an excuse to keep him out of games. As good as he is we either need to use him, or trade him to another team for draft picks or whatever. It doesn’t do the team any good to have someone so fast sitting on the sideline.
The problem is the OC sends him up the middle on run plays. He is an edge runner, dump off pass receiver. He should be in on every pass play at least as a check down. We should have an offensive set with him and Turner in the backfield, or Turner in the backfield and Norwood as a slot. Use him like the Saints use Reggie Bush. He won’t be a feature back, but his talents make him dangerous.
Our O-line is weak (physically), they can’t handle the larger DL of a 3-4, which is why we struggle against it. We need to use a high draft pick, 1st or 2nd round on an OL man next year. Whether it’s a LT, Guard, or Center, and maybe pick someone up in FA (don’t know who will be available next year). That is assuming there will be football next year.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Sep 14, 2010 2:37 AM EDT up reply actions
like what?
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh and sorry
I didn’t mean to say Whyte Bler said bad things about the Falcons and Turner, so my apologies for the confusion
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Prediction: at season-end, the unanimous opinion among NFL followers will be that Josh Freeman is the superior QB to Matt Ryan
by Nick Mike-Mayer on Sep 14, 2010 9:22 AM EDT reply actions
Yikes
If that’s how it turns out, we’re sunk. But FO says Ryan was 13th in DYAR and 15th in DVOA last year, while Freeman was 39th and 42nd. I seriously doubt Freeman can perform that much better with no real NFL WR’s, or that Ryan will regress a significant amount…
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
I don't think Ryan's regressing
But as I told Cardinals fans at their blog, it’s an open question whether he’s developed further from last season. The next few games will begin to tell that story.
I’m a big Freeman fan, but he’s a year or two away from really blossoming. Mike Williams is a reliable target, though, so he might put up some decent numbers in 2010.
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by Dave Choate on Sep 14, 2010 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
I think week one's should be called....
Overreaction Sundays. Because when a team loses the sky is falling; when a team wins they’re favored to make a big run. Last night Mark Sanchez was being criticized for not being ready to cash his coaches checks (sort of speak) Even in the Philly game where Mike Vick did what he does best and the media is talking about a quaterback controversy. Week one’s hardly mean anything….unless you get blown out
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
by maxxj3 on Sep 14, 2010 11:47 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
NFL Week 1 is National "Jump to Conclusions" Week
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
by orang3b on Sep 14, 2010 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
This is exactly what I've been saying about Week 1
It’s a weird week.
The Panthers lost and the Bucs won and the Bengals lost while the Ravens won, but I got the Cats being the Bucs and Ravens next week, not only because they are at home, but they are build to keep up with them unlike their previous opponet.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions
I disagree about overreacting
We all thought our Falcons were ready to jump to the tier of elite teams. We now can definitely discard that prediction. We thought we’d be an elite team like the Saints this year, but instead we’ll be lucky to be 1-2 after the 3rd game.
by Nick Mike-Mayer on Sep 14, 2010 5:40 PM EDT reply actions
We have the talent
But not enough experience. Mike Smith will get better as a head coach, and BVG as a D coordinator. However Murlarkey has to go. He is holding the offense and Ryan back. Plus I think that first year screwed everything up.
Expectations from the fans are too high now. in 2008 we should have been lucky to get 4 wins. In 2009 lucky to get 6 to 8. This year should have been 8 to 10 wins and a possible playoff appearance. By design we shouldn’t have hit 11 wins to at least this year.
I was fuming over the loss on Sunday like the rest of you, but after actually watching the game I feel better about our team. We are still missing a few pieces to the Super Bowl puzzle.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Sep 14, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Well geez
If you say that by design we should have won 11 and 9 games each of the last two seasons and we have…How did Mularkey hold us back?
Truth really is we are holding ourselves back.
Some lack of excusion on the offense.
If we can win 11 and 9 games (and some impressive games)…maybe Mularkey isn’t that great of problem.
Really in essence I don’t care if Mularkey is absolutely horrible. As long as we win. And we do win games by offense, sometimes by defense, sometimes as a whole.
But I know many fans want to see total domination to inflate our manhood (or for other’s womanhood).
But in many ways, as long as the job gets done, but don’t get me wrong, I would like to see us reach Higher.
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions
SHOULDN'T
Spelling correction
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I think i contradicted myself there a little bit. MM’s playcalling was excellent for developing Ryan, but he is ready to do more, and I think he proved it on Sunday against a very good defense. Time will tell how good this Steeler defense really is, and it will definitely be in the top 5, and probably the best D we will play this year.
We couldn’t take any down field strikes because of the rush. So MM should have come up with some plays to negate their rush. And running turner up the middle, and taking short passes to the outside is not the way to do it. He is very stale and conservative. Quick slants, screens, draws to our speed players will make them more conservative on D, and allow for the big plays. Turner is slow to the line, finds a hole and explodes through. But our O line was outplayed and outclassed my the Steelers front 7. There were no holes, or they closed up to quickly for Turner.
So you take that rush, find where the blitzers are coming and strike at those areas. Make them hesitate, and then the holes will open for the running game, and give more time for down field passing plays to develop. Draw play or screen to Norwood, quick slants to HD or Weems. Make those line backers sit for a second.
Now that you have the linebackers hesitating, you have more time to throw, so you take some shots downfield. Once that starts working the coverage gets loose, and short passes will turn to big plays.
Of course this all depends on the offense executing, but I don’t think that was the problem. Our lack of offense came down to scheming. Which is were Pittsburgh really outmatched us, and my point that our coaches need some more experience. No one expected us to be a good team (which is what we still are) in 2008. So schemes of opposing teams were simpler, and easier to play against. I believe we scored most of our points in 2008 in the first half. Which shows teams were off-guard, and we slowed down in the second half.
Not having an effective running game hurt us in the redzone, and as such we couldn’t get any TDs.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Sep 15, 2010 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions
No we don’t have to discard that prediction just yet.
For some teams it takes a few games to get that way.
Sometimes you don’t have to be elite to win every game. Just play fundamental and sound football. Something the Falcons do for the most part. The Falcons in 2008 freshly did that being the Saints once, the Chargers and Vikings on the Road.
And had no business winning against the Jets last year.
Yeah we could be 1-2 but we may make some headway and go further
Feeding the Monster since 1984
by brotherbrown on Sep 15, 2010 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions
1 loss=not elite?
Those 2009 Saints you call elite had two games that could have gone either way (like ours against PIT) and that they happened to win (against a 4-12 Washington team and our Backups) then a loss to a playoff team and then a loss to the 3-13 Bucs. We just lost to a playoffcontender. Elite does not mean 19-0.
by wiesengrund on Sep 15, 2010 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was thinking the same thing
If the Steelers really are as strong as they looked (and Football Outsiders’ pre-season projection had them at #2 in the NFL, even considering Ben’s suspension), then losing to an “elite” team – on the road – in Overtime – pretty much verifies the Falcons are making a move toward the elite.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
After watching the full game
Without a doubt, I have no clue why the announcers were praising Mike Murlarkey, and why they had to call 500 Roddy White out routes. It’s amazing they worked as many times as they did. Which is a testament to him and Matt Ryan. Yes, he did stare down Roddy too much on that int, but Palamalu had it lined up well before, and made one hell of an interception. There is no way an average DB makes that play, never.
The play calling was at times disturbing. The steelers looked like they new both their own, and our strengths and weaknesses. Calling plays that would get Dixon into a groove early on, and boost his confidence before moving up to longer strikes. With a nice balance of Menhanhall and Redman in short yardage and running downs.
It looked like we threw 10 plays in a hat and picked them randomly (well maybe not that bad). A toss to Turner, really?! There were times were Turner just looked flat, running without any passion, and the look on his face wasn’t that of someone hungry for yards. he looked like he was exhausted and just wanted to go home. I saw one play where he broke a tackle and put his head down. Then I saw some plays where in the past he would run right through or bounce off of guys and keep going, where as in this game he just fell over. Piss poor effort I think.
When Norwood runs, he always looks like he’s two or three steps away from a touchdown. We really need to use him more, and personally i just like watching him run.
White despite a few easy drops, looks like he is going to have a huge season. I don’t want to get crazy, but I want to say 1400 yards and 10+ TDs. He caught some nice passes in tight coverage and on the sidelines.
Despite not having a TD, and one INT, Matt Ryan did play well. He still tries to force it to Tony G, and almost got picked off once. The rest were either him throwing the ball away, or hitting the receivers in the hands/chest. If they could catch better he would have completed about 75% of his passes. If he didn’t have tunnel vision on that last out play he wouldn’t have had an INT.
I think the TDs will come, it is tough near the red zone when your run game isn’t working and they are blitzing you with at least 7 guys every play. Ryan handled it well, I can’t put any blame on him for this game. He looked much better in action than his stats say. But that’s not to say he can’t improve, and call some better plays in no huddle (not letting MM call them).
Hines Ward is something else. I didn’t know you could use a swim move on someone 10-15 yards down the field. That’s how he burned Dunta for 20 something yards. He made some pretty amazing catches too. Although the coverage wasn’t great, I think we are still ahead of last year. We won’t be in the bottom third. Coleman got smoked on that 50+ yard pass and the last run. Don’t know if the pass was entirely his fault though, depends on what coverage they were playing.
And our LBs are still nasty, if Lofton continues this level of play he will make the pro bowl. Spoon showed some skills in coverage and some rookie errors. But I think overall his first game was great. The two of them will be in the pro bowl together in a few years.
by Whyte Bler 000 on Sep 14, 2010 11:41 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd, good points all around
As for Coleman:
He took a bad angle on the TD run, but the absolute best he could’ve done (as deep Safety) was tackle him for ~20 yards. That would’ve already been in FG range (although, not a gimme). It looked to me that play was really Peterson’s fault – he got moved out of his gap so bad that Grimes got screened out too and couldn’t get back inside.
On the big pass play, I was trying to figure out what the coverage was supposed to be from the replay (unsuccessfully). Grimes stayed near the LOS at LCB, like it would’ve been some sort of Cover-2, but Coleman followed Wallace from the oppopsite deep half (defensive Right), while DeCoud was moving toward the LOS to pick up a WR crossing into the middle of the field. My guess is that DeCoud effed up and should’ve passed the crosser over to the LB’s and stayed deep, but like I said, that’s a total guess.
Oh, and one play that’s got to go from the no-huddle is the “smoke” screen to Roddy with Turner (in the slot) as the only blocker. Well, at least not 3 times in one game. Ugh.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
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