Samsung Falcons Game Ball Of The Week: Matt Ryan
by Dave Choate on Oct 4, 2011 12:04 PM EDT
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All too often when I tell you to watch a player before a game, that player does nothing. Call it the Curse of Choate.
Thankfully, Matt Ryan stepped up against the Seahawks. It was arguably his best game of the season, as he avoided turnovers, made throws on the run and led an offense unable to open holes for Michael Turner to 30 points. It may not have been a Tom Brady the Terminator performance, rife with touchdowns and 400 yards, but it was a classic Ryan game in a sense. Efficient, no turnovers and a handful of spectacular passes against a secondary that was ripe to be abused.
Ice was helped by improvements, however incremental, along the offensive line. But Ryan deserves the game ball for his performance and, most encouragingly, for his growing rapport with Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez. If the Falcons can just get Harry Douglas more involved, this passing game and Ryan become terrifying in short order.
It also brings Ryan to a 6/4 TD/INT ratio for the season, which is headed in the right direction.
So there's our game ball of the week. From here on out, we're turning out eyes to the Packers. Do you agree with the choice?
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Question for Dave
We were going back and forth on twitter during and after the game about why the Falcons kept running the ball late in the game, despite Seattle loading up. I argued that the attempts were chewing up time and making them respect run, while you thought Ryan should be checking out of those plays.
After listening to the talking heads the last couple of days about how Romo handed the game back to the Lions, the theme emerged that Dallas should have kept running the ball in the second half and that by throwing, it kept Detroit in the game (2 pick-6 TDs, another INT, drives stalling, etc). While it wasn’t pretty, can you now look at Smitty/Mularkey’s insistence on running?
That was a good argument you made
I’m sticking to my guns here. I would argue that if the Seahawks were going to load the box, the Falcons should have been making them pay for it. It’s one thing if you run Turner and he even occasionally breaks a five yard run. That gives the defense pause.
Unfortunately, Turner couldn’t go anywhere against that defense. Those runs for one, two or even minus two yards were hurting the offense, sapping a down and doing comparatively little to shake the ’Hawks out of their packages.
I think keeping the defense honest only works if you’re actually gaining some yardage. The Seahawks were loading the box on first down, I would argue, because they knew the Falcons were running and they knew they could stop it. That’s not doing the Falcons any favors.
Your point is a good one, though, and I suspect a fair number of people around here will agree with you. It’s just not how I see it.
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by Dave Choate on Oct 4, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
As a follow-up to your point
The Dallas interceptions were simply poor decisions, but it did show something I wish the Falcons would demonstrate: a killer instinct. Dallas knew that if they could put one more score on the board, the game would have basically been over.
Likewise, had the Falcons demonstrate the same in the third quarter and just added one more touchdown, it would have made a huge difference in the complexion of the game. It would have forced Seattle to play for big yardage and to make higher-risk throws.
Dallas’ problem was not philosophy, it was execution.
Thats the problem with Atlanta
It’s always playing conservative in the third quarter and the defense always fall back to a zone coverage for every play. But I was looking at it from the 4th quarter point of view and Atlanta eating up the clock to secure the win.
by Antonio Grimes on Oct 4, 2011 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm also tired of making excuses for the team
going into a prevent offense. ATL scored very few points in the second half and what was their run efficiency? How often was Turner stopped behind the line in the second half? I bet the numbers are horrific. When the OL cannot block how can anyone expect the rushing game to be effective or efficient. At this point the only thing that is happening with ATL running the ball to eat up the clock is giving the ball back to the opponents with good field position or time on the clock. It is putting the O into too many 2nd and long situations where they cannot covert to a first down.
No team respects the run when they are stopping the RB in the backfield. SEA handled the run game very well Sunday. ATL is too predictable when they have a lead of over seven points. It is pathetic.
Here are Turners yards per carry for the 2nd half in order
3,10,-2,1,2,2,-2,1,2,8,-2. So he averaged around 2 yards per carry. JQuizz’s #’s for the 2nd half: 1 carry/1 yard, 1 reception/10 yards. What does this tell us? They stacked the box and won almost every battle and our change of pace back was an afterthought. Any way you slice it, this team was miserable the second half.
So that would mean that Seattle respected the run game
Since they had to load the box and know not to let Michael Turner get started – they were hoping to make Atlanta 1 dimensional like Chicago did and conserve time on the clock. Dont you see, by making Seattle stop the run – the Atlanta Falcons controlled the tempo of the game – until BVG changed from man and bump n run coverage right back to plain zone coverage is what allowed them back in the game.
by Antonio Grimes on Oct 4, 2011 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
We didn't take advantage of that "respect"
And by not doing so, we let a middling offense right back into the game, with a chance to win it.
To your point, since Seattle was “respecting” our run and stacking the box, we should have stuck a dagger in their heart and dropped passes – oh, I don’t know, using play action – and blown up the score on them. Instead, we run and run to eat up clock and give their offense good field position.
It’s a philosophy that barely worked against one of the worst teams in the league, and will never work against New Orleans or Green Bay.
Exactly!!
Once we had them stacking the box on first downs, then MM should have taken advantage and started throwing on 1st downs. I am in no way advocating that we should have then abandoned the run but if defenses are giving you one-on-one coverage of RW and JJ you MUST take advantage of that. This is where MM fails miserably!!
April 1974 - Tug McGraw, when asked if he preferred grass or AstroTurf: "I don't know. I never smoked AstroTurf."
by Blood_Talon on Oct 4, 2011 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
question is
- is that MM’s fault or Ryan’s? that would depend on whether Ryan has enough authority to override initial call and audible even when not in no huddle. he had to see so many defenders in the box, and still ran those horrible run plays.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
I can see that we went to prevent on both sides of the ball
We were up 27-7 after the first drive of the 3rd. After that, 4 second half possessions, 1 long FG and 3 punts. What allowed them back in the game is we answered TD’s w/FG’s or punts. MM called a solid 1st half then turtles up. BVG is just clueless. Not to say MM isnt either btw. Where other teams keep the destruction going til there’s no chance in hell, we kinda just hope time runs out. Look at the eagle game. We won, yet we went to victory formation knowing(I hope)that the eagles would get the ball back with a lil time.
Who cares if SEA respected the run game or not
because ATL did NOTHING to take advantage of that fact.
ultraconservative offensive playcalling
combined with poor punting sounds like an ideal recipe for a disaster. luckily, we avoided one last Sunday.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
I'm agreeing with atlien698
If Matt Ryan had started to pass the ball and lets say that the pass was incomplete – does the clock stop or does it keeps going? And since Seattle began to stock the line and concentrated on stopping Michael Turner – then they lets Atlanta burn 25 – 28 seconds off the clock before they call the next play and made Seattle use all of their timeouts to try and conserve clock time so they can try and get a play. This way the clock worked for us instead of against If Matt Ryan tried to pass the ball everything that happen to Tony Romo could have happened to the Atlanta Falcons. If Matt Ryan had pass the ball and it would have been incomplete – the clock would have stopped and only started again with the next play. If the ball was intercepted – then Seattle could have ran it in for a touchdown and we would had the clock work against us trying to score again. If you watch the Dallas vs Detroit game closely – you saw thats what happened to Tony Romo. Detroit loaded the box on Dallas and undercut the receivers routes.
by Antonio Grimes on Oct 4, 2011 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
We shelled up way too early though.
Understandable to follow this method with 5-7 minutes left in the game with an 8+ point lead. We started to do this at the end of the 3rd quarter. Even just heaving one up would have pulled the safeties back and let us run more efficiently. If we luck up and popped one then it’s the nail in the coffin. NO KILLER INSTINCT. Even though Bill Belichik is a defense mastermind, he still closes with O, when he has the opportunity.
but had that last TJax pass not been incomplete
or if they did take their last timeout to call the play instead of rushing that 3rd down play, they’d get into FG range and would simply kill us. and then it wouldn’t matter that we went negative yards before punting it to them 3 times in a row.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Nice jab...
regardless, one thing is for certain, he’s NOT playing for us…
what could be causing HD's lack of offensive production I wonder
April 1974 - Tug McGraw, when asked if he preferred grass or AstroTurf: "I don't know. I never smoked AstroTurf."
Tough call...
On offense, the game ball was between Ryan and Jones. On Defense, and I’m not going to bother looking at the stats, but I’d go with Weatherspoon. I feel like he’s a man possessed out there, showing up all over the field to make big hits. Also, Sanders may have saved the game for us with that goal-line hit that caused the interception, so I’ve got to give him props too.
"It's called Thanksgiving for a reason. If I can give and people thank me for it, that's kind of the thing that makes me feel great inside." - Dunta
with all due respect
the Sanders hit combined with DeCould INT didn’t save the game. it simply delayed the inevietable TD after we punted, and they were in our redzone in 10 seconds. starting from your own 5 yd line with MM playcalling, seattle loading up the box and having your punter who sucks kick it to a good return man sounds like a near certain TD for Seattle.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
True
That’s a good point. They did score right after that. So, maybe it didn’t save the game, but it was a huge play, nonetheless.
"It's called Thanksgiving for a reason. If I can give and people thank me for it, that's kind of the thing that makes me feel great inside." - Dunta
Coaches tell Players
They need to play for the full 60 minutes. Aren’t the coaches supposed to coach for the full 60 minutes also. It seemed to me like the entire 2nd half both O & D were playing prevent. The coaches didn’t not commit to the full 60 minutes. If you think back on the other games, the Falcons coaches have not been in any of the games for the full 60 minutes.
by Rod E Wil on Oct 4, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
gameball
To spoon. Anytime a big play broke out he was the one to never quit. I saw at least to big plays that could’ve went for tugs, but he came from no where to spoon the seahawk.
Shi@t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by JJWatt1stfalconspick on Oct 4, 2011 3:56 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Great comments, guys (and gals, if any)
I will say that it’s much easier to defend the Falcons insistence on running Turner, even if for only 2 yards a clip, because we ultimately won the game, whereas Philly and Dallas both lost (at home, no less) big leads. Plus, don’t forget how the Pats blew a lead vs. Buffalo the week before.
I know that conservative playcalling won’t work against teams like the Packers, but there had to be the thinking that “we’re simply better than Seattle and we CAN do this.” It almost backfired, but that did grind the clock down from 6+ minutes to 1:49 before we gave it back.
Aw BS
on defending ATL’s pathetic play calling. Both PHI and Dallas played better teams than SEA. I am so tired of this approach to trying to salvage something from horeible showings like this past Sunday.
I'll just leave this here.
http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/story/_/id/7056133/tmq-says-nfl-comebacks-losing-team-lost-lead
Regardless of your opinion of him, TMQ makes an interesting point on “blowing leads”.
And however “horrible” you consider the performance, we still won. From what I hear, the first half wasn’t horrible at all. So how could an entire game be a horrible showing when at least half of the game was actually a positive showing?
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by Caleb Rutherford on Oct 4, 2011 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Simply put Caleb, it was a take of two halves
First half, steam powered automaton. Second half, exact opposite. Blocking was good the first half, second half it was weeks 1-3 all over again. Same w/the playcalling on both sides of the ball. It was reall disconcerting to see the change from one half to the next. If you get the chance, watch the replay of the game. Then you’ll understand why this win has us saying “yay” instead of “HELL YEA!!”.
This is making me sick
How could an entire game be horrible when the first half was a positive showing? Because ATL let one of the worst teams in the NFL back into the game by playing BOTH crappy D and O. SEA lost that game by five or six yards. ATL’s D made Jackson look like an MVP.
It’s pathetic how this board is making excuses and defending a piss poor outing against a terrible team. The OL didn’t play better from what little I saw. Ryan was rolling away from pressure. MT’s numbers sucked. ATL scored no TD’s in the second half of the game. ATL has yet to play a single, entire good game so far. I’m really hoping this was the end of our preseason and now it’s on to real football.
In what way...
do any of these other games have anything to do with Falcons @ Seahawks? I was there and these were the only two teams on the field. The play in one game does not dictate or justified play in another. Different coaches, different philosophies, different players, etc.
To continue to run plays that the opposing defense KNOWS your going to run on a given down is ridiculous. This is the point I think your missing. I don’t think anyone is saying “don’t run the ball anymore”, but adapt to what your opponent is giving you. The first series or two, fine but why was MM insisting over and over to do the same things when it wasn’t working…it’s maddening. Continuously ramming your head against a brick wall in defiance of it does not change the fact that it’s a brick f’ing wall!!
They were giving us single coverage on (arguably) one of the best receiving corps out there…you MUST take advantage of this!! “Conservative”, “aggressive” play calling…how about just SMART play calling.
The first half of the game on Sunday is the team I want to see from snap one to snap done. Screw “conservative” with a lead…we should be making them wish they would have stayed in bed that day!!
Just my thoughts…sorry for the semi-rant
April 1974 - Tug McGraw, when asked if he preferred grass or AstroTurf: "I don't know. I never smoked AstroTurf."
by Blood_Talon on Oct 4, 2011 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The photo above is hilarious
First, Matty looks like he’s been photo-shopped in to the pic.
Second, b/c of the perspective, he’s not even as tall as #94’s elbow.
Third, his mouthguard makes him look like he’s got chipmunk teeth.
by KMarch on Oct 4, 2011 8:51 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
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