The Greatest Worst Team Ever: A Falcons-Panthers Recap
by Dave Choate on Dec 12, 2011 7:30 AM EST
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With apologies to zombie Charles Dickens, it was the best of games, it was the worst of games.
The first half was a tale of woe and incompetence. The Falcons' offensive was so inept that I was tackled in my living room by a Panthers linebacker, and I live in New Hampshire. Michael Turner couldn't get going and Matt Ryan was plagued by defenders all throughout, and the defense seemed incapable of stopping Cam Newton. When the clock hit zero in the second quarter, Falcons fans collectively gave up hope and I was ready to declare it the worst half of football I had seen in 2011.
There was little in the Falcons' performance up to this point that suggested they could or would win the game. The offense had simply been too inept, the defense too prone to big mistakes, the coaching staff unable or unwilling to make the kinds of adjustments that allow a team to engineer a 17 point comeback. The only point in their favor—the only one--is that this Falcons football team never seems to roll over.
Then the second half happened. For the first time all year, the coaching staff fired up the team and came out ready to make bold moves. Whether it was the long hit to Jacquizz Rodgers for a touchdown, the two bombs that found Julio Jones for touchdowns or the way the defense swarmed the edges against Newton, suddenly the Falcons looked like a damn good football team again.
Incredibly, they erased a 16 point deficit and held the Panthers scoreless in the second half. Think about how difficult it is to hold down Cam Newton and the rest of that dynamic offense for an entire half. Think about how tough it is to score 24 points in a half on an NFL team, especially for this offense. It was arguably the best half of the entire year.
I have real concerns about this team's ability to make a playoff run this season, and one excellent half can't save the coaching staff from legitimate criticism about their methods thus far in 2011. The Falcons never should have been down 23-7 at the end of the first half, after all.
Yet I can't help but feel my usual buoyant optimism right now. When the Falcons put it all together, there is no NFL team I would rather watch. If they can just sustain that level of play, I say to myself, this could be the year. It still might be.
Either way, it's worth celebrating that the Falcons are 8-5 and one step closer to the playoffs. With a Thursday night game at home against the Jaguars, they should be able to lock up their fourth straight winning season. Should. For better or for worse, nothing is certain with these Falcons.
After the jump, I'll break down some individual performances.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Matt Ryan played a masterful game. Considering he was under pressure constantly—especially in the first half, when Sam Baker and Joe Hawley failed to even get hands on Andre Neblett and Antwan Applewhite—Ryan's final numbers are remarkable.
He finished with 320 yards and four touchdowns against no turnovers. Considering Julio Jones again found himself battling a case of the drops, those totals could have been even higher. If Ryan is facing a sub-standard secondary and can operate out of the no-huddle, he generally does quite well.
With the Buccaneers, Jaguars and Saints on tap, he should be able to keep the good times going. - Jacquizz Rodgers was a standout. He only had one carry for four yards, but he was a factor in the passing game. Okay, factor's putting it mildly, considering he managed to reel in a 31 yard touchdown pass that Ryan placed gently into his hands.
The Falcons need to continue to use Rodgers as a weapon. If anything—sing it with me—they have to get him more involved in the offense. - Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White paced the passing game. Both had seven catches for over 80 yards, and White made the secondary look foolish on his wide open touchdown on the game's
firstsecond Falcons drive. They remain integral. - I really thought Jones was about to have another one of those games. His dropped pass was a continuation of his many, many struggles over the last couple of weeks, and Ryan could have been forgive if he had just given up throwing to Jones right then and there.
Thankfully, he didn't. Julio reeled in two highlight reel catches on Sunday, both of which went for touchdowns, and added a third to bring his total to 104 yards on just three grabs. He's the only rookie wide receiver with four 100 yard games.
There's a lot of growing left to do here, but if the Falcons can play to his strength and he can get the drops under control, the sky's the limit. - Matt Bosher is one of the best punters in the NFL right now. He averaged 47.8 yards per punt yesterday, three times landing it inside the 20 yard line. After a lot of rookie mistakes early in the year, I have to believe he's going to a mainstay in Atlanta for a very long time to come.
- Ray Edwards had a dumb penalty, but he also managed to get at Cam Newton. Credit goes where credit is due.
- Sean Weatherspoon cannot and will not be denied a Pro Bowl berth.
All 'Spoon did Sunday was make plays. He accounted for nine tackles (eight solo) and sacked Newton, bringing his total for the year up to four. The injuries that held him back a year ago are ancient history, and even when the rest of the D is struggling, 'Spoon is a force to be reckoned with. - I agree with many, many commenters. William Moore needs to get the starting job and keep it now that he's healthy.
James Sanders has been solid all season long for the Falcons, but he whiffed badly on several tackles Sunday. When Moore came in, he provided a little extra lumber and also picked Newton. Ballhawking safeties with crazy tackling skills don't grow on trees. They're lucky to have Sanders, but he should no longer be playing at Moore's expense. - Mike Peterson is en fuego. That's the second straight week he picked off an errant pass, and he looks completely rejuvenated out there. He'll lose that starting job when Stephen Nicholas comes back, but Mo Pete deserves to be on the field as much as possible.
- The defense as a whole was dominant in the second half. Kudos to the players and BVG for not rolling over.
- Speaking of second half heroics, what got into Mike Mularkey? The long pass to Jacquizz Rodgers, the willingness to take strikes, the absence of runs up the middle...it was like a body snatcher ate him at halftime. Hey, I'll take it.
LOWLIGHTS
- The offensive line was woeful much of the day. Sam Baker in particular and Joe Hawley and Tyson Clabo to a lesser extent were turnstiles, and they nearly got Matt Ryan killed more than once. The safety caused me to actually shout in anguish, which alarmed both my wife and my cat.
They have to give Ryan more time. If they do, he can put up numbers comparable to this week on a regular basis. - Michael Turner wasn't great today. He did what he had to do, grinding out the clock and a little yardage, but the combination of his groin injury and a poor line led to basically nothing. Ah well.
- The defense was astoundingly inept in the first half, with the exception of portions of a couple of drives. BVG needs to be more aggressive with mobile quarterbacks, methinks.
- Speaking of the first half...I haven't seen such an inept half of football since the Bears game. That was actually probably better.
- There are lot of little things that aren't actually all that small, but seem smaller because the Falcons won. Penalties, of which there were a handful. Dunta Robinson and Dominique Franks struggling in coverage at times. The pass rush still being inconsistent. The most godawful screen play you'll ever see run in your life. A sluggishness out of the gate that doesn't bode well for the Saints game. And so on.
I believe the Falcons need to make significant changes to the way they prepare for and ultimately execute in football games. I believe they need to prioritize creative play calling, work out an effective way to get the screen pass involved in their repertoire and get Julio Jones comfortable. On defense, they need to get healthy, but they also need to blitz more effectively and generate more pressure. That might be accomplished by sending the linebackers in more, or it might require a little trickery. If the current coaching staff isn't willing to mix things up a bit, then pieces of it probably have to go at the end of the season.
Just my two cents.
THE WRAPUP
Game MVP: It's gotta be Ice. Ryan fought off pressure and generated 24 of the team's 31 points by connecting on sharp, accurate passes. You have to love that.
Game Theme Song: Just for one line, really.
One Thing To Take Away: The Falcons need to play pissed off football more often.
Next Week: On Thursday night, the Falcons will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Be sure to visit Big Cat Country for more.
Final Word: Holycrapguys.
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Awesome game assessment
Matt Ryan was surgical on the field. He could really take the next step if the o-line starts protecting him. Speaking of the o-line, if I ever see Sam Baker in the game again, I’m going to rip my eyelids off. He was absolutely abysmal yesterday. I truly think his days in ATL are numbered. Also I think Dominique Franks played a good game yesterday. He had a couple of bad plays but overall he has been solid.
Don't rip your eyelids off!
Otherwise you will be forced to watch the DLineman routinely fly by Baker and sack Matt Ryan. You need to superglue them shut in that case.
by Falcons1133 on Dec 12, 2011 9:01 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Was at the game.
Ryan had a solid game, though I blame him for holding the ball too long in his own end zone on the safety. Not sure what was up with the defense in the first half; we haven’t been giving up big plays like that this year. Honestly, for me, this game sums up what I’ve been saying about Newton. He is not a consistently accurate passer- if you trap him in the pocket and force him to make reads he will beat himself. I really don’t think it’s just rookie stuff either.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
by J Tadpole on Dec 12, 2011 8:38 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
I'd guess
75% of all NFL losses are due to teams beating themselves. Solid, mistake free football will get you in the playoffs year after year.
If you were directly above him, how could you see him? Because I was inverted. [Bullshit] No, he was man. It was a really great move. He was inverted.
this one restored some faith for me......
Some reasons that I’m encouraged:
- The 3 second half touchdowns were all explosive…….and all scored by rookies – the future for explosive plays for this team is bright
- To your point, much fewer runs up the middle…..some creative play calling….Turner still (somehow) gets his 20+ carries, but this time there were not as many negative plays – even though he was under 4ypc, they seemed like positive yards for a change
- Love Quiz…….I hope has won the 3rd down back role…….keep Snelling in the FB role…..Quiz just gives defenses more to think about than Snelling does
- We shut down a top 5 offense in their building in the 2nd half………
- Spoon Jones is a beast…..credit BVG for basically giving Spoon run of the field – I have not seen a back outrun him all season – in some cases, he’s been sealing both edges by himself, depending on where the play goes……..definitely my favorite Falcon LB ever – sorry Jessie
- Not sure what you saw, but I saw Franks in the receiver’s back pocket all day – the receivers still made some plays on him, but he runs with the WRs as well as anyone we have
Some questions:
- James Sanders was billed as a FS when he came in…….yet he’s been filling in at SS…..am I the only one who thinks he should have DeCoud’s FS spot instead of Moore’s…….now that Moore appears to have his spot back?……I’m guessing the coaches prefer DeCoud’s speed, but he has been our weakest link in the secondary
- Why can’t HD assume more of a Wesley Welker role? He seems to be able to get open on the slant…….we had some very curious 3rd and short calls that could have hurt us, can’t we establish the slant with HD so that we have another 3rd down option?
We don't seem to throw enough slants
and it’s baffling. I noted several times that the Panthers were playing tight bump-and-run coverage. With the big receivers we have a slant should be money against that. The 75-yarder to Julio was more of a dig route, but watch the replay and have a look at the clean inside release he was able to get. We could have thrown slants all day, and I guarantee that Roddy and Julio would break some tackles along the way and create big plays off of them.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
by J Tadpole on Dec 12, 2011 8:56 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I could not agree more
Ryan, at least in my memory, seems to be fairly effective throwing to crossing routes. For some reason, though, I feel like our WR’s run a disproportionately high number of outside routes that leave Matty throwing at the sideline.
by dirtybirds404 on Dec 12, 2011 9:44 AM EST up reply actions
You're absolutely right
We make our WRs run WAY too many routes to the sidelines. Gives Matt basically no room to throw them which is why i think we see him throw so many checkdowns throughout the course of the game
i agree
slants have this effect of opening up running lanes as well because with big recievers the CB’s alone cannot cover slants so the team chooses to drop its outside backers into what they call “quick-roll” coverage…meaning they just drop out to stop the slant and work their way back inside. when that threat is established those off-tackle runs become effective because the tackle or the FB can better kick out those backers
Decoud = Sanders
Both are poor tacklers. Both sometimes take strange angles to the ball. Flip a coin. Decoud may be faster.
The Pats scheme is different from ATL’s I’m guessing due to personnel. In NE, the slot is the primary underneath target whereas their TE run much deeper seam routes. Welker gets all the tunnels screens he can handle. Even before Gronkowski added his speed element, I used to be amazed at how deep Algee Crumpler’s routes were with NE. ATL has Gonzalez, who has lost a step, but whose sure hands underneath make up for it. Gonzo moves the chains, while HD gets to run the deeper seam routes.
If you were directly above him, how could you see him? Because I was inverted. [Bullshit] No, he was man. It was a really great move. He was inverted.
by 66fredo99 on Dec 12, 2011 9:56 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Huggy Bear
Sam Baker is killing us, more importantly, he’s killing Matt Ryan. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe he was responsible for 2 sacks in the first two series that he participated in—one of them being the safety. What’s with our O-Line this year? Is Dahl’s abbsence hurting us this badly?
by mattyicemancometh on Dec 12, 2011 8:44 AM EST reply actions
It looks like Dahl is really missed...
That guard spot has been an eye sore all season long. I think I also so Baker getting in on that sack. He blindsided matty ice like L.T. Jk but baker is terrible
by Bigru3 on Dec 12, 2011 9:06 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Its really a PITY
He did so well his Rookie Year, then Baker just regressed. I know he has had a few injuries and maybe that has had something to do with it, but we can’t afford to put him in there with playoffs on the line. That was a close one yesterday.
Get RID of Baker
He still sucks at Right Guard.
Exactly
I was actually looking foward to seeing if they would try him at RG. After yesterday’s game I doubt he will see the field for a long time. I thought he was fairly decent his rookie year but to see how far he has regressed this year is alarming. It makes me wonder if the guy is dealing with some type of personal turmoil or if he just flat out sucks.
2008 he actually played well for a Rook
Thought he was going to be around for a long time. Clearly, he has regressed to the point where he can no longer be trusted. Yesterday I think was the end of his time in Atlanta.
Dave, your literary eloquence has once again spelled out my thoughts better than I ever could...
Yesterday, as i sat, mid-second quarter, in my car listening to the truly maddening first half of this game on the radio-windows down, engine running, in the enclosed garage- i began to fuzzily contemplate what the hell happened to our team this year. I could see what looked like a promising season slipping away into a sea of incosistency, under-achievement and complacency. I was falling away from this world into firey pits of despair…
When next i awoke, my beautiful wife repeatedly striking me across the face, I was informed that the second half had started and the Falcs defense showed some signs of life on the Panthers first drive of the half…
What? All was not lost?
I staggered out of the car, recovering my senses in the now open and slightly less monoxidey garage and thanking my better half for slapping me back to consciousness to save me. After shrugging off her perplexed response of “you needed saving? what do you mean?”, I dashed back inside to watch the most complete second half of football that the Falcons have played in a really long time.
I hope this team turned a corner with this half of football. I hope they found that sense of urgency. I hope they see what they’re capable of doing when they put it together.
I hope.
I have no vampire experience, but I have hunted werewolves. I shot one once, but by the time I got there, it had turned back into my neighbor's dog.
twitter.com/technomonk13
by Heath13 on Dec 12, 2011 8:58 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
.......thanks Red, I mean Heath
……for the well-placed Shawshank reference – LOVE IT!
by AuxiliaryHusky on Dec 12, 2011 9:01 AM EST up reply actions
That was beautiful
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by Dave Choate on Dec 12, 2011 10:05 AM EST up reply actions
That screen play...
My husband said, “Mularkey heard y’all complaining and he’s just trying to prove that they aren’t good at it.” I desperately needed the laugh at the time.
@MattyIceManCometh: we had dinner with a former NFL coach a few weeks ago, and I talked to him at length about our o-line struggles. This was somewhere around week four, and our o-line at that time was much worse than it is now. He told me that personnel changes impact the offensive line more than any other position. They have to function as a unit on every play to protect the QB, and that takes time to develop. When you throw new guys in there, it throws off the whole chemistry. So, yeah, I think losing Dahl hurt us more than anything.
Definately Dahl leaving hurt
But I think Baker in there hurts us more than anything….The OLine problems seemed to go away to a large extent when Baker got hurt and then returned yesterday when he started at RG. Good thing they finally sat him.
I try to stay off of the whole blaming specific players thing...
It’s a team sport, and they win and lose as a team, but for the love of all that is sacred and holy, Baker is TERRIBLE. I will make an exception here and point out that the o-line is definitely worse with him than without him, regardless of what position he’s playing. He is just not even remotely adequate.
by Jeanna Thomas on Dec 12, 2011 10:41 AM EST up reply actions
He's a finesse player
meaning he shouldn’t be inside. A dude with decent technique and quick feet can play against DEs, but you’d better be able to fire out and play with tenacity against the big uglies inside.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
I understand the finesse thing
but he hasn’t really done well at LT either.
I didn't say he was good out there.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
so why did we choose not to sign
the guy who brought the “nasty” reputation to the line? I would think you’d need someone like that to stay on the line as much as possible
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
So, I'm going to look ahead
I’m bummed the Cowboys lost last night. I’d rather play in Dallas than in the Meadowlands, if things hold. Plus, I’m still aching to avenge that playoff loss to Dallas in the early ’80s.
I'm torn on who I want to win the NFC East
If we remain the 5th seed, we will be playing at Dallas or NYG. Dallas has a 3-4 and we seem to struggle against 3-4 defenses-but Romo has the tendancy to choke. As for NYG, Jason Pierre Paul is an absolute monster, but their secondary can get torched. I guess I’m leaning more towards facing NYG.
Just the craziest ride ever...
My wife must think im bi polar…i went from one extreme to the other. Im begging that this be the wake up call to this team.
by Bigru3 on Dec 12, 2011 9:09 AM EST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Great comeback win. I thought they had given up.
Franks does seem to cover well he always has good position. Idk if it’s just me but it looks like he sometimes gets alligator arms when he’s in position to make a play? Sanders is quality but I never once thought he should start over a healthy Moore. Idk his beef with the coaching staff but he’s the man. A focused Decoud should start too. They’re especially better against the run.
I don’t know what to expect from this team. I’m not exactly confident going fwd against Jacksonville. Hopefully they can surprise us all and put the game away early. 2 back to back televised games… Enough said. Great win none the less it showed a lot of heart. Spoon, Ryan, Gonzales, and Moore should get game balls.
by DEMBIRDZCUZ! on Dec 12, 2011 9:20 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
ps
Dunta Robinson,
I’d much rather u get burned and make the tackle, or pu$h your guy out of bounds, (like you did yesterday) rather then falling down or holding and giving up points and/or momentum. Your a good corner man above average. We know your not Revis you don’t have to to be. Thankx
by DEMBIRDZCUZ! on Dec 12, 2011 9:49 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
Next years draft
Offensive line man.Next years gift from Author Blank Veteran good offensive line man.When we lost Dahl and added new lineman and with the lock out.Instead of a gelled line we got a water line.
by JT131 on Dec 12, 2011 9:16 AM EST via mobile reply actions
2nd quarter.
I think we can limit our horror to the second quarter alone. We went in there with a tied game, Ryan looked good (140+ passer rating, 8+ YPA, 85% completion percentage in the first quarter), Cam tricked us into a TD, but that can happen.
And then everybody just collapsed in the second quarter. The Defense gave away 14, and Ryan had only two successful plays in the whole quarter, and only one of them was a first down. On 11 Attempts he got 2.6 YPA and a 52.2 passer rating, and that’s not even taking into account the safety and the fumble.
Take away the second quarter, and Ryan had a 10+ YPA game with a 139+ passer rating. The gap is simply ridiculous.
by wiesengrund on Dec 12, 2011 9:28 AM EST via mobile reply actions
What is the deal with the Falcons collapsing for one quarter a game?
I think we’re going to have to discuss this later in the week.
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interestingly enough
we, and by we I mean Georgia Tech, does this also, as do the hawks….culture of the city or something?
and somehow
it seems that the collapse has moved from the 3rd quarters to 2nd quarters – at least in the past 2 games we got blown away in the second quarter but came back strong in the 3rd.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
I gathered that
When he looked at me with his vacant eye sockets and said “nrrrrghghhh.”
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by Dave Choate on Dec 12, 2011 9:56 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Do you keep him locked in your basement?
Or did you two just Skype?
"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
Depends on the day, really
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Recalled to Life.
I doubt you intended the set-up, but that was too perfect.
by YokoFalcon on Dec 12, 2011 7:32 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i
hope when nicholas gets back that we can keep peterson involved in the defense more. He is playing mad it seems and we need that on D.
Gummo is a movie everyone should be forced to see.
"i hear theres rumors on the internets that were going to have a draft"-George Bush
"i'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside the oval office" -George Bush.
by AplusBEqualsABE on Dec 12, 2011 10:08 AM EST reply actions
3rd downs, IMO, seem to be a huge difference maker
Yesterday, as I was watching the end of the nightmare that was the first half, the box score popped up on the screen. I began to think about something that hasn’t really crossed my mind very much this season and that I believe is a stat that gets less recognition than it should: 3rd downs. Not the conversion rate, but the actual number of third downs. At the end of the first half the Falcons found themselves trying to convert ten 3rd downs (they were 3/10). In the second half, however, the Falcons faced only seven 3rd downs (they were 5/7).
While the conversion rate obviously makes a huge difference, I don’t think it paints the entire picture. One change I’d like to see from this team that I began to see during the second half is play calling that allows the offense to pick up 1st downs on 1st and 2nd down. While I love the run-run-pass mentality when it works, it clearly hasn’t as of late (no Ovie or OL productivity). If every set of downs results in a 3rd and __ it becomes increasingly difficult to put together sustainable drives and thus, win games.
Yep, it's the distance, too.
In the first half, Ryan’s average 3rd down was 8.5 yards away from a first down. In the second half he faced the average 3rd Down of 6.8 yards.
For a guy that doubles his passer rating on third downs when they are shorter than 7 Yards (looking at the whole season here), that diff between first and second half is of course huge.
by wiesengrund on Dec 12, 2011 10:22 AM EST up reply actions
He was also put in much better field position in the second half.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Don't shortchange Mike Cox.
Mike Cox has come up big on occasion.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
By putting Baker in at guard the Falcons organization seems to be telling us
that Valdez nor Andrew Jackson is better than what we saw out of Baker yesterday. In that case, Valdez needs to go after being on the practice squad for about 3 years.
I don't think
the organisation expected Baker to be so bad at G. I guess it’s just hindsight knowledge, and that they would choose the unknowns of Valdez or Jackson over that performance anytime. Now they know.
by wiesengrund on Dec 12, 2011 10:54 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah, it was a worthwhile experiment
But it’s pretty clear at this point that they’re better off without him.
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by Dave Choate on Dec 12, 2011 11:03 AM EST up reply actions
To bad that...
experiment actually cost us points on the board on Sunday!!
"I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl." - Joe Jacoby, formerly of the Redskins
"To win, I'd run over Joe's mom too." - Matt Millen, formerly of the Raiders
"We now have exactly the same situation as we had at the start of the race, only exactly the opposite" - Murray Walker, Sportscaster
Yes that could have ended us
Losing to Carolina would have been an epic disaster. Not the best of times to try out an experiment. Cut Baker or let him ride the pine the rest of the year, just no more!
Mularkey needs to apply for head coaching positions every week.
Let’s not pretend that he didn’t know Jacksonville would be watching the tape this week to help decide if he’s the right man for the job.
Seriously though, masterful second half. I was most pleased to see Matt’s accuracy improve drastically from last week. You can tell he spent a lot of time this week working on his long throw and hitting guys in stride.
Playing against...
…the 29th ranked pass defense in DVOA as opposed to the 3rd best one last week might have helped too…. ;)
by wiesengrund on Dec 12, 2011 10:57 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That helped, for sure!
It did feel more varied and inventive than the normal slate of plays run out there, but maybe that was because the coaches felt more comfortable against a bad secondary. However, DVOA doesn’t account for the QB throwing the ball 8 yards in front of a receiver, so it was nice to see him dropping the ball in the right place more consistently.
Mike Mularkey called a great game
deserves some big ups for yesterday’s win
"My parents do a lot of things behind the scenes that go unnoticed"- Cam Newton, Heisman acceptance speech.
http://twitter.com/#!/AShirkey
by TurnerTheBurner on Dec 12, 2011 11:56 AM EST reply actions
Not sure there's a more definitive stat than this one,
stolen from Pat Yasinskas’ blog:
“Ryan finished with a 120.5 NFL passer rating. It was the fifth time this season Ryan had a passer rating above 100. Since Ryan’s arrival in 2008, the Falcons are 21-0 when his passer rating is above 100.”
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
Because when he's on
so is the rest of the team. haha
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by Caleb Rutherford on Dec 12, 2011 12:59 PM EST up reply actions
I like that statline too, but I think it also holds true for guys like Cutler and in some way for most decent-to-good QBs. I dont think its very Ryan-specific.
by wiesengrund on Dec 12, 2011 2:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
i agree completely
It just re-emphasizes the effect a QB has on a team nowadays.
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 Dec 12, 2011 3:32 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Don't understand...
everybody giving props to Mularkey. The majority of the game he was calling the plays the offense was garbage. Running no-huddle was what got us going with Matt Ryan audibling to the best play at the line. Seems to be the only way we ever move the ball consistently down the field all season. That should tell us something… I did like the wheel route call to Quizz alot, very well executed too, but other than that, it was typical “vanilla” Mularkey offense. I pray that our offense goes off against Jacksonville and impresses them enough to hire him for their coaching job… All I want for X-mas Santa
Agreed
Mularkey doesn’t get off the hook because he called 1 good half of football. With the HC openings in Jax and KC, hopefully we may be nearing the end of the Mularkey era in ATL.
Agreed guys
For some reason people are way to willing and quick to compliment MM. As wiesengrund point out CAR’s D is MUCH worse than HST’s. Until MM can do that against a good D he’s still in the fire for me. Also MM should be held accountable to a large extent for the O’s inconsistency, like the first half yesterday.
With any luck,
MM gets hired and Norv Turner gets fired. Then, we have to hope that Norv is willing to take a step “back” to being an OC again.
I'm hoping for Todd Haley over Norv Turner
Arizona could score at will back in ‘08 when Haley was OC. I won’t be upset with Norv either but if we get a shot at Haley, I hope TD snags him up.
just wanted to say that
when I saw the previous comment. Haley was a great OC. question is, would he be fired this offseason?
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Great comeback yesterday
This is what ATL needed to do and it might be the springboard for the rest of the season.
Bascher has turned into a great punter and I’m feeling better about the pick.
Spoon should be in the Pro Bowl.
I have not been a fan of Peterson in pass coverage in the past but he has changed my mind with two INT’s in two games. Hell, give this man a contract for next year.
The D stepped up in the second half, kuddos to all the guys!! Great to see C4 back!! BVG still needs to go.
I think MM and BVG are slowly killing MS with games like the last two.
I'm starting to cave in as well.
That was a pitiful performance by the defense and much of it had to do with the vanilla play-calling of BVG… The only good defensive series of the entire game was probably the first Panthers drive of the game. Tackling sucked and we were saved by a couple heads up plays by a savvy veteran (Peterson) and a perennial Pro-Bowler (Weatherspoon).
Ron Artest = Ron (sm)Artest - He Is The Most Interesting Man In The World
by JoshChildressAfroIsCure4Cancer on Dec 12, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
Vanilla play calling is what worked!
All the interviews the guys gave after the game said that after half-time, they stopped trying all the funky stuff and just “played them straight up.”
"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
But that is the point
Straight up man-to-man is not how BVG plays D. Many people on this board have been screaming to at least give man-to-man a try.
Ah...
I got the impression from the interviews that the big change was that they stopped trying weird blitzes.
I won’t claim to be the smartest football analyst – I never even played. I defer to your judgement (you know a lot more about this kind of shiz than i do, from what I can tell).
"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
I wouldn't say that, not at all
I didn’t see the interview you referred to so I am probably off base.
It's cool...
I’d have to go back and watch again to see what kind of blitzing we did in the second half to know for sure. The gist of the comments that I heard were that our boys needed to “take it one play at a time,” and focus on fundamentals (i.e. tackling). I think it was Abe who said that they just played them straight up – which i didn’t take to mean “man to man”, but rather, no trickery – just play better football than the opponent.
I guess I’m just averse to jumping all over our coordinators for problems. Obviously, we’d rather blame those guys than the players we all love (you ever seen someone walking around with a jersey with a coordinator’s name on it?). Fact of the matter is, often times it’s execution. Dropped passes, missed tackles, etc. It’s rare that the play that was called in undeniably at fault. Just my perspective.
Cheers, man!
"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
by TomQ on Dec 12, 2011 2:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
*It's rare that the play...
that was called was undeniably at fault.
"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
I would add...
Tackling was the biggest issue. I didn’t think the play calls were bad. Two of the three touchdowns were long plays where we had opportunities to make tackles. The first TD was just a good, tricky play.
"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
by TomQ on Dec 12, 2011 1:49 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Talking about tackling
there was a thread posted within the past few weeks about how poor ATL tackles. The general response was “It isn’t important because the team is 9th in total D.” Well, that was one comment. Funny how things become apparent, eventually.
Yeah...
From my perspective, that was a much bigger issue yesterday than scheme. However, see my self critique above, lol.
"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
Todd Haily just got fired...
That dude is an awesome coordinator. He made the cardinals what they were when they knocked us out. He was awesome with Boldin and Fitzgerald and I bet he would do the same with Julio and Roddy. This guy or Norv Turner would be awesome.
by Bigru3 on Dec 12, 2011 12:55 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I would love to see this
and I think it depends on how far we get in the season. If we don’t make the playoffs or we’re one and done again, then I would think/hope he’s done. However, I believe they were thinking of their next step last year, whether MM is fired or leaves for HC position, by hiring Bratkowski.
Speaking of MM, Dave
I saw Bratkowski (QB Coach) talking with Matty and holding a playsheet to cover his face in one particular scene in the second half.
You don’t think he might’ve been calling some of the shots in the second half, do you? I realize MM coaches from the booth, but still, I didn’t realize QB coaches ever did that, especially with what appeared to be a playsheet.
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by Caleb Rutherford on Dec 12, 2011 12:58 PM EST reply actions
That would be awesome!!
"I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl." - Joe Jacoby, formerly of the Redskins
"To win, I'd run over Joe's mom too." - Matt Millen, formerly of the Raiders
"We now have exactly the same situation as we had at the start of the race, only exactly the opposite" - Murray Walker, Sportscaster
When I read the report...
that Jaquizz had caught a TD pass for 31 yards I started dancing a jig…and haven’t stopped yet.
This just kept going after the two TD passes for JJ with one for 75 yards. Please football gods; tell me that the second half of this game is where MM morphed into an actual “modern” OC and that the “Mighty Morphin Malarkey” is here to stay…PLEASE!!!
"I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl." - Joe Jacoby, formerly of the Redskins
"To win, I'd run over Joe's mom too." - Matt Millen, formerly of the Raiders
"We now have exactly the same situation as we had at the start of the race, only exactly the opposite" - Murray Walker, Sportscaster
Oh yeah, I yelled so loud
I was so happy for Quizz and it was such a great play, too.
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by Caleb Rutherford on Dec 12, 2011 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
Not to be negative but when he caught that pass I said to myself well we won't see him again
by JT131 on Dec 12, 2011 2:55 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
its like
when Snelling did that amazing run a few games back he disappeared after that, and so did the Quizz.To me if a dude is crankin he needs to play more than one good play.They need to wear him out.
by JT131 on Dec 12, 2011 2:59 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Completly Agree!!
"I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl." - Joe Jacoby, formerly of the Redskins
"To win, I'd run over Joe's mom too." - Matt Millen, formerly of the Raiders
"We now have exactly the same situation as we had at the start of the race, only exactly the opposite" - Murray Walker, Sportscaster
by Blood_Talon on Dec 12, 2011 10:21 PM EST up reply actions
How about Jim Mora's Miss Cleo moments...
First, he said at half time that the Falcons were going to make a game out of this – he said it with such confidence – there was no doubt that the Falcons were going to come out and put up some points. Then, when Julio was struggling, he predicted that they would keep feeding him the ball and he was going to make a couple of big plays. It was eerie, man. My description probably doesn’t do it justice, but it was like he had a crystal ball.
"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
I really hope this title isnt referring to the falcons
Sooooooo Disrespectful
Atlanta Superbowls
by Atlanta Superbowls on Dec 12, 2011 1:55 PM EST reply actions
Pretty sure, at the end of the first half, the majority of us felt like we were the worst team ever.
Then, in the second half, we played like the best team ever.
So we are the best worst team ever. That sounds about right, imo
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by Caleb Rutherford on Dec 12, 2011 2:02 PM EST up reply actions
i didnt feel that way, for some reason i refused to beleive we would lose that game
the whole time…so idk about that but the falcons didnt score until thier 2nd drive…thats an error in the highlight section
Atlanta Superbowls
by Atlanta Superbowls on Dec 12, 2011 2:23 PM EST up reply actions
Good catch, fixed
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Man!!! that was fast!
Atlanta Superbowls
by Atlanta Superbowls on Dec 12, 2011 2:33 PM EST up reply actions
I do what I can
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If anyone has the time
Check out the Willy Mo interview: http://www.atlantafalcons.com/falconstv/?video_id=1322199725001
I pretty much had the guy slotted as my favorite Falcon (I made numerous slights to the CS for not having him in during the thread yesterday). He credited just being ready and stepping up when his number was called. He had the exact opposite of the Sam Baker effect.
Also note the chemistry between the team. Look at the clips on the Falcons site. A minor observation from the end of the interview, Dave tells Willy Mo “Thank you brother” with an embrace. You can tell this is much more than just a team you go to work for and cash your check. It’s a legit brotherhood and I’m proud to be a fan of these guys and their ownership.
"NLDS or bust" - Bobby Cox
Yeah..
I remember u saying that on the thread yesterday.. And u were right, so props man.. When Willy Mo came in, it did seem to spark the D. Hope they keep him starting from here on out. He’s definitely a ball hog, which we need painfully. Especially with Grimes out.
I think there were three "key" plays:
1. During the Pathers’ first drive of the second half, Weatherspoon dove for, and knocked down, a quick throw by C-Newt. It was right after Jimmy Mora said, “Someone’s gotta step up make a play…” I think it lit a fire in the defense.
2. After Newton threw the first interception, he lost confidence. He was always tentative after that.
3. The “stupid” roughing-the-passer call against Edwards. After that play, Newton walked with a limp for the rest of the game. I’m never in favor of sensless brutality…almost.
—AOb
How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?
GO FALCONS!!
by AnOldBird on Dec 12, 2011 4:20 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I second your third!
"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
I think I might have just flagged your comment by accident...
I meant to Rec it!
"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
Tidbits worth a read
- Blitzing Ryan here didn’t work. On the 29 times he wasn’t blitzed he graded -1.3, on the 13 times he was +3.9 with a QB rating of 144.4
- Every starter in the Falcons back seven missed at least one tackle. There was 12 misses in total with Mike Peterson and Sean Weatherspoon both whiffing three times each.
by KMarch on Dec 12, 2011 5:23 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Man, that's sobering
Not Spoon!
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are they sure????
Atlanta Superbowls
by Atlanta Superbowls on Dec 12, 2011 6:40 PM EST up reply actions
Again, this is a big problem for ATL
I would like to know how many “yards after missed tackle” occurred? There were a few missed tackles on the long runs by Williams and Olsen.
ATL is one of the worst tackling teams in the NFL.
by mwalex on Dec 12, 2011 7:58 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Ugh..
We need to get better at tackling. We’re so good at swarming to the ball, so if we can just stop the poor tackling this D would be so solid! Seems like Kroy misses a should be sack almost every game. Wish the D would get more pass rush too, but shutting out Cam in an entire half is pretty damn good so I can’t complain too much. Let’s keep it up Thursday, against a pretty inept offense from what I’ve seen.
You can just look at the missed sack in the EZ, almost changed the game
If Abe takes him down, two for us and the ball. Instead they go down the field and almost get the lead back. Worked out in the end but good god, can’t we just make it easy for ourselves for once so, I don’t know, maybe we can get some key players off the field and keep em nice and healthy. Matt Flynn was in early in the 4th in the packer game. I want to see that with our Matt dammit! Something as simple as wrapping someone up can change so much.
by aces666high on Dec 12, 2011 11:26 PM EST up reply actions
I'm guessing it must have been removed
It got pretty aggressive. Folks arguing about how a true fan should react to losing, a few F-bombs, etc.
A couple of guys took offense to the fact that Caleb tried to get his mind off our piss poor 1st half by doing other things
And then dared to write a game summary. A few choice words were lobbed Calebs way, Caleb responded, w/o the choice words and was then called out for not being a real fan because he changed the channel. Caleb kept out of the mud but it really started getting nasty.
Anyone know who was doing the lobbing?
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This is one of the things that I can't stand
that some people think that there is a right and wrong way to support a team. That is ridiculous. When any team I like is getting drilled I walk away because I can’t stand to see it. That in no way makes anyone a poor or bad fan.
When the voices tell me to burn things, I have to change the channel for awhile.
How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?
GO FALCONS!!
Raise your hand if you knew Turner was 3rd in the league in Rushing Yards
Not I.
He’s only behind MJD and McCoy, even despite being limited by a bad OLine and, recently, a so-so groin.
Didn't know that. A solid, quiet 1000 yard season for MT
We also have two guys in the top 5 in receptions, Gonzo and the much maligned Roddy. Oh yea, Sproles has 74(productive) catches. Just makes u wanna punch MM in the back of the head. All our RB’s/FB’s have a combined 51. Can’t wait to see what Quizz can do w/40-50 receptions…next year of course.
At this point, he's actually underrated
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by Dave Choate on Dec 13, 2011 8:50 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i could be wrong
But i think this was quizz 1st nfl touchdown and he acted like he had been there 1000 times. I really like dis guy
by jgreedy on Dec 13, 2011 6:37 AM EST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
You and me both
Quiet pro, really talented kid. I think he’ll be with Atlanta a long time.
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Check out his interview on nfl.com
hilarious b/c he never looked at the camera. Also equally hilarious camera presence on D-Block.
Yup.
That is something I love about our team. We don’t do end zone dances. We get excited, and the most you’ll ever see is a fist pump, a dunk (Tony G.), and some rowdy body slamming/pats on helmets.
I have noticed some recent sideline dances (looks tribal). I could do without ‘em, but at least it’s on the sideline.
Quiet confidence.
"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
Oh, and then there is this:
"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
Oh, I've always wondered...
Is this the famed “Eurostep”?
"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
This is off da subject but.....
It would’ve been nice to get noel devine as a kick and/or punt returner
by jgreedy on Dec 13, 2011 6:54 AM EST via mobile reply actions
He apparently didn't want to come to ATL
ATL tried to sign him but he chose Philly instead. Then he proceeded to quit the team. I think he’s with a Canadian team now.
Devine is a waste of effort
he was an issue in college and walked away from PHI. That is JUST the kind of player we want on the team.
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