Falcons-Bucs Recap: This "Team" Is A Disgrace

4 saving me the time of typing all this out in the comment section! That is all

Caleb, please write a rant for the Braves McSuckagefest too!! That was awesome.

Its week three fellas.

For one, the Bucs and Falcons have played really close games since Freeman arrived. We were bound to lose one sooner or later.

Two, if not for some mental errors that frankly do not happen (Roddy White’s drops & the 4th down jump) we win this game. I have complete confidence that we go down the field and win the game should Peters not jump. The fact that we lost this game completely on mental errors makes me feel good; it will make the team and its leaders step back from the headlines and realize the games are played on the field and not in the newspapers or the blogs.

Three, the annual NFC West game couldn’t come at a better time. If we lose to seattle then i’ll be mashing the panic button, but not now.

The only thing that concerns me is the offensive line. Turner had a couple of good games before today though it may not seem like it. The o-line is a disaster and I fear for matt ryan’s cranium but again, the NFC West shows its face at the perfect time. Let’s watch these next two weeks unfold before we make any melodramatic judgments.

I agree with a lot of what you said up there, but here’s something to consider.

We haven’t played up to our potential yet. We will though. Even with nearly no time to throw the ball again yesterday, Matt got a few nice passes out there, and we had two receivers with over 100 yards receiving. Julio has only been in the NFL for 3 games and he’s having an enormous impact, whether it’s keeping the Defense honest and opening up lanes for Tony and Roddy, or converting crucial 3rd downs, or racking up yards himself. Before the season started we all seemed okay with the whole “Rookie Growing Pains” thing, but now that we’re not putting up 30 points a game it’s a little harder to sit and watch. It will get better.

The offensive line is bad. There is no way around that one. It can only get better though, as yesterday was T-Mac’s first game back and we’ve still got a newbie in there. We had continuity before this season, and we’ve all been mentally preparing to lose that over the off-season. This is what that looks like. I’ve got faith that it will get better. I just hope Matt doesn’t die before it happens.

The defense bailed us out multiple times yesterday after the offense sputtered (See: offensive line). I think we’ve got a better defense than we give credit for. The scheme isn’t the best, but they’re making enough plays to open the door for some wins. I’m not saying they’re perfect, don’t get me wrong. They weren’t the problem against Chicago or Tampa.

Bosher kicked some touchbacks yesterday…. so there’s that. (I can’t feign support for the guy, sorry.)

Even with as bad as we played against Tampa, it was a 3 point game in the end. That was their best start all year, and we were never out of that game. We were never going to go 100-0 against them in the Ryan Era, it’s not possible. I can say that they might not be the “Youngry” ones next time we play. Nobody makes us bleed our own blood…Nobody! We’re 3 games into the season, and with any luck we’ll be .500 after next week.
The other thing I’ve noticed this yar is this; We’re not the only ones with sub-par play this year. I would take our problems over being a KC fan, a Browns fan, or any of those other teams with bleak seasons ahead. We’re more Philadelphia than San Fransisco, and that’s a good thing.

Who would have believed a month ago, that the Bills and Lions would be undefeated and looking much better than the Falcons ?

A blind man can spot it in a minute. The Falcons are beaten mentally. They’ve gone three years not making these type of mental mistakes. I thought that maybe the coaching staff was just in a slump but it’s everything. Yes we could have beaten Chicago and Tampa Bay but by the end of the first quarter of both games you had to question if it was possible.

If your QB is getting killed you have to use two TE and max protect. Coaches see that. Not one screen pass? HS teams run that play. It’s stubbornness, the OL isn’t big enough to be that slow. Soft coverage of the defense is awful. The penalties which we never used to commit. It’s not that they’re losing you guys, it’s how. It’s possible that after the G.B. game the players stopped buying into all of the program.

Additionally it doesn’t matter what other "good" teams are or are not doing it’s about the Falcons. I could give a **** about how Pittsburgh lost. They’ve got six Super Bowls.

You guys are so worked up about this team right now. Its going to be fine trust me! Look around the NFC. How many teams do you believe are actually BETTER than us? I would say just GB, DET, and NO. Thats it. This team WILL start playing better. Our defense seems to be improving tremendously and Babs should be back soon. And our offense will start to put up big numbers even if the O line only slightly improves. I think the coaching staff is definitely taking notice in Ryan’s abililty to run the no huddle. It was definitley used more this game than in games past. Its only a matter of time and I believe that Seattle will be the starting point.

We can beat anybody. We can lose to anybody. I just keep hoping and never ever assume any game is a done deal. And I will continue to do so.

Caleb, your observation is on point and its not an over reaction. Its a conclusion being drawn from what is real and factual, we sucked for the last 3 weeks. Much to be optimistic about? Not till the extreme is done…relieve MM of his calling duties and do some moving around on the O-Line. BVG drop the zone blitz philosophy, its a joke. Your not Dick Lebeau and we’re not the steelers. Your personel if they can play any D is best suited as in your face physical man coverage. Those boys cant figure out where their zones begin and end, blown assignments on 3rd downs game after game should be a huge indication to this. In the words of Jim Mora “Playoffs?! Playoffs?!!!”

If so, that will leave us 9-7, and out of the playoffs most likely. Only to come back next year with no first round draft pick. We had no sacks yesterday (correct me if I am wrong) and only 1 offensive TD. I am so disappointed it’s ridiculous. And you know, I don’t blame the offensive players one bit (except o-line). I’ve been saying it for years, MM will not win us a championship. He will give us a winning record, year in and year out, but the OC’s for SB contenders are far superior than him. Some coaching staff changes need to be made.

Thanks for putting legs to my thoughts during the game!

And the most frustrating part is that I can’t figure out what it is. The offensive line sucks, yes, but there is something much deeper than that going on here. It seems virtually impossible that you could stack THAT much talent on an offense and after 2 road games only have 1 offensive touchdown. I mean even with an average NFL team, that’s almost impossible to do given the parity in the league. And even when the O-Line is giving protection, we still can’t move the ball. Our first 2 downs are some combination of a 2 yard run and an incomplete pass, and before you can blink, we’re at 3rd and 8. I do not understand it. I’m literally beyond emotion with it and just in a state of disbelief.

But whatever it is – playcalling, O-Line, the possibility that Matt Ryan just isn’t as good as we all hoped – this isn’t a good football team. A lot of great pieces, yes, but not a good "team". And I don’t see how it’s even a remote possibility that they take a step toward being elite, much less making the playoffs. Barring some incredible adjustment (which may even be as simple as letting Ryan take over the offense, but I’m not getting my hopes up), I think this team is going to have to make some major changes in the offseason. And yes, I know, it probably sounds crazy that I’m already talking about the offseason after week 3, but what I saw on that field yesterday was absolutely chilling.

I think we just aren’t that good of a football team. And that’s top to bottom (Coaches to Practice Squad). We have a good sampling of what these guys can do, and they are simply not getting it done. The coaches (yes including MS) have been out coached since the end of last year on several occasions. I don’t mind losing. But as I have said before, we are losing the EXACT SAME WAY every week. Our offense isn’t explosive, and there clearly needs to be changes. We make stupid penalties and mistakes. No discipline. These are coaching errors. Let’s not even get started on the Defense. People are saying they played a great game. Did they? Or was this an inferior offense?

The players aren’t better. I am tired of hearing about “potential”. If players don’t play up to their potential than they are worthless. The only person I would give a pass to is Julio and Rodgers… some rookies need a bit of a curve. I understand Matt is under pressure, but in a few cases he just made bad reads or bad throws. Even though Roddy dropped that touchdown pass, in my view, the more egregious mistake is when Ryan had Gonzo WIDE the FUCK OPEN in the endzone and went to Rodgers instead. He locked in… Peyton/Brady would have made the right throw.

I have been a Falcon fan since the Chris Miller era, and will continue to do so. However, until this team shows me more, I will no longer brag on them being an “elite” team. If this continues (which it has since last year), we can forget playoffs, 10 wins, hell even 8 wins for that matter.