UPDATE: The first (of hopefully many) videos for the Anatomy of a Play series will start tomorrow. I am working on it as you read this. I've encountered a ton of road bumps, but this will happen, so help me God. Also, I haven't actually recorded any video yet, and I can tell you that I'm going to have to watch this one 10 second play about 50 times to get every angle of it. That being said, I can't wait to see what you guys think! :)

Read this article first, then come back and think to yourself, "What does that have to do with the Saints or Packers?"

Obviously, it doesn't, but that's not the point. There's a little bit of...how shall we say, roundabout thinking in here, but hopefully I'll be able to deliver the message I have in my head.

The play in question was that ~40 yard pass to Manningham where Belichick basically said the plan was, "Take away Cruz/Nicks. Make them throw it to Manningham/Pascoe."

Now, how does that apply to NO and GB? Well, it's simple. The game plan, as it should always be, is to take away their top targets and force throws to their other targets. Forcing throws to other targets means that the QB takes a little longer to make a decision (since he has to progress through his reads).

For most teams, this means throwing to their #3 or #4 target, which is oftentimes not on the same level as the first two.

But the real question is "What do you do when #3 and #4 (and in GB/NO's case, #5) are also really good?"

In most offenses (if not all of them) the TE is usually not the first read, unless the play calls for it specifically. If your TE (or 3rd option) is better than the defense's third option, then they'll be open most of the time, which is what makes them look so good at times.

What do you do as a defense if all 5 options are a bona fide receiving threat? It's sensible, but not practical (due to the sheer amount of money it would cost), to have 5 equally talented defensive backs covering the 5 options (or 4 DBs and 1 Spoon).

So what would you do in that situation? Are we just doomed forever? Should we try to force turnovers? What's your move?

I wanted to see if there was any fire to go with the smoke around Marcus McNeill before I posted this.

It appears that we're not the only ones connecting the dots between McNeill and the Falcons, who have serious offensive line questions heading into 2012. D. Orlando Ledbetter makes a good case for the Falcons signing McNeill, and I don't think it's one we should dismiss out of hand.

Basically, DOL's reasons for thinking this is a marriage made in free agent heaven are as follows:

1. The Falcons need to upgrade the offensive line. While Will Svitek played well at left tackle this last year, he wasn't a great run blocker and the Falcons should try to give him a little competition. Sam Baker is not that competition.
   
2. He won't cost much. McNeill is unlikely to be cleared by San Diego's doctors due to concerns over his neck, and teams are leery of paying big money to players who are uncertain to play. The Falcons can probably scoop him off the scrap heap on a one-year contract with heavy incentives. If he doesn't work out, it'll cost them relatively little for the gamble.
3. The upside is considerable. When healthy, McNeill is a multi-time Pro Bowler and one of the biggest tackles in the NFL. There's no doubt in my mind that at 28 years old, a healthy McNeill is an instant upgrade at tackle for the Falcons.

A properly structured contract would give the team minimal risk in case he can't recover fully, while still giving them at worst a pretty good backup and at best a definite upgrade at left tackle. Frankly, I don't see how they can go wrong kicking the tires on McNeill.

Do you agree?

The Rams have hired Les Snead. This makes The Falcoholic sad.

Not every draft and signing Les Snead presided over turned out to be a winner, but he was a smart, competent personnel man who Thomas Dimitroff leaned on heavily during his time in Atlanta. The Rams managed to land a talented front office manager who won't impinge on Jeff Fisher's territory, which is a balancing act in and of itself.

Because let's face it, Snead kept a low profile in Atlanta. Many times Dimitroff described him as an integral part of the organization, but we're fans. We see those players, coaches and management types who speak directly to us and the media or do spectacular things, and for the front office, that was TD. Snead's considerable role

Snead had a big hand in drafts while in Atlanta, something he'll be counted on as the typically terrible Rams try to jump out of the gutter into brighter days. With smart draft picks and better coaching, they're a team that can probably get there, and Snead has gotten past his share of challenges during his days in Atlanta. For a team with a history of debilitating drafts, he's a smart hire.

The Falcons will probably bounce back just fine, but it's a key piece of the front office missing. How you feel about that probably depends on how you feel about the job the front office has done in recent years, but ultimately the Falcons must replace a hard-working dude who spent 13 years in the FO making things happen. That's not easy to do.

Either way, I do wish Snead luck. He put in a lot of time with the organization and did considerable good, so deserves your respect.

What say you?

Just a quick discussion post for the afternoon, because I'm on the road.

Sean Weatherspoon had one hell of a season in 2011, becoming one of the better linebackers in the NFC over the span of the year. In his third season, he ought to get even better.

So project 'Spoon for us. How many tackles, sacks, interceptions, tipped passes, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and souls eaten will he accumulate over the course of the 2012 season?

Let us know what you think.

Oh, forgot to put a caveat in my title. If Curtis Lofton is re-signed, then he may well be a two-down player in 2012.

Why, you ask? Apparently, Mike Nolan has gotten through a lot of tape from last season and has come away with the impression that Curtis Lofton is lacking in coverage. I thought he actually made modest strides forward in 2011, but there's probably a reason they're paying Mike Nolan a lot of money to be defensive coordinator and not me. For example, my name is not Mike Nolan.

This makes sense. Lofton is a truly elite run-stopping middle linebacker, but if the coaching staff isn't happy with his performance against the pass, they could move things around. Yahoo Sports! suggests that Sean Weatherspoon could move into the middle on passing downs, which would mean a free agent or someone like Spencer Adkins would likely move outside in nickel packages.

Regardless, this could have interesting implications for the Falcons. Lofton may be more reluctant to re-sign with the team if they're not willing to play him as a full-time guy, even if the Falcons are no less serious about re-signing him. It could give Weatherspoon more run in different roles, and it could lead to Adkins finally breaking into the starting lineup part-time, given that he's the only reserve on the roster who appears to have any coverage chops. But this is mostly conjecture.

One thing that is clear is that Lofton will have a bit of a different role if he returns in 2012, one that will play exclusively to his strengths. I'm inclined to believe that's a good thing, in the end. Let him destroy the world on first and second down.

Your thoughts?

There's a part of me that feels really bad about this.

Hope 2012 goes better for you, Sam Baker.

So we're starting this Friday off with a bit of a discussion post.

When the Falcons enter the 2012 season, who will be starting along the offensive line? For the purposes of this discussion, you can assume any trades, free agent signings or shuffling, so long as you back it up with your own logic.

My personal list goes something like this:

LT Will Svitek
LG Carl Nicks
C Todd McClure
RG Justin Blalock
RT Tyson Clabo

Why that line? Svitek is coming back and the Falcons probably won't splurge on a big-name left tackle. They also don't have a first round pick, so there isn't a starter coming in on day one to steal the job away.

Nicks is going to be a target for the Falcons, and I think they've got a decent shot at getting him. Also, I'd love to have him here.

McClure should be back for one more season. He's played at a high level and it would be awesome to see him retire as a Falcon.

Blalock will be bumped to right guard if Nicks signs, where he should be a force of nature once he adjusts. You can't bench one of the team's best linemen for the last three seasons running.

Despite his penalties and mistakes, Clabo was remarkably solid in 2011 and may be the team's best run-blocker. He'll start at right tackle.

So there's my line. What's yours?