I decided to break in my new HDTV with a Falcons win. Unfortunately the football gods continued their quest to see if the Falcons can make it through one whole season with little to none of their starters still upright. I don't know what kind of bad ju-ju is going on, but with Michael Turner out just as he was storming back to prominence, the Falcons are running out of winning options.
What Had Me Screaming:
- Michael Turner, pre-injury. It was looking like 200 yards for Mr. Turner was going to be a lock before he went down. What a first quarter performance.
- Eric Weems continues to be clutch in the return game. I don't know how things are going to work with Harry Douglas coming back into the fray next year, but suffice it to say, there will be a major battle for the backup WR spot in camp.
What Made Me Boo:
- The Defense. No pressure. No sacks. No hurries. To beat Delhomme, you must pressure him. Our line looked completely anemic out there, even after their starting LT went out of the game. Oh, and on third and five, with the game on the line, you simply do not give up a 35 yard touchdown run.
- Matt Ryan. The only thing consistent about his performance was the interceptions and overthrows. Matty Ice looked more like Matty Anxious. Ryan's road performance is getting out of hand. In the Dome, he seems...I dunno, better. That's something he'll have to look into fixing immediately. The Giants are not going to be as welcoming as the Panthers. Scary, huh?
- Red zone play calling. Seriously, after Turner rumbles for 30+ yards into the red zone, you dial up three pass plays? Why do we so often get away from what works so soon? Field goals are not going to win games. And the 2pt conversion with 11 minutes to go in the 4th? Just wrong.
- Speaking of field goals... Why is Elam having such an issue with them? Is it the timing (as evidenced by the multiple hitches made before the shank) that's getting off? Seriously, if it's that bad, just take a timeout. Sure, we'll get ticked but when the points come into play, we'll forget all about it.
- We left at least four points on the field yesterday.
What Ya’ll Seem to be Forgetting:
- Ryan is the future of this franchise. Get over it. Deal with it. Learn to live with it. Welcome to Falcons football. With time, some maturation, and lots and lots of film review, Matt will turn into the best quarterback to ever don a Falcons jersey. This is a fact, not an opinion. Every, and I mean every quarterback not named Brady has had a few horrendous years. And ya know what? They grew with what they learned and got better. This is the NFL. Hall of Fame quarterbacks are made, not drafted.
- This Falcons team is not a Super Bowl team. In my opinion, this Falcons team (especially after the multitude of injuries) is not even a playoff team. I've driven all of that out of my mind. This Falcons team is, however, a winning team (even at 5-4). This team can make it to two back-to-back winning seasons. After that, the sky's the limit. Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps.
Some Pep for your Step
This is all I got for ya. Sorry.
It's not a huge sophomore slump at this point, but Ryan's accuracy isn't up to his 2008 standards. - Don Banks via his Snap Judgements.
tlozwarlock's Fan of the Game
My neighbor, who upon witnessing Matt's second interception, let out a stream of curses I believe is still making its rounds somewhere in north Georgia.