The Falcoholic - Falcons vs. Cowboys: Complete 2015 Week 3 coverageFalcons News, Analysis & Tomfoolery For and By Fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/21944/falcoholic-fave.jpg2015-10-01T09:45:31-04:00http://www.thefalcoholic.com/rss/stream/91561522015-10-01T09:45:31-04:002015-10-01T09:45:31-04:00Julio Jones named NFC Offensive Player of the Month<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/RLiuNFL/status/649579476540596224">Julio Jones named NFC Offensive Player of the&nbsp;Month</a></h3>
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https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/10/1/9431825/julio-jones-named-nfc-offensive-player-of-the-monthDave Choate2015-09-30T09:30:02-04:002015-09-30T09:30:02-04:00Lessons learned from the Falcons' Week 3 win
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<p>The Falcoholic's staff learned a lot this last week, believe it or not.</p> <p><i>The Falcoholic's staff weighs in with lessons learned from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a>' 39-28 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Cowboys</a>, and what it taught us all about how to love again. </i></p>
<h3>Caleb Rutherford</h3>
<p><i>This isn't even their final form.</i></p>
<p>The first half was a full blown disaster. I thought for sure we were dead in the water as <span>Brandon Weeden</span>, of all people, was shredding us like cheese through a grater. It looked like "same ol' Falcons", giving us just enough hope to believe before crashing down in a fire that could only be described as "Georgia Sports". But a funny thing happened during that game: a fiery Dan Quinn on the sidelines and a rousing halftime speech by <span>Matt Ryan</span> actually rallied the team, and they came out of halftime thirsty for blood. It's a start contrast to years past, where the team could have easily given up. The Falcons may not be a top tier team, but if this team gains some momentum headed into the playoffs, watch out.</p>
<h3>Matthew Chambers</h3>
<p><i>The Atlanta Falcons have their fight back.</i></p>
<p>After only three games, it is obvious the Falcons got their mean streak back. After a terrible half of football against the Cowboys, they fought back and completely dominated Dallas on offense and defense. Dan Quinn has quickly gotten the team to fight for wins, and the Falcons look completely capable of competing with any team in the league.</p>
<h3>Allen Strk</h3>
<p><i>The new coaching staff has elevated certain players.</i></p>
<p><span>Devonta Freeman</span> is the obvious candidate, when it comes to players that have been elevated under the new coaching staff. Two other players come to mind that haven't received enough credence. In two years as a starting fullback, it was rare to see <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> make a key block to spring a substantial running gain.</p>
<p>Then again, substantial running gains occurred once every four games for the Falcons between 2012-2014. DiMarco has been sensational through pushing linebackers back at the point of attack. He has easily been the most improved player so far this season. <span>Paul Soliai</span> has shown signs of life through making a few key defensive stops in the run game. Even in a situational role, it's important for Atlanta to justify paying Soliai to such a massive contract. He probably won't ever live up to it, but at least the former Dolphin has been a solid contributor this season.</p>
<h3>Jake Bennett</h3>
<p><i>This team's will to win is evident every single week.</i></p>
<p>Where most teams would just accept defeat, the Atlanta Falcons did not. Down by 14 at three separate points in the game, the 2015 Falcons fought back and won on the road with an absolutely dominant second half. This team is resilient, and they're buying into Dan Quinn and his staff. Not only that, but they are believing in themselves as well. The offensive line is playing spectacular and the defense is nothing to joke about. There's been a culture change in Atlanta, folks, and it's going to win a bunch of games this year.</p>
<h3>Kendall Jackson</h3>
<p><i>But seriously: The Falcons are resilient.</i></p>
<p>With another comeback win over the Cowboys, the Falcons made history as the only team ever to pull out wins after trailing in the fourth quarter in the first three games. We've been conditioned to feel games are over if they play out how they did in the first half. Atlanta couldn't stop the run and Brandon Weeden dinked and dunked them to death. They were down two scores at three different points in the first half: 14-0, 21-7, then 28-14. But something changed in that second half, and Atlanta clamped down on Dallas and had their own offensive explosion. Most importantly, the team didn't abandon the run game, and that decision paid off.</p>
<h3>Jeanna Thomas</h3>
<p><i>This team has bought into Dan Quinn's philosophies and approach and reaping great results. </i></p>
<p>When you look at the first three games of the season, one thing is clear -- the Falcons would not have won any of these games in 2013 or 2014. There's a whole new level of competitiveness and a drive to win that we haven't seen of late. The coaching staff also doesn't panic. They didn't abandon the run even when trailing by a couple of scores. They didn't make sweeping, dramatic adjustments after an abysmal first half defensive performance; rather, they got the defense to play disciplined football in the second half. And this team has yet to put together four quarters of quality football. I can't wait to see what that looks like.</p>
<h3>Dave Choate</h3>
<p><i>The Falcons know what they're doing, finally.</i></p>
<p>During the waning games of the <span>Mike Smith</span> era, the players often looked lost and useless, Mike Nolan's defensive reputation was quickly obliterated for all-time, and the entire team just looked rudderless. It doesn't really matter whose fault that is, but it's true: This was a bad football team without a direction. This year, the team still farts around and makes plenty of mistakes, but they have the talent, acumen, and the <i>plan</i> they need to climb back in and win games. Maybe this kind of play isn't sustainable, but it sure is beautiful chaos in the here and now.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/30/9418033/what-we-learned-from-week-3s-falcons-wins-over-the-cowboysDave Choate2015-09-30T08:00:07-04:002015-09-30T08:00:07-04:00Shanahan and Freeman Lead the Falcons to Victory.
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<p>Raise your hand if you saw that coming.</p> <p><span>Devonta Freeman</span> was absolutely breathtaking on Sunday. It was, by a very considerable margin, the best performance of his young career as he put on a dominating, dazzling performance against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a>.</p>
<p>While Freeman's hard-nosed running was the focal point of Sunday's excitement, his performance in conjunction with great blocking by the offensive line and <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> was masterful. This offense is firing on all cylinders right now. Atlanta has an element to their offense that they haven't really had the past two seasons: a competent rushing attack. With Tevin Coleman out with a rib injury, Freeman needed to show he could handle a full workload by himself, and did he ever prove that.</p>
<p>One of the most successful plays that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> ran against the Cowboys was their quick toss to the short side of the field. Kyle Shanahan has shown a tendency to call toss plays when the offense is close to the sideline because it naturally sets up rushing lanes to exploit for big games.</p>
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<p>There were three key blocks on this that allowed Freeman to spring free down the sideline. The cut blocks by Patrick DiMarco and <span>Ryan Schraeder</span> gave Freeman plenty of room to run uninhibited. <span>Roddy White</span>, who has been an excellent blocker this season, pancakes <span>Brandon Carr</span> allowing Freeman to gain a full head of steam before he rams through <span>J.J. Wilcox</span> for the first down.</p>
<p>The blocking effort consistently sustained at all three levels of the defense is phenomenal to see, and it's something that the Falcons have sorely lacked throughout the past two seasons.</p>
<p>While Kyle Shanahan has quickly grown to fame due to the monstrous stats that the passing game is posting, he deserves equal credit for the run blocking schemes that he's implemented into this offense. One of the core running plays in a zone blocking scheme is the outside zone. Plenty of teams have this play as a staple in their rushing attack, but Shanahan makes it a little easier on the offensive line (and in turn the running back) with the minimization of "impossible blocks".</p>
<p>Here's a clear example from both the Cowboys and the Falcons highlighting the difference in how they run outside zone.</p>
<p>The presence of a fullback on the outside zone decreases the pressure on the offensive line to make extremely difficult reach blocks. Most defensive linemen are better athletes than offensive linemen; asking offensive linemen to beat defensive linemen on reach blocks when their shaded away is easier said than done.</p>
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<p>Since the outside zone is a prominent play in zone blocking schemes, defenses usually have a fairly easy time deciphering when the play is going to occur based on formation tendencies through film study. Offensive linemen need a lot of help in these occasions, because the natural holes that open up with the line starts to shift are easy to knife through by opposing defensive linemen.</p>
<p><span>La'el Collins</span> and <span>Zack Martin</span> have the toughest assignments on this play. <span>La'el Collins</span> has to reach block <span>Paul Soliai</span> and Zack Martin has to reach block Grady Jarrett. The alignment of Soliai and Jarrett make this nearly impossible and they both explode through the line of scrimmage for a big tackle for loss.</p>
<p>Here's how Kyle Shanahan tries to eliminate isolating his offensive linemen on these stretch plays. The execution in the following play isn't perfect by any means, but the concepts are there.</p>
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<p>Like I stated before, the presence of the fullback makes the job easier on the offensive line. Notice the teamwork by <span>Andy Levitre</span> and Mike Person. Forcing Person to reach block <span>Nick Hayden</span> by himself would've put stress on Patrick DiMarco and Devonta Freeman.</p>
<p>While it looks like <span>Jake Matthews</span> misses <span>Jack Crawford</span> on his blocking assignment, he actually played it correctly. Crawford slanted out of Matthews' zone and into DiMarco's zone. While Matthews and DiMarco are performing basic zone blocking scheme assignments, the double team by Levitre and Person is more of a gap blocking assignment. The double team not only slows Nick Hayden in his pursuit, but it allows Person to complete a reach block with the extra shove from Levitre.</p>
<p>After helping with the double team, Levitre moves up to the second level and impedes the progress of linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The combination of gap and zone concepts in the running game only add to the brilliance that Kyle Shanahan brings to this offense as a whole, he's one of the best in the business.</p>
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<p><span>Julio Jones</span> is on pace to smash multiple NFL records through three games; he has to be accounted for no matter where he lines up on the field. The Falcons were able to his dynamic ability to create space at the line of scrimmage for Freeman.</p>
<p>By motioning him into the backfield it forces the defensive end to account for his presence. The motion turns 11 personnel (one back, one tight end) into 21 personnel (two backs, one tight end). This changes the rules for the secondary and the front seven, causing confusion at the snap of the ball. Jake Matthews leaves the defensive end unblocked (which is a bit reckless), but the extra body in the backfield created by Julio Jones forces the defensive end to think about containing the edge for a split second, long enough to spring Freeman forward on the fullback dive for a positive play.</p>
<p>Julio has become such a huge threat that he forces the defense to respect him at every position he lines up in; Kyle Shanahan knows this and uses him to open up the entire offense.</p>
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<address><span>The continuous calling of toss and stretch plays really opened up the middle of the field. Dallas was consistently getting beat to the edge, so when they recognized formations that the Falcons typically run outside zone out of they tried to beat Freeman to the outside. This opened a "shot play" of sorts in the run game. Shot plays are typically explosive passing plays that mean in-game tendencies of the defense, but Shanahan used the same thought process in the rushing attack.</span></address>
<p>The offensive line sells the outside zone play <i>hard</i> here. From the viewpoint of the linebackers and defensive line it appears to be a simple read to attack the borders off the offensive line for a tackle for loss. Take note of <span>Matt Ryan's</span> steps here, the handoff and run direction were never planned to go outside. There's almost two different run plays taking action here: the outside zone being executed by the offensive line and the inside zone performed by Matt Ryan and Devonta Freeman.</p>
<p>A massive rift in the middle of the defense gets exposed and Freeman has a clear path to burst into the endzone. Counteracting the natural flow of the defense with this brilliant playcall gave the Falcons the lead in the fourth quarter, which they never relinquished.</p>
<p>Atlanta finally has a legitimate run game. Pair the budding the run game with the already explosive passing attack and the Falcons clearly have one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. Once Tevin Coleman comes back from injury, this offense is going to take off.</p>
<p>Buckle up.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/30/9411135/freemans-big-day-leads-falcons-to-victory-film-breakdownCharles R. McDonald2015-09-29T17:00:02-04:002015-09-29T17:00:02-04:00Falcons now top ten in many power rankings
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<figcaption>Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A third straight win propels the Falcons to new heights in this week's power rankings roundup.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> have scuffled a bit en route to all three of their wins, but all anyone cares about is that they won, and that they did so in impressive fashion each time. The fact that many outlets now feature the Falcons as a top ten team should tell you all you need to know about Atlanta's rapidly changing perception.</p>
<p>Let's dive in below, and then tell us where you would rank this Falcons team.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2015/9/29/9410945/2015-nfl-power-rankings-week-4-patriots-packers-cardinals" target="_blank">SB Nation - #9</a></h3>
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<p><span>Dan Quinn's group got punched in the face early this past week and gave up 28 points to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a> in the first half, but they got themselves off the ropes and shut the Cowboys out in the second half, allowing <span>Matt Ryan</span> and <span>Julio Jones</span> to take over. That first half aside, the Falcons are flying around on defense and have a new-found enthusiasm and aggressiveness that makes them dangerous, particularly because they have an offense that can put a lot of points up on the board.</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000541939/article/nfl-power-rankings-week-4-falcons-continue-rise-steelers-fall" target="_blank"></a></p>
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<a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000541939/article/nfl-power-rankings-week-4-falcons-continue-rise-steelers-fall" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000541939/article/nfl-power-rankings-week-4-falcons-continue-rise-steelers-fall" target="_blank">NFL.com - #7</a>
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<p><span>If you watched the first half of </span><a style="color: #525252; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015092700/2015/REG3/falcons@cowboys">Sunday's win</a><span> over the </span><a style="color: #525252; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/profile?team=DAL">Cowboys</a><span>, Atlanta fans, admit it: You panicked. The </span><a style="color: #525252; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/atlantafalcons/profile?team=ATL">Falcons</a><span> got that field goal to close the gap to 28-17, then headed into the third quarter confident they could get the matchups (translated: </span><a style="color: #525252; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nfl.com/player/juliojones/2495454/profile">Julio Jones</a><span> on anybody in white) they needed. Who saw that kind of game comin' from </span><a style="color: #525252; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nfl.com/player/devontafreeman/2543583/profile">Devonta Freeman</a><span>? Good grief. Freeman, who put up 193 total yards of offense and three scores, was running like the love child of William Andrews, <span>Gerald Riggs</span> and Warrick Dunn. And while we're there ... why doesn't Riggs get more love?</span></p>
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<h3><a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings/_/year/2015/week/4" target="_blank">ESPN - #13</a></h3>
<h3><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2572861-nfl-power-rankings-where-does-every-team-rank-heading-into-week-4/page/24" target="_blank">Bleacher Report - #10</a></h3>
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<p>I was slowly inching the Atlanta Falcons along in my weekly editions of ranked NFL power. It's wise to tip-toe around overreactions early, and I hesitated to fully embrace the Falcons after wins over a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Philadelphia Eagles</a> team only now climbing from its own wreckage, and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> with their late-game foolishness.</p>
<p>The Falcons took advantage of another challenge made easier Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys were minus quarterback <span>Tony Romo</span> and wide receiver Dez Bryant. But the opponent is quickly becoming irrelevant, because no one can cover Falcons all-universe receiver Julio Jones.</p>
<p>Jones used Cowboys defensive backs as his personal speed bag, finishing with 164 yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions. He's now logged 440 yards over three games, and his 34 catches are the most ever during a three-game span to start a season. The NFL isn't supposed to be this easy.</p>
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<h3><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/powerrankings" target="_blank">CBS Sports - #8</a></h3>
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<p><span>Who had this team off to a 3-0 start? Big credit has to go to coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Matt Ryan.</span></p>
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<h3><a></a></h3>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/29/9415351/nfl-power-rankings-week-4-the-falcons-are-a-top-ten-team-in-theDave Choate2015-09-29T10:30:03-04:002015-09-29T10:30:03-04:00Julio Jones on record-breaking pace
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<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Julio Jones is very good. </p> <p>As you might have guessed, <span>Julio Jones</span> is on pace to break at least a couple of records, should he continue to vacuum up all the passes in America.</p>
<p>Through just three games, Julio has 34 catches for 440 yards and four touchdowns. It should go without saying that there are plenty of ways he could fall off his current pace, but if he maintains it for the rest of the season and <span>Matt Ryan</span> is content to feed him, he'll make history.</p>
<p>Roughly calculating Julio's current pace, he could go off for 177 receptions, 2,351 yards, and 17 touchdowns over a full season. That pace wouldn't have him hitting the NFL record for touchdowns in a single season, which stands at 23, but it would shatter Jerry Rice's 1,848 yards in a single season, and it would fly by Marvin Harrison's 143 receptions in a season. These are gaudy numbers, in other words.</p>
<p>Again, it's not likely that Julio will maintain this pace over the entire season, because defenses should be keying in on him and Matt Ryan may eventually be forced to spread the ball around a little bit more. On the other hand, Julio Jones is an alien sent here to catch passes, and the offense looks pretty damn good with 20 passes to #11 and a ground game. So file this one under unlikely, but not impossible.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/29/9406925/julio-jones-is-on-pace-to-break-a-couple-of-nfl-receiving-recordsDave Choate2015-09-29T08:00:06-04:002015-09-29T08:00:06-04:00Falcons snap counts and notes for Week 3
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<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It was a wild win for Atlanta over Dallas, and now we take a look at how snap counts and playing time broke down in Week 3. </p> <h3>Offense</h3>
<p>Matt Ryan: 74 (100%)<br><span>Chris Chester</span>: 74<br>Jake Matthews: 74<br>Ryan Schraeder: 74<br>Andy Levitre: 74<br>Mike Person: 73<br>Roddy White: 65<br><span>Devonta Freeman</span>: 65<br>Levine Toilolo: 63<br>Julio Jones: 60<br><span>Leonard Hankerson</span>: 48<br><span>Patrick DiMarco</span>: 36<br>Jacob Tamme: 12<br><span>Terron Ward</span>: 8<br><span>Nick Williams</span>: 7<br>Eric Weems: 3<br>Tyler Polumbus: 3</p>
<p>No surprises here this week, even if the game itself was pretty wild. Roddy White continues to out-snap Leonard Hankerson, but he's simply not being targeted in the passing game, and I don't know that we can expect that to change at this point. He still blocks well and teams have to account for him, but that's the extent of the damage he's doing now.</p>
<p>Devonta Freeman dominated the snaps with <span>Tevin Coleman</span> out, and will likely continue to do so until the latter's return. Expect a more even split once that happens. Patrick DiMarco was a bigger part of the offense this week, and you saw that reflected in the team's ground-heavy gameplan.</p>
<p>Finally, the line continues to play together for pretty much every snap, and they continue to be one of the better blocking units in the NFL. No, I don't have any idea how that's happening, either.</p>
<h3>Defense</h3>
<p>Paul Worrilow: 54<br>William Moore: 54<br><span>Robert Alford</span>: 53<br>Desmond Trufant: 53<br><span>Justin Durant</span>: 53<br><span>Ricardo Allen</span>: 46<br>O'Brien Schofield: 37<br><span>Vic Beasley</span>: 35<br><span>Jonathan Babineaux</span>: 35<br><span>Adrian Clayborn</span>: 34<br><span>Phillip Adams</span>: 27<br><span>Tyson Jackson</span>: 20<br>Paul Soliai: 19<br>Nate Stupar: 16<br><span>Ra'Shede Hageman</span>: 15<br><span>Kroy Biermann</span>: 14<br><span>Robenson Therezie</span>: 8<br><span>Jalen Collins</span>: 7<br><span>Grady Jarrett</span>: 7<br><span>Malliciah Goodman</span>: 5<br><span>Kemal Ishmael</span>: 1<br><span>Joplo Bartu</span>: 1</p>
<p>This was a nightmare game for Paul Worrilow in general, and it's worth noting that A) he was coming off of an injury and may have been a little bit limited and B) he still led the defense in snaps. A fully healthy Worrilow is a fine starter, but when he's limited like that, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> have to consider giving him a break. Getting Brooks Reed back will give the Falcons more options.</p>
<p>The same could be said for William Moore, who had some very big plays and a couple of disappointing ones, as he has all three weeks of the season thus far. Ishmael appears buried on defense, but I don't think it's the worst idea to spell WAR every now and then with his hard-hitting young backup.</p>
<p>The defensive line still didn't feature heavy doses of Paul Soliai, Tyson Jackson, and Ra'Shede Hageman, even though the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Cowboys</a> are a run-heavy team. When they were in the game all three guys made big impacts, but this appears to be the status quo unless the Falcons face off against the Luke McCown-led <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, I think it's safe to assume that Bartu, who got just one snap on defense and five on special teams, could be on the chopping block if the Falcons feel confident they're getting Reed back soon and need to sign a tight end or running back to fill out a depleted depth chart. Keep an eye on that, even though I'd prefer to have him around.</p>
<h3>Special Teams</h3>
<p>Kemal Ishmael: 23<br>Kroy Biermann: 23<br>Nate Stupar: 23<br><span>Allen Bradford</span>: 19<br>Eric Weems: 19<br>Patrick DiMarco: 19<br>Robenseon Therezie: 18<br><span>Jalen Collins</span>: 15<br><span>Matt Bosher</span>: 15<br>Robert Alford: 14<br>Desmond Trufant: 13<br>Levine Toilolo: 9<br><span>Josh Harris</span>: 9<br>Ricardo Allen: 6<br>Chris Chester: 5<br>Ryan Schraeder: 5<br>Jake Matthews: 5<br>Mike Person: 5<br>Joplo Bartu: 5<br>Tyler Polumbus: 5<br>Paul Soliai: 5<br>Grady Jarrett: 5<br><span>Matt Bryant</span>: 5<br>James Stone: 5<br>Tyson Jackson: 4<br>Nick Williams: 4<br>Paul Worrilow: 4<br>Justin Durant: 4<br>Vic Beasley: 4<br>Adrian Clayborn: 3<br>Dezmen Southward: 3<br>Jacob Tamme: 1</p>
<p>Again, we see Biermann, Stupar, Ishmael, Bradford and Weems forming the core of the team's coverage unit. Therezie's getting more run on special teams, too, and it's very obvious the coaching staff is loving what he brings to the table.</p>
<p>I am pleased to see Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant getting fewer snaps on special teams, if only because special teams play carries that extra additional risk of injury, however slight.</p>
<p>Your thoughts on these snap counts?</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/29/9408535/falcons-snap-counts-and-notes-for-the-week-3-win-over-the-cowboysDave Choate2015-09-28T12:00:05-04:002015-09-28T12:00:05-04:003 key takeaways from Falcons-Cowboys
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<p>Three games, three comebacks, three victories. Yes, please.</p> <p>Coming into this season, there were some significant concerns with this team. Fans were concerned about the newly assembled offensive line and in conjunction with that, the running game. With a rough schedule to start the season - three straight NFC East games with two in a row on the road - many fans (and writers) thought the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> could start 0-3. Even optimistic fans felt that 1-2 would be a decent start. To say that this 3-0 start is a surprise feels like an understatement. Here are three takeaways from the latest victory from our undefeated team.</p>
<h4>This team has a renewed "never say die" attitude</h4>
<p>In just his 8th season, <span>Matt Ryan</span> already has 30 4th quarter comebacks/game winning drives - most ever for a QB in his first 8 seasons. And while QBs normally get credit for this statistic, it's clear that the "never say die" attitude has taken hold for this entire team - starting with new head coach Dan Quinn. The first three games have shown glimpses of this, but none as impressively as this game.</p>
<p>The entire Falcons team looked flat for most of the first half. The defense couldn't tackle or shed blocks. The offense looked off and Ryan was very inaccurate early on. Twice, this team was down by 14 points to a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Cowboys</a> team without it's star QB or star receiver. It looked like the game was lost before we even got to the second half.</p>
<p>But this team kept fighting, including an impressive drive to close out the first half with under 50 seconds left on the clock. That would be the drive that started an eventual 25-0 run. A run in which the defense completely shut down the Dallas offense in the second half. One in which the Falcons would score a TD on almost every drive in the third and fourth quarters. A run in which Ryan - and the entire team - earned another fourth quarter comeback victory.</p>
<h4>This OL is really coming together</h4>
<p>Remember that big concern I mentioned earlier? Well, today's game was one of the most impressive performances yet for the Falcons offensive line. After giving up an early sack, the offensive line settled down and gave Ryan solid protection all afternoon. On top of that, they were instrumental in establishing a running game that looked dominant. Ryan was able to pass for nearly 300 yards and 2 TDs while <span>Devonta Freeman</span> rushed for 141 yards on 30 carries and 3 TDs.</p>
<p>This is an OL that features three new starters on the interior of the line, including one who wasn't even with the team in the preseason. To see them performing this well only 3 games into the season is highly encouraging. Make no mistake, that Cowboys D was ranked #1 against the run for a reason - and this OL helped to gash them. If this unit can continue to perform like this, the offense will be able to keep pace with any other team in the league.</p>
<h4>An unbelievable start to the season</h4>
<p>I'll be the first to admit that I thought the Falcons would start this season either 0-3 or 1-2. I would have been thrilled with a 2-1 start, but to go 3-0? Just - wow. It has been ugly at times, but I fully expected to see that from a team installing a new offense and defense. To have those struggles, and still be undefeated feels like a form of robbery.</p>
<p>So much can change in the NFL from week to week, so 3-0 is only a guarantee that our worst record will be 3-13. But, for a team that many saw as being in a "rebuilding" year, this is the kind of start few would even dream about. When you consider that this team still hasn't played to it's full potential through an entire game, you can see reasons to be optimistic about this season. No matter what, this has been an unbelievable start to the season.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/28/9406455/3-key-takeaways-from-falcons-vs-cowboysDavid J Walker2015-09-28T10:00:06-04:002015-09-28T10:00:06-04:00Belief in Freeman, run propels Falcons to victory
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<figcaption>Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>When facing a two-score deficit, the Falcons remained calm, didn't abandon the run, and finished with authority. Three elements that have been missing in Atlanta over the past two seasons.</p> <p>Two games is usually not a rational barometer when you're trying to figure out whether a team is going to succeed or fail in any one aspect. Rod Marinelli's swarming defense stole headlines last week by shutting down <span>DeMarco Murray</span> and the pre-season darling Philadelphia <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Eagles</a>. Sean Lee was finally healthy after nearly two seasons. Even without <span>Greg Hardy</span> and <span>Randy Gregory</span>, they looked like an excellent unit from a run stopping perspective. With Tevin Coleman suffering from a rib injury, it seemed likely that Dallas would continue their assault on opposing ground games.</p>
<p>With a 21-7 deficit in the second quarter, Atlanta was already facing a substantial challenge. Falcon fans were accustomed to seeing former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter abandoning the run to generate a potential comeback. That decision forced more predictable play calling and increased pressure for a creaky offensive line.</p>
<p>Dan Quinn and the coaching staff decided to stay aggressive even when they were down 28-14, which has become the norm in Atlanta. Matt Ryan struggled with his accuracy in the first half, with his tendency to stare down his top receiver derailing the offense. That changed on the last drive of the first half, which featured Devonta Freeman running past <span>Tyrone Crawford</span> for a <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/atlanta-falcons/0ap3000000539727/Falcons-Matt-Ryan-hits-Devonta-Freeman-for-a-35-yard-gain">35-yard completion</a>. A quick field goal to cut the deficit to eleven points, and that was a major morale boost.</p>
<p>With key defensive stops and <span>Julio Jones</span> ultimately being unstoppable, Atlanta stayed balanced and didn't hit panic mode. Freeman was given a hefty workload and couldn't have made a better impression. The former Seminole always finishes his runs with authority and has the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. On the latest <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/falcfans-podcast-official/id468163621?mt=2">Falcfans podcast</a>, fellow writer Charles McDonald, host Aaron Freeman and I tried to figure out why Coleman looked far more effective in two games than Freeman.</p>
<p>Besides Coleman having breakaway speed and being more elusive in the open field, we couldn't figure out a reason other than having better run blocking in front of him. As it turned out, improved blocking pushed Freeman into the open field and forced the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Cowboys</a>' safeties to make constant stops. J.J Wilcox felt the after effects of trying to meet Freeman on a head-to-head collision. Despite standing five-foot-eight, Freeman's shifty and violent running style is potent, and somewhat reminiscent of former Falcon <span>Jacquizz Rodgers</span>.</p>
<p>Besides his vision, shiftiness, and pass-catching ability, Freeman's outstanding work ethic makes him a valuable player. While some particular writers <a href="http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/56520/57/goal-line-stand?pg=2">beg to differ</a>, Freeman is talented and versatile. Former Marine and UFC middleweight Brian Stann spoke to me about <a href="http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/8/26/9207539/a-falcoholic-exclusive-brian-stann-discusses-working-with-the-falcons?_ga=1.115032391.1981302654.1395031160">Freeman's work ethic</a> from just a short time spent teaching him boxing routines. Stann's training was directed more towards both lines to learn about hand fighting and winning one-on-one matchups, but Freeman took the initiative to train and learn about something that wouldn't necessarily enhance any technical ability as a running back.</p>
<p>When you watch him run, his relentless work ethic is apparent. Only sheer size limits him from maximizing certain plays. It didn't matter yesterday, as Freeman excelled through stretch plays to running straight up the gut. Shanahan deserves credit for being persistent with both particular plays based on how ineffective they were with Freeman during the past two weeks.</p>
<p>Most productive running backs will attribute part of their success to their fullback. After two average seasons, <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> appears to be the most improved player on the roster. His blocking never really made a positive impression before, and we never saw him pancake linebackers or open significant holes for the running game. This year is different, and his presence was felt on opening night by putting <span>Malcolm Jenkins</span> <a href="https://vine.co/v/eUBjIxJKtPQ">on his back</a>. On Coleman's first career touchdown, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wehKd0J4Tdc">his block drove the rookie</a> into the end zone standing.</p>
<p>It appeared that DiMarco had made more of an impression in the last two games than the two previous seasons combined. Similar to Freeman, yesterday was his coming out party. DiMarco leveled <span>Kyle Wilber</span> <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/atlanta-falcons/0ap3000000539534/Falcons-Devonta-Freeman-3-yard-touchdown">on the edge</a>, which allowed Freeman to run into the end zone untouched. Falcon fans haven't witnessed such impactful blocking from the fullback position like that since Ovie Mughelli. Throughout the game, DiMarco made <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/atlanta-falcons/0ap3000000540334/Devonta-Freeman-highlights">key blocks</a> that ended up being significant runs. The full back position has become somewhat endangered, but in Shanahan's offense, it plays a vital role towards the offense's success.</p>
<p>The same praiseĀ can be used for <span>Chris Chester</span> and <span>Mike Person</span>, who were excellent throughout the game. Both linemen made crucial blocks on <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/atlanta-falcons/0ap3000000539989/Falcons-Devonta-Freeman-7-yard-touchdown">Freeman's third touchdown run</a>. They opened such a gaping hole that 2012 <span>Michael Turner</span> would have managed to blast right through it.</p>
<p>Shanahan's scheme has worked wonders for anemic running games such as Houston and Cleveland over the course of his career. In three games, he has managed to salvage a non-existent running game (with the exception of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">Giants</a> game). They face daunting tasks in the next two weeks against talented front sevens, which should provide a sturdy litmus test for the surprisingly effective offensive line.</p>
<p>It's far too early to rate Atlanta's legitimacy as a contender. Besides the AFC South, there is no disputing that the NFC East is the worst division in the league thus far, and it can't be discounted how Atlanta's front seven was absolutely obliterated for two quarters in Dallas. They remain undefeated and face a plethora of below-average offenses over the next month. Instead of dissecting Atlanta as a contender or pretender, we should just enjoy the reinvigorated franchise, which deserves credit for living up to the team's early promises.</p>
<p>Quinn's promise of being <a href="http://www.ajc.com/videos/news/falcons-coach-dan-quinn-on-team-finishing-stronger/vDZPFk/">a finishing team</a> has been justified so far. While the statistical rankings won't show it, the defense has made improvements particularly on third down. Most analysts and fans were concerned about Atlanta being a one-dimensional offense. Those sentiments have been erased following their performance against an overachieving Cowboys' defense, and even after Atlanta's first win over Philadelphia, I realizedĀ <a href="http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/16/9335233/revitalized-running-game-will-play-a-key-role-in-determining-atlantas?_ga=1.181437799.1981302654.1395031160">how essential their running game</a> would be for a successful season. From converting nine out of fourteen third-down opportunities to going four out of five in the red zone, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a>' comeback wouldn't have happened without a proficient running game. Another victory is another reminder that a new era has truly arrived in Atlanta.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/9/28/9406679/coaching-staffs-belief-in-devonta-freeman-pays-off-through-comebackAllen Strk