I must say, when it said we are the “national game”, I didn’t expect us to be shown just in the south….but whatever. Just to provide clarification…we are the fox late game, just so everybody knows how to read them!
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
Instead of having topics that wind up being 10 pages of the original author getting blasted, why not give them 2 -3 pages to get atleast someone to agree and add a valid argument. I think it would be hilarious to see some of these topics get “gonged.”
I know it’s cheesy, but after this week’s loss there’s been a lot of less than stellar posts on here. We could even start a hall of shame.
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
Will Michael Turner bust loose against Carolina?
By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Flowery Branch — Every team knows the Falcons are going to run the football.
Every team is going to put eight — and sometimes nine — players at the line of scrimmage to stop them.
“Our mentality is we’re going to run the football,” right tackle Tyson Clabo said. “They know we’re going to run the football, and we expect to have success in that area.”
The Falcons were disappointed they didn’t run better in Sunday’s loss to Denver, which was ranked 27th in run defense.
“We should be able to run the football no matter what,” Clabo said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
So how do the Falcons counter the opposition’s strategy? Especially in this week’s rematch with Carolina, who limited the Falcons earlier this season.
“You’ve got to be able to block that eighth element,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Some times [last week] we were able to get him, and some times we didn’t. Any time you load the box there is a chance for an explosive [play]. Michael [Turner] had a nice run on that [28]-yard touchdown run.”
In that first game, Carolina won and held Turner to 56 yards on 18 carries. If Jerious Norwood hadn’t burst loose for a 40-yard run, the Falcons would not have rushed for more than 100 yards. With the running game faltering, quarterback Matt Ryan was forced to throw 41 times against the Panthers on Sept. 28.
“People do not want us to be able to run the football,” Smith said. “They are going to do every thing they can to stop the run and force us to be one-dimensional and throw the football. When teams have really done that, we’ve been able to pass the ball well.”
Things get complicated for the Falcons’ blocking schemes when the opposition puts eight players up front. At the snap of the ball, they can stunt and go in unexpected directions.
Carolina and Denver used heavy stunting tactics to slow the Falcons’ run game. However, they can stunt themselves out of a play, like Denver did on Turner’s 28-yard touchdown run last week.
Fullback Ovie Mughelli remembers the first Carolina game well.
“They had some great stunts and twists,” Mughelli said. “Their defensive line is big, but what I give them credit for is that they are fast. They move really well. Julius Peppers, as big as he is, he moves like a big linebacker.
“So they disrupted our flow and didn’t allow us to get the push that we wanted.”
Turner, who’s closing in on 1,000 yards rushing, remembers the first Carolina game, too.
“They had a good scheme against us,” Turner said. “It was still early in the season. It was a couple of things we hadn’t seen yet. Hopefully we can do better.”
There are other ways to counter the eight- and nine-man fronts.
“There a lot of different ways to do it, but the more that people bring players into the box, you have to be solid with your protections,” Ryan said. “You have to make some plays in the passing game to get them out of there and make them honor the fact that you’re going to throw the ball.”
Philadelphia also loaded the front, and they held Turner to 58 yards on 17 carries. Ryan was forced to throw a season-high 44 times against the Eagles.
Carolina likely will stay with what worked so well the first time.
“We’ll have to make some plays in the passing game to try and get some of their guys out of the box because they have done a great job against the run this year,” Ryan said.
The Falcons are confident that they can solve whatever Carolina throws their way.
“Whatever it takes,” Ryan said. “If it’s 10 passes or 60 runs, that’s the way it will go. Even if it’s 10 runs and 60 passes, either way this offense can do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
I say 20-13 Falcons over the Panthers.
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
This could have something to do with our run game slowing down. We might be getting too cocky. I would expect this from one of the young guys but not a 10 yr vet and a leader. McClure was mic’ed up and while we were huddling up before the 28 yd TD run by Turner, McClure turns around and tells the defense that we’re running the ball, come and stop it. Now we ran the ball for a long TD on that play. He just turned around and told them what we were going to do. Now if we were running it down their throats all day it would be one thing but our running game was struggling. Now that’s the only play Inside the NFL put his voice to but if he did it that play, what’s to say he hasn’t done it other plays as well. That’s cocky and we were not running the ball that well with the exception of a few plays. I don’t get it. At least we ran that play for a TD. I just know that if he did it that time that he’s probably done it before. I hope Mike Smith found out he did that, or maybe the Matt Ryan steps up and says something. There’s no way that everyone in that huddle didn’t hear him turn around and say that. I wouldn’t be so upset if we hadn’t been struggling to run of late.
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
Supporting the case for Roddy White
November 19, 2008 3:30 PM
Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas
Just got an e-mail from ESPN Stats & Analysis that adds some credence to selecting Atlanta’s Roddy White and Michael Jenkins as the best receiving tandem in the NFC South.
White is at the top of the league when it comes to a crucial receiving category. On third downs where the offense needs seven or more yards, White has come through with more catches than any receiver in the league this season with 12. (We’re not going to get into Sunday’s fourth-quarter non-catch against Denver right now because that’s been addressed already). Baltimore’s Derrick Mason and Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward have 10 each, and Cincinnati’s T.J. Houshmandzadeh has nine.
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
This week..First I think we will establish the run then Mularky is going to take some shots downfield on playaction..Roddy is going to step up big time this week and atone his drop from last week..This is the game where he carries the team and the whole world realizes we got a stud at wr and a stud at QB.. Gamble and Lucas are good corners and play the deep ball well but both like to play bump and both dont have the speed Roddy has…Gamble will lore then likely be matched up against Jenkins the whole day ..I think he will take Jenkins out of his game…Gamble is solid and has size to defend and jump balls ..Ryan knows to go back to his number 1 target ..I would even like to see some wrs screens thrown to Roddy and see what he can do after the catch …
Roddy 8 catches 170 yards 1 td…
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
any word on foster’s status?
do they have till midnight to make a decision?
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
The number 24 has come up alot in our season so far. Up until the Eagles we have not given up more than 24 points. TB and Car both beat us by 24 points. We beat the Raiders 24-0. Broncos beat us 24-20. Moose abused #20 and due to injury and maybe play #24 has replaced #20. Look for #24 to be a big factor in our win this sunday. Pick 6 maybe………..it could happen.
Source >> Atlanta Falcons Blogs
…crisp white dress shirt and then does a swan dive on his football sword. Yes, says Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, he believed Michael Vick when the quarterback first assured him he wasn’t…
Source >> ESPN