Falcons: A couple of nice write ups on the game [PFF] [FSS]

[Polar Bear Jones]

Quote:First Impressions: Bengals @ Falcons
August 17th, 2012 | Author: Neil Hornsby
Two teams taking differing approaches to making the next step of getting much deeper into the playoffs than they did last year faced-off here; Atlanta, with changes at both offensive and defensive coordinator, hoping to feature a much more attacking and diverse offense under Dirk Koetter and a likely move to a hybrid defense with Mike Nolan.

Cincinnati, fresh from 2011’s unexpected resurgence led by then rookie signal caller Andy Dalton, are expecting to mature more naturally, by dint of further experience and a full training camp, to a more satisfying conclusion than last year’s Wild Card exit at the hands of the Texans.

As is our norm I watched until the starters were withdrawn which in this case meant about half way through the second quarter.

Atlanta Falcons – Three Things of Note

1. Attack, Attack

There’s little doubt, from what’s been unveiled in both preseason games to date, the Falcons intend to discard their “conservative” tag with utmost haste. It was never actually said on the day I was in camp, but it felt as if they were almost embarrassed by the conservative offense installed by Mike Mularkey (the run, run, pass and repeat game plans, the lack of deep attempts and paucity of screens) and hankered for the much more aggressive philosophy employed by division rivals, the Saints.

On their first four drives the Falcons ran only four times while passing 21 and consistently looked to stretch the defense down the field. Initially, substandard execution and some clever blitzes held them in check but on the last drive they were equally as potent as they showed early versus the Ravens last week.

On that possession a wide receiver screen to Roddy White got them moving, highlighted by a superb downfield block by Tyson Clabo on Terrence Newman. A crossing route from Michael Palmer for 20 yards followed, with a Ryan fake to the left leaving both linebackers (Thomas Howard and Vontaze Burfict) miles out of position. After slot corner Jeromy Miles diagnosed a quick pass to Harry Douglas well, making a tackle for a loss it was time once more to get Julio Jones in the game. Firstly a slant featuring two missed tackles (Nate Clements and Reggie Nelson) and then a 30 yard go, dropping tantalizingly just out of reach.

Three completions finished things off; 16 to White with Newman looking lost, 23 to Jones on a post despite decent coverage from Clements and a short lob to a falling Lousaka Polite.

Through it all Ryan looked calm, in complete control and most of all very accurate in his execution. This could indeed be the year he moves his play to the next level.

2. A Hybrid Affair

Atlanta began in a traditional 3-4 defense, played the very next play with the same personnel but lined up in a 4-3 and rotated between the two thereafter.

In the 3-4, Peria Jerry played the nose with Ray Edwards and Jonathan Babineaux flanking him. Stephen Nicholas joined John Abraham standing up at the line with Sean Weatherspoon and Mike Peterson filling the inside linebacker roles.

In 4-3, both tackles played over the guards and Abraham put his hand in the ground; Peterson played the Mike (a role likely to be filled by Akeem Dent when he returns from injury).

Jerry generally made life difficult for Kyle Cook picking up a hurry and, towards the end of the first quarter, getting outside his block to tackle Brian Leonard for no gain.

Another player showing his skills was Abraham. Going against a fine tackle in Andrew Whitworth he blew past him to pressure Dalton after three plays earlier getting inside him to stop Cedric Peerman for no gain.

While it’s probable these two players will flourish (and there was also a few flashes from Edwards too) the linebackers may well take longer to acclimatize. Donald Lee left Nicholas for dead on a seam route and both he and Peterson looked slow to fill in the running game.



3. Three into two

The only thing about the corners that’s currently easy to define is what happens in nickel; here Dunta Robinson plays the slot, Brent Grimes plays RCB and Asante Samuel plays LCB. In base it’s in the air with all three players taking turns at the two roles. I’m not sure if this is just an open competition or the way that the Falcons intend to play once the real action starts.

The good news is, barring Samuel getting beaten badly by A.J. Green on the deep go route; all three played well, particularly Robinson. We’ve been notably harsh on Robinson over the last few years but this new role (and a little competition) may bring out the best in him. He was very aggressive closing down Andrew Hawkins and also defended a pass to Armon Binns with ease. Grimes was feisty as ever and until the Green debacle Samuel had been fine too, although one dubious tackle on Donald Lee showed certain things never change.



Cincinnati Bengals – Three Things of Note

1. The New Guard (s)

With Nate Livings and Bobbie Williams now in Dallas and Baltimore respectively it was all change at Guard for Cincy in 2012. Travelle Wharton seemed a sensible acquisition to fill in at left guard but an unfortunate injury last week sees him now out for the entire year.

Khaled gave his view of RG, Kevin Zeitler here after his game against the Jets and while I wasn’t left thinking my colleague had been harsh (sometimes you have to remind yourself players have good and bad days) I was more impressed. He spent the majority of his time in pass protection and didn’t give up anything major and got some movement in the running game on the few occasions he had an opportunity. He got good position and (wonder of wonders) a little vertical displacement on Jerry on one play and on another got quickly to the second level, locked on and pushed back Nicholas beyond the first down marker.

On the other side Clint Boling wasn’t as solid. Babineaux got outside him for late pressure and I saw nothing of note as a run blocker. That’s not to say he was dreadful by any means and this sort of performance is unlikely to lose many games

2. Beyond A.J. Green

There’s no question who Dalton’s main target will be this year and by season’s end A.J. Green will have been thrown a ton of balls particularly when he plays like he did today. Against a good, aggressive secondary he was targeted five times and only brought in two but one of those was for a 50 yard TD where he seemed to find an extra gear to blow past Samuel.

If for some reason he isn’t there, it appears that Jermaine Gresham may be ready to take the next step. I’ve always thought his talent, particularly as a blocker, was obvious but his consistency much less so. He was just starting to get things going as both a receiver and blocker when injury struck and he appeared to hyperextend his knee.

This left me looking for the next guy up and wondering just how bad things could get without Green. Armon Binns, a street free agent from last year started with waiver wire pick-ups Andrew Hawkins (from the Rams) and Brandon Tate (From New England) also seeing significant early reps. All this amounted to was a single six yard catch (for Tate) on three targets.

Dalton looks a mature and well rounded player, but he will need options beyond Green to stop the whole offense becoming totally predictable. Someone needs to step up but I saw nothing to suggest that player is currently on their roster.


3. Safety Last

Another area of weakness for Cincinnati could well be at safety. Reggie Nelson played pretty well last year and more of the same would be welcome. It looks likely that Taylor Mays will be his partner, but that he looks like the only legitimate option should be a cause for concern in itself.

As if to validate this rush to judgment both players flashed ability early but also gave warning of potential issues. Nelson closed quickly on Tony Gonzalez to help stop him short of a first down but was also in primary coverage on two first down throws as well as missing a tackle on Jones. Mays attacked fullback Mike Cox with such venom on the second offensive play he disrupted the whole run, knocking Cox to ground in the process but also had issues in coverage.

In general it always seemed like there was too big a gap behind the linebackers on passing plays and while this is probably a result of inexperience at MLB it also looked like the safeties had some measure of responsibility too. Quick pressure will help and that’s something the Bengals should be able to generate but I can see this being a cause for concern throughout the year.

Quote:Five observations from Falcons loss
John Manasso

August 17, 2012
Halfway through the preseason the Falcons are 0-2, but what does that really tell us? While the first-team offense has played very well and the first-team defense has played well enough, the Falcons have lost games because of poor play by their Nos. 2 and 3 quarterbacks, penalties (some of which are a direct result of bad calls by outmatched replacement officials) and by their second- and third-team defenses getting outplayed.

Next Friday, the Falcons visit Miami in the only preseason game for which they will actually game plan. Unlike the first two teams they have played (Baltimore and Cincinnati), whose first-team quarterbacks have guided their respective franchises to playoff berths, the Falcons will face a Dolphins team whose quarterback situation might be as unsettled as any in the NFL.

With the starters set to play most of that game, it should prove the most telling test yet. For now, here are five observations off of Thursday's 24-19 loss to the Bengals:

1. Gambling defense. Everything that Mike Nolan has said about his defense is shaping up to be true: the pressure comes from everywhere. Whereas former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder preferred to play coverage the overwhelming majority of the time, Nolan often seems to favor rushing six players, who could be coming from any position.

Sometimes it's two linebackers, sometimes it's a linebacker and a safety or a cornerback and sometimes he'll even drop an end back in coverage (the zone blitz) to confuse the offense.

While this hasn't necessarily resulted in a lot of sacks so far – and, again, that could change when the Falcons actually create a game plan – it has seemed to cause enough pressure to force quarterbacks to get the ball out quickly and that has proved fairly effective, as the first-team unit allowed 10 points on Thursday. (About those penalties, a phantom facemask call against Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux on third down continued a drive that led to a Bengals' field goal by their first team.)

The dramatic philosophical change also means that defensive backs in coverage often have no help. The Tennessee Titans in combined practices with the Falcons talked about how Atlanta's defense played almost exclusively "Cover Zero," which is straight man-to-man.

The risk of this approach was on display in the second quarter when Cincinnati's A.J. Green beat Atlanta's Asante Samuel deep for a 50-yard touchdown.

"I was surprised they left A.J. one-on-one in that situation," Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said.

Throughout camp, the Falcons have alternated Samuel and Brent Grimes at the left corner. Grimes, a Pro Bowler in 2010, has mostly played the left the last few seasons for the Falcons but Samuel, a four-time Pro-Bowler, said he prefers the left, as most quarterbacks are right-handed and that is where the action is.

Following his misplay on Thursday, it will be interesting to see if that play is determinant in who plays which side and whether Samuel is relegated to playing the right side only in nickel situations.

2. Quarterback questions. With the exception of one interception, starting quarterback Matt Ryan has played about as well as possible. He's completed 27-of-34 throws (79 percent) for 329 yards and two touchdowns.

The big question, then, is what happens if Ryan gets hurt? Fortunately for the Falcons, for the second straight game, as Smith pointed out, the Falcons' offensive line kept Ryan "clean" – that is, he wasn't sacked or hit, really at all. The Falcons' continued use of the no-huddle offense, along with offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter's propensity for screens, and solid offensive line play have kept defenders at bay so far.

During his four seasons, Ryan has remained mostly injury-free, as he's started 62 of a possible 64 games. However, those backing him up have struggled so far this preseason. To say that 35-year-old back-up Chris Redman has looked rusty would be polite.

Redman finished with a 59.3 quarterback rating and had one interception with no touchdowns on Thursday. While he completed 67 percent of his throws, he was often missing receivers badly at times. In his first preseason game, Redman went 1 for 6 and posted a 39.6 rating.

In former offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey's scheme, the savvy Redman could get by mostly by handing the ball off and managing the game. But in Koetter's offense, the quarterback looks like he has to be the engine. Redman might not be up to that.

And it's not like his No. 3 is pushing him. John Parker Wilson is in his fourth season with the team and in the league, making him out of practice squad eligibility, and probably won't be around much longer. He looks too unsure of himself and held the ball for too long once on Thursday, resulting in a sack in one of only four chances to throw the ball.

For now, the revelation is undrafted rookie Dominique Davis (East Carolina) who almost drove the Falcons to victory in the two-minute drill but was victimized by two drops in the last 93 seconds. Davis threw for 121 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and completed 10 of 18 throws.

He might force the Falcons to keep three quarterbacks – something they were reluctant to do at the outset of last season – or risk losing him to a team that will sign him to their active roster.

3. DeCoud benefiting. Among the talk of who Nolan's defense will benefit, the safeties were paramount. Thomas DeCoud showed this on Thursday with a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

Built slight as he is, DeCoud has shown he can be a hard hitter and he also does a fair job around the ball. In three years as a starter, he has eight interceptions, including four last season.

In VanGorder's defense, the Falcons mostly played a two-deep zone and that meant that the safeties were put in a more passive posture, usually helping out in coverage. When DeCoud made a mistake, it often ended in a big play.

Perhaps being more aggressive will help him.

"The safeties are becoming more and more involved in the defense," DeCoud said. "If there is a big play being made, then more than likely a safety is going to be making it, especially down the field. It's one of those things where we're just capitalizing on opportunities when we have them and it's paying dividends."

4. Jerry on the mend. Since 2009 first-round pick Peria Jerry blew out his knee in the second game of his career, it has been difficult to gauge his effectiveness. It often takes two seasons for a player to get back to 100 percent health after ACL surgery and for a defensive tackle like Jerry it has taken longer.

For one, he's got all of that weight on top of the knee – 295 pounds – and secondly his position relies almost entirely on explosion off the ball. Jerry lacked that and lost out last season to Corey Peters.

However, Peters has been injured throughout much of the offseason and all of camp and that has given Jerry his chance with the first team again. He had two tackles and a sack on Thursday following three tackles and a tackle-for-loss against Baltimore.

Since the Falcons play a rotation on the defensive line, having a healthy and productive Jerry could wind up as a big bonus.

5. Returners seem settled. During the week, Smith wouldn't say outright that Dominique Franks has won the job as the punt returner – he might have a more promising future there than as a cornerback – but he did say that Franks has a "leg up."

Smith also said that Harry Douglas, who returned punts in 2008 as a rookie before blowing out his knee the following season, would not return punts in the preseason.

That almost seems a de facto declaration that Franks has won the job. He had a 45-yard return in the opener and two totaling 13 yards on Thursday. The only other player the Falcons used to return punts, Tim Toone, (12 yards on two punts, one for 13 yards and another for minus-1 – too inconsistent there) seems a long shot to make the team.

Jacquizz Rodgers also seems like the guy on kick returns. (Eric Weems, a Pro Bowler in 2010, did both jobs the last few seasons but signed with Chicago in the offseason.) Rodgers had three returns for 69 yards. The only other kick returner the Falcons used was James Rodgers, Jacquizz's brother, who had two returns for 50 yards.

James Rodgers also seems a longshot to make the team.

[mcsupersport]

Nice articles, and seemingly from people that actually watched the games.

Thanks for posting, and I too, like what I have seen from the Falcons.

[juraitwaluzka]

(08-18-2012 07:09 PM)mcsupersport Wrote:  Nice articles, and seemingly from people that actually watched the games.

Such a rare treat, it's nice when that actually happens instead of the normal generic regurgitation that takes place.

[AUTiger7222]

(08-18-2012 08:28 PM)juraitwaluzka Wrote:  Such a rare treat, it's nice when that actually happens instead of the normal generic regurgitation that takes place.

It's amazing what happens when someone actually watches the game and chooses to write based on what they saw on the field without any bias.

[RnB]

Thanks for the articles.