Quote:Regardless of the records coming in, this game was going to be a tough, hard-fought divisional matchup between the Saints and the Falcons. Though the Saints have now won 11 of the last 13 matchups dating back to 2006, this is a competitive rivalry with five of the last six games decided by four points or fewer.

The Saints showed improvement on both sides of the ball, and while their offense still isn’t up to the level of previous years, they’re clearly getting closer. After coming in as the NFL’s least penalized team, the Falcons drew six flags and were unable to punch the ball in on two trips inside the Saints’ 5-yard line. And they could have been better served by being more aggressive at times.

Even with their first loss, the Falcons remain in great position to get a playoff bye (perhaps without the added pressure of going undefeated), while the Saints can get to .500 with a win against Oakland next week, a feat that looked impossible when they were sitting at 0-4.

Atlanta – Three Performances of Note

Battle of the Tight Ends, Part I

When players start talking about retirement there usually is an accompanying decline in the level of play on the field. As evidenced by his 11-catch, 122-yard, two-touchdown performance, that just hasn’t been the case for Tony Gonzalez (+3.5) this season. He didn’t stretch the field – his longest gain was just 19 yards – but was his usual reliable self in the intermediate passing game, as he was targeted on 30 percent of Matt Ryan’s passes, beating eight Saint defenders for receptions. His two touchdowns were classic Gonzalez — despite being well covered on both, he was able to extend and high-point the ball, perhaps channeling his basketball skills to box out defenders on the plays. His only fault was the fourth-down drop that ended Atlanta’s comeback chances and, ultimately, swung the battle of the tight ends (and game) in favor of New Orleans.

Running Woes

Most of the time it’s beneficial to have a balanced offense. However, yesterday the Falcons may have been better off completely abandoning the run. On 18 attempts, they gained just 46 yards, good for 2.6 yards per carry. No Falcon had more problems running the ball than Michael Turner (-1.0), who gained just 15 yards on 13 rushes. At times in his career known as ‘The Burner’ for his speed and described as a bowling ball for his power, Turner showed neither quality against the Saints, and really has struggled most of the season. He was slow getting to the line, and usually went down on first contact, forcing just one missed tackle.

Not all the blame should go to Turner when the offensive line struggled to open up any kind of running lanes. In particular, center Todd McClure (-2.5) and left guard Justin Blalock (-3.9) had poor games. The problems in the run game were as evident as ever on third-and-goal from the 1 with 1:56 left in the game, when Blalock was badly beaten and Turner was stuffed behind the line.

When the Falcons do run the ball going forward, the ball should be put in the hands of Jacquizz Rodgers. Despite averaging 9.7 yards per rush, including an electrifying 18-yard run late in the fourth quarter, Rodgers only carried the ball three times.

Asante Ascends

The Falcons needed a strong performance from their secondary to slow down a potent Saints passing game. Asante Samuel, at least, did his part. Grading at +4.1 in coverage, Samuel didn’t allow any of the three balls thrown in his direction to be caught and came away with two pass defenses – both on third down – as well as a diving interception on Drew Brees’ first pass of the game.

He wasn’t perfect on the day, however, as he struggled in run support and drew a costly unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty following his interception. As great as he was in coverage, he couldn’t make up for the rest of the back seven, particularly William Moore (-3.5 coverage) and Stephen Nicholas, neither of whom could match up with Jimmy Graham.

New Orleans – Three Performances of Note

Battle of the Tight Ends, Part II

Not to be one-upped by his counterpart for the Falcons, Jimmy Graham (+1.6) came up with a huge performance of his own for the Saints. Catching seven of eight balls thrown his way for 146 yards and two touchdowns, Graham was uncoverable. He did most of his damage against Nicholas and Moore, but even when the Falcons used a corner on him, they had no success stopping the big tight end. This was evident at 6:34 of the third quarter when, despite having great inside position at the snap, Falcons nickel corner Robert McClain still allowed Graham to beat him on the crossing route for a crucial third-down catch.

For all of the spectacular plays Graham makes, he’s also been maddeningly inconsistent. This was on display in the second quarter when he followed up a third-down false start penalty with a drive-killing drop – no player had more entering Week 10 – on a very catchable ball. His nine drops are now two more than he had last season. Of course, the Saints will gladly take a few foolish plays if they more often get the kind of plays like Graham’s third-down catch in the fourth quarter that went for 46 yards, setting up a Garret Hartley field goal that put the game out of reach.

Ground Game

A week after having their best game of the season on the ground, the Saints enjoyed another strong game rushing. With Darren Sproles out, the trio of Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, and Chris Ivory averaged 5.3 yards per carry on 28 attempts for 149 yards. The group was best running to the edge, where, bolstered by a spectacular 56-yard touchdown run from Ivory (+2.1), they averaged 7.8 yards per carry. Most impressively, though, is that they did it without much help from the offensive line, gaining a ridiculous 147 yards after contact.

Even though Ingram is having probably the best two-game stretch of his short career, Ivory has been the spark. As we pointed out before the game, he offers a combination of size, toughness, and burst that is otherwise absent in the Saints’ talented group of running backs. The speed was evident on his touchdown run, and he broke or eluded five tackles on the game. His seven forced missed tackles in 17 carries this season are just five fewer than what Ingram has done in 70 carries.

Strong Up Front

The much maligned (and for good reasons) Saints defense came up with some huge plays when it counted, especially on two goal-line stands late in the game. They were led by the play of the defensive line, which provided some good pressure on Ryan and was very strong against the run. All eight active linemen received snaps, although the group didn’t have quite as much success as they did a week ago.

Holding the Falcons to just 2.6 yards per carry, the unit was effective in shutting down a strong running attack, particularly near the end zone. The effort of tackle Tom Johnson (+1.4) can’t be overlooked, as he played a critical role in stoning the offensive line on a few plays.

And they weren’t bad rushing the passer either. The group recorded 19 of the defense’s 22 disruptions and pressured Ryan on about 37 percent of his passing attempts. Reserves Martez Wilson and Turk McBride were the most productive on a per-snap basis, combining for five pressures in 23 rushes.

Game Notes

- Playing at right tackle for the injured Zach Strief, Charles Brown (+2.3) was the Saints’ highest graded lineman and surrendered just one pressure in pass protection.

- Falcons reserve lineman Mike Johnson’s first -uarter touchdown catch was his first target and catch of the season in 20 routes run.

- Atlanta averaged a horrific -0.14 YPC on runs to the left of center.

PFF Game Ball

This one goes to Chris Ivory, whose electrifying 56-yard touchdown run in the first quarter put the Saints within three and helped avert a potential blowout.

Quote:Ray Edwards isn’t a bad player. But he’s no longer an Atlanta Falcons player either.

No, the man who was the Falcons’ 2011 free agency consolation prize after they missed out on Charles Johnson, has been released. Atlanta has opted to cut its losses and accept that trying to fit that square peg into its round hole just isn’t going to work.

The top question in peoples minds will be, where does the blame lie? Is it with Edwards? Is it with Atlanta? Or is it just ‘one of those things’?

The Underrated Viking

You know, I’m sick to death of hearing how Ray Edwards benefited from the guys he played with in Minnesota. The scenario painted out is that opposing teams were so occupied with the Williams Wall and Jared Allen that Edwards could moonwalk his way to the quarterback untouched.

Simply because, you know, those guys were double-teamed on every play. Sometimes even triple-teamed.

Only here’s the great thing. That’s not actually the case. There’s some chipping going on and the occasional double-team, but that happens on both sides of the line. A more legitimate argument to be made is that Edwards went up against right tackles who are weaker in pass protection. Why make a logical argument when you can make a baseless one off a few examples of the eye?

To do that might mean having to accept the facts that Edwards actual beat a lot of tackles to pick up a lot of pressure, and he did so while becoming one of the leagues’s better run defending ends. Lets take a look at his Pass Rushing Productivity rankings for the past four years.



Look at that level of productivity. Was that all down to the talent around him? And then why did it change in Atlanta? I mean the Falcons still had guys like John Abraham (fourth in PRP in 2011) and Jonathan Babineaux (fifth in PRP of DTs in 2011) to work alongside.

Where Did It Go Wrong?

Obviously though, there’s a clear disparity between how Edwards performed for Minnesota and what he did on the field for Atlanta, and that contributed to his release. There are a number of theories that are floating around, but one that holds particular weight with me is that the Falcons didn’t use him correctly. Here’s a guy who in his final year in Minnesota spent 98.1% of his plays rushing from a defensive left end position.

In his first year in Atlanta that number was 60.2%, and the difference was evident in Edwards’s ability to generate pressure. When he was lined up as a defensive left end he picked up a pressure on 9.5% of pass rushes. When he rushed from the right side he picked up a pressure on 5.4% of plays. A huge difference and indicative of Edwards’s struggle. The Falcons designed their pass rush around Abraham getting pressure, and in doing so put Edwards in situations he was neither used to, comfortable with or productive in. They wanted Charles Johnson and when they couldn’t get him they got the next best thing and assumed they could use him the way they would Johnson.

The experiment failed, and that one has to be on the Atlanta scouting department and the urge to spend some money in free agency. Still, Edwards himself hasn’t been as productive. He has to take a large part of that blame because he’s been in enough favorable positions, and in enough one-on-one matchups, to get more pressure than he has. His work in run defense hasn’t suffered but the -12.4 grade we’ve given him for his pass rushing is a far cry from the +33.4 he managed in his last two years in Minnesota.

Where Does He Go From Here?

Just because a relationship doesn’t work out doesn’t mean a player is doomed or finished. We’ve seen guys struggle in places and flourish elsewhere. Edwards is still only 27 years old despite his six years of NFL experience, and has proven himself to be a capable every-down player in the right scheme.

The next question is where is that right scheme. He’s a bigger, more powerful defensive end who’s best fit is likely on the left side. The league isn’t short on those types of players. The Browns have their Jabaal Sheard. The Saints have their Cameron Jordan. The Bills have their Mario Williams. There really isn’t a place right now that Edwards would go and offer a significant upgrade for the likely deal he’ll be expecting.

Of course, the way these things work out some team is bound to have him in for a visit. Some team is bound to make him an offer even if it is in the short term. There Edwards will get an opportunity to show what he’s got and try and turn that into a more significant deal in free agency.

Only he’s got a giant buyer beware sign on him now. And no team will want to make the mistakes the Falcons made with him.

Quote:Tight End: Tony Gonzalez, ATL (+3.5)

Scott Chandler was a superior blocker but the receiving work of Gonzalez was something to behold, even with a late drop. His usage of his body to prevent defenders from having a hope of making plays on the ball is legendary. Still got it.

Quote:Center: Todd McClure, ATL (-2.5)

McClure got real defensive about the offensive line but he’ll have to admit he’s had better games.

Safeties: William Moore, ATL (-3.7) and Dashon Goldson, SF (-3.2)

There’s been a lot to like about both men this year but this week won’t go down as one either will want to remember. Moore got toasted in coverage to the tune of 90 yards and a touchdown, while Goldson missed three tackles. Not great at all.

Quote:20. Atlanta Falcons (Previous Rank: 12th)

Passing Blocking = 24th, Run Blocking = 21st and Penalties= 1st

Part of why Matt Ryan is having an MVP year is that he’s handling pressure and overcoming a line that isn’t making running the ball all that viable. For years now the Falcons have been a team that have beat up on weaker fronts, but if their effort against New Orleans is anything to go by, even those days are behind them. But hey, they rarely give up penalties.

(11-16-2012 10:34 AM)FullMetalFalcon23 Wrote:  I think you need to look deeper into the numbers. They did not say left guard they said left of centre. If anything that implies the culprit is McClure. Blalock from what I recalled posting some good numbers in the ground game. But you watch McClure. He gets blown back but not up a lot. Point of attack the surge needs to be forwards. These guys are getting held in place or not getting forward to the next level that's why the run game is looking so cack at the moment. Konz seems to be stabilising the RG position alongside Clabo and to the outside of Blalock and baker I think you will find the same. But the 1 0 and 2 holes are practically no fly zones. And for a back who has trouble moving those are the best holes for him to go to. Not jumping to the side or moving just drive into the gut. It will not work for this I line until they can dominate at centre.