Atlanta Falcons Discussion

[Number 10]

Ahhh my Tivo got screwed up. How did Jimmy Williams look?

[Shiver]

He didn't play.

[Shiver]

Originally Posted by bearsfan_51

This is the first game I've seen of the Falcons, and I'm not trying to insight anything here, it's actually more of a question. Is this the bad hands of the recievers that you've been talking about all year? Cause if so, I think Vick shares at least 30-40% of that blame. He has no touch on any of his throws, and they were put in positions that were hard for the players to adjust to. Granted, the ball hit their hands on numerous occasions, and they should make those plays, but it wouldn't hurt for Vick to help them out either.

No, I don't count acrobatic attempts at the ball as a drop. The overt drops were only apparent in three games; New Orleans, New York and Detroit.

The receivers should still make some difficult catches, and they make fewer of those than most other receivers in the league.

Don't think I absolve Vick of any blame with the team's performance. I just don't understand why his game has self destructed. Through the first seven games; he impressed me with his development. These past two he looked like the '04 Vick again, and that's a painful sight. If he keeps this up; I actually would not be adverse to sending the team a message and starting Schaub. If you don't play well, no matter who you are, you won't continue to play. If he's the leader of this team, he cannot go out and lose games with his turnovers. It's that simple.

[Shiver]

Patrick Kerney "out for a while." We are screwed, 6-10 anybody?

[diabsoule]

Originally Posted by Shiver

Patrick Kerney "out for a while." We are screwed, 6-10 anybody?

Yeah, I just saw that. Here's the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2660389

That really hurts ya'll's chances.

[Shiver]

Thus far we've lost:

• Our most reliabe WR, Brian Finneran.
• Our two pro bowl Defensive Ends, Patrick Kerney and John Abraham
• The return of Ed "Hurtwell", he was supposed to be our answer in the middle.
• Our best O-Line player, Kynan Forney, without him our run game has fallen apart.
• Three defensive backs, Jason Webster, Kevin Mathis, Chris Cash

Terrible, terrible, terrible. Looks like we'll have a top-10 draft pick.

Our Needs:

Defensive End: Abraham is injury prone and cannot be on the field more than about 65% of the snaps, or he will continue to be injured. Patrick Kerney is aging, his production is diminished and he's a FA next year. Chauncey Davis has impressed me, but we need a four man rotation.

Safety: Neither Chris Crocker or Lawyer Milloy are good in coverage, and Milloy is running on fumes.

Interior Lineman: Our interior is consistently abused by defenses, and it sounds like Gibbs is on his way out, so some strong lineman is needed. McClure is a FA as well.

Running Back: Something that is a big need, Warrick Dunn has faded down the stretch, he's reaching the breaking point for Running Backs. Jerious Norwood doesn't have the look of a feature back in the NFL, he'd be best served in a rotation.

[iloxygenil]

So Jimmy DID play? Did he start? I thought Rossy got the start...if so that decision alone should get Mora fired. Kerney is out for the season now...so...that REALLY hurts us...we need abe back REALLY bad now. We aren't going to have any pass rush with those Davis and Mallard on the ends...who are we going to pick up off the streets now to add in?

I am sick of up and down...losing to slop teams...beating great ones...it's stupid...time for the Falcons to step up and romp some teams. If that means we trade our entire draft to get Calvin Johnson, so be it...I want a WR who can catch the ball consistantly...I want DEs who can stay healthy...I want a winning season back to back years...and I want a friggin SUPER BOWL trophy.

[ATLDirtyBirds]

Well we look well set up for 2 good draft picks. Maybe that will help

[Shiver]

Originally Posted by iloxygenil

So Jimmy DID play? Did he start? I thought Rossy got the start...if so that decision alone should get Mora fired.

Jimmy was hurt, so I don't blame Mora. He has hardly played, and is nicked, he wouldn't have been in a position to succeed.

Kerney is out for the season now...so...that REALLY hurts us...we need abe back REALLY bad now. We aren't going to have any pass rush with those Davis and Mallard on the ends...who are we going to pick up off the streets now to add in?

Depth was a concern to start the season, but it wasn't addressed. Of course, where injuries did occur, it was where we are thin.

I am sick of up and down...losing to slop teams...beating great ones...it's stupid...time for the Falcons to step up and romp some teams.

Don't worry, we will be losing to great teams soon enough.

If that means we trade our entire draft to get Calvin Johnson, so be it...I want a WR who can catch the ball consistantly...

I don't think Receivers are the main problem. I think the passing game, Vick's in particular, self destructs when the interior O-Line is blown up. When Vick has time in the pocket, he is fabulous, when he's pressured he becomes rattled and his mechanics fall apart. That's been Vick's MO, teams try to rough him up, because they know he loses composure and stops playing fundamentally sound football. That's why he is hit illegally more than any other QB in football, teams know that he'll either be injured or fall apart if they smack him around. Jenkins and White are still young, it's concentration more than anything, they'll learn in time. What we REALLY need is to dump the Alex Gibbs system, and get taltented, strong G/Cs who can hold up physically.

want DEs who can stay healthy...

That's what happens when we trade for an injury prone DE, instead of drafting Hali or Kiwanuka.

I want a winning season back to back years...and I want a friggin SUPER BOWL trophy.

Sad isn't it?

[Shiver]

Mark Bradley's blog on AJC:

Mora runs a poorly coached team

By Mark Bradley | Monday, November 13, 2006, 08:55 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Flowery Branch — A coach can handle consecutive losses to patently inferior opposition in one of two ways: He can go all rah-rah, or he can give the timeworn your-jobs-are-on-the-line speech. Jim Mora has chosen to accentuate the positive, saying Monday: “A lot of people would say the ship is sinking, but I don’t. I love it. … We’re going to fight.”

And maybe that’s the way, even after egregious outings against Detroit and Cleveland, he really feels. Then again, maybe Mora isn’t taking the vocational-security tack because he knows the job on the line is his.

Arthur Blank didn’t pay to assemble a band of scrappers. He and Rich McKay built this gifted team to win big. Blank in July: “We have a sense of urgency to do better now. … Our offseason moves aren’t indicative that we’re [building for some far-off future].”

Yet here the Falcons sit, 5-4 with a team that seems to play a different way every Sunday. Sometimes the pass defense fails (Pittsburgh, Detroit). Other times it’s the run defense (New York). Sometimes the Falcons can’t throw (New York, Detroit). Other times they can (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati). Sometimes they even throw too much (Cleveland).

We’ve asked this before, but after nine oscillating outings, there seems only one answer. Q: What are the Falcons? A: Not particularly well coached.

Mora won 18 of his first 26 games, a bright young thing who’d hit the ground running. But the Falcons are 7-10 since, and more and more Mora and his staff seem incapable of fitting resources to scheme. There’ll come a game that appears a great leap forward — Blank described Vick’s passing against Cincinnati as “a breakthrough” — but gains are never consolidated. The weeks roll on and the Falcons keep alternating assured performances with addled ones, and that’s a function (or a dysfunction) of coaching.

“We all need a little adversity to find out what we’re all about,” Mora said Monday, but the man paying Mora’s salary might see this latest dip differently. At 7-2, the Falcons would be alone in second place in the NFC and staring at a first-round bye. Instead they’re no lock to pluck even the last wild-card spot.

Mora: “We’re right in the thick of this thing. … We’re in a dogfight.” Indeed, he used the word “dogfight” at least a half-dozen times, and he closed his address with “Fight on.” (Sort of like Dan Rather signing off with “Courage.”) Of his team’s injuries, Mora said: “We’ll fight to the bitter end with whoever’s standing. And we’d better fight. If I don’t see a guy fighting, he might not be playing.”

Might not?

Perhaps Mora’s men will respond to his gentle urging. But after last season’s collapse and the Falcons’ mood swings of the past five weeks, it’s reasonable to wonder if they still believe in this coach and his coordinators. Say what you will about Dan Reeves, but his teams played pretty much the same way every time. For reasons unclear, Mora’s 2006 team has a fainter signature than in his giddy inaugural season, and these Falcons are more talented than in their run to the NFC championship game.

It’s possible Mora could survive another non-playoff finish. (The rash of injuries, Patrick Kerney’s being the latest, might buy him another season, although Blank fired Reeves the year Michael Vick broke his leg.) It’s also possible the owner might decide to cut his accumulating losses and start anew.

And surely Blank has to be looking toward Chicago and wondering if Lovie Smith, whom the Falcons interviewed, wasn’t the better choice. The Bears under Smith lost 11 of their first 16 games but have won 19 of 26 since, and nobody could watch that ferocious team today and say it isn’t well coached.

Jeff Schultz's blog

Falcons don’t play hard or smart

By Jeff Schultz | Sunday, November 12, 2006, 09:26 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jim Mora had another one of those my-guys-would-run-through-a-brick-wall speeches Sunday. It’s sort of the coach’s version of a quarterback checking down to his third option.

A coach can’t always say, “We’re really good.” Or, “We’re really smart.” So he falls back on, “We won’t lay down. We won’t quit.”

You know. Just in case you thought a few guys might pass on their next seven paychecks.

The Falcons have lost consecutive games to two teams, Detroit and Cleveland, that were a combined 3-12 before kickoff. Fortunately, NFL player contracts are not incentive-laden. Otherwise, owner Arthur Blank would seem to be building a pretty strong fraud case.

“These were two teams obviously we should have beaten,” Blank said.

Sometimes an owner also feels the need to check down to his secondary remarks, when he probably would prefer to drive a truck through the next team meeting.

It’s only November. Is it nap time already?

Because of an inordinate number of injuries, the Falcons have little margin for error. But for the second consecutive week, they walked onto the field and all but uttered, “You are not worthy.”

Now, it’s true that most NFL teams can get away with that against the Lions and Browns. But the Falcons aren’t one of them. They don’t compensate for their deficiencies by wearing teams down. They don’t play smart. They don’t play hard — certainly not over four quarters.

When you’re missing bodies on the field, you can’t afford to be missing a head or a pulse. But that’s where the Falcons are.

Warrick Dunn said of the Browns, “They played hard for 60 minutes.”

And the Falcons?

“We played hard for a half. Unfortunately.”

When a team official walked toward the media huddle. Dunn started to change his tune. “Guys played hard. We just didn’t execute.”

You decide which quote was more truthful.

Mora called the NFL “a humbling league.” But if the Falcons needed to be humbled after the Lions game, the problems are even bigger than we imagined.

They’re not a particularly well-coached bunch, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. The Falcons had far more passing plays (41) than rushing plays (29) against a Cleveland defense that ranked 29th against the run.

In the third quarter, they had a fourth-and-1 on the Browns’ 31. But rather than call for a run by Michael Vick or Dunn, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp had Vick step back and throw into the end zone for Alge Crumpler. The pass was intercepted.

“We took a shot,” said Mora.

Which would be fine if this was a well-functioning offense with a consistent quarterback. But it isn’t, and he isn’t. Vick finished 16-for-40 with one touchdown. He also had two interceptions and a game-clinching fumble at the Browns’ 28 with 2:18 left. In the two games since throwing seven touchdown passes against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, Vick is 33-for-72 with two TDs and six turnovers.

“I take full responsibility on the offensive side of the ball,” Vick said.

When there are holes everywhere, Vick needs to be the equalizer. He hasn’t been. But there are too many problems to put this on one player, even if he is the franchise centerpiece.

Last season the Falcons didn’t fall apart until the second half. This year, cracks started showing in week 3 at New Orleans.

They started 2-0. They are 3-4 since. That’s not a blip. That’s an identity.

They fell behind 14-0 to a 2-6 team after losing 30-14 to a 1-6 team. That’s not something that can be fixed with a cute little speech or a pat on the back or a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. When a team stumbles out of the blocks against a bad team after being humiliated by another bad team the week before, there are issues deeper than injuries.

Mora: “Shoot, life’s not fun unless you have a little adversity. What the heck? Who wants it easy all the time? Maybe some people do, but I don’t.”

Right, pity the Indianapolis Colts at 9-0.

He continued: “We’re 5-4 with seven more chances to fight and win. It’s going to be an awesome thing when it’s all done.”

But Mora sounds like a man selling tonics from a wagon. Because at 5-4 with seven games left, maybe his team is already done.

Sigh ... Both are dead on.

[Draft King]

Right now I would love to trade up to get an elite player at a need position like Calvin Johnson or Adrian Peterson, or maybe even trade down to get a guy like Justin Blalock, I think we don't have to address the safety position in the first round especially now that I think we will have an earlier pick.

[scar988]

Originally Posted by Draft King

Right now I would love to trade up to get an elite player at a need position like Calvin Johnson or Adrian Peterson, or maybe even trade down to get a guy like Justin Blalock, I think we don't have to address the safety position in the first round especially now that I think we will have an earlier pick.

Blalock doesn't even come close to fitting our scheme. even if we get rid of Mora the run scheme will stay. trust me on that. I would love to see Jeff Fisher come in and at least run the defense for us. or even Jim Bates.

[Shiver]

Originally Posted by scar988

Blalock doesn't even come close to fitting our scheme. even if we get rid of Mora the run scheme will stay. trust me on that.

I hope to god you are wrong.

[scar988]

Originally Posted by Shiver

I hope to god you are wrong.

why? the zone run scheme is something Cable teaches as well and is part of the reason why our run game is #1 in the league. If Gibbs leaves all it means is that we will go a bit bigger (315 at the most and 305 at the lowest) and would be better pass blockers coming in and would keep Clabo i nthe starting lineup. we would prolly have to draft a G/C like Satele who is 310 but our lineup after getting hi mwoudl be good for both pass and run blocking and near the league average weight wise:
LT - Gandy 315 (Omiyale 310)
LG - Clabo 315
C - Satele 310 (King 305)
RG - Forney 307
RT - Wiener 298 (Ojinnaka 297)
our RT is a bit smaller but with the TE on that side as well it is understandable. the pass blocking will be better and the run blocking will still be the zone cut back and would not hurt anyone on our team by keeping it the same. What we would do though is draft a RB in the 4th like a Lorenzo Booker and have him start and Norwood and Dunn spell or Norwood start and Booker and Dunn spell.

[Shiver]

We need talent, that's my concern. If we hire a Power-O coach, then we won't have any restrictions on who we can bring in to fill in at LG and OC. While we have had the best rushing offense, it's only because of Michael Vick. Under Reeves, we were 5th in the NFL in rushing, while protecting Vick in the pocket much better.

[iloxygenil]

I'd love to see us do something...there has to be a change I don't know what it is...but my vote is FIRST thing...FIRE GEORGE STEWART NOW!

[America]

So who's starting at DE with Kerny and Abraham out?

[Shiver]

A four man rotation of Chauncey Davis, Paul Carrington, Josh Mallard, and on passing downs Michael Boley.

[iloxygenil]

It's interesting to see what happens this week. I hate this feeling of already having to lok to the draft to improve our team...to have a shot at the playoffs...I know we still have a very legit shot of 10-6 and a division championship...but we're going to have to really put things together and FAST. We need Abe back...ASAP.

I can't wait to see Jimmy play though...that is exciting to me.

[Shiver]

I think it's all on Michael Vick. If he turns the football over against this defense, were screwed. We need for him to regain his composure, early in the game. Their offense isn't particularly explosive, most of their points are generated by that ball-hawking defense, either scoring out right, or setting them up. If he can play under control, create no turnovers, and return to his pre-Lions form, we have a legitimate shot.

[johbur]

Hey, does a Falcon fan know offhand what the highest round is that Atlanta has taken a running back since Alex Gibbs came over with the ZBS? Was Duckett (R1) taken while Gibbs was there?

[Shiver]

The only Running Back we've taken is Quincy Wilson in the seventh, DeAndra Cobb in the sixth, Norwood in the third.

[Shiver]

It doesn't sound like Ray Lewis will play, that is great news. The Titans had little problems against the Ravens, because Lewis is the catalyst of that defensive unit. That said, our team is more banged up than they are. Once again, we will win if we don't turn the ball over.

[D-Rod]

i think we may well beat the ravens this week. on paper, we are screwed, obviously, but it's just the type of game we'd somehow end up winning.

with this up and down team, it's about time for vick to lift-off again.

i say we run the ball down their Lewis-bereft throats - hey, if the titans can do it! - and see how their hyper-aggresive defence deals with vick and some PA.

and on D, we just have to put everything on the run and let McNair show that he is no more consistent a passer of the ball than Vick.

by the way, a little pet peeve: it really annoys me when people get at vick for carrying the ball in one hand! without doing that, he would not be so great a threat. it's the fact that he remains a threat to pass the ball even as he scrambles which buys him extra yards every time. yes, the occasional fumbles are annoying, but they are more than compensated by the numerous big plays which result from vick's ability to throw on the run.

[Shiver]

Mark Schlereth said on The Herd, that Michael Vick has to throw into a milk carton to get a completion with our receivers. He said he's seen every snap of our offense, and h was dumb-founded by the dropped passes. Including eight in the Lions game, nine in the Browns game.