theProf’s take on the Falcons/Lions game

[theProf]

Great start to the season. I was in shock after Atlanta’s first three drives, each resulting in a TD. I got nervous toward the end of the first half, when Atlanta appeared to be too aggressive on Offense with very poor field position and the half winding down. I think this particular situation called for conservatively running out the clock, and taking a 2 Touchdown lead into halftime. The aggressiveness backfired, and resulted in the Lions getting the ball back with enough time to score a TD before the half. However, I thought the offensive play calling was creative and generally very good, except for this one series.

I got that eerie déjà vue feeling that we might see the same old Falcons in the second half. A team that gets outcoached and outplayed in the second half time after time. However to the credit of the new coaching staff and essentially a new cast of players this did not happen. Atlanta actually outplayed its opponent in the second half. They physically beat the Lions in both halves. What a refreshing and welcome sight.

I thought Atlanta played very well together as a team on both sides of the ball, but particularly the offense. There were some very impressive individual performances. Michael Turner is definitely ready for prime time. What else can you say about a RB that breaks the Falcons single game rushing record in his very first attempt? Norwood is now the best back-up RB in pro football, now that Turner is a starter. Matt Ryan certainly appears to be a poised leader, capable of doing whatever is necessary to get the Win. Considering this was his very first regular season game and manning the most complicated position on the field, I thought he did remarkably well.

It appears that the offensive line is for real, and what we were seeing from them in the preseason is going to carry over into the regular season. All of them played well together as a unit. They played aggressively and physically. I thought Blalock was most to blame for the one and only sack. Baker initially blocked his man, and then appeared to pass him off to Blalock to get another oncoming rusher. Blalock didn’t get to the passed-off lineman in time and the sack was made. Blalock also had two penalties. However, Blalock appeared to be playing better overall than last season. I was surprised to see two TEs (Hartsock and Peeller) catch a pass, in such a low passing game for the Falcons. Their blocking appeared very solid.

The defense played well as a team, and made stops and plays when they were needed. Abe had a very good game getting pressure on the QB, and got credit for three sacks. Some of the other defensive linemen still need to step up their QB pressure though. Anderson looks like he is beginning to improve in that area, although he needs to be able to finish with an actual sack or get his arms up to bat the ball down. I thought the LBs played alright, but not quite as good as I expected. Brooking appeared a little slower in his reactions and getting to the ball on occasion. Lofton was not quite a force in the middle I was hoping to see, but it was his first regular season game. Boley's play was solid, but nothing spectacular.

The DBs played pretty well. Houston still needs to learn how to turn his head around to avoid interference calls. Grimes covered well and made some good tackles. The TD pass over Grimes at the corner of the end zone was just an excellent play on the Lions part. Coleman was much better than Crocker at the FS position. Milloy made a game changing interception, and played very well in run support.

The Special teams covered very well. Elam made all his FG attempts, including the 50 yarder. Norwood is a very dangerous and exciting KO Returner. Jennings played alright on punt returns, at least he didn’t fumble any punts. However, I still hope to see some improvement from him this season, or see Atlanta find someone better to return punts.

[theProf]

Forgot to mention the WRs. There were just not many balls thrown to them during the game. Jenkins TD catch was a thing of beauty. Roddy made two good catches. One was very impressive on a long pass where he really fought for the ball. Roddy did have a bad holding call, which was really not necessary, that nullified a TD run by Turner.

[Flyin' In DC]

Nice work. I think that the recievers yardage will go up drastically this year as they will catch the ball in stride alot more than in years past.

[WineBird]

Nice analysis, thanks for the post.

[schwarzenegger321]

Another impressive thing about the recievers is that there were no dropped balls (at least I don't remember any- I was only able to watch part of the game). I think our receiver numbers are going to go way up as the year goes on and the coachs give Ryan more and more check down responsibility. It's amazing how the recievers look so much comfortable when the ball is thrown their way this year as opposed to other years.

[capATL]

Good post.

It looked like most of our running yards were on the left side. Props to T-Rex and Blaylock. Other teams will note this and make an adjustment, so we have to be effective on both sides of the line.

Last year we gave up 47 sacks, and only one yesterday. Look for a much lower number this year. Better scheming, better linemen, a QB with a quick release and a quick mind, and a running offensive all contributed.

I thought our Safeties were superb--particularly Milloy who had an amazing int.

Special teams showed the amount of depth that we have and the amount of hustle the players are bringing. They looked solid on both sides.

My concerns would be:

I was a little disappointed that we really had very few passes defended with the ball being deflected. Houston did not have a good game.

DLine did not get consistent pressure [but Abe was great].

We averaged about 3 yards per punt "runback."

Blitzes were basically ineffective.

All in all, the Falcons exceeded the expectations I had. GO BIRDS.

[by the way, I'll bet Grimes learns at some point the he is short and on sideline/endzone passes he can just let a taller receiver catch the ball but not land in the field of play. He could have just pushed the receiver out of bounds rather than playing the ball because of the new rule.]

[Dustin DeLacerda]

they looked great to me !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[theProf]

Nice work. I think that the recievers yardage will go up drastically this year as they will catch the ball in stride alot more than in years past.

Thanks. I agree that the WRs will show a little more as this season progresses. Yesterday's strategy of pounding the ball worked very well with a lead. There was just not that much reason to throw that much to the WRs in yesterday's game.

[Flayko247]

Good post.

It looked like most of our running yards were on the left side. Props to T-Rex and Blaylock. Other teams will note this and make an adjustment, so we have to be effective on both sides of the line.

Last year we gave up 47 sacks, and only one yesterday. Look for a much lower number this year. Better scheming, better linemen, a QB with a quick release and a quick mind, and a running offensive all contributed.

I thought our Safeties were superb--particularly Milloy who had an amazing int.

Special teams showed the amount of depth that we have and the amount of hustle the players are bringing. They looked solid on both sides.

My concerns would be:

I was a little disappointed that we really had very few passes defended with the ball being deflected. Houston did not have a good game.

DLine did not get consistent pressure [but Abe was great].

We averaged about 3 yards per punt "runback."

Blitzes were basically ineffective.

All in all, the Falcons exceeded the expectations I had. GO BIRDS.

[by the way, I'll bet Grimes learns at some point the he is short and on sideline/endzone passes he can just let a taller receiver catch the ball but not land in the field of play. He could have just pushed the receiver out of bounds rather than playing the ball because of the new rule.]

I thought the same thing as well. Nontheless, it was a good effort on his part.

[theProf]

Another impressive thing about the recievers is that there were no dropped balls (at least I don't remember any- I was only able to watch part of the game). I think our receiver numbers are going to go way up as the year goes on and the coachs give Ryan more and more check down responsibility. It's amazing how the recievers look so much comfortable when the ball is thrown their way this year as opposed to other years.

I certainly don't recall a dropped ball from any receiver, be it WR, TE, or RB in the game. I can't even remember the last time that happened prior to yesterday.

[theProf]

Good post.

It looked like most of our running yards were on the left side. Props to T-Rex and Blaylock. Other teams will note this and make an adjustment, so we have to be effective on both sides of the line.

Last year we gave up 47 sacks, and only one yesterday. Look for a much lower number this year. Better scheming, better linemen, a QB with a quick release and a quick mind, and a running offensive all contributed.

I thought our Safeties were superb--particularly Milloy who had an amazing int.

Special teams showed the amount of depth that we have and the amount of hustle the players are bringing. They looked solid on both sides.

My concerns would be:

I was a little disappointed that we really had very few passes defended with the ball being deflected. Houston did not have a good game.

DLine did not get consistent pressure [but Abe was great].

We averaged about 3 yards per punt "runback."

Blitzes were basically ineffective.

All in all, the Falcons exceeded the expectations I had. GO BIRDS.

[by the way, I'll bet Grimes learns at some point the he is short and on sideline/endzone passes he can just let a taller receiver catch the ball but not land in the field of play. He could have just pushed the receiver out of bounds rather than playing the ball because of the new rule.]

Good input, and I appreciate it. I didn't realize that the rule had changed so that a DB could push the receiver out of bounds. The old rule was that if the receiver would have come down with the ball in bounds had he not been pushed out of bounds by the DB, then the receiver was credited with a catch. Are you saying that this particular rule has been changed?

[Brewcrew]

Good input, and I appreciate it. I didn't realize that the rule had changed so that a DB could push the receiver out of bounds. The old rule was that if the receiver would have come down with the ball in bounds had he not been pushed out of bounds by the DB, then the receiver was credited with a catch. Are you saying that this particular rule has been changed?

The defense is now allowed to push a player out of bounds in the air. The WR have to land in-bounds, push or no.

[theProf]

Nice analysis, thanks for the post.

Thanks for the kudos.

[theProf]

I certainly don't recall a dropped ball from any receiver, be it WR, TE, or RB in the game. I can't even remember the last time that happened prior to yesterday.

A final thought on no dropped passes. It could be that Ryan throws a very catchable ball. He also leads his receivers properly, so that they are less exposed to possible big hits from the DBs. The perfect TD pass to Jenkins was a great example of Ryan leading the receiver properly.

[falconidae]

At first i thought the same about the late in the half calls- why not take a 2 TD lead into the locker room,? But the next day i thought, he's telling this team he believes in them - that even if the worst case scenario happens, and it did, that they can't stop us, we're going to win this game.

That might be more important than a 2 TD lead.

[theProf]

The defense is now allowed to push a player out of bounds in the air. The WR have to land in-bounds, push or no.

Thanks for verifying that rule change.

[innovativefx]

The hold call on Roddy White was not to big of a deal when you look at it this way - our receivers BLOCK REAL GOOD! Better than most in the league. I'm always impressed by their efforts in the run game.

Additionally - to who said they will gameplan to stop the runs on the left.. I believe our right side is better suited for run blocking anyways. I think the Lions tried to stop the right side of our line to a fault. Quite a few of Turners run started right and he cut back left - where there was huge holes.

I know this is early - but I have a feeling this O-Line will be the best the Falcons have ever had and will be very highly rated in the next few years.

[theProf]

The hold call on Roddy White was not to big of a deal when you look at it this way - our receivers BLOCK REAL GOOD! Better than most in the league. I'm always impressed by their efforts in the run game.

Additionally - to who said they will gameplan to stop the runs on the left.. I believe our right side is better suited for run blocking anyways. I think the Lions tried to stop the right side of our line to a fault. Quite a few of Turners run started right and he cut back left - where there was huge holes.

I know this is early - but I have a feeling this O-Line will be the best the Falcons have ever had and will be very highly rated in the next few years.

It appeared that Atlanta's run blocking was solid on both the left side (Baker and Blalock) and on the right side (Dahl and Clabo), with the C, TEs, and FB providing good support. The best thing about Atlanta's OL is that they are so young. As they get more experienced playing together as a unit, they might become something very special in a year or two. I've read where it usually takes an OL about 2 years of playing together to become real effective.

[theProf]

Good read on the game from Inside Slant. Appreciate Wild Bill finding the article and posting it.

Falcons report: Inside slant Sep. 9, 2008

The Sports Xchange

Inside slant · Strategy and personnel · Notes, quotes

Falcons running backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood rushed for a team-record 318 yards behind a revamped offensive line.

Turner, who spent four years in San Diego behind the great LaDainian Tomlinson, had a 22-carry, 220-yard performance in his first game with the Atlanta Falcons and scored two touchdowns.

Norwood, running with determination that he had not shown his previous two seasons, had 93 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.

The backs were running behind a young and inexperienced line. Center Todd McClure, who was making his 97th consecutive, is the resident veteran and anchor.

Left tackle Sam Baker is a rookie. Left guard Justin Blalock is a second-year player. Right guard Harvey Dahl was making his first start and right tackle Tyson Clabo just his 21st.

Both Dahl and Clabo were undrafted free agents who'd made their way to the starting lineup with a nasty attitude and fierce competitive spirit.

In Turner and Norwood and this feisty line, the Falcons appear to have a run game that should help kick-start their rebuilding process and alleviate some pressure off of rookie quarterback Matt Ryan.

Falcons report: Notes, quotes Sep. 9, 2008

--Detroit appeared well on its way to getting up from the 21-0 haymaker the Falcons threw to open the game.

Instead of running out the clock with 1:32 left in the first half, the Falcons tried to run their two-minute offense, but two incomplete passes stopped the clock and gave Detroit enough time to cut the lead to 21-14 at halftime.

The Lions had the ball to open the second half and drove down to Atlanta's 38-yard line, when S Lawyer Milloy made an acrobatic interception of a pass intended for Detroit WR Roy Williams, who was open.

Instead of the score being tied 21-21 and a sense of doom engulfing the Georgia Dome, the Falcons got a field and added a Jerious Norwood touchdown to make it 31-14 with 5:57 left in the third quarter.

"In the locker room at halftime, we were just saying that defensively we were up first and that we had to do something to change the momentum," Milloy said. "It just so happened that I got the opportunity."

--LT Sam Baker, the Falcons' less heralded first-round pick from Southern California, had a solid showing as the line paved the way for a team-record 318 yards rushing.

"It was great, those other four guys were leading the way and I was just following those guys," Baker said.

However, Baker did get beat by Detroit DE Dewayne White for sack.

Falcons coach Mike Smith gave the line credit for the record rushing output.

"When you run the ball like that, you've got some guys up front that are blocking," Smith said. "I thought our offensive line blocked well. I thought our receivers were a part of that equation as well."

--Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey earned the nickname "Inspector Gadget" in Pittsburgh for his penchant for calling effective gadget plays.

He's clearly going to have some fun with Jerious Norwood this year. On one play, Norwood was lined up a quarterback.

Another time, Norwood looked like he was supposed to pitch the ball back to QB Matt Ryan, but when he saw a defender he took off on a 17-yard run.

Falcons report: Strategy and personnel Sep. 9, 2008

PLAYER NOTES

--CBs Chris Houston and Brent Grimes both had rough days against Detroit WRs Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. Johnson has his best day as pro, catching 7 passes for 107 yards, mostly over Houston. Williams had three catches for 47 yards and a beautiful catch over Grimes for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Recently acquired CB Domonique Foxworth will get quickly integrated into the defense.

--DE John Abraham had three sacks in the season opener. He limped off the field twice, but his ankle injury was not serious.

--DL Jamaal Anderson played three different line positions. He lined up a left end, and both defensive tackle spots.

--RB Jerious Norwood lined up at quarterback on one play. Another time, Norwood looked like he was supposed to pitch the ball back to QB Matt Ryan, but when he saw a defender he took off on a 17-yard run.

--LB Keith Brooking made his 113th consecutive start, moving him past long-time center Jeff Van Note into second place all-time in Falcons history. Bob Whitfield holds the record with 123 consecutive starts from 1992 to 2000.

REPORT CARD VS. LIONS

PASSING OFFENSE

B-plus -- The Falcons didn't ask QB Matt Ryan to carry the load, but when it came time to keep the Lions off balance, Ryan was special. Ryan showed his accuracy on the first pass of his NFL career, when he hit WR Michael Jenkins on that skinny post for a 62-yard touchdown pass. He made another big-time throw to Ben Hartsock, after eluding some rushers, drilling a pass between defenders for a 17-yard gain.

RUSHING OFFENSE

A-plus -- Thunder and Lightning. Michael Turner went for a team record 220 yards and Jerious Norwood, running as hard as we've seen, added 93 yards on 14 carries. They helped to combine for a team-record 318 yards rushing.

PASS DEFENSE

C-minus -- CBs Chris Houston and Brent Grimes battled Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. Yeah, they received a lot of help from safeties Erik Coleman and Lawyer Milloy, but they didn't allow the Pro Bowl caliber receivers to single-handedly beat the team.

RUSH DEFENSE

A -- The Lions wanted to establish the run but couldn't after they fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter. With Big Grady Jackson leading the way, the Falcons held the Lions to 62 yards on 21 carries (for a paltry 3.0 per carry average).

SPECIAL TEAMS

A -- Adams Jennings did a good job returning punts and didn't make any unnecessary fair catches. Norwood almost busted a kickoff return.

COACHING

A -- Coach Mike Smith knows he doesn't have the most talented roster in the league, but he's demanded that they play hard, nasty and mean. The Falcons have bought into Smith's program and caught the Lions off guard when they bloodied their nose early and then stood up to a meek comeback effort.

[rounz]

Good points in this thread. The only thing is that I'm not ready to anoint our o-line just yet.

I'm gonna wait for a couple of games before I breath a sigh of relief at their improvement.

[theProf]

Another good article on yesterday's game thanks to SiVik. I especially like this sentence from the article: "A victory over Detroit a season does not make, but for a team that was pegged as one of the worst in the NFL, today's win made a statement that these are not last year's Falcons."

Atlanta Falcons Serve Lions and Media Large Helping of Crow

Bleacher Report. The Open Source Sports Network Go! Sports

NFL » NFC South » Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons Serve Lions and Media Large Helping of Crow

Gerald Laskowski says the Atlanta Falcons made a statement this weekend, and last year is in the past.

by Gerald Laskowski (Member)

Editorial

September 07, 2008

Share this StoryYahoo! BuzzDigg Facebook StumbleUpon Print Email Peyton Manning couldn't do it. Troy Aikman couldn't do it. Not only did rookie Matt Ryan win in his NFL debut, he did it with style.

With the first pass of his NFL career, Ryan connected with Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown pass and finished the day with 161 yards, the one touchdown, and no interceptions.

Free-agent acquisition Michael Turner not only showed that he can carry the rushing load throughout an entire game, he broke the team's franchise record for most yards in a game with 220 on 22 carries. Combine the two stellar performances by the newest members of the Falcons, along with a three-sack day by veteran defensive end John Abraham, and you have the keys to a 34-21 Falcons victory.

A victory over Detroit a season does not make, but for a team that was pegged as one of the worst in the NFL, today's win made a statement that these are not last year's Falcons. Ranked 32nd in most NFL power ranking polls, the Falcons were even three-point underdogs in their own home.

Yet despite all the negative press, the questions about the draft, and nobody giving them a chance, the Falcons drew a line in the sand.

Yes, there were some hiccups along the way. If you had Brent Grimes stand on Chris Houston's shoulders, they might be as tall as Calvin Johnson. Keith Brooking is still over-pursuing, Adam Jennings still averages under four yards per punt return, and the team had too many penalties. Yet despite all the youth, the oversized matchups and penalties, the Falcons stood on that line and dared the Lions to step over it.

Falcons fans haven't had much to cheer about in recent years, but today's win can be savored and looked upon as the start of something positive after suffering through so much negativity

[theProf]

I disagree with the following comment in red from the Sports XChange Inside Slant article on the game:

"--LT Sam Baker, the Falcons' less heralded first-round pick from Southern California, had a solid showing as the line paved the way for a team-record 318 yards rushing.

"It was great, those other four guys were leading the way and I was just following those guys," Baker said.

However, Baker did get beat by Detroit DE Dewayne White for sack."

Baker really did not get beat by the Detroit lineman, who got credited with the only sack on Ryan. Baker had the guy blocked well, but then slid to his outside to take on another defender who was coming at Ryan. Evidently Baker thought that Blalock should have taken the inside rusher White, but Blalock was late in getting over to pick up White. If the sack is charged to Baker, at least he wasn't beaten by the defender, as the article indicates.

[Ric Roc]

Great start to the season. I was in shock after Atlanta’s first three drives, each resulting in a TD. I got nervous toward the end of the first half, when Atlanta appeared to be too aggressive on Offense with very poor field position and the half winding down. I think this particular situation called for conservatively running out the clock, and taking a 2 Touchdown lead into halftime. The aggressiveness backfired, and resulted in the Lions getting the ball back with enough time to score a TD before the half. However, I thought the offensive play calling was creative and generally very good, except for this one series.

I got that eerie déjà vue feeling that we might see the same old Falcons in the second half. A team that gets outcoached and outplayed in the second half time after time. However to the credit of the new coaching staff and essentially a new cast of players this did not happen. Atlanta actually outplayed its opponent in the second half. They physically beat the Lions in both halves. What a refreshing and welcome sight.

I thought Atlanta played very well together as a team on both sides of the ball, but particularly the offense. There were some very impressive individual performances. Michael Turner is definitely ready for prime time. What else can you say about a RB that breaks the Falcons single game rushing record in his very first attempt? Norwood is now the best back-up RB in pro football, now that Turner is a starter. Matt Ryan certainly appears to be a poised leader, capable of doing whatever is necessary to get the Win. Considering this was his very first regular season game and manning the most complicated position on the field, I thought he did remarkably well.

It appears that the offensive line is for real, and what we were seeing from them in the preseason is going to carry over into the regular season. All of them played well together as a unit. They played aggressively and physically. I thought Blalock was most to blame for the one and only sack. Baker initially blocked his man, and then appeared to pass him off to Blalock to get another oncoming rusher. Blalock didn’t get to the passed-off lineman in time and the sack was made. Blalock also had two penalties. However, Blalock appeared to be playing better overall than last season. I was surprised to see two TEs (Hartsock and Peeller) catch a pass, in such a low passing game for the Falcons. Their blocking appeared very solid.

The defense played well as a team, and made stops and plays when they were needed. Abe had a very good game getting pressure on the QB, and got credit for three sacks. Some of the other defensive linemen still need to step up their QB pressure though. Anderson looks like he is beginning to improve in that area, although he needs to be able to finish with an actual sack or get his arms up to bat the ball down. I thought the LBs played alright, but not quite as good as I expected. Brooking appeared a little slower in his reactions and getting to the ball on occasion. Lofton was not quite a force in the middle I was hoping to see, but it was his first regular season game. Boley's play was solid, but nothing spectacular.

The DBs played pretty well. Houston still needs to learn how to turn his head around to avoid interference calls. Grimes covered well and made some good tackles. The TD pass over Grimes at the corner of the end zone was just an excellent play on the Lions part. Coleman was much better than Crocker at the FS position. Milloy made a game changing interception, and played very well in run support.

The Special teams covered very well. Elam made all his FG attempts, including the 50 yarder. Norwood is a very dangerous and exciting KO Returner. Jennings played alright on punt returns, at least he didn’t fumble any punts. However, I still hope to see some improvement from him this season, or see Atlanta find someone better to return punts.

Great analysis, rmcharma! I agree 100%. Excellent call on Blalock and Lofton. Blalock was to pick up the inside rusher as Baker passed him off to go outside, and Lofton was good, but not exactly the thumper and force we saw in preseason.

To continue your point about Brooking, I was disappointed in him as well. On DET's last drive, we got them to a 3rd and 6, and Brooking had a chance to make the stop about a yard or two short of the first, and completely whiffed. What was the point of giving him his spot back if he isn't going to make plays?

Did Nicholas get any snaps on Defense? I never saw his number...

[theProf]

Great analysis, rmcharma! I agree 100%. Excellent call on Blalock and Lofton. Blalock was to pick up the inside rusher as Baker passed him off to go outside, and Lofton was good, but not exactly the thumper and force we saw in preseason.

To continue your point about Brooking, I was disappointed in him as well. On DET's last drive, we got them to a 3rd and 6, and Brooking had a chance to make the stop about a yard or two short of the first, and completely whiffed. What was the point of giving him his spot back if he isn't going to make plays?

Did Nicholas get any snaps on Defense? I never saw his number...

Nicholas played on Special Teams, and was credited with 1 Special teams tackle, but I didn't see him play any on Defense. I think Brooking, Lofton, and Boley played the entire game at LBs, without any substitutions.

[putnam6]

Nice work. I think that the recievers yardage will go up drastically this year as they will catch the ball in stride alot more than in years past.

I agree, a more accurate passer is gonna help the WR's big time one thing I was kind of surprised Finneran didn't play more.