Mike Mularkey dusting off his Inspector Gadget material?

[Big Zee]

Mike Mularkey dusting off his Inspector Gadget material?

7:00 am June 24, 2010, by D. Orlando Ledbetter

Falcons offensive coordiantor Mike Mularkey and quarterback Matt Ryan are ready to expand the use of the no-huddle attack and maybe throw in some gadget plays. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC).

BIRDLAND – They called Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey “Inspector Gadget” for his creative play calling in previous NFL stops.

He’d be the first to admit that he’s had to hold his cards close to his vest while the team has been developing young quarterback Matt Ryan, implementing his system and still winning 20 of 32 regular season games.

As the Mularkey and Ryan are about to enter their third season together, we should see more creativity in Mularkey’s

Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.

play-calling and Ryan’s play.

“Obviously, we’re light years ahead of where we were when we got here three years ago,” Mularkey told the AJC’S Ken Sugiura after the last open OTA practice. “We can experiment a little more with things because of these guys’ experience with the offense. It’s been fun. It’s gotten very productive.”

Mularkey has been spending time on the board, drawing up new formations. He’s been moving parts around like he’s playing chess and adding new wrinkles to existing plays.

“Our guys just adjusted immediately and made it easy to do,” Mularkey said.

So should the fans be expecting to see Inspector Gadget at the Georgia Dome this season?

“That reputation and the players that I was with in Pittsburgh were capable of doing the stuff we were doing,” Mularkey said. “That’s one of the things we try to do offensively is play to the players’ strength. We’re not doing anything different here.

Tight ends Justin Peelle and Leroy Banks signing autographs after a recent minicamp practice. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC)

“It’s just a different personnel group. We don’t have the same type of guys. It doesn’t mean I don’t like that. I think it keeps defenses off-balance, but it’s hard to do if you don’t have a specific-type player.”

MULARKEY ON THE O-LINE: “The O line has been absolutely a blast to be around with the way they approach everything. Very positive. (They) bust their *** as well as any group I’ve been around. I think they’re just hitting their stride. Their communication is far ahead of where we’ve been.”

ON TIGHT END JUSTIN PEELE: “Justin Peelle, I think every team wants a Justin Peelle.”

ON THE RUNNING BACKS: “In the back, it’s been good to have Mike (Turner) back and Ovie (Mughelli’s) been here. Having everybody here has allowed us to take maybe a step ahead in the offseason compared to where we’ve been.”

Link

[FalconinPA]

Good post. I would love to see more no huddle offense. Matt was killing the opposition from the no huddle last year, until we for some reason stopped doing it. Also, with the new formations I hope he throws that Ryan rollout play out. The one that we ran like every other play last year. +1

Edited June 24, 2010 by FalconinPA

[muskokas finest ©]

I like the trick plays, just not at the goal line

[bige]

Maybe even a screen to Norwood.Stranger things have happened.

[Pa_Falcon_Fan]

I think we're going to see some "fake reverse, pass" plays out of Kerry Meier. He is a former QB with decent arm strength and accuracy.

[Falcons 'til Death]

I like the trick plays too. As long he doesn't become too predictable with them we should be ok.

[HouseofEuphoria]

I am not keen at all on the 'gadget plays', especially from Mularky. That stupid end around

against the Saints last year blew the game for us.

Give me smashmouth football anyday over a bunch of smoke and mirrors gadget crap.

[BCEagleATLFalcon]

Assuming we're healthy, we're going to dismantle defenses this year. Ryan and Co. are deadly in the no-huddle, and if Mularkey says it's getting even more productive, that says so much.

I'm not too concerned about gadget plays. I'm more interested in seeing screens placed in our offense consistently than an occasional trick play here and there.

Edited June 24, 2010 by BCEaGleATLFaLcOn

[paulitik]

I am not keen at all on the 'gadget plays', especially from Mularky. That stupid end around

against the Saints last year blew the game for us.

Give me smashmouth football anyday over a bunch of smoke and mirrors gadget crap.

I'm with you. I just watched that the other day. It pisses me off as much today as it did the day it happened.

I'm not crazy about most gadgets, I could never see another wildcat play and be fine. I don't need the offense to get cute when the game is on the line. I have confidence in our players to execute.

[Jimsmusic™]

No thanks

stick to football.

[Sho'Nuff]

Bring it on, Inspector.

[Guest Gritz]

Also, with the new formations I hope he throws that Ryan rollout play out. The one that we ran like every other play last year.

From your typing fingers to God's ear......

[Big Zee]

From your typing fingers to God's ear......

Can't disagree with that. It seemed like we did run that rollout every other play. I'm all for some plays that keeps the defense on its heals but I'd like to stick to smash mouth football for the most part as well.

[millenium falcon]

i dont want to get too cute, but i do hope to see some new plays. maybe meier's QB history will come into play. he threw a beautiful deep ball on a play in college.

i think the panthers will have armanti edwards throw on some fake end arounds after they run a couple, whether successful or not.

Edited June 25, 2010 by peter griffin

[paulitik]

At this point a freaking screen pass would look like a trick play in this offense. OPEN IT UP MULARKEY!

[JKH5785]

I hope he doesn't get to crazy with gadgets!!

The NO HUDDLE works so well because it takes less control out of Mularkey's hands and puts more control in Ryans'. Take it for it's worth.

[King ED]

I am not keen at all on the 'gadget plays', especially from Mularky. That stupid end around

against the Saints last year blew the game for us.

Give me smashmouth football anyday over a bunch of smoke and mirrors gadget crap.

It worked amazingly one play, and then our right side collapsed on the 2nd time around. No matter what play you call, it should never lead to a loss like on that play.

[kibitzer]

The thread title was more encouraging than the article. I wondered why he felt the need to "slim the playbook down" last year. A lot of what they were doing - again and again - wasn't working. I'd like to think this is good news, not bad news.

[the evil emperor]

I hope so because Mularkeys play calling stunk last year.

[paulitik]

I hope Mularkey and Van Gorder learned their lessons.

Offensive and Defensive predictability. How many opponent playres post-game interviews mentioned that they knew exactly what we were going to do on certain plays?

Between the Arizona playoff game, the Dallas, both New Orleans, and Philly games, it was obvious our opponents had figured out what we were doing. Besides the obvious flaws in our kicking game and our Secondary, there was really no excuse for those losses (Well, injuries in the Philly game).

We need to open up the playbook and change it up, but leave the cute stuff for big leads or absolute desperation moves. It seemed instead of throwing a screen or play-action, Mularkey calls a double reverse or a wildcat when the game is close or on the line.