Speed Forward 4 Weeks - Beat Tampa And Lose Wildcard Game

[Nono]

Look I hope like hel we rebound and trounce Tampa and beat Detroit in the wildcard game and who knows. I thought we found our mojo but it looks like we were playing average teams the last five weeks till we got rocked in the Superdome.

If, and I hope this isn't the way the season ends, if we beat Tampa and lose the wildcard game then what now?

What has to happen to make this team better next year giving a few players are long in tooth (Gonzo, McClure, Abe and Turner isn't long for the league).

Might I remind everyone we don't have 1st round pick and our needs are plenty---

The OL has improved but the DL pass rush is still pitiful. Ray Edwards and Dunta are not what anyone expected.

I know there is so much vitriol for the DC & OC but what in your opinion needs to happen to make this team better and take that next step.

Let me share a post by UKFalcon and I think he is spot on,

"It starts with our schemes.

Whilst other teams are spreading the field horionatally and vertically with multiple receiving targets, we are stuck in 2 big back and 2 TE sets. We underutilise the players like Snelling, Quizz and HD. HD should be a key player to this offense, a player lines up in dofferent positions all across the offenisve, spreading defenses by running different route combination with White and Julio. Quizz should also be used this way, much as the Aints used Bush and now use Sproles to crate mismatches in the passing game . We also struggle to generate YAC and don't do many of the things that competent offense do, like running screens, thowing back shoulder throws, using double moves etc.

Add that to our counservaive, play not to lose mentality on both sides of the ball and you have a team that severely underachieves. An offense that tries to put together 15 play drives by gaining 4 ypp, a D line that isn't great at getting pressure, a soft zone D that gives opposing WR a huge cushion - is a recpie for failure against a top offensive team.

It all starts at the top. You can't expect your players to play with passion, freedom and belief, when your whole scheme and mentality is a consevative one born of a fear of making mistakes.

We have the talent to be a lot better. Yes we have holes, but so do all of the other teams - they just do a better job of hiding their weaknesses, or using their strengths to overcome them (e.g. by scoring 35+ pts every week). Our wekanesses are magnified, because our conservative approach requires nothing short of perfection on the offensive side of the ball to hang with a top offense. Unlike GB and NO, when our secondary gets beaten like a drum - despite having pro-bowl offenive talent in the skilled positions - we don't have the offense scheme to keep up with the better teams and get back in to games.

We have made some mistakes personnel wise. D-Rob was clearly massively overpaid for his talent, and the decision to forego major upgrades on the OL, CB and DE in the draft in favour of Julio Jones, could hurt this yeam for years. Our ability (or inability) to address those major need with the limited picks and cap room we have left, will be be a big factor in determining whether or not this team can get better over the next 3-4 years."

This is a winning post and says it all

Edited December 28, 2011 by Nono

[vabchbirdlover]

Must be missing something here, we should beat the Bucs handily, but, in your estimation, what scenario do you envision us playing the Lions in the playoffs?,

Look I hope like hel we rebound and trounce Tampa and beat Detroit in the wildcard game

Edited December 28, 2011 by vabchbirdlover

[Nono]

Must be missing something here, we should beat the Bucs handily, butin your estimation, what scenario do you envision us playing the Lions in the playoffs?,

Lions Dallas or Giants---thats not the point---this car is broken

[BCEagleATLFalcon]

Lions Dallas or Giants---thats not the point---this car is broken

It's 49ers, Saints, Dallas, or Giants ... no possible way we play the Lions in Round 1.

[cannonballsghost]

I never count a loss untill it IS a loss.........your post / thread sucks

[Nono]

It's 49ers, Saints, Dallas, or Giants ... no possible way we play the Lions in Round 1.

Ok, I stand corrected---but what if?

[BCEagleATLFalcon]

Ok, I stand corrected---but what if?

I won't concede the play-off game just yet. But honestly, lose OR win that wildcard game, our lines need serious help. We were owned in the trenches by the Saints. Unsure how to resolve that in one off-season.

[netrto4150]

I won't concede the play-off game just yet. But honestly, lose OR win that wildcard game, our lines need serious help. We were owned in the trenches by the Saints. Unsure how to resolve that in one off-season.

Screw the draft. More often than not draft picks turn out to be duds. We need free agents with talent. We need scouts who recognize our needs and find the talent. We need an organization that will respond with out mortgaging our future on one person. We lack in all of these areas!

[Guest Gritz]

Most of the posts in this thread have more than just a kernel of truth in them....

Both of our lines do need an infusion of beef, talent and attitude. Like BC said though that will be hard, if not impossible to fix in one offseason.....and like someone else said it's more than a little difficult to find immediate line contributors through the draft....especially if you don't have a first round pick.....So, do we up up overpaying for mid-tier free agent talent like we have recently done for Edwards and Robinson?

Probably.

An even bigger concern for me is the overall evaluation "process" out there at Flowery Branch. Dimitroff was sending the message by giving up so many picks to Cleveland to get Julio that we were a great deal closer to being a complete, possibly elite NFL team than we actually are. Couple that with the fact that Mularkey was quoted as saying that he was excited about Julio's blocking ability as much as anything else (WTF?) and you have a clear disconnect in the organization...

Smitty's repeated strange declaration press conferences after losses where everything bad was "uncharacteristic" and "correctable."

I'm seeing some serious cracks in the foundation of this regime for the first time since they were hired.

Both coordinators need to go if we're "one and done." If they aren't let go then Blank, TD and Smitty will be telling us that what we are getting is good enough.

[Nono]

Screw the draft. More often than not draft picks turn out to be duds. We need free agents with talent. We need scouts who recognize our needs and find the talent. We need an organization that will respond with out mortgaging our future on one person. We lack in all of these areas!

What did Mr. Blank say a couple of years ago "fiscal responsibility"---so we got a couple of K-Mart free agents that can't play.

The way I see the NFL, its fight till the death or get out of the way. We can't win the big games with a "bend don't break" mentality.

[Nono]

Most of the posts in this thread have more than just a kernel of truth in them....

Both of our lines do need an infusion of beef, talent and attitude. Like BC said though that will be hard, if not impossible to fix in one offseason.....and like someone else said it's more than a little difficult to find immediate line contributors through the draft....especially if you don't have a first round pick.....So, do we up up overpaying for mid-tier free agent talent like we have recently done for Edwards and Robinson?

Probably.

An even bigger concern for me is the overall evaluation "process" out there at Flowery Branch. Dimitroff was sending the message by giving up so many picks to Cleveland to get Julio that we were a great deal closer to being a complete, possibly elite NFL team than we actually are. Couple that with the fact that Mularkey was quoted as saying that he was excited about Julio's blocking ability as much as anything else (WTF?) and you have a clear disconnect in the organization...

Smitty's repeated strange declaration press conferences after losses where everything bad was "uncharacteristic" and "correctable."

I'm seeing some serious cracks in the foundation of this regime for the first time since they were hired.

Both coordinators need to go if we're "one and done." If they aren't let go then Blank, TD and Smitty will be telling us that what we are getting is good enough.

Thanks Gritz for keeping it real and seeing da future---sure I want to enjoy what is left of this year but realistically what happens next year if we "stay the course"---you get it +1

[Sun Tzu 7]

If we get bounced and don't see a change at one or both of the coordinator positions then the organization is pretty much saying we're happy just making the playoffs.

I don't think Arthur Blank will accept that so if no changes are made then I think Smitty will be on the hot seat.

[Guest Gritz]

Thanks Gritz for keeping it real and seeing da future---sure I want to enjoy what is left of this year but realistically what happens next year if we "stay the course"---you get it +1

I'm probably far off on my projections Nono...I'm just a fan like everyone else. I just know that if no changes are made after a quick playoff exit then the message sent will be clear.....and this franchise will not significantly improve in the near future.

Props to you for starting a good thread.

[FalconMama]

We simply have to get better somehow. The Saints and Packers aren't going away. The Eagles will get better, Carolina will get better, Giants will get better. What are we going to do? Be regular season champions only to fold in the playoffs year after year? Get swept by the Saints every year? That's the road we're headed towards if we do indeed lose next Saturday/Sunday.

[g-dawg]

Most of the posts in this thread have more than just a kernel of truth in them....

Both of our lines do need an infusion of beef, talent and attitude. Like BC said though that will be hard, if not impossible to fix in one offseason.....and like someone else said it's more than a little difficult to find immediate line contributors through the draft....especially if you don't have a first round pick.....So, do we up up overpaying for mid-tier free agent talent like we have recently done for Edwards and Robinson?

Probably.

An even bigger concern for me is the overall evaluation "process" out there at Flowery Branch. Dimitroff was sending the message by giving up so many picks to Cleveland to get Julio that we were a great deal closer to being a complete, possibly elite NFL team than we actually are. Couple that with the fact that Mularkey was quoted as saying that he was excited about Julio's blocking ability as much as anything else (WTF?) and you have a clear disconnect in the organization...

Smitty's repeated strange declaration press conferences after losses where everything bad was "uncharacteristic" and "correctable."

I'm seeing some serious cracks in the foundation of this regime for the first time since they were hired.

Both coordinators need to go if we're "one and done." If they aren't let go then Blank, TD and Smitty will be telling us that what we are getting is good enough.

I agree that Falcons are at a crossroads.......more than likely what you laid out is exactly what will happen. Falcons will blow out the Bucs (bad team) and then lose to a good team on the road in playoffs - Cowboys/Giants/ - or a really good team in Saints. That is the likely scenario - if I'm wrong - then great, I'm wrong.

As I said in another thread, Falcons "process" and "formula" is what it is - a formula that can win you between 9-11 games/yr with the talent that we have...its also a process that I don't think will ever lead us to a SuperBowl. The Falcons are not an aggressive team and there is no killer instinct. Before the Jacksonville game, we could not even blow-out a bad team...

Does this team need a better offensive line? Absolutely...

Does this team need a better pass rush? YES

Does this team need better pass coverage? YES

More than any of those things though, this team needs better schemes on both sides of the ball and a more aggressive mindset. Mike Smith has done very good work leading this team to where it is now - Can he take us further? I dunno.........To take this team further, we are going to have to see, in my estimation - we are going to have to see Mike Smith adapt and make changes. If he does, then this team could progress and maybe lead to something more in the postseason - if not, the team may stay the same for awhile and eventually go backward.

That is how I see it.........Its up to Dimitroff/Blank to demand change.....its up to Mike Smith to implement change.

"Change" is the operative word....

[Guest Gritz]

Good post g-dawg....I think we see things about this team through a similar set of lenses...

Because of the past infamous use of the word "plateaued" with the Falcons (in reference to the firing of Leeman Bennett) I'm hesitant to drag it up again....but if we are indeed "one and done" in the playoffs this year then most of the evidence will indicate that's exactly what this team has done....Reached a certain level and not significantly progressed past that...

I seriously have no idea whether or not the current front office, coaches and players can take this team to elite status. It doesn't look like it can so far to me though.

[blackredfellow]

Ok, I stand corrected---but what if?

Well then I guess I sit back and watch what our front office does, because I don't actually work for the Atlanta Falcons.

[CrimsonFalcon]

Well, after reading the OP 1st round scenarios, I gave up.

[Zodiac]

First things first we need to get the younger guys snaps. Guys like Franks, Matthews, Sidbury, and Palmer.

Mularkey seems to have this fascination of only using the best guys 100% of the time and instead of using one of the talented younger guys to give them rest he insists on having Julio, Roddy, Tony, and Turner in there for 90% of the snaps.

Look at what the Packers do they get everyone involved. They make sure their younger guys get those snaps.

On the defensive side Smitty and BVG has some awful reliance on Biermann who has done nothing since his rookie year, while they have Sidbury over there on the bench making plays and getting pressure whenever he gets in. They're finally giving Franks the **** snaps he deserved but it only took them 18 games to do it.

Matthews who showed a lot of promise during the preseason has been inactive every game. Give the man a chance for goodness sakes. This team is worse than the Patriots for letting young guys play. It's absolutely mindboggling that we haven't tried to see what our younger guys can do given the struggles of several veterans.

[Rickey]

It's the coaches scheme that makes it appear that certain players can't play. Look at what happened to Philly's pro bowl corner back. Their defensive coordinator sucks and they got absolutely nothing from whatever that guys name is, Asumghai. Donte hasn't shown nothing but corners don't shine playing a zone.

[Zodiac]

It's the coaches scheme that makes it appear that certain players can't play. Look at what happened to Philly's pro bowl corner back. Their defensive coordinator sucks and they got absolutely nothing from whatever that guys name is, Asumghai. Donte hasn't shown nothing but corners don't shine playing a zone.

Dunta just sucks period, he has no speed and he has no effort, he just ******* jogs whenever he gets beat.

The problem with Dunta isn't the scheme it's Dunta that's the problem with Dunta.

[ukfalc]

A change of coaching staff and scheme is the first thing we need.

As for team building, we need to get back to basics. Good teams hoard picks and build via the draft: they build for the long term, rather than selling out in the hope of short term success. The trade for Julio went against everything that good organisations do. The real price of that trade, is the inability to now adequately address our needs until 2013. It's harsh, but we only have oursleves to blame.

As for free agency, the good teams find value for money in Free Agency. They don't spend $10m a year on elite FAs who have already given their best years to another franchise, or pay top 5 CB money to a player coming off a serious injury, who wasn't even a pro-bowler when healthy. Good GMs find productive mid-tier guys who don't break the bank. By managing their resources (draft picks and cap space) prudently, they are able to build teams with talent and depth.

In the last 2 seasons TD has given in to temptation (with Dunta and Jones) and set this team back in the process (Even though Jones is going to a very good footballer). It's time to get back to basics not only in terms of how we manage the draft and free agency but by focussing the resources that we do have on the trenches.

Edited December 28, 2011 by UKFalc