Thought's about the Cowboy Game

[djbrough]

Great win today. I want to watch the tape again, but here are a few thoughts about the game.

1. Let's get the obvious out of the way. Clayborn did his job. He took advantage of an obvious huckleberry. He might get another chance to do the same this Sunday.
2. Our LB's had their best game of the year. Campbell is turning into a monster, and DJ lived in the Cowboy backfield. This leads me to point 3.
3. Rubin and Upshaw have lifted the play of the D-Line. Upshaw is a high-level edge setter in the base defense. Rubin doesn't move backward. They are keeping our LB's from getting covered up by O-linemen.
4. Ricardo Allen is looking better week by week. His anticipation is improving.
5. Our strength is man-cover defense. We are not a good zone defense yet. We have the speed, but the anticipation is not there. 
6. Our tackling was greatly improved today.
7. Takk is improving every week and continually finds himself around the ball. Once he improves his hand usage, there will be **** to pay.
8. Schweitzer is still having troubles as a pass blocker, but he's a bull in the run game. He will continue to get better as the season goes along. The tests by pro-bowl level DT's will help him in a playoff push.
9. We finally saw some stretch zone concepts in the second half of yesterday's game. We need to continue to use our RB's speed to establish it. It makes our play action that more dangerous.
10. We still have too many drops
11. I'm annoyed with Andre Roberts' decision making in the punt return game.
12. We play the mercy rule too much. I'd like to see us take the New England route and keep the pressure on (even with backups). No MERCY!

[fuego]

1 minute ago, djbrough said:

We play the mercy rule too much. I'd like to see us take the New England route and keep the pressure on (even with backups). No MERCY!

This is probably the one thing about Falcons/Quinn that irritates me the most. That and our secondary usually somewhat softening up when we get the lead. Yesterday was the first time we’ve held on to a big lead in a long time and not let the other team get close to getting back in it or get back in it. 

[djbrough]

21 minutes ago, fuego said:

This is probably the one thing about Falcons/Quinn that irritates me the most. That and our secondary usually somewhat softening up when we get the lead. Yesterday was the first time we’ve held on to a big lead in a long time and not let the other team get close to getting back in it or get back in it. 

When we are up, Quinn switches to the soft zone and just tries to keep the clock running with good tackling. I want to see consistent pressure throughout. For us, that also means man concepts.

[fuego]

1 hour ago, djbrough said:

When we are up, Quinn switches to the soft zone and just tries to keep the clock running with good tackling. I want to see consistent pressure throughout. For us, that also means man concepts.

The problem is it lets teams get back into the game most of the time. Like against Chicago. They almost beat us because of the soft zone.  Detroit too. And not to mention the countless games where the other team has gotten back into the game because of it.  Just keep going with what got you there that point.  The reason it didn’t bite us in the Dallas game is for the very reason you said, we keep the pressure up with the defensive line. Play soft zone all day if the defense of line is going to play like that every game. 

[Jesus]

Trufant quietly had a good game.

[JDaveG]

Re: taking the foot off the gas, we scored a TD on them that was negated by a ticky block in the back penalty. 

[Falcons Fan MVP]

2 hours ago, djbrough said:

Great win today. I want to watch the tape again, but here are a few thoughts about the game.

1. Let's get the obvious out of the way. Clayborn did his job. He took advantage of an obvious huckleberry. He might get another chance to do the same this Sunday.
2. Our LB's had their best game of the year. Campbell is turning into a monster, and DJ lived in the Cowboy backfield. This leads me to point 3.
3. Rubin and Upshaw have lifted the play of the D-Line. Upshaw is a high-level edge setter in the base defense. Rubin doesn't move backward. They are keeping our LB's from getting covered up by O-linemen.
4. Ricardo Allen is looking better week by week. His anticipation is improving.
5. Our strength is man-cover defense. We are not a good zone defense yet. We have the speed, but the anticipation is not there. 
6. Our tackling was greatly improved today.
7. Takk is improving every week and continually finds himself around the ball. Once he improves his hand usage, there will be **** to pay.
8. Schweitzer is still having troubles as a pass blocker, but he's a bull in the run game. He will continue to get better as the season goes along. The tests by pro-bowl level DT's will help him in a playoff push.
9. We finally saw some stretch zone concepts in the second half of yesterday's game. We need to continue to use our RB's speed to establish it. It makes our play action that more dangerous.
10. We still have too many drops
11. I'm annoyed with Andre Roberts' decision making in the punt return game.
12. We play the mercy rule too much. I'd like to see us take the New England route and keep the pressure on (even with backups). No MERCY!

Do you think Andre Roberts is better than Weems?

[kiwifalcon]

I liked how Ryan spread the ball out and all the outliers made plays for us offensively,guys like Toilolo Hooper Hardy and Gabriel if we spread teams out and the guys who are not supposed to make impacts do I really think we can get back on track here and quickly.

Also love the run game Coleman and our o-line did a good job today but like the OP stated Pass pro needs work.

Mind you I'd love to see us Pass to setup the run especially now Freeman is down for a few weeks.I good example is stretch run right boot leg Ryan left and hit Julio crossing from the right Im telling I haven't seen one team defend that as yet.It just means Matthews has to really seal the backside when Matt bootlegs that way.

 

[Jesus]

53 minutes ago, JDaveG said:

Re: taking the foot off the gas, we scored a TD on them that was negated by a ticky block in the back penalty. 

We moved the ball at will until they stacked the box late in the 4th quarter. At that point Matt easily could have tossed one up to Julio for a big TD, but what's the point of that?

[djbrough]

1 hour ago, Falcons Fan MVP said:

Do you think Andre Roberts is better than Weems?

Just a little better. They both aren't great decision makers in the punt game. He's definitely faster

[Flying Falcon]

3 hours ago, djbrough said:

When we are up, Quinn switches to the soft zone and just tries to keep the clock running with good tackling. I want to see consistent pressure throughout. For us, that also means man concepts.

Constant pressure tires your defense quicker and leads to nagging/unnecessary injuries. 

[djbrough]

5 minutes ago, Flying Falcon said:

Constant pressure tires your defense quicker and leads to nagging/unnecessary injuries. 

Zone makes you blow leads........

Edited November 13, 2017 by djbrough

[Flying Falcon]

Just now, djbrough said:

It also makes you blow leads........

Not really. The players getting relaxed makes you blow leads. There is a difference. Unless you played, you probably wouldn't know it.

[djbrough]

4 minutes ago, Flying Falcon said:

Not really. The players getting relaxed makes you blow leads. There is a difference. Unless you played, you probably wouldn't know it.

Played extensively as a 250-310 lb DE/DT over the years.  I know.

Edited November 13, 2017 by djbrough

[Mr.11]

1 hour ago, JDaveG said:

Re: taking the foot off the gas, we scored a TD on them that was negated by a ticky block in the back penalty. 

Yeah, but Ryan stopped passing after the last FG. I get trying to run the clock, but I'd like to see some variety, like running a screen off play action if you don't want to risk pushing the ball downfield.

[Flying Falcon]

3 minutes ago, djbrough said:

Played extensively as a 250-310 lb DE/DT over the years.  I know.

Then you understand the difference. Just because the defense goes in prevent mode doesn't mean the players should relax.

[JDaveG]

7 minutes ago, JerseyNo12 said:

Yeah, but Ryan stopped passing after the last FG. I get trying to run the clock, but I'd like to see some variety, like running a screen off play action if you don't want to risk pushing the ball downfield.

Things have changed a lot from the Super Bowl, then.  I thought we'd learned our lesson about icing games.

[JDaveG]

Put more directly, what we saw Sunday is exactly what I want to see from this team.  Pass to get a lead early, run the ball to win the game late.  I thought it was textbook honestly.  It's the first time this season I saw us implement the true WCO philosophy on how to win ballgames on offense.

[djbrough]

4 minutes ago, Flying Falcon said:

Then you understand the difference. Just because the defense goes in prevent mode doesn't mean the players should relax.

I said from the offset that our players are not very good in zone defense (point 5). Even when they play all out, their recognition is simply not as fast as it should be. That's the reason that we give up leads in zone. Not effort.

 When playing with the lead, we should want to run the same scheme that got us the lead in the first place. If a man scheme provided that lead, then don't switch until the other team is buried. Then run your zone in garbage time with the second team if you choose. We exude too much energy in zone concepts by dealing with extended drives anyway. As a D-lineman, I always hated it when coaches are simply handing over 5-10 yard routes because of pads to the outside. As a player, I want to force a 3 & out as soon as possible. For the Falcons, that happens in man coverage. Other teams do better in zone and can get away with it.

We have tried to "Out-Athlete" other teams in the draft and FA. Now put that athleticism to work and bury your opponents. 

[Mr.11]

9 minutes ago, JDaveG said:

Put more directly, what we saw Sunday is exactly what I want to see from this team.  Pass to get a lead early, run the ball to win the game late.  I thought it was textbook honestly.  It's the first time this season I saw us implement the true WCO philosophy on how to win ballgames on offense.

Yeah for sure. Ryan came out slinging and then ground and pound to ice the game. 

[Drew4719]

Nice write up, good takeaways.

[Flying Falcon]

9 minutes ago, djbrough said:

I said from the offset that our players are not very good in zone defense (point 5). Even when they play all out, their recognition is simply not as fast as it should be. That's the reason that we give up leads in zone. Not effort.

 When playing with the lead, we should want to run the same scheme that got us the lead in the first place. If a man scheme provided that lead, then don't switch until the other team is buried. Then run your zone in garbage time with the second team if you choose. We exude too much energy in zone concepts by dealing with extended drives anyway. As a D-lineman, I always hated it when coaches are simply handing over 5-10 yard routes because of pads to the outside. As a player, I want to force a 3 & out as soon as possible. For the Falcons, that happens in man coverage. Other teams do better in zone and can get away with it.

We have tried to "Out-Athlete" other teams in the draft and FA. Now put that athleticism to work and bury your opponents. 

And that's the thing D. As a player, you always want to keep going hard. As a coach, you're thinking of your players health.

[lostnmexico]

2 hours ago, Falcons Fan MVP said:

Do you think Andre Roberts is better than Weems?

I think Gabriel could be better than both of them.

[rudy]

1 hour ago, Jesus said:

We moved the ball at will until they stacked the box late in the 4th quarter. At that point Matt easily could have tossed one up to Julio for a big TD, but what's the point of that?

I'd still like to see it though 

[rudy]

#9 

I wonder if the players lobbied Sark to run more stretch zone plays .... coincidentally our running game was better in the 2nd half