Tag: Atlanta Falcons (Page 18 of 66)

      Five Questions: Packers vs. Falcons

      January 12, 2011 /

      Matchup: Packers (11-6) @ Falcons (13-3)
      Kickoff: 8:00PM ET, Saturday

      1. Can the Falcons deal with the Packers’ newfound offensive balance?
      In the first game between these two teams, the Falcons did a nice job of forcing Aaron Rodgers to throw underneath. On the three plays that went for 30 yards or more, two of them happened because Atlanta defensive backs failed to wrap up Green Bay receivers. (The other play was a great flea-flicker play call by Mike McCarthy on a 3rd and 1.) But in that first meeting, the Falcons also didn’t have to game plan for running back James Starks, who shredded Philadelphia for 123 yards on 23 carries. Atlanta knew it didn’t have to worry about stopping the run and therefore could commit extra defenders into coverage. The Falcons won’t be able to do that again this time if Starks gets going, so they’ll have to deal with both him and Rodgers (one of the most effective quarterbacks in the league). The Packers definitely have the upper hand when it comes to showing the Falcons different looks because Starks didn’t play in the first game.

      2. Can the Packers slow the Falcons’ running game?
      Green Bay’s front seven needs to attack Atlanta’s running game like New Orleans did in Week 16. The Saints didn’t do anything special in that game to slow Michael Turner. They simply attacked the line of scrimmage and forcefully filled Turner’s running lanes. One thing the Falcons had success with in the first meeting with the Packers was running the ball downhill. They didn’t try to go north south with Green Bay; they attacked the outside linebacker position opposite Clay Matthews by moving their lineman downhill. Then fullback Ovie Mughelli did a great job of blocking the first defender in the hole and Turner was patient before heading up field. The Packers can’t allow the Falcons front five and Mughelli to dictate where they the play to go. They must attack and play on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

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      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 17 COY power rankings

      January 8, 2011 /

      It’s best to do this now, because surely our opinions will be skewed watching the playoffs.

      1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots—The Pats just kept getting better as the season wore on, save for that hiccup against Cleveland. This is actually one of Bill’s best coaching jobs.

      2. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs—From 3-13 to 10-6. But what might be most impressive is that Morris told everyone this team would win 10 games when he may have been the only one who believed it.

      3. Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs—The AFC West winner has a home game Sunday. Did anyone pick KC to finish above third?

      4. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears—Kudos to Lovie for sending his A-team out there last Sunday, and either way it’s surely been quite a year for his Bears, especially with that defense.

      5. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles—He hasn’t hung around the city of Philadelphia for 11 years for no reason. The man just knows how to win with the talent he’s given.

      6. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams—So close to grabbing that last playoff spot, but regardless, this is a team that will be reckoned with, maybe as soon as next year.

      7. Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons—The 13-3 Falcons are sharp heading into the big dance.

      8. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers/John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens—Without Big Ben for four games, and still grabbed the 2-seed in the tough AFC. The Ravens, meanwhile, snuck up on everyone by winning 12 games too.

      9. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers—His team was in every single game and could just as easily be 16-0 than 10-6. Keep an eye on these guys, they could win it all as a 6-seed.

      10. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints—You just can’t forget about the defending champs and that win in Atlanta a few weeks ago proved it.

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 17 MVP power rankings

      January 8, 2011 /

      Well, I’m pretty sure the announcement for NFL MVP comes down this weekend, so let me begin by saying that I was not influenced by anything that I read when making these picks…..

      1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots—Brady, who is going to run away with this award, played about half a game last Sunday, and still threw for 199 yards with 2 TDs and 0 picks. He hasn’t thrown an interception since like early October.

      2. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles—Vick did Brady a favor by not being in the lineup against Dallas in Week 17, but he and his coach know what’s more important, and that is for him and some nagging injuries, resting up for the Packers.

      3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—He wound up third in yards (4620) and tied for second in TDs (33) but uncharacteristically threw for 22 interceptions.

      4. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—4700 yards, 33 TDs, 17 picks. But most impressive is the way Peyton led his team to the postseason when things looked bleak.

      5. Matt Cassel/Jamaal Charles/Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs—Cassel had a dreadful game in Week 17, but we stand by the fact that this was a trio that helped a young KC team win their division and a 4-seed.

      6. Arian Foster, Houston Texans—Not only did he lead the league in rushing (1616 yards), but Foster added a whopping 66 receptions for 604 more yards—giving him 2220 yards from scrimmage and 18 TDs.

      7. Matt Ryan/Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons—Well, at 13-3, someone had to be good for them to get there, especially with all of those come from behind wins.

      8. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers—Finished with 3922/28/11 in 15 games, but what counts is leading his team to the postseason berth they deserve.

      9. Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers—If they could do last year’s draft over again, do you think Matthews would still be picked at #26?

      10. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—You know, he led the NFL in passing yards (4710) and had 30 TDs with 13 interceptions. He didn’t have Antonio Gates for a while, and he had Vincent Jackson for maybe two games. That’s why we can’t discount Rivers’ numbers.

      11. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Bucs—We had to add one more. This kid is going to be a star. Oh wait, he already is. Freeman started every game and wound up with 3451 passing yards with 25 touchdown passes and just 6 interceptions. By comparison, Eli Manning had more than FOUR times as many picks.

      External Sports, NFL

      Falcons earn a much-needed week off

      January 2, 2011 /
      Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (R) makes a catch in front of Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason in the first half of their NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Atlanta, Georgia January 2, 2011. REUTERS/Tami Chappell (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Here are three quick-hit observations from the Falcons’ huge 31-10 win over the Panthers on Sunday.

      1. The Falcons desperately need a week off.
      For much of the season, the Falcons have been a team that has largely done the small things right. They don’t turn the ball over, they don’t get penalized and they don’t beat themselves. But in the past two weeks, they’ve had trouble getting out of their own way. They blew several opportunities to beat the Saints on Monday night and even in their 31-10 win over the Panthers on Sunday, they missed opportunities that would have cost them against a better opponent. The offense failed to convert on two fourth down plays in Carolina territory and Michael Turner once again fumbled inside the 10-yard line. That’s twice in the past two weeks he’s put the ball on the ground when the Falcons were closing in on points. Does this mean Atlanta is primed for a fall in the playoffs? No, but the week off should do this team a world of good. It will allow the players and coaching staff to relax, re-focus and re-energize. The regular season is a grind and the Falcons did it: they earned the top seed in the NFC. But now isn’t the time for any team to lose its edge.

      2. Weems is emerging as a weapon.
      Eric Weems isn’t a household name but he will be soon if he continues to be a playmaker. A couple of weeks ago he returned a 102 yard kickoff return against the Bucs for a touchdown to spark a fourth quarter comeback. On Sunday, he took a 55-yard punt to the house to give the Falcons a 14-0 lead after Turner had fumbled inside the 10-yard line. Thanks to Turner, Matt Ryan, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, this team has a ton of playmakers on offense. But having that added weapon in the return game is huge, just as Devin Hester and DeSean Jackson have proved with the Bears and Eagles, respectively. Weems isn’t quite on Hester or Jackson’s level, but he’s been great for Atlanta this season.

      3. The Panthers have a long row to hoe.
      What a disaster this Carolina team is. John Fox smiled more on Sunday than he has all season and why shouldn’t he be happy? The Panthers are a mess and a massive project for the next head coach. They need to draft a quarterback but if Andrew Luck doesn’t come out, then there’s not a prospect worth taking at the No. 1 spot. So what does Carolina do? Take the best player available and hope that Jimmy Clausen develops by leaps and bounds over the summer? The Panthers also don’t have a pick in the second round next April, which is rather unfortunate considering how devoid of talent the roster is. I know the Rams turned things around quickly, but they also have an up and coming quarterback and a competent head coach. Carolina has neither of those.

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 16 COY power rankings

      January 1, 2011 /

      The way things are looking, you’re on this list if you still have your job or expect to at the end of the season, because lots of heads are rolling already.

      1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots—The model of efficiency, and despite mediocre team stats (11th offense, 27th defense), the number that matters is 13 wins.

      2. Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs—Who didn’t think the Chargers would trip the Chiefs up from behind?

      3. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears—Nobody picked the Bears to finish higher than third in the NFC North, did they? And yet they have a shot at the #1 seed in the conference.

      4. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles—So his team had a bad game against Minnesota. Big Andy stays on this list for his handling of the QB situation alone, but also for winning big games despite injuries.

      5. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs—When Raheem said he wanted to win 10 games, everyone laughed, and now he is laughing at them. Well, almost.

      6. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams—Even though they lead the crappy NFC West at 7-8, this is just a remarkable story. You think the Giants had wished they didn’t let this guy go?

      7. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints—Started slowly, but you know nobody wants to face these guys in January.

      8. Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons—Still sitting pretty for the #1 seed in the NFC.

      9. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers/John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens—No reason to take either guy off the list.

      10. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers—All those injuries and a late-season resurgence have the Pack in prime position.

      External Sports, NFL

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