Tag: Roddy White (Page 9 of 13)

      Smith needs to fix the Falcons’ defensive woes

      September 28, 2009 /

      Putting aside their lackluster effort Sunday in New England, the Atlanta Falcons have more than enough offensive talent to reach the Super Bowl. They have a rising superstar at quarterback in Matt Ryan, a solid back in Michael Turner and two excellent receiving weapons in tight end Tony Gonzalez and wideout Roddy White.

      But the Falcons aren’t going anywhere unless Mike Smith fixes the issues on the defensive side of the ball.

      Atlanta’s game plan in its loss to New England on Sunday was befuddling. They often only rushed four down linemen and allowed Tom Brady to stand back in the pocket for seconds, minutes and even hours (maybe not hours, but it sure seemed like it) on end. What should frustrate the Falcons is that Brady wasn’t very good, especially in the first half. He routinely overthrew his receivers and often failed to hit them in stride despite having loads of time to get the ball out of his hand.

      I want to meet the person for the Falcons that watched the tape of the Jets’ win over the Patriots last week and decided not to attack Brady with multiple defensive fronts. I get that Atlanta didn’t want to be burned deep by Moss and was getting beat by New England’s screen passes in the first half, but why the Falcons didn’t get more aggressive in the second half is beyond me.

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      Patriots need a win this week

      September 25, 2009 /

      The general consensus surrounding the New England Patriots these days is that the sky is falling.

      Tom Brady doesn’t look the same.

      Bill Belichick can’t win without his coveted videotapes.

      The entire defense is a mess.

      It’s true – the Patriots are in trouble. Brady didn’t look comfortable last week as the Jets’ defense used multiple looks to confuse him at the line. He generally looked confused and befuddled as Rex Ryan sent extra defenders from all angles and for Brady to look confused and befuddled is a telltale sign that things aren’t right in New England’s world.

      But doubting Brady and Belichick when their backs are against a wall is about as smart as taking anything Skip Bayless says to heart. It’s just not wise to write off the Pats, especially coming off a loss.

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      Merry Christmas, Matt Ryan. His name is Tony Gonzalez.

      September 20, 2009 /

      Tony GonzalezMatt Ryan might as well change his birthday from May 17 to April 23, because that’s the day Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff traded a 2010 second round pick to Kansas City in exchange for future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez.

      After hauling in five passes for 73 yards and a touchdown in Atlanta’s 19-7 win over Miami in Week 1, Gonzo followed up that performance with a seven-catch, 71-yard effort in the Falcons’ 28-20 victory over the Panthers on Sunday. He also caught his second touchdown pass of the year after Ryan found him on a 24-yard completion late in the first quarter to give Atlanta a 7-3 lead.

      It’s still early, but Gonzalez is turning out to be one of he best offseason acquisitions of the year. He’s such a mismatch on safeties and linebackers that it’s almost unfair that the Falcons can use him in the red zone. And when he’s not catching passes, he frees up Roddy White (6 receptions, 53 yards, 1 TD) and other receivers to make plays in the passing game.

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      White’s contract fair for both him, Falcons

      August 10, 2009 /

      A couple days ago, the Falcons’ receiving corps was essentially on life support.

      How bad were things? No. 1 wideout Roddy White was in the midst of a contract holdout that wasn’t going well, promising slot receiver Harry Douglas torn his ACL in practice and will miss the entire season, and the team had to scrap near the bottom of the free agent barrel by signing veterans Robert Ferguson and Marty Booker.

      But over the weekend, things went from ugly to hopeful again as White ended his holdout by signing a six-year, $50 million contract extension with $18 million in guarantees. The deal was less than Larry Fitzgerald’s four-year, $40 million deal, but more guaranteed money than Greg Jennings’ three-year, $26.35 million (with incentives) extension.

      Last week it was reported that White was seeking a deal similar to Fitzgerald, which would have been ridiculous if the report were true. White has been excellent the past two seasons, emerging as Atlanta’s best receiver and top playmaker. But he didn’t deserve Fitzgerald-type money, not with his lackluster first two seasons in the pros, where he didn’t even combine for 1,000 receiving yards and amassed just three touchdowns.

      When you compare the two player’s numbers from a year ago, White (88 rec., 1,382 yards, 7 TDs) and Jennings (80 rec., 1,292 yards, 9 TDs) had comparable numbers. Given White’s solid 2007 season (83 rec., 1,202 yards, 6 TDs), it makes sense that he was given more guaranteed money than Jennings, but in no way should he make what Fitz does.

      The Falcons did a nice job not panicking during White’s holdout, and not feeling the need to overpay when Douglas went down for the season. GM Thomas Dimitroff played it cool and got a deal worked out before White’s holdout became too much of a distraction. Plus, Dimitroff proved that the Falcons will take care of veterans like White when they play out their contracts.

      Overall, this was a solid deal for both sides.

      NFL

      Training Camp Notes: Burgess, Marshall, Crabtree

      August 6, 2009 /

      Denver Broncos
      Brandon Marshall will miss the Broncos’ first preseason game August 14 against San Francisco. Marshall is still dealing with an undisclosed injury, which some believe has to do with either his hip or hamstring. (Denver Post)

      New England Patriots
      The Pats acquired defensive end Derrick Burgess from the Raiders in exchange for undisclosed draft picks. Burgess will presumably play outside linebacker for New England and gives the Pats a pass rushing threat if he can stay healthy. (Patriots.com)

      Kansas City Chiefs
      The Chiefs have agreed to terms with No. 3 overall pick Tyson Jackson on a five-year contract. The details haven’t been released, but it stands to reason that Jackson will receive roughly $30 million in guarantees based on his draft position. He’ll play defensive end in Kansas City’s new 3-4 defense. (National Football Post)

      San Francisco 49ers
      The 49ers and the player rep for Michael Crabtree insisted that the wide receiver did not make threats to skip all of the 2009 season and re-enter the draft in 2010. Apparently Crabtree’s cousin and adviser, David Wells, got some bad information. (NFL Fanhouse)

      Atlanta Falcons
      It’s been confirmed that receiver Harry Douglas tore his ACL and will miss all of the 2009 season. Douglas was subbing for Roddy White, who is in the midst of a contract holdout that could go deep into training camp. Atlanta signed veteran Robert Ferguson, although he’s hardly the answer for the Falcons’ receiving woes. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

      The Falcons also got word that rookie safety William Moore will miss up to four weeks after undergoing a procedure on his left knee. Moore was battling 2008 third round pick Thomas DeCoud for the starting strong safety position. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

      Baltimore Ravens
      Receiver Mark Clayton is only expected to miss 2-3 preseason games with a hamstring injury. Head coach John Harbaugh expects Clayton to be completely healthy and available for Week 1 of the regular season. (Baltimore Sun)

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