The Devil went down to Georgia

Looking for a Soul to steal and in the 2nd Half the Green Bay Packers took the Atlanta Falcons' like motherfucking Shang Tsung. The game did not start out great for the Pack. The Falcons on the 1st drive looked like the Falcons from last year with balance and a heavy dose of Micheal Turner. On the Packers' 1st possession they were down 7-0 and looking like they would hold serve to make it 7-7, but Ryan Grant fumbled for the 1st time since September 2009. Turner ran it in for a two Touchdown lead to start the game. I won't lie I was pretty pissed and thinking about about blowing mutants heads off in RAGE while I record the game, but I talked myself out of it. On the next drive a potential Achilles Heel for the Packers' Super Bowl dreams emerged in Chad Clifton clutching at his injured hamstring. Marshall Newhouse switched to Left Tackle while the rookie Derek Sherrod made his debut NFL debut at Right Tackle after his failed experiment at guard during the preseason. This changed our offensive gameplan however Rodgers adjusted like the Sorcerer that he is to still make big plays down the field. We settled for a FG then like a Phoenix rising from the ashes our defensive kept us in the game and held the Falcons scoreless for the rest of the game. We drove down the field with our two young tackles holding up, but Jermichael Finley dropped a would be touchdown like that antelope dropped that bicyclist in South Africa. We settled for a Crosby field goal that made it 14-6 at the half and I was hoping Mike McCarthy would give Clifton some GO bills to play in the 2nd half. I didn't know how bad he was hurt at that time and we wouldn't know how severe the hamstring is until a few weeks from now.

The Falcons didn't believe our Tackles would be able to hold up and sat on all routes believing we couldn't go deep because of our backup tackles playing. McCarthy gambled and Crosby hit a 56 yard field goal like he was SEA-BASS. The Falcons continued to bring pressure and sit down on routes then Rodgers threw a laser pass to James Jones for a 70 yard Touchdown to go up 15-14. The life went out of the Georgia Dome like the light in people's eyes when Shang Tsung takes their soul. It was like someone yelled Finish Them over the PA when Greg Jennings made a great run after the catch for a TD. Matty Ice threw a pick, Crosby added a FG to make it 25-14 and NBC played "the Devil went down to Georgia," while showing a highlight of Rodgers. Jarrett Bush (a person you will hear me complain about later in the season) added another pick and we were the 1st team to start 5-0 this season with a 25-14 VICTORY. Let's look at my 5 factors for the game and how they turnout.

#1 Protection: This was the main reason the Packers had a slow start after Clifton's injury, but Newhouse and Sherrod found their footings which allowed us to go down the field.
#2 Time of Possession: The Packers had the ball for 33:11, so the Falcons weren't able to kept the ball away from our offensive and limit our number of touches.
#3 Old Falcons or New Falcons: The 1st two drives they were the old Falcons then morphed into the New Falcons for the rest of the game. Dom Capers' made adjustments and didn't let the Falcons do anything after those 1st two drives.
#4 MAN UP: They did to start the game but couldn't hold the line forever and when it did break Rodgers tore apart their secondary.
#5 Aaron Rodgers: 396 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, Rodgers adjusted to Clifton's absence and moved swiftly in the pocket to avoid pressure and rip apart the Falcons secondary. He would have had 3 TD'S and 400 yards passing if not for 2 big drops by Jermichael Finley.

Those are my thoughts on the Packers beating the Falcons and I will talk to you again when I post my preview of the Rams visiting Title Town.

The Roof is on FIRE!

In the end Aaron Rodgers outlasted the Falcons and lead them to a 25-14 victory with all 25 of those points being unanswered by the Packers. More thoughts to follow in the coming days.

Burning Down the House

That is a photo of General William Tecumseh Sherman, the man who burned Atlanta to the ground during the Civil War. Last year when Aaron Rodgers led his Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs to Atlanta, history repeated itself when he burned the Georgia Dome to the ground. Mike Ditka said that it was the greatest Quarterbacking display he had ever witnessed in postseason history. 48-21 was the final score and it could have been a whole lot worst. "Matty Ice" melted last year as he saw his dream season go down in flames as Rodgers led his troops onward to Chicago with the glowing Amber's of the Dome behind his back. This year, the Falcons made offseason moves to combat Green Bay by adding Ray Edwards a pass rusher formally of the Vikings to a big contract this year (he has zero sacks for the season). They also traded 6 draft picks to acquire Julio Jones, who leads them in receptions this year to make them a more explosive offensive. However, they made no additions to boost their secondary, so the same backend of the defense will be trying to stop Aaron Rodgers and his corps of wide receivers/tight ends. Deion Sanders because of that fact expects Rodgers to light them up again, but he did say on the NFL network show No Huddle, "he thinks the Falcons will force 1 punt this which an improvement in the right direction." In the 48-21 game the Packers did not punt once. Just like last week ESPN and Yahoo have Aaron Rodgers as the top projected QB in fantasy football this week. Ryan Grant has been cleared by doctors and will play this week after last week due to a bruised kidney. The Falcons have no major injury news to report and will try a more balanced approach this time around. The only problem the Packers are amongst the NFL's best at stopping the run. Another issue for the Falcons is Rodgers torched their defense last year without Jermichael Finley in the lineup, so how will they cover the nightmare matchup that he presents. Roddy White said this week it was a fluke what the Packers did to them last year in the Playoffs and if you add that to Brett Favre's comments you have a more fired up Aaron Rodgers this week.

Let's, now look at the 5 key factors that will decide the game this week.
#1 Protection: Will the Falcons be able to get to Rodgers or keep Matt Ryan upright. Last year, the Falcons were able to get to Rodgers, but were not able to get him to the ground. The Falcons Defense this year ranked in the bottom five of getting sacks, so I don't expect this to change this week. This year, Matt Ryan has taken a horrible beating (I guess Vick isn't paying attention to his old team) in every game because his offensive line has trouble pass blocking. That is not good news for the Falcons with Dom Capers bringing his defense to town along with Clay Matthews Jr. looking to have his 1st big breakout sack game of the season (his only sack was against Cam Newton). #2 Time of Possession: This will tell the tale if the Falcons stay in the game or not. 34 minutes is the key because more than that number increases your % chances of winning the game. #3 Old Falcons or New Falcons: A more Micheal Turner based based offense or a spreadout throw it 50 times a game pass based offense that is getting Matty Ice hit a ton. Their method of attack will help determine the outcome of the game. #4 MAN UP!: Will the Falcons defense man up or give the same resistance as a hot knife thru butter. This is the biggest key to the game because if they play the same then Rodgers will put up a huge stat sheet again against them. #5 Aaron Rodgers: He gets to wear his favorite shoes this week that he wore last time against the Falcons and in the Super Bowl. What will he do as an encore to his performance from last week/year. As Bart Scott famous said, "I CAN'T WAIT," to find out what he does.

That is my preview of General Rodgers returning to the city he burnt to the ground last time he was their, but I leave you with my prediction for the game Packers 38 Falcons 28.

NFL 2011: Week 2 - NFC South & West (1st Quarter)

So this is week one of my weekly NFL round-up type shits, which sometimes in past years has been at websites that would give me scraps of money, but really, it's not worth making lists of 12 Hot Pictures of Islamic Women Camel Toes and finding pictures to do the type of shit that is considered freelancing anymore. So I do it for love of the bullshit, in the way it was meant to be done - at my kitchen table with a creepy clay coffee cup that has a finger for the handle (pretend, not real finger) full of mushroom tea, chewing on eleuthro root, like a fucking man. The way I've done this is to break up the NFL season into four quarters, like a game, because it follows that pattern. First quarter of the season, we stroll through the league, and shit's just started, so things are settling in, and the way things look very well may not be the way they shake out. Most football nerdernet writing people would not admit this to you; they want to seem all-knowing and ever-present like the pyramid eyeball. But I'm no Illuminaut, bros, I'm just a rock solid dude with a heart of whatever is the working man equivalent to gold, who keeps up with shit with a half-assed mathematical formula which actually calculates but also involves drawing pentagrams in goat's blood under a red light in the tiny non-working bathroom of the 18 foot camper trailer a French Canadian Jewish Gypsy woman left on my property a while back. I do some crazy shit in that camper, and if they did that blacklight semen looking thing in there, man, it'd be ugly and unexplainable. But hey, that's life, when you're actually living it.
First quarter of the season, we'll go through two divisions a week, from the same conference, roughly worst to best, judging by collective record. From that criteria, since most every division went 2-2 last weekend, I thought it was gonna be hard to get two geographically attached divisions to roll with. I mean, I knew one of the West divisions would represent, because they both tend to suck. In a lot of sports, there is claimed to be an east coast bias, which is probably true, but not so much a bias as it is just the way shit is when games are played at 2 in the morning our time where most of us in this country live. You should be thankful you don't live around as many assholes as I do, and accept your sports teams being slightly overlooked as a little yang for that yin, you know?
But at the same time, there's no denying in the NFL the west coast ain't representing enough to really claim a bias. However, first week of the NFL season, every division, including both western divisions, went either 2-2 or 3-1, except one - the NFC South. Yes, the division that many (including myself) was touting as potentially the NFL's best went 0 for the weekend, including get outright punked in 3 games with the NFC North. I decided to attach the NFC West to that because even though they went 2-2, just like the NFC East, if it wasn't for game within the NFC West, or against the Panthers, they wouldn't have won a single game. So let us go through this first week of rankings of the NFC West and South teams, with their overall rankings according to my NFLuminati Index in there as well, for you to be like, "Oh yeah, this shit looks kinda scientific, but also metaphysical, like real life shit; it's a shame stupid fucking grantland ain't more like this, so I think I'm gonna click that button on the right and donate $5 so that Neil and Raven can share hallucinogens at next year's Gathering of the Juggalos"...
#1: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1, 12th overall) - Yeah, even with an opening night loss, the Saints are still sitting the highest. It's hard to really punish a team, even in nerd formulas, for losing on the road against last year's champion. The Saints look to be a better version of what they were last year on offense, as Mark Ingram - goal line stuffage ignored - is a definite upgrade at their premium RB position, and has the potential to be the first top-tier feature back they've had since Deuce McAllister went away. Their defense looked shitty against the Packers, but you know, probably anybody would've looked shitty in that light. So let's see what these fuckers in gold and black look like hosting the Chicago Bears this weekend.
#2: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-0, 13th overall) - So Coach Jimbo Harbaugh comes out the gate after one weak ass victory over a shitty Seahawks team, going "How come ain't nobody talking about us? Where's our highlights?" already going to the west coast bias card. Or worse yet playing the "No one respects us" schtick to his locker room. I think that's an overrated method, because it only works while you are shitty. Once you get to a good level, the motivation behind that is gone, and what's left to prove? I really like the idea of Jim Harbaugh, but already he's coming across as kind of a douche. It must be something about San Francisco, because who didn't love Mike Singletary before he coached there. He's in the fucking graphic at the top of this website. But now he seems kinda like a dumbass after what happened in San Francisco. There's something not right about that 49ers place. Bill Walsh has cast some sort of NFL Illuminati voodoo spell over that shit, that only George Seifert was allowed to bypass. There's always been something slightly ominous and unsettling about that color scheme they have. Anyways, lucky for them they are in the NFC West, so a team full of half-witted retards and Afghanistan war vets with one prosthetic leg each could contend to win the title.
#3: ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-0, 18th overall) - The Cardinals are like the rebound team, where jaded people go to get pretended over. Kurt Warner post-Rams, or Kevin Kolb post-Eagles. Cardinals fans are Cowboys fans with nothing better to do. They've never been an actual team it seems, just this thing that exists out in the desert that pretends it was once a team and will again be a team but has to go through the purgatory of the transition, forever. That's the Cardinals. When Larry Fitzgerald signed his gazillion ear dollar deal this past offseason (or was it last?) all I could think was, "Aww, poor Larry Fitzgerald." But then I remembered NFL deals don't really mean anything, as it still works under the pre-housing bubble refinancing every two years scheme.
#4: ATLANTA FALCONS (0-1, 19th overall) - Last week, people were talking up the dirty birds to go to the Super Bowl. This week, they are like, "Shit man, what went wrong with the Falcons?" Chill out bros; football is not as immediate as the interwebs, and the Falcons will be okay. They won't be a Super Bowl team, but they really weren't anyways. They will be good. In fact, Julio Jones should help make them even better than last year, or at least exciting as fuck to watch, with the collection of WRs/RBs/Tony Gonzalezes they've collected for Matt Ryan to toss the ol' pigskin around to. Personally though, I think they should get Denny Green to be their coach, like right away. They'd be cooler if they did.
#5: ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-1, 22nd overall) - Haha, the Rams are like last year's Lions, coming into the season thinking, "Maybe we'll be better finally," and then wracked with injuries and doom right out the gate. I think like half their team got injured last week. They do have the makings of a strong defense though, which is going to be necessary because if Sam Bradford is already getting banged up, with him looking about as tough as a Boy Scout in his staunchest mode, that multi-million dollar investment is going to not be so wonderful on the dividend tip. Also, Stephen Jackson is already banged up, as is that Danny Algondola dude or whatever who was their best receiver by default last year. They might just have to start punting the ball on 3rd downs.
#6: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-1, 26th overall) - The Bucs got beat at home by the Lions, and I don't care how much more improved the Lions are supposed to be, you cannot lose a home game if you are a potential fringe element playoff team to another fringe element playoff team. That's like a best of three series you'll play like three times this year with other teams in that predicament, and now the Bucs are down one game, after one week, in that spot. This week they go on the road against the Vikings, who I'd say aren't even a fringe element playoff team, but if the Bucs get duked in that one, count them out this season, which is gonna suck, because I have stupid Josh Freeman on my stupid fantasy team.
#7: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (0-1, 27th overall) - The Seahawks are not only a shitty godawful team, but they are coached by a shitty godawful dude, who somehow seems perfectly Seattle-ish. I imagine him with a chai latte in hand, parking his Prius in the coach's spot, heading into Seahawks facility which is wind-powered, to do yoga with players in a unitarian universalist chapel before film study. Tarvaris Jackson as your starting QB is a good sign you've given up on the year though, so I guess they're just riding out the season, hoping to get Andrew Luck, so Pete Carroll can continue to pretend by amassing every former Pac-10 star there ever was in one place, he can recreate the magic he had at USC.
#8: CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-1, 29th overall) - So Cam Newton didn't suck like people thought he would, and played air guitar on the football to celebrate a TD. Haha, and it all happened against the Cardinals. Panthers fans are convincing themselves that Cam Newton was not a wasted pick as franchise QB because he had a good game against the Arizona Cardinals. Hahaha, good luck with that. Green Bay's coming to town this weekend, Mr. Newton, so let's see how many air guitar solos you get this week, brah.

NFL ACLB PREVIEWS - #7: ATLANTA FALCONS

PERTINENT DATA: 13-3, won NFC South and NFC home field advantage, then got destroyed by Packers in divisional round game; 15 to 1 odds to win Super Bowl XLVI.
BEST CASE SCENARIO (Neil): I’ll be honest, I have never particularly liked Atlanta. It has a soulless corporatism to it that feels vaguely desperate, like it’s just a slow moving escalator to hell and the people on it have the nebulous feeling that they are drifting towards something ugly and awful but don’t know how to get off the damn thing before they are driven into their fiery doom. This was confirmed by a close friend who spent a year living and working in the soul sucking malaise of the capital of the New South, in the home of Ted Turner and Coca-Cola. He would call me every day in misery and despair and I would tell him that it was his own damn fault for following the candied lure of a harlot he called a girlfriend and he eventually saw the light and moved on to better places and better people and she went on to found a whorehouse outside of Savannah until she was carried away by an angry whore hunting ghost who took her for his bride in the afterlife and now the two of them live in a mansion by the sea, haunting the living and pimping out the dead. Okay, I may have made some of that up, but you’ll never know which parts. Really, though, I am just putting off talking about the Falcons because, you see, I don’t really care that much about the Falcons. I don’t particularly like their quarterback Matt Ryan, whose nickname, Matty Ice, sounds suspiciously douchebaggian to me, although I admit my distaste for young Matty might be accentuated by his ass whipping of the Lions during his first game in the NFL, which by the way was the first game on that long, inglorious trail of tears known as 0-16. NEVER FORGET. But since the Falcons are the beloved team of my boy Adrian and for the sake of Kevin and Larry King and all the other Falcon lovers out there (I’m extremely tempted to go off on a tangent about erotic falconry right now which is actually a real thing if you can believe it. Don’t ask me how I know this. I have low friends in low places.) I will do my best to remain positive. The fact is, is that the Falcons will have a good season. They simply have too many weapons and too many good things going for them. I can see them finishing 12-4 or even 13-3 and winning the NFC South, as distasteful as that may be, but what the hell, you asked for a best case scenario and I am bound by honor and the oaths I swore to Raven Mack, those mushrooms and that talking tree to give it to you. So there you go, you beasts, I hope you’re satisfied.
WORST CASE SCENARIO (Raven): There is something amiss about this Falcons team, and there always has been. Back in '98, when they went to the Super Bowl to get housed, they just didn't seem like a legitimate Super Bowl team. Even when the Michael Vick star status was still in its first ascension, it didn't feel right. And they still don't feel right. I can't really put my finger on it though, so there's no gridiron pseudo-scientific explanation I can give you. I do know that their coach does not seem like the type of guy you'd run through CIA-trained Libyan rebels who are murdering all blacks now that they are in charge to win a Super Bowl for. Shit, even his name - Mike Smith - is as anonymous as possible, and you combine that with the fact he looks like about 95 million other white dudes, it just seems unbelievable that anything special is coming from his dry erase board diagrams. I feel similarly about Matt Ryan. He has been excellent thus far in his NFL career, and I like the guy - it's hard not to like the guy if you hear even two minutes of an interview with him. And adding Julio Jones to Roddy White might be pretty fucking amazing for scoreboards and fantasy geeks this year. But there's just something missing, some undefined intangible, that moves an unproven QB from being really good to being a potential Super Bowl winner. Like, when you looked at Aaron Rodgers or Ben Roethlisberger, from the beginning, you could tell they could win a Super Bowl. You didn't know why, but you knew it. But when you look at Matt Ryan and even Philip Rivers, you don't get that same feeling automatically. They suffer from Dan Marino Disease, which to be fair is a pretty good disease to suffer from, because no one in their right mind would not want a Dan Marino or Matt Ryan as they starting QB. But it's never going to translate into championships, ever. And that's sad, because unlike Neil, I like Atlanta, and Georgia, and have good Rojonekku street peoples that way, who have taken me onto their couches when my Greyhound showed up all of a sudden, and have shared long sleepless weekends in $32-a-night motel rooms. I would like these people, and that area, to experience the euphoria of being the best, because Atlanta is a great example of the New South I often brag about to others - the great cross-pollination of immigrant Mexican and southern black and southern white, with both upper and lower class elements to all three of those cultures, so that it's not just broke ass black people but rich and successful black folks, and it's not just illegals but formerly illegals who have built a nice small business lifestyle for themselves in America. All of this blends and blurs together and ferments under the thick humidity of the southern skies into a wondrous place that fills me with pride, because shit like this don't exist in other parts of the country. And yet, in regards to Atlanta football, something is not there, some necessary ingredient for being a champion.
Of course, my theory that the NFL is engineered is probably still true and applicable here, and this is all a vast sham to make southern people feel inferior, even though we do live in this rich tapestry of American cultures, because the only southern team to ever win a Super Bowl was the New Orleans Saints two years ago, and if the NFL is engineered, then that would've been a feel-good boost for New Orleans as a tourist destination to symbolically to have been reborn on the national stage from the soggy ashes of Hurricane Katrina. But I am digressing here into William B. Cooper/Alex Jones football conspiracies, and I should keep it simple since you are a football fan and probably the target demographic for those commercials that wrap fake titties in a bikini top and put a beer in front of it and sales spike almost immediately.
Something is still not there for the Falcons, and they will be very good this year, but not a factor come playoff time. The sad thing is, there's no real way to tell what's missing, and although their offense is gonna be seriously the shit and a lot of fun to watch, they have the feel of becoming the NFC's Chargers, which is not a good thing to become.
PLAYER TO PULL FOR (Neil): I like Tony Gonzalez. He’s been around for a thousand years and although he’s slowed down a little bit, he hasn’t fallen off too much even after being written off by the Chiefs and those monsters in Kansas City who I suspect never fully trusted or embraced him due to his Latino heritage. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it might be. It feels like something that could be true, though and so we’ll go with it. Those racist animals. Shame on them. Anyway, the real reason I like Tony Gonzalez, though, is because he is a vegan (or at least he was as of a couple of years ago. Things change, though, and I understand that. For our purposes here, he still is. Don’t take that away from me, you heartless fiends.), and while that word immediately caused revulsion in just about all of you, who simply don’t trust a man who won’t eat the occasional steak or think that it is the sign of a weak soul, of a man gone terminally soft, let me tell you something – I am a vegan too and I am a fucking warrior of light and I will gnaw on your wicked bones. I just won’t swallow them. I haven’t always been a vegan, though, and neither has Tony Gonzalez. We are reformed savages, and there is nothing deadlier than a reformed savage. All that means is that we have discovered wisdom during our many battles in this plane of existence. It doesn’t mean that we have softened. It means that we’re too chill for your bullshit, but if you piss us off sufficiently, we will eat your soul. I still have blood on my lips from my wild eyed youth. I don’t have anything to prove to you degenerates and neither does Tony Gonzalez. I once killed and ate a Silverback Ape in front of the Gates of Hell just because he bet me I wouldn’t. I promised him that I would look after his children and his children’s children just before I ate his heart. I’m willing to bet that Tony Gonzalez had something similar happen to him. I bet he had to kill and eat Willie Roaf for reasons that none of you can fathom. But I understand, Tony. I understand.
PLAYER TO HATE MOST (Raven): Me and Neil had sort of promised to not step on each other's toes with these players to love and hate, but I just can't bite my tongue on my distaste for Tony Gonzales. Not that he's an outright shithead like a Deion Sanders or Michael Irvin or something, but, again, there's something intangible and unspoken that makes him seem off to me. He's the prime example of the fantasy football era superstar - a guy who has never accomplished a fucking thing in January, but is regarded as an automatic Hall of Famer, because of statistical productivity. Fuck productivity. This is Labor Day, and as the America Empire becomes it's twenty-year crumble into second-rate oblivion, it's important to note that productivity is a bullshit concept force into our collective consciousness by soulless cyberlords like Ray Kroc and Henry Ford and Nelson Rockefeller and William Randolph Hearts - the very men who gutted America of it's true pioneer spirit and filled it with the red and white and blue wiring of cyborgs, which we've all become, happy to toil away monotonously so long as we meet our daily/weekly/monthly quotas, and get very little recognition nor financial satisfaction in the process, barely able to keep our head above the flood waters of our own collective eventual financial armageddon. So fuck a guy like Tony Gonzalez, who is "productive" at tight ending, and has been so for a long career, without actually winning on a grand scale, because we don't need guys like this as heroes. We need motherfuckers who slit the throats of their overlords and manifest their own fucking destiny in this sick, crooked fucking world, like Oscar Zeta Acosta.
BEST NAME ON TEAM: Ovie Mughelli, because he sounds like an alternate name for the big retard in Of Mice and Men.
IN A PERFECT WORLD (Neil): In a perfect world, it would be discovered that Matt Ryan is a soulless clone – which I suspect isn’t that far from the truth – and then he would be hunted down as a Replicant by galactic bounty hunters, humanists at heart really, men who understand only all too well the philosophical perils that come with accepting the soulless presence of a clone. He will then be sent to the moon to work as a space miner, where he will dig for precious metals and some sense of his own humanity. He must earn his soul in the space mines. Look, I don’t make the rules. This is just the way it is. If Matt Ryan wants my respect he has to turn himself in as a soulless Replicant and volunteer for a tour of duty in the space mines. That sounds fair to me. I am, after all, a man of deep compassion and I believe in offering everyone – even the soulless – a chance for redemption. Sometimes I think I’m just too kind and monsters like Matt Ryan will always be around to take advantage of that kindness. Oh well. Don’t weep for me. I will get my reward in the Kingdom of Heaven.
PROGNOSIS (Raven): They will be good, like I said, and go 11-5, win the NFC South (which will be the best division in the NFL this year, other than the Panthers obviously), and if they slot into a wild card home game, they'll probably win that, but once they get to the NFL's final eight, they will be sent back home to wonder what's needed to get to that next level, yet again.

2010: Where Jamaal Anderson Is No Longer A Bust?

No longer a bust?

The Falcons were up 17 to 10 and had punted the Seahawks inside the five yard-line. That's when time slowed down. Fourth year DE/DL Jamaal Anderson beat his block and amazingly rushed towards Matt Hasselback. Hasselback was in the endzone and looked shocked that Jamaal had beaten his block and was coming straight for him. Hasselback had watched tape of the Falcons and was not familiar with this version of Jamaal. Jamaal came right after Hasselback and with a mighty thwap knocked Hasselback and the ball to the ground. The best DL in the NFC South, Jonathan Babineaux jumped on the ball for a TD to put the Falcons up by two scores and basically end the game. It was in this slowed down moment of time that Jamaal Anderson might have just shredded his label of "NFL Bust". It's not his fault that the moron Bobby Petrino picked him 6th in the NFL Draft.

It's been plays like this by guys like this that has led the Atlanta Falcons to their 11-2 record, their playoff birth and their longest winning streak since they went to the Super Bowl in 1998. Dudes like Jamaal Anderson, Brent Grimes, William Moore, Eric Weems, Kroy Biermann, Jason Snelling and the list goes on. These guys have stepped up to either play critical roles in this years team or to have critical moments in big situations. It just seems like with this team that when someone needs to step up...someone will step up.

And while I'm here I might as well make the case for diminutive CB Brent Grimes to take his place in the Pro Bowl this year. With the Falcons up by 14 he made a jumping athletic interception of Matt Hasselback that led to a Falcons FG. And then on the very next drive he deflected a pass which was then intercepted by William Moore which led to a TD. Grimes is second on the team with tackles with 70, has a team high 17 passes defensed (which is near the tops in the league) and is tied for the team led with 5 interceptions. Throw this guy a bone and put him in the Pro Bowl. He deserves it and make sure Eric "Special" Weems gets there too as the NFL Special Teams guy.

Next up is some must see TV live from the Georgia Dome next Monday night as the Falcons host the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. Should be a fun one.

Brent Grimes: Rock Star

Earlier this year during the off-season I typed up a little blog about the players that I thought were in a "make it/break it" year for the Falcons. One of the guys I listed was cornerback Brent Grimes. Here is what I had to say about Grimes then:

Grimes is commonly referred to as the most athletic guy on the team. The biggest knock on Grimes is that he's only 5'10". If he was 6'2" he would probably be a world class corner. Grimes got extra playing time last year and improved as the year went on. Grimes posted a career best 6 interceptions, recorded 66 tackles and defended 13 passes. Dunta Robinson was the big Free Agent acquisition this off-season, Game One starter Brian Williams was re-signed and 2009 draftee Christopher Owens showed he could play last year. Those three guys are the main reason that this is a make it or break it season for Grimes. If he can't break the starting rotation or nail down a nickel spot I think he's going to get permanently passed by these guys. I think the best case scenario for him is nickel with Dunta and Christopher Grimes as starters. Grimes is kind of like his name. He's a gritty, grimy player that you like to have on your team. However, he might see most of his time in special teams this year.

Grimes is an undrafted guy out of tiny Shippensburg University so the deck was well stacked against him. Not to mention that he's small of stature so he's not what you are physically looking for in an NFL corner back. But he's the scrappiest guy on the field and he will fight you every second of every play. Anybody who has watched the Falcons play this year knows that this guy can ball and has really turned it up this year and has definitely turned this year in a "Make It" year for him. The perfect example of this was today's Tampa Bay game. He nearly had a huge clutch interception and return late in the 4th quarter but it was reversed by instant reply. So what does he do? He does it again! He read Josh Freeman perfectly and dove in front of his receiver and came down with the ball to seal a gritty come back win for the Dirty Birds.

Brent Grimes kind of epitomizes the Atlanta Falcons this year. The Falcons have their well known guys or "stars" like Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzales, Roddy White, John Abraham and Michael Turner but the real reason the Falcons are 10-2 is because of the rest of the roster. Dudes like Brent Grimes and Eric "Special" Weems (who had a huge kick off return for a TD today to get the Birds back into the game). It's the contributions of guys that don't get the limelight or the credit (Mike Peterson, the OL, Ovie Mughalli, Curtis Lofton, Kroy Biermann, Corey Peters, etc) that has made this into a special season for the Falcons.

The Falcons stand at 10-2 with two games left with Carolina, one at Seattle and a home Monday Nighter with Drew Brees and NO. If the Falcons can secure home field advantage for the playoffs watch out!

Atlanta Falcons Defense Leads to 4-1 Start

BIERMANN!

The last two weeks the Atlanta Falcons have faced stiff challenges from unlikely sources and have found a way to come out with victories. Two weeks ago the desperate 0-3 San Francisco 49ers came into Atlanta and nearly pulled the upset on the Falcons. If not for a fantastic hustle play by Roddy White, who stripped Nate Clements after Clements made a great play to grab an interception (it should be noted that Roddy did the exact same thing last year against the exact same team except it was Dre Bly and not Clements), the Falcons looked like they were on their way to a loss. This week the Falcons faced a 1-3 Cleveland Browns team in need of a win. The Browns defense came to play but ultimately it was another hustle play that led the Falcons to victory. With four minutes left in the 4th quarter and the Falcons up by 3 points DE Kroy Biermann batted a Jake Delhomme pass into the air and made an amazing diving interception. But that’s not all, then he got to his feet and lumbered 41 yards to the end zone while protecting the football to win the game for the Dirty Birds. The Falcons are now 4-1 with their only loss coming against the Pittsburgh Steelers in OT in Week One in which the Falcons could not find an answer to the tough Steelers defense and Hines Ward (As a UGA fan I love Hines and kudos to him for the “block” since he didn’t get called for the blatant hold on the play) got away with the hold of the year in OT to spring Rashad Mendenhall for a 50 yard game-winning TD run.

So how good are the 4-1 Atlanta Falcons? We have 2 wins over losing teams (San Fran and Cleveland), 1 absolute barbaric ass-beating of a .500 team that is tied for 1st in their division (Arizona), a victory over the World Champions from last year (Saints) and an OT loss to a 3-1 team that has a great defense but was without their QB who likes to dabble in drunk teenage girls. I propose that the Falcons are a pretty good team that is much better as a sum of it’s parts than as individuals (well other than that Roddy White guy who has become pretty damn good). Also, just watching the games this year it’s obvious that this Falcons defense is far superior than any Falcons defense has been in recent years. Here’s a quick snapshot of what the Falcons have done in 2010 vs 2009 (keep in mind that the New Orleans numbers from this year kind of skew the passing numbers as Drew Brees put up 355 yds in a losing effort).

	2009	2010
Yds/Game	348.9	309.9
Pass Yds/Game	242.1	223.4
Rush Yds/Game	106.8	86.6
Pts/Game	20.3	14
3rd Down Conversions	45.3%	38.3%
Takeaways/Game	1.75	2.6
Sacks/Game	1.75	2.2

The biggest key I see in the defense is that Thomas Dimetroff is building the defense that BVG (Brian Van Gorder) needs to run the style of defense he wants to. In the off-season the defense only made one big Free Agent acquisition as they signed CB Dunta Robinson for a bag full of cash. Besides that they drafted Sean Witherspoon (Baby Lion) out of Missouri in the 1st round to bolster the linebacking corps and also made a surprising 3rd round pick of DT Corey Peters out of Kentucky. Robinson has played well after overcoming early pre-season injuries but he’s not a shut-down corner. Witherspoon has adapted to the NFL game very quickly and despite missing a game due to injury is the second leading tackler behind THE POLICE (Curtis Lofton). Witherspoon adds multiple dimensions to the LBs as he can rush the QB, play the run and also protect against the pass. He and Curtis Lofton are going to be very good for very long barring anything unforeseen happening. Another thing that happened was 2009 2nd round draft pick William Moore finally overcame his injuries and got onto the field due to an injury to Erik Coleman. Moore is a big-hitting athletic safety who seems to have a knack for finding the football. Early into the season he already has 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. With Robinson and Moore adding stability to the secondary and Witherspoon increasing the talent level of the LB corps it has opened up opportunities for some veterans on the DL and an up-and-comer. Anybody who is a fan of the NFL knows the name John Abraham. Abraham came into the Browns game with 2 sacks on the year and made life miserable for the Browns, and 3 time Pro-Bowler Joe Thomas, recording 2 more sacks and getting 3 additional QB hits (he only had 5.5 sacks all of last year). On the other side of the line Kroy Biermann has developed into a guy who has a knack of getting into the backfield. Against the Browns he made an amazingly athletic play as he jumped up and batted a pass and then made a diving catch for the interception (which unfortunately has not made it to YouTube yet). Biermann’s numbers for this year don’t jump out at you but he’s a high motor guy that makes plays. The interior of the line has been solid with Jonathan Babineaux developing into the best DT in the NFC South and Jamaal Anderson, Corey Peters and Peria Jerry helping to stuff the run up the middle. All that and I didn’t even mention the 3rd and 4th leading tacklers on the defense yet (LB Stephen Nicholas, who had an interception today against the Browns which was forced by pressure from Abraham, and consistent Safety Thomas DeCoud). The Falcons have really stepped it up on defense this year and if they can continue to get after the QB then they could go deep into the playoffs.

49ers Week 3 Review/Week 4 Preview

The 49ers' week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs can be effectively reviewed in very few words, and those words are: Todd Haley and his staff thoroughly out-coached Mike Singletary and his staff. That's what it came down to. It wasn't a matter of talent disparity, since these teams were pretty even; in fact the 49ers might even have had an edge here. It wasn't a matter of turnovers, since again these were even; the teams exchanged juggling, athletic interceptions on consecutive drives. Of course, this exchange just so happened to occur deep in the 49ers' own end, because the Chiefs ran all over the 49ers' purportedly stout run defense with a two back attack that they did not seem prepared to see (and certainly did not adjust to). It wasn't a matter of penalties, since there weren't that many. A hold did wipe out a drive-extending third down run by Alex Smith, but really, holding in the NFL is like marijuana possession in the USA; it's happening every minute, it's barely enforced, and is probably just going to be made full-blown legal in my lifetime. It wasn't even a matter of the infamous Arrowhead Stadium crowd noise, since I don't recall any delay of game penalties; the Niners got their plays in on time, those plays simply weren't any good.

No, this was a case of Todd Haley coaching the pants off of Singletary (Tee Hee Hee). It started early, when the Chiefs started to run their punting unit onto the field on a 4th and 1, prompting the 49ers to respond in kind with their punt return unit. However, the Chiefs quickly changed a guy here and there, and suddenly were lining up in their 4th down go for it offense. The 49ers reacted by hastily burning a time out. Basically the Chiefs just fucked around with the 49ers to see if they could get them to waste a timeout, and sure enough they did. Later on, after the Chiefs turned their half of the interception exchange into a 1 play touchdown drive -- a pass to one of those running backs -- the Chiefs correctly sensed the 49ers were reeling and back on their heels, and kicked a surprise onside kick which they recovered. I thought it was an inspired bit of strategy, and if the Chiefs hadn't been offside they might have taken the game right there. As it was, they took the game a little later.

Later in the second quarter the 49ers were moving the ball, finally remembering that the rules of the game allow you to attempt forward passes to your wide receivers, when on 3rd and 3 from the KC 30, they ran a flea flicker. Even at the time it felt to me like a reactive call, as if it were called out of a sense of "well they ran a trick play on us so even though we don't really like trick plays we gotta run one now too to MAKE A STATEMENT" or something like that. 3rd and 3 isn't the time to run a flea flicker. And even as flea flickers go, it was pretty vanilla. Straight run up the middle in slow motion that lets you know something is up, RB stops and pitches it back to the QB. Naturally the Chiefs were not fooled, and the one man running deep was covered. Smith scrambled uselessly and actually looked in Gore's direction before finding nothing, running to the sidelines, and throwing the ball away. Hence my sputtering outbursts of "He Checked Down On A Flea Flicker! HE CHECKED DOWN TO THE RUNNING BACK ON A FUCKING FLEA FLICKER" earlier this week. I can't help but imagine Kansas City spent their halftime break having a collective gut-laugh at this sad parody of a trick play, since early in the 3rd Quarter the Chiefs ran a flea flicker of their own, out of a double reverse. It, naturally, completely fooled the 49ers, who all came up in a zeal to "hit someone in the mouf," leaving a wide open KC receiver plenty of time to streak down the field, through the tunnel like Bo Jackson, into the Arrowhead parking lot, grab a lawn chair left behind by a tailgater, fold it up, run back to the field, set it up in the end zone, order a $10 stadium beer from a wandering vendor, consume the beverage, toss the plastic cup dismissively in the general direction of the 49er sideline, and catch the pass from the best seat in the house to put the Chiefs up 17-3 as means of saying "that's not a flea flicker, mate, THIS is a flea flicker!" The next time the Chiefs got the ball they threw deep again, and their TE made a very impressive one-handed catch to make it 24-3, and I suddenly realized the Arrowhead Stadium crowd wasn't even that loud; as if they realized their team didn't need the assistance of a noisy 12th man to win this game and go 3-0. They were right. They didn't.

By the end of the game, even Patrick Willis was getting outrun by the Chiefs backs. Mike Singletary even used his remaining timeouts spitefully in the last two minutes, possibly out of some "fight to the end" mentality he wanted to instill in the team. Or perhaps he wanted to punish his own team for their woeful performance by putting off being able to get on the bus to the airport as long as possible. While by this point the idea of making this game as unfun to play as it was to watch did appeal to me, this too falls under the category of Mike Singletary being outcoached, since normally teams DO NOT do this sort of thing because the chance of getting someone hurt in a futile effort during garbage time. And sure enough, on the very last play of the game, Alex Smith completed a touchdown pass to Josh Morgan, who in the process of scoring, got hurt. Morgan was assisted off the field and Alex Smith raged on the sidelines while things continued, since, under NFL rules, they still have to kick that meaningless extra point with :00 left on the clock. All so the final loss could be 31-10 instead of 31-3.

FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHT: Alex Smith picks the perfect time to take off and runs up-field to convert a 3rd and 9 in Chiefs territory to extend a promising drive. This is wiped out by a holding penalty and they end up punting anyway.
SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHT: Getting to laugh at the flea flicker, I guess.
THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHT: Ryan Succop of the Chiefs kicks the kickoff out of bounds, making him the most productive mover of the ball for the 49ers. And he's on the Chiefs. I was pretty much only watching the game for the sake of this blog by now.
FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHT: That box in the corner of the screen where FOX shows you the score in other games shows me that The Giants are up 3-0 on the Rockies in the 4th inning (they would go on to win 4-2). Notice this has absolutely nothing to do even with football, let alone the 49ers. This is not a coincidence.

There. Game reviewed, now I can print out that page of notes for the express purpose of burning it.

Week 4 Preview: San Francisco 49ers @ Atlanta Falcons

Last year the 49ers started out 3-1, feasting on their division opponents and being victimized on the last play of a game by The Great Satan and his black gunslinging magic. Things were actually looking pretty good. Then, after a bye week in which Michael Crabtree finally signed a contract, the Atlanta Falcons came into Candlestick and totally exposed the Niners 45-17.

This year the Falcons have basically the same team, except they just beat the defending super bowl champions by a field goal. The 49ers are also basically the same team, except they were expected to be pretty good this year and have instead embarked on a campaign to implode in hilarious fashion. Oh, and this year the game is in Atlanta. The 49ers actually looked good in their one home game this year, falling 3 points short of beating that same defending super bowl champion, but in their two games on the road they have been horrid. And the Falcons are most likely a superior team to the ones they've played on the road so far. This one has every sign of being ugly. I suspect wanting/needing material for this blog will be the only reason I'm still watching in the 4th quarter. Even before the season started, when I thought the 49ers would come into this game 2-1, I had written this game off as a loss. Now, I'm preparing myself to watch another blowout and wondering when it will get bad enough that the head coach is compelled to turn in his pants and his red challenge flag and follow his hand-picked offensive coordinator out the door.

I'd make predictions, like many others like to do, but I don't think it's necessary. I'll simply confirm what readers can probably already infer: I have given zero thought to what sort of entry I would write in the wake of a 49er victory this week. I have spent time google-image-searching for pictures related to low points in San Francisco/Bay Area history, using the criteria of "would this go well with an essay about a loss and how much they sucked?" So, yeah, there you go. Sure, they might win, On Any Given Sunday blah blah blah. I guess the Falcons might lay an egg or turn the ball over 8 times or suffer a series of season ending injuries to key players, but I'm preparing for 0-4.

They were supposed to finally be good again this year, damn it. I demand a refund.

The Pass

The year was 2007. Jim Mora had been fired after 3 years on the job. Back-up QB Matt Schaub was shipped to the Texans for two second round picks. Out of nowhere the Falcons made the decision to hire Bobby Petrino as a Head Coach. Petrino was tasked with the job of heading the Falcons in the right direction after two disappointing seasons and getting the most out of QB Mike Vick. It was this summer that the Mike Vick Dog Fighting Scandal took root. Joey Harrington had been signed to back-up Mike Vick but with MV7 being incarcerated Harrington would be forced into a starting role. Petrino soon realized that he was over-matched in the NFL. Petrino led the Falcons to a 3-10 record in which they were often out coached. Arthur Blank gave Bobby Petrino support in a nationally televised game but Petrino had already made his decision. Petrino did the only thing he knew how to do when faced in a difficult situation. He tucked his tail between his legs, taped a note to the players lockers, left his brother in-law to face the brunt of the team/media and took off to Arkansas in the middle of the night to become the new Head Coach of the Razorbacks despite there still being three games left in the season. This was unheard of. Coaches make decisions to leave teams all the time, and vice versa teams make the decision to fire coaches all the time. But it never happens in the middle of the season. This was a low of lows for the Falcons. Their QB imprisoned, their college coach had realized he couldn't game plan against NFL caliber coaches, couldn't motivate men and revealed that he was an egg sucking yellow coward that was better served as a mercenary for hire in college. The Falcons were the laughing stock of the NFL. At an all time low.

Arthur Blank had taken a huge hit to his franchise. He had to make some difficult decisions. The first difficult decision was to move GM Rich McKay from the role of General Manager to the role of Team President. This was a publicly criticized move because McKay took most of the blame for the Petrino hire and for below par drafts. Many thought he should be exiled from the organization. Despite being up and down as a GM, McKay did have a lot to offer the organization and Blank tabbed him to help with the search for a new GM. Thomas Dimetroff was a guy that had grown up with football in his life since he was a kid but held mostly scouting positions. He was hired after a video interview never having met Blank or McKay in person. Dimetroff decided on the unassuming Defensive Coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaquars, Mike Smith, to be the next Falcons coach. The Falcons had hired two guys that knew a lot about football but were not hiring decisions that made big splashes. The Falcons ended up with the 3rd pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and they chose Matt Ryan to be their franchise QB. Not a hugely popular pick in Atlanta because some wanted to strengthen the DL with Glenn Dorsey and others were still enamored with MV7 despite all the harm he had done to the franchise and to the city.

Most picked the Falcons to come in dead last in 2008. They were breaking in a new coach, starting a rookie QB and had a first time starter at RB, Michael Turner. In 2007 Jon Kitna predicted the Detroit Lions would win 10 games. They started off 6-2 but then lost 6 straight games and finished 7-9. In 2008 Kitna made the same prediction. The Lions came into the season as a team that was thought to have the ability to finish 2nd or 3rd in their division and possibly make the playoffs. One thing was clear the Atlanta Falcons were supposed to lose their opener to the Detroit Lions. Then "the play" happened.

Atlanta got the ball first and Michael Turner got a first down on two carries. Then, Matt Ryan dropped back to pass for the first time in his pro career. The pocket began to collapse as Michael Jenkins broke into a post and Ryan delivered the ball right on stride to Jenkins and he took it the rest of the way for a 66 yard TD pass. It was in that moment that the Falcons knew they had something special in Matt Ryan. It quite possibly was the play that was the pivotal turning point in the history of two franchises. It was one of the most electric plays that I've ever seen. A play that brought me to my feet and raised my hands in the air. This play was the beginning of an epic slide for the Lions in which they went an imperfect 0-16. This play was the beginning of an improbably drive to the playoffs by the Falcons as they finished 11-5. The Lions now are at a crossroads, much like the Falcons were, as they have coaches in place that they believe in more than in the recent past. They also have big-time draft picks Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh to help them make their comeback into relevancy. Do they also have "the play" to think for their new offensive and defensive stars? I woke up this morning thinking about that play. The Atlanta Falcons start their spring mini-camp today. I woke up with the need to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and relive the moment that confidence was restored in the Falcons franchise. Behind the arm of Matt Ryan and the legs of Michael Turner. It's still a long time until football season starts but this fan is ready for it to begin.

The Biggest Question Marks for the Falcons

The euphoric buzz of the NFL Draft has worn off. The media is already gearing up for Brett Favre's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" number on American Idol, they've given us way more information on Ben Roethlesberger's junk then any of us have time for, Jeff Ireland brought us draft interview douchebaggery and now we are preparing for weeks of thoughts on Sean Peyton's alleged vicodin issues. I'm ready for actual football to start. The next chapter in getting to watch actual football is mini-camp. The Falcons mini-camp opens next weekend. Not much is going to be decided at these mini-camps but it gives us a chance to see the rookies in action and also a chance to see how some veterans are bouncing back from injuries. There are 105 days left until the Falcons gear up for their first pre-season game and 29 more after that until the Falcons suit up to face the Byron Leftwich led Pittsburgh Steelers. I am left to think about what I most interested in learning about the Falcons this year. Here are my big questions that need answering this year if the Falcons are to be successful:

Will the pass rush be improved?

The Falcons were tied for 26th in the league last year in sacks. It was one of the biggest weaknesses in our defense and yet we failed to directly address the issue in Free Agency or in the Draft. Indirectly we did do a couple of things that I think will help. We added a legit #1 corner back in Dunta Robinson that will help the secondary cover people for longer which will in turn create more time for our defense to get to the QB. We have last years #1 draft pick, Peria Jerry, coming back and he will impact the line of scrimmage. Third round pick Corey Peters also has some promise in terms of creating a disturbance up the middle. Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah tabs Peters as someone to keep an eye on and someone who has the ability to be a disruptive pass rusher. Will Kroy Biermann and Chauncey Davis continue to make strides in their game. Will John Abraham show that he has more left in his tank than many of us think. Can the addition of Sean Witherspoon add to our ability to get to the QB. Is Dimetroff waiting to add another Pass Rusher when cuts are made in training camp. Only time will tell but I see this as our biggest question in the off-season.

Can Harry Douglas become an impact player?

As a rookie he caught 23 balls for 320 yards and a TD including 2 plays over 40 yards. He also had a rushing TD and ran back a punt for a TD. He runs a 4.3 40 yd dash and has a good burst which makes him a good deep threat. He's also a hard worker and a smart football player. Last year we missed having a Home Run hitter. We have a ton of good players on offense in Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White, Tony Gonzales, Michael Jenkins, Ovie Mughali, Brian Finnerann and Jason Snelling. But what we missed most last year was Jerious Norwood and/or Harry Douglas impacting the game by making a big unexpected play. The third receiver job will be his to lose this year provided that he is fully recovered from his injury. His ability to make plays and become a playmaker that defenses have to respect and account for could go a long way in opening up the offense and creating opportunities for others. And until teams account for him guys like Tony Gonzales, Roddy White and Michael Turner will open up opportunities for him to hit Home Runs.

Can the LineBackers become play makers?

Early on last year Mike Peterson came in and played at a very high level. In the first two games he had an interception and 2 forced fumbles. For the rest of the year he was shut out in each of those categories. He was still a productive player for us but he wasn't an impact player. Peterson is getting older and I'd like to see him become more of a situational guy this year. By doing that I feel he will be more productive and will be able to continue to make plays for the entire year instead of just at the beginning of the year. In order to this our number one draft pick Sean Weatherspoon needs to come in and be the explosive player that we think he can be. He needs to prove during training camp that we need him out on the field and he needs to bring his energy and athleticism to the defense from day one. Last year was the third year for Stephen Nicholas but the first year that he was a starter. We need him to use the experience that he gained last year and he needs to harness his versatility and aggressiveness. I think all 3 of those guys (Spoon, Peterson and Nicholas) can be really good linebackers for us. The question is whether or not they can make plays when we need them and do it on a consistent basis. The anchor of the defense and of the LB crew is former second round pick Curtis Lofton. Lofton has been strengthening his core this off-season by training in MMA. Lofton is also talking the talk. He knows he has to have more impact on the game and make game-changing plays. I'm excited about our LB crew but I want to see them develop into playmakers.

Can one of the young bucks at corner step up?

The Falcons make one big veteran move every year and then spend the rest of their time building through the draft. In 2008 we signed Michael Turner, In 2009 we traded for Tony Gonzales and this year we signed the top CB on the market in Dunta Robinson. Now we need someone to step up next to him. I'm looking at undersized Brent Grimes, second year player Christopher Owens and 5th round (possible) steal Dominique Franks. Brent Grimes is a scrappy player. He's the type of player who is going to give you 100% effort anytime he's out on the field. He's constantly going to be looked at as a mis-match but occasionally he does something that amazes you. He started getting some playing time last year and he had 4 picks in his final 3 games and 2 of them came against a NY Jets team that had their backs against the wall. Christopher Owens is a third round pick from last year that started getting playing time in Week 12 and played very well for a rookie. He had 2 picks in his final 2 games. I'm really looking for one of those two guys (or both) to step up and seize the number two corner spot. The last of these three is fifth round pick Dominique Franks. He is a second round talent that some thought was a Top 35 talent in the draft. I don't expect him to contend for a starters job this year but I am very interested to see what he can do and if he can play his way onto the field as a rookie. If one or two of these guys can step up and be consistent then we could have a very good year.

Our biggest questions remain on defense and we have questions at every level of our defense. I'm confident that with the additions of Dunta and Spoon that we have improved. There remain a lot of question marks. There also is a lot of guys that have the ability to impact our defense. Who will step up for the defense this year? Guys that got injured last year (Peria Jerry, William Moore), guys that weren't on the team last year (Dunta Robinson, Sean Witherspoon, Corey Peters, Dominique Franks), guys that are looking to improve this year (Brent Grimes, Chris Owens, Stephan Nicholas, Kroy Biermann, Chauncey Davis) or even the vets that we wonder if their time has passed (John Abraham, Brian Williams, Mike Peterson). We have a lot of questions to answer but we also have a lot of talent and a lot of guys that I think can step up and make a difference. On the offensive side of the football I sleep a lot better. I'm confident our defense will be better than last year I just question how much better it will be and who will be the guys who can get us to where we need to be.

On offense we got killed with injuries to Michael Turner, Matt Ryan, Jerious Norwood and Harry Douglas. In the draft we only addressed offensive line depth issues and didn't add anyone who looks to be a major player for us. We are going to get consistent play from Roddy White, Michael Turner and Tony Gonzales. The key is keeping everybody healthy and seeing continued improvement from Matt Ryan. I also think we need that home run hitter back. Harry Douglas or Jerious Norwood needs to step up this year and be that man for us to go deep in the playoffs.

Falcons Draft Re-Cap (Spoon, Beards and a Grizzly)

Pick #1- Sean Witherspoon- OLB- Missouri- Round 1- Pick #19


After C.J. Spiller (which wasn't realistic) and Brandon Graham went off the board this was the guy I wanted. He fits a need since we are either old (Mike Peterson) or average (Stephan Nicholas- although he does still have good up side potential as last year was his first year as a starter) at OLB. Spoon brings attitude, speed, strength, athleticism, and versatility. He can get after the quarter back or drop back in coverage. He's not a guy that's going to need to come off the field. Add him to Curtis Lofton and we are set at 2 out of 3 LB spots for the next 5-10 years.

Pick #2- Corey Peters- DL- Kentucky- Round 3- Pick #83


This pick was a surprise for me because I feel that DE is a bigger need right now than DT and surprisingly Everson Griffin was still on the board. Peters was picked to back up Jonathan Babineaux and Peria Jerry and will be insurance in case one of them gets injured. Peters is good against the run and he has ideal size for a DT. It appears this guy is quite the athlete for his size as he has a background in wrestling, baseball and track and field (discus and shot put). So there is nothing to dislike about this pick except that we didn't get a DE. This is one of those moments that you just take a deep breath and recite "In Dimetroff We Trust" over and over as you rock back and forth and clutch your Matt Ryan bobble head, your Michael Turner jersey, your Tony/October Gonzales PETA ad, your Dunta Robinson rookie card, and your Curtis Lofton MMA T-Shirt.

Pick #3- Mike Johnson- OL- Alabama- Round 3- Pick #98


An offensive lineman. I like that. He played for Bama? I like that too. He's a guard who has also played tackle so he has the cross-training that the Falcons love their offensive linemen to have. He played in 41 consecutive games at Bama and appeared in 54 games. He was a first-team All-American twice. He didn't miss a start in his last two year. Love this pick. I was reading up on the picks and one of the Falcons writers, D Orlando Ledbetter, said the Falcons think their first three picks have high FBI (Football Intelligence). I'll take that. This pick provides good depth with a chance to push for playing time and/or help out when Sam Baker is injured.

Pick #4- Joe Hawley- OL- UNLV- Round 4- Pick #117


Never heard of this cat before we picked him. I voiced this concern on twitter but was quickly told that he had the best beard in the draft and I was immediately confident in this pick. He will fit right in with our other beard loving offensive linemen. Hawley is projected as a center but can also play guard so he's another one of those cross-position offensive linemen that the Falcons love. He fits a need and seems to fit in with what the Falcons are looking for AND he has a great beard. I'm sold. Todd McClure is still our guy at center but a year or two down the road this guy could replace him as the starter once he retires.


Pick #5- Dominique Franks- CB- Oklahoma- Round 5- Pick #135


The Falcons traded the 149th pick and the 189th pick to move up to take this guy. He was an All-Big 12 coaches selection last year as a junior. He covered the other teams best player and in the Big 12 that means Crabtree, Macklin, and Dez Bryant. In addition to playing corner he can also be a factor in the return game for us. Franks has a lot of athleticism and was projected to go a lot higher than where we got him. Love this pick. We have taken the CB position from a huge weakness to where we have a bunch of guys who will be gunning for playing time. I think worst case scenario he helps out on special teams this year (either in the return game or just getting after the football).

Pick #6- Kerry Meier- WR- Kansas- Round 5- Pick #165


He's the all-time leading receiver in the history of Kansas football. I'm not sure if that is more impressive then the fact that he survived Mark Mangino's insults without punching the coach in the face. So we know this kid has composure and resolve. Dimetroff says he runs good routes, has good hands and has a knack for finding an open spot on the field. Sounds like a practice roster guy and possibly an eventual replacement for #4 receiver Brian Finnerann. It's the 6th round, what else do you want? ESPN blogger Pat Yasinskas also made the same connection I did to Brian Finnerann and says Meier is a "flat out football player." He went on to say that he played multiple positions (all three receiver positions, fullback, H-back, held on place kicks and also got in some time as a back-up QB as that's the position he played in High School).

Pick #7- Shann Shillinger- S- Montana- Round 6- Pick #171


The last guy Dimetroff picked out of Montana was the great Kroy Biermann so I love this pick. He ran a 4.51 and a 4.53 at his Pro Day which opened some eyes. Dimetroff says he flys around the field, is a very smart football player and will compete for a safety spot and a place on special teams. Sounds about right. Again, it's the 6th round nothing wrong with this pick.

Outside of Sean Witherspoon this wasn't a sexy draft but it's one that I like. We drafted for need at OLB, OL and CB. My only fear coming out of the draft is that we didn't find part of the solution at DE. We still have John Abraham, Chauncey Davis and Kroy Biermann so I guess the brain trust has a lot of confidence in those guys.

When does the season start?

Falcons Pre-Draft Grab Bag

In what alternate reality would you believe the Falcons were being trained by this guy?

FALCONS IN MMA

Looks like their are some Falcons training MMA this off-season. As an Atlanta Falcon fan and an avid MMA fan this immediately interested me. Randy Couture, Jay Glazer and Frank Trigg have a company called MMAthletics and they help professional athletes incorporate MMA training in with their regularly training. Up until now they have been working with individual athletes but now apparently they are working with the Falcons franchise. Alex Marvez of Foxsports.com has a great article up about it. Alex Marvez interviewed Falcons GM Thomas Dimetroff and TD said they are doing this in part for conditioning and in part for help with their leverage, hand quickness, and helping them battle in the trenches and also while taking on blocks. The only Falcon interviewed in Marvez's article was starting MLB Curtis Lofton (other than TD and Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith). Another positive listed besidees the physical implications is the bond being built among the guys training. Curtis Lofton talked about forming a bond with the guys he's training with and it helping them build trust with one another. Glazer also had a great quote about trying to make the guys more violent and breaking down their opponents and having their opponents not want to face them anymore by the end of the game. This could lead to some fantastic things. Reggie Bush is running up the middle and Curtis Lofton pulls guard pops off his helmet and chokes him out in a guillotine. John Abraham blitzes Drew Brees and rolls him up into a knee bar. Steve Smith goes for a catch and Thomas DeCoud hits him with a judo throw. I could get used to this. Harvey Dahl is one nasty guy, I can't imagine what he will be like after training MMA. But seriously, I'm interested to see how this impacts the team and if it will be something that they roll out to the entire team at some point.

THE SCHEDULE

So the schedule came out and I'm not a huge schedule guy but it's fun to look at. Last year the NFL bent the Falcons over and tried to commit Ben Roethlispenis on them by having them lead the league with games against teams coming off byes. This year we start with Pittsburgh, which will be a tough game especially in Pitt but it will be without their starting hedonist. The Falcons bye is right in the middle of the season this year and we end with 2 home games (although one is against the World Champion Saints) so that's good news. I'm not going to break the schedule down (that will be a post later on after the draft chatter and before the season starts) but here is what the schedule looks like:

Week 1: Sunday, Sep. 12, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 19, Arizona, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 26, at New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 3, San Francisco, 1:00 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 10, at Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 17, at Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 24, Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 7, Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 10: Thursday, Nov. 11, Baltimore, 8:20 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 21, at St. Louis, 4:05 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 28, Green Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 5, at Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 12, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 19, at Seattle, 4:05 PM
Week 16: Monday, Dec. 27, New Orleans, 8:30 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 2, Carolina, 1:00 PM

DRAFT THOUGHTS

I've already posted a little about this in a past blog but with the draft coming up later this week I thought I would revisit my thoughts going into the draft. We have the #19 pick in the draft and this feels like a good place to be with the talent that should be available. I think TD might try and move down and pick up extra picks but if he stays here then these are the Top 3 guys I want picked with the #19 pick:

#1 C.J. Spiller- RB/Clemson- he's going to be gone by this time but if for some reason he slips a CJ/Turner backfield would be too good to pass up.
#2 Brandon Graham- DE/Michigan- this is the guy most mock drafts have us picking and he fills our #1 need.
#3 Sean Witherspoon- LB/Missouri- he brings energy and confidence. Two things our defense needs. We also need line backers.

Looking deeper into the draft the Falcons do not have a 2nd round pick but do have two 3rds (#83, #98) and a 4th (#117). Here are some guys I would love to see in a Falcon uniform with those picks:

#1 Rennie Curran- LB/Georgia- What he lacks in size he makes up for in heart and effort. He could be the second coming of Jessie Tuggle. He's worth a 4th or 5th round pick if he's still around. At worst he will be a stud on Special Teams.
#2 Matt Tennant- C/Boston College- He's the #2 center in the draft and has familiarity with Matt Ryan. We need a replacement for Todd McClure soon and he could be the guy.
#3 Brandon Lang- DE/Troy- He's probably a bit of a project but he has a lot of the characteristics you look for in a good pass rusher.
#4 Joe McKnight- RB/USC- I'm surprised to see him so low in drafts. I love CJ/Turner but McKnight/Turner would be nice as well.
#5 Riley Cooper- WR/Florida- Has good size and the knack for making the big play. Could be a solid #3 or #4 receiver.

I'm looking forward to the draft. I will update periodically during the draft with my reaction to each of the Falcons picks. I'm intrigued to see the reactions of my Armchair Linebacker brethren about their teams drafts as well, and we might need to get the Raiders blogger some help or possible feed him incorrect information to save his sanity. If you enjoy random music/mma/Atlanta sports talk then follow me on twitter @ugakev.

Atlanta Falcons Draft: Been Caught Stealin' Edition

This guy might make the list in a couple of years.

Last time I looked at the biggest busts in the last 20 years for the Atlanta Falcons football franchise. This time I’m going with the half glass full edition and look at the top guys who were picked near the bottom of the draft and turned out to make an impact on the franchise. I'm just taking into account the last 20 years and am also not including “undrafted” guys but of course wanted to do a hat tip for Jessie Tuggle who went undrafted and ended up playing for the Falcons for 14 years, went to 5 Pro Bowls and has his number retired with the Falcons. A couple of honorable mentions to start with. The first is Jason Snelling (pictured above). He was drafted in the 7th round in 2007 and filled in admirably last year when Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood went down and looks to be part of the offense this year. Give him a couple more years and he might make the list. I was also shocked to find out that Bob Christian was drafted in the 12th round (now that’s a lot of rounds!) in 1991. He was drafted by the Falcons but didn’t play for them until 1996. He was one of those gritty football players that you want on your team. Here are my Top 3 “Steals” of the Draft for the Atlanta Falcons.

#3 Todd McClure- C- LSU- 1999- 7th round- 237th overall pick

He got injured in his rookie season but in his second season he took over as the full-time starter and has only missed 1 game since 2000. Center is probably the most underappreciated guy on the team from a fans perspective but if you have a guy anchoring your offensive line for over 10 years that’s pretty remarkable and deserving of recognition. Especially when he was drafted in the 7th round, 237th overall, as an afterthought despite being All-SEC as a junior and senior. McClure’s career will be coming to a close soon but he’s definitely a guy that bleeds Falcon red and a guy that I appreciate.

#2 Travis Hall- DE- BYU- 1995- 6th Round- 181st overall pick

Defensive Tackle is another one of those underappreciated positions where a lot of grunt work is done in the trenches that nobody ever sees. Travis was drafted 181st overall, in the 6th round, in the 1995 draft. Travis ended up playing 10 seasons for the Falcons and had 41.5 sacks in 10 years for the Falcons. For you math majors out there that’s 4 sacks a year from a guy picked in the 6th round (and he only played in 1 game his rookie season). From 1996 to 2001 he was a starter and averaged five and a half sacks over those peak years with 10.5 in 1997 and 6 in 1996. He was a huge part of the DL and made a big impact on the game. You don't find many 6th rounders doing that.

#1 Jamal Anderson- RB- Utah- 1994- 7th Round- 201st overall pick

It’s a strange coincidence that Jamaal Anderson is one of the biggest draft busts and Jamal Anderson is one of the biggest draft steals. Without Jamal Anderson the Falcons would have never made it to the Super Bowl during the 1998 season. In his first year Jamal played like that of a 7th round pick only getting 2 carries and totaling 1 yard lost. In his second season he only carried the ball 39 times for 161 yards but did find the end zone once. From 1996 to 1998 he was one of the best running backs in the National Football League and was a guy that defenders didn’t want to have to tackle because he had a tough running style. 1,055 yards in 1996, 1,002 in 1997 and then Dan Reeves rode him hard in 1998 for 1,846 yards and 14 touchdowns. He ran the ball 410 times in 2008 which was a record for NFL running backs at that time. Jamal is one of the best players ever to put on a Falcons uniform. Not bad for a 7th round pick!