The theme of last week was "Safties" and today... Close games!
I said that I would cover more than just my Falcons but, for now... We are full-on Falcons. Sorry but they tend to be my focus this early in the season. Maybe in a few weeks I will relax enough to expand my recap.
Jackson getting hurt was NOT good. Bierman getting hurt? That was BAD!! There were far too many injuries in this game. I am going to get on my soapbox for a minute, sorry!
When teams "dumb down" their practices, no pads and no hits, it hurts the game! Guys are not prepared for game day and people get hurt! Their stamina is just not there. They aren't ready for those hard hits - giving OR receiving!! I get that you gotta keep your guys healthy but... It does them a disservice! You gotta push them, maybe punish them a bit? Practice is so important! Practice like you plan to play!! Is soft practice the problem? I don't really know. This is more of a concern than a verified fact but... Given the way the NFL keeps changing things? Yeah, concern is a good word.
Ok. Stepping down now. Sorry about that.
The main thing I am left with after the Falcons game - the 3rd quarter melt-down has GOT TO STOP! Seriously!! Two weeks in a row, it's just a disaster in the 3rd. This is a trend that has carried over from last year and I do NOT LIKE IT!! Are they getting cocky? Complacent? I wish I knew!! I just want to see the boys hit the field after halftime like they are starting from scratch - you got nothing! Fight to put something up! I am desperate to see a shift in the mindset of the offensive line - and yes, I'm putting most of this on them. I am so tired of hearing the commentators mentioning our streak of blowing a nice lead in the 3rd quarter but fighting back in the 4th. Ugh!! Yes!! We KNOW!! Until we fix it... I am going to have to suffer through every single one of them going over each and every blown lead AND mentioning that dreaded game that kept us out of the Super Bowl. Make it stop!!!!!
Let's get right to the offense - I hope I'm wrong but I think Matt Ryan is still hurting from last week. He took one Hell of a beating. I know I would be sore!! There were a few moments when I saw pain... And it bothered me. I think he's fantastic and I admire his passion and drive and dedication - I LOVE Ryan!! I am worried though. I would offer my services for massage therapy but... His wife is pretty cool and that might be frowned upon. I hope he spends this week getting over that first week and is 100% for the Miami game. He may have been hurting but he was sharing the love with the ball - it's fun, as a spectator, to see so many different recievers get the ball!! White, Jones, Gonzalez, Douglas, Snelling, Rogers, Jackson.... I hope Falcon's fans realize how very fortunate we are!!!
Now, our offensive line... (insert sigh) they were better but... They couldn't get much worse than last week. A lot of work to do. I saw glimpses of what they could be but they couldn't maintain it. They have work to do. (put that in the 'understatement' column!) I have no idea how they are gonna fix this but... They must! I cannot imagine that Smitty is happy - I know the fans aren't! It's frustrating.
Did you notice how the coaches compensated for the front line? Ryan was pushing that ball out hard and fast! There was very little scanning the field; it was FAST!! Now, it worked for a good bit of the game but I don't see this as a long term solution. Maybe I'm wrong and this was how they wanted to play but... It took away that sense that we were controlling the drive and the clock. I don't like it. I want to see the offensive line "man up" and protect him! I want to see him finding receivers open down-field and taking his shot. The type of offensive play that I saw made me nervous - we became one-dimensional. We gotta be more!! You can't play in "hurry up" mode for the entire game!!
Yes, I know!! It's early in the season. Don't care!! This is the NFL! Every game counts and we have a tough schedule!! We EARNED this schedule!!! We WANTED this!!!
Now.... Losing Bierman hurt the defense. I really noticed just how versatile and valuable he is when he was missing. That man works on the field!! Yes, you hear his name constantly when defense is on the field but, I guess I take him for granted - sorry about that! Won't happen again! In the second half, I saw arm-tackles (that just won't work!) and missed tackles and... Yeah. Work to do on defense as well. Don't get me wrong, I am still happier with the defense than with the offensive line.
Now, the Rams special teams made ours look GOOD!!! Smitty would have been having a seizure if we got a penalty each and every time we took a kick!! I mean.... SERIOUSLY!! He would have been red in the face, ripping out his little black book, making notes and ripping someone a new one on the sidelines!! Thankfully our boys know better! A note here: I really would love to see Jaquizz Rogers just break out and return a kick for 6. I think he's got it in him, I'm waiting!!
Big love to Osi Umenyiora!! Nice job, big man!! I can't wait to see more!! And Bartu?!? Nice to meet you!!! Some new guys are showing some nice effort!! This is making me happy!! And little Quizz? He was working! Not making as many yards as I would like but... He worked, fought and held onto that ball - don't underestimate this! It doesn't matter how many yards you get per carry if you can't hold on to the ball. Oh!! Snelling!!! Cannot tell you how glad I am that we have Snelling and Douglas!! Two very underrated but talented guys!! Jason Snelling is one of those guys who makes the most of his opportunities and I love that!!
Now, I absolutely HATE smack talk about your teammates and I hate uncredited quotes but... I gotta agree that our linemen were PUNKS last week!!! Letting your quarterback take that many hits? Unacceptable!! Those guys have been playing football for almost their entire lives!! They KNOW how to block! They have been working towards playing in the NFL for their entire lives! There have gotta be some serious changes with the offensive line! That must start with the attitude - if you go down, you go fighting!! Hunker down and work your ass off to take care of your quarterback!! It is very rare to hear quotes like this coming out of the Falcon's locker room (this isn't your typical Roddy stuff) and it packs a punch.
Ok. We got the win. It wasn't pretty. It was very stressful. It's done. Let's take the lessons and work!! I am willing to give my guys a chance but... Its time to get it done!!
Hope everyone has a good week! We face Miami next and I really hope we are ready. I have a feeling my guys are in for a very busy week.
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