Falcons

[DrReality]

They have scored 17 points already in the first half. Ryan has looked good and has two TD passes.

[mattlanta]

Abraham has looked great... too bad Jamaal Anderson still hasn't gotten a sack.

[Admin]

They have scored 17 points already in the first half. Ryan has looked good and has two TD passes.

Man I am shocked at what Ryan has done this season. I really thought that he would flop in the NFL but it looks like you guys got a good one!

[WraithSentinel]

14 point swing just happen. Grimes experience is over or should be over with. The guy cannot be a starting CB. The defense is soft as they come. Time for them to man for once this season.

[WraithSentinel]

Impressive game by Ryan and the offense. Great to have Baker back. Defense need toughen itself up. One mistake by Ryan and that is about it. Next up is to get Ryan his first 200 yards passing game. He did out rush Norwood today on the same number of carries. Turner finally came up big on the road.

[DrReality]

They held on and won on the road. Big win.

[High5]

Turner has done pretty much all he can on the road. The OL was just getting whipped. Fortunately the Packers have a garbage DL. Good win today despite the shaky defense. Can't wait to see wht Chicago has in store for us. God forbid Orton playing like he did today.

[mattlanta]

Turner has done pretty much all he can on the road. The OL was just getting whipped. Fortunately the Packers have a garbage DL. Good win today despite the shaky defense. Can't wait to see wht Chicago has in store for us. God forbid Orton playing like he did today.

Chicago whipped Detroit, but I'm not as worried about them as I was with the Packers.

[Gray Mule]

The Sporting News "expert" said, "Falcons will have ONE win this season."

Well, how about that. Falcons are now 3-2 for the season!

Without the one big rookie miscue from our rookie QB, waiting that extra second to

release the ball when he had a reciever wide open in the end zone, which led to an

interception, game wouldn't have been so close.

But, he's learning and we see improvement from week to week. He's far from what he

will become but he's already much improved from game one.

Defense of the Falcons gets the lowest grade of any of the three units. Offense, except

for that one bad play, was good. Special teams were the best of the three units.

Good kick returns, punts that went where they were supposed to go. They did

have some kick return problems, tet they were pretty good overall.

Falcons still have little idea of what to do on pass defense.

A lot of stuff to improve on. Yet, they won with all that went wrong. Much of this stuff

can be improved, even with the players available. That's what to expect with this

young team. The longer they play this season, the better they look.

GO FALCONS!!!

[DrReality]

They lack talent for their CB's, young and small.

Ryan is getting better each week. The intercenption he threw would have been OK in college, not pros.

I think the win on the road will do wonders for this young team and theif confidence. They are building a team and you can see the growth week to week. That gives me hope for the future, unlike the past two coaches.

[hussamga]

Yah that interception was a "i thought i was playing in a college game" ..but then again i havent been impressed with Ryans Arm strength. I had the falcons winning 5-6games, but yah those corners are ugh.

Guess we gonna have to ride ABRAHAM to the promise land

[jhay610]

I saw a lot of things today that make me excited about the future of this franchise.

Ryan isn't the finest physical specimen you'll ever see at QB, but he can make the throws and his poise and ability to read a defense AS A ROOKIE are extremely impressive. That drive in the 2nd qtr when he was directing the no-huddle was a thing of beauty; he checked us to the right play several times, and when he saw Woodson wasn't lining up over White he went deep to him for the score.

He did have the one mistake that I thought was going to cost us the game where he waited too long to make the throw. Just set your feet and throw a softball to his outside shoulder. Instead he rolled out, giving the chance for the defense to recover, and threw the ball back across his body and the guy made a nice play. Great job today managing the game and he would definitely get an A if not for that throw.

I also love how our O-line just dominated today. Matt was hardly pressured at all and Turner was able to churn out plenty of yards between the tackles. After the Boley INT I loved how we just lined up and knocked 'em off the line and took it in for the score. No need to get cute there, just go straight at them. Same thing at the end when we needed a first down to run out the clock. Everybody in the stadium knew we were going to run it and we still got that 1st down anyway. You didn't want that defense to have to come out and defend the pass again the way things were going. I know the Green Bay D-Line is not all that impressive but considering where the Birds were last year, dominating any NFL team up front is good to see.

Jason Elam is a God-send. He is automatic out there. Several games last year (I try to pretend last year didn't happen, but there are still reminders) we lost momentum because our kicker was out there shanking 19-yarders when we needed points. Elam is reliable as they come.

Norwood's kickoff return after the Pack made it 17-17 was huge. To come back and answer after the momentum had decidedly turned was necessary if u were going to win that game.

Secondary continues to look like swiss cheese, and John Abraham is our pass rush. Abraham, when healthy, is no doubt one of the best ends in the game. You would think that our 1st round pick Jamaal Andersen would be able to pick up ONE STINKIN SACK over a 1.25 seasons just by being on the other side of him...Abraham is constantly displacing the pocket toward Anderson yet Jamaal is nowhere to be found...hate to write off a 1st round pick too early, but this looks like one last parting shot from Petrino/McKay.

All in all, the Falcons are way ahead of where I thought they would be. To come in and beat a team that was a play or two away from a Super Bowl on their home field is pretty incredible, regardless of the fact that they were minus several injured players and Brett Farve.

And of course major kudos to Mike Smith, who is pushing all the right buttons. Looks like that was a very good hire. The Ryan INT was a perfectly conceived play-action that was wide open and should have put the game away. The 4th and goal bootleg was a nice call also. The no-huddle was sharp again this week. He just seems to go out there with a plan and he has these guys fighting from down one.

The birds are showing that they are not one of the league's worst, which is definite progress. With one or two good drafts Ryan and the Falcons could have a bright future ahead of them.

Edited October 6, 2008 by jhay610

[DrReality]

Hopefully Ryan's body will mature, but the impressive thing is howw he is adjusting to the game mentally. Very impressive. His command of the offense allows him to make plays that we just didn't do over the past few years. He is able to run the offense instead of depending upon one guy making a spectacular play.

[Dnice]

I'm glad they won, but unhappy they gave up those passing yards and td's.

[Atlsportfanz]

Grimes needs to be removed from starting cb. Hopefully, Foxworth can take his position. And sadly, I think we're going to have to start looking at DE's again unless Anderson can somehow turn it around. Hate to have his big contract sitting on the bench and not producing but that's probably the case.

[Gray Mule]

Falcons are not good.

That being said, they are not terrible either, which is where they were just last year.

I had no real hope for them to win every game, but I did believe that ONE win for

the season was way too little.

The exciting thing to me, the Falcons seem to improve each week. Just the opposite

of what we witnessed last season. Sever important pieces are still missing. We

are so weak in pass coverage. Part of this may be position players and part of it

may be the overall defensive plan.

That interception saved us. That turned momentum around and put it in the Falcons

corner. This was caused by the great pressure by the line on the previous play. Put

them in a hole, needing many yards to keep the ball.

This year's Falcons play with a lot of heart. They keep on trying. So different. So

much better. Given enough time, this orginization is going to put a team on the

field that will really be something special. I can see it coming, can't you!!

GO FALCONS!!!!

[Traceman]

Grimes needs to be removed from starting cb. Hopefully, Foxworth can take his position. And sadly, I think we're going to have to start looking at DE's again unless Anderson can somehow turn it around. Hate to have his big contract sitting on the bench and not producing but that's probably the case.

Anderson needs to gain weight and move inside o passing downs. He is already as big as Babineaux and Babineaux has played GREAT this year. Put him in the tackle rotation with Babineaux and big Grady and let him play DE in running situations only. He is not quick enough to ever be a disruptive pass rusher on the edge.

As for Grimes, I was thinking the same thing but Foxworth was the one who was beaten for the Packers' last TD. Chevis Jackson might end up being better than both of them as long as you give him help over the top. At least the bigger receivers won't muscle Chevis out of the way so easily. Grimes is a competitor but he is just so small that a bigger guy is going to eventually make a play on him.

[frosgrim]

no cb can cover for 5 seconds. until the falcons get another rusher or get a better blitz package the cbs are going to be toast.

can brooking miss any more tackles?! he had 3 big wiffs that i saw

[KDT88]

Yah that interception was a "i thought i was playing in a college game" ..but then again i havent been impressed with Ryans Arm strength. I had the falcons winning 5-6games, but yah those corners are ugh.

Guess we gonna have to ride ABRAHAM to the promise land

Dude, Ryan has a great arm. He can make any throw. Did you see when he launched a strike in week 3 to White for a TD. http://www.atlantafalcons.com/media_librar..._-_9-21-08.aspx - It was about a 60 yard throw without much effort. He could of thrown it farther if needed.

[EazyRoc]

Dude, Ryan has a great arm. He can make any throw. Did you see when he launched a strike in week 3 to White for a TD. http://www.atlantafalcons.com/media_librar..._-_9-21-08.aspx - It was about a 60 yard throw without much effort. He could of thrown it farther if needed.

Don't kid yourself. Matt Ryan put everything he had into that throw.