New England Proves a point.

[Diesel]

This game is won and lost in the trenches. The thing is that every receiver in the NFL can catch. Most starting QBs given time can make excellent passes. However, without an O-Line, none of that is possible. So here's the thing... to win, you need.

1. An O-Line that can give the QB and recievers time while also being good run blockers when needed.

or

2. A defense who can pressure the QB, stop the run, and cover receivers long enough to pressure the QB.

For that reason.

My Superbowl pick... is....

Seattle or ATLANTA vs. Kansas City

I know. I know. I know...

Everybody sees the dominance of Denver. Me... too. BUT That AFC is going to be a FIGHT!! You have Denver, KC, NE, Indy, Cincy, and Cleveland. Believe it or not, I believe in one game, either of those teams can beat Denver... And it will happen.

Then you say... Atlanta?

Let's look at the facts:

1. We're injured at Key Positions. (But they are coming back).

2. The NFC is weak. Only N.O. and Seattle are worth the talk.

3. We're one Stephen Jackson and one Big TE drop from being undefeated with some of our best players hurt or playing hurt.

When Roddy comes back full and when Our defense comes back... we will be one of the best teams in football. The Old man will face his old team in the Big game!!

The real question is can anybody put up points on Seattle?

[macdaddy]

Maybe they aren't coming back. You never know with injuries and when they come back will they be like Roddy and Baker? It doesn't take long for a season to slip away in the nfl. I hope you're right but i'm worried. Its one thing to say 'well we let that one slip away and should have won' but when you say that 3 out of your first 4?

[Plainview1981]

The Falcons making the Super Bowl? lol

[benhillboy]

I don't think we can match up at all with NO. No pass rush against Brees means embarrassment will follow. And our best tacklers even have problems at times, let alone Spoon being out and DeCoud being in, Lynch is also an embarrassing afternoon waiting to happen. I think NO and Seatlle are on a collision course, but of course there are 3 more quarters of the season for other teams to be crippled by injury until January. I'm more confident in NO's defense than I am Seattle's passing attack, though. Ryan loves his rookie safety Vacarro, and Ive always been a Lofton fan. But people forget Percy Harvin hasn't played a down, though. If he comes back to form, the C-Hawks gonna be hell.You can never count Rogers' arm out, but their coaching and defense seem to be slipping every week.I wouldn't sleep on East Point Cam and Carolina's front 7, either.The Bears would've won their division easily last year if they stayed healthy. They're gonna be players. Not sure if AP can carry all those Vikings on his back two seasons in a row, but I wouldn't be surprised either.The NFC East shouldn't even have a representative at this point, but the Giants are by far the most stable franchise of the four. Looking at their schedule, they can finish 8-8.Never been on the 49ers bandwagon. I'm not sold on the coach or their QB.It's looking like Brady versus Peyton in the AFC, the way it should be.

[Diesel]

I don't think we can match up at all with NO. No pass rush against Brees means embarrassment will follow. And our best tacklers even have problems at times, let alone Spoon being out and DeCoud being in, Lynch is also an embarrassing afternoon waiting to happen. I think NO and Seatlle are on a collision course, but of course there are 3 more quarters of the season for other teams to be crippled by injury until January. I'm more confident in NO's defense than I am Seattle's passing attack, though. Ryan loves his rookie safety Vacarro, and Ive always been a Lofton fan. But people forget Percy Harvin hasn't played a down, though. If he comes back to form, the C-Hawks gonna be hell.You can never count Rogers' arm out, but their coaching and defense seem to be slipping every week.I wouldn't sleep on East Point Cam and Carolina's front 7, either.The Bears would've won their division easily last year if they stayed healthy. They're gonna be players. Not sure if AP can carry all those Vikings on his back two seasons in a row, but I wouldn't be surprised either.The NFC East shouldn't even have a representative at this point, but the Giants are by far the most stable franchise of the four. Looking at their schedule, they can finish 8-8.Never been on the 49ers bandwagon. I'm not sold on the coach or their QB.It's looking like Brady versus Peyton in the AFC, the way it should be.

People thought that Seattle would destroy us last year.

I think the 5 teams in the NFC are Us, N.O., SF, Seattle, and Detroit (did I say that)... I think with those teams, we definitely have a shot. You're right, our matching up with N.O. will be terrible, however, we almost beat them hurt. This month should be an easier month than we had and will give us time to get back healthy. I can see us going 9-3 the rest of the way. Sneaking into the playoffs and doing some damage.

[benhillboy]

People thought that Seattle would destroy us last year.

True that, but I think both franchises are going in opposite directions. We were pretty healthy for that game, as we have been the last 3 or 4 years, while they were missing an integral part of their pass rush in Clemons, as well as adding Avril. I think their secondary measures themselves against Juluo and Roddy, but with Roddy hobbled they'd view themselves far superior. He needs to sit until he's 100. And they're buying everything their coach is selling right now, I fear that Coach Smith's message is getting fainter each week. If I know Dimitroff like I think I do, he had a semi-serious talk with Smith concerning his first quarter report card with connotations of job security next year. The strength and conditioning coach then had to answer to Smith to try to get a handle on guys getting tired and injured. Edited October 2, 2013 by benhillboy

[AHF]

True that, but I think both franchises are going in opposite directions. We were pretty healthy for that game, as we have been the last 3 or 4 years, while they were missing an integral part of their pass rush in Clemons, as well as adding Avril. I think their secondary measures themselves against Juluo and Roddy, but with Roddy hobbled they'd view themselves far superior. He needs to sit until he's 100. And they're buying everything their coach is selling right now, I fear that Coach Smith's message is getting fainter each week. If I know Dimitroff like I think I do, he had a semi-serious talk with Smith concerning his first quarter report card with connotations of job security next year. The strength and conditioning coach then had to answer to Smith to try to get a handle on guys getting tired and injured.

How much do you think the team regrets not sitting Roddy for the last 3 weeks? He isn't near healthy.

[jy23]

How much do you think the team regrets not sitting Roddy for the last 3 weeks? He isn't near healthy.

I don't know how much THEY regret it but I'm pissed about it. I've been saying since week one that we need to sit him until after the bye week. He hasn't really helped us at all so far an the more he plays the more I think he may not be able to help at all this season. Sit him NOW!!!

[Wurider05]

the problem is Matt Ryan. I called it years ago. He got too much credit for "team success". He has a weak arm and they never are a threat deep. He played right into New England's hands doing dinks and donks to Tony G. 100 million dollars for an average quarterback who needs top weapons to excel. He is a nice guy but not a top tier quarterback. You see why the Falcons begged Gonzalez to come back. Without him bailing noodle arm out Ryan would be exposed even more. Julio Jones is one of the fastest players in the league yet we have no deep threat because our 100 million dollar quarterback can't throw a decent pass that is over 15 yards.

[macdaddy]

the problem is Matt Ryan. I called it years ago. He got too much credit for "team success". He has a weak arm and they never are a threat deep. He played right into New England's hands doing dinks and donks to Tony G. 100 million dollars for an average quarterback who needs top weapons to excel. He is a nice guy but not a top tier quarterback. You see why the Falcons begged Gonzalez to come back. Without him bailing noodle arm out Ryan would be exposed even more. Julio Jones is one of the fastest players in the league yet we have no deep threat because our 100 million dollar quarterback can't throw a decent pass that is over 15 yards.

I can't disagree with that but Ryan isn't really average. That is a major weakness but his track record of winning games (prior to this season) is pretty exceptional. Its easy to forget when we're on this downturn but your average qb wouldn't have pulled out as many games as he has. Our running game has never been that great since he's been here except for maybe that first year. I don't feel like we ever had a truly exceptional offensive line but still we won a lot of football games. Roddy, Julio, and Tony G are great receivers no doubt.

Of course coming on the heals of Vick, Ryan is the perfect anti-Vick. Merge those two together and you've got one great QB.

[Guest]

I don't know how much THEY regret it but I'm pissed about it. I've been saying since week one that we need to sit him until after the bye week. He hasn't really helped us at all so far an the more he plays the more I think he may not be able to help at all this season. Sit him NOW!!!

Now Roddy might have tweaked ankle in NE game....I was hoping they would just sit him after game 1.

[Admin]

the problem is Matt Ryan. I called it years ago. He got too much credit for "team success". He has a weak arm and they never are a threat deep. He played right into New England's hands doing dinks and donks to Tony G. 100 million dollars for an average quarterback who needs top weapons to excel. He is a nice guy but not a top tier quarterback. You see why the Falcons begged Gonzalez to come back. Without him bailing noodle arm out Ryan would be exposed even more. Julio Jones is one of the fastest players in the league yet we have no deep threat because our 100 million dollar quarterback can't throw a decent pass that is over 15 yards.

Wow that is harsh! You don't know what you've got if you think Ryan has a noodle arm. That's what we used to call Chad Pennington because he couldn't throw more than 15 yards without a huge arc and low velocity. Ryan hits in a lot of deep balls with Julio, far more than I've seen guts with much stronger arms. I think Ryan throws a damn nice deep ball but I'm just a casual observer and probably not as critical.

[jy23]

Lol typical falcons fans response...start talking about Ryan having a weak arm and not deserving his contract blah blah. You do understand that Ryan is getting the ball out of his hands at an average of 2 seconds per play bc of our weak offensive line. We don't take very many sacks bc of him getting it out like that. It takes time for deep routes to develop, time that Ryan just doesn't have. The Ryan hate is absolutely ridiculous and most just spit out crap that they've heard other people say without actually thinking for themselves. There's more to football than what you see on madden

[HawkItus]

OP was right about the trenches. But, they don't guarantee you anything. Cleveland has had great lines, but they still suck. Eagles had great lines and got to one superbowl. Texans, KC, Dallas, MN, all had good lines, but sucked at one point or another. QB's win games though. They don't have to be great QB's, but they have to be great at some part of the game.

[Wurider05]

I have seen every game of his career as a falcon and its an accurate assessment of his arm strength. He has a weak arm. Everybody knows that and the offense scheme is built around that. Thats why we can't score in the redzone.

for the record I don't hate Ryan i just think that the Falcons were so desperate to get the Mike Vick taste of their mouths the grabbed the first quarterback they saw. I hate the fact that he gets so much credit for team success. I want him to succeed but I am not drinking the kool aide that he is on the level with Brady, Manning and the other elites. I can see that with my own two eyes. He never catches the receivers in stride past 0-15 yards. They always have to turn around, jump, and bend all kind of ways to catch the ball. The funny part to me is that he is not a small guy by any stretch of the imagination.

Jy23 how can you tell me where I get my thoughts from. Since you are a psychic let me get those powerball numbers.

PS-They even mention his weak arm on Madden 13. LOL!!

Edited October 4, 2013 by Wurider05

[jy23]

Ok...so I tell you that there's more to football than what you see on madden and as a response you tell me something that they say on madden...okAnd just for the sake of telling the truth, let me hit you with some stats...u know something that you can't really argue with unlike your opinion which is just like an...well you know the saying.So here we go, pay close attention...since 2008 Matt Ryan is the 3rd best qb in the NFL with balls traveling over 20 yards in the air. He has a completion % of 41 with 8 drops (which leads all qbs), 789 yards, 5tds & 1 int, with a qb rating of 121.7....the 2 qbs ahead of him are Rodgers and Brees. But madden said he had a bad arm so it must be true.

[jy23]

Truth to much for you?

[WraithSentinel]

Steve Young offer his take on Matt Ryan.

http://espn.go.com/blog/atlanta-falcons/post/_/id/626/video-steve-youngs-take-on-matt-ryan

[Admin]

Steve Young was a great QB but he's as clueless about analyzing QBs as Jaws is. I once heard him say that John Beck could he a top 10 QB in the NFL and that guy was barely even capable of making an NFL roster.Ryan is a very good QB though and just a notch below the Brady / Manning / Brees level but he doesn't have the strongest arm. Even in college that was the knock against him, but he's got incredible timing and knows how to set up a defense for failure.

[jy23]

Not having the arm of joe flacco or Aaron Rodgers or stafford doesn't mean weak...that's just not his strength. He's effective at it, that's all I'm saying