Terrence Moore -- A.J.C. -- 8/8/02

[Gray Mule]

It seems that I can never agree with Terrence Moore.

Today, I agree 100 % with what he says about the Falcons!

{I can't believe it either, but it's true}

OFFENSIVE LINE WILL MAKE, BREAK FALCONS

{Someone who knows how, please post his article here.

I don't know how to do it}

The entire outcome of the coming season rests, not on

the players who generate the headlines for the Falcons,

but on "the hogs," the players in the line. If they can

do the job, Falcons will be winners. If they can't, we

are in for another long season..

Gray Mule

[Teeareess]

Not a big Moore fan either, But this team has a young O-line and a young valuable quarterback. Not usually the best mix.

http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/sports/co...oore/index.html

In reply to:

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Greenville, S.C. -- Michael Vick's potent left arm and swift legs have to be as good as advertised. And, yes, the wide receivers must fly as well as catch. And Warrick Dunn has to stay healthy, and the defense has to stay vibrant.

But all of that ranks several punts away from the biggest key to the Falcons' season: the offensive line, the offensive line, the offensive line.

Did I mention the offensive line?

If the offensive line is as brutal as it has been since the Falcons slid into the Super Bowl four seasons ago, Vick's potential never becomes reality. You can't run or throw when you're on your back more than your feet. As for Dunn, his quickness is negated along with his speed. Whether the receivers are fish or fowl is irrelevant. The defense suffers. No, the defense stinks. The defense is on the field longer, because of all of the above. The Falcons also are in a lovely free fall in the NFC South.

"I'd say put all of the pressure on us," said offensive tackle Bob Whitfield, in his 11th season with the Falcons. "If a receiver runs the wrong route, and we have to hold the block for 18 seconds, we will hold it for 18 seconds. If we have to lift a running back up and drag him through the hole ourselves, we're going to do it. We can handle the pressure. That's our job."

That's exactly right, but whether the Falcons' offensive line has the ability to accomplish that job is another matter. I know this is the United States of America, but in this case, the Falcons' offensive line is guilty until proven otherwise.

Such is your fate when you've led the NFL by giving up 125 sacks during the last two seasons. For better or worse, depending on whether they improve collectively and individually, Todd McClure, Kynan Forney and Whitfield are three of the five starters from last year's offensive line who probably will start this season. Whitfield is a definite at left tackle after a rejuvenated attitude in camp, and newcomer Todd Weiner is a definite at right tackle after leaving the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent for mighty bucks. McClure and Forney are in a five-way battle with Roberto Garza, Travis Claridge and Martin Bibla for the middle spots.

Whatever the case, the Falcons' coaches need to pick their big five and stay with them. What contributed to their offensive line woes last season was the combination of slow-footed Chris Chandler at quarterback, blown assignments by running backs and receivers and the Falcons' musical-chairs approach to the offensive line. You could blame part of the switching on injuries, part on questionable talent and part on the whim of the coaches. Not coincidentally, the last time the Falcons had the same offensive linemen as starters for an entire season, they reached that Super Bowl.

"We've got some movement on the inside [of the offensive line] that, at this point, the next two or three weeks will be very important as to how those guys come together," said Pete Mangurian, the Falcons' offensive line coach in his second season. "I'm pleased with what Whitfield and Weiner have done in camp. So, if we can be solid on those corners, and if Todd can keep things coordinated in the middle, we just have to fill those spaces on both sides of the center. I think we can."

After that, all the Falcons' offensive line has to do is something that was rare for its recent predecessors, and that is block.

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