Ask The Falcoholic!

First, we let them run all over us despite the fact that all their running backs are either A) 30+ years of age or B) really terrible. Also, our offensive playcalling in the second half was timid and focused on short passes and the run when the Patriots have already proved they couldn’t stop anything long through the air. Basically, we lost because we didn’t play to our strengths and played a sloppy game of football.

1) Turner’s got a chance to break one every time he runs the ball. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit concerned about his production thus far this year, and I’m hoping it has more to do with him simply being unable to get untracked than any drop in ability. You guys are pretty stout up front, so something like 25 for 90 wouldn’t be out of the question. If he grinds it out and our passing game is doing well, though, that should be plenty.

2) Roddy White has dropped his fair share of passes, been victimized by some timing issues with Matt Ryan in the first week of the season and disappeared from time to time out there as Tony Gonzalez takes over as Ryan’s favorite target. He’s another guy I’m concerned about, but in this case I really do think it’s more Gonzo taking away some of his targets. Roddy’s always been a guy that needs to be targeted frequently to perform at his peak.

3) Call me nuts, but I think the Falcons can win this one. 21-17?

The only guy who is definitely out is WR Harry Douglas, and he’s out for the entire season. Speedy backup RB Jerious Norwood and rookie SS William Moore should be back in this game, and they’re both potentially valuable pieces of the offensive puzzle.

And the reason is that at some point, you guys are going to have to move to defend the pass. I’m not predicting any kind of killer game, but 3.something yards per carry on 25 attempts would help us control the clock.

2) Roddy White has dropped his fair share of passes, been victimized by some timing issues with Matt Ryan in the first week of the season and disappeared from time to time out there as Tony Gonzalez takes over as Ryan’s favorite target. He’s another guy I’m concerned about, but in this case I really do think it’s more Gonzo taking away some of his targets. Roddy’s always been a guy that needs to be targeted frequently to perform at his peak.

Our pass protection is actually excellent, with second-year left tackle Sam Baker really coming into his own this year. We’ve been struggling a bit with run blocking up the middle, which is where Turner likes to make his living, so that’s hurt our numbers in 2009.

1) I think we looked pretty decent against Carolina, but we looked putrid against Carolina. We trucked over Miami pretty handily.

2) The defense doesn’t look much better than it did last year, but both Mike Peterson and Stephen Nicholas, who are replacing Brooking and Boley, are light years ahead of those guys already. The secondary is shaky but growing a little, and our front four is having a really hard time defending against the run. Hopefully we won’t make Glen Coffee look great.

3) I think it’s the opposite worry. Can Turner do enough to make you guys want to stop prepping for the pass and concentrate on stopping the run? When our passing game gets going, I truly believe it’s one of the top attacks in the NFL, and I’m not sure where your secondary stands. Of course, you can cover pretty effectively if there’s no threat of the run, so I’m hoping Turner will find his legs a bit against you guys.

You’re a good team, you’re 3-1, and you just smoked one of the worst teams in the league. We’re coming off a miserable loss against the Patriots. I think it’s fair, even though I think we’ll win ;)

just for homefield, so looks like a toss up to me, vegas-wise. DVOA also has the teams neck-and-neck (ATL by 1% or so, not counting pre-season predictions)… so should be a good game.

1) That was largely the effect of a helpful crowd, a couple of big games at home against inferior defenses and the fact that Orion was in the House of Pisces during a harvest moon. We do have a line with some younger pieces, but they’re getting more comfortable all the time. I wouldn’t expect the away crowd to help, but I don’t think it’s a game changer.

2) The other two potential pass rush threats are second year end Kroy Biermann, who had two sacks in the first week and has generated some pressure thus far, and rookie Lawrence Sidbury, who may or may not get any playing time against you guys. Then there’s DT Jonathan Babineaux, who gets solid penetration in the middle. That’s…that’s about it. We need Abraham, who is chiefly a pass rushing specialist with good speed and good moves, to help out. He’s virtually useless against the run, bless his heart.

Heaven help the guy who cuts you off in traffic.

That game didn’t cost us anything (we won the West and hosted Detroit after a bye week). It did help bring along instant replay though it unfortunately continued our losing streak at FC Stadium for one more year. I think you’re thinking of the ‘91 Hail Mary loss in ATL. That cost us the division, a bye week and likely shot as the only team that could’ve competed with the Redskins.

deieon sanders anybody? 1993-94

But certainly I think our expectations would be tempered further. You guys are a good team with a quality defense, but I think if the Falcons were as elite as we all hoped they would be they’d handle you guys one way or another. Still, you guys are many, many degrees removed from say, losing to the Lions.

As what he’s doing, which isn’t much. I still think he’s got the potential to be at minimum a good nickel corner, but he hasn’t done a ton in limited playing time. That may be the story all through this year.

all victories coming from teams that are a combined 2-9 which isn’t saying much.

A more pessimistic and realistic way of saying this would be “All our wins coming against the NFC West.” Seriously, we need this win for validity. We should have beaten an apparently good team (Minny) in their house, but only played 59:58 instead of 60 minutes of football.

It’s a young unit struggling to find its identity. While we have some very talented players—you’ll hear the name Curtis Lofton frequently this weekend, as he’s an absolute machine at linebacker—it’s a not a D that from top to bottom is going to scare you. If anything, a dink and dunk offense can attack the soft underbelly of our defense, grinding down the clock and pulling together long scoring drives. I don’t like the sound of that at all.

Thomas DeCoud, the young safety who nearly picked Tom Brady twice last week, springs to mind, as does veteran linebacker Mike Peterson. Can they cover him well? We’ll see.

You’re obviously not familiar with our offensive line. Matt Ryan has been sacked twice in three weeks, both of them against a swarming Miami D in Week 1, and LT Sam Baker completely neutralized well-known pass rusher Julius Peppers against the Panthers. Your defense is very, very good, but you’ll have a much better chance of stopping Michael Turner than you will getting enough sacks on Matt Ryan to make a huge difference in this game. Not saying it won’t happen, again, but that it’s unlikely given our pass protection.

Arizona has the best receivers in the league. Minnesota does not. I would stack Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Michael Jenkins up against Visanthe Shiancoe, Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice any day of the week. Again, your front seven is elite and has a very good chance of turning the running game into a non-factor. You might be surprised just how good our aerial attack really is.

1) The short answer is that I don’t remember. Ever since I can recall, I’ve just been a Falcons fan, and I believe in team loyalty above all else so I’ve never had any interest in changing. Growing up in Maine, I can’t tell you how much crap I got to being a Falcons fan. People couldn’t believe it.

2) Obviously, it has a slimming effect on the fanbase. There are a lot of good, smart, loyal Falcons fans out there, a percentage of casual fans and a lot of UGA and GT fans who don’t really care about the NFL at all. Tapping into the diehard fanbase has been tough, but we’ve got a good group over at The Falcoholic.

3) Not a lot of animosity, honestly. When you’re terrible for such a long time, you remember the teams who drubbed you when you were actually good. So while the 49ers handed us our lunch regularly, my hatred for the Denver Broncos (Super Bowl, 1998) and the Philadelphia Eagles (NFC Championship, 2005) burns more brightly.

4) Our realistic goal was to get that damn monkey off our backs and have a winning season. I think most fans expected some kind of regression this year, but the playoffs are still a realistic shot….though with the way the Saints are playing, a division title is almost certainly not.

All I know is that I’m actually reasonable confident our corners can cover your wide receivers without massive amounts of help all game, and that’s not something I’m typically saying. Vernon Davis is your greatest threat in my mind and DeCoud is a guy who has the right blend of physicality, coverage skills and athleticism to keep up with him. He may not do it alone and I may be way off base, but I think you’ll see him on Davis a few times.

And thanks for the kinds words! Lord knows I need more help with this ego.

His fists are like oncoming trains made of cement.

Curtis Lofton probably won’t ever be the player Patrick Willis is, but he’s great against the run, a sure tackler and a capable coverage guy who in his second year is already anchoring our defense.

He just has really pretty eyes!