ated on controlling the explosive passing game. When Edgerrin James was used, the young defense did not know how to deal with it. They bit on every play-action fake like a bass in an overstocked lake. This is due to the inexperience of the majority of the defense. Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan performed well for a rookie, converting several key third downs when desperately needed. He did throw two interceptions, though. I must give the Cardinals credit: they shut down Michael Turner. This made it more difficult to pass effectively. These experiences will only make the team better.It's not all bad, though. The Falcons exceeded their expectations by almost ten wins. No one expected them to be a playoff contender. They were one tiebreaker away from a Division Title in arguably the best division in the NFL. With more strong draft selections in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Falcons will continue to improve and will be back for more next season. I hope no drastic changes are made to the organization nor the roster. I am looking forward to a great season starting in September.
I would like to extend my congratulations to Coach Mike Smith on winning AP Coach of the Year by one vote. He deserves it, salvaging a sinking ship that was the Falcons franchise.
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ReplyDeleteThe lack of experience for the defense definitely hurt them, especially on the playaction like you alluded to. That being said, when it was 3rd and...16 I wanna say? And 2+ minutes on the clock, and the Falcons needed that one stop to get the ball back and give themselves an opportunity to win the game, the man who was victim to the playaction was the VETERAN, Keith Brooking.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, on the bright side, they're still a young team who managed to exceed expectations. Turner took a lot of hits this year, though, and like we've seen lately, running backs in the NFL really only get a couple of good years before the slip heavily (i.e. LT, Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander, etc.) So hopefully, Jerious Norwood can emerge as an even more effective complement to Turner next year to maximize the amount of seasons they can get out of him. I'd also be worried about the D. They're gonna need more depth next year (after all, John Abraham isn't getting any younger), but they should be able to build it up through the draft. That's what the Titans pride themselves on, and it's a good formula for year-to-year consistency in the NFL.
Yeah I couldn't watch the game, I had to go to a wedding. But I saw the highlights and I was surprised to see Brooking blow his coverage like that.
ReplyDeleteJerious Norwood is still underused, even though he has proven himself to be an effective runner and receiver. He averaged six carries a game this season. Like you said, to get the most out of Michael Turner, his carries must be monitored. As Matt Ryan continues to improve, he will not need to be used as much. Hopefully Mike Smith will realize Norwood's talent and potential and then he can conserve his star running back for years to come.
You're right, the defense is the obvious weakness in the team. But after last year's amazing draft choices, the defense will be improved for next season. The secondary definitely needs some help. I'm not sure if that's a coaching problem or a personnel issue.
Well you're definitely right about the secondary needing to be improved; when you look at the depth chart it's definitely the weakest facet of the D. Chris Houston is still young and so is Chevis Jackson, though, so that's a positive. But yeah...overall, there's a good young base to build off of. What do you think about drafting a tight end? It looks pretty weak and if you're gonna invest in a good young QB, you want to make sure he has enough weapons to prosper. Speaking of that, they were smart to let Alge Crumpler go. He hasn't done crap with the Titans this year.
ReplyDeleteYeah our first offensive player to be drafted should be a tight end. About Alge Crumpler, I was upset to see him leave only because he was such an important part of the Falcons for so many years.
ReplyDeleteAbout the secondary, the corners have talent; they just need some good coaching and experience. I think the safeties are the weakest part. The linebackers are skilled too, but they are young for the most part.
Yeah well don't feel bad about Alge; his best years are behind him.
ReplyDeleteThe safeties: well, Erik Coleman stinks I know that from watching the Jets in the past years. Lawyer Milloy - I guess his best days are behind him?
The linebackers are solid. Lofton is young, but talented. And Michael Boley is really good. I remember when the Falcons played the Titans last year; he played amazing and it seemed like he was making every tackle. (Looking back, he actually had 14 tackles and an INT that game haha)
john abraham is awesome.
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