Bleacher Report - Atlanta Falcons

Do Da Dirty Bird: Previewing Week 11, Falcons @ Giants

John McCurdy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:30:21 -0500

The bye is a ponderous thing. It can be a blessing, allowing a sliding team to rest, regroup, and refocus; or it can be the kiss of death, interrupting a group's rhythm or allowing losses to fester.

The Atlanta Falcons got theirs out of the way right away, but they've been unable to escape the bye week's effect since then: They've drawn three teams coming back from their Sunday off as of the end of Week 10, and are about to play yet another rested squad.

Not to sound overdramatic or anything, but this one is singular in its importance to the rest of our season, as we're facing the wild card of the NFC Wild Card contenders, the New York Giants.

Did they get their minds right on their sabbatical, or were their four straight losses before it just the beginning? How soon will the fickle Big Apple turn its collective back on the Boys in Blue? Is one of these injuries going to turn into something serious?

And finally, say it with me now: Will the real Eli Manning please stand up ?

I won't be so pretentious to answer these questions, nor will I be so groan-inducing as to quote Eminem again. I will, however, give you the standard DDDB rundown for this pivotal matchup.

New York Rush Offense vs. Atlanta Rush Defense

Last week's debacle was just not funny for us. If you read my preview, you know I was expecting us to give up more on the ground in our second meeting with the Panthers than in our first, but good gosh .

Great news, fellas: It gets barely (if any) easier on Sunday. A third-ranked unit drops to a seventh-ranked, but the two-back style persists, as does the general power.

And any concern about missing Derrick Ward's production following his departure to the Sunshine State? Gimme a break, I knew Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs could do it all on their own.

Blocking and play-calling are exceptional when it comes to running up in East Rutherford. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride plays to his strengths (read: shoves it down people's throats), frequently going old-school and employing fullback Madison Hedgecock or the off running back as a lead man, but mixes it up just enough to keep defenses guessing.

I'll admit that I like to see the G-Men have no triple-digit yardage rushers in the past four games, but then again, we didn't allow anyone over the century mark last week, and look how that turned out. Maybe it was because we had two different guys coming at us, but we didn't seem to know where to meet the ball carrier, which obviously portends poorly.

Since day one, I've lauded Mike Peterson and Curtis Lofton's ability to come up and make a tackle at the line without leaving the middle open. But that didn't happen last week. A return of the usual swarming activity is really the only way NY doesn't ring up 150 total.

I hate to be so down on the line, but John Abraham looks disinterested out there, Kroy Biermann is all about the sacks, and it's become, at best, a two-man rotation at tackle, though we can seemingly only get one guy to pay attention to the play per down.

Atlanta Rush Offense vs. New York Rush Defense

I smiled for the majority of the first two quarters this past weekend, despite the score. Michael Turner was back, or more specifically, his monster production was back.

I could say it with certainty, as he beasted for three games in a row and looked like an indestructible...

Too soon? Too soon.

Never has the sprained ankle of a man I've only exchanged a nod with been such a concern to me.

Reports are all over the place, so I'm not going to try to add my guess as to the probability that he'll play this weekend. Suffice it to say if he does, one shouldn't expect more than 70 yards, as he'll need to take it easy.

This means we'll be relying on Jason Snelling, as we did for more than half of the Carolina game, and not to a terribly bad effect. Dude will never be a starter somewhere (did people ever say that about Burner?), but he's got power and finds his holes a lot better than I once thought he could.

Jason gets the treat of going up against an absolutely sick line. They're firmly in the middle of the pack when it comes to yards allowed per game, but when it comes to touchdowns given up (four) and rep, there's nary a team that's better. Good luck pulling these rocks, Harvey Dahl and Justin Blalock!

This means we'll need even more skill-position blocking. The receivers have done admirably in appeasing me—it seems my weekly mentions result in weekly improvements, as both Roddy White and Michael Jenkins had memorable chip-ins last week—but we're going to need even more.

Luckily, I've got an idea. Allow me to regale you with another one of my tales of observation that led me to my crackpot plan: Last week, Verron Haynes made a horror of a block downfield on a Snelling run. It led me to think: We need more of this grittiness.

I say put in Haynes and Justin Peelle, blue-collar type guys, in exclusive blocking roles with Snelling in the backfield. It sounds strange, taking out the big names like Tony Gonzalez in exchange for some third-stringers, but clearly we need an alternative when Turner, Jerious Norwood, and Ovie Mughelli are all questionable.

New York Pass Offense vs. Atlanta Pass Defense

Perhaps recalling Marshall Mathers' 2000 hit was a little harsh for the Giants' quarterback. In truth, he's been steady the past three games, though his team has lost all three (two of them at home).

He's just not the guy who went into Dallas and chucked 330 yards, ensuring a key divisional win. He seems more his pre-2007 self: The younger brother, the guy who can't take a team to the top, or whatever else they used to think of him.

To think that he'll play this middling way the rest of the campaign would be a mistake, of course. Will it be this game that he turns it around? I'll just note that his best two '09 performances have been on the road, where the Giants are somehow more confident than at home.

But getting to specifics, to think that we'll pressure him much come Sunday would also be a mistake. The Giants have allowed him to go down just 13 times, and the line's 15 total sacks allowed is good enough for seventh place in the league. Maybe we've been looking at the other side of the trenches too much?

Out in the flat, though, the worry that dominated the preseason—which wide receiver would emerge in Plaxico Burress' absence—is still a worry. This other Steve Smith has nabbed five scores and managed a nice chunk of yardage due to being targeted so much, but I'm fairly confident in saying that Chris Houston can lock him down, considering he's not prototypical size.

Get beyond that, and I'm only feeling better. Yes, most of the time I hate to analyze how our other corners will play the No. 2 and No. 3, but I'm not feeling Mario Manningham, let alone baby Hakeem Nicks.

They'll get a chance to prove themselves, considering Eli will have his usual amount of time in the pocket, but unless we really crap-out in coverage, we should be able to contain.

Atlanta Pass Offense vs. New York Pass Defense

What I assumed was just a few fluky passes is becoming a trend. While I would never turn my back on Matt Ryan and it pains me immensely to even criticize him, something must be done about interceptions.

Over and over again, likely to reader's nausea, I talk about how ice-cold Ice is, how he never looks shaken. I'm starting to realize he might just be a very good actor; he looks sure throwing the ball pretty much no matter what, but these passes are more inadvisable than he's letting on.

The timing of his second pick last week just couldn't have been worse. There's just no way he can give the Giants, the second-best pass defense when it comes to yards per game, more than one chance at taking one, let alone more than one actual INT.

The unit may only have eight picks among them to this point, but the other numbers don't lie: C.C. Brown and Terrell Thomas have 72 solo tackles between them, and Michael Johnson and Corey Webster have 27 apiece.

To keep things safe, Dr. McCurdy would prescribe a steady and consistent diet of Gonzo. Long sideline passes to Roddy can come now and then—it seems like it's crossing routes that freak Ryan out, anyway. The bottom line would be that we've got to use the guys with size and strong hands to decrease the likelihood of turnovers.

The bad news is that New York has some size in the defensive backfield to counter ours in the corps. Webster is tall for a corner (though he luckily doesn't play overly physically), and Michael Johnson is a man's man.

Of course, they're more about blowing guys up after the catch, and we're more worried about what's going on with the ball in the air. Back to that point, routes need to be run sharply, and Matt needs a bail-out option, even if it's Snelling for no gain.

Prediction: Giants 24, Falcons 21

You know I'm going to predict a loss as a close loss, right? I think the Giants will have the lead from start to finish, but that my Dirty Birds will never disappear from the rearview mirror.

The G-Men's week off couldn't have come sooner. If 14 days without a chance at redemption for their four-game skid doesn't get these guys fired up, then we'll have a great chance, but they can't possibly come back and not have an energized attitude.

A win would take tremendous amounts of pressure off down the stretch, considering we'd be bumping down one of our Wild Card opponents, but I'm afraid we're going to be relying on the four home games (and trips to a couple of teams with Super Bowls much farther behind them) to get our playoff spot and, more importantly, second consecutive winning season.

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The Atlanta Falcons Try To Regroup Against the New York Giants

Richard Bridges — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:20:23 -0500

Starting the season, this match-up stood out to me. My expectations were that if the Falcons could win this game they would be contenders. After 10 weeks in this NFL season, the value has changed.

The Falcons are playing like a team that just can't get in sync. They started the season 4-1 and appeared to be a legitimate contender in the NFC as many had expected, then came the downward spiral.

Just as the Falcons found their running game and seemed to be clicking on all cylinders, their second year "face of the franchise" hit a slump. Even with Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner averaging 142 yards a game over the past three weeks, Matt Ryan has been very unstable at best.

And what's worse? Turner went out in the second quarter last week against the Panthers and isn't expected back for at least this week's contest against the Giants.

The Giants are having much of the same problem this season as the Falcons. Expected to take the NFC East by most, they have fallen into the same spiral that effected the Falcons.

They have lost four of their last five as well including four in a row. During that stretch their quarterback Eli Manning has been very inconsistant. The fourth quarter was once his strength,now it's his weakness.

Another of their issues has been the play of that talent filled defense. Many in New York are calling for the head of linebacker Antonio Pierce as a result. They have had a bye week to prepare for this struggling Atlanta offense.

THE ICE HAS STARTED MELTING

In his last five games, Matty "Ice" has taken a nose dive in his progression. He is playing scared and not planting his feet when he throws. During this time frame Ryans' mistakes are crushing the teams chances to pull games out in the end.

He is 96 of 175 (54.8 percent) for 1031 yards seven TDs 10 INTs during that stretch. Several of his interceptions cost the Falcons the game in the fourth quarter, the quarter where great quarterbacks shine.

He has not appeared the be the same quarterback at all. I went back and watched the week two meeting with the Panthers at home and then back to last Sundays game. The biggest difference was his mechanics.

In Atlanta, Ryan changed one play to a quick crossing post by Gonzalez for a touchdown at the line of scrimmage. He did with using his cadence drawing the blitzers in and reading their intent. He planted his feet on a three step drop and delivered the mail like a professional.

In Carolina, with a similar set, Jake Delhomme used his cadence to draw in the blitzers and made the exact same pass to Jeff King for a large gain. The Panthers watched tape of Ryan, and Delhomme used that same play to hurt the Falcons.

The difference was they saw something that worked on tape and used it. The Falcons haven't followed suit. So, is it the offensive line? Are the receivers not getting open? Is it the play calling? The Falcons better figure it out soon because their "face" is drowning out there.

GIANTS OWNER UPSET WITH HIS SCHEDULE

Owner John Mara came out earlier this week to complain about the Giants schedule. In particular, his trip to Denver for a Thursday night game against the Broncos.

"It's not an ideal situation," Mara told the New York Daily News. "I don't mind playing on Thanksgiving. My complaint is sending us all the way to Denver on a short week."

All I can say John is when you have to face four teams coming off their bye weeks, three of which at their home, you have a right to complain. Getting a Thanksgiving game isn't a cause for complaint. Especially when your team comes in refreshed from their bye, at home, against a team that has struggled against teams coming of their bye weeks, at home.

KICKING THE HABITS

Not only does Ryan need to kick his habit of not planting his feet and making the correct reads, but kicker Jason Elam needs to kick his habit of shanking the ball. His percentage of success (64 percent) looks more like what Ryans completion percentage should be going into Sunday.

When he takes the field all Falcon fans tense up. He's one of the best the NFL has ever seen, but he and Ryan both appear to have problems getting it done. It could be attributed to a young, inexperienced long snapper or the way punter Michael Koenan sets the ball. Either way, it needs to be corrected in a hurry.

THE PREDATOR REDUCED TO PREY

The Falcons are still looking for signs of life out of veteran John Abraham. He doesn't appear to be injured, but he's playing worse now than when he was dealing with his groin. That's pretty mind boggling being a male just thinking about that pain.

If the Falcons expect to win Sunday, they must get pressure on Manning. It's up to Abraham to take this game on his shoulders and lead the charge.

TAKING WHAT THE OFFENSE GIVES YOU

I'm so sick of this saying. You take what you're given. So when exactly do you impose your will against your opponent?

Watching Delhomme sit back in the pocket and scan the field just infuriated me. Not just as a Falcons fan, but as an NFL fan. There is no reason anyone should have six or seven seconds in one spot to scan the field.

This week against a pretty solid Giants offense, defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder, had better grow a pair and send the house at Manning. We all know the corners are struggling, but I like their odds of covering a receiver for three to four seconds much more than seven.

The Giants will try and establish the run so each and every play the Falcons needs to control that line of scrimmage. If it takes blitzing Lofton, Nicholas, Coleman, DeCoud, and Peterson so be it. The Panthers showed what happens when you control the line of scimmage, and they did it with a four man front; the Falcons do not have that luxury.

SO IS THE CHEETAH HEALTHY YET?

Everything has been so hushed about the status of running back Jerious Norwood. When he's healthy, he's electric in the open field. The problem has been he hasn't been on the field much this season at all.

With Turner down the back-ups must step up. Jason Snelling has been admirable in his role as fullback, running back, and special teams ace, but it's time for him to show he can endure the punishment of a starting back in this league.

Norwood has proven he cannot make it 20 carries in a game without going down to some random injury but his presence on the field causes defensive coordinators to scramble and make sure he has enough athletes on the field to counter that speed.

WHO TO WATCH?

Corey Webster vs. Roddy White

White is having another fine year. His main problem has been Ryan getting him the ball on the run. Roddy has been forced to sit down on routes or run comebacks to the ball. He's much more effective on the move. Webster is a smart corner and if Ryan isn't careful, he could create turnovers against Corey.

David Deihl vs. John Abraham

As much as Abraham has been held this season I don't believe it matters who he lines up against. Deihl has had some issues this season and can be beaten. If Abraham can unnerve Manning from the blindside the Falcons could take advantage of some rushed plays.

Brandon Jacobs vs. Curtis Lofton

Lofton at present is leading the league in tackles and he will be facing a freight train Sunday. It will be interesting to watch these two collide. One thing is certain, neither will back down from the challenge.

Fred Robbins vs. Todd McClure

This match-up truly scares me. I don't believe McClure has the physical strength to compete with Robbins. He will require attention from Harvey Dahl to keep contain which give either Justin Tuck or Osi Umenyiora one on one against the Falcons tackles.

Hakeem Nicks vs. Tye Hill

Finally a match-up I like for Hill. Granted he will be covering a rookie, but his speed will help him stay attached

SO WHO WILL WIN?

As much as I'd love to say the Falcons pull this one off. I do not expect that to be the case. No Michael Turner, Ryan regressing, the secondary in shambles and the Giants at home coming off a bye is just too much to take Atlanta.

NEW YORK 31, ATLANTA 23

The Falcons are a much better team at home. If they can manage to win out at home the will atleast achieved back to back winning seasons. But whoever made the schedule this season really wanted the Falcons out of the playoffs.

Three NFC EAST team off their bye weeks just wreaks of sabotage in an up and down NFC conference.

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Panthers-Falcons: Cats Send Birds to Back of Bus

Richard Bridges — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:21:36 -0500

I would imagine that bus ride home was not pretty. The Falcons went into Carolina with an opportunity to sweep the division series and laid an egg. It was probably the most predictable game I've witnessed this season.

Either long snapper Bryan Pittman or kicker Jason Elam caused the Falcons' first opportunity for a lead to disintegrate. On the shank heard 'round the world, Elam missed a chip shot to put the Falcons up 22-21 late in the game.

But this game was far from their fault alone. Throughout the season, we've learned the Falcons' kicking game is terrible. Because Elam averages less than 65 percent on his attempts this year, I often cringe when I see him come on to the field.

But losing this game was a team effort. Practically every leader on the team let the fans down in one way or another.

Whether it was the continued disappearance of defensive end John Abraham or the regressing of second-year standout quarterback Matt Ryan, the team effort became a team loss. And that goes all the way back to coaching and ownership.

Let's take a moment to break down the blunders, shall we?

The Falcons kicked off to open the game. They held the Panthers to 3-and-out, and the Falcons got the ball on their own 31-yard line.

On the second play of the drive, Michael Turner took the handoff and rumbled 40 yards. With Turner seemingly returning to his old form, I told my wife that we should be able to control this game if he keeps running like that.

The drive stalled shortly after, and the Falcons sent out kicker Jason Elam. I must admit my cheeks clinched up as if I was in prison wearing makeup and a dress. But to my surprise, it sailed through the goal posts, and the Falcons took the lead 3-0 with only four minutes off the clock.

After Koenen's second touchback, the Panthers took over at the Falcons 20-yard line and proceeded to march right downfield almost effortlessly.

The Panthers tried to run the ball, but tackles Jonathan Babineaux and Jamaal Anderson wouldn't allow it, forcing Delhomme to take matters into his own hands. Then he found out just how weak that secondary is this season.

Without Brian Williams to guard Mushin Muhammed, the Panthers tossed two long passes to Moose totaling 43 yards (21,22) and moved into the red zone, where running back Jonathan Stewart punched it in from one yard out.

Down 7-3, the Falcons took the next possession and moved the ball into Panthers' territory, but stalled and were forced to punt. They attempted six passes and three runs. Right there, I could see the signs of a bad game.

Quarterback Matt Ryan is struggling badly. Running boot legs that cut off half the field. The way Ryan stares down his receivers. Have no doubt, both are serious issues. More on that later.

When Carolina regained possession, they did what the Falcons failed to do. They ran the ball effectively without forcing Delhomme to win the game. Take note, Mularkey, your young QB goes as your running game goes.

After scoring the touchdown and taking an 11-point lead, the Falcons did what they have done many times this season. They marched down the field and scored a touchdown.

That drive consisted of Turner pushing out 42 yards, and Mike Smith deciding to go for it on a 4th-and-8 situation. Everything about that drive screamed guts. But after that drive, everything went wrong.

Michael Turner left the game with an ankle injury, and Ryan continued his slide of the last several weeks.

The defense came in and forced a 3-and-out. The Falcons' offense took the field, and Ryan needed all of five seconds to throw his first interception of the game.

Then the Panthers turned the turnover into seven points, and it wouldn't be the last time.

To open the second half, the Falcons marched downfield to kick another field goal. Once again, my cheeks were so tight you couldn't insert a pin with a jackhammer. Elam makes me very, very nervous. But, he made it! At this point, the Falcons are only down by eight.

When the Panthers are forced to kick a field goal of their own, a great jump from Chauncey Davis blocked it. Time to play catch up.

Again on the move, the Falcons score on a three-yard pass to Justin Peele. The game is in hand, and the momentum belongs to the Birds. That is, until they missed the two-point conversion.

Behind DeAngelo Williams, the Panthers moved into Falcons territory. The Falcon defense snuffed out any further nonsense and forced the Kittens to punt. Down by two with 11 minutes left, the game was well in hand.

Then my fears became reality. After failing to convert a 3rd-and-1 on the Panthers 16-yard line, coach Smith sent out Elam to put the Birds up by one. Because it was an important kick, you wouldn't expect the entire thing to be botched.

Elam appeared to start moving at least two seconds before the snap. Once the kick was off, it sailed far left. With the Falcons still down by two, Carolina had the ball back with six minutes left.

But again, the Falcons oft-criticized defense held strong, forcing the Panthers to punt with four minutes remaining. Then Atlanta needed only five seconds to give it back.

After a great return by kick returner Eric Weems to mid-field, Matt Ryan took the first snap and proceeded to toss another sailing pass to Jenkins that was picked off. Ball game.

Deja vu for Falcons fans, as many remember Mora, Jr.'s 11-5 season, followed by a 5-2 start the next year. They finished 8-8 and all hopes of back to back winning seasons were dashed.

This is all too familiar territory for this team. As much as I'd like to stay positive, word of possibly losing Turner to injury for several weeks is devastating.

The Ice Has Melted

Well, folks, it's official. Matt Ryan is no longer Matty "Ice" any longer. He's playing scared. After watching every game multiple times, I've concluded several disturbing things about QB1:

He is not planting his feet to pass the ball. More often than not, he is throwing across his body while on the move. If he would set his feet and throw, his accuracy would increase dramatically.
He is running far too many bootlegs. He cuts off half the field with these boot outs. They may help the running game, but they aren't using the field effectively.
He's not feeling the pressure like he did last season. Far too often, he's moving backwards, causing him to throw off his back foot and make errant, sailing releases.
He is wasting offsides penalties. He has done an outstanding job with his cadence forcing multiple linemen to jump early, but he wastes them by taking a knee. Pro Bowl quarterbacks will take a shot deep down field. Who knows? You may get a pass interference to go with the offsides.
The no-huddle offense has been removed from the playbook. Used briefly yesterday, it resulted in a touchdown drive. Then it was forgotten.
Why the hell do you have three tight ends on the field? When Keith Zinger is catching passes, you have a serious problem. Are we that thin at playmaker, or do we need mass protection to keep Ryan from throwing the ball away?
Quit staring down your receiver. Ray Charles can see who Ryan is targeting after the snap. Last season, Ryan was amazing at looking off safeties. This season, they are making a living off his errant passes.

I could list more, but I think I've made my point. The same quarterback I didn't want from Boston College last season has made an appearance this year. And more than one game has been lost because of his poor decisions with the game on the line. I realize you can't just bench him to teach him a lesson, but something must be done. You can't blame his youth and inexperience any longer. He's played in 25 games, and his first 20 were much better than his last five.

Was Getting Tony a Mistake?

Don't get me wrong, I love having the future Hall-of-Famer in red and black, but what did we sacrifice to obtain him?

The Falcons are without a second-round pick next season, which would have been the perfect spot to snag a back-up running back. They gained a great pass catcher, but lost that sixth blocker on the line of scrimmage Ryan had last season.

To compensate, the Falcons take receivers off the field and run these stupid bunch tight end formations with two and three tight ends. That leaves your playmaking receivers on the sidelines, bunching up the offense and allowing defenses to play press coverage.

Gonzalez seems to be out running routes, and Ryan is feeling the pressure too soon and abandoning his pocket protection. The offensive line lost Ryan's trust, and I suspect it has to do with that sixth pass protector running routes.

The Burner Is in the Shop

After yesterday's cheap shot (more on that later), the Burner is out for several weeks with a high ankle sprain. Without him in the line-up, the Falcons are extremely thin at running back.

Turner struggled earlier in the year, but has since put on a rushing clinic. In a mere three weeks, he went from averaging less than four yards a carry to more than five. Let's hope his injury is not as serious as originally expected.

The Gamble Paid Off

At what point do you get called out for injuring players? Culpepper's existence in Minnesota was ended by a low helmet hit from Chris Gamble, and Sunday he repeated the same dirty play on Turner.

After Turner was tackled on his last run, Gamble came in low and put his helmet on Turner's ankle. Then he was gone.

It's bad enough you hold receivers seven and eight yards down field, but to lower your helmet to hit a player already tackled is just dirty. I wish Dahl would have come out on one of those useless boot legs and knocked some sense into the corner.

The officials should review that play again.

Roddy Needs the Ball More

It seems every week the most overlooked player on the field in Roddy White. What happened to those quick slants he used to abuse teams with last season? This year, it seems like screens and comeback routes are all we are using.

If you get the ball to White in the open field, he can make people miss. If you force him to turn his back or side to the defense, it's stopped almost instantly. Did the coaching staff just decide to change the schemes entirely?

Snelling Is the Utility Man

Enough can't be said about the contribution Snelling has made this season. He's stepped in for Ovie Mughelli at fullback and both Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood at running back. All the while, he's lined up on special teams.

He is the Falcons' iron man who is good at everything he does. The problem is he isn't great at any of it. The Falcons need someone to fill Turner's shoes while he's out, but Snelling isn't the 20-carry guy the Falcons need. For that matter, I doubt even a healthy Norwood is the guy.

I enjoy Snelling, but, if he's the starting running back, the Falcons likely miss not only the playoffs, but also back-to-back winning seasons.

Who Put the Dogs Up?

OK, we are past the midway point in the season, and John Abraham has just three-and-a-half sacks. I realize he's pretty constantly held, but that never stopped him before. I've watched him closely the past few weeks, and he's just not making any impact.

As a huge fan of Abraham, I've allowed his situation to slide because of the lack of help he has on the line, coupled with the poor officiating when he is being held. But this is a career low for Abraham, and I can't think of anything that will correct the issues he's having.

Go Sit in the Corner

Since Brian Williams went down earlier this season, the Falcons are really struggling to replace his presence on the field. Both Williams and Peterson were a one-two punch on defense, and it seemed one keyed off the other. Without Williams, Peterson has slipped back into the shadows, and Williams' replacement has become a revolving door.

Originally, Brent Grimes was slated to take over. He's played his heart out, but, when you're too short to ride the roller coaster at Six Flags, you're too short to cover the Mushin Muhammeds of the world. So the Falcons put in Tye Hill, who has blazing speed.

But that blazing speed does little to help when on 3rd-and-5, you're playing 10 yards off the ball. Hill was torched several times yesterday, and it's time to let rookie Christopher Owens sink or swim. After injuries to both the Falcons' first and second round picks, it's time for the third rounder to make a name for himself.

The Bottom Line

The Falcons had plenty of opportunities to win this game and threw them all away. Missed field goals, interceptions, etc. The Panthers are playing much better in the month of November, and I take nothing away from them.

The fact is Atlanta and Carolina have changed roles in the past five weeks.

At the start of the season, the Panthers had sloppy play at quarterback, their defense gave up in the fourth quarter, and their offensive coordinator made some head-scratching play calls.

The Falcons had great play from the quarterback, the defense played hard all four quarters, and the coaching staff made some great challenges and play calls to put games away.

It's a total reverse now. Delhomme just completed his third game in a row without a pick. Matt Ryan has thrown an interception in seven straight games, including four multiple-interception games.

If the Falcons are going to have a chance at the playoffs or back-to-back winning seasons, field general Ryan must remove his head from his...well, you know. It's up the coaching staff to utilize him more effectively. No more bootlegs!!

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