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Week 11 Television Notes (and Maps)

November 19th, 2009

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Time for a little behind-the-scenes info…

Each week NFL teams and their public relations departments schedule conference calls or production meetings between key coaches and players and members of the broadcast crew.

Some are longer than others. In the case of this week’s Falcons-Giants game, it may be little more than a cup of coffee and “how was the flight?”

For the third-straight week the FOX broadcast team of Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa will call a Falcons game. The crew is also in line to call the Birds’ games against Philadelphia and New Orleans, meaning five of six games will be overseen by one group of announcers.

This isn’t necessarily uncommon in the NFL, but it’s still something to mention.

Few are as familiar with the way the Falcons have played over the last month than these guys. Should make for a solid game if you’re watching on television.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON WEEK 11 TELEVISION…

… Oh CBS, how you must love the marquee matchups in the AFC (otherwise known as whoever may put up a fight against the Indianapolis Colts). Most of the country will see Colts-Ravens except for some larger markets without an early CBS telecast.

Insert possibly humorous comment on Browns-Lions here.

… If you live in Anchorage you get Broncos-Chargers. If you’re in Fairbanks you see Jets-Patriots. While we’re on the subject, is there a common team most Alaskans support? Any readers from Alaska?

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Struggles in the Face of Chances

November 15th, 2009

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BLOGGER’S NOTE: For additional coverage of Sunday’s game against the Panthers, visit AF.com and The Beat Blog, powered by John Manasso.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense continued to have their struggles Sunday in Carolina, but the sophomore quarterback had the ball when it counted, halftime adjustments erased an 11-point lead and Atlanta a chance at what would have been a key division win on the road.

Ryan went 8-of-10 in the third quarter and found tight end Justin Peelle with a 3-yard touchdown pass to pull the Falcons to within a score of taking the lead.

But the chances found a way to collapse in the second half.

Atlanta lost the game 28-19 and fell to 5-4 on the season (1-4 on the road and 1-2 in the division).

It wasn’t the game Ryan or his teammates expected or wanted. The first half included Michael Turner running wild over a Panthers defense that recently lost outside linebacker Thomas Davis (111 yards on nine carries certainly sounds nice).

But the Falcons Pro Bowl running back left the game with an ankle injury, not to return.

Atlanta trotted into the halftime locker room down 21-10, but halftime adjustments, including a healthy dose of running back Jason Snelling along the edges and Ryan on quick passes, paid off.

Ryan’s throw to Peelle had the Falcons in place to take the lead with 6:35 to play on a 34-yard Jason Elam field goal attempt. The kick sailed wide left, forcing the team’s defense to get a stop.

That happened, but Ryan’s second interception of the day — and the resulting 45-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart — ended hope for this day.

Ryan now has 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over his last five games. The second-year quarterback finished the game 22-of-41 for 224 yards, a touchdown and the aforementioned interceptions.

Playing for Turner, Snelling rushed for 61 yards and a score.

The loss is surely perplexing to Falcons fans and the team alike. The Panthers were better than the 3-5 record but, if the Falcons are to make a run to the playoffs, they can’t afford too many losses to teams with a sub-par winning percentage.

That will be discussed at length in the media but likely only in passing in the locker room and team meetings.

A loss is a loss.

And the 24-hour rule is never broken.

Though it may be easy to point fingers, I’ve been in the NFL long enough to know the “win as a team, lose as a team” attitude is heartfelt and true. Too short is the turnaround before facing the New York Giants (another 5-4 team) on the road.

There will be additional struggles — the season’s too long to be perfect — but there will also be successes.

And there will always be chances.

MORE FALCONS-PANTHERS GAME COVERAGE:

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Hello Again, Mr. Turner

November 8th, 2009

blog-turner2I finally figured out what makes Michael Turner so good.

He’s actually a sophisticated football robot sent from the future to power the Falcons through the rest of the 2009 season. Or maybe, simply, he’s one of those FOX Sports‘ machines with skin.

Whatever the true identity — or superhuman ability — the Pro Bowl running back and his Terminator-like qualities were appreciated at the Georgia Dome in the Falcons 31-17 win over the Washington Redskins Sunday afternoon.

Turner rushed for 166 yards and a pair of scores, including a 58-yard run that put the game out of reach for a Washington team that still hasn’t scored more than 17 points in a game this season.

“I was trying to get some explosiveness and spark the team a little bit,” Turner said. “We just go out there and make big plays. It was just happening out there. I really can’t explain it.”

Maybe the secrecy is to protect the Falcons trade secret. After all, this is a team that finished No. 2 in the NFL in rushing yards last season. But, for whatever reason, the run game was slow out of the gate in 2009.

Turner had just one 100-yard game before last week. Now he seems to be the Turner of old giving the Falcons an offensive weapon on the ground, a decoy for the passing game and a battering ram to run out the clock.

With Turner setting up the play-action passing game, quarterback Matt Ryan threw for an efficient 135 yards and a touchdown (81.1 passer rating). Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez had the team’s lone receiving touchdown. He was also the team’s leading receiver (five catches for 41 yards).

http://video.atlantafalcons.com/video/188901/188901_2009-11-08-163625.flv

Atlanta took a 24-3 lead into halftime but the Redskins re-tooled the run game in the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points before the Falcons held the ball for more than 2:15.

Turner’s second touchdown run came with 11:23 left in the fourth quarter and proved enough to put the game away. On the next drive, the Falcons defense got a stop on fourth-and-1 and, further contributing to the Redskins continued offensive futility.

Atlanta recorded five sacks in the game — all in the first half — and got an interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Tye Hill.

“There was some great pressure by the defensive line, the defensive backs and the linebackers” defensive end John Abraham said. “I think we did a great job of containing him and and keeping him in the pocket. We let him get out of the pocket a few times, and he got a few yards on us but, all in all, we did a good job in the first half.”

The “him” Abraham refers to is Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, who twice left the game with an injury (the second time for good) and threw for 196 yards and a score. He was also the team’s second-leading rusher.

All-Pro running back Clinton Portis left the game in the first half with a head injury after compiling 4 yards on four rushes.

With the win, the Falcons bounce back after losing back-to-back games for the first time in the Mike Smith era. A date with division foe Carolina awaits next week.

“I talked to (the team) about the importance of coming off a short week that we were going to make sure that we were physically ready to go and in practice we did not practice in pads,” Smith said, mentioning the team’s Monday night loss in New Orleans. “We wanted to make sure that we were mentally ready (and) prepared for the ball game. It wasn’t a big message; they were aware of it. I thought that the guys came out and played extremely hard and they were mentally on top of their game.”

The win comes with hard work from all three phases of the Falcons’ game.

But the revival of Turner’s big play ability has Falcons fans looking back to the success of 2008. Ironically at this point last season the Falcons were 5-3 and getting ready to face a divisional opponent.

“The important thing is that we’re in the mix,” Ryan said. “Now it’s going to come down to how we play in November and December. These last two months are crucially important to our football team and we’re excited to take the challenge head on. Our goal is to make sure we win as many games s possible down the stretch.”

Having Turner’s game firing on all cylinders certainly helps the cause.

We all knew he’d be back.

MORE FROM THE FALCONS-REDSKINS GAME:

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Something You Don’t See Often

November 8th, 2009

blog-teamThis just in  from the “Did that Just Happen?” department…

The Falcons took a 24-3 lead into the locker room at halftime of Sunday’s matchup against the Redskins but not before fisticuffs nearly erupted on the home sideline.

With 1:37 left in the opening half, quarterback Matt Ryan scrambled for a first down and stepped out of bounds in front of his bench. Redskins safety LaRon Landry made the stop and pushed Ryan down out of bounds. A flag was thrown for a late hit and, quicker than a slant pattern, Falcons players found themselves in the midst of a pushing and yelling match with former Atlanta cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

Head Coach Mike Smith was in the midst of the scuffle, which took about two minutes to break up. His facial expression and passion was reminiscent of a similar play in 2008, when he and Tampa Bay wideout Antonio Bryant exchanged words.

During the chaos, defensive tackle defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was also flagged for unnecessary roughness.

Atlanta went on to finish the drive with a field goal.

The event was a physical manifestation of emotion that built throughout the first half. The Falcons sacked Washington quarterback Jason Campbell five times, tying a team record. The Redskins defense also kept pressure on Ryan, sacking him three times and forcing an interception.

Other Atlanta scores came off an interception return by Tye Hill, a touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez and a 30-yard Michael Turner run.

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Keeping the Foot on the Gas

November 8th, 2009

blog-turnerOne of the biggest problems the Falcons faced in back-to-back losses over the last two weeks was a lack of intensity past the opening drive.

Through the opening quarter of Sunday’s game against the Redskins, the Falcons kept the foot on the accelerator and held a 14-0 lead. That included an offensive and defensive score.

Atlanta took the ball to open the game and marched 74 yards over 10 plays before Matt Ryan found Tony Gonzalez in the front corner of the end zone with a 2-yard touchdown pass. The drive was kept alive on a fourth-and-1 play inside the red zone where Ryan successfully drew Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth offside with a hard count.

The Redskins went three-and-out on the next drive but on their next possession, Atlanta cornerback Tye Hill — a player acquired via trade in the last week of the preseason — intercepted Jason Campbell and returned the ball 62 yards for a score.

A single blemish hit the Falcons offensive stat sheet — a Ryan interception. But the team recovered from the detour and stayed on the highway of success.

Campbell completed just two passes for 9 yards in the opening quarter. Washington rushed for 25 yards (4 by All-Pro Clinton Portis, who left the game with a head injury not to return). Campbell was sacked once by Kroy Biermann, pushing his team-high total to four on the season.

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Pregame Notes and Inactives

November 8th, 2009

For the second-straight week the Falcons will be be without their No. 2 and 3 running backs.

Jerious Norwood (hip) and Jason Snelling (hamstring) were added to the Falcons-Redskins inactive list about an hour before kickoff Sunday. Look for Aaron Stecker, signed last week, to back up Pro Bowler Michael Turner and fullbacks Verron Haynes and Ovie Mughelli to see additional action.

Atlanta went with the same setup last week against the New Orleans Saints and Turner rushed for a season-high 151 yards.

Other Falcons inactives:

  • QB John Parker Wilson (thrid quarterback)
  • S Charlie Peprah
  • LB Spencer Adkins
  • T Garrett Reynolds
  • G Quinn Ojinnaka
  • DT Thomas Johnson

We knew the Redskins would be without tight end Chris Cooley (foot) so the rest of the inactives aren’t a surprise. Normal punter Hunter Smith will miss the game, but reserve Shaun Suisham will take over those special teams duties.

Washington inactives include:

  • P Hunter Smith
  • CB Kevin Barnes
  • CB Byron Westbrook
  • FB Eddie Williams
  • TE Chris Cooley
  • G Chad Rinehart
  • DT Antohny Montgomery
  • DE Renaldo Wynn

The Falcons placed Jamaal Fudge on injured reserve early in the week and signed Peprah. Head Coach Mike Smith was impressed with Peprah’s play with the Packers last season, but he likely needs to freshen up on the Falcons system before seeing playing time.

The team also has special teams ace/reserve safety Antoine Harris (knee) back in the lineup.

“Charlie Peprah has started in this League,” Smith said. “He was a starter when we played Green Bay last year so we have some familiarity with him. He’s not familiar with our scheme in terms of verbiage and all of that, so it’s going to take some time. He was also a special teams player for the Packers last season.”

Some other things to keep an eye on in Sunday’s game at the Georgia Dome:

  • Snap ready? Newly-acquired long snapper Bryan Pittman will play in his first game with the Falcons. He has more than 90 games of NFL experience, but he’s working at a key position
  • Burner beginning? Turner got his game in gear against the Saints. The Redskins aren’t as good against the run as they are the pass (No. 2 in the league). Is that how the Falcons will attack their opponent?
  • Healthy and ready? Questionable” is one of the more interesting designations on the injury report. Not quite probable, but not a guarantee to be out. Many questionable players this week are suiting up. How productive will they be? Can the Falcons get a big lead and give players a chance to get healthy?
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Week 9 Television Notes

November 5th, 2009

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It seems like a month since the Falcons last played in the Georgia Dome. In fact, the span between an Oct. 18 victory over the Chicago Bears and Sunday’s game against the Redskins is exactly 21 days.

And the road games between weren’t too kind to the Falcons.

In a blink the Falcons went from 4-1 to 4-3 but let’s remember after seven games in 2008 the Falcons were also 4-3. The team went on to win seven of it’s last nine games, including three straight to close out the season. The rest of the 2009 schedule looks favorable with just three teams carrying records above .500.

But first things first.

Sunday’s game at the Georgia Dome will be seen by much of the Southeast (see map). The broadcast crew of Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa represent FOX’s No. 2 group, a nod to the history of the Redskins franchise and the up-and-coming nature of the Atlanta Falcons.

Here are the rest of the distribution maps for Week 9:

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON WEEK 9 TELEVISION…

… The Patriots are beatable and I’m not sold on the Dolphins being a bad team. Most of the nation will see this rivalry game and it should be a good one. The early game of the week on CBS, however, could be Baltimore at Cincinnati. As Jim Trotter pointed out in this week’s Expert’s Take, the AFC North is home to three division contenders.

… Another cross-country trip for the San Diego Chargers, this time to The Meadowlands to face the Giants. This is an interesting cross-conference matchup that could provide clues on slowing the Chargers passing game and disrupting the Giants offense.

… If you live West of the Mississippi, chances are you get the Bears and Cardinals. FYI… The Bears are still who the Cardinals thought they were.

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An Exhausting Effort

November 3rd, 2009

jmm-mpeterson110209For those that stayed awake into Tuesday morning to see if the Falcons could finish off an unlikely comeback and tie the game off an improbable Saints turnover and successful onside kick recovery, here’s what you missed.

In one word.

Effort.

Undying, unbridled, passionate, effort.

This game was more than an NFC South rivalry duel. It was also more than a simple loss, which is what got recorded to the Falcons schedule in New Orleans: 35-27.

Effort manifested itself in a number of ways, including four Saints turnovers forced by the defense, halftime adjustments that resulted in closing a two-score gap to just four points in the final quarter and reserve linebacker Coy Wire coming out of the pile for what could have been a game-changing fumble recovery and exploding from another mass of bodies with the football on what could have been a game-altering onside kick recovery.

All experts polled on ESPN prior to the game picked the Saints. Many thought the contest — pairing one of the league’s top offenses against a young, in many ways unproven defense — would be over quickly.

Not the case.

The Falcons defense played with heart and put pressure on Saints quarterback Drew Brees, even scoring off a sack-forced-fumble combo and intercepting the Pro Bowler to end another scoring chance.

That created opportunities for the offense, led by a resurgent Michael Turner (151 rushing yards and a score).

But it doesn’t take long for a game to take a sudden — and frustrating — turn.

For close to 55 minutes the Falcons (4-3) were in a position to give the Saints their first loss of the 2009 season. But for two brief stretches at inopportune times with unfortunate moments, victory was unraveled.

In the matter of 24 seconds in the second quarter of Monday’s game at New Orleans (7-0) the Birds watched as tie game devolved into a 14-point deficit. That’s what happens when Reggie Bush has an opening for a touchdown run and, two plays from scrimmage later, Matt Ryan throws an interception to Jabari Greer that’s returned for a score.

After solid halftime planning, the Falcons closed the gap to 28-24.

Then, more pieces fell into place.

A Saints turnover. A chance to take a fourth-quarter lead.

But that, too, was vanquished with a tipped pass and goal-line interception. The Saints attempted to put the game to bed with another touchdown, but the Falcons effort does not know quit.

It is ironic that, for the most part, each team did what it set out to do. There will be positive with negative to review on film and plenty learned for when these teams meet again in December.

It wasn’t the shootout experts suggested or the defensive battle that can arise from spirited play.

It was an in-between game between teams with something to prove.

And they did it with effort.

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Birdseed: November 2, 2009

November 2nd, 2009

jmm-superdome110209My colleague Matt Moore (@FalconsMMoore) has a story about the Superdome he tells before big games in New Orleans.

He says the only time he’s been concerned about the structural integrity of a stadium due to crowd noise was the Saints first home game in 2006 — the return to the building after Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans blocked a Michael Koenen punt in the first quarter and returned it for a touchdown. At that point, according to Matt, the dome teetered with cacophony.

The Falcons didn’t win the game. In fact, the team hasn’t won in the Superdome since 2002.

Tonight’s game between the Falcons and Saints doesn’t carry the same emotional weight as the 2006 matchup but, when it comes to the NFC South standings, the contest is monumental.

I don’t need to get into the details, except to say a Saints win creates a three-game lead in the division with nine games to play. In order to make up the ground the Falcons would likely have to get a win over the Saints at the Georgia Dome next month, hope for additional New Orleans losses and (of course) win as many of their own games as possible.

I can’t tell you exactly what the Falcons did this week to prepare for such a big game but I will say, in the NFL, it pays to treat games in two ways: home and away. Home games you’re supposed to win. Road games are tough. It’s an easy mental hurdle to understand and allows for proper focus on technical aspects of each game.

The Falcons know this one won’t be easy.

They know the Superdome will be loud, maybe as loud as Matt remembers it.

The Falcons also know it pays to win games when you’re charged with adrenaline. If not, winning the division could come down to simple — and unfavorable — math.

Complete Falcons-Saints Coverage from AF.com
Stats, video, game week coverage and more straight from Flowery Branch.

Falcons-Saints Game Center, NFL.com
The eyes of the nation and, more importantly, the NFL world, will be on the Falcons this evening. Plenty of eyes were on the Birds last week in Dallas, too. Let’s all hope for different results. In case you’re wondering, the NFL Network crew picks the Saints.

Falcons WR Finneran talks up rivalry with Saints, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’ll find few players in the locker room with the tenure of Brian Finneran. Perfect player to talk about the Falcons-Saints rivalry.

A Look Ahead: The Return, The Falcoholic
A brief, good breakdown of the remaining games.

Falcons-Saints as big as a matchup can get, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Superdome hasn’t been one of the most consistent places when it comes to hostile territories. That’s mostly because the Saints have had just as many down as up years. But right now, New Orleans has one of the best home-field advantages in football. They certainly have a fan following.

Sedrick Ellis out vs. Falcons, ProFootballTalk.com
You’re probably paying a lot of attention to the Saints offense. Nothing wrong with that. But injuries on the defense, which is emerging as one of the best in the league, could be big.

Falcons dazzled by Saints array of weapons, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s a fine line between “respect,” which is needed and “dazzle,” which is odd.

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A Not So Subtle Reminder

October 25th, 2009

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Any Given Sunday won’t be the feature film on the Falcons flight back to Atlanta Sunday evening.

But it would be appropriate.

The Falcons flew to a new height in a Week 6 victory over the Chicago Bears, but just as quickly swooped back to the ground against the Cowboys Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

You can find examples on paper of why the Falcons should have defeated the Cowboys. You can rewind the game film to see the masterful, 80-yard touchdown drive to open the game. You can even point to specific plays and moments and know the opportunity to do better existed.

But, on any given Sunday, NFL teams can rise and fall.

The Cowboys defeated the Falcons 37-21 at Cowboys Stadium, taking over the game by capitalizing on what seemed like every Atlanta miscue.

By the time Patrick Crayton returned a second-half punt 73 yards for a score, the game was all but locked for the Cowboys and Falcons nation was left to star at Tony Romo’s 300-yard passing day.

The Falcons allowed four sacks on Sunday after allowing just two sacks in the previous five games (both in Week 1). The offense also managed just 298 net yards, with 80 coming off that first-quarter drive.

After the game the Falcons locker room — as expected — was filled with frustrated faces. It’s not a pretty site, especially considering next week’s NFC South game against the division-leading Saints staring you down.

But as I sit on the bus waiting to head out to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport I’m reminded of two things.

First, the Falcons have never lost back-to-back games under Head Coach Mike Smith.

Second, you simply respect the power of the NFL. It’s any given Sunday. Better to get that reminder now than later.


MORE FALCONS-COWBOYS COVERAGE:

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