jdemps
New member
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 846
- Reaction score
- 0
As we move closer to the Falcon's game, I really wanted to combine my thoughts about of why I'm excited/ optimistic about our chances against the Falcons in ATL and why you should be too.
Germaine Ifedi: Week 6 was his second regular season game after missing weeks 1-3 with a high ankle sprain. Per PFF, "Rookie RG Germain Ifedi had trouble blocking the defensive tackles of the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. Ifedi recorded a horrendous 47.5 pass block grade and a 35.7 run block grade. The 31st selection last year’s draft allowed 3 pressures on 43 pass snaps." While his first season has doubtlessly been a rollercoaster, Ifedi has considerably more experience than he did the first time around and the interior line had periods of competence against teams without elite DTs. The falcons are not one of those teams.
Player health and availability: While we're going to be without ET and Lockett, both of who are doubtlessly stars, but the Falcons lost Jacob Tamme and Desmond Trufant (who played great against us in week 6: PFF grade 79.6 ). So both teams are without a star receiver and, arguably, their most talented defensive back. As upset/ concerned/ worried we are about ET and Lockett, injuries have effected both sides (not quite equally). However, we're going to have Rawls, Chancellor, and Clark back who didn't play in week 6, Bennett, who only played the first 2.5 quarters, and maybe Prosise and Reese, as the icing on the cake.
In week 6, we had 4 sacks and more than 10 QB hits. Add another 1.5 quarters of Bennett plus Frank Clark and Matty Ice is going to be under fire especially in the 4th quarter. We can also expect better communication with Chancellor on the field to hopefully limit the big plays. As long as we're able to stop the Atlanta running game the same way we did in week 6, I think the pass defense can be on par or better than it was in week 6.
Oh, and lets not forget that RW was 3 weeks removed from a knee sprain and ran like a mid-50s asthmatic chainsmoker and slept 2 hours a night. While Russ hasn't been lights out lately, but having a run game of Rawls, Reece, and Prosise vs. Michaels, C.J. Spiller, and early season AC is a clear improvement and will open up the play-action passing game. Add in the zone read and some I-formation power running and we add multiplicity to an offense that was lacking the first time around. I've been hearing about the ATL defense playing better in the last few weeks outside of the Saints game, but those games were against the 49ers, Rams, and the Panthers. We're going to score points, but I think the running game is going to limit the number of possessions and turn this into a Seahawks type of game.
If our defense plays at the same level and our offense plays better AND controls the TOP with a strong running game, I we should win this game.
Germaine Ifedi: Week 6 was his second regular season game after missing weeks 1-3 with a high ankle sprain. Per PFF, "Rookie RG Germain Ifedi had trouble blocking the defensive tackles of the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. Ifedi recorded a horrendous 47.5 pass block grade and a 35.7 run block grade. The 31st selection last year’s draft allowed 3 pressures on 43 pass snaps." While his first season has doubtlessly been a rollercoaster, Ifedi has considerably more experience than he did the first time around and the interior line had periods of competence against teams without elite DTs. The falcons are not one of those teams.
Player health and availability: While we're going to be without ET and Lockett, both of who are doubtlessly stars, but the Falcons lost Jacob Tamme and Desmond Trufant (who played great against us in week 6: PFF grade 79.6 ). So both teams are without a star receiver and, arguably, their most talented defensive back. As upset/ concerned/ worried we are about ET and Lockett, injuries have effected both sides (not quite equally). However, we're going to have Rawls, Chancellor, and Clark back who didn't play in week 6, Bennett, who only played the first 2.5 quarters, and maybe Prosise and Reese, as the icing on the cake.
In week 6, we had 4 sacks and more than 10 QB hits. Add another 1.5 quarters of Bennett plus Frank Clark and Matty Ice is going to be under fire especially in the 4th quarter. We can also expect better communication with Chancellor on the field to hopefully limit the big plays. As long as we're able to stop the Atlanta running game the same way we did in week 6, I think the pass defense can be on par or better than it was in week 6.
Oh, and lets not forget that RW was 3 weeks removed from a knee sprain and ran like a mid-50s asthmatic chainsmoker and slept 2 hours a night. While Russ hasn't been lights out lately, but having a run game of Rawls, Reece, and Prosise vs. Michaels, C.J. Spiller, and early season AC is a clear improvement and will open up the play-action passing game. Add in the zone read and some I-formation power running and we add multiplicity to an offense that was lacking the first time around. I've been hearing about the ATL defense playing better in the last few weeks outside of the Saints game, but those games were against the 49ers, Rams, and the Panthers. We're going to score points, but I think the running game is going to limit the number of possessions and turn this into a Seahawks type of game.
If our defense plays at the same level and our offense plays better AND controls the TOP with a strong running game, I we should win this game.
