SB Nation - John Abraham

The Rise and Fall of Tim Ruskell: The Steve Hutchinson Saga

John Morgan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:24:51 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Tim Ruskell wanted Steve Hutchinson, but John Abraham and Julian Peterson too. Attempting to sign all three, he was caught with his hand in the pickle jar.

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Shaun Alexander and Steve Hutchinson were free agents. Both were 28. Hutch had completed his five-year rookie contract, and, if re-signed, his cap cost could double. Alexander was already expensive. The Seahawks had franchised him in 2004. Seattle could have signed both players, and attempted to, but would have tied up much of their available cap. Tim Ruskell was aggressively targeting Julian Peterson and John Abraham. He wanted Hutch, but he wanted to improve the Seahawks too. Signing Alexander tied up $5.9 million against the cap.

Hutch expected offensive tackle money. The market for guards was soft. Hutchinson was the fifth highest paid offensive guard in 2005, but cost only $3.5 million against the cap. Even Larry Allen, the league's highest paid guard, only cost $6.5 million. Only three guards total cost more than $5 million against the cap.

Running backs were much more expensive. Eight cost more than five million against the cap in 2005, and Edgerrin James cost over $9 million. The league perceived running back to be a premium position, on par with wide receiver, offensive tackle and cornerback. If Seattle put the franchise tag on Hutchinson, his salary would reflect the salaries of all offensive linemen and not just guards. The Lions placed the tag on Jeff Backus in 2006. His base salary was $6.98 million. If Seattle franchised Hutchinson, it would have had $25 million in cap room dedicated to Hutch, Alexander, Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck.

Ruskell did something he has done many times since: Let the market to set a player's value. Placing the transition tag on Hutchinson allowed him to negotiate with other teams and Seattle the right to match. It avoided guaranteeing Hutchinson $6.98 million, and, in Ruskell's eyes, enabled negotiations towards a long-term contract. Ruskell was willing to spend big to retain his Pro Bowl guard. His hope was he wouldn't have to. His hope was that he could sign Hutchinson, but structure his contract so that Seattle could still sign Peterson, Abraham or both.

Early March, and shortly after the league ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, Minnesota offered Hutchinson the largest contract in league history for an offensive guard. It was a bold move made audacious by a now notorious poison pill clause. The clause stipulated that if Hutchinson was not his team's highest paid offensive lineman at any time after the first year, that his entire contract was guaranteed.

If Seattle wanted to match Minnesota's offer, it would not only need to match the Vikings unprecedented offer, it would be forced to guarantee Hutchinson's entire salary. Peyton Manning was the league's most expensive player and his contract guaranteed only $34.5 million. Matching Minnesota meant guaranteeing Hutchinson a staggering $49 million. Hutch would cost $13 million against the cap in 2006, forcing Seattle to forget Peterson and Abraham. Ruskell, supported by Paul Tagliabue and the NFL, contested the poison-pill clause, even restructured Walter Jones contract, but arbiter Stephen Burbank ruled in the Vikings favor. Seattle would either ruin their cap or let Hutchinson walk.

The deadline passed midnight of March 20, 2006, and Steve Hutchinson became a Minnesota Viking. Tim Ruskell fell on the wrong side of history. He attempted to make his Super Bowl losing team a Super Bowl winner. Instead, he lost an irreplaceable piece, alienated his coach, and began the Seahawks slow burn towards rebuilding.

Falcons And Bucs Recap: The Pit And The Pendulum

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

Victory is sweet, no matter how sour the path to get there may be. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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The Atlanta Falcons were going to lose to the Tampa Bay Bucs.

You could see it in the way they were playing. You could hear it in the comments offered up by readers of this very site, readers who have learned over time that the Falcons have historically found a way to lose the games they're supposed to win. It was apparent from a series of increasingly despondent text messages tlozwarlock and I sent back and forth. It was especially apparent after Jason Elam missed another field goal, the final twist of the knife after a day of injuries and ineptitude.

But let us not forget that the Falcons didn't lose this game. It wasn't an inspiring win, the kind you're going to tell your grandkids while you bounce them on your bionic knee in your floating space condominium after the Great Mars Wars of 2073. This was just a win, an ugly win, that moved us to 6-5. It doesn't speak well to the future of this team, necessarily, but it's still a damn win. At the end of the day, we're one step closer to throwing off the shackles of our losing reputation, and that's the greatest victory of all.

So I urge you to keep some perspective today, especially after I finish telling you how badly the Falcons stunk on Sunday, with a little praise mixed in. There's the pit we've just come out of, and the pendulum which could swing back the other way at any moment. Makes it tough to plan out the next few weeks, doesn't it? You can find that after the jump, of course.

HIGHLIGHTS

Chris Redman? More like Chris Reliable! Am I right?

Redman put the Falcons on his back. He doesn't have the arm Matt Ryan does or the long-term potential, but he played an efficient game of football, avoided costly turnovers and made throws when he absolutely had to. That touchdown strike to Roddy White was a thing of beauty. Given the circumstances and the fact that two-fifths of the starting offensive line had to leave the game, Redman played a terrific game. He had some miscues, but I find it difficult to aim too much criticism his way when he did everything he could to earn the W. Huge credit to Redman.
Give huge props to the receiving corps, as well. Tony Gonzalez and Michael Jenkins were open often and made nice catches, and Roddy White sealed the win with a great catch in the end zone. Down to Marty Booker and Eric Weems behind them, the big three in our passing game stepped up their game and made things happen, and that goes hand-in-hand with Redman's performance. Awfully proud of them.
Welcome back, Jerious Norwood. With a touchdown catch and a couple of nice runs, Norwood looked weapons-grade again and made a dent in the Bucs defense. Glad he's healthy, because we're going to need him.
The USS Babineaux fired some serious fumble missiles at Josh Freeman, as did the SS Chevis Jackson. Babineaux continues to be the best the offensive line has to offer and Jackson delivered a pair of punishing hits yesterday, giving him the appearance of our most physical cornerback. Really, though, the team needs to figure out some way to help Babineaux out more so he can rush. He's got the nose for it.
Michael Koenen can boot it. That kid's got more leg than a chorus line.
Jason Elam did hit two field goals and both of his extra points, but....

LOWLIGHTS

...he also missed another field goal. There's a reasonable argument to be made that the change in long snappers has caused Elam some problems, and there have been bad snaps on a couple of his field goals. Still, he's converting field goals at well under the league average rate and that missed field goal Sunday could very well have cost the Falcons the game. If the coaching staff has any trust in him left, it had to have been struck with a heavy hammer yesterday.
There are no words that can properly express how angry I was with the decision to play Michael Turner before he got injured, and the fact that he got injured again—same ankle, mind you, regardless of which part of the ankle—made me apoplectic. There was no need to trot him out there when he would've benefitted from another week of rest, no matter how much of a warrior he is, and aside from one admittedly very nice run he had zero luck moving the ball down the field. I know he probably wanted to play and the Falcons are treating each week like it's the playoffs, but playing Turner against the Bucs cost us far more than it helped us. Still pretty pissed off about that one.
The injuries in general hurt a lot. Matt Ryan's loss didn't end up being as terrible as it might have been, but we need him down the line. Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl are critical pieces of in pass protection and absolutely must get healthy or we're boned. This has been a problem all year and it actually got worse in a hurry Sunday.
Jason Snelling. Four carries isn't nearly enough to get a good rhythm going, but he also managed to fumble the ball at a very, very bad time and lose it. That will hurt the coaching staff's confidence any day of the week.
I happen to think that Josh Freeman is a promising young quarterback with a very bright future in the NFL. I do. That doesn't lessen the sting of allowing him to put up his best game as a pro, a game which saw him pass for 250 yards and two touchdowns without a single pick. John Abraham can point the finger all he likes, but outside of a few hurries later in the game, the line got little to no pressure on the quarterback today and Freeman had more time than a clock factory. And the secondary? Let's just say inserting Chris Owens into the lineup didn't cure all of those very noticeable woes.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: You could make an argument for either the wide receivers and Gonzo or Redman, but I'm going with Rojohombre. Just an inspired performance from the backup.

Game Theme Song: This one because it's semi-relaxing and hey, we could all stand to find a little beauty after Sunday's game.

One Thing To Take Away: There are 100 ways to win and lose the game of football, and the Falcons experimented with a lot of them. It's going to be awfully tough to beat a team like the Eagles if we can't get our act together.

Next Week: Speaking of the Philadelphia Eagles, they're up next. Dealing them a defeat would significantly bolster our playoff hopes, so go do some scouting over at Bleeding Green Nation.

Final Word: Whoa.

Saturday News And Notes: Commandeering The Tampa Bay Bucs

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:00:31 -0000

by Brian Blanco - AP

There be Bucs afoot. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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Arrr and stuff.

I apologize for the brevity of this post and previous ones, but you know how it is. Holidays and travel time tends to sap the energy and mental acuity of a man who didn't have much of either to begin with. We'll gear back up in time for the game tomorrow.

For now, let's jump into a few links regarding the Tampa Bay Bucs, The Falcoholic's official enemy.

Optimism is running high for Bucs fans. Of course, they are consulting a magic eight-ball, which should tell you something about how bizarre this NFL season has been.
This Michael Turner thing is getting a little out of hand, frankly. Jerious Norwood appears to be ready to return, Jason Snelling proved last week that he's capable of carrying the load, and yet the coaching staff continues to insist that Turner's questionable and he could play. I know our coaching staff has taken a page from the Bill Belichick handbook when it comes to injuries, but it's utterly ridiculous to trot Turner back and risk worsening his injury against one of the few t eams remaining on the schedule that we might not need him against. I assume this is an elaborate ruse, but I'll be pretty unhappy if it isn't.
I do appreciate that the team is rallying around Jason Elam. It's what professionals should do when one of their own is struggling. I also appreciate that our friend Daniel Cox over at the Atlanta Falcons Examiner points out that this isn't just a little slump Elam is having. What I'm not sure I understand is how Brandon Coutu is not a better option right now than Elam, considering the strength of his leg and the fact that he only lost his job in Seattle because Olindo Mare was possessed by the ghost of 1990 Morten Andersen. If the team is serious about keeping him, let's hope he hits those kicks coming up.
John Abraham blaming the secondary? We all know Abraham's numbers are down, but it's a little shocking to see him point the finger up the field, even if he's at least partially correct. I also really hope this article isn't correct about Chris Owens taking away snaps from Brent Grimes and Tye Hill. What is it going to take for Chris Houston to get bumped down the pecking order, exactly, especially because I don't believe Grimes and Hill have been visibly worse than him this season?

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: Maximizing The Defense

Dave the Falconer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:01:02 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

Frustration, thy name is secondary. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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We've had similar discussions in the past, but it seemed like an apt time to revisit them with the defense struggling so mightily.

Basically, I want to see what changes we can make right now to benefit the defense. You may be inclined to look at John Abraham's lowly sack total and ask the coaching staff to put in Lawrence Sidbury, or you might ask the Falcons to employ more creative blitz packages that allow linebackers like Stephen Nicholas to get in on the action. Maybe you'd prefer the coaching staff put more cornerbacks on the field and allow a little freelancing. It doesn't matter what the suggestion is, as long as it's a good one.

Discuss away, friends!

Falcons And Redskins Recap: Winning Is Always Easy

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:49 -0000

by Erik S. Lesser - AP

Michael Turner high-kicked his way to victory Sunday. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

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This game was the polar opposite of last week's.

Against the Saints, we executed well all the way through and nearly won against a very tough team. In this one, we played poorly for long stretches and still found a way to win against the Redskins. The Falcons are maddeningly capable of switching back and forth between sheer brilliance and utter ineptitude, something that will hopefully disappear with time.

Still, the win is what's most important here, and the Falcons managed that 31-17. There were also quite a few encouraging bright spots this week, so it's not like there's any reason to be truly concerned here. I hope.

Follow me after the jump and we'll get to the real meat n' potatoes of this post.

HIGHLIGHTS

Michael Turner is awesome. My greatest fear right now is that he's going to be running, the camera's going to switch to the back of the end zone and he's going to keep running and come right through the television screen and punch me in the stomach. I'm sorry I doubted you! That 58 yard touchdown was beautiful!

I maintain that there was something not quite right with Turner earlier in the season, but whatever it was has vaporized like an ant under a death ray. Right now, I think the Panthers, who have the top-rated pass defense in the league, are going to have to worry about our good friend Touchdown Vampire.
Big ups to Tye Hill, who went from not playing at all to locking down the starting job in Atlanta in the span of two weeks. Hill's interception and 62-yard return for a touchdown clearly caught the attention of the coaching staff, as the AJC speculates he'll start again. He's got the physical skills to win the job and may just have developed in the system well enough to make this work. This comes at the expense of Brent Grimes, obviously, but I still think he'll do good things at the nickle.
Jason Elam's back! Yes!
Tony Gonzalez had a very underrated game. The Redskins blanket the tight end, but Gonzo still managed to pick up 40 yards and a touchdown against that suffocating coverage. He's simply the most reliable option in the passing game, though he's not blowing up like Roddy White is.
Speaking of blowing up, Jonathan Babineaux went off like ten tons of dynamite. Ten total tackles, two-and-a-half sacks and some generally rage-filled play went a long ways on Sunday. Teams with weak interior offensive linemen ought to be peeing their pants about now.
Props to Kroy Biermann and Chevis Jackson (?), who both managed to sack Jason Campbell in a hit parade which unfortunately knocked the young quarterback out of the game. Half props to John Abraham, who managed a half of a sack.
Eric Weems is the man. Still doing well in the return game, so he gets another gold star.

LOWLIGHTS

Matty Ice, appropriately enough, is not doing so hot right now. It's not so much the one interception as it is the handful of bad throws, the inability to find anyone open downfield and the happy feet. It's not anything I'm worried about long term—I mean, hell, I'm barely worried about it short term—but it's yet another reminder that he's human and needs time to grow as a quarterback. Let's all give him that time.
This was a tough secondary, which partly explains both Ryan's struggles and Roddy White's. I don't think the injury was affecting him so much as he wasn't open all that often. Wasn't much of a game for either of 'em, really.
Everyone has different feelings about Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling, but can we all agree that it would be nice to have them back? I have no problem with Aaron Stecker and Verron Haynes, but they're not getting the job done behind Turner.
As orang3b astutely noted, Mike Peterson was getting killed in coverage today. He wasn't alone, though, as the entire defense forgot how to tackle and cover anyone for long stretches. The Redskins' offense isn't exactly dynamic, especially with that O-line, so our inability to make things happen during the second half of the game was disappointing. Again, it comes down to simple consistency.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: I dare not incur the wrath of Michael Turner. Here's your MVP, sir!

Game Theme Song: It's been too long.

One Thing To Take Away: We're still very much in the thick of the wild card race. I'm pretty happy with that.

Next Week: Our damnable foes in Carolina, the Panthers, who as you know are represented by Cat Scratch Reader (bwao naw now). Be sure to visit 'em during the week.

Final Word: Win.

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: John Abraham

Dave the Falconer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:15:35 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

John Abraham SMASH! (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

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The topic today is one John Erasmus Ezekiel Awesome Abraham, our former pass-rushing master who has not quite lived up to his billing thus far this year.

What inspired me to spark this discussion, honestly, was a question from a commenter over at Hogs Haven about my expectations for Abraham on Sunday. While their question was light-hearted—at least I hope it was, considering they were asking if I predicted 3+ sacks from the guy—it got me to thinking about Abraham's relatively low sack total and whether he might be entering the decline phase of his career.

Rather than write a whole big post where I basically guessed, I thought I'd turn to you, the reader, for a more educated guess. Is Abraham slowing down after a run of excellence, or is it just a slow start to the season? Can he kill Jason Campbell on Sunday, or just maim him?

Your call.

Redskins @ Falcons: Offensive Line Chart

KevinE — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:23 -0000

NFL.com recently added 'Offensive Line' to their statistics, and it reveals an intricate look into each team's running game and pass protection. Not surprisingly, the Redskins have allowed a 30th ranked 23 sacks, while the Falcons boast the 2nd best pass protection with a puny 6 sacks allowed. The Falcons offense will be the most difficult test for Andre Carter, Griff, Haynesworth, and Orakpo to date, so we'll see how the Redskins D matches up with a top-tier O-line.

Moving on to rushing, who would have guessed the Redskins have a higher rushing average at 3.9 yards per carry over the Falcons' 3.6 average? It's a little skewed since Matt Ryan is averaging 1.6 a carry while Campbell is averaging 4.3 per run.

What gives the Redskins some hope this week is that over 3/4 of the Falcons rushing first downs come up the middle or to the right side, the strongest part of the Redskins defense.

Redskins' Game Plan Predictions:

- Offensive line: The Skins take the new play-calling scheme and shoddy line on the road to a dome, which will be deafening for the Guards. If Heyer is slow to get into position to begin with, how is this going to work when he loses a half second of his first step to crowd noise? To account for this, John Abraham will be seeing a lot of double teams, most likely with Portis chipping. The way Heyer has been getting beat, Portis will probably be taking on Abraham at full-speed at least once. All focus should be on keeping Campbell's blind side safe, if the Falcons find another way, then have a plan to adjust.

- Tony Gonzalez: Who is going to cover him? Orakpo is still learning on the job, and Tony Gonzalez will absolutely shred him with his routes. The obvious solution is getting to Matt Ryan. If he has time, there are simply too many weapons for him to throw to. The Falcons don't have that bruising back like Stephen Jackson and Brandon Jacobs, so perhaps for this game, Blache moves Orakpo to his natural DE position full-time. This will also help keep Michael Turner from getting outside.

- Motivation: Clinton Portis blogged today:

"Forget about what we've been through that's put us in a 2-5 hole...Everybody in the NFL has talent, what we need is the motivation. We have to look at the season one game at a time instead of the big picture."

It seems obvious, but it's true. If the Skins come in focused and avoid the mistakes that kill them every game (dropped balls, lazy tackling, missed blocks), then they can keep the game close, which is the most we can ask for against an opponent that has won a game previously.

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Falcons Edition

Dane Noble — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:17:56 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

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Shame on the Bears coaches. I don't say that too often, but last night you would have thought that we had to play that game on short notice. There is no way that a team who wants to be significant contenders in their conference (or division for that matter) can have two weeks to prepare for a game, and end up looking so lost.

Penalties, miscues, blown coverage... we had two weeks to get our game together. Shame on our coaches.

- Garrett Wolfe looked nice in kick off coverage. Not sure why he's making special teams tackles when he's the only other RB active for the game, but he looked good nonetheless.

- Ron Turner tried twice to throw the ball to Jason McKie, once as a screen in Q1, and once in play-action near the goal line in Q3.

- Matt Forte continues to excel in picking up the blitz. Great blocker.

- I am so very tired of seeing Jay Cutler throw off-balance. His Happy Feet Syndrome has got to be coached out of him. Set your feet Jay!

- Defense came out strong at the start of the game, with three straight 3/ outs for Atlanta, and a punt in their first 4 possessions.

- Nick Roach plays hard. He needs some coaching, and more experience, but I like his energy on the field.

- Orlando Pace and Chris Williams had their hands full last night with John Abraham and Krory Biermann. Considering those tough match-ups, I give the nod to Pace/ Williams. Nice job fellas.

- Should an offensive holding penalty really be 10 yards? That seems excessive. Maybe 5 yards and replay the down.

- Frank Omiyale is not a long-term answer for our OL.

- Roberto Garza can still drive folks 10 yards down the field. He got beat last night a few times as well, but it is fun to see his meanness come out every now and then.

- The Falcons WRs were finding holes in our coverage early in the game, but luckily it took Matt Ryan a while to find his rhythm. Early miscues kept us in the game.

- If you, or anyone you know, still thinks Devin Hester should not be returning punts (ChiFan13), please stop. Hester is good at PRs.

- Tony Gonzales is strong. We tried stripping the ball a couple of times when a normal person would not have been able to hang on to the ball. Tony G did.

- Pisa Tinoisamoa = "Cement Wall" according to Al Michaels. Hard for a nickname like that to stick if he can't stay healthy.

- Trade deadline is Tuesday at 4pm. Jerry Angelo has to be thinking of bringing in another LB.

- Jay Cutler is over-throwing his WRs too much. Definitely a symptom of not setting his feet.

- Bears pass rush? Hello? Hellooooo? Two weeks to get ready, and zero sacks? No defensive lineman had more than 2 tackles. Shame on our coaches.

- Atlanta had two straight 3 and outs to start the second half. Per usual for our defense. How about sustaining that throughout an entire half, coaches?

- Desmond Clark showed some great hands, just like he did in the pre-season. We've got to get him more involved in the passing game.

- I am not typically too harsh on Ron Turner's play calling, but our red zone performance last night was terrible. You don't call a sweep on the goal line!

- Al Afalava continues to make big plays. He was out of position a couple of times, but also did a mighty fine job on Tony G a few times last night. I like Afalava.

- 9 more penalties last night. Shame on our coaches.

- Special teams coverage was ungood. Dave Toub, you had two weeks like everyone else did.

- If we play an entire game of good football, we can beat anyone on our schedule. Unfortunately, we are our own worst enemy. Time to reevaluate some things, and seriously look at our OL and coaching staff.

Falcons And 49ers Recap: The Win Is The Thing

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

The Three Amigos had a pretty nice day on Sunday, wouldn't you say? (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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Life, as it turns out, rarely lives up to your expectations. It's even rarer that it exceeds our expectations, however modest they may be, and so those moments should be treasured.

Ladies and gentlemen, you just witnessed one of those moments, albeit an extended one. For the unholy whupping the Atlanta Falcons laid on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, with a line of Falcons bristling with weaponry, will rarely be equaled in our lifetimes. This team took my best guess at the outcome—a close win against a tough defensive team—and blew them out of the water like a depth charge hitting a school of fish. It was awesome.

This, coupled with a quality Baltimore Ravens team losing to the New England Patriots last week, has put that loss is in its proper perspective. The Saints are still about as scary a bogeyman as you could ask for, but we're suddenly 3-1, replete with offensive options and a gelling defense. At this point, it would be an upset if we didn't make a strong playoff push, never mind get rid of that giant monkey off of our collective backs.

There will be moments where anger and perhaps even sadness are called for this season, but I charge you with a simple task: Don't forget this. These moments, where a 35 point victory and a limitless horizon lie on either side of us, are precious few, and it would not do to waste them.

Follow me, my friends, as I head over the jump.

HIGHLIGHTS

You can't possibly go through this without mentioning Roddy White, so why not put him right up top? The wide receiver I fretted over was nowhere to be seen on Sunday. White blew through coverage frequently on his way to 210 yards on 8 catches, a staggering 30 yards per catch, and a pair of touchdowns. He also had a great heads up play when 'Dre Bly picked Matt Ryan, taking down the showboating defensive end and forcing a timely fumble. This was Roddy making up for three games worth of a slow start, and he certainly showed that he's a force to be reckoned with. Before his career is over, we'll have plenty of chances to marvel about seeing the greatest Falcons receiver of our collective lifetimes. At least, I hope so. Oh, and that 210 yards is an all-time record for this franchise, by the by.
Matt Ryan set his own record, tossing 329 yards and generally looking like his usual efficient self out there. The throws aren't perfect, as tloz noted, but time will continue to heal those minor abrasions. In general, he commanded the game, found the open receiver and even ran one in on an ill-advised play where he looked like he was traipsing to market for a loaf of bread. I'm continually amazed at how poised he is.
It helps your poise, of course, when your offensive line protects you like knights protect the Holy Grail. Not that Harvey Dahl would wear armor or be chivalrous, of course. It's just an analogy! Nonetheless, the team continued to provide one of the best pass protection schemes in the entire league, as Ryan has still only been sacked twice in four games. Any quarterback could look good with that time; Ryan looks great.
Speaking of lines, they did a nice job opening holes for Michael Turner. He responded by transforming, Transformers-style, from a struggling running back to a tank with a bulldozer attached to it. He looked strong and bowled his way to his best game in 2009, including three touchdowns. It was great to see him getting quality results again, especially against the Niners' vaunted front seven. Hopefully he'll carry that momentum into next week's game.
Great to see Jerious Norwood return and run well. Concussions are worrying injuries, but he looked returned to form after his layoff. Welcome back!
Man, Kroy Biermann came roaring back, didn't he? Duffman came up with a timely sack, more than one instance of quality pressure and a fumble recovery. Hopefully we'll see him put up those kind of numbers on a consistent basis, because we could really use the kind of pass rush we saw Sunday. Big ups to John Abraham and Thomas Johnson for a pair of sacks, as well.
The play that started it all off, really, and set the tone for the defense was the Mike Peterson tip that Brian Williams snatched. Williams also managed to catch a showboating (there it is again) Josh Morgan from behind to prevent a touchdown. Lot of credit goes to the defense for making all the plays they needed to...almost. I guess it would've been a shutout if they actually did that.

LOWLIGHT

In a game like this, you have to dig really deep to find something worth getting upset about, and I'm not really into that right now. I will say that I thought keeping Matt Ryan in as long as they did—and letting him run in a touchdown!—was playing with fire against a team that was down and probably none too pleased. It worked out okay, but if we're in that situation again, I'd hope they'd let him head to the sideline before things get out of hand.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: Lest I get destroyed by angry fans, I'm going to have to go with Roddy White. He clearly deserved it for his performance and effort on Sunday. Congratulations, Roddy!

Game Theme Song: Since it's worked so well so far...

One Thing To Take Away: We're back, baby!

Next Week: We're going against the fearsome Bears of Chicago, ably represented by Windy City Gridiron. Be sure ot stop by and scout out our soon-to-be enemies.

Final Word: Destruction.

Sacking Jay Cutler, or Protecting Our (Future) Investment

Dane Noble — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:30:13 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

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Even before this past April's historic quarterback trade, the Chicago Bears offensive line was a major concern. This became even more important after the acquisition of Jay Cutler, and this season we have seen three new starters on the OL: Frank Omiyale, Chris Williams, and Orlando Pace.

One of the many attributes of our young QB is his ability to avoid the sack, and extend the play with his legs. We have seen his scrambling ability, as well as his talent for delivering strong throws while off balance and on the run. But, Cutler has also been sacked eight times in his first four games for Chicago, and that is not a pace we can afford to keep up.

As the season continues to unfold, we can expect our offensive line to improve with more snaps under their belts, but don't expect the pressure to go away.

So far in 2009, 3 sacks have come from the right defensive ends, 2 from safety blitzes, 2 from linebackers, and 1 from the left defensive end. Our starting running back Matt Forte is an excellent blocker, but we can't expect him to constantly pick up the slack from defensive line pressure.

Looking at the next two games on the schedule, Atlanta and Cincinnati, 12 sacks have come from the right defensive ends. For Atlanta, John Abraham and Kroy Biermann have each registered 2 sacks apiece, while Antwan Odom of Cincy has registered 8.

You can bet that Ron Turner and his crew are taking a hard look at Orlando Pace and the rest of the offensive line, and how to best adjust for the upcoming pressure Jay Cuter will face. Until our running game starts to pick up the slack, Cutler will continue to have to throw the ball, and right now he is getting sacked an average of once every 16 drop backs. And that is with his ability to avoid the rush.

We have to be able to protect our (future) investment better than we have so far...