SB Nation - Brent Grimes

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)

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?

Falcons And Giants Recap: Roller Coaster Of Loss

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The finest display of tackling the Atlanta Falcons had to offer. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Initially, I only saw the first two-and-a-half quarters of this game, and I recognize that things really switched up a bit from there. Still, I think my reactions to what happened can be best summed up visually.

Like this.

Or this.

Or even this.

Basically, it was a game of extreme. Reading through the comments, you can see how people were excited, built up for success and then bitterly disappointed and openly weeping, sometimes in a matter of seconds. It was the kind of game that leaves you emotionally exhausted, and I was only able to track the score every few minutes from the ol' phone.

Unfortunately, the Falcons lost. That's what really makes this hard to swallow, because we've now hit the .500 mark more than halfway into the season. I've been chastised for basically giving up on the playoffs. It's true that we're not so far out of it that we can't come back. It's just that I don't think I can fool myself into thinking that this team, as constructed now, can run the table or pull off four out of five. I still believe that winning season can come and probably will come, but I'd be pretty hesitant to put any money down. It's been an up and down season, perfectly summed up by an up and down game we just couldn't win.

Join me after the jump and we'll break this one down further.

HIGHLIGHTS

Matt Ryan looked as though he had finally reached bottom during the first half Sunday, when he ran like a scared deer and tossed the ball away at every opportunity. When he went into the locker room, people were openly lobbying for Chris Redman to get some snaps. The man who we drafted to be our franchise savior looked, as he had for the last four games, to be anything but.

We'll probably never know what happened during the half, but Matt Ryan came out firing. It wasn't exactly an inspiring performance by the end of the night, but it was one that was mistake free and leaps and bounds ahead of where he had been. It showed the kind of poise and decision-making he had displayed throughout the early games of the season. It was hope for the hopeless, in many ways. It was also a reminder of why you can't give up on young franchise quarterbacks with limitless upside because of a few bad games. Let's hope we can all remember that.
I thought, despite his fairly anemic average by the end of the game, that Jason Snelling did very well filling in for Michael Turner. He clearly wasn't Turner, no, and he wasn't Jerious Norwood, but he did about as well as he possibly could've without either of them around. The fact that he can punch it in when asked to gives him execution points that half our team is lacking.
Tony Gonzalez continues to provide a reliable target for Matt Ryan. I do think that our tendency to force the ball to him has hurt us at times in past games, but here Gonzo was a great help to Ryan throughout and deserves to be recognized as such. He's on pace for some very nice numbers, and he remains our best red zone target.
Eric Weems hauled in a touchdown and did well in the return game yet again. With our other options at receiver—excepting Roddy White, of course—either ineffective or injured, it amazes me that he isn't getting more run. One of these days, maybe the coaching staff will decide it's time to get him the rock.
You say Curtis Lofton managed to be in on almost every play again and helped to make a critical goal-line stop that would've held if not for the secondary? Ho hum.
Stephen Nicholas had a sack and a forced fumble? Big kudos there.
Say what you want about Brent Grimes, but that dude can grab a pretty interception. I remain mystified as to why Grimes gets lumped in with the rest of the secondary when he's done very well most of the year. Hopefully he continues to get his chances to steal some passes.
The offensive line was pretty good through most of the game, I thought. Credit where credit is due.

LOWLIGHTS

Michael Jenkins, what the hey hey happened to you? It's like he's reverted to the old days where you could count on him to drop a key pass every week. As great of a blocker as he is, we're paying the dude a lot of money to be a reliable third option in an offense where the opposing team is always going to be keying in on Roddy White and Gonzo. The fact that he's suddenly unable to get it done is really, really hurting us.
Jason Elam is a classy veteran and a guy who I'd probably love to have a beer with. I say this to soften the blow of what I'm going to say next: We need to cut ties with Jason Elam.

Whether you're going to replace him with an older kicker as a stop-gap or sign a young guy like Steve Hauschka, Graham Gano or Brandon Coutu, it's time to let Elam go. The kicks he's missed for us this year have been incredibly costly and have left me wondering if the coaching staff has any faith left in him. With a young kicker, at least we could tolerate the occasional miss because it's part of growth and development. With Elam, it can't really be anything but a sign of decline, and that worries me.
Michael Koenen was clearly just having a bad week, but you rarely see him look that terrible, and it was also very costly. If not for Special Weems, we'd be failing that entire unit.
Let's say it one more time. The secondary really looks awful this season. If the Falcons aren't going to commit to bringing in a talented free agent or drafting a top-flight young cornerback, then someone over there in Flowery Branch has lost their minds.
And yeah, we lost.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: Hard to pick for a number of reasons, but let's go with Tony Gonzalez. Dude was consistent all game and really helped Matt Ryan get back in the saddle.

Game Theme Song: A shocked, speechless silence, followed by a sigh.

One Thing To Take Away: Sometimes even your best efforts at a stunning comeback aren't enough.

Next Week: We'll try to snap this losing streak against the woeful Tampa Bay Bucs, represented by our friends over at Buc 'Em. I don't dare take them lightly.

Final Word: Losingsucks.

Post-Game Thread: Falcons Get Dropped By Panthers, 28-19

Dave the Falconer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:20:31 -0000

by Chuck Burton - AP

Jake Delhomme, playing the role of kryptonite. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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Stink, stank, stunk.

Even good teams have games like this—heck, the Saints almost blew it against the Rams—but this was a game that was painful across the board. The Panthers are a better team than they were last time we met, but there's no excuse for the way the Falcons repeatedly shot themselves in the foot. Overthrown interceptions by Matt Ryan, an inconsistent defensive effort and another crucial missed field goal by Jason Elam spelled D-O-O-M for our beloved Birds.

Is there a bright spot here? There was Michael Turner being Michael Turner, but now he's injured and it's tough to say how long he'll be out. The defense made zero big plays. Tony Gonzalez was very good again, so I guess he qualifies. I dunno. Right now all I see are little storm clouds hovering over my head. I'll have a better handle on it tomorrow.

For now, here's a few choice thoughts:

Please, please, don't turn this into a witch hunt for Matt Ryan. Half the teams in the NFL would murder us all in our sleep to have a quarterback with this much promise. He was truly awful for long stretches of this game and something's way, way off, but it's not a permanent state. Give him some time.
Without Turner, the Falcons either have to get Jerious Norwood healthy immediately or sign our speedy new acquisition off the practice squad. A little lightning with Snelling's thunder could save our bacon in the weeks ahead.
Tye Hill and Brent Grimes could be switching all year. I'm not sure that's good news for the cohesiveness of this secondary.
Jason Elam shouldn't be threatened or anything following this, either, but it might be time for a change. There are a couple of options on the free agent market to at least try out. It's not so much missing the kicks as missing such crucial ones, in my opinion.
The divisional race just got a whole lot tighter. We're going to have to make some serious noise to hang in there and get that elusive winning season.

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.

Falcons And Saints Recap: Losing Is Never Easy

Dave the Falconer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:15:36 -0000

I believed.

At various points in last night's game against the Saints, I really believed the Falcons were going to roar back and win it. All the signs were there. The defense was buckling down. The offense was moving efficiently. We looked nigh invincible some drives. It was a beautiful thing.

And then, as Chinua Achebe wrote, things fall apart.

It was a real gut punch of a game in that way. We weren't widely expected to be able to hang with the Saints, perhaps the league's toughest team, and yet that's exactly what the Falcons did. Losing a close game against a division rival is rough enough, but this loss may also have squashed our hopes of winning the division. I'm getting bummed out just typing that.

Still, as many of you pointed out, there's so many things we can take pride in after Monday. Not just that we kept the score close, but that we picked Drew Brees, managed a respectable defensive effort and finally unleashed Michael Turner. The fact that we played them so well that a win at the Georgia Dome in a few weeks suddenly seems eminently possible. The realization that we can hang in there with the very best is a comforting one as we continue our hunt for a playoff spot, and it's enough to make those losses against the Patriots and Cowboys sting a bit less. This is still a mighty interesting season, and I for one am looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

HIGHLIGHTS

Those who have thought that Michael Turner was due to break out at any moment can feel free to crow now. With Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood out, Turner was operating without a safety net, and he absolutely destroyed the Saints on the ground all day long for 151 yards and a touchdown. You can't overstate how good he looked today and the confidence boost this had to have been for him, so hopefully he's returned to his world-annihilating form for good. Glad to have you back, Burner!
While we're at it, huge props to Roddy White. That 68 yard touchdown was a thing of beauty. Props also to Tony Gonzalez, who managed to make Matt Ryan's job a little easier Monday.
Coy Wire was awesome. His forced fumble almost gave us a chance to get back into it, and he managed to scoop another. A huge props to the Falcon defense in general for their ability to generate some turnovers, and Thomas DeCoud continues to win my heart by showing up to play every single time.
Speaking of turnovers, did you see that Brent Grimes interception? Kid scooped up a little cloud with his football on that one. Made me feel pretty good about the secondary for a few minutes, at least.
Curtis Lofton got hurt, came back and piled up stops. Can't knock his hustle.
Michael Koenen wins the field position battle most of the time. With two punts inside the 20, he was a limiting factor for the Saints offense more than once. You have to appreciate that.
The day I stop praising Eric Weems in this section is the day he runs to the moon.

LOWLIGHTS

Contrary to your likely first impression, I'm not putting Matt Ryan here because of the picks. Those were largely a combination of bad luck and a little bit of questionable decision-making. Ryan's here because he looked downright awful under pressure at times, and he never got into a rhythm. How much of that is on the New Orleans defense and how much of it is on Ryan I'll leave up to you, but it's clear this wasn't his finest hour. All part of the growth of a young quarterback, I guess.
Michael Jenkins has to go here despite an otherwise solid game because he had a critical, critical drop that earned him the temporary scorn of every Falcons fan in the country. That's right around the clinical definition of a lowlight.
All that talk about our secondary being a weakness and our cornerbacks being too short is, I think, somewhat overblown. That said, our biggest critics will point to last night and crow. Way too many passes where a guy either wasn't in the right spot or simply couldn't get up in the air enough to stop Marques Colston & Co. from hauling in the pass.
Up until the final quarter of the game, tackling was spotty at best. Harrumph!
I have a lot of respect for Jason Elam. I think he's a good guy and a great kicker. That said, it's time to give him some rest or figure out exactly what issue is causing these misses, because they were a game-changer Monday night. With some strong-legged young kickers ripe for the picking out there, it might be time to bring in a stopgap until Elam can work it all out. Tough break for him and the team, though.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: I'll give an approving nod in the direction of Coy Wire, but Michael Turner was a beast and deserves his due. Congratulations, Touchdown Vampire!

Game Theme Song: We went the distance!

One Thing To Take Away: We're good and tough and gosh darn it, people like us!

Next Week: Head over to Canal Street Chronicles one last time before saying hello to the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are capably represented by our very own Hogs Haven, so give 'em a visit.

Final Word: Soclose.

Talking Saints With Canal Street Chronicles, Part One

Dave the Falconer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:33 -0000

by Bill Haber - AP

How dare you point at me! (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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Now, we've done the question and answer thing before. We've cross-FanPosted before. That's good stuff, but it's not new stuff. New stuff is good, so here's a new feature!

This is the first half of a discussion with Saintsational, the head blogger over at Canal Street Chronicles. We spent about an hour the other night talking about the Falcons, the Saints and Chinese food, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot from this compelling dialogue. Batteries not included. Participation void where prohibited. Check it out after the jump.

Saintsational: Alright, let's start off with Tony Gonzalez. Pretty nice off-season pickup. Is he benefiting from having Matt Ryan as his quarterback?

Dave the Falconer: Well, it's a hell of a lot better than Matt Cassel, wouldn't you say? I think he's benefitted more from having Roddy White to take some of the attention off of him, really.

Saintsational: What does Roddy White do that benefits Gonzalez?

Dave the Falconer: He's just good enough to draw attention away from Gonzalez. With the Chiefs, he was far and away the best option on the field, so defenses always went out of their way to account for him. In Atlanta, he's option 1B. or maybe even 2, which gives him a little more flexibility..

Saintsational: Give us a quick little breakdown of Atlanta's other notable receivers other than Gonzalez.

Dave the Falconer: Well, everyone probably knows a little about Roddy White by now. Still plagued by the occasional drop, but he's got elite separation skills and really makes things happen after the catch.

Dave the Falconer: Then there's Michael Jenkins, who is a big target and our best blocking wide receiver. I expect he won't break the game open or anything.

Dave the Falconer: And from there it's Brian Finneran (who is decent), Marty Booker (who is decent) and Eric Weems (who has mostly been used as a kick and punt returner).

Saintsational: Last year I never would have thought I would be asking this question, but is there any fear about the Saints secondary being so good?

Dave the Falconer: I think it's a concern, but because White and Gonzalez are so good, I'm more concerned about what's happening with Matt Ryan.

Dave the Falconer: If your pass rush is any good, you could make life really difficult for us.

Dave the Falconer: Do you foresee the Saints using the ground game early, or is going to be all Drew Brees in the beginning?

Saintsational: The Saints just seem to be a pass first team. As long as it's working, I'm okay with that. You always hear about teams using the run to set up the pass. I think the Saints do the opposite. I think they pass to set up the run later in the game. The nice part is that with Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell, they can always get fresh legs in the game. We're loving it right now here in New Orleans.

Saintsational: Options, baby!

Dave the Falconer: We'll see about that!

Dave the Falconer: Alright. Now tell us about the guys who are catching those passes from Brees? Are they any good? Not that I care.

Saintsational: Wait, before I answer your question, what will the Falcons do to try and stop the Saints running game and who will be a big part in that?

Dave the Falconer: I expect we'll bring help to the edges to counter Bush and Thomas. For the more up the middle runs, say hello to Jamaal Anderson. Dude's been a monster against the run since we converted him from his bust-tastic position of defensive end on in to defensive tackle.

Saintsational: The Falcons are currently ranked 23rd in the league against the run, giving up 117 yards a game. I'm not that scared.

Dave the Falconer: Well...

Dave the Falconer: :-(

Saintsational: But let's, for a minute, assume the Falcons do manage to stop the run. The Saints still have the best wide receiving corp in the league. Allow me to answer your previous question by telling you a little bit about them.

Dave the Falconer: Please do!

Dave the Falconer: If it's taking this long for you to type it, chances are I'm not going to like your answer.

Saintsational: Marques Colston has been a man on fire lately. Still the Saints number one guy and still Drew's favorite target. Next is Devery Henderson, the speedy deep threat. Now that he's cured his stone hands, he's a dangerous weapon. Shockey needs no introduction and played a big part in the Saints comeback on Sunday. Lance Moore has continued to be great when he gets involved. Robert Meachem makes an appearance whenever he's needed.

Dave the Falconer: That's solid top to bottom. But I really fear Colston.

Saintsational: As you should. Hofstra has an elite program.

Saintsational: Who will the Falcons have covering all that talent? It's got to create some mismatches.

Dave the Falconer: That would our cornerbacking corps.

Dave the Falconer: Chris Houston, who has performed above expectations but still has a knack for at least one excruciating play a game. Brent Grimes, who has played very well but whose height (or lack thereof) creates some mismatches.

Dave the Falconer: And the pupu platter.

Saintsational: Sounds like Colston and Meachem would do well to match up against Grimes.

Saintsational: I love the pupu platter.

Dave the Falconer: Especially the spare ribs.

Saintsational: Yes!

Saintsational: Mmmmm...pupu.

Saintsational: Anyway, what is the pupu platter?

Dave the Falconer: That'd be second year corner Chevis Jackson. Rookie corner Chris Owens. And fallen first round pick Tye Hill, who has barely seen the field.

Saintsational: : Ahhh, Chevis Jackson. A local product from LSU.

Dave the Falconer: Yeah, he escaped from hell.

Dave the Falconer: I mean, Louisiana.

Saintsational: So which one of them is the spare ribs?

Dave the Falconer: Probably Chevis Jackson.

Dave the Falconer: He's got sweet, tangy coverage skills, but his starting experience isn't very robust thus far.

Saintsational: Haha. Can you give us any more pupu platter metaphors for Owens and/or Hill?

Dave the Falconer: Hmm...

Dave the Falconer: Hill is the golden chicken.

Dave the Falconer: He looks like a cornerback on the outside.

Dave the Falconer: But on the inside.

Dave the Falconer: It's just chicken..

Dave the Falconer: I'm not sure that even works.

Saintsational: It sounds like you're saying Tye Hill is stuffed with chicken. Is that correct?

Dave the Falconer: ....Close enough.

Saintsational: This conversation has taken quite an interesting turn.

It sure has! Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion later this afternoon!

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:30:29 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

about 1 month ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall tries to pull away from San Diego Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer after a pass reception for nine yards during the third quarter of the NFL football game Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Happy Tuesday friends, and welcome to another (shortened) edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. This is MileHighReport.com, the premier source of Broncos new and analysis in the entire world. I have been feeling like we're still kind of peripheral, in the eyes of the rest of the worldwide media, but we beat the bejesus out of them every day, when it comes to covering the Broncos.

As they say, game recognizes game, and correspondingly, it also recognizes groupthink and suckiness. By your being here, reading this today, and hopefully, every week, you mark yourself as having good sense, and at least a partial desire to be part of what is a collaborative learning and growth experience for us all. I'm a front-page staff guy, obviously, but I learn interesting things from FanPosters all the time. Those people are the lifeblood of the MHR community, and they should be commended for their outstanding contributions.

If you're a lurker, you obviously have the good sense to consume our front page content. I wanted to take a minute to ask you to consider joining as an MHR community member, and participating in the discussion. We always welcome people just like you, and chances are, you know something that will be of value to the rest of us, or you have a question which will spark a discussion, which has value to the rest of us. Either way, we all win.

Okay, Ted's Own Personal Membership Drive is over. My local NPR affiliate, 90.3 WCPN in Cleveland, has been doing a drive lately (seemingly, every time I am in my car), so I decided to do a quick one in Donny Deutschland this week. I don't want your money, just your participation. (For one thing, I think this is a great week for my lurking brother Chris to join.) Do a smart thing, and get down with MHR. As we say in the US Navy, welcome aboard.

OK, on to football, and whatever else pops into my head. Out of the echo chamber, and into the fire, y'all. Ready....?

Y'all weren't ready. Okay, get ready, and let's try this again. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. I have some early thoughts on the Ravens game, which i consider to be a pretty favorable matchup for the Broncos. First, the Ravens are extremely physical, so it's good to be playing them, healthy and coming off a bye week. The Broncos will have to match their physicality on both sides of the ball, and I have every reason to expect that they will.

Offensively, the Broncos need to attack the Ravens outside the numbers, with Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Tony Scheffler. The Ravens are bad at CB, and really their only good DB is Ed Reed, so throwing it where he isn't is a solid plan. They also need to run the ball, and I believe that they'll have good success in doing so. The Ravens went about 3 years without giving up a 100-yard rusher, and then got hit back to back by Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson in their last two games. This is a good defense, but it's not the vintage great defense we're used to.

Defensively, the Broncos absolutely must tackle Ray Rice, who has arguably been the second-best RB in the AFC this season, just behind Benson. Rice is averaging 6 yards per carry (73-441-3) and 9.8 yards per catch (33-325-1). Rice is very short, and very stocky, which makes him hard to tackle. Joe Flacco can make all the throws, but I love the Broncos secondary against Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, and Todd Heap. I'm not worried about any of those guys consistently beating anybody in the Broncos secondary. Rice is the key player.

2. Information From My Eyes:

a. I like the vision and decisiveness with which Ryan Grant ran on Sunday. There have been some rumors that the Packers want to replace him, but he hasn't been the problem with the running game in Green Bay. He could use a good tandem back to work with, and better play from the offensive line, but Grant is definitely a starting-caliber back.

b. The Browns are just unwatchable, so I haven't been talking about them much lately. If I were Eric Mangini, this is the all-inclusive list of guys I'd want to keep on the roster after this season: Joshua Cribbs, Joe Thomas, Shaun Rogers, Eric Steinbach, Alex Mack, Mohamed Massaquoi, David Veikune, Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, and D'Qwell Jackson. (I like Brady Quinn better than he does, but since he clearly doesn't like him, I excluded him). That's the only 10 players who I think are good players (or potentially good players) on winning football teams. Maybe you keep 10 more for next year, which is still going to be transitional. For the rest of the roster, you take a page from your friend Josh McDaniels, and go out and find some professionals to fill your holes, and try to have a very good draft. It is a talent problem in Cleveland, and all the other stuff is red herrings, until they fix the talent.

c. At a total team level, I am very impressed with the Cincinnati Bengals, and I think that they are a serious threat in the playoffs. I know I have smart readers, and I exchanged emails with a guy in the UK named Jake last week. He thought that the Bengals were a lock against the Bears, and I agreed. The Bengals controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and they hit and frustrated Jay Cutler all day.

d. I don't want to be too inflammatory with any of our Cutler lovers (if any are left), but has anybody noticed that he took his personal tendency for being on the losing end of blowouts with him to Chicago? I am sure the Broncos will eventually lose a game, but I find it impossible to imagine this team losing any game 45-10. It takes a certain kind of team to have the wheels just totally fall off in all phases of the game. I looked at the Bears Sunday and saw a complete lack of gameness and mental toughness. We all remember the games the 2006-2008 Broncos had like that, and I don't mean to attribute it personally to Cutler, or take a cheap shot. You simply can't deny, though, that this bad team-wide trait followed him out of town, and joined him in Chicago.

e. Cutler still seems to have the Favre-ian effect on the media and his fan base, where he manages to completely avoid personal blame, even when he plays very poorly, as he did Sunday. I visited the Bears' SBNation side, Windy City Gridiron, and there was virtually no criticism of Cutler, and you can see that he has again escaped much MSM accountability, too. I know I used to rationalize his bad play, and I think everybody here pretty much did too, at least to some degree. It's really a pretty amazing phenomenon, in a bad way. (By the way, I was proud to see that none of our members were over there trolling. Big up, MHR.)

f. Nobody gets picked in the top 5 of a draft because they look like they can't play in the NFL. Cedric Benson's talent just jumps off the screen. He's so fast for his size, and he has changed everything for Cincinnati. He's the main reason that the Bengals are so good on offense, because defenses are having to play eight in the box against him. That allows their good WRs to run wild, and Carson Palmer to hit his choice of open players. Benson is 10 times the player that Matt Forte is. The magnitude of the difference is akin to comparing Brian Dawkins to (Safety) Roy Williams.

g. The Bears' 7-man fronts were getting blown off the ball consistently. Just wait until Andre Smith gets started playing at RT. He is going to flat-out dominate in the running game, if he can keep his head on straight. He was clearly the best lineman in the 2009 Draft, and only his erratic pre-Draft behavior made him last to the sixth-overall pick.

h. Tank Johnson has been excellent all season for the Bengals, and was particularly terrific Sunday. Frostee Rucker and Robert Geathers had big games too, and the Bengals didn't seem to miss Antwan Odom too terribly (for one game, anyway).

i. Remember that business about top-5 guys going in the top 5 for a reason? ST&NO favorite Alex Smith had that on display Sunday. If he is ever put in a position to succeed, and can stay healthy, he will be the second coming of Rich Gannon. He's had 5 offensive coordinators in 5 years, and had the really bad shoulder injury, which he foolishly tried to play through for awhile. Remember, he is still only 25 years old. He's smart, athletic, and throws a pretty nice ball, and he's a humble, team-first player. I think Smith has an opportunity to get his career back on track, because Shaun Hill has played poorly for most of this season. There is no question that Smith is more talented than Hill.

j. It took him awhile, and some tough love from Mike Singletary to get there, but Vernon Davis is the best two-way TE in the NFL. I'd say the next best guy is probably Jason Witten, but there's a big drop-off between the two. Davis is such a fantastic blocker, and he's improved greatly as a receiver.

k. On the topic of pride and mental toughness, you have to be impressed with the job the Saints did Sunday, in coming back from a 24-3 first-half deficit against Miami. They just kept plugging away, and started executing, and eventually overtook the Dolphins. It was a great team effort, on a day where they didn't have their best stuff.

l. One serious concern I have for the Saints is how susceptible they looked to backside pressure on Drew Brees, with Jermon Bushrod filling in for Jammal Brown at LT (Brown is out for the year). Brees was shaky when he was getting pressured Sunday, like most QBs. You especially want to pressure the "A" gaps against him, because he has a strong predisposition for aggressively stepping straight up into the pocket. The Dolphins were especially successful when they generated interior pressure.

m. The Dolphins are probably going to miss the playoffs this year, and they'll look back with regret on letting the Colts and Saints get off the mat, when they had both teams pretty well beaten. Miami is a good team, which has just whiffed on opportunities to beat other good teams.

n. I don't think there is anything particularly noteworthy about Miles Austin, from a skills perspective. I watched the Dallas/Atlanta game when I got back from Dallas on Monday afternoon, and my first thought was that a good portion of the torching Austin put on the Falcons was from the slot in 3-WR packages, against base defensive personnel. I got all set to rip the Falcons for not subbing to match the offensive personnel grouping, but then I thought about it, and found myself wondering if I wouldn't be sticking to base too, if I were their Defensive Coordinator Brian Van Gorder. The Falcons lost their best CB, Brian Williams, to injury last week, and, remember, he was a Jaguars training camp casualty. Behind him are Chris Houston (who is talented but inconsistent), and Brent Grimes (who is not really talented, but tries hard). Nickel offense is the way to beat the Falcons, because they severely lack the quality players in the secondary to match up with it. I think Sunday was the first step to them having that deficiency cost them a playoff spot this year.

o. Isn't it great to have 4 CBs we can trust, as well as two safeties, in Darcel McBath and Josh Barrett, who are very good in man-to-man coverage?

p. One thing that jumped out in the Dallas-Atlanta game was that the Falcons receivers (including Tony Gonzalez) had a great deal of trouble separating from the man-to-man coverage they were getting from the Cowboys (whose secondary is average, at best). Matt Ryan had a lot of really tight spots to throw to, and largely since he got hit a great deal Sunday, he missed a lot of those throws.

q. So, I promised I'd interject some fraternity-man wedding hijinks, whether anybody wants it or not, so here goes. Have you ever had a snakebite? It's a shot my contemporaries and I favor, and it consists of Yukon Jack and lime juice. It strikes a good balance between being masculine and manageable, and it's kind of that one shot that everybody agrees is doable. Anyway - apparently, Yukon Jack hasn't penetrated the Dallas-Fort Worth market very effectively, because these local bartenders there have never heard of it, or a snakebite. Well, Scott (the groom) came to play, and he made sure that there was Yukon Jack at the reception, and that the caterers knew how to make the shot.

So, at some point, when the music shifted from craptastic country dinner music, and moved on to Run DMC, the 5 Tekes who were there did a snakebite. Good times. Then we did another, and we were joined by the cool girls in the wedding party, and a couple of Scott's cousins. The Tekes put it down like it was water, the rest of them struggled, and made faces while choking it down. Scott looked at me, with this extreme solemnity, and he nodded and said, "This is how we do."

Five eloquent words, and truth was achieved. This is, in fact, how we do. He was absolutely right. There's an easily discernible identity about us, as a group of men, and part of that identity is that we dominate some snakebites. I thought of this, as I watched the Short Cut of the Colts-Rams game. The Colts have an easily discernible identity. They play a lot of Cover-2 on defense, and try to limit their exposure to big plays. On offense, they take the whole play clock, try to shorten the game, and Peyton Manning works to always take what the defense gives him. They want to get a 10-14 point lead, and then send Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis after your QB, once you have to throw the ball. There's no secret or mystery to it, and they don't even particularly game-plan much for specific teams, beyond adjusting some protection schemes, maybe. There is a great deal of comfort to knowing exactly what you're going to do, and exactly who you are.

r. Why in the world would the new Twilight movie be advertised during Monday Night Football? I am sure a few people like (or would like) both Twilight and pro football, but can it possibly be more than 10% of the viewers? Seems like little value for the advertising dollar, there, pinning your hopes to a mostly male audience being interested in the visual depiction of chick lit.

s. So, I have a half-sister, Abby, who is going to be 8 in November. She's a smart kid, but when I was over last week, her mother was telling her that she needed to learn how to think outside the box a little more. Abby didn't know what that meant, so I drew her the classic MBA school exercise that our father shared with me when I was about 13 (and he was in MBA school, and this was a brand new idea). This exercise is actually where the now-tired phrase came from.

The objective is to connect all 9 dots, using 4 or less straight lines. As the term "outside the box" indicates, this is how you complete the objective.

I dislike the term "outside the box," because people who have no idea what it means use it all the time. (It's one of those concepts that would have been better off being compartmentalized to smart people only, like any number of concepts I can think of, actually). Anyway, I am taking a long route to applauding the Eagles for making an "outside the box" huge trade last week, just ahead of the deadline.

Will Witherspoon is not particularly famous, because he has toiled on irrelevant teams for his whole career (first, some mostly bad Carolina teams, and then some awful St. Louis teams). He's very good, though, and he has experience both in the middle, and on the weakside. He's a run-and-hit player, like the kind of guy you'd probably see in a Jim Bates- or Larry Coyer-kind of design. It seems to me that Steve Spagnuolo didn't think that Witherspoon particularly fit his system, which is, of course, basically the same system used in Philadelphia and with the New York Giants. It's a big, blitz-happy 40-front, which is designed around getting A-gap pressure consistently. It's stylistically similar to a Phillips 3-4, and it favors interior front-seven players who are basically 3-4 profile guys.

The Jim Johnson tree has always favored big, downhill thumpers in the middle. Power trumps speed at that position. The quintessential guy is Jeremiah Trotter, who was the size of a DE in his prime, and is now closer to a DT. (Trotter, you'll remember, once struggled mightily when he signed a big contract with Washington, and they tried to make him fit their scheme.) The Eagles brought him back this season, and he was a huge liability in the passing game (to wit, see the Raiders game last week). By bringing in Witherspoon, the Eagles went outside of type, but the impact single-handedly returned them to real-contender status. He had a huge game Monday night, with an interception for a TD, and a strip-sack, and I expect that it's only the beginning.

t. I hope Jon Gruden doesn't get and/or take a coaching job next season. He is fantastic on Monday Night Football, and y'all know I am not too prone to wantonly complimenting much of anything about ESPN. He had a great piece of information on the Redskins, which was really shocking to me, actually. Clinton Portis told him that the last time he heard an audible, he was a Bronco. Gruden's point was that if Jason Campbell could at least change the protection scheme to account for overload blitzes, it could put him in better position not to get crushed, while knowing the crushing is coming.

Umm, you think? That's just scratching the surface of the benefits of audible-ing. The Redskins are a total Mickey Mouse operation, and I am just shocked that they didn't have anything in place, even when Joe Gibbs was there. That strikes me as having to be an organizational policy, and if it is, it's the stupidest thing that I have ever heard of, in 22 years of being a serious football observer. I know high school teams that audible, for God's sake.

u. Jason Peters, who I have been wanting to take a close look at, looked pretty cockamamie to me on Monday night, which agreed with my long-held perception of him. He gave up a sack, and generally looked like a low-effort, I-already-got-paid kind of guy. There were several plays where I saw him watching the play, and not looking to hit anybody. I see and hear all these glowing reports on the guy, but where's the beef? I am starting to understand why Buffalo thought paying Peters was a bad idea.

v. I don't like gambling, but I had to take the bet my friend Paul offered me. I had Philadelphia, straight-up against Washington, with dinner as the stakes, the next time Paul is in Cleveland around Thanksgiving. That was such a lock, it's almost unbelievable that he offered me the bet. And, no, he's actually a Dallas fan, in case you were wondering if he was just a silly Washington homer.

3. I have been something of a Brett Kern apologist, but he wasn't getting it done. I like the message that replacing him sends to the rest of the team. Even a 6-0 team has room for improvement, and everybody needs to handle the job they're hired to do.

4. I was thinking about roles over the weekend, how we all have certain roles to fill in life, and how that's true of football too, which was the context I was thinking in. All good teams are full of role players who understand their roles. As a member of the MHR creative team, I have a role, and so do the rest of the guys. (I don't know if what my role became is what John had in mind when he asked me to join last year, but it is what it is now.) Snark, discussion about offense, courage, media criticism, pop culture, snark, meandering, community building, snark, detailed football analysis, play diagrams, obscure references, lots of (now correctly punctuated) parentheses, righteous indignation, commentary on other teams and games, optimism, prescience in 2009, and snark. That's my role, and that's ST&NO.

I like that the Broncos were constructed and operate with a lot of thought devoted to roles. As a coach, when you sign a veteran like Vonnie Holliday on the eve of the season, and you tell him that he'll be a rotation player, primarily on the field in pass-rush situations, there's a clarity of understanding between you and the player. That clarity is good for business, and it comes through when you see all 53 players knowing their roles, and playing them well.

5. I think MSM NFL reporters are mostly dorks; that's pretty well-established here. (I don't mean the stringers and the local AP guys, per se, I mean the scoop-seeking talking heads.) The most dork-tastic one, in my opinion, is Jay Glazer from Fox, and he's several laps ahead of the field. Here are some recent Glazer tweets:

i'm reporting dallas and d ware have agreed on new 6 yr deal worth up to 13 per yr and nearly 40mil guaranteed. well worth it!

about 9 hours ago from txt

I reported Dan Snyder was urged to give Zorn vote of conf but opted not to. Also didnt wanna speak to press, fearing he wouldn't bite tongue

11:24 AM Oct 25th from web

i'm so tired from spending the whole dang day workin the phones for scoopage i really don't wanna go out. wait, wait... my arm is a twistin

8:28 PM Oct 23rd from txt

Cindy Crawford was here at this party, gotta admit she is one of the my physically beautiful and elegant women I have ever seen! stunning!!!

12:37 AM Oct 23rd from web

dumbest line of our night! Strahan: "There's TWO things i can do: spell, add and subtract." yes, he really said that! my friend is a moron

6:42 PM Oct 19th from txt

Have you ever known a person who is always name-dropping, and was at this party, and saw that celebrity, and is always claiming credit for themselves, because they're so much better than everybody else? That's Jay Glazer. Really, how hard is it to be an MSM NFL reporter? You offer yourself up as a convenient mouthpiece for anybody who wants to use you, and then they use you. You try to make them let you use them once in a while, too.

The Cowboys signed DeMarcus Ware; okay, that's admittedly news. Does it matter if Glazer heard about it 10 minutes before Adam Schefter did? With these guys, it's always about who had information first that everybody was going to have soon anyway. None of these guys is ever finding out anything significant which wasn't meant to come out. The Snyder thing is meaningless. Who cares? Everybody knows he's going to fire Jim Zorn after the season, so how he felt last week, when he didn't make any news, is worthless. It's just something Glazer can claim that he knew, that nobody else did. There's no Woodward or Bernstein covering the NFL, you know?

Since we're all friends here, I just wanted to vent, because Glazer makes me crazy, with his "scoopage," and his name-dropping, and his day-drinking in Beverly Hills. Thanks for listening/reading.

6. From Stuart Scott, trying to sound smart by saying that Donovan McNabb is an H-back when he's lined up outside in the Eagles "Wildcat" look:

H-back means good speed, some heft to him, runs good routes, and can catch the ball.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I don't care for Stuart Scott, and all of his contrived, Berman-esque, shucking and jiving, but I would like him a little better if he'd not talk about things he has no clue about. Just stick to worshipping Michael Jordan, mmmmkay, Stu? And while we're at it, how is Matt Winer the analytical counter-balance to Trent Dilfer, on the ESPN Monday Night 3-man set? Those two with noted other shucker/jiver Scott Van Pelt is a weird trio.

7. Retired for John Elway

8. I had occasion to drive by the new Dallas Cowboys stadium over the weekend, and TV doesn't do justice to how enormous it is. It's a really impressive-looking building from the outside. One thing, though, which I found interesting about my DFW experience, was how few people and cars I saw rocking Cowboys gear. I saw more on Monday morning, which is probably no surprise.

I hope everybody has a good Ravens week. All you get is about 4,200 words this week, because I am out of interesting things to say, and we're on some all-killer, no-filler here, like always. Really, that would be about an 18-20 page term paper in college, so it's still not too shabby. Look for Lighting Up The Scoreboard Saturday afternoon, and follow me on Twitter @TedBartlett905. And join MHR, if you haven't yet. There's no time like now.

Falcons And Cowboys Recap: If You Can't Beat 'Em...

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:24 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

The agony of defeat. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

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Much will be made of this loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Already, many of us are wondering what's wrong with Michael Turner. There's a lot of hand-wringing going on about whether our rosy expectations were way off. The optimism—nay, the swagger—that marked the week leading up to the Cowboys game has evaporated like water on a skillet. It seems many are wondering how the bottom could have dropped out so swiftly?

Look under your feet, my friends. We're still a 4-2 football team. Both of our losses have been bad ones, no doubt. Yet we've also fought tooth and nail for four wins, and we're most certainly not driving a Flintstones car at this point. I'm as concerned about our two losses this season as anybody, but let's not pretend they're anything more than two bad games. If this becomes a consistent trend, I'll be the first lemming in the water, and you'll all be welcome to join me. But it's just too early to give up hope when we have a winning record. Let's keep that in sight.

Besides, the game against the Saints should be occupying all of our thoughts at this point. Let's jump like we mean it and break this down.

HIGHLIGHTS

Jason Snelling deserves more carries. I'm going to beat this drum until it happens. The guy has 19 carries (!) for 122 yards, which puts him firmly in the small sample size alert but remains intriguing. We know he's a bruising back and Michael Turner can't seem to get it going at the moment, so logic would tell you that it's time to see if he can sustain his numbers with more touches. I know that in many ways they're similar backs, but Snelling's getting it done right now and Turner isn't. I can't make myself believe that The Burner will be like this all season, so I propose this as a temporary solution to a problem that is beginning to unbalance our offense.
God, I love Eric Weems. It's out in the open now. Don't look at me! I'm hideous.

Still, how can you not think the world of this guy? He fought hard for his roster spot and he's absolutely making the most of his kick return opportunities. Add in a play where he apparently turned invisible and was able to grab a touchdown pass and you've got a guy who really could be valuable on offense. The Falcons have too many weapons to cover everyone, and Weems can make things happen. I'm crossing my fingers that we'll see more of him against the Saints.
Big plays on defense? Just a few. Thomas DeCoud piled up some tackles and had a sack, Stephen Nicholas managed a sack and Thomas Johnson forced yet another fumble that Brent Grimes scoooped up. Congratulations to all of these defenders, who will not get quite as much flack as everyone else in the lowlights. What a great prize!
Wow, Michael Koenen averaged 46 yards a punt? That's truly a cause for celebration! Whee!

LOWLIGHTS

I don't need to tell you that this wasn't Matt Ryan's finest game as a pro, do I? He was sacked four times—give the offensive line their fair share of the blame here—and he was victimized by excellent coverage on his two interceptions. Still, this wasn't a great game and Ryan looked uncharacteristically rattled throughout. The Saints are going to take the Cowboy blueprint and attempt to knock him off balance, so it's time to spend a week of practice adjusting. Then there's the fumbles....
Again, Turner just doesn't look right. I can psychoanalyze him and analyze the film and analyze the analysis, but it's clear that something's going on here. Aside from a couple of nice runs, he basically spun his wheels all game long. We must solve this in order to be a successful team.
The defense—particularly the secondary—looked very lost out there today. Tony Romo, who is a good quarterback, looked like the second coming of Christ Marino out there yesterday. Our defense is going to have games like this from time to time as they grow, but I'm always hopeful that our play-calling can put guys in a position to succeed even when they're not on fire. Today, none of that happened, and the result was obvious.
To be honest, I'm running out of gas here. This was a bad game and I could spend several more bullet points blasting the way this team played, but I don't have the energy for it. Somehow I don't think any of you will mind.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: For the sake of principle, I refuse to award one. If I was going to, it'd probably be Eric Weems? I guess.

Game Theme Song: This certainly seems appropriate.

One Thing To Take Away: When the Falcons lose, they don't do it halfway. Our ability to hang in games we're losing or rally from behind will be critical in the weeks ahead.

Next Week: Some team called the Saints, represented by something called "Canal Street Chronicles." I'm sure we have nothing to fear there.

Final Emoticon: :(

Falcons Place CB Brian Williams On Injured Reserve, Sign S Jamaal Fudge

Dave the Falconer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:21:46 -0000

Well, it's official.

All we can really do at this point is wish Brian Williams well with his recovery and move on. With the Dallas Cowboys and their potentially potent passing packages on the way, the Falcons are going to need to put their best players on the field Sunday and are making moves toward that end.

First off, re-signing Jamaal Fudge is a good move. Fudge is familiar with the system and is not a total liability against either the pass or the run, so he can fill in at safety in a pinch. If the team wants to do something really creative with Thomas DeCoud, like play him at corner in nickel packages, Fudge can take a few snaps at free safety without killing us. Even if they don't decide to do that, we're not exactly loaded up with safety depth and William "C4" Moore's condition is unknown until at least tomorrow. I'm good with this.

What will be most crucial of all is how Brent Grimes plays and how Chevis Jackson, Tye Hill and Chris Owens step up now that Williams is gone. Grimes was picked on by announcers and pundits over the course of the last couple of weeks, but I've thought he's had a successful season so far and should be able to keep that up going forward. It's what happens after Chris Houston (he's another story entirely) and Grimes that will be closely watched this week.

My best guess is that Chevis Jackson ends up getting the bulk of the snaps to replace Williams, at least initially. If he plays well there, he can stave off Tye Hill and establish himself as the cornerback we have all been hoping he would be. If he doesn't, the team will turn to Hill, and they might get him involved a bit anyways just to see what he can do. It's not an ideal situation on paper, but thankfully life rarely works out in the way of black of white words. Coach Mike Smith has also said Hill will get his fair chance to compete, so I'm really working on a gut feeling here.

Weigh in, if you would.

Report: CB Brian Williams Out For The Season With Injury

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:51:12 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

The secondary will be missing Brian Williams and his big play talent. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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In what qualifies as the worst news of the young season for Falcons fans, Brian Williams has reportedly torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

This is a huge blow to the secondary, because Williams was playing quite well since joining the team before the 2009 season. He was even preventing a touchdown pass when he landed awkwardly and suffered the injury. We'll miss his playmaking ability and veteran savvy in the weeks ahead.

This raises the obvious question of what we're going to do without him. Brent Grimes and Chris Houston have already been getting plenty of snaps, with Grimes playing very well and Houston alternating between doing well and making me want to punch myself in the face. Beyond that, it's Chevis Jackson, who I still like but was out of position on a Bears touchdown pass shortly after Williams left the game, and rookie Chris Owens. Tye Hill has been inactive every week since we traded for him, but I would think that this is going to force the coaching staff to give him a shot at some playing time. Given that the Falcons are a creative bunch, you could also see Thomas DeCoud taking a few snaps at cornerback and having either William "C4" Moore or Antoine Harris fill in a little at free safety. All of these options are on the table, but my guess would be that either Hill or Jackson will get the bulk of his playing time.

The other alternative, of course, is to go out and get somebody. I'm not sure the team wants to part with a high draft pick, but rolling the dice with a guy that can be had for a low round pick is right in Comrade Dimitroff's wheelhouse. There's also free agency, but somehow I don't think there's a lot of impact players languishing in that world. Cornerback Glenn Sharpe could also get a promotion to the active roster, and if this news is confirmed by the team, I'd expect a move no later than mid-week.

Your thoughts on this?

Poll

Will the performance of the secondary suffer without Brian Williams?

Yes, it can't be helped

248 votes

No, everyone else will step up

98 votes

346 votes | Poll has closed