SB Nation - Michael Jenkins

Bills Fantasy Thursday: Week 16 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em

Kurupt — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:00:19 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Welcome to the final edition of Bills Fantasy Friday for 2009! Which is actually happening on a Thursday, for obvious reasons. The Buffalo Bills travel to Atlanta to take on the recently eliminated Atlanta Falcons. It's Week 16, which is the Super Bowl for most leagues. If you're still alive, congratulation and good luck. I'll keep this brief as it's unlikely this will help you, and mostly because it's Christmas.

Quarterbacks
Brian Brohm - Assuming Brohm will not only be making his first NFL start in relief of the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards, he'll be taking his first NFL snap. Expect it to be ugly and mistake filled. There is no value here. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Matt Ryan - Ryan has been somewhat of a fantasy disappointment this year. He's already thrown one more touchdown pass this year (in 12 games) than he did in his rookie season, but overall, his performance isn't what fantasy owners were hoping for. His yards per game and yards per attempt numbers are down, and he never really took that next step this year. He'll again be a nice sleeper option next year. Wait until then to start him again. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Running Backs
Fred Jackson - Jackson put together a nice all-around game last week (80 yards rushing, 32 yards receiving, 108 return yards) and had a touchdown taken off the board because of penalty. With Brohm under center, expect the Bills to rely as heavily on the running game as possible. Jackson will again get a ton of touches, and should have some solid success against Atlanta's 20th ranked run defense. Verdict: Start 'Em in all leagues

Marshawn Lynch - A week after his most productive rushing day of the season, Lynch had just 8 carries for 25 yards against the Patriots. Right now, Jackson is the man with Lynch getting roughly a third of the carries. Look elsewhere if you're still alive and actually contemplating starting Lynch: Verdict: Sit 'Em

Jason Snelling - The big guy makes for an excellent start this week against the 32nd ranked rush defense in Buffalo. With Michael Turner on the shelf after re-aggravating his ankle injury, Snelling looks like a good bet for 15-20 touches. He's put up solid numbers when given the majority of the touches this year, so expect something similar to what he's produced thus far. Look for around 100 total yards and a touchdown or two. He's a great flex play this week. Verdict: Start 'Em in all leagues

Jerious Norwood - The speedy back hasn't had much of an impact this year since returning from injury. He'll get some touches, but isn't much of an option unless you are super desperate. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Wide Receivers
Terrell Owens - With Brohm starting, Owens has little to no value. If he catches any passes this week, I'll be surprised. Expect Perry Fewell and Alex Van Pelt to look for creative, simple ways for Brohm to get Owens the ball. I'm not sure I trust Brohm's ability to get that done though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Lee Evans - Evans has even less value than Owens. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Roddy White - White, despite having somewhat of a down season, will always be on my must-start list. He should surpass 1000 yards on the season this week and could be in for a huge day when matched up against Reggie Corner. I expect White to have a great day, and you should too. Verdict: Start 'Em

Michael Jenkins - Jenkins is a mediocre real life wide receiver. He's rather useless as a fantasy wide receiver. Don't be surprised if he has a nice game, just don't bank on it. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tight Ends
Shawn Nelson - Someday. Maybe someday. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tony Gonzalez - Gonzo's numbers are down in his first year with Atlanta, but he's still having a very good year. He still has a good chance of reaching 90 receptions and 1000 yards again for this season. He's another guy you should be confident starting every week, especially this one. Verdict: Start 'Em

Kickers
Rian Lindell - I don't think the Bills will have enough scoring opportunities for Lindell to even be considered worthy of a fantasy start. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Matt Bryant - I couldn't remember who replaced Jason Elam, but it's the veteran Bryant. He has four field goals in three games, so he hasn't exactly lit it up, but could be in line for his best day as a Falcon. The Falcons will be able to move the ball and should control the ball and the clock for most of the game. Bryant is a nice sleeper kicker this week. I'm sure you have been riding a better option though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Defense/Special Teams
Buffalo D/ST - The Bills defense played quite well against Tom Brady and the Patriots last week, but didn't have a strong fantasy day. They'll have their moments this week, especially if Matt Ryan continues floating passes high, but aren't worth the start. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Atlanta D/ST - I'd start this unit if I were still alive in my leagues. With Brohm taking his first NFL snaps, expect him to be blitzed and harassed every time he drops back. There will be sacks and there will likely be a few turnovers. I also wouldn't be shocked if this unit pitches a shutout against the Brohm-lead Bills. Verdict: Start 'Em

******

That's it for this year, folks. I hope you enjoyed reading this each week as much as I did writing it. Good luck to everyone still alive in their leagues. I can't wait until next (fantasy) season, already! Enjoy the day and the games this weekend. Merry Christmas everyone!

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Atlanta Falcons Pass Offense

John B — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:14:54 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Chris Redman could be pressed into action for the Falcons once again.

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This is a tough spot for the Falcons. They might have their backup quarterback start against the league's top rated pass defense. They might have a starter who has missed two games and was limited in practice this week trying to shake off the rust against the league's top rated pass defense. Either way, the Jets have to like this matchup. Matt Ryan is certainly more of a playmaker, but he's turned it over 14 times in 11 starts. That's not a good sign against an opportunistic defense.

Roddy White leads the Falcons with 915 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He'll draw Darrelle Revis, who will probably hold him well short of his averages. Tony Gonzalez leads the Falcons with 75 receptions, emerging as a security blanket for Ryan and Chris Redman. With Revis on White and Lito Sheppard having an edge against Michael Jenkins, the Jets will be able to mix up their looks on Gonzalez a lot. The Falcons don't have many weapons in the passing game beyond those three. Their fourth leading receiver averages under 2 catches per game.

I do not think the Falcons will focus on the pass. There are too many issues at the quarterback position, and this defense is too good. Also adding to the trouble is the offensive line. Left tackle Sam Baker was limited this week by an elbow injury. Center Todd McClure was battling a knee injury. Both are probably going to play, but they will be likely less than 100%. Right guard Harvey Dahl missed last week's game with an ankle injury. You can be sure with all of this news, the Jets won't hesistate to attack Atlanta.

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Falcons

saints-nation — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:24 -0000

by Dave Martin - AP

11 days ago: New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) reacts after the Saints stopped the Atlanta Falcons on fourth down near the end of their NFL football game in Atlanta, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Here's the defensive and special teams grades. They are really, really bad. Keep in mind that while, yes, they held Atlanta to 23 points, they were torched by Chris Redman.

Saints vs Falcons recap

Saints vs Falcons boxscore

Saints vs Falcons coverage

Will Smith: D+ (2.74) Smith was completely neutralized on his pass rushing attempts. I don't know what teams are doing differently, but I sense they're taking advantage of Grant's nonexistent play to load up against Smith. Smith finished with 1 tackle on a nice hustle play downfield inside the Saints' 5 to tackle Tony Gonzalez from behind and save a touchdown. No matter, the Falcons would score on the next play. An extremely quiet day for the normally more active end.

Charles Grant: F (1.97) Congratulations, Charles, you've received my first official F of the season. It's quite an impressive feat, actually, that of all the performances I've graded throughout the season Grant has been the only one bad enough to get this grade. It takes a true commitment to laziness, failure and apathy to pull this one off. To get an F despite playing on a 13-0 team is even more impressive. Wow, Charles, you've outdone yourself. At one point Grant was beaten around the edge and showed decent pursuit, only to make his one and only tackle around the line of scrimmage as the play was held up on the sideline, I was almost disappointed. I thought to myself, "man that was a decent play Charles, are you going to pull off another D-?". But screw it, I'm done with the guy. He deserves an F. He's lining up pitiful performance after another, and on top of that he's rewarding the opposition with personal foul penalties and free first downs into field goal range. It's bad enough that he's being manhandled and completely useless, but he's got to cost us 15 yards too? Saintsational mentioned he's not hungry. I beg to differ, he's obviously very hungry, have you seen his stomach? His GPA is plummeting faster than the stock market was in March. Pass rushing? Forget about it. I'm telling you all right now that the chance of this guy getting another sack this season are zero. Run defense, his supposed strength? Forget about it. He's now too fat, too slow and too effortless to make a play. Am I too hard on the guy? Probably. But enough is enough. He's one of the highest paid players on the team and he has sucked. Am I even allowed to say that? Saintsational might dock my salary.

Bobby McCray: D (1.97) Nice GPA, Bobby. You guys might notice that McCray's GPA is dangerously close to someone else I've been ragging on. So close in fact, could they be the same player? McCray is getting less and less playing time in this defense. I know he's listed on the injury report and limited in practice each week. Is he too hurt to play? He's regressed majorly from a season ago. When he did get in against Atlanta, Redman had all the time in the world. No tackles for McCray.

Anthony Hargrove: C- (2.31) Hargrove had decent push up the middle, and had a nice tackle against the run. That was his only tackle, though, despite extended playing time. Ultimately, the defensive line as a whole got absolutely no pressure on Redman and they were manhandled by the Atlanta pass blocking depsite the fact that they were battling numerous injuries.

Sedrick Ellis: B- (2.70) Ellis wasn't great, but he was much better than his counterparts. He has still seemed rusty to me, and at one point I saw him walk gingerly off the field. I don't think his knee is close to 100%. One thing is undeniable, though, and that's that even when Sedrick Ellis isn't playing lights out, he's not giving up. Same came be said for Smith, and effort goes for a lot. Sometimes good things happen to you and plays find their way to you when you go out there and make some effort. Ellis finished with 3 tackles, and he got a borderline "sack" when he stopped Chris Redman around the line of scrimmage. That play was nice, though, because it forced Atlanta to kick a field goal on a 3rd and 2 play.

Remi Ayodele: B (2.31) Ayodele did an excellent job again clogging up the middle and limiting Atlanta's ability to run the football with a skeleton crew. He just had one tackle, but his impact was evident and useful. He's lined up a couple straight solid performances, so he's starting to grow on me. Atlanta finished with 89 yards rushing, but that didn't stop them from passing almost at will on the Saints.

Scott Shanle: C- (2.59) It's not that he was particularly bad in this game, it's that he wasn't really involved. This was a hard performance to grade because I couldn't really point to any things that Shanle did that disappointed me. You guys all know by now I'm a bigger fan of Shanle's than the average Saints fan. I always have been. Just 2 tackles though, and he was very quiet.

Jonathan Vilma: A- (2.98) I was upset with Vilma for allowing Jason Snelling to slip into the middle of the field for a 38 yard gain on the opening drive. Vilma took a bad angle on the play and showed poor speed catching up. Beyond that mistake, though, Vilma was pretty solid throughout. Then, when the game was on the line, he went from pretty solid to instrumental. First, Vilma intercepted a pass and set up what should have been the game killer. Oh, the offense couldn't put it away? No problem. On the next Falcon drive, Vilma hit Jason Snelling on 4th and 2 on a pass over the middle and blasted him backwards, stopping him short of the first down marker and ending the game. Make no mistake, despite a very poor performance by the offense, special teams and coaching staff down the stretch, Jonathan Vilma won this game for us. with those two plays. He finished with 7 tackles.

Randall Gay: B+ (2.67) Gay was by far the most performant player in the defensive backfield. He finished with 8 tackles. He was solid and physical in coverage, either breaking up passes or making sure tackles when he gave up a play. He also assisted his teammates in tackles, often cleaning up their mistakes. Some of you will remember the woeful performance Gay had against the Rams, but against the Falcons he showed how he can handle himself when he's not lined up against a blazing speed receiver. When used to his strengths, that is: playing in the slot, the box and close to the line of scrimmage covering underneath routes, Gay impresses. He deserves credit as well for blowing up an end around to Eric Weems for a 12 yard loss.

Malcolm Jenkins: C- (2.63) Malcolm made strides after last week, but he's still struggling to come into his own. I wonder if his destiny will be replacing Darren Sharperat free safety like we all speculated about after the draft. He's an aggressive and physical player with good instincts, but I wonder if he has the foot speed to play corner as well asTracy Porter and Jabari Greer. You could tell against Atlanta he was giving more cushion to the receivers, most likely because he's lost a little confidence after getting beat deep. He finished with 4 tackles, but his coverage and tackling wasn't impeccable.

Roman Harper: D (2.87) The recipe for moving the ball by and large the past two weeks has been to find Roman Harper on passing plays. He's been victimized in the passing game and he's really struggled. You can say the absence of Greer and Porter hurt the Saints' ability to play pass defense, but Harper and Sharper's play has been most suspect of late. You can't blame the poor pass defense on the corners this week nearly as much as the safeties. The Saints dialed up the blitz early and often, leaving Harper on an island often, and they paid for it almost every time. He finished with 5 tackles.

Darren Sharper: D- (2.89) Sharper had his worst game of the season, by far. He flirted with an F as well. He bit badly on a double move by Michael Jenkins and was victimized by 50 yard touchdown pass. Jenkins beat Sharper deep to get wide open on another play, but fortunately for Sharper the pass was overthrown because that would have been 14 points on Darren. Sharper looked very slow and vulnerable. This was not the same Darren Sharper that discovered the fountain of youth earlier in the season. He wasn't particularly good coming up and making tackles, either. He finished with 3 tackles. Let's just hope he can rebound from this disastrous performance.

Troy Evans: B (1.92) Evans was the biggest surprise of the day. He was good against the run, and while he wasn't great against the pass he was at least active and around the ball. Evans is never going to blow anyone away with his play, but he played within the defense and tackled well. If he can play like this while Fujita is out, he won't be the defense's problem. He finished with an impressive 5 tackles.

DeMario Pressley: B- (2.75) He finished with 1 tackle, doing a good job on a running play. He had limited action, but once again looked promising when he was in.

Pierson Prioleau: C (2.43) Prioleau never makes major mistakes and you can tell he's a Gregg Williams favorite because he's a high IQ football player. That said, the guy gives too much cushion to his receivers in an effort to limit the damage. He finished with 1 tackle.

Mike McKenzie: C+ (2.22) McKenzie played a decent amount in the second half and he was picked on by Redman with mixed results. At one point Roddy White was wide open and McKenzie was fortunate that Redman's pass lacked accuracy because he was beat. That said, McKenzie showed good spirit and energy out there. He had one tackle, but more importantly he showed he still has that fire in his belly.

Thomas Morstead: A- (3.05) He only got to punt once, and it was fair caught after a pedestrian 35 yard effort. He earned his keep this time with consistent depth on kickoffs. Of the 6 he hit, 4 were kneeled for touchbacks. Good thing, because Eric Weems is a dangerous returner and he was able to take one out for a 37 yard gain. Morstead has been incredibly valuable in setting opponents up with bad field position.

Courtney Roby: C (2.92) A plain performance from Roby who averaged 19.5 yards on his two kick returns.

Garrett Hartley: C+ (3.00) Hartley hit a big field goal from 28 yards out to break a 23-23 tie. That ended up being the difference, so give him credit. That said, are the Saints incapable of finding a guy that doesn't miss extra points? That's now 3 on the season and this is really starting to get ridiculous. What's more, that 23-23 tie I speak of was thanks to the shank. Hartley was also perfect on a 33 yarder earlier in the game, but the missed extra point is flat out inexcusable. While the fake field goal wasn't his fault, I wonder if the call was partially due to the coaching staff's lack of confidence in Hartley? The pathetic crew of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman mentioned that he was "big time struggling" and "couldn't make a kick in warmups". Not sure how accurate that is, considering he was 4-5 last week and his only miss was an unrealistic 58 yarder in bad conditions. Perhaps they were basing their statements on what they saw in the pregame. For what it's worth, I also read a Jeff Duncan tweet that mentioned Hartley nailing a 58 yarder in warmups that would have been good from 60. The bottom line is I am not asking to Hartley to be perfect, but I do expect him to be perfect on PATs.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Jonathan Vilma
My Special Teams Player of the Game: Thomas Morstead

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Falcons And Saints Recap: Playoffs Gone, Hope Remains

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:41 -0000

by Paul Abell - AP

Slow motion "nooooooo!" (AP Photo/Paul Abell)

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Bad news first, I always say.

First off, the Falcons lost to the Saints yesterday. That's never a good thing, particularly when we were so close to giving a division rival their first loss of the season. We also lost our seventh game, essentially knocking us out of the playoff race (I think our chances are something like 1.5%) and giving the Falcons no margin for error over the last three games of the season. That's obviously not good in any way, shape, or form.

The bright side of all of this is that the Falcons very nearly managed to beat the Saints minus their starting quarterback, running back and top cornerback. The team can still break that ridiculous 40-plus year streak of futility by sweeping their last three games against the Jets, Bucs and Bills. And last but not least, beer still tastes good. So we got that going for us.

There will be plenty of time in the week ahead to dwell on what's...well, ahead. For now, join me after the jump for an abbreviated version of our weekly rundown. Rather than dominate the discussion, I'd like to hear from you, since I missed most of the game and am still catching up at this point. Check it out, after the jump.

HIGHLIGHTS

Chris Redman could've curled up in a tiny ball after last week's debacle against the Eagles, but instead he came out swinging against a suffering Saints secondary and fired darts most of the day. His interception wasn't great—then again, those never are—and his throw at the end of the game lies on his shoulders as much as anybody else's. It's good to know that we can hang in tough games with him under center, though.
Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling were both decent, and Snelling got it down on the goal line this time around. Norwood doesn't look as explosive as he has in the past, but they're an effective enough tandem for the moment, especially with Snelling enjoying a good game on the receiving end until that fateful, game-ending play. I will certainly be glad to get Michael Turner back, though.
Michael Jenkins has an odd rapport with Redman, and he had one beautiful catch and run for a touchdown. Honorable mention to Tony Gonzalez, who is as solid as they come week in and week out.
Sure, they were all short field goals, but isn't it nice to feel like Lucy isn't about to pull the ball away from Charlie Brown every time your kicker trots out onto the field? Matt Bryant is doing well.
A single 37 yard return? Ho hum. Eric Weems will bring one to the house one of these days.
The defense got smacked around, yes, but they didn't totally embarrass themselves. So there's that.

LOWLIGHTS

The play-calling reared its ugly head again. Mike Mularkey seems to be in love with gadget plays at the most inopportune times, and when the pressure ramps up he and Mike Smith seem unable to put their heads together and trot out something that works. Case in point was the short pass to Jason Snelling, which involved a receiver who did not make it past the first down mark, a clearly open Tony Gonzalez (decoy or no) and seemingly no clear idea of an alternative besides having Snelling trot a few feet and then throwing the ball. When the game or our dignity is on the line, this has been happening of late, and it's really disconcerting. I have a feeling Thomas Dimitroff will be tasked with taking a hard look at Mike Smith's coordinators in the off-season.
My kingdom for a pass rush! We've spent the entire season ragging on Chris Houston & Co., but today he was out and I actually thought Brent Grimes and Chris Owens did a very solid job. If you can't even lay a finger on the opposing quarterback, your corners are basically trying to rein in a charging bull with an unraveling skein of yarn. We definitely need a top-flight cornerback, but without improvements to our pass rush, it's not going to matter.
Arrgh, we lost to the Saints!

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: Take your pick on offense. I'm kind of tired of picking our most valuable player in a loss when no one really, truly stands out.

Game Theme Song: A disappointed, icy silence.

One Thing To Take Away: It's just not going to happen this year. I had really dreamed of the playoffs,but it's time to let that one go. There's always 2010.

Next Week: The mighty (?) New York Jets, who are represented on our network by Gang Green Nation. Say hey.

Final Word: Awdamnit.

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: The Great Injury Conundrum

Dave the Falconer — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:00:28 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

This photo has nothing to do with the post, but lookit! He's in the air! Whoa! (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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I put up my Christmas tree at about midnight, a mere two hours after I had gotten out of work. Putting up a Christmas tree, I've found, is a lot like being a sports fan. It's a lot of work and a lot of anguish, and hopefully the end result is something you can enjoy and be proud of. Thankfully, rooting for the Falcons on Sunday doesn't usually require the use of a hacksaw, and the end result doesn't usually leave me with my hands and arms covered in sap.

Usually.

But that tangent aside, you're here for the discussion. As you know, we've got an extremely difficult game with the New Orleans Saints on tap, a game that would be even more difficult to win if we don't get Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Michael Jenkins, Harvey Dahl, Sam Baker, Todd McClure, Chris Houston, Tommy Nobis, Gerald Ford and Flipper the dolphin back by Sunday. That's what lit the extremely dim bulb in my head this morning.

Basically, I want to know how many players we'd have to get back from injury to win this game. Maybe you think we can win it with everyone gone, or maybe you think every single person has to be back and turned into a steam-powered automaton to pull it off. Whatever your thoughts, discuss 'em here and we'll get this ball rolling.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles Open Thread

Dave the Falconer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by John Amis - AP

Jerious Norwood figures to be a big factor Sunday with numerous offensive stars out of the game. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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The door hinges on this one like a season. Wait, I got that wrong.

For those of you who want nothing more than to see the Falcons get to nine wins this season, this is an important game. For those of you who have your hearts set on a playoff berth, this is critical. Either way, a win against the Eagles would go a long way toward achieving the goal you hold most dear.

It'll be an uphill challenge, as we've noted repeatedly this week. Teams missing their top quarterback and running back, potentially their second best receiver and a couple o' offensive linemen don't regularly win games in this league. Let's hope the Falcons buck that trend.

Onward and upward, then!

Who? Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. EST

Where? Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Weather? It's snowing up here in New Hampshire as I type this, but somehow I don't think you'll get much weather at all at the stadium. Call me crazy.

Injuries? Matt Ryan is out and Michael Turner is questionable, despite the fact that he's virtually a lock not to play. Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl are both questionable, but Dahl didn't practice Friday and who knows with Baker. Roddy White, Curtis Lofton and Brian Finneran are all expected to play, but Michael Jenkins is questionable in the truest sense of the word. If he doesn't play, the Falcons have once again brought Troy Bergeron back onto the active roster.

The Iggles are missing WR DeSean Jackson, RB Brian Westbrook, WR Kevin Curtis, and LB Akeem Jordan, and have a host of probables and questionables. Those are some serious weapons, as well, so their offense doesn't figure to be quite as potent as usual.

Odds? Philly over Atlanta 5.5, O/U 43.5

Foe? Go visit our friends over at Bleeding Green Nation for all things Eagles.

GO FALCONS! Let's pluck these Eagles!

Saturday News And Notes: Tackling The Philadelphia Eagles

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:00:28 -0000

by Michael Perez - AP

If the Falcons want to win Sunday, they better get after Donovan McNabb early. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

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Normally I'd have a preamble that was both enlightening and heartfelt, but frankly, I'm exhausted. Let's make with the links!

As previously noted, DeSean Jackson is out for this Sunday's game. His absence is a blow to the Eagle passing game and a tremendous boon to us. However....
....We're hurting on offense. Matt Ryan is out, Michael Turner is likely out and both Michael Jenkins and Roddy White are banged up. White will gut it out and Jenkins probably will too, but we're in enough trouble against a fierce Eagles blitzing attack as it is. Let's hope the Eagles do something criminally insane to help us out, like have Michael Vick start at quarterback.
Speaking of this Vick fellow...were you aware he once played for us? I'm sure that those folks in the national and local media will certainly not bring this up at any point, because it's of so little consequence and they're all so great at their jobs. Definitely.
Fascinating article about Roddy White and his friends. It's a tough thing to have to leave behind people who were such a big part of your life, but this does illustrate how much of a competitor White really is. Nothing's bigger than winning for him. At least as a player, that's the most admirable trait out there.
Matt Bryant is drawing the attention, but it's instructive to remember that the Falcons did ink a new long-snapper, as well. Here's a little more about Joe Zelenka.
Despite our best wishes, the Eagles aren't likely to take it easy on us just because Chris Redman's in at quarterback. This guy certainly doesn't expect it, anyways.

Philadelphia Eagles opponents preview - Atlanta Falcons

JasonB — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:19:50 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

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This is the next part in our series of previews of the Eagles 2009 opponents. Joining us for this feature is Dave Schwab, who writes about the Eagles at his site Eagles Lincs.

The Eagles travel to Atlanta this week to face the 6-5 Falcons in hopes extending their winning streak to three games. Big injuries to big players plague both teams... So how will this one play out?

Dave's full analysis is after the jump.

The Eagles are back on the road next week when the travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons on Sunday, December 6^th in a 1:00 P.M start. Last week both teams needed dramatic come from behind wins against teams they were heavily favored to beat keeping their playoff hopes intact. Philly fell behind by eight points to the Redskins early in the 4^th quarter before scoring a touchdown, 2 point conversion, and a 32 yard field goal to secure the 27-24 win, moving their record to 7-4 on the year. Atlanta needed even greater heroics to beat Tampa Bay. Playing in place of injured QB Matt Ryan, Chris Redman found Roddy White for a five yard touchdown reception on 4^th and goal with 26 seconds left in the game to pull out a 20-17 win that moved their record to 6-5.

Along with Matt Ryan, who left early in the game with a toe injury RB Michael Turner was also knocked out of the game with Tampa after reinjuring his right ankle in the third quarter. Their ability to play on Sunday will have a huge impact on Atlanta’s offense. If Ryan cannot go, 7^th year veteran Redman will get the 11^th career start of his career. In last week’s game he completed 23 of 41 attempts for 243 yards and 2 TD’s including the game winner. A much bigger loss for the Falcons would be Turner. So far this season he has run for 864 yards on 177 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 10 TD’s. His backups include Jason Snelling who has run for 267 yards and 3 TD’s and Jerious Norwood who only has 25 carries on the year. Another big factor in the Falcon’s offense is TE Tony Gonzalez who has 61 receptions for 666 yards and 5 TD’s. No matter who is throwing the ball, Gonzalez will have to be accounted for in the Eagles’ defensive scheme. The two other main receiving threats for Atlanta are White, who has 56 receptions this season and Michael Jenkins who has 40.

The Eagles should be able to move the ball against Atlanta as their defense is not one of the strong points of this team. They are currently ranked 27^th in yards allowed (373.9) and in passing yards allowed (252.6). They are giving up an average of 22.3 points per game while the Eagles are averaging 26.6. As in the Washington game, the key to winning this game will be Philadelphia’s ability to run the ball. With Brian Westbrook still out of the lineup, LeSean McCoy will be the primary back. Along with FB Leonard Weaver they will once again need to establish the run to set up the pass in order to try and take advantage of vulnerable Atlanta secondary with some big plays. A huge question mark for the Eagles will be the availability of WR DeSean Jackson who was knocked out of the Washington game with a concussion. If he cannot go, look for Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin to be the primary targets for Donovan McNabb.

The Falcons breathed new life into their season with the win over Tampa. At 6-5 they are out of the NFC South division race, but only one game back in the chase for a wildcard spot. They are playing at home which gives them a huge edge in this game as they are 5-0 in the friendly confines of the Georgia Dome. While the Eagles match-well against them in most phases of the game, they cannot afford to be as inconsistent as they were against the Redskins last week. Atlanta has shown the ability to protect a lead as well as come from behind to win a game. It will be up to Philadelphia’s defense to stop some third down conversions and their offense to avoid stalling out in the second half. It will take a full 60 minute effort to get another much needed win as well as put a serious dent in Atlanta’s playoff chances.

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.

Post Game Thread: Falcons Rise From Grave, Deal Bucs 20-17 Defeat

Dave the Falconer — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:43:51 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

Thank the football gods that this wasn't the defining play of the game. Or any of the other 100 mistakes. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Browse more photos »

Apologies to The Grinch, but the three words which best describe that game were as follows, and I quote: Stink, stank, stunk.

The fact that the Atlanta Falcons walked out of there with a win was, frankly, a miracle. You rarely see a team lose so many starters to injury in one game, play like a team of soccer players learning the American version of football for the first time and still pull out the victory. It was the kind of finish that necessitates someone blasting you with a dart full of elephant tranquilizer so you don't go insane and destroy Tokyo. I'm too jazzed up to make sense. Be patient with me.

But the win does not mask a host of failings from the Falcons that must be addressed if we're going to have a prayer of hanging in for the rest of the schedule. My advice is to soak this one in, enjoy the fact that we somehow actually won it, and then begin preparing for an ugly week ahead. While you're here, some pennies for my thoughts?

Chris Redman came in and essentially willed the Falcons to victory, with an enormous amount of help from Tony Gonzalez, Michael Jenkins and Roddy White. The passing game was the only thing working well today, and it eventually ended up saving the Falcons. Big ups to all of them.
Jason Elam must go. I'm aware of the limitations of the other options out there, but it's time. He very, very nearly cost us the game.
The defense clamped down when it counted in the second half, but they never made it look easy. If not for that missed field goal by Tampa Bay, we might be having a different conversation, but it could have been a lot worse the way Josh Freeman was playing.
We're going to delve into this more deeply in the near future, but the injuries were crushing. The decision to play Michael Turner today is at the top of a short list of things this coaching staff has done that are indefensibly dumb, but I would love to hear a reason.
....Holy crap! We won!