SB Nation - Eric Weems

Falcons WR Eric Weems Arrested For DUI In November

Dave the Falconer — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:50:37 -0000

Oh, hang it all. (AP Photo/DeKalb County)

Hat tip to acie4mvp, who put up a FanShot on this very topic a little bit earlier tonight. Kudos to everyone who keeps us informed of breaking news as it happens.

That said, I found out about five minutes before I got on the site via a co-worker. With editing for language, here's more or less our exact exchange:

Him: Did you see that Eric Weems got arrested?

Me: Wait, who?

Him: Eric Weems.

Me: Are you bleeping kidding me? What the bleep. Bleep! Bleep! Bleep.

I haven't cooled down in the slightest bit in the short time since then, so you're going to get me at my angriest here. We're going to forge ahead realizing that this is an allegation, and that the Falcons just found out about it after it happened back in November. I am cognizant of that.

But seriously, what the hell?

What is going on with this team? A staggering spate of injuries, a handful of which were season-ending. Play and play-calling that seems to get worse by the week. And now, notification of two arrests of two of our more valuable players this season, in the form of top defensive tackle Jon Babineaux and now special teams asset Eric Weems. I don't buy the notion of a curse for one second, but if we hadn't just slogged and suffered through 2007 I would swear that we've just hit bottom.

Now you have two guys who could potentially be facing NFL suspensions by early next season and we're one loss away from blowing our most recent chance to have winning seasons in back-to-back years. It makes me froth at the mouth like a rabid badger to see this happening. Something besides mere bad luck, you would think, must be in effect for all of this to come together at the same time. Something evil.

I have no idea what the team will do with Weems, though I doubt it'll be anything for this weekend. But for a guy who has clawed his way onto the roster and then done enough damage to be considered for a bigger role next season, Weems putting himself in a situation where he could even potentially be arrested like this is incredibly bad. Maybe this is the break Troy Bergeron has been looking for all season, particularly if it turns out that Weems withheld the information of his arrest from the team. Ironically, allegedly driving drunk won't get you anything immediate from the team, but lying about it certainly would. We'll have to see how this plays out in the days ahead.

Your thoughts, level-headed readers?

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

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

by Dave Martin - AP

10 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.

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.

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.

Saturday News And Notes: Tackling The New York Giants

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:15:12 -0000

Biggest game of the year? Biggest game of the year.

It's gotten to this point thanks to our up and down season, but a loss to the Giants here would deal a blow to our bid for a winning season and would make it an uphill battle for a playoff spot. A win here, which would leave us at 6-4, would keep us in the thick of the wildcard race and would leave us with only three wins for that elusive 9-7 season and such impressive opponents as the Tampa Bay Bucs and Buffalo Bills still on the slate. A lot hinges on this game.

With that in mind, let's take a crack at a few storylines leading up to the game and, just maybe, a couple that have nothing to do with anything.

Aaron Ross is coming back. After missing the entire season to this point with an injury, the Giants will get back one of their better cornerbacks just in time to play us. It doesn't sound like he's going to be at full capacity or anything, but adding another obstacle for a shaky Matt Ryan to overcome isn't something I welcome.
Linebacker Antonio Pierce, however, is out for the rest of the season. Ain't that just like the NFL?
I don't know about road confidence, but a better performance on the road in the Meadowlands would be huge. Teams that can't win on the road don't got to the playoffs, generally speaking.
Michael Turner's doubtful. As in, no chance in hell he's playing. As in, something all of us knew before the end of the Panthers game. Coaches have gotten really secretive about their injuries, haven't they? Brian Finneran isn't getting quite the same treatment, as he's definitely out. Might be a good chance for us to re-discover Marty Booker and Eric Weems.
The Falcons and Giants both kind of did this to themselves, what with the headfirst dives into empty concrete pools. How they got there, though, i is a little similar.
At least Tom Coughlin has a sense of humor.

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!

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: :(