SB Nation - Matt Bryant

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!

Falcons And Jets Recap: On The Way To 9-7

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:42 -0000

by Kathy Willens - AP

Ah, victory. How I missed you. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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I've been accused of being a bit too verbose in these kinds of posts, so let me break this down in the easiest way possible.

Winning is fun.

Yes, it was fun to be an Atlanta Falcons fan again yesterday, fun for the first time in nearly a month. It's not that there weren't exciting moments and little triumphs, but ultimately what you plunk down your soul for when you select a sports franchise is winning. There's a lot of extra baggage that comes with that, but nothing feels quite so sweet as the win. So even though it was a game the Falcons repeatedly tried to give away with an inept offensive display for three quarters, it was a win. Praise the football gods!

The defensively-minded Buffalo Bills and the unpredictable Tampa Bay Bucs are now all that lie between us and that winning season we've all been hoping for, and I think we can do it. My sunny disposition has been restored and I now believe many things, including the fact that we will defy mathematics to make the playoffs. Eliminated, you say? That's just another word for quitting.

But I've gotten long-winded again. Please, by all means, check out the meat of the recap after the jump.

HIGHLIGHTS

Matt Ryan was far from great on Sunday, but he came back still hurting against the league's best defense and tossed a touchdown pass when it mattered. He will have to get better in a hurry if we're going to finish the season on a high note, but at least this was a step in the right direction.
Considering the absurdly bad runs being called for him, I thought Jason Snelling was once again solid. The Jets were putting up a brick wall and Mike Mularkey was asking him to run right into it, so considering that his 3.5ish run per carry average isn't half bad. It would be really nice to have Michael Turner back on the field for more than one play, though.
On a day when the passing game was basically shut down, Tony Gonzalez still got his touchdown and sealed the victory for the Falcons. He can't got unmentioned, because it takes two for the touchdown tango, so to speak. Roddy White's four catches for 33 yards actually isn't completely horrible when you consider that Darrelle Revis was matched up against him. That's no easy task.
The much-maligned offensive line quietly kept Matt Ryan on his feet for the entire game. The Jets have a decent pass rush and Ryan wasn't operating at full strength, so this is an impressive sign for them. It's kind of an indictment of the offense that there wasn't any sacks and nothing happened for most of the game, but hey. We still won, right?
Brent Grimes was just plain awesome Sunday. Both of his picks came at critical times and showed off his athleticism. There's legitimate ability there, regardless of any size concerns, and my hunch is that Grimes will be either in the starting lineup or in a nickel role going into 2010.
Thomas DeCoud gets honorable mention for his ball-hawking ways. There's growth to be done here—he still isn't the most able tackler—but safeties who can grab a few interceptions are welcome in the Falcons' backfield any time.
John Abraham and Thomas Johnson both got sacks, and both probably needed them after muddling through recent weeks without sniffing one. Well done, boyos. Hell, kudos to the entire defense today.
Michael Koenen continues to punt his way into our hearts, averaging 39.9 yards on eight punts and one swoon per booming kick.

LOWLIGHTS

I'm going to beat this drum until someone else beats Mike Mularkey over the head with this simple fact: Our offensive playcalling is not putting us in a position to win. Going against the league's best defense, you have to do something more creative than repeatedly running up the gut and depending on your receivers to break free of coverage. Mularkey has that reputation as a creative dude, but it's more for the occasional gadget play that works insanely well than sustained cleverness. It may just be the way the entire team is going, but he's gotta be sweating a little with the way this supposedly elite offense has been performing, injuries or no.
Speaking of injuries, why even trot Michael Turner out there? To confuse the Jets? Considering he only had one carry—at least it was seven yards—I can't imagine that actually worked all that well. Rex Ryan isn't manning the helm of one of the league's best defenses because he gets flustered by a guy making a guest appearance. Let the dude heal or declare him ready and give him a decent workload.
Admittedly it was a 48 yard field goal, but seeing Matt Bryant miss a field goal gave me unfortunate flashbacks.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: It's gotta be Grimes. You don't grab two interceptions and alter the course of a 10-7 game and get anything less than an MVP. Congratulations, Grimey!

Game Theme Song: Please don't listen to all seven minutes of this.

One Thing To Take Away: It's not the playoffs, but sweet redemption is still at hand.

Next Week: The Buffalo Bills can be found at Buffalo Rumblings . Despite the name, it's actually an excellent Bills blog and not something that happens when you have way too many wings.

Final Word: Win.

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.

Jet Memories countdown: #2 - 2005, Vinny Testeverde, from your couch to our living room.

Niko Houllis — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:37:17 -0000

It was only 18 years after he came into the league FOR the Tampa Bay Bucccaneers. A lot has happened to both Vinny and the Bucs since then. The Bucs won a Superbowl finally, and VInny took the Jets to the brink of one.

But in this case, the Jets were without their starting QB Chad Pennington, and the Bucs were riding the Brian Griese wave since the 2004 season. Griese led the Bucs to a 4-0 record so far, but up 6-0, he threw a pick returned to deep Buccaneer territory where the Jets scored to make a game out of it. No one told Vinny he was just on the couch a few days before! No, literally, the Jets started Vinny Testeverde only days after being on his couch retired in New York.

Matt Bryant kicked 4 FGs, and was within range for another, when Joey Galloway caught a deep ball over the middle however, as time expired. Cadillac was on the sideline, and Brian Griese was a game away from getting knocked out of the Bucs line up for the year.

This was probably the best chance to get a win over the Jets in the modern era. Tampa Bay has only beaten NY Jets once, in 1984. John McKay's last game.

Check out Gary Shelton's St. Pete Times article about the game.

One interesting part of this game I saved on video was the accidental hit by Ronde Barber on a referee, where he tried to chop down to break loose someones hold but grazed an official with the hit on the way down

I think the officials gave Barber the benefit of the doubt with his reputation, or he would have been ejected. It does not matter that it was incidental, ANY contact between an official and player is grounds for an ejection.

Should Ronde have been ejected?

Dont Miss the #1 Jets memory tomorrow night!

Editorial- When cool heads prevail, the pluses outweigh the minuses.

Niko Houllis — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:35:28 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

Did he carry enough? or Too Much?

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It really is amazing how even I get caught up in the whole thing. You just know the team is going to lose, that you dont really want the team to win 4 in a row and end up 5-11 and miss out on the SUHweepstakes. But they play with our emotions these Buccaneers. Lets start with Conman Barth. He gives us an NFL record tying 3 kicks of 50+ yards against Miami, and steals our hearts against the Panthers with a pinball wizard kick (hit off left flipper) from 39 yards out, and a push don't pull from 49. Still, Matt Bryant missed 2 in a 14-3 loss to the Falcons in 2006, and 29 yarder wide right against Chicago in 2005 that would have sent the game in overtime. Unlike Nugent, Gramatica, and any other headcase with a number 10 and down, Barth misses less than 50% of his kicks, and they hit the bars or miss by a foot or two. Will he be the kicker were looking for? He is sure to have his shot next year in camp, but in the court of public opinion, we called him money on his two connections today, so lets let cool heads prevail.

Josh Freeman...we called the Man of Poise. Five interceptions later, how long until someone points out Bruce Gradkowski won his game today by powering the lowly Raiders over the Steelers. It was only a matter of time, because no matter what words we use to describe him, the ones always included in the sentence are...'Rookie'. It wouldn't be far fetched to hear someone say " Why couldn't he just manage the game, and not be a gun slinger" . But havn't we had enough Shawn Kings or Craig Ericksons?

Or Trent Dilfers?

Then there is the play calling, which is sure to come under fire as the run to pass ration is no where near where we as fans want it to be. But when we run it on 3rd and goal and say "WHY DIDNT WE PASS IT" then the next series after an interception on 3rd and goal we say " WHY DIDNT WE RUN IT", well, does that need to be pointed out?

The best play call is one that is run successfully. Still, it does seem that we will run the ball three times in a row and then throw it 3 times as many. Is the play calling pass heavy to speed up the maturation of Freeman? One thing is for certain, Greg Olsen explained why he was re-signed as OC of the Bucs, to the tune of 469 yards of offense.

Then there are the finally dwindling calls that Raheem Morris cant coach. Seems to me a 1-10 team made the half time adjustments, took almost 30 rushing yards off the Panthers totals with stops in the backfield all second half, and has his team playing hard right up until the end of the game each week. And a team that is getting more experience with Josh Freeman who just wont quit- who didn't get too high, or too low, and who is finding Antonio Bryant and has resurrected the career of Maurice Stovall.

This is a team that will have probably two more defensive linemen to add to Roy Miller and Tim Crowder. This is a team that will have Aaron Sears back to help the rushing game, and two real fullbacks back on the team. It'ss a team that will have Josh Freeman locked in as the #1 Quarterback with his Offensive Coordinator working all offseason together. ....and an offensive coordinator that will have HIS OWN playbook to work on all off-season.

So go ahead and let loose with your criticism, most of it is probably deserved...just wait till the head is cool!

Then let her rip!

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.

The 5 Things the Bucs need for a happy 2010

Niko Houllis — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:50:52 -0000

What the Bucs need to do to have a better 2010...

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In no particular order, here are five things the Bucs need to do to insure a happy Buccaneers 2010 season; with an extra point after the jump.

Continue to show improvement in play- The Bucs have been blown out by double digits in 5 of the first 7 games. In the last four? The Bucs lost one big, but won one, and lost the other two by a combined 5 points!.... in the last minute of each game! Josh Freeman is outplaying the other two big named rookie quarterbacks, as Josh is now 69 out of 125 (55.2%) for 793 yards 7 TDs and 5 Ints. His 76.5 QB Rating is higher than the 62.4 for Stafford or 62.1 for Sanchez. Both of those QBs have thrown for less completion %, and have a higher interception rate too.
Maintain continuity- Many fans want to see Bill Cowher coach this Bucs team. Yet Cowher's success comes from his ownership giving him 15 plus years to run the team, and not let him go at the first sign of a poor record or poor showings. The Quick Pull that fans want to do with Raheem is exactly the thing that would have ruined Cowher. Redskins QB Campbell is a fine example of what happens to a QB who gets a new Coordinator each year. Closer to home Bucs Shawn King had a new coordinator each year, Shula in '99, Les Steckle, Clyde Christianson, Jon Gruden was no. 4 in 4 years. Keep Raheem Morris, Greg Olsen, and remove the Bates defensive coaches so everyone is on the same page. We are seeing this improvement we have been looking for all year. If it continues, this offseason isnt the time to do it.s
Import more defensive talent, starting with the Defensive Line- Now that its obvious the Bucs return to the Tampa Two is a little more long term, the restocking of the Bucs defense is now on a lesser scale. Before the season is over, the defensive coaches need to assess if anyone on the roster is capable of taking over the undertackle 3 technique. If not, then this is a critical position on the roster that must be addressed in the NFL Draft, and Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh is a popular choice for that particular need. The secondary will need some attention too, as Ronde Barber is not getting younger, and Sabby Piscitelli needs to be assessed if he is the man to take the free safety position for the Bucs.
Punting is fundamental- Its not FUN though for Bucs fans, watching Dirk Johnson punt that is. The Bucs 'for real' punter Josh Bidwell's condition must be assertained to determine if his season ending injury is going to hamper his efforts in 2010. The last thing a struggling defense needs is a poor punter. Connor Barth seems to be the real deal in the place kicking department. When he misses, he misses by feet, not stadiums. Matt Bryant was similar.
Find a franchise running back- Take a moment to get your breath back after reading this one...and tell everyone which of the three running backs is a real, bonafide franchise back, that can be relied upon in a pinch. Cadillac? Love the whole story, its a great one, but he is 90% of what he was. A franchise back can break a 45 yard TD. Which one of our Backs do you see doing that? Derrick Ward has been a disapointment, but will be given another chance next year. Earnest Graham may be the real deal, but we need an LT, a Bettis, an........Alstott, to go with our Freeman.

OK OK, Extra Point- It may not sound popular. But number 5 + 1; Re-sign Antonio Bryant- Forget the injury. They happen. Its not a career bug, but it was bad enough that it affected most of he season. Not really his fault. What did he do with it? Did he cause a disruption in the lockeroom? Wasnt that the worry after all about AB? Not that he could do the job, but that he wouldnt turn into a head case. Two seasons now, and the worse we have is Bryant saying throw the ball more please. Tell me he is wrong first before you let him go, because you can bet there will be a line at the Free Agency window if he is not given a long term contract. Also...start Sammy Stroughter and Maurice Stovall so 1) Sammy can show he is a serious #2 guy, or 3) Stovall can finally show us he is more than a special team star.

Meet New Atlanta Falcons Kicker Matt Bryant

Dave the Falconer — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:30 -0000

The story of Matt Bryant is one of those tales of ladder-climbing that inspires even the lowliest office drone, or, in this case, me.

Bryant was undrafted out of college and did what most people do when they can't quite hit the job of their dreams on their first try: Work in a pawn shop. Sometime during his adventures in wrangling with customers about pocket watches allegedly belonging to Kaiser Wilhelm, he got a chance to kick with the mighty Frankfurt Galaxy of the now defunct NFL Europa, a stepping stone to the NFL which yielded fruit fairly quickly. Over the course of the next several season, Bryant bounced around the league for a few years before going on to have four mostly successful seasons with the hated Tampa Bay Bucs. Primarily due to an injury, he lost his job this off-season and is now with the Falcons. The end?

Actually, it's interesting to note how utterly inept most teams are when it comes to retaining kickers. Bryant's got an 80+ percent field goal conversion rate for his career, which is pretty damn good, yet he was largely picked up for a few weeks and cut by those teams who had him early in his career. Now he's 34 years old and despite a 62 yard field goal that had the mayor in Tampa declaring October 23, 2006, to be "Matt Bryant Day" (God bless Wikipedia), he's not really a force from outside 50 yards. He's still, from all indications, very competent inside that range, which makes him an automatic upgrade. Just don't expect Bryant to be our new long-term kicker, because he is almost certainly not.

That said, he's a man who has fought his way onto teams and suffered a terrible tragedy when he lost his young son last year. He'll want to prove a lot and is a quality person, so I'd say Falcons fans will welcome him with open arms. Making a few critical field goals, however, is what will really endear him to Atlanta.

Your thoughts?

Falcons Release Kicker Jason Elam, Sign Matt Bryant

Dave the Falconer — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:06:32 -0000

More photos » by Bill Feig - AP

Goodbye, Jason Elam. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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It's been apparent for weeks that the tandem of Jason Elam and long-snapper Bryan Pittman wasn't getting the job done in Atlanta.

This was, after all, a career low percentage of field goals made by Elam, who before had only dipped to 72%. This year he was making 63.5%, and while there were clearly other issues besides just his leg, something had to give. Rather than remove one piece of the equation, the Falcons embraced wholesale change.

According to the always reliable Adam Schefter, Elam and Pittman have been released. In their place, the Falcons signed experienced kicker Matt Bryant, a tough as nails guy who was injured in pre-season and hadn't broken back in with a job, and long-snapper Joe Zelenka, who handled duties for the Jacksonville Jaguars for eight years. They're both excellent choices, my preference for a younger kicker the Falcons could mold aside.

It's fair to ask if any of this would be happening if long-snapper Mike Schneck, a guy who I respect tremendously, hadn't gotten injured. It's also fair to ask if Elam's fighting some kind of nagging injury. At the end of the day, though, this was about the Falcons recognizing a problem and fixing it. If Elam had been allowed to come in to the game and had missed a critical kick against the Eagles this weekend, the backlash against the coaching staff would have been tremendous, and Bryant could have been snatched up by another kicker-hungry team around the league.

I wish Jason Elam well and want to thank him on behalf of The Falcoholic for the tremendous boost he gave us during a magical 2008 season. Let's hope Bryant really is the answer.

Where are they now? A detailed look at the released Veterans from 2008

Niko Houllis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:00:17 -0000

Jovan Haye appears to be the best player we let go from 2008; his half sack and 22 tackles, are they missed?

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Smoke.

Mirrors.

Some say that is how Jon Gruden won 9 games with the 2008 Bucs team, that was a suscpicious 9-3 going into the last quarter of the season. The Bucs fell behind a 2-14 KC team 24-3, and fell behind an 0-16 team 17-0 before coming back. They beat a 6-10 Green Bay team at home, and a 4-12 Seattle team at home too.

It would seem the last 4 games are the ones that truely defined us as a team in 2008. Some say Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik took a playoff team and destroyed it. Lets take a look at that assessment, and look at the work the two guys did to Jon Gruden's final hurrah in Tampa.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia - OUT OF FOOTBALL

QB Brian Griese- OUT OF FOOTBALL

Linebacker Derrick Brooks- OUT OF FOOTBALL

See more player status reports after the jump...

DL Kevin Carter- OUT OF FOOTBALL

WR Ike Hilliard- OUT OF FOOTBALL

RB Warrick Dunn- OUT OF FOOTBALL

K Matt Bryant- OUT of NFL, Kicking for UFL

WR Joey Galloway- Signed with New England, cut- OUT OF FOOTBALL

LB Cato June- Signed by Houston; 2nd string, IR

TE Alex Smith- Traded to New England- Cut: Back up with Philadelphia; 2 catches 22 yards

Jovan Haye- Starting in Tennessee- 22 tackles and half sack.

Philip Buchanon- nickle corner, Detroit Lions; 32 tackles, 0 ints

Gaines Adams- Chicago via trade- 2 tackles, 1 Pass breakup, 0 sacks