SB Nation - Harry Douglas

Winning with Seneca Wallace Part 3: Punchline

John Morgan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:37:48 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

I'm free! Free me!

Seattle adds an offensive tackle and transforms its offensive line. It adds a superstar rusher and pairs him with Julius Jones and Justin Forsett in a three-headed hell dog of a rush attack. Cerberus if you will. It takes all pressure off Seneca Wallace. It attempts to make him a franchise quarterback by reducing the standards for franchise quarterback to almost nothing. The Seneca Plan is executed and aided by impeccable scouting and tremendous dumb luck. The Seahawks add a return ace and cybernetic punter. Its defense clicks and coalesces into a rampaging monster. The Seneca Hawks are built and ready to storm the NFL.

They back their way into the playoffs and get blown out in the Wild Card round. When they can't get ahead early, they lose. When injuries run in and weaken the defense or rushing attack, they lose. When Seneca's unruly style meets his 30 year old body, they lose Seneca and slip out of contention. They become the Bears, the Titans, the Vikings or the Jaguars; they tease, they lose, they don't lose enough to rebuild and the franchise is mired in boring mediocrity.

Seattle cannot afford the Seneca Wallace Plan. It's as flawed as the thinking that landed them Brian Russell. This is a quarterback's league and that fact becomes more entrenched each passing season. Seattle has a talent on the out and it needs a talent on the in. Tim Ruskell has backed himself into an unenviable position. He has pressed his quarterback resources to exhaustion and failed to restock.

The Seneca Wallace bluff revealed, what can Seattle do? Free agency is thin. Seattle could sign Jason Campbell or Kellen Clemens and attempt to develop a young, but not yet prime quarterback prospect. It could patch with a reclamation project like Daunte Culpepper or David Carr. I can hear your heart beating with anticipation. It could draft a talent and hope he develops quickly. Or Seattle could attempt to do what Mike Holmgren did and trade for a promising looking quarterback talent stuck behind an entrenched veteran. Vetting that list is a lengthy process, but before we cannibalize too much of the offseason, let's brainstorm names to target.

Erik Ainge: Ainge was suspended for steroid use and that put a black mark on an already fringe prospect. I've always liked Ainge from a pure prospect standpoint. He was a four-year starter on a rather miserable Vols team that improved steadily from his freshman season. Ainge is 6'6" and a pure pocket passer. He was once considered a very good college prospect after shredding the PNW at Glencoe. Ainge is heavy with intangible red flags, but those flags may have little substance.

Brady Quinn: Quinn is a sack machine and well on his way to full bust status. His raw passing stats don't look bad, but he still has the sheen of quarterback prospect and that could make him expensive. There's little reason to think he'll shake the sacks that have plagued him for his entire career. Seattle could acquire him but they'll pay too much for a prospect never as good as many, including myself, thought he was.

Kevin Kolb: Kolb would have been a fine and dandy addition until he knuckle-slapped Kansas City and put himself into Matt Schaub country. Houston exchanged two second-round picks for Schaub and moved down two places in the first round. That is a lot to give for an unproven prospect, but it has worked for the Texans as Schaub has proven capable of top-ten production. Schaub has a slightly better scouting profile than Kolb, but never attained Kolb's regular season heights before being traded. It might take up to or even including one of Seattle's first round picks to swing a deal with Philadelphia, but it might just be worth it.

Brian Brohm: Brohm has faded as fast as any elite quarterback prospect in recent memory. He isn't controversial or speculated over. Brohm is buried. He was compared to Drew Brees by NFL Draft Scout and looked like Brees in college, completing a high percentage of throws and carrying a Louisville offense almost bereft of pro talent. The best receiver he played with was Harry Douglas, now a Falcon. The only other notable pro talent is Michael Bush and Bush missed most of Brohm's career.

Brohm sits on Green Bay's practice squad. Seattle could acquire Brohm simply by signing him to their 53 man roster. He could displace Mike Gibson, Mansfield Wrotto, rarely used and practice squad eligible Cameron Morrah or even Mike Teel. I try not to stump for everything I believe, but this one confounds me. Unless Brohm hides razor blades in Halloween apples, no team with a quarterback need should think twice about adding him and figuring out his potential for themselves.

And that is about it. Seattle could inquire about Jim Sorgi, but Sorgi is already 28. Quarterback is the most essential single position perhaps in all of sport. A great one like Peyton Manning can make his team a perennial contender. Teams that lack a quarterback must conceive farfetched plans that lead from failure to postponed failure. This need is overdue and my tenuous faith in Tim Ruskell is tested each offseason he ignores it. It is time Seattle becomes aggressive about finding the successor to Matt Hasselbeck, because no one wants to see the Seneca Wallace Plan enacted.

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: Is Our Offense Too Predictable?

tlozwarlock — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:15:18 -0000

Consider this a sort of Falcoholic Fireside Chat. Dave and I have been wanting to do a collaborative post since he signed me onto the roster. Finally, it's here. I didn't exactly know what to call it, so I stuck with Dave's standby discussion post title. Chime in below with comments on how wrong we are if you wish. If you like this type of feature, I'm sure I can wrangle Dave for some more football talk in the future. Oh, and if anyone knows what to call this, suggest away!

tlozwarlock (tloz): I'm thinking we're way too predictable on offense. Despite the sad flea flicker attempt during the Dallas game, we just ran the ball, twice, with Turner, and then threw on third and long. Oh, and Matt will be throwing to Gonzo or White. Outside of that, there's no variety, no pinnache, no "haha, fooled you" with our plays. We know that they know that we are going to run the ball with Turner. Why not give it to Snelling? We saw how well that worked. We know that they know that we will put Jenkins in the slot. Why NOT make it Weems instead? Variety is the spice of life, and honestly, the key to winning after our opponents already have weeks of tape on our stoic, flaccid offense.

Dave the Falconer (DTF): Way too predictable? I'd argue we're trying too hard to not to let defenses lock in on us, frankly.

Think about it this way. The no-huddle offense has been by far our most successful gambit in this young season, as the Falcons have chewed up yardage and been mostly unstoppable while using it. Despite that, the coaching staff seems to forget about it for long stretches of each game. What we get instead is two runs up the middle with Turner, an errant throw from Matt Ryan and a booming punt from Michael Koenen.

Can you chalk some of that up to our play-calling being too predictable, too vanilla? Sure can. But it's also an unwillingness to stick with what works, a need to outsmart the opponent, that keeps putting us in this mess.

tloz: Precisely. Every defense in the NFL knows we're just going to run the ball twice and then get third and long. I mean, really, after we get a great, UNIQUE tempo-changing drive, we just quit, go back to old game plan from Detroit and Kansas City from last year. It's taking lacidasical to a new high. We just seem to give up after we score. We have to consistently adjust and consistently throw in that no huddle, that ominous line shift on a passing play, that scary "holy crap, Gonzo's lined up as a FullBack!?!?!?!" formation stuff in order to fool our opponents into submission.

We just are not calling aggressive, winning plays right now. It's sickening.

DTF: Now we're getting somewhere. Aggressive calls are exactly what this offense ordered, whether the defense expects them or not. Why not dump it to Snelling in the flats and let him run on first down? Why not take a big strike to Roddy White? Hell, why not throw the ball to Jonathan Babineaux? I don't care what it takes, really, as long as the team is pushing the envelope constantly.

And let's get back to the no-huddle. Gives teams little to no time to prepare for what we're up to next.

tloz: The offensive gameplan should be this:

Throw the ball on first down, preferably a dink-dunk that nets maybe five yards. If they've got 8 in the box expecting the run (and why shouldn't they?) and Snelling/White/Norwood (in best cast scenario) have the ball? Big gain. We saw it last year with a dump to Norwood that went for forty yards and a score.

Run on second down. If we have 2nd and 5, we can afford to sniff how Turner penetrates. That'll still leave us with enough space to get the first down with

An over-the-middle to Gonzo/Jenks/Peele/Finn.

And then, as the defense slacks off, ram it down their throats. Turner is obviously slower this year off the ball, be it by injury or tougher defense. Regardless, if we don't push the defense back with solid short passes, we have no ability to get Turner through the gaps. Once Turner gets going, he's a tank: hard to take down. But it's hard to run over someone if you're just getting your engine revved.

And another thing: the whole flea flicker thing? Run it when they have eight in the box, not when they're giving a soft zone...

Regardless, the offensive gameplan has, thus far, been

"1. Do what worked last year. and 2. Give it to Turner."

That's going to have to change, especially with emerging bright spots in Snelling and Weems. Remember how Harry Douglas got his big break? That's right, returning kicks. Now it's Weems' turn. If we keep both HD and Weems next year, opposing defenses will need to watch every single corner of the field.

DTF: That's a gameplan I can get behind. A different take on Turner's struggles would be that our offensive planning isn't putting him in a position to succeed, and forcing the opposing team to account for the pass earlier would open that up. I guess that plays headlong into the predictability argument, but gosh darn it, I think it might just work!

Execution is still the most critical piece. We can call all the right plays, but if the line isn't blocking well or whatever else, we're not going to make anything happen.

The Emergence Of Eric Weems

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:00:53 -0000

Normally we'd have a Saturday news roundup, but since there's no game we're going to narrow the focus to what would have been a single one of those items. Let no man say I cannot focus, even if ooo shiny.

Eric Weems clawed his way into a roster spot and a special teams return role after Harry Douglas was broken in twain in the pre-season, and it's his play in that role that's beginning to really draw a lot of attention. Special teams does tend to get lost in the shuffle in the face of our talented offense (who underperformed for one week only, one hopes) and our Jekyll and Hyde defense, but as Michael Koenen and Jason Elam proved last year, they can play an absolutely critical role in determining how the team's going to do. Koenen provided a lot of teams with terrible field position in 2008, a perfect fit for a defense that rarely was able to prevent a march most of the way down the field.

Weems brings something a little different to the table. When I watched him against the Patriots last week, I was struck by how explosive he looked returning the ball. It's early yet, but he's averaging 27 yards on kick returns and over 10 yards on punt returns. That's good for sixth in the league in kick return yardage, behind guys like Minnesota's Percy Harvin, who took one from coast to coast last weekend. Compare that to well-known special teams ace Jerious Norwood, who may be playing his last year with the Falcons and carried a 25.7 average per kick return last year, and it's easy to see why Weems is valuable. He's cheap, he plays well and he runs damn hard.

With his value set once the ball's in the air, I'd really love to see what the fast and shifty Weems could do in the receiving game. Teams are going to increasingly aim to take Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White out of games, and when they do, other receivers have to step up. Michael Jenkins, Marty Booker and Brian Finneran all offer excellent hands but not blazing speed, so if Weems can catch a little too he'd add another dimension to the passing game. I do think our offensive lethargy against the Patriots was a fluke, nothing more, but it never hurts to have more options.

What do you expect from Mr. Weems?

Observations from Section 326: Week 1

tlozwarlock — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:24:09 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

This, Falcoholics, is an example of "pass interference." One of the many non-calls made by the seemingly pro-Miami referees. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

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I write this in awe; total and complete awe. On Saturday my greatest worry was our defense. Today, my greatest worry wears black and gold. "Who dat?" indeed. After you read the game notes, follow the jump for a fireside story full of Falcons and more Falcons. For now, on to the game notes.

So sayeth Dave el Falconer: "We've secretly replaced the Atlanta Falcons defense with a team of powerful cyborgs from the future. Let's see if fans notice." Truer words, my dear Falcoholics, have never been spoken. 4 turnovers. 4 sacks. 2+2, IV, four. In one game. This ain't your daddy's Falcons defense. This isn't even the defense we had last year. What a brilliant, brilliant showing today.
If John Abraham is "The Predator" then Kroy Biermann is "Alien." Holy cripes. Two sacks, great spelling work for Abe, and he managed to make special team tackles. The next great Falcon nick name? Beer Man!
Either Peterson hits hard or Forsano shall forever be known as "butterfingers." The rationalist in me says "a bit of both" but the fan in me says "Peterson's a brick wall with wheels."
Williams has been with the team all of five days. He comes in day one and scoops up a fumble. You have to hand it to our Comrade and Smitty; they can surely pick 'em.
Domination is a good word. We kept Miami scoreless for 56:39. Fifty-six minutes and thirty-nine seconds of game time.
Matt Ryan was a bit rusty in the first half, over-throwing and making iffy reads. But he settled down...
Elam was a relative rust-bucket, ruining my fantasy team's chances with a 2/4 FG mark and a missed extra point. I don't know if he was thinking about the plot of his next book or trying to get rid of a hangover. Whatever it was, I hope it gets fixed.
Tony Gonzalez, as we have well established, was a fantastic move. Today, he proved that by grabbing just about everything that came his way. That touchdown catch+run in the third quarter was a lovely piece of work. Here's the formula for those not keeping up: Pro Bowl TE + Franchise QB + Reliable Runner + Stout Defense = Success.
The Dolphins had Turner's number all game long, at least until the last drive. Turner could just about smell the endzone. I suppose the Dolphin D had given up or had simply been brutalized so much they couldn't continue to contain the Burner. Regardless...
I really wish the team had piled on another score with a minute fifty left, especially considering that, were Elam's kicks all good, we would have been up 26-7 anyway. Maybe I'm just saying that because I desperately wanted my fantasy running back to score today. Or maybe I'm just one of those mean guys in Madden who runs up scores. I guess that's why I'm here and Coach Smith is stalking the sideline and calling the shots.
Don't know what was up with the refs, but they missed at least two very obvious pass interference calls. And then they allowed a Dolphin receiver to "catch" a ball with his thighs and butt after the nose of the ball hit the ground. Fabulous work, guys.

Thanks to Falcons New Media Director Dan Levak for making this story happen. Thanks Dan!

MentallyMIA and I arrived at Gate E a tad bit early to pick up pregame sideline passes. Once we had them, Dan led us towards the field. On the way, the following occurred:

"Hey Dan," someone exclaims from behind the three of us.

Dan looks around. "Hey Thomas!"

MentallyMIA and I turn around.

"Hey! How're you guys doing?" asks the gentleman as he steps in line with us.

"Buh, uh...*silence*" replies MentiallyMIA.

I lose it for a moment, the recognition of the face staring back at me slow to travel from my eyes to my brain. I finally manage a smile and a slightly distant "I'm doing well, Mr. Dimitroff."

And then the Comrade jogged forward and entered the locker room with what seemed to be a knowing smile on his face. Perhaps, even then, two hours before the game, he knew of the upcoming domination of the Fish.

A few moments later, Mental and I were on the field, crossing that mythic yellow-dashed no-zone. Harvey Dahl, standing ten feet tall and just about as wide, shot a wave at me. I cowered for a moment before nodding in his general direction, making sure to quickly break eye contact. As we made our way across the Falcons bench, Dan explained the equipment and how everything on the sideline was done, from the headsets to the play-by-play snapshot maker.

Once settled in our sideline "area," we chewed the fat with Dan a while and started snapping off pictures. I managed to catch this with my camera before actually seeing it:

That, ladies and gentlemen, is Harry Douglas 5 days after having invasive knee surgery. With a very slight favor to the injured leg, HD scooted in front of us. Mental, being the gungho soldier he is, called out "That knee looks fine!" Harry turned around, pointed at James, and nodded. "Just had surgery on it Tuesday! It's feelin' good man! Can't wait to get back out there." I pointed right back at him, "Neither can we, but we want you healthy!"

Once 12:30 rolled around, Mental and I made it back to our seats and enjoyed one heck of a game.

Eric Weems Pushing Hard For A Roster Spot

Dave the Falconer — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:00:21 -0000

via alt.coxnewsweb.com

You may have noticed a trend around here. With the starters locked in at many offensive positions, some of the most interesting battles are occurring lower on the depth chart, so that is where my baleful eye has fallen. Today, I thought we'd examine a guy who I've mostly dismissed as a factor for a wide receiver roster spot, but can do so no longer.

I refer, of course, to one Eric Weems.

A little background. Weems has been with the Falcons in some capacity the last two years, exclusively as a practice squadder in 2007, and offers some clear value on special teams. He might be doomed to the cut list this season if not for the crushing injury to Harry Douglas, but with him gone the agile Weems is making a real push to assume punt return duties and perhaps more:

"I've been taking advantage of my opportunity because if one guy goes down, another guy has to step up," Weems said. "I've been trying to work hard every day catching punts before and after practice."

Glaring spelling errors in that article aside, "Weeks" looked pretty good in the first pre-season game. It doesn't hurt that he's actually relatively sure-handed for a guy you'd be carrying as a fifth or sixth receiver at best, and if given the opportunity to make the roster he'll likely only have unproven players and average veterans in front of him. This is Weems' one and perhaps only chance to captialize on this, so it's little surprise to see him working his tail off.

His primary competition for a return job and roster spot would seem to be Chandler Williams, who was solid in his own right and like Weems is trying to prove his worth on special teams. The deciding factor here could be what the two offer as a wide receiver, and if it comes down to that, I do believe Weems offers more value.

Where do you stand on Weems, Chandler Williams and the roster spot battle of aught-nine?

Poll

Who has a better chance of making this roster?

Eric Weems

131 votes

Chandler Williams

17 votes

Someone signed at the last second

18 votes

tlozwarlock

19 votes

185 votes | Poll has closed

Pre-Season Open Thread: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:00:12 -0000

via cdn.picapp.com

My fingers are tingling as I type this, because football is back! At long last, things like work, life and the love of family and friends can fade into the background where it belongs.

I can't wait any longer, so I see no reason why you should. Let's jump into our first (technically meaningless) game of the pre-season.

Who? Our beloved Atlanta Falcons against the scurvy Detroit Lions

Where? Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Weather? Sunny with a high of 86 degrees, and a likely Falcon victory forecast.

Fun Fact? Let's go multiple fun facts, shall we? Last year, the Lions were the team the Falcons feasted on in week 1, when Matt Ryan threw a dart on his very first career pass into the end zone. This is also a great opportunity to look at some camp battles in action, according to Atlanta Falcons Examiner.

Injuries? Biggest one is obviously to Harry Douglas, which will keep him out for the season. Otherwise, the roster is reasonably healthy, and there's plenty of guys competing for a shot at a roster spot.

Odds? It's the pre-season. If you're betting on these games, you have a gambling problem. There. I said it.

Foe? Check out the excellent Lions coverage over at Pride of Detroit, SB Nation's Detroit football blog. Well worth the read, in my opinion, and this is a Lions team that has a lot of reasons to be optimistic.

GO FALCONS! Let's take all nine lives!

Roddy White Signs $50 Million Deal, Ends Holdout

Dave the Falconer — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:00:16 -0000

via i.a.cnn.net

A big hat tip to those of you (like mcboyt and ca$hmere) who were all over this news last night, but Roddy White has inked a $50 million deal that will guarantee him $18.6 million over six years.

Obviously, this was a deal that had to get done so we could have our best receiver in camp, particularly after we lost Harry Douglas for the year and our depth took an enormous hit. While the length of the contract is pretty staggering, White's still quite young and the guaranteed money involved is nothing that's going to break the bank. If Roddy puts up huge numbers and racks up bonuses like it's going out of style, I don't think any of us are going to mind paying him. I'll chip in ten bucks myself.

This also ends what could have been a long and acrimonious process between the team and White, something I worried about increasingly as the week wore on. Setting a precedent for this kind of situation in the future was critical, and despite the enormous leverage the receiver had when the injury bug bit Douglas, it's really not a terrible deal. In short, everybody at least sort of won, which is the best kind of victory you can hope for.

Now that White's in camp, he'll resume his spot atop the depth chart, which leaves the Falcons to shake out things at the lower levels. Our starters on offense remain potent and now that Roddy's got his new deal and has Tony Gonzalez to take some pressure off of him, he should be primed for an enormous year. Something north of 60 catches, 1,000 yards and seven TDs wouldn't be unreasonable.

As you can probably tell, I'm just relieved this situation is over. How are you feeling about the deal, and what kind of numbers do you think Roddy White will put up this season?

Poll

Is Roddy White's contract worth its weight in gold?

Yes, he's an elite receiver

184 votes

Maybe, we'll see how this plays out

187 votes

No, he's not worth that amount of cash

69 votes

Word, followed by more words

22 votes

462 votes | Poll has closed

With Injuries, What Roles Will Newly Signed Receivers Fill?

Dave the Falconer — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:00:12 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Matt Ryan's options got a little bit thinner this week. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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I can't possibly do any wailing and gnashing of teeth that will add anything new to the discussion, so I'll just send my well-wishes along to Harry Douglas. Here's hoping he's back on the field in 2010 healthy and ready to make a difference, and I'll be wishing fervently that his recovery goes swiftly.

The impact here, of course, is that we instantly lose a dynamic return man and an up-and-coming wide receiver. Roddy White will get to camp at some point, but replacing Douglas in the slot could be a real challenge for the Falcons. In an effort to address the receiver concerns, the team went out and grabbed veterans Marty Booker and Robert Ferguson.

Here's what you need to know about both of them, in a very condensed form. Neither is a major factor at this point, and the Falcons would be much better off bumping Finneran into the slot and carrying young guys than counting on either to contribute in a meaningful way this year. Ouch, right?

We'll tackle Booker first. He did some real damage as recently as 2007, when he hauled in 50 passes, and in 2006 he hauled in six touchdowns. Last season he started five games for the Chicago Bears and snagged only 14 passes. At 33 years old, he could provide some value as a fourth receiver who can spell Finn in the slot and Jenkins outside if need be. If one of these two guys is going to make the team, let it be Booker, I say. He is, however, a complete non-factor on special teams, which negates his value somewhat.

Next up is Ferguson, whose dossier is not as impressive. In 2007 he grabbed 32 passes, which was off his career high by only six, and the guy has only 13 touchdowns in eight NFL season. As a fifth receiver you could justify carrying him, if not for the fact that we have young receivers like Aaron Kelly or Darren Mougey who have infinitely more potential. Ferguson's true value could be as a returner; he hasn't performed in that role since 2006, but was plenty capable during his time with the Green Bay Packers in that role.

Basically, the best choice for the Falcons would be to combine the two and create a Robert Booker or a Marty Ferguson, a guy who could offer modest pass-catching ability and some special teams value. Because that's simply not going to happen, the team needs to decide whether it's going to miss what Douglas could offer on offense or special teams more, and I have a feeling it's going to lean heavily in favor of special teams. If that's the case, look for Ferguson to win a job and Booker to move on to another team. If Troy Bergeron can offer that special teams value, though, I'd feel much more comfortable with Booker on the depth chart.

Ideally, we would carry these receivers this year:

Roddy White
Michael Jenkins
Brian Finneran
Marty Booker
Aaron Kelly
Troy Bergeron

In a perfect world, that would leave Mougey or another young receiver on the practice squad. That depth chart certainly doesn't look as nice as it would if Douglas was still around, but with Tony Gonzalez on the roster and a strong running game, the Falcons can probably get by with it. I'm not going to say that seeing Finn in the slot doesn't make me a little nervous at this stage of his career.

How about you guys? Who do you think will make the roster, and what do you think of the signings?

2009 Schedule Preview: Week 8 and 14 vs. Atlanta Falcons

Saintsational — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:00:10 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

4 months ago: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan gives instructions to a receiver during their NFL football training camp, Mon., August 3, 2009, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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In case you thought I'd forgotten about our schedule preview series...think again. There just hasn't been enough time to fit one in with so much other action going on in training camp. But when I start something, I finish it. Usually. So here we go again with another preview of a 2009 Saints opponent and this time we're talkin' bout the dirty birds. Instead of putting together a scouting report myself, I've decided to bring in a special guest and the foremost authority on the subject, fellow Falcons blogger Dave the Falconer [cue bird screech] of The Falcoholic. It's been so long since DTF has stopped by and I know you all crush on him hardcore. Here is what he had to say about everyones least favorite team.

Falcons Offense

Just like nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, nobody saw the Falcons' offense taking off quite like it did in 2008.

With Matt Ryan providing a calm hand to guide the ship and Michael Turner chewing up yardage like the second coming of Pacman, the Falcons went from being a solid offense in 2007 to a force of nature the next year. WR Roddy White deserves a big chunk of the credit for the turnaround, as he provided the young QB a steady target. Stalwart blocker and decent receiver Michael Jenkins and dynamic slot receiver Harry Douglas rounded out an offense that got a lot done despite lacking a true tight end.

In 2009, all those pieces will return, plus future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez at tight end. He'll provide a security blanket for Ryan, whose numbers will likely be boosted with a true second option in the passing game. The Falcons have promised to cut Turner's carries, but that should mean more touches for home run hitter Jerious Norwood and whoever sits below him on the depth chart. With a healthy, tough offensive line that gained a future run-blocking stud right tackle in Garrett Reynolds, this offense should be considered Top 10.

For the Saints, it's going to take very tough defense to stop a balanced attack like the Falcons'. Stopping Michael Turner was a huge piece of any team's gameplan last year, but in 2009 White and Gonzo will give Ryan a much better chance of weathering the storm when he's asked to air it out. Rattling Ryan would go a long way if the Saints can muster up a pass rush capable of doing so, but the key here is disruption.

Falcons Defense

The Falcons tuned up a lackluster defense with a strong draft, but the D will still be a giant question mark in 2009.

The key additions are DT Peria Jerry, a pass-rushing defensive tackle with great strength who ought to immediately upgrade the wince-worthy attack the front seven brought last year. Joining him are veterans John Abraham, a veritable sacking automaton, and some combination of space-eating tackle Trey Lewis and versatile tackle Jonathan Babineaux. The true weakness here might be on Abraham's other side, where so-far-bustworthy Jamaal Anderson and solid end Chauncey Davis will compete for snaps.

In the linebacking corps, emerging second year man Curtis Lofton will be flanked by veteran Mike Peterson, who is re-uniting with Mike Smith. He and Jamie Winborn, the potential other starter, are both sure tacklers who don't offer a ton of big play potential. The hope here in Atlanta is that Stephen Nicholas, who has a motor and good instincts, can seize the job from Winborn and prove a disruptive force.

The secondary remains a work in progress. Beyond Chris Houston at CB and Erik Coleman at FS, this team is just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Rookie William "C4" Moore is a huge hitter who will do wonders against the run if he gets the nod at strong safety, and he may prove to be a stabilizing force in the secondary. The second corner competition is up for grabs among Chevis Jackson (arguably the team's second best cover corner), Brent Grimes (a freakish athlete), Von Hutchins (a land barton and veteran corner), and rookies Chris Owens and William Middleton. It's a very young defense overall, and the real question is whether or not it can gel.

Against a potent offense like the Saints', the Falcons are going to have some trouble. I think that's inevitable. This is a deeper defense with more youth than last year, so there is a better chance that they'll be able to muster a game-changing big play or two. When you compare these two teams, though, it's pretty obvious that there's two strong offense and two average defense going up against one another. In 2009, that should be good for a couple of coronary-inducing shootouts, I would say.

Falcons 2008 Season

11-5 Record

Last Meeting

December 7th, 2008

Week 14	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Falcons	0	14	3	8	--	25
Saints	7	9	0	13	--	29

Why the Saints Can Win

I don't like the Falcons.

Why the Saints Can Lose

Because the Falcons are actually pretty good now.

Prediction

Split. Atlanta wins one and New Orleans wins one.

Newly Acquired

TE Tony Gonzalez

C Brett Romberg

LB Mike Peterson

OLB Jamie Winborn

OL Adam Speer

2009 Draft Class

DT Peria Jerry

SS William Moore

CB Christopher Owens

DE Lawrence Sidbury

CB William Middleton

OT Garrett Reynolds

OLB Spencer Adkins

DT Vance Walker

Key Losses

QB Michael Vick

WR Laurent Robinson

OT Wayne Gandy

C Jeremy Newberry

C Alex Stepanovich

DE/DT Simon Fraser

DT Grady Jackson

DT Rod Coleman

OLB Michael Boley

OLB Keith Brooking

CB Domonique Foxworth

CB David Irons

SS Lawyer Milloy

OL Jeremy Newberry

Linkage

The Falcoholic

SB Nation Falcons Coverage

Falcons @ Saints Game Coverage

Saints @ Falcons Game Coverage

Atlanta Falcons Roster

Atlanta Falcons Transactions

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: So, What Now?

tlozwarlock — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:00:29 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Douglas played extremely hard the past week of camp and it may have cost him his season.

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Disaster has, it seems, struck the Falcons only a few short days into training camp. Yesterday afternoon, Harry Douglas fell to the ground and did not get back up. Even when helped to his feet by a teammate, it is reported that HD fell back down. That alone made my heart sink, for I knew then it was a serious, possibly season ending injury. Rumors then surfaced via ESPN Analyst Adam Schefter's (@Adam_Schefter) Twitter account that HD is gone for the entire season with a torn ACL. While that rumor has yet to be confirmed, I think Harry's inability to leave the practice field on his own two legs should be evidence enough that we've lost what we all expected to be a key player in this season's receiving and returning corps.

It's definitely not time to break out the black arm bands and begin bemoaning this season a lost cause. I am not, however, about to kid myself that everything is just peachy keen. White continues his holdout for a new contract. I applaud his efforts to get a larger paycheck, but not having him at training camp is disheartening. I'd rather see him preparing for the season than fighting over more money .

With both White and a promising Harry Douglas missing camp, who do the Falcons turn to now? The Atlanta Falcons organization as a whole seems high with an apparently rejuvenated (and bionic-kneed) Brian Finneran. Finn will certainly see a lot more first team drills in the next few days. Michael Jenkins, key ingredient to our last second win over Chicago last year, will also likely be lining up in a different spot in the coming weeks.

Finn and Jenkins give us two solid, experienced receivers for Matty Ice to throw to in camp, but who'll be waiting in the wings for their shots at glory? As reported yesterday, we've let go of WR Dicky Lyons within twenty-four hours of signing him. Aaron Kelly, Eric Weems, Troy Bergeron, Chandler Williams, Darren Moughey, and Bradon Godfrey will all be fighting for a chance to see a first team route or two now that HD is (likely) down. Weems saw a tiny bit of action last year, so that gives him a bit of a feather in his helmet, so to speak.

The question remains: What now? Do we pray for an epiphany with a rookie or peruse the FA market and take a risk on a proven, but one-and-done veteran? Does this loss mean that Tony G will inevitably see more receptions than previously expected? What say you, dear readers?

Poll

Should we be worried now that HD is likely gone?

Yes!

231 votes

No!

98 votes

Spaghettios!

47 votes

376 votes | Poll has closed