Dolphins at Falcons discussion

[buckeye242424]

He certainly didn't have much in the way of a running back or WR's to throw to at Michigan.

Hey I know how you feel, The U just got their revenge on the Semi-holes the other night in a classic game and I'm finally excited about college football again now that we're nearly back. I hope to see USC lose although I'm not an OSU fan either since we had our national title stolen years ago by them!

It's not that the talent wasn't there at Michigan, they just were/are being out coached. Too bad Tressel doesn't have the same success with anyone outside the conference.

2002, even though that long ago, is the bar in which OSU is measured. I admit, Miami should have claimed that title....but it is what it is. I'm just glad I could witness a Championship in my lifetime. Who knows when that will happen again....if ever.

Screw USC. hahaha, 105,000 will be drunk and ready to rumble!!!! That being said...if I had to bet money, which I do, USC covers the 7 pt. spread....as much as it pains me. Pryor might need to run for 150 yards and throw for 250 for the Bucks to have a chance....

[jy23]

It's not that the talent wasn't there at Michigan, they just were/are being out coached. Too bad Tressel doesn't have the same success with anyone outside the conference.

2002, even though that long ago, is the bar in which OSU is measured. I admit, Miami should have claimed that title....but it is what it is. I'm just glad I could witness a Championship in my lifetime. Who knows when that will happen again....if ever.

Screw USC. hahaha, 105,000 will be drunk and ready to rumble!!!! That being said...if I had to bet money, which I do, USC covers the 7 pt. spread....as much as it pains me. Pryor might need to run for 150 yards and throw for 250 for the Bucks to have a chance....

Got that right, USC is going to run away with this one.

[Admin]

It's not that the talent wasn't there at Michigan, they just were/are being out coached. Too bad Tressel doesn't have the same success with anyone outside the conference.

2002, even though that long ago, is the bar in which OSU is measured. I admit, Miami should have claimed that title....but it is what it is. I'm just glad I could witness a Championship in my lifetime. Who knows when that will happen again....if ever.

Screw USC. hahaha, 105,000 will be drunk and ready to rumble!!!! That being said...if I had to bet money, which I do, USC covers the 7 pt. spread....as much as it pains me. Pryor might need to run for 150 yards and throw for 250 for the Bucks to have a chance....

Man you just got my respect big time for admitting that Miami should have won that title. And yeah Tressel is a heck of a coach.

[Admin]

Wow the AJC predicts that the Dolphins will win 34 - 27. Again I doubt that many points will be scored but I'm surprised that they pick the Falcons to lose at home.

Season Prediction Competition and Birds-Fins Preview Part One

10:53 pm September 8, 2009, by Dawson Devitt (D3)

It's finally here: 2009 Atlanta Falcons Football. We're now hours away from teeing it up in the Terror-Dome against the Miami Dolphins for real. The long, suffering wait at last will come to an end on Sunday @ 1pm. This game is one of the biggest of the opening weekend, pitting two of the best turnaround teams from last year. The Falcons went from 4-12 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008 and making the playoffs. The Dolphins completed an even bigger turnaround going from a lowly 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008 and winning the AFC East. This one has a lot more implications than simply being an opener.

2008 AFC East Champ

Big Omen, One Way or Another

Every single game in the National Football League is huge because you never know what it might take to get in the playoffs and which game could be the deciding factor. Although this game doesn't have any inter-division implications, it's a big test for both franchises to show that last year was no fluke and that they belong in the discussion with the top teams in the NFL. This will certainly be a big omen for the Falcons, one way or another. If the Falcons are victorious against the Dolphins on Sunday, it bodes well for the brutal run of next two games including at home against the Panthers and hitting the road to Foxboro to play the hated Patriots. It would be ridiculous to say that the first game of the season is a must win game, but it will give a good likely sign of what's to come, because the Falcons face one of the hardest schedules in the NFL and many games will not get too awful much easier. With a win, the possibilities of 12-4, 11-5, or 10-6 become likely, but a loss would make that road much, much more difficult.

Coaching

This game will feature two of the better coached teams in the NFL. Mike Smith barely edged out Tony Sparano in the Coach of the Year award last year. The two men did a magnificent job of turning around two franchises in dire straits. Coach Smith helped fans forget about the MV debacle and the Bobby Prictrino cowardly midnight jolt, and Coach Sparano helped Dolphin fans forget that they were one game away from going 0-16. Both coaches came in with a gameplan and meshed with a new GM that set out to completely alter the franchise towards a more grounded, long-term approach. Both coaches do an excellent job of preparing their respective teams week in and week out.

Off-Season Transactions

Falcons

Free Agency/Trade – Tony Gonzalez, Mike Peterson, Brian Williams, Tye Hill

Draft – Peria Jerry, William Moore, Chris Owens, Lawrence Sidbury

Losses – Dominique Foxworth, Grady Jackson, Keith Brooking, Lawyer Milloy, Michael Boley, Harry Douglas (IR)

How Much Pat White will the Falcons See?

Dolphins

Free Agency/Trade – Gibril Wilson, Eric Green, Jason Taylor

Draft – Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, Pat White

Losses – Derek Smith, Renaldo Hill, Vonnie Holiday, Matt Roth(IR)

Atlanta Falcons Season Prediction Friendly Competition

And now for the Big Competition of the Year: time to put on your prediction hat and prognosticate how the Falcons season will play out, game by game. Predictions will be kept on hard drive, scored from week to week, and standings will be updated. No need to guess the final score, except for the first game: Falcons-Dolphins for tie-breaking purposes. In event of likely ties, Cage members with more direct hits (choosing wins-losses against correct opponents) will be first tie-breaker and Falcons-Dolphins score will be second tie-breaker. Only rule is to post it on this topic, or the Big Game preview post coming Friday before noon on Sunday. Do your best to forecast how the Birds will pan out this year and be named King of the Bird Cage after the final whistle blows against the Bucs on January 3rd, 2010. Here's my attempt:

Falcons vs. Dolphins – Loss (Falcons 27, Dolphins 34)

Tough, hard fought game until the end. Late field goal puts Dolphins ahead for good and they claim the W.

[Admin]

ESPN's Madden 10 simulation is much more along the lines of what I'm expecting than some of the predictions I've read on here. Click the link to see the full box score.

http://espn.go.com/v...2010?id=4462540

Falcons edge Dolphins in Week 1 thriller

In one of the most exciting games of Week 1, Matt Ryan of the Falcons threw three touchdown passes to lead Atlanta to a 21-19 win over Miami.

The Falcons actually jumped out to a comfortable 14-3 lead at the half, but then the Dolphins started hitting their stride in the third quarter thanks to a safety and a Ricky Williams touchdown run.

But when Ryan hit Michael Turner out of the backfield for a 39-yard score midway through the fourth, the Falcons had just enough points to fend off any further comeback attempts by Ronnie Brown and the Miami offense.

[DrReality]

Falcons' keys vs. Dolphins

Game guide: Ways to win, what to watch and key matchupsThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Falcons will win if . . .

The secondary is not scorched: The team is clearly skittish about the crew and made deals to fortify the unit. Look for newly acquired Brian Williams to get some action.

Their running game works: Falcons running back Michael Turner (right), coming off a 1,699-yard season, should be able to find some running room against the Dolphins’ 3-4 defense.

They get Pennington off his mark: Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he is mighty accurate. He’ll find the holes in the secondary if not put under duress from the pass rush.

Five things to watch

1. Stopping the Wildcat: Miami’s Wildcat offense took the league by storm last season with running back Ronnie Brown at the controls. He was effective running and passing out of the shotgun formation. Miami coach Tony Sparano had hoped only to spark his offense after an 0-2 start, not create a league-wide firestorm.

The Falcons have played the run well in the preseason, but might be susceptible to the pass out of the Wildcat.

“They hurt a lot of teams with it last year,” safety Erik Coleman said. “It’s very difficult.”

Accounting for the quarterback — Brown — is the key to controlling the formation.

“I don’t know if there is a secret to stopping it,” Coleman said. “You just have to get 11 guys to the ball and be aware of it.”

2. Matt Ryan against Miami strong safety Yeremiah Bell: Everyone knows about Miami’s outside linebackers Jason Taylor and Joey Porter, but some contend the heart and soul of the unit is hard-charging safety Yeremiah Bell.

He was the Dolphins’ leading tackler last season and was rewarded in the offseason with a four-year, $20-million contract.

“Yeremiah Bell does a really good job,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “He’s a physical player.”

Bell will come up in run support, but also has improved in coverage.

“That’s pretty impressive when you see that from safeties who are good in run support,” Ryan said. “I’ve been impressed with him, we are definitely going to need to know where he’s at.”

3. The turnover ratio: The Dolphins lead the league in turnover-ratio (plus-17) with an opportunistic defense last season.

The Dolphins had 18 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. They forced 17 fumbles overall.

There is a stark contrast in the two units. The Falcons had only 10 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries, but are replacing five starters from last season.

Over the offseason, the Falcons’ plan was to get faster and more aggressive on defense in part to create more turnovers and generally cause more havoc.

The Dolphins also took care of the ball on offense last season. They had only 13 turnovers (six fumbles, seven interceptions).

This is certainly the key stat to keep track of during the game.

4. Controlling the edge: Jason Taylor and Bill Parcells have kissed and made up. Miami re-signed the longtime Dolphin after a year in exile with the Washington Redskins.

He will line up in the 
3-4 as an outside linebacker opposite Joey Porter. Taylor and Porter are outside to control the edges around the defense.

Also, in passing situations they will rush the passer or drop into coverage.

“As far as if they are dropping or not dropping, you try to assume that they are coming every time,” right tackle Tyson Clabo said. “You have to pass-set accordingly. Then really after that, they just turn into really great pass rushers.”

5. Will Abraham be at full speed? Falcons defensive end John Abraham set a franchise record last season with 16.5 sacks and was named second-team All-Pro.

He played sparingly during the preseason and the team revealed that he had a knee injury when the first official injury report was released Wednesday. He is expected to play, but it’s unclear how close to 100 percent he’ll be.

They Falcons spent a great part of the offseason trying to come up with a player or a committee of players to rush the passer opposite Abraham.

You’ll see Chauncey Davis, Jamaal Anderson and Kroy Biermann all line up at defensive end, depending on down and distance.

Three key matchups

Falcons middle linebacker Curtis Lofton vs. Dolphins running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams: The offense is powered by the versatility of Brown. He runs, catches out of the backfield and will throw an occasional pass out of the Wildcat formation. Brown, of Cartersville High and Auburn, is coming off his best season since being selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2005 draft. Williams quietly put his once-promising career back together last season, rushing for 659 yards and catching 29 passes. Lofton enters his second season as an established starter and showed during the preseason that he was sleeker and faster. Lofton is set to stay on the field on third downs this year.

Falcons cornerbacks Chris Houston and Brent Grimes vs. Dolphins wide receivers Teddy Ginn and Davonne Bess: At 5-foot-9, Grimes struggled in the preseason against taller receivers. He’ll have better matchups against Ginn (5-11) and Bess (5-10). Some are expecting Ginn to have a breakout year after being selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2007 draft. He caught 56 passes last season and has the speed to get open deep. Grimes opened last season as the starting left cornerback. After suffering a knee sprain and missing some action, he couldn’t get Domonique Foxworth out of the starting lineup when he regained his health. He’ll need to play well and with more urgency because the Falcons have replacements waiting in the wings in recently acquired Brian Williams and Tye Hill.

Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez vs. Miami strong safety Yeremiah Bell: Gonzalez, the newest weapon in the Falcons’ offensive arsenal, will have a good matchup against the Dolphins. Gonzalez comes over after 12 years in Kansas City and is considered the greatest tight end of the modern era (with all due respect to Ozzie Newsome). At 33, he still can catch and can get open down the seam. Bell is coming into his own as strong safety, and he’s not going to back down from the challenge. He worked in a steel mill after high school for two years before deciding to walk on at Eastern Kentucky.

-- Compiled by staff writer 
D. Orlando Ledbetter

[DrReality]

Gumble and Dierdorff commentating the game. That's a change to have the first team.

Took Ryan a while to get on track but Gonzales/White made key catches for the first score.

[DrReality]

We've put enough pressure on the qb to protect our secondary (to this point). Go D line.

[jy23]

Looks like Gonzo still has Dol!!!!

[jy23]

But this Merling kid looks pretty good.

[Yubs]

Cut Elam, dude is terrible. Squandered 7 potential points for us.

[DrReality]

Cut Elam, dude is terrible. Squandered 7 potential points for us.

He looked like a college kid.

The defense on the other hand did pretty well.

[EazyRoc]

Wow. How about Mike Peterson today ? He played OUTSTANDING. I know he forced one fumble, and I want to say he was in on that other forced fumble. He got that phenomenal pick, and was flying all over the field. Babineaux played well, and so did the Falcons secondary as a whole. Biermann is starting to put things together and is playing little like Patrick Kerney. I was very impressed with the Falcon's defense. John Abraham is a beast, as usual. Matt Ryan had an OK game. He was overthrowing a lot of balls, but I think he just had the jitters this game. Gonzales still has it, and doesn't look like a middle aged man out there. Mike Turner didn't have a good statistical game, but that's not his fault. Miami's front seven was shutting him down on every run. They had multiple people on top of him as soon as he crossed the line of scrimmage. Michael Jenkins is finally starting to put it together, too. I think he's going to emerge as a very good #2 receiver this year. Mughelli is starting to show the versatility he was known for in Baltimore. I liked what I saw today, and I liked that our defense was able to gain some confidence against a inconsistent Miami offense. If our defense can continue to play solid, and our offense comes together, we will be a contender this year.

[Plainview1981]

Miami needs a new QB. Pennington might complete 70% of his passes, but they ain't going very far.

[Admin]

I have to hand it to the Falcons, that defense was terrific today and Ryan was awesome on 3rd down throughout the game. Tony Gonzalez killed the Dolphins as usual and only proved my fears about us starting 2 strong safeties. We finally put Tyrone Culver on him which slowed him down but too little too late. I am still stunned that a team who is preached the fundamentals and turned the ball over an NFL record low 13 times last season was so awful at protecting it. On the plus side that is correctable and it put the defense in a lot of positions where they came through admirably put it was an awfully painful lesson. Both teams lost points that they probably wouldn't have if it were later in the season, specifically thinking of the early overthrow to Roddy White and the Pat White overthrow to Teddy Ginn and then of course the Miami fumble at the 10 and the Falcons missed FGs and extra point. Any way you look at it though Miami got whipped today and I hope Sparano is in their ear about it all week.

[Admin]

Miami needs a new QB. Pennington might complete 70% of his passes, but they ain't going very far.

Pennington was fine but Jake Long looked like a turnstile out there and we were fumbling the ball away every other possession. I did see that Pat White has an absolute cannon on him though as he overthrew Teddy Ginn by 5 yards on the bomb which Pennington couldn't dream of doing.

[DrReality]

I was happily surprised by the defense. And I was also pleased with how they spread the ball around on offense. If they keep getting better they could do very well.

[High5]

That was a thorough beatdown. It's sucks we left so many points on the field (3 TD passes, 2 being extremely easy, and 7 points on kicks), but Ryan and Elam won't continue to miss those points. I'm just psyched the defense played so well. Granted the Dolphins are far from a great offense, but it was still nice to see.

Edited September 14, 2009 by High5

[Plainview1981]

Pennington was fine but Jake Long looked like a turnstile out there and we were fumbling the ball away every other possession. I did see that Pat White has an absolute cannon on him though as he overthrew Teddy Ginn by 5 yards on the bomb which Pennington couldn't dream of doing.

Can Pennington actually hit a WR past 12-15 yards? It doesn't look like it to me. I have nothing against the guy, but it doesn't look to me like he can stretch a defense. That really helped the Falcons today.

[DrReality]

That was a thorough beatdown. It's sucks we left so many points on the field (3 TD passes, 2 being extremely easy, and 7 points on kicks), but Ryan and Elam won't continue to miss those points. I'm just psyched the defense played so well. Granted the Dolphins are far from a great offense, but it was still nice to see.

That video of Abraham beating his man was awesome. Ran right through him. One tough dude.