Falcons’ 2008 Offense Mirrors 2001 Steelers

Atlanta Falcon’s Mike Mularkey is in his third stint as an offensive coordinator (he was also the Buffalo Bills head coach from 2004-2005), and there are some alarming trends that Falcons’ fans may want to know about.

Judging from his past stints, you shouldn’t look for Atlanta’s offense to improve.

Mularkey has usually done a good job at improving a team’s offense the first year he is with a team, but for reasons not always under his control, his teams usually rank a little lower his second second year there.

The only time he was around for a third year (as Pittsburgh‘s offensive coordinator), the Steelers’ offense dropped into the bottom of the league.

When looking at the 2008 Falcons offense, you can see a lot of similarities to the 2001 Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense that Mularkey coached.

Pittsburgh’s offense ranked third in the league that year, after having ranked 18th the year before. The Falcons offense made a similar jump from 23rd in 2007 to sixth last year.

After taking over Pittsburgh’s offense, the Steelers went from 9-7 in 2000 to 13-3 and the AFC championship game in 2001.

Mularkey helped Atlanta make an even bigger jump, going from 4-12 in 2007 to 11-5 and a playoff birth last year.

But Pittsburgh’s offense would drop from third to fifth behind injuries to their starting quarterback (anybody remember Kordell Stewart?) and running back (Jerome “The Bus” Bettis).

Their offense would then drop all the way to 22nd in Mularkey’s third season.

I also noticed something about Mularkey’s offenses that struck me as kind of odd. 

Although Mularkey is a former tight end, tight ends aren’t usually very productive in Mularkey’s system.

Out of the seven years that Mularkey has been either an offensive coordinator or a head coach, only once has a tight end has caught more than 19.

When he was offensive coordinator in Miami, TE Randy McMichael caught 62 passes that year, but was coming off seasons where he had caught 73 and 60 passes respectively.

Tight end Justin Peele caught 15 passes for Atlanta last year—after having 29 catches the previous year with Miami.

No tight end in Pittsburgh caught more than 13 passes when Mularkey was there.

Looking at Mularkey’s playing career, it’s not surprising that tight ends don’t contribute much to the passing game in his system.

As a player, the most passes Mularkey ever caught in a season was 32.

In his nine-year career he caught 20 or more passes only twice, so how he uses tight ends reflects how he was mostly utilized as a player—as blockers in both the run and pass game.

This season will represent a big adjustment for Mularkey in trying accommodate a tight end like Tony Gonzalez, who is coming off back-to-back 90-catch seasons.

Even though tight ends aren’t usually that productive, wide receivers seem to thrive in this offense.

Wide receiver Hines Ward went to his first Pro Bowl in this system, and went every year Mularkey was offensive coordinator.

Last year, wide receiver Roddy White followed suit by being selected for his first Pro Bowl in Mularkey’s initial season in Atlanta.

What allows these receivers to have such outstanding seasons is the emphasis placed on the running game.

Mularkey’s offenses have consistently produced 1,000-yard rushers like Bettis, Willis McGhee (Buffalo), Ronnie Brown (Miami), and Atlanta’s Michael Turner.

Look for Turner to play well again this year barring injury.

Turner carried the ball 376 times last year because the Falcons were able to play with a lead in most games.

Atlanta made little improvement during the offseason though, so don’t look for Turner to repeat the 1,699-yard season he had last year.

One last similarity that may scare Falcons’ fans: for all the hoopla about Matt Ryan being the long term answer at QB, his stats last year were eerily similar to Kordell Stewart’s 2001 numbers.

                  ATT/COMP       YRDS      COMP%       TD    INT      SACKS    RATING
Matt
Ryan
2008           434/265          3440yds    61.1%        16     11          17         87.7

Kordell
Stewart
2001           442/266          3109yds    60.2%        14     11           29        81.7

 
Ryan’s numbers weren’t that bad for a rookie QB. What’s troubling is the fact that Mularkey hasn’t had much success developing quarterbacks in this system.

Head coach Mike Smith has to hope that quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave will help Ryan improve.

During his NFL coaching career, Musgrave has been successful helping other quarterbacks elevate their games.

But if things stay true to form, you can expect Atlanta’s offense to drop a few notches.

If that is the case, then let’s hope that Smith can improve Atlanta’s defense the way he did Jacksonville’s because of their offense .

Roberto Garza: Unheralded Leader of the Chicago Bears’ Offensive Line

Roberto Garza has been a fixture on the offensive line for the Bears since coming over from the Atlanta Falcons in 2005. The starting right guard, Garza has become leader within the veteran unit.

That squad has drawn fire for its protection over the past few seasons and the success of the line will be crucial to the Bears with their new offense.

The gregarious Garza would make for a great feature, especially since the offensive linemen are overlooked heroes on the gridiron.

Given the chance, here is a list of questions that Garza would take during my interview.

 

2009 Offense

1. What is going to be the biggest change for the offensive line in 2009 with Jay Cutler at quarterback compared to last season with Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman?

2. The Bears finished in the middle of the pack in terms of sacks allowed last season, and that wasn’t good enough for many fans. What improvements are we going to see this season to better that mark?

3. The line is now a mix of long-time veteran starters and a number of young rookies.  What responsibility do you have to help the young players adjust to the NFL and improve the depth?

4. How much of your role now is that of a coach?

5. What is going to take to get the Bears back over the hump and into the playoffs? Back to the Super Bowl?

 

History

1. You have had the opportunity to play alongside one of the best centers in the game with Olin Kreutz. What have you learned from Kreutz during that time that has helped to improve your game?

2. In your time in the NFL, what is the memory that sticks with you?

3. What is your greatest achievement so far in your career?

4. Who was your favorite player growing up? What do you do in your career to emulate them?

5. Describe your ultimate play.

6. What goals do you have for yourself going into this season? For the remainder of your career?

Background

1. You came to the NFL from Division II.  Based on what you have learned over the past seven seasons, how different is the adjustment from Division II to the NFL as compared to Division I?

2. How prepared were you for the rigors of the NFL from your time at Texas A&M–Kingsville?

3. Is there added pressure on you to succeed being one of less than 20 Hispanic players in the NFL?

4. What will it take to increase interest in the Hispanic community and create more players?

5. You made the cover of the Madden ’09 Spanish edition. Could you describe what that meant to you, being recognized in that way?

6. Do you worry about the Madden jinx?

 

Quick Hits

In one or two words, react to the following:

1. Twitter
2. The Green Bay Packers
3. Favorite post-game meal
4. Best Mexican food in Chicago
5. Best Tex-Mex in Chicago
6. Best Texas BBQ anywhere
7. Playing for a team with a long history like the Bears

Hangtime With the NFL’s Iron Man, Jeff Feagles

Jeff Feagles is not just a punter. He is the oldest player to ever play in a Super Bowl.  He holds the record for most consecutive games played and has more punts inside the twenty yard line than any other punter in history.

He made his NFL debut with the New England Patriots back in 1988—the season the Cardinals moved from St. Louis, Missouri to Phoenix, Arizona and the San Francisco 49ers defeated MVP Boomer Esiason’s Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII.

Now, in 2009, Feagles is still dropping coffin corner punts with the best of them. Here are a few questions for the Giants’ punter.

1.  You have been playing football in the NFL for 22 seasons now; how do you keep going?

2.  Not only do you punt for the Giants, but you also hold for kicks, what is that like and do you enjoy it?

3. A few of your Giants’ teammates hail from the University of Miami, your alma-mater, and you played there almost two decades before any of them. How is your relationship with these former Hurricanes?

4.  You have changed numbers a few times since joining the Giants. Eli Manning paid for your family vacation to get No. 10 and Plaxico Burress paid for an outdoor kitchen to get his hands on No. 17. How did you come up with these ideas for compensation?

5.  When you broke the record for most consecutive games played, did former record holder Jim Marshall contact you?  If so, what did he have to say?

6.  What does the record mean to you as you continue to extend the streak?

7.  Super Bowl XLII marked the first and only Bowl to this date in your long career; what was that like after punting for so many years?

8.  Are there any punts that truly stand out in your mind for good or bad?

9.  You have played for five NFL teams in your career, the longest of which is currently with the Giants. Do you plan on retiring with any particular team?

10.  Lastly, where do you see yourself when your NFL career is finally over?

Thanks for your time Jeff, and good luck this season.

What I Want to Know from Matt Leinart

Although he may not enter the season as the Cardinals starting quarterback, Matt Leinart could still play a pivotal role with team should an injury to the incumbent Kurt Warner occur.

Leinart, now in his fourth season, has plenty of unanswered questions to answer as he has been noticeably absent from the public eye for the better part of this last year.

1. What was successful for you in your rookie year, when you won four out of six to end the season?

2. Why do you think your successes from 2006 did not carry over into 2007?

3. Was Ken Whisenhunt’s offense more difficult to grasp than Dennis Green’s?

4. Are you the starting quarterback for the Cardinals in 2008 if it wasn’t for the three-interception performance in the preseason game in Oakland?

5. What has been the toughest part about watching the better part of the last two seasons from the sidelines?

6. Describe the experience gained by learning from a veteran like Kurt Warner.

7. How have you changed as a player and as a person from 2006 until now?

8. How is your relationship with Whisenhunt?

9. Do you still believe your future is with the Cardinals?

10. How would you assess the team’s offseason and do you like the team’s chances in 2009?

NFC South: Atlanta Falcons Competition in the Hunt for a Division Title

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The 2008 season marked an impressive year for the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Bucs. Overshadowed by other traditional power divisions, the NFC South was arguably the best division in football. 

All four teams posted records at or above .500 as the NFC South won more games than any other division in the NFL. Each team had more points for than against during the season, a feat no other division can claim. 

The most impressive facet to the teams was their offenses. Their combined scoring ranked significantly higher than all other divisions. The NFC South dominated the traditional power divisions by scoring 1,629 points total. The highly regarded offenses of the NFC East only scored 1,470 points, AFC East 1,496, and the AFC South only 1,420 points.

Looking ahead to 2009, the Atlanta Falcons are focused on taking the division title. Which teams will be a potential threat to that goal, and what are the expectations of the other teams inside the NFC South?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs put up impressive numbers in 2008, winning their first six home games on their way to a 9-3 start. Their defense was the key to their early success as they ranked 10th in points allowed. Opponents struggled against them through the air giving the Bucs the fourth best passing defense in the NFL.

The biggest struggle for the Bucs last year was their ability to win down the stretch.  The team missed the playoffs after loosing their last four games of the season.  In that span they gave up over 30 points per game.

The biggest questions for Tampa Bay this year are on the offensive side of the ball. With a new coach and quarterback coming into the picture there are a lot of question marks.  Can the team find a starting QB? Will the defense be enough to help out the struggling offense?

Look for the Bucs to take a step back in 2009, as they rebuild under new head coach Raheem Morris.

New Orleans Saints

Although the Saints rounded out the bottom of the division last year, they posted insane numbers on offense. They lead the league in points per game, yards per game, and passing yards per game. So how did that prolific offense only amount to an 8-8 record?

Their 27th ranked defense held them back, as they gave up 24.6 points per game. Another interesting statistic about the Saints defense was that they were one of only four NFL teams to not score a defensive touchdown last year.

The team should improve on the defensive side of the ball in 2009, as they drafted defensive players with their first three picks. If the Saints are able to stop opponents, then they have potential to take the division for the third time since 2000.

Carolina Panthers

In 2008 the Panthers were the most complete team in the division, ranking seventh in total offense and 12th in defense. Their 12-4 record was driven by their undefeated home schedule, with all four losses coming on the road.

The key to the Panthers winning is the performance of Jake Delhomme. The quarterback threw for 15 touchdowns, but only had one touchdown in all four losses combined. He needs to play well in 2009 to give the Panthers a chance to win the division.

The defense also needs to step up for the Panthers to improve in the upcoming season. While they averaged 20.6 points per game allowed, the unit gave up 31.5 points per game in the four losses. 

More specifically, the Panthers need to slow down opponents through the air, as they leaked out over 210 passing yards per game. This could be their biggest weakness, as they have not made any significant moves towards improving their secondary in the offseason. 

Summary

We know that the three main contenders for the division will be good.  The offenses of Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans will put on a show with all three quarterbacks ranking in the top 15 in passing yards in 2009.

The biggest question mark for all three teams is whether or not their defenses will improve in the upcoming year. New Orleans and Carolina have not put their focus on making big changes, but Atlanta has shown their commitment to build their defense by drafting seven defensive players.  (For more on the Falcons Defense see http://bleacherreport.com/articles/170085-2009-atlanta-falcons-defensive-spotlight)

According to Espn.com, the May power rankings have the Panthers at 10, Falcons at 11, Saints at 16, and Bucs at 27. The division is wide open, but the Falcons and Panthers are the very early favorites. 

Falcons fans should be excited about the possibility of winning the NFC South. Their ownership has been the most active of any team in improving both sides of the ball through the draft and free agency. 

Even though the schedule will be tougher in 2009, the talent of the Falcons team will improve from the previous season. Their expectations of winning the division are realistic. Expect the Falcons to be in the hunt for the playoffs in December as head coach Mike Smith’s team is poised to take home the NFC title. 

 

Still Doubting Eric Mangini? A Look at Browns Mini-Camp May Sway Hesitation

Let’s face it, when Randy Lerner hired Eric Mangini as the new coach of the Browns, people in Cleveland weren’t exactly celebrating with parades down Euclid Avenue.

This comes as no surprise. Mangini had been fired by the New York Jets less than a week before he met with Lerner to discuss the Browns coaching vacancy. 

His Jets started the 2008 season 8-3, but went 1-4 to close out the year and missed the playoffs. Many NFL analysts felt Mangini was better served as a defensive coordinator, at least for the next couple years.

Lerner felt otherwise, but after he brought Mangini to Cleveland, the skepticism began to surge throughout the Browns fanbase.

Mangini didn’t help matters in his first few months with the team.  He alienated Shaun Rogers, stirred up trade rumors involving some of Cleveland’s big-name players, and said about five or six words a month to the media regarding these or any other Browns issues.

However, with the draft over with and voluntary mini-camps in full swing, the mood seems to be shifting. A noticeable change is in the air at Browns headquarters.

As of now, its a change for the better.

Under former coach Romeo Crennel, Browns players usually enjoyed their summers the same way fourth graders do, leisurely running around outside with all their friends.

This routine has come to an abrupt halt. Word out of mini-camp is Eric Mangini has this team tightly organized, as players are no longer standing around wastefully. 

If a player doesn’t know where they’re supposed to be, he’s sure to get an earful. It seems there certainly won’t be much of a casual atmosphere this time around.

This sentiment was further solidified when Joe Thomas was forced to run a lap for going offsides while running a play. 

Thomas getting handed a practice punishment is significant for two reasons.  First, it means nobody is getting treated like a king under Mangini’s watch.

Consider this: Newcomer Brian Robiskie was forced to run a lap during rookie mini-camp for dropping a pass. While its one thing to make a rookie pay for mistakes, its another to make your Pro Bowl left tackle hit the bricks for jumping early. 

With these moves, Mangini is sending a message to his team: I don’t care what you’ve done or how good you are, if you make a mistake, you’re going to pay for it.

Secondly, singling out Joe Thomas for going offsides shows Mangini is trying to attack one of Cleveland’s biggest issues—pre-snap penalties.

The Browns have been near the top of the league for many years now when it comes to pre-snap penalties. Countless Cleveland drives have been stalled, extended, or all out killed thanks to somebody jumping the gun and turning a 3rd-and-10 into a 3rd-and-15. 

While we won’t know how these new practice techniques will translate on the field just yet, the fact is Mangini wants to make his team smarter, and this is one way to reach that goal.

Another positive sign from the “Mangenius” is his willingness to move outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley around in attempts to make him more effective.

Wimbley’s ineffectiveness is no secret to any Browns fan. Part of the reason for this was the former Cleveland regime being a bit too stubborn with him, refusing to move the former rookie standout in hopes he’d develop pass rushing moves.

Last week in mini-camp, Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan gave Wimbley a couple plays on the left side of the line (he normally lines up on the right side), and also gave indications that this may happen again. 

This is a creative approach in the Kamerion Wimbley saga, as it seems this coaching staff will be attempting to help him find his potential instead of waiting for it to show up.

In addition to this, Mangini is also starting to look pretty smart in drafting Ohio State wideout Brian Robiskie. 

Several Cleveland media sources are claiming Robiskie is as polished as advertised and has looked very impressive in camp. He caught two redzone touchdowns from Brady Quinn in one day, one of which was a diving catch in the corner of the endzone. 

This has lead some to believe Robiskie has a good chance at filling the hole at No. 2 receiver.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Mangini era is how the players are reacting to this new coaching style.

Here’s a couple quotes from last week regarding some players’ opinions on the new coach:

Wideout Braylon Edwards was asked how he felt about some of the offseason moves Mangini has made, to which he responded, “Coach Mangini is the head guy. He’s made decisions based on what he thinks is going to get us back on the right track and moving forward in the 2009 season.  I’ll stick by him right now. That’s my coach and that’s who I’m going to play for and who I support.”

When the media attempted to get a juicy answer from Brady Quinn regarding the upcoming quarterback competition, he simply said,  “I just take my directions from coach Mangini. Whatever he says, goes.”

Despite players attempting to defend Romeo Crennel before his inevitable firing, rarely did anyone on the Browns imply such authority with their former coach. 

Crennel was obviously viewed as their leader, but there weren’t too many quotes which painted him as “the man in charge.”

The point is Mangini was given a team full of players who couldn’t find the definition of discipline if they were paid extra for it. Now, even Braylon Edwards, a player who was actually able to find an I in team last year, is referring to Mangini as the man with the power.

Will these improvements result in more wins in 2009?  Probably not.  As I mentioned in my 2009 expectations article, an 8-8 record is realistically the best this year’s team could do.

However, working to make the Browns a smart, well-disciplined team was the main goal on Eric Mangini’s to-do list. 

A week into voluntary mini-camp, it looks like he’s already making some positive strides.

2009 NFL Season Predictions

HI NFL fans im back with a new NFL slideshow. This slide show presentation will show my projected NFL standings and the playoff picture . Some of my standings may be different for the AFC east because my opinion has changed since my articleAFC east offseason grades. I look forward to this new NFL season to see if my predictions are correct at the end of the season.Go Patriots.Dont forget play fantasy football

2009 NFC West Preview: Was Arizona a Fluke?

You would think that unseating the division winner who finished 9-7 would be an easy task, right?

After all, all you need to do is go 10-6 or 11-5 to win the division, right?

Well, for the rest of the NFC West, your reigning 9-7 division champion also happens to be the defending conference champion, the Arizona Cardinals.

The once moribund Cardinals, whom every team loved picking on is now the team everyone is gunning for in the NFC. All roads to the NFC West crown and NFC title goes through the desert.

But with both coordinators gone, no “Edge” at running back, and some contract disputes, will Arizona become a one-year wonder?

The rest of the division improved themselves through coaching changes, high-caliber draft picks, free agency and may also benefit from easy scheduling.

Here’s a look into the NFC West in alphabetical order:

The Arthur Blank Revelation: A Championship Connection

My credentials for this piece go to being a long time Falcons season ticket holder and reading an auto-biography of Ernie Accorsi entitled “The GM”.

I ask people all the time, do you know who Ernie Accorsi is? Usually I get a confused look followed by a “No”. Ernie Accorsi was the General Manager for the New York Giants before retiring in 2006—the year before New York won a Super Bowl.

Although Accorsi was not with the Giants when they defeated New England, the New York organization still gave him a ring. Why not? Ernie basically built that entire team. He was the man who brought in every player on their championship roster. Every player, but one—Michael Strahan, who was the only player on the Giants championship roster before Accorsi arrived.

It is known that Accorsi’s belief to a championship team requires three essentials. The three include a defensive line, offensive line, and quarterback. If you don’t believe me, look at the Giants championship roster.

They held the best pass-rushing defensive line, including players such as Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck (who I think should’ve won MVP), Michael Strahan, and Fred Robbins. Their offensive line was also one of the best, and Eli Manning is a winning quarterback with unbelievable composure.

It is fair to say Accorsi deserves a lot of credit for New York’s championship ring, but it takes a lot more than a GM to build a championship caliber organization. All great NFL organizations usually begin with great owners. Teams such as Pittsburgh, Dallas, and New York have all been blessed with Hall of Fame owners (The Rooneys, Jerry Jones, and The Maras).

Arthur Blank, in my mind, is on the way to becoming one of those great owners. He bought the Falcons with the mindset of turning that organization into one of the best.

When Atlanta was stabbed in the back by multiple people, the Falcons were at rock bottom. They had the third worst record in the NFL, and probably the worst chemistry too. This is a team that was betrayed by two head coaches and their leader under center.

Blank didn’t let the distractions prevent him from building a championship organization. In search of help, Blank called Ernie Accorsi.

After Rich McKay was moved from front office duties, Atlanta hired Thomas Dimintroff as the new GM. Little do most people know that Accorsi and Dimintroff’s father worked together in the past. Apparently, Accorsi recommended Dimintroff to Blank which would explain the hire.

Now look at some of the players brought in since Dimintroff was hired: A young offensive line who looked solid last year (along with the best tight end in the NFL), the quarterback who has proven himself on both levels to lead and win, and a defensive tackle who has proven his dominance in college only adds to a pretty impressive D-line.

I’m not saying this player is Michael Strahan, but John Abraham has the talent to become as good as Strahan (not to mention he has the ironic similarity of being a player who was on the Falcons roster before Dimintroff arrived). 

All signs are pointing to an Atlanta championship in the future. Arthur Blank is not just an owner who cares about money or publicity. This owner actually wants to create a successful franchise for years to come (he did it with Home Depot), which money and publicity will soon follow.  

Every move Atlanta has made is similar to the championship team Accorsi built in New York. The fact that New York is one of the dominant organizations in the NFL should also bring confidence to Falcons fans.

As Mos Def says, its simple mathematics. Everything adds up to a championship caliber organization in the near future, and it is all thanks to the man who helped start it (and never stopped finishing it), Arthur Blank.

Why I Love the New York Jets

I had the pleasant luck to be born in the early 1980s, which means that I never got to see Joe Namath play for the Jets except in archive footage. No Super Bowl guarantee for me. I had to make do with Ken O’Brien.

I got to watch The Jets go 6-9, 8-7-1, and 4-12 during my formative years between 1987 and 1989.

Even when the team followed up that run with 6-10, 8-8, 4-12, and 8-8 seasons, did I give up and stop watching? No. 

The reason why is simple—my grandfather.

He had worked for the NYPD for 25 years and then took his pension and ran. He ended up working as a security guard at Hofstra University in the early ’80s. Hofstra, for those that don’t know, is where the Jets have their training camp and practice facility.

Every couple weeks over the summer—whenever I’d see him—my grandfather had another piece of Jets memorabilia for me. Sometimes it was nothing special—a new team photo, a team roster, or just a new team hat. Sometimes he’d have something a little more rare for me—like the time he bumped into Joe Namath in the lunchline and ended up with an autographed football.

Or the time he had to give Ken O’Brien’s car a jumpstart in the parking lot and had a ball signed by both the quarterback and Al Toon. Whatever the gift was, I treasured them all deeply.

I remember spending hours staring at the Jets’ training camp roster and trying to memorize the names, jersey numbers, positions, and colleges of every player on it. All this at just eight years old. 

I liked my grandfather a lot, don’t get me wrong, but we just had nothing in common—except for the Jets. We could both sit and watch a game and both yell at Ken O’Brien for taking a sack again, and again, together.

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