Staying Home: A Quick Q&A With Falcons Rookie Vance Walker

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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga.—Vance Walker has received a lot of praise early on in training camp and it’s come as a surprise to a lot of people. 

The Falcons selected Walker in the seventh round draft pick out of Georgia Tech and he is playing a position where fellow rookie and first-rounder Peria Jerry has a chance to start in—with Trey Lewis being the primary competition.

But when asked who was standing out in camp, Falcons coach Mike Smith singled out Walker.

“When we did our due diligence we thought Vance was a guy that can play in this league, and he’s going to get every opportunity in the next 35 days,” Smith said. “To this point he’s done a great job.”

So after practice a couple of days ago, I got a brief interview with Walker and asked a few questions ranging from his coach’s praise to staying put in Atlanta after college.

Q: I don’t know if you’ve heard what coach Smith has said to the press, but he said you’ve stood out in camp so far. What is your reaction to those words?

Vance Walker: “It’s a great honor for Coach to say that but at the same time I try to stay out of the newspapers and keep my focus. I know my mom called me and was like, ‘Vance, Vance,’ but it’s not that big of a deal. We just have to expect these things. I have to expect to be successful, that’s the only way I’ll be able to do it. I’m trying to help this team really. It’s not about me getting playing time, it’s about helping the team.”

Q: How has the adjustment been from playing defensive tackle for Georgia Tech to an NFL team?

VW: “It’s strange, but (former Georgia Tech and current Notre Dame defensive coordinator) Jon Tenuta actually coached with our defensive coordinator (Brian VanGorder). And not to say it’s the same plays, but a lot of it is the same style so I’m really familiar with things we’re doing. The only thing I’m trying to catch on to is the words, like the names of the plays. But I’ve done that pretty well with a lot of studying.”

Q: You were on a Georgia Tech line that was pretty stout, led by Michael Johnson. Do you think that contributed to you possibly being overlooked in the NFL draft and falling to the seventh round?

VW: “It wasn’t too big of a deal. I think it was because of my injuries. The way I saw it I was blessed to stay here in Atlanta. I didn’t care what round I got drafted in because I still have to play football at the end of the day. It was just a great honor to stay here in Atlanta and help out this team. It’s a dream come true. I would have never thought of it four years ago. But I never thought I was overlooked or anything, it’s just how it is. It’s really just politics with my injuries, but I’m not complaining about it. It’s just how it happened.”

Q: I know you would have been happy to get drafted anywhere, but were you a little glad you were able to stay in Atlanta?

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VW: “It’s nice. I didn’t have to move or make any new friends or anything like that. It’s pretty nice, I’m not going to lie. It’s equivalent to going to college in the same city you went to high school in. Like I said, I just have to make the team, make everybody better and make this team better.”

Atlanta Falcons Training Camp: Who Might Be Moving Up the Depth Chart

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga.—Sure, Tony Gonzalez adds a new dimension to the Atlanta Falcons.

But he’s not necessarily the final piece to the puzzle. When asked how good the Falcons could be with his addition, the former Kansas City Chiefs star smiled and assured he wasn’t the missing link.

“It remains to be seen, but we’re going to be very good but not just because of me,” Gonzalez said. “They were very good last year and right now, I’m not here trying to catch 100 balls and save the day. I’m going to come here and do what I always do. When they call on me, to call my play, I’m going to try to produce.”

Gonzalez appears happy with his new team, one he hopes can take him farther than the Chiefs were able to do.

Gonzalez, as most of the offense, has locked up most of the positions on the depth chart. With that said, here’s how I would list the depth chart (my opinion) before Falcons coach Mike Smith and his staff releases their version.

 

Quarterback: First team: Matt Ryan, second team: D.J. Shockley, third team: Chris Redman

The battle at quarterback is for the backup spot behind Ryan, and I think Shockley’s made the best case. Shockley refrains from mistakes and is moving well outside the pocket.

Shockley’s arm is stronger than Redman’s and he’s got more upside with his athleticism.

But Smith said the backup spot is still up for grabs.

“I think D.J.’s had a good first four or five days as well as the other guys,” Smith said. “That to me is another area we will have a competitive situation throughout the entire camp. But I don’t think there has been anybody that has cemented that backup quarterback spot.”

 

Running back: First team: Michael Turner, second team: Jerious Norwood, third team: Jason Snelling, fourth team: Thomas Brown and/or Verron Haynes

This is as solid of a group as you will find. Turner is coming off a 1,799-yard season and is one of the best running backs in the NFL. Norwood has shown an extra burst during the preseason, and over time, could emerge as a top running back elsewhere in the league. 

Behind those two is Jason Snelling, who acts as a running back/fullback hybrid. Snelling is a solid blocker and can carry the ball as a power back.

Brown and Haynes round out the group, and could possibly both make the team contributing a lot on special teams. Haynes played for the Steelers for six seasons before sitting out last year. Haynes serves as a good short yardage option who can also block in the fullback position.

Brown’s best chance at making the 53-man roster lies on special teams, as his spot isn’t guaranteed with the running backs being pretty strong at the top.

“I know (getting cut is) realistic, but I always try to stay positive and keep negative things out of my mind,” Brown said. “My way is focusing on getting better and sticking around for as long as I can.”

 

Fullback: Ovie Mughelli

Mughelli is one of the best fullbacks in the NFL, and the only true fullback on Atlanta’s roster. Mughelli is also someone the Falcons may try to get more involved in other aspects of the game.

 

Wide receiver: First string: Roddy White (assuming he returns to camp), second string: Michael Jenkins, third string: Brian Finneran, fourth string: a mixture of rookies and second-year free agent signees.

Assuming ESPN’s Adam Schefter is correct, losing Harry Douglas is a huge blow to the Falcons receiving unit. Douglas was perfect as a slot receiver. He could work underneath routes while Roddy White and Michael Jenkins control the outside.

Without Douglas, Atlanta doesn’t have a proven slot receiver and may try a few guys that would otherwise serve sparingly.

White is in the midst of contract talks with the Falcons, as he’s asking for “Larry Fitzgerald-type money.” As White continues to miss camp, Jenkins and Finneran will need to step up. For Finneran, who had only 21 receptions for 169 yards in 2008, this could be one of his last go-arounds as he enters his 11th season.

Some guys vying for spots in training camp are Troy Bergeron, Chandler Williams, Eric Weems, Aaron Kelly, Bradon Godfrey and Darren Mougey. The most suitable for the slot are Williams, Weems and Bergeron but a guy like Kelly could have value as he’s 6’5″ and possesses decent speed.

 

Tight end: First team: Tony Gonzalez, second team: Justin Peelle, third team: Ben Hartsock

This is a no-brainer as the Falcons now possess the best receiver in NFL history, a player that can still play with the best. With Douglas out, Gonzalez will carry a lot more of the load to control the middle of the field.

There’s no doubt Gonzalez can do this. But Gonzalez is also a top blocking tight end and may not spend as much time doing so in shotgun formations. But the best part about Gonzalez in offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey’s system is that there are lots of different ways to get him involved.

Ryan said Gonzalez has picked up on the playbook and continues to gel with the rest of the team.

“We’re starting to get a better feel for each other than we had in the past and hopefully when the season starts we can get it all ironed out,” Ryan said.

 

Offensive line: First team: Todd McClure, Justin Blalock, Harvey Dahl, Tyson Clabo and Sam Baker; second team: Michael Butterworth, Garrett Reynolds, Jose Valdez, Ryan Stanchek and Ben Wilkerson

There isn’t much to report on the offensive line as there hasn’t been anything of substance to grade them on during training camp. 

But the Falcons return four of their starting five, only losing 10-year veteran Todd Weiner to retirement.

That may leave the door open for rookie tackle Garrett Reynolds out of North Carolina, who was Atlanta’s only offensive player drafted. With most of the line returning, simple reasoning may cause you to assume more of the same.

The Falcons will also be looking for Sam Baker to step up with Weiner gone, and he looks to be the best fit.

But if you look at the depth, you’ll see there isn’t any. If someone gets injured, the Falcons may be in trouble. But the jury is still out on the offensive line for the moment.

 

Defensive line: First team: DE John Abraham, DT Jonathan Babineaux, DT Peria Jerry and DE Chauncey Davis; second team: DE Jamaal Anderson, DT Jason Jefferson, DT Vance Walker, DE Kroy Biermann; third team: DE Lawrence Sidbury, DT Thomas Jefferson, DT Tywain Myles, DE Willie Evans

Abraham and Babineaux have one half of the defensive front locked up.

So which two will control the other side? Trey Lewis was receiving a lot of time with the first team, but he gets bumped down to second team after being sidelined with an injury. Rookie Peria Jerry has played well so far in camp and is starting to get a grasp on the defensive playbook.

But don’t count out Lewis, as he very well could wind up the opening day starter.

At the other defensive end spot, Chauncey Davis gets the nod not necessarily with his play in camp. But it’s with the continued struggles that accompany Jamaal Anderson. Anderson is still finding it hard to get off blocks and just may lose his starting spot.

Ovie Mughelli told me the other day that Kroy Biermann was his sleeper for a defensive player that will surprise a lot of people—since no one is talking about him. Biermann has been playing a lot in training camp, and has done well. I’m just not sure if he’ll crack the first team (remember, all this depth chart talk is my opinion).

 

Linebackers: First team: SLB Mike Peterson, MLB Curtis Lofton, WLB Stephen Nicholas; second team: OLB spots Coy Wire, Edmond Miles, MLB Tony Gilbert

The Falcons may have lost Keith Brooking and Michael Boley in the offseason, but the new batch Atlanta will field fits Smith’s scheme a little better.

This group is fast and reacts quick to the ball, especially in the running game.

Mike Peterson has been all over the field throughout the first few days of camp, and Stephen Nicholas has played fine. Curtis Lofton has been slowed down with a hamstring injury, but should be OK when the season starts.

But in Lofton’s absence, Tony Gilbert has stepped up and done just fine.

“I’m just trying to do what I do and help the team out,” Gilbert said. “Everybody has their responsibility and everyone has a job, and I’m just trying to do mine.”

 

Cornerback: First team: Chris Houston, Brent Grimes; second team: Chevis Jackson, Christopher Owens; third team: Glenn Sharpe, William Middleton, Tony Tiller or Von Hutchins

Heading into camp Chris Houston had his corner position locked down. But Brent Grimes has emerged the guy to beat for the other corner position. For a small corner, generously listed at 5’10”, Grimes just might be the most athletic player on the team.

He’s produced jaw-dropping interceptions during training camp and is certainly someone the Falcons will need to step up.

Chevis Jackson is having a good camp and will likely serve as the nickel corner. Also off to a good start is rookie Christopher Owens out of San Jose State. Owens is a physical corner who’s caused havoc against many of Atlanta’s wide receivers. But he’s also been burned a fair amount of times.

 

Safeties: First team: FS Erik Coleman, SS Thomas DeCoud; second team: FS Jamaal Fudge, SS William Moore

Coleman is the only seasoned veteran in Atlanta’s secondary and he’s already provided valuable leadership to some of the youngsters.

When asked who has shown the most guidance, William Moore was quick to point out Coleman.

“Erik Coleman for one, hats off to him,” Moore said. “He’s been in the league a long time and we look at him as one of the vets. He’s awesome at taking guys under his wing on and off the field.”

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Moore will see a good bit of playing time this season, but will start out by backing up Thomas DeCoud in my opinion. DeCoud is off to a fast start and is playing with lots of confidence and swagger. 

Coming into camp, the strong safety spot was a question. But DeCoud may have quickly answered it with his performance so far.

 

Special teams: Kicker: Jason Elam, Kickoff returner: Jerious Norwood, Punt return: Jerious Norwood, Thomas Brown or Chandler Williams

With Douglas out, punt returner is a spot up for grabs. Along with Douglas, Norwood, Brown and Williams have all been practicing for the position. Norwood may be the first option to turn to, but don’t sleep on Brown. He has good vision and holds on to the ball (a simple quality overlooked too often).

Brown could end up as the team’s punt returner given he’ll always have fresh legs. While Finneran may see more reps at wide receiver due to Douglas’ injury, Brown may benefit more since he’s still itching to prove he belongs in the NFL.

 

So how good will the Falcons be? Now that unfortunately remains to be seen. The Falcons’ offense has potential to be one of the most balanced in the league, even without Douglas. 

The secondary is still the biggest question mark, especially at strong safety. While DeCoud is playing well in camp, he hasn’t seen significant time in any games. At corner, Grimes played well against Arizona in the NFC Wild Card Round last season, and should suffice as a solid No. 2 corner for Atlanta.

While many Atlanta fans are anxious to see who steps up at certain positions, on Day One of training camp Smith said he was hoping for a simpler approach from his team.

“Most anxious to see? How our guys come out,” he said. “Are they enthusiastic, reinvigorated? Are they energized? And I think I saw that.”

Atlanta Falcons: Back-to-Back Winning Seasons? Vegas Doesn’t Think So

It’s never happened before, so what makes anyone certain it will happen this season?

And in the eyes of the oddsmakers out in Las Vegas, it just won’t happen yet again. The over/under for Atlanta Falcons wins was placed at eight by Vegas, holding true to Atlanta tradition of not having consecutive winning seasons.

The schedule is daunting and history is against the Falcons. But I think the Falcons have enough talent to win more than eight games this season.

Earlier, I wrote that Atlanta will go 11-5 in my NFC South preview—and I’ll stick by it (even though that may be a little bias seeping through, 10-6 or 9-7 is a lot more probable).

Around Atlanta, expectations have been raised a litle and everyone is expecting a winning season. But what else can we expect from the Falcons this year?

Here’s a list of different statistics and numbers I set a personal over/under to. Feel free to post your predictions in the comments section.

Simple, But Deadly: Five Plays Atlanta Falcons Use in Their Arsenal

Believe it or not, simplicity can be complex—especially when referring to the Atlanta Falcons offense.

The Falcons had a huge 2008 season offensively, using a variety of simple plays and formations that kept defenses clueless.

Here are a few plays offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and Atlanta implemented in its offense to help keep defenses on their toes while willing its way to 361 yards per game.

 

The Counter

The counter was the bread and butter for the Falcons, whether they were in an ace formation or the I-form.

This play set up the rest of the offense, and worked due to Atlanta’s implemented zone blocking scheme. The counter is a basic play—fake the run to one direction and then cut back to hit the open hole.

Running back Michael Turner found bursts of daylight on the counter. In the I-form, Atlanta liked to overload the side it was faking to with a tight end, such as on Turner’s 66-yard touchdown against Detroit last year.

On that play, the tight end came off the line faking a route. Fullback Ovie Mughelli cut right, showing the off tackle, only to come back and help seal a lane for Turner to run through.

The slot receiver ran to the flats to draw his man to the sideline while the wide receiver blocks his corner from the play. This play worked wonders for the Falcons and opened up the rest of the Atlanta offense.

 

Outs and Comebacks:

At times, it seemed quarterback Matt Ryan’s best friend was the sideline, especially when throwing to his receivers on third down.

Frequently, Ryan had safety valves in the forms of the out and comeback route, making him one of the best quarterbacks in the league when it was 3rd-and-7 or longer.

Last year against Chicago, Ryan had two big plays using the out route. One was on a touchdown pass to Roddy White.

In the red zone, Ryan took the snap out of shotgun with Harry Douglas in the slot and White wide. Both receivers ran five yards before turning into their respective routes.

With Douglas staying the middle, the safety couldn’t roll to help White’s man with coverage. White cut, ran the out and Ryan hit him for the score.

Of course, the most important play of the game came on a deep out with Chicago sitting in prevent. Again, Ryan was in shotgun, took the snap and gunned it downfield to Michael Jenkins who was just where he needed to be in between the corners and the safeties on the sideline—which set up the game-winning field goal.

The comeback worked similarly as Atlanta wideouts would work the sideline, fake the go-route and curl back. These passing plays helped keep defenses honest as they always had to account for both the deep and the 10 or 15-yard passes.

 

Play Action Deep:

Simple, but beautiful.

Atlanta’s run game, led by the counter with help from the iso, draw and off-tackle with its zone blocking, helped set up play action deep with easy, deep routes many receivers could excel on.

In Ryan’s first pass of his career against Detroit, he threw a deep touchdown to Jenkins, who was running a post pattern.

On the play action, White ran a fly and his cover corner followed. The deep safety would have rolled to White but Jenkins ran a post to hold him in the middle of the field.

With the safety staying home and unsure as to whether Jenkins would run across the middle or not, Jenkins was able to turn his post deep and run past the Detroit secondary on the way to the end zone.

 

Quick checks, hurry-up:

There were times when Atlanta would run a variation of the hurry-up offense to prevent defenses from adjusting to their tendencies on drives.

When running this, Ryan would usually be in shotgun, calling plays and routes at the line. If the defense was confused and backing off its coverage, Ryan would call a quick check to White and throw him the ball once the ball was snapped—acting as a run almost.

Ryan would also make this check when in the normal offensive set if he felt the defense was playing the run and backing off on the pass.

This freedom for Ryan allowed Atlanta to force defensive backfields to play the receivers no matter what the formation, which allowed the play action deep pass (mentioned above) to work so well.

 

The Dirty Bird Formation:

Everybody has a Wildcat these days.

And Atlanta is no different, implementing its version dubbed the Dirty Bird formation.

For the Falcons, it was running back Jerious Norwood taking direct snaps and gaining a handful of yards on occasion. While Atlanta didn’t add variations to its version like the Miami Dolphins did, it was affective as teams have to defend this new dynamic in the NFL—started by Gus Malzahn when he was offensive coordinator at Arkansas (now the Auburn OC).

Atlanta may tweak this a little and Norwood may see some more direct snaps. But wouldn’t it be interesting if Atlanta tried backup quarterback D.J. Shockley in the Dirty Bird formation to add a passing element to it?

I don’t get paid to make coaching decisions (then again, I’m not getting paid by anyone right now as a May college graduate in this dreadful economy) nor am I going to pretend like I have the authority or credibility to say what Atlanta should do.

But I do think it’s OK to think about how much fun that would be to watch if executed right, even if it was just once. OK, maybe that’s my Georgia bias seeping through.

 

How will these plays work in 2009?

If I was Mike Smith or Mike Mularkey I would tell you.

Unfortunately, I’m not. And they likely wouldn’t tell you either. But I’ll try anyway.

The Falcons will still pound the ball—that won’t change one bit. It’s successful, the offensive line is back and should be stronger. And Ryan has a year and an offseason under his belt.

The addition of Tony Gonzalez (read my take <a href=”http://bleacherreport.com/articles/174454-falcons-one-addition-yet-so-many-options”> here </a>)should open the passing game even more and make Atlanta one of the most balanced offensive units in the NFL.

The one play out of those mentioned that could work to Atlanta’s advantage as a home run threat may be play action deep. Instead of the second wide receiver keeping the safety honest, there’s Gonzalez instead.

The offense is simple. But it sure is effective.

Atlanta Falcons: Who’ll Win the Second Cornerback Spot?

Keith Brooking.

Lawyer Milloy.

Domonique Foxworth, Grady Jackson and Michael Boley.

There’s no question the Atlanta Falcons’ defense has some holes to fill with the losses of those five players. With the offense looking as dangerous as it’s ever been (I know, it is early), the defense has some uncertainty.

There will be important position battles at strong safety, outside linebacker and the No. 2 corner spot.

At outside Linebacker, the Falcons are high on Stephen Nicholas and veteran Mike Peterson. Nicholas has been practicing as a Sam linebacker and Peterson may fill the weakside spot—with stiff competition from Coy Wire.

Erik Coleman looks to have free safety locked up, but strong safety may take a bit to sort out. Rookie William Moore of Missouri has been raved about so far and could win the job. Jamaal Fudge is the competition, but Moore has more upside in the long term.

And that brings us to the most important position that’s up for grabs this season: The second cornerback.

With Houston matching up the opposing team’s best receiver in certain situations, a competition has emerged as to who will flank him on the other side.

The candidates to fill this slot are Chevis Jackson, Brent Grimes, Chris Owens and Von Hutchins.

Here’s a look at each cornerback in this competition, followed by who I think will win the spot when the season begins.

Picking Michael Turner’s Brain with One Question at a Time

Make no mistake about it: The Atlanta Falcons want to run the football.

That’s the philosophy and that’s what they’ll stick to.

The Falcons were second in the NFL in rushing last season, mainly because of the superb running of Michael Turner—who ran for 1,699 yards after four seasons backing up LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego.

Turner, who attended Northern Illinois for college, patiently waited to earn the chance to become a starting running back in the NFL. And if I were to have the privilege to get inside the mind of Atlanta’s star, here are 15 questions I would have:

1. After the Chargers drafted you in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL draft—and knowing LaDainian Tomlinson was going nowhere—how did you see yourself fitting in and how did that factor in your mindset as to whether you truly considered yourself an NFL starter?

2. After last season’s impressive performance, are the increased expectations something that weight heavy or are they something that comes with the territory?

3. What was it like playing behind LT? What did you get out of that experience, and was there anything unique that he taught you?

4. In last year’s season opener against Detroit, you set a single game Falcons record with 220 rushing yards. When did the significance of that accomplishment sink in and how so, considering the tribulations the Falcons were going through heading into last season?

5. Many of us in the media like to assume Tony Gonzalez will have a major impact in the passing game considering Matt Ryan didn’t throw to tight ends often last season, or have a threat over the middle of the field. But conversely to the passing attack, how will he help the running game and how do you think he’ll impact you this season?

6. You’ve dealt with criticism since your high school days—earning just one scholarship offer to Northern Illinois. You had a great college career only to be drafted on the second day to a team with the best back in the league. How do you handle the negativity, and has it made you a better player?

7. Would you really want to take 376 more carries this season? Or are you looking forward to a little more passing and a little more Jerious Norwood to take a little bit of the load off your shoulders?

8. Does the fact Atlanta has never had back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history worry you at all?

9. How have you adjusted to life in Atlanta in the last year or so, considering you lived in Illinois and San Diego before moving to the East Coast? How different is it out here?

10. Describe your relationship with offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey—do you feel it’s a match made in Heaven? And what are the differences in his philosophy as opposed to Norv Turner and Clarence Shelmon’s at San Diego?

11. Be honest—what do you think of Michael Irvin’s new reality TV show 4th and Long?

12. Who do you credit the most for getting you involved with football and who helped craft your game the most?

13. Do you have any superstitions? Pre-game rituals that not many people know about?

14. A couple of years ago Chad Johnson, er, now Ocho Cinco raced a horse and won. If you raced a horse what would the outcome be and would you ever consider doing a stunt like that to showcase your speed?

15. What are your personal expectations for this season, and how do those factor in to the team expectations you have?

Atlanta Falcons Need to Win NFC South For Playoff Spot

Falcons fans: Before you get too excited about the great shot Atlanta has at winning the NFC South, take a cue from David Bowie.

It ain’t easy.

The NFC South is stacked, featuring four teams that could contend for the conference championship. Each team in the conference possesses strengths that will guide them  throughout the season.

But the NFC South also has a tough non-division schedule this season, facing the NFC East (possibly the best division in the NFL this year) and the AFC East. For the Falcons, winning against divisional opponents will be more important than last year in order to make the playoffs.

Below is a breakdown of the NFC South and how Atlanta measures up to them this season.

 

Carolina Panthers (2008 record—12-4):

Defense will once again be the focal point for Carolina, and that’s no shocker. But to play at the level they have in recent years, the Panthers will be hoping they resign defensive end Julius Peppers.

Peppers, who received Carolina’s franchise tag, has stated he would like to play in a 3-4 scheme and possibly convert to outside linebacker.

After defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac (a 4-3 guy) took the same position at Green Bay, the Panthers hired former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks. While Meeks favors a 4-3, his defenses produced big sack numbers for defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

Peppers did not report to mini-camp as he said. But you can bet John Fox and Carolina will be holding their breath that Peppers decides to sign in the end.

On offense, the Panthers pose a balanced attack, starting with the two-headed monster that is their running game.

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart look to continue the success both had last season as a tandem. But even while Williams racked up 101 yards in the second meeting between Atlanta and Carolina, the passing game lit up the Falcons.

In Game 1, a 24-9 Carolina win, Muhsin Muhammad caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, with Steve Smith adding 96 additional yards and another touchdown.

Game 2 saw a different outcome with the Falcons winning 45-28, but Smith still came up big with 168 yards receiving.

Both teams are balanced, well equipped on offense and will be hard to stop. The key for Atlanta is to stop Carolina’s running game and make Jake Delhomme throw the ball. If the Falcons front, led by John Abraham, can get pressure on Delhomme, he’ll become erratic—but that’s a hard task to do.

Realistically, the Falcons should hope they split with the Panthers. In Charlotte, the Panthers will be tough to stop. And with Atlanta’s young defensive unit (especially in the secondary), slowing down Smith and Muhammad will be a tough task.

 

New Orleans Saints (2008 record—8-8):

For a team that led the league in passing yards, New Orleans sure was inconsistent overall.

The Saints never put a winning streak of more than two games (only once) throughout the year despite the exceptional play of quarterback Drew Brees.

However, New Orleans’ defense was less than spectacular, giving up 339.5 yards per game.

The Saints addressed this problem—mainly its 221.7 passing yards a game problem—by drafting defensive back Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins could play soon in a secondary where Randall Gay may be the best player.

If the Saints defense can improve then the team will be dangerous, as the offense can outscore just about anyone with everything is clicking.

In New Orleans’ first game against Atlanta in 2008, Brees threw for over 400 yards in a Saints loss—despite throwing three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown by cornerback Chevis Jackson) and having Abraham at his throat the entire game.

In Game 2, the Saints rallied to win 29-24 behind a big day from Reggie Bush. Bush still hasn’t developed the ability to run between the tackles so if Atlanta can contain him in the flats then he’s taken out of his element.

The Saints should be as good, if not better, on offense—assuming everyone stays healthy. Wide receiver Lance Moore became a viable option in the slot, especially when Marques Colston was hurt.

Devery Henderson can come up with a big play or two when needed. And of course Bush factors well into the passing game.

With that said, the Falcons should be the favorite in both games due to New Orleans’ lack of a solid defense. Also, the Saints lack a power running game after releasing Deuce McAlister, which plays into Atlanta’s hands.

Atlanta will need a sweep over New Orleans as well, considering Tampa Bay’s offense might surprise a lot of people and Carolina’s defense should provide problems with or without Peppers.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008 record—8-8):

Whether Jon Gruden should have been fired or not might be debated until after Tampa Bay’s first game of the season.

And with that, comes the speculation of what Raheem Morris brings as the new head coach of the Buccaneers.

The Bucs are still trying to forget the dreadful finish to last year’s campaign, when they started out 8-4 only to lose their last four games.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia is no longer in Tampa Bay, but the Bucs have a group of quarterbacks that look to vie for the starting spot.

A few days ago Luke McCown declared himself the starter, saying he wasn’t “letting anybody take it from me.” Whether that comes true or not remains to be seen, but McCown will have competition from Byron Leftwich, Brian Griese and rookie Josh Freeman.

The Bucs also acquired tight end Kellen Winslow this offseason which should help the wide receivers and the running game, much like the Falcons signing Tony Gonzalez.

Former Buccaneer Warren Sapp went as far as to say this is one of the best offenses he’s seen in Tampa Bay in an NFL.com chat.

Sapp wrote: “I like their offense, but can you tell me that an offensive-driven team in Tampa wins a championship. They have a championship caliber offense, now they got to get their defense back on that level.”

In addition to Winslow, the Bucs signed Derrick Ward to help out Earnest Graham and Cadillac Williams in the backfield.

Against Tampa Bay, it was much of the same for Atlanta against the NFC South in 2008: A split.

The Bucs won the first game in Tampa 24-9, but the Falcons won the second meeting 13-10 in Atlanta.

Tampa Bay mirrors Atlanta this offseason, with the Winslow and Ward signings as the offense looks to come on strong this year. The only difference is Tampa Bay’s defense just might be better than Atlanta’s.

Atlanta should hope for a split (and should), but don’t be surprised if Tampa Bay takes two from the Falcons.

 

NFC South Outlook:

The NFC South is hard to decipher since each team has a viable chance to win. But here’s how I think the division will shake out:

1. Atlanta 11-5

2. Carolina 9-7

3. Tampa Bay 8-8 

4. New Orleans 7-9

With the non-division schedule as tough as it is, it is impeccable Atlanta wins the NFC South to ensure a spot in the playoffs. If the Falcons fail to win the division, it may be tough to sneak into the Wild Card round this year.

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