Atlanta Falcons: Well, No Worries From the Defense

While most prognosticators predicted little to worry about from the Atlanta Falcons offense, just as many were making dire predictions regarding the other side of the ball.

If Sunday’s solid 19-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins was any indication, the only area of concern for this squad surrounds the kicking game.

The Falcons defense smothered, contained and stuffed the Dolphins’ formerly heralded offensive attack, giving up only a meaningless touchdown late in the game.

LB Mike Peterson, the only significant defensive free agent signed in the off-season, came up with a crucial interception that stopped a pretty solid Dolphin drive.

Miami head coach Tony Sporano was frequently seen raging up and down his sideline, obviously frustrated at an unexpectedly stiff Falcons D.

At the same time, QB Matt Ryan was solid, throwing two TD passes and rapidly convincing observers that he has a new favorite target in future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez.

WR Roddy White was somewhat ineffective in the contest, so it’ll be interesting to see how things shape up in terms of receiving options.

Kicker Jason Elam had a horrible day, missing two field goals and an extra point. Expect Head Coach Mike Smith to give Elam a few games to work out his problems, but the 17-year vet must show improvement next week.

And about next week: if they play the kind of defense they did against the Fins, the Falcons may force Jake Delhomme into an early season retirement.

Delhomme was terrible in Carolina’s season opener, and the Falcons can put a serious damper on one of their division rivals come Sept. 20.

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As I Predicted: Falcons Cut Shockley

As I said only a few days ago, the Falcons had to be leaning toward John Parker Wilson as third string QB. Fan favorite D.J. Shockley has been on the roster for four years, and was a draft pick of the former coaching and managerial regime.

On Saturday, the Falcons made official my unofficial prediction: Wilson, an undrafted free agent out of Alabama, will back up Chris Redman, as third string QB.

Both QBs played relatively well in the final preseason game against Baltimore. But it has been obvious for some time that Shockley’s time in Atlanta had run out, and now it’s official. Look for the Falcons to begin developing Wilson—a raw talent—into their own mold.

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My Take: Wilson Has the Upper Hand Over Shockley

There’s nothing scientific about the following; just a gut feeling, and my own intuition.

But there’s no doubt that Chris Redman will be the Falcons’ No. 2 QB, especially after he led the team from a late fourth-quarter deficit this past Saturday night to defeat the San Diego Chargers.

That leaves the battle for the No. 3 slot, and I’m guessing it’s going to be John Parker Wilson.

D.J. Shockey is a fourth-year QB, and you don’t see many rosters with four-year men holding clipboards. I think we (and the Falcons’ coaching staff) have seen all there is to see with Shockley, and that by the end of this week, they’ll name Wilson—an undrafted free agent rookie out of Alabama—as third-string QB.

A Battle For The Falcons No. 2 QB Slot

The next three games for the Falcons will likely be focused on determining who will be Matt Ryan’s backup for his sophomore season.

Chris Redman, currently No. 2 on the depth chart, was brought in by former head coach Bobby Petrino, who coached the QB in college. Redman was one of the few bright spots of the Petrino era, and it can be argued the Redman saved whatever dignity was left in the franchise after the Vick debacle.

Former Georgia Bulldog D.J. Shockley is No. 3, but you can make the strong argument that Shockley outplayed Redman in the preseason opener.

And don’t forget undrafted free agent John Parker Wilson, who led Nick Saban’s squad over at Alabama last year.

Shockley is a fan favorite, and he arguably had his best game ever as a Falcon last weekend. Even though Ryan took all the snaps in his rookie season, there’s always the possibility that last season’s Rookie of the Year could do down (remember when Vick went down in the preseason with a broken leg, and it wound up costing Dan Reeves his job?)

This could be the most interesting battle to watch over

The next three games for the Falcons will likely be focused on determining who will be Matt Ryan’s backup for his sophmore season.

Chris Redman, currently No. 2 on the depth chart, was brought in by former head coach Bobby Petrino, who coached the QB in college. Redman was one of the few bright spots of the Petrino era, and it can be argued the Redman saved whatever dignity was left in the franchise after the Vick debacle.

Former Georgia Bulldog D.J. Shockley is No. 3, but you can make the strong argument that Shockley outplayed Redman in the preseason opener.

And don’t forget undrafted free agent John Parker Wilson, who led Nick Saban’s squad over at Alabama last year.

Shockley is a fan favorite, and he arguably had his best game ever as a Falcon last weekend. Even though Ryan took all the snaps in his rookie season, there’s always the possibility that last season’s Rookie of the Year could do down (remember when Vick went down in the preseason with a broken leg, and it wound up costing Dan Reeves his job?)

This could be the most interesting battle to watch over the next three games.

 

Enough, Already! Let’s Move Past Vick and His Time With The Falcons!

OK, unless I’ve missed something along the way, Michael Vick is no longer a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

So why do we keep seeing article after article appear on Atlanta Falcons related pages (including this one) on Vick and his future in the NFL?

Last time I looked, the Falcons have a new QB and a pretty good one at that. One that could very well on his way to becoming the league’s next Peyton Manning.

Matt Ryan is the Falcons QB not Michael Vick.

Ryan and the Falcons are poised to make a run at the playoffs, and Vick isn’t even a member of the team. So why the endless articles about Vick, in relation to his previous employer?

I hope someone signs Vick, and I’m confident this will happen sooner rather than later. Maybe then we can stop seeing Vick on Falcon-related Web pages, and finally associate him with his new employer.

Roddy White and Atlanta Falcons Reach a Happy Ending…Now, Let’s Move on

Well, now that that’s over with…

Seriously, the Falcon faithful were beginning to wonder if this franchise’s attempt at an historic two-consecutive-winning-seasons quest was over before the team ever took to the field for a real game.

Roddy White holds out. Harry Douglas goes down. Both White and the Falcons appear to be digging in ever deeper.

And then…POOF! The morning headlines read that White has ended his holdout, is on his way to camp, and both sides are on their way to living happily ever after.

Kudos to the Falcons for getting the deal done. Kudos to White and his agent for laying low in the public spotlight and not trying their case in the media and the court of popular opinion.

Now, let’s look forward to Aug. 15 for preseason game No. 1.

More On The Roddy White Holdout

GM Thomas Dimitroff and the Atlanta Falcons organization are hardening their stance against All-Pro WR Roddy White. His extended absence from camp is testing the patience of the organization, which already has lost WR Harry Douglas—a second-year man who may be the fastest athlete on the team.

The only proven WRs now left on the Falcons are Michael Jenkins—a former No. 1 pick who was the recipient of QB Matt Ryan’s first NFL pass (which happened to be a touchdown)—and Brian Finneran, who missed the entire 2007 season with an injury.

I believe Dimitroff truly felt White would be in camp right now, but the WR is seeking Larry Fitzgerald-type money. The only problem is, Fitzgerald has been to a Super Bowl, and White has never been close. Indeed, it wasn’t until White’s third season that he began living up to his potential. Before then, he was well on his way to a coach-killing, first-round flop.

No comments are coming from White or his agent. This has got to be resolved soon; indeed, it should already have been resolved. If not, the Falcons’ season may be ending before it even gets started.

White Can Write His Own Deal, Now

News that WR Harry Douglas has torn his ACL pretty much means that holdout WR Roddy White can write his own deal.

The problem is, reports are coming out of camp that negotiations with the All-Pro wideout have taken a turn for the worse.

This is tough news for the Atlanta Falcons, as it has now become more important than ever to get this thing done and out of the way, for the continued development of the offense and second year QB Matt Ryan.

An Upside for Roddy White’s Holdout?

If there is indeed an upside to All-Pro WR Roddy White’s training camp holdout, it’s that we (and the Falcons) get to see how far the team’s other wideouts are progressing.

Former No. 1 pick Michael Jenkins is getting all the reps with the first-team offense. Second-year man Harry Douglas, a speedster if there ever was one, is getting an extended opportunity to show his stuff.

And then, of course, there’s All-Universe TE Tony Gonzalez, who speaks for himself.

The downside, obviously, is that every day White misses camp (he’s holding out for a new contract), is another missed opportunity in a series of them for QB Matt Ryan to fully deploy (in practice, at least) all of the team’s hard-earned offensive weapons.

Head Coach Mike Smith is on record as saying White’s holdout won’t be a distraction, and GM Thomas Dimitroff is saying all the right things. There seems to be no animosity as of yet coming from White’s camp either. But this issue needs to be settled this week; the earlier, the better.

Uh-Oh: Roddy White Fined for No-Showing at Atlanta Falcons Camp

All-pro WR Roddy White was a no-show Friday when players reported to the Atlanta Falcons training camp. He was scheduled to report by 6:30 p.m., but didn’t show up. He’ll be fined $17,000 per day, as determined by the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.

The Falcons have been in discussions with White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, about a contract extension. He confirmed that White wasn’t at the meeting but said “no comment” when asked to elaborate.

This is White’s second training camp holdout. White held out for six days during his rookie season after being drafted out of UAB.

Early in his career, White was known more for dropping passes than catching them. He only developed into a 1,000-yard receiver in Year Three.

Last season, White caught 88 passes for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time. In 2007, he caught 83 passes for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns.

White is set to make $2.28 million in the final year of his five-year contract.

In his previous holdout, White missed the first six days of training camp. He signed a five-year contract worth $7.35 million (an escalator clause in the fifth year could take it over $10 million) with guaranteed bonuses totaling $4.470 million.

My take: Coach Mike Smith, GM Thomas Dimitroff, and owner Arthur Blank have too much momentum going to let White hold out for very long.

He was hugely instrumental in QB Matt Ryan’s development last year, and any prolonged absence is only going to hurt the team. Look for this to get resolved, one way or the other, very quickly.

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