Falcons Stuff...

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,735
I definitely don't want to see Atlanta go 3-0 this week.

These gay ass fans are constantly looking for a reason to bring the dirty bird back.
Biggest bandwagon fan base in the league. Just horrid.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,454
If things were reversed and we were relatively healthy but Atlanta was missing Ryan and Julio, we'd be saying the same thing.

That said, I think our defense gives us a fighting chance.
The difference is when healthy we are light years the better team. When you are a shitty team who didn't make the playoffs last year like the Falcons I find it obnoxious that you would be so confident as to totally overlook a team who was 12-4 last year. Even if they are missing their two best players. If the Patriots were missing Edleman and Brady I still wouldn't think the Cowboys would coast past them for example.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,701
After 18 penalties vs. Eagles, Cowboys get crew that called 26 last week

Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Perhaps you would like to look at the Dallas Cowboys' team-record 18 penalties against the Philadelphia Eagles as an aberration.

But they will see Pete Morelli's crew in this week's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Last week, Morelli worked the Baltimore Ravens-Oakland Raiders meeting and the crew called 29 penalties with 26 accepted for 215 yards.

The Raiders were penalized 16 times for 106 yards. The Ravens were penalized 10 times for 109 yards. The game lasted three hours, 25 minutes.

Against the Eagles, the Cowboys' 18 penalties, a franchise-record, chewed up 142 yards. The Eagles were penalized eight times for 60 yards. The game lasted 3:13.

Of course, the last time the Cowboys had Morelli work a game was their wild-card win against the Detroit Lions last January and Lions fans still want a pass-interference penalty against linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The no-call allowed the Cowboys have their comeback win.

The Cowboys were flagged eight times for 44 yards. The Lions had six for 46 yards.

Since 2010, the Cowboys are 4-0 with Morelli as the official but no game has been decided by more than 4 points. In those four games the Cowboys have been flagged 22 times for 162 yards and their opponents have been penalized 29 times for 206 yards.

The defensive backs and linebackers should take note of last week's contest.

Here's a breakdown of Morelli's crew from the Ravens-Raiders' game:

Defensive pass interference – 3

Field goal formation – 1

False start – 6

Taunting – 1

Offensive holding – 3

Offside – 2

Defensive holding – 6

12-men on the field – 1

Unnecessary roughness – 2

Illegal contact – 2

Encroachment – 1

Roughing the passer – 1

Quarter-by-quarter:

First – 6

Second – 11

Third – 6

Fourth – 6
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
Dallas probably had at least 7 false start penalties.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,735
Gosselin: Falcons have their own version of Tony Romo, complete with playoff failures

Rick Gosselin Follow @RickGosselinDMN rgosselin@dallasnews.com



Published: 22 September 2015 02:19 PM

Updated: 22 September 2015 02:32 PM


The Atlanta Falcons have their own Tony Romo.

The Falcons used the third overall selection of the 2008 NFL draft on Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan and he became a walk-in starter. He was voted the NFL offensive rookie of the year that season and has since gone to three Pro Bowls. He's passed for 4,000 yards in each of his last four seasons.

His talent is evident.

But, like Romo, it's been regular-season talent. He hasn't been the same quarterback in January that he has been from September through December.

Ryan has won 61 percent of his career starts and taken the Falcons to the playoffs four times in his seven seasons. He has a cool nickname -- Matty Ice -- and twice has delivered the Falcons the top seed in the NFC with 13-3 records in both 2010 and 2012. But Ryan failed to win a playoff game in his first three postseasons.

Ryan finally won in 2012, passing for 250 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-28 victory over Seattle in the NFC semifinals. That moved the Falcons within one game of the Super Bowl with the NFC title game in Atlanta. But the San Francisco 49ers pulled off a 28-24 upset despite 396 yards passing and three touchdowns by Ryan. He's now 1-4 in his playoff career.

Romo has quarterbacked the Cowboys to the playoffs four times in his nine seasons. He also delivered a top seed in the NFC bracket in 2007 with a 13-3 record. But the Cowboys lost in the NFC semifinals that postseason. Romo didn't win a playoff game until his third postseason and has never taken the Cowboys to an NFC title game. He's 2-4 in his playoff career.

Quarterbacks are measured by championships. Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman -- you carve your historical niche and claim your bust in Canton with Lombardi Trophies. You need a ring to give your career legitimacy.

Ask Steve Young. He lost a pair of NFC title games to the Cowboys in the 1990s before finally escaping the Cowboys in 1994 and going on to win his first Super Bowl. He now has a bust in Canton.

"Understand that the Super Bowl is a team thing," Young said. "But without it, you don't have that exclamation point for whatever kind of career you've had. Super Bowls define it. You can say, 'Aw, that's not right. That's not the way you should look at it.' You can say whatever you want -- but those are the facts. The perception is that Super Bowls are what define players."

When the Falcons drafted Ryan, they envisioned championships. That's also the reason the Falcons gave him a new $103 million contract in 2013. Ryan hasn't been able to deliver a playoff berth since signing that contract.

But the Falcons are looking for their first 3-0 start since 2012 when they roll into AT&T Stadium Sunday. Ryan has been a big part of that success with his 661 passing yards this season. Only Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger have thrown for more. Ryan is 30 now. He knows what needs to be done.

"Super Bowls define us," Young said. "You can spend the rest of your career playing terrific football, even MVP football. But it won't do what a Super Bowl does."
---------------

About time somebody wrote something negative about Ryan in this regard.

He gets more mileage out of that insipid Matty Ice shit than he does for choking just as big as Romo has been accused of.
 

Texas Ace

Teh Acester
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
23,400
If our defense continues to play well, we can win this game.

Weeden needs to resemble something other than crap, and we'll have a shot.

To get his confidence going early and to unsettle the Falcons a bit, I'd try to hit a deep pass early. That could set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,735
If they control Julio Jones, they can win. It really is that simple. Atlanta has no running game.
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
If they control Julio Jones, they can win. It really is that simple. Atlanta has no running game.
Perhaps one way to control Jones is to keep Ryan on the move from the pocket. I don't know how long the Dallas defense can keep him uncomfortable. It takes a lot out of a defense to keep a QB moving.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,454
Perhaps one way to control Jones is to keep Ryan on the move from the pocket. I don't know how long the Dallas defense can keep him uncomfortable. It takes a lot out of a defense to keep a QB moving.
Having Randy Gregory for this game would have been huge.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,735
Perhaps one way to control Jones is to keep Ryan on the move from the pocket. I don't know how long the Dallas defense can keep him uncomfortable. It takes a lot out of a defense to keep a QB moving.
Not really an issue with Ryan. He is very much a pocket QB, not a threat to move from the pocket. Might move up and in it, but rarely outside of it.

There were some inexplicable coverages the Giants had late with Jones and they all but refused to jam him at all. That's worthy of noting.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,735
Scout's Eye: Falcons' New Scheme Is A Big Benefit For Jones, Ryan


Wednesday, September 23, 2015 3:01 PM CDT







By Bryan Broaddus


Football Analyst/Scout



@BryanBroaddus


IRVING, Texas – The injuries to this Cowboys offense are going to fuel the talking points going forward for the next eight or so weeks, which is totally understandable. It will be a challenge for the Dallas offense to overcome the loss of Tony Romo and Dez Bryant – this Sunday against Atlanta, as well as in every other game.



As you might guess, though, there are challenges all over the field for the Cowboys this week, and they can’t afford to keep a narrow focus. With my first breakdown this week, I’m going to pay plenty of attention to the offensive matchups facing the Dallas defense before circling back to the defense.


Nemesis: Matt Ryan, QB

Ryan has always played the game with a great deal of passion and physical toughness. He’s working in a new offensive system under Kyle Shanahan, and it appears to be going well for him. Shanahan is not asking Ryan to win the game by himself – he is playing to his strengths with his ability to throw off of the play action pass.

In the previous system, Ryan was asked to hold the ball longer while allowing routes to develop. Now, the ball is out of his hand quickly and usually to a receiver on the move. By playing this way Shanahan is limiting the number of times that Ryan takes hits in the pocket, protecting his health.

I would not say that Ryan has top arm talent or strength, but his touch and accuracy are outstanding. He does a nice job of leading receivers up the field or throwing a ball to a running back in the flat. He’s also good when throwing the ball on the move. The new scheme requires him to have to move laterally in order to make throws off boot action.

This is a hard guy to rattle – plays with poise and awareness. He takes snaps both from underneath center and from the shotgun. His pocket and drop mechanics are good. He will break the pocket to escape trouble, and he has shown the ability to improvise when he has to. Can throw the ball off balance with the flick of the wrist.

He still has the occasional untimely turnover, but the scheme has helped him cut down on those questionable throws.



Weapon: Julio Jones, WR

There is no question that Julio Jones is the focus of this Atlanta offense. Tevin Coleman has done a nice job of providing balance in the running game, but it’s Jones that makes it go.

In Jones, the Falcons have what the Cowboys have in Dez Bryant – a dynamic player that really loves the game. For such a physically large man, Jones plays as if he has little man feet. His initial quickness and burst are outstanding off the line.

Jones is one of those players where, when you are studying him on tape, you can feel him coming off the ball. He can really cover some ground when he gets into his routes. In the old system, was more of a home run threat, but now he gets the ball quicker on screens and routes where he can work inside. Kyle Shannon wants to get the ball in his hands in a hurry and let him run. He can be an absolute nightmare for a defensive back to have to deal with one-on-one in space. Catches passes all over the field and from all different spots in the formation.

In this new Falcons scheme, it appears they have a built-in read if Jones is given too much space in coverage pre snap – Matt Ryan simply raises up and gets him the ball. As difficult as it might seem, in order for this Dallas secondary to slow Jones down, they are going to have to play him tight in coverage and not allow him the ability to get up the field.


Under the Radar: O’Brien Schofield, OLB / DE

O’Brien Schofield is a player that Dan Quinn had while he was with the Seahawks, and he is one of the first players Quinn brought with him when he accepted the job.

Schofield is an interesting player when you study him on tape, because he has that ability to line up at a couple of different spots in the scheme and be productive. He is very similar to the type of player that the Cowboys have in Kyle Wilber, where you can use him as an outside linebacker but also along the defensive line at rusher end in the nickel.

The first thing you notice about him is he has outstanding quickness off the snap. He plays with a burst and shows the acceleration to really come off the corner when he is put in those situations. His hips and change of direction are very good to capture the corner. There is not any stiffness in the way he rushes. I liked what I saw from his hand use and his balance when he was engaged with the blocker.

You can see that Schofield was well trained in the Seahawks’ system in the pass rush moves that he uses and is just not an up-field rusher. Schofield will work the majority of his snaps off the left side unless the Falcons decide that rookie Vic Beasley will have a better chance working against Doug Free and flip him to the other side.

I didn’t know much about him before this season, but he is a really good player that fits their scheme well.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,701
If they control Julio Jones, they can win. It really is that simple. Atlanta has no running game.
Yep. Gotta hope the secondary does as well against Jones as they did against ODB. Which is not a ridiculous expectation.
 

Jiggyfly

Banned
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
9,220
Not really an issue with Ryan. He is very much a pocket QB, not a threat to move from the pocket. Might move up and in it, but rarely outside of it.

There were some inexplicable coverages the Giants had late with Jones and they all but refused to jam him at all. That's worthy of noting.
Lawrence is going to have to really show up as well as the interior guys, Ryan likes to look downfield and is a stationary target, this should be a big sack and hit game.
 
D

Deuce

Guest
Yep. Gotta hope the secondary does as well against Jones as they did against ODB. Which is not a ridiculous expectation.
It's not, but Julio is also a different animal. Bigger, faster, stronger and just as athletic.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,701
It's not, but Julio is also a different animal. Bigger, faster, stronger and just as athletic.
The biggest thing that scares me about Jones are those quick slants they like to run. Not sure anyone on this planet can defend those against him, and he is so damn good after the catch.
 
Top Bottom