Week 4: Falcons Vs. Seahawks

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Which team will win?

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savage

savage

OG
#1
Feb 14, 2004
16,667
4,746
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#1


When: Sunday, 1:05 p.m., CenturyLink Field

Record: 1-2 after Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Buccaneers in Tampa

Where they rank: No. 19 on offense (19th rushing, 18th passing); No. 22 on defense (20th rushing, 22nd passing)

Series: Seahawks lead 8-4, but the Falcons have won the past two meetings – including a 34-18 victory in Seattle in Week 15 last season

Star power: Tony Gonzalez. There are plenty of candidates on this team that posted the best record in the NFC last season, but the Falcons’ Pro Bowl tight end continues to get it done at 35 and in his 14th NFL season. He leads the team with three touchdown catches among his 14 receptions. The Seahawks already have faced the 49ers’ Vernon Davis (five catches for 47 yards), the Steelers’ Heather Miller (one for 16) and the Cardinals’ Todd Heap (six for 61), but they’re trying to get where Gonzalez already has been – 11 Pro Bowl selections and eight All-Pro berths. Oh, and he holds the NFL records by a tight end for career receptions (1,069), receiving yards (12,463), touchdown catches (88), 100-yard games (27) and 1,000-yard seasons (four).

Unsung heroes: Sean Weatherspoon and Curtis Lofton. Overshadowed by the concerns over the offense is the fact that the Falcons allowed 30 points to the Bears and 31 to the Eagles before limiting the Bucs to 16 on Sunday. But the linebacker duo of Weatherspoon (outside) and Lofton (middle) have combined for 60 tackles – 31 for Weatherspoon and 29 for Lofton.

On the spot: The offensive line. QB Matt Ryan has been sacked 13 times in three games after going down 23 times all of last season. Ryan also has been hit 21 times. But it’s not just the pass protection that has coach Mike Smith concerned, as the running game gained 30 yards on 15 carries against the Bucs and Michael Turner had just 20 on 11 carries for a 1.8-yard average. It’s gotten to the point where Smith is contemplating making changes in the unit this week.

Burning question: Is this the week the Falcons’ offense finally gets it road act together? In eight quarters away from home, the Falcons have scored one touchdown in losses to the Bears (30-12) and Bucs (16-13). Ryan has passed for 300-plus yards in each of those games, but it wasn’t enough. Sunday, Roddy White caught nine passes for 140 yards and rookie Julio Jones added six for 115. But that wasn’t enough, either.

Number to know: 23, as in the number of penalties the Falcons have committed. They were the least-penalized team in the league last season (58). This season, they’re on pace to hit 122.

Familiar faces: QB Bob Bratkowski was the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator (1995-97) under Dennis Erickson and also coached the wide receivers (1992-94) on Tom Flores’ staff. Defensive backs coach Tim Lewis coached the same position for the Seahawks in 2009 and is the brother of Will Lewis, the Seahawks’ VP of football operations.

The last word: “If it was that simple, we’d just fix it. It’d be fixed. This is different, (it’s not) we’ll do it this way so that it won’t happen anymore, just like magic. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.” – right tackle Tyson Clabo on the offensive line issues

http://blog.seahawks.com/2011/09/27/up-next-atlanta-falcons-2/
 
savage

savage

OG
#2
Feb 14, 2004
16,667
4,746
113
41
#2
Matchup microscope

Seahawks pass defense vs. the Falcons’ big three – WRs Roddy White and Julio Jones and TE Tony Gonzalez: This isn’t just CB Marcus Trufant against White, who has averaged 93 receptions the past four seasons and already has 20 this season. It’s not just the big body and physical style of CB Brandon Browner against the big body and athletic ability of Jones, the rookie who is averaging 16.5 yards on 13 receptions. It’s not even the strong safety (Kam Chancellor or Atari Bigby) or a linebacker, or two, against Gonzalez, who has caught more passes (1,069) for more yards (12,463) and more touchdowns (88) than any tight end in the 92-year history of the NFL. It’s an all-11-players-needed task, and starts with the pass-rushers being able to generate disruptive pressure on QB Matt Ryan.

One to watch

Falcons CB Brent Grimes vs. Seahawks WR Mike Williams: Williams, the Seahawks’ leading receiver last season, went without a catch against the Cardinals last week. And that was only part of his too-short story, as Williams was only targeted once – in the first quarter. It’s a situation that can’t continue, even with the return of Sidney Rice, who had eight catches for 109 yards in his Seahawks debut. QB Tarvaris Jackson needs to stay with Williams longer – but not too long – and also realize that he does not have to be open to make the catch. When matched against the 5-foot-10 Grimes, Williams will be able to use his 6-5 frame to shield him from the ball.

Fun to watch

Seahawks OLB Leroy Hill vs. Falcons RB Michael Turner: At some point – and more likely several junctures – these two will be on a collision course. Heavy emphasis on collision. The 247-pound Turner is a bruiser of a back who was averaging 6.9 yards per carry before being held to 30 yards on 15 rushing attempts against the Buccaneers last week. Hill had a game-high 11 tackles against the Cardinals last week – one shy of his career best. His big day included a sack and a forced fumble. But when Hill is really on his game, it’s not so much the tackles he makes, but the force behind them that so impressive.

One tough task

Falcons OTs Sam Baker and Tyson Clabo vs. Seahawks DEs Chris Clemons and Raheem Brock: When the Seahawks go to their nickel and dime packages in passing situations, Brock comes in to rush the passer opposite Clemons. Ryan already has been sacked 13 times this season, compared to 23 all of last season. The quickness off the ball of Clemons and Brock is only enhanced with the din generated by the 12th Man at CenturyLink Field, which makes it even more difficult for blocker to deal with their relentlessness. Each had a sack last week, but that wasn’t a true gauge of their disruptive presence – especially in the second half.

Notable

The Falcons won 34-18 in Week 15 in Seattle last season, in a game that was tied 10-10 in the second quarter before Atlanta scored 24 unanswered points. … Ryan threw three TD passes in that game, with White catching seven passes for 65 yards and Gonzalez four for 26. … Ryan passed for a career-high 330 yards in last week’s 16-13 loss to the Bucs. … Since 2008, Turner has 40 rushing touchdowns, second most in the NFC. … Falcons DE John Abraham has 104½ career sacks, which ranks No. 2 among active players in the league. … Rice has 154 receptions in his career and 114 – or 74 percent – have produced first downs. … The Seahawks are looking for back-to-back wins, which happened once in 2010 (Weeks 6-7), once in 2009 (Weeks 12-13) and once in 2008 (Weeks 15-16). … Chancellor leads the Seahawks in tackles (22), but he is listed as doubtful because of a deep thigh bruise. Bigby will start if Chancellor can’t play. … Linebackers Curtis Lofton (37) and Sean Weatherspoon (35) are the Falcons’ leading tacklers.

http://blog.seahawks.com/2011/10/01/seahawks-vs-falcons-2/
 
Palmer

Palmer

RIP SouthernComfort
#5
Apr 10, 2006
4,985
4,812
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SEAHAWKS!!!
#5
I am fucking amped for this game. Crossing fingers for no boo birds and no Charlie chants.

Rossibreath - Dude.....what is it going to take to change that avatar. It makes my skin crawl every time I see it. It's fuckin gross.
 
savage

savage

OG
#9
Feb 14, 2004
16,667
4,746
113
41
#9
Falcons o-line is just as bad as ours. And our D is actually good. Our d-line is solid and our safties are good, too. Clemons is going to get at least one sack and Thomas is going to get at least one INT.
 
Meta4iCAL

Meta4iCAL

Raider Nation
#10
Feb 21, 2005
19,635
4,278
113
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#10
DFresh77 said:
being nice huh?

Falcons gonna shit on the Seahawks..
Click to expand...
No, I'm not being nice. The Falcons have not been nearly as impressive this season as last season. No matter how bad Seattle has looked, they have a great home field advantage, and you always have to take that into consideration.
 
Rossibreath

Rossibreath

triple og from the sbp
#13
Sep 1, 2005
12,968
15,464
113
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Menasha
#13
Palmer said:
I am fucking amped for this game. Crossing fingers for no boo birds and no Charlie chants.

Rossibreath - Dude.....what is it going to take to change that avatar. It makes my skin crawl every time I see it. It's fuckin gross.
Click to expand...
That hurt my feelings and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my wife like that.
 
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