Post Game Notes, Dolphins at Falcons

Ravens 20 Falcons 3 Falcons preseason record: 2-2 The end of the preseason has arrived in inglorious fashion for the Dirty Birds as they drop the fourth and final game-before-the-games to the Baltimore Ravens' second- and third-string players. The final score is of little concern compared to the way in which it was lost. The Falcons again failed to stop the opposing team from converting 3rd-and-long on a few too many occasions, keeping their 3rd down stops at about 50%, a number that hopefully will go way down once the regular season starts. The 1st-string defense was on the field probably for longer than they had planned, because Coach Mike Smith was likely not seeing what he wanted from them. Smith and Thomas Dimitroff are probably not done looking for trades and free agents to help get this defense where they need it to be. The offense didn't fare much better against the Ravens' backup players, racking up all of 175 yards and only two real scoring opportunities, of which Jason Elam converted exactly half. John Parker Wilson played decent, but D.J. Shockley, I'm afraid, has played his way off the squad, which makes me sad. Who knows where he would be now if that injury during the 2007 preseason hadn't derailed his bid for the starting QB slot. We'll know more about his future come Saturday. I should mention, not to make excuses, that some of the play calling was done more for seeing how plays would work in different situations and seeing how players would react if put in mismatches rather than calling plays that were the absolute best for each circumstance. Where they went right: The D-line looked good in the game, with 4 different players recording sacks, including (let's hear the chorus of angels sing Hallelujah!) Jamaal Anderson. Peria Jerry got one, as well as Kroy Biermann and Maurice Lucas. Jerry and Biermann also racked up 4 tackles apiece, as did Curtis Lofton, Jamie Winborn and Tony Gilbert. Chandler Williams averaged 28 yards in kickoff returns, which besides providing a viable substitution for Jerious Norwood in the return game, will also further cloud what is probably Smith's most difficult position to pare down, the wide receivers. Kieth Zinger laid down a brutal punt-coverage tackle that will possibly single-handedly move him ahead of Jason Rader in the battle for the third tight end position. After giving up the touchdown to the Ravens on their opening drive, the Falcons defense held them to 3 consecutive 3-and-outs, a refreshing change from some of what I've seen from, especially, the secondary. Where they need improvement: I suppose it's possible that they can play the entire season without ever dropping into man-to-man coverage against the wide-outs, but unlikely. The cornerbacks need to step up their game and demonstrate more of that athleticism their coaches tout. Tye Hill may help in that situation, but only time will tell. The linebackers need improvement on their horizontal play. They do a good job of shutting down the inside run, but sweep plays and screen plays are really burning them. I once had a Madden team that utilized nothing but sweep runs and deep passes, and I have a feeling that my team would fare pretty well against this defense. I don't think it will take long for other teams to spot those weaknesses and exploit them. As much as I love seeing our offense score a ton of points, I really don't want to see them have to score 35 or more every week just to come out on top. Though it has improved all preseason, tackling is still an issue, as demonstrated by Chris Owens riding a Ravens' receiver piggy-back into the end zone. A couple of defensive players would have had more impressive numbers reflective of how close they were to the action if they were just able to stick those shoestring tackles Now it's time for some hard decisions for the coaching staff, as 21 players will have to be let go, and only 8 of those can be signed to the practice squad. I mentioned earlier that wide receiver may be the toughest area to trim, but there's no area that will be easy (except maybe quarterback). One classy aspect of the Falcons franchise is that Arthur Blank personally meets with each player that is let go and thanks them for their contributions to the team. It's nice to see that level of professionalism, though it is likely not much consolation for the suddenly unemployed. Saturday is the day by which all cuts must be made, no later than 6pm. I'll be away from the internet for the next few days, but I hope to compile a few fun facts over the weekend to post during the week before the opening day. Up next: REGULAR SEASON, Miami Dolphins visit, September 13th, 1pm, Georgia Dome