Julio Jones – FalconAlley Football

Falcons Defense Wins the Final Stand

Atlanta Falcons 25 at Carolina Panthers 17

October 29, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Inactives of note this week are Takk McKinley, still with the groin injury. Marlon Davidson and Jordan Miller and late scratch Ito Smith, which I can only assume is because LB Edmond Robinson was flexed to the active roster. For the Carolina Panthers, Christian McCaffrey will not play.

It is a balmy night in Charlotte, NC, where remnants of the tropical storm Zeta went through earlier in the day. At game time, it started to drizzle.

The Falcons will receive the ball to start. From the 25, Matt Ryan drops back to throw to Julio Jones at the 49. Play action again, Ryan finds Jones again for another 27 yards along the sideline. Jones comes off the field, Hayden Hurst is in motion. A fake to Todd Gurley and a pass to Hurst at the 12. Gurley gets the ball for a single yard game around the left end. In the shotgun, Ryan passes to Calvin Ridley who makes a move away from the defenders for a 7-yard gain. On 3^rd and 2, Gurley gets the call up the middle for inches short of the first down. With 11 minutes to go in the first quarter, the Falcons take a time out. The offense leaves the field and Younghoe Koo kicks a 20-yard field goal.

With 11:14 to go in the first quarter, Falcons lead 3/0.

The Panthers begin on their own 25. Teddy Bridgewater throws toward DJ Moore who cannot haul it in as Kendall Sheffield and Keanu Neal combine to knock the ball out. Sheffield is hurt on the play, as Neal hit him in the side/back. On 2^nd and 10, Bridgewater fires to Robby Anderson for 5 yards. Neal was closing on Bridgewater as he released the ball. Hit as he throws (by Grady Jarrett), the pass falls incomplete as Isaiah Oliver is called for PI, giving the Panthers the yards and a first down. Chased out of bounds by Dante Fowler, then tapped on the sideline by Deion Jones, Bridgewater is given another free first down. Across the 50, Mike Davis gets the ball for a 7-yard run. A quick pass to Davis gains the first down and more. He escapes Neal and is finally stopped by Jarrett. From the 29, Davis escapes all tackles, spins and switches field, lowers his shoulder and gains another first down, finally brought down by 3 Falcons. Curtis Samuel takes the next handoff in for an easy touchdown.

With 8:14 to go in the first quarter, the Panthers lead 7/3.

From the 25, Ryan hands off to Gurley who gains 4 yards. On 2^nd down, Ryan finds Jones for another 13 yards. From the 42, Ryan hands to Gurley who goes 3 yards along the left side. Ryan changes the play, takes the snap and finds an open Jones in the middle near the 35-yard line for a 20-yard gain. Gurley and Hurst blocking well along the right side to give Ryan time to find Jones. Gurley is stopped at the line of scrimmage. Ryan drops back, flings the ball toward Hurst as the blitz is closing. On 3^rd and 10, Ryan takes another time out. Then, the Panthers take a time out. Back on 3^rd and 10, Kaleb McGary jumps and moves the Falcons back to the 41. On the 3^rd and 15, Ryan finds Ridley in double to triple coverage for the first down and an extra yard. Brian Hill gets the call and goes 12 yards along the right side for a quick first down. At the 13, Ryan throws in the end zone for Jones, who cannot make the reception. No PI was called for the defender tugging and tapping Jones. Ryan throws for Jones in the corner of the end zone with two defenders in his face. On 3^rd and 10, jones is off the field, Ryan is sacked. Koo comes on for another field goal.

With 3:00 to go in the first quarter, the Panthers lead 7/6.

During the kick return Keith Smith late hits the returner, so the Panthers will begin at their own 37. Bridgewater drops back and finds Anderson near the sideline, he escapes AJ Terrell’s tackle. Before the pass was thrown, there was a defensive hold, but it was declined. Jarrett gets hands on Davis’ ankles and slows him enough for the rest of the defense to get him down behind the lin. On 2^nd and 14, Jarrett and Terrell converge to stop Davis at the original line of scrimmage. On 3^rd and 9, Bridgewater is sacked by Oliver and Foye Oluokun for a loss of 12 yards. Oluokun came straight up the middle, while Oliver was along the left side. The quarter ends before the punt.

End of Q1: Panther 7 Falcons 6

The Falcons punt to Brandon Powell who fair catches at the 17. Ryan drops back and is picked off by Dante Jackson who is covering Ridley.

The Panthers begin on the Falcons 40. Davis is brought down by Oluokun after a 6-yard gain. ON 2^nd and 4, Davis gets the ball again, along the right side this time, still stopped by Oluokun for a 2-yard gain. Bridgewater changes the play, takes the snap, passes to Samuel along the sideline, gains the first down and is knocked out by Neal. Bridgewater and Davis with the flea flicker, finds an open Samuel in the end zone. The Falcons were in zone coverage and Ricardo Allen could not catch up and knock the ball down, although he got a finger on the ball.

With 12:40 to go until half, Panthers 14/Falcons 6.

Hayden Hurst Making a Big Reception –
Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons/Mark Brown

Again at their own 25, Hill goes along the right side for 8 yards. On 2^nd and 2, Ryan gives to Hill again who goes up the middle for a 4-yard gain and first down. From the 37, Ryan finds Hurst who has to pick the ball off the ground. Before Ryan can snap the ball, the Panthers challenge the play. The play was kept. Hurst credited with the 18-yard pick up. Hill drops the next short pass. On 2^nd and 10, Hurst makes the standing reception of 8 yards where he is rocked by Shaq Thompson. Quadree Ollison in at running back. Ollison pushes through for the first down. Hill gains a yard on the next play. Ridley gains 19 yards on the next pass. Nine yards on the catch, 10 yards on the YAC. His ankles were twisted up by the defender and Ridley is down on the field. From the 14, Hill gets the call, Gurley is on the sideline still. On 2^nd and 9, Ryan scrambles and eventually goes into the edge of the end zone himself.

With 8:02 to go in the half, the Panthers lead is cut, Carolina 14/Atlanta 13.

Bridgewater finds Ian Thomas for a 21-yard gain, but paid for it as Jones was unblocked and leveled Bridgewater. The Panthers are on their own 46 and Samuel goes between the tackles for 9 yards and is stopped by Steven Means. Across midfield, Davis gains the first down, stopped by Neal. Bridgewater calls their final timeout of the half. Bridgewater scrambles way to his right and finally finds Anderson for a 4-yard gain. Davis pushes through the right side of the line for 3 yards. Samuel gets the handoff, Jarett gets through the double team and gets hands on Samuel to stop him on 3^rd down. The Panthers go for it on 4^th down. Bridgewater keeps the ball, tries to go around the edge, tries to stiff arm Oluokun, but he is stopped and shove out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.

Falcons take over at their own 35. Ryan finds Russell Gage for the first time. Gage takes it from behind the line of scrimmage for 19 yards and a first down. Gurley is back on the field at running back. Across midfield, Ryan finds Christian Blake for 7 yards on the sideline. Hill is back in and gets the ball, makes a nice cut and is down at the 30, behind the blocking of McGary. From the 30, Ryan hands to Hill, but his stopped behind the line.

Two Minute Warning.

Gurley is back on the sideline, Jones is on the field. From the 30, Ryan finds Blake for 6 yards. Ryan scrambles and runs for a few yards, short of the first, but a flag is on the play, on defense. From the 16, Ryan throws to double covered Jones in the end zone, 42 Franklin knocks the ball up and out of Jones’ hands before his hands can close. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan is sacked. On 3^rd and 16, Ryan is nearly sacked, runs up 4 yards. Brian Burns easily spins off of Jake Matthews and nearly gets the sack. Koo makes another field goal.

At Halftime, Panthers 14/Falcons 16.

After the second half kickoff, the Panthers begin on their own 25. Bridgewater is under pressure and finally runs up for 8 yards. He finds Thomas for the first down, Neal stops him at the marker. Bridgewater is under pressure again, and outruns the Tyeler Davison and Fowler for 14 yards. At midfield, Davis gets the call, makes a couple of spin moves before Jarrett picks him up and lays him down. On 2^nd and 5, Bridgewater passes to Davis, Neal hits him so hard, the ball flies out, #92 grabbed it, then there was a pile of players from both sides. The play goes under review. The Booth determined there was no catch. Oluokun had penetration to force a bad throw and nearly ended up with the fumble recovery. It is 3^rd and 5 at the 46. Bridgewater hits Anderson, short of the first down where Terrell ensures he gains no yards after the catch. On 4^th and 2, the Panthers come on to punt, then change their minds and the offense returns to the field. Davis gets the call and Oluokon and Jarrett stop him behind the line.

Falcons begin on their own 43. Gurley is brought down way in the backfield by Tre Boston, for a loss of 4 yards. Ryan starts to run again, then sees Jones 23 yards down the field. From the Panthers 38, Ryan fakes the handoff and passes to Smith, who cannot hold onto the ball, at the line of scrimmage. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan hands to Gurley this time and he makes a move and crosses the first down marker. From the 27, Ryan hands to Gurley gain for 2 yards and another 2 yards. ON 3^rd and 6, Ryan sees the blitz and rushes to his right and he throws an incompletion. There was a hold by the defense for the defender holding and yanking the jersey of Blake downfield. The Falcons have a 1^st down on the 18. Hurst cannot haul in the pass. Gurley goes up the middle for a single yard. Ryan changes the play, takes the snap, and flips it to Gage crossing in the middle of the field, short of the first down marker. Koo makes the 30-yard attempt.

With 6:26 to go in the 3^rd quarter, Falcons lead 19/14.

The Panthers begin on their 31. Bridgewater sees the blitz coming, Jones closing and forcing an errant pass. Bridgewater finds Chris Manhertz and is stopped by Sheffield. Bridgewater goes long for Samuel, but overthrows him. Terrell in tight coverage. On 4^th down, the Panthers are charged with a delay of game and punt on 4^th and 9. It is a fake, a direct snap to Jeremy Chinn, who gains 28 yards. Davis cuts back for 3 yards. On 2^nd down, the pass is tipped at the line by Charles Harris. On 3^rd and 7 from the 37, Bridgewater is tripped by Fowler. He falls and is hit by two more Falcons. Bridgewater is down on the field. Harris is ejected for his late hit on Bridgewater once he was on the ground. From the 24, PJ Walker goes to the end zone to Anderson, Terrell in perfect coverage ensuring the ball cannot be caught. After the snap and hand off and reverse, Anderson gets back to the line of scrimmage with Oliver on the stop. On 3^rd and 7, the pass is high and incomplete. Joey Slye kicks the 39-yard field.

With 2:59 to play in the 3^rd, the Falcons lead is cut to 19/17.

From the 25, Ryan hands to Gurley who is tackled from behind by Chinn. Gurley immediately leaves the field. On 2^nd and 7, Ryan finds Hill just past the line of scrimmage. Ryan scrambles and runs again and gets 10 yards and a first down. From the 38, Hill finds a huge hole and gains 15 yards. Across midfield, the Falcons cause a neutral zone infraction and get a free 5 yards.

End of Q3: Falcons 19/Panthers 17.

Gurley finds 4 ½ yards. Play action and Ryan finds Hurst for 12 yards. Gurley leaps over one defender, then forced out by another after a single yard gain. Ryan finds Jones who is at the first down marker. Gurley hesitates, then gains 7 yards. Gurley jams and spins behind an Alex Mack and Smith block and gest down to the 5-yard line. On the next play, Gurley goes behind a James Carpenter and Smith block for the touchdown. Koo misses the extra point.

With 11:01 to go in the game, the Falcons lead 25/17. An 8-point game.

Bridgewater stays on the sidelines. Davis gets the handoff and goes for 8 yards, stopped finally by Jones. Walker hands to Davis again for a 12-yard first down, stopped by Terrell. An incomplete pass gives Bridgewater enough time to recover. On 2^nd and 10, he finds Anderson for a 5-yard gain where Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Oliver combine for a stop. On 3^rd and 5, Bridgewater throws to Samuel behind the line of scrimmage where Wreh-Wilson is immediately for the stop. The Panthers punt this time with the ball going out of bounds at the 5.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson Making a Big Stop on Curtis Samuel Photo Courtesy of Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons

Ryan hands to Hill who gains 2 yards. Ryan drops back and passes behind Hill who forces his way past the first down marker. From the 16, Hill runs into a wall, rolls off the pile and gains one yard. A flag for defensive holding moves the Falcons up 5 yards and provides a first down. From the 22, Hill gets the ball again, 3 yards along the left side. The Falcons call a timeout from the sideline. On 2^nd and 7 from the 25, with Hurst in motion, Ryan finds him at the 30 for a 5-yard gain. Ryan is sacked by Burns. A defender was holding Hurst and another first down. Ryan finds Jones again for 20 yards, down at the Panthers 45. Gurley is smashed behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 4 yards, behind a missed McGary block. Ryan quick throws at the line to Gage, the ball pop ups, but no one catches it and it falls incomplete. Gurley returns to the field. On 3^rd and 14, Ryan tosses to Gurley who goes 5 yards before running out of bounds. Sterling Hoffrichter punts to the 5.

With 2:58 to go in the game, the Panthers are down by 8 and have 95 yards to go. DJ Moore gets the reception for a 13-yard gain and goes out of bounds to stop the clock. Bridgewater passes to Anderson for minimal gain, but there is a flag on the play. Fowler jumped offsides, moving the ball up 5 yards. On 1^st and 5 from the 23, Bridgewater sees the blitz and starts to run, Jones stops him after 3 yards. Oluokun had good pressure forcing Bridgewater out of the pocket. On 2^nd and 2, Bridgewater finds Thomas just past the marker and is stopped by Terrell.

Two Minute Warning

The Panthers have the ball at their own 32. The safeties are playing tight to the line of scrimmage, a blitz from Jones and Jarrett and Bridgewater throws towards a receiver. Bridgewater is sacked by Jones for a loss of 7. Jarrett was right behind him. The Panthers take their first time out. On 3^rd and 17, Bridgewater is hit as he throws and finds Moore for a 42-yard gain. The next pass is underthrown. From the Falcons 34 Bridgewater is scrambling and has to run out of bounds after a gain of 4. On 3^rd and 6, Bridgewater gets a delay of game call. But they claim the Panthers’ sideline called a time out first. Bridgewater drops back, throws a bomb to BLIDI WREH-WILSON. Wreh-Wilson leaped high in the air to make the grab and seal the game.

The offense takes the field to kneel down twice. In 2020, we didn’t even know that was still a thing.

#RiseUp

FalconAlley OWT

Falcons Lose As Time Expires

Detroit Lions 23 at Atlanta Falcons 22

October 25, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons rolled out their third and final new jersey of the season. The red gradient jerseys. After the rain passed, the roof was opened. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter Dr. Bernice King pulled the train horn to kick off the game while overlooking the field, painted with “Rise Up and Vote.”

The only item of note on the Inactive list this week is that with Takk McKinley back on the active roster, Deadrin Senat is back to the inactives. Jaylinn Hawkins is still inactive with an injury.

The Falcons receive the opening kickoff and begin on their own 18. Matt Ryan hands to Todd Gurley who finds no room running parallel to the line of scrimmage. On 2^nd and 9, Ryan is under pressure and throws a quick shot to Hayden Hurst, but he cannot haul the pass in. On 3^rd and 9, Ryan finds Hurst short of the marker, but he stumbles forward for the first down. From the 31, Julio Jones is in motion with Gurley in the backfield, he gets the call and rushes for 3 yards. Another Gurley run for short gain. Alex Mack is collapsed on the field under Gurley. Rookie Matt Hennessy comes on for Mack. On 3^rd and 5, Ryan cannot connect with Russell Gage for the first down and the Falcons punt.

Matt Stafford leads the Lions onto the field. On first down, Adrian Peterson finds a hole for a 7-yard gain and is stopped by Deion Jones. From the 31, Peterson gains no yards, as he is met by the whole line. On 3^rd and 4, Keanu Neal ensures the tight end cannot gain the 3 yards. The Lions punt to Brandon Powell as the ball rolls into the end zone.

Gurley is in the backfield, Ryan making adjustments at the line. Gurley gets a couple of yards. On 2^nd and 8, Ryan drops back, but quickly throws near laterally to Gage who loses two yards and is down, looking not good on the field. Gage is helped off the field. Powell comes in for Gage and Brian Hill is in at running back and gets the call for a 7-yard gain. Hofrichter back on to punt.

Stafford begins at the 29 and finds a wide-open TJ Hockenson for a 16-yard pick up. Stafford goes deep for former Falcon Marvin Hall, who is blanketed by rookie AJ Terrell and the ball is complete. On 2^nd and 10, Stafford gives to Peterson who quickly meets Foye Oluokun for a 1-yard gain. On 3^rd and 9 at the 46, Stafford from the shotgun, finds a wide-open Marvin Jones at the 31 of Atlanta. Zone defense is opening the offense up. A 23-yard pick up. D’Andre Swift rushes for 8 yards. Swift with the first down, breaking tackles and gaining 13 yards, where he is stopped by Ricardo Allen. Grady Jarrett stops Swift from scoring. On 2^nd and goal from the 7, Oluokun stops Jones from making the reception. On 3^rd and goal, Stafford scrambles and while looking for a receiver, doesn’t even see Terrell who lays him out. Terrell is called for roughing the passer. Swift scores a touchdown on the next play.

With 4:11, the Lions lead 7/0.

The Falcons begin at their own 18. A Gurley rush of 2 yards, then an incomplete to Julio Jones forces a third down. On 3^rd and 8, Ryan is under pressure and cannot connect with Powell and another punt.

The Lions begin on their on 37. Stafford passes to Peterson at the line of scrimmage where McKinley takes him out of bounds. On 2^nd and 9, Stafford changes the play, then hands to Peterson who gained no yards, stopped by Neal who got off the WR block. On 3^rd and 9, Stafford throws to Amendola at the first down marker, but he cannot haul the ball in. Another Lions punt.

Grady Jarrett and Keanu Neal stop Adrian Peterson – Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons/Kyle Hess

The Falcons begin on their own 11 with less than 2 minutes to go in the first quarter. Hurst makes the reception at the first down marker, makes a few yards and leaps over another defender. Jones gets the next pass for 8 yards. Near the 40, the pass is to Calvin Ridley on a slant route, but the ball was too far back on his shoulder and cannot haul in the pass. Raheem Morris throws the challenge flag that Hurst caught the ball on a deflection. The ball bounced off of Ridley’s shoulder, off the defender twice and while still in the air, Hurst hauled it in. The call was reverse and the Falcons have a first down at their own 42. A fake to Gurley and a too high pass to Ridley near the sideline. Ryan dumps off to Hill who gains 9 yards as the quarter ends.

End of first quarter, the Lions lead 7/0 over the Falcons, who are driving near midfield.

At the Detroit 49, the Falcons are 2^nd and 1, Olamide Zaccheaus takes the snap and pushes up the middle for no gain. On 4^th and 1, Hurst is in motion and gains the first down and 9 yards. Ryan is flushed out of pocket and from the line of scrimmage finds Ridley on the sideline, while dragging toes to ensure he is in bounds. From the Lions 22, Ryan fakes to Gurley and lobs it to the end zone to Hurst who nearly makes a one-handed catch. There is a hold on the defense providing 5 yards and a first down at the 17. Ryan hands off to Gurley who gains no yards before heading out of bounds. On 2^nd and 10 Ryan finds Powell for the touchdown, but is negated by a Ridley PI. On 2^nd and 20, Ryan from the shotgun, finds Gurley over the middle for 11 yards. On 3^rd and 9, Ryan throws out of the end zone over Ridley, who gets up a little gimpy. PI called on the defense, a fresh set of downs and the all on the 1. Ryan fakes to Gurley and Luke Stocker cannot make the reception. On 2^nd and goal, Gurley runs into a wall and is stopped at the 2. Third down, Gurley goes around the right side and gets the touchdown.

With 10:54 to go to the half, the game is tied at 7.

After the kickoff, the Lions begin on their own 21. Stafford fakes to Peterson and connects with Kenny Golladay under coverage of Kendall Sheffield and Deion Jones. After a 13-yard pick up, Peterson gets the call for a 7-yard gain. At the 41, Peterson gains no yards and Swift returns to the game. On 3^rd and 3, Stafford finds Amendola wide open on the sideline for an 18-yard gain. Jarrett is called for a roughing the passer for shoving Stafford after the release of the ball. Swift is run out of bounds by Jones. On 3^rd and 11 from the Falcons 12, Hockenson is open and makes the 10-yard reception. On 4^th and 1, Peterson gets the ball and Dante Fowler makes the stop behind the line of scrimmage. A flag comes onto the field AFTER the end of the play. Fowler’s helmet was knocked off by another player, but the Falcons were charged with a penalty.

The Falcons begin on their own 2. Ryan and Hurst cannot connect on first down. Gurley steps over a player for another yard. On 3^rd and 8 from the end zone, Ryan finds Ridley at the 31 for a 27-yard first down reception. Hill gets the call for a yard. On 2^nd and 9 Ryan drops back, under a delayed blitz, Ryan scrambles and runs, then sees Hill for a short gain, who goes for the first down on his own. From the 43, Ryan hands to Hill who shoves his way for 2 yards. on 2^nd and 8, Ryan finds Hurst across midfield for a 17-yard reception. Hurst was settled in behind the smaller linebackers and just waited on the ball.

Two Minute Warning.

From the 38, Gurley gains 3 yards. Jones returns to the field, plays decoy and Powell hauls in the reception for 4 yards. on 3^rd and 3, Ryan find Jones for a 13-yard gain to the 18. Jones is standing at the 5 where he catches the next pass, before gimping off the field again. The Falcons call Time out. First and goal from the 5, Gurley gets the call and gains a few yards. Jones is being stretched out on the sideline, then comes back onto the field. The Lions take a time out with 42 seconds remaining. Second down, Ryan drops back and finds Ridley in the back of the end zone, one foot in, second foot out. On third down, Ryan finds Ridley in the middle of the end zone for the touchdown. Ridley had escaped his defender and was wide open at the point of reception.

29 seconds to go to half and the Falcons take the 14/7 lead.

Stafford finds Hockenson for a 10-yard reception where he is knocked out of bounds by Neal. Detroit takes a time out. Golladay makes the 18-yard reception under Sheffield zone coverage. From the Falcons 47, the Lions are called for false start and moved back 5 yards to their 47. On 1^st and 15, Stafford finds Jones at the 33. They quickly snap and down the ball and with 3 seconds to go, the Lions kick a 50-yard field goal.

At half time – Falcons 14, Lions 10.

The Lions start on their own 14, a handoff to Swift goes for 2 yards. On 2^nd down, Jones is standing between Oluokun and Neal for the 16-yard reception. As Stafford is still dropping back, Neal sacks him for a 9-yard loss. He was untouched. On 2^nd and 19, Jones almost gets to Stafford, but Swift has the ball and jetting up for 8 yards. on 3^rd and 11, the offensive line is holding up well, Stafford finds Golladay for 29 yards and is taken down by Neal. A Swift handoff along the right side, gains 24 yards, but is called back due to offensive holding. From midfield, a first and 20, pass to Swift gains back 13 yards. Peterson gets the call up the middle easily for a first down and few more yards. From the Falcons 29, Peterson goes for a few yards and stopped by Sherrod Neasman. On 2^nd and 7, Peterson gains no yards, mainly stopped by Oluokun. Stafford drops back, and UNBLOCKED, Jones come flying at him, Stafford ducks down some and Jones sacks him as he glides over him. The Lions are forced to kick another field goal.

With 7:34 to go in the 3^rd quarter, Falcons lead is cut to 1, leading 14/13.

The Falcons start on their own 15, with a Ryan pass to Gage for a 9-yard gain. Gurley gets the first down, but only 2 yards. A fake to Gurley and then passes toward Gurley, just out of reach. Ryan find Jones for a 5-yard gain over the middle. Jones is in the slot, while Ryan is scrambling, he is sacked for a 4-yard loss. Ryan was expecting zone and is on the sideline yelling at people.

After the punt, the Lions will begin at their own 31. An incompletion begins the Lions drive. Stafford finds Amendola for a 3-yard gain, stopped by Isaiah Oliver. The Falcons take a time out. On 3^rd and 7, Stafford passes into an empty spot on the field and lets out some bad words too. Two of the Lion receivers were in the same spot, literally running into each other. The Lions punt, Powell calls for a fair catch at the 15, but the ball bounces and stops at the 6.

Gurley runs up the middle for 5 yards. Gurley finds an opening, shoves his way literally through defenders and picks up 13 yards. Ryan drops back and finds Jones just past the first down marker, then Jones pushes for 7 more yards. At the 41, Gurley pushes into a crowd for 2 yards. On 2^nd and 8, Ryan drops back and finds Hurst near the first down marker, Hurst stretches it out for the first down. Across midfield, a fake to Gurley and Ryan bounce passes toward Hurst. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan zings in a ball to Jones, which looked like an interception, but went just past the hands of the defender into Jones for an 8-yard gain. Another pass to Jones for a first down.

End of the 3^rd quarter, Falcons driving with the 14/13 lead.

From the Lions 36, Gurley takes the ball for a few yards, but negated and moved back by a Jaeden Graham holding penalty. First and 10 from the 46, Ryan find a wide-open Jones inside the 20. Stocker is called for a false start and the Falcons move back to the 23. Gurley goes for 9 yards, then is stopped for a loss of 6 yards. On 3^rd and 12, Ryan, on the run, finds Ridley headed out of bounds for a gain of 7 yards. At the 13, on 4^th and 5, Ryan’s pass to Ito Smith is knocked down before it reaches Smith.

The Lions take over at their own 13. Swift rushes for 3 yards. Stafford drops back and finds Golladay who rips the ball out of Terrell’s hands…both had their hands on the ball. Morris challenges that Golladay made the catch in bounds. The call was not overturned and the Falcons lose their 2^nd time out. Stafford is nearly sacked by Neal but makes the completion to Jones at the 49, where he is hard met by Allen. Jones makes the next reception and is tackled by Jarrett at the 45. On 2^nd and 4, Peterson goes for 3 yards. On the 3^rd and 1, Peterson is shoved back for a loss by rookie Mykal Walker. On 4^th and 2, the Lions fake the punt, then he steps up under center to try and pull the Falcons off. The Lions challenge the previous play, that Deion Jones didn’t get off the field in time and the Falcons had 12 men “technically” on the field as Stafford quick snapped. Jones had one foot still on the field, but the officials gave 5 yards to the Lions. On their free first down, the Lions gain a yard. On 2^nd and 9, Stafford slings it incomplete to Swift with Fowler in his face. Golladay makes the reception near the first down marker, but is a fourth down as he is stopped short by Sheffield. Matt Prater’s field goal is wide right and the Falcons maintain the lead.

Ryan finds an open Ridley for a first down at the 48. From the 48, Gurley is hit in the backfield for a 3-yard loss. Back at the 45, Ryan delays the handoff to Gurley, who still cannot find an opening, gains back the lost 3 yards. On 3^rd down, Ryan fumbles the ball and it is recovered by the Lions. Jake Matthews didn’t hold his block.

Fowler comes off the side and stops Swift for a 6-yard loss. The Swift reception at the line of scrimmage is stopped and Steven Means forces him back 2 more yards. On 3^rd and 17, Stafford steps up and then has to pull the ball down and run himself as Oluokun makes the hit. Prater makes the 49-yard field goal and the Lions take back the lead.

With 3:16 to go in the game, the Lions lead 16/14.

Powell brings the kickoff from the 1 to the 24, where a small scruff ensues. Ryan finds Gage for a 6-yard gain, then a first down. Ryan finds Gurley underneath for an 8-yard gain.

Two Minute Warning.

The Falcons have one timeout and the ball at their own 47, needing 2 yards for the first down. Ryan scrambles under pressure, then finds Gage, double covered at the Lions 36. Gage leaped and made a one-handed catch. On first down, Ryan finds Gage near the sideline for another first down at the 21. Gage and Ridley are on the sideline and Ryan hands to Gurley who literally refuses to be stopped, partially hopping on one foot, but moving for an 8-yard gain. Lions call a timeout. With 1:25 to go in the game on 2^nd and 2 at the 13, Gurley goes to the left side and gains 1 yard. The Lions call another timeout.

On 3^rd and 1 with 1:18 to go in the game, Gurley stutter steps and waits, then busts through a hole and gets the first down. The ball is on the ground, but Gurley rips it quickly back in. Keith Smith and Chris Lindstrom providing the big blocks. Next play, Gurley goes up the middle, flying through defenders and tries to stop himself before going into the end zone, but falls into the end zone. A side-arm throw under pressure to Ridley gives the successful 2-point conversion.

With 1:04 left in the game, the Falcons lead 22 to 16 over the Lions.

From the 25, Stafford lobs the ball up past the first down marker, but the ball and receiver are out of bounds. Second and 10, under pressure, Stafford finds Hockenson near the sideline, he cannot get out of bounds as Terrell is blocking it and Oliver and Oluokon are pulling him down inside. This takes many precious ticks off the clock. Stafford rushes them back to the line to snap and down the ball. With 34 seconds remaining, from the Lions 33, Stafford drops back then sidearm throws up to the Falcons 40. Another snap and downing of the ball. 19 seconds from the Falcons 40, Stafford throws down to the 8-yard line to Golladay. There is a flag on the play. 3 seconds to go. The Lions snap the ball before the Falcons are even set. The catch is under review from the booth. The ruling of the catch stands. Still 3 seconds on the clock. Everyone is lined up and ready as the clock starts. Stafford spikes the ball with 2 seconds remaining. The ball is at the 11. Stafford drops back and finds Hockenson in the end zone escaping coverage of Jones and Oluokon. As time expires, there is a flag on the play. Unsportsmanlike conduct by Amendola moves the Lions back 15 yards. The extra point is attempted from the 30, so a 48-yard extra point attempt. It is good and the Falcons lose again.

#RiseUp

FalconAlley OWT

New Coach, New Result for Atlanta Falcons

October 18, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons 40 at Minnesota Vikings 23

The Atlanta Falcons are in their all white uniforms today in Minnesota. Julio Jones is back from his hamstring injury. Inactives include Takk McKinley and Jaylinn Hawkins due to injury, and Jordan Miller, Qadree Ollison, and John Wetzel. Note that John Cominsky and Marlon Davidson are on the COVID reserve list.

“Interim” Head Coach Raheem Morris makes his debut today leading the Atlanta Falcons into Minnesota. Morris made a few staffing changes after being named the HC of the Falcons and will not continue his Defensive Coordinator role.

Younghoe Koo kicks off to start the game with a return to the 24.

Kirk Cousins fakes the handoff and throws to…..DEION JONES. After a 17-yard return, the Falcons offense will take the field at the Minnesota 29.

A handoff to Todd Gurley for 9 yards to start, then Gurley gets the first down on the next play. From the 19, Matt Ryan tosses back to Gurley, who is stopped by Cam Dantzler for a 4-yard loss. On 2^nd down, Ryan looks down the field but tosses to Gurley for a 3-yard gain, still 11 yards to go for the first down. Ryan finds an open Julio Jones in the end zone for a quick score.

With 12:02 to go in the first quarter, the Falcons lead 7/0.

Koo to kickoff again, a big return across the 25.

Cousins is under center, fakes the handoff, is nearly sacked, but dumps it to Justin Jefferson who is stopped, hard, behind the line by AJ Terrell. On 2^nd and 12, it is a handoff by Alexander Mattison who is stopped after 7 yards. Terrell makes the stop again forcing the 4^th down.

The Falcons begin on their own 14, with another handoff to Gurley for a 6-yard gain. On 2^nd and 4, Ryan from the shotgun, confuses Gurley who is called for a false start. He leaves the field and on 2^nd and 9, Ryan is pressured, finds Jones short, who turns the gain into a 23-yard gain. Russell Gage and Jake Matthews opening up a hole for Jones on the left side. Next, Calvin Ridley gains 8 yards as a running back along the left side. Near midfield, on 2^nd and 2, Ryan hands to Gurley who is stuffed in the backfield again. On 3^rd and 3, Ryan drops back and finds Hayden Hurst across midfield for an 8-yard gain and first down. A play fake yields an incomplete pass by Ryan. Ryan changes the play at the line, then scrambles and runs for 5 yards along the right sideline. On 3^rd and 5, Gurley forces through for 4 yards. The offense stays on the field for a 4^th and 1 at the 33. Gurley goes straight ahead for several yards and another first down. A short pass to a sliding Ridley for 5 yards. Under center, Ryan changes the play several times, then tosses back to Brian Hill for no gain. On 3^rd and 7, Hill gains a single yard and the Falcons are forced to kick a 50-yard field goal.

With 3:12 to go in the first quarter, the Falcons lead 10/0.

Mattison gets the first call of this series where he meets Keanu Neal for a massive hit and 3-yard loss. Cousins passes to Mattison near the line of scrimmage and the Vikings have a 3^rd and 9. Cousin drops back, under pressure throws short of the receiver with D Jones in coverage and the ball falls incomplete. Terrell’s tight coverage down the field closes off that option. The Vikings punt to Brandon Powell.

From the 45, Ryan rolls right and finds Russell Gage for a 19-yard reception. Another play action pass to Keith Smith for a 3-yard gain. On 2^nd and 7, Ryan, from the shotgun, hands to Hill who has a good run, but the ball comes flying out and is recovered by the Vikings.

The Vikings take over at their own 24. Cousins fakes and throws long to wide open Irv Smith with Neal in coverage. A 36-yard reception to end the quarter.

The end of the first quarter has Minnesota driving, but still down 10/0.

Mattison gains a single yard to start quarter. Cousins hits Kyle Rudolph for a 19-yard gain, to the Falcons 20. Cousins finds Jefferson near the end zone for a first down. From the 3 1/2, Mattison gets the ball and meets Foye Oluokun quickly at the line. On 2^nd down, back to Mattison up the middle where he is stopped by the defense at the 1. Cousin fakes to Mike Boone, a pass to Smith and Jones knocks the ball out at the goal line. On 4^th down, a quick snap goes to Boone and Dante Fowler sniffs it out and slows him down, while Neal and Grady Jarrett make the stop.

You Shall Not Pass….Keanu Neal and Grady Jarrett stop Mike Boone at the goal line on 4th down. Photo Courtesy of Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons

Starting on their own 2, Gurley moves the Falcons out to the 5. Gurley gets a first down on the next run, along the right side. Gurley gets the toss play and steps out of bounds for a 3-yard loss. On 2^nd and 13, Ryan throws the ball short to Gurley. The flag on the play is for a personal foul for a player lowering his head, so a freebie first down and move out to the 30. On first down, Ryan fakes to Ito Smith and finds Ridley who spins his way near midfield. Ridley makes a cut and change of direction before the catch to completely get open from the defender. Ryan scrambles around after a fake to Smith, then falls down to end the play. On 2^nd and 14, Ryan is sacked. Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary are blown through for the sack. Third and 17, Ryan is under great pressure and throws into the dirt.

Sterling Hofrichter punts to the 15-yard line.

Rookie AJ Terrell Makes Remarkable and His First Interception of the Season – Photo Courtesy of Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons

Cousins hands to Mattison who finds room along the left side for a 16-yard gain. Cousins cannot find anyone downfield, he runs toward the sideline, getting knocked by Neal as he lets go of the ball. Next is another handoff to Mattison for a short gain. On 3^rd and 9, Cousins finds AJ TERRELL, for his first INT of his rookie season. A low ball, Terrell left his guy, caught the ball between his legs, rolled up to maintain possession. Falcons ball at the 40.

With 5:46 to go to the half, Ryan hands to Gurley for a couple of yards. Ridley makes the short reception, makes a man miss, twirls and makes another first down as he heads out of bounds. Seeing something he didn’t like, Ryan calls a time out. From the 24, Ryan finds Ridley at the first down marker, but had to come back to escape a tackle and ended with a 9-yard gain. From the Vikings 15, Ryan hands to Gurley who is dropped in the backfield for a loss. Keith Smith let the defender by. From the shotgun, Ryan finds Jones who gets the first down, right at the marker. Ryan finds Jones on the sideline for a quick 5 yards.

After the 2-minute warning, Ryan finds Ridley at the 7, who then zooms in for the touchdown!

Koo’s successful extra point extends the Falcons lead just under 2 minutes til half time to 17/0.

Cousins scrambles and finally finds Adam Thielen for a first down. Rudolph makes the next reception for 9-yard gain. Then a quick rush for a first down to the left, stopped by Oluokun at midfield. From the shotgun, Cousins reception is complete, but the play is negated by an offsides penalty. 1^st and 5, Cousins finds….FOYE OLUOKUN this time. With Jarrett inches away from the sack, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner tips the ball that falls into Oluokun’s hands.

At midfield, Ryan finds Hill along the sideline for a 3-yard gain. Ryan’s ball is deflected by the defender draping Jones, but the ball falls incomplete. On 3^rd and 7, Ryan finds Gage, who leaps over defenders to gain another few yards. Gage makes the next reception and runs out of bounds after another 4-yard gain. Hill gains 3 yards before the Falcons call a time out. On 3^rd and 3, Ryan finds Ito Smith 2-yards away, who then turns it into a 17-yard gain and almost a touchdown. Ryan throws out of the end zone, then a run by Hill up the middle. The Falcons take their final time out with 4 seconds to go and Koo adds another 3 on a 21-yard field goal.

With 1 second to go, the Vikings run a play, stopped by Terrell….and the whole Falcons line.

Halftime: Falcons 20 Vikings 0.

Powell takes the ball out of the end zone, loses the ball, but rookie Mykal Walker recovers the fumble. Ryan starts at the 16 with a change of play and move into the shotgun. He finds Olamide Zaccheaus upfield, who cannot hold on due to a hard hit by the defender. Ryan fakes to Ito Smith, then finds Ridley near the sideline for 7 yards. On 3^rd and 3, Ryan finds Gage at midfield for a big 27-yard gain. At the 50, Ryan drops back and throws across the field toward Ridley, but too short. On 2^nd down, Ryan finds Jones for a 5-yard reception, Jones forces 2 more. On 3^rd and 3, Ryan throws over the middle to Hurst, who makes the first down, but then takes a seat on the field after being flipped over. Fake the toss and Ryan throws across the field to Powell for no gain….but there is a flag on the defense, moving the Falcons up and another first down. From the 32, Gurley runs for 4 yards to the right. Changing the play at the line again, Ryan is pressured and throws way out of bounds over Ridley. A third and six is thrown out of bounds, out of the reach of Christian Blake. Koo kicks a 47-yard field goal.

With 10:45 to go in the 3^rd, Falcons lead 23/0.

The Vikings throw to Jefferson for a 35-yard gain with Kendall Sheffield in coverage, just a couple steps too far away. Cousins finds wide open Rudolph for a 9-yard gain, with an illegal hands to face by Atlanta, which is accepted for a 1^st and 5. Mattison tries to go up the middle, but Jones is there to stop for an 11 yard loss. The reception is made for a short gain, but Walker is there for a big tackle immediately. The offense is called for holding, which back them up farther. On 2^nd and 24, the Vikings at midfield, Cousins hits Jefferson for 19 yards. On 3^rd and 5, Cousins finds Jefferson along the sideline with tight coverage by Sheffield. From the 22, Cousins bootlegs out, is rocked by Jones as he releases the ball that goes out of the back of the end zone. On 2^nd down, Cousins drops back, throws up to Boone who is dropped at the 16 by Isaiah Oliver. On 3^rd and 4, Cousins throws out of the end zone again. The Vikings offense lines up on 4^th down. Cousins finds Smith over the middle, at the first down marker. Tackled by Jones. From the Falcons 11, Cousins rifles one to Jefferson that Terrell takes down, but in the end zone for their first score of the game.

With 6:25 to go in the 3^rd quarter, Falcons still up, 23/7.

Powell brings the kickoff out again, this time maintaining possession and up to the 30-yard line. Ryan hands to Hill for a 5-yard gain. Hill again, up the middle for a first down. Ito Smith goes up the middle for 4 yards. On 2^nd and 6, Ryan fakes to Ito Smith and finds Jones along the sideline for 7 yards. Gurley in for the play fake, but nothing is open so Ryan throws it at his feet. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan pumps then runs for an 8-yard run. Gurley gets the call, but is stopped behind the line.

Julio Jones – You Can’t Touch This, Photo Courtesy of Cato Cataldo/Atlanta Falcons

On 4^th and 3 at the 40, Ryan takes the high snap, scrambles ands starts to run, then comes back behind the line of scrimmage, finds Jones at the 29. Jones stiff arms the defender, then runs along the sideline for the touchdown. In the end zone, for the 2^nd time today, salutes the Atlanta Braves with the “Mix it up” sign.

With 2:01 to go in the 3^rd, the Falcons extend their lead 30/7.

From their 20, Cousins drops back, but is met by Allen Bailey for a 10-yard loss and sack with Jarrett right behind him. On 2^nd and 20, Cousins can’t find Mattison as he was tightly covered by Oluokun. On 3^rd and 20 from the 15, Cousins finds Jefferson at the 25, but stopping him there are Oluokun and Oliver. Another punt and no return.

Ryan hands off to Gurley for a 2-yard game before the quarter ends.

Fourth quarter begins with the Falcons driving and leading 30/7.

On 2^nd and 8 from their own 30, Ryan hands to Gurley for another 4 yards. Ryan finds Gurley short of the first down marker, but Gurley turns it into a 14-yard gain and first down. Near midfield, Ryan hands to Gurley again for a couple yard gain. Another 6 yards for Gurley, forcing a 3^rd and 1. From the backfield, Gurley gets the handoff but stopped way behind the line for a loss of 2 yards. On 4^th and 3, Hofrichter comes on to punt, but there is a false start by Tuioti-Mariner, moving the Falcons back to 4^th and 8. The punt goes to the 25.

Cousins is hit by Bailey as he throws out of bounds. Fowler was coming behind him as well. Mattison is knocked down by Bailey as he goes up the middle. On 3^rd and 6, Cousins has his pass batted down by Oliver, out of the hands of the receiver. Another Vikings punt taken by Powell at the 21 and returned to the 33.

Ryan opens it up and finds Jones for a 31-yard gain. One on one Dantzler and Jones – Jones always winning that one. Hill gets the handoff, but cannot gain any yards behind the left side. Ryan drops back and finds Hurst for 8 yards along the sideline. On 3^rd and 2, Ryan is in the shotgun and hands to Gurley who finds the first down up the middle of the line. Zaccheaus is headed downfield while Ryan is throwing short for an incompletion. Blake is in motion and makes the reception for 5 yards. On 3^rd and 5, after some scrambling, Ryan is sacked. The Falcons kick another field goal of 43 yards.

With 7:16 to go in the game, the Falcons extend their lead 33/7.

After the kickoff, the Vikings start at their own 25. Cousins finds Jefferson who is in the arms of the Oliver, but gains the 17-yard first down. Cousins finds Johnson, but a flag on the play by Sheffield moves the ball up and a first down. Amir Abdullah makes the reception, but falls just past the line of scrimmage. On 2^nd and 9, Cousins hits Smith for a 2 yard gain, stopped by Neal. Then, Thielen makes a 35-yard reception as he was blanketed by Terrell. From the 15, Cousins finds Beebe who is WWE slammed down by Jones. From the 6, Cousins throws to Rudolph just inside the end zone, but the ball hits the ground first. Abdullah gets the first down up the middle. From the 2, Cousins finds Thielen in the middle of the end zone for the touchdown, escaping the coverage of Jones. In for the 2-point conversion, Smith easily runs through the left side.

With 3:58 to go in the game, the Falcons lead 33/15. The onsides kick goes directly to Deion Jones and the Falcons take over the ball as the Minnesota 44. Ryan gives to Hill, who is stopped near the line, but then drags tacklers for a 9-yard gain. Hill gets no yards on the next attempt. On the 3^rd and 1, Hill gets the call again along the left side and doesn’t gain the first down. Minnesota takes a time out. On 4^th down, a fake to Hill, Hurst is wide open on the left sideline at the 30, with Zaccheaus taking on 3 defenders to keep him open. Hurst in for the touchdown.

Uncovered Hayden Hurst in for the 30-Yard Touchdown – Photo Courtesy of Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons

Beginning on their own 22, Cousins connects with Rudolph for a 19-yard gain, in the arms of Neal.

2:00 Warning: Falcons 33 Vikings 15 at their own 39. On first down, Cousins drops back, up to Smith across the 50 for a 13-yard gain. Jefferson escapes Sheffield for the 49-yard touchdown. They add the 2-point conversion.

With 1:26 to go in the game, the Falcons lead 40/23.

Another onsides kick, this time, similar to the INT’s to the Falcons, 2^nd onsides kick goes to AJ Terrell.

From the 49, Ito Smith goes 4 yards. Ryan takes a knee and the clock runs out…..with a Falcons WIN.

#RISEUP

Falcon Alley OWT

Why Did We Want Falcons Football Back?

September 16, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons

An excellent question after week 1 of Atlanta Falcons football. While we could not attend the opening game of 2020 in person, after a while, you didn’t regret that. The long 4 + hour drive back to Charlotte, the exhaustion from being up at 5 a.m., the expensive of gas and snacks and game goodies. Glass half full.

Also, in the glass half full category, the good of the game. The Falcons have 3 leaders in the league after week one. Matt Ryan leads all quarterbacks with 450 passing yards, Julio Jones leads all receivers with 157 yards, and Takk McKinley lead the NFL with 6 quarterback hits. The Falcons also had 3 receivers with over 100 yards each. Calvin Ridley with 130 yards and Russell Gage with 114 yards, joining Julio. Early in the fourth quarter, Ryan passed John Elway to become the 9^th all-time NFL passer.

TE Hayden Hurst had a good Falcons debut with 3 receptions for 38 yards, one, a stretching catch of 27 yards. His 2 additional targets were non-called PI’s, but we won’t get into that here.

Todd Gurley’s debut was successful as well, while he was in the game. Gurley had 14 carries of 56 yards, one blast for 15 yards. Brian Hill and Ito Smith combined for 4 carries of 16 yards, not what we want to see out of the additional running backs. Qadree Ollison was not on the active roster Sunday. It appears the Falcons will attempt a one running back team, with Gurley being limited and relieved by Hill and Smith, but not the tandem we are use to from the past few years. Hopefully he can hold up.

Once again, like the last few seasons, short yardage and red zone inefficiencies plagued the offense. The offense was 0-4 on 4^th down conversions, and 50% on 3^rd downs, especially the short yardage 3^rd downs. And once the Falcons were having to play catch up, they had to abandon the run game and be a throwing only offense. Younghoe Koo had 2 field goals over 40 yards, Gurley a single yard touchdown, and Ridley’s 7 and 18-yard touchdown receptions, late in the game. Touchdowns on 3^rd downs and a missed 2-point conversion added to the frustration of the day.

The offensive line held up well. With Ryan’s 54 pass attempts, he was only sacked twice, so the blocking was good most of the time. Jake Matthews completely missed a block. James Carpenter and rookie Matt Hennessy were swapped out at Guard all day, both playing well, but no stand out yet. Kaleb McGary’s play was good, but the Seattle pass rush is not the strongest the Falcons will see.

While the defense did give up 24 second half points, the offense did not help with 4 failed 4^th down conversions that lead to Seattle scores, and other mistakes. While driving early, Gurley runs out of bounds instead of pushing for more yards, Matthews misses a block, the Gurley isn’t looking for the ball on the 4^th down and the Seahawks get the ball at their own 40. The fake punt was executed perfectly, until the fumble. A pass to Julio for a 44-yard gain would have been a touchdown if placed properly. Little things along the way decide the game.

Of course, the referees did not help. On the Seahawks’ first possession, they were given 41 yards on a very questionable PI called on Ricardo Allen. Hello, it’s Rico! Two plays later, a touchdown. The defense kept Russell Wilson in the pocket, most of the day, but his arm still burned them. The front 7 were good overall, tallying 3 early sacks and holding running backs to 55 yards, only one rush over 12 yards. Of course, Wilson did get loose a few times, once or 28 yards himself, but since the Seahawks were limiting him, when he did take off, it was unexpected.

Deion Jones made a good comeback with 9 tackles, followed by Isaiah Oliver with 7 and rookie AJ Terrell with 6. Foye Oluokun and the returning Keanu Neal also tallied 6 a piece. Grady Jarrett had 5 tackles, 1 for loss, 2 sacks and 3 QB hits.

Takk had the 6 QB hits, a sack, 4 tackles, and a pass defended – in an opportune time. John Cominsky and Deadrin Senat both had limited playing time in 2019, but were active and aggressive on Sunday. Darqueze Dennard was in for Rico much of the game and was missing tackles or at least not playing close in man to man coverage. Rico was in for 25 snaps, Keke for 51 and Damontae Kazee for all 62, wrapping with 4 tackles and playing as aggressive as ever.

The defense only gave up 14 points in the first half, but also caused no takeaways, which will be needed this year if the offense continues to sputter and not help themselves in crucial situations. The first touchdown, after the 41-yard gift, was a good play that would fool many defenses. It was a loop pass, just when the defenders think the running back has the ball, you realize he doesn’t, change your attention and Wilson finds him anyway with the pass.

The defense only gave up a couple of big plays, but one was a 4^th and short that went for a touchdown, Oliver was burned. Overall, they need to tighten up the man to man coverage. The pass rush was successful in the first half. Dante Fowler was taking on major guard blocks, allowing others to get to Wilson, and sniffed out the toss sweep for a big stop and loss. Overall, the tackling wasn’t bad, Seattle was very physical and Wilson nearly perfect.

Keke did look good, back to 100% after another season of being injured. Even with him on the field, Rico was playing in the box, which he did some last year, but may account for his lack of tackles on Sunday. The rookies did not have first outings. Terrell wasn’t picked on or challenged directly, but he held up well. Seattle was running over routes, which is hard for anyone to guard and stay glued to the man. Mykal Walker was in the box and had limited time, but was active, similar playing still to Keke, although he didn’t knock anyone’s head off.

Sterling Hofrichter has 2 punts, a 45 yarder and 55-yarder, with one return of 15 yards, on a missed tackle. Koo was good on both a 44 and 49-yard field goal, but missed an extra point.

On the plus side, the Falcons continued to fight on both sides of the ball. They were just out matched and out coached in some aspects. The offense had missed opportunities on good field position and the defense had no take-aways and only two 3 and outs in the game, the second with 8 minutes to go in the game.

The turnover ratio wasn’t all together bad. The fumble on the fake punt was crushing, but the other was an interception at the end of the game in the end zone, so technically 0-1 in the turnover margin. But the Falcons do need to force some turnovers to give the offense a short field, or score themselves.

Only 6 penalties on Falcons all day, one of which was the PI early in the game, which was questionable for big yards. So that was cleaned up

Injury Update

DNP Weds: Jake Matthews – knee; Kendall Sheffield – foot; Charles Harris – ankle

Limited Weds: Julio Jones – hamstring; Marlon Davidson – knee

The Golden Talon

Grady Jarrett and Takk McKinley for making their presence known early and often, early sacks and many quarterback hits.

Calvin Ridley for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns; and Russell Gage with 114 yards. Combined being legit receivers.

#RiseUp

FalconAlley OWT

New Year, No Change

Seattle Seahawks 38 at Atlanta Falcons 25

September 13, 2020

Written By Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons – Dakota Williams, Kyle Hess, & Rob Foldy

I could title this “Too Little, Too Late,” but feel like I will need that later as I saw no change in the play from last year to this. The score and final stats are not the true story of this game. The Seahawks were playing off late in the game, when they knew it was a wrap.

The National Anthem is played by saxophonist, Mike Phillips and the Atlanta Falcons team and coaches stood locked arm in arm. The roof is open providing sun and warmth to the field.

Atlanta won the toss and received the ball. Brandon Powell watched the ball go out of the back of the end zone and the Falcons begin the 2020 season on the 25. Todd Gurley gets the first touch of the season and goes left for 6 yards. Gurley makes a big break up the middle for a 21 yard gain. Another handoff to Gurley goes for a 1 yard loss. From the shotgun, Matt Ryan has a 5 receiver set, but cannot connect with Julio Jones in coverage. Ryan finds Calvin Ridley along the sideline, who ensures to tap and drag all of his toes for a confirmed 19 yard gain. Back to Gurley for a short gain.

After a 3 step drop, Ryan is dropped, as he tosses the ball to the ground and is called for intentional grounding. Gurley was not looking for the pitch, causing the confusion and forcing the 3^rd down. On 3^rd and 16, Ryan lobs the ball over the left side to Jones, who was standing short of the first down marker. Younghoe Koo comes on to successfully kick a 49-yard field goal.

At the 11:11 mark in the first quarter, the Falcons lead 3/0.

Russell Wilson brings the Seattle offense out to begin on their 23. The first play, TAKK MCKINLEY comes out and sacks Wilson for a huge loss of 9 yards. Russell then finds Tyler Lockett for a big gain, leaving a 3^rd and 4 near the 30. Wilson finds former Carolina Panther and thorn in the Falcons’ side, Greg Olsen, for the first down. He is covered by Darqueze Dennard, who was covering Lockett on the previous play.

A quick run on 1^st down gains 4 yards. Wilson drops back and hits Chris Carson for another first down, immediately stopped by Keanu Neal on his first hit of the year. Grady Jarrett pressures Wilson, but he scrambles out and finds Carson for 6 yards where Foye Oluokun stops him. A rushing first down moves the Seahawks to the Falcons 38. Wilson scrambles and hits Lockett near the sideline, again, covereed by 34. Isaiah Oliver has DK Metcalf covered perfectly so that Wilson can’t throw his way. A holding call is called on an offensive lineman, backing the Seahawks up.

On 2^nd and 15, GRADY JARRETT comes around the left side and levels Wilson. Now it is 3^rd and 23, back across the 50, Wilson lobs it near the 10 for an incompletion. Pass interference is called on Ricardo Allen, giving the Seahawks a freebie at the 10. I won’t even comment on this BS call. Wilson hits a receiver on the right, but he is stopped by Clemson rookie, AJ Terrell, before he can reach the end zone. On 2^nd and goal, Wilson dumps it to Carson on the right side for the touchdown.

At the 4:43 mark in the first quarter, the Seahawks take the lead 7/3.

Ryan and the O begin again at the 25, play fake to Gurley, Ryan hits Jones for a first down……he catches at the 40, then crosses to the Seahawks 47. After another fake to Gurley, but nothing is open and Ryan passes to Gurley, who is stopped at the line. On 2^nd and 10, from the shotgun, Ryan tosses to Gurley who gains 9 yards by speeding to the right side. At the line, Ryan hands off to Brian Hill behind the line and he is stopped by Bobby Wagner still, behind the line. Fourth down and going for it. Three set receivers to the right, but the line cannot hold up, the Seahawks are in Ryan’s face immediately from the right side and knocks the pass out of the air. Turnover on downs.

Seattle starts at their own 40 and Wilson passes to DJ Metcalf for 13 yards, where Oliver stops him. Then Wilson runs up the left for 28 yards, finally stopped by Deadrin Senat. First and 10 from the Falcons 19, a quick dump to Carson on the left and antother Seahawk touchdown. There was literally no one on the left side to touch Carson.

With 53 seconds left in the first quarter, the Falcons are now down 14/3.

Back on the field, Ryan hands to Hill on the left side for a quick first down. The offensive line holds up forever, Ryan finds Hayden Hurst at the Seahawks 34 for a first down. He zoomed down the field and made an awesome stretching catch.

The first quarter ends, with the Falcons driving, but down 11 points.

Hill gets the call, wide around the left side for minimal game. Second and 4, with 2 tight ends, Ryan finds Ridley at the first down marker, then he bounces back in to gain another 10+ yards. First and 10 just inside the 20, a sidepass to Ridley for a 1 yard loss. Second and 11 with a 3 receiver triangle set to the right. Behind good blocking, Ryan has time to find Russell Gage who pushes to the 4-yard line. From the 4, Gurley gets the handoff twice before the Seahawks call a time out. Following the timeout, Gurley gets the call on 3^rd and goal and makes his first touchdown as an Atlanta Falcon! After a Matt Gono penalty, the extra point is moved back and Koo misses.

With 11:25 to go in the first half, the Falcons are down by 5.

Travis Homer gets the first handoff on this Seattle drive, he is stopped at the line by McKinley and Oliver. On 2^nd and 10, Wilson finds Homer for a pass on the right side, he is immediately stopped by Neal for a 3-yard gain. On 3^rd and 7, Wilson can’t find anyone and GRADY JARETT gets his second sack of the game. Downfield was covered well, particularly by Terrell and Oliver, providing the line time to get to Wilson. The Seahaws are forced to punt.

The Falcons’ offense takes the field at their own 25. Ryan fakes to Gurley, under pressure he tosses toward the sideline. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan hands to Gurley for a 4-yard gain up the middle. Ryan finds Gage across the middle, across the 40-yard line for another first down. Another fake to Gurley, but no one is open and Ryan has to toss the ball out of bounds again. A quick short pass to Gage along the right side for limited gain. On 3^rd and 6, Ryan is in the shotgun and is immediately sacked from the right side by Jamal Adams.

Sterling Hofrichter punts 55 yards to the 8, where the returner initially escapes Olamide Zaccheaus, but then is caught from behind after a 15 yard return.

Wilson begins the drive with another completion to Will Dissly for 5 yards. Carlos Hyde runs up the middle and was stopped by Allen after a first down. From the 37, Wilson fakes a handoff, cannot find a receiver, then scrambles up the middle to the line of scrimmage. On 2^nd and 8, Wilson drops back and delivers to Lockett for a few yards, stopped by Oluokun. A 3^rd and 2 near the 50, Wilson under pressure flings it low to Metcalf being covered perfectly by Oliver, it is incomplete. A punt to the 11 is caught by Powell.

With 4 minutes remaining in the half, the Falcons have a false start by Ridley, half the distance to the goal. First and 15 from the 5, Ryan is in the shotgun and hands to Ito Smith, who gains 4 yards up the middle. On 2^nd and 11, Ryan tosses it to Hurst, who was hit as the ball arrived and could not haul in the pass. The defender was there early, but games are not called equally. Ryan throws to Jones, short of the first down. After only a minute off the clock and the Falcons have to punt back to Wilson.

Seattle start the final 2 ½ minutes on their own 40. The Seahawks gain a quick 4 yards as Jarrett and McKinely converge to make the stop.

After the 2 minute warming, Wilson tries to call the D offsides, instead backs his own team up to a 2^nd and 11 at the 39. He throws a screen to the left to Carson, who is immediately stopped. The Falcons call time out to stop the clock at 1:52. On 3^rd and 6, Wilson drops back and as pressure is coming close (McKinley), he passes over to #25 who was knocked out of bounds by Deion Jones. The Seahawks are forced to punt.

The Falcons take over the ball at their own 9 with a minute and a half to go. A quick pass that Luke Stocker cannot hold onto. Second and 10, Ryan hands to Gurley who gets exactly to the first down marker. Ryan drops back and finds Jones in the middle of the field just across the first down marker, but the pass is ruled incomplete. With 1:08 to go, the Falcons throw to Ridley, who has room, so does not run out of bounds and gains 22 yards. There was as defensive penalty that was declined, but stopped the clock. At the 41, Ryan dumps to Gurley, but there is another flag on the play. Ridley is called for an illegal formation. Christian Blake was the target, but Shaquille Griffin was called for PI, finally a call against the Seahawks, and an automatic first down. With 43 seconds to go, Ryan throws an incompletion. On 2^nd and 10, near midfield, a blitz off the edge, Gurley saves Ryan’s life with a block and Ryan finds Gage. A quick pass toward Gage, is out of his reach, but stops the clock. On 2^nd and 10 with 23 seconds, Ryan finds Gage, but the ball pops back out – no catch. Now, 3^rd and 10 from the Seattle 40, Ryan lofts it to Gage over the middle for a first down, within field goal range. Gage was hit helmet to helmet, but no call. Gage had to come off the field after a medical time out.

Seattle now calls a time out. It is 1^st and 10 with 12 seconds to go and the Falcons have the ball on the Seattle 30. A three tight end package comes in to move the ball to Koo’s favorite spot on the field. With 3 seconds to go, the Falcons call a time out and Koo comes on for a 49-yard field goal.

The Falcons go to half, down by 2, Seattle 14, Atlanta 12.

The Seahawks began the 2^nd half on their own 25. Wilson hands off to Carson who easily gains 11 yards along the right side. Wilson drops back and throws to a wide open Metcalf, but he cannot haul in the pass. Oliver was in coverage, but not close enough. On 2^nd and 10 Wilson finds Dissly near the sideline for a 3 yard gain, shoved out quickly by McKinley. From the shotfun, Wilson slings to Metcalf, who catches the ball, extends the ball over the first down marker with Oliver clinging to him. Carlos Hyde runs into Dante Fowler after a 2-yard gain. One 2^nd down, Wilson drops back to Jacob Hollister for a first down, where Neal locks him up. Lockett gains 4 yards before being stopped by Allen. The Falcons had 12 men on the field, so it is now 1^st and 5 from the Falcons’ 38. Wilson has allot of time, but everyone is covered. McKinley tips the ball to make it an errant throw. Hyde is wrapped up by Jarrett for a 1 yard gain. On a 3^rd and 4, Wilson tosses back to Homer and is met by Jones and a slew of other Falcons. Jones saw the play develop and sped to that side to make the play. On 4^th and 5 from the 38 yard line, Wilson finds Metcalf who beats Oliver for a 38 yard touchdown.

With 9:41 to go in the 3^rd quarter, Seattle extends their lead to 21, Atlanta 12.

Ryan and the offense return to the 25 and a Gurley hand off goes for a 2-yard gain. On 2^nd down, another Gurley handoff for another 2 yards. Hurst makes the reception for 4 yards, causing a 4^th and 2. A fake punt, Sharrod Neasman goes up the middle, gains the first down, but fumbles the ball and Seattle takes over on the Atlanta 36.

Seattle rushes for a couple of yards. Wilson throws on the run to Lockett for a first down at the Falcons’ 23, where he is wrapped up by Oluokun. Terrell forces Carson out of bounds at the 19. After a Seattle timeout, Moore takes the handoff, drops it and picks it back up and still moves the ball to the 7. Oluokun was looking to snatch up the ball, while 3 other defenders missed making a tackle. The next play is a quick pass to the wide open Olsen standing in the end zone, alone.

With 5 minutes remaining in the 3^rd quarter, the Seahawks extend their lead 28 to 12.

Atlanta, begins again, at the 25. Ryan, from the shotgun, throws the ball up to Jones, for a 44 yard reception. A double stop and step gives Jones the opening he needed to jet. From the Seattle 31, a shovel pass to Gurley for a minimal gain. Ryan was being hit by Adams, but Jones still makes the reception, pushing away a defender and catching the ball with his right hand and left thigh. Another first down. Gurley has a 1 yard rush. Another reception by Jones, a battle then a few yards. Gurley gains another few yards on the left side. Fourth and 2 at the 10. Ryan fakes a handoff, goes running to the right and ends up getting sacked and turning the ball over on downs. Again.

On their first play, Lockett makes a 16-yard reception, stopped by Terrell. Damontae Kazee shoves Lockett out of bounds after another 20-yard reception.

With one quarter to go, the Seahawks are driving and lead the Falcons 28/12.

Terrell makes the stop on Moore. Lockett gets past Jones for another first down. From the 31, Hyde is stopped by Oluokun aftere a minimal gain. On 2^nd and 9 from the 30, there is a false start, moving them back to 3^rd and 14. Then Olsen jumps. 3^rd and 19. Wilson from the 40, is scrambling, runs to the sideline under durress from Jarrett. A holding penalty on the offense moves the Seahawks even farther back. Second down and 29 from midfield, Wilson completes a pass to Lockett near the 40. Now a 3^rd and 19, Wilson connects with Freddy Swain, but not enough for a first down. A 46-yard field goal adds another 3 to the Seattle lead.

With 11:19 to go in the game, Seattle 31 – Atlanta 12.

Ryan starts with a big pass up the middle to Jones, then another on the sideline to Gage. Suddenly, the Falcons are at the 50, then a quick shot to Ridley along the right side for another first down. Another great foot drag by Ridley. From the 36, another successful pass to Jones in the middle to put the Falcons in the red zone. Then WIDE OPEN CALVIN RIDLEY is in the end zone. Griffin was knocked down by his own man, leaving the speeding Ridley in the end zone alone. Hurst was not able to catch the 2-point conversion as he was covered before the ball was thrown by Adams, another no call.

The Falcons trail 31-18 with 9:29 remaining in the game.

An aggressive defense stops the Seahawks for a 3 yard loss. A quick pass to Olsen leaves them with a 3^rd and 9. Seattle can’t make the reception and are forced to punt.

Powell returns the punt a few yards and the Falcons’ offense will start on their own 30. Ryan steps up and throws to Ridley for a first down. Across the middle, Jones makes another first down reception. At the Seattle 42, Ryan hits Hurst who makes it out of bounds to stop the clock. Ryan throws just over Hurst at the 15, where Griffin tips the ball off target. Ryan delivers a rocket behind Ridley, nearly causing an interception. On 4^th and 3 at the 32, Ryan throws outside to Ridley, who can not hold on to the pass.

Seattle takes over the ball at the Falcons’ 35. They rush up the middle for a single yard gain. The Falcons take a time out. Wilson throws 37 yards up to Metcalf, who has great separation from Terrell, Kazee tackles and takes him out of bounds. Olsen makes the next reception for 4 yards before Kazee knocks him out. Hyde gains 2 yards as the Falcons take their final timeout. After a fake handoff, Wilson is scrambling, nearly sacked by McKinley, throwing under a DB, Wilson still makes the pass. From the 3, Homer rushes for a yard. Hyde goes up the middle for another Seattle touchdown.

With still 3:45 to play in the game, Seattle is up by 20, 38 to 18.

Gage escapes a defender, then leaps over another. Hill rushes for 5 yards. On 2^nd and 5, Ryan finds Ridley for another first down, inbounds. Ryan delivers to Gage again, just passed the first down marker. The clock stops for the 2 minute warning.

Ryan dumps the ball over to Smith – who is immediately blown up after gaining 1 yard. Then throws short up the middle to Smith who is nearly killed. On 3^rd and 7, Ryan finds Ridley over the middle for a first down. From the 6, Ryan drops back and throws to Smith near the line of scrimmage on the left edge. From the 7, Ryan lofts the ball way into the air, over Gage and out of the side of the end zone. 3^rd and goal, Ryan starts to run, then throws to Ridley, just inside the goal line. After a successful extra point, the Falcons are down 38/25 with half a minte to go.

The onsides kick is successful, Oluokun picks the ball out of the air right at the 10 yard mark. The Falcons have the ball at the 46. Ryan finds Gage on the sideline for another first down. From the Seattle 38, Ryan throws into the end zone for an interception by Quandre Diggs. Hurst is the closest Falcon to the ball.

With 19 seconds to go, Seattle takes a knee to end the game.

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