Tag: Keanu Neal

Falcons Take Defending SuperBowl Champions to the End

Atlanta Falcons 14 at Kansas City Chiefs 17

December 27, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Key inactives on offense are Julio Jones and Alex Mack.  Rookie Matt Hennessey will get his first start today.  Darqueze Dennard, Marlon Davidson, and Deadrin Senat are key defenders out.

Starting at the 25, Matt Ryan is under pressure and finally finds Todd Gurley for a 25-yard reception along the sideline.  The second play is a hand off for 2 yards.  Ryan drops back and hits Russell Gage behind the line of scrimmage.  On 3rd and 10, under pressure, Ryan’s throw is tipped and falls incomplete.  Sterling Hofrichter punts to the 13.

From their own 13, Le’Veon Bell goes along the left side for a first down.  Patrick Mahomes pitches up to Tyreek Hill who taken out by Isaiah Oliver who crossed the field to knock him out.  Bell gets the next call, Grady Jarrett makes the stop for a 3-yard loss.  A flag on the next play, Jarrett jumps and pops Mahomes, giving the Chiefs 5 yards.  On 2nd and 8, Hill makes a short reception for a 6-yard gain.  On 3rd down, Travis Kelce makes the reception and behind a Sammy Watkins’ block moves up for the first down, taking Kendall Sheffield and Keanu Neal with them. Mahomes throws incomplete into the end zone, Hill was still at the 10.  Blitz is coming, Mahomes throws incomplete over the hands of his receiver with Foye Oluokun in tight coverage.  Still at midfield, the blitz coming again, Mahomes steps up and is tripped up by Deion Jones while releasing the ball, Sheffield knocks the ball down before it can reach Kelce. 

Ito Smith Finding Holes and Yards Today-Photo Courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons

From the 13, Ito Smith gets the pitch for an 8-yard run.  Smith gets another 13 yards on a run by finding a huge hole created by Luke Stocker and makes a defender miss. Smith goes up the middle for another 4 yards.  Smith comes out and Gurley returns.  Gage in motion and makes the reception at the first down marker.  Ryan finds Hayden Hurst for another first down along the sideline.  There is a flag on Calvin Ridley for an illegal shift.  First and 15 from the 40, Ryan finds Hurst over the middle, taking a big hit, right at the first down marker.  From the Chiefs’ 45, Ryan hands to Smith who pauses a second, then goes for 4 yards.  Ridley gets the ball around the left side and loses yards, now a 3rd and 13.  Then Kaleb McGary has a false start and backs them up even more.  On 3rd and 18, under a 4-man rush, Ryan scrambles, then is sacked.  He lost the ball, but got it back.

After the punt, Tyler Hall immediately hits the punt returner and KC will begin on their own 10.  Hill makes the reception, then goes for 31 yards, causing AJ Terrell and Oluokun to miss, finally stopped at the 41 by Ricardo Allen.  Hill gets the ball again for no gain.  Bell gains 3 yards up the middle.  Mahomes drops back, misses Kelce and Sheffield almost comes up with the interception.  After a punt, the Falcons will begin on their own 4.

With the jumbo formation, Gurley gets the call up the middle for a gain of 6 yards to the 10. 

End of Q1 – No score.

From their own 9, it’s 2nd and 5, Ryan finds Keith Smith for a first down along the sideline.  A fresh set of downs at the 16, Hill in at tailback, get the ball back to the line of scrimmage.  On 2nd down, Ryan throws too long and out of bounds over Ridley.  Hill had a great block to give Ryan the time to get the throw away.  On 3rd and 10, Ryan is sacked by an unblocked defender.  Hofrichter kicks from his end zone.  Hill hits the punt returner immediately and the Chiefs begin at the 45. 

Mahomes fakes then throws to Darryl Williams for a 5-yard gain.  On 2nd down, Mahomes fakes to Williams then throws incomplete to Mecole Hardman, covered by Terrell.  On 3rd and 5 at the 50, Mahomes completes to Harman who is rolled up by Jarrett crossing the field and stops the Chiefs 1 yard short.  Williams gets the call on the 4th and 1 and goes up the middle for 11 yards, dragging Jones part of the way.  Kelce has a false start and is 1st and 15 from the Falcons’ 40, Oluokun chasing Mahomes into an errant throw.  On 2nd down, a short pass to Williams goes for 13 yards, stopped by Jones and Sheffield.  3rd and 2, Williams goes up the middle for a yard, Jarrett on the stop to force the 4th down.  Mahomes passes back to Watkins, Watkins tries to throw to Mahomes and Neal gets the interception.  Neal stayed with Mahomes as soon as he left the line of scrimmage.

From their own 2, Gurley gets the ball and provides some breathing space for the Falcons, out to the 8.  Ryan finds Keith Smith at the first down marker, then Smith goes for several more yards out to the 15.  On first down, Ryan finds Ito Smith for a 5-yard gain.  On 2nd down, Hill gets the call for 3 yards.  on 3rd and 2 at the 23, Ran fakes to Gurley, as he is being tackled, Ryan throws the ball up and Gurley catches it and gets the first down.  At the 31, Hill goes for 4 yards up the middle. 

Calvin Ridley Goes for 54 Yards – Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

In the shotgun, Ryan fakes to Hill, then finds Ridley who goes 54 yards down to the 11.  Ridley was cutting and speeding up trying to get into the end zone.  A first down at the 11, Ryan gives to Hill for a few yards.  Ryan hits Hurst with a shovel pass and he shoves his way through the line for a touchdown. 

With 3:55 to go in the half, the Falcons lead 7/0.

Mahomes begins at the 22 with a pass to Bell who gains 8 yards.  Watkins makes the first down reception.  From the 40, Mahomes finds Watkins who is immediately stopped by Oliver at the 44.  Kelce makes the reception for another first down.  Under a 4-man rush, Mahomes escapes John Cominsky around the sideline and gains 14 yards and a first down.  From the Falcons’ 31, Mahomes throws behind Hardman.  Mahomes has to scramble again, up the middle for a 9-yard gain.  The coverage downfield was tight and a 3-man rush flushed Mahomes out of the pocket for his run.  Jones was able to finally bring him down.  On 3rd and 1, Mahomes finds Kelce right at the first down line and his dropped by Jones and Neal.  Jarrett nearly tipped the pass at the line.  The Chiefs take a time out.  Mahomes under pressure by Jacob Tuioti-Mariner throws the ball away.  Mahomes then finds Williams for a 9-yard gain, shoved out short of the first down by Neal.  Williams easily gets the first down up the middle, but the entire Falcons’ defense converges to stop the touchdown at the 4.  Oluokun was the first man in to slow Williams up.  Mahomes pass to Kelce is just inside the endzone for a touchdown. 

With 30 seconds remaining in the half, the game is tied at 7. 

The Chiefs begin the second half at their own 25.  Bell gains 3 yards up the middle.  A penalty on Oluokun for a neutral zone infraction gives the Chiefs a 2nd and 2.  From the 33, Mahomes hands to Bell again for a first down.  From the 39, Mahomes scrambles, no one open, pressure coming and Mahomes throws out of bounds.  Terrell, Oliver, and Jones had tight coverage on the receivers and tight end.  On 2nd down, Mahomes finds Hardman for a first down, shoved out by Sheffield, a quick timing route with lose coverage.  Deion Yelder makes the reception for another first down.  From the Falcons 38, Mahomes to Hardman on the jet sweep for a 20-yard gain.  Bell takes the offense and defense up the middle for 10 yards.  Bell literally refused to go down, kept his legs moving and spinning with almost 20 people in a moving pile.  Mahomes throws out of bounds over Kelce.  On 2nd down from the 7, Mahomes is pressured back 10 yards, has to throw across the field toward Bell, but the ball falls incomplete.  On 3rd and goal, Mahomes throws directly to Oluokun at the goal line.  Oluokun returns the ball 52 yards, finally having the ball knocked out by Hill, but goes out of bounds. 

Foye Oluokun Returning his Interception – Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons begin on the 45, Ryan is sacked on first down.  On 2nd and 19, under pressure, Ryan is sacked again.  On 3rd and 22, Ryan gets to Hurst for a short gain and punt.

Mahomes finds Hill for a quick first down.  From the 34, 4-man rush, Mahomes out of the pocket and throws an incompletion.  On 2nd down, blitz coming, Mahomes trying to escape Jarrett, throws the ball incomplete.  Downfield coverage is tight again, Mahomes is flushed deep in the pocked with Tuoiti-Mariner and Jarrett coming again, forcing another incompletion and punt.

The Falcons begin on their own 8 with an Ito Smith run of 5 yards.  A 4-yard pass to Smith.  On 3rd and 1, Gurley gets the call and the first down and a couple more, behind the lead block of Keith Smith.  Ito Smith is back in for a short gain.  After a snap infraction by the center, the Falcons have a 2nd and 12 at the 17, Smith gains no yards.  Now, a 3rd and 11, Ryan drops back and throws toward Hurst who is already tackled and on the ground.  A first down fake, then successful pass to Hurst for 3 yards.  Smith up the left side for 3 yards, with another flag on Hennessy for holding.  On 2nd and 17 from the 22, Ryan is pressured and throws the ball into the ground.  Chris Lindstrom gives up the near sack. On 3rd and 17, under pressure, Ryan throws another short errant pass that Gurley hauls in for a loss and another forced punt.

From their own 37, Williams goes for 4 yards.  On 2nd down, Mahomes is under pressure from Cominsky and throws incomplete.  Before the snap of the ball on 3rd down, false start on the offense and it is 3rd and 6.  A 3-man rush, flag on the play, Mahomes cannot find anyone open, goes toward the sideline, then finds Kelce coming back for a big first down to the Falcons’ 38, 25-yard reception.  Williams goes up the middle for 3 yards.

End of Q3, tied at 7.

From the 35, Mahomes drops back and is nearly intercepted by Tuoiti-Mariner in front of Watkins.  On 3rd and 7, Mahomes drops back, up to Williams who is stopped behind the line of scrimmage.  The Chiefs kick a 53-yard field goal and take the lead.

14:08 to go in the game, Chiefs 10/Falcons 7.

From their own 25, the Falcons begin with a pass to Ridley for 15 yards.  Hurst is open in the middle of the field for a 17-yard gain.  Hill goes up the middle for 2 yards.  From the Chiefs’ 41, Ryan throws to Laquon Treadwell for 6 yards.  Gurley is on the field, Ryan rolls out, finds an open Stocker for 9 yards and the first down.  Stocker escaped coverage and came back to Ryan.  Ryan throws to Hill for 6 yards.  Ryan finds Powell near the first down marker, but the ball is knocked out and called a fumble, Kansas City recovered. 

Williams goes 11 yards for a first down.  Oluokun is injured on the play, Mykal Walker comes in to replace him.  Williams with another short run as Kelce limps off the field.  Another quick pass for a 4-yard gain, stopped by Sheffield.  Kelce returns to the field.  On 3rd and 4, Mahomes pitches to Williams and Neal – from the middle of the field, comes to the sideline to ensure Williams does not gain the first down.  A punt to the 25.

Ito Smith reverses course and gains 9 yards, but is negated by the third penalty on Hennessy.  1st and 20, Ryan fakes to Smith and finds a wide-open Ridley for 31 yards.  Hill goes up the right side behind Matt Gono for 17 yards, then 4 yards and 2 yards.  From the Chiefs’ 31 on a 3rd and 4, Ryan finds Gage for another first down.  From the 22, Ryan sees Hill wide open, he gains the first down and is shoved out of bounds at the 5. First and goal, throws out of bounds over Ridley in the end zone.  On 2nd and goal, Ryan changes the play at the line and finds Treadwell in the front of the endzone for a touchdown. 

With 4:33 to go in the game, the Falcons lead 14/10.

Mahomes rolls out and throws the ball out of bounds.  On 2nd down, Mahomes rolls out under pressure again, Hardman cannot hold onto the ball.  On 3rd down, Mahomes finds Kelce wide open in the middle of the field who goes for a 36-yard gain, but is backed up by a Hill block in the back on Oliver.  A 10-yard penalty from the spot of the foul, giving Kelce extra yards.  Steven Means nearly blocked the pass at the line.  From the 45, Williams goes for 3 yards.  On 2nd down, Mahomes finds Kelce again for a 16-yard gain with Sheffield in coverage.  Mahomes quick to Hardman, a yard short of the marker.  On 2nd and 1, Mahomes hands to Williams who easily gets the first down.  With 2:40 to pay, from the Falcons’ 25, Mahomes flings the ball into the end zone….to AJ Terrell, but he loses the ball as he hits the ground.  The Falcons challenge the call that he dropped the ball.  The ruling stands, incomplete pass and Falcons lose a time out.  Mahomes throws a touchdown to Demarcus Robinson over Sheffield. 

2 minute warning.  Chiefs 17/Falcons 14

Ryan rolls away from pressure, finds Hurst, but ruled incomplete and a penalty in the secondary.  Prior to the pass, holding on the defense, 5 yards and a first down. From the 30, 1st and 10 with 1:49 to go in the game, Ryan drops back, finds Gage who literally leaps over a defender to get past the first down marker.  From the 42, Ryan finds Ridley at the 42 along the sideline.  First and 10 from the Chiefs’ 42, Ryan finds Ridley for 9 yards.  On 2nd and 1, Ryan goes to the end zone, Ridley was 5+ yards out.  On 3rd and 1, jumbo formation, Gurley gets 2 yards for the first down.  From the 26, Ryan throws to Ridley, but out of bounds outside the endzone, but there is a penalty on the defense for 12 men on the field and offsides.  First and 5 from the 21 with 27 seconds to go.  Blitz coming, Ryan throws incomplete toward Gage.  With 23 seconds to go, Hurst in motion, Ryan is sacked and ball is fumbled and recovered by Kansas City.  The referees rule it is an incompletion that bounced off a defender and bounced back to look like a fumble.  On 3rd and 5 with 19 seconds, Ryan back peddles and releases an almost interception that Ridley knocks out of the defender’s hands. 

Younghoe Koo comes out to attempt the field goal and misses. 

The game ends Chiefs 17 – Falcons 14

Another Great HALF of Atlanta Falcons Football

Atlanta Falcons 27/Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31

December 20, 2020

Article by Allison Smith, Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

On the first play of the game, Matt Ryan hands to Todd Gurley for a 1-yard loss.  On 2nd and 11, Brandon Powell caught the ball, but was immediately stopped.  On 3rd and 9, Ryan finds Gurley for the first down reception.  From the 36, Ito Smith comes in and finds a seam on the left side for a 5-yard gain.  On 2nd down, Ryan hits Hayden Hurst who stretches for the first down, but the refs mark him 1 yard short. On the 3rd and 1, Ryan finds Calvin Ridley crossing the field at the 40, then Ridley goes for anther 8 yards.  From the Tampa Bay 32, Ryan finds Russell Gage now in the middle of the field and Gage goes to the 5-yard line.  On first and goal, Ryan in the shotgun, easily finds Gage in the left edge of the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN.

With 10:34 to go in the first quarter, Falcons lead 7/0.

Tampa Bay starts on their own 25 and a quick throw to Antonio Brown at the line goes for another 6 yards.  On 2nd down, Tom Brady is under pressure but finds the tight end for a 14-yard gain, taken out of bounds by Foye Oluokun.  From the 45, Brady drops back, looking deep, but throws it short out of bounds.  Brady hands off to Leonard Fournette who is immediately met hard by Keanu Neal, Fournette circles around behind the line and is finally taken down by Sherrod Neasman and Neal.  On 3rd and 18, Brady finds LeShaun McCoy or a 14-yard gain where he is stopped short of the first down by Deion Jones.  Powell fair catches the punt at the 10.

On the first play of their second possession, the Falcons hand off to Brian Hill for a single yard. From the shotgun, Ryan hits Powell for a short gain along the left side for a 3-yard gain.  On 3rd and 6 from the 14, Ryan is pressured, then decides to run, not only for the first down, but up to the 30 for a 16-yard gain along the right sideline.  On play action, Ryan finds a wide-open Luke Stocker on the right side for a big first down of 25 yards.  On the Buccaneers side of the field, Stocker cannot haul the pass in.  On 2nd and 10, Hill gets buried behind the line of scrimmage and a 5-yard loss.  Gurley is back in for the 3rd and 14, on a 4-man rush, Ryan hits Gurley, short of the first down marker.  The punt goes to the 7 and is returned for a couple of yards.

Fournette goes up the middle for a yard where he is met by Allen Bailey.  Brady passes short to Cameron Brate for 8 yards where he is met by Oluokun and Jones.  On 3rd and 1 from the 21, a pitch to Fournette goes for the first down along the far right side, pushed out by Isaiah Oliver.  From the 23, Fournette goes up the middle again, being pulled backwards by Neal.  On 2nd and 9, Brady throws to the line to Scotty Miller, who is immediately stopped by Oliver.  On 3rd and 7, blitz coming, Brady throws toward Brown who is tightly covered by Kendall Sheffield and the ball falls to the ground.  From the 26, Ryan cannot make the completion to Gage.

End of Q1 – Falcons 7/Buccaneers 0.

Ryan has the ball tipped before it can reach Gage.  On 3rd and 10, from the shotgun, Ryan throws downfield just over Ridley along the sideline.  He leaves the field holding his midsection as Sterling Hofrichter punts 48 yards to the 26. 

Brady begins with an incompletion to Rob Gronkowski.  Second down, Mike Evans hauls in the reception and is immediately stopped by Sheffield.  On 3rd and 3, Jones goes behind the line and sacks Brady with Grady Jarrett inches away, an 8-yard loss.  A 3 and out for the Bucs and a punt to the Falcons’ 35.

Deion Jones Sacks Tom Brady – Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Ryan finds Hill at the 40 for a quick reception.  On 2nd down, Ryan hands to Hill who goes up the middle for a couple of yards.  On 3rd and 2, from the shotgun, Ryan hands to Smith who finds a hole and 3 yards for the first down.  Ryan changes the play at the line and has the pass intended for Powell tipped at the line of scrimmage.  Hill gets the call again for no gain on the left side.  On 3rd and 10, Keith Smith gets the reception and gains 8 yards.  On 4th and 2 across midfield, Ryan rolls to the right and finds Gage open for the first down for 7 yards.  On the Tampa 39, Ryan fakes the handoff, looks at two receivers, then hits K. Smith again for 13 yards.  Ryan finds Laquon Treadwell for 14 yards.  From the 12, Ryan fakes to Hill and finds an open Ridley in the front corner of the end zone for another touchdown.  Ridley made a move in the end zone to escape his defender and get open as the ball was released. 

With 7:48 to go in the half, Falcons 14/Buccaneers 0.

Tampa Bay begins on their own 25 and Brady’s pass falls incomplete.  Second down, Brady finds Chris Godwin, Oliver pulls the ball out, but the Bucs recover.  First down from the 41, Ke’shaun Vaughn goes for 3 yards.  Brady finds Gronk, right at the first down marker, shoved out by Neal.  Brady under pressure, drops back, but Godwin cannot make the catch.  On second down, Evans makes the reception along the sideline with AJ Terrell shoving him out of bounds at the marker.  With the blitz coming, lead by Oluokun, Brady releases the ball into the sideline.  Vaughn gets tripped up and gains a couple of yards up the middle.  On 3rd and 9, Neasman zips up the middle and sacks Brady for a 9-yard loss.  On 4th and 18, the Bucs punt to the 11.

Ryan begins with a 2-yard pass to Ridley.  From the shotgun, Ryan hands off to Smith for a 3-yard gain.  On 3rd down, seeing no coverage on the outside on Ridley, Ryan makes the completion for 7 yards.

2 Minute Warning

From the 23, Ryan throws to a wide-open Ridley at the 37.  Ito Smith with the block to give Ryan time.  Another reception by Ridley, for 18 yards into Tampa Bay territory.  Ryan’s next pass is tipped at the line.  Smith gets the reception of 5 yards near the sideline.  The blitz is picked up, Ryan finds Gage crossing the field for 15 yards.  A scrambling Ryan is able to find Hurst for 12 yards down to the 13.  The Falcons take a time out.  Gage is being looked at on the sideline – ribs.  Ryan throws to Blake behind the line of scrimmage.  Falcons take another time out with 33 seconds to go in the half.  On 2nd and 11, Ryan drops back, flushed from the pocket and has to throw it out of the end zone.  On 3rd and 11 from the 13, Ryan’s pass to Gage is knocked away in the end zone.  Younghoe Koo kicks the 32-yard field goal.

On the kickoff, the Buccaneers return the ball to the 18.  Jaedon Graham on the stop and is injured on the play.  Brady takes a knee.

At half, Falcons 17/Buccaneers 0

The Buccaneers begin on their own 20.  Brady starts with a 20-yard pass to Brown, who is stopped by Oliver.  An incompletion to Evans is followed by a 14-yard reception by Brate at midfield and the first down.  Fournette pushes through the middle for 9 yards.  Fournette gets the next run along the left side for 4 yards stopped by Neasman.  Then, Brady lobs it downfield to Evans for 32 yards, he is stopped at the 1 by Neal.  Fournette goes in for the touchdown. 

With 11:28 to go in the 3rd, Falcons 17/Buccaneers 7.

Under pressure, Ryan steps up and able to find an open Ridley for 13 yards. From the 38, Ryan hands to Smith who gains 2 yards up the middle.  Ryan drops back after the fake and throws on a rope to Ridley flying out of bounds, one foot down, one foot drag, a 28 yard reception.  Smith gets a big lead block and zooms for 7 yards along the right side.  Smith runs up the right side, turns, catches the ball and gains 4 yards behind a big Matt Gono block.  Ryan finds an open Gage for another 14 yards.  On first and goal from the 7, Gurley is in and Ryan finds a tightly covered Hurst in the end zone for the touchdown. 

With 7:34 to go in the 3rd, Falcons 24/Buccaneers 7.

From the 25, Brady throws behind Gronkowski.  Brady is successful to Gronkowski for 5 yards, shoved out of bounds by Neal.  On 3rd and 5, Brady drops back and under a 3-man rush, Evans makes the 26-yard reception.  Next, Brady finds Fournette who out moves Terrell and is taken out by Oluokun and Jarrett.  Fournette rushes for no gain, stopped by Jacob Tuioti-Mariner.  On 2nd and 10, Brady is under pressure by Jarrett and Jones, he points for Evans to come back and Evans makes the reception at the 4.  With Jaylinn Hawkins in tight coverage, Brown cannot make the touchdown reception.  On 2nd down, Godwin makes the touchdown reception.

With 3:44 left in the 3rd quarter, Falcons 24/Buccaneers 14

After the fake hand off to Hill, Ryan drops back and throws up to Hill for a 4-yard gain.  With time, Ryan throws incomplete to Ridley crossing the with the inroute.  An incompletion out of bounds on 3rd down forces a quick punt. 

From their own 24, the Buccaneers’ first pass falls incomplete.  Second down, Brady finds Gronkowski who is tightly covered by Oluokun for 17 yards.  Another incompletion, going for Tyler Johnson, but Terrell knocks the ball away.  Blitz coming, Brady finds Miller wide open, who is hit by Jarrett (who was rushing the passer) forcing the fumble that is recovered by Jones.  Jarrett is pressing the offensive lineman, as soon as the ball goes by, he turns toward the ball carrier.  The referees decide his knee was down, the Falcons challenge.  The play is confirmed and the Falcons lose a time out and the challenge.  An incompletion to Evans is negated by a “hands to the face” and a PI by Terrell.  Both penalties are accessed for 28 yards.  First and 10 at the 17, Brady finds Fournette wide open in the flat for 8 yards.  Second and 2 at the 9, Brady’s pass is complete to Brown for the first down, but not the touchdown.  Terrell slows Brown up and Oliver saves the touchdown.  At the 1, Gronkowski can’t haul in the pass, but gets another PI.  On first down from the half yard line, Fournette takes it in for another touchdown.

First and 10 from the 25, Ryan hands to Hill for a 3-yard loss.

End of the 3rd quarter, Falcons 24/Buccaneers 21.

On 2nd and 12, Gage cannot make the reception thrown slightly behind him.  Ryan drops back and passes to Stocker at the line.  There is another penalty for movement and the Falcons punt.  And there is another penalty on the punt.  After Tyler Hall was blocked in the back, he hit the returner with his helmet.  Offsetting.  Still 4th and 16, Falcons will punt again.  On the re-punt, Barner gets a 21-yard return to the 49.

Brady’s pass to Fournette is incomplete.  A 5-yard completion to McCoy who is stopped by Oluokun.  Oliver is injured on the play, Hall in for Oliver. On 3rd and 6 from the Falcons’ 46, Evans is wide open for the easy first down at the 35.  Brady passes to Godwin for 9 yards, stopped by Hall and Oluokun.  A side pass to Brown goes for 13 yards, shoved out of bounds by Hall.  From the 13, Brady throws out of end zone over Gronkowski who is covered by Oluokun.  Quick throw to Miller at the line, Terrell stops Miller after a 4-yard gain.  On 3rd and 6, Brady fires incomplete to Gronkowski, covered by Terrell. 

With just over 11 to play, game is tied at 24.

Ito Smith Pushing Through – Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

First play is an 11-yard reception by Keith Smith.  From the 36, Ridley is wide open again, makes the reception and gains 34 yards, 15 after the catch.  Ito Smith picks up 4 yards.  Ryan fakes to Smith, then looks to Ridley in the end zone, but the defender gets a hand on the ball to knock it incomplete.  Ryan is quickly sacked on 3rd down.  On 4th and 14, Koo comes on to kick a 52-yard field goal. 

With 8:22 to go in the game, Falcons take back the lead 27/Buccaneers 24.

From the 22, Brady finds Brate in the middle of the field, big hit by Neal stops him, after an 18-yard gain.  Fournette gains one yard, stopped by Jones and Deadrin Senat.  On 2nd and 9 from the 41, Godwin makes the reception and gains 13 yards, pushed out by Jones.  Brady then finds Brown for a 46-yard touchdown reception over Hall.

With 6:19 to go in the game, Falcons 27/Buccaneers 31.

From the 25, under pressure, Ryan throws to Hurst behind the line of scrimmage who is tackled for even more of a loss.  On 2nd and 12, Ryan drops back under a 4-man rush, he goes long for Gage, but the ball is too long, just off his fingertips.  On 3rd down, Ryan is sacked, again.  Hofrichter kicks from inside the endzone for 57 yards.

Fournette easily gets the first down and is stopped at the 44-yad line by Jones, Neasom, and others.  Fournette is stopped for a single yard gain by Jones.  After the play fake, Brady meets Jarrett again.  On 3rd and 16, after the Falcons final timeout (wasted one with a challenge), McCoy is 3 yards short of the first down. 

Grady Jarrett After Reacquainting Himself with Tom Brady on the Sack – Jarrett sacked Brady 3 times in SB51

After the punt, the Falcons begin on their own 12-yard line with 2:44 to go and no time outs.  Ryan throws incomplete toward Powell.  On 2nd and 10, Ryan is under pressure and steps on an offensive lineman and falls to the ground.  Then throws in the area of Hurst.  On 4th and 16 from the 6, Ryan throws to Ridley at the 20, but needs the 22.  Buccaneers take over at the 22.

Fournette goes for 2 yards, then another 6 and another 2.  They come out to measure for the first down or not.  The ruling is that it is a first down, while the chains, the announcers and Raheem Morris disagree.  The Bucs are “given” the first down and can take a knee to win the game.

Falcons 27/Buccaneers 31.

#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 2nd and 9, Ryan is under pressure and throws a quick shot to Hayden Hurst, but he cannot haul the pass in.  On 3rd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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 2nd 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 2nd and 10, Stafford gives to Peterson who quickly meets Foye Oluokun for a 1-yard gain. On 3rd 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 2nd and goal from the 7, Oluokun stops Jones from making the reception.  On 3rd 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 3rd 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 2nd and 9, Stafford changes the play, then hands to Peterson who gained no yards, stopped by Neal who got off the WR block.  On 3rd 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 2nd and 1, Olamide Zaccheaus takes the snap and pushes up the middle for no gain.  On 4th 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 2nd and 10 Ryan finds Powell for the touchdown, but is negated by a Ridley PI.  On 2nd and 20, Ryan from the shotgun, finds Gurley over the middle for 11 yards.  On 3rd 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 3rd and 11 from the Falcons 12, Hockenson is open and makes the 10-yard reception.  On 4th 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 3rd 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 2nd 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 1st 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 2nd 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 2nd and 19, Jones almost gets to Stafford, but Swift has the ball and jetting up for 8 yards.  on 3rd 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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 2nd 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 3rd and 12, Ryan, on the run, finds Ridley headed out of bounds for a gain of 7 yards.  At the 13, on 4th 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 2nd 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 2nd and 4, Peterson goes for 3 yards.  On the 3rd and 1, Peterson is shoved back for a loss by rookie Mykal Walker.  On 4th 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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 2nd and 2 at the 13, Gurley goes to the left side and gains 1 yard.  The Lions call another timeout. 

On 3rd 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

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Arch Analyzes Loss to Indy

September 25, 2019

Recap by Allison Smith

Dave Archer was on with the Andy & Randy Show on 92.9 The Game’s Midday Show.

Former Falcon quarterback and now game announcer joined Andy Bunker and Randy McMichaels on Wednesday to talk about the last game and the next.

Archer was asked about fixing the penalties.  Note the Falcons were penalized 16 times in the loss against Indianapolis.  Archer commented that penalties are on the player.  “The coach can tell you the techniques and try to show you in practice, but as a player you have to concentrate and focus on yourself.”  As he noted, players know the rules, but have to do it and take ownership of your issues.  Dan Quinn is bringing in referees this week to practice, but Archer mentioned this may not be overly affective.  You can have some drills with refs watching and telling the players, checking hand placement on blocking, etc.  It is difficult to simulate game day stress and action with the limits the NFL imposes on contact in practice.  Something needs to change however, in 3 games, the Falcons have given up an average of 90 yards a game on 11 ½ penalties. 

Archer did say that even with the zone defense this week, the defense did not play horribly.  They were in position, just overall didn’t tackle well, giving up way to many yards after the catch.  Again, with the ever changing NFL rules, no defensive backs want to tackle low as not to hurt themselves, or lead with the shoulder or head.  You also cannot hit too high to the opposing team’s shoulder/head.  Another thing difficult to simulate with limited contact in practice.  

With Keanu Neal out for the season, Archer thinks it is likely that Kemal Ishmael will start at Safety, but as he is much bigger than Keke, he is also slower.  Damontae Kazee will stay at Nickel. Jamal Carter was moved up from the practice squad so will likely be in and out throughout the day.  He is quick and a hard hitter.

Archer commented that Devonta Freeman looked much better because the offensive line gave him the creases he needs in Indianapolis.  Except for the fouls/holding penalties, the O line looked better and more coordinated and gave the running backs more room, and did not give up any sacks.  Archer noted they needed to continue to give Free those cutback lanes.  Rookie Kaleb McGary played the entire game and did a great job. 

 When asked who needs to step up…..Archer said the Falcons need more out of Isaiah Oliver, clearly no more fouls, but he is getting it and improving.  The Falcons also need the edge players to take another step up.  While playing better, need to make another jump this week.  The Falcons can get in Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota ’s head.  With pressure, Mariota can get down and rattled, but the Falcons want to ensure they don’t just push him out of the pocket, because he will run.  

Archer referenced that Dirk Koetter admitted the offense needed to come out quicker with a faster tempo to start.  But also, Quinn said the defense needed to come out and start faster.  Today’s practice will begin with 1’s on 1’s to get them ready early.

Practice began with a light feel to it, will see how it goes today and Sunday, as they begin Tennessee game prep today.

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Self-Inflicted Wounds Clip the Falcons’ Wings

September 24, 2019

Article by Allison Smith

Pictures courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons

After a great Sunday Night Football win, the Falcons seemed to be soaring up.  Then, they traveled to Indianapolis where their wings were clipped. 

With the good play and weapons that the Falcons have, this game should not have gone this way.  You cannot win in the NFL with 16 penalties for 128 yards and turnovers in the red zone.  While there was only one Falcon turnover this week, instead of 7 points, the Colts scored 3 their way, after a long 97-yard drive.  Indianapolis is a good team that did what they needed to do, but this was definitely a winnable game for this Falcons.  And now we wait for the fallout with all the injuries and what happens to clean up the penalties and unpreparedness….AGAIN.  

Matt Ryan’s interception may have been only one play, but it is consistent within all 3 games so far and took points off the board.  Remember when complaining about one hold by a lineman and one PI by a defender, every bad, bad play is impactful. This was definitely a team loss.

There was bad play calling and bad decisions.  On a 2nd and 11, Ryan throws out of the end zone over Austin Hooper on the left side.  Meanwhile, Julio Jones was uncharacteristically wide open on the other side of the end zone.  On the ensuing 3rd and 11, Ryan is under great pressure and he throws out of bounds and the Falcons settle for a Matt Bryant 34-yard field goal.  With just over two minutes to go in the half, the Colts lead 13/3.

The Falcons offense took too much time on the 2nd half drives, causing them to use all of their timeouts around the 2-minute warning in hopes of getting a defensive stop and the all back.  Clearly, the defense couldn’t get the stop and the Colts were able to run out the clock. 

Hooper Forcing His Way into the End Zone

Devonta Freeman finally looked the Free of Old and made some good breaks, other times lost in the backfield when the offensive line didn’t hold up.  Free had 16 carries for 88 yards, with a breakout of 28 yards.  Julio Jones was near perfection again with 8 receptions on 9 targets for 128 yards and another touchdown, one nice 34-yard reception.  Mohamed Sanu was his usual dependable self on several 3rd down conversions, as well as blocking, taking direct snaps, finishing the game with 1 rush for 2 yards (and a first down), and caught all 6 balls thrown his way for 75 yards and several on 3rd down.  And of course, Austin Hooper caught 6 of the 7 balls thrown his way, 2 for touchdowns, and forced extra yards, and was doing his job at blocking again.

With Keanu Neal’s Achilles injury taking him out for the season, Damontae Kazee will likely move back to the Safety spot.  Kemal Ishmael and rookie Kendall Sheffield should get time at nickel.  The Falcons will be evaluating their current team members and practice squad, then possibly looking outside for another safety.

Isaiah Oliver is really struggling so far.  With Desmond Trufant being a shut down corner so far, offenses will continue to target 2nd year corner Oliver.  The defense is not tackling or containing well.  This was one of the worst tackling games since early 2018.  The defense played soft coverage, making it difficult to get interceptions as there are no real contested receptions.  While they were efficient stopping the run game, the short passes were open and easy most of the day.  Add in missed tackles and yards after the catch, and it was a rough day for the defense.  The defense provided 7 free first downs with their penalties, while the offense continued to create re-work for themselves with theirs.  

The Colts offense took what the defense gave them, the Falcons didn’t tackle well on runs and played soft on passes.  Small runs after catch became more efficient.  There were too many missed tackles. A late 3rd and 5 had Jacoby Brissett off his spot, and the defense still couldn’t sack him and he ran for the first down, and extra yard.

Vic Beasley, Jr. had an overall good game, including a ½ sack shared with Takk McKinley.  Jack Crawford had two uncharacteristic off-sides penalties and a missed sack.  Deion Jones led the team in tackles with 9 and 1 pass defended.  Oliver did get his man down with 7 tackles and 2 passes defended.  Ricardo Allen had 7 tackles and a head to head penalty, which I feel was due to the speed he was closing.  Rico is not a dirty player.  Ish and Kazee had 6 tackles a piece.  As a note, Vic had 2 quarterback hits, while Allen Bailey, Adrian Clayborn, and Takk all had 1 a piece.  That is not enough to really affect the quarterback.  And there were only 6 tackles for loss in the game.  Brissett was 16 of 16 before the defense finally got some pressure and started to affect him.  Heck, Grady Jarrett was barely affective with 1 tackle for loss and a penalty of his own, which was for 12th man on the field as he was on the edge trying to get out….but that has more to do with too much changing of the D too far on the ends of the field.

Overall, the whole game was a hot mess and repeat of week 1.  In 3 games, the Falcons have committed 35 penalties for 264 yards.  Head Coach Dan Quinn is bringing in officials for practice this week to ensure everyone understands the penalties…what officials look for and are going to call.  There are numerous repeat offenders, then several random unusual offenders this week. 

This is the second slow start on the road, but the Falcons have put themselves too far in the hole both games.  Making adjustments at half time, coming out almost like a different team, but again, too little too late.  Changing to man to man late in the game, but not able to wrap up.  Offensively near perfection, but too much time and too much of a deficit to overcome. 

Injury Report:

·         Keanu Neal – out for the season with Achilles

·         Ito Smith – concussion protocol

·         Kenjon Barner – concussion protocol

·         Grady Jarrett – toe, expected to be back by the end of the week

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