Opponent Outlook
Injuries derailed what was a promising Falcons team a year ago. They lost starters left and right, Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, Devonta Freeman, and Ricardo Allen to name a few. Amidst the chaos, they rallied three consecutive wins to finish the season at 7-9 and second in the NFC South. The thought around this team was that, when healthy, they could be perennial playoff contenders. However, injuries weren't the only concern in the minds of team management. Offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators Steve Sarkisian, Marquand Manuel, and Keith Armstrong were all fired. Head Coach Dan Quinn took over defensive coaching and playcalling and Bob Sutton was hired to help with the head coaching workload on tasks like clock management and replays. Former Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter rejoined the staff in his old position of Offensive Coordinator. Matt Ryan was able to find success with Koetter in the past, completing nearly 70% of his passes in 2012 in Koetter's system. Atlanta was able to retain much of its offensive and defensive core, including re-signing Grady Jarrett and Vic Beasley. The only position group lacking talent was the offensive line, of which they double-dipped with first-round picks in Chris Lindstrom & Kaleb McGary. The now healthy Atlanta Falcons, armed with healthy players and fresh coordinators looked to make a splash in 2019.
There's been a sneaking suspicion that Dan Quinn might not be that good of an NFL head coach and if this season hasn't confirmed that yet then I don't know what will. The offense has been inconsistent, looking inept at times and in control at others. The defense has been the story of the year and it's not a good one. Stop me if you've heard this before: Keanu Neal was placed on IR. Even his presence would do little to correct the absolute mess that is the Falcons defense. If it weren't for the Miami Dolphins' trainwreck of a defense, they would be on pace to break some records in the worst way. I've linked Reddit's own Brett Kollmann a few times in past write-ups, but yet again he has put out a fantastic video on a Seattle opponent. The regression of this defense is shocking and infuriating and my heart is with Falcons fans in this trying time.
To muddy the waters even further, Matt Ryan sprained his ankle in the 37-10 loss against the Rams this past Sunday. He missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday but managed to return in a limited fashion on Friday. If he can't go, his 154 game starting streak will come to a disappointing end and pick-six maestro Matt Schaub will take the reigns of the offense. Keep in mind, this offense has been just about the only thing worth watching on this Falcons team. They are 16th in the league in yards per game at 367.4, and 19th in points per game at 20.7. With an average, or at least competent-but-bad, defense they should have at least a couple wins. If it weren't for an utterly heroic effort by Julio Jones in their win against Philadelphia, Atlanta would be 0-7 right now. Jones and Ryan have been the only real shining lights this season, with a flash of Calvin Ridley and a glimmer of Austin Hooper. Ryan is tied for the league lead in touchdowns with 15 and Jones is tied for third in the receiving touchdowns category with 4.
Defensively, the numbers paint an even uglier picture than what I've described. They are 27th in yards allowed per game at 387.7, 31st in points allowed per game at 31.9, 29th in completion percentage allowed at 69.57%, and they haven't registered a sack in a month. Their secondary has been atrocious and will be made even weaker with Desmond Trufant being ruled out with a toe injury. The best thing about this defense has been its play against the run, only yielding 3.7 yards per carry. To Quinn's credit, he is a D-Line coach, so he's doing one thing right. Except the whole not registering a sack in a month thing sorry Dan
Altogether, this isn't an incredibly easy team to evaluate. Are they all mental/coaching mistakes that could be fixed at any time? Probably not. Can they still be dangerous if they do things right? Absolutely. Seattle should be able to go into Atlanta and take this game. They've been great on the road thus far and haven't left an opponent's city without a win. If Ryan can't go, Matt Schaub is not a tall order for a defense that kept Lamar Jackson from completing 50% of his passes a week ago. That said, it wouldn't be shocking in the slightest if this ends up being a gritty affair where the winner is decided by a single score.
Wednesday Presser Notes Highlighted Matchup
Courtesy of /u/JuiceOrSauce.
Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones vs. Tre Flowers and Shaquill Griffin
- Even without Mohammed Sanu, who was just traded for a second-round pick to New England, this Atlanta receiving corps is a handful. Julio Jones is the best receiver in the league and an absolute game-breaker, as that Eagles game is evidence of. Ridley has flashed and shown polish in his route running, ability to separate, and finishing of contested or difficult end-zone/sideline catches. Both receivers are tied for third in the NFL with 4 touchdowns. The young corners of the Seattle Seahawks are getting better each week. They covered well a week ago and have weathered each storm they've encountered. Flowers has had marked improvement from the first few weeks of the season. He even learned to lay the boom a little bit in last week's loss to the Ravens. Carroll spoke on Flowers' improvement on Wednesday, saying, 'our conversations kind of got into some stuff and I’ve watched him just go back into the real basics of it, pure stepping stuff that he does, and you can see it’s really helped his game some. It’ll change again, you don’t just nail this thing, it’s such an art form that they try to own and master.' Flowers will certainly need more than the basics to keep Jones at bay. For Griffin, this is another opportunity to show that he can run with the best of them. Fortunately, it has been very rare to see Shaquill get beaten over the top this season. That could change on Sunday as the Cover 3 that Seattle does love to run will give him some 1-on-1 opportunities against Julio. Griffin hasn't been targeted as liberally as he was in his rookie and sophomore seasons. If he is targeted on Sunday, my inclination that he will continue his solid play with PBU's and quick tackles is equal to my inclination that Julio Jones is Julio Jones and will burn him because that's just what he does to DB's. The success of these receivers and burden upon these corners hinges on who is throwing the ball. If it is Ryan then this is a far more troubling tandem to face.
Key Matchups
Grady Jarrett vs. DJ Fluker or Jamarco Jones
- Again, there are some real players on this Falcons defense. Which makes their ineptitude even more pronounced. Grady Jarrett is a bad motherfucker with an unreal size to power ratio. He's as disruptive as it gets, equally proficient in run-stuffing as he is at rushing the passer. Pro Football Focus currently has him graded elite at 89.9. He's a shorter defensive tackle, at just 6', but uses his leverage in a rare and unique fashion. Seahawks fans that are excited about Poona Ford's potential should look no further than Jarrett when looking for an excellent comparison in his performance ceiling. Seattle knows what they have with Mike Iupati: a good run blocker that's decent enough in the passing game. This is likely how he will perform against Jarrett. DJ Fluker is returning from injury and will likely take back over the Right Guard spot. Jamarco Jones has performed admirably in his stead, stonewalling the likes of Aaron Donald and Brandon Williams. If Fluker struggles in his return from a hamstring injury then an opportunity may arise for Jones to leap-frog him on the depth chart. Seattle will need to keep Jarrett in check to maintain control on offense and sustain their long drives running the football.
Russell Wilson vs. the Falcons depleted secondary
- The stats that this Falcons defense has put up has made every quarterback they've faced look like Russell Wilson. They are allowing a 116.3 passer rating, Wilson's is 114.1. 69.57% completion percentage against, Wilson's is 68.3. 12.0 yards per completion allowed, Wilsons is 12.4. After a lackluster performance in the rain a week ago, this is the perfect opportunity for Russell to light it up again and thrust himself back to the forefront of the MVP conversation. If the Falcons are making every quarterback they've faced look like him then he should be able to blow the roof off of Mercedes Benz Stadium. With the space that the Falcons have been giving opposing receivers, I would expect a highly efficient outing from the star QB.
What I'm Watching
Isaiah Oliver
- I liked Oliver a lot when he was coming out of college. In my mind, he was the best corner in the class with one of the lowest floors and the highest ceiling. It shook my wannabe analyst self to my core to read his stat line for this season. He's allowed 4 touchdowns, a completion percentage of 73.9, and over 500 yards. His contribution in this game will likely not be one that wins or loses the game for Atlanta, but I'll be watching him to see if his regression-if you can call it that-is a result of a bad scheme fit, poor technique, bad coaching, or an ugly cocktail of all three.
Marquise Blair
- Last week, Tedric Thompson had yet another play that was deemed by Carroll as 'just a mistake' on a deep ball that the Ravens had no business getting away with. It was refreshing to see a new face getting meaningful snaps in the secondary. Number 27 was flying around, making hits, contributing to tackles, and making plays on the ball. He ended the day with six combined tackles and one gorgeous pass breakup. Should Bradley McDougald, who is listed on the injury report as questionable and practiced in a limited capacity this week, be able to return to his Strong Safety spot, I would love to see Blair take some snaps away from Thompson. I can't imagine that either Blair or Thompson will be better suited for the Free Safety role than Quandre Diggs when he gets up to speed, but Blair has a real shot to show what he's got before then.
i forgive u
Coaching
Teacher vs. Student. Quinn holds the edge 2-1 in the matchup. Carroll has the chance to tie the series up, possibly for good with Quinn on the hot seat, on Sunday. It looks increasingly unlikely that Dan Quinn will coach the Falcons next year. When asked about his precarious position and if he had any advice for his former defensive coordinator, Carroll said, 'Not this week', and that he'd answer the call if Quinn called. These coaches share similar experiences. They both coached their way out of a Super Bowl win in heartbreaking fashion. For one, they were able to weather the storm and return to the playoffs all but one year. For the other, the team has rapidly deteriorated and regressed away from its championship caliber. Regardless, their teams have always put on a show when facing each other and I hope that to continue on Sunday.
Weather Forecast
It's a dome. A very nice dome with low concession prices. Have fun!
In Conclusion
This is a game that Seattle absolutely should win. They've been excellent on the road. They're facing an (almost) league-worst defense with a quarterback that is on an MVP tear. Their opponent's starting quarterback is unsure to play and his backup is uninspiring. This is the exact type of game that the Seahawks love to make competitive. I'm hoping for a thoroughly dominant showing from Seattle, but wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it ends up being a 60-minute struggle. I do hope that either Dan Quinn has a miraculous turnaround after this week or the Falcons hire an excellent offensive-minded head coach and a solid defensive coordinator to turn things around for next season. There's too much talent on this team for this to continue, but I guess that's been said before.
Submitted October 26, 2019 at 09:36PM by Ninjasandapples https://ift.tt/2WiIJol
No comments:
Post a Comment