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Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Bye week thoughts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The bye week seems to have come at a good time for the Falcons, as many players expressed the need for a breather. They cited the fifth preseason game and the extra week of practice that came with it as an anchor that had physically started to wear them down.
Defensive end Brady Smith (dislocated right toe) might not be ready for the Nov. 6 game at Miami and he could even miss the Nov. 13 game with Green Bay, according to coach Jim Mora. But Smith is a gamer and I’m guessing he probably wouldn’t miss more than a game.
Wide receiver Michael Jenkins (mild right ankle sprain), running back T.J. Duckett (right ankle sprain) and defensive tackle Chad Lavalais (back spasms) all figure to be set to face the Dolphins.
The added week also should give quarterback Michael Vick time to get fully healthy. Since he’s come back from the right knee sprain two games ago, he hasn’t looked nearly as confident in the passing game and the numbers prove that out. Whether he puts together a string of efficient passing games is anybody’s guess.
But, as cliché as it is, he wins. Why?
His teammates respond to him because, as big of a star as he might be, he is a star via marketing. He doesn’t prop himself up. Vick makes sure he works just as hard as his teammates, doesn’t place blame elsewhere when the passing game struggles, and competes as if every play is his last. So his teammates cover for him when he struggles and ride along with him when he’s rolling.
As for being 5-2 heading into the bye week, the record is probably better than what a lot of folks expected when the schedule was released. The Falcons are far from being an imposing team, but they’re also far from being the Packers, Vikings or Texans.
The run defense was good against the Jets, but New York didn’t really try to move the ball on the ground so we’ll see how much improvement Atlanta has made in that area against Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the Dolphins in a few weeks.
The pass defense. It’s clear the Falcons are going to let teams throw underneath to try and prevent the deep passes, so don’t think anything is going to change, especially on cornerback Jason Webster’s side of the field, where the Jets seemed to throw four out of every five passes.
Offensively, the Falcons’ ability to run the ball is going to carry them. Sure, they need to have some form of passing attack, but that’s going to be hot and cold from series to series. The running game is constant. Teams, such as the Jets Monday, have put 8-9 players in the box, knowing the Falcons were going to run and still haven’t stopped them.
The offensive line and the scheme seems hard to figure out and Warrick Dunn has learned to make reads at various points of each run, allowing him to break off some big hits every three or four carries.
