AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > January > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPetrino better think about defense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Football coaches are a gypsy lot. Bags packed, will travel. Take the itinerary of Dennis Erickson, who has been in and out, up and down, here and there more than any coach who comes to mind. Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami, (Seattle Seahawks), Oregon State, (San Francisco 49ers), back to Idaho, and now Arizona State, a team which can be described as a “bowl team” by its press genius. Won seven games, then became Hawaii’s sacrificial victim.
What’s Dennis Erickson got to do with anything? Nothing. It’s just that he has had nine head coaching jobs and he’s still looking for Camelot.
I don’t bring this up to indicate that Bobby Petrino - wonder if he would consider shortening it to Bob, to indicate maturity? - is one of those moving company’s poster boy. When you’re hot, you’re hot, and Bobby Petrino is hot. It was just a matter of time. When the president of a university with a major football background makes a flight to a secret meeting place in a Big Ten state to woo him, and it leaks out, and it gets said president fired, as well as his athletics director - who was an unwilling passenger - that means you are indeed hot.
Dealing with the pros, such subterfuge is not required. Anything goes. While Arthur Blank and Rich McKay were doing whirlwind time making duty interview calls in Chicago and San Diego, Bobby Petrino was already in pocket. I’m a little late getting to the party, but that has no bearing on the case. One severe critic has already turned tail. Two others have worn their palms thin with applause.
Me, I haven’t the foggiest notion what to expect. Based on backstage conversation, I’d say it might be a good idea that Petrino tighten his seat belt and get ready to play some defense. That has not been one of his strong suits. Offense is his game, and he takes no chances there. We’ll see how that goes when he does his own play-calling with the Falcons.
One former associate said, “He has a great grasp on offense, but he never seemed to get it right on defense. He needs a good defensive mind in his corner.”
That’s what assistants are for, and Petrino doesn’t have to be taken to school on that score. He can surely benefit by studying the blunders of his predecessor. Jim Mora had never been head coach of anything. In England he would have been operating with an “L” on his bumper. He came equipped with a ready smile, a biting sense of humor, but unseasoned as a commander-in-chief. One month he is celebrated as a “Hometown Hero,” a few months later he’s out of work.
If any of us had any doubt that he was gone after that delirious radio interview on a Seattle station, we were blind and dumb to reason. There was no way back. Up to the week when Arthur Blank fired him he was still trying to brush it off as a clumsy attempt at humor with coddling interviewers. Even if there had been an ounce of truth in it, no coach with his head on straight would have played that card.
We’ve all been witness to a battery of Falcons firings, and in only one case was the coach gored. Leeman Bennett was sabotaged in the strike season of 1982, when Steve Bartkowski was seated in the playoff game at Minnesota in favor of Mike Moroski, and Rankin Smith Jr. blew a gasket and lost his head at the same time. Mora claimed to have the only winning record, but Bennett had three winning regular seasons and put the best Falcons teams on the field until Dan Reeves came along.
But, I drag my feet through the mire of some ugly history, and we leave it that. The Bobby Petrino Era is here. See what kind of hand he deals you.
(PS: “L” in England stands for “learner.”)
Permalink | Comments (61) | Post your comment | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Furman Bisher
Comments
By Ripme
January 13, 2007 01:23 AM | Link to this
Only time will tell how good BP performs, but anybody is better than Mora. Welcome to Atlanta BP and looking for great things from the Falcons.
By Onion Rangs
January 13, 2007 01:39 AM | Link to this
B.P. has all the tools, pedigree, coachspeak, and backing from the Falcon big dogs. I just wonder if he noticed the age of his inherited players. Many of the notables are getting very long in the tooth. An average team thats aging is not a good combination. Secondly, I wonder if he’ll be so bold as to call Vick what he really is after the honeymoon is over. How does one jettison one of the top two highest paid players in the league who has absolutely no passing skill. I doubt if he will. It’s simply not good politics to question the skills of your highest paid player. Makes everyone look like they flunked decision making 101 back at draft time.
By surfrider
January 13, 2007 01:44 AM | Link to this
Good Article. Defense still wins games or keeps team in games while Offense takes games to a new level and destiny. Petrino is a gamble. The Cardinals were good but the Big East schedule is somewhat questionable after the top two or three teams. Did anyone see what the SEC did to Ohio State and some other teams and for that reason what some ACC teams did that were really playing in a down year? Mora sounds like he wanted out while he could still find other employment. I’ll be surprised if he does’nt land a head coaching job somewhere and end up a pretty good coach. I don’t think he wanted to keep working for Blank and Mckay and live in Atlanta and not be able to have his own QB not one that is written in concrete for 10 years. He may have outsmarted everyone including the Savy Blank.
By Najeh Davenpoop
January 13, 2007 02:10 AM | Link to this
Well, he made a solid hire at defensive coordinator, so at least that’s a good start.
By Edward
January 13, 2007 02:56 AM | Link to this
I would’ve liked Rex Ryan with Rob Ryan as his Defensive Coordinator…but what do I know.
By JLS
January 13, 2007 03:06 AM | Link to this
Case in point on Petrino not getting it on defense……Just look to the West Virginia game of 2005. Big lead, blown when a curve is thrown at him by the name of Pat White. You can also look at the Rutgers game of this past season. Guy was saying his quarterback missed plays downfield, though he was constantly being assaulted from blitzing defenders. Not once in that game did Bobby max blitz protect, or adjust play calling. He continued to think 5 to 7 step drops would work. But that is the kind of ego he has. I honestly think during some of U of L’s collapses, that Petrino was thinking…”they can’t stop me.” This aspect would be my main concern, for the NFL is just such a different animal. I just do not think this fact registers with a college coach. And that is what Bobby is until he proves otherwise.
By AL Landers
January 13, 2007 07:56 AM | Link to this
“Defense-defense”! Taking a page out the Sr. Mora’s past is definitely what the Falcons should be thinking about. To that end the very unpopular decision of letting Kearny walk into free agency should be the right choice. Dare I say Brookin should have played his last days as a Falcon as well. When we needed leadership from the players on defense this year and last - neither stepped up. Lawyer Milloy called the team meeting this year in an attempt to get the players to become more accountable. It is time for a new direction on defense. Look at Baltimore, San Diego, and you’ll see that with Kearny gone and replacing Brookin with a playmaker a WOLB you’ll have the making of a unit capable of bringing a lot of looks and pressure with opposing teams. What I’m suggesting is going to a 3-4 with Abraham as your pass rush specialist. Coleman and Babneaux would be perfect 3-4 DE’s with Grady in the middle. If you wanted to “flex” back to a 4-3, you can bring Abraham back up and bring in another younger pass rush specialist on the other side. pressurei
By Marshall
January 13, 2007 08:09 AM | Link to this
A passing reference to Hawaii did not bring up the name of another former Falcon coach: June Jones, who may be the smartest of all, having decided that living in Hawaii on a very good salary is best of all football worlds. Smart man, I say.
By DC Falco
January 13, 2007 09:10 AM | Link to this
Sorry Mr. Landers, Kearney was already on IR by the time Milloy called the players meeting. I also don’t think it is fair to toss Brooking aside when — the only reason he wasn’t in the Pro Bowl this year — was 1/ playing most of it not in his usual position and 2/ having to mop up for so many others on the field whether rookies or ineptitude. There were plenty of times I saw KB 30 yards down the filed trying to make a play that the CB or S missed (and usually not DHall.)
You may share the Belichick “let ‘em go a season before you think they need to” theory but I’m of the reasoning, that if you are rebuilding, you need proven starters to teach the younger players the system.
Mr. Bisher’s point that Zimmer needs to show us something better than we saw in Dallas this year. YES. However, I’m willing to give me the benefit of the doubt because in Dallas he was forced to play the 3-4 not the 4-3 that is his preference.
By Big G $ Lovin
January 13, 2007 09:40 AM | Link to this
HOTT off the presses! The Falcons just finished another season at .500 or below! and their still going to raise season ticket prices 4 to 8%. As a season ticket holder let me make a couple of points. Yes, I know we get a good deal on our tickets in Atlanta. That being said, we get a very inconsistent product. If we’re going to have to accept an increase we should get something in return and I don’t mean plastic palm palms when we walk in. First, make the dome exterior more attractive and some how get rid of the “cluster” when trying to leave. We need more Marta options! And the biggest reward from our financial investment….. Bobby Petrino to be a no nonsense, grab your face mask kind of coash. People!…… The second coming has came…… for 6 years now (Vick)……. We have as much talent as anyone in the league. We only lack the discipline, toughness and offense innovation to show it. Mr. Blank, I have the upmost respect for you. I’ll “show you the money”, but I better get a home playoff game in return!
By Najeh Davenpoop
January 13, 2007 09:42 AM | Link to this
More importantly, in Dallas Zimmer was saddled with two safeties who couldn’t cover anyone to save their lives. Crocker and Milloy are not great in coverage, but they are head and shoulders better than Roy Williams and Pat Watkins. And he may not have had success this past year, but in previous years he has had great success in Dallas, both with the 3-4 and the 4-3.
By larry w.
January 13, 2007 09:46 AM | Link to this
There comes a time in any athlete’s career when he starts to lose a step and his over all game starts to decline. I realize that Brooking is a popular player in this area, but he is only human, and as such is subject to the same human failings as the rest of us, including growing older. What this defense needs is playmakers. Players who make impact plays to turn tight games in our favor and demoralize the opposition. Right now we just do not have those types of players on our defense. We are razor thin at the defensive end position, only one injury away from depletion. Our secondary are reactors as opposed to aggressors. Our pass rush is non existant much too often. Hopefully, Zimmer and his defensive coaches will coach the young players up to a new level, but from my view, we desparately need playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.
By Najeh Davenpoop
January 13, 2007 09:48 AM | Link to this
And like someone said earlier, I would also like to see the Falcons experiment with some 3-4 fronts — not as a regular thing, but more as a change of pace. This team has the versatility on defense to implement a scheme similar to the Patriots’ or Dolphins’ scheme. They have big, run stuffing linemen; small, quick, pass rushing linemen; big, run stuffing LBs; small, quick, coverage LBs; safeties who can help in run support; corners who can cover; and corners who can tackle. The one thing they are missing is a safety who can cover, which is what I think they should target in the draft. A speedy, athletic guy like John Abraham can be used in a similar way to Jason Taylor in Miami, where he lines up wherever he wants to on any given play. Coleman and Babineaux are not built to be 3-4 linemen for a long stretch of time, but for a few plays here and there it would be a nice change, especially in passing situations. Most importantly, the Falcons have nice depth at linebacker, and a 3-4 front would allow them to get Brooking, Hartwell, D. Williams, Boley, and/or Beck on the field at the same time.
By Gene
January 13, 2007 09:51 AM | Link to this
The Falcons, indeed, had some good games under Bennett. I remember that playoff game with Dallas as one of the very best Falcons’ performances along with the whipping of the Vikings on the way to the Superbowl disaster under Reeves. Petrino has to be an improvement over Mora. With the tantrums of Vick and Mora, the Falcons became a national joke.
By ICEMAN
January 13, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
The Falcons should trade Schaub for some defensive help, particularly at the Safety position.
By larry w.
January 13, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
To piggy back my earlier post about defensive playmakers, I believe we may possibly have one in Jordan Beck. He possesses all of the tools. Quickness, an ability to lay a bone jarring hit, and over all hustle. I really feel that Mora’s “special teams only” philosophy towards young players was a huge mistake. Young players are hungry players and often are the players that come up with the big play when needed. Hopefully we will see a lot more of Beck, J. Williams, and T. Jackson along with our incoming 2007 rookie class. We need eager, fresh young blood on defense.
By Brian Hunt
January 13, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this
I still remain unimpressed and will now take my seat on the “show me” band wagon.
By Flodaddy
January 13, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the post Iceman. Jordan Beck is a beast! I mean check this kids college stats. Off the radar! Mora hired losers from the beginning. He came from a franchise that was fading and brought with him two terrible coordinators! How can you bring in a guy to run a defense after giving up a 4 and your mammas house!? You have to have winners around. People that have tasted the glory. I don’t know much about the guy from Dallas, but what about the Vikings defense coordinator? Or Singletary or Rivera? I can not understand the thinking of some of our past moves. I’m still shook by the Peerless Price move!
By Tired of the madness
January 13, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this
Defense is critical in any winning program.
By Tired of the madness
January 13, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this
Defense, defence, defence.
By Ken Strickland
January 13, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this
Those who are advocating playing a 3-4 obviously have short memories. Wade Phillips, a former Falcon DC and 3-4 advocate, played this DEF under Reeves. It was a disaster, because our DL & LB’s were too light. Kerney and Smith were eaten alive playing DE, Draft & Brookings were ineffective filling gaps and taking on OL. Our DEF was ranked near the bottom.
WPhillips was fired and immediately hired by the Chargers, because they knew his problem was with personell. At SD, Wade was able to get the proper 3-4 personnell, and the Chargers have had one of the NFL better DEF’s. I believe we will experience the same situation with our new DC, who will be switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3. Parcells doesn’t have proper 3-4 talent(DL & LB are too light), which is why his DEF got manhandled down the stretch.
It’s also revealing that Petrino chose to retain the QB & DB coaches. This indicates he, and the Falcons org, recognized that the problems in those areas were related to the DC & OC, not the players or assistant coaches.
Our secondary wasn’t as bad as it played. To successfully play any zone DEF, you must get pressure on the QB from your front 4. When both of our DE were healthy, the DEF was successful. When we lost Coleman, and Kerney got hurt, we lost our pass rush. If you don’t pressure the QB, REC’s have time to find holes in the zone, or worse, get behind the zone. This happened often against our DEF. Over the past 9yrs, Payton Manning, the NFL’s ultimate QB and most prolific passer, has been routinely reduced to an average QB, at best, when facing strong DEF pressure.
By Magneto
January 13, 2007 11:29 AM | Link to this
I want to take this time to say Happy Birthday to Dr. Martin Luther King.
Now if someone can just pick up where he left off and give a lesson on accountablity, we will be free form prejudice.
By JSS
January 13, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this
By the way, please volunteer to a worthy cause instead of taking the day off on Monday. Regardless of you position in life, the character of a society is shown by what you do for others… The commeration should be a day of service.
Look, the Falcons must be flexible in their scheme, and Zimmerman had a taste of that in Dallas. Grady can not play every down, and KB is no longer a every down backer. The scheme must be a hybrid, our personnel dictates that…
Davenpoop and other non reactionaries, have you noticed how little the Falcons use NFL Europe to develop its lesser used players in relation to other successful teams? I am just asking, are Jennings, Marlon Jackson, Tommy Jackson, Beck, and Shockley going to allocated and get some experience on the field?
By AL Landers
January 13, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this
Finally some debate about defense around here… Someone said earlier that we tried a 3-4 under Wade Phillips - you’re right. The difference now is we have to very active Defensive Tackles (Coleman and Babineaux) playing DE in the 3-4 scheme not Brady and Kearny. Not to mention in this sechem you can move Abraham around to create mismatches in protection (for the other team). This scheme may also keep him healthy. WIth our abundance of LB’s it makes since to got to this scheme 80% of the time. Not to mention if we dangle Brookin out there as a potential trade, it does two things (1) we may get something in return (draft picks and/or players)(2) it sends a clear message to everyone on the team that now one is safe, and everyone is accountable. Someone said Milloy called the meeting after Kearny was hurt, excuse me, but wasn’t he still on the sidelines and in the locker room. Don’t get me wrong, I love the player, I just love my team a little more.
Finally, you build the team by drafting well and having cap space to address needs. Kearny, Brookin, Schaub, Lehr, Gandy, Rossum, Beverly, Webster gone will give us cap space and draft picks - everything a new coach will need to succeed if he can get the right guys for his system.
Finally,
By singletary
January 13, 2007 02:25 PM | Link to this
Thanks to JSS for reminding me of something else that was bothering me, admittedly on the offensive side.
Why weren’t Blakely, Griffith, McCrary, even Jennings used more in the offense? They could spell the starters and give the opposing defense many more different looks (unless this was beyond Knapp’s playbook?) I’m completely confident that MV7 could have given/gotten the ball to any of the above by scripting his own plays “or schoolyard” if they were ever put on the field.
That directly reflects with the D package that is put on the field. Brooking at 10 years may not be an every down LB. However, he is brilliant and a great player.
By larry w.
January 13, 2007 02:46 PM | Link to this
When you stop and think about it, the two players who give all out effort in every game, are the two players that the fans dump on the most! Vick and Brooking. Neither is perfect or the most dominant at their positions, but you can’t question either guys effort. Brooking is often criticized for making tackles ten yards down field, but that is because he is continuously hustling and never giving up on the play. Vick takes a beating game after game after game and then has to take a beating from his own “fans” after the game. Amazing!
By Terance Moore
January 13, 2007 04:17 PM | Link to this
I have not turned tail. And if you say it again, I’m going to beat you with your walker.
By dash
January 13, 2007 04:57 PM | Link to this
Good calls al landers,singletary and larry w. I was surprised during the season when they broke up the chemistry between Willams, Boley and Brookins in order to re-insert Hartwell who was invisible most of the season. I also think Webster was a bust and Rossum did the best that he could but it was a tough situation. Every thing defensively was predictable, zone every passing down. We made teams like Detroit look like offensive genius. I would have liked to see more of Jordan Beck and more of Jimmy Williams on the corner blitzes. I hope that we will see a more aggressive defense next year. I also hope we play Griffin and Jennings more next year. Griffin has shown that he is a play maker but never seemed to be included in the game plan.Jennings is a speedster and was a play maker in college. And while we are at it, I would like to see some bigger, more athletic O-linemen who can pass and run block so our QBs don’t have to take so many sacks.
By Dennis G. Berdanis
January 13, 2007 06:43 PM | Link to this
Mora was a former Defensive Coordinator who never gave a thought to the defense and it showed. Petrino and the new DC from Dallas can do any worse on defense. Maybe they will actually pay a little attention to it, unlike Mora.
By Steve T
January 13, 2007 06:48 PM | Link to this
I think we will be great on defense. BP hired a good DC. He hired a guy that will place the style of defense he wants. He wants to be aggressive. I think this is a good move because we have guys on the corner that can play man to man. He knows the talent he has on defense and he is going to use it.
Now the falcons will play a 4-3 and this is the defense preferred by the DC. But I expect to see us mix it up because of the talents of our DEs and LBs. Abraham can play DE or LB. Mike Boley can play a rush end. Chauncey Davis can play DE or LB. Jordan Beck can play football. Josh Mallard can drop in to coverage. I expect the new DC to show various looks to an offense.
I know some of you guys want to run a 3-4. We can do that with Grady Jackson. However, I like Darrell Shropshire as the strong side DE. This kid is big and aggressive. We can play Rod as the weak side DE. We have Abraham as the strong side LB. We can have Brooking and Boley on the inside. Williams will be on the Weakside LB.
I know some people stated that Eric Beverly should be traded. It was not his fault that the old coaching staff did not know how to use him. This guys can play center, guard, TE, and may be FB. I think the new coach staff may make him the starter at center or left guard.
I was so upset last year when I thought how many times this guy should have been use as a short yardage FB.
By BirdDawg
January 13, 2007 07:01 PM | Link to this
Did anyone else notice the subtle dig at Terence Moore in Mr. Bisher’s column. I also recall, when Terence Moore wrote his absolutely ridiculous article about how Major League Baseball is racist because of the lack of blacks playing ball, while totally ignoring the multitude of latino and asian MLB players (because in Moore’s twisted, reverse-racist world, I guess on black americans are minorities), then Mr. Bisher was the only writer with the balls to call Terence Moore out in writing, using his column to do so.
I don’t think there is any love lost between the no-nonesense Mr. Bisher, veteran of WWII, and the blame-whitey, racist Terence Moore.
As for the Falcons, I like what Coach Petrino is bringing to the table. He may be standoffish with the media, but he doesn’t act like a petulant child in need of foot removal surgery from his mouth like Mora.
Mora was a consistant embarrassment to this team and its fans. Both on the field and off, with his mouth and his actions. He had no accountability of his team. He let his players get away with acting like undisciplined delinquents on the field (MeAngelo Hall being the most glaring example).
Mora also had no accountability with his coordinators. Greg Knapp should have been fired after last year, as should have Ed Donnatel. But Mora wouldn’t fire his BFF and another guy he liked.
Also, Mora was a very, VERY mediocre defensive coordinator when he was hired. I don’t believe he ever fielded a top-15 defense in the league as a DC. How Mora got his job instead of Lovie Smith is still a mystery to me, and I think Arthur Blank could make a lot of hay in admitting his mistake, and explaining to his “stockholders” his thinking in making that huge mistake.
Unlike Mora, Bobby Petrino hasn’t been mediocre in anything he’s done. He’s been exceptional in every job he’s held, in one form or another. He’s had real head coach responsibility. Yes, it is different in some sense, but it is also the same in some sense.
Also, with Petrino calling plays, we have what we’ve always wanted: an innovative, immaginative OC. Basically the anti-Knapp. Think of Bobby Petrino as the RedBull to Greg Knapp’s naptime. Petrino will give this offense wings.
Mike Zimmer is a solid hire. He is a 4-3 guy who was forced to run Parcell’s favored 3-4. He coached many good Dallas defenses before Parcells showed up. He’s going to be good. But what I’d really like to see from him, especially since we have the personal to be able to run this kind fo defense, is the Multiple D. Being able to switch between the 4-3 / 3-4 / the Cover 2 / the 46; basicaly the ultimate defense. This is what the Patriots and now the Jets run. The force the offense into bad matchups, instead of the other way around. With our linebackers, and with Gandy at Nosetackle in the 3-4, we can run the 3-4 sometimes. I think the Multiple D is the way to go.
By SC
January 13, 2007 07:13 PM | Link to this
William Safire is the Furman Bisher of political writers.
By Ken Strickland
January 13, 2007 07:20 PM | Link to this
I keep hearing people asking for bigger OL. Why? We need BETTER linemen, not bigger. Bigger and sorry isn’t an improvement. The Oline that protects PManning and Brady averages 306lbs, while the Falcons OLine averages 303lbs. It’s not how much wt they have, it’s how much talent. There will likely be 2 new additions to our Oline next yr. Clabo flopped after his 1st 2gms, and Lehr is a liability when pass blocking. Gandy might be the other casuality.
We should be able to get a read on Petrino’s intentions by observing who we sign during the FA signing period. I’m thinking he’ll go after at least one OLineman, and a big back for short yardage and redzone situations. If a veteran QB is signed, then Shaub won’t be resigned. Vick has been durable, and a decent vet QB could be signed cheaper than resigning Shaub. Plus, we can get a pick or 2 for him. I have always liked Brookings, but he can be replaced by a quicker, faster DWilliams. And Williams makes more plays behind the line, and gives us cap space. I’m with everyone else on Beck and JWilliams. With the proper scheme, implimentation, and proper utilization of talent, our DEF can be very good.
By RA
January 13, 2007 08:13 PM | Link to this
Dear sir,
I hope that you continue to write for this newspaper for a good long time for the simple reason that you are one of a very few sportswriters balanced enough to actually do his job properly.
By Dean_H
January 13, 2007 08:52 PM | Link to this
I have 3 season tickets on asile 217 on the first row. Does anyone want to buy all 10 games with playoff optionn for next year? Let me know dmhudgins@msn.com
By One Armed Man
January 13, 2007 09:01 PM | Link to this
One thing is that Vick will finally be with an offensive minded coach again. I wonder though if our personnel fits the scheme of the coach.
Based upon the OL now, Wisenhunt and Cameron didn’t fit. Mora and Knapp had to go for so many reasons. Did Mora really think that Norwood and JWilliams could afford to sit most of the season? Yeah, Norwood was hurt but not at the start of the year.
Why does McKay skate on everything? They can’t keep both Griffith and Dunn.
By Dominic Hughes
January 13, 2007 09:03 PM | Link to this
Let’s not forget that Jim Mora, Knapp & Co took the Falcons to the NFC title game. Sure, they all underperformed the past two seasons and their firing was no surprise. But getting to the NFC title game isn’t what I’d call mediocre. Getting fired doesn’t necessarily make you a bad coach in the NFL. It’s the way of things. Ask Marty Schottenheimer. Fired by the Redskins, now flying high again with the Chargers. As for Petrino never having been mediocre in anything he’s done, I’d direct your attention to his performance at Jacksonville. The Jags ranked 20th in offense his season as OC. That sounds mediocre to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m hopeful the Petrino era will be great for the Falcons. I just think it’s a little hasty to anoint him as saviour just yet. Just as Mr Bisher & Mr Schultz have said.
By RA
January 13, 2007 09:07 PM | Link to this
In browsing the comments above. I saw that someone writing as Terence Moore. (I refuse to believe that the true Terence Moore, being as believe an honorable though misguided gentleman, would ever post such a comment.) In any case, this person, as I will refer to the degenerate from this point on, obviously took offense at the portion of Mr. Bisher’s column that seemed to imply that Mr. Moore had rethought his earlier rash statements about the hiring of Mr. Petrino. I am utterly baffled! If anything Mr. Bisher was attributing to Mr. Moore a level of intelligence that many believe him incapable of. Now, as for this person’s threat that he would hit Mr. Bisher over the head with his walker, I find that simply a wretched example of degenerate thinking and utter ignorance. I only hope that this person will retract his statement. I also pray that when he reaches Mr. Bisher’s age, he will be treated with a little more respect than he has extended to Mr. Bisher.
By Dominic Hughes
January 13, 2007 09:29 PM | Link to this
Also, for the record, Jim Mora fielded defenses ranked in the top 15 the last three of the five years he was DC in San Francisco. He built them up to that ranking from defenses that were close to the worst in the NFL his first two years. Not to rattle your cage BirdDawg (who I suspect is an old sparring partner;)) but if you’re going to, literally, make such bold statements, you might want to check your facts.
By Jibo
January 13, 2007 10:22 PM | Link to this
The Birds will fly again! Can’t wait…
By ET
January 14, 2007 07:07 AM | Link to this
Now this was a great topic. DEFENSE and it was good to not hear about Vick in the blog because it gets old. All great teams teams have a solid defense. And im sorry to say the Falcons are not there yet. Its time to get rid of the old favorites and get the new blood in.
By okoou
January 14, 2007 09:06 AM | Link to this
your name is “furman” and you want to mock the name “bobby”? you owe it to your profession to to better than that, Mr Bisher. It’s funny, I dont recall you telling BOBBY Cox or BOBBY Ross to use the name “Robert” or “Bob”.
By frustrated falconi
January 14, 2007 09:53 AM | Link to this
Birddawg, you are the resident message board idiot. Always opening your stupid mouth and spewing a bunch of pointless drivel without any factual basis. go away
By David
January 14, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
In my opinion it is a long shot Bobby Petrino will be successful in Atlanta. He doesn’t have the total pedigree package it takes to be successful year in and out. The big boys of the NFL will probably give him a rude awakening. I learned a long time ago, integrity wins games and championships not play calling. Anybody that would display the lack of integrity to his own team and own family, oh I feel for that person. You better go back to grade school football and start over. And, your Dad was a coach, I guess Bobby missed the integrity lesson form the early days. Unfortunately that class can’t be made up. Sorry, you’ll have him now!
By Tired of the madness
January 14, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this
In many cases, a very good defense can compensate for a lackluster offense. I don’t think the opposite is true. While Manning didn’t have a stellar game yesterday, the Colts’ defense played above their heads, allowing the game to be won on FIELD GOALS. No TDs were scored. Similarly, The Saints’ Defense made a critical stop in the red zone against the Eagles in the closing moments of the game. Stopping them TWICE on 3rd and 4th down and ONE! When Petrino begins to assess the Falcons personnel, he had better place a lot of emphasis on shoring up the defense. Particularly the secondary. Most championships are won because of outstanding defensive play. In the playoffs, most teams are evenly matched. So it becomes a war of attrition. Typically, the team with the most critical stops wins. I don’t believe playing the 3-4 or 4-3 is the issue here. Neither will matter if you have a weak secondary. Just my opinion.
By terrific tony
January 14, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this
FRom the games I have witnessed the last two weekends Jim Mora’s team’s did not have the heart to compete nor the game plan strategy ! Good luck Bobby we are behind you!
By Najeh Davenpoop
January 14, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
I don’t think we have a weak secondary — nobody’s going to confuse it with the Ravens, but it’s definitely good enough to be effective. The problem this season was that the front 4 could never get consistent pressure (mainly because Abraham and Kerney only played 3 games together). When you can’t get pressure from the front 4, you have to blitz to create pressure, which is something Ed Donatell never did. And if you are not getting pressure on the QB, you can have Ronnie Lott, Deion Sanders, Jack Tatum and Rod Woodson in the secondary and you still are going to get burned. Zimmer is an aggressive coordinator unlike Donatell — I’m expecting to see more blitzing and more pressure, which will lead to better coverage and more takeaways from the secondary. Like I have said many times, the talent is there on this team, on both sides of the ball, to be very good; all it needs is a good coaching staff.
I really hope Petrino keeps Tommy Jackson around though. I think after Mora’s experience in 2005, he got a little gun-shy about playing young players for an extensive number of snaps. In 2005 he thought that he could get by without veterans as long as he had young, talented players. When that experiment failed, I think Mora figured that he should keep the young’ns on the sideline as much as possible so they can watch and learn. But there’s a balance between those extremes. When you have an experienced team, you should feel more free to work young players into the game. The Ravens, for example, give young players like Dawan Landry and Bart Scott extensive playing time because they have veterans all around them. I definitely would have liked to see Jordan Beck and Tommy Jackson (and Jimmy Williams, for that matter) get some more snaps this year, and I hope Zimmer finds a way to get them on the field.
Watching these playoff teams, the one thing that really stands out about them is how unpredictable they are. On both sides of the ball, nearly all the teams I have seen have balance (on offense, balance between run and pass; on defense, balance between straight defense and blitzing). And when they line up, they never give away what they are going to do, on either side of the ball. This is something the Falcons definitely have to improve on — it puts a lot of pressure on the opposing team when they have no idea what you are going to do.
By Tired of the madness
January 14, 2007 11:37 AM | Link to this
I think Mora lost the team’s confidence in him during the second part of the season. He showed no propensity to adjust to what other teams were doing to the Falcons on either side of the ball. I also think that he was too emotional in some instances. Not many coaches are going to fall to their knees the way Mora did when Roddy White drooped the wide open pass. That was over dramatic in my opinion. Tony, I agree the birds didn’t have what it takes to compete with the teams that made the playoffs. They looked lethargic and inept for the better part of the season. I’m curious to see which players work hard during the off season as an indication of how serious they are about winning. Dedicated players spin time in the off season honing their skills. Hard core discipline is what the birds need above all else. I don’t care who we bring in to coach, if these players aren’t dedicated to winning, it becomes a moot point. Talent means nothing if the will to win is not there.
By Tired of the madness
January 14, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this
Najeh, perhaps they weren’t weak, but they were definitely ineffective. I will concede that you have to get pressure on the QB, but most of the time, the secondary was caught out of place. How many big plays did teams have on the Falcons against the secondary. I think too many of our games were lost because the DBs gave up too many big plays and too many YACs. Additionally, Rossum was exploited consistently. I don’t think that many players would have a player like Rossum in their nickle or dime packages. He was the weak link. I’ll also concede that the lack of creativity from the OC and DC hurt as well.
By Danny
January 14, 2007 01:06 PM | Link to this
Trade Schaub for Randy Moss. This will enable Oakland to draft Calvin Johnson. The 1st pick Alan Branch DT 6’5 331 or Laron Landry S. OR draft some big offensive lineman Levi Brown, Justin Blalock, Aaron Sears and Kyke Young
By Ken Strickland
January 14, 2007 02:07 PM | Link to this
Anyone notice how all of the playoff teams are successfully, and frequently using quick slant patterns and swing passes to the RB’s? I have yet to see a playoff game where the OC has been conservative in his playcalling. In fact, the Saints almost gave their game away by being too aggressive. If the Falcons had made the playoffs, with the ultra conservative and totally predictable approach of our OC/DC, we would have been humiliated.
The best way to play a zone is to jam the REC’s as they come off the line. You try to direct/redirect them towards the strength of the zone. Your CB’s should play the REC’r close, and then release them once they leave the CB’s assigned zone. I’ve played safety, and I know what Crocker was dealing with. Imagine 2 REC’s coming off the line untouched, and going full speed through the zones. First, you read the QB and try to decide which is the greater threat. While reading the QB, you notice a REC is bearing down on you at full speed. You instantly break off your read and try to match, from a standing start, someone coming at you full speed. NO ZONE IS EFFECTIVE IF YOU DON’T GET PRESSURE ON THE QB, AND YOU ALLOW THE REC’S TO RUN FREE THROUGH THE ZONE. Our 2 headed DC(Mora, Donatell) were too stupid to understand that.
I am certain Mora quit on this team and wanted out long before the season ended. I am also certain he discussed it with his father, which prompted the infamous COACH KILLER comment that HATERS have embraced. Mora, Sr knew his son was overmatched as a HC, had weak support(OC/DC) and that he wanted out. Mora, SR’s efforts to force Blanks hand backfired, and Mora, Sr got fired instead. Mora, Jr then took matters into his own hands, and made those stupid comments about a nonexistant coaching job to further force Blanks hand. I believe Mora, Jr wanted to be fired before the season ended. That would have put him 1st in line with teams considering a HC change. That way, no team would have to ask the Falcons for permission to talk to him, nor would they have to worry about tampering.
This is why you can’t hold Vick responsible for Mora and his OC/DC friends incompetence, and ultimate dismissal. They got what they wanted, and deserved, just not when they wanted it. They were overmatched and tried to compensate by using gimmicks, instead of sound coaching techniques.
By Tired of the madness
January 14, 2007 03:00 PM | Link to this
Ken I agree.
By dash
January 14, 2007 03:44 PM | Link to this
I agree, Ken Strickland, you know you stuff. The inability to have a pass rush when the Falcons played zone, killed them. No DB can stick with RECs with no jam and with the QB having all the time in the world to throw the ball. The coaching staff never made the correct defensive adjustment especially since the defensive front was injured. Also, I would like to see more of Williams and Jordan Beck instead of Ed “Hurtwell” who invisible more of the season, even when he played. I know that Petrino and Hue Jackson plan to take advantage of the team speed on offensive, I just hope that we can take advantage of that youth and team speed on defense as well.
By long time falcon
January 14, 2007 04:38 PM | Link to this
I like the hire that the falcons made for defensive coordinator. The 2003 cowboys had the number 1 overall defense in the NFL under coach zimmer. Now that is something fans can hang their hats on. Coach Zimmer has been with the cowboys since 1994. The guy survived thru 4 different coaches in Dallas so that says a lot about what Jerry Jones and the organization thought of him. He prefers to run a 4-3 defense so that should be a good marriage since we were using the same scheme.
Today the arizona cardinals hired ken whisenhunt as their head coach. Whisenhunt was my choice for the falcons job. I hope I’m wrong about the guy but if he becomes a big success and petrino is a flop it will become a public relations disaster for arhtur blank. To pass on a former GA tech and falcon player as coach, only to watch him become a top rated coach in the NFL would be another nightmare in falcon history. I just pray that we made the right choice at head coach.
By Tired of the madness
January 14, 2007 05:41 PM | Link to this
I pray that we made the right choice as well. Second guessing is always going to be there until we see what each coach does. Whisenhunt inherited some talent and Leinart shows some promise. However, I think that the Falcons are a more “seasoned” team. We’ll see.
By Ken Strickland
January 14, 2007 08:10 PM | Link to this
I admire ABlank. He got snowed by Mora the salesman, and got screwed by Mora the coach. He didn’t openly react to the 2 Mora’s campaige to publicly embarrass him. He decided what he wanted the identity of this team to ultimately be, and made a decision. Instead of waiting for candidates to come in and present their sale pitch, like in 04, he went out and found want he wanted, Petrino. This hire was made, unofficially, before the season ended. Blank wasn’t just looking for a new HC, he was looking for an OFF philosophy, and/or indentity. One that would utilize most of the existing key personnel, expecially MVick.
Blank, McKay and Petrino saw enough in the Steeler/Bengal gms to see how devastating Vick can be as a passer, when given time. This will be a spread OFF, using multiple REC sets, passes to RB’s. DEF will no longer be able to blitz Vick all out, play constant man coverage, nor overload our OLine with blitzers. Teams will still have to limit their DE’s to an outside rush to maintain outside containment against Vick. Using a spy, usually a LB, will eliminate another possible blitzer. This OFF will give Vick the oportunity to become the ultimate QB.
McClure, Forney and Weiner are locks on the OLine because of contract extensions. They were successful blocking traditionally under Reeves. Gandy and Lehr/Clabo are likely out, at least as starters. FINALLY, ANYONE THAT STILL THINKS VICK WILL BE REPLACED BY ANOTHER QB IS A DILLUSIONAL IDIOT. THE ATLANTA FALCONS HAVEN’T HAD A LOCAL BLACKOUT SINCE VICK WAS DRAFTED. I WILL VENTURE TO GUESS NO TEAM THAT’S HOSTED THE FALCONS HAVE HAD A BLACKOUT EITHER. DESPITE THE DEGRADING COMMENTS MADE ABOUT VICK, BY IGNORANT VICK HATERS, FOOTBALL FANS THROGHOUT THE COUNTRY FILL UP STADIUMS TO SEE HIM PERFORM. AT NO OTHER TIME IN FALCONS HISTORY, PRIOR TO THE MICHAEL VICK ERA, HAVE WE HAD BACK TO BACK NONWINNING SEASONS AND NOT ONE SINGLE BLACKOUT. THAT IS BECAUSE OF MICHAEL VICK, PERIOD. HIS PRESENCE IN THIS LEAGUE, AND ON THIS TEAM, AFFECTS THE ENTIRE NFL FINANCIALLY. ANYONE THINKING BLANK WILL CHANGE ALL OF THAT, JUST TO SATISFY A BUNCH OF DILLUSIONAL, ANAL MINDED MORONS, IS DUMB ENOUGH TO THINK STAR WARS IS A DOCUMENTARY.
By Tired of the madness
January 14, 2007 08:25 PM | Link to this
I’m picking the Bears to win it All! San Diego gave their game away with stupid play! That was funny Ken. I know you were serious though and that is some truth to what you said. The NFL is big business with Billions at stake. Vick isn’t perfect,but he is a crowd draw. That cannot realistically be denied.
By Madden King
January 14, 2007 08:40 PM | Link to this
L.T. in the playoffs, 0-2, Vick in the playoffs, 2-2 AND A NFC CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE, who would you rather have? I rest my case.
By Steve T
January 14, 2007 11:06 PM | Link to this
McClure, Forney and Weiner are locks on the OLine because of contract extensions.
Ken, I think the new coaching staff needs to take a look at a very under utilized player on the team. The player is Eric Beverly. This guy has played and started at center and both guard spot as well as TE.
I can not understand why Mora and company did not use him more. He could possibly play FB on short yardage and goal line. He might have enough speed to be a pulling guard for Vick. He can pull and block that DE when Vick runs a bootleg.
By Steve T
January 14, 2007 11:32 PM | Link to this
I found a CB for the falcons Ramsey Robinson. He study films and works to get better.
Now the falcons need to travel the black college route when looking for DB. Nick Harper is a GA boy. He played for Fort Valley State. RASHEAN MATHIS, CB, Jacksonville (BETHUNE-COOKMAN) There were several DBs that came from Tuskegee. Anthony Mitchell, Drayton of the Charger, A DB that play for the G-men. What I am trying to say is there have been a gold mind of talent not too far from the falcons and we missed it.
FVSU has a DB that can play FS/CB and has 4.3 speed that doubles the return man. He even played RB this year. He is 5-11 and he may be good enough to replace Rossum.
- WHAT SOME ARE SAYING -
Alonzo Coleman 5-11 205 RB, Hampton A bit undersized but with exceptional speed. Some have him clocking 4.3 times but will need to produce those numbers at the combine. His speed and athleticism will create talk on draft day.
Tyrone Timmons 6-3 210 WR, Mississippi Valley State His numbers were down from a season ago but still possesses the ability and skills to play at the next level. Needs a good showing at the combines.The former prep quarterback has opened eyes over the past two years and has a chance to be the best prospect out of the school in recent memory. He has been timed in the 4.55 range at his current size.
Andre Bennett 6-6 350 OT, Grambling State Exceptional size, closer to the 375-pound range. Average pass/run blocker with room to improve. Could play right tackle in the NFL.
Alton Pettway 6-3 258 DE, Albany State (GA) Decent speed, very athletic but well undersized to play DE in the NFL. Dominated Division II opponents registering 21.5 tackles for a loss and 14.5 total sacks.
Justin Durant 6-2 230 LB, Hampton Great instincts and intensity. Makes big plays against the run and pass. Good lateral quickness who can “lay the wood” on opposing backs. An impressive total of 222 tackles over the past two seasons.
Travarous Bain 6-0 175 DB, Hampton Solid cover skills with exceptional speed. Expected to produce a sub 4.4 time at the combine. Transfer from Miami, FL after 2004 season. A first team all-American on the Daktronics and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) teams.
Jacoby Jones 6-3, 210 WR/KR, Lane The Lane senior wide and New Orleans native has gained the attention of area scouts thanks to his size (6-3, 210), speed (4.45) and big-play ability. He was fifth in the nation in Div. II in all-purpose yards averaging over 200 yards per game. He could help in the return game as well.
By Ken Strickland
January 15, 2007 01:03 AM | Link to this
STEVE T, it seems Knapp/Mora/Donatell were the masters of underutilization. They underutilized Beverly, Norwood, Griffin, TE Blakley, JWilliams, JBeck, and REC’s Jennings and Youngblood. We played the entire season using primarily 3 wide REC’s and 1 TE. The thing that puzzles me most is how Knapp and Mora shut the OFF down after the Bengals game. Leading up to the Steelers game, Knapp/Mora were under pressure to open up a stagnant, predictable OFF. They removed the shackles and for 2gms Vick was a complete QB, and showed what he could do. After the Cincy gm, Knapp/Mora reinstalled the shackles and Knapp’s play calling went back to conservative and predictable.
Mora’s 1st yr, the team stayed healthy and we were good. In yrs 2&3 injuries, and DEF adjustments exposed the limitations of the 3 amigos. Blank upgraded the 04 teams talent level in 05 & 06, and I’m sure he was on Mora to produce. I’m also sure Blank saw other teams having injuries to key players, like N.E., Philly, Caro, etc., and still winning. Knapp/Mora were unable to counter the DEF adjustments created by TB & NO DC’s. I still believe Mora got fed up with ABlanks constant demands for results, considering the talent and payroll. The more talent Blank got, and the more money he spent, the worse the Falcons got under the 3 amigos. Sometime after the Cincy gm, Mora, along with his dad, decided he wanted out immediately. I believe that is why they put the OFF in ultra conservative mode, and refused to make even simple adj. With a chance to make the playoffs, and needing a win, the Panthers game says it all.