(Welcome all! With the NFL becoming more of a passing league, the “Cover 9@9” blog will become all of the rage. You can read it here every Wednesday at 9 a.m. throughout the season. We’ll try to get to everything about the Atlanta Falcons. -– D. Orlando Ledbetter)
1. WORRILOW ON WAY UP: Falcons linebacker Paul Worrilow is growing more and more comfortable as the team has put more his plate this season.
In part because of the season-ending injury to Sean Weatherspoon, Worrilow is the team’s signal-caller and has played all of the unit’s 205 snaps along with safety William Moore and cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
He’s hoping that unit can continue to improve when the Falcons face the Minnesota Vikings at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday at the TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
“We did a lot of good things,” Worrilow said about the Tampa Bay game. “Especially after our first two games to put a good game together, get some sacks, interceptions and force fumbles, things that we want to continue to do, was good. However, we are not there obviously.
"We want to just improve upon what we put out there last week.”
The Falcons have to re-establish that they are solid road team after going 1-7 on the road last season. They also dropped their road-opener this season to Cincinnati.
“You’ve got to take care of business at home and then get a couple on the road, get as many as you can,” Worrilow said. “This will be our (second) chance.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Worrilow has been impressed with Minnesota rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
“We are going to have to be disciplined,” Worrilow said. “We are going to have focus on things that he does well. We have to keep him in the pocket, stick to our rush lanes just have some team discipline.”
Worrilow compared Bridgewater to Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and Carolina’s Cam Newton.
2. PATTERSON A THREAT: Last season, Cordarrelle Patterson, the former Tennessee standout, started six of 16 games and caught 45 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns. He also had 12 rushes for 158 yards and three touchdowns.
He’s a dangerous kickoff returner as he ran two back for touchdowns last season.
“We better know where he’s lined up because he can take it the distance at any point in time,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “They create ways to get him the football.”
3. BIG JAKE GETTING DOWN FIELD: On Devin Hester's 20-yard touchdown run on an end around, left tackle Jake Matthews was all the way down the field at the 4-yard line maintaining his block on linebacker Danny Lansanah.
"I didn’t realize that until I saw the replay," Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said. "We got the corner clean, but Jake, what he did on that play was pretty amazing. I’ve never really seen a guy carry a guy that far."
4. NOLAN GETTING FANCY: Check out the film review of Kemal Ishmael's interception return for a touchdown. Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan had Josh McCown confused and Ishmael made a near perfect undercut on the ball. Robert Alford had him covered over the top.
5. TOP 10 POWER RANKING: The Falcons have cracked the top 10 in ProFootballTalk.com's weekly power rankings.
The Falcons are the No. 9 rated team after being ranked 14th last week.
The Falcons, after going 4-12 last season, are off to a 2-1 start and were impressive in victories over New Orleans (37-34 in overtime) and Tampa Bay (56-14). They were defeated by the No. 2-ranked Cincinnati Bengals (24-10) on the road. Seattle is the No. 1 ranked team.
The Falcons are set to face the Minnesota Vikings, who are ranked 29th, on Sunday in Minneapolis.
6. ATTACKING BRIDGEWATER: The Falcons will have the option of going after Minnesota rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater or sitting back in coverage to see if he can beat them with some pinpoint passing.
Bridgewater will be making his first NFL start on Sunday.
"We never take a rookie lightly," Nolan said. "Last year, Geno Smith, his numbers weren't great, but he did enough to win the game on the last drive. That's where he made hay, otherwise we would have won the game.
"It is about winning the game. That last drive counted and it cost us the ball game."
7. CAPTAIN MUNNERLYN IS WITH VIKINGS: Captain Munnerlyn, who played the past five seasons in the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers, is in his first season with the Vikings.
"He’s starting at corner for them, but the thing that I think he’s best at is when he comes in and plays the slot as the nickel," Koetter said. "He’s one of the top nickel’s around.”
8. ANNOUNCING TEAMS:
TELEVISION
Play-by-Play: Chris Myers
Color Analyst: Ronde Barber
Sideline: Jennifer Hale
Coverage Provided by: FOX (WAGA)
RADIO
Play-by-Play: Wes Durham
Color Analyst: Dave Archer
Sideline: John Michaels
Coverage Provided by: 92.9 FM/790 AM
NATIONAL RADIO
Play-by-Play: Adam Amin
Color Analyst: Ross Tucker
Sideline: Ben Leber
Coverage Provided by: Sports USA Radio
9. OFFICIAL DEPTH CHART FOR THE VIKINGS:
OFFENSE
WR 84 Roddy White, 83 Harry Douglas, 14 Eric Weems
LT 70 Jake Matthews, 68 Gabe Carimi, 73 Ryan Schraeder
LG 63 Justin Blalock, 62 James Stone
C 61 Joe Hawley, 66 Peter Konz
RG 75 Jon Asamoah, 68 Gabe Carimi
RT 76 Lamar Holmes, 68 Gabe Carimi
TE 80 Levine Toilolo, 86 Bear Pascoe
WR 11 Julio Jones, 17 Devin Hester, 15 Courtney Roby
QB 2 Matt Ryan, 13 TJ Yates
12 Sean Renfree
RB 39 Steven Jackson, 32 Jacquizz Rodgers, 35 Antone Smith, 24 Devonta Freeman
FB 42 Patrick DiMarco
DEFENSE
DE 71 Kroy Biermann, 50 Osi Umenyiora, 90 Stansly Maponga
DT 99 Tyson Jackson, 77 Ra’Shede Hageman, 98 Cliff Matthews
DT 96 Paul Soliai, 91 Corey Peters
DE 95 Jonathan Babineaux, 94 Jonathan Massaquoi, 93 Malliciah Goodman, 54 Tyler Starr
LB 55 Paul Worrilow, 52 Nate Stupar
LB 59 Joplo Bartu, 53 Prince Shembo
CB 23 Robert Alford, 28 Javier Arenas
CB 27 Robert McClain, 26 Josh Wilson, 28 Javier Arenas
S 25 William Moore, 36 Kemal Ishmael
S 20 Dwight Lowery, 41 Dezmen Southward
CB 21 Desmond Trufant, 28 Javier Arenas
SPECIALISTS
K 3 Matt Bryant
KO 5 Matt Bosher
P 5 Matt Bosher
KR 17 Devin Hester, 14 Eric Weems
PR 17 Devin Hester, 14 Eric Weems
LS 47 Josh Harris
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
GAME STORY: Falcons rebound by routing hapless Bucs, 56-14
Deion Sanders gladly passes his record to Devin Hester
After whirlwind start, Falcons get a chance to exhale
Matt Ryan sets completion percentage record
Julio Jones leads league in receiving yards
Falcons hope to end struggles against rookie quarterbacks when they face Teddy Bridgewater
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