3 takeaways from Falcons vs Bengals The 2018 version of the Atlanta Falcons are what we’ve always known as fans: continual promise
interrupted by depressing heartbreak. The game against the Bengals said it
all
Atlanta Falcons Womens Hoodie , as the offense looked amazing yet again, only for the game to be lost by one single point. Good grief. Here are some key takeaways
from the game.Offense is great, but not enoughIn the NFL, scoring 30 or more
points should be a guaranteed win. Scoring 35 or more should never result in a
loss and yet that’s what we’ve gotten for two straight weeks. This offense is
currently operating at a ridiculous rate that is probably not sustainable, but
it’s fun to watch nevertheless. The red zone woes from 2017 are a distant memory
and Matt Ryan arguably looks as good as he did in 2016 when he won the league
MVP. Yet, it’s not enough. The injuries to the defense are squandering what
could be another record setting year for Ryan and this offense. It’s amazing and
depressing and disheartening. Defensive adjustments were overlookedThe Falcons
defense gave up a depressing 28 points in the first half against the Bengals.
What’s being overlooked in the loss is the fact that they held the Bengals
scoreless in the third quarter and to only 9 points in the second half. The
coaching staff made adjustments that appeared to work and the unit seemed to be
... not god awful. While they did give up the go-ahead TD at the end of the
fourth quarter, there’s reason to think this may be the worst performance we’ll
see from them this year.If Vic Beasley and Takk McKinley can build off their
performances today, the pass rush could help compensate a little for the issues
in the middle. This defense is not going to be good this year, but there’s some
hope they can avoid being the worst in the league.Playoffs slipping
awayUnfortunately, statistics tell us the Falcons playoff hopes took a
devastating uppercut today. Teams that have gone 1-3 in the past have less than
a 15% chance to make it to the playoffs. Going 2-2 would have given them over a
50% chance, so the impact of this loss was pretty significant. The Falcons can
still crawl back out of this hole, but dropping two straight means you have to
win several on the road going forward. It’s going to be a big, uphill battle to
be relevant in January.Falcons vs. Dolphins recap: Preseason ends with a
whimper, as preseason always does The Atlanta Falcons rarely give us much to
feel good about in the preseason, and this preseason was especially taxing. If
you love this team, the sight of them floundering out there in their familiar
jerseys is a painful one, and once the deep reserves play a full game, it’s
somewhere between excruciating and embarrassing.So it went last night, when the
Falcons were thumped by the Dolphins by a score of 34-7. The offense wasn’t
good, the defense wasn’t good, and the only reason special teams was solid was
because David Marvin was absolutely booming punts all game long. Atlanta seems
hellbent on making people miserable before the season begins, no matter how well
we know the truism that preseason doesn’t matter. Now Atlanta has to sift. They
have something like 5-7 roster spots open and need to find the right fits for
those spots, and there wasn’t a lot happening on the field to make those calls
easy. Nonetheless, the Falcons have shown themselves to be deft assemblers of
talented rosters in recent years
Julio Jones Jersey Limited , and they’ll be deciding on the 2018 version of this team in under 48 hours. Let’s hope they saw something we did not last
night. That said, let’s break down the good, the ugly, and what’s next for the
Atlanta Falcons. The GoodIn an utterly dismal game for the offense, Malik
Williams showed a little pop and flash. He had two runs and a nice grab at the
end of the first quarter for a total of over 20 yards, which doesn’t sound
particularly impressive until you realize the Falcons had literally done nothing
to that point in the game. He also scored the first touchdown for the backups
all preseason with an eight yard run in the second quarter where he showed nice
footwork, and picked up 19 yards on a rumble in the third quarter. Given Justin
Crawford’s quiet preseason, Williams may have a practice squad spot waiting for
him. On a very quiet night for the passing game, Jaeden Graham led all receivers
with three receptions on four targets for 36 yards. He’s quietly been solid all
preseason, and if the Falcons elect to keep a tight end on the practice squad,
Graham’s probably the guy. Defensive tackle was one of the few bright spots on
defense. Garrison Smith got into the backfield, Justin Zimmer nearly had a sack,
and Jon Cunningham looked quick and dangerous last night. I have to think Smith
makes the roster and Zimmer makes the practice squad, but it’s encouraging to
see that the Falcons might have some genuine young talent at a position where
they’ve traditionally struggled to cultivate it. Smith’s third quarter sack may
have pushed him over the top. The Falcons got two sacks from young defenders.
The first came early in the game from Anthony Winbush, who had a solid effort
overall, and the second came later from Richard Jarvis, who has put together a
strong offseason overall. I don’t know that either player will stick around, but
I think Jarvis has a decent shot at the practice squad.Speaking of linebacker,
Emmanuel Smith, Jonathan Celestin and Emmanuel Ellerbee were three of the team’s
four leading tacklers. Smith in particular came up with some very timely stops,
while Celestin mixed some good tackles with a shakier overall effort than he had
any of the previous couple of weeks. I think Celestin is ticketed for a practice
squad spot, at this point. Chris Lammons has struggled at times in coverage, but
he’s also played safety, nickel cornerback and outside cornerback and shown
physicality and real talent. He bolstered his case with an interception last
night
http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/julio-jones-jersey , and I have to think he’s in play for a practice squad spot. Given how badly Ron
Parker has scuffled this preseason, it’s possible if unlikely that he might have
a roster spot, too. David Marvin genuinely punted well, and if nothing else,
might earn himself a call if (Football Gods forbid) something happens to Matt
Bosher. The UglyI wrote earlier this summer that I thought Kurt Benkert was the
most talented young quarterback the Falcons have had in a long time, and I still
believe that. I also believe that he’s shown us he’s not remotely ready to step
into a real role any time soon, and his dismal preseason finale should allow the
Falcons to stash him on the practice squad without any trouble. We’ll see if he
can make enough progress to compete for the backup job in 2019. Reggie Davis’
special teams ability may still earn him a practice squad spot, but he had an
absolutely disastrous night as a receiver against the Dolphins, dropping
multiple passes and shying away from contact. He likely could have sealed up a
slot with a quality performance, I think, but the coaching staff can’t have
liked what they saw from Thursday night. Matt Gono saw Ty Sambrailo sit this one
out, solidifying his status as the swing tackle, and followed that up with a
pretty dismal effort against the Dolphins. Gono got beat, got penalized, and
showed he still has some work to do before he can be considered a decent reserve
tackle. I’m hopeful he’ll hold on to a practice squad spot and get the chance to
develop with Atlanta. Ron Parker has not been great all preseason long, and with
a missed tackle and some seemingly indifferent efforts in the fourth preseason
game, it’s not actually a lock that he’ll make the roster. That game was
extremely ugly, and while I think the Falcons had a lot of talent on this 90 man
roster this year, it didn’t show up the way I hoped it would in preseason. That
ought to make Atlanta’s decisions easier, at least. The WrapupGame MVPThere
wasn’t one! Hooray!One TakeawayThis team’s deep depth is not great, which we
already knew. Next WeekThe first actual regular season game against the
Philadelphia Eagles. The Falcons can’t get revenge for the Divisional Round—it’s
a regular season game—but they can start off a promising season with a bang.
Visit Bleeding Green Nation for more. Final WordIt’sover.
