Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Thursday
Stitched Calvin Ridley Jersey , Sept. 6 It’s here. It’s finally here. Like your tax refund or the food delivery guy to provide sustenance after a long night out.
Like Diablo III or the afternoon you can finally go outside without being
smothered by oppressive humidity. Yes, folks: It’s game day. Dust off whatever
stress management device you prefer, put on your drinkin’ shoes, and gorge on
the latest Falcoholinks before we take on the Eagles tonight. Eagles limping as
Falcons stroll inThe Atlanta Falcons are in pretty good shape as they head to
Lincoln Financial Field, while the Eagles are dealing with a multitude of
injuries among key starters. Most noteworthy, of course, are Carson Wentz and
Alshon Jeffery, which leaves the Eagles’ offensive potential as a question mark
in this one.Both teams released their final injury reports, and while Ben
Garland, Isaiah Oliver, and Blidi Wreh-Wilson will miss the opener, the Falcons
are predominately healthy in all phases of the game.Bird Battle
Point-CounterpointDave indulged his masochistic side and headed over to Bleeding
Green Nation to providethree reasons why the Falcons will leave Philly angry and
sad. It’s a bleak-yet-informative read, one we collectively hope doesn’t come to
fruition. But that’s not all! Brandon Gowton of BGN joined us over here on
friendlier territory and gave these three reasons the Eagles will lose tonight.
They involve hangovers and Nick Foles, and as my hangover was a direct result of
Nick Foles the last time these teams met, that seems to check out.Knapp
time?Jeff Schultz over at The Athletic does yeoman’s work covering Atlanta
sports, and his latest piece expounds on a thought we’ve entertained since the
Falcons brought back Greg Knapp: that Knapp will have a heavy role in the
offensive scheming. The Falcoholic’s Cory Woodroof explored this a bit more, and
spelled out what it could mean for the coaching arrangement going forward.The
Falcoholic Podcast Ep. 48This week DW and Jeanna Thomas were joined by honorary
Falcoholic Michael Kelly, die-hard Birds fan and everyone’s favorite sociopathic
fixer on Netflix’s House of Cards. Come for the banter
Baby Calvin Ridley Jersey , stay for the analysis, and let’s all agree that the Bucs, Panthers and Saints are all trash. This week’s topics include a preview of
tonight’s game in Philly, a look at Atlanta’s defensive potential this season,
and why this game will be won in the trenches. Be sure to give it a listen here,
and thanks to Michael for joining the show! The greatest enemy of the Atlanta
Falcons is not found in New Orleans, though they’re a close second. It’s not in
Foxborough, wearing a Boston beanie. It’s not climbing lamp posts in Philly,
sporting a Super Bowl hat. It’s not eating barbecue with vinegar in Carolina, or
enjoying the lack of winter in Tampa. It’s not even staring at the team in the
mirror. It’s nostalgia. If the Falcons can’t learn to look past the success they
had back in 2016, then all their future seasons are going to be depressing. I’m
not going to prosecute the team for something that hasn’t happened yet, but if
you heard a guy saying “Amen!” loudly over and over again while you read Dave
Choate’s piece going against the idea about Greg Knapp taking over the offense,
that was me. Give the article a read if you haven’t. We can wait. In it, you’ll
see his thesis about why that’s a bad idea, and why it hints to an inability to
learn lessons. I’ll go one step further. I’ll argue that it shows a deafening
dose of nostalgia seeping into a franchise that needs to stop looking back.
Ironically, it’s not the Super Bowl that probably keeps this team looking in the
rearview. It’s what got them there. In theory, isn’t that what we want? The 2016
team, down the stretch
Best Calvin Ridley Jersey , was the best in football, a team that could out-scheme nearly anyone in town on offense and raise a defense to new heights
with its coaching. It came a few frustrating play calls, injuries and missed
assignments away from being the top dog. But those days are over now, and the
team would be smart to leave them behind. The two seasons since have been a
mixed bag. Sure, the team nearly went to another NFC Championship last year, but
they were far from perfect. Steve Sarkisian looked lost in trying to run Kyle
Shanahan’s offense, mainly relying on an overachieving defense to get them where
they needed to be. That ended exactly how it should’ve: in Philly, against Nick
Foles. That team didn’t deserve a Super Bowl. Obviously, neither does the 2018
unit, a rag-tag team of stars and reserves guided by uninspired coaching, only
capable of pounding teams lesser than they were. The offense caught fire early,
but quickly faded down the stretch. Though talented to the brim, the Falcons now
look broken from a coaching standpoint. They can’t contend with the sharpest
minds in the league, and have tried to rely on talent and talent alone to solve
problems. Well, talent alone won’t get this team back to a Super Bowl. And the
sharp mind the team once had isn’t coming back anytime soon. News of Knapp
signals a likely desire to try and unlock the secrets of the Shanahan offense.
One wonders if tales of Gary Kubiak are nothing more than wanderlust, and that
the team’s well-aware of that. If the team’s trying to find a foot to fit the
Shanny-crafted glass slipper, head out to the Bay Area. That’s the only place
you’ll find your stroke of midnight wish. It’s not that you have to get rid of
the outside zone scheme. Keep it if you’d like. But it’s high time we all stop
worrying about a 33-year-old quarterback having to learn a slightly-different
offense, or a new offense altogether.When the Falcons switched from Mike
Mularkey to Dirk Koetter
Adult Calvin Ridley Jersey , the team soared offensively and went to the NFC Championship. It can be done if you find the right fit. It’d be nice to keep the
Shanny system, but the best person to run it has another job. You could bring in
one of his disciples, but the team isn’t likely to hire another young coach
after Sark’s struggles. This is a win-now group, and they need a win-now mind.
Darrell Bevell wouldn’t be bad, but you wonder if better is out there. The fact
that he is responsible for one of the great Super Bowl busts and has such strong
ties to Quinn in Seattle suggests that he’s not the best man out there, and that
DQ, though we love ‘em, would be better off finding someone new to work with,
like he did with Shanny in 2015. Who the team hires as its offensive coordinator
will decide 2019 and the future of the Quinn era. This is it. This is what
settles things. If they hire the right guy and have a good spring, they’ll be
back in contention, and Quinn might find himself here for another half-decade.
If they screw it up, bags will be packed next December. That’s how crucial this
hire will be (should they part ways with Sark, of course, which looks to be the
most likely outcome). So Falcons, don’t be afraid to look ahead, and try
something new. This team has too much talent to flounder with pissant play
calling. Let Shanny be, and find a new path forward. It might be the only way to
get you back home.
