Hard Knocks & Hard Liquor LIVE from Flowery Branch: The OFFICIAL 2014 Atlanta Falcons Season Thread

[Rebel Soldier]

Dimitroff can't build a good defense to save his life. You can't blame Nolan on this horrendous defensive play.

This game was a disaster on so many levels. I'd be surprised if they win 5 more games going forward.

Dimitroff better be gone after this season. I don't want him anywhere near the upcoming draft. Especially if they get another high draft pick.

 

[AVXL]

Im gonna give Nolan a pass because he's proven he can coach a defense. This is a personnel problem. The line fukkin sucks. Anybody would have looked good back there. The linebackers fukkin suck. They are slow as shyt. Get Bierman the fukk outta here. He's done. This is on TD. He has put together a trash defense. Period.

I can't disagree with this...but I think Nolan is gonna be first on the firing squad if Smith is somehow able to save his job. For everybody wanting Smitty gone (personally I'm indifferent about it, I'm gonna let it play out) TD shoulders an equal amount of blame and should also be gone (but I think he has a lot more job security than Smitty BY FAR)

 

[jmspro]

I can't disagree with this...but I think Nolan is gonna be first on the firing squad if Smith is somehow able to save his job. For everybody wanting Smitty gone (personally I'm indifferent about it, I'm gonna let it play out) TD shoulders an equal amount of blame and should also be gone (but I think he has a lot more job security than Smitty BY FAR)

If Blank can't see that we haven't had a decent pass rush since TD has been here (minus Abraham) then he is fukkin blind.

 

[AVXL]

If Blank can't see that we haven't had a decent pass rush since TD has been here (minus Abraham) then he is fukkin blind.

I just don't think he's as concerned about our defense as people think...the Falcons have been below average as a total defense since Smitty/TD got here. Blank only cares when our lack of d prevents us from winning games...like today. My win total for this team is still in that 8-10 win range, but I don't see the playoffs for us which would mean Blank would have a decision to make

 

[Point Blank]

Terrible gameplan vs a rookie. Teddy was comfortable in the pocket the ENTIRE game. No pressure whatsoever.

 

[The ADD]

Don't spend money to address lack of pass rush brehs

Time to get Worrilow out of there as well.

 

[The ADD]

Glad the podcast didn't start this week

We gotta get Mel from SW Atl on there

 

[Brandeezy]

As far as am concerned….

Smitty is gone
TD is gone
Nolan is gone
Koetter is gone

The new personal hired this year will probably stay but everyone else

Edit: Breh summed Mike Smith up perfectly

Mike Smith wants his players to play emotionless football. He kicks them off of the field for protecting each other in training camp. He yells at them for TD celebrations. He yells at them for celebrating after an interception. He writes their names down in his little note pad whenever they get a penalty. If I was a player, I'd HATE playing for Mike Smith. He is all about, "the business of football." And that's great, if you like winning 9 games a year and getting knocked out after 1 game in the playoffs.

In the NFL, you need to be able to elevate your play. You do that by tapping into your emotions. Get mad. Get tough. Go out there and show them what you're made of. We have none of that. We talk about, "being tough," but our coach is against it.

As long as Mike Smith is our coach, we will not win a Super bowl.

 

[jmspro]

Team defense rankings:

2008: 24
2009: 21
2010: 16
2011: 12
2012: 24
2013: 28
2014: 26

It might be Nolan's fault too.

 

[Brandeezy]

Team defense rankings:

2008: 24
2009: 21
2010: 16
2011: 12
2012: 24
2013: 28
2014: 26

It might be Nolan's fault too.

It's been 6 years since the Smith/TD era and these nikkas still can't get a defense ranked Top 10 yeah everybody gone

 

[Stone]

At least the Saints don't look like they are gonna be that good this year either.

 

[Motife43]

I really fukks with yall football knowledge and love of the Falcons, but this defense problem is two fold. Scheme (Nolan) & personnel! I don't know which one it leans on more, but shyt is frustrating. Every catch opposing teams make on us IS WIDE OPEN, rarely do we see tough catches made. DBs are playing 5-7 yds off and conceding a catch. I know plays happen, we won't stop them everytime, but it's very easy for opposing QBs to get in rhythm. As a coach you gotta put your guys in the best position to help them succeed, if he's a good as yall say he should make adjustments and get his guys to make stops. You gotta work with what you got.

Personnel ties in with scheme. We gotta ride with these guys the rest of the year. You sign a hand in the dirt pass rusher (Osi) and stand him up and wonder why he doesn't produce. You don't address quality LB depth in the offseason and end up starting late rd/undrafted guys, leaving our most talented corp (DBs) in compromising situations. I was so pissed after the game I couldn't even parlay with my homie on his podcast. To think our front office believes we're where need to be as a team is hard to comprehend. It's at Atlanta Braves levels for me

 

[AVXL]

And the hits keep on coming: Hawley, Holmes are DONE for the year. Willie Mo is out 6-8 weeks

Few if any teams in the league suffered as many major injuries to key players as the Falcons in 2013 and their injury luck isn’t much better in 2014.

The Falcons took a major hit on Tuesday when center Joe Hawley (knee) and offensive tackle Lamar Holmes (foot) were placed on season-ending injured reserve. Also, starting safety William Moore (shoulder) will miss at least eight weeks after being placed on the short-term injured reserve list.

Falcons coach Mike Smith declined to provide details of those injuries.

Moore will not be eligible to practice for six weeks and can’t play until two weeks after he begins practicing, which means he will miss a minimum of seven games. He will return for the final five games at most.

The injuries to Hawley and Holmes, both starters, leave the Falcons even thinner along the offensive line. Starting left tackle Sam Baker and Mike Johnson, the projected starter at right tackle, suffered season-ending injuries during August.

Peter Konz is in line to replace Hawley at center and Gabe Carimi takes over for Holmes at right tackle. The Falcons signed two linemen for depth: street free agent Cameron Bradfield and Harland Gunn, who was elevated from the practice squad.

Moore is the veteran leader for the secondary, which had issues in coverage and run support during the first four games. The Falcons drafted him in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Missouri and he’s been a starter for them since 2010.

Moore’s injury means second-year safety Kemal Ishamel is the starter. He played just three defensive snaps as a rookie but has played 119 of 287 total defensive snaps (41 percent) in four games this season.

The Falcons also signed safety Sean Baker from the practice squad. He’s likely to take most of Ishmael’s snaps on special teams now that Ishamel is a starter.

The Falcons added two players to replace Baker and Gunn on the practice squad: safety Kimario McFadden and guard Adam Replogle. Both players were released by the Falcons during the final cuts before the season.

 

[Motife43]

A white DB

 

[Sly Cookin]

A white DB

Low key sean baker was shining in the preseason