Falcons-Panthers Recap and Analysis

Coming off a heartbreaking defeat to the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons (2-3) entering the game, needed to win their next game to earn another NFC win and keep their hopes alive for the 2011 season. Their next opponent, the (1-4) Carolina Panthers, led by rookie sensation Cam Newton was looking for a huge win, after blowing a 4th quarter lead and losing to the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta faced off against Carolina for the first time this season and would look to earn their second home win of 2011. The Falcons opened the game with the football; however, they could not score any points as they would go three and out and punt to Carolina. On the Panthers first possession, their offense moved the chains from their own (12) yard line into Atlanta territory; however, the defense held them to a three and out and Carolina took a 3-0 lead after Olindo Mare kicked a (42) yard field goal. Carolina's first possession was a 13-play, (67) yards drive. On the ensuing Atlanta possession, the Falcons capitalized on a 7-play, (81) yard drive that ended with Michael Turner scoring a one-yard touchdown at the end of the first quarter to give Atlanta a 7-3 lead heading into the second quarter. Carolina would answer with a 9-play, (81) yard drive which ended with a one-yard Jonathan Stewart touchdown to give the Panthers a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Once again, the Falcons would answer Carolina by executing on a 12-play, (95) yard drive which ended with a one-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Ovie Mughelli to give Atlanta a 14-10 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the quarter. On the next Panthers drive, Carolina was moving the football deep into Atlanta's territory and made it down to the Falcons 10-yard line; however, on first and goal, Cam Newton's intended pass for Steve Smith was tipped and intercepted by Brent Grimes to end their hopes of taking a lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Carolina used most of the quarter to execute on a  13-play, (85) yard drive, which ended with Cam Newton rushing for a (14) yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 17-14 lead. After Atlanta went three and out on their next possession, the Falcons defense stepped up and made a huge sack on Cam Newton to force Carolina to punt. The Falcons took their next offensive possession into the fourth quarter and would end their 8- play, (43) yard drive that ended with a (24) yard field goal from Matt Bryant to tie the game at 17-17 early in the fourth quarter. After the Falcons defense held the Panthers to three and out, Atlanta capitalized on a 10-play, (60) yard drive which ended with Matt Ryan scoring for a one yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 24-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter. On the ensuing Carolina possession, the second play of the drive would end with Corey Peters making a one-hand interception to give Atlanta the football at the Panthers 38-yard line. The Falcons would capitalize and put the Panthers away on a 8-play, (39) yard drive which ended with Michael Turner scoring to give Atlanta a 31-17 lead. The Falcons won 31-17 to improve their record to 3-3 on the season and due to the Saints loss, Atlanta now sits within one game of first place. 


STANDOUT PLAYERS OF THE GAME:


1. MICHAEL TURNER:
Atlanta's star running back was back to his old form against the Panthers. Turner ended the day with (27) carries for (139) yards and (2) touchdowns, which was a normal outing for him against the Panthers defense. Yesterday was the second time this season that Turner rushed for multiple touchdowns in a game and the third time he have scored two or more touchdowns against the Panthers in a game. As much as Falcons fans want to see a balanced version of their offense, this offense must have Turner making a huge impact in the rushing attack in order to get the best Falcons offense on the field in a game. Michael Turner continues his dominance against the Carolina Panthers, yesterday's efforts marks the fifth time in Turner's fourth year career that he have posted over (100) yards rushing against this team. In the last five matchups, Turner has averaged (108) yards rushing per game and is scoring (2) touchdowns as well. When Michael Turner can post numbers like these, the Atlanta Falcons are hard to beat because this provides the opportunity to balance the offensive attack.




2. HARRY DOUGLAS:

After losing Julio Jones in last week's loss against the Packers, Douglas was given the opportunity to start at wide receiver. Harry Douglas, who was looking for a breakout game received his wish as he lead the Falcons in receiving yesterday with two receptions for (57) yards, including a key (34) yard reception on the possession that lead to Matt Ryan's one yard touchdown run. Harry Douglas is a very talented receiver and compliments Roddy White and Julio Jones in the Falcons receiving core. Douglas could have made a bigger impact on the game; unfortunately, two passes that could have been huge plays for the Falcons offense were overthrown and Douglas could not get there in time. As the season progresses, expect the Falcons offense to use more of Douglas or "HD" as our fans call him because he can provide a big play from a small reception in the Falcons passing attack.


3. BRENT GRIMES:

During the entire season, Grimes have been the most consistent member of the Falcons secondary; however, he did not have an interception during the first five games of the season. Grimes made a critical interception as the Panthers was marching towards the end zone late in the second half to halt the Panthers from taking a halftime lead. Grimes picked a perfect time to make the first big play of the season for the fifth year corner back from Shippensburg. Grimes second quarter interception was a key moment in the Falcons win and potentially saved the Panthers from having a chance to win the game. Grimes ended the day with (4) tackles and one interception.




Things to Adjust for Next Week:


1.Defensive pressure on the opposing quarterbacks:

In the first three quarters, the Falcons defense struggled to apply pressure on Cam Newton and the Panthers was given the opportunity to make an effective impact that kept their hopes alive for most of the game. Atlanta must apply tough pressure towards their opponents and disrupt their offensive flow because Carolina was 8-10 on third down conversions in the first three quarters and this extended drives for the Panthers and helped them score 17 points. Atlanta's defense made the adjustments and stopped them in the final quarter; however, they must consistently get after the opposing quarterbacks for all four quarters especially after some of the best in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder and the Falcons defense must create a scheme to allow John Abraham and Ray Edwards to force themselves into the backfield and earn sacks. 


2. Matt Ryan's timing on his deep ball accuracy:

Matt Ryan had a decent game yesterday for the Falcons as he posted (163) passing yards and scored (2) touchdowns, one was passing and the other was rushing. However, there were two huge missed opportunities during the game as Matt Ryan overthrew Harry Douglas on two key passes that could have resulted in (14) points. This season, his accuracy down the field is not the best and he must set himself up with time to make those huge completions for the Falcons offense. Another thing that Ryan must adjust is his timing because sometimes he will throw the ball a little too early or too late when attempting to throw the ball over 20 yards. Matt Ryan's inaccuracy and timing on a deep ball have been one of his struggles even going back to his days at Boston College; however, as the season continues, expect Ryan to make those adjustments. 




3. Limit offensive penalties:

As the season continues, the Falcons must stop earning penalties that halts some of the offensive possessions during a game. Through their first six games, the Falcons have (36) offensive penalties, which is currently 15th most in the NFL. Last season, Atlanta was the least penalized offense in the league and that must be adjusted because you can cost yourself points and other opportunities by making mistakes during a offensive drive. This was a key factor in last week's loss against the Packers because if you continue to make mistakes like those, this will affect the flow of the Falcons offense.


4. Roddy White must step up for the rest of the season:

Last season, Roddy White was one of the best receivers in the NFL and was a defensive mismatch for any team. This season, with the exception of the Tampa Bay game, White's effectiveness have decreased and his presence is absent in the Falcons offense. Yesterday, White posted (2) receptions for (21) yards and this is not your normal Roddy White game. Despite his struggles, White still ranks (8th) in the NFL with (34) receptions; however, he ranks (24th) in the NFL with only (373) receiving yards. With the loss of Julio Jones for a few weeks, it is time to see the All-Pro receiver make his dominance known on the Falcons offense and provide a huge spark for Atlanta as their season continues. Expect Roddy White to make some adjustments heading into the rest of the year because he is still one of the key contributors to Atlanta's offense.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

The Falcons played their best fourth quarter this season and finished the game when the opportunity was presented. Atlanta's offense returned to their 2010 form as Michael Turner established his dominance on the ground and when this portion of the Falcons offense is clicking, this is one of the best teams in the NFL. Atlanta's secondary improved yesterday as they limited the Cam Newton to Steve Smith tandem and they should have confidence heading into their next matchup, the (5-1) Detroit Lions. The Falcons will now head on the road before their bye week and look to earn a huge win and make a statement against one of the best teams in the league. Until next time, FALCONS RISE UP!!!