Atlanta Falcons 2012 Draft Class

As the Atlanta Falcons headed into the NFL Draft on Thursday, the team went into the draft with six picks after trading their seventh round pick to acquire former Pro Bowl corner back Asante Samuel on Wednesday and their other picks were traded to the Cleveland Browns in the 2011 NFL Draft in the Julio Jones blockbuster trade. Atlanta was looking to fulfill a couple of issues that the team needed to address for the 2012 NFL season such as: Adding a pass-rush to the new Falcons defensive scheme under new coordinator Mike Nolan, Protecting quarter back Matt Ryan after the offensive line struggled throughout the 2011 season, and filling any voids that the Falcons had at any position. Now, I will give a first outlook on each player that the Falcons selected in the 2012 Draft.

FIRST SELECTION: Peter Konz, Center from Wisconsin (2nd Round, 55th Overall Selection)

Peter Konz, who was ranked by many experts as the top center in this year's draft was a three year starter at Wisconsin and he was one of the most talented offensive lineman in the Big Ten conference over the past few seasons. Standing at 6 foot and 5 inches and weighing 314 pounds, Konz is very tall for your typical interior offensive lineman but he was a great key to the Badgers successful campaign.After sitting the 2008 season as an red-shirt freshman, he was named an freshman All-American for his production in 2009 playing in nine of their ten games. In the 2010 season, he started 11 of 13 games and was an honorable mention All-Big 10. Last season,  Konz was named All-American by AFCA and was also named to the CBS All-American Team. 

POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON KONZ:

Konz is a tremendous center when helping out in the running game.  He looks more natural as a run blocker, exploding off the ball and using opponents’ leverage against them and excels in getting to the second level, clearing a path for the ball-carrier even if he doesn’t obtain a pancake block. With the Falcons, you can expect them to use him in the same way when blocking for Michael Turner in order to help him find running space against opposing defenders. Konz was also a key factor to helping Wisconsin's running game convert short yardage situations, which was a huge problem for the Falcons running game last year in our losses against the New Orleans Saints and the wild card defeat to the New York Giants. With his ability to pull block for any team, this is what will make him a successful addition to the Falcons offensive line due to his youth and for the simple fact that Todd Mcclure, who just turned 35 this season, is close to retiring from the NFL. Another great component about Konz is that he is a great pass blocker and when he is able to get an edge from first contact on his defender, this will allow his quarterback to have the amount of time to make plays on offense. Last season, the Falcons had a major issue with Todd Mcclure's injury and when Joe Hawley was asked to come in at center to open the season, Atlanta's offensive line surrendered a lot of sacks, which was another reason why the team started off with a 2-3 record and Konz can be a huge benefit for Atlanta in the 2012 season. Another great thing that he brings to the offensive line is his quickness because the moment he snaps the football, he quickly adjust to the play that the offense is running and that will make him one of the best young offensive lineman in the NFL from day one. 

THINGS KONZ MUST IMPROVE:

As talented as this young center have been throughout his career at Wisconsin, the biggest issue he faced while in college was his inability to play a full season without suffering an injury. Because of the ankle injury he suffered last season, Konz participated in limited activities in the NFL Scouting Combine back in February and was still recovering form it at that time. Konz missed two games in 2010 and one in 2009 due to prior injuries so he needs to work on getting his durability into great shape and continue to get prepared so once the NFL season start, he'll able to re-adjust to playing full action football on the ankle again because the Falcons will need him to be healthy and they can't afford to have a injured center trying to protect Matt Ryan this season. Another adjustment that he'll need to make is his stance during passing plays. For example, he tends to get too upright when getting into his stance at times which causes him to get off-balance and overextending and can cause him to have trouble recognizing blitzes and Konz needs to use a high football IQ to gain an advantage against quicker, more explosive defenders.

OVERALL OUTLOOK ON THE PICK:

Konz was a good move for the Falcons offensive line and he will be a benefit to our team in the future. NFL Experts spoke highly on him throughout the pro day and combines and some of the adjustments that he'll need to make will be fixed as he continues throughout his NFL career but that was a smart decision by Thomas Dimitroff and the Falcons front office

SECOND SELECTION: Lamar Holmes, Tackle from Southern Mississippi University (Round 3, Selection 91)

Lamar Holmes is a huge offensive tackle from USM that was a huge part of the offensive line for the Eagles over the last two years. Holmes came to Southern Miss as a junior after transferring from Itawamba Community College and in his first two years there, he entered his freshman year ranked as NJCAA Preseason All-American first team lineman prior to his 2009 campaign and at the end of the season, he was a first-team MACJC North pick. After two productive seasons at his junior college, he was ranked No.18 nationally among students attending those colleges. In 2010, Holmes played in 12 games and was a starter in 5 of them and had his first big game against Houston, in which he recorded 12 pancakes and knockdown blocks and Holmes posted at least five pancakes in six games that season. Last season, Holmes continued to be a dominant force at the tackle position for the USM Eagles as they posted a 12-2 record and defeated Houston to win the Conference-USA Championship. Holmes will come off to many defensive opponents as an deceptive athlete and his technique is continuing to improve as he looked NFL ready even in his senior season. Unlike many offensive tackles, Holmes have a lot of natural strength. Lamar Holmes is 6'5 and 323 pounds and at the NFL Scouting Combine, teams love his 35-1/4-inch arms, balance, awareness and ability to match up against pass rushers and he also have 10-inch hands, which is huge for any offensive lineman. 

POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON HOLMES:

Holmes is a offensive tackle which provides great, natural strength that many established offensive tackles have the ability to do in the NFL and he's also a strong anchor to prevent any bull rushing defensive lineman at the point of attack. That's a huge benefit for the Falcons offensive line because he'll be asked to protect some of the best defensive linemen in the league such as DeMarcus Ware, Jason Pierre Paul, Trent Cole, and Charles Johnson just to name a few and we'll need his presence to be able to react to the schemes he'll see from different NFL teams. Another positive aspect about Holmes is that despite not having a lot of range in his pass set, he generally can protect consistently and get a good position in order to prevent the opposing defender from getting in the offensive backfield and this is a key component to protecting Matt Ryan when he's in the pocket. Holmes also can move his feet very well for a lineman as massive as he is and that can distract some of the quickest defensive ends from his size.

THINGS HOLMES MUST IMPROVE:

As talented as the offensive lineman is, he sometimes have a bad habit of stopping his feet on contact, which can throw him off-balance in pass protection and can make him vulnerable when pulling or blocking against the run. Throughout the off-season, he needs to work on his footing because with a running back like Michael Turner, you must be prepared to set yourself in position to open valuable holes for him on rushing plays and he must be able to set the right blocks when Matt Ryan is looking to make a big play in the passing attack. Holmes struggle with placing his feet and hands in the same position when he's setting blocks and he will need to learn to position himself better or he'll find himself giving up big opportunities to opposing defenders.


OVERALL OUTLOOK ON THE PICK:
The Holmes pick was a good one for the Falcons offensive line because he provides a young and talented offensive tackle for the team and he'll only get better at the professional level. He's going to be a benefit to our line in the near future.


THIRD SELECTION: Bradie Ewing, Fullback from the University of Wisconsin (Round 5, Selection #122)

Bradie Ewing is the second player the Falcons drafted from Wisconsin and also had a key role  in the Badgers successful rushing attack last season. He was also a four year starter at Wisconsin and was well-known for his great blocking ability on the ground and occasionally would make a few catches in the passing game. He was formerly a running back in high school and was the 16th best ranked player in Wisconsin after his senior year in 2008. In his four years at Wisconsin, Ewing had 33 rushing yards, 328 receiving yards, and 4 total touchdowns. Ewing was also well-known for his production on special teams and won the Special Teams Player of the Year Award in 2011. As well as producing well on the football field, his academics were great and was named to the Academic All Big-Ten List from 2009-2011. Many experts named him as one of the beneficiary backs in the 2012 NFL Draft in a class where full backs were not being used as often during the new passing era in the National Football League but he fits the Falcons philosophy. Since he's a block first fullback, the Falcons made a move for him and he'll come in as the potential new starter or learn under veteran back Ovie Mughelli and he's great for special teams blocking and defending as well, which was another category Atlanta struggled in late last season. 

POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON EWING:
Ewing is a powerful blocking full back that will hit the running lanes hard and can make three different moves to open a explosive block on his opposing linebacker. His signature moves are dipping, sitting, or uncoiling his hips into the defender in order to clear the lanes for the running back. This is a huge benefit because if this guy becomes a opening day starter on offense, he'll need to help create lanes for Michael Turner because even though Turner is starting to lose his step compared to previous seasons, if his offensive line sets the right blocks, he can still turn his intensity on another level for the Falcons. He's also a reliable option in the passing game as well and the former running back can create big plays for his offense so Dirk Koetter and Matt Ryan could decide to draw up some plays to involve the young man in short passing situations. He's also a quick player as soon as the ball is snapped and this is a benefit because this prepares him to read the defensive scheme and prevent it from affecting the Falcons plays. 




THINGS EWING MUST IMPROVE:

Despite his tremendous benefits to the rushing attack, Ewing is not the type of player who will make many electric plays for the passing game on another level. He's pretty much a solid blocker such as most fullbacks in the league are today. He's similar to Ovie Mughelli in many ways so that may be the only downfall about a guy like Ewing.  Another factor that needs to 
be addressed is his weight because he currently weighs 239 pounds, which is a little small for average NFL full backs. This off-season, he should add five or ten more pounds in order to get to a decent amount of weight that will have him prepared for the NFL when August comes.


OVERALL OUTLOOK ON THE PICK:
The Falcons front office received a steal in the draft because he was one of the best full backs in the 2012 draft class and the move was not only made for insurance but in the case that the Falcons decide to part ways with All-Pro full back Ovie Mughelli. As you know, the veteran is coming off a knee injury which ended his 2011 campaign and Atlanta wanted to draft a back for insurance because they are unsure how effective Ovie will be for the offense this season and he's also approaching his final year of his 6-year, $18 million dollar contract so terminating his final year is also another potential move due to this pick.




FOURTH SELECTION: Jonathan Massaquoui, Defensive End from Troy University (Round 5, Selection #164)

Jonathan Massaquoui was one of the most talented defensive players in the Sun Belt Conference over the past few seasons. He's from Lawrenceville, Georgia and the cousin of NFL Tight End Visante Shiancoe and younger brother to Cleveland Browns receiver and UGA standout Mohammed Massaquoi. He attended Butler County Community College his first two seasons and was the top defensive prospect in the state of Georgia in 2007. During his time at Butler, he was ranked the 60th best player in the NJCAA, a player of the year runner-up candidate. He also lead the league in 2008 with 20 sacks, which earned him an honorable mention as an All-American and won the NJCAA National Championship. After two seasons, he transferred to Troy University where he was red-shirt in 2009; however, in 2010, he was a  first team All-Sun Belt Conference selection, posted 13.5 sacks, 76 tackles, and a forced fumble. Heading into the 2011 season, he was selected as the 2011 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the Sun Belt Conference coaches ... Was selected to the preseason watch lists for the Lombardi Award, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Chuck Bednarik Trophy, the Ted Hendricks Award as well as for the Pony Express Award. Last year, he posted 6.0 sacks, 52 tackles, forced a fumble, and blocked a kick on special teams. 




POSITIVE OUTLOOKS ON MASSAQUOUI:
Massaquoui has very long arms, which is something that most teams in the NFL looks for in a defensive end like him and this gives him the benefit to stay at defensive end where his arm length can give him the advantage to use his arms in tight positions against some of the offensive tackles around the league. The Falcons need a guy like this to gain any edge on a offensive lineman in order to get the amount of pressure necessary to disrupt their opponent's offensive scheme. A good athlete with a bunch of good moves, good quickness and explosiveness off the ball and this is something the Falcons will need under the Mike Nolan scheme which will see the Falcons blitzing more than previous years. Also, if Atlanta was to become a 3-4 defense, he could be switched to linebacker and is a situational defensive end similar to what John Abraham is for Atlanta's defense.


THINGS MASSAQUOUI MUST IMPROVE:
As talented as the defensive end is, he's a stiff defender who struggles to move fluidly in space on defense. Many experts were skeptical of him because he's 24 years old and a very undersized player at his position, which makes many teams consider switching him to linebacker. He also struggles to hold up against the run due to the fact that his game is all about speed, and when he gets locked up with a lineman, he tends to struggle and this is one thing that makes him more of a situational end. Massaquoui must learn to give a consistent effort when trying to rush the opposing quarterback because he sometimes don't give a full effort on plays and that could prevent him from having any major impact on a game. His three-point stance is another thing that must be adjusted in order to help him stop from being so stiff on the field. 


OVERALL OUTLOOK ON THE PICK:
The Falcons made a good pick but there are some things he will need to tweak in order to receive a lot of reps at defensive end. He needs to consult in veterans John Abraham and Ray Edwards throughout the off-season in order to improve that small error that prevents his dominance on a football game. He's a young guy so this will help him progress into a better defensive end because he provides the bull-rushing ability that the Falcons were missing last season but he needs to adjust a few things to his game so he can not only be a player of speed but he can play with a high intensity in the NFL.




FIFTH SELECTION: Charles Mitchell, Safety from Mississippi State University (Round 6, Selection 192)

He was a former corner back and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Mississippi before he went to college, where he became a safety. He entered college as an immediate starter and in 2009, he had a breakout season by making four interceptions and posting (64) tackles. He continued to be productive for Miss. State in his final two years as well.  Mitchell also played in all of his career college football games and ended up posting 188 tackles in his collegiate career. Mitchell was the third player from Missisippi State drafted this year and was one of the main captains on the Bulldogs defense the past few years. Mitchell was also a great special teams player while in college. Another significant fact is that Charles Mitchell was a running back in high school as well and played corner back at the same time until changing into a complete defensive player after he joined the Bulldogs.




POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON MITCHELL:
During his time at Mississippi State, Mitchell was strong for the position. He has average size but his strength shows in the run game. The Falcons definitely need a guy that can prevent any big runs from happening, which strong safeties must do. He can analyze opposing offensive plays well and you can tell he is a preparation-based player; he is always in position. Last season, sometimes we saw Thomas Decoud and James Sanders seem lost in their positioning and it often cost us big plays and that is one issue that Mike Nolan wanted to address. He is good in zone coverage, where he recognizes plays early working within the scheme and turns to get to the ball quickly. In run support he plays the position well and triggers to get downfield quickly and fill his lane. He rarely misses a tackle, which is another benefit for Atlanta's defense because we had an issue with missed tackles as well under the Brian Van Gorder system.


THINGS MITCHELL MUST IMPROVE:
Mitchell does not make many big plays and is not a ball hawk, he is usually playing conservative, which needs to improve because Nolan's system is ran at such an aggressive rate. Mitchell is much better against the run than the pass, and hasn't had much experience in man coverage, which he will need to work on in the off-season in order to adjust to Atlanta's new defense. He plays well within a scheme but isn't necessarily a safety who can make his own plays and you won't see him make too many turnovers but he will play to the level that he won't give up big offensive opportunities for the opposing team. 


OVERALL OUTLOOK ON THE PICK:
This was a decent selection because the Falcons needed a fourth safety due to losing James Sanders to free agency and the only strong safety on the roster was William Moore. I feel that he will come in as a special teams player because he was very productive at Mississippi State and he'll be able to learn from William Moore how to take his game to another level. 




SIXTH SELECTION: Travian Robertson, Defensive Tackle from South Carolina (Round 7, Selection #249)

Travian Robertson was a five year starting defensive tackle who who shows good effort in the trenches. He has experience against good offensive lines in the SEC such as Georgia, Alabama, and LSU. Robertson was formerly a defensive end in high school and was even named as Defensive Player of the Year in South Carolina back in 2006. In his freshman year, Robertson became a starter and recorded seven tackles, including four solo stops, and had a pass break up and a quarterback hurry. In his sophomore season, collected 17 tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss. In 2009, he started becoming a key contributor in the Gamecocks defense until suffering a season-ending right knee injury and would receive a red-shirt to play two more years. Coming off his injury, he put together one of his best seasons in college and earned fourth-team All-SEC posting  42 tackles, including 10.0 for loss and 4.0 sacks, recovered two fumbles and forced one in 2010. In his final season, he was still productive as the Gamecocks made a 11-2 run in the SEC. 




POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON ROBERTSON:
Robertson is very good once he gets off the ball to immobilize offensive lineman and keep linebackers free.He will give the Falcons defensive line another tough defensive tackle along with Jonathan Babineaux and Corey Peters. He's a leverage player who, though stiff, understands what it takes to get under a lineman and gain an advantage early. He is extremely strong and has surprisingly developed hand technique. His strength is obvious when he sheds linemen. The Falcons definitely need a strong lineman in order to help the ends apply more pressure to the opposing offensive line. With the addition of Robertson, he gives Atlanta more depth on the defensive line.


THINGS ROBERTSON MUST IMPROVE:
Robertson is solely a hold-up lineman who does little else. He has a tough time getting in the backfield and reaching the ball carrier. He is slow off the snap and he doesn't create plays for himself. He is the type of player who could make a lot of money playing in the right scheme, but his statistical productivity likely will be extremely low at the next level. He will need to seek some help from Babineaux and Peters on the things that help them apply pressure to the ball carrier. His technique is still progressing but he'll need to work to improve that throughout the off-season.




OVERALL OUTLOOK ON THE PICK:
The Falcons added another young and talented defensive lineman that will be a huge part of Nolan's defense and this was a concern that Atlanta wanted to address. This helps provide the defensive line with a lot of depth and Robertson needs to take advantage of the opportunity and show the organization that drafting him was a smart move.






OVERALL GRADE OF THE FALCONS DRAFT: B+
Atlanta did a great job addressing the main issue that ended the Falcons 2011 season which was protecting Matt Ryan. With the addition of Konz and Holmes, Atlanta have two young and very talented lineman progressing and will ultimately become a starter on the front line and help contain opposing defenses from interrupting the Falcons offensive attack. With Holmes, the Falcons have a lot of depth for run blocking because their philosophy still starts with getting Michael Turner and the running game going in order to create a balanced and successful offense for Atlanta. Each pick was valuable and will help the Falcons in the long run. Personally, my only problem with the 2012 NFL Draft was not drafting a young tight end or a left out-side linebacker. A young tight end would have been a benefit this season because Tony Gonzalez could help the prospect progress into a great athlete and a key contributor to the Falcons offense once Gonzalez leaves the team after this season. With the line-backer, Atlanta needed more depth on the left side because with veteran Mike Peterson as a free-agent, this only leaves Stephen Nicholas and he needs someone to help him as far as his coverage skills in the passing defense and acquiring a young and talented athlete could have also helped them learn from Sean Weatherspoon. Overall, this was a very good draft and the Falcons have added pieces to solve their biggest questions heading into the off-season. Until next time, FALCONS RISE UP!!!!

Atlanta Falcons 2012 Schedule: Breakdown of Match-Ups and More

Yesterday, the NFL released all of the team schedules for the 2012 season and the Atlanta Falcons received a very interesting one heading into the next season. The Falcons are playing at every time slot that an NFL game can be played in this season. Atlanta has the 9th easiest schedule when it comes to ranking the opponents records from the 2011 campaign. Their opponents for this season had a combined winning percentage of .488 during the 2011 season and their record was 125-131. Atlanta will also play four playoff teams from last year (Detroit Lions, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and Denver Broncos) but this season, the two divisions that the Atlanta Falcons will face is filled with talented football teams and some of the best quarterbacks around the NFL. Now, I will begin to break down the schedule.




Week 1: September 9th @ Kansas City Chiefs (1:00 PM on FOX)

For the third consecutive season, the Falcons will begin their new season on the road and this time, they will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Chiefs. The Falcons will look to win their first road  season opener since 2006 but Atlanta will be heading to a tough environment out there at legendary Arrowhead Stadium.The Chiefs possess one of the best home field advantages around the NFL and their team is loaded with talent starting with All-Pro running backs Jamaal Charles and recently acquired Pro-Bowl running back Peyton Hillis. Kansas City have one of the best rushing attacks around the NFL when they are healthy and the Falcons will definitely be up for the challenge of facing their two-back tandem. Another big weapon the Chiefs have on offense is Pro-Bowl wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and the Falcons must be prepared to contain him from making the Chiefs opening day exciting or even earning an victory. As for the Falcons, this will be Tony Gonzalez first game back at Arrowhead Stadium since being traded to Atlanta in 2009. Gonzalez had a tremendous career in his 12 seasons in Kansas City so a lot of emotions will return to him that day. The previous time these two teams squared off in the regular season was back in 2008 when Michael Turner rushed for over 100 yards, Roddy White surpassed the 100 yards receiving mark and the Falcons won 38-14. Atlanta's last trip to Kansas City was a 56-10 blowout back in the 2004 season and earning a victory against the Chiefs in week one would be the first time the Falcons won in Arrowhead Stadium in franchise history.




Week 2:  September 17th vs Denver Broncos (8:30 PM on ESPN- Monday Night Football):

For the second straight season, the Falcons will open their season on the national stage but this will be their first home opening Monday Night Football game since 2005. Coming to the Georgia Dome will be future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and his new team, the Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning will bring a Denver Broncos team into town that is coming off winning the AFC West and still have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Denver brings in the best rushing team in the NFL last season lead by Willis McGahee. The Broncos lead the NFL in rushing with (164.5) yards per game and was a key component to the success they had in the second half last year and now with Manning, they will bring an balanced attack to give the Falcons defense a test. As for the Falcons, Michael Turner will be a huge component to help the offense gain momentum against a very tough opponent and his production will help Matt Ryan and the Falcons passing game will benefit from the efforts that Atlanta's offense can produce that day. In Atlanta's previous match against the Broncos, Michael Turner had another 100+ yards performance; however, the Broncos would earn a shocking 24-20 win. Atlanta will look to win their first Monday Night Football game since 2005 (Defeated New Orleans 36-17) and they will also look to defeat Peyton Manning for the first time since his rookie season in 1998. 


Week 3: September 23rd @ San Diego Chargers (4:05 on FOX)

The Falcons will travel west to take on Phillip Rivers and the Chargers for the second consecutive time that these two teams have matched up against each other. This will be Michael Turner's second time playing against his old team. The Chargers are coming off another disappointing season and with the loss of Vincent Jackson and Mike Tolbert to the free agency, this team will be looking for some kind of big win against a tough NFL contender such as the Falcons. This season, San Diego will use a lot of Antonio Gates to keep their passing attack afloat after losing such a key component to why Phillip Rivers emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. As for the Falcons defense, they must pressure Rivers into making costly turnovers because he threw the third most interceptions in the NFL last season with (20). As for Atlanta's offense, the Falcons must be a balanced attack against a San Diego defense that's still very talented and can compete with some of the best teams in the league today. Allow Michael Turner to set the tone and that will be a huge benefit for the Falcons to defeat the Chargers on the road. Atlanta is looking to win another game against San Diego, which trails the series 7-1, including losing at home to the Falcons 22-16. In order to beat the Chargers, the Falcons must contain Philip Rivers completely because he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when he is completely focused.




Week 4: September 30th vs Carolina Panthers (1:00 on FOX)

Atlanta's second home game will be another tough challenge as Offensive Rookie of the Year Cam Newton and the Panthers come to the Georgia Dome. The Panthers was a team loaded with potential in 2011; however, they lost a lot of close games against some good opponents, including the Falcons both times. Carolina had the Falcons on the ropes of defeat in both games last season; however, Atlanta would rally in both games and give the team a much-needed sweep en-route to the NFL playoffs. The Falcons defense will have their hands full with the talented offensive weapons that the Panthers have such as All-Pro receiver Steve Smith, who is one of the Falcons killers and the defense must be prepared to contain him from having any sort of impact on the game. In the previous games, the Falcons had a challenge trying to contain tight end Greg Olsen, which means Lofa Tatupu will be presented with a task to contain this weapon. The Panthers also have a talented running back tandem of Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, which can be a problem for our defense and now with the addition of Mike Tolbert, Atlanta's defense will need to pressure Cam Newton into costly turnovers and limit the offense from having any sort of impact on the game. As for the offense, the Falcons can continue to use their All-Pro running back Michael Turner, who gave the Panthers defense fits ever since he became an Atlanta Falcon, Turner have posted numerous 100+ yard games and was the key to the Falcons winning streak over this NFC South opponent. Carolina is looking to earn their first win at the Georgia Dome since 2007 and the Falcons will look to extend their winning streak to five consecutive against their division foe. 




Week 5: October 7th @ Washington Redskins (1:00 on FOX)

Atlanta's third road game of the season is at FedEx Field against rookie sensation Robert Griffith III and the rebuilding Washington Redskins. Many people are looking at the road opponent as an easy victory but NOT SO FAST..... This team is not as bad as their recent records have shown. Washington added former Indianapolis Colts star receiver Pierre Garcon along with former San Francisco 49ers standout Josh Morgan along with All-Pro receiver Santana Moss and now they have some depth at receiver. The Falcons must contain this group from having any kind of impact on the game along with RGIII. Washington also have talented running back Tim Hightower who was doing a great job for their rushing attack before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of 2011 and he could be effective so the defense must stop this offense from having an impact that day.  On offense, the Falcons need to counterattack with the explosive wide receiver tandem of Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Harry Douglas and give the Redskins secondary, who just lost safety Laron Landry to the New York Jets, a hard afternoon. In their last match-up, Michael Turner ran for over 100 yards and lead Atlanta to a 31-17 win in a emotional game at the Georgia Dome, which included Mike Smith and former Falcons player DeAngelo Hall getting into a brawl. As for Washington, they would like to earn a win over Atlanta for the first time since 2003. 


Week 6: October 14th vs Oakland Raiders (1:00 on FOX)

In the Falcons final game before their bye week, they will return home to take on the Oakland Raiders lead by All-Pro running back Darren McFadden. The Falcons will need to get their offense going against a inconsistent Raiders defensive unit in order to establish momentum against this team. Last season, Oakland struggle against some of the best running backs in the league and this is where the Falcons can use the compliments of Michael Turner to get the offense going. As far as the passing game, the Falcons will need to establish some dominance in the air because the Raiders defense surrendered (31) touchdown passes to opposing quarterbacks last year and Matt Ryan could have a big day against the Raiders in this contest. Oakland will look to earn a win against the Falcons for the first time since 2000. In the last match-up, the Falcons posted a shut-out victory in Oakland with a final score of 24-0. This would also be the final game against an AFC opponent for the 2012 season for Atlanta and a win could be a huge confidence booster heading into the bye week. 


Week 7: BYE WEEK


Week 8: October 28th @Philadelphia Eagles (1:00 on FOX)

Atlanta returns from the bye week to play a familiar opponent on the road, Philadelphia Eagles, whom the Falcons have played 9 of the previous 10 seasons. Philadelphia is the most explosive and balanced offensive team in the entire league.  The Falcons defense must go in there and contain Michael Vick first and foremost because he's still a defensive nightmare for all of his opponents and rushing the quarterback will be a huge key towards Atlanta earning a rare road victory. Another huge weapon that Atlanta must be aware of is running back Lesean Mccoy because in the previous match-up against the Eagles, he scored two touchdowns and came close to posting (100) yards in the game. Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin must also be limited because both of those explosive wide receivers can change the tone of a football game within minutes so the Falcons secondary must rise to the occasion and contain these two deadly weapons. On our offense, Matt Ryan needs to avoid turnovers in this game because despite him posting a career-high four touchdown passes in the win last season, he threw two costly interceptions which resulted in 14 points for the opponents and in order to beat the Eagles, turnovers are not going to help win the game. Another factor that Atlanta must use is their rushing attack because Michael Turner's efforts helped the Falcons come from behind last year and beat the Eagles. Atlanta must also avoid getting in a shoot-out with the Eagles because despite finishing 8-8, this team was ranked 8th in points scored per game with (24.8) so the Eagles explosive attack must become an non-factor to help the Falcons win. The Falcons will look to earn their first ever win at Lincoln Financial Field this season. 


Week 9: November 4th vs Dallas Cowboys (8:20 on NBC, Sunday Night Football)

The Falcons will return to the Georgia Dome and welcome Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys to town in their second prime-time game. Atlanta is looking to beat the Cowboys at home for the first time since 2001. The last time these two teams met in the Georgia Dome, Dallas won 38-28. The Falcons defense will have to step up to the challenge to pressure Romo into huge mistakes because we all know that if you can pressure the Cowboys that they will fold especially in late game situations. Dallas have a lot of offensive weapons and the two main factors that have to be eliminated out of the game are Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. Witten is still one of the best tight ends in the NFL when healthy and can help the Cowboys passing game throughout this match-up. The linebackers must prevent Witten from having any sort of impact to the prime-time match up. Dez Bryant, in his third year, is also a triple threat for the Cowboys and he's a game changer on offense and special teams. As for the Falcons offense, in order for anything to be able to work, the offensive line must be up to the challenge to contain DeMarcus Ware from interrupting the offensive game plan or that could lead to issues throughout the football game. The Falcons will need for Matt Ryan to establish the tempo of this game because the Cowboys passing defense is not the best and you want to take care of that and then incorporate your rushing attack into the game.  




Week 10: November 11th @ New Orleans Saints (1:00 on FOX):

The Falcons- Saints rivalry continues to become of the best games around the NFL and these  two teams will meet again in one of two potential match-ups to determine the NFC South. Other than the embarrassing blowout on Monday Night Football last year, This NFC South rivalry between the Falcons and the Saints have always been a close matchup. The previous 5 matchups have been decided by 8 pts or less. Also, the Saints have won the last three games and the Falcons will look to end that streak. In order for the Falcons to win in New Orleans, they must established a balanced attack that will keep the raucous Superdome crowd out of the game and allow Atlanta to successfully conduct their offensive strategy. Another step the Falcons must take to winning this game is scoring touchdowns and not settling for field goals. Last season, the Saints had one of the worst red zone defenses around the league; however, against the Falcons, they were able to force the team to settle for field goals and that ultimately was the factor in both Atlanta losses. The Falcons defense must also start pressuring Drew Brees in order to cost turnovers because despite the fact that Brees is one of the best quarterbacks around the NFL today, he will make huge mistakes when defensive lines can get after him and that's a huge problem the Falcons encountered when playing the Saints. Atlanta is looking to earn their second win over the past six seasons down in New Orleans and hopes to earn a huge win that could ultimately decide the division in Week 17.


Week 11: November 18th vs Arizona Cardinals (1:00 on FOX)

Atlanta will come back home and prepare to face Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals. Last time these two teams played,  the Falcons destroyed the Cardinals at home 41-7 and dominated Arizona on all sides of the football. The Cardinals are still a very talented team and the Falcons must be prepared to contain Larry Fitzgerald and Beanie Wells. Last season, the Cardinals offense couldn't score many points and suffered a lot of injuries but still finished 8-8 and the Falcons need to contain Fitzgerald from having a huge impact on the game and Atlanta's defense must force Kevin Kolb to find another weapon to give the Cardinals a shot to pull an upset in the Georgia Dome. As for the Falcons, the Cardinals defense struggled to defend the rushing attack, which fits our game plan and as long as the Falcons stick to their offensive identity, this team can win the game and should not encounter any threats from Arizona. The Cardinals will look to beat Atlanta for the first time in more than 10 years and for the Falcons, they will look to keep adding on wins as the playoff stretch starts to emerge.


Week 12: November 25th @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 on FOX)

This is the start of three consecutive NFC South games for the Falcons as they return to Tampa Bay, who shockingly stunned Atlanta 16-13 last season at home. Tampa Bay added some veteran free agents to help them contend within the division such as adding former Chargers star receiver Vincent Jackson and All-Pro guard Carl Nicks. The Falcons defense will need to contain Jackson from having a huge afternoon against the secondary because he's one of the most consistent receivers in the league today and can hurt your defensive strategy if he's not contained. Another weapon that must be contained is running back Legarette Blount, who is a younger and more physical version of Michael Turner and the rushing defense must keep from doing anything to help the Buccaneers win the game. The final key for the Falcons defense is to keep pressure on Josh Freeman because with pressure, he's turnover prone and Atlanta did a good job forcing him into turnovers and creating opportunities for themselves on offense. For the offense, Atlanta needs to establish the ground attack first and then incorporate their explosive receiving core in the game, which Tampa Bay had a hard time stopping in the previous match-up and the Falcons offense must take flight and prevent the Bucs from earning a second consecutive win at home.


Week 13: November 29th vs New Orleans Saints (8:20 on NFL Network)

In the Falcons third prime-time home game, the rivalry continues between the Falcons and the Saints on the prime-time stage and they will look to earn their first home win against New Orleans since 2008.  In order for the Falcons to win in front of the home crowd at the Georgia Dome, they must established a balanced attack that will keep the raucous Saints defense confused throughout the game and allow Atlanta to successfully conduct their offensive strategy. Another step the Falcons must take to winning this game is scoring touchdowns and not settling for field goals. Last season, the Saints had one of the worst red zone defenses around the league; however, against the Falcons, they were able to force the team to settle for field goals and that ultimately was the factor in both Atlanta losses. The Falcons defense must also start pressuring Drew Brees in order to cost turnovers because despite the fact that Brees is one of the best quarterbacks around the NFL today, he will make huge mistakes when defensive lines can get after him and that's a huge problem the Falcons encountered when playing the Saints. Another step will be getting the Georgia Dome crowd behind the Falcons and that will take a hard fought effort to prevent the Saints from running their offense effectively. Finally, NO GUTSY plays!!!! In the last three games at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons have failed to convert a 4th down play which gave New Orleans a close victory and in order to do that, the Falcons need to establish themselves on the scoreboard early and effectively.




Week 14: December 9th @ Carolina Panthers (1:00 on FOX)

This will be the end of the Falcons three game stretch against the NFC South and their second match-up against the Panthers. Carolina had the Falcons on the ropes of defeat in both games last season; however, Atlanta would rally in both games and give the team a much-needed sweep en-route to the NFL playoffs. The Falcons defense will have their hands full with the talented offensive weapons that the Panthers have such as All-Pro receiver Steve Smith, who is one of the Falcons killers and the defense must be prepared to contain him from having any sort of impact on the game. In the previous games, the Falcons had a challenge trying to contain tight end Greg Olsen, which means Lofa Tatupu will be presented with a task to contain this weapon. The Panthers also have a talented running back tandem of Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, which can be a problem for our defense and now with the addition of Mike Tolbert, Atlanta's defense will need to pressure Cam Newton into costly turnovers and limit the offense from having any sort of impact on the game. As for the offense, the Falcons can continue to use their All-Pro running back Michael Turner, who gave the Panthers defense fits ever since he became an Atlanta Falcon, Turner have posted numerous 100+ yard games and was the key to the Falcons winning streak over this NFC South opponent. The Falcons also can't allow the home crowd in Charlotte to provide any boost to the Panthers because this could be a huge upset and Cam Newton would love to earn a statement victory so Atlanta must be mentally prepared as a team as the December playoff stretch begins. 


Week 15: December 16th vs New York Giants (1:00 on FOX)

With three games remaining in the 2012 season, the Falcons return home to play the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants and look to earn revenge after last year's embarrassing playoff loss in New York.  This will be one of the biggest games of the season especially with the bitterness that all the Falcons players and fans have towards this team after losing the playoff game and watching this team go on to win Super Bowl XLVI. Expect to see both the Falcons and the Giants play with a chip on their shoulder and battle for a full 60 minutes. In order to beat the Giants, the Falcons offense needs to establish the rushing attack with Michael Turner because when a team can effectively run the football against this defense, you have a better chance of winning. Atlanta's home crowd needs to fuel the defense up for this playoff atmosphere and the Falcons pass rush needs to earn sacks and apply pressure to Eli Manning because when you can force him into a bad spot, he's turnover prone. Atlanta's defense must also contain Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz from having any sort of impact for the Giants offense because those two were the biggest components to the Giants Super Bowl team and the secondary must take away any opportunity for them to turn the game in the favor of New York. Finally, the real battle of this game will be the Falcons Offensive Line vs Giants Defensive Line. The Falcons must contain the Giants defensive line and apply the pressure to the secondary and that can place Atlanta in great position to win this football game.


Week 16: December 22nd @ Detroit Lions (ESPN- Saturday Night Football)

In the Falcons final regular season game on the road, they return to Detroit to take on a Lions team who they defeated last season 24-17 at Ford Field. This game will definitely have playoff implications with two of the best teams in the NFC playing in front of a national TV audience. In order for the Falcons to earn back to back victories in Detroit, the Falcons must establish the run with Michael Turner. In last year's victory, Turner had a decent game that helped Atlanta keep the raucous Ford Field crowd out of the game and they also set the tone in order to conduct their offense, which led them to a huge road win. Another component that the Falcons successfully did in the win last season was the Falcons offensive line  protected Matt Ryan against the Lions defensive line and kept the offense intact in order to help the Falcons put more points on the board and take their defense out of the aggressive mindset. On defense, the Falcons need to contain Calvin Johnson from taking over the football game and helping the Lions win. The Falcons need to design plays in order to limit him from making any major plays to get Detroit's offense going. Another weapon the Falcons must limit is running back Jahvid Best, who is a triple-threat athlete and Atlanta can't allow him to make his mark on the game or that could result in a long game for the defense. 


Week 17: December 30th vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 on FOX)

In the final game of the NFL regular season, the Falcons finish off their division with Tampa Bay. he Falcons defense will need to contain Jackson from having a huge afternoon against the secondary because he's one of the most consistent receivers in the league today and can hurt your defensive strategy if he's not contained. Another weapon that must be contained is running back Legarette Blount, who is a younger and more physical version of Michael Turner and the rushing defense must keep from doing anything to help the Buccaneers win the game. The final key for the Falcons defense is to keep pressure on Josh Freeman because with pressure, he's turnover prone and Atlanta did a good job forcing him into turnovers and creating opportunities for themselves on offense. For the offense, Atlanta needs to establish the ground attack first and then incorporate their explosive receiving core in the game, which Tampa Bay had a hard time stopping in the previous match-up and the Falcons offense must take flight and stop the Buccaneers from trying to stun them at home. As for the Falcons, they will look to win their 5th straight home game against their NFC South foes. 




INTERESTING POINTS ABOUT THE FALCONS 2012 SCHEDULE:


1. Every Game is Home/Away For The Entire Season:
When I first looked at the schedule, this was the main thing that stood out to me because this is an unusual format for an NFL team which means that each week, either you will have a home game or have to travel on the road to your next opponent. In the first four weeks, the Falcons will have to make a trip out West and then return back to Atlanta and that can be stressful for players and coaches because there will not be a stretch at home where the Falcons can relax for a few weeks unlike the previous seasons where we had 3-game home stands but this could be a benefit to the team because they will have to keep the same intensity up at home and the following week on the road each week. 


2. The Falcons have a tough stretch of good quarterbacks:
A significant part of our schedule have us facing some of the best quarterbacks or some talented ones for consecutive weeks. From Weeks 2-5, The Falcons will face two passing quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers) and then will take on two young but dual-threat quarterbacks (Cam Newton and Robert Griffith III) and this will make the team have to continue to play at a high level, which is a benefit for the overall mindset of the football team. The second stretch is between Weeks 8-10 when the Falcons face Michael Vick, Tony Romo, and Drew Brees and these are going to be crucial football games against some of the best teams around the NFL. The final stretch will be Weeks 13-16 when the Falcons will face (Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Eli Manning, and Matthew Stafford) in consecutive weeks and this will force the Falcons to rise to the test and give their best efforts weekly.


3. Atlanta will have their chances to show their team off around the nation:
In 2012, The Falcons will play four nationally televised games. A Monday Night Football home opener vs the Denver Broncos, Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys, Thursday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints, and Saturday Night against the Detroit Lions. Atlanta have not won on Monday Night Football in 7 years, the Falcons are 2-0 on Thursday NFL Network games, and they are looking to win on Sunday Night Football for the second consecutive year. If the Falcons want to be considered a top contender, this is the time to show their team off by winning big prime-time matches against some of the best teams in the NFL. 




CONCLUSION:
The 2012 NFL season will be an exciting one for the Atlanta Falcons. We are months away but the schedule just made the anticipation for the season increase. I'll be posting a blog next week after the NFL Draft to analyze all of the new Falcons players. Glad to be back blogging for Falcons nation. Until next week, FALCONS RISE UP!!!!