Bmoretildeath Wrote:
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> Wouldn't the Steelers be considered one sided yet
> the dominated this entire decade. They were ranked
> 22nd on offense. Atlanta was ranked 24 on
> defense.

I have seen a couple of teams (Ravens, Steelers) win the SB with a dominant defense and mediocre offense but never one with a potent offense and a weak defense.

The Steelers held opponents to 13.9 points a game and scored 22 a game. The Falcons gave up 20 and scored 24. That's a huge difference when you also consider the turnover ratio which I will mention again.

Miami set an NFL record with +17 while Atlanta was 21st in the league at -3 !!!!!!!! It's ridiculous!

No comment on that one though....????

Besides Pit's offense wasn't that bad. Their run game suffered big time from a poor o.l. They didn't put up huge numbers but scored when they had to. 17th passing is about average.

> If you bring both, that creates space for Norwood
> as a receiver, not as a rusher.

Assuming Ryan has time to get rid of it accurately and not throw a pick...That's what our big/fast secondary is for. A couple of pops on the lightweight Norwood by a few of our 200 lb DB's and he will be hearing footsteps for weeks. Crowder is great in coverage too.

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“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I would say Defense Wins Championships but I die a little inside every time I hear so-called experts debate the topic.

The difference is that I don't believe the Falcons are wining the Superbowl. I don't even think they're gonna win their division. However, I do think they will be Miami.

I didn't comment because it was a good point but Atlanta's turnover ratio won't be as bad this year due to Ryan's maturation. It will still be worse than Miami's though.

Pittsburgh had some very elite WRs. Ward, Holmes and Washington are all legit as Washington got a hefty contract to be the Titans' go to guy. However, as a Ravens fan, I just can't give RottenBurger any respect. I hate that guy.

That's even if you could get a hand on Norwood. Don't forget, Norwood isn't Darren Sproles. He's still 5'11, 204 pounds, which isn't big but what do you expect from a guy that ran a 4.32 forty time.

If Norwood was "all that", Atlanta wouldn't have had to bring in Turner for 35 million.

Bottom line....Atlanta will score some points but not enough to make up for what their lousy defense will give up to a top 10 offense.

I guess we've beaten this dead horse for long enough.

I would dissect your Ravens but I think they have a good chance of winning their division. Odds are the SB champs won't be as successful this year and Ravens have a friggin pathetically easy schedule. They only have a couple of tough games. How in the heck do they get such an easy schedule after winning a playoff game? The system is flawed.

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“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I'm back after being away for the weekend..

Atlanta may not have an amazing defense but they are certainly not lousy. Last year they stuffed teams in the red zone and limited them to field goals. This is the reason to us being among the best in the NFL in points allowed. So we may not have amazing stats on the defensive side of the ball or may look bad if you only look at the numbers. But in football, all that matters are points...so if that is the very thing we are limiting, I don't see how you can say atlanta has a lousy defense...sorry

Norwood isn't a 3 down back..unlike turner, which is why we brought the burner in. Norwood is an amazing game changer and changes the pace of the game. Turner wears teams down and then norwood comes in with his ridiculous speed and torches the tired players. They contemplate each other perfectly. Norwood isn't great up the gut, but once he gets outside...good luck, the kids got some legs. He may not be "all that" as you said but he's a change of pace back who surprise defenses after playing against turner, eventually wearing them down. The combo is exactly like that cheesy line...thunder and lightning. Turner's the thunder, norwoods the lightning. Therefore, while turner is key, norwood is equally vital and equally scary to opposing defenders.

Lol Atlanta lost most of its solid defensive players. You will see!

You are obviously a diehard Atlanta fan, and I can respect your position. In 2004 and 2007 I was predicting we'd win our first game as well. Didn't happen, but this time of year a fan's team will always win the first game no matter how unrealistic reality is.

Truth is, we have gotten better and ATL has gotten worse. ATL performed well last year, and I'll hand it to them, like the Phins, they exceeded expectations. But your team seems to have all the hallmark of a one year wonder, getting its defense eviscerated, no improvement on offense, your QB is ripe for a sophomore slump. Trust me, a few years down the line, ATL will be back, but it will take a while.

I know this kind of news is hard for you to accept, and you'll probably try and tell me that the same is true for the Phins, though you have no data to back that up. Yet by mid season, you will finally succumb to the fact that your team is not going to be good. The draft will then become extremely important to you.

At least when you look at your loss to the Phins, you will be able to say "The Phins were a great team and we hung tough." You can say to yourself "if it wasn't for that fluke play/injury/key turnover, we could have beaten a Super Bowl contender". That will keep you going during the long season and longer offseason.

Really, Falcon fans should feel lucky they get to lose to the Phins the first game of the season, because it will help them get through what is shaping up to be a miserable and long season. Sorta like our 2004 and 2007.

AMEN AT LAST, OH AMEN AT LAST.

ghotirule..
you say I have no data to say that the phins will succumb to the very thing that will happen to atlanta yet in reality you have no data to support the fact that ATL will collapse. You say our team got worse but really, how did your team get better? You resigned a bunch of overperforming players last year and brought back an old, dancing, jason taylor.

The only guys we lost that will affect our team our foxworth, who played formidably at the CB position and milloy, not for his play on the field (in fact he got burned a lot last year) but for the leadership role he brought to the team of young guys. You all seem to forget that we brought in Mike Peterson, this beast of man has many good years left in him and will take on the leadership role. He was disgruntled in jacksonville but now that hes happy and ready to play, I expect big things from him this year.

We also added Jerry who has been performing well at camp so far. Hell take over for grady jackson who played a good 20-30% of games last year so I have no idea why you think that losing him will kill us. The guy is old and lazy, he contributed little to the falcons. We resigned roddy, an actual star, who will be around for a long time and will develop nice chemistry with ryan throughout the years. We added Tony G, a hall of fame TE who still plays like he's in his prime.

Also add in some more rookies who have been phenomenal this TC..like chris owens. This guy plays CB and replaces foxworth, this is his report from yesterdays camp.

10:17:27 am Falcons CB Christopher Owens has been matching all the Falcons receivers step for step in man-to-man coverage.

Tony G is also fitting in nicely with Ryan...

10:13:15 am Falcons QB Matt Ryan has been targeting TE Tony Gonzalez quite a bit in 11-on-11s.

Our offense will dominate, especially with roddy back and our defense will be the same, if not better as last year. So I do not see how you can say we will collapse and you guys will become Superbowl contenders, it is ridiculous.

I'm not going to say we're gonna win and you should be lucky to lose to us because frankly that's childish. You talk to us as though you are the superiors and we should all be basking in your glory. You speak as though your team is flawless and we should model ourselves after you, I'm sorry...but I hope to God that after opening day you all will eat your crow. I'll eat mine if it comes but I want you all to eat it in front of my face once the day comes because the birds will be merciless.

Ghotirule...I'm just amazed at how cocky that post was, I still can't explain it, I can't wait for the birds to prove you wrong.

The old guy is gonna dance all right...right after he knocks the crap out of Matty Nice and does his "Punch to the heart" sack dance...after the hat trick....sack, FF, FR & TD.

Gonzo is only a year and a half younger than JT.

You offense is not going to dominate us. Sorry. They may score a few TD's but dominate? NO.

There is still one FACT that is illuding you...

Atlanta has NEVER had back-to-back winning seasons in its 43 years of existence!

Did i mention it was NEVER.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

but those were the falcons of the past, now we have an organization that will put up multiple winning seasons. You think the fact that the falcons have never had back to back winning seasons have something to do with like the city of atlanta or some weird curse? No, it's just that the falcons have never had a respectable organization, now we do and I expect big things.

Btw, a "few" touchdowns is quite a bit, that's like 3 or 4 touchdowns. Add in some field goals and we end up putting up over 30 points against you guys..which is by no means nothing.

haha nice...

I mean if porter is Matt Ryan's kryptonite then that must mean you acknowledge ryan as superman

haha just playing with you man, I'm so pumped for this game now it's unbelievable

I didn't say say ryan was superman. But i know you feel that way.

Thats why I wrote the word kryptonite.

You can't bring out 43 years of history to prove that the Falcons won't win. That's ridiculous. Also, your fact is trying to show that the Falcons won't have a winning season. That's irrelevant. We're talking Miami Vs Atlanta, the match up and nothing else.

Ghortirule: SUPERBOWL CONTENDERS? That's a bit much. If you could show me on analysts that predicts them making in to the Superbowl I would instantly put fire to my Ray Lewis Jersey and go buy a... wait you have no superstars.

And the sophomore slump is a myth. It's true for RBs as they succeed in their first season as carries are shared but crumble their second season as they start to receiver the majority of the carries. In doesn't apply to QBs who have played 16 games plus in their rookie season. They won't be introduced to anything new in the second season so why would their production change?

eesti Wrote:
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> Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.
>

Very true, however we are not ignoring our past. We saw what we were doing wrong and are fixing it, there is a difference. In the past we thought teams were made up of 1 or 2 superstars, now we finally realize that teams are made with a solid organization and a team that's willing to do whatever it takes to win. If those players aren't happy then bye bye...which is why foxworth, brooking, grady, milloy, hall, crumpler, dunn, they're all gone...If you don't want to play in the system, then we wish you goodbye.

Now you guys will say what about roddy's big contract, well frankly the guy has proven himself and deserved to get paid. No other receiver in the NFL had 5 100 yards or more in the last 2 seasons. Showing that roddy is consistent. Had Roddy only showed his potential one year and then asked for money, folks...he would have been asked to leave. That is the difference between the faclons under TD compared to the falcons of years past.