A different look at the mighty Falcons

[CRA]

Falcons have scored 94 points in 3 games and all the talk locally and nationally is how can Carolina possibly keep up.

Well, lets look at some of those scores....

32 yard TD drive

29 yard TD drive

1 yard TD drive

24 yard FG drive

8 yard FG drive

7 yard TD drive

31 yard FG drive

8 yard FG drive

That is 40 pts in 3 games.....bc the offense was given the ball in their opponents territory. No offense in the NFL has started as many drives on the opponents side of the field.

How do we beat Atl? Simple, they aren't as scary as hyped....opponents have made things easy on Atl. Don't give the offense a short field. Make noodle arm drive the field. Make him use the noodle and make the stone handed WRs go the length of the field.

Team has to show up early.....if they don't Cam will go into desperation mode and play into the biggest factor in the Falcons fast start. Carolina CAN outscore them. But we have to make Atl earn there points.

[Cape Fear Cat]

I suspect there's something to this. Field position is always important. You don't want to give the other guy any easy strolls into the end zone.

[CRA]

and I meant to add.....and how times has the Carolina offense started a drive in the opponents territory?

THAT is HUGE when looking at these two teams,

That is a team making life EASY for Ryan and hard for Newton.....

[Argus Plexus]

They are going to drive it down our throats with or without turnovers. The Panthers have a knack for being soft these last few years.

[jtnc]

Great research as usual, CRA. Cam HAS to protect the football and Chud needs to relax on the chunk yardage.

[PhillyB]

special teams needs to kick ass tomorrow.

[Jackofalltrades]

Mike Nolan has that defense playing very well, confusing the likes of Manning and Rivers. It'll be a challenge for sure as they're hitting on all cylinders at the moment.

[rayzor]

appreciate the work. lot's of funny little things about their wins. no denying they are good. the WRs are lethal and the QB is just a great game manager....which is about all that is needed. the defense is rather opportunistic, but i see them playing teams from a weak division with QBs who shot themselves in the foot repeatedly. i think they are good, but that record i just don't really see to be sustainable.

this game, though, i have a feeling this game will be won or lost in the first couple possessions and it's one in which home field advantage is going to be one of the biggest factors aside from them playing relatively mistake free ball while we seem to be making a ton of them.

[FastNFurious]

It's all about taking care of the rock... win the battle in the trenches...and play the way they know they can...

DOMINATE EARLY...DOMINATE LATE

[nosuchthingasapanther]

capitalizing on short field positions is not a fault. it's the offense taking advantage of opportunites created by the defense and special teams.

it would be more telling if they didn't score on those drives.

what are the lengths of the drives of the other 54 points scored? what percentage of their total possessions have they scored on?

this is really nothing to get excited about. all it says is the falcons as a team is clicking on all three phases.

[CRA]

Mike Nolan has that defense playing very well, confusing the likes of Manning and Rivers. It'll be a challenge for sure as they're hitting on all cylinders at the moment.

To be fair, Manning also simply isn't Manning and SD didn't flat out shoot themselves in the foot. Some turnovers are great defensive play.....some are an offense. Atl has taken advantage of some gifts. They get credit for taking advantage of them.....but they have been given a lot thus far.

[CRA]

appreciate the work. lot's of funny little things about their wins. no denying they are good. the WRs are lethal and the QB is just a great game manager....which is about all that is needed. the defense is rather opportunistic, but i see them playing teams from a weak division with QBs who shot themselves in the foot repeatedly. i think they are good, but that record i just don't really see to be sustainable.

this game, though, i have a feeling this game will be won or lost in the first couple possessions and it's one in which home field advantage is going to be one of the biggest factors aside from them playing relatively mistake free ball while we seem to be making a ton of them.

I agree, most likely we will know of we win or lose early on.

[rayzor]

To be fair, Manning also simply isn't Manning and SD didn't flat out shoot themselves in the foot. Some turnovers are great defensive play.....some are an offense. Atl has taken advantage of some gifts. They get credit for taking advantage of them.....but they have been given a lot thus far.

that's what scares me because it seems this year we've been in the christmas spirit. 'tis the season of giving.

fa la la la la frikkin la la la.

[CRA]

capitalizing on short field positions is not a fault. it's the offense taking advantage of opportunites created by the defense and special teams.

it would be more telling if they didn't score on those drives.

what are the lengths of the drives of the other 54 points scored? what percentage of their total possessions have they scored on?

this is really nothing to get excited about. all it says is the falcons as a team is clicking on all three phases.

Well, I think it certainly is worth noting that this fat start Atl teams offense has started their drives in the opponents territory more than any team in the NFL......and after watching 2 of the 3 games I don't credit all those to great defensive plays. More a defense capitalizing on poor offense.

Not all turnovers are caused by great defensive plays. There are plays to be made against Atl's D IMO. We just can't give them gifts. Make them earn it.

And their percentage of scoring drives is skewed.....bc of the high number of drives starting in opposing territory. That number should shift....hopefully this week.