Atlanta Falcons in 2006 (1 Viewer)

[MLBrandow]

Slight spawn, but at 30-1 odds, some seem to think that's well underrated for the Vick-led team, and some like me seem to think that's an incredibly generous line.

So let's get some empirical analysis, hearsay, etc etc and see if we can reach a mild consensus on the matter.

what is it about this team that screams Super Bowl or implosion?

For me, Dunn another year old, and bad underachieving WRs mixed with a coach who is losing a grip on his team leads me to believe that this very talented team will be reminiscent of the Saints of late... a team no one will argue has immense talent, but due to lack of coaching/teamwork/etc falls flat on its face.

Discuss .

Also, lets try to keep this not solely on Vick, because while he has been vital to their success/failure, he might well also be somewhat of an effect rather than a cause. Let's also give a fair amouunt of focus on dissecting the defense/OL/WR etc etc.

What are your predictions for ATL WRs this year? Vick? Dunn? Norwood?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I think they're a dangerous team and should challenge for the NFC title. And I can't stand Mike Vick.

The addition of John Abraham, Jimmy Williams (if he plays to his talet level) and Lawyer Milloy should lead to a vastly improved defense that wasn't too shabby to start with.

Plus, I think one of the WRs will emerge and the line will play better. Crumpler is still elite and Vick is still Vick.

The only downside is that they are in a terribly competitive division.

 

[MLBrandow]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

Naturally, Blank will take his $100M man over the coach, and I think after a rediculously underachieving season this year, we'll see a new coach, a new scheme, and the championship team they should be.

Who would be that coach though? Do you think Blank would boot Mora, Jr. after this year if they hover around .500?

 

[diesel7982]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

Naturally, Blank will take his $100M man over the coach, and I think after a rediculously underachieving season this year, we'll see a new coach, a new scheme, and the championship team they should be.

Who would be that coach though? Do you think Blank would boot Mora, Jr. after this year if they hover around .500?

I dont know thay they'll fire Mora, but my guess would be Mora would be heavily pressured to fire Knapp.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

The thing is, I don't. But I think it can be the defense that carries them and if they can get Vick to "play within himself" then I think they have a good chance.

 

[MLBrandow]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

The thing is, I don't. But I think it can be the defense that carries them and if they can get Vick to "play within himself" then I think they have a good chance.

well, people said the same things about McNabb.... and between that and watching his younger brother dominate at VT last year (mitigating the off-field issues), I think he's got the potential there, and I don't think the bad coaching has squandered it at all.Even if they plan on runnning a Nebraska-style triple-option offense, I think Vick could be a 1200 yard rusher with another 2000 through the air. What I really would have liked to see is the Falcons land another game-changing TE to line up across Crumpler. He seems to find his 10-yard Posts pretty easily.

 

[Workhorse]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

The thing is, I don't. But I think it can be the defense that carries them and if they can get Vick to "play within himself" then I think they have a good chance.

Don't discount the return of Ed Hartwell from injury, either. That was a key loss to that defense last year.I really like the Falcons chances this year with that improved defense.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

The thing is, I don't. But I think it can be the defense that carries them and if they can get Vick to "play within himself" then I think they have a good chance.

Don't discount the return of Ed Hartwell from injury, either. That was a key loss to that defense last year.I really like the Falcons chances this year with that improved defense.

I meant to add that too. Good call.

 

[fatboyj711]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

The thing is, I don't. But I think it can be the defense that carries them and if they can get Vick to "play within himself" then I think they have a good chance.

Don't discount the return of Ed Hartwell from injury, either. That was a key loss to that defense last year.I really like the Falcons chances this year with that improved defense.

the linebacking corp was just as if not more anemic with hartwell than after he was injured vs the pats... in hindsight, it probably was more positive than negative, because it got demorrio in the starting lineup (which he will keep this coming season)

 

[Big Score]

Weighed in on other Falcons threads with more in depth analysis than I'm about to give here...

...but simply put...Boom

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Weighed in on other Falcons threads with more in depth analysis than I'm about to give here...

...but simply put...Boom

Is that an "ex" or an "im" type plosion?

 

[Big Score]

Weighed in on other Falcons threads with more in depth analysis than I'm about to give here...

...but simply put...Boom

Is that an "ex" or an "im" type plosion?

Refer to thread title..."Atlanta Falcons in 2006, Boom or Bust?"

 

[MLBrandow]

Weighed in on other Falcons threads with more in depth analysis than I'm about to give here...

...but simply put...Boom

Is that an "ex" or an "im" type plosion?

Refer to thread title..."Atlanta Falcons in 2006, Boom or Bust?"

perhaps it was ambiguous...

 

[Dave Baker]

On defense alone, this is a team that could do great things this year.

 

[Big Score]

Weighed in on other Falcons threads with more in depth analysis than I'm about to give here...

...but simply put...Boom

Is that an "ex" or an "im" type plosion?

Refer to thread title..."Atlanta Falcons in 2006, Boom or Bust?"

perhaps it was ambiguous...

perhaps it wasn't...

 

[gang-wars]

First, the Falcons record has very little to do, if anything, with Vick.

The problem with the Falcons, has always been the defense. The offense was fine.

The Falcons can run. But they can't stop the run - at all. The secondary has been HORRIBLE. So we have 3 new secondary starters, new DE. The D really needs to step up.

Vick + denver running system, will score points. White/Jenkins wouldn't be a #2 on any team int he NFL, but they should improve. Vick is very hard to scheme for. They can run on most teams. Norwood could be a big boost.

So overall the offense is fine, the D needs to step up, and they could easily go 10-6. If the D tanks, they'll be 7-9. More then any team in the league, their run defense will dictate their record. They are a SMALL defense. So when teams can run on them, they wear out quickly in the 2nd half. If they can get a lead, stop the run, they are a big play D that does well if you're one dimensional. But if teams are still running on the Falcons, it will be a veryyyy long year.

P.S. I vote Boom. Jimmy Williams was a monster steal. Hartwell should be much improved (he was stealing money when he played last year, but Brooking at MLB is a disaster). And Abraham, Kearny, Coleman is a scary combo.

 

[dwarfboy]

BOOM! Ready or not here come the boys from the south.

The Falcons should have a much improved defense. With the additions of Chris Crocker, Lawyer Malloy, and Jimmy Williams in the secondary. The return from injuries of Edgarton Hartwell and Kevin Mathis(nickel) and the addition of John Abraham they might even be dominant at times. They lost three of their top six DBs last year and were stuck with an underperforming Bryan Scott and a just plain ineffective Jason Webster playing 100% of the snaps. Having to shuffle the LBs out of position didn't help either.

The offense is about ready to come into their own in the third year of the Jim Mora era. They probably need another year before the receivers really show what they are capable of, but the running game and Alge Crumpler are top notch. If Duckett could actually sidestep a tackler at the point of attack they would be close to 100% on short yardage. Vick is still a big question mark unfortunately. I think he would be much further along in his progression if Dan Reeves were still the coach, but he is still very young. He could explode and put up big passing numbers, at least for him.

Their schedule looks fairly tough this year, especially with Carolina and Tampa Bay in the division, but if they can split with each of them and beat NO twice they should wind up with at least 10 wins.

 

[Mapmaker]

Lookin at their schedule I'm figuring BUST ... I think they'll be lucky to post a .500 mark .... 8 - 8 with horseshoes

 

[Phlash]

6-10, Vick goes to another Pro Bowl, Jim Mora is fired and Jim Bates becomes the new HC of the Atlanta Falcons

 

[MLBrandow]

6-10, Vick goes to another Pro Bowl, Jim Mora is fired and Jim Bates becomes the new HC of the Atlanta Falcons

More importantly, if this scenario happens, which I think something pretty close to it will, do you see them in the Playoffs in '07?I think given a solid year for that defense to mesh and another year for Vick to really focus on developing as a pocket passer first and a runner second, I think this is the team that might win the NFC in '07. it seems like they have all of the pieces in place except for chemistry, which will only come through a season of tribulation.

 

[harrycarey]

Weighed in on other Falcons threads with more in depth analysis than I'm about to give here...

...but simply put...Boom

I didn't know John Madden posts here

 

[Shiver44]

For all the bad press Vick got, the Falcons lost 6 games because of their defense. In fact, in losses, they gave up: 28.2 points per game! They improved their defense more than any other team in the NFL did this off-season. Adding;

John Abraham

Lawyer Milloy

Chris Crocker

Jimmy Williams

Returning from Injury;

Ed Hartwell

Jordan Beck

First year starters who gained a year of experience;

Michael Boley

Demorrio Williams

Antwan Lake

Darrell Shropshire

DeAngelo Hall

Chauncey Davis

As for Vick; In the last 9 games he averaged 188 Passing Yards per game, and 32 Rushing Yards per game. Translate that into a full season:

3008 Passing Yards

512 Rushing Yards

20 Passing Touchdowns

14 Interceptions

5 Rushing Touchdowns

From a Fantasy, and real life perspective, that is very good. That's not even assuming he'll improve in his third year in the offense, forth as a starter. Also of note, he should improve, because this will be his first year, with the same starting Wide Receivers from the past season. His developing rapport with Jenkins and White will help him immensly. There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;

Dez White

Peerless Price

Shawn Jefferson

Brian Finneran

As the starting Wide Receivers?

 

[cws3030]

For all the bad press Vick got, the Falcons lost 6 games because of their defense. In fact, in losses, they gave up: 28.2 points per game! They improved their defense more than any other team in the NFL did this off-season. Adding;

John Abraham

Lawyer Milloy

Chris Crocker

Jimmy Williams

Returning from Injury;

Ed Hartwell

Jordan Beck

First year starters who gained a year of experience;

Michael Boley

Demorrio Williams

Antwan Lake

Darrell Shropshire

DeAngelo Hall

Chauncey Davis

As for Vick; In the last 9 games he averaged 188 Passing Yards per game, and 32 Rushing Yards per game. Translate that into a full season:

3008 Passing Yards

512 Rushing Yards

20 Passing Touchdowns

14 Interceptions

5 Rushing Touchdowns

From a Fantasy, and real life perspective, that is very good. That's not even assuming he'll improve in his third year in the offense, forth as a starter. Also of note, he should improve, because this will be his first year, with the same starting Wide Receivers from the past season. His developing rapport with Jenkins and White will help him immensly. There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;

Dez White

Peerless Price

Shawn Jefferson

Brian Finneran

As the starting Wide Receivers?

atlanta has improved on both sides of the ball.

I say boom

 

[Snotbubbles]

There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;Dez WhitePeerless PriceShawn JeffersonBrian FinneranAs the starting Wide Receivers?

*cough* Donovan McNabb *cough*2000 WRs (McNabb threw for 3365-21-13)Na BrownTodd PinkstonDameane DouglasCharles JohnsonTorrance SmallAlex Vandyke2001 WRs (McNabb threw for 3233-25-12)Na Brown Dameane DouglasFreddie MitchellTodd PinkstonGari ScottJames Thrash2002 WRs (McNabb threw for 2289-17-6 (in 10 games))Antonio FreemanFreddie MitchellTodd Pinkston James Thrash2003 WRs (McNabb threw for 3216-16-11)Greg LewisBilly McMullenFreddie MitchellTodd PinkstonJames ThrashHow many years does he have to put up 2500 yds and 15 Tds before people realize that Michael Vick will NEVER be a good passer in the NFL. Don't blame the WRs, blame Vick.

 

[gang-wars]

There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;

Dez White

Peerless Price

Shawn Jefferson

Brian Finneran

As the starting Wide Receivers?

*cough* Donovan McNabb *cough*2000 WRs (McNabb threw for 3365-21-13)

Na Brown

Todd Pinkston

Dameane Douglas

Charles Johnson

Torrance Small

Alex Vandyke

2001 WRs (McNabb threw for 3233-25-12)

Na Brown

Dameane Douglas

Freddie Mitchell

Todd Pinkston

Gari Scott

James Thrash

2002 WRs (McNabb threw for 2289-17-6 (in 10 games))

Antonio Freeman

Freddie Mitchell

Todd Pinkston

James Thrash

2003 WRs (McNabb threw for 3216-16-11)

Greg Lewis

Billy McMullen

Freddie Mitchell

Todd Pinkston

James Thrash

How many years does he have to put up 2500 yds and 15 Tds before people realize that Michael Vick will NEVER be a good passer in the NFL. Don't blame the WRs, blame Vick.

When did McNabb have his career year? Oh yeah, when TO showed up. But WRs don't matter.

 

[joffer]

How many years does he have to put up 2500 yds and 15 Tds before people realize that Michael Vick will NEVER be a good passer in the NFL.  Don't blame the WRs, blame Vick.

perhaps until he plays for a team that throws the ball as much as the Eagles do. Vick's career YPA is 6.7. McNabb's is 6.6.

 

[Shiver44]

Exactly, McNabb in those seasons averaged 475 Attempts passing, or near 33 per game.

Vick averaged in his three seasons as starter 376 Attempts passing, or 25 per game.

Oh and by the way;

Via Stats Inc., PCT of throws that are Bad Passes in the 2005 season:

Michael Vick (In his third season as a starter): 18.9 %

Donovan McNabb (In his sixth season as a starter): 21.3 %

 

[TrueD]

bust

they will finish 3rd in the south behind the Panthers & the Bucs

 

[Sabertooth]

I think they are really going to struggle with strong rushing teams as they did last season. Adding John Abraham doesn't help that one bit.

 

[MLBrandow]

Exactly, McNabb in those seasons averaged 475 Attempts passing, or near 33 per game.

Vick averaged in his three seasons as starter 376 Attempts passing, or 25 per game.

Oh and by the way;

Via Stats Inc., PCT of throws that are Bad Passes in the 2005 season:

Michael Vick (In his third season as a starter): 18.9 %

Donovan McNabb (In his sixth season as a starter): 21.3 %

It's been about a month. I'd like to know, how many new starters are on Defense this year? Five? I would count Hartwell as a new starter, since he only played a few games last year.

Williams, Crocker, Abraham, Hartwell, Milloy, yeah?

Don't you worry about mesh time?

How is the DL shaping up? Is Lavalamp going to start?

 

[Sigfawn]

see, you can look and the pieces fall together, but to me.... there's no glue.

I believe Vick can be a an all-pro Passing QB, but I just don't see them as a championship-caliber team while he is bound by Mora, Jr.

The thing is, I don't. But I think it can be the defense that carries them and if they can get Vick to "play within himself" then I think they have a good chance.

The Falcons winning has very little to do with Vick. When he's playing, they're a winning team. End of story.Team was 2-11, he comes back, and they crush the Panthers (who went to the SB that year) and end up 3-1 with Vick at QB.

Last year they were 6-2. Then the D completely fell apart. One of the worst rush defense in the league. Gado lit them up for 3 tds. Stecker/Smith ran wild on them. It was embarrassing. The Bucs game, Vick gets them the lead, Caddy marches down, run run run, TD. The defense was awful.

A Vick led offense will put up points. Even with HORRIBLE WRs. It's a great run system, Dunn/Duckett have been solid, Vick adds an element that is very hard to defend. The offense is generally not the problem.

Again, Vick doesn't have to be a probowl passer. That's a farce. If anyone says that the Falcons rise and fall with Vick, they're ignorant. The Falcons rise and fall with the defense. Vick has his bad games. Delhomme has his bad games. No one ever calls for Delhommes head.

Dellhomme threw for 15 of 35 with 3 ints in their playoff loss. No one is calling for Delhomme's job. No one is saying the panthers can't win with Delhomme at QB. Everyone around here is expecting a huge year from Delhomme.

But if Vick has an average game, everyone freaks out and proclaims the Falcons can't win with Vick at QB. *lol* Funny how Vick went into Lambeau during the playoffs and was the first QB to win there in the last 15 years. Vick gets them to the NFC title game. Without Vick over the last 4 years they're 3-13. Without Vick, this offense is exposed. Without Vick, the defense is exposed.

The bottom line is, the Falcons will only go as far as the D will carry them. They have ONE playmaker on offense, and it's the QB. Dunn is an average RB in a solid system. He gets a huge edge from Vick. Go watch a Falcon run play. The play side DE ALWAYS chases Vick. He NEVER slides down the line towards the RB. They are in such a panic about Vick bootlegging the ball, the play side DE doesn't even look at the RB. Bronco run system + DE chasing Vick every play, makes it a ton easier to run. And Vicks WRs? I'm not sure either of them would start for any team in the NFL. They'd be #4 WRs on a few teams. Crumpler is pretty solid I'll give you that (stats mostly boosted from horrid WRs).

If you go down the list of problems with the Falcons, the QB is about 25th on the list. No one with a clue here in Atlanta worries about Vick. He's shown plenty. He can win in the regular season. He can win in the playoffs. He can carry the offense. He can carry the team. No one questions that. We want to get to a point where Vick doesn't have to carry the team. We want the D to shut people down so we can just run it down people's throat. Vick would be extremely effect in a Big Ben role. Great run game. Great D. QB throws it 15-22 times a game. No one here wants Vick throwing it 35 times a game. That means the D stinks, and we can't run the ball. Not exactly a winning combo. The talking heads want Vick to be a better passer. Vick's passing is NOT the Falcons problem.

We were 29th in rush D. That's the problem. And BTW, Abraham, Williams, Milloy (who anchored that amazing rush D for the Bills :X ) aren't going to do jack against the run. People need to slow down on the Falcon D wooping people up this year. If they end up 15th against the run this year, it will be a minor miracle.

 

[Vicktimized]

I know the original post said to keep the discussion off of Vick, but honestly the success of the team will ebb and flow with him.

If the shackles are off Vick, they could well be a boom. The Vick that threw caution to the wind that took off at the sign of trouble, making defenses account for his legs (moreso than last year) is tough for any defense to contain. The team has an excellent running game with Dunn and that should not change...defenses playing contain on Vick will surely watch him rack up another 1300+ on the ground.

But as long as they ask Vick to stay in the pocket and be a West Coast passer, this is a 9 win team at its ceiling. The defense is solid, but the NFC South is a very tough division....Tampa Bay and Carolina both look to have much improved offenses to go with their defenses. Carolina also seemed to catch up with Vick last year...he had tortured them before. Even the Saints should provide issues with the additions of Brees and Bush. The South also draws the tough as nails NFC East, meaning Atlanta cannot fatten up against bad teams this year.

All this means is that Vick and the Birds must put up or shut up. By the look of the schedule, any NFC South team that makes it is going to have to be a legit quality football team. Massive holes on the roster and in the game plan wil not cut it. A team from that division will not 'sneak in', they'll have to earn it.

I hear Vick promising that "the old Vick" will be back. He better be.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

Honestly, while I am biased...I've struggled to understand why my view of the Falcons differs from so many because I think this team is much better than the one that went to the NFC Championship in 2004.

The primary difference between the Falcons defense in 2004 versus 2005 was this:

Veteran depth vs Youthful depth - Consider:

The 2004 team featured yeoman like veterans like:

Ed Jasper

Travis Hall

Chris Draft

Brady Smith

Kevin Mathis

Aaron Beasley

Either due to injury or a parting of the ways, the depth that replaced them predominantly was:

Jonathan Babineaux

Chauncey Davis

Michael Boley

Darrell Shropshire

...and in the secondary, the Falcons had to give Allen Rossum a very large role as a nickelback and had to play non-descript players like Omare Lowe and Christian Morton. Ronnie Heard and Antuan Edwards were also brought in but did very little to distinguish themselves. ONe other thing - Bryan Scott and Keion Carpenter were atrocious as the starting safeties in 2005. If you cut off Bryan Scott's arms - I don't think his tackling technique changes one bit. I'm not kidding.

Now in addition to this young talent maturing one more year and starting to capitalize on their physical talents, the Falcons for all intensive purposes have brought in:

Ed Hartwell (even though a 2005 acquisition - his achilles injury robbed him of most of the season)

John Abraham

Lawyer Milloy

Chris Crocker

While they also drafted Jimmy Williams who was widely considered a 1st round talent) - he is an unknown at this point so I won't predict his impact either way.

But the overall point is this: Alot of the time, the Falcons were simply overmatched from an experience standpoint. They had to start their rookie 2nd round DT at DE. In some cases, half of their starting line were rookies and their were instances when there were 3 rookies on the line. The Falcons replenished their weak links this off-season and in some case made them stronger than they ever were (Abraham).

In retrospect, I think if you were to ask Mora what was the one thing that could not occur if the Falcons hoped to repeat their 2004 success, he would have answered "injuries to the defense". Quite frankly, you could argue that the Falcons could have more easily weathered an extended absence from Vick.

The schedule is daunting but I think most have greatly underestimated this team and I'd be surprised if they did not exceed general expectations that seem to have dismissed the Falcons as a real player in the NFC.

 

[jpapadub]

There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;

Dez White

Peerless Price

Shawn Jefferson

Brian Finneran

As the starting Wide Receivers?

Drew Bledsoe did OK with that guy...

 

[MLBrandow]

The schedule is daunting but I think most have greatly underestimated this team and I'd be surprised if they did not exceed general expectations that seem to have dismissed the Falcons as a real player in the NFC.

I think that it ultimately boils down to three problems for me:1) Panthers, Bucs and NFC East, Oh My!

2) Potentially five new starters on defense

3) Vick v. Mora as far as I can tell has not been resolved.

While the first is likely empty debate, would you care to elaborate on the latter two? I honestly think that these factors will cause the Falcons to slip in a big way in '06, but I also really like them to go far in '07 under a new coach, whomever that is.

I anticipate Mora being fired. Call it a crystal ball prophecy. Great info on the depth, etc. I believe as you do that the defense will be scary good. I just don't think they are good from the get go.

 

[Armando]

There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;

Dez White

Peerless Price

Shawn Jefferson

Brian Finneran

As the starting Wide Receivers?

Drew Bledsoe did OK with that guy...

Wasn't Peerless Price cut in Dallas last year??Oh, you mean when he was good for a minute as the #2 in Buffalo.

 

[Sigfawn]

The schedule is daunting but I think most have greatly underestimated this team and I'd be surprised if they did not exceed general expectations that seem to have dismissed the Falcons as a real player in the NFC.

I think that it ultimately boils down to three problems for me:1) Panthers, Bucs and NFC East, Oh My!

2) Potentially five new starters on defense

3) Vick v. Mora as far as I can tell has not been resolved.

While the first is likely empty debate, would you care to elaborate on the latter two? I honestly think that these factors will cause the Falcons to slip in a big way in '06, but I also really like them to go far in '07 under a new coach, whomever that is.

I anticipate Mora being fired. Call it a crystal ball prophecy. Great info on the depth, etc. I believe as you do that the defense will be scary good. I just don't think they are good from the get go.

1) The NFL is hard. Not news.2) That's GREAT news.

3) I'm in ATL, and I've never heard of Vick v Mora. Unless Mora is the chick on myspace posting picks of Vick.

And Mora isn't getting fired. He's done a pretty good job. They were 6-2, had some injuries, and the D totally ate it. The offense was fairly solid - as it usually is, but we couldn't stop the run - at all.

Blank is happy with the progress, they're adding seats to the dome, and overall they want to maintain stability. Vick was setback by firing Reeves, Blank isn't going to make that mistake again.

Keys to the falcon season.

1) Stop the run.

2) Stop the run.

3) Stop the pass.

4) Stop the run.

That's about it. They'll be fine on offense. Top 3-4 in rushing. Score middle of the pack like last year. But if the rush D is 25th+ like last year, it will be a very long year.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

I think that it ultimately boils down to three problems for me:

1) Panthers, Bucs and NFC East, Oh My!

I know you figured this would be an empty debate, but last year at this time most were saying the Panthers couldn't beat the Falcons and both Falcon/Buc games in 2005 were last-minute or OT nail biters. The NFC East applies to the Panthers/Bucs as well so I can't think that's much of a differentiator.

2) Potentially five new starters on defense

The Bucs not so much, but aren't the Panthers in a similar boat? Kemoeatu, Thomas Davis, new starter at SLB (Diggs or Adams) and whoever replaces Marlon McRee at S. It's one thing to also state five new starters on defense - but when you consider the talent they are replacing (Keion Carpenter, Bryan Scott and Brady Smith/Chauncey Davis to a lesser extent) - I don't know if that's as much a worry as replacing Will Witherspoon who IMO was better than Morgan in 2005.When you think that the new starters would be John Abraham, Lawyer Milloy, Chris Crocker, Jimmy Williams and (?) NT - to me these represent upgrades. If Williams isn't better than Webster, then Webster will start. But Williams isn't forced to start...

To me 5 (and I really count 4) new starters on defense is something to embrace, not be concerned about. In terms of Point A (2005) to Point B (2006) the Falcons made huge strides upgrading here.

3) Vick v. Mora as far as I can tell has not been resolved.

I've always thought this to be a myth. The only outlet that really seems to perceive a significant conflict between the two of them is profootballtalk.com. There was some off-season bruhaha/rumblings between Knapp and Vick but from what I'm to gather they've worked out their difference. That said, everything is rosy in July. But at the end of the day, I don't know how much of an impact a rift would mean anyway.Vick still has some maturation issues he's working out and he's terrible with the press. Not in an abrasive way, but in a "work the press" way. But I think you see signs from him of trying to take responsibility and accountability for his actions and conflicts and while he may not do/handle it in expert fashion, I think the effort and the intent to improve is evident.

Overall - I think this division is a lot more even than many have prognosticated it to be at this early stage. It's almost a foregone conclusion that Carolina will win the South and they aren't even the defending Division Champs. To me, either the Bucs, Panthers or Falcons could wind up on top and I think the differences between them are very slim.

 

[Colin Dowling]

I think they'll be in the Super Bowl against the Dolphins.

(note: this has been my Super Bowl pick for 4 straight years)

 

[chris1969]

If Michael Vick gets hurt early this year Boom, if not bust.

 

[jpapadub]

There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;

Dez White

Peerless Price

Shawn Jefferson

Brian Finneran

As the starting Wide Receivers?

Drew Bledsoe did OK with that guy...

Wasn't Peerless Price cut in Dallas last year??Oh, you mean when he was good for a minute as the #2 in Buffalo.

I'm not saying Peerless is good or even adequate. His question was can any NFL QB succeed with one of those guys as a starter? #2 WRs are starters and Bledsoe had his best season with him in Buffalo. Last year Peerless was behind Glenn and Keyshawn, amung others. My point was that you can't always blame the WRs for bad QB play. Even Dez White was at least a potential threat in Chicago.

 

[Armando]

There is a reason Vick has only trusted Crumpler, do you think any NFL QB would succeed with;

Dez White

Peerless Price

Shawn Jefferson

Brian Finneran

As the starting Wide Receivers?

Drew Bledsoe did OK with that guy...

Wasn't Peerless Price cut in Dallas last year??Oh, you mean when he was good for a minute as the #2 in Buffalo.

Even Dez White was at least a potential threat in Chicago.

Oh man, don't remind me of butterfingers in Chicago.Yes, he did have potential. Unfortunately we had to sit through him not realizing it.

 

[Shiver44]

Len Pasquarelli was a big critic of Michael Vick's mechanics at last year's training camp. He was right, Vick's struggles aren't because he can't pass, but he is inconsistent in doing do. He'll make one amazing throw, then throw the same pass over throw because his mechanics were just bad. However, notice what he said about Vick's mechanics this training camp;

Last summer, we watched the initial practice of training camp here, blanched at the shoddy, inconsistent footwork mechanics of quarterback Michael Vick, noted as much in print, and basically were pilloried by the masses. Most of whom, of course, weren't at that practice or any other camp workout all summer. OK, so we're back again with the footwork fetish this year and happy to report, MV-7 fans, that you can save the hate mail this time around.We're not ready to predict that Vick is suddenly going to blossom into a 60 percent completion rate passer. Hey, the sun was brutal here Thursday, but it didn't microwave that many brain cells. Vick owns a career completion rate of 54.1 percent. In the three seasons in which he started 15 games, his percentage is a little better, at 55.4. We have a standing bet with a longtime NFL media buddy that Vick will never complete 60 percent of his attempts in a season and if he's ready to raise the ante, so are we. But here's the thing with Vick: He stands a far better chance of improving his accuracy in 2006 if he continues to demonstrate the textbook mechanics he displayed in the first camp practice.As incongruous as it sounds, you throw from the feet up, and Vick's footwork in the past has been so sloppy that it has precluded him from having a real chance at upgrading his marksmanship. But on Thursday, on most occasions, he was a drop, plant, square-the-shoulders, rotate-into-the-throw passer. There were few of the mechanical lapses that have marked his motion in the past, and Vick lauded the offseason work put in by new quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave, who has spent a ton of hours with the star. Musgrave owns the reputation of being a stickler, a guy who will hound his pupils when they make mistakes. But Vick, who many felt might chafe under his stewardship, has taken well to the approach. In the past, on the rare occasions when Vick actually had his mechanics and timing in synch, he was a lot more accurate and the ball didn't sail as much on him. That was also the case Thursday, and Vick needs to continue to focus on delivering the ball with sound techniques.Certainly, no one has ever questioned his arm strength. It's too early to tell what tweaks the Falcons have made to the offense -- Vick insisted after practice that there wasn't anything new in the playbook -- but it seemed Atlanta wants to get the quarterback on the move more in 2006, with half-rolls and even more bootleg and waggle action than in the past. That certainly plays to Vick's strength. But if he continues to look as comfortable as he did Thursday, there may yet be hope for Vick to develop into a markedly better passer from the pocket.There always has been an athletic arrogance (a Mora term, although we've been told he "borrowed" it from his former San Francisco 49ers boss, George Seifert) to Vick, an aura that suggests he doesn't take well to being overcoached and prefers to let his athletic skills take over in tough situations. But in word and in deed, Vick seems to be maturing some in his sixth season. Noted the Falcons star after practice: "I got Superman tattooed on my hand and that's the way I feel sometimes. But in reality, that's not the way things are going to be. I have to learn some things the hard way. It's good for me to have experienced so many of the things I experienced last season. It only made me stronger."