Post by Guvmintcheeze on Sept 29, 2014 21:04:31 GMT
There's no defending Falcons' porous D after loss to young, depleted Vikings
By Vaughn McClure | ESPN.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- When a defense gives up 558 yards to a team playing without its best player and with a rookie quarterback, something is seriously broken.
As the Atlanta Falcons tried to explain their defensive woes after Sunday's 41-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, plenty of folks attempted to absorb the blame. Nose tackle Paul Soliai put it on himself for not stopping the run -- although he wasn't solely responsible for surrendering 241 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Linebacker Paul Worrilow pointed to himself for not getting off blocks -- but he was far from the only one who encountered such a problem.
The Falcons (2-2), supposedly bigger, tougher, and stronger on defense this season, found themselves offering very little resistance on that side of the ball. That's why the Vikings' running back tandem of rookie Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata -- filling in for Adrian Peterson -- combined for 213 rushing yards, including a 55-yard run by McKinnon. That's why first-time starter Teddy Bridgewater completed 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards with no interceptions.
"They ran the ball, they threw the football, and they did basically whatever they wanted to in terms of controlling the line of scrimmage, and that is very alarming," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "The way we have played on the road through the first two games is a big concern because we are going to be getting into a stretch here that we have to be on the road for a number of weeks."
Indeed, the Falcons play four of the next six games away from the Georgia Dome, where they looked like a totally different defense in a 56-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sunday looked more like the defense most grew accustomed to seeing during last season's 4-12 misery.
So how will the issues be fixed? Free safety Dwight Lowery might have offered the best take on the matter.
"It's going to take all of us," he said. "Not just players. Coaches. Scheme. Understanding where you fit. Understanding adjusting.
"It's a long season. It's not like we lost the Super Bowl or anything. We've just got to improve. Whoever improves the most from week to week mostly likely is going to be in the hunt to do some things during the season. We just have stay as positive as we possibly can and make sure that we're improving each and every single day, each and every single opportunity and when it's time to perform, perform."
Part of the adjustment might include playing without defensive leader William Moore; the strong safety went down with what appears to be a serious shoulder injury.
Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan tweaked his lineup against the Vikings by inserting rookie Prince Shembo into the starting lineup ahead of Joplo Bartu, but the defense was so bad all-around that it was too hard to say if the move had any impact. Bridgewater and the Vikings ruled the middle of the field with play action and tough runs. Team owner Arthur Blank had a blank stare on his face as he watched the defense surrender 351 yards and 24 points in the first half.
The Falcons started the second half playing more inspired on defense, allowing them to take a 28-27 lead on Antone Smith's 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. But Bridgewater engineered a nine-play, 78-yard drive at the start of the fourth quarter, ending in Asiata's 1-yard touchdown run, sucking plenty of life out of the Falcons.
"We can't be two different teams," Lowery said. "The NFL is about consistency. That's how you get a job. That's how you keep your job. And that's what we need to develop."
By Vaughn McClure | ESPN.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- When a defense gives up 558 yards to a team playing without its best player and with a rookie quarterback, something is seriously broken.
As the Atlanta Falcons tried to explain their defensive woes after Sunday's 41-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, plenty of folks attempted to absorb the blame. Nose tackle Paul Soliai put it on himself for not stopping the run -- although he wasn't solely responsible for surrendering 241 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Linebacker Paul Worrilow pointed to himself for not getting off blocks -- but he was far from the only one who encountered such a problem.
The Falcons (2-2), supposedly bigger, tougher, and stronger on defense this season, found themselves offering very little resistance on that side of the ball. That's why the Vikings' running back tandem of rookie Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata -- filling in for Adrian Peterson -- combined for 213 rushing yards, including a 55-yard run by McKinnon. That's why first-time starter Teddy Bridgewater completed 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards with no interceptions.
"They ran the ball, they threw the football, and they did basically whatever they wanted to in terms of controlling the line of scrimmage, and that is very alarming," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "The way we have played on the road through the first two games is a big concern because we are going to be getting into a stretch here that we have to be on the road for a number of weeks."
Indeed, the Falcons play four of the next six games away from the Georgia Dome, where they looked like a totally different defense in a 56-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sunday looked more like the defense most grew accustomed to seeing during last season's 4-12 misery.
So how will the issues be fixed? Free safety Dwight Lowery might have offered the best take on the matter.
"It's going to take all of us," he said. "Not just players. Coaches. Scheme. Understanding where you fit. Understanding adjusting.
"It's a long season. It's not like we lost the Super Bowl or anything. We've just got to improve. Whoever improves the most from week to week mostly likely is going to be in the hunt to do some things during the season. We just have stay as positive as we possibly can and make sure that we're improving each and every single day, each and every single opportunity and when it's time to perform, perform."
Part of the adjustment might include playing without defensive leader William Moore; the strong safety went down with what appears to be a serious shoulder injury.
Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan tweaked his lineup against the Vikings by inserting rookie Prince Shembo into the starting lineup ahead of Joplo Bartu, but the defense was so bad all-around that it was too hard to say if the move had any impact. Bridgewater and the Vikings ruled the middle of the field with play action and tough runs. Team owner Arthur Blank had a blank stare on his face as he watched the defense surrender 351 yards and 24 points in the first half.
The Falcons started the second half playing more inspired on defense, allowing them to take a 28-27 lead on Antone Smith's 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. But Bridgewater engineered a nine-play, 78-yard drive at the start of the fourth quarter, ending in Asiata's 1-yard touchdown run, sucking plenty of life out of the Falcons.
"We can't be two different teams," Lowery said. "The NFL is about consistency. That's how you get a job. That's how you keep your job. And that's what we need to develop."
