Week 7: Bye - Open Thread! DISCUSS STUFF!

[Bravo95]

Open thread for the bye week and upcoming games.

I'll start off with some comments from Michael Turner to the AJC after the Raiders' game:

http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-bl...-running-game/

Turner seems frustrated. He was held to 11 carries for 33 yards Sunday. Ryan covered half that with a 15-yard scramble. The team’s rushing total: 45 yards.

The Falcons have managed to tip-toe around this issue all season. It hasn’t gotten in the way of them winning yet, but that seems inevitable.

Ask the running back.

“I’m not sure why it’s going like this,” Turner said. “It’s great to be 6-0 and everything. But we can’t just assume we’re always going to be able to get an interception or a last-minute field goal every time. At some point we’re going to have to run the ball. We’ve got to be able to knock it in [the endzone].”

Turner’s runs by quarters: two for 12 yards, three for 12, three for minus-one, three for 10.

Some of this lack of production is on him. He looks slow at times.

Some of it is on the offensive line. It generally has been far better at pass protection this season than opening holes or getting any push. (It wasn’t good at either Sunday.)

Has Turner lost confidence?

“No. I’m still here. I’ve never lost confidence.”

Have the Falcons lost confidence in Turner or their ability to run the ball at all?

“You would have to ask them that. That’s not something they would tell me. It’s their team, their scheme, their offense. I’m just here to try to help them win.”

Everyone knew they were going to reduce his workload this season. Smith and Koetter said they wanted to get Quizz more involved. So I looked at the play-by-play chart from last game. Here are MT's runs (tackler in parenthesis):

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playbyplay?ga...14001&period=0

1st and 10 at ATL 45: M.Turner right guard to OAK 46 for 9 yards (P.Wheeler).
2nd and 1 at OAK 46: M.Turner right tackle to OAK 43 for 3 yards (M.Burris; P.Wheeler). <===
2nd and 1 at ATL 29: M.Turner left guard to ATL 38 for 9 yards (P.Wheeler).
1st and 10 at ATL 38: (No Huddle) M.Turner left guard to ATL 43 for 5 yards (T.Branch).
1st and 2 at OAK 2: (No Huddle) M.Turner left end to OAK 4 for -2 yards (R.Seymour). <===
1st and 10 at ATL 21: M.Turner left end to ATL 18 for -3 yards (M.Shaughnessy). <===
2nd and 4 at ATL 36: M.Turner left end to ATL 37 for 1 yard (P.Wheeler). <===
2nd and 2 at OAK 2: M.Turner left tackle to OAK 1 for 1 yard (P.Wheeler). <===
1st and 10 at ATL 10: M.Turner right tackle to ATL 11 for 1 yard (L.Houston). <===
1st and 10 at ATL 20: M.Turner up the middle to ATL 21 for 1 yard (M.Burris).
1st and 10 at ATL 36: (No Huddle) M.Turner left guard to ATL 44 for 8 yards (T.Branch).

^Notice how often he gets absolutely nothing on the edges (pointing arrows above). Then consider more than half of his runs went that way: A combined total of 6 carries for ONE YARD on outside runs. This is why over the offseason they needed to get another shifty change of pace RB who can get outside, to complement Turner's north-south style.

They are asking him to do what they thought Quizz could do, but he isn't the answer either because while Quizz is solid on screens, he's still more comfortable running between the tackles. The offense will keep losing yards and putting themselves in tough down-and-distance situations if they keep trying to run outside without having the personnel for it.

[Ramon Nivar]

True story. Our blocking isn't helping, but Turner is too darn slow to run anything outside the tackles.

[Bravo95]

Here is one of the goal line runs.



Result: Stuffed.

[hootdog]

Turner looks like he's trying to tip toe threw the line, no speed to him.

[irishfan1582]

Here is one of the goal line runs.



Result: Stuffed.

This is a play that a couple years ago Turner would of dropped his shoulder and lowed over the LB or Safety on his way to 6. Now it almost appears like he's less confident in his ability to break those tackles.

[Bravo95]

This is a play that a couple years ago Turner would of dropped his shoulder and lowed over the LB or Safety on his way to 6. Now it almost appears like he's less confident in his ability to break those tackles.

All the problems aren't his fault, but part of it is definitely Turner's inability to accept his declining skills.

[Bravo95]

http://www.profootballweekly.com/201...hing-up-weak-o

Insider: Rams deserve kudos for coaching up weak O-line
Posted Oct. 14, 2012 @ 9:05 p.m. ET
By PFW staff

The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking on the condition of anonymity:

“Mike Nolan was known for running the 3-4 defense in Baltimore and before he was in Baltimore, he ran the over/under 4-3. He didn’t have that stout nose or the personnel to make it work in Atlanta so he switched to the wide “40” and lined (DEs Kroy) Biermann and (John) Abraham (and Ray Edwards) outside in a wide-seven (technique). If you look at their (defensive) tackles — (Jonathan) Babineaux, (Peria) Jerry and (Vance) Walker — none of them can play the nose. That is great coaching.”

[sfgiants5518]

Hey Turner, maybe the team isn't running the ball because the team knows its best chance of winning is to not give you the ball!

[Bravo95]

Each week since the start of last season, ESPN’s Mark Simon has picked a Punter of the Week. His choice for this week is Bosher and you can’t argue with that.

Bosher averaged 52.8 yards per punt both gross and net in Sunday’s victory against Oakland. Bosher’s four punts went 55, 45, 57 and 54 yards.

The 52.8-yard net average was the best for any NFL punter this past week and the best for any punter this season (minimum four punts). It is tied for third-best by any punter in the last five seasons.

Complete net punting data dates back to 1991. Bosher’s 52.8 net average is the best for any Atlanta punter in that span.

Yasinskas / ESPN

[Bravo95]

I don't want to obscure the fact that another big problem with the offense has been Ryan's turnovers early in games. Six TOs in the last 3 games is terrible. They've had issues with the run game, but this offense was also clicking early in the season because they weren't giving it away, putting the opposition in great field position.

We see first hand what forcing TOs can do to an opponent's flow and rhythm every week when this defense does it. Lately the offense has faced similar situations because Ryan has been sloppy with the football, and he/they better get it fixed because good teams, playoffs teams, will make them pay -- and that's a reason why the public hasn't fully bought in.

[dee279]

I don't want to obscure the fact that another big problem with the offense has been Ryan's turnovers early in games. Six TOs in the last 3 games is terrible. They've had issues with the run game, but this offense was also clicking early in the season because they weren't giving it away, putting the opposition in great field position.

We see first hand what forcing TOs can do to an opponent's flow and rhythm every week when this defense does it. Lately the offense has faced similar situations because Ryan has been sloppy with the football, and he/they better get it fixed because good teams, playoffs teams, will make them pay -- and that's a reason why the public hasn't fully bought in.

I fully agree.

[sfgiants5518]

Week 8 game will be big. Philly has legit playmakers on their defense, but the team will have 2 weeks to prepare for it.

[Bravo95]

The Simple Rating System on PFR has this year's team as 5th best in franchise history so far.

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...team_index::24

[dee279]

Week 8 game will be big. Philly has legit playmakers on their defense, but the team will have 2 weeks to prepare for it.

So will Philly. It will be a rough game IMO. Not only are we both coming off bye weeks, but also Philly has a new DC and that could be a big boost to them because all the video we will watch might not be what we see on Sunday. Also that change might really motivate that defense.

[Bravo95]

Falcons coach Mike Smith indicated Monday that DT Corey Peters (foot, PUP) needs to get in game shape before he's activated to the 53-man roster.

Peters came on as one of the most promising young interior linemen in football last season, before suffering a stress fracture during the 2012 offseason program. Smith was vague about Peters' availability, saying he could be activated as soon as next week or 21 days from now. Peters' return would add another talented body to an Atlanta defense that has scuffled versus the run.

rotoworld