Ask The Falcoholic!

Turner could well miss next week after hurting the same ankle he injured the week before, all because our coaching staff threw him into the game too early. I was pretty angry about that, and it could cost us dearly.

Ryan I think will be back. It’s a toe injury, and those I believe are manageable with proper care. Because he can get rid of the ball quickly and you guys are known for your blitzing, I think we’ll want him back.

And without either of them, it would be an amazing upset if we beat you guys.

Anyone with sense knew that McNabb was not going to lose his job to Vick, not after he spent time in prison and would clearly have an enormous amount of rust to shake off. And given that Chris Redman and Matt Ryan both played better than Vick was, I expected the Falcons to forget about him.

It still comes up in the ATL and the national media is going to run this one into the ground a bit this week, but it’s old news now. He’s third string for you guys and a fading memory for us.

1) Ryan was overhyped, as was Joe Flacco. The hype machine had grown to the point where he would have had to throw 50 touchdowns just to meet them. He started strong and has gotten shaky in recent weeks, so in the short-term I’m very concerned. Long-term, I still believe he’s going to be a great quarterback in this league.

2) Baker’s been very good when he has played and injury-prone to an astonishing degree. He’s great at protecting Ryan’s blind side but has now missed significant chunks of his first two seasons. It’s a concern.

So it’s going to be passing heavy. Fortunately, with Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, Michale Jenkins and Jerious Norwood, we have the weapons necessary to open the field up and take some pressure off Matt Ryan, with a few power runs mixed in from backup Jason Snelling. Our problem all season has been execution, though, and I worry more about that than anything else.

I would’ve said we should’ve won the Giants game and lost the Bucs game based on how we played, so we’d still be here. Because of injuries, developmental challenges and a couple of key players (John Abraham) that haven’t stepped up this year, we’re little better than slight above average right now.

Tampa’s defense isn’t great and he’ll struggle a lot more against the pressure the Eagles are capable of bringing, but he’s a very good backup quarterback who throws a pretty spiral. I don’t expect this to be a fluke.

Due to the addition of former first round defensive end Jamaal Anderson to the interior of the line. The dude just excels against the run, and I think you won’t rip us a new one like last year.

They got burned by the NYG receiving core didn’t they?

We’ll have a rookie filling the turnstile that has been our second cornerback slot, while Chris Houston will attempt to lock down whoever’s covering him. I don’t expect that to go particularly well.

The real problem, in my mind, is the complete lack of a pass rush. Our leading guy, Jon Babineaux, is a defensive tackle and has five sacks. We’ve done nothing this year.

Yea, i’m really curious as to how/why Norwood isn’t used more in the falcons’ offense. I’ve seen tapes of the guy run in college and pro, and he’s quick and shifty.

I’ve been beating the Norwood drum for years, but there’s a clear correlation here. The more he plays, the more he gets injured. He’s definitely talented and he’s a terrific change of pace, but he’s not a featured back. Still wish he could get more touches, especially because he can make the opposing team pay once he gets loose.

Peterson started out the year strong and has been rather average since. He’s a fine addition, but he’s actually been worse against the pass than the rush.

Because we can’t seem to rush the quarterback effectively of late and our secondary is shaky. We have a decent but not dominant run defense, so you’re better airing it out.

On defense, you’ll want to look out for a few guys. DT Jon Babineaux is a disruptive force on the inside who can and probably will get to McNabb more than once. FS Thomas DeCoud has a few picks this season and is due for another. LB Curtis Lofton leads the league in tackles and is in on virtually every play.