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NFL Training Camp/Preseason Thread 2012 - A Farewell to snes :(
- Thread starter chuckddd
- Start date
yankeehater
Member
I didnt get to see that game yet but my god the JJ highlights were insane. He looks like he is going to be one of the best WRs in the whole league this year. Ryan will have some of the best talent around him of any QB if Tony G has anything left.
The whitest, most cornfed, midwestern white boy ever! <3
I love the number of typos that go into every article. The AJC's always been a joke, but they're the only option in town.
Starting defense looked great. Ate up the Ravens. Ryan and Julio were on the exact same wavelength as well. Really excited about the team.
Finished my write up for the Falcons and will post as soon as we get to the next page.
They include
5 for referrals
5 for watching videos
5 for reading articles
5 for making comments
5 for sharing articles
5 for visiting the site
And none have the interesting names you find on xbl and psn
edit; lol if i reach 8700 coins i can redeem a wilson football
the other rewards are 10% off preseaon live, 10% off for the store and enter a chance to go to the london game. these prizes are must easier to obtain. i could do probably all 3 just by doing the beginning stuff and reading/watching some vids. what a giant scam to increase hits though lol
Futurevoid
Member
Giants football tonight, finally. Just praying for no major injuries. Very interested to see some of the young linebackers we have play as well as the rookie class from last year and this year.
themadcowtipper
Smells faintly of rancid stilton.
I agree even with backup corners the D looks good. So weird seeing pressure from the Saints front four without blitzing safeties and LBers. Lofton seems to be a huge upgrade over Vilma(who hasn't been the same in years). I like what Spags has done in a short time.
Roby is having a hell of a preseason. He has always been a ST stud, but his route running has improved.
Sean Canfield needs to be cut yesterday.
Tarvis Cadet is looking like a steal, to bad we are so deep at RB. Has a legit shot of making the team. The scouting department is great.
Great seeing Dave Thomas back on the field,hopefully his concussion problems are behind him.
I'm not going to judge it until I've seen him throw more balls. We don't really know how hard he was throwing the balls, or if he was holding back initially. 7 passes isn't really enough to judge on, especially in the preseason. I will admit that the balls did look "floaty" and had a slight wobble to them.
yankeehater
Member
Mike Adams was so bad. Phil Hunt beat him like every play. You guys better hope Adams doesnt have to play this year. I cant even imagine what Babin and Cole would have done to him.
themadcowtipper
Smells faintly of rancid stilton.
Olines are usually piss poor during preseason.
The Atlanta Falcons enter the 2012 season after a major coaching shakeup on offense and defense. Turkeyneck preemptively exited the team for a job at Auburn University – a textbook example of reading the tealeaves. Mike Mularkey parlayed an offensive shutout in the postseason into the head coaching position at Jacksonville.
Enter Mike Nolan and Dirk Koetter.
Mike Nolan brings a reputation for using multiple fronts to Atlanta, a stark departure from the previous regime, which relied heavily on cover 3 in last season - taxing the defensive backfield over the course of the game. Nolan has a long history at DC in the NFL, working with the Giants, Redskins, Jets, and, most notably, the Ravens as Rex Ryan's predecessor. He parlayed that job into an unsuccessful GM/HC position in San Francisco, where he most notably passed over Aaron Rodgers for Alex Smith. Luckily, he bounced back from that job with a successful stint at Denver for one year. He moved onto Miami, where he served as DC for two seasons, most notably developing Cameron Wake into a pass rushing force. He has a reputation for bringing pressure from all players in the front 7, putting strain on his secondary.
Falcons fans who had grown frustrated with Turkeyneck's predictable playcalling are excited to see the results of Nolan's aggressive defense - particularly after seeing the elite quarterbacks of this league slice and dice his cover 3 look with nickel 3-3-5 personnel by picking on LB Stephen Nicholas and CB Chris Owen in the past season. However, it must be said that the Falcons had to deal with deficiencies in the defensive backfield over the past few seasons, and the reality is that the defense played its best half in the playoff tilt against the Giants before the damn broke.
On offense, the Falcons look to take the reins off the offense with the departure of Mularkey. Dirk Koetter has a reputation for vertical offense - with early offensive success at Boise State kick starting his career. At Arizona State, he developed a reputation for folding against ranked opponents, but their pass-happy attack was not at fault. In Jacksonville, he had much success developing Maurice Jones Drew, but weakness at the quarterback position, particularly last season, led to a lackluster departure.
Falcons fans were looking for change on the offensive side of the ball as well, although Mularkey and Ryan led the team to great highs. Mularkey's playcalling was lauded in his first two seasons, but fans had grown tired of the offense telegraphing run and lackluster screen plays and failing in short yardage situations.
The Atlanta Falcons regime of owner Arthur Blank, general manager Thomas Dmitroff, and head coach Mike Smith have seen outstanding results in the past four seasons. For a franchise that has largely been a joke throughout its existence, this is the first time it has ever seen back-to-back winning seasons (four now) and back-to-back playoff berths. It seems that the Falcons agreed with the fans who had grown frustrated with the conservative and predictable playcalling on both sides of the ball. We'll see if the Falcon's gamble for more aggression on both sides of the ball will turn out to be the right call.
POSITION PLAYERS
[QB] Matt Ryan enters his fifth season with fans wondering if he's reached his ceiling. He's improved every year in the league, throwing 29 TD with 7.4 YPA last season - this with rookie Julio Jones missing a few games and Roddy White dropping a league high 14 passes. It's a critical year for Ryan, as the team has assembled an explosive supporting cast around him, and he has shown up in training camp with a few more pounds of muscle and a greater focus on explosive plays down the field. He's shown success connecting with Jones in camp, and Ryan, as always, has been saying the same things and putting pressure on himself. However, the postseason is really where it counts. The reality is that he's already the best quarterback to ever don a Falcons uniform, but fans hope that he can bring a championship to the beleaguered football town. Chris Redman is entrenched as the backup, although he is more familiar with Mularkey's offense. John Parker Wilson and Dominique Davis are engaged in an all-out battle for the 3rd QB slot. Davis has shown a strong arm all camp, whereas Wilson has suffered accuracy issues. JPW is out of options to sit on the practice squad, whereas Davis can be kept, which may be the deciding factor.
[RB] Michael Turner returns as the lead back, although the Falcons staff is talking up Jacquizz Rodgers as more than a third down back. The Falcons’ failure to implement an effective screen game have been glaring in recent years, particularly as a division rival a few hundred miles west has had great success with it. Don’t expect Rodgers to be a major factor in fantasy leagues, but he will get a fair amount of touches. Turner is expected to have a lighter load, with the team expecting him to get closer to 250 carries rather than 350 carries, although this poster is a bit skeptical of that. Jason Snelling returns as the third back, and fans know that he has saved drives on more than one occasion with his surprising shiftiness in the open field. His versatility as a blocker and receiver out of the backfield makes him an invaluable asset to the squad.
The Falcons have deemphasized the fullback position, as shown by fan-favorite Ovie Mughelli being cut. Mike Cox and rookie Bradie Ewing are engaged in a battle for one job, particularly with Snelling having experience at FB.
[WR] The Falcons took a big gamble trading up for Julio Jones last season, but he rewarded the front office with spectacular play. Despite battling a foot and hamstring issue last season, he put up 959 yards in 13 games with 8 TD. His worst game of the year came against the Texans, dropping a series of key passes in the last drive – particularly a difficult but catchable pass in the endzone that could’ve given the Falcons a chance to the tie game. He bounced back with an outstanding 4 game stretch to close out the season with 6 TD. The burst in the open field and body control down the field is exactly what the Falcons expected when they drafted him, and he delivered with long YAC plays against the Jaguars and arguably single-handedly bringing the Falcons back against the Panthers with his second half plays. That’s not to forget Pro Bowler Roddy White, who broke 1000 yards for the fifth consecutive year but was plagued by a case of dropsies all season. Matt Ryan’s favorite target hopes to bounce back this season and find more space in the intermediate void left by Jones up top and with Gonzalez and Rodgers down low. Harry Douglas will man the slot for the Falcons after two seasons of inconsistency. Douglas has shown a penchant for getting downfield and making big plays despite his diminutive stature (see: New Orleans last season), but he’s disappeared for stretches. With even less of the attention focused on him, Douglas hopes to capitalize on a pivotal season in his career. Kerry Meier has been talked up by the coaching staff as a difference maker all over the field, but all he managed to do last year was piss off Vikings punter Chris Kluwe with his cheap shots on special teams. He’s expected to make the team, but the battle for the fourth WR position is up for grabs with speedy Michael Calvin dazzling fans last week at practice.
[TE] Tony Gonzalez enters his final season in the league by all accounts. He missed all of minicamps due to other responsibilities, but that’s not a rarity. Also, conditioning’s never been an issue with Atlanta’s favorite vegan. Michael Palmer is expected to step in as the blocking TE as backup. Tommy Gallarda returns from last year’s practice squad and LaMark Brown is switching over from WR along with perennial disappointment Aron White.
[OL] This group will decide how far the Falcons go. The big newcomer is Wisconsin hog Peter Konz. He’s challenging for the RG position along with Garrett Reynolds, who struggled for most of last season – resulting in the team running extensively to the left side. The hope is that Konz will unseat him and solve the weakest point on the line, although Reynolds has showed well in camp. The team showed faith in Sam Baker by retaining him as the starting LT – although the recent retirement by McNeill due to health issues seems to indicate there wasn’t much out there. He’s been bothered by back problems his entire year and has consistently struggled with speed rushers – a real point of consternation for Falcons fans. Will Svitek backs him up – following up a season where he played solidly filling in for a few games. Lamar Holmes was drafted in the third round but is nothing more than a project at this point. Blalock returns at LG, where he’s been average at best. Todd McClure also enters his last season, as the team grooms Joe Hawley as his eventual replacement, although Konz may return to his college position when it’s all said and done. Mike Johnson rounds out the group of key backups – he started out at G/C, but he’s being moved all over the field. Again, the position groups lacks athleticism, which will limit the team’s ability to go with an empty backfield.
[DE] John Abraham is still the man. For a team that’s relied on its front four (or three), he’s been incredibly effective despite playing closer to 40% of the team’s snaps. At the same time, he dropped back into coverage at an alarming rate last season – hopefully Nolan will put a stop to that. Ray Edwards had a disappointing year last season, which he largely blames on a lingering knee problem. He yet again underwent offseason knee surgery, but he claims he feels much healthier than he did last season. He’s not expected to be a double digit sack guy year after year, but he needs to show the power he lacked last season. Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury figure to get a lot of playing time in Mike Smith’s philosophy of rotating linemen to keep everyone fresh. All eyes are on Sidbury this year after a year where he got lost in the shuffle. Coach Ray Hamilton is talking him up, and Nolan has a history of getting the most out of tweeners. Did I mention he’s in the last year of his rookie contract? Jonathan Massaquoi and Cliff Matthews will be competing for a spot on the team, although the Falcons could keep more linemen with a dearth of linebacker depth.
[DT] Jonathan Babineaux comes off a seriously disappointing season inside. He’ll need to make an impact in the pass rush this season to free up his compatriots on the line. Corey Peters and Peria Jerry are battling it out for the second starting position, although the former has suffered an injury in camp – opening the door for the recovering Jerry. Jerry’s two years off from a major knee injury, and he’s shown more of a burst in camp than last year, but the Falcons can’t rely on his health. Vance Walker is a key reserve, but he also sustained an injury in camp.
Overall, the defensive line is the deepest unit on the team when it comes to players in the prime of their careers. Edwards and Babineaux look to bounce back from subpar years, and the added talent in the defensive backfield should give the whole unit a boost.
[LB] A position of strength last year took a hit with the departure of MLB Curtis Lofton for division rival New Orleans. He’s not an elite playmaker, but he was always a steady thumper in the middle that was admittedly overmatched in coverage. The team will miss his tackling and leadership ability but hope to replace him with UGA grad Akeem Dent who mostly played special teams last year. Of course, the baton really falls to Sean Weatherspoon. He’s coming off an excellent season, showing the ability in coverage that was expected plus a bit of speed rushing ability. Lofa Tatupu was brought in to give him competition, but another injury cut his season and presumably his career short. Veteran Mike Peterson returns to backup all three positions, and he may have to step in early with Dent suffering a concussion in their first preseason game. Special teams regular Spencer Adkins rounds out the group.
[CB] The biggest personnel addition of the offseason by far was Asante Samuel. He bolsters a position group that lacked depth beyond Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes, who missed the playoff game against the Giants with a leg injury. The Falcons expect to play nickel and dime formations extensively with the Packers, Saints, and Giants in their conference, and the trio will be a huge improvement over much maligned Chris Owens and mediocre Dominique Franks in the nickel spot. Robinson is expected to slide inside most often. Darin Walls and Rob McClain are in competition with Walls having the benefit of experience.
The big question for this group is around how Nolan will utilize zone specialists Samuel and Grimes in the upcoming season. Robinson had been average in Turkeneck’s zone coverages, and he’s stated that he’s forward to playing more man this season, which may telegraph where Nolan is headed.
[K] Grandpa Matt Bryant returns and will reclaim the starting job after an excellent season, hitting 27/29 attempts. Let’s hope he doesn’t pull an Elam and dramatically regress.
[P] Matt Bosher bounced back from a slow start last season with his net average staying over 44 yards after the Week 8 bye (for reference, that's the same number that 49ers MVP Andy Lee led the league with).
[KR] James Rodgers and Dominique Franks will compete for the position left vacant by the departure of special teams ace Eric Weems. Truth be told, Falcons fans had grown tired of his indecisiveness in punt returns, particularly two plays (against the Bears and Colts) where he let a ball bounce down to the 1 yard line instead of calling fair catches near the 15. He was a great kick returner though, so this battle bears watching.
[PR] Harry Douglas and Dominique Franks are the two candidates at this position. Douglas was great in this role prior to his injury and Weems’ emergence, the highlight being a TD return that crushed the Panther’s hearts three seasons ago.
[ST] The special teams unit as a whole bounced back from a bad start last season. The big question going into last season was the gunner role after the departure of Michael Jenkins to the Vikings. The Falcons face the same question this season with ace gunner Weems leaving for Chicago and Dent presumably losing his coverage duties (although he played last night on coverage) due to his starting role. The Falcons battened down the hatches last season after a shaky start, we’ll see if they find the right mix again this season.
The Falcons haven’t seen much shakeup in personnel. After all, this team has come off four consecutive winning seasons, losing to the eventual Superbowl champs in the past two seasons (Packers and Giants). The front office hopes that a coordinator shakeup will reinvigorate the players – much like the hiring of Wade Phillips produced in Houston.
Atlanta fans are cautious after decades of disappointment from most of our franchises, but it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of (tempered) optimism.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Tackles poor, Interior good.
Futurevoid
Member
Danny Watkins looked like warmed over shit last preseason and ended up playing pretty well as the season progressed. Adams is a young tackle that needs development and frankly the Steelers haven't fielded anything better in the last few years anyways (and as noted, have won Super Bowls with poor offensive line play).yankeehater said:
themadcowtipper
Smells faintly of rancid stilton.
Looking like the Failcons are thin at MLB, Dent left with a concussion, he seems soft....
Wow, even Saints fans are already on the lookout for their next bounty victims.
Flawless victory.
He will definitely get better. And even if last night's strength was the best he can do with his fucked up neck, that was still enough for the NFL. Vick probably has the strongest arm in the league but it is pretty rare you get to use it. Only the Redskins were nice enough to give him the time and space to crank it up and throw those 70 yard bombs downfield.
Steelers have guys who can play for him, but I have a feeling they are going to hope he improves over the season and take a shot on him. It isn't like he can get any worse!
themadcowtipper
Smells faintly of rancid stilton.
Does it really count against the Falcons? Even Falcon's fans hate them.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Wexell is saying Decastro's play last night bought him a starting job.
Spectral Glider
Member
Pffft. Ugly throwback uniforms for two games of one season vs. third grader designed arena ball junk that you've been sporting since the mid 90s. No contest, mack! Get real Denver, go back to the real Bronco logo....not that Galaxy Ranger/Brave Starr nonsense, playtime's over!
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Manning decided to redecorate his living room to match his new team colors:
Spectral Glider
Member
He sorta gets it by default though, doesn't he? The Oline should come along. But I'll panic if Colon continues his love of the sideline and Adams simply never gets it.
Manning decided to redecorate his living room to match his new team colors:
Maybe he and Gene Rayburn can hang out.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Well, from what I was reading Foster was killing him in training camp. That said Foster's been in the system for a few years.
Seem's Decastro's not much on the practice field, but a stud on gameday.
Let's not forget that both DeCastro and Adams missed mini-camp. So they've been practicing and learning the system for less than two weeks. It's a little early to make any sort of proclamation.
yankeehater
Member
That is very true. Watkins looked horrible in the preseason last year, and it took him half the year to even start to show anything but he looks good now. I was just surprised to see a guy that might get cut like Hunt dominate anyone.
Spectral Glider
Member
Yeah, Foster's serviceable whereas Decastro can become outstanding...or at least I think that's what the coaches believe.
yankeehater
Member
I was hoping for FMTs scatporn fantasy writeup.
goldlion054
Member
Guy is a stud. How did he look last night? I imagine you could have some monster holes in the run game with decastro and pouncey next to one another.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Jonathan Dwyer had a huge run that I believe was blown open by Decastro. Can't find it anywhere - NFL.com didn't think it was important enough to highlight.
Is this supposed to be funny?
I don't think anyone knows.
I think I know what you're referring to, it doesn't occur until after the ball is out of his hands... It's just something that he does, almost like how a basketball player poses his hands when he thinks the shot is going in. I think it's purely aesthetic.
Just imagine what could imagine if we had an offensive line that could open up holes in the run game, get tough yardage on the goal line and pass protect?
This is what I was dreaming of prior to the season, that and Wallace coming back.
Too many ifs, but I was hoping it would add up to a top 5 offense and a foot on the neck of the division.
If you mean this logo:
Then I agree with you. The new logo when released and the years following looked nice, but I wouldn't mind a change.
The replay of the full game is on shortly. I'm going to dvr it and watch the coaches film later.
It's what happens when FMT posts on the gaming side.
Dutch Gronk
Banned
Go fuck yourself.
sucks to suck, especially when you're from a third world country