By Don Stone - Football
Atlanta
What a difference a season makes. Last year at this time, the Falcons were
coming off a 13-3 regular season that included an 8-0 start. It was followed
by an exciting postseason that included a playoff win against Seattle and
about six yards away from beating the 49ers and going to the Super Bowl.
Last year at this time, things got ugly. The preseason was a
harbinger of what was ahead. I know, no one pays attention to who wins and
loses in the preseason. But four straight losses to the Bengals (34-10)
Ravens (27-23) Titans (27-16 and Jaguars 20-16) and a pattern was
developing. In fact, the Falcons had lost 11 of the 12 previous pre-season
games.
But another pattern that proved to be even more devastating
was the sight of Falcons dropping like flies as one star player after
another was lost to injury. It started when WR Roddy White
was severely hobbled by a high ankle sprain. He started to get healthy when
WR Julio Jones
broke the three year-old screw in his surgically repaired right foot.
Shortly after, White was out again with a hamstring.
Newly acquired free agent running back Steven Jackson
also pulled a hamstring in Week 2 that took him out of commission for six
weeks. Then left tackle Sam Baker
developed a knee problem. Out five games before going on the IR in
mid-November.
I'll leave it at that. There were more. But, the team plodded on,
experiencing a rash of close game losses (6 points to the Saints, 3
points to the Dolphins, 7 to the Patriots and 2 to the Jets.) And
instead of an 8-0 start, they were 1 and 4. Week seven got them another win
against the Bucs but five more losses followed. These not so close. Losses
by 14 points to the Cardinals, 24 to the Panthers, 23 to the Seahawks, 13 to
the Bucs and another to the Saints and Atlanta was sitting at 2-9 with their
only wins against two bad teams in the Rams and the Bucs.
They would lose three of their remaining five and wind up out of the
playoffs at 4-12.
A lot of changes on the roster and coaching staff was the natural result
in the off season and now a spirit of optimism permeates the team with a
chance at a new start. HBO's "Hard Knocks'" cameras follow their
every move at Flowery Branch and tonight at the Georgia Dome. Do preseason
games matter? Not for winning teams. But for those trying to establish a
winning attitude, they do. Tonight against the Miami Dolphins, they'll see
if another 0-4 preseason is in their future or more positive things await.
The construction in what was the old Orange Parking lot on th Dome's
southside was one sign of change as the city awaits its new stadium. Whether
more change was to come inside remained to be seen.
Miami was well familiar with what its like to be filmed by "Hard
Knocks." since they were the team being put under an HBO microscope for
the 2012 season. (Remember the debacle with Ocho Cinco?)
No stage fright was shown as they began the game by converting their first
two third downs to bring them to midfield. Then a huge Ryan Tannehill
pass to Richad Matthews
moved them 36 yards down to the 10. Two plays later, WR Brandon
Gibson
grabbed an easy catch to put the Dolphins up 7-0 in an almost effortless 73
yard drive.
For the Falcons' first drive of the preseason, Matt Ryan
hit WR Harry Douglas
for 17 yards to the 41. On a third and two at midfield, a familiar sight
with White gaining a first down to the Miami 46. An exciting 17 yard catch
and run by Douglas had them near the red zone only to have the play called
back on an illegal formation call on Douglas penalty.
Another familiar sight from last season found Ryan pulled to the ground
for a sack. That, fortunately was reversed on a Fin penalty. A key third and
eight was converted again by White, taking them 12 yards to the Miami 28.
With Jackson out for the preseason with still another hamstring injury, RB
Jacquizz Rodgers
garnered all of the carries on the opening drive. Another first got the
birds to the 17. White did what he does best and converted still another
first for six yard to the four. A roughing the passer penalty moved it to
the two and Rodgers finished the job. The drive was nowhere near as smooth
and methodical as the previous one by the visitors going 15 plays for 77
yards, but the end result was the same. Seven on the board to tie it. Ryan
would finish his night going 7 for 7 for 53 yards.
"I like the way our first-team offense came
back and answered the opening drive the Dolphins were able to put together,"
said head coach Mike Smith.
With much of the starting offenses moving to the bench, the game became
erratic. Tannehill was done for the night giving way to new QB Seth
Lobato, an undrafted rookie from Northern
Colorado, to start the second quarter. He would not be as successful going
three and out with the help of a Kroy Biermann
sack. A fumble by Devin Hester
turned the ball over giving a new life to Miami at the Atl 31. He was
brought in to create some excitement in the return game but I don't think
that's what they had in mind. Fortunately, a holding call undid the damage
forcing a rekick. A holding call this time on Atlanta moved the ball back to
the 17 to start the drive.
T.J. Yates, acquired in the
offseason from Houston took over at QB. The sloppy play continued with
another holding call as Miami took their turn. Rookie Antone Smith
from national champion FSU showed what he could add to the offense as he
broke free and took it 76 yards the length of the field only to have it
called back on another holding call. The drive would stall after that with
the Dolphins taking over at their 33. They would go nowhere. Atlanta seemed
to want to move the wrong way on their drive with an offenseive pass
interference and a personal foul ending things for the home team.
Jarvis Landry
showed Hester how to do it with an impressive 48 yard return to the AF28.
But their offense had no juice forcing a 42 Danny Hrapmann
field goal to put the Floridians up again by three.
New cornerback Josh Wilson
took the kickoff back 18 yards only to have that nice effort nullified by
another penalty taking the Falcons back to the 8 where it stayed. Another
punt gave Miami the ball in good field position at their 39.
Matt Bryant
would close the first half in a 10-10 tie with a 21 yard field goal.
For the Dolphins, the second half was a snoozer with the offense adding
no points at all. Sean Renfree
is competing with Yates for the backup quarterback role on the Falcons. He
led field goal drives in the third and fourth quarters to separate the teams
by six points.
A bright spot was the play of Antone Smith.
His stats showing 10 yards is misleading as he had two big plays called back
by penalties including a 76 yard touchdown sprint in the first half.
Miami was moving late in the game with a potential go ahead drive that
was aborted with a fumble near the goal line allowing Atlanta to get their
first preseason win since 2012, when they also beat the Dolphins.
"We were able to run the ball pretty effectively, and when we did have
the opportunity to throw, we were able to move the chains," Ryan said. "We
were able to overcome a couple of penalties, we were able to keep going, and
punch the ball into the end zone. It's exactly what you want for your first
drive of the year."
The "Hard Knocks" cameras will keep rolling as the Falcons prepare
for their second preseason home game next Saturday at Houston. |
