By Eric Karkovack 

The Superdome should be electric on Sunday as the NFC South’s most heated rivalry starts anew in 2010.  The Saints are coming off of a short week of practice following their 25-22 win in San Francisco on Monday night.  The Atlanta Falcons demolished the Arizona Cardinals 41-7 last Sunday.

For the Falcons, I don’t think you can say they’ve been let down by their defense so far.  Even in their Week 1 loss in Pittsburgh, they only gave up 15 points.  But truth be told, the Steelers and Cardinals aren’t exactly lighting it up offensively so far this year.  Pittsburgh has no quarterback, and Arizona certainly isn’t better off with Derek Anderson at the helm.

How concerned should the Saints be about facing this improved Falcons defense?  Well, they’ve already played two of the toughest units in the league (Minnesota and San Francisco).  They certainly weren’t explosive in those games, but they found a way to get the job done when it counted.  The biggest story for the Saints offense so far this year has been that they haven’t turned the ball over.

My gut tells me that if that trend continues, they will score more points against Atlanta than they have so far this season.

It will be interesting to see how Saints coach Sean Payton adjusts for the absence of Reggie Bush, who is out with a broken leg.  I would think that Pierre Thomas would see at least a few more touches as a result.  As long as the Saints find some run/pass balance, Drew Brees is going to have a chance to make some plays down the field.

The Falcons’ biggest threat of course comes in the form of their offense.  Quarterback Matt Ryan has had a solid start and can get the ball down field to big time target Roddy White (20 catches, 1 TD).  Amazingly, White has a 14 catch lead over Atlanta’s second leading receiver, reserve running back Jason Snelling.

The running game, however, is what makes this offense work.  But top backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood both left the Arizona game with injuries.  Turner should be on the field against the Saints with a less-than-perfect groin, but Norwood will not.  He’s out for the year with a torn ACL.  That’s a big loss for this team, as Norwood’s big-play ability really does compliment Turner’s ability to gain the tough yards.

But Snelling is no slouch himself.  He gained 129 yards against the Cardinals while filling in for Turner and Norwood.  The Saints will have to do a better job at stopping the run than they have so far this season.

Keys to the Game:

1. Double Roddy – Roddy White is one of those players who just seems to kill the Saints (and a lot of other teams).  He’s by far Matt Ryan’s favorite target.  The Saints will have to find a way to limit his success.

2. Don’t Forget Gonzalez – Tony Gonzalez may only have 4 catches this year, but his resume speaks for itself.  Don’t be surprised to see the Falcons try to get him more involved this week.

3. Kewl Brees – Drew has been ultra-efficient so far this year.  But he’s due to break out and have a huge game.  If the Saints can give him some time to throw, watch out.

4. Stop Turner – Michael Turner’s not 100% going into this game.  The Atlanta offense revolves around his running abilities.  The Saints’ front seven will have their work cut out for them.  But if they limit Turner early, they could force the Falcons to become a one-dimensional attack.

5. Wideout Wakeup – Isn’t it about time a Saints wide receiver had a big game?  They haven’t seen a lot of action so far and, like Brees, are due for a breakout game.

Prediction: Saints 31 – Falcons 27

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By Vince Vitale 

The St. Louis Rams will take on the Atlanta Falcons today in what I am calling a must win for the St. Louis Rams. The Rams are 4-5 and have won four straight games at home. With their next three games on the road the Rams must beat the Atlanta Falcons to have a chance to win the NFC West. 

The Atlanta Falcons come into this contest with the best record in the NFC (7-2) and three straight wins. The Falcons have been the most consistent team in the NFL and their two losses were against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.  

The Atlanta Falcons feature the big three – Matt Ryan is very safe with the ball and has a 16-5 TD to INT ratio, while also producing. The Falcons are 8th in points scored, and 12th in passing. On the ground the Falcons will feature Michael Turner who is 5th in the NFC with 733 yards rushing. Through the air the Falcons have arguably the best receiver in football in Roddy White. White has 70 catches for 934 yards and 7 TDs already.

On defense the Falcons are also solid as they are 8th in points allowed. The Falcons leading tackler Curtis Loftin and leading sacker John Abraham are both inured and we will see if they play. If they are out the Rams will have a much easier time moving the ball. 

On offense the Falcons will try to control the ball and clock with Michael Turner. The Falcons who are 12th in passing also have a hard time getting the ball to other wide outs. People talk about the Rams and their depth but Harry Douglas is the Falcons #2 wide-out with 16 catches on the season. The Falcons go to Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner as receivers more than their other wide-outs. The Rams must find a way to get to Ryan and lock down on Roddy White and at least take the deep ball away.

The Rams are coming off of a terrible road loss to the San Francisco 49ers in a game they basically gave away. The Rams must use their confidence at home to win another huge game. The Rams can not afford to lose this game. The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals should both lose today so the Rams have another chance to make a move in the NFC West. A loss here will drop the Rams to 4-6 and they play their next three games on the road where they simply do not know how to win. I do not see the Rams winning more than one road game so it is very important for them to win out at home for a shot at 8 wins.

The Rams are similar to the Falcons but just without all the talent at the moment. The Rams also will try to control the ball on the ground with Steven Jackson and use a short safe passing game to keep the Falcons off the field. The Rams who are 29th in points scored are going to need to go outside the box today and get the ball down the field to someone. 

Key matchups today will be Chris Long who must hurry Matt Ryan, will be going up against a huge RT in Tyson Clabo 6’6″ 330 pounds. Long must find a way around Clabo. In the secondary Ron Bartell who is without an interception but has played well in covered will need help against Roddy White. The Rams must lay some hits on White and keep him in front of them.

The Falcons are also running more and more no huddle which the Rams have not seen a lot of. The Rams like to rotate in a lot of players and they may not be able to do that today against the Falcons. Overall I believe the Falcons are just too solid and the Rams just have too much trouble putting up points. I think the Falcons will smother the Rams and control this game. Again I hope I am wrong but I believe the Rams still need some more pieces to win a game like this. The Rams must be at least a +2 in turnover margin to stay in this one.

Prediction Atlanta Falcons 24 – St. Louis Rams 13

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The Falcons finished 13-3 last season and got the NFC #1 seed, but they were exposed late. New Orleans came into town week 16 and won and all of a sudden the mystique behind the Georgia Dome, where Matt Ryan had only lost once in his 3 year career, was gone. 3 weeks later, the Packers came in and dominated 48-21 and the Falcons’ season was over. That’s 2 losses in 3 weeks in a building where Matt Ryan had only lost once in his career. That Georgia Dome mystique is all but gone and it will hurt the Falcons this season.

They were also exposed as too conservative for their own good. This offense was based upon safe throws to possession receivers like Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and Michael Jenkins, and short, move the chain runs with Michael Turner and Jason Snelling, two bruising backs who don’t have the ability to break off a big run. In fact, they didn’t have a pass play of longer than 46 yards all season and their longest play of the season was a 55 yard run by Turner.

Their ultra-conservative offense hurt them against the Saints when they trailed late and couldn’t come back and it really hurt them against the Packers. The Packers, like the Eagles earlier that season, had the ability to score points in a hurry. They did and the Falcons didn’t have the ability to catch up. This team was amazing when they could play with a lead, but they didn’t have the ability to come back from large deficits.

The Falcons, however, aren’t stupid. They knew they needed to add more big play guys to their offense. Their biggest offseason splash was Julio Jones, the young receiver out of Alabama they moved up 21 spots to grab at #6. The cost for the 6^th pick was a lot. They gave up their 1^st and their 2^nd rounder, as well as a future 1^st rounder and 2 mid round picks.

They may have overpaid, but if they win the Super Bowl this season, definitely a possibility, no one will care that they overpaid. Jones gives them a huge upgrade over Michael Jenkins, both immediately and for the long term future. He also gives their offensive a second dimension as a deep threat, something Michael Jenkins simply didn’t. He’s also good enough as a blocker to help them when they want to run the ball and be conservative. He comes from a pro style offense and was well coached at Alabama so he won’t be hurt by the lockout as much as most rookie receivers.

Jones was their big draft splash, but Jacquizz Rodgers, a 5^th rounder out of Oregon, will also help them become a more versatile offense. Rodgers is a speedy, pass catching back, the polar opposite of Michael Turner. He will be what Jerious Norwood was supposed to be for them, only without Norwood’s habit of always getting hurt. He’ll be a valuable 3^rd down and change of pace back, while Jason Snelling will spell Turner from time to time on 1^st and 2^nd downs.

Speaking of Turner, he might not have such a great season this year. He’s 29 and led the league in carries last season, the 2^nd time he’s done that in 3 years. The last time he did that, he got hurt the following season and he was two years younger and fresher then. He already was showing signs of slowing down in the 2^nd half last season, when he averaged 3.8 yards per carry, as opposed to 4.5 yards per carry in the 1^st half.

Fortunately for Turner and the rest of these Falcon running backs, hell the rest of this Falcon offense, the Falcons managed to keep their line relatively intact from last season. The Falcons had 3 free agents from their amazing offensive line of 2010. How amazing was their offensive line in 2010? They allowed a mere 23 sacks as a unit and, possibly even more impressive, their starting 5 played every single snap last season with the exception of 56.

However, all 3 of Harvey Dahl, right guard, Justin Blalock, left guard, and Tyson Clabo, right tackle, could have left. That would have been devastating for this team to have to bring in 3 new starters on the line in a lockout shortened offseason. Their line would have been a mess to start the season on account of lack of continuity. Not to mention, those 3 were probably their best 3 offensive linemen.

Though it seemed very likely they could lose at least 2, the Falcons only lost one, Harvey Dahl, the oldest of the bunch. His loss will be felt as the inexperienced Garrett Reynolds steps into the lineup, but it could have been a lot worse. If Reynolds, a 2009 5^th round pick, can play decent, their only weakness on the line would be at left tackle, where Sam Baker allowed 10 sacks in 2010. The 2008 first round pick will have to play better this year if he wants his job to be safe for 2012. Baker only allowed 5 sacks in 2009, his first full season as a starter, so he is far from a lost cause. He’ll just need to play better.

If Garrett Reynolds struggles, the Falcons could try Andrew Jackson, a rookie 7^th round pick, at right guard. Another potential weakness on the line is at center. Todd McClure is not a bad player or anything, but he’s 34 so it’s possible he declines this season. If that happens, the Falcons have Joe Hawley, a 2010 4^th round pick, waiting in the wings as their center of the future.

At wide receiver, Roddy White is an amazing player. Over the past 4 seasons, he’s caught 371 passes for 5126 yards and 34 touchdowns, including a whopping 115 catches for 1389 yards and 10 scores in 2010. He could see those numbers go down a bit this season because he’s no longer Matt Ryan’s only option, but he’s still an amazing player. He and Julio Jones will complement each other for a long, long time and with Matt Ryan throwing to them, this offense has a chance to be very good for a long, long time.

At tight end, Tony Gonzalez is a shell of his former self. He’s 35 and only caught 34 passes in his last 9 games, including the playoffs. He’ll probably retire after the season, which means the Falcons could be on the lookout for another tight end through the draft in April. If they can find a good, young one, imagine how good this offense could be in the future.

In the present, however, they should be very good, but not great. I’m not ready to call this an elite offense. Matt Ryan is a very good, but not elite quarterback. Michael Turner has injury concerns. Julio Jones is just a rookie and the offensive line could still take some time to gel. However, they’ll be less one dimensional and more adaptable than they were last season. I don’t believe Mike Smith simply has no idea how to play from behind, but just that he didn’t have the personnel to do so last season. The additions of Julio Jones and Jacquizz Rodgers seem to signal a much needed evolution in philosophy after a disappointing end to last season.

After adding explosiveness to the offense and retaining their offensive line, their biggest offseason need was fixing the pass rush. They managed just 31 sacks last season and 13 of them came from John Abraham, who, at age 33, is not reliable as a double digit pass rusher for much longer. Meanwhile, on the left side, starter Kroy Biermann did some nice things against the run and in pass coverage, but he couldn’t get to the quarterback, managing just 3 sacks last season.

 The Falcons fixed this need by signing Ray Edwards for very cheap. Edwards received 30 million dollars total over 5 years, 11 million guaranteed, while Carolina gave Charles Johnson 30 million guaranteed over 6 years, worth 72 million total. The Falcons got a bargain.

Many are wondering how Edwards, who has 16.5 sacks in the last 2 seasons, 20.5 if you count his strong run in the 2009 playoffs, will do without Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Jared Allen accompanying the same line as him. This shouldn’t be a huge issue because defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and John Abraham, two talented defensive linemen, will share the same line as him in Atlanta. Besides, the Williams Wall and Jared Allen all declined last season and Edwards still had a good season.

I was afraid someone would overpay Edwards to be a #1 pass rusher, but the Falcons needed him as a #2 pass rusher and a solid run stopper at left end. He can do that for them and that’s what they paid him like. I mentioned Abraham’s 13 sacks earlier. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux had 4 sacks in 2010, but 6 in 2009. He’s a talented player.

At the other defensive tackle spot, the starter remains to be seen. Corey Peters, a 2010 3^rd round pick, beat out disappointing 2009 1^st round pick Peria Jerry last season for the starting job. Jerry has been frequently injured in 2 years since being drafted and has not lived up to his billing at all. However, rather ironically, Peters has hurt his knee and, while he won’t require surgery, that injury might have opened the window for Jerry, now healthy and impressing in camp, to step into the starting lineup. If Jerry can live up to his potential, they might have one of the best defensive lines in the league, with Corey Peters as a rotational player at defensive tackle and Kroy Biermann also as a rotational player at defensive end.

At linebacker, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton is the leader of this defense, and also the team leader in tackles from 2010 and an above average player. Sean Weatherspoon, a 2010 1^st round pick, figures to be better in his 2^nd season. Meanwhile, weak side linebacker Stephen Nicholas is back after signing a 5 year deal. He’s a marginal player who could be easily upgraded so I don’t understand why the Falcons made a 5 year commitment to him.

At cornerback, the Falcons gave a big money commitment to Dunta Robinson. He’s not an elite cornerback, though they’re paying him like one. He’s also injury prone. Fortunately for them, Brent Grimes did step up as the elite cornerback they paid Robinson to be. He had the 5^th lowest quarterback rating against of any cornerback in the league. He’s leapfrogged Robinson in the pecking order and will cover #1 receivers this year, while Robinson will cover #2s.

At safety, Thomas DeCoud is a marginal player, while William Moore is a good run stopper, but struggles in coverage. Moore could be better in his 3^rd year. He was a 2^nd round pick in 2009 so he still has upside. All in all, the Falcons return all 4 starters from a secondary that ranked 14^th against the pass in 2010. They should be a little better than that this season because they will have a much better pass rush.

Overall, they should be a better defense this year. Ray Edwards is a big upgrade at left end, while Peria Jerry could finally come into his own at defensive tackle in his 3^rd year. Sean Weatherspoon also should be better in his 2^nd season. The offense should be less one dimensional than it was last season, but I’m not ready to call them an elite offense.

However, the Saints are better this season and they’re more experienced. Drew Brees has won a Super Bowl, while Matt Ryan has yet to win a playoff game. At their best, I think the Saints are the better team and I think the Saints will once again be at their best this season. Also, the mystique of the Georgia Dome is almost all gone. They’ll still be a good home team, but teams won’t fear playing there anymore. They also have to play a first place schedule. They play Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans (twice), Tampa Bay (twice), Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Houston. That’s 10 tough games right there.

I still think they make the playoffs as a wild card and they could still contend for a Super Bowl, but they’re not going to win this division. They’re not on the level of Green Bay, who destroyed them last year, or New Orleans or Philadelphia, two teams that got better in the offseason.

Quarterback: B+

Running backs: B+

Receiving corps: B+

Offensive line: B+

Run defense: B-

Pass rush: B

Pass coverage: B-

Coaching: B+

Projection: 11-5 2^nd in NFC South

Offensive Tackle

Remember when the Falcons had a great offensive line? Yeah, well not any more. Sam Baker made 6 starts and surrendered 4 sacks. He then lost his job and resurfaced at right guard for a game, where he surrendered 2 more sacks and then that was the end of him. His replacement, Will Svitek, wasn’t much better. They need a new left tackle, but unfortunately this is a weak offensive tackle class and the Falcons don’t have a first round pick.

Defensive End

Remember when the Falcons couldn’t get to the opposing quarterback? Oh, wait they still can’t do that. They gave Ray Edwards a ton of money, but he didn’t produce, managing just 3.5 sacks on the season. Overall, the Falcons managed just 33 sacks on the season. John Abraham led the way with 9.5, but the soon to be 34 year old is no sure thing going forward. They could use a young defensive end to groom behind Abraham and possibly take over for Edwards if he continues to struggle and ends up a cap casualty.

Cornerback

The Falcons starting cornerbacks, Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes, weren’t bad, it was just their complete lack of depth at the position. Now Grimes is a free agent and is not expected back. They don’t have anyone to fill into the starting lineup for him if he leaves and even if he returns, depth is still needed.

Guard

Back to the offensive line, the Falcons lost Harvey Dahl in the offseason. Both Garrett Reynolds and Joe Hawley tried unsuccessfully to fill in for him. However, they have other more pressing needs and no first round pick so Hawley may have to do again in 2012.

Center

Todd McClure is a 35 year old free agent. He considered retirement, but it appears he’ll return. However, a future successor is needed. Joe Hawley played some center this year when McClure was hurt and he was awful.

Tight End

Tony Gonzalez says 2012 will be the last year of his great career, though he’s said this before. However, a future replacement for the soon to be 36 year old tight end is still definitely needed. With other needs, this may be put off until 2013.

Running Back

Michael Turner is 30 and has gone over 300 carries in 3 of the last 4 seasons so I don’t know how much longer he can be counted on. Jason Snelling is his backup, but he’s a free agent and not expected back. Jacquizz Rodgers was their 5^th round pick in 2011, but he’s too small to carry the load long term. Like tight end, this need could be put off until 2013 and for the same reasons.

Middle Linebacker

Curtis Lofton is one of the best young middle linebackers in the league and will obviously need to be resigned.

Safety

Thomas DeCoud is another talented young player who will need to be resigned.

() FA Rank

QB John Parker Wilson

RB Jason Snelling

RB Jerious Norwood

WR Brian Finneran

WR Eric Weems 

OT Tyson Clabo (#44)

An above average right tackle, who made the Pro Bowl this season. That could inflate his value.

G Harvey Dahl (#41)

One of the best guards in the league and coming off arguably the best season of his career, but he’s 30 this offseason, so teams need to avoid paying him for things he’s already done and pay him for what they think he can do.

G Justin Blalock

DT Vance Walker

DT Trey Lewis- resigned

OLB Stephen Nicholas

OLB Mike Peterson

CB Brent Grimes

CB Brian Williams

S Erik Coleman- signed with Lions 1 year

K Matt Bryant

P Michael Koenen 

Offseason moves:

Cut Erik Coleman

Resigned Trey Lewis 

Draft 

CB Brandon Boykin (Georgia) 

DE Andre Branch (Clemson)

DE Kourtnei Brown (Clemson)

WR Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma)

DT Josh Chapman (Alabama)

DE Tim Fugger (Vanderbilt)

G Gino Gradkowski (Delaware

TE Ladarius Green (LA-Lafayette)

CB Casey Hayward (Vanderbilt)

WR Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech) 

CB Jayron Hosley (Virginia Tech)

DE Melvin Ingram (South Carolina)

S Trumaine Johnson (Montana)

C Ben Jones (Georgia)

OT Dennis Kelly (Purdue)

MLB Mychal Kendricks (California)

G Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

OT Mitchell Schwartz (California)

OT Donald Stephenson (Oklahoma)

DT Brandon Thompson (Clemson)

RB David Wilson (Virginia Tech)

S Tavon Wilson (Illinois)

6. WR Julio Jones A

I’m not hating the Falcons move to move up as much as everyone seems to be. After Jones, this wide receiver class falls off a cliff and what did they really give up? They gave up the 27^th pick, a future first which will probably be in the late 20s again, their 2^nd, and 2 4ths. That’s worth it in my book and Jones fills a huge need for the Falcons, getting a receiver opposite Roddy White.

91. MLB Akeem Dent F

A middle linebacker? That wasn’t a need. I had a 7^th round grade on Dent too. How about a pass rusher? Some offensive line help. Really anything over this one.

145. RB Jacquizz Rodgers A

Rodgers was a great value here and fits their needs like a glove. Michael Turner can’t pass catch and he’s wearing down. Rodgers has the speed and pass catching ability to compliment Michael Turner and Jason Snelling.

192. P Matt Bosher D

I didn’t have Bosher as my top rated punter. He wasn’t even close. He was the only punter drafted, so it’s ridiculous they would take a punter before a single tight end, defensive end, or offensive lineman.

210. G Andrew Jackson A

Both of their starting guards are free agents so depth was definitely needed here. Jackson fits the scheme like a glove and he is a good value at this point.

230. DE Casey Matthews A

Defensive end was one of their biggest needs after wide receiver and Matthews is a good value at this point. I wish they would have addressed this earlier.

Overall:

I actually really like their decision to move up for Julio Jones. They did give up a lot, but they didn’t need 5 players. They needed one really good player and Jones, my 4^th overall prospect, fits that description. Jones is well coached and NFL ready coming out of Nick Saban’s Alabama program. He gives them speed in their receiving corps to compliment Roddy White, arguably the best pure possession receiver in the league. Remember, they didn’t complete a pass longer than 46 yards last year and that lack of big play ability made to tough for them to come back against Green Bay and Philadelphia, two teams with big time big play ability. He’s also going to help their running game as a blocker and this offense is built on the run. That’s worth what they gave up, which was two late first rounders, a 2^nd, and 2 4ths. However, after giving up their 2^nd rounder, they really needed to get an impact defensive end in the 3^rd round. I think that was their last chance to do so, to give them a pass rusher opposite John Abraham. They didn’t do that. Instead, they reached big time for a middle linebacker that they didn’t need. They made up for that with some nice picks late. I think Jacquizz Rodgers fits their needs like a glove and gives their offense a much needed extra dimension as a breakaway back with pass catching abilities. Andrew Jackson gives them valuable depth at guard and Casey Matthews, as an end, was a good value in the 7^th. However, I don’t think they got a future starter at end out of this class, someone to spell Kroy Bierrmann on passing downs and to take over for John Abraham when his time comes. I also don’t understand the Matt Bosher pick. Only one punter was drafted this year and there’s a reason for that. With the lockout postponing free agency, teams had so many other things to worry about. I also didn’t think Bosher was even close to being the top punter in this class.

Grade: B

The Atlanta Falcons had an excellent regular season. They won 13 games, winning the division over the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints, who happen to be their closest rival. They also beat the Saints once in New Orleans. Matt Ryan took the from good quarterback to great quarterback in the eyes on many, leading the 13-3 Falcons with a 62.5% completion percentage, 6.5 YPA, and 28 touchdowns to 9 picks. However, they still didn’t win a playoff game and they didn’t just fall short in the first round. They got their asses handed to them 48-21 at home against the Packers.

Before I break down that game, let’s go to week 16. The Falcons sit at 12-2, tied with the Patriots for best record in the league, ready to face the New Orleans Saints. A win would give them a sweep over their talented division rivals and clinch them the division. It would also improve Matt Ryan’s home record to 20-1 in his career, an amazing feat.

However, they lost. That revealed two things. One, you could beat the Falcons in Atlanta. It was possible. Two, this team is conservative to a fault. Down 3 with less than 3 minutes to go, the Falcons decided to punt to the Saints, hoping their defense would get them the ball back for a shot to win it. Drew Brees had other ideas. Of course he did. He’s Drew Brees. You have to fight fire with fire. The Falcons didn’t do that. They lost.

The Falcons mantra for winning games. Run the ball (497 attempts, 5^th in the league), convert 3^rd downs (46.7% 3^rd in the league), control the ball (1074 plays run, tops in the league), play good defense (18 points per game allowed, 5^th in the league), don’t turn the ball over (17 turnovers, 3^rd in the league), only attempt makeable 4^th downs (73.3% 4^th down percentage, tops in league), move the chains (353 first downs, 4^th in league). It works great when you’re ahead. Not so well when you’re behind. It leads to a lot of 7 point or fewer wins, (7 of their 13), but also a few double digit loss (Philadelphia 31-17).

That Philadelphia game actually foreshadowed their loss to Green Bay. Philadelphia, like Green Bay, is a down the field, vertical offense that can make you play from behind. Green Bay did that and won 48-21. The Falcons didn’t have an answer down multiple score. They hadn’t completed a pass of longer than 46 yards all year. They didn’t have a deep threat. Matt Ryan didn’t have the cannon arm that Aaron Rodgers had. They didn’t even seem to have the plays in the playbook to get big yards. They lost.