Week Three, Falcons at Patriots

[jcwfalcon]

I agree with everything Slope said about the Falcons except a few little things. Booker has stepped up a bit as the 3rd/4th receiver. He and Finneran seem to be on the same level, with Finneran playing a huge role on special teams too.

Look for Ryan to hit obscure targets when the Pats try to completely take away Gonzalez, White, Turner (especially near the red zone). He already has TD passes to Jason Snelling and Ovie Mughelli. SO...just let GOnzalez get the TD! Just kidding. But it is nice to see a QB recognize his favorite targets arent available, and show faith to immediately hit targets who usually dont catch the ball.

I differ on my opinion of Snelling. He has a GREAT burst if you choose not to honor the run when hes in the game. Honor the run, and he is average. He has pretty decent speed, good power for a man his size, but his vision is nowhere near what Turners is and he hasnt learned to really be patient with his blocking. In other words, show him big holes and he will hit them fast and hard. Honestly, thats what I want in a change of pace back. I dont want some scrub bouncing back and forth in the backfield waiting to be TFL...just hit the line and hit it hard.

As mentioned before, in reviewing film, Blaylock has been the weak link on the line. I would look for Belicheat to have his defense attack the Falcons with the LB/S blitz over left and center...as McClure hasnt been stellar at picking up the blitz either. Those two were looking backwards after the play a lot last week.

At LB- Mike Peterson and Curtis Lofton have been playing on a Pro Bowl level. The other LB spot has been a platoon and can be the weakest link if the Pats choose to exploit it. I hope Ben Watson doesnt wind up lined up with the "other" linebacker.

At DT- I disagree with Slope on Babineaux. I think he is one of the most underrated DT's in the league. Close to top 5 in the NFC, if not top 5. In reviewing film, he commands a lot of double teams, which is exactly what you want. The rotation guys have looked great (like Thomas Johnson) but it will be interesting to see how they play vs fresh guards. Could be humbling. We also signed another guy this week who used to be on the Giants and Eagles PS, but I dont expect him to be active. If Trey Lewis is healthy (finally), you can expect to be frustrated by him...because when he plays we usually hear his name called a lot (and not for offsides).

Agree completely on DB's. Brady will probably pick them apart. DeCoud will have a bulls eye, along with Houston. But Houston can be fiesty now and again. Hes solid near the sideline (picks, forcing guys out of bounds within the rules for incompletion) but allows a lot of underneath stuff. I will be watching DeCoud closely...not sure if he will be in the NFL in 3 years. Coleman has been solid, but doesnt make a lot of plays.

 

[mayoclinic]

I agree with everything Slope said about the Falcons except a few little things. Booker has stepped up a bit as the 3rd/4th receiver. He and Finneran seem to be on the same level, with Finneran playing a huge role on special teams too.

Look for Ryan to hit obscure targets when the Pats try to completely take away Gonzalez, White, Turner (especially near the red zone). He already has TD passes to Jason Snelling and Ovie Mughelli. SO...just let GOnzalez get the TD! Just kidding. But it is nice to see a QB recognize his favorite targets arent available, and show faith to immediately hit targets who usually dont catch the ball.

I differ on my opinion of Snelling. He has a GREAT burst if you choose not to honor the run when hes in the game. Honor the run, and he is average. He has pretty decent speed, good power for a man his size, but his vision is nowhere near what Turners is and he hasnt learned to really be patient with his blocking. In other words, show him big holes and he will hit them fast and hard. Honestly, thats what I want in a change of pace back. I dont want some scrub bouncing back and forth in the backfield waiting to be TFL...just hit the line and hit it hard.

As mentioned before, in reviewing film, Blaylock has been the weak link on the line. I would look for Belicheat to have his defense attack the Falcons with the LB/S blitz over left and center...as McClure hasnt been stellar at picking up the blitz either. Those two were looking backwards after the play a lot last week.

At LB- Mike Peterson and Curtis Lofton have been playing on a Pro Bowl level. The other LB spot has been a platoon and can be the weakest link if the Pats choose to exploit it. I hope Ben Watson doesnt wind up lined up with the "other" linebacker.

At DT- I disagree with Slope on Babineaux. I think he is one of the most underrated DT's in the league. Close to top 5 in the NFC, if not top 5. In reviewing film, he commands a lot of double teams, which is exactly what you want. The rotation guys have looked great (like Thomas Johnson) but it will be interesting to see how they play vs fresh guards. Could be humbling. We also signed another guy this week who used to be on the Giants and Eagles PS, but I dont expect him to be active. If Trey Lewis is healthy (finally), you can expect to be frustrated by him...because when he plays we usually hear his name called a lot (and not for offsides).

Agree completely on DB's. Brady will probably pick them apart. DeCoud will have a bulls eye, along with Houston. But Houston can be fiesty now and again. Hes solid near the sideline (picks, forcing guys out of bounds within the rules for incompletion) but allows a lot of underneath stuff. I will be watching DeCoud closely...not sure if he will be in the NFL in 3 years. Coleman has been solid, but doesnt make a lot of plays.

If you want to post on this board and get respectful responses, I would recommend avoiding unnecessary name calling such as "Belicheat". There's no reason for it.

As I said before, I think the keys for the Pats are to attack the Falcons' secondary and attack Abraham on offense (run at him, run screens in his area when he rushes, etc.), and to attack Ryan on defense. And never lose track of Tony Gonzalez.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Gonzalez is the biggest threat to the Patriots and I expect that if the Pats are going to take away a weapon, it's going to be him. The upside is that moving a safety closer in will help to contain the run, but the downside is that this puts the game in Matt Ryan's hands, and he's a solid QB.

Abraham is a traditional menace for the Pats, and I expect some trouble from him, but fortunately, I don't expect Atlanta to bring the pressure the way NY or Buffalo did. As long as Brady is careful and not trying to force anything in the passing game, it could be a good week for the Pats.

In fact, I'm fairly sure it will be. I said on Sunday that the Falcons are not going to enjoy their stay at the Razor, but I'm going to hold off on any score predictions until that thread comes up.

By the way, thanks for making a thread that looks forward (to the Falcons) and not backward.

I think Abraham is the biggest threat on defense by far and Michael Turner is a big threat on offense.

Turner should easily have 100 yards on this defense - I see him going nuts in the middle of the field .

 

[jcwfalcon]

If you want to post on this board and get respectful responses, I would recommend avoiding unnecessary name calling such as "Belicheat". There's no reason for it.

Be honest with yourself. Calling Belichick a cheater is like calling Vick a felon, Petrino a quitter, etc. If you believe any different, you are probably living in a little Pats fantasy world and 99.9% of other fans would disagree with you. Dont mean offense by saying this. When Vick was first accused of dog fighting it took me almost a year to realize I was on the wrong side of the fence. I had on my red glasses with the #7 emblazoned on the front.

Hes a great coach that most NFL teams wish they had, but dude will look to bend the rules to give his team an advantage, and even break them if he thinks he can get away with it. THEN, when he gets called out for it, he will double talk his way to a slap on the wrist.

Bill Belichick is as football smart as they come. He knows the rules and he knows what he was doing. If it were Super Bowl week, and my team were lucky enough to be playing his, I would want all my practices and prep to be indoors and as far away from any of his goons as possible. Give him an inch and he will snatch a mile, and use your mile to snatch 3 or 4 more.

That being said, I dont really have a problem with it. He's just from the Eddie Guerrero school...Lie, Cheat, and Steal...gain an advantage...just end up holding up the strap at the end of the day.

No offense intended, but if you refused to respond because a fan of another team came on your board and called a spade a spade, then I dont really know if I would have valued your response all that much anyway.

I wouldnt want to play poker with Belichick. If he doesnt cheat, he will certainly try. He may not have an Ace up his sleeve, but he sure as hell will be just waiting for someone to reach down to scratch their leg so he can get a peek at your cards. If nothing else it takes the game to another level...and the NFL aint a friendly game of poker, so it is what it is.

 

[upstater1]

If you want to post on this board and get respectful responses, I would recommend avoiding unnecessary name calling such as "Belicheat". There's no reason for it.

+1, 10 chars

 

[upstater1]

Be honest with yourself. Calling Belichick a cheater is like calling Vick a felon, Petrino a quitter, etc. If you believe any different, you are probably living in a little Pats fantasy world and 99.9% of other fans would disagree with you. Dont mean offense by saying this. When Vick was first accused of dog fighting it took me almost a year to realize I was on the wrong side of the fence.

Hes a great coach that most NFL teams wish they had, but dude will look to bend the rules to give his team an advantage, and even break them if he thinks he can get away with it. THEN, when he gets called out for it, he will double talk his way to a slap on the wrist.

Bill Belichick is as football smart as they come. He knows the rules and he knows what he was doing. If it were Super Bowl week, and my team were lucky enough to be playing his, I would want all my practices and prep to be indoors and as far away from any of his goons as possible. Give him an inch and he will snatch a mile, and use your mile to snatch 3 or 4 more.

That being said, I dont really have a problem with it. He's just from the Eddie Guerrero school...Lie, Cheat, and Steal...gain an advantage...just end up holding up the strap at the end of the day.

No offense intended, but if you refused to respond because a fan of another team came on your board and called a spade a spade, then I dont really know if I would have valued your response all that much anyway.

I wouldnt want to play poker with Belichick. If he doesnt cheat, he will certainly try. He may not have an Ace up his sleeve, but he sure as hell will be just waiting for someone to reach down to scratch their leg so he can get a peek at your cards. If nothing else it takes the game to another level...and the NFL aint a friendly game of poker, so it is what it is.

You really have no clue. If I thought you were open to it, I'd explain to you all the ways that you're absolutely wrong. The difference between Belichick's punishment and Vick's is that Vick was found guilty in a court of law, whereas an ex-Jets employee found Belichick guilty.

Don't be naive, grow up.

 

[jcwfalcon]

You really have no clue. If I thought you were open to it, I'd explain to you all the ways that you're absolutely wrong. The difference between Belichick's punishment and Vick's is that Vick was found guilty in a court of law, whereas an ex-Jets employee found Belichick guilty.

Don't be naive, grow up.

Didnt Belichick get a penalty for what he did?

My understanding was he got the whistle blown on him by a Jet/former employee, but the commish handed down a punishment including the loss of a draft pick based on the evidence didnt he?

I thought it was pretty cut and dry that he cheated by filming opposing teams signals to gain an advantage, and that the only question of quilt was whether or not Belichick actually knew he was breaking the rules by doing it.

It may seem like a backwards compliment, but I have too much respect for his football prowess and knowlege to believe he didnt know it was against the rules. He probably knows the in's and out's of the NFL rules better than the front office.

Like I said, I dont have a problem with it. But once you get caught, you get the rep that goes with it. I still would like him as my coach. He knows how to win.

If any of this is wrong, humble me through education. I am listening...I am not a Jets fan...I will listen to a Pats fan.

 

[BradyManny]

Be honest with yourself. Calling Belichick a cheater is like calling Vick a felon, Petrino a quitter, etc. If you believe any different, you are probably living in a little Pats fantasy world and 99.9% of other fans would disagree with you. Dont mean offense by saying this. When Vick was first accused of dog fighting it took me almost a year to realize I was on the wrong side of the fence. I had on my red glasses with the #7 emblazoned on the front.

- Mike Vick tortured & slaughtered animals for sport, as well as organized and ran a criminal enterprise.

- Bill Belichick aimed a video camera at something occurring in plain sight of 60,000 people & an audience of several million people.

Please tell me how those transgressions are comparable.

When you consider Rex Ryan just got away with drilling a former Pats QB for proprietary information that directly helped them win a game, I have a hard time considering that Belichick is the cheater. No matter what 99.9% of other fans think. Besides, I'm very comfortable with thinking 99.9% of NFL fans are morons, as I pretty much work under that assumption anyway, particularly when it comes to fans that live outside of NE.

I appreciate the value you brought with your original post, that's what we like around here. Keep the ignorant crap out, please.

 

[mayoclinic]

Be honest with yourself. Calling Belichick a cheater is like calling Vick a felon, Petrino a quitter, etc. If you believe any different, you are probably living in a little Pats fantasy world and 99.9% of other fans would disagree with you. Dont mean offense by saying this. When Vick was first accused of dog fighting it took me almost a year to realize I was on the wrong side of the fence. I had on my red glasses with the #7 emblazoned on the front.

Hes a great coach that most NFL teams wish they had, but dude will look to bend the rules to give his team an advantage, and even break them if he thinks he can get away with it. THEN, when he gets called out for it, he will double talk his way to a slap on the wrist.

Bill Belichick is as football smart as they come. He knows the rules and he knows what he was doing. If it were Super Bowl week, and my team were lucky enough to be playing his, I would want all my practices and prep to be indoors and as far away from any of his goons as possible. Give him an inch and he will snatch a mile, and use your mile to snatch 3 or 4 more.

That being said, I dont really have a problem with it. He's just from the Eddie Guerrero school...Lie, Cheat, and Steal...gain an advantage...just end up holding up the strap at the end of the day.

No offense intended, but if you refused to respond because a fan of another team came on your board and called a spade a spade, then I dont really know if I would have valued your response all that much anyway.

I wouldnt want to play poker with Belichick. If he doesnt cheat, he will certainly try. He may not have an Ace up his sleeve, but he sure as hell will be just waiting for someone to reach down to scratch their leg so he can get a peek at your cards. If nothing else it takes the game to another level...and the NFL aint a friendly game of poker, so it is what it is.

Who refused to respond? I responded to the substantive parts of your post.

Regardless of whether BB cheated or not, or whether you believe he did, if you want to come to an opposing team's web site and want to have an open analysis and discussion that's one thing. If you want to come and call people names, that's another. The two don't mix very well. You'll just piss some people off and end up hurling insults back and forth, instead of having the open and friendly analytical discussion that you claimed you wanted to have.

Do you want to have a discussion about the Pats and the Falcons and the issues for Sunday, or whether BB is a cheater? If the former, then I simply recommended you avoid clouding the issue by throwing in unnecessarily insulting sobriquets.

 

[jcwfalcon]

- Mike Vick tortured & slaughtered animals for sport, as well as organized and ran a criminal enterprise.

- Bill Belichick aimed a video camera at something occurring in plain sight of 60,000 people & an audience of several million people.

Please tell me how those transgressions are comparable.

When you consider Rex Ryan just got away with drilling a former Pats QB for proprietary information that directly helped them win a game, I have a hard time considering that Belichick is the cheater. No matter what 99.9% of other fans think. Besides, I'm very comfortable with thinking 99.9% of NFL fans are morons, as I pretty much work under that assumption anyway, particularly when it comes to fans that live outside of NE.

I appreciate the value you brought with your original post, that's what we like around here. Keep the ignorant crap out, please.

First, I wouldnt say they are equal human beings. Their crimes are not equal. Notice a reference to Petrino quitting (not a crime at all). Vick was convicted of his crime. Petrino did, in fact, quit. Belichick did, in fact, film other teams signals, in violation of NFL rules, to gain an advantage. Thats why I didnt call him a felon, I called him a cheat. If a card player is caught cheating, he is henceforth known as a cheat, even though he may still be the best damn card player anyone has ever seen.

Fair enough though. I will call him Belichick from here on out though. I am used to some witty banter mixed in with some friendly childish pokes on my forum as well as other teams. For example, I almost never refer to Carolina, TB, or NO by their names. On forums, they have always been Panties, Sucs, and Aints. Just good clean fun. Now calling another poster names, thats a line I try not to cross, because that makes it personal.

 

[jmt57]

Just wanted to say thanks to slope and jcwfalcon. Your insight and analysis very much appreciated, and just what I was hoping somebody who follows the Falcons would be able to provide.


To answer one of your questions from earlier in the thread: regarding the Falcons, I don't think anybody looks down on them or considers them to be the same old team. They're probably followed a little bit more than other NFC teams because of Dimitroff and Ryan, but not that much - mostly because they haven't been on tv all that much. As far as following Ryan with the BC connection, there's probably not as much of that as you might expect. College football is not as big in New England as the Georgia Bulldogs and the SEC are in your area, for example. BC lags a distant fifth in popularity behind the Pats, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins here.

Pats have a big rivalry with the Jets due to several reasons (same division, storylines going back to Parcells leaving to coach the Jets, Belichick deciding to coach in NE rather than with the NYJ, Mangini leaving to go there, many players and coaches going from one team to another, NY and Boston in same division in all four pro sports, many New Yorkers moving to Boston area to go to school here - and then proceed to let everybody know how everything is better back there, etc. Oh yeah, that spygate incident too.) Add to that the Pats lost after a lot of trash talking from the Jets all week, and that's why so many fans are still talking about that game rather than this one. Regardless Belichick surely has the team focused on the upcoming game, even if many fans are still looking backwards.

As you can see from the threads and comments here, a couple things the fans are talking most about is lack of pressure by the defense on opposing quarterbacks (creating few sacks and fewer turnovers), and on offense the pass/run ratio as well as Brady being rusty/getting enough time to throw/the offensive line. It sounds like there are certain similarities (bend but don't break defense designed more to prevent the big play than to create a big play) and a quarterback expected to make quick reads and complete high-percentage passes on offense. Of course there are some major differences too; the Falcons have a much better running game, while the Pats have a better secondary.


As far as the radio goes, they tend to be hyper-critical, especially after a loss. If you get a chance to listen to a Belichick interview on the radio I highly recommend you do so. Though he's not going to reveal anything for the upcoming game he's 1000x different than what you are used to seeing and hearing on post-game press conferences.


It's starting to look like a two-team race in the NFC South already. Good luck - starting in week 4. Thanks again for your opinions, hopefully you can add some more during the week.

 

[mayoclinic]

Just wanted to say thanks to slope and jcwfalcon. Your insight and analysis very much appreciated, and just what I was hoping somebody who follows the Falcons would be able to provide.


To answer one of your questions from earlier in the thread: regarding the Falcons, I don't think anybody looks down on them or considers them to be the same old team. They're probably followed a little bit more than other NFC teams because of Dimitroff and Ryan, but not that much - mostly because they haven't been on tv all that much. As far as following Ryan with the BC connection, there's probably not as much of that as you might expect. College football is not as big in New England as the Georgia Bulldogs and the SEC are in your area, for example. BC lags a distant fifth in popularity behind the Pats, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins here.

Pats have a big rivalry with the Jets due to several reasons (same division, storylines going back to Parcells leaving to coach the Jets, Belichick deciding to coach in NE rather than with the NYJ, Mangini leaving to go there, many players and coaches going from one team to another, NY and Boston in same division in all four pro sports, many New Yorkers moving to Boston area to go to school here - and then proceed to let everybody know how everything is better back there, etc. Oh yeah, that spygate incident too.) Add to that the Pats lost after a lot of trash talking from the Jets all week, and that's why so many fans are still talking about that game rather than this one. Regardless Belichick surely has the team focused on the upcoming game, even if many fans are still looking backwards.

As you can see from the threads and comments here, a couple things the fans are talking most about is lack of pressure by the defense on opposing quarterbacks (creating few sacks and fewer turnovers), and on offense the pass/run ratio as well as Brady being rusty/getting enough time to throw/the offensive line. It sounds like there are certain similarities (bend but don't break defense designed more to prevent the big play than to create a big play) and a quarterback expected to make quick reads and complete high-percentage passes on offense. Of course there are some major differences too; the Falcons have a much better running game, while the Pats have a better secondary.


As far as the radio goes, they tend to be hyper-critical, especially after a loss. If you get a chance to listen to a Belichick interview on the radio I highly recommend you do so. Though he's not going to reveal anything for the upcoming game he's 1000x different than what you are used to seeing and hearing on post-game press conferences.


It's starting to look like a two-team race in the NFC South already. Good luck - starting in week 4. Thanks again for your opinions, hopefully you can add some more during the week.

I would echo these sentiments. I personally really like having input from fans of opposing teams who are willing to share analysis and insights openly. It expand's one's point of view.

I don't think anyone disrespects the Falcons. Two years ago they looked like they were a mess, but they really turned things around from the top down with the Dimitroff and Smith hirings and then building the team around Matt Ryan, who was a gutsy pick at the time. New Orleans is clearly the media darling in the NFC South right now, but Atlanta has a very balanced young team, and should be a contender for a long time.

We're all still pissed at the loss to the Jets. But I don't think anyone is overlooking Sunday. Fairly big game for both teams - chance for you guys to go 3-0 and stake a claim as one of the elite teams in the NFL, chance for us to get back on track and prove that last week was just a bad week.

 

[jcwfalcon]

Who refused to respond? I responded to the substantive parts of your post.

Regardless of whether BB cheated or not, or whether you believe he did, if you want to come to an opposing team's web site and want to have an open analysis and discussion that's one thing. If you want to come and call people names, that's another. The two don't mix very well. You'll just piss some people off and end up hurling insults back and forth, instead of having the open and friendly analytical discussion that you claimed you wanted to have.

Do you want to have a discussion about the Pats and the Falcons and the issues for Sunday, or whether BB is a cheater? If the former, then I simply recommended you avoid clouding the issue by throwing in unnecessarily insulting sobriquets.

I am going to try to respond to the parts in bold.

You simply said you or other people wouldnt respond because somebody mixed in a poke at an event that happened. I just meant if you cant take a little poke in the ribs over something that did, in fact, happen when the rest of the post is just banter and facts, I dont know that you would be a good person to get a response from.

I believe you can have a friendly and intelligent discussion while being fans of opposing teams and poking each other in the ribs about it...just dont slap each other across the face. Like you could say the Falcons suck. They have throughout most of their existence. Just dont go on and on about it and with supporting facts after I have already acknowledged "you got me there." Thats just my take. I try to respect other peoples forums but take a poke and give a poke here and there.

To the last part, I am actually now interested in both (discussing the game and the Belichick/cheating incident). It sounded like "upstate" had hardcore evidence that Belichick did not cheat and that I was dead wrong. I admit, being a fan of an NFC South team the Belichick case wasnt bookmarked for me to get daily updates as the case progressed. I only know what I pretty much heard on sports talk as it progressed and was closed. It was one of the shadiest things I had heard (especially how the NFL destroyed the evidence). If I am wrong I certainly would like to be educated so that I dont make the mistake again. I wont change my stance just because you said I was wrong, but if facts persuade me otherwise, I will not only change my viewpoint going forward by I will apologize for being wrong to begin with!

 

[jcwfalcon]

Just wanted to say thanks to slope and jcwfalcon. Your insight and analysis very much appreciated, and just what I was hoping somebody who follows the Falcons would be able to provide.


To answer one of your questions from earlier in the thread: regarding the Falcons, I don't think anybody looks down on them or considers them to be the same old team. They're probably followed a little bit more than other NFC teams because of Dimitroff and Ryan, but not that much - mostly because they haven't been on tv all that much. As far as following Ryan with the BC connection, there's probably not as much of that as you might expect. College football is not as big in New England as the Georgia Bulldogs and the SEC are in your area, for example. BC lags a distant fifth in popularity behind the Pats, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins here.

Pats have a big rivalry with the Jets due to several reasons (same division, storylines going back to Parcells leaving to coach the Jets, Belichick deciding to coach in NE rather than with the NYJ, Mangini leaving to go there, many players and coaches going from one team to another, NY and Boston in same division in all four pro sports, many New Yorkers moving to Boston area to go to school here - and then proceed to let everybody know how everything is better back there, etc. Oh yeah, that spygate incident too.) Add to that the Pats lost after a lot of trash talking from the Jets all week, and that's why so many fans are still talking about that game rather than this one. Regardless Belichick surely has the team focused on the upcoming game, even if many fans are still looking backwards.

As you can see from the threads and comments here, a couple things the fans are talking most about is lack of pressure by the defense on opposing quarterbacks (creating few sacks and fewer turnovers), and on offense the pass/run ratio as well as Brady being rusty/getting enough time to throw/the offensive line. It sounds like there are certain similarities (bend but don't break defense designed more to prevent the big play than to create a big play) and a quarterback expected to make quick reads and complete high-percentage passes on offense. Of course there are some major differences too; the Falcons have a much better running game, while the Pats have a better secondary.


As far as the radio goes, they tend to be hyper-critical, especially after a loss. If you get a chance to listen to a Belichick interview on the radio I highly recommend you do so. Though he's not going to reveal anything for the upcoming game he's 1000x different than what you are used to seeing and hearing on post-game press conferences.


It's starting to look like a two-team race in the NFC South already. Good luck - starting in week 4. Thanks again for your opinions, hopefully you can add some more during the week.

Great info! Thanks!!!

 

[jmt57]

How about this everybody: let's keep this thread on topic: about Sunday's game between the Pats and the Falcons.

For those that wish to talk about spygate (again), I started a separate thread here: http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...eating-debate-falcons-thread.html#post1518432 - all the comments on that topic please make on that thread.

 

[BradyManny]

First, I wouldnt say they are equal human beings. Their crimes are not equal. Notice a reference to Petrino quitting (not a crime at all). Vick was convicted of his crime. Petrino did, in fact, quit. Belichick did, in fact, film other teams signals, in violation of NFL rules, to gain an advantage. Thats why I didnt call him a felon, I called him a cheat. If a card player is caught cheating, he is henceforth known as a cheat, even though he may still be the best damn card player anyone has ever seen.

Fair enough though. I will call him Belichick from here on out though. I am used to some witty banter mixed in with some friendly childish pokes on my forum as well as other teams. For example, I almost never refer to Carolina, TB, or NO by their names. On forums, they have always been Panties, Sucs, and Aints. Just good clean fun. Now calling another poster names, thats a line I try not to cross, because that makes it personal.

Fair enough. Again, I very much enjoyed your original post and intended to answer the questions you posed when I got time.

As you can imagine, Belicheat is a sore subject here, even if that's fair game elsewhere. We generally aren't overly swayed by what's public opinion...as I said, who says the majority is right, especially when we're talking about rabid, crazy NFL fans (like ourselves), who have no objectivity of any kind. From this forum to other fanbases forums, its clear that the average NFL fan can not be trusted to make accurate, intelligent, objective judgments on just about anything. Patriot fans included.

But we do appreciate the Falcons scouting report - thats the kind of thing that separates oneself from the average "Belicheat this" "Brady's wife that" kind of stuff.

 

[SyN65]

Gonna be a great game - I'm going to this one.

Can't wait to see 2 great offenses in a shoot out. Glad I get to see both Brady and Ryan play. My 2 favorite QB's.

 

[JackBauer]

I think Abraham is the biggest threat on defense by far and Michael Turner is a big threat on offense.

Turner should easily have 100 yards on this defense - I see him going nuts in the middle of the field .

Actually this defense has been pretty solid at shutting down the run. Turner is a great back, but the Falcon's OL doesn't seem that great -- I'd be more concerned about White and Gonzalez.

Lucky me, I have Matt Ryan, Turner, and the Patriots defense on my fantasy team

 

[BradyManny]

Are you guys viewing this as a big game or more of a passive game?

Wasnt sure if thats because of how much you hate the Jets, or because you are a bit concerned and down on the Pats, or because you kinda view these as the same ol loser Falcons...not really worth discussing this early in the week?

I think this is a very big game for the Pats. The first two weeks have been lackluster, and the loss to the Jets was a big one. The Pats have to get rolling and they need to right the ship this week against your team.

We are all pretty concerned about Brady to Moss because our biggest weakness seems to be the deep pass, but the Dolphins almost never tested us deep and the Panthers wanted to run first (but Smith still torched us, like always). We are really hoping Welker is still hurt (sorry, it is what it is). Do you think he will play?

Welker missed practice today, if I had to guess right now, I would say no, he is not a go. However, rookie Julian Edelman has looked quite good from the moment he got here, and can fill in pretty well for him. He won't always be where he needs to be, but he'll make plays.

Do you think Ryan will get an ovation since he is coming back to where he played his college ball? Do people kinda pull for him up there when hes not playing the Pats?

I went to BC's rival school, so I don't like Ryan (though BU has no football team)...I'd say most people will be ambivalent to Ryan up here. College football is not as important up here as it is to the rest of the nation, mainly b/c the competition up here isn't worth it.

What are some of the other things you view as weaknesses on defense for the Pats right now?

Surprisingly, the defense has not looked the problem. Brady and the offense haven't got it going yet. Here's the thing with the Pats D: if they wants to take away the run, they can be stout up front. This is the first week the Pats will be facing a team that is a real threat to run and pass, so if they decide to stop the run, Ryan might have some success. The Pats secondary is much improved, though, and we're waiting for Burgess to emerge as a pass rushing threat. The middle of the field has been trouble for us in the passing game, TEs, RBs have had their way with our LBs the past year or so.

Looks like there might be rain in the forecast? Does that typically help or hurt how you guys (and Brady/Moss) play? Would you see that making it easier or more difficult for the Pats to get a W this weekend?

It would be a factor, but weather changes so quickly here that by the weekend we could have a completely different forecast.

 

[jcwfalcon]

How about this everybody: let's keep this thread on topic: about Sunday's game between the Pats and the Falcons.

For those that wish to talk about spygate (again), I started a separate thread here: http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...eating-debate-falcons-thread.html#post1518432 - all the comments on that topic please make on that thread.

Thanks. I made a post on that thread. If I am wrong I hope to be educated.