My guy feeling is that he will be fine for the game. He did play after the injury occurred in the last game. Quinn doesn't use a lot of gamesmanship when giving injury updates. He feels like it is a respect issue for the players. If he tells you that a guys is going to be limited this week, but they are going to up his reps as the weeks progresses and he will be a full go on Sunday, that is pretty much the way it is.
So, yeah, he'll be ready to go at close to 100% at kickoff. As always, he could aggravate it during the game.
I'll be totally honest, I don't want to see Ben Garland in the game at center. I hope his snap are on the defensive side of the ball. He is in our DT rotation, but he is also the primary backup to Mack at center.
Here is a little ATL knowledge that won't be common knowledge for most Patriots fans. The weak link on the offensive line is at RG. If you are familiar with Pro Football Focus, Chester is the only offensive line starter for Atlanta that grades less than a 75.3. Chester comes in at a 53. His liability is primarily in pass protection where he has a grade of 45! (75 is average). He is graded at 70.3 as a run blocker. While Garland grades okay in pass protection, he normally takes snaps at guard. When he plays center, the line calls divert to Ryan and he has one more thing on his plate pre-snap. Mack and Schraeder cover up for Chester on the right side of the line. If you take Mack out of the equation it compromises Chester big time. It is likely we would be keeping a primary weapon, Freeman, in the backfield to help shore up pass protection if Mack is out. Freeman is excellent at blitz pickup, but it is a big schematic win for the Patriots if the Falcons have to play him in that role.
If you want to know why Atlanta is so much better this year than last year, and why Ryan quit throwing INTs, the above paragraph sums it up. We had a guy named Person snapping to Ryan last season. He was like a turnstile as a pass blocker, and there were a multitude of botch center/QB exchanges last season. Basically Ryan was fielding snaps like a short stop, then trying to run the offense. Garland is better than that, but he is no Alex Mack.
Thanks. That and your other post above are very informative and helpful.
Like many on this Board, I'd be pulling for Ryan and the Falcons on Sunday against any of our AFC rivals...but, since it's v. the Pats...not gonna happen.
To be honest, I'm finding it hard to work up a lot of animosity towards your guys.
Julio Jones is doing too much talking, so that gets me there.
Your mayor saying he had a Parade Route picked out was a little irksome, but at least he didn't go so far as to publish the route itself...like the mayor of Philadelphia a few years back...big mistake.
FWIW, here's what I think.
The game would be pick 'em (like it was v. SEA two years ago) if it weren't for the NE SB experience.
It's going to get rough. The only proven way to stop Brady is to hit him, so I think ATL will take at least one "Roughing the Passer" penalty early on in NE territory to try to get into his head. The Pats won't take it lying down.
The tougher team will win.
I compare ATL to the STL team that the Pats beat in 2002 for their first win. Big, big Offense that usually makes up for deficits in its D.
But, not used to playing from behind. If you look at ATL's last four Regular Season games, they went up 21-0 on LA and SF, and by 20 points on CAR; only Brees hung in for a while. Yes, they waxed GB, but the Packers had finally run out of gas.
Also, not used to playing a team as tenacious as NE and Brady in Jan and Feb. If you have the time, watch the replay of SB XLIX. NE enters Q4 two scores down against a pretty good D. First team to come back from more than seven points in the 4th Q of an SB...only two other teams had done even that. They also came back from 14 points twice in the Division Round.
Remember that the Pats prepared for a Quinn D two years ago. It gave them fits at times, but they solved the puzzle in the second half.
ATL wins if they knock Brady around and get up by 17 in the first half.
Otherwise, NE wins, even if they have to come back from two scores down.
If NE goes ahead by a couple of scores early, the collars will get very tight on the ATL sideline.
