The Atlanta Falcons come to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants Sunday in a make-or-break game for both 5-4 teams. This week I chatted with Dave Choate, lead blogger over at The Falcoholic, about his team.
Dave Choate: IguessthemostobviousquestioniswhatexactlyhappenedoverthelastfourweekstotheGiants?Canyoupinitonanyonething?
Big Blue View: HowdidIknowthatwouldbethefirstquestion?Whathappenedtothem?Theyaremissinginaction. IftheyturnupsomewheredownSouth,pleaseletmeknow.Actually,ithasprobablybeenacombinationoffactors.Throughfivegamestheyonlyplayedonegoodteam(Dallas).Thelastfourweekshaveallbeenagainstverygoodteams,andtheyhaveexposedtheflawsintheGiantsdefense.
Also,itisentirelypossiblethatthisteamisnotasgoodaswethoughtitwasgoingtobe.Thedefensehasnotbeendominant,althoughSundaywillbethehealthiesttheyhavebeenallseason.
Dave Choate: Thatmakessense.
WiththeFalconsalsostruggling,howconcernedareyouaboutourabilitytohangsomepointsonthatdefense?
Big Blue View: I'dbeconcernedaboutNotreDamebeingabletohangsomepointsonthatdefense,totellyouthetruth.Thisteamwassupposedtobebuiltaroundadominantdefenseanditjusthasn'tworkedoutthatway.
Injuries(Kenny Phillips, Chris Canty, Aaron Ross, Michael Boley, Justin Tuck)havereallyhurtthisteam.TheygetRossbackforthefirsttimeallseasononSundayandwillbeasclosetofullstrengthastheyhavebeenallseason.Maybe,justmaybe,westarttoseethedefensetheGiantsthoughttheyhad.
So,summarizetheFalconsseasonforme.TheyhaveanidenticalrecordtotheGiantsat5-4.Aretheyasinconsistentasthatrecordindicates?
Dave Choate: Inconsistencymightbealightwordforwhat'sgoinghere.
Some weeks,theyhavehadexcellentpassingperformances,otherweeksthegroundgamehasbeensuperb,andothergameseverysinglephaseoftheoffenseanddefenseisterrible.ThegameagainstthePantherslastweekwasoneoftheworstI'veseeninalongtime,andwealsolostMichael Turner.I'dsayhe'sgotlessthana25%chanceofplayingagainstyouguys.
Big Blue View: TheGiantsarealwaysproudoftheirrunningbackdepth.ExplaintomehowbigofalossTurnerwouldbetotheFalcons?
Dave Choate: Thewayhe'sbeenplayinginrecentweeks,it'satremendousblow.Jason Snellingisacapablereplacementintheshort-term,butthere'snodepthbehindhimunlessspeedybackJeriousNorwoodcomesbackfrominjury,andhe'snot100%yet.OuronlyotheroptionwouldappeartobeAaronStecker,whoreallyisn'tmuchmorethanaspecialteameratthispoint.
Big Blue View: IlookatthisSundayasaHUGEgame.Tome,itdetermineswhetherornottheGiantsaretrueplayoffcontenders,oriftheyarejustpretendersplayingoutthestringuntilnextseason.DoyoufeelthesamewayfromanAtlantaperspective?
Dave Choate: Ifwelosethisgame,I'mcallingit:We'rebasicallyoutoftheplayoffhunt.It'sabsolutely criticalthatwetrytoputyouaway,consideringthatyou'reoneofthetopthreatsinthewildcardhunt.I agreeit'scritical.
Will theGiantslooktoattacktheFalconsthroughtheairwiththeirnew-foundplethoraofreceivingoptions,orwilltheysticktotherun?
Big Blue View:: Well,everytimeItrytofigureoutwhatgameplanoffensivecoordinatorKevin Gilbridewillemploy,orthatIthinkheshouldemploy,Iendupgivingmyselfaheadache.Isupporttheguy,butaroundherefolkslovetoriphim.Anyway,that'salong-windedwayofsayingIhavenoideawhatGilbridewillactuallydecidetodo.
Dave Choate: Ithinkyourbestbetistopass,honestly.
Big Blue View: Here,though,iswhatIhopehedoes.Ihopehegivesyouguysasteadydose,asin25carriesorso,ofBrandon Jacobs.Thebigfellahashardlybeenutilizedatallduringthelosingstreak(51carriesin4games)andit'stimeforthemtostartridinghim.
Asforthepass,Ijusthopetheystaywiththeshortandintermediatestuff.Oneproblemtheyhadforafewgamesisfallinginlovewithtryingforthedeepball.Greatwhenitworks,butitleavesyouwantingtothrowtheremotethroughtheTVwhenitfailson3rdand2.
TheGiantsalwaysstriveforbalance.IjustthinkfailingtouseJacobsenoughisleavingyourbestweaponontheshelf.
Dave Choate: I'dtendtoagree. ButIthinktheFalconshavehadafundamentalproblemgeneratingapassrushinrecentweeks,whichleavesamedicoresecondaryouttodry.
Big Blue View: Actually,thatsoundsalotliketheGiants.WithKenny Phillipsoutfortheyear,andRossnothavingplayedyet,thesecondaryhasbeenexposed.
Dave Choate: Remarkabletheextenttowhichourteams'struggleshavemirroredeach other,really.
Sayssomethingabouttheweightofexpectations.
Big Blue View: Tell mealittleaboutMatt Ryan.Seemslikehehasbeenmoreinconsistentthisseasonthanhewasasarookie?
Dave Choate: Heactuallyhadagreatstarttotheyear. Andit'sgonedownhillrapidlyinrecentweeks.
I thinkhe'slookedshakierinthepocket,andatleastpartofthatcanbeattributedtobetterpassrusheshe'sbeenfacing.Butsomethinghe'sbeendoingwithmaddeningregularityissailingpassesoverreceivers'heads,oftenwithdisastrousconsequences.Ryan'sstillgotaverybrightfuture,butthecoachingstaffhastohelphimsortouthismentalstruggles.
Big Blue View: OK.HereisaquestionIalwaysask.IfyoucouldtakeoneplayerofftheGiantsrosterandputhiminyourlineup,whowoulditbe?Why?
Dave Choate: Withoutadoubt,Osi Umenyiora.Dude'sabeastandweneedthepassrushinghelphecouldprovidedesperately.TherearealotofworthycandidatesontheGiants,buthe'sthefirstnamethatcomestomind.
Howaboutyou?Samequestions,butwiththeFalcons?
Big Blue View: So,herecomesthepartofthatquestionIhate.I'mnotanexpertonyourroster,butIwouldsaythis.Wecouldusehelpatlinebacker,andifyouhaveaplaymakeryouwouldliketogiveuswewouldtakehim.
Dave Choate: ThatwouldbeCurtis Lofton.Extremelytoughmiddlelinebacker,leagueleaderintacklesandaguywhoyoucancountontobeinvolvedineveryplay.Hitshardenoughtojarthefootballloose,too.
Rapidfirequestions,here.
Big Blue View: Giants,27-24;IexpectahugegamefromEli;Jacobsand100yardsdependsonwhetherhegetsenoughcarries.
CantheFalconsrunwithoutTurner?Aprediction?
Dave Choate: IexpectJason Snellingtopickupatleast75yardswithoutTurner,andI'mpredictinga21-17Falconswin,crazilyenough.
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