The Falcons rounding into form and other NFL thoughts

(1) The Atlanta Falcons still don’t look like the Super Bowl contender that many people expected them to be at the beginning of the season, but they have shown a great deal of grittiness and determination over the last few weeks to turn around a very slow start. On paper, this version of the Falcons doesn’t seem to do anything particularly well, but they have reverted to an identity that has worked well for them in the past: a balanced offense led by the running game. In their three losses, the Falcons have averaged nearly 2.5 more pass attempts than running plays. Even though Matt Ryan is a better quarterback in his fourth year and they have added an elite playmaker in Julio Jones, the Falcons should not be throwing the ball an average of 42 times per game. Atlanta has been at its best over the last three plus seasons when they relied on a heavy dose of Michael Turner to soften up defenses and set-up the play action passing game. In their victories, it is clear from the numbers that the Falcons have focused much more on the running game, which has reduced the pressure on Ryan and paid dividends in the standings. When they have won this season, the Falcons have averaged sixty more yards rushing than in their losses and they have had essentially a 50-50 split between passes and runs. The bigger impact of the balanced offense has been a huge reduction in turnovers. One of the major reasons that the Falcons have lost three games is that they have turned the ball over, on average, nearly three times in those ballgames. Without the security of the running game, Ryan has had to drop back way too many times behind shaky pass protection, which has led to a far greater number of giveaways than expected. When Ryan and the pass blockers have been shielded by an effective rush attack, the Falcons have averaged only one turnover per game. This is the team that we have become accustomed to seeing over the last three seasons. This is the team that has averaged 11 victories in the last three years behind a power running game and steady quarterback play. This is the team that should have their rivals in the NFC South worried that the Super Bowl contender that we all envisioned has finally been awakened.

(2) Personally, I don’t get the excessive hype surrounding or the vitriol directed at Tim Tebow. Both extremes don’t do the kid any justice. It is great that he is the type of guy that you would like your daughter to date. It is great that his legend is as big as the state of Florida. It is great that his list of intangibles make the heads of teammates, coaches and personnel people spin. Does it mean that we have to spend countless hours fawning over, dissecting and/or criticizing a guy that has accomplished very little in the NFL? I would like someone to wake me when his acute case of the happy feet is cured or when he can consistently and accurately throw all of the routes that NFL quarterbacks have to throw in order to be successful or when his first instinct isn’t to tuck and run. Call me old school, but I just think that athletes need to accomplish something beyond being a cult hero in order to deserve all of the extra attention. It is the same reason that I can’t stand all of the attention that Danica Patrick receives or that Anna Kournikova got back in the day. What has Tebow accomplished since becoming a professional football player besides being the most popular back-up quarterback in NFL history? I believe that the hype surrounding Tebow is one of the major reasons why a percentage of football fans have to cover their mouths when they hear his name for fear of throwing up their lunch. Tebow didn’t ask to be covered by the media in this over-the-top fashion, but he still has to live with the repercussions. From all accounts, he has never tried to agitate for the starting job in Denver. Frankly, he has gone out of his way to downplay the controversy and be completely supportive of the Denver organization. Unfortunately, being the good solider had done nothing to change certain people’s perception of Tebow. The reason that people still “hate” him despite his best efforts is because he has cultivated an image that is easy to resent. He is the religious missionary do-gooder, who is saving himself for marriage and always says please and thank you. A segment of the population cannot stand anyone that presents themselves in such a perfect light. These “haters” are praying for his downfall, so that they can all point fingers and tell us ‘I told you so.’ Unfortunately, none of the things that people spend the most time talking about in regards to Tebow have anything to do with his ability to play football. The general public needs to spend less time analyzing Tebow the person and more time talking about Tebow the player. It is irrefutable that he is a winner, but that character trait alone will not guarantee success in the NFL. My plea is that we tone down the personal attacks and the doomsday predictions of his ability to succeed and allow the drama to play out on its own.

(3) Quick Hits
• The hottest seat in the NFL still belongs to Tony Sparano, but Jim Caldwell is zooming up the charts following the Colts’ disgraceful display on national television on Sunday Night football. It looked to me like the Colts had quit in certain spots, which is the biggest indictment of a coach that you can find.

• DeMarco Murray submitted the 10th best rushing performance in NFL history and looks ready to carve out a significant role in the Dallas offense. Felix Jones is still the starter, but if he cannot stay healthy he might find his position usurped by Murray.

• The start of the Christian Ponder era in Minnesota wasn’t perfect, but it provided a glimpse of what Vikings’ fans can look forward to over the next 3-4 years: dominant running from Adrian Peterson and heady quarterback play from Ponder.

• The shine is officially off Matt Hasselbeck in Tennessee. After posting a QB rating of 93 or higher during the Titans’ 3-1 start to the season, Hasselbeck has looked putrid over the last two weeks culminating with disastrous performance against the Houston Texans at home following a bye. With a few more stinkers like this one, the Titans will be rolling out the red carpet on the Jake Locker era.

• The Steelers are rolling right now and their 2-2 start is all but a distant memory. Their defense is starting to play up to their reputation and their offense is building a big-play personality behind Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Wallace. Their recent stellar play comes at the right time as the Steelers head into a six week stretch where they play New England, Baltimore, Kansas City and Cincinnati (twice). This portion of their schedule will define whether the Steelers are truly a playoff team or just a pretender.