2013 NFL Week Five Game Thread

[Celtics_Champs]

Jets have done this before, no? Took a rookie QB, solid run game and a great defense to the playoffs. I guess :ugh: you gotta give credit to Rex Ryan.

[High 5]

I wouldn't say they have a great defense, but if Geno isn't making many mistakes then they're a fairly competitive team. It's hard to judge how good anyone is going against Atlanta right now.

Now Julio is probably done for the season. It's unbelievable how the Falcons, Bulldogs, and Braves have been decimated with injuries this year. Hawks players must be nervous.

[Higga]

The Falcons are a classic case of regression. They had an incredible record in one score games last year(the last few years actually), but Bill Barnwell on Grantwell did research and discovered that records in one score games are volatile and not reliable. In other words, teams that do really well in close games in one year tend to do the opposite the next year.

The Falcons losses this year have all been really close. Games that they were winning in years past they are losing this year. It's just one of those years.

And now with Julio Jones's injury(RIP my fantasy team), they may just have to bite the bullet and accept that this is gonna be one of those off years. Especially with the Saints looking so good.


Have to say Geno Smith is proving me wrong though, as are the Jets. I thought they would suck, but Rex Ryan as much of a clown as he is is also a hell of a football coach.

[High 5]

It's not regression. It's just what happens when a team loses a lot of players from one year to the next.

[NaturalBuns]

It's not regression. It's just what happens when a team loses a lot of players from one year to the next.

Or when you go from having a easy schedule in 2012 to a tough schedule in 2013

[High 5]

It's not regression. It's just what happens when a team loses a lot of players from one year to the next.

Or when you go from having a easy schedule in 2012 to a tough schedule in 2013

We aren't even at the hard part of the schedule yet. Dolphins, Rams, and Jets are only average teams and the Patriots aren't much better off than the Falcons right now.

[NaturalBuns]

It's not regression. It's just what happens when a team loses a lot of players from one year to the next.

Or when you go from having a easy schedule in 2012 to a tough schedule in 2013

We aren't even at the hard part of the schedule yet. Dolphins, Rams, and Jets are only average teams and the Patriots aren't much better off than the Falcons right now.

Nobody knows how good the jets are gonna be or dolphins. Patriots 4-1 with key WR, Best TE hurt. They are far better off.

[High 5]

You misunderstood my point. Either way, it's not regression, it's not the schedule. The Falcons just put too much trust in younger players and have had bad luck with injuries. The close wins have turned into close losses.

[NeedsMoreCheese]

It's not regression. It's just what happens when a team loses a lot of players from one year to the next.

What key players did they even lose though? Turner was done (and SJax when healthy is an upgrade), they replaced Abraham with Osi (clearly an upgrade), they chose to get rid of Clabo, and McClure retired (which they clearly planned for with drafting Konz a few years back).

Injuries is more of a valid point, but with the exception of Roddy white their offensive weapons healthy for the first few games they blew. (Not to mention most teams deal with injuries)

As has been said, you play a lot of close games and you're not going to have a great record without an incredible amount of luck. In close games a fumble, int, bad call, etc can all decide the game, those things will have an effect in any game of course, but are amplified in close games.

[High 5]

Counting who they lost in the offseason and players put on IR (all on IR before the 3rd game), they've played with 9 different starters from last season. Osi has been an upgrade and Jackson has been hurt since the first series of the second game. The rest of the replacements have been downgrades. That's not including the injuries to Roddy, Samuel, Dent, and Baker. So it's clearly a different team from last season.

They've been in a position to win every game at the very end despite all of that, so I don't see how you can call it regression. They were just healthier last season and had a more reliable OL.

[Pharmcat]

ATL needs to spend one whole draft on drafting a defense

[NeedsMoreCheese]

ATL needs to spend one whole draft on drafting a defense

They kind of did. Yes they spent a 4th on a TE and their third of 3 7th rounders on a QB but their other 6 picks were all on D including their first 3 picks.

[NeedsMoreCheese]

Counting who they lost in the offseason and players put on IR (all on IR before the 3rd game), they've played with 9 different starters from last season. Osi has been an upgrade and Jackson has been hurt since the first series of the second game. The rest of the replacements have been downgrades. That's not including the injuries to Roddy, Samuel, Dent, and Baker. So it's clearly a different team from last season.

They've been in a position to win every game at the very end despite all of that, so I don't see how you can call it regression. They were just healthier last season and had a more reliable OL.

Again you're not helping your argument much, they literally had 3 players on IR. 3, and one is designated to return, the other two are a 7th round pick that was a QB (clearly no impact on the team since he wasn't expected to do anything) and a TE who would be no higher than #3 on the depth chart.
Only the Vikings, Bears, Chiefs and Dolphins had less than 3 on IR going into last weeks games.


ETA: Actually 4, for some reason the site i looked at didn't have Mike Johnson. (Though he would have been a new starter and not a returning starter from last year)

[High 5]

The Falcons have 8 players on IR. 4 of those are starters (Spoon, Johnson, Biermann, and Ewing). Spoon is designated to return, but he's still been absent for the 3 game losing streak and we've had an undrafted rookie in his place.

I've given my reasons as to why it's not regression and you disagree. That's fine. I think we've exhausted this argument.

[LAKESHOW]

5 its time to come to the realization. The falcons are finished. People need to be fired. If the coach can lead the rebuild then fine. But the falcons have hit a ceiling and changes need to be made

[High 5]

5 its time to come to the realization. The falcons are finished. People need to be fired. If the coach can lead the rebuild then fine. But the falcons have hit a ceiling and changes need to be made

That's not even what this discussion is about.

Obviously changes need to be made, but they definitely don't need to rebuild. That's insane. Dimitroff just needs to finally find some talent on OL/DL. That is what has held the Falcons back for years. It's going to be even more imperative once Gonzalez retires.

[LAKESHOW]

WOW. De-nile is not only a river in Egypt...

[Higga]

They don't need a full scale rebuild. Teams have bad years from time to time. Lets take the Saints for example. They made the NFC Title game in 06, missed the playoffs two years in a row, then won the Super Bowl in '09. The Pats missed the playoffs the year after winning it all, then won back to back. I could go on and on.

The Falcons still have a franchise QB and good talent around him. They need to shore up some spots but they've got a really good GM that can draft and develop talent as well as anyone. I've never been a big Mike Smith fan though, I think they should consider replacing him and getting an aggressive young offensive minded coach.