Week 17 Preview
Meet the Falcons
Ever since the Eagles and the
Falcons kicked off the 2005 season last year, the Falcons have developed a
reputation as one of the most consistently disappointing teams in the NFL. After
beating the Eagles at the start of their 2005 campaign, the Falcons ended the
year at a very mediocre 8-8 mark. Unfortunately for the Falcons, 2006 has not
fared much better in a season ripe with disappointment, thrills, and
controversy.
The Falcons are currently
sitting at 7-8 going into this final game of the regular season and are desperately
clinging to what are very slim playoff hopes. The Falcons have been a
perplexing team this year in terms of the games played up until this point.
After starting off the season 3-1, the Falcons lost a tough game following
their bye to the New York Giants. However the loss seemed to light a spark
under the team as they won two very entertaining games against the Pittsburgh
Steelers and the
The Falcons are led on
offense by their most popular player, the ever-so mobile Michael Vick. Vick
over the years has earned a reputation for being an incredible playmaker with
his legs, but not so much with his arm. Vick has been criticized frequently for
his ineffectiveness in the air when forced to throw the ball. His reputation
also was dealt a severe blow when he gave the finger to some of the Falcons
faithful who stuck around to boo the team and most recently when he started
questioning the coaching of head coach Jim Mora Jr. Make no mistake though, as
he proved in the Pittsburgh/Cincinnati games, Vick is still a good QB who can
crank up a good game when he really needs to. The Falcons will most likely
focus on a running attack, since they are ranked dead last in the NFL in
passing. They have one of the better RBs in the game
in Warrick Dunn and a good FB in Justin Griffith. The Falcons’ passing game is
in big trouble with #1 receiver, former Denver Bronco Ashley Lelie out with a shoulder injury. This leaves only two
skillful guys in WR Michael Jenkins and TE Alge Crumpler. Vick’s playmaking ability however is usually
almost based entirely on whether he is able to scramble on what Jim Mora Jr.
dubs “the naked bootleg” where Vick spins and runs, usually to the right side
of the defense. If Vick is able to use his incredible speed to set up Dunn and
the passing game, this Falcons offense can put up points and fast.
On defense, the Falcons are a
unit that features three former Eagles in Allen Rossum,
J.R. Reed, and Ike Reese, although none of them are starters. The Falcons
actually have themselves a pretty good defense that doesn’t get nearly enough
credit. They have two good defensive ends in Chauncey Davis and former NY Jet
John Abraham. At weak-side linebacker, the Falcons have a proven run-stopper in
Keith Brooking. Lastly, the Falcons have a speedy and trash-talking cornerback
in D’Angelo Hall. Hall is a pretty good cornerback
who has a reputation for getting players to commit stupid penalties by getting
under their skin early and often with his mouth. You may remember him as the
recipient of the Terrell Owens spit-job in the game against
The Falcons have been a
disappointment since they played the Eagles in the NFC Championship game a few
years ago in the game that sent the Eagles to the Super Bowl. With head coach
Jim Mora Jr. engulfed in his own controversy with comments he made about his
coaching future, Mora’s time in
What to watch for on Sunday
This game obviously has big
implications for both teams involved, but it carries tremendous significance
for the Eagles. After their huge win against the Cowboys that sealed their
entry into the playoffs, the Eagles are riding high but this game has absolute
potential to be a let down game similar to when the Birds played the Saints
following their Week 5 smackdown of the Cowboys at
the Linc. This game could determine playoff seeding,
and is the deciding factor as to whether or not the Eagles win the NFC East
given that they have a better division record than the Cowboys, should they win
against the Lions this week. If both teams lose, the Eagles still win the
division, but lets face it, a win would be greatly
appreciated. The Eagles are in a bind because while they will be aggressively
playing to win the division, they have to make sure that none of their really
important players get hurt as they look ahead to the playoffs. Look for the
Falcons to play with more urgency while the Eagles will try to keep riding the
Jeff Garcia wave as they try to clinch a NFC East title.
When the Eagles have the ball
The Eagles have won their
last few games with relatively the same game plan, so they will most likely go
with what has been working. This plan consists of the Jeff Garcia west coast
style of game. The Eagles will probably dress RB Ryan Moats for this game for
fear of Westbrook getting hurt, but Westbrook will absolutely get some playing
time as he is the keystone of their offense. Westbrook will run the ball early
and often with a little Correll Buckhalter
thrown in there. In order for the Birds’ run game to be effective, the key
players will be C Jamaal Jackson and G Shaun Andrews. Both of these guys are
having stellar years with Andrews heading to the Pro Bowl, but they’ll have
their hands full against the Falcons pass rush.
Also important when the
Eagles have the ball is the play of their receivers and tight ends. They have
all stepped up in recent weeks and cut down on the dropped passes. This trend
needs to continue if the Eagles are to be productive. Every guy on that team
has stepped up lately, most recently back up TE Matt Schobel’s
TD catch against
When the Falcons have the ball
Most importantly, the Eagles
have to stop Michael Vick’s mobile nature, period. What Vick lacks in throwing
ability, he makes up for with his electrifying speed and sick jukes. DE Trent
Cole will be given the unenviable task of making sure Vick doesn’t get too many
yards when he does one of those bootlegs Coach Mora is so fond of. The Eagles
will also probably keep a linebacker (Omar Gaither?) as a spy should Vick start
running. If he gets into the secondary things could get ugly. It will be
interesting to see how defensive coordinator Jim Johnson chooses to handle
Vick. He is not your average scrambling QB that we saw in
Special Teams
The Falcons have a very scary
return man in former Eagle Allen Rossum. Rossum’s speed is jawdropping and
with just a few blocks, he is capable of creating a big return. Kicking their
field goals, the Falcons enlisted the help of 46 year old Morton Anderson.
Prediction: Eagles 24 Falcons
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