Most of the game it looked like the Falcons
were walking down a safety and playing one deep.
Here is the first shot I took, look at how the CBs are staying deeper then the WRs and the FS is playing a deep centerfield type position. Four Lions are out in pass routes with seven Falcons in coverage.
The ball has just been released to the WR on the bottom left. Both CBs have been turned around giving the WR seperation. This is a spot throw for the QB, he is throwing to an area that the WR is suppose to be in after his break, the ball will almost be there by the time he turns around to find it. FS is still playing his deep zone. Look underneath, there are three Lions in the middle of the field.
Here is a 3rd and long play. Harrington (35 yardline, top right of the screen) has released the ball and is trying to get it to the WR past the 1st down marker. There are four Lions out in this pass route with only one at the sticks or deeper. Notice how the underneath pass coverage will give up the shorter pass and expect to make a tackle while the CB and FS stay deeper then the WR.
Here was a good route if they would have had time to protect. The Falcons blitzed and are running a man free coverage. The FS is playing deep while the underneath defenders are playing man. It looks like the outside WRs are running post patterns or post corners, both of which need protection to be completed. The two underneath are running crossing type routes where the defenders are trailing, good routes against man coverage but they are pretty well covered. Harrington was not able to get the pass off, and of course the crowd was already pretty restless so he was blamed for "not throwing the ball."
Here is another 3rd and long play. This is what we don't see on TV, look at that umbrella pass coverage. The Falcons have EIGHT men in pass coverage and still get pressure on the QB. This is why we see so many screen and draw plays on 3rd downs, defenses will give up everything underneath because they will come up and make a tackle for a medium gain. This pass was completed to Pollard going left across the field at about the 40. Some in the crowd instantly booed because he "dumped it off." We didn't even run a route to the sticks, but we probably wouldn't have time to get it off before they ran that far and the DBs were playing deep. At least the line got a solid triple team on the nose, he isn't going anywhere lol, too bad it was our RT who got smoked.
Garcia is in on this first down play. The pass is almost tipped on the swing (a later pass was tipped) as the Falcons are playing that blanket coverage again. As a QB looking at this there are no passing lanes and the pocket collapses in a split second. On this play there were some in the crowd upset about the dumpoff, but with this view who is open?
Finally the Falcons messed up on man coverage. Solid protection picking up the blitz and Garcia found the open man. The guy who should be covering him is turning back at about the 43. We tried to run this route later and that same CB was talking things over with another DB, probably still confused.