How do we beat the 49ers and Seahawks?

MarylandFalcon1 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:15 pm

Seriously, the 49ers just got Boldin, and Harvin went to the Seahawks... not to mention the 49ers draft picks after dumping Alex Smith. Anyone want to tell me, baring an injury to QB, how we are supposed to compete with either of these two teams?

Pudge · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:22 pm

Stop the run, and we'll be OK. :king:

samedi · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:38 pm

Hold them on the last play.

DaveWaz · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 8:34 pm

What Samedi said....

The Mattural · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:55 pm

I would have love to get Anquan Boldin and let him take HD83's spot in the lineup. I am so ready for them to move on from him.

RobertAP · **Joined:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 3:15 pm **Posts:** 3536

Don't forget that we DOMINATED both of these teams in the early going. We got complacent on offense, and our defense... well, you know. There's no reason that we can't hang with these teams. But the complacency on offense has to go. Something drastic might have to happen in order for that to be resolved.

Cyril · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:57 pm **Posts:** 3882

We stop having turnovers in the second half and that's about it.

Our Qb starts playing as good in playoff games as he does in the regular season.

I'll throw in since we seem to take early leads; our coaches must anticipate where opponents will probably make adjustments, and we make our own adjustments based on what we'd do if in their shoes.

Its tough to stop doing what's been working; but if opponents adjust we not only stop
getting first downs, we also lose all that momentum.

I do believe we make adjustments on the fly but its a little late if the momentum has changed!!

Pudge · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 12:43 am

The 49ers beat the Falcons because they were the better team. Period.
:roll:

The Mattural · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 2:33 pm

Pudge wrote:

The 49ers beat the Falcons because they were the better team. Period.
:roll:

if you go position for position I swear the 49ers have the most talent in the league. That will probably change with Goldson leaving and Whitner getting a year older. That might be a bigger deal than people realize there will be a high rate of turnover on the back end of their secondary.

Pudge · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:09 pm

Look, the most overlooked aspect of that game was the 49ers running game. After the first quarter, where Gore only had 2 carries (neither successful), 14 of the 49ers next 20 runs were successful (not counting 1 garbage time carry by James at the end of the 1st half).

As most probably are aware, a solid to good success rate is between 35-40%. The 49ers were 70%.

It's pretty simple, the Falcons lost in 4 of the 5 phases of the game: running offense, running defense, pass defense, and special teams. It's hard to win games like that. Their entire key to success was the same as it was vs. Seattle, build up an early enough lead and outlast them. They don't have what it takes to go blow for blow with those teams because they don't have the talent on the defensive side of the ball, and they don't have the balance on offense.

This is what I keep trying to tell people is that outside our QB, top 2 WRs, and our TE, the rest of this team is decidedly average. Our best defensive player (Spoon) had a middling year. Abe and Babs had good years, but aren't that caliber of difference makers that can consistently change the outcomes of games. And certainly with his injury, Abe wasn't that guy in January. Samuel, our best DB was fairly average vs. the 49ers. Willy Moore, our best S, is still limited because he's a liability in man coverage.

Cyril · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:57 pm **Posts:** 3882

Frisco is definitely the better team but its not why we lost...... The Biggest play in the whole game was the fumble that Ryan had and no one touched him. Then he couldn't recover it either. Instead of us scoring points it shifted the momentum to Frisco and they did score points; on a play that just shouldn't happen in the NFL.

I always hate saying it was one play; their are lots of one plays; but this was Ryan at his worst. Rob has it right that we built up the big leads; Pudge also has it right that our defense isn't good enough to hold them.....

In this case a little pee-wee play cost us the game. These kind of plays have made Romo famous; but Ryan's second half screw ups are a trend, in playoff games!!

Yea I'm good with falling back that Frisco was the best team; but on that day the best team shouldn't have won!!

samedi · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:04 am

Ryan and Julio were probably the two best Falcons on the field that day; an OL might factor in there, but I didn't watch that closely.

Abe and Nicholas might have had the worst games in trying to contain.

That said, Cyril has a point.

Pudge · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:23 pm

Cyril's wrong. Because while he says he hates making it about one play, that's exactly what he did. You're right samedi, Ryan had an excellent game. Outside that one play, he played extremely well.

Essentially, Ryan did 99 things right, but unfortunately the 100th thing didn't go right. The run defense on the other hand did only 30 things right, and 70 things went wrong against him. Why whittle it down to just Ryan, when clearly the defense tipped the scales.

Was Ryan's fumble a critical play in that game? Sure. But there are several other plays that were critical and affected the outcome of the game.

Your whole mindset/mantra since the Super Bowl, Cyril, has been Flacco was perfect and they won. Ryan wasn't, and the Falcons didn't. And the implication then is that Ryan is somehow the one lacking in terms of our ability to win the Super Bowl. He's the hurdle that is holding us back. When that is not the case at all.

It's simple, instead of just focusing on one play or player, see the forest for the trees. The defense got waxed in the 49er game. Maybe if they had made a stop at any point after the first 15 minutes of the game, then the Falcons would have won the game.

Don't look at just 1 aspect of the game. Look at ALL aspects of the game. And if you didn't you'd realize that the Falcons got outplayed in most of them.

The Falcons were effective in only 1 phase of the game. There are 5 of them. The 49ers were effective in 4 of those phases.

The Mattural · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:47 pm

Pudge wrote:

Cyril's wrong. Because while he says he hates making it about one play, that's exactly what he did. You're right samedi, Ryan had an excellent game. Outside that one play, he played extremely well.

Essentially, Ryan did 99 things right, but unfortunately the 100th thing didn't go right. The run defense on the other hand did only 30 things right, and 70 things went wrong against him. Why whittle it down to just Ryan, when clearly the defense tipped the scales.

Was Ryan's fumble a critical play in that game? Sure. But there are several other plays that were critical and affected the outcome of the game.

Your whole mindset/mantra since the Super Bowl, Cyril, has been Flacco was perfect and they won. Ryan wasn't, and the Falcons didn't. And the implication then is that Ryan is somehow the one lacking in terms of our ability to win the Super Bowl. He's the hurdle that is holding us back. When that is not the case at all.

It's simple, instead of just focusing on one play or player, see the forest for the trees. The defense got waxed in the 49er game. Maybe if they had made a stop at any point after the first 15 minutes of the game, then the Falcons would have won the game.

Don't look at just 1 aspect of the game. Look at ALL aspects of the game. And if you didn't you'd realize that the Falcons got outplayed in most of them.

The Falcons were effective in only 1 phase of the game. There are 5 of them. The 49ers were effective in 4 of those phases.

I agree the entire D was owned in that game but I think what Cyril is saying that even with the D getting man handled in the running game we were one fumbled snap from beating a team that is better than us. I will never say that MR2 is the reason we didnt make it to the SB, because he is just one guy, but with that being said if he doesnt fumble that snap we probably get a FG and only need a FG to win the game at the end.

At the same time if you want to live by that logic tou could say that Cliff Mathews' hands to the head of the QB penalty was a reason we didnt make it to the SB (seeing that the 49ers turned the first down into points) or the Harry Douglas ghost tackle is the reason we didnt win because he should have walked into the endzone.

Both are valid points in the end we didnt win and the team that was better won. The same way the Falcons played like sh*t and managed to beat the Raiders & Cards the better team came out on top.

Pudge · **Posted:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:17 pm

The Mattural wrote:

Pudge wrote:

Essentially, Ryan did 99 things right, but unfortunately the 100th thing didn't go right. The run defense on the other hand did only 30 things right, and 70 things went wrong against him. Why whittle it down to just Ryan, when clearly the defense tipped the scales.

Was Ryan's fumble a critical play in that game? Sure. But there are several other plays that were critical and affected the outcome of the game.

At the same time if you want to live by that logic tou could say that Cliff Mathews' hands to the head of the QB penalty was a reason we didnt make it to the SB (seeing that the 49ers turned the first down into points) or the Harry Douglas ghost tackle is the reason we didnt win because he should have walked into the endzone.

And that's my point. Instead of focusing on one of the few players that had a "winning" performance on that Sunday, who made 1 key mistake, instead the focus should be on all of the players that didn't have such a performance.

Because despite the fumble, Ryan still drove us down the field and put us in a position to win the game, that didn't break our way.

I'm not concerned about Ryan. I don't doubt whether he has what it takes. Maybe he didn't have "it" that particularly Sunday, but I believe there's nothing stopping him from having it on any other. I'm more concerned about our inability to run the ball. That IMO was not the runnign game of a Super Bowl winning team. I'm more concerned about our pass rush. That IMO was not the pass rush of a Super Bowl winning team. I'm concerned about our run defense. Not the run defense of a Super Bowl winning team. Same with the coverage, etc.

But if throwing for 400 yards against arguably the best defense in the NFL isn't good enough, then what is. Basically, it's saying Ryan wasn't perfect so therefore he's the issue. IMHO, if the Falcons have been just slightly above average in ANY OTHER areas, they probably would have won the game.

starley657 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:24 pm

The Seahawk's defense was already good and now they added Avril and Bennett. It looks like it just got better...could be sick. Would've loved to have Bennett for 1 year at $5 million.

Pudge · **Posted:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:33 pm

They have name recognition, but I'd take Chris Clemons in a heartbeat over either of them. Avril is about as good a run defender as Bruce Irvin. Bennett is a good player, so I can't really disparage that move. It'll be interesting if they try to move him inside on 3rd downs, like they had with Jason Jones last year. When Bennett came out of A&M, I thought of him as a potentially really good DT that could go the way of Rod Coleman or Jay Ratliff or Henry Melton as college DEs that turned into good pass-rushing DTs.

But then again, they were already one of the 3 best defenses in the league last year. How much better can they really get?

Cyril · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:57 pm **Posts:** 3882

Pudge Wrote "

Quote:

Your whole mindset/mantra since the Super Bowl, Cyril, has been Flacco was perfect and they won. Ryan wasn't, and the Falcons didn't. And the implication then is that Ryan is somehow the one lacking in terms of our ability to win the Super Bowl. He's the hurdle that is holding us back. When that is not the case at all.

That's wrong Pudge!! Its not been a mantra. Flacco did play much better than he played during the regular season; while Ryan has continued to not play as good in post season as the regular season...... Those are just facts!!

I've stated as least twice that I believe Ryan will continue to improve....I wouldn't trade
Ryan for Flacco. The implication is the Qb who plays best in post season has the best shot at winning... " The past doesn't equal the future"

Please don't make up implications for me...I would say it if I thought it. Ryan can only control how well he plays; he had nothing to do with Flacco's play last post season!!

Pudge · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:17 am

Cyril wrote:

That's wrong Pudge!! Its not been a mantra. Flacco did play much better than he played during the regular season; while Ryan has continued to not play as good in post season as the regular season...... Those are just facts!!

Is that a fact?

Did Ryan's play dip in the postseason? Sure he threw more INTs, but he improved in every other category: Completion %, yards per attempt, yards per game, touchdowns, sack rate, etc.

In general QBs tend to throw more INTs in January just from the quality of competition.

I don't want to put words in your mouth, but Ryan definitely stepped up his play this past January. The word poor is not a word I'd use at all. Roddy doesn't slip and his INT rate is nearly identical to his regular season number. Essentially he had 1 too many turnovers.

If measured by YPC, the Falcons had the WORST run offense and run defense in the NFC playoffs last year (the Colts were weaker in the latter category) and Washington was the only team that sacked the QB less. This team was 29th rushing, 29th vs the run, and 27th at pass rushing. That's why when people *cough*RobertAP*cough* say we have the talent to win it all, I say BS. I hate to be hyperbolic but outside Ryan and The Triplets the rest of this team is closer to hot garbage than it is to being Super Bowl caliber.

So when you're talking about how/why we lost to SF and the first thing you mention is Ryan, Cyril, it implies that you're ignoring all of these other obvious deficiencies just to pick on Ryan because he wasn't good enough to carry his garbage supporting cast.

Cyril · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:57 pm **Posts:** 3882

Look I'm stopping this right here!! There have been a few on the board that I thought had a mindset that we couldn't win with certain coaches; ect, a mantra if you will.

I have always thought Ryan could get better and still do as I've posted a couple of times.

Look if Flacco didn't have a better post season this year then I'm wrong.

If turnovers aren't the crucial part of momentum and winning in the post season then
I'm wrong again.

Anyway Ryan is the franchise Qb, his play is looked at closely. If the rest of what we have is garbage (and I just don't want to argue about that with you; then Coach Smith must be the best coach in ages.)

Here's another reporters view on post season before this year's playoffs.

Quote:

by Ben Pickman | Posted on January 12, 2013 by Ben Pickman

Both Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan were first round draft picks in 2008. Ryan was the third pick in the draft and Flacco the eighteenth. Flacco has led the Ravens to the playoffs every season in his career, while this is Ryan’s 4th postseason appearance and has made the playoffs three straight seasons. But Ryan and Flacco have had very different results in the postseason.

For quarterbacks, the NFL postseason defines your legacy. No matter how putrid a quarterback might have played in the regular season, a Super Bowl championship will make people forget about the regular season numbers. Think of Eli Manning, for example, Manning in 2008 played mediocre football, throwing twenty-one touchdowns, ten interceptions, 3238 yards, and completing a little more than sixty percent of his throws. When discussing Eli Manning’s 2008 season, no one mentions these pedestrian numbers, but instead his unforgettable Super Bowl run leading to his first title.

So far in Ryan’s young career he is yet to win a playoff game. Ryan led the Falcons to the playoffs in his rookie campaign, sneaking in as the five seed playing the NFC west winning Arizona Cardinals in Arizona. For a rookie Ryan played a mediocre game, passing for less than two-hundred yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ryan’s Falcons lost that game, which turned out to be Arizona’s first postseason victory in their journey to Super Bowl XLIII and Ryan’s first postseason defeat.

Ryan’s next appearance in the playoffs was in the 2010 season, where the Falcons were the number one seed facing the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round. In this 48-21 loss to Green Bay, Ryan played even worse than he did in 2008, throwing one touchdown, two interceptions, and only 186 yards. In the 2010 regular season Ryan threw only nine interceptions, twenty-eight touchdowns, and just less than 4000 yards, but these quality regular season numbers are forgotten because of Atlanta’s early postseason exit.

The very next season Ryan led his Atlanta Falcons into MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. For the third time in his career Ryan struggled failing to throw a touchdowns and again throwing less than two-hundred yards. Atlanta lost to the Giants 24-2 failing to score a touchdown or field goal. Ryan’s third postseason defeat again overshadowed his regular season where he threw for more than 4000 yards and 29 touchdowns.

This weekend Ryan plays the Seattle Seahawks in the Georgia Dome. Ryan’s dominated defenses this past regular season throwing for more than 4700 yards and a career high thirty-two touchdowns, while leading the team to a 13-3 record. But even after this fantastic regular season for Ryan and the Falcons, there are many doubters. Ryan is yet to throw for two-hundred yards in a playoff game and throw more touchdowns than interceptions. If Ryan leads his team to his first career post-season victory than many of Ryan’s previous post-season results will be overlooked. But if he struggles again, than he may be just another Tony Romo 2.0, someone who plays good to great regular season football, but cannot win the games that matter.

Flacco on the other hand is yet to throw for 4000 yards and more than twenty-five touchdowns in the regular season. One week Flacco throws for one-hundred and eighty yards, no touchdowns, and one interception and the very next throws for three-hundred and fifty yards and three touchdowns.

Unlike Ryan, Flacco is incredibly inconsistent in the regular season, but to this point Flacco has achieved postseason success. Already in his young career Flacco has played in eight postseason games, Saturday January 12th being his ninth. Flacco has been to two AFC championship games, and if not for a missed Billy Cundiff field goal would have played in a Super Bowl.

To this point their careers, Matty “Ice” has been more like Matty “Ice Cold” in the postseason, where as Joe Flacco has made people remember that he is Joe Flacco and not his regular season allies Joe “Fluke-o.”

This weekend Ryan hopes to change his legacy one-hundred and eighty degrees in the other direction playing Seattle at 1:00 pm EST on Sunday, and Flacco hopes to continue his post-season success against Denver at 4:00 EST on Saturday.

Pudge · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:05 pm

How do we beat the 49ers and Seahawks?

Cyril wrote:

We stop having turnovers in the second half and that's about it.

Your honor, the state rests.

Cyril · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:57 pm **Posts:** 3882

Quote:

Your whole mindset/mantra since the Super Bowl, Cyril, has been Flacco was perfect and they won. Ryan wasn't, and the Falcons didn't. And the implication then is that Ryan is somehow the one lacking in terms of our ability to win the Super Bowl. He's the hurdle that is holding us back. When that is not the case at all.

The Judge says,
Cyril is not guilty of saying or believing that Ryan is lacking in terms of his ability to win a Super Bowl. He's not guilty of saying he is the one holding The Falcons back. A mantra is something that is repeated time after time, almost an obsession, if you will....
I have not seen that in him towards Ryan. I can't help but acknowledge I have seen it
from others towards Coach Smith.

Sportswriter Ben Pickman made some good points, but he is irrelevant to the charge.

I must say as a Judge, the state with all its resources; has not proven its slander case against Cyril. Not even Close!! (:

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