Third-Down Defense Is Killing Falcons
October 18th, 2013
The numbers are staggering up in Atlanta. The Falcons’ defense is putrid on third down — worst in the league bad.
D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution penned a look at the Falcons’ futility.
Missed tackles and soft pass coverage is foiling the Falcons’ defensive scheme on third downs.
Teams have converted on 33 of 66 third-down situations for 50 percent inefficiency rate, which ranks 32nd in the league.
What is even more troubling is that the defense has not been able to stop offenses in third-and-long situations.
When confronted with situations of third-and-8 yards-plus, the defense has been getting scorched. Teams have converted of 10 of 22 (45.4 percent) in third-and-8-plus situations.
The Bucs’ stuck-in-the-mud offense could be just the tonic the Falcons need. Or the Bucs could be able to move the chains consistently and score points, and win the field position battle to give their defense plenty of good chances to shut down Atlanta’s depleted offense, which is missing Steven Jackson, Roddy White and Julio Jones.
Given how heinous the Falcons defense is right now. This will be a telling game for Mike Glennon and friends.
October 18th, 2013 at 10:59 am
Looks like Tim Wright has arrived at just the right time.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:01 am
The execution of the Bucs offense is key… I’m in favor of it.
The wit and wisdom of the great John McKay carried us all through some familiar times.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:02 am
Just win. Put a friggin smile on my face for once this season. Al Pacino : “I’m dying ova here”.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:18 am
It’s unfortunate that I’m in a place right now where I see this as an opportunity for us to further embarrass ourselves against an opponent that we should blow past handily. I want to look at this as a winable game but history tells me that we’re really good at blowing winable games.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:19 am
Heinous defense versus heinous offense? Unfortunately, I think the Fowlclowns get better this week in a blowout against us at their dome.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:19 am
We better win this game to kick start our season. This is the weakest team left on our schedule and they won’t be this weak the next time we see them. If we lose this game, 0-16 is not out of the realm of possibilities!
October 18th, 2013 at 11:21 am
@Patrick in VA
Welcome to the conversation “Debbie Downer”
October 18th, 2013 at 11:25 am
Lol w/ Adamant, Patrick is the board Debbie Downer.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:26 am
@adaman – If you’re looking for blind optimism go talk to schiano. in the midst of an 0-5 season it’s pretty unreasonable to knock someone for having a “debbie downer” outlook. things are looking bleak and i’ll cheer like the next guy but this bunch is going to have to earn any sort of optimism going in to games out of me
October 18th, 2013 at 11:31 am
Yeah my optimism is defeated too and I’m probably the most optimistic person here, besides Bonzai and TBBF.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:37 am
If the Bucs lose on Sunday to this depleted Atlanta team, 0-16 is all but guaranteed.
October 18th, 2013 at 11:39 am
Patrick is exactly right. The difference in Sundays game will be coaching. Our staff sucks.
October 18th, 2013 at 12:02 pm
I hope we lose. Ive never been the fan to ever wish a loss or give up hope. But Greg Schiano will never be anything but a micro managing, outclassed clown who is only qualified to coach Air Force, Army, or Navy. This dude doesn’t have the football IQ or ability to adjust, and is a proven loser dating back to Rutgers.
October 18th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
I completely agree with you Patrick. There is NO reason to believe that all of a sudden this coaching staff is going to flip some sort of “coaching switch” and they will start to win games. The coaching staff on this team BLOWS DOG!!! Starting with Benito Mussolini all the way down the whole staff. Not to mention that this team is NOT as good as some of you think they are. The offensive line SUCKS, the d-line does not impress me at all, they only have one receiver that’s worth a damn and he drops too many balls for my taste.( that’s right Mike Williams DOES NOT impress me, I think he’s the next Alvin Harper)
They have NO tight ends, the depth of the running backs is a joke…..hell all of the depth on this team is a joke. They’re going to Atlanta to play a team that is on the ropes and is going to come out swinging. Not to mention they have a much better coaching staff than the ass clowns that coach here.
I find it so funny listening to some of you every week say how , ” this is the week they’ll win, you’ll see GO BUCS!” Where’s the putz that said after they went 0-4 they would go 12-4 ?? That prediction was right on point. They are 0-5 and will be 0-6, and don’t tell me how if this happened and that happened this team would be 4-1……yeah yeah and if my aunt had a crank she’d be my uncle. That’s loser speak! They are 0-5 and like Bill Parcel says, “you are what your record says you are” .
October 18th, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Being a military person I appreciated the approach that schiano brought at first. That appreciation is gone now because rigidity for the sake of imposing one’s will is not leadership.
October 18th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
HOORAH!! Patrick I completely agree with you brother.
October 18th, 2013 at 12:31 pm
And thank you brother for serving your country and fighting for our rights and our freedom! God bless!
October 18th, 2013 at 12:38 pm
@pewterpirate99 – thanks for the support sir. be sure to extend that to the good men and women down there at macdill as well.
October 18th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
@Patrick in VA- Yes sir. I love ALL of our armed service’s men and women and every time I see them I go out of my way to salute them and to thank them. My younger brother is a marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and I couldn’t be prouder of all our military. Semper Fi !
October 18th, 2013 at 1:10 pm
Proud of the military for what, murdering innocent people around the world? Oh to be young and dumb again.
October 18th, 2013 at 1:15 pm
^^^ Go F urself ^^^ loser ass
October 18th, 2013 at 1:23 pm
No the losers are you who glorify war and service to a corrupt government that uses you and discards your husk after use. This opinion comes after “serving” in Vietnam.
October 18th, 2013 at 1:32 pm
Well moron my uncle was is Nam and he said he go back there in a heartbeat. So kiss the peace symbol around your neck and stfu.
October 18th, 2013 at 1:47 pm
Statistically speaking the Eagles defense is even more heinous than the Falcons. Despite their injuries I’m not sure why anyone is optimistic about this game. There is not much in the past five games I have seen that would make me believe the coaching staff is going to do something different.
October 18th, 2013 at 1:50 pm
They get soldiers young and politically naive. They fabricate the enemy, then brainwash the youth to kill people they don’t even know. The NFL and all sports follow this dogma of praising the troops and patriotism. Misguided patriotism.
October 18th, 2013 at 2:02 pm
So……do you think the Bucs will win?
October 18th, 2013 at 2:10 pm
Not really, I hope for the win with all my being. I love the Bucs win or lose.
October 18th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
@bucfan#37 – i’m proud to defend your freedom to voice your wrong opinion sir. We’ll agree to disagree about the state of our government and military and keep comments related to the Bucs and football going forward
October 18th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Granted. It is a Buccaneer fan meeting. I only brought up politics because reading of the articles Joe writes, when he talks about different topics, political or otherwise.
October 18th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
Well, at least this is one aspect of this match-up that favors us, since our offense is tied for 12th-best in the league at third down conversions.