I can’t emphasize enough how important the first quarter will be in Sunday’s game. Chances are that the team which wins the first quarter will also win this football game.
This game means more to the Falcons than it does for the Eagles, but you couldn’t tell it this week at the Nova Care Complex. The tone of the players was very serious. Andy Reid has stressed to this team that they need to win this football game.
If the Birds win this game, I think they’re going to be 8-0 at the halfway point of their season. If they lose it, I don’t think it’s going to hurt them very much. On the other hand, the Falcons must have this game. They can’t afford to lose another game and fall to 0-2.
The Falcons are 26-6 when they score first and 27-1, when they have the lead at the half. If they get ahead they can play ball control football. If they fall behind then they must play catchup and that’s not there game.
If the Eagles get ahead early in the game, Michael Turner’s importance will be diminished. It will also pour water on the fire of the Falcons fans. On the other hand if the Falcons get ahead in the game, it’s going to mean that weak Eagles run defense will get a large dose of Turner.
I mentioned the crowd at the Georgia Dome, they’re going to play a major role in this game because they’re able to make it very difficult for opposing offenses to communicate on third downs.
It will be nearly impossible for Michael Vick to be heard by his offensive tackles Todd Herremans and Jason Peters. If these two big guys jump offisides a couple of time it could help the Atlanta defense get the Eagles offense off the field a time or two. Herremans will be matched up against former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards, while Peters will be asked to handle right defensive end John Abraham.
If Herremans and Peters can give Vick time to find his receivers, the Eagles are probably going to win this football game. The Falcons secondary cannot cover the Birds receivers, if Vick has time. DeSean Jackson will have a big day and so will Jeremy Maclin.
The Falcons have been much of a blitzing team, but they will probably come after Vick because the Eagles haven’t proven they can read, pick it up and make teams pay.
The Falcons are a much better team at the Georgia Dome than they are on the road and the noise from the crowd is a big part of it.
We’ll see how this part of the football plays out.
G- I could not agree more. If the Eagles can weather the storm in the first quarter I think the game is a W. If Vick comes out trying to do too much & if Andy/Marty script 14 pass plays in the first 15 than it will be an uphill battle. In regards to your previous story about DeSean, I want to know what you think will be the outcome with DeSean and his future with the Eagles. Could you please comment ? I have read that Desean wanted between Holmes & Fitz money. We all would agree that he won’t get Fitz money but I would think paying DeSean with Holmes’ deal would be fair to both sides. I thought the Eagles would extend DeSean once the Vick deal was done. Is Holmes money that out of line ?
I like this – a decent breakdown – if the Eagles OTs can fend off (don’t want to use term hold) the DEs, success for Eagles O which will in turn help Eagles D –
nice –
question – did you mean the Falcons are NOT much of a blitzing team in the 2nd to last paragraph –
I still think the game comes down to the 4th quarter and will be a barn-bruner .. I am picking Eagles 30 – Falcons 26
My Stars of the Game are QB Vick of course, WR Maclin & Smith and even TE C Harbor chips in with some big catches
Defensively, I think Jenkins, Rolle, and both afeties Page and Coleman to have Strong games as well as the Rookie Kicker Henerey..
Let’s Go Eagles
game will be won by mid-3rd qtr. we’ll be up 17-10 at half (again) and win 30-20
question: is holmes better than jackson?
The real question Mubi is
Do the Eagles value the WR position as much as the Jets do.. My gut feeling says, no they don’t.. Holmes is way overpaid for what he;s accomplished Career to date, but that’s my opinion and the MArket will determine the D-JAx’s Value or the Value what the EAgles feels that he’s worth.. again, I don’t believe the Eagles feel a WR is worth $10 Million per Season.. r
G we must establish the run in the first quarter. If we can use a balance offense I feel we can control the time of possession. Vick must get the other receivers involve early in the game. DJax will be double teamed leaving our other receivers in one on one coverage. I really think Smith will be our X factor. Also make sure we get McCoy involve with our short passing game. I feel we have a big advantage against the Falcons secondary. Birds 35 Falcons 21!!!!!!
good question paulman…maybe in the early years of the reid era they didnt value the wr position much but i see in the past few years ever since they drafted desean in the 2nd round and maclin in the first i do believe their value of wide recievers has gone up….right now i really don’t think the matter is whether or not the eagles want to pay desean..its can the pay desean? if i am correct they currently only have about 5 million in cap space right now..
There’s no question that Smith’s proved himself to be a beast of a receiver with the Giants. You put a 100% Smith out there with Maclin & Jackson and, with a little bit of time in the pocket with a max protect or maybe by Vick rolling out one way or another to get a nice passing lane mixed in with a little bit of a running game to keep the D honest and it COULD be like Vick shooting fish in a barrel cause those three receivers could take on any secondary in the NFL.
Eagles 30-17
I believe the NFL does not want the Eagles with a resurging Vick to come in to the dome and upstage their overrated Matt Ryan.
The league been trying to over hype them for years, spinning the after Vick Era as a better Falcons team….But, I ask..
What have the Falcons done since Vick’s incarceration?
Have Ryan pushed his team over the hump? No!
Look for the “Refs” who will give Ryan the Peyton Manning treatment and throw yellow laundry if a lineman is within 2 inches of this fraud.
Look for for ghost holding calls and other bogus calls if the game is close.
The league do not want Vick to get this Vick – tory.
It will embarass them on so many levels. The Ryan hype would end and he would forever live in Vick’s shadow, the Falcon Fans will blast the front office for not retaining Vick’s rights and their business decision of letting him go for absolutely nothing in return.
And the team the NFL have hyped with Ryan at the helm would be devastated fighting their way out of an 0-2 hole.
We must blow these guys out early or there’s no way we get out of the dome with a “W”.
The league and Atlanta have too much to lose in public relations if Vick shines.
This is Dog Killer VS All American Golden Boy
And don’t think it’s not..We’re years removed from the incident yet the national media will take us back to those horrid moments leading up to game time.
This would be the perfect stage to show kids that the All American defeats the Criminal.
I smell a RAT here.
If we get up a few touchdowns in the first half? Eagles 43 Falcons 17
If it’s close at halftime the refs get the call and the Eagles will not win.
Falcons 24 Eagles 21
ALSO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE LATE HITS ON VICK WHICH WILL NOT BE CALLED.
To Mubi,
I agree that the Eagles hit Gold with both Maclin and D Jax in the Draft in recent years.. but do remember that the Eagles also slected Reggie Brown and Freddie Mtichell with high picks too… which again, should show most tfans how the Draft is not an exact science and that a lot of things have to come togther for a Player to become a good NFL Players. with proper coaching, being in the right system, working hard, staying injury free, a complete buy-in from the player,etc,etc…
wrong angle on the conspiracy rev. songs, eagles are 1 of 5franchises that make NFL huge amounts of money, Vick directed by comish to Philly, directed to start, to ship your”baby arm” out, Vick and eagles get breaks, not ice boy, eagles win, close game
OMG songs. That’s your most ridiculous post ever. Have you not gone on ESPN or CNNSI.com the past few months? I would love to do a comparison of front page stories featuring Vick vs those featuring your “golden boy” Ryan. 10 -1 perhaps? There is only one media lovefest for the redeamed “golden boy” in this game, and it isn’t Ryan.
I am not one to dismiss conspiracy theories regarding calls going one team’s way (NYG first game after 911, NO after Katrina, Pitt in SB vs Sea) but that’s not going to be the case here.
So stop dropping your pre-programmed excuses to cover for if Vick or the Birds do poorly. The falcons D should be a cakewalk for a good QB and you know it. Evey decent QB who has faced the Falcs over the past 2 years has torn them apart. Don’t start blaming the league If Vick doesn’t perform….
BTW…when Vick gets blasted 10 into the turf 5 yrds past the LOS it isn’t a late hit.
And skman7….could we please stop with the “must establish the run in the first Q” buisness. That won’t happen. Very few of the top teams in the NFL “establish the run” in the first Q anymore….you have 10 years of watching Reid to know he isn’t going to start the game that way, so why do some of you guys insist on calling for it again and again…..that’s not the way he (or most good teams in the league nowadays) play……
Last week in the first Quarter
GB 18 pass 3 run
NO 5 rass 3 run
Chicago 12 pass 5 runs
Philly 10 pass 6 runs
Balt 7 pass 6 runs
Det 14 pass 8 runs…
Do I need to continue….can we abandon this “establish the run business?” This isn’t 1970. All the new rules (can’t touch the QB, can’t touch the wrs) have made this a passing league.
I have many concerns with Andy Reid, but he was ahead of the curve recognizing where the NFL was headed in terms of play calling.
Vinnie – Rule changes that favor the passing game don’t invalidate the great advantage of keeping the defense guessing on run or pass when the ball is snapped.