Week 8 - Falcons v Eagles

At this stage of things, my shock about the Falcons’ strong start may be escalating into feelings of expectation and hope, although I still feel this team is at least a season and a few roster elements away from being a serious playoff contender.  But, as a fan, I can still appreciate the success the team has had to this point, and I can revel in it until the walls finally come crumbling down - not to sound overly pessimistic, but it’s bound to happen…

Anyway, this week offers the Dirty Birds an opportunity to establish themselves as a team to fear, with a contest against Donovan (Chunky Soup) McNabb, Brian Westbrook and the Philadelphia Eagles.

First of all, this contest is being played on an even level in terms of injuries, as both sides come into the game without any declared injuries (source: NFL.com).  So, we’ve eliminated any excuses on that front, regardless of which side you’re rooting for…

Now, the current line at at Vegas.com seems to settle at Philly -8.5, which seems like a lofty spread considering the Falcons actually own the better record (4-2 vs 3-3).  Sure, there’s always a spread consideration given to home field advantage, but I’m leery about anything over a touchdown where this game is concerned.  Why?

Simply put, I believe this game will center on the run, especially with Brian Westbrook healthy (the Eagles also had a bye week in week 7).  While the Falcons aren’t spectacular against the run (20th in the NFL), a run-centric game chews up a lot of clock time.  Therefore, even if the Eagles get into a 14-point lead early or something, the Falcons will be forced to play the deep ball, which they’ve done with some success, and will likely hold that lead at 7 points.

Also, we have to assume that the Falcons will play more of an aerial attack anyway, with Philly being 9th in the league against the run and capable of strange blitz packages.  I simply don’t see the run as a good gameplan for the Falcons…  Note - the Eagles are equally as competent against the pass (10th), but I reckon if you have to make plays, there more to gain by throwing.

From Atlanta’s side, I believe allowing Matt Ryan some creative license will go a long way in terms of bringing about his development.  I’m not suggesting he calls his own plays for the entire game, but giving him the latitude to adjust to the Eagles’ blitz schemes with some degree of autonomy would be a boost to his confidence.

One key player for Atlanta will be Roddy White, who is quietly having a very strong season.  White has 35 catches for 566 yards through 6 games, scoring 3 TDs along the way.  What’s most impressive is his 16.2 yards per catch statistic.  Expect him to see a lot of passes thrown his way in the first quarter, until the Falcons realize the Eagles aren’t idiots and know to cover White very closely.  From then, it will be a mix of White and Michael Jenkins.  I’m hoping that by now, Matt Ryan has figured out that in order for Brian Finneran to be an effective receiver, you have to throw the ball at least six feet over his head.  Far too many balls this season have been right at Finneran’s numbers, and he doesn’t seem to be able to catch those.

What I see as a particularly cunning and creative strategy for the Falcons (and I’m fairly sure there’s nothing specifically against it in the NFL rulebook, although I would have to check) would be to give RB Michael Turner a jet-pack.  With all the Falcons’ struggles in the redzone, this would at least give us the one-yard scoring plays we so desperately need.  He would just fire it up, and go right over the top of Philly’s defensive line.  Heck, it would come in very useful on field goal blocking attempts as well!!  Remember, I gave Miami a gameplan last weekend - they didn’t listen to me - and they lost!!!  Falcons beware!!

Make sure you also check out James Centifonti’s preview!

Now, I’m going to stop boring you with stats and the like, and instead suggest a pre-game meal to enjoy while revving up for what promises to be a very exciting game.

What You’ll Need:

• 2lbs chicken wings
• 1 cup chicken stock/broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Prepared mustard
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp Lime juice
• 1/3 cup Beer
• 2 tbsp White Sugar
• 1/2 White onion (finely chopped)
• Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 3 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger - powdered
• 1 tsp basil - dried
• dash of rice vinegar
• oil

How to prepare:

1. Combine all ingredients except for chicken wings in a saucepan and cook on med-high until it reaches a boil.
2. Lower heat and simmer until liquid reduces by 1/3.
3. Preheat oven to 400* F
4. Place chicken wings into a shallow baking dish and cover with liquid
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes (depends on your oven), turning once at midway point
6. Heat large pan on stovetop, adding 2 tbsp of vegetable oil for cooking
7. Transfer wings from baking dish to heated pan, and sear for 1 minute on either side of wings.
8. Enjoy!

***  NOTE:  This recipe can also be used while adding 1 oz of Jack Daniels for every pound of wings being made…  I have made this snack for people many times, and have always gotten rave reviews.  Any feedback is welcomed!

WEEK	DATE	MATCHUP	TIME
9	Nov 2	ATL @ OAK	4:15 PM
10	Nov 9	NO @ ATL	1:00 PM
11	Nov 16	DEN @ ATL	1:00 PM
12	Nov 23	CAR @ ATL	1:00 PM
13	Nov 30	ATL @ SD	4:05 PM
14	Dec 07	ATL @ NO	1:00 PM
15	Dec 14	TB @ ATL	1:00 PM
16	Dec 21	ATL @ MIN	1:00 PM
17	Dec 28	STL @ ATL	1:00 PM

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