Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Atlanta record: 5-3
On To the Second Half
The Atlanta Falcons are 5-3, more than halfway to a winning season. They are right in the thick of things, playoff-wise. And now, they’re in Carolina to start the second half of the season, hopefully in the same manner the first half began, with a solid win.
Here’s a few quick hits on how the Falcons can defeat the Panthers
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Contain DeAngelo Williams. Don’t be fooled by his knee injury. He’s playing today, and anytime he’s on the field, he’s a threat. Don’t let him turn the corners. Either stay in front of him and keep him running horizontally until he runs out of room, or else, force him to the inside and close off the lanes. Williams, and to and extent, Jonathan Stewart, are the most dangerous weapons the Panthers have, and should be treated with a great deal of respect.
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Keep Turner churning. Michael Turner has topped 150 yards rushing for 2 weeks in a row, and keeping that going today will greatly improve the Falcons’ chances. Sam Baker is out today, so Will Svitek will get a chance to prove himself, and aiding in springing Turner from the backfield will say a lot about him. It is also worth mentioning that Jerious Norwood is out once again today, but Jason Snelling is back. Aaron Stecker has been released, so that might bode well for Norwood’s return soon.
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Keep it up on defense. This defense, though not great, is playing a whole lot better than anticipated in the preseason, and they have been doing a good job forcing turnovers. If they are able to force a couple early, it is likely that Delhomme will go back to his old ways of throwing to the wrong colors. Also, don’t forget about Steve Smith. Nothing about his statistics are particularly memorable, but he has demonstrated time and time again in the past that he can do some damage, and we don’t want the team he gets hot against.
It’s nearly kickoff, so I’ll have more after the game.
