New York Giants Official Website

  Falcons Scouting Report
   By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -The Giants will look to break their four-game losing streak and earn a rare home victory over Atlanta when they host the Falcons Sunday in Giants Stadium. Both teams are 5-4 and arrived there in similar fashion. The Giants won their first five games before losing their next four. They had a bye last week. Atlanta was 4-1, but lost three of its last four games, including a 28-19 decision Sunday in Carolina. The Falcons leads the series, 10-9. The visiting team has won the last 12 games, the longest such streak in NFL history. The Giants are 1-5 against the Falcons in Giants Stadium and have lost five in a row since winning in 1979. The teams last met on Oct. 15, 2007 in Atlanta, where the Giants won, 31-10.

Offense

The Falcons are ranked 14th in the NFL with an average of 342.8 yards a game. They are ninth in rushing yards (126.1-yard average) and tied for 17th in passing (216.7). Atlanta is 12th in scoring (24.6 points per game). The Falcons have 31 plays of 20 or more yards, including 11 runs, the second-most in the NFL. They have scored on four consecutive opening drives (three touchdowns and a field goal). Atlanta frequently uses a no-huddle attack, either at the start or in the middle of a possession, to change the tempo.

Atlanta's two major offseason acquisitions on offense were future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez and Will Svitek, who started at left tackle last week for Sam Baker (ankle injury).

Quarterback Matt Ryan led the Falcons to the playoffs as a rookie last season and got off to a good start this season. But he has thrown 10 interceptions and been sacked 10 times in his last four games. Ryan is an outstanding ball handler who executes deceptive play fakes and has a strong arm with a quick release and a lot of velocity. He has thrown every one of the Falcons' 298 passes this season, including a 90-yard touchdown in San Francisco that is the NFL's longest pass this year. Ryan's backup is Chris Redman.

The Falcons have a good power running game. A left-handed run team, they use a lot of pre-snap shifts and motions to try to create lanes for their runners. But that ground game took a hit against the Panthers when Michael Turner suffered a high right ankle sprain. He did not practice Wednesday and is not expected to play (though he said he hopes to). In the last three games, Turner rushed for 155, 166 and 111 yards (before getting hurt early in the second quarter last week). He is seventh in the NFL with 831 rushing yards. The Falcons are 9-2 when Turner rushes for at least 100 yards.

Behind Turner the situation is a bit muddled. Jerious Norwood, next on the depth chart, has missed the last four games with a hip flexor injury and also sat out practice Wednesday. Norwood is a homerun hitter who scored on a 67-yard run against the Giants two years ago. Jason Snelling, inactive for two weeks prior to the Carolina game, can play both halfback and fullback and is second on the team in the major statistical categories, but he has 128 fewer carries and 654 fewer yards than Turner. He said Wednesday he is preparing to start. Aaron Stecker, who was released on Saturday, was re-signed Monday. Fullback Ovie Mughelli, a solid blocker, has battled a calf injury.

The Falcons like to mix and match their wide receivers and line them up in different spots - including the backfield. The receivers all block for the running game. Roddy White is the most explosive member of the group and leads the team with 47 catches and 668 yards, including a team-record 210 at San Francisco. He has scored one touchdown in six of the Falcons' nine games. Michael Jenkins, the other starter, is a big play-maker in the center of the field. Brian Finneran, a savvy veteran, missed the Panthers game with a knee injury. Marty Booker is an exceptional blocker from the slot. Eric Weems is employed on gadget plays.

All three of Atlanta's tight ends play. Gonzalez, acquired in a trade after 12 seasons in Kansas City, has been as good as advertised. After nine games, the Falcons have increases of 34 catches, 402 yards and three touchdowns from the tight end position than they had in 2008. Gonzalez still has the speed to get vertical. Justin Peelle is the best point of attack blocker of the group. Tough and competitive, he will take on defensive ends. Keith Zinger is used in their heavy (three tight end) packages.

Atlanta has a smart and tough group of offensive linemen that is particularly good at thwarting tricks by defensive tackles and ends. Left guard Justin Blalock is a Pro Bowl-caliber player who is the team's best all-around lineman. Center Todd McClure is also playing at a high level. Harvey Dahl and Tyson Clabo are big and rugged linemen on the right side. Baker, a former first-round draft choice, is the team's most instinctive lineman. If he misses another game, Svitek will start.

Defense

Atlanta's defense is ranked 25th in the NFL, allowing 371.0 yards a game. The Falcons are 26th against the run (130.3 yards per game) and 28th vs. the pass (240.7). They are 16th in scoring defense, allowing 21.6 points a game. Atlanta lost several 2008 defensive starters, including linebacker Michael Boley, who is now with the Giants. One of the Falcons' key acquisitions, cornerback Brian Williams, was placed on injured reserve last month with a knee injury. The team's top two draft choices - defensive tackle Peria Jerry and defensive back William Moore - are also on IR. In the last four games, the defense has allowed 16 passes and four runs of 20 or more yards.

The Falcons have an athletic and effective defensive line. The best pass rusher is right end John Abraham, who set a franchise record with 16.5 sacks last season and has 3.5 this year. Tackle Jonathan Babineaux and backup Kroy Biermann are tied for the team lead with 4.0. Abraham and Babineaux often line up on opposite sides. The other starters are left end Jamaal Anderson and tackle Thomas Johnson. Chauncey Davis contributes as a reserve.

The linebackers are a fast, athletic group with good range. The leader of the backers - and the defense - is Mike Peterson, who came over from Jacksonville to play the weak side. He has more than 1,500 career tackles. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton leads the team with 103 tackles (72 solo). Peterson and Lofton play in all packages. Strongside backer Stephen Nicholas is a sturdy run defender who is removed in some nickel defenses.

Atlanta has used four different starting cornerback combinations in a secondary that is largely young and inexperienced and has allowed eight touchdown passes in the last four games. The current starters are Brent Grimes on the left and Chris Houston on the right. Each has an interception and five passes defensed. Tye Hill, acquired in a trade, returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown vs. Washington but was benched for Grimes against Carolina. Hard-hitting Erik Coleman, who played free safety last year, is now the strong safety. Thomas DeCoud now plays free safety and makes more plays than anyone in the secondary. Chevis Jackson is the nickel back.

Special Teams

The Falcons have one of the most accomplished kickers in NFL history in Jason Elam, who last year became the first player to score at least 100 points in each of his first 16 seasons. With 53 points this season, he could make it 17. Elam has made nine of 14 field goal attempts this season with a long of 50. Punter Michael Koenen has a 43.3-yard gross average and a 36.9-yard net average. He has never kicked in Giants Stadium. Weems is fifth in the NFC with a 27.3-yard kickoff return average and seventh in the conference with a 9.1-yard average on punt returns.

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