Atlanta Falcons hire....

[BlueSky]

Saw this in an article about Petrino: "Louisville was known for running the same play out of at least 10 different formations." His offense features a "myriad" of personnel packages, formations, shifts, and motion. And Vick, whose ability even call an audible was severely restricted for whatever reason in his 6th season is going to run such an offense? Good luck with that.

As a Saints fan, I sincerely wish Coach Petrino the same success Spurrier enjoyed in Washington and Saban had in Miami.

[paynomind]

As a saints fan, you make a predictably idiotic comment.

Petrino is a good hired for the Falcons. He is a dicipline guy, who sets a standard for whom is in charge; the coach. Mora was faulted for being a player's friend, rather than his boss, and fotball teams tend to flourish under a dicipline coach.

Petrino's offense was a running game, with deep throws off play action to keep defenses honest. This is the perfect system for the Falcons.

Vick has a big arm and even bigger legs. If the offense send the WRs downfield, it will open up the running lanes for him to make big runs. The West Coast offense didnt send WRs very far downfield, so when Vick decided to run, the CBs and safteys were clsoer to 'the box' and could provide immediate run support. If the new Offense stretches the field long and wide, there will be bigger lanes to run. And anyone who has watched the Falcons knows all Vick needs is a little day light, or a WR with one step for there to end up being a huge play.

As far as the Schaub v Vick talk, quit your speculating. Vick is the QB of this team for the long term. Unless he gets hurt or increases his mistakes, he isnt going anywhere. The GM and owner full believe that if more passes were CAUGHT, this team would have had 10 wins. Whether that is true or not, its what the people in charge think, so he will be the QB.

I'm a schaub fan, and I'd continue to pay him to be the back up. Right now, name me another team who would be in as good a shape as the falcons if their starting QB and RB went out? No one. Schaub and Norwood could start for 10-15 other teams in the league.

Atlanta has dangerous talent, needs a few pieces and a good coach, and then could really see some bigger success.

I applaud this hire. I dont know of another coach i'd have been happier with.

[BlueSky]

As a saints fan, you make a predictably idiotic comment.

Are you really that much of an ass? How about we have a reasonable, mutually respectful conversation?

Petrino is a good hired for the Falcons. He is a dicipline guy, who sets a standard for whom is in charge; the coach. Mora was faulted for being a player's friend, rather than his boss, and fotball teams tend to flourish under a dicipline coach.

I agree with you there. As I said after Mora was seen kissing Vick's helmet before a game, he needed to quit kissing helmets and start kicking asses.

Petrino's offense was a running game, with deep throws off play action to keep defenses honest. This is the perfect system for the Falcons.

We'll see. Knapp's system was supposed to be "perfect" for them too.

Vick has a big arm and even bigger legs. If the offense send the WRs downfield, it will open up the running lanes for him to make big runs. The West Coast offense didnt send WRs very far downfield, so when Vick decided to run, the CBs and safteys were clsoer to 'the box' and could provide immediate run support. If the new Offense stretches the field long and wide, there will be bigger lanes to run. And anyone who has watched the Falcons knows all Vick needs is a little day light, or a WR with one step for there to end up being a huge play.

Wrong. Most of Vick's big runs come when the defense is in man coverage and they're running with receivers. Petrino's offense won't change that.

I WANT Vick to run, 'cause when he's running for 150 yards, it means nothing else is working. You SHOULDN'T want Vick to run, because his shelf life is going to be considerably shorter if he keeps taking hits.

As far as the Schaub v Vick talk, quit your speculating. Vick is the QB of this team for the long term. Unless he gets hurt or increases his mistakes, he isnt going anywhere. The GM and owner full believe that if more passes were CAUGHT, this team would have had 10 wins. Whether that is true or not, its what the people in charge think, so he will be the QB.

I didn't speculate, in fact I didn't even mention Schaub.

Oddly, one thing you didn't address was my take on Vick, who can't even audible in a system he's been in for 3 seasons, running a complex offense like Petrino's. Your response?

[paynomind]

First, I didn?t start it. You made a wisecrack, I resented it. -shrug- Big deal. Its over. I have a lot of respect for this year's Saints team.

OK, point by point:

Vick wasn't ALLOWED to audible. That doesn?t mean he can't. It might mean that Knapp and Mora were exactly that big-headed, and wanted their play run. I know Vick changed the play in the huddle a couple weeks ago, resulting in a TD, and it was news around here. Mora said something to the extent that it worked this time, but that?s not our system. So, I'm of the mind that the coaches didn't allow it.

I think a 'complex' system like Petrino?s serves a team well. As a Tech fan, I watched a lot of Ralf Friedgen's offense in the late 90's which worked in a very similar way. They had 15-20 alignments, from which they could run 15-20 plays, neither of which having anything to do with the other. All this requires is memorizing these line ups and plays, then calling the combination in the huddle. "Line up X, play Y" I'm sorry, but I don't think any pro QB is dumb enough to not be able to do that. It?s just not that complex. But it sure seems to work for throwing off the D. Especially when the QB can, at the line, change the play based on the D alignment without requiring a shift.

Knapp was the only one saying that system was perfect for the Falcons. My sense of general consensus was that no one around here much wanted to see the West Coast O, and didn't want to have to start over with it, teaching a whole new system. I certainly didn?t like it.

You make the mistake of thinking about the Falcons from the Saints perspective. When Drew Brees runs, yes, the play has gone pear-shaped, and danger may ensue. When Vick runs, it is likely planned, or he saw 30 yards of real-estate he wanted to exploit. Saying I shouldn't want Vick running is like saying you shouldn?t want Reggie Bush catching the ball, cause it means he isn?t running. Vick has two weapons, and not using one is a bad decision.

Petrino's offense will put the CBs and safeties as well as one of the LBs 25-30 yards downfield, making openings for Vick to get the 10-15 yards he needs for a first down. With the West Coast, those same receivers were going 5 and 8 yards, and cutting in... that left all 11 defenders between the line of scrimmage and the first down marker, making it far more difficult to get the 10 when he ran.

My Schaub comments were directed to the thread in general, not your comments in particular.

[BlueSky]

Cool.

Still disagree about the running, at least in the last year or two because it hasn't been the strategy, it's been he's running for his life. When the Saints played here this year, my wife said, "Vick's running all over them." She was right, but I responded, "He can run for 300 for all I care because that means their offense isn't working." You know how that one turned out.

[HedleyLamarr]

Cool.

Still disagree about the running, at least in the last year or two because it hasn't been the strategy, it's been he's running for his life. When the Saints played here this year, my wife said, "Vick's running all over them." She was right, but I responded, "He can run for 300 for all I care because that means their offense isn't working." You know how that one turned out.

That's the same game where the dropsies were prevalent (see Roddy White) and where DeAngelo won Best High Jump, but let the receiver catch the Hail Mary pass. Vick ran because he lost faith with his receviers. I would have done the same thing. A lot of Vick's rushes this season were designed runs.

The Falcons' problems this season weren't with Vick. His total yards put him in the top ten for QB's.

[TFoA]

Cool.

Still disagree about the running, at least in the last year or two because it hasn't been the strategy, it's been he's running for his life. When the Saints played here this year, my wife said, "Vick's running all over them." She was right, but I responded, "He can run for 300 for all I care because that means their offense isn't working." You know how that one turned out.

That's the same game where the dropsies were prevalent (see Roddy White) and where DeAngelo won Best High Jump, but let the receiver catch the Hail Mary pass. Vick ran because he lost faith with his receviers. I would have done the same thing. A lot of Vick's rushes this season were designed runs.

The Falcons' problems this season weren't with Vick. His total yards put him in the top ten for QB's.

Falcons problems = O-Line being dominated in all but 3 games (PIT, CIN, TB), Secondary was the absolute worst since the Jerry Glanville days, every single WR decided to have a slump in the middle of a playoff run, and injuries injuries injuries. I mean, you know it's bad when Allen Rossum is thrust into the starting CB job.

With that being said, the O-Line and WRs are definitely gonna be fixed, and hopefully we won't be as injury prone as we've been for the past two years down the stretch...

[HedleyLamarr]

Petrino hires his coordinators

[paynomind]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but arent the Falcons heavy on Linebackers and thin on D line? Woudlnt that dictate that one should run a 3-4 to take advantage of their LB talent?