I reported earlier this week that I had the pleasure of working with Dan Stack, who is the Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent for the Fanball Sports Network at SteelersMill.com. We decided to work together this week in order to provide fans of both teams with some bonus insight into the minds of our opponents. The Steelers will host the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday, so we each asked five crucial questions that both teams will face entering this weekend’s opening kickoff. First, here is a link to his article revealing my answers, and after that is the recap of his answers from the five questions I got to ask him.

http://steelersmill.com/2010/09/07/a-look-inside-the-atlanta-falcons-via-dirty-bird-blog/

RK: With Dennis Dixon basically taking over at QB by default for the first 4 games, what (if any) changes will be made to the Steelers’ offense?

DS: “Well, Dixon does provide a great deal of mobility and that will be of great help since the Steelers’s offensive line is an area of concern. Dixon did start a game last year and did well considering the circumstances (first ever start and on the road vs. the Ravens), passing for 145 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another touchdown. Many Steeler fans wanted Dixon to be the starter instead of Byron Leftwich-so they got their wish. Not much will change in their offensive philosophy as they will try to establish the run early to set up their passing game”

RK: With Willie Parker now out of the picture in the backfield, is Rashard Mendenhall ready to carry the load?

DS: “It sure seems like Mendenhall is ready to step up and be one of the league’s elite running backs.
Mendenhall did not take over on a full-time basis until he exploded on the scene in week four of last year with 29 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns in a 39-28 victory over San Diego. He finished the year with a nice 4.6 yards per carry clip while amassing 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 starts. With the selection of center Maurkice Pouncey in the draft, the Steelers are more committed to the running game and Mendenhall will be front and center.”

RK: Santonio Holmes is gone, and although he is not slowing down, Hines Ward is getting older. Is this the season that Pittsburgh’s passing offense declines, and if so, is the ground game good enough to win games?

DS: “From a talent perspective, yes the loss of Holmes may hurt, but the Steelers do have the dependable, wily vet in Ward still making plays, and they are counting on the emergence of Mike Wallace to make up for the loss of Holmes. Wallace is the wild-card here. He is a terrific receiver with great speed and unlimited upside. He is still young and without Ben Roethlisberger throwing him the ball, he may struggle early. I don’t see the passing game declining all that much. I see the offense being more balanced this year if anything.”

RK: We did not see the same Steel Curtain defense last year that we have been accustomed to seeing. Do they have the pieces to turn it around this year, and what needs to be done differently?

DS: “While the Steelers defense may be getting a bit long in the tooth, the defense is still a solid, stout unit. The Steelers defense relies heavily on the leadership of safety Troy Polamalu, and when he is injured the defense is simply not the same. Polamalu is the quarterback of the defense and his presence makes all the difference. The Steelers also missed the services of defensive end Aaron Smith for most of last year. The Steelers have one on the best linebacking units in the league with James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley patrolling the middle of the field. So, the pieces are there for a return to dominance as long as they stay healthy.”

RK: After missing the playoffs for the first time in awhile, can Pittsburgh bounce back against divisional opponents including the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals and return to the postseason?

DS: “The Steelers certainly have what it takes to get back to the playoffs and much will be made of the first four games in which Roethlisberger will be out. They have to stay afloat, at least going 2-2, and then anything can happen from there. A lot of pundits are not predicting much success for the Steelers, and for many Steelers they wouldn’t want it any other way. When they are counted out, the Steelers usually rise to the occasion and surprise people. The Ravens and the Bengals are also strong candidates to win the AFC North and it will be an intense battle all the way to the end. The Steelers will have plenty of motivation and drive to make the playoffs.
Believe it or not, the game on Sunday vs. the Falcons could prove to be very critical in setting a tone for the season. I expect a war.”

I would like to thank Dan for his time over the past few days. It is always great to find out some information from an insider on the other side. And as far as his comments at the end about this opening game being a war, I could not agree more. Both of these teams will leave it all on the field, and may the best team win.

We, or course, certainly hope its the Dirty Birds!

- Rob Kelley

]]> http://dirtybirdblog.com/2010/09/08/opposing-camp-insight-dan-stack-of-steelersmill-com/feed/ 0 http://dirtybirdblog.com/2010/09/07/game-1-preview-of-falcons-vs-steelers/ http://dirtybirdblog.com/2010/09/07/game-1-preview-of-falcons-vs-steelers/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:47:35 +0000 Rob Kelley http://dirtybirdblog.com/?p=676 The Atlanta Falcons are getting ready to open the 2010 NFL season on the road. That is the bad news. They will be playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is never great news either. But the silver lining may be the fact that Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended, and Dennis Dixon now looks to be the man behind center come Sunday.

The Steelers certainly have their fair share of question marks entering this season, but can you name many teams that do not? For Atlanta, they are still an up and coming team with a young offense and an improving defense. Head coach Mike Smith will have his guys ready, as will Mike Tomlin in the Steel City. Here is a preview of what to watch for when each team has the ball, and who will be some of the difference makers on offense and defense.

When the Falcons have the ball: Atlanta is once again going to be a run first team. Michael Turner will be featured early and often as the Falcons look to establish the run from the onset. The better he runs, the more it will open the field for Matt Ryan and the rest of the offense. They need to also get Tony Gonzalez going early so that they can the stretch the filed for Roddy White. Michael Jenkins will miss this game, so Harry Douglass and Brian Finneran will need to make their own contributions. If they can get things going on the ground, then expect Ryan to open things up through the air as the game goes one.

The Steelers defense was not the same last season. But are the old Steel Curtain days behind them, or can they rebound? You have to keep in mind that Troy Polamalu was injured throughout the entire season. That changed the entire mindset of Pittsburgh’s defense. If he can remain on the field, then Atlanta will have to be on the lookout for him at all times. You may think you know where he is, and then he seems to appear from nowhere to deliver a huge hit.

Along with Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden returning, the Steelers have a very solid secondary. Ryan Clark also has been known to come up with some very big plays on defense.

Up front, Pittsburgh will rely on many different players to stop the run and put some pressure on Ryan. Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith will look to slow down Turner at the line, while James Farrior and James Harrison will be shadowing Turner and Gonzalez at the linebacker position. With Lawrence Timmons and Lamarr Woodley also chipping in, the Pittsburgh defense looks like it will once again be a formidable unit.

When Pittsburgh has the ball: With Roethlisberger out for the first four games, and Byron Leftwich out with an injury, this is now Dixon’s offense. They also had Charlie Batch in the mix, but Tomlin felt that Dixon gives the team the best chance to win.

Not a lot is known about Dixon, because he has not played much in the league. He was a very mobile quarterback at Oregon, and will look to use his legs as much as his arm. He will be elusive at times, and if he can throw on the run, then he could be extremely dangerous. Sometimes, it is more difficult facing the unknown than it is facing a Super Bowl champ. That will be the case for the Falcons on Sunday.

Dixon will have plenty of weapons to go to in the aerial attack, as Pittsburgh returns most of their starters from the past few seasons, sans Santonio Holmes.

Holmes will be missed to stretch the field, but they feel comfortable with Mike Wallace. Hines Ward is still one of the better all around receivers in the league, and Heath Miller finds a way to get open in key situations.

Atlanta still has an untested secondary, as far as them playing together. Dunta Robinson will make his Dirty Bird debut Sunday, and he will start opposite Brent Grimes. With Erik Coleman and Thomas Decoud playing safety, they will need to limit the Steelers passing offense.

But regardless of who is behind center for the Steelers, the team will go as Rashard Mendenhall goes. Like Atlanta, they are a run first team. Mendenhall has not truly carried the load for an entire season, but with Willie Parker jettisoned, this is Menedenhall’s time to shine.

But whereas Atlanta may be a question mark in their secondary, up front they are getting stronger. John Abraham did not have help on the other side last season, so his numbers went down. But with the emergence of Kroy Biermann, Abraham may have the complimentary end he has been in desperate need of for the last year or two. They can put pressure on the quarterback, but can also stop the run.

It will be a revolving quartet of linebackers for Atlanta, as they will feature Curtis Lofton in the middle, and heavily utilize rookie Sean Weatherspoon to go along with Mike Peterson and Stephen Nicholas. They will quickly form a solid unit that will make a huge impact right away.

All things being equal, this one is a tough one to predict. Both have good offenses, both have some big playmakers on defense, and both are coached by men who know how to win. It could come down to special teams, or turnovers, or one bad call. But, I have to make a prediction, so if I were to call it right now, I see a Falcons upset.

Final score: Atlanta 24 Pittsburgh 21

Be sure to check back over the next day or so with some insight into the Steelers from Dan Stack from SteelersMill.com.

- Rob Kelley

This week at the Dirty Bird Blog, I will tackle all of the issues that face both the Falcons and the Steelers. From an on the field perspective, as well as the all important fantasy perspective. What to watch for when Atlanta has the ball, who to key on when the Steelers are driving, and who should be in your starting fantasy football line up for your first game of the season. This is the only place you need to go if you want inside on this week’s game and the Falcons fantasy predictions.

But this week, I am fortunate enough to have someone from the other side. The Steelers are certainly the enemy come Sunday, but I would like to welcome in Dan Stack, who runs Pittsburgh’s SteelersMill.com for the Fanball Sports Network. It will be great to gain some insight from a Steelers writer who will provide you with the latest happenings from inside the enemy’s camp. I will also attempt to provide his Steelers fans with some insight from the Falcons week of preparation on his website – steelersmill.com. That way, both teams will have break downs from both writers.

So, make sure to check back all this week for previews of the game and for all of your fantasy football advice!

- Rob Kelley

Atlanta terminated FB Dan Klecko and C Brett Romberg. The team waived TE’s Robbie Agnone and Keith Zinger, WR’s Troy Bergeron, Ryan Wolfe, Tim Buckley, Andy Strickland and Brandyn Harvey, RB Dimitri Nance, OL’s Blake Schlueter and Jose Valdez, DL’s Maurice Lucas and Emmanuel Stephens, LB’s Weston Johnson and Bear Woods and DB’s Rafael Bush, Erick Brock, Dominique Daniels and Chevis Jackson.

The Falcons can select eight of those players (or others) for their practice squad today.

Again, I would not say that there were many surprises. Chevis Jackson may be a surprise cut in name to some people, but he was having a hard time proving that he was worthy of a spot in Atlanta’s crowded secondary.

I was a bit surprised that TE Michael Palmer made the final roster, but he was impressive enough in the team’s final two exhibition games that they like his potential.

So now that the final roster has been announced (at least for now), here is a look at your 2010 Atlanta Falcons by position:

QB: Matt Ryan, Chris Redman, John Parker Wilson (3)

RB: Michael Turner, Jerious Norwood, Jason Snelling, Antone Smith (4)

FB: Ovie Mughelli (1)

WR: Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, Harry Douglas, Brian Finneran, Eric Weems, Kerry Meier (IR) (6)

TE: Tony Gonzalez, Justine Peelle, Michael Palmer (3)

OL: Sam Baker, Justin Blalock, Todd McClure, Harvey Dahl, Tyson Clabo, Joe Hawley, Mike Johnson, Garrett Reynolds, Will Svitek, Rob Bruggeman (10)

DL: John Abraham, Peria Jerry, Corey Peters, Kroy Biermann, Lawrence Sidbury, Jamaal Anderson, Trey Lewis, Vance Walker, Jonathan Babineaux, Chauncey Davis (11)

LB: Mike Peterson, Sean Weatherspoon, Coy Wire, Stephen Nicholas, Curtis Lofton, Spencer Adkins, Robert James (7)

DB: Dunta Robinson, Brent Grimes, Christopher Owens, Dominique Franks, Thomas DeCoud, Shann Schillinger, Erik Coleman, William Moore, Brian Williams (9)

Specialists: Michael Koenen, Matt Bryant, Joe Zelenka (3)

- Rob Kelley

Smith and Dimitroff have to trim their roster down from 75 to 53 players by the end of the day today. While a few teams got the ball rolling yesterday by announcing a handful of their cuts, the San Diego Chargers may have made the biggest splash by acquiring WR Patrick Crayton from the Dallas Cowboys for a seventh round draft pick in 2011. Other names rumored to be on the chopping block or trade market are Seattle Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, San Diego Chargers WR Vincent Jackson, Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart and Tennessee Tiatns WR Kenny Britt.

Although it remains unlikely that any of these players will be dealt this weekend, there will be plenty of players who are cut because they are in a crowded situation with their former teams. That, or the team is just making a few financial moves.

This is a busy time of the year, because while players are getting cut from one team, other teams will be scouring the waiver wire to see if any of them would be a good fit with their team.

I don’t see Atlanta making a big splash following today’s cuts. They will feel that the final 53 man roster will be the team that they expect to compete for a Super Bowl this season. Now that is not to say that if an opportunity arises that they will pass it up, but they feel quite comfortable with their team as it will be at the end of the day.

Check back tomorrow for an update on the finalized 53 man roster.

- Rob Kelley

Well, you know where I’m going by now.

For those of you still confused by my first two paragraphs, the Atlanta Falcons elected to sit their starters during the team’s final exhibition game last night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who sat the majority of their stars as well. Both teams wanted to ensure that they head into the regular season as healthy as possible.

For those who are in love with statistics, I apologize in advance. I am not going to break down many numbers from last night’s game. The stat that I will take away the most from this game is from the foot of Matt Bryant. Although he had been a bit shaky during the team’s first few preseason games, Bryant delivered all of the Falcons points during the final game last night. He connected from distances of 31, 27 and 25 yards. Sure, there was nothing over 31 yards, but he came through regardless.

But I have to admit that I was somewhat intrigued to hear that the Houston Texans released their one and only kicker in team history, Kris Brown. If Bryant, or any kicker in the league for that matter happens to struggle early on, expect Brown’s name to come up quite often in conversation.

Now, the real fun begins for head coach Mike Smith and his coaching staff. They have a little over a day to cut their roster down from 75 to 53 players. It will be no easy task, because there is some serious talent on this team.

One name who will not come up in the cuts department will be safety William Moore, who has looked stellar during the last couple of weeks. Troy Bergeron is also looking like he may capitalize on the injury suffered by Kerry Meier, as he is looking to lock up one of the final roster spots on offense. Michael Palmer looked great at tight end last night, although I’m not sure that it will be enough for him to take the third position spot on the roster.

Finally, while Smith and the Falcons decided to rest their starters, including Dunta Robinson for one more game, their opening week opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, did not.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wanted to get one more look at his two quarterbacks as they head into the regular season.

Although it was confirmed that the league has reduced Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension from six games down to four, the team was still deciding who would start in Big Ben’s absence. That decision may have just been made for them.

Byron Leftwich injured his left knee against the Carolina Panthers last night. Whether he was going to be Roethlisberger’s replacement or not, the job now looks like it has gone to Dennis Dixon, the former quarterback at Oregon who has seen very little time on an NFL field.

But Atlanta is not thinking about which opponent they will face at quarterback next Sunday. Right now, the team is solely focused on which players they have to deliver the bad news to that have been cut. It is not a position that I envy right now.

- Rob Kelley

Don’t look to see the starters on the field for more than a quarter or so. Matt Ryan and company might play a few series, but they will not over exhaust themselves. It would be nice to see the offense get things going when the starters are in the game, but head coach Mike Smith will not jeopardize the players’ health in the final exhibition game.

On defense, Smith will want to get one final look at some of the rookies and the injured starters, but they will not get in too many snaps either. While there are a few position battles still going on, most of the starters are all set.

After the starting offensive unit exits the game, Smith may hope the offense stalls out a little so that he can get some more looks at Matt Bryant and the kicking game. Bryant has simply not gotten the job done so far, so once other teams decide on their kicking battles, the Falcons could bring someone who was recently released. That is, unless Bryant performs well tonight.

So tonight is still a meaningful game to some. Who will impress the coaching staff enough to possibly pull off an upset and earn a final roster spot? Will any further injuries affect who makes the team or who gets cut this weekend?

Tonight’s game is at 7:30, and then the work really begins. For the players, but for Smith and his staff as well.

- Rob Kelley

Yesterday, Atlanta cut safety Matt Giordano and defensive tackle Thomas Johnson. Where both players have been injured, neither release is really a surprise.

Giordano was signed by the Falcons in March after playing in Green Bay with the Packers last season. He was a fourth round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2005. Giordano was waived with an injury settlement.

Johnson, who started 10 games for Atlanta last season, was also waived injured. He has been slowed by an achilles injury. In 13 games played last year, he recorded 27 tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble.

But these two cuts were the easier ones. By Saturday, with only one more exhibition game and a few more practices remaining, Atlanta will have to trim their roster down to 53 players.

Cutting two players who were injured is not a truly difficult choice. Cutting another 22 who are fighting for spots over the next 4 days will be far more of a challenge.

- Rob Kelley

But over the last few seasons, the team has stepped up it’s efforts in bringing in some of the right pieces to hopefully complete their championship puzzle. Michael Turner was brought in a few years ago to give the team a solid ground game for years to come. So far, even with last year’s injury, it has worked.

This past offseason, the Dirty Birds wanted to sure up their secondary by signing Dunta Robinson to a 5 year contract worth over $57 million.

Unfortunately, we have not seen much of #23 on the field to this point, unless you count watching him stretch and run on the sidelines. And although he scratched himself from this past Friday night’s exhibition game against the Miami Dolphins, there is still very little cause for concern.

Robinson is still slightly bothered by a tight hamstring that has caused him to miss the entire exhibition season so far. Head coach Mike Smith held him out of the first two games, and Robinson decided to remain on the sidelines last week. But as of right now, and this has changed quite often so far this Summer, Robinson fully expects to play in the team’s preseason finale this Thursday night when Atlanta travels to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But Robinson is not the least bit worried, so neither should the Falcons. Yes, it would be nice to see him on the field, but it is far more important to see him healthy once the regular season rolls around in less than two weeks. It may be a new uniform, but trust me when I tell you that Robinson knows what he is capable of doing once the game starts.

Everyone can take a deep breath.

Except for those who are about to be cut at the 4 PM deadline. I cannot help any of them.

- Rob Kelley

So with that being said, who is on the bubble?

It’s really difficult to tell at this point. You still have a few more days of practices before the game against the Jags, and the team will also be looking at footage from the first three games of the preseason.

Head coach Mike Smith will have some difficult decisions to make over the next week. At this point, most of the starting and backup positions have been decided. So, even though the 1’s and 2’s are set (although they may flip flop depending on the depth chart), what about some of the 3’s and so on?

After Matt Bryant missed an extra point against the Miami Dolphins Friday night, don’t be surprised if the team ends up bringing in someone else for a few days as a little extra competition for Bryant. Missing a few field goals as well has been cause for concern.

Now just because a team makes their cuts, that does not mean that no more roster moves will take place. Two years ago, for example, TE Justin Peele was brought in and Dominique Foxworth was traded for – two days after the 53 player trim down date. Last year, Brian Williams was added to the final roster after the final cut day. Williams may be on the chopping block this year.

On offense, we know that there are no questions at quarterback, but there are a few other players who have performed well during the preseason that will be sweating it out tomorrow or Saturday:

RB – Dimitri Nance and Antone Smith have both shown flashes of talent, but it will tough for either to make the final roster. One could make it past tomorrow, but it is unlikely that either makes it past Saturday.

WR – Injuries to Michael Jenkins and the season ending injury to Kerry Meier make this situation a little more murky, but the Dirty Birds will still most likely carry just five or six receivers. Troy Bergeron and Ryan Wolfe are the two battling it out for the final spot.

As for the defense, it will be interesting to see if Vance Walker can make the team as a reserve defensive lineman. Thomas Johnson will also be right on the fence, but one or both will be cut by Saturday, if not tomorrow.

So tomorrow will be an important day for many players around the NFL. Many who are released tomorrow will find a new home over the next week. It will just be harder for them to make an impact this late in the preseason.

- Rob Kelley