Time to earn some RESPECT!!!

Falcons vs. Eagles

Sometimes a bye week comes to get a team rested, other times it comes to help a struggling get team get refocused, and sometimes it comes to rescue a banged up team. However, the Falcons bye week, which in my opinion came at a perfect time, did not help the team with any of the above reasons. The Falcons needed the bye week to listen to and learn from the veterans about how not to get too big for your own britches. Yes, the victory over the Bears was one of the greatest games I have ever seen in the dome, or anywhere else for that matter, but it was just one win in what is hopefully the continuation of something special. Many of the naysayers are saying they are lucky, have not beaten anyone (although the Bears and Packers both having winning records and are coming off of win over Indy and Minnesota), and cannot continue their winning ways. I say now is the time to gain some respect!!
Sure we are an 8 1/2 point underdog and heading into one of the toughest environments in all of football, but now is as good a time as any to take a well rested squad into Philly and show everyone they are for real. It will be tough, very tough, but achievable.
Here is the breakdown:

The Eagles have the number 1 pass offense in all of football and the third ranked overall offense to boot, not to mention the number 3 defense in the NFL as well. Donovan McNabb has been as solid as ever completing 64% of his passes and Correll Buckhalter has filled in for Brian Westbrook and kept the Eagles running game solid (and Westbrook should be back). However, I for one question the Eagles strength of schedule. Yes, they beat a very good Pittsburgh team, but their other two wins are against the hapless 49ers and the Rams, who before firing their coach and replacing him with Jim Haslett, could have been beat by several NCAA teams.

Here are the four main things the Falcons must do to win this game:

1. Turn the Philly crowd on their home team!! The Philly fans are about as loyal to their team as Bill was to Hillary. With the Phillies in the World Series, the Philly fans will turn on this 3-3 team in a heartbeat. We need to get a score or two early and let the boo birds begin.

2. Keep DeSean Jackson at bay!!! He is electrifying and has the ability to change a game at a moments notice. If we kick to him, please, please, please do not let him have a chance to return the ball. We did a fantastic job of keeping the ball out of Devin Hester's hands and now we have to do the same thing again this week! He has also been able to light up secondaries...Grimes and Houston will have their hands full this week!

3. Do not put Matt Ryan in long third down situations. He is coming into his own, but we all remember Tampa and Carolina. Ryan does not need the game on his shoulders on the road. Sure he looked unreal against Chicago, but that was at home and in good weather. The weather Sunday is supposed to be awful, so falling behind or getting in third and long is only going to make it more difficult because going deep down the field is going to be hard enough.

4. Run our two headed monster and do not give up on it all day. Clinton Portis ran all over the Philly defense and there is no reason to think that the same cannot be said for Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. Commit to the run!

I think we have a great chance this week because no one, and I mean no one, expects us to win. It is time to earn some respect and this week continues the run to what is hopefully a playoff spot for this team!!