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Insider Preview: Falcons at Chiefs
<HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1>Scouts Inc.
Why To Watch
Two of the game's best playmakers square off with Atlanta QB
Michael Vick looking to lead the Falcons to an impressive 6-1 start and Kansas City RB
Priest Holmes trying to salvage the Chiefs' season. Vick's numbers haven't been great, but he has benefited from the surprisingly strong play of his supporting cast and is making big plays at critical points of the game.
Holmes' season has been a far different story. Kansas City's defense hasn't shown the improvement it hoped it would show and the offense has regressed. Will the Falcons' running game and strong defense give Vick another opportunity to lead Atlanta to victory or will the Chiefs find a way to contain Vick and put more points on the board?
When the Falcons have the ball
Rushing: Look for the Falcons to come out running in an effort to take some pressure off Vick on the road and keep the potentially explosive Kansas City offense on the sidelines. Atlanta's running game has sputtered over the past two weeks, but expect it to get back on track working against a Chiefs run defense that is giving up over four yards a carry. One of the reasons that teams have had success slowing the Falcons' ground game has been Atlanta's lack of a vertical passing attack. Their inability to stretch the field has allowed opposing safeties to play closer to the line of scrimmage and a bigger role in run support. <!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (BEGIN)--------------------->
<!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (END)--------------------->The problem for Kansas City is it won't be as willing to play SS
Greg Wesley in the box after watching Vick throw a 50-yard pass and a 32-yard pass in the fourth quarter of last week's game. In addition, TE
Alge Crumpler has been Vick's favorite target and his combination of size, burst and athletic ability will cause matchup problems for Wesley. With Wesley likely playing a little deeper to compensate, RBs
Warrick Dunn and
T.J. Duckett should have more room to operate and they should be more effective as a result. However, it's important to note that Atlanta must continue to take chances downfield or Wesley will start to creep up as the game wears on.
Passing: The best way to stop Atlanta's passing attack is to force Vick to stay patient and consistently make sound decisions from inside the pocket. However, understanding the need to prevent Vick from making the big play with his arm as well as his feet and actually accomplishing it are two very different things. Vick is capable of turning any breakdowns into a long gain that will shift momentum in the Falcons' favor. He has also shown the ability to overcome a slow start, as he struggled through the first three quarters of last week's game before leading Atlanta to a come-from-behind win.
As a result, playing mistake-free football and giving a four-quarter effort is critical when defending against him. This is especially true for teams that don't have their best personnel lining up on the defensive side of the ball like Kansas City. Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham can be aggressive and will occasionally blitz, but expect him to run a lot of soft cover schemes with the safeties giving the corners help over the top.
The zone schemes should be effective for two reasons. Receivers will have a hard time getting behind the defense and they will have to run sharp short-to-intermediate routes, as the underneath will be crowded with seven men regularly dropping into coverage. The second reason is the Chiefs' linebackers won't be vacating areas of the field because they won't be running with receivers, so they'll be in a better position to make the play when Vick decides to run.
When the Chiefs have the ball
Rushing: Kansas City's offensive line must prevent penetration working against Atlanta's undersized but explosive front four when the Chiefs run. While the Chiefs will do their fair share of running right at the heart of the Falcons' run defense, they will attack the perimeter at times. Offensive coordinator Al Saunders likes to pull the front-side offensive guard and tackle around the corner with the tight end sealing the edge by blocking down on the defensive end.
Kansas City's mobile offensive linemen should have some success reaching their blocks at the second level, so the tight end's block will be the key. TE Tony Gonzalez must explode out of his stance and avoid taking any false steps when blocking down. If he hesitates or missteps, DEs Patrick Kerney and Brady Smith have the initial quickness to beat him to the point of attack and make it difficult for Holmes to turn the corner.
If Kansas City's front five can prevent the Falcons from disrupting plays in the backfield, it has the power to consistently create seams for Holmes and the size advantage to wear Atlanta's front four down. Tiring Atlanta's defensive line is important because the Chiefs have lost a lead in the final minute in two of their four losses. Kansas City has to do a better job of finishing games, especially considering Vick's ability to make something happen every time he touches the ball.
Passing: Atlanta's pass rush has been impressive, recording 20 sacks thus far, and that doesn't bode well for a Kansas City team that allowed six sacks last week. It doesn't help that the Chiefs' tight ends and backs play integral roles as receivers, making Saunders hesitant to keep them in to help out in pass protection. The good news is defensive linemen are responsible for 17 of those sacks and the Falcons will be hesitant to blitz SS
Bryan Scott, who has two sacks, because of Gonzalez's ability to stretch the filed. <!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (BEGIN)--------------------->
<!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (END)--------------------->As a result, Kansas City won't need to run many max-protect schemes if its offensive line can rebound from last week's disappointing performance. Keep an eye on the matchup between Chiefs LOT
Willie Roaf and Atlanta RDE
Patrick Kerney. Roaf has the long arms to ride Kerney past the pocket and the bulk to hold his ground when Kerney tries to bull rush him but Kerney has the quickness to shoot the inside gap.
Considering this vulnerability and QB
Trent Green lacking the mobility to be effective when teams consistently flush him out of the pocket, Roaf should tighten his split some this week. Forcing Kerney to go outside and take a wider angle to the quarterback will give Green some space to step into even if Kerney is able to beat Roaf around the corner. Saunders will help his offensive line by running plenty of screens and draws to Holmes. If the Falcons' defensive line gets caught flying too far upfield, the result should be some big plays.
Scouts' Edge
Vick will continue to make plays with his feet as well as his arm and Atlanta's defense will have some success pressuring Green into making some critical mistakes, but expect this game to be very close. Kansas City has the benefit of playing at home and the crowd will make it difficult for the Falcons' inconsistent offense to communicate on obvious passing downs. Expect some breakdowns that produce stalled drives and/or turnovers. In addition, Holmes should get enough carries and have enough success running the ball to cause Atlanta's front seven to tire over the course of the game. As a result, Vick and Holmes should both have opportunities to win this game for their respective teams with a big play late.
