GAME PREVIEW: DALLAS VS. ATLANTA

GAME PREVIEW: DALLAS VS. ATLANTA

By: Rafael Vela

News & Information for the Greatest Fans On Earth!

AILING FALCONS COULD BE COWBOYS' TONIC

Two teams heading in opposite directions square off Sunday at noon in Texas Stadium when the Dallas Cowboys host the Atlanta Falcons.
Staggering after a 1-3 start, the Cowboys are just now scratching to respectability; a win over Atlanta would put Dallas over the .500 mark for the first time this year.
Atlanta is just trying to breathe. One year from a 9-7 finish, the Falcons were hoping to challenge for a division title after the offseason acquisitions of LB Cornelius Bennett and FS Patrick Bates. Instead,the Falcons have dropped to an 0-6 start, and fans and media alike are calling for coach June Jones' head.
The problems stem from the mishandling of the Jeff George affair. A restricted free agent, George was coming off a banner year as the pilot of Jones' run and shoot offense. He was hoping for a long term deal from Atlanta, which would let him, and his team develop. But the Falcons front office waffled, saying they wanted to wait before committing long term. The lukewarm response jarred the sensitive George, who held out through most of training camp. He finally reported after signing a one year deal, and said that he felt betrayed by the Smith family, who own the team.
The greatest betrayal was committed by George himself. Upset that Jones benched him after a slow start against the Eagles, George went into an extensive sideline tirade against the coach. It was more than Jones, a longtime defender of the temperamental George, could stand; he immediately suspended George and the team attempted to trade him.
They don't call the Taylor family "the Clampetts" for nothing; by suspending George just two weeks before the trading deadline, the Falcon organization undercut any leverage it held. Teams interested in George knew that George would not be reinstated once the trading deadline passed. They could simply wait for George to be cut and negotiate a deal without giving compensation to Atlanta. The only serious bidder was Seattle, which offered the disappointing Rick Mirer in a straight up deal. The deal collapsed when George turned down a six year, $30 million offer, saying he wanted to play for a team closer to his family in the Midwest. As of this week, George had yet to be cut. But Falcons followers think it's a matter of when, not if George will be released.
With his benching, the Falcons' offense was given to Bobby Hebert. The wily veteran led the Falcons to a late season upset over the 49ers in '95, so many expected the team to rally around him. Instead, the team has floundered; Jones run and shoot, a passing offense that spreads the field with four receivers,is ranked last in the NFL in passing yardage. Hebert has received poor protection and has in turn made some bad passing decisions. The only bright spot for Atlanta thus far has been running back Jamal Anderson.
Anderson, a speedy, 5'10", 235 lb. bowling ball, replaced Ironhead Heyward early in the season and has not relinquished the job. He had his most impressive outing two weeks ago against the Lions. With his team trailing the Lions 28-0 at halftime, Anderson exploded, scoring three touchdowns in just under 20 minutes as the Falcons staged a furious rally that came up short, 28-24. Anderson is a quicker, more elusive version of Heyward, and will be a main concern of the Dallas defense.
WHEN ATLANTA HAS THE BALL

Dallas Defense
Key: 30-George Teague, 31-Brock Marion, 28-Darren Woodson, 55-Fred Stickland, 59-Darrin Smith, 21-Deion Sanders, 26-Kevin Smith, 96-Shante Carver, 78-Leon Lett, 95-Chad Hennings, 92-Tony Tolbert
30 31 o o 28 55 59 o o o 21 96 78 95 92 26 o o o o o o __________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 89 o 70 61 65 72 62 o 87 81 o 21 3 o 32

Atlanta Offense
Key: 89-J.J. Birden, 81-Terrence Mathis, 70-Bob Whitfield, 61-Robbie Tobeck, 65-Roman Fortin, 72-Mike Zandofsky, 62-Dave Richards, 21-Eric Metcalf, 87-Bert Emanuel, 3-Bobby Hebert, 32-Jamal Anderson
When the Cowboys faced the Falcons in '95, they employed this defensive alignment, a 4-2-5, with Robert Jones and Darrin Smith as the linebackers. Scott Case was the extra defender, playing a deep free safety. Dallas assigned Smith to one slot receiver and Darren Woodson to another. It allowed Dallas to keep two linebackers on the field, to handle any draws and screen the Falcons might run.
This week Barry Switzer hinted that Dallas might open in a 4-1-6 alignment, with 225 pound safety Roger Harper replacing Smith. Harper's speed, and that of George Teague, should make Dallas much harder to throw against. But the Cowboys need to be sure that they do not over commit to the pass and leave themselves exposed to Anderson runs.
The Falcons still exclusively use the run and shoot system devised by Mouse Davis at Portland State. Davis is now Jones offensive coordinator. The scheme utilizes four receivers. They can be used in balanced sets, similar to that shown above, or they will over shift, placing three receivers on one side and one on the other. If they employ the unbalanced formation, look for Deion Sanders to cover the man on the short side.
The run and shoot is a very adaptive offense. When run effectively, the quarterback and receivers are supposed to adjust on the fly to whatever scheme the defense throws at them. If the defense employs a zone, for instance, the receivers are supposed to recognize this and run routes which will exploit the holes between zones. If a defense decides to blitz, the receivers are supposed to adjust into slant and go routes.
A problem for the run of shoot of late is that defenses have been baiting it into mistakes. Against San Francisco, the 49ers deployed their corners several yards off the ball, indicating soft coverage. Meanwhile, the Niners linebackers crowded the line, indicating a blitz. Hebert alerted his outside receiver, who set to run slants. Hebert took a three step drop and and fired to J.J. Birden on the left side.
The Falcons had fallen into the 49ers trap; at the snap of the ball, the linebackers dropped into coverage. The cornerbacks sprinted into the slant lanes, knowing that the Niners safeties were rotating outside to give support. Marquez Pope intercepted Hebert's pass and returned it for a touchdown that blew open the game midway through the opening quarter. The 49ers are not the only team to get the Falcons to play into their hands. Defenses seem to be catching up to a system that was once feared.
Another problem for the system is its limited number of running and short passing plays. The Falcons run draws, halfback screens and flanker screens when Jones senses the opposing team will blitz. These plays can be surprising when they first are called, but a good defense will adjust as the game proceeds. This was the case last year, when the Cowboys played in the Georgia Dome. Ironhead Heyward was a terror on the Falcons two opening drives, running draws and screens and letting the Falcons run two long drives. Atlanta scored ten points and controlled time of possession. When the Dallas coverage tuned in to Jones play calling rhythm, the Atlanta offense was stopped cold.
The real key to shutting down the run and shoot is to break down Hebert's pocket. Dallas will have several matchups in its favor. The Falcons have a heavy line that ironically is geared for pass blocking and pulling. All four guards and tackers top 300 lbs.Aside from LT Bob Whitfield, they are not good drive blockers. The trouble for Atlanta could come inside where guards Tobeck and Zandofsky, two players considered to be "limited" athletically, match up against Leon Lett and Chad Hennings. Hennings had a strong game against Zandofsky last year, and could wear him down as the game progresses.
When Hebert drops to pass, he will be facing the league's best pass defense. The Cowboys have worked at being less predictable this year, mixing their usual zone coverages with more man-to-man and zone blitz packages. With Kevin Smith replacing Larry Brown and George Teague taking the place of the snail-like Scott Case, Dallas will be much better able to chase the Falcons smurf-like receivers.
Check the injury reports heading into the game. Three of the Falcons four receivers were listed as questionable with injuries.
Don't discount the former Falcon factor when these units line up. Deion Sanders, Roger Harper and George Teague all played in the Falcons' secondary. Cowboys linebacker coach Jim Bates was the Falcons defensive coordinator three years ago. These men have all faced the run and shoot in practice, and will be well versed in its strengths and weaknesses.
WHEN DALLAS HAS THE BALL

When these teams played last year it was the Emmitt and Michael show, as Emmitt Smith ripped the Falcons for 166 yards rushing and a score. Irvin contributed ten receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown.
There is no reason to believe why these performances cannot be repeated. The Falcons defensive front is the smallest the Cowboys will face all year. Dan Owens is the only member of the Falcons front four who tops 275, and he weighs 280 lbs. Every member of the line will give up at least 40 lbs. to his Cowboys counterpart. Left end Burroughs, will give up 50 lbs. to Eric Williams. Right end Chuck Smith will give up 60 to Mark Tuinei.
The Falcons will be a good measuring stick for a Cowboys line that has gotten lots of bad publicity for its age, weight and injuries. The Cowboys had great success running isolation plays and toss sweeps to Smith last year. The toss play emerged as a big play for the running game in the Philadelphia win, when Smith and Sherman Williams ran it well to both sides. Smith averages well over five yards per rush last year. If the Cowboys cannot simply line up and push the Falcons, there is genuine reason for concern.
Atlanta Defense
Key: 24-Patrick Bates, 42-Devin Bush, 50-Ron George,58-Jesse Tuggle, 97-Cornelius Bennett, 44-D.J. Johnson,90-Chuck Smith, 93-Dan Owens, 92-Lester Archambeau, 91-John Burrough, 26-Anthony Phillips
24 o 42 o 50 58 o o 97 44 90 93 92 91 o 26 o o o o o o _____________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 21 71 61 53 73 79 86 o o 88 8 o 48 o 22

Dallas Offense
Key: 21-Deion Sanders, 71-Mark Tuinei, 61-Nate Newton,53-Ray Donaldson, 73-Larry Allen, 79-Erik Williams,86-Eric Bjornson, 8-Troy Aikman, 88-Michael Irvin,48-Daryl Johnston, 22-Emmitt Smith
The opportunities look good for the Dallas passing game as well. The Atlanta pass rush was anemic last year, notching just 30 sacks. It suffered in the offseason when Chris Doleman and Jumpy Geathers left. The formed the right side of the Falcons' line and were Atlanta's most accomplished rushers. Atlanta signed Cornelius Bennett away from the Bills, but he has not been able to make up for both departed players. Look for Bennett to line up at end much of the time, in order to strengthen the rush.
The lack of pressure will be a boon for a a battered Cowboys line. Despite their injuries, the Dallas line leads the league in sacks allowed.
The Falcons feature Devin Bush at strong safety. The second year player from Florida State was sought by Dallas in the draft. Bush' problem is that he has little help. Bates, who was acquired in a trade with the Raiders, has been a disappointment. On the corners, Johnson and Phillips have some speed. Their technique leaves much to be desired. Last year, Irvin and Aikman appeared to be playing catch. The Falcons gave Irvin a five yard cushion and he took advantage of it, running off the Atlanta corners, then coming back to the ball for several short gains. When Atlanta finally decided to apply some pressure, Irvin got behind it for a 50 yard bomb.
PREDICTION

Barry Switzer stressed the "on any given Sunday" theme this week. He was wise to do so. The Falcons are a bust, but they do have talent, especially on offense. His team has too much talent, however. If Barry can prevent a mental letdown, the game should resemble last year's match.
That game saw long, ball control drives by both teams. Dallas had only three possessions in the first half and four in the second. The last came at the two minutes warning, after a Falcons' turnover. Dallas had a shaky start, punting on their first possession, then scoring touchdowns on its next four series.
The offense needs a softer opponent after scrapping with a physical Cardinals team last week. Atlanta should give them the opportunity to get the ball rolling, literally and figuratively.
DALLAS 28, ATLANTA 13

TheBoys.com
News And Information For The Greatest Fans On Earth!

Copyright © 1996 Action News International Press Corporation. All Rights Reserved

Knock out the Fat with the
George Foreman Grill
Week 8 Main Page
96 Schedule Main Page
TheBoys Home Page

News & Information for the Greatest Fans On Earth!
AILING FALCONS COULD BE COWBOYS' TONIC Two teams heading in opposite directions square off Sunday at noon in Texas Stadium when the Dallas Cowboys host the Atlanta Falcons. Staggering after a 1-3 start, the Cowboys are just now scratching to respectability; a win over Atlanta would put Dallas over the .500 mark for the first time this year. Atlanta is just trying to breathe. One year from a 9-7 finish, the Falcons were hoping to challenge for a division title after the offseason acquisitions of LB Cornelius Bennett and FS Patrick Bates. Instead,the Falcons have dropped to an 0-6 start, and fans and media alike are calling for coach June Jones' head. The problems stem from the mishandling of the Jeff George affair. A restricted free agent, George was coming off a banner year as the pilot of Jones' run and shoot offense. He was hoping for a long term deal from Atlanta, which would let him, and his team develop. But the Falcons front office waffled, saying they wanted to wait before committing long term. The lukewarm response jarred the sensitive George, who held out through most of training camp. He finally reported after signing a one year deal, and said that he felt betrayed by the Smith family, who own the team. The greatest betrayal was committed by George himself. Upset that Jones benched him after a slow start against the Eagles, George went into an extensive sideline tirade against the coach. It was more than Jones, a longtime defender of the temperamental George, could stand; he immediately suspended George and the team attempted to trade him. They don't call the Taylor family "the Clampetts" for nothing; by suspending George just two weeks before the trading deadline, the Falcon organization undercut any leverage it held. Teams interested in George knew that George would not be reinstated once the trading deadline passed. They could simply wait for George to be cut and negotiate a deal without giving compensation to Atlanta. The only serious bidder was Seattle, which offered the disappointing Rick Mirer in a straight up deal. The deal collapsed when George turned down a six year, $30 million offer, saying he wanted to play for a team closer to his family in the Midwest. As of this week, George had yet to be cut. But Falcons followers think it's a matter of when, not if George will be released. With his benching, the Falcons' offense was given to Bobby Hebert. The wily veteran led the Falcons to a late season upset over the 49ers in '95, so many expected the team to rally around him. Instead, the team has floundered; Jones run and shoot, a passing offense that spreads the field with four receivers,is ranked last in the NFL in passing yardage. Hebert has received poor protection and has in turn made some bad passing decisions. The only bright spot for Atlanta thus far has been running back Jamal Anderson. Anderson, a speedy, 5'10", 235 lb. bowling ball, replaced Ironhead Heyward early in the season and has not relinquished the job. He had his most impressive outing two weeks ago against the Lions. With his team trailing the Lions 28-0 at halftime, Anderson exploded, scoring three touchdowns in just under 20 minutes as the Falcons staged a furious rally that came up short, 28-24. Anderson is a quicker, more elusive version of Heyward, and will be a main concern of the Dallas defense. WHEN ATLANTA HAS THE BALL Dallas Defense Key: 30-George Teague, 31-Brock Marion, 28-Darren Woodson, 55-Fred Stickland, 59-Darrin Smith, 21-Deion Sanders, 26-Kevin Smith, 96-Shante Carver, 78-Leon Lett, 95-Chad Hennings, 92-Tony Tolbert 30 31 o o 28 55 59 o o o 21 96 78 95 92 26 o o o o o o __________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 89 o 70 61 65 72 62 o 87 81 o 21 3 o 32 Atlanta Offense Key: 89-J.J. Birden, 81-Terrence Mathis, 70-Bob Whitfield, 61-Robbie Tobeck, 65-Roman Fortin, 72-Mike Zandofsky, 62-Dave Richards, 21-Eric Metcalf, 87-Bert Emanuel, 3-Bobby Hebert, 32-Jamal Anderson When the Cowboys faced the Falcons in '95, they employed this defensive alignment, a 4-2-5, with Robert Jones and Darrin Smith as the linebackers. Scott Case was the extra defender, playing a deep free safety. Dallas assigned Smith to one slot receiver and Darren Woodson to another. It allowed Dallas to keep two linebackers on the field, to handle any draws and screen the Falcons might run. This week Barry Switzer hinted that Dallas might open in a 4-1-6 alignment, with 225 pound safety Roger Harper replacing Smith. Harper's speed, and that of George Teague, should make Dallas much harder to throw against. But the Cowboys need to be sure that they do not over commit to the pass and leave themselves exposed to Anderson runs. The Falcons still exclusively use the run and shoot system devised by Mouse Davis at Portland State. Davis is now Jones offensive coordinator. The scheme utilizes four receivers. They can be used in balanced sets, similar to that shown above, or they will over shift, placing three receivers on one side and one on the other. If they employ the unbalanced formation, look for Deion Sanders to cover the man on the short side. The run and shoot is a very adaptive offense. When run effectively, the quarterback and receivers are supposed to adjust on the fly to whatever scheme the defense throws at them. If the defense employs a zone, for instance, the receivers are supposed to recognize this and run routes which will exploit the holes between zones. If a defense decides to blitz, the receivers are supposed to adjust into slant and go routes. A problem for the run of shoot of late is that defenses have been baiting it into mistakes. Against San Francisco, the 49ers deployed their corners several yards off the ball, indicating soft coverage. Meanwhile, the Niners linebackers crowded the line, indicating a blitz. Hebert alerted his outside receiver, who set to run slants. Hebert took a three step drop and and fired to J.J. Birden on the left side. The Falcons had fallen into the 49ers trap; at the snap of the ball, the linebackers dropped into coverage. The cornerbacks sprinted into the slant lanes, knowing that the Niners safeties were rotating outside to give support. Marquez Pope intercepted Hebert's pass and returned it for a touchdown that blew open the game midway through the opening quarter. The 49ers are not the only team to get the Falcons to play into their hands. Defenses seem to be catching up to a system that was once feared. Another problem for the system is its limited number of running and short passing plays. The Falcons run draws, halfback screens and flanker screens when Jones senses the opposing team will blitz. These plays can be surprising when they first are called, but a good defense will adjust as the game proceeds. This was the case last year, when the Cowboys played in the Georgia Dome. Ironhead Heyward was a terror on the Falcons two opening drives, running draws and screens and letting the Falcons run two long drives. Atlanta scored ten points and controlled time of possession. When the Dallas coverage tuned in to Jones play calling rhythm, the Atlanta offense was stopped cold. The real key to shutting down the run and shoot is to break down Hebert's pocket. Dallas will have several matchups in its favor. The Falcons have a heavy line that ironically is geared for pass blocking and pulling. All four guards and tackers top 300 lbs.Aside from LT Bob Whitfield, they are not good drive blockers. The trouble for Atlanta could come inside where guards Tobeck and Zandofsky, two players considered to be "limited" athletically, match up against Leon Lett and Chad Hennings. Hennings had a strong game against Zandofsky last year, and could wear him down as the game progresses. When Hebert drops to pass, he will be facing the league's best pass defense. The Cowboys have worked at being less predictable this year, mixing their usual zone coverages with more man-to-man and zone blitz packages. With Kevin Smith replacing Larry Brown and George Teague taking the place of the snail-like Scott Case, Dallas will be much better able to chase the Falcons smurf-like receivers. Check the injury reports heading into the game. Three of the Falcons four receivers were listed as questionable with injuries. Don't discount the former Falcon factor when these units line up. Deion Sanders, Roger Harper and George Teague all played in the Falcons' secondary. Cowboys linebacker coach Jim Bates was the Falcons defensive coordinator three years ago. These men have all faced the run and shoot in practice, and will be well versed in its strengths and weaknesses. WHEN DALLAS HAS THE BALL When these teams played last year it was the Emmitt and Michael show, as Emmitt Smith ripped the Falcons for 166 yards rushing and a score. Irvin contributed ten receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. There is no reason to believe why these performances cannot be repeated. The Falcons defensive front is the smallest the Cowboys will face all year. Dan Owens is the only member of the Falcons front four who tops 275, and he weighs 280 lbs. Every member of the line will give up at least 40 lbs. to his Cowboys counterpart. Left end Burroughs, will give up 50 lbs. to Eric Williams. Right end Chuck Smith will give up 60 to Mark Tuinei. The Falcons will be a good measuring stick for a Cowboys line that has gotten lots of bad publicity for its age, weight and injuries. The Cowboys had great success running isolation plays and toss sweeps to Smith last year. The toss play emerged as a big play for the running game in the Philadelphia win, when Smith and Sherman Williams ran it well to both sides. Smith averages well over five yards per rush last year. If the Cowboys cannot simply line up and push the Falcons, there is genuine reason for concern. Atlanta Defense Key: 24-Patrick Bates, 42-Devin Bush, 50-Ron George,58-Jesse Tuggle, 97-Cornelius Bennett, 44-D.J. Johnson,90-Chuck Smith, 93-Dan Owens, 92-Lester Archambeau, 91-John Burrough, 26-Anthony Phillips 24 o 42 o 50 58 o o 97 44 90 93 92 91 o 26 o o o o o o _____________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 21 71 61 53 73 79 86 o o 88 8 o 48 o 22 Dallas Offense Key: 21-Deion Sanders, 71-Mark Tuinei, 61-Nate Newton,53-Ray Donaldson, 73-Larry Allen, 79-Erik Williams,86-Eric Bjornson, 8-Troy Aikman, 88-Michael Irvin,48-Daryl Johnston, 22-Emmitt Smith The opportunities look good for the Dallas passing game as well. The Atlanta pass rush was anemic last year, notching just 30 sacks. It suffered in the offseason when Chris Doleman and Jumpy Geathers left. The formed the right side of the Falcons' line and were Atlanta's most accomplished rushers. Atlanta signed Cornelius Bennett away from the Bills, but he has not been able to make up for both departed players. Look for Bennett to line up at end much of the time, in order to strengthen the rush. The lack of pressure will be a boon for a a battered Cowboys line. Despite their injuries, the Dallas line leads the league in sacks allowed. The Falcons feature Devin Bush at strong safety. The second year player from Florida State was sought by Dallas in the draft. Bush' problem is that he has little help. Bates, who was acquired in a trade with the Raiders, has been a disappointment. On the corners, Johnson and Phillips have some speed. Their technique leaves much to be desired. Last year, Irvin and Aikman appeared to be playing catch. The Falcons gave Irvin a five yard cushion and he took advantage of it, running off the Atlanta corners, then coming back to the ball for several short gains. When Atlanta finally decided to apply some pressure, Irvin got behind it for a 50 yard bomb. PREDICTION Barry Switzer stressed the "on any given Sunday" theme this week. He was wise to do so. The Falcons are a bust, but they do have talent, especially on offense. His team has too much talent, however. If Barry can prevent a mental letdown, the game should resemble last year's match. That game saw long, ball control drives by both teams. Dallas had only three possessions in the first half and four in the second. The last came at the two minutes warning, after a Falcons' turnover. Dallas had a shaky start, punting on their first possession, then scoring touchdowns on its next four series. The offense needs a softer opponent after scrapping with a physical Cardinals team last week. Atlanta should give them the opportunity to get the ball rolling, literally and figuratively. DALLAS 28, ATLANTA 13
TheBoys.com News And Information For The Greatest Fans On Earth! Copyright © 1996 Action News International Press Corporation. All Rights Reserved
Knock out the Fat with the George Foreman Grill	Week 8 Main Page	96 Schedule Main Page	TheBoys Home Page