Falcons @ Giants

[BLUE 1,026]

(AP) -- Matt Ryan guides one of the NFL's best offenses, though how the Atlanta Falcons will function with the ball now is a serious question mark due to a depleted offensive line.

 

It may be surprising that the New York Giants' Eli Manning, playing in a new offensive scheme, is not far behind Ryan for the conference lead in touchdown passes.

 

The Giants are seeking a third straight win Sunday as they host the Falcons in a matchup of 2-2 teams.

 

Atlanta is the NFC's highest scoring team with 32.8 points per game, and its 444.0 yards per game matches Indianapolis for the league's best mark.

 

Whether the Falcons can continue that level of production this weekend is in doubt. They lost center Joe Hawley (right knee) and right tackle Lamar Holmes (foot) to season-ending injuries in last Sunday's 41-28 defeat at Minnesota.

 

Gabe Carimi will start at right tackle and Peter Konz at center. Left guard Justin Blalock also left last week with a back injury and has been ruled out of this game, leaving former practice squad player Harland Gunn as his likely replacement.

 

"You hate to lose guys but when you lose them, it's another guy's opportunity to play," coach Mike Smith said. "And this is a no-blink mentality, you just move on and keep working."

 

The injuries could curtail the effectiveness of Ryan, who leads the NFC with 1,263 passing yards and is tied for the most TD passes in the conference with 10.

 

Manning has thrown for nine touchdowns, putting him halfway to last year's total when he had 69.4 passer rating - a career low for a full season. He has career bests in passer rating (93.6) and completion percentage (66.9) under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, with six touchdown passes in New York's consecutive victories.

 

"There's still some improvement, still some things to get better on, some things with footwork and whatnot but definitely made strides and have to keep trying to get better each and every week," Manning said.

 

Manning threw for four touchdowns and 300 yards in a 45-14 win at Washington last Thursday.

 

That contest continued the impressive start for new tight end Larry Donnell, who had three first-half TD receptions and leads the Giants with 25 catches - tied for seventh in the NFL. Donnell says his basketball background has helped him as a pass catcher.

 

"It is about the same as going up and getting the rebound," the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Donnell said. "I was a throw-down type of guy. I break the rim. Not too many rebounds. It helps. It is just going up and having a bigger body and going up and getting it."

 

Manning will be facing an Atlanta secondary without safety William Moore, out at least eight weeks with a shoulder injury. Second-year player Kemal Ishmael will start in his place.

 

The Falcons' defense will have a familiar face to Giants fans in defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who spent his first nine seasons with New York before joining Atlanta last year. Umenyiora is fourth all-time in Giants history with 75 sacks, though he has none this year.

 

New York left tackle Will Beatty will match up with Umenyiora, who he referred to this week as a "mentor."

 

"Coming in, Osi was a guy that I was practicing against," Beatty said. "He was a guy that, if you could pass block him, you knew that there's nobody that could beat you outside on the edge because of his speed and what he's shown."

 

The Giants also feature a rushing attack led by Rashad Jennings, third in the NFL with 341 yards.

 

Ryan will be trying to get the ball to Julio Jones, second in the league with 447 receiving yards. It may not be easy since the Giants have an NFL-high seven interceptions - four last week.

 

"We're not having the mental errors," Manning said. "Obviously last week the defense did a great job of getting tons of turnovers for us and getting us great field position. We took advantage of it."

 

Manning could have a new weapon at his disposal if receiver Odell Beckham Jr. makes his debut. Beckham, the team's first-round draft pick out of LSU, has returned to practice after being out with a hamstring injury.

 

Atlanta has lost by an average of 13.5 points in two games on the road, where it has dropped nine of 10.

 

"It's hard to win on the road, but if you're going to be the type of team that every team is trying to be and that's play in the second season, you've got to at least split on the road," Smith said.

 

The Falcons won the last meeting 34-0 in 2012. They dropped their last visit to MetLife Stadium, 24-2 in a playoff game after the 2011 season.

 

 

Source: Hosted.Stats.com

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

Odell Beckham (hamstring) is active for Week 5 against the Falcons.

New York's inactives list is LB Jon Beason, WR Julian Talley, OL James Brewer, OL Adam Snyder, OL Charles Brown, DT Jay Bromley, and DE Kerry Wynn.

Beckham is expected to play roughly 30 percent of the Giants' Week 5 offensive snaps, likely rotating with Preston Parker. Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle will remain every-down players at Z and X, respectively, in two-receiver sets.

 

 

Falcons declared WR Harry Douglas, OT Cameron Bradfield, QB Sean Renfree, OLB Tyler Starr, CB Javier Arenas, LG Justin Blalock, and DE Cliff Matthews inactive for Week 5 against the Giants.

 

Edited October 5, 2014 by Vin

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

I think our offense clicks better than it has the past two games on the road...and I think our defense at least shows up this time.

 

21

 

17

[Cherry 1,302]

28

27

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

Our offensive line looks better now than it did before all the injuries sustained last week. Running lanes opening up for Jackson, Matt Ryan getting time on blitzes, not too shabby. I can live with this lol

 

 

Our defense though....A gigantic pile of cow lard... <_<

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

Mike Tice has really changed how all of our lineman think and play. Konz looks like a mean motherfucker at center..kinda like how he should've been when he was drafted.

 

Missed and opportunity to get a TD right before the half...but we have a lead and we are getting the ball back.

 

Trufant and Alford are playing great out there, but we desperately..desperately need someone to step up and start getting a consistent pass rush.

[Crash3021 101]

Good to see OBJ in action, he had a nice game.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Crash3021

[Dutch 874]

OBJ is going to be a problem in this league. I loved that kid coming out of college. He is perfect for Eli because when Eli just chucks it out there, OBJ has the ball skills to go get it.

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

Beckham Jr definitely has some wheels. There were 3 passes that Eli Manning just flat out missed him when he was basically wide open.

 

 

I'm pretty disappointed in the Falcons coaching at the end of the game. I get our defense wasn't riding so hot, but our offensive line was absolutely in a state of decay by the end of that game. Why Mike Smith would go for it is beyond me. We were ALREADY within the Giants' field goal range on our side of the field, and we weren't getting any push. We had what, 4 minutes remaining with 3 time outs? At some point, regardless of how your defense is playing, you put a little trust in them. It made absolutely NO sense. We gave the Giants a free 3 points to go up by two scores, instead of going to the defense and attempting for a fantastic 2 minute drive if we did stop the Giants.... Which, by the way, Matt Ryan is pretty good at leading!

 

I've been one of Mike Smiths biggest supporters, but as hard as it is to say, I think he's lost his killer instinct. I really don't believe it's our coordinators at this point. There's no need for us to lay off in the second half, even our coverage went soft after a strong showing. It's like he goes from trying to win the games, to just trying to survive in fear of what the other team may do.

 

If ever a man on the hot seat, it's got to be Smith. He's been able to ride the talent on the Falcons to a lot of wins in previous years, the talent isn't there on defense this year, so it's time for him to COACH his way to some wins. He's not doing that. It's almost as if there is no leadership, no feeling on the side line when the game is on the line.

 

Much more, Osi and Kroy Biermann are NOT our best defensive ends. I feel like Dimitroff and Smith are forcing Nolan to play those two guys at this point. Massaquoi has shown he can seal the edge in the run game, and get to the quarterback, yet he still doesn't pull the start or the snaps out over Kroy Biermann or Osi. Same goes for Goodman. Every time Goodman has been on the field, he's done his job. Osi hasn't the size to succeed in defending the run, and he hasn't got the speed anymore to come off the edge and get to the quarterback. It's just a bad use of talent that we have sitting on the bench. It's a damn shame too, because our interior guys (Soliai and Jackson) have been doing their jobs, they're drawing the double coverage on the line...

 

 

Ay... Get Osi and Kroy off field, guarantee better results. The problem right now behind the line is that our linebackers are young. They're going to make mistakes, we need to get the defensive line working. That's all there is to it.

 

Mike Smith, TRUST YOUR DEFENSE, no matter how bad it is.