Kenneth Harrison
Owls Back To Sleep
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
The Kennesaw State Owls football team saw their season come to an end earlier this month. The Owls finished the regular season 10-1 and ranked No. 2 in the FCS Coaches Poll. The only loss was to an FBS team, Georgia State.
KSU did not receive much respect for their great season because they were the No. 4 seed in the Playoffs. They lost to No. 5 South Dakota State (10-2) 27-17 in the quarterfinals.
The Owls have only been playing football since 2015 and they are becoming a powerhouse at the FCS level. Despite that, attendance has been declining since the program’s inception.
“I’m passionate about this school and I don’t know why you wouldn’t be. … We got 35,000 students,” coach Brian Bohannon said. “Let see if we can get a couple thousand to come to the game. Let’s raise some heck and have some fun. Let’s see if we can help the Owls win. We’ve got over a million people in this community. Let’s see if we can get a couple thousand to come to the game.”
While attendance was announced at 3,242, there were clearly no more than 1,000 fans actually in the stands.
The Owls lost the season opener to Georgia State 24-20. KSU held a three-point lead with 2 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before the Panthers scored the winning touchdown.
After that game, they reeled off 10 consecutive wins against other FCS competition. They dominated their opponents and won their games by double digits except for the season finale.
The scores against non-conference competition were 49-10 at Tennessee Tech, 62-13 versus Alabama State, 70-13 versus Clarke Atlanta and 24-10 over Samford.
They also breezed through Big South conference opponents beating Presbyterian 56-0, Gardner-Webb 56-17, Charleston Southern 38-10, Campbell 49-0 and Monmouth 51-14. They won the conference title for the second year in a row.
The season finale was against No.6 Jacksonville State. The game was a classic, going to five overtimes. They defeated the Gamecocks 60-52.
Kennesaw State runs the triple option so they have a powerful rushing attack. The leader of the team is quarterback Chandler Burks. Burks rushed for 905 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also threw for 1,043 yards, 10 TD’s and completed 57% of his passes.
Senior running back Darnell Holland ran for 949 yards with an amazing 11.9 yards per carry average. He finished the season with 9 touchdowns. Shaquil Terry was the third leading rusher with 576 yards, 5 TD’s and averaged 7.4 ypc.
KSU had a bye in the opening round of the playoffs so their first game was in the second round against Wofford. They are two of the best rushing offenses in the country and it was a tough game. KSU beat the Terriers 13-10. The win put Kennesaw State at 24 wins in their last 26 games.
The season ended in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. I really hoped they would win this game because they would have played North Dakota State in the next round.
The Bison have been a juggernaut for the last seven years. That would have been a good way to really see where the Owls stack up against elite competition.
The season was very successful and the goal in 2019 is to advance further in the playoffs.
Buzzing Away
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After 11 seasons in Atlanta Paul Johnson has retired suddenly from coaching at Georgia Tech. As a fan I think this is great news. I do think the timing is very odd though.
“It’s been a great run for the last 11 years here on The Flats. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and am looking forward to having the chance to coach this team one last time at our bowl game next month.”
It seemingly came out of nowhere but CPJ said he contemplated retirement in 2016. After athletic director Mike Bobinski departed for Purdue in 2016, he was replaced by Todd Stansbury.
“To be honest with you, truthfully, had Todd not shown up, I was ready to do this before he came,” Johnson said. “Because it wasn’t much fun. It was drudgery. I think that Todd came in, he understands what needs to happen.”
That is an interesting quote because on the outside he appeared to be content coaching. This is interesting insight into the mind of a coach because we often see them say one thing then doing something totally different.
For example, how many times have we seen a coach claim they love their current job then bolt for the next open position?
Johnson, 61, is fourth all-time at Georgia Tech with an 82-59 mark, and has a career coaching record of 189-98 over 22 seasons. He guided the Yellow Jackets to the ACC championship in 2009, and he finished first or second in the Coastal Division in 7 of his 11 seasons.
He’s known for running the triple option, which is extremely old school since the turn of the century. The Yellow Jackets lead the country in rushing this season and have been a fixture in the top 10 nationally in rushing each of the past 10 years.
Since 2008, Georgia Tech has averaged 301.9 rushing yards per game – second in FBS behind Navy (308.0).
He has struggled recently, having losing seasons in 2015 and 2017. The team got off to a slow start this season going 1-3. They rallied to win six of the next seven. I believe the criticism from fans has worn Johnson out on coaching at Tech.
The Yellow Jackets lost to rival Georgia 45-21. That score is closer than the game actually was.
They were also trounced by UGA in 2017 38-7. He has struggled to beat them and Clemson in his tenure. The talent gap between the programs has only gotten worse because he is not a good recruiter.
More than likely he will take a little time off and return to coaching. I think that’s a good move for him. He is not cut out for a Power 5 school, but I think he would excel at a smaller school or back at the FCS level.
“I think I’m still young enough that I’ll take a break and see if it fits and see if it’s what I want,” he said. “And if not, hopefully the body of work that I’ve had over the last 40 years, if I decide to do it again, I’ll get back in it somewhere else.”
I think Johnson will be remembered fondly by Tech fans in the next few years.
Georgia Tech To Sting Georgia?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The college football season is almost over. We’re going into the final week of the season, which features rivalry games. One of my favorites is Clean, Old Fashioned Hate from my home state.
This will be the 113th meeting between Georgia Tech and UGA. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 66-41-5. The longest win streak in the series is eight games by Georgia Tech from 1949-1956.
Since 1991 UGA has won 21 of the 27 games. To say they have been dominating recently would be an understatement. Tech did win the last meeting in Athens back in 2016, 28-27. Last season Georgia obliterated the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, 38-7.
No. 5 Georgia (10-1) has won the SEC East for the second consecutive year and guaranteed a spot in the SEC Championship.
“I try to have a 24-hour rule, too, but this one is different because you don’t have enough time to prepare for them,” Smart said, explaining why he would change things up to begin early preparations for rival Georgia Tech.
The Bulldogs have superior size, speed and talent. They are a 17-point favorite over Tech. On paper, they should win easily but that’s why they play the game.
Georgia Tech (7-4) got off to a slow start but they won four consecutive games. They have won the last two games in Athens so they should have some confidence. The Yellow Jackets lead the nation with 353.7 yards per game rushing.
The Dawgs run defense looked shaky against UMass in their 66-27 win. Georgia surrendered 125 yards rushing in the first half rushing before the Minutemen shifted into catch-up mode for the second half.
“Zero. None,” Smart said when asked after Georgia’s win over UMass if there was anything he could take from this week and apply to Georgia Tech. “No offense we faced all year. Zero. It has zero carry over. I think you see across the country if you watch teams play the triple option, it’s extremely different and so extreme that I don’t think you guys can understand. There’s not one call in our defense. The only common theme is you’ve got to tackle the man with the ball. That’s the only common theme. Outside of that, there’s nothing like it.”
One good thing for the rivalry is Paul Johnson playing the villain. He’s very outspoken about everything even it may come back to haunt him. He’s only 3-7 against Georgia but he still takes time to troll the SEC.
“Week in and week out, I promise you there isn’t any difference in lining up and playing those guys than there is playing North Carolina, Clemson and Virginia Tech,” Johnson said.
“What happened in my opinion is you had really good teams at the top of their league and they got credit. It was almost like the ACC in basketball this year. They all get ranked in the top 15 and then when they beat each other they don’t ever drop. Then you get to the tournament and you don’t do so well and you start thinking maybe they were overhyped.”
The Dawgs could make this game close if they are not focused. They may be looking ahead to their showdown with Alabama the following week. If they sleepwalk this can be a close game. No matter the scenario UGA will notch another W in the series.
Still Buzzing
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I have to revisit something I said about Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson about one month ago.
After the opening week the Yellow Jackets lost three consecutive games. Then they bounced back and won two in a row, topping 60 points each game in the process. The wins were only against Bowling Green and Louisville but they were still impressive.
That was followed up by a homecoming loss to Duke. Yes, Duke football. The Blue Devils have won four of the last five meetings. At that point, it looked like it was time to get rid of Paul Johnson.
The Ramblin Wreck traveled to Blacksburg for a Thursday night game. This was a real turning point in the season. Starting quarterback TaQuan Marshall was injured so Tobias Oliver made his first career start. Oliver ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns to lead them to a 49-28 win. He only attempted one pass and did not complete it.
Oliver seems like the more explosive player so I thought he would remain the starter. Marshall returned last week and played against North Carolina.
“I feel like it’s pretty evident that I can get in and play,” Oliver said. “But at the same time, we’re at the point in the season where I don’t want to get too much that I should be the starter. As of right now, I just want to win.”
Oliver was inserted in the game on the fourth drive, still in the first quarter. He had another great game on the ground with 120 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed both of his pass attempts for 104 yards and a touchdown.
He threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to Qua Searcy, the team’s longest since 2009.
Georgia Tech, which entered the game averaging a nation-leading 366.5 rushing yards per game, ran for 461 yards against a North Carolina defensive line depleted by injuries and suspensions. It was the Yellow Jackets’ fifth 400-yard rushing performance of the season, a school record.
They got off to a 28-10 lead before holding on to win 38-28.
“It got a little crazy there. I thought maybe when we came out and opened the third quarter and put together a nice, long drive for a touchdown and then we got ’em pinned back inside the 20 on the kickoff that maybe we’d get away from them a little bit. But to their credit, they kept playing and they fought back and we did most everything we could to try to help them,” Johnson said.
Now they have five wins and only need one more win to become bowl eligible. They also still have a shot to win the ACC Coastal division. The next two games are home against Miami and Virginia. I know they can win at least one of those games, more than likely against the Cavaliers.
The Miami game is going to be a rare night game at Bobby Dodd Stadium. CPJ has a losing record against Miami and Mark Richt. The Hurricanes have lost their last three games so they are not playing well. This is a very winnable game for Tech.
It looks like Paul Johnson will do just enough to save his job after getting off to a slow start.
Young And Talented
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NBA season has recently started. The Atlanta Hawks finished the 2017-18 season 24-58 and earned the third pick in the draft. They drafted Luka Doncic from Spain then traded him to Dallas for the fifth pick, Trae Young.
In his lone season at Oklahoma, Young established himself as a multi-talented scoring threat. Young finished his freshman regular season leading the country in many statistics: assists (271), turnovers (161), points (848), points per game (27.4), assists per game (8.7), and assist percentage (48.6%).
The 811 points scored in the Big 12 would break the conference’s record for most points scored by a freshman player, which was previously held by Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley.
Young has received a lot of hype with some labeling him as the next Steph Curry. So far, he has done well, leading rookies with 19.8 points per game. His season high was 35 points against Cleveland. The Cavs also have a stud rookie point guard, Collin Sexton. The Hawks won the game 133-111 for the first win of the season.
The next game Atlanta played Dallas in the battle of traded draft picks. Kent Bazemore led the way with 32 points. Small forward Taurean Prince scored 24 and Young had 17. Doncic played well for the Mavs and had 21 points. Atlanta won 111-104.
Doncic is averaging 18.7 ppg, 6.2 rebounds per game and 4 assists per game. We are still early in the season so we cannot tell which team won the draft day trade. I felt Atlanta should have kept Doncic but time will tell which player will have the most success.
The last game was at home against Chicago. The Bulls won 97-85. Prince, Young and Bazemore combined for 15 of Atlanta’s 22 turnovers on a night when the Hawks shot 32.1 percent (27 of 84).
”Coming off two games where we played well (and won), it was a lesson in how you handle success,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. ”Sometimes, we were trying to do too much, and it was evident with our 22 turnovers. … I thought right from the start we were trying to hit home runs.”
So far Prince has been a pleasant surprise in his second year. He’s averaging 20.6 ppg and 5 apg. He forms a solid young tandem with Young.
DeAndre’ Bembrey is also a second year small forward and he’s playing well coming off the bench. He averages 9 points and 5.4 rpg.
The Hawks have some veterans on the team to help. Vince Carter is in his 20th season. He transitioned from being a great dunker into a three-point shooter.
The team is 2-3 and currently ninth in the East. Time will tell if they can sustain this current pace or be one of the worst teams in the league.
There is some excitement around the team, which has been lacking for quite some time. The stadium underwent a $213.5 million renovation and has been renamed State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena).
I know they aren’t going to the playoffs but this team is exciting to watch. Young is a potential Rookie of the Year candidate.
Packing Another State Title?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The high school football regular season is almost over. The best team in the state of Georgia’s highest classification (7A) is Colquitt County. The Packers are 8-0 and coming off a 38-9 win over Camden County.
It does not look like they will slow down any time soon. I’m going to look at the ranked teams from Gwinnett County and see if any of them have a chance to win the championship.
Over the past 21 years, twelve of the state champions of Georgia’s highest classification have been from Gwinnett County.
The highest ranked team is #3 Grayson (6-2). The Rams were the top ranked team in the preseason and ranked nationally. Despite all of that promise, the team had a mutiny and tried to get head coach Christian Hunnicutt fired.
A large number of players walked out of practice the week before the season opener. An anonymous parent said practice issues date back to last season, Hunnicutt’s first as Rams head coach, citing multiple ambulance trips for heat related issues and full body cramps, multiple players with broken bones in their hands from excessive hitting in practice and players who are injured being called “soft” and being “isolated.”
The 2 losses were against Begen Catholic (New Jersey) and Colquitt County. Texas A&M recruit Kenyon Jackson (6-foot-6, 200 pounds) is the best player on offense. They also have three high-level seniors on the offensive line — Tennessee commit Wanya Morris, Auburn commit Jakai Clark and Michigan commit Trente Jones.
Outside linebacker, Owen Pappoe is the No. 2 recruit in the state. Defensive end Kevin Harris is the No.9 recruit in the state and an Alabama commit. Corner back Kenyatta Watson II is committed to Texas and a three-star recruit. They also have defensive tackle Tru Thompson who is a Florida State commit. On paper they are hands down the most talented team in Georgia.
#4 Parkview (8-0) has played great this season. They just trounced their archrival Brookwood 31-2. The Panthers were a powerhouse in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. They won four state championships from 1997-2002 including a three-peat in 2000-2002.
Their best player is Malik Washington; he’s the No. 81 player in Georgia. He plays wide receiver and free safety. Parkview lacks the talent of some of the other top teams so I think they will struggle in the playoffs.
No. 7 North Gwinnett (7-2) are the defending state champs and the last team to beat Colquitt County.
The Bulldogs lost two close games to Wekiva (FL) and Walton. Walton is the 2nd ranked team in the state and just lost their first game of the season so they are very good.
North Gwinnett has the talent and experience to win again this season. Running back and Iowa commit is Tyler Goodson is the biggest threat on offense. They beat Duluth 41-0 Friday and clinched their second straight Region 6-AAAAAAA championship.
The last ranked team from the county is No. 9 Archer (6-2). They lost the season opener 21-19 against Milton then reeled off five consecutive wins. Then they were clobbered 41-14 by Grayson.
The Tigers have a lot of talent on defense so it was surprising they could not compete with Grayson. They have a corner and safety committed to Clemson, Andrew Booth and Jalyn Phillips. Defensive end Colby Wooden is an Auburn commit.
Colquitt County will be tough to take down this year but I think they will have a rematch with Grayson in the state championship.
Clipped Wings
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Is it too early to call this a lost season for the Atlanta Falcons?
They were just trounced 41-17 by Pittsburgh, bringing their record to 1-4. Going in to the game, we thought it would be a shootout because both teams have high powered offenses and putrid defenses.
The biggest surprise is that the Steelers kept the Falcons offense in check. Pittsburgh statistically has a worse defense, ranked 29th in total defense. Atlanta’s defense is 28th, giving up 398.6 yards per game. The Falcons have given up more points than any NFL team this season.
Matt Ryan threw for 285 yards, 1 touchdown and he was sacked 6 times. He also fumbled while being sacked by T.J. Watt and it was recovered for a touchdown. Ryan spent the final minutes of Atlanta’s third straight loss on the sideline with the game out of reach.
Devonta Freeman returned for the first time since Game 1. He had 8 carries for 32 yards and Tevin Coleman had 7 rushes for 15 yards. Surprisingly Austin Hooper was the leading receiver with 9 catches and 77 yards. Julio Jones has still not found the end zone this season. He finished with 5 catches and 52 yards.
Matt Bosher also had a punt blocked and the ball was recovered at the Atlanta 19-yard line. That led to an easy James Conner touchdown. The Falcons were outscored 28-7 in the second half.
“I recognize the question if we have enough firepower with some of the injuries there. I do, and in some cases, there’s some on-the-job training, and we expect that. But by no stretch is our entire team decimate, and by no stretch are the guys we have playing not capable for the job. I stand by who we are and (expect) the talent that we have to play well. We missed it this afternoon, in the second half especially,” Dan Quinn said.
Right now, it looks like it’s going to be a long season. To put it in perspective there are still 11 games remaining. There is a chance to turn things around but I think it will be very tough. There are so many injuries on the defense that will be difficult to overcome.
The offensive line was very porous against one of the worst defenses in the league. They need to shore that up to protect their $150 million dollar investment.
“Everybody knows our protection needs to be better than it’s been,” said Ryan. “The hardest part for players is having to watch that film and critically evaluate yourself. I think with the kind of guys that we have there’s not going to be a whole lot that needs to be said.”
The next game is at home against Tampa Bay. The Bucs lost two straight games before going in to a bye week. They took Ryan Fitzpatrick out after his hot start and Jameis Winston will be the starting quarterback for that game.
This should be a game that Atlanta can win but we will learn a lot about them. Tampa Bay struggles at running the ball so I expect them to rack up a ton of passing yards. Winston takes risks so he should throw a couple of interceptions.
If the Falcons lose this game then it will be hard to find more wins on the schedule. On the bright side they may be getting ready for a top five draft pick.
Hootie-Hoo
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Kennesaw State Owls are flying high after beating Samford 24-10 Saturday. KSU (4-1) is ranked fourth in the most recent national FCS poll.
Senior quarterback Chandler Burks threw a touchdown pass and ran for two scores in the win. Burks led the team with 55 rushing yards. Shaquil Terry rushed for 47 yards and Jake McKenzie had 36 yards on the ground.
The Owls only had 66 passing yards and no receiver had more than one catch. The game stats were surprisingly close for both teams. Samford had 272 yards and KSU had 286 yards.
The Bulldogs had 19 first downs and the Owls had 18. The biggest difference was turnover margin, Samford had one and KSU did not turn the ball over.
Head coach Brian Bohannon has been the coach since the program started. He was a longtime assistant coach under Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern, Navy and Georgia Tech.
“We took a step forward to playing the kind of football we’re capable of playing here,” Bohannon said. “We didn’t beat ourselves. We didn’t play perfect, but we made some strides in all three phases.”
The only loss on the season came in the first game against an FBS team, Georgia State. The Owls almost won that game but fell 24-20.
The success Kennesaw State is having is amazing considering they just started playing football in 2015. They have never had a losing season and their record has improved every year.
Last season they won the Big South conference and made the FCS Playoffs for the first time. They advanced to the quarterfinals and lost to No. 5 Sam Houston State 34-27.
The Owls run a triple option offense and at the FCS level, it can be very successful. It makes me wonder if Kennesaw State is a legitimate national contender.
The top ranked team is the defending national champions, North Dakota State (4-0) and they have been the most dominant team in the past decade. They have won 6 national championships since 2011.
The Bison are going to be a very tough team to overcome. They are coming off a win over No. 3 South Dakota State 21-17.
James Madison (4-1) is the second ranked team in the country. The only loss came against NC State in a close 24-13 game. The Dukes won the national title in 2016 so they know how to win.
KSU begins Big South conference play October 6th at home against Presbyterian. The Blue Hose are one of the better teams in the conference. Campbell and Monmouth are also two very good conference opponents.
Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb should be easy wins for the Owls. The season finale is home against No. 8 Jacksonville State. This will be the toughest test in FCS play and the result will have big implications for seeding in the playoffs.
For the season to be considered a success, they will need to advance further in the playoffs. That means they will have to get to the semifinals and I think that is a very realistic goal.
The Wrong Kind Of Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At what point does Georgia Tech (1-3) move on from Paul Johnson? Why do they believe in rewarding mediocrity? These are questions asked by every Tech fan after another loss.
The Yellow Jackets got beat down by Clemson 49-28. The Tigers primarily played true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence and he tossed 4 touchdown passes.
Tech fumbled 8 times, recovering 7. Clemson’s first touchdown came when Clelin Ferrell recovered a fumble in the end zone.
“Well, we got our tails kicked. We got outplayed, outcoached and we got beat by a really good football team. And we’re not good enough to fumble the ball seven or eight times and jump offsides and take ourselves out of field-goal range to start the game with two sacks in a row. All those things,” Johnson said.
Let’s take a look at Johnson to see what’s going on. On the surface, he seems like he is doing a great job since taking over as head coach in Atlanta back in 2008. His record is 77-56 so he as a 0.579 winning percentage.
He did his best work when he first took over and inherited Chan Gailey’s players. CPJ is notoriously known for his poor recruiting and that is catching up. In 2015, they finished 3-9 with one conference win.
Last season they were 5-6 and had the UCF game cancelled. They would have lost to Central Florida if the game were played. Johnson also led Tech to a losing 6-7 record in 2010 but at least that came from a bowl loss. He had two seven-win seasons in 2012 and 2013.
Since winning the Orange Bowl and finishing No. 8 nationally during the 2014 season, the Yellow Jackets are 18-22 overall and 9-17 in the ACC.
Following last year’s sub-par campaign, his contract was extended for some reason. It was a move as bizarre as Johnson’s play calling. He already had three years remaining on his contract before the extension, now he is signed to remain on The Flats until 2022.
Athletic Director Todd Stansbury had to explain this head-scratching move.
“Aside from Bobby Dodd, no head coach in Georgia Tech football history has won more games in his first 10 seasons than Paul Johnson,” Stansbury said. “By extending Coach Johnson’s contract through 2022, we not only keep one of the most successful coaches in our illustrious history right here on The Flats, but we also ensure continued stability within our coaching staff. Stability is a vital piece in recruiting and student-athlete development, which are key components to any successful college program. I’m excited that Coach Johnson’s extension is officially complete and I’m looking forward to achieving even more success under his leadership in future years.”
The fan base is tired of these results but nobody at Tech seems to care. I thought Johnson should have been fired in 2012 after they lost to Middle Tennessee at home by 21 points. It seems like he will not be going anywhere but it’s time to reevaluate that.
On the bright side, the next game is at home against Bowling Green. This will be an easy win. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if they will win any more games after that. The conference games that looked like easy wins now seem difficult.
Virginia is 3-1. North Carolina started 0-2 but they just beat Pitt. Duke has won three of the last four meetings.
I think the best case scenario this season is 5 wins.
Falcons Back In Flight
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons rebounded after a Week 1 loss. They beat division rival Carolina 31-24 in a very competitive game.
Matt Ryan finished 23 of 28 passing for 272 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in a performance that took some of the heat off offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
Matty Ice also channeled his inner Mike Vick on a touchdown run in the third quarter. Looking to throw on third-and-5 from the Carolina 8, he spotted a running lane to the left and took off.
“I didn’t want to slide in that situation or go down because you don’t know where you’re going to be marked,” he said. “I felt something below my feet, and just went up the best I could. It was a good decision.”
Eight players caught passes. Six ran the ball including Tevin Coleman, who gained 107 yards on 16 carries filling in for injured Devonta Freeman. Rookie Ito Smith also played well adding 46 yards on 9 carries.
The Falcons resembled the high-scoring team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl two seasons ago with Kyle Shanahan as the coordinator.
Tight end Austin Hooper had five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Calvin Ridley scored his first NFL touchdown and had for receptions for 64 yards. Julio also hauled in five catches for 64 yards.
Atlanta has one of the most talented offenses in pro football. It is head scratching that they played so poorly in the season opener. It’s especially interesting considering Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns against that same Eagles defense.
The Falcons are happy to get the win but I still see some red flags. The total yards were almost even with Carolina gaining 439 and Atlanta with 442. Each team also had one turnover.
The defense is dealing with injuries, missing two Pro Bowlers. Safety Keanu Neal tore his ACL in the first game and he will miss the rest of the season. Linebacker Deion Jones was also placed on injured reserve after the Philly game with a foot injury.
“We are bummed for Deion but we do expect to get him back at some point this season. He represents all that we are looking for in a Falcon player, and while he will not be on the field for us right now, he will continue to have a presence in our building,” coach Dan Quinn said in a statement.
Second year linebacker Duke Riley is filling in and he has not played well since joining the NFL. The team is hoping he can make drastic improvements this season.
Cam Newton is known more for being an athletic quarterback and less for his accuracy but he had a good day through the air. He passed for 335 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 pick. He also took a cheap shot from safety Damontae Kazee who was thrown out of the game for the helmet-to-helmet hit while the Panthers quarterback was sliding at the end of a run.
The Falcons should feel good going into the Week 3 home game against New Orleans. The Saints needed a last second field goal to win against the lowly Browns. The week before they gave up 48 points to Tampa Bay.
I expect this to be a high scoring shoot-out. It will come down to the defense to make a critical stop.
