Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

[Estonianzulu]

Quote: Originally Posted by marktg30

I have my eyes on your QB and your Defense... Looks like you have a long road ahead... What are Slaton's ratings?

A very long road, unfortunately. Slaton is speedy as all get out. 94 speed, 94 agility, 96 acceleration. Catch is 72, Carry 81.

[RAZRr1275]

Quote: Originally Posted by Estonianzulu

A very long road, unfortunately. Slaton is speedy as all get out. 94 speed, 94 agility, 96 acceleration. Catch is 72, Carry 81.

What's his overall?

[Estonianzulu]

The Atlanta Falcons (0-0) @ The Oakland Raiders (0-0)

Key Players:
Atlanta Falcons
QB Kyle Boller- Boller gets the start for the Atlanta Falcons after one of the most convoluted and difficult off-seasons for any team.
HB Steve Slaton- The rookie first round draft pick gets the start over disgruntled Jerius Norwood.
DT Warren Sapp- The former Raider was cut in the off-season by the Raiders, and in week one he gets to return to his old home.

Oakland RaidersQB Jamarcus Russell- Last year's #1 overall pick has been named the starter going into his sophomore season. This is his first career start.
WR Harry Douglas- Louisville's top receiver was Oakland's 2nd round pick and has earned himself a starting position going into week 1.
DT Sedrick Ellis- The standout USC D-lineman was drafted round 1 to replace Warren Sapp, and now gets to prove himself in week 1.
~~

1st Half highlights

The first half opened well for the Falcons, with Slaton picking up 12 yards with his first ever carry. But that was as far as the offense would go. Thomas Howard, linebacker for the Raiders, jumped a flat route on QB Kyle Boller and intercepted his pass. Luckily for the Falcons, the ensuing drive ended short. Michael Boley, Falcons outside linebacker, came up with two sacks on Russell, forcing a field goal. But the former Vikings field goal kicker Paul Edinger, who had replaced the now-Falcon Sebastian Janikowski, missed wide left.

The first quarter came and went rather rapidly with both teams driving but failing to score. Andre Carter added the Falcon's 3rd sack, ending the 1st quarter with a huge push on 3rd down for the Raiders. The resulting drive finally seemed to get things going as Michael Jenkins took a screen pass. But the string of bad luck continued as Howard intercepted another Boller pass, but a Warren Sapp tackle of Michael Bush prevented a touchdown, and Edinger missed his second field goal of the day. On the next drive, Slaton managed to put up a 21 yard gain on a screen, and the Falcons were able to end the half with their own field goal attempt, this time completed for a 3-0 lead going into the half.

2nd Half Highlights

The Raiders opened the second half with Russell finally showing the strength of his arm. He fired a rocket of a pass to Jerry Porter for 44 yards, and after corner back Chris Houston whiffed on a key tackle, Porter was able to sprint into the endzone and put the Raiders up 7-3. After a 3 and out, the Raiders got the ball again, and Andre Carter gave them a free 15 yards on a roughing the pass penalty. Russel connected with Porter again on a 3 yard pass to set up 1st and goal from the 1. Oakland punched it in with a run by Fargas to go up 14-3.

As the third gave way to the 4th, the Falcons jumped back into full form, driving down the field and putting up a field goal from 31 yards out. The Falcons cut the score to eight. On their next possession, the Falcons stepped up again, and on 3rd and 13 completed a 20 yard dump pass to Norwood. On 4th and 11 from the 13, Boller made a huge play, completing a bullet to Michael Jenkins for a touchdown. Now forced to go for two, Boller couldn't find an open receiver and was tackled trying to sneak into the end zone. After holding the Raiders to third and out, the Falcons recovered the ball with 1:55 left, down by 2. But after Roddy White dropped a wide open pass on 4th and 10, the Falcons turned the ball over and Oakland was able to run out the clock.

FINAL SCORE: Atlanta 12-14 Oakland

Oakland Raiders MVP: Thomas Howard- 5 tackles, 2 interceptions
Atlanta Falcons MVP: Michael Jenkins- 5 catches, 86 yards, 1 TD

Next Week: Atlanta @ Detroit

[McLite]

Was that a bug on your Super Bowl...with St. Louis and Green Bay playing? I figured maybe it was a mistype since San Diego won the AFC Champ game but the MVP was Stephen Jackson so now I'm not so sure. Just curious.

Good luck with Atlanta. Slayton should be fun to play with. I always loved the scat backs in Madden and NCAA.

[Estonianzulu]

Quote: Originally Posted by RAZRr1275

What's his overall?

Overall 85.

As to the Super Bowl- yeah it was St. Louis vs San Diego, accidentally typed Green Bay and can't edit, so it got left like that.

[Estonianzulu]

The Detroit Lions (0-1) @ The Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

Key Players:
Atlanta Falcons
QB Kyle Boller: Boller gets his second start after a mediocre first game against the Raiders
RB Steve Slaton: Slaton was not a huge part of the Falcons first game, but may get more snaps in week 2.
CB DeAngelo Hall: Hall will have to lead by example against the explosive pass offense of the Detroit Lions.

Detroit Lions
QB Jon Kitna: The age-less QB still has all the potential to explode against any defense, especially one without a lot of strength in the secondary.
WR Roy Williams: Williams had a solid 07 season, and looks to continue in 08 after a 100 yard game in week 1.
MLB Vince Hall: The Lions first round draft pick is the only rookie starter on the defense. He will make a huge impact this week.

~~

1st Half highlights

The Detroit Lions got the game off with their first offensive drive. Jon Kitna attacked the Atlanta secondary with surgical precision, with Kevin Jones powering up the middle and driving the Falcons deep into their own territory. It was only a dropped pass by Roy Williams on 3rd down that kept the Lions out of the endzone. So, instead of 7, the Lions went up by 3. But the Falcons took the opportunity to strike back, and ironically, Kyle Boller in his #7 jersey, converted two third down attempts by running out of the pocket. The Lions defense bent, but didn't break, and as the first quarter came to an end, the game was tied 3-3.

The 2nd quarter opened up well for the Falcons, as Warren Sapp slammed into Kevin Jones, forcing a fumble an sending Jones to the sideline injured. Backup running back Chris Taylor, formerly of the Houston Texans, comes in and the Lions, who recovered the fumble, started their new drive on the 4 yard line. The Lions managed once again to drive down the field, but the injury bug struck again as Jon Kitna went down hard on his shoulder, and was replaced by Drew Stanton. The Lions once again settled for a field goal, this time from 34 yards out to take a 6-3 lead. But the Falcons offense started to click late in the 2nd, as Kyle Boller drove down the field and capped a drive with a 29 yard touchdown to Michael Jenkins to take a 10-6 lead. The half came to an end after Janikowski kicked a long field goal which fell just short.

2nd Half Highlights

The second half began in the best possible way for the Falcons. DeAngelo Hall traversed the entire width of the field to find an opening on the kickoff return, and managed to take the ball 85 yards down the field for a 17-6 lead. Luck was to still evade the Lions, as 2nd year QB Drew Stanton went down with a strained wrist and third string QB Dan Orlovsky was sent in to play. The third stringer reminded everyone why he wasn't a starter when DeAngelo Hall intercepted an errant pass which set up another field goal for the Falcons, who went up 20-6.

Orlovsky made up some of his failures, driving down the field with the limping Lions, connecting with Mike Furrey for a 14 yard touchdown, making the game a one score game 13-20. But the Falcons were unperturbed, and drove down the field in response. Taking 7 minutes off the clock, the Falcons punched in another touchdown on 3rd and goal with a one-yard touchdown by Norwood. The Lions failed to stop the Falcons on their final time-consuming drive and the Falcons walked off the field with a win 27-13.

FINAL SCORE: Atlanta 27-13 Detroit

Detroit Lions MVP: Mike Furrey- 6 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD
Atlanta Falcons MVP: DeAngelo Hall- 1 kickoff TD, 3 tackles, 1 int


Next Week- Falcons @ Chargers

[Estonianzulu]

The Atlanta Falcons (1-1) @ The San Diego Chargers (2-0)

Key Players:
Atlanta Falcons
QB Kyle Boller: The oft-maligned former Raven gets his third start in black and red.
LT Wayne Gandy: The Falcons left tackle will have his hands full against the brutal front 7 of the Chargers.
DT Rod Coleman: Coleman will be called upon to help shut down LT, never an easy task.

The San Diego Chargers
HB Ladainian Tomlinson: Tomlinson is the Chargers, a big day from him will be a big win for the Chargers.
WR Chris Chambers: The Miami Dolphins traded Chambers to the Chargers for a second round pick, lets see if he is worth it.
CB Antonio Cromartie: The second year corner gets the start at the #1 position and will be up against Jenkins.
~~

1st Half highlights

On the opening drive, Atlanta Fullback Ovie Mughelli went down with a strained pectoral, forcing fourth string running back Mewelde Moore to step in as back-up full back. Despite the injury the Falcons went for a 4th down conversion deep in Chargers territory, but failed to get the 1st, and turned the ball over on downs. However, the second time the Falcons got deep, they settled for the short field goal and went up 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.

But in the second quarter, the Chargers turned on the jets and drove down the field. LT broke out of the pile deep in Falcons territory and pounded the ball in for his 5th touchdown of the year form 8 yards out giving the Chargers a 7-3 lead. But the rest of the half played out like it began, without much excitement. Steve Slaton looked to make a huge run as the 2nd quarter ran down, but stumbled at the 7 yard line and the Chargers managed to force a fumble of the rookie, and drove down the field for a field goal, going up 10-3.

2nd Half Highlights

The Falcons held the Chargers to 3 and out, and managed to put up another 3 points on the ensuing drive. But San Diego came out hot again, driving into the redzone on four plays. But John Abraham finally stepped up and leveled Philip Rivers on 3rd down, forcing a field goal as the Chargers went up 13-6. The Falcons ran out the clock on the 3rd quarter quietly trying to put together a solid drive. So far, the game was close, but the Chargers were clearly the superior team.

DeAngelo Hall, who had shut down Chris Chambers for most of the game, made a big mistake and bit on play action, letting Chambers get wide open for Rivers to hit him in stride. Chambers would take the path the distance, putting his team up 20-6 with a 55 yard touchdown. The Chargers would add another two field goals, going up 26-6 as the 2 minute warning approached. If only for pride, Steve Slaton put up a huge 37 yard run, but Boller's attempt to squeeze a pass into the endzone came up intercepted by rookie Keenan Lewis, ending the game 26-6.

FINAL SCORE: Atlanta 6-26 San Diego

Atlanta Falcons MVP: Steve Slaton: 130 yards, 4.8 yards per carry, 1 fumble.
San Diego Chargers MVP: Ladainian Tomlinson: 172 yards, 5.5 yards per carry, 1 touchdown.


Next Week- Falcons @ Panthers -- And the 1/4 standings

[Estonianzulu]

Breaking News: In an attempt to get rid of cancerous Jerius Norwood, and to help the Chargers replace Michael Turner, the Falcons have traded Norwood to the Chargers for third string cornerback Drayton Florence.

The Atlanta Falcons (1-2) @ The Carolina Panthers (1-2)

Key Players:
Atlanta Falcons
QB Kyle Boller: After a rough week 3, Boller needs to bounce back or risk loosing his job to Matt Cassel.
CB Drayton Florence: Florence is making his Falcosn debut, as the #2 corner, covering 2nd year WR Ryne Robinson, playing for the injured Jarrett.
DT Rod Coleman: The Falcons need to pressure rookie WR Brian Brohm, who head coach Bobby Petrino coached in college.

Carolina Panthers
QB Brian Brohm: John Fox took a huge risk drafting Brohm #1 overall to replace the now-Packers QB Jake Delhomme.
WR Lance Moore: With injuries to their two starting WR's, the Panthers are relying on two Toledo backups to play big.
DT Glenn Dorsey: The 2nd round rookie DT has made a name for himself in the pro's, he'll need to continue to beat the Falcons.
~~

1st Half highlights

Roddy White was the first Falcon to make a big play, sneaking ahead of Tony Parrish and catching a bullet from Kyle Boller. And if the little pitch and catch wasn't enough, White turned on the burners and ran 71 yards for a touchdown. But the Panthers were not to be outdown. Brian Brohm answered back with an 8-minute drive, capped off with a 10 yard pass over the head of Florence and into the arms of Ryne Robinson for a touchdown. The first half ended quickly, with the Falcons putting up a field goal to close the 2nd quarter, leading 10-7 at the half.

2nd Half Highlights

The second half began like the first, with a touchdown drive. This time however it was Brohm connecting with Moore from 20 yards out to take a 14-10 lead. The Falcons struggled their way down the field to answer back, but came up short, settling for their second field goal and making it a 14-13 game. But the Panthers were not to be outdone, and Brohm got his third touchdown of the day, connecting with Moore for his second of the day from 4 yards out, taking a commanding 21-13 lead.

Two field goals by the Panthers, one off an interception by Na'il Diggs, put them up by a solid 27-13 lead. But DeAngelo Hall took the opportunity to remind everyone why he is one of the best players in Black and Red, returning a kick-off 90 yards down the field for a touchdown, cutting the Panthers lead to 7. But it was too little too late, as the Panthers added another field goal and then held the Falcons offense to 4 downs and out. The Panthers were able to come out in victory formation and kneel for the win.

FINAL SCORE: Atlanta 20-30 Carolina

Atlanta Falcons MVP: Kyle Boller: 17/29 for 214 yards, 1 TD, 1 int
Carolina Panthers MVP: Brian Brown: 102.7 rating, 161 yards, 3 touchdowns
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NFL POWER RANKINGS

1. The San Diego Chargers (4-0): The Chargers are clearly the team to beat this year, and have run the tables. LT is an amazing 615 yards, with 5 touchdowns and at 5.0 yard per carry he can only get better.
2. The Green Bay Packers (4-0): After the retirement of Brett Favre, no one expected the Pack to rebound. But with Delhomme's 8:2 touchdown to interception ratio and 627 yards, its hard to argue their success.
3. The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1): If Defense wins championships, the Steelers are set to make another run. Clark Haggans and his 33 tackles lead the #2 ranked defense in the always-competative AFC North.
4. The Philadelphia Eagles (3-1): We all scoffed when the Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb in the 2nd round. But with McNabb injured, Kolb has led the Eagles to a 2-1 record, and a 117.2 QB rating to boot.
5. The New York Giants (3-1): Brandon Jacobs leads an explosive team, and the league, with 108 rushes for 420 yards and a touchdown. But the real story of the Giants is their defense, and their win over the Cowboys.
6. The Indianapolis Colts (2-2): Of all the two win teams, this one is the most surprising. After thumping the Jags in their season opener, the Colts dropped back to back losses and then beat the Titans last week.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2): Two straight losses left the Jags on the outside looking in, but Reggie Hayward's 6 sacks in two games has ignited this team, and the Jags look to be on a roll. With big games coming up, this team will need to win soon.
8. The New England Patriots (2-1): Tom Brady is a perfect 144 rating QB, with 971 yards, 11 touchdowns and a 77% completion rating, Brady may break some records this year, but he wont get his 4th ring if the defense doesn't shape up.
9. The Seattle Seahawks (2-1): In the surprisingly difficult AFC West, the Hawks have taken the lead with a win over the Rams. The always unflappable Hasselbeck is putting up solid numbers with 8 touchdowns to 3 interceptions.
10. The Cincinnati Bengals (2-2): Palmer is back to form with 1007 yards, leading the league by a signficant margin. But his 4 interceptions have only hurt a team struggling to find a defensive identity.
11. The St. Louis Rams (2-1): Steven Jackson is making as much noise as he can, putting up 3 touchdowns and 335 yards. The Rams will need more out of their #1 guy if they are to overcome thier loss to the Seahawks and win the division.
12. The Dallas Cowboys (2-1): Jason Witten and Tony Romo have found something. Witten leads the team with 23 receptions for 197 yards, with Terrell Owens a distant second with 9 receptions. How long till TO goes off?
13. The Carolina Panthers (2-2): The Panthers were panned for trading up to nab Brian Brohm, but his 491 yards and 3 touchdowns in two games have given the Panthers back to back wins and led them to #1 in their division.
14. The Miami Dolphins (2-1): The Dolphins have yet to play a division game, but Will Allen is making his name heard again, with two interceptions on the season, both in the 4th quarter. The Dolphins need their offense to show up to keep winning.
15. The Oakland Raiders (2-1): Welcome to the NFL Jamarcus Russell, although he only has 2 touchdowns, and a mediocre QB rating, Russell has been poised and commanding in the pocket and has led the Raiders to a 2-1 record.
16. The Detroit Lions (2-2): After loosing back to back games to the Giants and the Falcons, Jon Kitna righted the Detroit ship and ran up two wins. Currently Kitna has 653 yards and 4 touchdowns, but his 3 interceptions have been costly.
17. The Washington Redskins (2-2): Its clear that the NFC East is the most competative division in football, and Clinton Portis is part of the reason why. His 4.3 yards per carry has helped the struggling Redskins stay in the race in the East.
18. The San Francisco 49ers (2-2): The 9'ers made some good moves in the off-season, but they have yet to pay dividends. Frank Gore is struggling with 359 yards, and only 1 touchdown, but mostly that is because he isn't getting the ball. Alex Smith needs to step up.
19. The Tennessee Titans (2-2): Inconsistent is the best word to describe the Titans. Vince Young has twice as many interceptions (4) as touchdowns (2), but has 410 rushing yards. Young needs to improve his throwing to take this team further.
20. The Denver Broncos (2-2): Behind the Chargers, its little surprise that the Broncos are 2-2. But their defense has fallen apart, and they suddenly can't run the ball. That being said, Javon Walker's 340 yards and 2 touchdowns is a good sign.
21. The Buffalo Bills (2-2): The Bills are turning things around, and Angelo Croweell is a big reason why. He leads the NFL in 59 tackles, and has 2 sacks and an interception as well. The Bills defense is the best in the AFC East.
22. The New York Jets (2-2): After dropping games to the Pats and Bills, the Jets are looking for a leader. Chad Pennington's 832 yards are nice, but his tendancy to turn the ball over (5 interceptions) is killing this team.
23. The Chicago Bears (2-2): Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the season is the success of Xavier Adibi for the Bears. His 22 tackles and 3 sacks has helped continue the long history of brutal Bears linebackers.
24. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3): With losses to the Packers, Cowboys and Panthers, its hard to judge this team. But Nate Burleson's 272 yards is a good sign. The Buccaneers have an easier 2nd half, but getting out of September will be tough.
25. The Arizona Cardinals (2-2): Although he has 660 yards (and 4 interceptions) I still don't understand why the Cardinals drafted John David Booty out of USC. After Matt Leinart lost back to back games and was benched for Booty, I stopped following the Cards.
26. The Baltimore Ravens (1-2): The Ravens obsession with old QB's continue as Daunte Culpepper's 3:5 touchdown to interception ratio continues to hold back this aging defense. In the AFC North, a quarterback with 5 interceptions is not a good thing.
27. The Atlanta Falcons (1-3): Steve Slaton has 361 yards and a 4.0 yard per carry average, but this team is struggling to find an offensive identity. Michael Jenkins needs to come to form and help push this team into .500.
28. The Kansas City Chiefs (1-3): Larry Johnson is not running to form, while 436 yarsd is solid, he has only reached paydirt twice, and has missed more than a few big blocks to help out his battered quarterback.
29. The New Orleans Saints (1-3): Its hard to say anything good about the Saints, who are returning to the old way. Drew Brees has looked solid with 8 touchdowns to two interceptions and a 102.1 rating, but his defense and run game stinks.
30. The Cleveland Browns (0-3): The Brady Quinn era has begun ominously. His numbers are average, and his team has really fallen apart around him. It is a forgone conclusion that Romeo Crennel is done by the season's end.
31. The Houston Texans (0-4): Although Mario Williams has really come into his own, you have to wonder if the Texans are regretting their choice. Current starting tailback Tatum bell has 273 yards and an awful 3.4 yards per carry. Luckily he does has 3 touchdowns.
32. The Minnesota Vikings (0-4): Three different quarterbacks and a punter have all thrown multiple passes in Minnesota, and they have combined for 2 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Adrian Peterson may be great, but he isn't everything.