Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

[Estonianzulu]

Some notes:
All-Pro
12 minutes, accelerated clock.
I've downloaded the most recent roster update for X-box (old gen), and as such will be simming the 1st year and moving from there with the 2008 season.

So, hope to keep you guys entertained. Update coming later tonight.

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

I'm following!!

[Estonianzulu]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

The Atltanta Falcons
Season Review- 2007

Week 1- @ Minnesota (0-0)- L 24-14
Week 2- @ Jacksonville (0-1)- W 19-13
Week 3- vs Carolina (1-1)- L 20-13
Week 4- vs Houston (1-2)- W 28-24
Week 5- @ Tennessee (2-2)- L 24-14
Week 6- vs New York Giants (2-3)- W 19-17
Week 7- @ New Orleans (4-2)- W 20-13
Week 8- Bye
Week 9- vs San Francisco (3-4)- W 17-14
Week 10- @ Carolina (5-4) L 24-3
Week 11- vs Tampa Bay (4-6) L 20-14
Week 12- vs Indianapolis (8-2) L 31-10
Week 13- @ St Louis (7-4) W 24-21
Week 14- vs New Orleans (6-6) W 22-17
Week 15- @ Tampa Bay (5-8) L 21-14
Week 16- @ Arizona (5-9) W 17-10
Week 17- vs Seattle (9-6) L 24-14
~~~~~

Final Record- 8-8
NFC South Results:
1st- Carolina Panthers (10-6)
2nd- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
3rd- Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
4th- New Orleans Saints (6-10)
~
Playoff Results:
Wild Card Round- (seed)
Seattle (5) 24-14 Carolina (4)
Philadelphia (6) 16-18 Green Bay (3)
-
Kansas City (5) 24-20 Pittsburgh (4)
Baltimore (6) 14-21 San Diego (3)

Divisional Round
Seattle (5) 20-28 St Louis (1)
Green Bay (3) 20-17 Dallas (2)
-
Kansas City (5) 10-28 New England (1)
San Diego (3) 24-20 Indianapolis (2)

Conference Championships
NFC- Green Bay 21-30 St. Louis
AFC- San Diego 24-20 New England

Super Bowl XLII
St Louis 28-20 Green Bay
MVP- Steven Jackson, 121 yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 2 touchdowns
~~
Coaching Changes:
Following the end of the seasons, the following coaches were let go by their respective teams.

Jack Del Rio- Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)
Tom Coughlin- New York Giants (7-9)
Jon Gruden- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10)
~~

Next Update- Filling the vacancies, the state of the Falcons and the draft.

[Estonianzulu]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

Coaching Hires

The Jacksonville Jaguars

The Carolina Panthers, whose defense went from 24th overall to 7th overall in the 2007 season, will be missing one of their key components. Defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac has been hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars as their new head coach. Other candidates for the opened job were Mike Tice, offensive coordinator for the Jaguars, Joseph Philbin of the Packers and Redskins DC Gregg Williams.

New York Giants- Kevin Gilbride, New York Giants offensive Coordinator
Jon Gruden- Jim Bates, former Miami interim head coach
~~

The Atlanta Falcons

Off-Season
Players Released:
Quarterback Byron Leftwhich
Kicker Matt Prater
No other starters cut

Free Agents Signed:
Kyle Boller, QB
--Formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, Kyle Boller was cut by the Ravens to make room for a new offensive system. Boller was approached by numerous teams to play as a backup quarterback, but the Falcons have extended him the offer to compete for a starting job.

Matt Cassell, QB
--One-time backup quarterback for the New England Patriots, Cassell, along with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, were released after the loss in the AFC title game. Cassell has been offered the opportunity to compete, and perhaps start, in Atlanta.

Andre Carter, LE
--Andre Carter had a miserable first season in Washington, ending in his eventual release back to free agency. Carter never saw more than a few snaps for the Redskins, but will take over at Left End to mentor Jamaal Anderson who had a poor rookie season.

Warren Sapp, DT
--Sapp, the future hall of famer and long time key to the Oakland Raiders' defense, was released by Oakland in an effort to bring in more youth to the defensive tackle position. Sapp considered retirement, but with the promise of being part of a young and improving defense in Atlanta, for a signficant salary, Sapp decided to sign with the Falcons.

Sebastian Janikowski, K
--Janikowski was the second Raider brought in to Atlanta, Janikowski wanted more money than Oakland was willing to pay, and after a awful year for kicking (17/26), the Falcons were glad to bring in a reliable and well respected kicker.
~~

NFL DRAFT

The Atlanta Falcons currently stand with the 12 NFL pick in the draft. The Carolina Panthers, through a trade with the Detroit Lions, currently has the 1st pick in the NFL Draft. The Panthers approached their in-division rivals with an offer trade that pick for both Atlanta's 1st and 2nd, but the Falcons turned the deal down. Then, as if in spite of the Falcons, the Panthers drafted Louisville Quarterback Brian Brohm.

Atlanta Falcons
1 (12). Steve Slaton, HB, WVU- Slaton presents an interesting option for the Falcons. Unable to draft a quarterback at this pick and unable to trade down, the Falcons decided to go with the best pick available. Slaton will hopefully be used like Reggie Bush or Brian Westbrook.

2. David Faaeteete, DT, Oregon- Faaeteete was drafted to add to the D-line rotation. With both Sapp (35) and Coleman (31) on the line, a young defensive tackle was considered a great find for the Falcons.

3. Drew Miller, C, Florida- Despite a brief incident of little note, Miller appeared to be a great project to step up and serve as a backup to Todd McClure. McClure, at 31, will likely remain the starter, but Miller will be available.

4. Kirk Elder, LG, Texas A&M- Elder has served as one of the better guards in the Big 12 for most of his college career. Although he is not projected to start over Justin Blalock, he will join Miller as depth on the offensive line.

5. Connor Barth, K, UNC- Barth is a solid kicker with a great leg. Barth will come in originally as a back-up but potentially to replace Janikowski.

6. Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis, HB, Ole Miss- A solid late-round running back and likely a practice squad player.

7. Zach Krula, RG, Arizona State- A potential project player already slotted for the practice squad.
~

Draft Grade: D

The Falcons had a mysterious, at best, draft. Steve Slaton and Green-Ellis were uneeded on a team with two solid running backs in Dunn and Norwood. With 4 running backs on the roster, there will be changes. Rumors are, Warrick Dunn wants out. David Faaeteete was a solid pick who will help put youth and speed on the D-line. Miller and Elder will likely not see the field, and Krula is a practice squad player, probably gone from football in a year. For a team that needs to improve to get back on top of the division, the Falcons really failed.
~~

Next Update: Pre-Season, competition and some big changes.

[superjames1992]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

Good luck. Have fun with Slaton as well!

[Estonianzulu]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

Good luck. Have fun with Slaton as well!

Thanks, I really didn't want Slaton, but the lack of a solid QB to draft left me forced to pick best available, and so, Slaton is a Falcon.

[Estonianzulu]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

The Atlanta Falcons
Pre-Season

The QB Debate
Joey Harrington came out in training camp still looking the strongest. Although he did nothing spectacular, or even impressive, Harrington was clean with his throws and understood the offense well. Kyle Boller came out strong, those throws he completed were the best, but unfortunately he had a tendency to hold on to the ball too long. Matt Cassel was the best at getting rid of the ball and showed great strength, but made some poor decisions. DJ Shockley looked mediocre at best, and will be cut by training camp's end.

The HB Debate
With four half-backs on the roster, and three who have spoken to the media about starting, and with the amount of money wrapped up in this position, things will be changing. Warrick Dunn started showing his age. His power has improved but he is showing very little burst. Steve Slaton on the other hand showed all the burst in the world. His cuts were clean and his speed was incredible. Most of the concerns around Slaton coming into the season have evaporated. Jerius Norwood was able to hit the gaps quickly, but he showed no drive or desire to play. Norwood has come out asking for a trade. Finally, Green-Ellis showed a lot of power and solid hands, and was the only half back to reach the endzone.

Pre-Season Week 1
Titans @ Falcons
9------16
The Falcons beat the Titans, despite the eruption of conflict between QB Joey Harrington and tailback Jerius Norwood. Harrington went 10/16 for 51 yards, carefully picking his passes and not making any mistakes. But after a blown block by Norwood resulted in a safety for the Titans, Harrington and Norwood got into a very livid argument. Meanwhile Matt Cassel looked less than average in his Falcons debut, going 4/11 for 28 yards and an interception. The true hero of the game was rookie Steve Slaton whose 139 yards made him game MVP. Injuries included rookie guard Kirk Elder and strong safety Daren Stone.

Pre-Season Week 2
Falcons @ Bengals
20--------10
Against the Bengals, the defense stepped up and performed like it was game day. Kyle Boller was the man of the day, with 122 yards and a touchdown. His performance gave him the lead in the QB race. Cassel however threw another interception and has been removed from starting consideration. Steve Slaton had a solid day with 45 yards and a receiving touchdown, while Jerius Norwood rushed for a touchdown. The real story came not in Atlanta but in Buffalo, where both running backs Marshawn Lynch and Anthony Thomas went down with injuries that will keep them out for 3 games into the regular season. With this news in mind, the Falcons moved quickly, sending Warrick Dunn to the Bills for a 3rd round draft pick.

Pre-Season Week 3
Falcons @Seahawks
6---------26
The Falcons collapsed in week 3, falling to the Hawks 6-26. Joey Harrington came out on fire with 130 yards on twelve completions. Harrington however came to blows with Norwood again, this time on a dropped touchdown pass. Matt Cassel also came out strong as a backup, getting 142 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Norwood's failures continued on his run game, getting only 12 yards, while Slaton picked up 119. With the trade to Buffalo, the rookie has earned a role as starting running back.

Pre-Season Week 4
Jacksonville @ Falcons
23--------28
The Falcons capped their pre-season with a win over the Jaguars, advancing to 3-1 in the pre-season. Kyle Boller and Joey Harrington continued their battle, with Boller gaining 81 yards and a touchdown, while Harrington, in another argument filled game, gained 75 yards on five completions. Meanwhile Slaton put two touchdowns on the board, and Green-Ellis burned across the field with a 38 yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter. Meanwhile, Joey Harrington has earned himself a starting job, in Tennessee. The Titans, loosing Vince Young for four weeks, offered the Falcons a 2nd round pick for the suddenly fiery Harrington.

Final Starters:
RB- Steve Slaton, Jerius Norwood, Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis
QB- Kyle Boller, Matt Cassel

[marktg30]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

I have my eyes on your QB and your Defense... Looks like you have a long road ahead...

What are Slaton's ratings?

[Estonianzulu]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

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]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

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]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

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]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

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]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

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]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

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]

Re: Rebuilding Atlanta (Madden 08)

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