Starters looked like crap again, should we be worried?

[Sperm Edwards]

Again, not absolving them of giving up the TD.  But not because a 1 play drive is excusable.  But you have to admit if the Falcons didn't hit on that play there is no certainty that the Falcons would have scored.  Just as if they don't hit on that broken play where not only is Q caught in coverage he has no help, theres no guarantee they score.  But they did and we can't sub one drive for another. If they give up a 10 play drive thats another issue to deal with.  

My real point was that after the opening drive they got it together.  There was an argument going on that the D sucked and my reply was they gave up 84 on the first drive, 62 on one play and 1 yard after that.  Not a bad half on its own, would take it every game right now.  

With the zillion dollar defense, they looked bad in their only exposure to an NFL starting QB. There is no other way to candy coat it.

It's more accurate to say, "Lord only knows how much worse they'd have looked and how much worse they'd have been exposed if Atlanta didn't get so many yards in 1 chunk, followed by starting the next drive on the 4 yard line."

Citing how few yards they gave up other than a 60 yard play is a cop-out because the short field meant the both that our defense couldn't be stretched out, and also that a short yard gain was the intended result. Citing how they did after Matt Ryan left the game is likewise a cop-out. The road to the Super Bowl does not go through T.J. Yates.

They'll get better, but the week 1 rust should have been dusted off already. This was bad. Bad plays, bad protection, bad discipline, and I'm seriously concerned that our QB has an arm weaker than a post-op Pennington. Sure, they don't get any brownie points for style, the fan in me says they have the personnel to be top 5 if not top 10 on defense, and the fact is they don't get any wins or prizes for impressing casual fans on the internet. But this casual fan thinks the starters pretty much suck right now, outside of the #1/#2 RBs & Brandon Marshall.

[Jet Nut]

With the zillion dollar defense, they looked bad in their only exposure to an NFL starting QB. There is no other way to candy coat it.

It's more accurate to say, "Lord only knows how much worse they'd have looked and how much worse they'd have been exposed if Atlanta didn't get so many yards in 1 chunk, followed by starting the next drive on the 4 yard line."

Citing how few yards they gave up other than a 60 yard play is a cop-out because the short field meant the both that our defense couldn't be stretched out, and also that a short yard gain was the intended result. Citing how they did after Matt Ryan left the game is likewise a cop-out. The road to the Super Bowl does not go through T.J. Yates.

They'll get better, but the week 1 rust should have been dusted off already. This was bad. Bad plays, bad protection, bad discipline, and I'm seriously concerned that our QB has an arm weaker than a post-op Pennington. Sure, they don't get any brownie points for style, the fan in me says they have the personnel to be top 5 if not top 10 on defense, and the fact is they don't get any wins or prizes for impressing casual fans on the internet. But this casual fan thinks the starters pretty much suck right now, outside of the #1/#2 RBs & Brandon Marshall.

Again, I don't look at it as a cop out just the way it is.  I'm not going to worry or freak out over 1 drive out of the D, especially with players sitting out

[Sperm Edwards]

Again, I don't look at it as a cop out just the way it is.  I'm not going to worry or freak out over 1 drive out of the D, especially with players sitting out

I'm not "freaking out" so I don't know where that comes from. I'm saying they looked crappy in limited action against starting QBs so far, and I said essentially ignoring the 60 yard play (by saying things like, "other than Atlanta's biggest gainer of the game...") effectively absolves them of having given up those yards, as though they wouldn't have still surrendered them. Absent the extra YAC, they still gave up a decent gainer to a freaking FB.

Other than that 1 play there wasn't an opportunity for Atlanta to march down the field (with Ryan). So that remanded them to no-win situation from the fans' perspective. If they did well against Yates, it means nothing; if they did badly against Yates/other, then they really suck (worthy of this "freak out" you speak of).

[Jet Nut]

I'm not "freaking out" so I don't know where that comes from. I'm saying they looked crappy in limited action against starting QBs so far, and I said essentially ignoring the 60 yard play (by saying things like, "other than Atlanta's biggest gainer of the game...") effectively absolves them of having given up those yards, as though they wouldn't have still surrendered them. Absent the extra YAC, they still gave up a decent gainer to a freaking FB.

Other than that 1 play there wasn't an opportunity for Atlanta to march down the field (with Ryan). So that remanded them to no-win situation from the fans' perspective. If they did well against Yates, it means nothing; if they did badly against Yates/other, then they really suck (worthy of this "freak out" you speak of).

Neither do I.  I just said I wont freak out.  You kind of missed what I was saying.  

Yeah, they only had the ball in his hands once and they scored.  But really, with all there is to worry about at QB, the defense is the last thing I'm worried about.  Starting DL was missing 2, Pryor was out and Bowles hasnt sent a blitz with a purpose yet.  Something tells me its going to be a little different with the season starts

[Xtina]

I would say yes 

[Dunnie]

I really just think are guys are playing to stay healthy at all costs