Chris Ivory Still Hampered by Hamstring as Falcons Prepare for Pass-Happy Saints
Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC South
Chris Ivory, the Saints leading rusher, told reporters Thursday that he cannot “really open up like I would like to.” Ivory has a hamstring injury and did not play last Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Are the Falcons going to sweat whether Ivory plays Monday night?
We’ll see, but I think the Falcons have greater concern with the Saints’ passing game than the run game. New Orleans has shown spotty devotion to the ground attack. The Saints talk about balance from time to time, yet they will routinely throw 40 passes a game.
Drew Brees has thrown 571 passes. The Saints have run the ball 334 times.
Sure, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush have been injured this season, but even now that they are back, New Orleans is heavily wedded to the pass.
The Falcons, in the past, have taken a defensive lineman off the field and added nickel back Brian Williams to the mix in a 3-3-5 alignment to combat the pass-heavy Saints.
New Orleans has three superb weapons in space with Reggie Bush, Lance Moore and Marques Colston — who has been the biggest target lately for Brees. Those are the three players the Falcons have to handle and they can do that better without a fourth defensive lineman.
If the Saints want to run the ball, Atlanta will let them have at it. Where New Orleans has hurt teams the most is over the top with throws to Colston and crew.
The question is how much the Falcons get out of middle linebacker Curtis Lofton. He has been slowed by a sore knee.
The Falcons are taking the wraps off rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who also has a knee injury. Weatherspoon said trainers are cutting back on the wrap, which he said “mummified” his knee. Atlanta sure could use Spoon, their fastest linebacker, to deal with Bush.
So, the Saints, who are not exactly a rock-em, sock-em team, will see cornerback Brian Williams on the field to go with Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes.
The best defense for the Falcons will not be dropping five to seven in coverage, it will be dropping Michael Turner on the Saints’ heads. The 244-pound running back and his offensive line dominated time of possession and kept the Saints offense off the field in the first game between the two teams.
As for Ivory, he did not exactly sound upbeat talking to the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Thursday.
“Earlier in practice, it was feeling pretty good for the most part,” he said. “But as we got to going, I tried to open up. And I’m probably not 100 percent, so once I tried to open up, I felt that grabbing feeling on it. But I think all that will get worked out this week. A little more treatment these next couple days, I think that will help.”
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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/23/chris-ivory-still-hampered-by-hamstring-as-falcons-soon-face-pas/