There's no truth to the rumor that Wes Craven was working on a new horror film starring the Atlanta Falcons offensive line when he died this weekend.
However, the legendary director (how good was Nightmare on Elm Street?) surely could have had another hit featuring the gruesome lot that is masquerading as an NFL offensive line for new Falcons coach Dan Quinn. Freddy Krueger's got nothing on Mike Person.
One poor preseason game is nothing. Two is worth noting. Three is, well, worrisome.
How bad was it Saturday against the Dolphins? Franchise QB Matt Ryan was pulled earlier than most expected (Peyton Manning played longer for the Broncos this week) because, surely, Quinn and O-coordinator Kyle Shanahan feared for his safety.
Admittedly, the Dolphins have perhaps the NFL's top defensive line, but this was pure domination and it has to be the No. 1 concern with a week to go in the preseason. There was, again, no run game.
People are pointing out that top backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman have not been turned loose, but even Jim Brown in his prime wasn't going anywhere behind that line. Person, Joe Hawley, James Stone (sorry Vol fans), Ryan Schraeder and even last year's top draft pick Jake Matthews were manhandled.
The backups played like backups. Bad backups. Let's hope personnel changes are at least being considered. Jon Asamoah has to be a starter on this team, right? The team reportedly has enough cap room to sign a few bodies (Jake Long is still available) and the waiver wire will be watched closely.
It's not panic time...yet.
Linebacker Paul Worrilow is a big part of what appears to be an improved Falcons' defense.Defense making strides
On the positive side, Quinn's remake of the defense is making progress. The Dolphins aren't a great offense but even bad teams saw little resistance the past two years.
Saturday saw some decent pass rush and overall good line play. The most improved player has to be linebacker Paul Worrilow, who's anticipating much better and avoiding blocks. When he gets to the ball he's making nice hits. He and O'Brian Schoefield, Justin Durant and Brooks Reed should be night and day better than what we've seen the past two years.
The secondary, even though Ryan Tannehill was efficient, did well despite Desmond Trufant not playing and would appear to be a strength.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn will have star receiver Julio Jones around five more seasons.Jones in the fold
Of course, the biggest longterm news for the Falcons was the signing of Julio Jones to a five-year extension. No one really thought it would get dramatic and it didn't.
Jones will get $71.2 million, with $47 million guaranteed. It seems like a ton for a player at a position always at high risk of injury, but he's worth it and the money is justified. To put it in perspective, Jones' guaranteed money is slightly more than the Redskins just gave offensive tackle Trent Williams for the same number of years.
There aren't many 1,600-yard receivers out there.
Also, now that the deal is done the team finally has a cap figure. According to Spotrac.com, which has a breakdown of every dollar the team is spending on players, the team has over $14 million of cap room left.
Looking at those contracts, however, is a reminder of why guaranteed money isn't just thrown around in the NFL. The Falcons will play Justin Blalock $4.2 million not to play this year on a line he surely could start. Even worse, former first-round pick Sam Baker is due $2.8 million this year and (stop reading if you faint easily) $6.4 big ones next season.
Rescue workers carry an injured fan from the stands at Turner Field during a baseball game between Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, in Atlanta. A fan has been given emergency medical treatment and been taken to a hospital after falling from the upper deck into the lower-level stands at Turner Field during a game between the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Tragedy at Turner
Can't imagine the horror that folks experienced at the Ted Saturday when a Braves' fan fell from the upper deck to his death, not to mention the man's family and friends also in attendance.
It was a tragic accident and something that hopefully will be looked at with new stadiums being build in Atlanta. Having sat in the 400 section a few times at Turner, it's easy to see how something like this could happen.
I don't know the circumstances that led to his fateful fall, but I've seen many fans at games who could hardly walk down the steep steps after having one too many adult beverages. Saw one fall down the escalator after basically passing out at a Falcons game.
I've seen fights break out at games where one misstep or a hefty shove could have led to something very bad. Let's hope the new venues for the Falcons and Braves will have wider steps everywhere and overhang areas from higher levels that go a bit beyond the railing.
People will say fans know what they're getting into at sporting events, but getting hit with screaming baseballs, speared by a broken bat and knowing that one slip could end your life shouldn't be part of the experience.