Hearing that Dimitroff and the Falcons staff are down in Mobile admiring a tight end. Really? This troubles me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the Falcons desperately need 3 new big dudes, in front of Matty Ice on the 

O-Line? No wonder Matt is out cutting loose at that new steakhouse in Midtown.

   I just don't get it. And yes, I know Tony G. is retiring at the end of this season. This idea of him grooming the

next Falcons TE is silly. Let Coach Selfo take care of that next year. This 2012 team has needs and one of them

is not TE.

   Maybe they are just looking at Ladarius Green. I once looked at an Auston-Martin, but I didn't buy one. This

prospect from Lousiana-Lafayette may look pretty running down the field in Mobile, at the Senior Bowl, but he's

not the guy the Falcons need right now. Please show some restraint. Come on, man. Wait until next year's draft

and get Notre Dame TE Tyler Eifert.

   Refocus guys. You need O-Linemen. And a corner that can cover. Not some TE.  

   Coach Mike Smith has found his man to run the defense. Mike Nolan is taking over. So, the Falcons were able to lure in one of the most experienced DC's in the NFL today. Obviously, this will be regarded as a sexier hire, than the one made on the offensive side of the ball. But I doubt the Falcons and Coach Smith really care about that angle. They are looking to take a step forward on the field, not off it.

   Nolan will have to hit the ground running. First up: evaluate the current Falcons depth chart. Get a feel for what they've got. Then, it's off to Mobile to evaluate the talent at the Senior Bowl. Then, it'll be preparing for FA and the NFL draft.

   Coach Nolan will figure out very quickly that this defense needs some more talent. Need a veteran free safety to roam around and make plays. And the most obvious thing he will understand is this: got to upgrade the pass rush and the ability to cover.

   The biggest question surrounding the hire is about scheme. Nolan has long been a believer in the 3-4 defense. Coach Smith is a 4-3 guy. I bet they spend some time discussing that, during the interview. Probably came to a understanding. Nolan can utilize some of the 3-4 scheme and remain a 4-3 defense. Of course, the Falcons will be lining up in a nickel package most of the time.

   Nolan is a good hire. He knows good defense. He's been a head coach. Falcons fans should be impressed. And expect this defense to take a step forward, with Coach Nolan in charge. It's a better fit than Spagnuolo. It'll also go over much better with the fan base, than a promotion of Tim Lewis. Maybe everyone can feel good about this one.

   The first domino has fallen with the Falcons coordinator hires. And it certainly won't get the fan base all excited. In fact, it looks as though the Falcons and Jaguars have pulled off a trade. You take our guy on the hot seat. We'll take yours.

   Dirk Koetter is now in charge of Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense. Wonder what Matt thinks about this? Because most of you are bumming. Expected something a little sexier?

   Koetter's Jags offense has been terrible. Check the scoring stats (24th & 24th) the last 2 years. Passing stats: 27th & 32nd the last 2 seasons. Ugly.

   So, how did he get the job? He worked with Smith on Del Rio's staff back in 2007, when their offense was a force. Guess Mike is comfortable with Dirk. And now, the other reason. The top guys are reluctant to join Smith because he's now on the hot seat. Or at least, that's the appearance.

   Koetter will at least bring in some fresh ideas. Maybe it works out. Maybe Coach Koetter has been going into battle without the necessary weapons. His QB play has been average to not good. This past season it was the worst in the NFL, with Gabbert taking snaps. The WR position group looked like it was among the worst in the NFL too.

   Maybe all Koetter needs is a Top 10 NFL QB, which the Falcons have in Matt Ryan. And some weapons at WR, which the Falcons have in Roddy and Julio.

   Coach Koetter was saying all the right things in his conference call. Excited to be on Falcons staff. Believes in a balanced offense. Plans to keep the no-huddle. Will implement a screen game into the offense. Wants to throw it downfield. Respects Matt Ryan.

   Dirk got off to a nice start. Sure hope he brings some fresh ideas to short yardage situations too. We stunk on 3rd down and 1.

   Now, get ready for the DC hire. Sure hope it's not x-Raiders DC Chuck Bresnahan, who's unit finished #28 in the NFL this season too. That would be another hard sell. Could be Mike Nolan or a promotion of Tim Lewis. Stay tuned.

But right now, it's a big disappointment. What's next? Will the Falcons hire x-Raiders DC Chuck Bresnahan?

   Time to blow this up? Fire Mularkey? Trade Matt Ryan? That's a bit extreme, don't you think? But yes, Dimitroff and Smith have some work to do, when it comes to the roster. The Falcons have to get better. Strengthen some weaknesses, if they plan on elevating into the NFL elite.

   Expect the Falcons to move on these positions: Free Safety, Center, Offensive Guard/Tackle. These are weak spots than must be addressed. Period.

   DeCoud is a free agent. He's out. Terrible tackler, who takes poor angles. Dimitroff has got to find an impact guy in this spot. It's a major weakness. So, free safety should be a top priority. 

   Interior spots on the O-Line is another spot screaming for an upgrade. McClure is now 35 and probably out. I guess they drafted Hawley to take his spot, so that leaves a guard spot open. Need to find a physical dude to plug in here. At tackle, Svitek did some solid work, but is he really the future at LT? Baker's gone. Clabo and Blaylock are secure, but the other 3 spots are up for grabs.

   Dimitroff and Smith need to get Lofton taken care of at MLB. Got to resign him. Grimes too. Not sure about Abraham's asking price as a FA. Would like to have him back at a reasonable number. These are 3 big decisions. Can we get them all resigned? If not, got to find quality replacements.

   Time to get to work.

   The draft has been gutted, with the Julio Jones trade. So, it's critical to hit on the few picks we've got. The 2nd round pick will be huge. Will need to bring in a big free agent too.

   The first playoff loss didn't hurt so much, because it was the first time in for these Falcons. But the last two bubble up anger. I get it. And this one was embarrassing. Shut out by the Giants? We never saw that one coming.

   So, here we go. This just in: it goes much deeper than Matt Ryan and Mike Mularkey. Don't just pull the rookie fan move and kill the QB and OC. Although everyone has to accept some criticism.

   I know it doesn't sound sexy, but we got beat on the LOS. Our O-Line lost the battle. Don't blame the QB, when the QB sneak gets stuffed. No push, up front. The running game didn't provide much relief either. Our O-Line looked the worst group, of the 8 teams thay played this Wild Card Weekend. Dimitroff missed on the 3 OL drafted recently: Hawley, Reynolds and Johnson. He needs to take some of the blame, along with McClure and the boys.

   Matt Ryan has to play better in the playoffs. And he will, once the OL elevates its play. Obviously, the Giants have an elite DL. They bring the heat. And the QB feels the pressure. Matt got hit on the first pass play and the pressures continued the rest of the game. It's impossible to not expect the pressures and hits, when the tone has been set early in the game. So, it effects your play. There were some drops that hurt Matt too.

   Mularkey's conservative calls on 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 are worthy of criticism too. Do we not have a quick hitting play that goes outside? Like the Steelers used with MIke Wallace on their TD run? Come on, man.

   The defense held up early, but it came crashing down in the 2nd half, allowing big plays in the run and the pass game. That's disappointing too. DeCoud shouldn't be back. Biermann needs to look for work elsewhere. Dimitroff should be exploring CB options today.

   As far as why the venom is so nasty right now? I get it. We're used to seeing the Braves and Hawks come up short in the postseason...the Falcons are our top hope. And that's not working either. It's frustrating.

   Time to RISE UP! And get a playoff victory. Although I wouldn't think it's going to come easy against a Giants team that is playing their best football of the season. This one should be a battle.

   A fast start would be big. Get that no-huddle working quickly and jump on top. Obviously, pounding that Giants front 4 with Michael Turner and the run game would be huge. Make those pass-rushers defend the run game, instead of attacking Matt in passing situations. Maybe our "dirtbags" can knock them off the ball some. And if the run game gets going...Roddy and Julio can get some big-play opportunities.

   The other big keys for the Falcons offense would be two-fold: 1- having success in the Red Zone and 2- not turning the ball over. Can't be settling for FGs in this one. Can't be laying it on the ground either.

   Defensively, Eli is going to attack us with the passing game. They will focus on getting Abraham blocked, by helping Diehl out with a RB chip. Sure would be big to get something out of Ray Edwards. William Moore has emerged as a real playmaker at safety. Need him to force a TO or two. Grimes and Victor Cruz should be a competitive match-up. Can't allow him to be busting plays for 80 yards. I look for us to handle the run game.

   I'm expecting a Falcons win. Something like 23-20. But we'll take it whatever way we can get it, right?

   Leading up to the tip-off of this new NBA season, I was hearing zip about the Hawks. Didn't they strut their stuff into the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last season? And the nucleus is back. Not sure what all the so-called analysts were thinking.

   Joe will bounce back with a big season. Josh is fit and committed to taking his game to the next level. Al is the real deal. Teague is finally emerging as a threat at point. Marvin will be better. Other teams are fitting in new pieces and the Hawks are full of team chemistry.

   Jamal got away. And maybe that's the deal with the analysts ignoring the Hawks. Crawford got a small deal from the Blazers. Sounds like he turned his back on the Hawks, when he didn't get that huge extension. Anyway...Tracy McGrady is off to a good start and can score the ball off the bench. Maybe we won't miss Jamal that much afterall.

  Pargo, Radmanovic, Green and Stackhouse are veteran guys that look capable of contributing off the bench too. Sund did a nice job bringing these dudes in to Atlanta.

   I like the look. This team is a contender. Sure hope to see you down at Philips arena. And remember to check out "Hometeam" Brandon Leake & Steve Holman calling the action, right here on 680 The Fan and on FM @ 93.7.

   Michigan State is a team on a mission. Not sure about the 'Dogs.

   The Spartans have been playing football for 115 years and this is their winningest senior class ever (36 wins). But they have not won a bowl game yet. And that is their mission in Tampa. The Bulldogs want to win, but are they really motivated?

   There is more motivation for MSU. In last year's bowl game, Alabama humbled them. Spartans lost 49-7. It was one of the worst beatings in bowl history. They got physically dominated. Because of that, they have a big chip on their shoulder. This is a huge motivator entering this match-up. Bet they are determined not to allow an SEC team to push them around like that again.

   That Alabama team was brute physcial. Georgia doesn't play that style. The 'Dogs don't have a tough runner, like Mark Ingram. Wonder how Isaiah Crowell's ankle is feeling?

   Anyway, Coach Richt better have the 'Dogs ready to go. They will be facing a determined and talented MSU team. The guess here says the Outback Bowl will be a 4 quarter game. Sure hope the 'Dogs are ready to Hunker Down.

   Sure like how the Falcons are playing, heading into the Saints showdown this Monday Night. Looks like they are now playing their best football of the season. And it comes at a good time. Beating the Saints in New Orleans will be tough. Just like winning in the Playoffs.

   Normally, the offense would be the first stop in talking about this team, but not today. Let's start with Van Gorder's defense. The D-Line has stepped up. Abraham is strong here at the season's end. That's huge. Babs, Peters and Edwards give this unit quality across the board. The LB unit is the strength. Lofton and Weatherspoon are playing like All-Pro guys. The secondary gets criticized a lot, but with William Moore in there at safety and Grimes coming back they have 2 playmakers to cause trouble.

   The defense has stepped up this season. Only the 49ers have allowed fewer points in the NFC.

   The Falcons offense is a handful. Smart, talented QB. Rough and tough RB. Weapons all over the field. Right now, right guard and fullback are positions that are challenged. But maybe they can overcome that. Out of 16 NFC teams, only 4 are outscoring the Falcons. That's solid. And I love the balance the Falcons have offensively.

   Will the Falcons make some noise in the Playoffs? Sure looks like they are playoff ready to me. A win in New Orleans would be a big boost. Bet those national analysts would notice that big-time.

   That was a gut-check win in Charlotte. A pretender loses that game. A real contender RISES UP! Did you realize that's only the 2nd time in Falcons history the team has come back to win on the road, after trailing by 16 points? And it saved the season.

   Matt Ryan was clutch. Big performance. How did he deliver? He was POISED and POSITIVE. Seriously. What if Matt pulls a "Brady"...and goes off on Julio over on the sideline, after one of those early drops? Julio may go in the tank. No. Matty Ice stayed cool.

   Coach Mularkey did a nice job in the 2nd half. Mike targeted Darius Butler and went after him, with the ball going Julio's way. It paid off big. And I liked the way he set up that TD pass to Jacquizz Rodgers...had 'Quizz start that series with a 1st and 10 run play, then pulled the trigger on that backside wheel route. Sweet throw by Matt too.

   Van Gorder's defense slammed Cam in the 2nd half, after letting things get away from them in that nightmare 2nd quarter. Started the 3Q, with a 3-and-out...'Spoon had that big tackle on Shockey. Then, Peterson picked Cam. Then, Willie Moore picked Cam...both of those interceptions gave the offense a short field. Then, two more 3-and-out-punts. They delivered big, when things were looking bad,

   That was a huge team win. Hope that sparks a big finish into the Playoffs.

   Proud to be a Falcons man today.

   Stuck around after the SEC Title Game to hear some of the postgame comments. Coach Richt was up first. He had a hard time explaining what happened in the 2nd half. Mark kept telling the media that he needed to see the game tape, before getting into detail.

   But one comment rang loud. And that was this: "I don't believe we are that far away." That was a response to a big picture question about matching up with LSU & Alabama. And not just for one half of "Big Boy Football." He meant for 4 quarters.

   What the Grantham defense did in the first half was impressive. CF's best team didn't have 1 first down. And looking ahead to next season, all but 2 of those guys will be back. Boykin and Tyson have run out of eligibility. But the rest of them will be back. So, the defense will be solid.

   On offense things aren't as strong. The 'Dogs lose 3 senior OL. And they have serious issues at RB. Those are major problems that probably can't be fixed in one off-season.

   Richt and his staff hit the recruiting trail on Sunday. Bet the first stop was Raleigh, where one of the nations top-rated RB's calls home. Better get him. And find a couple of more. Might want to hit that JC route too, when it comes to finding some OL. Freshmen can't help win titles in the trenches.

   Crowell was a disappointment as a freshman. Plain and simple. Not sure they can count on him. Sounds like he's one of those guys that won't ever be described as "committed" or a "hard worker." In fact, most believe he'll end up like Ealey and King...gone in a few years. A change in recruiting might be a smart move. Go find a couple of RBs that are committed and dependable. That would be a breath of fresh air.

   Coach Bobo was directing an offense against LSU that had 1-hand tied behind their backs. The lack of a legit RB killed any shot of keeping up. It was as simple as that.

   What the hardest thing to do in team sports? Beat a good team on the road. That's what most every NFL coach will tell you. And Houston is digging this Texans team. That house was rocking.

   The Falcons flight home couldn't have been much fun. Too many regrets. All those dropped balls. Julio's drop on the final play of the game could have saved the day. Another killer was the holding call on Robinson, when Peterson did the Pick 6 thing...that was the biggest play of the game. Even the coaches and staff members helped lose the game, by entering the field of play, on the fumble return for a touchdown. Matt missed 2 deep ball opportunities on the first series.

   The Texans played tough. That defense was rough and tough. Their run game was strong. Yates was good. And that Reliant Stadium crowd was awesome.

   Winning on the road in the NFL ain't easy. And beating good teams on the road is an extreme challenge, especially one that's hungry like Houston.

  The Falcons are still in good shape. Detroit can't hold up. Bears have now lost Forte. No time to panic. Go 3-1 and 10-6 should do it, as far as getting into Playoffs.

   Can we win, when we get there? That's the question. Right now, we have issues at right guard and cornerback. It doesn't look like those problems are going away.

   Grantham's defense gives Georgia a shot to upset LSU. Picture Jordan Jefferson getting pressured and throwing a couple of picks. That's what I'm talking about. Jarvis Jones bringing some heat and Jefferson turning it over.

   And Crowell has to deliver a big day. Bust a couple of big runs. Maybe take one to the house. Give the 'Dogs offense some juice against a rough and tough defense. That would sure help Aaron Murray have time to pick out some of those playmakers he's got.

   Looks like the 'Dogs have cleaned things up on special teams and Patrick Peterson isn't around anymore. So, they match up in special teams.

   Go ahead and give me the 13 Vegas is handing out.

   Athletically, the Bulldogs can hang. Match up better than any team LSU has played, except Alabama. Arkansas is weak on defense. Not strong up front. Georgia is solid at all 3 levels: D-Line, LB and in the secondary.

   This looks like a good fight to me.

   Cutler's out in Chicago. In Minneapolis, Peterson's foot is in a boot. Schaub's not available in Houston. And the Falcons remaining schedule is looking more and more manageable.

   Right now, the Falcons are just outside the playoff picture. But don't panic. It'll shake out. The Giants and Lions will fall back, down the stretch. Green Bay will take the North. The 49ers the West. The Bears will survive Cutler being out and take one wild card spot. The Falcons and Saints battle it out in the South, with the loser grabbing the other wild card slot.

   How can I be so sure? It's just an educated guess. Plus, the Falcons are built to survive. Van Gorder's defense is playing tough. Mularkey's offense will get a late season boost, when Julio Jones returns. Right now, that 6-4 record looks shaky, but at season's end it should read something like this: 11-5 or 10-6.

  And that's good enough to get in the playoffs. And do some damage, when they get there.

   A book title describes this rivalry as "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate." Oh please. If you've played in this game, you know there is nothing clean about it. That title got it wrong. It could be "Intense, Old-Fashioned Hate." Or it could be "Nasty, Old-Fashioned Hate." Clean? I think not.

   In 1981, the game got so nasty GT Coach Bill Curry sent Coach Dooley a letter of apology. We even had our locker room at Grant Field vandalized during the game. And that was just one game in the series.

   It's a game you can't afford to lose. It's business. No fun allowed, unless you won the game.

   This year, the 'Dogs come into this one riding high...won 9 in a row and are heading to the Georgia Dome to play for a title. The Jackets would treasure ruining that high. It would make their season.

   How do they upset Georgia? That's easy. Here is the formula for Georgia Tech. On offense, run the ball, hit a few big plays in the passing game and dominate the time of possession. On defense, swarm the 'Dogs running game and make them 1-dimentional.  

   It's hard to envision Isaiah Crowell being up to speed, so the 'Dogs running game takes a big hit. Just revisit the Kentucky game.

   Get ready for a brawl. And remember, there is nothing clean about this rivalry.

   Coming into the game, I thought that if the 'Dogs could block'em, then they would be able to roll. The 'Dogs blocked them. Murray had all the time he needed to pick out multiple weapons. The 1-2 punch at RB was impressive. Auburn had no answers for that beating.

   Of course, you'll still hear how Georgia has whipped no one that's any good. But that's just the way it works. Looks like this team will get a shot to shock those critics in a few weeks, when the SEC Championship game rolls around. The same critics will be going off about how LSU will kill Georgia.

   Not so sure that will happen. This Georgia defense is flying around. Grantham has them playing ball. And with all those weapons that Murray has to throw the ball to, well they might be able to make a game of it or shock the CF world. Just saying.

   Got to give Coach Richt credit. He has weathered the storm. The dudes that wanted him out have gone quiet. Looks like CMR is going to be here a while longer.

   Can't criticize the effort. The Falcons busted their butts to get the win against the Saints. But that's simply not enough to get the job done. It just isn't.

   Let me start with the WR group. Unacceptable. Roddy is killing us. White could have won the game, but couldn't catch the big one in OT. Julio is just soft, I guess. Douglas made some plays, but was stumbling around on some others and dropped an easy one too. Weems? Please. He's no NFL WR.

   I don't blame Coach Smith for going for it, on 4th and inches in OT. Stopping Brees is a difficult task. We barely touched him all day. I was screaming "Go for it." And we got stuffed. Wish we had the bootleg call on now.

   It just doesn't look like we've got enough to beat the best teams right now. It just doesn't. And it hurts to say it. Something is missing...like better WR play, or maybe the OL just isn't dominant enough.

   Watching this game just got me frustrated. My kids were wondering what was up...Dad is screaming at the TV. "Catch the ball, Roddy." "What are you doing, Douglas?" Time to hit the treadmill. Hard. Totally frustrated.

   Bet this is the only Gene Chizik/Michael Turner blog you're going to read this week! Seriously, man. But the numbers are impressive. So, go with it!

   Burner Turner gets the Saints defense on Sunday. Turn him loose on those guys, right? Get this: When Turner totes it 21+ times at the Dome, the Falcons are 25-1. He's scored 10 TDs in his last 9 Georgia Dome starts. Feed the monster Sunday!

   Now to Chizik. Dude's impressive. His Tigers have won 13 of their last 15 against SEC competition. The Tigers are 20-2, when they lead at halftime. They are 9-0, in games decided by 4 or less points, including 5-0 vs. SEC teams.

   Tip your cap to these two guys.

   The South's Oldest Rivalry got heated last year. Cam and the boys ran for over 300 yards. Nick Fairley roughed up Aaron Murray. Two ejections. Countless penalties. Auburn put the 'Dogs away, winning the 4th quarter, 14-0. Grantham's defense got toasted to the tune of 49 points.

   This time around, Georgia needs a win to capture the East---Kentucky isn't a problem, right? Win this one and the 'Dogs get a shot at #1 LSU in the SEC Title game. Auburn would love to spoil it for them.

   The Tigers roll into Athens with two weeks prep time. That means RB Michael Dyer is rested and ready. Malzahn's been giving it to him 25 times a game, the last 5 games. 'Dogs need to Hunker Down against the run. Tigers might want to block LB Jarvis Jones. He's been a beast. One reminder to Grantham: Get Lutzenkirchen covered in the red zone.

   Crowell is back to carry the rock for the 'Dogs. And WR Malcolm Mitchell is expected back. One of the big match-ups on this side of the ball is OT Cordy Glenn and DE Corey Lemonier. Glenn can block him in the run game. Lemonier can run by Cordy on the pass rush. This battle will be big.

   Bad day for the Bulldog running back position group yesterday. Richard Samuel had surgery on his ankle and Crowell, Thomas and Malcome got suspended for this Saturday's game against New Mexico State. Not a good day for RB Coach Bryan McClendon and OC Mike Bobo, obviously.

   Most of the media was offended with the timing of the suspensions (and they didn't know about Samuel's surgery either). This had to be a conspiracy. Crowell failed a drug test and Richt-- desperate to beat Florida-- played him anyway. Then, Richt hid this from the media, until the press conference ended on Tuesday.

   Here is a more logical scenario: The pee test was last Thursday. The results were back in Tuesday afternoon. There was no conspiracy. It is, what it is. Word got out that Crowell was one of the players tested last Friday, but no results were in at that point.

   Need a piece of evidence? As I was leaving the Butts-Mehre building yesterday at 3:15, the #1 parking spot was empty and being saved for President Adams. He was on his way over for a meeting about this.

   Who plays RB against New Mexico State? Brandon Harton and Kyle Karempelis. Expect FB 'Zander Ogletree to pound the rock some. And look for a heavy dose of empty backs, shotgun sets.

   It was a move that had to be made. The Braves needed to clear room for Minor and Teheran and Derek Lowe was the obvious man out. Wren needed to make this move so bad that the Braves decided to eat $10M of his $15M salary this season. Now, that's wanting and needing to move a player.

   In the beginning, he gave the Braves a tough, veteran starter near the top of the rotation. Derek cashed in, with a 4-year deal, worth $60M. Wren had to throw in that 4th year on the contract to lure him to Atlanta. At the time, the Braves were desperate for solid starters, so they overpaid to get him in here.

   Lowe was 40-39, in a Braves uniform. The E.R.A. was 4.84. He hit a couple of rough spots, but did deliver big downt he stretch in 2010, when the Braves made it back to the postseason. Dude worked hard. He was good in the clubhouse. Treated the media with some respect. Looked like he had some fun. I wish him well.

   So, this leaves Hudson up top, as the ace of the staff. Beachy, Minor, Teheran and Delgado give the Braves some tough, young arms to turn to. Not sure about Jurrjens and Hanson. Jurrjens is getting pricey and he has some market value...wonder if the Braves shop him? Hanson is questionable, with his shoulder issue. Be nice if he came back strong. Stay tuned.

   But this was a salary dump. PLan and simple.

   Last year's loss in Jacksonville has haunted Aaron for a full year. Looking back on it, Aaron says he was too juiced up. It was an ugly start. He threw a pick on the 'Dogs first play. It ended with an interception in OT.

   Murray has watched the video many times...focusing on the mistakes that he made. Coach Bobo has even told him to quit obsessing and to move on. He's found that hard to do.

   Experience tells me that in these big games, a QB needs to keep the emotions in check. Be calm in the midst of the chaos. Ease himself into the flow of the game. Let those other dudes get crazy. Be cool. That would be my advice.

   The one big concern for Murray is the availability of big-play WR Malcolm Mitchell. He's been resting and treating an injured hamstring. On Saturday, it will have been 3 weeks since Malcom felt that disturbing tug. Flip a coin on his availability.

   But there are other weapons for Murray. Tavarres King and Orson Charles are reliable. Marlon Brown had a big day in Nashville and appears ready to make big plays now. Michael Bennett has emerged as a weapon. But if Mitchell can't go, that's a big blow.

   The Gators defense has struggled making plays. When Coach Muschamp leads them onto the field in Jacksonville, it will have been a full month since they have forced a turnover. That's got to make Murray feel a little better.

   I'm not worried about Aaron. He has elevated his play. Cleaned up the bad plays. He's making plays with his legs. Dude is prepared to play big in this one. Go get them, kid!

   The Georgia win over a tough Vanderbilt team ended with Vanderbilt Head Coach Coach Franklin telling Coach Grantham that he had "some ___ thugs" playing for him. Grantham responded by protecting his guys. The result: some trash talking on the way off the field. It looked like Grantham wanted to throw Franklin around some. Fortunately, it didn't come to that.

   What was Franklin annoyed by? Some hard tackling, by some of the Bulldog defensive players. Several Vandy guys got slammed to the ground. Picked up and dumped hard. Franklin obviously didn't like that and he wanted Richt and/or Grantham to know it.

   The NFL got a storyline much like this one too. Harbaugh & Schwartz mixed it up in Detroit after the game. The 49er Head Coach was a little too fired up over the win and shook the Lions Head Coach's hand too hard. Schwartz got ticked and chased him down. They had to be seperated.

   Wonder what the history was in that one?

   Don't know why the players always break it up. All 4 of these coaches wanted to rumble. Should have let them mix it up, instead of all this posturing and trash-talking. Grantham would have taken that guy. Not sure how that Harbaugh-Schwartz rumble would have turned out.

   The Falcons were busy "Rising Up" against Cam and Carolina. And it felt good. Especially the 4th quarter, where we dominated 17-0.

   VanGorder's Plan of consistently rushing 5 and spying with Nicolas was a winner. Cam threw 3 picks, because of the pressure. We also did a very nice job on Steve Smith, who was quiet as a mouse most of the game. The Falcons defense played ball.

   On offense, so much of the talk is about returning to the run game, with Michael Turner. And he did pound them, with 5.1 yards per carry. The run game looked strong. But remember this: the run game success came against a sorry run defense. Carolina is near the bottom of the NFL.

   The Big Play came in the 4Q, with the game tied 17-17. Falcons offense faced a 3rd down and 12 situation, from the Panthers 47 yard line. Matt Ryan stood in the pocket, took a big hit under his chin, and delivered a strike to Douglas, good for a 34 yard gain. Couple of plays later, Ryan scored to make it 24-17. No fear from Matt on that big play.

   Then, big Peters "pulled a Wilfork" and picked off Cam's screen pass. That was the other "Big Play" of the game. Falcons turned that into another 7 points to ice it.

   Next up: the Lions in Detroit. It's a big a game.

   Richt and his 'Dogs got a "Feel Good" win up in Knoxville Saturday. It's obvious this team has improved, since giving away that game against the Gamecocks. Grantham's defense is playing tough. Bobo's offense is balanced, with Crowell and Malcolm Mitchell providing the big-plays.

   The Bulldogs look like they'll be 5-2 heading to Jacksonville to take on a Gators team that is banged up, both physically and emotionally. Beat Florida? Yeah, that would be a huge boost, regardless of level the Gators are playing at these days.

   Suddenly, a 10-win season doesn't appear to be a crazy thought. This Georgia team has a real chance to reel off 10 straight wins. Seriously. The schedule is soft the rest of the way, if they can win in Jacksonville. The showdown with Georgia Tech looks like the toughest challenge left.

   Really appreciate Richt's approach last Saturday in Knoxville. He went for it on 4th and 1 in the 1st quarter 3 times. And the 'Dogs converted all 3 times. That was a huge boost. And winning up there was special too. The last 2 trips ended in knockouts. This time it was the 'Dogs doing the KO thing.

   Who has stepped up big? LB Mike Gilliard had 12 tackles in Tennessee. This kid from Valdosta was thought of as a "miss" prior to the season...now he's the leading tackler. Jarvis Jones has been a impact guy too. Obviously, Isaiah Crowell and Malcolm Mitchell are providing the "juice" the 'Dogs needed on offense.

   Look out, here come the 'Dogs!

   Go ahead and take Richt OFF THE HOT SEAT. It's halfway through the season and the 'Dogs are rolling now. This idea that McGarity is gong to chase him off is just crazy.