Aug 10, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) and wide receiver A.J. Green (18) walk off of the field at the end of the game against the New York Jets at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

As we are aware, the Atlanta Falcons will take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the second week of preseason play tonight in the Georgia Dome. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Jason Marcum, the Editor for Stripe Hype, Fansided’s Bengals blog. I posed a series of questions to him about the matchup tonight between the Falcons and Bengals, and he graciously obliged with answers. Check out the questions below:

Blogging Dirty– The Bengals are a young, up-and-coming team. Do you think the 2012 Draft additions and a year of growth for the other players will be enough to win the ultra-physical AFC North?

Stripe Hype– The Bengals were by far one of the biggest surprises in the entire NFL last season. The rookies came in and matured quickly and played with a poise not seen in teams consummated of so much youth. Of all of their Pro Bowlers, Geno Atkins, Jermaine Gresham, And Dalton, and A.J. Green all had less than two full seasons in the NFL. Its very rare to see a team with so much youth win enough games to go to the playoffs, but the Bengals proved everyone wrong.

With that same core group of players retuning this year, the Bengals should at the very least expect to contend for the AFC North title and be in the hunt until the final weeks of the season. Whether or not they will be able to win the division will depend on if the defense can carry the team and improve their run defense. Late last season, the Bengals were repeatedly gashed up the middle and it ultimately was their demise. They’ve shored up the front seven through the draft with Devon Still and Brandon Thompson, and should be ready to hold up in the physical AFC North.

BD– In our matchup tonight, what matchups will you be focused on the most? Any holes you think the Bengals could expose, or any units/individuals you think the Falcons will consistently beat?

SH– The first matchup I will be looking at is how the Bengals corners do against Roddy White and Julio Jones. Leon Hall and Terrence Newman will be matched up against the two Pro Bowl receivers, and I am very interested to see how they hold up in coverage.

The second matchup I’ll be watching is Asante Samuel and/or Dunta Robinson vs. A.J. Green. Robinson and Samuel are two Pro Bowl caliber corners, and I’m interested to see how Green does against them after failing to make an impact in last weeks’ game, as well as if Atlanta tries to single-cover Green, ort they opt for double-teams.

The third one I’ll be paying attention to is right defensive-end John Abraham vs. left tackle Andrew Whitworth. Whitworth is the Bengals best lineman, and Abraham is arguably the Falcons’ best defensive player. This should be a war in the trenches throughout the game that I am very excited to watch unfold.

BD– We are both biased for our own guys, but between Julio Jones and A.J. Green, who do you think is the better receiver? Will these two players be compared throughout their careers as early 1st round picks?

SH– I believe as of now, its Green by a hair, and that could easily change this season. Green was a more featured offense in the Bengals’ offense last season, while the Falcons had Pro Bowlers Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and Michael Turner to turn to, so Jones was always the #1 option on offense. I will say I’d draft Jones in a fantasy draft over Green, as I believe Green will face many more double-teams this year, whereas its nearly impossible to double-team Jones with the wealth of other options the Falcons have.

I believe Green’s speed and catch radius is better, while Jones’ size make him a slightly better red-zone target, as well as a better receiver in traffic. The Falcons were also better at utilizing Jones in the run game, as they would line Jones up in the slot or on the wing and run toss sweeps to Jones effectively, and his size and build allow him to hold up better in the run game. I’m very excited to watch these two players tonight, and will enjoy watching their careers progress in the coming years, as I believe they’ll be top-5 receivers eventually in their careers.

BD– How unexpectedly good was Andy Dalton in 2011? Do you think he can continue that success? Can he improve greatly? What do you think his ceiling is?

SH– I believe withDalton’s work ethic, I have no doubt he’s improved significantly over the offseason. The question is will he have enough players around him to allow him to be successful? He lost his #2 and #3 wide receivers, and their replacements are unknown to this point. Journeyman Brandon Tate is currently penciled in as the #2 WR. Armon Binns is also vying for that position, but he has yet to play in a regular season game. Rookie receivers Mohamed Sanu and/or Marvin Jones are competing to occupy one of those spots, but can any of these options be consistent enough to keep other teams from double-teaming Green on a regular basis? The Bengals also have lost one starting offensive lineman in Travelle Wharton, and  are starting a rookie  in right-guard Kevin Zeitler on the offensive line. Can they be more consistent this year and protectDaltonbetter? Last year Jay Gruden ran a lot of plays that were 3-5 step drops and got the ball out quickly in order to protectDaltonand not overload him with too much. Gruden will undoubtedly open up the playbook more this year. CanDaltonhandle the added responsibilities?

I believe given all of the above,Daltonwill post similar stats as what we saw last season, while slightly cutting down on his interceptions.

I’ve said for awhile that I think Dalton’s ceiling is, surprise surprise: Matt Ryan. I believe their skill sets, strengths(decision-making, poise, ability to make plays out of the pocket), and weaknesses(arm strength, slightly above-average accuracy) are similar, andDalton’s ceiling as an NFL QB will be on the same level as Matt Ryan. I believe his floor is Chad Pennington, a good starter but would never “wow” anybody and whose weak arm strength always limited his teams’ offense.

BD– How do you think Matt Ryan and the passing game will measure up against this Cincinnati defense?

SH– I think the Bengals front-seven will dictate the game and control the Falcons offense. I foresee them stopping the run, while giving up a few big pass-plays while the starters are in. The Falcons won’t go up and down the field in the same manner they did against the Ravens last week. I think the front-four of the Bengals and how much pressure they get will keep Matt Ryan from making enough plays to get more than two scores on the Bengals starting defense, assuming they play most of the first-half.

I definitely respect what Jason had to say, and I will agree with him on just about everything he had to say– save for two. I think the Falcons offensive line, while not outstanding by any means, will be enough to prevent the Bengals defense from getting to Matt Ryan very much. DE Carlos Dunlap will miss this preseason game, so the Falcons will be able to prevent pressure from the other players. Cincinnati’s front seven is pretty strong, but the great push they got last week against the New York Jets was more of an indication that New York’s offensive line was bad than Cincinnati’s defensive front was outstanding. I could be wrong, but those are my observations.

The second is arm strength. I couldn’t argue that Matt Ryan’s arm strength is among the league leaders– that would be foolish. However, he does have the arm to make all of the throws: deep outs, comeback routes, corner routes, 9-routes, everything. His arm strength has progressed annually, and he certainly has the arm to make all the throws. When he was a rookie, the Falcons did the same thing the Bengals did with Dalton last season: allow him to make short to intermediate throws between the numbers. Dalton’s arm isn’t as strong as Ryan’s, but I know he can make all the throws necessary on the field as well. Every year, Dalton will get bigger and stronger, and will be able to more easily make the more challenging throws the offense will require him to. Neither guy has the arm of a Matthew Stafford or a Jay Cutler, but they can make every throw necessary, and are improving. Tom Brady had a very weak arm when he first came into the league. He worked hard to strengthen it, and he is a more complete player because of it. Ryan has been adding arm strength every year, and I am confident Dalton will do the same.

I’d like to thank Jason and Stripe Hype for participating in this short Q&A session. It’s always great to get a view of your team through the eyes of the opposition

December 26, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Garrett Reynolds (75) against the New Orleans Saints during a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Falcons 45-16. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

It is easy to feel really positive about the Falcons offensive line following the first preseason game. If history tells us anything, it is to not read too much into what happens in the preseason. However, to an extent what happens with the first team units is important and we can get a slight inclination as to how things will look in the 2012 season. And to this point, I have nothing but good conclusions to draw from the Falcons offensive line performance.

In four series of play when the entire first team offensive line and quarterback Matt Ryan were on the field together, Ryan took no sacks, and I can’t remember him being so much as touched in the pocket. (Joe Hawley replaced Todd McClure at center for the third and fourth series, and the line still performed very well.) Ryan was allowed to complete a flurry of passes, and never even felt pressure until well after he delivered the ball. There were two instances where Ryan sensed pressure and rolled out to avoid it; one was real, and he rolled to the sideline where he proceeded to toss the ball to an open receiver for a ten yard gain and a first down. The other was perceived, and had he remained in the pocket and simply shifted slightly he would have had a very solid pocket indeed. For the most part however, he did a good job of standing tall and delivering the ball. Thats where he plays the position the best, and the Falcons have to protect him.

I’m not surprised that Clabo played well, that we didn’t hear Justin Blalock’s name, or that McClure played very well. He is the most experienced player on that offensive line. Joe Hawley did well at guard last year, so again, I’m not terribly surprised that he performed at least decently.

I am surprised that Garrett Reynolds and Sam Baker performed well at right guard and left tackle respectively. Both of them were absolutely miserable in 2011, and I didn’t expect much from them. The good news is that against that extremely large defensive front that the Baltimore Ravens presents, the Falcons o-line held up well and prevented significant Ryan getting killed in the pocket.

People have been saying that Baker was really hurt throughout 2011, and his battle with injuries was the major reason for his struggles. He has been healthy lately, and if he can play like he did in 2010, the Falcons will get by. I don’t know what Garrett Reynolds excuse was last season. I supposed you could write it off as not having an offseason, but this is going to be his fourth season in the league, so it’s not like he’s completely new to things. For whatever its worth, some players take a lot longer to develop than others (just look at the career of Tyson Clabo himself) and there is no doubt that Reynolds played reasonably well in the preseason game.

Just to temper my exuberance about this offensive line and to not make everyone feel like I’m blowing smoke, I have to point out that the Falcons weren’t exactly facing elite pass rushers. The 3-4 defense, of which the Ravens are adherents, is predicated on the massive three d-linemen up front taking up as many blocks as possible, and allowing the linebackers to flow relatively unimpeded to the ball/the quarterback. Terrell Suggs is out with a torn achillies, and rookie Courtney Upshaw (who is projected to do some pass-rushing of his own) was held out with an injury. Now I don’t have game tape to discover who was rushing the passer. But I can promise you two things. 1. The Ravens were rushing at least four on every single play, if not more and 2. I have no idea what the names of those individuals are. The Falcons stymied the pass rush, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were facing a quality pass-rush. They did what I expect them to. I think they will be more proven when they are able to successfully block when there is a proven pass-rusher in addition to a big three up front facing the Falcons offensive line.

Jan 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) looks at Tampa Bay Buccaneers defenders during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

This is the day. Tonight at 7:30, the Atlanta Falcons will face the Baltimore Ravens in the Georgia Dome to open preseason football. Even though this football doesn’t count and the starters probably won’t play much more than one or two series, I am still fired up for it. And here’s why.

Tonight we will see if the guys that we have lined up to play right guard, center, and left tackle are going to be answers, or if they will be huge problems throughout the season. Right now, it’s looking like Todd McClure will be the 2012 starter at center– at least initially. But do we really want Garrett Reynolds starting at right guard after his dismal performance at the position in 2011? I know that I don’t want to tempt fate by starting him in the regular season; that’s exactly why we are using this preseason game as an audition for the starting jobs. We will get to see Peter Konz and Joe Hawley compete for starting jobs as well, at the guard and center positions respectively. I hope we see really good things out of all these guys, because we need all of the offensive line protection we can get.

The Baltimore defense is a good one to test our o-line against. They are extremely big up front which allows their linebackers to move freely and fluidly to the ball in their 3-4 scheme. Having Haloti Ngata and (Mount) Terrance Cody up front allows the linebackers the freedom to do a lot. The one thing that the Ravens are missing is their pass-rusher extraordinaire Terrell Suggs who is out for a good amount of time with a torn Achilles tendon. The Ravens do have rookie Courtney Upshaw who might be used as a big time pass-rusher against the Falcons, but the point is the pass rush won’t be quite as good as when Suggs is in the Ravens lineup. If the Ravens still get a bundle of pressure on Matt Ryan or are harassing the running backs in the backfield without Suggs, the offensive line is performing horribly. I expect us to do a good job of keeping Ryan/the backups clean. However, it is unrealistic to expect zero pressure.

There are other things to be looking at in the preseason game, but I think the offensive line competition is the most important. I would also keep an eye on how the Falcons defensive backs play against Torrey Smith. He is the Ravens deep threat wide-receiver, and they like to line him up in the slot and let Flacco sling the ball to him down the field. I think it will be interesting to see if the Falcons “premiere” cornerback trio can prevent the deep ball to Smith, or if they implode like we have seen in the past.

The third thing I will look for is how Akeem Dent plays the MLB position. If he is at least a very solid tackler and can work through traffic, he will work out just fine. If he looks like rubbish though, the Falcons could be in trouble. They really don’t have much true MLB depth. Mike Peterson is a fine player with veteran experience, but I’m not convinced I want him starting at MLB from day one. I really will be looking for Dent to step up.

The final thing that I will be looking for at the Georgia Dome tonight is if the pass-rush gets to Flacco. The Ravens don’t have a fantastic offensive line, so we should be able to get some pressure on Flacco/the backups. If not, we might be in hotter water than we previously believed in the pass-rush department.

What will you be looking for?