Jan 8, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive back Chris Owens (21) knocks a pass away intended for New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham (82) during the first half in the NFC Wild card game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Faytok/THE STAR-LEDGER via US PRESSWIRE

According to the AJC, Chris Owens has been officially named the Falcons nickel corner. When the Falcons decide to add a fifth defensive back to help play the pass, Chris Owens will be that player.

This comes on the heels of the injury to Brent Grimes that knocked him out for the rest of the season. Owens is the best corner on the Falcons roster after Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel, so it seems like a natural fit that he would be the nickelback on the defensive side.

We have seen some really good things out of Owens, and also some really miserable things. First the bad. Against the Green Bay Packers in the 2010 playoffs, Owens was the player that Aaron Rodgers picked on the most, and who gave up the most yards and touchdown passes. It was a little bit of Rodgers and his receivers being on fire, but also a little about Owens having a hard time covering the multitude of directions slot receivers can go. Playing nickel corner is much different than outside corner, and Owens hasn’t had a great showing in the slot up to this point.

One the outside, the last time we saw Owens he was playing really well. In the playoff game against the New York Giants, Owens filled in for Grimes again, and this time he got playing time on the outside corner spot. Owens didn’t pick off any passes, but he was tested over and over by Eli Manning and his very good receiving corps, and gave up little to nothing. While covering the outside receivers Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks (one of the best and most physical receivers in the league) Owens gave up only a couple catches for negligible gains. The same can’t be said for the other defensive backs, but Owens certainly held his own and gave up very little.

That performance on the outside is what makes me a little surprised the Falcons didn’t try Robinson in the slot and Owens on the outside. The reason Owens is going to be in the slot, I believe, is due to his outstanding speed. Several times last season, he ran down the ball carrier, whether it be a receiver or a special teams returner, and saved touchdowns. He is extremely fast, and extremely athletic. He has been battle tested, and if he hasn’t learned from his multitude of past failures, there’s no way for this guy to learn. I think he won’t be fantastic, but Owens will be a lot more solid as a nickel defender than he has been in the past. The Falcons need him to be.

Jan 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tamba Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Preston Parker (87) gets tackled by Atlanta Falcons defensive back Chris Owens (21) and cornerback Dominique Franks (24) during the second quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Something that the really good NFL teams rely on is depth at all spots on their roster. Obviously a team plays their best players at every position, and offensive linemen, quarterbacks, and some linebackers rarely come off the field. But it is important to have depth to keep the players fresh, and most importantly if a player goes down with an injury.

The Falcons have a very good first team of starters, which is going to be enough to accumulate a good amount of wins. Most of the scoring and good defense will be played with the first team players. Of that I feel fairly comfortable and confident after the good performance by the first teamers against the Baltimore Ravens last week.

The problem lies with the rest of the roster, who was outscored 31-3, including 24 unanswered points. That doesn’t bode well.

Look at the linebacker depth. The Falcons signed Mike Peterson when Lofa Tatupu went down with an injury, but he was signed to provide depth. Now that Akeem Dent has suffered a head injury, Peterson will play a good amount this preseason, and may end up starting in the regular season if Dent gets injured again. That would prevent him from being able to provide depth at other linebacker spots. And you never know how long the 36 year old Peterson will hold up, knock on wood.

Defensive tackle is another spot. Peria Jerry looked very good in the first preseason game, and that gave me some breathing room, but we all know not to count on him when the chips are down. Corey Peters is missing time with a foot injury. I don’t know when he will be back, but the Falcons need him to start at DT and allow Jerry to work in a rotation with Peters and Babineaux. I’m not sure how much production Vance Walker and Travian Robinson can bring. Then again, I could be wrong.

Secondary? We have three corners with great history, but if one of them is completely winded or is injured, who is going to fill in? Chris Owens and Dominique Franks haven’t been excellent in coverage in their careers, and the guys behind them aren’t much better.

Now for the big two. Quarterback. I don’t expect to have someone outstanding behind Matt Ryan on the depth chart, but nobody who played the Ravens looked good at all.

And finally offensive line. They had a good showing against the Ravens, but we don’t know how long that great protection is going to last. We also don’t know how productive the second team players would be if they were pressed into service. I know what Will Svitek can do, but beyond that there really isn’t anyone with a good track record. It is cause for concern.

Fatigue and injuries are something that are innate in the NFL. The best NFL teams don’t just win in spite of the non-starters on the depth chart: they win because of the solid depth on the team. I’m not a head coach, nor a GM of an NFL club, but I don’t think what the depth has shown will be enough to help the Falcons in 2012. Hopefully they won’t be a problem throughout the season.

Successful season so far? I think yes.

Overall, the Falcons have looked fairly mediocre on the field, particularly offensively. But the team is improving every single week.

 Matt Ryan has had some plays that make you go “Wow!”, and he’s had some plays that make you cringe. Overall, our third-year QB has performed pretty well.

The running game is not the exemplar of dominance it was in ’08, but Michael Turner and Jason Snelling have been getting the job done, and the duo seems to get better every single week.

The receiving corps. has mostly been a one-man show, starring Roddy White. While third-year WR Harry Douglas and future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez have been there when need be, White is the one racking up the yards(and fantasy points). And his stellar performance, including his heroic forced fumble against San Fransisco, shows that White will not let the Birds be grounded without a fight.

On the other side of the ball, the defense has seen a drastic improvement. Brent Grimes and William Moore are tearing apart opposing offenses in the secondary, while Thomas DeCoud and Chris Owens haven’t been too shabby either.

The front seven have been solid as well. Kroy Biermann has seen an increased role on the line, and he displayed some heroics of his own at Cleveland. John Abraham continues to be an overpowering force, and Jonathon Babineaux has done a brilliant job at the tackle position.

It’s been a great season up to this point as our Falcons sit atop the NFC South with a very slick 5-2 record. We have a tough challenge coming up this Sunday as the Bucs come to town in a game that will give the winner sole possession of first place in the South. But it’s nothing Ryan, White and the Dirty Birds can’t handle!

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