May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo (80) shown on the field at Falcons Rookie Camp at the Falcons Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

As the dust continues to settle from the quake that was the 2013 NFL Draft, I will be taking a look at Atlanta’s ’13 Rookie Class, predicting the role they could (or should) have on the upcoming season. In the first segment of “Examining Roles”, I will be taking a look at Dimitroff’s 4th round selection: Levine Toilolo.

Coming out of High School, Toilolo was a standout as a athlete and a student. He attended Helix High; home to phenom athletes Reggie Bush and THE Steve Smith. He was recruited by universities such as Cal, UF, and Stanford, choosing in the end to attend Stanford along with one of 2008′s top QB prospects Andrew Luck. While Andrew’s collegiate career got off to an amazingly hot start, Toilolo’s was hampered with a leg and ACL injury. He was then relegated to a blocking role, but was still able to show off some of his athleticism from time-to-time. Levine ended his Stanford campaign with 50 receptions for 763 yards and 10 touchdowns; hardly a pro-caliber stat-stamp by NCAA standards. But, his stats don’t quite tell the story of what he could be capable of in the right surroundings.

At 6’8, 265 pounds, Toilolo is quite fleet-footed for a man of his weight and stature. He comes from a bloodline of pro athletes, the most notable being his uncle Edwin Mulitalo who earned a Super Bowl ring with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. He reminds me of Leonard Pope from UGA a few years back; Tall, atheletic with subpar hands and average blocking skills. As much as I like Levine, he seems like more of a ‘miss’ than a ‘hit’ prospect. He needs to work on his hands, route-running, and overall technique if he hopes to become a starting tight end in the NFL. I doubt he will get a lot of playing time his first year, but he will get to learn from one of the best to ever put on pads in Tony Gonzalez. It will be all about baby-steps for Toilolo…

I could see him getting a few snaps in the red-zone, as his height and jumping ability could pose mismatches for defenders. He could also be used in run-heavy formations as a extra blocker. Outside of that, most of his time will be spent riding the pine learning as much as he can from Chris Scelfo (TE’s coach) and Tony. I’m not looking for him to explode on the scene and I don’t think anybody else should either. This is a developmental year for Levine Toilolo, but I don’t think he could’ve been drafted into a better situation…

2013-14 season stats prediction

Yards- 184

Touchdowns- 4

Jan 8, 2012; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws a pass during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons at MetLife Stadium. The Giants defeated the Falcons 24-2. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Overview

A lot will be on the line when the Giants and the Falcons face-off in a rematch of the infamous playoff game that saw the Giants and Eli begin their Super Bowl run in ‘Super’ fashion by dominating the Dirty Birds on a national stage. The G-Men, with a one-game lead in the NFC East, would like to keep the Cowboys and the Redskins in their rearview mirror as they race towards the post-season. In order for them to accomplish that, they would have to win out the regular season, because both the Redskins and the Cowboys are gunning for their spot, and one more loss by the Giants could put them in danger of losing their position at the top of the NFC East. The Falcons, who sit atop the entire NFC, have a lot to lose and everything to gain. The top seed is theirs for the taking, but they’re setting out to do more than that.

“In recent history, the last two years, the teams that have won the Super Bowl were teams that got hot at the end of the season and that carried over into the postseason, ” said Mike Smith, less than 24-hours after the 20-30 loss to the Panthers. “I really can’t speak too much beyond the last two years in terms of that. I would imagine it’s the case. The team’s playing their best football at the end of the season are usually the teams that get to where they want to be in the last ballgame.”

The Falcons want to be at their best this game. Matt Ryan has already stated that they’re not looking to avenge their (embarrassing) playoff loss.

“We’re a different football team than we were last year,” said Matt Ryan during a post-practice interview Wednesday. “They’re (the Giants) are a different football team than they were in the playoffs last year. I think it’s (the game) important because of what’s in front of us.”

The NFL Playoffs will begin in few weeks. Playoff football is completely different from regular-season football. It requires a different mind-frame and playing with a different kind of intensity. A kind of intensity the Falcons haven’t played with in their last 3 post-season losses. The Giants may not be the ‘same’ team, but the key pieces are still intact, and they’re just as dangerous as they were during their Super Bowl run.

When Eli feels they’re in a must-win situation, they not only win, but they do it in convincing fashion (See Green Bay, Saints), and when his D-line backs him up, they’re just about impossible to beat. It will take nothing less than an A+ effort in all 3 phases from Atlanta if they want to send the Giants back home with a loss.

If the Falcons do that…If they play the best to their ability AND  beat the Giants, a hot team that plays well with their backs against the wall. It will show fans and the city of Atlanta that Mike Smith and his team can take that ‘next step’ when they have to, at least until the playoffs start.

If Matt Ryan really believes they’re a different team than last year, he and the rest of Falcons better be ready to prove it this Sunday.

Matchups to Watch

Falcons offensive line vs. Giants defensive line-  If veteran Todd McClure wants to prove to Mike Smith that the O-line can be trusted in crunch-time, he can show him this Sunday. The Giants Pro-Bowl-filled D-line is the most formidable in the NFL when motivated. One of the reasons the Giants were able to make their Super Bowl run was because JPP, Tuck, and Osi were making a run for QB’s. If Matt Ryan’s not protected, you can tally up another loss.

Giants Wide Receivers vs. Falcons Secondary- Victor Cruz showed that his 2011-12 season was no fluke. He’s slowly working his way towards all-pro recognition and a huge pay day. Hakeem Nicks has struggled to stay healthy this season, but has still proven to be effective, even with his lingering foot and knee injuries. A less-than 100% Nicks is better than no Nicks at all for the Giants. Ramses Barden is one of Eli’s go-to guys away from the Meadowlands, so the defense better be ready to keep an eye on him. Asante, Dunta, and McClain will have their hands full this Sunday, and hopefully Willy Mo and DeCoud will be ready to keep Eli from taking the top off the Dome.

Matt Ryan vs. Giants Secondary- Matt Ryan noted in a interview that the Giants are 2nd in the league in takeaways. Luckily for us, Matt knows this, so he’ll know not to turn into a gunslinger this Sunday. The Giants will try to force him into mistakes, so Matt needs to be decisive. He also needs to stay away from Stevie Brown (Who has the exact same B-day as I, wow). Stevie is the Giants interception leader with 7. Needless to say, he is always around the ball. Keep the ball away from this man Matty…

Mike Smith vs. Tom Coughlin- Tom definitely got the best of Smitty in the playoffs. I’m predicting a close game that will come down to the wire, which means it will come down to coaching. Mike Smith needs to be at his best. He needs to have his team focused and inspired to make sure what happened vs. the Panthers doesn’t happen for the rest of the season.

Players to Watch

Victor Cruz- Big-play receiver that runs like a cheetah…You play with this fire and you WILL get scorched. He has 9 TD’s so far and is in a contract year. He wants that big payday and I’m not talking about the candy bar…When a big play is needed, Eli looks to him. So, D-Block, when you think a big play is coming, keep all eyes on this man.

Tony Gonzalez- He’s having an excellent year to be considered ‘past his prime’. Matt Ryan has looked his way when a first-down is needed. He’s also the #1 option in the the red-zone. If the Falcons win, he will play a major part in their victory.

Dunta Robinson- Robinson isn’t the best cover CB in the league, but he will have to step his game up this Sunday. I’m sure Cruz will be lined up on his side. Dunta’s philosophy is “Nothing Deep, Nothing Cheap”, I hope he shows it on the field this weekend.

David Wilson- The explosive rookie from Virgina Tech emerged as a role-player last week. He amassed over 300 total yards against the Saints this past Sunday. He returned a kickoff the distance while also breaking a big run for a TD late in the game. Tom Coughlin will look to use him the same way this Sunday. Will he got back to his fumble-prone self? We’ll see…

Notable Stats

The Falcons have stats very similar to Giants defensively. They give up a lot of yards, ranking 27th and 25th in pass and rush yards allowed. The important stat, though, is points allowed. They rank 8th in the aforementioned category, allowing about 21 points a game. On the offensive side of the ball, they’re very balanced. They rank top-10 in every category except rushing, and they’re in the top half of the NFL even in that category. The Giants have a total of 31 sacks while the Falcons have 28, neither are setting the league on fire in that category (surprising for the Giants). All of the Giants RB’s are averaging over 4.0 ypc. Victor Cruz has 16 rec. for 261 yards and 2 TD’s in his last 3 games. The Falcons have allowed four 100 receiving games, with three coming from inside the division. David Wilson ran for 100 yards and 2 TD’s against New Orleans. Matt Ryan is 32-4 in 36 career home games…

Prediction

I don’t know what Giants team is going to show up in the Dome this Sunday…The one that man-handled the Packers and the 49ers, or the one that laid a couple of stinkers against the Redskins and Bengals. You can say the G-Men like to play up to the level of competition, because they’ve stomped some tough teams while losing what some would call ‘easy’ wins. The Falcons will step on their home-turf looking to put the Panthers loss behind them. If the Giants come in at their best, they better be ready to bounce back up if they get smacked in the mouth. The run game will be key for Atlanta here and in the playoffs. The Giants give up a good amount of rushing yards, and if we run well, the teams we meet in the playoffs will have to entertain the fact that the Falcons can put up yards on the ground when needed. Which, in turn, would open up the pass game. The Giants can only be beat with a balanced attack. With that being said, I think Mike Nolan will have a plan to slow Eli down. The Falcons haven’t loss back-to-back in a while, and they’re at home.

Giants-20

Falcons-25

*Quotes courtesy of Atlanta Falcons.com. Stats courtesy of ESPN and NFL.com

Home Sweet Georgia Dome

Overview

The New Orleans Saints fly to Atlanta where they will face the Falcons for the second of their annual two division meetings. In the first meeting, Mike Smith and the Falcons put their modesty aside and unveiled their overconfident side at the Mercedes-Benz Dome, with Roddy White and others allegedly confronting Curtis Lofton during warm-ups and heckling him. That pre-game episode was enough to ignite the fire in Drew Brees and the rest of his Saints. After dusting off the interception on their first drive of the game (That was followed by more boasting by Asante Samuel), the Saints proceeded to giving Atlanta a good ole’ fashion spanking. It was a narrow victory, but many expected the Falcons offense to glide all over a Saints defense that played out of position so much you would think they were on rollerblades. Mike Smith exited New Orleans with his first loss of the season while the defense left with a mouth-full of ‘humble pie’ that was force-fed by Chris Ivory and Mark Ingram. Atlanta should come in the Georgia Dome inspired with a different attitude, looking to clinch a playoff spot and possibly home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It should be an exciting game played in front of a loud environment, with one of Blogging Dirty’s own Greg Huseth in attendance.

 Match-ups to watch

Falcons Wide Receivers vs. Saints Secondary- White has historically put up good stats against New Orleans, but Julio? Julio is a different kind of beast. In my opinion, he’s the Adrian Peterson of receivers. Fast, physical, and doesn’t give up on a play. Couple that with his excellent hands, vertical, and route running skills, and you have the recipe for a match-up nightmare. He was off to a good start in the first game until he went down with a leg injury in the first quarter. His game against the Bucs showed me that he’s back to full strength, which isn’t good news for Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson. Tony G. is a TE with the finesse of a receiver, which is why his career stats are better than some HOF wideouts. He shows up every week, and I’m sure Matt Ryan will look for him on third-downs. He played an excellent game against them the first match, Falcon fans certainly hope he shows up again.

Falcons Running Backs vs. Saints Linebackers- I think Quizz deserves a few more carries after his performance in Tampa, which could also warrant a change in strategy in how we run the ball. Smitty has always been a fan of the power running game, or running ‘up the gut’ but Turner tip-toes to much and our O-line isn’t dominant inside the tackles. We may have to attack the outsides with Jacquizz. I haven’t seen the pitch play be that effective in a long time. Dirk could probably throw a few sweeps in there also. Quizz has the acceleration to get to the outside before the defenders do, and if the O-line can set before he turns up field, he could do a lot of damage going up the sidelines. Snelling may get a few snaps at FB, but Dirk may let him run up the gut on those third-and-one situations. Who knows if Turner will show up or not? There’s one thing for certain with Turner, and that is Mike Smith will give him his carries.

Saints Running Backs vs. Falcons Defense- Chris Ivory and Mark Ingram gave Atlanta a pounding in the first game. Hopefully Sean Weatherspoon and the rest of D-Block will be ready to tackle this game.

Players to watch

Matt Ryan- Put up his statistical-best performance in a losing effort against New Orleans…He will want a different outcome on his home turf. He prides himself on ‘mistake-free” quarterbacking, which is good. The Falcons will need him at his best if they are to have a chance.

Julio Jones- They need him this game, and luckily he’s at 100 percent. He will be the difference maker this game. May put up stats similar to his Tampa Bay performance, but even if he doesn’t, the Saints defense must account for him on every play, which in turn could open up opportunities for the rest of the receivers.

Sean Weatherspoon- He was sorely missed, now he’s back to lead D-Block. I wonder how the defense will play compared to the sloppy showing in New Orleans? The defense certainly played their best football at Tampa Bay, and Falcon fans are hoping D-Block’s play will roll over into Thursday Night. Mike Smith will need them to show up, and I’m sure Weatherspoon will be ready to lead them.

 Notable Stats

The Saints in Every Defensive Category- 28^th in points allowed, 32^nd in total yards allowed, 30^th in passing yards allowed, 32^nd in rushing yards allowed… The Falcons need to take advantage of that weak run defense. The more notable stat is Falcons losing 11 or their last 13 against the Saints. ESPN stats also posted another gem regarding the Falcons run game…Even though Turner is the heavier back, Jacquizz is averaging more yards after contact than “The Burner”. Turner’s average is at 1.6 while Quizz’s 2.1. Jacquizz is also averaging more yards running between the tackles at 3.5 ypc compared to Turner’s 3.1. In other words, give Quizz more carries.

  Injury Report

Asante Samuel is questionable. He played well Sunday, but reaggrivated his shoulder on Josh Freeman’s Hail Mary attempt. He didn’t practice on Wednesday while Dunta Robinson was also limited with a head injury…We desperately need both CB’s this game. I’m sure Brees will be tuned into ESPN until game-time, hoping Samuel’s name will scroll across the injury ticker. If Samuel happens to be out, our pass defense may be in big trouble. Darren Sproles is back for the Saints, and Brees will look to get him going underneath. I’m sure the Saints have missed the explosive element he brings in the back field.

Prediction

I’m sure Joe Vitt plans to used a balanced attack this game, it worked for them in New Orleans. The Saints will look to get Sproles, Ingram, and the headache-inducing Ivory involved. If the happens, Atlanta will be in deep trouble. Drew Brees loves shootouts, while Matt Ryan likes to control the clock. Not saying that the Falcons offense can’t keep up with them, but shootouts isn’t Atlanta’s style. Defense will need to tackle well like they did in Tampa to give their team the best chance. Mike Nolan has done well keeping teams out of the endzone, and I doubt Nolan will struggle against Drew Brees twice. He won’t shutdown Drew, but hopefully he gameplanned good enough to slow him down enough to where we could get the lead and KEEP it. Mike Smith should do his best Al Pacino impersonation from Any Given Sunday, this team needs to be inspired to PLAY inspired. They should also come on to the field with a somewhat humble attitude…They should be focused on defeating their opponents, leave some of the verbal abuse to the fans. The Falcons need to start building momentum heading into the playoffs, this game along with their match up against the Giants are the most important remaining games. They should start by getting ‘over the hump’ against the Saints on a National Stage. Everyone will be watching. With all of that being said, I think the Falcons will put on a show and come out with a win.

Saints-30

Falcons-38