Oct 7, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sidelines during the second half against the Washington Redskins at FedEX Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE

Each week for my post game analysis, I will give one offensive and defensive Falcon player a little “sugar” for his “sweet” playing on the field. I will also give one player on the Falcons a little ”salt” for his salty, lackluster play for the week. Please feel free to leave comments and provide your own “Sugar and Salt” for the week. You can also tweet me at @ianborders7 or all of us at @bloggingdirty to provide input for your picks each week.

Sugar (offense)- Matt Ryan- This has been a long time coming. Let’s be honest….Matty Ice has carried the Falcons thus far in this young season. He is as high as any other player for NFL MVP a quarter through the season, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who means more to his team. Ryan threw for 300 plus yards for the second week in a row, and conducted the offense (especially late) methodically down the field using eight different targets throughout the game. Ryan did have his lowest passer rating of the year in this game (89.0), but that was due to one incredible defensive end play by Kerrigan on a swing pass early in the second quarter, and then a lost fumble also in the second quarter. That said, Ryan is still averaging a 106.1 passer rating on the year, and has dominated the play late in games. If he keeps it up, watch out for the MVP chants echoing in the Georgia Dome…

Sugar (defense)- Sean Weatherspoon- I remember when this guy was coming out of college, I didn’t know what to expect. Dude seemed like a physical specimen and a hard hitter, but I just wasn’t sold. Often times those traits don’t transfer over to the NFL. In ‘Spoons” case, they definitely did. Weatherspoon has picked up right where he left off last season, even with the absense of Curtis Lofton (wonder how that is working out for him…). ’Spoon’ is making play after play, flying to the ball and hitting hard when he arrives at the scene. He finished the game in D.C. with 8 tackles, one of which being a sack on RGIII, and another of which being the blow that knocked RGIII out of the game. I’m not saying that blow was the game winner, but when a quarterback gets hit hard, it makes him think about holding onto the ball that extra half second (And lets be serious, Kirk Cousins is no RGIII as his 2 picks showed). The hit was very legal, and very hard. Stay hungry ‘Spoon’.

Salt- Jacquizz Rodgers- Much like last week, I’m really digging here…but I think a number of Falcons fans were expecting a large role to be played by Jacquizz Rodgers this year. His numbers have not been great by any means thus far. In five games, his longest run is for 9 yards, and he is averaging about 2.7 yards a rush. On a positive, he is averaging 8 yards per reception, but his long is only 15 yards, and through 5 games he has only 1 TD. Heaven forbid, if something were to happen to the ”burner”, I think we have no other choice but to go to Snelling (which is not that bad of a choice). At times I almost think Snelling should be getting the carries that Rodgers is getting. I think we got so excited watching Darren Sproils light up the NFL and we thought we had a similar scat back. Sproils is an extremely rare individual, and I think we have our rare back already on the team; Michael Turner.

October 7, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (95) and Falcons outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) in the third quarter at FedEx Field. Griffin was injured on the play and left the field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

Nov 27, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) celebrates during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Vikings 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Breakout linebacker Sean Weatherspoon came into his own last year as the Falcons starting outside linebacker. He made a big splash on the scene, mainly through his spoon serving gobbling session he’d have after every big play; an act that has long been his trademark, even since his Missouri days. This season, ‘Spoon’ will be asked to provide more of a leadership role both on and off the field. With the loss of Curtis  Lofton to the rival Saints (don’t get me started), and the unfortunate injury and cutting of former pro-bowler Lofa Tatupu, Weatherspoon will have to be at the top of his game to help 2nd year middle linebacker and probable starter Akeem Dent.

With this being ‘Spoon’s’ third NFL season, he will be expected to play all over the place in new Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan’s defense. “I’m just trying to be better than I was last year and help this team” said Weatherspoon in an interview for Falcons TV on AtlantaFalcons.com. When asked if his role has changed at all in this new defense, he responded with a bright smile. “I feel like we will be blitzing a little bit more than we have in the past…”

As a fan, I look forward to watching the evolution of this defense, and seeing how they use the different assets this team has acquired in the off season. With three solid corner-backs now on paper, it seems to fit the menu to blitz more often in order to put pressure on the quarterback to cause turnovers. Specifically, I look forward to watching the variations of Weatherspoon’s defensive alignment. “I’m moving around a lot more,” ‘Spoon’ said in the same interview. “I’m playing in the middle, I’m playing on the outside, doing a lot more things off the edge as well so it is definitely a difference.” As a fan that is exciting to hear…especially watching the defense give up first down after first down the past couple years.

There is no doubt ’Spoon’ will be asked to step into that leadership role and provide the excitement needed defensively in this league. You can tell in training camp he is hungry, and hopefully, come the season, his big appetite remains hearty.