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Atlanta Falcons
Asante Samuel's time with the Eagles is up -- he's been traded to the Falcons for a late-round pick. Samuel has long been one of the best cornerbacks in football, but is he still elite?
- side.kick.hang.lip: "he was a nice finesse guy but i would love to see philly get back to it's gang green old school smash mouth football. "
- Huger99: "3 picks last year and getting burned on him guessing about 25 times...Fine with me."
- Vengeance712: "Clearly a risk/reward type player - as long as you have a good safety have at it, he'll definitely get some picks"
- Bud Sealegs: "The Falcons are now the favorites in the NFC."
- paully_putz: "Eagles just handed the Falcons the NFC South title and maybe the SB"
- zoobfish27: "a poor tackling, ball hawk DB who didn't pick many passes last season..... bad move for Atlanta."
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Who are the Atlanta Falcons?
Some experts picked the Falcons as a Super Bowl contender this season, but a 24-2 loss against the Giants means Mike Smith and Matt Ryan are now 0-3 in the playoffs.
What's the verdict on Matt Ryan?
Ryan finished the regular season with the NFL's eighth-best passer rating, the third time in his four pro seasons he's been in the top 11.
Is Mike Smith too aggressive?
Mike Smith didn't let a fourth-down failure against the Saints earlier this season stop him from going twice in Sunday's game, once in easy field goal range with his team down 10-2.
Falcons, Panthers or Buccaneers?
The Saints are ahead of the Falcons at the moment, so we'll set them aside in the NFC South. But does Cam Newton give the Panthers the edge on the Falcons moving forward?
Which team is happier Tim Tebow starts?
John Elway said he has confidence in Tim Tebow, but will Tebow's pluses outweigh his minuses?
Vote: Five questions for Steelers at Broncos
Which injury hurts Steelers more?
Ben Roethlisberger says his injured ankle is a "five" on a scale of one-to-10. Is that a bigger problem than Rashard Mendenhall's torn ACL?
A veritable feast of linebackers?
Tom Jackson and Jack Lambert won't be out there, but there is some serious linebacker talent among these two teams.
Does one team have the QB edge?
Eli Manning finished 0.7 points better than Matt Ryan in passer rating this season (92.9 to 92.2).
Vote: Five questions for Falcons at Giants
Tom Coughlin or Mike Smith?
Tom Coughlin's job security always seems up for debate, but Falcons coach Mike Smith is 0-2 in two playoff trips. Would 0-3 hurt his reputation?
Are Giants better than their numbers?
The Giants are No. 27 in total defense, right behind the Bills and Colts. But they also have 11 sacks in the past two games and a healthy Osi Umenyiora.
Are the Falcons the best of the rest?
We now know the Falcons can beat up on the Jaguars, but are they the best of the NFC playoff contenders outside the 10-win club?
Do the Falcons have an elite QB?
Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes against the Jaguars, giving him seven the past two weeks. But after nearly four full seasons, does he make the "elite" cut?
Matt Ryan to Roddy White for win?
Roddy White has two 10-catch games and five touchdown catches since Thanksgiving. Is there better NFC chemistry than he has with Ryan?
What road trip do the Falcons want?
The Falcons aren't out of the NFC South race, but they need to win in New Orleans next week and get some help. Assuming a first-round road trip, what's the ideal game?
Football is an abundantly strange sport sometimes. You can hit another man as hard as you can, committing what would reasonably be considered assault in most any other circumstance, and people will praise you for it. If you hurt that same guy's feelings, though? That's when people will start to complain. That seems to be the crux of this situation with Ndamukong Suh and Cliff Avril supposedly taunting Matt Ryan after Ryan was injured by one of his own players. Suh is firing back, saying that Ryan's injury was karma for the Falcons' own dirty play. Is anyone in the right here?
- "Exactly what did Suh do wrong here? I am so tired about everyone whining about Suh being a dirty player. He did absolutely nothing dirty in this game. Even if he did trash talk, so what? Last I checked, trash talking was pretty common in football. At least he stands by what he says and doesn't back down. " -- SN commenter thelendr1
- "Karma, huh? Which team, exactly, won that game? Also, I think Stafford's injury is a tad more severe. So whose karma really got cashed in?" -- SN commenter coldbeerdrinker85
Is Suh a dirty player?
Ndamukong Suh is quickly acquiring a reputation as a man who takes certain liberties with the health and safety of opposing players -- he hits hard, hits often and isn't above going for the head.
Part of the job?
"The man's sitting on the ground. We've obviously continued to do our job, getting to him, causing havoc. ... At that time, when he's on the ground, there's nothing that I have to say to him. We've done our job, we've been in his face, we've caused him to go down, we've caused his offensive lineman to hurt him." -- Ndamukong Suh
What's your take on taunting?
Trash talk happens all the time on the playing field -- certain players are famed for their ability to get inside an opponent's head. Does it cross a line when there's an injury involved?
The NFC South is holding a private party this weekend, and you can't get in without a franchise quarterback. Drew Brees and the Saints visit Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers, while Cam Newton and the Panthers travel to face Matt Ryan and the Falcons in a weekend of divisional games. Does any division have a better quartet? Fantasy vote: What to do with Freeman?
- "I'm sorry Panthers fans, but if we held Aaron Rodgers to two touchdowns and put Mike Vick out of the game, then Cam Newton's future at the Georgia Dome doesn't look too promising." -- SN commenter rjharrington24
- "Carolina will stack eight in the box and dare Ryan to beat them, which he hasn't really done to any team yet." -- SN commenter Roys3428
The pick of the franchise quarterbacks?
Drew Brees is sort of the quarterback emeritus in the division, but is Cam Newton the best bet for success among the three young guys?
Who puts on the best show?
Bringing Brees back into the equation, does he still put on the best show in charge of the high-flying Saints?
Which team wins the division?
The Saints could emerge from Week 6 with a two-game lead on the rest of the division, or they could find themselves tied with Freeman's Bucs.
This week's game isn't Michael Vick's first trip back to Atlanta since returning to the NFL, but it is his first trip back as a starting quarterback. A starting quarterback of a team with the potential to keep Matt Ryan and the Falcons from the Super Bowl, at that. Vick's history is undeniably complicated, but is he still the star in his old home? Vote: Week 2 questions
- "Vick will return to ATL and rip the fans hearts out AGAIN, this time by spanking the Falcons. And I'm glad he will spank the Falcons. They should of never released him. After all, we do live in a society that believes in second chances (except Arthur Blank and the Falcons). Most ATL fans were and are willing to forgive Vick except for the organization." -- SN commenter ruilemos
- "Matt Ryan has had back-to-back winning seasons with the Falcons, for the first time in their franchise history. Vick never did it." -- SN commenter blue_rabbits
Does Vick still have keys to the place?
Vick suggested the stadium that used to fill with fans to watch him play is now the property of Matt Ryan. But is Vick just a visitor?
How will Vick be greeted?
If Vick is just a visitor, how warm will the welcome be? Vick was a fan favorite, but nobody needs a reminder of how his departure unfolded.
Would the Falcons rather have Vick?
Both teams seem entirely happy with their current situations. But if the Eagles called the Falcons with an offer, what would the latter party say?
What about this week's game?
Ryan threw for 319 yards on 31-of-47 passing last week, but he lost to the Bears. Vick managed just 14-of-32 passing but got the win at the Rams.
The first game of the NFL season kicks off in a little more than 24 hours, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't at least a little excited. Pro football can be a messy affair at times -- see the entire labor battle during the offseason -- but it's a glorious sport at its heart. Most every team's fan base has something to look forward to this weekend, although Colts fans may be dreading a future without Peyton Manning after the news that he'll miss at least his first game with a neck injury.
- Rank: Is Peyton Manning still in the MVP race? | Which are football's best teams?
- Vote: Which teams are the favorite to win each division?
Best game?
There are a lot of good matchups in Week 1 of the NFL's 2011 regular season. Steelers-Ravens, for example, could be a preview of a future AFC playoff game.
Colts without Manning?
Peyton Manning is out for an undetermined amount of time. This could be a prime opportunity for other teams to break Indianapolis' stranglehold on the AFC South.
AFC East
The Patriots responded to their 14-2 record last season by signing or trading for several marquee names. Are they good enough to beat the Jets?
AFC North
The Steelers fell just short of winning the Super Bowl last season, as their vaunted defense wasn't able to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
AFC South
Peyton Manning took a pay cut in order for the Colts to keep some of their key players, but is it enough for Indianapolis to win the AFC South?
AFC West
There's a brewing quarterback controversy in Denver, with Kyle Orton delaying the seemingly inevitable succession of Tim Tebow to the starting job. Can the Broncos compete with Orton?
NFC East
The Eagles made a number of humongous moves this offseason, including trading Kevin Kolb and signing Nnamdi Asomugha. Are they the team to beat in the NFC East?
NFC North
Aaron Rodgers led the Packers on an incredible run to a Super Bowl title last year. Are they the favorites in the NFC North once again?
NFC South
The Saints looked to make another deep run at a Super Bowl, but were stunned by the lowly Seahawks. Are they still an elite team?
NFC West
Speaking of the Seahawks, they won the NFC West despite a 7-9 record. Will they sneak into the playoffs once more?
We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)
Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)
Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)
Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)
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