Author: jcalvert

Falcons Get Tough Draw in Packers

I thought the line would open with the Falcons favored by 5 and the gap would close to 2 before kickoff. No respect for Atlanta? The Gambling911 (no idea – just did a google search) line that has the Falcons -1.5.

I read an article early (I forget if it was via the ajc or espn) that the Atlanta brass would rather have faced the Seahawks or Saints than the red hot Packers. Playoff re-seeding in the near future? The Seattle did win their division, however they have the worst record of the remaining teams, so it would have been nice for them to match up against the best team in the NFC. I guess getting home field as long as you win is enough of a reward without a re-seeding effort.

I really did not want to see the Saints again; revenge factor or not, when rivals meet, anything can happen.

And then there are the Packers, who Atlanta dispatched 20-17 in the closing seconds Thanksgiving weekend. Green Bay is a scary opponent because they are so hot right now and have a lot of momentum going into this Saturday night’s match-up with the Falcons. At the game earlier this year there were a lot of Packers fans; my best guess would be 15-18K. Hopefully that is not the case this weekend!

When it is all said and done, Atlanta is the more balanced team and they should be able to win.

Go Falcons!

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Scathing Buckeyes Article

Not a lot to say here, but I thought this SI article was well written, taking Ohio St. to task for stooping to the level of the SEC. I only want to point out that a two loss (now three loss) Arkansas team should not be celebrated as a top SEC teams.

Yes, I said earlier that I wanted Ohio St. to win. Actually, I just did not want Arkansas to win. In the future, I hope that writers refrain from saying that Ohio St. can keep up with the best in the SEC if they decide to use the 2011 Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas as an example.

Over the last 5 years, Arkansas has not been a significant factor in the SEC. Regular season losses year-by-year: 5 (2009), 7 (2008), 4 (2007), 3 (2006), and 7 (2005).

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Gamestop and PlayStation Rewards

I read this article from Gamasutra, which discussed the strong holiday showing by GameStop. While I hold no grudges towards GameStop (or EBGames) I never appreciated purchasing a “new” game from their mall stores only to discover that the “new” game had in fact been previously played. One only needs to perform a google search to see that I am in good company.

I strongly suspect that the new PlayStation Rewards program will either change PS3 owner’s purchasing patterns (i.e. no longer purchase “new” games from GameStop) or stop GameStop from allow employees to play new games, return them to the packaging, and sell them as “new” games.

From the PS3 Rewards FAQ:

How do I advance my standing faster?
At launch the program rewards playing new Blu-ray games, and activity in Home & on the PlayStation®Store such as buying movies, shows, games or other content. We’re always evaluating additional Reward behaviors.

Gamers that really care about Rewards may also think twice about purchasing a used game if they really want to receive credit for their purchases.

Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

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Falcons Updates – Mularkey, Playoff Tickets, and 2011 Falcons Schedule

The nice thing about a bye week is that there really is not a lot of new coming out of the Falcons camp, with the exception of news that offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is set to interview this week with Denver and Cleveland for their head coaching openings.

I am not 100% sure how I feel about the possibility of Mularkey leaving, however I think the timing stinks. The last thing the Falcons need is a distraction; they have done well avoiding those all season and now the lowly Broncos and somewhat rising Browns have the possibility of upsetting Coach Smith’s happy place. I wish the NFL would not allow teams to pursue coaches in the playoffs until their team is eliminated, but of course that will never happen.

As far as Mularkey goes, I just do not feel he is all that creative. Granted, the offense has done well, so I would hate to rock the boat. Hopefully there is a good backup plan in place for Mularkey because his name has been out there for a few years due to the success of Ryan.

Playoff Tickets
They arrived yesterday; enough said!

2011 Schedule
ESPN (and probably other sites as well) posted the Falcons 2011 schedule (well, at least their opponents) yesterday.

Home: Carolina, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Tennessee.

Away: Carolina, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, Houston, Indianapolis.

Too soon to start talking about how difficult (or easy) the schedule is until we see how the off season shapes up, where the bye weeks land, and all that other jazz.

Go Falcons!

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Darksiders

Cruising around this morning on N4G I saw that Darksiders was on sale for $12.99 from Amazon and decided to pick it up pretty much sight unseen based on the price and the 82 metacritic score (based on 73 critic reviews).

For this price, the game is actually out of stock until Jan 10; no biggie as I already have a ton of other crap to play. Will just add this one to the upcoming need to play queue.

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Tough Day for Big-10

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. That is the sound of the Big-10 tucking their collective tails between their legs and heading back up North for another cold winter. I didn’t think the SEC was going to go 3-0 today against the Big-10, but of course they did, and in the process completely pounded the Big-10 into submission. That really was nothing, as the Big-10 failed in two other “non SEC” Bowls, going a miserable 0-5 on the day.

I have never seen such. The Michigan teams were completely out played by Mississippi State and Alabama. At least the Nittany Lions put up a fight against Florida until the closing minutes. Northwestern managed a respectable 38 points; too bad they gave up 45 to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. Wisconsin showed some quality, but in the end could not manage to take down those purple Horn Frogs from TCU.

0-5 for New Year’s Day? Seriously. Pathetic.

I guess there is always Ohio St …

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More Georgia Blues. SEC Down. Ohio St. Rules?

Will there be any fall-out from Georgia’s lackluster performance in yesterday’s Liberty Bowl? In Coach Richt’s post game press conference, he talked about “making changes” and making sure this (losing record, getting taken out by a C-USA team) does not happen again. Jeff Schultz writes a damning indictment of Richt’s program, and I have to begrudgingly admit that I cannot disagree with his assessment.

The Dogs didn’t necessarily look emotionless. They just looked pointless.

Central Florida, coached by the familiar George O’Leary, smacked them in the mouth. Georgia didn’t look equipped to smack back. They couldn’t run the ball. They couldn’t get tough yards. They couldn’t make a big play when they needed one. They were 3 for 14 on third-down conversions.

I am not ready to say that Richt has run his course at UGA, but I am almost ready to jump on that bandwagon. The problem Georgia faces – if they fired Richt, where do they turn next?

Let’s just hope that Richt figures things out by kickoff time next year against Boise St. or Dawg fans can look forward to another miserable year.

SEC Lays 3 Rotten Eggs
Tennessee (North Carolina), Georgia (UCF), and South Carolina (FSU) laid eggs, giving the SEC a nasty 0-3 Bowl record going into today’s match-ups. Granted, no one really cares about these lower tier games, with the exception of the Chick-fil-a Bowl, which is turning into a top flight experience.

After today’s SEC/Big-10 clashes – Alabama (Michigan St.), Florida (Penn St.), Miss. St. (Michigan) – the best the SEC can hope for is to break even, but I have a sneaking suspicion that SEC will not run the table.

Would you believe a dirty little secret of mine is that I have not necessarily been pulling for SEC teams this Bowl season. With the exception of Georgia, how in the hell would I pull for the others? Tennessee – no way. Fighting Chickens? You must be the Dancing Queen.

Today’s games are not really any different. There is no way on God’s Green Earth that I will pull for Florida, and Saint Nick is too damn smug for my taste. I will however pull for the Western Bulldogs to hammer Michigan.

Pessimism Abounds
From an SEC fanboy perspective, I think it looks good for the conference when the SEC does well, but I am really down on college football right now. Part of my doldrums can be contributed to having ATL Falcons season tickets, but this feeling has been building for a long time. The A.J. Green four-game suspension at the beginning of the year rubbed my nose in it. It is ridiculous that Georgia and Texas A&M split $1.1 million in last year’s Independence Bowl, but an athlete cannot cash in on his jersey.

Of course Bush giving back the Heisman and Cam having to do the same thing in a few years, once all the evidence comes out, is just the tip of the iceberg. I think the NCAA is out of control – not the athletes and institutions. I could write on this all day, but there is no need to get my blood pressure up before 8AM on New Year’s Day!

Love Me Some Buckeyes. No Really.
Long time readers will chuckle at the thought of me pulling for Ohio St. Tuesday night to embarrass Arkansas, but this should not be a total surprise if you kindly remember the following. As much as I cannot stand the yearly artificial hype from the media perching Ohio St. on the BCS Championship leader, I despise Bobby Petrino and find Arkansas the most unlikeable fan base in the SEC. So there; done. Buckeyes in the Sugar!

Tigers and Wildcats
This year’s Cotton Bowl features a Friday night clash between regional rivals LSU and Texas A&M. Shouldn’t college football be over by next Friday? I really do not like the Tigers from LSU, but that is only because every once in a while they beat my beloved Dawgs. Texas A&M is a different matter. They are arch rivals of Texas, so I should immediately hate the Aggies in this one, however I may just pull for state ties and bloodlines. Once a Texan, always a Texan? At least I have a week to decide who I want to lose.

Kentucky is playing on January 8 against Pittsburg in something called BBVA Compass Bowl? Seriously; that was a question. WTF is wrong with the Bowl game lineup powers that be for supporting a Bowl game this deep into the year on a NFL Playoff Sunday?

BCS – Ducks over Tigers?
The SEC could lose all there other Bowl games and I am not sure anyone would care. Thanks to the advent of the BCS, except for the large paydays, most of the other Bowl games have been rendered irrelevant by a game played over a week after the Rose Bowl. All is right with the world when an SEC team sits atop the Championship ladder, however, life in these parts would be unbearable if Auburn closes out the season with a win.

This is shades of 2009; the Tide fans were even more obnoxious than is typical for the Roll Tide sorts. I guess it comes with the territory living minutes from the Georgia/Alabama state line, and just 45 minutes from the Plains of Auburn.

At least last year was easy – Texas all the way. This year is not so easy, and I really don’t want to hear the Auburn cheated arguments. Regardless of what happened with Cam off the field, any shenanigans and likely paydays did not help Cam or Auburn win games.

With all that said, I think I am still going to pull for the Ducks. I would rather a PAC-10 team win it all than having to put up with an off season full of “War Eagle” cries.

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Now Drinking – Closing Out 2010 in Style

As I sit on my screen porch, writing this article, waiting for the Dawgs Liberty Bowl match-up with UCF, it is 72F, which makes this winter “Now Drinking” edition rather strange. I wanted to get in one last beer special before 2011, so without further ado, here are some current choices.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is a very nice winter classic ale, coming in at 5.2% AvB. This one is a strange ale if you consider beer and chocolate an unlikely mix. I am not a huge stout fan, however I do enjoy a stout when the weather turns bitterly cold. Decided to try this one on a lark, and never would have expected to like a chocolate brew, but I have to admit that this one is delicious.

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
All I can say is wow, what a spectacular beer with the perfect blend of bitterness that still manages to be smooth, without completely overpowering your taste buds. At 7.2% AbV this Indian Brown Ale packs a wallop; recommended as a nightcap, not an all day tailgate!

New Belgium 2 Below Ale
2 Below Ale is my current favorite every day beer (er, ale). In fact I am enjoying a pint as I write this article from the lovely spring-like Calvert Games manor. The brewer recommends that 2 Below Ale be served at 37F, which makes the 6.6% AvB even more stunning on a cold winter’s day (or night), or delightfully refreshing on a mid-winter’s spring day.

Demise of American Breweries
I have been meaning to post this one for a while, but never got around to it. It seems rather unlikely that a country as wealthy as the US cannot manage to hold down a major brewery.

Happy New Year! May your beers taste wonderful in 2011!

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Return of Reviews That Don’t Suck

It has been a while since I praised a review, so why not get in a quickie before the close of 2010. I have been interested in Spelunker HD since I read about the game a few weeks ago in some random blog and forum posts. Of course there seems to never be enough time to play all the games I own, so why lust after yet another title? Come on, why not!

This little gem of a game has only managed a meagerly 63 metacritic score (based on 9 critic reviews), but what does this gamer from gamecritics see that others have yet to explore?

This fastidious adherence to its own rules is paired with a welcome dose of player-friendly wisdom. As strict as the game may be, it veers broadly around the pitfall of spitefulness. The denizens of the caves can all be evaded with some careful footwork; snakes can be leapt over, and bats periodically pause their bombardment to allow safe passage. Even so, bombs and flares—which can be used to drive these creatures into hiding—can be found before their every occurrence without exception. Spelunker HD takes no joy in needless frustration.

I may not pick up Spelunker HD anytime soon, but at least the gamecritics review keeps this one on my radar. I tip my hat to this reviewer, unlike many; this reviewer writes reviews that don’t suck.

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Christmas Gaming Treats

As a kid I always looked forward to getting new videogames in December (birthday and Christmas). I always held out hope that I was going to get a few new games, and they just had to be better than decent because I knew that my gaming library was not going to increase during the upcoming year.

These days I just buy what I want, usually via pre-order, or I watch a game, waiting for the inevitable price drop before finally indulging myself. Either way, my gaming comes to me when I want, and if I happen to get a dud, I can flip it on eBay. No worries, no fuss.

This year, thanks to Santa (and of course my family), I have enough games to keep me occupied until December 2011, or until I decide to pick up the next great, have to play it now spectacular, super special gaming extravaganza. Something along those lines; call me a sucker for pre-release build up hype.

The Gaming Treasure Trove:

  • Batman Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Greatest Hits. I have always wanted to give this game a go, but for whatever reason, I never did.
  • FIFA 11 (Under $30 during Amazon Thanksgiving sales). I wrote a few weeks ago that I have been playing the shit out of FIFA 10. I love the FIFA 10 experience; the virtual pro is a very immersive experience. I am going to stay with FIFA 10 for the rest of 2010 to see how many Trophies I can pick up before flipping FIFA 10 on eBay, and then I will start my FIFA 11 journey. I can only hope that FIFA 11 is as fun and entertaining as FIFA 10 has been over the last six weeks.
  • God of War 3 (Under $35 during Amazon Thanksgiving sales). Because one cannot have enough God of War.
  • God of War Collection Greatest Hits ($10 during Amazon Thanksgiving sales). Are you kidding me? $10 for high-def updates of two highly rated PS2 game? Complete with a gaggle of Trophies for my gaming pleasure. I never played the PS2 versions, but thanks to the PSP God of War games, I am a converted fan.
  • Gran Turismo 5 Prima Essential Track Guide*
  • Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010. Some different. Something for the Move.

 

* OK, so this little spiral bound book is not game, but I figured I would include it in the overall haul. It is getting a lot of flack in the Amazon review listings, however it is exactly what it states – a track guide. If you are looking for a traditional cheat (er, strategy guide) book, then the Prima guide is not your cup of tea.

Maybe all these new games will have an added bonus; getting my PlayStation Rewards status to nudge a little for the first time since the week after Thanksgiving!

Looking Forward To …
With all these new gaming Christmas experiences, plus the current backlog of goodies, is there anything left on my radar?

  • Little Big Planet 2. Of course I never played the first one, but everyone says LBP is a must have experience, which is fun for the whole family.
  • MLB 11: The Show. See FIFA 10 + FIFA 11; I have until March to get my money’s worth from MLB 10.
  • Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. I want to try the newest NFS title, but I am going to wait for a lower price. Plus I still have GT5 to keep me occupied, and F1 2010 is not getting any love.
  • Madden and NCAA Football. Yeah, I know, let’s don’t go there yet.

There are probably other gems lurking out there, but right now I actually do not have anything on pre-order or a “watch list.” OK, just kidding. I have the HD update of the ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection on pre-order. But other than that one …

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Liberty Bowl Spectacular

The latest Sheridan odds show Georgia favored by 7 over UCF, in what looks to be a traps game for the Bulldogs. I mean, after such a disappointing season that draws to a close on New Year’s Eve day in Memphis, how does Coach Richt get his team up for UCF?

The Dawgs could be in serious trouble if George O’Leary offers to bring in spectacular UFC alum Shanna Marie McLaughlin for a post game celebration if his team delivers a win. Seriously. I bet that would get his team’s attention.

O’Leary knows how to beat the Dawgs; at least once upon a time he knew how to take out former Georgia Coach Donnan’s version of the Bulldogs.

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Christmas Eve Greetings

I fondly remember a time and place were one could say Merry Christmas without offending every Tom, Dick, or Harry, but that bygone era is … well … gone. Christmas Cheer has been replaced with generic “… Wishing you and yours a joyous Holiday Season …”

I suppose from a “we should not exclude or offend anyone” standpoint a neutered holiday greeting is all well and good, if not a little disappointing. It is not as if Christians everywhere go out of their way to spit in the faces of non-believers, doing their level best to be as offensive as possible with a Merry Christmas greeting.

Alas, for Christians, Christmas is a festive time, which unfortunately has become synonymous with shopping. Ah, commercialism has a way of spoiling (or exploiting) darn near every special occasion out there, which is really a shame. Then again, to be perfectly honest, I expect Santa to hide a few PS3 games under my Christmas tree!

Thankfully we have Linus Van Pelt to help remind everyone what Christmas is all about.

Charlie Brown: Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Linus Van Pelt: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'”

Linus Van Pelt: That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

I do wish everyone a great holiday season, but most of all on this Christmas Eve, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

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Gaming News and Notes

Over the last three weeks, starting right before the Thanksgiving break, I have been on a torrid (for me) gaming rampage. I think I have logged more hours on my PS3 (and even a few on the oft forgotten PSP – Ghost of Sparta) than I did in total January through October.

I have to say it has been fun. Almost like a kid in a candy store. Gaming nirvana if you please. I have found this latest zone has helped me decompress and even get in some quality time with the kids. These days I don’t question how long this ride will last; I just keep on plugging, enjoying it until I put down the controllers.

Crazy Taxi
After pickup up my PS3 Slim for Father’s Day, I flipped Crazy Taxi on eBay. Not because I no longer enjoyed the game; I consider it one of the ultimate pick and play titles. It is just a damn good arcade gaming experience, which blends the perfect elements of short bursts of gaming excitement and the pursuit of high scores.

Besides, the PS3 Slim more or less forced my hand, since it is not PS2 backwards compatible. Of course in my back pocket I knew Crazy Taxi would be headed towards the PSN.

The PSN edition seems to be the same game, minus the licenses (Levi’s, KFC, music, etc), with slightly harder controls compared to the PS2 and Dreamcast versions. Crazy Taxi is still a fun arcade experience; one that the boys enjoy playing with dad. As an added bonus, the PSN version also provides the pleasure (or frustration – take your pick) of pursuing Trophies.

FIFA 10
Shame on me for not playing this one more over the past year. FIFA 10 is a fantastic sports game, and the virtual pro feature being balls out fun. In my dotage, I have a hard time pulling off decent skill moves, so my pro still seems a little stiff and rough around the edges. As a striker, I am all offense, with almost no defensive skills. I think my rating is currently 72 and climbing.

Rumor has it Santa is bringing me FIFA 11 ($29.99 during one of the Thanksgiving deals), so I figured I better maximize my FIFA 10 experience before Christmas so I will not feel so guilty when I trade in or eBay FIFA 10. And maximize I have; in fact I have probably spent more time with FIFA 10 than any other game in this article. Fun and highly addicting!

Gran Turismo 5
After waiting an eternity (at least it seemed that way), we finally have a proper Gran Turismo on the PS3. I picked up the Gran Turismo 5 Collector’s Edition – I love the series, even if it is not the best pure “racing” experience around.

After starting off with one of the 25+ versions (or whatever) of a Toyota Corolla, I have been slowly making my way through the game. Due to so many other games in my rotation (or call it my gaming backlog) I have not started the long slow GT grind. I have picked up my B and A licenses, and while I could keep on trying to progress, I have been working on locking up all B and A license Gold trophies, which seems damn near impossible for some.  I actually find this pursuit more relaxing than frustrating; I get in a zone and keep plugging away, slowly decreasing my times until I strike Gold.

The only GT game that I managed to “complete” at 100% was the first release – Gran Turismo for the PSOne.  It has been a long time since those days!  I doubt I have that much spare time to really go after that mark with GT5; however I am sure I will maximize my value (gaming dollar).

I think the game has already been patched 3 times, so the developers did end up rushing the game, which is a bit of a surprise considering the long delay. Over ambitious? Probably.  At least the developers are supporting the game and trying to make things right by the fans.

Sports Champions
My family has discovered the joy of playing Bocce. At least we are enjoying Sports Champions version of Bocce, and we are having a blast learning the rules and associated skills.  My mother is giving my oldest son a Bocce set for the backyard. I love it when videogames cross pollinate real life!

I think my kids’ favorite is volley ball, closely followed by disc golf. My favorites are archery and disc golf, and I also find gladiator duel an interesting diversion. Ping pong is the favorite of my 3.11 year old, but I find it damn near impossible.

On a side note, I need to get two more Move controllers for some serious volley ball and archery dual Move head-to-head action. What would that investment be? Almost $325? I have already “invested” $100 camera + Move controller, $50 second move controller, $35 Navigation controller, $30 Move charge station. Ouch. Archery is a blast with two controllers, so I can only imagine how much fun it would be to have a two-player archery duel with 4 Move controllers!

On more side note. The Navigation controller seems poorly supported. I think the only Move game I have that takes advantage of it is Heavy Rain. Need to come back to Heavy Rain in a future article.

My Aquarium
Did I really buy this one? Just for the hell of it I downloaded My Aquarium. It is a great concept, with extremely poor execution. The graphics are not acceptable; in fact I was not even sure this was an HD title, but from what I have read, My Aquarium is in fact presented in HD … just without the normal eye popping graphical glory. It really is a damn shame that this virtual screensaver does not look nicer, and to make matters worse, the interface is unbelievable clunky, complete with unresponsive controls.

If a “game” begged for updated graphics with Move support, this is the one. To the good, Trophy whores will find a few almost freebies on offer; apparently you can cheat to get them quickly, however I am earning my Trophies the old fashion way. It will probably be a year before all the fish unlock, giving me a cheap Gold Trophy.

Uno
I dismissed this one out of hand when it was previously released, however I did pick it up on sale for $0.99. It is OK at best … I mean it is Uno. I have played a few games online, but I disappointed that a couple of disconnects in the “lobby” counted as game discounts. That or someone figured out a way to hack a couple of wins against me; I am not enough of a junkie at this game to try to follow my statistics to see why the game thinks I have abandon a couple of gaming sessions.

I think you have to really love Uno in order to pick this one up. Not bad for $0.99, but not worth a whole lot more than a single ducket. Then again, this could be a nice diversion if someone wants to get their wife into videogames.

Hustle Kings!
Plus continues to deliver interesting content and discounts. I picked up Hustle Kings! a couple of weeks ago when it was discounted to just under $6. I have only played a few times, but the game seems to offer a really nice pool experience. The bar locations have great aesthetics – music, presentation, and graphics.

I’ll comment more on this one in the future. I picked it up mainly because I suck at pool in real life, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that playing a virtual game will actually help me in real life. To a certain degree it already has, at least when it comes to adding some backspin on pocket shots. In real life I would scratch, following the ball into the pocket, but I am getting the hang of how to avoid this mistake. Hope it carries over!

Hustle Kings! also supports the Move. I am not sure how it compares to playing with a DS controller because I have only used the Move. The game appears to do a good job of supporting the Move, however I have to admit that my poor old fingers and hand gets a little cramped trying to line up fine precession shots. As I said, more on this one later.

Closing
Did I just do that? Good grief; that is a lot of gaming playing!

Happy Sunday!

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Falcons Playoff Aspirations

Funny thing about these Falcons, at 10-2 they control their own destiny to have the NFC come to the Dome. Super Bowl bound? First they have to make the playoffs.

The Falcons must beat the Carolina Panthers and have any two of the Giants (8-4), Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) and Green Bay Packers lose (8-4). A Falcons tie and losses by the Giants, Eagles, Packers and a loss or tie by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) also would work for Atlanta.

If the season ended today, Atlanta would get the winner of a Giants/Eagles matchup. To be honest, I want no part of Vick returning to Atlanta; that just seems like a good way to really f’up the Falcons playoff run as 1000s of fans (my sons included) would cheer loudly for Vick. No thanks. Been there, done that. Besides, of late, the Eagles have the Falcons number.

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