Tag: NFL

The Giants totally, absolutely, and completely demoralized the Falcons on their way to a 24-2 rout. I have written about it multiple times this year – how can the Falcons not manage a f’ing yard on 3rd and 4th and short?

I don’t think this failure debate should center on Matt Ryan being a 0-3 failure in the playoffs. Of course that will be the hot topic, but really how can the focus not be on getting a new OC?

I can understand real life – Mike Mularkey probably has a family, bills to pay, and feelings. But Good Lord, there has to be some change. Let’s start there.

There are too many grievances to point out, but how about the simple fact that the Falcons were scared at the end of the first half, apparently happy to go in with a 7-2 deficit instead of attempting to get some more points on the board. In a low scoring game, how do you leave 20+ seconds on the table when you have a full slate of timeouts?

Next up – get an o-line that can actually manage a yard. Of course the Falcons went all in on Julio, so no first round pick to bail us out come April. Awful. Not a surprise since it has been the theme all year, but that still does not make it any easier to swallow.

As I write this Tebow just threw a nice 30 yard TD strike; WTF were our 30 yard passes? The “big” story this off season was big play ability, which was the reason for going after Julio. When Ryan did have time, I guess everyone was covered – credit the Giants. Still, why not try something; Harry D in the slot maybe?

I take little solace in being wrong on Matt Bosher. The Falcons won the putting game thanks to the ever improving Bosher who managed 322 total yards on 7 punts, good for a net avg. of 42 yards per punt. Nice; Falcons don’t totally suck.

What a bitter and disappointing way to end the season.

Hapless Bucs or not, yesterday’s 45-24 destruction of Tampa Bay was a record setting day for the Falcons, and earned ATL the #5 seed in the playoffs. Records broken:

42 first half points; most every in a half.

Ryan single season passing yards pushed Jeff Georgia out of the top spot.

Turner now holds the career rushing TD mark.

Roddy White (another game with a dropped pass) earned the all-time receiving yards record.

Next up, the Giants; NY is currently favored by 3 points (i.e. home field advantage). Depending on which ATL team shows up, the Falcons have a realistic chance of advancing. ATL could be one and done, but I still would rather play the inconsistent Giants than go back to New Orleans for the first game.

Go Falcons!

It will suck for me if I take the 90 minute trip to ATL only to find out that the Lions wrapped up the 5th spot, and the Falcons decide to treat this New Year’s Day game like a 3rd preseason game.

Of course we will enjoy the beautiful weather (60’s with plenty of sunshine), tailgate, delicious adult beverages, and all the general fun that goes into an afternoon of family tailgating.

Landing the 5th or 6th spot is probably equivalent to having to decide  [… pick your poison … I was going to make some reference to sisters and fat girls, but decided it wasn’t very funny …] It’s not going to matter if this ATL team has to travel to San Fran or New Orleans. And I doubt that they will make the NFC Championship game, so heading back to Detroit is probably not in the cards either.

Unless Green Bay plays their starters and gives the Falcons a shot at the 5th seed (we will know before our 4PM kickoff), I think ATL is going to rest everyone after the 1st QTR, which means Ryan better get to work quickly …

Erasing Jeff George: Like the Saints, the Falcons also are saying they’ll play their starters. Let’s hope that’s true and let’s hope Matt Ryan at least plays long enough to throw for 73 yards. If he does, he’ll set the franchise record for passing yards in a season. The record is 4,143 yards and it was set by Jeff George in 1995. No team should have George at the top of its record book for 16 years.

Jeff George. What an awful memory.

Go Falcons!

I’m sitting around on my bum today because the Falcons have a rare ‘off’ Sunday. Nice little ‘reward’ for getting my family safely back home from the Georgia Dome Friday morning, 2AM’ish. The Falcons absolutely demolished the Jaguars 41-14 on Thursday Night Football, NFL Network style.

Thankfully I have the Red Zone in HD for my ADD viewing pleasure. Never had crack, but I think going full throttle from game to game from kickoff to 7:30PM (or whenever the last afternoon game is over) is more or less addicting.

Meanwhile, the Falcons have another couple of days off, as they push forward to secure their grip on the #5 Wild Card seed.

Smith set off a minor celebration after the game when he told the players they don’t have to practice again until Tuesday.

“Four or five days off couldn’t come at a better time,’’ Ryan said.

The break might also allow the Falcons to get injured cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) back on the field. Having a fully healthy secondary could be crucial against the pass-happy Saints, who defeated the Falcons in overtime in their Nov. 13 meeting in Atlanta.

It’s doubtful that the Saints are going to go down two of three times against the Vikings, Falcons, and Panthers, so they pretty much have a lock on the NFC South.

With that said, I like the Falcons position; having to play the Giants or Cowboys is not very intimidating. I will go so far as to say the Falcons will actually get three points against either team.

Go Falcons!

Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is not exactly creative, and let’s be realistic – 100% unimaginative. I have been critical of him and his play calling all year, so it was rather amusing to see that he could be made the scapegoat if ATL crashes and burns its way out of the playoffs.

3. Mike Mularkey, Falcons offensive coordinator. Atlanta came out very aggressively, throwing a couple of quick deep passes against Houston. That didn’t work. Didn’t the Falcons learn anything early in the year when they were trying to force things downfield? Their offensive line isn’t really good enough to block for the deep ball, unless Michael Turner and the running game have softened up a defense first. If the Falcons somehow don’t make the playoffs or have an early exit, there’s probably going to be a scapegoat because expectations were so high at the start of the season. Mularkey’s looking like the leader in the scapegoat clubhouse.

Of course if ATL didn’t drop so many passes things could be a little different. Having another win or two at this point in the season would have held off the scapegoat comments.

The Falcons have to change directions this offseason. I’m convinced that Mularkey’s system and play calling is holding back Ryan. While Ryan has success in the hurry up offense, he is constrained by what is in the playbook. i.e. WTF is the screen?

Next season the Falcons need to go all in with a Buffalo Bills Jim Kelly style hurry up offense. Of course the Falcons have to get past the next few weeks – at Carolina, Thursday night Dome date with Jacksonville, MNF at New Orleans, and a New Year’s Day Dome game hosting Tampa Bay.

The Falcons should win three out of four, which will be enough to get them in the playoffs, however if they play like they did last week against Houston, they are toast.

Not really, but I have always held the notion that if Turner gets 100, the Falcons win. What about the notion of if Matt Ryan has a good day, the Falcons win? I was surprised to see this tidbit on Ryan:

Ryan finished [Nov 20 win over Titans] with a 110.9 NFL passer rating. Since his arrival in 2008, the Falcons are 19-0 when Ryan’s passer rating is at least 100.

That is pretty damn impressive, and in my opinion, Ryan has been under the radar. With that said, Turner is the key to making the offense click. Yes, Ryan is good, and the Falcons could not expect to just plug in any QB and get the same results.

The reality is that the Falcons are at their heart, a ball control, power running team. When ATL controls the clock, and moves the ball effectively on the ground, it opens up the passing game for Ryan. In order for the Falcons to be successful, Ryan has to capitalize on the open space gifted by Turner, and apparently Ryan has done a good job of this over the last three years.

I do not have the statistics to back this up, but I wager a Miller Lite that the games where Ryan’s passer rating is 100+, Turner has also put up solid numbers.

I’m not down or Ryan or taking anything away from him. In fact, color me impressed that Ryan has put together a solid season so far in the face of a piss poor offensive coordinator, an unlevel o-line, and some injuries to key personnel.

While Turner may be the heart and soul of the Falcons, Ryan is the face of the franchise, and is backing it up on the field.

Color me impressed.

Just thought I would bring it up, since the Falcons front office just sent out notification for playoff tickets, which is really just a way to hoodwink season ticket holders. Is it really necessary to send out ‘invoices’ before Christmas? Before we even know if there is a home game in our future?

You have to pay if you want to reserve a seat, which at this point in the season is really a risky and expensive proposition.

The Falcons (6-4) are still on the outside of the playoff picture, chasing the Lions (7-3; Falcons own the head-to-head tie breaker) and Bears (7-3; Falcons screwed the pooch on the head-to-head tie breaker).

Right now the Falcons have a very manageable schedule:

REMAINING OPPONENTS: vs. Vikings (2-8), at Texans (7-3), at Panthers (2-8), vs. Jaguars (3-7), at Saints (7-3), vs. Buccaneers (4-6)

I think the Falcons beat the Vikings, Jaguars, and Bucs, all at home. They should beat the Panthers on the road. The Texans are a ‘swing’ game; tough road trip, but ATL should have a chance. I think the Saints win at home. What does it mean? The Falcons have a shot to be 11-5 or 10-6. Will 10-6 be enough to get in the playoffs?

Bears
The Bears are in trouble with Cutler out, but if they manage to split their last six games (two of which are against the Packers), they will be 10-6 and as mentioned above, own the tie breaker against the Falcons.

REMAINING OPPONENTS: at Raiders (6-4), vs. Chiefs (4-6), at Broncos (5-5), vs. Seahawks (4-6), at Packers (10-0), at Vikings (2-8)

So let’s call it a lapse against the Raiders, home wins against the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Vikings. I don’t see the Bears beating the Packers. Broncos are a huge swing game, but from a Falcons’ fan perspective, this schedule gets the Bears to at least 10-6, and maybe 11-5, which pretty much ruins ATL’s chances.

Lions
The Falcons have to be pulling for the Lions to go no better than .500 over their final six games, which includes the Saints (no way I can pull for the Saints), and the Packers twice.

REMAINING OPPONENTS: vs. Packers (10-0), at Saints (7-3), vs. Vikings (2-8), at Raiders (6-4), vs. Chargers (4-6), at Packers (10-0)

The Lions have an interesting schedule. The only ‘sure’ win has to be the Vikings. If the Chargers have any spunk (or pride, or AFC West aspirations) in them, they can be dangerous matching any team score-for-score; however it is a home game for the Lions.

I see the Lions going 10-6, unless they somehow pull off an upset over the Saints and split against the Packers. If ATL is in the Wild Card hunt, the Saints could be my new best friend, however if the Falcons have a shot at the NFC South title (ATL at New Orleans Dec 26 on Monday Night Football), I am all in on the Lions bandwagon, as long as they end with the same record as the Falcons!

Giants
Much like the Falcons, the Giants at 6-4 are on the outside looking in at the Wild Card front runners and current NFC East division leader Dallas.

REMAINING OPPONENTS: at Saints (7-3), vs. Packers (10-0), at Cowboys (6-4), vs. Redskins (3-7), at Jets (5-5), vs. Cowboys (6-4)

The Giants really can take charge of things by virtue of two games against the Cowboys. I do not expect the Giants to take down the Saints, but that would sure help the Falcons playoff hopes!

Cowboys
Speaking of the Cowboys (6-4), unless they mess up twice against the Giants, they should win the NFC East, avoiding any messy Wild Card scenarios.

REMAINING OPPONENTS: vs. Dolphins (3-7), at Cardinals (3-7), vs. Giants (6-4), at Buccaneers (4-6), vs. Eagles (4-6), at Giants (6-4)

Wins over the Dolphins, Cardinals, Bucs, Eagles, and a split with the Giants puts Dallas at 11-5. I suppose it is possible for a slip up or two (Eagles, taking two on the chin against the Giants), but we can come back and look at that possibility a few weeks from now.

Saints
The Saints (7-3) are sitting pretty in the cat bird seat.

REMAINING OPPONENTS: vs. Giants (6-4), vs. Lions (7-3), at Titans (5-5), at Vikings (2-8), vs. Falcons (6-4), vs. Panthers (2-8)

They have to like their chances to go at least 10-6, but more than likely they do a couple of games better and end up at 12-4, with a loss against the Falcons. I only pick the Falcons, not as a fan, but because it is a rivalry game, and ATL will be fighting for its playoff life, while the Saints may have complete control of the NFC South by Christmas.

What does it all mean?
The Falcons better go 11-5, winning the NFL South to make sure they get it, but for that to happen, the Saints have to slip up against two of three: Giants, Lions, Falcons. I don’t see the Falcons getting in on any tiebreakers against the Saints.

I was going to post this last night … and then earlier today, but just couldn’t get “into it” enough to push forward.

I don’t care what anyone says about the percentages; by golly, you have to be able to get a few lousy inches … just one f’ing yard … to keep the drive alive. Only this Falcons team could not capitalize, which means they absolutely deserved the loss.

A couple of quotes worth noting from the NFC South Blog:

What I didn’t like: When Mike Smith first decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches in overtime, I liked the call. I thought it was gutsy and ambitious. After watching Michael Turner get stuffed, I changed my mind. Smith should have punted and taken his chances with his defense.

The decision was fine; the play and execution by the o-line clearly sucked.

The Julio factor: Once rookie receiver Julio Jones left the game, it sure seemed like Atlanta’s offense became stagnant until late in regulation. That shouldn’t happen. Jones is a good player, but Atlanta has plenty of other talent at the skill positions and should be able to get by without him.

I agree, and I think it further points to some poor play calling. All of a sudden, the Falcons rediscovered Harry Douglas (8 receptions for 133 yards).

Yes, I hate the Saints …
I ran out of time to post this before the Saints game, but with the loss, it just furthers the point that I really, really, hate losing to those guys.

“If you’re just kind of walking around town, fans say, ‘If you do one thing this year, just beat Atlanta,’ “New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees said. “I think that’s probably the sentiment of fans that have been longtime Saints fans, I’m sure. Maybe longtime Falcons fans say the same thing to them about beating the Saints, I don’t know.”

Exactly. This is not a recent revelation; it just so happens that both teams are solid at the same time. Hating the Saints is a lifetime commitment. Put it this way, it was more painful for me to see the Saints win their first Super Bowl, then it was for me to watch the Falcons get throttled in their first attempt.

I still say fuck Eugene Robinson; seriously, how do you not keep your pants up on the night of the Super Bowl?

Too early for must win game talk? Not if you are the Falcons, sitting at 5-3, one game back of their bitter rivals, the Saints. Not if you have already lost the tie breaker to the 5-3 Bears. Not if you are already down 0-1 to the Bucs.

If the season ended today, the Falcons would be on the outside looking in. It’s time to roll, and hopefully the Falcons will get a much need emotional spark wearing their throwback Blacks, and remembering picture gate (Saints ‘celebrated’ on the Falcons logo last year).

The boys in Vegas favor ATL by a point, which means everyone recognizes this matchup will be hard fought, and closely contested, home field advantage be damned.

The Saints and their “who da” chanters travel well and always make their presence felt in the Dome. God, how I detest that chant. Hate. Loathe. Seriously. I hope the good guys shut down Brees and company early and often, but somehow I picture this one turning into a 37-34 type of game, instead of a 24-23 slugfest.

Either way, it appears that the Falcons are playing much better defense, and their offense is clicking. If Turner can run, the Falcons will win. Simple, proven, and effective gameplan. And of course the defense has to hammer Brees every other play.

Go Falcons!

This one changes everything. The Falcons pulled out a well played 23-16 victory in Detroit over the Lions. Now 4-3, the Falcons go into their Bye week, with plenty of opportunity to get healthy, and to look forward to the next part of their schedule, which features some winnable games. Colts on the road; followed three consecutive ‘Defend the Dome’ games – huge rivalry game against the Saints, then the Titans, and Vikings on Thanksgiving weekend.

The Detroit game was almost a disaster, as I thought for sure that Ryan had broken his ankle. Luckily, he was able to come back, and despite 2 INTs, lead ATL to victory behind a strong 100+ yards rushing for Turner.

Except for the penalties, the Defense finally played a top flight game, and hopefully the Bye week will give them further time to improve, and continue to recapture some of the lost magic from last year.

Just keeping my fingers crossed that Mughelli did not suffer a career ending knee injury. It looked pretty bad.

4-3 feels so much better than 3-4. Same for a win going into a Bye week. Go Falcons!

Tale of two halves; really a tale of two possessions. The Falcons completely dominated Green Bay during their first two possessions, shortening the game by controlling the clock, keeping Aaron Rodgers off the field, and in the process racing out to a 14-0 lead.

Then things started falling apart. Instead of staying with what was working, the Falcons gradually pissed away the game, making a mess of the season, and raising into doubt that this team is actually on par with last year’s team.

What happened? To me (and plenty of others sitting in the peanut gallery), It’s all about the play calling. Falcons Head Coach looks to be taking the heat for Mike Mularkey (and the players poor execuition), but let’s be honest. Mularkey’s play calling is lackluster at best and entirely uncreative. Why move away from the run with 5 minutes and change to go in the second quarter, up by 14? Instead three quick incompletions lead to a punt, and before the Falcons knew what hit them, Rodgers was finally on a role.

It is really a shame because the Falcons flipped what should have been a victory, taking them to a respectable 3-2, into a 24-14 home loss, and a potentially unrecoverable 2-3 start. Ouch. This one was painful.

Where to next? A home date with the Panthers, which should not be considered an automatic victory; followed by what I expect to be a road loss to the Lions, a much needed bye week, and then a winnable visit to Indianapolis. The Falcons will be lucky indeed to be 4-4 at the halfway point; that will not be enough to overtake Tampa Bay and New Orleans.

Unless something truly remarkable happens, I’m afraid we may be looking at a lost season. Shame of it all is that my tickets cost so damn bunch money. Of well, easy come, easy go.

It damn well better be good because so far Bosher has sucked … badly. In fact, he was so bad the other night against the Eagles, that I thought the Falcons would bench him on the spot. Of course they couldn’t (no other options); still, he was awful.

Then, there is Matt Bosher, the sixth-round draft pick who replaced Koenen in Atlanta. Things haven’t started smoothly for Bosher. His gross punting average is 36.8 yards and his net is 35.1 yards. Bosher had an 18-yard punt out of the end zone in Sunday night’s victory against Philadelphia. He’s had only two of his 10 kickoffs go for touchbacks and opponents are averaging 20.8 yards per return.

It will be interesting to see how Bosher improves during the season, or if at some point he gets replaced for a more expensive (but still cheaper than Koenen) out of work veteran replacement, relegating Bosher to the practice squad for some improvement opportunities.

What a great game! This is my fourth consecutive year owning season tickets, and this victory was absolutely one of the most gratifying and exciting games to date. There have been some exciting games – last minute victories over ‘da Bears’ and Ravens, and of course really bad loses – Packers in the playoffs last year comes immediately to mind.

This victory was important because maybe at long last, maybe we (or the ATL Vick loving crowd) have finally put the Vick saga behind us. I hope the man has changed his life for the better, but it is high time for the Falcons to move on. It is Ryan’s team. And when it mattered most, Ryan delivered.

Of course I could spend all day writing about all the good and bad stuff, but I am exhausted. 90 minutes to ATL, 4 hour tailgate, 3+ hour game … we made it back to the hotel really late … or early depending on your point of view. I think I was in bad a few minutes before 2AM. Ouch.

After all of that, it would have sucked if we gave the game away in the closing seconds. And the Falcons almost did …

ON THE VICTORY FORMATION: That was probably a coaching error. We need to run the ball. Not probably, it was a coaching error. In terms of the mindset that was not the proper way to do it, but we were able to get through it. We don’t play perfect games, we don’t coach perfect games. [source: AJC.com]

Gee, you think? The Falcons almost below the win by not being able to run out the clock, or more appropriately, taking a knee, on three consecutive plays, not realizing that they would punt the ball back to the Eagles’ DeSean Jackson with 15 seconds on the clock.

Of course a win is a win, and I cannot think of any in recent memory bigger than this one, as ATL maybe (just maybe) finally closed the book on Vick.