FALCONS: 5 things we learned from the Carolina win

SPIRIT FINGERS!!!: Falcons Cheerleaders sported Throwback outfits for the Carolina game. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC).

SEATTLE OF THE SOUTH - We’re closing in on the record for consecutive days of rain. Five down, 35 to go. Who’s out there getting the Ark ready?

The Falcons post-game locker room was bizarre. I have to attend coach Mike Smith’s interview, but one longtime and legendary national reporter asked me why so many players leave so quickly after the game.

For the guys who were left, all of the talk was about how poorly they played.

No doubt, coach Mike Smith came into the room and likely lit into the team for some downright shiftlessness! The

Falcons cheerleaders did some high-stepping for the Throwback game. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC).

penalties by Harvey Dahl, Justin Blalock and the offsides by tight end Tony Gonzalez could not have made him happy. There was Michael Turner’s fumble inside the red zone.  There was a weak arm tackle attempt by Chris Houston.

“I felt that we battled through a number of things the entire football game,” Smith said. “We had some miscues. We had some good plays.”

But in the end, he didn’t seem too happy with the victory. Guess he knows that in order to beat the very good teams in the league, you can’t make so many minor mistakes.

“We’ve got a lot of things that we can improve on,” Smith said.

Here are five things we learned from the victory:

1. BLITZ BONUS: The Falcons have been working on being more aggressive. Their blitzes are starting to get to the quarterback. Linebacker Stephen Nicholas got his first sack of the season and third of his career. Safety Thomas DeCoud and Nicholas also had quarterback hurries.
2. SNELLING’S A WEAPON: When Jerious Norwood left the game with a “Head” injury  — Don’t know why they don’t like saying “Concussion” – Jason Snelling came in and ran the ball hard. Every time he’s gotten a chance to play, he’s been up to the task. Because of his strong play, the Falcons won’t have to rush Norwood, who was running pretty hard himself, back into the action.
3. ELAM’S FINE: Jason Elam, the legendary kicker was listed on the injury report with a hamstring and was coming of a rare bad game where he missed two field goal attempts and an extra point. He didn’t have any field goal attempts, but was striking the ball well on his extra points, where he was four of four.
4. 

   The 60s/70s era Go-Go Boots were a hit. (CURTIS COMPTON/AJC)

   GONZALEZ IS GREAT: His best catch on Sunday was the one with the linebacker draped all over him. Followed closely be the one that was challenged and ruled a reception at the 10-yard line. He’s a force in the redzone. He got Jason Snelling open for his touchdown when he took two defenders with him into the end zone.

   5. POWER BALL: The Falcons couldn’t run the clock out with just 2:37 left after Chris Houston’s big interception. They want to have a running identity. That’s when you need to grind out 10 yards to secure the victory. If the offense powers the ball at the Panthers, then they would not have needed to sweat out the Hail Mary pass.

5. NEXT UP:  Atlanta (2-0) vs. New England (1-1). Will the Falcons be favored? They Patriots have looked shaky in Tom Brady’s return.  If Buffalo’s Leodis McKelvin (of Waycross and Troy State) had taken a knee in the endzone in Week One, the Pats would be 0-2.

HERE’S MY FANTASY TEAM: Don’t have time to draft, so got into one of those auto-draft, public leagues on a website. Here’s my team. The Auto-drafter GM did pretty good. Haven’t check, but with Brees, I think I won this week.

STARTERS

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona

WR Mark Clayton, Baltimore

WR Percy Harvin, Minnesota

RB Thomas Jones, New York Jets

RB Joseph Addai, Indianapolis

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants

K Stephen Gostkowski, New England

DEF Baltimore

RESERVES

WR Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis (have to cut him, he’s hurt)

WR Braylon Edwards Cleveland

TR Vernon Davis, San Francisco

QB Brady Quinn, Cleveland

RB Willie Parker, Pittsburgh

PK Josh Brown, St. Louis