Is Falcons coach Mike Smith the Riverboat Gambler?
Falcons coach Mike Smith sporting the team's secondary "ATL" logo hat after Monday's practice. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/Dledbetter@ajc.com)
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons coach Mike Smith has not been shy about going
The Riverboat Gambler
for it on fourth down over his three seasons as head coach.
Under Smith, the Falcons have converted 25 of 41 fourth-down attempts (61 percent), which is sixth in the NFL over that period.
This season, the Falcons have converted three of five fourth-down attempts, including two in a 19-play touchdown drive against the Saints.
Last season, the Falcons ranked fourth in the NFL in fourth-down efficiency, converting 16 of 23 attempts for a 69.6 percentage.
“Coach Smith has had a lot of confidence in the offense in going for it on fourth downs,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “The biggest thing as a player, you want to make the most of it. It’s good that they are not hesitant to make those kind of calls.”
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126 comments Add your comment
SeenThisB4
September 30th, 2010
10:38 am
truth: I am not begging for attention, far from it. That’s like saying that Ledbetter is begging for attention. You saying you had a little respect for me, is like me saying you have a little intelligence, both overt lies. Lindsey Lohan has more intelligence than you fools, at least she knows how to stay out of jail, you fools are still attached to the falcants like Marley’s ghost is attached to chains, quite an appropriate analogy.
Looks to me like you simpletons have already allowed me to hijack your blog, and all I did was post twice. The rest, was one or two of you posing as me. LOL! What a bunch of soft minded children you all are.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Resign or Resign?
September 30th, 2010
10:43 am
b4:
WOW! Now not even a thoughtful, though misguided, debate; just slinging inane insults about jail, Lindsey Lohan and Marley’s ghost? How pathetic! Wish you had a winning pro football team to root for. (and another blog to post on!)
SeenHimHateB4
September 30th, 2010
10:58 am
SeenThisB4 go back to the DUMPS!!!!
Blake
September 30th, 2010
11:15 am
B4-truth Is the Saints should have beaten the Falcons and the Falcons should have beaten the Steelers In regulation.Steelers played with desperation,Falcons didn’t.New Orleans would have done what we done If we miss the field goal.You gave us the opportunity to pound your defense because we run the ball.Your defense was tired!But to come on here and say the niners are gonna humble us…How do you know that?Whats your logic behind being rude to Falcons fans instead of being humble,knowledgeable and honest about things.I once said I would meet you at the dome and we could root for our teams together but your act Is getting old.I would get tired of picking at Saints fans…I don’t do It.You remind me of the kid In grammar school that thought It was fun to pick at the yellow jackets nest.The Falcons aren’t gonna lay down for the niners or nobody else In our building and you know It.We may have a letdown but the Falcons will find a way to win with this coaching staff.I betcha…and that GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME Is just foolish to post after we beat your team.How bout a good dose of humble pie and come on here and talk frank football and we’ll chat with ya.But to keep putting down our fans Is just plain Obnoxious and rude.These are my brothers just like the Saints fans are your brothers and sisters.I know you are jesting but after a while It just plain gets OLD!
mountain man
September 30th, 2010
11:15 am
Rolllllll! TIDE!
SeenHimHateB4
September 30th, 2010
11:17 am
GEAUX FALCONS..WHO DEY SAY THEY GON BEAT THEM FALCONS!!! WE TAKING IT OVA!!! RISE UP@!
Carlos
September 30th, 2010
11:52 am
He was more aggressive only after media and fan base criticism, following the timid, spineless play calling in Pittsburg. Had Smitty been as aggressive in Pittsburg, we would be 3-0.
Keith
September 30th, 2010
12:05 pm
Hey Mr. Ledbetter,
DId you hear Jim Mora’s interview at the end of the Cowherd show today? He was asked questions about Vick rebounding…he avoided questions and was outright rude to the host with sarcastic comments such as “It was a joy to be with you…” It was bad.
Let me know your thoughts.
FalconsFan284
September 30th, 2010
1:11 pm
Seen—-It took four days for you to come back? I’m not surprised, you were probably over at a Panthers blog and talking your same old garbage there; “Geaux Saints! Our Time!” The only problem is that you just don’t have the ability to make a sound football argument. You think that just because the Saints won a Super Bowl that they’ll do it again. Well, as I have mentioned to you several times, that is harder said than done. Every team wants to beat the champs and the Falcons just did it! I am disappointed in you because I expected more from you. I expected you to come on here, either late Sunday or early Monday, and discuss the game. Maybe even tell us why the Saints should have won a game where they were physically dominated but you didn’t do that. No, you had to resort to infantile whines about the Falcons getting lucky.
I will admit, the Saints missing a field goal in overtime was a bit of luck for the Falcons but so was a punt bouncing of of the foot of Thomas Decoud and giving the Saints awesome field position that they used to get a score. That being said the Saints did exactly what I said they would. They would be soft on defense, allowing teams to run over them and hope their offense would bail them out. It just didn’t work for your team. DEAL WITH IT!!!!! Stop with the excuses!
LAST YEAR WAS YOUR TIME! THIS YEAR BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!!
truth
September 30th, 2010
1:24 pm
Ok Seen I’m sorry. I can truly see you thought the aints were gonna be the next dynasty and you know realize that wont happen and you dont know how to handle it. Oh well you’re still a loser.
GEAUX FALCONS!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
1:26 pm
Let’s see, the Saints are 32nd in rushing offense………………hmmmm, that would be last wouldn’t it……??
Sid
September 30th, 2010
1:26 pm
Hmmmm, the Saints are 30th in rushing defense………that is like, uh, only two places from last…could be a problem in the Bayou.
Sid
September 30th, 2010
1:27 pm
Saints defense is 23rd in total yards………………oh lordy, that is only 9 spots from dead last…..
Sid
September 30th, 2010
1:27 pm
Taking a look at the 49ers offense, 31st in points, 20th in total yards, 13th in passing yards, 27th in rushing yards.
I just can’t help but notice those stats are, well, er, uh, …………………
BETTER THAN THE SAINTS………..!!!!
Brian Hunt
September 30th, 2010
1:31 pm
Who dat? We Dat! The Saints got lucky and that’s the only reason that game was close. The Falcons should’ve ran them out of the building. Brees got beat up, and the Panties are going to finish them off. Williams and Stewart are going to hang another 200 rushing yards on the Aints.
27-24
September 30th, 2010
1:34 pm
Geaux falcons
SeenThisB4
September 30th, 2010
1:44 pm
Blake: I know the 49ers are going to give the falcants all they can handle, and then some, cause the Saints already played them. As for your delicate sensitivities, I really find it hard to fathom that your falcant brethren asked you to speak for them in their defense. It’s a blog Blake, if you disdain insults and rudeness, then you need to go elsewhere. May I suggest you go read the weekly or daily bulletin at your house of worship, I feel pretty good that insults are kept to a minimum there.
But, since you did allude to the reason why I think the 9ers can beat your team: They have a better defensive front 7 than do the Saints, but a weaker corp of DBs. In your particular case, you have a stronger running game, (albeit enhanced & propped up by uncalled illegal holding techniques), than a passing game. So you’re going head to head, at strength against strength, your special teams showed nothing but a propensity to err, and your defense, as much as you would like to think it invincible, did in fact, get gashed, several times via the air, and this week will be stomped on by Gore and Smith’s air game.
As for you other falcant primadonnas out there, keep dreaming! Your collective IQs make the falcant cheerleaders look like Einsteins.
GO Niners!
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
1:51 pm
I always say don’t feed the trolls but I think we can make an exception for SeenThisB4. I agree FalconsFan284, this peeshwank “seen” is an infantile idiot who makes no football commentary, just crys a river of tears………”We were cheated! You paid the refs! The Falcons got lucky!” He blindly supports a team who he thinks won’t let him down. He rides the coattails of where he seems to be apparently in an altered state of moral victory, without even so much as a bother to look at some stats. He is like a swaddled baby, no knowledge of what is real, just comfortable to be wrapped up tightly in his blankie of crap. He has got to be a sad case if the best he has in the world is to go on blogs just to be an A hole. Sad he gets his endorphin rush in a way that obviously says, “Help me, I am whacked out”.
Bad news for him though, the Saints had a nice ride but they have crested that wave and are going to be stuck in the trough of losersville again.
27-24 Falcons Win!!!
Paper or plastic Seen.
Keith
September 30th, 2010
1:53 pm
Re: SeenThisB4
Your analysis was fairly accurate, and only a couple of things you left out…
I saw holding penalties against the Falcons D that went uncalled, too.
You left out the intangible of playing in our Dome. If you haven’t looked, we are really, really good there.
GO BIRDS!
Keith
September 30th, 2010
1:54 pm
by meaning holding penalties…I meant holding penalties by the Saints’ O-Line against the FAlcons D…what I meant to say lol
Sid
September 30th, 2010
1:55 pm
SeenThisB4
27-24 You lost. Cry me a river fool.
Dec 27th, you will lose again…………..how embarrassing it will be for you dat rats, and on MNF no less.
Obviously this loss has opened your eyes to the reality of last years fluke run to the Superbowl, talk about luck. Too bad you can’t accept that your team got their ass kicked on their own turf……….!!
You show just what a classless individual you are, your breath smells like scum. Attacking the people who support the great organization that is the Atlanta Falcons, it’s people like you that makes this victory much more than just satisfying, we know you can’t stand it. Which means that as the Saints continue a downward spiral so will you. AND YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW IT WAS THE ATLANTA FALCONS WHO CREATED THE SELF DOUBT, PUT THE CHINK IN THE ARMOR..
Put your teeth back in and chew on that.
Keith
September 30th, 2010
1:58 pm
Sid and Seen,
Both of you need to upgrade your words usage on these blogs. No name-calling or poor analogies are called for…
GO FALCONS!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:03 pm
Wow, Saints are 32nd in rushing offense………………yep, dead last. IN THE ENTIRE NFL
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:04 pm
Kieth is right Seen, write something that makes sense you peeshwank
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:08 pm
Seen, go back and watch a replay of the Falcons victory over the Saints. We know you will enjoy it.
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:10 pm
Hey Seen……………………27-24 Falcons Win!!! Don’t ya love it……………!!!
Joe Tess Fish House
September 30th, 2010
2:12 pm
Smith gambled the season away by keeoing Jenkins on the rooster.
SeenThisB4
September 30th, 2010
2:13 pm
Sid: You’re boring me, and everyone else with your inane stats psycho babble. Tell you what, why don’t you head down to the Atlanta Zoo, buy a general admission ticket, head on over to the simian section, and shove your head up one of those pink inflammed monkey butts, and chew on that!
At least then, when you spoke, it would be half interesting, if not amusing.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:15 pm
Hey Seen…………………27-24…………………you lost………………ROFLMAO………..!!!
yo mama
September 30th, 2010
2:19 pm
B man, that was Weems helmet that fell off. CMS didnt go for it in the Steelers game, cuz it was late, we were down three, on the road in first game, not playing well on offense(particularly the oline), and the steelers were blowing us of the line. CMS made the right call, if it wasnt for the BUST SAM BAKER, we would have won the game on a field goal on the first drive in OT. we got three back to back first downs in OT, then had the BAKER setbacks. we need a new tackle to protect Ryans backside. like when we got Todd Wiener to protect MV7’s blindside. Baker gets tossed around like a rag doll.
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:20 pm
Seen, since you mentioned the Atlanta zoo this would be a great time to remind everyone to support Zoo Atlanta, world renowned as one of the best. Family fun and educational too!
http://www.zooatlanta.org/
Oh, almost forgot, 27-24………………Falcons win!!!
SeenThisB4
September 30th, 2010
2:22 pm
SID: You give new meaning to ROFLMAO, just make sure you don’t injure that monkey, the Atlanta Zoo officials would probably press charges against you.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:24 pm
Somebody better pull Jenkins off that rooster, sounds illegal if not immoral…………….
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:26 pm
Seen, why do you capitalize Atlanta Zoo, it is not a proper name.
Oh, and just as a reminder…………….…………………27-24…………………you lost………………
ROFLMAO………..!!!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:28 pm
Seen, geaux get you some Gerber, you crybaby…………..!!!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:31 pm
Final Score: Atlanta 27 Neaux Geaux Saints 24…………………you lost………………
DrJ
September 30th, 2010
2:32 pm
I just got some HGH for Sam Baker, so he wont have to line up in our backfield, and get run over so much. Our special teams the past couple of years were really good at stopping runbacks, but did we change personnel? Anyway, Lance Moore (#16 ’sants) says for us not to tinker with it, he says it’s perfect!
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:35 pm
You Might be a Cajun If….
…you start an angel food cake with a roux.
…watching the “wild kingdom” inspires you to write a cookbook.
…you think the head of the united nations is boudreaux/ boudreax-guillory.
…you think a lobster is a crawfish on steroids.
…you think ground hog day and boucherie day are the same holiday.
…you take a bite of 5-alarm Texas chili and reach for the Tabasco.
…fred’s lounge in mamou means more to you than the grand ole opry.
…you pass up a trip abroad to go to the crawfish festival in breaux bridge.
…your children’s favorite bedtime story begins “first you make a roux…”
…your description of a gourmet dinner includes the words “deep fat fried.”
…your mama announces each morning, “well, I’ve got the rice cooking-what will we have for dinner?”
…you greet your long lost friend at the Lafayette international airport with “iiiiieeeeeee!”
…you sit down to eat boiled crawfish and your host says “don’t eat the dead ones” and you know what he means.
…you don’t know the real names of your friends, only their nicknames.
…you gave up Tabasco for lent.
…you know the difference between zatarains, zeringue, and zydeco.
…your dog thinks the bed of your pickup is his kennel.
…any of your dessert recipes call for jalapenos.
…you consider Opelousas the capital of the state, and Lafayette the capital of the nation.
Sid
September 30th, 2010
2:36 pm
Sid out……………..oh, seen……one more time……….you lost peeshwank………..!!!
todd
September 30th, 2010
3:53 pm
He makes some curious decisions. I was all for going for it on 4th during the big 19 play drive that the Falcons had but why did he go for it on the 40 late in the game instead of pinning the Saints down with just over a minute? Also, if he had gone for the 4th down against the Steelers late in that one we had a better chance to win than flipping the coin for OT.
Sautee
September 30th, 2010
3:58 pm
SeenThisB4,
Is it truly luck when we dominate the time of possession 45:50-27:15?
Geez, we’re pretty lucky!
Is it truly luck when we are 11-21 converting 3rd and 4th downs?
Luckier, still!
Is it truly luck when we out rush you 202-43?
Wow, we should invest in the lottery!
That’s a LOT of luck.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was just good solid football with fewer mistakes than your team made.
Sorry you don’t seem to accept that.
Frank Wilson
September 30th, 2010
4:20 pm
SeenthisB4,
I thought your post to Blake was unnecessary. It did reveal however a little of how you think.
You suggested he read the printed matter at his house of worship.
Did it ever occur to you that maybe he already has and THAT is the reason he’s not rude and insulting.
They say a word to the wise………….
hiramsaint
September 30th, 2010
4:28 pm
seen-looks like the bloggers are not the only one hi-jacking names with some idiot calling smitty “the riverboat gambler”- if atlanta could ever get their own origianal thought together then maybe they wouldn’t have let a foriegn power come in here and burn the city to the ground. bad thing is they didn’t do a good enough job. all the smart people left and the dummies stayed behind and 150 yrs. later you have the nations leading thug pit
hiramsaint
September 30th, 2010
4:30 pm
you might be a homo—-if your name is sid
hiramsaint
September 30th, 2010
4:31 pm
after some more thought- you definately are!
Fan since 68
September 30th, 2010
4:35 pm
I wonder when hiramsaint and B4 are getting married..
hiramsaint
September 30th, 2010
4:36 pm
B4 has a nice mouth….
Blake
September 30th, 2010
5:03 pm
B4-funny you should mention my house of worship because actually that’s what I’m all about.And as far as my weekly or daily bulletin…that would be my Bible.The written word gets me more excited than any Falcons game.I said my piece…I’m not gonna get into a debate with someone as rude and obnoxious as you!If you can’t come on here and have respect for your fellow football fans than that’s on you.I respect Saints fans.I was pulling for your team in the SB because of your many years of futility because we’ve been there too!
Blake
September 30th, 2010
5:17 pm
Thank you Frank Wilson…I believe In Matthew 7:12…”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
SeenThisB4
September 30th, 2010
5:27 pm
u yall, I am so sorry. yup, sorry. I sholdn’t even be posting after your faclants gave us such a beat down. i just cant help it because I’ve been told that i have this probem. Seems i like to get hate from peoples. so i just keep saying stupid things to makes folcs mad. Gain, i sorry.