Falcons have dome-field advantage for playoff run

Ryan passed for one touchdown and ran for another in the team's 23-16 victory.  (Associated Press)

Ryan passed for one touchdown and ran for another in the team's 23-16 victory. (Associated Press)

BYE WEEK VILLE – Just wanted to pass along this bye/vacation week nugget for you all before I get back to working on my golf swing.

The Falcons, the defending NFC South champs, may have already played the toughest part of their schedule. When they return to practice on Monday, they will have a clear “dome-field advantage” over their final nine games.

Since 2008, quarterback Matt Ryan owns an NFL-best 26-6 record (81.2 percent) in games played in domed stadiums.

The Falcons play seven of their last nine games in domes. They could play eight, because Houston’s stadium is retractable.

Here’s the schedule:

Nov. 6 — @Indianapolis — Lucas Oil Field (Dome)

Nov. 13 — New Orleans – (Georgia Dome)

Nov. 20 — Tennessee – (Georgia Dome)

Nov. 28 — Minnesota – (Georgia Dome)

Dec. 4 — @Houston – Reliant Stadium (Retractable)

Dec. 1 2–  @Carolina – Bank of America Stadium (outdoors)

Dec. 15 — Jacksonville – (Georgia Dome)

Dec.  26 — @New Orelans (Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

Jan. 1 — Tampa Bay (Georgia Dome)

–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog

Get instant updates on Twitter at AJCFalcons and you can join the Facebook Fan page at AJC Falcons.

 

152 comments Add your comment

SeenThisB4

October 30th, 2011
6:52 pm

Here’s the rest of the news: The Falcan’ts are still in third place! That’s not talking crap, that’s a fact about your team, Mikey!

SeenThisB4

October 30th, 2011
6:57 pm

And here’s the rest of the evening news, on this fine Sunday night: “The falcan’ts are still in third place!” NFL investigators have uncovered even more mediocrity this evening by noting that the falcan’ts failed to move out of third place this evening. Third place.

Greg Mendel

October 30th, 2011
7:47 pm

The rest of the rest of the news: New Orleans Saints humiliated by winless, feckless, inept Rams. NOLA Fans comfort selves by bragging that Atlanta Falcons have also lost three games, and that Falcons did not win during a “bye” week. Huge celebration on Canal Street. Fans anxiously anticipate celebrating 5-game losing streak on December 4. Forty-year supply of festive “Who Dat Once Won a Superbowl!” head-bags being produced.

Michael M.

October 30th, 2011
8:27 pm

You Saints fans are the biggest dumb idiots they are……………1st place wont be first place much longer for Dree Breeze and the unmighty aints……just wait and see if The Birds dont kick their butts on the Football Field and outta Town also……………..you think the Birds are just going to lay down ? Biggest butt kickin this year is coming and its The Aints Caints Win against Atlanta in the Bird House ! You going down Buster …………so best to keep that soiled crying grease rag close-by to mop up a few more Tears !

SeenThisB4

October 30th, 2011
9:18 pm

As opposed to a 50 year celebration on Peach Tree Blvd of never ever winning a Super Bowl.

Third place! Get used to it Dirty Birds, you own it.

SeenThisB4

October 30th, 2011
9:20 pm

Yes, as a matter of fact, I think the Sai nts will dismantle the falcan’ts twice again this year. No problemo!

JayCool 4DABirds

October 30th, 2011
9:20 pm

Hey fellow Falcons fans, don’t hate the Saints, they made my day!!!!!! They lost now there is a three way tie for lead division, their fans can’t tell us nothing, and I didn’t want to see the Rams go 0-16!!!!!!

SeenThisB4

October 30th, 2011
9:24 pm

Hey JayCool: Keep deluding yourself with that false claim, the rest of the NFL says you’re in third place.

SeenThisB4

October 30th, 2011
9:26 pm

Sai nts: 5 – 3
bucs: 4 – 3
falcan’ts 4 – 3
panthers 2 – 6

SCFalcon

October 30th, 2011
9:47 pm

Ain’ts still talkin smack after the butt whipping they took from the lowely rams today.

Time for you NO boys to break out the paper sacks, paint up real nice and do remember the difference between an eye and an ear hole and the proper spacking.

Yall come back now, ya hear.

Greg Mendel

October 30th, 2011
9:53 pm

Yo, Seen. The Rams. You lost to the Rams. These things happen, of course. The Saints and Brees are good — I’ve never said otherwise. But don’t be delusional. The Saints have, today, made a statement: they are capable of losing all of their remaining games this season. Pray for third place.

welikebaseball2

October 30th, 2011
10:27 pm

Saints manhandled by the lowly, winless Rams & their fans take solace in being a whopping…a commanding…half game ahead of the Falcons in the standings. Seriously? LOL…wow, desperate times for the N.O. Frontrunners!

JayCool 4DABirds

October 30th, 2011
11:31 pm

SeenThisB4…. You seem very angry, but then again I can’t blame you. Your team only got Molly Whopped by a 0 win team without their starting QB. That final score was really decieving, I stopped watching when it was 24-0. But you’re right the Saints have 5 wins bc no bye week yet. You guys better get over this loss quick bc vs TB and @ATL isn’t going to be easy going into your BYE. In fact you might be 2 games out of 1st place by then.

DR. FALCON

October 30th, 2011
11:49 pm

HEY HIRAMSAINT AND SEENTHISB4, LOSING TO THE WINLESS RAMS IS NOT COOL! CIRCA: JANURARY, WHEN YOU WERE THE TALK OF THE PLAYOFFS LOSING TO A 7-9 SEATTLE TEAM! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PLAY YOUR BEST AGAINST AN OVERMATCHED OPPONENT, NOT VICE-VERSA! HA! HA! HA! THE SAINTS ARE PRETENDERS, HUST LIKE LAST YEAR!

Chandler Going Deep..

October 31st, 2011
12:57 am

Stepchild

October 27th, 2011
10:49 am

“The Falcons running the table is straight delusional thinking. They have shown no dominance this season in any category….. And if Matty throws more interceptions it can get much worst. Enjoy a good 9-7 team and relax.”

IceMelt has slipped to 24th in passing..Stinks!!!!!!!! Sliding to 63.1 QBR..Stinks!!!!!!!!

8 int’s in 7 games.. Stinks!!!!

Playoffs.. PLAYOFFS?.. Another beatdown coming? Probably…….

SeenThisB4

October 31st, 2011
7:04 am

Another beautiful morning in the Crescent City and all’s right with the world. As I survey the landscape of the NFL, the Saints are still at their rightful place atop of the NFC South, and the falcan’ts still in third place! Have a good week falcan’t failure fans! G E A U X S A I N T S!

SeenThisBFalcon

October 31st, 2011
7:58 am

Yes it’s another Beuatiful loss bye the OVERATED SAINT’S who felled to beat the High School St. Louis Rams wow REALLY!!!!! SEENTHISB4 I wouldn’t even go there homie LMAO!!!!

SeenThisBFalcon

October 31st, 2011
8:05 am

THE RAMS!!!!! LOL REALLY…..WAIT THE RAMS………CMO’N MAN!!!!!

SeenThisBFalcon

October 31st, 2011
8:15 am

WHO DEY..WE GAY..WHO DEY…WE GAY… CAUSE WE LOST TO ST. LOUGAY!!!! LOL!!!!!! LOL!!!!

Saints R.E.A.M.

October 31st, 2011
9:12 am

Nothing like a Saints loss to a bottom feeder to get the Falcons Faithful all excited!!!! Unfortunately, we played like crap yesterday….no excuse there….but we are still better than you!! Still in 1st place and still have two division wins coming our way by Sweeping you Pigeons. After that happens this loss to St. Louis won’t mean jack!!!

welikebaseball2

October 31st, 2011
9:19 am

Saints R.E.A.M.: Actually, we (the defending NFC South champs) get “excited” by winning. We do, however, get a good laugh when your frontrunning Saints lose big to a winless/lowly Rams squad & you all are bold enough to come on here talking stuff. By the way, you’re in 1st place by half a game. Are you & SeenThisB4 really going to brag about that? Really? You’re going to brag about being up by a half a game…with 8 games left to play? Well, I guess after being blown out by a winless team you have to find something to make yourself feel better. What’s sad is how obvious that is. LOL!!!!

DK

October 31st, 2011
9:26 am

Life at SeenThisBe4’s house yesterday:

Turn on TV to watch Aints play “Suk for Luck” contender
Give Brees picture kiss for luck (a picture of Brees from behind)
Hit the pipe
Watch Kick-off
Cuss
Cuss some more
Scream at TV
Fight inner feelings that Brees is washed up
Cuss and scream at TV some more
Cry
Hit pipe again
Cry some more
Throw remote through TV
Leave dealer phone message offering to “do all of those things he likes”
Dream of being on dream date with Brees
Hit pipe again
Make complete a$$ out of self by getting on Falcons AJC blog and talking s#!t about team that just got their a$$ handed to them by a winless team (that is they were winless before aints came to town).
Pray the dealer calls back so he can get in on his own “suk for luck” scheme

Jimmy Crack

October 31st, 2011
9:28 am

S-ain’ts S-uck.

welikebaseball2

October 31st, 2011
9:30 am

Frontrunners = a team that, when behind on the scoreboard & the opposition starts to run the ball, doesn’t have the defensive ability to stop the run, therefore limiting opportunities for their own offense to get on the field & make up the difference = Saints

Saints R.E.A.M.

October 31st, 2011
9:59 am

Frontrunners = 1st place in the NFC South.

SeenThisBFalcon

October 31st, 2011
10:28 am

1ST PLACE WOW…..LMAO WE HAVE THE SAME DAMN RECORD IDIOT……YOU HAVE TO PUT US IN SOME NUMERICAL ORDER WE’LL SEE YOUR EXCUSES ARE AFTER WE BEAT YOU a## ON 13 NOV 2011@ GA DOME SO ENJOY 1ST PLACE UNTIL THEN!!!!!

GameReviewer

October 31st, 2011
10:29 am

SeenThisB4’s beloved Aints got their *ss handed to them by a team that had ZERO wins for the year. This is a CLEAR indicator that this team can LOSE at anytime, anywhere. This will hurt their confidence knowing that LOWLY Rams put them in their place.

On the other hand, the Falcons went on the road and defeated a TOUGH Detroit Lions team. The Lions went on to destroy the Bronco 45-3 on Sunday. The Lions are no fluke and the Falcons put them in their place on their home turf.

North FLA Falcon

October 31st, 2011
10:34 am

As happy as I am that the Saints lost yesterday, I hope the Falcons avoid a similar “trap” situation when they go to Indy. That is a really hungry team and we occasionally get a little cocky and play down, especially on the road … we need to attack and attack again, for 60 minutes, and beat the Colts soundly to set up our home match with the Saints. Get everyone healthy and play hard in the 2nd half of the season.

SeenThisBFalcon

October 31st, 2011
10:41 am

GameReviewer…Exact on the money!!!

North FLA Falcon

October 31st, 2011
10:44 am

I am glad the Saints lost … however … the Falcons cannot fall into a similar “TRAP” vs Indy this week. Go on the road vs a hungry team and you might get smacked! Attack for 60 minutes and dominate … then get ready for the showdown with N.O.

GameReviewer

October 31st, 2011
11:00 am

I’d like to know HOW the Aints are going to “dismantle” the Falcons considering they couldn’t do anything to stop the pitiful Rams. They certainly won’t be runnin their mouths on the field, because the Falcons players will just bring up the Rams game and laugh their heads off.

Deep down the Aints now KNOW they cannot be division champs. They lost against a winless team and now they will FEAR all teams, especially on the road.

SeenThisBFalcon

October 31st, 2011
11:11 am

The Saints will never go back to the superbowl people have them figured out now the can’t run the ball effectively and thier Dfense is garbage all the have is Dree Brees just like the Colts only had Mannning cut the head off the Snake….Brees goes down Ain’ts are done….

welikebaseball2

October 31st, 2011
11:45 am

Saints R.E.A.M.: You’re right. Your Frontrunners are in 1st…by half a game…with 8 left to play. I guess, after all, that’s all you have to make you feel better after getting manhandled by the lowly/winless Rams. Wow…LOL…that all you got? Better hope, for the sake of your 28th-ranked run defense, that your 1-dimensional (pass, pass, pass) offense can get some leads in ball games through the rest of the season.

rammed saint

October 31st, 2011
12:07 pm

Oh dang it! I don’t like to get rammed & whodat’ dat rammed me; dem’ Rams. So sad saint.

Great Moments in Aints History

October 31st, 2011
12:13 pm

Whats that chant you guys do…. 1 2 3 Saints Lose AGAIN LOSE AGAIN LOSE AGAIN,, or something like that,,, Brees was playing like he done got into some of Seans pain killers,, BAHAHAHAHAHA

rammed saint

October 31st, 2011
12:18 pm

saints R.E.A.M means saints R.A.M.M.E.D

Great Moments in Aints History

October 31st, 2011
12:22 pm

Enjoy your little superbowl title SeenThis because this Aints team aint gonna sniff another one for long time they you guys choke against inferior opponents,, that is all

Great Moments in Aints History

October 31st, 2011
12:23 pm

Enter your comments here

rammed saint

October 31st, 2011
12:24 pm

who dat?;who dat? say gonna RAM dem saints? dem Rams done RAMMED dem ‘aints. Whaaa,Whaaa,Whaaa,gotta love it man!

rammed saint

October 31st, 2011
12:29 pm

seenthisb4- u (all the whodat nation)just got RAMMED!

Fred Macmurray

October 31st, 2011
12:33 pm

SeenThis reminds me of that Monty Python movie where the guy has his arms and legs cut off and he’s still talkin smack,,, ITS ONLY A FLESH WOUND,,, AHAHAHAHA,, THE RAMS,,

Tell it like it is.

October 31st, 2011
12:38 pm

keys to the Falcons season are,with 8 games remaining. don’t overlook the winless Colts,and take one of the 2 games with the ant’s.Falcons will finish 10-6,hope thats enough to get them in the playoffs.

ctfalconsfan

October 31st, 2011
12:58 pm

we have 9 games left and we can win 6-8 of them so a 10-6 maybe 12-4 should get us into the post season, no worries..

ctfalconsfan

October 31st, 2011
1:02 pm

really looking at the schedule we should win the next 7 in a row with no problem then take on the aints in NOLA nad TB here to wrap it up..

I think we are in good shape.. Just one completion to Roddy White in TB and we’d be 5-2 so we are just fine!!

D man

October 31st, 2011
2:33 pm

The Falcons are in a great place right now. We have the easiest of schedules between us, the Bucs and saints the rest of the way. Plus more home games where we usually dominate. I like our chances to win the division especially after watching the saints game yesterday. Wow, didn’t expect that. :)

Eric C.

October 31st, 2011
2:54 pm

I know it’s a road game…but kind of surprised that the Falcons are only getting 7 to 8 pts from Vegas against Indy…seems like 9 or 10 is more accurate.

Kane337

October 31st, 2011
3:05 pm

Hey guys it’s Halloween!!!! That means the Saint’s fans put on their favorite costume……paper bags.

CGD..

October 31st, 2011
7:10 pm

“Eric C.

October 31st, 2011
2:54 pm

“I know it’s a road game…but kind of surprised that the Falcons are only getting 7 to 8 pts from Vegas against Indy…seems like 9 or 10 is more accurate.”

Yeah that is surprising?

rammed saint

November 1st, 2011
8:14 am

Hey seendisbfloor,saint R.A.M.M.E.D. it’s ok; a high flyin’falcon loves tappin’ u on the shoulder to let u know as a reminder were right on ya,(1/2G)just to make a lil’saint worm nervous before we devour ya. That rammin don’t feel to good but dat’s ok,dis was da best bye week dat da’birds enjoyed watchin’dem aints get there backsides handed by da who dat rams.

MR. ATL

November 1st, 2011
1:37 pm

I hate all of the Aaron Rodgers/Packers references. First off it took Rodgers 3 years before he got to the SB and the 09 season they lost a Wild Card game to Arizona. So be patient Falcons Fans, Matty Ice is well on his way. If our O-Line can keep him clean and we can play SMART Falcons Football and open up that secret Playbook that Smitty is hiding (not the Mularkey one).

Just like the Patriots did last year. They went 14-2 and lost the first Playoff game to the Jets. Same happens to the Pack

Playoff Wildcard Divisional game vs. Pack

Falcons 43 – Packers 27