Q&A: Coach Mike Smith sifts through the rubble

Rumble or rubble? First or too slow?

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Rubble and first damn it!

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It’s all about the quarterback. Ryan is good. Brees is super-great. If the Falcons had Brees, the score would have been reversed, as well as the teams’ fortunes.

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Something tells me the Falcons blew this game knowing they’d face the Saints in the playoffs in 2 weeks. They wanted to see what the Saints did best, then use that against them in the playoff game. You really think the Falcons played their hardest and lose 45-16? Call me crazy, but that’s IMO.

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C-R-A-Z-Y talk!!!

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No win is as good as it seems, and no loss is as bad as it seems. And your never as good, or as bad as you think you are.

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“And your never as good, or as bad as you think you are.”

Phooey!!! January 15th showed exactly what they were… The loss to the Texans showed exactly how to stiffle them… And tonight showed exactly will happen when they get into armed conflicts with teams that have superior firepower!

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Poor Mike Smith. What a joke of a performance in front of the entire country.

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This game reminded me of the playoff game against Green Bay last season. The Falcons’ defense could not stop the opposing offense on 3rd downs.

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We need a break away running back. Mike Turner rumbles, but we have no one that can break away. I guess we’ll draft a 160 lb RB in the 6th round that will be knocked backwards whenever someone breathes on him.

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Didn’t play Falcon football??

Been a fan for 35 years. Unfortunately Coach Smith, the one thing we can safely say after that debacle is your team played Falcon football, perfectly.

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Cant play zone and rush 3and 4 guys he eats it alive. I mean could playing man and bringing pressure work worse? The Zone defence against an elite passer is death, the teams that beat NO this year maned up and came after Brees. The Idea with zone is to hit the reciever and knock the ball out, and thats a penalty now.

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Falcons are pretenders. Two wins against teams with winning records. That says it all. The defense is as weak as it’s been in several years. This season will end the same way last year did. With a tremendous thud.

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Ouch!!! In the words of a long time falcons fan “Well, there is always next year…”

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exactly right ctfalconsfan, Tim, What?, and dawgforlife. Hard to say it any better. I think it is very obvious to most people that our defense is weak. Our run defense is better than they showed last night but our pass defense is always bad, year after year. The main reason for that is our pass rush is always the worst in the NFL. Our offense is better than most but play calls are consistently predictable, overall pitiful. Both coordinators need to go and if Smith cant do it he needs to go also.

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Come on folks. If you believed the birds(on MNF) were to win…I have prime real estate for sale in flood ravaged Cobb County as a great vacation/resort setting.

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Stop with the Bill Cowher talk. He will come back to coaching and fare about as well as Jimmy Johnson did with the Dolphins. The current Pittsburgh coach is doing better than Cowher did. Dick Lebeau is the evil genius up there, the HC is the figurehead.
Falcons FA flops- PeerlessPrice, Edgerton Hartwell, Ike Reese, Dunta Robinson, Ray Edwards

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Please edit the title to “Rubble”, instead of Rumble. We looked inept on the field. They are laughing at our team, probably at our beatwriter too. last night

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Van Gorder, go back to college football. Too much talent on this team to be wasted away. Mularkey will get his shot elsewhere and will not be missed. What a wasted year! Nothing to draft next year for improvement on defense or offense. Totally frustrated…..

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Hey CT Falcon fan, I’m in Clinton, there’s another one of us in Westbrook as well so at least 3 Falcon Fans strong in CT!!!

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Record of teams Saints have beaten, excluding the Falcons: 62-88. They are better than the Falcons, but let’s not pretend they have played a tough schedule. Saints’ SOS is 30th in the league according to Sagarin.

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For one, there is no defense, Dunta – Doesn’t and Abraham couldn’t pass rush the old folks home. Where is this expensive interior line (Jerry and the Peters)? Smitty needs to look hard at keeping Van Gorder, and consider getting rid of Mulelarkey also. If Spagnola becomes available dump Van Gorder and get Sagnola. Maybe he can motivate that bunch. Very lack luster, and no heart.

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Hey Seen This, If this is the case, The next game (1st. rd p.o.) will be will be like this last game. I want to believe that this was a total embarasment to the Falcons, that they come back and save face and blow the Saints out of the Superdome. Congrats to Brees.

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I’ve seen several posts on here saying this or that player is no good, and I have to disagree. We have some very fast, athletic and smart players on our defense. We just ask them to do dumb things. What I don’t get is why we’re mostly playing a soft zone. We’re essentially in a “prevent” defense most of the time. When have you ever seen it prevent anything bad from happening? We have the personnel to have a swarming, aggressive defense like Pittsburgh or Baltimore, but we don’t take advantage of the talent we have.

On offense, we really miss Harvey Dahl, and we need a stud LT. You saw how the Saints O-line abused us last night. The center of their line is huge and strong. Their tackles are quick and athletic. Fix the O-line and we’ll become an elite offense. Oh, and learn how to run a screen play!

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I wonder how long Smitty is going to go with Brian VanGorder as his DC. The guy blows. There’s a reason the defense hasn’t been able to get off the field on 3rd down for the past 3 years. It’s not the players, it’s the college type scheme that we run and the college type idiot we have running it. Fire VanGorder. He’s outclassed when it comes to going against elite QBs and/or aggressive offensive playcallers like a Sean Payton.

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What would have been gained was the refs credibility. Call the game correctly and consistently. That’s all I’m asking.

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Bad/missed calls are part of the game. That door swings both ways. Get over it. We got crushed by a better team. Better prepared, better coached, just better. I hate it, but like someone said earlier, we gotta get real about it.

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Sure they are, but those calls were blatantly BAD. It reminded me of the 81 playoff game where Randy White jumped offsides and the refs didn’t call it.

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As fans we must demand a better product on the field, a better system from the coaches. Yes we have some good players but what’s the point if the coaches can’t get them to where they need to be. The flip side of that is, do you really want a coach that want get rid of a player that’s not producing? or a Coordinator that’s over his head? Rise up fans, force them to do better at the top. I just heard the same speach I heard after the Texan game last night.
Oh yea, to the person that said we would win in the playoff…….keep dream. I’m a fan, but i’m also a realist and i know the falcons are not very competative right now, when playing a above 500 team.

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Smith, thanks for getting the Falcons up for a key Monday night game, right. BVG, i.e. “clueless”….9 for 9 on 3rd down, many in long situations & you can’t stop them. Tired of hearing about you coaching Ga., time to go back to college. Mularkey, get a head coaching job, then M. Ryan can run no-huddle and we’ll be much better. Thomas D..”thanks for” D Robinson, T DeCoud, Ray Edwards, a punter who can’t punt or kick off, great job…..Not sure they can beat Tampa Bay, “back into playoffs” Prediction: One (1) and done, if they play the Saints it will be another blowout. This team is backing up, not moving forward

As for Saints running up the score, who cares, they should have the Falcons didn’t earn the right for NO to stop playing.

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“…a punter who can’t punt or kick off…”

Bosher had a bad start to his rookie season, but has gotten better since then. As for not kicking out of the end zone, it’s the ST coach/Smitty that instructs the kid to directional kick in order for the coverage to have some type of advantage. That didn’t work last night unfortunately.

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[...] Atlanta Falcons This entry was posted in Atlanta Falcons and tagged coach, Mike, rumble, sifts, Smith, through. Bookmark the permalink. ← Week 17 power rankings (ProFootballWeekly.com) [...]

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Mike Smith is another Leeman Bennett, Smith cannot get a team up for the Big game. Our Whole Defense is an EMBRASSEMENT. TD has a lott of HOOP-LA when he signs draft picks and (has been) free agents, they all have been BUST. I hope AB will let some heads roll. I know AB didn’t build Home Depot up with people like this on his staff.
I’ve been a Falcon fan for 40 + years and last night was totally unexceptable.
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO WE PLAY IN THE PLAY-OFFS, BECAUSE WE WILL BE 1 AND OUT—-AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I’m not blaming the entire game on bad calls, just ineptitude of the refs on the blatant ones.

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Hmm things that were on the line…. 3 seed. Pride. Not being a freaking embarrassment on national TV Again. Penalties, field goals, mistakes. There is no semblance of a worthy post season team here. Even the 5th seed feels like a pipe dream today. This ride to the playoffs feels more like a trip to the Slaughterhouse. I don’t care if Jesus himself plays qb for New Orleans. It is Thomas Dimitroffs job to find players to beat him and Smittys job to coach what is here. We are not even close. Grimes is the only guy who even competes with his man in the secondary

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I’M SICK OF THE LAME EXCUSES, THIS IS A POOR EXCUSE FOR A NFL TEAM, THIS IS THE ONLY TEAM IN THE NFL THAT DOESN’T BLITZ, AND THE ONLY TEAM THAT IS IN LOVE WITH FIELD GOALS. HORRIBLE PLAY CALLING, THE OC AND DC NEEDS TO FIRED PRONTO, OUT OF 38 YEARS HERE, IT’S BEEN THE SAME LAME EXCUSES. IF THE FANS CAN SEE THE PROBLEMS, WHY CAN’T THEY!!!!

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This teams play for Mike Smith because he’s a good guy, not because he inspires them. His style was great for bring the team out of the rumbles after Perterno, but now his voice is stale. I thought it was crazy when he gave the team all that time off after beating Jacksonville…..are you kidding me. Oh yeah, someone spoke on the draft…TD we have only two solid star players on defense and two on offense and matty Ice is not one.

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Would have been nice if somebody would have asked the coach about the fact that they are going into the playoffs having beaten only 2 (for now as the Titans may end up with an 8 & 8 season) teams with a winning record. There is little hope of even 1 playoff victory much less any serious thought of a Super Bowl run.

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Blaming Matt? Really? I mean, REALLY? Ryan may not be as solid as Brees or Rodgers right not, but he hasn’t been in the league as long either. He’s doesn’t stink, that’s for sure.

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The sad part about all this….the Falcons will proably play the Saints again in the first round of the playoffs……….if Mike Smith and his group of bumbling coordinators aren’t scared, someone should check their desks for drugs. I hate the Saints, but the falcons are not even close to being able to beat them. The one win they got was when the Saints kicker missed a 27 yard field goal. They used two running backs last night, the other two running backs will be healthy for round one. So if it’s in the air or on the ground, they will get drugggggeeeddd again across the terf.

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PLAY OFF TEAM MY REAR END.

iF YOU CAN’T BLOCK, TACKLE, CATCH OR RUN, YOU WILL NOT WIN VERY MANY FOOTBALL GAMES. IF YOUR DEFENSE CAN’T GET TO THE QB OR STOP THE RUN, YOU WILL NOT WIN
VERY MANY BALLGAMES.
I DON’T SEE THE FALCONS PROFICIENT AT ANY OF THESE QUALITIES.

I’ve watched them for forty five years and it has never changed. Maybe a little upside every so often
but that never lasts long. I don’t think the current players and coaches will ever do any different. The
more changes made the more they stay the same.
To be a Falcon fan, means you will have to go through a lot of suffering.

The Falcons. last night were a disgrace to their fans as well as the city of Atlanta.

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For the donks posting “who dat”, the answer is the St. Louis Rams. That’s who. If you lose to the Rams you lose all rights to talk smack for one year.

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The really scary part for the Falcons is where to fix things next year. We need a new defensive coordinator, at least two players in the secondary, two or three on the offensive line. Did you see Clabo getting beat by a three man rush??? There is a lot to fix before we can compete with the elite teams. Good thing we have the draft…sonova…..

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Thomas DeCoud said he wants to play the Saint again……………are you delusional or just crazy. The secondary got beat like a rug, and news flash….you are the worst free safety in the league and slowest. Now ask any analyst that, and see what they say…………I can’t believe this stuff.

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Welost to a better team. Better prepared, better coached, just better, as usual we looked lost. After two turn over by the defense the offense couldn’t yield anything. Both OC & DC not creative, HD got only one pass thrown his way when it didn’t matter, thought he would be a match up problem since last time we played them they had no answer for him. It will be painful to watch po as we get pasted again then as usually we have our same ol’ soft nice excuse from the coach, by the way we have no 1st round pick next year and half the roster will be free agents, so do will it a rebuilding year? Many teams will be better next year, Panthers, Philly, Giants, Lions, Chicago just can’t tell about the Birds.

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this was pitiful – the punk-azz saints running up the score on these poor junior college falcons

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-if

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In order to get to the next level. The Falcons have to step it up. That was a poor defense we played and they held the Falcons to 16 points. Next you win championships with strong defense. We are terrible. That was the worst pass rush I have ever seen. The defensive play calling was poor, execution even worse. Good chance we will play them again. And this team will not make it past the first round. We need better scouting to find the right guys to help this team

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Do you think they layed a voodoo curse on da birds? Dats what I am talking about.

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Mike Smith=Norv Turner

Cut him loose Bruce

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Atlanta sport’s TEAM. Let’s see, the BRAVES have Bobby Lite and with a 10 1/2 game lead on the wild card, Bobby Lite loses and don’t make the playoffs. How about those Divison Flags hanging @ The Ted! Put World Champion FLAGs There(We have ONE) but 14 Divison Pennants hanging is a JOKE. Then the Falcons, who get BLOWN AWAY in supposedly “BIG GAMES” and get beat BADLY. Again on National TV with everyone watching in a National audience, looks like a grade school team. This isn’t the first time Coach Smith coached TEAM has been tared and feather. BVG & MM are clueless and will only be coaching in Atlanta as Co-Ordinators. MM will never get a HEAD COACHING JOB in The NFL……………NEVER. Then the NBA TEAM here run by The Stoogies doen’t deserves mentioning here. This City Only Has One Championship caliber TEAM in this city and IT IS THE DREAM, but no one CARES. Mr Blank demand Smitty get rid of both MM & BVG before next season and hire guys who have had winning defenses and offenses resumes. Buy the way THE OFFENSIVE LINE and Defense, need PLAYERS NOT SCRUBS!

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You didn’t honestly think that the Falcants would beat the Saints, did you? HA HA HA! The Falcants were outplayed and outcoached. They’ve shown repeatedly that they can’t compete against good teams. It serves all the Falcants fans right who were bragging so loudly and saying some terrible things about New Orleans that have nothing to do with football.

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[...] Source: http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2011/12/27/qa-coach-mike-smith-sifts-through-the-rumble/?c... [...]

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GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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how bout tweety birds

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A comment to Dr Warren. We could take the entire Saint team and trade the falcons to Sean Payton and Greg Williams. The outcome would have been the same, Saints would have beat Falcons bad.
When will people realize, this is not a personnel problem, but a coaching problem. Falcons coaches are not in the same league as Payton and Williams. Mr Blanks I know is a smart person. He has to see that falcons are still playing 1980 style football not twenty- first century football.Green Bay, Saints,New England and elite teams falcons has no chance. It is not the players. TD has done a good job of getting players. Now he needs to get some coaches. I would start first by trying to hire Saints assistance offense coach , or Green Bay OC.

If we falcons are satisfied playing .500-.600 pct football we stay as is. If our goal is to play and maybe win a superbowl, coach chance is a must. BVG had no answer for Brees and company, or did MM have a clue for Greg Williams. As Ryan would chance play Vilma would chance Saints defense, we were out coached by better coaches.
I will give one player a good job. Chris Owens. He has ran down Harvey and Sproles. I will say dude, you can run. I never would believe they could be caught.

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The best football players on our team are Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, Julio Jones, Michael Turner Jaquizz Rodgers and Roddy White on our offense. Our defense is good enough against the rest, but these guys from New Orleans are the best. The best for NO are Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Devery henderson, Darren Sproles, Jimmy Graham, and all their running backs. They have 4 running backs that really open up their offense even more which makes it almost impossible to stop with Brees at the helm. This is a Super Bowl team. If you don’t have a defensive line that can get a push you have zero chance against these guys. Love it this time of year when you know we have an extra game but unless Van Gorder can get them to play much better, we are probably done.

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Does anyone think Matty may be a problem? Can I say that?

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Rumble?

Our writers are as dumb as the players and coaches…

Good grief.

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The Saints rumbled all over Falcons defense. It caused a rubble.

Was that Katrina roaring through the Falcons last night…..or just a “breeze”…….

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What?
December 27th, 2011
3:40 am

Didn’t play Falcon football??

Been a fan for 35 years. Unfortunately Coach Smith, the one thing we can safely say after that debacle is your team played Falcon football, perfectly.
*******
exactly.

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I don’t how many Falcon fans remember how sorry we were year end and year out not that long ago? You would think reading the comments that we have been playing every year in the Super Bowl? It is and always be about giving yourself a chance- we are in the playoffs- any thing and I mean any thing is possible- yes our OC stinks- Yes our DC stinks (every game they lose) I don’t care who our QB is- when a WR drops the ball it is a drop- last I looked Falcons are leading the NFL in drops- that is on our WR’s. DB’s had a chance for a fwe picks last night and dropped the ball as well. I wish the D would play man to man if your going to get beat anyway what are you losing out on? Look how KC beat GB they pressed the corners and brought the heat on Rodgers- Falcons had seom success when rushing the QB but then they stop and get picked apart playing a WEAK zone. But guys I will take these teams over the past 5 years- because the Falcons are now winning on a regular basis- no more winning season- losing season. Just so folks are aware packages are put in for plays that are called the OC or DC coord can’t help if the opposing team changes what they are doing once they have a package already in for a play.

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Falcons didn’t try anything on defense, they played straight no blitz or cross rush very basic. Looked like they wanted to finish healthy. Smitty is to smart to stand on the sidelines not red faced or mad. They had a plan how to play the game safely. Saints are very good at home and don’t match well with the Lions.

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I also want to add making no excues but the officals in the NFL are a joke- even Chucky said last night don’t know how you can call Peterson on a Personal Foul and not the Saints on that one hit- I saw several NO CALLS last night that happen to go against the Falcons- go back and watch that return by Sproles- block in the back not called- and yes there were more holds not called when you see Jerseys being pulled out that is a hold- and one more call I saw not made- go back and watch the TD pass that beat Grimes- even though the guy has a Foot on him he pushed off before he turned to come back to the ball. I’m done whinning now-

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Is it just me but it seems coach just didn’t look well. Anyone else notice.

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Rubble, you half-wit. Can’t understand why a guy who has puncuation lapses, tense errors, misspellings etc. keeps a job as a JOURNALIST.
SeenThisB4, your take on the game (I knew you could do it) I am in agreement on. Falcons are the most schizophrenic team I have ever seen. If they end up going to the meadowlands in round 1, the oddsmakers will have a blast handicapping that one. Giants are a freaking rollercoaster as well.
Falcons can’t block worth a flip, and can’t pass rush. Those 2 facts = death in the NFL playoffs, no matter how many skill players you have, how many big plays you can fall into, how many wins you managed to pile up in the regular season. Throw in some penalties like last night and you will be beaten by even mediocre teams.
When a team is this up and down, I believe it’s execution more than coaching. the players are to blame, and it starts not with the QB or the high price flop free agents but mostly with the O-line and the D-front. Games are won and lost in the trenches. And, our secondary does not have the talent to play zone OR man. Toasted both ways.
Probably one and done. If the Falcons are out, please God let it be ANYBODY BUT THE SAINTS. I did not think they were “running up the score”, but I thought it was classless for Brees and his teammates to be posing for group photos WHILE THE GAME WAS STILL GOING ON. That was rubbing it in, and Mike Smith should have had a word with smarmy Sean Payton about it.
Said this game didn’t matter earlier in the week, but maybe it did. Falcons will now be officially “under the radar”.

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is this the same team they said was a contender for the superbowl. Sid i have also been a fan for years and its something about this loss that sent a sharp pain down my spine.

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Last night’s game is eerily similar to the last game vs Green Bay. No matter what we did, we could not stop their offense. So the solution? Go out and draft defense. Oh wait, we traded most of our picks for a talented WR that fumbled away our chances of making the score respectable.

Pretty frustrating game, but NO is definitely as good if not better than GB right now.

Anyway, let’s hope we get lucky and don’t have to play them again in the playoffs Round 1. GO FALCONS!

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Things we need asap.
OC. DC. DE’s. CB. Nickel CB. LT. RG.

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You cannot win defensive football giving up 3rd and 10 + consitantly. I do not see either of these coordinators doing a good job with the talent they have around them.Already looking forward to post season changes. We cannot compete with good teams with the schemes we are playing. One word Mr Blank, Outcoached!

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nice to have a classy coach. outside of the upcoming 1 and done, it is about all we have.

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It is apparent the NOS is a better team rhan our AF. Enough said!

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Whats the point? Falcons make playoffs, yeah, but might win one playoff game, two max.
Whats the point? Yet another useless Falcon season…… sigh.

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Bet every nickel that you own on the Foulcons first round opponent – you will start the new year rich.

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Matt Ryan is not the franchise QB that a lot of people apparently think he is. He is only slightly above average and will always be that way. The Falcons need to go for a more multi-dimensional QB.
(Robert Griffin III). The Falcons have reached their plateau with Ryan and should not expect to go much further. He is a good guy, but not one of the best QB’s.

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FALCON FANS BLOW UP THE FRONT OFFICE..WHAT AN EMBARRASMENT !FANS@FALCONS.NFL.COM..770/965/3115..ENOUGH IS ENOUGH..I HATE THE SAINTS BUT THE FALCONS LOOK UNPREPARED AFTER 11 DAYS..LET THME KNOW THAT IF THEY WANT PAYING CUSTOMERS THEN PUT SOMETHING ON THE FIELD WORTH PAYING FOR!!!

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I wish I had a dime for every whiffed tackle, every jump on the 1st cut, and every bite on the pump- fake Dunta has made this year. How they can continue to play the guy shows the lack of depth at CB.

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This is pretty much the story of the end of last season and this season. The defensive secondary is porous. That says it all. Atlanta is not a real contender with this glaring weakness.

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Well, another MNF game for Atl. Same old outcome. How about just one time guys, try to man up. You don’t just lose when you are in the spotlight (national tv) , you are hammered. How in the world did the “Aints” ever get this much better than the Falcons ? And so quickly too ! I’m really tired honestly of seeing this crap year after year with the sports teams in the state of Ga. Braves, Falcons, Hawks, even my beloved bulldogs. They love being average I guess…

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I love Mike Smith but if he didn’t see this coming then he’s in big DENIAL. How could he no see this coming? We have a losing record against teams with winning records and we were playing a juggernaut in their home. We are a 2nd tier team, not up to the Saints, Pats, Packers, etc. I still maintain Julio Jones is a waste of picks, totally uneeded. Harry Douglas was fine, in fact, I think the offense plays better and more cohesively when Julio was out of action. The defense is a mess with a few exceptions, Grimes is awesome. Dunta is way overpaid and Ray Edwards is a bust. I like our linebackers but we need a pash rush, it is almost non existent. You win with defense, the Pats are an anomaly. We’ll lose in the 1st round since we will be playing a winning team. Smith, Dimitroff and I guess Arthur are in denial about what this team really is.

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Them dirty birds just got their a$$ kicked every which way but loose

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Pathetic play on both sides of the ball. Why does it seem that ever who we play can get to our QB but our defense normally can’t get any pressure on the quality teams we play. Going to be a short playoff run. Tired of all the trash talking from Roddy and the likes. Just shut up and play. If Roddy caught the ball as good as he talks he would be a world class receiver.

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If you are only going to be happy with your sports team if they win the SuperBowl then you are going to have alot of agonizing hours ahead. Look at the once proud Miami, Dallas, Minnesota, Giants, Oakland,Redskins, and up until just now the once mighty 49ers. Lot of lean years in there. Get real. I want a SB as mich as anybody, but the “all or nothing” attitude is a bit much.

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If I said it once, I have said it a hundred times “Matty Ice Cold” is a very average NFL quarterback at best in the NFL. He just can’t make reads and can’t make the throws needed to really be special in this league. When you watch Brady, Bree’s and Roger’s play it’s like daylight and dark. Yes they have other issues with the team but in the NFL you win with great defense and a premier quarterback and the Falcon’s are lacking in both areas. The Falcons made a poor decision in their selection at QB to lead the franchise and will have to settle for below average performance while the rest enjoy there super bowl rings. “YES” I’m a Falcon fan for life just telling it exactly as it is and the Saints will hammer us again and Smitty will still be winless in the playoffs but there’s always next year. RIGHT!!!!

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appropriate that another team had to lose for us to clinch a postseason berth… 1 and done will be here before you know it. a more useful article would be about what the falcons are going to do in the off season……

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Marty Ice.

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defense you meant?

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Falcons have a lot of things to fix before the playoffs start…but these refs with the NBA mentality need to be exposed.

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I’m sorry to have to say this but I did see this coming especially after they clinched early. The team had nothing (but pride) to play for and it showed. New Orleans is far superior in all aspects. Don’t think anyone could dispute that. Wouldn’t want to have to decide where to start.

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blow up the front office falcon fans!!!…FANS@FALCONS.NFL.COM…770/965/3115..LET EM KNOW THIS IS NOT ONLY EMBARRASING BUT DOWNRIGHT UNACCEPTABLE!!!

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We got away from the run. We’re not a passing team (as someone said, we don’t have Drew Brees at QB). We already know we only have one good player on the secondary and he is not 100%. We know we don’t have a pass rush, so the only way to slow down Brees was to keep him off the field! Run the ball!! The OL seemed to be doing a better job in the first half; I think they laid down in the second.

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I agree on the refs, poorly called game. Saints held very well.

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Falcons list of shortcomings : Can’t score in red zone unless it’s a FG, Defense line puts no pressure on opposing QB, Def. Backs except Grimes can’t cover my mother. Recievers only catch ball if nobody is close to them. WAY too many penalties, I’m too tired to go on..It’s pathetic really.

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Smitty has to get rid of Murlarkey and VanGorder…no way we’ll make a serious run with these guys.

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I win bets each year betting the Falcons to lose in the play offs. I’m betting again to win some more money!!!

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The ONLY 2 Dimitroff picks that will be pro bowlers are Ryan(obvious pick. we didnt have a qb), Turner(FA), and Weatherspoon.That’s it! Possibly Julio and Lofton??
The rest are just avg(Moore, HD, Quizz, Biermann, Decoud, Edwards(FA), to below avg(Hawley, Reynolds, Sidbury, Dunte(FA), to God awful(Baker, Owens, Franks, etc…….) And chew on this for a minute.
TD ACTUALLY MOVED UP IN THE 1ST RD FOR BAKER). Unbelievable.

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Your right Terrell- TD stinks- wouldn’t he the same GM that drafted almost the entire Patriots that have won how much? Get real-

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Got a Question:

Did Mike Smith go to his standard “We played Uncharacteristic” card in describing the teams woeful performance?

Answer: Nope. Because what was “Uncharacteristic” has now become the Expected Norm.

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The Falcon’s O-line is awful, especially the right side. A new right tackle is sorely needed.

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[...] Source: http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2011/12/27/qa-coach-mike-smith-sifts-through-the-rumble/?c... [...]

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Belichek drafted the Patriot players. TD was just his do-boy. Do this, and do that. lol

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That was Unbelievable…..It’s obvious who the best team in the league is right now (and for years to come) and it’s not the Falcons sad to say. It’s the Saints. That’s a sobering reality we must face.

But the real difference between the Saints and The Falcons is the Coaching Staff.

I bet my life that if Sean Payton (and his staff) was coaching this very same Falcons team, and Mike Smith and his clowns were coaching the Saints, the score last night would be the exact opposite!

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those clowns will never go anywhere as long as VanDumbass is their DC. I tried to tell folks when he was blowing the big games at UGA, and when he went to Georgia Southern (before he totally destroyed their program in one season), and when he went to the Falcons, that moron runs the most craven defensive scheme in all of football (remember Martinez was his protege). It was so bad Gruden was ridiculing the Falcons defensive scheme last night. Van Dumbass is always going to get reamed when he faces good offenses with good OC’s like Green Bay and NO. It’s pathetic. The happiest day of my life was when Spurrier hired him, but no, God wouldn’t let us have that good fortune, and sent him back to Atlanta post haste. What did Georgia do to offend him so badly that he would curse us with Van Dumbass for so many years?

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Funny how they forget about HD when Julio’s out there.

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Call John Gruden.

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Rec core??

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Falcons quit. Period. All that needs to be known. When teams were in same division Rams always whipped Falcons and Saints but Falcons always beat up on Saints twice every year. Rams still defeat Saints. Now Falcons are light years away from Saints. The 1966 Falcons were not as talented – arguably – but they fought in ever game. Rarely did they outright quit. These losers did! That IS unforgivable. Bring back Claude Humphrey and John Zook. John Abraham and MIA Edwards are not fit to carry their jocks!

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Disgusting…….plain disgusting……a total team disappointment.

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Many of us saw it coming. This should not have
been a surprise to Coach Smith. With no pass rush,
Brees will pick any team apart. Ray Edwards has
been a disappointment. Even Yates was successful
when we played the Texans due to no pass rush.
I am not willing to throw in the towel on the
defensive coordinator quite yet.

Smitty has some tough decisions to make. He may
be forced to consider changing his OC. There are
too many weapons for the woeful performances
against the better teams.

As for Ryan, if he has a bad game during the
playoffs, he most likely can’t handle the pressure
of being the leader responsible for taking the
team to the promised land, the Super Bowl.
He might be another “Chris Miller”. Even
Chris Chandler got us to the Super Bowl.

Can you imagine what Cam Newton might be able
to accomplish if he had all the offensive weapons
the Falcons have?

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Would anyone be saying we were trying to run up the score had we handed it off 5 times and scored a rushing TD? NO….but Atlanta couldn’t stop the run all night. Yes, Brees wanted the record and he wanted it against the Falcons. Cheers to renewing the rivalry in 2012. Hope you guys can put up a better effort in the playoffs! Alot of things would have prevented the record from being broken, but the Falcons couldn’t do a thing about it! Typical Brees being Brees. By the time Matt Ryan is ready to lead his team to a Bowl, Brees will probably have hung up his cleats and you guys might have a chance!

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Abraham and “Big Play” Ray Edwards should donate their check this week to charity. Pathetic perfomance rushing Brees. They both got manhandled. Up the middle, D line and LBs, same thing, write a check to the Blank Foundation. The worst run tackling of any Falcons squad I have seen in my 43 years as a season ticket holder. Look at the film…Lofton and Peterson playing catch tackle, nobody, I mean nobody, persuing the ball carrier. Just back on their heels playing catch tackle. O line got a C+ protecting Matt. Receivers, are too hot/cold. Its either a fantastic catch or a rookie drop in their hands. D Backs, same deal- some impressive plays 1/2 the time, pathetic coverage the other 1/2, that’s a 50%, which is an F at my son’s school. We are a very mediocre, inconsistant football team. Eat your words Sports Illustrated……..picked to win the Super Bowl……yea right! All I saw was an uninspired team who layed down for the Aints. No desire, no hustle. I won’t be surprised if Tampa Bay beats us. Pathetic. D Coordinator must go Mr. Blank.

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The common theme from last year’s beatdown by the Packers and this year’s losses (both) to the Saints is our inept DC. We will NEVER go past the first round of the playoffs with that idiot in charge.

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DLed, whatever game plan we had…wasn’t for the game last night…I guess Mike Smith in his staff forgot we were playing the Ain’t. No excuses we got a whipping last night.

You have to scratch your head after the way we laid an egg…Why TF did MSmith keep settling for friggin field goals…geeeeeeez.

Talent wise both teams have Talent on both sides of the ball…COACHING WISE…IT WASN’T CLOSE.

Once the BIRDS go those early suspect penalty calls…I thought they started playing passive as a team.

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TD picked Ryan(who was the OBVIOUS pick), and suddenly he was the new KING of the hill. We’ll, what has he done after that besides Lofton and Spoon? I’ll tell you.
Moved up for Sam short arms Baker just because we NEEDED a LT.
Picked a 26 yr old with bad knees just because we NEEDED a DT.
Traded away a draft for a DEEP THREAT wr, when the qb that he drafted cant throw an accurate deep ball.
Let our nastiest o-lineman walk
Resigned the softest o-lineman that we had(Clabo,Blalock)
Signed Dunte Robinson to a big $ deal.
Signed Ray “JA98″ Edwards.
Drafted Chris Owens and Chevis Jackson in the 3rd rd.(Had to be the worst cb’s on EVERYONE ELSE’S board).

Shall I continue?

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Blank needs to burn the teams HQ to the ground literally and figuratively.

Rotten franchise: change owner, coaches, players, uniforms, stadium-same sorry result. Falcons are a hopeless enterprise

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Problems:

1) A “B+” coach in a an “A” league
2) BVG’s zone defense
3) MM-enough said! The Forrest Gump of OCs!
4) Duanta Robinson- should wear a ski mask to pick up his check!
5) Draft busts and overpaided free agents

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Is Winnipeg in the market for a semi professional football team? Just asking!

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Falcons end this season the way they ended last season: exposed and embarrassed in prime time. Nobody will ever take them seriously again.

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How many times do we have to watch this pedestrian defensive line fail before they fix it.All our interior linemen and Ray Edwards are rotational guys..they can work in a rotation but are not great. We only pressure teams with horrid O lines. We need a STUD interior tackle to take on blocks and pressure the pocket from the middle. That alone will improve the rush from the ends. Dunta Robinson? FIRESALE! On the other side of the ball Turner is slow getting to the hole and the O line is not dominant enough to run the ball the way we need to for our system.A more stout O line would improve the running and that will improve the passing game. The first meeting showed the problem…you can”t get 4th and inches ( not to mention a deep handoff rather than a sneak was a bad idea by itself) you don’t deserve to win.

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Hi Terrell. How about some receivers besides Tony Gonzalez that do not drop/fumble the ball all the damn time. When deer in headlights loser Matthew Ryan does get passes to them! Would not hirt.

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I was 14 when the Falcons arrived in Atlanta in the mid 60s and here when they played the St. Louis Cardinals and Johnny Roland in their first game and lost. I was a true blue fan till they hired Dan Henning in the 80s and I grew disgusted and never followed them since. Even when they made the Super Bowl, then I only watched maybe 1 qtr and turned it off to watch Ed Sullivan reruns or something dumb like that. Who cares about the Falcons?

Losing this way to N.O. is a shock I suppose to Falcon fans and I did not watch more than 12 – 18 seconds, as my transmittor scanned the TV for something to view last night.

Why do folks get so upset with them? They will let you down time and time again. I love COLLEGE football anyway. Who needs the labor union NFL??

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Love the Falcons, but we are just a good team and the Saints are a great team..It hurts to say it but it is what it is….We have no pass rush to give us a shot against the Saints or Packers in Playoffs…Matt Ryan looked pretty good last night…

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Good teams unveil our weaknesses. Unfortunately, those games matter the most. One loss, you’re out. That will be also this year’s playoff scenario. And then next year’s, and on, and on. And the list continues – Braves, Hawks, UGA…

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sorry playing on both sides of the ball no excuses, was really sad to be a falcon fan, this type of playing really hurts.

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I don’t think Smith or Van Gorder have the stones to look the defense in the eyes and tell them that if they don’t play with fire, swarm the ball carrier, get it done, we will find players who will for the God awful dinero we are paying them each Sunday. I get sick and tired of the excuse that this is a business and our players/coaches act so. No people, this is football and we pay you big buckes to go out and Kick Some A*# and Take Some Names! Come on Coach Smith, Mr. Nice Guy is not working. Get some As*#$ in gear!

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David the tweety birds were beaten twice by the SAINTS, now you say they are not that good,should the tweeties beat the SAINTS in the playoffs will you say tweeties are great. tweeties have no excuse this time, yeah you can make excuses for the tweeties but none are valid. You lost accept it stop crying. The TIGERS beat georgia and SAINTS will beat you again.

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Last year’s 13-3 season was, unfortunately, an aberation, fueled by near flawless performances and an abnormally low number of injuries. With that said, the 48-21 shelacking by Green Bay and the 45-16 trip to the Saint’s woodshed in two big, meaningful games against elite teams is far more indicative of where this Falcons team stands. Matt Ryan is in the upper third if not the upper 25% of QB’s, but he is no better than Matt Shcaub whom we traded away and then used a #1 pick for Ryan. Sam Baker is a 1st round bust. We over rated Ray Edwards, failing to realize that he benefitted from playing amongst other greats on the Vikings D-line, and on a pay/performance scale Daunta Robinson’s contract is the worst value at CB in the league. Although Julio is great, we way over paid for him, mortgaging our future by trading away too many draft picks. We now have an elite receiver that we cannot get the ball to, because our O-line is mediocre and Ryan is a pocket passer and not the athlete that Brees is. Meanwhile Abraham and Turner are aging and slowing. Turner is a sad caricature of three yrs ago. It takes him a week to hit the rare hole that his O-line provides. Add it all up and you have to think that while Dimitrov is a better GM than McKay, he will never produce anything other than a middling team. Get used to 10-6 and out in the 1st round of the playoffs. Dimitrov does not have the acumen or savvy to trade his way out of this and the Julio Jones deal has us relagated to this level of performance for some time. In fact, given the aging Turner and Abraham it could actually get worse before it gets better. My bet is that we get embarrassed and exposed for what we are (a solid middle of the pack team) when we play the Saints in round one – they will kill us again.

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I don’t think I have seen a ball carrier gain an extra 6 yards on every carry with a scrum of defenders hanging on for dear life since Pee Wee Lions at Chastain Park in 1973. Looked like overboard cruise passengers holdiong on to the raft for dear life. I wonder how many plays the Saints geaned an additional 5+ rushing with more than 1 Falcon hanging on the scrum. I had nightmares about it last night for Christ’s sake!

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And as for running the score up, the Saints have always been and will always be CLASSLESS. The media dolls them up and kisses their asses and the NFL has 2 sets of rules on the field- their pretty boy Saints, Packers and Patriots and everybody else. You acn tell that by the “mystery calls” they get. They really don’t want parody. Money stirs the pot!

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@David

“The bottom line is the Saints are not as good as the Falcons seem to always make them look. Pathetic performance by the Falcons. Very disappointing. You have to make the plays in the crunch and they just did not. I see an early playoff exit for the Falcons, and the Saints for that matter. Neither are really that good. What is puzzling about last night though is the Falcons really are not as bad as they played last night and the Saints are absolutely not that good.”

Did you watch the game? Falcons were destroyed. Abraham and Edwards didn’t sniff a sack. How many times did Sproles or Thomas chip those overpaid losers to help keep them off Brees? The Saints O-line is the best in the league. The QB threw 2 picks and they still won by 29 pts. Parcells said you are what your record is. The score is the score. The Saints will be in Green Bay in late January, where they will run up and down the heated tundra, to set up Brees who will torch that overrated D on their way to ring #2 while Smitty is trying to figure out where he went wrong, again.

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Last night’s game was an undeniable barometer of what and who the Falcons are. They are a reflection of Dimitroff and Smith. The players are not tough enough; the coaches not smart enough. Compared to the Saints –as well as a bunch of other playoff bound teams– the Falcons look big, slow and dumb. I hate to say it as I think that Mike Smith is a nice guy, but unless the Falcons can surprise us all and go two deep in the playoffs, it is past time for Smith and company to go. We long suffering fans have put up with long term mediocrity. We can and should do better than Smitty and Company.

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At what point in time are you going to say, hmmmm our defense needs some work? Brees proved he can score at will against you guys. At what point in time are you going to say, hmmmm our offense is suppose to be solid? Why can’t you score? When do you realize that maybe Ryan should throw down the field (i realize he’s not capible of doing so). Brees and Rogers aren’t as good as they are by doing what Ryan does, dumping the ball off 1-5 yards down the field everytime. What an embarassment to even be in the playoffs!!!!!!

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HaHaHaHaHaHa..
Falclowns continue to be the laughing stock of the league!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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As a football official with 20 years on the field, I would like to pointn out one “no-call” last night that needs some further explination from the league. Not the no-call on the hit on Roddy vs the silly call on the Falcons for unnecessary roughness comparison, but the flag for holding, after which the white hat announces, “there is no foul for holding on the Saints because it was a screen pass”. WTF is that? Since when did the NFL definition of holding vary based on what type of pass play was executed? And this is an NFL white hat (referee)? On Monday Night Football? Busch, Bush, Booooosch League.

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Also, i hated to see Smitty kick field goals in the 4th qtr when they were meaningless. It was the first time i saw Coach Smith not play to win.

(spit on the ground) Coach, don’t pad points for the sake of appearance.
Play to win. That’s an “old Falcons” way of thinking/coaching.

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I long for the days of Dan Reeves’ defense……

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turner is getting slow, but the line is not helping. it’s become obvious that we NEED a shutdown corner… the falcons have had problems with slants ever since i could remember….

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This team showed no heart last night and quit on national TV. I’m so disgusted with this team and their coaching staff. I think Arthur Blank needs to have a long conversion about this team direction. Yes I agree Mike Smith has been the Atlanta Falcons most consistent head coach in franchise history, but now it’s time to take this team to the next level. I really think Mike Smith is going to have to make changes to his coaching staff. I’m so upset about the team’s reaction after the blowout last night. I hate the fact that no one on this team seem to care about how they performed last night. It’s like they could care less and that really pisses me off. They watched their arch rivals run up the score and could do nothing about it.

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I am telling you, a dead fish rots from the head, Dimitrov is the problem. Not to mention the fact the Sad Sack Arthur Blank still has McKay hanging around. The executive decisions that traded Schaub, used a #1 on Ryan, overpaid for Robinson & Edwards and mortgaged the future for a wide receiver while ignoring the lines…..it has mediocrity written all over it.

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Tebag over Ryan? Stop drinking.

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Saints are now 7-0 at home, 7-0 against the spread, and winning by an avg. of more than 21 pts. per game. How in the world did so many on this blog really think that they were going to lose back to back home games and give the division away? Like I said yesterday and all last week, there was no chance for that to happen. The Falcons are a pretty good team, but no better than that, and no threat whatsoever to the elite teams. Matt Ryan statistically threw for a lot of yards between the 20’s, but could only produce a single TD. Once the field became condenced, Ryan struggled. The Saints aren’t 29 pts better than the Falcons, but they are head and shoulders above them, and Payton/Brees have the Falcons number whether the games have been close or not. The larger reality is that it’s possible that this Falcons team has already hit it’s ceiling. The salary cap is strapped, and there is very little draft upcoming in April. Those factors will make it nearly impossible to add the type of players that it will take to close the gap on the elite teams. The Falcons clearly have not recovered from last year’s playoff debacle vs Green Bay, and it’s far from certain that this current regime ever will.

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Read most of the comments but suprisingly very little concern about the one thing the Falcons need. The difference maker is the running attack or in this case the lack of one. The reason is not the coaches, QB Ryan, the receivers, the game plan, the blocking- just the lack of at least one good runner. More than one would put the Falcons deep in the playoffs but just one would make us respectable. For instance the Saints third string tailback lining up for the Falcons would have made this game close.

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What does he mean he didn’t see it coming??? It’s his JOB to see it coming!!! Nice guy, poor planner and motivator. Me thinks he’s not telling his players what they need to hear, or they’re not listening.

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Everyone trippin over giving up a 1st and a 4th for Julio needs to chill. At least he can play, and has a ton of potential. The 1st rdr will hurt a little this year, but do you really trust TD to get it right with that 4th rdr? Hell, do you trust him if we had the 1st rdr? Probably just blow it on another Sam Baker.

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Simple facts are we lost up front. Our D line could not pressure Drew and our O line could not protect Matt. We need bigger D linemen and a RG and LT on the O line.

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Hey One and Done-I am with you! Coaches, players, trainers, managers, medical staff, custodian, receptionist…………We will go to work on Wednesday and prepare for Tampa Bay. We will look at the film and make adjustments. (Todd McClure) This is a business and we will focus on the next one. BS, BS, BS, BS, BS, effin BS!!!!!!!!

Someone needs to step up, tell it like it is, and light the proverbial fire under some as$@$!
This is football. So play footbal….and leave the business to the front office and your agents. We don’t need businessmen, we need hungry, gritty, kick some As$ football players!

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they have beaten only two teams all season that currently have winning records (Detroit and Tennessee) – nuff said

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Only emotion I saw from Matthew Ryan was when he hugged and kissed Drew Brees after game. Joe Kapp would have slugged the SOB in mouth after what he did to his team. MR team leader? Not in THIS lifetime!

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The Matthew Ryan experiment was another Falcon failure. Tell Chris Chandler to suit up! His heart and leadership are needed!

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No defense = no contest. Bob Berry could have set a record last night with the time Brees had to throw.

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Some of the worst officiating I’ve seen in a while; some very blatantley blown calls many of which swung New Orleans way in the first half.

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All I can say is the Falcons got thir collective butts kicked, and it was a poor performance. I am down right now, but I’ll be cheering for the Falcons next week when they play Carolina. I will always be a FALCONS fan.

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Good to hear from you Stendec…How is Kari Letinmin??? lol…Falcons looked horrible….not ready for the big boys are they?

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MrJoad…nothing related there ..gore was beat fair and square.
How do you think Obama got in…acorn and other cheaters

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Here’s the classic qoute of the year, ” I didn’t see that coming”. Next to last game of the year and you didn’t see it coming? We saw it coming. You struggle against botton dwellars(Carolina,Vikings) and you didn’t see it coming? If this was a “chess match” as we kept hearing, you’ve been checkmated over and over by Sean Peyton and you still haven’t learned.

The fact that you “didn’t see that coming” tells us all we need to know about your coaching ability.

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Standek-Chandelier? Really….dat boy got injured everytime a stiff breeze blew thru the pocket. We need Bartkowski to throw down field. We need Alfred Jackson with hands, we need Billy White Shoes, we need Ryckman, we need John Zook and Claude Humphrey…we need football players that “get after it”.

Game Reviewer-I agree with #5….product of the soft zone. Won’t work unless you rush Brees. Even when we were collapsing the pocket we just danced and let him squirt out.

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Dis A Pointed-check your schedule….. we have Tampa Bay next week

Tell it like it is, get hooked on Phonix, it’s Graham.

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Obviously with over 5000 yards passing and breaking Marino’s record stopping this ole boy Brees is pretty damn good…yet our stupid fans want to blame it on the defensive coordinator…our front 4 outside of Abraham is pitiful.

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Tll it like it is……….i’m not sure it should actually be called an upset when bucs beat the falcons. We just played worst teams to get more wins than the bucs.

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Reality….the Falcons have second teir players at defensive end, second teir coaching and a second teir QB. No break threat at RB. Saints are far superior in every area.
I have said it before, the Birds will never win a Super with Ryan at QB and Mullarkey and Van Gorder on the sidelines.
If they play the Saints ten times, Saints win 9.

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I agree with some of fans that the OC and DC is part of the problems. But I have had enough of this organization believing that Abraham is a top pass rusher, against weak teams he wreaks havoc, but verses team with winning records he disappears.He should have sold popcorn last night. Everyone pretty much said what a waste of millons of dollars that Dunta Robinson and Edwards is. Enough of slow methodical Turner, I have really had enough of him, Snelling runs so much harder than he does. I know the Oline is not perfect but big time runningbacks can make plays sometimes when the hole is not there. Please cut Turner loose and get a group of explosive backs(see the Saints,Packers,Steelers,etc)

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Even I am shocked. Didn’t knew ATL was this bad of a team!!! Still fear playing you people in playoffs than Detroit!!

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Well now…last Monday night game of the season…you gotta know that a bunch of folks were watching cause no f’ball on Sunday and the f’ball purists were itching for a game…and what did they get…certainly not a football game!! What they really got was a good ole behind the barn butt kicking. The defensive coordinator (if you want to call him that) should be packing his bags to catch the first thing smokin’ (out of town of course); the one stat I have been grieving over since the start of the season: The birds are dead last in the entire NFL for stoping 3rd down plays of 10 or more yards…pitiful, pitiful…AND no signs of a pass rush…makes you want to puke! The linebackers are a 100% worthless…also got to be last in the NFL or close to last for QB hurries, knockdowns and sacks. I guess you get the point…the DC has had no clue all season of the talent he has and how to use the talent to stop opponents. I’ll save my best comments for the OC for another time…like later today…too emotional right now to give my 3 cents worth concerning the OC…yea, pack your bags too!!!

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The Falcons have got to get a pass rush to compete against the elite quarterbacks. They obviously can’t get it with just the line. Did Ray Edwards play last night? Don’t recall hearing his name caleed even once. They need to have a lot of different blitz packages so that they can be well disguised. On almost all of those 3rd and longs, the Falcons rushed only three or four giving Brees time to make something happen. Leaving one more guy back in coverage didn’t do squat. Yes, Brees is elusive and accurate, but he is not tough. When he always knows exactly where the pressure is going to come from, it is too easy.

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Buffy– Sorry about the spelling,but you get the picture!

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SeenThisB4…YOU ARE HILARIOUS DUDE!

YOU TRIED TO WARN THESE CLOWNS,,ESPECIALLY (MICHAEL M, MONDAYMORNING(still looking for your next nursery rhyme lol,#1FALCOFAN) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA..THATS WHAT YALL GET MAKING THEM WACK @$$ PREDICTIONS…
So Michael M~~ You seem to love to make predictions about the Saints, why dont you tell me what were gonna do in the playoffs?????????

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MONDAY MORNING QB IS A COMPLETE MORON……

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FALCONS WILL LOSE TO THE GIANTS OR DALLAS 48-21..

ANOTHER BLOWOUT LOSS COMING..

COACH SMITH=NORV TURNER….

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Forget last night, when Falcons travel to N.O. for the playoffs bring your lombardi trophy LOL

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MR BLANK, YOUR ARE THE “WEAKEST LINK”!

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It’s a darn shame the team wasted all of those draft picks to get Julio Jones. Wide receivers only touch the ball 10 times or less a game. They can’t win games, but they can sure lose them. That move was almost as stupid as when Ditka gave away the farm to draft Ricky Williams.

The Falcon defense is old and slow. They don’t have anyone that can get to the QB. Abraham is almost as old as Abraham, and just needs to retire. There isn’t a player on this defense that can make an open field tackle. They all play like they are afraid to put a hit on someone, wrap him up, and take him down.

You better hope that Dimitrov focuses on defense this draft. He also needs to get a running back and tight end. Michael Turner is old and slow, and can’t hit the open lanes anymore. Tony Gonzalez is probably going to retire in a season or two.

Good luck. If they get lucky in the draft and FA, they may be able to take the next step.

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Regardless of what happened last night, there are still games to be played. Aint gonna be no fergettin…..and there’ll be no quiting with this Falcon team. Wait till the final curtain call. You may get suprised. FALCONS FOR EVER…………GO BIRDS.

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hello…denial ain’t just a river in Egypt. Wake up, you pathetic cracker.

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We cannot afford to give good qb’s all day to throw the ball. Our defensive line is a joke, a bad one. with the money that has been spent there you would think that we would be much better. Bad drafts bad free agent pick ups, shame on us. Our evaluation of talent is very suspect. Abraham is the only legitimate player on the defensive line, and he is undersized. I think that TD is not as good as he thinks he is. We are not an elite team and are quite a few pieces short of being one, with little or no options left in the draft due to our panicing to get Julio.

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Falcons could not beat LSU right now!!!!

HaHaHaHa….#HoneyBadgerTime!

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It is simple. NO is better than ATL. We are in the playoffs for the second year in a row. If we play our best and have some luck, we can win a game in the playoffs, but that is who we are. We HAVE to draft defense if we expect to compete for the Super Bowl in the upcoming years.

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Hey Whodat…….the Saints won, we get it, but what you are doing is exactly why us Falcons fans dont like about you Saints fans. On the field the Saints are the better team………..But, any given Sunday is all it takes. And you should know this because of what happen to your team last year in the playoffs.

Not trying to down your team, just saying you won, relax and enjoy.

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Hey Smitty, I know you had some chest discomfort but now you got to deal with stomach and butt problems because after that crap last night my stomach would be in knots and coming out both ends.Tell Van Gorder to re apply to South Carolina and lets get a real Def Cord!

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^^^^ In that case just throw in the towel…

Saints win by default in two weeks! cause the other team will quit!!!!!!!!

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I would have fired Coach Smith last freaking night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Falcons has to look at their defense. The defense put forth the effort, but did not come to play. All the Saints and Brees did was showed how vulnerable the Falcons defense is. When your defense put an offense in third and long, somebody has to step up and make a play. Whether it is the pass rush or the secondary. I am wondering do the Falcons have any playmaker on defense. Do they have a game changer? The offense has not played with consistency all season. There are playmaker and game changers on offense, but Ryan has to orchestrate the offense like Brees, Roders, Braddy, and P. Manning does with their offense. If you want to be talk about in the league as an elite team, you have to play like one. Right now the Falcons has some more growing to do.

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Dr. Warren is correct. Brees on our side and we win. Ryan is a good quarterback but he’s not like Rogers and Brees. They almost always hit their receivers on the dead run. Ryan had actually been doing that a little better in recent weeks and was getting some short one taken to the house. However, last night he was causing receivers to reach for over thorwn balls leaving them open to some vicious hits.

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I will say this again, Ryan with Sean Peyton, Super Bowl. Brees with Falcons, playoffs. You better get this through your heads, Sean Peyton is the reason for Brees and the Saints success. Our lame OC only understands the way the game was played 25 years ago.

Brees was with the Chargers eight years ago, getting ready to be replaced by a draft pick named Phillip Rivers. Remember that?
In Brees 4th year in the league
65% completion rate 27 TD’s 7 INT 3,159 yards
Ryan’s 4th year in the league through 15 games
62% completion rate 27 TD’s 12 INT 4,069 yards

Even in Brees 5th year (Chargers) he had:
64% completion rate 24 TD 15 INT 3,576 yards. Not even close to what Ryan has in his 4th year.

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This answers ALL the ‘WHO IS ELITE’ questions!!

1 Drew Brees, QB 622 440 70.7 5,087
2 Tom Brady, QB 576 378 65.6 4,897
3 Aaron Rodgers, QB 502 343 68.3 4,643
4 Eli Manning, QB 556 335 60.3 4,587
5 Matthew Stafford, QB 604 385 63.7 4,518
6 Philip Rivers, QB 556 347 62.4 4,314
7 Matt Ryan, QB 557 341 61.2 4,071
8 Tony Romo, QB 485 317 65.4 3,895
9 Cam Newton, QB 492 295 60 3,893
10 Ben Roethlisberger, QB 473 301 63.6 3,856

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The best call of the night. Official: There is no holding call because they were going to throw a screen pass and the lineman was shucking the defender.” WHAT? Brees ran for 9 yards. This morning on ESPN they were mentioning the officiating and the blunders to include the NON call on the spearing on Kelly, the NON Call for offsides on the defense, the Should have been safety above. Not using excuses, but they did change the complection of the game at the beginning. They should be called into the league office and be asked to explain the holding call. So now the refs anticipate what play is being run? Boy, let’s start calling every play we run a screen so we can hold.

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Ryan-keeper (bashers need to acknowledge his value to the equation)

Turner-keeper (don’t unbderstand the bashers, we don’t need a long threat, Turner gets extra yards typically if the hole is there. Last night our O Line didn’t open the holes as they have in other games)

Gonzales-keeper (good as gold)

O-Line: Help wanted ad
D-Line: Help wanted ad
D Backs: Help wanted ad
WRs: hand transplants for all

Coaches: Light some guys up, call them out, tell them to play football or retire on their 10 acre farm and dreamhouse next year to wonder what could have been.

Look, in the NFL any player is an exceptional talet just to be on the roster. What seperates the NFL players froom the greats and the great teams is heart, determination, fire, guts, teamwork, playcalling, and making big plays.

This team lacks lacks these things at the current time.

I suspect we will pull one out against Tampa Bay in the 4th quarter, and gat hammered in the Wild Card game.

It’s going to be a long Spring and Summer in Falcon Nation.

Mr. Blank, it might be time for you to light a fire under Mr. Smith, or consider tweeking your investment.

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ijonathan You are probably right. I was at a party and got to see the second half. About the time I came in the room, I saw a couple of throws that led his receivers into some vicious hits. It’s probably correct as well that if Ryan was playing in NO’s offense he might be putting up Brees like numbers.

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Next years Falcon Cuts(should be)
Baker
Peterson
DeCoud
Abraham
Robinson
Edwards
Jerry
Owens
Weems

Keep as backups

Turner
Spvek (sp?)

Just start over with 2nd stringers on the line, can’t be much worse. take the Salary cap hit and move on

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If you don’t like the bleeding – Stop It!

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We may be “loaded offensively” in every area ecept offensiive line play. OL is outplayed by each high achieving team we have played. Defense stinks also!

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Mr blank-Please do not renew some of these players contracts! give them thier out right release,and please get a coach that has the balls to say something to a player when he doesn’t perform.

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Amen to Tell It Like It Is!

Mike Smith, get in some faces or get out the release forms.

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Thanks FalconFan. To me, that’s even worse. Green Bay will pull starters with nothing to play for and basically hand Detroit a win.

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Michael Turners time in the ATL should be up!

He used to run hard.
He used to run threw arm tackles.
He used to hit the holes hard.

All he does now is tip-toe to the line, looking for a cutback…
when he get’s hit by an arm, he’s going to the ground.
I saw him 4 or 5 times last night, tip-toe cutback barely get hit by a DB and go down.

If you don’t run HARD and with a purpose, get out of the way.
TIME TO GO MIKE. Sorry, but you got nobody to blame but yourself.

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Buffy we will play either SF, NO, NYG, or DAL in the wildcard game. I prefer SF or NYG.

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O.K. ……. U might have a good point about the ‘Burner.’

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Neither one of our “Warm n Friendly” football teams can do well in the “Outdoor” climate of the Packers Stadium unless its a balmy 75 degrees and afraid it aint happening folks so stop all the fussing and ragging we on both teams know we have two chances up there in the cold , ” Slim and None” !

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O.K. …….. Enough w/ the ‘Mike Smith needs to Go’ talk !!! Who else is out there that’s better ?!?!?

Bill Cowher (would you leave that job ?!?!?!?) ….. College Coach (Saban or Miles ???? C’Mon Man !!!!

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Payton > Smith
Brees > Ryan
Abraham = Mediocre
Edwards < Mediocre
Baker = Bust
Robinson = Clueless
It will be more of the same in the
playoffs when we play the Saints.
The Falcons are unable to beat
top tier teams.

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The NFL needs to take a close, hard look at the officiating in this game. There may be some criminal activity behind the the calls, or lack thereof. How else do you explain the personal foul against Atlanta for hitting a defenseless player (note player saw the defender coming), and then not call the hit in the back on Peele when he was actually injured on the play?
Heck, if it’s called one way, it needs to be called the other way too. Otherwise, the likely result will be outcries of unfair officiating. This calls the integrity of the game into question.

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ijonathan….or I J Rosenberg if you reveal for real……my bad on the wild card matchup. Your point Mr. Enlightenment? We cannot beat NO, SF, NYG or the Pee Wee Falcons at Chastain park with this OL and DL. Got it pal?

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Both teams better go, ” Go South”, or be humiliated by Green Bay up in the nasty ” Packer Country Cold”…………..we are fair -weather fans and so are Saints too and both teams are fair weather teams as well……….get into a game with the temp in the 30’s and wind-chill of about 14 or less we would see both teams fold up like an old army cot …well used and abused !……………………. lmao

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Mike Smith “Didn’t see it coming”…….He should have. The Saints were punishing the Falcons in the 1st game they were up 10 points with 7 minutes to go in the game….that game should have never come to his bone headed decision to go for it. on 4th and 1. In the game last year in the Dome it took the Saints to miss a chip shot field goal for the Falcons to win. Saints have had a chance to win all of these games….the Falcons haven’t had the same luxury. I like my chances about playing the Falcons in the playoffs. Please come to the Dome for another beating….it will be like a Saints bye week.

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Coach Smith= Norv Turner, Bobby Cox..They never see it coming….LMFAO

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Agreed ATL Fan

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I dunno……….Falcons might take your Saints team out in a 2rd party at New Orleans……………………..guess we will get to find out shortly…………………………..I hope we do get another crack at the Saints..lets get it on !

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Preston Thompson

December 27th, 2011
2:03 pm

Somebody said something about flag football. Last night one of the anouncers said on one of the saints touchdowns, ” the way he wiffed at the runner he wouldn’t have come close in flag football”. Yep everbody saw it, except Mike, the players coach.

Yes, one of our overpaid DBs who did not want to risk getting a headache by making a tackle. This should be embarrassing to the DB, the DC, and the team. A total dive. This is football man!

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CGD..my man……..you having you a party today too huh ?……..aww..it don’t bother me we got our tails kicked last night.all the hooplah the week long was all bout the Saints and Dree Sleeze breaking that record………………………So its a new day now and time to move on.

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Ryan is a good stat-stuffer. Most any QB in the league will have comfortable numbers if your repetoire is filled with passes under 20 yards. Not trying to dump on Matt, because it’s not all on him. We can win a championship with him, but not because of him.

I like Smitty, but every game is not about Xs and Os. He needs to do a better job coaching his coaches. If the coordinators have reached their ceiling, maybe its time for them to move on.

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Mike Smith is a great guy and easy to like and respect. Unfortunately he doesn’t have competent talent evaluation to bring in the right players.
The really sad part is that it’s probably going to take another couple of years before the organization realizes this and makes real changes.
Sorry Mike but you have more mediocrity to look forward to in the future.

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@LKW4…….yeahhhh……I have to favor the Packers too up there in the freezing cold that will be in place in a week or two up there. Saints aint going to do nothing with them up there, Atlanta would have a better chance but doubt them too.

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1game@atime-

So you think the birds will fare better in the Meadowlands against the Giants? They will get eaten alive. Its the Super dome noise with 25 degree temps. They’ll get hammered.

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C’Mon ……. I have absolutely no ammunition to fight U on this one ……. I yield. I’m just hoping for a miracle.

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Coach Peyton is a nice Guy? And? Yawn….

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I’m a long time falcon fan i honestly have been saying all year long that this team is Very overrated mainly because of a Overrated QB and Coach. I can only think of two SuperBowl caliber teams they have beaten since the two have been here and thats NO and Baltmore. I wouldn’t count the Packers win at the beginning of last season because no one expected them to be as good. They came together as a team last year. I really think a lot of TD’s would have been made and more passes if Matty would do as most QB’s do and look the Safties off before passing the ball. He completely stare his receiver down the entire time and he continues to throw the ball too late. The ball should be there as soon as the receiver turns around.

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Saints have done all there going to do this year and so have the Falcons we both going to lose out in the playoffs and with that I shall see you all

later taters

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There is something supernaturally going on here in Atlanta?

When your football franchise continues to fail for the past almost 50 years the way they do its beyond this realm..Which only makes up 4% of the known universe..Whats up with the other 96%?

Bring in a Priest or something…Cause its surreal……………..

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I do not see us getting better under these clowns. MM and BVG needs to go. If Smith does not want to fire them, fire him

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RUNNING GAME: Our running game was doomed when Ovie took a hit to his knee. Micheal Turner still isn’t well because he has a groin injury. There you have it. N.O. offensive line outweighs the whole Atlanta defensive line. If Atlanta cannot come up with the right formula for this equation, then we will not become successful at beating N.O. or any other above 500 team that we’ll face in the playoffs.

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@Michael

Stop making excuses for this sorry team dude..they are just not good at all. Cant win the games that matter so Im done!
And because of your trash talk and bs predictions all week, these trolls will never go away!

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I THINK SMITH, BRAIN VON GOAT AND BULL CRAP MULELARKEY ALONG WITH THE WHOLE FALCON TEAM, SHOULD BE ON THE SAME BUS OUT OF ATLANTA.

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Amen Preston Thompson. On all points. The voo doo hair doos are getting old. Thought they would run their course by now. Looks silly and certainly does not make one look like a football player.

And yes, no excuse for the play call leaving Rogers to plock Graham. Silly.

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Drew Brees made us look like we were playing high school football #smdh

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Ryan will make an excellent OC with a clip board!

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I have come to the very painful realization that this team does not have what it takes. As much as I hate to admit this. The Saints have proven time and time again that they are the better team,,Any fans out there that think otherwise is delusional!

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@CGD

Brees is a better qb dude, I will give you guys that..Falcons are pathetic man. I was expecting them to come down there and handle business. you would think that they wouldve played with a little bit of a chip on there shoulders, but not at all…

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ate^^^^

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By the time Brees is on his decline,
Cam Newton will be a veteran. I
fear the Panthers will pick up where
the Saints have “left off”, and Newton
will replace Brees as a top tier QB.
Looks like it might be “more of the same”
for Falcons fans.

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I would target Vice President of Operations for these melt downs…He is the main reason why the Falcons have not won a playoff game in almost 8 years now…. Arthur has spent a ton of money to get marginal results……Somebody is in the way for this team going all the way…..

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its time for some people to back and get out of town man beginnign with the oc and dc! come on man i saw a play where grimes was covering jimmy graham!? how in the hell jimmy its gonna be cover against a midget, way too many mental mistakes way too many penalties,bad decision the first series was good it didint look mm was running it then the same old story! bored and bad execution this has to be the worst game i watch since ms come to atl, and the statment come on its the sames one over and over its time to step up tell the truhth the coordinators have to go after this season i bet any good coaching staff can make the falcons a championship team

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Mckay and Dimitroff should be read the riot act… They appear to be failing miserably……….

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our team is a joke man we are lightyears away from an elite team! just look the saints brees had all day long i think he even light up a joint, if we where playing with 15 on defense it would be the same story, way too many failed tackles and sacks against brees no pressure no nothing it was pathetic

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ijonathan …… I can read your posts all day. Hilarious !!!

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OK, IJ, like go deep on that Braves Miracle Season book deal. Give me a break kid.

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Thanks for 1 cent IJ…Yawn….

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It seems to me when Smith & GM came to Atl their statements where we are going to build inside out. Yet we spend most of our $ and efforts on skill positions. I love Julio but those draft choises would have been better spent on DL & OL.

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Buffy

December 27th, 2011
3:03 pm

“Like blog babysitting is consequential…come on man…time to break for your water aerobics class at Zaban IJ!”

That’s classic Chit!!!!!! lmfao!

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I guess I have my fans No accounting for taste, Ms. Vampire Slayer.

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ijonathan . . . .did you say Glen Dorsey:) Do you recall that argument when Ryan was drafted. I live in SE Florida now, and I’ve said it before and will say it again . . …the fans down here . . .a vast majority wish the Dolphins had selected Ryan. I know he has many Falcon fan detractors, but down in Dade/Broward/Palm Beach counties – Sports radio hosts and callers say that was a major blunder as they need a QB and they really like what they see in Ryan. Now, Jake Long is an All Pro and they really like him . . ..but they now look at that draft as a missed opportunity to get a very good QB.

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I.m in Vegas playing the house guyssssssssssss ! I told you all if you paid us the bigger pot we would steer the game in your direction but as you see we officials favored the Saints baby !

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ORR…Of course I recall that argument I was just engaging in some playfull blog banter with the master of the 3 yard blog dumpoff, CGD, who was with a wave of his hand, dismissing the entire drafting/signing strategy of the Falcons by saying they should concentrate on the lines. While I agree with that sentiment to some extent, Glenn Dorsey vs. Ryan is a perfect example of when you shouldn’t follow that approach. And, oh, TD did try to address the line that year as well, problem was, he selected alligator arms.

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When you want the Win just payoff the house girls. The chips are flying in Vegas ladies !

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Not going to support this franchise anymore. Tired of the ineptitude, stupidity and humiliation. Frankly just tired of the whole thing. If the players don’t care, I don’t either. I really don’t have another 40 years to give anyway. Life will be better without this aggravation.

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ijonathan . . .yeah I hear you. Dolphins did it the opposite way. Addressed the line with #1 pick and thought they could address QB later. Chad Henne was the pick, and the fans down here don’t have much hope there . . .but the guy still has potential. The Phin fans are disgusted as they have not got what they deem a good QB since Marino. Jay Fieldler was tough and serviceable, but he definitely had a lower ceiling.

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We gave up 2 drafts for a wideout who can’t catch, a midget running back and a PUNTER??? Stupid is as stupid does

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Yes, when the payoff is greater we usually make sure we throw special penalties on plays to the Team we signed the under the table contract to make sure they come up big with the win. You see that falcon go down from the hit and the back and we just turn our heads the other way !

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CDG-we sniffed him out. Thanks for the assist. Boy never played a down of football growing up. He was a soccer boy. Has no idea about putting on the pads and playing smash mouth football. Just pulls from that BS in language arts to throw euphemisms and rhetoric along with his handy dandy stats file. Ever “tasted” a stinger IJ……I think not.

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I am buying a new house out of my payoff cut !

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Been 3 drafts since Ryan was selected. Plenty of time to build O&D lines. Clueless, pointless and hopeless

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AH a soccer boy.. How cute???????? LMFAO!

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Not many things more amusing than a couple of anonymous morons on a sports blog giving each other a virtual high-five. Keep it up chums, it is quite entertaining.

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tmc . . .you gotta remember too that the Falcons got two scores to come back late in the last game. I know this is a different game, but D was a little better in the 3rd . . . .and the FG he took then made it a 2 TD game (15 points). Again, I would have liked them to try and get TD, but I understand where Smith was coming from. It is definitely conservative, but what if by some act of nature they did come back and lost by 1, 2, or 3 points because they did not go for a FG. Aaaaah . .I know. . it’s all hypothetical hogwash:)

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Once Recent Reader-
it is excuses. it is a numbers decision.
BUT, in that game last night and in the 2nd half down 15 or 22…
EVERYONE in the building and watching on tv knew a field goal meant nothing.

by kicking, Smitty was giving in. Instead of saying to his team “play to win”.

You agreed with them kicking the FG’s in the 2nd half?
If not, than stop with the comments to me about it.
Numbers mean sh#t when your trailing against NO, GB or NE’s offenses.

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tmc . . .do you think I’m ridiculing your comments on going for FGs? Not my intention. Just saying there was a logic to it that’s all. Damn, I’d like TDs as much as the rest of us. But what’s the track record this year on going for it on 4th down in these tougher games.

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“Sticking with a (to me) obviously washed up Turner”………………..really IJ? His 36 inch thighs are machines. Mr. stat boy….what is the Falcons winning percentage when the OLine does their JOB and Michael rushes for 100 yards or more……………………..tic toc……………….tic toc……..tic toc………..yes, you are correct 100%. As noted by the pregame crew at ESPN. It’s not Turner IJ, it’s the O line not doing their job. You’re telling me you have not seen Turner pull extra yards out of every legitimate hole presented this season? Come on man…stick to baseball. I think a post career, “What Ever Happened To John Rocker” expose on John Rocker would be right up your expertise alley.

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Yada, yada, yada. It all gets so d.amn old.

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Touche CGD…………….tic toc…tic toc……….NEVER. He turned in his notepad in 1998 to go to Bear Sterans to invest all of that Braves cash the players had parked in their checking accounts……….guess that didn’t work out IJ, now did it. So it’s back to sports blogging with Master IJ stockbroker.

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I think the Falcons are like UGA this season…not great, but a favorable schedule. Who have they upset? To whom have they lost when they were favored? They can be really good if they’ll outsource their draft to someone who knows something about defense.

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Buffy, go ahead and take a poll about whether Turner is still the “Burner” and takes advantage of what is available, like he used to. Oh, and the Falcons are 4-1 when Turner runs for 100 yds this year, not “100%”. And if he’s only done it 5 times in 15 games, it starts to become a meaningless stat.

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“Buffy

December 27th, 2011
3:30 pm

Touche CGD…………….tic toc…tic toc……….NEVER. He turned in his notepad in 1998 to go to Bear Sterans to invest all of that Braves cash the players had parked in their checking accounts……….guess that didn’t work out IJ, now did it. So it’s back to sports blogging with Master IJ stockbroker.”

Dayum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Mr. Blank get his wallet in gear we will take the Falcons to the Promise land , I assure you of it !

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Fellow Dirty Bird fans…This is my first post after reading your comments the past few years and being in total agreement with the vast majority certainly. I wanted to speak up here after having our City embarrased again Worldwide last night (MNF is Global)…

The past 4 decades have been painful to the true Fans for sure, but, our beloved teams always took it to the Saints atleast win or lose (mostly won it before this SOFT regime strolled in)

The fact is our current Falcons have some talent where it counts but have NO heart, professional pride, leadership, effective schemes, nor most of all accountability to the City of Atlanta! The other NFL teams most of you consider elite are polar opposite in every aforementioned catagory than todays Falcons especailly being accountable to thier Fans FIRST.

The Atlanta fans need to Rise-Up and demand more from the team by allowing our actions to say “enough with this”. Money along with your voices is power and this team has not earned our hard earned dollars in my humble view! Would you pay an employee that is good 50% of the time and barely earns their statistical bonus year over year just to take more from your pot to feather thier own nest at home while saying to hell with the Company… Likely not, so why then should we pay for mediocrity from our beloved Franchise when the Leaders clearly failing regardless of barely making positive stats (ask the players their true thoughts when you see them out in our City). We have one of the most orginized Fan bases I have seen in the NFL (CNN is in our own house). We should demand CHANGE NOW on every Radio Station, TV, Billboard, Sponsorship across the City and at the Dome(Boycott and/or Black it out until they CHANGE) OR suffer quietly the next 10 years and allow the next generation to Stand-Up for the City of Atlanta… It’s up to us to make a statement like the “so called” elites fans do every year. We should BOOOOO Smith and his staff off the field everytime you see them and see what happens from there… A. Blank loves Money make no mistake about it…Pride for the city first will be an after thought until we Stand-Up collectively and take back our team(look back at the sAints Rise and see where it actually started)

Remember we were here before any of this SOFT regime strolled into our City for thier 15 mins. of Falcon fame, looking only to go elsewhere and Win whatever it takes;and we will be here when their are ALL gone to start over with the broken pieces AGAIN! Some will say that we are not grateful and look at the other losers in the NFL, but, 45 Years is enough time with nothing to show for it (Goose Eggs 0 for 45 and counting in SBs is all that matters in the NFL) plus GB would never compare themselves to the Cleveland Browns or any other team in the bottom 60%, why should we proud Atlanta fans do so and be thankful for the crumbs from Blanks table. IN MY VIEW A. BLANK NEEDS TO IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS NOW WHATEVER IT TAKES LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS HE HAS RUN…OR MOVE ON TO HIS NEXT PROJECT…

WIN OR GO HOME STARTS WITH THE FANS STANDING-UP A MAKING OUR IMPRESSION FELT EVERYDAY…

GradyBaby…

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Rosenberg had a fast start in journalism. As a student at the University of Alabama, he persuaded then-head coach Ray Perkins to let him join the Crimson Tide football team as a running back. He wrote a column about his experiences and parlayed the “Paper Tider” series into a sports writing job with the Atlanta newspaper. AKA George Plimpton.

Rosenberg covered Georgia Tech for a couple of years and won the Braves beat just after the team began dominating the National League. For the past two years, he has been the paper’s national baseball writer, working on the side for Sports Illustrated and in local TV and radio.

Rosenberg’s lack of direct experience made him an unusual hire.

“We typically hire people who are already established in the ind …

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Beofe last night’s game we had not beatena team with serious playoff credentials. It showed. When New Orleans but pressure on the Falcons, they did not respnd in a positive way. I am concerned about the play calling nad the way the defense can cover my to man. I also have concerns that even though we are throwing down field, we do not put the fear of God in any opposing defenses. We will ever be a 8-8 or 10-6 team that may or may not make the playoffs and them make no noise. I am not saying get rid of Matt Ryan or Mike Smith, but it may be time to change our approach and open up the offense and defense..

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No need for jealosy IJ, those twigs that fit nicely in your 32 X 32 dockers will do fine at the annual bloggers picnic and softball game.

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Very cute how CGD is looking for affirmation from noted Blog Heavyweight Jerrell.

Forget the poll about Turner, I thnk Buffy you’d probably prefer a poll about which male athlete has the sexiest, manliest legs…you know, the ones that just ooze manly strenffff.

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Go Hawks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Show us the moneyyyyyyyyyyyyy, yeah dats right !

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He who smelt it delt it…as they say IJ. Would love to arrange a stock prtfolio review for you and Turner the Burner so you can tell him how he is washed up before you recommend he invest his money in Sears and Citgo.

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Great question IJ? Well we all know that the Falcons season will be winding down very soon. So now its time for the over due basketball season to ramp up!!

Lets hope they can finally get to an ECF finals for the 1st time ever!

This team looks more talented than last year. The players appear to ready to get it going tonight against the New Jersey Nets!

T

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whatever crap you throw at Matt Ryan, 10 times that amount of crap can be thrown at Joe Johnson.

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I am a falcons fan love everything about them but people should keep this in mine there ain’t no such thing in running up the score there are something falcons fans are forgetting the falcons had 11 day to get ready for the saint but to blizted the guy only one time in a game is crazy if he is going to brake a passing record i would of blitzed him all night long he would of broke a record on his back falcons got to face it they are not a well coach football team they can’t cover man to man they don’t have a pass rush and they don’t run screen to slow down pressure on matty ice.

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