Atlanta Falcons: Birds Beat Cowboys, Stay Undefeated
Falcons Beat Dallas, Stay Perfect
Turner Comes Through (AJC)
It wasn’t beautiful or awe-inspiring, but the Atlanta Falcons did what they had to do when it counted most to beat the desperate Dallas Cowboys to stay undefeated. The defense played a great game, the offense played good but fell short in the red zone, and even normally perfect Matt Bryant missed two field goals. Even though the media-elite talking heads will claim the Falcons still haven’t proven anything due to their style of play, the fact remains that the Birds are the only undefeated team in the NFL for a reason, despite their refusal to acknowledge the team’s quality. A look at another big win on another big stage……
Just Keep Winning
Evidently the media-elite-ditto-talking-heads are trying to incorporate style points into the NFL, at least where the Falcons are concerned. It’s not good enough to win the games anymore, but rather they must utterly dominate by at least 50 points and if it doesn’t hit that margin, than they’re frauds or they haven’t won a playoff game, or the teams a legit opponent only until they lose to the Falcons. All the Falcons have to do is keep winning any way they can. They always haven’t been the prettiest and the Birds all know that the streak will likely come to an end at some point because as many of them have said, winning in the playoffs means more than being undefeated. Thank goodness, the NFL is all about results and doesn’t rely on computers to determine rank and championships like the BCS. Just keep winning.
Good Offense, but Red Zone Woes an Issue
Good Stat Night for Ryan (AJC)
The Falcons racked up some pretty impressive numbers against one of the NFL’s best defenses on Sunday Night. Even though Matt Ryan didn’t toss a touchdown, he did complete 70% of his passes for 342 yards. Michael Turner ran for over 100 yards, and both Roddy White and Julio Jones hauled in over 100 yards a piece. The offensive line wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t great either, but the biggest issue was the red zone woes that cropped up against the Cowboys. Be it play-calling, execution, or whatever the reason, the Falcons had to kick 5 field goals (missing 2) and could only muster one touchdown. Give credit where it’s due that the Birds scored a TD when it counted most, but that won’t always be quite good enough when facing some of the best offensive teams and must keep up with touchdowns instead of field goals.
Roddy White: Atlanta Falcons All-Time Leading Receiver
He’s had 5 years of over 1,000 yard receiving, been to 4 Pro Bowls, and now just . eclipsed one of the most impressive marks in Atlanta Falcons franchise history: he is in sole possession of the Falcons all-time leading receiver. He may not have stormed out of the gates as a rookie, has had his share of off-the-field stuff, but no one epitomizes the Atlanta Falcons more than Roddy White. He just became the Falcons all-time leading receiver and he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank. A huge congratulations to Mr. Roddy White and signing his invitation to the Falcons Ring of Honor in the future.
Slow Start
Smitty with Another Big Win (AJC)
Although many fans were hoping for the fast start the Falcons showed in Philadelphia, they quickly realized it would be a different game entirely in the first few minutes. The Falcons got the ball first and had one of the worst three and outs in recent memory. A fairly predictable run up the middle, an extremely weak screen / flare pass to lumbering Lousaka Polite, and a 3rd and long that came up short. The first series was a whopping 3 plays and 1 yard. The special teams had an uncharacteristic breakdown and the Cowboys returned it to the the Falcons red zone. Thankfully, the defense bowed their necks and made a huge early stop. The offense got a little more on track soon thereafter, but finished an 8 play, 61 yard drive with a missed field goal. Of course the Birds got it together, but the game surely got off to a slow start on offense.
Quizz the Man
His stats were miniscule and was not a factor at all in the run game, but Jacquizz Rodgers made two of the biggest plays of the game. Needing a 3rd down conversion with the Cowboys desperate to get the ball back, Quizz fielded a pass well short of the first down marker, but broke a tackle and rumbled for another 20 yards or so. Another 3rd down conversion had a similar setup later in the game and Rodgers basically broke a Cowboys defender’s ankles with an amazing juke move to get another first down. After a big week in Philadelphia in gaining over 100 all-purpose yards, his totals and targets were down against the Cowboys but he made two of the biggest plays of the entire night en route to victory.
Mike Nolan the Master
MPete Saved on Special Teams (AJC)
He lost Brent Grimes in the season opener, lost Sean Weatherspoon late vs. the Eagles, and lost Peria Jerry early in the game vs. the Cowboys. Mike Nolan may not have the top ranked defense in terms of statistics, but he’s doing a superb job of limiting some of the best offenses in the NFL on a weekly basis. He forced Peyton Manning to throw interceptions in one half, dominated Phillip Rivers and Michael Vick, held super-talented Robert Griffin III in check, and held the talented Cowboys offense without a touchdown until just over 5 minutes in the game. He was without the leader, and arguably the Falcons best defender in Sean Weatherspoon, and figured out a way to keep the Cowboys in check.
Matt’s Misses
The normally perfect Matt Bryant definitely had an off-night on Sunday evening. Bryant has been automatic this season, kicking several game-winning or game-securing field goals. Bryant missed not one, but two field goals in a game that turned out to be a field goal battle. Probably nothing to get worried about and hopefully it was just a bad night for Bryant’s usually automatic field goal kicks. Of course when the Falcons needed it most, Bryant delivered in with the last field goal that would force the Cowboys to score a touchdown with no timeouts instead of a field goal.
Dent Improving
He won’t be confused with the absent Sean Weatherspoon anytime soon, but Akeem Dent turned in a really good game against the explosive Cowboys and gives fans hope that he may very well have the ability to be in the Falcons long-term plans. He struggled pretty mightily in the first few appearances, especially the Oakland game, but did a little better vs. Philadelphia and showed real signs of comfort against the Cowboys. He took over the captain helmet with Weatherspoon being out did a pretty darn good job. He certainly has areas to improve, but overall he showed a great sense of promise at linebacker that some fans had started to fret over.
Spotty OL Play
Rare Misses from Bryant (AJC)
It wasn’t the worst performance, but it surely was nowhere near the best play from the offensive line against the Cowboys. They were matched up against one of the best and most dominant pass rushers in the NFL in Demarcus Ware, but had some issues from time to time. Some of it may have been play-calling for the screen didn’t seem to be used against the aggressive Cowboys the way it was against the Eagles. Peter Konz is settling in at right guard, but Tyson Clabo is still having issues at right tackle. Again, it was far from their worst, but they need to clean up things this week for sure.
Home Field Advantage?
The fans have turned in some rocking times at the Georgia Dome this season and Matt Ryan’s home record of 30-4 is on the way to becoming one of the best in NFL history, but for whatever reason, the Falcons have played some of their best games on the road this season. To be fair, they’ve obviously won ALL the games they’ve played, but some of their best games (Kansas City, San Diego, Philadelphia) have come on the road. And some of their closest calls have come at home (Carolina, Oakland, Dallas). The Falcons did win one of their biggest games at home on Monday Night Football against Peyton Manning and the Broncos and the level of opponent has surely had something to do with it. But two of their worst performances came against teams with some of the worst records when they played them in Carolina (1-2) and Oakland (1-4) at home. The Cowboys game was a huge win on Sunday Night Football, especially from the defense, but wasn’t one of their best overall games.
Media-Elite-Talking-Heads Disrespect as Motivation
Numbers Over Opinions (AJC)
Instead of talking about the undefeated Falcons, most NFL opinions are centering on where the first loss will come from. Or they mention how the Falcons haven’t won a playoff game yet. Guessing the NFL changed some rules in the off-season to allow for playoff games in November. Another said that Falcons fans crave respect. Correction: we don’t “crave respect,” but simply want them to objective and impartial towards all teams, not just the drama-filled favorites. Otherwise, just stop pretending that being balanced is a part of your business model. On NFL Network soon after the game there was an actual question whether the Falcons being undefeated or the Cowboys collapse was a bigger story. It’s curious to fans whether the players and team are noticing it and it appears they are. Tony Gonzalez mentioned how he was sure it would be about the Cowboys losing instead of the Falcons winning (correct) and Roddy White echoed something similar in an interview by former Falcon Alge Crumpler. The players are saying all the right things and that’s a testament to Smith’s leadership of the team. Hopefully, the players are using the lack of respect as a fuel for motivation.
Bird Cage Voters Turn
1) Simple Quick Slant – what’s your overall thoughts on the victory over the Cowboys and the Falcons general state of affairs?
2) Thoughts on the offensive output vs. the Cowboys? Worried about the red zone woes?
3) Is Roddy White the Atlanta Falcons best all-time receiver? Destined for the Ring of Honor?
4) Do the Falcons have to start fast to play a great game? Your thoughts on the offensive play-calling vs. Dallas?
5) Is Jacquizz Rodgers purely a change of pace back or could he be something more?
6) How impressed are you with Mike Nolan’s work so far? Anything he can have the defense doing better?
7) Concerned about Matt Bryant’s two misses going forward?
8.) Have some of your concerns regarding Akeem Dent started alleviate?
9) Thoughts on how the OL played?
10) Are the Falcons playing better on the road this season?
11) How humorous is the media-elite’s obvious bias towards the Falcons?
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851 comments Add your comment
Birdman
November 7th, 2012
4:37 pm
D3 all is well !!
God Bless you Brother
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
6:14 pm
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/jason-whitlock-nfl-atlanta-falcons-matt-ryan-110612
Jason Whitlock = idiot. Clearly the man has no concept of a solid offensive line…the only set of positions he does not mention in this article while talking about the Falcons and Ryan.
Perhaps I was a bit harsh….no idiot deserves to be insulted so badly by being associated with Whitlock…
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
6:23 pm
Big Lou has it right, and I was complaining about Polite during and after the Dallas game.
Dude blew blocking assignments in addition to stalling a drive with the dropped pass.
Do we miss Mughelli? Yeah, a way better blocker than Polite and fairly well solid on catching passes (but limited there as well). We don’t miss him at $4 mil for a year, though. Besides, FB won’t fix what’s wrong with the OL, especially when that position isn’t used as much anymore.
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
6:25 pm
Ready for the Saints. This will not be an easy game, those guys (particularly Brees) will never quit like Philly did. They do think they can get back into the playoffs and so do all the talking heads.
Let’s put a dent in those plans…
Big Lou
November 7th, 2012
7:05 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5jtR8nFuug
Cool video special on Matt Ryan when we were 4-0. Quality is a bit choppy, but it was pretty good.
Paddy O
November 7th, 2012
7:56 pm
I’m hoping we bury a few opponents just for GP. I read whitlocks article – that guy has tunnel vision – or, does not watch the Falcons every week. I thought and still do that letting Ovie go over his contract burden a good idea. I thought Cox did a nice job last year. STill assert Snelling would be serviceable as a FB – and, he can catch. I’d really like to knock Brees out of the game with some nice shots – and, I like Brees – a lot better before his Saints hitch. If we can get good pressure – and see some more of that Peyton Manning type D, we should man handle the Saints fairly well. I’d really hate to lose to them.
Paddy O
November 7th, 2012
7:58 pm
anybody watch NFL network’s “fantasy football” segments? If so, I can’t figure out why Jamie Maggio is so good looking. Any here explain it?
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
9:01 pm
Paddy O ,
Agreed on all accounts.
I actually understand Whitlock for what he is…he makes his bread off of being controversial…that’s his style. If he’s not being controversial, nobody is paying attention to him. Media types…they must have all been the runt fo the litter or something…
JB Falcon
November 7th, 2012
9:11 pm
“runt”
Haven’t heard that word in a while!
falcon21
November 7th, 2012
9:50 pm
Re-watching the game again, anyone that don’t think Ryan is a top 4 QB must be Saints fan, The man is a master at what he does!
JB Falcon
November 7th, 2012
10:03 pm
21, That link BR posted about Whitlocks controversial post had some merrit. It is true that MR has some weapons but if you give an idiot a Mac 10 he would probably shoot himself. MR has the knowledge of the game far more than a lot of the QB’s who are working behind a solid OL. He is not blessed with the OL that other QB’s have. If you look at the QBs that are supposedly rated ahead of him, let them play behind our OL.
MT didn’t get MVP for the first quarter of the year for nothing. We are always on the same page.
JB Falcon
November 7th, 2012
10:12 pm
MR
falcon21
November 7th, 2012
10:12 pm
Totally agree JB.
BIG DOG
November 7th, 2012
10:18 pm
Somebody said the Falcons should lose a game to better prepare for playoffs, JUST DAM
What and idiot statement, that has the one of dumbest statement ever, if you can win ever dam ball game during regular season then do so.
16 AND 0 BABBY
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
BIG DOG
November 7th, 2012
10:20 pm
Falcons must blitz Drew on every down, specially up the middle in his face beacuse of his size.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
10:40 pm
F21 and JB ,
Agreed. And it’s not that Ryan doesn’t have things to work on. He does. But look back on the games. You can tell when he had protection, and when he didn’t. It was obvious. And it’s not like he doesn’t outperform the duress.
Some folks forget…we duped one Manning into 3 INTs in a single quarter and the other Manning has had years where he threw more INTs than some folks have TDs in a season. There it is – the best guys in the game make mistakes and have work to do…even after they win SuperBowls.
Matty Bicep
November 7th, 2012
10:50 pm
BR exactly, our O line ain’t great, but everyone seems to have protection issues. I saw Aaron Rogers get sacked about 20 times against Seattle.
What makes MR2 so good is he has not reached his potential, but only because he will get better and better as he works every year to improve. I did have arm strength questions in the past, but he has addressed them, he will never be Matt Stafford, but Payton Manning has taught me something this year about arm strength.
The fact is, he is 8 weeks into this offense, JJ is in his 20th game, and we are working on our O line. My point, MR2 is the BEST qb in his era, we are not the 07 (?) patriots YET…It is not really fair to compare him to Brees, they guy has been in the league 11 years.
Matty Bicep
November 7th, 2012
10:54 pm
I love how Ryan worked on fitness…In the past he looked rather pathetic when he took off running, but he is not a legit threat to take off and pick up some crucial yards, or at least enough to he needs to be accounted for on 3rd and 8. I hope he continues to work on foot speed and leg strength this off season.
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
11:19 pm
Some stuff from Pat Yasinkas:
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/41481/nfc-south-players-lead-in-dropped-passes
If you thought execution wasn’t a part of the problem, read the above link and realize that you are simply wrong. IT IS.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/41487/nfc-south-midseason-bestsworsts
Note the comment on Mario Williams…he of the 23 tackles and 4.5 sacks…$100 million…
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/41475/doug-martin-is-player-of-the-week
This guy is why Tampa is going to be a tough matchup. Not Vincent Jackson….THIS guy.
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
11:30 pm
Matty Bicep ,
Agreed on all accounts.
I think one of the important things is that “arm strength” is overrated when compared to “body strength”. A lot more goes into a throw than simply the muscles in the arm. Won’t get into all of that, but some guys have natural throwing strength that is superior to that of others. Others can strengthen all those “hidden” muscles like the obliques, trapezis, latissimus dorsi, etc…the ones folks don’t generally associate with the strength necessary to do certain things, such as throw the ball down the field. It really makes a difference, especially when you don’t do everything with just your arm the way some guys do.
It was something Matt had to do…he figured it out and did it. Now there are NO comments as to whether or not he can throw the deep ball (which he always could, but not with as much ease as he is now)…clearly he can. More importantly, he can do so with touch and accuracy. Oddly enough, that takes strength as well, but not brute strength.
Big Ray
November 7th, 2012
11:35 pm
Jason Whitlock talks about Ryan only getting 7.9 yards per pass attempt. He failed to mention that this is good enough for 4th in the League. He also fails to mention that Cam Newton, who is 2nd in the League in that category, has less than half the number of TD passes that Ryan has (the stat which really counts) and 2 more INTs….
Wabe
November 8th, 2012
12:08 am
Big Ray,
You’re right about execution definitely needing to be cleaned up. But, those ‘dropped passes’ numbers are somewhat unreliable. The Falcons have evolved into a pass first offense, and they’re throwing that ball almost 40+ times a game on a weekly basis. The coaching staff has put it on Matt Ryan to carry the team, and so with more passing attempts, naturally, you’re gonna have more dropped passes. I know it’s stuff that could and needs to be cleaned up, but, I definitely think that the numbers aren’t telling the whole story. Naturally, a team that throws the ball more is gonna drop more passes than one that relies heavily on the run and doesn’t throw as often, because they don’t have as many ‘opportunities to drop a pass’ as a pass heavy offense.
Eric C.
November 8th, 2012
12:25 am
It sounds like Samuel is a little iffy for the game now…not good against the Saints.
Wings
November 8th, 2012
8:08 am
Big Ray – “…they must have all been the runt fo the litter or something…”
Funny! I assume you were not runt of the litter with your name.
Paddy O
November 8th, 2012
10:11 am
I rewatched the game too – whoever blamed Polite on the Ware sack was wrong. But, he did miss that 2nd sack, and got chewed for it by HCMS – apparently MS did not like Polites response. Roddy saved a MR2 interception. I don’t want to jinx Roddy, but considering his stay healthy ways and obvious stratospheric football IQ, he may be our MVP.
Matty Bicep
November 8th, 2012
10:18 am
Yea, the arm strength issue is not moot. There are genetic freaks like Stafford, but guys like Ice, and Manning can be just as effective. I like how Ice built up his base, back and legs, before he looked like Brady running, but now, he is a viable threat to take off and run and pick up 8-10 yards if you ignore him….I also think Manning’s 3 picks were the result if his lost arm strength where he could not drive it down the field, but he has made adjustments, and leads the league in passing.
My point, Ice is a work in process, he is just going to get better and better, and barring injury, we are going to be competing at a high level for a long time to come. I saw some stat where he completes 78% of his passes for over 350 yards, 3 TDs and no picks in the last 2 minute of each half. So, in 8 games, that is 24 minutes of total football. That less than half a game, keep in mind, he does not necessarily have the football in the final 2 minutes of ever half either.
We are just scratching the surface.
Paddy O
November 8th, 2012
10:19 am
While watching the Dallas game, I felt like I was watching the NFL game slow down for JJ – he played exceptionally well, is beginning to look smooth in his routes and cuts and obviously scares the opposition – the running play against Ware was a thing of beauty – he jumps back and causes Ware to miss him, then uses Tony G as a nice post. I think we have not really scratched the surface on ability from JJ. The Falcons are now using JJ as a deception, which is prompting 3 guys to trend toward his location – thus freeing up our other play makers. If JJ, despite all the attention, can still pile up some 100 yard games – I think that gigantic trade is looking better and better. TD is really proving himself as deserving those 2 GM of the year titles.
Paddy O
November 8th, 2012
10:22 am
It is good to be a Falcon fan. Very, very good. GO FALCONS!
Terrell
November 8th, 2012
10:43 am
Chop Buster
I hear what you’re saying about being conservative on offense, but I have a question, how do you slow down a great pass rusher like a Ware? You run the ball first. This makes him play the run first so you can do play action. Also we talk about the team not being predictable. Last year we complained about running the ball too much when teams knew we were running. Now this year teams know we pass a lot so why not switch it up?
Also, we have a coach that’s playing a chess game while we are all trying to get him to pay checkers. Would it be great to score all the time? Of course, but I would rather score 19 points and win than 50 points and lose.
Chop Buster
November 8th, 2012
11:59 am
Terrell, I understand your point…when the running game can get more than one to two yards per rush. Screens. reverse to opposite side anything that will make a team’s best pass rusher have to chase another direction. Passing will slow down the rush as well–quick slants would work but we rarely use and could be most explosive. We have fast receivers that we need to get the ball in their hands more on the run. All I was saying is when the run is not working, please don’t be stubborn and keep running when it’s going no where. It seems like a waste of possession.
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2012
12:12 pm
I remember reading a ton of complaints on these blogs about MRyan not being able to effectively throw the deep ball because he kept overthrowing his WRs. How in the devil does that translate into a weak arm? Accuracy and mental grasp of the gm are far more important attributes than arm strength, and MRyan has those 2 attributes in abundance.
I think the key to defeating the AINTS/TAINTS on the road will be determined by how well our DEF plays. If we can pressure and contain DBrees, as well as contain their rushing OFF, we will walk away with a win. I don’t know if their rushing and pass DEF can contain us for 4 qtrs, unless we allow it to happen.
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2012
12:19 pm
The AINTS/TAINTS don’t have the secondary talent to contain RWhite, JJones, TGonzalez, DDavis, JRogers and JSnelling. Therefore they’ll have to protect that secondary by getting to MRyan any way they can. They will likely do what they did so successfully against MVick, and that’s use a lot of heavy blitz packages. If our pass protection holds up,and our OL does a good job of run blocking, they will be toast.
Matty Bicep
November 8th, 2012
12:37 pm
Not to disagree ken, but I think Payton Manning has put to rest any argument that elite arm strengh is needed to be an elite QB. But a minimum level of arm strength is needed to be and NFL QB, obviously.
But arm strength relates to accuracy on a deep ball especially. If you can throw a ball 70 yards in the air, you are just going to be more accurate on a 45 yard throw than a guy who maxes out at 50 yards. For a guy who can throw it 70 know he really only has to put 65% into it, and can keep his mechanics and timing, where a guy who maxes out at 50 yards sees his range being stretched and heaves it up maybe a little earlier, or just gives it every ounce of strength he has, and might even overthrow the guy. So over throwing the deep ball can be a result a weaker (but still NFL quality) arm.
But I have one final point…..Jamarcus Russell, Jeff George, and Ryan Leaf. So I am not advocating arm stregnth is anywhere near the most important attribute a QB must have, in fact, it is way down the list. However, any QB who recogonizes opportunity for improvement and works to those areas is going to be a winner.
Chop Buster
November 8th, 2012
12:41 pm
Ken, we just need to put Hawley back in as a TE and run off the RT/RG with Turner and Quizz. People are worried about our run, they better not forget about ours as well. Just when they stack the line, then Ryan will smoke them over the top to Julio or Roddy. This won’t be the same Falcons team they’re using to playing.
Chop Buster
November 8th, 2012
12:43 pm
Sorry…”People are worried about THEIR run, …”
Paddy O
November 8th, 2012
1:29 pm
terrell- if we ever score 50 and lose, Ill give you a $100. However, the last 2 games, our offense has gone back to the mentality we had in the 1st 3 games.
Paddy O
November 8th, 2012
1:31 pm
matty – actually, your premise is pretty non-logical as Mike Vick has that 70 yard arm, and is horribly inaccurate at any mid-range pass – at least consistency wise.
Paddy O
November 8th, 2012
1:34 pm
focus on pass blocking and don’t run up the middle too often; plus use screens liberally. JJ, RW84 and Tony G will get open. a recipe for scoring 40 points a game. except for that last quarter Smitty Ball sit on it mentality. What have we got now? 44 and 0 with that Smitty Ball mentality? Hard to argue with results.
Zoomie
November 8th, 2012
1:43 pm
Yep. The Falcons these Aints are used to playing pounded them with Turner, presented them with a bland menu of possession routes, sat in zones while occasionally sending someone scurrying after Drew the Dwarf, and still managed to be competitive.
This will be the first time the Aints see an Atlanta offense withh a seemingly endless stream of offensive impact players and seemingly endles ways to get them the ball. I don’t expect this Nawlins team to duplicate the defensive success they had against the Iggles.
In addition, Drew hasn’t led his minions against a Nolan-coached Atlanta defense who is, in fact, pretty offensive themselves.
I predict the worm has turned in this division rivalry . . .
D3
November 8th, 2012
3:20 pm
Take a look at this article. I might be being a little sensitive here, but I can’t help but get the feeling that this article is written from one team’s point of view. And also check out which team are the @ssholes in this one and which team knows how to act……….
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/66391/saints-falcons-still-a-heated-rivarly
With the Saints off to a bad start, this game probably has no playoff implications for them, and the Falcons could pretty much put an end to New Orleans’ playoff hopes with a victory. But the Saints would love nothing better than to knock the Falcons from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Heck, if the Saints could win and send the Falcons into a tailspin, it might make their crazy season worthwhile.
……….AND………..
Photo Flap — A group of New Orleans defensive players went to the locker room and then came back out onto the field to have their pictures taken on the Falcons’ logo. The Falcons, a team that tries very hard to keep a low profile and stay out of public controversies, were privately offended and irate.
…………
Pouring it on? Then, almost exactly a year removed from the logo fiasco, there was the night in New Orleans when a lot of people (including some in the Falcons’ organization) thought coach Sean Payton was running up the score as he let Drew Brees continue throwing as he set an NFL record for passing yards in a season and the Saints defeated the Falcons, 45-16. In the Atlanta locker room that night, there were more than a few players that felt disrespected, although they could have prevented it by slowing Brees
I can’t really blame them too much on this one to be honest. Our defense was pathetic and this was one of the only other times I thought our team gave up in the Smitty Era (Philly in 2009 being the other).
………
Statue war: Respect -– or a lack of it -– can flow both ways. That became obvious this summer when the Saints unveiled a statue of one of the most popular players in franchise history (Steve Gleason) making perhaps the biggest play in franchise history.
The statue replicates Gleason’s punt block in the first game back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. But the other figure in the moment, former Atlanta punter Michael Koenen, has no Falcons’ logos and his name doesn’t appear on the back of his figure.
The Falcons said they realize the significance of Gleason’s play in the history of the Saints and the city of New Orleans, but said they were advised by the NFL not to allow their trademark to be used in connection with things out of their market. The Falcons could have made an exception to the NFL’s guidelines, but elected not to.
That angered a lot of New Orleans fans. Anger is a big part of any rivalry and doesn’t have to be limited just to fans.
……………….You’re kidding, right? So it’s safe to assume that in some of sport’s biggest and most hated rivalries, that opposing teams would let their rival put up an embarrassing, in-your-face memorial right in front of the stadium. I’m sure Red Sox-Yankees, Giants-Cowboys, Bears-Packers would allow their enemy to do that. Just shows how ignorant and stupid sAINTS fans are.
Burn Bridges (ie…Bitter, Sour Grapes) — Lofton really drew the line in the sand when he said one of the reasons he signed with the Saints was because he wanted to be with a team that had a chance to go to the Super Bowl. That one didn’t go unnoticed in the Falcons’ offices or locker room in Flowery Branch, Ga. But, long before that, lots of lines were crossed both ways in this rivalry
I commented on this a ton in the off-season. I lost most all respect the way Lofton handled his business. I understand he was hurt by not getting a good offer by the Falcons, but the NFL is not personal, and Mike Nolan simply didn’t need to pay that much money for a MLB in his defense. I’m sure they would have re-signed him if he would have dropped his price. Turns out, were spot on since no other team took the bait either. Philly, Tampa Bay, and maybe others took a pass. sAINTS only got him b/c of that miscreant Vilma was suspended. TD drafted his replacement / insurance in Dent knowing that Lofton would be asking for the moon in terms of a contract. Fact is, we all waited 3-4 years for Lofton to be “the guy” on defense and, outside of being a great tackler, he simply never did that. How was Spoon able to become that guy in his 2nd year and Lofton couldn’t in year 4? I always knew there was a reason I couldn’t commit to an NFL custom t-shirt with Lofton on the back. I went with Willy Mo instead. Good choice I think.
LRD
November 8th, 2012
3:22 pm
Payback time for the ” P issue” on our home field. Payback for the going for the 4-1 and not getting it last year. Payback for running up the stats for Bree’s trying to break the record last year. Payback for for our current record against them, and the ultimate payback of taking them out this weekend and therefore pretty much eliminating them from the playoffs.
Again, we need to come out like we did against Denver with the D that gave Peyton fits. And then our O needs to come out like we did against the Eagles and just punch them in the mouth.. and then punch em down again, then a nice swift kick while they are on the carpet.
Fire up… oh yeah!!! Really wish this first game against them was at home.. just to hear the dome roar!
Chop Buster
November 8th, 2012
3:41 pm
D3 I read that garbage. Pat Y’s love fest with the Aints. I hope we just go in there and completely demolish them.
Chop Buster
November 8th, 2012
3:42 pm
LRD, we need to come out twice as aggressive than we did against Denver. We weren’t going after Peyton, but I sure hope they go after Brees and keep him on the ground all day long.
Big Lou
November 8th, 2012
4:14 pm
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-player-interviews/0ap2000000091760/DeCoud-helping-Falcons-defense-rise-up
LMAO
Decoud is hilarious.
Wings
November 8th, 2012
4:50 pm
I was watching a story about Jimmy Johnson on the NFL Network this afternoon. One of the things that Johnson believed was to never let up. Clips of him talking to his 80’s National Championship University of Miami team that beat Oklahoma captured these words:
“Don’t stop playing, pour it on and don’t stop until the game is over”.
He was often accused of running up the score but he knew how to win as he carried the same philosophy into the NFL.
Coach Smith needs to instill more of this philosophy especially during the second half of games.
Birdman
November 8th, 2012
6:24 pm
http://bloggingdirty.com/2012/11/08/atlanta-falcons-injury-report-weatherspoon-out-vs-saints/
Unca' Bob
November 8th, 2012
6:26 pm
I want this game more than any other game I can recall. Yes, it goes beyond our playoff games. IMHumbleOOnly, it is a must win. I cannot even stand the thought of not winning. The thing that strikes me most about last year is they had another game left. I want my pound of flesh and I hope it is wearing an aints logo.
JJ
November 8th, 2012
6:49 pm
Unca’Bob, Amen as “The Rev” birdman might say. Really,really, really want this one and hope its a beatdown on breejesus and big blowout! Its finally payback time!!!!!
Matty Bicep
November 8th, 2012
6:56 pm
One of the things that Johnson believed was to never let up.
Jimmy Johnson coached in another era, a pre-salary cap era. When he coached under the salary cap, he was barely a .500 coach.
Does Smitty’s conservatism in snuffing out games lead to our lack of killer instinct? I think we might find out this year. I know one thing, if he ever blows a lead by going conservative, I might get voted off the island.
JB Falcon
November 8th, 2012
6:57 pm
At the risk of blaming the blog monster, I might have hit refresh instead of Submit. Anyway.
BM, The news about Spoon isn’t good considering who we are playing and how much we want to kick the snot out of the Caints but, I would rather have him miss this game and have him perfectly well when we will need him more. Besides, we beat the Boys without him and we can beat the swamp people without him.