Atlanta Falcons: Birds Win! One Away from Super Bowl
Falcons Heavy Underdogs vs. 49ers
No Caption Needed! (AJC)
Our cardiac Falcons couldn’t make it easy on themselves or their fans could they? What a game, a thrilling finish, and the amazing death of the “playoff curse,” or whatever you want to call it. The Falcons came roaring out of the gates behind a huge crowd who were in their seats and loud from the first moment. The first half was a thing of beauty that saw the Falcons surge to a 20-0 lead, and even responding with their own touchdown on their first possession after the Seahawks took the opening drive down for a TD. Then, the wheels came completely off. Maybe a better analogy would be that they absolutely shut down in all phases of the game, seeing the Seahawks score 21 unanswered points. However, the Falcons found a way to win the game, needing only 31 seconds to do it. Kudos to the entire organization, from the players and coaches to Thomas Dimitroff and Arthur Blank and all the way to the support staff. It was a wonderful win in so many ways, even if it did almost send many of us into cardiac arrest. A look at the huge playoff win………….
Goodbye Playoff Albatross
Right Up There w/ Morten Anderson in '99 (AJC)
No two people on the planet are likely happier today than Mike Smith and Matt Ryan. For the past 5 seasons, all that has been said has been Smith and Ryan’s inability to win the playoffs. The 0-3 playoff record has been stated so many times by so many media members that it was not only annoying, but just complete overkill. It literally has been repeated thousands of times as an excuse to denigrate or outright ignore the success the Falcons have had. Some of it may have been a little justified, but using it as an excuse to trash them in week 3 of the regular season? It wasn’t pretty at the end and Smith darn near tried to give it away, but it’s done once and for all. The media elite will have to come up with another excuse to slam the Falcons because the “can’t win in the playoffs” garbage is gone forever.
Running Game was Thing of Beauty
Turner Big Day (AJC)
Where did that come from? The Atlanta Falcons have been one of the worst rushing football teams in the league the whole year and most of the times only ran enough to keep the defense at least somewhat honest. That was not the case on Sunday. Michael Turner ran for 98 yards on 14 carries with a long of 33 and Jacquizz Rodgers put on a highlight show when he trucked All-Pro safety Earl Thomas as if he were playing Madden. The offensive line was a big part of the running success and hats go way off to them. After being criticized so often and so heavily over the season, they showed up ready to play on Sunday and the running game was on track for most of the game because of it. The success on the ground also opened up the passing and play-action game, which was also a big reason for the win.
What Happened to the Defense?
Fans are still trying to figure out what happened that precipitated a complete defensive meltdown in the 4th quarter, that darn nearly cost them the game after being up 27-7 in the final quarter. It may not have been one thing in particular, but a slew of really awful performances, from the players to the coaching. The defensive pass rush was non-existent, as Russell Wilson had enough time to do his taxes in the backfield. It literally seemed on one play that he almost 10 full seconds to try and find someone, without nary a Falcon even close. Some of it was losing John Abraham, but it seemed as though the scheme wasn’t even that concerned on pressuring Wilson. One of the main reasons that Brian VanGorder “found another job” was his insanely soft zones where QBs could just sit back and pick them apart with ease. That fourth quarter zone was as bad a zone / scheme as any of those the previous 4 years, with maybe the exception of the loss to the Packers in 2011 in the playoffs.
Best Catch of All (AJC)
The Falcons also picked a terrible time to stop tackling well, after they had done such a good job of it in the previous 3 quarters. Maybe it was just a case of being way too confident with a 3 score lead with a quarter to go. Perhaps Coach Smith or Mike Nolan decided to just sit back in the zone and hope that the Seahawks wouldn’t have enough time or that the rookie QB would finally make a mistake (even though he gave no reason for them to think that). Zach Miller was made to look like Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharpe, and Kellen Winslow Sr. rolled into one. It was shameful how wide open Miller, Golden Tate, and Sidney Rice were in that fourth quarter. As fellow Cage member SOMEBODY said, it was like they were playing catch in the backyard. Maybe the entire team tightened up as the game was falling apart (the offense literally stopped doing anything, the coaches submarined, and even the special teams participated in the collapse). In hindsight, the fact is that the defense did a good enough job to keep them to 7 points for 3 quarters and decided to have a really bad last quarter. The Birds shouldn’t have that issue vs. the 49ers, since it projects to be closer for all 4 quarters rather than just 1.
“Just a Mere Formality”
Should Spoon & Co. Even Show UP? (AJC)
Yes, that is actually what a writer for the San Francisco Examiner wrote in one of the most blatant, poorly written articles about the Atlanta Falcons, maybe ever. According to this writer, if that’s what we’re calling him, his vaunted San Francisco 49ers are the best team to ever grace the field in this game we call football. They have the best RB’s, OL, DL, LB’s, and overall team in the history of the NFL. David and Goliath? No, this is more like Goliath vs. an ant. Should the Falcons even show up or just forfeit to the greatest ever? In all seriousness, there’s nothing wrong with saying the Niners are better on paper and likely should be favored and may even win the game, but this is something altogether different. When the 49ers got blown out by the Seahawks, Giants, lost the Rams (and tied them), and even the Vikings, it’s all good to discard. But when the Falcons WIN the games that were close with bad teams, that’s a sign it’s a mere formality. Not to pick on this writer too much, because really he’s just representing what pretty much everyone in the media (including hometown media) are saying: these Falcons have no shot whatsoever. Luckily, we get to actually play the games. That David kid was pretty small, right?
Can Defense Contain Kaepernick?
Can Willy Mo & Crew Contain the Great QB? (AJC)
First of all, Kaepernick is not a rookie. He was taken in last year’s draft in 2011. So, even though it’s his first year playing, he’s not fresh out of college. After the Niners QB ran rings around the Packers and their poor gameplan, all involved are crowning him the next superhero of the NFL. And if the Falcons play as they did vs. Russell Wilson in the 4th quarter or Cam Newton in the second game, than he very well could set records rushing and passing. There simply is no denying that he is a special talent, but he’s not the first mobile quarterback that has been stopped, nor is he the first mobile QB that the Falcons have played this year. In fact, the Birds are 4-1 vs. all mobile QBs they’ve faced this year. Yes, they haven’t always done particularly well vs. mobile QBs, but they have found ways to win 80% of those games.
The defensive line is definitely undermanned and undersized against the Niners big and burly OL and the linebackers could surely use a touch more speed as well. First of all, you can’t imagine that Nolan will be running much type of man coverage the way the Packers got torched on and one benefit of running the 4-3 defense is it’s ability to plug gaps better and stop mobile QBs. Fellow Cage Member trademark detailed it best when describing how the old Tampa 2 defense used to not only contain, but downright destroy Michael Vick in his heyday here in Atlanta. Much like shutting down Marshawn Lynch vs. Seattle, Nolan will likely either use some type of QB Spy on Kaepernick, make the QB beat him with his arm, make Frank Gore carry the load, or some combination of them all. One idea might be to replace one of the LBs or nickel backs with William Moore, insert Chris Hope in as strong safety, and let William Moore track Kaepernick all over the field, having the speed and the hitting ability to slow down the talented QB.
How Should Falcons O Approach Niners Great D?
What a Catch! (AJC)
Even though they don’t have as good a secondary as the Seahawks, the 49ers have one of the very best front seven in all of football. Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, and Navorro Bowman make up a nightmare for any team because they stop the run so well, but especially get after the quarterback as good or better than anyone in the league. Are the Falcons doomed vs. the great Niners defense? As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friend!” Yes, it will be a major challenge, but if you feel as though you can’t get it done vs. the best, what makes you think you have any shot at the Lombardi Trophy?
No team had scored higher than 17 points since around week 7 this season until the Falcons scored 20 points on them in the first half and then 27 in the third quarter. Even though the media elite will gush and rave over the Niners being the best defense since the 2000 Ravens, they can be scored on to. The question is how. The natural inclination would be to keep rolling with the hot hand of running the football. Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers put on a show on Sunday and racked up some major yards, most of them coming in just 3 quarters. Can the Birds do the same against a tougher defensive front 7? It sure would be nice, but the Niners will likely plan to stop the run anyway they can and surely not let Turner and Rodgers do what they did to the Seahawks defense. If the run fails, how long should they stick with it, and further, does playing clock control offense play into the Niners hands?
Beautiful Play! (AJC)
One clue from the past that might could work is Falcons vs. Ravens, Thursday Night Football in 2010. Matt Ryan ran the no-huddle offense virtually the entire game and tore the stellar Ravens defense to shreds. He was 32 for 50 passing, with 316 yards, 3 TDs, and no INTs. Now, that doesn’t mean that it’s probably a good idea to have Matt Ryan throw the ball 50 times against such a great defense, but the Niners defense have many similarities to that Ravens. They have a great DL, great LB’s, studs at safety, but decent-at-best corners. The no-huddle is unpredictable and can not only help a blitizing team at bay, but also allows Matt Ryan to do what he does best which is call the shots, change the play if needed, and run the offense. In addition, it can also help wear out the strength of their team (LBs and Big DL). Maybe the Ravens game was just an element of surprise and maybe the Ravens depended heavily on substitutions, which the Niners do not. But it’s something that may help counter a tough, tough defense.
Bird Cagers Playoff Turn
Short and simple – will the Birds get it done on Sunday and be in the Super Bowl?
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854 comments Add your comment
Sportaree
January 17th, 2013
6:57 pm
Soon after the next game (or two) the Falcons brass will most likely start negotiations with MR2s agent, and hopefully lock him in for five or six more years.
JB Falcon
January 17th, 2013
7:04 pm
Look of discussion about the minute details of the Seattle game, interesting on every viewpoint. I have only one undisputed opinion/fact. We won the game. The next game is going to be like SSDD with nitros. It’s going to be a more exciting win for sure.
JB Falcon
January 17th, 2013
7:09 pm
Sportaree, I like your forward thinking! You can be assured that they will re-sign MR before his contract runs out. I think Brees and NO screwed up when they paid him $100m. 1) Brees ain’t worth it and 2) they set the bar for QB’s way too high.
Unca' Bob
January 17th, 2013
7:11 pm
There’s also this from Ryan: “Todd has been huge for my career. In all honesty, my first two years here, in terms of pass protection, Todd carried me. He set every protection, got us on the right page and kept me clean.”
Informed of Ryan’s comments, McClure said, “He was exaggerating,” but allowed, “I helped.”
Dayum, I love this Team.
Perhaps there are some on here that should/could put their own egos aside and just pull for our Falcons. If the shoe fits…
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
January 17th, 2013
7:15 pm
Hey, Matt Ryan threw a freaking INT! SH!T HAPPENS! Debating whether or not it was his/Roddy’s fault, is irrelevant, but, IMO, both INT’s were bad judgements, especially the the one he threw in the forth quarter.
Matt will throw int’s (per his pre draft scouting report) and it has proved to be an accurate assessment throughout his career, but he’s a gamer…he comes back (more often than not) and makes amends for mistakes, (see last Sundays win).
Geo
January 17th, 2013
7:19 pm
Love the Quizz. In a locker room interview, someone asks:
“Is this San Francisco defense, as physical a defense as you’re gonna see, maybe the most physical defense you’ve seen all year?”
Quizz just smiles and says “that’s the same question we got last week. This is the NFL. Everybody’s physical.” LOL.
Dude has reason to smile, after he and Turner put on quite a “physical” show. And absolutely, the week before the Seattle game all I heard was about how physical Seattle was, from the media and the hilariously over-hyped and overconfident Hawk fans on the AJC boards. It’s gotta be one of the silliest ideas I’ve ever heard. They’re all paid to hit each other, and if they’re shy about that, they aren’t going to win games, let alone be in the playoffs. This week, same story, which makes me happy, because I know they’re going to go out there with that same chip on their shoulder and put the beat down on them like Quizz did on Earl Thomas.
Geo
January 17th, 2013
7:25 pm
Oh yeah, THIS is the NFL (i.e. physical):
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000127800/article/falcons-need-to-run-through-san-francisco-49ers
Sportaree
January 17th, 2013
7:28 pm
JB Falcon and Unca’ Bob, Amen to both of you.
Paddy O
January 17th, 2013
7:32 pm
on the 4th quarter interception, no way that is on Roddy – he was running for the ball and the CB infront of him stopped. it was a bad concept to throw the ball. especially since the refs were determined NOT to call any penalties on the Carroll Crybabies (both Harbaughs are pros at this). If Weems is available next year, do we make a play for him?
Paddy O
January 17th, 2013
7:33 pm
I’m also sorry to say this but it appeared McClain has a pretty weak game – appeared to be off his coverage man and out of position much of the time. but, overall has been a good guy. with owens out, our CB depth is a little light.
Paddy O
January 17th, 2013
7:34 pm
I agree with UB – we have a very good TEAM mentality with the 2012 Falcons. IF Mike Smith wins this weekend, no more advocating firing him. If you do, you are peeing in the wind.
Paddy O
January 17th, 2013
7:36 pm
SP – don’t know why you are being hard on zoomie – I remember the play from the stands as being a bunch formation on the LEFT side of the playing field (facing MR2’s way). I don’t remember to much pressure. I remember Ryan looking left, pumping, looking again, then twisting and seeing RW open and throwing the ball – but, the CB made a VERY nice play. I suspect RW was open for some time prior.
JB Falcon
January 17th, 2013
7:37 pm
UB, drop the “perhaps” on you last sentence and I agree wholehearedly.
The Time is NOW
January 17th, 2013
7:43 pm
Unca’ Bob – I appreciate your wisdom.
Truth – Good point. Pre-draft the INT’s in college were what worried me about Matty Ice. I am so glad the Falcons drafted him. I agree with JB Falcon that he will be resigned before his contract runs out.
JB Falcon – Good point about the Aints artificially inflating the cost of doing business. I trust TD and others to make the best of that situation. No doubt you do, as well.
bigslow
January 17th, 2013
7:45 pm
Remem when AB first got the team and season tex were 100.00
The Time is NOW
January 17th, 2013
7:48 pm
bigslow – mine were quite a bit more than that, but some of those were available.
bigslow
January 17th, 2013
7:54 pm
I got 6 seats. I am down to 3 now. I will prob be priced out when new dome gt here
The Time is NOW
January 17th, 2013
8:01 pm
I got priced out quite awhile back. Couldn’t justify the entertainment expense when I could watch it on the TV. C’est la vie.
The Time is NOW
January 17th, 2013
8:05 pm
I’ll never forget the last time we played SF in the dome in the playoffs. Seems like it was ‘98. We beat ‘em in a close game. Took my son-in-law (who happened to be a 49er’s fan). The atmosphere at a home playoff game is special.
Slant Pattern
January 17th, 2013
8:14 pm
“SP – don’t know why you are being hard on zoomie” – Paddy O
Somebody Needs to Tell the Truth has it right, and it is a dead issue unless brought up again. Zoomie added in some stuff about that wasn’t true and didn’t need to be said to defend Roddy..I called him out, he bashed me back. Just another fun drama moment, not the end of the world. It sucks we didn’t score the TD but as said, ish happens…Seattle got pressure and made a great play on the ball. No need to crucify or throw any team members under the bus. Heck Smitty didn’t even mess up on that play
.
Slant Pattern
January 17th, 2013
8:18 pm
“IF Mike Smith wins this weekend, no more advocating firing him. If you do, you are peeing in the wind.” – Paddy O
If he is not sacrificed before the game to pay for the magic to let us win then we will have defiled the supernatural ones. Having the iguanas against us is bad mojo, gotta feed the Marty-Ball demon to them as payment.
Big Lou
January 17th, 2013
8:58 pm
Matt Ryan
AKA: Brett Farve.
Lmao!
Coop
January 17th, 2013
8:59 pm
If Mike Smith wins this weekend?? You mean if he doesn’t prevent the team from winning?!? Look if Mike Smith is the coach when we win the Superbowl, I will know longer ask for him to be fired… A payout maybe.
Coop
January 17th, 2013
8:59 pm
*paycut
Birdman
January 17th, 2013
9:37 pm
Winner takes all in the NFC.
One game between then and a NFC Championship ……Just one game
Time to play the best the very best you can Falcons . Time to give it your all each Man on the team !!
Falcons this is what the RISE UP !!! is all about .
Win this and then we will talk about going to the Dance…………JUST ONE GAME….GO FALCONS !
Big Ray
January 17th, 2013
10:31 pm
Might wanna watch the replay before making asinine allegations. Ryan was under duress in the pocket from poor blocking and had to move to avoid a sack before he threw. You shouldn’t let the troll board mold your thoughts so much, looks bad.
I’m someone beat me to it, seeing as how I’ve already been accused (bysome parties) of not finding any fault in Ryan. Replay says it all, as Big Lou attested to.
I did find the exchange mildly amusing…especially the name-calling. Fail to see how that’s superior to “belligerence”, but what do I know….
okeetee
January 17th, 2013
11:45 pm
” IN some ways, we got lucky with 2 rookie QB’s.”
….I’ve been saying since the playoff pairings were settled that we would be much better served avoiding Aaron Rogers until absolutely necessary, and be much better off having the two rookies quarterbacks come into OUR house on the road since it’s inevitable that rookie quarterbacks WILL MAKE MISTAKES on the road! Wilson botched up that whole 30 second gig at the end of the first half and it cost them the game in the end! The tattooed freak is also going to make enough mistakes to help us either offensively or defensively! (A interception in the red zone, or one deep in there own territory!) When was the last time a rookie quarterback went to the Superbowl? NEVER! Unless you count Kurt Warner, and he wasn’t really a rookie.
Slant Pattern
January 17th, 2013
11:46 pm
“I’m someone beat me to it, seeing as how I’ve already been accused (bysome parties) of not finding any fault in Ryan.” – BR
If your still awake you can insult me for questioning Prisco if you like. I would like to know if he is really that ignorant, was going for drama, or just was under the deadline gun and threw something to together tho. If we lose we can go to the Niners boards and pretend to be Alex Smith homers and call for Harbaugh’s head…they would love that.
Slant Pattern
January 17th, 2013
11:52 pm
“be much better off having the two rookies quarterbacks come into OUR house on the road since it’s inevitable that rookie quarterbacks WILL MAKE MISTAKES on the road! ” – okeetee
I like the thinking but it has been made clear that only Ryan makes mistakes..these rookie guys are unflappable and infallible. I think we should bench Ryan cause he suxxors and let Luke McCown run our own version of the reading is fundamental option pistol whippersnapper offense. That’s just me tho
.
DHunt
January 18th, 2013
1:06 am
Y’all fellas blow off as much steam as you need to keep that blood pressure at a manageable level. Zoomie it’s hard on some of the old timers in here because we’ve lived through a lot of red and black disappointment, and they typical response to that is to belligerently defend the team, or belligerently set ourselves up to handle the loss. Sometimes in the same paragraph.
As I am in no position to pay for medical care, I am prepping to maintain my cool no matter what comes Sunday. I’m starting by laughing at all the naysayers, because they have been naying all year long, and yet the Falcons keep on keeping on. We weren’t supposed to beat any decent team we played this year, but we beat them all. The 49er’s are going to be shell shocked when they come into the dome this Sunday. The decibel level is going to be through the roof. The home team is even practicing to deal with how loud it’s going to be. That kaepernick guy is going to come back to earth in a major way. He may make some plays, because he’s got some talent, but to think he’s going to replicate last weeks romp against a team that acted like they didn’t know he was a running QB is almost laughable. No running QB has dominated the Falcons this year, and CK won’t be the first. San Fran is going down and so we should all get ready for two weeks of nay saying about how badly they played to let the Falcons make it to the Super Bowl.
And that Matty Ice guy? He is the real deal. Five years of winning under his belt. No longer can anyone say he hasn’t won in the playoffs, and anyone who thinks he can’t carry a team to victory simply hasn’t been paying attention. Wonder which poison the Niners are going to pick? Seems like Seattle decided not to let Julio beat them, so everyone else did. Doesn’t really matter because there is no way to defense all the options the Falcons have, especially now that we have an offensive coordinator who isn’t afraid to use them. Maybe the Niners get a little pass rush going? That supposedly suspect Falcons offensive line has been pretty stout when it mattered over the past few games. Anyone notice we didn’t use the running backs in the passing game at all last week? If the Niners front seven wants to play bum rush the QB, I bet we see a lot of Quizz juking safeties and corners on screens.
One thing we don’t want to see, but I think we will anyway, is the Falcons getting out to a decent lead and doing everything they can to hold on to it against a team that is throwing desperation punches. And as much as we might dislike it, that’s probably the best way to play it. When you have a two or more possession lead, you play to keep the clock running, keep everything in front of you, keep the other team out of the endzone. That’s smart coaching, and smart football, even though it’s giving us all acute stomach problems. Don’t be surprised if it happens again this week; just hope the Falcons do a better job of playing prevent. Just like I don’t expect a repeat of super kaepernick, I also don’t expect a repeat of a complete system shutdown by everyone wearing red and black in the 4th quarter again this week. Barring that, the Falcons will see their best shot at winning a Super Bowl happen this year in Nawlins.
darrell starks
January 18th, 2013
2:16 am
Can’t sleep Cage Family lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2013
2:22 am
D3, People keep saying ball control, please stop with Mike Mularkey OFFENSE, blow them off the field and attack and don’t play conservative.
1.Throw bombs.
2.Do reverse
3. Run scream plays
4. Just play aggressive like last week and Falcons will win.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2013
2:31 am
DEFENSE
1. Please stop playing this bend don’t break defense, it almost cause us the game last week, very disappointed in coach Mike Smith and Mike Nolan last week for this 4th quarter break down.
2. Attack with atleast 5 players and hit Calin in the mouth so he can feel it.
3. Play more man coverage and force him to make good throws, also mix it up with coverage don’t just give him the same look confuse him at all cause.
MIKE SMITH AND MIKE NOLAN REMEMBER HE IS ONLY A ROOKIE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY ATTACK AT ALL CAUSE.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2013
2:50 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlWvQVxvyQs
FALCONS RISE UP.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2013
3:00 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwVhvcdgRMw
D BLOCK GOES HOLLYWOOD LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wings
January 18th, 2013
7:32 am
Here is one of the best articles from PatY and ESPN.
“I was very lucky to get drafted into the situation I came into,’’ Jones said. “I could have gone somewhere where other guys would resent me because they want the ball. But Roddy and Tony took me under their wings right from the start.’’
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/44385/why-julio-jones-is-perfect-fit-for-falcons
I think Harry Douglas fits too. I believe we will see these guys play “lights out” Sunday.
Wabe
January 18th, 2013
8:43 am
Alright man…
Folks are sleeping pretty hardcore on this matchup.
And I understand folks have been sleeping on Atlanta all season.
But I really hope this team uses this as extra motivation and plays with a chip on their shoulder.
This is a 13-3 team.
The #1 overall seed in the NFC.
They’re playing @ home in the Dome.
They’re playing a QB that’s like 10 games into his career.
I’m not saying the Niners have no chance. I’m just laughing at the thought that the Niners losing this game would be a dramatic upset. Be real man. Is it not possible that they might just be running into a better team?
Get it done on Sunday man. Let’s make these people eat sooooooo much crow.
16 weeks + postseason’s worth of crow.
Geo
January 18th, 2013
8:51 am
“Please stop playing this bend don’t break defense, it almost cause us the game last week, very disappointed in coach Mike Smith and Mike Nolan last week for this 4th quarter break down.” — darrell starks
Same here, darrell, although I think it’s funny that so many around the country ignore that and just think Seattle “woke up” and showed they were actually the better team. Our defense played great in the first half. Make adjustments according to the game situation, sure, but don’t go into prevent with more than 15 minutes on the clock. On one of those “SoundFX” shows, you can hear Smith say to Nolan over his headset to not give up anything long and they will be fine. Bull! The strategy of containing Wilson’s runs by allowing the LBs to stay close (looked like they were all spies) and taking away a deep ball by playing the DBs deep was NOT working. Practically cost us the game. That and the offense losing steam due to the big lead. Falcons need to play ball for 60, instead of half playing ball and half playing percentages. If this one stays close throughout, I will feel better about our chances.
Big Lou
January 18th, 2013
9:05 am
Greeny and Collin on Mike and Mike…
Shoot me now. F!cking New York fans.
E43
January 18th, 2013
9:14 am
The Falcons lack of getting a push up front might actually help them get more sacks against the niners. Think about it… They used to bring Kaepernick to run their wildcat offense. Meaning he needed to run-handoff-pass. We will blitz Mike Nolan/Biermann style might be there and it might not. Do you really want to try Decoud and Moore on the back end? We have the speed to keep Gore in check. Key is that Kaepernick wont be turning his runs up-field because the line will be stout in front of him. He wont know if Biermann is a safety linebacker DT or DE. Our defense is going to be a nightmare for him just to get passes off because he will not be able to step into the pocket.
I think he’ll struggle against the Amoeba defense.
Falcons 16 9ers 10
LRD
January 18th, 2013
9:32 am
27-21. ATL Kaepernick runs around the side, William Moore separates the ball from sid QB, dropping him like a stone and Falcons recover in the 1Q. That sets the tone for the rest of the day. As now the QB is more hesitant coming around the corner.. doesnt mean he stops doing it, just means we keep pounding him every time he does… and we beat him into submission.
LRD
January 18th, 2013
10:46 am
Throw back.. anyone else remember this from The Simpsons in 98? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCFwBcFcwxg
Big Ray
January 18th, 2013
10:49 am
Greeny and Collin on Mike and Mike…
Shoot me now. F!cking New York fans.
There is a prevailing northeastern superiority complex going on with those two shoes. There just is. Notice how quickly they glossed over the BCS National Championship….
I used to like listening to those guys…still prefer Mike&Mike over Cowherd, but not when it comes to the teams I like, the SEC, etc.
Cowherd in particular….I’d rather listen to the narcissist Jim Rome….wow, did I just say that….barf…
Big Ray
January 18th, 2013
10:51 am
Unca Bob ,
Well said, sir.
The attitudes of the Falcons players are definitely better than those on the blog here recently, mine included (I may be a lot of things but a hypocrite is one I try to avoid)…
D3
January 18th, 2013
11:09 am
Great Friday Cage Family!
Sniping?
As Big Ray said, not really understanding the sniping going on after a huge win, one of the biggest in franchise history. Hey, we all are passionate and sometimes it flows over, but let’s all remember that we’re a Falcons Family on here and the alternative (other blogs) is simply unthinkable!
Ryan INT / 4th Quarter Collapse
I know this has been a heated debate here and it reminds of the Michael Jenkins slip vs. Ryan pass in the endzone vs. the Packers in the 2011 playoff loss. I don’t think that these issues are mutually exclusive, per se, but rather that it’s possible ALL of these things happen. We go away from the running game, so it’s possible with the Seahawks needing a play, started to get more heat. The offensive line did a great job all day, but it’s likely they maybe started participating in the malaise. Not sure what Ryan was thinking with that dangerous pass, but at first it seemed like an open play, and perhaps the Falcons needing one feeling Smitty’s tightness that consumed the whole team. It did appear that the Seahawk was all over Roddy and finally, the DB made a helluva play on the ball.
I’ve said this many times this week, that the entire team started to tighten up in all phases of the game: offense, defense, special teams, and coaching. I truly believe that was all Smitty. He couldn’t bare the thought of letting this one slip away so he went with a hyper-conservative final quarter (I won’t say the word, because Smitty earned it with this win). It’s not really hard to believe when you’re up 27-7 with 15 minutes to go. Really, all you need is a few first downs and, statistically, it wouldn’t even be possible. When we scored that last TD, why not go for 2? What’s the difference between 26-7 and 27-7……nothing. You can still get beat by a FG. The problem is that when Smitty went down the hyper-conservative mode, he couldn’t recognize that it simply wasn’t working and was unwilling or unable to get out of it. I think the Ryan INT wasn’t necessarily a the begin for the collapse, but rather acted as a catalyst of it. Once they got the INT and scored @ 27-21, it was on like Donkey Kong and the we were so tight as Ferris Bueller said “if we stuck coal up their bungholes, we would have had diamonds.”
Paddy O
January 18th, 2013
11:33 am
personally, I did not think our team play inspired against Seattle – we simply methodically executed our game plan and piece by piece dismantles the fictional “seattle powerhouse”. I am hoping – with our 1 game away from the SB energy which must flow throught the entire team – and, at this point we have a veteran group of guys who have been together for 5 years or so – that we play inspired ball on Sunday. If we play well, we should win. GO FALCONS!!!
trademark
January 18th, 2013
11:42 am
Personally, I think the pressure of just knowing they were winning got into their heads. And as Jamie Dukes said, when you switch your Defense from “aggressive” to “keep them in front of you” mode, you change the entire complexion of the game. And Seattle, being who we thought they were, took advantage.
What’s TRULY amazing to me is there aren’t a lot of people talking about the fact that we actually DID build up a 27-7 lead on the vaunted Seahawks. “The hottest team in the NFL (Insert week number here)”. And if there’s one lesson we took away from that, it’s not to repeat the same errors of the past week.
Another thing I really love….the Niners have a really, really tough time on every third game they play…look at their schedule this season…a lot of “L’s” on that ledger. And guess where our game comes in? Hehhehheh. That plus, again, EVERYONE seems to be ignoring the fact this is an outdoor team from the West Coast coming to play in an East Coast Dome where the Home Team is pretty ‘effin dominant. Where’s that in these statistical analyses?
Is it Sunday yet?
GO FALCONS!!
D3
January 18th, 2013
11:43 am
House Money
I don’t want you all to misinterpret this, because I want to win and will be pretty crushed if we don’t take that next to last step. However, that first win was the monkey off our back and I will be pissed if we don’t beat these arrogant, cocky-@ss s–theels, but at the same time, it doesn’t even come close for me as last weeks game did. In other words, I feel as though we’re playing with house money. But before I finish, I have stated several times on here as well to many friends and family that if we’re going to hoist the Lombardi, this is going to be the year with the way everything’s setup and fallen in place, and moreso looking to the future with key vets either leaving or on rapid decline. All that being said, though, we’re playing with house money, because NO ONE IS EVEN GIVING US A SHOT IN THIS GAME. Most pundits and it appears many to most Niners fans just think it’s a “formality.” Our own sports talk are guarded at best (Chuck, Chernoff) or just like the rest (Kincaide). That’s about the best setup we could ask for. At home, completely discarded and disrespected and no one giving us a chance. In other words, no expectations for us. Imagine if we were like 15-1 or 14-2 and hosting a 9-7 team or something. We have nothing to lose and SF has everything to lose to go along with being arrogant and cocky as hell.
Arno
January 18th, 2013
12:00 pm
Worn out by last Sunday’s game. Started to recover by Thursday. Friday hit with reality: We won. We get to play another one. And not just another one– for 1st time in 46 years we are HOSTING NFC CHAMPIONSHIP. Yes, we are over the hump, playing with house money, monkey off our backs, whatever you want to call it– but what a shining opportunity! GRAB IT !!!
Die Hard Falcon
January 18th, 2013
1:13 pm
I still say that the Earl Thomas INT should’ve been pass interference, Trufant stopped and put his arm out in front of Roddy soley to stop his progress to the ball, Trufant wasn’t trying to get to the ball, so I cannot see how it wasn’t a penalty you can’t hold or make that kind of intentional contact to stop a receiver from going for the ball. I doubt Roddy would’ve caught it, but I guarantee Earl Thomas wouldn’t have either.