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
Wabe
January 19th, 2013
11:26 am
Big Lou,
I definitely get where you’re coming from. I don’t think anybody wants to be embarrassed. But, at this point, winning is all I care about. If we lose, I could care less if it’s by a point or 50 points.
The goal is to be playing 2 weeks from now in NOLA. If we come up short, I could care less how much the margin is.
We need this one. No better opportunity than now, and no way anybody can say for sure whether we’ll get this kind of opportunity again.
Wabe
January 19th, 2013
11:29 am
And not sure what’s up with the Smitty debate…
I know it’s been a lively debate all season long.
But, I guess I’ll just reserve judgement until after the season’s over.
falcon21
January 19th, 2013
11:29 am
What Wabe said, nuff said!
Matty Bicep
January 19th, 2013
11:30 am
Yea, I thought there was noting worse than a blowout loss like the debacle in the dome, until we blow a 20 point lead….I am just glad we did not have to call last week the Asphyxiation in Atlanta.
Matty Bicep
January 19th, 2013
11:36 am
I think the one thing that Atlanta fans have to understand, is when you consistently go to the playoffs, you lose most of the time. When you go every 10 years, you sorta forget how bad it hurts, going to the playoffs every year, playing these nail biters is not something that Falcon fans are used to.
Matty Bicep
January 19th, 2013
11:40 am
Bill Walsh, whom I consider the best coach in NFL history, went to the playoffs 7 times, he won 3 titles, and was sent home a loser 4 times, including 3 one and done’s.
Arno
January 19th, 2013
11:41 am
Friend: Hey Arthur, what you doin’ with that three-legged bird dog? Seems like a man like you could get the best bird dog in the world.
Arthur: It’s a funny thing, Friend– I’ve looked at a lot of bird dogs in my time. He’s a little awkward when he comes to a stand, that’s for sure. But he’s high octane, has a fine nose, great endurance, and you don’t have to blow the whistle at him all day long. In fact, he’s bar none, the best bird dog I’ve ever had. Fact is– I’m right proud of my three-legged bird dog.
Friend: He is awkward when he comes to a stand, that’s for sure. In fact, I’d call him down right wobbly. Tell you what, Arthur– if this three-legged dog does you so much good, think how much better you think a two-legged dog would do you! You thought about that?
Arthur: Go get your own damn dog.
Greg Mendel
January 19th, 2013
12:06 pm
Arthur Blank, Fidel Castro, and the Dali Lama walk into a bar, and the bartender says, “What is this, so kind of a joke?”
Greg Mendel
January 19th, 2013
12:30 pm
“some” kind
Slant Pattern
January 19th, 2013
12:40 pm
“There are valid points to be made on both sides of the Smitty argument ” – DHunt
Good point you got there too, in fact you have come on strong and been posting quite well lately. The whole;
“Fire Smitty Now”
thing is an old reference that most of the new Cagers should have no idea about unless they have been doing archive work. It was my way of giving a shout out to someone here who like myself caught a ton of flack for their views in the past. It seems nothing has changed as the same things are happening now, the funny irony being the only major thing I have been wrong about in my time here was DEFENDING SMITTY. The people having a cow now would have lost their damn minds to the thing that happened in the past lol.
All that being said, Smitty still deserves to be fired for his week 17 foul up and other things. This will relieve the whole debate and the pressure on him for being fired. It can be made public or a private joke in Blanks office but something has to be done as Smitty has lost his mind at times this year, seemingly pressure related to having to have success. Firing Smitty doesn’t mean he can’t be hired right back to a fresh start as a non first time coach anymore. I don’t think he will be fired anytime soon even tho I do believe the HC position could be upgraded, Smitty is by no means perfect nor irreplaceable.
In the end it is moot as it is almost game day, I won’t feed the troll anymore until after we kick San Frans arse. If we lose by Smitty “turtle balling” then all bets are off and a verbal nuclear holocaust will ensue for sure.
falcon21
January 19th, 2013
1:01 pm
LOL SP!
Matty Bicep
January 19th, 2013
2:03 pm
Like I said, to some people, what happens on the field is inconsequential, it does not matter, you won’t do true analysis, you have made up your mind what the problem anything even happened…..That is fine. Good Day.
SPS
January 19th, 2013
2:52 pm
Good grief! I normally start my cerveza-inspired personal Falcons pep rally just before game time. But this one is special. So with my apologies to all, let me ask all of us here 3 simple questions:
Who better than the Falcons to defend a running/read option quarterback? We have the resume.
Who better than Falcons fans to shake the dome and rattle the 9ers QB into mistakes?
Who better than this city to host a championship parade?
So in spite of borrowing a little from our cesspool divisional rivals, I suggest a new victory chant at the dome tomorrow at 6PM:
WHO BETTER?!
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
4:29 pm
This whole deal with Manti Teo is beyond retarded. Enough already.
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
4:34 pm
But, I guess I’ll just reserve judgement until after the season’s over.
Makes sense. But sense is rarely what a debate is about, LOL.
Unca' Bob
January 19th, 2013
4:34 pm
And if I hear anymore about Armstrong, I will rip his testiculars off!
waynester
January 19th, 2013
4:53 pm
I was watching some video from the local SF TV stations camped outside the Ritz-Carlton downtown and the Crabtree story appears to be playing huge back home. The visiting press corps is taking this story seriously, so there may be some substance to the allegations. Their main concern, however, isn’t the ‘victim’ but the disruption this may cause in the SF locker room. We Atlanta fans know how a stupid sexual dalliance can derail a team in a crucial game, don’t we? Every little distraction is magnified an hundred-fold in the media environment of such a big game–let’s hope our guys are the more focused team and it pays off with a trip to the SB!
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
4:55 pm
Because even when the Falcons win the Super Bowl, many of the criticisms of the Falcons head coach will still be valid.
Yes, they would. Just as criticisms concerning Belichick or Coughlin would.
I agree, all the same. I just don’t see how a team can win a SuperBowl in spite of a head coach, unless the head coach leaves everything up to the Coordinators and the QB. Even then, is that not “management?” Anyway, I think the philosophy and semantics become nothing worth delving into.
Smitty’s flaws are more likely to be something that prevents a SB win, as opposed to lending towards one. But we shall see. Everybody has a chance to prove that they can overcome their flaws…or even that some flaws aren’t actually flaws in every situation (even if they are flaws in most situations).
For instance, a flaw of Smitty is relentlessly running Turner up the middle or even on sweeps. Didn’t work all season. Worked last sunday. On that day, it wasn’t a flaw.
Or is the flaw really “running Turner relentlessly…even when it doesn’t work”?
Ah, and now we’ve gotten to the heart of at least one matter.
It’s not always what you do, specifically. It’s when you do it.
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
4:57 pm
Like I said, to some people, what happens on the field is inconsequential, it does not matter, you won’t do true analysis, you have made up your mind what the problem anything even happened
And you have made up your mind regardless of the game yet to be won….
Matty Bicep
January 19th, 2013
5:14 pm
My question on Crabtree is if the assault happened on Sunday, and he was interviewed early in the week, why did the SF police wait until the 9ers got out of town before they broke the story to the media? Could the SF police dept have been sitting on this in order to minimize the impact to the team? Something stinks.
waynester
January 19th, 2013
5:18 pm
Matty B
I have to agree. It’s always difficult to get info on a sexual crime but when a celebrity is involved it usually leaks quickly. One thing’s for sure, there probably aren’t many Falcon fans in the SF PD….
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
5:26 pm
I am not a pollyanna, I am objective.
I fail to see how having a very much one-sided opinion is objective….
I continually find it amusing that you claim to deal in facts, have no emotions, etc. Your passion is for one man.
The head coach is judged by everything, who he surrounds himself, with how his players execute his plan, how they respond to adversity, and about a million other things, including game plan and scheme.
Agreed. Which is why it is strange that you argued so vigorously against the effect that our two new Coordinators had. Oh yes, I do recall quite clearly that you said they didn’t have near the effect that people here on the Cage thought. Since then, you’ve been smart enough at least to not make this about “The Cage” as you made the monumental mistake of doing in the beginning. It got you labeled as a troll, and the shoe pinched your toes…
Back on topic – Smitty changed both Coordinators…sure they found other jobs, but is this a coincidence? Is it also a coincidence that the Falcons have improved various facets of their game and now have a playoff victory to add to their collective resume? Surely it is no coincidence, or you are forced to say that Smitty’s decision to surround himself with the two new Coordinators he has is irrelevant…a point I think you’d hardly like to make, eh?
Lovie Smith? his downfall was he could never find an OC, or an O line coach…..As a manager, hiring good people is #1, if you cannot master that, yours screwed. A 3-3 playoff record is not worth dirt if you can’t get to the playoffs anymore.
Ah, but some would argue that the Bears have had an awful O-Line for a couple of years now. I also notice that my point about their pre-Jay Cutler QB situation was ignored or otherwise bypassed.
Hiring good people is indeed VERY important. Which is precisely why Smitty went in decidedly different directions when hiring two new Coordinators. He could have hired guys exactly like Van Gorder and Mularkey, but he did not. Why? He recognized flaws. He didn’t want to make the same mistake. Those are my guesses, of course. But since they are comments on the positive for Smitty, I’m betting you’ll see them as objective, no?
Finally, I get the oddest of feelings that if Mike Smith was 3-3 in postseason play, you would be lauding him more fervently than now (if that is indeed possible) and saying how he bucked the trend because…” when you consistently go to the playoffs, you lose most of the time.” …right? Or did I misquote you from your 11:36 a.m. post?
I mean, by that statement, Lovie Smith has done better than most (sample size notwithstanding, of course), no? He’s at least broken even. And that is with the “objective facts” that he is no good at hiring position coaches. So how is it that Mike Smith, being a far superior HC, has a worse playoff record (again, sample size notwithstanding)?
Try not to make yourself dizzy while spinning that one. Oh, and to be sure we got this straight, playoff wins aren’t worth dirt if you can’t get to the playoffs anymore, correct? What is the statute of limitations on that? Is it that after 2 years of futility, regardless of circumstances, that you are deemed “not worth dirt”? Careful…do your homework before going that route…
And for the record – I have no love for Lovie Smith. Don’t want him here. We have two as good or better defensive minds here already. And we have no need for further offensive issues.
Finally, comparing playoff records is silly, for winning wild card games will pump up the Ws over a better all around coach who gets his teams a bye. Really, it is not how many wins you get in the playoffs, but how far you get.
Heh, heh, heh….this is true. And yet, you must win one game, and then the next, and then the next to go anywhere. Until last Sunday, Smitty never could win that first game, meaning he couldn’t advance. What if we lose tomorrow? Will you still be talking about “how far you go” is what matters? It’s a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it will allow you an alibi for Smitty in regard to his playoff record…on the other hand, it condemns him most viciously…..
But the interesting thing about M McCarthy, he is 6-4 in the playoffs, 4-0 one year, and 2-4 the other 6 years in the league…..And it was not like he inherited a laughing stock of a franchise, he inherited Brett Farve.
Indeed. And yet, as I said before…if this was Mike Smith you’d be talking it up something fierce, instead of saying “it’s interesting.” You cannot deny it. If Smitty was 6-4 in the playoffs, you’d add that to your much beloved regular season stat, would you not? No? I daresay you would.
So McCarthy inherited Favre. And Lovie Smith inherited what? Rex Grossman?
By the way, the year that McCarthy went 4-0 in the playoffs….Favre had nothing to do with it. The QB was Aaron Rodgers. The regular season record was 10-6.
That is all for now.
Arno
January 19th, 2013
5:26 pm
Some SF fans are saying Atlanta planted the victim story. We are such desperate underdogs, we needed to generate some kind of distraction. We can throw a mean egg, too. Incoming.
Saw zero sympathy for the alleged victim.
waynester
January 19th, 2013
5:34 pm
NFL Network is featuring the story this evening, too. Here’s hoping the added tension will be just enough to distract the “9ers.
Arno
Some SF fans are obviously deluded but we DO need every little advantage we can get–especially if it harms their concentration. Same thing with our crowd getting vocal at the right times…it DOES matter….
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
5:39 pm
My question on Crabtree is if the assault happened on Sunday, and he was interviewed early in the week, why did the SF police wait until the 9ers got out of town before they broke the story to the media? Could the SF police dept have been sitting on this in order to minimize the impact to the team? Something stinks.
While I would expect my friend Waynester to react thusly as a journalist…it is a very similar reaction to someone of my profession.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck…it’s probably a duck.
Anybody recall the officer(s) covering for Mr. Roethlisberger as he did his sexual misdeeds while in Georgia? Disgusting. And I’m 99% certain that the coppers in SF have done something quite similar.
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
5:40 pm
Unca Bob ,
Thank you and agreed on Armstrong…although I’m torn about which one I’m more irritated with right now…the cyclist or the curious case of the allegedly naive Notre Dame defensive star.
Both disgust me.
JB Falcon
January 19th, 2013
5:51 pm
BR, 5:26. Very well thought out and deserved post. Only thing is, a large ego/head does not have enough room for ears. Out of probably 20 regular posters on this blog, around 30% of them are by one opinionated poster? It dosen’t matter who posts what, there will be a disagreeing opinion, even though the post was not addressed to the opinion giver.
What to do? Ignore, ignore, ignore.
JJ
January 19th, 2013
6:01 pm
BR, damn…lol, smackdown!
My biggest concern tomm. is one Dunta Robinson. Ive watched every second of every game (as all cagers have) and you know SF has too. Wether its going for the hit and not the tackle, my concern is his coverage abilities. He is the WEAKEST link on our D in my opinion.
SP, keep it coming my friend. Although were all fanatical about our falcons, only a few are smiths’ nut huggers!!!
Ninerspluckbirds
January 19th, 2013
6:10 pm
Tick Tock!!!! Tick Tock!!!! Falcons are so not a good team!!! If you want respect” put a ring on it”
Unca' Bob
January 19th, 2013
6:15 pm
Big Ray,
Rec’
waynester
January 19th, 2013
6:24 pm
Big Ray
we’re both in professions that can turn you into a cynical ba$+@rd…
ps
that Niners fan is right about earning respect. There’s only one way to do it…WIN. I’ll still love my team regardless of outcome, but seeing them hoist the Lombardi would help heal a lot of decades-old wounds…
falcon21
January 19th, 2013
6:28 pm
Ninerssuckbirds, so we are not a good team, we as you shall see tomorrow. Tick Tock!
The Time is NOW
January 19th, 2013
6:31 pm
waynester – agreed.
JB Falcon
January 19th, 2013
6:32 pm
21,
Whoop! Der it is!
Ninerspluckbirds
January 19th, 2013
6:52 pm
The red kool aid that the Pigeon fans are drinking will be on sale come Monday!!! LOL!!!!
marko
January 19th, 2013
6:58 pm
When somebody says something stupid, somebody said something stupid. When a million people say something stupid it’s called common knowledge. The truth is that millions of people are stupid. the Falcons have been a very good regular season team for several years now. Last week they showed signs that they’ve figured out the playoff thing. Anybody that thinks Colin is a better Quarterback than Cam is delusional. Cam can actually throw a little, and actually has a national championship on his resume. If the Packers had played Cam and Josh Four Times this Year, they wouldn’t have been so shocked and amazed by the magical running quarterback.
By this time tomorrow, America is going to meet the real Atlanta Falcons. Bet on The 49ers if you wish, but be advised that wall street is the place to go when you want to throw away serious money.
The Time is NOW
January 19th, 2013
7:36 pm
Hey niner’s fan – When was the last time you beat ANYBODY on the road in the playoffs?
marko
January 19th, 2013
7:36 pm
The fastest people on earth can run close to thirty miles an hour. They can’t do it much longer than a hundred meters, but they can do it. Matt can throw a football more than twice that fast, and he can do it all day long. My point is that Colin Kaepernick is a pretty fast lady, but does she throw so good. Can she Really out throw Matty Ice? How Many come from behind victories has she managed to produce in her half a season career?
Sportaree
January 19th, 2013
7:49 pm
Come Monday the 49ers will be washing Falcons s!!t off their shirts!
falcon21
January 19th, 2013
8:18 pm
Biggest game of the year so far tomorrow and no SW. SW, where are you? Atleast give us a sign that you are alright!
Arno
January 19th, 2013
8:32 pm
According to the SF Chronicle, Kaepernick is on the cusp of huge endorsement deals, depending partly on the outcome of Sunday’s game and whether the 49ers go on to win the Super Bowl. Feeling any pressure, Colin?
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
8:59 pm
JJ,
Well, it was a stream of consciousness. My only quibble is the unequivocal one-sidedness of an opinion that is peddled as objectivity. Perhaps “peddle” is too strong or a word. Perhaps it is too weak.
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
9:05 pm
JB,
You are correct, and dissenting opinions are not a problem or THE problem. It is when disagreeing opinions are tossed off as emotional and subjective that tends to raise my right eyebrow just a tad.
It has been said that a fanatical person will not change his/her mind, and also will not change the subject. Fanaticism and objectivity have never been related….
JB Falcon
January 19th, 2013
9:06 pm
BR, “peddle” is much too weak. Have you ever had a knat continiously fly between you and the computer screen. Aggrivating as hell but you can’t seem to squash it.
John Waynesworld
January 19th, 2013
9:27 pm
A fine article, D3. It is odd that every day that goes by some members of the media seem to be choking on their own predictions, trying to explain from a “experienced, professional analyst’s viewpoint” how a young quarterback with just over a half season of game experience can leave the comfort of his home stadium to waltz into an eardrum-breaking dome and beat a veteran team that has a BIG chip on its shoulder (and rarely loses at home). Less and less convincing every day.
This will be a rude wake-up call for the 49ers and their newfound toy to find out that we have played their option games before. The Falcons are 3-1 against mobile QBs (4-1 if you want to count Vick). The motivation was real low in that one loss. I don’t think that will be an issue this Sunday.
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
9:32 pm
Anyway, battling over such things grows stale.
Colin Kaepernick…he’s the flavor of the moment. Russell Wilson is a better overall QB.
Kaepernick is probably less accurate than Cam Newton, but he is about to fall prey to something that Newton himself must overcome before he is to enjoy true success (winning): Ego.
Everybody is telling Kaepernick that he is great. He has not proven greatness. Vick exploded on the scene with more fireworks because he played night in and night out, whereas Kaepernick is really part of another man’s mystique – Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh is the brains behind this engine, the driving force behind this so-called storm. Kaepernick is another thing to make Harbaugh look good..because Harbaugh is what proven guys like Belichick aren’t – daring, bold, flashy, against the majority grain.
Truth is, Cam Newton already has his brand (though it needs work). Kaepernick has no brand just yet. Right now, the team is hot, the excitement is high. What of tomorrow? Kaepernick doesn’t know this yet…but he could conceivably win tomorrow, then go on to the SB and win that as well. If this happens, will he have a brand and a legacy? Nope. Why?
Because…you win once and guess what you are judged by? By how you follow it up. If you’re really that good, you have to get back to where you were. Or, you at least have to show you can keep doing what you were doing when you got to the Big One.
Cases in point:
1) Drew Brees. Won a SB in 2009. Hasn’t gone back since, but has had record-setting seasons. Got knocked out in 2010 in the first round by an upstart Seattle team, got beat in 2011 by the 9ers. Still, his team didn’t fail because of him. His production was steady, consistent.
2) Eli Manning. His first SB was a shocker. Most didn’t see it coming. He would be thought of as a one-hit wonder if not for getting back there last season and winning it all again. Remember, Eli had a 25 interception season in between Super Bowls…but winning the 2nd one cemented his “Elite” status.
3) Trent Dilfer. Never was an elite QB. His brand was always one of being a game manager. Won a SB with a performance that included 12 completions, 153 yards, and a single TD. After that year, he never came anywhere close again.
4) Brad Johnson. Another guy who won a SB. Went downhill after that. Never sniffed another good job, in fact…or a particularly good season.
So in reality, Kaepernick is a flash in the pan right now. While his running style is electric, he’s more of a media darling than Joe Flacco (because Flacco has ZERO style, really). But between the two, Flacco has more unearned playoff wins.
We have no idea if Kaepernick is a hard worker, likes to study tape, hones his craft, whatever.
What I do know is that if he’s not careful, he’ll wake up one day and find that he’s no longer the flavor of the moment. Especially if the read option begins to dry up and he has to do his work in the pocket.
Defenses always catch up…just ask Vick.
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
9:33 pm
JB,
LOL…I hear ya.
Big Ray
January 19th, 2013
9:34 pm
JB,
Matty Bicep
January 19th, 2013
9:58 pm
BR, I am objective based on a guy who is on his 4th trip to the playoffs in 5 years, heading to the league championship game.
Last week, people were saying that our sitting on the ball led to the collapse, saying it started in the 3rd quarter.
So I analyze what happened in the 3rd quarter.
* We had the ball one time in the 3rd quarter for 9 minutes and put up a TD. So to say we started slowing down offensively in the 3rd quarter was just wrong. I just don’t know who else to put it.
* Then, Seattle put up 7 more, and Ryan threw the pick on the 2nd play…
* Seattle put up 7 more.
So, in the course of 2 offensive plays, Seattle puts up 14 point and we are up by 6. The pick was horrendous.
* Next series, we throw 3 passes, not great plays, but you got your screen play. Then, on 3rd down, we throw to Davis, (so we got our bench player in), and the guy slips and falls down. It looked to me like everything you guys have been clamoring for, screens, bench players, argue about design, but it was not Smitty conservatism.
it is like you did not even watch the game. I did not see a hint of Smitty clock killing conservatism causing anything. I saw a defense coming apart, a pick, a bad punt, a guy fall down, Seattle momentum….blame Smitty, fine, he is the captain, but then give him the credit for the comeback.
Go play by play like I did, and tell me where Smittyball clock killing play led to our collapse. Hell, show me where Smitty play calling EVER caused a loss when we have a late lead,… you can’t, because in 5 years it never happened….ABSURD. OK, once somewhere, but I can’t remember it.
You see, you are saying “here we go again” losing a late lead, when, we never have, or did once in 5 years….It is not me with the disconnect.
JJ
January 19th, 2013
11:57 pm
F21, Ive emailed SW (Mr. Roddy Nixon) several times in the last 2 weeks to no avail. Just a tad nervous about our friend, the great mel cocca jr!
Same goes out to WR, but hes popped in occasionaly and just got married so he may not be allowed to post, lol.