Falcons just turned into team we expected last season
The Falcons' sideline erupts after Matt Bryant's 46-yard field goal clinches a win over New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS – The calendar screams that it’s too early for grand proclamations. Week three games in the NFL don’t decide division titles or playoff berths. They merely give us some sense of direction.
But we just learned something about the Falcons.
They won a game against the defending Super Bowl champions. They won a game on the road and in the Superdome, where they hadn’t won since 2002. They had a 19-play touchdown drive that tested their resilience. They had a field goal drive in overtime when the offensive line assumed control of the game.
More? They had a kicker, Matt Bryant, who had to try three times for a winning field goal because his first two attempts were negated by penalties. They had a defensive end, John Abraham, who came back into the game late despite being relatively blinded in one eye.
Is that a strong enough indication of direction?
The Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints in overtime Sunday, 27-24. Had they lost, they still would have been publicly embraced for their performance. Instead, they won, and their stature grew.
“No moral victories. No more of those for us. We’re done with that,” Roddy White said.
“We could have easily flinched or been talking about what-ifs,” linebacker Mike Peterson said.
There were enough of those last season. The Falcons fell short too many times in a season that had high expectations. They lost two close games to the Saints, and in overtime to New York, and were body slammed in Dallas.
On Sunday, we saw the team we expected last year. It felt more like 2008. So it wasn’t surprising when owner Arthur Blank was asked if he remembered the last Falcons’ victory of such significance and he responded: “When we beat the Vikings two years ago to go to the playoffs.”
The Falcons were only average in their opening loss at Pittsburgh. They were far better last week, blowing out Arizona. But New Orleans was a bigger test on a bigger stage. They responded. They looked committed.
Start with Abraham. With the Falcons leading 24-21 and the Saints driving in the final three minutes, the defensive end was poked in the right eye, suffering a scratched pupil. He suffered from double-vision. But he came out for only a few plays.
“They were like, ‘Are you done?’” Abraham said. “But you can’t come out of a game like this. I had one good eye. All I had to do was get around the end.”
This is how you tell something about a football team. The Falcons trailed 7-0 after only three minutes. But the defense intercepted Drew Brees twice in the first half, and the second one turned into that 19-play touchdown drive (including two fourth-down conversions) that tied the game at 14-14.
Trailing again at 21-17, Matt Ryan hit White for a 22-yard score. Then the Saints tied it. They looked like they would win it, only to have kicker Garrett Hartley miss a 29-yard field goal try.
The Falcons had one more chance to will themselves to a victory, and they did. They ran the ball eight straight plays from their own 41 with Michael Turner and Jason Snelling, setting up Bryant for a 41-yard attempt.
His first attempt was blocked. But the Saints had just called timeout. His second attempt was good. But the Falcons were flagged for false start. His third attempt was perfect.
The Falcons celebrated but tried to keep the party in check. It was just one win in the third week of a long season. As Peterson said, “There’s no reason to start printing T-shirts and organizing a parade.”
But if this season turns into something special, remember when they started building the floats.
♦
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809 comments Add your comment
TXDawg (The Real TXDawg)
September 26th, 2010
9:32 pm
WONONEGAME, I will agree with you on one thing, TRUTH does need to learn how to spell. But, I have been a Falcons fan since the 80’s when I would go to games at Fulton County Stadium. My father was always a Saints fan so we had some fun through the years when the Falcons and Saints would battle each other for last place in the NFC West.
WONONEGAME
September 26th, 2010
9:32 pm
The fake Falcons Fans need to get off this blog
gman
September 26th, 2010
9:33 pm
good perspective Ueeediot,Birds need to stay focused,a wins a win,screw a twisted spin.
Benjamin
September 26th, 2010
9:33 pm
Good luck down the line, Leon. I do believe — and have stated my belief for a few weeks now — that we’ll be the better team in 2010, but you guys are a heck of a squad still, and Drew Brees is an amazing performer despite the two mistakes he made today. You’ve got arguably the best player in football under center.
Saints are still a great team and will be a tough test for us in a few weeks when they come to our Dome. I look forward to it.
truth
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
Ok then……bye WONONEGAME see ya later.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
Poor suffering Falcon fans….just mad. LOL Cant even talk about the win because they are too easily led to respond to a few jabs. So pitiful! LMAO! GO EAGLES!
VICK VICK VICK VICK!!! So………ya mad still? Are you emailing the editor to tell them to stop people from bringing up Vick’s name in these blogs? LMAO! Fat chance! You know the AJC LOVES to bring up VICK on their own! LOL
VickTruth
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
The truth is Vick went to the second round of the playoffs his first year and ryan didn’t enough said
DC3
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
i think drew brees just threw another interception haha!
GO COONS!!!
President Barock H. Obama
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
Let me make this clear. The Atlanta Falcons made a statement win today and all the poor-sport Taint fans are just sucking hind tit……………..uuuhhhggghhh……..so to speak.
To be sure, this was a great game with great effort by both teams, but the Saints fans should realize they are a one year wonder and just GEAUX SUCKEAUX a GIGANTUSEAUX PENISEAUX.
Who Dat
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
Good win Falcons but the Saints gave you that game. Granted the Falcons made the plays they needed to make and the Saints did not. Oh well, it was only one game.
TXDawg (The Real TXDawg)
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
I believe they play in December Benjamin.
truth
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
der i wesh i culd spal lik da rist of yawl. LOL!!!!!!!!!
Kris in Loganville
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
Thee guys made our whole city proud today! this game reminded me why I have been a fan since all of my life. his is the type of Falcons team we, the fans, have always known you guys are capable of being. I think a championship is definitely in our future. Thank you Ryan/Gonzalez/Snelling/Turner/White and everybody else on the team-excellent, excellent job!
…And on the road no less. I felt terrible sitting there watching the Saints fans act like jacka*ses toward our players. And did anyone catch them breaking into song JUST BEFORE their kicker missed the field goal?? Mouths soon dropped afterward. Classic.
Benjamin
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
Trish, do you really care about the time allotted by sportscasters to pro football teams? At the end of the day, does that stuff really matter? That seems to be your m.o. tonight.
Good win over the Jags today. We’ll see you in week six.
falconfan 2986
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
@ trisha
Are you a cutie?
TrishaDishaWarEagle
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
Start a petition to ban Vick’s name from falcons blogs!! Bet the editors laugh at it! LOL
WONONEGAME
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
My bad I spelled something wrong hold on TXDAWG
cheshire
September 26th, 2010
9:36 pm
Dezz Nuttz – “throw the ball deep consistently,utilizing incredible foot work, throwing off foot or across his body on the run”… lol, too bad he can’t complete anything he throws.
i know what you’re thinking – “wow! he had 2 great games against sucky teams! he’s back!”. but the larger data on his passing game is horrible. and yet people like you will continue to worship him. you’ll point out that he took a team to the NFC championship game (for some reason losing the NFC championship game is now the determining factor for QB success), but then you’ll conveniently ignore where he took his team (hint – NOWHERE) after that. and he even admitted he was a horrible leader and didn’t work hard at all. but again, you’ll brush that aside.
and are you seriously still using the “deez nuts” joke?? i haven’t heard that since about 1998… i can tell your wit is really cutting edge!
Benjamin
September 26th, 2010
9:36 pm
Two days after Christmas, TX. Week 15.
truth
September 26th, 2010
9:36 pm
LOL!!!!!!
Bama Fan
September 26th, 2010
9:36 pm
ROLL TIDE
Benjamin
September 26th, 2010
9:37 pm
Why would we ban Vick’s name from our blogs, Trish? You’re not even making sense with your weird rants. lol Most trolls at least talk about substantive stuff…
Oregon Falcon
September 26th, 2010
9:37 pm
Grit and professionalism. Refusal to give up and a feeling that we belong. Great teams fight, great teams battle and they get knocked down and they get up and do it again. Great teams make their own luck, and great teams win on the road.
What a battle today, and this is a good football team, and one day they will be great. Perhaps this is the year they leap to the level of greatness.
Man, I enjoy watching these guys, ever since Dimitroff and Smith, this is fun and they know what they are doing.
Our Falcons, just beat the world champs in their own backyard, and the ball bounced our way.
How sweet it is.
truth
September 26th, 2010
9:37 pm
The truth is Vick is the MAN!!!!
truth
September 26th, 2010
9:38 pm
TX how do you spell kat? LOL!!! Hurry get the dictionary.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
September 26th, 2010
9:38 pm
What Lombardi said!
falconfan 2986
September 26th, 2010
9:39 pm
@ Kris
Yes that was priceless to shut up those dumb aints fans in their house.
WONONEGAME
September 26th, 2010
9:39 pm
Benjamin just another ignorant auburn fan
DC3
September 26th, 2010
9:39 pm
i think vick just killed my dog
welikebaseball2
September 26th, 2010
9:39 pm
DC3: You are the definition of coward for reasons you’re probably too ignorant to grasp. Wow. If I spelled it out in all caps with a box of crayons, I think it would still fly right over your hollow head. Carry on with your ignorance…and consider yourself reported.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
September 26th, 2010
9:39 pm
Benjamin…what “our” blogs? LMAO!
truth
September 26th, 2010
9:40 pm
I LOVE THE SAINTS!
Dick Long
September 26th, 2010
9:40 pm
Sine you Falcons fans love talking about Vick….
What did Vick upstage the falcons close game with the aints?
get, I guess this is still Michael Vicks town!,
Big Daddy
September 26th, 2010
9:40 pm
Jamie “Fat ASS” Dukes said on NFL network that Matty Ice is an “average” QB
TrishaDishaWarEagle
September 26th, 2010
9:40 pm
The AJC wants this type of commenting! Watch and see they have a blog all about YKW tomorrow! Just to stir the nest! LOL
falconfan 2986
September 26th, 2010
9:41 pm
Knuckleheads, this is a blog not a Spelling Bee. Go Dirty Birds.
Vick Lover
September 26th, 2010
9:41 pm
Vick will always RULE ATLANTA
Dick Long
September 26th, 2010
9:41 pm
Well he is an average quarterback whose best feature is his ability to hand the ball off to turner or norwood.
DUH?!
Nativebird
September 26th, 2010
9:42 pm
Don’t ever count out Matty Ice Ryan. Remember the Chicago game at home 2 years ago? The kid has the “it” factor and unlike a lot of former Falcon players, is not satisfied with “almost” winning.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
September 26th, 2010
9:42 pm
Bet Schultz or Bradley working on a blog that won’t be about the Falcons but another NFC team to put out tomorrow or Tuesday. Just watch! They know what gets attention and what doesn’t!
Dick Long
September 26th, 2010
9:42 pm
DC3
He got there before I did!
cheshire
September 26th, 2010
9:43 pm
only an Eagles fan is delusional enough to come on a board of a team that beat the defending Superbowl champs and brag because they beat a team who is laughably bad.
this is why Eagles fans are generally considered the equivalent of human trash. if you don’t believe that, look at the crowd shots from their games – it’s like a lepor colony. I heard there’s a contest where if you can spot an attractive woman at an Eagles game, you win $1,000. No one has ever won…
giftgiver10
September 26th, 2010
9:43 pm
Saints were in a gift giving mood I guess. Clearly the better team lost but you can’t have turnovers and miss field goals that High School kickers make. I see the Saints going 14-2 and Falcons 10-6 so there is a chance if Falcons get in with wild card they might play a third time.
WONONEGAME
September 26th, 2010
9:43 pm
You can get off using the immature name calling wanna be falcons fan
welikebaseball2
September 26th, 2010
9:44 pm
Big Daddy: I’m a Falcons fan & want Ryan to grow into the hype, but Dukes’ statement isn’t necessarily far fetched. Ryan has great upside but, aside from a solid rookie season, it’s hard to make the case for him being any better than average…right now. He’s certainly not below average, but he’s surely not in the “elite” category as of yet.
Bishop Long
September 26th, 2010
9:44 pm
Vick is barred from returning to Atlanta except for official business.
Serum of truth
September 26th, 2010
9:44 pm
Schultz you can take this one off too. Bottom line is Vick Does Sell!
truth
September 26th, 2010
9:45 pm
how does it feel losing to alabama every year auburn fan
cheshire
September 26th, 2010
9:45 pm
giftgiver10 – whatever you need to tell yourself to get to sleep tonight
Matt Ryan
September 26th, 2010
9:45 pm
Vick is better than me