LIVE from New Orleans, as Falcons go for the upset
If John Abraham is doing this to Drew Brees, the Falcons have a chance against New Orleans. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
NEW ORLEANS –Good morning. I’m looking forward to actually watching some football today since I really didn’t see any last night in Starkville.
The good news for the Falcons is that no matter what happens in today’s game against the New Orleans Saints — and I do believe they have a legitimate chance to win — they will be fine this season. That’s not the case at Georgia, which not only lost last night at Mississippi State but had yet another player — freshman linebacker Demetre Baker — arrested this morning for underage possession of alcohol and DUI. That makes 10 arrests for the Bulldogs since the spring to pair with a 0-3 record in the SEC.
By comparison, the Falcons are Camelot.
There obviously were some good signs in last week’s 41-7 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons ran the ball effectively, with Jason Snelling having a breakout game (three touchdowns) after Michael Turner left with a groin strain. Quarterback Matt Ryan also was sharp.
But the Saints are at another level. Ryan will face a stronger pass rush and play in a tougher environment in the Superdome than last week.
The biggest step up today must come from the defense. In the first two games, the Falcons faced a third-string quarterback in Pittsburgh (Dennis Dixon) and a last-resort starter against Arizona (Derek Anderson). Today, the opposing quarterback is the MVP of the Super Bowl, Drew Brees.
The New Orleans offense has not been as explosive as a year ago. The Saints have won their first two games by scores of 14-9 and 25-22. But Brees has completed 74.3 percent of his passes (55 of 74) for 491 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. It’s imperative the Falcons get pressure on him, and that starts with John Abraham.
The lone starters out for the Falcons are wide receiver Michael Jenkins and safety Erik Coleman.
That’s it for now. I’ll check back shortly. How do you feel about the Falcons’ chances today?
♦
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2,596 comments Add your comment
edjmusic
September 26th, 2010
4:52 pm
re: Suck on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVERz5D1YEU
Thanks Sgt Pepper, this almost brought me to tears!
F Troop
September 26th, 2010
4:52 pm
A signature game. No disrespect to Hartley or the Saints, but if he hits that FG in OT they gotta figure they stole one from ATL. We outplayed ‘em all 4 qtrs with classic football. NO beat the league last year with monstrous TO ratios. Didn’t happen today. Made me change my mind about vet kickers.
GregKennesaw
September 26th, 2010
4:52 pm
Cajun crap talker – you’re the only Saint’s fan with any balls. The rest are aint’s
Big Ray
September 26th, 2010
4:52 pm
Cajun Crap Talker ,
Hey, you KNOW we’d be pi$$ing and moaning our butts off if your rookie kicker had nailed the kick. You KNOW it. I was prepared to, when he was about to kick it, looking for the moral victory of “well, we played them to a draw and better than anybody else has so far”, prepared to post today on the blog, but not after that, as I didn’t want to read through 2,498 Saints fan comments, rubbing our noses in it.
Martin
September 26th, 2010
4:53 pm
Well I guess illl be eating crow this week. Your team hung in there today and played a good game. We had a chance to win, but for our field goal kicker. See you guys in December for perhaps the NFC south championship.
Cajun crap talker
September 26th, 2010
4:53 pm
David W — Man, you ain’t never lied. Two heavyweights going at it. Who knows, maybe y’all can surprise everybody this year. When’s the last time somebody won the NFC south 2 years in a row? I think never.
Doug
September 26th, 2010
4:53 pm
Dipstick Dan I was mowing the grass….are you so obtuse that you don’t realize EVERY team that wins in OT is a little lucky? So dumb you don’t see that this was a great game between two very good FB teams?? Your word usage also could use some sprucing up ol’ boy
5150 P.O.A.D.
September 26th, 2010
4:53 pm
MAMADAWG go root for your uga mutts. What crow are you talking about? Tech at least scored TDs all game long. What did uga do FGs with a meaningless TD at the end when it didn’t matter?
But we all know if MV7 was playing he would have won the game all by himself. MV7 lover go to the Philly Blog and leave the Falcon Blog.
Dan how is that CROW?
Dan Mullen
September 26th, 2010
4:53 pm
FalconFever SAVE THE SMACK TALK IN 2 WEEKS
bgfalcon
September 26th, 2010
4:54 pm
is dan mullen even an aint fan? no hes a troll get off our blog loser
ryan
September 26th, 2010
4:54 pm
Dan the Saint are great team i like Drew Brees but the Falcons just ran the ball down your throat when Turner runs for a 100 yards Falcons win .
Once "Recent" Reader
September 26th, 2010
4:54 pm
Brees got a boatload of yards and TDs today. However, the more you throw the ball . . .the more opportunity there is for an Int . . .thus 2 today. Brees and his receivers are so good . . ..they may not need a running game . . . .. .but I still think if they are only getting 50 or less yards a game . . .that can’t be a good sign.
Cajun crap talker
September 26th, 2010
4:54 pm
Yeah, Greg and Ray, I’d rather be rubbin’ your noses in it, but here I am. You can rub mine in it. It’s only fair . . .
falcon fan
September 26th, 2010
4:54 pm
Break out the napkins and silverware boys……..theirs a few folks on here got some major crow to eat.
truth
September 26th, 2010
4:54 pm
BWAA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! Be a freak’n man seen and come and eat your crow. Loser!!!!
Looks like lady luck has left the stupid-dome.
Once "Recent" Reader
September 26th, 2010
4:55 pm
Dan Mullen . . . .what happens in 2 Weeks? Just wondering.
Dan Mullen
September 26th, 2010
4:55 pm
ALL OF YOU FALCONS LOSERS CAN STICK IT
Mountain Man
September 26th, 2010
4:55 pm
Who Dat just got beat?
playmeortrademe
September 26th, 2010
4:55 pm
On a philosophical note….
How ironic is football in that the kicker, the weakest member of the team, one who has no bearing on advancing the ball to the point to try and win the game, is the one who decides the game?
I always think about this when I see a kicker choke a winning field goal like today after a great drive by the offense to set up the kick. I mean, Atlanta practically owes it’s only Super Bowl appearance to a Gary Anderson choke job in Minnesota. How would you feel if you were Robert Smith or John Randle knowing little Gary Anderson lost you the best chance at a Super Bowl you ever had in your career. Pure irony…
JOHNNY B
September 26th, 2010
4:55 pm
Is that all the smack you can talk mullen? vick vick vick
You got a man crush on him or something? Vick was the man here at one time and then he chose to p!ss it away. The true QB vick will be exposed soon enough in Philly, mark it down
Vick Supporter
September 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
Great game by Matt Ryan. Got to give it to him
getbuzzed
September 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
all the naysayers, get on your knees. Matty Ice is waiting……………………….
Dan Mullen
September 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
VICK WILL SHOW EVERYBODY THE TRUTH
Big Ray
September 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
Somebody point Mullen to the Philly blogs. I’d rather have 50,000 Saints fans than this clown…
Doug
September 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
Also big Dan the object of your man crush-MV is now 3-9…reality setting in and one of the least accurate QB’s in league history is retreating to his norms
truth
September 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
BWAA HA HA HA FREAK’N HA!!!!!
Dan Mullen
September 26th, 2010
4:57 pm
Yea and that QB WILL BE MATT RYAN THAT WILL LOSE
Barkin'Dog
September 26th, 2010
4:57 pm
EASY FALCONS FANS… the Saints missed a 26 yard FG that should have won the game. Imagine the blogging pain if that happened. I for one am grateful for the break and the chance to win it. But you won’t hear me waggin’ my words at the Saints fans. This was one of the best NFL games in history, and I’m glad the Falcons won it. Remeber, they come up here to ATL and they will be mad. Let’s cool our jets and just revel in the win. Glad we can, after the UGA and Tech losses yesterday.
Congrats to the Falcons… and the Saints… for playing a whale of a game! It was awesome!!
truth
September 26th, 2010
4:57 pm
Sorry don’t give a fly’n floozie fart about Vick . Get a life Dan.
Cajun crap talker
September 26th, 2010
4:58 pm
A’ight. I’m gonna take my plate of crow and go eat it. Thanks for the extra serving. See y’all in December!!!
bgfalcon
September 26th, 2010
4:58 pm
dan if the bettter team loss than that team is obviously not supposed to be the better team. you can say you have the better team but if you don’t win, you’re basically just like UGA. (btw i am a uga fan unfortunately)
Dan Mullen
September 26th, 2010
4:58 pm
FALCONS SUCK
Cajun crap talker
September 26th, 2010
4:59 pm
Dan Mullen: You gots to chill, dude.
truth
September 26th, 2010
4:59 pm
Oh so a missed field goal is an excuse? Ok whatever Barkin’loser. Screw theaints I’m not gonna congrats them for anything……man I hate wussy fans.
Dan Mullen
September 26th, 2010
5:00 pm
DID YOU LOSERS FORGET THE SHOW VICK PUT ON IN ATLANTA LAST YEAR, ITS COMING
Mobile Man
September 26th, 2010
5:00 pm
We Dat who did Dat in da Who Dat Bowl!
truth
September 26th, 2010
5:00 pm
BWAA HA HA !!!!!!!!!!
falcon fan
September 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
@ vick supporter I respect that comment and I agree. The offense over came some huge odds on some of those drives to score and keep the falcons alive.
truth
September 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
DAN SUCKS
Dan Mullen
September 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
BGFALCON IF THE BETTER TEAM DID NOT LOSE, THAT LIKE SAYING MISSISSIPPI HAS A BETTER TEAM THAN GEORGIA WHICH THEY DON’T
ReddJonn68
September 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
Got lucky this week, now lets do like N.O. & take the momentum & run with it !!!
Cajun crap talker
September 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
truth: Hey, I didn’t expect to go undefeated. Good win for you. I’m eatin’ my crow. mmmbmfmmbmhmmmm. Dirty bird tastes nasty.
Once "Recent" Reader
September 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
Barking’ Dawg . . .I’m with you regarding going overboard on the smack talking now. However, I have to say they lost it on a bad kick from their guy in OT . . . …. but a big shift in the regulation time score was a result of a flukey punted kick . . . that was then inadvertantly leg kicked. Strange things happened. . . . and that punt – leg touch – fumble was a real big momentum gain for Saints instead of potentially continuation of Offensive momentum the Falcs had during the second half.
Jimmy
September 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
Dan Mullen is still hung over from the Miss. State joke for a game.
They beat the worse UGA team in 20 years and he thinks he’s now a winner.
Someone got lucky today
September 26th, 2010
5:02 pm
Someone got lucky today… and it wasn’t the Falcons (in a way).
The Saints are the ones to get lucky. Our D didn’t cause many injuries. Not too many hard hits. So, the Saints got lucky–real lucky that Drew Brees isn’t out.
A win is great. A win versus the reigning world champs is even better. A win versus the reigning world champs AT their field… is amazing!
Falcons rose up today, big time.
It was so funny when Drew Brees got intercepted… TWICE. Ryan played excellent.
ryan
September 26th, 2010
5:02 pm
Dan your an A$$ H#LE it was a great game by two great QBs can’t you just get over your self if you don’t have anything nice to say get the hell out of her .
bgfalcon
September 26th, 2010
5:02 pm
haha ignore this fool. vick, vick, vick. nobody cares about mike vick in TWO WEEKS!!! we care becuz we just upset the defending world champs. if we can beat them we can beat anybody
truth
September 26th, 2010
5:03 pm
Hey Seen…….do you like a dry rub on your bbq crow or would yo rather have sauce?
Tim Pappas
September 26th, 2010
5:03 pm
I think we should see the headlines of Monday’s paper -
Whooooo Dattttt ?
Weeeeeeeee Datttttttt – Falcons Win !
musicgeekmusic
September 26th, 2010
5:03 pm
Maybe I’m just overly sensitive, but the sports shows — ESPN, Fox, NFL — ignore the Falcons in favor of Dallas, Vikings, Philly, Steelers, etc. I’ve channel surfed since the end of the game, seen a mention or two of the Falcons while we get 15 minutes on Dallas, Vikings and Steelers. Where’s the love?