Falcons keep winning even though the way keeps changing
Matt Ryan and the Falcons have been ascending for weeks.
All they do is win. Sometimes it’s Michael Turner running. Sometimes it’s Roddy White flying. Sometimes they just stretch it out and let their balding 35-year-old kicker end the suspense on the last play because, well, it’s good for ratings and keeps us all guessing.
“We’re just tying to give people their money’s worth,” linebacker Mike Peterson said.
They’re building a fat bank account. The NFL season is moving into December and the Falcons already are sitting on nine wins. They’re 9-2, a record that only the New England Patriots and New York Jets can match.
Winning has become so commonplace that they just clinched their third straight winning season and it was barely mentioned.
“It’s an afterthought,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “Last season at this time we weren’t having a positive season and the conversation was we still hadn’t put together back-to-back winning seasons. It’s a nice feeling to have that behind us.”
They played Tampa Bay for first place in the NFC South. They won. They played Baltimore amid doubts that they belonged among the league’s elite. They won.
On Sunday they played Green Bay, which had won its last three games by a composite score of 85-10 and was the most recent leader in the oh-they’re-going-to-the-Super-Bowl derby. While it came down to a Matt Bryant field goal with nine seconds left to secure a 20-17 win – the fact remains that it was the Packers who were scrambling to find ways to beat this team.
The Falcons are good enough to win a Super Bowl. Here are a few reasons why:
♦ On a day when the Packers often doubled White and made sure he was a non-factor, quarterback Matt Ryan still completed 24 of 28 passes to nine different receivers against one of the league’s top defenses and engineered two14-play, 80-yard and seven-and-a-half-minute touchdown drives, the kind that can demoralize an opponent.
♦ They don’t beat themselves. They did not have a turnover for the fourth straight game and won the turnover battle for the eighth time in 11 games (all wins).
♦ The defense. Yes, the defense.
Aaron Rodgers lies on the turf after getting drilled by the Falcons' Brian Williams. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
There have been times you’ve wondered about it and maybe covered your eyes. But did you watch the Packers on Sunday? One of the NFL’s premier teams, led by Aaron Rodgers, struggled at times to deal with the Falcons’ speed on defense. How rare is that in recent history?
Green Bay totaled more than 400 yards in offense. But it often was able to extend drives only because Rodgers managed to scramble away from the pass rush. (He led the Packers in rushing with 51 yards, including three first downs.)
Rodgers was sacked once and smacked a few other times, most notably by Brian Williams in the fourth quarter. He also was clocked by Curtis Lofton and fumbled at the Falcons’ one-yard-line in the second quarter (Peterson recovering).
In the third quarter, having been held to a field goal, the Packers resorted to trying a flea-flicker. (It worked, with Rodgers taking a pitch and completing a 34-yard pass to Greg Jennings). In the fourth, with the Falcons leading 17-10, Rodgers bought time on fourth-and-1 from the Falcons’ 21 and threw a desperation shovel pass to James Jones for 18 yards. Later, on fourth and goal from the 10, he bought time and eventually found Jordy Nelson for a tying touchdown with 56 seconds remaining.
Quoth Peterson: “We left our offense just enough time to win it.” Again.
Eric Weems returned a kickoff 40 yards and survived despite a facemask penalty on Matt Wilhelm that looked like a cartoon from Hell. Ryan, starting from the Packers’ 49, completed four straight passes to move the ball to the 29. Bryant took it from there, just as he did against New Orleans and San Francisco.
The Falcons celebrated afterward but it wasn’t at nearly at the champagne-spraying level. They’ve come to expect this.
“We’re ascending right now,” linebacker Curtis Lofton said.
“We think we’re developing something special,” cornerback Thomas DeCoud said.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Peterson. “We win, but when we come back to work next week it’s like everybody forgot all about Sunday.”
Another winning season becomes an afterthought. Welcome to the Falcons’ alternate universe.
♦
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291 comments Add your comment
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 29th, 2010
10:38 am
Jeff Schultz
I guess he is sleeping in today. He had a long and late weekend.
Jeff I guess you deserved to take a lil break since you were working a lot over the holiday. Maybe you need to do a THRASHER article. I don’t know how many hits you will get, but you might want to Jump on that Bandwagon before the bottom falls out like it did already for the Hawks.
With the loss by VICK maybe we can get something on the DOG KILLER that always gets hits.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 29th, 2010
10:40 am
Jeff
Maybe write something about how Great Derek Dooley did this year getting the VOLS to 6-6 just like the DAWGS. The Vols had LSU beat and UGA didn’t play a top well all year and have to have Tech give UGA the game.
Submariner683
November 29th, 2010
10:44 am
oh, Aaron Rogers is 0-1 in the playoffs. So he’s overrated too, right?
Count Bertram - Not to be Confused with THE COUNT
November 29th, 2010
10:45 am
Ball control on offense with no turnovers and tenacious (and improving) D seems to be the Falcons strategy. That means we likely won’t blow any of the good teams off the field but it will put us in a position to win – and we continue to do that. Solid strategy for a solid team.
John H.
November 29th, 2010
10:49 am
Mr. Schultz, you are the man! Nice analysis on the soon-to-be SB Champs! See you next time you’re in Athens
NFL Ref Association
November 29th, 2010
11:05 am
Dear Arthur:
Please make that check payable in money wire.
Thanks for your business.
Katherine
November 29th, 2010
11:23 am
It’s amazing to me that on first take they are still bashing the falcons…none of them believe in them. I sure hope the falcons make them eat their words….
schultz is an idiot
November 29th, 2010
11:30 am
“Still no word on Perrier Jerry?” Hey fish head, Perrier played and made tackle at the gold line.
Eric
November 29th, 2010
11:33 am
That idiot Skip Bayless just takes the cake! So having a goalline stand where you stop a QB sneak from the 1 yard line TWICE while causing and recovering a fumble in the endzone is LUCKY??? Oh and did you guys catch the part where he said that Atlanta is “just not that good”??? We beat his number one team in their house! We beat NO, BAL, GB, and TB on the way to a 9-2 record which is best in the whole league, yet we’re “just not that good”! What a flaming retard. I can’t understand why Skip Bayless is even allowed to spew his stupidity all over the national airwaves….
Katherine
November 29th, 2010
11:35 am
Agreed eric….he will never give atlanta any credit until/unless they win the superbowl.
Saints LSU
November 29th, 2010
11:38 am
The two best teams in the NFC Saints Falcons on 12/ 27 the team that win this game gonna go to the superbowl
D Orlando Bedwetter
November 29th, 2010
11:48 am
I love bow ties.
plattanz
November 29th, 2010
12:18 pm
Listen I love the Falcons but truth be told their defense and lack thereof scares me. They allowed Rogers all day to find the open receiver on that last touchdown (3 or was it even a 2 man rush?). They give up huge plays on critical downs and at critical times in the games. Sooner or later their luck is going to run out I fear. Having said that, they have the best balanced offense in the NFL which will always give them a chance to win. Go Falcons!!!
FanofFalcons
November 29th, 2010
12:40 pm
Falcons rank 6th in the league for points allowed. They can pass all day, but if they don’t score, what does it matter. Their run defense is ranked 5th, so the teams are going to pass all day, that’s why QB’s are passing 40-50 times against the Falcons.
Drinking the Koolaid
November 29th, 2010
1:28 pm
Jeff: I loved your referrence to the Falcons alternate universe. I think I may have entered it yesterday. As a long time fan, yesterday was the first time I didn’t “expect the worst” when the Packers tied it up late. Seemed like plenty of time to get down in field goal range and win it. Strange feeling, very strange.
Eric
November 29th, 2010
1:37 pm
Agreed Fan. Atlanta’s defense did a great job yesterday in my opinion. They held the red hot Packers offense to 17 points, had a brilliant goalline stand and forced Rodgers to make an incredible 4th and 10 play to tie at the end. Lets not forget GB got away with a 4th down delay-of-game no-call just prior to that game-tying score.
I wish our front four could pressure better like NY and Chicago’s but our secondary is much improved. Did you notice how much time Rodgers was getting yet he was still indecisive because the downfield coverage was excellent. As long as we continue to take away the run on defense, we will be fine.
I see the Falcons as not only the best team in the NFC but possibly the best in the NFL. They just have that feel this year, kind of like NO had last year, where everything is going right. We have the most balanced offense of any team and a defense that gets stingy when it counts. Throw in a couple of 14-play 7-minute drives per game and I don’t see anybody beating us, especially in the Dome. If we get home field throughout the playoffs we are going to the Super Bowl. Mark it down.
pauldav1d
November 29th, 2010
1:45 pm
Just a Saints fan dropping a line to pay proper respect to a damn good football team.
I was pulling for the Packers, of course. But it’s impossible to ignore the talent and the team.
WHO DAT?!
Ben Wright
November 29th, 2010
3:33 pm
Another lucky win by the Falqueens. Wait until the Saints come to town and kick your a$$!!!
Enkinan
November 29th, 2010
3:47 pm
This thing isn’t over yet, unfortunately the Cowboys handed the Saints a game that could have given us some breathing room. That said, the Falcons keep playing fundamental football and doing what it takes to win games. That was a huge win for us. Of course the Birds are still getting very little respect in the press, but who cares? Keep the spotlight on other teams while ours goes to work and gets the job done.
Good luck next week in Tampa, GO FALCONS!
Saints1Fan
November 29th, 2010
4:20 pm
Jeff:
“Aaron Rodgers, struggled at times to deal with the Falcons’ speed on defense.”
What game were you watching? When did Aaron Rodgers struggle with the defense’s speed? Great win for the Falcons but don’t forget that Green Bay played without both of their starting safeties. That will and did have an impact. You made a great point that the Falcons do not beat themselves. They are reminding me of the Carolina Panthers, of past. In regards to them being the best, their record would say so, but I would disagree. Look at the games played this year. Take away the turnovers, and that is an average at best team. Yesterday, without the fumble on the goalline by Rodgers, the Pack scores and goes on to win. In the New Orleans game, Brees threw 2 interceptions, fumbled once, missed a field goal and lost by 3 points.
You are what your record says. Too bad the season is not over, because the team will show that they aren’t as good as their record suggests.
Saints1Fan
November 29th, 2010
4:23 pm
Enkinan:
Dallas gave the Saints the game? That’s hard to believe when you saw the Saints player run up the field and steal the ball away from the wideout. A few plays earlier, Dallas scored a TD, with a blatant mugging of that same safety, as he was held by Whitten as Miles Austin ran for a 60 yard TD. Sad part was the hold was right in front of the referee.
Enkinan
November 29th, 2010
4:50 pm
Saints1Fan:
Williams is an idiot for not falling on the ground. It was a terrific play (Reminded me of the Roddy White strip against SF for the Falcons), but just like we should have lost to SF, you should have lost to Dallas. I guess that makes us even.
Saints1Fan
November 29th, 2010
4:51 pm
Eric:
To compare the Falcons to the Saints of last year, everyone keeps forgetting that the Saints won most of their games by double digits. Maybe 7-8 games total, including the playoffs, were less than 10 points. 3 of them were losses. That means that 11-12 of their games were blowouts. That includes the Eagles, Patriots, Cardinals, Colts. The Falcons this year are not blowing out teams. Most of their wins have been decided by 6 points or less.
Saints1Fan
November 29th, 2010
4:55 pm
Enkinan:
We were up by 17 points prior to that momentum changing “hold” play. Under no circumstances should the cowGirls even been in that game. That is all I’m saying.
Enkinan
November 29th, 2010
4:57 pm
I’ll agree that the Falcons are not like the Saints last year. This is a methodical offense that grinds up time and puts together long, defense tiring drives. The Saints were and still are more explosive. You don’t have to be flashy to win, but you have to play more fundamentally sound, which is what is winning games for the Falcons. Winning time of possession and turnovers are going to put you in position to win more games than you lose.
Saints1Fan
November 29th, 2010
5:07 pm
Erkinan:
You are right about that. I still like my Saints to win it all. If they fall along the way, I would pull for the Falcons as they are representing the NFC South. I think the next 3 weeks will tell alot. I see Tampa Bay surprising the Falcons this week. I also see Seattle beating them in Seattle for several reasons: Seattle is also playing well at home, they have a very good quarterback in Hasselbeck, pretty good running game, and a pretty good defense. More than all of those reasons is the 4 hour flight time and late start to the game. Then the next week they play New Orleans.
We also still have 3 tough games, even though records may not show it. Cincinnatti is still a talented team, and St. Louis Rams are a good team. Then we go to Baltimore before we play Atlanta and finish with Tampa.
FalconFan
November 29th, 2010
5:28 pm
Yeah, Seattle plays so well at home they got a butt whipping yesterday by Kansas City at home and lost to the Giants by 34 three weeks ago. The Falcons are the most balanced team in football. If Matt Ryan wanted to throw the ball 50 times a game like Brees, do you really not think he would pass for 400 a game? NO has no running game and last year during their Super Bowl season their defense ranked 20th in points against. Where do the Falcons rank this year, 7th in points against. You can throw all day but when you cannot get into the end zone it doesn’t matter.
If you think for one minute the Falcons will lose to Seattle and Tampa Bay (2 losses) I have some stock you can buy in a VHS manufacturing company.
FalconFan
November 29th, 2010
5:32 pm
Saint1fan,
The Saints beat the Matt Ryan less Falcons by 3 points last year in your Super Bowl run. If Farve wasn’t a dumb ass, you wouldn’t have even made it to the Super Bowl. Plus look at the points scored against the Saints last year. Go through the Falcons schedule and see the points in games this year against them, even against your Saints and see the comparison.
Dave
November 29th, 2010
5:54 pm
I am about to commit heresy: The 2010 Falcons are REALLY not too different than the 2009 Falcons!
If you analyze the games from last year’s 9-7 team, they could have finished 12-4 with a consistent kicker, a completely healthy Matt Ryan and a healthy (and NOT over-weight) Mike Turner.
This year’s 9-2 team has won only ONE game decisively and lost only ONE game decisively. The rest were all very close, often decided by one or two plays. Had those plays turned out differently, we could be looking at a hard-luck 4-5, 3-6 or even 2-7 Falcons team, with the fan base screaming for the coach’s head!
This team lives and dies with Matt Ryan and Mike Turner, and, to a lesser extent, Matt Bryant. If either or both are injured, they would still make the playoffs (because even the second teamers would beat Carolina twice, and may even beat Seattle and Tampa Bay), but the Super Bowl would be a pipe dream!
Let’s hope that the next two games can be decided early, with the Falcons going into the 3rd quarter with comfortable 20+ point leads, to allow Turner and/or Ryan the chance to rest and AVOID INJURY.
The Injury Bug has made the Indianapolis Colts and the NY Giants average teams at best, and the same thing can happen to the Falcons (knock on wood!).
I think a 3-2 finish is almost a sure bet, while a 4-1 finish is VERY feasible, and 5-0 is not beyond the realm of possibility. The 4-1 finish gives the Falcons a first week bye, and home field in both NFC games. If that hapens, a trip to Dallas in February could very well be in the cards!
GO FALCONS!
Bravissimo
November 29th, 2010
6:51 pm
As a long time Falcs fan, I find it funny were discussing either the Falcs or Saints being in superbowl. Look at their track records.
But Ill take it 1 game at a time. Go Birds!!
PDK
November 29th, 2010
7:09 pm
The Falcons and the Saints are the top two teams in the NFC, and possibly the entire NFL. Which one is better? Well, the records and the Falcons’ victory in NO earlier this year say Atlanta has the slight edge . . . “slight” being the operative word. In the end, I think the Falcons will prove to be the better team, but again, not by too much. They’re playing more consistent, balanced football, while the Saints have been more erratic. Of course it’s all conjecture at this point, but it’s sure been fun to watch.
Saints1Fan
November 29th, 2010
10:23 pm
FalconFan:
Everyone always brings up the Matt Ryan less Falcons when it comes to the loss, in my opinion Chris Redman is a better quarterback and could be starting somewhere else. I thought the same thing of Kyle Orton. They are very good quarterbacks who manage the game well and get rid of the ball quickly with very few mistakes. You mentioned about scoring defense. Who is ranked ahead of the Falcons at number 4. You guessed it, DA SAINTS. LOL. I’ll pass on the VHS stock because I have stock in BETA. LMBO.
PDK:
You are right. The one difference between the Saints offense this year and last year is the turnovers. Brees has already thrown 15 ints and last year he threw a total of 11 with none thrown in the playoffs. They put a cap on the turnovers and they blow teams out of the water. Go back and look at the first game the Falcons played against the Saints. The Saints stopped the Falcons defense, with 3 and outs, on 3 of the first 5 drives. Take away the turnovers, especially the two in Falcons’ territory, and it is 28-0, 28-6 at worst. These teams are not on the same level, even though the record may say otherwise. If the Falcons win every game and lose to the Saints and the Saints win every game, Atlanta still wins the South because of the common games tiebreaker. The Saints loss to Arizona and Cleveland, Atlanta loss to Pittsburgh only, so if the Falcons lose again before the Saints game, the Saints can win the NFC South and get homefield. Regardless, we don’t mind coming to the GA Dome, also known as the Superdome East, during the playoffs. We will take two from the Falcons.
Saints1Fan
November 29th, 2010
10:27 pm
Dave:
The Falcons have been very fortunate on the injury front. The Saints haven’t been so far this year and are getting healthy now. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush have missed a total of 8 games each, Shockey has missed 2, Sharper 8 games, Malcolm Jenkins 2, Randall Gay is on IR, and the list goes on and on. The Saints led the NFL with players on IR last year, and the year before. The Saints beat the Steelers with their 5th string cornerback starting, and their starting safety playing the other cornerback position. How many other teams could you see doing that? Not many.
rilaly
November 29th, 2010
11:40 pm
Things work our some of the times. The genius, Bill Parcells picks Jake Long over Matt Ryan. Yikes! He also picked Julius Jones over Stephen Jackson. Yikes! Some of the times, even geniuses over think things. They were idiots not to pick Glenn Dorsey. Yikes. The Falcons were idiots to let Matt Schaub go. Even with his “incident” the Falcons were idiots to let Mike Vick go. I’d even take Ryan’s present over Vick’s present, not to mention Ryan’s future. Things work out some of the times.
Eric
November 30th, 2010
12:09 am
I love how saintsfan has to live in an alternate reality to justify himself and his team. If only this had happened or if only that had happened…. Whatever. The games played out how they did and the results are all that count. Get over it. Brees DID throw those INT’s against us, Hartley DID miss the FG and we DID win in YOUR house. Period. All these “what if’s” are meaningless and are nothing but the desperate attempt by a fan to justify a loss. So the Flacons don’t blow people out. Who cares? Where does the “opponents blown out” stat show up when choosing playoof teams? It doesn’t.
The Saints are explosive and could do very well down the stretch but if Atlanta gets home field throughout its going to be over for all of the other teams in the NFC. The Falcons DO NOT lose at the Dome. As for our next games, TB in Tampa will be tough. Seattle though, you gotta be kidding yourself if you think we lose that game. Only if we self-destruct like we tried to against SF. I think we beat NO at home and finish with one of those blowouts you keep talking about against Carolina.
That leaves the Atlanta Falcons 13-3, winners of the NFC South, number 1 seed in the NFC and a virtual lock for the Super Bowl (where we probably play the Pats)…..
Saints1Fan
November 30th, 2010
7:24 am
Eric:
You are right. I’ve turned into one of those “what-if” guys like the Falcon fans were last year. “If we made a play here, we would have beat the Saints”, and “if Ryan played, we would’ve done this”. I apologize. It won’t happen again. LOL.
The blowouts show up in the factor that you are much more likely to win the game rather than going to the final drive. The final drive magic runs out. Its one thing to drive up the field in 50+ seconds when you are down by 3. Let’s see what happens when they are down by 4+. A different type of stress level will enter the picture.
Maybe I’m wrong, but where did the Falcons play Arizona in the playoffs two years ago? I thought it was in Atlanta. Was it? If so, they are capable of losing at home. If it wasn’t, they are still capable of losing. You want to compare yourselves to the Saints last year? They won all of their games and then lost 2 home games and an away game.
Eric
November 30th, 2010
10:48 am
For the record the Falcons lost AT Arizona in the 2008 playoffs. Since Matt Ryan started that season he has lost just one out of nineteen games at home. They don’t lose at home. If they get home field throughout the playoffs they will not lose. Sorry but its a fact…
Eric
November 30th, 2010
10:51 am
I’m sorry, he’s actually only lost one out TWENTY games at home. Thats a .950 winning percentage at home which is better than any QB in the NFL. But don’t worry, the Saints will find that out when they come here in a couple weeks….
Saints1Fan
November 30th, 2010
11:38 am
Eric:
LOL. Something will be found out in December and you better believe you will find an “L” on your doorstep. Sit back and enjoy the ride. When you go back and talk about the 20 game win streak, also factor in the weak schedule of your opponents. Yes, you won two big games this year against Baltimore and Green Bay. The Baltimore game was won with referee assistance. 1) Pass interference w/ Tony Gonzalez, 2) No catch by Jenkins, 3) No PI call on Roddy White for pushing off on the curl route, 4) No PI call on Roddy White pushing off on the TD pass. If you are going to call it tight(as with Gonzalez), keep calling it tight(as with Roddy).
In the GB game, replay shows that Gonzalez did not catch the ball on 4th and 3. Did you forget, you scored on that drive. Yes luck occurs and its a part of the game, but it seems like you are getting a little more than luck these days. I see a lot of “homecooking”. That is why you should blow teams out and keep the referees out of deciding the games.
Eric
November 30th, 2010
3:46 pm
Oh wow, more whining about refs and fingertips and replays and blah, blah, blah. So I guess it is your contention that the refs have decided they are going to support the Falcons this year huh? Yep, before every Falcons game the refs get together in a huddle and remind themselves not to rule anything against Atlanta! Oh, except the 4 personal fouls they called on us against GB. And the missed delay of game that allowed Rodgers to even score the game-tying TD. But I don’t make stupid excuses like that. The results are all that counts and we won.
Btw, how many non-calls and lucky breaks were there last year for the Golden Boy Brees and the mighty Saints? Plenty I am sure, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are the World Champs does it?
Josh in VA
November 30th, 2010
6:29 pm
Saints at Falcons on 12/27 will be THE game of the year.