Mike Smith should’ve given Matt Ryan, offense a chance
Matt Ryan lost for only the second time in 21 home starts.
This season has been about comebacks.
This season has been about the Falcons making plays at the end of games to win.
This season has been about Matt Ryan engineering winning drives against New Orleans, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Green Bay and Tampa Bay.
Whether that magic carries over into the playoffs remains to be seen. But it ran out Monday night. One reason: a bad decision by coach Mike Smith.
With the Saints leading the Falcons 17-14 at the Georgia Dome and less than three minutes remaining, Smith pulled Ryan and the offense off the field. The team faced a fourth-and-6 from the Falcons’ 43 and the head coach went the conservative route.
Smith’s mindset: A good punt could pin New Orleans deep in its zone, the defense looked strong most of the evening and the Falcons could get the ball back in good position.
But that same defense had just allowed Drew Brees and the Saints a go-ahead, 90-yard touchdown drive.
Strategy: Epic fail.
The Saints got the ball back with 2:44 left. They made two first downs and ran out the clock.
Smith has made a lot of good decisions over the past three seasons. This was a bad one.
How do you pull Ryan off the field? The quarterback has been nothing but clutch. He excels in the two-minute offense. He excels in no-huddle. Actually, a case could be made that Ryan often is better in pressure situations and in the fourth quarter than in other situations.
Also worth noting: The Falcons went into the game with the NFL’s best fourth-down percentage (84.6 percent, 11 for 13).
Granted, Ryan wasn’t necessarily at his best Monday night. He completed only 15 of 29 for 148 yards and a touchdown.
But do you know what he didn’t do? He didn’t melt down. Even his counterpart, Brees, did that early in the fourth quarter.
With the Saints leading 10-7, it was Brees who threw a foolish shovel pass as he was being sacked by Jonathan Babineaux in the fourth quarter. The pass was intercepted by Chauncey Davis and returned 26 yards for a touchdown and a 14-10 lead Falcons lead. It was Brees who, on the ensuing New Orleans drive, was pressured and ultimately intercepted by John Abraham.
But in the end, it also was Brees who led the Saints to a 13-play, 90-yard touchdown drive, capped by a six-yard pass to Jimmy Graham.
The Falcons trailed 10-0. But that wasn’t all about Ryan. The Saints’ touchdown was set up by a bad snap by center Todd McClure — the ball never making it to Ryan’s hands. To open the second half, Ryan drove the offense down the field to the New Orleans’ one-yard-line, completing four of five attempts and throwing two passes that led to a pass interference penalty. But Michael Turner was stopped on first down and fumbled on second down.
Two turnovers — a 14-point swing.
Ryan’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White in the second quarter had closed the score to 10-7. Then came the Turner fumble drive in the third.
In September, Ryan led a comeback win at New Orleans. With the Falcons trailing 21-17 in the fourth quarter, Ryan took them on a nine-play, 85-yard touchdown drive, finishing with a 22-yard score to Roddy White to give Atlanta a 24-21 lead. The Saints rallied for a game-tying field goal, but the Falcons won the game with a field goal in overtime. It was a run-dominated, field goal drive but it was Ryan who set the tone with his calmness.
He wasn’t given that chance Monday night.
If the Falcons win next week over Carolina, their regular season goals will be achieved. They can clinch the NFC South Division, a first-round bye and the top seed in the conference. The memory of this loss will fade quickly.
The Falcons have proven themselves this season. They’re 12-3, still the best record in the NFC. But we know teams and quarterbacks are defined by the playoffs, not regular seasons. That’s not meant at a knock on Ryan. Fact is, everything about him — from his talent to his makeup and his leadership — suggests he will succeed in the playoffs. But consider it the unchecked box on his resume.
Thus far, Ryan has had only one chance. Two years ago as a rookie, he led the Falcons to an 11-5 regular season record but looked average in a playoff loss at Arizona, losing 30-24. Ryan threw two touchdown passes but was intercepted twice, sacked three times and fumbled once during an attempted handoff (leading to a 27-yard return for a touchdown by the Cardinals’ Antrel Rolle).
I remember thinking during and after the game that Ryan didn’t look the same and something must be wrong with him physically. I asked a couple of team officials about him, but the response I got was: Ryan was healthy. It’s just that the playoffs are a step up and the rookie quarterback wasn’t ready for that moment.
This season, Ryan has outdueled four of the league’s top quarterbacks: Brees (New Orleans), Carson Palmer (Cincinnati), Joe Flacco (Baltimore) and Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay). He has the best touchdown-interception ratio (26-9) of his career. He looks ready for the postseason.
It just would’ve been nice to see him get one more chance Monday.
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685 comments Add your comment
Carol
December 28th, 2010
12:35 pm
Mike Vick should not ever be allowed to play football period. I do not care how fast he is or what he has done this year. As for the Falcons two mistakes beat them and Matt Ryan had nothing to do with either of them. It happens !
Rodney
December 28th, 2010
12:36 pm
I feel that the offense had its chances i think matt ryan choked at times he look like deer in headlights. matty ice was thawed out last night he is not ready for the big stage and i agree they should have went for it on that 4th down but i can assure you we wouldnt have made it matt was not confident and OMG micheal turner what a overrated back he never fight for yards if the hole is not there he just lay down run like he in lttle league and yes he gains a lot of yards through out the season but never when it counts snelling is better
SB44Champs
December 28th, 2010
12:37 pm
“should have sunk NO”
The difference between a team that simply makes it to the playoffs and one that has a Lomardi, or the difference between a really good QB and an elite QB is that it did not sink Brees or the World Champion Saints.
blacksuit
December 28th, 2010
12:40 pm
UGA – you’re right, it was one dimensional. With any luck, we can get Chris Ivory back for the playoffs (and the time off doesn’t create a negative effect, i.e. Reggie Bush / Pierre Thomas). Looking forward to the next meeting. I don’t see any other teams that can really challenge either the Saints or the Falcons in the NFC.
SB44Champs
December 28th, 2010
12:42 pm
“we learned the blitz will stop their one dimensional offense.”
Except when it counts….lol
UGA83
December 28th, 2010
12:46 pm
SB44champs – You and Tampa got that SB ring and we don’t but my score sheet still says ATL 46 wins Saints 38 lifetime and in the playoffs it’s ATL up 1-0 as we beat you in your own house! soon to be 2-0
Furman Bitcher
December 28th, 2010
12:48 pm
Falcons 12-3
Saints 11-4
Nuff said LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!
Furman Bitcher
December 28th, 2010
12:49 pm
Oh and soon to home field thoughout.
donymo
December 28th, 2010
12:49 pm
You left out a key piece of information about the first Saints-Falcons game.
The Falcons won the toss and went 3 and out when the Saints sacked Matt Ryan.
Then, Drew Brees marched the Saints all the way inside the 20 yard line and setup the potential game winning field goal of only 29 yards – which Hartley shanked. So, if Hartley had made that field goal, there never would have been a drive for the win. Shoulda-coulda-woulda…he missed.
In last night’s game, the Saints gave the Falcons a pick-6 and another interception and they still couldn’t get it done. The score should have been much more lopsided.
whodat70816
December 28th, 2010
12:51 pm
With all of the pressure put on Brees and the 2 interceptions he threw, the man still managed to complete 35 of 49 passes (71%) for 302 yards.
LMAO…Imagine what he would have done to your dirty birds had they not “Slowed” him down!
Compare that to your Matty Ice’s 15/29 completions (51%) for 148 yards. Then again…don’t, because Matty Ice is no where in the same league as Brees!
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2010
12:54 pm
Carol….please return to the kitchen and fix me a ham sandwich. Football is not for you.
Chillin on Paradise Island
December 28th, 2010
12:54 pm
Everyone is bashing the team after one loss by 3 points. The media is making it seem like the Saints are the best team in the world and the Falcons are a bunch of choke jobs. We are 12-3 and still the BEST team in the NFC. Would yall have lost to the Saints now or in the Playoffs? Its HARD to beat the same team three times in the same season, i think Mike Smith realized this, so he didnt open up the playbook at all. The whole game we were running only fundamental plays (Run it up the gut with turner and slant passes). This loss is more good than bad. It brought all the fans and the team back down to earth, after all we hadnt lost a game in 2 months!
Let the media and other fans bash us. Who cares about all that stuff? We got Carolina next and with home field advantage on the line, i like our chances. Then we got a first round bye in the playoffs, and then the journey to the Superbowl begins in the Ga Dome!
GO FALCONS!
No time to panic
December 28th, 2010
12:56 pm
Listen, what I saw last night was not the falcons lose as much as the Falcons beat themselves. McClue turnover, Turner turnover, failing to score when we forced turnovers, No challenge on fumble by saints. The Defense was awesome, considering the saints high power offense. I am not worried The Falcons need to open the playbook up and stop playing so damn conservative. We play to maintain instead of trying to win.
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2010
12:56 pm
Matt Ryan looked like a deer in headlights when the center fumbled the snap. He never went for the ball….he kept backpeddling. I don’t want to say that he was scared…but he looked scared.
Chillin on Paradise Island
December 28th, 2010
12:56 pm
Wow Saints fan are ridiculous. We beat you in your house too, by the same margin. So quit acting like yall are better then us, because yall are not.
N'Awlins Mojo
December 28th, 2010
12:58 pm
Hey UGA, guess what? Eli and Drew have something in common: They both have a Super Bowl ring. What they don’t have in common: Drew has the record for best completion percentage in a season at just above 70. Drew is the only quarterback to twice have 400 completions in one season … and now he has done it three times. “Cowardly” underhand passes? They were both ill-advised throws, but “cowardly?” What exactly made them cowardly? Why do you hate on Breesus? Jealousy is an ugly thing, my friend. … It is OK, the Falcons have a good young quarterback, a good coach, a solid running game and a good defense. They will be a decent team for years to come. Too bad they’re in the same division with the world champs. … We’ll see what happens in Round 3 in three weeks. But I wouldn’t bet against our “cowardly” quarterback. It has been a while since Breesus has lost a game when the nation was watching. That’s when he shines, and he’ll do it again.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
12:59 pm
Katherine you got my cookies yet? Get Carol to help you because she is another dog kissing whack job
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2010
1:00 pm
Chillin on Paradise….you are part of the losing mentality of your Fraudulent Falcons. Yeah, its real hard to beat a team 3 times when you are trying to get lucky! It’s hard to get lucky 3 times. You got lucky in the 1st game against the Saints as the FG kicker shanked the potential game winner in OT. When you own a team like the Saints do the Falcons you can beat them 3 times in a season or more.
You don’t feel that way about Carolina do you? Don’t need luck to beat them…huh?
suwaneefalcon
December 28th, 2010
1:00 pm
GOOD GOD! We lose our first game in more then a month and you would think that the freaking team is like the Panthers! You wagon jumpers p*ss me off with your on again off again love for this team. Fact: We win Sunday we clinch the South. Fact: We win Sunday we clinch home field advantage. Fact: It is not a forgone conclusion that the Saints can beat us twice in one year in our dome. Fact: it is not for sure that the Saints will make it past the first round.
You are either with this team or you ain’t. If you can’t except last nights loss and look at what can be if we win this Sunday, then go buy a Eagles number 7 jersey or a Saints number 9 and jump on their bandwagon! Both have plenty of those type of fans!
Shut the Fu-k Up Matt choke Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:01 pm
Hey you dumb ass look at Matt Ryan’s number of wins in his first three years as a QB.Falcons win next week he ties Marino for most wins in first three seasons all time!!!! Forget about the loser Vick he will choke like he always has,the NFL canceled the game Sunday night cause Vick could not show out on TV in 8-10 inches of snow.Vick would have laid an egg cause he can’t run like he did growing up in the ghetto in all the snow.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:01 pm
I like $ucking C0ck!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:01 pm
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2010
12:54 pm
Carol….please return to the kitchen and fix me a ham sandwich. Football is not for you.
____________________________________________
Yeah girl, make yourself useful
No time to panic
December 28th, 2010
1:02 pm
Saints Fans, guess what! the superbowl will still have to come through Atlanta, See you in the playoffs,(if you make it past the first round)
Whereyat
December 28th, 2010
1:02 pm
JF, you actually get paid to write this crap. In a game in which the Falcons had a chance to show the league, they were the best team in the NFC, they laid an egg. The Saints unlike the Falcons played to win this game and make the playoffs as opposed to waiting until next week to secure a victory. In an era when your team should be playing its best, the Falcons were exposed in this game. The Saints gave the rest of the league a receipe for beating the Falcons in the playoofs. Pete, we will see you in the divisional round. I expect another classic Saints-Falcons battle. Good luck and next time, don’t play like pigeons.
WTF!
December 28th, 2010
1:03 pm
Can anyone tell me when is the last time they saw a double pass interferance call?
Ivan
December 28th, 2010
1:04 pm
I think it was a damning decision either way you look at it for Smith.
Go for it on 4th and 6 from your own 30? Sure. No difference in losing 24-14 or 17-14.
Punt and let the Defense go back to work with 2 timeouts since they’ve probably been playing their best game all season? Sure. Another Turnover wins you the game or forcing a 3 and out gives you the ball back with 80 seconds.
Sorry, I can’t place this on coaching decisions and playcalling. A fumbled snap or a fumble at the 1 yeard line is what did it.
Good Game Falcons. I’ll take clinching the 1st seed even if it means beating Carolina in Week 17.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:04 pm
I’m a LOSER
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:05 pm
I am a flaming d0uche bag!
hjones
December 28th, 2010
1:06 pm
Mike Smith should’ve given Matt Ryan, offense a chance
Jeff you are exactly right. Mike Smith should’ve given Matt Ryan, offense a chance for the ENTIRE season. This offense has operated the same way in every game but one. It was the Thursday night game with the Ravens when Matt Ryan entered the game and ran the “no huddle” for the entire first half. The Raven game has been the only game that the offense has been given a REAL chance. The strategy was a surprise to the Raven and the fans. We CANNOT and WILL NOT win a championship with the predictable play calling of Mike Malarkey. In fact, we probably WILL NOT win a single playoff game this year if the offensive strategy stays the same. The “RUN MICHAEL TURNER NO MATTER THE OUTCOME” strategy is known by the Eagles and Saints.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:07 pm
I wish I was one of Michael Vick’s dogs so he would beat me like a bad little boy.
seattlesaint
December 28th, 2010
1:08 pm
“We proved that with a little pressure Brees looks a lot like Eli Manning on a bad day.” Uh… yeah. He threw for 300 yards and the game winning TD on a 90 yard drive. You proved a lot didn’t you?
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:09 pm
Matt “CHOKE” Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:07 pm
I wish I was one of Michael Vick’s dogs so he would beat me like a bad little boy.
_____________________________________________
Ssssh……that’s a secret
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2010
1:10 pm
WTF….I have never seen a double pass interference call. While you were calling for Def pass interference I was calling for Roddy’s push off!!! LOL!! When watching Falcon games I often see Roddy White push off and nothing being called. So perhaps the Ref was confused so instead of calling nothing….he called both.
Cinderella the clock has struck 12 and your slipper is broken….dream season over…no more Ref assistance!!!
No time to panic
December 28th, 2010
1:10 pm
This is what a game between good team is suppose to be like, We were playing the defending champs in a game that was a must win for them. We played great and came up short. You Saint fans have be more to be worried about than falcon fans.
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2010
1:11 pm
WTF….did you also have a problem with the Roughing the passer call ???? Probably not.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:11 pm
CHOKE is just a POSER – He should be a backup at best.
That CHUMP just continues to stink up the place
NEUTER THE POODLE WITH THE ARM MADE OF NOODLE
Whereyat
December 28th, 2010
1:13 pm
UGA83, I’m surprised your an educated person. Ask any athlete, the only thing that matters is a Championship. Saints 1, TB 1, Falcons/Panthers 0.
Finally
December 28th, 2010
1:14 pm
LMAO!!
Hey Choke…(in my Lavar Arrington voice)….”git’em”
Vel
December 28th, 2010
1:15 pm
It was good for them to lose. Now they can get a good taste, and not let it happen next week, or in the playoffs! Go Falcons!!!!
Alpha 9
December 28th, 2010
1:19 pm
Some guy from NOLA calling ATL dirty i would say there is something in the water that makes em stupid well seing as how they spent so much time in it…and dear god they will never let us forget it.To the Falcons fan that says Brees was the Only Qb in the building last night you aren’t a Falcons fan but you are a douchebag.Pee Wee footballers don’t make stupid mistakes like that..You wouldn’t have even said that if The Falcons had won..don’t be a sore loser
Finally
December 28th, 2010
1:19 pm
The Falcons offense puts up 7 points for 3.8 quarters and Schultz thinks Mike Smith didnt give them a chance?
Alpha 9
December 28th, 2010
1:21 pm
Cinderella huh..Saints should have come in as 6 loss team.Falcons don’t lose to teams with losing records..Saints get blown out by Cleveland and Arizona..who is the actual Cinderlla team here
JSS
December 28th, 2010
1:23 pm
“next week he ties Marino for most wins in first three seasons all time!”{
Oh Boy, we know how the career of “Glory Dan” turned out?
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2010
1:24 pm
Alpha 9 . . . .. . Cinderella….Falcons should have come in as a 7 loss team. Defending Superbowl champions can’t be a Cinderella!
Sunshine
December 28th, 2010
1:24 pm
As a member of the Who Dat Nation living in Atlanta I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this win. The Falcons and Saints rivalry is heating up. It’s 2 teams soaring high and that is great for NFL football. I had my whole family come up for Christmas and we went to the Fox Grill and boy was it fun. The fans were living it up and talking smack throughout the whole game but at the end we all had a drink and some food because it’s just a game. No reason to bash anyone’s city or get offended because of a FEW morons. On another note Matt Ryan is far from a choke and the kid will transform into a premier and elite QB soon.
WHO DAT
Kevin
December 28th, 2010
1:28 pm
Thank you, Thank You, Thank You. Finally a writer puts it out there. BAD CALL. Also we are a pass on first down team, and did well when we did it last night. Why are we running on first (and sometimes second) down, when they are stacking 8-9 in the box? As a falcons fan, you have to be worried now when we get to the playoffs, because it might be coaching decisions (and not team performance) that knocks us out
Alpha 9
December 28th, 2010
1:28 pm
Ref Assitance bitch please.I guess all the classy Saint fans are the only ones who don’t actually live in NOLa anymore they live oh wait they live here..If you are a saints fan and were at the dome last nit you live In ATL..because if you live in NOlA you don’t have a job a car but you do have a weed probl;em and won’t move out of your mother’s housing project
Alpha 9
December 28th, 2010
1:29 pm
which 7 games did we lose
Go FALCONS!
December 28th, 2010
1:29 pm
This was the best defensive effort I have seen out of the birds ever! Nice job defensive coaching too..
Offense, to me was a different story. I hope they learn from their mistakes and come back stronger!
Go Falcons!
JSS
December 28th, 2010
1:30 pm
“You are either with this team or you ain’t. If you can’t except last nights loss”
Man, I “accept” this loss just fine… And there is a third choice that people have; they just don’t care anymore! It’s called “Falcons apathy!”