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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
685 comments Add your comment
Tweets that mention Mike Smith should’ve given Matt Ryan, offense a chance -- Topsy.com
December 28th, 2010
1:17 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Alex Ramati and others. Alex Ramati said: RT @JeffSchultzAJC: Mike Smith should’ve given Matt Ryan, offense a chance http://bit.ly/e9tEUa [...]
NoodleArm Ryan
December 28th, 2010
1:18 am
Brees proved who has exp in this preseason type game, Matty stunk up the the Dome
JD
December 28th, 2010
1:20 am
Jimmy, I wish I was. I’m as big a homer Falcon fan, lived here all my life and LOVE this team. But I’m telling you my friend, Matt Ryan is soft. I thought it was a fluke but the more I’ve seen of him this year the more i’m convinced that he’s either not getting coached up, not doing the film work he needs to do, or he’s just getting scared to stay in the pocket and take the shot. Look at the way he played his heart out in his rookie season – he’s not the same QB anymore. Maybe he’s trying to be too smart and just forcing the ball, i don’t know. but from where I sit, he’s playing scared.
I had hoped he’d mature more this year, and maybe its Mularkey just not turning over the keys. Frustrating as heck to watch the last 6 games or so though….
san diego dawg
December 28th, 2010
1:20 am
mv7 fans ……..In the most disturbing account yet of Michael Vick’s dogfighting operation, a federal investigative report details how the disgraced athlete killed pit bulls by hanging them from a nylon cord nailed to a tree and drowned others in a five gallon bucket of water. Quoting confidential witnesses and several of Vick’s cronies (all of whom, like the former NFL star, pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges), a United States Department of Agriculture report portrays Vick as a heartless enthusiast of barbaric pit bull fights. Excerpts of the USDA report, which was prepared by the agency’s inspector general, can be found on the following pages. Along with killing underperforming pit bulls, a government informant told investigators that Vick twice placed family pets into the ring with pit bulls because he and his cohorts ‘thought it was funny to watch the pit bulls…injure or kill the other dogs.’
Harpie
December 28th, 2010
1:22 am
Ryan’s not the problem – the coaches stunk up that game for the Falcons!
BLUE
December 28th, 2010
1:23 am
We were out coached
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2010
1:23 am
Nobody gives a sh-t about dogfighting anymore. Most people have gotten over their fake outrage. Vick is an MVP candidate whether you like it or not. In typical hypocritical American justice system fashion, cows will continue to be legally electrocuted across America. Go post that sh-t on PETA.com where someone might actually care.
MV7 for MVP
December 28th, 2010
1:23 am
TO ALL MATT RYAN FANS:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/460399-2010-nfl-season-rankings-the-most-overrated-amp-underrated-player-on-all-32-teams#page/3
Sameul L. Jackson
December 28th, 2010
1:23 am
I believe #4 is playing tomorrow !
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2010
1:24 am
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhsYfiNfb0wfu50i12
Enjoy.
You’ll particularly like the part where the piglet’s testicles get ripped out.
BLUE
December 28th, 2010
1:26 am
Najah you like the part were I coat your tonsils with a load
39576
December 28th, 2010
1:39 am
Good weekend Hornets beat Hawks and Saints beat Falcoons.
yo mama
December 28th, 2010
1:49 am
ok, so i watch all the games from afar in LA, and I come home for the holidays, to get this? Note to falcons, you charge alot of money to see games, outside of the value you get from seeing the game live in person is the emotion, and the dome provides that. but your entertainment value is pathetic. no stats, no access to get radio info, cuz its delay is too distracting, and what do you do when a play is being reviewed? Nada, nothing. Too many times i couldnt understand the refs call on the sound system, and everytime a play was in question, i was left with nothing as a result. Falcons staffers, you charge too much for the crap you offer fans. what do we get for a face value ticket at 150. outside of the game you get zippo. hardly no kids were at the game, but the entertainment was geared toward Justin Bieber fans. give me a break. fire your ent. director, and get someone who knows what they are doing.
san diego dawg
December 28th, 2010
1:50 am
this doesn’t change the fact that the Georgia Institute of Bowl Losses are now 0-6 in their last 6 bowl games. Pitful
Fin
December 28th, 2010
1:56 am
Man…folks are LOSING their minds. We lost a tough game to the DEFENDING SUPER BOWL Champs. Let’s not act like the Saints hadn’t won 6 of their last 7 previous to this game. On the Falcons last possession, the Saints were dropping LB and playing zone w/ all of their DBs, so passing would have been very difficult.
As for the playcalling, yes, it left a LOT to be desired, but has anyone ever considered this…The Falcons play the Panthers next week and SHOULD easily overpower them to win the division. Falcons will get a first round bye and then more than likely play the Saints again in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Perhaps we didn’t want to show off all of our offensive plays. If anyone noticed, a lot of our offensive plays were very basic. Not a lot of motion, hurry up offense only a couple of times. B. Finneran was on the field for one play that I can recall. No bunch formations and roll outs for Ryan.
Let’s not panic. The season is not over. Let’s prepare for Sunday against the Panthers and get the first round bye which is the most important thing right now.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
December 28th, 2010
2:06 am
najeh, disturbing video but i’m still going to eat pork, chicken, meat, etc. things are what they are….life goes on.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2010
2:15 am
I didn’t post that to make you stop eating meat. I posted it to show san diego dawg (and people who think like him) all the legal animal cruelty that goes on in America and why Vick killing a few dogs is comparatively irrelevant.
Martin
December 28th, 2010
2:24 am
Pretenders, just as I called it. Roddy country white, next time remember, shut your trap. That Georgia dome was like a library after that loss. Man it feels good to shut you loud mouth falcants fans up. A team that does not have a super bowl ring, but you talk like your team is the best in the nfl. Shut that run down, you shut that worthless team and it’s fan base down. Hey look at it this way, the falcants are still the paper champs.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2010
2:33 am
This is a problem, no matter how you want to look at it.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/stats/bycategory?cat=Passing&conference=NFL&year=season_2010&sort=43&timeframe=ToDate
What the ?....
December 28th, 2010
2:34 am
We have a World Series Championship dumb ass ! Both cities have a Champion !
John
December 28th, 2010
2:42 am
Stack the line and play a man over the top of Roddy, and you can beat this team easily. Can’t wait til Vick gets here, the Eagles are the greatest show on artifical turf.
John
December 28th, 2010
2:44 am
Anybody notice the picture how the offensive tackle is holding the Saints player around the neck.
wxwax
December 28th, 2010
2:49 am
Losing might turn out to be a good thing.
It’s really hard to beat a good team three times in a row.
And that’s what the Falcons would have been looking at if they end up facing the Saints in the playoffs.
Instead the series is split. And now the Falcons can seek revenge instead of a sweep, should there be a playoff replay.
That’s a good thing.
TCCB
December 28th, 2010
3:00 am
I Don’t like dogs, so what!!!!!
TCCB
December 28th, 2010
3:05 am
@ JD Matt Ryan is Chicken, one good hit and he is rattled for the rest of the game!!!!!
IlliniDawg
December 28th, 2010
3:41 am
The most annoying thing about losing to the Aints is having to hear all of the media types fawn all over the city of New Orleans. I’m so sick and tired of hearing the sob story of Katrina – an event that would have been irrelevant if they had not built a city 20 feet below sea level.
N.O. is a stinking s***hole of a city – the most disgusting place I’ve ever visited in America. If you like the smell of a porta-potty, litter-filled streets with vomit running down the gutters, and more abject poverty than a Third-World country, then N.O. is your place. Take away their beignets, the Preservation Hall, and the world-class WWII museum, and New Orleans is a cesspool. Can’t believe our govt spent billions of dollars rebuilding a city that never should have been built in the first place. And now we get to revisit all of the schmaltz of Drew Brees and the “who dat nation” (what a f-ed-upped name!) and the “feel good” story of New Orleans. Aaaarrrggghhhhh! Makes we want to go down there and puke in their gutters along with the rest of the drunken idiots in the French Quarter!
BJ Tompkins
December 28th, 2010
3:54 am
Enter your comments here
As a Bears fan, I watched the NO-Falcons game without favor to either team. I was surprised they didn’t go for it on 4th down so late in the game. Played right into New Orleans’ hands. It’s the same “not to lose” attitude Lovie Smith brings to the Bears, so we here in Chicago suffer with a coach who has to “luck” his way into victories. Must be something in the name “Smith”.
Stinger2
December 28th, 2010
3:58 am
JS and all of the other armchair quarterbacks should relax. Its very easy to second guess the next day.
TheAntiMe
December 28th, 2010
4:47 am
Tonight, Jeff, the decision in question was a no-win situation. Mike Smith did what 90% of any of the other NFL head coaches would have done and punted the ball. Had he taken your hindsighted advice and shot the wad on a one play first down or nothing, then even if the Falcons did convert there is no guarantee with the way that the offense stunk tonight that they would have scored. That being the case, then your Siamese twin Mark Bradley would be trashing them for going for it instead of doing the wise thing and punting.
The Birds won eight straight games with contributions from the entire team and especially from their head coach. Can you not even give Smitty the benefit of the doubt when they lose to the defending world champs (and God does it ever pain me to acknowledge that, note the all lower case characters) by 3 lousy points after running off those eight straight wins over some pretty darn good teams? Get real dude!
JSS
December 28th, 2010
5:01 am
Well, I enjoyed my night out… I heard there was a NFL game late night, how did it turn out?
TheAntiMe
December 28th, 2010
5:23 am
By the way, to anyone who pays attention to reality (I know, reality sucks), with but merely one scant game left in the season, the Falcons have the second best record in the NFL and the best record in the NFC. I know plenty of Who Dats out there that are dying inside because they only wish that they could make that claim.
Tonight was no big deal and certainly was no great tragedy by any stretch of the imagination (other than the delusional imaginations out there, of course).
JSS
December 28th, 2010
5:55 am
SMDH @ 5:23…
Samuel
December 28th, 2010
6:30 am
I like what Mularky has been doing with the play calling this year. But tonight he called a bad game. He kept trying to run the ball down the Saints throat when they did a good job of stopping the run. Turner got stood up on the two yard line with no where to go. He’d been better off taking a knee. The defense folded in the last three mintues of the game. Can we say Pittsburg Steelers. Todd McClure muffed the ball without recovering the fumble. Eric Weems had oportunities to not put us in bad field position. But he didn’t field some of those punts. Silly penalties killed our momentum at times. Now being that said All is not lost Let’s go out and get a victory Sunday and win the division.
Samuel
December 28th, 2010
6:34 am
In the off season we better get a speed back who can compliment Turner and Snelling. Also we need more speed on defense. If you look at team speed of Chicago and Philly their faster than we are.
The Truth
December 28th, 2010
6:52 am
Smith blew it? First, great defensive game plan; equally as bad offensively. Smith didn’t fumble on the one, that lost the game. You don’t win championships by fumbling on the one yd line. Smith didn’t snap the ball all of one inch and let it roll around on the ground. The NFL is a mental league, Saints were desperate and had to win, the Falcons wanted to win really bad but didn’t have too. Saints get to go on the road to a very cold city and play, we stay home nice and cozy in the dome with a bye like they did last year. Pro football is not a beauty contest, it is too even and little things count a great deal.
BirdsRsOaring
December 28th, 2010
6:56 am
this loss is on mularkey and smith…horrific offensive gameplanning and execution…murlarkey constantly ran a slow michael turner into a 10 man front, and never stretched the field…dmitroff needs to upgrade the OC position in the offseason….
Devildog
December 28th, 2010
7:01 am
The good news: The group of New Orleans residents in the Dome last night SPENT money in Atlanta and are on their way home. Not the same as that other group of New Orleans residents who came up here after Katrina and stayed, living off Georgia welfare and starting a huge crime wave.
Only bad news is that each Saints fan didn’t take one of those Katrina “visitors” back home with them.
righteous
December 28th, 2010
7:18 am
Three man rush. Period.
bob
December 28th, 2010
7:24 am
I was thinking not to punt as well. Falcons’ D has not stopped anyone late all year.
Also knew Turner’s fumble was coming when the announcer said it had not happened since 1998. The announcer needs to be fined by the NFL for actively affecting the outcome of a game. We all know it was some kind of New Orleans voodoo in action.
Over!!!
December 28th, 2010
7:26 am
Vick will NEVER,NEVER be a Falcon again! Get the F%c& over it.That POS is gone from the ATL.This City loved MV7 and what did he do to us? How some of you can still support this guy is beyond stupid.And your true COLOR is coming out,IF you know what I mean.
Lobosolo
December 28th, 2010
7:27 am
I see that Schultz is as bad a writer about football as he is about baseball, and the idiots that answer him are just as stupid… Idiot redneck football fans…
dd
December 28th, 2010
7:29 am
Yeah, and if Smith had gone for it on 3 & 6 and failed, Schultz would be writing just the opposite.
Turnovers lost this game, not coaching.
Chop Buster
December 28th, 2010
7:30 am
This loss is on Mike&Mike…plain and simple. Smitty gets gun-shy all of a sudden late in the game and Mularkey with his run Turner, run Turner mentality is killing this offense. Jenkins was killing their secondary and that disappeared. They couldn’t cover our receivers deep; that’s why they were getting the pass interference calls. This team has put themselves in a very bad position needing a MUST WIN against the Panthers. You can overlook them if you want, but stranger things have happened. Smitty and his convervative mindset will cause us a lot of disappointment. The defense played their heart out and then they go to the BBDB defense and the Aints drive the ball down the field. And these coaches actually get paid to be dumb asses. I swear.
M. D. Cain
December 28th, 2010
7:35 am
All you Aints Fans, The Falcons will still win the Division so enjoy your wild card status….. as long as it lasts.
righteous
December 28th, 2010
7:37 am
Schultz is FOS. No sane person would have gone for it on fourth down there. That would have conceded a tie. What, the Saints had to go three yards for a field goal from there? Please. This shows what a schmutz Schultz is. He’s all style and no content. He’s nothing but a hack whose entire career is based on “this is me being clever and cutsy. Watch out, I’m gonna have a couple of brewskis and write some more. Oh wowee this is good!”
Mostly he steals material from other writers and beer commercials. (who aren’t that funny either)
or clever.
This football game was easily won by the Falcons. The blitz was scatter-gun blunderbusted. Brees can too readily dodge the haphazard red-doggers. He easily buys the seconds necessary for his receivers to get open. Simply have a more controlled blitz, that no head fake can foil, and Brees is sacked six or eight times and we win.
Offensively, the running game is too easily defended. Slow developing slants are yesterday’s bog downs. Quick openers. Furious thrusts. Crossblocking counter motion plays. That’s the plan to the big W. The easy V. The drunk cheerleaders and the ensuing anatomical lesson from sexting quarterbacks. and everything.
You want superbowl rings, hire me. I can get them for any team.
But I love the Falcons.
A football savant like me comes along once in an upon a time. A writer like Schultz comes along once in a tampon mime. (ew)
“Duh, I woulda gone for it in my own territory with fourth and six, duh. It coulda worked, duh.”
Stick with your clever asides and your copy cat columns, Schultz.
Let real pen men reflect football games.
Who Dat!
December 28th, 2010
7:38 am
The Saints are rolling to another Super Bowl! The falcons will choke as usual in the playoffs. Saints beat the Patriots—mark it down!
Ackshun
December 28th, 2010
7:38 am
I dont know why Mike Smith loses his nerve in Big Games. Last night the Birds were playing with house money and he put the ball back in Sean Peytons hands with less than 4 minutes in the game. The drive before all the MNF announcers were talking about 4 down territory for the Saints and then they incredulously agreed with Smiths decision to punt. I mean we really had nothing to lose last night and everything to gain (most importantly RESPECT). But instead on the final drive of the game we run the ball at the heart of their defense for minimal gain, throw an incomplete pass and PUNT? Say what you will about the Saints but they won because they had the guts to take chances to get it done. Probably the best defensive effort against Brees in years and we waste it. ARRRRGH cant get the taste of loser out of my mouth.
Double Zero Eight
December 28th, 2010
7:39 am
Outcoached and outplayed. The defense looked
good until the last five minutes. The offense failed
to consistently execute. The defense had some
missed tackles at critical points. The bottom line
is we got beat.
scott
December 28th, 2010
7:40 am
i,m, very dissapointed in the falcons your on monday night football..a chance to show why your in the position your in and get the respect you deserve and you didnt play like it ..no intensity,defense played well but dree brees is clearly overated they will be out of the playoffs in the first round by chicago new orleans is not a good team..the falcons coming home after a month should have been really riled up in front of the national spotlight and the atlanta fans..mistakes that you havent made all season and you get to the most important game and then you make mistake i,m clearly dissapointed
TheAntiMe
December 28th, 2010
7:42 am
I’m almost jealous of the Saints fans for having a team that is just sneaking in to the playoffs. The reason being is that it will seem like an eternity waiting for our playoff bye week to be over so that we can actually play some ball while they get to go play right away. It sucks being good.