Falcons’ embarrassing loss means season was an epic fail
Matt Ryan had two interceptions and was sacked five times in the loss. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
It’s year three of this great franchise awakening, and that means one thing: We don’t grade seasons on the first 16 games.
We can praise the Falcons for a 13-win season. We can marvel at their young quarterback, Matt Ryan, for his progress in three seasons and his ability to pull out victories in pressure situations. We can sit back and praise the owner, the general manager and the coaching staff for seemingly doing everything right and winning 33 regular season games since 2008.
But in January of 2011, the Falcons should not be graded on what happens in the first 16 games. They should be graded on postseasons.
They failed. Epically.
There’s no shame in losing to the Green Bay Packers. But getting bodyslammed 48-21 is a level of humiliation that no playoff team should ever experience, especially this one. Not after a 13-3 season. Not in its first playoff game. Not at home. Not after having a week off while the opponent was in a short week following a road playoff game.
You expected a high point for the franchise. Instead, the Falcons gave us a low — the most lopsided playoff loss in their history.
“We didn’t do anything like ourselves,” Roddy White said. “It felt like were a different football team.”
If the Falcons could have stepped outside themselves and astral-projected into other bodies, it would have been an improvement.
They committed four turnovers. They allowed the Packers 442 yards in offense, 366 coming from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who threw three touchdowns and completed 31 of 36 passes (and I honestly can’t remember the five incompletes).
If you think it can’t get worse, try this: Green Bay never punted. The totals: Five offensive touchdown, a defensive score, two field goals, a missed field goal and a fumble. It was like the return of Arena Football, except only one team was fully functional.
“Totally our fault,” said defensive end John Abraham, who like many Falcons defenders got close to Rodgers on occasion but seldom could get him to the turf (he was sacked twice). “I’m not saying they didn’t play well, but we could’ve done a lot more to move this in the right direction and we didn’t.
“Personally, I had bigger goals. The regular season is good. But being done in the first game hurts, especially the way we got knocked out.”
Some feared the New Orleans Saints coming back into the Georgia Dome and winning for the second time in a month. More feared Michael Vick coming back and winning again. Was this any better — a lopsided loss, with several thousand “Cheeseheads” chanting, “Go Pack Go”?
We thought the Falcons were past this. Granted, they won a lot of close games during the regular season. Great teams win close games. But when a team has such an epic faceplant in its first playoff game, you have to wonder how close it really is.
In 2008 — the first year of the Ryan-Mike Smith-Thomas Dimitroff era — the Falcons rose from two years of wreckage. They went 11-5. Then they lost at Arizona, a team that went on to the Super Bowl — no embarrassment there. This season they went 13-3 and lost to a Green Bay team that may end up in Dallas. The difference is venue — the Falcons were 20-4 in the Georgia Dome in the last three seasons – and what we perceived to be the Falcons’ evolution to this point.
Nobody thought the defense was great. But it appeared to be young and improving and certainly not set up for a dismembering. The offense added Tony Gonzalez last year to win a Super Bowl, but the team hasn’t even won a playoff game. (Nor has Gonzalez in his career. In fact he made his first catch of the game with 2:03 left in the third quarter and then limped off.)
The Packers fumbled on their opening possession. Then they scored touchdowns the next six times they touched the football – five on offensive possessions and one on a 70-yard interception return by cornerback Tramon Williams, a play that Ryan will be reliving in his nightmares for the next several months.
Oh yes, Ryan: The Falcons thrived this season on not turning over the ball. Ryan was at the forefront of that, throwing a career-low nine interceptions. Both second-quarter interceptions were costly. The first ended a scoring drive, though it may have been more the fault of wide receiver Michael Jenkins, who slipped and fell in the end zone, leaving Tramon Williams to make an easy interception.
But the second one was all on Ryan. With the Falcons trailing 21-14, eight seconds left in the half and the ball on the Packers’ 34, Ryan tried to hit Roddy White with a quick sideline pass to set up a field goal. But he threw way short and behind White and the pass was picked off by Williams, who brought it all the way for a score to make it 28-14 at halftime. The most audible sound in the Georgia Dome was a loud groan.
Brave fans stayed for the second half. But when the Packers scored on their first two possessions in the third quarter, it was like somebody yelled, “Fire.” By the end, it was only Cheeseheads in the stands.
This was exactly the kind of playoff meltdown Ryan wanted to avoid. He was 20 for 29 but had two interceptions and was sacked five times. Two years ago, his first pass attempt at Arizona was intercepted and led to a Cardinals’ scoring drive. Later in the game he had a fumble that Arizona’s Antrel Rolle returned 27 yards for a touchdown. The Falcons lost 30-24. We didn’t consider it a great tragedy.
This is different. Two years later, humiliating defeat should not be what this team is about.
They’re not as close as we thought they were.
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1,754 comments Add your comment
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 16th, 2011
12:02 am
@packattack..was part of our “soft schedule” beating you 7 weeks ago?
Falcons are not a bad team, we just have a lot of bandwagon fans..but we did play like crap tonight, there is a difference in a crap team and a team that played a game like crap..unfortunatly the result in one game can be the same.
Ed
January 16th, 2011
12:03 am
Matt Ryan might be Matty Ice, during the regular season but in the play offs he’s “Matty Choke”
NolaSaintsGyrl
January 16th, 2011
12:03 am
WOW Falcons Fans……You ARE who we THOUGHT you WERE!!!! SMDH You guys suck!! For talking all of that trash about OUR City for being put into a situation that we neither chose or could help. Question: WTH does Hurricane Katrina have to do with our football team? The fact that some of you chose to trash talk our city shows just how CLASSLESS you really are! When our team was headed to the Championship last year, our fans may have talked a lot of trash on these boards, but I doubt that it ever became PERSONAL! BTW Roddy White….Any new tweets about our city???????? LMBO Chump!!!
ATL BOB
January 16th, 2011
12:03 am
Matt Ryan….big wind-p throws…I Don’t know.
SAME OLD SAME OLD
January 16th, 2011
12:04 am
New owner, new coach, new QB, new logo….same ol’ same ol’ Falcons….
Hickory Avenue
January 16th, 2011
12:04 am
Look here , Falcons fans — I’ll drop the Saints-Falcons rivarly smack talk stuff , and talk football with you guys , for a moment anyway —- Falcons got OUTCOACHED , plain and simple ; Dom Capers through looks at Matt Ryan that he was obviously not able to handle ; and Brian Van Gorder ??? Well , now you guys know how we felt last week , when Greg Williams got outcoached by Pete Carroll , of all people , because OUR defense couldn’t get even one of eight different guys to make a tackle on Marshawn Lynch , and our safety (Harper)got beat like a drum ALL game long ; with that being said , Aaron Rodgers is absolutely ON FIRE , and I’m not too sure if you guys could have stopped that offense , no matter what ever Van Gorder would have thrown at them —– Great season , Falcons / Atlanta fans ; but unfortunately , your team just no-showed at the most INOPPURTUNE time , which sadly just happens to be when it COUNTS the most ……….
Eddie
January 16th, 2011
12:04 am
Whats up will all the Saints fans commenting????? You lost to the freckin Seahawks you bunch of morons!
Who Dat!
January 16th, 2011
12:04 am
How the heck you call the Saints..Aint’s who are Super Bowl Champions! The Faltweets rose up at 8pm tonight, then came CRASHING down at 8:45pm. Wow….we might be below sea level but if the flood returns again as some ignorant knucklehead mentioned earlier, at least you’ll see that Super Bowl ring floating around the city. Who Dat Baaaaabbbbbay!
Timbo
January 16th, 2011
12:04 am
For the record, I’ve always hated the Matty Ice nickname. Its dorky as hell and is media generated more or less. Let’s just call him Matt Ryan and let him earn his nickname in the NFL playoff games. He wasn’t the sole reason they loss, but he contributed greatly….Also, I don’t recall a Tom Brady/Peyton Manning nickname. Give it a rest.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 16th, 2011
12:04 am
also @packattack..you play 2 games against the lions and 2 against the vikes in their inflatable bouncy house stadium..that does not seem that tough of a schedule..
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 16th, 2011
12:05 am
I never want any of you delusional Falcons fans to E-V-E-R again complain about my nick name and N-E-V-E-R E-V-E-R down play the Great Mike Vick’s playoff wins in Atlanta, when your franchise qb is 0-2 in the playoffs
Atlantan
January 16th, 2011
12:05 am
Hey ’seenthisb4′ when you say ‘One and done’ are you referring to the saints? Minnesota was the best team last yr….welcome back to being the ‘aints again!!
gman
January 16th, 2011
12:05 am
I usually like to hear what the players and coach have to say about a game but tonight I don’t want to hear it. If they say anythimg beyond we were awful and failed then I’ll lose respect.
Bishop Eddie long
January 16th, 2011
12:05 am
Can I get a WHO DAT…I mean amen!!!!
Derrick Bailey
January 16th, 2011
12:06 am
I love my team,this still not bad as the 1980 lost to Dallas,mr. Blank has this team on the right track.we will fill in the holes and be a more sound in the future,i belive that and so do jeff,don’t you?
Matthew
January 16th, 2011
12:06 am
NolaTaintGirl – why do we trash your city??? You trashed it yourselves – that’s why its a joke that all you care about are your 1-and-done Taints.
Now go on – I’m sure your pimp is waitin’ for you over at the river walk.
SAME OLD SAME OLD
January 16th, 2011
12:06 am
new coach, new owner, new QB, new logo…same ol Falcons!!
Ross
January 16th, 2011
12:06 am
Jeff, this would be a good time to ban CHOKE, because we real fans would like to mourn in peace. Please? Make the season worthwhile – get rid of him.
BadgerBob
January 16th, 2011
12:06 am
Just goes to show you that even a dork like Rodgers can learn something from Brett Favre. Oh, but he would never admit it. Go Jets!
JaBe
January 16th, 2011
12:07 am
There were two games during the regular seasons that revealed the Falcons glaring weakness(a boring offense ). These games were at Pittsburgh and the Monday night game at home against the Saints. Next year, we can hope that more offensive weapons will be added to create an explosive offense.
Matthew
January 16th, 2011
12:07 am
Hey Choke – shut it. You’re a Vick homo and his season ended last week. Go jump in front of a train now.
SirSaint
January 16th, 2011
12:07 am
ATL-Falcons—You got your A** tore out the frame!! You can never speak about being a great team. I trully enjoyed watching the game. Pull up a seat and buy the next round!! You make the World Champions lossing last week a lot more palatable!! I drink Crown Black.
SeenThisB4
January 16th, 2011
12:07 am
I guess the falcan’ts must have forgotten the stuff they didn’t want to show against the Saints in the second game…..LMAO! Remember all the poor excuses the falcan’t fans came up with for the loss against the Saints in their home,….the Packers must have studied that film real well!
The #1 Seed got eviscerated by teh #6 seed! LMAO! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, !
GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Hurst
January 16th, 2011
12:07 am
For all of you foolish Falcon fans praying for another Katrina to wash away N.O. – you all are hopeless. By the way, your little snow flurry last week should not be called “Snowtrina” or “Snowpocalypse.”
TrishaDishaWarEagle, Atlanta is the ultimate bandwagon, trend-following city. I lived there long enough to see that.
bardawg
January 16th, 2011
12:07 am
Can’t b5elieve they got their a$$ whipped like that. Maybe they should’nt have won so many games during the regular season & become so complacent
NOLA
January 16th, 2011
12:08 am
Matthew ,The only thing thats gonna suck about waking up in N.O.,is I’ll probably be hung over. Other than that all is gonna be good.
I usually dont trash talk. But I just had to give you a dose of your own medicine.
LakeDawg
January 16th, 2011
12:08 am
Atlanta has never won anything, because it is a soul-less city. It had some southern funkiness in the 60s and 70s, but since then its been nothing but a money making haven with corporations moving in and bringing 4 million transplants with them. Strip malls and no sense of community. Filled with band wagon fans. Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Fransisco…cities with character and comunity spirit. Also teams with a proud sports tradition.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 16th, 2011
12:08 am
@Matt “CHOKE” Ryan ..the dog killer is 0-1 in post prison playoff games..maybe all that prison shower social life took a little out of him..
people who abuse animals are the lowest scum on earth.
J.J.M.
January 16th, 2011
12:08 am
lol I wonder how many falcons will play in the pro bowl
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 16th, 2011
12:08 am
Big Ray
January 16th, 2011
12:00 am
OH yes, let’s be a “sky is falling” ninny now. What, you expected to be in the Super Bowl three seasons after the team had to be rebuilt from the ground up?
___________________________________________
Still making excuses? Shocker
CHOKE is a JOKE and always will be
JT
January 16th, 2011
12:09 am
The debacle in Atlanta makes the debacle in Seattle more palatable. I enjoyed seeing the “Dead Birds” fall flat on their faces tonight. This means there still won’t be a Lombardi Trophy in “Dead Bird City” and that suits us just fine! Who’s Us you say? The Who Dat Nation of course. I can smell dead birds all the way in Baton Rouge. Who Dat?!
Gop Cannon
January 16th, 2011
12:09 am
Old Timer, so you are saying that this was not an epic fail?
I mean, it was only the biggest melt down in NFL play off history! If this monumental collapse does not count as an epic fail, I don’t know what does.
SeenThisB4
January 16th, 2011
12:09 am
Saints one and done?
Better than the no hit blunder falcan’ts!
GEAUX SAINTS!
SportsFanatic
January 16th, 2011
12:09 am
Matty Ice played ice cold.
reality check
January 16th, 2011
12:09 am
We saw tonight why ESPN and much of the national sports media were not believers in the Falcons. The Falcons were looking for big time exposure and respect, but they got exposed and now whatever respect they had just got flushed down the toilet. This team has more holes than swiss cheese and that was very evident tonight. They hid that defense all year by playing with the lead, winning time of possession, and getting turnovers. But all of that ended in a terribly embarassing loss that the whole country saw tonight. So for all those sensitive bloggers who had been whining about the Falcons not getting any love outside of Atlanta, you all saw why tonight. It may be a long time before the Falcons are the #1 again if ever. I guess the Delta switchboard is jammed right now because all of those tickets to Dallas are now being exchanged for vouchers. Lots of chickens had been counted before they really ever had any chance to hatch!
Mudcatjoe
January 16th, 2011
12:10 am
You people need to find another team to root for. We don’t need fans like you! Thank you Falcons for a great season full of many exciting wins. We’ll get them next year! I knew Schultz would be the first to pile on!!
missouridawg
January 16th, 2011
12:11 am
Fail this…..fail that. You Falcon fans suck. You don’t know squat about football, or any other sport, for that matter. Falcons had a bad game. That’s all. To now claim the team or organization is an epic fail is stupid and indicative of your low sports IQ. The team, no, teams, in Atlanta deserve a better breed of fan.
FalconUGAFan
January 16th, 2011
12:11 am
@ Hickory…you are right on all counts…we were outplayed and outcoached..this time…but I’ve thought all along we weren’t quite ready to compete on the big stage. We overachieved in many games and I knew we would be exposed in the playoffs. But we are moving in the right direction. If we keep Smitty and TD, I see more success in the future.
Timmy
January 16th, 2011
12:11 am
Whenever you Aints fans use the phrase “Who dat”, you are implicit in racist activity. Might as well say it while in blackface.
Jordan
January 16th, 2011
12:11 am
As the Dude would say, “this is a bummer, man.”
Matthew
January 16th, 2011
12:11 am
All the jawing here makes me believe FEMA should have stayed away a little longer to let the rest of the rats drown.
bob_in_Green_Bay
January 16th, 2011
12:12 am
I was surprised. I expected a lot closer game. I can’t figure out why the Falcons came out looking flat. Maybe that bye week should be eliminated. I was expecting more of a repeat of the first game. Thanks Atlanta for the memory and the opportunity to move on to the NFC Championship. Hopefully, you will have been beaten like we were a few years ago against the Giants, by the next Super Bowl winner. You had a great season and you should be proud of your team!
ls1z28chris
January 16th, 2011
12:12 am
Brees is still a Super Bowl MVP. Matty “ICE” is still yet to win a playoff game in the NFL.
RISE UP!
Mike
January 16th, 2011
12:13 am
News flash Matt Ryan attempted to shoot himself, but the bullet was intercepted…next he will try hanging himself, he feels he will be better at choking.
PackerFan
January 16th, 2011
12:13 am
What kind of fan leaves a game before it’s over – win or lose? Packer fans never leave a game until the final whistle blows. We get there early and we stay late. You Falcons fans need to shape up a bit. You need to back your team with a lot more enthusiasm.
Packer Rick
January 16th, 2011
12:13 am
Wow… all the doom and gloom. Honestly the Falcons are a great team. They have one of the best ball control offenses in the league and are going to win a lot of games in the years to come. Just because they caught the Packers Offense on a tear doesnt mean they suck. Tell you what, I will trade Starks for Turner? Want to make that trade? I dont see another team coming back as strong as these two next year. You guys got kinda screwed. The weak Bears pulled the SeaChickens and you pulled the Pack. Not exactly fair… If that clear touchdown in week one Bears / Lions game stands as called the Bears arent in the playoffs, the Pack in the #2 seed, and you just advanced to the NFC Championship. Take it for what it is, a touch break against a team hitting its stride at the right time. Now, when the Pack gets the 15 players on injured reserve back? Look out : P
Karl
January 16th, 2011
12:13 am
Saints fans are most classless people I’ve ever been around. I hope they lose every game every year. The only thing big about New Orleans is the smell.
Timmy
January 16th, 2011
12:14 am
Drew Brees is 32 years old. Matt Ryan is 24. Stupid argument, but one to be expected from an Aints fan on dial-up internet.
ijonathan (formerly a Ryan defender)
January 16th, 2011
12:14 am
Someone better go to Stats bar near the dome and make sure the two 790 zone post game hosts don’t kill each other or fans in the bar. Comical to listen to.
SeenThisB4
January 16th, 2011
12:14 am
Timmy: Your team was raped tonight, on national primetime tv. That’s what the rest of the naton will remember about your team this year, if they even think of them again at all!
By the way, what was that final score?
GEAUX SAINTS!!!