LIVE: Falcons are in playoffs, now go for South vs. Saints
Falcons are hoping John Abraham can replicate this play against Drew Brees. (Jason Getz)
NEW ORLEANS — After lunch with D-Led at Mother’s — always my first stop in New Orleans — I’m ready for the afterthought of this road trip: a football game. (Sorry, but everything takes a back seat to food here.)
The byproduct of two straight wins and a few NFC playoff contenders collapsing around them has left the Falcons in a comfortable position going into tonight’s game against the New Orleans Saints: They’ve already clinched a postseason birth for the third time in four seasons.
There's always a line at Mother's.
But is winning that NFC South that implausible?
Three things need to happen for the Falcons to win the South and clinch a home playoff game: 1) They need to win tonight. (The last four meetings between the teams have been decided by a field goal, with two going into overtime, so an upset wouldn’t be monumental); 2) The Falcons need to win next week’s regular season finale at home against Tampa Bay. (Not a problem. The Bucs have lost nine straight); 3) New Orleans needs to lose next week against Carolina. (The Saints will be favored, but the Panthers have won four of their last five and have a high-scoring offense.)
In that scenario, the teams would finish tied at 11-5 overall but the Falcons would get the edge because of a better division record (4-2 vs. 3-3). So it’s possible they can pull it
Darryl Ledbetter scripts his first 15 plays.
off. But winning in the Superdome won’t be easy, especially with quarterback Drew Brees playing like the league’s MVP (16 touchdowns, zero interceptions in the last five games, 24 TDs and 3 interceptions in the last eight).
At least the Falcons know they’ve already clinched at least a wild card playoff berth, the result of Green Bay’s win over Chicago Sunday night.
If the playoffs opened today, the Falcons (NFC’s sixth seed) would face the Saints (third seed) in the playoffs. If the Falcons finish ahead of Detroit for the top wild card spot (fifth seed), they will travel to the NFC East champion, which will be the winner of next week’s Dallas-New York Giants game. If they win the division, they could wind up hosting Detroit. There’s still a chance New Orleans finishes with the No. 2 seed and
Counter-clockwise: Red beans and rice, shrimp po-boy, chicken and andouille gumbo, softshell crab po-boy.
draws a bye, leaving the Falcons to travel to San Francisco.
For now, the Falcons are focused only on trying to play four quarters against the Saints as well as they played the last six against Carolina and Jacksonville.
Some obvious keys tonight: 1) Turnovers (it’s notable the Saints’ defense has only 13 takeaways, the fewest in the league; 2) Don’t waste red zone possessions, as was the case the last time the teams met; 3) Get some semblance of a pass rush on Brees, at least forcing him to move off his spot; 4) Pound the Saints’ defense with the run, using up clock and keeping Brees on the sideline.
The Falcons also get cornerback Brent Grimes back after a three-game absence, which should help against a quarterback who’s about to break the NFL’s single-season passing record (Brees’ 4,780 yards trails Dan Marino’s record of 5,048 by 268).
OK, that’s enough. I’ll turn it over to you now. Call me crazy (not the first time, I’m sure) but I like the Falcons’ chances tonight. They seem particularly up for this game. We’ll see. I’m here to serve, at least until I have to start banging out the game column.
By Jeff Schultz
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2,750 comments Add your comment
katherine
December 27th, 2011
12:09 am
falcon fred
December 27th, 2011
12:07 am
keep on cryin Georgia trash!!!
do you think its acceptable to call the people here trash and crackers? dont you live here? if louisiana is so great why dont you go back?
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:09 am
Who Dat? Did they drive you here in 2005 on a school bus, (guess not since your mayor let them all sit and go unused and go under water) or Greyhound>
Tiredoflosing
December 27th, 2011
12:10 am
No wonder the majority of Georgians are fans of other teams outside the state. When it comes to sports we suck.
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:10 am
Do you know why RED JACKET FIREARMS are on TV? They became famous for making real assault guns for the cops in Baton Rue to protect their city for the NoLa trash trying to take over.
Saints Super Bowl
December 27th, 2011
12:10 am
FalconFan…shut your redneck mouth boy.
MTSeats
December 27th, 2011
12:11 am
Smitty and staff has done well, but! You give 5 picks for JJ? Blank, you don’t have a clue.
Who Dat?
December 27th, 2011
12:11 am
ask you wife, she knows
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:11 am
Falcon Fred can’t go back. He doesn’t want to. He like it here in lanta and gets lots of foods and wines and gets to live for free. Sho nuff his don’t want to go back down to NO
Saints Super Bowl
December 27th, 2011
12:11 am
hey Katherine, I don’t blame you for being ashamed of Georgia. As a state, it sucks.
Who Me?
December 27th, 2011
12:11 am
5150 UOAD, its Baton Rouge brother…
whodat70816
December 27th, 2011
12:12 am
Can’t wait for the Saints to kick that dirty bird booty one more time!
WHO DAT!
45-16
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:12 am
The reason so many people here in Atlanta are fans of other teams is because they had to move here from their pitiful cities and get either better welfare or jobs, or running from the cops in their cities.
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:12 am
Typing fast and not froofreading
Who Dat?
December 27th, 2011
12:12 am
falconfan- your wife takes EBT Card…I just swipe in her ass….she gives discounts too
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:13 am
proofreading
falcon fred
December 27th, 2011
12:13 am
hey FalconFan, you shut dat sausage holster of yours punk.
katherine
December 27th, 2011
12:13 am
Saints Super Bowl
December 27th, 2011
12:11 am
hey Katherine, I don’t blame you for being ashamed of Georgia. As a state, it sucks
Im not ashamed of georgia at all….i moved here from another state and I love it….like I said…your team not winning isnt the end of the world…I guess your team winning makes you feel better about yourself…..whatever floats your boat.
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:13 am
SaintsFan, And Lousiana is the meca for states. LOL
Wookie Ninja
December 27th, 2011
12:13 am
Calling BullSh.IT on the NFL! this is a joke, keep it up and lose your fans, when the QB is no longer fair game, and the corners can’t pop a reciever legally, well kiss my Jawja A.s.s. hell yeah I would have ordered Brees injured! Prima donna low class scrum!
tell it like it is
December 27th, 2011
12:14 am
Ck the falcons record on monday night football,they don’t just suck against the saints,they suck playing everybody on monday night.
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:14 am
FalconFred, Go drink another 40 oz. Bud
Who Dat?
December 27th, 2011
12:14 am
Atlanta…cesspool of the south.
DocDawg
December 27th, 2011
12:15 am
Nope. You try to embarrass us in a blowout win, then you take on the possible consequences. Go for the knee. You think the Steelers would put up with that? Or the Raiders? Brees would be taken out on a cart. That summarizes what is wrong with this franchise.
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:15 am
New Orleans, Atlanta’s dumping ground for the cesspool
Saints guy
December 27th, 2011
12:15 am
FalconFan, check your math. Read Forbes. Check out jobs growth and other indicators. No, Nola isn’t perfect, but man I love the place. Nothing like it in the US. By the way, Houston folks say all the Nola poor folks and criminals moved there. Atlanta folks say they all were bused to Atlanta. LOL! Both cities have had high populations of both before Katrina. Yes, there was no crime in atl or Houston b/f Karina. LOL. The % of the Nola population that didn’t move back to Nola are terrorizing all the major US cities and Iraq! LOL
falcon fred
December 27th, 2011
12:16 am
i’m gettikn my drank on in da Atl…punkin out ga beotches an gettin crunked
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:16 am
The NFL Hall of Fame players don’t want to allow any players that played WUSSBALL (2004-present) to be members of their CLUB.
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:16 am
Enter your comments here
JSS
December 27th, 2011
12:16 am
Hey now Saint fans, don’t do the same thing Falcons fans do… Learn to bask in your teams excellent play and watch the spin cycle…
Who Me?
December 27th, 2011
12:17 am
c’mon who dat? really? I’m an Atlanta native and even i can’t go that low – cesspool of the South? really? Might want to go easy on the trashtalk hoss, i think your Monday night win is fillin’ up the gas bag a bit…
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:17 am
Who Dat can’t even get back to New Orleans. He doesn’t have a car, and it’s been too long to use Katrina as an excuse to get the governement to pay his way back. Why are you here Who Dat? Tell us why don’t you? Why aren’t you living in New Orleans. Tell us, why don’t you?
tell it like it is
December 27th, 2011
12:17 am
That was one heck of a butt wooping saints!
falcon fred
December 27th, 2011
12:19 am
Saints treated Falcons like dey trick…money on da nitestand beotch.
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:19 am
NoLa had to have a huge growth rate. EVERYTHING was destroyed and Everybody left. The Government had the money they had to spend so of course NoLa out paces every other city in the US.
Wookie Ninja
December 27th, 2011
12:20 am
UOAD! you sir are correct, Goodell should be ran out on a rail, maybe house him with the Louisiana Scrum in the Stupid Dome, Lofton penalized for a clean hit! BULLSHIST! hoding in the endzone, a no call, how many times was Abe and Edwards held blatantly? somebody has chapped lips, and it isn’t Smith, Ryan, and Blank! Peyton/Brees must really give good head! this loss rests solely on BVG, The falcons secondary, and the LOUSY pole smokin refs!
CGD..
December 27th, 2011
12:21 am
FF has got issues. But Dr. Phil can help for a fee…..
Saints guy
December 27th, 2011
12:21 am
But there are no native Atlantians! LOL
Who Dat?
December 27th, 2011
12:21 am
Falconfan- do what all you ga crackers do after a beat down. go beat your wife..kids..cuss everybody…trash up the double wide….
Eric C.
December 27th, 2011
12:21 am
If the Lions win before the Falcons play next Sunday…then the Falcons should just rest the starters.
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:22 am
Saints guy a gang just got busted in Gwinnette that were a New Orleans Gang.
falcon fred
December 27th, 2011
12:22 am
hey wookie ninja, it sound like you know what you talkin bout…how bout puffin on some Saints?
Tom G
December 27th, 2011
12:23 am
When are the open try-outs for the OL and DL?? It couldn’t hurt! Find the meanest, baddest mothers on this planet!
CGD..
December 27th, 2011
12:23 am
Might as well bench the starters for that playoff game too..Or it will be another blowout…
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:24 am
Who Dat, Atleast we know who our wives and kids are and have a home, not like the New Orleans trash that’s in Atlanta now. You know why are the Saints say Hi to their Momma’s on camera, none of them know who the Daddy is.
Wookie Ninja
December 27th, 2011
12:24 am
Who Dat? really, I never beat my wife, never spanked my kids and never cussed a person that didn’t deserve it, so go FU%K YOURSELF , YOU RECTUM LICKIN , SEWER DWELLING CRANKLICKER!
tell it like it is
December 27th, 2011
12:25 am
MR blank,its your call now!
Wookie Ninja
December 27th, 2011
12:26 am
FF, you must be very knowledgeable on the subject of puffin…. how does your daddy taste?
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:26 am
Yeah read below about the 9th Ward gang arrested last week.
http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/49-arrested-in-gwinnett-1265100.html
5150 UOAD
December 27th, 2011
12:26 am
Falcon Fan a sperm squirter is not a Daddy.
FalconFan
December 27th, 2011
12:27 am
One group called itself “Ninth Ward” in deference to a New Orleans neighborhood of the same name. Several of its members moved to the metro Atlanta area from the Louisiana city following Hurricane Katrina