Falcons beat another bad team, but can they beat good one?
Two touchdowns by Julio Jones (left) helped stake the Falcons to an early 42-0 lead over Tampa Bay. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
(UPDATED: 11:30 p.m. The New York Giants defeated Dallas, which means the Falcons will face the Giants next Sunday at 1 p.m.)
If there is one absolute this season about the Falcons, it’s that they know how to wipe their feet on the lampooned and downtrodden. They create excitement for punch-drunk fan bases dreaming of Andrew Luck. They can beat any team that has been considered as an emergency replacement by the Big East.
But can the Falcons win a playoff game and, you know, actually beat somebody good?
They beat Jacksonville. They beat Indianapolis. They beat Carolina twice. They didn’t beat Tampa Bay on Sunday so much as they dodged exploding parts and avoided hyperventilating from laughing. The Falcons led 42-0 after 23 minutes — aided by three turnovers — pulled most of their starters early and somewhat wobbled to the finish line (not that the wobble of backups really matter), winning 45-24.
They made the playoffs. They finished the regular season with a record of 10-6. Not great, given the adjusted standards in Flowery Branch, but certainly not awful.
Still, have you ever bought one of those build-it-yourself desks from a cheap furniture store, and then, seemingly 17 minutes after you’ve tightened the last Swedish screw into pressboard and placed your computer, printer and books on top, one of the legs folded like linguini?
That’s kind of where we’re at with the Falcons. They went 8-3 after a 2-3 start this season. But given who’ve they’ve beaten and who’ve they’ve lost to, it’s fair to wonder if they’re going to turn into limp pasta in the postseason when they’re under more pressure.
Careful about conclusions. The Falcons just annihilated a team that finished the season with a 10-game losing streak. (That’s not a franchise record. Oh, did this postgame cry for a John McKay quote.) It makes you wonder how the Bucs beat the Falcons in Week 3.
Michael Turner, who had struggled of late, rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
The Falcons’ last four wins came over Minnesota, Carolina, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, teams that finished with a composite record of 18-46. They went only 1-4 against the NFL playoff field (the only win coming over Detroit).
They went 2-4 against teams that finished with winning records (Tennessee was the other one), 7-1 against teams with losing records and 1-1 against .500 teams.
You don’t indict a team for beating schleps. But skepticism is completely appropriate.
The question isn’t whether the Falcons have the talent and experience to win a road playoff game over the New York Giants next Sunday. They do. The question is which Falcons’ team will show up.
“People are going to have their doubts about us until we go into the playoffs and do some good things,” tackle Tyson Clabo said. “Just because we feel like we have the talent to do some special things doesn’t mean anything. We have to perform. You can’t just write down the roster and decide who wins from there.”
When Detroit lost to Green Bay Sunday, the Falcons were handed the NFC’s No. 5 seed on a platter, meaning they didn’t have to travel to New Orleans next week. They will still be on the road for the entire playoffs (barring an implausible NFC title match-up with Detroit), but running back Michael Turner offered, “It’s been proven over time that seeds do not matter.”
We know that to be true. The Falcons were the No. 1 seed last season and got drop-kicked by Green Bay.
Quarterback Matt Ryan played less than a half. He stuck around long enough to throw two touchdown passes and establish a new single-season franchise record for passing yardage. Running back Michael Turner also spent the second half reclining, after rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns (one for 81 yards) on 17 carries.
We witnessed three interceptions by the Falcons’ defense, a pick six by linebacker Curtis Lofton, a sack and forced fumble by John Abraham.
We saw why general manager Thomas Dimitroff believed wide receiver Julio Jones was worth more than a few draft picks. Jones had a 17-yard touchdown catch to make it 14-0. On Tampa’s first ensuing play from scrimmage, Josh Freeman had a pass intercepted by Dominique Franks at the Bucs’ 48. On first down, Ryan fired a pass to Jones near the 15-yard-line. Jones collided with safety Tanard Jackson, made the catch anyway, went down, got up and then pulled defenders with him into the end zone.
Plays like that show us what potential this team has. But if doubts remain, it’s not a mystery way. Not enough highlights have come against good teams.
By Jeff Schultz
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946 comments Add your comment
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:39 pm
it makes me happy to know that brooking isn’t going to be celebrating tonight
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:39 pm
I really wanted to go to Dallas but that aint happening.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2012
9:40 pm
phil Brooking made the RIGHT shift what are you talking about?
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:40 pm
No problem preydawg…nice to have another blogger who is positive about the falcons on here.
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:40 pm
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:38 pm
@Katherine- Hope you saw my apology on the earlier blog. I went back and checked and I had indeed read the wrong post. I was steamed because I came to the blog all pumped that the Falcons were playing so well and the Packers won as well. Then I come here and for about 4 pages all I saw was negative comment. But you were not one of the negative ones. Sorry.
******
Told ya. She is NEVER negative, except about posters who aren’t annoyingly positive.
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:41 pm
What are we going to do with this Giants pass rush???
justlaughing
January 1st, 2012
9:41 pm
Did you notice how the Bucks scored ALL the points in the second half? We settled for the ole stand by field goal! The birds “backed into the play offs”..They did nothing of note to get there..YEAH..they beat 2 teams with winning records!
They could possibly win in the 1st round because they will be playing another mediocre team that backed into the play offs as well!! However..they won’t survive in the 2nd round!!
Once Recent Reader
January 1st, 2012
9:41 pm
Choke, Ryan played at BC. I’m an alum, and I know in that small stadium it is much colder and windier than in NYC. Yes, we did not play in January . . . .but that 350 miles makes a big difference. Can get very cold in Boston in November. He can handle the weather . . . . .now that Giants front line . . .hmmm.
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:41 pm
About brooking, i meant chasing someone down far past the first down marker.
Remember how often we saw that when he was here?
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:42 pm
Yeah you told me. But there were about 20 on here that were. And nobody is delusional here. We all saw the same season. We know how miserable the Falcons looked a week ago. But they are also capable of beating any of these teams.
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:43 pm
We’re going to be steamrolled by that pass rush, that’s what. It won’t be pretty.
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:44 pm
ohhh…I almost feel sorry for the cowgirls right now…almost
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2012
9:44 pm
OK but that was because the other LB didn’t shift into the proper gap.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2012
9:45 pm
Dallas is looking like Tampa Bay
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:45 pm
I am positive about the falcons too.
When we’re positive, we always win. Always.
Go Team! Yay! Yippee skippy!!!
garcia
January 1st, 2012
9:45 pm
Looks like the Giants.
We will need to go back to “Falcons football.” A whole lot of Turner on offense and soft coverage to limit big plays on defense. The hope will be to dominate the clock and wait for Manning to make a mistake.
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:46 pm
I gotta tell ya folks. I am not loving this matchup for us right now. Big full backs. Big running backs. Big strong tight end. And a REALLY tough pass rush from their front 4 without blitzes.
I ask again, what do we do to neutralize the pressure from their D line?
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:46 pm
Falcons suck. Always have…always will.
January 1st, 2012
9:43 pm
@PreyDawg
“katherine” is really a guy posting under a woman’s name. Even if she is really a woman, with a name like “katherine” she is probably over 50 years old with a belly like a gourd.
5150=katherine.
LOL!!
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:46 pm
Falcons suck. Always have…always will.
January 1st, 2012
9:43 pm
@PreyDawg
“katherine” is really a guy posting under a woman’s name. Even if she is really a woman, with a name like “katherine” she is probably over 50 years old with a belly like a gourd.
5150=katherine.
LOL wow..what is your obsession with me? I am not and old woman, I am not uoad, he is a tech fan and as anyone on here will tell you I am a dawg fan. Why don’t you tell us about your dazzling looks LOL also, I know a lot of katherines…from 8 to 80…just like molly and sara and I could go on and on idiot.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 1st, 2012
9:47 pm
Giants getting healthy at the right time…………….
Poor Falcants…………………
HA HA HA
Dawg48
January 1st, 2012
9:47 pm
Damn I wish the kids would go to bed!
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:47 pm
Screens and draws, neither of which we execute worth a toot.
So I don’t know aside from maybe a few tunnel screens and one step drop throws to the side?
You tell me.
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:48 pm
me too dawg! no school for awhile still “sigh”
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 1st, 2012
9:49 pm
Once Recent Reader
January 1st, 2012
9:41 pm
Choke, Ryan played at BC
____________________________________________
And your point is?
In his 5TH season of college ball he had 22 PICKS……………….
Thanks for confirming my point………………..
HA HA HA
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2012
9:49 pm
I know RYAN isn’t as mobile as Romo.
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:50 pm
Another Romo flameout….
Dawg48
January 1st, 2012
9:50 pm
Cowgirls look horrible!
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:50 pm
one thing I will agree with is that they need to get ryan into the weight room and have him add a lot of weight
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:50 pm
@ Phil- We found something we agree on. We seem to be LOUSY on screens.Which might be a good reason they could be effective. Run screens to Jacquizz, maybe they won’t expect it. Then run some draws out of the spread to slow that pass rush down some. That would be TOTALLY against tendency for us. I think we have run out of that formation like twice all year.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 1st, 2012
9:51 pm
Falcons suck. Always have…always will.
January 1st, 2012
9:43 pm
@PreyDawg
“katherine” is really a guy posting under a woman’s name. Even if she is really a woman, with a name like “katherine” she is probably over 50 years old with a belly like a gourd.
5150=katherine
__________________________________________-
I don’t know why people have to pretend to be something they are not……………..
HA HA HA
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2012
9:51 pm
I hope RYAN will not have to move around to buy time to pass or we will have no shot. Falcons will have to slow down the G-men rush for damn sure.
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:51 pm
Here’s a thought….
Tell them to go to bed. Aren’t you guys the adults?
Good grief.
EP
January 1st, 2012
9:51 pm
The giants are not the succaneers, but if turner can pound them up the middle, watch out.
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:52 pm
jerry jones looks like he might be sick
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:52 pm
@Katherine- Don’t you hate the DAWGS playing at noon tomorrow. I would have enjoyed a prime time game much more. Maybe had some friends over. Now we will have to stop whatever we are doing in the middle of the day to watch.
Dawg48
January 1st, 2012
9:53 pm
Phil…….
Read between the lines buddy.
Once Recent Reader
January 1st, 2012
9:53 pm
Hah. Yeah he did throw 22 picks. I saw all of them, many in person. Well here are the excuses:) If you think these Receivers drop passes . . .you should have seen that middling bunch he worked with at BC. Choke, I bet about half of those picks were catchable passes. The others . . . .some bad throws definitely, and some situations where we just had to go for it. But don’t forget, that was also a pretty incredible year for Ryan otherwise. Did a great job with really B level talent to get the team to #2 ranking out of nowhere – mid season at that.
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:53 pm
I know prey…its the worst time ever…I don’t get it
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:53 pm
We likely won’t change a thing next week.
Not one thing.
We don’t have much of a chance. I hate it but why should i think otherwise based on our track record?
Good wishes a yippees aren’t going to help.
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:55 pm
so phil, when they win, what will you say then? You are soooooo negative….what happened to you to make you that way?
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:56 pm
Ok…
Let em stay up all night.
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:56 pm
I think we have a good chance. We will probably be 3 point dogs because we are on the road but the game should at least be close. I think our Defense might be better than Dallas so I don’t look for the Giants offense to light us up like they are doing here.
Sam
January 1st, 2012
9:56 pm
The giants are looking scary. There’s no way our weak secondary can stop the giants offense and their d line is scary good
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2012
9:56 pm
Kat didn’t you hear? many dawgs fans said they got screwed on the bowl game because they don’t get any respect. No respect means the early kickoff. I know how mad the dawgs were all year with the early kickoff because they can’t get as drunk they early in the morning.
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:57 pm
The falcons won today…so can’t you just be positive for a few hours?
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:58 pm
I’ll be thrilled if we win.
katherine
January 1st, 2012
9:58 pm
ok uoad….thats just ridiculous. the noon start time does suck…and it makes no sense but whatever
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2012
9:58 pm
phil the children 48 is talking about is Choke and his many personalities on the blog.
PreyDawg
January 1st, 2012
9:58 pm
@Katherine- I wonder that too. We have lived through the same Falcons history he has. HOT DIGGITY!!! WE play on Sunday at 1:00. Smitty can keep to his schedule. That should help some.
phil
January 1st, 2012
9:59 pm
Nope.