Falcons are easy highlight in Atlanta’s dark sports weekend
Roddy White jumps on Julio Jones' shoulders after Jones' 18-yard touchdown catch gave the Falcons a 14-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. (AP photo)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After another playoff cameo role by the Braves on Friday and the ugliness by whatever remains of Georgia and Georgia Tech on a college football Saturday, the Falcons didn’t need to accomplish much Sunday to achieve some degree of popularity.
Almost anything north of humiliation would’ve been an improvement.
They provided more than that. They won.
They weren’t great. The quarterback threw a pick-six in the second quarter. A fumbled snap ended their next possession. The offense made the NFL’s 29th ranked defense look almost impressive at times. The defense allowed Washington’s far lesser of two rookie quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins to throw a 77-yard touchdown pass (and he hadn’t taken a snap all season).
So they weren’t perfect. Or close. And yet: They’re still perfect.
They rallied with a 17-point fourth quarter to beat the Washington Redskins 24-17.
They are 5-0 for the first time in franchise history — this after being 4-0 for only the third time in franchise history. Suddenly, they are punching through ceilings.
Are they great? No. It’s a little early to phone Don Shula and ask if he’s worried about the Falcons posing a threat to the 1972 Miami Dolphins. (Hey, once you win five, how tough can 11 more be?) But in the last two games against Carolina and Washington, the Falcons managed to pull out victories in games where they seemed less than whole. That is something that really good (and potentially great) teams do.
“I’ve said since the beginning of the season that this is the best team I’ve been on as a Falcon,” said tight end Tony Gonzalez. “It might be the best team I’ve ever been on as a player. But it doesn’t mean anything? No. It feels good to be 5-0, but I’ve been 9-0 and lost in the first round of the playoffs [in Kansas City in 2003]. So we just have to go one week at a time. I know that doesn’t sound sexy but it is what it is. We’ve got a target on our back now.”
The Falcons: The hunted. Let that sink in. There’s only one other unbeaten team left — Houston (4-0), which plays Monday night.
When the NFL schedule has stretched into the second month and a team still hasn’t lost, nit-picking should be held to a minimum.
“They’re playing with a tenacity I haven’t seen in the last couple of years,” said former running back Warrick Dunn, now one of the team’s minority owners. “They’re playing with aggressiveness. When you win games where you really don’t play that great, it’s a positive sign. It shows that you can respond to adversity. That means something as you move down the road and the games get bigger.”
The Falcons sputtered offensively until late in the third quarter. The exception was Gonzalez, who had one of those just-stupid-great games: 13 catches, 123 yards, one touchdown, as a 36-year-old. The Redskins were intent on bracketing Roddy White and Julio Jones on the outside but they couldn’t do anything about Gonzalez in the belly of their defense.
In the Falcons’ first five possessions, they had three punts and two turnovers. They had only seven points after eight drives, but started to take over late in the third.
“What do you want talk to us for — we stunk,” White joked when media approached.
Not coincidentally, the momentum shifted after Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III was knocked out of the game by Sean Weatherspoon. (It was a clean hit: Weatherspoon crashed into Griffin as the rookie ran out of the pocket and was sliding down. The back of Griffin’s head appear to come down on Jonathan Babineaux, causing a concussion.) Cousins took advantage of a breakdown in the secondary, throwing a 77-yard TD pass to Santana Moss. But Matt Bryant tied it at 17-17 with a 53-yard field goal and Michael Turner’s 13-yard touchdown with 2:46 left gave the Falcons the lead.
The best teams find a way to get it done.
“It’s the first time since I’ve been here that we’re just going out there and expecting to win,” White said.
That’s five out of five. And this weekend, the Falcons were the city’s shining light.
By Jeff Schultz
EARLIER: Short Takes: Gonzalez, Bryant and no RG3 key Falcons’ win
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228 comments Add your comment
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
10:15 am
Moms at work, someone pay attention to me please!
HA HA
Mike "CHOKE" Dogs To Death
October 8th, 2012
10:16 am
You’re right about another thing, Choke. Atlanta is a losing city. There’s no doubt about that. The Braves in 1995 is all we’ve ever had to hang our hats on. We have suffered longer and harder than fans of any other city. But some of us were born and raised here, and the teams here are all we’ve got. Some jump on the bandwagon of winning franchises like the Cowboys and Yankees, but winning, when it finally comes, will be 100% sweeter to those of us who remained loyal to our hometown through the bad times.
Now, the Falcons are off to their best start ever. Damn right we’re happy.
If it pains you so much, why don’t you switch to the Philly blogs and say something positive about your boy, instead of constantly being a downer here.
Joe
October 8th, 2012
10:18 am
We have the BandWagon gased up and ready to go. GO Falcons
Thomas Brown
October 8th, 2012
10:19 am
3 days after Jeff Schultz wrote pre-game that Steve Spurrier should take lessons from Mark Richt, I am still waiting for the follow-up blog on that.
HUH?????
October 8th, 2012
10:21 am
“Compare the top 3 teams that Philly has played vs Falcants:”
How many of those teams has Philly beat?
Matt "Choke" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
10:24 am
But, dads at work, please don’t find me. HA HA
So what if I’m low class HA HA
I’m so giddy about Phiddy. My Eagles are awesome. I live for them and worship them. I love Vick. If he was only a girl. HA HA
Falcons fans might be classy, but they’re losers HA HA
Try to respond to that CHOKERS. HA HA 
And one more time…
HA HA
Mike "CHOKE" Dogs To Death
October 8th, 2012
10:24 am
Yeah, Vick was good when he was 22, because he had a God-given gift — he could run faster than anyone else in the league, and had a cannon for an arm.
He’s also incredibly stupid and lazy. He admitted to Jim Mora in an interview that he never watched game film when he was in Atlanta. Then there was the dog-killing and prison.
This is your role model?
He is not nearly as fast anymore. He is not improving. He is a shell of the player he was then.
Only a certain kind of person still idolizes him. “Back in MY day, there was this great player…”
The rest of us have moved on.
HA HA
HUH?????
October 8th, 2012
10:25 am
“Why was his playoff record 2-2 and a championship game and CHOKE
is 0-3?”
2-2 is not exactly a stellar record, ma’am. The ONLY good team Vick ever beat in the playoffs was Green Bay and then got his @$$ stomped by Philly.
Has Mike Vick ever won a Super Bowl?
No
HUH?????
October 8th, 2012
10:26 am
Matt “Choke” Ryan has a lot of mental issues.
HUH?????
October 8th, 2012
10:27 am
The one thing that Vick will always have that Ryan will never have is a felony record.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
October 8th, 2012
10:28 am
@Matt “CHOKE” Ryan
Have you puked on any kids lately? I mean, that’s how Philly fans treat other fans in the city of brotherly love.
JSS
October 8th, 2012
10:29 am
Monday mornings on the AJC blogs, hinterland…
Hamad Meander
October 8th, 2012
10:33 am
At least someone saved Atlanta’s sporting weekend. This Falcons team plays like they don’t know how to lose. I love it. They could have easily dropped this game, but they kept fighting back. Oh, and hey Tony, are you sure you are ready to quit football after this season? I think you might be on track for your best season ever…..
JSS
October 8th, 2012
10:35 am
Ha ha Donnan, after Friday afternoon, no one in Atlanta can ever look down their noses at Yankee malcontents or Soccer hooligans! That ship has sunk in the harbor!
Rodster
October 8th, 2012
10:50 am
All wins in the NFL are great wins. There are no style points. All anyone remembers is the number in the win column. Great job Falcons!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
10:52 am
I troll AJC comments because I have nothing else to do in life.
That’s what happens when you have no friends, job, or hobbies.
HA HA
Esquire
October 8th, 2012
10:58 am
Falcons are 5-0, 3 road wins, 2 Dome wins. And there is a good chance that come Sunday the Falcons will defeat the struggling Oakland Raiders. 6-0, how sweet it is!!!
Ice Cold
October 8th, 2012
11:05 am
In the NFL a win is a win. That’s 5-0 for the first time ever! I heard yesterday that 90% of teams that start 5-0 make the playoffs. Hopefully, this year they make some noise once they get there. Go Falcons! Rise Up!
Braves #17 Fan
October 8th, 2012
11:10 am
Predictions:
Win 37-10 against Raiders
Win 27-21 against Eagles
Win 41-23 against Cowboys – Postgame Jerry Jones interview will be entertaining.
Win 24-23 against Saints
9-0 record after nine games.
Ice Cold
October 8th, 2012
11:18 am
Oh and that “Choke” guy really needs to stay on his meds.
Braves #17 Fan
October 8th, 2012
11:30 am
I’m guessing the last “Choke” post wasn’t really from “Choke” and that he’s really a middle schooler that stayed home from school today, but was caught when his mom walked in the door unexpectedly, which would explain the sudden drop from posting.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
11:36 am
30-24 48-21 24-2
Sorry guys but the facts don’t lie…………
HA HA
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
11:40 am
FINAL JEOPARDY
Contestant: Teams that have been shutout for 1,500 Alex.
Alex: Only Falcons qb to be shutout in a playoff game.
(Music)…ding dong ding dong ding
Alex: Times up. What’s your final answers?
Contestant: Who is Matt “CHOKE” Ryan
Alex: That is correct. What was your wager?
Contestant: 100,000.
Alex: You took a big gamble.
Contestant: No Alex, it’s Matt “CHOKE” Ryan we are talking
about. When it comes to CHOKING it was no gamble.
HA HA
Ivan
October 8th, 2012
11:43 am
In all honesty, MCR’s trolling is the same rhetoric over and over to the point of spam. If Jeff and Mark would just ban the guy from the blogs, there’d be less spam, less baiting, less language issues, and less name jacking.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
11:48 am
QUESTION FOR HONEST FALCANTS FANS:
When CHOKE fails for a 5th year to win a playoff game, who will you blame?
Come on be honest with yourselves. You can do it. Denial takes no prisoners
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
11:50 am
@IVAN
Do you want some cheese with that WHINE?
HA HA
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
11:55 am
Okay guys lets do a recap of the playoffs…..shall we….okay here we go….get your popcorn…………..
2008 vs Arizona….2 picks, fumble & a safety.
2010 vs Green Bay….Pick 6 when the team was in the game.
2011 vs Giants…..failed to get even a dog gone field goal.
Guys I know you have a phobia for facts, but in the real world
that’s how we function. In the land of unicorns and rainbows
CHOKE would have a bag of gold and a 4 leaf clover where people
will sing in harmony.
However this is the NFL, and like one of my favorite coaches said
“Not For Long”.
HA HA
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
11:57 am
The odds are greater that Mitt Etch a Sketch would pay more than 13 percent in taxes than CHOKE winning a playoff game
JSS
October 8th, 2012
12:22 pm
” If Jeff and Mark would just ban the guy from the blogs, there’d be less spam, less baiting, less language issues, and less name jacking.”
“If those outside agitators were to leave, our little world would have no problems!” Man, I knew heard that some where before… I wonder how that worked out for the folks who said that?
Get Real
October 8th, 2012
12:31 pm
I think what’s lost in this conversation is that the five wins are about the playoffs. I don’t believe there is one player on this team that wants to have a great season and yet another one and done tournament. Intensity now for the opportunity for redemption. If the season is about something else the campaign is already failed.
Get Real
October 8th, 2012
12:33 pm
BTW please refer to the hack formerly know as “Choke” by his new moniker: “Smack ButtKiss”
cdog
October 8th, 2012
12:47 pm
the weekend wasn”t gloomy, the hawks and the falcons won.they are the only 2 organizations that cares about winning and goes out and does something about it.both are class organizations ran by people who want to win a championship.
Barry
October 8th, 2012
12:49 pm
Hey Y’all:
“ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!”. Our Falcons played with “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!. That’s all I have to say. They played TOGETHER. They played STRONG. They played MAD. And they played NASTY. Now they are playing CONSISTANT. That is what is developing in the “PROCESS” of our Atlanta Falcons getting to the SUPER BOWL. We have had the first in many things since Coach Smith and Dimitroff have come to Atlanta: The first back to back winning seasons. The first 4-0 record. And now the first 5-0 record in Atlanta Falcon history. The “PROCESS” is continuing GROWING into our being the first Atlanta FALCON team to win the SUPER BOWL. We are “ONE”.
I am loving the “PROCESS”. I see the players that they drafted growing and showing their skills at a high level. I see the veterans they signed playing at a HIGHER LEVEL. I see the coaches the coaches “COORDINATING” and enjoying the talent they have with they “SCHEMES” they are using to “DEFEAT” teams. I see the OWNERS and the GM”s “LOVING ” what they “ENVISION” of how they want an Atlanta “SUPER BOWL” team to look like. The “CHEMISTRY” on this team is “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!” And we the FANS, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE LOCAL MEDIA ARE PART OF IT. Every game the team is getting better and better in understanding the new coaches system that Coach Smith believes is going to get us to the next level on a consistant basis. They are putting a “GREAT PRODUCT” on the field. The players appeared to have bought into the system and, AS A TEAM, are excelling individually, and AS A “TEAM”. Every game is exciting this season, No “BORING” stuff. I can feel the CONFIDENCE, NASTINESS, AND SWAG that this team is becoming. By season end, there will be Christmas gifts for all off us comming into the New Year. It will be a “POWERFUL” team continuing its drive to take care of “UNFINSHED BUSINESS” on its quest to the SUPER BOWL. Tony Gonzaalez said it best, “ONE GAME AT A TIME”. Yeah, “ONE GAME AT A TIME IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!”. Its time to hit these NFL teams in the mouth with a “THUMP!!”. Can you hear it “THUMP!!”. IT”S GETTING LOUDER!!!! THUMP!!! THUMP!!!! “ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!!!”
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE “PROCESS” CONTINUES TO THE SUPER BOWL. THUMP!!
“FALCONS, RISE UP!!!!” WE “RISE UP!!” IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!”
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a SECRET from a FALCON FAN. TELL EVERYBODY!!!!
………………………..”ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!!!!………………..
Mitchell Wheeler
October 8th, 2012
12:54 pm
Falcons are the best freaking team this year the texans suck the will lose tonight againest the jets so squad up if you think the falcons are the best rise up
UGA cannot beat the good teams
October 8th, 2012
12:57 pm
UGA once again proved it does not belong ranked with the best teams. Once got behind, did not know how to react, Played like shell-shocked. Goes back to coaching really.Mark Richt might be a good person of moral character, etc., but does not win the big ones. At least not in the last 3 or 4 years…
Thomas Brown
October 8th, 2012
1:08 pm
Been a lot longer than that, the last 3 or 4 years.
He’s been here 12 years now.
He has beat teams who made the Top 10 three times in 17 games now.
He has NEVER beat the teams who made the Top 10.
jhartford
October 8th, 2012
1:09 pm
You might want to take a look at the film again Jeff. That hit was “not” clean.
UGA cannot beat the good teams
October 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
We got to keep in mind that college football is just a game played by 18-22 year old kids. Life goes on, no matter how bad UGA or GA Tech does. But is really embarassing to get beat the way UGA did Saturday night. But there is Kentucky coming up for UGA. Maybe a win?
Thomas Brown
October 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
The Hawks were playing basketball ? Is that what that was when I was changing channels. That team is going nowhere. They have nothing.
The only team in this area with it going on, is the Falcons’ team, and them only because Arthur Blank spends the money.
Georgia just takes the money and gives it to Mike Adam$. And, Georgia has a ton of money, the most profitable athletics program in the nation.
Georgie tek cannot give away tickets to their “games” losing to Middle Tennessee college who got blown out by 4 touchdowns by a nobody team this weekend.
Braves has horrid ownership, no manager, a great GM who has his hands tied and unable to spend money to get the holes filled.
You have holes on sports teams. It what you do to fill the voids that makes the difference. Here at UGA Mark Richt signed 107 players to play 2012, and is down to 66 scholarship players plus 1 transfer-in and we wonder why we cannot compete ? He ran them all off by not playing them. Like Chris Conley and like he’s doing to Jay Rome and whoever his back-up QB is because the only 1 he plays loses every big game. 0-10 vs teams who made the top 25, even. I mean great scott, we’re All-Time Top 10 College Football program in wins. How can we be 3 wins 17 games against teams who made the top 10 all 12 years now of nice guy, lousy coach, lousy staff as Falcons’ fans here keeping point out to us, and a quarterback who got his house egged and rolled yesterday.
I am supposed to feel sorry for them ?
At least we have the Falcons to watch. That’s fun. I really gave up on the Falcons 40 years ago, but I pay some passing interest to it.
Hawks ?
Atlanta Hawks ?
Who we got ?
Like the Braves and Georgie tek.
Thomas Brown
October 8th, 2012
1:21 pm
Georgia has talent, but we do not coach it. Mis-managed is what Buck Belue called our talent this morning on his blog.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
1:22 pm
2004 barely made the present millenium……
HA HA
Shouldn't have done all that acid in the 70's
October 8th, 2012
1:22 pm
How to conjugate the verb stink. Jackets stink. Braves stank. Dogs stunk. Falcons: RISE UP.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 8th, 2012
1:24 pm
Can you imagine CHOKEs Maalox bill during the 1st round of the playoffs?
HA HA
atlfalconsfan0125
October 8th, 2012
1:26 pm
Hey MCR (The real one) We understand what you have to say. We realize that our team and our QB have been sub par in the playoffs. We realize that what you say are all facts. We understand that you want to see Playoff wins from this team. But do you realize that the Falcons cant do anything about their playoff woes until playoff time?
What is the point of harping on and on every week about their playoff woes during the regular season? What good does it do? You act as if they can win playoff games right now.
atlfalconsfan0125
October 8th, 2012
1:29 pm
Beating the dead horse is an understatement with you.
lowcountry cock
October 8th, 2012
1:47 pm
Hey Jeff:
HAHAHAHA! You and Richt were butt of the jokes at Willams Brice Sat night.
Seen This B4
October 8th, 2012
1:59 pm
OK….Here I am.
Just so you know that was a cheap shot on RGIII by Witherspoon. I bet he gets fined by the NFL. If not for that cheap shot, Falcants would have lost.
You know it.
Sean Weatherspoon
October 8th, 2012
2:36 pm
First of all, my name is spelled w-e-a-t-h-e-r-s-p-o-o-n.
Second, it was a clean hit because I led with my shoulder. It’s not my fault RG3 doesn’t know how to run out of bounds. I bet he learns now.
D-Block, out.
HUH?????
October 8th, 2012
2:49 pm
There’s a reason why Atlanta is considered the worst sports city in the country.
LOL at The Aints
October 8th, 2012
2:55 pm
JSS,, Five year Blogging Badge, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, sorry,, Your parents must be very proud,, LOL!!