LIVE: Falcons try to provide some relief for Atlanta fans
Weather in the Washington D.C. area has been similar to mood of Falcons' fans: gloomy. (AP photo)
LANDOVER, Md. — Good morning. It’s the Sunday of what is shaping up as one of the worst sports weekends in Atlanta sports history. (I don’t want to declare it as the worst. Too much competition.)
On Friday, the Braves lost their wild card playoff game to St. Louis 6-3. On Saturday, Georgia got bodyslammed by South Carolina 35-7 and Georgia Tech lost to Clemson 47-31.
Today, it’s the Falcons’ turn to . . . well, what exactly?
They face the Washington Redskins. On paper, this is a game they should win. The Falcons are 4-0 for only the third time in franchise history (1986, 2004, 2012) and have one of the best offenses in the NFL. The Redskins are 2-2, their only wins this season have come over New Orleans (0-4) and Tampa Bay (1-3) and they have one of the worst defenses in the the NFL (29th in total defense, 31st in pass defense, 27th in scoring defense).
But if the backdrop of the Atlanta Sports Weekend From Hades isn’t enough reason to cause concern about today’s game, here are a few things that might:
• Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) can make plays and has been remarkably efficient for a rookie, completing 69.4 percent of his passes with four touchdown passes and only one interception in 124 attempts. He is averaging 250.8 yards passing per game, but he has been sacked eight times. He also is rushing for 58.5 yards per game (and has four touchdown runs).
• The Falcons’ pass protection, a question coming into the season, was a problem against Carolina last week. Quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked seven times. It needs to be better today, especially given that it’s a road game and crowd noise could become a factor.
• It’s not easy to stay undefeated in the NFL, no matter who the opponent is. That was reaffirmed in the Carolina game. The Panthers, particularly quarterback Cam Newton, were emotionally down and beat up coming into the game. But the Falcons were fortunate to get out of the Georgia Dome with a 30-28 win — only because of a last-minute field goal drive, helped by a 59-yard pass from Ryan to Roddy White.
For what it’s worth, it has been cold and drizzling in the Washington D.C. area, so we’ll see how that affects the two teams today.
What to look for? Mostly whether the Falcons come out firing against the Washington secondary, which includes our good friend (slight sarcasm), DeAngelo Hall. Hey, maybe Hall and coach Mike Smith can rumble again.
That’s it for now. Do you think the Falcons win today to end the sports misery in Atlanta, or do the Redskins complete a sweep?
I’ll be here all game to chat.. The cyber-venting lines are now open.
By the way, I just received the Falcons’ inactive list: QB Dominique Davis, CB Terrence Johnson, FB Lousaka Polite, T Lamar Holmes, TE Michael Palmer, DE Jonathan Massaquoi and DE Cliff Matthews.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,069 comments Add your comment
JSS
October 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
Sid…
They started 3-3 in, won 9, lost the final game in LA 12-4
Now 6-19 Against End of Season Ranked Teams Since '05
October 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
@Choke…..yeah “Seen” had a brown paper bag on his head and drinking out from a bottle in a brown paper bag
Answer this
October 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
Identity is carved out! We are a team that……
1. Does not quit
2. Throws the ball
3. Still have a running game
4. Make you turn the ball over
5. Give you multiple looks on D and O
6. And wins!
This is the NFL, there is no easy game Nation! (As in Rise Up Nation). Every week it will be tough….but we are a very solid good team! Relax and enjoy being 5-0! Lets try to make it 6 next week!
oldfart
October 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
I would rather just forget almost all of the Snuffy Smith years.
Ryan for MVP
October 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
hey choke, i guess you were a little early calling that comeback win for Vick
Ivan
October 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
Proud of my Falcons. 5-0 for the first time.
YouKnowWho is a Troll
October 7th, 2012
4:17 pm
Uh-oh?
Where’s MCR? Where is he? Where are you MCR, you front-running, felon-loving fool?
You dogkilling QB in Philly CHOKED AWAY ANOTHER SURE WIN!
Where are you?
GFJacket
October 7th, 2012
4:17 pm
Enter your comments here
flatsdawg1
October 7th, 2012
4:17 pm
Thank you Falcons for saving an otherwise painful weekend of Georgia football. Playoffs!? Playoffs!? Yes, absolutely Playoffs!!! Falcons defense will need to progress, offense is good enough for five wins. Keep getting better,keep coaching em’ Mike!!
JSS
October 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
4:13 obviously a name-stealer…
Tampa Gator
October 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
I still remember William Andrews running over the Broncos Foley as he was heading down the sideline for a TD. Andrews, Cain, and Riggs….with Riggs as a backup….on that team. Jim Mitchell at TE. Kenn at OT. Van Note at center (still not sure why Van Note is not in the HOF). Jenkins and Jackson at WR. Humphries at DE….and a very good secondary. That team should have won a Super Bowl….but Dallas stole it from them….and Falcon fans back then. This team is good…but I am not sure it is better.
Matt "I got your Noodle" Ryan
October 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
A GOOD ENDING to a terrible sports weekend! Now we know who the PRETENDERS are the BRAVES and the DAWGS!
Great Falconi
October 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
The Atlanta Falcons = the only football team in this state with any guts
Never thought I’d say that.
It was ugly again, but we won.
GFJacket
October 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
Ignore Choke…his points, though, are valid. Until Matt Ryan wins a playoff game, he will have a reputation as choking when the games count.
reality
October 7th, 2012
4:19 pm
If they lose in the playoffs who cares what their record is?
keepin it real
October 7th, 2012
4:19 pm
For all the “Baltimore fans” on the ajc blogs. Ravens won today. As usual, led by Joe Flacco’s 13/27, 187 yards, 55.6 passer rating. Just like in the playoffs. Flacco’s able to overcome the handicap of playing with Ray Rice and that terrible Raven defense.
flatsdawg1
October 7th, 2012
4:19 pm
That hit on RG3 by Weatherspoon shook the TV! Wow!
HIVPositive
October 7th, 2012
4:19 pm
How many times did the Falcons go 5-0 with Vick? How many back to back winning seasons did Vick have at the Falcons? Zero & Zero!
Big Crimson 75
October 7th, 2012
4:19 pm
Defense was stellar today.
RGIII had his worse game as a Pro.
7 points was on the Offense.
7 points was given up on 1 pass.
Still nothing from Ray Edwards.
….and for the 5th week in a row,
Matt Ryan — NFL MVP
Tampa Gator
October 7th, 2012
4:20 pm
Yes…..the Falcons….prevented the entire state of Georgia from going into a funk next week. Thank you, Falcons. Now….back to firing Richt and everyone on his staff for an entire week.
phil
October 7th, 2012
4:20 pm
OL did a fine job today….
Here’s the problem. Giants, niners, packers, eagles.
Need i say more? One of them will break our hearts come january……might as well face it now.
JSS
October 7th, 2012
4:21 pm
Man, some folks are just weak minded
GFJacket
October 7th, 2012
4:21 pm
Ignore Choke….his main point, though is valid. Until Matt Ryan wins a playoff game, he will have a reputation as choking when the game means the most.
DawgNole
October 7th, 2012
4:21 pm
Tampa Gator
October 7th, 2012
4:12 pm
DawgNole……
NC State????? I mean…..NC State???? Of all teams to lose to……NC State???? Didn’t Ga. Tech beat NC State???? Or was it Western Kentucky???? I mean…..lose to NC State???? Ranked 3rd in the nation…..and lose to NC State of all people. NC State?????
_______________________
Alright now, TG, go easy on me. You’re reminding everybody why there’s never been any love lost for your guys. Y’all just show up in Tallahassee at year’s end. Meantime, we’ll see you in Jax in three weeks.
You going to the FSU game? I have tickets but just had foot surgery this week, so I’ll still be in a walking boot. Not sure at this point if I can pull it off.
ijonathan
October 7th, 2012
4:21 pm
Keepin it real…amen.
The Myth of Joe Flacco:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8434708/the-numbers-never-lie-ravens-fueled-their-defense
Answer this
October 7th, 2012
4:22 pm
And you say you a fan phil? Quiting before we even get there? Real gan….
Mora less Petrino
October 7th, 2012
4:22 pm
Tampa Gator, I don’t think Humphries was on the 1980 team. William Andrews would be in the HOF if he had not suffered that knee injury.
atlfalconsfan0125
October 7th, 2012
4:23 pm
We need win to win next week. Things get real after the bye…..
Answer this
October 7th, 2012
4:23 pm
Gan = fan
Tampa Gator
October 7th, 2012
4:23 pm
The difference between most NFL teams today is slight……with the QB position being the main difference between good and lesser teams….and the Falcons obviously have one of the top QBs in the NFL game today. Ryan is a difference maker. Without him, the Falcons would be one of the ordinary teams in the middle of the pack.
Yo Vince
October 7th, 2012
4:23 pm
J S S shut your stupid mouth punk
phil
October 7th, 2012
4:23 pm
Nope, answer this, just not a fool who jumps the gun.
Check the stats, bud.
JSS
October 7th, 2012
4:24 pm
Tampa G, you’re getting eras a bit mixed together…
Mitchell left after 79 season… The Riggs rookie year was 82…
phil
October 7th, 2012
4:25 pm
Junior Miller was the 1980 TE…
JSS
October 7th, 2012
4:25 pm
“Mouth?” Stalker in my house!
Answer this
October 7th, 2012
4:26 pm
Not about jumping the gun phil….but believe man! Believe we can I do! Our Birds look good! So we got to back them all the way! Cant quit before we start….can we?
keepin it real
October 7th, 2012
4:26 pm
The stats: 5-0. check.
FalconsFan
October 7th, 2012
4:27 pm
The way Matt Ryan is playing, he is on an MVP path!
1,517 yards
68% completion
110 rating
13 TD’s
3 int.
5-0 FIRST TIME EVER!
phil
October 7th, 2012
4:27 pm
Yo Vince has anger management issues galore! Lol
Tampa Gator
October 7th, 2012
4:27 pm
Yep…..
It was Merrow and Yates at DE……but Claude was good when he did play.
JSS
October 7th, 2012
4:27 pm
phil…
Why do all the little boy bloggers come out after the game?
YouKnowWho is a Troll
October 7th, 2012
4:28 pm
And some people, JSS the Troll, are miserable failures whose only joy comes from doing everything they can to take away all happiness for all, and ruin everyone’s good time.
We know who you are. We know of your failures. You’re a joke. A joke who can’t find any joy and happiness of his own, so you come on these blogs and troll, thumbing your noses at us with your fake intellectualism and oh-so-brilliant ability to initiate google-searches.
You come on these boards to try and make others you don’t even know feel as miserable as you do.
WTF is wrong with you? What kind of empathic black hole of suck does these things? You’re like a Dementor. A demented Dementor who lives to suck the joy and happiness from others.
I know… why don’t you go find the friends you no longer have, or go to one of the jobs you’ve been “downsized” from the last few years, and go try and suck the joy and happiness from THEIR lives?
Oh, what’s that? Those people want nothing to do with you? Oh, gee, I wonder why?
Answer this
October 7th, 2012
4:28 pm
The past is what it is….these guys should just quit now if they did not believe things would be different! The Nation does not quit…you either in or out!
DawgNole
October 7th, 2012
4:28 pm
JSS
October 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
Sid…
They started 3-3 in, won 9, lost the final game in LA 12-4
____________________
And that game in LA, which technically was meaningless, started the franchise on a downslide that took years to recover from. That’s why I always say they ALL count. Winning breeds winning.
Big Crimson 75
October 7th, 2012
4:28 pm
ijonathan — Flacco’s over-valued.
The NE guy fell down staring at a pick with the game on the line.
Great Falconi
October 7th, 2012
4:28 pm
phil talks this way about any team covered on the AJC. This is what he does. Because he’s commenting on Atlanta pro or Georgia college teams, he’s usually right. It’s up to the teams to shut him and many of the others out here (including me) up and do something meaningful when it matters the most.
Tampa Gator
October 7th, 2012
4:29 pm
JSS….
You get that way after you retire…….to much time on your hands and the brain gets more and more relaxed….I guess. But that was a fun 1980 team to watch……and Riggs did play with those guys at one time….didn’t he?
Answer this
October 7th, 2012
4:29 pm
Why are all the little girl bloggers on during the game?
phil
October 7th, 2012
4:29 pm
I back em, always, but it always ends in disaster! A certain truth!
TrishaDishawareagle
October 7th, 2012
4:29 pm
Andrew Luck is doing his best Matty ICE impersonation on tv right now