Falcons win (but run before somebody changes their mind)
Falcons' real stars came on defense, like this fumble return for a touchdown by Jonathan Babineaux. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Sometime after the game’s first pass went off Roddy White’s hands and turned into an interception, and Michael Turner was stuffed for no gain and then dropped a pass on the Falcons’ second and third plays, and Matt Ryan (five interceptions) mutated into some unrecognizable being, it probably occurred to everybody: This wasn’t going to be one of those games when we would all fawn over the Falcons’ offense.
“We were kind of sleepwalking through the first quarter,” coach Mike Smith said.
Sleepwalking? Actually, that would’ve been improvement. Curly mixing up the cake flour with the dynamite powder is when things kind of went sideways.
Five interceptions. Six turnovers. A coach who forgot the challenge rule and as a result was penalized and potentially lost an overturn of a fumble.
They won anyway.
This is kind of like a Big Foot sighting. Don’t believe that grainy footage that seemingly shows a scoreboard reading: Falcons 23, Arizona 19? Understandable. Half the players in Atlanta’s locker room probably didn’t believe it, either.
The other half play defense.
“It goes against the law of averages,” Tony Gonzalez said.
If you were a Falcons’ player Sunday, you skipped showering after this game, ran to your car and sped home before some giant hand descended from the heavens and a voice cried out: “Hold everything! A plague of locusts and parting the Red Sea, that’s crazy enough. But even I have my limits.”
Ryan threw five interceptions (three in the first quarter) but the Falcons pulled out a win. This happened for two reasons: 1) The defense was great for much of the day, and until eight minutes into the fourth quarter had provided the team’s only touchdown (Jonathan Babineaux’s fumble returned after a sack and forced fumble by John Abraham); 2) Arizona, except for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, doesn’t have an offense so much as it has a vaudeville act.
The Cardinals entered the week ranked 31st in offense and scoring. And now we ask: How bad must Jacksonville be?
The Cardinals were gift-wrapped six extra possessions, started five drives in Falcons’ territory (the 9, 18, 35, 16 and 23) and still came away with only one touchdown (13 points off turnovers).
Ryan became the first quarterback to throw five interceptions and no touchdowns and win anyway since Bart Starr in 1967.
“I’m in good company,” Ryan cracked.
Run, Falcons. Run fast.
They are 9-1 with a three-game lead in the NFC South and six games remaining. They have the added advantage of not having to wait for BCS rankings to come out because the NFL standings include no human element or computer rankings. Otherwise, the word, “ewww” probably would be spit out somewhere.
John Abraham laughed. “The only thing we have to worry about is as long as we can put something in the left side (win column) and not the right side, we’re fine.”
Abraham sacked Arizona’s Ryan Lindley in the second quarter just as Lindley was trying to pass. The ball came loose and everybody stood around, thinking it was an incomplete pass, until Abraham screamed, “Pick it up!” So Babineaux picked it up and ran into the end zone. The play was ruled a touchdown and it stood up on appeal, giving the Falcons a 13-10 lead.
Ryan put together one great touchdown drive. That’s all he needed. With Arizona leading 19-16, he completed four of five passes for 54 yards. Running back Michael Turner scored from the one-yard line (honest) for the lead with 6:40 left. Checkmate.
The Falcons escaped. So did Smith. In the third quarter, he threw a challenge flag in hopes of overturning a fumble by Jason Snelling. But all changes of possession are automatically reviewed and throwing the red flag is an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Strangely, the NFL also nullifies the challenge, effectively saying, “No replay for you!” (Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” would’ve been a great replacement official.)
“We’ve got to find a way for the coach to not throw the challenge flag at the wrong time,” Smith said. “I can assure you that one will be addressed very quickly.”
He’ll put himself in timeout. Not that it matters. Style points don’t factor into final scores or standings in the NFL. For that, the Falcons are thankful.
— Jeff Schultz
Busy times … earlier blogs you might’ve missed
• Short takes: Ryan awful, defense great, win important
• Georgia’s new reality: From on the brink to BCS title possibility
• Upsets launch Georgia into BCS title picture (updated game column)
• Short takes: Murray wakes up the offense
• Weekend Predictions: Dogs, Jackets, Falcons and the lust triangles
• Falcons’ flaws aren’t worse than any other NFL team
• College hoop kings provide rare thrills for Atlanta
• Falcons’ startling admission: Ray Edwards was a blunder
• Will SEC get team to BCS championship (answer below) (with video)
• Georgia wins SEC East, and looks like threat to Alabama
• Richt is coaching through pain (because he fell off a swing … honest)
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255 comments Add your comment
Answer This
November 20th, 2012
11:08 am
LOL
See above!
Its MARTA not the CCT……..meanie weenie!
Answer This
November 20th, 2012
11:13 am
Gravy training parasite? Now thats even BIG for you! LOL.
So meanie weenie……….whats got your undies in a ball today?
Falcons 9-1?
You still google irrelevant stuff from 20 years ago?
No one takes you serious?
Your man crush not on today?
You angry with TD?
Angry with Mike Smith?
Matt Ryan hating?
Or is it Bobby P?
LOL, we waiting on your wise words of wisdom all know all meanie weenie!
Enlighten us with your faster than fast goggle speak.
Or give us those BIG words you google for fact finding!
Come on beat us down with your wisdom of anger and internet bulliness! You know it is in you.
RUSSELL
November 20th, 2012
11:49 am
tampa bay defense cant even compare to cardinals defense….cardnials have no offense but they defense is great remember that and matt ryan gonna carve that defense into piece with that slow rhonda barber at that safety lol do anybody remember the falcons moved our slow cornerback ray buchanon an he got torched by many qb and big wideouts we gone win and we gone win big 10-1 42-28
Eric C.
November 20th, 2012
12:37 pm
JSS,
“It is to keep coaches from challenging at will…”
That is moronic. The coaches only get two challenges and they are charged a timeout when it fails.
JSS
November 20th, 2012
1:09 pm
“internet bulliness?”
Whatever you say Little Trey… Is that “mavericky” enough
JSS
November 20th, 2012
1:50 pm
Eric C
Since you forgot in the previous IR system (1986) there was no challenge system. One of the main opposition points to IR was challenges possibly slowing down the games. The whole challenge system in 1999. What can be challenged and what cannot is a whole different story. Parcell’s abused the earlier system. It is why they came up with the limits that you mentioned. You are forgetting tge evolution of the system as it now!
Thus, the reason that the whole turnover “booth” review after every change of possession was implemented this past March… And to keep someone from Parcelling reviews, they made it an automatic and unchallengeable review…. You challenge in complete disregard ti its automatic nature, then they hit you with a penalty… Parcell’ing had disappeared until Sunday…
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
November 20th, 2012
2:14 pm
So if the season ended today, the 6 qualifying teams:
Niners
Bears
Giants
Falcants
Seahawks
Packers
Which one has not won a playoff game in the last 3 years?
HA HA
Answer This
November 20th, 2012
2:14 pm
The great bully has spoken! The almighty who knows more than anyone has spoken! The little angry toad man has spoken and we are not worthy of his google info! Speak to us angry little man and tell us, show us our errors! No one is greater than you when it comes to the goggle stats! You are the greatest of all time! You will go down in blogging history as you set Eric C…….straight! We all bow to your google greatness!
However I know your secret….i see behind the curtain angry little man! The Wizard of Blog…..lol…..clown
JSS
November 20th, 2012
2:51 pm
^^^^^^
Zombie bloggi
JSS
November 20th, 2012
2:51 pm
^^^^^^
Zombie blogging
JSS
November 20th, 2012
2:53 pm
^^^^^^
Zombie blogging for dummies
(see 2:14)
JSS
November 20th, 2012
2:57 pm
No wondering what is your favorite movie as a little boy, is it?
Answer This
November 20th, 2012
3:10 pm
Angry little man oooooooooooo angry little man! I pulled the curtain and exposed you for who you are. A BIG BULLY on the internet but as soon as someone pulls the curtain and sees you for your goggle stats and words you become what we all see you as…….a scared little angry coward who tries to bully others with goggle stats and internet phrases that you think make you look like the all powerful big time blogger! The Wizard of Blog……..hehehehehehe……..Sad little man…….i shed a tear for you…………..
Answer This
November 20th, 2012
3:27 pm
Poor Choke….I know you must find some bit of joy in overdoing the no playoffs win thing……..but it to grows old! Do you know how many years we went without back to back winning seasons? Yet who has closed the book on that? Matt Ryan…..much like he will close the book on the playoff thing………Find some peace in knowing that your favorite QB, Mike Vick will catch on somewhere………dont be such a wart! Come on now you can do better! Remember all the dummys said that Vick would never play again in the NFL, yet he did and got another 100 mill contract (might not see it all but hey you cant hate the man for proving all those dummys wrong!) Come on now CHOKE dont be a dummy know that Ryan will close the circle and win a playoff game or two or heck lets go for bust and say a SB!!!!! RISE UP, cause we will!
JSS
November 20th, 2012
3:40 pm
More zombie blogging, phew
JSS
November 20th, 2012
3:51 pm
The greatest embarrassment in the history of radio interviews just went down with #55 on NFL Radio! Now that is LOL!
Answer This
November 20th, 2012
4:58 pm
To bad they cant be as smart as you The Wizard of Blog!
JSS
November 20th, 2012
8:14 pm
Too bad you are the blogging equivalent of John Abraham’s disaster of an interview from this afternoon! Just pure painful!!!
Answer This
November 20th, 2012
8:49 pm
To bad you are the great Wizard of Blog! We know you would have googled yourself throughout the interview with your googled words and third person reference! Heck you would have interviewd yourself! Going from seat to seat…..the Great Wizard of Blog! The all knowing one! Hehehebehehahaha. No one shall be greater than you! You know all Wizard Blog! Wise us up! Tell us again how great you are with pulling up google and little smart words for the big ole meany weenie man! The Wizard of Blog!
LOL at the Aints
November 20th, 2012
9:10 pm
JS said. JSS — Sorry, that doesn’t make sense. If a coach is out of challenges, it’s a penalty if you throw flag. But LOSING a review when it’s GOING TO BE reviewed as a result of stupidly throwing the flag doesn’t fly with me. Dumb rule.
HAHAHAHA,, In other words Sorry JSS, You’re an Idiot. LOL
LOL at the Aints
November 20th, 2012
9:13 pm
Boy JSS, for someone who’s not a Falcons fan you sure do provide a wealth of information,, LOL
LOL at the Aints
November 20th, 2012
9:19 pm
JSS is the Blog Know it All Idiot, Every blog needs one, he serves a purpose. LOL
LOL at the Aints
November 20th, 2012
9:31 pm
JSS Owned by Answer This! LOL
JSS
November 21st, 2012
3:04 am
I see the 12 year olds are enjoying their work release furlough… Were y’all drunk at Abraham’s house too? Embarrassments, and still supporting what can’t be defended… Get your worry on, January is a little over a month away, and everyone outside of your little denial fest knows it…
Answer This
November 21st, 2012
6:55 am
3:04 a.m……..and you are blogging? Well why you at please clean the womens and mens bathroom and be sure you clean the coffee machine and restack the chip section. Wow JSS….you are sad….very sad and I feel really bad for you! What will you say Wizard of Blog when we win a playoff game? Your sad world will crumble and then you will have to hide back behind the curtain….oooooooooooooo poor sad little angry man……sad…..
Answer This
November 21st, 2012
8:37 am
And there you go again advocating drinking for minors? Come on man! Stop it! You make yourself look horrible with every word you put out! You dont scare anyone with the loud microphone and the google states when you scream “The Wizard of Blog has spoken!!!!” LOL sad little man……..ooooooooooooooooooooo sad little man!
JSS
November 21st, 2012
1:12 pm
Zombie blogger who doesn’t understand the concept of time zones….
Yeah, ask your star d-lineman about advocating drinking… Keep posting Furbie’ we all know who will all over the AJC blogs posting under multiple user-names while the rest of America will be felowshipping and breaking bread with friends and family tomorrow…
Happy Thanksgivings to most of you, to the rest, enjoy the jail food!
Eric C.
November 21st, 2012
1:17 pm
It’s official…Weatherspoon is back! Watch out Bucs!
Answer This
November 21st, 2012
3:53 pm
How yoy know about jail food Wizard of Blog? Stop telling all your secrets…..told you I would expose you and pull your curtain! Listen little angry man I wish you a happy turkey day….thats whats being thankful about….I might not like you but I wish the best for you….simple! And BtW I have one name and you know it….rise up
Answer This
November 21st, 2012
3:59 pm
And BTW…I wish jail on no one! Not nice little angry man…..careful what you project in others it has a way of coming back on you……
Answer This
November 21st, 2012
4:04 pm
And if u speak time zones that really makes you look horrible! You take the time to follow teams in a different time zone….that spells out LOSER AND HATER! if you moved away that gives more reason not to follow this team…you telling on yourself Wizard of Blog and I am pulling the curtain for all to see
JSS
November 23rd, 2012
6:37 pm
There’s a level of mental dysfunctionality in any thing you post… What in a statement quote: ” at the concept of time zones completely escapes you” would you go on a tirade about someone moving away?
Sorry mister bizzaro, it’s a holiday weekend, some of us traveled across the country to be with our loved ones… Your issues are deep rooted…
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
6:55 am
And as you say that you look like a frigging moron! Check your own statement above Wizard of Blog…fellowshipping and breaking bread etc…..yet as you ” traveled” across time zones you had to find time to get on us about how smart you are?! You are one sad sack of doggie poo! Only you think your statements make sense you sorry sack! I feel sad for you….very sad. Oooooooo poor angry little man…..once again I pulled the curtain and exposed you for who you are…..oooooooooooo sad little poor angry dejected want to be Falcon fan angry little man……….we weep for you! Rise up!
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
6:58 am
And like I said you have much hate in you JSS (best vader voice….) the hate will consume you JSS…wishing jail on others……JSS I am you father….hehehehehe remember that?…….Rise Up Wizard of Blog!
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
9:53 am
Just a little info….I know the Wizard of Blog was early in the blog post telling us all how dumb we were and showing us how smart he was with his post about the challenge flags…..even got on Schultz so that the Wizard could show his superior smartness! Well looks like they meeting mid season to change that rule right away! Keep showing us how smart you are Wizard of Blog…..again the curtain is pulled on you and we see you franticly posting nonsense……… as you are exposed again……ooooooo sad little man……sad sad little man!
JSS
November 24th, 2012
10:12 am
As you pour out your silliness in your 5th incarnation of the same stupid rant (can you even keep track of user-names anymore?), you’re just insipid in nature and bizarre in displaying the point…
You keep trying SO HARD to push buttons… And once again, it’s a major failure! Keep the page hits coming…
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
11:14 am
You getting me straight! Lol I see my name Answer This has changed so much……hahahahahaha. dont need to push buttons as you put it…your rants become more angry and your google search words a little bigger….you have been hit and hit hard angry little man…..calm down…..dont bust an artery! The curtain is pulled and we see you in your tighty whites…and your house shoes googling your words and proving my point for me! You wrong as always and your post prove it! Lol. Ooooooooooooooo angry little man…..little angry man……you looking very bad ……and angry….notice your words!? Sad little angry man we weep for you…..by the way educate us more on how dumb we are and how smart you are with the flag challenge…….lol…..go ahead make yourself look really smart again…….hehehahahahahahah
JSS
November 24th, 2012
11:53 am
Page hit…
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
11:59 am
Wizard Blog…..:)
JSS
November 24th, 2012
3:41 pm
I see even something simple like an Emoticon is over your head!
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
4:19 pm
And I see you just simple…….. now tell us again your theory about the flags and penalties……..hehehehehhahahahahhahahah RISE UP!
JSS
November 24th, 2012
4:30 pm
You mean the one that was proven right? The one that only two stupid coaches in the league have gotten flagged on? Go and worship at the altar of Smith and Swartz, they’re batting .000 on that front… Kinda like you and those pesky Emoticons
!
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
4:40 pm
You mean the one where you tried to bring up Parcells and tell us all how it was such a great rule….the same one they meeting about to disban 11 games into the season? Thats the one! The one you tried to defend showing us all how you knew so much and how it was here to stay to ” keep the game moving” as you said! Lol……clown! Yes thats the one…..o great Wizard of Blog….teach us more! Hehehehehehehehahahahahah…..whats next you going to tell us how good chop blocks are for the game? Oooooooooo sad little man…….sad little angry man……..curtain is open and we all see you….pull the curtain back!
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
4:43 pm
Or just educate us more about the 401k and early penalities……hehehehehehe…..yes you know all! And The Wizard of Blog has spoken….make it crack and thunder scare us with that deep loud voice! Heheheheheheheh……..
JSS
November 24th, 2012
8:30 pm
You can’t explain the difference retirement savings plans and real pensions and resulting penalties to a stupid person… So why would I try? Hmmmm, might as well, he asked…
Kinda like explaining that the provision 401(K) is a line in the tax code and has mistakenly taken on the misnomer in some minds as a pension instead of a defined plan for tax deferment…
JSS
November 24th, 2012
8:32 pm
Answer this favorite sing-a-long…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz6OGVCdov8
JSS
November 24th, 2012
8:46 pm
And clueless, they aren’t going to take away the basics of the rule, just the penalty of not getting the review…
Oh I forgot, “basic research” scares you, it is somehow a “Google thing” since you’ve cracked open a rulebook… Google Amazon Dweeb!
JSS
November 24th, 2012
8:56 pm
What happened to The Real Rick…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTi9cUyfXgY
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
9:02 pm
Stay off the you tube and put the lotion down…..just saying…heheheheehehe…as for the 401….dumbshi$ get on track never about that you made it about that ………the whole topic was about your stupid talk about the penalty flag and why it was here to stay…..remember…..your whole convo about Parcells etc…….catch up Wizard……as for your google stats….well who cares your research is all the same………. type in the question get the answer…..you not the sharpest knife Wizard….geez! BTW…i dont do youtube only simpletons like you do with lotion……lol go blind like that Wizard!
Answer This
November 24th, 2012
10:15 pm
And the penalty of the rule is what you argued A$$munch! Remember you said it was to not drag the game out…..you sack of poo! You always try to cover your poo like a cat! Say you were wrong and move on! Easy for all to see except you! Lol….is it the other 1235 bloggers on here that are wrong and dont like you or are you just the great Wizard of Blog! The one behind the curtain!? Lol…..