Time’s up for Falcons: They need to win in postseason now
Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff know they're being judged on playoffs now. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
FLOWERY BRANCH – When Falcons coach Mike Smith was asked this week whether he could sense when a team was ready to take the next step, he gave a long, winding answer that never really arrived at “yes” or “no,” even if he spoke in well-crafted sentences.
It reminded me of middle school when I was faced with an essay question that I didn’t know the answer to, which led to something like, “The Taft-Hartley Act is considered one of the most important documents in history, written half by Taft and half by Hartley, both of whom were fine, distinguished gentlemen who liked to wear suits, and this had a big impact on the United States of America! You’re my favorite teacher! Oh, look at the birdies …”
This was Smith, on whether he knows when a team is ready to take the next step, or possibly the Taft-Hartley Act: “We feel very good about what we’ve accomplished thus far this year. We have expectations. We set our goals, and we’ve been clicking along pretty well this season. I like the way that we’ve played through the first season. The second season is getting ready to start, and I know that we respect everybody that’s in this tournament because they’ve fought very hard to get in it.”
I’ll answer for him: No.
I’ll also answer for general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who, in trying to avoid anything close to state-of-the-Falcons questions this week, has decided to make himself unavailable to the media: No.
In the NFL playoffs, there’s a tendency to handicap teams not by records, statistics or talent, but by resume. New England and Green Bay are feared. They’ve won Super Bowls. The Falcons are not. They scored two points in the Meadowlands.
In their past three playoff seasons, the Falcons went 11-5, 13-3 and 10-6. They lost their first playoff game each year, in stunning, increasingly humiliating fashion: 30-24 (Arizona), 48-21 (Green Bay) and 24-2 (New York Giants). In all three years, they were confident. In all three years, they thought, “We can do this.” They didn’t.
So now we watch again. A talented, confident, 13-3 Falcons team, following the luxury of a week off that’s afforded a No. 1 seed, faces Seattle at the Georgia Dome on Sunday. There’s a public concern because the Seahawks are hot.
But really, that’s not what this is about. This game is not about what the Seahawks are, but rather what the Falcons have been.
This is a one-game pass-fail test. It’s important to Dimitroff, the architect of this otherwise wonderful, five-year franchise makeover, who made the decision to make few roster changes from last season’s team until the late trade for cornerback Asante Samuel (a familiar face from their New England days).
It’s important to quarterback Ryan, who could be excused for getting outplayed in the postseason by three Super Bowl quarterbacks (Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning), but probably not so quickly if he loses to a rookie (Russell Wilson).
It’s important to Smith, who likely will catch more heat than anybody — yes, even more than Ryan — if the Falcons lose this game.
The people who claim Mike Smith absolutely gets fired if the Falcons lose this game are wrong. So are the people who say Mike Smith absolutely would not get fired. Fact is, we don’t know. That’s one man’s decision, and regardless of what that one man, owner Arthur Blank, might say now, even he can’t imagine the difficulty of processing another defeat and where that would lead him. We’re talking about one of the more emotionally invested owners in sports.
But there are several good signs for the Falcons (notwithstanding the season-ending stink bomb against Tampa Bay). They seemed hardened by the criticism. There was less celebrating this season after victories. There’s a swagger on defense — certainly in the secondary with Samuel, Dunta Robinson, William Moore and Thomas DeCoud — that wasn’t evident before.
This has been Ryan’s best season. His completion percentage (68.6), touchdown total (32) and rating (99.1) all were career bests.
But the Falcons’ biggest step forward this season probably came in game-planning and decision-making by the coordinators. Mike Nolan (defense) and Dirk Koetter (offense) have been superior to their predecessors (Brian VanGorder and Mike Mularkey), in terms of motivating players and putting them in positions to succeed.
Smith said, “We’re a much more mature team because of our experiences. I think you learn from your previous experiences in the playoffs.”
We’ll soon find out. Because if they lose again, there’s a very good chance the changes would not be small.
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By Jeff Schultz
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353 comments Add your comment
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:05 pm
They drafted “the wrong lineman” to groom…
loose caboose
January 8th, 2013
7:12 pm
Thats a cheap shot, I knew Chris back then and he had nothing but great things to say about coach Reeves. You in your “wisdom” want to put !!! about Dan In he hospital…you are indeed pathetic.. crack kills jss…no caps anymore..you are just a little boy.
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:13 pm
Duane Brown sends his love you draft geniuses!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
7:13 pm
King Idiot Crystal Chandler went to the Pro Bowl twice ( 97 & 98), so he had more than one good year! Idiot! Sorry King Idiot! Both times he was a member of the Falcons and he did not take off Mike Vick was drafted and he got moved out for a better player at that time! Please one thing you cant do is tell a fan that has a team anything about his team…remember you dont care and you dont have a team so your goggle must be broke or something cause you got your answers all mucked up!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
7:17 pm
Here you go again telling us about our draft! Lol. Like Baker was the wrong choice? Or are you talking about Lamar Holmes? What was frigging Jacksinville thinking? Those dumb angus should have hired you to be the GM…King Idiot! Hold your breath for 7 minutes King Idiot!
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:18 pm
Everybody loves Dan Reeves as a person, but I told him nicely to his face that he shortchanged himself in Atlanta… He knows it, and he’d never make those mistakes again… “Cheap shot” my butt, those last games Rich Brooks did as good of a job along with Shell of getting that team on a playoff footing… That Miami game should be in textbooks…
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 8th, 2013
7:18 pm
I am looking forward to a “Ted Topping” display of civic pride after the zebra’s blow a game costing call and the Falcons lose again.
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
7:25 pm
Man you are so full of shart……you sound like a character out of a movie! You know everyone and they respect your feedback. Man Dan Reeves dont give a eff about you or what you think….
in Matty Ice famous words…….well you know where to get!
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:26 pm
Nope, Duane Brown, but you’re a “pro football” fan… You’ll figure it out eventually… Might be next year, but eventually…
loose caboose
January 8th, 2013
7:35 pm
Yeah…you told Dan to his face…my arse…go back to FOOGLE…thats all you know.
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:36 pm
@ 7:16…
Ha ha ha, even they can’t do that… But check You Tube after the game and make sure the kids go to visit the relatives… Don’t let your pastor, priest, shaman, rabbi, or monk come by when they show their pre or post game comments… That one at the old Jocks-N-Jill last year was profanity classic!!!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
7:37 pm
And we supposed to care about Dewayne Brown? Sam Baker is all right me. Dwayne has helped Houston win as many rings as Sam has helped the Falcons win…..was not going to address that cause you getting your angus kicked with facts and not google so you jumping and pulling for straws King Idiot! You got a other picm you want to google up from that draft?
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:40 pm
You’re welcome at the Motivating Youth Foundation fundraiser in Macon, they’ll take even your money!!! Coach Reeves will even shake hand…
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:43 pm
Brown’s won two more playoff games and won’t be hoping praying that his extension is on the table… Oh, that’s right he’s already resigned!!!
Texas2step
January 8th, 2013
7:43 pm
Seachicks are garbage , if ANYONE is picking Seadirtta’s to win they must be smoking sea crack!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
7:44 pm
Like he did yours….did you clean your hand of that…….stuff before you shook the mans hand? Hope so! Tell us some more of your fantasies…..like the trips, Dan Reeves….etc. sad!
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:46 pm
Only 4 games missed out of 80 eligible… Yeah stick with your mistakes, to paraphrase bat crazy Hank Williams Jr.: “It a (Atlanta) tradition…”
loose caboose
January 8th, 2013
7:49 pm
Answer…you my friend…making me laugh my arse off…in a good way.!
dan
January 8th, 2013
7:55 pm
I think everyone is overestimating the Seahawks. They’re a good team but they’re beatable, especially on the road. I wasn’t particularly blown away by their win over Washington. If RGIII didn’t get hurt, they could have lost that game. Plus coming out to the east coast in back to back weeks is no joke.
I think the Falcons win for a few reasons: I think the big play ability is more prevalent in the passing game than in years past. I think the secondary is better at generating turnovers. And the games they have needed to win to prove themselves( Denver, New York, New Orleans for the second time) they won. The games they lost were pretty meaningless when you really look at it. I just think the nucleus of this team is too strong to keep losing in the post season. And I’ll also say this, if the Birds win one, I think they could win two more.
JSS
January 8th, 2013
7:56 pm
You mean like you do when ‘Sponge Bob’ comes on?
Georgia
January 8th, 2013
7:57 pm
The score will be won on a late field goal. 33-31. It better be the Falcons is all I gots ta sez. And all this bravado on this blog is only jinxing the game. No trash talk, please. Rabbits feets are okay. Don’t change your underwear this weekend, it’s very bad luck. Do everything the same. In fact don’t even think about the game. Just act like it’s Easter or something. No, don’t boil any eggs. That’s bad luck too. Dammit, there’s no way not to jinx this game…….GO FALCONS!!!
JSS
January 8th, 2013
8:04 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/files/2013/01/slideshow_1002042193_falcons.0116_CC22.JPG
Says it all…
loose caboose
January 8th, 2013
8:17 pm
dan …they may get called out on putting RG111 in that game. DR Andrews, who btw worked on my leg a while back, said he did not give the go ahead to play this guy. In any event, I like the Falcons in a close game.
Mora less Petrino
January 8th, 2013
8:22 pm
Why the Falcons will win:
A) ATL has never lost to another “bird” team at home in postseason.
B) ATL rarely loses at home.
C) ATL rarely loses two in a row, especially at home.
Now we can rest easy, so sit back and relax!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
8:38 pm
@loose caboose
can you believe some of the stuff that comes out of this guy? I am here all week and I promise to tip my waiter….try the veal, its really good!
The Monger
January 8th, 2013
8:41 pm
Nardawg…. You Couldn’t be more wrong. But please keep up the HATE… HATE ALL DAY ON THE FALCONS….I LOVE IT, AND SO DO THEY….THEY FEED OFF IT, AND THEY DON’T NEED ANY MORE MOTIVATION!!! Home field for the NFC playoffs, 2 weeks of rest and getting at full strength, motivation from hearing “0-3 in the playoffs” for the past 4 months, and Seattle will be without their defensive star Chris Clemons. But getting back to where you are wrong. The NFL playoffs USED TO be about defense, running game, and getting hot. But this is 2013, things have changed, and now it’s all about quarterback play in the playoffs. Although being hot helps, it’s limiting turnovers and having a banner day for your quarterback that wins playoff games now. Just look at last year’s Super Bowl matchup…Eli Manning (playing his best football of the year down the stretch) vs. Tom Brady (also playing very well down the stretch). How about the year before… Aaron Rodgers (pretty much took the team on his shoulders and was a one-man wrecking crew in the playoffs) vs. Ben Rothlesberger (another elite quarterback, had a 97 passer rating that year). Pittsburgh is the only one of those four that had a dominant defense, so your argument doesn’t hold any water. I could also list teams like the Saints (Brees) and Colts (Peyton Manning) who have won Super Bowls recently with lousy defenses. Also none of these teams had good running games, except the Steelers, and Rashard Mendenhall is not really an elite back, so that is wrong as well. Maybe 20 years ago you were right, but its 2013 so you are wrong. A good solid gameplan by the coaches and superior quarterback play is what is going to win this Falcons/Seahawks game. I like Atlanta for a better game plan and they obviously have the superior quarterback. Matt Ryan is on another level from Russel Wilson, who is only a rookie. Seattle’s defense won’t be able to stop Roddy White, Julio Jones, Tony G (who is VERY motivated for a Super Bowl), Harry Douglas, and Jacquizz Rodgers. The Falcons just have TOO many weapons on offense, and a very opportunistic defense. I think the Seahawks will hang around, but it will be a 10 point Atlanta win in the end….
Falcons 31 Seahawks 21
5150 UOAD
January 8th, 2013
8:44 pm
The Falcons ALL of the Falcons better do Everything in their power to make sure they Win this game.
The Monger
January 8th, 2013
8:49 pm
Roddy, Julio, Harry Douglas BETTER THAN Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, and Jon Baldwin
Matt Ryan BETTER THAN Russel Wilson
Tony G BETTER THAN Zack Miller (or whoever they have playing TE, doesnt really matter)
Falcons OL BETTER THAN Seattle OL
Falcons Playing in the dome BETTER THAN Seahawks traveling East for the 2nd week in a row, (they are 4-5 on the road this year, and 1-3 with 1pm East Coast games)
Falcons are better rested, have had more time to prepare, and have more playoff experience.
I personally believe Seattle’s defense is a little overrated, I don’t think they are bad, but they just don’t match up well with the Falcon’s recievers and tight ends, who are big but also fast. I believe Julio and Roddy went for over 200 yards when we played them last year in Seattle. But this time they will be relaxed on the turf in the Dome, will have fresher legs than the Seattle corners with 2 weeks rest, and have ALL the motivation in the world to prove the haters wrong.
Falcons HAVE NO EXCUSES not to at least make the Super Bowl this year. I think we have the more talented team than Seattle, Green Bay, of San Fransisco.
Falcons 31 Seahawks 21. ATL BABY!!!!!!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
8:58 pm
@The Monger
I will pass out BIG UPS ( NOT KUDOS) to another great post!
Big Ups!
Archibald Hole Broke
January 8th, 2013
9:03 pm
falcons over sea birds but that’s as far as they go.
Say what
January 8th, 2013
9:06 pm
JSS
January 8th, 2013
8:04 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/files/2013/01/slideshow_1002042193_falcons.0116_CC22.JPG
Says it all…
—
Yes, it does say it all. Your post says you are a small man obsessed with hating on a QB. JSS — Just Sorta Sad (and pathetic).
Oh yeah, Get the eff off our blog!
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:06 pm
I feel like Herb Brooks. What Herb Brooks felt about hearing about the Russians is how I feel about hearing about the Falcons in the post season……..” I am sick and tired of hearin’ about what a great hockey team the Soviets have….Screw ‘em this is your time!! Now go out there and take it!” Go out there and take it FALCONS!!!!!!!!!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
9:08 pm
@Say What
Big Ups!
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:10 pm
The Falcons are bigger, stronger, and faster then Seattle. No rookie QB and a running back that was picked up after being cut is going to come to the GA Dome and beat us!!!!!!! They get by…by playing bully D with the corner backs,,,,,,well FYI……You cant bully White and Jones and that leaves a saftey to cover TG 88 and that will not work
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
9:12 pm
No JSS, no getting around it, we passed on a HOF SB winning QB, and another HOF RB to trade up for the most hyped QB since Ryan Leaf, and the Irony is, San Diego learned the first time about hyped QBs without leadership skills.
Also, now, if Matt Schaub gets Superbowl, than the same guy is an answer to a 2nd trivia question about the worst trades on Atlanta history, and we ain’t even got Ken Hourck to blame on…..An no, winning playoff games does not get you into the HOF, Joe and Terry did not get it the HOF by winning wildcard rounds, they won Super bowls.
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:18 pm
Falcons are talking about winning a Super Bowl this yr.. That is all that counts right now. Nobody cares about the HOF…….they not let tommy nobis in the HOF so i don’t think of the HOF as legit. that goes for baseball also……they not let Dale Murphy in so i don’t think nothing of them as well
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:23 pm
I want to “FREE QUIZZ” this game and let him go for over 100 yards
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:28 pm
The Falcons are going to come out strong. They will need to keep that up for 4qts. RISE UP FALCONS. Don’t be afraid fans to rise up! this yr is our yr as Falcon fans!!!!!!!!!!
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:30 pm
The best match up for the Falcons is Seattle. They will not be able to bully us……..they bully teams but will not be able to bully the Falcons and that is the bottom line……..
JSS
January 8th, 2013
9:35 pm
Hilarious people, Brees in Atlanta equals Chris Miller, concussed and out of the league way before his time… Bad enough he had to suffer with Schottenheimer, see where that got him, on an operating table… If you folks spent as much time demanding good line drafts as you do barking and blaming QBs for the Coach/GM mistakes, this franchise could been like Patriots or Steelers, easing overaged players instead reaching for players like Todd Weiner Just how much longer did Ephraim Salaam and Roberto Garza play once they left being scapegoated in Atlanta?
Just distractions from the real issues…
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:36 pm
I will give it to June Jones as one heck of a college coach with Hawaii and now Smu but not a pro coach. having said that we dealt with june jones and Mora. The Smith family i have nothing against but they were not dedicated like what owner Blank’s dedication is. We dealt with Coach Jerry leaving Elvis tix if he showed up. the Falcons are not a joke as days of yesterday. It is time for us fans to give what this team is giving us……….Give everything you have to the Falcons Sunday and they will reward us
JSS
January 8th, 2013
9:38 pm
“San Diego learned?”
Yet they ended up with Rivers, didn’t learn much, it is why stubborn A.J. Smith is collecting unemployment…
JSS
January 8th, 2013
9:40 pm
Love LaDamien but in Atlanta, he’d been wasted… Reeves drafted another TE yet?
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:41 pm
Braves fans will not let go of the Elvis Andrus trade but you have to take chances…….get back on the wagon and swing again……….that is what great fans do!!!!!!! non great fans spend the rest of the time crying about what could of been……….Coach Nick says he don’t live in the past of his wins so why should us fans live in the past of bad trades……..The Falcons are on top right now and that is all that matters
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
9:42 pm
If we had June Jones and Glanville as the DC, we might have been OK.
JSS, C’mon, if Schaub gets a ring, MV7 does down in LORE as the only QB who got 2 SB QBs traded. Holy Cow, wrap your brain around that….. At least Glanville and Hourck had each other to blame…..Then if MR2 gets one…LOL….I am tellin ya, being cruel to animals is bad Karma.
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
9:42 pm
Yea, SD got it right, then they screwed it up.
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
9:47 pm
Say what you want about Dan Reeves, but as a player, assistant and HC he was on the sidelines for more superbowls than any man in history. I think like 8-9….Freaking Forrest Gump.
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:49 pm
Best QB the Falcons ever had was Steve Bartkowski,, number 2 was Jeff George( the red gun really hurt his career) and number three is Matt Ryan. the difference is Matt Ryan can move up to number 1 when it is all said and done. Matt Ryan has skills and all the neg. stuff ppl say about him just aint true
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
9:51 pm
Pulling the Jeff George card, NOOOOOO. The man could gun it, but he was a loser, I can sort feel that whole red gun thing, but he was a loser before he came here, and a loser when he left. Actually, he still has skills, but he was such a demonstrated loser….kind of a Carson Palmer.
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
9:53 pm
MR2 is 2 games away of being the best QB in Atlanta history. He has been the most consistent, that is for sure.