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
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:53 pm
Jeff George will not be remembered in the NFL but i never seen somebody that could throw like him with that quick release. He had so much talent and did nothing in the NFL
1990_Champs_GT
January 8th, 2013
9:54 pm
Worst Falcons coach ever: Jerry Glanville. He lead to the second-worst coach:June Jones.
Worst QB ever: Jeff George.
The Waterboy
January 8th, 2013
9:57 pm
Falcons will win b/c Matt Ryan will wearing his lucky astrology mood watch.
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:57 pm
I am a huge Matt Ryan fan but would of loved for Steve Bartkowski to have a team like this and see what he could of done
Eric
January 8th, 2013
9:59 pm
What’s really crummy about all of this is just how great an owner we have in Blank (especially when compared to the horrid desert that was the Smith’s) and just how much he wants to bring a winner to Atlanta. The boys gotta go out there and win one for Arthur in my opinion.
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
9:59 pm
Jeff George was sorta like Cam, he did not know who to lose. He had his moments, but he blamed his teammates, he pouted, and he screwed up as much as the next guy. He had no leadership skills…….Just when you thought he “got it”, he would revert back.
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
9:59 pm
Mora the worst coach ever!!!!!!!!! his smart azz disrespect the media who try to get behind him and us fans…….. I really don’t like Mora for some reason
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
10:01 pm
take that back Petrino…….we can all agree with that one
Eric
January 8th, 2013
10:02 pm
Another funny thought is just how much perceptions can change. Just for fun, assume we go out and win the SB this year. I bet then Atlanta becomes quite the feared team next year!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
10:03 pm
The King Idiot lives….hey dummy Roberto Garza starts for the Chicago Bears! Is your google broke or something? All this crap you putting out sucks like you do. STOP IT!!!! Garza may not be the best but he starts on a NFL team sucker! Keep telling us how bad all these draft picks are or have been! And o yea…..
Get the eff of our blog!
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
10:03 pm
I love Blank but why deal with the NFL with Caps and all that. IF he wants to own a championship team he just needs to go 4 miles to Capt. Ave. and buy the Braves where no Salary caps are. My dream is for him to buy the Braves from Liberty
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
10:05 pm
Jeff George was a lot like Cam, just absurd skills, but no leadership, he did not know how to lose. He blamed his teammates, he pouted. Just when you thought he got past it, it would be an issue again.
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
10:07 pm
I was so mad at Blank when he fired Reeves and was really getting mad when talk was he was taking ATL out of ATL and moving it to the North side. I got over the Coach thing fast and now the talk is it is going to stay in Atl. and I can say without a doubt,,,,,,we have the best owner not only in the Nfl but in all of sports
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
10:08 pm
LT a waste in Atlanta witb Reeves? You are really stupid JSS. Reeves had Jamal Anderson….the king of 250 touches a year. You dont think LT would have got that…..continue to show your stupidity by what ooozes out your mouth……King Idiot….you are crowned again!
Eric
January 8th, 2013
10:09 pm
Am I the only one that loved Chandler? I know 98 was his only really great year but that team was just magic! Mathis and Marting (the M&M boys), Chuck Smith, Jamal Anderson, Brooking, Tuggle, Travis Hall, Bennett, Ray-Ray Buchanan! I loved the 98 Falcons and so wish they could’ve continued things in 99, 2000, 2001, etc. If only Blank and Dimitroff had been around then!
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
10:09 pm
and it is a fact that he is the best groomed and best dressed owner of all time,,,,,,,,the man has style and class
Eric
January 8th, 2013
10:10 pm
*Martin
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
10:13 pm
yeah Chandler was good……….ray ray or i called him big play ray was not really that good, I liked the great white hope Dwight,,,,,,,man he was so fast
Mora less Petrino
January 8th, 2013
10:15 pm
No way I’d put Jeff George in top anything but DA list, with Ron Mexico, Aundray Bruce, Rison, Mora, and Petrino.
Worst coach ever would have to be Petrino, followed by a tie between Junes Jones, Marion Campbell, Mora, and Dan Henning. I like June Jones, but he insisted on running that ridiculous Run & Shoot, (or as I called it, the Poop & Punt.) Glanville was a very good assistant coach, but not too hot at being the head man.
Best head coaches, easily Smith, Reeves, and Leeman Bennett. Having good GM’s has a lot to with the success of a coach.
goFalcons
January 8th, 2013
10:18 pm
Over and under of a personal foul being called on either team when the Falcons get the ball is 3 and I take the under
ed
January 8th, 2013
10:18 pm
I don’t think the Falcons lose, but if they do and if they fire Dimitroff or Smith then we’ll all get what we deserve…….. another decade like the 4 before they got here.
Ridiculous to indicate the head men on a staff that won a division title while going 13-3 are playing a win or leave town game (add in they took over a franchise that was so bad it was expected to take years to turn around). I understand such talk from the nincompoops on the message board, but I now question Jeff Schultz’s ability to write about the NFL. TOTALLY IGNORANT!!!!
Jeff please name me one coach that was fired with Smith’s record? Schotenheimer did not have the body of work and even so his firing was related to a fued with the GM, not a house cleaning. Totally a fallacy that Smith or TD are in jeopardy of getting fired. Closer to reality Schultz could be fired for irresponsible reporting.
Eric
January 8th, 2013
10:19 pm
Buchanan was EPIC during the SB news conferences! Calling out Shannen Sharpe for having a horse face was just awesome!
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
10:21 pm
We really need a Dwight right now to return kicks! I think HD or I call him the porn star (Hairy Douglass, is that not a porn stars name?) Will make a big play this week but Seattle also has a dangerous kick/punt returner that we must watch out for!
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
10:22 pm
Big Play had swagger, reminds me of Samuels, just crafty and would jump routs, but was also apt to get burned from time to time.
ed
January 8th, 2013
10:22 pm
my comments blocked??
Mora less Petrino
January 8th, 2013
10:23 pm
No way I’d put Jeff George in top anything but dumb-butt list, with Ron Mexico, Aundray Bruce, Rison, Mora, and Petrino.
Worst coach ever would have to be Petrino, followed by a tie between Junes Jones, Marion Campbell, Mora, and Dan Henning. I like June Jones, but he insisted on running that ridiculous Run & Shoot, (or as I called it, the Poop & Punt.) Glanville was a very good assistant coach, but not too hot at being the head man.
Best head coaches, easily Smith, Reeves, and Leeman Bennett. Having good GM’s has a lot to with the success of a coach.
JSS
January 8th, 2013
10:23 pm
Hilarious again, does the name Steve DeBerg ring a bell (Plunkett and Young)? Nothing like you folks…
Mandelbrot
January 8th, 2013
10:24 pm
The Seahawks are going to dominate the Falcons in every phase of the game on Sunday…Don’t fool yourself thinking anything else.
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
10:27 pm
How many times we got to tell you too
Get the eff off our blog!
You hate that much that you bring up Steve Deberg…Stop it man, just Stop it. Can you not see real fans enjoying talking about Falcon history? Beat it or just
GET THE EFF OFF OUR BLOG!
Mandelbrot
January 8th, 2013
10:29 pm
Seriously, Atlanta is the weakest team mentally in the NFL and Seattle the strongest. It’s going to be a rout to the tune of 42-6.
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
10:34 pm
Trivia,
What former #1 draft QB never came close to living up to his hype, who was signed to a 100 Mil contract and was anointed a “dream team” QB, only to go down as maybe the largest bust in history and get its HOF coach who was loved by the owner fired?
One hint, two QBs named Matt directly related to him, are heading into the 2nd round of the playoffs and very well might meet up in the superbowl….
I’m tellin’ ya, being mean to animals is bad Karma.
Mora less Petrino
January 8th, 2013
10:35 pm
The Falcons will likely defeat the Seahawks, and next week the same trolls and negative types will be back here saying that ATL can’t win against GB or SF. We shall see!
JSS
January 8th, 2013
10:35 pm
250 touches a year due to one huge carry year of 410 (98), you people act like these people had long careers… It was quick lightning, that 2nd half of 97 to the Super Bowl was it… #32 only averaged between 65 to 70 yards a game in 96 and 97, same in 2000. After that, the whole of 1999 to the beginning of 2002 was pure agony, and it should not have been… Reeves made colossal mistakes in drafting and cutting players and general handling of the locker room too…
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
10:36 pm
So I cant be mean to JSS anymore? What are you saying Biceps? :/
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
10:38 pm
Well, JA did not do much after 98 because he blew out his knees, that might have had something to do with it. In 96 and 97, JA was the understudy to Ironhead.
But really, JSS, you know the trivia answer?
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
10:41 pm
Took me awhile, but I got it Answer. JSS is OK, when the Falcons put a beating on the Giants, he came on the blogs and ate some crow, as I suspect he will Sunday.
Answer This
January 8th, 2013
10:42 pm
So your google is working again? Tell you what….thanks for taking us to the dance Dan Reeves…Big Ups!
But the future we all have waited for is here! So I am more interested in Sunday instead of 20 years ago…so kick rocks King Idiot! You will only continue to tell us how stupid the 100 of us are and how smart you think you are…JSS and his own little 300 movie. Lol..go back to your google!
JSS
January 8th, 2013
10:42 pm
The gatekeeper with no keys is frothing again… Ha ha, trying get all “mavericky” cause Steve DeBerg actually got two Super Bowl winning traded away when franchises gave up on supposedly bust or over-hill QBs… Plunkett’s two rings say thank you (oh that was 1980, too sensitive of a subject?) and Young’s too!!! Ha ha, what was that those Carolina players were hollering at Ryan in Charlotte? Ha ha!!!
Mandelbrot
January 8th, 2013
10:44 pm
What are you klowns doing worrying about the Giants? Your season is about to end at the hand of the mighty Seahawks.
Smarty
January 8th, 2013
10:46 pm
This game is HUGE for sure BUT EVEN bigger for Blank. IF we lose (and we better not)
NO WAY will a new stadium get passed this year and FORGET PSL’s…
I am also worried because we have lost numerous times to Rookie QB’s. Well Wilson is one. Just
think of the press. Falcon’s lose to a 3rd round QB that was really picked to be a backup QB.
Seattle losing Cleamons helps the Falcons. It’s going to be close and I am again extremely worried.
Atlanta is a great city but is also a choking city for pro sports.
JSS
January 8th, 2013
10:47 pm
He understudied Head in 95, Jamal carried the load in 96, 97, and 98… He was low 230 carry guy (excluding the that monster 410 year)…
Matty Bicep
January 8th, 2013
10:48 pm
Anyway, I am out….Yall have fun.
Mandelbrot
January 8th, 2013
11:00 pm
Looks like the Atlanta fans have already given up and are prepared for defeat.
JSS
January 8th, 2013
11:01 pm
MB, if Bud Grant is not in the HOF, Reeves might not ever make it… Grant has a higher winning percentage. 606, Reeves is only 25 games over .500 That is serious…
Jeff Schultz
January 8th, 2013
11:13 pm
Just checking in. I see it’s JSS vs. The World again . . .
FarTrain
January 8th, 2013
11:25 pm
Heard several top notch ESPN sports people this afternoon all say that Seattle will beat ATL rather easily. After taking all things into consideration I have to agree with them. We may just see another beat down like AL-ND last night. A team like the Seahawks will expose all the Falcon’s weaknesses. Besides they have to keep up the “Atlanta Tradition” and follow in the footsteps of the Braves!
SR
January 8th, 2013
11:27 pm
Let’s face it, they’ll never get this monkey off their back until THEY DO WIN!!!! I am pulling hard for them but I remain unconvinced until they actually do it.
newr
January 8th, 2013
11:28 pm
I think if given proper protection, M. Ryan will pick their secondary apart. There’s no way anyone is gonna take away Roddy, Julio and Tony. And there’s also Harry in the middle of the field. Now, if protection is an issue, MR will get happy feet and all hell will break loose. Our defense will keep us in it, but the offense has to get us the win.
LOL at the Aints
January 8th, 2013
11:35 pm
We are about to find out what kind of team TD has put together, if you cant get up for this game you suck and should be run out of town on a rail, LOL
LOL at the Aints
January 8th, 2013
11:38 pm
Oh Yes,, Its The JSS Show,, LOL