The Falcons suffer a thumping loss but learn a needed lesson
Kevin Faulk was one of four Patriots' running backs who hurt the Falcons. (AP photo)
Foxborough, Mass. – A young team was exposed by the smartest and saltiest bunch in the NFL. If you looked hard, you could have seen it coming. Thomas Dimitroff, who built this young team, looked hard and did.
“We said this would be a benchmark for our organization,” said Thomas Dimitroff, the Falcons’ general manager but once New England’s chief scout. “And the reality is that we still have a lot of work to do. And I knew — I knew — that [the Patriots get] agitated when it’s suggested they’re losing something. I knew they would play physically and come out with all guns blazing.”
To use the Dimitroff buzzword of 2009, the Pats played with urgency. They’d rushed for a total of 156 yards in the season’s first two games; they ran for 168 Sunday. They kept possession for nearly 40 minutes. “They ball-hogged the ball,” receiver Roddy White would say later, and in so doing the Pats hogtied the Falcons.
The Pats weren’t precise — the great Tom Brady missed more open receivers in one game than he used to miss in a full season — but they were persistent. The Falcons hung around and seemed about to seize the lead in both the second and third quarters, but Michael Turner fumbled and Michael Jenkins was flagged for offensive interference in the end zone (the right call, by the way) and the Falcons didn’t score over the final 38 minutes and 48 seconds.
And you’re not going beat New England, which has been the NFL’s best team over the past eight seasons, that way. And that’s what showed Sunday. One team knew what winning such a game entailed. The other was still guessing.
“They did a good job out-executing us,” safety Erik Coleman said. “They did a good job running the ball.”
That part was a surprise, only it wasn’t. Bill Belichick didn’t become the hooded Beelzebub by doing the same thing every week, and his Patriots didn’t try to outscore the visitors 40-37. He tempo’ed the game, as they say in college basketball, and the Falcons’ offense wound up sitting so long it never got a feel for anything. Case study: Tony Gonzalez caught one pass.
“They played keep-away,” said White, who caught four passes but dropped two others. “They didn’t do what they were supposed to do.”
Loading ...The Pats are smart enough and seasoned enough to win any which way. The Falcons still have to stick to script. That’s a function of age, or the lack thereof. The Pats brought a championship intensity to Week 3 of the regular season. The Falcons don’t know what championship intensity is because, to be blunt, they haven’t won anything yet.
But that isn’t to say they won’t. This is a good young team that, with a few tweaks, will get better as it goes. There’s reason to believe the rookie pass rusher Lawrence Sidbury needs to be worked into the rotation — the Falcons had one sack against Carolina last week and none against New England — and the absence of tackle Peria Jerry was deeply felt Sunday.
But the secondary wasn’t completely undressed by Brady and Randy Moss, and that’s something. Indeed, this rainy day needn’t be viewed as a washout. The Falcons were beaten but not routed, not nearly embarrassed.
Said Mike Smith, the coach: “We’ll learn a lot from this.”
Said Mike Peterson, the linebacker: “It may not show right now, and people may not understand it yet, but this is going to help us down the road.”
There will be bigger games for these Falcons. And when one arrives, Smith or Peterson will be able to say, “Remember how the Patriots did it to us? That’s what we need to do.”
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182 comments Add your comment
JJ
September 27th, 2009
5:48 pm
Thank you, Mark, for bringing some sober analysis and reality to Falcon fans. We’ll be fine.
FalconUGAFan
September 27th, 2009
5:50 pm
Wow great write. You nailed it.
FalconUGAFan
September 27th, 2009
5:51 pm
umm that would be great write-up.
Rey
September 27th, 2009
5:52 pm
Is it me, or does Turner look a step slow this year? I’m not happy with the ways he’s played in the first 3 games.
darrell starks
September 27th, 2009
5:53 pm
PLEASE NO MORE CHRIS HOUSTON HE IS LOST OUT THERE.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
September 27th, 2009
5:54 pm
DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIP MRS TD.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!
Eric Amous
September 27th, 2009
5:55 pm
They played scared to death. Gonzalas on;y one catch? They should be asshamed for playing like that. The cheerleaders could have played just as good!!!
Capetide
September 27th, 2009
5:56 pm
Enter your comments here
And yet before the game, you described them as the “declining Patriots”.
Harpie
September 27th, 2009
5:56 pm
No matter how you look at it, that was a pitiful, disgusting loss against a team that is not even playing well.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
5:56 pm
What, you want consistency? From me?
stendec
September 27th, 2009
5:57 pm
At least the Pats did not embarrass the Falcons? The final margin was 16 damn points! How many f#cking points does a football team have to lose by before it falls into the embarrassment category? 21, 40, 60 or more?
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
5:58 pm
There’s something missing in the running game. I’d concede that point.
But let me also say this: This was kind of a last-stand game for New England, which has been getting hammered all week by critics. As Dimitroff said, the way to make the Patriots mad is to claim they’ve lost it.
Rey
September 27th, 2009
5:59 pm
Way to go BVG. You did the complete opposite of the New York Jets. Give Brady that kind of time and he will carve any team up.
HERBIE
September 27th, 2009
5:59 pm
Harpie you suck
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:01 pm
And let me say one other thing: To me, the measure of a team is how it plays on the road. Because you’re supposed to win in your building/stadium/ballpark. Had the Falcons won today, I wouldn’t have called it a meaningless victory over a declining New England club. Because it’s hard to win on the road even if you’re playing the Browns. (OK, maybe not them.) The Falcons didn’t play well, but they made only one turnover and held the Patriots to one touchdown in the first 52 minutes and 12 seconds. That’s not a terrible effort.
drmondo
September 27th, 2009
6:02 pm
I was at the game today. Turner’s fumble really took the wind out of the sails of the Falcons. Houston(?) getting flagged for pass interference- never turned around for the ball hurt them as well. There was a rediculous call that Smitty had to challenge. Ryan threw the ball, it deflected off the line and hit the ground, NE scooped it up and ran into the endzone. The officials ruled it a fumble. Smitty challenged and won. He lost his second challenge. I noticed that whoever ran the scoreboard screen never showed a replay on the board if there was any question about the play in favor of the Falcons. There was a fumble recovery that Smitty challenged without the aid of a replay to watch. There were a couple sideline catches we never got to see the replay of in the stadium. I hope the guys in ATL learn from this and don’t allow the opposing coaches to see replays until after the next play. NE certainly used it to their advantage. That’s not to say the Birds would have won but for a couple calls, but it definitely puts a coach at a disadvantage if he’s only relying on the players for info.
Dr. Warren
September 27th, 2009
6:02 pm
China Falcon Club members–all one of us–are discouraged but not downtrodden. They have made it through the Cultural Revolution, sure, but it is clear they haven’t quite completed the Great Leap Forward. Chairman Belicheck and his henchmen still know a thing or two about holding off competitors.
eddiedawg
September 27th, 2009
6:02 pm
We had our chances-can’t turn the ball over in the red-zone and gotta squeeze that interception in the end-zone, Decoud.
It’s game 3 of an NFL season-lots of football left. Mike Smith will use this game to motivate for the rest of the year.
Can we please end the Jamaal experiment? That roughing the passer, while a questionable call, was ridiculous. HE IS A BUST.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:05 pm
About the Falcons’ lack of a pass rush: Mike Smith claimed his team sent five/six men on occasion, but it didn’t seem they blitzed often. And it really wasn’t Brady who beat them. It was the yardage gained on the ground, which was staggering by New England standards.
As I tried to suggest: I’m thinking Lawrence Sidbury is about to become a bigger player on this roster soon.
Chattanooga Chuck
September 27th, 2009
6:05 pm
Dr. Warren, I’m afraid we’re still in the midst of the Long March.
drmondo
September 27th, 2009
6:06 pm
Mark, I was at the game. Turner’s fumble really hurt. So did the pass interference against Houston (?) covering Moss. Did you notice the lack of replays in the stadium? Smitty had to challenge or decid to challenge without the help of replays (with the exception of that horrible fumble call against Ryan that was overturned).
Chattanooga Chuck
September 27th, 2009
6:06 pm
I’m hoping Sidbury can turn into the 21st Century Chuck Smith.
eastbound and down
September 27th, 2009
6:08 pm
i am a little upset that the falcons coach and GM seem to be making excuses for losses. “we still have a ways to go” “we will learn from this.” in the nfl there is only the present. a lot of “experts” were picking the falcons to win this game and the “much improved” offense didn’t score in the last half of the game. Tony G has stated one of the reasons he signed with this team was to win a super bowl, well, he isn’t going to be playing in 5 years.
the defense also mystifies me. rushing 3 on a 3rd and 7 makes no sense and there was no pressure on brady all day. heck sending the corner on a 3rd and 7 didn’t do any good either sense the RB picked up the block. and letting those corners cover moss one on one isn’t going to work either. if you are sending 4 against 5 and a RB, moss should be double teamed.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:08 pm
Turner’s fumble was a huge play. Maybe even bigger than the overruled touchdown to Jenkins. It had been an even game at that juncture, and the fumble changed the whole ebb/flow.
Dr. Warren
September 27th, 2009
6:10 pm
Yes, that is true C. Chuck. Hopefully our Deng Xiao Peng–Tom Dimitroff–will skip Tiananmen this time and keep the gates of progress wide open. I’m figuring maybe maybe by the Chicago game?
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:11 pm
I didn’t think anybody made excuses today. Every Falcon I heard just said, in essence, “We got beat by a good team.”
Edward
September 27th, 2009
6:12 pm
There is really no need to panic we are still 2-1 and we didn’t exactly lose to the Lions. The Patriots are a very good football team and sure we have a few things to work on defensively but with the BYE week coming and then San Francisco after that we should be good to go. Hopefully with the week off we can work on the running game a little bit with Turner and the pass rush just wasn’t there like it needed to be today. Go Falcons.
Dr. Warren
September 27th, 2009
6:12 pm
by the Chicago game the new confidence will have emerged in force. By the way, why does Turner look feeble this year?
mykhalc
September 27th, 2009
6:12 pm
Enter your comments here
karl
September 27th, 2009
6:13 pm
I’ve seen all this before, and heard it all before. Steve Bartkowski. Chris Miller. Jeff George. Mike Vick. Leeman Bennett. Dan Henning. Dan Reeves. Jim Mora. It goes on and on and on.
renegade
September 27th, 2009
6:13 pm
You could tell the birds were going to play uninspired. Ive never seen a team come out of the locker room tunnel like they did. They looked like they were standing outside a funeral home trying to get the last puff on a smoke before the preacher read the last rites.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:14 pm
It’s thought by some that Turner is carrying a few extra pounds. That hasn’t been proved, but I’ve heard it mentioned.
T-minus 6 days until Thrashers Hockey!!
September 27th, 2009
6:14 pm
DeCoud lost this game for Atlanta. Missed interceptions THAT HIT YOU IN THE HANDS are worse than fumbles, especially in what should have been a shoot-out at best. And why is Grimes still in the NFL??
BugKiller
September 27th, 2009
6:15 pm
Mark,
Some of the things I don’t understand:
Instead of having Grimes come in as the nickel back (to cover the slot) in Nickel Defenses, BVG and Smith are moving Williams inside and letting Grimes cover the outside receivers.
How the hell does THAT make sense?
WHY do they continue to play Jamaal Anderson. EVER???
Why doesn’t Smith go for it on 4th and 5 from the Pat’s 38?
Not going there, not having the guts to go for it there is the difference between winning and losing.
Wouldn’t EVERYTHING be better if they just move Anderson to the other starting spot at DT (because all he seems to be able to do is help against the run) and set Davis and Beer-Man as the RE’s?
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:16 pm
A Belichick anecdote: Tom Brady told reporters after the game the head coach essentially drew that final touchdown — Chris Baker, the tight end, down the sideline — up on the fly.
mykhalc
September 27th, 2009
6:17 pm
mark, the Falcons did not hold the PATS to 1 touchdown. the lack of accuracy from Brady did that. the Falcons played soft and cautious ball today. the defense could not get off the field and when they did the offense could not stay on. lack of execution on both sides of the ball…PERIOD!!! and get rid of CHOUSTON!!! the cat flat out suckz as a startin’ corner…PERIOD!!!
OVER-RATED QB GOT EXPOSED
September 27th, 2009
6:17 pm
Enter your comments here
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:19 pm
I thought the Falcons might go for on the fourth down you mentioned, BugKiller. But they had gone for it on fourth down earlier — fourth-and-three from the 34.
Now, if you’re asking what the difference was: I don’t know.
Brent S.
September 27th, 2009
6:20 pm
Bottom Line…Tom Brady exposed our BIGGEST WEAKNESS-our CORNER BACKS!!
Brent Grimes, is our “RUDY”, and Chris Houston-well, I’m STILL trying to figure out what the hell the Falcons staff sees in him. He had a descent game against Carolina last week, but other than that..he SUCKS!!! (It’s not that we stopped their passing game, it’s the fact Brady’s receivers couldn’t catch anything.)
Michael Turner has developed the “Duckett Dance” syndrome this year for some reason. He is NOT hitting the hole with that same explosiveness he had last year. Maybe the O-LINE has something to do with that as well, b/c Turner ran into blue shirts all day. I wish they would put Snelling in more. He runs like his job depends on it, and THAT is exactly how you have to run in this league.
Nobody wrapped up on tackles, except ONE time during the game. Peterson tried to arm tackle four times. Also, there was absolutely NO PASS rush to speak of; however, I do believe that the Patriots weren’t called for about 10 holds that I saw. Playing in Foxborough, it’s suspect that those won’t be called anyway.
Granted, I love Mike Smith and what he is doing and has done so far, but why in the hell do we not go for it on that last 4th and 5??? We are down 16 points, with 6:52 left in the game. Do you honestly think that by punting the ball, our defense will get the ball back against Tom Brady, a multi-MVP and SB Champion, and have a chance to score again???
Over all, I’m happy with a 2-1 record going into the BYE week. Plus, we do have a division win under our belts, but this game could have been very easily won. it would have made a statement that the Falcons are a serious contender. Although, we still are, the Patriots are the “blueprint”, and until you start betting teams like them and the Colts, you won’t really be taken to a serious level in the eyes of the NFL world. JUST A REALITY CHECK!!
We have a lot of work to do in the BYE week!!! By the way, where is Ty Hill at? I thought we signed him to give Houston some competition?
SHOULD HAVE DRAFTED FLACCO
September 27th, 2009
6:21 pm
3-0
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:23 pm
The Patriots threw it 42 times and averaged 6.6 yards per pass. That didn’t beat the Falcons. Running it 39 times for 4.3 yards per carry did.
Vick Supporter
September 27th, 2009
6:24 pm
Falcons got that ass TROUNCED, LMAO!
NoD
September 27th, 2009
6:24 pm
Mark, I sure hope Sidbury starts getting more reps. Gotta love Jamaal’s roughing the passer penalty today too. What’s up with William Moore? We need some hitters in the secondary to intimidate receivers a’la the Patriots (and Lawyer Milloy).
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:24 pm
Tye Hill was inactive again. Apparently he hasn’t yet found a spot.
Sautee
September 27th, 2009
6:26 pm
Mark,
I warned you this morning about their running game.
But believe me, I take NO pleasure in being prescient.
I also think Mularkey had his worst game since he’s been OC.
Vick Supporter
September 27th, 2009
6:27 pm
Not seeing the Falcons “fans” talking all that trash now…….Falcons couldn’t make plays in the red zone or down the field. Matt “The Ceckdown King” Ryan
Some Sense
September 27th, 2009
6:29 pm
Can’t y’all ban BugKiller and Saint Simons from these things?
Falcons got “schooled”.
drmondo
September 27th, 2009
6:29 pm
Did you notice how often Grimes ended up covering Moss? He had help, but it just seemed like such a mismatch. The pass rush was herded by the Pats. They’d push upfield and be directed past Brady. I hope they use this game as incentive to work on their pass rush. It’s going to be a long season if they don’t.
BugKiller
September 27th, 2009
6:29 pm
Bad News, you continue to be a lying moron.
WHO HAS BALTIMORE PLAYED???
K.C. San Diego. Cleveland.
Even your Favorite Felon (Mr. 0 for 2) could get at least one win out of those teams.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:30 pm
I thought the Falcons played it a bit too safe offensively. But that’s easy to say now.
Vick Supporter
September 27th, 2009
6:33 pm
Dink and Dunk your way to 10 points, LMAO
eastbound and down
September 27th, 2009
6:33 pm
I am still curious what the hell the Falcons will learn from this? how to tackle? how to rush a passer? how to score in the 4th qtr? how to tackle a RB before he gains 5 yds? although brady didn’t kill the falcons with his arm, they picked up most of their first downs (15) in the air. the mighty falcons offense got a total of 13 first downs for the game.
jerry
September 27th, 2009
6:33 pm
The pundits who labor for the fish wrapper have redefined “explosive offense”. It is now 19 points per game which, astonishingly, is exactly what the Birds are averaging.
Kyle
September 27th, 2009
6:35 pm
I have to admire the Patriots. They even knew on 4th and 3 that they were playing some sissy, liberal, Anti-war wimps that were not going to fight and go for the throat like you have to if you ever going to wear that ring and hold up that trophy. They knew what a joke it was half way through the game and knew that they had it won. I will say Smitty is a winner and knows what to do but he needs more than the crap he has on defence to make it work.
dawgfan
September 27th, 2009
6:36 pm
Probably the worst offensive and defensive game plan I have seen by the Falcons during the Smith tenure. And there is a reason NE has gone over 160 passes without a sack…they hold on every play. This was the most inept officiating crew I have seen in a long time…how can none of the officials see an obvious incomplete pass and the Falcons have to waste a challenge to survive the call. And both receivers and defenders had their hands on each other all the time, but it never seemed to get called on Randy Moss or the other NE receivers. It was definitely a lesson learned…Until you’re considered one of the elite teams in the league, you won’t get any calls your way.
John
September 27th, 2009
6:36 pm
Enter your comments here Live From Boston: Here’s why you lost. Matt Ryan said he didn’t pay any attention to Brady, didn’t look up to him and wasn’t much aware of the Patriots QB while at BC. Uh huh. 3 gigantic parades near BC campus with millions on the streets, winning streaks, rings, celebrity. Really? Ryan throws in a final thumb of the nose in an interview to Boston media: “We were all paying attention (instead) to Brett Farvre.” Brady loves that kind of motivation. This was personal and the Patriot players stepped up to make sure their boy had Matty’s ass for that remark. LOL.
Alan
September 27th, 2009
6:37 pm
The defensive line lost this battle, no pressure on Brady and they could not stop the run therefore the linebackers and secondary were destroyed. The coaching staff has to accept most of the blame, the team was not prepared.—GO FALCONS, WE HAVE TWO WEEKS TO PUT THE SOUTHERN RUSH BACK ON TRACK.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:37 pm
The Falcons’ offense also ran 45 plays. New England ran 81.
MattDawg
September 27th, 2009
6:40 pm
I put the onus of this loss on the coaching staff. If you are in the lions den you get up and crack the whip. Did we think that we were going to run the Steeler’s old O against Billicheck and not get stopped? C’mon. We needed to mix it up and we didn’t. We needed more blitz packages. With exception to the backers and secondary the team looked flat. And the coaches looked like dullards.
Slug27marathons
September 27th, 2009
6:43 pm
Did the refs decide before the game not to call holding penalties on NE at all?
TJT
September 27th, 2009
6:44 pm
This is a team defense that ranked 5th in points scored and around 20th in total yardage, passing yardage, and rushing yardage coming into the game.
Something had to give and it did today. And it could have (should have) been much worse. Mark, I’m afraid your pre-season concerns about the D were warranted. We are going to give up yardage in bunches this year. Not much left at the DT position and SDE is nothing to write home about. Add in decent but not great LB’s and average secondary and it will be major over-achieving to finish top 15 in defense.
I think around 25 points will be the key for the team this year. If we can get close to averaging that number we’ll be a very good team. If not, we could be closer to average. Luckily, the team is young and getting better and we still have the best young QB in the game. When you have that the future will always be bright.
Alan
September 27th, 2009
6:44 pm
DID ANYONE SEE WHAT A GREAT GAME M. VICK HAD TODAY. GOSH I AM SORRY THAT I ASKED—–( TO ALL THE VICK SUPPORTERS)
BugKiller
September 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
Mark,
Another thing that makes no sense is why Mullarky is refusing to open up this offense.
I mean, look at all the weapons his he has!!!
The only time the team looked really good was when Matt was calling all the plays from the no huddle.
Is Mullarky simply too conservative to open up the offense? In a game that Falcons had to play to win, they instead do as we’ve seen Mullarky do in the past: play not to lose.
The OC needs to get some guts and open up the offense and trust in the best QB in this franchise’s history.
Otherwise, it’s gonna be a long year, because Turner keeps on exhibiting proof of the 375 Curse.
capetide
September 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
Imagine a healthy Wes Welker in that game today.
baller
September 27th, 2009
6:46 pm
Get rid of J Anderson, and the smurfs on the corner. You can’t win in this game playing safe/scard, hoping a non existent pass rush will magically show up. They should have paid Foxworth. Where is the hard hitting safety. Championships are won with defense. What a sorry game plan when you fail to throw the ball to Tony G. The coaches lost this game.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:47 pm
The Falcons actually threw it 16 times in the first half, as opposed to 12 in the second. The difference was that the Falcons only had 15 plays in the second half. The Patriots just kept the ball.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
6:48 pm
The Falcons ran the ball once in the third quarter, twice in the fourth.
AlternateReality
September 27th, 2009
6:49 pm
Hopefully, the biggest lesson the Falcons will learn is that you need to bring the intensity every week.
I too thought the offensive game plan was a little weak, but the way NE controlled the ball, it was hard to get into a rhythm.
Does everyone remember all of the posts after the San Diego preseason game? Something to the effect that we needed a pass rush or we would get killed. How true. On the positive side, the DBs actually broke up some passes today – thre have been some seasons where I can’t remember a Falcons DB breaking up a pass all year.
Ronald Millsaps
September 27th, 2009
6:49 pm
Actually, the Patriots didn’t play as well as indicated and weren’t the champs teaching the upstarts a lesson as much as they were desperate outlaws stooping to renegade status–again–in an attempt to attain more points on the scoreboard.
Roger Goodell has subtracted from the NFL’s credibility, as has been evidenced by the inconsistent officiating in recent years in favor of his friends, the Rooneys, and the entire premise of sports competition is that the playing field is fair. Well, it isn’t. Goodell, currently, is not the least-credible commissioner in sports, but that reality is only because David Stern is absolutely as horrible as it gets and because Bud Selig is not far behind Stern.
The Patriots are not as good as they used to be (2001-2004). They no longer display bold leadership and aggression but instead a gay pitch-and-catch approach, and if you have a player as talented as Randy Moss, going to him can camouflage some of your weaknesses, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re there and subject to exposition by better competition (Ravens, Giants, Steelers, etc.).
Having said the above, the Falcons have several issues to address, and though I’m a big fan of Mike Smith, I’m starting to get frustrated with him. Where are the adjustments? Where are the results? Why do we hear about how good this offensive line is when it was good in 2008 but no so much so in 2009? What the HECK is wrong with Michael Turner? Why doesn’t Smith utilize Jerious Norwood more effectively? Why did we cut ties with Grady Jackson? (Yeah, Mark Bradley, Jackson’s 36, but he’s still a player, and we definitely could’ve used him today, with or without Peria Jerry.) Why did Matt Ryan not go to Tony Gonzalez? Why did the refs call petty penalties against Atlanta but not blatant penalties/illegal contacts against the Patriots? (Probably the same reason Goodell destroyed the Spygate evidence.)
A horrible game by the Falcons, and a horribly-officiated game as well. As for the Patriots and their shifty coach, they’re not the benchmark anymore, though, yes, a lot of the hallmarks of their organization still are; the Ravens are the best team in the AFC, at least for right now.
On the subject of horrible calls, the second batter in the top of the ninth against the Rockies was safe, and I’m INFURIATED by the umpire’s horrible, inexcusable call. Again, we have another example of the lack of credibility in many areas of professional sports: He probably was afraid of the subsequent boos and therefore wasn’t man enough to make the right call.
Derek Lowe needs to step it up.
LutherVan
September 27th, 2009
6:50 pm
Free Mike Vick!
Brent S.
September 27th, 2009
6:50 pm
Can we just stop with ANY Vick talk..he’s not on the damn team anymore b/c he made a stupid a$$ decision. In addition, he will NEVER be a quality, efficient, consistent quarterback in the NFL!! I’m tired of reading “Vick Supporter” and all these Vick lovers that continue to want to live in the past. If you love Vick so damn much, jump ship and become Eagles fans…i’m sure people that want a seat on the Falcons train want your seat!!!
Brent S.
September 27th, 2009
6:54 pm
EOh, by the way, I do agree with this being a VERY piss poor officiated game!! What referee in their right mind would have not know that was an incomplete pass that got batted down…so we wait until the Patriots run it back, without any whistles, and THEN force Atlanta to waste a challenge on a call that should’ve been blown dead a second after it happened?
Also, part of the reason we couldn’t get ANY pressure on Brady was that their O-line was holding the crap out of us!! I counted five on Abraham, alone, that NEVER got called. Considering we were playing in Foxborough, I’m not surprised!!
Joseph
September 27th, 2009
6:56 pm
The fumble from Turner was a game killer as far as momentum. Also, many, and I mean MANY holding penalties against NE just were not called. The worst was their last TD. If anyone can pull that one up watch as Brady, who was about to be taken down benefitted from a few holds that were not called…….this is not to say that the Falcons deserved to win the game, but trying to play against NE and poor referring was a negative as well. This is why the Falcons have to punch the other guys hard from the beginning and not to get in the position where a few poor calls can sink their already poorly performing team.
Zack Fair
September 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
Wow, I waited all week for this game, and this is the best they can do?
I better see Tye Hill on the field against the Niners, and I better not see Jamal or Grimes on the roster at all. And did Turner even play today?
Ronald Millsaps
September 27th, 2009
6:59 pm
On a different note, don’t be shocked if Donovan McNabb gets traded, as it seems someone in that organization wants him out.
It’d be interesting if he went to Washington or San Francisco. The former has a strong roster but is a terrible team for three reasons: a horrible owner, a horrible coach, and a horrible starting quarterback, who, for whatever reason(s), continues to keep his job.
The Falcons have a strong team but have some work to do, a lot of work, and I’ll tell you why Tom Brady’s so frustrated: He’s frustrated because he lost the Super Bowl to a better team when he faced the Giants, after months of most people ignorantly thinking they were that good, and he’s back now with fewer weapons, less of a defense, and a 2008 fresh in his mind where his backup played more than comparably well, exposing the fact that Bill Belichick and Tedy Bruschi have been the team’s two top assets over the years.
FALCONS SORRY
September 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
SAME OLD LAME EXCUSES FOR WHY MATTY HOPELESS AND THE FALCANTS CANT WIN THE BIG GAME!!!!MARK BRADLEY THE PATRIOTS TEAM IS A BUNCH OF ROOKIES NOT A SEASONED TEAM!!! THEY HAVE BETTER COACHES AND ANY OF THEIR BACKUP QUARTERBACKS WILL BEAT THE SORRY FALCONS!!!YOU KEEP DREAMING MARK BRADLEY AND GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED ON YOUR EXCUSES FOR WHEN #7 RUN THE BALL RIGHT DOWN YOUR THROATS LIKE THE PATRIOTS DID TODAY!!MATTY HOPELESS AND MICHAEL TURNOVER ARE SHOWING THEY DONT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!! IF YOU CANT HANG WITH THE BIG DOGS GET OFF THE POACH!!!
John
September 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
It is interesting to read comments about a team picked last year to be the worst in the NFL. I personally believe the team is continuing to grow. A young defense, a 2nd year QB and 2nd year head coach. Falcon fans, we are way ahead of the curve. We lost to a better team today, and there are several teams better than us at present in the NFL. That said, I believe the organization is in place for this team to evolve into a championship caliber team. Did anyone out there expect an undefeated season? This team is better than most and I believe will continue to grow with experience.
mars
September 27th, 2009
7:02 pm
Blame the defense, if you will. I wonder how Urlacher or Ray Lewis would hold up with that much time on the field. So, the lack of offensive output can be blamed on….Turner? ….Ryan?…anyone on the field? No, absolutely not. The play calling was a bunch of Mularkey. It was obvious that the OC was intimidated, and put chains on the offense. Conservative play-calling is for the team who dominates the clock. Kept waiting for the fake punt, too. Spineless game.
But congratulations to the coaches for providing fodder for the cannons of the Racist Ryan Haters. That Racist Vick Supporter and that Racist Bad News (formerly VS2) should have a field day, thanks to Mularkey’s soiled panties.
BugKiller
September 27th, 2009
7:05 pm
Millsaps, you’re a moron.
Cassell played well BECAUSE of the talent around him. But he didn’t go 16-0, did he? He didn’t throw for 4000 yards, did he? He didn’t throw 50 TD passes, did he?
Tom Brady is the best NFL QB since Joe Montana.
If you try to argue otherwise, you just expose your own complete and utter ignorance.
mars
September 27th, 2009
7:06 pm
Oh, and a shout out to that Racist Falcons Sorry, also. Well, Racist Ryan Haters Club, this is your beautiful moment! Don’t waste it like an intimidated offensive coordinator! Step up to it, boys!
Question
September 27th, 2009
7:07 pm
Falcon Sorry, don’t you mean if you CAN hang the big dogs I’ll see you in Leavenworth?
Ben in Albany
September 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
What is really getting scary, if the Panthers lose tomorrow night, the Falcons wins will have come against 2 teams that have started the season going a combined 0-6. The Falcons offense doesn’t look good enough to win us 9 games this season against this schedule. The Streak Continues!!!!! 6-10 if they’re lucky.
Falcons Minority Owner
September 27th, 2009
7:09 pm
Bugkiller, 16-0 doesnt mean much when you lose the SuperBowl.
Dale in NC
September 27th, 2009
7:11 pm
Mark, Can you ask Coach Smith why he decided to punt the ball down by 3 scores late in the 4th quarter? Made absolutely no sense. We played scared. played not to lose instead of playing to win!
Jeff
September 27th, 2009
7:12 pm
I don’t really call it a thumping, but we were definitely outplayed today. The turnover before the half makes it a different ballgame. We held them several times in our own red zone, so there are some positives. Also, it’s very early in the season. I’d rather lose a game early that we’re supposed to, and learn something from it. I think Smith saw some things he can apply this week during practice. Keep your chin up, Falcs!
mars
September 27th, 2009
7:15 pm
Get off the POACH? EGGzactly what does that mean? I BOILeive you are mistaken.No one expected this game to be OVER EASY. I was discussing that with friends at BREAKFAST on FRYday. (What a maroon!)
Timmaaayyyyyy....
September 27th, 2009
7:16 pm
Yes… we got beat by a better team today. But I’m pretty sure the officials were Boston natives. Every time they marked a spot it seemed 2 yards further than it should’ve been. I personally caught Moss blocking in the back 3 times, thanks to DVR… no call. We were getting called for crap that didn’t even happen. I think if we played this game again tomorrow, the outcome would be different. Smitty should’ve gone for it on our last fourth down… we had no shot at scoring twice without it by then. Crappy coaching… crappy officiating… crappy game.
Eric C.
September 27th, 2009
7:18 pm
It’s really simple…the defensive line is not good. They do not pressure the QB and they do not stop the run. Even with NE playing ball control without Welker they still rack up 445 yds. You can put a positive spin on this all you want, but the defense is deservedly in the bottom third of the league. Now the Falcons are facing trips to SF, Dal, and NO…not going to be pretty folks. Hopefully Sidbury will make a big difference.
FALCONS FANS STOP WHINING AND ENJOY YOUR CHOKING NOODLE ARM :)
September 27th, 2009
7:18 pm
Go Falcons!
Today's Special.......NOODLE SOUP....Imported from Boston ..Get It While It's Hot
September 27th, 2009
7:21 pm
Don’t forget to eat your crow guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
monty
September 27th, 2009
7:23 pm
You just can’t let one of the best big game QB’s sit back in the pocket and pick you to pieces. No rush, equals no wins and too much stress on the secondary. Sure wish Falcon corners and safeties would intercept balls that hit them in the hands or turn to face the ball when its thrown instead of face guarding the receivers. A couple of passes could have been knocked down but the defenders never turned to look for them!
Wesley Wallace
September 27th, 2009
7:25 pm
Bad officiating from the refs, and bad offensive play calling from the Falcons. If you are at 3rd and 3, and you just ran the ball twice for seven yards each, and two of the defensive linemen just went down on the other side, then run the ball for three…Pee Wee League.
mars
September 27th, 2009
7:28 pm
Whose whining, dolt? I happy to have a winning season (66.633333%) and I’m proud to support a Noodle Arm. Montana was a Noodle Arm. Tarkenton was a Noodle Arm.
Jeff George, Chris Miller and Michael Vick, though, were all strong armed. They could throw from end zone to end zone. Yes, indeedy. Dolt.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2009
7:29 pm
That’s why it’s tough to do a game-by-game prediction before the season begins. (Not that I refrain, but still … ) The first three games looked tough and San Fran looked soft. Now check the standings.
jimbob
September 27th, 2009
7:31 pm
what’s the deal with posters that don’t remove the ‘enter your comments here’ thingy?!?
Turner is running fat and slippery fingered this year. He’s on pace for about 10 crucial cough-ups if he keeps this up.
I missed most of the 2nd half, but have read enough to know that the punt on the 4th and 5 is how you say, ‘we’re here to play p*ssy football today!’. Chan Gaily used to do this a lot at GT.
Just pack up and forfeit from the get-go if you don’t even want to win. At least then there are no risk of injuries.
BugKiller
September 27th, 2009
7:32 pm
So… the only way Matt Ryan, the best QB in this franchise’s history and a top-5 NFL QB, can make idiots who support a FELON shut up is by going 16-0?
I would think he would just have to do better than their Favorite Felon? Which, you know, he has. In spades.
ejthedj
September 27th, 2009
7:36 pm
Up until today, we could expect 3rd down conversions to keep a drive alive. Unfortunately, our second half offense produced few 3rd down conversions, especially when it was absolutely necessary to give the defense some much needed rest. Four straight ‘3 and outs’ makes for a tired defense at a point in the game where we really needed to make a play (any play) to help change the flow of the game. There are times when you stick with a game plan, then there are days like today where you have to make the kind of adjustments that help move the chains and keep your opponent guessing.
SHOULD HAVE DRAFTED FLACCO
September 27th, 2009
7:38 pm
Joe Flacco:
Career Reg Season: 14-5
Playoffs: 2-1
2009 Record: 3-0
30 Point Games: 3
Attempts: 104
Completions: 68
Yards: 839
Touch downs: 5
300 Yard Games: 2
Matt Ryan:
Career Reg Season: 13-6
Playoffs: 0-1
2009 Record: 2-1
30 Point Games: 0
Attempts: 87
Completions: 59
Yards: 632
Touch downs: 5
300 Yard Games: 0
Henry
September 27th, 2009
7:38 pm
Everyone, let’s not panic here. We knew coming into the season our defense was a work in progress. I agree corrections have to be made and will, but over all if you can play with a high powered offense such as New England’s and not get blown out it shows some improvement. Yes, we need a more agressive pass rush and cover corners, but we were spoiled from the offenses success so fast to the point we’re expecting the same turnaround from the defense. REMEMBER THERE’S PLENTY OF TIME 13 GAMES LEFT…………………………………….
Rob
September 27th, 2009
7:39 pm
Good offenses with a down field passing attack plus even a semblance of a run game will give this team fits. The Patriots did everything you could possibly ask of an opposing team to give this game away. Do you think Drew Brees is gonna overthrow all those wide open receives? McNabb (if he’s healthy)? How about any other QB on our schedule this year? I saw a defense full of guys afraid or incapable of tackling and a step slower than the person they were covering or trying to beat. Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t see our secondary make a single play…not one. If the Pats failed to convert, it was because the pass was off target or the receiver straight up dropped it. Basically, we were left with blatant pass interference/holding tactics to break up a play. And I haven’t even discussed the offensive problems (of which there are many). This year’s Pats are not the best team in the league or on our schedule…not even close. Yet we were beaten in virtually every aspect of the game. That does not bode well for this season.