The brand new Falcons play in prime time and find a way
Tony Gonzalez slams the Bears. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
When last the Falcons played in prime time, they lost to the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 10, 2007, the same day Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in jail. Twenty-four hours later, they watched on TV as their head coach demonstrated how to call hogs. Thus did a surreal season reach its nadir, and we around here were asking ourselves, “How many years before this beset team gets good again? Five? Ten? Five hundred?”
On Sunday the Atlanta Falcons welcomed a nation of TV watchers back to the Georgia Dome, and it didn’t start well. The Falcons trailed 7-0 before they made a first down and were lucky not to trail 17-0. And right about then we were thinking, “An Atlanta team plays on the big stage and lays a royal egg. Haven’t we seen this before?”
But here’s the thing: These Falcons are not the feckless Falcons of old. They can look bad, yes. But they refuse to look bad for long. They’re too resourceful, too clever, too driven. And when NBC broke for halftime analysis, the team that started so slowly was leading 14-7 and had taken control of a game going wrong.
This being the NFL, the game would wobble all over creation. But when finally the end came, the Falcons had won the thing. They got a huge kickoff return from Eric Weems. They got a go-ahead touchdown drive that had Tony Gonzalez’s fingerprints all over it — well, it would have his prints if he didn’t wear gloves — and then got a stop inside the 10 inside the final 30 seconds on a defensive sequence that had the famous cornerback Jamaal Anderson (yes!) dropping into coverage.
And here we say, not for the first time and not for the last, that the New Falcons have done more than just win enough games that they again get to splash their faces on prime time TV. They’ve become a remarkable assemblage. They’re smart and they’re tough. They can take a punch. They can deliver one, too. They can win a lot of different ways, and now they’re 4-1 and looking again like a playoff team at worst and maybe like something much better than that.
They didn’t beat the Chicago Bears because everything went right. Not much did, truth to tell. Matt Ryan threw two interceptions. The offense sustained only three drives. (Two, if you discount Roddy White’s 40-yard touchdown on a quick hitch.) The defense leaked yardage to Jay Cutler and his tight ends, but somehow you looked up after 60 minutes and saw the Bears with just 14 points. Which didn’t quite compute but sure did matter.
We’ll make much of the final few minutes, of Gonzalez’s catches and Michael Turner’s touchdown and Jamaal Anderson’s improbable coverage — Erik Coleman was assisting downfield — on Cutler’s final fling, but this was a game won in that first quarter. The Bears, coming off a bye, started fast. The Falcons were doing all they could just to hang around. But that’s the point: They hung.
Thomas DeCoud intercepted two wretched Cutler throws, and the second changed the game. White scored his touchdown and Gonzalez scored his four seconds before halftime, and from then on the Bears were chasing a game they should have been leading. And the Falcons’ defense would yield ground but not points. (Jonathan Babineaux stripped Matt Forte of the ball inside the 5 in the third quarter, Coy Wire coyly recovering.)
And if you were watching at home in, say, Bozeman, Mont., you couldn’t have watched the Falcons and said of them, “Those poor pitiful losers.” If you saw this one, you saw a team that grows with every week, that in the span of 22 months has gone from pathetic to proudly professional. You saw a team that knows how to win.
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211 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
October 19th, 2009
12:42 am
And I don’t mean that to disparage the Falcons. I just think beating New Orleans in the Superdome on Monday night will be mighty tough.
But the Saints have to come here, don’t forget.
Meanwhile...prophesies fulfilled
October 19th, 2009
12:43 am
Mark, I’m starting to believe that “MattyIce” will be a self fulfilling prophesy. Thank God no one named him MattyNauseaUnderPressure.
Mark Bradley
October 19th, 2009
12:43 am
“Nausea Under Pressure” would be my nickname.
Mark Bradley
October 19th, 2009
12:45 am
Falcons have only lost one home game under Mike Smith. That was to Denver when Roddy White dropped that long pass in the corner.
Big Ray
October 19th, 2009
12:46 am
Agreed. Keep Jamal off the ends, and in the middle. He fits there.
Bears defense did well against Ryan. Let’s not forget he’s still just a second year quarterback.
Bugkiller ,
Ryan is a true leader. No doubts about that. He keeps his head up, keeps his team on an even keel, never falls apart. Checks down at the right times and calls timeouts if necessary. Rarely takes a sack or forces a throw. Won’t blame teammates, won’t flip off the fans. I’m not one to dwell on the past, but the future couldn’t be brighter with him around.
For anybody that wants to bag on him for not having a good game, consider that the best of quarterbacks have bad games. Ryan never hurts this team, only helps. He would have had 3 TD tosses today if not for that holding call against Harvey Dahl.
Big Ray
October 19th, 2009
12:47 am
I think Brian Williams hyperextended his knee. That’s not too bad of an injury.
Mark Bradley
October 19th, 2009
12:47 am
Ryan is starting to remind me of Big Ben. He doesn’t make every throw, but he makes the ones that count.
Corey
October 19th, 2009
12:48 am
I agree with Mark: Jamaal seems to finally be finding a place on the field where he can be productive. He might not be as disappointing as it has seemed for so long that he we be. And I also think the Falcons will take the Coyboys next week, but the Saints are going to be tough. And best of all, it looks like the Falcons have lots of good years ahead of them.
Falcons Hero Zero
October 19th, 2009
12:48 am
Dallas has some big boys up front in their defense and offense..
Falcons can’t run the ball… I’m not so sure that The Falcons will have success in Dallas.
Especially if the refs “see no holding” from the Cowboys..lol.
No pass-rush on Dallas QB, Romo, could be a warm-up to the quick-score nightmare of The Saints.
I pray for Falcons CB Williams health.. Unfortunately.. CB Ty Hill get a chance to take a job..along with rookie CB Owens.
4-3 after the Saints game is a real possibility.
TechBuzz
October 19th, 2009
12:48 am
Great Win Birds!!!!!!!
I have two thought right now…..
1. AGAIN, what the HELL do the Falcons see in Chris Houston????? Get’s burned AGAIN for a TD and runs right into a receiver to get a pass interference call on freakin’ 3rd and 8 that would have given us the ball back leading 14-7 with 5 and change left on the clock.
2. WHERE IS THIS TYE HILL GUY AT???????? I thought we signed him to give Houston a run for his position and money? Where is he at? Does it take THAT LONG to learn a defense?
I don’t like our CB’s at ALL!! They don’t know how to lay receivers flat on their a**es, and they try to play the “MeAngelo-try to strip the ball and run with the receiver for 15 yards instead of tackling him” drill. I honestly hope we demote Houston to back up after this year (or even cut him) and either work this Tye “mystery guy” Hill into the starting position, sign a cb in the first round of next years draft, OR sign a quality FA CB!!
Our secondary just is VERY mediocre right now. If a runner gets past the LB’s, we are TOAST!!!
Great win tonight though….I believe we can win at Dallas, but the Superdome will be VERY hard to play at, although we DID almost win their last year had we gone for it on that 4th and 5. It seems that ever since Katrina, and no offense to the victims of that, that ANY team that plays in the Superdome freakin’ loses!!!
Ginger
October 19th, 2009
12:49 am
So happy for everyone including players, coaches, fans that we got the big win tonight and played pretty well….We seem to really be putting M.Vick and B. Petrino behind us in a big cloud of dust. Happy for Arthur Blank tonight as the TV shot showed him lifting his hands in the air !! Wonder if M. V played much today in the loss to the Raiders
TechBuzz
October 19th, 2009
12:50 am
AGAIN…what the HELL do the Falcons see in Chris Houston???? And where in the heck is this Tye HIll guy?? Does it take THAT long to learn a damn defense?
I don’t like our CB’s at ALL!!!!
TechBuzz
October 19th, 2009
12:52 am
AGAIN what the HELL do the Falcons see in Chris Houston?????
Meanwhile...checking the box score
October 19th, 2009
12:54 am
Those are some brutal offensive stats for a team that won. Another good sign, when you can win with stats like that.
Mark Bradley
October 19th, 2009
12:55 am
I’ll say this: If Brian Williams is out for a while, the Falcons will be hurting.
I’ll also say this: Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with me tonight. It was, as always, a blast. Live chats are my favorite part of this job. And our next one will come from Jacksonville in two weeks, when Georgia plays you know who.
TechBuzz
October 19th, 2009
12:58 am
AGAIN, what the HELL do the Falcons see in Chris Houston???????????
Big Ray
October 19th, 2009
12:58 am
Mark ,
Love this live chat stuff. Great idea!
An Observation
October 19th, 2009
1:01 am
Chris Houston is a joke and I don’t mean in a good way. Tonight was a great win for the Falcons but I do hope that during next year’s draft they can acquire some better CBs. Week after week the CBs are exposed as not being very good.
Dallas is definitely beatable and I believe the Falcons will prevail next week. GO FALCONS!!!!!
BugKiller
October 19th, 2009
1:01 am
Mark,
One last thing!
WTF is wrong with Turner?
Has he gone Andruw Jones on the Falcons? Meaning: FAT and happy?
Avery
October 19th, 2009
1:03 am
I was so loaded hanging off the 300 level deck that ii am still not sure how we won this game. I am just glad we won it, because I told the obnoxious Bears fans behind me that they would be leaving the Dome before I would.
TechBuzz
October 19th, 2009
1:16 am
AGAIN, what the HELL do the Falcons see in Chris Houston??????
StateBird
October 19th, 2009
1:26 am
BugKiller … watch the replay of Turner turning a 5 yard loss into a 5 yard gain in the second half and let us know if you still doubt Turner’s effort.
War Eagle
October 19th, 2009
1:40 am
Everyone, TechBuzz especially, is giving Atlanta secondary a bad rap… and I have stats to prove it.
Before tonight’s game, the falcons are ranked #4 in the defensive number that counts the most – points allowed. If you want to give credit to front seven, I have another stat from you. Atlanta only has 8 sacks on the year – tied for #25 in the league. Who has more than us you ask? Try Cleveland, Oakland, St. Louis and Tennessee. Atlanta’s front line is not doing a good job of bringing the pass rush.
When looking at those stats, it suggest that we have a superior secondary.
Also you have to look at Atlanta’s schedule, we haven’t played any scrub teams to pad our numbers like other teams had. Look at the Giants schedule so far and look what happened tonight… padded schedule.
Kane337
October 19th, 2009
2:01 am
That dome was rocking tonight. Man, I can’t go to sleep. Great win!
Jamaal Anderson looks great at DT.
darrell starks
October 19th, 2009
2:09 am
GOOD GAME FALCONS GAME BALL GO 2 THOMAS DECOUD GETTING BETTER EVERY WEAK. GO FALCONS!!!!!!!
darrell starks
October 19th, 2009
2:18 am
Right now the best team in the nfl is the saints they look like the rams back when they won the superbowl,but we still can beat them if we dont play that sorry cover 2 D,but lets take care the cowboys first.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!
Daniel
October 19th, 2009
2:23 am
Spent last winter in Bozeman. Nice town. Good skiing.
Reid Adair
October 19th, 2009
2:24 am
If there was a textbook example of a “bend, but don’t break” defense, that was the Falcons tonight. They made plays when they had to. The goal-line stand, forcing Matt Forte to fumble on back-to-back plays, was strong.
I hope Jerious Norwood isn’t hurt too seriously. I think he was the key to the offense getting rolling in the second quarter, and I thought they missed him out there in the second half.
You’re right, Mark. This Falcons team didn’t lay an egg for a national audience – and that, in itself, is certainly a big step in the right direction.
TeeBerry
October 19th, 2009
2:37 am
Dang. I was hoping Mark would have another column telling us how overrated Brett Favre is. (6-0).
Amar Twink
October 19th, 2009
2:40 am
[...] post is from here. Visit the link to read more.And here we say, not for the first time and not for the last, that the [...]
Panther
October 19th, 2009
2:41 am
Right on War Eagle, If Houston turns his head, there’s no penalty, and the TD thrown on him in the first half was a perfect pass. It wasn’t bad coverage. I’ve seen Rod Woodson and Champ Bailey give up TDs many, many times. There was only ever one true shut down corner, and that was Neon “Primetime” Sanders. You don’t toss good players to the curb, and Houston is good. He’ll make a few plays this year, and everyone will be glad we kept him.
Did anyone see Michael Irvin on NFL Network compare Turner, Gonzalez, White, and Ryan to Emmit, Novecek, himself, and Aikman? You can find it on nfl.com.
The Falcons D is for real. The overall defensive effort is the best I’ve seen from the Falcons since ‘98, and as young as we are, we will only get better.
Panther
October 19th, 2009
2:45 am
This is for Raider Fan….79th!!!
Kane337
October 19th, 2009
2:59 am
Yea the Falcons can’t beat anybody. All the other teams are just playing bad against them. I hope this continues the rest of the season.
Go Falcons
Go Dolphins
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October 19th, 2009
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Samuel
October 19th, 2009
5:51 am
Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, beat the Dallas Cowboys and then worry about the high power Saints later. The defense kept us in then game even though Matty Ice had two picks. I’m concerned about Moore and Norwood. Moore has come right out of college with nagging injuries he seems not to be able to shake. And Norwood can’t seem stay on the field. We will need Tye Hill to help us in the secondary. Why is he not on the field yet?
Where Are the Falcon Fans
October 19th, 2009
6:55 am
Poor Falcons cant go a column or a commentator without mentioning Petrino or Vick…2 seasons later….LMAO…well, ya gotta get some interest SOMEHOW.
Saints Fan
October 19th, 2009
6:57 am
GEAUX SAINTS! Leading the NFC South and not needing HELP from the refs to do it!
jerry
October 19th, 2009
7:07 am
That stinker in Oakland smells like a QB controversy in Philly.
DJ
October 19th, 2009
7:38 am
A pathetic excuse for officals; they should have been wearing the orange striped clown uniforms. Never mind the countless botched fumble calls, Lofton had position and Olsen crawled over his back for the interference call with the game on the line. The guys in stripes need to get their head in the game.
Kudzu
October 19th, 2009
7:52 am
Great game…I love the Birds, always have, even more now that I live in Tampa (loserville).
I wish we had this: Safety’s that dared any receiver to come across or down the middle. If you did, your teeth were going to rattle. We need big, fast, MEAN, safety’s who will (kill) for fun, then pick you up and say “nice try” after the play….not thugs. Our coverage (and lack thereof) makes me real nervous…In the interim, a great pass rush will help…
Specila teams Weems looked great…Defense was superb! Just get mean in the deep zone!
Pamela McGregor
October 19th, 2009
7:59 am
Great game by the Falcons! They won against a team that had all the right reasons to win. The Bears were coming off a bye week and they wanted revenge. Next stop: The Cowgirlz in Jerry Jones’ glitzy Palace of Excesses. We heard great things about Jay Cutler; he looked more bad than good. I am sure that Lovie Smith is not giving them kudos. I GIVE HUGE KUDOS to the Falcons. We are not the darling of the national sports media. If I were a Falcon, I would personally beg them to declare us losers in Dallas and New Orleans; it’s been great karma so far. Coach Smith, you have my adoration; I would prefer to be an imperfect, scrappy team than be beaten by the likes of the Oakland RAISINS: a shout out to Philly Fans or be in the same town as the Tenessee Titans.
Kudzu
October 19th, 2009
8:02 am
BTW…as of this moment right now…there is NO mention of the Falcon game on the front page of ESPN.com…pompous CT idiots…
Hunter Street
October 19th, 2009
8:05 am
Good game Falcons; now, keep it rollin’.
Starring Henry Wilcoxon as Bishop Pickering
October 19th, 2009
8:08 am
Mike Smith=Paul Johnson
leland
October 19th, 2009
8:11 am
Dear Mr. MB–don’t even bother with the CYSC when you get up. It’s so easy a vegetarian could get it. Your pal, Leland
Atticus
October 19th, 2009
8:11 am
When will we stop hearing about how questionable the Falcons defense is? Van Gorder is doing a fantastic job with less than exceptional talent. Too bad his buddy in Athens doen’t understand that.
Great game Birds!
Beau Bock
October 19th, 2009
8:22 am
I miss Jerry Glanville.
Blue Fender
October 19th, 2009
8:34 am
If DeCoud had better hands, he’d have 4 or 5 picks. They must have put stickum on his gloves.
SOUTH GA BIRD FAN
October 19th, 2009
8:37 am
Anybody know the latest on the williams injury , I can’t do much searching at the present time I just have to jump on and off of the AJC.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!