A night of fire from the Falcons, but not much Ice
The Saints' Jabari Greer takes the first of Matt Ryan's INTs to the house. (AP photo)
New Orleans – They showed us something. They showed the Saints something. They showed the nation something. But in the end they showed us both what they are and what they are not.
The Falcons are a pretty good football team. But they aren’t so good that they can throw two egregious interceptions on the road against the NFL’s best team and hope to win. They proved Monday night they can still run the ball and actually play a little defense, but they fell short of a famous upset because the famous Matt Ryan twice threw the ball to the wrong team at the absolute wrong moment.
And now, for all the skill and heart on display here, a sobering notion rears its head: What if Matty Ice isn’t quite as good as we thought he was? What if he’s a good NFL quarterback but not a great in the making? Will that be enough to lift this franchise on high? It wasn’t enough in this wild and careening game.
The first half started brightly and ended darkly. The Falcons took the kickoff and scored. Thomas DeCoud sacked Drew Brees on a staggered blitz and induced a fumble, which Kroy Biermann recovered for a touchdown. It was 14-7 and suddenly the big building on Poydras Street fell almost silent.
Then the game changed. The Saints kept coming. They scored two touchdowns in 23 seconds to pull ahead by 14 late in the half — the second was a Jabari Greer interception off a Ryan throw that went where Roddy White was supposed to be but wasn’t because he’d gotten bumped — and then Jason Elam missed his second field goal of the night.
And right there you thought, “That’s it. No chance. Not in this big building on this raucous night.” But the Falcons kept coming themselves. They got three stops in a row and Ryan threw a beautiful deep ball to White and the impending blowout turned into not just a game but really good game.
The third quarter ended with the unbeaten home team on its heels, the Falcons driving and mixing plays and doing all the things they hadn’t done at New England and at Dallas. They nearly tied it early in the fourth quarter, but a second White touchdown was overturned (correctly) by replay. And then Mike Smith, who’d gone for it on fourth-and-four (successfully) moments earlier, chose to take three points instead of going on fourth down again.
And just as you were mulling the wisdom of that, Erik Coleman knocked the ball from Pierre Thomas on third-and-one, and now the Falcons had the ball at the Saints’ 35 with a chance to take the lead on the NFC’s last unbeaten. And wouldn’t that have been something?
Didn’t happen. Ryan, who essentially kept both teams in the game, threw for Tony Gonzalez at the left pylon but Jonathan Vilma leaped and deflected the pass, and the resultant wobbler was gathered in by the Saints’ Tracy Porter. Thus did the great comeback die on the strength — or, more precisely, the weakness — of one throw.
The Saints got a break on a third-down holding call against Mike Peterson, and soon Thomas was fllipping into the end zone and the Falcons were about to fall three games behind the Saints in the NFC South with the season not yet at its midpoint. The good news was that the Falcons showed they could compete in as difficult a setting as they’ll ever encounter. The bad news was that competing left them eight points short.
And it raised the first real questions about Ryan, who has played well only once in the past five games and whose passer rating was 46.6, the second-lowest of his nascent pro career. A big-time team needs a big-time quarterback. The Falcons believed they had one. But do they really?
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585 comments Add your comment
Bat Masterson
November 3rd, 2009
12:26 am
Et tu btutus.
Bat Masterson
November 3rd, 2009
12:27 am
brutus…… and o yeah first
mmgtfan
November 3rd, 2009
12:27 am
Matt Ryan struggled with two IMPORTANT picks. The last one was a hail mary. But without the pick six the Falcons shouldve won this game. THe defense adjusted VERY nicely in the sewcond half and a phantom “holding call is the only reason why the Saints had a second half touchdown. But this shows a lot about the Falcons. Turner is apparently back but Matty is struggling and that concerns me. But I hope and I think he will figure it out
cableguy20
November 3rd, 2009
12:28 am
Not so worried about Ryan…he is in year two…the pick six was bad, but oh well. What was up with Elam…two misses, one really bad miss. There are no moral victories, but I like the way the Birds bounced back and showed heart and some skill…got an easy part of the schedule coming up…
Bat Masterson
November 3rd, 2009
12:29 am
Just another in a long line of firsts, for the old gunslinger.
The A Bomb
November 3rd, 2009
12:30 am
Mularkey outthinks himself constantly. Run the ball!
mmgtfan
November 3rd, 2009
12:30 am
sorry for my spelling
cableguy20
November 3rd, 2009
12:30 am
Add…someone tell the officials that there is holding on every single play in a football game…that was a weak call against Peterson.
Wayne A.
November 3rd, 2009
12:30 am
The Falcons showed unbelievable heart, despite a no-class, hostile crowd, relentless Saints offense and pass rush, and the disappearence of Sam Baker…
Wayne A.
November 3rd, 2009
12:32 am
Not to mention shoddy officiating, Jason Elam’s apparently WD-40 coated shoes, and yet another crushing dropped pass on third down by Jenkins…
AW
November 3rd, 2009
12:33 am
First pick was blatant pass interference. Guy decleated Roddy White while the ball was in the air. Can’t pin that one on Roddy.
Second pick – gotta tip your hat to the linebacker for getting up there to tip the pass.
It’s the kid’s second year, Mark. A little too early to tell one way or the other, but he’s kept us in a lot more games than he’s taken us out of. He did a hell of a lot better against the Saints than just about every other quarterback they’ve played.
I’m liking us at the quarterback position. Tough schedule the last few games. A couple of bad calls and a tipped pass and some circus catches by the Saints players were the difference in this one.
They never gave up. They should feel proud of the way they played.
Cedrick (Arlington, TX)
November 3rd, 2009
12:34 am
We had a chance to show the world but instead we let everyone know we cant come back and win a game. Everyone wants to blame the officials but the coach decided to go for a FG when we needed a TD. In the end we needed a TD to tie the game you have to love that irony!!
falcon man
November 3rd, 2009
12:34 am
no doubt pro football is fixed. its just like wrestling. cheer all you want. it’s all predetermined who is going to win. no one throws intercetions like taht and misses kicks like that if its real. not to mention the phantom holding call.
AW
November 3rd, 2009
12:34 am
I meant you can’t pin the first pick on Ryan. Guy knocked Roddy down while the ball was in the air.
O'Brien
November 3rd, 2009
12:34 am
Mark,
I’m a big fan of Matt Ryan, but he has 7 interceptions in the last 3 games and his QB rating is down. That being said, its not all on him though. Once again, our offensive line was under tremendous pressure (Sam Baker could not handle Will Smith), so Ryan seemed rattled.
Obviously, it will be very tough to win the division. But we can still go 10-6 and win a wild card berth, and finally have back to back winning seasons.
The turncoats digress
November 3rd, 2009
12:35 am
That’s right Mark, stir everybody up, Jackets, Bulldogs, Falcons….Why not trash the Thrashers, nobody ever blogs about them. Yes, Matt did make a couple of mistakes, but only the first one was really a bad throw. As you noted, the second was deflected by a good play by a d lineman. I will give you that Matt has a lot of improving to do. But he gives this team a chance, and even better, he brings grit and a willingness to fall on the sword for his guys. He will improve, because he has the work ethic and ability to do so. We quickly forget that these guys are only in their second year with Coach Smith, and light years ahead of two years ago. If only your writing could show the same improvement in two years! But good job of playing newspaper and you will probably get a lot of laughs reading the comments.
Great Falconi
November 3rd, 2009
12:37 am
Most of us figured this was a loss. Last week’s game was the one that really bothered me. We showed nothing on the road in Dallas. We showed some fight tonight. We need to carry that kind of fight to the Skins this Sunday.
DEEMAC
November 3rd, 2009
12:37 am
Matt Ryan is a good quarterback. I am probably the only one that is thinking he is actually going through the slump that we actually thought he would go thru during his rookie season. If he does not have an excellent running game, which he had today, he does not and will not succeed. I have to say the INT/TD was the dagger for us in my opinion. He seemed confused at times to me.
Atlanta’s OL faired pretty well. The Falcons D play better than I expected, although I think they need some bigger more impactful CB’s.. Brent Grimes is 5′8 at the most, and I think that is pushing it. He is a sound tackler but will never be a good cornerback. This was one of those hard hitting Falcon/Saints games. It was a playoff atmosphere. I was glued to the entire game.
The Saints are really the team to beat. I think they will need to loose one game before the playoffs in order for them to stay hungry, if the don’t keep that intensity, then they will have a short playoff life.
Wayne A.
November 3rd, 2009
12:37 am
Give Matt Ryan time to throw (more than the 1.5-2 seconds he was getting) and this is a different outcome. He may be in a slump, but the O-line is a BIG reason why. Oh yes, John Abraham was TACKLED on virtually every play, yet only one hold was flagged.
A big tip of the hat to Brent Grimes and Coy Wire-they played with abandon and made some critically huge plays.
Lonesome Kicker
November 3rd, 2009
12:38 am
ELAM IS DONE!!! Did you guys see how awful his kicking was tonight? Even the one he made was bad.
BugKiller
November 3rd, 2009
12:38 am
MARK ARE YOU FRAKKING KIDDING ME???
The first INT happened because the Saints got away with CHEATING!!!
The second INT happened on a tipped pass.
Come on man, those breaks happen.
How about you pull your head out of your butt a bit, watch the replays, because I know you saw it live, and then recant this ridiculous article.
COME ON MAN!!!
Loc
November 3rd, 2009
12:39 am
Happy with the way we played overall. Too many long drives allowed to the Saints though. Sam Baker also played terrible and if we are going to be successful we have to get better play out of the left tackle position, especially when that left tackled is a first round pick. Defense kept us in it with the turnovers.
Coy Wire is a beast and Ryan HAS to play better. We will be 5-3 after next week and hopefully Carolina isn’t as good as they looked yesterday in which case we will be 6-3.
We still have time to figure things out, but there are 4 glaring things that must improve.
1. Defense giving up long drives.
2. Left tackle.
3. CB play.
4. QB play.
Improve in those areas and we have a chance. If not, we end the year in the 9-7 vicinity and may or may not make the playoffs. Thanks for the live blog Mark.
darrell starks
November 3rd, 2009
12:39 am
MATT ICE HAS LOOK BAD THE PAST 2 GAME AND WHATS UP WITH HIS ARM STRENGHT.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!
Grip
November 3rd, 2009
12:39 am
Ryan made rookie mistakes, that sack he took was just short of bush league, and he is awfully afraid of being hit, dude must step up in the pocket and stand tall, he has the happiest feet of any QB in the game also. ALL QB’s get hit, the O-line was not perfect but drew brees had no running game in the 2nd half and he produced. Ryan has some issues that must be addressed, his arm is really weak for an nfl qb, and his inability to stand in the pocket, if I see him backing up and throwing the ball away one more time I will throw up, How can you lose when the running game is rolling like tonight? Somebody tell Mike Jenkins to get his head out of the sand too
TG
November 3rd, 2009
12:40 am
I agree! Although Im not ready to totally jump off the Matty Ice bandwagon yet, he has seemed very average at best this season and I believe that he is actually regressing rather than progressing. It is still a long season but at this point, he looks more like Trent Dilfer than Peyton Manning. Game manager, but not yet a game changer. Work on your accuracy!!!!
jack
November 3rd, 2009
12:40 am
yeah,, we really killed ourselves with the turnovers,,but we had them stopped,, 3rd and 5, incomplete pass,,they have to punt,,,, but NOOOOOOOO defensive holding ???? really,, the replay showed otherwise. Just another mystery call. Then on the next 3rd down, or defensive end is closing in on Brees, and their guy grabs him,,tackles him and lays down on his back,, no flag !!!!!! Seems like EVERY game there are too many critical missed by the officiating crew,,, gets old and makes the games less and less enjoyable to watch.
falcon man
November 3rd, 2009
12:41 am
oh an kick the field goal instead of going for it. what was the line on the game. pretty suspicious if you ask me.
C TO THA D
November 3rd, 2009
12:41 am
MY QUESTION IS, WHY CANT RYAN PICK UP HIS FEET AND…….RUN THE G DARN BALL IN THOSE BLITZ SITUATIONS?
Darryl
November 3rd, 2009
12:41 am
I’m not really a Falcons fan or Saints fan, but that was the worst officiating I’ve seen in recent memmory. The Falcons couldn’t beat the Saints AND the refs. The refs have too much affect on the outcome in almost every game. Let the players play!
darrell starks
November 3rd, 2009
12:42 am
I NO TY HILL GAVE UP A TD AND GRIMES MADE A PICK BUT PLEASE STARTE TY HILL AT CB OVER GRIME HE JUST 2 SMALL.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!
TechBuzz
November 3rd, 2009
12:45 am
Well, unless the Saints go on a mid-season skid her soon, then the NFC South title is shot for us. We are now 3 games behind the Saints (which I have grown to LOATHE, by the way), and Carolina is re-surging a bit.
Unless the Saints start to lose one or two here and there, then they will win the division hands down. The Falcons have serious issues with D-backs STILL, and Elam–I love the guy–but we left 6 points on the field (actually 13 with the pick six before halftime). So without the pick six and add the two incomplete filed goals, we should’ve won 30-28!
I still believe we can win 9 or 10, but damn, we have GOT to either get better at playing D-backs, or get BETTER D-Backs. This is the 7th game in a row that Houston has been called for some stupid penalty that cost our defense to stay on the field longer.
I’m not worried about Ryan, but I am worried about our O-Line. Where is the O-Line from last year that allowed maybe five sacks on Ryan? They’ve allowed at least four in the past two games ALONE!
The funny thing is, next year the Saints won’t have this cushy schedule they have this year. Last year, yes we had the Detroit’s and K.C.’s of the league, but when you win, the next year, your schedule gets a helluva lot tougher. The Falcons are finding that out right now!!!
So enjoy it while you can Saints, b/c next year, the leagues elite teams will make you their B-OTCH!!!
MARK BRADLEY II
November 3rd, 2009
12:45 am
Continuing my with the same reasoning that I use in writing about the Georgia Bulldogs, I think that surely the reason that the Falcons lost was poor coaching. Fire Smitty he’s too soft on the QB coach who’s fault it obviously was Ryan threw those interceptions. I have no idea where I got the thought in my head that he could have possibly just made poor decisions by himself out on the field. Surely he is as good as EVERYONE who commentates on the NFL says he is. I don’t know where the notion came into my head that he couldn’t be as good as everyone says he is. My mistake. Couldn’t be the players fault, after all they are professionals. Must be the coaches. Can you believe a Van Gorder defense gave up 288 yards in a half? He’s gotta go, too. It had to be his fault that the cornerbacks can’t cover, after all, they are not 4 star recruits, they are pros! John Abraham can’t rush the passer anymore couldn’t be his fault. Could not possibly be that the players are either not all that good or that they are under performing. Has to be the coaches and Dimitroff for getting these guys in here. It’s time for wholesale changes in ATL they have lost 3 games this year and the program is going the wrong direction.
Also, continuing in my line of reasoning, I figure my idol Paul Johnson down at the trade school will lead his team to a one defeat season this year while facing such perennial powerhouses as Vandy, MS State, Wake Forrest, and North Carolina. The best team they will play will probably be Georgia and they aren’t so good. Then after they get another traditional power in a BCS Bowl game like maybe Cinci, or TCU or Boise State, they could lay claim to the BCS Title and I would be sooo happy!
But that’s just how I think these days.
chemdawg
November 3rd, 2009
12:46 am
You’re being all reactionary Brad, but I guess it’s your job. Ryan projects on par or slightly better than last season in almost every statistical category. Of the 3 INT tonight, one was tipped by a finger tip and another was a hail mary bomb. The Falcons have a much harder schedule this year with fewer cupcakes, and yet Ryan is holding his own. Tonight’s game notwithstanding, that can’t be said for Turner. Ryan’s season improves if Turner starts having nights like tonight every game.
TechBuzz
November 3rd, 2009
12:47 am
AGAIN, WHAT THE HELL DOES THE FALCONS SEE IN CHRIS HOUSTON??????????
Kurdt Kobain
November 3rd, 2009
12:47 am
Well why don’t we just trade him and draft Tim Tebow next year? Ryan didn’t play well against the best team in the NFL in one of the toughest venue’s in the NFL. He’s obviously not as good as we thought he was.
How absurd.
Billy
November 3rd, 2009
12:47 am
ummmm, Mr. “darrell starks”… Could you please try to spell? It would make it a lot easier to read whatever it is you’re saying. For instance, I’ve never heard of “arm strenght”…
CometheFon
November 3rd, 2009
12:48 am
Seriously? What if he isn’t as good as we thought? This was his 7th game in his second year. He needs time to grow. If anything, a large part of his regression rests on the offensive line. They have not played nearly as well as they did last year and that is due in large part to the tougher teams. Matt is still better than 80% of the QB’s in the NFL at this point in year two. Bailing on him now would be so foolish. We’ll still finish this year with 9-10 wins, and next year is our year. Beef up the O-Line, add pieces to the Defense and we’re just like the “AMAZING SAINTS”.
The average NFL fan/blogger/whatever is so fickle. A string of bad games, unfortunate calls, and we need to blow everything up and start over. This is a great team in the making folks. We aren’t there yet, but we will be.
Great game tonight by the Birds. Have to regroup and take on the lowly Skins coming off of their bye next week in the Dome. Must win.
BugKiller
November 3rd, 2009
12:49 am
Seriously, Mark… you need to watch SportsCenter and see where Vilma tackled Roddy White while the ball was in the air, causing the first interception.
The second INT was legal, but it was tipped, and even Steve Young said it was the right read and a good throw that got tipped.
Come on man. Stop feeding the racist Ryan haters.
Glitchy
November 3rd, 2009
12:50 am
Yeah, they do have a QB. The Vilma tip was a freak play by a good athlete. THe first INT was pass interference. The Roddy White overuled TD was blatant pass inteference – the Peterson call was ridiculous – 14 point switch and a drive-preserving call that should have been a no-call.
THe Birds had no chance tonite. The New Orleans Katrinas still have the magic over the announcers and the refs. Not sure they will ever lose again in their building.
Under normal circumstances, the Falcons would have ruined the week-long coronation of Drew Brees as officially becoming a GOD.
I don’t think Tirico and Company even knew their was more than 1 team on the field.
Our defense grew up in the third quarter. Bring on the weaklings (finally).
BTW, I am a high school referee and usually give the Zebras the benefit of the doubt. Tonite bordered on criminal.
brewdawg
November 3rd, 2009
12:50 am
Easy on Bradley guys. I’ve been reading (and enjoying him for a long time), but he’s NOTORIOUS for falling in and out of love with a player/coach/team/gm/owner/etc in the blink of an eye. Coach Paul Johnson, you have been warned.
Kurdt Kobain
November 3rd, 2009
12:50 am
Steve Young? He’s nothing compared to Mark Bradley.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 3rd, 2009
12:50 am
QB STATS TONIGHT:
19 of 42
3 Picks
LAST 3 GAMES:
7 Picks
FOR SEASON:
12 tds
9 ints
This is just the 7th game – that equates to 20 ints for the season.
Vick’s last season he passed for 13 ints the whole season.
This is unexceptable and this is the guy that you people say is the 2nd coming of Peyton Manning? I think not.
I keep hearing this talk of him being only 24 and in his 2nd season, well Vick was 22 in his 2nd season and he Beat Brett Favre in the playoffs.
Jimmyjam
November 3rd, 2009
12:51 am
I’m proud of the Falcons. They are my hometeam and they played a hellofva game. Get prepared for better years and the end of our naysayer hometeam media. Who needs them? Can you say recession to those hometown traitors?
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 3rd, 2009
12:52 am
Check this out………..
QB STATS TONIGHT:
19 of 42
3 Picks
LAST 3 GAMES:
7 Picks
FOR SEASON:
12 tds
9 ints
This is just the 7th game – that equates to 20 ints for the season.
Vick’s last season he passed for 13 ints the whole season.
This is unexceptable and this is the guy that you people say is the 2nd coming of Peyton Manning? I think not.
I keep hearing this talk of him being only 24 and in his 2nd season, well Vick was 22 in his 2nd season and he Beat Brett Favre in the playoffs.
Rex D
November 3rd, 2009
12:54 am
Ryan’s issue is that he lacks arm strength of, say, Jay Cutler. That does NOT make Cutler a better quarterback. Right now, he isn’t. But the average arm strength limits Ryan. It is not a coincidence that he plays so well in the first drive of each game. That is because the score is 0-0, and people figure that the Falcons are trying to establish the run (in fact they are). So typically, when we are passing in those situations, Ryann can use play action, hone in on one receiver (as he is prone to do), and make the throw. You cannot really blame him for the hone in on one receiver. Due to his arm strength limitations, it takes him longer to wind up and throw, so he cannot look one way and then fire the ball the other way. He just can’t do that (consistently and effectively). So he really needs play action. And when we fall behind, that’s when teams no longer respect the run. And we’re in real trouble. Because when he hones in on one receiver, the defensive backs are reading him the entire time. It keeps happening. For all of his great starts, and his ability to protect leads, he’s a relatively ineffective QB when his team is playing behind. No John Elway.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 3rd, 2009
12:55 am
h
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 3rd, 2009
12:56 am
Terrible
QB STATS TONIGHT:
19 of 42
3 Picks
LAST 3 GAMES:
7 Picks
FOR SEASON:
12 tds
9 ints
This is just the 7th game – that equates to 20 ints for the season.
Vick’s last season he passed for 13 ints the whole season.
This is unexceptable and this is the guy that you people say is the 2nd coming of Peyton Manning? I think not.
I keep hearing this talk of him being only 24 and in his 2nd season, well Vick was 22 in his 2nd season and he Beat Brett Favre in the playoffs.
Kyle
November 3rd, 2009
12:56 am
This was Ryan’s 23rd game Mark….a lot QB’s make their stride from good to great between yr 3-4. Let’s not start questioning him right now. Btw, Michael Jenkins needs to step up and stop dropping passes.
BugKiller
November 3rd, 2009
12:57 am
Also… look at the next four games.
The Falcons should come out of there 7-4, or, if the Giants really are in a tailspin, 8-3 going into the Eagles game.
Either way, this team is looking at 10-6 or 11-5.
And the Saints are the best team in football.
Take a deep breath.
This isn’t the Georgia Bulldogs being run into the ground by a stubbornly and stupidly loyal Mark Richt.
The Falcons will be okay.
And so will Matty Ice.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 3rd, 2009
12:57 am
QB STATS TONIGHT:
19 of 42
3 Picks
LAST 3 GAMES:
7 Picks
FOR SEASON:
12 tds
9 ints