The Falcons lose a close one but again find a quarterback
Tony Gonzalez rises above Michael Boley and sends it to overtime. (AP photo)
East Rutherford, N.J. — The Falcons lost a game but saved a season. If that sounds convoluted … well, try this: On the day the Falcons fell to 5-5, they nonetheless demonstrated why this will be that forever-sought second consecutive winning season.
Or this: The Falcons lost a game but found a quarterback.
The first half was wretched. It ended with the Falcons down 17-7 but was far more distressing than that. The defense was awful, which we’ve come to expect, and Matt Ryan was just as bad, which has become a recent phenomenon. But in the second half things changed: The defense was still bad, but the Iceman again, er, cameth.
Ryan in the first half: Six completions in 11 attempts with a long gain of 18 yards, two sacks, one fumble. Ryan in the second: Twenty completions in 35 attempts, two touchdowns, no turnovers, no sacks. The first half he looked like a rookie, and this is the guy who never looked like a rookie when he was one. The second half he looked like a pro.
Said Tony Gonzalez, who caught seven second-half passes including the overtime-inducing touchdown with 28 seconds left in regulation: “There’s definitely some confidence to be taken from this.” And then: “It’s just unfortunate we couldn’t have gotten the ball [to start OT]. ”
Well, yes. The Falcons lost the coin toss — for the second time Sunday, Ryan called “tails”; he was 0-for-2 on coin tosses — and never touched the ball again except when Michael Koenen’s toe met leather. The Giants moved expeditiously, as you figured they would. (New York gained 456 yards on the day, 384 on Eli Manning’s passes.) And that was that. Game effort in a big game but ultimately a loss.
But not totally a loss. At halftime it was possible to see the Falcons as a a team going way wrong. They’d lost three of four after starting 4-1, and now they were playing as if overmatched and overwhelmed. Even with a kind schedule the rest of the way, there was no guarantee this team playing this way would break .500, let alone slide into the playoffs.
The second half, however, made us rethink. This defense won’t ever be anything of substance, but this offense still has that potential. The Falcons won’t play a better defense than New York’s, and at some point Michael Turner will return.
Matt Ryan returned Sunday. He played scared in the first half. Nobody associated with the Falcons would admit as much, but there seemed no other explanation. Having thrown 10 interceptions over the past five games, he was unwilling to risk throwing anything chancy, anything deep. The result was an offense that dared little and still yielded a turnover when Ryan held it too long.
The second half was a transformation. Said Roddy White: “We knew we had to go out and score. And we were on the field so long the defense got tired.”
These were the Falcons’ second-half possession: Touchdown, field goal, touchdown, touchdown — all on drives of 63 yards or longer. Ryan was again letting it fly, stepping into the teeth of the mighty Giant rush. Said Gonzalez: “We were on a roll. We moved the ball up and down the field.”
If this season is to be saved, the offense must do the saving. On Sunday the offense surged from 14 points back to force a fifth quarter. And that offense playing that way can still hoist this team to 10-6 and a wild card.
Said Ryan: “As a quarterback, you have to continue to play the way you’re supposed to play.” His perseverance bore fruit Sunday. He fought through the first downturn of his NFL career and nearly conjured up an astonishing victory.
He’ll be fine now. His team — the offensive part, anyway — will be fine, too. “There are no moral victories,” Ryan said, but on this he was wrong.
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384 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:24 pm
You have to wonder if Chris Owens has a future with this team if he doesn’t get a look on defense.
Mary Wanna
November 22nd, 2009
7:24 pm
I enjoyed this game quite a bit – nice to see our team fighting to stay in it, and who can blame us for losing away in NFL OT. Beats the hell out of watching UGA lose at any cost.
Y’know, he wasn’t great, but Koenan, Conan, uh, OUR PUNTER kicked a few field goals before we got this chump. Somebody needs to compete with him or just replace him. Don’t think short yard field goal kickers are that hard to find. Billy Bennett? Freddie Falcon?
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:25 pm
JSS… I don’t do that for everyone who disagrees with me.
Just the a-holes who come on here with no other reason than to be negative for negativity’s sake.
It IS possible to be negative and to have a point and to not be an a-hole.
We have yet to see you accomplish this, JSS.
Sonny Clusters
November 22nd, 2009
7:26 pm
We worked as a haberdasher one summer and we was thinking we could make Arthur Blank look sharp when he’s down on the field if he’d let us. First, he could use a bow tie instead of that red tie he’s always wearing. Second, some saddle oxfords would set him off on the sideline and make him stand out more. Last thing is some ear muffs. With a Nike swoosh.
preston
November 22nd, 2009
7:26 pm
Mark I would tend to agree with you about the remaining games, but we lost to a Dallas team that we probaly should have beat……we lost to a Carolina team that we definately should have beat, and we lost to a Giants team that hadn’t won a game in over month, so those bankable wins left on the schedule might be a lil tougher for us than we want them to be.I wil say this, as funny as it sounds…..the falcons absolutely MUST win the game against TB next weekend……any slip up or mishap next week resulting in a loss, and this season will be over.
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:27 pm
JSS… I don’t do that for everyone who disagrees with me.
Just the a-holes who come on here with no other reason than to be negative for negativity’s sake.
It IS possible to be negative and to have a point and to not be an a-hole.
We have yet to see you accomplish this, JSS.
Oh, and BTW… Coutu was BETTER than Mare on field goals, but unlike in Atlanta, he would have to kick off.
Again, unlike coming with some facts, like how here Koenen kicks off, so Elam might actually be a good choice to replace Elam, you just come with all of your a-hole bullsquat.
How about you get some new matterial?
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:28 pm
*should read “Coutu would be a good choice to replace Elam”
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:28 pm
10 Games into the season and “YOU” people are still making excuses for the quarterback
If Elam didn’t suffer from “Redzone Fever”, which means if he didn’t have to kick so many damn field goals, because the quarterback CHOKES in the redzone, he wouldn’t be so burnt out. His leg is exhausted
Whether you refuse to blame the CHOKE is not important and will not change the fact that he will be at grandmas for the holidays and breaking in New Years with a 2010 playbook
If you can’t blame the quarterback, then they should not be making all that money. Can you really blame a guy earning 1-2 million dollars, when the guy earning 72-million dollars is not doing his job.
Abraham asked for a new contract in the preseason and didn’t get one. It’s no accident that he is not playing inspired – he doesn’t plan on returning to the Falcons next season.
That 2010 2nd round pick to the Chiefs in conjunction with the 2 1st round picks this season that are damage goods, with the BUST qb, they will be starting from scratch and the Tony G. transaction will be a total waste because he is a short term fix and since there are no playoffs, he will retire next season or 2011 and that 2nd pick will be for not.
Dimitroff, Smith & the CHOKE will go down as the worst decision Blank has ever made – at least McKay, Mora & Vick made it to the championship game and that was in Mora’s 1st season.
It’s obvious, “YOU” people will not blame Ryan if he shot you in the foot, you would probably say, he didn’t know his gun was loaded.
Either way, there is no playoffs, so it really doesn’t matter who is responsible – NO PLAYOFFS
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:29 pm
And the Thrashers haven’t lost. Yet. Good game.
david
November 22nd, 2009
7:30 pm
There I am as soon as we score the tying extra point,31-31 gloating to myself,Falcons win this game right,there is no way they can stop us marching down the field and winning this game,we are on fire,got juices going.And I see the falsons lining up to do what??kick to New York??
NFL overtime rules cost us this game,nuff said…well throw Jason”Jelly legs”Elam in there and the pick from Ryan.I am maad as hell and not gonna take it anymoree.hear me gods of Gridiron!
Vick Supporter
November 22nd, 2009
7:30 pm
Atlanta Falcons: 1-4 in the last 5 games
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:32 pm
Maybe no playoffs, but we can all take great joy in Matt Ryan doing yet something else Mike Vick has never done:
Winning seasons in back to back years.
Just another reason why it’s better to have a QB and not a running, dog-killing sociopath.
preston
November 22nd, 2009
7:32 pm
And for whatever reason, Tampa Bay ALWAYS gives us a hard time. They are in the dumps this yr, but they have actually been playing better the last few games with their new QB.
mj
November 22nd, 2009
7:32 pm
Matt “Choke” Ryan – we scored 31 points. Hello! What good teams in the NFL doesn’t win if there offense score that many points. AH, the ones without a defense. We don’t have offense problems. Cover your receivers within 2 yards on third and thirteen and you score even more points. Kick and make 30 and under field goals and you get 3 more points. Holy smokes, you win games.
6-10
November 22nd, 2009
7:33 pm
The Sports Gods hate us.
Our Falcons – 2 or 3 years away from a playoff berth.
Our Braves – don’t make me laugh
Our Hawks – Our brightest hope for any post-season work.
The Thrashers – who cares?
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:34 pm
Hey, a-hole: there ARE people who care about the Thrashers.
And we’re much more passionate about OUR team than any Atlanta fan is about theres. Been to a Braves game the last few years? Could fall asleep in those crowds, they’re so quiet.
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:34 pm
Jason Elam’s leg is tired from having to kick so many field goals, eh?
Imagine how tired it was in the second half today when the Falcons scored three touchdowns and he had to boot all those extra points.
We get it: When the Falcons win, it’s never Ryan’s doing. When they lose, it’s all his fault. We get it.
JSS
November 22nd, 2009
7:35 pm
Again Sssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh now, you are waking sensible people!
When you stop spewing lies and innuendo, then come and try to take me on the little fella… Brandon Coutu could not directional kick at GA… And he did not endear himself to the ST coach or the Head Coach in Seattle. Therefore even when Mora threw Mare under the bus after game 2 this season (Video available on YouTube), the great Brandon Coutu sat/sits unemployed… When other teams across the league had injuries to kickers, he remained what? Unemployed!!! That is not negative, that is the truth… It hurts sometimes, deal with it…
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:37 pm
WILDCARD PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Dallas 7-3 (lost tie breaker)
Giants 6-4 (lost tie breaker)
Green Bay 6-4 (lost tie breaker)
Eagles if they beat Chicago 6-4 (will lose tie breaker)
That’s 4 teams with better records and/or own the tie breaker
Bradley: Glad to hear you are so confident
bojangles
November 22nd, 2009
7:37 pm
I Can NOT Believe The B/S Hype About The Falcons Making The Play-Offs!!! It’s ALL Over The Air Ways And The Media Guru’s!! Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,ha!!!! The Dam Birds Will Be LUCKY To W 3 More Games This Year..AND..NO 8-8 Team Goes To The Playoffs! I’ve Said It Before And I’ll Say It Again..The FAL-COONS Are 2-3 Years And 4-6 GOOD Players Away From The ELITE Of The NFL..
We Have NO Defense To Speak Of And Very LITTLE Offense..How Many Passes Does M.Jenkins Drop Before He’s Replaced?..Why Is O.Mulgivie Not Playing Running Back??
J.Abraham, The Beerman & The “DreadLock MoFo” Have NOT Been Heard From In A WHILE!!
Conclusion: No “Smoke & Mirror” Team EVER Goes To The Playoffs..They DON’T Deserve To Be There..You Got To Do The “Little Things” As A Team For 60 Minutes To Get There And The Falcons As A Team Are NOT Willing To Do That!
Has ANYONE Other Than Myself Noticed The “Drop Off” In R White’s Play Since He Signed The New Contract??..I For One Wish They Had DROPPED Him Off Last Year!! Tata
DHD
November 22nd, 2009
7:38 pm
How many games did we play against teams coming off a BYE? We have just played 6 of 8 on the road against good teams. we haven’t lost at home and have won one road game. Losing Norwood for as long as we did really hurt. Obviously, losing Turner hurt. Bottom line is…we are still in it. We need to win 5 out of 6. I believe we will.
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:38 pm
JSS… you really like trotting out these kind of tired non-facts and Obama-scale lies, don’t you?
You have yet to utter a single fact or truth.
Please, return to your watching of MSNBC and creating buttons and bumper stickers for government-controlled healthcare.
Sonny Clusters
November 22nd, 2009
7:40 pm
Do those gloves the receivers wear really help? We was wondering if Jenkins may have some bad gloves?
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:41 pm
Mark,
This is why the are called TROLLS.
Other reputable sites have no issue controlling their troll population.
All it takes is a FREE registration of a specific name to a specific IP.
That way, the guy who keeps on posting under various names, mostly as “Choke,” can be corralled and his trolling posts that have nothing of substance to offer, can be deleted.
Kind of like JSS, too. Nothing to offer of substance. Just being an a-hole for the express purpose of being negative.
mj
November 22nd, 2009
7:41 pm
He should probably only wear one. It worked for Michael Jackson.
Timothy Hardeman
November 22nd, 2009
7:41 pm
Sorry, there is no positive spin you can put on a loss in the NFL when it’s a must win. This is a game the Falcons had to have and they blew it in the first half with yet another missed chip shot field goal and another turnover by Ryan. The Birds will finish 7-9 and will continue the curse of never having back to back winning seasons.
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:42 pm
Maybe the Falcons should start using those mouthpieces that the Saints are using?
Just a suggestion.
Also, Thrashers lost, but still gained a point from today.
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:43 pm
And I especially enjoyed the part about Abraham: He’s not playing hard because he wants a new contract. Were that the case — and I don’t believe it is — that would be a novel way to earn a new contract, would it not?
Even having lost four of five games, the Falcons are 16-10 with Ryan as their starting quarterback. This from a team that didn’t have a winning season in 2005, 2006 or 2007. Terrible decision to draft him, wasn’t it?
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:44 pm
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:34 pm
Jason Elam’s leg is tired from having to kick so many field goals, eh?
Imagine how tired it was in the second half today when the Falcons scored three touchdowns and he had to boot all those extra points.
We get it: When the Falcons win, it’s never Ryan’s doing. When they lose, it’s all his fault. We get it.
“Sounded like Vick’s era”
Damn that Karma 
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:45 pm
This wasn’t a must-win for the Falcons. It was a must-win for the Giants.
6-10
November 22nd, 2009
7:46 pm
NBC recap just called our defense…..a “paper mache’ defense.” LOLZ
Also, they threw in a sarcastic “greatest QB in the NFL….” quip in reference to U know who.
.
bigeasy830
November 22nd, 2009
7:46 pm
Back To Life, Back To Reality
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:46 pm
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:43 pm
And I especially enjoyed the part about Abraham: He’s not playing hard because he wants a new contract. Were that the case — and I don’t believe it is — that would be a novel way to earn a new contract, would it not?
Even having lost four of five games, the Falcons are 16-10 with Ryan as their starting quarterback. This from a team that didn’t have a winning season in 2005, 2006 or 2007. Terrible decision to draft him, wasn’t it?
“You can add 2009 to that list” HA HA
Another Choke
November 22nd, 2009
7:46 pm
Another choke by the falcons against a mediocre NY Giants team. The falcons will be lucky to break .500 this year. Why can’t they ever win these kind of games. wonderboy matt ryan did it again. They should bring back Mike Vick–he’s better than ryan.
mj
November 22nd, 2009
7:47 pm
Whom other than the untouchable would we want? He puts up 31 points on a playoff caliber team and we deem him a failure. Guess that is why we have day jobs. Guess we could have traded for Cleveland’s Anderson that everyone wanted at the time and be in worst shape. We have a good QB, bad corners and a ole kicker.
Eman
November 22nd, 2009
7:47 pm
The falcon are done!!! 8-8 MAYBE!!! Lets face it, The GM did not do a good job picking DBs for this team. Mike Smith must not have any say -so when it comes to personnel; How can he allow this much poor play from the DBs? This is was a cost effective way to put a team together. Let me tell you, the falcons are not doing that well in the ticket revenue market at all!!! Thus, going young allows them to make an excuse for costing cost on the defence side. Believe me, if they had the resources they would have put a super bowl team together. The sad thing about this team is the fact that they do not have any sex appeal. Mike Vick sold tickets at lease!!!! In a tight economy, Sex appeal sells. The falcons need a real super star and a leader of men as well!! We need a impact player that will sell tickets and win games. I love Matt Ryan but he needs a game breaker WR that has heart and skills!! The defence needs two new OLBs one or two more pass rushers and two really good CBs. I am sorry but the best team IN THIS CITY with sex appeal is the ATLANTA HAWKS!!!!
Spend money Mr. Blank on this team or sell it now!!!!
Atlanta Peach
November 22nd, 2009
7:49 pm
Mary, You go girl !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:49 pm
These LOSERS are proud of losing to a team that lost their previous 4 games
“DUMP THE CHUMP”
Best recipe to get back on track – play the Falcons
thunderbull56
November 22nd, 2009
7:49 pm
Fire Elam. No excuses. You MB Slobberrers make me wanna toss my ankle tape. Home, home on the homers, where the MB’s, and the JS’s meal a mouth another “Wasted days and wasted nights.”
Sonny Clusters
November 22nd, 2009
7:49 pm
It could happen – a bad batch of gloves. We’re pretty sure that happened to Kelly Johson last season and it could be true with Jenkins today. Say, you get some slick gloves and you need to make a catch in the end zone . . . well, that ball can slip right through. Glad Gonzales got some good gloves.
BugKiller
November 22nd, 2009
7:49 pm
The worst part about the trolls, is that they never want to use facts or the truth.
I seem to remember that when Vick was here, he NEVER got any of the blame until that last season, and only AFTER he flipped off the fans.
And even then, people like ME, were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Lousy receivers, Greg Knapp, horrible o-line, etc, etc.”
Those are excuses we’d hear for five years with Vick.
Only after he was gone and JOEY HARRINGTON AND CHRIS REDMAN made Roddy White a 1,000 yard receiver, did we begin to question just how bad Vick was.
After Matt Ryan made White a pro bowler last year and turned Jenkins from a never was, into a sorta kinda is, the the TRUTH about just how bad Vick was really came out.
But, don’t let the TRUTH stand in the way of your racist hate, “Choke.”
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:50 pm
Er, there’s this thing in the NFL called a salary cap. You can’t do a Yankees and buy every good player in the league.
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:51 pm
I type without gloves, FYI. Except a couple times when I was outdoors during the Braves’ playoff games and it got cold and I tried surgical gloves.
Ticked falcon fan
November 22nd, 2009
7:53 pm
(Yelling loudly)WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE TELL CHRIS HOUSTON(ESPECIALLY)AND THE REST OF THE SECONDARY TO TURN AND LOOK FOR THE BALL. PLEASE! I’M BEGGING! HE’S ALWAYS IN GOOD POSITION, JUST TURN AROUND AND LOOK FOR THE BALL. HE COULD’VE HAD AT LEAST 5 INTS ALREADY THIS SEASON.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:53 pm
Atlanta Peach
November 22nd, 2009
7:49 pm
Mary, You go girl !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“I thought I smelled something” HA HA
Tim
November 22nd, 2009
7:53 pm
The Falcons’ problem is defense. The secondary is horrendous. They must be near the bottom of the league in giving up big plays. Third and long is almost an automatic for the opposition. Given the state of the defense, it’s wishful thinking to believe the Falcons can win 5 of the last 6.
Claude Humphrey
November 22nd, 2009
7:53 pm
F_ck this non fan drawing, fake quarterback, hand off specialist, losing quarterback falling fast, scubb Son of a B!tch that you are writing about, when in the f_ck are we going to get Vick back in here?
Ill stay here and await your reply Bradley.
Claude Humphrey
November 22nd, 2009
7:55 pm
Yeah Bradley, how soon can we ” Dump the Chump’?
Claude Humphrey
November 22nd, 2009
7:57 pm
When this season started the fall – cons were favorite to win the division and go deep in the playoffs. Where the hell is Mattie lice taking this team?
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:57 pm
2004 & Counting (Last playoff win)…………
Vick has not played for the Falcons since the 2006 season, so a question for “YOU” people.
How many years should the franchise wait “patiently” for the CHOKE to lead the team to a playoff win?
2,3 4 years? Just curious how patient should an owner be.