Live from the Dome: I’m back, and so’s the Burner
Slept fast. Went to Mass. Now I’m back downtown, chatting again. Last night was great fun — fine game, unexpected (at least by me) result, much to discuss. Example: Why did Paul Johnson call four consecutive deep passes with the game on the line? We know his stylized offense doesn’t feature the short or intermediate pass, but what about the ol’ option toss? Did PJ bail out — mixed metaphor alert — on his bread and butter?
I wish I could say I had great hope for another great game here at the Dome, but I don’t. I figure the Falcons beat the Bucs by three touchdowns. I figure the Falcons need to beat the Bucs by three touchdowns just to remind themselves they can still be a playoff-caliber team, recent results notwithstanding.
Four losses in five games will have a chilling effect on a franchise and its fans, and traffic around the Dome seemed unusually light around 11:30. (And I was running late.) Can’t imagine there’ll be a full house today, but I’m bad at predictions. Example: Tech 42, Georgia 27.
Wrongheaded though I am, I hope we can make the most of whatever this day brings. The idea is to talk about the Falcons, but we can certainly accommodate the occasional Tech-UGA submission. So I ask once again: Join me, won’t you?
Oh, and this one actual snippet of news: Michael Turner is in uniform and seems to be moving expeditiously in warmups. He’ll play. And Jerious Norwood is no longer among the inactives. That makes for a full house in the backfield, which isn’t the same thing as a full-house backfield. But it’s a most welcome sign.
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1,228 comments Add your comment
ubah
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
Bring on Coutu
chuck
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
Jason needs to take all his stuff with him when he leaves because he isn’t coming back.
Joe M
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
How bout some runs! Paul Johnson called those last three plays before FG!
dawgfan1911
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
What a joke!!!!!!!!! Why not go for it? This kicker wont have a job next year and your defense is suspect!!!!!!!! Mike Smith makes you scratch your head sometimes. This is going to be an embarrassing lose!
hiramsaint
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
jason elam has been voted the nfc souths favorite kicker
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
Bucs at midfield.
Cedrick
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
AHAHAHAHAHA
gcs
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
Does anyone have Morten Andersen’s phone number?
Cuz
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
Elam wears a visor in a dome. I guess the sun got in his eyes on that last kick.
Ryan is pure patty melt cheese
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
Matt the patt has melted. 100 % punk . we need a QB !!
Sonny Clusters
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
Maybe Elam has a bad toe, too.
LantaFalcons
November 29th, 2009
3:55 pm
it’s always the important field goals that little crap misses. Now they have to score a touchdown, which as we’ve seen most of the game, is almost impossible to do.
TB wins as the falcons can’t find the endzone
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Bucs taking their time. So much time they had to call a timeout.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:53 pm
That’s it for Jason Elam. It has to be it. Can’t do this every game. And he has done it every game.
“That’s it” for the WHOLE team and SEASON
“DUMP THE CHUMP”
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Jason Elam sucks. Hawkster sucks. Where is NOODLE ARM ? We can’t win without him.
BugKiller
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Brandon Coutu, welcome to the Atlanta Falcons.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Let me remind you: Falcons are 11-1 here under Smith.
uga_b
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
this is almost worse than losing to your Alma Mater, Mark.
Frustrating to be a Falcon Fan
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Mark, don’t you think Clabo is stinking up the joint with his “look out” blocks. He’s caused the Falcons the game.
Joe M
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Why not run it some and try to play four downs all the way in?!
Jimmy
November 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Can Coutou be worse?
bigstack19
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
Is Elam on the take like that kicker in that movie The Replacements? Jeez! Why is he still on this team? All he has to do is kick extra points and field goals and he can’t do that.
Cuz
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
Maybe this easy win is not so easy afterall. Good thing this is not college. Smith would have a website demanding he be fired.
Cedrick
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
Instead of Coach Smith signing one of those young kickers like Coutu (excellent outdoor kicker) they decided to stay with Elam. Now that was a good move!!!!!
Dawgs Man
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
We have always had trouble beating the bucs. Wow what a choke job.
Dr. R
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
Redmond hasn’t played badly but he’s not getting much time back there. Tampa’s putting a lot of pressure on him. Ryan was getting it, too. I agree, they’re not as bad a 1-9 team as you might expect, and they’ve improved from the first few weeks when they had Leftwich at QB.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
Bucs offside. That helps. Second and 12 now.
Ben
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
Jesus. This team is a disaster.
yoda
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
Which is worse Elam kicking or the Secondary
Jimmy
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
If we stop them here we still have a chance.
Dawgs2009
November 29th, 2009
3:57 pm
I am ashamed to be a Falcon fan. I have suffered for many years. When is enough enough? the whole team is pathetic, right to the white-haired bozo on the sideline!
Cedrick
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
Matt “Choke” Ryan,
Wait we were losing while he was in the game! LOL
LantaFalcons
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
“Let me remind you: Falcons are 11-1 here under Smith.”
in other words, they are much overdue for this loss.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
The only thing good about the end of the season will be my dumb ass finally leaving.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
Third and five from the 49.
Joe M
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
Here comes a pass for 1st down.
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
Cedrick: The numbers are about even though this point in their careers but Vick peaked at this point, then injured resulting in the HC he had his greatest sucess, Reeves being fired. Duded threw his career away. Why is that so hard for people to get?
Frustrating to be a Falcon Fan
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
Bye, bye Falcon season. No two seasons with back to back wins. Stick a fork in them … they’re done.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
First down. Close to field goal range. Not quite there yet.
Jimmy
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
That’s the game
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 29th, 2009
3:58 pm
The secondary you knew about.
THE KICKER WAS A SURPRISE.
Falcons1965
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
Fire Van Gorder!!!! Bring in Willie Martinez!!!
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
Oh well, there is always the draft
Eric C.
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
Game and season officially over…see ya’ll next year.
JJ
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
Joe M = exactly right. Throwing the ball 3 straight on that last series was what lost this game.
Dawgs Man
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
Why do we not have a dam RUSH?
Dr. R
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
Earlier post was right. This is the NFL, and there are no Western Carolinas or Northeast Louisianas to beat up on. Everyone can play at this level and you can’t just show up and win. That Freeman kid looks pretty sharp. Give him a few years and he might be a really good one.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
It’s a 54-yard kick from here.
Falcons call timeout. To save time.
Ryan is pure patty melt cheese
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
where are the people in the stand at the dome? The face and few people to see it!!
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
LAST 6 GAMES:
1 Win
5 Losses
“DUMP THE CHUMP”