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
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:03 pm
Gets him that time. For nine yards.
Dr. R
November 29th, 2009
4:03 pm
Time to get it downfield here and quit with the dinky stuff.
Cuz
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
Can we dump Redmon and re-sign Shockley?
John
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
Say what you want….Raheem Morris is beating the Falcons with less talent.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
Weems catches the pass for the first down. Two minutes to go. Ball at the Buc 46.
Jimmy
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
TB was offside on that play by a mile.
uga_b
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
at least he can read the blitz
D.Ellis
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
YES BEFORE THE WARNING…….we can do this!
Joe M
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
OK, so I obviously have no clue what his last name is. I’m retarded!
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
If you can’t score a touchdown to beat a 1-9 team, you don’t deserve to play in the postseason.
PMC
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
Come on Red Man…. salvage this debacle!!!
dawgfan1911
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
If Elam makes the last Field goal a field goal wins the game but he missed! He probably would havse missed anyway so maybe needing a touchdown isnt too bad!!!!!!!! What a JOKE of a team the Falscons are this year and you know what Matt Ryan has to wrap that big TOE and come out and play! He is making 65 million dollars!
David
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
Choke,
Deion Sanders, the best corner to ever play the game, missed almost an entire season with turf toe. If his toe is broken, not a lot he can do.
Jimmy
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
John…that is not true. Our defense was poor going into this season.
Not much talent there.
Four offensive starters are out with injury.
We are playing scrubs.
uga_b
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
PLAYOFFS????!!! PLAYOFFS????!!!! Mark, we can’t do diddly poo on offense.
Dawgs Man
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
If we had a field goal kicker we would soon be in a position to win it, but NO we have a POS that misses every other attempt.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
I predict a Falcons win.
Cedrick
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
John,
Matt is walking around, this is the playoffs on the line here…I’m just saying, Stafford played with a separated shoulder…Yeah, $h!t happens…field goal kickers miss field goals….remember Roddy & Jenkins, couldn’t catch a cold when Vick was here..no excuse then…no excuse now!
See, Here are other people that understand what VICK meant to the Falcons!!!
charles
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
falcons offensive line,must be pumpkins.
David
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
Mark,
If you need a touchdown in the final minute to beat a 1-9 team, you probably aren’t making the playoffs.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
Redman has to throw it away.
j
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
where can i see the post game press conference?
Cuz
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
I blame this effort on the L-tryptophan in the turkey.
Dawgs Man
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
Nice pass again Redman.
CoreyC
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
I hope all you bums out there whining about Ryan and all of the rest aren’t around when Atlanta truly becomes one of the consistently elite teams in the league, which they certainly will. They’ve lost key players at almost every position this year and are still have a shot at the playoffs. And, Matt Ryan hasn’t been as good this year as last, but can anyone out there name a player who has not had a few hick-ups during their career, especially in the first few years. I have been a Falcons fan since the Bartkowshi days and this is the first time I have really felt like this team has a long future of winning ahead of it. The “process” takes time and patience, and you’d think after all of the misery we’ve had over the years that our so-called fans would be able to see that although sometimes things look the same, they aren’t.
lamac66
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
Ryan had a great year last year. Many factors went into his success; o-line playing above their level, Michael Turner having a GREAT year, weak schedule, surprise on their side, etc. So you decided to crown Matty the next Peyton Manning. It aint happening folks. Matty Ice has peaked. He will be just “ok”. And now anyone who criticizes him is a reverse racist? Does that make anyone who criticizes Mike Vick a racist?
And, by the way, there is not a blog in the country that does not entertain critism of the home team, much less intrusions by opposing fans.
You people crack me up.Get a life.
@Hawkster, ^5^. They only want it one way. They can’t take it when you point out the double standard or hipocrisy of it all. It’s too funny to me.
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 29th, 2009
4:06 pm
Cedrick: Look at your “set”, would you watch?
If the Ga. Dome were empty and ratings were the same as now, it would not MATTER. TV contracts drive this sunday; paid attendance is merely the cherry.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Redman to Gonzalez. At the 35.
Ryan is pure patty melt cheese
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
it is that time of year again . fan crying who should be cut!! Ryan should be #1 to go!! all hype and that is not the real Matt” choke” Ryan. he is a punk like Ryan hiding behind the keys!!
Mr Charlie
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Season on the line.
Dr. R
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
For those jumping off the Smith bandwagon, keep in mind that the teams that fire coaches every few years because of a down season are the ones that never win anything. Like, say, the Falcons. Teams like the Steelers and Eagles who stick with their guy tend to bounce back and have more continuity and success over the long haul. Fans are too emotion and too quick to throw a guy under the bus. Which is why we got no business running the team.
D.Ellis
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
FIRST DOWN!!!
welikebaseball2
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
This one’s all on Mularkey. With our starting QB & RB out, savvy playcalling should make up for it.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Jenkins for the first down.
JJ
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
This game is about what the Falcons arent doing. Not what Tampa is doing. But if Morris had punted the last two times he had the chance, this game would be over.
Jimmy
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Let’s go!!!!!!!!
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Spike. Les Miles called that one.
Smitty
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
why are they throwing everything to the middle of the field?
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Falcons defused the blitz on the third-down play.
Mr Charlie
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Can Reddog do it?
uga_b
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
please keep blitzing…
Joe M
November 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
David, don’t debate him. It’s a race thing. Ryan is white, so therefore he sucks.
John
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
Redman has a noodle for a arm…there’s nothing on his passes.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
Redman to Gonzalez. All day.
Dr. R
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
Well you might get a couple of shots at the end zone here at least. That’s your chance.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
I predict a Falcons win.
“You predicted wins the last 6 weeks”
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
And again.
David
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
CoreyC,
You’re exactly right. Peyton’s had hick-ups. Favre’s had hick-ups. I don’t like some of the decision making that Ryan has done this year, but at the same time, I wouldn’t take anyone from the last draft over him.
Jimmy
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
Let’s go!
D.Ellis
November 29th, 2009
4:08 pm
AT THE 10!!!!!!!