5 reasons the Falcons will still have a winning season

Matty Ice has been put on ice, but he'll presumably be back. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)

1. They didn’t put Matt Ryan or Michael Turner on injured reserve. This might seem a technicality, but it isn’t. Roster spots are precious, and teams don’t hold them open on a whim. Once you’re on IR, you’re gone for the duration. The Falcons believe these two essential players will return at some point this season. Speaking of which …

2. Forget Philadelphia. Forget New Orleans. Look beyond. The final three games come against the Jets (5-6), Buffalo (4-7) and Tampa Bay (1-10). Win those three and there’s your second consecutive winning season, and right now that seems a more realistic goal than making the playoffs. This isn’t to say the Falcons can’t beat Philly and/or the Saints. This is, after all, the NFL. And didn’t Tampa Bay nearly beat the Falcons? Speaking of which …

3. This coach won’t let this team quit, and this team won’t quit on Mike Smith. They could have rolled over Sunday. They didn’t. They won a game they had to win, albeit in underwhelming fashion. But the standings bear no category for UW’s (underwhelming wins). Just W’s and L’s and T’s.

4. Tony Gonzalez is proving he can carry a team in a way tight ends rarely do. He catches the tying touchdown in New York traffic against the Giants. He snags four passes on the winning drive Sunday. He’s a great player and a greater addition. Imagine where this team and this offense would be if Thomas Dimitroff hadn’t made that trade. (Do I hear 4-7?)

5. Sagacity will have its reward. The Falcons have been playing since 1966. They haven’t yet had consecutive winning seasons because they were both unlucky and unwise. This team has been unlucky with injuries, but management remains stalwart. TD and Smitty are the best combo this franchise has had, and smart teams can override even the vagaries of Dame Fortune. This isn’t a great team, but it’s a smart one.