Live from the Dome, where consolation is available
The Dome positively pulses with energy at 11:43 a.m. Or perhaps not. (Photo by M. Bradley)
The Falcons can’t make the playoffs. You know that already. They can, however, get to 9-7. Which would be huge. But you knew that, too.
Beyond that, I don’t have much for you. Inactives haven’t been announced. The opponent, Buffalo, has 18 men on injured reserve. Brian Brohm is expected to start quarterback, which could make this an all-Petrino day if Matt Ryan can’t go the distance. (Both Brohm and Falcons backup Chris Redman played for Bobby P. at U of L, as you also know.)
Speaking of which: I’ve seen Petrino’s name listed as a possibility for the Florida post. At such times I ask myself, “Who makes these lists?” He’s a good coach who’s bad with people. That wouldn’t fly at UF. He’s never in anything long-term, as the Falcons know too well. The only chance Petrino would have to coach the Gators is if the first 10 choices turned Jeremy Foley down. Which they won’t. It’s the best job in the nation.
Back to the Falcons. Today’s tilt has a consolation-game feel to it. Like many of you, I fully expected this season to extend into the second week of January. (Sporting News had the Falcons playing in for the NFC championship.) I have to say I’m disappointed, but I’m not massively surprised. By October it was clear this offense wasn’t quite what it needed to be, and it was apparent in August this defense wouldn’t stop many people.
So here they sit, 7-7 two days after Christmas. The schedule didn’t help. Injuries didn’t, either. But the cold truth is that they never were as good as we/they hoped. And if they still manage to get to 9-7, I’ll call that good value for an underwhelming season. Not to mention the needed end to a streak that should have never gotten started but has, astonishingly enough, lasted into the 44th season.
With that, I’ll open the floor for discussion. And I’ll be here to entertain comments until the final whistle, which I predict will arrive at 4:02 p.m. EST. And I am, as we know, never ever wrong.
OK, here’s your inactives. For the Falcons: Troy Bergeron, Chris Houston, Michael Turner, Charlie Peprah, Harvey Dahl, Jason Rader and Jamaal Anderson. For the Bills: Who cares?
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733 comments Add your comment
This Gets Old
December 27th, 2009
4:16 pm
“Most great NFL QBs don’t have the assume arms now..”
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Stop commenting on everyone else’s posts when you can barely write your name in the dirt with a stick. Nobody needs you as their expert.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
4:16 pm
9-7. glory!
JSS
December 27th, 2009
4:18 pm
Barkin’…
Buffalo is playing with Offensive players off the street on their line… The Jets slashed that defense to tatters last week, Sanchez gave us that game… They aren’t as bad as they were… But they still stink!
Falcons Hero Zero
December 27th, 2009
4:18 pm
“This Gets Old
December 27th, 2009
4:04 pm
I assume Zero refers to your IQ. Nobody’s referred to you. Mind your own business.”
***(You did not catch the sarcasm in my comment? lololol. Not too bright, yourself…)***
________________________________________________________________________
““Gonzales out, ball goes down field. Any lessons there?”
Who do you think you are?
You’re not a owner, coach, GM, or QB!
lololol”
__________________________________________________________________________
bfasbfbasdkbf
December 27th, 2009
4:22 pm
boooooooooooooooop!
Alan
December 27th, 2009
4:22 pm
The opportunity is there for the taking next week unless the guys lay down like the Saints, lets hope not.
TB Buc Backer
December 27th, 2009
4:24 pm
Who dat??
This Gets Old
December 27th, 2009
4:28 pm
***(You did not catch the sarcasm in my comment? lololol. Not too bright, yourself…)***
I’ll grant that I may have missed the thread that would have let me in on your sarcasm but my point was football related. No Gonzales and Ryan is back to looking down the field. Over for me.
FalconsHeroZero
December 27th, 2009
4:30 pm
Same here.
I understand your point.
No problem
@ This Gets Old
asdasfasfasdf
December 27th, 2009
4:31 pm
rarasrasb arr nararan
Point counterpoint
December 27th, 2009
4:34 pm
jkl;
GM a bust and ryan still a punk
December 27th, 2009
4:47 pm
wow they bet a 5-10 team!!!! watch next week
FalconMatt
December 27th, 2009
4:48 pm
Matt Ryan, even hurt throws 3 TD’s. I believe his third year will be great. Even missing 3 games he still has 20 TD’s and 12 INT, along with 2700 yards passing. If you are counting that’s 36 TD’s and 23 INT in 2 years along with 6200 yards passing in 2 years with a game remaining. He should pass M. Vick’s passing stats in 3 years and change. Vick never passed for 3000 yards and only 20 TD’s once. Hopefully we can win next week and get the monkey off our backs for never having back to back winning seasons.
VickPen
December 27th, 2009
4:50 pm
Breaking news: M. Vick to sign with Oakland next year as Russel’s back up. lol
pilgrim
December 27th, 2009
4:55 pm
Interesting day for the NFC South. Bucs, Falcons, and Panthers show some heart in “meaningless” games. Who wants to be a Giants fan now? And the Saints – gotta be nervous in New Orleans.
FalconUGAFan
December 27th, 2009
5:06 pm
Well we beat a team we were supposed to beat. Good game Falcons. Got a tough TB team next week. They would sure like to end on a win just like us. Interesting to see who wants it the most. Go Falcons!
Matt "Choke" Ryan
December 27th, 2009
5:07 pm
Once again, Matty Ice was horrendous. Making it all worse, on the other side of the field we saw the star we could have had, Brian Brohm.
Just imagine if we had used our #3 pick on Glenn Dorsey, we’d have him blowing up offensive lines, and we could have used the 2nd round pick on Brohm, who would have led us to a SuperBowl title last season.
JSS
December 27th, 2009
5:13 pm
What is this? The Saints lose and now suddenly they are bums? They’ll have a bye week regardless to get some stuff taken care of… It is not like they have to deal with Philly right out of the chute… That is why I love the Pro game, bring your best or go home, weak teams get taken care of, like the Falcons and the Schottenheimer led Chiefs or Chargers teams… Let’s strap it up ladies!!! Playoffs!!!
TCCB
December 27th, 2009
5:25 pm
This was one sorry football game!!!!!!!! Bradley how did you stay awake?
Hey doofus choke
December 27th, 2009
5:31 pm
Dorsey has 1 sack in two years from what I can find online for the Chiefs. That came last year in Nov 2008.
Get a life dude, Vic is never coming back
Glen Dorsey?!?!
December 27th, 2009
5:36 pm
Glen Dorsey is a bust. Along with the rest of your nonsense Choke, that proves you don’t know what you are talking about. I’m sure your mom has taken down more QBs than Dorsey has in the past year.
Kris G
December 27th, 2009
5:37 pm
I disagree with most of y’all. I’d give up every game next season for this one game at Tampa. I need this streak over.
Kris G
December 27th, 2009
5:39 pm
A Super Bowl title last season with Brohm? Choke, you’re usually just absurdly biased, but you’ve gotten into “lets’ start Doug Johnson” territory.
Todd - Dacula
December 27th, 2009
5:44 pm
Against Buffalo, a great measure of success…. ENOUGH SAID. The Falcons much be an elite team with this win. Going 9-7 must mean a lot, to some of you.
Yes this has been
December 27th, 2009
5:49 pm
a disappointing year, but I have been a falcons fan since 1966 and would take 9-7 this year to end the “curse” of not having back to back winning seasons, then regroup and work towards improvement going forward.
Kris G
December 27th, 2009
5:50 pm
Todd, going 9-7 means everything to me. A lot more than 8 and 8 and an NFC championship next year. If you don’t get it, no one is asking you to. If you’re not a Falcons fan, then you really must have no life at all to even be here.
It's good that
December 27th, 2009
5:52 pm
Tampa Bay beat NO today. Hopefully the Falcons will not look at Tampa’s record, but realize that the birds need a great effort next week to finally end THE CURSE
Matt "Choke" Ryan
December 27th, 2009
6:24 pm
Matt “Choke” Ryan
December 27th, 2009
5:07 pm
Once again, Matty Ice was horrendous. Making it all worse, on the other side of the field we saw the star we could have had, Brian Brohm.
Just imagine if we had used our #3 pick on Glenn Dorsey, we’d have him blowing up offensive lines, and we could have used the 2nd round pick on Brohm, who would have led us to a SuperBowl title last season.
“Love the Impersonators”
I haven’t been on the blogs in hours and somebody blogs as me – I know you want to be me, but you can’t
I get under people skin when I’m not even here or trying…..
HA HA HA
But on a more serious note – the Falcons fans are so pathetic that they celebrate beating a 5 win team, with a 3rd string qb making his FIRST ever start, against 3rd string defenders and the CHOKE barely passes for 50 percent of his passes.
Who do the Falcons play in the 1st round of the playoffs
Oh my bad……….. HA HA HA
tjhook
December 27th, 2009
7:09 pm
Congrats to the Dirty Birds on their win and with a chance to make franchise history? I want to throw a suggestion out there. Does anyone think Eddie Royal, the Bronos’ wide receiver, would be a good addition to the Falcons and do we have anything reasonable to trade with the Broncos for him? I’m thinking Chris Houston.
We need another downfield threat to give Ryan another deep option and someone who’s available if something happens to Roddy.
Barkin'Dog
December 27th, 2009
8:10 pm
Hey Choke, choke on this tidbit. The Falcons last week beat a Jets team (in the Meadowlands on a frigid, windy day) that just beat the undefeated, Super Bowl-bound Indy Colts. I realize the Colts were trying to avoid injuries. But Peyton played the entire game trying to stay undefeated, and got beat badly at home. That says something about the Falcons heart (and growing defense – allowed 3 and 7 points L2 Games), and their potential for next year when every payer starts healthy.
JSS
December 28th, 2009
1:13 am
Barkin’ they pulled Peyton Manning in the early 3rd Quarter while leading 15-10… By the way, check the stat line for last week’s great Falcons victory in Jersey… Lots of worrisome points in that performance…
JSS
December 28th, 2009
1:27 am
TJH…
Eddie Royal can not stay healthy… Haven’t we learned enough from Ashley Lelee, Dez White and Peerless Price of chasing other teams 3rd and 4th receiver options? By the way, Denver is deep in the secondary, Houston will not be an option for a trade with them…
Tom K
December 28th, 2009
7:21 am
Sorry if this has been mentioned before…but is it just coincidence that the Falcons “D” has played exceptionally well in the two games that Jamaal Anderson has been out? The D-line has a few sacks the past two weeks and seems to put more pressure on the opposing QB. Or is our play more a factor of facing two weak offenses?