On a night with everything to gain, the Falcons somehow lose
Do you believe in miracles? For Matty Ice, there were none this night. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
The biggest home game in franchise history: That’s how this was billed, and here we pause to note that 46 seasons make for a considerable chunk of history. (Almost half a century!) And even if the Falcons entered Monday night’s game against New Orleans with a comfy Plan B — they could lose to the Saints and still win the NFC South and clinch a No. 1 seed by beating Carolina on Sunday — nobody wanted to do it the easy way.
But that, alas, is the way it will have to be. The Falcons tripped over their moment. This isn’t to say they can’t have moments still, but they couldn’t handle this one.
If you’re going to be a champ, you have to show you can beat a champ. The Falcons had already taken down the reigning champs once this fall, but that was in Week 3 in the Superdome when not many people thought this team would be 12-2 on Christmas. That was a case of a rising team slipping up on an established power. Monday night was different: It was a match of peers, a prime-time convocation of two of the NFL’s finest.
It wasn’t a game of precision. Center Todd McClure whiffed on a shotgun snap that spawned the Saints’ first touchdown, and Michael Turner fumbled when the Falcons were poised to take a third-quarter lead. But the defense kept the game close enough for one play to turn it, and one play did.
It was the Falcons’ defense that undid them in their improbable playoff run of 2008, a defense that was so outclassed in Glendale, Ariz., that general manager Thomas Dimitroff flew home determined to embark on a massive redo, and sure enough he (re)did. The Falcons dumped five starters off that 11-5 team and, in going 9-7 last season, paid the inevitable price of such sweeping change. This year, however, has seen the changes brought to bear.
These Falcons can play D with the big boys. On Monday night they held a high-test offense to 10 points — seven off the aforementioned short field — over 56 minutes. They induced Drew Brees, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, to commit two egregious fourth-quarter turnovers, the first a silly underhand toss the Chauncey Davis fielded and returned for the go-ahead score, the second a bat-and-grab interception by John Abraham.
The Falcons had a chance after the Abraham swoop to close the case, but a possession sputtered after one first down. Whereupon the Saints drove to a touchdown, Brees finding Jimmy Graham on a slant with 3:24 remaining. But this was what the Falcons’ defense, even in its wobbles, had done all season: It had kept games close enough for Matt Ryan to win them at the end.
And here again was his chance. He hadn’t had a great game through 56 minutes, but the beauty of Matty Ice is that those first 56 minutes can be a red herring. On the first snap after the Saints took their late lead, Ryan scrambled for 20 yards, and you thought, “Here it comes” — the final copyright-protected Falcons Finish of calendar 2010, to be placed on the shelf alongside the escapes against the 49ers and the Ravens and the Packers.
But then a strange thing happened. Ryan threw incomplete on third down, and Mike Smith, the coach who dares to dare, chose to punt inside the final three minutes. It almost worked — the Falcons thought they’d recovered a Graham fumble, but replay correctly overruled — and Matt Ryan never got another chance.
“We didn’t get the outcome we wanted,” Smith said, “but we like where we’re at. Fifteen other [NFC] teams would like to be where we are.”
And that’s true. But there was no hiding the disappointment. “You’ve got to look at the body of work,” Smith said, but this was a night that went against what we’d seen before.
A formula tested over 14 games fizzled in the 15th. The defense held the Saints to 17 points and scored seven itself, which should have been enough to win but wasn’t. The offense couldn’t hold up its end, and the dauntless Smitty outsmarted himself at the end. The biggest regular-season game in Falcons annals will go down, sad to say, as a whiff.
By Mark Bradley
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405 comments Add your comment
Alyosha
December 28th, 2010
1:21 pm
Wow, a tough loss by 3 against the defending champs and now ESPN and everyone else would have you believe that the Falcons are a horrible team. This team really can’t get any respect, and I doubt they would have gotten any had the won.
Deeznutz
December 28th, 2010
1:21 pm
Yes the Saints won that battle, but the war will be decided in the Ga-Dome. In the long run, we will be ok. Not even the Saints referees and Voodoo curses will stop us now.
TU87
December 28th, 2010
1:22 pm
You gotta love Who Dat Nation. Now that they have a champion they will glout forever. How about some real game analysis?
As for other comments on this board – such as champions win games like this. Do they? Didn’t the Saints lose a big Saturday night game at 13-0 at home against the Cowboys last year? In fact didn’t they lose their last 3 in the regular season and win the Super Bowl? How about the 8-8 Cardinals in 2008? This is one game that you lost by 3 points to a top NFC team and IMO the best quarterback in the NFC. No matter who the Falcons play in the playoffs, except if somehow the NFC west champ gets by the first round, it will be a pick-em game. The Falcons, Saints, Packers, Eagles, or Bears could go to the Super Bowl and I would not be surprised.
Pepe
December 28th, 2010
1:22 pm
It sucks, and I’ll give the defending champs their due, but I still like the Falcons chances to go far in the playoffs. Win our next three at home and we’re in the Super Bowl…not all gloom and doom in Loganville. Oh yeah…tee time at 10:45am on Weds; life is still good!
Jim
December 28th, 2010
1:23 pm
So comical, this team has lost only one game in almost 2 and half months. Played on the road 4 out of 5 weeks and won every game, I am still a firm believer. Listen to this Saints fans and haters and listen good, the Falcons are in the driver seat to host it all because they beat teams you could not beat (Arizona and Cleveland). Beat the teams you are suppose to beat and last night would have really been big for ya.
Drew Dat
December 28th, 2010
1:25 pm
The Falcons had last night coming courtesy of Roddy White and his arrogant, look-at-me tweets. Call the defending Super Bowl champs the Aints and expect a fight, not that the Black and Gold needed any extra motivation.
Blue print for beating the Falcons (at home or anywhere): stop the run and play action, and let Matty Ice melt.
Who Dat got a Super Bowl ring?!!
December 28th, 2010
1:26 pm
@Glenn
dude, that defense used about 30 different Blitz packages. There was no “lay-low” from the Falcan’ts last night. They just got beat. only 215 total offensive yards to Saints 350 or so. Saints had the ball for almost 40 minutes.
the only promising thing about this game for the Falcan’ts was that NO only scored 17 points. they’ll get 30 in the Playoffs
Who Dat got a Super Bowl ring?!!
December 28th, 2010
1:27 pm
@deeznutz
Saints refs? really? Saints were getting screwed by the refs last night. whatever, make excuses. keep em coming!!
Tim
December 28th, 2010
1:36 pm
The significance of this game was severely overblown. The media hyped it up, but the fact of the matter is that it’s only one game and the Falcons face the worst team in the league (at home) next week and will wrap up the home field advantage for the playoffs. Our defense played well last night. Our offense didn’t. No doubt about it. Play selection on first down was unimaginative at times and Ryan did not consistently make good decisions. In spite of it all, the Falcons lost by a field goal so let’s not get carried away here, Mark, with all this “they whiffed” crap. The Falcons will take care of business next week and this game will be a thing of the past. I like the Falcons chances at home in the playoffs. Win or lose, they have had a tremendous season and we should be happy about that.
Capologist
December 28th, 2010
1:37 pm
The Falcons O put up only a TD – and people think they are going deep in the playoffs? Yeah, its only one game….it just so happened to be the one game on the national stage that could have clinched the division title. 148 yards passing? really?
Eleanor in Detroit
December 28th, 2010
1:37 pm
Ya Got what U derserved!!
Lived in College Park for 3 years after Katrina, went to school at SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. Technology program. Finished with the top test scores EVER!! Aslo, H & R Block class provided by Fulton County and STILL could not Get a JOB!! Last nite, while walking home in the SNOW!! here in Southfield/Detroit, MI All I sung was “Bless U Boys”!! All the way home, Did not watch the game At All!!! Watched a Geoge Lopez CD instead. Talk about having “FAITH”!! Woke up 3 a.m. this morning and heard on the radio that the Saints had Won!! I ran a Hot Bubble bath and laughed and waddled like a “HOG IN SLOP” at the Dirty Birds and the City of Atlants!!
Eleanor N The “D”
Go Saints and Lions!!!
XOXOXOXOXOX
Falcon Fan
December 28th, 2010
1:37 pm
The Falcons will be lucky to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. The defense is playing over their heads (that is good) and our offense is just plain average. You shut down the run, you shut down Atlanta. We need another top tier receiver to replace Douglas, who I don’t know why they even throw the ball to. We played a gritty game, but when it came down to it, we showed we still are not an Elite team, just good.
Ivan
December 28th, 2010
1:40 pm
LOL. You guys are KILLIN me!!
@Noodle
“ESPN analysts are already naming 4 different teams that can beat the Falcons at home during the playoffs.”
WELL DARN! I guess this means, that even though the Falcons have already beaten 3 of the other 5 teams projected for the playoffs, we might as well tell the Falcons to give their playoff spot to Brett Favre!
“Matty has a nice record but no meaningful wins meaning playoff wins”
Such a baseless stat. You base a number like “playoff wins” from the previous season (i.e. a different team). Throw in the fact the regular season comes first. See, it determines who plays in the playoffs. Also, a 1st seed team that makes it to the Super Bowl will only have played and won 2 games. A 5th or 6th seed that makes it to the Super Bowl will have played and won 3 games. So by this logic, your team isn’t elite unless they barely grab a wildcard spot resulting in more road games for the playoffs. Makes perfect sense.
“Turner phat*ss fumbled again in his biggest game as a Falcon” – You mean “fumbled again” as in since last year? You mean “biggest game” as in it didn’t cost Atlanta the Division with a 1st seed?
“The most overrated team in football is located in ATL.”
This I will agree with. The Yellow Jackets are overrated.
Alyosha
December 28th, 2010
1:40 pm
Well this “just good” team is pretty much guaranteed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs in total comfort considering will be on a bye that week.
mac
December 28th, 2010
1:41 pm
Someone said “you can’t expect to win every game”! Hell, I do..especially if you can play
basic football..It’s all about execution..if you don’t execute..you don’t win!!
This Staff has taken us a long..Can they help us win a Superbowl? Doubtful!!
gabby
December 28th, 2010
1:42 pm
Falcons D played lights out. They showed some nice blitz packages we haven’t seen all year. I would have gone for it on fourth down, but understand CMS’s thinking. Ryan is much better out of the gun or no huddle and we desperately need a back to go along with Turner that has some speed and can get to the corner. With those changes this team is real tough to beat.
BullDawgMike
December 28th, 2010
1:50 pm
Somehow I just knew all day Monday the Falcons would find a way to lose. I’m not really a pessimist, but this comes from watching the Falcons since 1966. I still remember Falcons losing to Danny White and the Cowboys, after gaining a 2 TD lead late, and knocking out Staubach. This game tonight was just as big. What is so scarey is they lost it the exact same way. Play great defense for 54 min. and then all of a sudden just abandon that plan and go into a vanilla defense. Some call it prevent. Drew Brees does nothing all night against Atl D, and then when it matters most , WENT PREVENT!!!! If you want to be a champion, then Da**it you have to beat a champion……..I’m done…..
Jim
December 28th, 2010
1:50 pm
Put down the crack pipe people! I learned this a long time ago, I use to worry about games my teams played and whether they would win or lose, then it dawned on me, win, lose or draw these players are still going to the bank in the morning. I then said to myself, self why sit hear and worry about these teams winning and losing while these guys are making millions and you are paying hundreds? What am I getting out of them winning and losing? So I decided to become a professional scalper and that has changed my life, now I get paid whether Atlanta win, lose or draw. Atlanta win I win, Atlanta lose, I win!!! Now that’s something worth talking about
Jim
December 28th, 2010
1:54 pm
Alyosha, I love that! Tell dem clowns something. Your comment is the BEST of the day!
craig trent
December 28th, 2010
1:57 pm
Dear ATL
a special thanks to Roddy White for really getting us going and really giving the CHAMPS (aka SAINTS) a real reason to come up there and whip some bird butt!!!
We loved every minute of it……now go run tell DAT!!!
WHODAT!!!!!!!!
Bruxelles
December 28th, 2010
2:02 pm
Turner is too slow to turn the corner. Does anyone miss Norwood? I do. Give Snelling more touches. Draft a stud RB next year! Go Falcons.
Jim
December 28th, 2010
2:03 pm
All of you clowns saying the Falcons won’t make it out of the first round need to read Alyosha’s comment. They are so d#$# good they do not have to even play in the first round. That’s why yu should think before you open your mouth, remain silent and leave doubt, open your mouth and remove all doubt.
jay
December 28th, 2010
2:05 pm
The Falcoons don’t have any ex-saints players on the roster, that’s why they lost……….YA HEARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
Marie
December 28th, 2010
2:07 pm
@Glenn who wrote: Personally speaking, this game didn’t concern me, too much. I’m hoping they “lay low” last evening against the Saints, not wanted to give away too much, in the event they play them again, or to have anyone injured prior to the playoffs. The winning streak and home “aura” of invincibility is all well-and-good, but getting through the game healthy was more important, and winning Sunday against Carolina will serve the same purpose as beating the Saints – all roads STILL come through Atlanta.
And I have read a variation of similar comments by other bloggers on Bradley’s or Schultz’s blog. And all I can ask is are you people serious? With the mentaility of some fans that is why championships are hard to come by in Atlanta. The Pats also did not “need” to win their game against the Bills on Sunday because they had already secured a playoff berth and were in total command of their division. However, because they think, act, and play like “Champions” they went out there and established their supremacy in the AFC and the league; forecasting to everyone that we will not take any prisoners and will win anywhere and everywhere. It’s rather disgusting to read some fans write that “oh this loss was no big deal” or “we needed this loss” or “this game meant nothing”. BULL!!!
NoodleArm Ryan
December 28th, 2010
2:10 pm
Duh IVAN! Turner also fumbled in the Arizona playoff game which was “BIG” the same as a MNF football game that would clinch a divisional title & a bye week! Nuff said about Matt Ryan, how many playoff wins does Flacco already have, so who cares about Matt’s record in the dome. All players are judged by postseason production. Correction ” the most overrated team in the NFL is located in ATL” LOL!
fatz
December 28th, 2010
2:15 pm
i would like to see the falcons win without having a running game. i don’t honestly believe they can, and a lot of that is the malarkey/smith not play to lose philosophy. without a running game they don’t seem to handle QB pressure well, as ryan really needs to have the run fake to set up his passing. the falcons have had a great season and are a good team. they are not a great team. maybe that doesn’t exist in the NFL anymore. they are all compromised in some way, shape of form. the falcons are compromised with a fomulaic offense that can’t adjust very well to the running game being taken away. i thought the falcons defense was highly compromised, but it has come around nicely, and played quite well last night.
it bothers me that it is a 0-1 decision for a defensive coordinator playing the falcons. stuff the box/ stop the run, take away the run fake to set up the pass, and put pressure on ryan. they have got to let ryan sink or swim with a balls to the wall passing game. he has to show he can pick apart a blitzing, stacked defense, or the season will end quickly.
the saints had to win last night and the falcons didn’t. that does matter in the NFL. at least no one got injured. but the heat is on now for carolina. they blow that game and anybody who’s been around this town for a long time will see the ghosts of atlanta chokers rising from the field turf.
Tim
December 28th, 2010
2:19 pm
Falcons are fine. Game last night meant a lot to the Saints, but not so much to the Falcons. They will recover and be in great shape for the playoffs.
Tana
December 28th, 2010
2:40 pm
For all of you who are praising the felon Mike Vick, you hasve some serious character issues. You might even be a felon yourself, thinking it’s cool to murder dogs and go to prison. Mike Vick is a failure to society, and he was a failure to this team. He stayed in trouble, he didnt finish college, and he wound up in prison. I’m glad you admire someone you want to be. Are you serious? You must be a dog fighter yourself, that thinks the NFL is racist for treating him like he is. A FEDERAL FELON!
alex
December 28th, 2010
2:41 pm
Epic game…both played hard but you never ever give Drew Brees any opportunity to get the ball in the final moments of the game…you’ll never recover from that.
Tana
December 28th, 2010
2:41 pm
Man MB:
Crazy how after one loss all the Falcons haters have something to say.
Georgia to play Ohio State?
December 28th, 2010
2:44 pm
Hahahaha. Other than 250,000 delusional people, who gives a rats azz about the Two most overated and over hyped programs in the history of the NCAA playing each other? I know this ex dawg don’t!
playmeortrademe
December 28th, 2010
2:50 pm
OK Falcons, the sun came up this morning and you are still in first place in the NFC South. Take care of business Sunday… If the football gods are kind to us we will see Seattle, Chicago, and the NYG win on Sunday, sending the Saints a long way to Seattle and eliminating the Packers, who are starting to play like most predicted in the preseason. Hopefully the Saints will be forced to play in freezing rain for 3 plus hours. Bears have a good defense that could punish the Eagles and pull the upset or at the very least exhaust Philly in freezing temps. It would be nice to host Seattle or a road weary Saints in round 2 and then a road weary Bears or a beat up Eagles team in the NFCCG. Its about time the dice starting rolling our way after 40 plus years…
playmeortrademe
December 28th, 2010
2:54 pm
Actually, chicago winning makes them the #2 seed, but I still like the Falcons chances playing the survivor of a Eagles/Bears game that will likely be played subfreezing temps in Chicago or lucking out and getting the Giants in round 2 and then getting the Saints/Bears survivor…let’s go Seahawks!
Capologist
December 28th, 2010
2:57 pm
The Falcons are the only team that can have a Pro Bowl RB, Pro Bowl TE and Pro Bowl WR on the field and still only get 7 points of offense for a whole game.
Ivan
December 28th, 2010
2:58 pm
Yep, I can see you’re no different than all the other doubters out there. Just can’t fix stupid, I guess.
You’re actually comparing this game, a regular season game, with playoffs already clinched, to an actual playoff game played with two different teams. You must have missed the middle of my post, where I explained Football 101. It’s ok though, some people have to flip the burgers for others.
The Falcons clinch the Title and 1st seed against Carolina.
And the Yellow Jackets are in Atlanta, duh.
Capologist
December 28th, 2010
2:59 pm
playmeortrademe….the Giants are done – stick a fork in’em. They are still too demoralized from the Eagles.
Vpdickchainey
December 28th, 2010
3:01 pm
Mularkey is holding this team back. His offense is so predictable and conservative that he is turning the falcons into the most boring (and infuriating if you’re a falcons fan) NFL team that I can ever remember. At least since Rich Kotite and Dan Reeves after the weeping years. Blank, Dimitrioff and Smith demand excellence from everybody else on this team Time to hold Mularkey to the same standard. LET RYAN TAKE OVER THE PLAY CALLING. PLEASE.
ya moma an' nem
December 28th, 2010
3:05 pm
To Falcon’s fans from a Saints fan. You have a good team. Your defense played well but unfortunately ran into a highly motivate Saints defense and offense. This is what I wanted to talk to you Falcon fans about. Next time you get into a fight, don’t tell your opponent that after you kick his As you are going to have his wife then eat his children because that will motivate him in a big way, if he’s a man that is. That’s what you all did, talking like the Saints weren’t the SB Champs, like you had the game won. Saints fans love the Saints 20 INTs and all and Saints love their fans. One more thing, never underestimate the Champ, its folly to do so.
fatz
December 28th, 2010
3:12 pm
so, we take care of Carolina and win the division. and New Orleans becomes the number 5 seed as wild card (w/ Green bay or someone else as 6 seed) and plays the number 4 seed- whoever wins the incredibly lame NFC west. the saints win, and the number 3 seed- either chicago or philly- likely beats the 6 seed (although green bay w/ aaron is a tough team…). if that happens, the falcons- the number 1 seed- gets the lowest seed survivor. most likely New Orleans…. so…. we are likely to be seeing biggest game in franchise history round 2 in about 3 weeks…
actually, the carolina game this weekend becomes the biggest game in franchise history. you are playing the worst team in the league and with a win at home you clinch the division, number 1 seed, bye week and home field throughout. i think those are pretty big stakes right there. to me- THAT becomes a franchise history game.
Ivan
December 28th, 2010
3:13 pm
@playmeortrademe – Agreed. Good post.
Did I miss something...
December 28th, 2010
3:13 pm
the game was 17-14, correct? Wow, by the NO idiots on here, I would have thought it was 50-0!
The Big Hurt
December 28th, 2010
3:14 pm
The Falcons have to look at the Saints and want to be like them. The Falcons have the QB that will hopefully be a Hall of Famer like Brees in the future. What the Falcons don’t have is a bunch of no names that Brees has to throw to every weekend. The Falcons have three….White, Jenkins and Gonzales. The Saints have Piere Thomas, Chris Ivory, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, Marcus Colston, Reggie Bush, Jimmy Graham, Dave Thomas, Jeremy Shockey, etc….. the Saints sound like another SuperBowl Championship team….New England!! The Saints have the Coach like New England, the QB like New England and the weapons like New England1! The Falcons are not close!
Did I miss something...
December 28th, 2010
3:17 pm
Noodle arm, it is apparent that you no nothing about football. Calling Ryna a noodle arm is like saying NO is filled with genuises.
MrTemecula
December 28th, 2010
3:18 pm
Falcon fans ought to cheer up. In fact, they need to realize they are lucky to be living in a golden age of Falcon football. Fact 1: Falcons just played the Champs to a draw. Fact 2. Falcons are among the top 2 teams in the NFC. Eagles have a mediocre defense. Bears have a mediocre offense. The Giants are inconsistant. The NFC West is an abomination. Fact 3. The Falcons have a true rival in the Saints. A rivalry that now matches the Eagles-Giants, Steelers-Falcons, Green Bay-Bears. Falcons fan can look forward to circling twice a season the Saints game knowing those games will make or break a season. These will be national games. These will be games to gather in bars and host viewing parties.
I envy what the Falcons and Saints now have. Pity me. I’m an old L.A. Rams fan. I have nothing. Nothing.
The Big Hurt
December 28th, 2010
3:19 pm
Did I miss something…. Is my post accurate?? You sound like a Falcons fan that could be objective!!
MrTemecula
December 28th, 2010
3:23 pm
I meant Steelers-Ravens. Got my birds mixed up. Messed up a good post.
Jersey
December 28th, 2010
3:24 pm
THE BIG HURT….. Couldn’t have said it any better!!
Jersey
December 28th, 2010
3:24 pm
THE BIG HURT….. Couldn’t have said it any better!!
The Big Hurt
December 28th, 2010
3:25 pm
THE BIG HURT….COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER!!
The Big Hurt
December 28th, 2010
3:26 pm
Thanks….just trying to call it as i see it.