Needed by the Falcons: A veteran to point the way to a title
"Super Bowl's over here, guys," says the Packers' A.J. Hawk. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
The Falcons’ season began and ended against the teams that will meet in Super Bowl XLV. In between there were 13 victories, but the failure to reach the ice-encrusted Dallas area — guess we’re not the only big-event-hosting city that can suffer lousy weather, huh? — has forced us to ask: Why the Packers and Steelers but not the Birds?
Well, both Green Bay and Pittsburgh play better defense, though the Falcons’ D looked OK until the night of Jan. 15. And Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger rank among the NFL’s half-dozen best quarterbacks, whereas Matt Ryan would be in the top 10. But a talent deficit isn’t what barred the Falcons from the game so big we needed the snooty Romans to number it.
When you send nine men to the Pro Bowl, you’re talented enough. In those 13 victories we saw the Falcons’ best players make winning plays. Indeed, seven of those 13 games were won by seven or fewer points. Note, however, that the six games the Falcons won big all came against teams that finished under .500. For all their winning, the Falcons never once played such a complete game against a brand-name opponent that you stood back and said, “Whoa — these guys are good.”
The Falcons were good, but it was never clear if they believed they belonged among the upper crust. (Believing isn’t the same as wishing and hoping.) Go back to the opener in Pittsburgh: The Steelers were coming off a non-playoff season and were without the suspended Roethlisberger, but they played with a fury. They played to prove they could win behind any quarterback. They played to prove they were still the Steelers.
The Falcons took the ball with 1:45 remaining in regulation and the game tied, but their first play became one of those hurtling Troy Polamalu interceptions. That should have been it, but Jeff Reed missed his field goal. Much relieved, the Falcons won the coin toss for overtime. They managed one first down. The Steelers handed the ball to Rashard Mendenhall and went home winners. Put simply, the Steelers were not going to lose that day no matter how many times they had to win it.
We saw the Saints similarly refuse to surrender here two nights after Christmas. In October we saw the Eagles, working behind backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, dominate from the kickoff. And finally we saw the Packers enter the Georgia Dome and score 42 points in 25 minutes.
Yes, the Falcons beat the Saints in the Superdome in September, and yes, they had beaten Baltimore and Green Bay here in November. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t compete against the big boys. But you could see in those four losses a palpable difference: The teams that beat the Falcons played faster and hit harder. They weren’t any more gifted, but they acted — apologies for the cliche — as if they wanted it more.
Which sounds silly. Why would a team good enough to win 13 games not want to win a 14th, a 15th, a 16th? But the commodity still lacking in the Falcons is the veteran of championship portfolio — in the NBA, that player is known as “a James Posey,” in reference to the sub who has won with Miami and Boston — who can show his mates how it’s done.
Asked if he feels compelled to add such a player, general manager Thomas Dimitroff responded via e-mail: “It would be nice to have [that] as an influence, but [it] won’t be the driving force if we feel the talent is better with somebody who hasn’t won one.”
Then this: “It surely is on our mind.”
It needs to be more than a thought; it needs to be the priority. Of those nine Pro Bowlers, not one has a Super Bowl ring. (Mike Smith does, but a coach can only say so much.) It’s time for the Falcons to start carrying themselves like the champions they can be. It’s time for Dimitroff to find his James Posey.
OK, and now you’re asking: Who’s out there? Well, the Oakland defensive lineman Richard Seymour is scheduled to become a free agent. (This assumes the coming lockout ever ends.) He played at Georgia. He won three Super Bowls as a Patriot. He’d do.
By Mark Bradley
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230 comments Add your comment
Tech Fan Since 1950
February 4th, 2011
12:35 pm
Maybe the owner should look at the snow and ice in Dallas today and this weekend and calm down about building an open air stadium in Atlanta with taxpayer money for a targeted Super Bowl. Now that would be veteran leadership.
Andy
February 4th, 2011
12:39 pm
They need a new off coord and a qb with an arm
Really
February 4th, 2011
12:39 pm
Matt Ryan is decent but can’t make all the throws you media types love to rave about in a complete QB. He is good on timing thows that require touch, but improvising and making downfield throws he is not capable, thus will never win a playoff game against top defenses. He will suffice with a good RB and a play action short yardage game and thats where his plus side ends. I honestly think Redman looked better than him last year and has more tools than Ryan in the playmaking department. He plays like a freaking robot, take away his first two reads and he is lost. He is a check down “King”. Could it be Mularky, possible? The defense is fine, Van Gorders scheme sucks! Get a more aggressive attack and Falcons could shine on that side of ball too. So either change Ryan or Mularky or both and get Mike Smith let VanGorder be more aggressive and we will be ok.
papadawg
February 4th, 2011
12:40 pm
The fact that we won so many games this year kind of overshadowed the fact that the Birds are a pretty young football teamm and with age comes leadership
Hankie Aron
February 4th, 2011
12:41 pm
Tony Gonzalez as great as he was and still is never won a Super Bowl.
Jerry
February 4th, 2011
12:42 pm
We need better defense. Improved pass rush on side opposite Abraham. A big push up the middle would be nice. Help for Grimes and Smith in the secondary. Improvement of linebackers. Maybe we could use a little help at the receivers positions, but I also think we can go deep into the playoffs with the receivers we have now. As far as a James Posey, we need someone to be a leader on defense, maybe one we already have will step up.
Hankie Aron
February 4th, 2011
12:43 pm
I can see your point papadawg. For TG it’s this year or never though
That Dude Devin
February 4th, 2011
12:44 pm
The Falcons have enough vets: Tony G, Mike P, Turner, Jenkins, Duanta, shoot the starting O-Line minus Baker is older than 25. How old do you want to go? We need explosive players, young to medium age. We are a well balanced O with no explosion, and the D is only going to get better with age. The team needs to grow relatively together. Any more vets and we will have to do another rebuilding in a couple years and I doubt we would win a SB if that was the case. Thomas Dimitroff has it right: “It would be nice to have [that] as an influence, but [it] won’t be the driving force if we feel the talent is better with somebody who hasn’t won one.”
TC
February 4th, 2011
12:47 pm
I am so glad Mike Mularkey is a favorite to get the Titans HC job.
Apples II Oranges
February 4th, 2011
12:47 pm
New England and Pittsburgh should be the model franchises for the Falcons. Very boring offseasons when it comes to FA, and build through the draft. Bigtime money should be spent on evaluating talent coming out off college. Super Bowl teams are built in the draft, in rounds 3 thru 6. If Super Bowls where won through FA then Dan Snyder would have at least 1 ring by now.
Mark (another one)
February 4th, 2011
12:47 pm
If your dreaming, how about adding soon to be free agent LaMarr Woodley from the Steelers? He is a major force on the field, still young, and has played for a winning program. Another would be Roman Harper at Safety. A few of the free agents from winning programs on the offensive side are Jared Gaither (BAL), Jermon Bushrod and Carl Nicks (both NO).
I especially like Nicks. He seems to always play on the defense’s side of the ball, and he sometimes appears to intimidate opponents. That’s rare in the NFL.
mike
February 4th, 2011
12:51 pm
I just brought out my violin after reading this jibberish. Maybe the falconettes should draft a doctor. That way he can give this team all the excuses of why they can not make it to the playoffs. The way to make it to the Superbowel folks is to win. Something that is lacking in all the teams of this fair city. Next year it will be something else that causes a shortfall. Hint. Buy your tickets now for next year’s playoff series and that goes for all the Atlanta teams.
MaxxFalcon
February 4th, 2011
12:56 pm
We need Champ bailey, but unfortunately we are stuck with Dunta Robinson who looked EXACTLY like Chris Houston last yr (the dreads, number 23, the Mike Williams play), just older and way more expensive. Dunta should NOT be handed the starting job this yr, he should have to earn it. Franks might be ready to step up and make plays on the right side or in the slot
Pat's Rockett
February 4th, 2011
12:57 pm
Remember in’98? Cornellius Bennent and Clay Mathews ?
How about Richard Seymore and Champ Bailey?
El Bravo
February 4th, 2011
12:59 pm
JSS, you are making my point. Ben Ro is a very talented player that has progressed as you would expect. During his rookie season he had 17 TDs and 11 Ints. He happened to play for a very talented team with a great defense and a great running game. In 2004 he managed not to lose the SB for Pittsburgh the same way that Trent Dilfer managed not to lose it for Baltimore. Right now, Ben Ro is one of the 5 best QBs in the NFL. He wins because of his talent and that of his teammates. If he loses this weekend is not because he suddenly forgot how to win and Rodgers had an epiphany but instead because they were outplayed by a team with better talent and/or coaching. “Knowing how to win” is one of those myths that are so prevalent in sport. Who would you rather have at Power Forward: Karl Malone (no rings but probably the best ever at the position) or Dennis Rodman (very good player, crazy as they come but has a ring for every finger). Center: John Salley (ring for every finger) or Patrick Ewing. PG: Fisher (loads of rings) or Stockton. If you read Dimitrof’s answer it is clear that he would rather have the more talented player than the one that “knows how to win”…
MaxxFalcon
February 4th, 2011
12:59 pm
I’d love to have Richard Seymour replace Jamaal Anderson, but we would need to draft a pass rusher and if Sidbury is ready then let him loose, Abe and Seymour are not getting any younger
Ted M
February 4th, 2011
1:02 pm
Hewitt FAILED his mid-term.
YANKEEGATOR
February 4th, 2011
1:05 pm
The birds just dont have heart none of the name’s mention will help. One playmaker on Off White and one sometimey playmaker in Abraham on D.
Chopper
February 4th, 2011
1:06 pm
Does Mark Bradley work on a see saw? Two years ago the Falcons had veterans like Keith Brooking and people like MB said the Falcons needed to get younger and faster. Which is it?
The Falcons don’t need more veteran leadership. Leadership they got plenty of. What they need is a young explosive pass rusher, a nickel corner who can cover, and a speedy wide receiver who can stretch the field. None of those positions need a veteran in it to push the Falcons farther. They need speed and explosvieness. Those traits are readily found in younger players. So the Falcons need to get younger and faster still, but now they’ve narrowed the need positions to those three as opposed to the whole roster like it was two years ago.
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:07 pm
who dat nation – talk about choking, you got spanked by a 7-9 team!
Mustafus Hussin
February 4th, 2011
1:09 pm
The Falcons really need to draft well this year! Ryan was a great pick but the team hasn’t made too many other good choices!
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:10 pm
How about:
Champ Bailey – who says he wants to go to a winner,
Deangelo Williams – who is upset Carolina fired the RB’s coach
And Seymour, although I have heard he wants to stay with the raiders
MaxxFalcon – what’s to say we can’t have dunta and champ
jerry
February 4th, 2011
1:13 pm
RIGHT ON CHOPPER. There are PLENTY of teams with veteren leadership sitting at home. This hogwash is really beneath Bradley but hell, there’s not a lot going on now.
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:15 pm
Andy and really: this QB you claim isn’t Pro quality, was rookie of the year, Pro Bowl in his 3rd year, won 66% of his games, never had a losing season, hey but ignore the facts, makes your argument better
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:17 pm
before any one brings up Haynesworth again, he got arrested for assault today, so he’s not going to be a falcon, not like he was going to be anyway.
falCANTS4ever
February 4th, 2011
1:17 pm
veteran leadership…as the ‘dude’ pointed out above…there ARE veterans on this team…i can hear next year’s catch phrase now…..Point the Way….now who’s gonna say it? and whose choir is gonna sing it…maybe Cecil Newton’s church choir….they can do it for free since sCam is gonna legally get paid this year…maybe Matty Melt can get some strength conditioning for his noodle arm during the offseason…falCANTS…
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:19 pm
Apples||Oranges:
Well put, which is why Blank brought in TD.
falCANTS4ever
February 4th, 2011
1:19 pm
a speedy WR to stretch the field?….who’s Matty Melt gonna flip it to so it can be thrown downfield?
tyger
February 4th, 2011
1:21 pm
Wow! A good idea from Bradley???? We do need Richard Seymour!!!
Who Dat Nation
February 4th, 2011
1:21 pm
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:07 pm
who dat nation – talk about choking, you got spanked by a 7-9 team!
Wow talk about Choking when we lost on the road when the Falcons got blowed out at home loser, that game wasn’t close in the dome loser
StatsMan
February 4th, 2011
1:24 pm
The Falcons failure to advance had absolutely nothing to do with experience. Their won-lost record was helped by favorable luck/turnover margin. By examining stats like yardage differential you can see that this was more of a 9-10 win team, not a 13-win club.
dan
February 4th, 2011
1:24 pm
Mark,
3 things in regards to the Falcons:
1.BLOWOUT LOSSES HAPPEN: Its certainly not fun when it happens to your team especially on a nationally televised stage. But in the NFL where there is so much parity, every team is bound to experience one every now and then. Joe Montana, a winner if there ever was one; got blown out 49-3 vs. Lawrence Taylor & Co. in the Meadowlands in a Divisional Playoff game back in 1986. John Elway lost to the Joe Montana 49ers 55-10 in the 1990 Super Bowl, and he finished his career with two Super Bowl wins. Troy Aikman got pasted by the Detroit Lions 38-6 in his first playoff appearance before winning 3 out of the next 4 Super Bowls. Losses happen in the NFL. Sometimes they’re big and sometimes they’re gargantuan! And how you proceed moving forward will determine what your team is truly made of. This leads to my next point.
2.THE FALCONS ARE A VERY IMMATURE TEAM: One of the drawbacks to having a fairly young team without a lot of playoff experience, is that there isn’t a point of reference in terms of how to handle adversity. There is a difference between getting hit in the mouth and getting your face shattered. The former can usually be shaken off after the first couple of jabs. But when you get your nose broken, the animal instinct of “fight or flight” kicks in. At the NFL level, for the “fight” instinct to kick into gear, it helps to have a battle tested veteran like a Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or a Ray Lewis on your team who have experienced failures and success at the playoff level, to overcome the shock. Green Bay broke Atlanta’s nose when they went up 35-14 after halftime, and when that happened they desperately needed a veteran to step forward and say ” WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU GUYS!!! WE AIN’T GOING OUT LIKE THIS!!”. Of all the great things that Matt Ryan has accomplished up to this point, this is the one glaring area where he must improve. His team needed him to step up and be the man in the Green Bay game when everything was breaking down around him. Instead he looked every bit of the 25 year old green horn that he is. The NFL is a Man’s League. It is no longer up to the coaches to get you mentally ready to play like it is in college. You either produce or you are gone! And that is especially true in the playoffs.
3.THIS FALCONS TEAM WAS MISSING SOMETHING: The Falcons appear to have a great nucleus of talent in place. They have a good owner, who has been through the wringer for his team. They have a good head coach and a good GM. But that’s just it: the 2010 version of the Falcons were good, at times very good; just not great. They would beat teams, but rarely blow them out. They played good defense in the red zone, but gave up a ton of yardage in the process. Their special teams were good, but no overwhelming. But most of all, this team never seemed to have the killer instinct that all great championship teams have in their pursuit to greatness, the kind of killer instinct that the Packers exhibited vs. the Falcons, where if you make a mistake you pay dearly. For this organization to move forward and be a force in the playoffs, they have got to find a way to impose their will onto other teams in a dominant fashion. That is the next step in the evolution process for this franchise.
MaxxFalcon
February 4th, 2011
1:24 pm
Ron “Choke” Mexico- Unfortunately I just don’t see Dimitroff spending the money on Champ when he already has all that money tied up in at Corner in Dunta and the pending resigning of Grimes
mountain_jim
February 4th, 2011
1:26 pm
If we have also paid for Peppers last year we might have beat Green Bay – or at least had a chance.
Well except for the worst OC call of the year – throwing instead of kicking FG from 52 yards out and 8 seconds left before half, thus ending the game effectively. I would fire Mularkey for that call alone, unless Smith called for it – and yes I know Ryan could have thrown it out of bounds.
I’d rather spend the money to get Larry Fitz at WR, if he does opt out and no trade required, than Seymore.
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:26 pm
that’s your excuse, you lost to a 7-9 team because it was a road game! LMAO
Hey we got spanked by the packers, but at least I’m not so stupid as to be on a saints blog ragging on them about losing to a 7-9 team! hey your game wasn’t close either.
MaxxFalcon
February 4th, 2011
1:29 pm
Dan- Well said! We need speed on Offense, Norwood being out really hurt us. Bilal Powell, Derrick Locke or Noel Devine in the later rounds would provide great value and add the speed we need as a change of pace for Turner. Speaking of Turner, he needs to fight through the trash better and finish his runs, I see him running out of bounds and getting tackled by his shoe laces WAY too much
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:29 pm
MaxxFalcon, I hear you man, but that look of disgust on Blank’s face after they lost may make him open that check book, plus champ is very popular here in Ga. It would be great to have him with Grimes playing nickle.
MaxxFalcon
February 4th, 2011
1:33 pm
Ron “Choke” Mexico, nothing would make me happier than bringing Champ home. Our DBs would go from being below average to one of the strongest groups in the league. Grimes would be the best nickel corner in the NFL. I hope to God we make that move
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:36 pm
I’ve heard that nammbi wants to go to either the Jets or the Vikings, so he is probably out, probably would have been too expensive anyway. Champ is older, could probably get him a little cheaper
Pauly
February 4th, 2011
1:36 pm
Did Cornelius Bennett play that role previously?
Looker
February 4th, 2011
1:37 pm
Don’t know if Herchel Walker has a SB ring, but if the man says he wants to return to the NFL, I believe he does, and play for the Falcons I would hope the Falcons will listen. He is in better shape than most players in the NFL and I believe he would be a good RB but a outstanding LB. Falcons don’t miss out this time! Call the man now and see if he is serious!
JSS
February 4th, 2011
1:37 pm
El Bravo
February 4th, 2011
12:59 pm
“JSS, you are making my point.”
No, not at all… Ben already knew how to win! You made asinine statement saying that he did not and had not won anything on the scholastic and collegiate level. My post was to refute that point.
What the Steelers saw that he still had upside. They put into a system intended to let him grow… They did not nurse maid him. Even when they were run heavy in first two years, when needed they let him go except in the Super Bowl, they took the training wheel off. They are flexible (even Cowher). When they won in ‘08, Roethlisberger had been all over the place (17 TDs 15 INTs), but Tomlin let his QB lead his team. Great teams take chances!
Who Dat Nation
February 4th, 2011
1:40 pm
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:26 pm
that’s your excuse, you lost to a 7-9 team because it was a road game! LMAO
Hey we got spanked by the packers, but at least I’m not so stupid as to be on a saints blog ragging on them about losing to a 7-9 team! hey your game wasn’t close either.
All year people have been saying that the falcons couldn’t be beat at the Georgia Dome, but what happen when them Saints came to town loser, and how about closing your mouth until your so called leader Matty Choke wins a playoff game idiot
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:48 pm
Hey who dat, I seem to remember we cam to that toilet you call a city and beat you in your house, by the measley 3 points you beat us by, only I’m again not stupid enough to be on some saints blog, bragging about the win
Milburn Drysdale
February 4th, 2011
1:50 pm
Doesn’t John Abrahams fit that bill? Tony Gonzalez? Having veterans is okay, but in reality, anyone with any sense knew all along the Falcons were a good team, not a great one. Lucky to beat San Fran, lucky to beat Tampa (both times), and extremely lucky to beat the Saints in NO. Even St Louis game went to the wire. But please, the Birds had plenty of veterans.
RON CHOKE MEXICO
February 4th, 2011
1:52 pm
also wouldn’t mind them signing LB Rocky McIntosh from the redskins, he hasn’t done as well in the 3-4, is a southern boy, would probably like to get the hell away from DC, and he would be an excellent backup LB, he can play inside and outside. probably wouldn’t be expensive and add some depth in case of injuries
Pauly
February 4th, 2011
1:52 pm
No Milburn, they haven’t been to a Super Bowl. Cornelius Bennett, I’m thinking, may have played the role Bradley is writing about, on the 1998 Falcons team.
Pauly
February 4th, 2011
1:53 pm
In other words, he’s talking about veterans from teams that kicked some butt in the playoffs, which Gonzalez and Abraham don’t represent.
dan
February 4th, 2011
1:53 pm
Who dat Nation
Seriously dude? Yeah the Falcons loss was really bad. And yes your team won the Super Bowl in 2009. Be that as it may, the Saints were hardly impressive during the 2010 campaign. They lost to a horrible Arizona team on the road, lost to a lousy Browns in New Orleans, and went 1-3 their final 4 games of the season with losses to Baltimore, Tampa Bay( in a game that could have helped them clinch the NFC South), and Seattle( the worst team to EVER make the playoffs). Yeah they beat Atlanta at home, but the Falcons already had a 2 game lead in the division going into that game. The Saints then proceeded to do nothing with that momentum, losing their last 2 games. The Saints are certainly a talented football, just like the Falcons. But both teams layed major eggs in the playoffs and both teams have a LOT of work to do in the offseason.
Southside
February 4th, 2011
1:54 pm
Good article with good points. I love the idea of Richard Seymour in a Falcons uniform. Would definitely complement Abe on the other end.