Game plan for the Falcons: A lockout that lasts into October
These two worthies are scheduled to meet again Oct. 9. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
If I’m the Falcons, here’s what I’m hoping: That the lockout ends Oct. 10.
According to the NFL’s just-announced schedule, they’re set to open in Chicago against a team that played for the NFC title. Then they come home to play Philadelphia, which won its division. Then they leave for Tampa Bay, which won 10 games. Then they fly to Seattle to play another division-winner. Then they come back to meet the Super Bowl champions, who came here and won by 27 points not long ago.
Six NFC teams made the playoffs last season. If the NFL opens on time, the Falcons — one of the six — will play four of the others in the first five weeks. Three of those games will be staged on the road, two of them in prime time. That’s not exactly easing into the fray.
The Falcons are scheduled to face Green Bay on Oct. 9. The rest of the way is manageable. Only three of the final 11 games will be against 2010 playoff teams (two against New Orleans, one against Indianapolis). If the Falcons can escape the first month-plus 3-2, they’ll be in great shape. Even 2-3 wouldn’t be bad. But 0-0 would be the best case scenario — if not for those of us on the outside who want to see the local team face Julius Peppers and Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers, then surely for Mike Smith and the coaches who’d have to prepare for them.
The schedule calls for the Falcons to play one game against the NFC West this season, down from four last season. The West, which had no teams finish above .500, spent last fall propping up the South, which featured three teams that won at least 10 games. That safety net is gone.
But now for the good news: The Falcons won 13 games last season, and if they play the full 16 this time they should be good enough to win 11. That would put them back in the playoffs, probably as division champs, though maybe not as the NFC’s top seed. Which would be OK, too. As the 2010 Falcons can attest, that seeding stuff can be overrated.
By Mark Bradley
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57 comments Add your comment
falCants4ever
April 20th, 2011
11:07 am
larry…so right…’everything’ fell into place for the falCants last year…no major injuries…lots of suspect calls went their way..BUT…and it’s a big BUT…no ON THE FIELD leadership…and couldn’t get the win when they needed it…the Saints struggled last year…critical injuries on both sides of the ball..hopefully they’ll bounce back this year…gonna be a battle in the NFC South this year…TB, ATL and NO….three powerful teams doing battle….falCants….
CT Falcons Fan
April 20th, 2011
12:15 pm
Yes, Larry, it is what it is and the Saints fans can rub it in. But that Lombardi will not put more ponits on the board in 2011 for them. And it was two years ago. How long do we have to keep hearing about it? Especially after that loss to Pete Carroll and Seattle. At least the Falcons lost to the eventual world champions.
CT Falcons Fan
April 20th, 2011
12:18 pm
Gatorzone, I completely agree with you. The schedule looks a little harder than it did last year because, as Mark noted, we replace the NFC West with the NFC North. I think, though, that the AFC South is weaker than the AFC North, whom we played last year…I think we can pull off a 10 or 11 win season against this schedule.
Gatorzone
April 20th, 2011
12:27 pm
YOu can’t back into a Championship by lucking by…. Need to be dominate most of the time and good enough to win on off days…
No matter who the opponent is!
brad
April 20th, 2011
3:17 pm
If games were lost at the start of the season wouldn’t they have to completely re-work the schedule? Lets say the Panthers played the Saints twice in the first 5 weeks. If the first five weeks get cancelled hwo would the division winner be determined. You could not have the Falcons have to play the Saints twice and Carolina never have to play them. That would make the division title a complete farce.
realitycheck
April 20th, 2011
3:20 pm
The facts are that this city is LOSERSVILLE USA when it comes to its professional sports teams. Lets do the math: Falcons-zero championships in 44 years. Braves-one championship in 45 years. Hawks- never gotten past second round of playoffs in 43 years. Thrashers- never won a single playoff series in decade old history. These numbers cannot be debated! Last season the Falcons found a way to win 13 games and gain the top NFC seed, but it was like fools gold as evidenced by the worst loss in NFL history for a #1 seed in a divisional round game. The Packers exposed the Falcons and made them look like the overachieving and fortunate team that their critics had been calling them all along. The Falcons have holes and not just a few of them. Only a die hard/hard core fan is unwilling to admit or see that. 1067 or so plays with only one resulting in a 50 yard gain, and that was a run believe it or not. Just can’t see this team winning more than 10 and struggling for a wild card berth but we will see.
RabidDawgFan
April 20th, 2011
9:33 pm
We don’t run from anybody. We’ll play the schedule that they give us.