Live from Falcons-Vikings: Anybody excited about this one?
"Hey, I'm pumped. Who's with me?" (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
I wish I could say I’m looking forward to a great day of pro football here at the Dome, but I’d be a big fat liar. The Atlanta Falcons tend to play to the level of the opposition, and if that happens today …
(Pause to shudder.)
The Minnesota Vikings are awful, and they’re without their best player. (Adrian Peterson, RB.) They’re also without Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Alan Page, Joe Kapp, Carl Eller, Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman, Cris Carter, Mick Tinglehoff and anyone else who ever put the pop in the Purple. The Vikings are 2-8, having beaten two other terrible teams (Arizona and Carolina).
This is one of those games the Falcons should win by three touchdowns, and I’m thinking it’s a game they need to win by three touchdowns. Even at 6-4, there’s scarcely a buzz about this team nationally or locally. I got out of Mass later than usual this morning, and I was thinking I might hit traffic around the Dome, but I drove right in at 11:30.
It’s 12:03 as I write, and there’s almost nobody in the house. I know it’s the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the day after Tech-Georgia, but still … this is, on the record, a pretty good NFL team. I wondered in preseason why more people weren’t talking about the Falcons, and on the final Sunday of November I’m wondering still.
So I ask again: Are you pumped about the Birds? Are you too stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey to care? Has watching Florida fall to 6-6 and Clemson to 9-3 last night dulled the senses? Is there anybody out there? Is this microphone on?
With that, I’ll hang up and await your responses. Assuming there are any.
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,179 comments Add your comment
mountain_jim
November 27th, 2011
2:52 pm
Well the Falcons lose almost every 3rd quarter. With a start like this they will probably let them back in this game like they always do against weaker teams
JSS
November 27th, 2011
2:53 pm
And Charlie, because you are so “slow” on this.. I’ve said “You better get fat on those .500 and sub .500 teams, because you’ve rarely beaten the better teams.” I know even you as a “rah-rah” can see why that statement rings true… That is why you complain so much, it hurts that they still haven’t shook that monkey…
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
2:53 pm
uh oh, Mark, maybe they can go 80 yds…you getting nervous?
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
2:53 pm
Don’t tell anybody, Andy.
Jimmy Crack
November 27th, 2011
2:53 pm
Some of you folks have lost your dern minds.
phil
November 27th, 2011
2:53 pm
Fire Van Gorder!
72 Million Dollar Bust
November 27th, 2011
2:53 pm
Just so you Ryan lovers know: The Vikings rank 26th vs the pass.
Just a thought.
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
2:53 pm
Back at the game … Minny has driven 55 of those 80 yards.
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
2:54 pm
Seen that act before. Escape…..1st down.
ijonathan
November 27th, 2011
2:54 pm
Mr. Zolziak having a bad year.
phil
November 27th, 2011
2:54 pm
Another whiff for the pathetic Bierman…
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
2:55 pm
fire everybody, huh? nice..
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
2:55 pm
Sidbury with a sack. Ponder with a stumble. But no INT GROUND, says ref.
mountain_jim
November 27th, 2011
2:55 pm
which is why running on first and second and punting was not the way dominant teams play and win large
phil
November 27th, 2011
2:56 pm
Swiss cheese D….
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
2:56 pm
THe ghost of Donatell has arrived
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
2:56 pm
dialing up the blitz here
ijonathan
November 27th, 2011
2:56 pm
MB, how can it be intentional grounding if the QB is down (sacked)?
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Wow. Give Ponder credit. Great throw. Vikes at the 1.
Joe Kapp on a rollout?
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
nice catch
Reggie
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Damn I swear Chris Owens STINKS! PICK THE DAMN BALL OFF!
mountain_jim
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
They are proving you conservative folks wrong, Mark.
72 Million Dollar Bust
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
@Mr. Charlie
Still squashing their hopes?
dean
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Thought Owens had it
phil
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Again, can’t make the simplest of plays…
ijonathan
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Chris Owens couldn’t decide if he wanted to intercept it or go after the receiver. So he did neither, as usual.
welikebaseball2
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Supes: So, let me get this straight, Ryan’s poor passer rating against winning teams is because of receiver dropped balls? So, most of those INT’s mostly bounced out of receivers hands? Okay, if passer rating is “overrated,” let’s go with this stat…we’ve got 1 win out of 4 games against winning teams this year. There…how’s that? Are wins & losses “overrated”? My point is that, while I hope he shakes the trend, Ryan is not a big game QB…yet.
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Vikes score. Give them credit. Good-looking drive.
And there’s our answer: They can go 80 yards.
mountain_jim
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Now it’s a game. Way to go, conservative Smith/Mularkey
72 Million Dollar Bust
November 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Here comes the Ryan meltdown…ha ha.
SRF
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
Owens burned again – why is he here ?
J.J.M.
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
slow d line and slow LBs
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
there ya go Mark, they went 80
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
S. Nicholas with a thigh injury. Return is questionable.
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
And as usual, the coaching staff takes the foot off the gas pedal in the 3rd quarter.
Falcons: Play 60!
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
pathetic showing by the D there, wow
Reggie
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
Always letting teams get back the game. That weak ass Vikings offense drove the whole damn field on us. What a weak ass defense. They make me sick being so damn soft.
WitStream
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
Man, Ponder is the ril dil.
D man
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
Chris Owens needs to go. He is horrible…
musicgeekmusic
November 27th, 2011
2:58 pm
Chris Owens had better be let go in the off season.
dean
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
Now ATL needs to come out and squash any hope out of Vikes
phil
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
Sorry, Mark. No way Harvin should’ve caught that ball.
Really good teams don’t slop around like this. Been this way all season though, so not surprised. All talk and no action.
AtlNative
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
Wont go 80 yards huh?
Hey Mark, I dont know if you have access to this info or not, but thinking back over this year, it seems that the Falcons tend to play really poorly coming out of halftime. As if the other team makes adjustments and we cant seem to answer. Not sure if that is the case, but it seems like it is a trend with the team this year.
J.J.M.
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
dents>nicholas
WitStream
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
This place is always amusing for all the people commenting who are either total idiots and/or don’t know anything about football.
Mr. Panic Button
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
Same sorry a$$ Falcons. Score and then go into conservative mode only to let teams back in the game.
Matt from MN
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
2nd and 23 and the CONVERT???? Ridiculous.
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
JSS, so would it be better if we were to lose against .500 teams? WTF is your point?
We get beat sometimes by better teams? Sure, so does everyone else.
That is what makes better teams good, they win.
But it is all about getting into the playoffs, and then anything can really happen, and as I pointed out in my examples in 05 and 06, don’t ever underestimate an NFL team.
J.J.M.
November 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
isnt this a theme for the falcons they cant put teams away with a lead?
JSS
November 27th, 2011
3:00 pm
@ Mark Bradley…
He didn’t jump and leave a DLineman laying motionless (thank goodness) That was Kapp!