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
ijonathan
November 27th, 2011
3:33 pm
Mike Smith is nothing more than a slimmer, slightly more alert looking Wade Phillips.
AtlNative
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
I guess I just dont understand the whole “maintain through the catch thing” cause that looked like a catch to me.
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
No mark. He dropped it. All the way to the damn ground. Remember? Clearly, we don’t.
Nikki
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
@ Mark Bradley,
After watching this game thus far, am I STILL supposed to excited about the playoffs?
Kissinger
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
Aside from all the no contact crap on receivers and quarterbacks, the hold the ball all the way to the ground rule is the stupidest one in football. If you take a couple steps and then go down and lose the ball, that should be a catch imho.
BW
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
Mark
I realize that some people are happy to see the Falcons contending…that is no longer good enough. This coaching staff simply can’t make any adjustments…Mike Smith must get the blame for that.
Wutehvah
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
Falcons are gonna give this one away. No killer instinct or ability to finish.
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
oh to be as perfect as fill…probably throws like a girl..
tmc
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
this team is so hot-n-cold and so predictable.
I’ve never seen a team look so good and so bad in the same game.
game after game.
ohhhhYEAH
November 27th, 2011
3:34 pm
This isn’t on Ryan idiots. He’s not the one giving up 40 yard touchdowns on 4th down. He’s not the one calling stupid run up the middle on first AND second down. And to the idiot who says Ryan won’t take hits, you clearly haven’t watched him thru his career so far. This is the COACHES FAULT. It happens EVERY WEEK
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
The rule is clear. All the way to the ground. It’s routine for us to mess it up.
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
Well….2011….Atlanta — Loserville… City of Chokers.
Inspector Z
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
Holy crap. I would NOT want any of you defeatest morons with me in a foxhole.
Mr. Panic Button
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
Roddy White needs to get cut! He plays with zero effort and is content on going to the ground where he catches the ball. The incomplete pass was on Harry Douglas’ lack of using two hands to secure the ball. This team isn’t going anywhere even if they win this game today.
Dawgs01
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
What is going on. We better wake up. The game has changed since the punt on fourth and one maybe we should have went for it. They got the momentum and keep building on it
72 Million Dollar Bust
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
Ryan is like a tease in high school.
She shows a little something, gets your hopes up and……………
BAM……………..Breaks your heart.
Poor Falcons believers…..ha ha.
Dirty Bird Nation
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
Durning check off at the line by Ryan…………………..”Oprah” is a run to the opposite side and “Chevy” is a pass. If I can pick up on these here at home, then you know the Vikings has it figured out. So elementary MULARKEY IS!
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
Third and five. Big moment.
Marc
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
im so frustrated as a falcon fan to see us just plainly suck in the second half. Defense? where is it. its embarrassing. and the offence isn’t no 2010 falcons either. uhhh!!!!!
fred
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
3-5 look long?
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
Blitzed there. Covered as well. Fourth down.
Jimmy
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
They are blowing our D off the line of scrimmage
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
Wow. A real play by Dunta.
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
3 and out.
Finally.
Smith's Psychiatrist
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
What a lousy team Atlanta is. 17-0 to 17-14 and about to lose. Douglas sucks dropping passes ! Van Gorder’s defense sucks too !
Fire BVG
November 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
regardless of what people say, D-Rob is a player
dean
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
Now. Go win the dam game
Andy
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
Wow. Dunta makes a big play. Don’t say that often.
Jimmy
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
We’ve got to change the momentum here.
JSS
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
Bail them out Weems!!!
Braves #17 Fan
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
I don’t understand how that pass to Douglas was ruled incomplete. Wouldn’t it be considered a fumble that then went out of bounds?
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
How about a reverse to Julio?
Harpie
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
I’m feeling sick – this team has sunk to a new low; what a pitiful showing!
ijonathan
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
No huddle, play action passes, quick throws (to hold off the rush). cmon.
Dwayne
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
Look the Falcons are good enough for the playoffs….I would say Smith is the hot seat next year…
Once Recent Reader
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
JSS is that really you posting “ha, ha, ha 2-8″? I remember you definitely were very critical of Falcs and leaned towards Choke/72 Mill on the Ryan argument last year . . .. .but I recall better thought out replies. Have you been driven over the edge?
DawgNole
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
You shouldn’t be “aghast” at all, Mark. You’ve been covering this team longer than many of these bloggers have been alive. How can you not expect another collapse? That’s why we’re called “Losersville.” Hopefully the Falcons can reverse the momentum, but they’ve obviously–yet again–turned a laugher into another nail-biter at this point.
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
Run on first down. Good call.
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
Why no huddle with the endless audibles?
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
Gonzalez for the first down, if just.
jerry
November 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
After only 4 drafts and 4 free agent signings, the Falcons have built a freakin’ JUG–GER–NAUT.
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
first down
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
TG playing soft today…
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
3:39 pm
Ryan to White. Play-action on first
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
3:39 pm
terrible throw by Ryan..
J.J.M.
November 27th, 2011
3:39 pm
julio was streaking
ijonathan
November 27th, 2011
3:39 pm
ha ha keystone cops in the defensive backfield
72 Million Dollar Bust
November 27th, 2011
3:39 pm
It doesn’t really matter what the final score is, Ponder is the winner of this one.
Once Recent Reader
November 27th, 2011
3:39 pm
Phew . . . .there’s been several 2nd down plays where they have been a yard or 2 short on the pass – and no converted. Glad they got a 1st on that play. OK keep this drive going. TD would be very nice . . . .obviously.
David
November 27th, 2011
3:39 pm
Oh, look, the no-huddle is producing yards. I don’t understand why we go away from this…