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
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1,179 comments Add your comment
Bonez
November 27th, 2011
3:56 pm
Owens saved the game
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:56 pm
Arrrghhh….
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
Sid, our D played great. Special teams, not so much. We did have one really really bad play, but overall, we held them to 14 points. Not bad at all.
Dawgs Man
November 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
What is Turner today. 18 carries for 15 yards?
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
call a little PA waggle to the TE here and it’s over..
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
As much as the division would be nice Falcons would benefit much more from a New York loss tomorrow night.
SRF
November 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
Never thought it would happen – but Owens saved the game – good for him
Eric C.
November 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
You bet, Owens…thanks for the incredible effort, catching Harvin from behind is a huge feat. That could almost be as big as Roddy White’s effort last season against the 49ers on the Int return
J.J.M.
November 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
julio was a non factor…
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:58 pm
The Owens tackle is not unlike Roddy’s tackle and forced fumble last yr that saved the niners game…miracles, both.
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
3:58 pm
Turner — 19 for 60.
jerry
November 27th, 2011
3:58 pm
Falcons’ now own the 6th playoff spot.
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
3:58 pm
It’s over now. No need to throw the ball. Up two scores, the other team out of timeouts …
JSS
November 27th, 2011
3:58 pm
So much for a “tune-up” as some Falcon “rah-rah” blogger kept calling it all week…
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:58 pm
Eric, you beat me to it! Eerily similar.
Mark Bradley
November 27th, 2011
3:58 pm
But they throw it, and now it’s over.
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Ballgame.
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Owens did not “save the game”. If Percy scores, we are still up by 3, but it was a very very good play on a number of levels.
phil
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Roddy has been big today….JJ? Not so much.
Dawgs01
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Our offense is the problem this defense does keep us in games we just needs some upgrades in defensive backfield. The offense stalls way to much to be called explosive. It will go missing for a couple of quarters and our defense just stays on the field to much when they go into hibernation.
jay
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Clearly this Falcons team isn’t as good as last year’s. Still they are pretty good and a lot of
fun to watch. JJ gets healthy and its a different story.
dean
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Christian Ponder looks like Owen Wilson with dark hair.
Matt from MN
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Even if they win, they continue to be a deeply flawed team. I’m just frustrated that they can’t seem to fix whatever issues they are having.
Eric C.
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Well, there is no such thing as an ugly win in the NFL…will take 7-4 over 6-5 anyday. Kudos to the defense for hanging in there and to the offense for cranking it back up when it was necessary.
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
way too consevative play call, huh?
Andy
November 27th, 2011
3:59 pm
Looks like Roddy White might be back to his old self with his second straight 100+ yard game.
DawgNole
November 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
Notice how “72″ checks out of the picture once a Falcons victory seems assured?
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
7-4…Not a bad place to be
Wutehvah
November 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
Even if we make the playoffs, this team is going nowhere
phil
November 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
A win is a win is a win in this league….
Fire Mike Smith!
oldfart
November 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
Trusted Ryan to put the game away there with the pass to Roddy. ‘Nuff said.
njfalcon
November 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
Why can’t this team ever make it easy. BTW-While Chris Owens made a great play, MN would still need the ball back and a field goal soto say he “saved the game” is a little melodramatic. However, the secondary nearly lost the game to a miserable team.
Loserville USA
November 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
“We’ll go through the film, make the corrections, and get ready for Houston next week.” — Mike Smith.
Seen in the 3rd quarter….Smith, Mularkey and Van Gorder having lunch down the block.
Team needs to get better.
trademark
November 27th, 2011
4:01 pm
Thanks you Roddy. You are a special player. That is all.
jofjonesboro
November 27th, 2011
4:01 pm
The Falcons squeak by a pathetic opponent.
jj
Dawgs01
November 27th, 2011
4:01 pm
Coaches have to be concerned with some of the players lack of focus in this game
jack bull
November 27th, 2011
4:01 pm
great game..now we don’t have to hear anymore from fill…who throws like a girl.. awesome!
mountain_jim
November 27th, 2011
4:01 pm
season still alive.
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
4:02 pm
Smittys gonna have a heart attack.
phil
November 27th, 2011
4:02 pm
Fire McKay and Dumbitroff too!
JSS
November 27th, 2011
4:02 pm
@ L-USA…
That was funny!
Eric C.
November 27th, 2011
4:03 pm
A 10 pt win is squeaking by?
Sam
November 27th, 2011
4:03 pm
Amazing video of a high school senior from Columbia TN who kicks the ball dead straight 75-80 yards in the air. He was successful on 54 of 54 attempts this season….100%. Now he needs a college team.
Watch for yourself…it is unreal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_JKwgwFY3g
phil
November 27th, 2011
4:03 pm
That’s plenty from you too, Jack Ass…
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
4:03 pm
jonesboro, Vikes put a scare in Green Bay. Don’t diss any NFL team.
North ave. faithful
November 27th, 2011
4:03 pm
Its a great day to be a falcon! that sounds familiar.
AtlNative
November 27th, 2011
4:03 pm
Did you guys hear how quiet it was at the end there. Its like the folks know how close we came, and how it should never have been in doubt.
The falcons are a good team, solid in several areas, but there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed. Especially the halftime “adjustments”, which we always seem to lose for some reason.
I will say this, if we make the playoffs, then we need to win at least one game or there will be a lot of questions about where this team is heading.
kevkat
November 27th, 2011
4:04 pm
It’s an embarrasing win..but a win none the less. Anyone wanna bet somewhere along the line of interviews Smitty will mention the word “Resolve”…? I’m really sick of hearing him say that.
Sid
November 27th, 2011
4:04 pm
watching the Texans game down here in SOGA…..they are beatable now…without a QB their offense has almost stopped. their defense has improved…of course they are playing the Jags.
JSS
November 27th, 2011
4:04 pm
Dang, Owens makes a play and you can’t even take off your hate-me hats to give him full credit!!! And I’m a “hater?”