Live from the Dome: A stress-free Falcons’ victory at last?
Matty Ice, shown in an un-holly-jolly mood. (AP photo)
The Falcons have played 13 games. Two have been blowouts: The opening loss at Chicago and the dismissal of winless Indianapolis. In the Falcons’ six home games, all have been in doubt in the fourth quarter, and one beyond that. (Fourth-and-1 at the 30 in overtime. I’m guessing you remember.)
I mention this because we might be about to see an actual Dome wipeout. The Jacksonville Jaguars arrive having already shed coach Jack Del Rio but still lugging the 32nd-best offense in a 32-team league. I also mention this because the Falcons’ head coach has been in the news for having chest pains. An actual runaway by the home side would be the nicest holiday gift Mike Smith could imagine.
I should also mention that the Falcons need only to beat two bad teams here — Jacksonville and then Tampa Bay on New Year’s Day — to reach 10 wins. Ten wins will almost surely book playoff passage and claim the NFC’s No. 5 seed in the process, and you’d rather be No. 5 and have to play the Giants or the Cowboys or the Eagles than be No. 6 and face a Round 1 game in the Superdome.
I could mention other things, but I really don’t feel a pressing need. This one shouldn’t be close, except that the Falcons are pretty good at making games close. Let’s see if they break character tonight.
And with that, the floor’s yours. I eagerly await your comments, questions and submissions for favorite seasonal song. And if anyone suggests Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” that person gets banned in perpetuity. So be warned.
By Mark Bradley
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845 comments Add your comment
Loserville USA
December 15th, 2011
10:42 pm
This could be very dangerous with our CBs thinking they’re better than they are. They suck (except Grimes).
And Brees knows it.
katherine
December 15th, 2011
10:43 pm
phil is obsessed with weight…must be mommy issues
Fred Macmurray
December 15th, 2011
10:43 pm
your right Phil,, whats going on with all the hippy freaks in the league,,, i say get a dang hair cut,,
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:43 pm
And Khan looks like that Feliz Navidad guy…
JSS
December 15th, 2011
10:43 pm
Kim McQuilken > J. Russell
Lawton
December 15th, 2011
10:43 pm
Matty’s qb rating 110 or better in 5 of last 7 games.
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:44 pm
The hippie freaks should be fined….
To heck with helmet to helmet fines.
katherine
December 15th, 2011
10:44 pm
khan didnt sound all the knowledgeable about football
DONT HAVE ANOTHER HEARTATTACK M.SMITH
December 15th, 2011
10:44 pm
WHERE IS CHOKE?
1 4 GT
December 15th, 2011
10:44 pm
If you take a statin, you get blood drawn and liver test done. If problem shows up, you stop the statin in time to prevent major liver damage. Requires major diet change then to control cholesterol.
ls1z28chris
December 15th, 2011
10:45 pm
Put down that Bolivian nose candy, kerryb. A 4-9 team that people are speculating may pop smoke and fly out to LA is the definition of pitiful. I don’t care how good they are at pass defense.
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:45 pm
Where IS that Choke fella? We need him to attack Redman…
bostonbcfan
December 15th, 2011
10:45 pm
CHOKE bailed when it got to 24-0 Falcons.
bostonbcfan
December 15th, 2011
10:46 pm
Choke is 72 million Bust i’m sure.
ohhhhYEAH
December 15th, 2011
10:46 pm
man…….it really is too bad Matt Ryan is terrible…right guys?
Is this enough to shut you guys up and get off his case? or is he still not good enough?
katherine
December 15th, 2011
10:46 pm
choke only comes on the blog when he thinks he can talk trash about the falcons…soooo……
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:47 pm
1 4 gt
I understand that. I just don’t trust that stuff long term. Period. Because i don’t trust big business….
I.e., pharma
I dropped mine 40 points with diet and exercise….hard ass work that is anything but easy.
Fred Macmurray
December 15th, 2011
10:47 pm
Choke is choking his chicken,,
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
10:47 pm
The Packers were 8-6 at this time last year and had to beat the Bears 10-3 to get into the playoffs and then took off. The Falcons are about to become the 2011 version of the Packers.
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:48 pm
Ryan has played horribly his last 5 qtrs….
ls1z28chris
December 15th, 2011
10:48 pm
Still not good enough. If he can win a playoff game, then you can start to pretend that he is a good quarterback.
JSS
December 15th, 2011
10:48 pm
Khan can hire people that are knowledge about football… Wayne Weaver is knowledgeable about football, see how that turned out?
DONT HAVE ANOTHER HEARTATTACK M.SMITH
December 15th, 2011
10:48 pm
NOW LETS GO BLOW OUT THE AINTS NEXT WEEK?
1 4 GT
December 15th, 2011
10:48 pm
Yeah, but Jamarcus Russell got about $50,000,000.00 for signing his name on an Oakland Raider contract.
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
10:49 pm
ls1z28chris, say what you want. They are still #4 in total defense coming into tonight. Just a troller wanting to hate on the Falcons.
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:49 pm
I wish we were about to pull a Packers….
But let’s get real.
Ain’t a bit likely, though things are looking up.
Fred Macmurray
December 15th, 2011
10:50 pm
Eat alot of salad,, lay off the greasy crap,, you’ll be ok. That is all.
ohhhhYEAH
December 15th, 2011
10:50 pm
yeah chris…..good one. because its not like quarterbacks have to play the regular season to get to the post season or anything….right? what a joke
P B Orr
December 15th, 2011
10:50 pm
kerryb, Rodgers has been on an otherworldly roll but it can’t continue. He wasn’t that great last week (< 100 rating, which for him lately, sucks). The 49ers are slumping. We actually do have a good shot here. Here's a strange thought – if the Eagles finish 8-8 and tied with Dallas and NY, they have the tiebreaker and win the division! So the Falcons could be facing Vick as the 5 seed – in Philly!
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:50 pm
“he” can’t win anything.
The TEAM has to win.
1 4 GT
December 15th, 2011
10:51 pm
I’ve heard buzz that the Chargers will move to LA when the new stadium is finished. TV & radio talk shows.
JSS
December 15th, 2011
10:51 pm
You people are just wacky… 97% of the time you are trying to get MCR banned… The other 3% of the time you’re calling him out…
Alvin
December 15th, 2011
10:51 pm
Want a plane that loops the loop
i just want a hula hoop
we can hardly stand the wait
please Christmas dont be late
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:51 pm
That Whopper was sure good….
DONT HAVE ANOTHER HEARTATTACK M.SMITH
December 15th, 2011
10:51 pm
WHO DAT? WE DATL
katherine
December 15th, 2011
10:52 pm
lol the complaints make me laugh
Fred Macmurray
December 15th, 2011
10:52 pm
I am concerned about our back up QB,, he sucks
ls1z28chris
December 15th, 2011
10:52 pm
Okay, now I know kerryb is on that Bolivian marching powder. The Packers had significant injuries, including one that put Rogers out for several weeks. Matt Ryan is no Aaron Rogers. Not even close.
No Shock
December 15th, 2011
10:53 pm
Roddy & Julio can actually catch against a high school team. This team is pathetic and will lose badly when they face a good team again.
Bill Tallman
December 15th, 2011
10:53 pm
So take some advice about smoking and losing from someone whose been doing both for years: if you dont smoke, dont start, if you do smoke quit! dont be a loser…
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:53 pm
I couldn’t care less about that Choke guy….he cracks me up personally with his drivel.
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
10:53 pm
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:49 pm
I wish we were about to pull a Packers….
But let’s get real.
Ain’t a bit likely, though things are looking up.
_________________________________________________
Nobody thought the Packers were likely to do it last year. Everyone was saying we were going to the SB.
JSS
December 15th, 2011
10:53 pm
50 million all spent in backdoor pharmacies on the purple… Russell = Leaf
ohhhhYEAH
December 15th, 2011
10:53 pm
and both of his playoff losses were to teams that eventually played in the super bowl, one team won. and in BOTH games, the defense let them down horribly. but im sure Ryans to blame for Keith Brooking playing the underneath route on a 3rd and 17 in arizona in 08 which cost us a chance to get the ball back when Warner went over top for a first down, and im sure its also Ryans fault that Chris Owens couldnt cover the water boy in the playoff game last year….right?
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:54 pm
I quit those things too 7 yrs ago…hard but not that hard.
All in the noggin.
Fred Macmurray
December 15th, 2011
10:54 pm
MCR is a rock star,, it would be shame to ban him,,
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
10:54 pm
ls1z28chris=NEGATIVE TROLLER
katherine
December 15th, 2011
10:54 pm
No Shock
December 15th, 2011
10:53 pm
Roddy & Julio can actually catch against a high school team. This team is pathetic and will lose badly when they face a good team again.
so who is your team?
phil
December 15th, 2011
10:55 pm
The Brooking play was an all time pathetic one….glad he’s gone.
Lawton
December 15th, 2011
10:55 pm
Drew Brees didn’t win a playoff game until his 6th season….