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
Mr Charlie
December 15th, 2011
9:35 pm
Phil, winning comes first, if you keep knocking on the door, you eventually get in…Ask John Elway about that. ….I would even rather just win every year, then get a title and suck for the next 4-5 years.
phil
December 15th, 2011
9:35 pm
Mark – i came here by birth in ‘67….
Imagine my sufferings since 76 or so…
Mark Bradley
December 15th, 2011
9:35 pm
Can’t win a playoff game if you never make the playoffs.
Ask Peyton Manning’s dad.
bostonbcfan
December 15th, 2011
9:35 pm
You’re right Katherine, a little snow is nice once in a while, especially at Christmas, but I hope we don’t have as much as we did last year up here this year.
P B Orr
December 15th, 2011
9:35 pm
BTW I saw Peters back out there last series. And hi Katherine!
D.Ellis
December 15th, 2011
9:35 pm
Loserville USA-I know all about pridemore
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
9:36 pm
We are playing pretty good defense without Grimes and Hayden.
phil
December 15th, 2011
9:36 pm
I think i agree charles….i’m thrilled to be winning like this after half a lifetime – hopefully- of defeat.
Mark Bradley
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
Peters was back in the game. UK guys are tough. (Some UK guys, anyway. Certainly not me.)
dean
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
Remember Pridemore’s 100yd int return? He’s still gasping.
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
I think a big thing for this defense is getting Moore back and when we get Grimes and Hayden back they will be even better.
phil
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
Were playing Jax….
I could play D against them.
As could all of the fat bloggers here….and the thin ones.
Eric C.
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
Ha, gotta love the passing numbers for JAX… negative 14 yds thus far, that should help the pass defense ranking
ijonathan
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
Field goal?
Loserville USA
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
Pridemore could really lay the wood.
Moore does it as well.
katherine
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
bostonbcfan
December 15th, 2011
9:35 pm
You’re right Katherine, a little snow is nice once in a while, especially at Christmas, but I hope we don’t have as much as we did last year up here this year.
Its been 70 here the past few days…I feel like im back in so calif
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
December 15th, 2011
9:37 pm
exactly, title is within reach though!! if the braves can get over the hump, then so can the falcons!!
Mark Bradley
December 15th, 2011
9:38 pm
OK, there’s the 24-0.
bostonbcfan
December 15th, 2011
9:38 pm
I know all your pain Falcon fans because it was 86 years we waited for the red sox to win a championship and a long time before the Patriots one anything.
katherine
December 15th, 2011
9:38 pm
nice catch wow
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
9:38 pm
Doesnt matter but was that going to White or Gonzales?
dean
December 15th, 2011
9:38 pm
I’ll be leaving this gas chamber at the half
Mark Bradley
December 15th, 2011
9:39 pm
Good-looking PAT.
Lintonia 83
December 15th, 2011
9:39 pm
TD White!
katherine
December 15th, 2011
9:39 pm
lol what a weird looking extra point
mmgtfan
December 15th, 2011
9:39 pm
Thank God White caught that instead of Gonzalez.
Loserville USA
December 15th, 2011
9:39 pm
Yeah I remember Pridemore’s 101 yard TD return vs. SF.
AtlNative
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
Man,
As bad as the Falcons have looked at times this year….
Watching these Jags makes me feel A LOT better about my team. I mean, they are just not good at all. I really feel sorry for Jones-Drew, he is the only thing on this team. Which just shows how good he really is since every team stacks the box against him.
bostonbcfan
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
But, I said on these blogs that when the falcons drafted matt ryan you would be proud to have him as your QB and everyone crucified me on these blogs… i believe he is the one of the nicest kids and a pretty good football player.
Lintonia 83
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
Roddy showing pro-bowl form
Loserville USA
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
QUESTION: Can this team play an entire 60 minutes?
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
White has finally decided to start playing like the All Pro we saw last year. The Falcons are about to make their run.
Mr Charlie
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
Phil, this is a pretty good D, they held the might Joe Flacko to 0 yards in an entire half a few games back.
phil
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
This is encouraging tonight – so far.
Groundhogday
December 15th, 2011
9:40 pm
Loserville, you’re dead on about Pridemore…….he definitely rang a few bells!
Lintonia 83
December 15th, 2011
9:41 pm
Loserville is a Cubs fan….
D.Ellis
December 15th, 2011
9:41 pm
I see Pridemore here and there he’s good people. Love watching his highlights. Not that big now but he could lay it and he could fly
Mr Charlie
December 15th, 2011
9:41 pm
This is a little boring, 72, JSS, Choke all crawl back in the hole when we play like this.
dean
December 15th, 2011
9:41 pm
Very good Loser! It was 101 yards.
Reggie
December 15th, 2011
9:41 pm
Jacksonville actually has a top 10 defense. So you can’t say we’ve played a horrible opponent.
katherine
December 15th, 2011
9:42 pm
choke is cleaning the basement for his mom
Mr Charlie
December 15th, 2011
9:42 pm
Pridemore = Scott Case
mmgtfan
December 15th, 2011
9:42 pm
Theres Chris Owens!
phil
December 15th, 2011
9:42 pm
Agreed. Until i see crap like that….
Mark Bradley
December 15th, 2011
9:43 pm
Got the ball after several tries.
Lintonia 83
December 15th, 2011
9:43 pm
Pridemore…who’s next? Scott Case?
mmgtfan
December 15th, 2011
9:43 pm
JUST FALL IT!!!
kerryb
December 15th, 2011
9:43 pm
This is going to get ugly
katherine
December 15th, 2011
9:43 pm
no one could get that ball
Mr Charlie
December 15th, 2011
9:43 pm
Jax offense it pretty bad, but their D is respectable. But not tonight,