It’s time for the Falcons to win a playoff game, and they will
Will the rookie Julio Jones make a difference in January? (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
It’s time to do this. It’s time to win a playoff game before this “Mike Smith/Matt Ryan-can’t-win-a-playoff-game” takes real root. (And it hasn’t yet. Two examples do not a representative sample make.) It’s time for the Falcons to win a playoff game because there’s no reason they shouldn’t.
Who thinks so? Well, here was general manager Thomas Dimitroff, speaking after Thursday’s practice: “Our expectations going into this year were for more than just getting the playoffs. Does that answer you?”
The Falcons didn’t have quite the regular season we or they expected, but they’re here now, in essentially the same position as the Packers were a year ago. The Giants are favored, but only by a field goal, which is the standard home-field allotment. The Falcons had the better record. They’d also seem to have more good players — do you see a Michael Turner on the Giants? A Tony Gonzalez? Anything approaching the combination of Roddy White and Julio Jones? — and the numbers second the emotion.
Total defense: The Falcons ranked 12th against the Giants’ 27th.
Passing defense: 20th against 29th.
Rushing defense: 6th against 19th.
Rushing offense: 17th against 32nd.
Passing offense: 8th against 5th.
Total offense: 12th against 10th.
The Falcons ranked in the NFL’s upper half using four of the six measures, the Giants in two. In the two categories that saw the Giants lead, the advantage was negligible. In the four categories that saw the Falcons lead, the advantage was significant.
Giants advocates will suggest that their team changed when the pass rusher Osi Umenyiora got semi-healthy toward season’s end, and the defensive line is the one place where the Falcons suffer by comparison. New York’s Jason Pierre-Paul had 16 1/2 sacks; the Falcons as a team managed only 26. If the Giants sack Ryan a half-dozen times, they’ll win. If they don’t … well, that No. 29 ranking in passing yards yielded doesn’t suggest a team steeped in coverage, does it?
And that last-in-the-NFL-in-yards-rushing metric suggests the home team isn’t going to get ahead and run the ball and eat the clock. Eli Manning will have to keep throwing to keep his team moving. Ryan figures to get more help from his backs. If the Falcons can run it even a bit, that front four will have to gear down.
There’s no reason the Falcons shouldn’t win this game. They have the better defense and the more balanced offense. Stem to stern, they have the more talented roster. And it is, to return to our earlier point, time. This team has been together long enough. We’re approaching prove-it-or-lose-it territory.
Said Curtis Lofton, the superb middle linebacker: “It is [time]. We’re not happy just being here. The ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl.”
Can this team win the Super Bowl?
Lofton: “I think we can. We’ve got enough talent in here.”
In 2008, when the up-from-misery Falcons went to Arizona and were undone by the 9-7 Cardinals, that team wasn’t ready yet. Last year the Falcons should have been, but one awful Saturday night — the 48-21 loss to the sixth-seeded Packers — all but overrode a 13-3 regular season. But the Falcons went to school on that rout, same as they had on the Arizona loss, and they traded up to draft the rookie Jones, who has made a difference the past month. Just on talent, this team is better than last season’s.
That said, the repeated failures against playoff-caliber opponents — swept by the Saints, beaten at home again by the Packers, beaten on the road by the Texans’ No. 3 quarterback — leaves cause for doubt: Why can’t players this good win big games? And that’s a question that will stay attached to these Falcons until they prove otherwise.
They’re ready to prove otherwise. Some thought the Packers’ victory over Detroit last week did the Falcons a huge service by sending them to New Jersey, as opposed to New Orleans yet again. “I kind of hoped we’d go back to New Orleans,” Lofton said, “especially with the way they did us.”
He meant the Saints letting Drew Brees throw at the end of a rout to break Dan Marino’s yardage record. If anything, that nationally televised indignity rekindled a flame that might otherwise have been doused. The Falcons lost by 29 points to their nemesis, and by rights that should have damaged their self-esteem. But the way the New Orleans game ended only poked at their pride.
The Falcons left New Orleans mad, and they played mad against Tampa Bay last week, and they’ll arrive at the Meadowlands angry enough to do real damage not just in this game but deeper into January. They’ll win Sunday because it’s time for them to win, and before they’re done they might well see New Orleans again.
By Mark Bradley
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359 comments Add your comment
JSS
January 6th, 2012
2:38 pm
@ IJonthan…
I’m not in love with Matt Schuab… He was having that kind of a season before the injury and I put the caveat in my explanation on the placing him in the top 8. That caveat was Andre Johnson. There are 3 wide receivers in this league and 2 tight ends that automatically make their teams top shelf in terms of offense: Andre Johnson (Houston), Greg Jennings (Green Bay), and Calvin Johnson (Detroit). The tight ends are Jimmy Graham and JerMichael Finley. Andre Johnson when healthy is a game changer, year-in-year out… Schuab rises on that fact.
JJ
January 6th, 2012
2:42 pm
Can’t win a playoff game if you don’t make the playoffs, which Smith, Ryan et.al have done on a consistent basis.
dc74
January 6th, 2012
2:43 pm
What’s correct ?? The Hawks attendance is lousy..the Braves attendance is pitiful not even selling out playoff games. You lost TWO hockey teams. It’s a bad sports town and it’s teams never win anything.
Joe Tess Fish House
January 6th, 2012
2:46 pm
What atricle about Altanta? I havnt read it but I agree the Atlanta fans are the worse. Thats why I dont go 2 games cuz the fans R loosers.
LongTimeGiantsFan
January 6th, 2012
2:48 pm
Should be a good game. Giants have had a mediocre year w/ lots of injuries. That said, alot of those guys are back now and in top shape. Gonna be cool in New Jersey on Sunday; can the Falcons handle that plus being in enemy territory? If Eli and his WRs are on, Falcons lose. If the Falcons defense steps up big time, Giants lose.
Joe Tess Fish House
January 6th, 2012
2:48 pm
The Altanta fans R loosers. they are the worse. Thats why I dont go 2 games plus the reams realy sux most of the time
take it from me.
January 6th, 2012
2:49 pm
Hey-all you haters out there,the falcons don’t need you! The Falcons need true Falcons fans.the ones that have stuck around since 1966,and seen most of the lean times,but still falcon fans.we may, or may not win sundays game,but, being in the playoffs 3 of the last 4 years has its perks.Thanks MR Blank for turning this franchise around.
Yo Vince
January 6th, 2012
2:50 pm
NFL Total QB Ratings ESPN
1. Aaron Rogers 85.2
2. Drew Brees 84.0
3 Tom Brady 74.2
4. Tony Romo 70.1
5. Matt Ryan 67.5
6. Matt Schaub 66.7.
7. Matt stafford 65.1 8. Rivers, 9. Roethlisberger, 10. Vick
So Matty is bad, can’t throw, bla bla bla… Shut up idiots
PMC
January 6th, 2012
2:50 pm
Oh, god, the attendance thing again. The NY Islanders have had the worst attendance in the league for years. They have a city of 20 million people in a place where people actually play hockey.
WHat’s the problem there?
The Mets run thier franchise like idiots, yet despite a new stadium, no one cared to see the product.
After 1999 interest in the Braves in the playoffs waned, because everyone who cared to go, knew the outcome already. 14 trips, 1 title, why pay exorbitant prices to watch your team fail over and over?
The Thrashers never won a playoff game and only went once in 10 years.
The Hawks are astoundinly poorly run and even when they had a chance, never drafted a superstar while overpaying the heck out of average players.
The Falcons have sold out every game since 2002, when the new owner came in and blew doors of the Smith families regime that was absolutely dreadful for 30 some odd years.
Now, why the Knicks have fans that still seem to hold on to that team I have no idea but other than that….. it’s just a stupid argument really.
The Yankees are the most storied franchise in sports… wow people like them…..
PMC
January 6th, 2012
2:52 pm
Every one of these lets dump on Atlanta sports articles is lazy weak sauce.
You could write the same article about every sunbelt city that has 4 sports.
It’s just that most people are smarter and more ambitious about writing the same tired garbage.
Michael
January 6th, 2012
2:53 pm
I am from Atlanta, yes FROM Atlanta. I have rooted for the Falcons/Hawks since I was a kid. I moved to New York last year for a job and I have tickets to the game Sunday. Looking forward to wearing my Falcons gear in the sea of blue with pride. RISE UP
go-BRAVOS
January 6th, 2012
2:53 pm
I think for the few die hard Atlanta sports fans the Rob Parker article will sting but sadly it is all true. I am born and raised in Georgia, northwest area, and am a fan of all Atlanta sports teams but unfortunately he has a point about the lack of passion of most fans, it’s just not there. The Braves are my favorite team and it’s mind boggling that nothing was done about the epic collapse, though it was not surprising.
It seems most teams in Atlanta and even the whole state, yes that would be UGA, are completely content with being mediocre. The teams owners, administrators, and fans simply do not demand excellence. The Braves, Falcons, and Hawks are simply happy to make the playoffs and UGA is just happy to win 10 games, even if they were all against inferior opponents.
Until the culture changes and the people in charge will accept nothing less than the best, the results will continue to be the same.
Oh yeah, how the Braves only win 1 World Series with the players we had in the 90s is completely baffling to me.
Go Braves, Go Dawgs (not Dwags), Go Falcons, Go Hawks
Whopper Dawg
January 6th, 2012
2:57 pm
Enter your comments here
joel stickman
January 6th, 2012
2:57 pm
The falcons cannot allow Eli 2 sit in the pocket like they let Drew B. .If we dont get a pass rush victor cruz is going 2 b going 2 the second round. They have to take the attitude that if we dont get 2 him we lose because that is the case.Pass rush and run the ball well. If not Eli can pick a defense apart if u give him the time we gave the saints QB
take it from me.
January 6th, 2012
2:58 pm
Good for you Michael.Wear that red with pride!
BCS
January 6th, 2012
2:58 pm
I am so sick of the media saying Atlanta is a bad sports town. We sold out every game this season and we could not be more passionate at the games. TV ratings for Falcon games are through the roof. What do we have to do – show up to games naked with a falcon tattooed to our a$$cheeks.
Give me a break. I hope we beat the living crap out of New York.
Yo Vince
January 6th, 2012
3:01 pm
Michael… good for you Dude. I so wish I was there with ya. We would raise some hell for the Coons. I’ll be lookin for the Falcon Jerseys up in Jersey. Go Falcons, Go Lions, Roll Freakin Tide
Andrew
January 6th, 2012
3:07 pm
Where do you get “more balanced offense” from? The numbers you submit do not even support this. And combination similar to Roddy White and Julio Jones? Um, how about Nicks and Cruz? Then again, I suppose they’re not really similar since the Giants combo is far superior this season.
BigBlue
January 6th, 2012
3:09 pm
Superbowl MVP vs. I have never won a playoff game!!!! Sorry, but your stats mean Sh@#t. Ask the 18-0 Patriots about stats!!!!! Boys they had em all that year!
crackbaby
January 6th, 2012
3:10 pm
@dc74 – In the words of the late Lewis Grizzard, if you don’t like it here, Delta is ready when you are.
Atlanta is the best, by far, major city in terms of college football support (check the ratings rankings). Only Birmingham is higher on a per capita basis and B’Ham isn’t a major market.
Atlanta has more than 80,000 recreational tennis players. People who PLAY, not sofa-tards who bitch about sports on TV. That’s more than the entire state of California.
Your sole focus on professional sports franchises doesn’t recognize the majority of competing sports interests in this town.
Dwayne
January 6th, 2012
3:13 pm
NY Giants 27 – Atlanta Falcons 23 this Sunday. The playoff misery of the Falcons continues. LOL
jackal11726
January 6th, 2012
3:13 pm
G-men all day…. My NY folks living in the A, we need to rep for the G-men…. Falcons are going down this weekend.
crackbaby
January 6th, 2012
3:14 pm
Mark,
Will the Falcons O-line play well enough to win? That is the key to this game. If they don’t, Coons lose and Mattie Ice will get the blame.
dc74
January 6th, 2012
3:15 pm
College football support ??? Dodd stadium is full of empty seats every game.
72 Million Bust
January 6th, 2012
3:17 pm
Peyton is coming!
72 Million Bust
January 6th, 2012
3:21 pm
4 years later and you delusional people saying the same junk. Meanwhile the ravend
are superbowl bound.
Gwinnett
January 6th, 2012
3:30 pm
72 Million Bust
January 6th, 2012
3:17 pm
Peyton is coming!
————————————————
If Peyton Manning had Roddy, Julio and Toni G. to throw to the Falcons offense be just as explosive as N.O. and Green Bay. Unfortunately, Ryan does not have the skillset to maximize our weapons on offense. I like Ryan but his passing ability is limited.
Mark
January 6th, 2012
3:30 pm
Giants D-line will dominate Matty Ice has never been very good at moving and throwing this could get ugly
JT
January 6th, 2012
3:31 pm
@ Fans in Other Cities Don’t Go Cheer For Atlanta Players
January 6th, 2012
2:18 pm
Go to a Hawks, Falcons, and Braves game, against big foes (Boston, NY, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Miami Heat, etc.), and you’ll see more of their fans there than our fans.
YOU DO NOT SEE THAT TYPE OF FAN BEHAVIOR FROM THEIR FANS AT THOSE GAMES.
I’m 45 years old and, frankly, our fanbase is brutal. The truth is the truth.
BTW – It’s terribly hot and humid here. Fact.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! I also have noticed how there are more fans in Phillips Arena screaming for the opposing team and booing Atlanta’s teams. I’ve never witnessed this in any other city.
Greg Mendel
January 6th, 2012
3:32 pm
“Peyton is coming!”
Right. Guess he wants to watch Eli lose to an elite quarterback.
abby normal
January 6th, 2012
3:33 pm
THE KISS OF DEATH……thanks alot, Bradley.
Reality
January 6th, 2012
3:35 pm
No consistency, no win. Will wilt when the going gets tough.
Yo Vince
January 6th, 2012
3:37 pm
If Matt never won another game, he would still be the only winning QB in Falcons history. Winning means more than 1 season. How about never had a losing season?
PMC
January 6th, 2012
3:46 pm
Can’t wait until the media is out to hang Coughlin after Sunday AGAIN.
Beat the freaking Redskins, then come talk to me about the Super Bowl.
Yo Vince
January 6th, 2012
3:48 pm
If you are a true Falcon fan, you understand what Never had a back to back winning season means or B 2 B playoff run. NEVER means NEVER. Rome was not built in a day, and a culture of failure may take a 3rd or 4th try to change. True Falcon fan will be here yelling the loudest come Sunday. Everyone else can bite it.
Fred Macmurray
January 6th, 2012
3:49 pm
Bradley picks the Falcons,,,, in the words of JoeTessFishBreath,,,WE’RE DOMED….
Dr. Warren
January 6th, 2012
3:52 pm
Should. Would. Could. The three words add up to only one thing: second place.
The same words could be applied to the “nice guy” Hawks this past week. The Falcons actually have better talent than the Hawks but also lack discipline and “the eye of the tiger.” That said, I think this a good game for you to break out of your “big game’ slump, MB, since the Giants seem just as inconsistent as those Big Red Birds.
MG3
January 6th, 2012
3:52 pm
The Falcons are so popular that these boards are constantly filled with OTHER fans. If you all love your teams so much go to THEIR boards. Giants barely made the playoffs this year and lost to some awful teams…Falcons roll on Sunday.
williebkind
January 6th, 2012
3:53 pm
My family pulls for the Falcons every week they play. It has been a roller coster ride–but we never give up.
ls1z28chris
January 6th, 2012
3:54 pm
I don’t know whether to be offended by those obnoxious sports fans in New York, or to pat them on the back for saying something that is so obviously true about Atlanta.
I guess we’ll see during the game. Let’s see if the Falcons fans here shout “9/11!” every time the Giants score a touchdown like they shout “Katrina!” every time the Saints score one… Only to get tired of it all and head for the ‘burbs halfway through the third quarter.
Tumbledown
January 6th, 2012
3:59 pm
Given the poor recent history of the area’s college and pro teams in big games, I would not hold my breath for a victory by the Falcons. A loss by the Falcons would cap off a maddening and frustrating last few months started by the Braves’ epic collapse.
UGA 1999
January 6th, 2012
3:59 pm
As a Georgia native for over 30 years I would like to think that the Falcons will win on Sunday. However if there is one thing I have learned about Atlanta sports….do not get your hopes up. While I love the Falcons I just dont think they are going to beat the Giants on Sunday. The front four on the DL for the Giants are just too big and strong for our OL.
JSS
January 6th, 2012
4:02 pm
@ Is1z28chris…
Asides from the NY fan comment, true, very true… That behavior and the Petrino hiring (especially at games when the Saints came to town) was the last nail in the coffin for me when I cancelled my 3 season tickets on January 8th, 2007. It is cheaper to fly elsewhere and take in a game and have a clear peace of mind… But hey, the same people want to go to war over NYC (and the Tri-State) and DC, but are the first to defame her people in a sports arena…
Big Lou
January 6th, 2012
4:04 pm
Yo Vince
Thank you for that wonderful display of awesomeness. Win or Lose, the real Falcons fans will be here next year. So, ADIOS to you bandwagon losers.
Dan
January 6th, 2012
4:07 pm
As a lifelong Giants fan AND a Falcons season ticket holder, I do have a bit of mixed emotions, don’t get me wrong I want the Giants to win BUT, I hate that it will have to happen by denying the Smith/Ryan team their first playoff win. Mark makes some good points but the stats are a bit skewed based on the schedules. Regardless both teams have a terrible secondary, but the the Falcons line has been struggling all year few QB’s have taken the punishment that Ryan has and Giants are going to be on him all day, I think Manning will have more time to throw and if Bradshaw is healthy, their run game can be pretty good. And the Giants have a number of players that have been there done that, we will see if the falcons have a couple of peeps to step up
It should be a good game though
Tojo
January 6th, 2012
4:14 pm
I will not underestimate the Giants running game, ranked #32 or not…now that they have Jacobs and Bradshaw running healthy. And, with Umenyiora back the Giants have like 13 sacks in the last 2 games. We will definitely need to run AND throw out of 2 and even 3 back sets…using the backs to chip pass rushers. Mularkey is pretty good at running out of passing looks and vice versa. We need to run effectively and use the SHORT QUICK PASSES to keep them from killing Ryan.
The Falcons have done poorly in their playoff appearances in THE KEY AREAS OF PLAYOFF FOOTBALL:
Don’t turn the ball over, SCORE TOUCHDOWNS IN THE RED ZONE, and defensively win on third down. Those situations will, again, be where the game is won or lost.
Protecting Ryan is key but especially early. In the 2 playoff losses he has been unable to get a rythym early, and then starts to make poor decisions (the pick 6 before halftime last year). Quarterback play is crucial in this game.
GO FALCONS.
St Simons - we're on Island time
January 6th, 2012
4:15 pm
one more time (17)
Bosher.Owens.Decoud.Baker.Edwards.Robinson.Not.Bigtime.Football.
wouldn’t make any of the other playoff teams’ practice squads.
Noneya
January 6th, 2012
4:19 pm
It’s time. Can’t wait for Sunday!
Days In The Lives Of Falcons Fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QKLJ4wY_yQ
UGA 1999
January 6th, 2012
4:19 pm
St. Simons….I nearly agree with you other than Edwards and Decoud….
Blake
January 6th, 2012
4:25 pm
I hope your right Mark Bradley….I will believe It when I see It…They need to dominate this game ! They can If they want to…