The story of the Falcons’ season: One Giant step backward
Julio Jones was supposed to make a difference. He made none Sunday. (AP photo)
East Rutherford, N.J. – In April they traded five draft picks to grab one wide receiver because they felt they needed to be more “explosive” to reach the Super Bowl. On Sunday the Atlanta Falcons saw that grand design blow up in their corporate face.
Their sleek offense ran into the NFL’s 27th-ranked defense and managed nary a point. Think about that. In a league where nobody can stop anybody, the Falcons’ offense was outscored by its own defense.
A year ago it was possible to write off the Green Bay loss as a case of the No. 1 seed being undone by a hot quarterback. These Falcons lost to a 9-7 opponent that didn’t do much itself until it was clear the visiting team could do nothing.
Said Mike Smith, 0-3 as a playoff coach: “I don’t know that there’s anything you can take from this game and say, ‘Gosh, they did this well.’ ”
How does that happen? How does a team with Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and the almost-as-good-as-advertised rookie Julio Jones play a postseason game to so little effect? In his first two playoff losses, it was possible to cite Ryan’s turnovers as the determinant. He made no turnovers this day … and his team lost by 22 points.
It was hard to tell what sort of game Ryan had. The Falcons’ offense wobbled so violently that the quarterback, who the in NFL is supposed to be a difference-maker, made no difference. The Falcons’ longest gain from scrimmage was 21 yards. They managed 247 yards. They failed twice on fourth-and-inches — should have gone for it the first time, shouldn’t have the second — and breached the New York 20 only in the game’s final two minutes.
We ask again: In a league that hinges on quarterback play, how was Ryan marginalized? Smith tried to say that his line couldn’t protect long enough for Ryan to throw any deeper, but he was sacked only twice — once on the Falcons’ final snap. In a game that demanded bold measures, the meek Falcons undid themselves.
Perhaps you see it otherwise. Perhaps you believe this game is proof that Smith is an affable dunce and Ryan an untalented plod who will never win a big game. I don’t believe either is true, but it’s hard to mount a passionate rebuttal after this one. The Falcons were so unassuming — they couldn’t even bring themselves to call timeout near the end of the first half — they made you wonder why they bothered to come.
“We did not play consistent football,” said Smith, speaking of the season, but he had it backward. The 2011 Falcons were very consistent: They beat teams of lesser talent but wilted against those of comparable resources. They were, in a sum, a bully. And when the playoffs commence there are no 90-pound weaklings.
Said Arthur Blank, the owner who hasn’t celebrated a playoff victory since January 2005: “I don’t think we took a step back [this season]. Obviously 0-3 in the playoffs [under this regime] is not where anybody wants to be.”
Then this: “It was disappointing not scoring any points … They made a couple of explosive plays.”
Those were the plays the Julio-boosted Falcons were supposed to make this time. None were forthcoming. Nobody made any plays. Nobody, at least on offense, did anything. When that happens yet again on the big stage, we must ask if the failure goes beyond the guys wearing the helmets.
Asked if he was confident in his franchise’s leadership, Blank said: “I think we have the right people in position because they’ll challenge themselves and ask the right questions. We’ve got to do a thorough diagnostic on why we didn’t perform to our capability. The beauty of Thomas [Dimitroff, the general manager] and Smitty is that they’ll ask the right questions. Where that takes us, I can’t tell you.”
Said Dimitroff: “Anytime you’re unable to get first downs when it’s less than a yard, you’re disappointed.”
Contrary to popular belief, not every team loses because of its offensive coordinator. (Or defensive coordinator, depending on the setting.) It is clear, however, that Mike Mularkey isn’t the man to maximize this personnel in the video arcade of neo-football. There’s a chance he’ll be hired away as someone else’s head coach. If he isn’t, it’s time for the Falcons to try somebody new.
For three years under Smith/Dimitroff the Falcons made clear and consistent progress: From the stunning playoff appearance of 2008 to the strong finish of 2009 to the 13-3 of 2010. There was no ground gained this season. There was only a glaring case of diminishing returns.
Even the man who works hard never to say anything spicy conceded the point. Asked if the Falcons had taken a step backward, Matt Ryan said: “We certainly didn’t take a step forward.”
By Mark Bradley
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1,923 comments Add your comment
Rise Up!!
January 9th, 2012
5:39 am
The loss to NY was a fluke! ATl got all the bad calls and bad breaks. In 2012, an angry Falcons team will win the NFC! Book it!!!
Saints fans have been telling you all season
January 9th, 2012
5:42 am
That your team is medicore and has no soul or character. You were too delusional or in denial to realize such. Make all the Katrina and ‘Aints jokes that you want, we don’t care anymore because we know our team has purpose, leadership and WINS! Falcons will never win a SB with your current leadership because they don’t know how to win….doing the same thing every year and expecting different results is defined as insanity…Falclowns have hit rock bottom…
Dat Who!
January 9th, 2012
5:44 am
lsu beats alabama–another title!
saints beat SF and GB–going to the super bowl!
Who dat!!!
oldschoolfootball
January 9th, 2012
5:53 am
RISE UP!!!!! da south shall rise again!
tonebone
January 9th, 2012
5:54 am
The QB sneak play doesn’t work. Smith, Mularkey and Ryan need to go. What a lame effort.
Johnny Vaught
January 9th, 2012
6:03 am
Way to go buddy – identify all the problems and not hang the responsibility on the staff or players that let it happen. I’ll expect the kool-aid to resume in a few days – you know, Falcons to win the division, go to the super bowl in 2013. Too bad your readers and editorial staff doesn’t demand objectivity.
paul hargreaves
January 9th, 2012
6:05 am
Another disappointing but predictable denouement to a Falcons season.Blame the offense because it’s so easy to read what they’re going to do.I know you can’t desert what got you to the play-offs but you’ve got to step up a gear.That’s what Tebow did with his long passing game yet for Ryan and the Falcons it’s the same old, so readable formula. What was the plan behind the second quarterback sneak attempt? I can only think it was a double bluff on the basis that the Giants would think we wouldn’t be dumb enough to run that crappy play again! Feel sorry for Gonzo who’s play-off drought goes on and on but if you keep hitching yourself to the wrong wagon, what can you expect
timboy6
January 9th, 2012
6:05 am
Agree Mularkey has to go. One thing I’ve noticed all year. The offensive line has dearly missed Harvey Dahl. Big mistake not to resign him. They lacked the “nastiness” they possessed in earlier years.
Arthur's New Stadium
January 9th, 2012
6:16 am
time for chump atlanta taxpayers to pay up and build Arthur a brand new state of the art stadium–open air with a ton of pricey corporate suites he can sell for big money!!! pay up—or he’ll move the team!!!
FAlcons24
January 9th, 2012
6:18 am
Mark,
This is a good story and I really believe that the FALCONS will not win a playoff game until they get an OC that can put them in position to score. Everyone is looking at Matt Ryan and the defense, but look at this playoff run:
2008 Arizona 30 ATL 24
2011 Green Bay 48 ATL 21
2012 New York 24 ATL 2 and the offense did not even score
Okay you scored 45 points in 3 playoff games and teams like GB, NO and NE are putting that up in one half. We have just as much talent than them, but they have a good OC to set them up for success. I bet Sean Payton would love to have Atlanta’s running game and receiving corps.
Their entire 2011 season they barely won games and went 13-3 with a number one seed. When GB stung them early, they couldn’t score fast enough to stay abreast. The defense played well until the game was out of hand yesterday, but they stayed on the field. We can’t keep blaming our DB’s, because they are playing well enough to win, but if you are behind every game that sucks. They are too passive on offense and even when the have a lead, they can’t score at will. Mike Mularkey has to go. It is okay to be loyal, but loyalty WILL cost you your job. Don’t wait on him to accept a head coaching job. Put him on the chopping block today and let him make some other team the laughing stock of the NFL. Look for a good OC; Mike Martz hint. Matt Ryan will never be successful under Mike Mularkey’s tutelage. Now you have a bunch of free agents who probably want to take their talents elsewhere, like Lebron James did.
NickGranite
January 9th, 2012
6:21 am
Sack totals aren’t the be all, end all on determination of what happened on the line. Let’s be clear, the falcon o-line was brutalized. As far as Matt Ryan is concerned, he’s an OK QB, a Joe Flacco type. The problem is you have Rogers, Brees, Stafford, Manning, Cutler, Cam Newton, Romo, Vick and even Alex Wright played well for the niners this year. Can we honestly say Ryan is anybetter than even the lower tier of just these NFC QB’s?
Jeremy H
January 9th, 2012
6:22 am
Well, at least we have the Thrashers to keep us busy over the next few months.
Oh, wait. Never mind…
Buckeye
January 9th, 2012
6:24 am
Heart?
Nope
Out-muscled?
Yep
Out-Coached?
Yep
Better QB?
Nope
Better rush?
Nope
Better O-Line?
Nope
FAS1
January 9th, 2012
6:31 am
Oh, my God!! The Falcons are as screwed up as Barney Frank!!
DC Dirty Bird
January 9th, 2012
6:32 am
You can’t expect any QB to succeed when a) the offensive line plays poorly or b) when the other team knows your plays. Its obvious from Blank’s post game interview that Mike Smith stays, however, Mularkey and Van Gorder have to go. Our game plan yesterday should have been full of Quizz Rodgers short screens and draws and three step drop slants. Oh and lets not be fooled by the 1st half performance by the defense. One half of good defense against a QB that’s better against the blitz than zone is not that impressive.
Bobby's Cox
January 9th, 2012
6:34 am
I just go t off the phone with Jeff George. He thinks he can play and coach. whaddaya think?
Bulldog Bob
January 9th, 2012
6:34 am
When you draft quarterbacks from losing programs they do not understand how to win. Come on man!!! Do we really expect Matt Ryan to lead this team to a Super Bowl? He has a rag for an arm and cannot stretch the field. We don’t need Roddy White and Julio Jones because all Matt’s completions are usually less than 20 yards.
Fan Since Nobis
January 9th, 2012
6:35 am
I have never questioned Mike Smith’s decisions to go for a first down on a fourth down. But, as was in the third quarter, to go for a fourth and one, then empty out the backfield and run a quarterback sneak? Give. Me. A. Break. I guess I’m just glad that finally we have a winning season tradition going on….but yesterday was an embarrassment.
Cumming Falcon Club
January 9th, 2012
6:40 am
Facts are facts. Mark is right. This team beat no one of any stature. The offensive line line is not good, but that was the case last year at this time. Getting Julio was key, but if you aren’t going to go vertical with him? The secondary is the other problem. We can’t blitz because these guys aren’t good enough to leave on an island. If this team had played an even tougher schedule, they would have been 8-8 or 7-9. I believe in Dimitroff, but this is too much to fix in one year. You also have to question the clock management and the decision to sneak a 6′4″ quarterback that weighs 190 lbs and stands straight up.
Willie
January 9th, 2012
6:40 am
A little perspective here is needed. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Remember it looked for a long, long time like the Falcons were never going to have two winning seasons back to back. But then, after only forty-five years they finally did it. Now that’s a big accomplishment that we should be really happy about. So just hang in there, and maybe in another half century or so the Falcons may be able to combine back to back winning seasons with winning the wild card game in the playoffs instead of being swept out in the first round.
Elliot
January 9th, 2012
6:42 am
What an embarrassment and how colossally stupid those QB sneaks were. With Michael Turner on your team, you run a quarterback sneak to get a yard. I can’t decide which is worse, the Hawks losing to the Heat without Lebron and Wade or this horrible performance.
Isthaturbesteffort....roflmao
January 9th, 2012
6:42 am
After watching all the games this weekend, it is obvious someone(some people) in the Falcons organization are shielding Matt Ryan. He was more clumsy yesterday than Roflebeger on one leg. In fact, roflberger has more strength in his throwing arm than our limp noodle has in his whole body. Once again our town is center stage and embarrassed on natioanl TV. The horror…..the horror….
Elliot
January 9th, 2012
6:43 am
And I forgot about the Braves collapse. That might be a better comparison.
jlmdra
January 9th, 2012
6:46 am
Atlanta Hawks, Braves, Falcons: All LOSERS.
Buckeye
January 9th, 2012
6:48 am
Even Jim Tressel threw the ball down field on a 4th and 1 to ex-Falcon Michael Jenkins to beat Purdue in the waning seconds during their 2002 National Championship season. Heart, guts and execution.
Mark Bradley_010812
January 9th, 2012
6:48 am
TRADE MATT Ryan to what ever team is in position to draft Robert Griffin III. The rebuild the team around him. RG3, Roddy, Julio. Then get rid of Mularkey so we can have a dynamic offense using Jacquiz Rodgers same as Darren Sproles.
Pete
January 9th, 2012
6:49 am
Have to start by replacing Mularkey and Turner. If that doesn’t help Ryan, then he’ll have to be next. The offensive scheme and play calling is a joke. Turner needs to lose 30 lbs even if it’s muscle, and I’m not sure that would help, he cannot create anything. How in the hell did he get the nickname burner-turner..I mean really
Rob
January 9th, 2012
6:55 am
I didn’t have any problem with going for it on either 4th down or running the QB sneak, but the formations on those two plays were ridiculous. Mularkey thinks he’s playing XBOX. One had Roddy White motioning out of the backfield to an empty set and the other was empty with Jones motioning like he was about to get a pitch, like some kind of wing-t play. Mularkey sucks, he has to be replaced.
Natty ice cold is an idiot
January 9th, 2012
6:56 am
No one misses Mike Vick!
Jack
January 9th, 2012
6:58 am
The game yesterday was the worst Falcon game I’ve ever watched. Something’s rotton at the core.
Buzz2011
January 9th, 2012
6:59 am
If it makes Falcon fans feel better, remember the Guants celebration will be short lived.
They play the best team in the World next weekend and they losr big!!!
JSS
January 9th, 2012
7:02 am
What is all of this phooey that I’m reading about Matt Ryan “sliding” at :31 sec left right before halftime? I made sure I watched it again just to be fair… He didn’t “slide, ” he tried to make a cut and fell!!! He fell and he could not get up!!!
FAN
January 9th, 2012
7:11 am
FIRE MIKE SMITTY, CUT MATTY ICEY AND BRING BACK OUR QB “MIKE VICK”!!! MATTY ICEY HASN’T DID ANYTHING SINCE HE BEEN IN ATL MIKE TURNER HAS CARRY HIS A** IN EVERY WIN HE GOT CREDIT FOR! MATTY ICEY IS JOKE!, MATTY ICEY CAN’T EVEN GET THE BALL DOWN FIELD.
old man
January 9th, 2012
7:11 am
The only constant I see is ineffective O-line play, on running and passing.
I’m not a big Turner fan, but he usually went into “tip-toe” mode all season when he was simply confronted with a sold wall of human flesh, without even a hint of a crease. (With our weak O-line, we really needed a back who could turn on a dime and cut against the grain 10 yards–i.e., make the defense pay for overpursuit. Turner’s straight ahead style and the QB sneaks have no chance with our line.)
Ryan is as good as Eli, but he sure wasn’t yesterday. He may never be a Drew Brees. But did you see how much time Tebow’s line gave him in Denver?
I thought our defense played well. If your offense never scores, the other team has a lot more latitude on offense, and there will eventually be a breakdown.
O-line, O-line, O-line. Trade and draft, trade and draft.
jkelley
January 9th, 2012
7:12 am
can you please stop calling this guy “ice” how about “Matty Choke” he is way overrated!
old man
January 9th, 2012
7:13 am
Just to be clear: when you can’t make 4th and inches all year long, that tells you something.
Your O-line is weak. We lost the line of scrimmage on every one of those plays.
old man
January 9th, 2012
7:15 am
Turner and Ryan are not saviors.
But all of your skill players look a lot, lot better when you have an O-line.
bill
January 9th, 2012
7:15 am
…..4th and 1 we run a QB sneak, 4th and inches the Gians run off tackle with a lead blocker. Giants make it and of course we don’t…then comes 4th and inches QB sneak again and guess what. These calls weren’t made by Ryan, they were made by the Mularkey with Smith’s approval. It is truly time for changes, not Smith necessarily but definitly Mularkey. D played great the lst half and were simply on the field too long in 2nd, but I think BVG has to be looked at as well and scurtinized.
By the way Falcon’s exposive new offense, 199 yds thru the air, a QB who can’t play the game (Tebow) 315….makes you wonder doesn’t it?
just sayin'
January 9th, 2012
7:15 am
u think payton wants the atl running game?..what a joke…NO ran for 150yds sat…and threw for 450…he doesn’t want ANYTHING atl has…except for atl to KEEP smith, dimitrof AND ryan…
Post-Christmas Shopping – I have an OC deal for you. - The Recycle Bin
January 9th, 2012
7:16 am
[...] please, please Jacksonville or anyone else, take Mularkey. Contrary to popular belief, not every team loses because of its offensive coordinator. (Or [...]
HawksFanNorcross
January 9th, 2012
7:18 am
Three Strikes and your out!!!!!!, I just jumped off the Matt Ryan Bandwagon.
FAN
January 9th, 2012
7:18 am
IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE!
JSS
January 9th, 2012
7:22 am
Wait, what is this? After the Saints game all of you were screaming that Smith should have run the sneak! It was all Michael Turner’s fault that play failed!!! Oh the cap is finally the myth of the “impose their will” O-Line?
FalconJim
January 9th, 2012
7:23 am
Nice write-up, Mark…..the truth, and nothing but the truth.
The Julio trade looks worse than ever, now. It upset the chemistry of this team, I don’t care what anybody says.
We needed help on O-line, and on D too bad, to give up what we did for one player. That decision may set us back several years. Oh yes, Julio is an exciting player (at times), but not worth what we gave up for him.
Oh well…..I guess we can evaluate where we’re at, and hopefully get some help in the draft, and FA this year. By the way, the “Aints” gettin Darren Sproles still galls me….man, could we have used him in the Giants game. And where was Jacquizz in that game. Ugh!
marktheshark
January 9th, 2012
7:24 am
Enter your comments here
smokey121
January 9th, 2012
7:24 am
The only statement or question I have is this,4th and inches we do a quarterback sneak. Nobody in the backfield,Mularkey did you think they knew we were doing a quarterback sneak dahhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!!
marktheshark
January 9th, 2012
7:26 am
Most glaring problem: Lack of effective pash rush against opposing quarterback, resulting in Manning (and others) having “all day” to find an open receiver & throw a completed pass. Also, traditional Falcons’ rushing game is slipping annually, meaning that we need a top quality RB to provide us with more 100-yard rushing games that we are NOT currently getting. Without a good running game, play-action passes cannot successfully occur.
FL dawg
January 9th, 2012
7:27 am
I have been a Falcon fan since Bob Berry and Cannonball Butler were here. I am astounded, nea offended, at this entire disaray. The fore mentioned QB and RB would have been an immense improvement to what I saw yesterday. It’s obvious that Mularkey has to go. I think Ryan had his chance, even though the OC didn’t help. Please Mr. Blank and anybody with the energy make some bold steps, I’m talking about new faces in places that can keep up with the new NFL. I’m not talking “west coast offense”. That train left town long ago. It’s a “gulf coast offense” type of league now, I say everyone save the WR’s and TE’s need to go. I thought our defense played well enough to win. C’mon man.
Observer
January 9th, 2012
7:27 am
It’s time this team changes it’s name from Falcon to what they really are…BUZZARDS!! Go Saints!!!!!!
tardawg
January 9th, 2012
7:28 am
HIre Spagnola, tell BVG hit the road. all our players need to man up.