Live from the Dome: An important Falcons’ season begins
"Hut one! Hut two! Hut three! Play championship football!" (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
If you can win four seasons running and make the playoffs three times in four, you’re not far off. You’re not a team without talent or an organization without savvy. You are, as they say, in the mix.
The trouble with the Falcons is that, three times in four Januarys, they’ve played their worst game of that season (or very near) at the moment it mattered most and the watching world was paying rapt attention. Three times in four seasons they were eliminated by a team with a lesser record.
The Falcons have become, to invoke the British term, the NFL’s nearly men. They’ve almost made it. (Had the Falcons beaten Green Bay here in January 2011, they’d have won the Super Bowl.) They’ve gotten close enough to make you – well, maybe not you, but me for sure – think this time would be different, and to date it hasn’t been.
The offseason just past marked this franchise’s first real period of recalibration since Thomas Dimitroff, Mike Smith, Matt Ryan and Michael Turner arrived in 2008. A staff of four years’ standing underwent major upheaval, and the message has been both sent and received: No longer will “nearly” be good enough.
The exhibition part of this massive season is about to begin, and I’m here at Ye Olde Dome to monitor developments. I’d be happy if you tagged along. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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462 comments Add your comment
Sam
August 9th, 2012
8:56 pm
But redman is no Warner or brady
Let's laugh at Mark
August 9th, 2012
8:56 pm
Never back to back winning seasons and the Falcons survived and suddenly in 4 seasons the bar has gone so much higher….in Mark’s pea brain, that is.
J.J.M.
August 9th, 2012
8:56 pm
how many players on the falcons have dreads?
todd grantham
August 9th, 2012
8:57 pm
Nite Owl, you gotta blame the song on Mark. His writing was the inspiration.
Beastly
August 9th, 2012
8:58 pm
Mike Nolan’s defense is going to be great. I think so because we have different blitz packages, etc. Our secondary looks like it needs to tighten up a little bit, but hey, we still have time to work on it.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
8:58 pm
@Sam:
I hear ya. I guess someone could jump up and catch fire. But there aren’t even enough starting QBs to go around these days. Could the Steelers win without Big Ben? The Saints without Brees? The Packers without Rodgers? Etc.
todd grantham
August 9th, 2012
8:58 pm
maybe his head is a little Dented.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:00 pm
@Let’s Laugh at Mark:
“Never back to back winning seasons and the Falcons survived and suddenly in 4 seasons the bar has gone so much higher….”
Yes, exactly. Your point?
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:00 pm
Yea but to go 1 for 6 with 8 yards and a 39.6 QB rating is pretty bad even for a back-up
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:01 pm
Remember when Eddegerrin James got tackled by his Dreads and the next week he shaved his head lol
POPCORN UNICORN
August 9th, 2012
9:02 pm
@J.J.M, 26
todd grantham
August 9th, 2012
9:02 pm
Mark, you must be working on the print version of tonights events.
JSS
August 9th, 2012
9:03 pm
Staubach was a backup, but that was Landry being stubborn… And of course, there was Doug Williams and Morrall
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:03 pm
@JSS:
(taking off clown nose, oversized rubber shoes:)
Trolling.
The.
Preseason.
From.
Last.
Year.
Now who’s being “silly,” eh?
todd grantham
August 9th, 2012
9:04 pm
Earl Morral was the greatest journeyman QB of all times. Not a lot of talent, but sure could win games. Except the most important one of his career, alas.
Sam
August 9th, 2012
9:07 pm
How about frank reich for the bills. One of the greatest comeback in nfl playoffs against the oillers
JSS
August 9th, 2012
9:07 pm
@ Nite Owl…
Answer…
You…
They said the preseason was no indicator for their preparedness to be ready for the Bears… They were horrible… Right or wrong?
POPCORN UNICORN
August 9th, 2012
9:08 pm
Doug Flutie was a beast
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:08 pm
Earl Morral won Super-Bowl 5 after replacing Johnny Unitas after an injury and won it and also won Superbowl 7 and 8 as a back-up in Miami and played 11 games for an injured Bob Griese in the Perfect season.
J.J.M.
August 9th, 2012
9:08 pm
I’m getting sleepy now
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:09 pm
Lets see what Dominique Davis can do?
todd grantham
August 9th, 2012
9:12 pm
imagine being mostly a footnote in John Unitas’ biography
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:12 pm
@JSS:
First of all, you stopped me dead in my tracks with the Staubach thing. Spent the last five minutes on his Wikipedia page. I had no idea he backed up Craig Morton. In one game in ‘71, Coach Landry alternated Staubach and Morton on every single play. Got 500 yards of offense but seven turnovers and lost 23-19 to the Bears.
As for last year, I think the biggest problem was McClure was out, Hawley was not ready, and the Bears with Jay Cutler at home just whooped our asses. I think it was Mularkey’s stubbornness as an OC also, more than not being ready as a team.
But of course the “no indicator” stuff was just coachspeak. They had to say that; what else could they say? “We’re screwed?” Of course not.
Joe "CHOKE" Flacco
August 9th, 2012
9:13 pm
That crazy replacement Ref still thinks he’s in Arizona.
Mark Bradley
August 9th, 2012
9:13 pm
Print duty did call. But that has been performed.
Mark Bradley
August 9th, 2012
9:15 pm
John Parker Wilson leading a drive, if you want to use the term loosely.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:15 pm
Yes, lots of great backup QBs have done it in the past. Not sure if anyone mentioned Jeff Hostetler yet.
I’m just saying in today’s NFL, I don’t know who that guy is or if that kind of thing can happen anymore.
Mark Bradley
August 9th, 2012
9:17 pm
With the salary cap, nobody can afford a really good No. 2.
Sam
August 9th, 2012
9:17 pm
Why not run a play instead of kicking the fg
Mark Bradley
August 9th, 2012
9:17 pm
Field goal, Falcons. Falcons lead 17-7 at the break. And boy do I need one.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:17 pm
Remember when Billy Volek was all the rage?
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:18 pm
Choke and Seen have decided to move on to the Tampa Bay blogs.
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:19 pm
JPW driving down the field and getting the field goal…..
Looks like the Back-up to me
Sam
August 9th, 2012
9:19 pm
But the crazy thing is, how did 30 teams miss on Warner and Brady? I mean they clearly had the talent but 30 teams missed it. Just mind boggling
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:22 pm
The best way to get a good #2 quaterback is to draft 1 that can be groomed to start like Matt Schaub was.
falconsrus
August 9th, 2012
9:22 pm
Drew Brees 1 for 4 for 4 yds
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:23 pm
@Sam:
Definitely. Not only did every team miss on those guys, but they missed over and over and over. Anyone could have had those guys late in the draft, but they were busy drafting some crappy backup CB or something. Amazing.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:24 pm
Now you’ve got me thinking about biggest Falcon misses. I know there are a lot, but for some reason the one that bothers me the most is picking Jammi German when Hines Ward was sitting right there. Aargh.
JSS
August 9th, 2012
9:25 pm
Like I said, it is not “trolling” when they have a problem with developing players and having them to step up… Smith needs to just stop with so much coach speak (within reason) and get them really ready…
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:26 pm
Well it happens Sam. The combine makes guys like Vernon Gholston top 10 picks and guys like Jesse Tuggle go undrafted. But IF YOU WATCH THE GAME FOOTAGE you can see who is talented. Thats why I believe Jordan White from the Jets will be better than Stephen Hill. Because Jordan was a great player on the field but didnt run a 4.3. Stephen Hill is a combine wonder.
falconsrus
August 9th, 2012
9:27 pm
I’m sorry Brees 2 for 8 8 yds my bad
J-MAN
August 9th, 2012
9:27 pm
But its not that teams “missed” on these great players. Its that these great players fought and climbed up the ladder and kept beating all the competition
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:27 pm
@J-Man:
Agreed. Another way is to pick up a vet that just hasn’t blossomed yet, but those are usually snapped up for starting gigs, like a Rich Gannon.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:28 pm
@J-Man:
Another great point about fighting your way. I can’t say Brady had to fight and claw all that much; it kind of fell into his lap. But Warner? Definitely.
Mark Bradley
August 9th, 2012
9:29 pm
Falcons draft misses?
That will keep us going the whole second half. Bruce (Slim) Pickens. Aundray (Machete) Bruce. Steve (The Bruiser) Broussard. Rick Bryan. Reggie Kelly in Round 2. German over Hines Ward. Sonny Collins (UK Wildcat).
JSS
August 9th, 2012
9:30 pm
Mark Bradley… Jason Campbell is mad at you!
SeenThisB4
August 9th, 2012
9:32 pm
I have to hand it to the Falcants – they actually look good…
W
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:35 pm
@JSS:
Yeah, I’m overusing “troll” just to apply to all Saints fans (or anti-Falcons). I should give that term a rest for a little while.
I think that every team has a lot of “bust” draft picks every year. We just see the Falcons ones because we follow them most closely. You can’t just give up on everyone who doesn’t play well out of the gate or gets hurt. You have to give your investment every chance to blossom.
Take Sam Baker for example. He wasn’t bad as a rookie, and if he had stayed healthy, he’d probably be a pretty good NFL left tackle. But he was hurt pretty bad last year, supposedly couldn’t feel his arm and things like that, so he was useless. But he’s still a talent—why not give him every chance if he’s healthy?
Or Sidbury. It’s taken the guy almost four years to be relevant, but if he becomes a beast, he’ll be OUR beast and not someone else’s.
Or Robert James. He’s basically an oversized safety, but he’s quick and athletic. He made a nice sack tonight. Why not give him every chance?
I believe that the coaches are not going to overlook someone better just to be stubborn and keep a draft pick that’s not panning out. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have picked up Asante Samuel. We would’ve insisted that Chris Owens or Dominique Franks had to step up this year.
And as far as Smitty’s coachspeak, I know you’ve heard Belichick talk. That guy gives you NOTHING. Believe me, he makes Smitty look like a Chatty Cathy.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:37 pm
@JSS:
I gave you a long and thoughtful response, but the Blog Monster may have eaten it. Hope if pops up soon.
Nite Owl
August 9th, 2012
9:38 pm
@Seen:
You don’t need my respect, but you have it. Although I was calling you out most of the night. Lol.
I’m hoping for a hell of a year, but for now, I’ll just take a good first half.