Live from New Orleans: The Falcons will lose – but not today
Just another example of how the Saints afford us Atlantans no respect. (Photo by M. Bradley)
New Orleans – Father Peter P. Finney delivered the homily at the 8 a.m. Mass at St. Clement of Rome in Metairie, La., this morning, and here we note: Father Finney is the grandson of Peter Finney, the gentlemanly sports columnist of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and Father Finney actually gave no homily at all. It’s a St. Clement tradition to do without one during its annual Oyster Festival, which is ongoing this weekend. (There was carnival paraphernalia all over the parking lot.)
Father Finney noted that today’s Oyster Festival session is set to commence at noon – “when the Saints kick off,” he said. Then he noted: “The Saints’ game will be shown on television.”
Our rather roundabout point being: Even when the Saints stink, they’re still the talk of the town. (Metairie is a suburb off Lake Pontchartrain, of which my hotel affords me a half-scenic view.)
I’m on record — if you have three minutes and 32 seconds, you can hear me say it to Bill Littlefield of NPR’s Only A Game — that the Falcons won’t go undefeated. (My quote: “I don’t think anybody really seriously believes the Falcons are going to go 16-0.”) But there’s CineSport proof of me picking the Falcons to reach the Super Bowl and, via the Internet and the print AJC, I’m also on record as predicting that they’ll sweep the Saints.
That belief probably won’t win me many friends among the Oyster Fest folks, but it is, for better or worse, how I feel. I don’t think a lousy defensive team can beat the Falcons, and the Saints are on course to be the lousiest defensive team ever. I believe the Falcons’ first loss will come two weeks hence, at Tampa three days after Thanksgiving. I do not believe it will happen today.
But I have, as we know, been wrong a time or two. Whatever occurs, I’ll be here to watch and comment, and I implore you to join me. And I thank you, as ever, in advance. (Oh, and if you missed it: Read the fine print on the seat card depicted above.)
By Mark Bradley
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1,785 comments Add your comment
dirty rivalry
November 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
basically a punt there on that interception.
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
Throw it deeper that’s a touchdown.
atlfalconsfan0125
November 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
We would have punted anyways.
Jimmy
November 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
We are going down.
keith
November 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
No secret. Jimmy Graham is a beast. Did the Falcons coaching staff come into the year without a plan on how to guard this guy?
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
When I said it was good news that Robert McClain has a neck injury and might not return, I was being facetious. It’s hard enough to face Drew Brees with everyone healthy.
Ed Pilcher
November 11th, 2012
2:46 pm
They score right here, and this game is over. I have no confidence right now in the Falcons being able to block good enough for Ryan to throw the ball.
The Real Falcon
November 11th, 2012
2:46 pm
A mention is as good as a jinx
phil
November 11th, 2012
2:46 pm
Our season is over….
NO will win the division…
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
2:46 pm
Seems we have consensus on the punt. Let’s go fix the fiscal cliff!
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
2:46 pm
Eh, that’s a punt….
But it stinks that the Falcons are making the Saints look like they are a playoff contender. Never easy in the ATL.
Ed Pilcher
November 11th, 2012
2:47 pm
Oh well……8-1 ain’t bad. I was hoping not to lose a divisional game for the first loss, though.
Jimmy
November 11th, 2012
2:47 pm
Let’s get it together guys!
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
2:47 pm
7th pick of the year..Not bad.
Big Dos
November 11th, 2012
2:47 pm
The birds need to play better
Nick Micamayer
November 11th, 2012
2:47 pm
meanwhile…Bengals are gonna beat the G men
Draggin Fly
November 11th, 2012
2:47 pm
Glad there’s more loser mentality on this blog than on the team
this team suck
November 11th, 2012
2:47 pm
where is the running game. MT sucks and it time for him to move on, I will take chris ivory
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Fire Win WIth!
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
Throw it deeper that’s a touchdown.
LinkReport this comment.
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Ah, no, not even close. Davis was never even with the defender, let alone past him.
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Are the Saints 8-0? They sure are playing like it…
Where's the defense?
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Nice half time adjustments.
Ed Pilcher
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Saints’ first down. Brees picking them apart.
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Oh the WR slowed down my bad ryan
phil
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
If we finish 8-8, we’ll be lucky…….
Swiss cheese D…
falconsrus
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
I fixed my netbook (applause) now come on D###
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Saints have a lot of quick backs. You just saw one gain nine yards there.
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
Davis screwed up not Ryan….
Ed Pilcher
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
And an 8-yard pick up on a running play. No tackling.
Nick Micamayer
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
Falcons haven’t laid a hand on Brees
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
Their RB’s rip of 6-7-8 yards without thinking about it. Ours has trouble getting back to the line of scrimmage.
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
What a catch.
Ben Mac
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
Brees called it…Falcons might be 8-1 but the Saints own this division
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
Why can’t we make plays like that?
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
Lance Moore: Diving, one-handed …
atlfalconsfan0125
November 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
Nice Catch.
Kissinger
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Linebackers covering wideouts.
The Real Falcon
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Why is Dent on that coverage?
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
No run D, get picked apart in the passing game.
phil
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Saints woke up 2 weeks ago defensively…..
We’re Atlanta.
We’re losers in the end. Always.
Ed Pilcher
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Saints gonna score. Pretty much over here. Might as well be watching Walking Dead re-runs, because that’s what the Falcons look like today.
Pigskin
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
NO will win this division. I just hope we can give ‘em a fight anyway.
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Playoffs? Playoffs?
ATLLETDOWN
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
The Loser Birds are who we thought they were… When its time to shine they hide, now getting pounded – atleast we can rough up the Cardz next week.
Big Dos
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Can’t stop the saints where are the DBs
Where's the defense?
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Teams with no run defense do not go far in the playoffs. Teams that cannot consistently pressure the opposing QB do not go far in playoffs. Teams that cannot run the ball, do not go far in the playoffs. Nuff said!
oldbird
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
I think we are the first team to make Ingram look like a Heisman winner.
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Chris Ivory making more Falcons miss. He’s made a believer of me.
dean
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
If a Martian was asked to pick the undefeated team, they would not pick the team in white.
Ed Pilcher
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Thanks for giving us the Kiss of Death today, MB.