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
Jimmy
November 11th, 2012
2:55 pm
I don’t care about national respect.
I care only about winning.
Let’s go offense.
SaintlyOtter
November 11th, 2012
2:55 pm
Enter your comments here
Ed Pilcher
November 11th, 2012
2:55 pm
8-8 finish with no playoffs.
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
More National respect:
dogs
Falcons
Falcons
Jimmy
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
We hate the superdome.
Jay Dubu
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
Remind me again which of these teams have the worst defense in the NFL.
KenDawg
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
I’m certainly not going to panic if the Falcons lose, but I certainly want to see a maximum effort if it is eventually a loss…
Trainwreck
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
Time to get to work Offense
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
“Now let’s show America what we are made of! It ain’t over!”
Bath Salts are illegal, [Fal-con Fanatic]
phil
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
Mark, you’ve been around here plenty long enough to know the obvious signs….
Yes, we’re done. Can’t run or stop the run.
Doomed.
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
How many sacks the falcons have against brees over the last 8 games I bet my moneys its about 5
kerryb
November 11th, 2012
2:57 pm
QUIT GIVING THE BALL TO TURNER!!!!!
phil
November 11th, 2012
2:57 pm
That’s enough….
See ya!
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
2:57 pm
Turner. Who knew? Wasted down.
Jimmy
November 11th, 2012
2:57 pm
They sound lost on O and D.
Sounds like we’re getting beaten in the trenches today.
Saints playing hard.
NORRIS CHUCK
November 11th, 2012
2:57 pm
1. The Saints are doing what the Giants and Packers do to a team like the Falcons, they expose the weak pass rush.
2. Michael Turner is garbage.
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
3rd and 1…ouch.
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
Ain’t no quit in Matty
The Real Falcon
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
This game is all on Ryan. Can he do it?
Andrew
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
5 sacks against Brees?! That is way too many JJM
Someone else
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
Remember when Spagnola took over the Giants defense it was horrible at first, then won the Super Bowl once the players caught on. Happening again?
MenVsBoys
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
What is the coaching staff seeing with these Turner runs that the rest of us can’t see?
Falcondog
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
I guess Brees was right. They own us. They are in our heads.
Reginald
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
Falcons going down today………
kerryb
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
Another 3rd and 1 or 2 that they can’t convert. Pathetic.
Someone else
November 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
Lofton or Dent?
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
Giants 56
Falcons 17
The Real Falcon
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
No
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
The alarming part isn’t so much the score, but that the Saints’ defense seems to have gotten a bead on the Falcons’ O.
Michael M.
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
the Haters jump on the wagon wheels hanging on when they think the Falcons are going to lose………………………………
son's who?
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
“gotta let go, real quick”
lol
oldbird
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
How can we not score against by far the worst pass defense in the history of the NFL? 35-17 here we come.
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
Actually, the score isn’t all that great for the visiting eleven, either.
atlfalconsfan0125
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
Of course curtis with the stop. When it rains it pours.
Jay Dubu
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
With each 3 and out, the Saints defense gains more confidence.
The Big Fat Blogger
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
It’s not the fact that the Falcons will most likely lose a game this year eventually, it’s the fact that we might lose our first game to that crybaby curtis lofton and those aints…….Time to go have a drink……
Ben Mac
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
has an 8-0 team ever not made the playoffs……this is Atlanta….
The Real Falcon
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
One first down would be great
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
Wasted down with Turner hurts again. Two-down possession basically.
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
3:00 pm
Falcon emotion #whereyouat?
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
3:00 pm
“This game is all on Ryan. Can he do it?”
Bath Salts are illegal
Pigskin
November 11th, 2012
3:00 pm
If I’m Brees, I stick the dagger in now!
Bomb on the first play.
phil
November 11th, 2012
3:00 pm
Mark, do you pay attention?
Their D woke up two weeks ago.
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
3:00 pm
Patience all you grasshoppers
ramblinwreck80
November 11th, 2012
3:00 pm
c’mon Matt…you gotta do better than that!!!
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
3:00 pm
It’s simple. The Saints have absolutely ZERO fear of the running game. They are playing 100% to stop the pass, period.
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
3:01 pm
0-4. Paper Tiger..Pretenders…Blah blah blah
Eric C.
November 11th, 2012
3:01 pm
I’m more worried about the running game than this loss…the Falcons still have at least a 3 game lead in the division if they lose, but rushing offense and rushing defense are real concerns if they get to the playoffs.
80sFalcon
November 11th, 2012
3:01 pm
This is not going to be Atlanta’s day
The Big Fat Blogger
November 11th, 2012
3:01 pm
Sorry to sound negative, but no matter how good the Falcons are, and how sorry the aint’s are, we always seem to make them look better than what they really are……..