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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,785 comments Add your comment
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
4:39 pm
PS – Maybe Roddy will learn how to put his brain in gear before putting that big mouth in motion again. Trash talk only gives the enemy something to fire up on.
Mookie
November 11th, 2012
4:39 pm
1st and goal on the one yard line and we couldn’t score a touchdown. This team sucks!!!
Ralph Kramden
November 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
Falcons lose ?… It’s all Bush’s fault…… FIRE REICT !
Fred Macmurray
November 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
Not going for 2 forced us to have to score a TD. Stupid. Whats the difference if you’re down by 4 or 5.
Pedigree of LOOSAHS
November 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
Hey, FAILCANTS….you just lost to the NFL’s worst offense…lmao…no perfect season, but really, you had ZERO chance, which is equal to your SB ring chance….
Difference in a dirty bathtub and da FAILCANTS? Dirty tub has a ring..lmao..LOOSAHS…
Diane Crowe
November 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
@CARL – Can’t take losing, can you? We are all having a laugh – at you. Totally classless, but it’s exactly what we expected.
miked
November 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
MArk Bradley and the whole Falcons nation lets discuss this…. Why does John Abraham NEVER show up for big games?
phil
November 11th, 2012
4:41 pm
Fire dimitroff!!!!
Bench Turner NOW
November 11th, 2012
4:41 pm
The mere fact that MT33 is still the featured back for this team is simply is travesty. In my opinion we DO feature THE WORSE back in the entire league. The man is just plain horrible, and I cannot stand the idea of of even involving him in the game plan. He cost us the game today by making our offense predictable with the passing game. He was the problem last year, AND the year prior. I never liked his game, even when he was running for 1300 or plus yards every year, because he never looked to me to be a complete back. Moreover, he is a liability in the passing passing game and a terrible and very lazy blocker. I can NOT STAND that player.
Ryan
November 11th, 2012
4:41 pm
Roddy fluffed up on that perfect pass from Matt Ryan at the end. If he runs and doesnt turn around back peddling, he catches it in stride.
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
4:41 pm
Gawd… the aints have their troll army out… nothing but BS and slander for another few days.
kerryb
November 11th, 2012
4:42 pm
We won’t lose to the Saints again in the Georgia Dome. They needed us to trip on ourselves at the end to beat us in their home. We won’t make those mistakes a second time. Spoon will be back by then to make Brees’ life miserable.
phil
November 11th, 2012
4:42 pm
Kennesaw David
November 11th, 2012
4:39 pm
Hey Phil, Leave and go somewhere else. Anywhere. Delta is ready when you are, crybaby.
**********
go cheer on that fine basketball team you losers have up there…..moron
rush2112
November 11th, 2012
4:43 pm
seriously turner manages to gain 15 yards on 13 carries…….9 on one play, COME ON MAN!! you’re a friggin’ NFL running back stop falling down!!!
rc35
November 11th, 2012
4:43 pm
Since the Saints have a 2-1 division record and hold the tiebreaker over us, does that mean we’re now playing for a Wild-Card? How ironic…from undefeated to second place in one afternoon at the hands of the New Orleans Bounty Hunters. I wonder if anybody on their defense had to give back a refund when Julio returned to the game?
Answer This
November 11th, 2012
4:43 pm
So sweet to be 8-1! Guess what we still Rise Up on you punks $hiteating losers like Phil and you caint fans!
Draggin Fly
November 11th, 2012
4:43 pm
“Difference in a dirty bathtub and da FAILCANTS? Dirty tub has a ring..lmao..”
Comparing NO to a dirty tub is an insult to dirty tubs.
Samuel
November 11th, 2012
4:43 pm
Somebody tell me why we can’t run one yard? And the Falcons defense was horrible. We become a pass blocking team, and not so good at run blocking. This run offense needs to get better or will be one and done in the playoffs, Matt Ryan carried the team, although- when Julio Jones went out it slowed the offense down some. You can’t expect your back to run it in on the two yard line, when the other team is in the backfield. It was way too much penetration. The Falcons had too many penalties that set the team back. Now pick yourself up and win your division. and win a game in the playoffs.Correct your weaknesses.
Greg K.
November 11th, 2012
4:44 pm
Three simple things:
1. Tough loss today, but I’m glad the whole “unbeaten” thing is over. Nobody, and I mean not even the most delusional Falcons fan, ever thought that this team was going to go 16-0. They’ve just had too many close games. And the young Falcons were starting to believe the hype, which is always the kiss of death. It was easy to see that pride cometh before the fall.
2. The primary reason it was foolish to think that the birds could run the table: we simply have no running game. None. Michael Turner was a great pick up a few years back, but his time is past. It is amazing to think what this team could accomplish if they had any kid of running threat.
3. Saints fans, you get to gloat today. But before you crow too much, keep in mind that even with today’s close win, you are 4-5 and already pretty much out of the playoff picture. We’ll see you in a few weeks in the Dome…
Snake Doc
November 11th, 2012
4:44 pm
Falcons must upgrade pass rush.
3 times inside the red zone and only 2 field goals.
Pedigree of LOOSAHS
November 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
I just can’t quit laughing at the FAILCANTS….can I get a who dat, LOOSAHS? Where y’at Roddy, ghetto boy from nowhere, AL….loosah….
Ben
November 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
Am I the only one who missed the entire last 20 minutes of the game because of Comcast?
Comcast did a child abduction alert and then when it was over my screen and channel locked. I couldnt watch anything for nearly half an hour and had no idea what happened.
Thanks a ton, Comcast
kerryb
November 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
rc35, the Saints have to win a lot more games first.
bigperry
November 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
for m. turner i said a year and a half ago he done lost some sets 12 carrier 16 yard what the hell is that mike to big, dude need to lose some weight he to slow and don”t have that brust no more one man can tackel him.
Draggin Fly
November 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
“Since the Saints have a 2-1 division record and hold the tiebreaker over us, does that mean we’re now playing for a Wild-Card?”
Your Momma didn’t raise any geniuses, did she?
Greg k is delusional
November 11th, 2012
4:46 pm
Typical Failcant fan….you are NOT a SB team…you lost to the worst defense in the NFL…as expected, you’re an embarrassment….
vodoopriest
November 11th, 2012
4:46 pm
Enter your comments here
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
4:46 pm
I guess we pay Tuner by the pound, not by the yard.
MTSeats
November 11th, 2012
4:46 pm
Third and one, I know, give it Turner. God knows it’s worked in the past. Mike Smith at his best.
flatsdawg1
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
Go 3-0 in the postseason, that’s all that matters. Can’t understand giving the ball to a running back that has 13 carries for 15 yards with the game on the line.
Great Falconi
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
That short-yardage thing is a problem, but I don’t get why we didn’t try a QB sneak down there at the goal line. You force guys to go low when they know the QB is running it. Our O-line was playing way too high on short yardage plays today. Pat Hill knows better than that and so do our players. We left 15 points on the field today. That was the difference.
Pedigree of LOOSAHS = FAILCANTS
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
Enter your comments here
Bench Turner NOW
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
@rush2112, honestly, I can’t understand why anyone would call MT33 a running back. No vision, No speed, Can’t hit the holes, Can’t cutback, Can’t catch the ball properly out of the back field and worse of all, refuses to block. He is LAZY. I have always noticed that about him, and was mainly benefiting from all the Ovie’s hard work.
rip
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
Well we may not even win the division with the ants and Bucks playing so good
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
Seriously, it’s an O Line issue. Has to be.
around town
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
I haven’t read any of the comments here, but I just finished watching the game on tape and one thing strikes me as blatently obvious: the Falcons have NO running game, and it cost them dearly today when they got down close to the goal line and had no punch to put it in. It’s extra difficult when they always have to pass from the 2 or 3 yardline with so little room for the receivers to operate. IMO they must replace #33 with a running back who can actually run with the ball and they probably have to improve their OL too. But hey, it’s still a great season.
gg
November 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
The reason we lost this game today…simple..bad playcalling. Why in the world the Falcons insist on running Turner up the middle in those goal line situations. I just don’t understand that. If they are going to insist on running up the middle in those situations, then why not give it to ‘Quizz??? Was Mike Malarkey texting those calls in from Jax?? Oh my gosh, two drives inside the 2-yard line yields 3 points…unacceptable!!! This one was a hard one to take, because the Falcons should have won this one. ATlanta should have never had to be in a position where they had to depend on a last-second hail mary pass.
dawgnation1
November 11th, 2012
4:48 pm
@Greg k. I agree completely. Doesn’t matter at all. Glad nobody will be talking about it anymore. Would rather lose to the saint instead of the giants because of tie breaker scenarios.
Mama Says
November 11th, 2012
4:48 pm
Atlanta is very close to going from an all run team to an all pass team, either way that’s not a good thing
Pedigree of LOOSAHS = FAILCANTS
November 11th, 2012
4:48 pm
Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear….Saints are coming…you are going to lose at least 4-5 more games, falclowns…fact…we own the NFC South…fact….melted ice is a joke….
Bridget
November 11th, 2012
4:48 pm
Name calling Drew Bree’s and saying bad things about the city of New Orleans makes no sense and shows immaturity. It’s just a game and it’s entertainment. You win some and you loose some. # realistic Atl fan! we need a Super Bowl…… . We can go 15-1 but if we can’t win a playoff game we are going to the Super Bowl with a ticket AGAIN
Fred Macmurray
November 11th, 2012
4:49 pm
Just ignore Phil, he’s a pathetic loser.
dawgnation1
November 11th, 2012
4:49 pm
At least we’ll make the playoffs…… unlike the team that scuzz bucket city in the bayou.
Jimmy Crack
November 11th, 2012
4:50 pm
A tough game that we lost with poor tackling, poorer offensive rushing game, and penalties. At least we know the Saints are very beatable. I hate hearing about this loss from their disgusting lowlife fans, even for a day. Still, this loss isn’t nearly as bad as the Giants’ losing at home to the Bengals. A good comeback that just came up short. 8-1.
Travis O
November 11th, 2012
4:50 pm
Thank Rowdy for his disrespectful comments. Who Dat?
kerryb
November 11th, 2012
4:50 pm
Pedigree of LOOSAHS = FAILCANTS
November 11th, 2012
4:48 pm
Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear….Saints are coming…you are going to lose at least 4-5 more games, falclowns…fact…we own the NFC South…fact….melted ice is a joke….
___________________________________________________________________________
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Wow
November 11th, 2012
4:50 pm
I think there is something that both us Falcons AND Saints fans can agree on:
The people who comment on this site are really, really stupid people who probably didn’t graduate high school.
Off to the Falcoholic, dum dums.
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
4:51 pm
KenDawg
November 11th, 2012
4:04 pm
Just hate losing to the ‘Aints
________________
Yeah, that’s what makes this one especially bitter. That and the fact that they’re a losing team ravaged by NFL sanctions.
dawgnation1
November 11th, 2012
4:52 pm
I can’t imagine why all of the saint’s fans are talking so much trash living here in Atlanta. I mean if NO is so great, why don’t you go back? We have enough trash here already. Oh wait, its not really there anymore, is it?
cg
November 11th, 2012
4:52 pm
when will you falcons fans learn to stop talking until the team has actually accomplished something. who dat!