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
Someone else
November 11th, 2012
1:38 pm
When Saints get rolling, you have to take advantage of any mistakes they do make. Field goals will not win this one.
Eric C.
November 11th, 2012
1:38 pm
Cannot run the ball, cannot convert 3rd and 1’s, cannot stop the run, cannot win
Michael M.
November 11th, 2012
1:38 pm
never give up……………..this ballgame has only started
FalconFan
November 11th, 2012
1:38 pm
Smith needs to get on these guys and bring them back to earth…too much early celebrating on how easy it was. This is our #1 rival and we need to play some serious football!
oldfart
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
He was walking ok. Just hoping Julio doesn’t have a hammy again.
Eric C.
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Wish there was some word on Julio
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Dang… is JJ just a paper Falcon?
The Real Falcon
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Dent’s missed tackles are killing us!
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Well, I don’t think anyone expected this would be a 10-7 game at the end. (It is at the moment, but only, I expect, at the moment.)
Bobby
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
From Tucker, Georgia: GEAUX SAINTS GEAUX!!!
80sFalcon
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Small word Mark, small words.
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Drew Davis time. If the defense remembers how to tackle.
Falcon fan 24/7
November 11th, 2012
1:40 pm
We are in a for a dog fight
Sid
November 11th, 2012
1:40 pm
there is no reason they should not beat the Saints…..they give up 500 plus yards on defense on a regular basis. if the defense will just play decently and we not kick FG’s
Mr C
November 11th, 2012
1:40 pm
Regardless of the Falcons record. they have 2 fundamentals problems. They can’t convert 3rd and short. Remember the Giants playoff game last yr.
Secondly, they can’t stop the run. It doesn’t bode well for the playoffs regardless of their record.
Can they bench Dent?
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
Huge holes the Saints are getting. But they held to create that one.
No. Not holding. Personal foul. Dumb penalty on the Saints.
Someone else
November 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
Dent was marginal at Georgia; what makes Falcons think he’s NFL-caliber. Saints just running over the ATL.
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
We need a big… BIG D-play and we get buttered toast. *sigh*
Falcon fan 24/7
November 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
We need a turnover
atlfalconsfan0125
November 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
Wow people are freaking out on this blog! Relax!
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
Falcons better pray they for more penalties against the saints because they can’t stop the run or pass
Pigskin
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
Someone earlier was hoping this game would be over at the half.
It just may be.
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
Atlanta = Auburn
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
Well. That was also too easy.
Jimmy Crack
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
If we can make it to halftime with the score close, I’m sure we can make adjustments.
Pigskin
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
Ballgame y’all.
Later
Sid
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
this is pathetic
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
Game oer time for some halo 4
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
Saints lead. Nobody ever said they couldn’t play offense.
Someone else
November 11th, 2012
1:43 pm
The Saints just own us. Who do we play next week?
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:43 pm
“Wow people are freaking out on this blog! Relax!”
Oh yeah – I’m realxed now… fixin to be 14-10 and I am relaxed.
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
1:43 pm
Wow, you cannot be late getting to Brees. Falcons may have to score 50 to win
80sFalcon
November 11th, 2012
1:43 pm
that field goal killed us. Nothing since
oldfart
November 11th, 2012
1:43 pm
That was “a la chitty”.
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:43 pm
NO will easily score 50 on our fraudulent “defense”…….
Boooooooooo!
Jimmy Crack
November 11th, 2012
1:43 pm
“Our defense has to do better on 3rd down.”
- Everybody on the Falcons for the past two years
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
The Falcons may have to score 50 indeed. But they might be able to score 50 against this defense.
dean
November 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
Wrong, Phil. ATL = ATL.
It can never be easy for any ATL team
Adogg36
November 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
Don’t look good.
Answer This
November 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
We ok….relax Nation…adjustments will come
Great Falconi
November 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
Fire Smitty.
The Big Fat Blogger
November 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
No Defense… No Championships!!!!!!!!!!! We got to get more play out of interior D-Lineman and Middle Linebacker!!!!!!!
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
Well, to be fair, the Falcons have only had the ball once since the field goal.
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
The game is by no means over but at this moment, they are running and passing as they please… and we just hit the 2nd qrtr!
If this goes on… we will lose. We need a big play to put some energizer bunny poop in our britches.
DAWGFAN13
November 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
The defense is awful today! May be the first lose! We look just as awful on defense as the Saints. The difference is that we cant comnvert 3 and 1, they can! All of the jawing on the interception by 22, but he looked bad on the first Saints TD thats why the coach was trying to tell him to control himself! This is a long game and 22 and th rest of the D has looked very bad so far! And now Julio is hurst yet again!
Hillbilly D
November 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
Nobody ever said they couldn’t play offense.
That’s true and they can expose weaknesses in a defense, too.
Jimmy Crack
November 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
Okay, NOW we can stop pretending we need to run the ball. Make this a track meet.
Ben Mac
November 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
Saints will put 50 on the Falcons today if this D doesn’t fight back….
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
The Falcons defense is a bunch of pretenders.
aswingruber
November 11th, 2012
1:46 pm
There’s some really whiny clowns on here. Game over? We’re down by 4 in the 2nd quarter against the worst D in the history of football.