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
kerryb
November 11th, 2012
1:46 pm
3rd and 1 twice and can’t get a 1st down. Pathetic.
Someone else
November 11th, 2012
1:46 pm
A three and out here would be bad news.
Kissinger
November 11th, 2012
1:46 pm
Two 3rd and 1s and we gain no yards. Can’t tacke, can’t cover, can’t rush passer. That about covers it.
Someone else
November 11th, 2012
1:46 pm
Ok, 4 and out!
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:46 pm
Well, it’s not going to be three-and-out.
80sFalcon
November 11th, 2012
1:47 pm
Tripped on his own feet.
ryan2atl
November 11th, 2012
1:47 pm
Defense gave up great start. Atl. does not have a championship defense unfortunately. Rodgers, Manning, Brees will eat it up. Ryan can’t play defense too. If they are unsuccessful it will be on the defense not the offense.
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:47 pm
FGs are for losers…..
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
1:48 pm
LB i’m not worried about when Spoon is back, but D-line is going to have to be a factor against good offenses.
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:48 pm
Very lucky that was not intercepted. Roman Harper flat dropped it.
Tommy Nobis
November 11th, 2012
1:48 pm
calm down
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:48 pm
Saints have matched too well against our D for the last few years… that how coaches build teams… to beat a specific rival and they draft and stack just for that end.
oldfart
November 11th, 2012
1:49 pm
TG!
Tommy Nobis
November 11th, 2012
1:49 pm
88 to the rescue
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:49 pm
What in the heck was that? The I-285 run-around? lol!
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
Falcons inside the 45. The Saints tried to hold a receiver and couldn’t even do that right.
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
Roddy got clotheslined.
Sid
November 11th, 2012
1:51 pm
as good as Ryan has been Gonzales is their MVP.
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:51 pm
Roddy White may get 200 yards today.
oldfart
November 11th, 2012
1:51 pm
Roddy was wide open.
DAWGFAN13
November 11th, 2012
1:51 pm
The O line is playing well! Hopefully the D line will step up!
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
He was out on that hit… no flag
Sid
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
no damn FG!!!
Abe the Fan
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
Certainly hope we can pull out a win but one thing’s for sure–this ain’t your daddy’s falcons!!!
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
SMH, I called that Turner run in the huddle.
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
why? just a waste of down most of the time.
Go Trojans!
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
I’m glad I’m not playing Roddy White in Fantasy Football today! He may have 250 yards today.
Kissinger
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
Running turner on a sweep is just dumb.
Tommy Nobis
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
Yes, Mr. Sid
DAWGFAN13
November 11th, 2012
1:53 pm
Those types of runs are never succeeful! Scrap the stretch play for Turner! It never works!
Eric C.
November 11th, 2012
1:53 pm
Mark, as bad as the Saints are on defense is…wish they weren’t so tough against the run
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
1:53 pm
Okay Sid. Tha’s why all the local and national observers are touting Gonzalez for the first half MVP, right?
Eric C.
November 11th, 2012
1:53 pm
Makes it tough in the red zone when you can’t run
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
Tony Gonzalez is a great player and a tremendous asset. But he’s not the Falcons’ MVP.
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
Julio – groin perhaps?
DAWGFAN13
November 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
I know we are going to eventually lose a game, but please not against the Saints!
Sid
November 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
for the most part in recent years the Saints have not scored really big numbers on the Falcons, the problem has been the Falcons offense bogging down and kicking too many FG’s.
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
This pathetic showing reminds me of the 80s….
Fire Mike Smith!!
oldfart
November 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
How much time out of the 3 1/2 hours of modern NFL games actually consists of game play?
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
MFranklin
November 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Dang… is JJ just a paper Falcon?
____________________
You have to wonder. He sure seems fragile.
tmc
November 11th, 2012
1:55 pm
i understand not giving up on the running game…
i have given up on #33.
How bout giving #44 a chance? Cause tip-toe blows.
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:55 pm
Leg injury on Julio Jones. In case you missed that snippet of information
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:55 pm
The slightest contact and down we go…..
Boooooooooo!
Walker the Infant Falcon
November 11th, 2012
1:56 pm
Would you put him 2nd Mark? Tony seems to catch 99.99% of everything thrown his way.
oldfart
November 11th, 2012
1:56 pm
Julio is back on the sideline with a new ankle tape job and possibly some lidocaine.
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:56 pm
Out of bounds. I guess he was, having just seen the replay.
Mr C
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
another short yard play!!! Nothin!!!
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
that is just laughably bad by the run game
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
He dropped the ball, mark…..
kevkat
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
whyyyyyyyyyyy