The unbeaten Falcons fall in a distressingly familiar way
Just a reminder: This is how it looks when a running play actually succeeds. (AP photo)
New Orleans — First, a spot of perspective. The Falcons are 8-1 and positioned to win their division. Just because they lost an excruciating game to the hated Saints doesn’t override all the good work that came before. That said …
The good work that came before didn’t include much in the way of short-yardage excellence. And when a team that couldn’t convert on fourth-and-1 on three infamous occasions last season loses its first game of another year due to the same failures, a flag gets hoisted. No, not a white one of surrender, but surely a bright red banner of warning.
“I don’t know what situation you’d rather be in,” said Michael Turner, the feature back who managed 15 yards on 13 rushes Sunday. “You’ve got one yard for the lead.”
“You’ve got to punch the ball in,” said Jacquizz Rodgers, the change-of-pace back whose 18-yard burst had pulled the Falcons within sight of that final yard.
“Of course you (think you’re going to get that yard),” said Harry Douglas, the receiver who barely missed scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a slant on first-and-goal from the 10. “That has to be your approach.”
That the Falcons’ first play from the 1 was a Matt Ryan pass for Tony Gonzalez tells us they weren’t convinced they could push the Saints backward even three feet. (Malcolm Jenkins knocked the ball down in the end zone.) That the third-and-goal call was a handoff to Turner that became yet another damp squib — of his 13 carries, seven either gained nothing or lost yardage — drove home the point:
An 8-0 NFL team could not line up and gain a precious yard against the league’s worst rushing defense.
By losing a yard on third-and-goal, the Falcons had no choice but to pass on fourth down, and again Ryan’s pass was flicked away. This time it was Jabari Greer, flashing in front of Roddy White. The Falcons would get the ball one last time, but their chance to stay unbeaten had come and gone.
Not that staying unbeaten was such a big deal. “That’s a distraction out of the way,” free safety Thomas DeCoud said, and he had a point. Trouble is, the the Falcons never want to lose to the opponent that has beaten the Falcons of Mike Smith seven times in nine tries.
DeCoud again: “That’s the one team you don’t want to have your first loss against.”
That Sunday’s game was a carnival ride surprised no one. Ryan threw for 411 yards, a career best, and if not — stop me if you’ve heard this one — for a failure on third-and-1 on the Falcons’ second series they might have seized a 14-0 lead.The Saints, who can play offense if not D, overrode that early deficit and took an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter. The Falcons cut it to four points with a touchdown and an extra point, Smith choosing (oddly and wrongly) not to go for two with 13:27 remaining.
They would draw within one point on a field goal after an incompletion on third-and-2. The Saints pushed the lead back to four, leaving the door ajar. The Falcons were too weak to kick it in.
Said Smith: “We were not getting the surge we needed on running plays … We did not win the line of scrimmage in the running game.”
Said Todd McClure, the center: “Every third-and-1 (not converted), every fourth-and-1 … I’m sure there’ll be a lot written about it tomorrow and we’ll be (seen as) a terrible offensive line. But we didn’t get it done today.”
For all their skill — the Falcons outgained the sleek Saints — the question remains: Is this team forceful enough? And not just along the O-line: The Falcons’ defense yielded 148 yards rushing and mustered one sack. For eight games people had been saying, “There’s going to come a time when the inability to run the ball and/or stop the run is going to bite this team.” That time arrived Sunday.
“We’ve got to address (the issues in the running game),” Turner said. “We’ve got to fix it. That’s what championship teams do. There’s attitude, there’s scheme … everything’s involved.”
The Falcons are 8-1. They did not become a terrible team by losing one game, but they cannot become a great one until they figure a way to gain a yard when a yard is mandatory. Is Turner too slow? Is the line too feeble? And if the answer, as seems likely, is a combination of the two, how do you work around it?
After every game, win or lose, Mike Smith says of any lapse, “We’ll get it fixed.” His Falcons have seven more games before the playoffs commence, which means …
Clock’s ticking, Smitty.
Further reading: Here’s why Mike Smith should have gone for two.
By Mark Bradley
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384 comments Add your comment
Eric C.
November 11th, 2012
9:06 pm
Pigskin, that is such a moronic argument…they’ve beaten 8 of the 9 teams in front of them. Btw, the Broncos are above .500
phil
November 11th, 2012
9:07 pm
Of course, Cutler stinks….
And give up, QB/DB…..ain’t gonna be no super bowl.
keith the Falcon
November 11th, 2012
9:09 pm
Saint fans, you’ve earned the right to put it on us Falcon fans…hope we take care of business on you guys in three weeks…it’s like the Bulldogs losing to the Gamecocks…
Big Dawg
November 11th, 2012
9:10 pm
If Spoon wasn’t hurt he would be shutting down Graham, believe it! Lets see how the Aints march when they come to the dome, & leave with a loss, we already won the division, the Aints ain’t done jack!
Drtybyrd
November 11th, 2012
9:13 pm
Hurst, The Falcons weak schedule is the exact same as the Saints but yet 8-1 vs 4-5.
Dewnsav
November 11th, 2012
9:14 pm
Enter your comments here
jerry
November 11th, 2012
9:14 pm
Turner does not put himself into the game or call his own number in critical situations. He is still regarded as a go to back by none other than Mike Smith, who evidently has a short memory (or maybe no memory at all) and who is heir apparent to Andy Reid, King of Contender Pretender and soon to vacate the throne.
Jazz
November 11th, 2012
9:14 pm
No worries here!! Still in first place!! So the Sints matchups give us problems we will be in the playoffs and they will be at home!! NUFF SAID!!
shadow7071
November 11th, 2012
9:15 pm
I never comment here but…. This is the Atlanta Falcons. This is the same Atlanta Falcons that I’ve been following for what…. over forty years. This is the same Atlanta Falcons that choke. This is the same Atlanta Falcons that try to run out the clock from the first quarter, after they score and get the lead. This is the same Atlanta Falcons that can never put anyone away. This is the same Atlanta Falcons that failed to show up for their Super Bowl Game. This is the same Atlanta Falcons that have never had it within them to play football, period. From time-to-time they just get lucky but soon their luck runs out. Today in New Orleans their luck ran out.
LOL at the Aints
November 11th, 2012
9:17 pm
Congratulations Aints, Pulled that one out today. See ya in the Dome. Your team still stinks. Kinda like the Falcons O line LOL
keith the Falcon
November 11th, 2012
9:18 pm
It’s funny to see/hear the Saints fans come out with all the comments b/c they beat the Falcons. Last I checked the Falcons are 4 games up in the division on the Saints.
There is still a lot of football to be played, but I don’t see those WHO DATS catching the FALCONS!
LOL at the Aints
November 11th, 2012
9:19 pm
Shadow,, whats your point. LOL, We all know the history.
Why did Falcons Lose?
November 11th, 2012
9:19 pm
(1) Poor red zone play calling (2) Crappy tackling (3) Stupid penalties (4) Complete lack of a running game.
Pete Van Weird
November 11th, 2012
9:20 pm
Face it: it is the Washington Generals vs. the Harlem Globetrotters. It is great theater and not much more. It is Gorgeous George vs. Choo Choo Lynn. Hmmm…let’s see….d’ya think th’ Falcons’ll beat ‘em next time? How many more commercials will we have to watch during a first down spot? Scripted big guy dance, and do you really think any team cannot twice score with three chances inside a nine foot distance? Las Vegas loves a fool.
MTSeats
November 11th, 2012
9:20 pm
A new stadium will fix all..Make everything right.
Atlanta SAINTS Fan
November 11th, 2012
9:20 pm
For all of you Saints haters: “Falcons can’t fly when there is a Brees in the Dome!”. WHO DAT!!!
Todd
November 11th, 2012
9:22 pm
The thing that gets me in the short yardage situation we should use Jason Snelling he is a lot more stronger than Turner also we need to do like other teams get behind Turner push him in the end zone
George
November 11th, 2012
9:23 pm
Said what you want but after watch the game again the Ref’s did what they do to every team who plays in N.O. give them calls they don’t give the other team. The call on the first INT, after saints get ball back and score even O-line run down to congratulate if the isn’t excessive what is. Last pass on the drive where we went for it on forth after turner tippy toes didn’t do squat Matt is pulled down by jersey after he released the ball no call. Doughlas catch the zebra who made the call was behind the play and had no business making it and replay was clear he caught it but called no catch.
moboman
November 11th, 2012
9:23 pm
Turner has no burst up the middle because hes is a good 15-20 pounds overweight. Any stats avail on what he weighed when we signed him? Tired of watching him plod to the line like he is wearing cinderblock cleats. Make him lose some weight!!!!!!
Bobby
November 11th, 2012
9:24 pm
@USMC DAWG: I have lived in Atlanta since 1976 but was raised in Louisiana so I’m still a Saints fan. The other reason I’m a big Saints fan is I’ve been a Georgia Tech fan since moving to Atlanta and the thoughts of cheering for anything red and black upsets my stomach.
GO JACKETS!
GEAUX SAINTS!
TO HELL WITH GEORGIA! (and the Falcons too!)
Great Falconi
November 11th, 2012
9:26 pm
No team, however good or great, can win in a shootout without putting up TDs. The Falcons put together three long and impressive TD drives, but the ones they needed to punch in were left unpunched. The Falcons can be better, but it’s going to take spreading the wealth in the run game (more carries for Rodgers and Snelling) to build some confidence up front. The Saints played the run lanes well, but there were cutback lanes available. Turner could not hit them because he is not quick enough to do so. If nothing else, I think we’ll see a RB drafted pretty high in April. That guy isn’t going to help us now, though. Gotta find something that works in the run game.
MTSeats
November 11th, 2012
9:28 pm
Mike Smith wants a flat team. No up or down, just mechanical (sp).
Steve
November 11th, 2012
9:29 pm
This is why Turner is THE MOST OVERRATED running back in the NFL.
First half
– First drive – 0 yard carry on 1st and goal form the NO 1 yard line
– Second drive – minus 1 yard carry on third and 1 from NO 19
– Fourth drive – minus 1 yard carry on 2nd and goal from the NO 1
Third quarter – 1 carry for 1 yard because the Falcons had given up on him.
Fourth Quarter
– Zero yard carry on first and goal from the NO 5 (led to field goal because we wasted a down and New Orleans knew they could stop the run without even committing safeties or the OLB’s)
– minus 1 yard carry on 3rd and goal from the NO 1
That’s five carries in red zone situations for a grand total of MINUS THREE yards. On top of this, all the passes to TG in the red zone started failing because the Saints will dropping 2-3 LB’s and both safeties into coverage because they knew … absolutely knew … that Turner was useless.
This loss rests entirely on Michael Turner’s shoulders. The Falcons figured out how useless he was in third quarter and went to Rodgers. I know Snelling is banged up, but at this point we need to stop wasting downs on Turner in crucial situations. If Snelling or Smith can’t get the short yards, then give it to Rodgers or go sign Ryan Grant.
I know everyone is worried it will mess with the team ‘fit’, but Turner is a bust. He needs to be released in the off-season.
Steve
November 11th, 2012
9:31 pm
And yes, I know he will probably top 1000 yards again .. but most of his yards are like solo home runs when your team is up by 5 runs in the 8th. If he can’t get the tough yards (and he hasn’t been able to for the last four years) then he is not a #1 tailback.
Eastinfection
November 11th, 2012
9:35 pm
Falcain’ts sinking back down to their rightful birthrate…….Atlanta ……. Loservilee USA
Eastinfection
November 11th, 2012
9:36 pm
Birthright
Eastinfection
November 11th, 2012
9:36 pm
You can’t spell Choke with Matty Ryan
Eastinfection
November 11th, 2012
9:37 pm
without ….. OK Im done with the tequilia for the evening.
Rod
November 11th, 2012
9:37 pm
Come guys, stop it with this Asante Samuel stuff. He did not cause the Falcons to lose this game. If they don’t have Asante, this team will be worse. They lost because of poor tackling, lack of running game, poor defensive calls, and poor offensive calls. U can’t convert fourth and one, third and one, and score on the goal line. Then u continue to put a linebacker on a Tight End. I didn’t see that much pressure on Drew Brees. Did Abraham play today? Where’s that big sorry Edwards? Overpaid. The Falcons will be okay, need to use Rodgers and Snelling more. What happen to the screen and the hurry up offense. I said they will go 15-1, so I’m not concern about this lost. We will see them in 3 weeks.
NA
November 11th, 2012
9:40 pm
At least 9 plays completed and the Falcons win.
But the big one is 4 chances from the 1 yard line with a few minutes on the clock and we have no way to punch in in? Turner looked like he walked up to the line saw no hole and just gave up. Turner the Burner is no longer there. it was more like Turner the Timid———–Also an offensive line should have a surge strong enough to let an old man walk in…… Sad
FalconsfaninAugusta
November 11th, 2012
9:42 pm
Asante didn’t lose this game… that was one 15-yard penalty at the beginning of the game, you idiots. The Falcons still had a 10-0 lead… no, the momentum changer to me came right before the half when Ryan and the Offense had a weak 3-and-out and then the Saints took the lead right before the half. This team needs to keep up the pressure ALL GAME LONG…. and the Offensive line has no confidence that Turner can run the ball so they don’t even block for him.
START QUIZZ AT RB!!!!!
USARMY
November 11th, 2012
9:42 pm
The Falcons are playing good football, I can’t deny that to be 8-1 in the NFL is great. However, they find themselves in the same exact situations when playing the Saints (i.e. 3rd and 1; 4th and 1), its ridiculous that with as big and powerful as a running back like Michael Turner, it seems to be impossible. The Falcons really need to look into this matter and think about departing ways with Turner who in so many cases can’t muster 1 yard. The Falcons will have a great season this year but they have to address this situation. Go Falcons…Rise Up!!!
CGD..
November 11th, 2012
9:43 pm
This bird cant win in the trenches…
These playoff teams will bulldoze the cons….
Seen that B4? Hmmmmmmmm
Hurst
November 11th, 2012
9:44 pm
Drtybyrd, the Saints play the Packers and the 49ers, while the Clowns get the Lions and the Cardinals. Yeah, that’s the exact same.
New Orleans
November 11th, 2012
9:44 pm
Ummm… how about a little help here, guys? At the rate I’m sinking, it’s only a matter of time before the Superdome becomes an aquatic center.
John
November 11th, 2012
9:47 pm
I would like to suggest that true Falcon fans allow the team to work it out. They will work out a way to get the one yard when needed. The same way they will find a way to play enthusiastically with out committing penalties that hurt the team ( Asante and William). Finally, It maybe time to part with Micheal Turner. I love the guy but have had my eye on Steven Jackson of the Rams. A ” Do It All Back that would push the running game over the top.
mark
November 11th, 2012
9:49 pm
Turner is slow to the hole I think we need to put Rodgers in for more running plays and see how he dose. He is a better pass cathcher and get make much better cuts in the open field. Line is not a mauler line but in this league running teams do not win Superbowls but you have to gain a yard. Don’t what the answer is, critics are going to say same old team but lets wait until playoffs. Two teams in NFL history went undefeated.
Turtsnap
November 11th, 2012
9:49 pm
The Longest Yard?
FalconsfaninAugusta
November 11th, 2012
9:53 pm
From ESPN, this just about sums it up:
ut the biggest story out of Sunday might have been that maybe the Falcons are what their critics said: overrated.
Atlanta’s defense looked like it was the one with a chance to be the worst in history. The running game (46 net yards) was pathetic.
All the talk about the Falcons being a different team this year now seems questionable. How are they going to finally win a playoff game when they can’t even beat a division rival that’s having a down year?
moboman
November 11th, 2012
9:56 pm
The 40 yard runs Turner is getting now used to be 60 yards for a touchdown. Hes carying too much junk in the trunk and cant break the long ones for a touchdown anymore. He didnt used to get run down by the defense when he broke one long. And he doesnt get too the hole quickly, on the short yardage plays or build the momentum to hit the line. Needs to get leaner and quicker. 225 pounds on his frame is still plenty of weight and momentum.
mark
November 11th, 2012
9:56 pm
Saints def is bad but our def was not better today, Nolan is getting a lot out of a unit that is still lacking consistent pass rush. Really missed grimes and spoon today I think spoon would have slowed Graham today. Lets get them in our dome with spoon and see what happens.
just sayin'
November 11th, 2012
9:57 pm
george…get real…baker was holding will smith the whole game…and not one holding call…atl got their share of ‘no calls’….
C Bass
November 11th, 2012
9:58 pm
Michael “Conrete Boots” Turner is an absolute failure this year. Why can’t anyone see this?
I was his biggest fan and gave him the benefit of the doubt up until now. He has been abismall and his stats show it. He looks even worse in person. He is slow as dirt and cannot create any momentum to get all that weight working in his favor. Even worse is his decision making on the field. Wide open gaps left and right and he bumps into his own O-Line and falls over like a log.
He’s an anchor for this speed boat and they need to bench him until he loses some weight and gets his quickness back that he was so famous for. Jacquizz taking 15 snaps a game is the answer.
micron
November 11th, 2012
10:05 pm
It was a good game , although it didn’t end the way I wanted it too. However, there are still some things that need to be fixed (like a combination of o-line and running back for short yardage). But I see this lost of more and advantage for the Falcons than a disadvantage. There is lots of pressure building trying to keep a street going. Now we have lost, we can play ball and not wrong about a street. I just hate it was the Saints that slipped by us. Not like we was blown out by the Saints….. It time to get back to work,,,, Goooooooooooo Falcons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
flatsdawg1
November 11th, 2012
10:07 pm
I couldn’t agree more. I am sure it’s obvious to the coaching staff, I mean how many starting backs can you name in the NFL that get 16 yds on 14 carries and keep playing? Is the trade deadline over? Seriously, if they think they can even win one playoff game without running the ball… Please don’t waste an opportunity to get to the super bowl before Tony Gonzalez retires as in this year.
Tommy
November 11th, 2012
10:07 pm
would it kill Koetter to call a toss to quizz on 3rd and goal from the one?? Turner’s burst is completely gone. If the hole is not there he stops. A running back who completely halts his momentum is a sitting duck.
Those who read me on these boards know that I am one of the more optimistic fans. But when douglas went down and created that 2nd and goal from the one, I looked over at my wife and said ‘all I can think of is the overtime loss last year.’
And danged if it didn’t happen again. . . three tries to get three frikkin’ feet
There is nothing more frustrating than an inferior rival JUST BARELY BEATING YOU time after time. . .
SAINTS4SHO
November 11th, 2012
10:08 pm
Them sorry Falcants!!! Better luck next time in a few weeks you sorry ol’ Dirty Birds!!! LOL Who Dat?! We Dat!!!
New Orleans is sinking and I don't want to swim.
November 11th, 2012
10:10 pm
Run it behind Konz like they did when they scored against the Cowgirls. He maintains his blocks and is a Badger….which is nice.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 11th, 2012
10:12 pm
Weird things happen often in division games. This is good for the Falcons in the long run. The pressure to go undefeated is off, the remaining schedule is incredibly easy, and they can cruise to a first-round bye. No need to panic.
Child Please
November 11th, 2012
10:14 pm
Yep wait until y’all get us in the Georgia dome, what if spoon was playing, oh the refs wanted the saints to win, oh it’s not like the saints blew us out, oh we will still win the division, oh the aint’s are the worst defense in the league, the city of new orleans is this and that. You people just don’t quit. Bottom line isthmus saints are better then your team, we are super bowl champions and your team is not. We’ve beat you the last 11 out of 13 games, and the last four in a row. Just shut up with the excuses, you people are starting to sound like spoiled whinney babies.