Live from Tampa Bay: The Falcons seek to Buc(k) a trend
I'm not exactly sure what this evocative image evokes, except a thirst for Gatorade. (AP photo)
Tampa — The Falcons are 9-1, but by my reckoning they’ve played one really good game in their past seven. (The one: At Philadelphia ahead of Hurricane Sandy.) Then again, they’ve won five of those six not-really-good games, so what’s the problem?
This: A team wants to be playing well in December, so as to keep playing well into January/February. The Falcons know this better than anyone, having seen consecutive seasons ended by teams that weren’t, as of Thanksgiving, anywhere near locks to qualify for postseason fun and frolic. We know already that these Falcons will make the playoffs. What we don’t know is if they’ll fare any better once there.
Today marks Game 1 of a loaded (and shortened) week. They play the Buccaneers, who’ve won four in a row, and then they play the Saints, who’ve won five of six, on Thursday night. Sweep the week and we won’t be quibbling, at least not so much. Get swept and the carping will be unconfined.
Confession: A couple of weeks back, I suggested this would be the venue for the Falcons’ first loss. As we know, the Saints interceded. Part of me thinks the Falcons are pointing toward this game as another checkpoint, same as they were the game in Philly. Then again, they wanted badly to win in the Superdome, and they didn’t. So here’s what I’m saying, kind of:
If the Falcons are as good as they (and I) think they are, they’ll win this one. But they can’t beat Tampa Bay by half-stepping, or by turning it over six times. They’ll have to play well, and it has been a while since they’ve managed that.
Whatever happens, I’ll be here to watch and comment, and I’d appreciate the company. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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1,274 comments Add your comment
phil
November 25th, 2012
3:07 pm
Babineaux……nice.
Randy14
November 25th, 2012
3:07 pm
You don’t take control of the game and this is what happens…..no killer instinct in this team
JSS
November 25th, 2012
3:07 pm
Cannon fire
Augusta
November 25th, 2012
3:07 pm
they’re killing our pass defense…
tyler
November 25th, 2012
3:07 pm
Definitely one of these games where we’ll look back at all the opportunities we didn’t cash in on- Smith will tell us that they are all “fixable” but we will do the exact same thing the following week.
phil
November 25th, 2012
3:08 pm
Dumta….
JSS
November 25th, 2012
3:08 pm
Samuel hurt too
phil
November 25th, 2012
3:08 pm
Now Samuel is hurt….
Sigh.
Mark Bradley
November 25th, 2012
3:08 pm
Quarter ends, and the game’s getting good
phil
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
I’ve seen about enough of this crap defense…..an absolute joke.
tmc
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
Can we please Draft, trade or sign players who actually use the arms and hands to tackle instead of their head, shoulder or body’s?
Until that changes, this defense aint stoppin anybody.
falconinduluth
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
Secondary is retired on the job today.
Augusta
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
I really LOVE this time…but right now they’re showing nothing–no spirit, no fire, no stand capacity…
Your Comment is awaiting moderation
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
Interesting turn of events.
Augusta
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
meant ‘team”
Pigskin
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
TB was playing possum in the first half.
We’re gonna get killed.
Riggins
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
checkmate: 2 covers corners-out.
playmeortrademe
November 25th, 2012
3:09 pm
Falcons don’t seem to be doing much to disprove their naysayers on this drive by Tampa. Soft.
SOS Falcons
November 25th, 2012
3:10 pm
Defense obviously sux.
DawgNole
November 25th, 2012
3:10 pm
Augusta
November 25th, 2012
3:07 pm
they’re killing our pass defense…
________________
. . . and our rush defense.
DawgPrint
November 25th, 2012
3:10 pm
It’s a process folks…..
ramblinwreck80
November 25th, 2012
3:10 pm
whoever the “color” guy is…would be nice if he would curtail his enthusiasm for the Bucs…
JSS
November 25th, 2012
3:10 pm
And 4 days before the Saints, DBs are falling like flies at the Varsity!!!
SOS Falcons
November 25th, 2012
3:10 pm
Loss #2 coming soon. NFL today guys are right.
hit a single
November 25th, 2012
3:11 pm
No leader on D. We need a Tommy Nobis type player.
Riggins
November 25th, 2012
3:11 pm
defense is playing soft like butter. we better score a td just to stay above water. we are about to scored on.
dean
November 25th, 2012
3:11 pm
Anybody left who can play defense?
me
November 25th, 2012
3:11 pm
No pass rush plus no run support up the middle equals bad.
Augusta
November 25th, 2012
3:11 pm
TB’s gonna score, we just need to go back down and score again and then hold…
Mark Bradley
November 25th, 2012
3:11 pm
Cannon fire. Touchdown.
Lil' Barry Bailout
November 25th, 2012
3:12 pm
No problem in short yardage situation.
JSS
November 25th, 2012
3:12 pm
The Pirate ship is on fire again!
J.J.M.
November 25th, 2012
3:12 pm
defense sucks…dont know why the coaching staff not even giving sidbury a chance to play
Augusta
November 25th, 2012
3:12 pm
Gosh, this hurts…getting too old for all this stress
MFranklin
November 25th, 2012
3:12 pm
I know this will sound bitter (and I am) but… TB is NOT that good. We are just not that good… at times, either. We look beat-up and tired.
Old Man Peabody
November 25th, 2012
3:12 pm
Come on Falcons, if you want respect you have to beat a team with a winning record.
DawgNole
November 25th, 2012
3:12 pm
DawgPrint
November 25th, 2012
3:10 pm
It’s a process folks…..
__________________
And a long one at that. 46 yrs long so far.
SOS Falcons
November 25th, 2012
3:13 pm
Choking days back in Atlanta. I guess the worst we can be is 9 and 7.
hit a single
November 25th, 2012
3:13 pm
They look so much more physical than the Falcons. That is why we struggle in the playoffs. Not physical enough!
Mark Bradley
November 25th, 2012
3:13 pm
Samuel: Shoulder injury.
Robinson: Head.
Returns questionable. That’s the starting corners, folks
curious george
November 25th, 2012
3:13 pm
Has anyone figured out why Witherspoon was 20 yards down field trying to run with a slot receiver?
stephen
November 25th, 2012
3:13 pm
i said it during the saints game, The Falcons would loose the rest of their division games and finish 11-5 and miss the playoffs. Tampa will be the divisional winner.
Saints R.E.A.M.
November 25th, 2012
3:13 pm
That quick TD by Julio put the defense right back out there….they will be gassed if the Falcons don’t put a time consuming drive together.
Roy
November 25th, 2012
3:14 pm
Falcons will continue to struggle until they find a killer instinct.
Charles Davis
November 25th, 2012
3:14 pm
I’m the “color” guy and I’m damn near an idiot too.
Randy14
November 25th, 2012
3:14 pm
THis drive is the game….short and simple
dean
November 25th, 2012
3:14 pm
Falcons are making optimism difficult today
Section 212
November 25th, 2012
3:14 pm
Okay, I’ve had enough of our offense.we were aggressive on the Julio touchdown, then we come back conservative and give the ball right back to then after the defense makes a stop. That last TD is on Dirk and his poor play calling this game. Stay aggressive, give a dang about “running down the clock” plays in the 3rd qtr. Run and throw to the edges, forget about the center of the Bucs defense. Sit Turner.
MFranklin
November 25th, 2012
3:14 pm
After this, we get to play the Saints on the holy-of-holys NFL Network on Thursday… so if you think this team is tired now…
ryan2atl
November 25th, 2012
3:15 pm
Atl. just doesn’t have a championship D