The Falcons win the kind of game they’ll play in January
Jacquizz Rodgers, shown gaining actual rushing yards. (AP photo)
Tampa – The 8-0 start was nice, but we all know the Atlanta Falcons won’t be judged on what they did in September, or November. Heck, even Mike Smith, the buttoned-up coach, spoke these words in August: “When we get there (meaning the playoffs), we’ve got to play better football.”
We can’t know how these Falcons — or those Packers or Patriots or any team — will fare in the playoffs until 2013 arrives, but we have a bit better feel about the local franchise today. The Falcons just left here having won a game that wouldn’t have seemed out of place if you stuck it in January. They played a hot team. They fell behind three times. They won 24-23.
They won with a sprinkling of flash — the 80-yard pass to Julio Jones that overrode a Tampa Bay lead in 11 seconds — but mostly they won with force, and that was a heartening sign. This team had risen to 8-0 and then 9-1 without doing much in the way of running the ball or stopping the run. On Sunday they did both. They nudged the NFL’s No. 1 rushing defense for 79 vital ground yards, and they limited the splendid Doug Martin to 50 yards on 21 carries.
Afterward linebacker Sean Weatherspoon would dismiss Martin as just “a rookie running back,” but Weatherspoon was laughing and playing to a gaggle of fellow linebackers in the corner of a festive locker room.
“He said it!” Stephen Nicholas said. “You write it!” (Done, sir.)
Said Weatherspoon: “Mike Peterson got the stop!”
Said Nicholas: “Yeah, Mike Pete!”
In a game that featured a dozen massive plays, the aging Mike Peterson’s second-quarter takedown of the rookie running back ranked near the top. The Falcons had just been smacked on consecutive downs: The similarly aging Ronde Barber had intercepted yet another Matt Ryan pass, and Buc receiver Mike Williams had thrown a deep ball to Buc receiver Vincent Jackson, who was halted by Nicholas at the Falcons’ 3. On third-and-goal from the 1, Martin ran left and had only Peterson, who’s 36, to beat. Peterson grabbed him and hung on.
That was the game in miniature. One side would make a play, and the other would counter. The Falcons countered last and hardest. Said Weatherspoon: “We were able to show our DNA again … Whenever there was a sudden change (meaning a turnover), we showed our defensive resiliency.”
Twice the Bucs took the ball beyond midfield off Ryan turnovers. Twice the defense controlled the damage, yielding a field goal each time. And when the Falcons nosed ahead by a point with 7:55 remaining, the D — by then working with two banged-up cornerbacks, Dunta Robinson having suffered a head injury and Asante Samuel lugging a bum arm — forced Tampa Bay to try a 56-yard field goal that had no chance.
Then it was down to the offense to kill the final 3:55, and it burned off all but eight seconds. Three runs — the first a 14-yard burst by the backup Jacquizz Rodgers — took the game beyond the two-minute warning, and a nerveless Ryan completion to Roddy White on third-and-five all but sealed the deal. Said guard Justin Blalock: “When we needed to run and control the clock, we did a fair job of nearly running the clock out.”
The Falcons didn’t push Tampa Bay backwards, but they did run the ball when they needed to run it, which is what Smith has said was the idea all along. Why run so much against an opponent that was No. 1 against the run but dead last against the pass? Smith: “We felt like we needed to try it, and we felt like we could do it, too.”
This was far better than the 46 yards rushing this team managed in the loss to the defenseless Saints two weeks earlier. This was good enough to make Sunday one of the two or three victories this 10-win team has seen. “It felt like we played pretty decent,” center Todd McClure said. “Not great, but this is definitely a better feeling.”
And now the Falcons get the Saints again, this time in the Georgia Dome on Thursday night, and they welcome the opportunity. They won here on a day when the outcome was in doubt until the final whistle, and they’ll have to win more such games if they plan to play into February. “It was a playoff atmosphere,” said general manager Thomas Dimitroff, and for once the Falcons held steady in the rarefied air.
Said Peterson: “That was coach Smith’s message all week: ‘Don’t blink.’ He talked to us about not getting down and not pointing fingers when they made a big play. And when you go on the road and beat a hot team in its place, you can take that win and use it as momentum.”
It sounds a little odd, given that the Falcons have played 11 games and lost only once, but as December awaits they were in need of a kick-start. They might have gotten it here.
Further reading: On the shifty Jacquizz Rodgers and the shifting Mike Smith.
By Mark Bradley
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166 comments Add your comment
St Simons
November 25th, 2012
8:04 pm
ok, Thursday – you can put it away Thursday. Will they?
we got 45 years of data, whataya think?
kingdaddy
November 25th, 2012
8:06 pm
The worst case scenario was a hail-mary into the endzone caught for a Bucs td or a pass interference penalty against Atl. giving them a FG attempt from the 2. A game can’t end on a penalty. Coffin corner punt or punt into endzone and bring it out to 20. It worked anyway, we won. There’s many ways to skin a cat…
iBALL
November 25th, 2012
8:20 pm
Looking like a 1st round and done team now. Stumbling through wins now with no killer instinct on defense. No running game and can not stop the run or pass. Unfortunately, they don’t get much respect for being 10-1, BUT??
Answer This
November 25th, 2012
8:21 pm
Worst case scenario…. a loss!
We won…..all that matters lets celebrate tonight and get ready for Thursday
Ed
November 25th, 2012
8:21 pm
Great win Falcons, let’s get ready for Thursday and go on and clinch the division.
Big Crimson 75
November 25th, 2012
8:24 pm
Rodney Harrison couldn’t catch himself in a lie on National TV tonight.
Falcon fans are texting Harrison telling him we don’t deserve to be 10&1??!!
Lies lies lies.
Turtsnap
November 25th, 2012
8:25 pm
Give more carries to Quiz! He atleast makes people miss. And give more to Snelling too!
Lil' Barry Bailout
November 25th, 2012
8:28 pm
The Falcons win the kind of game they’ll play in January
6:00 pm November 25, 2012, by Mark Bradley
————————-
Too bad it wasn’t against the kind of TEAM they’ll play in January.
The Truth
November 25th, 2012
8:28 pm
Sorry Tampa Bay…. you were the hottest team in the NFL at 12:59pm EST, but since you lost to the Falcons… you’re now just mediocre and were playing over your abilities. I read it on the internet, so it’s gotta be true.
rod
November 25th, 2012
8:36 pm
PLEASE, PLEASE FALCONS FAN, IT’S TIME TO MAKE THE DOME VERY, VERY, NOISY!!! WE NEED TO BE THE 12TH MAN ON THURSDAY AND BEYOND. These guys said in the last game that they own the FALCONS!!! THE MEDIA ISN’T RESPECTING THE FALCONS, SO IT’S TIME FOR THE PEOPLE OF ATLANTA TO RISE UP!!!! WE NEED NOISE THROUGHOUT THE GAME!!! I BELIEVE SOMETHING SPECIAL IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, SO LET’S GO. TWO GREAT GAMES IN THE DOME THIS WEEK, THE FALCONS AND AINTS, AND BULLDOGS AND BAMA!!! COME ON ATLANTA, WE NEED TO SHOW EVERYONE ELSE WHO WE ARE!!!!! GO FALCONS AND GO BULLDOGS!!! WHAT A WEEK FOR FOOTBALL, AND THE STATE OF GEORGIA. I EXPECT GEORGIA TO WIN AND BEAT NOTRE DAME, AND I EXPECT TO SEE THE FALCONS IN NEW ORLEANS ONE MORE TIME, HOLDING THAT TROPHY. I told my coworkers and friends at the beginning of the season the FALCONS will finish 15-1, winning the SUPERBOWL!!!! We’re almost there!!! RISE UP ATLANTA, RISE UP!!!!!! BY the way, please tell Coach Smith and staff to use Rodgers more. He’s faster and quicker than Turner. He didn’t need to be out of the game when were trying to put them away.
cruzin
November 25th, 2012
8:39 pm
I want to know who that gorgeous blonde was walking next to Mike Smith when they went to the locker room at half time!
Falcon fan 24-7
November 25th, 2012
8:39 pm
A tough division win, whew. Now, on to the next one.
al
November 25th, 2012
8:39 pm
BRYANT WILL BE FINE. JUST HAD A BAD GAME I HOPE. REMEMBER THOSE TERRIBLE TIMES WITH JASON ELAM?BRYANT HAS BEEN A GOD SEND FOR US. CUT BACK ON TURNERS PLAYING TIME AND I THINK WE WILL BE A CONTENDER.
LDawg
November 25th, 2012
8:46 pm
Agree with Rod – you know what the first headline I saw was? “Atlanta Escapes Again” Apparently it’s never enough.
DWinAtl
November 25th, 2012
8:49 pm
The oddest thing of the day was the clock wind down just before the half. That was the kind of thing you do when you don’t have confidence that your defense can make a stop or that your offense can make the first. It was bizarre, and if Ryan had that 30 seconds back, he would have put it in the end zone.
Iluvnutella
November 25th, 2012
8:50 pm
Glad they won, but I see holes in the D to drive a truck through. Asante isnt as good as advertised. Daunte isnt all that either. And our Ilb’s cant cover the TE. Other than that….we be pretty good.
M
November 25th, 2012
8:51 pm
Man the Falcons have Got to Beat the saints. I too am Tired of the Media guys picking against the Birds saying they will lose. We have Got to beat the S##T out of the saints. Turner please run harder Man. This can be done, the entire NFL is weak, Rise UP!!!!
Paul
November 25th, 2012
8:52 pm
All the Fox analysts picked Atlanta to lose. And everyone will continue to do so until the Super Bowl. To hell with them. Falcons always do just enough to win…and that will continue. They would have beaten the Saints if the OC didn’t rely on Turner. That’s the main lesson to be learned: Don’t lean on Turner, and then we have a chance to win. Lean on Turner…then forget it.
kingdaddy
November 25th, 2012
8:57 pm
The win today was against a good Tampa club and a hostile enviroment. Everything clicked pretty good. We are lucky to have White, Jones & Gonzales, all great targets and hard to cover. Ryan made some percision throws. Defense is above average…
M
November 25th, 2012
9:07 pm
Historically the “Falcons” have “Owned” the saints 46 games to 41. Check it out on Google records. Time to keep owning these cheating Superbowl winners. Rise up!! Let’s be the New Lord of the Rings!!!!!!!!
Steve Wills
November 25th, 2012
9:12 pm
Do we have to use Drive Killa 33 so much? Its embarassing to watch him fall down when he gets touch in the feet, and watch Rogers run through people.
LOL at The Aints
November 25th, 2012
9:20 pm
LOL! Nice win today, Lets keep it going.
jgsbirds
November 25th, 2012
9:41 pm
the blonde was a friend of mine named laura okmin. she is a sideline reporter for fox…did a pretty good job today.
Paul
November 25th, 2012
9:43 pm
I tell ya…I’m reading all the national reports on the game, and it’s all criticism of the Falcons. Nothing but criticism. Obviously the Falcons have holes and warts, but they must be the most criticized 10-1 team in the history of the NFL.
Let me tell ya… if the Patriots or Packers were 10-1 with the same issues, they would be universally praised throughout the land .
Ghost of the Thrashers
November 25th, 2012
9:49 pm
For all of you homers questioning kingdaddy, have any of you ever heard of a damn pooch kick to the sideline? No way you kick that FG from there with the possibility of a PI call that would give them a chip shot FG attempt to win. Make them go as far as possible to win the game, period.
Jaded
November 25th, 2012
10:00 pm
As flawed as this team is, we’re putting ourselves in a position where we’ll only need to win two home games to get to the Super Bowl.
Matchups are the key. We need to be pulling hard for Green Bay to win their division and get a top-3 seed. I don’t care how they look tonight, they’re still the scariest potential opponent in the NFC. I’d much rather play the Bears or anyone else in that round.
If we have to play the Packers, I want it to be in the NFC championship. I’d feel better about our chances against them if Ryan and Smitty have the playoff monkey off their backs.
Regardless, we just have to win, no matter whom we face. Like Tony Dungy said: No excuses, no explanations.
ryan p
November 25th, 2012
10:16 pm
i think the fg attempt was fine cause a punt would have been about the same time taken off and maybe it goes into the end zone. so a net gain of like 15 yards. with 8 seconds left, the fg was the smart move. i just worry about injuries and ryans to’s. 7 over the past 2 games yet they won. Do that against a top team and they get blown out. Like the giants.
Bill
November 25th, 2012
10:20 pm
We will know how good the falcons are thursday and when they play the giants.
Behind enemy lines
November 25th, 2012
10:27 pm
You guys are hilarious! You nitpick end of game situations and call it bad coaching by Coach Smith. How about the game plan that bottled up Tampa’s running game – was that bad coaching too? Did we actually run the ball against a top ranked running D? With all that bad coaching how did we survive two turnovers and win? Some of y’all are overly pompous focusing on a piece of tree bark and forgetting that in the forest the Birds are in they are 10 and 1,,
Behind enemy lines
November 25th, 2012
10:27 pm
You guys are hilarious! You nitpick end of game situations and call it bad coaching by Coach Smith. How about the game plan that bottled up Tampa’s running game – was that bad coaching too? Did we actually run the ball against a top ranked running D? With all that bad coaching how did we survive two turnovers and win? Some of y’all are overly pompous focusing on a piece of tree bark and forgetting that in the forest the Birds are in they are 10 and 1,,
TN Jeff
November 25th, 2012
10:30 pm
Perhaps someone has mentioned this BUT it frustrated me when the Falcons let the clock run down in the closing moments of the first half as part of their strategy to keep Tampa Bay from having time to score. Because of that decision, the Falcons ran out of time and had to kick a field goal on 3rd down rather than take one more shot at scoring a touchdown from inside the 10. Nobody on TV mentioned this but to me this was terrible clock management and showed no faith in their defense.
Laughing out Loud
November 25th, 2012
10:34 pm
Well, Growler, you stick to your guns…I’ve marked your words the poor clock management will come back to bite the Falcons come January. We’ll see. However, seems even with poor play calling, clock management etc, that a 10 – 1 record seems pretty special! I’ll take that and keep on taking them one game at a time and let January take care of it’s self. Go Falcons!
Laughing out Loud
November 25th, 2012
10:43 pm
Paul, who gives a rip about natioal commentors? It will take a long time fiull of successes for the Falcons to be media darings. Both the Packers and New England have a better than average history of winning. So give our birds some time…with TD and Coach Smith…national acl;aim will eventually come…But who gives a rip! Enjoy the Falcons! Go Falcons!
B'Red
November 25th, 2012
10:43 pm
Glad to see the defense step up today, but we’re going to have to come up with a way to put pressure on Drew Breese to beat the Saints on Thursday night. Also get Quizz involved more in the offense. He had a good game today.
JSS
November 25th, 2012
10:52 pm
“but they must be the most criticized 10-1 team in the history of the NFL.”
Nope, that was the 1995 Kansas City Chiefs… Everyone except for the Chiefs fans was waiting for Marty’s team to implode, and true to form, they did!!!
Sbgt92
November 25th, 2012
11:04 pm
Very satisfying to watch Saints lose, but a 49er loss would have actually been better for us. They’re still 1.5 back for home field advantage. Anyway, we can only control what we can control.
Growler
November 25th, 2012
11:12 pm
LOL, I hope you are right! It’s funny that I get called a hater. If anything, I am frustrated because I WANT the Falcons to win it all! (I’ve been to every home playoff game in the Dome dating back to the Niners game in the ‘98 season, and hope to keep that string going). It is true in football there are no style points and 10-1 is 10-1! In fact, it was a very impressive win considering the situation: road division game against a team that’s won 5 straight. But I see every week M. Smith do something wonky, and today took the cake. No other coach in their right mind (and there are a few not of right mind, I guess) would call for a pass attempt in THAT situation: with 62 seconds to go and the other team out of timeouts on the plus side of the field. I am so glad it worked out and we can leave it at that. I hope I am wrong about something bad happening in January and I’ll leave THAT at that for the rest of the season. But: I don’t get why Mark B. didn’t mention it. I wonder if it has to do with getting pilloried for [correctly] calling out Smith for not going for 2 against the Saints. Given the events at the end of the first half, as well, I think Smith got a free pass today. But as you say: 10-1! And onward….
JSS
November 25th, 2012
11:26 pm
Growler, if you want to see some eerily similar stuff, go look at 1995 Chiefs… It is like a mirror…
around town
November 25th, 2012
11:41 pm
I agree with Growler (from quite some time ago). The 3rd down pass with 1:02 left (just before the ill-advised FG attempt) was a very risky play which could have resulted in the Bucs having at least two more plays to get the ball into FG range at the end. My thought at the time was the CMS must have been trying to catch them by surprise — since no one ever dreamed the Falcons would pass — and thereby pick up the FD and ice the game. I’m going to to hold on to that theory as it gives Coach Smith additional credence, IMO.
Growler
November 25th, 2012
11:42 pm
I’ll check it out JSS. Oh, and for anyone so inclined:
The Falcons clinch the division (and a home playoff game) with a win against the Saints Thursday and a Tampa Bay loss or tie, or a tie and a Tampa Bay loss. Good night all,
Growler
November 25th, 2012
11:47 pm
Trying this again: I’ll check out the ‘95 Chiefs, thanks for the heads-up. And for anyone so inclined:
The Falcons clinch the division (and a home playoff game) with a win against the Saints Thursday and a Tampa Bay loss or tie, or a tie and a Tampa Bay loss. Good night all.
LOL at the Aints
November 26th, 2012
12:04 am
JSS, are you talking to yourself again, LOL
JSS
November 26th, 2012
12:50 am
@ 12:04AM
No misanthrope, that would be you and your usual babble of pecking for blog battles… Enjoy your short 3 day lead up to the Saints… Funny, the Niners did what a good team should and left no doubt that they could in hostile territory… So, why couldn’t your anointed team pull that off with all of those weapons? No back and forth this time, I enjoyed the Grey Cup and then Sunday Football too much to get into some pissing contest with your colostomy bag mind….
Will F.
November 26th, 2012
1:28 am
JSS a hostile Jacket…or an AINT? lmao
SR
November 26th, 2012
2:05 am
Did anyone else notice that Turner actually accelerated on the toss play on which he scored as opposed to his standard plodding, hoping, searching style?? Damn, if he ran like that more often, perhaps he might gain more than a yard per carry. If he doesn’t, he remains the most worthless running back in the league by a long shot. Slow, slower, slowest.
Bruce Raglin in HI.
November 26th, 2012
2:06 am
Wow 10 and 1 just need to work on short-yardage situations pass rush needs to improve. we beat a hot-team at home stopped the run THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE FALCON GO TEAM CMS is doing a great job.
todd
November 26th, 2012
2:12 am
You guys like to nitpick stuff… There were several options Smith could have chose at the end of the game. Each had it’s advantages and disadvantages. I was thinking punt but there really wasn’t a clear cut answer and in the end I can’t fault the guy for his decision. However, if Smith wasn’t good at clock management, theres no way they win so many close games.. And who gives a crap about the penalty on the challenge flag the week before.. Happened to another team the very same week.
Dr. Warren
November 26th, 2012
2:47 am
Falcons are 10-1. We are getting Braves-fan-level spoiled complaining about it, but somehow, they do in fact look shaky.
rufus
November 26th, 2012
3:51 am
I assume Bryant is not a fast runner, and with a back issue the following scenario is most unlikely. But, assume either the holder on the FG attempt or Bryant just took off toward the Buc’s goal line or otherwise run haphazardly all over creation. Just don’t get in Buc’s FG range.
Chances are he could have run out the clock. That would have been too hilarious.
I suggested this “strategy” to my son during the game. He said it was a crazy idea.
Anyway, we should have done something, anything, to preclude that Hail Mary.
On the shifty Jacquizz Rodgers and the shifting Mike Smith | Mark Bradley
November 26th, 2012
5:26 am
[...] This post is an adjunct to the game column, which can be found here. [...]