In losing a nothing game, the Falcons risked losing far more
Presenting the scariest sight of a mostly sublime regular season. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
For the coach of a team that cannot improve its playoff positioning, there’s no right way to approach a game that doesn’t matter. If you rest your starters, you chance an edge being lost. If you play them, you leave yourself open to the vagaries of football. Mike Smith stated his intentions — the Falcons would play to win — and stuck to his word. Give him that, if nothing else.
With 11:42 remaining in the regular season, the Falcons’ only real pass rusher was helped from the field after getting tangled with teammate Peria Jerry. John Abraham exited with a bad ankle, and right about here folks stopped seeing Smith as the coach who can’t get it right on fourth-and-1 and started castigating him as the guy who’d sacrificed a key asset in a game of no value.
Already cornerback Dunta Robinson had been taken the locker room with an injury — he’d led with his head yet again — and Asante Samuel, the other corner, had done his weekly limp-off-and-return. Matt Ryan, on whom everything depends, had absorbed a series of frightful hits. And all this for what? To finish 14-2, as opposed to 13-3? To win a game whose result would be forgotten 10 seconds after the final whistle?
“It’s up to the coach,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said, speaking of the approach to such a negligible game. “He told us what his plans were. It was no secret. We just got beat.”
The Falcons played to win and lost anyway. No big deal. What could be a huge deal is if the availability of Abraham and/or Robinson for the playoff opener is compromised by the injuries sustained in Game 16.
Of Abraham, Smith said: “The early report is that it’s minor. We’re not overly concerned … Tomorrow we’ll know a whole lot more.”
Of Robinson: “Dunta, I think, will be fine.”
Then this: “We’ve got two weeks. That’s why we play these 16 games, to get that bye. There’s a big advantage not having to line up in six or seven days and go play in the second season.”
Since the Falcons convened in July, they’ve known that nothing they accomplished in this regular season — even if they wound up with the NFL’s best record, which is what happened — would register if they can’t win a playoff game. That’s what made Sunday’s doings so weird: With the precious playoffs almost at hand, they got caught up in the meaningless.
The good news was that neither injury appears as bad as it might have been. “I’m fine,” Robinson said in the locker room. “But they’ve (meaning publicists, citing a team rule about injured players giving interviews) gagged me.”
Privately, Falcons officials were relieved that Abraham’s ankle left ankle didn’t swell. But the left ankle is rather essential for a right defensive end, and the Falcons will need Abraham at full gallop if they’re to win the Super Bowl.
Said free safety Thomas DeCoud: “That’s one guy you definitely don’t want getting hurt.”
Asked about the insistence on playing the starters the entire game, DeCoud said: “It’s a Catch-22. If you play them and somebody gets hurt, everyone points the finger.”
The belief here is that Smith dared too greatly, that he assumed way too much risk for very little reward. In his defense, history offers little guidance on the issue of regular-season momentum vis-a-vis postseason success.
The past two Super Bowl champs (Packers and Giants) had to win Games 15 and 16 just to reach the postseason, and neither had a Round 1 bye. The 2009 Saints lost their final three regular-season games and still won the Super Bowl. The 2007 Patriots went flat-out in their regular-season finale against the Giants to get to 16-0 but were beaten in the Super Bowl by the same Giants. The 2005 Colts were 14-0 but chose to play Peyton Manning sparingly in Games 15 and 16 (losing both) and were ousted in their first playoff game.
To no great surprise, the Falcons appeared caught between Sunday. They weren’t quite sure how hard to try, so they wound up falling 13 points behind a Tampa Bay team that hadn’t won since Nov. 18. The inevitable — inevitable when you consider that Ryan took every offensive snap — rally fell a touchdown short.
Again, no big deal. And it’s possible that Sunday’s injuries won’t amount to much and the Flowery Branch Birds will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy five weeks hence. Still, a game of no consequence needn’t have spawned such drama.
“I didn’t even see John,” Jerry said, speaking of his collision with Abraham. “I heard him make an unusual noise and turned to see him holding his ankle.”
It isn’t known whether Mike Smith, seeing the same image, likewise made a noise. We can, however, guess what his words might have been.
Further reading: As for the game itself, it was pretty crummy, too.
By Mark Bradley
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321 comments Add your comment
Big Crimson 75
December 30th, 2012
7:24 pm
No one hits those slants better than GB.
Moorman
December 30th, 2012
7:24 pm
What decision? You dont play your starters the whole game in a meaningless game……
Tron5000
December 30th, 2012
7:26 pm
Oh boo hoo. These are grown men who get paid to play football; make them play football.
If we had to play next week I might agree that it would have been prudent to rest some players, but they’re already gonna have 2 weeks off. My opinion is that it would be better for them to make plays at game speed today than sit on the sideline in bubble wrap in fear of injury.
Requiem Queen
December 30th, 2012
7:26 pm
Are you watching Vikings/Packers game ? A. Rodgers unstoppable with no pass rush on him. Even C.Ponder playing well with no pass rush on him. Which ever team Falcons face doesn’t matter. All teams in playoffs will stop Falcons pass rush and pick Falcons secondary apart. Face it homers.
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
7:26 pm
Refs are giving the Packers late Christmas gifts……………..hehehehe
BIGDAWGFAN
December 30th, 2012
7:27 pm
thanks Kugs I could not have said it better
Joe Blpow
December 30th, 2012
7:28 pm
Shows just how dumb Spike Lee really is. His ancestors were not “stolen” from Africa. They were sold into slavery by his other “ancestors”. He would best honor them by getting his history right.
Falcons 1 and done, lol.
Hillbilly D
December 30th, 2012
7:28 pm
What they don’t know is whether their coach really means it when he says publicly that he wants to win the game and if he says he does, then they can’t help but wonder why would he believe such a thing.
Well, I’m just guessing like everybody else but my guess would be he told them, in the locker room, exactly what he expected. NFL players are big boys and they are well aware that coaches/players/GMs, etc. say one thing for public consumption and something else in house. That’s just big time sports and I think most of them take what they see in the paper, with a grain of salt.
Buck Belue once commented on Vince Dooley’s style. Vince was well known for talking up how good his opponent was and how UGA would have to play a perfect game to even compete. According to Buck (and others), that was all for public consumption and Vince often said something quite different to the team. That’s just the way the game is played.
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
7:29 pm
Packers got a touchdown on a genuine Fumble……..thanks to the refs
Packers got two pass interference calls on this last drive to to it up……………..thanks to the refs
There is a Santy Claus……………………………………
robert
December 30th, 2012
7:30 pm
it doesnt really matter we cant stop the run and we cant stop the pass we cant get off the field on third down so it really doesnt matter does it?
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
7:31 pm
nawwwww……….Falcons won’t go one n done this year……………they will play at least in the NFC Title Game………………
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:32 pm
Kugs
December 30th, 2012
7:19 pm
Lots of Monday morning quarterbacking going on in the comments above. Who, in their right mind, would be calling for the head of Mike Smith as Falcons coach? The man has brought us a winning program! Out of all of the shoulda-coulda-woulda comments, how many of you were on the field today? That’s what I thought.
Have you ever considered that maybe the reason the Falcons have never won a Super Bowl is the fact that their fan base is so weak? It’s time to “Rise Up” and get behind the Falcons! Let’s show the world we’re a first class city, proud of our team and grateful for our top notch players and coaches!
**********
the fan base is so weak….
That’s it!!! Good grief. Where do people who really think stuff like this come from?
VFP42
December 30th, 2012
7:33 pm
If they woulda had been playing in a new intractable roof stadium they woulda had won right?
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:34 pm
Fire someone!!
Hillbilly D
December 30th, 2012
7:35 pm
Have you ever considered that maybe the reason the Falcons have never won a Super Bowl is the fact that their fan base is so weak?
I, for one, don’t think the fans have anything to do with what takes place on the field, as much as they’d like to think otherwise.
DawgNole
December 30th, 2012
7:36 pm
Bradley: “The Falcons played to win and lost anyway. No big deal.”
_____________________
And THAT is the problem with this city’s pro teams and too many of its fans–losing is “no big deal.”
No wonder they call us “Losersville.”
All I'm Saying Is....
December 30th, 2012
7:37 pm
Kugs: “Have you ever considered that maybe the reason the Falcons have never won a Super Bowl is the fact that their fan base is so weak?” Are you nuts? Do you realize the Super Bowl is not a home game? Does the name Eugene Robinson mean anything to you? We lost the Super Bowl at the end of 1998 season because of Eugene’s extracurricular activities blowing up everyone’s preparation and the fact that basically we picked the last game of the season to play our worst game of the year. None of which had anything to do with fan support.
And in all the years before that under the Smith family ownership (also known as the dumbest owners ever), they were rarely smart enough to hire a good coach and did so maybe three times: Leeman Bennett, Norm Van Brocklin, and Dan Reeves would be my picks. Most of the rest of them—Norb Hecker, Pat Peppler, Marion Campbell, June Jones, Jerry Glanville—were awful or gimmicky.
And Arthur Blank has had his misfires too. First, he forced Dan Reeves out which was a mistake using the year Vick got hurt in pre-season as a pretense for needing to do so. Blank also hired the idiot and phony by the name of Jim Mora Jr. (and don’t forget Petrino).
So, please stop smoking whatever you are having or share it with me, as the Atlanta Falcons fans have supported this team since 1966 despite having maybe 10-12 seasons when doing so didn’t mean getting laughed at.
LET’S GO FALCONS!
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:37 pm
VFP42 – exactly right
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
7:37 pm
The fan base is weak because the Falcons play weak when the drum roll begins……………………………Just a thought here……..” what if the Falcons make it to the Superbowl and wind up playing the Broncos in it again………….Deja vu All over again? ” as in ” 98 ”
This is a good ballgame with the Pack and the Vikings…………………………
JSS
December 30th, 2012
7:43 pm
If fan bases meant that much, Kansas City, Cleveland, Seattle, and Philly would never not play in the Super Bowl!
Birdhouse
December 30th, 2012
7:46 pm
Sorry performance. Sure haven’t looked like a 13-3 team lately, going back to the close New Orleans game. Championship contenders finish like Denver and step on the gas. Not surprised we get no respect.
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:46 pm
Dawgnole – good luck ever getting Bradley to understand why saying stuff like that upsets some of us.
He gets paid, win or lose. I guess i can see why he doesn’t care.
Mr. Mustard
December 30th, 2012
7:47 pm
Its not just the losses, its the way we lose.
Today, everyone is saying the team was lackluster at first and had to turn it on, and obviously not enough.
We lost to Tampa on a meaningless game. So, we played our best and lost? Not good guys.
It happens too much with this team where we “let down” against a “lessor opponent”.
We have won ZERO Superbowls, and only ONE NFC title in how many years, and we are cocky enough to take anything for granted?
That is coaching’s fault, and our coach is Mike Smith.
I was shocked last year at the level of play last year against the Giants.
If the Falcons’ are overwhelmed again this year in the playoffs, then I say it will be time to replace Smith. Today was weird, and it should not have been. We are the best in the NFC, go out and play hard, or rest the guys.
Geez!
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
7:47 pm
wow, Peterson was 9 yards short of a record and the field goal kicker had to make it to get the win to keep it out of overtime so they would make the playoffs………………
Requiem Queen
December 30th, 2012
7:48 pm
If you can’t beat the Bucs then you can’t beat a playoff team. Tell Mike Smith that !!!
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:48 pm
We want nothing to do with Peyton Manning again…..
Nothing!
Won’t be an issue anyway.
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:50 pm
Fan base…..
Exactly, JSS.
All I'm Saying Is....
December 30th, 2012
7:50 pm
That’s right, JSS, and let me add on that Buffalo lost all those Super Bowls too because of their fan base–too many sellout games in a row and too many of them showing up in the cities where the Super Bowl was played (including Atlanta at end of the 1994-1995 season). Yes, KUGS, you are so right. (that’s sarcasm, by the way).
Smitty blew it, should have played our key guys the first half only so they could get some game speed repetitions and stay sharp, and then sat them down. Doesn’t take Vince Lombardi, Bill Walsh or Bill Belichik [sp.] to figure that one out.
Smitty better have our guys ready to rumble in two weeks as winning that game makes everything fine.
LET’S GO FALCONS!
Macon Fan
December 30th, 2012
7:51 pm
Well a few short weeks ago the Falcons got beat by an inferior team the week after clinching the division.
Ask the NY Giants how the next game went for them.
drew
December 30th, 2012
7:52 pm
Doesn’t matter….Every single NFL analyst today said that the Falcons are not the best team in the division. There are teams that didn’t make the playoffs that are better than the Falcons….When will Mark Bradley wake up????
G-DawgG-Dawg
December 30th, 2012
7:55 pm
To quote a great coach “You tell me when they’ll get hurt and I won’t play ‘em.” It was Smitty’s choice to make and he was not going to make everybody happy no matter what.
cc
December 30th, 2012
7:56 pm
Did they risk too much…yes. What has everyone in the ATL said over the past 3 years….what has every in the media said over the past 3 years….what has every other NFL team felt over the past 3 years….the Falcons cannot win a playoff game! In fact they implode. So yes, in a game where absolutely nothing is gained from winning, they risked too much. We can only hope that the injuries suffered are truly minor and with the first round BYE, already wrapped up before this game, the players have ample time to heal. In fact in a game like this wouldn’t it be BETTER to play some players that do not get a lot of playing time…to get them into a game atmosphere just in case they are called on in the playoffs?
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:57 pm
Got in my 4 mile run after we lost…..
How many of you other lard butts did that today?
MTSeats
December 30th, 2012
7:57 pm
Hey MB, it’s ROI, what does #55 make? Falcons can do better.
1990_Champs_GT
December 30th, 2012
7:57 pm
Smith showed why the fans don’t trust in him by leaving those guys in.
14-2 won’t get the playoff monkey off their backs. Only playoff wins will do that.
It’s put up or shut up time. Win or go home for both the Birds and Smitty.
JSS
December 30th, 2012
7:58 pm
I wouldn’t hang too much on that Giants game anymore…
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:59 pm
Smith is funny….
Abe’s ankle didn’t swell. Is it April Fool’s Day?
Sure it didn’t.
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
8:00 pm
Darn…………. I wouldn’t say Atlanta never play Denver again in the Super Bowl………….I may have just said way above the two teams that will play it in the Cesspool Superdome ! Atlanta vs. Denver…………….Manning vs. Ryan…………the two no-huddle quarterbacks……..be a good game
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
8:03 pm
4 miles Phil…………..maybe you need to play football………..I could do 1 mile and need to lay down for a little while after it……………………..
MTSeats
December 30th, 2012
8:03 pm
Be proud this last game, the Falcons showed who they are. They rose up! for MSmith.
Eric C.
December 30th, 2012
8:04 pm
G-DawgG-Dawg, today was a small disaster — Smith made a bad choice.
On one hand, the Falcons “could” win a meaningless game by playing starters the whole game (mission failed anyway). On the other, they could rest key starters and avoid losing star players for the playoffs. Hmmmm, tough choice.
All I'm Saying Is....
December 30th, 2012
8:04 pm
Looks like we will play the lowest seed remaining out of the following teams: during wild card weekend, Minnesota plays at Green Bay and Seattle plays at either the Cowboys or Redskins. Most likely that will mean we will play either Washington or Dallas, or Seattle or Minnesota since the Packers are a three seed.
We played and beat the Skins and Cowboys during the regular season. Besides Minnesota, all of them have solid QBs to reckon with.
We ought to be able to beat any — Redskins, Cowboys, Seahawks, or Vikings — of those teams and do so soundly. The toughest match-up would be the Seahawks, in my opinion, as Russell Wilson is smart, steady, and very mobile and Marshawn Lynch has already shown what he can do in a playoff game (ask New Orleans).
Time to put this game behind us, Smitty, and get your butt to work preparing for the next one. With apologies to Lynch, Falcons need to come out in ‘beast mode’ and get out in front early and score often—I want to see the edge we had in our first game after the bye when we destroyed Philly.
LET’S GO FALCONS!
Eric C.
December 30th, 2012
8:07 pm
From cc — “In fact in a game like this wouldn’t it be BETTER to play some players that do not get a lot of playing time…to get them into a game atmosphere just in case they are called on in the playoffs?”
Yes, completely agree
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
8:07 pm
I don’t know …..those Vikings played hard out there today and had to play the officials too……………………………..
Ghost of Sinkwich
December 30th, 2012
8:08 pm
Both teams DB’s held all day long. It really hurt the Falcons because the passing game is their strength.
Hillbilly D
December 30th, 2012
8:08 pm
How many of you other lard butts did that today?
I’m not a lard butt but the only way I’m running is if somebody is chasing me and even then I’d have to think about it.
BravesFan79
December 30th, 2012
8:09 pm
I like our position in the playoffs, GB and SF battle it out on the other side of the bracket, and we can (im guessing) face the Vikings if they somehow beat the Packers again next week.
Macon Fan
December 30th, 2012
8:10 pm
Got in my 4 mile run after we lost…..
How many of you other lard butts did that today?
I ran 8, lard butt.
tyger
December 30th, 2012
8:11 pm
The risk is being “EXPOSED”…
- Champions put chumps away early…
- No risk in playing starters…it’s football!
- If you’re scared – QUIT!!!
- This is horrible…
- Loss to below .500 team at home…
- ATL hasnt won playoff game since Vick…
- No excuses…flat my arse!
- They couldnt beat the Bucs!
- It wasnt a fluke, no Hail Mary’s, no miracles!!!
- They punched the Falcons in the mouth…
- And they rolled over…in their house!!!
DawgNole
December 30th, 2012
8:12 pm
phil
December 30th, 2012
7:46 pm
Dawgnole – good luck ever getting Bradley to understand why saying stuff like that upsets some of us.
He gets paid, win or lose. I guess i can see why he doesn’t care.
________________________
And the fact that it only upsets SOME of us is yet another problem.