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
Yep
December 30th, 2012
11:12 pm
Don’t get your hopes up. …..
JSS
December 30th, 2012
11:14 pm
When has staying home helped Falcons players? Turner’s girlfriend Babs incident…
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
11:16 pm
next up………….JSS
Looks like its the Packers vs the Vikings and the Seahawks vs Redskins
Stepchild
December 30th, 2012
11:17 pm
Mike Smith strikes again!
Big C
December 30th, 2012
11:17 pm
Damn…Mike Smith wouldn’t have gotten the approval either way. I think he di the right thing. Smitty, if y’all lose the first game, I still think you did the right thing!!! You can never make evryone happy, but I know you’re a great coach, and the Falcons orginization is blessed to have you! Dirty Birds all the way!!!!!
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
11:23 pm
Take the Vikings and the Seabuzzards next week to win…………………………..
Tommy Maddox
December 30th, 2012
11:24 pm
What another badly played game. I don’t blame Smith for keeping in the first line since they were playing so badly. However you can’t help but blame him for a game that blew in so many ways. How disappointing.
Big C
December 30th, 2012
11:24 pm
Damn…Mike Smith wouldn’t have gotten the approval from Falcons fans either way. I think he did the right thing. Smitty, if y’all lose the first game, I still think you did the right thing!!! You can never make everyone happy, but I know you’re a great coach, and the Falcons orginization is blessed to have you! Dirty Birds all the way!!!!!
You fake ass Atlanta fans can eat garbage and puke. I would like to say worse, but I can’t because of the AJC.
I have experienced your phony ass love when I was at GT back in 1990. We didn’t need your Fairweathered love, and neither do the Falcons! Win it all despite your terrible home grown fans!
JSS
December 30th, 2012
11:34 pm
Playoff football, not for the faint of heart…
Only 4 of the 12 teams going to the playoffs rushed for less than 100 yards today… Guess who?
john
December 30th, 2012
11:37 pm
Every team played there starters whether they needed to or not—get over it, if they had rested we would be saying he should have played them.
Jimmie
December 30th, 2012
11:39 pm
The Seahawks are coming!!!
flatsdawg1
December 30th, 2012
11:43 pm
All can say is if you are a head coach in any league, your goal is to win and when your team has a good shot at a championship, protect that. I don’t agree with Smith leaving them in there but of course you want to win every game, I just thought it was a given and common sense to me to play them a half and let your backups get all the time they can.I honestly had hoped they would all play a quarter. They looked like they thought they should be on the sideline because Tampa opened up a can on them. Looks like we need a couple of really good backups now. Stuff happens and hopefully we will get one of them back at least, but with a loss and two key guys out I think this home field advantage is huge not to mention the bye!
JSS
December 30th, 2012
11:50 pm
Washington-Seattle is going to be a war… They both do things that other team has issues with… The Skins better get that punting game taken care of, that is the Seahawks wheel house! I’m interested in seeing if Lynch can have the success that eluded Peterson in DC…
Michael M.
December 31st, 2012
12:00 am
lol at Smitty………………………
Dwayne C
December 31st, 2012
12:17 am
@ Kugs : so you think the fan base is to blame for the Atlanta Falcons failing to win a playoff game in their last three tries?
You must also believe in the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy and Santa Clause. Good luck living with this and all those other delusions inside your cranium.
ATL Observer
December 31st, 2012
12:17 am
I’m glad the starters were out there and I’m glad they lost.
This team couldn’t afford to not know how meaningless the previous 15 games were once the divisional game is whistled in. And they certainly now know the previous 15 games were meaningless in determining who won today.
MTSeats
December 31st, 2012
12:19 am
What does the fan base get paid? I didn’t get my check.
Larry White
December 31st, 2012
12:22 am
What kind of a feeling are we supposed to have about this? “Play to win”, and yet you’re not prepared? Whomever comes calling on the 13th will whip our butts, unless some OL folks show up.
Smitty
December 31st, 2012
12:28 am
This original smitty and I think it was a lose lose scenario
macaac
December 31st, 2012
12:33 am
Playoff prediction: Looks like another 1 and done for the Falcan’ts
Michael M.
December 31st, 2012
12:34 am
Falcons will show up in the playoffs…………….we whip ourselves sometimes…………… good grief
jeff george
December 31st, 2012
12:42 am
Should have rested the starters until the playoffs. My 2 cents.
Whopper Dawg
December 31st, 2012
12:50 am
“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.”
If that is true and that is a Smith quote, then a bigger advantage is to not play the starters all game vs TB.
I think he is melting down, he did last year against the Giants, he is against this year against everyone. The 0 – 3 is in his head, who knows where he goes from here.
BirdMan
December 31st, 2012
1:35 am
how can you expect ATL to get up for a terrible team like tampa, when they have home field locked up? they were just flat. In the playoffs, ATL will be on fire—rolling to the super bowl–book it!
fanbase
December 31st, 2012
1:58 am
it was the fans fault for the bad game against tampa—there was no noise, no juice. the players played flat because of quiet fans. the fans better bring it big in the playoffs.
Charles Jackson
December 31st, 2012
2:44 am
The issue isn’t who played but how. And the Falcons looked flat. This is not a playoff team.
Truth
December 31st, 2012
2:47 am
Falcns season will be over shortly!!!
hop
December 31st, 2012
5:02 am
MARK,You are so correct in challenging the thought process of Mike Smith!
abe has experience many close calls with the Injury bug and he ,Ryan and others to battle this BUG should played only a limited time today!
We really don’t the status of our injured corners or ABE! If it is more serious than smitty thinks , our playoff experience will be limited again ,as it has been previously!
What a waist of time if we have our key players hurt so bad that we lose once again!
what a shame that will be,but not a real surprise for this team!
Happy New year 2013 everyone
December 31st, 2012
5:55 am
Its funny why no one complain’s Denver played there starters till 4th quarter with 38-3 lead and remove for 2nd string why no one blastin Denver coach too…Here what wrong Turner lost his spark Matt Ryan was easy rattled i hate see who we play Jan13 if they seen how the Bucs did us in we in deep horse poo…..And if Matt ryan fails again Mike Smith should be Fired after that and find a coach who can win for Us….I sorry way we played I hope wrong we done n gone..If we get behind by 21pts the Georgia dome will look like a high school crowd of seats….so athur blank is up to you decide super bowl are Fire Mlke smith if he fails….after all can’t fire the whole team only person is in charge the head coach!
Samuel
December 31st, 2012
6:21 am
I don’t want to be a monday morning quarterback. It was the coaches call and I can live with that. Being said that, if both are healthy come playoff time and the Falcons win their first playoff game. All will be forgotten.
Admiral Obvious
December 31st, 2012
6:55 am
If the Falcons go one and done again Mike Smith’s job next to be the line for next season. At this point no one believes in this team.
Esquire
December 31st, 2012
7:08 am
Abraham got up slow on a previous play earlier in the game and I thought we needed him out of there then. Ryan’s a tough guy but I still thought he should have been sat down after the half or 3rd quarter.
The Falcons defense were sleepwalking in that game, the motor’s were just above idle.
Buzzman
December 31st, 2012
7:30 am
The big test comes in two weeks, either we are a good team or just another team like we have been in the past. Go Falcons, make a believer out of me….
jfreak13713
December 31st, 2012
7:31 am
I’m okay with playing the starters the full game. I probably would have played them the first half then reseted them but I’m not an NFL head coach for good reason. No harm no foul time to move and focus on playoffs!
Great Season Falcons!!!
jerry
December 31st, 2012
7:38 am
Smitty is cagey like a fox, running Turner up the middle 200 times to give the receivers some rest for the playoffs. What a coach!!!!!!!!!!
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
7:46 am
I think Smith will turn out to be the Bobby Cox of the NFL. Several analysts rate him mediocre at best when it comes to game time decisions. And is it me, or does Ryan l;ook really clumsy when he runs….Im talkin dork clumsy…really clumsy. Revenge of the Nerds clumsy.
Nativebird
December 31st, 2012
7:46 am
Too bad this “decision” of Mike Smith is getting lost in the real issue of the day: we lost to the Bucs, at home, when we were TRyING to win!!!
I was there….and this was SAD. Worst effort, worst game plan, worst execution by this team and coaching staff of the year. Way to go Mike Smith! Nothing like d
jerry
December 31st, 2012
7:46 am
It is not about what happened. It is about the risk he took (great) and the good he could have achieved (none) and the possible reward (humongous).
Nativebird
December 31st, 2012
7:50 am
Mike Smith is just not good enough to get this team to the next level. You state your playing to win, then you come out there and lay an egg like that to on the worst teams in your conference? At home? This guy just doesn’t have it. Nice guy, decent football coach…..but it takes more than that at this level.
GameTime
December 31st, 2012
8:01 am
The Falcons are the worst NFL #1 seed that I can remember! Another playoff fiasco coming up!
GameTime
December 31st, 2012
8:07 am
With regard to Coach Smith’s decision to play his regulars, he said in his post game presser that “our job is to win football games”. I thought his main goal was to win a championship. Sometimes that means you look at games differently. He was focusing on the “battle” Sunday and may have lost the “war” – what little chance the Falcons have of winning that! He’s been around long enough to know that. Pretty weak rationale on the Coach’s part.
BigGTMike
December 31st, 2012
8:08 am
They probably would have only played the first half if they hadn’t stunk up the joint and LOST.
4DaBirds
December 31st, 2012
8:17 am
Sure are a lot of overreacting, think their a doctor, know everything about football types here.
Abe will be fine. All is not lost. Quit acting like you know something, because you don’t know sh!t.
Rabid Bird
December 31st, 2012
8:20 am
The NFL is a tough league. For all of you gripers please take a page out of Mike Tomlin’s playbook. Injuries happen. The next man has to step up and fill the void. In my opinion that is why the Falcons have not had the success they could have due to playing not to lose. I had the opportunity to speak with Mike Kenn a few years ago about the heartbreaking loss to Dallas in the 1980 Divisional Championship game.He said they begged Leeman Bennett to keep passing to crush the Cowboys. He refused and the rest is history. Mike Smith knows the history and is trying to change the culture. Play to win every game (even the meaningless ones) because every game is important to teams with a winning attitude. Go Falcons!
falconfanriseup
December 31st, 2012
8:22 am
You Falcons fans are tripping and making me laugh.
What are yall worried about? Yes Smith played starters but did not show anything on offense or Defense. We were flat because WE HAD NOTHING TO PLAY FOR. Don’t worry when it’s time to play Smith and the coaches will pull out the playbook and the Players will play. Chill out lol.
TCB7285
December 31st, 2012
8:25 am
Optimistic about playoffs, but the play calling just concerns me. Why did Coach Smith stop running the ball? Turner was having success yesterday that went away from it…They did not go deep enough times Sunday…O’Ronde Barber is washed up we should have burnt him over & over!.My fingers are crossed.
Joey
December 31st, 2012
8:28 am
“he said in his post game presser that “our job is to win football games”. I thought his main goal was to win a championship”
**************************************
Game Time, you nailed it! Smith can’t see the forrest for the trees.
Smith is the best in the NFL at “winning games” – in the regular season. But according to Bill Parcells – it’s two completely different seasons. One (reg season) you stick to your philosophy. The other, (post season) you completely open up your offense, because of the quality of the defenses in the playoffs.
Smith hasn’t got that yet – he sticks to his “run, run, pass” offense, and the better Ds shut it down.
It’s sickening, but I predict that his playoff record stays at 100% in two weeks, not matter who we play.
Rabid Bird
December 31st, 2012
8:37 am
And I predict you are wrong Joey. These same Falcons werent supposed to beat Peyton Manning (They did). Couldn’t beat the Saints and Brees (they did). I predict they will get Seattle in the divisional round. Abraham or not these Falcons will win. These Falcons are an evolved species…..
HawksFanSince'89
December 31st, 2012
8:38 am
Middle of the 2nd quarter, they should have sat all the starters, you play for the Playoffs, and to win Super Bowls. Honestly, I think that Mike Smith is a good coach, but he over-thinks, when he is placed in tough situations, which is leading me to think he may not win a Super Bowl with the Falcons, or with any other team. When you close, tough, tight, or close Playoff games, coaching is ALWAYS THE KEY FACTOR IN WINS OR LOSES.
MG
December 31st, 2012
8:43 am
Know we’re stuck with MT33 for this year, but what about going after Michael Bush from CHI or Knowshon Moreno from DEN for next season. Both guys are relatively young and at times look very good running the ball. Any other RB suggestions ?