Live from Falcons-Bucs: A mighty tough game to manage
Were I coaching, this Falcon stalwart would do a lot of watching in Game 16. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Mike Smith, who coaches the Falcons, says he’s playing to win Game 16, even though Game 16 means absolutely nothing. The Falcons know when (two weeks hence) and where (here) they’ll be playing next, and they know they don’t have to leave town to qualify for the Super Bowl.
As much as you can say that winning sets a tone, I’d suggest that tone has been sounded in Games 1-15. And there’s no compelling history on whether winning a Game 16 that doesn’t matter makes one smidgen of difference come the playoffs.
In 2007 the Patriots won their final regular-season game to get to 16-0 … but a month later they lost the Super Bowl to the team they’d beaten in Game 16. Last year the Packers won Game 16 behind their backup quarterback Matt Flynn to get to 15-1 … and lost their first postseason game.
If the Falcons beat the Buccaneers 45-24 today — that was the score in Game 16 last season, whereupon the Falcons went to the Meadowlands for the playoffs and lost 24-2 — it will make no different when next the Birds play. That game will matter. This one doesn’t. Me, I’d probably play the starters a half and let the JV’s finish, but that’s just me. And Mike Smith hasn’t dropped a hint as to his plans.
Whatever happens, I’ll be here to observe and report, and I’d appreciate your company. And let me wish one and all a belated Merry Christmas and a heartfelt Happy New Year.
By Mark Bradley
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1,049 comments Add your comment
JSS
December 30th, 2012
2:53 pm
Ha ha, poor kingdaddy…
Mark Bradley
December 30th, 2012
2:53 pm
It’s not as if the Falcons haven’t played their best men today. They have. And they still are. And I’m shocked.
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
2:53 pm
Say the cheerleaders are the highlight of the show?
1990_Champs_GT
December 30th, 2012
2:54 pm
They get to see Ryan in the second half. Bad decision by our coach, but at least the fans at the Dome can see him get a head injury and be out with a concussion for the rest of the year…
J.J.M.
December 30th, 2012
2:55 pm
pathetic
Falconsfan0125
December 30th, 2012
2:55 pm
They are so vanilla, its obvious.
Falcon James
December 30th, 2012
2:55 pm
Good thing we got a bye week, the defense is going to need it to rest up.
Roy
December 30th, 2012
2:56 pm
Can we just score a damn touchdown? We’re losing momentum.
SOS Falcons
December 30th, 2012
2:56 pm
Today’s performance shows that we will be one and out again this year.
phil
December 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
We’re getting a preview of two weeks from now…
Looks a lot like our NY playoff debacle from last year.
Can’t wait for the encore!
DawgNole
December 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
phil
December 30th, 2012
2:35 pm
Dawgnole….
Don’t forget me. You know i think that too. I just can’t believe there are so few of us.
______________________
I haven’t forgotten you; just making a point in that post–that there are precious few of us who are REALLY sick of loser mentality.
Like you’ve said before, show me ON THE FIELD, whether it’s a “meaningless” game or a playoff. After 46 years, I think we deserve that.
Roy
December 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
You can tell the Falcons aren’t really in the game though. Look how we’ve played the past two weeks. Dominating the Giants and Lions. Looked fast, looked sharp, looked ready. Today, we’re just going through the motions and treating it like a preseason game.
JipWiz
December 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
I am getting more dumber watching this game
JSS
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
“Vanilla,” they’ve shown more of zone blitz, bracket zone, screens, and trap game then they’ve shown in awhile…
oldbird
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
Thank goodness we have a bye next week. Bosher will need an extra week after today.
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
I can’t figure out why they risking the starters in a ballgame that don’t mean squat……………………………………………………….
1990_Champs_GT
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
Mark,
What’s the point in putting Ryan back out there? He’s about as into this game as I am on my couch.
Is Smith punishing them because of their play? Holding rest out as a carrot for some points?
Mark Bradley
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
I can see where you’d be sick of the mentality that has yielded the NFL’s best record.
phil
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
Poor Tony Gonzalez….
Must be hard to sleep at night knowing it’s hopeless because of how mentally weak your surrounding cast is.
KenDawg
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
So we keep the starters in, risk injury for a second half…and we still stink. What is Smith thinking?? Get them out!
Falconsfan0125
December 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
Smith said all week that “we will play to win” yea right. You are just making a fool of yourself and your starters by playing scared and going vanilla.
Falcon Flap
December 30th, 2012
2:59 pm
Dawg Nole …I understand. If they lose in two weeks we can riot.
Sid
December 30th, 2012
2:59 pm
@ Phil and Dawg Nole…..another playoff bomb in 2 weeks likely.
kingdaddy
December 30th, 2012
2:59 pm
Are you kidding, 2 weeks of hearing how over-rated the birds are…it wll be a long 2 weeks and whoever we play will have no respect for the Falcons either…
Roy
December 30th, 2012
2:59 pm
Cant’ wait for a game with meaning to come on. Like Dallas and Washington, Green Bay and Minnesota.
DawgNole
December 30th, 2012
2:59 pm
Timmy
December 30th, 2012
2:36 pm
Technically this game is meaningless but psychologically? I’d say pull the starters but at this point I think they need to show some fight.
____________________
That’s the word I was looking for–psychologically! That’s why you play to win even “meaningless” games.
MTSeats
December 30th, 2012
2:59 pm
MB, Birds’ should know that winning is the lesser of two evils.
JSS
December 30th, 2012
3:00 pm
Oh, that is what a 3 and 1 conversion looks like!
Sav FAN
December 30th, 2012
3:00 pm
Listless effort-let’s hope the first playoff game is not against someone ready to play ball
Reebok
December 30th, 2012
3:00 pm
This is a great demonstration of why the Falcons will do nothing in the playoffs.
phil
December 30th, 2012
3:00 pm
That best record means nothing, Mark.
We can’t win when it matters most.
eddie willers
December 30th, 2012
3:00 pm
Oh come on, Mark. You weren’t up for the game, the starters weren’t up for the game…..nobody was up for the game. You may practice and say otherwise, but in your head you know darn well that it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. You just can’t get that out of your head.
Steve
December 30th, 2012
3:01 pm
Phil and Roy:
Please leave your emails here so we can laugh at you when we win the Super Bowl.
ramguy68
December 30th, 2012
3:02 pm
Looks like The Falcons are getting in their typical 1st round playoff form.
DawgNole
December 30th, 2012
3:02 pm
SCFalcon
December 30th, 2012
2:37 pm
Anybody on here remember the 70’s, 80’s 90’s etc.?
The past 5 years have been paradise for a true Falcons fan.
_______________________
How ’bout the 60s? That’s when I started pulling for them.
The past 5 years have produced ZERO playoff victories. That sure as hell isn’t paradise for me–and I’m absolutely “a true Falcons fan.”
1990_Champs_GT
December 30th, 2012
3:02 pm
This just doesn’t make sense. Smith is just flirting with losing a valuable player by doing this. 13-3 gets us to the same place as 14-2.
Boggles the mind.
phil
December 30th, 2012
3:02 pm
Yep, Sid….
Why think otherwise?
I refuse to fall for the hype ever again. I want to see results.
Ivan
December 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
Lol @ the folks reaction to a meaningless game.
MenVsBoys
December 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
Bucs are pounding the defensive line of the team with the “best record in the NFL”. You can see what that’s worth on the field. This isn’t college football where sportswriters and computers determine champions. This is the NFL. You have to go on the field and prove you deserve it.
phil
December 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
Spoon showed up…
Mark Bradley
December 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
Intercepted by guess who.
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
If the Falcons were playing like they usually do they would be coming back and winning this game………………….and this game would mean something and thei as I typers your first interception
phil
December 30th, 2012
3:04 pm
Samuel!!
We can’t move the ball though, so it won’t matter.
playmeortrademe
December 30th, 2012
3:04 pm
The guy who works for the Falcons is right. Play the starters and win, so what? All that matters is the playoffs. Play the subs and win, so what? People will say you should have played the starters to stay sharp. Play anybody and lose and losers in the press and on this blog scream “I told you so! They aren’t that good!” and get some kind of self-satisfaction from being validated.
This game will not matter in two weeks. In three weeks, the divisional playoff game will not matter. 100% percent of Falcons fans will trade a win today for at least two wins in January. Stop pretending this game has any consequences unless someone gets seriously hurt.
Any you can point to number of teams that rested players or did not rest players at the end that went to the Super Bowl. It’s all about how you prepare and execute in the playoffs. Not who played in week 16.
1990_Champs_GT
December 30th, 2012
3:04 pm
Finally, get a pick! Hope Luke can get us in the end zone, lol!
I know, Ryan’s back out there…
Michael M.
December 30th, 2012
3:04 pm
lmao
MenVsBoys
December 30th, 2012
3:04 pm
Well, we can’t force punts, but we can get interceptions.
jo
December 30th, 2012
3:04 pm
We needed that bad. Hope the offense decides to show up, fg wont get it done.
Mark Bradley
December 30th, 2012
3:05 pm
Slow Burner for six.
falconsrus
December 30th, 2012
3:05 pm
Dabba Deuce 222222222 22222222 @@!!!!