Heat Check: Will the Falcons again feel the January chill?
Here's how it was when last the Falcons were the No. 1 seed. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Fort Lauderdale – Owing to the national championship game, our weekly Heat Check emanates from warm environs. We begin, however, with professional football.
FALCONS: It has already started. The No. 1 seed hasn’t yet stuck its toe in playoff waters, and again we’re hearing that it’s out of its depth. The local franchise sits behind five other teams on the odds-to-win-the-Super-Bowl tote board, and it’s even with Seattle, which has to play in the Georgia Dome on Sunday. Technically the Falcons are a two-point favorite over the Seahawks, which is the same tepid betting line the 13-3 Birds faced when playing host to Green Bay two years ago. And they lost that one 48-21. Atmospheric reading: I’ve been saying since August that these Falcons are different. Here’s where they prove me right.
GEORGIA: Won the Capital One Bowl, lost Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree to the NFL, kept Aaron Murray. That latter bit is the biggie, folks. It’s the difference between being picked to repeat as SEC East champs and being tabbed third behind South Carolina and Florida. Atmospheric reading: The schedule does get tougher next season, at least at the beginning, but that had to happen sometime.
GEORGIA TECH: Won the Sun Bowl over the preseason No. 1, and USC receiver Marqise Lee, speaking here Sunday at a press gathering, said he believed the Trojans actually played hard in that game. (”You’re out there playing — why wouldn’t you try to win? It just didn’t work out for us.”) Atmospheric reading: There’s a chance the Jackets will be the preseason choice to win the ACC Coastal Division. Seriously.
HAWKS: Lost three of four last week, and the last outing — a get-a-big-lead-but-wilt-under-pressure home loss to the pesky Celtics — was the most distressing night of a season now in its third month. Atmospheric reading: If the playoffs began today (which they won’t), the Hawks would be the No. 3 seed in the East. This wobble aside, they’ve been very good.
GEORGIA TECH HOOPS: The Jackets were a fairly rousing 10-2 in pre-conference play but were routed at home by Miami in their ACC opener. Atmospheric reading: This will get worse before it gets better. Tech’s next four games include road dates at North Carolina State, Duke and North Carolina.
GEORGIA HOOPS: After starting 2-7, the Bulldogs have won four in a row to draw within sight of .500. Atmospheric reading: This could start to go bad again. Of Georgia’s first five SEC games, three are against ranked opponents (Florida twice, Missouri once).
By Mark Bradley
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129 comments Add your comment
Mad Max
January 7th, 2013
11:07 am
GT ,Go ahead and get your letter ready for 2013 bowl game!!! lol gezzzzzzz
Indydawg
January 7th, 2013
11:11 am
Falcons- By the time Sunday rolls around, they might just come out like Ralphie in A Christmas Story on the bully– and they’re going to have to win the whole thing in order to get “respect”. Seattle might be in trouble this weekend. The Falcons might have just reached their breaking point. Expect a hard hitting game.
My Dawgs- yeah, they could win the SEC East, but they could also end up eating more chicken on New Years Eve. One thing is certain, Richt will have them underprepared—Again….Murray needs to read “Good to Great”.
TECH- Please win eight games to keep Paul Johnson around…we get that game every year Johnson is a bigger joke than Richt…
Hawks- are LAZY. 3 seed at best. Bounced in the second round. Next.
Tech Hoops- Too early to tell, they need more players. Keep recruiting.
Uga Hoops- no one cares. Tubby Towel anyone? Fox will be gone in another year.
Miam is underrated
January 7th, 2013
11:13 am
YES, MIAMI IS THAT GOOD. They played the 4th toughest schedule in the entire country to date and included a win against a very good Michigan State team. 10-2 coming into the GT game. Miami is a top 25 team flying under the radar. GT could have played better, but Miami is clearly the better team and will surprise folks in the ACC this year (once they get Reggie Johnson back from injury).
Just Wanna Say
January 7th, 2013
11:14 am
@Yellow World
Please, just stop talking. You’re embarrassing yourself. On second thought, I enjoy Tech people making a**es of themselves, so keep going.
CSamuels
January 7th, 2013
11:17 am
You know I have sit around and listen and watch the haters all season.. Fans who claim to be Falcons fans.. It is just simple..Atlanta never EVER tried to really run MT this season because they wanted to prepare MR for the post-season with getting better with deep routes etc.. DK-OC fooled everyone because MT was just suppose too be resting and getting ready for 30 carries per playoff game. DK has 1000S and 1000s of in different packages.. When I think of DK he is just like Sean Payton of the Saints with those types of packages. MR want pass the ball more than 28 times per game.. There is NOTHING wrong with Turner at all.. Atlanta vs. GB NFC Champion game Atlanta revenge Packers and Turner do too them like AD did..and guess what! the falcons also knew they were going too play HAWKs so they have been preparing for two weeks MIke Nolan and DK.. THINK NOW REALLY THE FALCONS CANNOT NOT RUN WOW.. PACKAGES WERE SET-UP TOO DEVELOP PASSING GAMES THIS SEASON AND ALL ALONG THE FALCONS WERE WORKING ON THE RUN GAME IN PRACTICES
Say what
January 7th, 2013
11:24 am
Mark, did you have to use that picture? C’mon man. We’re trying to put the past behind us.
SeahawksEatFalconsForBreakfest
January 7th, 2013
11:26 am
The falcons will do what they do best and choke Sunday. Couldn’t happen to a better team either. I have lived in the Atlanta area my whole life and the falcons have never done anything but give me a reason to laugh at their fans. I’m guessing that as the fans are leaving the dome (which is perfectly fine and doesn’t need to be replaced with a new waste of money stadium) they’ll say next year is the year the falcons win a playoff game. The Seahawks are going to have their way Sunday. Lynch will run for over 125 yards and the D will limit the falcons. Heck matt ryan may even have another awesome day and throw 5 interceptions.
Call It Like It Is
January 7th, 2013
11:35 am
Well as they say, “If you want to be the man, you got to beat the man!” Falcons deserve all the hate. They have never done anything to show otherwise. Do one thing, win that ring, and all the hate goes away. Flub it with Seattle and everyone will say told you so, and it will repeat next year.
D man
January 7th, 2013
11:36 am
I can’t wait until Sunday. This is our year Falcon Fans. BELIEVE!!!
Ho Hum
January 7th, 2013
11:36 am
MB did you get hold of some bad “Eggnog”? Tek winning the ACC Coastal – ha is all I can muster at the moment. If in fact you are correct then the ACC is far worse than I envisioned.
If beating an overrated & uninspired USC is the springboard for next year the techies are in for a rude awakening.
FarTrain
January 7th, 2013
11:37 am
Of course the Falcons lose, it’s in the Atlanta water. It is inevitable. They are following the script just like Washington has done. Washington Nationals caved in, Braves choked. The Redskins lose yesterday, so next it’s the Falcons. Just no way around it. The Falcons will find a way to lose.
Dino
January 7th, 2013
11:37 am
relax—seattle doesn’t match up with the ATL. The falcons win this game easy–the D will dominate. Falcons 27 seattle 10
Ho Hum
January 7th, 2013
11:40 am
I have to agree with the techies – UGA did have a light schedule – tek was on it
CloudmanJacket
January 7th, 2013
11:45 am
We will not beat UGA next year. We will be unable to stop their offense and by 1/2 time they will be dialed into the high school option. CPJ still needs to go. I like how someone on here said Tech is back because we beat So. Cal. who was the preseason # 1. Really? Preseason # 1? Who gives a crap about a preseason ranking. So. Cal was a horrible team playing their backup QB. Their defense did a good job against Tech, but their offense was just terrible. I guess I am glad that CPJ finally won his 1st bowl. I guess I can now overlook everything else…Mid. Tennessee, BYU, Virginia, Kansas, Air Force, Iowa, and the annual beat down by the Mutts.
Sean
January 7th, 2013
11:46 am
Did one of the early comments really say that Paul Johnson has restored Tech to one of the elite teams in the country?
Hahaha. Ah, Techies…
Wutehvah
January 7th, 2013
11:50 am
Falcons have a chance to quiet the critics, but will they RISE UP?? Let’s go Falcons!!!
Jorge O'leary
January 7th, 2013
11:53 am
markie mark
January 7th, 2013
8:58 am
royalair – you did hear about the SEC championship game right? Georgia lost to Alabama by about 5 yards and/or 5 seconds, right? take you schedule comment and stick it in your ear…..we proved by that game the schedule didnt matter as much as you want to think
You still lost! This was your year! Next year you will lose 3! 1980 will be in your grasp again 20 years from now!!
DawginLex
January 7th, 2013
11:54 am
yellow world
Clemson and VT and FSU all would have lost to UGA 2012
We whipped florida and florida exposed FSU as being overrated. Then florida went out and crapped thebed against Louisville(which I very much enjoyed)
Clemson will be hard to handle next year in the opener for us up there if Boyd comes back. Could be 49-45
Sunday - the 13th...
January 7th, 2013
11:54 am
Regarding the Falcons and Seahawks game this coming Sunday. It’s basically a done deal. The Falcons will lose. The Seahawks is a better team…The Falcons had a really lucky and easy season. Now they have to face the Seahawks. I say the score will be 32-6 Seahawks.
Jorge O'leary
January 7th, 2013
11:58 am
We whipped florida and florida exposed FSU as being overrated. Then florida went out and crapped thebed against Louisville(which I very much enjoyed
Whipped Florida??? When Florida gave you 6 turnovers, and you survived by a last second strip in the end zone? If you whipped them, then Alabama whipped you!! Loser
KCFalcon
January 7th, 2013
12:00 pm
AJC Editors-
Why show a photo of Matt Ryan burried nder a lineman’s ass. Have the trolls moved into selecting editorial content now? Just giving more fuel to the fire.
I can’t believe there are so many haters on here. Well actually, one with about 15 different screen names.
Nothing the Falcons have done in the other 3 playoff games since 2008 has anything to do with this game.
Way past time to shut up the trolls, and the national squawkers with the same rock.
trailerparkted
January 7th, 2013
12:01 pm
Seahawks 28 Falcons 3
Reebok
January 7th, 2013
12:01 pm
Predictions…Seahawks over Falcons, Tech slightly better next year (Vad Lee), UGA slightly worse(losing a lot of D), but sadly, UGA will still beat GT in November. Hope I’m wrong on that one…happy Monday!
jj
January 7th, 2013
12:02 pm
I know who Dawgs DID whip last year and that was Tech.
CFB realist
January 7th, 2013
12:12 pm
markie mark
January 7th, 2013
8:58 am
royalair – you did hear about the SEC championship game right? Georgia lost to Alabama by about 5 yards and/or 5 seconds, right? take you schedule comment and stick it in your ear…..we proved by that game the schedule didnt matter as much as you want to think…
———————-
MM, ask the Funky Bunch when I should stop laughing. And who is WE?
UGA probably played their best game of the season vs Bama, and still lost. Now, just like Nebraska’s Ds inability to get off the field on 3rd downs (12 of 17, 71%), the can’t expect to block a FG, return it for a TD, and int their opponent, in the endzone, as they did vs. Bama.
If UGA’s O converst 71% of their 3rd downs in 2013 and their D block a kick, returns it for a TD AND ints the opp in the endzone, then UGA should be back in the SEC champ game next season.
And they’ll also need a team that’s better than them to commit 6 TOs in their game (i.e. UF).
Amazing, now there’s a Dawg fan claiming ONE game (a loss) is why UGA’s schedule wasn’t the easiest in the SEC the past 2 seasons. What will the next excuse be???
juvenal
January 7th, 2013
12:14 pm
& Tech broke the blue jersey hex!
Heat Check
January 7th, 2013
12:17 pm
Picking a blowout for the Falcons game for either team is silly. The seahawks haven’t lost a game all season by more than 7 pts and the Falcons make a habit of going to sleep letting teams hang around or get back into games.
whoever wins the game won’t be decided by more than a TD
monty
January 7th, 2013
12:17 pm
Murray should wind up being the all-time leading passer in the SEC.If he never does anything after that he’ll still have the record. I believe that is important to him and being a sure top 1st round pick.. Could mean the difference in starting and having to carry a clipboard a couple of years, not to mention the money.
CFB realist
January 7th, 2013
12:18 pm
In the past 2 seasons here are the GOOD teams UGA has played:
2011: Boise St, SC, LSU, Mich St
2012: SC, UF, Bama, and maybe Nebraska (b/c they won 10) but not Nebraska (b/c they gave up 63 to Ohio St & 70 to 6-loss Wisconsin)
What’s UGA’s record vs. the GOOD teams they’ve played? 0-4 in 2011 and 1-2 in 2012. And I’ll even give you the Neb win, and the Dawgs are still 2-6 vs. the 8 GOOD teams they’ve played the past 2 seasons.
The UGA fan purported genius, Grantham, ain’t so good when his D is matched up vs. equal or better talent … 7 of the 8 teams scored 31+ pts.
GTBob
January 7th, 2013
12:19 pm
UGA beat one good team this year and that team got blown out by a Big East team in their bowl game. They are losing the best defensive players from a team that wasn’t very good defensively anyways and they play a tougher schedule. I know UGA fans like crowning themselves champions every offseason but come on. You guys aren’t really expecting to be contenders next year, are you?
trailerparkted
January 7th, 2013
12:19 pm
I thought that last year heat check, until the 1st round of the playoffs were over!
FalconFan
January 7th, 2013
12:22 pm
The “pundits” on Sports Center are already listing all the wonderful attibutes of Russell Wilson and why he will be able to handle the Falcons. Counting on you Falcons to prove them all wrong!
EastCobbRick
January 7th, 2013
12:28 pm
I’ve been watching ESPN all morning, and the sports intelligentsia have decreed that neither the Falcons nor the Tide should bother to even show up for the game. They say neither has a chance! Well, we’ll see, won’t we…
JSS
January 7th, 2013
12:29 pm
Fact:
Of the 13 wins registered by the Falcons, 6 of those teams will either be having new head coaches or offensive coordinators next season (Kansas City, San Diego, Oakland – fired OC Gregg Knapp, Philadelphia, Arizona, and New Orleans – Payton returns)…
ESPN hates the Falcons, for good reason!
January 7th, 2013
12:46 pm
Where did all these Seahawks fans come from?
Roddy and Julio will have a hard time against Seahawks big secondary.
Richard Sherman will get under Roddy’s skin and make him lose his cool.
Seahawks 27 Falcons 23
There will be no Matt Ryan miracle comeback on Sunday.
DawginLex
January 7th, 2013
12:56 pm
Jorge O’leary
January 7th, 2013
11:58 am
We whipped florida and florida exposed FSU as being overrated. Then florida went out and crapped thebed against Louisville(which I very much enjoyed
Whipped Florida??? When Florida gave you 6 turnovers, and you survived by a last second strip in the end zone? If you whipped them, then Alabama whipped you!! Loser
**************************************
Created 6 turnovers. They were not gifts. Held them to under 100 yards rushing and ZERO touchdowns. That’s a whipping
I know as a big Tech man it is hard for you to describe what a whipping supplied by a defense looks like since your defense hasn’t administered one since Eisenhower was President.
42-10 11 out of 12 Who is the loser?
Gorilla Biscuit
January 7th, 2013
12:59 pm
“There’s a chance the Jackets will be the preseason choice to win the ACC Coastal Division. Seriously.”
Boy, that conference must REALLY suck.
Plucked Falcon
January 7th, 2013
1:06 pm
This Russell Wilson guy, first year in the league, one playoff game and has already won more playoff games then Matt Ryan. Lol Seahawks D against a hobbling RGIII nothing to write home about. It’s their offense and the 24 points they put up while missing or fumbling several sure TDs that need to be on the radar.
GTBob
January 7th, 2013
1:07 pm
Created 6 turnovers. They were not gifts.
Really? All 6 of the Florida turnovers were because of incredible defensive play by UGA and had nothing to do with Florida just screwing up? You are really going to go with that? Why hasn’t UGA “created” 6 turnovers against anyone else?
GTBob
January 7th, 2013
1:11 pm
Told you last year thatt Tech would be lucky to play .500 ball and next year will be worst! Johnson’s last year!!
Joey
January 7th, 2013
1:22 pm
Really Goldenrod?
Tech was one of our (the Leghumpers) 3 EASIEST wins in ‘12.
42-10.
Through 3 quarters.
You better leave the prognosticating to Mr Bradley . . .
One and Done again
January 7th, 2013
1:26 pm
Facons will loose on Sunday. Can’t run the football and can’t stop the run. Seattle and Lynch will pound us to death and keep O off the field.
KCFalcon
January 7th, 2013
1:27 pm
Is Matt Ryan the only player the Falcons have used in any of these games?
The the Top 10 Falcons plays of the year, and the defense has made many of them. My point, Ryan will have more help now.
KCFalcon
January 7th, 2013
1:29 pm
Loose? Choke, you forgot something.
D'OH
January 7th, 2013
1:30 pm
Why are you sooooooo concerned with EVERYTHING that has to do with Georgia Football Square Pants? To say that UGA did not have a good team is so absurd. They were not the best, but they were very good. To say other wise is moronic and having no clue about Collge Football………. Geez, why am I so surprised this rhetoric comes out of the mouth a tech fan? Go away Sponge Bob!
KCFalcon
January 7th, 2013
1:32 pm
How does it feel to be called Choke all the time? That’s a great way for you to go through life. You brought it on yourself. You’ve lost a lot of karma in your life because of the past 5 years.
Fair n Balanced
January 7th, 2013
1:43 pm
When does A get serious about basketball?
Paul in NH
January 7th, 2013
1:46 pm
Falcons-Seahawks – team with the former ACC QB wins
UGA FB – Murray coming back is a positive but I don’t see how a team can lose the best LB in their history, one of the best safeties and some stalwart D-linemen and not drop off.
GT FB – A nice win over USC but no indicator either way of how the team will look in 2013
Hawks – not good against the Celts- and these are not the Celts of 25 years ago. Heck, they aren’t the Celts of 3 years ago.
GT Bball – a bad loss to a good Miami team and looking at a 1-4 start in the ACC. They need Poole to develop to be better in the 2nd half
UGA Bball – one good player only gets you so far.
UGA ECONOMICS MAJOR
January 7th, 2013
1:48 pm
GEORGIIA DOME !!!BE LOUD!! VERRRRY LOUD AND CONSTANTLY LOUD!!!!!!ATLANTA FALCONS WIN THIS ONE!!!!27 -14…..ROCK THE GEORGIA DOME AND BLOW THE ROOF OFF FALCON FANS NO SIITTING AND CLAPPING !!!!!GET STUPIDLY LOUD !!!REDNECK LOUD!!!
DAMN GOOD JACKETS
January 7th, 2013
1:50 pm
not fair to have to play at Clemson two years in a row but the ACC may just do that to Tech when realigning the schedule. If not, GT has a shot.