Though this game leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth, the 2009 Falcons gave us all more than we had reason to expect (but not hope for). Thomas D has proved he knows how to draft and sign free agents, so I can’t wait to see what’s in store this offseason. Get ready to ante up for some season tickets, y’all.

And what a ride! Four short months ago, who would have dreamed that the Falcons would have only their fourth 11+ win season in team history? It’s like finding money on the sidewalk, a most unexpected pleasure.

It’s been fun! Enjoyed sharing thoughts with all of you, especially you guys who were here for the duration! Best wishes to you all, hope to see you (non-lurkers) again as we approach draft time.

Remember 2008 and…

…be happy. Even better days are ahead.
Cheers, youse guys!

Albeit a fairytale at the end of which Hansel fumbles when he’s pushing the witch into the oven, and she manages to catch and eat him and Gretel after all.

I’m bummed about tonight’s game – not because we lost, but because we played poorly. But on the whole, this season has been a magical one to watch, and I still think Smitty deserves his top hat.

As this is my first season as a proper NFL fan, I’m not sure what happens in the off-season. I imagine apart from the draft, everything goes a bit quiet. However, I have just picked up a copy of Madden, so I’m gonna try to learn the game properly and be ready to astound you all with my knowledge of I-Form Normal HB Middle etc. etc. come the start of next season. You have been warned :-D

Thanks for your dedication, Dave! And to tloz, runningback and the rest of you guys: you’ve all been great – and very welcoming for a useless, ignorant, know-nothing newbie like myself.

WTF was up with the timing and the lines out there today?

It seemed like AZ had our snap counts given to them by a double-agent inside the huddle, and the crowd noise (part of a conscious decision not to open to stadium to keep the noise loud as possible) gave their OL the jump to keep Abraham in check.

It’s amazing to me how much football is about little things like seconds and inches. Just a few seconds, just a few inches, and an OL can out-leverage a DL, or a DL can jump past an OL.

They had our number today, but hell, we’ve lost playoff games before. The trick is to lose a playoff game NEXT year too. That is to say, this wasn’t about blowing our load for one 11-5 season before a descent back into mediocrity. It’s about building a future. About building a franchise. I like where we’re headed, and April and subsequently August can’t get here fast enough.

~iRonin

We were 11-5 when everyone had us pegged as an easy 4-12.

We went 1-1 with every one of our division foes.

We are carrying a huge amount of momentum into this year’s season.

I’m kind of glad we didn’t run deep into the playoffs. That gives our team even more motivation for taking the busted expectations this year and running with them next year. I expect great things come August.

Please. Pretty please. As long as he is on this team, the Falcons will have a gaping defensive liability. Play Nicholas. Play Wire. They can resign Adam Jennings and put him at OLB for all I care. Just don’t let Brooking ever take the field as a Falcon again.

You guys made this year memorable for me. If you told me in August that the Falcons would be 11-5 and lose a playoff game by 6 points in the first round I would have asked for your dealer’s number because I wanted to smoke what you’re smoking. This season has been the most memorable for me as a Falcons fan, 1998 not withstanding, and I think we have the pieces to build upon. As I mentioned in the thread earlier, I hate going to NFL games because of the commercials, but I’m tempted to buy Falcons season tickets because there is a different aura about this team than in years past. Thank you all for joining us in the ride and being a Falcoholic has been one of my best choices in the past year.

Damn it’s sad. But our boys showed some real heart out there today … and despite the loss. I am proud as hell. We are lacking in some areas, but I really have a ton of confidence in the Comrade and Smitty re: our future.

Great season for the Birds but the last several weeks (TB, NO, MN, StL) we were pretty lucky to get a W. That was bound to change.

Now if we can avoid a let down in 09 and keep building our D and Oline, replace the guys who could be moving on we should be ok

This season has been a fun ride. As much as I would have liked to see us progress in the playoffs, I’m still very excited about the strides the team has made. I’m actually looking forward to the off-season for the first time in a while.

As mentioned above, the Falcons beat themselves in this game. That’s what made this loss harder to swallow. Still, I saw flashes of greatness. In the second quarter, Matt Ryan went something like 9/9 at one point and the ball was moved decisively down the field. I’m looking forward to his sophomore season with great anticipation.

I’m glad I found The Falcoholic and I have enjoyed the camaraderie. Great season all!!

Very inspiring season from the Falcons. Like Dave said on a Canal Street Chronicles thread, guess you guys got a Porsche instead of a Pinto when you switched both QB and head coach (Michael who?).

Hope Saints’ front staff took some notes.

- A still mourning Saints fan.

I’ll be darned if you don’t give me an ego after all.

There’s work to be done this off-season, but for now it’s just fun to be proud of the team. Imagine—just imagine—what kind of noise we’ll make in the years ahead as this very young team gets better and better. I for one can’t wait to find out.