The Falcoholic Says Goodbye To 2010

This thing practically writes itself.

(Expression of disbelief)! Can you believe that (year) is already (over/done/baked)? It sure was a year of (crazy times/good times/bad times/being overtaken by a sentient race of octopuses), wasn't it? Our Falcons definitely (were amazing/stomped on our fragile dreams/quit football to pursue their dream careers in competitive knitting) in (year). (Expression of disbelief).

Feel free to Mad Lib your way through that, but in all seriousness, it has been a hell of a year for the Atlanta Falcons. They're playoff bound, leading the NFC South and easily one of my favorite Falcon teams of my 26 years on this planet. While there's been heartache and heartburn along the way, I couldn't ask for a better season. If I resolve one thing as a Falcons fan, as a matter of fact, it's to stop worrying so much. These guys know what they're doing.

I hope 2011 brings better days for all of us in our fandom, our lives and our careers. Thank you for being a part of The Falcoholic.

After the jump, find some of the biggest stories we've written about here at The Falcoholic over the last twelve months. If I've missed anything (and I surely have), be sure to fill in the blanks in the comments.

Kicker Battle, January 13: You may not remember this, but Matt Bryant's job wasn't secure earlier this year. He held off a challenge by Steve Hauschka and became as wildly successful as any of us could've imagined.

Great Falcons QB Breakdown, February 1: Back when we all used psuedoynms, we debated the quarterback depth chart and Matt Ryan's future. Still a great read, in my opinion.

The Falcoholic brings on Jason Kirk, March 2: A commenter since the Jurassic era of The Falcoholic, Jason joined the tiny editorial team of Dave Choate and Adam Schultz and immediately set about making the blog a better place.

Dunta Robinson signs, March 5: Nobody really knew what to make of this signing, Thomas Dimitroff's one allowed off-season splash. He hasn't lit the world on fire, but I think we can agree Robinson's been a valuable piece of the secondary.

Sean Weatherspoon is like The Beatles, March 16: We called Weatherspoon as a pick earlier than almost anybody else, and it turned out to be the correct selection come April. 'Spoon has been laid low by injuries, but he's still a promising rookie and a guy who should be a Falcon favorite for years to come.

The Falcons draft rules, April 24: Nobody quite knew what to make of the draft at first, but Adam Schultz and his boundless enthusiasm set the tone for things to come.

The Falcoholics Draft Philosophy, April 25: With confusion over picks like Joe Hawley dominating the discussion, we talked about the Falcons' draft philosophy.

Peria Jerry recovering slowly, May 9: It's been lost in the glow of winning, but there was a time everyone was wringing their hands over Jerry. There are some who argue he still hasn't fully recovered from the injury that cost him 2009. We'll see what his impact ends up being in 2011.

The Scale of Falconliness, all year: Jason Kirk's sprawling pet project had us debating the merits of everyone from Keith Brooking to Scott Case, pissed off Arkansas football fans and made a quite off-season pass much more quickly. Every piece is worth a read.

Matt Ryan writes Monday Morning Quarterback, July 11: The earliest salvo of recognition for the Falcons came and I ingested something weird I found in the forest. This was the result.

Falcons lose WR Kerry Meier, August 21: In the wake of a busy training camp and in the mdist of pre-season, Sunshine became a fan favorite early because of his sure hands, and it felt a little devastating when the Falcons lost him for the season.

Falcons get punched by Steelers, September 12: A lot of fears from the pre-season carried over into the first game of the season, when the Falcons lookd anemic and lost to the Steelers. Fortunately, it wasn't a sign of things to come.

The Falcoholic brings aboard two new writers, September 20: With Jason Kirk moving on to SBN Atlanta while secretly feeding us information, Caleb Rutherford and James Rael joined the staff. After spending about three years of nothing but Dave Choate, the site now has five writers.

Jerious Norwood out for the season, September 21: The speedster's injury likely spelled the end of his tenure as a Falcon, and it paved the way for Jason Snelling to emerge as one of the best backups in the NFL.

Falcons triumph over Saints, September 27: In a year filled with great victories, none were sweeter than beating our divisional rival, wresting control of the division away from them and never looking back.

William Moore takes Erik Coleman's job, October 14: C4 has been one of the Falcons' better defenders all season, and back in October, he Wally Pipp'ed the hell out of Coleman. It was the right move, and one that indicated the Falcons were in win-now mode.

Falcons lose to Eagles, October 18: Buoyed by an incredible winning streak, the Falcons came into the Eagles game with a lot of confidence and got a harsh reminder of reality in the NFL. It also led to Dunta Robinson getting fined out the wazoo.

Falcons beat Ravens, quiet questions, November 12: They said the Falcons couldn't beat a good team. Wrong.

John Abraham finds an elixir, November 15: Lost in the first couple of months was the fact that John Abraham had mutated back into a sack-happy beast of prey. Not lost anymore, is it?

Falcons lock up winning season by beating Packers, Nov. 29: The Falcons now have three straight winning seasons, a franchise first, and they did it in thrilling fashion over the Packers.

The Falcons are in the playoffs!, December 19: One of the most thrilling days of the year!

Falcons lose to Saints, send seven to Pro Bowl, Dec. 29: It's never good to lose to the Saints, but the Falcons finished up the calendar year 12-3. Oh yeah, and they also led the NFC in Pro Bowlers.

And that's where we'll stop for now, with greater things to come in 2011. Happy New Year, everyone!