A Farewell To The Falcons Season
by Dave Choate on Jan 16, 2011 8:01 AM EST
in Editorial
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PrintThe Atlanta Falcons season ends, as the old saying goes, not with a bang but a whimper.
It was a brutal game, this 48-21 loss to the Packers. The Falcons got off to a hot start with a turnover and Eric Weems' brilliant kick return for a touchdown, and then everything went to hell. The Packers and Aaron Rodgers were simply too good tonight, and the Falcons had no answers for them. No one on the team—with the possible exception of Weems—gets a pass for the performance. It took an entire team to lose in such gut-wrenching fashion.
It's over now. There will be no more talk of disrespect from pundits, fretting over whether Harry Douglas will emerge in the third receiver role and agonizing over the decisions of Brian Van Gorder and Mike Mularkey.
Okay, maybe we'll still be talking about the last one.
Let's try to remember the good times. Obviously, nothing short of a Super Bowl is the outcome you fervently wish for, but these Falcons put together a season we'll remember fondly for a long time. They're also built for the long haul, and are a few pieces away from wreaking havoc on the NFC again in 2010. Realize also that this was a team that even the most loyal of fans could find fault with this season, and they still won 13 games. It's really a pretty remarkable campaign.
Does that make the less easier to swallow? No. I'm still unreasonably depressed, and it's going to be worse come tomorrow when I head into a den of Patriots fans for the afternoon. But as time goes on, I think we'll be able to appreciate the strides the Falcons took in 2010, even if it ended with the Packers hanging 48 points on 'em. Oof.
No highlights, no lowlights, no lists this week. I don't have the stomach to relive every second of that game right now, and we've got months ahead of us to break it down.
For now, all I want to do is watch a couple of football games I have no stake in and forget yesterday happened. I hope you'll join me later today, and take a little time to think about the fond memories you'll have from this season.
There's no use in wallowing in misery, after all.
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Here here
Hopefully I’ll only have to say “maybe next year” for one more year. This is a good team, one that’s easy to cheer for. This is only the beginning and I think we can all agree on that. Throw in some deep balls and screen passes and we will go much further next season. Till then, I need another drink already
If peeing your pants is the coolest, consider me Miles Davis
by BigSkee on Jan 16, 2011 8:30 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Good season though
I hate to have to listen to Troy Aikman and Joe Buck (especially Aikman) commentate on this game. Too much credit is sometimes given to the quarterbacks and not enough to the receivers in football games. Green Bay has too many weapons not to go up and down the field, and we had too many chances to sack Rodgers
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
Well said Dave
We can discuss what happened against the Pac after the numbness has worn off, the pain has subsided or the hangover has cleared up. But, what a wild ride this year was for the team and this board. We’ve seen the beginnings of a franchise that could well have a run for many years to come. A coach and owner that love their team and whom the players love. TD has picked talent that will be good for a long time. Ryan has emerged as a leader and with a little more time will be a great QB. Matt Bryant survived a shaky preseason and was money all year long. Eric Weems turned into one of the best ST guys ATL has had in a long time. Brett Grimes proved he deserved to be a starter and is only going to get better.
The Green Bay game was a bitter pill but was necessary to push the organization to the next level. If the FO is as good as we say then changes will be made for the better.
It hurts to be a true fan and is easy to be fair weather. The upside is that this team will be back, stronger than ever.
by mwalex on Jan 16, 2011 8:56 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
I hope you are right
and that in that “bitter pill” statement the important word is “pill”, and not “bitter”…
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Brutal
It was a brutal game to watch as well as talk about. Let’s not forget the outstanding season the Falcons had this year, and look forward to next year. The list of issues that went wrong is quite long and something will be done to fix it., Guaranteed!
Your Division Champions, "The Atlanta Falcons!" The goal doesn't stop here.
Condolences to all of Falcon Nation
And I know what this feels like. It was just 2 short seasons go, after the 2008 campaign, when the Cardinal came into Charlotte and busted us in the mouth.
Same story line – 12-4 regular season, won the division, had the first round bye and hosted a playoff game against a wild card team. Then THUD.
As a Panthers fan, I take no pleasure in seeing the Falcons get smashed. I was really hoping that another NFC South team could win it all. In the end, Green Bay was a hot team and caught the Birds flat. What would worry me if I were a Falcons fan is that in two playoff games, Matt Ryan has looked very suspect.
I offer you all condolences on the stunning way your team gut ousted, and for all of the hope and expectations that are left unfulfilled.
BUT – the Panther Fan in me takes GREAT pleasure in saying, “Welcome to the offseason, everyone!” See you guys in 2011 (assuming there’s football…)
Remember to do YOUR part to make rush hour exciting - drive fast, take chances, and don't signal!
by Panther Fan in GA on Jan 16, 2011 9:24 AM EST reply actions
Good Season
but terrible post season. I cannot believe we had 2 weeks to prepare and this is what we came up with. Oh well, I guess it could be worse.
support
I’m not here to bash your team. the falcons are a very good team that didn’t win last night. the falcon fans attending that game last night were an embarassment to all you loyal fans last night.to start leaving your team at the end of the third quarter is ridiculous.those people paid good money just to turn their backs on the whole organization. why not give their tickets to incredible fans that have to sit at home and wish they could be there.once again congrats but last night just wasn’t meant to be.
love you bye bye
You're completely wrong.
Nobody needs to sit around for another quarter of a game that’s totally out of hand. If somebody wants to leave so they can make it home an hour earlier and try to forget this game ever happened, by all means.
There are plenty of reasons for the outsider to dump on the Atlanta sports fan, since the average outsider typically has nothing better to do, but last night did not offer a single one. That crowd brought it.
I am proud to be a Kennesaw State Fighting Owl. -- Vince Dooley
yeah, sorry, but you're dead wrong here
You live and die with your team, but that didn’t apply last night. The city totally got behind them and did everything they could to be a factor last night.
There are times when a fanbase needs to support it’s team, but there are also times when a team needs to support it’s fanbase. The fans weren’t leaving because of the loss… they were leaving because they didn’t see the point in watching a team they love roll over and die.
by cheshire falcon on Jan 16, 2011 10:30 AM EST up reply actions
Blame Terry Bradsaw!!!
When everybody else was picking GB he snuck in last with us. If EVERYBODY picks GB, the Football Gods issue a decree, they lose. We’ve all seen it. So by ONE GUY being on our side the FG’s sent down a whippn instead
by birdwatch on Jan 16, 2011 9:46 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Common man ! You must be kidding ! Are you seroius? We should be thanking him for been there for us. Everybody else said we stunk !
by Falcons guru on Jan 20, 2011 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
Congrats on a good season.
Told myself I would post here win or lose. I don’t think you guy played that bad you just ran into a buzzsaw, ironically the Weems TD might have been a bad thing for you since your D had to play for so long early. Keep your chins up I think you have a good foundation there and will contend again next year.
The KR was bad for us
Our slow offense needed to be on the field early
Whiskey == typos? :D
Have a good offseason everyone. :)
Oh wait: DRAFT TALK!
Held for 5 years as a prisoner of war at GT between '98 and '03.
Yeah, losses make me typo-heavy
Oops.
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by Dave Choate on Jan 16, 2011 10:14 AM EST up reply actions
Kudos to the guy in the photo
for wearing a Mike Peterson jersey.
Josh Smith made me change my sig
Jason Collins - HOF Class of 2020
by a hooter's baby on Jan 16, 2011 10:25 AM EST reply actions
Well I'm feeling unusually cheery this morning
but I guess that happens when after watching four quarters of choke you go and get blasted with your friends and get transfixed by dubstep.
I’m interested to see how Smitty and TD respond. Obviously some changes have to be made, but how drastic do they need to be? Was last night a coaching issue, a scheme problem? Or did we not have the personnel to compete? Who in the hell is responsible for teaching these guys how to tackle?
All in all, I think this offseason is going to be huge for us. We’re so close to having everything we need. This year, we were too young for the moment. I don’t think these guys get burned like this again. This one is going to stick with them for some time. The real question is: how do they respond? Does this light a fire in the organization, or beat them down? Personally I believe the former, but that’s what makes me a fan, I guess.
That comes down to a few things
1. Retirements: So many of our current players are at the age where they could retire if they want to. They leave now, that process Smitty keeps talking about ends too short.
2. Coordinators: I’m not sure that we technically need to fire our coordinators, but different offensive and defensive strategy is mandatory.
i think you're on the right track
The only thing I would say is that i’m not sure a “different” strategy is mandatory, but a more flexible one. We have this gameplan that I actually think is great, but the problem is that when it’s not working by the 2nd quarter and the entire world knows it (the announcers were even questioning what the hell we were doing with our defensive scheme last night), there is ZERO adjustment.
by cheshire falcon on Jan 16, 2011 10:42 AM EST up reply actions
well...
The defensive strategy has consistently been using the prevent defense against a top qb. The only time we didn’t do that was the MNF game, and we had success against Brees. It’s been said before, but the only thing that a prevent defense prevents is our team from winning. Part of our complete lack of success with prevent D might be that we’re a 4-3 base, admittedly.
I disagree with the coordinator comment
for three years BVG and MM have been running the same plays for the most part. No evolution on either side of the ball. I think they have reached their maximum potential. One or both need to go.
Hmmmm, those are some great questions
I think much of Falcon nation is pondering them this morning.
I think what stuns me is that my opinion of where this organization is right now could have changed so much over the course of 1 game. I’m not saying we need to blow the whole thing up, but the fact that it is even crossing some people’s minds just tells you what an epic disaster this game was.
But a game like that sort of calls everything into question. Do we have the right players? If we do, can these particular coordinators (BVG should literally be ashamed of himself this morning) do anything with them?
I mean I have no idea. The only thing I can say for sure is that I’m really glad i’m not Thomas Dimitroff today.
by cheshire falcon on Jan 16, 2011 10:39 AM EST up reply actions
MM
you are never gonna win big games with MM as your oc. This guy has no idea how to spread a defence out. Three good wide outs and you can’t go deep once. Comon man this guys been a joke for years.
Agree
I agree with you but then we won a bunch of(regular season) games this year so would it be right to fire him?
Forget About it.
I’d like to say thank you all for makin this an exciting season All the posts and replied was truly one of my highlights of the season.I know most will disappear until next year. The critics will call us a fluke. However as mad and depressed as i am. I still wear my red and black. I will still yell.. Rise UP I will still die a falcons fan..
Again thanks for the luv..
Does anybody think we probably would have done better in Lambeau?
The falcons offense was built especially for the cold weather. And maybe the elements changes how Green Bay attacks
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
Wow, Matt Ryan is getting the short end of the stick.
I know the only two playoff games have been atrocious for Matty Ice, but the sports columnist that are labeling him a playoff choke artist are being too naive about the situation. Yes he really played horribly but his opponents, the eventual NFC Championship winner Arizona Cardinals and the soon-to-be NFC Championship winner Green Bay Packers, were playing with a high-caliber defense and while ours was underrated I think they played best when they were underdogs going into the game. The same label can be given for Joe Flacco & Company IMO.
Ron Artest = Ron (sm)Artest - He Is The Most Interesting Man In The World
by JoshChildressAfroIsCure4Cancer on Jan 16, 2011 11:02 AM EST reply actions
Flacco doesn't even deserve to be in the same category as Ryan
Ryan’s two playoff losses were against teams with good defenses and explosive offenses on days that the Falcons D just played horrendously. poor offensive gameplanning (once again, MM) meant that Ryan had to do most of the work himself.
Flacco wins by having one of the best defenses in the NFL and being just good enough of a game manager (not a field general, but a game manager) to squeak by against mediocre defenses. Whenever he’s been asked to actually beat a team based on his skills as a qb, he did nothing regardless of whether it’s regular season or postseason.
true...
Ryan was far from great last night, but a good defensive performance and we may have actually won that game. We scored more points last night than we did when we beat them the first time.
But this underscores the problem… you had a defense that did nothing but get humiliated all night, and an offense that wasn’t capable of taking control of the game. Remember that “put together a complete game” thing people have been complaining about all year? This is why you needed to see it, and I think it’s why a lot of people were slow to give the Falcons credit. Because when you have one unit show up to play and another unit take the night off (which is what happened in almost all our games this year), you’re eventually gonna pay for it.
And man did we ever pay for it last night.
by cheshire falcon on Jan 16, 2011 11:19 AM EST up reply actions
Off season wish list
Pass rushing DE
Weak inside linebacker
1 offensive guard
1 offensive tackle
1 Tight end
1 Center
1 offensive coordinator that can spread the field
1 defensive coordinator that can make defensive changes
1 explosive, game changing wideout
1 pass catching running back
I’m sure most of these will be addressed via draft.
Your Division Champions, "The Atlanta Falcons!" The goal doesn't stop here.
by Edgecrusher211 on Jan 16, 2011 11:07 AM EST reply actions
1 legit shutdown corner
grimes is good but how much better is our team with dunta on a 2, grimes in the slot.
Owens got abused all night, all game, yeah other plays were made but seriously he was just awful, everyone on the packers said hey we can beat that guy and they did. Nnamdi Asomugha perhaps, expensive but hey we got the money, and how much better are we with him, lets be honest.
next a legit number 2 reciever/DL/OLB any or all, jenkins might be good, Douglas was hurt so maybe next year. nicholas/peterson can be replaced. Here is hoping weatherspoon makes serious strides this offseason. Dline needs help, abraham was great, bierman stepped up, but still we could use an upgrade there.
A number 2 running back with a different style of running, like a speedster back, someone to change the pace with turner. not snelling bigger slower less elusive form of turner, and norwood should be out of job now, feel bad for him, but staying healthy is kinda important.
a new how to snack the QB when blitzing for dummies class would be nice Also the only time i really liked the offensive play calling was no huddle/ Matty Ice calling the plays, he needs an OC to reel him in and give us balance but MM isn’t the guy and our DC look at the defense. He did a fantastic job given the players we have, I mean look at the difference from this year compared to last, he deserves another year.
by dirtybirdsrolltide on Jan 16, 2011 5:18 PM EST up reply actions
That's a big list
Pass rushing DE (FA: Cullen Jenkins, Kiwanuka, LaMarr Woodley?)
LT (is there a good enough FA LT? Doug Free? Jared Gaither?)
OLB (Chad Greenway? Thomas Davis?)
OG (Johnson or Hawley)
OC (Hawley? Is he ready?)
TE (Draft: Kyle Rudoplh, Zach Miller? Kevin Boss?)
WR (a lot available)
RB (clearly a need, could find one in the second round)
OC and DC: not Blank or Smith’s style. Still it will be interesting if they make a change. Too bad Mularkey wasn’t hired away, that would have made it easy.
Next year... from Packers fan perspective
I’m really not coming here to gloat. Honest. I’m here to mention that, I think you will have ample opportunity to exact your revenge. Both the Falcons and the Packers are pretty well set for the next couple of years. And next year with the Packers getting 14 people back from IR, I think both these teams are set up for an NFC rivalry equivalent of Pats/Colts.
I suspect you’ll get your chance at meaningful revenge.
This is why I'll be pulling for u guys to take it. Classy bunch of fans
U Packer fans are alright. My (2 middle east tours, Please no flashbacks!) marine Packer buddy came in today at our garage and didn’t gloat one bit. Oh, heard a little from the raider fans but he came in and said he never expected to win that way, was actually nervous. So yay, no pain for me.
by aces666high on Jan 16, 2011 11:46 AM EST up reply actions
there was a moment
in the Packers game – after Starks muffed his catch and the ball was spotted on the 8 yrd line – when I thought this game would be a blowout. little did I know that it would turn out to be one, except that we’d be on the losing end.
I turned off my computer with about 5-6 mins left in the game, cause I couldn’t stand what was going on. at that time I wasn’t even planning to check the final score and what the “analysts” would say, etc. – at least for a week. but I couldn’t not return to read this blog.
looking at our season, it’s hard to overestimate our overall success and how the team has changed in the past 3 years. we were much better than our 2008 or 2009 versions in many categories. offense started clicking at some point in the season. defense got better (or so the stats say).
but here’s a grain of salt – I think we have a huge mismatch in the types of offense and defense we run. our Offense is built for low scoring, bad weather games (the type the steelers used to play when MM was there). and our D is the opposite – it’s bend but don’t break. which unfortunately implies that if we face a high-octane offense which is able to convert a lot of 3rd downs, it will actually concede points. and here’s the mismatch – our offense is not designed to get back into the game if the D fails big time (as it happned last night).
to put this in perspective – our D could be ok on a team like Packers or Saints, and our Offense would be great if it were on a team like steelers with tough defense. I wasn’t the only person here to bash both of our coordinators throughout the season and much of 2009, but I thought if we manage to go deep in the playoffs nobody would question them. well, we didn’t. does it mean the team will delve into this question in the offseason and find different coordinators? My guess is that it won’t. both MM and BvG will remain with the team, and only add some players through draft and FA. I diasgree with this approach – as long as we don’t change the philosphy, personnel changes will make little difference.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
True
But our d coordinator is not bad look at how many sacks we should of had last night but couldnt tackle aaron rogers i counted at least 5
agree
but it wasn’t a surprise either. we knew he’d be hard to tackle. two problems:
1. BvG used the same gameplan at the start that he used on Nov 28 – and that after having 2 weeks off
2. He failed to adjust his gameplan even after seeing it wasn’t working.
As a result – no punts (I didn’t see one by the time I left midway through 4th quarter).
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Agreed Gemini
I thought the same thing when the ball went out. Then I remembered just how bad we are against long fields against teams not named panthers. But now to your points on the coordinators. BVG is plain in over his head I think. I turned off the game at half because I knew it was done. He came out w/the same sorry gameplan and whatever adjustments he made weren’t even noticeable. 2 weeks and all u can come up with to counter a hot QB is the same rush 3 drop 8 into a soft zone? We don’t get pressure when rushing 3. Our guys can’t cover for 7-8 seconds. All he needed to know is in the game films. I remember 1 sack from a 3 man rush this year. MM is garbage. Only he could turn a HOF TE into an afterthought. Snelling was virtually unused, his pass catching ability wasted again, HD 1 catch 2 yards? Laughable. You’re right Gemini, I doubt there will be any changes at those positions either. As crazy as that sounds.
by aces666high on Jan 16, 2011 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
Gemini
Very astute points. Although I think the offense is designed for ball control to take the heat off the defense. If the offense can’t control the ball, we’re going to lose.
In all three losses this year, the Falcons lost the ToP battle.
We managed to beat Tampa, Cincy and San Fran while losing ToP, but the Tampa and San Fran wins were kind of fluky, last minute things.
I’m not sure where you improve, but I think the days of one big free agent signing and drafting the rest have to end.
it should start with philosophy
we should either open up our passing game (and then evaluate whether MM is the right fit or not) or keep our offensive ideology and make changes at D – and then see if BvG is ok.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
IM HELLA MAD
Wat was that last night?? Im so hot! How did we just choke like that after a buy week at home in front of a sell out crowde! Im gonna have to hear about this ALL F****** OFFSEASON!!! I couldnt even sleep rite last night i mean we almost went 15-1 this season!!!! This offseason i want harry douglas chris owens off the team! Matt ryan needs to learn how to break tackles in the pocket and we need a god damn deep threat WR in the draft cuz jenkins and finneran on the brink of retiring…. O and how bout somebody that can innovate in the coaching category
Agreed, we need some playmakers. Taking a 3rd Round LB talent in Weatherspoon over Dez Bryant or a whole host of excellent receivers/TEs in the 2010 Draft was just plain silly. Our drafts over past couples years(2009, 2010) have been busts especially the #1 picks of Jerry/Weatherspoon. Only Moore and Peters provides any elevation for this team over mediocrity. Yes 2008 had solid players but 2009, 2010 have proven busts.
We need playmakers and some scary a-holes on defense. I may not like the Pitt/Ravens defenses but man can they play.
Your right
We could use a speedy RB also since norwood is gonna be gone.. I wouldnt say weatherspoon is a bust yet he was playing decent till he got hurt during the season but damn tho cant believe we’re talking about the draft rite now! We should be in the championship
Agreed
I wouldn’t consider either of them a bust just yet. Jerry tore his acl and hasn’t fully recovered as of yet. Weatherspoon played strong at the beginning of the season before his injury. Given the fact the Falcons have alot of players to hit free agency, I expect some big changes in the off season, They cant sign them all. Clabo, Dahl, Blaylock, Norwood are set for free agency. Grimes, Nicholas, Williams and Peterson on the defensive side. I don;t want to be talking about the draft, I would rather be talking about the NFC Championship. Anything to take the bitterness away.
Your Division Champions, "The Atlanta Falcons!" The goal doesn't stop here.
by Edgecrusher211 on Jan 16, 2011 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
O Line
Out of those 3 OL we have to keep at least 2 as for norwood, nicholas and williams they’re definetly not getting resigned. I hope Grimes gets a new contract quick he was our most improved this year
WR isn't the problem
White is exceptional, Jenkins is OK. Yeah you could use another weapon, but I think OL and DE have to be the priorities this offseason. The Falcons philosophy isn’t going to change with one loss, but you need to have talent up front and there is not a lot of “talent” on the OL. Gritty, tough, but not talent. A pocket passer like Ryan needs more time than he’s getting.
Having Dez Bryant blaze by a CB doesn’t do any good if your QB is picking up his teeth in the backfield.
Keep the Faith!
I peeped into some of the blogs on AJC. As expected it was BRUTAL! Some of the Saints fans and other Falcon haters are having a field day! I’ve refused to watch any of the sports networks because I can’t endure seeing the melt down all over again and the punditry gloat and say I told you so! I’m still a bit numb and happy tomorrow is a holiday. Plenty of folks (Falcon haters) at the office waiting to rub salt in the wounds. Nevertheless, up until last night it’s been a good ride. I have never been more proud of the Falcons. There are plenty of folks in th AJC blogs calling for a complete dismantling of the team and coaching staff. The expected knee jerk reactions to a devastating lost. I’m confident that the Falcons front office will do whatever is necessary to make improvements for the team. I have no doubt of that. This is going to hurt for a while and no doubt there will be numerous reminders in the future. Strong supporter that I am, I remind myself that at the end of the day it’s a football game. There are much more important things in life. I agree with one of the AJC bloogers who said that expecting a SB Championship after 3 short years of rebuidling might have been a bit too optimistic. To say that this year we that we could even remotely entertain those thoughts underscores how far our team has come in such a short period of time. The good thing is that I know in my heart that the Falcons will continue to be competitive and a playoff caliber team moving into the future and may finally be in the SB within a few short years. Keep the faith! Thanks to the Falcoholic bloggers for allowing me the opportunity to dialogue with like minded Falcon supporters. NOW THAT’S SPECIAL!
show some class
Fans that come to other fans site and beat them up are idiots.anyone can be a butthole it’s the people that stop and try to be good even when they don’t want to are the ones that show character.That being said that kick return actually hurt the Falcons. Before that it was a long drive and subsequentally the next drive put you in front of a BUZZSAW and i think the defense tired.Anyway great season and the Pack and Falcons will meet again and I think their will be something to prove on your behalf.Don’t think i’m looking forward to it.
love you bye bye
A lot of you guys are missing the point
Calling for more talent. I don’t think that’s the problem or are we saying that the talent on the Falcons is only good enough to play like they did last night? No way.
Unless there is a change in the coaching staff more talent is a waste of money.
I think we need both
Open up the playbook and bolster the talent. The Falcons are still short on offensive playmakers outside of Roddy, especially with Tony aging.
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by Dave Choate on Jan 16, 2011 1:32 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
so true
I mean, how many pro bowlers do we have on our roster??? Talent isn’t the issue here, at least not the only issue.
How an offense with 5 pro bowlers on it can be as bad as they were last night – and really for stretches all throughout the season – just boggles the mind.
by cheshire falcon on Jan 16, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
Turner and Gonzo didn't really deserve to go, in all honesty
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by Dave Choate on Jan 16, 2011 1:54 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Why do you think that?
I mean you may be right as I haven’t done a statistical analysis of RBs and TEs across the league, but i’m curious who you would have put ahead of them and why.
by cheshire falcon on Jan 16, 2011 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
Well, that may be unfair
I will say that neither of them had the caliber of seasons we’re used to seeing out of them. They were helped by the Falcons having 13 wins.
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Yeah, both were there because of 13 wins + volume (quantity, not quality)
Plus Tony G got the nod because he’s Tony G.
To me the clear choices at TE were Witten and Vernon Davis.
I feel less strongly about RB, but I consider LeSean McCoy a pretty big snub. Probably Matt Forte too, when you add in what they both did in the passing game.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
Talent is good, not great
Especially on the OL. They have one first round pick and he sucks. Ryan can’t pass long because he’s not mobile like Rodgers and he has defenders in his backfield all day long.
I think looking at WR or other skill positions is a mistake. The Falcons play smash football and need an OL that can dominate in both running and passing. They are a gritty bunch of overachievers, not star talent.
What a waste!
I’ve been a Falcon fan for over 25 years and I would’ve rather seen them miss the playoffs than to go out like they did last night. As long as MM and BVG are there expect more of the same next year. This team has enough talent on offence beat anyone, but as long as MM is the OC, it’s run up the gut then third and long, hope Matt can bail me out. Every team the Falcons face know it. MM has gotten WORSE every year. Does everyone fondly remember the TD bomb Matt Ryan threw on his very first pass! I though I’d be seeing a decade of those, not one every three years. As for BVG there’s nothing to say except pathetic. Too bad Mike Smith and his “staff” are coaching the pro bowl, because they should be interviewing McDaniels and Singletary for OC & DC.
Atlanta Falcons: Regular Season Masters, Post Season Disasters
Three Years and Running
Ron Artest = Ron (sm)Artest - He Is The Most Interesting Man In The World
by JoshChildressAfroIsCure4Cancer on Jan 16, 2011 2:50 PM EST reply actions
What a let down!
I knew something was up when the 13-3 first seeded Falcons were only favored by 1.5 points over the lowly 6th seeded Packers. How could the Falcons let their fans down like this? From the16 week stats that showed Atlanta as an average team, I thought they would and could step-up instead of getting pushed around. I was surprised to find out that the Falcons were the only NFL team with at least 13 wins that did not finish in the top 10 in Offense or Defense. But they still had 13 wins. What a letdown! I was only kidding yesterday in my Fanpost when I noted the Packers could win by 3 TDS (http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2011/1/15/1937596/whos-the-hottest-team-in-the-nfl). Oh well, at least Matty "Ice Cold" and the coaching staff can try to warm up a bit at the Pro Bowl.
Lowly Sixth seed?
I think the Pack are headed to the Super Bowl and I might favor them to win if Rodgers doesn’t get concussed. The only reason they were a sixth seed is that they lost a few games as they struggled to overcome injuries. By the end of the season they had found replacement parts. They suffer those same injuries in November or December, I think it’s different.
At least Roddy white and Brent Grimes apologized on their Twitters
But still no excuses
by !AtlFalcons-fan! on Jan 16, 2011 4:40 PM EST reply actions
At least you don't have to fret about the Patriots
Looks like they will be headed home, too.
Unless Belicheck/Brady can really pull this out.
http://www.deviantsunderground.com/index.php?topic=5749.0
falcon cartoon expressing disappointment in playoff loss register to read
Belated comment from a GB fan:
The Falcons had an excellent season, and appear to be set to continue to improve. If I were an Atlanta fan, I would be wary of suggestions to blow up the existing structure. You’d be sacrificing a lot of good stuff.
To me, Saturday’s game revealed two surprises and confirmed one non-surprise. Surprises: (1) your DL was thinner than it seemed during the season. Basically, your pass rush is John Abraham, and even if he isn’t gimpy, a decent OL can account for one pass rusher. (2) in the last few weeks, the Packers pass offense has finally gotten back up to full power, at least against a not-too-intimidating pass rush. Perhaps this shouldn’t have been a surprise — Rodgers sliced up the Giants, and probably could have done the same to the Eagles except that McCarthy went paranoid about trying to keep Vick off the field.
Non-surprise: the Falcons are not currently structured to recover from a big deficit. I think that Falcon fans should try to realize that this is not a fatal flaw. In the last decade, the Giants, Bucs, and Ravens have won Super Bowls without “big-play” offenses. The key is, of course, that you have to be sure not to get too far behind. You may want to work on getting more depth on defense rather than revising your whole offensive structure.
In conclusion, I’d like to congratulate the Falcon team, and its fans, on a very successful season. I’m not gonna lie — I’m happy the Packers won, and while I thought they had a good chance, I was totally gobsmacked by the final score. Sometimes, you just run into a hot QB, I guess.
I expect we’ll be seeing you in the post-season for some years to come.
thanks for dropping by
and congratulations on the win and best of luck to your team going forward. it won’t hurt us if GB wins it all, and we can actually say we lost to eventual champion.
having said that, you should set your expectations on the right level. The Packers can win it all, but it doesn’t mean they already won SB. too many things can happen, and if you look at GB-ATL game you should note that it wasn’t just Rogers killing us – our team shot itself in the foot too. Not trying to take away any credit from your team – it beat the #1 seed for a reason. Patriots loss suddenly makes Green Bay favorites to not only reach SB but actually win it, but that loss also shows things can happen. Just ask the Saints and Pats.
As for your comments on our team, they make sense. Evolutionary approach is better than revolutionary – the opposite wouldn’t make sense after a 13-3 season. And you got one thing right – this team is not built to overcome big deficits – and that’s because defense doesn’t match offense. our D would be fine on some high scoring (maybe pass oriented) offense. and conservative offense would fit a stingy defense that doesn’t give up points (like Pittsburgh). Offense wins time of possession, the opposition doesn’t get many chances to score, as long as the D limits red zone scoring. This time none of that worked and we folded. And we are right to some extent when we say that our coaching failed to make any meaningful adjustments at halftime.
Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia
Falcons loss to the Green Bay Packers
Man, the Atlanta Falcons gave the game away. This may sound crazy to some folks but it is true. We beat them weeks before, right?
Key turnovers killed us; especially the Matt Ryan pick that was returned for a Packers touchdown. That served to deflate the enthusiasm of the players and boost the morale of the Packers. We all know this is a league of ‘momentums" or lack thereof.
On the other side of the ball, the defense forgot how to make tackles completely.These misses kept the Packers alive all night long. Rodgers undoubtedly is good but not as good as those analysts make him.
The Falcons did not play the game like they did all season. They tried to guard against the run all game long.That Green Bay run offense does not deserve that respect – not one good running game by a no name rookie anyway. The Atlanta defense committing to stopping the Packers run, is exactly what the one dimensional Packers needed.
The sad thing is, Atlanta failed to make the necessary adjustments all game long. We needed to play the game like we played against Baltimore, New OrleansSan Fran and so on. Well there is always next year. Seemed like all the Falcons coaches paid undue heed to the football commentators’ hype of the Packers run offence.Ooh! what a terrible mistake!
For now I wil just keep hoping. What else?
Be Wary of Falcons' 2010 Success
Don’t get lulled into sleep/satisfaction with the Falcon’s 2010 success. In a division with the Saints and improving Bus, the Falcons could find themselves in third place next year!
The Falcons were very healthy this year and won many close games that could have gone either way. The offense is limited, needs some originality and big play potential and is not as good as some like to think. Turner offers no receiving threat for opposing teams to defend, and for a rush heavy team, the Falcons were 26th in yards per rushing attempt!
Worse though is the defense which is in drastic need of improvement – scheme and personnel wise. They need a consistent, dominating pass rush, linebackers and safeties who can cover receivers, and nickel backs who are not liabilities – a lot of areas of need! The Falcons will go deep in the playoffs when they switch to 3/4 and have the personnel to dictate to an opposing team’s offense instead of being satisfied with not giving up big plays.
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