Take the "easier" in the title very lightly. A lot of our remaining opponents lost last weekend (save those on a BYE) but don't be fooled. Each and every last game of this season will be a fight. The injuries are mounting and the competition, though looking less scarier by the week, will want a win against us. The time for complacency has passed. The Falcons either fight until not a man is left standing or they can go ahead and look to next year.

No real changes to the trend of the graph, but the records are getting worse. As far as I can tell, none of our remaining opponents (that were not on a bye) won last weekend save those dastardly Saints.

The real change is in my projected week-of-game opponents' records. Check this out.

Notice how the number of projected winning record opponents has dropped from four to three. After the Jets managed to lose to the Jaguars, I had to change my line of thinking on them. We still get a 1 loss Saints team (thanks to the New England Patriots) and we're still having to face a Philly team that will come into the Dome after winning against the Bears and Redskins. 

After we face the Giants, we get three straight Dome games. I'm holding out for the crowd to be a key factor in our wins against the Bucs and Eagles. That Saints matchup, though, I dunno. I swear I think we should wear something different for them. The throwback, the all-black alt, maybe just the red helmets. Something to signify the importance of it...

by Tim Roske - AP

Tom Coughlin would like the Falcons to kick their own butts, thank you very much. (AP Photo/Tim Roske)

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Those of you who tuned in for my chats with Saintsational from Canal Street Chronicles will have a basic idea of how this goes. A couple nights ago I sat down to talk with Ed Valentine, the head blogger over at Big Blue View, our network's Giants blog, in an effort to find our more about our erstwhile opponents.

Strictly football for this dialogue, which features two grown men transformed into statues of negativity. Will we each pick against our own team because of the recent woes of the Falcons and Giants? You'll just have to read through to find it, so join me after the jump.

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Everything is now Serious Business. If we want a winning season, we have to become a consistent team.

New York Giants
Where: Giants Stadium
When: Sunday November 22nd, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: To be the best, you have to beat the best, which seemingly no longer pertains to this contest.

Importance: Serious Business. Both teams are 5-4 and looking for redemption.

Notes: Falcons are 1-4 on the road. Think about that long and hard. Now look up. See this matchup? Are you scared? Me too. 

The Falcons win if: No more injuries occur and Norwood is back and Ryan settles down and Michael Turner somehow miraculously heals in one week and our defense suddenly all grow three or four extra arms and

The Giants win if: The team that won five in a row at the start of the season shows.

Prediction: The Falcons lose.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
Where: Georgia Dome
When: Sunday November 29th, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: Divisional Game

Importance: Serious Business.

Notes: At least it's in the Georgia Dome, where the Falcons are 4-0.

The Falcons win if: they get healthier and don't make too many mistakes.

The Bucs win if: they take advantage of any and all opportunities Falcons mistakes give them.

Prediction: Falcons win.

Philadelphia Eagles
Where: Georgia Dome
When: Sunday December 6th, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: Because Eagles and Falcons are natural enemies.

Importance: Serious Business. Let's avenge 2004's playoff loss.

Notes: The Eagles are looking so wishy-washy I doubt they can come into the Dome playing their strongest ball. And hopefully, we'll have a calmer Matt Ryan and a healthy Jerious Norwood.

Prediction: Falcons win.

New Orleans Saints 2: The Season Definer
Where: Georgia Dome
When: Sunday December 13th, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: Divisional Game

Importance: Serious Business. 

Notes: I just don't see us winning here, even in our own Dome.

Prediction: Falcons lose.

New York Jets 
Where: Giants Stadium
When: Sunday December 20th, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: Because New Yorkers couldn’t get enough of us the first go round against the Giants.

Importance: Serious Business

Notes: The Jets are, as Don Banks has said, imposters. Hopefully our Falcons aren't.

Prediction: Falcons win.

Buffalo Bills
Where: Georgia Dome
When: Sunday December 27th, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: CBS
Why: The Bills aren't looking too good. Uh oh...

Importance: Serious Business

Notes: Even hampered by injury, I think we can win this one.

Prediction: Falcons win

Tampa Bay Buccaneers With a Vengeance
Where: Raymond James Stadium
When: Sunday January 3rd, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: Divisional Game

Importance: Hmm...

Notes: Tampa may have more to gain from this game than we would, and it's in their stadium to boot. We better bring our A game.

Prediction: Falcons win, barring any miracles for the struggling Bucs.

Current season record: 5-4 (Wins against MIA, CAR, SF, CHI, WAS; losses against NE, DAL, NO, CAR)

Current season prediction: 10-6 (Wins: MIA, CAR, SF, CHI, WAS, TB, PHI, NYJ, BUF, TB; Loss: NE, DAL, CAR, NO, NYG, NO)

tlozwarlock's Current Prediction record: 7-2 (The pitfall came. And it sucked.)

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

Apparently, trying to rip a runner's head off is not a penalty in the NFL. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

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I decided to break in my new HDTV with a Falcons win. Unfortunately the football gods continued their quest to see if the Falcons can make it through one whole season with little to none of their starters still upright. I don't know what kind of bad ju-ju is going on, but with Michael Turner out just as he was storming back to prominence, the Falcons are running out of winning options.

What Had Me Screaming:

• Michael Turner, pre-injury. It was looking like 200 yards for Mr. Turner was going to be a lock before he went down. What a first quarter performance.
• Eric Weems continues to be clutch in the return game. I don't know how things are going to work with Harry Douglas coming back into the fray next year, but suffice it to say, there will be a major battle for the backup WR spot in camp.

What Made Me Boo:

• The Defense. No pressure. No sacks. No hurries. To beat Delhomme, you must pressure him. Our line looked completely anemic out there, even after their starting LT went out of the game. Oh, and on third and five, with the game on the line, you simply do not give up a 35 yard touchdown run. 
• Matt Ryan. The only thing consistent about his performance was the interceptions and overthrows. Matty Ice looked more like Matty Anxious. Ryan's road performance is getting out of hand. In the Dome, he seems...I dunno, better. That's something he'll have to look into fixing immediately. The Giants are not going to be as welcoming as the Panthers. Scary, huh?
• Red zone play calling. Seriously, after Turner rumbles for 30+ yards into the red zone, you dial up three pass plays? Why do we so often get away from what works so soon? Field goals are not going to win games. And the 2pt conversion with 11 minutes to go in the 4th? Just wrong.
• Speaking of field goals... Why is Elam having such an issue with them? Is it the timing (as evidenced by the multiple hitches made before the shank) that's getting off? Seriously, if it's that bad, just take a timeout. Sure, we'll get ticked but when the points come into play, we'll forget all about it.
• We left at least four points on the field yesterday.

What Ya’ll Seem to be Forgetting:

• Ryan is the future of this franchise. Get over it. Deal with it. Learn to live with it. Welcome to Falcons football. With time, some maturation, and lots and lots of film review, Matt will turn into the best quarterback to ever don a Falcons jersey. This is a fact, not an opinion. Every, and I mean every quarterback not named Brady has had a few horrendous years. And ya know what? They grew with what they learned and got better. This is the NFL. Hall of Fame quarterbacks are made, not drafted.
• This Falcons team is not a Super Bowl team. In my opinion, this Falcons team (especially after the multitude of injuries) is not even a playoff team. I've driven all of that out of my mind. This Falcons team is, however, a winning team (even at 5-4). This team can make it to two back-to-back winning seasons. After that, the sky's the limit. Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps.

Some Pep for your Step

This is all I got for ya. Sorry.

It's not a huge sophomore slump at this point, but Ryan's accuracy isn't up to his 2008 standards. - Don Banks via his Snap Judgements.

tlozwarlock's Fan of the Game

My neighbor, who upon witnessing Matt's second interception, let out a stream of curses I believe is still making its rounds somewhere in north Georgia.

via alt.coxnewsweb.com

I'll cut to the chase, gang. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, the Falcons will be trotting back onto the Georgia Dome turf in their awesome, amazing, fantastic, unbeatable 1966 honorary uniforms. As you're all aware, the '66 Throwback Uni took the place of our all-black Alternative uniform pictured here:

via www3.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

What some of you may not know is that this throwback program runs for five years (ending after the 2013 season). Our source within the organization also revealed a tidbit I don't think has made it to the masses yet. The team has the option of switching the throwback uni to another year (or set of years) after 2010. That means that, two years from now, we could be eagerly anticipating the return of yet another set of classic Falcons threads. IF the team decides to switch it up, the question will then be what uniform should they go to? That's where you come in. After the jump, I'm going to do my best to list every uniform / combo that's available and have you, our illustrious readers, vote on which one you'd love to see make a return to the gridiron.

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This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel.  If you're looking to check out red zone action as it happens,  then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone. And remember, it's Comcastic!

We may have screwed up a week or two of this (it's a royal we), but there's no time like the present to get caught up. And so caught we shall be.

Let's start with the Saints of New Orleans. Michael Turner busted one TD run in the red zone, Jason Elam missed a field goal the next time, Elam hit a field goal the next time, Matt Ryan tossed an interception on the 10 yard line the following time and that was it for the game. Since field goals don't count for as much and we whiffed twice, period, that brings our previously sterling red zone record crashing down a little bit. Some of that can be attributed to Elam's fluky performance and Ryan's recent slump, but it did happen. Oh well.

Next, we travel to...well, home, where the Falcons dismantled the Washington Redskins. The story was different there, but we also had an unusual number of long scores, which meant that we came up with a touchdown and a field goal in our only two trips in that game. That's more like it. It also is odd when you actually stop to think of it, because Washington has a talented defensive unit, one that's arguably much tougher on a regular basis than the Saints. Yet the Saints are basically the only team which managed to make our red zone attack look anything other than awesome.

Still, I think we're on pretty solid footing, all things considered. The Falcons still have a conversion rate inside the red zone that hovers around 90%, which is pretty damn good, and we did some excellent things in the red zone against the Carolina Panthers once already this season. In the immortal words of Radiohead, "there was nothing to fear, there was nothing to doubt."

Carolina Panthers Part Deux
Where: Bank of America Stadium
When: Sunday November 15th, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: Divisional Game

Importance: Serious Business. Duh, the only way to get the wild card is to sweep the Panthers.

Notes: The Panthers look much improved since we last saw them. Peppers has seemingly woken up and DeAngelo is continuing to prove his worth. Since the Falcons have a bit of an issue with road games, I'm a teensy bit nervous about this one. Prove me wrong, Birds!

The Falcons Win If: Michael Turner continues his one-man turf gobblin' show. Let's face it, Ryan, Gonzo, White, Lofton, Duff Man, Predator, Sledge, DeCoud, U.S.S. Babineaux, etc are amazing players, but Turner has been, at least the last two weeks, the heart of this team's ability to win.

The Panthers Win If: The Falcons continue to have issues stopping the run. The Redskins' rush looked competent against our D, especially in the third quarter. Can't let that happen against Carolina. They'll eat us alive.

Prediction: Falcons win a close one.

New York Giants
Where: Giants Stadium
When: Sunday November 22nd, 2009 @ 1:00pm
Network: FOX
Why: To be the best, you have to beat the best, which seemingly no longer pertains to this contest.

Importance: Serious Business. If we want an amazing marquee road win, we need this one. Yes, we beat up the 49ers, but that win is looking less and less sharp in the waning months of the season. If we win against the Giants, that'll push them to 5-5.

Notes: Giants slid down again, losing their fourth game in a row; they'll teetering on a .500 record going into our contest two weeks from now. If the Falcons show up and play hard, we can push them over the edge. 

The Falcons win if: They bring their A game to Giants Stadium. The Giants' D is not as scary as it once was and, if our defense can stop their rush and get adequate pressure on Eli, it will be a long, sad day for the G-Men.

The Giants win if: The team that won five in a row at the start of the season shows.

Prediction: The Falcons lose a tightly contested game.

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