Holy hell.
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This was one of those games where I was actually glad I was out on assignment, because somehow traipsing down countless one-way streets to interview a bunch of artists seems more appetizing than watching the Falcons implode like a black hole. I can literally say three nice things about that game, as follows:
1. Joey Joe Joe did a nice job in relief, albeit when the game was already out of hand. So nice, in fact, that I think we should start Byron Leftwich, leave him in the game for exactly one snap, and then rush Harrington in there so fast that Chris Redman's head spins on the sideline. Lord knows starting either one of them and leaving them in there isn't getting the job done.
2. Abraham was moving in on Jeff Garcia so often that he might as well have just asked him out. Boley and Brooking piled up tackles, but Abraham has reminded all of us what it looks like to have a defensive end who doggedly, single-mindedly, stalkerishly, wooblutastically (alright, now I'm just making shit up) pursues the quarterback. He should've had more than just the one sack, but the effort was superlative.
3. Adam Jennings caught a touchdown pass! Yes, it looked like Todd Lyght came out of retirement to cover him on it, but it's good for the kid's ego. I still think Jennings could be a solid #4 receiver and kick returner, but he doesn't have much longer this season to kickstart things. He'll probably still stick around because he's cheap.
So there's the positives. Now for the negatives.
1. Byron Leftwich was almost ethereally awful. You almost expected him to start walking to the sideline and be lifted away by a chorus of angels who were there to praise his commitment to turning over the football. I don't know if he was hurt, if he's really that awful, or if his slow release was killing him, but I really hope he's not starting against the Colts. They will eat him alive.
2. I've gone beyond beating a dead horse on the Norwood issue; now I'm also taking a baseball bat to each of the horse's relatives, and pretty soon I'm going to start punching zebras. What in the name of all that is holy does Warrick Dunn have to do or say to make Pet Rhino realize that he has to give other people carries? He was solid in the previous two games, but it should've been glaringly obvious after the first few carries that Dunn wasn't going to get it done. I don't care if Norwood and Snelling stink, too. I really don't. I just want to see someone else get a chance to carry the football more than twice a game, especially when the Falcons are getting pulverized. I'm not asking for your firstborn child, Bobby Petrino. I'm just posting a picture of you from your Louisville days and pretending you were yelling at Norwood, which you might've found a way to do because you seem likely to be a time traveling robot.
3. We lost Trey Lewis, with the AJC's Steve Wyche saying the young DT is probably gone for the year. Compounding the problem, Coleman might be gone for a while too. I'm really disappointed here, because I have to admit Lewis was someone I've really been rooting hard for all year. I hope he comes back strong next season. In the short term, I hope you're all wicked excited to watch the Montavius Stanley era. I know I am.
4. Everything else about this game was just a horrible, horrible mess. We should have expected a letdown game like this at some point, but I really, really hoped it wouldn't be against the Bucs. They just don't strike fear into my heart, but after this week I'm really gloomy about the prospect of having to play them yet again on their own field. God, what a depressing season.
If you have any bright ideas, condemnations or weeping, comment away.