The Falcons Are Scary And Stuff

Quick discussion post for the night owls and west coasters.

Apparently the Falcons are good at scaring the crap out of their opponents setting the tone early in games.

That’s nothing new. Since 2008, the Falcons have scored more points on their first possession than any other team. In that span, they’ve scored 193 points on their first possession. The New Orleans Saints (185 points) are second.

Mike Smith says they do this on purpose. Say what?! Seriously, can't imagine why [insert sarcastic glare]. The psychology of making a good "first impression" isn't complicated. I'm no shrink, but I'd imagine it tempers expectations, at least on some level.

To be honest, I wish they'd extend that mentality a bit. To an extent, they've done just that this year. But in years past, we've been all-too-ready to pump the brakes. Please, make no mistake, I'm encouraged by what I saw in the first three games. But I'm gun shy. I've been hurt before. Just hoping it continues.

Curious what y'all think? Have we finally distilled the perfect, psychology-driven approach to football. Methinks we have!