Falcons 13-Saints 17 Recap: Just Another Joke Added To This Routine

So I drove 220 miles just now. I made it home safely, ghetto listened to some AM station after the game started, and then unpacked nothing. BECAUSE FALCONS.

If we win this game, I'd be okay with it. I want us to lose out, but I hate the Saints, therefore we've gotta win this one.

I'm typing this after we just stopped the Saints at the 2 minute warning, but I'll give a brief recap of the first half.

First, it's the Darius Johnson show. He's looked great, and the OL has done well enough. The running game has looked somewhat better this time.

The Falcons D has played well enough for the O to be ahead, but of course the O once again avoids the "T" word.

It's been a more competitive game than I thought it'd be to this point. Still, lot of football left. Let's pick it up with Matty Ice running the 2 minute drill:

Falcons 13 - Saints 14

Falcons drive moving along swimmingly for the moment. I don't like that rollout there. Didn't notice if he got pressured or not. 53 seconds left, let's see if the Matty Miracle can happen.

We actually get the ball back in the second half. SUCK IT, SAINTS.

As soon as I typed that, Matty was very nearly picked off. Except Brady and Brees make that throw. Matt put next to nothing behind that throw, and it was nearly picked. Lucky us.

Now the OL plays like crap and we give the Saints 40 seconds

Falcons 13 - Saints 14

I expect the Saints to run the clock out here. Nice to hear that Trufant is hurt. Can we be spared an injury for one game, please? Good Lord.

Brees is trying to throw the ball down field. I hate them. Paul Worrilow is an excellent tackler. Falcons are keeping everything in front of them (for now). Graham makes a open catch.

3rd and 1? 20 yard run gives the Saints new life. Only when an opponent concedes halftime do the Falcons give up a long run (and subsequently points). The whole planet was fooled there. And by planet I mean the people in red.

Thankfully, the Falcons kept everything inbounds and the clock mercifully runs out. To halftime we go!

Halftime: Falcons 13 - Saints 14

We get the ball coming out of the half. Here we go.

50 is indeed the Mike, Matt. First play, crap. Second play, a nice run by SJax. We really have been running better lately. Yet we're still losing the game. Now a Saint is down, so we take a break. 3rd and 5 sounds very doable. We've been using Hands of Truth a lot lately, let's see if the Saints double him some more.

3rd and 5, here we go. The Saints would do something with this possession. Will we? Nice sticks play to HD there, 1st down.

Speed offense again. Matt Ryan's calling the plays.

First down, a sack. He didn't even look left, but had a guy open to the left. That's how offenses are, folks. We don't have time to hit our 4th, 5th reads.

2nd and 17, I'd wager this drive is over. Yep, another sack.

Here comes a run play on 3rd down, we'll concede the drive here. Nevermind, it was Captain Checkdown. Close enough.

Now we'll punt, not that I'm surprised here. Here comes the "Here we go again" voice in my head.

Punt's solid, Saints get the ball around the 25.

Falcons 13 - Saints 14

Saints chuggalugging the ball down the field. I see Trufant is back in the game. That's good to see. 3rd and 1 for the Saints, (Censored) manages to cover 45 year old Ben Watson. Each team has had a drive, each time has had a punt.

Falcons 13 - Saints 14

Matty's had 7 knockdowns, 3 sacks so far in the game. Maybe the OL isn't doing so well. 2nd and long, Toilolo makes a catch. He has to make that 1st down there. 3rd and 2, Darius Johnson drops a wide open pass. It was a little behind him (those are hard to catch)

Falcons 13 - Saints 14

2nd and 17? No problem, guys! 18 yard run. Man, Jerry gets a sack, then we give up an infini-billion yard run. Rage, rage, rage.

I love that they're talking good about Warlord (Worrilow). And then Graham gets wide open. How in the hell does THAT GUY get so damn wide open? Good God, Falcons. ERGH.

If there was anyone on that team that had a neon sign with "GARY BUSEY, LOOK AT ME" on it, it's Graham.

I had a feeling the game was going to start going downhill, and it certainly looks to continue. No turnovers by either team I don't believe.

3rd and 6 now. Man, Colston almost had that 2nd down catch. NICE STOP by Trufant keeps the game within reach. Hartley nails the field goal and we're down 4 instead of 1.

Falcons 13 - Saints 17

Come on, Falcons. You've hung tough all night on national TV. The D needs to be rewarded with a TD. We would've had one if Hands of Truth hadn't been Hands of False for 5 seconds.

Down 4, we get the ball. Quizz looks like he's itching for a return, but no dice there. Matty and the Gang look to bring the pigskin forward from the 20.

Nice drive going on so far. That 3rd down conversion to SJax was beautiful. Just like you draw it up in the backyard.

We use every down imaginable to make drives. Sometimes it sucks. Also Green Toledo gives up sacks. Don't do that one. Also Green Toledo means Gonzalez has to block? No, sir.

1st and 20? Sweet. NFL Blitz level stuff here. HD makes a nice grab of 14. 2nd and 6 now. Green Detroit now. Hope it's not like Green Toledo. It almost was, but more bootleg. Matt Vick scrambles on 3rd and 2. He looks so awkward running the ball but he gobbles up some real estate with those ostrich legs.

Fourth quarter we go.

Falcons 13 - Saints 17

First play of the last quarter, Gonzo tries his patented, "I'll juke you with my hoverround speed" move. Didn't work.

Express, express. That must mean a fast throw or something. Nice conversion to HD there. We've turned into the 2010 Dink and Dunk Falcons. That did work for a time though.

Now Darius Johnson fumbles the ball away on a long developing screen. That's two bad plays on his part, though honestly it was a pretty solid poke of the football.

But needless to say, I think that play honestly starts the unraveling of this game. First turnover of course goes their way (Of course it does). Here comes the inevitable deep shot from Brees that gets caught, then a TD pass immediately afterward. Where have we seen this before?

Falcons 13 - Saints 17

We need a big defensive play of our own, but literally nobody on our D makes me think they'll do it.

Bartu had a nice pass rush on 1st down. 2nd and 15 now. Crowd making some noise.

AND THEN WE GIVE UP A FIRST DOWN. AGAIN. Spoon, what the hell are you doing? Osi looks like he's not even freaking trying.

There are not enough angry words for this garbage.

They make it look so damn easy. 2nd and 15? No problem. Only the 2013 Falcons would CONSISTENTLY give up this garbage on a weekly basis. We need some serious improvement on this defense.

Nothing on first down, hilariously easy 2nd down conversion. What'd I say earlier? Here comes the unraveling.

Then on the next first down, Massoquoi actually does what he's supposed to, BUT STUMBLES HIMSELF OUT OF THE COVERAGE.

This is like watching Bad News Bears.

Brees continues to make it look easy, Spoon misses another open field tackle. I'm thinking less and less of him by the day. Great attitude, but his tackling is just like any other Falcon's.

False start on the Saints. Too bad they're probably going to convert this too. Nevermind, Ingram bounces outside like a doofus and gets nothing. 2nd and 15 now, little flare gets a few yards.

This is the chance the Falcons need. 3rd and 13. Trufant knocks the ball away. Very nearly happened though. But we're still in it, and it's 5 'til 11.

Falcons 13 - Saints 17

Too bad the Falcons need a TD here. The defense has actually shown up, but the offense has derped like usual. That fumble by Darius Johnson was inexcusable, but it was understandable. I don't think he knew the DE that hit him was there. Any time you get hit and you don't know it, your body jolts like you were punched by a bull.

Well, here we go. Falcons have the ball and have 100 miles to go with it. They're on their own 9. 7:53 to go now.

And, of course, the OL crumbles. This drive looks bad now. 2nd and 16. Captain Checkdown gets us back to the original LoS.

This, now, is the biggest 3rd down for the O so far. Solid play to Roddy White, whose name just has not been called much this season. Roddy totally threw the Saints DB aside there.

Tough sledding for the running game here. SJax gets maybe 2.

2nd down, Gonzalez somehow gets behind somebody and makes a nice running catch. That's career catch #1300. Good grief.

Now HD catches one over the middle. He's a brave soul, another first down. We're moving along now. Come on, Falcons. Something Seattle, Matt says. Greek Seattle?

Drew Davis makes an appearance, nice catch by him.

2nd and 3 now. SJax makes a man miss and plows his way to the 30. Falcons not abandoning the run game, they're getting close to 100 on the ground now.

They just jinxed the hell out of us with the game winning drives stat. 2:30 left, we're on the 29. Here we go. AND OF COURSE, HE'S SACKED AGAIN.

The announcer says "Take a chance" HE WAS GOING TO BUT WAS SACKED. This is terrible, 5 sacks already.

Now we're in real trouble. 3rd and 15, you've gotta believe this is 4 down territory. This looks awfully familiar.

Three guys all together crush Matt, who has to get rid of the ball. Here's your ball game, folks.

Oh, nevermind. WE'RE GOING TO KICK A FIELD GOAL. I guess this isn't the worst idea ever. Money Matt Bryant made the practice kick. Let's see if he makes the second try...after this commercial break.

I still feel like we should be trying. 4th and 15 is a long way, but what's it matter at this point? If we lose, our season is already over (and we're one game closer to a #1 pick)

And of course he doesn't. I can't curse in this post, but I really want to. We should've just gone for it. You know what kicking that field goal is?

Weakness. Pure coaching weakness. That is LOSER football. You want to see what a loser is? Watch that drive. Watch all of it. That is loser football.

We won't stop their O, so I'm going to go ahead and wrap this post up.

The Falcons fall to 2-9, predictably so, but once again, teasing us with what could've been. Another close loss to the Saints, who beat us 9 of 10 times without fail.

I would've rather been blown out, truthfully. I can't even say the D played well. A good defense that plays well does not give up 2nd and 17 TWO TIMES, ON SECOND DOWN BOTH TIMES. You just don't.

The pass rush has been nonexistant. I didn't even know Osi was playing.

I don't have anything nice to say. When the D needed a stop at the end, they couldn't get it.

When the O needed to make a play, they did nothing.

And then you're gonna tell me we kick a field goal at the end of a game where our season has already ended. To me, that's quitting. I don't care if it's part of some grand strategy. a 50 yard field goal isn't guaranteed (CLEARLY) and CLEARLY your D can't stop ANYBODY. Let the BEST FREAKING PLAYER ON YOUR TEAM have a chance at it.

So, as predicted, (it's finally over) the Falcons couldn't stop the Saints O, making Smitty's decision look doubly terrible.

Your final score, Falcons 13 - Saints 17.

Painful isn't even a word for this.