The Falcoholic Mixtape: A quarter-by-quarter playlist for Falcons vs. Eagles

Sports and music share many common denominators. Flow, pacing, tempo, mood — you see it on the football field and hear it when you pop in your headphones. For this season we’re trying something a bit different, putting together a quarter-by-quarter playlist for each and every game. One that attempts to capture what we saw on the field — a sonic memento, if you will. At season’s end all of these songs will be compiled into a Spotify playlist available for download. Let’s hope for a great year, otherwise this whole thing is going to be a massive downer.

A bit of a disclaimer: I have to restrain myself from time to time from going on profanity-laden tirades on The Falcoholic, as SB Nation’s standards prevent me from doing so. These artists aren’t constrained by those same tethers, so keep that in mind before throwing this on in the car with the kiddos or stodgy in-laws.

Pregame: Hall & Oates - Fall In Philadelphia

Ah, The City of Brotherly Love. We were so innocent before the conclusion of this game, so what better way to kick this whole thing off than a bouncy Hall & Oates number lamenting life in Philadelphia? I saw a lady beat a guy with a shoe there once. It was a Wednesday morning.

First Quarter: 311 - All Mixed Up

Midway through the first quarter I found myself thinking, “What in the fresh hell is this?” Julio stiff-armed Rodney McLeod into next week on an end-around. Matt Ryan, continuing to focus on Jones, aired it out for a 33-yard gain into the red zone. The offense was churning, but came away empty handed after some curious play calling, sloppy execution and a failed fourth down attempt. It was the bad parts of 2017 all over again. Tevin Coleman snapped off an impressive run off of a screen pass, but the offense wouldn’t do much else in the opening 15 minutes.

The defense looked fantastic, however, and quashed any offensive momentum that Philadelphia attempted to cobble together. It was a confusing debut quarter for Atlanta’s offense that came away with a mere three points. Loaded with playmakers, they just couldn’t get points on the board. If you’re like me, you didn’t know what to make of it. Enter your favorite early 311 song.

Second Quarter: Clipse - Grindin’

The defense showed some real grit in the second quarter, keeping the Eagles out of the end zone and holding them to only a field goal. Linebacker Duke Riley made a hell of a play in coverage, defending a deep pass against Dallas Goedert that was looking like a sure touchdown. A grinder of a quarter to be sure, as the defense continued to show its mettle on rain-soaked turf.

Third Quarter: The Refreshments - Banditos

The third quarter is dedicated to that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad call. You know the one. The one that made you throw furniture or start rage-purchasing things you don’t need and were told not to buy on Amazon. It was robbery, to be sure. Yes, we’re talking about the deep ball Matt Ryan slung to Julio Jones. The one he juggled, secured, and hauled in clearly in bounds.

That apparently isn’t a catch these days in the NFL, and it was ruled incomplete on the field. Dan Quinn promptly threw out the challenge flag like he was mad at it, and the play was reviewed and somehow upheld. A tune about concocting a heist seems appropriate.

Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people.

Fourth Quarter: Frank Black & The Catholics - Bad Harmony

I suppose this could have been the track for the whole game, but it rang out loud and clear in the fourth quarter where the offense was concerned. That final red zone series had me checking my calendar to make sure that it was indeed 2018, or if I wasn’t experiencing last January in some kind of fever dream or torturous Falcons flashback. Godawful red zone play calling with a chance to win it, which of course rendered the same result as the divisional playoff game. Time is a flat circle. Steve Sarkisian was on one page, everybody else was on another — probably better — one. Everything just of sync; out of harmony, if you will.

Post-game: Alkaline Trio - If You Had A Bad Time

We all had a bad time in Philadelphia. Falcons fall 18-12 to the Eagles in a game that deserves the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind treatment. Here’s to a better result next week at home against Carolina.