A TDW Observation: This is the week...

[TheDirtyWord]

All off-season, I have earmarked this game as the MUST HAVE game of our season. While many have pointed to the second match-up which occurs on Monday night late in the season as the more important and decisive game - me thinks differently.

This is the week we can turn the NO-ATL match-up on it's head which if you haven't noticed has been one-sided these last few years. 1-7 to be precise during the Drew Brees era. Yes, that's Matt Damon asking if we like apples, cause they've got our numba. While you can still split a season series even if you lose the first game, you're not exactly sending any message other than "we're even". 3 of the last 4 years, we have haven't been able to say even that.

But this is a team that's been sold as a SuperBowl contender. It's visibility, both locally and nationally has been intentionally raised and as such, with that visibility comes opportunities for defining moments and defining games. This is their first one of 2010. Beating Pittsburgh would have been nice, but it would have been couched with the Dennis Dixon obstacle - did we beat the Steelers or a reasonable facsimile of them?

So here we stand, 1-1. A win only puts us at 2-1 and a loss only puts us at 1-2. Neither position guarantees the Falcons anything positive or negative. But the acknowledgement of greater things possible can take place with THIS team with a win. A loss, and it's assuming the same role and position we've assumed with the Saints in recent history while theirs has increased and been enhanced notably - defending Super Bowl Champions. A loss, and we'll be left to fumble with excuses of why we weren't good enough and the Saints were. Those explanations won't just take place on a message board or within a fan base. They'll take place within a locker room of responsible parties. How do we beat them?

Consider, a loss on Sunday outs us 2.5 games behind in the race for the division. Consider the Falcons haven't won in the Superdome since 2002. What level of confidence would we have of facing them in a playoff game as a wild card team with such a track record? Sure we could hope for a confluence of events that would provide a path to the SB that did not run through New Orleans, but that's a cross your fingers type of mentality.

No the opportunity for the Falcons to control their destiny takes place this Sunday. This is the moment we've been waiting for, the moment that the Falcons should have been gearing themselves up for since April. I've gone on record as saying a win on Sunday guarantees a Falcons SB appearance. It's a strong statement, but I still believe it. A win sets the Falcons up for great things. The schedule is enticing to make a significant run and the confidence from a victory could propel the Falcons to the top of the NFC as other contenders struggle (Cowboys/Vikings anyone?). A loss and well, it's another season of catch-up and scoreboard watching.

It's time to put our stake in the ground that defines the top of the NFC South as Falcon territory. If we are truly going to do this - it has to start this week. If it doesn't, it could be back to the drawing board.

[redwolfcfc]

Excellent post. I cannot disagree. We need to plant that stake!

Does not matter how well we play or how close the game is. We need to win!

[papachaz]

+1 for a great post. if we wanna be able to say we're the best, we have to beat those who are proclaimed by 'the powers that know' to be better than us.

we only get better when the level of competition is higher. I want the Falcons to win this game to prove that yeah we CAN beat someone who is thought "better" than us, and we can do it on THEIR field.

[Anomaly]

Awesome post. Completely agree.

[Peyton]

I am reminded of why I begged all of the members here to recruit you to our site. Thank you for this great post.

I actually came into this week thinking a win this week wasn't critical, but I think you've sold me on the fact that it is critical. Especially since the Falcons are catching the Saints coming off the west coast Monday night game.

[phocis850]

Wow, great post.

Are you saying that if we don't win this game that we may end up losing many more that we should have won? I really don't see it that way. Though your post was enlightening on the stats of playing in the Dome and never winning, I don't believe that if we lose this Sunday that the odd of us playing them again in the playoffs on their turf warrants us to an immediate loss.

Our players and franchise have been waiting for the moment to take down the champs. Let's claim their turf and bring the high hopes down for the season.

[Radical]

While a win would be huge, I hardly see our season as a loss or in a situation where we could fall apart if we lose.

[TAZZ77]

(09-21-2010 11:47 AM)TheDirtyWord Wrote:  But this is a team that's been sold as a SuperBowl contender. It's visibility, both locally and nationally has been intentionally raised and as such, with that visibility comes opportunities for defining moments and defining games.

So here we stand, 1-1. A win only puts us at 2-1 and a loss only puts us at 1-2. Neither position guarantees the Falcons anything positive or negative. But the acknowledgement of greater things possible can take place with THIS team with a win.

Consider, a loss on Sunday outs us 2.5 games behind in the race for the division. Consider the Falcons haven't won in the Superdome since 2002.

It's time to put our stake in the ground that defines the top of the NFC South as Falcon territory.

These are the really good points that jump out at me. Overall good job TDW.

[Peyton]

(09-21-2010 12:03 PM)phocis850 Wrote:  Wow, great post.

Are you saying that if we don't win this game that we may end up losing many more that we should have won? I really don't see it that way. Though your post was enlightening on the stats of playing in the Dome and never winning, I don't believe that if we lose this Sunday that the odd of us playing them again in the playoffs on their turf warrants us to an immediate loss.

Our players and franchise have been waiting for the moment to take down the champs. Let's claim their turf and bring the high hopes down for the season.

I don't think that is what he is saying. I think his point is that if the Falcons have aspirations on winning the Super Bowl, then winning this particular game give them a lot better shot.

His reference to losing this game putting the Falcons being 2.5 games behind is a good point, because the Falcons would not only trail the Saints by 2 games, but also be behind in head to head and division record.

If the Falcons win, they will at worst be 1 game behind the Bucs (LOL, Ok I chuckled just a bit typing that), but being even with the Saints with a win at their place will be huge.

[TheDirtyWord]

(09-21-2010 12:03 PM)phocis850 Wrote:  Wow, great post.

Are you saying that if we don't win this game that we may end up losing many more that we should have won? I really don't see it that way. Though your post was enlightening on the stats of playing in the Dome and never winning, I don't believe that if we lose this Sunday that the odd of us playing them again in the playoffs on their turf warrants us to an immediate loss.

Our players and franchise have been waiting for the moment to take down the champs. Let's claim their turf and bring the high hopes down for the season.

The overall point is that no other game on the schedule affords us the opportunity to define our season like this one. The elephant in the room is that we can't beat the Saints. That elephant keeps growing with a loss and doesn't get much smaller if we beat them in December at the Dome because a significant chance would exist that we'd have to beat NO in NO to make it to the SB.

So even if we go 10-6 this year or even 11-5 after a 1-2 start, our ability to have the type of SB level season we've been sold is diminished greatly.