Falcons: We've Been Here Before, Haven't We?

[cooperbh]

Remember last year after we lost to the Steelers in Week 1 following a preseason in which we struggled to score points how it was pretty much a given that this team was destined to finish 8-8 at best? Remember how this message board was created immediately following that loss due to the complete meltdown that occurred on the official board?

Remember how we had practically no chance to beat the Saints in the Superdome in Week 3, as it was a road game against an elite team who had beaten us seven times in the previous eight meetings?

Remember how bleak the future looked in Week 6 after the Eagles exposed our 4-1-but-should-be-2-4 team?

Remember when the 6-2 Ravens were the hands-down best team in the ACF coming in to face, in a nationally televised game, a Falcons team who had merely survived recently against the Bengals and Bucs? Remember how it was said that we always shit the bed whenever the glare of the national spotlight was cast upon us?

Remember when the red-hot Packers came into town two weeks later riding a four game win streak in which they had outscored their opponents by an average score of 28 to 8? Remember how our defense had given up an average of 24 points per game in their last five before that meeting?

***

I'm not saying that this team looks ready to take that next step and win a playoff game right now. It doesn't. But if there is one thing I have learned about the NFL in general over the years - and the Falcons in particular over the shorter term - it's that things are rarely as they appear and perceptions can change in a flash. Super Bowl participants don't always get there by following the script. They sometimes finish out their seasons losing more than they win (Giants and Cards) or have horrible defenses (Saints and Colts) or feature QBs named Grossman, Johnson and Dilfer.

The Falcons currently have a top 10 offense led by a 4,000 yard passer and a defense that before Monday was shutting down just about everyone, holding the #1, #4, #5 and #7 offenses all under 26 points. In other words, we have shown that we can move the ball and keep high-powered offenses in check. If we can just figure out how to score in the red zone, we can compete with anybody.

Again, there's no denying this team has issues. But it's had them before and yet still found ways to overcome. What says they can't do it again?

[FullMetalFalcon23]

Mate if fist bumping +1

[juraitwaluzka]

That's pretty much how I feel and it's why Monday night, while it sucked, wasn't a devastating loss to me. It didn't change anything really, its not like it ended the season. The Cards lost 47-7 before the playoffs and ended up almost winning it all. Of course the Falcons will be the underdog and will have to do it on the road but they certainly have a shot.

[Jayhawk-Falcon2012]

I don't remember us having a meltdown over on AFMB, but I remember moving here as soon as it was posted (just hated the atmosphere lately). Back on topic though, the simple fact that we consistently don't drop the QB disturbs me for future games. Yeah we can get the noob QBs like whats his face in Jax, but the fact that Brees slipped by our guys makes me think we're another 1 and done in the playoffs, depending on who wins the Giant/Dallas game.

The fact we as fans hope to go deep in the playoffs, but we get Smacked against another playoff team just doesn't translate well, to me at least, for us doing a 180 and just turning it on. We've had 16 games to turn it on, and we did on occasion, but looks like we lost our stride against the Saints monday.

[RnB]

It was more about the ads and the management of the original forum, not about our record at the time. I don't specifically remember the atmosphere being worse than normal. After every single loss, and some wins, the AFMB always turns into a madhouse with ridiculous topics, massive trolling, and negative assholes coming out of the woodwork.

As for your other points; you are correct. Its not like we haven't dealt with losing, as a franchise, before. Its not like we haven't seen some terrible prime-time performances in the past four years. Its not like this particular group of coaches and players haven't come up BIG when they needed it, multiple times. This changes nothing for me. It was one fucking loss that had very little meaning based on the final game NO will play. No single loss would ever make me doubt the Falcons, not even a bad loss that allowed someone to put up an all time record on MNF. I am still very excited about the Falcons, the final week of the season, the playoffs, and the future of this franchise.

[FullMetalFalcon23]

Brees cant escape that way if the entire pocket collapses. We need to push up from the DTs that stops the double teaming on our ends. We need to send an extra player. Been watching a lot of Defendive blitzing and it seems as though our blitzes our headless in comparison. We got to collapse that pocket like a noose around the neck if we want to consistently put that slippery midget or lanky Rogers on their asses.

[juraitwaluzka]

The more I think about it, given the current NFL rules favoring offense, and that our talent, while not all world doesn't suck either, I'm becoming more and more convinced that the biggest limiter is scheme. Of course we could use hall of famers at every position, but I just feel like the biggest area we could help ourselves is schematically, that seems like the thing that could change that would give us the biggest leap of improvement, much moreso than adding a stud DE.

I have a hard time believing that 8 of our players aren't good enough to blitz and get anywhere near the QB, yet we've seen it multiple times. I don't think it's a matter of just blitzing, it's more about how we are doing it. If they know 8 are coming and from where they can counteract effectively. If we rush 5 and they don't know where the 5th may come from, they aren't going to be perfect against it. That's the big difference I see when watching our defense versions the top defenses. It seems like our scheme doesn't really try to confuse the offense, it's like we are trying to out talent the other team which is hard to do even in the best of circumstances.

As a thought experiment - what do you think the results would be if we were to keep exactly the same players but swap coordinators / schemes with the Jets, Steelers, or Ravens? Obviously there is the 3-4 / 4-3 difference, but would we improve? Would they regress?

Obviously the players must execute, whatever the scheme, but is our scheme putting players in the best position to succeed? Does our scheme make it harder for them to succeed in their execution? I was wondering this because it seems like when we sign someone it takes forever for them to see the field. I'm wondering if this scheme is akin to the run and shoot, which is unstoppable if run correctly but is so difficult for humans to do so, that it never quite works like it should.

[cooperbh]

(12-28-2011 06:23 PM)RnB Wrote:  It was more about the ads and the management of the original forum, not about our record at the time. I don't specifically remember the atmosphere being worse than normal. After every single loss, and some wins, the AFMB always turns into a madhouse with ridiculous topics, massive trolling, and negative assholes coming out of the woodwork.

Maybe "complete meltdown" was a little much. But there was certainly no shortage of folks whose "legitimate concerns" over the lack of scoring in the preseason bubbled over into full blown panic after game 1. If anyone had stated at that point that we would finish top 5 in scoring, they would have been laughed off the forum.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it seems the only time anyone attempts to define this team is after a loss. That's when you hear...

"The Falcons can't score against Top 5 defenses."

"The Falcons can't slow down Top 5 offenses."

"The Falcons can't win if they don't run the ball."

"The Falcons can't beat playoff teams on the road."

"The Falcons can't win nationally televised games."

The only problem with statements like those above is that the Falcons have done every single one of those things. Of course, there was also a time when they hadn't. But that didn't mean they couldn't.

And yet here we are, the regular season not even over, with the playoffs still ahead of of us and people are already discussing who will replace coaches fired for another embarrassing postseason loss that hasn't even occurred.

Well, here's a statement that nobody ever seems to mention following a defeat: The Falcons are 17-2 after a loss with Matt Ryan under center, with 11 of those victories being the first game of a winning streak.

Call me crazy, but I'm gonna wait until the Falcons actually play in this upcoming postseason before I evaluate this team's and coaching staff's playoff performance.

[Dale4Saul2Red0]

(12-28-2011 12:18 PM)juraitwaluzka Wrote:  That's pretty much how I feel and it's why Monday night, while it sucked, wasn't a devastating loss to me. It didn't change anything really, its not like it ended the season. The Cards lost 47-7 before the playoffs and ended up almost winning it all. Of course the Falcons will be the underdog and will have to do it on the road but they certainly have a shot.

Hell last year the New York Jets lost @ the Patriots 45-3 in week 13! A compete woodshed old fashioned beat down. They went back to New England to get to the AFC Championship and won 28-21.

[Peyton]

I still think the Falcons are going to compete in the playoffs. Maybe I am stupid, but I still believe that. There was plenty in that game to be optimistic about, in between the bad plays.