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g-dawg · (This post was last modified: 11-08-2010 01:30 PM by g-dawg.)

(11-08-2010 01:21 PM)TheDirtyWord Wrote: If we're defining 'good teams', I can't see how you don't include TB. That said, my definition of a statement game is rarer. I think we've only had one (Saints). Thursday is admittedly another one...but much like the PIT game, if we do lose games, I prefer to do it against AFC opponents.

TDW,

I never said "good teams" - I said "statement games".....beating Tampa, while good for Falcons in the division - is not a statement to the NFL watchers and/or media. I think you would agree with that. maybe not?

While it may be preferable to lose to an AFC opponent, the AFC still is the better conference - and to be recognized as an elite team, you need to be able to beat one of the elite teams in that conference when given the opportunity.

just looked up a betting line that had Falcons as "-1.5" meaning we are 1.5 point favorites. I bet that line moves the opposite direction - by kickoff I would think it probably would have Ravens as a 2.5 point favorite.

kind of suprised that Falcons are starting out as favorites.

Sporkdevil · 11-08-2010, 01:31 PM

They give the home team 3 points. So if the game was in Baltimore, we would be 4.5 point underdogs.

Joker · 11-08-2010, 01:35 PM

(11-08-2010 01:09 PM)Falconmama Wrote: Falcons don't do well in statement games and honestly I think it will be much of the same Thursday night.. Suspect secondary, inconsistent pass rush, struggles against the 3-4 and sorry special teams. A Falcon win would be shocking to me.

This has been true throughout the franchise history.,. Remember when Deion and the 49ers came to town in that statement game?

TheDirtyWord · (This post was last modified: 11-08-2010 01:36 PM by TheDirtyWord.)

(11-08-2010 01:28 PM)g-dawg Wrote: TDW,

I never said "good teams" - I said "statement games".....beating Tampa, while good for Falcons in the division - is not a statement to the NFL watchers and/or media. I think you would agree with that. maybe not?

While it may be preferable to lose to an AFC opponent, the AFC still is the better conference - and to be recognized as an elite team, you need to be able to beat one of the elite teams in that conference when given the opportunity.

just looked up a betting line that had Falcons as "-1.5" meaning we are 1.5 point favorites. I bet that line moves the opposite direction - by kickoff I would think it probably would have Ravens as a 2.5 point favorite.

kind of suprised that Falcons are starting out as favorites.

Your first line statement says 'the Falcons have faced 3 good teams thus far'.

As for the PIT game, we would have gotten very little national pub or recognition over beating Dennis Dixon. If Big Ben is the QB, different story. Same with the Eagles sans Michael Vick.

But the Falcon/Buc game was the 1st or 2nd hyped game of the week in terms of qualkity opponents facing one another. While the Bucs would have gotten more out of it than we did had they won, at the end of the day, we beat a 5-2 team that people were starting to take notice of.

g-dawg · (This post was last modified: 11-08-2010 01:40 PM by g-dawg.)

(11-08-2010 01:31 PM)Sporkdevil Wrote: They give the home team 3 points. So if the game was in Baltimore, we would be 4.5 point underdogs.

understood........sounds about right. I think on neutral field or if this was SB matchup, I think Falcons would be about 5-6 point underdogs....

hope the Falcons win - that would be a heckuva win before a national audience.

(11-08-2010 01:35 PM)Joker Wrote: This has been true throughout the franchise history.,. Remember when Deion and the 49ers came to town in that statement game?

Remember when Falcons were 12-4 and superbowl favorites and lost the home game to Danny White, Drew Pearson and Dallas Cowboys at the end of the game. Still have nightmares about that one - arguably the most disappointing loss in Falcons history.

(11-08-2010 01:35 PM)TheDirtyWord Wrote: Your first line statement says 'the Falcons have faced 3 good teams thus far'.

As for the PIT game, we would have gotten very little national pub or recognition over beating Dennis Dixon. If Big Ben is the QB, different story. Same with the Eagles sans Michael Vick.

But the Falcon/Buc game was the 1st or 2nd hyped game of the week in terms of qualkity opponents facing one another. While the Bucs would have gotten more out of it than we did had they won, at the end of the day, we beat a 5-2 team that people were starting to take notice of.

Dennis Dixon or Not - beating Steelers on the road is more of a stmt than beating the Bucs at home. Its an arguable point since Steelers did not have Big Ben - with Big Ben, its not arguable at all. Also, I believe Steelers handled Bucs with Dennis Dixon/Charlie Batch when Bucs were at home as well.

TonyGraziani · 11-08-2010, 01:55 PM

(11-08-2010 01:23 PM)g-dawg Wrote: talk is cheap Graziani......hope your right but just "saying": "we have the same record and we are playing at home".........that is such a mindless statement it does not even deserve further comment.

Games are played on the field with two teams - not based off statistical records and who the home team is - sure, I think that Falcons being at home helps - i doubt we would have any shot at Ravens on the road - but Ravens are so much better than any team the Falcons have faced in GA Dome this year - Falcons better bring their best game of the year to win this game - anything less will be in the "L" column.

Hope its a "W" but I would not put money on that side.

You're right, definitely not my most intellectual contribution to this board. I understand its all about what happens on the field. That's why it kills me that people are still asking what's wrong with the Cowboys. They suck. And now they are asking if the Patriots are frauds after getting beat by the Browns. Smh. But I digress. Those are other stories.

To bring some level of depth to my previous comments,
"we have the same record"- that shows what matters, which is what happens on the field. If they were 2-6 then we wouldn't be having this conversation, no matter how good they were playing.
"we're playing at home"- this fact seems to be somewhat discounted around here, but WE DON'T LOSE AT HOME. Period. Tom Brady is the only QB better at home than Ryan. We play ugly, but we win. It might not be "logical" to put faith in this, but I do.

On paper, we might not match up well. And on paper, the Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl. The Bucs have caused more turnovers this year than the Ravens, yet they had none yesterday. Ed Reed has been playing like Ed Reed since he's been back and we definitely need to plan for him. But no reason to act as if this is the best team ever.

Looking at our common opponent, the Steelers, they isn't that much difference. They were closer to losing that game than we were(they were trailing until the very last second of regulation) and they were at home I think. The team we fielded against Pittsburgh is not the same team we are now. And that was a road game.

I could continue but I feel like I've already been long winded. My point is I truly feel that we will win this game. Hope I put enough thought behind my sentiments for you in this post.

The Falcon Jedi · 11-08-2010, 02:00 PM

The Ravens are the #1 Ranked Team in the NFL. We will have our hands full this Thursday. And if we play them like we played the Bucs then we may as well mail it in as a Loss.

TheDirtyWord · 11-08-2010, 02:11 PM

(11-08-2010 01:35 PM)g-dawg Wrote: Dennis Dixon or Not - beating Steelers on the road is more of a stmt than beating the Bucs at home. Its an arguable point since Steelers did not have Big Ben - with Big Ben, its not arguable at all. Also, I believe Steelers handled Bucs with Dennis Dixon/Charlie Batch when Bucs were at home as well.

Remember the complexion of that loss though...at the time, it was viewed as a very bad loss for the Falcons. Going into that game, most people felt the Steelers would be fortunate to be 2-2 when Big Ben returned. Only after the Steelers started to show that their defense was playing at a SB level again did people start saying "hey, that wasn't such a bad loss for the Falcons...they played them pretty good".

I just think it's difficult to retroactively tag games as statement games. Yesterday, we beat a 5-2 division rival. It doesn't matter how much of a surprise they might be to the sporting public, they're 5-3 and part of the NFC play-off picture. I don't know why that win would mean less than a loss on the road to the 5-3 Eagles.

Joker · 11-08-2010, 02:17 PM

We can win this game.. it will be huge.. we need our special teams to step the hell up. we wont be able to run soft vs the Ravens and Mularkey better not try and force the run.. we are gong to need a complete effort including one from the coaching staff.

**Radical** · (This post was last modified: 11-08-2010 02:30 PM by Radical.)

The way some people here talk, you'd think we were 4-4 or so at best.

The same attitude regarding this team that people have, I'm going to start applying to the other teams we face.

The Ravens lost to the hapless Bengals. They got taken to the wire by the winless Buffalo Bills, including giving up 34 points. They've only beaten what, 2-3 "good teams"? They could easily be 4-4 right now if not for the Jets shooting themselves in the foot and the refs not calling that run against the Bills dead when it was obvious there was no more forward progession being had on the play. The Ravens can't stop the pass at all either. The Ravens have just barely won their road games this year, and now face a good home team for once. Joe Flacco has been inferior to Ryan in every way this season. Ray Rice is barely averaging 4 yards per carry this season, and probably won't do all that great on the road against a good Falcons run defense.

I dunno guys, I've just never seen so many people DOWN on a team that is 6-2 and at the top of their division, that is #1 in league standings as well. Here's reality, this isn't college football, not every other game is going to be a blow-out.