Playing With House Money

[cooperbh]

Make no mistake: I want very much to win Monday night. Losing - especially to the Saints - always makes me sick to my stomach. Add in the fact that the whole country will be watching and it ramps up my desire for a victory that much more.

That said, it must be pointed out that a loss this week really will have no impact on whether or not we win the NFC South and home field throughout the playoffs. Thankfully, the schedule makers have already decided that by matching us up with Carolina for the final game of the season.

For anyone who is not so sure that this last game is a stone-cold lock in the purest sense of the term, consider this:

Since the NFL/AFL merger in 1966, there have been only eight instances where a team with 12 or more victories went up against an opponent with a losing record and didn't win. Those eight teams were the '99 Rams, '01 Steelers, '03 Rams, '04 Patriots, '05 Seahawks, '07 Packers, '09 Colts and '09 Saints.

Now, before anyone goes thinking that because this has occurred multiple times that that means it is anything but guaranteed that the Falcons will win against the Panthers, let's take a look at the fates of the eight teams in question.

As would be expected, every one of them made the playoffs.

Seven of the eight - the '99 Rams, '01 Steelers, '04 Patriots, '05 Seahawks, '07 Packers, '09 Colts and '09 Saints - went on to appear in their Conference Championship game.

Five of those seven Conference Championship participants went on to appear in the Super Bowl (Rams, Pats, Hawks, Colts and Saints) with three of them (Rams, Pats and Saints) winning it all.

In other words, the only reason those crap teams even had a snowball's chance in hell of winning in the first place is because their far superior opponents were either resting their starters or were just lacking focus having nothing to really play for at that late point in the season. The fact is that 12+ win teams that are good enough to get to the Conference Championship game simply don't lose to the dregs of the league if they are actually trying to win the game. It just doesn't happen.

One thing that we can be absolutely certain of if our matchup with the Panthers ends up being a meaningful game, is that the Falcons will not be lacking in focus. I pity any team that has to come into the Georgia Dome (where Matt Ryan is 19-1) to face a group led by Mike Smith (who in three seasons has never once lost to a losing team) with a division title, first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs on the line. Especially if that visiting team happens to have only two wins to its name and features a turnstile defense, the most impotent offense in the league and a QB who can't complete a pass over seven yards.

I'm sorry, but if the starters are in there is no chance we lose in Week 17. None.

The NFC South title was secured last week. I'm gonna try to keep that in mind as I try to make it through what is sure to be another nail-biter against the Saints come Monday night.

[sonnyjim]

That is a very sensible view. But I have a vague memory of waking on a Monday after a loss and I seem to remember considerable suck. Avoiding the newspaper. Avoiding the radio. Avoiding the web. I would prefer that we never lost again.

On the other hand it's getting a little boring beating weak teams. We haven't had a real 'that's what I'm talkin' 'bout' win since we whipped the Ravens. Maybe dominating the defending champion (again) will be a little more satisfying even if it isn't important for our Lombardi chase. A welcome ture-up.

[cooperbh]

(12-23-2010 09:10 AM)sonnyjim Wrote:  That is a very sensible view. But I have a vague memory of waking on a Monday after a loss and I seem to remember considerable suck. Avoiding the newspaper. Avoiding the radio. Avoiding the web. I would prefer that we never lost again.

No doubt. Plus, I don't want to wait a week to celebrate that NFC South title.

It's just nice to know that a hard-fought loss to a very good 10 win team only means that we get one game to rest our starters instead of two.

[hitwriter]

I still hold hope that NO loses out and doesn't even get to the playoffs! I have never despised a fan base more as much as theirs at this moment!

[Anomaly]

(12-23-2010 04:22 PM)hitwriter Wrote:  I still hold hope that NO loses out and doesn't even get to the playoffs! I have never despised a fan base more as much as theirs at this moment!

I completely agree with you.

[Arkansas Falcon]

I'd rather have the Falcons win out & hopefully the Saints lose out.

[hitwriter]

(12-23-2010 04:38 PM)Arkansas Falcon Wrote:  I'd rather have the Falcons win out & hopefully the Saints lose out.

Definitely! I want Atlanta to crush the Ain't Dats and send them demoralized into the off season!