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+--- Thread: A Truly Remarkable Season (/Thread-A-Truly-Remarkable-Season)
A Truly Remarkable Season - Peyton - 01-03-2011 12:05 PM
No matter what happens in the playoffs, even if the Falcons get blown out in their first game, this season is an epic success in my opinion. This team is absolutely impossible not to love.
I came into the season thinking this team didn't have the offensive playmakers or the pass rush to put up a monster season, but I underestimated how far a team can get by playing mistake free football.
In many ways, the Falcons success is illogical. They ranked 16th in total offense and total defense, hardly the numbers you would typically see from a team with a dominant record.
The Falcons ranked 26th in yards gained per play and 27th in yards allowed per play and gave up as many explosive plays this year as they made themselves......again not a quality you typically see from a 13-3 team.
So...with those numbers.....how were the Falcons able to manage a top 5 scoring offense and scoring defense and finish the season 13-3?
They eliminated mistakes with breathtaking efficiency.
It's well documented that the Falcons were the least penalized team in the league this year with 58 pentalties, and it wasn't even close. The Dolphins were second with 72. Normally penalties aren't closely associated with winning and losing, but in this case since the Falcons number is so dramatically low, I think it is a big factor in their record.
The Falcons were near the top in 3rd down percentage all season and finished 3rd behind the Saints and Pats. It's a good thing to because the Falcons were 2nd in 3rd down attempts to the Lions.
The most remarkable aspect of the Falcons season was how well they took care of the ball. The Falcons threw fewer INTs than any season in franchise history, which is amazing because Matt Ryan set the individual record for most pass completions in franchise history. Also, the Falcons had the fewest total turnovers in franchise history with just 17.
That includes not only the 12 years played under a 14 game schedule, but the strike shortened 1982 season that saw only 9 games played.
This is the 5th time in franchise history that the Falcons have finished at least 10 positions better in scoring defense than in total defense and 3 of the previous 4 teams were some of the Falcons best ever (1980, 2002, 2008).
This is the first time ever that the Falcons offense has finished 10 positions better in scoring offense than in total offense, indicating that this team is squeezing every possible point out of it's potential.
As a fan, what I really want from my team is for the athletes to squeeze every possible drop from their potential, and I think the Falcons team is doing that better than any team in the NFC easily.
So...this team doesn't have a stable of playmaking WRs like the Saints, Eagles, or Packers. And they don't have a pair of fearsome pass rushers like the Giants or Colts. And they don't have big time playmaking LBs like the Steelers or Ravens.
But they managed to be the best team possible with the players they do have, and I will always remember that about this team.
Regardless of how things turn out in the playoffs.
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - Red Falcon - 01-03-2011 12:23 PM
Great post man. As you said I didn't know how well we would do at the beginning of the year, but i knew this team had potential. I'm very proud of what this organization put on the field. Just think, we can only get better from here. I have so much faith for the front office we currently have.
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - JOEinPHX - 01-03-2011 12:27 PM
Agree with all. And you can't not love a team that Gatorade's the owner
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - papachaz - 01-03-2011 12:46 PM
very accurate description of the season, plus 1 peyton
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - swanlee - 01-03-2011 01:02 PM
My thing is these rankings for offense and defense are based on yards not points. In both counts who freaking cares about yards, points is what matters and what the rankings for offense and defense should be based off of.
Has there been any discussion as to why rankings like this are based off yards and not points?
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - pauliwood - 01-03-2011 01:15 PM
no matter what happens our dome gets a new decoration
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - Jesus - 01-03-2011 02:14 PM
I think the penalties thing points to even more so to discipline. The Falcons are one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL. No mistakes, few penalties and not a lot of mental errors. I can't remember the last time I saw a Falcon try and pick up a fumble and run with it. They just fall on the ball. That is sound smart football. They also play to the whistle, which is getting increasingly rare in today's NFL.
Its all about leadership and the team buying into that leadership. This is why Blank got dunked. The team respects him.
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - Peyton - 01-03-2011 02:18 PM
(01-03-2011 01:02 PM)swanlee Wrote: My thing is these rankings for offense and defense are based on yards not points. In both counts who freaking cares about yards, points is what matters and what the rankings for offense and defense should be based off of.
Has there been any discussion as to why rankings like this are based off yards and not points?
Well the league provides statistics for both. Are you saying that you don't like the fact that they call the yardage stat "total offense"?
I don't know why.
Usually the two run fairly close to hand in hand, at least with regards to offense. Obviously not the case this year.
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - evo - 01-03-2011 02:39 PM
The best moment of this season is when Turner and White Gatoraded Mr. Blank. It showed what type of program we having in Atlanta.
As a team we're so close to one another that our player have the confident to give their boss a Gatorate shower. Seriously how many of us can go to work and say my owner is awesome??? Not many... But this is the type of love we having in this team. This is a special moment that we all should embrace and enjoy.
Top to Bottom is Class A Organization, and we proved it to the world this past season.
GO FALCONS!
RE: A Truly Remarkable Season - Jesus - 01-03-2011 02:46 PM
(01-03-2011 02:39 PM)evo Wrote: The best moment of this season is when Turner and White Gatoraded Mr. Blank. It showed what type of program we having in Atlanta.
As a team we're so close to one another that our player have the confident to give their boss a Gatorate shower. Seriously how many of us can go to work and say my owner is awesome??? Not many... But this is the type of love we having in this team. This is a special moment that we all should embrace and enjoy.
Top to Bottom is Class A Organization, and we proved it to the world this past season.
GO FALCONS!
whoa...where do you work?
13th Amendment, man.