By Don Stone - Football Atlanta
Falcons Saints games are always fun, not only because they're usually
competitive on the field, but because of the colorful New Orleans fans who
make their way to Atlanta for the game. I can remember a few games in the
early 80's where Steve Bartkowski broke their hearts with last second Hail
Mary's to pull victory from defeat...twice. I was sitting in a friend's
private box surrounded by delirious fans who were rubbing it in all game
that they were on top. When the bomb happened, I bit my tongue and screamed
on the inside...just to be courteous.
There were other times when the Louisiana throng would fill the corridors
with chants of "Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints" following another
victory for the visiting team.
When the Falcons were really bad in the 90s, lots of seats were available
and probably 10,000 of them took the Southern Crescent or found other ways
to get here and nearly matched the number of home team fans in the seats. In
recent years, as the Falcons got better, the seats were harder to come by.
But, not tonight. The parking lots and Falcons Landing were swarming with
them. Obviously, they are much more motivated this year than last with an
8-2 team. And, many more of the Falcons faithful had passed on the game
preferring to make their tickets available online.
And, they were obnoxious, as usual. I strolled past a group of a dozen or
so who were mocking the Falcons' "Rise Up" them. They taunted Atlanta fans
with the altered slogan, "Falcons Wise Up!"
Earlier in the season, the Falcons were losing, but were in it until the
last play on most. Then, in Arizona, it started looking different. They just
seemed overmatched against the Cardinals and again with the Panthers and
even last week in Tampa Bay. There just didn't appear to be a way out.
Some have resorted to wishing for losses to get the top draft pick. And,
they may get their wish with Atlanta at 2-8 and only Houston, Jacksonville
and Minnesota in the way. But, those teams will be looking for quarterbacks.
Atlanta will want a stud for the offensive or defensive line. 680 The Fan
began a slogan of "Downy for Clowney" in hopes of getting the Carolina pass
rusher.
So, the atmosphere entering this game is quite different for the two fan
bases.
The Saints wanted the ball first and the Falcons stuffed them on the
first two plays for a loss of three yards forcing a punt.
Atlanta started their one of their best drives of the season at their 24.
Prior to last week,
Steven Jackson
was getting about a one yard average per carry. But, he showed flashes last
week in the Bucs' game and started again giving Atlanta a first down with a
pair of bruising runs to the 14.
Matt Ryan
hit
Harry Douglas
for 7 with 15 tacked on with a Saints penalty. Jackson got six more to the
32.
Jacquizz Rodgers
got wide open near the Saints sideline and took it 23 yards all the way to
the 9.
Darius Johnson
caught one and dove across the goal line on a TD that was reviewed to be
down at the one. They got the rest on a handoff to
Jackson.
Where have these guys been all season? It looked like the 2012 Falcons
had taken over.
Pierre Thomas has always given
Atlanta fits and the Saints' second drive was no exception as Thomas moved
the team down field in the air and on the ground all the way for a tying
touchdown. Thomas accounted for 41 of the 78 yards needed.
Ryan got the Falcons moving again with a 17 yard pass to Johnson at the
41 as the first quarter came to an end.
Atlanta got a big pass interference call on Corey White
to put them at the Saints 25. A loss of 8 was
next as New Orleans got away with a facemask sack. Roddy White
made up most of the lost yardage with an 11 yard catch to the 21, enough for
a manageable Matt Bryant 39 yard field
goal to put them ahead again 10-7.
Brees was back in business as a pair of passes for 14 and 12 yards
to Marques Colston got them in Falcons
territory. He found a wide open Jimmy Graham
44 yards downfield to put the Saints on top for the the first time 14-10.
Bad news as it was announced that rookie cornerback Desmond
Trufant was out with a thigh injury.
Ryan quickly found Johnson again for a 15 yard completion to the 38.
Jason Snelling took a pass 12 yards to
midfield was undone by an unnecessary roughness call on Jeremy
Trueblood moving Atlanta back to the 38. They
got it all back with an Antone Smith
rush to the Saints 44. Ryan hit Johnson again for 12 to the 28. Johnson got
open again for 16 more for a first and goal at the 10. But, another field
goal was all they could get to pull to within one with 2:41 left in the
half.
The Saints would get two drives and the Falcons one in the final two
minutes, all going nowhere.
It was actually a pretty entertaining half. Both teams moved the ball up
and down the field. Stats were even. Each team was 14 for 19 in passing with
the Saints only 16 yards ahead in net yards and the Falcons with a two
minute better time of possession.
The main difference was the Falcons had three scores, the Saints
two. But two of the three for Atlanta resulted in three instead of seven.
7+7 = 14. 7 +3+3 = 13.
The second half started as the first half ended, with both teams unable
to move the ball and punting. The Falcons' second drive started at their 20
and again went three and out. A fortunate bounce on the punt put New Orleans
at their 22.
Some poor tackling by the Falcons allowed a pair of plays to go all the
way to the AF 27 including a Graham reception. But the defense held with
Garrett Hartley putting it through the
uprights from 41 yards to extend the lead to four.
Twenty seven points had been scored in the game's first 27 minutes. It
took thirteen minutes to get the next three. The game was still anyone's to
win.
Again, Atlanta started at their 20. Ryan scrambled and hit Jackson with a
short toss that Jackson bounced into a first down. Douglas got his fifth
reception for 12 to the 46. A Tony Gonzalez
hold moved them back to a first and 20.
Douglas and Gonzalez made up all but two and Ryan kept it for the rest.
Atlanta's offense had found itself again with a first down at the Saints' 40
as the third quarter came to an end. Gonzalez and Douglas got them 16 more
to the 24. Another field goal would be nice, but they would still trail by
one. A TD and they're up by three. As it turned out, a field goal would not
even be a choice as Johnson fumbled at the thirteen. Drive done. Would the
certain three that they would have had matter at the end of the game?
Samuel L Jackson sat in the crowd
as his image on the screen exhorted the fans to "Rise Up." On a second and
fifteen, three missed tackles got the Saints 16 and a first down at the 23.
Josh Hill got his first catch for nine
and another first at the 36. More missed tackles, 13 more yards by Thomas
and New Orleans was in Falcons territory. But, again, the Saints punted
pinning Atlanta deep at their nine. Unless the Falcons could get a few first
downs, New Orleans would get the ball back in great field position. A sack
and a Jackson pass got them right back where they started from with a third
and 10 at the nine. Then a series of big passes starting with a big 13 yard
catch by White got them some breathing room at the 20. Gonzalez doubled that
to the 41. Fifteen more by Douglas then Jackson bullied his way for eight to
the 29.
Same dynamics as before, three and you're still behind. Seven and you're
not. More imperative this time as the clock moved to 2:34.
Another Ryan sack didn't help as it brought up a third and fifteen at the
34. A 52 yard field goal got them to that one point deficit. But the Saints
had called their second time out. Bryant would have to do it again. This
time, he didn't. Great move by Sean Peyton.
Now, the defense would have to do all it could to give Atlanta another drive
needing a touchdown instead of a field goal. Six lost points would be the
difference in the game.
Sixteen yards in the air to Robert Meacham
didn't help as the Saints were at the Falcons 36 at the two minute warning.
Could they be held to a field goal before time ran out?
Thomas pulled out the dagger with a 16 yard rush to the 18. The clock
ticked down to 1:48 as the Falcons called their second time out. Short of a
turnover, this one was nearing toast as evidence by the "Who Dat?" chants
that began bubbling from the crowd. A minute and a half, third and 18 at the
26 and no timeouts left. Brees took a knee, then ran in circles on fourth
down to whittle the clock down to 5 seconds. Arthur Blank
stood on the sidelines with hands on hips wondering if there was a miracle
left in those few seconds. Last year, maybe. This year, no.
In reality, this had probably been the Falcons best performance of the
season, even better than their two wins. And, it may be the best they'll do
all season. But, unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough. Against a lesser
team than the division leaders, it might have taken them to 3-8. Instead,
they sit at 2-9. Not much of a difference. But, it would have felt a lot
better. |
