Stay Healthy and Play Well Patriots!

[DaveEG]

Thanks to many of you for the respectful back and forth this week. There are things we clearly agree on, and yet we draw different conclusions from that body of knowledge. The exchange has been both educational and entertaining for the most part.

One point that I've made in several threads that I want to repeat here is that all Falcons fans I know truly do respect the accomplishments of the Patriots organization. We also respect them as the ultimate on-field test in this season. In Superbowl LI, the NFL has provided us with its ultimate test in our biggest moment.

Given that, I know that our confidence boarders on disrespect, or just plain ignorance, at times in the eyes of Patriots fans. There is an expression that Atlanta coaches and players say often: "It's not about them, it's about us." Our confidence has nothing to do with disrespecting our opponent. It is truly about believing that our team has the ability to win the game on its own merit.

I started to write a post to share our perspective on this season in order to explain where this confidence comes from. The post turned into a book and I elected to spare you the eye strain. I've included a portion of it below. If you have time to waste, read on. If not, may both teams bring forth their very best on Sunday!
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In week 8, our team had just lost a battle in Seattle and a lack luster effort against the Chargers. Those two games dropped us to 4-3. Two weeks earlier we had been 4-1 after an impressive 4 game winning streak including road wins in Oakland, Denver, and New Orleans (our ultimate opponent on MNF on the anniversary of what we call the Katrina Bowl). Back to week 8, we enter at 4-3. The media mumbling of "same ole' Falcons" had started. Green Bay was coming in all banged up. The pretty much handed us our butts in the first half. The score board was closer than the butt whooping our defense had received would indicate. At half time of that game we changed defensive schemes and started playing a lot of man coverage. GB scored 8 points in the second have of that game. Those 8 came with 4 minutes to go in the game and gave GB a 6 point lead. Rodgers had worked his magic one more time and Atlanta was starring into the abyss of a .500 record and was on the verge of a 2nd straight season of a hot start followed by a collapse. To shorten the story, Ryan did his Ryan thing and led a game winning drive in the 4th quarter. In the 30 seconds left of the clock, our defense game up 8 yards on first down, then would get after Rodgers and force three straight in completions. Our defense had had a terrible statistical game, but came up with a stop on that drive, and had ended two earlier 2nd half drives with 3rd down sacks in Falcons territory.

From out perspective, something changed in the 2nd half of week 8. Our defensive scheme has been similar every since. We don't play our base Seattle 3 deep zone very much in tight games. Our young defenders (Poole, Jones, Neal, Collins, and Goodwin) had struggled mightily to match up correctly in that zone scheme. They were all talented players so Quinn just put them in man in critical situations. To Falcons fans our defensive improvement was due to a scheme change. To the rest of the world it is due to soft offenses in the 2nd half of the season.

Week 8 is really the where things changed for Falcons fans. Life long pessimist had this strange ting of hope we didn't understand. For 50 years we have looked back over our shoulder waiting for the next shoe to fall. At that point when we were staring into the abyss with 4 minutes to go, the team backed away form the edge and avoided being sucked in. That was new. That was different. To outsiders, it is game script that happens every week in the NFL. One team scores late, the other team answers. To us, it was more of a refusal to play out our script. We would later vanquish this foe again on an even bigger stage. We had refused to become the pawn in Rodgers success story. The rap has always been: "The Falcons are good, but their are not a mentally tough football team." We became mentally tough, and that changed everything for the fans. This teams believes, and this fan believes: "It's not about them, it's about us."

I know that we could lose. But, it would be a surprising development. Ryan made a very interesting statement at the end of his last press conference yesterday. "What ever they come up with, we'll have an answer." I believe him. You do not. Onto the field of battle!

 

[Nikolai]

Appreciate your contributions. You and a couple of the other Falcon fans who showed up recused yourselves pretty well.

I'm pretty well analysis'd out at this stage, so I'll just say that we're on to the Super Bowl...

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I haven't read your whole body of work here Dave but thanks for the respectful post, it's the way you like a house-guest to act.

And all kidding aside, sure let's all hope nobody gets hurt, certainly not in a way that takes them away from the beginning of next season.

Right now we're both potential SB champions, and all our fans, both sides, should savor that (and of course, through our collective confidence, also realize that somebody has to be wrong.)

Take this back to Falcons-land - we need this Super Bowl. Weird, huh? You don't stop needing the next one once you've done it once... you need it more.

I know, I know... you guys are thinking after 40 years in the desert, you guys need it more. Nope. It's a novelty to you, all due respect. It's a pinnacle, it's finally getting to the top of the mountain. I had that same feeling a couple of times in the 80s and 90s... but it was okay, even when the Bears destroyed us. Not really okay, but more okay than losing to the Gintz (either time) in the Brady era.

I can't speak for fans who were children when this run started, but as somebody who remembers more of the history, I can tell you that the intensity doesn't fade when you get into a league-best position over a period of 15 years... it gets stronger. I think probably this extends to the actual Pats organization.

Think of the Pats and their coaching staff as terminators. The Falcons are just extras dressed as cops. The Lombardi Trophy is Sarah Connah.

 

[GorBelSer]

Well, it would be unwise of him to say something like "Truth be told, we might not be able to counteract their schemes and adjustments".

In reality, these teams did not play each other this season, nobody knows what rabbits will be pulled out of the hat and when. No clear favorite in this SB, it could go either way. Homerism is another story.

And that "mentally tough" stuff could be true. Or not. The same was said this time last year, when the Panthers were taking on the Broncos. Best offense in the league, very good defense, 31-0 HT lead against the Seahawks before switching to some soft D, 49-15 dismantling of the red-hot Cardinals. SB turned out to be completely different beast, Denver had more experience in that matter and played physical game.
As I said, it could go either way. IMO, we are slightly ahead because a lot of these players have participated in tough road playoff games last couple of years (Denver x 2, Seattle) and that should give us some advantage.

Great read, anyway, thanks for the contribution.

 

[Tony2046]

You've been a good guest Dave.

My advice for you would be to have as much fun as you possibly can before 6:30 so at least you'll have some positive memories from tomorrow.

 

[TomPatriot]

You've been a good contributor, even when I have disagreed, and you are as confident as your team. Pherein aside, we have not had many visitors as knowledgeable and decent as you. We usually get grifters, lowlifes, murderers and thieves; in other words, Jets fans.

Good luck Monday.

 

[neuronet]

Thanks for the great post. Feel free to post the rest of your book we are all sitting here with our thumbs in our asses anyway.

I saw that first Green Bay game, and remember being impressed with both teams. The second Green Bay game, I remember being impressed with the Falcons, and how far they had come, defensively, since the first Green Bay game.

I think this will be a chippy, tough, battle. Falcons have a chip on their shoulder. Patriots definitely have a chip on their shoulder after the crap the league office put them through this year. I respect and like the Falcons, they are a classy group of players (unlike the Jets, Seahawks, Steelers coaches, etc).

I can't say I hope for a close fight, I prefer a blowout, for the sake of my heart. But, I wish you well! And realistically, I don't see the Patriots blowing out the Falcons, or vice-versa.

 

[long distance]

Thanks for making this a dialogue.
A two-sided long wait to a great night..