Post Game Thread Falcons @ Pats

[Deus Irae]

That ATL would risk giving the Patriots a short field with <2 minutes to allow a Patriot score to end the first half? Especially given ATL gets the ball to start the second half??
I thought the decision was at best needlessly risky, at worst an inexplicable blunder that can start the snowball effect ending in a coach eventually losing his job.

Interesting that you put it that way, because

Interesting to see GM Thomas Dmitroff walk off the field in deep conversation with Dan Quinn. Can't be happy with direction rt now

 

[Deus Irae]

BTW, for those of us who've wondered what was up with Solder and/or criticized his play....

This may help explain some of it.

Michelle Tafoya says Nate Solder's son began chemotherapy treatments a few weeks ago. Solder's had a few non-injury absences from practice

Best wishes to the boy, for a successful treatment. That's what matters.

 

[Joker]

"No,Michelle...I won't cheat on my wife just so you can get another scoop with your hidden camera...nice try though. Buy my book....you'll drop 30 pounds of thigh flab in a month..."

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I thought gronk was fantastic tonight even though stats wise it was an ok game for him.

Burkhead played 13 snaps but looked good

Burkhead definitely was gaining some good yards with the handful of opps he had. Based on his length of absence 13 snaps seems about right for his first game back (maybe a bit on the higher side given our RB depth - but he was making his case to stay on the field).

The RB depth and competition is shaping up nicely. While there isn't, per se, complete overlap in any of their skillsets, every other RB seeing one of their peers out there gaining solid yards is likely to be positive motivation for the whole group. And every RB in last nights game had some notable contributions (Gill the least amount but he did have a 3rd and short he converted with a solid punching it through as well as a nice gain to help run out the clock).

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

BTW, for those of us who've wondered what was up with Solder and/or criticized his play....

This may help explain some of it.






Best wishes to the boy, for a successful treatment. That's what matters.

Wow, just wow.
One big added wish for the 2017 season: we get another report that Solder's son reacted well to the Chemo and his health took a major upswing.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Loss of Shanahan affected the MVP? well then, he is NOT the MVP...sorry. Another vet QB trying to suckerfish onto the Brady hate that exists in the upper echelons of the NFL BTW, Carson "Lefty" Palmer is finito. Maybe he can replace Dan Fouts?

Falcons: 2014 6-10, 2015 8-8, 2016 15-1.
If the season after a 15-1 year stat was easy enough to find I'd put it here. But my guess is being a 15-1 team last year does not come close to equalling the same dominance the following year. Every year is it's own year with changes to the team and staff, different injury issues, drop offs in performance, full season game film for opposing teams to scheme better game plans etc.

As the season goes on maybe ATL will regain most of 2016's form. Maybe Ryan will start lighting it up like 2017. But their middling performance in 2017 shouldn't be absolutely shocking. Last year is last year, this year is this year. Plenty of variables to believe a great team last year may not be so great this year.

As for Ryan being MVP in 2017 with his performance so far? At this point that seems pretty stupid. Like stupid on the level of something Dan Fouts might say after he watched Ryan throw 8 interceptions in a row.

 

[supafly]

Julio Jones blaming the heavy fog on the after-TD fireworks. That took long.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

The Falcons are 0-3 against the AFC East and 3-0 against everyone else! When do they play the Jets?

Next week on the road!!!! Lmao

 

[luuked]

When the team was playing like **** (and by "team" I mostly mean "defense"), we had homers insisting they weren't. Did you call them out, too?

Homer == Mostly reasonable people,
insisting they werent playing like **** == saying not to panic early because BB & co have track record of fixing things by mid October/early Nov, and pointing out that trajectory in the Bucs and Jets game pointed towards right direction,
calling out == were right about the team improving as every year.

 

[Deus Irae]

Homer == Mostly reasonable people

 

[Snooky97]

BTW, for those of us who've wondered what was up with Solder and/or criticized his play....

This may help explain some of it.






Best wishes to the boy, for a successful treatment. That's what matters.

Poor bloke hasn't had the best of luck in the few years with his own health and his family. Thoughts to them all. X

 

[Snooky97]

One thing; on the Falcons TD if Gilmore was healthy do we think he would of lined up against Julio there? Just from a size comparison?

 

[Oswlek]

Falcons: 2014 6-10, 2015 8-8, 2016 15-1.

I think you transposed a 5 and a 1.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I think you transposed a 5 and a 1.

LOL, thanks for the correction Os. Long night of football watching and liquid cheer consumption.

 

[Ring 6]

Falcons: 2014 6-10, 2015 8-8, 2016 15-1.
If the season after a 15-1 year stat was easy enough to find I'd put it here. But my guess is being a 15-1 team last year does not come close to equalling the same dominance the following year. Every year is it's own year with changes to the team and staff, different injury issues, drop offs in performance, full season game film for opposing teams to scheme better game plans etc.

As the season goes on maybe ATL will regain most of 2016's form. Maybe Ryan will start lighting it up like 2017. But their middling performance in 2017 shouldn't be absolutely shocking. Last year is last year, this year is this year. Plenty of variables to believe a great team last year may not be so great this year.

As for Ryan being MVP in 2017 with his performance so far? At this point that seems pretty stupid. Like stupid on the level of something Dan Fouts might say after he watched Ryan throw 8 interceptions in a row.

Huh? The Falcons were 11-5 last year not 15-1.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Huh? The Falcons were 11-5 last year not 15-1.

you're one post late but I still appreciate the correction none the less.

Lesson learned: never rely on memory at 1am following a big SNF Patriots win that included lots of liquid cheer

 

[AtomicDawg]

??? Brown had a bad game against KC, as did many players. Outside of that, he's been one of the better players on defense all season and has raised his game this year. Unfortunately it looks like he'll never be Wilfork, but you can win with him. I think you meant Alan Branch as the disappointment. Will be interesting to see his total snap counts and what the film looks like on him this week, if he was able to build upon his better performance in the Jets game.

Should be noted Brown unfortunately went out with an ankle injury so that obviously will affect the snap counts. That allowed Adam Butler to get more time and he made the most of it with his first sack.

BTW, OT: Gordon Hayward, Adam McQuaid, now Malcom Brown. Bad week for ankles in Boston. Mookie Betts better be careful next time he goes bowling.........

 

[TommyD4207]

It doesnt matter. At this point at least 4-5 ref crews have called the same arm extension on him as OPI. He needs to adjust that, nobody will change the rules (or their interpretation) for him.

This. And the thing is, he really doesn't need to push off. He has separation naturally due to his size and catch radius, and if he DOESN'T push off, he'll probably start drawing holding and illegal contact flags.

 

[Angelpats]

This. And the thing is, he really doesn't need to push off. He has separation naturally due to his size and catch radius, and if he DOESN'T push off, he'll probably start drawing holding and illegal contact flags.

The refs don't have any idea what they are doing so don't count on those holding call. That call on Gronk was bogus and holding on mason was just as bad but if you have watched this season Gronk is held or interfered with most of every game with no calls.

 

[PittPatriot]

For those that "marked this as an L" and even 'no way the Patriots can win this game with this D', you just gotta feel a bit silly right now.

Look, this game was obviously never expected to be a sure thing for the Patriots, far from it. The actual outcome being lopsided was, I suspect, unexpected for most (it was to me). I bet the majority of PF felt the team's 2017 struggles meant this certainly could be an L, it could be a tough one to grind out, but a game we were certainly capable of winning. So for those that spoke of this game as almost certainly an L? Not only were you wrong but you did so by disregarding obvious facts in order to build ATL into this unbeatable boogeyman that in 2017 they clearly and unambiguously have shown they are not.

I never use permanent marker when I
make my predictions because there’s a “reason they play the game”.
Not to be argumentative, but if you didn’t think long and hard about this game being an “L” (missing 2/3 top CB, no Edelman, 2 losses already at Gillette, ATL with everything to prove in their rematch after 2 consecutive losses, Vegas line essentially a pick ‘em) then I wonder if you predict 16-0 seasons for the Pats every season.
BTW- before the season started, I thought this was the only game that we might lose.