Atlanta Falcons Schedule
Saturday
9/11/2010
TBA
Atlanta Falcons Season Tickets
Sunday
9/12/2010
1:00 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons
Sunday
9/19/2010
1:00 PM
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals
NEWS
By Bud L. Ellis
The burning question on the minds of Atlanta Falcons fans is simple:
“When will The Burner ignite?”
Through six games this season, running back Michael “The Burner” Turner has flickered more than flamed. While he’s rushed for seven scores, a 3.4 yard per carry average is a career worst and more than a whole yard off his 4.5 average from a year ago.
Turner helped push the Falcons into the playoffs a year ago, rushing for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns. But the sheer ability to take over drives and keep the chains moving hasn’t been as apparent this season, and with the Falcons facing an essential must-win game Monday night in New Orleans, the time for Turner to catch fire is now.
Just as troubling is the fact Turner has as many fumbles this season (four) in 118 attempts as he recorded in the past two seasons combined (447 carries). It’s easy to say opposing defense are keying in on the Falcons’ running back, but for whatever reason, Turner just doesn’t resemble the bruising back who sparked the Atlanta offense last season.
If the Falcons plan on playing past late December, they need Turner to revert to his pre-2009 form. Monday night’s doings in the Big Easy would be a good place to light the flame.
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Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 9:24 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Michael Turner, National Football League, New Orleans Saints
By Bud L. Ellis
The old saying goes you can’t win your division early in the season, but you sure can lose it.
If you’re the Atlanta Falcons, sitting two games above .500 through six contests, you normally would be in good shape in the division race. But thanks to the New Orleans Saints and their unblemished start to the season, Monday night’s NFC South showdown in the Louisiana Superdome indeed is a game with December-esque implications.
Trailing the Saints by two games in the division, the Falcons face what one would have to call a must win, if indeed Atlanta has serious aspirations to win the division title.
Lose Monday, and Atlanta falls three games behind the Saints — and in reality four games back when you consider the Saints would own the advantage in head-to-head matchups.
Lose Monday, and the Falcons’ path to the playoffs diverts — in all likelihood permanently — toward a wild-card avenue, a throughfare far more crowded and bumpy than getting into the postseason party via a division title.
But if Atlanta can do what no team has been able to accomplish so far in 2009 — beat the Saints — the Falcons suddenly look like a good pick in the South. Atlanta’s schedule gets far softer as the weather turns colder, and the other matchup with New Orleans this season is in the Georgia Dome.
Sure, it won’t be easy. The Saints face a pretty easy slate in the three weeks after the Atlanta game, and New Orleans isn’t undefeated for nothing. But if the Falcons want to win the South, winning Monday is a necessary step.
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 8:58 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Georgia Dome, Louisiana Superdome, National Football League, New Orleans Saints
The Atlanta Falcons jumped out to a 7-0 lead but quickly fell apart in a 37-21 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
Atlanta had no answer for the Tony Romo-Miles Austin connection, which befuddled a defense for the second straight week.
Austin didn’t have over 200 yards receiving this week, but he came close and also found the end zone twice.
Atlanta also couldn’t slow down Romo, who tossed three touchdown passes in one of his best efforts of the season.
Running back Michael Turner found the end zone but continues to struggle gaining yards on the ground.
Things don’t get any easier for the Falcons, who must travel to New Orleans for a big Monday night showdown.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 9:36 pm by steve
Maybe it was the allure of the new stadium.
The Atlanta Falcons are turning into the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde NFL team of 2009, as the Dallas Cowboys easily handled the Falcons on Sunday, 37-21.
A few weeks back, a number of NFL fans left the Falcons for dead after a not-so-close 26-10 thumping by the New England Patriots. After two convincing wins over San Francisco and Houston, the Falcons were alive and well again… until running into the desperate Cowboys.
The Dallas defense made Falcons QB Matt Ryan miserable all day, forcing him into four sacks, two interceptions and two fumbles (one lost). Linebacker DeMarcus Ware, one of the best LBs in the NFL, caused two sacks and the lost fumble – after being stuck at zero sacks the first four games, Ware has come out on fire recently.
“It’s frustrating because we feel we can play better,” said Ryan, who finished 19 of 35 for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons struck first, scoring a TD on their opening drive for the first time all year, but the offense quickly stagnated for the rest of the half, as Dallas went on to score 17 unanswered points. The Falcons struck back in the middle of the third quarter, with a 2-yard Michael Turner TD run narrowing the Cowboys lead to 17-14, howver; the ‘Boys ripped off another 17 points before the Falcons could score again.
Former Falcons defender Keith Brooking, who now plays for the Cowboys after not being re-signed by the Falcons in the offseason, relished the victory.
“The last thing I was told by one of the coaches is this is a young man’s game. I guess an old man can still play in this league,” said Brooking, an Atlanta native.
The Falcons must wipe their memories clean quickly, as they face the undefeated 6-0 New Orleans Saints next weekend in a game that could virtually seal the NFC South for the Saints in November.
Monday, October 26, 2009 at 5:39 pm by bryan
By Bud L. Ellis
It’s important to focus on the task at hand in the National Football League each week.
Some weeks, that’s easier said than done. Which brings us to the Atlanta Falcons, who certainly have thought about what could be if they handle their business Sunday afternoon at Dallas.
The high-flying Falcons are 4-1 on the season, having posted back-to-back victories at San Francisco and against Chicago at the Georgia Dome. In most situations, this would be good enough to vault a team to the top of their division, but the New Orleans Saints have done the Birds one better so far in the NFC South, running out to a 5-0 mark in advance of their Sunday trip to Miami.
The Falcons and Saints hook up next Monday night, a nationally televised showdown for division supremacy and — dare we say — an early shot at home-field advantage in the playoffs. But first things first for Atlanta, meaning the little affair with the 3-2 Cowboys in the ‘Boys’ brand-new palace awaits sorting out.
With the no-nonsense Mike Smith calling the shots from the sidelines, and the cool-as-ice Matt Ryan running things under center, it’s safe to say focusing on this week won’t be a problem for Atlanta. After all, the Falcons are facing a pretty good team, on the road.
They also know if they take care of things Sunday, next Monday’s stakes get a little larger.
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Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 6:28 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Matt Ryan, Miami Dolphins, Mike Smith, National Football League, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers
By Bud L. Ellis
When the Atlanta Falcons line up on offense Sunday deep in the heart of Texas, they will see a key piece of their past staring back at them from the middle of the Dallas Cowboys’ defense.
Keith Brooking grew up a high school star in the southwestern Atlanta suburbs. He would star at Georgia Tech, playing his college ball a mile or so from the Georgia Dome in the midst of Georgia’s capital city.
Brooking’s dream came full circle when the Falcons drafted him in 1998. Nine months later, he would take the field for the Falcons in their first Super Bowl, a loss to Denver in Super Bowl XXXIII.
Through the deep dips and few peaks that would follow the next decade, Brooking was a constant factor for a franchise that lurched high and low. But the Falcons elected not to bring Brooking back after last season, and the linebacker headed to Dallas to ply his trade.
On Atlanta sports talk radio stations Thursday and Friday, Brooking joked with radio hosts and fondly remembered his time with the Falcons. He bragged about Georgia Tech’s success, and he admitted he’s looking forward to seeing the Falcons on Sunday.
So too is his former team. Quarterback Matt Ryan was asked jokingly by an Atlanta radio host earlier this week if the plan was “to run everything right at Brooking.”
It’s a big game for both team. The Cowboys are 3-2 on the season, trying to keep pace with the Giants in the NFC East. The Falcons are 4-1, looking for another win before a Monday night showdown with NFC South leading New Orleans next week.
But even with all of the aspirations on the line for these two playoff contenders, the matchup will carry a bit more significance for the kid who grew up in Atlanta, who starred with the Falcons, who now gets his chance to play against the team he rooted for as a kid.
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Friday, October 23, 2009 at 9:02 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Georgia Tech, Keith Brooking, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Super Bowl
The Atlanta Falcons didn’t play their best football but did just enough for a 21-14 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Quarterback Matt Ryan was inconsistent throughout the night, mixing in moments of brilliance with mistakes.
The quarterback finished the night with under 200 yards passing and two touchdowns along with two interceptions.
It was the defense that made the big plays of the night, stopping a late Bears drive down near their own goaline that could have tied the game.
The win also allowed the Falcons to keep pace with the New Orleans Saints, who are a game ahead of them in the NFC South.
Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 6:36 pm by steve
By Bud L. Ellis
It was a dream D.J. Shockley had as a kid, a dream that came close to coming true but one that came to an end Wednesday.
The Atlanta Falcons cut the former Georgia star from its practice squad roster, ending the Atlanta-area native’s four-year association with the team he grew up rooting for and dreaming of leading to glory.
Ah, what could have been for Shockley, who was poised to earn a spot on the active roster in 2007. Michael Vick was suspended and on his way to prison. Shockley’s mobility would’ve fit perfect into Bobby Petrino’s offense, but Shockley tore up his knee in preseason.
He never played a down in a regular-season game for the Falcons, but the kid who grew up on the southside of town, whose dad was a successful high school football coach, the quarterback who helped lead Georgia to two SEC titles, won fans over with his work ethic and the way he represented himself. Beloved by the fan base and respected by the media and his teammates, Shockley’s time with the Falcons may be over, but his impact — even if he never took a snap in the regular season — remains.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 9:10 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Bobby Petrino, D.J. Shockley, Michael Vick, University of Georgia
By Bud L. Ellis
Plenty went right for the Atlanta Falcons in Sunday night’s 21-14 victory over Chicago at the Georgia Dome.
But two things went wrong, and both could have quite an impact on the team’s fortunes going forward.
Atlanta lost running back Jerious Norwood and cornerback Brian Williams to injuries in the win over the Bears, a victory that thrust the Falcons to a 4-1 record. Norwood, who has suffered two concussions this season, sustained a hip flexor in the second quarter and did not return.
Williams’ injury is much more serious, a tear of the ACL in his right knee defending a pass in the end zone. Williams will miss the rest of the season.
Chris Houston, who started with Williams in the first four games, then came off the bench against Chicago, likely will return to the starting lineup. Brett Grimes, who started at corner for Houston Sunday, likely will man the other corner spot.
With running back Ovie Mughelli still nursing a calf injury, losing Norwood would further thin out the running backs corps. Falcons head coach Mike Smith said on 680 The Fan in Atlanta Tuesday morning while he wouldn’t have any official comment on injuries, he felt that Mughelli may be ready to return later this week.
The Falcons travel to Dallas on Sunday.
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Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 8:16 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Brett Grimes, Brian Williams, Chicago Bears, Chris Houston, Dallas Cowboys, Georgia Dome, Jerious Norwood, National Football League, Ovie Mughelli
The Atlanta Falcons escaped the Georgia Dome with a victory on Sunday night, as the Chicago Bears’ red-zone troubles cost them the game in a 21-14 loss to the Falcons.
Bears QB Jay Cutler, known to be turnover prone in his young career, chucked an INT at the Falcons 9-yard line (he had two in the game). More devastatingly, RB Matt Forte fumbled on two straight runs from the Falcons 1-yard line, the second of which was recovered by the Falcons. And as a final nail in the coffin, Bears OT Orlando Pace moved early on a fourth-and-1 from the Falcons 5 with less than a minute left and the Bears down seven, moving the line of scrimmage back five yards on the game’s crucial play.
“We had a lot of opportunities to win this football game,” Chicago coach Lovie Smith said. “You can’t make those kind of mistakes. When you get the ball in the red zone, you need to get points.”
Neither team got into a groove offensively, but Falcons QB Matt Ryan guided his team up and down the field when it counted. Ever the modest second-year pro, Ryan took none of the credit for the win.
“Our defense, give them some credit,” said Ryan, who finished the game with two TDs and two picks. “Our guys stepped up and made some plays when we needed them to.”
RB Michael Turner ran in for the game-winning score with just over three minutes remaining, and the Falcons’ D did their job the rest of the way to prevent overtime.
“Our offensive line did a great job just giving me just enough time to get the ball off, and then Michael Turner did what he does,” Ryan said. “The offensive line provided a great push and just paved his way.”
Monday, October 19, 2009 at 7:46 pm by bryan
