Falcons’ finish gives fans hope for 2010
By Bud L. Ellis
The disappointment in the voice of Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith cannot be masked.
Appearing on Atlanta sports talk radio station WCNN-AM 680 Tuesday afternoon, Smith spoke of the pride of the Falcons closing a disappointing 2009 season by winning their final three games, three victories that gave the franchise its first consecutive winning seasons in franchise history.
The fact that posting back-to-back winning campaigns took 44 years speaks volumes about the past of this franchise. The fact Smith isn’t satisfied with merely winning nine games and removing an albatross from the franchise and its long-suffering fanbase speaks volumes about the future.
The Falcons were hampered by injuries, by poor defense and by fallacies in special teams play (most notably the kicking game) in 2009. Still, Atlanta found a way to rally from a 6-7 record to close the season on a three-game winning streak, a surge that may not have caused many ripples in the NFL, but one that nonetheless gives the franchise momentum heading into the offseason.
Atlanta, which reached the playoffs as a wild card in 2008, started this season 4-1. But injuries, most notably to quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner, helped derail any hopes of a return to the playoffs. But by finishing above .500, at least the Falcons gave their fans reason to feel good about the direction of the franchise as the new decade dawns.
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