Falcons and Brooking Part Ways as Free Agent Pool Opens

Long-time Falcons LB Keith Brooking and the Atlanta Falcons have finally parted ways after contract negotiations broke down prior to the midnight deadline - making Brooking a free agent.

Brooking is just the latest veteran player to be let go by Atlanta, following S Lawyer Milloy. The combination of big-money contracts, declining ability and quality young talent has led to their release. Its safe to argue that they weren't released at the same time as Alge Crumpler and Warrick Dunn last season because the team needed some veteran holdovers to help facilitate a smooth transition. Now a year later, the veterans are gone, and the pressure now squarely lies on the young players, mostly in their second and third seasons. That's not to say GM Thomas Dimitroff won't acquire new talent via free agency or the draft, but overall its clear that the team is going younger.

LB Michael Boley, CB Domonique Foxworth and DE Chauncey Davis also became free agents.

Looking around the league, Brooking wasn't the only high-profile name to become a free agent last night. Former Falcons Pro-Bowl CB DeAngelo Hall will return to the Washington Redskins for an estimated $54M over six years. This makes Hall one of the highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL. This is the second time in two years that Hall has struck a monster deal, following his disastrous half-season with the Raiders. Oakland released Hall after eight games, and he was picked up by Washington a week later. He tallied two interceptions with the 'Skins in seven games, tied for the team lead. Hall put aside his personal conduct problems when he arrived in Washington, but his history of off-field distractions in Atlanta and in Oakland (coupled with his declining on-field production) certainly doesn't warrant one of the largest contracts in the league. Typical Redskins.

Speaking of which, the 'Skins threw even more money at DT Albert Haynesworth. The All-Pro tackle was the center of a flurry of rumors by Falcons fans about whether owner Arthur Blank would open the checkbook to sign him. Last week the team made it clear they wouldn't be writing any $100M checks, which kept Haynesworth out of the picture. Now he'll suit up alongside DeAngelo Hall, Jason Taylor and a high-priced Redskins team that started last year on fire before fading away by December. Haynesworth was signed this morning to a 7-year deal worth $100M (or up to $115M including performance bonuses). $41M is guaranteed, the bulk of which he'll earn in the next calendar year. Certainly too rich for many teams, Haynesworth landed exactly where many analysts predicted.

The free agent signing period has only been open for nine hours, and the Redskins have already agreed to spend over $150M. Owner Dan Snyder has built a reputation of over-paying for veteran players, something he stepped away from last season by largely keeping the checkbook closed (they traded for Jason Taylor). But this offseason, and during a recession, he seems bent on becoming the Yankees of football by spending the cash he thinks will put his team over the top and come out of the best division in the NFL. I think their success still relies on the ability of Jason Campbell and the health of Clinton Portis. If their offense clicks next season, they could certainly be a threat to the Giants, Eagles and that other team.
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Can Lightning Strike Twice? Falcons to Build Through Draft

Last year Thomas Dimitroff came over from the New England Patriots to become the new General Manager for the Atlanta Falcons. That meant hiring a new coach and staff, finding a new quarterback, and a new running back, and improve the team just enough to win more than one or two games. One year later, Dimitroff is Executive of the Year, his coach won Coach of the Year (Mike Smith), his new quarterback won Rookie of the Year (Matt Ryan), his new running back was a Pro Bowler and MVP Runner-up (Michael Turner) - oh, and the Falcons won eleven games and went to the playoffs.

So can lightning strike twice for the young GM? Can he drastically improve his club for a second straight offseason? Maybe. But if he does, it'll be through the draft.



Since mid-season, Atlanta fans have been buzzing with thoughts of Albert Haynesworth sporting red and black. The former Titan became a free agent at season's end, and there was no doubt that Arthur Blank and the Falcons would make a run at the 2-time All-Pro defensive tackle. But last week things changed. Dimitroff spoke out saying there would be no run at Haynesworth, too rich for our gold-laced blood. There is a fear that a high-paid Haynesworth may become too relaxed, enjoy his money, and become the latest in a long list of athletes to enjoy Atlanta nightlife a bit too much. No, Dimitroff is saying, we need to stick with building from within. We may go through free agency to fill a couple of needs, but there will be no monster contracts handed out.

That leaves us with one way to improve this team (besides cutting dead weight): the draft. And wouldn't you know it, the combine is this week! That's right folks, check out NFL Network to see the college stars of last year jump through hoops and run really fast in front of pro scouts unwilling to watch game film. So what revelations does Dimitroff except to occur in Indianapolis this week? Nothing. He, unlike some GM's on some teams, uses the combine as a supplement. He comes in knowing which players he likes, which positions he needs, and uses the combine more as a "highlight to revisit," Dimitroff told the AJC.

“In the end, it’s how the player performs on the field. It’s production. Is he a football player? I would much rather take a guy who is a half-inch short or a quarter of a step slow who is a passionate, tough, smart football player.”

This should come as good news to Falcons fans. Not just his approach to the combine, but his approach to free agency and team-building in general. We're beginning to see a trend in Atlanta sports: go cheap. Ever since Ted Turner and Michael Vick skipped town, its been rare to see record-breaking contracts in Atlanta. Braves GM Frank Wren has shaped a ball club reliant on the potential of top prospects (while the Yankees give Mark Teixeira $22.5M). Hawks GM Rick Sund kept a young core of talented players to keep his team competitive (while the Mavericks trade their future for an over-the-hill Jason Kidd). Thomas Dimitroff follows this new-found Atlanta philosophy by not only keeping a modest team budget, but also by keeping a young, talented core of players to build around.

Does keeping Keith Brooking or Lawyer Milloy at a high price make more sense than drafting a faster, equally physical player who makes the league minimum? Does bringing in Haynesworth or Ray Lewis on top-dollar deals make more sense than spending the same amount on an entire defensive line?

I think Dimitroff has the right idea here, but only time will tell if lightning has struck at all for the young GM. If the Falcons don't post their first back-to-back winning seasons, it will be hard for fans to accept this approach - especially with Arthur Blank's wallet behind the scenes.
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The Season Ain't Over Yet - Its the Pro Bowl!

Sunday afternoon the Falcons will be handsomely represented at this year's Pro Bowl by RB Michael Turner and WR Roddy White. The NFL's version of the All-Star Game will be held once more in beautiful Hawai'i. Big names like Manning, Peterson and Fitzgerald will lead the charge, while highly deserving names like Rivers, Ryan, and Romo will be watching at home (or probably not watching like the rest of us).

I don't know about you guys, but what intrigues me most about any All-Star break is the various forms of skills competition. The NBA has their Slam Dunk and Long Distance Contests, baseball has the Home Run Derby, and the NFL has a skills competition as well (pretty sure its called just that). The NCAA does this as well, and its always interesting to see how the top players in the world measure up against each other. We can argue all day about which Manning has the better fundamentals, but what if Eli went out there and smoked Peyton in the skills contest? Or The Burner blew past Adrian Peterson? Or Larry Fitzgerald was proven not to be the fastest player in the game? These are great fun to watch, and speaks directly to the reason we watch professional sports to begin with - they are the best players in the world. We don't turn on NFL games to see 30 incompletions and six interceptions, or an NBA game to see a team shoot 12% from the field. As far as I'm concerned, its all about being caught up in seeing the greatest atheletes in the world perform at the highest level. Its fascinating and awe-inspiring every time. So sure I probably won't be watching most of the Pro Bowl (gotta at least give love to Turner and White though), but I'll be staring at the skills competition wondering how on earth Drew Brees managed to throw a football into the hole of a moving target twenty yards downfield.
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Arizona Cardinals Win First Ever Superbowl!

Well...not yet at least...

I am in no way an Arizona Cardinals fan...at all. However, this Superbowl Sunday I will stand firmly behind the underdogs from the desert. I am backing the Cards for three primary reasons.

• Make the Falcons look better for their Wildcard loss
• Keep the NFC Superbowl win streak moving
• The cartoon character that is...Larry Fitzgerald

One of the most exciting offenses versus the leagues best defense...this game is shaping up to be very interesting. Before the NFC championship I made a prediction that Fitz would be able to run around at will in the Philly secondary...which was pretty bold considering who is back there. Either the Eagles defense fell asleep or Fitz is just that good. I am leaning towards the fact that Fitz is just that good...and he is going to do it again this weekend on the Steelers secondary. Now that being said I don't think it will be nearly as easy. Any team worth its salt would be preapring like crazy after seeing his post season performances thus far. I predict Fitz will still get loose, but take away one of those TDs (hell...I would take 2 Touchdowns vs the Steelers Defense). Check out the rest of my Superbowl predictions below. 100 points to me for each one I get correct.

• The Arizona Cardinals will win the Superbowl
• Larry Fitzgerald will have 2 touchdowns
• Kurt Warner will win the MVP
• Kurt Warner will throw for 300+ yards
• Big Ben will throw at least 1 interception
• Willie Parker will gain over 100 yards
• Edge will run for less than 80 yards
• Polamalu will have 1 interception
• James Harrison will sack warner twice
• Final score will be 35-24

Let me know YOUR predictions.

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Super Bowl Matchup Set: Cardinals Shock the World, Steelers Take Care of Business

The Arizona Cardinals are headed to their first Super Bowl. That's right, Arizona. Led by two-time league MVP Kurt Warner. But let's not kid ourselves, Larry Fitzgerald is the star here. He's proven on the biggest stage what a stud receiver is supposed to do: make ridiculous catches and keep your mouth shut. Anyone else see Anquan Boldin mouthing off to the OC on the sideline? How many yards did he have today? Exactly. Congrats Cardinals. I guess we were beaten by the best after all!

Fun fact, the Arizona Cardinals franchise (Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona) has gone the second-longest between championships in professional sports at 61 years... only behind the Chicago Cubs' century mark.

In the AFC, the Steelers' defense held off the Ravens, clinching their second Super Bowl birth in four years. Ben Roethlisberger will be going for his second championship - as will Kurt Warner.

It ought to be an interesting matchup: a dominant defense facing an exciting offensive attack. Larry Fitzgerald against Troy Polamalu. James Harrison chasing down Kurt Warner. Ought to be great, and the Steelers ought to be the favorite.. but at this point, can we really count out the Cardinals anymore? Super Bowl XLIII goes down in Tampa on February 1st.
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Color Me Confused-AFC/NFC Championships Set

Well I never would have been able to predict this, Philly has to go into....ARIZONA....in order to win the NFC. The AFC at least makes a bit more sense, two teams with insane defenses, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, will faceoff next weekend for the AFC title. When I first thought about it, I thought, whoever wins the NFC is going to be crushed by whoever comes out of the AFC. Then I remember, Philly actually is good, they have a defense and their offense seems to have gotten their head on straight from their mid-season collapse. Arizona on the other hand still confuses me...how...I mean what....where did....I just don't know. They were like a Big 12 team with all that fire power down the field and a defense that was lacking. Two straight weeks of stopping up the leagues second leading rusher in Michael "the burner" Turner and then the two headed demon of Williams and Stewart. I always knew that Fitz and Bolden were two of the best receivers in the NFL, but I never expected the WHOLE team to come together after the way the season ended.

For anyone who saw my earlier playoff predictions when I said that it was going to be the Falcons over the Jets, I sure hope you didn't place any bets...cause your gonna be losin some fingers. My new prediction out of shear confusion and curiosity is this, more upsets. Baltimore will go into Pittsburgh and the Ravens D will outplay the Pittsburgh D, leaving it to the Quarterbacks. Rookie Joe Flacco will out duel Big Ben with a final score of 17-14 Baltimore. One defensive touchdown per team.

As for the NFC, I am going to have to take the Cardinals simply because I want the team that took out the Falcons to prove that it was not just a fluke and we were beaten by an actual good team. One more week the Cardinals will step up and show surprisngly good defense keeping Westbrook to under 100 yards and picking off McNabb twice. Fitz will run all around the Philly secondary at will causing havok and eventually leading to a bruising late hit out of bounds by Brian Dawkins giving the Cards the ball on the Philly 5 yd line with under five minutes to go in the game. The Cards will win this game 35-20 and head on to the Superbowl.

Or how about this, the ridiculous saftey call against the Falcons from Wildcard weekend is reviewed, and ruled that it was wrong and Turner would have scored a touchdown, eventually leading to a Falcons win. By virtue of how bad the Panthers are the Falcons are given the win over them from this past weekend, and Philly has to come to Atlanta for the NFC Championship. It's possible...

Superbowl pick will come shortly after Championship weekend so stay tuned.

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Stafford and Moreno to Enter NFL Draft

Well now its official: Georgia QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno announced today that they will be entering April's NFL Draft. Both players are considered top 2 prospects at their positions. Many analysts predict Stafford could be the first pick overall (Detroit Lions), with Knowshon expected to go by the middle of the first round.

In three years, Stafford threw for 7,731 yards and 51 touchdowns. His 25 touchdowns this season set a new school record. As a starter he went 27-7, with three bowl wins. His best game statistically came in this year's loss to Georgia Tech, where he threw for 407 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has a rocket arm and is solidly built, but he's fairly inconsistent and hasn't appeared willing to change his game to fix any mistakes he'd made as a younger player. He still throws interceptions, he still makes poor decisions, and he still takes a while to get going in many games. Coming out he looks similar to Jamarcus Russell, so let's hope his NFL career doesn't go sideways like his.

Knowshon's two years (redshirt Sophomore) were well spent. Last year, his splitting time with Thomas Brown did not hinder his ability to put up big numbers. He rushed for over 1300 yards and 14 touchdowns both seasons, and never lost a fumble. He never fumbled at all, in fact. Knowshown had 18 total touchdowns this season, bringing his career total to 32. Knowshon's biggest game came last year against Troy, when he ran for 196 yards and 3 touchdowns. He scored three TD's three times this year as well.

Oh boo hoo. Let's think about this for a second. Are we that much worse without them? Lost 3 games this year, 2 last year. This isnt like losing Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. Or Vince Young. Or DJ Shockley even. Let's think about what Stafford and Moreno accomplished. They beat Florida last year (so did Michigan), they didn't lose a bowl game (lets put aside Hawaii's BCS legitimacy last year), and they finished #2 in the BCS rankings last year (which you dont get a trophy for, or anything for that matter). I'm not puting down their talent. They're both incredible talents. Knowshon was our best player. And it will be interesting to see how successful they can be at the next level, but what legacy have they left behind? What great moment will go down in Georgia lore as the symbol of their time here? Knowshon's highlight reel or jukes, jumps and spins? Stafford's 25 touchdowns? Shockley won the SEC. So did Greene. This is Georgia football, people. When the best your two superstars can get you is a two-loss season and no division titles, its hard to imagine that we can do much worse when they're gone.

Looks like Joe Cox is the frontrunner to be the starter next season (which is good), and Caleb King and Richard Samuel will fill in for Moreno at tailback. Luckily for us, these may be our two deepest positions. With two young guns in waiting behind Cox, next season is looking a lot better than what we had in 2006.. but another ten win season is completely within reach.

Well, if our schedule wasn't ridiculously hard. Read Full Article!

Jonesin' for a Dog in the Fight

[photos from espn.com]


Our beloved Falcons were bounced out of the playoffs by the surprisingly tough Arizona Cardinals Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals, known solely for their amazing air attack, clamped down on defense and forced turnovers to keep their offense on the field. Give Kurt Warner enough chances to beat you, and he will. Though only losing by six, we were never really giving ourselves a chance in this one. We turned the ball over, couldn't run the ball, couldn't contain Fitzgerald/Boldin, and played poor special teams... and had a goofy safety called on us (which I've since learned was a totally normal call, the way it went down). Arizona prepared better, executed better and Burner and Matty Ice were just plain ineffective (save for Matty's smooth second quarter). Bottom line, we looked like a young team who was a little overwhelmed. Despite questions on our defense as to who'll return next year, we still have a good shot at returning to the postseason. With a year under our belt with this new team, I don't expect us to be giving away any games, whether by under-preparing or under-performing. Next year is important for the Falcons, to show that this year wasn't a fluke, that Matt Ryan is the real deal, and that we can hold our own in a very tough division. But longtime Falcons fans are surely weary of the fact that with any winning season in Atlanta - its surely followed by a losing one. We've never had two winning seasons in a row. Not in the 90's, not with Vick, not ever. All signs point to that trend ending.. but its a little early to get our hopes up just yet. Its on Dimitrof to step up with another brilliant offseason and fill the holes to make this team better. There's one good GM in this town, and its Dimitrof. And with his mind and Blank's money, we should be looking at a very solid contender in 2009.

Now then.. what's next? Where's my dog in the playoff fight? My first instinct was to pull for Miami, the other worst to first success story. I figured, hey if we can't shock the league, maybe they can! Well then Pennington tried out his best Brett Favre impression and threw four picks and lost to the Ed Reeds.. er, the Ravens. Well how about Peyton! Who doesn't love Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne, they've won nine in a row, their coach is a great guy, an easy team to cheer for I think! But then Philip Rivers yelled loud and hard and found himself with a win, riding LT's backup for a second straight postseason. Well shoot. Then there's the Eagles. My only pick this weekend to pull it out. Philly fans are crazy. Crazy. They actually don't want Donovan McNabb. After their victory yesterday, he improved to 7-0 in divisional round games. 7-0. Perfect. Never lost. Now true, he's 0-1 in Super Bowls, and 1-3 in NFC Championship games, but he's never gone one and done. Like Romo always has. Like Peyton usually does. McNabb never has. And if you can name two receivers who caught a pass yesterday, you win a cookie. Don't sit there and tell me McNabb isn't amazing. He's an elite quarterback who wins when he's supposed to, no matter what crappy talent surrounds him.

Wait a second.

I like McNabb!

Oh crap I like a Philly player! Hmm... well that's it! I could've slanted southeast and chosen the Titans, or picked a Bulldog in Hines Ward and the Steelers, but screw them all! Come on McNabb! Show those Philly fans how insane they are and win a Super Bowl! ... then leave, take Andy Reid with you, and remind that city what a Philly team is supposed to look like: cold, winless, and in the cellar.
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The NFL Playoffs: An Actual Football Postseason

First, let's not acknowledge how my picks went this week.... I went 6-4. Ugh. Thanks a lot Giants, Bucs, Bears and Saints. You are all dead to me now. Well, moreso than usual. In any case my playoff bracket was messed up a bit by Tampa's inability to beat the Raiders at home. What a collapse. Arguably worse than the Jets or Broncos. Tampa drops their final four games to get knocked out of the playoffs completely. Well that's what happens when you bench Jeff Garcia and your defensive coordinator takes a college job. How that defense collapsed. Tsk tsk. Right so the playoff bracket. Very very interesting, Philly sneaks in after dominating a distrastrous Dallas team... the Chargers destroy Denver and steal the division after Cutler's Brocnos lose their final three games... and Miami improves by ten wins over last season and knocks the Jets and Pats out the postseason. Also, non-playoff related, the Detroit Lions managed to lose again - setting a new landmark in futility by losing all sixteen games this season. 0-16. I hope Matt Stafford or Sam Bradford enjoy losing next year.

Basically here's the deal with the Falcons:
Saturday, Jan. 3, 4:30PM @ Arizona (NBC-TV). If we win, we will need the the Eagles to win if we want to avoid playing the Giants in the Divisional Round. If we win and Philly does, we'll head to Charlotte to take on the Panthers the following week.

Personally I think the Colts, Falcons and Eagles are the most dangerous non-bye teams in the bracket. Let's not forget the last time the Falcons played the Panthers and Vikings, beating them both (but let's do forget their meeting with Philly). The Eagles have beaten a lot of very good teams this season (including the Steelers, Bucs, Falcons and Cardinals), and the Colts are the hottest team in football, winning their final nine games. If the Colts weren't taking on an equally hot (and finally healthy) Chargers team, I'd say the Colts are a safe bet to get to the AFC Championship game. Anyway here's a lovely article from the good folks at ESPN: "Why Not the Falcons?" - Why the Falcons might be the most dangerous team in the NFC bracket. ESPN is definitely doing that sweet dirty bird for sure.

Right so lets take a look at the matchups this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, and what we have to look forward to now that an actual football postseason has begun. Enough with the meaningless bowl games, lets get the playoffs going!

Saturday January 3rd
4:30PM: (5) Atlanta Falcons @ (4) Arizona Cardinals
Ryan/Turner VS. Warner
As long as Atlanta leans on their running game and Ryan minimizes his mistakes, the defense should get the handful of stops it needs to help the offense out-score Arizona's high-powered passing game. The main obstacle for the Falcons should be scoring enough points to keep up. They've shown they can put points on the board, with a variety of talented weapons in the air and on the ground. If they can limit their turnovers, the Falcons should win in a high-scoring matchup.

8:00PM: (5) Indianapolis Colts @ (4) San Diego Chargers
Manning VS. Rivers
These are the two best quarterbacks in the AFC, and you know they'll be on their game. This should ultimately come down to whether the Colts defense can contain the (at times) inconsistent Chargers offense, including limiting Tomlinson and the ground attack. I think the Colts D is up to the task. If they can force Rivers to beat them in a duel with Manning, the Colts should win. Another high scoring affair.

Sunday January 4th
1:00PM: (6) Baltimore Ravens @ (3) Miami Dolphins
Defense VS. Defense
The beaten down vet Pennington rose from the ashes to have a phenomenal year; rookie QB Joe Flacco went from 3 to 1 on the depth chart to become a viable ROY candidate. But this game won't come down to the quarterbacks. Its the defenses that will decide this. The Ravens need to decide on a stable running attack to get past the Dolphins if they want to win, and containing Ronnie Brown is a tough task as well. I think ultimately the Dolphins have more drive, more experience and a more consistent offensive approach to edge the Ravens.

4:30PM: (6) Philadelphia Eagles @ (3) Minnesota Vikings
McNabb VS. Defense
The Eagles improbably find themselves in the playoffs, staring down the league's best running back. Their defense is more than up to the task though. The bigger matchup is whether McNabb can overcome a strong Vikings defense to score enough points. The problem for Minnesota is the Philly offense is clicking, is healthy, is angry, and is hot as hell. Expect Philly to pull away in the second half and move on to the Divisional Round to play the Giants.

So there we have it! Can't wait for the weekend and some real football games.

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The Final Countdown! Week 17 Forecast!

Alright folks. Put away that delicious Christmas goose and stop playing with the kiddies, its time to get back into the fold. Its Week 17. The final week. The last chance for middling teams to make their push for the playoffs. Will it be Chicago or Minnesota? New England or Miami? Can Dallas last long enough to lose their Wild Card game again? Lots of drama coming this Sunday, lots of sweet, delicious, fattening drama. So let's get into it. I'm riding solo this time, seems everyone else is out of town or not working or just being lazy. But us MEN still have jobs to attend to. Jobs in cubicles. And cute little schnoodles at home. I went 3-2 last week... here's my super-sized fearless forecast for NFL Week 17:

1. STL at ATL: its the rams, its at home, and there's a playoff bye on the line, Falcons by 17
2. NE at BUF: tom brady jr. steps up again and wins in the snow, but not into the playoffs, Pats by 14
3. NYG at MIN: giants have nothing to play for, but they're still damn good and need some work recovering from injuries and Burress' absence, sorry Vikes, Giants by 6
4. CAR at NO: a win means a bye, but brees needs 400 yards for the single season record, and he'll come up short, so will the panthers, Saints by 6
5. OAK at TB: raiders overmatched in tampa, russell spends half the game on his back, Bucs by 17
   
6. CHI at HOU: the weather might.... matt schaub could... but kyle orton.... hmm. Bears by 14, take the division
7. JAX at BAL: the only thing the jags have left to prove is whether del rio should coach them next year, he probably wont, Ravens by 10
8. MIA at NYJ: poor favre. enjoy actual retirement. Dolphins by 14.
9. DAL at PHI: will mcnabb return? reid? nothing would be sweeter than to keep dallas out of the playoffs, romo should have won last week when he had the chance. Eagles by 8!
   
10. DEN at SD: san diego doing what they do late in the season: winning. broncos gave away this division weeks ago, sorry cutler. Chargers by 6.

How's this all shape the NFL playoff picture you might be asking yourself, reading this blog alone in your uncomfortable tent made of bed sheets and a wooden pole? Here's what we're left with:

AFC
Bye: (1) Titans, (2) Steelers
(3) Dolphins vs. (6) Ravens
(4) Chargers vs. (5) Colts

NFC
Bye: (1) Giants, (2) Falcons
(3) Bears vs. (6) Buccaneers
(4) Cardinals vs. (5) Panthers

NFC East eat your heart out. Read Full Article!

Playoff Bound!! #2 Seed Possible?

With a win over the Vikings yesterday, your beleaguered Atlanta Falcons are now playoff bound! At 10-5 the Falcons are only a game behind division-leading (and current #2 seed) Carolina Panthers after their loss to the Giants last night. In all likelihood the Miami Dolphins will be in the AFC playoffs, capping two remarkable turnaround seasons for two teams left dead in the water before the season started. Many major publications picked the Falcons to win 2 games or less this season. Its an unbelievable story and Dimitroff, Smith and the new front office deserve all the credit in the world for turning this franchise around in such a short time.

Added note, should the playoffs start today with the current seeding, Atlanta would visit Arizona for the Wild Card round. Arizona has been in a tailspin the last few games, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Atlanta go out west and show the Cardinals a thing or two.

Now then, who's doing the dirty bird??
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NFL Week 16 Fearless Forecast

It took us long enough, but the Dirty South team has finally pulled together to give their top five matchups of the week and choosing the winners. Let us know who's picks are the picks of fools, and come Tuesday we'll know who's really the best around the office. If we had an office. Moving on, check out the picks:

Jonesin's Picks:

1. ATL at MIN: an angry abraham throws tavaris around all game, Falcons by 6
2. CAR at NYG: a healthy jacobs ought to mean a win, but still Panthers by 3
3. BAL at DAL: flacco is no matt ryan, romo steps up, t.o. catches 2 passes, Cowboys by 10
4. ARI at NE: cards cant pass in the snow, pats need this win, Patriots by 13
5. SD at TB: tampa rush d has disappeared, big day for LT, Chargers by 9

Andy's Picks:

1. ATL at MIN: Matty Ice throws 10 passes of 20 yds or more and ends with 4 TDs, Falcons by 21
2. BAL at DAL: Ray Lewis and the Ravens defense put Romo on his back enough to scare him into bad decisions, Ravens by 13
3. PIT at TENN: Titans step it up and prove they are real contenders, taking care of the biggest threat in the AFC, Titans by 3
4. MIA at KC: Kansas City has been a different team lately but Miami is hungry for a playoff spot and possibly the AFC East title, Dolphins by 14
5. NO at DET: History will be made as the Lions drop to 0-15, but at least they clinch the first pick, Saints by 10

Jeremy's Picks:

1. BAL at DAL: Tony R. sucks a D., Ravens by 3
   
2. MIA at KC: Miami's back! win by 10
   
3. ATL at MIN: Ryan can't get it done this week, Vikings by 2
   
4. GB at CHI: How are the Packers doing? Oh yeah Terrible. Urlacher eats Aaron Rodger's first born., Bears by 14
   
5. CAR at NYG: Carolina is 3 - 3 on the road. NY is 6-1 at home. Giants by 14

Rudolph's Picks:

1. ATL at MIN: With increased coverage of white, Ryan and Norwood hook up. Coach Smith enters the game to pick a fight with a struggling Adrian Peterson - pokes him shamelessly in the eyes, Falcons by 10
   
2. PIT at TEN: Hines Ward catches a pass from Mewelde Moore for TD, Steelers by 7
   
3. CAR at NYG: Coach Smith enters the game to pick a fight with Steve Smith after scoring 2 TDs, shamelessly bitch slaps him, Giants by 3
   
4. ARI at NE: Outkast writes a new song about Randy Moss but includes Wes Welker, Pats by 10, both teams post 30+
   
5. NO at DET: Because no team is going to have a perfect losing record this year. However, Detroit will miss every point-after from the shock of feeling what scoring actually feels like. Lions by 3

Adam's Picks:

1. ATL at MIN: Ryan fumbles twice and throws a pick and the Vikings lead early, but the falcons will themselves to the win in the second half by stopping Petereson. Falcons by 2.
2. CAR at NYG: Eli learns how to throw again with help from the run game, giants by 9. Razlze and Dazzle, or whatever there names are, are held under 100 combined yards by the giant deffense. Home field advantage for the Giants, and Carolina will look vulnerable.
3. BAL at DAL: A low scoring affair, and I think Baltimore sneaks up on Dallas who thinks they are all of a sudden good after beating the giants. Baltimore by 3.
4. ARI at NE: New England doesn't lose this game, and Arizona has sucked this side of the Mississippi. New England by 11.
5. SD at TB: Tampa Bay keeps winning at home, and the Chargers are miserable. Tampa by 7.
6. PIT at TEN: Tennessee is stumbling into the playoffs and lets Pittsburgh steal it
   in the end. Pittsburgh by 4.

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Roddy and The Burner off to Hawaii

Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White and RB Michael Turner have been named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster as reserves. White is polishing off his second straight 1,000 yard season, the first Falcon to do so in ten years. In fact he has over 1,300 yards, good for second-best in the NFL. Turner, up over 1,400 yards, was the big free-agent acquisition and is paying off completely (his total is good for second in the NFL as well). These two are definitely deserving, and congratulations to both of them.

Now then. Where's John Abraham? Matt Ryan? Are you really going to tell me that Eli Manning is having a better season than Matty Ice?

Sure Manning quarterbacks the best team in the NFC, but the numbers don't add up:

Manning: 2938 yards, 20 td, 10 int, 60.3% comp, 86.4 Rating
Ryan: 3146 yards, 14 td, 9 int, 62.2% comp, 90.0 Rating

Besides touchdowns, Matty leads Manning in all categories. In fact, Eli is ninth in the NFC in quarterback rating, behind other snubs like Donovan McNabb, Aaron Rodgers, Jeff Garcia and the league leader, Tony Romo. (in fact the AFC leaderin QB Rating, Philip Rivers, was left out too...) Its all very sad. But all will be remedied when Matt Ryan walks away the Rookie of the Year and MVP hardware after the season.

Now then, look at the NFC defensive ends. John Abraham is third in the NFL in sacks with 15.5. That's 3.5 more than starter Justin Tuck (NYG). Tuck does blow Abraham's tackle totals out of the water, and even has an interception and touchdown to boot. But seriously, third in the NFL in sacks, and don't make the Pro Bowl. Its a shame, without Abraham our defense would be struggling week after week. But here we are, with 9 wins and actual snubs to complain about. That alone is good enough for me.

Falcons travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings this Sunday. The matchup pits the NFL's top two leading rushers in Adrian Peterson and The Burner himself.
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1st Amusement Rights

As always, the Dan Patrick show digs up another gem. See this die hard Cowboys fan making his point to ESPN's Ed Werder, the reporter who broke the story about behind-the-scenes friction with Terrell Owens and Tony Romo. It's worth checking out, but keep the volume down, because there's some obscenity.

Today's lesson: Don't like what some reporter is saying about your team? Tell them. Just make sure you stand on public property. Bahng!
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The Wild Wild NFC

After throwing two picks, losing a fumble and having a punt blocked, the Falcons somehow emerged victorious over a dominant Tampa Bay defense. With the win Atlanta improved to 1-1 against all three division opponents and helped continue the wacky trend of NFC South teams being undefeated at home against division opponents. Ridiculous. So now Atlanta and Tampa are deadlocked at 9-5 with two games to go. Carolina has clinched at least a share of the division title, and New Orleans appears all but out of the mix for a Wild Card spot. Meanwhile last night the Dallas Cowgirls toppled the New York Giants (now tied with Carolina at 11-3 for the #1 seed), improving their record to 9-5. A win tonight and Philadelphia would be 8-5-1. There's only two playoff spots available... who's gonna take 'em?

Let's take a look at the remaining schedules for the teams in question:

ATLANTA (9-5): at Min, vs Stl
TAMPA (9-5): vs SD, vs Oak
DALLAS (9-5): vs Bal, at PHI
PHILLY (7-5-1): vs. CLE, at WAS, vs DAL
CHICAGO (8-6): vs GB, at HOU

Tampa hosts two AFC West teams, which tends to be two automatic wins. They improve to 11-5, I think they're in easily. Atlanta goes to Minnesota to take on MVP-hopeful Adrian Peterson and the hot Vikings, a winnable game for Atlanta but will be close. They throttle the Rams at home, lets say 10-6. Dallas hosts a very good Baltimore team who's fighting for a playoff spot of their own before heading to Philadelphia for a huge game against McNabb's Eagles. Dallas could easily lose both games, but lets say they take care of Baltimore at home, end at 10-6. Philly takes care of business tonight against the Browns, beats up the fading Redskins and takes care of Dallas at home? Its possible, but they'd still be 10-5-1 and get left out. Chicago could easily lose both of their games, but I'd say they split the two (probably lose at Houston) and end up 9-7, they're out too.

We're left with Tampa at 11-5, Atlanta at 10-6 and Dallas at 10-6. They did not play head-to-head, would both have a conference record of 7-5, and so we'd go to step three of the tie-breaking procedure: "won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four." Dallas played (and beat) Tampa, who Atlanta played twice, going 1-1. Atlanta lost to Philly, who Dallas will have played twice, going 1-1. Both teams beat Green Bay, but Dallas lost to St. Louis.. Atlanta's Week 17 opponent. Assuming I did this right (and I probably didnt).. in games against common opponents, Atlanta will have gone 3-2. Dallas will have gone 3-2. Okay so next is strength of victory (combined winning percentage of teams beaten)! Which Dallas has the advantage on... stupid Lions and Chiefs.

Look. Win and we're in. Beat Minnesota, beat St. Louis and we are all but guaranteed a playoff spot. Dallas is good but not good enough to end the season beating the Giants, Ravens and Eagles in a row. Its December! The real Romo is bound to show up.. then all this tiebreaking math and goofiness wont matter at all... and we'll be doing the dirty bird like its 1999.
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Implication of Panthers Win on Monday Night Football

                      (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

What a game on Monday Night Football.  The Panthers really handed to the Bucs, but I guess that is to be expected with the way that NFC South teams have taken care of home this year...combined the teams have gone 24-2.  Now that Carolina has taken over the driver seat in the division, should the Falcons simply worry about nabbing the Wildcard spot?  Well with a match up against the Bucs this Sunday at the Dome, they will have the opportunity to make their chances much better.

The Falcons really put themselves in a tight spot with the loss in New Orleans this past Sunday...but all is not lost.  With only three games left in the regular season, the dirty birds are one game out of the wild card (Dallas has the same record but has a better in-conference record due to our loss at New Orleans).  Neither the Falcons nor the Cowboys have it easy the rest of the way, but the Falcons have the advantage of playing at home, then in a dome (where they seem to be better) at Minnesota, and wrap things up against the woeful St. Louis Rams.  

I sadly admit the Panthers will more than likely take the NFC South unless they hit a 3 game skid to end the season (I can only hope!).  That being said, I have faith in that the Falcons will take care of the Bucs this Sunday at the Georgia Dome, putting them in prime position to take 1 of the wild card spots.  

Sundays Prediction: Falcons 28-Bucs 24

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Falcons Have The Edge

So here we are, with four games left in the regular season the Atlanta Falcons are sitting in prime position for a playoff run. Now I know last week I made some lofty predictions for the Dirty Birds...and of course I hope that happens...but on a realistic note the Falcons have no reason not to snatch one of the Wildcard spots in the NFC. Currently, the Falcons have the 6th and final playoff (the other going to Carolina), but let's look at the week ahead. The Dallas Cowboys, who seem to be the biggest threat to the Falcons, have a tough road game at Pittsburgh...followed by games against the Giants, Ravens, and then at Philly. America's team truly could lose all four of those...but even losing just two of them would pretty much seal the deal for Atlanta if we take care of business.

Now Atlanta does not have to run the table to get in, but key wins against New Orleans and Tampa are a must (luckily Tampa comes to the Georgia Dome for the final meeting). This season has already been a monumental success...and with a win Sunday at the Superdome...the Falcons clinch a winning season...and many critics were predicting a winless season. I realize that San Diego has not exactly been a dominant team this year (and possibly still suffering from LT's foot injury), but holding Tomlinson to 24 yards on his home turf....simply amazing. If Atlanta can go into hostile territory and shut down the league's leading passer, Drew Brees, it will pretty much wipe away the memory of the collapse last year.

After Monday, we will all have a better picture of the playoffs as Carolina and Tampa will go head-to-head on Monday Night Football. If Carolina wins, and we take care of the Bucs when they come to Atlanta, I believe we will have a legitimate shot at taking the NFC South. Why you ask? ...well Carolina must go on to face the Giants, Broncos (which seem to surprise teams with their offense randomly), and at the Saints. It will be a tough road, and the Falcons will need a lot of help, but the division can still be theirs...

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NFL Suspends Six, But Not Big Grady

[SOURCES: ESPN] [AJC] [AJC]


It seems as if the departures of Michael Vick, Bobby Petrino and DeAngelo Hall actually took all of the bad luck away from the Falcons. The new coaching staff, the draft, the new quarterback, the winning season.. yep, seems the Falcons' demons were cast out in one fell swoop. So it should come as no surprise that although six NFL players were suspended yesterday for taking a banned substance (its a water pill, but still), the Falcons' Grady Jackson was not (yet). While league officials continue to look into his case, and Grady continues to appeal the automatic four-game suspension, he will remain on the field. But should the league overrule the appeal and suspend Grady after this week's game in New Orleans, the four games would bleed over into either the postseason (should we make it) or into next season.

On the flip side, three New Orleans Saints starters (Charles Grant, Will Smith, and Deuce McCallister) and two Minnesota Vikings players (stud d-linemen Kevin and Pat Williams) will miss the remaining four games of the regular season (as will Plaxico Burress, but thats for something else..). And as Falcons fans know, the Saints and Vikings are coming up on the schedule. So long bad luck, hello playoffs? Read Full Article!

Fire And Ice Bring Excitement To The Dome

This season was supposed to be a "rebuilding season" for the Falcons. We grabbed an untested (well to an extent) backup running back from San Diego, drafted a Quarterback for a starter, brought in a new coaching staff and management, and had a team that was still reeling from one of the most disastrous seasons in franchise history (which we do NOT need to revisit). For all intensive purposes, it would not have been a surprise to see the Atlanta Falcons in the same position as the Lions or Rams.

And then....the emergence of Matty "Ice" Ryan and Michael "The Burner" Turner. Not to say the rest of the team has not had an amazing year thus far, but these guys have been absolute studs in the NFL. I have been up North for the past few months so I have not had the good fortune of watching most of the games, but as I stared intently at my ESPN Gamecast screen yesterday....and watched the points pile up after Michael Turner brought in his FOURTH rushing touchdown of the afternoon (not to mention this was against the NFC South Leading Carolina Panthers)...I realized this team has got something special. These guys have a legitimate chance of pushing for the NFC South title and with the momentum on their side can have a nice run in the playoffs.

(Matt Ryan)

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

(Michael Turner)

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

(Harry Douglas)

(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

I would be morally remiss if I did not give props to our new wideout Harry Douglas for his performance in yesterday’s game as well...simply amazing. If Matt Ryan gets to hold on to Roddy White and Harry Douglas as his receiver tandems....I can foresee some very exciting seasons for the Falcons. Here are some stat highlights from the game against Carolina (from Espn):

Atlanta Passing
	C/ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	INT
M. Ryan	17/27	259	9.6	0	0

Atlanta Rushing
	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LG
M. Turner	24	117	4.9	4	19

Atlanta Receiving
	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LG
H. Douglas	4	92	23.0	0	69
R. White	4	70	17.5	0	30

Atlanta Punt Returns
	NO	YDS	AVG	LG
H. Douglas	3	93	31.0	61

Annnd here are the video highlights

With the final stretch of this season coming into view, the Falcons are in great position to make a run for the Playoffs. The remaining schedule is as follows:

11-30-08-at San Diego Chargers

12-07-08-at New Orleans Saints

12-14-08-Tampa Bay Buccaneers

12-21-08-at Minnesota Vikings

12-28-08-St. Louis Rams

Ok...crazy prediction time. I have made this playoff prediction based purely on my entertainment mind you.

• Atlanta will win the division at 11-5 (losing only at Minnesota for the rest of the season).
• Atlanta will be the 3 seed in the NFC behind the NY Giants and the Arizona Cardinals.
• Atlanta will win the wildcard round against the Washington Redskins.
• Atlanta will then go on to beat the Giants in the Divisional round.
• Atlanta will destroy the Cardinals in the NFC Championship
• Atlanta will beat Farve and the Jets on a last second field goal in the Superbowl (Don't forget where Farve started his career!)

My full playoff predictions as well as award predictions will be coming soon. I will give you a moment to take in that last prediction. Got a better scenario? AFC or NFC let us know.

More to come...

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