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Friday, December 19, 2008
Playoffs start now for Falcons
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before we get started, we should pay a silent tribute to the great Slingin’ Sammy Baugh who passed away this week. If you’re a real fan of the game, you have to know your history. For you trivia buffs, Baugh, Y.A. Tittle, Otto Graham and former Falcons coach Norm Van Brocklin are in any discussion about the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
The NFL didn’t start with Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, James Harris and Roger Staubach you know.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame site is a good place to check out the game’s all-time greats.http://www.profootballhof.com/
Also, our good friend Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune sent a note to the NFL writers group to point out that the classy Mike Holmgren has asked the fans to stay after the game. He wants to talk a lap around the stadium to thank the fans in his final home. I covered Coach Holmgren for most of his tenure in Green Bay. He made football pertinent again in Green Bay and the Pacific Northwest with three Super Bowl trips and one victory. Super guy and he was always fair to the media. Paranoid at times, but fair.
Now on to your Birds!
The playoffs start in Minnesota for the Falcons. That’s how they are approaching it. Forget about all of the scenarios. They don’t matter unless they win in Minnesota on Sunday.
The second most remarkable thing about this season - can’t top the rookie quarterback’s play — is that rookie head coach Mike Smith and his staff have had the team ready to play in every game. They haven’t had one clunker of a game. There have been mistakes, like a couple of block punts, a bad half at Tampa Bay, or the late TD drive to Denver. But they haven’t just stunk up the field for an entire game. So you have to think they will be ready for the Vikings.
The offensive line is the key to game. Minnesota’s defense, even without defensive tackle Pat Williams, will be the best unit on the field. They’ll have three Pro Bowlers — Kevin Williams, Jared Allen and Antoine Winfield — and a potential Hall of Famer in safety Darren Sharper on the field. The Falcons must spring Michael Turner loose on some runs to burn the clock. Also scoring TOUCHDOWNS in the redzone will be key.
Remember with the major colleges getting ready for their Bowl games, we have Saturday NFL games this week!
Here’s your NFC rooting guide: Dallas plays Baltimore on Saturday and Tampa Bay faces San Diego at 1 p.m. Sunday. Falcon fans are rooting for the AFC teams, Baltimore and San Diego.
The Falcons will hit the field knowing the outcomes of those two key games. The Philadelphia at Washington game is at the same time 4:15 p.m., while Carolina plays the New York Giants in the Sunday night game. Washington and the Giants are the teams the Falcons fans are rooting for to win.
How do you see the Falcons game against Minnesota? How many sacks will John Abraham have? How are the Falcons going to stop running back Adrian Peterson? Will the Falcons be able to open up enough room for Michael “The Burner” Turner?
Should be a great weekend. We’ll have some playoff clarity soon.
(Let’s stick to football! Everybody has been doing great!!! Even you VS2! Keep it going.)
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