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Sunday, September 17, 2006
Falcons pulling away from the past
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Four decades of misery tend to make one gun-shy. Four decades tend to make you look at a 2-0 start and think, “OK. But did anybody buy the extended warranty because I think I just heard a loud bang coming from the transmission.”
But how do you minimize this?
The Falcons have opened the season with two wins over teams that had made a habit of holding them upside down off rooftops. In two games, they have yet to allow a touchdown. In two games, they have rushed for 558 yards.
This wasn’t Oklahoma pounding the Stillwater School of Art and Design to warm up for the Nebraska game. This was an NFL team, with fragile tendencies, running over Tampa Bay, a week after running over Carolina, a season after being run over by both.
“Statement,” Warrick Dunn said Sunday. “You always want to make a statement about who you are. To have people talk about the way we were last year as a football team, the way we didn’t finish. People will know now that we’re a pretty good football team.”
We know the past. We know about the collapse that followed 6-2 last season, and the absence of consecutive winning seasons, and all the rest.
But last week, the Falcons battered Carolina, which had won last season’s two meetings 68-17, give or take a major organ. On Sunday, they dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose season highlight video was often crammed with two NFC South games against the Falcons.
Tampa Bay, which had won nine of the previous 11 meetings, was smacked Sunday. The Falcons outrushed the Bucs 306-40. The scoreboard didn’t scream rout (14-3), but everything else screamed uncle.
Dunn says the Falcons are pretty good. It’s only two games, but they may be more than that. They tried every conceivable way to let the Bucs back in the game, but they didn’t fold.
We know the past. In the past, they lose this game.
They won despite the fact their grand one-foot-does-all experiment blew up in their face. Michael Koenen was booed. How often does a kicker get booed running onto the field for a field goal attempt — and during an apparent win? Koenen was so bad that you half-expected holder Matt Schaub to channel Lucy and pull the ball away. Three field goal attempts drifted wide and another was blocked. He is now 2-for-8 on the season. The good news: He punted twice and didn’t miss the ball either time.
We know the past. But the Falcons won despite botching five would-be scoring drives — the four missed field goals and a fumble by wide receiver Roddy White after being separated from the ball and consciousness at the Tampa Bay 21. They also dropped two interceptions begging to be returned for touchdowns. At least two other Chris Simms passes were nearly picked off. The defense had to settle for only three interceptions.
There have been times in the past when the Falcons sulked after losing players to injures. Resolve often has been a four-letter word. But on Sunday they rattled Simms early and batted down passes, despite missing their best pass rusher, John Abraham, and playing a relatively one-armed Patrick Kerney.
“It’s always good when you can get your hands in a guy’s face and you constantly have people at his feet,” linebacker Michael Boley said. “He gets kind of timid. When a quarterback gets tired of getting knocked around, they’re looking to get rid of the ball faster.”
We know the past. Everybody knows the past. It’s why so many looked at the Falcons’ talent but thought: third place, no playoffs.
“It fuels guys, yeah,” linebacker Keith Brooking said. “You turn on the TV and all you hear about is Carolina and Tampa. It lights a fire under you, no doubt about it.”
They’re 2-0 and saying all the right things. Brooking was upset the result wasn’t more lopsided (“When we have opportunities, we need to freaking go for the jugular”). DeAngelo Hall was upset he didn’t return an interception for a touchdown.
“It’s that constant quest for perfection,” coach Jim Mora said. “You never arrive.”
No. But they are two steps away from the past.
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