Falcons will try to dodge the bye-week bullet

By D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons coach Mike Smith has done his homework on the NFL's bye-week phenomenon.

Against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, the Falcons will play the first of four games this season against teams coming off of their bye week.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, teams coming off bye weeks in the past three seasons won nearly 60 percent of the time (57-38-1, .599).

The stat held true last week. The Falcons, coming off their bye week, blasted the San Francisco 49ers 45-10.

"I think there is a lot made of the bye weeks," Smith said.  "Statistically, from 2000 until this season, the team that is coming off the bye has won only 56 percent of the time."

That's not enough to convince Smith that the rested team has the upper hand.

"I don't know how much stock you can put into it, if a team coming off the bye week has an advantage," Smith said. "It's really going to be about preparation and who prepares the best."

The Falcons will get to test the theory often. After Chicago, they face Dallas, which is off this week. Later in the season, Washington and the New York Giants will be coming off bye weeks when facing the Falcons.

"It helps them to prepare,"  running back Michael Turner said. "Any time you get some extra time off you try to gain an advantage. You have a lot of tape to look at and break it down."

During his rookie season quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons had their bye week after the sixth game.

"Teams do a great job in the NFL getting ready to go coming off a bye week," Ryan said. "We know that Chicago is going to come in here ready and refreshed."

One way to counter that bye-week rest is to get off to a strong start.

"Quick starts are remedies for both teams," Smith said. "When we've had success and are playing well, we usually start fast."

The Falcons did score on their second and third drives last week against San Francisco.

Last season, they scored eight times on opening drives and were 8-0 in those games.

The Falcons have scored on the opening drive in one game this season, a 26-yard field goal against New England. They  lost that game 26-10.

"We know that through the first quarter of the season it wasn't quite like we wanted it to be," Smith said. "Again, that's something that we are stressing all of the time, is for us to start fast."

Tight end Tony Gonzalez, who's in his 13th season, believes teams coming off the bye week do have an advantage.

"It gives them a little bit of an advantage from health standpoint, getting guys fresh," Gonzalez said. "But at the same time, it's still football. Once the lights go on, you have go out there and bring it. That's when excuses have to disappear."

There's a theory that teams coming of byes, while they may be rested, the also could be rusty and out of sync.

"We're going to prepare like they are bringing their best shot," Gonzalez said. "We had some pretty good success that last game, so you know they are going to be ready for us. They don't want what happened to San Francisco to happen to them, too."