ajcsportstalk

By D. Bell

December 25, 2008 8:22 PM | Link to this

When Matt Ryan threw his first pass/touchdown pass. No joke.

By L.J.

December 25, 2008 8:35 PM | Link to this

The Green Bay game is when I started to believe; the Chicago game is when I knew.

By Vick Supporter

December 25, 2008 8:37 PM | Link to this

I have to admit, Ryan has been fun to watch, but he’s no Vick though. Good job by the Falcons.

By Vick Supporter

December 25, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this

He’s no Vick on the field I mean

By Pete

December 25, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this

The opening game against Detroit. Didn’t know what to expect. When Ryan threw his first career pass for a 62 yd. TD and Turner and Ryan had a field day all game long, I knew we were watching something very special. It was the first time I ever lost my voice for two days.

By Pete

December 25, 2008 9:07 PM | Link to this

I agree, Ryan is no Vick. Thank God !! Ryan is a true, gifted, intelligent All-Pro NFL quarterback. Vick was nothing but a circus act. Today, with Ryan, the Falcons are a legitimate top level respected NFL team End of story.

By darrell starks

December 25, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this

WHAT VICK SUPPORTER I BE DAM MERRY CHRISTMAS. GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Gustav

December 25, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this

I was bold enough to say 10-6, at least 8-8 after seeing them play so well in the pre-season, which everyone seems to ignore, except for the hardcore of us wanting to get over Petrino/Hall/Vick,etc.

By Dixie Dawg

December 25, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this

I had an idea in the Green Bay game, then I was convinced after the Chicago game.

By 4th and goal

December 25, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this

The game where all the players from the Bears were so exited, jumping up and down thinking about their post game interviews and what not. Only to be hyped up for a let down! That’s when it happened.

By who needs vick

December 25, 2008 9:37 PM | Link to this

i believed all season, but i was definite when we killed carolina @ home 45-28 FALCONS ALL DA WAY TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST BELIEVE DAT

By Downtown Dweller

December 25, 2008 9:54 PM | Link to this

Thank God Ryan is not Vick. He’s better than Vick in almost every way except the scrambling ability, which Ryan still has just not to the extent Vick had. The best thing I can say for Vick now is that his total lack of regard for the game, franchise, and fans is what allowed my favorite NFL team to finally emerge as a true contender.

To answer the question, I had my first glimpse of hope when Ryan threw that famous first TD pass, but as a longtime Falcons fan who is used to disappointment I never let myself believe until we actually made the playoffs.

By mv7mvp2

December 25, 2008 10:40 PM | Link to this

the day they put vick in jail!!!

By dorrel

December 25, 2008 11:06 PM | Link to this

Damn, forget about Vick already. He’s old, believe me man, I hated him for doing what he did to our beloved Falcons. However, I must forgive (and I do) if we want to stand in front of our lord and ask for forgiveness some day, then we shouldn’t be hippocrites, we must forgive Mr.Vick. having said that, we have a core of true “football” players, let’s support our team. We are known as the worst sports fans in the country, let’s do our part! 12th man-dammit and let the dirty birds do theirs! God bless our Atlanta Falcons! WHO’S WITH ME!!!!!

By Jack in GA

December 25, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this

I believed after the first pass of Ryan’s first game for 62 yards. The first thing I thought was Vick never did that in all the years he was here. Then after the second game I thought maybe it was a fluke. Then after Chicago I was really believing. I think we have potentially the greatest ever QB. He has had the best rookie season ever and the sky is the limit!! Exciting for our future as Falcons fans!

By Haleyscomet

December 25, 2008 11:42 PM | Link to this

I think the Greenbay game was the beginning but that Chicago game really got everyones attention. Then when we beat Oakland the way we did that’s when I believed that this them was playoff bound. Every game after that that playoff fealing got stronger and stronger. I’m excited as much about this team as anyone else but I’ll be the first to say I did not think they would even be a .500 team. Thanks to the Falcons for a awsome season thus far but it’s not over yet. We still have plenty to play for and if this team gets hot going into the playoffs, all I can say is lookout.

By hugo

December 26, 2008 6:22 AM | Link to this

I guess after the Chicago game. I’m a die hard Falcon fan so I had always hoped we could have this kind of season. But my ultimate surprise was Mike Smith? Who? Man I love this guy and Thomas gets my vote as Executive of the DECADE. Go Birds all the way to the Superbowl.

By hugo

December 26, 2008 6:28 AM | Link to this

And where are the people who said at best we would be 4-12? Will they dare show their face now? I wish I could get paid good money to tell lies like that and get away with it.

By Darrell

December 26, 2008 6:57 AM | Link to this

When they got rid of all the “me first” players!!!

By DHJ_1962

December 26, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this

i thought 4-12, i looked at the schedule. even after the detriot game, 4-12 was looking good. i bet a pepsi tho, that the falcs would be 9-7. big bet huh??? i’m like 95% of true atl fans, Green Bay win, was like, whoa, maybe, just maybe, then the bears game, wow, 11 seconds left, i knew the falcs had a chance, because of the bears “prevent” defense. by the way, i hate that defense, what does it ever prevent? i know it usually always backfired on the falcs when they use it, but not now. Hugo, i was a 4-12 guy, but i would still be watching every game reguardless. even if they sucked.

By MacArthur

December 26, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this

I started to believe when they got rid of Vick and the various laughably immature, self-centered, “hey look at me!”, thug-wannbe “playas” and instead focused on developing mature, hard-nosed football talent. THAT’s when this became a “real” football team.

By rdhood

December 26, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this

When Matt Ryan stepped out of the pocket and started throwing improbable passes on the run…..

When Michael Turner kept spin breaking through for first downs….

The first couple of games I thought “fluke”. After about 5 games, I knew it was real.

By Brian Hunt

December 26, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

I was convinced that they were playoff calibre when they played well at Philadelphia, and had a chance to win.

By 1911A1

December 26, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this

When I heard Thomas Dimitroff’s first radio interview. I knew he was going to build an honest-to-goodness, old-school NFL football team…and he did.

By ShawnB

December 26, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this

I started believing in Ryan the second half of the Tampa Bay game (week 2). I was disappointed it was a loss, but Ryan showed a ton of maturity the way he played in the second half after starting the game out as bad as it could start.

I started believing in the team in the Green Bay game. They had shown some good qualities before, but they put it together in that game in a tough enviroment.

By falcondawg

December 26, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this

Like some of the previous responders, I believed after the preseason ended. As a Falcon fan from their beginning, I saw a team in preseason that seemed to play with more of a purpose than I had previously seen. They played with energy and enthusiasm. I said then that they would have a winning season, but I had no idea they would be this good. How totally refreshing!!

By matt ryan first ballot

December 26, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this

Everyone is looking back on the season to the first games we won. However, PLAYOFF teams succeed late in the season with mistakes and injuries. That means the San Diego game away. We had turnovers and still handily beat them even though the score might represent a different story. I might have thought Philly away too. Such an important game with alot of history could have been won. If the Ref doesnt blow that muffed punt call, we might have witnessed an artist performing a game winning drive. We’ll never know….Go Falcons, Go Brees, and Go AWAY Vick supporters. Unless your paying the mortgage on his halfway house, stop worrying about him….he’ll be fine.

By andrew

December 27, 2008 1:30 AM | Link to this

h

By reginald whatley

January 5, 2009 10:10 PM | Link to this

in the first game they showed that they had become a team not because it was the lions but one person got to go and that is brooking why would you jump up when the tightend goes right pass your left arm then you realize the you got him you just cant do that on a 3& 16 that would have gave your team the chance to get the game wining touchdown and you move on now the wr need to work on hand skills more o line work hard get faster with other d line geting faster by the draft not with vet it’s nothing wrong with them but lets mix it up and get back and go to the superbowl we got the peaces lets use them more like number 32 more with 33 in the game at the same time make other team work harder than focusing on 33 we got them lets work other teams harder i know we can do it make the right calls we got the players to give team a headace

By Bill Kitterman

February 17, 2009 2:20 PM | Link to this