The staff of "Overreaction Monday" got a little sidetracked Monday by the Braves' announcement of a new general manager and Terry McGuirk's inability to explain why demoted former team president John Hart is still being paid by the franchise. But due to popular demand, or at least a handful of requests via social media, we bring you the first edition of, "Overreaction … Wednesday!"
(I know. Something about it doesn’t sound right. But go with it.)
Georgia (9-1 overall, 6-1 in the SEC)
What happened: As if you need reminding, the Bulldogs were slammed by Auburn 41-17. Georgia opened the game with a touchdown but allowed the next 30 points and then went "poof" in the college football rankings, falling from No. 1 to No. 7, behind Alabama, Clemson, Miami, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Auburn.
What's next: A week off. Or, as we like to call it in the SEC, "Kentucky week." But the Wildcats are a respectable 7-3 (4-3).
Overreaction narrative: "We've been exposed. We haven't beaten anybody. We're doomed, I tell you! Doomed!"
Reality check: It's not that bad. Yet. The primary scenario that existed before the Auburn game still exists today. If the Dogs defeat Kentucky and Georgia Tech – and they are decided favorites in both – and then beat/upset Alabama or Auburn to win the SEC championship, they will make the playoffs. The thought of a one-loss SEC champion not making the playoffs does not exist. Here's what has changed: The margin for error. Had Georgia beaten Auburn, Kentucky and Tech, a case could be made that it would be a playoff team even with a close loss to Alabama. That's not true any more. The Dogs must win out. The biggest surprise to me was not Georgia's inability to run the ball against Auburn, which has a really good defensive front – although not nearly as dominant as it looked – but the extent to which the Bulldogs' defensive front got manhandled. Auburn rushed for 237 yards, had 488 yards in total offense, allowed big-play touchdown passes of 42 and 55 yards and scored 40 points against a team that had been allowing 11.6 per game. The big question: What will that do to the team's psyche the next time it gets behind and/or a team starts driving the ball on them? Lorenzo Carter, the talented and talkative outside linebacker, was crushed emotionally after the game and could barely get a word out during interviews. Clearly this was a shock to him and others. The unknown is how how they will respond.
Credit: Kevin C. Cox
Credit: Kevin C. Cox
Falcons (5-4 overall, 4-1 in NFC, 0-1 in NFC South)
What happened: To borrow from Don King, the Falcons rose from the media pallet of death, whipping the Dallas Cowboys 27-7.
What's next: The Falcons travel to the Northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks (6-3), which have won four of their last five.
Overreaction narrative: "We beat Dallas without Ezekiel Elliott, Sean Lee and Tyron Smith. Big wow. I want to see more."
Reality check: Fair enough. The Cowboys were wounded Sunday. But the Falcons lost running back Devonta Freeman to his second concussion in four months – it's highly unlikely he'll play this week – and had lost four of its previous five games. If the ninth game of a 16-game season could ever be considered must-win, this was it. But was it an aberration? The Seattle game will tell us something. Traveling 2,600 miles to play in Seattle on a Monday night isn't easy. But there are two positive signs. The defense has improved over the last three weeks. The Falcons are starting to find their pass rush -- they had eight sacks against Dallas, including six by Adrian Clayborn – and tackling and coverage starting also has improved. Also, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian utilized some of the speed available to him better than he had most of the season. Taylor Gabriel had three catches for 58 yards and a 15-yard rush on a jet sweep. With Freeman out, Tevin Coleman had a season-high 20 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown. So maybe it's a sign Sark is starting to figure out what he's got. The Seahawks have a tough defense but they're wounded. Richard Sherman suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. Strong safety Kam Chancellor was carted off last week after suffering a stinger and his status is uncertain. Free safety Earl Thomas is expected back after missing two games with a hamstring injury. That's three-quarters of the starting secondary that will either be out or possibly slowed. The Falcons need to take advantage of that. If they win consecutive games over Dallas and Seattle after a stretch of 1-4, they'll be in decent shape at 6-4, coming back home to play Tampa Bay (3-6).
Credit: David Goldman
Credit: David Goldman
Georgia Tech (5-4 overall, 4-3 in the ACC)
What happened: The Yellow Jackets rebounded from a bad loss at Virginia and three losses in four games with a 28-22 upset of Virginia Tech.
What's next: Tech seeks to become bowl eligible at Duke. (Note: Because Tech had its game against Central Florida canceled, it could seek a waiver to play in a bowl game if it loses the next two games and finishes 5-6 but it's not known if they would do so.)
Overreaction narrative: "It could've been a really good season."
Reality check: Tech quarterback threw a pick six with 7:27 left in the last game to give the Hokies a 22-21 lead. Just 57 seconds later, he threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Jeune to give his team the lead and send it to an upset victory, the Jackets' first win over a ranked team this season. So there's a microcosm of the season -- at least in the split personality nature of it. The only two defeats in a 4-2 start were one-point losses to Tennessee (which hadn't fallen apart yet in the season opener) and then-No. 11 Miami. But losing at Virginia after a defeat to Clemson put bowl eligibility in jeopardy. The Jackets' defense, which had collapsed too often this season, held Virginia Tech to 258 yards in total offense and two touchdowns. A win over Duke would leave Tech 5-3 in the ACC this season, but they weren't far from finishing 7-1.
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