Don’t try to make sense of it. The Falcons are 6-9, a record that often leads people to lose jobs, but they’re also in position to clinch a division title, which leads them to get raises. This is not an intersection we often see in the NFL, or even in some alternate universe.
But let it go. Don’t ask why because why doesn’t matter and if the Falcons somehow pull this off, they’ll have the same record as every other playoff team.
“Zero and zero,” Julio Jones said.
This is all the matters: Other than the first 20 seconds Sunday’s game against New Orleans, when the Falcons allowed a 99-yard kickoff return followed by a gimme touchdown, they looked good. Really good. Like, “Where has this been for most of the season” good.
The NFL’s 32nd ranked defense held New Orleans without a legitimate scoring drive until the fourth quarter, terrorized quarterback Drew Brees with constant pressure and a season-high five sacks – that clinches it: we’re definitely in another dimension – forced four turnovers and drop-kicked the Saints into the relative offseason with a 30-14 win.
That just happened.
“Just what I expected,” wide receiver Roddy White said, even if the smile on his face actually screamed, “Not really.”
The Falcons officially eliminated the Saints from the postseason. (White: “Sweet.”). They swept a season series from their biggest rival for the first time since 2005. They’re 5-0 in the division, so it’s probably is a good omen that they will end the 2014 regular season with another divisional opponent, Carolina. The Panthers (6-8-1) hold a half-game lead but next week’s game effectively is winner take all.
The Falcons are not dead. Again.
Funny. Looking ahead to Sunday’s meetings, New Orleans cornerback Keenan Lewis said, “We’re definitely gonna give them a funeral,” which seemed like kind of big talk from a team that wasn’t doing much better than the Falcons.
One thing about Roddy White: He loves to pounce in situations like this.
“I’m not going to talk about him because he didn’t even finish the game (because of an injury),” White said, of course talking about Lewis. “If you’re going to talk about funerals and bringing flowers and doing all that stuff, you’ve got to finish the game.”
Pause.
Continue.
“Today at … what time is it, 4:30? We just woke up out of the grave.
They did more than wake up. They played hard for four quarters, as they’ve actually done all season. The Falcons haven’t played well or coached well in many games this season but the effort hasn’t been in question, which wasn’t always the case during last year’s 4-12 slide into the abyss.
The Saints punched them early with Jalen Sanders’ kickoff return. Coach Mike Smith’s reaction? “Oh, my goodness.’ That’s exactly what was going through my mind.”
I’m guessing it wasn’t those exact words.
But the Falcons’ defense was great. It created pressure from different angles (five sacks from five players), made Brees look pedestrian, held the Saints to 78 yards in offense in the first half and shut them out in the next six possessions (four punts, one fumble, one interception).
Julio Jones, the bionic man, not only played despite a hip injury/oblique strain (depending on whom you believe), he led the way with seven receptions for 107 yards. “I can’t put a percent on my health, but I’m not 100 percent,” said Jones, who didn’t know if he would play until after pregame warm-ups.
Jones’ biggest catch was probably a 24-yarder on third-and-10 at the Saints’ three-yard-line with just eight seconds left in the first half. That set up a nifty three-yard shovel pass for a touchdown to give the Falcons their first lead.
When rookie Devonta Freeman made Saints cornerback Terrence Frederick look silly with a cut and broke open for a 31-yard touchdown run, the Falcons left comfortably 20-7.
The Saints tried to rally but were crushed by one too many mistakes. Brees appeared to throw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham, but officials ruled Falcons safety Kemal Ishmael stripped the ball away just before Graham crossed the plane of the goal line. Replays made a case that Graham scored but officials say it was inconclusive and stuck with the on-field call.
Saints coach Sean Payton: “Did I think it was a score? Yes.”
Ishmael: “It was 50-50. I think the refs made a good call on that one.”
The Saints eventually did score again but by then only 5:48 remained in the game, and their next two possessions resulted in turnovers: an interception by Robert McClain (setting up a field goal) and an 86-yard fumble return by Osi Umenyiora (yes, he also lives) after Kroy Biermann sacked Brees and jarred the ball loose.
Umenyiora’s touchdown was the last play of the game, nailed shut the Saints’ playoff hopes and handed them their fifth straight home loss (a first since 1980).
The Falcons? Forget the ledger — they’re just fine.
“There are so many people out there who doubt you when you’re 5-8 or whatever,” Jones said. “But we control what we do and we’ll just keep fighting. People are going to jump on the bandwagon, and that’s OK.”
It didn’t figure there would be a late-season rush to the bandwagon. But logic went out the window a while ago.
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