Looking ahead
The Falcons (2-6) face the Seahawks (8-1) Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
Seattle defeated Tampa Bay 27-24 in overtime Sunday night after trailing 21-7 at halftime. The Seahawks have won four in a row since suffering their only loss, a 34-28 defeat at Indianapolis.
The Falcons and Seahawks last played in the 2012 playoffs.
There are three subplots:
Dogging it: Injuries and inconsistency have sunk a Falcons season that began with Super Bowl aspirations. Now the Falcons face their toughest opponent of the season, as reflected by their status as six-point underdogs at home. Another bad effort could mean an ugly loss at the Dome.
Wrangling Russell: Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had two interceptions among 26 pass attempts against the Buccaneers after he threw just four picks in 205 attempts in his other eight games this season. The Falcons have just eight takeaways in eight games but could pull an upset by getting a few Sunday.
Running on empty: Atlanta's running game showed signs if life against the Panthers, but it still wasn't good enough to take pressure off quarterback Matt Ryan. Since Steven Jackson's 50-yard run in the first game, the Falcons haven't had a rush longer than 19 yards.
Sound bites
“At 2-6, they’re done—too many injuries to overcome.”
Rodney Harrison on NBC’s “Football Night in America.”
“(Falcons coach) Mike Smith … you come in off a 13-3 season, you have the best record in the NFL and high expectations. Tony Gonzalez comes back because of those expectations. Now sitting here in a deep hole, 2-6. (For) Mike Smith, this is not (a time to) stand in front of your team and give a speech: ‘We’ll be OK.’ You’ve got to work almost on a daily basis, ‘We’ve got to push forward and be a professional.’ There is something to be gained from fighting … every minute of every day until the end of the season.”
Fox NFL color commentator Brian Billick.
“Mike Smith doesn’t have to worry about (being fired) with what he’s done in Atlanta. That’s not going to happen to Mike Smith with that organization and the turnaround they’ve done. But make no mistake, it’s going to be an uphill battle the rest of the way.”
Billick, who was fired as Baltimore’s coach in 2007, one season after a 13-3 finish
By the numbers
11
Falcons’ NFL rank in yards per pass after Sunday’s games
28
Falcons’ NFL rank in yards per rush
6
Falcons’ NFL rank in passing yards per game
32
Falcons’ NFL rank in rushing yards per game
Twitterati
Freddie Falcon
Falcons mascot
@FreddieFalcon:
“Had a good time at the #ood suicide prevention walk today. I may need to go back if our season continues the way it is.”
“I am truly sorry for my inappropriate and insensitive tweet. It was in poor taste.”
Todd McClure
Retired Falcons player
@ToddMcclure62
“Smitty looked like his head was gonna pop off.”
Stansly Maponga
Falcons defensive end
@BeAst_MoDe90
“God has a plan. We will #riseup and we will continue to work hard. #Blessed #FalconPride”
Sean Weatherspoon
Falcons linebacker (currently on injured reserve)
@SeanWSpoon56
Won’t be long before I can #riseup with @Falcons fans and show #ourcolors?!
Quotable
“Injuries are all across the league. There are teams with more guys on (injured reserve) than others and they have been successful. That’s why, from the very beginning, I’ve said you can’t use injuries as excuses. You can slant it the way you want it — the number of injuries, the positions, who (is injured). This is a production business. The bottom line is winning.”
Falcons coach Mike Smith
Falcons notes
Health scares: Falcons coach Mike Smith expressed support for Texans coach Gary Kubiak and Broncos coach John Fox, each of whom had medical scares over the weekend. Kubiak collapsed as he was walking off the field at halftime of a game Sunday night, and Fox had heart surgery to repair an aortic valve.
In 2011, Smith had to stay in Charlotte for treatment after he had a medical incident. Smith said the episode prompted him to to make “a number of changes” in lifestyle that included his sleep habits and exercise regiment.
“It is a stressful job, but I try to take it one step at a time, work through the day and do as much as (I) can,” Smith said. “Try to spend a little bit of time with your family and then move on to the next day.”
Silver linings: Smith said there was a "pretty long list" of deficiencies for his team against the Panthers, topped by quarterback Matt Ryan's four interceptions and some untimely penalties among the total of seven for 59 yards. But he cited the offensive line's pass protection and improved efficiency in the running game as positives.
The Falcons averaged 3.9 yards on 20 rushes, their best mark since they also gained 3.9 yards per carry against New England in Week 4.
The Panthers sacked Ryan once and hit him three times, according to the official statistics. Pro Football Focus credited the Panthers with eight hurries on 29 Ryan drop backs.
Up next
The Seattle Seahawks (8-1) 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
“Seattle has got a very good defense,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “They have two good defensive backs … tied for the league lead in interceptions with four, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman. They have some guys that can rush the passer up front. It will be a challenge for our offensive line.”
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