There was an unusual feeling throughout the Georgia Dome on Sunday. The was an unusual result on the scoreboard as well.
Falcons fans cringed with every hit Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan endured and agonized whenever another player got up slowly during a game that meant nothing to the playoff picture.
A crowd of 69,000-plus cheered for its team to win, but to do so without getting anyone hurt. The home fans wound up with neither. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed Atlanta its first home loss of the season, 22-17, in a game that saw several key Falcons go down with injuries.
A crowd let out a collective gasp when defensive end John Abraham collapased with ankle injury in the fourth quarter. The place buzzed when starting corners Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel were also knocked out of the game. Samuel was the only one to return.
Overall, the crowd was noticeably quieter than it has been this season. But Falcons players weren’t worried and remain more than happy about being at home for the playoffs.
“The Georgia Dome is funny that way. Obviously, they weren’t too into it today. It wasn’t as loud as it usually is,” said Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez. “But I do know this: When we played the Giants, that Dome was rocking. When we play our playoff game, it will be rocking.
“I know it will be. They’re starving for the same thing that we’re starving for.”
Even with the loss, the Falcons, top seeds in the NFC, head into the playoffs knowing they’ve played well at home. Sunday’s setback was only Ryan’s fifth loss of his career in the Dome. Coach Mike Smith enters the postseason at 33-7 at home during his five-year tenure.
“Our fans have been awesome,” said Ryan. “In the five years I’ve been here, it feels like every season they just get better and better. I think they’re passionate about the team.
“We’ve played well at home, which give them something to cheer about, but it’s also a place we feel comfortable in. It gives us an advantage.”
But will it matter in the playoffs? That’s really what Sunday’s crowd was most concerned about.
Across the NFL, home teams are 28-22 in the playoffs since 2008. Home teams in the divisional round of the playoffs have won 57 percent of the time since the NFL expanded to its current format. Since the AFL merger, home teams inside domes are 33-17 in the playoffs.
The Falcons will host a divisional round game in two weeks, with their opponent to be decided during next weekend’s wild card round. It’s the same situation the team faced two years ago, when eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay rolled into town and smoked the Falcons 48-21.
“We are extremely tough to beat at home,” Gonzalez said. “I know the Dome will be rocking in our first playoff game. We just have to make sure we match and exceed our opponent’s intensity like we have all season. That has gotten us to this point to be a No. 1 seed.”
