The Falcons are in the early stages of confronting the reality that they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs before Thanksgiving.
At 2-9, the Falcons are the only team mathematically eliminated going into Week 13. It’s a major adjustment after reaching the NFC Championship game last season and making the playoffs in four the past five seasons.
“Just this season as a whole is kind of uncharted territory,” safety Thomas DeCoud said Wednesday. “It’s just one of those things where we were just trying to figure out what was going on. Now, we just have to finish strong.”
The Falcons will try to carry on against the Buffalo Bills (4-7) at 4:05 p.m. Sunday at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
“It’s been a tough road for us this season, now we have five opportunities left to show what we can do,” DeCoud said.
The Falcons last played Nov. 21 and hope to be fresher for the Bills.
“We just have to go out and keep fighting,” DeCoud said. “If you’re not a prideful person, this is wrong sport for you.”
The Falcons have been hit by roster turnover, injuries and poor play this season.
“It’s been disappointing, certainly our expectations within this locker room are above and beyond what everybody else sets for them,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “To fall short of that, it’s not fun. It’s definitely not fun.”
Ryan hopes the team can finish strong.
“It’s about playing for pride,” Ryan said. “It’s about competing, which I know the guys in this locker room like to do, and it’s about winning. We have five more opportunities to do that.”
Goodman back: Defensive end Malliciah Goodman returned to practice Wednesday.
He missed the past two games with a badly strained calf muscle. “Nobody wants to sit inside with an injury,” Goodman said.
Goodman, linebacker Akeem Dent (ankle), tight end Tony Gonzalez (toe), safety Zeke Motta (hand), cornerback Desmond Trufant (thigh) and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (shoulder) were all limited in practice.
Dome sweet Dome: The Falcons heard that Buffalo was expecting a major snowstorm and were glad the game is being played indoors in Toronto.
“They are supposed to get hammered with snow,” Ryan said. “It’s exciting to be doing something outside of the country. I think I will enjoy that.”
West Coast flavor: The Falcons ran more quick-hitting slant patterns against the Saints, but they are not moving to a full-blown West Coast offense.
“I think we are within our scheme,” Ryan said. “We just hit Darius (Johnson) on a couple of them last week. I don’t think any more than usual. It was just the way it shook out last week.”
Etc.: Offensive tackle Terren Jones, who has lost 40 pounds, was lightly recruited out of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. It came down to East Carolina and Alabama State. "East Carolina wanted to 'gray-shirt' me, so I didn't want to go," Jones said. … Rookie Trufant leads the team in passes defensed with 10, according to the coaches' film-review stats. … Wide receiver Dominique Croom was signed to the practice squad.
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