12/21/24
January 15, 2005
Falcons Run Over Rams, 47-17: Atlanta's Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick ran for 261 yards over the St. Louis Rams, giving an NFL coach named Jim Mora a playoff win for the first time ever. "My dad is worried sick," the younger Jim said, referring to the winningest NFL coach to lay an egg, every time his teams reached the playoffs.
So...will people finally start talking about the Falcons? I mean, other than the fact that they're in the playoffs. They looked like the real deal out there tonight. Dunn just made it look too easy at times.
posted by NoMich at 11:36 PM on January 15, 2005
So much for the Rams at least covering the "point spread"!
posted by daddisamm at 12:40 AM on January 16, 2005
The Rams looked atrocious (I'd recommend an off-season worth of tackling practice for their defense and special teams). Atlanta was good, but I'd expect a much better level of play from Minn/Philly and NE/Indy/Pitt.
posted by kokaku at 07:48 AM on January 16, 2005
The Falcons looked good, but i'm afraid they are still pretty much a one-man team. If Vick was out, they not only would lose his productivity, but the psychological effects would lower the entire team's on-the-field productivity a lot -- offense and defense.
posted by roberts at 11:10 AM on January 16, 2005
When is everyone going to realize that it's not just Vick. Think D-V-D (Duckett and Dunn looked pretty good last night too), and that other D (the defense that shut down the run game). I expect neither Philly on Minnesota will be overlooking the Falcons next week.
posted by trox at 12:19 PM on January 16, 2005
Two disappointing playoff losses in the last two years. The defense didn't even show up last night (although they weren't incredible throughout the year, to be honest). This is team has never recovered the swagger it had going into the Super Bowl three years ago. I wonder if maybe it's time to blow up the Rams and start over. The team's lifespan seems to have ended.
posted by Bonkers at 02:33 PM on January 16, 2005
The Falcons are definitely more than Vick but he is the one piece that elevates them out of the +-.500 group, just look at last season when the team won only two of the 11 or 12 games he missed due to injury. Yes, they have new coaches this year and a few new players (hello, Rod Coleman) but just look at how many times yesterday he scrambled out of a sack to end with positive yardage.
posted by billsaysthis at 02:52 PM on January 16, 2005
That said, with Vick, they looked awful good yesterday. I came away from that game way more of a believer in them than before. I think they might even have a shot against the Eagles. I wouldn't bet on 'em, but I think they have a shot.
posted by chicobangs at 03:50 PM on January 16, 2005
So when is Mike Martz going to get shitcanned, albeit two years too late?
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:04 PM on January 16, 2005
Thay had 70 passing yards and 47 points?!? Has that ratio even come within 70 yards of coming close to happening before? Vick threw 18 passes. It ain't like halfway through the 2nd quarter Martz was still trying to figure out what was coming next. "Jim... I think they might try to run it on us."
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:21 PM on January 16, 2005
See, you're forgetting one thing: Martz is an idiot.
posted by fabulon7 at 01:26 PM on January 17, 2005
I picked the Falcons but never imagined this kind of romp. Vick was awesome, probably the best of his games I've seen, and their defense was stifling, the special teams terrific.