4th Quarter, 4:38, 1st Down, Falcons Ball, 22 yl, 28-20

[TheStarOne]

Falcons leading 28 - 20
They're already in field goal range.
Worst case scenario...... run three rushing plays...... Kick a FG, to go up by eleven.......
I doubt that the Patriots would have used used any timeouts in that drive.(unless Falcons get a 1st down)
There probably would have been about two minutes left in the game....Falcons up by eleven
Play calling and game strategy matters.
The Falcons gave a gift to the Patriots and New England accepted it.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

That was some of the dumbest playcalling I have seen. Good luck San Fran.

 

[SJ76]

Why is it these OC's get pass happy and forget to the run the dam ball? Starting to see it in college too.


Devonte Freeman was feelin it and only averaging 7 yards/carry -- no big deal.


Stupid

 

[TheStarOne]

If it doesn't matter what plays are being called, in certain parts of games, then Russell Wilson's slant pass in the Super Bowl, was pure genius.........if you like losing.

To me, a coach has to play the percentages, all the way out.
Eleven points, is far different, than eight points.

Bradshaw,Sanders and Chris Rose said the same thing.

 

[jontaejones]

Falcons leading 28 - 20
They're already in field goal range.
Worst case scenario...... run three rushing plays...... Kick a FG, to go up by eleven.......
I doubt that the Patriots would have used used any timeouts in that drive.(unless Falcons get a 1st down)
There probably would have been about two minutes left in the game....Falcons up by eleven
Play calling and game strategy matters.
The Falcons gave a gift to the Patriots and New England accepted it.

You never know what happens.

If they run the ball a few times and lose a few yards and kick a 41 or so yard FG, he easily could have missed.

 

[Earl Stevens]

ATL's playcalling was without a doubt stupid in that situation but the bigger picture is, ATL blew a 28-3 lead on the professional level. The Pats didn't score a TD until there was only a little over 2 mins left in the 3rd. So basically, you have 17 mins with the ball to hold onto a 19 point lead to win the championship. If ATL didn't pass for the rest of the game, they probably would have won this game. High school teams don't blow games like this. Collective choke on all ends from ATL.

 

[Judge Fudge]

As A Seahawk Fan

Really??????

 

[TheStarOne]

You never know what happens.

If they run the ball a few times and lose a few yards and kick a 41 or so yard FG, he easily could have missed.

I'd rather take that chance, than have a QB, take seven step drops, on two successive plays. He'd already fumbled once. Again, it's about percentages.

 

[PDay8810]

ATL's playcalling was without a doubt stupid in that situation but the bigger picture is, ATL blew a 28-3 lead on the professional level. The Pats didn't score a TD until there was only a little over 2 mins left in the 3rd. So basically, you have 17 mins with the ball to hold onto a 19 point lead to win the championship. If ATL didn't pass for the rest of the game, they probably would have won this game. High school teams don't blow games like this. Collective choke on all ends from ATL.

Ryan helmets malfunctions and he calls time out?
why not 32 power

game of inches

 

[FlyerFinFan]

If it doesn't matter what plays are being called, in certain parts of games, then Russell Wilson's slant pass in the Super Bowl, was pure genius.........if you like losing.

To me, a coach has to play the percentages, all the way out.
Eleven points, is far different, than eight points.

Bradshaw,Sanders and Chris Rose said the same thing.

Yes all day long you try the FG. If you miss you tried passing you are trying to fail when winning!!!

 

[wildturkey]

The play call on the sack isn't a bad play call. In that situation, the other team is expecting a run. Atlanta tried to play into that expectation and try to be aggressive by passing to get more yards to burn more clock, get a better FG or even a TD. The real issue there is Matt Ryan has to know he can't hold the ball that long. Under no circumstance can he take a sack. Play call is fine, its poor execution.

The third down play is the dumb play call. The penalty put them out of FG range. The best play call is to do some type of HB or TE screen to gain back some yards and maybe eek out a long FG. Instead they went with some low percentage out route (or maybe Ryan just made a bad read, dunno. I've only seen it once).

 

[FlyerFinFan]

The play call on the sack isn't a bad play call. In that situation, the other team is expecting a run. Atlanta tried to play into that expectation and try to be aggressive by passing to get more yards to burn more clock, get a better FG or even a TD. The real issue there is Matt Ryan has to know he can't hold the ball that long. Under no circumstance can he take a sack. Play call is fine, its poor execution.

The third down play is the dumb play call. The penalty put them out of FG range. The best play call is to do some type of HB or TE screen to gain back some yards and maybe eek out a long FG. Instead they went with some low percentage out route (or maybe Ryan just made a bad read, dunno. I've only seen it once).

Any call that can blow up a chance for a FG to win a game is a bad call. Sure the QB could have done better but why chance it the FG was there heaven forbid you actually make the yard running! I would only run a qb keeper if you want a safer play not a fucking shotgun 7 yards back. I'd fire the prick...

 

[starbigd]

TERRIBLE fucking call.

Same as that 3rd and 1......JUST RUN THE FUCKING FOOTBALL.

Every year some team gets cute with the Pats, and loses. They let you make the mistakes, they don't even force them.

These OCs out here just outsmart themselves. Conventional wisdom just isn't good enough, they have to show the world how smart they are by doing something different - and stupid.

I'm not sure Atlanta ever recovers from this. They might not even make playoffs next year. This kind of loss can devastate a team. And they have to deal with Dallas, GB, hell even Detroit if they find a RB......Carolina might get back into the mix, going to be TOUGH in the NFC next year, and I think they just blew their window

 

[Dude]

Pats Defense, once again, did the job. Permitted a couple of big plays, and 7 points with 0 offensive yards with the pick six, but that's on the Offense.
Here are the raw numbers for the QBs: Gross Yards Passing, NE: 466; ATL: 284
To be honest, the defense once again was crucial for the NE to win. Falcons got 14 points off 2 turnovers, 50 yards of offense for those two scores. Pats D never gave up and made some big plays ... the two sacks were good at the right time.

 

[deanpet21]

Kyle Shany blew that game. Simple as that.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

You never know what happens.

If they run the ball a few times and lose a few yards and kick a 41 or so yard FG, he easily could have missed.

Yeah, but that's percentage football...I get that a TD makes it harder to come back, but it's still a 2 possession game either way. If a TD would make a 3 possession game and truly seal it, I understand the logic. That wasn't the case.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Pats Defense, once again, did the job. Permitted a couple of big plays, and 7 points with 0 offensive yards with the pick six, but that's on the Offense.
Here are the raw numbers for the QBs: Gross Yards Passing, NE: 466; ATL: 284
To be honest, the defense once again was crucial for the NE to win. Falcons got 14 points off 2 turnovers, 50 yards of offense for those two scores. Pats D never gave up and made some big plays ... the two sacks were good at the right time.

Tip of the cap to NE, they deserved the win, no question. Congrats.

But this is really more about an implosion imo...Freeman totally whiffing on a blitz protection was a gift...it's not like he beat a block.

I've already laid out the Shanahan blunder in FG range so I won't beat that horse anymore.

You don't come back from 25 down in 15 mins without some help is my point.

 

[bt08]

I'm still shaking my head. Don't believe what I witnessed last night. Falcons fans might never recover from this one, never

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm still shaking my head. Don't believe what I witnessed last night. Falcons fans might never recover from this one, never

Hearing the sport talk radio comments from fans this morning...the venom is squarely pointed at Shanahan and he's gone, so they will get over it...the question is does it take them 18 yrs to back again!

 

[bksballer89]

Falcons fans must be sick to their stomach