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Falcons blew five fourth-quarter leads in 2016
Posted on 2/11/17 at 6:18 pm
Posted on 2/11/17 at 6:18 pm
Posted by Mike Florio on February 11, 2017, 2:14 PM EST
NBC SPORTS
NBC SPORTS
quote:
The epic 0.2-percent 25-point collapse by the Falcons wasn’t the first time the NFC champions blew a fourth-quarter lead in the 2016 season. It was the fifth.
Putting it another way, the Falcons lost six games all year — and five included blown fourth-quarter leads.
D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution breaks down the various breakdowns, which happened four times in the regular season.
The most recent came against the Chiefs in early December, a game that served as a turning point for the Falcons. The four before the Super Bowl each featured a key Matt Ryan interception. Super Bowl LI didn’t include a Ryan interception, but it was a Ryan fumble that gave the Patriots a short field while down by 16 in the fourth quarter.
For the entire season, Ryan had only seven interceptions. Four of them came in losses that happened in games the Falcons led in the fourth quarter.
Even with the fumble from the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI, the Falcons still could have won the game if they’d simply opted to run and not throw on the drive that put Atlanta on the New England 22 with a first and 10 late in regulation. After a run was stuffed, the Falcons dialed up a pass — and you know the rest.
“[I]t’s human nature when you get in big moments like that, to lock up, to hesitate, to try to take the easy way out and make sure you don’t get blamed,” former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said during the press conference that introduced him as the head coach of the 49ers. “That’s something that I wasn’t going to do and people on our team weren’t going to do. We played that game how we played the entire year and I thought I called plays in that game the way I had the entire year.”
That’s fine, but as Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy pointed out on Monday’s PFT Live, head coach Dan Quinn should have stepped in and ordered Shanahan to run the ball, run the ball, and run the ball some more, taking at worst a field goal and an 11-point lead, which likely would have been insurmountable.
Then again, maybe it wouldn’t have been insurmountable. The Patriots have mastered situational football; for them, there’s no “way” of playing a game other than playing it in the way aimed at scoring more points than the other team in each game.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 6:23 pm to Mrwhodat
It's as if Mike Smith never left
Posted on 2/11/17 at 6:39 pm to ddbnsb
quote:
It's as if Mike Smith never left
Posted on 2/11/17 at 7:00 pm to Mrwhodat
they also won a good bit of games being down in the 4th quarter.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 7:36 pm to htran90
quote:Even a broken clock blah blah blah you get the picture.
they also won a good bit of games being down in the 4th quarter.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 8:25 pm to Hoodoo Man
quote:
Even a broken clock
sticks his dick in a blender twice a week and three times on SB sunday.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 8:59 pm to ddbnsb
quote:
It's as if Mike Smith never left
Really hate the bum wrap he got in Atlanta. He took the fall for bad management decisions and a bunch of other things that were out of his control. I know him personally, he's a good coach that understands his players. That being said, I am glad he doesn't coach the #1 team that I hate.
This post was edited on 2/11/17 at 9:00 pm
Posted on 2/11/17 at 10:10 pm to Mrwhodat
I'd trade our last three seasons for this one.
Posted on 2/12/17 at 8:49 am to Mrwhodat
It's rare for a team with such a good rushing attack.
Posted on 2/12/17 at 9:46 am to Laman1978
No doubt it'd be nice to make it back to the SB, and no doubt in my mind if we were up by 8 with a chance to kick a FG we would have gotten the job done, but we also have a SB and they don't so that also changes things.
They are two time SB LOSERS and had the biggest collapse in sports history, AND they shot themselves in the foot over and over to get there.
They are two time SB LOSERS and had the biggest collapse in sports history, AND they shot themselves in the foot over and over to get there.
Posted on 2/13/17 at 9:57 am to Mrwhodat
WBRC's program director (Fox 6 Birmingham) says if the Saints and Falcons play simultaneously, as they often play at noon on Fox at the same time, he will rotate between the two.
He did not specify who he will pick first.
He did not specify who he will pick first.
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