NFL 2010: Falcons sear the Seahawks

Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan provided commentary for today’s game of the Atlanta Falcons at the Seattle Seahawks.  Broadcast on Fox, the Seahawks were on offense first and did an incredible job at moving the ball down the field.  Eight minutes into the first quarter and the Seahawks were nose-to-nose to the end zone.  One play later, running back Marshawn Lynch broke the plane.  Seattle 7 and Atlanta 0.  With under three minutes left in the quarter, Seattle lost a challenge of whether or not Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan got enough forward progress to get convert a fourth down.  Would they be able to do it again for a touchdown?  Running back Michael Turner carried the ball a handful of times and then at the top of the second quarter, Matt Ryan and running back Jason Snelling connected for six points and the extra point was good.  Seahawks 7 and Atlanta 7.

Just as the Falcons’ offense was demonstrating its prowess, Jason Snelling had back-to-back losing his grip on the ball.  Luckily for him, his teammates recovered the ball.  Matt Bryant’s twenty-seven yard field goal in the bottom of the second quarter gave the Falcons a slight edge.  Eleven minutes into the quarter and Matt Ryan threw an interception–Seahawks strong safety Jordan Babineaux took the ball right from its trajectory.  The Seahawks’ own kicker tied the game with a thirty-eight yard FG.  Atlanta 10 and Seattle 10.  The Falcons finished the first half on top with a touchdown catch by wide receiver Michael Jenkins.  Atlanta 17 and Seattle 10.

The Falcons started on offense at the top of the third quarter; although they had to punt the ball away, when the Seahawks went on offense, Jonathan Babineaux recovered a fumbled ball in the end zone (Jamaal Anderson caused Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck to drop the ball).  Atlanta 24 and Seattle 10.  Halfway through the quarter, Hasselbeck threw an interception (Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes leaped and nabbed the ball from mid-air).  Four minutes later, Matt Bryant went onto the field for a twenty-five yard FG.  Atlanta 27 and Seattle 10.  SMOKIN SALLY BEAUTY SUPPLY PLUS!! Did the Falcons recover another fumbled Seahawks ball at around the three minute mark in the third quarter?  Indeed they did.  A few plays later, wide receiver Roddy White increased the Falcons lead by another TD.  Atlanta 34 and Seattle 10.  Charlie Whitehurst relieved Matt Hasselbeck of quarterbacking duties in the very bottom of the third quarter.

Seven minutes into the fourth quarter, the backup QB made a TD himself by sashaying into the end zone.  The Seahawks attempted but failed two-point conversion.  A pass interference call on Falcons safety William Moore moved the line of scrimmage to the one yard line; the conversion worked that time (Whitehurst threw the ball to wide receiver Benjamin Obomanu).  Atlanta 34 and Seattle 18. Final score.

Observations & Miscellania:

1.  Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum was in attendance supporting his Seahawks.

2.  I watched this game on an HD 65 inch television.

3.  The Seahawks wore full-bodied cobalt uniforms; the Falcons wore white tops and pants.  Have the Seahawks worn green gloves before?

4.  As of the bottom of the first quarter, the Falcons would no doubt be in the playoffs because the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants lost their respective games.

5.  Jonathan Babineaux is a defensive tackle for the Falcons; his brother Jordan is a Seahawk.  Their mother was in the stands supporting both sons (Seahawks jersey frontside and Falcons jersey on the backside).

6.  In the bottom of the fourth quarter, Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Matt Ryan had a short chat on the sidelines.  Blank patted Ryan on the back.  He then made it down the sidelines and exchanged encouraging words with the rest of the Falcons.

Click here for the Falcons’ roster and the Seahawks’ roster here.

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.

NFL 2010: Falcons grate the cheese out of the Cardinals

The Atlanta Falcons’ 2010 season debut at the Pittsburgh Steelers did not turn out as victoriously as they or their fans had hoped.  Would their home opener against the Arizona Cardinals today be a repeat or a reversal?  Televised by Fox, and narrated by Brian Billick and Thom Brennaman, the first quarter started with the Falcons on offense.  Whatever quarterback Matt Ryan might have done differently before he went to sleep last night and after he woke up this morning paid off as the Falcons gave a solid first drive, featuring Michael Turner and Jason Snelling rushing yards, that resulted in a touchdown (courtesy of wide receiver Roddy White).  Atlanta 7 and Arizona 0.

Cardinals running back LaRod Stephens-Howling received the kick for his team’s first possession.  He ran the ball back all the way into the end zone, but it was nullified because of a holding penalty on one of his teammates.  Derek Anderson quarterbacked for Arizona.  The Cardinals suffered from penalty upon penalty and didn’t get much done offensively.  The bottom of the second quarter saw Falcons Christopher Owens intercepted Derek Anderson, whose team incurred an illegal formation penalty that gave the Falcons a first down.

The Cardinals got another defensive penalty in the top of the second quarter as someone (either Joey Porter or Robinson) who tugged on Matt Ryan’s face mask.  After the referee announced the penalty, a camera cut to a medium close-up of the Cardinals sidelines.  One of the coaches, probably the defensive coordinator Bill Davis, was looking in the direction of head coach Ken Whisenhunt .  He mouthed “damnit” or something that expressed disappointment.  His body language then went very huff-and-puff-and-grrrr.   Matt Bryant put a thirty-four-yard field goal through the uprights.  Not long after the Cardinals went on offense again, wide receiver Tim Hightower made an eighty-yard TD run.  Atlanta 10 and Arizona 7.  Moments after the commentators praised running back Jason Snelling’s abilities and playing time last season, he caught Matt Ryan impending-blitz pass and ran the ball into the end zone.  Although the Falcons had compiled a couple penalties of their own by the bottom of the second quarter, a slew of Cardinals defensive flags facilitated the Falcons performance on offense.  Jason Snelling got a second TD before halftime.  Atlanta 24 and Arizona 7.  Cardinals Jay Feely attempted a fifty-four-yard FG in the final minute of the first half.  It was no good.  Matt Ryan was going to run the ball into field goal range when the Falcons were on offense before the half, and during the ball popped out of his hand as he was being tackled.  The Cardinals recovered the fumbled ball.

The Cardinals took to the field first in the third quarter.  The second play (I believe) led to Falcons safety William Moore intercepting Derek Anderson (the ball had bounced off a player’s hands and Moore caught it).  Two plays later, with the Falcons on offense, wide receiver Brian Finneran made a TD catch in the end zone.  Atlanta 31 and Arizona 7.  Matt Bryant increased his team’s lead with a thirty-five-yard FG in the bottom of the third.  Atlanta 34 and Arizona 7.

The fourth quarter was ripe with both teams receiving penalties for various reasons.  And then Jason Snelling crossed the bottom left corner of the end zone.  Atlanta 41 and Arizona 7.  Matt Ryan was still quarterbacking through the fourth quarter, but Derek Anderson trotted off to the sidelines with three minutes left on the clock.  Max Hall stepped on as QB…and threw an interception shortly thereafter.  Falcons cornerback Dominique Franks got his hands on the ball.  He ran the ball back but was pushed out of bounds a dozen or so yards before reaching the goal line.  Atlanta 41 and Arizona 7.  Final score.

Yay Jason Snelling!

By the way, GaTech beat UNC yesterday 30 to 24.  UGA didn’t fare as well against Arkansas.  Army, TCU, Ohio State, and Alabama pulverized their respective opponents.

Observations & Miscellania:

1.  Brian Billick’s shoulders slope down.

2.  The stadium was aglow with rouge…from both Falcons and Cardinals fans.

3.  Whatever Michael Turner did differently this week compared to last week in preparation for the game also appeared to be successful as his performance elicited more confidence and conviction.  I know what I am doing.

4.  Jason Snelling’s second TD in the first half was via jumping over/into a bunch of bodies and breaking the plane with extended hands around the ball.

5.  I wrote about basketball a year ago and how I began watching basketball game-play so that it wouldn’t bore me to near-tears.  Specifically, “If, however, I focus on the players without the ball, then it’s about when/if they’ll get the ball and how they are reacting, which is much more interesting to me.”  I’ve been watching a few plays of football in such a manner and it creates a more disorienting viewer experience.  I’m not even sure the suspense is greater.

6.  Um, Ken Whisenhunt and Derek Anderson, did you know that with under thirty seconds left on the clock and the game was effectively over…one of the cameras cut to a close-up of both of you touching your nose?  And Derek, you were full on face to camera–did you stick a finger up in a nostril?  Coach Whisenhunt, the camera may have gotten your left side, and slightly from the back, but still…I saw that nose-pinching, downward stroking.  Qu’est-ce vous faites?  Que’est-ce que vous pensiez?

Click here for the Falcons roster and here for the Cardinals roster.

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.

NFL 2010: Falcons repo the Buccaneers

The Atlanta Falcons sprinted south to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  A victory today for the Falcons would be most appreciated not only by the players and the coaching staff but also by the fans.  First ever back-to-back seasons win!  That was the goal.

Televised by Fox, the Buccaneers’ kickoff was returned by wide receiver Eric Weems, who was tackled.  Falcons head coach Mike Smith challenged that the Buccaneers recovered a live ball.  Atlanta lost the challenge.  Tampa Bay scored soon with a field goal.  On Weems’s second return effort, he was brought down at the twenty-yard line.  The Falcons did not score.  Tampa Bay 3 and Atlanta 0.

The second quarter started with a pretty strong Falcons offensive drive.  Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris lost a challenge as to where Falcons running back Jerious Norwood caught quarterback Matt Ryan’s pass.  Tampa Bay’s defense responded very strongly as well.  Matt Ryan threw an interception into Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber’s arms.  Luckily for the Falcons, a holding penalty on Tampa Bay gave them a first down.  Buccaneers fans booed.  The Falcons got a field goal out of it.  On their next possession, tight end Justin Peelle made a TD catch just inside the end zone.  Atlanta 10 and Tampa Bay 3.

Watch me watching that play:

The third quarter chugged a few minutes and Matt Ryan intercepted by safety Tanard Jackson.  WHAT THE PORK TENDERLOINS?!! Did I spy a male, sunglasses-wearing Tampa Bay fan IN A SNUGGIE in the replay of cornerback Aqib Talib knocking down the ball before Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins could catch it in the end zone?

The Buccaneers demonstrated an energized offense in the fourth quarter.  They tied the game with a TD connection between quarterback Josh Freeman and wide receiver Antonio Bryant.  Matt Ryan’s pass was plucked by Buccaneers safety Sabby Piscitelli five minutes into the quarter.  Falcons cornerback Chris Owens responded by intercepting Freeman’s first pass after the turnover.  Falcons running back Jason Snelling carried the ball twenty-two important yards down the field.  Halfway through the fourth quarter, Falcons Roddy White caught the ball far enough away from Aqib Talib, realized he was still in bounds and made his way into the end zone for a touchdown.  Atlanta 17 and Tampa Bay 10.  Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes intercepted Freeman in the bottom of the fourth quarter.  Sixty seconds left in the game and Matt Bryant made a thirty-six yard field goal.  Atlanta 20 and Tampa Bay 10.  Final score.  Consecutive seasons losing streak is over.

Observations & Miscellania:

1.  Commentary was provided by Dick Stockton and Charles Davis.

2.  The stadium was filled with red.

3.  Interesting Volkswagen Sign Then Drive commercial that aired twice in the middle of the first quarter.  A heterosexual couple buys a vehicle from a male, brown-haired sales rep.  When the couple is standing inside the dealership, the woman appears to be Asian and the man of Mediterranean descent.  When they get inside the car, however, they become ethnically ambiguous.  I don’t remember the last time a car commercial featured a couple whose ethnicity wasn’t ostensibly obvious and the same.

4.  There was a minor shove-and-shove back between a Buccaneer and a Falcon in the middle of the first quarter after Atlanta punted the ball to Tampa Bay.

5.  Falcons owner Arthur Blank was featured in a close-up on the sidelines.

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.

NFL 2009: Saints absolve the Falcons

Before I begin with the post-proper, I have to share something that I saw this morning while I was on my Starbux run.  I was driving down the street and saw a fifteen or sixteen-year old guy walking on the sidewalk on the same side of the road I was driving but in the opposite direction (we were facing each other).  I was possibly eight car-lenghths away from him when I noticed a small sedan drive by and splash him.  The youth turned around and patted the back of his head and neck.  I checked my rearview mirror and saw that no cars were behind me, so I approached very slowly.  Had I had a towel in my car, I probably would’ve rolled down the window when I got to where he was standing and asked, “Hey, I saw that … would you like a towel for your head?”

But, I didn’t have a towel.  Moreover, I wouldn’t have wanted to startle him just by saying that I saw what happened and if he was okay.  Of course he was okay…just a bit wet.  I did what any considerate, courteous driver would do, I drove very slowly over that puddle.  The youth was still looking in the direction that the splasher was headed; in my rearview mirror, I observed the boy putting his hand up in acknowledgement.  He probably realized that I had seen him get splashed and did my best not to do the same thing.

All right.  The New Orleans Saints crossed over into east coast time in an effort to maintain their all-win season this afternoon at the Georgia Dome.  The Atlanta Falcons, once more without quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner, didn’t perform — haven’t performed as well as they know they can, and we know they can.  Whatever the explanations, elaborations, and legitimate excuses, would the Falcons be able to muster and channel energy and confidence sufficiently to interrupt the Saints’ perfect season?

Broadcast on Fox, with commentary provided by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the first quarter started with the Falcons on offense.  Chris Redman reprised his role as QB; Sam Baker was back in the game today.  Running back Jason Snelling made a solid impression early in the drive with a thirty-eight yard run.  The Falcons put up the first score with a thirty-six yard Matt Bryant field goal.  Atlanta 3 and New Orleans 0.  One needn’t wonder what the Saints would do in reaction.  Shall we say red zone pronto? But no to touchdown, yes to field goal.  The Falcons made another field goal at the end of their second possession.  Atlanta 6 and New Orleans 3.

The second quarter banged out with the Saints in the red zone following a stellar pass between quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Robert Meachem.  Two plays later, running back Reggie Bush sliced through the front, right corner of the end zone for a TD.  New Orleans 10 and Atlanta 6.  With roughly seventy seconds left in the first half, wide receiver Marques Colston made a TD catch. The extra point was no good.  New Orleans 16 and Falcons 6.  The Falcons would’ve wanted to get a TD too going into halftime but they took a FG instead.  New Orleans 16 and Falcons 9.

The third quarter sprang out with the Saints on an energetic, and eventful, offense.  They got into the red zone, the officials called defensive pass interference on Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes, Falcons head coach Mike Smith fumed and sent his headset crashing to the turf, the Falcons broke up a Saints TD catch and nearly recovered a Reggie Bush fumble.  The Bush ran the ball in for a TD on the next play, though.  New Orleans 23 and Atlanta 9.  The Falcons didn’t lose momentum.  They came back with a fifty-yard TD catch and run by wide receiver Michael Jenkins (who had missed a similar set-up in the second quarter).  New Orleans 23 and Atlanta 16.

I assert that the Falcons played much better against the Saints today than they did against the Eagles last week (the Ch’i from last week was all off).  Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez made an excellent run, which preceded a Jason Snelling plane-breaking TD.  The Falcons tied the game in the top of the quarter 23 to 23.  The Falcons’ defense stayed the course as well, holding the Saints to an FG rather than another end zone visit with four minutes left to play.  New Orleans 26 and Atlanta 23.  Oh Lourdes.  After losing twelve yards, Chris Redman threw an interception…Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma snatched the ball.  With just about two minutes left, the Saints faked a field goal attempt but Mark Brunell’s pass to tight end Darnell Dinkins was incomplete.  Alas.  New Orleans 26 and Atlanta 23.  Final score.

Observations & Miscellania:

1.  Joe Buck and Troy Aikman looked like Ken dolls.   Joe wore a navy jacket, a white button-down shirt, and a shimmery light blue tie.  Troy wore a light gray jacket, a white button-down shirt, and a shimmery dark burgundy/purple tie.  It’s like Prom Ken and CEO Ken.

2.  Hmmm…the producers decided to air the feed from a camera that was taking in a high-angle close-up of Brent Grimes with a hand and an arm waving about while lining up for a snap.

3.  “That’s just good NFC South football right there: banging heads, knocking around…” Joe Buck remarked of the impromptu mosh pit that formed in the final second of the first quarter after the Saints returned a kickoff.

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.

NFL 2009: Giants tremble over the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons scampered northwards to play the New York Giants.  Televised by Fox, and narrated by Daryl Johnston and Kenny Albert, the two teams talked business in sunny, fifty-three degree weather.  Back at home?  Definitely not sunny.  A bit rainy.  Once again, another visually splotchy telecast.  The Giants went on offense first.  Quarterback Eli Manning threw quite well…until the Falcons defense brought on the pressure and he threw a poor one (recovered by a fellow Giant).  Two plays later (methinks), he was intercepted by Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes.  What would the Falcons do with the turnover?  Would they show might? Pas beaucoup.  Nearing the bottom of the first quarter, the Giants punched out three points with a thirty-nine yard field goal.  New York 3 and Atlanta 0.

The second quarter bounced off to an offensive start for the Falcons–AND A RUSHING TOUCHDOWN BY RUNNING BACK JASON SNELLING!!!!  Atlanta 7 and New York 3.  The Giants returned the favor with a field goal that was no good.  No matter, Giants tight end Kevin Boss would run the ball in for a TD soon enough.  The Falcons had an opportunity to score again before halftime; a TD didn’t happen and neither did a FG.  With under two minutes left in the first half, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan went down to the turf, the ball came out of his hands, and the Giants recovered.  Kevin Boss pulled up his team’s numbers just before halftime with a TD catch.  New York 17 and Atlanta 7.

The third quarter gave the Falcons something to smile about as Jason Snelling made his second TD of the day.  The Giants scored right back with a TD of their own, thanks to running back Brandon Jacobs.   The Falcons struggled to  get a TD on their next possession but took a field goal instead.  The scoring see-saw saw the Giants increase their lead with a TD catch by fullback Madison Hedgecock in the top of the fourth quarter.  New York 31 and Atlanta 17.  The Falcons proved in the second half of the fourth quarter that they’re still in the game with an Eric Weems TD.   New York 31 and Atlanta 24.  Two minutes left in the game…who would pass Go and Collect 200?  Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez got his team closer collecting 200 by making a TD in the end of the end zone.  Both teams tied with 31 points.  On to overtime with the Giants receiving the ball and a thirty-six yard field goal attempt.  Kicker Lawrence Tynes won the game for his team.  New York 34 and Atlanta 31.  Final score.

So close and yet so far for the Falcons, but at least Matt Ryan didn’t throw any interceptions.  Without Michael Turner, they still tied the Giants.

Say hello to my Falcons Gnome.

Observations & Miscellania:

1.  Daryl Johnston remarked towards the middle of the second quarter that “the Falcons don’t play to the whistle; they play just past the whistle.”

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.