since68andcounting

You know, I was saying the same thing before 2003. There are NO guarantees. I think ONE will be just fine for now. Actually, for now, I'll take a win in Chicago.

Hold on there partner. Let's get one first. The only analogy I see to Secretariat would be if Sham had caught him in the Belmont from 31 lengths back.

Ban this guy.

I agree. The missed block by Free didn't lose the game. But it ABSOUTELY was the turning point. That was the point where the look on Tom Brady's face went from "I have no idea how we're gonna beat these guys" to "OMG! We have a chance!!!". Watch the replay, if you can stomach it. They went close up on Brady's face and you could see the light went on. I LOVE Free as a player. But he should STFU in a big way. A BIG way. If he'd have simply ended that same sentence with "we'd have won the Super Bowl" I'd feel much better. You don't hear that $hit from Julio. And if there's any single individual that I can find blameless in that loss, it's #11. That comment in the interview really pi$$es me off. That's poison. That's exactly what it is.

It was when we thought we were "set" for a backup for Vick, because Doug Johnson, who had a great career at Florida, looked pretty good in a couple preseason games. So when Vick's fibula broke, we threw Johnson in thinking that we'd just roll right on and he looked like a deer in headlights. Ultimately, I think that's what got Reeves fired. We didn't have a backup plan for Vick. But, cmon, how do you find a backup for a guy like that? I always thought we should've signed Joe Hamilton from Tech. Then at least we wouldn't have had to completely change the offense.

I can't remember that since at least '91-92 when we had that great secondary.

The big difference is this regime just has a better knack for finding players, especially in the draft. The old regime would whiff on key draft picks like Konz, Jelly, Holmes...and occasionally get lucky with a UDFA like Grimes. Almost ALL of the newer draft picks are panning out. Either we're better at picking them, or better at developing them for their role. Or both.

You're right. Cleveland also has the Cavs. They also had the Browns during the Jim/Paul Brown era. All we've had is the Braves winning 1 of 14. And the Atlanta Chiefs. And the Atlanta Knights. It's really interesting how many great individual athletes Atlanta has had. But how few great teams. It's crazy really. We've had guys that people would've given a nut to get the chance to see in their prime. EXCEPTIONAL freakish players. Guys like Aaron, Maddux, Vick, Sanders, Maravich, Dominique Wilkins, Pele.

I've been a fan of this guy since the first time I read his name. There was a play in the red zone if one of the pre-season games last year where a guy drove a defender 10 yards backwards off the line of scrimmage, then PANCAKED him. Honestly, it looked like something out of "The Blind Side" movie. I was immediately grabbing for the little roster book, to look up the number. It was #63 - Ben Garland. My gut tells me we're gonna be ok at Guard.

Man, I've said it before but this guy and Beasley are PERFECT bookends. Two completely different personalities.

In a weird way I kind of hope the pre-season games DO get moved. They have no excitement at all. It would be nice for us to open in that new stadium 1-0 vs. GreenBay on a Sunday night with a packed house of rabid fans. They could play pre-season in the old dome, or at Tech. Either way is fine by me. People would get PO'd though and want a partial ticket refund for sure. It's a joke already that pre-season games are full price.

Lol, it took me so long to get it. I'm thinking, what's so edgy about two of their guys bumping fists in the locker room? Then I saw the jersey numbers. It actually is pretty clever. I'm convinced this Bucs rivalry will become one of the biggest in the NFL over the next few years. It's Falcons past vs. Falcons present. Interesting that two very competitive teams are coming out of our organizational lineage. That just shows we've been bumping on the door for quite awhile now.

I agree. Reeves was the absolute perfect coach for Vick. Older, more of a father figure, and already experienced with a talented, young, mobile QB (Elway). He understood that Vick thrived on chaos. You don't need 4 or 5 options on every play because when the play breaks down, THAT was when Vick was most dangerous. Two reads, then improvise. That is what he had Mike doing and it was extremely successful immediately. Blank made a huge mistake bringing in Mora, an even BIGGER mistake bringing in Knapp and a complex WCO. I think he knows that in hindsight and would tell you that in private. We'd already have 1-2 Lombardis. To heck with it. Can't go back now. ONWARD AND UPWARD.

Your backup quarterback is one play away from being a full time starter. Your third string QB is two plays away. The position is too important not to have somebody. It's rare that 2 QBs go down in a game, but it's happened. How many were around for 2003? It wasn't pretty believe me.

GB may have been his best game EVER