Finally Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 By this time last year our last game would have featured a last minute comeback against Chicago. We were a surprising 4-2 and getting ready to head to Philadelphia.I don't remember exactly but I know I wasn't completely sold yet. I suspected that our quick start would probably lead to a slow finish. I wasn't unhappy but still somewhat reluctant to believe. I don't know what I thought our record could have been but I was certainly not thinking 11-5 yet.It is no surprise that after years of Falcons football that I was reluctant at this stage in our season last year. Don't get me wrong. I was never a negative fan. I always tried to find the best of whatever was going on. I always hoped we would win but being disappointed so many times I hoped for it but I suffered from being a realist. The surprise is that by the end of a single season, just 17 little games, I knew we had the philosophy and talent to build a championship team. They not only turned around a franchise, they turned around this fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconidae Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Know just how you feel- last year at this time I was just starting to trust that the turnaround was real.This year, I'm just enjoying the ride- I keep reading commentary directed towards other fan bases, like previews for games in out of town newspapers, and they keep using phrases like good team, solid, on the rise-to describe the falcons, its not an illusion or luck, this is a good team. This is an exciting young team that will challenge for super bowls for as long as Ryan is here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finally Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 Know just how you feel- last year at this time I was just starting to trust that the turnaround was real.This year, I'm just enjoying the ride- I keep reading commentary directed towards other fan bases, like previews for games in out of town newspapers, and they keep using phrases like good team, solid, on the rise-to describe the falcons, its not an illusion or luck, this is a good team. This is an exciting young team that will challenge for super bowls for as long as Ryan is here.I know. It seemed different but was it real? The answer turned out to be yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean0708 Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Yeah I hear you bro, you always have to skeptical, especially after those back to back 6-2 records that turned into missing the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goal Line D Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 By this time last year our last game would have featured a last minute comeback against Chicago. We were a surprising 4-2 and getting ready to head to Philadelphia.I don't remember exactly but I know I wasn't completely sold yet. I suspected that our quick start would probably lead to a slow finish. I wasn't unhappy but still somewhat reluctant to believe. I don't know what I thought our record could have been but I was certainly not thinking 11-5 yet.It is no surprise that after years of Falcons football that I was reluctant at this stage in our season last year. Don't get me wrong. I was never a negative fan. I always tried to find the best of whatever was going on. I always hoped we would win but being disappointed so many times I hoped for it but I suffered from being a realist. The surprise is that by the end of a single season, just 17 little games, I knew we had the philosophy and talent to build a championship team. They not only turned around a franchise, they turned around this fan.Then Adam Jennings brought us back to earth a bit.Albeit for just one week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finally Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 Then Adam Jennings brought us back to earth a bit.Albeit for just one week! I still didn't have a lot of expectations to win at that point. Every loss is a blow but that is not the one that sent me into a tail spin. The game that wrecked me for a week was our first December game against NO. That smacked of same old Falcons. Defense could not get a stop and instead of going for it on 4th down and giving a chance to win we played it (un)safe and counted on our defense again. We got knocked out of the playoffs and we needed help from other teams to get back in.That hit me the hardest because I was really believing then I got crushed in a game we could have won. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean0708 Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I still didn't have a lot of expectations to win at that point. Every loss is a blow but that is not the one that sent me into a tail spin. The game that wrecked me for a week was our first December game against NO. That smacked of same old Falcons. Defense could not get a stop and instead of going for it on 4th down and giving a chance to win we played it (un)safe and counted on our defense again. We got knocked out of the playoffs and we needed help from other teams to get back in.That hit me the hardest because I was really believing then I got crushed in a game we could have won.Same, that was the worst loss of the year for me, other than the playoff game I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finally Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 Same, that was the worst loss of the year for me, other than the playoff game I suppose.By the time we got to the playoffs I was ready to accept whatever happened. We were turned around and everything else was going to be cream. The way we finished out December made me suspect that we were trending down. My gut tells me if we would have gotten a bye week we might have gotten some rest and at least one playoff win but we were tired and it was showing. I know there were other factors to how we lost that game (offsides much?) but we were really struggling to keep it together.Even if we had won that game I am not sure how much further we would have gotten. They did more than they were ever supposed to do though. If we can play through a defense that is trying to find an identity and an offense that is not quite midseason form December and beyond might be the best we have ever seen. If we have the team we are supposed to have every week we should be trending up most weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamPlayer1 Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I am always optimistic but last year I predicted an 8-8 record and was thrilled with 11-5. This is a wonderful adjustment to see a strong team on the field each week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finally Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 I am always optimistic but last year I predicted an 8-8 record and was thrilled with 11-5. This is a wonderful adjustment to see a strong team on the field each week!At the beginning of the season my inner homer had me thinking we might get to 8-8. I told my inner homer that it was a bit of a stretch. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old fan Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Going into last season, I had decided I would be happy with four wins in a rebuilding year with a rookie QB. I felt like we needed 2-3 years to become competitive and four years to be contenders.Obviously, we are now competitive and I have given up trying to predict when we will be ready to make a run for it.Every year since 1966, I have been hopeful going into the season and more times than not, it has ended up being the "Same old Falcons." Things feel different now. False hope has been replaced with a feeling that we are finally headed in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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