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It all came down to two fourth downs. One worked and one didn't. The Atlanta Falcons on Sunday found themselves on the wrong side of their fourth-down conversion as well as the game, losing 29-25 to the New Orleans Saints...

The Big-Not-So-Easy: Saints Down Falcons 29-25

by daniel cox (Senior Writer)

47

182 reads

Opinion

December 07, 2008


It all came down to two fourth downs.

One worked and one didn't.

The Atlanta Falcons on Sunday found themselves on the wrong side of their fourth-down conversion as well as the game, losing 29-25 to the New Orleans Saints.

Quarterback Matt Ryan controlled the Falcons' offense, reminding everyone once again that he's not your typical rookie. However, things didn't start out so well for Ryan.

During Atlanta's first possession, the quarterback was intercepted by cornerback Jason David. David timed the Ryan pass well and jumped the route in front of receiver Roddy White.

To that point Ryan and the Falcons were moving the ball well. When the interception occurred, Atlanta was on New Orleans' 26-yard line and headed toward the first score of the game and that fast start that has become synonymous with Atlanta's offense.

After the turnover, it took the Saints three plays to find the end zone, one of which was a Reggie Bush run for 43 yards. The running back was playing in his second game since missing four weeks with a knee injury, but the knee was clearly not hampering him as he ran for his longest scamper of the year.

He added to it a five-yard touchdown reception to cap the drive. It appeared that the offensive balance New Orleans lacked in the first meeting of these two teams was present thus far.

The Falcons inability to make New Orleans' one-dimensional was their ultimate downfall. In a game that showcased seven lead changes, three of which came in the fourth quarter, the failure on defense proved to be critical.

In the fourth quarter, following an impressive 12-yard touchdown run for Ryan and a successful two-point conversion Atlanta regained a three point lead.

But Saints running back Pierre Thomas, who had an outstanding game (102 yards rushing, one receiving touchdown and one rushing touchdown), gave the Superdome crowd some quick hope with an 88-yard kick return.

Falcons' coach Mike Smith was not happy with the breakdown of his special teams unit, "It’s very disappointing that we weren’t able to cover that kick more efficiently and make them, at least go a long way. We put ourselves on a short field.”

Atlanta's bending defense seemed to be holding itself together though, forcing the Saints into a critical fourth-and-1 situation.

Down by three on Atlanta's seven yard line, Saints coach Sean Payton decided to go for six rather than take the tie. Fullback Mike Karney converted the fourth down and one play later, Thomas rushed for the touchdown.

On his run, he seemed to want the end zone more than the Falcons were willing to protect it, rolling over a Saints player, stretching out his body, while on his back, and breaking the end zone plane.

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47 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Paul Augustin, Jr. 7 months ago

    I was just as surprised that the Falcons punted with just over 3 minutes left. They had moved the ball pretty well against the Saints, especially on quick slants. By punting, you are giving up the ball to Pierre Thomas who was pretty unstoppable.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      paul, thanks for your comment. i completely agree. coach smith has done a nice job this season with this team, often showing confidence in both sides of the ball and often taking some calculated gambles. i appreciate his confidence in his defense, but like you say, they'd not shown an ability to stop thomas all day. it was a disappointing move to say the least. a big win for the saints and a VERY disappointing loss for the falcons. 4th-and-5 is never an easy convert, but that play/decision could go down as one of the most critical ones for the falcons' season.

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    • Silver Fox 7 months ago

      With 3:55 left and 4th and 5 in your own territory, Coach Mike Smith made the correct "textbook" decision to punt. He showed confidence in his defense, but they did not deliver. If he would have gone for it on 4th and 5 and missed it, people would be playing Monday morning quarterback with that too, saying he should have punted. Hindsight is 20/20. Realistlically, the responsibility is on the Falcons' defense, not the head coach.

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    • daniel cox 6 months ago

      silver, yeah, later on monday i posted a comment similar to yours stating that yeah, if he'd missed it on 4th down he'd be second-guessed there as well.

      my whole point is that the defense had done little all day to provide him with a reason to be confident in them.

      ultimately it IS on the defense though. you are right there. i just think, the way they were playing, the falcons' offense had a GREAT chance to convert that one.

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    • Buddy Smith 6 months ago

      I didn't see the game. Where were they on the field? The only way I can see punting as the right option with that little time left is if they were on their own 20 or 25 yard line.

      NFL coaches are historically awful at fourth down decisions. They get second guessed so much and so publicly that there is a culture of conservatism. If you punt your defense has to stop the other team. If you go for it and miss your defense has to stop thee other team. A field goal doesn't really hurt them, but two first downs and the game is over. Why not go for it?

      Since your defense has to stop the other team from getting two first downs anyway, the only thing you need to protect against is making a touchdown too easy. But NFL coaches are so risk averse that most opponents wouldn't risk a pass to the end zone anyway. So even on the 25 yard line going for it isn't that bad.

      I'm sure the textbook tells you to punt, but who wrote the textbook? Coaches who are scared as hell of losing their jobs. The math textbook tells you to go for it.

      Consider how coaches handle onside kick decisions. Surprise onside kicks are successful almost 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time you give the opposition good field position...which is basically like a 40 yard penalty. Who wouldn't trade 1/2 a turnover for a 20 yard penalty? It's like an incidental facemask with benefits. You should do that trade at least once a game.

      We're not even considering that some percentage of the time the kick is going to be run back that far (or farther) despite your best efforts. More squib kicks happen in a season than surprise onside kicks. So coaches are more willing to give away a 20 yard penalty out of fear than accept a 20 yard penalty with upside.

      The only possible answer is that coaches are more motivated by fear of loss than desire for gain...or maybe they just can't do the algebra. Who am I kidding? It's probably both.

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  2. Stoker Mac 7 months ago

    great job once again, i also agree..smith maybe too much of a gambler

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      stoker, well normally i like his gambles. this time i feel like he took the wrong gamble. gamble with what brought you, right? the falcons offense has been bringing it for a while now. they were the better unit yesterday and i think he should have left the ball in their hands.

      thanks for reading stoker!

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  3. thomas moreland 7 months ago

    i thought new orleans would have a couple guys out on suspension, so i switched nt piok tot he falcons on friday, thats why they lost! lol thomas

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  4. thomas moreland 7 months ago

    good news is dllas lost washington lost, falcons are still alive for a wild card. they need to beat, gulp!...Tampa Bay next week at home, and hope Carolina beats them tonight! Thats probably a tall order, Carolina is tough at home/ I have them in a close game tonight! good luck! thomas see all my picks in prime picks in the NFL WEEK 15 FINAL DRIVE FOR THE PLAYOFFS.. 135-73-1 THIS SEASON. thanks. 11-4 this week so far! damm falcons, damm giants , damm packers, damm jets. lol

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  5. Bob Cunningham 7 months ago

    as an eagles fan...

    WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    as a football fan.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i've been rooting for the Falcons all year, i like what they've done. well, until they started getting in the Eagles' way. now i'm rooting against them.

    oh, if only they were in the NFC West, I could still root.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      bob, i hear you. i'm not an eagles fan, but i like mcnabb, so i'm happy to see him turning things around a bit. philly's definitely going to have something to say about the playoffs.

      these next three weeks are going to be sooooo interesting.

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    • Bob Cunningham 7 months ago

      oh yeah, this is why i love the NFL and despise the BCS

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  6. Eric Quackenbush 7 months ago

    Good article, and tough loss.

    I'm happy about it though. That gives the Panthers a little breathing room.

    It also puts a lot of pressure on us too though.

    Good luck next week against the Bucs. They'll either be upset over a loss or overconfident with a win.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      eric, thanks for reading. i'm understanding your happiness. nfc south is a tough. no room for friends at the moment.

      i'm rooting for carolina to beat tampa, we need tampa to come back to the pack a bit. however, if we resign ourselves to accept that tampa's winning the division, maybe carolina needs to win. my playoff scenario was hinging on a falcons win. now i need to reconsider...

      thanks again!

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  7. Eric Quackenbush 7 months ago

    Well I'm hoping that the message to the Panthers players from fans and such is coming through loud and clear. Prove to us why we should believe in what you're doing, like you proved in 2003.

    Let that stew in their minds and hopefully they will show up tonight for this battle of immense proportions!

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  8. Glenn Card 7 months ago

    I understand your disapointment with Coach Smiths decision to punt but he was really doing the correct thing statistically wise. Fourth and five is a hard convert much different than fourth and one or inches. At this point the Falcons are still alive for this season but beyond this year you have to be happy that the Falcons will have a coach with a good head on his shoulders as well as a young quarterback that has proven that he belongs in this league.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      glenn, i agree that it's a tough convert. and sure, if they'd failed, the saints would have taken over at around the 30. if they don't convert, they lose. but on the flip side, the offense was moving the ball so well against new orleans and atlanta was failing to stop the saints' run, which is what you could assume they would do, and did. i think i would have gone for it there.

      but i agree, the season has been beyond encouraging and the future still looks wonderfully bright. but since they're in the playoff hunt, no sense in not being disappointed if they don't get it. i'm not exactly a moral victory kind of guy.

      thanks for reading!

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  9. Bryn Swartz 7 months ago

    as you said, no room for friends right now. in that case, i guess you understand how i'm feeling.

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  10. Sayre Bedinger 7 months ago

    AHH Pierre Thomas killed me in fantasy...The Falcons need to win out. Tonight's game is huge for them, and maybe the Broncos will give them some help next week when we travel to Atlanta! Great job as usual man.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      sayre, thanks for reading. i appreciate the comments. yeah, i'm sort of a panthers fan tonight, could use the help. the next three weeks play out very interesting for like 3-4 teams. it's perfect for the nfl, but nerve-wracking for fans.

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  11. Josh Satler 7 months ago

    Daniel, very well written piece. It's going to be tough for the Dirty Birds to make the post season but Dallas, and their choking ways have a tough three game schedule as well. I'd rather see Atlanta than Dallas. If interested, check out my Week 14 recap:

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/90252-nfl-week-14-observations

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      josh, thanks for reading. no one exactly has an easy route to the playoffs at the moment. atlanta's became tougher with the loss. they definitely have to win their games for the remainder of the season and possibly get some help as well.

      i'll check out your piece later today/tomorrow.

      thanks again!

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  12. Austin Penny 7 months ago

    I had the opportunity to watch this entire game since the Panthers aren't playing until tonight. The Saints are just a different animal at home and it showed yesterday. I can't help but revert back to some previous thoughts of mine about the Falcons on the road. Often times I have seen other teams who are young and talented, like the Falcons, who play lights out at home and struggle on the road. They didn't play all that bad yesterday they just didn't have enough to beat Brees at home.

    good article though, POTD. sorry for your boys man.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      austin, yeah, the saints are now 6-1 at home. i understand what you're saying about the falcons on the road though. however, it was all the defense in this game, in terms of fault. earlier in the season the offense sputtered a bit. the offense was pretty good yesterday. it was just frustrating the way things ended.

      thanks for the pick! and thanks for reading. good luck to the panthers this evening!

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    • Austin Penny 6 months ago

      yeah well you have to also take into consideration the competition that the Falcons D was going up against. The Saints are one of the best offensive machines in the league, and with some of the youth at key positions such as CB, the Falcons just ran into a learning experience yesterday. You've got a big game this weekend at home against Tampa Bay, and this is a big chance to prove to the league that you're a real contender and that the success you have experienced isn't a fluke. Honestly, as a fan of a division rival of yours, I'm not looking forward to playing Atlanta for the next several years with the crop of young talent they have there.

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  13. Cody Swartz 7 months ago

    This loss sure helped out the Eagles...

    And this race for the playoffs is sure gonna be fun...

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  14. russ autin 7 months ago

    this game showed that the best teams in the nfc are in the nfc south,what a game.the south has a real chance of sending 3 teams to the playoffs

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      russ, i think i may agree with you that the best teams in the nfc are in the south. at the start of the season who would have thought that, huh?

      there's still a chance to send three teams, but if the falcons are to get in, they've gotta win out and perhaps get a little help. if the panthers forgot how to win, that would help tremendously.

      thanks for reading and commenting. i appreciate it!

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    • russ autin 6 months ago

      daniel, i'm a saints guy but if were out of it i root for the divisoin i wrote a story about 3 months ago "the nfc's strongest division is the nfc south and i'm not on drugs"man i can't tell ya the bull i put up with on that one,check it out

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    • daniel cox 6 months ago

      russ i definitely. prophesy is always good when it works on it your favor.

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  15. SportMonk 7 months ago

    I agree with the consensus of comments: Why did the coach choose to punt? This is the part of the game that SportsCenter didn't show me, so I loved reading your in-depth recap. But I fail to understand the coach's logic. Perhaps he had more faith in the defense than the defense had in itself, but his decision ultimately cost Atlanta the game. Great read.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      monk, thanks for checking in. i think coach smith made that decision with the mindset that five yards is quite a bit to convert and they were on the 30 yard line. if they didn't convert they'd not only give the saints outstanding field position, but essentially lose the game. that part i understand, but the offense was moving the ball SO well. and the saints' running game was eating atlanta's defense alive. i think he had a little undeserved faith in the defense, on that day.

      i'm glad you enjoyed the read. it was a frustrating loss to say the least...

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    • SportMonk 7 months ago

      I'll bet it was frustrating. And I can kind of understand where the coach might be coming from, but I still think he should have given his team a chance to secure the win.

      And I love your headline, by the way.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      monk, yeah, i gotta say, i was kind of proud of it too.

      i mean, i understand where he's coming from. i just felt like he's taken some gambles thus far in the season--he's shown himself to be fairly aggressive, and i've liked that about him. it was a tough call and definitely easy to second guess him.

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  1. Jennifer Johnson 7 months ago

    As a Skins fan with the Red Ribbon R tattoo on my left shoulder to prove it, I am dumbfounded how anemic a so-called West Coast Offense can produce such lousy results.

    It's so weird watching the Skins play. They rack up yards, they just don't rack up the points. Now 29th in total offense.

    Jealous of the other teams going to the playoffs... Yes!

    Falcons took a hit Daniel yesterday, but don't give up hope. Carolina could put up a stinker tonight too.

    Anyone but Dallas or the Steelers for me from here on out. Kind of hoping the Ravens now do well. Go rookie Qbs! Kick the old farts hemoroid riddles arses.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      jennifer, that's true dedication right there lady. i admire that. (the tattoo...)

      i didn't realize washington's offense was ranked so low. it seems like they got off to such a great start. but i think zorn is a good offensive mind and it's got to be encouraging to have him paired up with campell, who still has the ability (and the time) to develop into a top-tier quarterback. a lots been said about how many coordinators he's worked with through college up to now. that's got to mean something.

      thanks for reading jennifer! gotta love those bright young qbs! never thought i'd hear a redskins fan say they wanted the ravens to succeed. that's a good sport if i've ever seen one!

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  2. Nick Vandiver 7 months ago

    I couldn't believe the falcons lost this game. I thought they would win pretty big since they are playing for a playoff berth and possibly a division title. i couldn't believe how well the Saint's D held down Michael Turner. I really thought the Falcons would pull this one off. Season's not over yet, though.
    good article danny

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      thanks nick. season is definitely not over. the saints did a nice job against the running game. the offense was still quite effective with the pass though. ultimately the game was lost with the falcons' d's inability to stop thomas and bush.

      thanks again!

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  3. Silver Fox 7 months ago

    Regardless of what happens, Atlanta has already surpassed expecations this season.

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    • daniel cox 7 months ago

      silver, very true. but like i said somewhere above, since they're doing so well and in the hunt, you can't help but hope they do more than just sniff the playoffs. but as far as perspective goes, yeah...it's been a nice (and fun) season. thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Gerald Laskowski 6 months ago

    That loss killed me. Nice piece Daniel.

    Yes I am back and have posted this http://bleacherreport.com/articles/90681-will-the-real-atlanta-falcons-please-stand-up

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    • daniel cox 6 months ago

      gerald, thanks for reading and welcome back. that means you've got a healthy household and i'm pleased for that.

      i'll be checking out your piece later today.

      it was pretty killer...

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