Atlanta Falcons at Crossroads With Trip To New Orleans

At first glance, the trajectory of the Atlanta Falcons under the current brain trust is strikingly similar to the Atlanta Falcons under Jim Mora.

In Jim Mora’s first season, the 2004 Falcons feasted on a weak schedule to go 11-5 and earn a division crown.  The 2008 Falcons, under Mike Smith, put together an identical 11-5 record against an equally weak schedule to earn a Wild Card entry.

The 2004 Falcons possessed a rising superstar at the quarterback position and were seemingly loaded with young talent, much like the 2008 squad.

Both teams posted disappointing results in year two under heightened expectations.  Expectations for the 2006 Falcons, as with the 2010 team, remained lofty.

That is where the similarities end.

The Jim Mora led Falcons possessed the talent to knock off any team in the league, but lacked the discipline and professionalism to prepare for and win games against inferior teams.  The 2005 collapse began with a home loss to a 1-7 Packers team.  When playoff hopes faded, the team simply quit, closing the season with a disgraceful effort in a 44-11 home loss to Carolina. 

The 2006 Falcons showed similar character by dropping consecutive games to the Lions and Browns after wins against the Steelers and Bengals.  That squad closed out the season losing a game at Philadelphia with the Eagles entire starting lineup sitting on the bench.

Those Jim Mora teams had poor character, a trait not shared by the current squad.

After the 2009 Falcons were effectively eliminated from playoff contention with a heartbreaking home loss to New Orleans, the team responded by winning their last three games to secure the franchise’s first back to back winning seasons.  The team kept working and never showed an ounce of quit.

Under Mike Smith’s leadership, the Falcons have routinely put away inferior competition, both at home and on the road.  The team has not, however, shown that it belongs among the NFL’s elite by winning tough games on the road, with the possible exception a win against the NY Jets last December.

Against this background, the Falcons trip to New Orleans presents an important crossroads for the team.  This team has displayed it has character and it has shown it has discipline.  What the Falcons have not shown under Mike Smith’s leadership is that they can hang with the big dogs.

The Falcons do not need to prove to the media or the fans that they are contenders.  Nearly half of the talking heads picked the Falcons to dethrone New Orleans this year as division champs, and Falcons fans are extremely bullish on the team’s prospects.

And why wouldn’t they be?  The Falcons boast a former Rookie of the Year at in Matt Ryan,  with Pro Bowl offensive skill position players in Roddy White and Michael Turner, and a future Hall of Fame player in Tony Gonzalez.  On defense, the Falcons boast a stud rookie linebacker in Sean Weatherspoon and a big name free agent signing in Dunta Robinson. 

Still, the Falcons need to prove it to themselves.  In 2008, Atlanta’s miracle run ended when the team faltered in the hostile road environment at Arizona.  Last year, the Falcons had three opportunities to prove they belonged with trips to New England, Dallas, and New Orleans.  The Falcons fought admirably in New Orleans, but were handled convincingly in New England and Dallas (The Dirty Word of AtlantaFalconsTalk.com expresses a similiar sentiment here - http://atlantafalconstalk.com/showthread.php?tid=466 ).

So here we are again.  It’s 2010, and the media and fan base alike fancy the Falcons as contenders.  The Falcons will come out of New Orleans two games behind the division leader if they lose or possibly tied for the division lead if they win.  For that reason alone, the game is critical.

Self validation is even more important for the team.  Sure, the Falcons will have more opportunities to beat good teams this year, with games against the Ravens, Eagles, and Packers on the schedule, as well as the late season rematch with the Saints.

But for this team, the path to Super Bowl XXXLV is much more tenable if the question is answered this Sunday.  The game is set up favorably for the Falcons, with the Saints coming off a Monday Night slugfest on the west coast with the 49ers.  The Saints have lost Reggie Bush, forcing them to address their punt return situation and make strip some pages from their playbook in a short week. 

The game appears quite winnable, and in fact many in the national media expect the Falcons to win.

So here the Falcons sit, at these crossroads, painted in black and gold.  Will the Falcons follow the road to greatness, or turn back down the road of the also-rans?