It was one of the most highly-anticipated games in franchise history. The NFC South title was at stake. Home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs was also on the line. For good measure, lining up on the other side of the ball was the Atlanta Falcons’ biggest rival–the New Orleans Saints.
So there is no real way to sugarcoat it–Monday night’s 17-14 loss to the defending Super Bowl champions was devastating….
…But only for the time being, because there is plenty of good news. Atlanta has a chance less than one week later to make a seemingly brutal setback almost inconsequential. If the Falcons take care of 2-13 Carolina on Sunday afternoon at the Georgia Dome, they still win the division and clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Monday night would become nothing other than a motivational tool for the playoffs.
“There is nothing good that comes from losing,” head coach Mike Smith told the AJC.
Perhaps that is true, but what is also true is that there are varying degree of losses; from meaningless to disappointing to crippling to season-ending. Unless the Falcons somehow parlay this one into a second consecutive defeat, it is on the benign end of the spectrum. In fact, you can argue that they are in the exact same position in which they found themselves prior to Monday night–needing just one more home win to get everything they want out of the regular season.
“We control our own destiny,” wideout Roddy White said in his post-game interview for the team’s website. “We just have to get ourselves ready to go play Carolina next week and get ready for the playoffs. We’re going to have a couple games back here so we gotta get ourselves going.”
On the bright side of Monday night’s proceedings, the Falcons’ defense is in high gear. The unit forced two interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown by Chauncey Davis) and limited Drew Brees to his second lowest passer rating of the season (77.1). Had it not been for a botched snap by center Todd McClure and a fumble on the Saints’ one-yard line by running Michael Turner, the conversation this week likely would have been much different.
A win almost surely would have meant a Sunday off for most of Atlanta’s starters. Instead, Matt Ryan and company will back on the field in hopes of preventing a Carolina upset that would put the Falcons’ division hopes and perfect playoff position on thin ice. New Orleans wins the NFC South if it beats Tampa Bay and Atlanta loses. The Chicago Bears can snag the No. 1 seed if they beat Green Bay and the Falcons fall.
“I like where we are at,” Smith assured. “There are 15 other teams in the NFC that probably would want to trade places with us right now.”
The Saints included.
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