Perhaps our next president should be Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Or perhaps even head coach Mike Smith. They may be this country’s best chance for a quick turnaround. Taking a team that won three games last season, saw its star quarterback go to prison and its coach jump ship, Dimitroff and Smith have worked a minor miracle these first three weeks of the NFL season. If only they were experts in inflation, the banking industry, unemployment and inflated gas prices.
The Falcons are quickly becoming one of the best stories in the league.
Who would have ever thought that they would be heading into the fourth game of the season at 2-1 and about to play at Carolina for the division lead?
Who would have ever thought that the Georgia Dome would have sold out for the first two games and that fans were quickly climbing back on the wagon?
Who would have ever thought that their rookie quarterback would have thrown just two interceptions in three games (zero in two of them) and been sacked just five times?
Who would have ever thought that running back Michael Turner would lead the NFL in rushing (366) and defensive end John Abraham would lead the league in sacks (six)?
And perhaps even most surprisingly, who would have ever thought Terence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution would have almost written (still a negative slant) something positive about the team? (C’mon Terry, you’re losing your touch.)
While right now I’m still sticking with my prediction that the Falcons will win eight games, it does appear the team is ahead of schedule on their road back. The fact that the Falcons beat Detroit and Kansas City, a combined 0-6, is not that surprising. It’s the way they did it, getting off to quick starts and then hammering both teams. I don’t think anyone, including the Falcons management, thought that the offense would get off to this kind of start. But the key is an offensive line that is much better than expected and a running game that is leading the league in rushing at 203 yards a game. The team is seventh in points scored at 27 a game.
Said Smith after the 38-14 win over Kansas City, “Our offense was able to run the football. That is really important. That is something that we stressed from Day 1 when Thomas (Dimitroff) and I were hired. We said we were going to be a physical football team and be able to run the football. Michael Turner had another 100-yard day rushing. I’m excited about being 2-1. We have a lot of things that we need to clean up all across the board with offense, defense, special teams and coaching. We look forward to watching this tape … It is a whole lot easier to make corrections with a win. Next Sunday can’t get here quick enough.”
Now focus on those last seven words – “Next Sunday can’t get here quick enough.”
This is another important step in this rebuilding process: having fun. If you watched the game closely on Sunday, the players were enjoying themselves on the field, taking pleasure in the overall beating of the Chiefs. Obviously, Smith and his coaching staff have brought not only a serious attitude to the team but also a positive one. On a team that had tons of backbiting last year—most of it directed at the head coach—this is a club that has found a cohesiveness, both on the field and in the locker room.
Each week the Falcons have taken a step forward, even in the loss to Tampa Bay when they came back and were in striking distance in the fourth quarter. Now they face a Carolina team coming off a 20-10 loss at Minnesota and then come back home to host the 1-2 Bears.
Now all this doesn’t mean that the Falcons will go out Sunday and beat the Panthers. But suddenly, a team that most so-called experts thought would win just two or three games (remember The Sporting News guy who said they would win one?), has become an interesting one. I keep reminding everyone of the fact that the last five teams that have won the NFC South were in dead last the year before.
Who knows, maybe Dimitroff and Smith will find a way.
I just hope Obama and McCain are watching.
WHERE ARE THE BRAVES HEADED?
I never thought I would be writing about a Braves team that as of Monday was 19 games below .500 and had a 26-49 record on the road. But the Braves are caught in a strange situation, with an inactive owner and a budget that allows them to spend some money but really forces them to build the team from the minor-league system. The biggest issue facing them is a lack of veteran starting pitching and the fact that Jeff Francoeur has only hit .239 with 11 home runs and 68 RBIs this season. Sure, there are other issues but many felt this was the year Frenchy would break out with some huge numbers and give this team a player to focus around. Actually, the team as a whole (thanks in part to catcher Brian McCann’s .296 average, 23 homers and 86 RBIs) is third in the league in hitting with a .265 average, but the home run numbers are way off, with just 125 long balls in 156 games compared to 176 in 162 games last year. General manager Frank Wren has a lot of work to do, though there is some good young talent in the organization. The key may be going out and finding someone to anchor a rotation and a pitching staff that currently is 13th in the league with a 4.50 ERA. I never thought I would be giving you that statistic.
Make sure to check out Score’s Sunday scoreboard show on 790 The Zone. You will get an update of the Falcons game and full rundown of the NFL games every 10 minutes as well as a look back at the college games on Saturday and the high-school games on Friday night. The fastest three hours in Atlanta radio is sponsored by Hooters and is hosted by Rosenberg and Fletcher Proctor. With the Falcons kicking off Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Carolina, you can catch the show this week from 1-4 p.m. Rosenberg can be reached at ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com and 404-256-1572.
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