Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and general manager Thomas Dimitroff (left) react as they leave the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 30-28 in the NFC divisional playoff game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Last year there was an interesting stat put out that deemed the Falcons the 6th least popular team in the NFL. I am sure we can all predict where we lost a huge part of our fan base (Michael Vicks Departure) but why haven’t the Atlanta Falcons gained any. It is pretty rare for a team with a great regular season record to be constantly underrated league wide but Atlanta is that team.When the new look falcons arrived in 2008 success was found year in and year out, even though there hasn’t been a Super Bowl you would expect more to be looking at the Falcons as a great group to root for.

Just look at what Thomas Dimitroff has done since he was hired to manage the team. He not only gets greatly skilled guys in the draft and free agency he makes sure they have great character. Everyone on the team does there best to stay out of trouble everyone keeps the locker room healthy. Usually people love teams like these and want to cheer them on but it’s very simple on why you don’t see the Atlanta Falcons covered league wide consistently.

Wins help but Super Bowls make all the difference it is the bottom line. Just look at the Steelers and Cowboys, former great teams who have 5+ Superbowl Championships each. They are talked about league wide even when they don’t do well because they have done it multiple times and people love them for it. Atlanta has never even won a Super Bowl so it makes sense why they don’t have a big fan base.

It was made clear last year that certain players on the Falcons want more recognition, more coverage and more praise for what they have done. Which is well deserved if it were the Patriots, Giants or Packers going 8-0 last year they would be carving there name into the Lombardi Trophy right there but Atlanta does not need all of that. Analysis like to pick on the Atlanta Falcons and there isn’t the national coverage we as fans would like but Atlanta should embrace the underdog mentality. The Atlanta Falcons would prefer teams to take them less seriously anyways. I personally love being a Falcons fan,with a small fan base you feel more apart of the victory it is us against everyone and that’s how we all need to feel.Before the Super Bowl victories, before people start taking the team seriously, before new fans are found by the teams success it is great we were here before the future happens for the falcons!!!

November 25, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) on the sidelines against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Atlanta Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Yeah yeah so called experts….We get it!!!…..The Falcons must perform well in the playoffs before anyone gives them any respect. But the playoffs aren’t here yet, and the Falcons and their fans feel like they still have some things to prove. We as bloggers like to focus on the now, and that now is tonight vs. the oh so hated “aints”.

Remember when sports commentators and enthusiasts proclaimed Atlanta as one of the worst sports cities in the United States. I could be wrong, but I just so happened to hear that the Atlanta airport die hards started the cooking last night by chucking a few eggs at the “Aints” team bus once they landed. Tell me that won’t stir things up a bit for a nice divisional dessert dish for Thursday Night Football. But remember…Atlanta doesn’t care about their sports teams… I would urge them to attend the Georgia Dome festivities tonight, because it is about to get rowdy.

Speaking of Rowdy, I really think if the Saints are smart they will double team Julio Jones all game. They did a decent job of limiting his touches last game (only four catches but for 75 yards), so look for rowdy Roddy White to explode for another big game.

When the two teams meet, there is always one position that gets a lot of play; the tight end. I’m not sure if it is because they are so concerned with the outside receivers on the Falcons end, or if the Falcons are so concerned with Colston in the slot, but whatever it is, tight ends rack up the yards and touchdowns. Last time these two teams met, the two tight ends accounted for 268 yards of offense and four touchdowns. If the Falcons are to win, they must keep Graham in check.

All this egg talk is making me hungry, and speaking of a nice dessert dish, the perfect icing for our cake would be to clinch the NFC South with the win tonight (and a Bucs loss Sunday to the Broncos…been there…done that). That first seed is still going to be up for grabs though, and pretty much burying the ’aints’ would kick off a nice push toward the playoffs. 

So let’s go Falcons…Rise up! And let’s play an “egg-cellent” game tonight for yourselves, the fans, and more importantly, for the (pre-playoff) respect.  

November 25, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) catches the pass for a touchdown as Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Leonard Johnson (29) defends during the second half of the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE

Each week for my post game analysis, I will give one offensive and defensive Falcon player a little “sugar” for his “sweet” playing on the field. I will also give one player on the Falcons a little ”salt” for his salty, lackluster play for the week. Please feel free to leave comments and provide your own “Sugar and Salt” for the week. You can also tweet me at @ianborders7 or all of us at @bloggingdirty to provide input for your picks each week.

Sugar (offense)- Julio Jones- Injured ankle? You think that can phase the artist formerly known as the “Predator”. Child please! Even with a slightly sprained ankle and a questionable game time decision, Julio was able to notch off six catches for 147 yards, including one 80 yard touchdown catch where he was able to explode past the corner, trip himself up, catch the ball, step on the corner, and stride away for a gloryful touchdown. In that one play, Julio was a combination of Usain Bolt (sprint off the line), Clumsy the Smurf (trip on the line), Jerry Rice (what a catch), Ndamukong Suh (stomp that fool), then back to Usain Bolt (he gone). This guy continues to aww not only Falcons fans, but the national media and fans alike. It is almost embarrassing to some of the veteran receivers that this is only his second year in the league and he has already solidified himself as one of the top 5 receivers in the league (can you name 5 that are better?)

Sugar (defense) – Sean Weatherspoon- It is hard to miss ‘Spoon’ when he is out on the field, and this is why the Falcons more than missed him when he was out of the line-up. ‘Spoon’ delivered shot after shot on Bucs behind the line all day in Tampa. Even when he wasn’t making tackles, he was blowing up  blocks so teammates could pursue free handed, or he was disrupting the route of a runner by taking away the outside lanes, forcing them back to the middle where the help was head-hunting. He helped hold one of this years top performing running backs in rookie Doug (muscle hamster) Martin to just 50 yards on 21 carries (his long was 10 yards). Sean is critical to the success of the Falcons this post-season, especially with the line-backing core being as thin and old as it is. He brings a certain amount of life and energy to the position that Falcons’ fans haven’t seen in this decade. I guess he missed out on Thanksgiving, because dude was hungry on Sunday. Gobble gobble!!!

Salt - Matt Bryant - I won’t even get into the fact that he is on my fantasy team and let me down in a critical match-up to win the league (can you tell I’m bitter…)…Aside from all of that, one thing you constantly hear from the media is how accurate the kickers are in the NFL. Up until this point, with the exception of maybe one other game, Bryant has been just that. Something went wrong against the Bucs though. Bryant went one for three on field goals in the game, one of which he missed from extra point range at the end of a fantastic drive to end the first half. Talk about a waste. Instead we entered halftime tied at 10 with the Bucs having the momentum of gaining the ball after the break. I’m sure Bryant will be extra focused this week at practice, especially since it is a short week and he will have a quick turnaround to redeem himself against the rival Saints. If my wits are about me, I think he will play a crucial role in the Thursday Night showcase.

November 25, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) claps as he gets pumped up during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Atlanta Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE