NFC Wildcard breakdown from a Falcons perspective!

The fight for supremacy in the NFC South has been hard fought in 2008. The biggest game of the year for this division was undoubtedly last Monday night in Charlotte. The Panthers simply ran over the Tampa Bay defense. The Panthers hold a one game advantage with the win and a second seed in the NFC playoffs. Great! now what Falcons faithful? Do we give up and accept that we have had a great season? Or, do we go out and beat the Bucs and Vikings and go to the playoffs?

The Cowboys are fading, the Vikings and Bears are trying to find ways to lose their division and the Eagles have a really tough schedule against the Redskins and the Cowboys in week 16 & 17.

 The Cowboys are finding ways to lose. They had no reason at all to lose in Pittsburgh… none! They lost that game because of Tony Romo’s inability to play like he is expected to play. Romo has potential to be sure but he just doesn’t seem to make the right decisions in the most dire of situations. He is a QB in the NFL on THE marquee franchise in the league. He is Mickey Mantle in a helmet, the face of the franchise and so far he isn’t cutting it. That pick in the dying seconds on that cold western Pennsylvania night was, in my opinion the final death rattle for a team that I picked to win the Superbowl. Now comes word that Owens is angry that Romo and Witten are too good of friends and that T.O. isn’t getting thrown to enough is just indicative of the issues on this squad and why I say they have as much chance to take the wildcard spot that I feel the Falcons rightfully deserve and will ultimately win.

 The NFC North is a blight on the NFL. Can you think of a more underachieving division? I know the NFC West is bad too but the north has actual talent unlike the boys out west.  I like one team in the whole division and that is the Packers. The Pack interest me and the rest of the division is so boring, so one dimensional that they just kill me.

 Chicagowon last night thank goodness but the Bears have the most boring D ever! They don’t do anything to throw off an offense at all. They don’t stunt or run anything different at all and I think the offense is so dependant on Matt Forte that if anything happens to him this team would be lost. Brian Urlacher is a very good linebacker and that defense has some very good players but I feel they will win the division and be fodder for a butt kicking to a superior team.

 Minnesota is just garbage. Sorry I can’t say anything nice about a team that finds a way to be so bad with a D that appeared to have the pieces to be one of the best ever. I like the defense so much I thought they would be just amazing and just kill everybody. Boy was I wrong. They are good but they are underwhelming because of a very very weak quarterback situation. Anyone who says you can have an average QB and a good defense and running game can win you a championship only has to look at this team and see that teams like the 2000 Ravens had something extra that these guys I just just don’t seem to have.

 The Falcons feature balance, youth and talent. Matt Ryan is the rookie of the year and potential league MVP! Michael Turner is just astounding and Mike Smith is doing something with a team that no one expected to do. They are in a competitive division and they play up to their competition. They have their issues like a soft pass defense and special teams that have made some really costly mistakes but overall they hold an advantage that the other teams listed above do not have….. cue the harps fellas, HEART! They want to win they want to play well they want to get better and they like to play. That is the best part of this team and the reason I love blogging about them.

 Tampa Bay has a defense that just beats you. They tackle well they don’t give up on plays and they make sure to punish you every time they can. Ruud is going to be the next great Buccaneer and he is going to do it by being a hell of a hitter and a solid linebacker. I don’t really like that they are in my teams division and I don’t want Turner running into that defense anymore than necessary but I do respect what Monte Kiffin has done and I like those guys. The offense is just bad, inconsistent and not at scary to me at all.