Falcon Fever Finally Frail

It was bad enough the Braves season abruptly ended out west. And then the Hawks preseason opener, as with so many regular season games, a couple of baskets from a win, but with the Falcons loss on Monday night to the Jets it made Oct 8th stamped in Hotlanta more of a Notlanta mark in Georgia sport fans history.
A very frail Falcon team now with news of Julio gone, is looking at the bye week not to get just healthy but to make some hard decisions to salvage the season and fight for a wild card shot. Who would have thought it would come to this so quickly with just five weeks of 2013 played out?
The loyal faithful have endured crushing last minute losses to very good football teams in the Saints, Pats and Dolphins, with two of those in the tough NFL on the road. The fans know all too well that the injuries have turned small holes to larger craters and it was expected the abundance of rookie injection would bring some youth growing pains to our success. True feathered flock followers were smart enough to know after appearing in the NFC championship that Atlanta would be on the oppositions radar and that the Birds schedule was much more difficult than a year ago. But it was not expected that frail would turn to fail.
Never did I, and I can assume many, for a moment think that a large margin over the Jets in total yards, first downs, time of possession and a passer rating for Ryan of 111.0 would equate to a defeat. It is unthinkable that the Smith / Ryan birds would lose two straight games in the dome. How could a rookie quarterback having trouble to date come into the nest and look so polished ?
Even when Jackson went to the sideline with injury not many of the flock thought we’d want Turner back.
And while on the subject of back, how different would it be now if Abraham was brought back when we had the chance? It’s the little things that are making the Falcons season so frail and it has come to a panic level with the latest news of a team strength, the receiving corps. Supernatural forces have been rumored to now haunt these last years of the Birds Dome.
Over reacting or ridiculous nonsense ? Then stop and ponder the reality that the steady and stand tall Smith may have become so hell bent on the red zone issue that he’d pass on a chip shot field goal after having the ball at the Jets nine yard line and failing six different plays to score right before halftime what would have been an important field goal at games end. Then there is the strange but true fact that this weird science has even gone to the depths of Matt Bosher, whose first quarter blocked punt resulted into a field goal for the Jets and whose fourth quarter fifteen yard penalty helped position an eventual touchdown.
Crazy as the Mad Hatter I am when I see after five games, with short passes Ryan’s only true weapon, our slot receiver H.D averaging 3 catches a game and with more fumbles than touchdowns. It is also a very dark omen to know that Roddy’s numbers are worse than Harry’s! This is as tough as a Falcon Fever Faithful would ever imagine. I even think at season start their would be many who would have taken the view that even if Matty Ice had been on the injury report for a couple of games, that at this juncture of the season the Falcons would still sustain good play and sit on a perch of more like a 3 – 2 record. The one thing that has gone solid this year is that Ryan has stood tall, played at a high level through the offensive line and rushing attack woes, and still emits some shining hope they can still make the playoffs. Time to test and evaluate the depth chart for there is no other choice. Certain play calling by both coordinators needs a retooling.
The bye week could never have come at a better time. Falcon Fever is Frail, so I hope the coaching staff introduces some new schemes, as hard as it is to change the flight path, so the season does not progress into a coma that will sustain damage beyond this unlucky 2013.