Not Your Father's Falcons: A New Age of Atlanta Falcons Football?

Atlanta Falcons are turning things around

The Packers possess the ball at their own 34-yard line with a little over six minutes left to play. They've gotten themselves in position to convert a fourth-and-one to continue milking the clock as they look to cling as tightly as possible to this, once twelve-point, lead that they've seen slowly dissipate throughout the final quarter.

Jordan Love gets under center, it's a quarterback sneak that every NFL quarterback has done at least once. Love just...botches it.

"“Yeah, just messed up the operation with the cadence on that one...Not everybody got the call to get the sneak, so I messed that operation up right there...I said the wrong thing. It’s pretty much not a play until I give the live word, pretty much, and I gave the wrong live word on that one.”"

- Jordan Love

Why did he botch it? According to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, it was a miscommunication due to the crowd noise in the arena.

""...If he thought he could get it on the sneak then it’s on him to check to it. I think he did. And nobody heard him. I mean it was loud and, you know, that’s just it’s an unfortunate situation.""

- Matt LaFleur

The crowd being loud shouldn't be a surprise, that's the whole point of a home-field advantage, is it not? But for Atlanta, it means more than just a few more decibels on a sound level meter. Falcons crowds haven't been loud for a while, and who can blame them? What has there been to cheer for?

From 2018-2022, the Falcons have been 32-50. A win percentage of 39%, eighth-worst in the league in that span. There hasn't been much to celebrate or cheer about in Atlanta.

The crowd being loud enough to disrupt Love last Sunday was more than just supporting the home team. It was a message sent from the fans to the players on the field. This is a new age of Atlanta Falcons football, and we are behind you.