SloMotion

Lack of leadership.

atltillidie

So absolutely noone steps up to the plate to you? I think it's outrageous to say that any NFL team doesn't have any leaders. How about Roddy White? Asante Samuel? Sean Weatherspoon? Matt Ryan? McClure? Tony G? You have to have leaders to get the NFCG. Can you give me multiple examples of this?

Jamessr

San Fran... yeah I'll say Atlanta was better but you guys did a horrible job and holding on to a 20 point lead...
Baltimore... NO way This was the Ravens year
Ray Ray could have ran on the field and shanked someone and the announcers would have just said
" Give it up for Ray Lewis everyone " ** applause**
Golden boy this year

WillSaints81

You don't lose games like that at your redzone knowing all you needed was to run the ball or get a fg and you let the 49ers get a turnover and you had another chance after that. The saints wouldnt lose in that situation. In fact that drive was nothing compared to the overtime drive where Brees had to get his team in fg range against a tough vikings defense. When falcons face that let me know because I don't believe Ryan will succeed.

atltillidie

We couldn't take a field goal... and don't you remember the Seattle game?? We drove ball down the field and got a game-winning field goal in less than 30 seconds.

WillSaints81

Well maybe so. But if thats the case, he snuck up on people. I do not believe Flacco is going to live up to his contract.

Atl you're on our board we're not giving the falcons credit for anything. the leadership needs to come from Ryan or your defense. But if the latter, they have to start playing like a scary defense. You just got rid of a player who was one of the biggest problems for Brees on your team and now it will take a season or so before you will maintain that pass rush presence. Without Lewis Flacco would not have gotten to the sb it would have been Manning. Ryan doesnt have a Ray Lewis on his team who is the biggest defensive leader in the league. But its not only that the falcons are gonna have to go through us. Its easy to disect a dcoord for a circus act team and puppet head coach but how about look at his work more closely and see how the games were won and loss. Go look at the browns' stats defensively in 2010. Rob Ryan is gonna be a good hire of our at least for a season or so before its figured out and its going to make our team as good or better than 2011. And Atlanta better have what it takes to beat NE or go win in Lambeau because that is going to decide the NFC South winner. And they need to worry about the likes of Carolina and Tampa Bay who have played Atlanta tough in recent years. Cam has been trying to beat the falcons and three of four games he's outplayed Ryan. We are not afraid of a runningback who will have his carries reduced in Atlanta therefore making him rusty throughout the game. He was good in St.Louis because he was the offense. Just look at what happened to Ricky and Ronnie in Miami or Dwill in Carolina when their carries were reduced. The careers of the former are over and Carolina fans have figured out that there is nothing wrong with Dwill but that he is being rusted. Good luck with Stephen Jackson who has had some flaws in recent years and even older than Ronnie Brown and Dwill.

The falcons think the saints are that beatable. Personally I believe the saints biggest achilles heels are west coast road games, cold weather games against top notch defenses. If Dallas, Seattle, Detroit win their divisions then Dallas would have had to beat us in the sd, giving us an advantage in a rematch, Seattle we already would have gotten a test in reg season(like giants in their sb run), and lions are not that good enough to beat a team like us even in another dome which we do not struggle in. However falcons are vulnerable playing against two of those teams. They do not go to Seattle in the reg season they have them at home. Also, if Atlanta were to win division and beat Seattle in reg season Seattle very well could win their division and it would come back to haunt them. There is no good defense for a team who is too prepared. And a team at that who was good enough to win on the road against Washington and almost Atlanta with no game knowledge, imagine what they will do with game knowledge. As a saints fan I probably would want us to lose to Seattle if we can afford to just to use what we know against them in the playoffs. So in essence it doesnt look good for Atlanta next year knowing if they were to win the division they would have to play Seattle again very likely in the playoffs.

But we'll see, the saints offense is just that much more explosive I can't see us going down to Atlanta two years in a row when their passing game is predictable.

WillSaints81

The pats never won a sb after the big Moss deal and now still can't when they have a big time TE in Gronk. The cowboys never got to a NFCCG or a sb with TO and Witten. The eagles have Djac and Maclin and haven't went. The vikings had Rice, Harvin and haven't went(funny thats Seattle's starting receivers). Weapons don't make a team win better. Coaching does.

Surprisingly enough saints actually do have big weapons. Colston is underrated, and we have Graham. We have one other physical receiver in Moore. And we actually do have strong players on defense, but we have leadership! We had Vilma coaching defense(which is why he stayed imo), Brees coaching offense, and a team that cares about winning or else they wouldnt have for three straight seasons. Saints pass defense was terrible in 11 yet still was able to stop Cam, Ryan the last two games. Its called inspired football. Matt Ryan despite the falcons winning the last game didnt do much to beat us. He has not played his best in any game Brees hasnt and when he does so does Brees, Brees is one step ahead of Ryan when they play. Ryan just turns the ball over less. But even with all those ints the saints were able to give Brees the ball back. Brees lost that game, falcons didnt win it.

It doesnt matter falcons are the media NFCS favorites while we are the underdogs. The Atlanta atmosphere is nothing like NO.

atltillidie

No one believed we would get to where we got to before the 2012 season. Most of the projected records for us in 2012 were in the 9-7 to 8-8 range, and even when we were the only undefeated team left, we still heard many excuses as to why we weren't very good. No one believed in us. So, we aren't the media darlings you say we are.

WillSaints81

Who's picking us? The thing is in a year where the saints gave everyone a free pass, you don't squander opportunities. Saints won 13 games in 2011 and ended up a 3 seed. The two years they did not win as many games: a torn MCL that Brees got against yours truly week 3 and played hurt all season and the bountygate where Payton got suspended and our defense and even offense were filled with offseason distractions, the lawsuits with the defense and Brees holding out.

But good luck since you want to be so liked here. I just believe our team will be too fired up next year.

SloMotion

Dumb mistakes, missed responsibilities, busted coverages, terrible tackling, lack of pass rush (in crucial games) ... all are indicative of a breakdown in leadership or a reflection of talent. So which is it? You can't have both. If you had both, you'da been SB champs, eh? .