
Originally Posted by
SpartaChris
Losing key players aside, Atlanta also needs to look at themselves in the mirror and figure out of they need a culture change. They went 13-3 this season, yet not one single team in the playoffs was afraid of them. They didn't pass the eye test, and proved they're STILL not ready for prime time when they choked away two sizable leads, and found themselves eliminated one step away from playing in their second Super Bowl. Until proven differently, they aren't a team you can really take seriously when it matters.
Agreed 100%. Consistently successful teams routinely win games they're winning by more than 10pts. Atlanta has a coaching problem, in blowing all these leads. I haven't seen all their games, but in the 2 playoff games they were murdering their opponent early. Then they systematically stop doing what got them to that point, and let the team creep back in. Construct a game plan to not let that happen.
I've watched my team for the last 2 decades jump out to 10+ point leads and win the game a remarkable 140 something times vs just 2 losses. Yes we went conservative, and relied on our defense and running game to eat clock. We had the d and run game to execute this plan. The falcons have neither, but.certainly played like they believed they did. To win, they needed to keep calling the same offense. Score more points and force the other team to gamble into making turnovers. It's what the offensive juggernauts do with mediocre defenses to win.
I just don't get it, and I'm further confounded Smith didn't figure this out after doing so and narrowly beating the hawks. Could he have possibly thought it would work vs a very similar team to the hawks in the niners? Put that loss squarely on the coach...
"If I could start my life all over again, I would be a professional football player, and you damn well better believe I would be a Pittsburgh Steeler." Jack Lambert, 1990 HoF Introduction.
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