Word of advice, never believe all the hype coming from a team when that hype is one-sided. There was so much hope going into this game, simple because no one knew that football would be played this year.
After the Atlanta Falcons started the first eight games of the 2019 campaign going 1-7, they finished the last eight games strong at 6-2…but that was last year and this is this year. The game last Sunday looked like the 1-7 Falcons from last year. It started off well as DE Takk McKinley registered his first sack and the team’s first sack as he was untouched on the first play as he took Seahawks QB Russell Wilson down for the loss. The Falcons ended the game with 3 total sacks.
If you didn’t watch the game but looked at the boxscore without looking at the score, you would have thought for sure the Falcons won. But that wasn’t the case in the 38-25 defeat by the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterback Matt Ryan went 37/54 for 450 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. All three starting wideouts garnered over 100 yards, Julio Jones (157), Calvin Ridley (130 with 2 TDs), and Russell Gage (114). Newly addition Todd Gurley ran 14 times for 56 yards and one TD. But most of that came in the first half because the Falcons had to play catch up in the 2nd half and Ryan had to chunk it down field more.
But this game falls on the defense. On a 3rd and forever, 3rd and 23 to be exact, the Seahwaks picked up the first down with a pass interference call that wasn’t pass interference. It’s great to play the ball, but that ball wasn’t catchable and contact should have never been made. If safety Ricardo Allen doesn’t touch the receiver, a no call would have been called. But that’s just not the Falcons way. They get the PI calls all the time, even going back to the Keith Brooking years.
Falcons cut the Seahawks lead to 14-12 at the half with momentum, but first drive for the Seahawks in the second half goes for six as CB Isaiah Oliver gets beat on a 4th and 5 as Seahawks receiver Metcalf breaks away for the TD….game over!!!! Not to mention a failed 4th and 6 fake punt for the Falcons that they actually converted into a first down, but fumbled the ball back to the Seahawks.
This is only first game of season and many things good can still happen in the remaining 15 games. But signs of old times creeped in my head again.
In other News:
The Good: Mercedes-Benz Stadium new look with painted end zones looked really nice.
The Bad: The new Falcons uniforms with new helmet looked cheap. Maybe with the other 6 combinations they might look better on the field, but the all black just looked bad. (My opinion)
Photo 1 Courtesy of Field Gulls
Photo 2 Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Stadium Twitter
Photo 3 Courtesy of Falcoholic
Photo 4 Courtesy of Radio.com
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