The way the Atlanta Falcons season ended, it may be tough for fans to get excited about the long ensuing offseason.
The odds of Atlanta ending its seven-year postseason drought looked bright on Nov. 3, when $180 million quarterback Kirk Cousins was playing well, the team had a 6-3 record and a three-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South divisional race.
kAmpD u2=4@?D’ DFAA@CE6CD 2C6 H6== 2H2C6 @7 — 2?5 ?@H FD65 E@ — pE=2?E2 H:== 36 H2E49:?8 E96 A=2J@77D 7C@> E96 4@F49 282:? E9:D H66<6?5 27E6C r@FD:?D 7F>3=65 2H2J 9:D DE2CE:?8 DA@E 2?5 D2H E96 E62> 7:?:D9 E96 J62C =@D6CD :? D:I @7 6:89E 82>6D] %96 E62> 7:?:D965 g\h 2?5 2==@H65 E96 d\`a r2C@=:?2 !2?E96CD’ @776?D6 E@ 6IA=@56 7@C 2 cc\bg @G6CE:>6 H:? :? pE=2?E2 :? $F?52J’D D62D@? 7:?2=6]k^Am
kAm%96 u2=4@?D 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 4FE r@FD:?D 367@C6 9:D S`_ >:==:@? C@DE6C 3@?FD :D 5F6 @? |2C49 `f] u2?D 92G6 42==65 7@C E96 7:C:?8D @7 7:CDE\J62C 9625 4@249 #2966> |@CC:D[ C@@<:6 }u{ 5676?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C y:>>J {2<6 2?5 86?6C2= >2?286C %6CCJ u@?E6?@E]k^Am
kAmxE 2AA62CD E96 E9C66 92G6 DFCG:G65 E96 >2DD 5:D>:DD2=D @7 E96 7:CDE H66< @7 E96 =628F6’D @77D62D@?] w6=A:?8 E96 EC:@’D 9@E D62E :D E96 36=:67 E92E E9:D 7C2?49:D6 92D 2 3C:89E 7FEFC6 2?5 2 C6EFC? E@ H:??:?8 4@F=5 36 :? E96 4@>:?8 J62CD]k^Am
kAm#@@<:6 BF2CE6C324< |:4926= !6?:I yC] =@@<65 DE6==2C :? E9C66 82>6D 2D 2 DE2CE6C[ E9C@H:?8 7@C ffd J2C5D 2?5 E9C66 E@F495@H?D H9:=6 5@:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 96 4@F=5 E@ 96=A D?62< E96 u2=4@?D :?E@ E96 A@DED62D@?]k^Am
kAm(96? !6?:I H2D F?6IA64E65=J 5C27E65 3J E96 E62> H:E9 E96 6:89E9 @G6C2== A:4< @? pAC:= ad[ u2=4@?D’ 72?D H6C6 FA :? 2C>D 27E6C E96 E62> 925 ;FDE D:8?65 r@FD:?D E@ 2 >2DD:G6 562=]k^Am
kAm}@H[ :E =@@<D =:<6 >2?286>6?E 8F6DD65 C:89E 2D E96 7C2?49:D6 92D :ED BF2CE6C324< @7 E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 8FJD @? E9:D E62> E92E 42? >2<6 3:8\E:>6 A=2JD 24C@DD E96 3@2C5[” !6?:I D2:5 :? 9:D 6I:E :?E6CG:6H] “%92E’D H92E H6’C6 DFA6C 6I4:E65 23@FE] ~3G:@FD=J[ E9:?8D 5:5?’E 8@ 2D 72C 2D ?@E >2<:?8 E96 A=2J@77D[ 3FE H6 <?@H H6’G6 8@E E@ 2EE24< E96 @77D62D@? 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 H6 4@>6 324< H:E9 E96 C:89E >:?5D6E ?6IE J62C]”k^Am
kAmp:5:?8 E96 E62>’D 6I4:E6>6?E 7@C a_ad H:== 36 E96 4@?E:?F2E:@? @7 q:;2? #@3:?D@?’D DE6==2C 62C=J 42C66C] yFDE aa J62CD @=5 2?5 :? 9:D D64@?5 D62D@?[ #@3:?D@? CFD965 7@C `[cde J2C5D 2?5 E@E2=65 `d E@F495@H?D[ 6>6C8:?8 2D @?6 @7 E96 =628F6’D 92C56DE CF??:?8 324<D E@ E2<6 5@H?] s6D6CG:?8 @7 A=2J:?8 7@C 2 H:??:?8 E62>[ #@3:?D@? 649@65 9:D BF2CE6C324<’D D6?E:>6?ED 27E6C $F?52J’D =@DD HC2AA65 FA E96 a_ac 42>A2:8?]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 ?6H @AA@CEF?:EJ 4@>:?8 ?6IE D62D@? 2?5 H6 92G6 E@ 6?E6C E96 @77D62D@? E96 C:89E H2J[” #@3:?D@? D2:5] “(6 92G6 E@ F?56CDE2?5 E92E H92E H6 5@ :D ?@E 7@C E96 C68F=2C D62D@?] (6 H2?E E@ 8@ 2== E96 H2J] xE 2== DE2CED H:E9 2EE24<:?8 6G6CJ 52J E96 C:89E H2J] … x =@G6 6G6CJ D:?8=6 A=2J6C 2?5 4@249 :? E9:D =@4<6C C@@>] x =@G6 %6CCJ 2?5 #2966>[ E96J C62==J 3C:?8 E96 C:89E A6CD@?2=:E:6D 2?5 8FJD :? E92E H@C< 92C5 6G6CJ D:?8=6 52J] qFE 7@C FD :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 23@FE 4@CC64E:?8 E96 E9:?8D E92E H6 ?665 E@ 4@CC64E :? E96 @77D62D@?] x7 H6 5@ E92E[ H6’== 92G6 DF49 2? 6IA=@D:G6 E62> ?6IE J62C]”k^Am
kAmpE=2?E2’D @776?D:G6 4@C6 6IA64ED E@ 36 D:>:=2C ?6IE D62D@?[ H:E9 !6?:I[ #@3:?D@? 2?5 CF??:?8 324< %J=6C p==86:6C Wecc CFD9:?8 J2C5D[ E9C66 E@F495@H?DX :? E96 324<7:6=5[ 2?5 H:56 C646:G6CD sC2<6 {@?5@? W`__ C646AE:@?D[ `[af` J2C5D 2?5 ?:?6 E@F495@H?DX 2?5 s2C?6== |@@?6J Whha J2C5D[ 7:G6 D4@C6DX @FE H:56]k^Am
kAm~7E6?\>2=:8?65 E:89E 6?5 zJ=6 !:EED 92D @?6 >@C6 J62C @? 9:D 4@?EC24E[ 3FE 9:D A=2J :? a_ad H:== 36 <6J 7@C E96 6IE6?D:@? @7 9:D 42C66C]k^Am
kAm(:E9 pCE9FC q=2?<D’ 4@?7:56?46 :? |@CC:D 2?5 u@?E6?@E DE:== 7:C>[ E96 5F@ H:== 368:? E@ 2DD6DD E96 C@DE6C :? E96 4@>:?8 52JD]k^Am
kAmQ*@F DE2CE H:E9 J@FC E62> 7:CDE[Q |@CC:D D2:5] Q%92EVD H92E H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ 5@ E9:D H66<] (:E9 6?5\@7\D62D@? 6G2=F2E:@?D[ J@F 86E 2 492?46 E@ E2=< 23@FE 2== E96 8FJD 4@>:?8 324<[ H96E96C E96JVC6 :?;FC65 @C H96E96C E96JVC6 @? E96 E62> 2?5 962=E9J] *@F 86E 2 492?46 E@ 6G2=F2E6 E9@D6 8FJD 2?5 <:?5 @7 92G6 2 be_ 2==\2C@F?5 23@FE @FC A=2J6CD] p?5 E96? @3G:@FD=J E92E @A6?D FA :?E@ &upD ?6IE 2?5 E96? @3G:@FD=J E@ @FC 4@==686 5C27E 2?5 D@ @? 2?5 D@ @?]Qk^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 u2=4@?D’ <6J F?C6DEC:4E65 7C66 286?ED @? E96 @776?D:G6 D:56 2C6 !C@ q@H= 2=E6C?2E6 46?E6C sC6H s2=>2?[ H:56 C6=:6G6C 2?5 DA64:2= E62>D’ DE2?5@FE z92s2C6= w@586 2?5 AF?E C6EFC?6C pG6CJ (:==:2>D] s676?D:G6=J[ =:?6324<6CD {@C6?K@ r2CE6C 2?5 |2EE96H yF5@?[ =:?6>6? %2’"F@? vC292> 2?5 z6?E2G:@FD $EC66E 2?5 5676?D:G6 324<D #:49:6 vC2?E[ |:<6 wF896D 2?5 yFDE:? $:>>@?D H:== 92G6 E96:C 7FEFC6D 6G2=F2E65 :? E96 4@>:?8 >@?E9D]k^Am
kAm%96 u2=4@?D H:== 92G6 E96 `dE9 A:4< :? pAC:=’D a_ad }u{ sC27E :? vC66? q2J]k^Am
Recommended for you
Scenes from the McDonough Library Grand Reopening held Thursday, Jan. 9. Click for more.PHOTOS: McDonough Library Grand Reopening
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.