A Huge Step Back

Last night, for the first time in the past three seasons, the Falcons took a step back as a franchise. In front of a crazy crowd at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons crumbled under the pressure of the playoffs.

The third year quarterback who has garnered comparisons to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, threw the worst interception I have ever seen in a big game. The Hall of Fame tight end who was brought to Atlanta two years ago to win a Super Bowl, managed only one catch, and then missed the rest of the game with an injury. The coach who resurrected this franchise with his steady hand and professional approach was left to just watch helplessly as his team was dismantled for the world to see. Funny how we didn't see Arthur Blank on the sideline at the end of last night's game.

No last night's game was not apart of the master plan for the Falcons. When they lost on the road in the playoffs two years ago, the thought was that this team had no where to go but up, and that it was an amazing turnaround from the 2007 season. Some people might be inclined to think the same thing after last night, but those people aren't considering the modern NFL.

You don't get dynasties these days.

Wait! What about the Patriots?

The Patriots won three Super Bowls in four years, but when they won their first Super Bowl in 2001, they were huge underdogs to the Rams, and their leader was still a wide-eyed kid who had yet to really become the quarterback we have seen for the past few seasons. During their prime, yes the Patriots won back to back Super Bowls, but that only further proves my point.

When opportunity knocks in the NFL, you better answer fast. Injuries change NFL seasons more than any other sport. The Patriots can tell you about that when Tom Brady got hurt in 2008 after setting the world on fire in 2007, but losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl. Brady hurt, season over.

The Falcons stayed healthy for the most part this season. They earned the NFC's number one seed, a bye in the first round, and had their two biggest concerns (Saints and Eagles) lose last week. Sure the Packers are a good team, this is the playoffs! You don't get to play teams like Carolina in the playoffs.

This franchise has done amazing things in the past three seasons. Yes they have a lot of pieces in place to continue to be a force in the NFC. But you can't take anything for granted in the NFL, and when things fall your way, you had better capitalize and get the ring.

This afternoon, either the Bears or the Seahawks will advance to play the Packers in the NFC title game. And Falcon fans will sit back and wonder, what might have been?

What might have been is the thought that this town is used to wondering, but for the Falcons, let's just hope that they take this loss as a very painful lesson. Because there is no guarantee that this team will ever have a clearer path to the Super Bowl than the one they had this season.