When I was talking with my dad on the phone and said “I think the Falcons are going to kill us, I think we’ll lose by 20” I didn’t think I was being generous!
Oh well, RIP Dom Capers probably. It’s ok, it wasn’t your fault even though most fans think it was…
This was, essentially, the Packers’ ninth “elimination game” in a row. It felt like they finally ran out of gas.
Atlanta’s pass rush pressured Rodgers like he hadn’t been in weeks, and the Falcons were finally the team which figured out how to take advantage of the Packers’ depleted defense.
Pulling for the Falcons in the Super Bowl, only because (assuming New England advances) I don’t like the Patriots much.
Ahhh. Pats.
I saw that differently. For my eyes it wasn’t so much the Packers offense being overwhelmed by the Falcons defense as it was the Falcons offense dominating with the Packers defense having no answer. The Green Bay defense looked slow against that offense and failed to capitalize on a few turnover opportunities when they were presented.
The Ripkowski fumble was especially regrettable, seeing as how it came at the tail end of an incredibly awesome big old white boy Fullback run.
Green Bay had no response to the Falcon offense. Dom Capers ran out of illusionist tricks to fake having enough really good DBs on the field. 
Didn’t make much difference in the scheme of things, but on the Packers’ fumble, how was that a touchback, when the defender deliberately rolled back into the end zone?
Apparently, the NFL said “Gained possession with left leg touching the goal line so it is a touchback. Momentum and ball at 1-yd line if body part not in EZ.” But I can’t see anything in the NFL rulebook that justifies that. Can anyone else?
What a terrible playoff season. There was really only one good game (GB vs Dallas). I guess Pitt vs. KC was close, but I wouldn’t say it was a good game. I’m sure the upcoming Pro Bowl will be a great one.
This is where I was/am. Like someone said, they’ve been in the playoffs for two months now. They were either going to finish it out in a ridiculously dramatic style, or the wheels were going to come off and the whole mess fall apart. They simply ran out of gas, and my euphoria was going to crash the same way.
I’m not as despondent as after the last NFCCG loss, because that was all but won and I truly felt we had a team to win it all. At midseason, the Packers were .500 and already missing key starters. When they fell to 4-6, I wouldn’t have taken 50-1 odds they would get this far, let alone the way they did it. It was a hell of a ride, and now I have to get off.
Living with the smugness of Vikings fans all over work and town, though? You’d think their team didn’t fall apart three months ago by how they’ve been acting.
FWIW, the Patriots are 4-0 in the Super Bowl against animal-helmet teams (Rams, Eagles, Panthers, Seahawks) and 0-4 against teams with lettered helmets (C, G, NY)
Falcons up…
Nope, that is the rule. I don’t have the article and clause memorized, but as long as any part of the player is touching (or beyond) the goal line on possession, it’s ruled a touchback. It’s the same thing on kickoffs out of bounds. To use a Packers reference, Ty Montgomery was on kickoff duty and, while his feet were out of bounds, he jumped on the kickoff. Because of his feet, it was ruled a kick out of bounds and the Pack got the ball on the 40.
This is how I am about it. We were playing with house money from the end of the Giant game (this year) on. I’m also with you on the loss to the Giants a couple years ago, and I’m even more angry at that godawful Seattle game 2 years ago.
I know we aren’t the only fanbase that says this, but it’s annoying to see the same problems over and over again, yet no one in management seems to do anything to change it. Every single year it’s injuries and linebackers and defensive line. Yet we keep chugging along with McCarthy. Sigh. Oh well, I won’t keep this off-topic anymore. If we had to lose to an NFC team this year, I’m glad it’s the Falcons. They were truly the best NFC team all year (Dallas a close second IMO) and I don’t hate their fans like I hate Dallas’ 
The Falcons helmet is a stylized Falcon in the shape of an “F”, which will make this the first SB to end in a tie…
That’s only true for punts
[QUOTE=NFL Rule Rule 9 Section 2 Article 2]
(5) If a player of the kicking team touches the goal line with any part of his body while touching the ball, the ball is dead, and the result of the play is a touchback.
[/QUOTE]
But there’s nothing I can find about fumble recoveries acting that way. Nothing in Rule 8 Sect 7 on Fumbles, nothing in Rule 11, Section 6 Touchback (which also re-iterates the punt-downing rule about touching the end line, while making it clear it only applies to punts), nothing in Rule 7 Dead Ball.
Again, it didn’t matter much (19 yards was, what, two plays for the Falcons) but it seems to me the referees screwed up and the NFL issued a bogus explanation. I can’t blame them for not calling a safety there, though it could have been technically justified, but the ball really should have been at the 1 yard line.
The rule sited is Rule 5, Section 5, Article 1:
I’m kinda liking the Falcons. They seem legitimately good, like next level good. They’ve never won a championship. This feels like their time, and I’d be happy for the team and fanbase if they manage to pull off a win.
That said, despite looking like a way, way, way better team than the Patriots, I just don’t see the Falcons winning.
The Falcons are hot in the postseason and the Patriots are far from invincible. Seattle beat them convincingly at Foxborough, with Brady playing, before Gronk was hurt. I think Atlanta has a chance, especially if their defensive line stays strong.
My prediction is that the trend from last year’s sports championships holds true:
If that pattern holds, Atlanta wins. The city hasn’t had any titles in any sport since the Braves won the World Series in 1995. Over 20 years ago. The Falcons have never won the NFL championship.
There are nursery school students in Boston who barely remember the last Patriots championship. They’re suffering too you know.
Now I’m going to go rewatch my Eagles beat the Packers in the 1960 championship game.
The big issue for the Patriots is that the Falcons have so many weapons. BB’s famous ‘taking away the opponent’s best player’ strategy will have some trouble against Julio, Sanu, Freeman, Coleman, and company. He could try getting at Ryan, but that hasn’t proven very effective this season.
The Falcons have a good chance. I’ve seen them play for decades, and this is one of if not the strongest squad I’ve seen them field.
The problem is that both teams have very good offenses, but only the Patriots have a top 5 defense to go with it.
I think it’s going to be a shootout.