Despite bad loss to Green Bay, Falcons will be okay

I know it hurts more than anyone could imagine.

If you were at the Georgia Dome or watching the Falcons take a beating against the Green Bay Packers last Saturday, there is a lot of pain and emotion that still runs through your veins. Many people want to point the blame at Matt Ryan, Mike Smith, Mike Mularkey, Brian Van Gorder, Christopher Owens or the entire defensive unit.

Now, I have covered the Falcons for Score Atlanta since 2006 and I have seen my share of highs and I have definitely seen my share of lows. I think they deserve some of the blame because the entire team did not play well. But I don’t want people to forget what this team has done over the course of the 2010 season. What this Falcons team has done is put together a 13-win season, which is something they have not done since 1998 when they won 14 and went on to the Super Bowl. And because they won 13 games, they won their division and clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

When I was on 790 the Zone the day after the game, many callers were upset with the team, and they thought the team needed an overhaul. I’ll go back to my point that the Falcons won 13 games and won their division, so to say that major personnel changes need to be made will not solve the problem because the personnel has been great on offense, defense and special teams. Yes, the front office will make some moves in the draft and free agency, but they are going to keep the core group of players as well as the coaching staff because they have improved each year since 2008.

In the last three seasons, the Falcons have won 34 games which, is the most in Falcons history in a three-year span. They have been in first or second place in the NFC South during that span and have not lost three consecutive games during that span as well.

What the Falcons are trying to do is build a team that wins on a consistent basis. General manager Thomas Dimitroff has done a great job putting the pieces in place, but it takes more time to build a team. Dimitroff along with Smith will work hard this offeason to get the right players in Flowery Branch and the 2011 season will be just as good, if not better than 2010.

I understand that the team under Smith is 0-2 in the playoffs and Smith even said that the team played poorly and you are ultimately judge by what you do in the post season. But Falcons fans should be thankful where this team is now because after the 2007 season, many thought this team is five years away from being in a position to win a division title. They have accomplished that, but now it’s time to take the next step and that is to make some noise in the playoffs. This Falcons team has a chance to be an elite team in the next two years if they can improve and find a ways to win football games in January and possibly February.

If you listened to the radio show on 790 the Zone that featured Fletcher Proctor and myself on Sunday, you heard give us individual grades for the Falcons. For my next Falcons blog, I will go more in-depth with the grades including an overall grade for the team in 2010.