Admit it, as soon as Rivera shut it down with 1 min left in 1st half...

[Fox007]

How many games have we came out in the 3rd Qrt and gone 3 and out?

Seems like just about every game.

[davos]

Why are people making such a big deal about the ending to the first half. I don't disagree with the way we handled the situation.

It was the 3rd quarter that did it for me. The end of the first half had nothing to do with the way we played in the 3rd.

yep. If anything it was not converting on that third to make a decent drive to start off the 3rd. We seemed to overuse Cam in situations better suited for D'lo (who was beastin' today)

[PantherPhann89]

Our coaching staff can't coach us through a win in the second half.

[chef17]

I gotta agree with Mav and Bleys on this. We were still up 23-7 and got the ball back. Giving up 24 and not scoring was about us simply sucking, us not scoring at the end of the half was not the reason for that. We just suck as a team.

[Zaximus]

I wasn't that upset about ending the first half like that. But our team did lose momentum and never got it back. I also felt like we were about the lose the lead, but honestly, I've had these feelings for YEARS with this team. We seem to just give up a lot of leads and never finish games. The defense did as well as we can expect them to do, but when Cam is throwing 2 RIDICULOUS INTs, your FG kicker can not be counted on for 36-yard FGs, and your offensive line is missing its best player (and already has injuries/holes), what do you expect?

I'm not sold on Rivera by any stretch, but I think he gets another year with a full training camp and time to work with this defense.

[Cyberjag]

you do realize all these posters have huge sandy vaginas right? they must find something irrelevant to complain about...

I don't think it's irrelevant. Here you have a team with nothing to play for other than pride, and you aren't trusting the players to get it done, or to even see if they can. Instead of trying to get in field goal territory when the team is hot, you go conservative and run the ball inside. What the hell is wrong with trusting your players and letting them take a shot?

What really blew me away though, is the inconsistency in play-calling at the end of the game. It went from conservative to close the first half to desperate late in the second, where with first and five and plenty of time, we decided to take four shots then and there. We've got a QB who's been sailing his passes all day, and decide to make our stand at the 20???

I really hope Rivera turns out better than what he's shown so far. And I wish I could remember how lousy I'm sure Fox looked in his first year (we lost 8 straight at one point). What I really wanted was for Rivera to have a Mike Smith type of rookie year, but that didn't happen. Oh well, huh? At least he has a better QB...

[Kevin Greene]

I don't think it's irrelevant. Here you have a team with nothing to play for other than pride, and you aren't trusting the players to get it done, or to even see if they can. Instead of trying to get in field goal territory when the team is hot, you go conservative and run the ball inside. What the hell is wrong with trusting your players and letting them take a shot?

It's like we cant let Riv or Chud know what the score is so the thought process outside of a 48-9 4th quarter lead doesn't change.

What really blew me away though, is the inconsistency in play-calling at the end of the game. It went from conservative to close the first half to desperate late in the second, where with first and five and plenty of time, we decided to take four shots then and there. We've got a QB who's been sailing his passes all day, and decide to make our stand at the 20???

I really hope Rivera turns out better than what he's shown so far. And I wish I could remember how lousy I'm sure Fox looked in his first year (we lost 8 straight at one point). What I really wanted was for Rivera to have a Mike Smith type of rookie year, but that didn't happen. Oh well, huh? At least he has a better QB...

Rivera really is at a severe disadvantage compared to a Mike Smith hiring in that last year the roster was purged in some clever move to prepare for a potential lockout by Hurney and Co.

I have faith in this coaching staff moving forward, Marty Hurney on the other hand getting this entire roster back to Playoff quality standards is another question.

...

[Chaos]

Could it simply be that ATL adjusted their defense at halftime, and amped up their intensity causing a three and out to start the half? I know our offense is potent, but sometimes you get stopped.

[Moose87Banks]

I told my girlfriend the same thing. I remember texting her at halftime saying that "I see a Falcons comeback in the near future"

[Snake]

The fact is we are a bad team. We rely on our offense too much and when they dont go out and get it done we lose. We put up 24 points and for most good teams thats enough to win. We are simply not a good team.

[Miaoww]

Yep because our offence is unprofessional as hell. Apparently asking them to shut it down so we don't do anything stupid before half time = don't bother coming out for the second half.

[klumme]

Had Cam throwned a pick-6 at the end of the half people would be calling for Chud and Riveras head.

Remember the 3-2 bomb to Smith? People were giving up on Chud for being to optimistic. Now he is to conservative.

[chef17]

Had Cam throwned a pick-6 at the end of the half people would be calling for Chud and Riveras head.

Remember the 3-2 bomb to Smith? People were giving up on Chud for being to optimistic. Now he is to conservative.

Cause people are dumbasses

[Davidson Deac II]

Regarding a comeback, that was probable regardless of those offensive calls, just given our history in the second half this year. The play calls at the end of the half bothered me because I thought Atlanta would get the ball back and perhaps score, but when the defense stopped them, I was ok with it.

IMO, the playcalling didn't really change much in the second half, but our execution just went to crap. Not just the interceptions, but all of it. Remember before the first int, Cam was almost picked off on the pass to LN.