[aeneas1]

Interesting how momentum changed at that point. Now their 27 ranked D didn't help things on that drive one bit. Were the Falcons coming back down to earth? They were killing it early on. Did the Pats rise up? Were there other changes occuring? IDK.

Anyway, they probably weren't all that gassed in the 2nd qtr. Some of the adrenaline may have worn off but my earlier post probably wasn't too accurate.

actually, the 2nd quarter drive in which the falcons were flagged for 3 defensive holds ended with a falcons pick-6 that made it a 21-0 game...

anyway, the falcons struggled to convert on 3rd down all game, they ended up just 1 of 8, and didn't convert a 3rd down try in the second half...

as well as ryan played, he converted just 1 of 8 third down dropbacks into a 1st down, while being sacked 4 times... brady? he completed 7 of 9 third down passes, 6 of which moved the chains...

[RedAlice]

actually, the 2nd quarter drive in which the falcons were flagged for 3 defensive holds ended with a falcons pick-6 that made it a 21-0 game...

anyway, the falcons struggled to convert on 3rd down all game, they ended up just 1 of 8, and didn't convert a 3rd down try in the second half...

as well as ryan played, he converted just 1 of 8 third down dropbacks into a 1st down, while being sacked 4 times... brady? he completed 7 of 9 third down passes, 6 of which moved the chains...

facts are facts.

It sucks, but you are right.

[moklerman]

I wasn't aware that crime family's were founders of the league,, or that they are still involved.

Sure, a lot of the big money in this country comes from old dough earned in nefarious ways, long ago, but the notion that things are rigged would blow it for me.
If these games/teams were attached to puppet strings, I'd call it a day immediately. I think most would if they already haven't.

Now whether or not the officiating is instructed to assist the game day excitement value, well I could see that. It's still not right but would enhance the experience and sell tickets.

Hacksaw, I'm so worn out by all of it, I just want to say thanks for having an open mind and discussing it. Thanks.

[Hacksaw]

as well as ryan played, he converted just 1 of 8 third down dropbacks into a 1st down, while being sacked 4 times... brady? he completed 7 of 9 third down passes, 6 of which moved the chains...

This right here is an area that the Rams need to clean up too. You have to move the chains. Your stats show the #1 O couldn't against the Pat's in this game,,, at least on critical 3rd down.
It also shows that a solid D is required to stop the other guy on those critical 3rd downs.
Pat's had 31 1st downs on 93 plays 4 of which came on 3rd down penalties,, to the Falcons 17 1st downs out of their 46 plays. When you look at that, it's hard to believe the Falcons were even in it.

[Hacksaw]

Back to the OP: Quinn still has a job but he'll have a new OC and DC next year...

Who is Dan Quinn again?

[BuiltRamTough]

[Elvis]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... m=referral

Kyle Shanahan: I called SB like I called every game

By Kevin Patra
Around the NFL writer
Published: Feb. 9, 2017 at 05:33 p.m. Updated: Feb. 10, 2017 at 09:37 a.m.

Kyle Shanahan officially took over as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, but during his introductory news conference Thursday he was peppered with questions about the Atlanta Falcons' Super Bowl LI loss.

The ex-Falcons offensive coordinator said the overtime loss to the New England Patriots was "as hard as anything I've gone through."

Shanahan came under fire after the defeat for several play-calls, including a pass on third-and-1 that led to a Matt Ryan fumble and not rushing the ball three times to set up a field goal that would have given Atlanta a double-digit lead late in the game.

Shanahan also was asked about a report that cited him saying "I blew it" after the game.

"I don't know if I used those exact words, but that sounds about how I talk," he said. "...I did believe we had a very good chance to win that game, especially at the end and we didn't get it done. When you use the words 'I blew it,' I don't look at it that way, I believe we missed an opportunity and we didn't get it done. I'll go back through every play for the rest of my life."

Now taking over the reins in San Francisco, Shanahan said the loss wouldn't linger because playing aggressive is part of his DNA.

"We played that game how we played the entire year," he said. "I called plays in that game the way I have the entire year. Doesn't mean I'm always right. Doesn't mean they're always going to work. But I promise you I prepare as hard as I possibly can. I always do what I believe is right, with our coaching staff and with the players, and then you live with the consequences.

"Yeah, it's going to be hard living with that loss. Every play that didn't work, I regret, as always. But I can deal with it because I can look at myself in the mirror and know I did what I thought was right at the time. And that was the most important thing to me. I didn't change because of a circumstance. I did what I thought was right. Whatever happens, if you do what you thought was right and you believed in that because of the preparation you had, you should be able to live with the consequences."

Shanahan's aggressive approach helped make the Falcons the league's best offense in 2016. The play-calls in the Super Bowl are easy to question in hindsight after they weren't executed on the field. As he takes over the 49ers' head gig, Shanahan won't lose his aggressive style after a historic collapse.

[RamsFanSince82]

The Patriots D coordinator with the clown shirt.

Roger Goodell is now fully aware of Barstool Sports.

If the Commissioner truly didn’t know about the media outlet that had been denied Super Bowl-week credentials when he claimed ignorance during his pre-Super Bowl press conference, he currently does. Thanks in part to defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Patricia emerged from the team plane upon its return to Boston wearing the distinctive turquoise T-shirt bearing an image of Goodell sporting a clown nose. Goodell, to no surprise, was reportedly upset with the gesture.

An unnamed ownership source told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that “[t]he T-shirt really bothered [Goodell].” The failure of owner Robert Kraft to keep Patricia from wearing the T-shirt “ticked some people off” in the league office.

While that may have been the immediate reaction, a high-level league-office executive took a page from the Bill Belichick playbook late Friday afternoon, telling PFT that the NFL is “on to 2017.”

That very well may be the case. Given, however, the league’s selective and inconsistent application of rules in the past (as to the Patriots in #DeflateGate, the Saints in the bounty scandal, the Chiefs a year ago with the tampering rules, Dallas/Washington in 2012 with salary-cap violations from the uncapped year, and others), the question moving forward is whether the powers-that-be at 345 Park Avenue will be looking for ways to ding the Patriots generally or Patricia specifically in retaliation for the periodic detours from the high road that occurred in the aftermath of the ultimate revenge for #DeflateGate.

It’s human nature to hold a grudge. The Patriots and their fans clearly held a grudge against the league office. Now, the league office may be holding a grudge about the grudge being held against it.

At some point, however, the NFL needs to privately perform some objective self-awareness and realize that the league botched #DeflateGate badly, from the moment the gauges were inserted into the footballs through the implementation of Tom Brady’s suspension. Otherwise, the cycle will continue — and the there will be more clown-nose T-shirts and more awkward moments and more ugliness that will make pro football more like pro wrestling.

[Kid Charlamagne]

I sorta get it, your defense is wore out and the pats are scoring every time, the pats are putting 8 in the box and doubling Julio, somebody is singled up. Just a fraction of a second more and that ball's gone. That doesn't excuse going 1-8 on 3rd down though. If they just manage the clock better they might've won.