Falcons Can Still Make Playoffs With Win Against Panthers

By Diane Larche'Sports Writer
Photos by The Atlanta Falcons

(New Orleans, LA) The Falcons with a 9-6 record can still make the playoffs as a sixth seed by defeating the Carolina Panthers at home in the last game of the regular season this Sunday. The new game time is 4:25 p.m after it was changed from the original 1 p.m. for television. It will be aired locally on Fox 5 TV. The Falcons can also get in with a loss by the Seattle Seahawks who they defeated in week 11 in a Monday night game in Seattle.

Last season the Falcons were the NFC South Division Champs and appearing in the Superbowl. This year they are struggling toearn a spot in the playoffs where if they do make it, they will be at the bottom and will have to travel to play as a Wild Card team for the first game.

The Falcons were not ready for their NFC South opponent the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. The team who had defeated the Saints at home at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Week 14 by a score of 20-17, could muster only one touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter and spent the entire game with multiple penalties, dropped passes, fumbles, sacks of quarterback Matt Ryan, an interception and coming up
empty on several attempts in the red zone. The Saints won this game at home 23-13.

The Falcons offense had major problems and QB Ryan said: "we have to do better". The Falcons had a boat load of offensive penalties and failed on third down conversions and points in the red zone. Line Backer Deion Jones intercepted Drew Brees and ran 41 yards to two yards from the end zone only to see his team come up empty when RB Deonta Freeman fumbled the ball. Freeman also failed to get into the end zone after WR Julio Jones got the ball to the 1-yard line when the Saints defense stopped Freeman like a brick wall.

When asked about Freeman's missed opportunities Ryan said "It's not all on him. We've got to do a better job collectively and get the ball in the end zone," Ryan said in a post-game interview. "He is a great player. We trust him as much as anyone on this team to go out and perform and he will. Mistakes happen
all the time. It is called sports. He is going to perform at a high level for us moving forward.

Game highlights for the Falcons was DT Courtney Upshaw recording his first sack of the season and seventh of his career, Deion Jones a graduate of LSU and Louisiana native intercepting Drew Brees and running it back for 41 yards just two yards short of a touchdown and Julio Jones catching the ball which looked like a touchdown but ruled down at the one-yard line. Kicker Matt Bryant kicked two successful field goals one was a 48 yarder.