Falcons blew 5 (five) 4th quarter leads in 2016

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CGI_Ram

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/02/11/falcons-blew-five-fourth-quarter-leads-in-2016/

The epic 0.2-percent 25-point collapse by the Falcons wasn’t the first time the NFC champions blew a fourth-quarter lead in the 2016 season. It was the fifth.

Putting it another way, the Falcons lost six games all year — and five included blown fourth-quarter leads.

The most recent came against the Chiefs in early December, a game that served as a turning point for the Falcons. The four before the Super Bowl each featured a key Matt Ryan interception. Super Bowl LI didn’t include a Ryan interception, but it was a Ryan fumble that gave the Patriots a short field while down by 16 in the fourth quarter.

For the entire season, Ryan had only seven interceptions. Four of them came in losses that happened in games the Falcons led in the fourth quarter.

Even with the fumble from the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI, the Falcons still could have won the game if they’d simply opted to run and not throw on the drive that put Atlanta on the New England 22 with a first and 10 late in regulation. After a run was stuffed, the Falcons dialed up a pass — and you know the rest.

t’s human nature when you get in big moments like that, to lock up, to hesitate, to try to take the easy way out and make sure you don’t get blamed,” former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said during the press conference that introduced him as the head coach of the 49ers. “That’s something that I wasn’t going to do and people on our team weren’t going to do. We played that game how we played the entire year and I thought I called plays in that game the way I had the entire year.”

That’s fine, but as Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy pointed out on Monday’s PFT Live, head coach Dan Quinn should have stepped in and ordered Shanahan to run the ball, run the ball, and run the ball some more, taking at worst a field goal and an 11-point lead, which likely would have been insurmountable.

Then again, maybe it wouldn’t have been insurmountable. The Patriots have mastered situational football; for them, there’s no “way” of playing a game other than playing it in the way aimed at scoring more points than the other team in each game.
 

shovelpass

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2 games stuck out in my head as the Falcons began to lose the game. The first one was the London game against Detroit in 2014. It was 21-0 Atl at halftime. They lost 22-21. The second game was the divisional round game against the Seahawks in 2012. Entering the 4th the Falcons were up 27-7, they won 30-28. They kicked a field goal with 6 seconds remaining in the game.
 

DaveFan'51

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It would appear that when the Falcons get a Big lead, they don't know how to "Step on the opponents neck, and Finish them off!!"
 

CGI_Ram

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I saw this earlier on Twitter;


View: https://twitter.com/atlantafalcons/status/830166226810703873


It's got to still be tough to be a Falcons fan. And... while I love the video... getting to the Super Bowl requires an alignment of a lot of good things just as it does will, desire, and heart.

They may make it back soon, but statistically speaking, they just might have missed their best shot.
 

LACHAMP46

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They may make it back soon, but statistically speaking, they just might have missed their best shot.
Blew it....never to return...poorly constructed team...Esp. in the secondary and lb crews.
Several key plays...but the pass on 2nd down sticks out...What about 3rd & 33??? Ryan targets Julio...gets maybe 14 or so...maybe they can still kick a first down....That fumble...HUGE...swung momentum. HUGE!! Those 3 and outs....Pretty big too. But that Fumble....HUGE
 

Merlin

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Scoring defense man, that's the indicator with the big games. The Falcons came about as close as a > 25ppg allowed team can to winning it all. Just ain't gonna happen in most years.

You want to be sub 20ppg allowed. Preferable sub 17ppg tbh, and if you're in that neighborhood you got a chance. Hoping that's where we're at next year under Wade, and while some might scoff it's possible. Dude is that good and he's got some talent to work with on this defense.