Rugby update!

For all my new rugby fans (and any long-time fans who may be here) WOOHOO!!!! BOKKE 28 - Wallabies 8 YES!!!!!

A very fun exciting match - especially the first half!  The Bokke dominated the first half and I really expected the bonus. It didn't happen but it was a great match and beating the Wallbies always makes me smile!!  What's that? Am I holding a World Cup grudge?!?  Who? Me? Yup, I certainly am!!

Something I forgot to mention previously... Let's discuss a "knock-on" -  when the ball is knocked froward, it is WRONG!! You don't get to pick it up and keep going. This is called a knock-on. Remember, passes go backwards!  When you knock-on, the other team gets the ball.... Unless its Australia, apparently.  I have NEVER seen a team get away with so many knock-ons!!!  I counted 5 knock-ons and quite a few forward passes. That was NOT COOL!!  I am baffled as to WHY this is allowed to happen!!

Yellow card against Wallabies at 27 minutes - dangerous tackle on Eban - bit of a scuffle after. More "slap tickle" at 33 minute.  Ouch. Van der Merwe is taking a time-out for leading with the elbow - dangerous play and that could cost him!  (And not NFL style 'cost' but rather, he may be banned from playing for a while.  Ouch!) Leading at half-time 23-3!!! By the end of the match, I kinda lost count of the yellow cards. Maybe 5?

Ah, well... It was exciting and a big shout out to Jannie du Plessis and Morne Steyn for 50 matches together!!  Wow!! Pretty impressive stuff!!!  (and FYI, it's pronounced with a 'Y' not a 'J' so... Yannie for all of the American English speakers!) (And for those who are thinking the du Plessis name sounds familiar... Nice catch!! Jannie is the older brother of the unfairly red carded, Bismark!!)

And before any football fans point out that 50 games/matches happens all the time in the NFL... This isn't football, remember!  These guys get selected for each Springboks match - you aren't under contract, you aren't guaranteed a spot!  The best football analogy I have is getting selected for the Pro Bowl 50 times but... That's not exactly right. Unfortunately, there really isn't an American sport situation that really comes close. Ok, think about Olympic team events - its still not quite right but it's closer - the Springboks are the national team, representing South Africa against other countries national teams. Getting picked (capped) 50 times to be on the team is a BFD!!  

Ok. The big one is Saturday October 5 against the All Blacks. Biggest match with everything on the line!  If you find yourself interested in rugby, check out the match next Saturday!! 

A little Pep-talk

After the news today, I found myself needing a pep-talk and thought maybe someone else would as well.  Let's do this!!

It was a bad day in Falcons news. We lost Biermann and Ewing a few days ago - those hurt. Today we learned that Spoon is out for the next 8 weeks. My heart skipped a beat at that one. To add insult to injury, Mr. Jackson is out for 2-4 weeks. I am... Depressed. 

It's ok to be sad and depressed about this news. We should all take that time. BUT... Let me remind you of a few things. 

We still have Smitty, Nolan and Koetter!! We still have Dimitroff!  Not a one of these guys is going to pull a Petrino!!  These four men KNOW what they are doing and we are right to put our trust in them. 

Most of us have been Falcons fans for a very, VERY long time!!  Remember the 70's? The 80's? The 90's?!?!?  Heck, remember Pre-Smitty in the 2000's????  If you were a fan then, like I was, there is no reason to jump ship now!!!

There are guys on our team who most of us don't know. This is their time to RISE UP!!  They have practiced for and worked for this moment since they were little guys and this is the chance they have been waiting for!! It's up to them now and we gotta support them and cheer them on - Spoon will be cheering right there with us!!  

Sometimes, things just don't go the way you plan. Sometimes, they are worse. Sometimes, however... Sometimes you get lucky and everything just works!!!  It doesn't help to get upset and depressed - none of us can fix this!!!  If Smitty or the guys call any of you for advice... I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT!!!  They sure as heck don't call me!!!  All we can do is stand by the team that we love, that has earned our respect and the coaching staff that has earned our trust!!

I am a proud Atlanta Falcons fan!!  I might be worried.  I might be nervous.  I might have questions and doubts...but I'm not giving up on my guys!!

Just for fun... Rugby!!!

So, I was thinking earlier that I don't know many Americans who watch rugby. I'm new to it myself but I've come to really enjoy it!  We are going to take a brief intermission from Football to talk about rugby because.. Well, someone might be curious and it gives me a chance to share my newly-found fun!!

Before I start, I have an important announcement:  I TOLD YOU SO!!! Last week I mentioned my... Displeasure and disagreement with the first yellow card given to Bismark du Plessis. (I may have been less diplomatic about it!). I'm going to try something new here.  Let's see if this works?

Now.... If that worked, you should see a video!!  Pay attention to the guy wearing number 2 in the green jersey - this is Bismark. He's the one who makes the initial tackle that leads to the... Let's call it a scuffle!  This is the hit that got him his first yellow card and IT WAS A CLEAN HIT!!!! The International Rugby Board released a statement saying, basically, it was a fair hit and the ref was wrong. AND the red card he got later in the game has been wiped from his record!!! WooHoo!!! This is great news!!  Yeah, they keep track of red cards and players end up facing review boards to "please explain" and sometimes they get suspended from play as punishment. I am happy!!!

now... on to some rugby basics:

First and most important thing to know: football and rugby are very different!!

Got that?  I can't stress this enough. If you decide to check out a rugby game, forget everything you know about football. Tackles? Offense? Defense? Kicking? Just... Let it go. Sit back and watch. It will go much better this way - less confusing and stressful. 

We are going to start with the teams. I keep mentioning the Springboks - they are South Africa's national team. New Zealand has the All Blacks - jerseys not skin color! - Australia has the (ick!) Wallabies.. you get the idea, most countries (lets just leave the US out of this!) have a team.  These national teams are kinda like... Well, fantasy football!  In this case, the coach (or team of coaches) picks the players who are on the team. There are teams that are like our football teams; they represent provinces - kinda their version of a state.  In SA rugby you have the Sharks, Bulls, Stormers, Cheetahs and others and these teams play against each other - yup, this is like football!  Now, the Springboks coach can pick the best players from any of the teams - he builds his fantasy team!  And he builds according to their opponent!  Some guys are right for one game but not another. Are you with me so far?  National teams that are picked by the coach!  No guarantee that the guy who played this match will play in the next one. Being picked for the national team is getting "capped" - don't ask me, I don't know why. I just go with it.  Your audition to play for the Springboks? Playing on the provincial team.  You play your best in every match and THEY come to you!! You don't go and tryout. Doesn't work that way. You gotta earn it!

Now, this makes for a great Springboks squad but... It makes it complicated as a fan!  There is a guy they call The Beast and he is universally loved!!!  He is almost always playing for the Boks but he also plays for the Sharks. Not everyone is a Sharks fan. I know people who hate when the Sharks win but they love the Beast!!  So... Just something interesting about being a rugby fan - you love the players but not their other teams.  For me, not being from the country or having a "location" connection to a team... It's hard. I seem to have settled on the Sharks just 'cause I like the way they play.  But I like the Stormers a lot!! Sometimes I'm a Bulls fan though. Oh.. Man. It's hard!!!

So... Nothing too strange so far. Kinda cool and interesting!  Yeah... It gets even more interesting when play begins. 

Everyone has seen a basketball game, right? OK!  Think basketball on a field with a ball that looks kinda like a football, only bigger & fatter AND throw in tackling and lots of kicking the ball! You're starting to get the idea!  You are a rugby player - you don't play offense. You don't play defense. You just play rugby!

Penalties...

Lets get the ugly stuff out of the way - serious penalties. Now, like in soccer, you can get a yellow card or a red card. A yellow card will get you time out of the game in the "naughty chair" or sin bin. A red card? You are done for the day!  These aren't like penalties in football - these are for serious offenses. Now, you cannot replace a carded player!  Yellow card? 10 minutes (or however long they are penalized) playing one player down. Red card? The rest of the match one player down. This can seriously hurt!! Oh!! If a player gets 2 yellow cards? It's an automatic red and he is gone!  Before you panic and think these happen all the time, like in football, not the case!  You know those hits that end up costing NFL players $100,000?  THOSE are the kinds of penalties that get cards.  There are other penalties, lots of them, but teams are awarded a kick for these. Wait? They kick the ball? Yup! And often, they get points!! Penalties can make or break a team - you can win off penalties but you can lose off them as well!  A penalty kick through the posts is worth 3 points! Remember this when I mention kickers later, OK?

Numbers...??

I think we are ready to play!! Hey, notice anything about their numbers? There is a number 8 on both sides. There's a number 2 on both!  What?!?  OK, stop thinking football. In rugby, your number indicates your position!!! It would be like all quarterbacks in football wore the number 2 and every wide receiver wore the number 11 and every tight end wore 88... Get it? Number = position.  Keeps it pretty simple! There are 22 players on a team. 15 players on the field. 7 reserves or replacements. Now... Just something to note here: there is NO player number 23!!  (well, this has recently changed for international games but... My point remains!!). If someone says "Hey! You could be player 23!!" that doesn't mean you should be on the team - its not really a compliment. If they say, "We are getting down to player 23!" this means we are running out of healthy players to play and we are in trouble!!  Think the 12th man in football, OK?

The Kickoff...

OK, so... Two teams take the field and there is a kickoff - just like football!! Once play starts? Not so much. First thing you will notice is that the passes go backwards - you cannot pass forward in rugby!!  There is no quarterback who takes the ball. There is no lining up and starting a play. The ball gets kicked and the action starts!!  Yes, they are working toward an end zone to score but forget plays being called and four downs and all of that!!  Go back to your basketball here and you will do better. 

That can't be legal...

Now we have a guy running with the ball. He can pass it back to a teammate or he might get tackled. Now, brace yourself for some serious hits!!  There is no such thing as a horse-collar. Unnecessary roughness? Not sure I've ever heard that in rugby. I have seen penalties for high tackles (still upset that du Plessis got called unfairly for this!!) but... So much that is wrong and will get you fined in football is perfectly legal here. I had to adjust. It was not easy. This is a rough sport!! Bleacher Report does a recap of the "hits of the week" in their rugby section and they have hits from teams all over the world!  It's... Eye opening!!! (I was serious when I said I would PAY to see Suh on a rugby field!!!)

Who has the ball...??

So, let's say our guy got tackled. There are lots of other guys all over him but you hear the ref shouting "release". What?!?  OK, let me explain.  If you tackle a guy, you gotta let him go and try to get out of the way. Your teammates will come pile in there, it's OK. AND the guy with the ball also has to release the ball. Yup! He's got to let go of the ball back so that his teammates can push the whole pile of people forward and someone else can take over. Weird but that's the deal.  A pile of guys pushing against each other trying to get the ball!!  It's pretty aggressive and intense!

Now, I was really confused here. Guy got tackled, ball gets pushed back and it's just sitting there while people get into position. Huh? Why doesn't someone from the other team just grab it and make a run for it?!??  Calm down, he can't. It's against the rules. It looks like you could just bust through and grab the ball (it's just sitting there!!) but these guys (mostly) know better and it doesn't happen.  I no longer scream for someone to "GET IT!! IT'S JUST SITTING THERE!! DON'T JUST LOOK AT IT!" nope, I have learned!  

What's with all the kicking...?

Now, this is a prime time for something super weird to happen. The ball gets passed and suddenly a guy kicks it!!  He kicks it way down field AND out of bounds?!? Yup. Seriously. I was totally confused the first time I saw this. Made no sense to me and I demanded an explanation. 

Go back to basketball here. The ball is going to be thrown back in!  The team that did NOT touch the ball last is going to throw it back in - just like basketball, OK? Now, unlike basketball, there are going to be two lines of guys (one from each team) trying to get this ball as its thrown in - this is why they call it a "Line Out"!  If you ever see the guys jumping/getting pushed way up in the air as another guy throws the ball into play, you saw a Line Out!!

Ohhhh!!! The light bulb went off for me!! I get it!!! Two things can happen when you kick it out of bounds like that (into "touch" as they call it) 1) the other team gets the ball but has bad field position or 2) you get the ball back in GREAT field position!  Nice!  Makes sense now!! Either option works!

Now... About those kicks. You watch it and it looks a whole lot like a punt but... Not exactly. There's something weird that you just can't quite put your finger on... Oh! The ball hits the ground! Wait, what? Yup, it's called a drop kick. They drop the ball, it bounces and they kick it!  Now, let me just say - this is HARD!! Seriously!  I have tried. It did not go well. I was embarrassed. Rugby players make it look SO EASY!  Nope. Not even close to easy.  Now, I will admit to getting frustrated when there's a lot of back and forth kicking - it does happen.  It doesn't usually last too long so I can deal but don't be surprised when you see this.

Touchdown! Not a touchdown...?

So... Our team has the ball and we are close to the end zone!! This looks familiar but... Wait. Who moved the goal posts?!?  Who put the goal posts at the FRONT of the end zone?!? This can't be right. Yeah... It is. Don't ask me - I STILL think this is odd but it is what it is. 

OK, moving past this... We are pushing toward the end zone. Our guy breaks free, he rushes toward the line and... Dives to the ground?  Dude! Why are you slamming yourself to the ground? That's not necessary!  Well... It actually can be. See, the BALL has to touch the ground. If you get in there but some jerk gets up under you and you can't put the ball on the ground... No score. These guys get that ball down. It looks dramatic and over-the-top but they take no chances.  WooHoo!! Touchdown!!! Wait... It's not a touchdown.  They call it a "try" and it's worth 5 points. 

OK. Yay!! We scored!! Extra point time!! WooHoo!! Oh... Wait. Why is the kicker lined up so strange? Yeah, this is interesting - the extra point is kicked from where the ball touched down in the end zone. Sometimes, it's in the middle of the field. More often, it's way off to the side and you wonder HOW anyone could get that ball from the edge of the field through the posts. Impossible!! Nope. These guys are insanely good!  Do a search for Morne Steyn and check out his kicks. Pat Lambie is another one.  Really some talented kickers!! Or... If I were feeling impartial... Check out Dan Carter. My son calls his kicks "Jedi kicks" and says "they look photo-shopped". I would say that... If I were being generous but he plays for the wrong team and I'm not that nice!! So... Yeah... You can check him out, if you want.  Anyway... 2 points here so.. Back to the familiar 7 points!! Now.. They don't always get the extra points. Those kicks can be very difficult!  

WTF...?

Oh man, what's that? There's a player down on the field and he is bleeding. What!!! They keep playing around it?!? Are you serious?  Yup! It's not surprising to see a guy getting medical attention while the game goes on. That took some getting used to as well. They will stop play if there are a few guys down and bleeding but, for the most part... they play on!  Oh!  And that guy who was bleeding?  He usually comes back into the game after getting stitched up and has a bandage slapped on.  If you look closely, most of these guys have blood on their uniforms - it happens!

Our turn, again...?

Hey! Something else that really threw me!!!  We just scored!! Happiness and joy!! Wait... What's this?!? The other team is kicking back to US?!?!  Yup! We score, we get the ball back. Now... This is no guarantee that we KEEP the ball but, we do get first shot at making something happen!  Still not sure WHY this happens but... I've adjusted. I've come to think of it as kinda like an on-side kick - sometimes the kicking team gets the ball back, sometimes they don't. It's just the way of rugby!  See, let go of these football rules that we all hold near and dear. It's different! 

Basically...

So... 80 minutes of playing time. No time-outs. No breaks for end of quarters. Yes, there is half-time but, other than that... You play rugby!  These guys are in fantastic physical shape - they have to be!

Dang. There is so much that I haven't even mentioned!! The scrum!  A ruck! They have hookers!! Yeah, not that kind of hooker! There is a lot more to rugby.  There are things that I STILL don't understand but... I like it!! 

 I guess what I'm trying to do is tempt you. Catch your interest and get you to check out a match (it's not a rugby game, it's a rugby match!) and give it a chance. Before my son got me to watch, I had no interest because I just didn't get it!! It was SO DIFFERENT!! I was thinking football and... Nope. Not even close.  Once I stopped thinking in terms of football, it started to make more sense. 

Player search suggestions...

Now, hardcore rugby fans probably won't be terribly impressed here.  When they watch an American football game, they will understand why I've explained these things.  Rugby is not our game. Football is ours!!  But.... Rugby is pretty darn cool!! And these players?!? Damn!!! Search for pics of Pierre Spies! Eben Etzebeth. Bismark du Plessis. The Beast (Tendai Mtawaira) Francois Hougaard. Francois Louw.  Oh!!! Check out Adriaan Strauss!!! Love him but... I always think of the late Chris Farley when I see him!! Much better player than I imagine Farley would be! Hmm... Better stop that because I could just keep going. Anyway, these guys are such amazing athletes!! I always just thought they were thugs and bullies - well, some of them are - but they are athletes in fantastic shape!!  

Match notice!!!

OK. If anyone is curious... The Springboks play the Australian Wallabies on Sat the 28th at 11:00 AM Eastern. This should be a fun match!!!  Not to push DirecTv but... That's what I have and it's on channel 489 or 490. Give it a try!! You really might just enjoy it!  No, it's not football. Yes, it's different. It's tough and aggressive and fast paced and, at times, confusing but... I am SO GLAD my son got me to watch!!

And... Like it or not... I will let you know how my boys do against the Wallabies whom I REALLY don't like!! The last match was FANTASTIC so I'm excited about this next one!! Yeah... I really like rugby and I love the Boks (Bokke)!!

Stress!!!!

Ok, I was SERIOUSLY catching stress on game day. Y'all... This is just NOT COOL!!  

The theme of last week was "Safties" and today... Close games!  

I said that I would cover more than just my Falcons but, for now... We are full-on Falcons.  Sorry but they tend to be my focus this early in the season. Maybe in a few weeks I will relax enough to expand my recap. 

Jackson getting hurt was NOT good. Bierman getting hurt? That was BAD!!  There were far too many injuries in this game. I am going to get on my soapbox for a minute, sorry!

When teams "dumb down" their practices, no pads and no hits, it hurts the game!  Guys are not prepared for game day and people get hurt!  Their stamina is just not there. They aren't ready for those hard hits - giving OR receiving!!  I get that you gotta keep your guys healthy but... It does them a disservice!  You gotta push them, maybe punish them a bit?  Practice is so important!  Practice like you plan to play!! Is soft practice the problem? I don't really know. This is more of a concern than a verified fact but... Given the way the NFL keeps changing things? Yeah, concern is a good word. 

Ok. Stepping down now. Sorry about that. 

The main thing I am left with after the Falcons game - the 3rd quarter melt-down has GOT TO STOP! Seriously!! Two weeks in a row, it's just a disaster in the 3rd. This is a trend that has carried over from last year and I do NOT LIKE IT!!  Are they getting cocky? Complacent? I wish I knew!!  I just want to see the boys hit the field after halftime like they are starting from scratch - you got nothing! Fight to put something up! I am desperate to see a shift in the mindset of the offensive line - and yes, I'm putting most of this on them.  I am so tired of hearing the commentators mentioning our streak of blowing a nice lead in the 3rd quarter but fighting back in the 4th. Ugh!! Yes!! We KNOW!!  Until we fix it... I am going to have to suffer through every single one of them going over each and every blown lead AND mentioning that dreaded game that kept us out of the Super Bowl. Make it stop!!!!!

Let's get right to the offense - I hope I'm wrong but I think Matt Ryan is still hurting from last week. He took one Hell of a beating. I know I would be sore!!  There were a few moments when I saw pain... And it bothered me. I think he's fantastic and I admire his passion and drive and dedication - I LOVE Ryan!! I am worried though. I would offer my services for massage therapy but... His wife is pretty cool and that might be frowned upon. I hope he spends this week getting over that first week and is 100% for the Miami game.  He may have been hurting but he was sharing the love with the ball - it's fun, as a spectator, to see so many different recievers get the ball!!  White, Jones, Gonzalez, Douglas, Snelling, Rogers, Jackson.... I hope Falcon's fans realize how very fortunate we are!!!

Now, our offensive line... (insert sigh) they were better but... They couldn't get much worse than last week. A lot of work to do. I saw glimpses of what they could be but they couldn't maintain it.  They have work to do. (put that in the 'understatement' column!)  I have no idea how they are gonna fix this but... They must! I cannot imagine that Smitty is happy - I know the fans aren't!  It's frustrating. 

Did you notice how the coaches compensated for the front line?  Ryan was pushing that ball out hard and fast!  There was very little scanning the field; it was FAST!!  Now, it worked for a good bit of the game but I don't see this as a long term solution.  Maybe I'm wrong and this was how they wanted to play but... It took away that sense that we were controlling the drive and the clock. I don't like it. I want to see the offensive line "man up" and protect him!  I want to see him finding receivers open down-field and taking his shot.  The type of offensive play that I saw made me nervous - we became one-dimensional. We gotta be more!!  You can't play in "hurry up" mode for the entire game!!

Yes, I know!! It's early in the season. Don't care!!  This is the NFL! Every game counts and we have a tough schedule!! We EARNED this schedule!!!  We WANTED this!!!

Now.... Losing Bierman hurt the defense. I really noticed just how versatile and valuable he is when he was missing.  That man works on the field!!  Yes, you hear his name constantly when defense is on the field but, I guess I take him for granted - sorry about that!  Won't happen again!  In the second half, I saw arm-tackles (that just won't work!) and missed tackles and... Yeah. Work to do on defense as well.  Don't get me wrong, I am still happier with the defense than with the offensive line. 

Now, the Rams special teams made ours look GOOD!!! Smitty would have been having a seizure if we got a penalty each and every time we took a kick!!  I mean.... SERIOUSLY!! He would have been red in the face, ripping out his little black book, making notes and ripping someone a new one on the sidelines!!  Thankfully our boys know better!  A note here: I really would love to see Jaquizz Rogers just break out and return a kick for 6. I think he's got it in him, I'm waiting!!

Big love to Osi Umenyiora!!  Nice job, big man!!  I can't wait to see more!! And Bartu?!? Nice to meet you!!!  Some new guys are showing some nice effort!!  This is making me happy!! And little Quizz? He was working! Not making as many yards as I would like but... He worked, fought and held onto that ball - don't underestimate this!  It doesn't matter how many yards you get per carry if you can't hold on to the ball.  Oh!! Snelling!!! Cannot tell you how glad I am that we have Snelling and Douglas!! Two very underrated but talented guys!!  Jason Snelling is one of those guys who makes the most of his opportunities and I love that!!

Now, I absolutely HATE smack talk about your teammates and I hate uncredited quotes but... I gotta agree that our linemen were PUNKS last week!!!  Letting your quarterback take that many hits? Unacceptable!! Those guys have been playing football for almost their entire lives!!  They KNOW how to block!  They have been working towards playing in the NFL for their entire lives!  There have gotta be some serious changes with the offensive line!  That must start with the attitude - if you go down, you go fighting!!  Hunker down and work your ass off to take care of your quarterback!!  It is very rare to hear quotes like this coming out of the Falcon's locker room (this isn't your typical Roddy stuff) and it packs a punch. 

Ok. We got the win. It wasn't pretty. It was very stressful. It's done. Let's take the lessons and work!! I am willing to give my guys a chance but... Its time to get it done!!

Hope everyone has a good week!  We face Miami next and I really hope we are ready. I have a feeling my guys are in for a very busy week. 

Still Alive - Still A Fan

So, it's been a while!  To pass time in the off-season, I discovered the joys of Rugby!  I am now a huge Springboks fan and have my favorite players!  Yeah, this surprises me too but... What can I say?  

Rugby is NOT LIKE FOOTBALL!! I cannot stress this enough!  Rugby players would NOT do well in the NFL but not because of the game play. Nope, they would be fined worse than Suh for tackles that are perfectly legal in rugby but are HUGE no-no's in the NFL. NFL players would likewise be in trouble with the possible exception of Suh who would probably be right at home yet still get his ass totally kicked by guys bigger and more aggressive than he could dream of being - Bismark du Plessis could teach him a lesson that the NFL has never managed to get through!!  I would PAY to see that!!  Actually... Just about any of the Springboks could do this and now I want Suh to go play for the Wallabies!!  I may start a campaign?!?  If anyone is feeling violent & aggressive, check YouTube for a clip called "Bismark du Plessis - Rugby's best hooker" - he wears the number 2 jersey. Actually... You see plenty of hits and players trying to take other players down. The first few rugby matches had me stunned at the lack of penalties for illegal hits!!  I have since adjusted!! 

Ok, enough rugby. This is America and it's football season!!  

Week one is done and in the books. Some surprises, some disappointments and some excitement - and that's just with my Falcons!  I am just going to throw out some thoughts here rather than recap. Hope no one minds?

To quote a friend - "That's Mr. Jackson, if you're nasty!" (good one, ML!). Damn!!!  THIS is what our offense needed!!!  An unpredictable RB who makes shit happen!  I am simply THRILLED with him and have high hopes for the rest of the season. I was always a fan of Turner but I think he had gotten predictable.  I mean, if I could sit here and tell you exactly what he was going to do when he was handed the ball, every coach in the NFL could as well. Sorry but this change to Jackson was the right move. 

For the first half of the game, the O line looked pretty good!  I was liking what I saw, there was protection!  Yay!! The second half? Yeah... Not so much. Sitting here drinking my beer and snacking on my traditional chips and salsa, I could almost SEE the O line losing steam. It was like they had put everything into the first half and the tank was empty. This is bad - VERY BAD!!  I realize we have a few new guys but... We gotta fix this!  

The defense had a huge burden placed on them by the offense. They should not have had to work that hard or that much.  I love the defense but I don't ever want to see them on the field that much again. 

A loss to the Saints always hurts. My language deteriorates to an embarrassing degree during these games and a Falcons loss ruins my day and ruins all football for the rest of the day.   Yes, we play them again and we had BETTER WIN!!  That's all I'm gonna say about this. 

Going into week 2 there are 6 (yes, SIX!) Falcons questionable for this game. This distresses me. I'm not talking players you've never heard of, either!! I'm talking Roddy and Julio and... Yeah, I just can't keep going with that.  I am going to think good thoughts, click my ruby slippers and hope everyone is ok. On the plus side... This is our home opener and they boys have not lost 2 in a town under Smitty. That's my story, I am sticking to it!!

I will try to be more on my game after this week's games. I will comment on things like the Jets (they won?) and the Steelers (they lost?!? Wait, they lost to TENN?!?) and all kinds of other fun stuff (like 4 safeties in the first week's games) in the NFL.  It's good to be back!! But... I still plan to watch my Springboks play rugby!  September promises to be exciting for me!!

And one last rugby note - Bismark du Plessis did NOT in any way, shape or form deserve a yellow card for that first hit!!! Leave it to a Frog ref to get that TOTALLY WRONG!!  The second one? Ok, maybe but NOT the first!!  Never trust a Frog!!