By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Bad news for triggered and bellyaching and intellectually lazy Atlanta fans/ “fans”/observers who like waking up whiny and then look for something to (unjustifiably) whine about all day:

The Falcons will be better than you think. Again.

The last two years have been weird. Two years ago, they got the season off to a jinxed start with the mental inability to realize they could recover an onside kick. A playoff-potential season became a jinxed season.

There was a coaching change, and then speculation about more changes, and then the future. Still, with all that crap and despite playing in front of a weak fan base, Atlanta was only outscored by 18 points, sixth-best point differential in the NFC.

A year ago: “Falcons will be better than people ‘think’

And the Falcons teased.

Lost to seattle by three. Dallas by one. Chicago by four. Carolina by seven. Detroit by one. New Orleans by five.

We’re just getting to December, and the Falcons kept battling, remained fully competitive. But the close losses continued: Chargers by three. Tampa May by four. Kansas City by three.

Finally, in the last game of the year, to the eventual champs, Atlanta kinda got stung, losing by 17 to Tampa Bay.

Note, please, fact haters, that Tampa Bay lost by 35 to New Orleans the same year. In Tampa. The Bucs’ worst loss was twice as bad as any Falcons’ loss.

The best thing about that year was, of course, that it led to belated changes.

We go to 2021. New GM, new head coach, loads of new players.

What in the hell did you think was gonna happen in 2021?

It kind of didn’t happen like you expected.

The record was better, but the games were worse, as odd as that is. The point differential was minus 146 points, 14th in the NFC.

Yet for all the grouching and wailing, what nobody ever expected to happen and seemed to not realize was happening:

Atlanta was mathematically in the playoff hunt in January. Jaaaaaanuary. In its next-to-last game, coming in the final month of the season.

A year earlier, they were bumped in early December, technically. But this time, 2021, they needed two wins to make it, and lost 29-15 in Buffalo, home to the Super Bowl runners-up, and finished with a loss to New Orleans to go 7-10.

More wins, worse team. But there were some good things amid the delusion of folks.

They were a below-mediocre team that did a good thing; beat other below-mediocre teams. And people moaned.

Winning is always good. Winning is always the priority. To under any any any circumstances not want to win is the sign of a loser or lunatic.

Yes, that means tanking is a loser mentality, and want your team to tank is inexplicable. Such folks tend to not really stand for much of substance, and when they take a “stand”, it changes in a week.

Tis why we need people’s “thoughts” in written form for accountability.

Tanking breeds a losing culture, breeds bad habits and a bad mentality.

Duh.

Then these same nincomtwits after getting that top-3 draft pick – which often means nothing amid mismanagement – will wail a year later that “we just have a losing culture.”

Which, of course, they wanted.

Players and coaches are paid to win, and to perform, and to think they’d consider tanking – which means less money – is just too absurd to argue with.

The front office job is to get better coaches and players. Atlanta has had some issues with that.

I like Arthur Smith. Old school, a little grumpy, a smartass, an offensive lineman’s personality and brains.

You can trust offensive linemen more than anybody on a football team.

Certain units were poor last year, and some of those players are back, but they’ll be better. Not great, but better, which is the point.

There are a lot of new bodies, and there’ll be some experimentation, no doubt. And there’ll be some ugly games, not nearly as many as last year. There will be more competitive losses, like two years ago.

Marcus Mariota will better than all the yappers think. He’s older and smarter than when he was in Tennessee with Smith, who is older and smarter.

Remember when you misguidedly grumble at a bad pass: Matthew Stafford still makes bad decisions and inexplicable throws on a Super Bowl team. The pick-6s thrown by he and Brady and Murray? Won’t see them from Mariota, who also gives Atlanta more options, because he can move, and he will move.

Falcon fans only see that from the other team.

The growing pains will be there, but fewer and farther between. Don’t forget: those ol’ Super Bowl champs got hazed at home in their season opener.

Be a little surprised if Atlanta makes the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if Atlanta is in the playoff hunt while you’re gearing up for the college football playoffs.

Sometimes a patchwork quilt ends up being better than you think a patchwork quilt should.