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Am guessing folks enjoyed, as much as folks can enjoy things, a bit less stress than usual on Sunday with no Falcons are cringe about.

No doubt many found something, anything, to inspire new angst.

The Sunday report that Desmond Ridder is returning as starter is obviously notable. Perhaps he’s calmed down and learned from watching. There’s no indication yet about the health of Taylor Heinicke, and frankly, that better be right now the main reason for the decision.

Regardless, Falcons watchers and fans should’ve prayed for a few things during this bye week.

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

First, that somebody had a sitdown with Arthur Smith and told him that while he’s not apparently lost the locker room – and that’s always a game or three brain-dead decisions from happening with any struggling or disappointing team – he’s severely losing the fan base, and that does matter as far as attendance goes.

That shouldn’t be a problem much this week with the Saints – who, and this is being typed slowly, will be tied for first in the South with the Falcons with an Atlanta win – coming to town.

The Saints, who also have QB issues, along with Washington, New York, New York, Green Bay, Chicago, Carolina, and LA, basically. And that’s just the NFC, which has only two playoff locks right now, Detroit and San Francisco.

The chat with Smith needs to point out his all-too-often petty defensiveness, and realize that questions are asked because things aren’t working. He has to realize things aren’t working, and people pay attention. If he can’t handle the heat, there are openings in the XFL.

It should include the need for a better offensive game plan, and perhaps that need could be improved by somebody else coming up with the offensive game plan for a half. It seems more like just play-calling rather than a specific game plan, though there are better adjustments than Atlanta gets credit for, albeit maybe not quite enough or early enough.

Somebody, too, should be in charge of reminding Ridder in his ear before each pass play to go or throw quicker when under a rush, and there’ll be a rush. A lot.

The next thing is improving the now-porous defense, which is the reason the Falcons are losing. No, it’s not the offense, the part of football fans grasp the least. And proudly and loudly grasp the least.

They’re not giving up boatloads of points, but they’re giving up big and clutch plays, by – and this is just the most exhausting part of watching football on all levels right now – NOT TACKLING LIKE THEY’VE BEEN TAUGHT FOR 15 YEARS and COVERING THEIR MAN LIKE IT MATTERS.

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As is needed for 98.3 percent of all football teams in all phases, some simplification on defense is clearly needed. This defense has digressed more than the offense.

It has only five interceptions, yet is 11th in the NFL in completion percentage defense. They’re giving up the same number of points as the Eagles, and are a point better than last year.

But the timing of clutch plays is hurting Atlanta.

Each game, I’m prone to defending Smith less, yet I can still see the bye week being fruitful and us seeing within a week or two a better team.

Of course, then Falcons whiners will screech “Where’s that been?” Because Falcons folks pay no attention to anything else. It’s OK to want better. It’s OK to understand the world, too.

Atlanta is still in “can” mode. The Falcons – remember, we’re not talk about the Patriots for two decades or Chiefs the last decade – are sort of a 7-3 team muddling into a 4-6 record.

They’re better than remaining opponents New York Jets, Tampa Bay, and Chicago, and even with New Orleans (twice) and Indy.

That group is 27-44. A 5-2 finish is a 9-8 record. A winning record. Worse than it should be based on this team – not history, but this team – and its personnel. And likely good enough to win the division.

Which, peoplepeoplepeople, is the point. If that happens, can y’all suck it up and enjoy some progress and the playoffs?

While fans of Cincinnati – recent Super Bowl team – and Buffalo – recent Super Bowl contender – and Pittsburgh and New Orleans sit home?
“No, we can’t.”

Didn’t think so.

Last week’s surprises

Good grief, there were loads of surprises.

Not shocked Bleckley County lost. Stunned it was 31-0, at home.

Not shocked Dublin lost. Only a touchdown was a bit unexpected.

Not shocked Houston County lost. See “Dublin,” above.

Not shocked that Macon County won, but under no circumstances saw the Bulldogs winning on a field goal – a field goal – in overtime.

Not shocked that Lamar County lost to Swainsboro, but expected more than one score from the homestanding Trojans.

Not shocked that Central Fellowship lost, but sure didn’t see a thumping at home coming.

As per last week’s Maxwell computer picks, five favorites in 17 games lost. The Sports Report did not do as well in predictions.

Last week’s upsets

Yes, 11-point underdog Perry winning on the road qualifies, as does Tattnall winning by 14, a 22-point swing.

CFCA was only a one-point favorite and got thumped, so that qualifies, as far as margin of defeat.

Loughdmouthings

Central Georgia started the GHSA playoffs with 26 teams.

Two weeks later, four are left.

Oof.

A year ago, though, we had only three left: Houston County, Warner Robins, and Bleckley County.

We have a rematch, with Creekside and Warner Robins. The Demons, of course, won last year, 31-28 in overtime. …

No doubt the firing last week of Jesse Hicks at Baldwin surprised pretty much most observers in Central Georgia, other than those doing the firing.

He no doubt didn’t see it coming, at least that quick and with apparently little or no discussion.

Hicks’ second stint was nowhere near as successful as the first. But you know, places – and the people in charge in places – get squirrelly and impatient.

Word was that Lee Hannah figured out his days were numbered when he started seeing his inevitable successor back at the stadium. Sure, the Braves were 15-18 in those three years – which came after Dexter Copeland went 27-17 in four years and got the boot – and lacked a lot of competitiveness in that final year, but doing things right is doing things right.

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〰️

Tell folks to bookmark/favorite The Sports Report, and follow on Facebook/ Twitter-X, account or not. Stay informed. 〰️

And there’s nothing wrong with doing things right, as wrong as people deem that to be.

A full seven years passed between his visits to Baldwin. And, well, Baldwin’s best period in program history was during Hicks’ first go ‘round, so let’s not revise history and believe that the Braves were an 8-2 program as opposed to the reality of a 49.3-percent winning rate, and 5-5.

Of course, it may have just come down to time to move on, which happens. That Hicks had no idea it was coming, though, isn’t good. …

The most brutal websites in the normal world of sports: NFL.com, MaxPreps, and NCAA.com.

A pox on the homes of all those in charge. NCAA.com is the least annoying overall because of a quality presentation of plenty information, but blasting a video when you click on absolutely anything is a middle finger to the reader.

MaxPreps is the absolute worst in this area, with NFL – and atrocious stats presentation – not far behind. …

ESPN sure is shoving their new gambling entity down our throats. …

There’s an opening at Dodge County and Twiggs County for head football coach because, well, there’s going to be an opening at Dodge County and Twiggs County for a head football coach. …

Congrats to the Browns for the deal with the quarterback who calmly drove them downfield to set up the game-winning field goal on Saturday.

Yessir, Dorian Thompson-Robinson sure is earning that four-year, $4.2 million deal paying him $1.1 this year. Wiiiiiise people in charge up there in Cleveland.

Post-item sarcasm alert. …

My, my, my, those receipts sure are looking different now than during the blizzard of blather in September. …

Why coaches should be fined by their school: Washington State was hammering the revolutionary center of college football 56-7 in the final minute of the third quarter and still had starters in.

Starting quarterback got banged up on a scramble and fumbled.

Starters should be out, period, when any spread passes 30, unless it’s a starter back from injury.

Coaches are, as a species, inexplicable when it comes to subbing and creating depth. …

Our Friday kickoff weather – with no mentions of Alaska or model that may or may not say this or that, perhaps and possibly – in Central Georgia: It’s “go to a game” weather, some mild rain in the daytime but clear at night, high of 63 and low of 45.

Football weather, so bundle up and go.

Same goes for Mercer on Saturday afternoon, with more sun and less chance of rain. No reason the actual attendance shouldn’t be close to the usually hysterically wild announced attendance.

Plenty of time to get home for Tech-UGA.

What they said/wrote

“Do you realize if Texas A&M took that $77 million it’s giving Jimbo over the next eight years, it could pay all 85 of its scholarship football players about $113,000 a year over that same eight-year span?”

- Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel