Week 4 - The Least Exciting Win Ever

The game I was most worried about this entire season was Matt Schaub and the Texans coming into Atlanta, and that’s mainly because I expected them to lose most of the other games. But this one is different because the last thing I need is an ex-Falcon torching the current Falcons for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns. I fully expect Michael Vick to do this one day if Art doesn’t re-sign him when he comes out of jail.

Now, onto this week’s game…first the good:

Finally, the Falcons have won a game. And yet, I couldn’t really get excited about it. Yes, the Falcons kept the returning Matt Schaub from embarrassing them in much the same way that Deion Sanders did when HE returned to Atlanta. Yes, the Falcons offense scored 20 points in the first half. Yes, once again the defense was impressive. But, for God’s sake, they were playing the Texans. I’d like to believe that even with the improvements (well, improvement) that Houston has made, Atlanta is still able to beat them.

It’s hard to get up for a game that Atlanta’s supposed to win. Clearly, most of Atlanta felt that way, because almost no one showed up for the game. Ironic, considering how many people wish Schaub was still here. Their first chance to see him (and most likely, only chance for a while), and no one turned out. Shows how hardcore his supporters really were.

I guess it’s no big deal, though, because it’s not like he dropped 40 on the Falcons or anything like that. 300 yards and a touchdown isn’t so bad, I suppose. But while I’m glad that the Falcons got their first win of the season and counteracted the poetic justice that a Schaub explosion would have provided, it was still just the Texans. And an injured Texans team, at that. Let’s get a grip, all 14 people who care about this win.

Michael Jenkins was going after the ball, getting open, making plays. Has he finally gotten it together? I want to believe that he has, but I can’t get too excited, because let’s face it: They were playing the Texans. Injured Texans. The worst thing that can happen to my mental health right now is that I expect Michael Jenkins and Roddy White to be consistent, productive deep threats in the passing game, because when they start playing like I’m used to them playing (sucking), I’m going to wind up fighting my dad after I put my Timberland through his big screen TV.

And because I say it every week: Joey Harrington is playing well. None of the mistakes made are his fault. And it needs to be said that his decision making is improving all the time. Could Joey Harrington actually be an NFL-worthy quarterback?

…and the bad:

Lewis Sanders: A player that I can only assume is on the roster because warm bodies are needed to fill it out. Why do they keep playing him? Because I believe that they want to see how many times one man can get burnt before he bursts into flames on the field. Every time Houston broke off a big play, Lewis Sanders was the one who gave it up. Can anyone confirm if he’s related to “Give Up the Big Play” Ray Buchanan?

Consistency: The Falcons continue their trend of playing excellent for one half at a time. If they could string together two good halves back to back, they’d be a team worth paying attention to. The defense played a good game, but the offense went back to kicking field goals all through the second half. At least they went in this time. I don’t even remember any of the nightmares I had after Matt Prater blew all those chip shots in Week 2. I’m naming my first born son “Morton.”

Other than that, they looked really good this week. They’re getting better from game to game, but then again, that perception could be skewed by the fact that they were playing the Texans. I really can’t stress that enough. Maybe I’ll get excited when they beat a team that’s sniffed the playoffs this decade.

Next week’s game is at Tennessee. Hmm…we shouldn’t look for the winning streak to kick off next week. I expect the Vick Depression to get into full swing after Vince Young reminds Falcons fans what we once had. Week 6 (vs. NY Giants) doesn’t look good for us, either, unless Eli Manning can out-Harrington the real Joey Harrington.