Falcons flew home to Atlanta

yanghongyu Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:32 am

As the Falcons discount reebok jerseys flew home to Atlanta, they weren’t sure about their place in the league’s pecking order, either. After a breakthrough season in ’08 in which first-year coach Smith and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan(notes) led them to the playoffs, the Falcons had sputtered to a disappointing 9-7 record in ’09, but they headed into the current campaign brimming with confidence. With untested Dennis Dixon(notes) starting at quarterback for the Steelers as Roethlisberger began his four-game suspension, the opener at Heinz seemed to be a prime opportunity for Atlanta to flex.
“Our expectations were quite big going into the season, and it was one of those games that was like a right cross to the face,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff remembered as he drove home from the Georgia Dome on Sunday. “We flew home saying, ‘OK, let’s regroup. wholesale nfl football jerseys We have to be able to clean some things up if we’re going to have a chance to be who we want to be.’ That sounds odd that we felt that way at the beginning of the season, but it was a reality check for us. It wasn’t just a jab – it was a serious shot.”
Translation: The price of a new suit is nothing compared to the priceless purging of the Bobby Petrino era from the psyche.
Of course, there’s still so much of the current picture that we can’t see – and if you don’t believe me, ask the 2007 Giants, soccer jerseys china ’08 Cardinals wholesale nfl jerseys or last year’s Jets what a postseason can do to for a team’s perception.
That’s why Woodson, as he prepares to face a transcendent offensive force of his team’s own making, isn’t daunted by Vick or the Pack’s draw as a return trip to Philly approaches.
“We just feel good about our team,” Woodson said. “Through all of the situations, injuries and adversity, we’ve just continued to fight and get wins and play good football. We feel like we’ve had two playoff games the past two weeks, and we’re excited about what lies ahead.
“We know it doesn’t matter how you get in, as long as you get in. We did what we needed to do today to secure our spot. Now it’s on.”
Bring on the monster.