No franchise does a better job of ruining people's Sundays than the Atlanta Falcons. They do not play normal games. Either they get blown out or lose in the most soul-crushing fashion possible. Occasionally, they will win a game they should, but having faith in this team is the quickest way to institutionalization in professional sports. My god, does it suck being a fan of this football franchise...
With a percentage-point chance of making the NFC playoffs as the NFC South winner with a sub-.500 record, the Falcons do what they do and disappointed greatly. All tied up at halftime vs. the arch rival New Orleans Saints with the division on the line, it hit the fan in the most predictable fashion possible. Atlanta was shut out 31-0 in the second half to lose in the dumbest manner ever imaginable, 48-17.
Not to say that the Falcons could have won this game in New Orleans, or should have, but this was the year to win the putrid NFC South and they blew it catastrophically. This should have been an 11-6 team, but instead we were stuck with another hopeless 7-10 split in The ATL. You would have to be a bowling wizard capable of knocking down those two back pins spread out as far as possible. Jesus...
Black Monday cannot get here fast enough. Here are three Falcons who are not coming back in 2024.
Atlanta Falcons: 3 guys who will not be back after this season's disaster
3. Calais Campbell is probably going to retire than play in Atlanta again
In the final seconds of a game that went to hell in a hand basket faster than you can say FedEx, it was painful to watch future Pro Football Hall of Famer Calais Campbell react on the sidelines. He could still play next year if he wanted to, but I have a hard time seeing him agreeing to suit up for the flightless Falcons for one last ride. Campbell got his 100th career sack with the Falcons. We'll always have that.
If he was even two years younger, I could see him being this generation's version of Warrick Dunn in Atlanta. Dunn spent the back-nine of his borderline hall-of-fame career in Atlanta, becoming the first Walter Payton Man of the Year winner in Atlanta. He was inducted into the Falcons' Ring of Honor just a few years ago. Campbell is a good of a man this sport has ever seen. He deserves so much better.
To think that a trip to the Super Bowl was possible in Atlanta this year was utter madness. However, I recognized just how hard Campbell played this season. Seemingly everyone else pushing 40 besides kickers, Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers are hanging up the spikes. Even in the last little bit of his playing career, Campbell gave everything he had. It was an honor to watch him star for my Falcons.
Unfortunately, I think he will make better use of his time next year retiring or not playing for Atlanta.