 What's up everybody and welcome to another edition of the Falcons final whistle podcast. I'm Scott bear and alongside me Chris rim and Tori McElaney. They are actually in Santa Clara I'm back in the ATL, but all three of us covered what was surely a disappointing game for the Falcons a 31 to 13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Levi Stadium that and this is no exaggeration Severely hinders their playoff hopes if you trust the good people over at 5 38 calm A victory over the 49ers could have lofted the odds of making the playoffs to around 42 percent A loss to the 49ers drops it down to 2 percent huge swing Huge loss, but the Falcons still have three games left Tori, let's start with you. What was your biggest takeaway? Where do you think that things went wrong? out there in Santa Clara It's almost kind of easier to say like where things went right because I feel like the things that went right were Significantly less than the things that went wrong And I say that just kind of being just having watched that game to kind of go through it and to be as like disappointed As I was and and having been able to see the progress that the Falcons had made over the course of the last like Three-ish weeks and then to come out and have this performance in a game where it really really mattered in terms of what happens after the season In the postseason, I think that was kind of my biggest takeaways Which is kind of like the the frustration that you feel from it and Chris What what stuck what stuck out to you if I can say that phrase correctly what stuck out to you from this one Yeah, I think it was that really just that first the start of the game the game started out Which seemed seeming like things were gonna go really really well You have that turnover on the kick return and then Things just went downhill from there and also I still have the age of Matt Ryan like looking so frustrated on the field the most frustrated seemed like he has ever looked I think he yelled at an old lineman at one point He was going back and forth with coaches on the sideline trying to figure out what play they were calling and kind of time out Just seemed like everything went wrong today For the Falcons that that you go wrong in a sense And we are going to break all of this down exactly what happened in this game We're gonna talk about the the Falcons troubles in the red Zone and really within the ten yard line We're gonna talk about their playoff hopes which have been hindered significantly We are gonna talk about rust gauge coming through yet again And as we always do in the fourth quarter We are going to look ahead to what the Falcons have coming up next But before we do that a big thank you to our sponsor Microsoft Windows 11 The official operating system of the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons the all-new Windows 11 is here to bring you closer to what you love Like this Falcons final whistle podcast learn all about the awesome new features of Windows 11 at windows.com We're gonna start the first quarter with five minutes talking about what happened to the Falcons Inside the red zone really inside the ten where they left they got inside the San Francisco ten yard line three times They came away with zero points I can't believe that statement is true I have absolutely no idea how especially because we're talking about more than one scenario Where ultimately they had to get a yard to cross the goal line and weren't able to do it That's how this game started just as Chris was talking about in the intro They had they blew a golden opportunity there They went for it on fourth down two other times and were not able to score head coach Arthur Smith So that was the difference in the game Tory do you agree with that statement? Yes or no? Yes, I do I do agree with that because you can't look at this game and look at the lack of production inside the red zone and not kind of look at it as a Reason why the game ended up how it ended up I mean, I just don't really have like a lot to say about it because I feel like this has happened a Few times now it's happened in a few games where the Falcons have gotten in the red zone and been unable to Punch it in and I think Matt Ryan said it best after the game where he's like the good teams do that and the teams that are Competitive do that and the Falcons have not done that on a few occasions where it really really mattered that they did so that to me is It's just really frustrating. I feel like I'm at I think this game was as frustrating to watch as Some as like someone who covers this team having seen it like kind of like what I was talking about at the top Having seen improvement and then to kind of almost feel like this was a step back I think that was it just made this game a bit frustrating to watch Chris, let's go back to that to that very first Sequence where the where the 49ers fumble the kickoff return and then and then the Falcons get it They they go right down to the goal line What was the what was the sense in the stadium and and how much of an impact do you think that one had? Yes, there was a lot of football left to to a play But but for the Falcons to have gotten that big break and gotten nothing out of it How big was that and what was the the a vibe like to start the game in the stadium? Yeah, yeah Well, I think in the in the stadium I think the the crowd was silent when when you start the game with the fumble that silences You know an excited San Francisco, you know 49ers collar people screaming and do what you might know this stuff They're doing like this 49ers thing that I've never heard before but they were pretty ramped up and excited about this game because it meant as much for them as it did for the Falcons really and and so for the game to start that way They're automatically morale is low and the Falcons are high and I think like we talked about, you know momentum matters You know stuff that's not always in the stat sheet and points matter So I think that play would have gave the Falcons a big momentum boost and no I don't know if they would have won the game or if that would have changed the final score But I think it definitely would have gave them a you know some more pep in their step some more, you know excitement some more Just feeling a lot better. I mean, I think, you know, it sucks because Cordero CP scored and then it was taken off. So And you know whether the review however you think it went at the end of day it was taken off and then Like like we always say all the time We don't you don't want to you know, play coach after the game and obviously hindsight is is 2020 But you know, Arthur Smith as he said in the press conference post game You know, we ran the ball that play then we tried to run it again And you know, we tried to do different plays and play action to make things work and ultimately it didn't work on But I just thought that was a my you mental thing My you what's a way to start the game and just a negative way to start the game for the team Yeah, it was crazy after that fumble I thought I mean, maybe there's a chance here right that even though that the 49ers look better on Paper and they're playing at home and they've been pretty hot lately I just thought that those types of ways catching breaks and taking advantage of them that those are ways that That the Falcons cold can go out and steal one and I thought that there was a real opportunity there to come away with that With literally no points. I thought was a huge deal And then to have them move the ball down the field and be in those positions later on to to come out of that with zero and Zero really it kind of takes the wind Out of out of a team sales, you know, and I really think that ultimately they were hindered by those moments Now they still had to go play defense, right? And they didn't do a lot of that and we're gonna get into that, you know down the road But you know, I really do think though that they had an opportunity to go out there to to assert themselves to set the tone And they weren't able to to ultimately do that Now we're in quarter number two and we're gonna talk about the playoff opportunity that was there that has Slipped away now Arthur Smith was very quick to bring up in his post game press conference that they have not been Mathematically eliminated from playoff contention that point is true But it now becomes Unrealistic improbable even if it's not impossible yet the Falcons would have to win out and then have to get Like like win the powerball lucky At this point for them to be able to find their way to a postseason It makes sense for the postseason to still be a motivating factor for these guys They never say die. That's very on brand for them But they also didn't make any Mistake about the fact that this was a huge game with massive playoff implications If they would have won we'd be talking and they'd be in the number six the nfc's number six seed right now That's obviously not the case huge swing Tori is it even fair to to talk about the The postseason here kind of where do you stand? On on on all that after what is a significant setback for their playoff hopes Yeah, I think uh when I think about what this season was kind of heading into it I remember saying if the Falcons could just be around 500 And I've probably said this on the podcast too But like if the Falcons could be around 500 and that's a win for this organization and where they are right now And I still believe that did I think that we were even going to be talking about playoffs this year? I I don't think so. I don't think that I went into this season being like Yeah, the falcon like when we get into week 15 like we're going to be talking about the Falcons being a playoff team I don't think I ever said that in in any time any point in time in the preseason and so the fact that like You know, I know there's no moral victories or anything like that But the fact that we were able to kind of have this conversation over the course of the last couple weeks I think is a good sign of Kind of the progress that we've seen from the Falcons Even though I I even said, you know that this was a frustrating loss because it didn't show that progress um But I I do still hold on to and believe in what like matt ryan said back in like September after they started out with a few losses and he said I think we're going to be a very different team in November and december than we are right now and I think we've seen That happen And I think in my opinion they took a step back tonight But they did so against a team that I think Really played into those weaknesses And I think it showed because I think every time that you see the falcons kind of lose a game like this it's because the other team has certain aspects of whether it's pass rush or um Just like offensive weapons that can hurt the Falcons I mean they there's always kind of something on paper that makes sense Why there was a loss and why it kind of turned out the way that it did And so I I know that doesn't answer necessarily the question of like playoffs But that's just kind of something that I've been thinking about if like if you're looking at all the teams at the Falcons have lost To and the teams that they've beat there's kind of a like comparison and I feel like at this point in time it's it's like I think they're exactly where where you would kind of Think that they would be at this point in the season and honestly probably a little better than I think a lot of people thought they would be Yeah, and The falcons are playing meaningful football and christmas is next week that they that they kept this season alive And it's still technically alive. Obviously, they have not been mathematically Eliminated but they've been playing meaningful december football when I think a lot of people Wouldn't have expected that and I think that's because Like I said before like they're scrappers they they find ways to win they find ways to Overcome some of their Deficiencies and flaws and they beat who you're supposed to beat and I've always said that getting to the playoffs Is about beating who you're supposed to beat and going 500 against everybody else They have not gone 500 against everybody else. It's been feast or famine They feast on on the lower tier teams. They've struggled that they still haven't beaten a team with a winning record yet I think that's a sign of where the falcons are in terms of their progress, right? Because clearly they're better than a lot of teams That's a step in the right direction and good for the first year of this arthur smith and terry fontano Enterprise so but Do I think that they're maybe ahead of what I had expected possibly but but christ, where do you stand on all this? I mean, like it has been playoff talk. Does that really have to kind of go away at this point? How do you feel about that? I mean, I think I don't know if Playoff talk should go away necessarily or I don't really know. I think the talk should just be about winning games I think what you touched on is this team is a lot further than I think what most predicted them to be at this point But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter, you know, they were here They had an opportunity to Make something happen and you know, the guys in the locker room don't really care that They're doing better than what they were supposed to do. They probably want to get into the playoffs So I think I think I think the conversation could should just be about winning games And you know, the falcons don't control their own destiny at this point So I think all they could do is just focus on winning these these last few games And we're going to spend five or so minutes of quarter number three talking about russell gage who has Turned it on he had eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown where he absolutely lost Uh, ambri thomas just straight up went up and got it and that's really been the continuation of a trend for the For the impending free agent and falcons wide receiver who's become the team's most consistent Wide out to this point the the most consistent passing threat. He's always been good on third down he's been really good on third down and uh, I guess tori why do you think that russell gage has kind of surged over the course of the last month and how How big has it been for the falcons to see him kind of turn it on? I think It's funny because I don't really know like the reason for the resurgence Like I I don't think like there's one thing that I can kind of point out to be like Oh, he's doing this differently or matt ryan's doing this differently You know for a couple weeks I thought because the run game had been established and established well that it was really kind of helping russell gage and kyle pits, etc Etc helping balance the offense a little bit more to free them up Um, but today that wasn't the case the run game wasn't established at all And russell gage was still able to make some big plays. So is kyle pits But I think with russell gage Particularly, I think that he kind of just stepped into the role that he needed to Without calvin ridley out there and and kind of with kyle pits playing a different role almost like dated Like week to week because defenses play him so differently Um, I think that it kind of took some time for one wrestle to get healthy because I think That was something that we kind of overlook is that high ankle sprain and how much maybe that impacted him early in the season I think he even kind of talked about how Much he hated that high ankle sprain and how pesky it was. He's never had one before and he was like I don't like it Um, which who would um, but but I think like kind of looking at how it was almost like a slow burn And we kind of got to this point maybe a few weeks ago maybe even a month ago where It just started clicking and it started working and the connection was there. The timing was there I think that kind of I don't know if it's the one thing that's kind of caused this for for rus But I think it's just really really good to see at this point in his career with where he is on a contract year To kind of be leading This receiver core in a time that you know, you don't have who you thought was going to be your number one Chris you you wrote about rus for the website What was your uh, you know, kind of take away your your thesis statement of the story if you are Yeah, I think I think my my thesis I don't know. I don't know what i'm talking about anymore. It's late I think the premise of my story was just that you know, I thought gauge and cow pits were Like the brights the lone bright spots of today Um, I thought they both made plays uh cow like later in the game and engaged throughout but I think gauges Stretch of games have come because of a lot of what matt talked about earlier in the season and sometimes, you know Players say things and sometimes you think, you know, is that really true or you know Is he really looking for this guy or is he just telling us this but what what matt said oftentimes engaged at those games where he would Have no targets or two targets Or no catches at all And and he would say, you know, the ball is gonna find you the ball will find him Like it's just a game by game thing and I think now the not only is the ball finding him But I think today Showed that matt has confidence in because you don't just throw A 50-50 ball to a guy who you don't have confidence in because that's It's a 50-50 ball for a reason like it's gonna go one way or the other way So having the confidence to throw a 50-50 ball to gauge who you know, is is a route running receiver He's not he's not really known as a guy who's gonna go up and and moss you Which he a post game, but he did it And I think that's a sign of their trust and their relationship and being comfortable throughout the season and I think you know two games ago He had the best game of his career in terms of he had career best in receptions and career best in yards So I think the the ball is finding him and also matt trusts him, which is important Yeah, and I think it's if he continues playing like this throughout throughout the course of this season He's established a pretty nice little market for himself He's a trusted third down guy He could get paid and it could be a very interesting storyline to follow if the falcons are able To re-sign him and see exactly what his market is going to be that's something to pay attention to moving forward And we're going to start quarter number four as we always do Trying to look forward and see what this game means for the falcons and really there isn't a lot left in this season There's only three games left We have a game at home against the lions Then the falcons go to buffalo for a chili one Against the bills and then they wrap the season At home against the rival New Orleans Saints This is obviously a real setback right we've talked about where this puts them in the kind of playoff process something that I wrote In my column about the playoffs and really the fan focus I think Should shift a little bit towards areas where you've seen progress To see if they can rebound and if they happen to win three in a row Then you can go type in NFC playoff picture at the end, but probably not right now And I think it's just about continued progress for the team in terms of understanding schemes And it's also about trying to identify players that the falcons are going to want back There's so many guys who are on one year deals. There are so many young players Trying to show terry font. No, this is not an off season draft need for you. I can fill that role I can do that job Um, so this was obviously I mean, there's no bones about it chris huge setback here, but how What does this mean moving forward? What should the the falcons fans kind of hone in on and how do you want to see this team? Wrap up this season over the course of the last three games Yeah, I think you put it pretty well I mean Arthur Speth talks a lot about In in late games when they're down when they're when they've lost the season or when they've been out of a game Where he talks about, you know, this is when you learn a lot about guys So this is this part of the season is where you learn a lot about guys and guys that are going to be here And who aren't going to be here like you said This is a time for people to prove and for guys to prove that you know Like you said, you don't this is not an off season need for us. So I think um going into this game It'll be important for you know, the coaches the staff Scouts to to to look at how guys approach these games But also for fans too to look at the progress that's made and people that they can look to to stick around So so yeah, I think you encapsulated pretty well in terms of the focus shifting from maybe playoffs to You know the future Toria, what are you going to keep your eye on over the last three? Oh, I I think there's a few things. Um kind of what you're talking about like players that you can see Still having a potential future with the Falcons that for one. Um, but also Looking for this team's identity I feel as though I don't really know what it is yet And I don't know if I thought that I would at this point But I I kind of was hoping that I would um and kind of understanding That this is a process. This is not something that's going to happen overnight, which Arthur Smith has talked about a lot um, but being able to Kind of get to the end of this season Regardless of what the record is and to kind of be able to pull out You know, this is what I think the Lana Falcons were in 2021 like this was their identity. I think like I don't know sometimes I like to think like big picture and I think How you're gonna like remember a team and so I think for the next three games It's about establishing kind of who you are like who are the 2021 Atlanta Falcons because The 2021 Atlanta Falcons because of the way that the salary cap is right now and the way that it's going to change I mean this roster is going to change Astronomically in the next probably three to four years So who were the 2021 Falcons in the first year of the Terry font? No Arthur Smith era I know that's really really big picture and not necessarily like oh like just taking a look at the next three games But I think that's kind of where my head's at Right now Yeah, I I feel like I want to see Especially after this game it was such a disappointment There was the stakes were so high and the and the difference between a win and a loss is so vast, right? Like it's dramatically different. So how do you respond to a situation like this? Are they going to keep fighting is is Arthur Smith going to get the same practice tenor the same buy-in the same commitment Moving forward that we've seen to get to this point It's always a letdown when you even though that they're not mathematically eliminated and I'm not trying to say that That that they are but what happens when you're disappointed I always like to it's a good character check. I want to see how I want to see how they Respond, I think it could help them if they get on a little run and build some positive momentum and do things That they haven't done to this point be the team with a winning record would be one They're going to have that opportunity against Buffalo win Go on a winning streak That's other things that they haven't done and see exactly where this young foundation stands As we move forward And that is also going to kind of wrap it up for us here at falcons final whistle after Let's just call it what it is. It was a disappointing showing by the Atlanta falcons 31 to 13 was not what they wanted For all the reasons that we have described here It did not work out well for them. It was a significant setback But falcons final whistle We're not stopping right now We're going all the way to the end of the season. So do what you always do right give us a five star review Or five star rating. I'm sorry and a review subscribe on itunes spotify Or subscribe to the Atlanta falcons youtube channel. That would be awesome. Also do the same for falcons audible people great pod Uh, great guys and dj shockley dj wrackley and dave archer. So thank you all for joining us Chris and tory from santa claire of me from the etl and we will talk to you again After the lions game at home on december 26. So have a happy holiday to all of you and we'll talk to you next week