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As a lifelong Atlanta Falcons fan all that I wanted was for them to start off the season on a winning note. Instead, they lost a heartbreaker to the Steelers in overtime. I initially thought the Falcons were going to have a huge day with Dennis Dixon starting instead of Big Ben, but I quickly began to realize that the Steelers’ defense is as good as advertised and the Falcons’ defense isn’t. Heading into the season, all that I heard about was how good this defense is going to be, but that wasn’t the case Sunday.
They let a third string quarterback hang in there and beat them. The Falcons should be glad to have made the game as close as they did. If Roethlisberger were playing, the Falcons would have been blown out 28-9, and it would have been embarrassing. I realize that I do sound like the sky is falling in, but I am aware this was just one game against a great opponent and there are plenty of games left in the season. Falcons’ fans should be happy to know that John Abraham recorded his first sack of the 2010 season. Abraham totaled two sacks in the opener last season against Miami, but finished with just 5.5 sacks when he had 16.5 sacks the season before.
Atlanta is hoping to get Abraham back to that level by finding a rush end on the other side of the line to take some of the double teams off Abraham. They might might have that guy in Kroy Biermann, so Abraham might be back to turn some heads again this season. John Abraham joined 790 the Zone in Atlanta to talk about whether the team is going to be OK after losing against the Steelers, whether he thought the game was a defensive stalemate, and what the team’s mindset was like after the loss.
Whether the team is going to be OK after losing against the Steelers:
“I think we are going to be fine also but it is also a game we thought we could have won too. That should have been a winning game. That is one of those hurtful games. Like I said, sometimes when you get really blown out and then to lose close, that was one of those games.”
Whether he thought the game was a defensive stalemate:
“It was a great defensive game. Everybody knew that it was going to take a big play to win the game and I think they just outlasted us. I guess you could say that it went back and forth and they took advantage of the situation and they did a good job.”
How much the development with Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury has an impact on him on the field:
“Biermann has worked very hard during this offseason and it is showing now. Even in the preseason and to the first game. I think he is going to take a lot of double teams and chips and a lot of stuff away from me. They are going to also look out for him. Like you said, Sidbury is coming along. Jamaal is playing good inside. Chauncey Davis is doing a great job on the tight end. That is what we need. We need everybody to play well together, not just me, not just Kroy. Also we are going to have Jonathan Babineaux back this week. I totally forgot that now. I missed him on the field and having him in my presence and on the field with me. It makes me a lot more comfortable.”
What the team’s mindset was like after the loss:
“My mindset was on how close the game really was. Just a couple of mistakes for us made it viable for them to win. Like me, I should have had that interception. I am still thinking about that today. That could have easily been a pick-6 going the other way. Like just small things like that. That just bothers you. Like I said, right now we have to move onto Arizona. My mind is set on Arizona. I think the team all around feels good and that mistakes aren’t going to be part of our team anymore. We are going to try to eliminate the mistakes and try to move on. It is tough because you try to get on a rolling start, which I think we did as a team but we didn’t get the outcome that we wanted.”
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