Just like butter and the Falcons, I’m on a roll

Published 8:00 pm Saturday, September 26, 2015

The late Sportscenter anchor Stuart Scott was king of the catch phrase, and one of my all time favorites was this: “You know this kid is butter, ’cause he’s on a roll.”

After Week 2 in the NFL, you can call me butter, because not only did I predict the Atlanta Falcons beating the New York Giants (while only being six points off with the final score), but I am 2-0 in both of my fantasy football leagues.

I conducted an internal debate with myself to decide whether or not I should be touting my undefeated fantasy teams so early in the season and I ultimately decided this would likely be the last week I could make such a claim, so I’d better get on it.

I am the leading scorer in one league and expect to win my match this weekend in that one, but I am the second highest scorer in the other league and will be taking on the top dog this weekend, so that one might not go in my favor.

But this space is dedicated to the Falcons, and so far this season everything seems to be going in their favor.

Last week

If you read the top sports websites or watch the talking heads blather on ESPN, you know that the Falcons did not win this game so much as the Giants lost it. Longtime Falcons fans know to expect this sort of treatment from anyone outside the Atlanta market.

But the fact is, Julio Jones has ascended to another level, and Matt Ryan lead a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter — something he did often earlier in his career but hadn’t been so good at during the last two seasons.

Leonard Hankerson, the former Washington wide receiver signed during the offseason, had something of a coming out party as a Falcon, coming up with several big catches including a touchdown. Meanwhile, Roddy White didn’t have a catch at all, breaking an impressive 128-game streak in which he had at least one catch.

Don’t fret though, Roddy showed in Week 1 that he can still contribute. If anything, this just proves how lovely the depth at WR is now. And Roddy isn’t the sort to complain, telling the media after the game that winning is what matters.

On the other side of the ball, can we get some love for defensive end Kroy Biermann, he who forced an Eli Manning fumble just as it looked like the Giants were about to score and put the game out of reach?

Biermann has often been a target of criticism during the past few seasons, mostly because people tend to forget he was fighting his way back from a torn Achilles’ and being misused by the other coaching staff that seemed incapable of adjusting the scheme to match the players.

Now that head coach Dan Quinn has simplified the defensive game plan and is working toward his players strengths, guys like Biermann and middle linebacker Paul Worrilow are starting to flourish.

On the Giants final possession, Biermann sliced through on third down and tackled the would-be runner before he ever got started, creating a fourth and long that the Giants failed to convert. If I were the one handing out game balls, Biermann would have earned one.

This week

True story, when I looked at this road game against the Dallas Cowboys three weeks ago I penciled it in as a loss. Back-to-back road games against the NFC East just seemed like too steep a hill to climb, especially with Tony Romo hiding behind the best offensive line in football and throwing passes to Dez Bryant.

But this is the NFL and the tide turns quickly. In Week 1 Bryant went down with a broken bone in his foot. In Week 2 Romo was KO’d with a broken collarbone. Tight end Jason Witten is hobbled as well, but he’s likely to play despite having two sprained ankles and a sprained knee; this guy once played with a lacerated spleen (seriously).

The Cowboys are also missing end Greg Hardy and linebacker Rolando McClain due to suspensions, and rookie DE Randy Gregory has been ruled out too with an injury, so this team is not at full strength.

The Cowboys still have a very solid defense, but this is the team that needed the now infamous Manning time management blunder to beat the Giants in Week 1, and that was with Romo at QB and with Bryant playing most of the game.

The Falcons lost rookie running back Tevin Coleman last week for a couple weeks thanks to a cracked rib, but Devonte Freeman is more than capable of carrying the ball while being spelled on occasion by Terron Ward. Otherwise the Falcons are still healthy, especially compared to most of the league.

Look, the Falcons should win this game and should do so without much trouble, but that’s also the problem. This contest has all the makings of a trap game.

But I’m not too worried. If Mike Smith were still coaching, I would be nervous, but I don’t think Quinn will allow his team to fall victim to a team with Brandon Weeden at quarterback.

The Falcons are a Vegas favorite for the first time this season, and if I were a betting man then I would put a few bucks on this game — that’s how confident I am the Falcons will be 3-0 come Sunday evening.

To quote Scott one more time: “Like gravy on a biscuit, it’s all good.”

Falcons 27-Cowboys 13