A late December afternoon by the lake in Chicago is not usually somebody’s idea of great weather, yet as far as the Atlanta Falcons are concerned, the conditions figure to be a welcome respite from what they have seen of late.
After wet and windy conditions in their past two road games — at New York against the Jets and at Carolina — the Falcons view a New Year’s Eve forecast of 37 degrees and mostly cloudy as downright welcoming conditions.
Atlanta kept its long shot playoff hopes alive with an impressive 29-10 victory at home against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and now have three wins in the past five games following a three-game losing streak. It is essentially win-or-else time.
“The last two (on the road) the weather has been a factor too,” Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said on a video conference call Christmas morning, when asked about the team’s struggles on the road. “I’m sure it will be cold in Chicago, but I think it will be pretty clear, which will be nice. That will be a change.”
In poor conditions against the Jets, the Falcons mustered just 194 total yards, including 104 passing, and a single touchdown, yet still pulled out a 13-8 victory. The heartbreaker was another wet and sloppy game at Carolina on Dec. 17, when the Falcons had 204 yards and fell 9-7 on a last-second field goal.
Atlanta has shown they can move the ball when outside factors aren’t taking a bite out of the gameplan. In Sunday’s victory over the Colts, the Falcons had 406 yards of total offense.
“I don’t think it was by accident that we found a way,” Smith said. “I think it has been what now, six games of 400-plus yards? There is only one other team that’s done that. We’re not patting ourselves on the back about yards. But there are signs that we’re able to move the ball and guys are getting open.”
Taylor Heinicke was inserted into the starting quarterback spot over Desmond Ridder and he threw for 229 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Younghoe Koo kicked five goals, but Smith said that was more by circumstance. In a different situation, the Falcons could have found the end zone at least one more time.
“(Sunday) was as good as it’s been in a while in terms of constantly mobbing the football and coming away with points,” Smith said. “You would have loved to punch the last two red-zone drives in for touchdowns. We were a little conservative.
“We wanted to pick it up but … we felt the game was over, the clock ran down and we kicked it. Especially on the last one there (with two minutes remaining), I had a play I wanted to call but it’s almost like karma so just kick the field goal.”
According to the NFL’s one playoff probability tracker, the Falcons move into Week 17 with a 10 percent chance of making it to the postseason. Atlanta will give 100 percent effort, not concerning itself with the odds.
It has been a disappointing season for the Bears, but they are surging with three victories over their past four games.
“The most important thing I can do, do my job to the best of my ability… We have to find a way to beat the Bears. That’s all that matters,” Smith said. “Things are out of our hands.
“You’ve been around this league long enough to know that what’s supposed to happen, usually doesn’t. The only thing we can control is to go on the road and play a pretty good Bears team.”
–Field Level Media