Here is the way Michael Boley views what the Falcons are all about, and he should know, considering he spent the first four years of his career playing in Atlanta:
“You got to look at it,’’ Boley said. “Just like last week before their game when you got a team that’s 3-9 calling your team out, that’s not a lot of respect at all.’’
No, not a lot of respect at all. The Panthers before last week’s 30-20 upset victory spent so much time disrespecting the Falcons you would have thought the Panthers were 11-1, instead of 3-9.
The Panthers didn’t like the way Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was caught by television cameras shouting, “Get off our field, you just lost’’ or something close to that — with some obscenities thrown in for emphasis — after a 30-28 Falcons’ victory on Sept. 30.
Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy promised “payback’’ and “punishment’’ and his club delivered ample supplies of both.
So here are the Falcons, at 11-2 owners of the best record in the NFC, having clinched the NFC South title with a full month to go in the season and no one is planning any parades down one of those streets named Peachtree something or other. There has been no sign of disrespect by the Giants, but this game hasn’t generated the same buzz as earlier matchups with the 49ers and Packers, teams considered more worthy of NFC supremacy even though the Falcons have the best record in the conference.
Boley calls the Falcons “a pretty good team’’ and acknowledges: “I don’t think people give them enough credit. They are a good team, but you got to be consistent.’’
Under Mike Smith the past three years, the Falcons are 34-11, but haven’t won a playoff game since 2004.
“That’s what it boils down to,’’ Boley said.
Each week, coach Tom Coughlin stands behind a lectern on Wednesday and proceeds to characterize the Giants’ upcoming opponent as a combination of the ’85 Bears and Vince Lombardi Packers. If there is a number that reflects something positive, a stat that points to something potentially dangerous, Coughlin will find it, announce it and reflect upon it.
He didn’t have to get very creative this week, as there’s nothing about the Falcons that make them look easy to beat. Coughlin started out by calling the Falcons “A very good Atlanta team, a team that has the most wins in the NFC, tied for the most wins in professional football.’’ No hyperbole there.
“They’ve won 10 straight games at home,’’ Coughlin continued. “They’re plus-six [in turnovers]. They’re the least-penalized team in the National Football League. They’re eighth on offense, averaging 25.9 points per game … defensively they’re allowing 19.9 points per game.’’
It all adds up to a team that has played more consistently than the Giants, who are 8-5 and considered much more of a threat to make a playoff run.
“So what?’’ Justin Tuck said. “We are the defending Super Bowl [champs] and they wrote us off before the season even started. So again, opinions … who cares? All of this will be settled on the football field. The team that wins the Super Bowl this year will be the Super Bowl champions. Until then, no one cares about what you all do with your power rankings or any of that [stuff]. It doesn’t mean a hill of beans.’’
The recent memory the Giants have of the Falcons is one of utter domination — last year’s 24-2 divisional playoff rout at MetLife Stadium. If that memory takes some edge off the Giants, it surely should give the Falcons all the incentive they need.
“I think it’s definitely going to stick with them,’’ Antrel Rolle said. “If the tables were turned I know it would definitely stick with me. Those guys are going to come out, they’re going to be hunting for us, as well as we will be hunting for them also.’’