Falcons eye northern games in good weather for 2010

By Bud L. Ellis

The bad news for the Atlanta Falcons is there are several road games against tough competition from the north in 2010.

The good news: all of those games are early in the season, before the weather can become a negative factor for a Dome-based team from the south.

The National Football League has released game times and dates for the upcoming season. For the Falcons, who won nine games last season in posting consecutive winning campaigns for the first time in franchise history, the schedule is tough, but it could be worse.

It begins at Pittsburgh on opening day, Sept. 12. The home opener is a week later, against Arizona, followed by a trip to Super Bowl champion and big rival New Orleans. After a home game against San Francisco comes two more trips north: to Cleveland and to Philadelphia. A home game at Cincinnati Oct. 24 leads the Falcons into the bye week Oct. 31.

Three home games out of the next four start November. Atlanta plays host to Tampa Bay, then has a quick turnaround to face Baltimore at home four days later on Thursday Night Football on Nov. 11. Following a trip to St. Louis on Nov. 21, the Falcons return home to play Green Bay.

Three consecutive road games open December: at Tampa Bay, at Carolina and at Seattle. The season ends with two big NFC South home games, starting with a Monday Night Football matchup with the Saints on Dec. 27. The regular season concludes Jan. 2 at home against Carolina.

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Friday, April 23, 2010 at 10:22 pm by Bud · No Comments

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, National Football League, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Difficult home schedule highlights Falcons’ 2010 slate

By Bud L. Ellis

If the Atlanta Falcons can find success at the Georgia Dome in 2010, one figures the Dirty Birds will soar to the NFL playoffs for the second time in three years.

The National Football League has released home and road opponents for the 2010 season. Dates will be announced later, but the Falcons can look and see their home schedule is packed with good teams. Seven of Atlanta’s eight home games in 2010 will be against teams that finished .500 or better in 2009.

Highlighting the home portion of the schedule is the annual rivalry with defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans. Playoff teams from a year ago visiting the Dome include Green Bay, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Arizona. Of the remaining home games, San Francisco and Carolina each finished .500 last year. The other home game is against Tampa Bay, which went 3-13 last year.

The road slate is much easier. The only contests against playoff teams are trips to New Orleans and Philadelphia. Four of the road games are against teams that lost 11 or more games last season: Cleveland, Seattle, Tampa Bay and St. Louis. The rest of the road schedule features games at Pittsburgh and at Carolina.

The Falcons have the 20th-toughest schedule in the league, according to opponents’ win percentage from last season.

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Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 9:03 am by Bud · No Comments

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Georgia Dome, Green Bay Packers, National Football League, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers