Bamboozled. Thats the only way  to describe how Falcons fans everywhere felt after this past Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. I saw the score but based on the shit show the Falcons put on, I could hardly convince myself that the Falcons got the win. In what was arguably the ugliest win in NFL history, the Falcons somehow pulled it off. Ok, so a win is a win but when are the Falcons going to stop testing their luck, stop being so predictable, and realize that 1) had Sunday’s opponent been any powerhouse team, that game would have an embarrassing loss and 2) opponents are starting to battle to position themselves for a post-season birth, even the weakest teams are going to bring their A-game so why are the Falcons playing so complacently? Get. It. Together.

So what did the Falcons hopefully get out of their system? Take a deep breathe, this my sting a bit…

• - 6 Turnovers
• - QB Matt Ryan throwing 5 interceptions
• - Michael Turner being put to use on every running play and slowing down the momentum
• - Puny punt returns
• - Run Defense. Er…lack of run defense.

Now, despite being all up in arms about how hard the Falcons tried to throw last Sunday’s game away, they somehow came out with a win even when they seemingly tried not to. Imagine how they could look if they brought their rockstar game for the entirety of both halves. It would be scary good. It needs to happen.

This Sunday the Falcons travel to Tampa Bay to play the Bucs who loom only three games behind the Falcons. Securing a Falcon win would push Atlanta into a great position to take the division as well as give them a 4 game lead with 5 games left until the post season. If they loose, the Bucs who are heating up would be in a stones throw of the Falcons moving to just two games behind Atlanta.

This is a big game for the Falcons and Falcon fans and could really set the tone for the upcoming weeks as the end of the season begins to close in and the schedule only intensifies. If the Phoenix can rise from the ashes why cant the Falcon? Toe-may-toe…Toe-MAH-toe right? This Sunday the Falcons will work to redeem themselves and yet again establish themselves as the treat their record suggests them to be.