At Least It’s Not Monday
Were you a victim of someone screaming mercilessly at the tv? Did it sound something like, “NOOOOOOOO”? Then you’re probably living with an Atlanta Falcons fan. This week, the Falcons and the Washington Football team met to battle it out for a week two showdown and it did not disappoint. After a lack luster performance in the first half, the Washington Football team came back to dominate the Falcons in the final quarter, giving them win number two. A team coming up from behind is kind of a sore spot for Atlanta Falcon fans, cue Patriots memes from 2017 where the Superbowl went sideways after the Falcons dropped the ball leading Tom Brady to his fifth Superbowl ring. Anyway, here’s who deserve a pat on the back:
1. Taylor Heinicke QB
a. Often referred to as a young Russel Wilson, it’s no surprise Heinicke was able to keep the focus and help bring his team a win. Heinicke has been around since 2015 first starting as an undrafted QB to the Vikings. He tested the waters with the Patriots, Texans, and Panthers before settling with his current boys in Washington.
*Fun Fact: Being an undrafted QB is by no means a dooming situation as the term might mislead you to think. Other undrafted QB’s that went on to do really well in the league include Mike Tomczak of the Bears, Kurt Warner for the Rams, and Tony Romo with the Cowboys. Think of undrafted as just undiscovered.
2. JD McKissick
a. No surprise here as JD has consistently put-up good numbers throughout preseason and now. JD came to the league in 2016 going to, ironically, the Falcons. From there, JD got passed to the Seahawks and the Lions, before finding home base with the Washington Football Team. JD saw stars during this week’s game when he caught the game winning touchdown.
But Who’s Really Got Everyone’s Goat?
While it’s easy to put blame on anyone but your team doing poorly, both Falcons and Washington fans bonded over equal frustration with the NFL Officiating. With multiple blown calls, it’s hard not to wonder if the game would have gone differently if there had been better plays on the field. Granted, lest us forget the majority of us get to watch slow-mo replay from optimal perspectives, we could consider being more sympathetic to their situation, but what fun would that be? Anywho, it’s got me thinking, can refs get, dare I say, in trouble? Technically, yes, but there’s not a lot of grey space. They can either be held out of post season play or be fired. See? Not a lot of wiggle room. That being said, there are weekly reviews by league officials that ideally keep everyone in enough tip top shape that it never gets to that.