I was 0-fer the the Falcons this season.

Sitting at the Falcons' Flowery Branch training facility this summer, I was thinking, "How in the world does Ovie Mughelli REALLY think this team is going to make the playoffs?" I had just finished an interview with him for 790 and he ended it by predicting that the team would be still playing the first week of January. Chadd Scott and I thought he was a bit crazy, maybe the Georgia heat was getting to him, but sure enough he was right and I was wrong.

I didn't think this team could win more than 6 games, and that was if EVERYTHING broke for them. They won 11.

I didn't think this team could start a rookie QB from Day 1 and be successful. I was wrong. I was in the camp of taking Glen Dorsey and then grabbing a Bradford or McCoy or Stafford in 2009. Matty Ice though played his cards perfectly. He came in ON TIME (hey JaMarcus, take notes!) and he worked with what the coordinator gave him (VYoung!). He didn't try and do too much, just what was asked of him and he continually studied and tried to better himself (Vick!). Good for him and good for Paul Mac's Falcons.

I didn't think the Baker pick was worth the booty the team gave up. I didn't have a problem with packaging several picks together to get another #1, but to grab Baker that early? Well, I was wrong again. When he played a full game, the team was 7-0 or something.

I didn't know how Michael Turner would react as a full time back. I am not 100% wrong on this one. He sometimes disappeared in too many big games, but he certainly had the numbers at the end of the season.

I didn't think Roddy White would ever get over his stoopidness with the "Free Vick" shirt, but the Ryan-to-White connection might be a Montana-to-Rice in the making. And I am NOT out of line by putting that out there.

I didn't think Michael Jenkins would even make the team, but not only did he make a bigtime splash, but he signed a deal that will keep him here for a few more seasons. Did he get a hand transplant? And Harry Douglas was a good pickup, despite what JM and DD said the day of the draft. I knew it was a pretty good pickup. I guess that was ONE I got right.

I didn't think the defensive line would be as effective as it was (for the first half of the season), but Abraham was a beast who should have made the Pro-Bowl and Jonathan the Dawg-Killa Babineaux was pretty solid. Even Gravy Jackson was a run-stopper. This team really didn't miss Rod Coleman in there. Too Bad Jamaal Anderson is a waste of a jersey.

The LBs were a surprise: Curtis Lofton should be Defensive RoY. Michael Boley took a step back and Keith Brooking is still a pilejumper. But Lofton is solid.

The DBs, they need work. Lawyer Malloy is great but he is 92 years old. Chris Houston needs to get better, but you can tell he is on the way. Grimes and Hutchins should give the team another good option next season. Coleman, enh. Chevis Jackson is a nice nickle back there. Let's hope Dominique Foxworth loses the mapquest directions to the Dome and FloBranch next season.

Lastly, I didn't think Elam was the way to go. I wish the team had taken Coutu in the draft. But Elam won the team Da Bears game, even though he nearly cost the team the game. I told DD that day in FloBranch that Elam would win the team a game, but I would have rather saved a bit of money there and put it towards another WLB.

Bottom line, the Falcons are still alive, something the Patriots cannot say, same with the Redskins, Packers, Cowboys, Jets and Broncos. Good for the Falcons and good for Paul Mac. He deserved this after the pain he went through last season.