Steven Jackson to Atlanta

[MikeO]

Nice addition to an already outstanding offense!

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

I think this is a great signing for Atlanta!!!!!!

[MikeO]

Their offense is gonna be scary good. Problem for Atlanta though is even if they go 15-1....their season is a failure if they don't at least REACH the Super Bowl

[mecadonzilla]

I wonder how much is left in Steven's tank.  I don't think he's completely spent, but considering his use in St. Louis, his best days are definitely behind him.

[Sunstroke]

Their offense is gonna be scary good. Problem for Atlanta though is even if they go 15-1....their season is a failure if they don't at least REACH the Super Bowl

I predict that the city of Atlanta...or at least its NFL fans, are really-really-really going to hate the NFC West for the next 3-4 years.

[el diablo]

We'll see, when they're hosting the NFC Championship again next year.

[EKnight]

I don't think anyone who is a fan of a perennial top 15 draft pick team should be allowed to point a finger at Atlanta- whether they get to the Super Bowl or not- and label anything they do "a failure." Perspective, people. Switch Miami and Atlanta's records for the past five years and no one here would be saying "Anything less than Super Bowl next year is a failure!"

Put another way- if following up the past 5 seasons' 56-14 with a hypothetical 12-4 record and a second round playoff loss is a failure, what does Miami's 38-42 record over that time say about them? People who live in glass houses should not throw such hyperbole stones. -EK

[Spider-Dan]

The last time Miami was a perennial playoff team (and had won playoff games three years in a row unlike, ahem, Atlanta), the prevailing perspective WAS, "Anything less than the Super Bowl next year is a failure."

So I'm not sure how that's hypocrisy.

[Brian Fein]

Steven Jackson and Michael Turner are the same person.  Except Michael Turner doesn't get hurt as often.

Jacquizz Rodgers is going to have a breakout year this season.

[EKnight]

The last time Miami was a perennial playoff team (and had won playoff games three years in a row unlike, ahem, Atlanta), the prevailing perspective WAS, "Anything less than the Super Bowl next year is a failure."

So I'm not sure how that's hypocrisy.

And I'm saying that's a ridiculous stance, especially from anyone whose team hasn't had a winning record in a number of years. I don't think it's reasonable for a fan of a losing team to label another team's season as a failure for not winning a Superbowl. Does that mean that every year 31 teams were failures? -EK

[Spider-Dan]

Expectations matter.

Even though the 2001 and 2008 Dolphins had the same record with the same end result (home loss to BAL in wild card round), 2001 was an incredibly disappointing underachievement that signaled a move in the wrong direction, while 2008 was a glorious miracle season.

The expectation of Atlanta's ownership and fanbase (given their roster) is at least to go to the Super Bowl.  The expectation of Miami's ownership and fanbase is... not.  If Miami got a wild-card playoff win and lost in the divisional round, this season would be a success for the Dolphins.  If the Falcons, Patriots, Broncos, or Packers did the same, that would be considered a failure.

I don't see why this is hard to understand.

[MikeO]

WTF does it matter what team a person roots for when laying out expectations for any other team given that teams current roster? The 2013 Falcons have an elite roster and a Super Bowl caliber roster.

This is crazy talk! Like saying if your a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates you can't say the Yankees choked in the playoffs given all of the hall of famers and high priced superstars the Yanks have because the Pirates suck and you root for them.

This is idiot logic!

[MikeO]

Expectations matter.

Even though the 2001 and 2008 Dolphins had the same record with the same end result (home loss to BAL in wild card round), 2001 was an incredibly disappointing underachievement that signaled a move in the wrong direction, while 2008 was a glorious miracle season.

The expectation of Atlanta's ownership and fanbase (given their roster) is at least to go to the Super Bowl.  The expectation of Miami's ownership and fanbase is... not.  If Miami got a wild-card playoff win and lost in the divisional round, this season would be a success for the Dolphins.  If the Falcons, Patriots, Broncos, or Packers did the same, that would be considered a failure.

I don't see why this is hard to understand.

Very well said!

[EKnight]

I disagree. I happen to feel it's "idiot logic" to have the mentality that anything less than a Superbowl is failure. Of course that perspective does seem to reflect the bipolar POV I see in these boards a lot (a guy either sucks or is the second coming- no room for any gray), but honestly, I think if a coach has several seasons in which he averages 11 wins a year, no sane person will label him a failure.

Were the Elway Broncos "failures" before they won the Super Bowl in 97 even though Elway led them to 4 conference championships and a 70% win clip for the previous ten years? -EK

[Spider-Dan]

EKnight, have you ever heard the acronym:

Boy
I
Love
Losing
Super Bowls

Are you confused as to why someone would make a derogatory joke about the only team in NFL history to win four consecutive conference championships?

When you figure that out, then maybe you'll understand why someone would consider Atlanta's 2013 season a "failure" if they don't make it to the Super Bowl.