Roddy White: Falcons will be ready
Roddy White is fed up with critics poking fun at his first-place Falcons, their 5-7 record and the possibility that they could host a playoff game.
The veteran receiver expanded on some thoughts he tweeted Friday regarding a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article. The story quoted an anonymous NFL personnel director saying it would be "a joke" for the Falcons to win the NFC South. If the season ended today, the Falcons would be in the NFC's fourth seed as a division winner and host the fifth-seeded Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card game.
"I'm upset because I just hear all the comments about us and our position and our division," White told ESPN.com. "Like no one has won a division going 8-8 or 7-9. When the Giants won the Super Bowl [in 2011], they were 9-7 going in and they barely got into the playoffs.
"It's like everybody wants to be mad at us because we're in the position that we're in and other guys are winning games and they have better records than us. Don't nobody complain when other teams do it, so why such a big deal now? It pisses me off because it's not fair."
Even if the Falcons lose to Green Bay (9-3) on Monday night, they would remain in first place after the Saints (5-8) got blown out by the Panthers (4-8-1) on Sunday, 41-10.
After playing the Packers, the Falcons finish the season with home games against the Steelers and Panthers and a crucial trip to New Orleans. The Falcons, currently 4-0 in the NFC South, beat the Saints in the season opener and defeated the Panthers on the road.
The same Falcons team that had a five-game losing streak earlier in the season now controls its destiny.
"We've lost some games that we felt we should have won and things like that, but we're still in first place," White said. "So I don't want to hear no noise about how people feel and that we need to make changes [to the playoff structure]. Yes, they should make changes, but don't be saying they need to make changes this year because we're in the position we're in.
"New Orleans won 11 games last year and had to go on the road to Philly. [The Saints also won 11 games in 2010 and lost in a wild-card game at 7-9 Seattle.] They won more games than Philly, and nobody said nothing. Nobody cried and said, 'New Orleans shouldn't have to travel to Philly.' It just is what it is. We're in the position we're in, so I don't care what nobody else thinks."
White is confident about the Falcons closing the season strong.
"Yes, I feel confident that we can make it because of the talent that we have," White said. "We put ourselves in a situation down the stretch where if we win our games, we're in. We don't have to worry about anybody. We control our own destiny to the playoffs.
"So, I'm not concerned with what other teams are doing. I just worry about what the Atlanta Falcons can do. And if we go 4-0, we're going to be in the playoffs. ... I don't care what nobody says. We'll have our home playoff game, and we'll be ready."
