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Looked like a combination to me. On defense, we were aggressive as heck. On offense, we were lacking a killer instinct. The offensive play calling in the 4th quarter was giving me a headache.

A bit of both...

What it means: It wasn’t the offensive shootout that many expected and it was far from the best game you’ll ever see. But the bottom line is the Falcons are 2-0 and in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. They already have a two-game lead on the New Orleans Saints, who were supposed to be their main competition in the division.

What I liked: Atlanta’s defense. The Falcons intercepted Peyton Manning three times in the first quarter. Aside from a touchdown drive at the end of the first half, Manning and the Broncos never really got into an offensive rhythm. This defense isn’t perfect, but new coordinator Mike Nolan definitely has brought a more aggressive attitude.

What I didn’t like: The officiating. It wasn’t like the replacement officials totally were wrong on a bunch of calls. It’s just that they didn’t seem to have control of the game (and there were a couple times when their math seemed to be a little off when marking off penalties). There were a lot of flags thrown, a lot of back and forth with coaches and a lot of replays. The first half took almost two hours and the game didn’t end until after midnight ET. The NFL is very conscious of its television audience. This was not a pretty game and, undoubtedly, a lot of viewers went to bed before it was over. If anything, this game might help prompt the league to resolve the labor situation with the regular officials.

What else I didn't like: The way Atlanta coach Mike Smith and/or offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter got so conservative with the play calling. The Falcons had a chance to blow the Broncos out early. Instead, they let them hang in way too late. It didn't result in disaster this time, but it's extremely dangerous to go conservative when you're playing against someone like Manning.
Game of his life: I thought Atlanta safety William Moore played as well as I’ve ever seen him play. He intercepted Manning on the first drive and returned the ball to the Denver 1-yard line, where the Falcons were able to punch it in for a quick touchdown. Moore also broke up another potential touchdown pass with a big hit on a receiver in the end zone and had good coverage all night. Moore also came up with a crucial sack midway through the fourth quarter.

Milestone time: The touchdown pass to Roddy White with 7:08 left in Matt Ryan's career.

Milestone-ending time: Atlanta receiver Julio Jones had the longest active streak in the league with at least one touchdown reception in his past five games. That streak is over. Jones didn’t catch a touchdown Monday and also had several drops. White picked up the slack and carried Atlanta’s receiving game. White topped the 100-yard mark in receiving for the 29th time in his career.

What’s next: The Falcons have a short week and a long road trip. They play at San Diego on Sunday afternoon. They’ll practice Friday at their facility before making the flight Friday afternoon.

Again, I could be singing a different tune after re-watching the game later today or tomorrow, but I don't think it was conservative play-calling that was the issue last night. I think it was a conservative mentality where the Falcons got into a mindset where they were just trying to let the night be over. So even if Koetter was making the right calls, the Falcons got into a mode where they were just waiting for the game to be over midway through the 3rd quarter.

IMHO, the solution may be less about the actual plays called, and more about instilling a mindset in the team that is about going for the throat. The Falcons came out scored their initial TD in the 3rd, and wiped their hands clean of the game. Instead, I'd like Smitty to take the mindset during halftime to be proactive about that, and tell the team that he wants them score X amount in the 2nd half, otherwise there are going to be consequences during the following week of practice.

This team has never really shown that at all under Smith, as they tend to always let teams back into the game in the 2nd half, even the ones that we know are out of reach (Redskins 3 years ago, Titans and Vikings last year, Chargers 4 years ago, etc.)