For a second there, it really looked like the Falcons were going to be a big spoiler to the 49ers’ party last night. The party had a slow start and really didn’t favor the home supporters until the 3rd quarter got rolling. Atlanta used a nice balance of attack to control most of the first half, taking a lead into the locker room as both team made adjustments. San Francisco came out much better in the second half, controlling the football and going for three straight scores that included to two touchdowns formulated by Colin Kaepernick. Atlanta responded with a big TD pass by Matt Ryan and the 49ers had a nice drive to respond, led by Frank Gore’s running. That’s when things got interesting. Atlanta got another score with a vintage Tony Gonzalez catch, followed by a pretty good onside kick conversion. Right there, the game looked like it would at least go into overtime but then came a really nice play by Tramaine Brock and NaVorro Bowman. Brock broke up the pass and Bowman took advantage of the play, returning the interception (pictured above) to the opposite side of the field, sealing the win. It was a crazy couple of minutes of football. The victory over the Falcons secured the 49ers of a spot in the playoffs, with an outside shot at the division title and the top overall seed in the conference. Chances are that the Niners won’t get the top seed (need both the Panthers and Seahawks to lose) but all of a sudden San Francisco has won five straight, becoming the hottest team in the league with only one week left in the regular season. I would not want to face the 49ers right now. For Atlanta things are very much on the other side of the spectrum, a season of disappointment continues to plague this team. Sure, this means that they get a better draft pick come June but after what they did last season, this will always be a regrettable season for the Falcons.

The news about Tony Romo’s season-ending back injury came about an hour after I finished making my post here. At first I thought it was a couple reporters jumping the gun but rumors continued to swirl around the social that it was true: Romo had suffered a back injury that would end his season for the Cowboys. In all honesty, I didn’t know how to feel immediately. I’ve always been a Romo supporter, quick to point out that for all the scrutiny he receives, #9 of the Dallas Cowboys does just as much good, if not more, for the Cowboys. But even the biggest Romo haters on the planet will agree that the Cowboys aren’t a better team without him. His injury in the 2010 season proves just that. Just as things were starting to go well for Dallas this season, the injury to their franchise QB pretty much eliminates any hopes of a postseason berth for the Cowboys. Chances are that because of their terrible defense Dallas wasn’t going to win either way but at least there was a legitimate shot. Romo hasn’t been ruled by Jason Garrett, doing his robot thing at yesterday’s press conference, but there have been reports of a herniated disk among other medical diagnostics and treatment. It’s just a shame that the Cowboys won’t at least get real shot for the division title. How does NBC feel right now? Quickly flexing this game to prime time, now knowing that it might just feature Kyle Orton as one of the starters. Who knows, maybe Romo will play and this entire fiasco has all been smoke and mirrors. Cowboys fans around the country like myself won’t know until there’s an official statement released but for now, it’s a bleak outlook to what has a been a roller coaster of a season.

Merry Christmas everyone. Or whatever holiday you celebrate or don’t celebrate, I hope it’s an enjoyable next couple of a days for you and your loved ones.