Another road loss. I know, this one hurts.Victory was so close, but it slipped away. That makes it even tougher to take it seems. And 6-3 looks a lot better than 5-4. A 6-3 record gets respect. That 5-4 record looks mediocre. 
    The difference in winning and losing was razor thin in Charlotte yesterday. At the top of my list is this: Falcons offense settled for too many FGs to win. That frustration started on the games 1st possession... Elam 35 yard FG, 3-0. Meanwhile, the Panthers were busy scoring 1st half TDs (3), because the Falcons couldn't handle Steve Smith (Tye Hill). Same story for the Falcons starting the 2nd half...drive and settle for a FG. Frustrating.
    So frustrating that Coach Mike Smith went for it on 4th down twice. Both times the Falcons converted and scored TDs. Got to like his go-for-it-mentality. On the first 4th down play, it was early in the game but the game was getting away...so Coach Smith went for it on 4th and 8 (got a pass interference on Roddy). The other 4th down conversion was to start  the 4th quarter...4th and goal at the Carolina 1 yard line and the TD pulled the Falcons within 2.
    Smith went for 2 and got criticized by the Fox broadcast team for trying to tie the game at 21. I thought it was the right move...who cares if you are down 1 or 2? A FG wins it. 
    And Elam got a chance to put the Falcons ahead and maybe win it, after a Matt Ryan 3/1 sneak was ruled short of a 1st down. But Elam missed a 34 yard chip shot. Had Coach Smith known that, he would have gone for it on 4th down again!
    Players like the aggressive approach. Smith has got it right. Go try and win the game. Don't hope the other team screws up and hands it to you. Go get it. 
    A lot will be made of Matt Ryan's 2 INTCs, and Elam's miss. But this one's on the entire offense. Field goals on the road against decent teams will get you beat.