#i need to talk more about this i need y’all’s two cents STAT

[vmbrq]

see now i’m thinking. bc so far, and it could just be my memory, but i can’t recall the last time i saw one of the ghostfaces actually FIGHT somebody. like throw punches. it’s always been a hunting knife or a gun (which makes sense bc yknow continuity). so that makes me wonder which of the ghostfaces could actually win or pose a threat in a fistfight.

[jonsa101]

Season 2 Episode 1 Thoughts.

I still can’t get over the fact that they really had a slow mo sequence of Max and Helen seeing each other for the first time in awhile. I’m living for the angst that’s between these two! I definitely feel like the state of their awkward interaction last night is two fold. The “text” is that Max is upset that Helen left when he needed her the most. The “subtext” is that he also feels guilty about interacting with her because he had feelings for her before the accident. To me, this is probably one of the main reasons he doesn’t want to talk to her. I can’t wait to see how their relationship unfolds this season. It’s going to be very interesting to say the least because for the first time Max is the one who doesn’t want to open up and Helen is the one to pry! I’m very curious to see how they’re going to find their way back to each other this season.

Here my quick thoughts on everything else:

RIP Georgia. I’m not surprised. I fully expected this and new from the beginning that Max was imagining things. Truth be told, the episode was a little lackluster for me for this reason. I actually think I would have preferred having a full episode of things picking up from where they left off last season with episode 2 being the three month time jump. I would have been more emotionally invested seeing everyone in height emotional/chaotic state. That’s just my two cents.

Valentina, valentina, valentina!!!!! Y’all I wanted to slap her through my tv screen. I feel like boo boo the fool because I actually thought they were going to be partners in crime for Max this season. Lol! She is hella problematic but what I love is that Helen did not miss a beat once honey! Here’s to hoping that Helen reads her ass to pure filth one good time this upcoming season! I feel like we caught a glimpse of Helen’s “read” ability when Helen and Max had a little spat in episode 15 and she had to gather him real quick when he questioned her abilities. Fingers cross we get to see her truly READ someone!

I was low key surprised to see Reynolds and Evie going strong. I thought for sure that there would be some sort of fracture in their relationship because of Bloom but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. In fact, Bloom and Reynolds relationship looks like it’s been strongly put in the “friend zone.” Is the show committed to Reynolds and Evie? I’m honestly not so sure. Apparently Bloom is getting a love interest this season through her physical trainer. Will that break the camels back for Evie and Reynolds? Will seeing Bloom fall for someone else spark jealousy in Reynolds? We’ll see!

I am living for Sharpe and Bloom’s sisterhood blossoming! Other than Max and Helen this is the relationship I can’t wait to see grow this season! Their moment on the rooftop was so touching and I want to see more sweet moments between them! The show needs more sisterhood so I’m here for this!

I’m not a fan of the rift between Max and Hartman and I need the show to address it immediately. Georgia’s death is not Hartman’s fault! Everyone in their power did everything that they could to save Georgia that day and it just didn’t work out. I understand that Max is grieving but icing Hartman out is completely unfair! I hope this gets resolved quickly.

Iggy and Kapoor are still as amazing as ever. I’m still holding out for Max and Iggy to have therapy sessions this season. Max needs it. He needs to grieve properly and process things and who better to help him.

I love Reynold’s intern and I hope we see more of him. Reynolds has finally met his match! Also I love that we are seeing more of the secondary characters and the introduction of some new characters. It keeps the show interesting and keeps the audience on their toes.

I loved seeing baby Luna and the staff interacting with her. Here’s to hoping we see more cute Luna and staff moments (cough, cough Helen).

Last but not least I love that we get to see the staff in their homes. Please show me Helen Sharpe’s home stat!!

This was way longer than I expected. I’m so excited for episode 2 on Tuesday! What did you think of the season premiere and what do you want to see this season? Let me know your thoughts!

[erlenmeyertrash]

so can we ask what happened, or is that rude?

ALRIGHT. buckle up buds. this one is the most Dramatic Event that has probably ever happened to me. I was not equipped, I was not prepared, I’m still reeling from it, and… well. you’ll see why.

if any any point you think “holy shit, is this even real? can this get any more wild?” just know that a) i felt the same way, b) it is all 100% real and accurate to the best of my memory, and c) it can and it does. ugh.

ANYWAYS. without further ado. (i would say storytime, but i’d hate to taint the phrase with this… also this is going to probably be swear-filled. and i’m not sure how many trigger warnings to tag. i will try my best? it’ll involve mentions of breakups and emotional struggles for sure so please proceed with caution, lovelies, i’d hate for anybody to get hurt

okay note after reading- there’s food mentions, mentions of swearing, emotional manipulation, relationship issues, character insults, slight drowning mention, and if there are any more please let me know and i’ll tag them. proceed with caution. enter if you dare. i still cannot believe the vast majority of this happened.)

sO. the backstory of all backstories. (if you want to skip to the most recent hiatus-inducing drama, look for the bolded text (and screenshot) a bit further down)

I went through a god-awful breakup just before school started last semester with a guy named Collin. I’m talking two days after we move in to the same apartment complex, three days before our one-year anniversary, totally out of left field. i had kind of put too much emotional investment into the relationship and was really unprepared for it- not to mention (and this may be biased) he handled it kind of poorly- let me re-invest in person after a summer apart, got me very attached, then didn’t actually break it off the first time he tried because he wimped out at seeing me sad, so semi-led me on for another day before he actually cut it off.

…and then tried to be friends while simultaneously calling up his past ex and making an FWB with the girl he met over the summer that i wasn’t supposed to worry about and i’m gonna stop myself now. basically, i was distraught and, despite having many wonderful friends, felt extremely alone starting off this year of college. collin was Not Ever allowed over into my apartment again, an executive order unanimously agreed upon by me and my 2 roommates.

flash forward a couple of days to my organic chemistry class where i sit by a guy named joey. joey looks like a chill dude, right? and i’m not even remotely thinking about relationships. i think i’m done forever, goodbye cruel world, hello Single Dog Mom status eternal. joey’s awesome. we become friends, bond over C-H bonds, it’s lit. joey’s a senior- two years older than me- and he’s got a girlfriend, who i meet once before a football game and try as hard as i possibly can to convey “i am joey’s weird ochem nerd bud, i pose no threat, and trust me if he tried anything i would run screaming to you so hard to help you beat his ass.” not that joey would- he’s a good guy, we’re strictly platonic pals, and he really likes his girlfriend and they’re kind of totally adorable together. we’re all chill, right? right.

over that semester, joey and i are friends, my roommates- we’ll call them Snow White and Mulan, which are accurate monikers in terms of both appearance and attitude- are super supportive and helpful. i love them both to death. snow white goes through her own emotional turmoils (mulan is a bit more chilled out and stone-faced but still absolutely a dear friend to the end), and we try to be there for each other as best we can. i had a lot of emotional struggles that i had to work through both with them and without- and with a few other people. but. yes. last few months were quite a lot for me to handle and i handled it poorly, but we’re doing better now. i get teased for “liking” joey and it takes everything in me not to rant EVERY SINGLE TIME. i just wanted a friend!!!! i was not about to crush on anybody. i was over deep romantic ties for a solid while, let me tell you.

so. this semester. i’m doing a lot better!!! i join an organization full of wonderful people, my roommates and i are doing great (snow white went through a rough spot with a boy early on but we helped her as best we could), joey and i stay friends, some friendships that hit a rough spot last semester are on excellent mend, ochem 2 is WRECKING me but that’s to be expected so it’s fine. collin is basically an awkward, distant memory at this point. i’m still hurt, yknow?, but we don’t talk much. it’s not even a dull ache, it’s just “wow that relationship was rough and i’m scared of them now it’s fine i’m fine everything’s fine i just love my dog and my friends” (as one does). joey breaks up with his gal Sabrina in late january i believe?- nothing serious but it did shock me to hear since they seemed cute together, and i offered support if he needed it and we keep on movin along.

joey’s over at my place one night in february cramming with a few other buds for an ochem exam; he meets snow white and after leaving texts me that she’s really pretty. i, ever the biggest fan of my gal pals, am like “I KNOW RIGHT?!?!” because lbr, i didn’t nickname her a disney princess for nothing. she’s gorgeous. sO. 

joey and i are pals but he finds out he and snow white share a stats class together, so he starts coming over every so often to do homework with her (aka argue about it, judging by the strained voices filtering into my room through the living room). valentine’s day comes along and snow white winds up going out with joey for dinner. lit, right? they come back and i… realize joey is. Not. dressed in the same manner as snow white. so she may have misunderstood the meaning of the dinner. nonetheless, whatevs, it’s all good right?

….and then a few days later, before our spring break, i get some messages from joey. saying whatever he and snow white had is totally off. she… kind of went a little stir-crazy on him (which i’ve seen happen before, so i wasn’t too surprised?). he had, as far as he’s told me, stated he did not want any relationship at all, especially a serious one, and did not intend to make theirs a very exclusive “thing.” she either misheard this or didn’t want to hear it, but then called it off on the exclusivity clause she didn’t seem to like (she wanted more and he said no and she called it off…. is. how that went. fam ion even know). but snow white mentions to mulan and me that joey “implied a relationship” but that she doesn’t want him over anymore. and i’m like… i mean, he’ll probably come over for ochem? but i understand and i’ll see what i can do. they were only “together,” or whatever it was, forrr probably around two weeks? it was a short thing that just seemed to sour very quickly. as both of their friends, i didn’t want to intrude on their relationship, so i let it run its own course rather than give my unnecessary two cents about their compatibility (….they had none, i’ll tell you right now. zippity. zilch. zero. joey is very straightforward and direct and laid-back, and snow white- love her to death- is…. not.).

anyways, just before spring break, joey and i start hanging out more. conversation with this kid flows like a waterfall- we both love to talk and he’s hilarious and interesting and a really great listener. we grab food a few times- i had to stay in town for a bit for spring break, as did he, and we spent an evening or two over sushi and cheap mexican food having a blast. this kid rocks, seriously, and i’m so glad he’s my friend.

…anyways, after spring break he’s got to stop by my place to pick up a parking pass i borrowed, and he mentions wanting to talk to me. i’m like “of course!” and he heads over and i hand him the pass and we laugh about the atrocious state of his car…. and he then scuffs his shoe on the ground

and

goes

“…so, this could end. very badly. but…. i really like you.”

and my brain breaks for a second because what. there’s no way. i’ve been telling myself for a semester that i’m not interested in anybody, especially joey, and he’s definitely not interested in little old me!!! i had even told him once, when he admitted around february to mildly crushing on me the semester previous, that i hadn’t crushed on him. i realized in that conversation i hadn’t let myself think about liking him, and maybe that had been wrong of me to push my feelings down. joey’s a nice kid, and this may go to the moon and back or nowhere at all. i do point out that he made things very not fun by trying with snow white first, and he guiltily admits he was simply a bit lonely after his breakup, and as awful as it sounds, a bit bored. but as soon as he realized she wasn’t right for him, he called it totally off, before his friends knocked some sense into him and he realized he needed to talk to me.

sO. joey and i are a thing. i remind him that i got out of a piss-poor relationship and ask if we can take things slow. he says that that is perfectly fine with him, and. well. off we hilariously go, friends.

…that lasts about three days before we realize we are crazy compatible and great together and decide to not be idiots any longer and call it dating. seriously, y’all? what a step up. i won’t bore you with the details, but i’m extremely, extremely happy. 

…but then there’s snow white. 

she’s my friend, and yet i don’t want to “hide” a relationship from her. mulan has said, during those aforementioned three days, that she thinks joey is a good person and good for me, and that i’m not breaking some girl code- snow white didn’t share much about their relationship with us, but it didn’t seem too serious and didn’t last very long. although the timing is crummy, i believe the best thing to do is come totally clean. i’d rather be candid and try and alleviate what i can.

so i approach snow white one day as soon as i figure out the best way to say it, and say, “hey. so my foot is probably already in my mouth with this, and i really don’t mean to hurt you. but joey and i are… in a thing. a relationship. and i wanted to come clean about it and not sneak it around. i wanted to keep your feelings into account but also ask you to understand- i do like him, so he may be over, but i will do my absolute best to not be loud or in-your-face about it, because i don’t want you to hurt over it.” which is almost verbatim, i believe, so props to my brain.

and snow white goes “i mean, i could tell. you weren’t very subtle about it.”

“…yeah, subtlety isn’t my strong point. i’m sorry. but my main point is that i don’t want to exacerbate any bad feelings you have about us being a thing.”

“abby, i’ve known you liked him for a semester. and i mean, y’know, he said he’d be willing to date either of us, so.”

…and then proceeds to divulge into a sentence or two of information about joey that we have yet to discuss with each other. and i kind of blanch at it but apologize myself in circles for making it weird, i love her to death and don’t want to hurt her, and then exit stage left.

…i get back into my room and realize it was not her place to divulge that information about him, especially because she seemed to do it explicitly to throw a wrench into my line of thinking about him. instead of doing this, it makes me wary of her. who uses some private information like that? so i relay this to joey, who i see later that day, and we talk about it and then move on.

later that evening, i tell mulan and another friend the same story- with permission from joey to share his personal information, too, of course. and we’re discussing her decision to share this when we… kind of realize she was hiding in the apartment.

now. while i did disagree with her actions, i didn’t bash her. i explicitly remember this. i’ve worked extremely hard over the past year to not say any emotionally-charged judgmental statement about people. i understand them and i used to say them all the time, but they’ve gotten misconstrued around me so often i try to avoid them. so i didn’t say any character-bashing statements about snow white; simply that i was upset that she shared information that wasn’t hers to share in a way that only seemed to serve to sabotage my relationship and happiness. (that’s… actually almost verbatim of what i said).

but alas, snow white is there. she hears the conversation. she leaves and… sends me a message.

******so this is where shit starts to hit the fan, for those skipping the longer backstory and wanting that juicy gossip. to recap: got into a relationship, the boy had a casual thing with my roommate a few weeks beforehand, she heard things that upset her. and sent. me. this.

…and i. am. reeling. like. i still don’t know what to say about any of this, except for the part where i tried to not start anything worse while also hold my ground and not be a pushover. (i should note: joey does not live in a place where we can easily hang out together. if we could, we would to alleviate this, believe me. neither of us is particularly confrontational).

…so that. happens. and snow white stops sharing her location with me, as i with her, and we move on.

…until thursday (hiatus day). when joey and i come home with dinner and realize snow white is home. and we are like “wow let’s not be assholes and sit in my room rather than out in the open, and quietly eat to try and make this less awkward for her.” which is what we do.

…until snow white comes up outside my door and goes, “he can leave now.”

and i, calmly eating my muddy buddies, go “…or he can stay.” and snow white starts to yell. some favorite quotes include: “i want him out,” “he can leave now,” “he dated me first” (which is, let me remind you, false, as they did not date), “ we both know he’d rather date me again,” “he tried much harder with me than he did with you,” “i didn’t realize you were this desperate and shallow,” “i didn’t know you were okay with dating a manwhore,” “have fun getting him to manipulate you into doing what he wants,” “he just wanted someone desperate enough to do whatever he wanted” (…let me assure you guys right now that this is false. and i’ll answer any questions y’all have about it!! but this is. just. blatantly not true.), and- a personal fave- “i mean, i always knew you were desperate when you dated collin, but i didn’t think i’d ever have to say it out loud”

…these. are. verbatim, folks. she’s yelling these at me through the door. joey looks like he wants to die. i am hoping that if i placate it enough, and ride it out, that she will stop. so i accept every comment, take it in stride, try to make her realize her point and ceasefire (especially since he’s in my room, which is mine, not her domain)- which she does after a bit.

…then mulan gets home, and i realize i don’t want it to seem like i’ve been bullied into hiding in my room. i take our dinner trash and throw it away, avoiding snow white’s gaze from the kitchen, until she stops me by saying “yeah, i want him gone.”

… “i am sorry, but he’s going to stay, because i want him here.” “i don’t think so. it’s pouring rain out- perfect weather for him to drown on the way home!” “…he is staying here.” “no, he’s not. “yes, he is, [snow white].” “no. he’s not. you don’t get to make that decision.” “i don’t- but neither do you. he does. and he is welcome as long as he wants to stay here, especially in my room.” …and then i get a repeat of everything she said earlier, except this time, it’s to my face. i get to be yelled at that i am shallow; that i am desperate; that he’s only with me because he wants someone easy; that i am disgustingly ugly; that i’m stupid, and she can’t believe she has to say it to my face; do i even realize how horrible of a person i am?; that she has felt this way since this summer; that i have been an awful roommate all year. this goes on for about 10 minutes before i, in a moment of extreme hurt, turn to joey (who rightfully was staying out of it) and, in a moment of anger and desperation, yell “are you going to help me out with this shit?!” and as snow white goes “oh, yeah, perfect, go get him to fight your battles for you,” he comes to join me. and says “you cannot say that to someone. that isn’t fair. you are being cruel. abby is none of these things and you have no right to tell her any of this, especially since the way you’re feeling is my fault.” cue snow white turning to yell at him as well- not only is he an awful person, but “i’m trying to make abby feel as low as possible, since it’s what she deserves,” and “your girlfriend’s stupid.” it’s a mix of character insults for the both of us, and joey and i are trying to let them roll off as best we can.

…this lasts for about 30 minutes, before i go to apologize profusely to mulan (who says it is all fine and she’s sorry it’s happening as well). i then go back and go “joey, you don’t deserve this, and i’m sorry. let’s go.” and shut my bedroom door behind us, cutting off the most awful conversation i have ever endured in my life.

…but it keeps going, friends.

snow white messages sabrina- joey’s ex, remember, who snow white has never met before- on instagram, saying how awful of a person he is and how he used her to get to me (which is. again. untrue. i have known joey since september). sabrina then texts joey, insulting his character even further. he deflects very calmly with an extremely docile message (i believe it was something along the lines of “i’m happy now and i hope you are doing well”)- it does nothing to placate her, but that’s the most we hear.

….then joey and i go to his friends’ wedding this weekend? and have a blast. seriously, you guys, it was one for the books. a beautiful wedding, joey slow-cooked all of their amazing pork, we take a 5-mile hike around his parents’ beautiful property and nearby land, talk for hours on end and watch the stars… seriously. it was some of the most fun i’ve had in a while, thanks to not only the situation but the person i got to share it with. 

we got back a few hours ago, and i went on facebook to check some event details… and i see i have a message from sabrina… it’s this.

….so. that. was. quite the event. i’m dead serious when i say i read that message less than 6 hours ago.

...and then, around 30 minutes later? i realize snow white moved out of the apartment.

i am still reeling. 

….and that, pals, is The Incident. and i hate it. i hate drama. i avoid it like the plague. and it has been dumped on me in the past few days and i’m. i. just. ???? it’s fine i’m fine everythings fINE

but i’ll take any questions! obviously left bits here and there out bUT. yes. questions. or you guys can think “holy mother of goodness this is CRAZY” and i’d simply sigh and agree.

[footballleague0]

Questions about the Lions’ X-factors, Falcons fans and Takk’s possible coming out party

Good morning and welcome to Straight from the ’Beek! We’re just days away from the Falcons-Lions showdown in Motown – and you’ve got questions. Just remember that all opinions you see in this space are mine, unless otherwise noted.

So let’s have at ’em.

Kevin from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England

Hi. I came over the pond for the Packers game. Loved the stadium and experience but was frustrated as to how many people left early. I’d be there every minute of every game if I could. Why do people leave so early considering how quickly a game can change and that this could have a detrimental effect on the team’s performance on both sides of the ball? If your team is winning, stay and have a party!!

Matt: Thanks for writing, Kevin. Glad you had a great trip and experience at the new stadium – and that your Falcons won, too. When I got here, they told me that Falcons fans tend to arrive “later” to games. Why? I have no idea. Maybe it’s the traffic? Maybe it’s the tailgating? But you could use that excuse for any fan in any city rooting for any team. And to your question, why so many left early on Sunday night during the Packers game? Maybe they left, or maybe they were walking around the concourse. It’s tough to know for sure, but there definitely were more empty seats. Maybe they thought the game was in hand and wanted to get a jump on the traffic, I dunno. It was late Sunday/early Monday morning and most people have to work on Monday morning, but I get your point. They were there and loud when it counted, so there’s that. It was my first regular-season game here, so I’m withholding judgment.

Robert from Los Angeles, CA

Hey Beek! Love the column. Been reading since day 1. First time contributing. I would like to know who your X-factors, or players to watch, are on offense and defense for the game against the Detroit Lions. I personally think the defensive line can get pressure against a Detroit O-line that’s missing their left tackle from last year to injury. On offense, I think the RBs will have a good day in both the run and pass game. Thanks, Beek, keep doing what you’re doing. The app is my way of keeping up with my Falcons news from Los Angeles.

Matt: Appreciate it, Robert. I think we all know Matthew Stafford is pretty good and the Lions helped him out greatly by investing in the offensive line during the offseason. It’s helped the running game some as well as given him more protection, it appears. As far as X-factors go, I think you have to keep your eyes on receiver Golden Tate and defensive end Ziggy Ansah. Tate is a like a running back in the open field – he can extend plays because of he gets the tough yards after catches. If he doesn’t score, he moves the chains. And Ansah changes the complexion of that defense. He had 30 sacks in his first three years. He was hurt last year, but he looks like his old self – he had three sacks against the Giants on Monday night. If those two are quiet or non-factors Sunday, I really like the Falcons’ chances that much more.

Vince from Clarkston, GA

Beek, no question just a Big Thank You for this Q&A! You really hit the nail on the head for a lot of my thoughts and the questions that are sent in answers the ones I have. Also, thank you “Ryan from Lake in the Hills, IL” lol

Matt: Glad you’re enjoying it, Vince. I’m still waiting to hear back from Ryan.

Rutul from Mount Prospect, IL

Hi Beek. I would like to see Julio get his 1st touchdown of the season. Do you think he will be targeted more this week in red zone? This will be game 3 and Julio does not have a touchdown. I would like to see him leading the league in touchdowns for receivers.

Matt: I think you and most Falcons fans feel the same way, Rutul. I’m anticipating another big year from Julio Jones, so I think you’ll see him targeted plenty. I wouldn’t get caught up in the stats (unless you’re playing fantasy football and you have Jones on your team, of course). I think this team is focused on 2017 – and making that deep postseason run. Just my two cents.

Larry from Las Vegas, NV

Hey Beek, I love the column. My question is, why aren’t the tight ends used more in playmaking like they did with Tony Gonzalez? I think using the tight ends in short situations will free up big plays for our fantastic receivers.

Matt: I think Austin Hooper is a terrific tight end and is only going to get better, but to be fair, he’s no Tony Gonzalez. Not yet, anyway. That said, Larry, I think a lot of times offenses take what the defenses give them – and if Hooper is open, I’m pretty sure Matt Ryan will find him. (See Chicago in Week 1.) Thanks for reading!

John from Buies Creek, NC

What name for Sanu at QB? Just watch the video and let him tell y’all. AGENT 12!!

Matt: I think that name is as good as any for that formation and thanks for the video link, John. And in case some of you Falcons fans missed it, coach Dan Quinn is open to suggestions on what to call it. Check it out. Thanks for writing, John.

Brian from Clarkston, GA

What’s up Beek! Rise Up! Quick question, what does CMB stand for in defensive stats? Thank you, sir!

Matt: That would be combined tackles – tackles plus assists.

Kevin from Sierra Madre, CA

You are right about Dwight Freeney being 37 years of age. I would prefer JT Jones or Nordly Capi from the Giants. Fans only remember Freeney from his past. The present is we don’t need to pay Freeney’s salary. Let’s just hope Vic comes back soon. Let Mr. Freeney become a defensive coach for the Falcons instead.

Matt: To be fair, you have to trust the Falcons on this one, Kevin. They work out the players, do their due diligence and they’re the professional talent evaluators. I think it all depends on the extent of Vic Beasley’s injury and how long they anticipate him being out. All we know right now is that he’ll miss this week. If it’s a month, well, they might move to Plan B, whatever that is.

James from Decatur, GA

It’s been 40 years since I put on the pads, but if DQ needs an outside backer willing to suit up, please forward to right people that I have one good game left in me.

Matt: Sure thing, James.

Kit from Canton, GA

Matt, didn’t hear anything about Wes Schweitzer this week, which is a good thing for an offensive lineman. Must have been a huge improvement. Can you comment on him?

Matt: You’re right, Kit. When you’re an offensive lineman and they’re not talking about you after a game, it’s almost always a good sign.

Lisa from Flowery Branch, GA

What’s up Beek. My question is, is there a chance that a podcast could be in the fans’ future? I for one, really enjoyed them. Second, I wish that we could have an option to listen to DQ’s full press conference, instead of just clips. This girl from the Branch like to hear the full story from my favorite team. And my last subject, is this the week we see Takk Attack? I think he will get his first sack in Detroit. Do you agree?

Matt: Lisa, nothing is set in stone regarding a podcast, but it’s on our radar. We’re making a lot of great changes here and whatever we do, we want to do it right. So stay tuned on that front. As far as the full DQ presser goes, you can watch it in a number of places, including Twitter, Periscope and Facebook. Check out the team pages. And to your last question, I think this would be the perfect week for Takkarist McKinley’s coming out party, especially with Vic Beasley sidelined. We shall see.

Jim from Raleigh, NC

Beek, what happened to the injury report? In the past, it’s always been posted on Wed., Thurs., and Fri.

Matt: Check it out here, Jim. We’ve got you covered.

Justin from Waco, GA

Hey Matt, I know it’s early in the season, but do you think the Falcons are the best team in the NFC South? I believe they are even though Tampa Bay looks much improved. I actually believe the Falcons are still the best team in the NFC and until someone proves otherwise we all should believe it.

Matt: I think it’s early, Justin. And I say that because we’re still trying to figure out the identities of all 32 teams – you can only base so much off last year and each week we learn a little more. Obviously, injuries can change all of that in one play, too. That all said, I think the Falcons had one of the most complete rosters coming into the season and Sunday night against the Packers was a good sign to see that offense is clicking again. I do agree with you two games in. They play the 2-0 Lions on the road Sunday and a win in Motown would only reinforce what most analysts, columnists and so-called experts already think about the Falcons.

Joni from Panama City, FL

Hey Beek! My question pertains to Matt Ryan. Is it possible, we fans might see him fake an end-around run and score when close to the goal line? I don’t think defenses would be prepared for that. I’ve wanted to see that many a time throughout his career.

Matt: Joni, I think with this offense – with all of its personnel groups, motion and formations – you should expect to see anything, maybe even a fake end-around run by Matt Ryan. Why not.

Travis from Greenbelt, MD

Who do you HONESTLY think will come out victorious on Sunday? I personally think the Falcons will come out on top but it will be a close one.

Matt: I’m always honest here, Travis. And I think the Falcons will win. I think it’ll be close until the end – and then they’ll pull away.

Kellan from Dayton, OH

Hey Beek, do you believe Freeney is the best available DE and if so, do you see us bringing him back in?

Matt: Really good defensive ends are almost as valuable as quarterbacks in this league, Kellan. If they’re walking the streets, there’s usually a reason. It will all depend on the ling-term prognosis for Vic Beasley. I think the Falcons would like to see some production from the players they have now and if they can get to the bye week (Week 5), my guess is that they’ll make a determination then on what to do. In a perfect world Beasley comes back next week healthy. Stay tuned.

David from Newnan, GA

Hey, Matt. I really like and read this every week. I think you seem to answer the same questions every week and it would be nice if you’d answer some different questions. Like maybe the questions I have asked the last two weeks. Really does not matter because l will continue to read. I promise I will never write to you ever again. Thank you for your time, good luck and goodbye.

Matt: Hey, David. I try to get the best and most interesting questions in every day — but I do not answer every single question submitted. Thanks for the kind words, thanks for reading and keep asking those questions!

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