Falcons douse Dolphins for ninth straight win

ATLANTA -- When O.J. Santiago graduated from Kent State University a couple of years ago, he had a small tattoo emblazoned on his chest, as close to his heart as possible.

It reads:

	O.J. Santiago says the Falcons' heart can take them all the way to the Super Bowl.

One life

One dream

One love

I make it happen.

The 6-foot-7 tight end for the Atlanta Falcons said he wanted a constant reminder about his dream, his burning desire to play in the NFL.

Those words reached fruition on Sunday before a Georgia Dome sellout crowd of 69,754.

On the game's first play from scrimmage, Santiago turned a short Chris Chandler pass into a 62-yard touchdown play. He added a sliding 3-yard touchdown catch two minutes later, touching off a franchise-record 21-point quarter in a 38-16 rout of the Miami Dolphins.

"We wanted it to be a stress-free day for coach (Dan) Reeves," said Jessie Tuggle, an All-Pro linebacker and 12-year Falcons' veteran. "I think it was good for Dan's health, and I know it was really, really sweet for me."

The for-real Falcons (14-2) finished the season undefeated at home and added to their team record for wins in a season (the best had been 12 in 1980). They did so while Reeves was under doctors' orders to stay home for the second consecutive game after undergoing triple-bypass heart surgery at Piedmont Hospital two weeks ago Monday.

"This win was about Dan Reeves and what he means to every single person associated with this team," interim head coach Rich Brooks said. "We knew it would be important to take control right from the start, and I think we managed to do that."

Reeves also managed to place his imprint on Atlanta's ninth consecutive victory. He practically sneaked into the Georgia Dome about 3½ hours before kickoff for the team devotional he normally leads.

"Coach Reeves only spoke to us for a couple of minutes, but he put everything in focus," Santiago said. "He told us not to take the game lightly just because we already were in the playoffs and had a first-round bye (in the playoffs).

"He told us to play hard and that there was no such thing as a meaningless game to a player because it matters every time they keep score.

"It's a great feeling right now," Santiago added. "There is no better feeling in the world right now than to be 14-2 and in a great city like this with fan support we're getting right now. We have a chance to rest up and go deep into the playoffs."

Reeves left the Dome in short order and reportedly watched the game on TV at home, where the fired-up Falcons practically turned him into a channel surfer. He is expected back on the sideline when Atlanta plays host to a divisional playoff game either Jan. 9 or Jan. 10.

"He looked a lot better (Sunday morning)," said Chandler, who left the game after suffering a lower back strain while getting hit on the 3-yard touchdown pass. "Me? I'm feeling a lot better, too. I just got bent over backward and it hurt really bad for a little while and then went away."

Chandler did nothing to hurt a career-high 97.5 quarterback rating. The Pro Bowler completed all three of his passes for 118 yards and two scores.

He was replaced by old pro Steve DeBerg, a former Dolphin, who added a 35-yard touchdown pass to Tony Martin to Miami's misery.

"That was some real valuable playing time," the 44-year-old DeBerg said with a grin. "It was fun to go out there and have success."

The Falcons were even more successful defensively, forcing six turnovers that led to 21 points. Meanwhile, Atlanta did not commit a turnover for the second consecutive week, improving its turnover ratio to plus-nine in the games Reeves has missed.

"We need him in the playoffs," said Jamal Anderson, who rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries, including a 36-yard score, and set an NFL record for most carries (410) in a season. James Wilder held the record with 407 set in 1984 with Tampa Bay.

"Coach Reeves has put together a talented staff of coaches," Anderson added. "When he's not here, we have confidence in the people who he's put in place."

The Dolphins (10-6) played without leading rusher Karim Abdul-Jabbar, who sat out the game (concussion from Monday night's victory over Denver) and lost defensive end Jason Taylor (broken right clavicle) in the early going.

"Atlanta played outstanding," Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson said. "They were ready to play and we were not. I am embarrassed by the way that we played in the first quarter. We made a lot of mistakes and we did not play hard after the game was out of hand. I am upset with the team, with myself, with everything. We better play better next week or we are in for another embarrassment."

Embarrassment? Remember when the Falcons used to be that to the city of Atlanta?

(Chuck Cavalaris writes for The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel.)