It’s two days after, and the stench still looms from the Atlanta Falcons’ 37-21 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.

Atlanta, which was riding high and notching all sorts of accolades last week, is drawing criticism this week for its poor performance in Arlington.  You have to love how quickly things can chance on a dime in the NFL.

Anyhow, it’s time for that weekly look at what others are saying around the blogosphere about the Dirty Birds.

Get killed by the Cowboys, get a date with Extreme Makeover: NFL edition, or at least that’s what Charles Odum of the Associated Press is penning.  Apparently Atlanta coach Mike Smith will ponder personnel changes prior to Atlanta’s crucial Monday night matchup against New Orleans.

The AJC’s Chris Vivlamore, moonlighting from his day job on the Thrashers beat, tells us that Smith took the blame for the loss in big D.  Ummmm.. I didn’t see Smith out there blowing coverage on some dude named Miles Austin or allowing Tony freaking Romo look like the second coming of Troy Aikman. Come on coach.  Your game plan may have been suspect, but it’s the players who couldn’t execute there.

The Birds’ regular beatwriter, who was stuck in Dallas on Monday, opines about the five things that we learned about the Falcons in Jerry Jones’ $1.8 billion palace that was built across from a Wal*Mart.

The Bird Cage blog gives their weekly grades and are way more charitable on the defense than I am.  (Although Ryan gets a big, fat “F.”)

The Falcoholic gives his game ball to Eric Weems.  A tough one when the whole team pretty much stunk it up on Sunday.

ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas openly ponders the question, “Whatever happened to Michael Turner?” Falcons fans would like the answer to that one, too.

Examiner.com’s Mike Tierney gives us his own conclusions from the Atlanta loss, including a blasphemous observation about Ryan.

And finally, Atlanta Falcons.com’s J. Mike writes about what it’s like to be around the team on a bad day.

There you have it.  Let’s dispense of this negativity and look forward to that Monday night matchup near Bourbon Street.

--PHIL FOLEY