Detroit Lions @ Atlanta Falcons live blog - 3rd quarter: A new hope? No such luck

And we're back.

So which team shows up for the 2nd half? The godforsaken, soul-crushing Lions of the 1st quarter, or the team that almost looks NFL worthy in the 2nd? Your guess is as good as mine. I have no damn idea.

Lions start at their own 41 after a Falcon penalty on the kickoff. WOOOOOOO! Hey, I gotta get my jollies in early, who knows what happens from here on out.

A Smith run, and Williams catch, has the Lions in Falcons territory. 1st and 10 at the Falcons 46. OK, not a bad start.

Smith loses 4. Thanks, you suck ass o-line! Gaines gets a handful on 2nd down, 3rd and 7.

GOD DAMMIT! Kitna throws a BAD BAD BAD pick! The Falcons bring the ball past mid-fucking-field. Where's your God now, Kitna? Shit.

My mood is quickly turning sour. And we get more good news, the Lions' TE Dan Campbell is...guess what...injured again, and out of uniform. Yeah, like we never saw that coming...

A couple of short runs leave the Falcons 3rd and 6. A short pass gets a couple, Falcons line up for a long Jason Elam FG attempt...It's good from 50. Damn. 24-14, Falcons.

Fuck you, Kitna, you self-righteous, rag armed, holier-than-thou, prick. Sorry, I needed to get that out of my system.

The Lions start at their 20 after a touchback. I'm not sure what to expect at this point, other than more mood swings.

It's 3rd and 10, after a Smith run and an incompletion. Kitna's back, and scrambles....He slides...Short of the God damn 1st down by a yard. You dumb fuck! There was no Falcon that close...UGH! Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Me. Me. Me.

Lions punt, and I die a little more inside.

Falcons' ball at the 30...False Start. 1st and 15. But Norwood gets most of it back on a 12 yard run. Where's the run D? Where?! It's nowhere to be found as Turner gets the 1st.

Ryan's back...looks deep...finds Roddy White 46 yards downfield at the Detroit 11. Leigh Bodden was supposed to playing defense.

And Turner scoots in untouched for the TD. The Lions are dead to me. D.E.D. Dead.

This blows. How in the Hell is Marinelli going to spin this disaster? Pound the rock, my ass.

Falcons 31, Lions 14, amount of patience I have left, 0.

Lions take over at the 25. Smith makes a nice move on a swing pass, gets 11. Then gets 8 more on a run. Smith is proving he deserved to start. Wow, a draft pick that isn't a bust.

Rudi Jonhson in at RB, gets the Lions down to the Atlanta 35 on a pair of runs.

Kitna to Furrey gets 12. Lions looking like a decent team again...But for how long?

Rudi! Rudi! Rudi! Gets 3 more, 2nd and 7 at the Falcons 19.

Kitna's back...It's Johnson in the end zone...AND HE'S MUGGED! Pass interference, Falcons! 1st and goal at the 2!

Play action...Kitna finds FitzSimmons wide open! TD! Nice play. I don't die a little inside, but give it time.

31-21, Falcons. It's still a game, as long as the Lions don't keep shooting themselves in the foot.

Big boot from Hanson, touchback!

Ryan completes another pass, gets 12 on 1st down. Jesus, you'd think Ryan is the next coming of Joe Montana the way the Lions are playing him.

Then Turner spins out of a few lame ass Lions tacklers, gets another 1st down. He's over 160 yards on the game. I'm getting pissed off again.

Lions catch a break, a Norwood 10 yard 1st down run is called back.

That's the 3rd quarter, folks. A very ugly 3rd quarter. 31-21, bad guys.