But where's the limb? I'm ready to venture out.

The Falcons never have posted consecutive winning seasons. It stands as arguably the most remarkable failure over the past 43 years in pro sports, and certainly in the NFL. But it ends here. The 11th winning season in franchise history in 2008 will be immediately followed by the 12th winning season in 2009.

I think. (Hey, it's Monday of Week 1. Matt Ryan just missed practice with the flu. I need to hedge a little.)

"It is surprising," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said when asked about the streak. "That's a long time. But very few of us who came to the organization last year were even aware of it [until hearing about it] after the playoffs. To be honest, I think a lot of people and this coaching staff took [the stories] a little personal, the insinuation that last year was a little bit of a fluke."

So it's a driving force this season?

"I don't want it to seem like it's a cross we're bearing, but it's just a subtle reminder that there's another stigma to overcome."

This would seem like an easy goal to achieve. The four corners of any NFL team --- ownership, management, coaching, quarterback --- are solid and stable. But we were here in 2002, when the Falcons went 9-6-1 in Michael Vick's first year as starter. We were here in 2004, when they went to the NFC title game in the first season under Jim Mora.

Ten times they've been here, only to fade, collapse or walk into a door. They went 12-4 in 1980 but then 4-9 down the stretch the following year (to finish 7-9). A Jerry Glanville team went from 10-6 to 6-10 in 1992. The lowlight: Going 5-0 against California teams in 1991, prompting Glanville to create the "California Trophy," and bring it with him to San Francisco. The Falcons (56-17) and then the trophy were destroyed.

Year-after collapses have varied from the spectacular (June Jones starting 0-8 and getting into a sideline argument with Jeff George) to the luck-less (injuries to Jamal Anderson and Vick) to the borderline comedic (Mora becoming unraveled during a 2-6 second half in 2005, melting down in news conferences and placing a desperate sideline cellphone call at Tampa Bay to determine if a tie game would help his playoff chances).

Most current Falcons aren't even aware of the streak. It would be like cracking a Norb Hecker joke and wondering why everybody's giving you a blank stare.

But Todd McClure certainly knows. He's the longest-tenured Falcon. So he's the one most prone to motion sickness. This year, he believes, the ending will change.

"This team is different than any one I've played on," he said. "It's different in the way they've brought guys here who have bought into what the coaches are teaching them. We've got enough guys who aren't going to let [a significant decline] happen. I know what you're thinking: 'That's easy to say.' But I've been here for 10 years, and I recognize what we have."

There's an uneasiness in Las Vegas. The Falcons won 11 games last year. The over/unders in Las Vegas for this year's win total: 8 or 8 1/2.

But the bad history predates the GM (Dimitroff), the quarterback (Ryan) and the coach (Mike Smith). Out on a limb: The curse is dead. And note to Ryan: Advil.