A wise man once said, "Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds."
That man never played football

11 and 5 and were almost there
The NFC South Crown and were almost there
The NFC Conference Crown and were almost there
13 wins and we're almost there
7 nothing and we're almost there
14 nothing and we're almost there
21 nothing and were almost there
21-3 and were almost there
28-3 and were almost there
28-9 and were almost there
28-9 and we WERE almost there!

All the pieces for The Falcons very first SuperBowl victory were in place.
All
pieces
except
one

FATE!

Cue the Carmina Burana,

O Fortuna,
Velut luna
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.

Fate – monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
you are malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game
I bring my bare back
to your villainy.

quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!