Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

dirty · Sep 14, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Behind Dunn, Falcons' running game robust as ever
By GEORGE HENRY
For The Times
<hr noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%">  <table align="right" width="200"> <tbody><tr><td> Falcons vs. Buccaneers
When: 1 p.m., Sunday
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV/radio: WAGA-5, 92.9 FM
Tickets: (800) 326-4000
Web site: www.atlantafalcons.com

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Warrick Dunn is coming off two consecutive career years, but who says he can't have a third?
The 10th-year running back, now in his fifth season with the Atlanta Falcons, methodically frustrated the Panthers' defense in a 20-6 season-opening victory at Carolina.
Dunn didn't just carry the football 27 times for 132 yards; he darted through holes in the Panthers' front seven behind the renowned zone-blocking schemes that Alex Gibbs, an offensive line coach-turned-consultant, designed for the Falcons in 2004.
"Guys know what they're supposed to do in this offense," Dunn said. "Look at the line. You've got four starters who were with us last year, and the (center Todd) McClure, (right tackle) Kynan (Forney) and (right tackle) Todd Weiner have been my teammates since 2002. So have (tight end) Alge (Crumpler) and (quarterback) Mike (Vick). I started working with (fullback) Justin (Griffith) in 2003.
"We understand each other, and a lot of times, we've reached a point where we don't have to communicate verbally. The difference is now we have a scheme that fits our personnel and brings out the best in all of us."
Though the Panthers were without two starting linebackers after Dan Morgan suffered a concussion in the second quarter and Na'il Diggs sustained a knee injury last month, Gibbs' schemes are often difficult to defend.
Using cut-blocks (below-the-knee hits that the NFL allows), Atlanta linemen seek to put ends, tackles and linebackers on the ground and allow their runner a chance to shift immediately toward the backside for big gains.
Last week, however, the game plan called for the Falcons to disguise their intent; once Morgan was out of the game, Atlanta coaches quickly realized chances to take a more traditional approach with Dunn.
"He was getting some lanes, cutting the ball back, and they were keeping the ball front side," Carolina safety Mike Minter said of Dunn. "They were just running the ball -- stuff that they did all (last season). We had a lot of missed tackles out there, and Mike Vick ran around, but 252 yards rushing is definitely one of those things you look at and, as a defense, say, 'We didn't show up at all.' "
When the Falcons play their home opener Sunday against Tampa Bay (0-1), they will face a defense overseen by a respected coordinator in Monte Kiffin who has often found a way to win these intense NFC South showdowns.
The Falcons racked 354 yards on 72 carries last season, and even though the Buccaneers won both games in the final minute, Atlanta proved it could convert third downs and keep the clock running against a run defense that was the NFL's sixth-best in 2005.
Carolina, however, had the No. 5 defense against the run, and most league observers thought the return of right tackle Kris Jenkins from season-ending injury last year and the acquisition in March of left tackle Maake Kemoeatu would give the Panthers an immovable interior with a combined weight of 685 pounds.
"They kicked our butts," Jenkins said. "I'm not proud of that, but that's the honesty of the situation."
One reason the Falcons gave Carolina such fits was the Panthers' eagerness to pursue Vick, arguably the best running quarterback ever to play in the NFL. Discounting the one time he knelt down for minus-1 yard, Vick had six carries for 47 yards, one of which was a scramble he turned into a 24-yard pickup that helped set up Atlanta's first field goal.
If the last two seasons are any indication, the Falcons shouldn't struggle often to establish the run. They have led the NFL two straight years, and since head coach Jim Mora lured Gibbs out of retirement and paired him with coordinator Greg Knapp, Atlanta has surpassed the 200 mark in 13 games.
Not surprisingly, with an advantage in time of possession that borders on the absurd, Atlanta is 12-1 when running for 200. The team is 9-1 when Dunn, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has 100.
"We've got some guys now that have played in the big games, been to the Pro Bowl that we've added onto this team, (so) there's some expectations for us to always play at the highest level," Dunn said. "There's an emphasis on this team that we're trying to get to the next level."
Contact: sports@gainesvilletimes.com; (770) 718-3406

Originally published Wednesday, September 13, 2006

dirty · Sep 15, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Falcons too deep to falter

By Mark Bradley | Thursday, September 14, 2006, 06:41 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Bradley

Everyone got excited when the Falcons opened the 2005 season by beating a team that had just played in the Super Bowl. Everyone is excited now because the Falcons have begun the new season by beating a team that was supposed to play in the Super Bowl. Last season, as we know, didn?t pan out. This one will.
This 1-0 is different from last year?s 1-0 in that these Falcons are built to last. This 1-0 is different in that last season?s seemingly epic victory came in the Dome against a Philadelphia team that was ? even though we didn?t know it at the time ? primed to implode. This 1-0 wasn?t the function of a frothing Monday night home crowd and a team amped to the ozone. This 1-0 came on the road and was a cold-blooded demonstration of power and precision. It?s easy to imagine this team replicating that clinical effort in November, and in January. This is the NFL, where emotion fades but talent endures.
And that?s the chief difference between last year?s 1-0 and this one. The Falcons? biggest acquisitions from the winter/spring of 2005 ? Ed Hartwell, Ike Reese, Roddy White ? had negligible impact on the 2005 season. The acquisitions of Offseason ?06 already have cut a swath and will, with time, cut even wider. Ashley Lelie hasn?t done anything yet, but he will soon. Jerious Norwood will rush for as many yards in spot duty as T.J. Duckett ever did. This defense will get better the longer it works together, as opposed to last season?s, which got only worse.
The Falcons went to school on last season, which saw them go from 1-0 to 6-2 to 8-8. ?You learn more about yourself when you?re losing,? says Rich McKay, the president and general manager. ?It?s harder to be intellectually honest when you?re winning. There?s a tendency to say, ?We?ve done pretty well with this deck of cards ? let?s not shuffle the deck.? ?
The 2004 Falcons had gone 11-5 and played in the NFC championship game, so the belief heading into 2005 was that continuity mattered above all. That feeling was dashed when Brady Smith kept getting hurt and the Falcons were left with two rookies ? Chauncey Davis, who?d been a linebacker until his senior year in college, and Jonathan Babineaux, who?d started his collegiate career as a fullback ? to play right defensive end. Neither was quite ready, and the effect rippled across the entire defense.
Patrick Kerney, the other end, wasn?t as effective because opponents could double-team him more. The up-front run defense wasn?t as stout, leaving the soft safeties exposed. By November, every opposing back was gashing the Falcons, and the front office decided then and there such a thing wouldn?t happen again.
And it won?t. Even if John Abraham, the imported right end whom the Panthers conspicuously couldn?t block, doesn?t play against Tampa Bay on Sunday, there?s cover available. ?Chauncey Davis has been trained in the system now,? McKay said. ?And we?ve added [in the ample form of Grady Jackson] to the interior of the line, and that will help us stop the run.?
Things will go wrong, sure. This being the NFL, things always do. But the Falcons? inspired infusion of talent should enable them to ride out the jolts. Barring a season-ending injury to Michael Vick, nothing should keep these guys from the playoffs. It?s always nice to be 1-0, but it?s nicer still to know that you?re too skilled and too deep to fade when the leaves begin to fall.
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Mark Bradley

dirty · Sep 15, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS REPORT
Abraham misses Falcons practice again

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/15/06 Flowery Branch ? Falcons defensive end John Abraham, nursing a groin injury and listed as questionable, did not practice again Thursday for Sunday's home opener against Tampa Bay.
"No changes on the injury report," Falcons coach Jim Mora said after practice.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Abraham has not practiced since suffering the groin injury late in the 20-6 victory over Carolina. Wednesday and Thursday are usually the heavy practice days during the regular season.
Some coaches will not use a player who misses those two days of practice. However, Mora is not a stickler on that old-school axiom.
"We expect to see him and [Patrick] Kerney," Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said. "We know they have some injuries, but they are some tough guys and great players."
Chauncey Davis, who played in all 16 games last season and made five starts, likely would replace Abraham in the lineup. Davis already was seeing plenty of action in run situations.
Kerney suffered a strained triceps on the first series against Carolina. He has already declared that he's going to start. His issue is how long he'll be able to play. The Falcons also could have defensive ends Paul Carrington and Josh Mallard available.
"They've got a lot of very good defensive linemen," Gruden said. "They do as good of a job of anybody in the league of coaching the front four. They've played a number of characters in there the last four or five years that I can recall, and every one of them plays hard.
"They have an arsenal that moves. You know, obviously you want to see Abraham play if you're a Falcon fan. He's a great football player, but, hey, we'll see a real formidable opponent no matter who lines up."
Vick respects Brooks
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick plans to know where linebacker Derrick Brooks is at all times. Tampa Bay has been credited with slowing down Vick by spying on him with the speedy Brooks.
"He is a Pro Bowler, and he is a force in the middle," Vick said. "He knows exactly what to do to get opposing offenses off the field."
Slowing down a Cadillac
Falcons linebacker Demorrio Williams, who started at weakside linebacker against Carolina, was on the field last season when Tampa Bay's Carnell "Cadillac" Williams ran for 116 yards in the first game (30-27 loss Nov. 20) and 150 yards in the second game (27-24 loss Dec. 24).
"He's a good player, I can't take that away from him," Demorrio Williams said. "He made a lot of good plays for that team. The only thing I can say is that I think we're a better defense than last year."
The hard-charging Cadillac Williams was held to 22 yards on eight carries against Baltimore last week.
"A guy like that you can't arm tackle, you have to wrap up and drive him to the ground," Demorrio Williams said. "You can't be trying to arm tackle the guy."
White returns to practice
Wide receiver Roddy White, who rested a sore hamstring Wednesday, returned to practice.
"I'll be ready to go on Sunday," White said. "I was kind of sore from the game. They just wanted me to take my time with it."
Rackley signs with Seattle
Seattle signed ex-Falcons tight end/long snapper Derrick Rackley, who played here from 2000 to 2005. He was released during training camp in favor of Boone Stutz, an undrafted free agent.

dirty · Sep 15, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Jackson a big addition to Falcons defense
Team awed by nose tackle's ability to control the middle

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/15/06 Flowery Branch ? Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney is a football gladiator who is not easily impressed. After seeing what monstrous nose tackle Grady Jackson did in Atlanta's season-opening victory at Carolina Sunday, on one play in particular, Kerney is a believer.
"He just got ugly and manhandled their poor center," Kerney recalled. "On this play, the center isn't even supposed to hit him. The center is supposed to make him miss and then the tight end, who is in the backfield, is supposed to ear hole [Jackson]. Well, he literally picks him up and slams him into the fullback who goes into [the tight end]. He occupied three men on that play."
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> That left two defenders free to tee off on running back DeShaun Foster at the line of scrimmage.
While Carolina was trying to figure out how it could move the ball on the ground around Atlanta's human 18-wheeler ? the Panthers gained just 65 rushing yards in the loss ? future opponents were getting a taste a very different Falcons defensive front; different because of the graciously listed 345-pound Jackson.
His impact on Atlanta's run defense was almost as significant as end John Abraham's against the pass ? and Jackson didn't even make a tackle.
"Grady can occupy three gaps," said Tampa Bay coach John Gruden, whose Buccaneers (0-1) face the Falcons (1-0) on Sunday in the Georgia Dome. "He's a great big guy. He's a powerful man."
Limiting hard-running Buccaneers tailback Cadillac Williams (266 rushing yards, two touchdowns against the Falcons last season) won't be easy, players said. Jackson clogging the middle against a nicked-up Tampa Bay interior should help the cause.
Said Jackson, a nine-year veteran who played with Oakland, New Orleans and Green Bay: "I've got to eliminate the center and go out and play ball. If you reset the line of scrimmage, that disrupts run plays. As long as you're in the backfield, it's hard for the guard to pull or the fullback to get out on somebody else. That's what I've got to do."
The Falcons used to preach that size doesn't matter on the defensive front. As long as the player could get to the spot quickly and hold his gap, defensive coordinator Ed Donatell's 4-3 scheme would work, the story went.
Well, this offseason, Donatell, who coached Jackson in Green Bay, was one of the loudest voices begging for a big body to anchor a defensive line loaded with sleek, greyhound-type players in Kerney, Rod Coleman and John Abraham.
"It is maybe a little change in philosophy because we stress speed and running to the ball and things like that, but Grady has surprisingly good quickness for a man as big as he is," coach Jim Mora said. "He has excellent football instincts. He sees the ball well. He knows where it is going. He reads blocks well. He might not run the 4.5 40, but we have enough fast guys around him that can chase the ball down. We just want him to play his role, and I think the guys understand just how important his role is."
Linebacker Keith Brooking sure does. After getting creamed by offensive linemen coming at him without being rerouted last season, he begged for a "big [behind]" to keep blockers off him, Mora said.
Brooking got what he asked for and more. In Jackson, he also got a player who showed he could cause physical and mental chaos and helped change the personality of one of the leakiest run defenses in the NFL.
"It was a big difference with him in the middle," said Brooking, who tied outside linebacker Demorrio Williams with a team-high eight tackles against Carolina. "When the defensive line can get two-fers ? take up two blocks ? and the linebackers can come downhill and make plays, that's a very good thing. When you look at it on film, it's very noticeable, but you can really tell in the game when things are much more clear and there's a big space in the middle taken up."
Brooking noted that things should continue to get better because Sunday was Jackson's first game since last season.
"He didn't go through training camp or anything," Brooking said. "Grady is still trying to get adjusted to this defense and being in pads. You've only seen the tip of the iceberg."

dirty · Sep 17, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

GAME DAY BREAKDOWN: BUCS AT FALCONS
Five keys for the Falcons Sunday

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/17/06 VICK BEING VICK
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has had success against Tampa Bay. Last season he threw for 306 yards in a 30-27 loss and had four touchdown passes in both games. As strong as those performances were, the Falcons lost.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Curtis Compton / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td nd="2" class="caption">Defensive end John Abraham went down injured last week, but the Falcons say they'll be ready to play without him.
</td></tr></tbody></table> The Falcons fare better when Vick's passing numbers are more pedestrian and his running totals play into the team's overall rushing stats. So far, Vick has been very aggressive running around the edges. That aggression caused Carolina to come out of gaps to prevent him from breaking off long runs.
He also burned them when he faked the bootleg after handing the ball off to Warrick Dunn. With the defender following Vick, cutback lanes were created for Dunn. Tampa Bay has seen film and will keep its defenders aware, but Vick will have to maintain his aggressiveness as a dual threat for the Falcons' offense to click.
LAYING DOWN THE LAW
Tampa Bay tailback Carnell "Cadillac" Williams had just 22 yards on eight carries last week, when the Bucs fell behind quickly in a 27-0 loss to Baltimore. Coach Jon Gruden will probably try to get him going early, especially since he shredded the Falcons for 266 yards and two touchdowns on 50 carries last season.
Poor tackling, particularly from the strong safety position, played a huge factor in the hard-charging Williams turning 3-yard runs into big gainers. Strong safety Lawyer Milloy (above, 36) could be the perfect counter because he's a big hitter, but more important, a sure tackler. Milloy's ability to sort through his keys and get in position to make plays quickly could make things look quite different than they did when these teams met last season.
"Lawyer Milloy is one of the best run-stopping safeties in football," Gruden said. "He comes up to splatter you."
PUT POINTS ON THE BOARD
The Falcons left six points on the field in their 20-6 victory over Carolina last week by virtue of Michael Koenen (right) missing one field goal and seeing another tipped. The Falcons only came away with six points despite moving the ball within Carolina's 27-yard line three times in the first half.
Against Tampa Bay, forsaken points could be costly ? as the Falcons discovered last season when a blocked field goal in Week 15 resulted in a loss that eliminated them from playoff contention.
Coach Jim Mora put an emphasis on converting all scoring opportunities this week.
FUTILE FINISHES
The Falcons lost each of their two games with Tampa Bay last season by a late field goal. The difference, though, wasn't just clutch kicks. The Buccaneers dominated the final stages of the game, scoring the last 10 points of each contest.
Tampa Bay was able to wear the Falcons down over the course of both games and convert when it had to. The Falcons, meanwhile, squandered opportunities down the stretch. Taking care of the ball and converting all scoring opportunities will be vital.
WITH OR WITHOUT ABE
Right defensive end John Abraham's playing status (groin) has been in limbo all week, leaving players and coaches to say the defense will be fine even if he can't play. If that's the case, other players, especially among the front seven, will have figure out ways to force mismatches.
Abraham was so dominant against the Panthers in the season opener that Carolina had to double- and triple-team him at times. That allowed the Falcons to dictate one-on-one matchups that worked in their favor. The Buccaneers interior is nicked, and it could be Rod Coleman or Grady Jackson's week to render enough chaos that Patrick Kerney could force pressure on the edge or a linebacker can get penetration.
"We have guys who played vs. Tampa Bay twice last year," cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. "To plug those guys in over the course of the game is the game plan anyway. Will we miss Abe? To not have a guy like that on the field is to not have a Michael Vick on offense. That's the kind of excitement I see him bringing to the game. To not have him playing would be a huge blow to us. On the other end of that, we're still going to be here Sunday to play that game. We're still going to play if Abe can't go."

dirty · Sep 17, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Brooking is the face of the Falcons
Linebacker endures as emblem of city, team

By THOMAS STINSON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/17/06 Flowery Branch ? They were polishing off the team's finest defensive demonstration in maybe the past 50 games, and somehow it didn't feel quite right to Keith Brooking.
"We got to the point that he came up and said, 'Law, I don't feel like I'm doing anything. I got like four or something tackles,'" Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy recalled of a fourth-quarter exchange during last weekend's 20-6 win at Carolina. "And I said, 'That's because you got help now. You don't have to do everything by yourself.'"
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Curtis Compton / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td nd="3" class="caption"> Keith Brooking: The last holdover from the 1998 Super Bowl Falcons.
</td></tr></tbody></table> Everything? But isn't that what Keith Brooking does? Hasn't he led the Falcons in tackles for five years running? Made the Pro Bowl each season, whether playing either middle or outside linebacker? Or both? Never hurt? The last holdover from the 1998 Super Bowl Dirty Birds, hadn't he come to represent the franchise, the local lad makes good?
"I told him there's going to be times that we need him, but we have a unit now," Milloy said. "You just do your part. Then the last series, he had like five or six tackles, and I said, 'OK, do you feel better now?'"
In fact, Brooking feels just fine. Today, he plays his ninth home opener in his hometown, when the Falcons play host to Tampa Bay, and this is rare stuff. Dick Butkus did it for nine years in his hometown of Chicago. Jessie Tuggle did it here for 14 (if suburban Atlanta will stretch to Griffin). That both players are Brooking idols is hardly coincidence.
Growing up in Senoia, on the eastern boundary of Coweta County, Brooking came from such meager means that the only Falcons game he saw as a youngster was on a free ticket provided by a friend during his sophomore year at East Coweta High. Now the horde of friends and family members who come to watch him can run to 40 or more.
"It's crazy. It really is," Brooking said. "I don't want to take that for granted. I want to enjoy every minute of it. I know, for one, I've been very blessed to be put in this position and, two, it could all be taken away from me in an instant. Three, I have my family, and the impact they've had on my life. Now they're right there with me, which makes it a part of the ultimate."
When Sports Illustrated published a list of what it called the 10 Most Feared NFL Players, Brooking showed up at No. 7, which begged a question.
"When I first saw that, my first question was: I wanted to know who the first six were," Brooking said. "How'd they get in front of me."
Player changes on field
Brooking's personal manner is so subdued off the field ? only a jack-hammered nose betrays him ? it is at times hard to imagine what he does for a living.
"Very smart, sensitive caring person off the field, compassionate toward people," Falcons coach Jim Mora said. "He's got his priorities in order. He always has."
But the weekends still bring change. After the snap, second-year outside linebacker Michael Boley, who plays next to Brooking, sometimes senses him before he ever sees him.
"He plays with such tenacity," Boley said, shaking his head. "I mean, you know when he's hitting somebody because he does it so good."
Brooking's mother, Brenda Hembree, recalls senior night back at East Coweta, when players and their parents were recognized on the field before the game. When Brooking's father, Harvey, tried making some small talk during the ceremony, his son could not even open his mouth with kickoff so close at hand.
"He's just totally a different person. It comes over him," Hembree said. "It starts, like, on a Saturday, and I just don't call him. I don't do anything, because he has his mind on one thing: just hitting somebody."
Reputation deserved
Although Milloy had been to Pro Bowls with Brooking, he barely knew him when he joined the team this year. In short order, he saw the player and his reputation were the same.
"He deserves it," Milloy said. "He's living a dream, to be from here, and I think he wears that on his sleeve. I think he's a very proud player. He represents not only this team but this city, this community."
Only one other Falcons player ? Tuggle ? has recorded two 200-tackle seasons. But Brooking has demonstrated more adaptability, shifting from outside to middle linebacker at Week 6 last season, as well as the first segment of this one until injured starter Ed Hartwell (knees) can return.
His durability, particularly for a vulnerable position, is remarkable. Since a season-ending ankle injury in 2000, he has made 85 consecutive starts (counting postseason games).
It is also possible that at age 31 Brooking has become a refined pass defender. Last year he recorded career-highs with 10 passes defended and four interceptions, which were as many as any linebacker in the NFC.
For all this, it keeps getting harder and harder to get witnessed on the Falcons' defense. Between the immediate impact of end John Abraham, the human Roman candle Patrick Kerney at the other end, and the NFL's fastest man, DeAngelo Hall, in the secondary, the marquee has grown crowded around a mere five-time Pro Bowl player.
"I think everyone on this team has tremendous, tremendous respect for him and the type of player he is, the type of career he's putting together," Mora said. "I think he likes having all these other 'names' around him. I can't speak for outside of our organization, but the players love him."
Upbringing molded life
Brooking grew up in a crowded house. Following a divorce when Brooking was young ? Hembree and Harvey Brooking remain amicable and watch their son play together ? Hembree began taking in foster children, with as many as six kids at a time under her roof.
While Brooking embarked on the renowned high school career that landed him at Georgia Tech, he lived an equally uncommon life at home, which his mother believes guides him to this day.
"I've always noticed he was a caring person," she said. "I tried to teach my kids there are people out there who aren't as blessed as you are. And we were very poor. Growing up, my kids didn't have a lot. They knew that, but they knew there were people worse off than them.
"With me keeping foster children, that made a big impact. It touched their lives in a way so that they knew there were people out there who are hurting and need help."
Nearly two decades later, the impact has led to the Keith Brooking Children's Foundation, which operates seven separate programs to benefit foster children and the agencies that serve them.
Originally set up in 2003 to serve only Coweta County, the program has boomed beyond its original scope, and now serves all metro Atlanta, awarding thus far $250,000 for anything from college scholarships, grants, athletic footwear for children in need and reading programs.
Said his mother, "I'm in awe sometimes of what he does."
Strangely, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have felt the same way. Over the past two years against the division adversary, Brooking has done ... everything: 39 tackles, a couple of sacks, a pair of interceptions. The numbers seem perpetual, the hometown kid hailed by his hometown crowd for the ninth season this afternoon, the last remnant from his city's only Super Bowl team.
"I'm the only one standing," Keith Brooking said, amazed. "I'm the only one left. It seems like an eternity."

dirty · Sep 17, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS REPORT
Falcons' Coleman gets stance correct

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/17/06 Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman has been one of the NFL's best interior pass rushers the past five years. And in the final few games of last season, this preseason and last Sunday's 20-6 victory at Carolina, Coleman said he's become more stout against the run.
The reason may surprise you: Coleman said his stance was tipping off opponents to the defensive calls and his assignments.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> When set to play against the run, Coleman said he used to get in a four-point stance (both hands on the ground), then lift one of his hands just a tad off the turf. When he would get set to rush the passer, he'd be in a clear three-point stance (one hand down).
"Other teams aren't stupid," Coleman said. "They would see that on film. Now I have it to where I'm doing everything out of the same stance. They can't tell if I'm rushing up field or if I'm playing the run. Everything looks the same."
Mental grind is not wearing out Koenen
As much concern as there is regarding Michael Koenen's ability to physically endure all the kicking duties for the Falcons, the mental wear and tear might be Koenen's toughest battle.
A fragile psyche could turn a missed field goal, which could lead to a shanked punt, which could spin into a short kickoff, which could result in an outright disaster.
Coach Jim Mora said this week that Koenen proved to him the second-year kicker has the constitution to withstand such pressure. Mora cited the sequence in the Carolina game when Koenen was roughed on a punt attempt on Atlanta's opening drive. When the ball was moved forward because of the penalty, Koenen was asked to try a 50-yard field goal, which he missed. On the next series, Koenen banged a 25-yard field goal to tie the game 3-3, then booted his kickoff 64 yards to Carolina's 6-yard line.
"You just do what you have to do," Koenen said. " Just say to yourself, 'All right,' then you just go out and swing your leg."

BY THE NUMBERS
3
Consecutive Falcons losses to Tampa Bay

HE SAID IT
"I'm impressed with the way the whole team tackles. I think they are as good of a tackling defense as I've seen so far this early in the season."
Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden on the Falcons

dirty · Sep 17, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Weiner speaks up for offensive line

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/16/06 Flowery Branch ? The Falcons might have a left-handed quarterback in Michael Vick, but when it comes to running the ball they are staunch right-wingers.
With right tackle Todd Weiner and right guard Kynan Forney leading the way, the Falcons led the league in rushing yards with 2,546 in 2005 and 2,672 in 2004. The duo helped the Falcons get off to a good start on rushing title No. 3 with 252 yards in a 20-6 victory over Carolina in the season opener.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Curtis Compton / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption">Falcons guard Kynan Forney (left) and tackle Todd Weiner (right), open a hole for running back Warrick Dunn during the second half against the Panthers.
</td></tr></tbody></table> They'll face another difficult front when Tampa Bay visits for the home opener Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
Falcons offensive line coach Tom Cable believes that Weiner and Forney have developed a bond while working together on the right side.
"They have been in the system a while and they are experienced," Cable said. "... So you have high expectations for them."
Running backs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood repeatedly found creases created by Weiner and Forney.
"We are always going to be extremely critical [of our play]," Weiner said. "Obviously when you put up the numbers that we have, we have had some success, but with the everlasting goal of perfection, we're never going to be happy."
Forney didn't speak to the media as he didn't want to risk being fined by the other linemen, who chooses one member to speak for them weekly.
"Kynan is a great player," said Weiner, this week's spokesperson. "He's one of the guys that I think gets overlooked for the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, we've done some good things here and there are some good players in the league, but he certainly qualifies as one of the better guards in this game that we play."
Their "no talking to the media" stance has likely cost Forney and Weiner in notoriety, prestige and money. While they've led the league in rushing, no Falcon lineman has been selected for the Pro Bowl.
"It almost works the opposite way that we want to," Weiner said. "We are trying to stay low key and just go about our business, but it seems like the more that we don't talk, people want to talk to us."
It was not lost on the lineman that after Minnesota beat Washington on Monday Night Football, that ESPN's sideline reporter spoke to left guard Steve Hutchinson, a road-grader who opens holes for the Vikings. After the Falcons' victory, Forney and Weiner were unavailable to discuss their days work and domination of Carolina's Julius Peppers, who was held sackless.
"A lot of people think that the media comes and then the money comes after that," Weiner said. "I think a lot of times it can work that way. But a lot of times it's the opposite. Steve got all that money so people want to talk to Steve. He's a great guy. He deserves what he got. "I don't think that affects our contracts. It's what's on film that matters."
Falcons coach Jim Mora, the lack of Pro Bowl trips notwithstanding, is fond of the offensive line.
"It's not a group where, outside of this area, they are household names," Mora said. "People don't know much about them. There will be people who will argue that's because they don't speak to the media, but that might be part of it. Part of it is that they like it that way."
However, Weiner is quick to give credit to the rest of the players in the blocking scheme. Todd McClure is the center with Wayne Gandy at left tackle and Matt Lehr at left guard.
"... the way our system is set up, all five guys [on the line] and the backs and receivers all have to be involved in order for it to be successful," Weiner said. "A lot of times its just as crucial on the back side the way our scheme is designed."
We'll have to wait until Forney is the spokesperson for further insight.
An offer to pay the fine in order to let Forney talk was rejected.
Just how much is the fine for talking?
"That's a fine for talking about the fine," Weiner said.

dirty · Sep 24, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS REPORT
Falcons relish newly found anonymity

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/24/06
Flowery Branch ? Television, newspaper and radio reports have streamed from New Orleans since the beginning of the week, telling stories of the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina and emotional significance of the Saints' homecoming to the Superdome on Monday night against the Falcons.
Hundreds of media already are in the Crescent City. The Falcons, meanwhile, have operated in relative obscurity.
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"We love this," Falcons coach Jim Mora told the two reporters who attended Friday's practice.
Atlanta (2-0) has gone about its business this week with fewer distractions than at just about any other point since the opening of camp. There has been no additional media or other ancillary requests that could take some of the focus off the task of playing an unbeaten team for the early lead in the NFC South.
"It's almost a Super Bowl-caliber type of game," quarterback Michael Vick said. "As the Atlanta Falcons, we're compassionate for the city of New Orleans, the whole state of Louisiana as far as what happened. I know they're excited about having football back in the Superdome. We're excited to have an opportunity to play there.
"It's going to be a game of high magnitude, but when both teams get out there we have jobs to do. We can't feed into all the hype. We have to just go out and try to give everybody a great showing."
Safety Lawyer Milloy said Falcons players made a point of choosing their words carefully this week, so as to not offend anyone who was affected by Katrina. He also said the Falcons are prepared for the intense early emotions of playing in a game that means so much more than football to so many people.
Said tight end Alge Crumpler: "The thing about all the guys we have, they have so much experience so you don't worry about those guys. You don't worry about the Lawyers, Grady Jacksons, Rod Colemans. ... You worry about the younger guys. In our situation, our younger guys got a lot of work last year so those guys are battle-tested and more prepared for just about any situation now."
Hartwell, Abraham still not practicing
The Falcons downgraded middle linebacker Ed Hartwell (knees) to doubtful. Defensive end John Abraham (groin) remains questionable. Neither has practiced this week.
Defenses to dominate?
With so much focus on Atlanta's run game and Saints newcomers Drew Brees and Reggie Bush, there is a common thread linking both undefeated teams: defense.
Atlanta ranks 11th overall in yards allowed (283), one spot ahead of New Orleans (285).
"They are very disciplined, which is something they haven't always been in the past," Crumpler said. "They've always had great athletes. ... It seemed like they were a little undisciplined at times and we were able to exploit that."
Where the defensive thread is snapped is points allowed. Atlanta ranks fourth in the NFL, surrendering nine points. The Saints have given up 41. New Orleans also has allowed five touchdowns. The Falcons have not yielded one, a first in franchise history after two games.
Stuck in the cheap seats
Fullback Justin Griffith said 15 family members planned to travel from his hometown of Magee, Miss, for Monday's game. They managed to find tickets for $25 each. The amount of seats at the price might seem like a good deal, but Griffith invoked the old saying, "You get what you pay for" when he spoke of the seat location. "They're way up there," he said.

dirty · Sep 24, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Bush arriving before Williams

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/24/06
Some franchise-changing moments are frozen in time.
"I think it was Friday, around dinner time, the day before the draft, when word got out that Houston was going to select Mario Williams," New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I think the feeling was real strong that obviously we were going to take [Reggie] Bush if that happened. ... We were excited about it. He was the player that we had graded out highest on our board."
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It's only two games, but Bush is having far more of an impact with the Saints than Williams is with the Texans.
Bush, the running back, leads the team in receptions (15), has rushed 21 times for 72 yards and has returned seven punts for 58 yards.
Williams, whom the Texans have played in five different lineman positions, is on a defense that's last in the league and has allowed the most yards. They have faced Philadelphia and Indianapolis, two high-powered offenses.
Williams had been used at both tackle and end positions and nose guard. Last week he played only at left defensive end and had two tackles.
His next sack will be his first in the NFL.
"The only way young players are going to get better is by playing them," Texans coach Gary Kubiak told the Houston Chronicle. "We know there are going to be growing pains, but we also know they're working hard and learning and making progress."
The Saints, with Deuce McAllister, were not necessarily in the market for a running back.
"We didn't go in identifying running back as a position of need, and yet at the same time when that happened we were prepared to make that selection," Payton said.
The Saints have used Bush like a hybrid running back/wide receiver/returner.
"I think there is a certain number of touches that you're looking for in a player like himself," Payton said. "I think you need more than one back in this league. It's a long season."

??????????

Drew Brees: Bush backer
Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who signed as a free agent after five seasons in San Diego, is a big Bush backer. But he's not ready to compare him to his former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson.
"We spread him out," Brees said. "We throw him the ball. We hand him the ball. We give him the ball on reverses. We do a lot of things with him.
"Obviously, he's a special player, and as he continues to develop and learn the offense, I think he'll just be able to contribute more and more."

??????????

Michael Vick: Sees himself
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick acknowledges the buzz Reggie Bush has created around the league. He sees some of his explosiveness in Bush.
"We are players that can make game-changing plays," Vick said. "Reggie Bush is going to be a heck of a player in this league. I look forward to watching him and following him, but hopefully Monday night we have him contained and I can do my thing. We are just two guys that can make a major impact in this league on the field and off the field."

??????????

Rod Coleman: Too much hype
Falcons Pro Bowl defensive tackle Rod Coleman is not big on the Bush hype machine.
"Every year they've got to hype somebody up," Coleman said. "So that's the guy they chose. Next year it's going to be somebody else as the new kid. He's just out there playing his game. We're just going to go out there and treat him like any other back and try to defend him."
Falcons defensive back Kevin Mathis doesn't want to appear on a Bush highlight reel.
"He's making plays with the ball, and he's drawing a lot of attention when he doesn't have the ball," Mathis said. "We have to contain this guy. I think we have the defense to do it. But he's fun to watch on film."

dirty · Sep 24, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS
Limited use of option gives Vick edge

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/23/06
Flowery Branch ? Game films reveal that the option offense re-introduced to the NFL by the Falcons ? and run with great success ? isn't used all that often.
Atlanta's new wrinkle has helped the NFL's top rushing offense becoming even scarier on the ground, churning out 558 total yards in season-opening victories over Carolina and Tampa Bay.
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CURTIS COMPTON / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>After expressing doubts about the offense this offseason, Michael Vick seems comfortable now.
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"It's exciting, especially as something new, like what we showed," offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said. "When you first teach it and the players are learning it, they're trying to figure out, 'Where are they going with this?' To see it come to fruition like it did is a confidence booster for everybody. It's like, 'Yeah, this is an element to our offense the other team doesn't know about as much.' "
What Knapp stresses is that the option is an element to the offense, not the basis of it. Films of the Falcons' victories showed Atlanta ran the option eight times ? twice at Carolina, six times against Tampa Bay.
The premise of the concept is that quarterback Michael Vick takes the snap 5-7 yards behind the center out of the shotgun formation. He puts the ball in the gut of Warrick Dunn or Jerious Norwood and gives it to the running back if the unblocked defensive end doesn't collapse into a hole being created by the offensive line.
If Vick sees the defensive end crash inside to tackle Dunn or Norwood, he pulls the ball out and dashes to the opening created on the edge by the defensive end's reaction.
"To be able to be in space and make a read on the defensive end puts some pressure on them," Vick said. "It's something that poses a lot of problems for our opposition. That can be very deflating to a defense at times when you can't stop the run or contain me."
Most of the yards gained by Dunn and Vick, the team's leading rushers, have come on designed runs or Vick pulling it down on pass plays.
"We basically added one play to our offense," Vick said.
The twist to what Knapp said is a negative connotation to the term "option," is that Atlanta runs it out of the shotgun formation, not out of the I, wishbone or split-backs veer. That alleviates the pounding a quarterback takes, Knapp said.
In the first two games, Vick has ended nearly all of his runs by diving to the ground head first ? Knapp preaches that in order to avoid a big hit ? or by running out of bounds. A review of Vick's runs against Tampa Bay show him getting firmly tackled one time in 14 carries. He finished with 127 yards. Dunn, the NFL's leading rusher, had 134 on 21 carries.
"This isn't Nebraska," Vick said. "Nebraska never ran this out of the 'gun."
It might not be Nebraska, but the idea came from college.
During some down time at the end of last season, Knapp said he watched the Sugar Bowl between West Virginia and Georgia. West Virginia ran a spread offense that included a heavy dose of option reads out of the shotgun that had Georgia undone.
A light went on.
Knapp, who came under fire last season for his play calling and usage of Vick, then called on his fellow offensive coaches to do more research on other college teams that ran similar systems. They watched tape of Missouri, Ohio State, Texas and Florida, then called coaches there. Florida's staff met with the Falcons this summer, and ideas were exchanged.
"It was an outside-the-box thought process," Knapp said. "I wasn't able to find that view in the professional level. I had to go outside my norm and understand the guy we're working with is different than most quarterbacks in this league.
"It just so happens that there are a lot more mobile quarterbacks playing the game at the college level. There were some good schemes out there in college for us to think outside the box. Let's study that and not take their offense and put it in ours, but let's figure out how can we adapt that to what we do on offense and apply it to what we do without changing our mind-set too much. That's what we've done."
Knapp said that at some point, defenses eventually would catch on. Changing formations and tendencies will allow them to stay ahead of game for a while, but there are no plans to abandon the option overall.
That's because of the Falcons' personnel.
Vick, Dunn and Norwood provide an advantage to where even if a defense does everything it can to schematically stop it on a given play, all three players have the elusiveness to make defenders miss ? especially since the play is run from the shotgun, which gives them open space to maneuver.
"When you have an athlete like Mike who can make guys miss and get to the edge, it works," Dunn said. "Then you have to have the right running back to really make it work and we have that. Everybody can't run it. You may have a quarterback who can run it but not the back. Or you might have the back but not the quarterback. It's a special dimension that we have."

dirty · Sep 24, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS REPORT
White's return bolsters receivers

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/23/06
Flowery Branch ? Wide receiver Roddy White returned to practice Friday. He missed most of the week with bruised ribs and a bruised shoulder suffered on a fumble-causing hit from Tampa Bay's Jermaine Phillips after White nabbed an 18-yard pass on the Falcons' opening drive in last Sunday's 14-3 victory over the Buccaneers.
White's return could mean more than just having their starting wide receiver back in the lineup. Falcons' coaches feel that in White, Michael Jenkins and Ashley Lelie, they have three deep-threat options that can ? and will ? be sent off to the end zone separately and together.
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The increased frequency in which they have thrown deep in their first two games should only grow because the run game has drawn so much attention and because launching the ball downfield is a strength of quarterback Michael Vick, coach Jim Mora said.
"The better we run it, the more people have to commit people in the box and play single coverage," Mora said. "We have to be able to take advantage of that by taking some shots downfield or winning some one-on-one routes outside. Every time you take a shot down the field it backs them off a tiny bit."
Since the running game has been so dominant, the Falcons have thrown the ball just 38 times, completing 20 for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers could change radically, White said.
"We're going to have to eventually throw it," White (two receptions, 23 yards) said. "I don't see it happening far down the road because teams have seen it on tape. They have to stop the running game, so we're going to have to make plays on the outside."
Abraham, Hartwell still questionable
Though White returned to practice, defensive end John Abraham (groin) and middle linebacker Ed Hartwell (knees) sat out. Abraham has not practiced since getting hurt in the season-opener at Carolina. Hartwell had arthroscopic procedures on both knees at the end of preseason. Hartwell also had a follow-up procedure in which fluid was drained off his right knee.
Both are listed as questionable for Monday night's game at New Orleans.
Carrington could start for Kerney
With defensive end Patrick Kerney still limited because of strained right triceps sustained at Carolina, undrafted rookie Paul Carrington could make his first start. Carrington, who played collegiately at Central Florida, took 38 snaps in last Sunday's victory over Tampa Bay and fared fairly well, Mora said.
"He's done fine, but he's got a long ways to go," Mora said.
Chauncey Davis is expected to make his second straight start at left end whether or not Abraham plays. Kerney, normally a left end will play at right end for the second straight week to protect his arm. Kerney has been used mainly in passing situations since hurting his arm.
Kerney said Friday that his arm is much better than last week but it still far from being fully healed.
Pouring it on with potent ground game
Atlanta's 558 rushing yards is the third highest of all-time in the NFL after two games. The Falcons trail only Buffalo (619) in 1975 and Detroit (560) in 1980.

dirty · Sep 24, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS REPORT
Gandy trade lopsided in early going

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/22/06
After two games, the Bryan Scott-for-Wayne Gandy trade is looking like a steal for the Falcons.
In addition to Scott, the Falcons sent New Orleans their 2007 seventh-round draft pick for the veteran tackle on April 6.
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The NFC South foes meet Monday night in the first game in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Gandy has been a standout at left tackle for the Falcons, helping Warrick Dunn become the league's top rusher. Scott has been inactive for the first two Saints games.
"He's doing a nice job for us on a lot of levels," Falcons coach Jim Mora said of Gandy. "In the locker room as a leader and then in the games. He's played well for us. He was a great addition."
Gandy, who played three seasons with the Saints, remembers how tough last season was on the team after Hurricane Katrina put them on the road for the entire season.
"It was a very courageous effort for a franchise to go through," Gandy said recently. "I always felt that somebody should have been there documenting what was going on.
"You wouldn't believe that a team was still trying to function under all of [the circumstances]."
The circumstances were dire.
"From changing cities to the places that we worked out, we had no hot tub and had no cold tub," Gandy said. "We had to do our treatments in the hallway. ... We ended up with a weight room in the parking lot and practicing at a high school baseball field."
The Saints finished 3-13 last season, and head coach Jim Haslett was replaced.
"But when we went on the field, we still gave you a fight," Gandy said. "I think a lot of people felt like it was going to be a whole bunch of blowouts. There were bunch of last-second wins.
"We lost like five games in that last minute. The record shows that we sucked, being 4-12 or whatever we were, I can't even remember. But I think we showed a lot of heart and a lot of courage. Hopefully people won't forget what's still going on in New Orleans and pay more attention to it."
Falcons hope to keep Bush limited on ground
The Falcons are hoping they can contain Saints rookie Reggie Bush when he runs the ball. He has been most effective catching passes. His 15 receptions lead the team.
Bush has 21 carries for 72 yards, for an average of 3.4 yards per carry.
"We take the same approach to any back," Falcons linebacker Michael Boley said. "Hit them before they get going. You have to get at them early, set the tone and let them know how things are going to be."
Running back Deuce McAllister, who is coming back from a right knee injury that caused him to miss the
final 11 games last season, appears fully recovered.
"He looks good in the two games they had so far this season," Boley said. "He looks a lot better than he did last year. Last year he was trying to ease his way into things. This year he's rolling."
Abraham, Hartwell, White still questionable</B>
Defensive end John Abraham (groin), wide receiver Roddy White (shoulder) and linebacker Ed Hartwell (knees) did not practice and are listed as questionable.

dirty · Sep 24, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS / NFL
The Saints come marching back
New Orleans revels as Superdome reopening approaches

By STEVE HUMMER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/22/06
New Orleans ? After more than a year of slogging through the backwash of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is ready to cut loose. In this first regular-season game at home since beating Atlanta in December 2004, the Saints embrace the notion they are playing for the very soul of their city.
Memo to the Falcons: Prepare to be taken out of the shallow end of the motivational pool. When they visit the New Orleans Superdome on Monday night, they will run up against emotions that trump anything they've ever seen posted on a locker room wall.
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ALEX BRANDON / ASSOCIATED PRESS

(ENLARGE)

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Wide receiver Michael Lewis on the injured reserve list and won't play Monday, but that doesn't stop him from supporting the fans.
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Saints defensive end Charles Grant is ready.
"When you go out there and see this dome of 75,000 is sold out for an entire season, that's amazing," said the former Georgia Bulldogs player. "People who could barely live are buying tickets to watch guys like me and Joe Horn and Reggie Bush when they don't have to, when they should just be trying to put the money back in their homes. For us that's the most important thing.
"In this Superdome we should be a football team that should try to go undefeated at home always. Every team tries, but for our fans, we should try more so, because of the things they have gone through. We're blessed. We should play extra hard not just for ourselves but for this community."
When the Saints talk about this game, you almost get the feeling that every sentence should be followed by an "amen."
No mere sports team has been asked to play quite such a vital role in the well-being of its home as these Saints. In them has been placed a disproportionate responsibility for the recovery of New Orleans. Into their care has been placed a city's sense of itself.
"Ultimately the Saints are the cornerstone of New Orleans, that's just the way it is," receiver Horn said. "That's what I've been told by the people downtown."
Their stadium was ripped apart by Katrina and then held up nightly as the squalid center of a botched relief effort. Entire blocks remain abandoned a year later. The city's population has been cleaved in half. Now it's up to a 2-0 football team, a team that has won only a single playoff game in 21 years, to make it all right again?
Well, it's certainly going to try.
Monday night ? once you get past the U2 sightings and the usual Monday night hyperbole taken over the top of the new Superdome roof ? will be about a football team and its fans hugging each other for support. At times, New Orleans has put a paper bag over its head to hide its embarrassment over this or that woeful version of the Saints. This team has begun a surprising 2-0. It has potentially one of the NFL's most electric players, the rookie Bush. In the also unbeaten Falcons, it is meeting its most virulent rival. This night is the perfect convergence of elements, even without the whole up-from-the-flood revival thing.
"It becomes a special night if we win the football game, I think," said Saints coach Sean Payton, the 42-year-old rookie coach who is a long way from his home in Naperville, Ill. New coach. New quarterback (Drew Brees). New star in Bush. It's like everyone's starting over here.
"Obviously it's unique the way it's all worked out: Monday night, both teams are 2-0, both in the same division," said the coach. "There are a lot of things that make it special, but it's the people who make it the most special. The people and what they've gone through. They're due for some good things to happen to them."
The Saints have spent a good part of this week trying to guard against getting too worked up about the moment, fearful in a football way that they will "lose their focus."
But when they take the field, won't Horn see for just a second the 83-year-old man who told him the story of wading through waist-deep fetid water to get to the dome, only to find little safe haven? Yet saying he would go back to there to see a game, Horn hearing these words: "I love the Saints, and I'm going to face my fears. I'm going to go to the dome. I want this city to be built back up, and a good way for that to start that off is on Monday Night Football."
Mightn't he also hear the voices of those who told him they could never go back to the Superdome, too vivid were the memories of the dangerous, filthy human warehouse it had become after Katrina?
No matter how the coach sets his jaw and narrows his gaze on the immediate goal of winning one game, can he avoid the thought of the man he met in a concession line at a country concert earlier this year? "He didn't have a job, but he just finished buying six season tickets," Payton said. "He didn't know where he was going to get the money to pay for them, but he couldn't wait for the season to start. It struck me. He was as serious as could be about how important this was to him."
It is a little bit nuts how much some people have riding on a football team. It is a little bit overwhelming, too. Rarely has a team had so much to play for.
"I might shed some tears at the beginning [of the game]. It's deep, man," Grant said.

dirty · Sep 25, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS REPORT
Vick, Bush cut from same cloth

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/25/06
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is one of the NFL's most electrifying players. Saints rookie running back Reggie Bush is projected to join that club in the near future.
The fleet-footed, multi-dimensional, outside-the-box players square off for the first time tonight in at the Superdome in New Orleans, with each player hoping to propel his unbeaten team to the top of the NFC South.
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"This is a game for the division lead," Bush said this week. "We know what's at stake here."
Among the many subplots at the first event to be held at the Superdome since it was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina last year is who will generate the most highlights, Vick or Bush?
Vick enters with 103 more rushing yards (175) than Bush. The dazzling rookie has a team-high 15 catches for 120 yards and has totaled 58 yards on his seven punt returns. Vick has completed 20 of 37 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns.
"We bring a lot of excitement, plenty of speed," Vick said. "We're players who can have game-changing performances.
"Reggie Bush is going to be a heck of a player in this league. I look forward to following him, but hopefully we'll have him contained and I'll be able to do my thing."
Bush reciprocated the respect and said that he and Vick are cut from the same cloth.
"He's a flashy-type runner when he runs the ball," Bush said, "just everything about the way he plays football. He plays with heart. He plays hard.
"He's a guy who's going to score points for you, and he's a difference-maker. I think we're similar in a lot of ways."
A Dream Team
There are fantasy football, baseball, basketball, hockey, even fantasy golf teams.
Well, Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, the reigning NFL's Fastest Man, said he and former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Donte Stallworth, who was traded to Philadelphia, used to debate about which foursome would make up the fastest 4x100 meter relay team.
Hall said the Falcons' squad would include him, Vick, Allen Rossum and Jerious Norwood.
The Saints' squad would have been Stallworth, Bush, Michael Lewis and Bethel Johnson, who is on the waived-injured reserve list, Hall said.
"They might be the only one that could keep us with us," Hall said.
It's the facemask
Falcons fullback Fred McCrary, the team cut-up, couldn't resist.
When 46-year-old kicker Morten Andersen returned this week, he brought along his dual-barred, razor-thin facemask, reminiscent of the old single-bar facemasks worn by players of yesteryear.
McCrary nabbed Andersen's helmet during practice Thursday and actually wore it during team drills.
He's lucky he didn't get the ball.
"I play fullback, so if I got hit, I'd be real bloody," McCrary said. "It feels like a normal helmet, but it's weird."
Is there any benefit to wearing that facemask?
"You can see a whole lot," McCrary said.
"I understand why he wears it because you can really see the ball."
By the numbers
453
The Falcons' NFL best rushing differential (yards gained vs. yards allowed). San Diego is second with a 293-yard differential. Tampa Bay is last with a minus-343 differential.

dirty · Sep 25, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Five keys for the Falcons

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 09/25/06

Get in, get out

There hasn't been and won't be much talk about the Falcons, despite their 2-0 start, stonewall defense and dominant running game.

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Atlanta is the opponent tonight, the Peter McNeely to Mike Tyson in his return to the ring.

With this being the first event played in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina, it is much more than just a football game, which could bode well for the Falcons. They don't have to live with the buildup or the aftermath. They just have to play football.

Falcons players said they are going to have to measure their emotions regarding the football game while the packed Superdome and many of the Saints players express their emotions about the trials, tragedies and triumphs over the past year leading up to kickoff.

"I think it is great for the city of New Orleans. I lived there for over five years; my family lived there for about 12. My dad is the winningest coach in the franchise's history," Falcons coach Jim Mora said. "I have a lot of history there, so I am happy to be a part of it.

"We are concentrating on what happens during those 60 minutes when the clock is running. It is going to be an exciting night, a historic night. We are honored to be a part of it, but our focus is on doing our jobs."

Run, Forrest, KEEP RUNNING

The Falcons have to keep doing what they do best: Run the ball. Whether it comes on bootlegs, cutbacks or the shotgun option, the Falcons must control the clock and wear the Saints down, which could be difficult.

New Orleans is one of the top defenses against the run, allowing 148 yards in two games. Opponents have attempted 42 carries, two fewer than the Falcons had last week against Tampa Bay when they churned out 306 yards. The Saints have not allowed any runs beyond 20 yards. Atlanta leads the NFL with six runs of more than 20 yards.

Don't forget about the Deuce

While Bush has deservedly received most of the attention, tailback Deuce McAllister (right) is back from injury and has shown to be his punishing, effective self. In two games, he has gained 137 yards on 34 carries and scored two touchdowns.

Defensive tackle Grady Jackson has been the boss inside in Atlanta's two opening games, clogging up the middle and making Carolina's DeShaun Foster and Tampa Bay's Cadillac Williams bounce plays outside where the Falcons' pursuit has been formidable. The same production will be needed to limit McAllister's potential.

Put the speed to use

The Falcons have talked about the speed of wide receivers Michael Jenkins, Roddy White and Ashley Lelie. This could be the time to put it on full display.

Saints left cornerback Mike McKenzie, 30, was beaten on a 22-yard touchdown pass, a 42-yard pass and a 23-yard pass last week in a victory over Green Bay.

"From what we saw on film, I don't think he runs as fast as he has in the past," Green Bay wide receiver Robert Ferguson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He gambles a lot, and that's what makes him good, too. If he's got a hunch he'll play it. Same old Mike."

Get there, stay there

More than anything the Falcons have stressed this week in trying to deal with running back/wide receiver/punt returner Reggie Bush (below) is the need to have more than one defender get to him and to have more than one stay on him.

Bush, who can change directions much like former Detroit running back Barry Sanders, must be corralled from every angle possible to avoid him slipping through the slightest of cracks. Speedy outside linebacker Demorrio Williams could be a huge factor in leading the charge to Bush.

dirty · Sep 25, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Passion at play tonight

By Mark Bradley | Sunday, September 24, 2006, 10:32 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Bradley

New Orleans ? Having played on Friday nights in Parkview High?s Big Orange Jungle and having labored long ? and ultimately successfully ? to bring Georgia its long-sought SEC championship, Jon Stinchcomb knows something about being part of a team that?s more than a team. That said, he concedes tonight?s Falcons-Saints game has an enormity unto itself.
?I?ve never been part of a team where the fans are so attached,? says Stinchcomb, the Saints? right tackle. ?That?s not lost on us. We have a vivid picture of thousands of people being jammed into our stadium [as Hurricane Katrina evacuees], and that wasn?t a happy thought.?
Stinchcomb?s team, as you know, will play the Falcons in the game that marks the Saints? return to their city and the reopening of the Louisiana Superdome. Much has been levied on this hugely anticipated night, and what?s apparent above all is the place the always-beloved Saints have come to occupy in the psyche of this battered city.
?We?re in a time where the people of this city have needs,? Stinchcomb says. ?And they need us.?
This isn?t a case of an employee parroting the party line. Stinchcomb is a perceptive analyst, able to grasp both the reality (it?s just one game) and the emotion (it?s the biggest game in franchise history). On Thursday the Saints practiced in the Superdome for the first time since Katrina, and afterward coach Sean Payton gathered his men in the locker room and dimmed the lights and had, Payton said, ?a little session? on the meaning of Monday night.
Says Stinchcomb: ?It was pretty emotional. I wasn?t in tears, but it did bring back the pictures of what New Orleans has been though. And it reminded us that this is not just a football game and the Saints are not just a football team.?
Nothing could prepare you for what Katrina did to this city, but having served as a Bulldog at a time when it seemed Georgia might never again win the SEC gave Stinchcomb some notion of what it means to have a Higher Goal. It was Stinchcomb who hollered at his teammates when trailing by 11 points at the half that cold day at Auburn. (?I spoke with emotion,? he says now, smiling.) Then he went out and threw himself on the ball when David Greene, his roommate, fumbled into the end zone on a quarterback draw. (?I didn?t block anybody on the play, but I got wide open.?) And that touchdown, the only one the lineman has ever scored, ignited the epic comeback that yielded the 2002 SEC East title.
Drafted by the Saints in 2003, he has only now become a starter. He missed last season with a torn patellar tendon, giving him a scar on his right knee to match the one on his left, the earlier injury having occurred in 1997 when he was a senior at Parkview High School. Becoming a Saint meant Stinchcomb joined the one NFL team that can be said to mirror a big-time college program in terms of serving as a magnet for utter passion. ?It?s the same collegiate atmosphere,? he says.
The Saints expect themselves to play professionally tonight, and that won?t be easy. ?We have to stay focused on the fact it?s a football game. We can?t start listening to the media. This is a division opponent, and it?s an important game with the Saints-Falcons rivalry. We have to stay focused however many pregame concerts there are.?
But can any team be so intense as to ignore U2 and Green Day and the coin-tossing presence of George Bush (the elder, not the younger)? Stinchcomb isn?t sure. ?I?ll give [the importance of the night] some thought when I first get to the stadium, and then I?ll try to fine-tune my focus.?
Good luck with that. Good luck with trying to block Patrick Kerney when Bono?s in the house and the whole world is watching.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: Mark Bradley

dirty · Sep 25, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

FALCONS REPORT
Falcons relish newly found anonymity

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/24/06
Flowery Branch ? Television, newspaper and radio reports have streamed from New Orleans since the beginning of the week, telling stories of the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina and emotional significance of the Saints' homecoming to the Superdome on Monday night against the Falcons.
Hundreds of media already are in the Crescent City. The Falcons, meanwhile, have operated in relative obscurity.
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"We love this," Falcons coach Jim Mora told the two reporters who attended Friday's practice.
Atlanta (2-0) has gone about its business this week with fewer distractions than at just about any other point since the opening of camp. There has been no additional media or other ancillary requests that could take some of the focus off the task of playing an unbeaten team for the early lead in the NFC South.
"It's almost a Super Bowl-caliber type of game," quarterback Michael Vick said. "As the Atlanta Falcons, we're compassionate for the city of New Orleans, the whole state of Louisiana as far as what happened. I know they're excited about having football back in the Superdome. We're excited to have an opportunity to play there.
"It's going to be a game of high magnitude, but when both teams get out there we have jobs to do. We can't feed into all the hype. We have to just go out and try to give everybody a great showing."
Safety Lawyer Milloy said Falcons players made a point of choosing their words carefully this week, so as to not offend anyone who was affected by Katrina. He also said the Falcons are prepared for the intense early emotions of playing in a game that means so much more than football to so many people.
Said tight end Alge Crumpler: "The thing about all the guys we have, they have so much experience so you don't worry about those guys. You don't worry about the Lawyers, Grady Jacksons, Rod Colemans. ... You worry about the younger guys. In our situation, our younger guys got a lot of work last year so those guys are battle-tested and more prepared for just about any situation now."
Hartwell, Abraham still not practicing
The Falcons downgraded middle linebacker Ed Hartwell (knees) to doubtful. Defensive end John Abraham (groin) remains questionable. Neither has practiced this week.
Defenses to dominate?
With so much focus on Atlanta's run game and Saints newcomers Drew Brees and Reggie Bush, there is a common thread linking both undefeated teams: defense.
Atlanta ranks 11th overall in yards allowed (283), one spot ahead of New Orleans (285).
"They are very disciplined, which is something they haven't always been in the past," Crumpler said. "They've always had great athletes. ... It seemed like they were a little undisciplined at times and we were able to exploit that."
Where the defensive thread is snapped is points allowed. Atlanta ranks fourth in the NFL, surrendering nine points. The Saints have given up 41. New Orleans also has allowed five touchdowns. The Falcons have not yielded one, a first in franchise history after two games.
Stuck in the cheap seats
Fullback Justin Griffith said 15 family members planned to travel from his hometown of Magee, Miss, for Monday's game. They managed to find tickets for $25 each. The amount of seats at the price might seem like a good deal, but Griffith invoked the old saying, "You get what you pay for" when he spoke of the seat location. "They're way up there," he said.

dirty · Oct 10, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Crumpler pursues former sure-handed form

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/10/06
Flowery Branch ? Mistakes happen, but Alge Crumpler dropping passes? No sir. The Falcons' three-time Pro Bowl tight end is about as much a sure thing as the ground under your feet.
Crumpler has dropped at least two passes, maybe more, this season. One came against New Orleans ? in the end zone. He dropped another the following week against Arizona.
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According to STATS, Inc., 27 passes have been thrown to Crumpler this season: 11 receptions, two drops, six poorly thrown, seven defended and one hit at the line of scrimmage.
So, what's wrong?
"I don't focus on that," Crumpler said Monday as the Falcons resumed practice for Sunday's game with the New York Giants. "All it takes is one big play and everybody is right there with you again.
"Jeff Francoeur has only been with the Braves for a couple of years, but he's my favorite. He gets in the batter's box and he keeps on swinging. I remember when they booed him early in the season. All of a sudden he's right back driving the ball, making plays out there, and everybody loves him again. That's the way pro sports go. You've got to have something to talk about, but that's OK. I'm fine."
Crumpler's 11 receptions are the most on the Falcons, and he has 128 yards and a touchdown ? those numbers all down slightly from his production a year ago after four games (13 catches, 158 yards, one touchdown). Crumpler, tied for 15th in the NFL among tight ends in receptions, caught a 58-yard touchdown pass against the Cardinals that was negated by a holding penalty.
"He's dropped one or two, and for a guy like that, that really stands out because he's so dependable," Falcons coach Jim Mora said.
Crumpler underwent surgeries to his knee and shoulder last spring. Normally, he spends the offseason honing an area of his game he feels needs improvement, such as blocking or catching passes thrown low or behind him.
He spent last spring and summer rehabilitating his repaired joints and getting physically fit instead of perfecting his craft. During minicamp and other offseason workouts, he stood by while the team's quarterbacks threw to other players.
Yet, when he returned to action during minicamp, he snagged everything thrown in his area code after running precise routes with speed and crispness. Monday, however, the five-year veteran acknowledged that he could still be rounding into form.
"I guess it could have affected me mentally, slightly," Crumpler said. "You spend every single day over here [rehabilitating]. There is no offseason, so that can be taxing. If the alternative to having [down time] is being around here with my teammates, enjoying practice and winning games, I'd much rather be doing what I'm doing.
"I've improved every year that I've been in the NFL, and I will continue to do that because I work at that level. You measure a guy on his career and what he does throughout a season, and the way I look at it we're 3-1 and we can still improve, so we're fine.
"A pro works his way into being the best."
Crumpler remains the Falcons' top receiving option. Every opponent knows that, but they haven't done anything out of the ordinary against him other than defend him well, Mora said. With that, Crumpler could become more of a target, especially with the Falcons struggling to score when they get inside the opposition's 20-yard line.
"I'm not going anywhere," Crumpler said. "I'll be right here. Even starting the last three Pro Bowls, I left each season like I have so much more to work on ? not necessarily so much more to prove, but things to work on. I've never been satisfied, so I'll continue to work. That's all I can do."

KELLEN WINSLOW?
A look at where Alge Crumpler ranks in receptions among tight ends in the NFL this season:
Rank Player Team Games Rec.
1. Kellen Winslow CLE 5 30
2. L.J. Smith PHI 5 20
3. Todd Heap BAL 4 19
4. Tony Gonzalez KC 4 18
5. Jermaine Wiggins MIN 5 17
5. George Wrighster JAC 5 17
7. Desmond Clark CHI 5 16
7. Ben Watson NE 5 16
7. Randy McMichael MIA 5 16
10. Chris Cooley WAS 5 15
11. Eric Johnson SF 5 14
12. Antonio Gates SD 4 13
12. Jason Witten DAL 4 13
14. Jeremy Shockey NYG 4 12
15. Alge Crumpler* ATL 4 11
* ? Tied with three others with 11 receptions

dirty · Oct 10, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Hartwell growing anxious to return

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/10/06
Flowery Branch ? Falcons middle linebacker Ed Hartwell, trying to return to form after two knee surgeries, pronounced himself fit to face the New York Giants on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
"I plan on playing this week," Hartwell said after the team's light workout on Monday. "That's my plan."
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Coach Jim Mora was more cautious about Hartwell's return.
"I just want to make sure that he feels right," Mora said. "I want to make sure he's ready to go before we put him out there. I just want to see him in practice a little bit."
When Hartwell is ready to play, the Falcons have a numbers problem at linebacker. Keith Brooking, who moved over from weakside linebacker to play the middle with Hartwell out, is playing well. Also, Demorrio Williams has been stout at weakside linebacker, with Michael Boley holding down strongside linebacker.
Mora will have to decide if he wants to tinker with that unit.
Hartwell, who signed a six-year, $26.25 million contract with the Falcons on March 24,
2005, has been inactive all four games and returned to practice before the Arizona game. He played five games last season before injuring an Achilles tendon.
"I'm feeling real good, moving around, running, cutting, putting weight on it," said Hartwell, who had his knee surgeries on Aug. 28.
The key for Hartwell has been getting the complete range of motion back in both legs.
"It's just getting past the bending and flexing," he said. "Pain, playing this sport, you're kind of used to the pain. You just have to get the stability. Once the stability comes back, you'll be all right."
The week off also was helpful for defensive end John Abraham (groin), running back Jerious Norwood (shoulder), left tackle Wayne Gandy (shoulder) and right guard Kynan Forney (shoulder).
"[The open week] gave us a chance to hopefully get some guys back and rested," Mora said. "That's a good thing for us."
Griffith: I'm not red-zone answer
Fullback Justin Griffith is not calling for more carries in the red zone. The Falcons have scored touchdowns on three of 17 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
"As far as me being the answer, I really don't think so," Griffith said. "If we have plays for the fullback in the red zone, we just have got to execute it, any of our guys, whatever coach [Greg] Knapp calls. We execute the play, and our red-zone play will pick up."
Griffith doesn't trace the Falcons' woes to the trade of fullback T.J. Duckett, who had 31 career rushing touchdowns.
"It has not been that T.J. Duckett is not here; we just have to execute," Griffith said.
During the bye week, the coaches looked at some old film to try to find some red-zone plays.
"We're going to find what plays work for us in the red zone," Griffith said. "The plays that we have had real good success on and what [Michael] Vick feels comfortable with, we're going to run those plays."
Dunn's foundation gets some help
Running back Warrick Dunn enlisted the help of teammates Griffith, Vick, Alge Crumpler, Fred McCrary, DeAngelo Hall, Michael Jenkins and Allen Rossum to help with the fourth annual Wash 'n' Wear Fashion show that was to be held Monday at the Gallery at the King Plow Arts Center.
The fund-raiser helps to support his "Homes for the Holiday" program that assists single-mother families in owning their first houses.

dirty · Oct 10, 2006

Re: Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

Abraham tests groin; should play Oct. 15

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/05/06
Flowery Branch ? Falcons defensive end John Abraham practiced Wednesday for the first time since injuring his groin in the waning moments of a season-opening victory over Carolina, a game that he dominated.
Abraham, who revealed he has had three operations on his lower abdomen in his career, said he practiced after nearly a month of rehabilitation to provide a brief refresher before practice resumes next week. It's a sign he plans to play in Atlanta's Oct. 15 game against the New York Giants. The Falcons have a bye this week.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

Curtis Compton / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>John Abraham said he wasn't ready to return to the lineup against Arizona. 'I had to be cautious,' he said.
</TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width=170 bgColor=#cccccc border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=168 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=railscreen01><TD>Your Turn</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=9 width=168 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT language=javascript> function clickVote() { document.pollForm.buttonClicked.value = "yes"; document.pollForm.PageId.value = "poll_vote_submit"; document.pollForm.submit(); } function alert1(){ document.pollForm.buttonClicked.value = ""; } </SCRIPT><FORM name=pollForm action=/poll/poll/poll/take_poll/PollRefresh.jsp method=post><INPUT type=hidden value=poll_vote_submit name=PageId> <INPUT type=hidden value=10909 name=pollID> <INPUT type=hidden value=take name=page> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]What's the biggest pressing issue for the Falcons to address with a week off? [/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD align=right width=46 height=15></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><INPUT type=radio value=38970 name=choice> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Why the offense can't score in the red zone. [/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><INPUT type=radio value=38971 name=choice> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Finding a way to get Jerious Norwood more touches. [/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><INPUT type=radio value=38972 name=choice> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Getting the defense back fully healthy. [/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><INPUT type=radio value=38973 name=choice> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Problems? What problems? I think they look pretty good right now. [/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>
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Abraham said no real diagnosis was provided about the type of groin injury he suffered. However, after a groin injury forced him to miss nine games in the 2003 season with the New York Jets, Abraham said he proceeded with caution.
Abraham said two of the operations were for hernias and one for a torn groin. Not all were in the same year.
"We treated it 10 times better than I did before because I knew how to treat it," said Abraham, who has 57 1/2 career sacks and has been selected to three Pro Bowls. "I had to be cautious. I don't think I was ready to go back last week. I was just trying to be smart this time. You learn a lot from past experiences, and my past experience was not a good one because I ended up missing the rest of the year instead of waiting a couple more weeks and being ready to play."
If Abraham does return against the Giants ? he did not guarantee he would ? he would reassume his starting right end job, where he opened the season with two sacks, two forced fumbles and six tackles at Carolina. Patrick Kerney, who is coming off a three-sack game against Arizona, would return to left end.
"We weren't padded up [Wednesday], so this was a perfect time for me to come back on the field," Abraham said. "I didn't want to come back next week and jump back into it. I'd rather take this day and see where I was, see how far I am along and see how far I've got to go. I think I practiced well. I'm still a little stiff and a little behind, but I think I'll be OK if I stay here and work out and get back into the old John Abraham shape."
Falcons president and general manager Rich McKay and head coach Jim Mora said they have left Abraham's playing status up to the medical staff and the player.
Abraham said he has gone through exhaustive rehabilitation and even hired a live-in trainer for three days when the Falcons took their medical and training staffs to New Orleans for the Monday night game against the Saints on
Sept. 25. He did not discuss the details of the rehabilitation, but said, "It was pretty much a 24-hour job."
He also expressed no disappointment about getting hurt late in the game with the Panthers when the outcome was decided. He was still playing because Kerney has suffered a triceps injury, and he and Chauncey Davis were the only defensive ends available. "I'd rather it happen now than happen when we're 10-2 and trying to get to a big game and me missing three weeks," Abraham said.
The Falcons defense has held its own without Abraham the past three games, yielding just one touchdown as the team won two of three games to enter the bye week 3-1. Davis actually started in place of Abraham, but he opened at left end and Kerney was shifted to right end.
"The leaders that have been here and the leaders that came have done a good job of keeping the momentum up at all times," Abraham said. "That's why we've excelled. I was a part of it, but it was more in the cheering section. I don't like being a cheerleader. They didn't pay me to be on the sideline here. They paid me to do my job. When [Michael] Boley got his sack [Sunday vs. Arizona] I was like, "Dang, he was on my side.' That's just being an athlete and wanting to be out there."
Note: Falcons kicker Morten Andersen was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking five field goals in Atlanta's 32-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. It was the ninth time Andersen has received league honors for special teams. Andersen, 46, also became the oldest player to earn special-team honors.

Atlanta Falcons Info Thread

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