A mess of things

Fooled ya, didn't I? You thought this blog would be about the Falcons, didn't you? Well, you're half wrong. I felt the term "Hodgepodge" as a title for my entries encompassing the entire pro sports world was a bit Jeopardy-ish. Maybe it's a term more commonly used before my time, but either way, I'm going to leave it for Alex Trebek.

But since I brought up the Falcons, I might as well mention a few things. As you may or may not have noticed, I spent most of last week blog-less since the Falcons were enjoying(?!) a bye week. I felt I needed to. I don't know how much more I can get out of the words "disappointment," "controversy" or "collapse."

The honeymoon is now over and the Falcons are back at work this week preparing for a home matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. And despite all the problems the Falcons have had this season, particularly last week, and against my better judgment, I'm going to pick the Falcons to win this one. I don't know why, but I just think that an unhealthy Alex Smith isn't going to be able to get much done against a Falcons' defense that is actually pretty good. So, it's final: the Falcons win this Sunday. Maybe I won't have to use any of the words listed above this weekend, which means you wouldn't have to read them, and that would be nice.

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The Boston Red Sox are World Series champions again! I never, ever thought the Series would be over so quickly or that the Colorado Rockies wouldn't put up much of a fight. After the Sox won the first two games, I thought the Rockies would come away from a three-game homestand with at least two wins. When I heard other sports writers say that the Series was over after Game 1, I thought it was ridiculous. And I've been a Sox fan for years now. But the Sox, and the Rockies, proved me wrong, and I couldn't be happier. I never thought I'd see the day when the Red Sox were thriving and the Yankees were stumbling. Yet, somehow, that day has come, which makes the coming baseball season very intriguing.

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The big NFL game this weekend is the New England Patriots vs. the Indianapolis Colts. Oh, you heard? So you saw the 50 mentions of the game on ESPN that started two weeks ago? Yeah, it's a huge game that requires a lot of coverage, but when it's being crammed down my throat for two weeks, I come to a point where I've had enough. Will I pay attention to the game? Yes. Will it be a great one? Yes. Do I need to know every time Tom Brady sneezes? No.

All I'll say from here is that I think the Patriots are going to win a close, high-scoring game to remain unbeaten. Now I can go back to living my life.

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The Atlanta Braves traded away Edgar Renteria today for a couple prospects, one of which is a young pitcher with a lot of potential. It's really a fantastic move. You look at Renteria's stats and it may not seem like trading him away is a smart decision, but he's only getting older and the Braves have to do something about the pitching staff. The Braves will go with Yunel Escobar at shortstop now, which means they just got younger at the position. Escobar is turning 25 soon. This is just one of several moves the Braves will make here in the near future. I'm looking for an overhaul of the team during the offseason, and in relation, the trade of Renteria will become a footnote.

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I took a lot of crap from Chiefs fans last week for putting the NFL tribe in the bottom half of my weekly NFL rankings. There was a reason for that: Simply, I don't think the Chiefs are all that good. And just because the Chiefs beat San Diego earlier this year doesn't mean the Chiefs are a better team. It just means they were better that day. The Chiefs have a tough schedule in the second half of the season, and I don't think they're going to survive long enough to get into the playoffs. It's as simple as that. If I'm wrong, I will be the very first one to admit it.

The NFL rankings are one of the many new, fun things we're trying to do at The Telegraph in the world of pro sports. There will be much more to come in the future. But it's great that people are talking about the rankings. That's what they're there for. I'm all for debate, so if you disagree with me, let me know and we can have at it in a little friendly back-and-forth. If you get me to side with your argument, I'll wear your favorite team's hat for a day.

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Rumors, predictions, thoughts and simple hot air:
I like the Patriots, Lions, Falcons, Bills, Titans, Packers, Chargers, Jaguars, Redskins, Bucs, Browns, Raiders, Cowboys and Steelers this weekend in the NFL. ... The Atlanta Thrashers aren't going to be worth watching this year. The rest of the NHL, however, will be, especially if you like fights. ... The Falcons' defense/special teams might be worth picking up this week if you're in a pinch in your fantasy league. The Niners are -4 in turnovers this year and the Falcons are +5. You do the math. ... Again, New England will not go undefeated this year. The St. Louis Rams, however, might not win a game. ... Your 2007-08 NBA champions: The Boston Celtics. ... Please, again, don't be fooled by the Atlanta Hawks. You have been warned.

D. Hall. Again

What don't the Atlanta Falcons understand about rest? This has to be the most eventful bye week in the NFL's storied history.

In case you haven't heard by now, Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall was at it again Wednesday, calling out the Falcons coaching staff, namely head coach Bobby Petrino. The criticism this time had to do with the sudden and surprising release of starting defensive tackle Grady Jackson on Tuesday. Hall, obviously upset about the event, reiterated Alge Crumpler's comments from two weeks ago, hinting at the possibility that Petrino is trying to phase out the Falcons' veterans.

And Hall didn't stop with a couple comments here and there, like his somewhat short rant of a few weeks ago when he originally called Petrino out. Hall seemed to go on and on and on about his grievances with the coaching staff.

Here's the gist of it:
- He said he was playing his butt off every game and would continue to do so until his contract ran out and defended Jackson by saying he was doing the same thing. Well, Hall's contract is up at the end of this season and he is likely moving on to bigger and better money... err, things.
- If Jackson was cut, Hall said, the staff might as well cut the rest of the 53 players on the roster.
- At 1-6, the Falcons are making all the wrong moves.

Hall's comments raise a ton of red flags. It's one thing for one player to come out and accuse Petrino the way Crumpler did. It's a completely different thing when another player comes out and basically says the same thing. This team is in trouble; no doubt about that. But when players start an uprising the way the Falcons have this season, the problems extend far beyond the abilities of anyone, especially Petrino, to try to fix. And with Hall stepping forward to back Crumpler up, it's time to start thinking that what they're talking about is true. Even Warrick Dunn couldn't come up with any sort of answer as to why Jackson was let go or the coaching staff's philosophy on veterans. And when you can't get a stock, damage-control quote out of Dunn, something is up.

The cutting of Jackson was perplexing. My head is raw from all the scratching I've done over this one. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to cut the leading tackler from the defensive line just because Petrino wants more playing time for former backup Trey Lewis. Lewis, to be fair, showed a lot of promise and potential earlier this season as one of Rod Coleman's backups, but to cut Jackson simply because Lewis needs more time is, as Hall put it, asinine.

Throughout the season, I've placed blame on Petrino for a lot of things - from play-calling to questionable roster moves (this definitely falls in that category), but not once did I think he was the type of coach that would throw his veterans under a bus like that. If you go back to my last blog (Your Questions), I defend Petrino and basically say that anyone thinking Petrino is purposely driving a wedge between the veterans and the younger players is loony. I have been swayed the other way on this; perhaps too easily, but swayed nonetheless.

If what Hall and Crumpler are saying is true, Petrino might be the most underhanded coach in NFL history. In fact, he should get into politics. Only a politician could compete with Petrino's say-one-thing, do-another policy as of late. Jackson was a truly character guy for the Falcons, and with such a shortage of that in the NFL these days, it's sad to see him suffer the fate he did. And what's even sadder is the state of the Falcons now that he's gone.

Your questions

QUESTION: Please explain to my why Warrick Dunn gets more carries than Jerious Norwood? Norwood is getting more yards than Dunn. When will the Falcons utilize Norwood more? Is Petrino holding back because of Crumpler's statement that Petrino is focusing on younger players? - Sharell

This is a topic I have struggled with for a few weeks now. I touched on it a little bit in a column last week, so this question will give me an opportunity to go a little more in depth.

I wish I knew why, exactly, Warrick Dunn is getting more carries than Jerious Norwood. It doesn't seem to make any sense on the surface. As you said, Norwood is more capable of more yards, so it seems like an obvious choice to hand over most of the carries to Norwood at this point. Dunn is getting older - there's no secret there - and what exactly he offers the team at this point other than leadership is debatable. I think Dunn has really helped Norwood since Norwood was drafted three years ago. Most veterans have the ability to make younger players better, and I definitely think this is the case here.

But let's be fair here. First of all, the offensive line is horrible. I don't care if LaDainian Tomlinson is your running back, if you can't block for him, he does you no good at all. Holes are collapsing all over the place, if they're even forming at all. Dunn did a decent job yesterday of scooting up through some holes before they caved in and showing that he does still have some speed and power at the position. My problem with Dunn is that he looks so tentative once he has the ball, especially on toss plays. To the untrained eye it looks like he's just sitting 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage, waiting to be tackled. That's not the case at all. Most of those plays have been run behind a zone blocking scheme up front. Zone blocking is when the offensive line moves left or right, depending on which side the play is called to, and picks up any "trash," or defenders if you prefer, that might come into their view without breaking their direction. You need time for that type of scheme to work and running backs don't know where the holes are actually going to open up. They could open up between the right tackle and guard or one could open up on the left side on any given zone blocking play. The problem I see is that, for the type of offensive line the Falcons have, Dunn is waiting far too long for that perfect hole when there isn't going to be one. He should be all over the first sliver of daylight he sees ahead, and he just hasn't been. I sure hope I didn't confuse anyone.

Now, here's the thing with Norwood: He's young, it's true. And he definitely provides a great big-play ability whenever he has the ball. But can he be consistent? That's what the Falcons are lacking right now is consistency, especially in the running game. Teams that can't get first downs by running the ball can't keep drives going and can't win games. It's that simple. It's one of the most overshadowed problems the Falcons are facing. Yeah, most fans see that Dunn isn't doing anything this season and Norwood has broken a few big plays. But what most fans skim over on their way to talking about the quarterbacks is the fact that the running game can't provide any sort of element that opposing defenses would feel they need to watch out for. It's consistency in the running game that wins ballgames. And when your team is dead last in the league in red zone efficiency, look toward the running game for the reason why. Not only can't the running game get the Falcons inside the red zone, once they do happen to get there, it can't get the offense any closer than the 15-yard line. That's an enormous problem.

I digressed a bit there, so forgive me. I think the time is now to start using Norwood as the feature back and putting Dunn in more of a supporting role. What can it really hurt? I think Dunn will be released at the end of the season and Norwood is the best candidate to take over at the position, so why not get Norwood used to the bulk of the carries now and see how he reacts? Some people don't seem to think he's ready or that he has the ability to be a feature back in the league, but from my vantage point, he looks as ready as any other feature back in the league. It's time to give him a shot.

As far as your last question goes, I don't know. Crumpler's comments about Petrino favoring the younger players were shocking. And if he spoke the truth, it would be even more surprising. I can't see why any coach would want to phase out some of the very good veterans on the team, especially after Atlanta went to such lengths to bring in a guy like Joe Horn, who is obviously a No. 4 receiver at best right now, even for a team like the Falcons. I don't think Petrino is trying to disprove Crumpler's claims by keeping Dunn as the starting running back. The chances of Petrino getting fired after this season are slim to none, so he has that security to play around if he wants to. I just don't see him as that kind of guy. I think he, more than anyone involved with the organization, wants to win. Keeping Dunn in the backfield for spite wouldn't exactly lead to wins. Although, I don't know. Stranger things have happened. I just think Petrino looks at Dunn as the leader of the offense on the field, especially with the team not able to rally around Joey Harrington. Dunn's numbers don't lie. He's a great running back, but he can't seem to do anything in this current system. But I don't think Petrino would keep him in or pull him out simply for spite in either case.

If you want your questions answered right here, either leave a comment or send me an e-mail at the address listed on this blog. If you have specific questions for any member of the Falcons, get those to me and I'll try to get you an answer straight from the player's mouth.

Hodgepodge

It's old news by now, but Byron Leftwich is taking over for Joey Harrington as Atlanta's starting quarterback going into Sunday's game at New Orleans. I'm not overly shocked by the move, but the timing of it is interesting. I said in a column earlier this week that the Falcons needed a shakeup. This would definitely qualify, but I also said holding off on a move at the quarterback position might be better served after the bye week (Oct. 28). I felt that the extra game week on the bench and a bye the following week would probably better prepare Leftwich to take over if the coaching staff decided that was the route it wanted to go. At the same time, I understand why head coach Bobby Petrino would make the shift now. Against New Orleans, the Falcons have a very real chance of getting back into the thick of the divison race, and with the way things were going the past couple games offensively, a change at quarterback now could help things out.

But quarterback is hardly the problem, so the change is a little puzzling. The Falcons' troubles have been well-documented by, well, me since the season began. Those problems would include and non-existent running game, an inconsistent passing game, a completely unreliable kicking game and an offensive line in desperate need of help. Leftwich is going to be under the same pressure Harrington was, so it will be interesting to see how differently he reacts to it.

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The Atlanta Thrashers fired head coach Bob Hartley earlier this week and GM Don Waddell took over as interim. The move seemed to pay off as the Thrashers won their first game of the season the following night after starting the season 0-6. Hartley's firing was a big surprise to NHL insiders and Thrashers fans, but I understand letting him go. He got swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season by the New York Rangers - a series the Thrashers were favored to win and the first time they had ever made it to the postseason. Hartley was lucky to still be on board after the 2006-07 season. Here's the thing: Waddell was the one who hired Hartley four years ago and, despite the difficulties the team faced to start the season, Hartley was a good choice. Waddell obviously knows how to find good coaches, so it's safe to assume the Thrashers' next one will be able to turn things around.

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The Rockies are fantastic. No, sensational. No, unbeatable. I now can't see either the Indians or the Red Sox downing them. Sure, a lot of people have said the Rockies will lose their magic with eight days off before the World Series gets started, but the Indians and Red Sox are just beating the hell out of each other right now. I think the ALCS will go to seven games, which allows for little rest for either team.

I've got to salute members of the Big Red Machine for congratulating and admiring the Rockies. The former Cincinnati Reds, who won seven straight games on their way to a World Series title in the 1970s, were awe-struck by what the Rockies have accomplished so far. The 1972 Miami Dolphins should take notes on how to be classy. Every time the final unbeaten NFL team loses, the Dolphins toast their accomplishment as the only undefeated NFL team in the league's history with champagne and smiles. Another undefeated NFL team would be just as good for the NFL as the Rockies are for baseball.

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Random thoughts, rumors and hot air:

Good for Joe Torre. The line for his services should be very long right now. ... Atlanta got a WNBA team. Crap. ... The Indianapolis Colts will suffer their first loss of the season to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. ... Yes, the New England Patriots will lose eventually. Get the champaigne ready for the '72 Dolphins. ... Buffalo QB Trent Edwards might be worth picking up in your fantasy league.

Falcons postgame

There's nothing like an hour-and-45-minute drive coming back from the Georgia Dome after midnight to get the blood pumping. Monday night's game, however, provided the opposite. The Atlanta Falcons didn't exactly put out the performance they did against Tennessee last week (which could be described as embarrassing), but they did lose again because of, sigh, missed chances. I almost feel I could type those two words in my sleep at this point, but that has been one of the bigger stories this season. The Falcons need not look further than blown chances for any explanation as to why the team now sits at an abysmal 1-5. But more on that later in the week.

Here are some postgame quotes I gathered up:

Alge Crumpler

"We fought so hard all week to try to make sure we turn this thing around, and you know, those guys really out-played us. That's the bottom line. When we're sitting in a situation we are record-wise, we have to find a way to win ballgames and we just didn't play well enough as a unit, as a team to win the game."

"It's frustrating, but we've just got to stay the course. That's the only thing we can do at this point. We've had it every which way. We've had close losses and we've been blown out, but the bottom line is, we've got to find ways to score and we've got to find ways to win games. After the way this game started, I thought it was going to be a good, fun game, but they just played a little bit better than we did."
(Note: Crumpler did not repeat the blowup after last week's loss. Criticism was difficult to come by)

Michael Boley
On taking solace in having a good year so far individually:
"No. At this point, with us being 1-5, to me, all the personal stuff is overshadowed by that."

"It's always frustrating. I've never been to the point where we've been 1-5 on any level, and it's frustrating. But, like I said, it's a long season."

Jerious Norwood
On his chances to make a big play when he gets the ball:
"It's whatever the coaches want. I'm a team player. We've just got to keep a positive attitude about it and whenever I get the chance to play, then I've just got to go in and make the most out of it."

On staying positive:
"Well, you've got to think about it. I could be back in Mississippi working at Burger King or somewhere. I'm fortunate to be a part of this program. That's how I think about it, you know? I could be doing anything, but the good Lord put me here and I'm gonna play and I always try to keep a positive attitude."

Joe Horn
"We've got to find a way to put it together, man. Gotta find a way to put it together. You can't look at your record, you can look at the (team's record) you're playing against; you've got to keep fighting and stay together as a unit, because you're going to have times, trials and tribulations but you've just got to stick together. The guys are going to do that. We've got some high-character guys in this locker room. We've got to stick together."

"Right now, looking at Carolina, Tampa, whoever, New Orleans, it doesn't matter. You have to correct what's going on in your locker room and with your team. And that's what we'll do. Like I said, we've got guys in this locker room with a lot of character. We don't bicker, we don't argue with each other; we care about each other, and that's the No. 1 thing that a team has to do to even start winning football games. Once you get guys in the locker room who are bickering and arguing with each other, that's when you lose a football team. Coach Petrino, he hasn't lost this football team. The guys, we're still fighting, we're still practicing hard, busting our ass on the football field. It's just not coming together on Sundays."

The Final Word

As I look at the clock, we're exactly 24 hours away from the Falcons taking on the Giants on Monday Night Football. Dun-dun-dun-duuuuuun! Sorry, I had to. One of two things are going to happen: either the game will be wildly entertaining or mind-numbingly boring. I'm guessing it'll be the former, as I discuss in my column running Monday morning. As someone who feels there has just been way too much talk leading up to this one, I leave you with this: Giants 31, Falcons 17. See ya after the game.

Hodgepodge

As I mentioned in my first post, what this blog is and will become has yet to fully be determined. I've tried a few things here and, as I've said before, I welcome any and all suggestions for what you, the reader, would like to see from quotes to commentary to predictions to rumors concerning the Atlanta Falcons. But I also said I would use this space to comment on a wide array of topics facing the pro sports world and I have neglected to do so thus far. But, let's face it, there are certainly plenty of things in the world of the Falcons to write about.

So, since my fingers can't bear to write the word "Harrington" today, this will be the first blog that will reach beyond the realm of the Falcons in a quick-hitting sort of way. Let's see how it goes. Feel free to add your thoughts.

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Atlanta Braves general manager John Schuerholz stepped down Thursday afternoon, and I have to admit it was a surprise. Schuerholz is regarded as one of the better GMs in MLB. He turned the Braves into what they were from the 1990s to now. The Braves have obviously fallen on some difficult times, what with missing the postseason again this year due to a bad pitching situation and a lack of offensive production. Maybe, at 67 years old, it was just time for him to step away and say, "Hey, there's nothing more I can do as a GM," but no matter what team you support, you have to have a ton of respect for Schuerholz and what he did for the Braves. With the recent shortcomings of the team, however, maybe something like this is what the Braves need. Maybe they need a shake-up in the front office to get something going again. The only thing you can do at this point is wish the Schuerholz well - although he is sticking around with the organization - and hope that Frank Wren has half the baseball prowess Schuerholz does.

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Prediction: The Red Sox and Rockies will meet in the World Series (like you haven't heard that before). I've got the Red Sox in 7, but you have to give it up to the Rockies. They've won 18 of their past 19. Wow. Just wow. Boston is a tough place to play in October and I think the Red Sox are the only team that can take Colorado down, but I see the Rockies taking the Sox the distance.

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By now you've surely heard of the note Terrell Owens left members of the media earlier this week. I don't care how you feel about TO, that was funny, although there are probably a few very upset sports writers who will be without more substantial quotes than, "Getcha popcorn" this week. The move was probably wise on TO's part; not because of the questions about Randy Moss and the unbeaten Patriots, but rather Owens getting completely shut down against Buffalo. Ouch.

Also in the hilarious category, Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow said Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter needs a hug. Hilarious!

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Speaking of the League, Vinny Testaverde will likely start for the Carolina Panthers this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals. By now, we've all heard the talk of him being old and all and I don't want to pile on. But I did hear part of his physical before signing with the Panthers included carbon dating. Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week.

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UFC mega-god Randy Couture shockingly has busted his final skull in the octagon. He has walked away completely from UFC, meaning he will no longer be heavyweight champion, a commentator or a poster boy for what is a surging, yet still fairly underground sport. His resignation could spell disaster for UFC in the sense that it is down one recognizable name and there don't seem to be too many more waiting in the wings. It seems to be Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson and everyone else at this point. Couture's resignation won't be the downfall, but he certainly didn't leave on good terms, which makes any sort of return doubtful. UFC will survive and thrive. But it's sad. He was great for the sport.

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Some random thoughts/predictions/hot air:

NFL coaches on the hot seat, in my humble opinion: Buffalo's Dick Jauron, Carolina's John Fox and, yes, San Diego's Norv Turner (although expect the turnaround to really get going soon, which will exclude him from this category). ... Pick the Arizona Cardinals in your office or survivor/suicide pool this week. ... Andruw Jones will end up in either Boston or Minnesota. ... The Thrashers stink right now. They will likely continue to do so unless they somehow get a little younger. ... Don't let the Atlanta Hawks fool you in the preseason. ... Joe Torre will not be fired. ... The New England Patriots will beat up on the Dallas Cowboys. Badly. ... The over/under on how many times Michael Vick's name is mentioned in the Monday Night Football pre-game show currently stands at 82. Place your bets.

Monday Night Lights

Well, that sure is going to be a tough act to follow. The Atlanta Falcons will take to the national stage Monday night to face the New York Giants in the ATL, and after last night's Bills-Cowboys game, the Falcons and Giants should be feeling a lot of pressure. I figure now is as good a time as any to out myself: I've been a Buffalo Bills fan since I could breathe. Last night's game was about as exciting, thrilling and disappointing as football gets. As a Bills fan, I've grown used to that. I've witnessed losses in four straight Super Bowls. I've lived through the Music City Miracle. I've lived through a decade of missing the playoffs and a revolving door policy when it comes to players. I've lived through coming so close and yet being so far. And now I've lived through this. Barely. So when I refer to the Falcons in a disappointing way, trust me, I know what I'm talking about. And I can also understand the kind of frustration Falcons fans are feeling right now.

But, back to MNF, I really hope those who watched last night's game as impartial viewers thought the game was exciting and riveting and lived up to being featured on national TV. Now, it's the Falcons' turn. This would be a tough game to follow under any circumstances, but when competing with the MLB playoffs, the Falcons and Giants are going to have to bring it. There's not much here in the way of interesting side stories as far as any sort of rivalry goes. In fact, I think this one was originally supposed to be billed as a Michael Vick-Eli Manning face-off. Of course, the Falcons' troubles and triumphs up to this point in the season read like a book, and the Giants have rebounded from an 0-2 start to look like a darn good football team.

I think Monday night's game is going to be a good one. Every team in the NFL (normally) gets up for MNF. Hopefully, the Falcons can avoid public apologies this time around, but it's an exciting atmosphere for players and fans alike. Now, the Falcons have had some struggles inside the locker room since Sunday's loss to the Titans (See: Alge Crumpler exploding, DeAngelo Hall melting down, Bobby Petrino doing his best to provide damage control) so things game-wise and pre-game-wise are going to be interesting. Following last night's game is going to be tough enough, but the Falcons need to shore up any little tiffs they have in the locker room in order to avoid national embarrassment in six days. If they do that, Monday's game could be a good one. A win on a national stage would certainly benefit the Falcons and all the bad press they've received. And, let's face it, the Falcons have done very well in the Dome this year. It might not be the game of the year, but the similarities between the matchups of last night's game and Monday's game are striking. You have one team every one has written off and another that is almost assured of victory. The Falcons might as well be from Buffalo this week. Let's just hope they can provide the same type of excitement when Monday rolls around.

A Titan-sized collapse

Atlanta Falcons fans should be upset right now. If this weren't a family-friendly blog, there might be a better word than "upset" to truly describe how mad Falcons fans should be after Sunday's 20-13 loss to Tennessee. The Week 5 matchup was filled with monumental moments - some good and, for the Falcons, mostly bad.

But let's get right down to it: Scoring only 13 points off five turnovers is unacceptable. The stage was set for the Falcons to not only beat the Titans, but to destroy them. It could have easily been a two-score-or-more win for the Birds, but alas, this is the 2007 Falcons we're talking about. As an impartial observer, it's frustrating. I can't imagine what long-time Falcons fans must be feeling right now.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's remember that it's going to take a while for Bobby Petrino to build this team into a viable contender. These are Jim Mora's players he's trying to win with, and you can expect some major changes in the offseason, that's for sure. But Petrino hasn't done all that bad with this group, and we're talking about a team that could now be sitting at 4-1 instead of 1-4.

At the same time, Sunday's game was filled with poor execution from the top to the bottom. If you read my column in Monday's Telegraph, I criticize Petrino and his staff for sticking with Leftwich late in the game. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I stick by it. I think Harrington gives the Falcons a better chance to win late in the game down by one score than Leftwich, a quarterback who has probably barely gotten past the table of contents in the playbook at this point. But the scheme wasn't the problem for Leftwich on Sunday. He wasn't even close on several passes that would have tied the game for the Falcons and given them a chance to go into overtime against a very good team. But that's neither here nor there for the purposes of this post, and if you want to read more of my feelings on the subject, check out Monday's Telegraph.

Back to the subject at hand, it seems like frustration has passed and anger is starting to set in. It's tough to swallow when your team has every opportunity to win, but can't seem to make it happen. It's a story that has occurred several times this season.

But before this gets out of hand, I think it's time for some healing. Allow me to get things started. If I were a Falcons fan, I'd be most angry about the offensive line. Granted, it's a young group, and the injury to Wayne Gandy doesn't help as it looks like he'll be out for a long time. Justin Blalock has a bright future, but there needs to be some turnover at some of the other spots. I'd be furious over their inability to keep Tennessee's talented front four out of the Falcons' backfield Sunday.

For you real Falcons fans, this situation is obviously not hypothetical. So I want to know: What ticks you off about the Falcons this year? Is there something that really gets your goat about this team right now? If you could change one thing, what would it be? Let's try to keep it clean, but venting is good for the soul. Have at it.

Practice report

Defensive tackle Rod Coleman returned to practice Wednesday afternoon after yet another knee surgery. On Thursday, Coleman was able to do significantly more on the field and, surprisingly, could be a game-time decision on Sunday. The D tackle position has seen its share of troubles this season. First, Coleman was out for the first four weeks of the season because of the aforementioned surgery. His replacement, Jonathan Babineaux, was filling in very nicely until he went down with an injury during the Carolina game. Backups Trey Lewis and Montavious Stanley didn't fill the void as well as Babineaux, but they were productive in the overall play of the defense against the Texans.

Having Coleman back would really solidify the defensive line, especially with Grady Jackson carrying most of the load since the start of the season. But just how well Coleman will feel under game conditions has yet to be determined.

In other injury news, Chris Crocker is expected to be full-go on Sunday and backup tight end Dwayne Blakely was back on the field on Thursday after sitting out a week with a pectoral injury. Offensive lineman Todd Weiner also participated in practice. Blakely and Weiner are expected to be active for this Sunday's game against the Titans.

An early look at Sunday

Sunday is when the real test comes. Anyone can win at home, right? Even the Falcons. Pardon the sarcasm there, but seriously, Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans is going to be a big one. The Falcons are obviously coming off their first win of the season and the Titans are coming off a bye week in which the team was able to relax after blazing out to a 2-1 start.

I said in my weekly podcast (you can find that at macon.com/falcons) that a good question would be which scenario is better? Is it better to have that extra week of rest? Or is it better to have some momentum going by coming off a win? Honestly, the matchup of those two questions ends in a push for me. I think both scenarios are equally valuable to teams. The Falcons needed a win and they got it. The Titans needed a rest after facing a very tough start to the season with games against Jacksonville, Indianapolis and a Monday night matchup with New Orleans.

So what's the wild card here? Home-field advantage. Or for the Falcons, a lack of it. Atlanta travels to Tennessee to play in front of a rejuvenated crowd that is optimistic about its team's chances this season. It's going to be incredibly hostile in the Volunteer State and the Falcons are going to have to overcome that for their second win of the season. Winning at home last week was great for the Falcons because it gave them a chance to really show the home crowd what this season could be like if all the necessary parts start coming together. But now is the chance to show a different team in a different stadium in a different state, and that's never easy for any NFL team.

Should the Falcons come out on top this week, it will be nothing short of a giant leap in the right direction. If the Falcons can prove they can win at home and on the road, then, most importantly, they will be proving a lot to themselves.

Your questions

Question: "I am new to football, but losing three games in a row was bad. But now the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers have the same record. Why is it that the Falcons are such a bad football team according to sports pundits and the other teams (with the same record) are still getting a pass?" -- Sharrell

Answer: It surprises me that you're new to football because your question is one a lot of long-time fans never would have thought of. I can say that it's a question I never thought of and I hope I can answer it for you.

This is just my opinion, but I think it has a lot to do with expectations. When looking at the Bears, it's easy to base what they should do this year on the fact that they played in the Super Bowl last season. When looking at the Chargers, you might see a good team with an extraordinary running back in LaDainian Tomlinson that is underachieving. When you look at the Vikings, you might see a team that has a good defense on paper, but it can't really do much of anything on the field because the offense is sub-par.

The Falcons, on the other hand, are in a unique situation - one that many long-time fans of the NFL haven't seen before. Everyone seems to be down on the Falcons because of what happened to Michael Vick during the offseason. Now, that's not to say that if he were still around that things would be any different. People, including die-hard Falcons fans, were very critical of Vick when he was there. Why? Because of the expectations placed upon him. Everyone thought when he came into the league that he was going to change the NFL, and he did. His style of play revolutionized the quarterback position. But he didn't get the results many people expected out of him (for example, no Super Bowl rings, which is what a lot of pundits base "good" and "bad" on).

After it was known that Vick wasn't going to be playing any more and Joey Harrington was going to be stepping in, everyone all of a sudden got down on Harrington, which was something I didn't understand. Harrington has just always carried a bad stigma because he couldn't produce in Detroit. Well, he couldn't produce in Detroit because he had nothing to work with around him. The talent level was very low and very young at the time. Now look at Detroit. Many of the players he was playing with then he would have been playing with now and he probably would have been seeing the same amount of success that the Lions are seeing today and all of a sudden he would be considered a great quarterback.

But when you look at Harrington with the Falcons, he has been no worse than any other quarterback in the league. In fact, he's the 15th-ranked QB in the NFL right now. Not a lot of people notice that or care to notice because of his name. Why does his name matter? Because we've been taught to not expect much out of him, almost to the point where, when he does play well, we pass it off as a fluke because many people see him as a "poor" quarterback.

It's those types of expectations that are difficult to battle through, which is why other teams with higher expectations are getting a "pass" right now. People are saying the Bears and the Chargers are going to come around despite playing terribly the first four weeks of the season. At the same time, Atlanta has shown a great amount of progression since the season started and people are saying Sunday's win was a fluke. I think a lot of outside factors helped the Falcons Sunday, but deep down they have a great base to create a very good football team down the road. That's why yesterday's win didn't surprise me, even though I picked the Texans to win.

I guess the short answer is it's a matter of perspective. If you look at a guy like Harrington and say he stinks, you probably aren't going to give the Falcons much thought at all. If you look at a guy like Tomlinson, you might think he's the best thing to ever wear shoulder pads and expect him turn a football team like the Chargers around even though they're playing worse football than what a lot of people perceive the Falcons are playing.

That certainly doesn't make it right that a lot of people are down on the Falcons, but I think it offers an explanation.

Question: Why did you focus on the defense in Sunday's game story when Harrington had a career day? - Anonymous Caller.

Answer: Harrington absolutely had a career day, as is evident by his stats. He went 23-of-29 for 223 yards and two touchdowns with a QB rating of more than 100. That's exactly how you want your quarterback to play. But when you look at what the defense did Sunday against the Texans compared to the first three games in the season, the defense became the bigger story.

The Falcons defense stopped Houston on all three of its red zone tries. They also came up with huge stops on Houston's two separate goal-to-go situations. For a unit that has ranked near the bottom of the NFL during the first three weeks, the effort it showed against the Texans was more than noteworthy.

As far as Harrington goes, I think the expectations for him have changed. When a poor quarterback plays poorly, it's more noticed than when a middle-of-the-road QB plays great. I've long said that I don't think Harrington is the long-term solution at QB for the Falcons, but I'm definitely thinking about revising that statement. I'm almost to the point now where I expect him to have a great completion percentage and a productive day every time he steps on the field. Maybe that's why the defense overshadowed his fantastic performance on Sunday. It wasn't anything personal. It was just that Harrington did his job against the Texans and the Falcons defense came out of virtually nowhere to stop an offensive team that could have really done some damage.

To get your questions answered, shoot me an e-mail at the address listed all over this blog or feel free to post a comment. I'll be featuring the answers to your questions right here each Tuesday.

D. Hall and a look ahead

Perhaps the bigger news out of the Atlanta Falcons that slightly edged out their first win of the season is cornerback DeAngelo Hall's sudden unhappiness with the organization. Hall has reportedly asked to be traded due to his suspension for his actions against Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith in the Falcons' third loss of the season.

Great. That's all the Falcons need is more distractions. This one, however, probably won't affect the team as much as the others. Yeah, D. Hall has become disgruntled because he got a little slap on the wrist. It's like that time you got caught coloring on the walls as a child and had to sit in the corner for 20 minutes, all the while threatening to pack up your Hot Wheels and Ninja Turtles and run away from home. Hall's actions and comments as of late have been childish. But it's obvious that he and head coach Bobby Petrino don't get along and if he's not satisfied with Atlanta, then the organization needs to let him go.

I think D. Hall is an average-to-good NFL player. Some put him near the top of their list of best cornerbacks playing right now. I don't. Here's why: Any time Hall faces a top-flight receiver he gets manhandled. Now, he has had a few good games here and there against some very good receiving talent. Heck, against Carolina he held Smith to one catch after he came into the game with four touchdowns through two games. But I don't think he's as good as people make him out to be, and if the Falcons decided to move him now as opposed to after the season, like they're planning, they could probably get some really good talent for him.

The reason they'll likely hold off is because the secondary is really hurting right now. Chris Crocker and Lewis Sanders have been battling injuries and Lawyer Milloy is getting up there in age. Hall provides a little bit of in-between-ness, if there is such a thing. He's not young, but he's not old. And let's face it, he can still do his job and do it well enough to make an impact. But with a good amount of younger players at the position behind him, it's silly to think that Hall isn't expendable at this point, especially now. The best solution would be to trade him away for picks or try to grab another corner that can do what Hall can do without all the off-field nonsense and teach the younger players how to play the position in the league. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the Falcons to deal him, but when (not if) they do, it won't be cause to push the panic button.

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Here's what's coming up this week here on The Pro Schmo, in the Telegraph and at macon.com concerning the Falcons and the NFL:

Tuesday: Check out The Telegraph and macon.com for my power rankings of all NFL teams and my reasons for why progression outweighs disappointment this week for the Falcons. Check in here for answers to reader questions. If you haven't sent one in and you'd like me to know my take on it, feel free to get that to me and I'll do my best.

Wednesday: Go to macon.com/falcons to listen to my weekly Falcons podcast, then come back here for my early thoughts on this weekend's matchup at the Tennessee Titans.

Thursday: I head up to Flowery Branch for Falcons practice and I'll bring you the latest with what's going on up there in my practice report. I'll also be posting quotes from post-practice interviews so you know exactly what the Falcons are thinking and talking about. If there are questions you'd like me to ask any members of the Falcons, get those in to me by Wednesday and I'll post the answers right here.

Friday: Defensive tackle Grady Jackson is a mammoth threat for the Falcons, but there is another sport he excels at, which might come as a surprise. What is it? Check out The Telegraph or macon.com to find out. (Story subject to change if Jackson isn't available).

Saturday: The Final Word right here on what to expect from Sunday's game against the Titans and my prediction for who comes out on top.

Sunday: Check out The Telegraph or macon.com to find out what one of Vince Young's former teammates at Texas thinks of him and what the Falcons will need to do to stop him. Come to The Pro Schmo shortly after the game to get my thoughts on how the Falcons did.