The Pro Schmo

Format change for the Schmo

2008-08-25T18:24:00.002-04:00

Change is inevitable, and its no different here at the Schmo. We have had to change some plans here in The Telegraph sports department, and unfortunately, that means I will no longer be supplying you with Atlanta Falcons coverage, effective immediately. That also means The Pro Schmo is pretty much obsolete at this point.

But plenty of great things can come due to change, and I'm hoping that I've put together an idea that will keep you coming back to this blog and macon.com.

Starting this week, The Pro Schmo will become a place for laughs as I scour the sports scene to find you the stuff that doesn't always make it into headlines. I'll post stories, quotes and video from the lighter side of sports here every day for your enjoyment.

I hope those of you who read the Schmo will continue to visit, and I hope to gain some brand new readers, as this blog becomes "Oddball."

Falcons wrap

2008-08-17T01:18:00.002-04:00

It's 1:15 a.m. and I just got back from the Georgia Dome. There were a lot of positives and negatives in a 16-9 loss for the Falcons vs. the Colts, and I'll be more than happy to go over them tomorrow with you. I'll also be posting quotes, notes and thumbs.

Roddy White throws tantrum

2008-08-16T20:50:00.002-04:00

The personal foul penalty just incurred by the Falcons stemmed from Roddy White throwing a fit after Matt Ryan threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. I missed the first part of the tantrum, but White came off the field with his helmet missing, which leads me to believe it was thrown or stolen from him. I'm guessing it's the former.

Either way, if White's going to be a veteran the Falcons can turn to, he needs to grow the hell up and not do stupid things like that. Granted, the penalty hurt the Falcons very little, but those of who witnessed last year's visit from Carolina to the Georgia Dome can tell you exactly how much stupid, idiotic penalties can hurt a team. That was just boneheaded on White's part, and one of the assistant coaches gave him an earful for about 30 seconds as he came off the field.

It's halftime now and I'm going to go somewhere to avoid watching the "entertainment."

Cut Adam Jennings now!

2008-08-16T20:33:00.002-04:00

Here we go again with Adam Jennings. If you didn't see just a few moments ago, Jennings, who SUCKED last year, just mishandled a punt return and gave the ball back to Indianapolis deep in the Falcons' end. Ramon Guzman just recovered the fumble and would have taken it in for a score if not for a phantom call that I couldn't hear up in the press box.

Look, I understand it's the preseason, I understand these games aren't real and there is some rust on some of these guys. Jennings, however, just stinks. He stunk last year as a returner and a receiver and it looks like that hasn't changed. Last year, I called for him to be benched dozens of times for mishandling punts, running right into defenders on returns or calling for fair catches when he has 20 yards between him and the nearest defender. Atlanta needs a return man a la Allen Rossum from a few years ago. Jennings will never, ever be at that level and he needs to go.

Now that that's done, Michael Boley has sustained a back injury and will not return to the game.

Live from the Georgia Dome

2008-08-16T18:48:00.002-04:00

I don't know how many of you out there are paying attention tonight, but I'll do a little blogging from the Georgia Dome for the Atlanta Falcons' second preseason game of the year. The Falcons take on the Indianapolis Colts, although if the NFL allowed JV teams, this would be it for the Colts. Peyton Manning is out as is Bob Sanders, Ryan Diem, Ryan Lilja, Josh Thomas and Dwight Freeney. Former Georgia Tech star and Colts rookie Philip Wheeler is also not playing tonight.

As far as the Falcons go, here's a list of players who did not dress: Chris Houston, David Irons, Isaac Brown, John Abraham, Alex Stepanovich and Martrez Milner.

Starting at quarterback tonight, oddly enough, is Joey Harrington in place of Chris Redman.

On a side note, the Georgia Dome looks awesome. The Dome underwent a massive renovation that included changing the coloring of the paneling outside the Dome as well as changing out all the seats inside the Dome. It looks absolutely amazing, so kudos to those responsible.

Check in later for updates on the game.

UFL looking to bail out Vick

2008-08-12T20:53:00.002-04:00

Well, not really, but sort of. Apparently, embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick won't have to look too far for a job when he gets out of prison next year. The new United Football League, which starts next year, is ready to put up some big money for Vick to suit up for the league.

Yahoo! Sports has more info here.

Thumbs up, thumbs down

2008-08-09T22:49:00.002-04:00

Here are some general thoughts on Saturday night's preseason game against Jacksonville:

THUMBS UP: Matt Ryan. The rookie faced a barrage of defenders to start out with, but he remained cool and calm, finishing the night 9-for-15 with 113 yards and a touchdown to Roddy White. Not bad for his NFL debut.

THUMBS DOWN: Have to give a thumbs down to the cameramen shooting the game for NBC affiliates. It was like they had never actually seen a football game. Shots were all over the place and some plays were missed because they simply didn't know where the ball was. I don't expect much, but I do expect TV to be better than radio.

THUMBS UP: Running backs. Michael Turner, Jason Snelling, Jerious Norwood and Thomas Brown all did tremendous on the ground. Brown looked a little hesitant, but that will fade with experience. After watching Turner, I'm excited to see what he can do the rest of the season. Snelling had my vote for play of the night with his rumbling 47-yard reception on a screen pass to set up a Joey Harrington touchdown.

THUMBS DOWN: To the offensive line in front of DJ Shockley. In the preseason, I agree with the call to try to win late in the game instead of going for a tie. The offensive line should have been jacked up with a chance to win. Instead, the pocket collapsed on the Falcons' final play and Shockley tossed an interception to end Atlanta's chances of pulling out a win.

THUMBS UP: Jamaal Anderson. He finally recorded an NFL sack. It's about time, but it certainly has to relieve some pressure. Now, let's see if he can do it when it counts in a few weeks.

THUMBS DOWN: Third-down efficiency. The Falcons finished with a paltry 33 percent on third downs, converting on just 5-of-15. Yeah, it's the preseason, but that has to get better. Punting is no fun for anyone.

THUMBS UP: The offense and play-calling. Both were pretty good -- and a lot better than last year, which is all that's important at this point. I liked Mike Mularkey's play-calling throughout the game. The Falcons seem to have a good grasp of the system, and they tallied up 343 yards because of it. Atlanta also had chances to score, which was nice to see.

THUMBS DOWN: Fumbles. The Falcons recovered three fumbles during the game and turned it into three points. While the offense as a whole played well, there were times when it just couldn't get things done, like on third downs and when the Jags turned the ball over. Atlanta has to take advantage of those things.

Image: The Associated Press (running back Jason Snelling)

20 Questions: No. 17 - Game night

2008-08-09T17:52:00.002-04:00

The 20 Questions series will run every few days leading up to the end of training camp and the start of the NFL season.

No. 17: What should I expect to see out of the Falcons in tonight's preseason game against Jacksonville?

Hopefully, a different team from last year. A lot of football fans don't care a whole lot about the preseason because they say it doesn't mean anything. I beg to differ. While the season is certainly a whole lot more exciting than the four games that make up the preseason for each team, these mean-nothing games can tell you a lot about how a team is going to perform once games start counting.

That said, you need to watch preseason games differently than you watch regular season games. During the preseason, it doesn't matter how many touchdowns Peyton Manning throws. You already know he's aces, so what he does isn't important. What is important, however, is what the younger, lesser experienced players do during the preseason.

Tonight, I'm going to really keep a close eye on Matt Ryan. Chris Redman has been announced as this week's starter, but head coach Mike Smith said all the quarterbacks are going to get equal time. This will be Ryan's first taste of what an NFL field is really like, and how he performs tonight will tell you all you need to know about his preparation and ability to this point.

I'm also going to pay close attention to DJ Shockley. The boat is awfully full at quarterback for the Falcons with Ryan, Redman and Joey Harrington, which means Shockley is fighting for his career tonight. I'm rooting for him because I think he brings something to the field Harrington doesn't (OK, he brings a lot of things to the field that Harrington doesn't), but he has to know that tonight will go a long way in determining his future with the Falcons, or possibly any other NFL team.

Watch for the first team offensive line and see how it does against Jacksonville's front four. Watch for the Falcons' receivers and who plays where. Watch for rookie linebacker Curtis Lofton and see if he really has what it takes to start during his first year.

The final, perhaps most important, thing to watch for tonight will be coaching. We all remember last year's debacle when it came to play-calling. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey's system will be on display tonight, although hardly in full effect. Even so, pay attention to the types of plays he runs in different situations. I'm sure you'll notice a vast difference from last year right away.

Datish back again

2008-08-07T15:00:00.002-04:00

After a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts (two weeks to be exact), Doug Datish is back with the Falcons. Datish was a sixth-round selection by the Falcons in 2006 and spent all of last season on injured reserve with a bum wrist.

He was waived by the Falcons a little more than a month ago, which was when he hooked on with the Colts.

Also, the Falcons waived kicker Kevin Lovell. No surprise here with Jason Elam on the roster. Lovell was pretty much just signed to hold for field goals and carry Elam's pads around during camp.

One quick note I want to make here: The other day on this blog, I reported that Robert James had been waived by the Falcons. That was untrue. A news release sent by the Falcons had confusing wording that made it sound like James was off the team. Rather, the fifth-round draft choice from this year was placed on injured reserve. My apologies for the screw up.

Next installment of 20 Questions coming later tonight.

Favre traded to Jets

2008-08-07T01:22:00.002-04:00

It's late into the evening, but the gears in New York have been grinding out a trade. The Jets have reportedly traded to acquire Brett Favre from the Green Bay Packers. ESPN has been giving this non-stop coverage tonight since word broke and they're interviewing everyone under the sun. In fact, I'm slated to go on in 30 minutes. Kidding.

But it looks like the battle with Green Bay is over and maybe we can get on with our lives. Now that Favre is with the team he will play for this year, let's break it down simply.

This move is good news for:
- The Atlanta Falcons. Rumors swirled that Tampa Bay was interested in the future hall of famer, and an early report Wednesday even stated that a deal was done to send Favre to the Bucs. That didn't happen, and the Falcons now don't have to deal with playing him twice in a season.
- Chansi Stuckey. The former Northside standout will spend the second season of his NFL career catching passes from Brett Favre. Very cool.

This move is bad news for:
- Me. I'm a Bills fan.

James waived/Tuesday links

2008-08-05T18:32:00.005-04:00

My apologies for not getting back here since Sunday. I spent Monday in Athens helping David Hale cover Georgia practice.

And now, your links:

Blogging Dirty puts some thought into the Falcons' 2008 schedule.

Great story from The Sun Chronicle on former Falcons cornerback Lewis Sanders and how closely 9/11 affected him.

11Alive says linebacker Tony Taylor will get his first start in the NFL on Saturday against Jacksonville.

From the AJC, the Falcons are undecided on the QB rotation and Steve Wyche says there are some questions at tight end.

Animal Planet will kick off a new series by detailing the fiasco involving Michael Vick and dogfighting.

For your weekend entertainment

2008-08-03T12:47:00.002-04:00

Rookie cornerback Chevis Jackson is keeping a video diary of his first training camp at atlantafalcons.com.

ESPN.com actually does a good job here with a transcription of Derek Thomas' introduction and Falcons assistant head coach Emmitt Thomas' induction speech. Great stuff.

The Gainesville Times details the Falcons' all-access fan weekend, including Saturday's Roam the Dome event.

The Ledger of Central Florida discusses the reasons former running back Warrick Dunn has been so durable.

And finally, here are your reasons the Atlanta Falcons could win this year's Super Bowl.

Friday afternoon reading

2008-08-01T13:24:00.002-04:00

Enjoy!

Blogging Dirty has your top 10 reasons fantasy football is so great.

According to ajc.com, D.J. Shockley is nipping at the heels of the other quarterbacks.

From J. Michael Moore of AtlantaFalcons.com, the Falcons spent Thursday being coached up on some new rules.

USA Today says wide receiver Roddy White stays in touch with former quarterback Michael Vick in prison.

FOXSports.com says the Falcons have a clean slate and a bright future ahead of them.

The Falcoholic weighs in on what is turning out to be a righteous quarterback battle.

20 Questions: No. 18 - Jamaal Anderson

2008-07-31T17:00:00.002-04:00

The 20 Questions series will run every few days leading up to the end of training camp and the start of the NFL season.

No. 18: Can Jamaal Anderson be more productive on the defensive line?

He better be or there's going to be a strong contingent of Atlanta fans waiting to run him out of town. Seriously, though, it was really surprising that Anderson had such a difficult time at defensive end last year. Everyone's biggest gripe about him was that he failed to record a sack during his rookie season, and that was certainly a valid complaint. Anderson led the SEC in sacks during his final season at Arkansas, so expectations were extremely high when the Falcons drafted him in 2007.

And really, when a team goes out of its way to draft you at No. 8 overall, shouldn't they expect a somewhat immediate turnaround? I felt bad for Anderson last year because it was obvious that this was eating at him. It's not like he didn't care that he wasn't putting decent numbers up opposite John Abraham. He's a good kid who obviously loves playing for the Falcons, but he needs to come in this season and produce to prove his worth.

Can he do it? Well, the circumstances certainly look good -- in fact, just as good as they were at the beginning of last year. With the Falcons signing Grady Jackson again, he'll have a huge presence on the defensive line and consistently eat up two offensive linemen. That is sure to help Anderson. With Abraham coming off a pretty successful season, teams will likely key up on him with occasional double teams. Those two factors alone should open things up quite a bit for Anderson, but he's going to have to take advantage of it.

With a rookie season under his belt, I think the nerves will be long gone and he'll be able to play a more relaxed brand of football up front. Anderson won't go another season without a sack, and he should rack them up pretty easily this year. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that Anderson will record the first sack of his NFL career Sept. 7 against Detroit. That will be the first of many for Anderson in his career.

Photo: www.atlantafalcons.com

For your Wednesday perusal

2008-07-30T13:10:00.002-04:00

Some things to enlighten the mind and sooth the soul...

Blogging Dirty welcomes Grady Jackson back with open arms. Those must be some pretty big arms.

Some great thoughts from The Falcoholic on what looks like a snub of cornerback David Irons.

Covers.com says don't bet on the Falcons unless you bet on them to lose.

A bit of an update on the renovations at the Georgia Dome. Looks much better than the former peach (pink?) and green combo.

Darren Epps at the Chattanooga Times Free Press says Arkansas players are starting to defend Bobby Petrino. Ahhh, the naivety of youth.

From the Gainesville Times, running back Thomas Brown is looking to be a little more consistent.

20 Questions: No. 19 - Grady Jackson

2008-07-29T20:37:00.004-04:00

The 20 Questions series will run every few days leading up to the end of training camp and the start of the NFL season.

No. 19: Will signing Grady Jackson really make any difference?

Might as well keep it relevant at No. 19. Grady Jackson will absolutely make a difference at the defensive tackle position. At 6-foot-2, 345 pounds (yes, he's really 345 pounds, and no, I'm not telling lies, kpax), Jackson doesn't even need to get out of his three-point stance to make a difference for the Falcons. Jackson pretty much has his own gravitational pull and he takes up a ton of space in the middle of the line -- something the Falcons didn't have heading into training camp. With Jackson in the middle, the run defense is suddenly solidified a bit more, and that has to give the Falcons confidence.

The only downside to Jackson is that he's not a three-down tackle. Because of his sheer mammoth size, he's going to need to be rotated in and out quite often. The upside to that is having a pretty fresh tackle lining up every couple of downs. The downside to that is that the Falcons don't have anyone else of Jackson's size and ability, which automatically makes any down Jackson spends on the sidelines a running down for the opposing offense.

I'm still not too sold on the crop of defensive tackles the Falcons have at their disposal with the exception of Montavious Stanley. The former Louisville tackle seems to be on the way up since being cut by Dallas last year. If he can earn a starting spot, the Falcons are suddenly a formidable, fearful force in the middle with Jackson added to the mix. If the Falcons, by some minor miracle, regain the services of injured DT Trey Lewis, they're even better set since Lewis is really the only other DT besides Stanley and Jackson I trust.

But take everything else out of the equation and, absolutely, 100 percent yes, Jackson will make a huge difference to the defensive line this year.

Image: Ric Feld/Associated Press

Tuesday reading

2008-07-29T13:04:00.004-04:00

Wesley Brown over at Atlanta Falcons Blog puts in his two cents on some occurrences at camp since it got underway Saturday.

Blogging Dirty says just let Joe Horn go already.

From ajc.com, some very bad news for the Falcons, Big Daddy Grady is coming back to the ATL and Harry Douglas doesn't care if you have a Super Bowl ring.

Profootballtalk.com has a very low outlook at the Falcons this year.

Profootballweekly.com has your quotes of the week from around the league.

20 Questions: No. 20 - Is last year really over?

2008-07-28T16:35:00.005-04:00

I'm going to try a new series called 20 Questions on this blog as we really get into the meat of training camp. Every couple of days, I will answer a new question regarding the Atlanta Falcons. If you have any questions of your own you want to ask, feel free to drop me a line. Otherwise, I'm just going to make them up as I go.

Today's question: No. 20 - Is last year really worth bringing up any more?

From someone who's sick of reliving it, no, it's not worth bringing up any more. It's like that movie Groundhog Day at this point. In fact, I'd like to declare that anyone mentioning last year's Atlanta Falcons season from now on should be forced into a conversation with this guy. On the first day of training camp Saturday, thoughts and questions about last year were relevant considering the fiasco at the Falcons training camp facility. That's understandable.

But now that the contrasts have been made between last year's opening day and this year's opening day, I think it's time to hold a funeral service for the term "last year" when referring to Michael Vick, or Bobby Petrino, or Alge Crumpler, or DeAngelo Hall, or this guy. That term no longer applies any more when referring to the Falcons.

Sure, there are plenty of players still on the team who unfortunately had to deal with those circumstances, but for many of those players, last year might as well have been a million years ago. The circumstances are so different now, and there's actually a relaxed atmosphere up in Flowery Branch. Everything is drama-free, so bringing up last year in reference to this year doesn't make any sense any longer.

Besides, aren't we all sick of talking, hearing or reading (or writing) about it?

Sure, it sucks that the Falcons had to go through all that stuff last year, but it's ancient history now. Let it die and let's move on. The Falcons certainly have.

Sunday reading and viewing

2008-07-27T15:25:00.002-04:00

Couple of things I found while scouring the Web...

Atlantafalcons.com does an incredible job with its video every year. Lots of great and creative ideas come out of these guys. On Saturday afternoon, they mic'd up head coach Mike Smith.

Rookie cornerback Chevis Jackson blogs about getting ready for training camp.

From the Mountain View Voice, a great story on one of Michael Vick's former dogs more than a year after being rescued.

From Scout.com, you'll never see this offense in the NFL, but it sure is fun to watch. Two quarterbacks, six receivers and three linemen? Wow.

Training camp report

2008-07-26T20:54:00.003-04:00

The first day of Atlanta Falcons training camp is in the books and it went about as smooth as it possibly could go. It was really nice to go there this year without all the hoopla and distraction of last year at this time.

Here are some news, notes and quotes:

- Chris Redman took all the first-team snaps for the Falcons during the morning practice. Some of you may be disturbed to know that Joey Harrington took all the second-team snaps. Matt Ryan worked with the third team and D.J. Shockley got in sparingly with the third team, as well. Things don't look all that good for Shockley right now if for nothing else than the simple fact that he's not going to get a whole lot of reps. With Harrington being a bit more seasoned, Shockley's days could be numbered in Atlanta.

Here's what Redman had to say about the competition: "I'm just excited. I'm excited to play, I'm happy to be here and I think the whole team as a group came out and looked real strong today. You're always competing no matter where you're at and so I'm just going to go out there and just worry about what I have to do and go out there and try to win games and see what happens."

- Michael Turner looked as solid as he could despite the team going with just helmets and very little contact today. More will be known about him when the team straps the pads on, but he impressed me today. Also worth noting is Jerious Norwood. I think he actually gained a step in the offseason. He looks extremely fast and elusive right now. This could be one hell of a tandem.

Turner on what stood out on Day 1: "The energy. Everyone looked excited out there and excited to be here. That's a good sign coming into the season."

- Rumors flying around camp today about the Falcons talking with Grady Jackson again. A source close to the team told me today that he was surprised the deal wasn't done by this morning's practice. Either way, it looks like Jackson might be coming back to Atlanta. Good thing, too. The Falcons could use some help at defensive tackle.

Here are a couple of quick hits for you:

- Laurent Robinson was the No. 2 receiver on the first team this morning.
- Brent Grimes was in the other cornerback spot opposite Chris Houston.
- The first-team offensive line Saturday: Sam Baker (LT), Justin Blalock (LG), Todd McClure (C), Harvey Dahl (RG), Tyson Clabo (RT). Interesting since Dahl was a practice teamer for San Francisco to start last season.
- None of the tight ends looked very smooth this morning. It's obvious that this is not a group of pass-catchers.
- The defensive line shifted around all morning and it didn't look like there was a clear set of first-teamers with the exception of Montavious Stanley.
- At linebacker, Curtis Lofton worked with the first and second teams at middle linebacker while veteran Keith Brooking slid over to the weakside and played some middle.
- Tony Taylor got some reps at linebacker with the first team.
- Brian Finneran had some great catches during team and 7-on-7 periods. He is one big target and it's good to see him healthy again.

Photo: Head coach Mike Smith (John Bazemore/Associated Press)

Training camp a day away

2008-07-25T15:51:00.003-04:00

Members of the Atlanta Falcons are reporting to the training facility in Flowery Branch as we speak, and the Falcons are less than a day away from opening up camp.

The Falcons will practice twice Saturday with an early 8:30 a.m. practice and another at 3:45 p.m. Both sessions are open to the public.

I will be in Flowery Branch bright and early for the morning session, so check back Saturday for updates here and on Sunday in The Telegraph and at macon.com.

If you're planning on attending any of the practice sessions, here are just a few tips from me to help make your trip a little more enjoyable:

1. Wear a hat and bring plenty of sunscreen. The facility in Flowery Branch is wide open and there is no shade anywhere on cloudless days. It can be brutal out there sitting in one place for two hours, so be prepared to create your own shade with a hat, a program or a rather large fellow who may be standing near you.

2. Arrive early. Last year was a bit of a fiasco with all the protesters looking for parking spots along with the real fans. There shouldn't be any protesters this year, so that'll free things up a bit, but parking can be tricky. There's plenty of space across the street at Flowery Branch High School, but it's a bit of a trek to get onto the grounds of the facility. Getting there early will remedy that.

3. Bring binoculars. The facility in Flowery Branch isn't the most fan-friendly when it comes to spectating. There's an area to the right of a practice field on a hill where they'll corral anyone wanting to watch practices, but the facility is huge with three football fields side by side. The coaches tend to practice on the closest field to the fans during training camp, but other positions of interest might be hundreds of yards away on another field. Some binoculars will remedy that problem.

I'll make this offer again this year, but anyone who has questions about the Falcons they want answered by me, players or coaches, let me know and I'll do my best to get answers for you. You can leave a comment here or e-mail me at jadams@macon.com

For those who missed it the first time, here's the Falcons' training camp schedule of practices that are open to the public:

07/26/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/26/08 3:45pm Training Camp Practice (3:45 p.m.)
07/27/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/27/08 3:45pm Training Camp Practice (3:45 p.m.)
07/28/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/29/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/30/08 1:30pm Training Camp Practice (1:30 p.m.)
07/31/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/01/08 10:15am Training Camp Practice (10:15 a.m.)
08/01/08 6:30pm Falcons Friday Night Lights: Team scrimmage at Mill Creek High School
08/02/08 11 am Roam the Dome: Scrimmage and fan events at Dome. Open to public.
08/04/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/05/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/06/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/07/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/08/08 10:15am Training Camp Practice (10:15 a.m.)

Photo: Beau Cabell, The Telegraph

Mughelli goes Hollywood

2008-07-23T15:16:00.002-04:00

Atlanta Falcons fullback Ovie Mughelli recently tried his hand at being on the other side of the microphone. During ESPN's ESPY awards ceremony, Mughelli was a reporter on the red carpet, interviewing high profile guests as they made their way into the venue.

Mughelli has a blog on Yardbarker.com, and he wrote all about his experience. As a side note, Mughelli might have a thankless job that doesn't often put him in the spotlight, but he's one of the most genuinely nice guys in the Falcons locker room. It's great to see him having some fun in front of a camera.

Check out his blog here: Mughelli's blog.

More trouble for NFC South

2008-07-21T15:27:00.005-04:00

The New Orleans Saints have been on the move up since a disappointing 2007 season. Free agency was extremely kind to them and the draft was much the same.

Now, less than a week away from training camp, the Saints have made another move. Check this out:

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have acquired disgruntled New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey.
Saints spokesman Greg Bensel on Monday confirmed the trade. The Saints did not immediately say what they were giving to the Giants in exchange.
The deal must be approved by the league and is contingent on Shockey passing a physical.

This doesn't bode well for the Atlanta Falcons, or the rest of the NFC South for that matter.

Falcons release training camp schedule

2008-07-09T23:43:00.002-04:00

The Atlanta Falcons released their training camp schedule this week. Below are the dates and times camp is open to the public. Camp is scheduled to open July 26.

07/26/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/26/08 3:45pm Training Camp Practice (3:45 p.m.)
07/27/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/27/08 3:45pm Training Camp Practice (3:45 p.m.)
07/28/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/29/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
07/30/08 1:30pm Training Camp Practice (1:30 p.m.)
07/31/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/01/08 10:15am Training Camp Practice (10:15 a.m.)
08/01/08 6:30pm Falcons Friday Night Lights
08/04/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/05/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/06/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/07/08 8:30am Training Camp Practice (8:30 a.m.)
08/08/08 10:15am Training Camp Practice (10:15 a.m.)

Miller fight available on UFC.com

2008-07-07T20:58:00.002-04:00

Cole Miller's third-round victory over Jorge Gurgel at Saturday's UFC 86 in Las Vegas was chosen as the Submission of the Night. Because of that, UFC.com has decided to allow visitors to watch the Maconite's win for free on the Web site.

Simply go to www.ufc.com, then toggle through the videos on the homepage to find Miller's fight.

It was really a good one with a lot of highs and lows. Miller came so close to losing the fight, but came back and scored a victory in probably one of the best fights of the night.

Miller wins at UFC 86

2008-07-06T01:17:00.002-04:00

Cole Miller defeated Jorge Gurgel during the undercard portion of Saturday night's UFC 86. Miller earned the win with just 12 seconds left in the final round by submitting Gurgel with a Triangle Choke.

Miller lost a close first round and came back in the second to get ahead on the judges' scorecard. In the third, Miller had a cut open up just under his eye, but he was able to keep it from hindering him. With about a minute left in the bout, Miller locked in the Triangle and cranked it up, forcing Gurgel to tap out before the match went to the judges.

Check out Sunday's Telegraph and macon.com for more on the 14th win of Miller's professional MMA career.

Photo: Associated Press

Cole Miller fighting Saturday night

2008-07-03T22:29:00.004-04:00

I had a chance to speak with Macon's Cole Miller on Thursday night about his upcoming fight in UFC 86 with Jorge Gurgel. It sounds like it's going to be a great one. Miller comes into the fight after a disappointing loss back in January, and Gurgel comes in as the more experienced fighter.

Check out The Telegraph and macon.com Saturday and Sunday for a preview of Miller's fight and a post-fight conversation with him from Las Vegas.

Here's a little of what Miller had to say Thursday night:

"I know his style. I know his game in the past. Because he looks the same in all of his past five fights, I think he's going to try to bring some different things to the table. So I really wasn't trying to train for the footage that I saw (of him), I'm just trying to perfect my skills, you know?; moving onward and just make myself a better fighter. I don't train for my opponents; they train for me. I don't care what he says he's going to do. I don't care what he says he changed in his training. I don't care if he went and did a camp instead of having to run his (fighting) school. I had to do the same thing in my last fight. I had to teach more classes, and for this fight, I took more time for myself. We're all in the same boat, and I think this is a very evenly matched fight."

Some harsh words there. And can you believe these two have been close friends for about three years now?

For those interested in watching Miller's fight, you'll be disappointed to know that it won't air live during UFC 86. The Miller-Gurgel fight is part of the undercard -- matches that aren't shown live on TV. If the live event becomes shorter than expected, UFC may show the Miller-Gurgel fight to fill space. UFC 86 can be ordered through your pay-per-view options on Cox Communications or your satellite provider.
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Of note: Miller recently had a film crew follow him around for a few days to detail what he did to get ready for Saturday's fight. Miller told me that footage is still being edited, but it will be available on his Web site after the fight. Check it out at here.

Photo: UFC

Some random thoughts

2008-05-24T21:32:00.003-04:00

Apologies for the extended hiatus on this blog.

Couple of thoughts for right now:

- The Falcons continue OTAs (offseason training activities) this week and go through the middle of June. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has integrated a good portion of his offense on the field and head coach Mike Smith is getting a good look at his draft picks and undrafted free agents.

Speaking of the Falcons, was Matt Ryan's contract ridiculous or what? Nothing like mortgaging the franchise on an uncertain future. No wonder the owners opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Deals like the one the Falcons gave to Ryan are the reason why the NFL has turned into a me-first, team-second atmosphere. Chew on this for a moment: In the past eight years, the Falcons have spent more than $170 million on two quarterbacks -- Ryan and Michael Vick. Yikes.

- For anyone who missed last week's Revolution Fight League event at the Macon Coliseum, you might want to think about attending its next event in Middle Georgia, whenever that may be. I admit two things: 1) I'm a casual, at best, MMA fan; and 2) I went into last Saturday's event with extremely low hopes.

The event, however, changed my outlook completely. The RFL did a fantastic job making the event as professional as possible. The cage looked great, the Coliseum was set up intelligently and the entrance music and smoke for each fighter was a nice touch. The RFL also lucked out as the fight card they put together was extremely entertaining and fun to watch.

I think I have been converted after seeing MMA live and I, for one, look forward to the RFL's return to Macon.

- Speaking of MMA, the UFC's Cole Miller -- a Mount de Sales grad -- will be in Macon next week for a few days. Check out next Sunday's Telegraph for an update on him and his next fight.

- A Boston-L.A. NBA Finals would actually be better than watching linoleum curl.

- Two of the more exciting teams in hockey are facing off for the Stanley Cup. Does anyone else notice?

- Big Brown will earn you big bucks June 7.

The Falcons locker room suddenly got less whiny

2008-03-15T20:52:00.003-04:00

It seems the Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders are close to a deal that would send disgruntled Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall to Oakland and a second-round pick to Atlanta. ESPN and the NFL Network are both reporting a deal is in the works and could be done within a week.

It's another chapter in the strange, but true offseason for the Raiders, who have all but mortgaged the team for a couple of unproven and/or washed up players. If this deal goes down, things look great for the Falcons, who could use all the draft picks they can get. The first day of the draft would look to be an exciting one with the Falcons picking No. 3 overall, No. 34 overall and No. 37 overall. The opportunities are endless for that type of placement on the draft's first day.

There is a lot that can be done with those types of picks and a lot of needs could be addressed in just a few hours time. Some Falcons fans seem to think the deal isn't all that fair to the Falcons. To them, I say take a closer look. With three picks in the top 40, the Falcons are no longer hamstrung to take a quarterback (Matt Ryan) in the first round. They could wait until the early second and take one there. The extra second-rounder, along with a later pick and a used mahogany desk, could also be dangled as trade bait to try to get back into the first round somewhere if the Falcons so choose. There are plenty of options at this point.

All the Raiders are getting is a chance to see just how much D. Hall gets owned on the field and the extreme joy that comes with listening to his whiny voice when things don't go his way. All in all, if this trade goes down, the Falcons are getting a heck of a deal, and the future suddenly looks brighter.

The 'Eliot Spitzer Night' fallout

2008-03-14T20:54:00.004-04:00

It has been two days since The Telegraph was the first to report the Macon Music's 'Eliot Spitzer Night' promotion coming June 13 (mark your calendars, by the way).

The fallout from the story has been really, really big. The story has been the most-viewed on macon.com for going on three days, national wires and other media outlets have picked up the story and bloggers have had a field day with it.

Here are some of the more interesting things I found concerning the story while scouring the Web:

- Sj-hypocycloid thinks 'Eliot Spitzer Night' would make a heck of a road trip.

- GC at Can't Stop The Bleeding has created an Eliot Spitzer baseball card on his blog.

- HHR is getting in on the fun by creating 'Eliot Spitzer Night' shirts and offering a free weekly guest post to anyone who wants to keep the blog updated about the Music this season.

- Popular sports blog DeadSpin.com created a picture of what the disgraced New York governor would look like wearing a Music cap.

- With Leather gives the promotion an F-.

OK, so it's not exactly like Oprah's visit. Personally, I have received e-mails from as far away as California from people speaking out about the planned promotion. Needless to say, not many people are finding the supposed humor in the event. Many are outraged and most say it's the most tasteless promotion they've ever seen. So, if nothing else, the Music at least have that going for them.

Music hit strange chord with 'Eliot Spitzer night'

2008-03-12T21:39:00.005-04:00

With everything that's going on with New York governor Eliot Spitzer, perhaps the last group you'd expect to get involved would be the Macon Music baseball team. It was a shock, to say the least, to learn that the team had decided to dedicate a night to the disgraced politician.

There has been a lot of buzz since The Telegraph put the story out -- some of it is in support of the team and some against. The question here isn't really that of taste or decency or a lack of a sense of humor. Regardless of whether it's morally right or not, it's smart from an attention standpoint. Some might not use that term; others might find "trashy," "classless" or "cheap" more suitable. But those who spawned the idea had to know that it was going to receive a lot of attention. The fact of the matter is, the wacky, zany, crazy idea will put butts in the seats.

And that's the idea behind the idea. The Music are drawing some national attention over the outlandish promotion. Once June 13 rolls around, it's not far-fetched to think Luther Williams Field will draw more fans than other nights, especially if, against everything that is good and just, Spitzer accepts the invitation to attend the game and throw out the first pitch.

That scenario is unlikely, but for a town that, at times, lacks in excitement, Eliot Spitzer night might just turn into a hot ticket for nothing more than the opportunity to be a part of an odd promotion.

While it's completely understandable that many people in and around town would be completely turned off by the idea of having such a promotion, there are still plenty of people who will attend the game.

And that, like it or not, is what the whole idea is about.

Boley, McIntyre, Davis offered tenders

2008-02-29T22:22:00.002-05:00

Linebacker Michael Boley, fullback/special teamer Corey McIntyre, defensive tackle Chauncey Davis and punter Michael Koenen were all extended tenders by the Atlanta Falcons, according to rotoworld.com.

These tenders basically protect the Falcons and allow them more time to get these free agents under longterm contracts. Rotoworld.com speculates Boley could be under contract by mid-summer.

Also worth noting: The Falcons had contacted free agent place-kicker Josh Brown this morning about a visit, but Brown has just signed with the St. Louis Rams. Guess the Falcons will have to look elsewhere for a viable kicking option.

Friday afternoon free agent report

2008-02-29T13:23:00.002-05:00

Much has happened during the 13 hours since the NFL free agency period officially began. Here's what we know now:

- The Falcons have re-signed quarterback Chris Redman. They will also receive visits from Texans CB Von Hutchins, Titans TE Ben Hartsock and Jets S Erik Coleman. Reports out of Seattle suggest the Seahawks will not sign former TE Alge Crumpler.

- The Eagles and CB Asante Samuel could be close to a deal.

- The Bills have signed Giants LB Kawika Mitchell. Also, the Bills have brought in Jacksonville DT Marcus Stroud for a visit and they're also one of two teams in the running for Jacksonville WR Earnest Wilford. Buffalo will also meet with Tennessee TE Ben Troupe.

- The Jaguars have claimed backup QB Cleo Lemon and WR Troy Williamson. NFL Network's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Jags have also signed WR Jerry Porter.

- Rams PK Jeff Wilkins will retire.

- Dallas has traded DT Nick Ferguson to Miami in exchange for two sixth-round picks. The Dolphins are also expected to offer Cardinals LB Calvin Pace a contract.

- WR Devery Henderson will visit the Bucs today, per FoxSports.com. The Bucs also have scheduled visits with RB Mewelde Moore and DE Marques Douglas.

- The Boston Globe reports Patriots CB Randall Gay will visit the Bucs.

- Former Falcons DT Rod Coleman will visit the Panthers.

- Former Panthers DT Kris Jenkins has been traded to the Jets. Jenkins signed a five-year, $35 million contract, according to ESPN.

- Bengals DB Madieu Williams has reached an agreement with the Vikings, per the Cincinnati Enquirer.

- Cleveland and QB Derek Anderson have finally agreed to terms on a multi-year deal that would most definitely push back the Brady Quinn era. Speaking of the Browns, Pats WR Donte Stallworth is expected to visit.

Final early free agency report

2008-02-29T04:10:00.003-05:00

While I'm winding down, the free agency period is starting to heat up. Here are the latest updates:

- The Falcons, ESPN reports, have contacted San Diego RB Michael Turner and PK Josh Brown. The two could visit Atlanta today.

- The Falcons, also per ESPN, could be looking to re-sign QB Chris Redman.

- The Jets and Carolina are apparently working on a deal to send DT Kris Jenkins to New York.

- The Redskins hang on to backup QB Todd Collins.

- Bengals DE Justin Smith will meet with the 49ers.

That's all until later this afternoon. Check in throughout the day for more updates beginning at noon.

3 a.m. free agency update

2008-02-29T03:08:00.002-05:00

- San Francisco signed former Panthers running back DeSean Foster to a cheap two-year contract.

- The Niners also signed former Lions QB J.T. O'Sullivan and are rumored to be interested in released WR Isaac Bruce.

- OT Chris Bober was released by the Kansas City Chiefs.

- Texans WR Jerome Mathis was not tendered, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Former Perry star signs with Niners

2008-02-29T02:38:00.001-05:00

Perry product Dontarrious Thomas has signed with the San Francisco 49ers early this morning. Thomas played with the Vikings last season.

Another free agency update

2008-02-29T02:15:00.002-05:00

2:15 a.m.

- The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Randy Moss and the Patriots have all but signed a deal. It appears, no surprise, that Moss is going nowhere.

- DE Corey Simon will meet with the Packers on Monday.

- The Browns re-signed S Nick Sorensen.

- WR Jerry Porter and QB Cleo Lemon will meet with Jacksonville.

- CB Asante Samuel will meet with the Eagles today.

- DT Brian Young and LB Mark Simoneau have re-signed witht the Saints.

- C Jeff Faine has signed with Tampa Bay.

- The terms of the Packers-Browns deal for Corey Williams were released: The Packers will get a second round pick from the Browns.

Falcons LB Williams on the move

2008-02-29T01:25:00.001-05:00

Scout.com is reporting that Falcons OLB Demorrio Williams has set up visits with the Bucs, Chiefs and Bears.

More FA news

2008-02-29T00:52:00.002-05:00

Here's what I'm hearing at this hour:

- The Jets are going to give Steelers guard Alan Faneca an offer worth around $8 million a year.

- The Eagles have the inside track in getting Patriots CB Asante Samuel

- The Dolphins have agreed to terms with guard Justin Smiley.

- Jevon Kearse is going to get a look from his former team, the Tennessee Titans.

- The Panthers have set up a meeting with DT Tyler Brayton.

- The Saints have contacted the Giants about TE Jeremy Shockey.

- The trade to send LB Jonathan Vilma from the Jets to the Saints is official.

Vilma to Saints, Williams to Browns

2008-02-29T00:10:00.002-05:00

It seems the first moves in free agency concern one of Atlanta's division foes. Several media outlets are reporting the Saints are close to a deal with the New York Jets that would send linebacker Jonathan Vilma to New Orleans.

Also, Packers defensive tackle Corey Williams looks to be headed to Cleveland in a trade.

NFL free agency starts tonight!

2008-02-28T16:06:00.002-05:00

OK, so I guess I'm a bit of a dork for getting excited for the NFL free agency period, which starts tonight at 12:01 a.m. But the Falcons could be in the mix of teams looking to make an early move once p.m. turns to a.m.

Here are some things to look for:

- Cornerback DeAngelo Hall has made it very clear that he wants out of Atlanta. Along with free agency, tonight marks the first night trades can be made between teams, as well. The Giants and Redskins are interested in the Pro Bowl corner, and a team like the Bills could look to strike a deal if the price is right.

- Linebacker Michael Boley is an unrestricted free agent and could be on his way out of town, as well, if the Falcons don't ink him before this evening. There are a lot of teams that would fall all over each other for Boley's services, so keep an eye out on this front.

I'll be scouring the net tonight for the latest and most up-to-date moves and rumors, so check back frequently to see what the Falcons and the other NFL teams do during the early period.

Clock to free agency period ticking down

2008-02-26T20:58:00.003-05:00

My excitement grows as the clock ticks down to free agency. The period begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday morning -- or Thursday night if you want to look at it that way. There will likely be a frenzy once the period begins, and the Falcons could be one of the teams trying to make a late-night move.

Of course, free agency has lost some of its luster since so many good players who were expected to hit the market have been franchise tagged in recent weeks.

So who do you think the Falcons will go after at the start of the period? Will they even make an early move? And how upset would you be if a big name isn't picked up within the first few days?

Coach Belichick, your lack of class is showing

2008-02-04T00:28:00.000-05:00

Perhaps it was of little surprise that, as one second still remained on the clock during Super Bowl XLII, New England head coach Bill Belichick made for the locker room. After all, Belichick does absolutely nothing by the book and, when it comes to losing, he's not exactly the poster child for sportsmanship.

But as the Patriots failed to convert a fourth-and-20 with the final seconds ticking away in the New York Giants' 17-14 win, Belichick made his way to midfield to meet with Giants coach Tom Coughlin not knowing that there was still a second on the clock. After shaking hands for a brief moment, the referee informed both coaches that there was still one tick left on the clock. Coughlin retreated to his sideline; Belichick decided he wasn't going to wait it out. A brief camera shot showed Belichick walking toward the locker room while the Giants were setting up for the final kneel to make their win official.

And people wonder why the Patriots are so polarizing? People wonder how anyone can possibly hate or root against the Patriots? This is exactly why. Belichick, regardless of reports that he actually has a soul and a personality off the field, is about as classless as any figure in sports. When Randy Moss left the field early a few years ago, everyone jumped all over him. When Dennis Rodman did the same thing, everyone threw a fit. With everything that happened Sunday night about to sink in, it'd be nice to see the media target Belichick the same way.

In a time when everyone is screaming for accountability, it'd be nice to see Belichick have to answer for why he felt it necessary to snub the better team Sunday night. His Patriots were obviously outplayed and outclassed in Super Bowl XLII, and a little humility would be refreshing. Instead, we get the same old story from Belichick and the same old story from those who are responsible for reporting things of this nature. Bill Belichick is not untouchable and he's not exempt from showing some class. Apparently, he doesn't realize that. But, really, what do we expect from the guy who sparked one controversy earlier this season and is about to be uncovered in the sequel, Spygate II?

The best Super Bowls ever

2008-01-30T22:54:00.001-05:00

Sunday's Super Bowl is shaping up to be one heck of a game on paper. The storylines are pretty incredible. There's the New England Patriots' amazing 18-0 record, the talent level for both teams is fantastic and the talk between Tom Brady and Plaxico Burress only adds to the excitement.

But will Sunday's game go down in history as one of the best Super Bowls in history? Only time will tell, but first, you have to rank the best of the past. Here are my criteria: Scoring, storylines, excitement, historic value, game play and interest.

5. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
This one makes the list for more than the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" at halftime. The Panthers went 1-15 just one season prior to reaching the ultimate game while Brady led the Pats to wins in their final 12 games of the season during his first full year as a starter. Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri nailed the game-winning field goal with four seconds left to give New England the win, but there was a whole lot more scoring than that. The two teams combined for 37 points in the fourth quarter, providing a huge amount of excitement that culminated with Vinatieri's field goal. As far as game play, it's tough to beat this one.

4. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31, Packers 24
The images from this game are timeless. The pictures of John Elway twirling in the air as he attempted a gutsy rush for a first down late in the game are unmistakable. Everyone also remembers this one as the day Terrell Davis sucked it up through a near-blinding migraine headache to become the game's MVP. And, come on, does it really get any better than Elway vs. Brett Favre? This game lived up to all expectations and provided quite the feel-good moment when Elway, who had lost three previous Super Bowls, pumped the Vince Lombardi trophy high in the air with a toothy smile.

3. Super Bowl III: Jets 16, Colts 7
For some reason, every athlete facing ridiculous odds thinks they can make a guarantee to win nowadays. Those athletes, however, are not Joe Namath. Namath, the quarterback for the 18-point underdogs, guaranteed victory against Johnny Unitas' Baltimore Colts and ending up being exactly right, although he failed to throw a touchdown pass in the game. For sheer upset value, this game was the best.

2. Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16
Historically, this game proved to be a big one as it pretty much guaranteed that Atlanta would never host a Super Bowl ever again. Apparently Super Bowl organizers and advertisers don't like it when it snows and sleets amid freezing temperatures the day of the game. Oh, well. At least the action inside was hot. The game was infamous for Mike Jones' tackle of Tennessee receiver Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line on the final play, keeping the Titans from putting up the game-tying score. Coming in, the Titans were considered a Cinderella team after beating the Buffalo Bills with the "Music City Miracle," aka Forward Pass, while the Rams were like today's Patriots. Just the fact that the Titans hung with the Rams was shocking, but the ending was even more extraordinary.

1. Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20, Bills 19
When you say "Wide right," people know exactly what you're talking about. Scott Norwood's failed field goal, which would have given Buffalo it's first and only Super Bowl win, is the stuff of legend. It's not often a character in a movie is based on a member of a Super Bowl team, but Norwood was obviously the inspiration behind the Ray Finkle character in "Ace Ventura." This game was also played during the height of the Persian Gulf conflict, and the fact that both teams' colors were red, white and blue was poetic. Whitney Houston's stirring version of the "Star Spangled Banner" (which, sorry folks, was taped and lip-synched) is one of the most identifiable renditions ever. The bulk of the game was certainly not a disappointment, even though Giants quarterback Phil Simms had been knocked out due to injury a week before the game. Otis Anderson, a virtual unknown, became the hero as he slashed through Buffalo's touted defense to become the game's MVP. The Giants' win paved the way for both Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin -- both members of the Giants' staff and opposing coaches in this weekend's game -- to eventually become head coaches. From the pageantry to the game to the historical significance to the plethora of memorable moments, this game is everything you could ever ask for in a Super Bowl.

So what's your top five?

Official January Mock Draft

2008-01-26T21:13:00.000-05:00

1. Miami Dolphins: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
I still think the Dolphins take a QB here and forgo picking Glenn Dorsey.

2. St. Louis Rams: Chris Long, DE, Virginia
The Rams really need help on defense, and end is a huge concern.

***Picks 3-5 will be determined by a coin flip at the combine***

3. Atlanta Falcons: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and new head coach Mike Smith like to run the ball. Mr. McFadden, welcome to Atlanta.

4. Oakland Raiders: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
The Raiders don't get the running back they've needed for, oh, the past 15 years, but Dorsey falls right into their laps to replace the retired Warren Sapp.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Jake Long, OT, Michigan
The Chiefs could go with a QB here, but Jake Long is far better than any QB left, even after only four picks.

6. New York Jets: Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State
With Gholston and Jonathan Vilma sitting on the other side of the ball, not too many offenses are going to be looking forward to facing the Jets.

7. New England Patriots (From San Francisco): Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
With Asante Samuel likely to make some team willing to spend a lot of money very happy, Jenkins seems like the perfect fit here.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky
Some have Brian Brohm going here, but I think Baltimore's current offensive weapons would be so much better with a mobile quarterback.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Sedrick Ellis, DT, Southern Cal
The Bengals' front four need a lot of help.

10. New Orleans Saints: Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami
The Saints secondary was pitiful last year, and Phillips is just what the unit needs.

11. Buffalo Bills: Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
The Bills could really use a big No. 2 receiver, but this draft class is so deep with WRs that they can get a decent one at the top of the second.

12. Denver Broncos: Keith Rivers, LB, Southern Cal
The Broncos could use just about anyone here. Rivers is a darn good "anyone."

13. Carolina Panthers: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Carolina desperately needs some help up front.

14. Chicago Bears: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
If the Bears don't solve the QB problem through free agency, they should consider themselves lucky that Brohm is still hanging around at this point.

15. Detroit Lions: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
It's about time the Lions decide not to draft a WR early.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
A good running back to compliment Edgerrin James is one of only a few missing pieces here.

17. Minnesota Vikings: DeSean Jackson, WR, California
The Vikes can get a QB in the later rounds. Look for them to grab a real weapon first.

18. Houston Texans: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
The Texans could use a reliable running back.

19. Philadelphia Eagles: Sam Baker, OT, Southern Cal
The Eagles need receivers in the worst way, but the draft is deep with them. Look for Philly to make a smart move with some aging tackles on the roster.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
The Bucs would probably be looking for a QB here, but there are none to be found. Malcolm Kelly, instead, will be a huge pickup here.

21. Washington Redskins: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
I almost lean toward Quentin Groves here, but Campbell is the better DE right now. The combine could change that. Either way, the Skins need a pass rusher.

22. Dallas Cowboys: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
It's unclear how many more years TO has, but Sweed will be great opposite him for however long Owens decides to stick around.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
Well, Otah wouldn't have to move far, and he'd be pretty much guaranteed to see a lot of playing time right away.

24. Tennessee Titans: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
McKelvin could climb the board a bit, but he's a safe bet for the Titans if he's still hanging around.

25. Seattle Seahawks: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
The Seahawks are known for their wide array of receivers, but some are broken down, others are headed elsewhere. Manningham will provide some freshness for Matt Hasselbeck.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn
Groves will likely climb into the first round, and the Jags will be there to snag him, especially with Paul Spicer probably headed to the land of free agency.

27. San Diego Chargers: Frank Okam, DT, Texas
The Chargers need some depth inside, but an offensive playmaker could be taken here, too.

28. Dallas Cowboys: Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia
The Cowboys will likely need a running back by the time the draft rolls around, and why wait until the second round when first round talent is still available?

29. San Francisco 49ers (From Indianapolis): Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
The offensive line was a gigantic problem for the Niners. They're stuck with Alex Smtih for a while, so they may as well find a way to protect him.

30. Green Bay Packers: Reggie Smith, CB/S, Oklahoma
The Packers need to get a little younger in the secondary.

31. New York Giants: Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
The Giants, too, need to get a little younger in the secondary.

Smith gets stamp of approval

2008-01-24T22:50:00.000-05:00

It's finally over. After more than a month of speculation and wonder concerning the Falcons head coaching position, Mike Smith was named officially to the helm Thursday afternoon during a news conference.

For those who haven't seen video of Mike's conference, he was incredibly impressive for the approximately 45 minutes he talked in front of the Atlanta media. He was engaging, he was straight-forward, he was intelligent and, yes, even funny. Imagine that: an Atlanta head coach with more emotion than the usual bewilderment we were used to before, ahem, the hog was called.

I admit that I doubted Smith when word began to spread that he was the man, but his demeanor Thursday changed my mind for the time being. I refuse to buy into anything until I see results come from this franchise, but the hiring of Smith might prove to be a great start. Seeing Michael Boley and John Abraham there was fantastic, and it has to be great for Smith to know that he has the full support of two of the most influential veterans on the team. Now he just needs to get to Alge Crumpler and D. Hall and he'll be all set.

I don't know if I buy into the coordinators Smith is bringing aboard. Brian VanGorder will be the defensive coordinator and Mike Mularkey is likely to make his being the offensive coordinator official some time Friday. VanGorder, while great at Georgia, is an anomaly. I just don't get him. He was at GSU, then with the Falcons, then with USC - where he says, "I'm a college guy" - then he comes back to the Falcons. I don't know how much you can believe or trust him. But I guess none of that matters if he puts together a great scheme that puts the Atlanta D back on the map. Mularkey has a lot to prove after a poor stint with Buffalo as head coach and a so-so time with Pittsburgh as offensive coordinator. The offense needs a lot of work, so it's nice to see a guy come in with a lot of experience. I just don't know how well Mularkey's philosophy is going to mesh with the talent currently on the roster.

By the way, Mularkey likes to run the ball with talented running backs. Darren McFadden anyone?

Frazier rumored to be in Mobile with Falcons

2008-01-21T16:27:00.000-05:00

The rumors have fluttered around all day that the Atlanta Falcons have taken head coaching candidate and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to Mobile, Ala., for Senior Bowl practices.

One of our sources in Mobile talked with a member of the Falcons' staff and a highly-recognized ESPN personality, and both said they, too, had heard Frazier was in town with the Falcons organization. We have yet to hear anything about Frazier actually being spotted by anyone we have talked to. A Mobile radio station reported the information earlier, but it appears to be backed up by more than just hearsay.

There is nothing official now, and phone calls placed with other members of the Falcons' staff closer to the situation did not answer.

Check back later for possible updates.

Falcons candidates

2008-01-14T19:58:00.000-05:00

****ALERT: The previously planned series on Falcons head coaching candidates has been canceled****

The reason I have decided to forgo the series is simple: Things are just far too confusing right now. Each week a new candidate enters and another falls out. It's like the presidential election.

Another reason a long, drawn-out series is worthless at this point is because - and I have nothing to base this on - I think the Falcons are going to make a move within the next few days. Don't get all crazy on me here and say, 'Oh, Jay Adams' sources say the Falcons are ready to move.' That's not true. All I'm saying is that I have a gut feeling that something is going to happen soon.

The reason I say that is because two teams - the Cowboys and the Colts - that have the best candidates are now out of the playoffs, which means the Falcons can really start getting down to the nitty gritty with a few candidates. Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is being brought back for a second interview Tuesday and Indy coordinator Jim Caldwell is likely to be contacted soon after.

With general manager Thomas Dimitroff finally aboard, the Falcons can move full-steam ahead with their decision. While I think Dimitroff is going to have a couple extra guys on his wish list, I think the Falcons are going to go with one of three candidates at this point: Garrett, Caldwell or Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Garrett is an anomoly. No one really knows what his deal is. Before the season, we heard he was being groomed to take over for Wade Phillips in Dallas whenever he stepped aside. Next thing we know he's interviewing all over the league. It's being reported that Garrett is interviewing in Baltimore before Atlanta, which could mean the Falcons are out of luck if the Ravens decide to get aggressive with him. In my opinion, that would be just fine. I'm not buying into Garrett's hype. He got lucky with Tony Romo and had a great receiver in Terrell Owens. Two players do not make a great coordinator. Besides, Garrett is green as far as responsibility goes. He may have what it takes to clean the team up offensively, but it's the off-field stuff that's the problem. In that category, someone as young and inexperienced as Garrett would be in over his head.

Caldwell would be a fantastic choice here. If you read my column in Monday's paper, you read how I felt Dimitroff is just another example of what being associated with Bill Belichick can do for you. The fact that he was on the Patriots' staff means nothing and, in my eyes, he hasn't proven anything. Anyway, if there's a stable you really want to invade, it's Tony Dungy's. Lovie Smith, Rod Marinelli, Marvin Lewis: need I say more? Caldwell has been around the league long enough to know exactly how to handle the Falcons' off-field and locker-room problems, and he has seen enough on-field success to know what needs to be done to the team. He's absolutely perfect! But... there's a catch. Dungy is in the midst of deciding whether or not he wants to continue coaching. If Dungy steps away from the game, suddenly Caldwell becomes the top candidate for the Colts' position. And if you're a candidate, which team would you rather choose: the one that's one year removed from a Super Bowl title or the one that you're surprised didn't disband by Week 6?

That leaves Rex Ryan. Who? Exactly. Don't expect the really sexy pick we thought Arthur Blank would make for the head coaching position. Ryan is a virtual unknown in the world of assistants and it's tough to say exactly why. He has been responsible for a lot of Baltimore's defensive success over the years and it looks like he's ready to step into a role with more responsibility. There is one problem I see with that: The Falcons do not need defensive help more than they need offensive help. That's what makes Ryan's candidacy so puzzling. The only explanation would be that Blank is impressed with the name he submitted for offensive coordinator should he be hired. For some, there is the problem that very few of us know who Ryan is. To that I say: No one knew who Mike Tomlin was, either; Marvin Lewis was an unknown at one point; Love Smith couldn't get a head job to save his life for awhile. Maybe Ryan will fall into line with the success those coaches have seen despite flying under the radar for so long.

The moral of the story is this: The Falcons will make a move relatively soon and it probably won't be who you want it to be. Sound discouraging? It probably won't be...

Falcons hire new GM

2008-01-12T22:42:00.000-05:00

***We interrupt our series on head coaching candidates to bring you this***

The Falcons have all but officially hired New England Patriots director of college scouting as the new general manager Saturday night. Thomas Dimitroff takes over for recently demoted (?) GM Rich McKay, who signed an extension to say with the team as president.

On paper, Dimitroff looks like a good hire. For starters, he's in that Bill Belichick circle, which automatically makes him a sexy hire. His role with the team as basically the guy who really calls the shots on draft day only adds to the optimism this hire should inspire. When you think about it, Dimitroff is partially responsible for the obnoxious state of the Patriots right now, depending on your view of the team (from Hades).

Dimitroff's hiring all but throws the possibility of hiring USC head coach Pete Carroll out the window, which is disappointing but not too surprising. Dimitroff comes in at a crucial time with the Falcons yet to make a decision on who will take the head coaching position. The Falcons have already interviewed several prominent candidates for the position, but there are still some interesting names left on the table. Dimitroff's expertise in judging talent might be exactly what the Falcons need.

Everything Petrino

2007-12-12T22:17:00.000-05:00

Angry? Upset? Saddened? Frustrated? Just plain old pissed off? Yeah, me too. What Bobby Petrino did to the Atlanta Falcons - regardless of your feelings for the team - was just about the worst thing that could have happened to them. Since Petrino walked away, there have been plenty of opinions. We tend to get this way when there's a cause worth fighting for or against (See: Sean Taylor, Michael Vick, Barry Bonds), which means every opinion under the sun is floating around out there.

I have offered mine in Wednesday's Telegraph and will do so again for Thursday's Telegraph, but it's time to be a little candid, because most of us in the media each have our own versions of what this guy was all about.

Most of us who are able to express opinions in print can say that we went to bat for Petrino at one time or another this season. With all the team has had to deal with internally, it became easy to give Petrino the benefit of the doubt and let him slide through this season. After all, with all the Vick stuff going on, we knew that this wasn't what Petrino had signed on for.

But through it all, Petrino looked like he was handling it well. He painted a very surreal picture of what things were like for the organization internally during the preseason, and while most of us had an idea that the team was going to be bad, Petrino led us to believe it was going to be just a shade above mediocre, which honestly would have been fine considering the circumstances to date.

But really, it was just Bobby Petrino being Bobby Petrino, spinning tall tales of euphoria in a cool, calm manner that made him easy to believe. When DeAngelo Hall and Alge Crumpler came out and made wild accusations of Petrino, it was juicy news, but it just seemed all too outlandish for such a quiet guy, so some of us passed Hall and Crumpler's comments off as the product of frustration. Even when Grady Jackson was released, we kind of suspecting something was up, but maybe passed that off as coincidence.

But slowly, we started to realize the gravity of the situation. There were times Petrino would come into the postgame interview room after a loss and look as if he had just narrowly avoided being hit by a truck. He would be wide-eyed, pale and look completely disconnected. But then he'd start talking and the pretty picture he has painted since training camp would begin to take shape again. But when the quarterback controversy came along and we started noticing the absolutely terrible playcalling and decision-making on the field, we knew everything he said was a load of garbage.

Now we hear everything that has come out the past two days - some really private stuff, in fact - and the whole world starts to make sense. Everything he ever said was a load of rubbish. In hindsight, you never could tell if he was telling the truth or looking you square in the eye and telling you what you wanted to hear at that particular moment.

The way Petrino left is dishonorable. Even brussel sprouts are disgusted with this guy. Jamaal Anderson has been telling his buddies that Petrino is the most disloyal person he has ever come across, and I say good for Jamaal. Petrino's future players need to know exactly what they're getting themselves into by staying with or coming to Arkansas.

Can you believe this guy didn't even bother to show up for a pregame meeting on Monday??? This whole situation has just been crazy, and while it's terrible the way he left, it's good that he's gone so the Falcons can begin to move on. It's clear that he was the one holding them back all season.

Michael Vick, Tom Glavine and more

2007-11-19T18:03:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the inconsistencies seen here lately as far as when and how often I blog. Things have been somewhat quiet lately, so there's my excuse.

Let's start today with Michael Vick. He turned himself in to U.S. Marshalls three weeks before his scheduled sentencing date of Dec. 10. Thank goodness.

I'm unclear at this point whether that means his sentencing will be moved up or whether it will remain the same, keeping in mind that he's already in jail. It's a good, smart move by Vick, although it still does nothing for his image. If his sentencing will be moved up, it's a great move for the Falcons, as well. They have a Monday night game against the New Orleans Saints the same day as Vick's originally scheduled sentencing. If that somehow changes, the Falcons have one less distraction to deal with that day. And any time the Falcons can avoid a distraction, it's a good thing.

I've rather enjoyed the quiet nature of this topic lately and I'm hoping Vick's sentencing doesn't heat things up again. I think most of us who deal with the Falcons on a daily basis are happy to see this whole thing start to subside as Vick gets ready to serve his well-deserved time.

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Tom Glavine is a member of the Atlanta Braves again. Whoopie! I think it's a great move for the Braves. Glavine still has some fire left in him and he immediately helps a pitching staff that so desperately needs it. On top of that, I think it's a great PR move, too. Braves fans are going to go nuts when they see Glavine back in a Braves uniform again, and I think he'll definitely put some butts in the seats.

At the same time, I think the Braves have to be careful from here on out. I love the move by bringing Glavine back, but let's remember, this is a team that missed the playoffs by a long shot (and it would have been longer if the Mets had taken care of business) and Glavine isn't getting any younger, hence the one-year deal. If the Braves make moves here in the next few months that bolster the pitching staff and fill in some gaps in the lineup with the future in mind, they look really smart. If they bring Glavine in and then a bunch of other aging veterans, there will be huge problems. I'd like to see one more strong, young starting pitcher added and a big bat or two that could be around for the next five to seven years would be nice, as well. Glavine is a good start to sell tickets and win a few games, but there's a lot of work left to be done and we won't know just how wise this decision was until spring training rolls around.

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Oh, the Atlanta Falcons. Do we need to talk about them again? Just kidding. Sunday's game was a disaster. There's no way around it. The Falcons come in with the chance to be one game out of the top of the division if they win and they completely blow it in ugly fashion. There was nothing about that game worth building on or remembering.

Let's start with the quarterback situation. I have straddled the fence this year on who should be the No. 1 guy, Joey Harrington or Byron Leftwich. I think there are equally good and bad things about each. I think the Falcons generally have a better chance to win with Leftwich, but they have proven they can only win with Harrington. So, really, that should make up everyone's mind.

Bobby Petrino took that whole stick-with-what-works mentality and tossed it far out the window by starting Leftwich against Tampa Bay. Harrington, while completely unimpressive, led the team to a 2-0 record since the by week and was sitting on the sidelines for most of Sunday's game. Harrington isn't anywhere near being a great quarterback, but he has three wins under his belt as an Atlanta starter. Leftwich has zero in three tries.

I remember a few years ago when the Buffalo Bills were dealing with a controversy like this. Starter Rob Johnson had been injured earlier in the year and Doug Flutie came in to take over. Flutie suddenly turned into this amazing phenomenon and guided the Bills to the playoffs. The week before the playoffs began, Johnson was suddenly healthy. Head coach Wade Phillips decided to start Johnson in the Wild Card game instead of Flutie, and that decision resulted in the Bills being ousted from the playoffs. Music City Miracle, anyone? It also resulted in Phillips losing his job.

Sunday reminded me of that with Harrington being benched despite having success on the field. But now the Falcons have to figure things out very quickly before the Indianapolis Colts come rolling into town. I'm going to take a stand and say that Harrington should be the starter Thursday and he should hold the position for the rest of the year unless he gets injured. There. I'm no longer on the fence. But it's not going to matter. The Falcons are going to get toasted this Thanksgiving anyway.

Falcons pregame

2007-11-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

No word yet here at the Georgia Dome 45 minutes before game time as to who will start, Joey Harrington or Byron Leftwich. Both are currently warming up on the field, but it's still unclear who's getting the nod. Be sure to check back after the game for postgame quotes and analysis.

Here's a list of the Falcons and Bucs inactives:

Falcons
Chris Redman
Artose Pinner
Terrance Pennington
D'Anthony Batiste
Harvey Dahl
Courtney Anderson
Joe Horn
Tim Anderson

Bucs
Luke McCown
Michael Bennett
Keiwan Ratliff
Jeremiah Trotter
Dan Buenning
Keith Heinrich
Greg Spires
Greg Peterson

Are you ready for a Throwdown?

2007-11-16T17:20:00.000-05:00

A couple days ago, I was approached by the Tampa Tribune and a challenge was posed to me. Was I willing to face off against one of their columnists in a battle of which city - Atlanta or Tampa Bay - and which team - the Falcons or the Bucs - were better? Are you kidding? I took up the challenge in a heartbeat.

The columns are meant to be a fun, tongue-in-cheek look at this weekend's game, but you can view the Throwdown at the link below. And don't forget to vote for which argument you like better. The ballot form is at the top of the page.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/15/throwdown-bucs-vs-falcons/?sports-bucs

The Final Word

2007-11-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

Let's be brief. Atlanta Falcons 24, Carolina Panthers 21.

Midseason report

2007-11-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

So we're midway through the NFL season, and that means we're eight weeks into some of the new-fangled ideas we've put into place at The Telegraph concerning pro sports. When I came to The Telegraph three months ago to take over the pro beat, I came with the idea of pushing the professional side of things father than what had been featured in The Telegraph before.

Now that we seem to have a pretty good handle on the logistical side of these new things, it's time to ask for some feedback from the people who matter most: you, the readers.

A note from the person who matters the least (me): I like some of the new things we've implemented since August. The main focus right now has been the Atlanta Falcons, but we're going to branch out and bring more coverage to the Hawks, Thrashers and, of course, the Braves when the time comes. A good number of our stories have been picked up by ESPN and the Atlantafalcons.com message board, so I think that says we're becoming a reliable source of news for the Falcons considering the short time span.

With that said, I want to know what's working for you and what isn't? Is there anything pro sports-wise that makes you look forward to a certain day's edition, or is there something you see and think to yourself, "Oh, no. Not this again?" I mentioned that we've been doing some new things this year, and perhaps they've gone unnoticed. So to recap, here's a list of those items:

- The Falcons podcast: available only on macon.com. Sports editor Daniel Shirley and I sit down each week and discuss various issues concerning the Falcons. This will eventually become an all-encompassing pro sports podcast when the Falcons season is over.
- The NFL Rankings: Each week, I rank every NFL team based on their performance the week before, taking into account their performances throughout the season.
- The Middle Georgia Alumni Update: A brief look at what former Middle Georgia high school standouts are doing in the NFL (and we've got a bunch of them).
- Grading the Falcons: After each game, I hand out grades to each Falcons' position.
- Game column: My analysis and opinions of each game.
- The Two-Minute Read: A quick "day after," opinion-based look at what issues affect the Falcons going into the next game.
- The Pro Schmo Blog: Anything goes here. Generally, after Falcons games I post comments I gather up in the locker room that you won't find anywhere else. I also lend a few opinions on pro sports as a whole, whatever's trendy each week.

So there you have it. Those are the big new thing we've put into place at The Telegraph. And now it's your turn to have your say. What do you like? What do you not like? What could we do different? Is there anything you'd like to see more of? Is there anything we haven't thought of?

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STORY REPORT:

I'm on the lookout for a couple of things from Falcons fans. So if either of these apply to you and you're willing to participate, let me know!!!

1) I'm looking for the Macon area's biggest, most passionately crazy Falcons fan. This isn't a contest, so I can't promise you'll win anything (The best I could probably do is a coffee mug or something), but I'd like to write a story on you. I'm looking for that nutty kind of stuff, like a garage full of collectables or a red-and-black house or a son named Alge. Just write in and let me know what it is that makes you Macon's biggest Falcons fan.

2) I'm also looking for die-hard season-ticket holders from Macon and the surrounding areas who wouldn't mind lending a few opinions on this year's team. Write in here or e-mail me if interested.

Around the NFL

2007-11-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

A good place to start this week would be with the Atlanta Falcons, so let's do that.

As I said in my column today, Sunday's 20-16 win over the San Francisco 49ers was a trash win. I'm not saying any win is bad, because it's not. All I'm saying is that it would be nice for the Falcons to win against a good team and actually have mostly everything go right. There were concerns Sunday, namely Joey Harrington's ineffectiveness and an inability to completely put the game away. Some say that it's a product of Bobby Petrino's play calling, and I would have to agree. It has been questionable at times, and I think it's because he doesn't fully realize that he can't run his style of offense well with the current personnel. And, again, let's go back to Harrington.

I was sitting up in the press box Sunday with sports editor Daniel Shirley and Harrington delivered a pass in the red zone that missed his receiver and skipped into the hands of a defensive back. Daniel said to me, "Boy, it's a good thing he doesn't have any arm strength. That would have been an interception." And it was true. If Harrington could put anything on a pass, Petrino's offense would be a lot more effective. The spread offense relies heavily on a quarterback who can gun it downfield and keep the defense guessing and on its toes. That's why the Falcons saw so much success when Byron Leftwich was in during the loss to New Orleans. Now, there are plenty of Harrington haters and Harrington supporters, and the numbers are about the same for Leftwich. Neither one could run for office, let's just put it that way. But Leftwich's arm strength is undeniably better than Harrington's, and that allows the offense to be much more effective in Bobby Petrino's playbook.

Go ahead and make the point that no one can do anything with this offense with the state of the offensive line. It's a valid point. But we're talking purely about quarterbacks here, and Harrington was well protected against the 49ers. Petrino's offense is obviously capable of putting up big points. We saw that at Louisville. But at Louisville, Petrino had the types of quarterbacks who could spread the field on arm strength alone. Harrington doesn't have that, which drastically lengthens the field for the offense and shortens it for opposing defenses.

In other news, the Falcons travel to Carolina for another NFC South matchup with the Panthers. This is a different Panthers team than we saw just a few weeks ago at the Georgia Dome, most notably at the quarterback position. David Carr got sacked seven times against a very good defensive front in the Tennessee Titans. If the Falcons can put that kind of pressure on him, much like they did with Alex Smith, they can easily win this game. And that would make the Falcons and the division race so much more interesting.

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The obvious place to move on to is what was billed as the Super Bowl before the Super Bowl. Of course, the matchup between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts was epic. We all knew it was going to be. But I'm really impressed with the way the Colts' defense hung in there all game against the NFL's top offense. If you remember back a few years, the Colts' defense was a huge concern while the offense would just roll over opponents. That ended up hurting them in the playoffs. But the Colts' front office has done a great job of solidifying that defense and making the unit one to seriously contend with.

But the Colts did blow a sizable lead with just minutes to go in the fourth quarter, which only really shows just how good and dangerous the Patriots can be. As far as 16-0 goes, I'm not buying it. The Pats still have a tough couple games left in the schedule. If any teams have a change of knocking the Pats off, I think the Buffalo Bills have a darn good shot at it two weeks from now and I think the Pittsburgh Steelers are more than capable of keeping up with Tom Brady and the gang. Let's not anoint the Pats as the second coming of the '72 Dolphins just yet. There's still a lot of football left to be played.

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Adrian Peterson is unbelievable. I received a lot of guff when I drafted him early in one of my fantasy leagues, but no one's laughing at me now. Seriously, can you imagine the Minnesota Vikings with a quarterback and some decent receivers? That team would be unstoppable. For Peterson to rush for 296 in a game, and against a not-too-shabby San Diego Chargers defense, is definitely a sign of things to come from the rookie. I was on board with him before the season, and now I'm definitely riding the bandwagon until the wheels fall off. Best running back in the league right now? You betcha.

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Are there two more dangerous teams in the NFL right now than the Buffalo Bills and the New Orleans Saints? The Bills got off to an 0-3 start, a span during which the team had to place around nine players on season-ending injured reserve. And a good number of those players were starters. The Bills almost show up the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, then whip off three straight on their way to being 4-4 right now and behind the Patriots in a very, very weak AFC East. The Bills are coming along offensively, and if not for Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch would have a darn good shot at being rookie of the year. The Bills can beat the Patriots? Sure, if the Patriots overlook the Bills. And now that game has been moved to primetime on Sunday Nov. 18, and the Bills always play well in primetime.

The Saints are just amazing. I received a lot of e-mails earlier this season about the Saints and why people keep hanging on to them as a good team in the NFL. Well, this is why. The Saints are on a four-game winning streak against some very, very good teams, and Reggie Bush is finally starting to pick up the pace behind the line. And let's not forget to mention Drew Brees' 400-plus-yard performance against a tough Jacksonville defense on Sunday. The Saints are coming around and a playoff berth is not out of the question just yet.

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My hot list:
New England
Indy
Dallas
Green Bay
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Buffalo
New Orleans
Detroit

My not list:
San Diego
Baltimore
Houston
Miami
St. Louis
San Francisco
Atlanta
Oakland
Cincinnati
Philadelphia
Arizona
Chicago

Falcons postgame

2007-11-04T21:07:00.000-05:00

P-U. What a stinker of a game. But the important thing is that the Atlanta Falcons won their second game of the season, this time over the San Francisco 49ers, 20-16. While the stat book doesn't reflect a good game played by either team, I like the way the Falcons played. They made big plays, caused turnovers and capitalized on them. They ran the ball well, they stayed out of trouble offensively and they looked ready to play the 49ers. That's what it takes to win games in the NFL.

The Georgia Dome crowd was pitiful. The announced paid attendance was somewhere around 66,000, but that obviously wasn't an exact head count. But those who did show up actually had something to cheer for, which was nice for a change, I'm sure.

Here's a quick look at the week before I get into postgame quotes. Check The Telegraph and macon.com for my grades and further analysis of the game. You'll also find a story about the two hapless quarterbacks from Sunday's game, as well as a notebook of goings on. On Monday night, I'll be talking with former Falcons head coach Dan Reeves and getting his opinion on where the Falcons stand right now what he thinks needs to happen with the team in the future. You'll find that story in Tuesday's Telegraph and, of course, on macon.com.

Here's what I got from postgame interviews:

Here is a conversation that occurred between fullback Ovie Mughelli and fullback/special teamer Corey McIntyre after several reporters began gathering around Mughelli:

McIntyre: "You got 2 yards! Are you kidding me?! What'd you do with the ball?"
Mughelli: "They got it, they got it. Trust me."

Then Mughelli began to talk about his touchdown:
"It's hard to describe. I was just happy, because I don't get to touch the ball all that much as a fullback. When I do get the ball, I've got something; I try my best to make it a touchdown or get 4 or 5 yards. It's the fact that I did what I'm supposed to do and I'm excited, happy."

On the running game being consistent Sunday:
"It felt great. That's what we're all about. What we've been trying to do since the beginning of the season is to have a consistent running game and to really be able to move the ball at will. We felt that we knew this defense, and having a plan and actually executing it felt great."

Then a reporter asks Mughelli about the Falcons' defense, to which he replies:
"The defense of the 49ers, you've got to give it to them. They played well. They played real well. They gave us some trouble at the beginning with some of the blitzes, but in the second half, we figured everything out and got first downs."

The reporter tells Mughelli he was talking about his defense.
Mughelli: "Our guys?"
Reporter: "Yeah"
Mughelli: "Our guys? Shoot. Our defense is the best. We don't have to worry about them. They gave us the ball several times and we converted. We couldn't have won this game without the defense."

Meanwhile, McIntyre could hardly contain his laughter as he sat in front of his locker.
Mughelli looks at McIntyre: "I didn't hear what he said!"
McIntyre: "You get the A-hole award! God Almighty!"

Ahhh, what a difference a win makes. Of course, there were plenty of laughs at Mughelli's expense, but he's truly one of the most genuine guys I've had the pleasure of talking to in that locker room. He always has a smile on his face and he's always very talkative with everyone. He's just a great guy all around. Moving on.

John Abraham
On the secondary:
"They did a good job catching the ball and they did a good job against their quarterback. They told us before the game starts that we needed to hit the quarterback 12 times. I'm not sure if we got him 12 times, but I know we got back there a lot. I know I touched him a few times myself. We did a good job of creating pressure, but they did a good job finishing the play off for us."

On Chris Crocker's and Lawyer Milloy's plays to keep the Niners out of the end zone:
"I guess the big thing was not letting the lead go. That was the big thing for us. We did a good job of creating turnovers, like I said, and then the offense controlled the game. They did a good job controlling the game and keeping us in the game."

On whether the gameplan changed with Frank Gore inactive:
"Not really. We knew they were going to try to get the running game going, but we know with their system, if we get a lead, the ball is going to be in the quarterback's hands. We did a good job keeping the lead and we had Alex (Smith) trying to beat us and not Gore and the running game, I guess you could say."

Keith Brooking
On the win:
"I've said it time and time again this week, I think that bye week probably came at a pretty opportune time. We got some rest, we just kinda laid low and collected our thoughts. We've got a lot of football to play when we started this week. We've all talked about that through the course of the week. It's big to get this win, just to get some positive energy. We're positive, but obviously when we lose, it's very frustrating, it's disappointing and it leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. But we bounce back every week. But it's going to be good this week, getting that positive feel and just talking about building off of a win instead of, you know, we've got to bounce back and get one after a loss. So that's huge."

Lawyer Milloy
On what the win means:
"Well, the first half sucked. And whenever you have a chance to get away from football - which is what the bye week presented us - you come back kind of refreshed, energized and you forget about what happened the first half of the season. I think we had a good week of practice. We were focused and we're just happy to get a win today."

On his play Sunday:
"Well, coach Zimmer has an outstanding package for players at the strong safety position, and he called my number today in some crucial situations. As a leader of this team, when your number is called, you have to be ready to go out there and you have to produce. That's the only way that people are going to listen to you in the locker room. You have to make them believe by the way you approach practice, the way you go out there and play and you just tell them that it's going to take one game at a time, one win at a time and it means nothing if you don't go out there and produce."

Falcons pregame

2007-11-04T12:55:00.001-05:00

It's four minutes before kickoff and the Georgia Dome looks is about as packed as a Spin Doctors concert. The Atlanta Falcons will, however, be handed one advantage as San Francisco star running back Frank Gore is inactive for today's game. That takes a ton of pressure off the Falcons' defense today as quarterback Alex Smith is playing, but still sore with an injury.

Here are some more inactives for both teams:

Falcons
Byron Leftwich
Artose Pinner
Stephen Nicholas
Alge Crumpler
Tim Anderson

49ers
Jonas Jennings

Check back after the game for postgame quotes and analysis.

The Final Word

2007-11-03T23:23:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of blogs this week. It was a busy week.

I'll be heading to today's Atlanta Falcons-San Francisco 49ers game early Sunday morning, and I will be sending a few blogs from the game, so check in throughout Sunday afternoon. I'll also be posting my postgame quotes shortly after I get out of the locker room.

There really isn't much to be said heading into the game. The Falcons need to win. Period. San Francisco is a great team to get one against. Running back Frank Gore is a game-time decision because of injury, but I expect him to be out there causing problems for the Falcons. Tackle Jonas Jennings, however, is likely to be on the sidelines, so that definitely opens things up for the Birds.

Let's hope good news comes around 4 p.m. Sunday. Falcons 23, 49ers 17.

A mess of things

2007-10-29T18:18:00.001-04:00

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

2007-10-24T21:31:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-19T21:24:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-16T02:02:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-14T20:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-12T00:18:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-09T17:50:00.001-04:00

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

2007-10-07T23:36:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-04T15:41:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-02T17:31:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

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.

Falcons postgame

2007-09-30T20:55:00.000-04:00

So I was wrong. But I'm happy I was wrong. Yesterday I picked the Texans to notch a 24-21 win over the Atlanta Falcons. But Atlanta proved me, and a lot of other people, wrong with a 26-16 win, its first of the season. Hey, at least I was somewhat close on the score, right? Uhh, well, maybe not.

But I admit my inaccuracy in prediction today's game and, as I said, I'm glad of it. Happy Falcons are much easier to deal with than sad Falcons. Be sure to check out The Telegraph or macon.com on Monday to get all the coverage from the game, including my thoughts, grades on the Falcons and a look at how former Atlanta QB Matt Schaub did in his return to the ATL.

As promised, here are some quotes from after the game you likely won't find anywhere else.

John Abraham: "We've got to be stiff. We've still got to be loose, but we've also got to take it as in, we've got to step up from here. We can't fall back. This is where we've got to be."

Michael Boley on Matt Schaub: "He's changed a lot. He's a lot better than when he was here, so it's just one of those things where we had to come out and really be on our Ps and Qs about what he does as a quarterback."

Alge Crumpler on Morten Andersen: "I can't go 25 years. I'll let you know that right now; I can't go 25 years. He's automatic. That was great for us, for him to come out and just do a simple job, just put the ball through the uprights. We've struggled with guys coming in and out of here, but he's always come in and made sure that we put points on the board and it's been great. That's what he does."

Grady Jackson on the Falcons' good fortune: "Everything came together. Like I said last week, when everything comes together and we get everything right, we are a good team to be reckoned with. It's just something we've got to get going; offensively, defensively we played well and I feel like that's a starting point right there and we've just got to keep on building on it."

Grady Jackson on Michael Boley: "Michael Boley, I don't know what he had in him but I think he needs to keep on doing what he did, just be so active, running around and making plays. Hat's off to Mike."

Morten Andersen on his one failed field goal: "We had a little hiccup on that last one. I'll have to look at the film to see if the guy... either he made a great play or he was offsides. I don't know. He sure did get in there very fast."

Joey Harrington: "We've improved every single week. They're noticeable improvements. You can look at Game 1 and Game 4 and see the difference. That's the kind of thing we need to keep going. We need to take that into next week. It's a positive step. Being 1-3 is obviously not where we want to be, but we made a very positive step toward getting back to where we want to get by the end of the year."

The Final Word

2007-09-29T20:45:00.000-04:00

We're less than 24 hours away from the Atlanta Falcons' fourth game of the season, so it's time to start making some predictions. First, let me say I think the Falcons can win this one. I think Houston is depleted offensively with injuries and it's going to be tough for the Texans to really get things going with so many pieces on the sidelines or slowed by bumps and bruises. Atlanta has a great opportunity to take advantage of those things and pull out its first win of the season, which would drastically change the outlook of the team itself.

Make no mistake, Houston is still a very good football team and it is likely heading to the postseason this year, but the Falcons just have the luck of facing the Texans a week after they got beaten up by the Colts. Now, that doesn't automatically mean a win is in the cards. It just means that the Falcons have a slight edge in the depth category and that could help them get the W if they do the things they need to do, like stop with the stupid and late penalties, finish the game and play with poise.

I see the Falcons leading this game and I see them staying close throughout. But it's hard to say the Falcons can find a way to win when they haven't yet, despite several prime opportunities. Earlier in the week during my Falcons podcast I said I expected the Texans to take a 10-point win away from the Georgia Dome. I'll revise the statement and say the Texans win by three, 24-21, on a late field goal.

Check back on Sunday shortly after the game as I will be posting quotes from postgame news conferences and interviews, as well as some analysis on what happened. And check out The Macon Telegraph or macon.com on Monday for expanded coverage of the game, including my grades for the Falcons and a look at former Falcons quarterback Matt Schaub.

Who do you throw to?

2007-09-28T22:15:00.000-04:00

Things took a bad turn for the Houston Texans before last week's game when standout wide receiver Andre Johnson went down with an injury and did not play in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Well, things aren't any better heading into Sunday's game with Atlanta. The Texans will be without Johnson as he will be stuck on the sidelines for the second week in a row, but that's not the only hit Houston took this week.

Backup wide receivers Jacoby Jones and Jerome Mathis will also be out - although Mathis' status is listed as doubtful - against the Falcons, bringing the total of hobbled receivers for the Texans to three. That leaves Andre Davis, Kevin Walter and fourth-stringer David Anderson as quarterback Matt Schaub's only options to throw to at the position, which makes the Falcons secondary's job a lot easier, especially with Lewis Sanders and Chris Crocker listed as probable. Also worth noting is Houston's top running back, Ahman Green, is dealing with a knee injury and is listed as questionable. That takes a huge element out of Houston's offense as the team would have to rely on Ron Dayne to carry the bulk of the load out of the backfield if Green doesn't play.

What Schaub will be able to do with this offense should he be missing three receivers and a starting running back will be interesting to see. Schaub is a very good QB, but he can't do it alone and it doesn't seem like Houston is as deep as some other teams in the NFL. Could this be enough to help the Falcons notch their first win of the season?

Practice report

2007-09-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino said today that defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will not play this weekend against the Houston Texans. Babineaux, who has been filling in for an injured Rod Coleman, has been a standout defensively for the Falcons, tallying seven tackles, two sacks and a pass defended at his defensive tackle position. No word on when he will return, but Montavious Stanley - acquired just before the season - and Trey Lewis - a sixth-round draft pick - will try to fill the hole against the Texans.

Byron Leftwich is coming along at practice, but is still in the No. 3 spot behind Joey Harrington and Chris Redman. Leftwich has made strides to learn the playbook, but if Harrington plays like he did against Carolina, the Falcons may not need his services any time soon.

Welcome to the Pro Schmo Show

2007-09-26T17:28:00.000-04:00

Say that fast five times. This is the brand-new professional sports blog here at macon.com and I'm pleased to be the one bringing it to you.

This blog is supposed to be whatever I determine it to be, but I'd like it to be as much of what you want it to be, as well. For the next few months, the focus will be on the Atlanta Falcons, but I will certainly delve into other teams and sports around the state and around the country, too. I'm going to be bringing you my opinions and analysis, but you're also going to get stuff here you're not going to see in print.

Want rumors? You got it. Predictions? I can do that. Quotes from players and coaches you won't find anywhere else? Done. Answers to your questions? No problem. If you have questions for me, I'll be happy to answer them. You can post them in a comment here or e-mail me at jadams@macon.com. Debate is always welcome. But if you have a question for a member of the Atlanta Falcons, let me know and I will do my best to get that answer straight from the player's mouth and bring it to you right here. That's right. You can decide where the interview goes.

This blog will evolve over the next few months, so suggestions are welcome. I will try to update every day, so check back often to get all of what I listed above. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will continue to do so.