Entries Tagged 'Player Spotlight' ↓

By: T. Love

Here we go again. Another chapter in this “epic” battle between the All-Pro receiver Steve Smith and pro-bowler Deangelo Hall. Smith brings his hard-nosed, never quit play to the field while Hall brings his nonstop mouth and average cover abilities.

Time for D. Hall to put up and shut up. If you remember my post, Pro-Bowl Talker, I am expecting big things from Hall this year and the team needs him tremendously to step up to a leadership role. I’m also just sick of hearing him talk.

Smith will be No. 21’s first test of the season and since 2005, Smith’s return after missing 15 games with an ankle injury, the former Utah Ute has not had a lot of opportunities versus the Falcons. In 2005, when Smith shared honors with New England Patriot Teddy Bruschi for Comeback Player of the Year (which was complete bullshit because Smith should have one the award outright), he caught 16 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in two games versus the Falcons.

In 2006, Smith missed the season opener with a hamstring injury. In the second contest he was held to no catches with Jake Delhomme out and Carolina refusing to throw the ball with Chris Weinke under center. Somehow, Mora and company managed to lose the game.

This season, Smith leads the NFL in receiving touchdowns with four, third in yards with 271 and tied for sixth in receptions with 15.

The Falcons secondary has not been tested this season with the likes of Tavarious Jackson and David Garrard scanning the secondary, but Carolina likes to get the ball in Smith’s hands early and often.

D. Hall needs to bring his “A” game and start making his case for Honolulu. Hall has one pick on the year and I bet he takes a chance this week. Hopefully, Jimmy Williams and Chris Crocker will be able to back him up (unlike years past with the likes of Bryan Scott) in case he guesses wrong.

Key matchup to watch this week.

By: T. Love

For all the hate and criticism that he receives, it is time to give some credit where credit is due. Roddy White caught four balls for 81 yards with a long of 35 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. Now that he has once again proved that the physical ability (which nobody has ever denied) is there, lets work on the consistency.

So far, good start to the season considering all the other shortcomings of the offense. The third-year man out of UAB snagged four catches in the season opener for 29 yards. Not really impressive and Petrino is wearing out the curl route, but at least he is involved with the offense.

Since being selected 27th overall in the 2005 NFL draft, White has yet to live up to his first-round billing. In his rookie season, he caught 29 balls for 446 yards and three touchdowns. He shattered those marks his second year with 30 catches for 506 yards and no touches. Currently, No. 84 is on pace to catch 64 balls and rack up 880 yards.

Those numbers aren’t great, but in an offense that features four- and five-wide sets (that has only been witnessed in the preseason) these numbers would make for a solid contribution and might put my buddy Robert’s conspiracy theories to rest.

Atlanta has not had a 1,000 yard receiver since… when did Terrence Mathis leave? And has not had a 100-yard game since… still trying to figure out when Terrence left. Obviously the team has not had a lot of luck with receivers lately, but maybe this could be Roddy’s breakout year.

It’s only two games, but at this time last year Roddy only had two receptions and he did not catch his eighth pass until Week 5.

Last week, the Carolina defense gave up 227 yards through the air while failing to register a sack. Sounds like a good week for Roddy to work on consistency.

Make it happen, 84.

By: T. Love

With the eighth-overall pick in the 2007 draft, the Falcons selected Jamaal Anderson, who picked up 13.5 sacks in his final season at Arkansas. The 6-6, 280 pound pass rusher was brought in to replace Patrick Kerney at the left end position and help the team generate a rush.

Three tackles so far this season and no sacks. Not too good. Although he is a rookie, when you spend a top 10 pick on a player; the front office, coaches and fans expect an immediate impact.

When paired opposite of a healthy John Abraham, Anderson should see a lot of one-on-one matchups. Since the two teams the Falcons have played worked first to establish the run and we have yet to have a lead this season, the rookie is not getting his “time to shine”. He better get those reps in soon, because Abraham is due for an injury any time now.

Anderson is struggling, there is no denying that, but defensive end is a tough position to play at the professional level. Not to mention, expectations are far higher than what the actual input from a rookie will be.

Mario Williams, who the Houston Texans passed up Reggie Bush to draft 1st overall in the 2006 draft, did not pick up his first sack until Nov. 5 against the New York Giants. It was a pretty pathetic looking play and he was lucky Eli is so uncoordinated. Williams finished with 4.5 for the year. This season, the former N.C. State standout has two sacks and six tackles. Looks like big things coming his way.

Although I wish Anderson would start destroying opposing offensive lines and take advantage of the double and sometimes triple teams that Abraham receives, he is just not completely ready to be that person. It took Williams as well as all rookies to get a handle on the game.

“Patience” is beginning to emerge as the theme of this season.

By: T. Love

In a meaningless preseason game, with the best competition he has seen thus far, two-time Pro Bowl corner Deangelo Hall got torched yet again officially making him a bum.

Since stepping into the league as the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft, Hall has done nothing but talk his way into two Pro-Bowl selections and get toasted by elite receivers.

If Hall is the “shutdown corner” he says he is, this should not be happening. Right? Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that Hall is not nearly as good as he thinks and needs to quit with the antics, watch some film and keep his damn mouth closed.

Last night on Monday Night Football, Hall was lame enough to shave “I own U 85” in the back of his head. First off, shaving words in the back of your head went out with Kid-N-Play. Second, if your going to talk trash, be sure to back it up. You really showed Chad Johnson and held him to a modest 83 yards on five carries and one touchdown. I guess that would be tight if “Ocho-Cinco” played the entire game.

Since “shutting down” Terrell Owens in Atlanta’s season opener versus the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005, Hall’s ego has grown ridiculously too big. If you call allowing seven catches for 112 yards shutting someone down, then you probably need to set your standards a little higher.

Following that lackluster performance, a total of six picks including one against the helpless New York Jets on another Monday nighter and you so vainly scribbled “Aloha” on a dry erase board.

Great job, Hall definitely talked his way into that one. I guess it didn’t help his ego that Champ Bailey, leaps and bounds the best cornerback in the NFL, told him that he thought he was the best.

Hall followed up his Pro-Bowl season with an atrocious 2006 campaign that featured only four interceptions and a lot of showboating.

Nevermind getting outran by a one-shoed Hines Ward or the fact that Roy Williams called you a “zone corner” then proved his point by catching six balls for 138 balls and a touch. How about Owens, who you shutdown, he came back with a vengeance playing for the Cowboys. Not only did he call you a punk and spit in your face at your house. You let him burn you deep for two touchdowns.

Secret is out D. Hall. You’re not as good as you think and you can’t cover people deep. Their faster than you.

I really have no problem with people trash talking. It makes the game more fun and enjoyable, because it is just that. A game.

Unfortunately, some people just like to talk and don’t do a lot on the field. If there is a term for that, I would really like to know.

A bit of advice for this season D. Hall. Shut the hell up, play some football and try not to let these receivers embarrass you so much.

If last night is any indication of how you are going to play this season, thank goodness you’re here with one of the nation’s top burn units right down the street from your job.

By: T. Love

With second-year man Jerious Norwood suffering from extreme cramps and veteran Warrick Dunn still not up to game speed after having surgery on a herniated disc prior to training camp, rookie Jason Snelling will get the call at running back for the Falcons when the team heads to Buffalo for its second preseason game on Friday night.

Selected in the seventh round out of Virginia, Snelling was drafted to be a short-yardage back that could run behind fullback Ovie Mughelli and a quasi-beefed up line. As we have learned by now, Bobby Petrino’s offense calls for a big powerful running back and neither Norwood or Dunn fit the bill. Anyone else wish we would have held on to T.J. Duckett?

During his collegiate career, he took a medical redshirt as a sophomore and also missed a couple of games due to his battle with epilepsy. Now that the situation is under control, he appears ready to earn his keep on the professional level.

Snelling was impressive in his first NFL action when he racked up 48 yards on 10 carries to lead all Falcons’ rushers. He also caught three balls out of the backfield for twelve yards. When given a chance to play last Friday, he showed that he could be more than a short yardage back and has a little speed once he gets to the second level.

With the starters scheduled to go into the second half of tomorrow’s game, Snelling needs to continue to run hard between the tackles, show the ability to bounce a play outside and be able to help in pass protection. Those three things should secure a roster spot and keep the Falcons deep at running back.

It is unknown at this time if Norwood will be able to go on Friday, but if not, journeyman Arlen Harris who played with the Lions last year will get a chance to show his stuff.

By: T. Love

Let me preface this post by saying that I support John Joseph Harrington 100%, he is currently the quarterback of our team therefore he has my support. That being said, if you read my post Time to Dispel the Myth, watched Harrington play or just understand X’s and O’s you would know that he is flat out terrible. There is no way around it. Plain and simple. Maybe Joey will resurrect his career here, but I don’t see it happening. This city is cursed with some of the worst luck in sports. Michael Vick was not fighting dogs because he was trying to do something illegal, he did it because he was an Atlanta athlete. Had we drafted LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001, he would have been fighting dogs while Vick was crushing records left and right. I don’t honestly believe that, but it’s hard not to entertain the idea.

So here is my dilemma. Joey Harrington has done everything to prove that he is NOT a starting quarterback in the NFL, yet he was handed the reigns of the Atlanta offense. I simply do not understand why. There is a quarterback on our roster that has all the mental and physical abilities to lead this football team into a new era, but he has not received a chance and I would like to know why.

The most logical explanation would be experience, but does he really have that much? Harrington has started in 66 games during his NFL career, but his teams have never been in the playoff hunt. So he does not exactly have big game experience. There has never been any pressure for him to perform in the crunch. 77 career picks will do that to you. He is not a winner, leader or even be efficient with talent around him.

Enter D.J. Shockley, a class-act (which will keep Arthur and Rich happy as they continue to strive for the choir boy image) winner and a leader.

Shockley went to the University of Georgia as one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the country. He was promised a fair shot at the starting job and that was evident by the number of times he was thrown on the field with UGA inside its own 10 and the team deciding to go shotgun all of a sudden. Most people would have bitched and whined then transferred to Georgia Southern to dominate I-AA. Not Shockley, he stuck it out and was willing to do whatever Coach Richt thought was best for the team. Class act.

After patiently waiting for four years behind David Greene, Shockley finally got his chance to shine and he did just that. 2,588 passing yards with a completion percentage of 56. 24 touchdowns to only five picks and a gaudy QB rating of 148.25, to lead the Bulldogs to the SEC Title and a Sugar Bowl invitation. Winner.

The Sugar Bowl was a home game for the Dawgs as it was played in the Georgia Dome after the events of Hurricane Katrina and UGA was heavily favored against Big East representative West Virginia. With all those factors in place, Richt refused to watch game film, which resulted in a quick 28-0 lead for the Mountaineers. Shockley wouldn’t let UGA give up and staged a comeback which saw him go 20-33 for 277 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 71 yards on the ground. The final outcome was 38-35 in favor of the Mountaineers, but No. 3 never let his team quit. Leader.

Shockley has won on all levels of his career, from Pop Warner to the days of North Clayton high school taking the field against extraordinary players such as myself, Robert Landy and Stephen Hall to his time in Athens. The guy has everything you would look for in a starting quarterback in the NFL, but has not been given an opportunity to showcase it at the elite level. In classic Shockley fashion, he will sit by idly and do what is best for the team.

As a fan, we are in trouble this season. No depth at defensive line, a midget offensive line, weak receivers and a broken down Alge Crumpler. “Fans” will begin jumping ship on this team about Week 6 when I’ll be able to “stretch out” at the Dome.

Harrington is not the answer. This is his third team in three seasons. Why not give the hometown guy a chance? The guy that we all can root for (except for Tech fans, but they should be out building something anyways).

D.J. could be the answer to the quarterback situation. The face of the franchise that everyone can be proud of.

But we aren’t getting the chance to see it, because he continues to wait.