NFL FanHouse

Jason Elam's Job in Jeopardy as Falcons Bring in Kickers for Tryout

Knox Bardeen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST

The players have the day off at Flowery Branch as Tuesday is a normal rest-day for the Falcons. But that didn't stop the team from bringing in four kickers to see if any of them might do a better job than Jason Elam.

Elam has been uncharacteristically off-center this season. He's connected on 10-of-16 field goal attempts for a career-worst 62.5% field goal percentage. He's also missed an extra point, an occurrence that's only happened three other times in his 17-year career.

Steve Hauschka, Sam Swank, Brandon Coutu and Shane Andrus we're all kicking today for the coaching staff. No news is known at this time whether any made an impression.

Brandon Coutu, an Atlanta native, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2008 draft by Seattle, but has never attempted a kick in the NFL

Steve Hauschka was just cut by the Baltimore Ravens last Wednesday after missing a 36-yard field goal and having an extra point blocked against the Browns. In his first season as a full-time NFL kicker, Hauschka finished with a 69.2% field goal percentage and missed three of his final seven kicks.

Sam Swank was signed earlier this season by Cincinnati, but cut quickly and didn't make it through OTA's in Philadelphia.

Shane Andrus was released in early November by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in three games, missing his only field goal attempt and converting six extra points.

Jason Elam's Job in Jeopardy as Falcons Bring in Kickers for Tryout originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Favorable Remaining Schedule Could Aid Falcons' Playoff Push

Knox Bardeen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:34:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC East

After starting the season with four wins and only one loss, the Atlanta Falcons have lost four times in their last five games and see themselves sitting on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in. At 5-5, the Falcons have a lot of work to do to ensure a spot in the post-season, but the team hasn't given up yet and they have a favorable schedule ahead to work with.

Head Coach Mike Smith spent time in the locker room after a Sunday loss to the New York Giants talking about the tough stretch the Falcons have gone through and how the Falcons play four of their final six games in the friendly Georgia Dome, a place where they haven't lost all season. "What I told our team is that we've been through a long road in terms of the last six weeks", said Smith. "Four out of the six games we've played have been against teams that have been coming off the byes. I also told them that we are looking forward to having a three-game home stand."

Not only did the Falcons suffer from that scheduling anomaly of facing multiple bye week teams, but they also were hurt by spending so much time on the road lately. From Week 3 through Week 11, Atlanta has only played two home games. For a team that plays so well at home and conversely so poorly away from Atlanta, it's easy to see how the Falcons have dug themselves into this hole.

The hole that Atlanta sits in right now isn't necessarily too deep to get out of. It will likely take a 4-2 record for the remainder of the season to have a shot at the playoffs -- it may even take five wins. Luckily for the Falcons the six games left on the schedule show hope.

Looking at Atlanta's five losses this season, this team typically fares poorly against teams that feature high-powered passing offenses. Quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Drew Brees have all notched victories throwing against Atlanta's suspect defensive secondary. Even Eli Manning, on Sunday, threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns to beat the Falcons. But the Falcons get a reprieve of sorts moving forward.

Tampa Bay is on the Falcons schedule twice. Josh Freeman has shown signs of brilliance in his short tenure with the Buccaneers, but the team still features the 27th-ranked passing offense and has many other holes for the Falcons to exploit.

The Falcons face another rookie-led team in the New York Jets. While that is an away game for the Falcons, Mark Sanchez looks like the real-deal at quarterback but also lapses into moments of looking like a rookie. The Jets own the 28th-ranked passing offense and if Atlanta can slow Thomas Jones they'll have a good chance of leaving New York with at least one victory this season.

The final, very favorable matchup filling out the schedule is Buffalo. The Bills rank 25th in the NFL in passing and have two quarterbacks in Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards who are fighting for playing time, but dazzling nobody.

So, if the Falcons can win those four games they'll stand only one win away from a double-digit win season. They'll likely need to beat either Philadelphia or New Orleans at home to seal a playoff spot. New Orleans is unbeaten at 11-0 but records aren't usually a factor when the Falcons and Saints get together. The Eagles bring a storied quarterback with them to visit Atlanta, but Donovan McNabb has only one 300-plus yard passing game and barely cracks the top-20 in passing yards among NFL quarterbacks.

Anything can happen over the final six weeks of the season, and you can be sure that the Falcons wish they weren't sitting at five wins needing to make a huge push to make the playoffs. Defensive end John Abraham feels the team still has a shot at a Wildcard spot. "I don't think we're completely out of it so we still have an opportunity to be up there.", said Abraham after the game on Sunday. "It's going to be an uphill battle from here, but we have to keep trucking."

An uphill battle yes -- but a winnable battle nonetheless.

Favorable Remaining Schedule Could Aid Falcons' Playoff Push originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite Win, Giants Are Still in Trouble

Dan Graziano — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Giants, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Man, you really gotta love that NFC East. Up here in the swamps of Jersey on Sunday, the Giants played as little fourth-quarter defense as possible but still pulled out a 34-31 overtime victory over a Falcons team that refused to play any defense all day. Meanwhile, back in Texas, the Cowboys waited until the last possible second to show up and beat the Redskins. Some kind of inspiring day for the teams at the top of a division that was supposed to rank among the NFL's best. And while the Giants' players and coaches said all the right things here (a win is a win, after all, and they hadn't had one in a month and a half), the most insightful thing anybody said came out of the mouth of defensive end Justin Tuck.

"We got the win and that's great," Tuck said. "But I don't like how we finished this game at all."

Technically, they finished it fine. They won the OT coin flip, marched down the field against the black-and-red tissue paper the Falcons are using for a defense and kicked the winning field goal. But Tuck was referring to the way the Giants' defense finished the fourth quarter, with Atlanta scoring two touchdowns in the final 6:07 of regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime. That's the part of the game that should alarm Giants fans as they size up the season's final six weeks.

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"I am concerned," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said when asked about his defense. "I think we are capable of playing better. The first half and into the third quarter was fine and then they seemed to be able to move the ball in the air against whatever we were in. We've just got to keep working."

As Coughlin said, the Giants did a nifty job against Atlanta QB Matt Ryan and tight end Tony Gonzalez for the first three quarters. They got good pressure on Ryan and ran all kinds of looks to neutralize Gonzalez, more than once dropping Tuck or another defensive lineman into coverage against him. But when it came time to stop the Falcons from moving the ball down the field, a Giants defense that couldn't stop anybody during the four-game losing streak that led into last week's bye looked woeful.

"We knew, when it was a one-touchdown difference (with 6:07 to go), we had to keep the ball on offense," Coughlin said. "We didn't."

But that's kind of harsh, Coach, to put that on the offense. The Giants outgained the Falcons 456-352 in total yards in this game. On that final series, Brandon Jacobs was out of the game with a knee injury (he said afterwards he was fine and could have re-entered the game in OT if necessary) and the Giants did still move the ball 27 yards and run 2:01 off the clock before punting the ball back to Ryan. Hanging Atlanta's game-tying drive on the offense for giving them back the ball makes it sound like you're giving short shrift to Eli Manning and his 384 passing yards.

That wasn't it, though. Coughlin actually had high praise for Manning, saying, "When he is playing with that kind of confidence, the whole team really rides right along." What Coughlin was really saying when he said the offense had to keep the ball (whether he meant it or not) was that he didn't trust his defense to get the stop. And that's a problem.

"It's something we've definitely got to rectify," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "The last two games, that's happened to us on the most important drive of the game -- against San Diego to lose the game and (Sunday) to tie it up."

Which is why everybody was watching that overtime coin flip so closely.

"Once we won the toss," linebacker Michael Boley said, "I had no doubt in my mind Eli and our offense were going to take the ball down the field and score."

Problem is, if Atlanta had won the toss and elected to receive, the Falcons would have been fully justified in having the same exact feeling.

Now look. The Giants did win the game. They are 6-4 and a game behind Dallas in the East. The Cowboys obviously have their own problems, and the Eagles theirs. Heck, if the Redskins had held on against Dallas, they'd only be two games out of first in the supposedly big, bad NFC East. The Giants are by no means in a place from which they can't come back and make the playoffs.

But I say the emperor has no clothes. They're not going to face a roll-over defense like Atlanta's every week. They go to Denver on Thursday night, where the Broncos are going to need a win badly. Then the two weeks after that feature tough divisional games against the Cowboys (who ran for 250 yards against them in a Week 2 loss) and the Eagles (who own them and know it). The Giants are going to have to figure out a way to stop somebody somewhere in the next month, or they are going to find their season in serious trouble.

It's not going to be easy. They still haven't replaced injured safety Kenny Phillips (hence the defensive ends in pass coverage, etc.), and to hear the players in the locker room talk they're very concerned about how they're going to replace injured linebacker Antonio Pierce.

For a day, the Giants got to feel like winners, which they badly needed. ("It's been miserable around here for a month," Coughlin said.) But with a defense like the one they're running out there on a weekly basis, that's a feeling they're going to have a hard time finding again for much of the rest of 2009.

Despite Win, Giants Are Still in Trouble originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Falcons Without Michael Turner

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Giants, NFL Injuries

The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants will play a very important game Sunday afternoon. Both teams are part of a 5-4 logjam in the NFC standings. The winner of this tilt is in a very good position to make the NFC playoffs, and the Giants are in desperate need of a win after four straight losses.

The Falcons will reportedly be missing a key player in the game Sunday, as running back Michael Turner will be inactive.

The news comes from ESPN's Rachel Nichols and John Clayton, who say Turner will be inactive. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Falcons' loss to Carolina last week. Those injuries can be quite tough to bounce back from, and apparently Turner will miss at least this week.

Nichols reports that Jason Snelling will start in Turner's place, as No. 2 back Jerious Norwood is still battling a hip injury. Snelling, a late-round pick in 2007, will be making his first NFL start. He has rushed for 183 yards so far this season, while catching 14 passes. He has three career touchdowns.

(Pat on the helmet: PFT)

Report: Falcons Without Michael Turner originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panthers Suddenly Back in Playoff Fray

Will Brinson — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Panthers, NFC South

The Carolina Panthers have seemed to turn the proverbial corner twice this year; the first turn came after wins against Washington and Tampa Bay, only to see the Panthers exposed as Jake Delhomme threw three picks in an explicable loss to a horrendous Bills team.

But as the clock expired on the Cats' 28-19 win over the Falcons, things seemed much, much different. Not only had the Panthers beaten a division rival, but they had somehow climbed back into the playoff picture in the NFC, and that thought alone didn't seem as impossible as Delhomme going turnover free against Atlanta ... which he'd just done.

That's not to say that the Panthers are a Super Bowl contender just yet; they're still 4-5. But for those that haven't bothered to check the standings so far, that's actually a decent mark in the NFC -- New Orleans and Minnesota are elite, but unless Andy Reid can figure out his short-yardage playcalling in the next hour or so, the wildcard leader might be sitting at 5-4, just one game ahead of the suddenly streaking Panthers.

Carolina won -- and this should be embarrassingly obvious to anyone who watches football reasonably closely -- by running the ball, by playing tough defense, and by keeping Delhomme out of situations that required anything more than game managing. Delhomme made some clutch throws, hitting Steve Smith for four-yard touchdowns twice on third and goal from the four-yard line.

On Atlanta's part, you have to give some credit to them given the fact that Michael Turner chalked up 100 yards very, very quickly only to leave with an ankle injury, meaning Jason Snelling was the lone back on the team. But Matt Ryan had a less-than-stellar game, tossing two picks and completing only 22 of his 41 passes. Of course, he had to pass 41 times because the Panthers were so efficient on offense, something that just didn't seem possible four weeks ago.

Panthers Suddenly Back in Playoff Fray originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Smith Fined -- DeAngelo Hall Gets Off Scot-Free

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC South

The dust has finally settled from the Sunday's sideline melee between Washington and Atlanta. The skirmish occurred shortly after a late hit by LaRon Landry sent Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan flying and tempers flaring between the Atlanta sideline and a few Redskins players, including former-Falcon DeAngelo Hall.

The NFL office has decided that fines should be handed out to four individuals. Falcons head coach Mike Smith received the biggest fine of $15,000 and Director of Athletic Performance Jeff Fish was slapped with a $2,500 fine. Two Redskins players were also fined -- Albert Haynesworth at $7,500 and LaRon Landry at $5,000.

Absent from being fined for any wrong-doing is DeAngelo Hall, who appeared to instigate the entire incident. That has many Falcons fans and local media personnel hopping-mad. Jeff Schultz, a columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls the fines "Nonsensical", mainly due to the fact that Hall was left unscathed by the NFL.

From my vantage point in the press box (and the play did happen directly in front of us), and after watching the video many times, I completely agree with the way the NFL handled the situation. Let's look at the facts.

Landry's hit on Ryan was most definitely late -- a bonehead decision that was rightfully penalized. But he and Ryan bounced up after the play and returned to the field. Had Landry stayed on the field instead of joining Haynesworth on the sideline to assist in "retrieving" Hall, he wouldn't have been fined. But,since he and Haynesworth went back into the scuffle they rightfully were fined.

Mike Smith and Jeff Fish both made physical contact with Hall after the Redskins defensive back appeared on the Falcons sideline. They didn't swing or throw any punches at Hall, but they did grab him. And they did so somewhat aggressively while exchanging verbal jabs.

Smith has argued that his part in the incident was as a peace keeper and many have pointed out that he was just trying to protect his quarterback. I'm not sure the defense of Matt Ryan argument holds water, as Ryan was already back out on the field preparing for the next play. The first instinct by Smith and the Falcons coaching staff may have been rage towards Landry for the late hit, but once both players left the sideline and Hall showed up, the "meeting" was no longer about Ryan, it was personal.

Hall should never have opened his mouth on the Falcons sideline -- he was already there as the play had drawn him over -- but the smart thing to do would have been to head back out with Landry and Ryan. He didn't leave the sideline and once the shouting started, pushing, shoving and grabbing ensued.

Hall didn't do anything to deserve a fine. He showed terrible judgment by staying on the sideline to run his mouth. You can even argue that he showed immaturity and more poor judgment with negative comments he made the week prior to the game about the Falcons and general manager Thomas Dimitroff. But none of those events are worthy of a fine from the league, even if they led to, if not caused, the whole sideline disturbance.

When the NFL handed out $30,000 in fines, they issued them justly and to the right individuals -- leaving nobody out. The league got it right in this case. But, Mike Smith got it right too. It's true that he shouldn't have put his hands on DeAngelo Hall. In the eyes of the NFL that's a no-no. But, Smith earned major points in the locker room for standing up for his team. Whether he was standing up for Ryan after the late hit or for the team as a whole after Hall had spent the better part of a week running his mouth, Smith let every person in the Falcons organization know that he has their back.

That sentiment alone is worth the $15,000 fine Smith received.

Mike Smith Fined -- DeAngelo Hall Gets Off Scot-Free originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zebra Report: Know Your Surroundings

Matt Snyder — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chargers, Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Panthers, Raiders, Redskins, Saints, Texans, NFL Referees

Zebra Report is FanHouse's analysis of actual NFL rules and how they are to be applied ... because most fans think they could do a better job than the NFL officials, yet definitely could not. Click here for an introduction as to how we do things.

This past week of NFL play was relatively quiet in terms of complaints about the officiating. Note I said "relatively," because there are always a bevy of complaints -- many warranted and many ridiculously unwarranted. We know that. Regardless, we're still here to sift through some of the more intriguing rules-type interpretations, so let's dive in.

- A loyal reader (Dave B.) submitted this question on a play that caused a bit of a scrap on the Falcons' sideline:

"I was hoping you might take a look at the late hit by LaRon Landry in the 'Skins-Falcons game. I've tried to look at it, and it seems that Matt Ryan hadn't stepped out of bounds yet (his body was over the line, but neither of his feet had touched) when Landry made contact with him. If that were true, isn't Ryan still technically in bounds? The hit did seem pretty unnecessary, but wasn't against the rules if Ryan's foot hadn't touched yet."

Watch the play in this highlight package, it starts at the 1:09 mark.

This is one of the tougher judgment calls officials have to make, especially in full-speed and in a split-second. Here is the portion of the rule (12-2-8, p. 82) which applies here.

"(Unnecessary roughness includes ... ) contacting a runner out of bounds. Defensive players must make an effort to avoid contact. Players on defense are responsible for knowing when a runner has crossed the boundary line, except in doubtful cases where he might step on a boundary line and continue parallel with it."

This is a part of the rules constantly taught to lower-level officials in clinics by the NFL guys. At every level, it is the responsibility of the defender to avoid contact on a player entering the end zone is clearly going out of bounds. In the case of Ryan, there was no danger of him cutting back into the field of play. When someone is slowing down and clearly looking straight out of bounds and heading that way, the defenders need to avoid contact. He's not cutting back and staying in bounds, so just let him run out. It harms no one.

This call becomes extremely tough when a player isn't necessarily showing signs of wanting to go out and may still make a cut up-field. It's all discretionary, but the rules of football are very clear in that the burden is on the defensive player to know his surroundings.

In this specific case, I don't even think there's a question that Ryan was clearly headed straight out of bounds -- and was already there -- by the time Landry hit him.

- In the Colts-Texans game, Ryan Moats is tackled just shy of the end zone and the ball comes loose. Upon further review the officials rule that it was a fumble and the ball was never out of bounds. You can watch the play by clicking here and watching at the 35-second mark and beyond. There are several elements here that must be reviewed.

First of all, was it a fumble? It does appear the ball is coming loose before a knee hits the ground. Was it conclusive? I think so, but others may have a different opinion.

Secondly, was any player out of bounds when touching the ball -- even if he doesn't have possession? If so, the ball is dead. You might think the ball was definitely touching Moats when he was out of bounds, but was he legally out of bounds? I point you to the definition of being out of bounds (rule 3-21, p. 11), where it says that someone -- or the ball -- is out of bounds when touching "anything other than a player, an official or a pylon on or outside the boundary line." That means that, since Moats was laying on top of Antoine Bethea, he was not out of bounds when he crossed the sideline.

From the Texans' point of view, they don't seem to be questioning the part about Moats being out (though that's the main complaint of fans). They have offered up that they believe Bethea -- who was definitely on the ground and out of bounds -- touched the ball. There are some still photos and an argument that Bethea touched the ball when he was out of bounds contained in this linked article. We've included a poll to let us know what you think, and feel free to drop comments. This was a very close one.

- As I've said before, you can't exactly trust announcers to know the rules. We can add former-Super-Bowl-champion-coaches-turned-announcers to that list. During the fourth quarter, the Saints punted the ball near their own end zone. A member of the Saints' coverage team accidentally ran into the end zone, but got himself back out before touching the ball. It was downed on the one. "He can't be the first one to touch that!" Brian Billick screamed. Um, Brian, yes he can. It's not the sideline. Here is the only stipulation involving coverage team contact with the goal line on a punt (rule 9-2-2, p. 63):

Item 2: If a player of the kicking team touches the goal line with any part of his body while touching the ball, the ball is dead, and the result of the play is a touchback.

He doesn't even have to get both feet established, as play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman tried to tell Billick. Just don't be touching the goal line with anything.

- Reader James G. submitted this question. In the Raiders-Chargers Week 8 game, there was a questionable play followed by a false start. After the five-yard penalty was marked off, there ended up being a challenge. The simple answer to the question, "how can you challenge the previous play after a false start" is precisely that a false start doesn't constitute an actual play. It's not a play. So there still hasn't been a play run since the questionable (and still reviewable) play. Of course, James didn't make it easy on me. He asked a legitimate question as a follow up. What if the play is reversed and the spot is changed? Would the false start still be assessed? I searched through the entire enforcement and instant replay sections of the rulebook and found absolutely nothing resembling direction on this question. I have no idea. I would guess that the penalty is not assessed and is simply ignored because they altered the previous result, but that's just an educated guess. Well, as educated as you consider me, at least.

- Vikings fans/Steelers haters, there was a tripping call on Arizona in the Bears-Cardinals game for the exact same action as was called on Minnesota in Pittsburgh a few weeks back. Seriously, it was like the lineman was trying to emulate Jeff Dugan by whipping both legs back up at the leaping defender. What happened there? Was this game fixed, too? Are the Bears "stealers," too?

- Finally, in that same game, Tommie Harris was ejected for punching a Cardinals lineman in the first quarter. This was an absolute no-brainer. Good decision by Ed Hochuli.

Got a rules-related question? Whether it's elementary, high school or NFL, email TZR and he'll see what he can do.

Zebra Report: Know Your Surroundings originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeAngelo Hall Accuses Falcons Assistant Of Throwing Punches

Knox Bardeen — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:48:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Redskins, NFC East, NFC South

ATLANTA -- When the NFL schedule came out at the beginning of the year, the Washington Redskins game at the Atlanta Falcons wasn't necessarily a matchup you expected to be volatile. But DeAngelo Hall sure did.

Hall, who spent the first four seasons of his career playing in Atlanta, did a lot of trash-talking this week. He claimed that Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff lied to him on multiple occasions regarding roster issues, and he dared the Falcons to make him a target this week -- since he knew they probably would anyway.

Was there any doubt that if a skirmish broke out between the two teams that Hall would be involved?

That's exactly what happened. Late in the first half, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was hit after going out of bounds on the Falcons sideline and a melee ensued. The result was a 15-yard penalty against Washington and a lot of pushing and shoving. According to Hall, a Falcons coach even threw punches.

Hall said Atlanta strength coach Jeff Fish took a swing at him: "As a strength coach you going to come in and get [expletive] licks in?"

Hall even added that Atlanta head coach Mike Smith was among the Atlanta coaches who were grabbing at him on the Falcons' sideline. "I was trying to get [Redskins safety] LaRon Landry out of there, and guys started coming at me," Hall said. "Guys on their coaching staff, and not in a mindset to break up a fight."

Hall said he plans to file a complaint with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the sideline incident, "I'm going to go to Goodell and try to nip this thing in the bud."

Smith had a different take on the incident.

"Our quarterback was hit late, there was a skirmish, and all I was trying to do was restore order," Smith said.

When asked if he got into Hall's face, Smith said, "There were a bunch of guys on that sideline. Some of them were wearing black helmets and some of them were wearing maroon helmets. I can't tell you anything more about it because it was very, very hectic on that sideline."

Smith squashed any further questions by saying, "I can't tell you who was on that sideline. All I can tell you is that I was trying to restore order."

DeAngelo Hall Accuses Falcons Assistant Of Throwing Punches originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good News, Bad News in Falcons Loss

Nancy Gay — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:31:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons

NEW ORLEANS -- That wasn't a chip on Michael Turner's shoulder Monday night at the Superdome. That was a stack of cinder blocks the Atlanta Falcons' running back hauled around as motivation in what would be his biggest rushing performance of the season.

This was long overdue -- and surprising, considering Turner waited to get it done against the New Orleans Saints' sixth-ranked run defense: 20 carries and a season-high 151 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown run on Atlanta's opening drive.

Turner tore through Saints tackles up the middle, and he broke loose in the flats like an angry man.

That's because he was.

Terence Moore: Let's All Pull for the Saints

"Yeah, because I haven't been satisfied with the way I've been playing," said Turner, who entered Monday's critical NFC South meeting with the undefeated Saints averaging only 3.4 yards per carry, more than a yard less than in 2008 when he ranked second in the NFL with 1,699 yards rushing. "I just wanted to bounce back hard. And this was the perfect game to bounce back."

Turner, who rushed for just 80 yards combined and averaged 2.6 yards per carry in Atlanta's last two games, a win over the Bears and a loss to the Cowboys, put up his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. But it marked the first time the Saints allowed a 100-yard rusher in 2009.

The Turner turnaround didn't stall the Saints' continued march of perfection, as New Orleans and that prolific Drew Brees-led offense scored just enough to secure a 35-27 victory. That gave the Saints their first 7-0 start since 1991 -- a playoff season that ended, coincidentally, with a wild-card loss to the Falcons.

But if Atlanta (4-3) hopes to keep pace with a runaway New Orleans team, which now maintains a three-game lead in the division, it was high time that the Falcons' ground game became a factor again.

"We ran in the flats, up the middle. We did some different things and that's what we have to do -- mix it up and do different things," said Turner, who got his biggest gainer midway through the second quarter, when he broke loose on a 37-yard burst off the right end. "The line played great and opened up some holes for me."

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates his touchdown with teammate Michael Jenkins #12 against the New Orleans Saints during the third quarter of the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roddy White;Michael Jenkins

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New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer (32) and defensive end Anthony Hargrove (69) celebrate Greer's touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (25) runs away from Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) during the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) catches a touchdown pass in front of Atlanta Falcons cornerback Tye Hill (24) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith (91) celebrates after sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) gets away from New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer (32) to score a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Jo-Lonn Dunbar #56, Remi Ayodele #92 and Charles Grant #94 of the New Orleans Saints celebrate a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of the game against he Atlanta Falcons at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jo-Lonn Dunbar;Remi Ayodele;Charles Grant

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Will Smith #91 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates a sack of quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons causing a fumble during the fourth quarter of the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Will Smith

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Will Smith #91 of the New Orleans Saints sacks quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter of the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Will Smith;Matt Ryan

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Darren Sharper #42 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates his uinterception in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Darren Sharper

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Pierre Thomas #23 of the New Orleans Saints out runs Thomas DeCoud #28 of the Atlanta Falcons during the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Thomas DeCoud;Pierre Thomas

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Injuries in the Atlanta backfield have done their part to counter a 4-1 start with a two-game losing streak. The return of fullback Ovie Mughelli (calf injury) after a two-game absence finally helped Turner find some holes. And the semblance of offensive balance did give quarterback Matt Ryan some breathing room to find wide receiver Roddy White on a 68-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, which brought Atlanta within 28-21.

But there is no denying, too, that something isn't right with Ryan.

The second-year quarterback, who threw only two interceptions in his first four games this season, was picked off three times Monday night by the NFL's most opportunistic secondary, and has been intercepted eight times in his last four games. For the season, Ryan is two interceptions shy of his 2008 total of 11.

One pass intended for White was returned 48 yards for a touchdown by Jabari Greer -- giving New Orleans five interception returns for touchdowns this season. Another throw to tight end Tony Gonzalez was tipped en route by Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, which made it easy pickings for cornerback Tracy Porter.

"I felt like Tony had beaten the defender on the route for the touchdown but credit [goes] to them, that's how it goes sometimes and it's frustrating," said Ryan, who completed 19-of-42 passes for 289 yards and was sacked three times -- one of which was a strip fumble that was returned 48 yards by Saints defensive end Kroy Biermann for a first-quarter touchdown.

The VIlma tip and subsequent Porter interception, which came as the Falcons were on the verge of erasing a 28-24 deficit with 8:30 remaining, ruined one of many scoring chances for Atlanta.

"It was a good play by them -- I had beat the safety and I thought it was going to be a touchdown but that linebacker came out of nowhere and tipped it up," said Gonzalez, who did convert on a key fourth-down play for the Falcons. "Vilma made a real good play there. That was crucial.

"If that ball crept in there and I had caught the touchdown, we would have gone up. It would have been great."

But the killer turnover came in the final 11 seconds, after Atlanta had pulled with 35-27 and then recovered an onside kick, when NFL interception leader Darren Sharper swiped a Ryan pass intended for White.

While Ryan is visibly struggling, Atlanta coach Mike Smith refuses to even speculate that the 2008 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year has hit an anticipated sophomore slump.

"I thought Matt's play through the game was good. We have to take care of the football," Smith said. "That was a very good defense.

"I thought that was a very hard-fought game. I thought we showed a lot of resolve to stay in it. We dug ourselves into too big of a hole to be down by two touchdowns."

The rematch comes in Week 14 at the Georgia Dome, and Gonzalez promises that the Saints will see a different Falcons' team.

"We were right there in the thick of it [Monday night]," he said "I don't know what they're saying over there in that other locker room, but I'm sure they're saying 'Hey, that was a close one.'

"Luckily, we get to play them again and hopefully the outcome is different."

Good News, Bad News in Falcons Loss originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saints Hold Off Falcons, Move to 7-0

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:25:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Saints

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Saints are still perfect, despite an imperfect performance, and now need one more win to set the record for best start in franchise history.

Drew Brees had 308 yards passing, Pierre Thomas scored two touchdowns and Jabari Greer returned an interception for a score to help the Saints improve to 7-0 with a 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Only the 1991 Saints began a season with as many wins and no Saints team has started 8-0.

"We did a lot of things well and yet we did a lot of things that made it close at the end,'' Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I'm excited to win though. I'm excited to win this game and get to 7-0. It was an important game against a division team and I'm proud of our players. They fought.''

Greer's touchdown was the Saints' fifth score on an interception this season, tying a single-season franchise mark set in 1998. Tracy Porter also had an interception on the Saints 1-yard line on a pass tipped by Jonathan Vilma in the fourth quarter, preserving a 28-24 lead after Thomas' fumble had given Atlanta the ball on the Saints 35.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was intercepted three times, the third straight game he'd been intercepted at least twice.

Still, the Falcons stayed in it until the end, getting a 40-yard field goal from Jason Elam with 28 seconds left, then recovering an onside kick. Ryan only had time for a desperation heave in the final seconds, and Darren Sharper turned it into his seventh interception of the season.

Sharper's interception also was the Saints' 16th overall this season, surpassing New Orleans' total of 15 from 2008. The Saints have at least one interception in every game this season.

"The way we've been able to [get turnovers] and score is a big reason we're where we're at right now,'' Payton said.

Brees hit Marques Colston for an 18-yard score. Thomas scored on a 22-yard run in the first quarter and a 1-yard catch out of the backfield with 3:03 to go, flipping backward over a tackler and into the end zone. That touchdown made it 35-24 and ignited the entire Superdome into chants of ``Who dat say they gonna' beat them Saints?''

"Pierre did a good job of getting through that last defender,'' Payton said. "It was following the series where he fumbled and it was good to see him respond.''

Reggie Bush added a 1-yard touchdown late in the first half, giving the Saints a lead they would not relinquish.

Roddy White beat Greer on a 68-yard scoring pass from Ryan early in the third quarter, and the Falcons pulled to 28-24 on Elam's 25-yard field goal with 11:33 to go in the game.

That field goal, however, came only after Payton sprinted down the sideline and launched his red flag about 20 yards, just in time to challenge a game-tying touchdown catch by White in the back of the end zone. Replays showed White allowed the ball to touch the turf as he bobbled the catch.

The loss, Atlanta's second straight, dropped the Falcons (4-3) three games behind the Saints in the NFC South. It marked the first time the Falcons had lost two straight under second-year coach Mike Smith. It also squandered Michael Turner's best game of the season. He had 151 yards rushing, including a 13-yard touchdown.

The Falcons' defense also produced a score. Thomas DeCoud's jarring sack on a delayed blitz up the middle dislodged the ball from Brees and Kroy Biermann returned it from the 4-yard line, giving Atlanta a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Brees also was intercepted on a spectacular leaping grab by Brent Grimes.

Brees never got rattled through, completing 15 of his first 17 passes and leading three scoring drives in the first half. Two of his top targets were Colston, who finished with 85 yards on six catches, and tight end Jeremy Shockey, who caught five passes for 72 yards.

Atlanta had two first-half drives stall on Elam's missed field goal attempts from 34 and 51 yards.

A little more than three years ago, the Falcons were the visitors when the Saints returned to the newly reopened Louisiana Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. That Monday night had a storybook start for the Saints, who scored on a blocked punt on Atlanta's opening drive.

With those vivid memories still fresh, the Superdome crowd was cheering wildly as the Saints defense took the field after the opening kickoff.

This time, however, Ryan calmly led the Falcons 77 yards for a score, with Turner gaining 38 of those yards, including his lone TD.

New Orleans answered when Thomas broke former LSU star Chevis Jackson's tackle near the line of scrimmage, then cut left away from John Abraham to tie it at 7.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Saints Hold Off Falcons, Move to 7-0 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday Night Football Live Chat: Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints

Adam Gretz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Saints, NFL Live Blogging

We have a fantastic NFC South matchup on our hands as Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons pay a vist to Drew Brees and the undefeated New Orleans Saints. As always, we'll be discussing all of the action in our Monday night live chat, so please join us, won't you? The party begins at 8:30 PM ET.

&amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=316f8be935&amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;gt;Monday Night Live Chat&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Monday Night Football Live Chat: Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: Falcons at Saints

Chris Burke — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Saints, FanHouse Previews

The NFC South takes center stage on Monday night with a huge showdown between Atlanta and New Orleans in the Superdome.

And in anticipation of the crucial ballgame in the bayou, we've turned the show over to Tom Mantzouranis, our resident Saints guru, and Knox Bardeen, a credentialed member of the media covering the Falcons.

Those two break down the game's most important storylines after the jump. And come back at kickoff to join us in our weekly Monday Night Football live chat.

Three Key Questions:

1. Can the Falcons get any pressure on Drew Brees?

Knox Bardeen: One of the key matchups for the Falcons will be defensive end John Abraham against Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod. Last week, the Dolphins' Jason Taylor gave fits to Bushrod and put pressure of Drew Brees all day. Abraham can get by Bushrod the same way and if Kroy Biermann (who is tied with Abraham for the team lead in sacks) is healthy enough to play on Monday night, Brees will be on the run quite a bit.

Tom Mantzouranis: Simply put, no. As mentioned before, Abraham vs. Bushrod is a mismatch, but Payton learned last week that Bushrod needs help against elite pass rushers and will adjust accordingly with tight ends David Thomas and Darnell Dinkins, an exceptional blocker. Expect a lot of two TE sets. But it wasn't the outside pass rush that doomed the Saints in the first half of the Dolphins game, it was the rush up the middle. Drew Brees could have avoided Jason Taylor if the middle held up, but in the first half it didn't. Brees is so good at stepping up and moving around the pocket that you have to get a collapse up the middle to force him into bad throws or taking sacks. The Falcons' interior defensive line isn't good enough to do that against the Saints' really talented young guards. Abraham might get into the backfield a few times, but Brees' quick release and awareness should overcome that.

2. How big of an impact will Tony Gonzalez have in this game?

KB: Gonzalez is averaging a little more than 4 1/2 receptions per game over his last three games but has only scored once. You can safely bet that the future Hall of Famer is eager to get back into the end zone, especially on the prime time stage of Monday Night Football. Saints linebacker Scott Shanle said this week that "It's going to be the toughest game this year as far as matching up." He was speaking of all of the weapons that Atlanta brings to the table, but specifically Gonzalez. Don't be surprised to see Gonzalez targeted a lot against New Orleans, especially in the end zone.

TM: It's tough to say. The Saints haven't let an opposing tight end score a touchdown against them yet this season. Then again, if the Falcons can find a way to get Darren Sharper to help double cover Roddy White, Gonzalez can find some mismatches with strong safety Roman Harper or weakside linebacker Scott Shanle. And if the Saints get a good lead in the fourth, they might go to prevent or Cover-2 and allow Gonzalez to pick up some yards in the middle of the field, meaning his stat line would be impressive. I think something like 75 yards and a touchdown seems fair. That stat line looks nice, especially to fantasy owners, but is that really much of an "impact"?

3. Which Saints running back will have the best game?

KB: I think Sean Payton is going to continue spreading the wealth between Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas. Early on, both runners will see equal time, and the back that is proving to be more effective should see his role expanded as the night rolls on. Thomas has been on fire recently and is earning more yards per carry at the moment -- my guess is that he'll emerge as the back that runs more on Monday night.

TM: Ahhh, the $1,000,000 question. The way it looks like the Saints are going, expect to see something like this: 12-15 carries for Pierre Thomas, 12-15 for Mike Bell, 2-5 for Reggie Bush. Pierre will get almost all of the carries in the first half, Bell will get almost all of the carries in the second half as well as any goal-line carries. The way that sets up, I think Bell is the guy who has the best game. By the time he starts getting a heavy workload, defenses have already been worn out and ill-equipped to keep up with his fresh legs and powerful style. I see Pierre making the Falcons defense chase him to the outside a lot early to tire them before Bell punishes them up the middle. Of course, Bell's impact is dependent on whether the Saints are leading in the second half. If they're playing heavy catch-up, Pierre (and even more-so Bush) will see an increase in carries, but I expect the game to be at least close enough late (if the Saints aren't outright secure in a lead) that Bell and Thomas will split carries, with Bell's doing more damage.

Atlanta's Path to Victory: In the year and a half since head coach Mike Smith has taken over in Atlanta, the Falcons have not lost back-to-back games. They were crushed last week in Dallas, so it's safe to say that Atlanta should fare well tonight on the big Monday Night Football stage. If they are going to win and close the two game gap that New Orleans has already established, the Falcons will need Michael Turner to get back to 2008 form. Turner scored a rushing touchdown in each game against the Saints last season. He'll need to score again and improve on his yards per carry average which has dipped from 4.5 yards per carry last season to 3.4 in 2009.

On defense, the Falcons need to realize that they cannot completely stop the Saints high-powered offense. The secondary in Atlanta is young and has been exposed already this season - especially with the loss of Brian Williams and William Moore. Neither Brent Grimes or Chris Houston match up well against Marcus Colston and the secondary, as a whole, gave up 300 yards passing and three aerial touchdowns to a similar, yet less explosive, Cowboys offense last week. The Falcons defensive backs must keep plays in front of them and use a "bend but don't break" philosophy against Drew Brees and the plethora of passing targets available to the Saints quarterback. -- KB

New Orleans' Path to Victory: The Saints are the team of the century. OK, not really, but their weaknesses (yes, they do have them) are few and far between. Their offense has been nearly unstoppable, and their defense is the real story of the team's success. Their path to victory is simple -- don't fix what isn't broken.

Unfortunately, the team comes into Monday night's game without fullback Heath Evans, the free agent addition whose impact can not be underestimated. His blocking and receiving have made the team's offense much better than they were last year. He's maybe the least well-known name among the team's skill players on offense, but the loss is huge. They'll have to be creative in making up for his absence (especially considering he played a big role in helping out inexperienced left tackle Jermon Bushrod, who doesn't draw an easy assignment with John Abraham), but if anyone can gameplan around it, it's Sean Payton. Whenever this offense has lost pieces it's motored on virtually unabated. We'll see if that continues. -- TM

Predictions: If Atlanta has any dream of winning the NFC South, it must have this game. Meanwhile, New Orleans can flash its undefeated-season potential in front of a national-TV audience. You won't find a better atmosphere than the one in the Superdome on Monday, and it may wind up being one of the more entertaining contests of the season.

KB: New Orleans 42, Atlanta 30
TM: New Orleans 31, Atlanta 23

FanHouse Preview: Falcons at Saints originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Falcons Lose Second-Round Pick William Moore for Season

Knox Bardeen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:38:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC South, NFL Injuries

On Tuesday the Atlanta Falcons placed 2009 second-round draft pick William Moore on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

Moore, who Atlanta thought would be ready to immediately help at safety from day one, has been battling injuries since training camp. The 55th-overall selection from Missouri had knee surgery at the beginning of camp, only to recover and hurt his hamstring shortly thereafter. Moore battled through two hamstring tweaks this season before finally succumbing to the final blow that landed the 24-year-old on the injured reserve list.

Moore's move to the injured reserve comes almost five weeks after the Falcons were forced to place 2009 first-round selection Peria Jerry on the IR with a season-ending knee injury.

The injuries to Jerry and Moore mark the second season in a row that the Atlanta Falcons have had early-round draft picks suffer significantly from health issues. In 2008, first-round selection Sam Baker started five games at left tackle before surgery to remove herniated disc material forced him to miss almost two months of play.

To fill Moore's vacant roster spot, the Falcons have signed Aaron Stecker to help the depleted running back corps. Fullback Ovie Mughelli and Jerious Norwood have both been injured and missed time. Stecker, who has 381 carries for 1,511 yards and eight touchdowns in his nine year career, will add needed depth. Stecker should also help the Falcons on special teams as well.

Falcons Lose Second-Round Pick William Moore for Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confident Cowboys Deliver Billion-Dollar Performance Against Atlanta

Thomas George — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:07:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons

ARLINGTON, Texas -- As the Atlanta Falcons' team bus rolled toward the Cowboys' unique stadium on Sunday morning, where more than 81,000 fans would eventually swarm inside, safety Erik Coleman soaked in the sight. No doubt, he was not alone in wonderment.

"I thought to myself, 'So, this is what a billion dollars looks like,' " Coleman said. "And once the bus rolled inside of it we just kept riding and riding. Usually inside of a stadium, the bus stops pretty quickly.''

Not this time. No nasty halt for the Falcons. No rubber burned.

And the Falcons kept it going that way, opening like they were cozily at home, taking the game's first possession, keeping the ball for more than 8 minutes, and building a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

But then the stadium's walls seemed to close in on the Falcons. Or, at least, the Cowboys certainly began to constrict Atlanta.

Funky things started happening: a 59-yard pass for a Cowboys touchdown; a 73-yard Dallas punt return for another score; two Matt Ryan interceptions and one Ryan fumble, resulting in three Atlanta turnovers.

That 7-0 Falcons lead vanished into a 37-21 Dallas rout.

"We got 37 points, we got them in a lot of ways, so I think that means a lot against what people want to call a quality team,'' said Cowboys receiver/returner Patrick Crayton, who scored on the long punt return.

Both teams are now 4-2. But it was the Falcons who entered Sunday with more respect -- they had more victories against quality opponents, the Cowboys players heard. Dallas wanted a piece of that respect, and believed toppling Atlanta would get it.

It sounded a little silly, a little hyped, until you heard Dallas owner Jerrry Jones say, when asked about the margin of his team's victory in this game: "It really was the statement we were trying to make.''

OK, statement made. Right now, the Cowboys are better than the Falcons.

The Cowboys still have a chance to become an elite team, and they will get every shot they desire to earn the type of respect they seek. They even think that they may see the Falcons again, right here in the playoffs, with Sunday's victory paying off by helping to give Dallas the home-field edge in a potential rematch.

To get that far, though, the Cowboys will need a lot more efforts like they had Sunday, when they got it done on both sides of the ball.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo played a more seasoned game than Atlanta's Matt Ryan.

As Romo comfortably hit on 21-of-29 pass attempts, the Cowboys' pass rush made Ryan antsy. Several of his timing routes to his receivers, that were clicking early, became robot-like throws to the same spots, even though the defense had responded and the passing lanes were closing. Little wonder that Ryan finished with 16 incompletions.

The Dallas secondary made the biggest strides in this game, stepping more boldly in front of passes as the game wore on, jumping routes, jumping receivers, mauling them in their tackling. Cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman led this wave.

"Yes, I felt like we started to do that across the board but especially in the secondary,'' Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "I was concerned about the fact that we had the bye week and we were starting slowly. I thought maybe it would take us some time to really get going. Too much time. But our guys responded.''

It is always about that with the Cowboys. Responding.

With the billion-dollar building come the billion-dollar questions -- not to mention heightened expectations. Romo feels them. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett feels them.

Garrett was told in the locker room, after his offense had rolled up 414 yards, four touchdowns and three field goals, that some believed Dallas could not win this game if it was forced to score more than 24 points.

"Well, we live for another day, huh?'' Garrett said. "Maybe we silenced some of that for one day. Our receivers and tight ends got us into some one-on-one situations where they were able to execute. We had to win some battles and make some plays and we did that. It was good to see us show that kind of versatility.''

Dallas receiver Miles Austin showed it, scoring on catches of 59 and 22 yards. Austin finished with 6 catches for 171 yards. He has become a big player for Dallas who is making big plays.

The Cowboys and Garrett used Austin beautifully on the 22-yard-passing score. Austin was lined wide right in man coverage against Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes -- Austin is 6-foot-3, 214 pounds; Grimes 5-foot-10, 185. It made sense that, if the Cowboys could get Austin in open space near the end zone against Grimes, his size advantage could prove decisive.

Zip, zap. Austin catches the ball near the Atlanta 10-yard-line and Grimes flies past trying to tackle him. Touchdown.

All over the field, Dallas began to win the matchups. That Austin scoring grab made it 24-14 late in the third quarter. The Cowboys added 13 more points in the fourth.

"I looked back some there, took the wrong angle, he competed and he got away,'' Grimes said. "We missed too many tackles as a group all night.''

Coleman explained about the Falcons defense: "Sometimes we were getting caught up in things. We'd blitz and it didn't work, and we'd be in trouble downfield. Or sometimes it was something else unpredictable.''

"Uncharacteristic" is the word Falcons coach Mike Smith used to describe his team's disjointed effort.

"I think,'' Cowboys guard Leonard Davis said, "we started out a little too fast and ahead of ourselves and literally had to slow down and then increase the speed of the game from there. You know what I mean?''

Believe so. Davis is saying that the Cowboys enjoyed this battle against the Falcons. That they used the bye week to study this opponent intensely and knew them well. That they reveled in taking some of the Falcons' luster and slapping it on their own blue stars.

This victory makes Dallas interesting and relevant in the NFC once again.

"At the end of most days, I think we're pretty good,'' Romo said as he walked to his car after his steady, impressive day of work. "They started so fast, but you just can't let that affect your emotions or your plan for four quarters. Every NFL game has five or six different levels of playing, of how the games go.

"You have to keep grounded and going through the things you believe in. We did that. We're OK. We'll be all right. We've got a chance.''

Confident Cowboys Deliver Billion-Dollar Performance Against Atlanta originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Between the Lines: Which Tackles Are Starring and Which Are Struggling?

JJ Cooper — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Packers, Panthers, Steelers, NFL Analysis

As we have done since the FanHouse began, I'll be taking a look every week at some aspect of line play. You can read more features in the series here. Check back every Thursday for a new Between The Lines.

If you're a reasonably diligent football fan, it's pretty easy to follow which running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers are living up to their reputations -- you just check the stats. It's not as easy, but you can also get a pretty good sense of which pass rushers are having big years, by checking out the sacks.

But when it comes to evaluating offensive linemen, it's a lot tougher to know which blockers are starring and which ones are living off reputation.

After logging 401 sacks this season, it's time to start diving into the numbers to try to get a better sense of who has stood out this year.

Thanks the Sunday Ticket Shortcuts and the NFL's easily available gamebooks, I've watched and re-watched all but two of the 401 sacks that have taken place this season in the NFL (thanks to CBS' technical screw-up five minutes of last week's Redskins game was lost forever).

I've logged how many rushers were sent on the play, who gave up the sack, the down and distance, how long the quarterback held the ball before the sack and who was responsible for the sack. Thankfully on most sacks the culprit is pretty clear. Usually it's a sacker simply lining up and beating the man trying to block him. On other plays it can get more difficult, as a blitzer will come free or a stunt will lead to a missed hand-off from one offensive lineman to another. In those cases, I've assigned the block to the blocker most likely to have been responsible for the rusher. If two blockers were both responsible, I assigned them each half a sack. And if the quarterback ran his way into a sack or a play call left no blocker with a chance to block the sacker, that sack was logged as the responsibility of the quarterback or play call (roughly 80 of the 401 sacks fall into that category).

So lets take a look at which offensive tackles have given up the most sacks. Eventually we'll list every offensive linemen, but considering how many centers and guards are still without a sack allowed, that can wait a couple of weeks. But if you're an offensive tackle who has played every week without giving up a sack, you're putting together a pretty impressive season.

OFFENSIVE TACKLES SACKS ALLOWED
Allen Barbre	Green Bay	6
Levi Brown	Arizona	5
Jordan Gross	Carolina	5
Daryn Colledge	Green Bay	5
Jeff Backus	Detroit	4
Erik Pears	Oakland	4
Duane Brown	Houston	4
Demetrius Bell	Buffalo	4
Winston Justice	Philadelphia	3.5
Stephen Heyer	Washington	3.5
Jeromey Clary	San Diego	3.5
Max Starks	Pittsburgh	3.5
John St. Clair	Cleveland	3.5
Ray Willis	Seattle	3
Phil Loadholt	Minnesota	3
Michael Roos	Tennessee	3
Marcus McNeill	San Diego	3
Mike Gandy	Arizona	3
Kyle Williams	Seattle	3
Jake Long	Miami	3
Flozell Adams	Dallas	3
Eben Britton	Jacksonville	3
Donald Penn	Tampa Bay	3
Andrew Whitworth	Cincinnati	3
Anthony Collins	Cincinnati	3
Ryan Harris	Denver	2.5
Michael Oher	Baltimore	2.5
Chris Samuel	Washington	2.5
Brandon Albert	Kansas City	2.5
Vernon Carey	Miami	2
Ryan Clady	Denver	2
Jeremy Trueblood	Tampa Bay	2
Joe Thomas	Cleveland	2
Jeff Otah	Carolina	2
Jermon Bushrod	New Orleans	2
Chris Williams	Chicago	2
Chad Clifton	Green Bay	2
Bryant McKinnie	Minnesota	2
Brandon Frye	Seattle	2
Mario Henderson	Oakland	1.5
D'Brickshaw Ferguson	N.Y. Jets	1.5
Tra Thomas	Jacksonville	1
Sam Baker	Atlanta	1
Ryan O'Callaghan	Kansas City	1
Nick Kaczur	New England	1
Kareem McKenzie	N.Y. Giants	1
Jason Peters	Philadelphia	1
Jon Jansen	Detroit	1
Jared Gaither	Baltimore	1
Eric Winston	Houston	1
Damien Woody	N.Y. Jets	1
David Diehl	N.Y. Giants	1
Cornell Green	Oakland	1
Brad Butler	Buffalo	1
Adam Goldberg	St. Louis	1
Alex Barron	St. Louis	1
Orlando Pace	Chicago	0.5
Jonathan Scott	Buffalo	0.5
Willie Colon	Pittsburgh	0
Tyson Clabo	Atlanta	0
Sean Locklear	Seattle	0
Ryan Diem	Indianapolis	0
Matt Light	New England	0
Mark Colombo	Dallas	0
Jonathan Stinchcomb	New Orleans	0
Ichekuku Ndukwe	Kansas City	0
David Stewart	Tennessee	0
Charlie Johnson	Indianapolis	0

If you're a Packers fan, it probably won't surprise you to see a pair of Green Bay offensive linemen near the top of the list for sacks allowed by tackles.

But no one expected Packers right tackle Allen Barbre or fill-in tackle Daryn Colledge to be anything more than adequate. Barbre is truly the Packers' weakest link now that Chad Clifton is back at left tackle. And as we documented last year, Cardinals right tackle Levi Brown struggles with pass blocking, so seeing him near the top of the list is almost to be expected.

But seeing Panthers' franchise player Jordan Gross among the list of shame is pretty shocking. It seems Julius Peppers isn't the only Panthers star who has struggled at times this year. Gross had a disastrous three-sacks-allowed game against the Redskins as Andre Carter beat him a couple of times on simple speed rushes around the outside. One of those five sacks came when he appeared to miss his assignment on an overload blitz by the Eagles, but he's also been beaten multiple times one-on-one.

At the other end of the spectrum, Indianapolis has allowed only two sacks all season and neither has been allowed by an offensive tackle. The Falcons have also allowed only two sacks -- both in the season opener against the Dolphins. Part of that can be credited to Matt Ryan's quick release, but Tyson Clabo (0 sacks) and Sam Baker (1 sack) also deserve lots of praise.

It's also impressive to see Steelers right tackle Willie Colon among the unblemished. Colon has had pass protection problems in the past (6.5 sacks last year), but he's shown significant improvement this season.

Here are some other notes from watching the lines for Week Six.

-- There is a lot of legitimate criticism of Andy Reid's decision to forget the running game in the Eagles' shocking upset loss to the Raiders. But it's nearly as surprising that the Raiders' leaky offensive line was able to handle the Eagles' pass rush. Oakland's line has had lots of turnovers this year -- three diferent players have started at left guard, there have been two different centers and two different right tackles. Erik Pears, the fill-in left guard and right tackle, has been a weak link with four sacks and the Raiders need to work on their backs blitz pick-up -- the running backs are responsible for four sacks -- but left tackle Mario Henderson (1.5 sacks allowed) is giving the Raiders their first solid play at left tackle in years.

-- The Kansas City Chiefs may need to rethink some of their blocking schemes. Tight end Sean Ryan gave up his fifth sack of the season on Sunday against the Redskins. No other tight end in the league has given up more than two sacks this year.

It's hard to blame Ryan too much for this. He's given up sacks to Osi Umenyiora, Brian Orakpo and Juqua Parker. It's hard to ask a tight end to adequately block three of the better pass rushers in the NFC East. Ryan bounced round to three different teams last year, so he's fortunate to have a starting job, but the Chiefs are asking him to do things that he's not really capable of doing when they ask him to handle defensive ends one-on-one.

-- There's been a lot of explanations given for the Broncos' amazing defensive turnaround. And there are a lot of good reasons to explain why the Broncos have gone from 29th last year in yards allowed to second this year.

You can credit new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan first of all for giving the defense an identity. Last year the Broncos switched back and forth between the 3-4 and the 4-3 like they were changing socks. And even when they did go with the 3-4, they did it with undersized linebackers like Boss Bailey while asking undersized defensive ends like Elvis Dumervill to play up on the line.

This year Nolan has made them a 3-4 team with an identity, and he's done an excellent job of getting pass rushers like Dumervill into situations to create havoc.

But what stood out against the Chargers was Nolan's clever use of delayed blitzes. You don't often see delayed blitzes because they usually take too long to develop pressure against the fast-paced NFL offenses. You have to time it perfectly -- rush too soon and the offense can adjust to pick up the second blitzer, rush too late and it doesn't even matter.

But Nolan pulled out the delayed blitz in perfect situations against the Chargers. San Diego likes to throw deep to Vincent Jackson and the rest of their crew of tall receivers, so the delayed blitz has a little more time to reach Phillip Rivers.

It worked three different times against the Chargers. On the first sack, defensive back Andre Goodman waited until a linebacker had fully occupied the Chargers tailback serving as the quarterback's last line of defense. By delaying his rush, Goodman got a free rush at Rivers for an easy sack. The same approach worked later for a sack by linebacker D.J. Williams. It also worked to a degree on the Broncos' last sack of the night, although defensive linemen Darrell Reid simply beat Louis Vasquez for the sack.

Between the Lines: Which Tackles Are Starring and Which Are Struggling? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevis Jackson Likely Atlanta's Nickel Back After Brian Williams' Injury

Knox Bardeen — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:39:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC South, NFL Injuries

The last thing the Atlanta Falcons wanted on Sunday night was to lose Brian Williams to a season-ending knee injury. But Williams landed funny in the fourth quarter of the Falcons 21-14 victory over Chicago and tore his ACL, forcing Williams to be placed on injured reserve, where he'll miss the rest of the season and require reconstructive surgery. Now, the 18th-ranked Atlanta pass defense must find a new cornerback somewhere on their roster.

"This will be an opportunity for Tye Hill, Chris Owens and Chevis Jackson", said head coach Mike Smith in a press conference Monday. Those three will compete for time in the secondary, playing alongside cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Chris Houston.

Owens and Jackson have been on the roster all season but have seen limited time on the field. Jackson has only four tackles and Owens just three, but both a far ahead of Hill who hasn't played a down yet.

"Tye is a guy that did not go through our OTA's and did not go through training camp.", Smith said. "He was a late addition. There is a learning curve and Tye has been working very diligently to learn our defense. He's going to get an opportunity this week to step in and compete for that corner position."

If the way Erik Coleman is talking is indicative of how the coaching staff feels, Chevis Jackson will see the most extra playing time with Williams out.

"I think Chevis will do a good job with that," Coleman said. "He was our starting nickel last year and I think he'll do a good job."

Coach Smith spoke of the second-year back out of Louisiana State in his press conference saying that he knew Jackson was disappointed with the demotion he received when Williams joined the team. "I think that Chevis accepted it and now he's going to get another opportunity to play and I think he'll make the most of it."

Coleman also said that good communication is the key to Atlanta's defense and that Chevis Jackson knows the system well enough that it will be smooth transition for everyone.

The Falcons have made strides over the last two weeks with their "bend, but don't break" philosophy. They've allowed teams an average of only 12 points against them since their loss in New England and second-year safety Thomas DeCoud was just named Defensive Player of the Week for his two interception performance against the Bears.

As for how Jackson feels he'll perform if he's given the chance to retake the Falcons job of nickel back, "I'll be prepared to go out there and make plays."

Chevis Jackson Likely Atlanta's Nickel Back After Brian Williams' Injury originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday Night Football Live Chat: Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons

Adam Gretz — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta made a statement last Sunday with its 45-10 thrashing of San Francisco, while the Bears are coming off a bye week that was preceded by a three-game winning streak. The two teams meet in Atlanta on Sunday night, and we'll be chatting about all of the action (and the rest of Sunday's slate of games).

Please join us at 8:15 PM ET.

More Coverage: Falcons' Keys to Victory

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Sunday Night Football Live Chat: Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Four Keys to a Falcons' Win

Knox Bardeen — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:06:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, NFC North, NFC South, FanHouse Previews

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Sunday Night, the Chicago Bears are in town visiting the Atlanta Falcons and fireworks could be in order inside the Georgia Dome. Both offenses can be prolific and they will be throwing against weaker defensive secondaries.

So expect the scoreboard operators to get a workout. When all is said and done, if the result is going to favor the Falcons, here's what they'll need to do.

o. The Bears rank 4th in the NFL with 14 sacks. Adewale Ogunleye has 4.5 and Alex Brown has 2.5 to lead the pass rush, but seven other players each have a sack. The bring the heat well and frustrate the best of opposing quarterbacks. The Falcons, on the other hand, have the best offensive line in the league when it comes to protecting the quarterback as Matt Ryan has only been sacked twice this season. The offensive line must continue to protect Ryan on Sunday night, giving him time to find any of his plethora of receiving targets.

More Coverage: Game Preview | Full Week 6 Scoreboard

o. Atlanta came out of a bye week and traveled to San Francisco -- and you saw what they did to the 49'ers. The Bears roll into Atlanta rested from their bye week and the Falcons need to focus on running their offensive game plan and not think too much about the extra time Chicago had to prepare. Ryan said it best, "They will be a little bit rested, but I never put too much stock into the bye week and coming off it. I think that everybody shows up week in and week out prepared to play. Teams do a great job in the NFL of getting ready to go regardless of whether or not they're coming of a bye week. We know Chicago is going to come in here ready and fresh and that it's going to be a tough matchup for us." Don't let bye-week get you upset."

o. Chicago has had a rough time this season containing opposing No. 1 receivers. In three of Chicago's four games they have allowed an opposing receiver to gain 100-plus yards. If Ryan gets the time to throw, he must take advantage of the Bears secondary and one of his two top targets, either Roddy White of Tony Gonzalez, needs to amass 100 yards.

o. During the Atlanta bye week the coaching staff surprised Jamaal Anderson by trying him on the interior of the defensive line instead of his normal defensive end spot. He made his first start there against San Francisco and had two tackles and got his hands on the quarterback twice as well. Anderson is enjoying his new position and needs to come up big on Sunday to help contain Matt Forte. If Forte is kept in check, the Falcons chances of winning grow.

Four Keys to a Falcons' Win originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Falcons for Real: Roddy White, Defense Pace Convincing Atlanta Win

Nancy Gay — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:10:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, NFC South, NFL Quarterbacks

SAN FRANCISCO -- Anyone who doubted the authenticity of the Atlanta Falcons following their 2-1 start has to take notice after Sunday's 45-10 blowout of the San Francisco 49ers, a game that could have easily exposed the visitors as the pretenders their skeptics thought they might be.

Would they perform a cross-country face plant, coming off the dreaded bye-week hangover? Would they come out like the humbled, outmatched team that resembled the post-Bobby Petrino wreckage in that Week 3 26-10 loss to the Patriots in Foxborough?

Not a chance.

More: Check Box Score | Singletary Apologizes for Heated Exchange

It's time to acknowledge that the Falcons -- now 14-6 since coach Mike Smith took over for Petrino in 2008 -- are among the NFC's elite teams, and it's a good idea to dial down those lofty expectations for the 49ers (3-2), who remain an interesting work in progress under the disciplined, emotional hand of coach Mike Singletary.

This was no contest Sunday, not with the 49ers giving up 477 total yards to quarterback Matt Ryan and an Atlanta offense that came in ranked 23rd in the NFL. On a day when wide receiver Roddy White set a Falcons' franchise record for most receiving yards in a single game (eight catches, 210 yards, two touchdowns), Atlanta's offense felt it could score at will.

"Well, we all had fun today," a giddy Smith said.

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It was so easy for Atlanta, even maligned running back Michael Turner scored three rushing touchdowns and churned out 97 yards against the 49ers' fourth-ranked run defense.

"You just feel like any play that [offensive coordinator Mike] Mularkey called would be successful," said Falcons center Todd McClure, who recovered a third-quarter Dre' Bly showboating fumble and helped his offense turn three 49ers' turnovers into 17 points.

And so the 49ers' soaring five-game home winning streak that dated back to '08 fell from the seagull-laden, foggy San Fran skies with a splat, and was greeted by a refrain of boos from the disgusted Candlestick Park contingent. The affection for gritty quarterback Shaun Hill -- who took a 7-0 home record into this game and endeared himself to fans for not being Alex Smith -- seemed to end early in the first quarter, when Brian Williams picked off a pass intended for Vernon Davis on San Francisco's opening drive.

One Turner 7-yard touchdown later and Atlanta's scoring spree was shifted into first gear. Sensing the game was getting out of hand, Singletary tried to rally his guys by calling timeout and bringing everyone together for a group huddle at the sideline.

So much for that speech: Ryan then found White on a 31-yard scoring pass, leaving the 49ers' sixth-ranked defense completely stunned. Hill was manhandled, completing only four of his first 15 passes, and 15 of 38 for the day for 198 yards. He was sacked three times.

Defensively, the 49ers really stunk. And that was a surprise.

"I didn't even [have] an idea ... never saw it coming. Whatever could have gone wrong, it did times two," said 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes, who stared into space and tried to make sense of it all. "One bad thing happened, and then it started compounding on top of each other and before you knew it, you blink and you look up and and we were behind by two touchdowns."

This was a statement game by the Falcons, even if they were reluctant to call it that.

"The team had been thinking about this for almost two weeks now, coming off the New England loss," said Atlanta's talented young general manager Thomas Dimitroff, the Bill Belichick disciple who wanted urgency from his players in that Pats' game and saw nothing resembling it. "And I think it was one of those things where it was such a ramped-up sense of focus.

"This team knows they're better than what they showed in New England, and I think coming into this game, we were operating on all cylinders. This is a heck of a defense in here. The fact they were able to generate opportunities for our offense is a feather in this team's cap."

Ryan is maturing into a true franchise quarterback, converting Atlanta's three takeaways into two touchdowns and a Jason Elam field goal, spreading the ball among eight receivers and completing 22 of 32 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and a harmless pick. He also ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"We were just trying to put one together," said White, who overcame his slow early season start in a huge way.

White's 90-yard catch-and-run scoring reception was the first of three second-quarter Atlanta touchdowns, and suddenly Ryan was leading a team that may be a legit threat to division-leading Saints (4-0) -- that's why Sunday's win was so important for the Falcons.

"Obviously New Orleans has been playing very, very well this year so far," Ryan said. "We're not trying to keep pace with them, but at the same time we're focusing on what we do."

Falcons for Real: Roddy White, Defense Pace Convincing Atlanta Win originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Fiery' Mike Singletary Shouts at Falcons' Harvey Dahl, Apologizes Afterward

Nancy Gay — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:40:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, FanHouse Exclusive

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Atlanta Falcons weren't even finished piling up takeaways, yards and points in Sunday's 45-10 rout of the 49ers at Candlestick Park when San Francisco coach Mike Singletary lost his sideline poise.

Rather than take out his frustrations on one of his underachieving players, Singletary instead engaged in a third-quarter shouting match with Falcons right guard Harvey Dahl.

During an early third-quarter drive that was dominated by running back Michael Turner (22 total carries for 97 yards) chewing up the 49ers' 3-4 defensive front, Singletary and Dahl argued back and forth, with both of them very animated and obviously irate. Neither was penalized for the jawing match.

More: Check Box Score | Complete NFL Coverage

But Singletary, whose 3-2 team surrendered 477 total yards and handed the surging Falcons (3-1) 17 points off two lost fumbles and an interception, was contrite after the game, saying his sideline behavior was unacceptable.

"I'll put it this way: I wish I had more coaching etiquette. I don't," said Singletary, an emotional coach who was remarkably composed after watching his much-improved team stumble so badly at home. "I love my players and when someone responds about my players in a particular way, I may do some things I shouldn't do. I have to get better at those things as time goes on. I don't even want to talk about it anymore."

In 2008 during his debut contest as interim coach after Mike Nolan was sacked, Singletary gained infamy for ordering tight end Vernon Davis off the field and into the locker room. He also dropped his pants and pointed to his backside during a halftime speech excoriating his players, and benched quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan along with Davis in that memorable Oct. 26 contest.

This year, Singletary is more careful about showing that "Iron Mike" demeanor that got him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "I don't know the player," he said of Dahl. "It was something I shouldn't have done and you move on."

Dahl, who has been identified as one of the NFL's dirtiest players in annual player polls, grinned and clammed up when asked what he may have said to rile up Singletary.

"He's just a fiery guy," Dahl said repeatedly.

His offensive line teammates laughed at Dahl's response. "C'mon! Tell the truth!" center Todd McClure shouted.

"He's a fiery guy and that's all I'll say about it," Dahl said, bursting out in laughter.

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San Francisco 49ers Photos

San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee (29) drives past Atlanta Falcons players in the second quarter of an NFL football game, in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

San Francisco 49ers Photos

San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (85) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud (28) in the second quarter of their NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner (33) scores against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill (13) leaps as he passes against the Atlanta Falcons in the first quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary appears before their NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, left, and running back Frank Gore, right, talk on the sidelines in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 11: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons passes the ball during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on October 11, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Ryan

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 11: Michael Turner #33 of the Atlanta Falcons runs with the ball during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on October 11, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Turner

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 11: Michael Crabtree, the San Francisco 49ers first round draft pick, watches the 49ers game against the Atlanta Falcons on the sidelines at Candlestick Park on October 11, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Crabtree

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 11: Shaun Hill #13 ofthe San Francisco 49ers passes the ball during their game against the Atlanta Falcons at Candlestick Park on October 11, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Shaun Hill

Getty Images

'Fiery' Mike Singletary Shouts at Falcons' Harvey Dahl, Apologizes Afterward originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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