SB Nation - Tony Gonzalez

Falcons And Jets Recap: On The Way To 9-7

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:42 -0000

by Kathy Willens - AP

Ah, victory. How I missed you. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

I've been accused of being a bit too verbose in these kinds of posts, so let me break this down in the easiest way possible.

Winning is fun.

Yes, it was fun to be an Atlanta Falcons fan again yesterday, fun for the first time in nearly a month. It's not that there weren't exciting moments and little triumphs, but ultimately what you plunk down your soul for when you select a sports franchise is winning. There's a lot of extra baggage that comes with that, but nothing feels quite so sweet as the win. So even though it was a game the Falcons repeatedly tried to give away with an inept offensive display for three quarters, it was a win. Praise the football gods!

The defensively-minded Buffalo Bills and the unpredictable Tampa Bay Bucs are now all that lie between us and that winning season we've all been hoping for, and I think we can do it. My sunny disposition has been restored and I now believe many things, including the fact that we will defy mathematics to make the playoffs. Eliminated, you say? That's just another word for quitting.

But I've gotten long-winded again. Please, by all means, check out the meat of the recap after the jump.

HIGHLIGHTS

Matt Ryan was far from great on Sunday, but he came back still hurting against the league's best defense and tossed a touchdown pass when it mattered. He will have to get better in a hurry if we're going to finish the season on a high note, but at least this was a step in the right direction.
Considering the absurdly bad runs being called for him, I thought Jason Snelling was once again solid. The Jets were putting up a brick wall and Mike Mularkey was asking him to run right into it, so considering that his 3.5ish run per carry average isn't half bad. It would be really nice to have Michael Turner back on the field for more than one play, though.
On a day when the passing game was basically shut down, Tony Gonzalez still got his touchdown and sealed the victory for the Falcons. He can't got unmentioned, because it takes two for the touchdown tango, so to speak. Roddy White's four catches for 33 yards actually isn't completely horrible when you consider that Darrelle Revis was matched up against him. That's no easy task.
The much-maligned offensive line quietly kept Matt Ryan on his feet for the entire game. The Jets have a decent pass rush and Ryan wasn't operating at full strength, so this is an impressive sign for them. It's kind of an indictment of the offense that there wasn't any sacks and nothing happened for most of the game, but hey. We still won, right?
Brent Grimes was just plain awesome Sunday. Both of his picks came at critical times and showed off his athleticism. There's legitimate ability there, regardless of any size concerns, and my hunch is that Grimes will be either in the starting lineup or in a nickel role going into 2010.
Thomas DeCoud gets honorable mention for his ball-hawking ways. There's growth to be done here—he still isn't the most able tackler—but safeties who can grab a few interceptions are welcome in the Falcons' backfield any time.
John Abraham and Thomas Johnson both got sacks, and both probably needed them after muddling through recent weeks without sniffing one. Well done, boyos. Hell, kudos to the entire defense today.
Michael Koenen continues to punt his way into our hearts, averaging 39.9 yards on eight punts and one swoon per booming kick.

LOWLIGHTS

I'm going to beat this drum until someone else beats Mike Mularkey over the head with this simple fact: Our offensive playcalling is not putting us in a position to win. Going against the league's best defense, you have to do something more creative than repeatedly running up the gut and depending on your receivers to break free of coverage. Mularkey has that reputation as a creative dude, but it's more for the occasional gadget play that works insanely well than sustained cleverness. It may just be the way the entire team is going, but he's gotta be sweating a little with the way this supposedly elite offense has been performing, injuries or no.
Speaking of injuries, why even trot Michael Turner out there? To confuse the Jets? Considering he only had one carry—at least it was seven yards—I can't imagine that actually worked all that well. Rex Ryan isn't manning the helm of one of the league's best defenses because he gets flustered by a guy making a guest appearance. Let the dude heal or declare him ready and give him a decent workload.
Admittedly it was a 48 yard field goal, but seeing Matt Bryant miss a field goal gave me unfortunate flashbacks.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: It's gotta be Grimes. You don't grab two interceptions and alter the course of a 10-7 game and get anything less than an MVP. Congratulations, Grimey!

Game Theme Song: Please don't listen to all seven minutes of this.

One Thing To Take Away: It's not the playoffs, but sweet redemption is still at hand.

Next Week: The Buffalo Bills can be found at Buffalo Rumblings . Despite the name, it's actually an excellent Bills blog and not something that happens when you have way too many wings.

Final Word: Win.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Atlanta Falcons Pass Offense

John B — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:14:54 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Chris Redman could be pressed into action for the Falcons once again.

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This is a tough spot for the Falcons. They might have their backup quarterback start against the league's top rated pass defense. They might have a starter who has missed two games and was limited in practice this week trying to shake off the rust against the league's top rated pass defense. Either way, the Jets have to like this matchup. Matt Ryan is certainly more of a playmaker, but he's turned it over 14 times in 11 starts. That's not a good sign against an opportunistic defense.

Roddy White leads the Falcons with 915 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He'll draw Darrelle Revis, who will probably hold him well short of his averages. Tony Gonzalez leads the Falcons with 75 receptions, emerging as a security blanket for Ryan and Chris Redman. With Revis on White and Lito Sheppard having an edge against Michael Jenkins, the Jets will be able to mix up their looks on Gonzalez a lot. The Falcons don't have many weapons in the passing game beyond those three. Their fourth leading receiver averages under 2 catches per game.

I do not think the Falcons will focus on the pass. There are too many issues at the quarterback position, and this defense is too good. Also adding to the trouble is the offensive line. Left tackle Sam Baker was limited this week by an elbow injury. Center Todd McClure was battling a knee injury. Both are probably going to play, but they will be likely less than 100%. Right guard Harvey Dahl missed last week's game with an ankle injury. You can be sure with all of this news, the Jets won't hesistate to attack Atlanta.

Jets Flight Connections 121709

dvdvil — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:20:02 -0000

It is a sad day for the NFL and for the family of Bengals WR Chris Henry.

May he rest in peace.

Jets HC Rex Ryan wasn't ready to make a decision yesterday on the starting QB, but we should find out later today.

The New York Post's Kevin Kernan says that QB Mark Sanchez needs to start.

Filip Bondy of The Daily News says that The Sanchize needs to grow up fast.

Mark Cannizzaro's blog mentions how Rex reacted to LB Bart Scott's foul in Tampa Bay.

Manish Mehta writes about Scott's punishment, RB Shonn Greene's fumbling and Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez on CB Darrelle Revis. A couple of videos are attached.

If you have a subscription to Jets Confidential, here is an article on Revis and LB Calvin Pace.

Greene will learn to protect the football from mentor RB Thomas Jones, praised in this article by G Alan Faneca.

Revis and Jones are two of three AFC East MVPs.

Revis is one of NFL Fanhouse's non-QB MVPs.

The New York Times blog is shocked at the lack of attention towards TJ.

ESPN.com shows us where the top AFC East players are in Pro Bowl voting.

Newyorkjets.com has an article on the defense.

DT Kris Jenkins talks about money and marriage.

More connections after the jump.

Thanks to David Wyatt for this link: jetstwit.com, where I found this article on Bills great Thurman Thomas encouraging FS Kerry Rhodes.

That then made me look into twitter.com and their little known facts about Revis.

K Jay Feely thinks the Colts should play hard tonight.

Foxsports.com says the same ol' Jets will lose on Sunday, although the spread is Jets -6.

Thebiglead.com predicts the Jets will win out but lose the tiebreakers.

We signed a tackle to our practice squad.

Gang Green going up, Big Blue going down.

Thejetsblog.com has D'Brickashaw Ferguson's appearance on SNY's "Jets Extra Point."

Jetnation.com has a 1st Round Mock Draft.

This blogger is excited about the Jets defense.

Northjersey.com remembers Curtis Martin breaking records in the snow five years ago.

Jets team photographer Al Pereira posted his favorite shots of Marty Lyons.

Jonathan Babineaux says sorry, and then we find out about another Falcon's arrest.

Former Bills HC Mike Mularkey is now Falcons OC and taking heat for playcalling.

Two current Jets coaches have ties with Atlanta football - former Falcon Chuck Smith and former assistant Doug Plank.

While former Jet and DB Coach Corwin Brown recently left his job at Notre Dame, former Jets DB Coach Mike MacIntyre got a promotion at San Jose State.

The Arizona Cardinals not only have former Jets P Ben Graham, they also added Jets former first round pick K Mike Nugent.

Titans RB Chris Johnson says that Dolphins WR Ted Ginn changed his mind about racing him.

Meanwhile, QB Vince Young didn't practice for Tennessee.

Neither did Patriots QB Tom Brady.

Your daily reminder: You have until Dec. 21 to send the Jets to the Pro Bowl.

Lastly, here is Chris Henry this preseason for the Bengals:

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Falcons

saints-nation — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:24 -0000

by Dave Martin - AP

7 days ago: New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) reacts after the Saints stopped the Atlanta Falcons on fourth down near the end of their NFL football game in Atlanta, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

View full size photo »

Here's the defensive and special teams grades. They are really, really bad. Keep in mind that while, yes, they held Atlanta to 23 points, they were torched by Chris Redman.

Saints vs Falcons recap

Saints vs Falcons boxscore

Saints vs Falcons coverage

Will Smith: D+ (2.74) Smith was completely neutralized on his pass rushing attempts. I don't know what teams are doing differently, but I sense they're taking advantage of Grant's nonexistent play to load up against Smith. Smith finished with 1 tackle on a nice hustle play downfield inside the Saints' 5 to tackle Tony Gonzalez from behind and save a touchdown. No matter, the Falcons would score on the next play. An extremely quiet day for the normally more active end.

Charles Grant: F (1.97) Congratulations, Charles, you've received my first official F of the season. It's quite an impressive feat, actually, that of all the performances I've graded throughout the season Grant has been the only one bad enough to get this grade. It takes a true commitment to laziness, failure and apathy to pull this one off. To get an F despite playing on a 13-0 team is even more impressive. Wow, Charles, you've outdone yourself. At one point Grant was beaten around the edge and showed decent pursuit, only to make his one and only tackle around the line of scrimmage as the play was held up on the sideline, I was almost disappointed. I thought to myself, "man that was a decent play Charles, are you going to pull off another D-?". But screw it, I'm done with the guy. He deserves an F. He's lining up pitiful performance after another, and on top of that he's rewarding the opposition with personal foul penalties and free first downs into field goal range. It's bad enough that he's being manhandled and completely useless, but he's got to cost us 15 yards too? Saintsational mentioned he's not hungry. I beg to differ, he's obviously very hungry, have you seen his stomach? His GPA is plummeting faster than the stock market was in March. Pass rushing? Forget about it. I'm telling you all right now that the chance of this guy getting another sack this season are zero. Run defense, his supposed strength? Forget about it. He's now too fat, too slow and too effortless to make a play. Am I too hard on the guy? Probably. But enough is enough. He's one of the highest paid players on the team and he has sucked. Am I even allowed to say that? Saintsational might dock my salary.

Bobby McCray: D (1.97) Nice GPA, Bobby. You guys might notice that McCray's GPA is dangerously close to someone else I've been ragging on. So close in fact, could they be the same player? McCray is getting less and less playing time in this defense. I know he's listed on the injury report and limited in practice each week. Is he too hurt to play? He's regressed majorly from a season ago. When he did get in against Atlanta, Redman had all the time in the world. No tackles for McCray.

Anthony Hargrove: C- (2.31) Hargrove had decent push up the middle, and had a nice tackle against the run. That was his only tackle, though, despite extended playing time. Ultimately, the defensive line as a whole got absolutely no pressure on Redman and they were manhandled by the Atlanta pass blocking depsite the fact that they were battling numerous injuries.

Sedrick Ellis: B- (2.70) Ellis wasn't great, but he was much better than his counterparts. He has still seemed rusty to me, and at one point I saw him walk gingerly off the field. I don't think his knee is close to 100%. One thing is undeniable, though, and that's that even when Sedrick Ellis isn't playing lights out, he's not giving up. Same came be said for Smith, and effort goes for a lot. Sometimes good things happen to you and plays find their way to you when you go out there and make some effort. Ellis finished with 3 tackles, and he got a borderline "sack" when he stopped Chris Redman around the line of scrimmage. That play was nice, though, because it forced Atlanta to kick a field goal on a 3rd and 2 play.

Remi Ayodele: B (2.31) Ayodele did an excellent job again clogging up the middle and limiting Atlanta's ability to run the football with a skeleton crew. He just had one tackle, but his impact was evident and useful. He's lined up a couple straight solid performances, so he's starting to grow on me. Atlanta finished with 89 yards rushing, but that didn't stop them from passing almost at will on the Saints.

Scott Shanle: C- (2.59) It's not that he was particularly bad in this game, it's that he wasn't really involved. This was a hard performance to grade because I couldn't really point to any things that Shanle did that disappointed me. You guys all know by now I'm a bigger fan of Shanle's than the average Saints fan. I always have been. Just 2 tackles though, and he was very quiet.

Jonathan Vilma: A- (2.98) I was upset with Vilma for allowing Jason Snelling to slip into the middle of the field for a 38 yard gain on the opening drive. Vilma took a bad angle on the play and showed poor speed catching up. Beyond that mistake, though, Vilma was pretty solid throughout. Then, when the game was on the line, he went from pretty solid to instrumental. First, Vilma intercepted a pass and set up what should have been the game killer. Oh, the offense couldn't put it away? No problem. On the next Falcon drive, Vilma hit Jason Snelling on 4th and 2 on a pass over the middle and blasted him backwards, stopping him short of the first down marker and ending the game. Make no mistake, despite a very poor performance by the offense, special teams and coaching staff down the stretch, Jonathan Vilma won this game for us. with those two plays. He finished with 7 tackles.

Randall Gay: B+ (2.67) Gay was by far the most performant player in the defensive backfield. He finished with 8 tackles. He was solid and physical in coverage, either breaking up passes or making sure tackles when he gave up a play. He also assisted his teammates in tackles, often cleaning up their mistakes. Some of you will remember the woeful performance Gay had against the Rams, but against the Falcons he showed how he can handle himself when he's not lined up against a blazing speed receiver. When used to his strengths, that is: playing in the slot, the box and close to the line of scrimmage covering underneath routes, Gay impresses. He deserves credit as well for blowing up an end around to Eric Weems for a 12 yard loss.

Malcolm Jenkins: C- (2.63) Malcolm made strides after last week, but he's still struggling to come into his own. I wonder if his destiny will be replacing Darren Sharperat free safety like we all speculated about after the draft. He's an aggressive and physical player with good instincts, but I wonder if he has the foot speed to play corner as well asTracy Porter and Jabari Greer. You could tell against Atlanta he was giving more cushion to the receivers, most likely because he's lost a little confidence after getting beat deep. He finished with 4 tackles, but his coverage and tackling wasn't impeccable.

Roman Harper: D (2.87) The recipe for moving the ball by and large the past two weeks has been to find Roman Harper on passing plays. He's been victimized in the passing game and he's really struggled. You can say the absence of Greer and Porter hurt the Saints' ability to play pass defense, but Harper and Sharper's play has been most suspect of late. You can't blame the poor pass defense on the corners this week nearly as much as the safeties. The Saints dialed up the blitz early and often, leaving Harper on an island often, and they paid for it almost every time. He finished with 5 tackles.

Darren Sharper: D- (2.89) Sharper had his worst game of the season, by far. He flirted with an F as well. He bit badly on a double move by Michael Jenkins and was victimized by 50 yard touchdown pass. Jenkins beat Sharper deep to get wide open on another play, but fortunately for Sharper the pass was overthrown because that would have been 14 points on Darren. Sharper looked very slow and vulnerable. This was not the same Darren Sharper that discovered the fountain of youth earlier in the season. He wasn't particularly good coming up and making tackles, either. He finished with 3 tackles. Let's just hope he can rebound from this disastrous performance.

Troy Evans: B (1.92) Evans was the biggest surprise of the day. He was good against the run, and while he wasn't great against the pass he was at least active and around the ball. Evans is never going to blow anyone away with his play, but he played within the defense and tackled well. If he can play like this while Fujita is out, he won't be the defense's problem. He finished with an impressive 5 tackles.

DeMario Pressley: B- (2.75) He finished with 1 tackle, doing a good job on a running play. He had limited action, but once again looked promising when he was in.

Pierson Prioleau: C (2.43) Prioleau never makes major mistakes and you can tell he's a Gregg Williams favorite because he's a high IQ football player. That said, the guy gives too much cushion to his receivers in an effort to limit the damage. He finished with 1 tackle.

Mike McKenzie: C+ (2.22) McKenzie played a decent amount in the second half and he was picked on by Redman with mixed results. At one point Roddy White was wide open and McKenzie was fortunate that Redman's pass lacked accuracy because he was beat. That said, McKenzie showed good spirit and energy out there. He had one tackle, but more importantly he showed he still has that fire in his belly.

Thomas Morstead: A- (3.05) He only got to punt once, and it was fair caught after a pedestrian 35 yard effort. He earned his keep this time with consistent depth on kickoffs. Of the 6 he hit, 4 were kneeled for touchbacks. Good thing, because Eric Weems is a dangerous returner and he was able to take one out for a 37 yard gain. Morstead has been incredibly valuable in setting opponents up with bad field position.

Courtney Roby: C (2.92) A plain performance from Roby who averaged 19.5 yards on his two kick returns.

Garrett Hartley: C+ (3.00) Hartley hit a big field goal from 28 yards out to break a 23-23 tie. That ended up being the difference, so give him credit. That said, are the Saints incapable of finding a guy that doesn't miss extra points? That's now 3 on the season and this is really starting to get ridiculous. What's more, that 23-23 tie I speak of was thanks to the shank. Hartley was also perfect on a 33 yarder earlier in the game, but the missed extra point is flat out inexcusable. While the fake field goal wasn't his fault, I wonder if the call was partially due to the coaching staff's lack of confidence in Hartley? The pathetic crew of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman mentioned that he was "big time struggling" and "couldn't make a kick in warmups". Not sure how accurate that is, considering he was 4-5 last week and his only miss was an unrealistic 58 yarder in bad conditions. Perhaps they were basing their statements on what they saw in the pregame. For what it's worth, I also read a Jeff Duncan tweet that mentioned Hartley nailing a 58 yarder in warmups that would have been good from 60. The bottom line is I am not asking to Hartley to be perfect, but I do expect him to be perfect on PATs.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Jonathan Vilma
My Special Teams Player of the Game: Thomas Morstead

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Falcons And Saints Recap: Playoffs Gone, Hope Remains

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:41 -0000

by Paul Abell - AP

Slow motion "nooooooo!" (AP Photo/Paul Abell)

View full size photo »

Bad news first, I always say.

First off, the Falcons lost to the Saints yesterday. That's never a good thing, particularly when we were so close to giving a division rival their first loss of the season. We also lost our seventh game, essentially knocking us out of the playoff race (I think our chances are something like 1.5%) and giving the Falcons no margin for error over the last three games of the season. That's obviously not good in any way, shape, or form.

The bright side of all of this is that the Falcons very nearly managed to beat the Saints minus their starting quarterback, running back and top cornerback. The team can still break that ridiculous 40-plus year streak of futility by sweeping their last three games against the Jets, Bucs and Bills. And last but not least, beer still tastes good. So we got that going for us.

There will be plenty of time in the week ahead to dwell on what's...well, ahead. For now, join me after the jump for an abbreviated version of our weekly rundown. Rather than dominate the discussion, I'd like to hear from you, since I missed most of the game and am still catching up at this point. Check it out, after the jump.

HIGHLIGHTS

Chris Redman could've curled up in a tiny ball after last week's debacle against the Eagles, but instead he came out swinging against a suffering Saints secondary and fired darts most of the day. His interception wasn't great—then again, those never are—and his throw at the end of the game lies on his shoulders as much as anybody else's. It's good to know that we can hang in tough games with him under center, though.
Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling were both decent, and Snelling got it down on the goal line this time around. Norwood doesn't look as explosive as he has in the past, but they're an effective enough tandem for the moment, especially with Snelling enjoying a good game on the receiving end until that fateful, game-ending play. I will certainly be glad to get Michael Turner back, though.
Michael Jenkins has an odd rapport with Redman, and he had one beautiful catch and run for a touchdown. Honorable mention to Tony Gonzalez, who is as solid as they come week in and week out.
Sure, they were all short field goals, but isn't it nice to feel like Lucy isn't about to pull the ball away from Charlie Brown every time your kicker trots out onto the field? Matt Bryant is doing well.
A single 37 yard return? Ho hum. Eric Weems will bring one to the house one of these days.
The defense got smacked around, yes, but they didn't totally embarrass themselves. So there's that.

LOWLIGHTS

The play-calling reared its ugly head again. Mike Mularkey seems to be in love with gadget plays at the most inopportune times, and when the pressure ramps up he and Mike Smith seem unable to put their heads together and trot out something that works. Case in point was the short pass to Jason Snelling, which involved a receiver who did not make it past the first down mark, a clearly open Tony Gonzalez (decoy or no) and seemingly no clear idea of an alternative besides having Snelling trot a few feet and then throwing the ball. When the game or our dignity is on the line, this has been happening of late, and it's really disconcerting. I have a feeling Thomas Dimitroff will be tasked with taking a hard look at Mike Smith's coordinators in the off-season.
My kingdom for a pass rush! We've spent the entire season ragging on Chris Houston & Co., but today he was out and I actually thought Brent Grimes and Chris Owens did a very solid job. If you can't even lay a finger on the opposing quarterback, your corners are basically trying to rein in a charging bull with an unraveling skein of yarn. We definitely need a top-flight cornerback, but without improvements to our pass rush, it's not going to matter.
Arrgh, we lost to the Saints!

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: Take your pick on offense. I'm kind of tired of picking our most valuable player in a loss when no one really, truly stands out.

Game Theme Song: A disappointed, icy silence.

One Thing To Take Away: It's just not going to happen this year. I had really dreamed of the playoffs,but it's time to let that one go. There's always 2010.

Next Week: The mighty (?) New York Jets, who are represented on our network by Gang Green Nation. Say hey.

Final Word: Awdamnit.

Women's Sports Round Table on Marion Jones: "If she can perform, why not give her a shot?"

Q McCall — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:25:28 -0000

More photos » by Joe Murphy - NBAE/Getty Images

Is basketball legend Nancy Lieberman's WNBA comeback at age 50 inspiration for Marion Jones or just more proof that the comeback buzz is nothing more than a publicity stunt? (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

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"Come on Marion, are you freaking serious?"

That reaction on yesterday’s Women’s Sports Roundtable online radio show is pretty much representative of the public reaction to the news that former track and field star Marion Jones is working out with a San Antonio Silver Stars staff member in an attempt to make a run at the WNBA.

Sports of The Times - Marion Jones Aims for a Comeback, in Basketball - NYTimes.com
Jones, who at the time was eight months’ pregnant with her third child, said she thought about it and talked with her husband, Obadele Thompson.

"I thought it would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this. It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people on a bigger platform. It would give me an opportunity to get a second chance. I think I can be an asset to a franchise, so it comes down to, Why not? Really. Why not?"

Given a WNBA climate in which the Sacramento Monarchs just folded on the heels of a season in which rosters were cut to 11 leaving talented players without a team, the idea that Marion Jones could make a team after being away from the game for so long seems ridiculous to many people.

After panelist David Siegel backed off of his initial hyperbole comparing his chances of making the New York Knicks to Jones’ chance of making the WNBA, he probably made the statement that best characterizes the challenge Jones faces.

"If Sheryl Swoopes can’t get a job, Marion Jones damn well better not get a job," said Siegel of retired WNBA star Swoopes who was unable to earn a roster spot last year despite starting for a playoff team the previous year with averages of 7.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 2.1 apg.

Given that a) Swoopes was unable to make a team due to roster cuts and b) the fact that the talent level in women’s basketball has increased immensely in women’s basketball since Jones last played, it’s justifiably difficult for us to imagine the 34-year-old Jones making a team months after having her third child. With the combination of the difficult task and the hit Jones’ image took after her steroids scandal, it’s commonly assumed that it’s nothing more than a publicity stunt for both the league and Jones.

"I think if a WNBA team wants to waste one of their tryout spots for Marion Jones to try and rehabilitate her sports image go right ahead," said panelist Tammy Garner. "The flip side is she’s got as much chance of making a freaking team in this climate as Dave does making the Knicks. Like Jayda said, you go ahead and try to get yours girl, I’m not getting in your way – I’m gonna make jokes, but I’m not gonna get in your way."

It’s all lighthearted -- though perhaps fair -- commentary directed at a relatively easy target.

However, although it’s certainly possible that this is merely a publicity stunt, I really appreciated a blog by Mechelle Voepel that actually sought to contextualize Jones’ comeback attempt rather than making derisive comments about it.

What if Jones had stuck with hoops? " Mechelle Voepel
At the U.S. outdoor track championships several years back - before the BALCO scandal blew up – I asked Jones her thoughts on the WNBA. And her eyes lit up; she spoke about her love for hoops and her desire, even then, to maybe still give pro basketball a chance.

Her plans at that time, she said, were to compete in track through the 2008 Beijing Olympics, then see if maybe there was still any chance for her in hoops. It sounded to me like kind of a nice fantasy for a superstar, but figured by that point, she’d be far past the point of seriously trying it. Of course, when she said that, she wasn’t envisioning that one day she’d need athletic salvation.

What I most appreciate about Voepel’s commentary is that she reminds us that Jones was a not just a contributor to a NCAA championship team, but a lightning fast starter as a freshman on the 1993-94 University of North Carolina team. Voepel’s point, counter-factual as it may be, was that Jones might have been a pretty good basketball player had she not made the rational decision to pursue track. As a fan of the game, why wouldn’t she wonder what could have been having watched Jones closely at the time?

I suppose that in the process of placing our athletic heroes on a superstar pedastol, it’s easy to forget that occasionally have dreams of their own independent of advancing their celebrity status or meeting our expectations as observers. But Voepel’s article caused me to reflect on the issue a little bit differently, both trying to better understand where Jones is coming from and finding a more accurate comparison.

"The ultimate price is to have your name, your reputation, and everything you’ve stood for ripped away."

In October 2008, Marion Jones had an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which she did in fact imply that she was searching for some sort of redemption -- strikingly similar to a quote in the New York Times article -- regardless of whether it is "athletic salvation" as phrased by Voepel.

"There’s a bit of sadness because I love to compete, but on the same token I am energized by this next chapter," said Jones with her eyes lit up similar to what Voepel described in response to how she feels about not running again. "I think really it’s gonna be bigger and better than that last chapter. And so my goal now is how to connect with people on now a much bigger level – how can I help young people make certain choices and not make certain bad choices like I did?

"I do not want for the legacy of Marion Jones Thompson now to be this – I want it to be something bigger and better and something for my kids to be proud of. That’s what really now it’s all about."

Of course, any of us would want that after making a very public mistake that cost us everything that we’ve built our identity upon. When someone has spent their life hiding behind an athletic persona, as described by Jones, suddenly they are forced to look at themselves and interrogate their true identity, true feelings and true dreams. Whether merely out of guilt or an appreciation of the opportunity to improve oneself as a person, that usually includes working on one’s flaws.

For Jones, one of those flaws was apparently connecting with people. In her commentary on Jones’ April speech at the University of Pennsylvania’s "Race and Sports" series, Salamishah Tillet of theRoot.com describes how connecting with other female athletes to create a dialogue about the advancement of women’s sports was one of Jones’ major flaws as a high profile female athlete and something she’s trying to rectify now.

Former WNBA draft pick (and Olympian) Marion Jones on Title IX & race
But she also highlights how Jones apparently spoke of her failure to leverage her sports celebrity even to help other address the gender inequalities in sports.

Instead of creating a dialogue with her fellow female celebrity athletes, such as Mia Hamm, Lisa Leslie, and Venus and Serena Williams, she said, she squandered her national media platform, engaging in behind-the-scenes competition for endorsement deals, magazine covers and interviews.

Yet, although Jones was not able to create a dialogue with her fellow female celebrity athletes, Tillet does mention a connection she has made with John Carlos, a black track and field athlete. Carlos and Tommie Smith, best known for raising their fists with black gloves on the medal stand at the 1968 Summer Olympics, spoke the previous night. Carlos and Jones embraced briefly near the end of the event.

The problem is that it may be perceived as presumptuous to believe that one could do that by leveraging the growing spotlight on the WNBA. Such an attitude might be explained partially by a lingering competitive and a feeling that athletic salvation is actually the most accessible form of redemption available to her.

"How can we trust anything Jones says knowing that she's already lied to us?"

"I think an athlete on the highest level, Oprah, you know your body," said Jones with the tenacity that helped her become an Olympic gold medalist after Winfrey commented that Jones’ story was hard to believe. "Nothing felt different. I felt strong, I felt powerful - I do all the time - but this is the Olympic year. I know I’m supposed to feel a little bit stronger, a little bit faster. I’m preparing on the track, I’m preparing in the weight room, the supplements are together. Everything is coming together. I’m *supposed *to be better this year. So that’s the difference that I felt. And I attributed that to everything, putting everything together. You know, you when a gold medal, you break world records because everything worked that year."

Independent of the fact that she did take performance enhancing drugs, it’s clear that her competitiveness is natural – as Evans said on the WSR show, you don’t even make it as far as she did without some natural effort and ability.

What’s also evident however is the sense of entitlement that appears to come along with being an athlete at the top of her sport. I don’t know if it’s arrogance as much as a supreme belief in oneself that precludes the possibility of not feeling "a little bit stronger, a little bit faster." For someone that competitive who works that hard, the possibility of failure simply cannot enter their mind.

"I still think I would’ve won, but just the fact that there’s a question mark, to me is not fair," said Jones about whether she thinks she would have won without the drugs. "It’s not fair for anybody that I ran against. It’s not fair for the women who ran with me on the relay. Just the fact that there’s a question mark is not fair."

Stripped of her opportunity to compete and her legacy on the track tarnished, a return to basketball could therefore be as much an outlet for that competitive spirit as a publicity stunt – a new frontier to try to bring things together and reach the top.

As such, the comeback could be seen as a character flaw rather than merely a publicity stunt – the idea that someone could even think that they deserve a second chance in another sport after violating the rules in another sport and lying about it (which is what landed her in prison) smacks of an arrogant sense of entitlement that is at once disturbing and unsurprising. She’s apparently a person that believes she’s supposed to succeed and stubbornly refuses to let go of that opportunity to compete, even if it seems like more of a fantasy (as Voepel interpreted it as) than a real opportunity. It’s especially tough to swallow given that most of us would not get a second chance to pursue a fantasy opportunity after blatantly violating the rules of our profession.

However, there’s another angle that I believe Voepel hits on – basketball is something she’s really wanted to pursue and perhaps less an example of arrogant entitlement and simply a very talented person trying to pursue a path she let go of over a decade ago.

It's not exactly unprecedented for a star athlete to have a lasting desire to play another professional sport

While Siegel compared Jones to Swoopes and Bobbitt and others briefly joked about Nancy Lieberman’s comeback attempt at age 50 in the summer of 2008, a better way to contextualize Jones’ return to basketball might be a pro athlete who actually made the attempt to cross sports: Atlanta Falcons and former Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez who tried to make the NBA.

Tony Gonzalez' fun-filled three-week stay in fantasy camp is about | Topeka Capital-Journal
You can't criticize the guy.

Why, some men would pay thousands of dollars to do do what Gonzalez did: work out with the Miami Heat, play in some summer-league games, rub elbows with Pat Riley, get a lot of good press for doing it.

Not that Gonzalez did this as a publicity stunt. Like, this guy who has posed with swimsuit models in Sports Illustrated and appeared in United Way spots needs air time? If Tony Gonzalez ever needs more exposure, the Speedo rep will take a meeting anytime, anywhere. Cosmo is holding on line 2.

Similar to Jones, Gonzalez was a starter on a NCAA tournament team that included future NBA stars before leaving college early to choose the sport that would reap him far greater rewards, both in terms of fame and finance. Like Jones, he’s broken records in his chosen sport and has established himself as one of the best of all-time at his position. And as Voepel said about Jones, Gonzalez had a longing to return to the court.

Gonzalez Shows Defense In Debut - Sun Sentinel
"I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time," Gonzalez said. "It's fun. I had a great time. I was a little nervous at first."

While Gonzalez had played with NBA players at the Southern California Pro Summer League in past years, this was his first action wearing an NBA uniform in an NBA setting.

"I wanted to concentrate on one specific thing," he said. "I wanted to play good defense, and I wanted to get rebounds. That's pretty much all I'm thinking a team would want from me."

For the most part, the large group of NBA scouts, coaches and executives in attendance at the Magic's practice facility (the event is closed to spectators) was bemused by Gonzalez's effort.

"Somebody asked me the other day, `Is it like fantasy camp or are you pretty serious about it?'" Gonzalez said. "And I can honestly say it's both. I get to come out here and play against these guys, NBA talent, and also, at the same time, I am serious about it."

Again similar to Jones, he did have physical tools that helped him on the basketball court – strength and leaping ability. The problem was that he also had severe limitations working against him – standing 6’4" he was an athletic specimen in the NFL, but against NBA competition, he was below average. Despite his strength that probably allowed him to get position for rebounds, he neither had the ability to compete against NBA power forwards nor the perimeter skills to play as an undersized 3 or 2.

For Chiefs' tight end, life is a bowl of cherries
He also knows the odds would be long. Standing 6 feet 4 inches on a football field, he's tall. That same height amid a forest of NBA veterans might make a non-guard feel short. And just imagine the mental and physical drain of playing both football and basketball at the highest level. ''I'm realistic about it. It's highly unlikely it will happen,'' Gonzalez said. ''But hey, if it does, I'm going to be there and I'm going to try to take advantage of it.''

In other words, although he played another sport at the highest level, none of the things that made him successful in football made him successful in professional basketball. After earning a spot on the Miami Heat summer league team in 2002, he played in only 2 of 5 games, effectively ending his NBA fantasy.

Jones of course is probably a relatively better women’s basketball player than Gonzalez was in men’s basketball: as previously stated, Jones was a freshman starter on an ACC and NCAA tournament champion who may still be faster than any of her competition even at 34 after three children. As a guard, there would probably be less physical demands on Jones, though a higher emphasis on the quality of her skills.

The challenge that will likely be much tougher for Jones is that Gonzalez had been playing in the California Summer Pro League prior to making a real run at making a NBA team. According to Evans, Jones "hasn’t picked up a basketball seriously since 1997." That and the fact that the competition has changed so much more since she last played seems to stand in her way.

And of course, Gonzalez never had to deal with the perception that his decision was a publicity stunt for athletic salvation either, making the situations not entirely analogous.

Nevertheless, Gonzalez's effort to make the NBA brings to mind the possibility of Jones finding a path to work her way into the league slowly, as Gonzalez tried to do. Of course, the NBA has a far more extensive structure of opportunities for a player like Gonzalez (or Terrell Owens…or Master P) to take a shot at the NBA with multiple summer leagues and, now, a Developmental League. What Jones might have is Euroleague.

"Go ahead, play overseas"

Siegel brought up the example of Kerri Gardin, who was cut from the Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm before going to Europe to work on her skills, returned to the WNBA and started 15 games for the Connecticut Sun, a playoff team.

While women do not have the opportunity to play in a WNBA-sanctioned league as Gonzalez did, Euroleague is a way for a player like Jones to get her feet wet and re-learn how to play the game…or figure out if her body can hold up over the course of a full basketball season. In the current WNBA context with teams limited to 11 players (the NBA had almost three times as many teams with 15 spots each when Gonzalez tried out) and surplus talent, going to Europe first might be the right decision for Jones. In William C. Rhoden’s New York Times article that described her decision make a run at the WNBA, a winter stint in Europe was part of the plan.

So she might go to Europe this winter, sign with a team and comeback ready to play. If so, why begrudge her doing that? If she can get herself into playing shape and prove herself good enough to contribute to a WNBA team, why not? In a way, it would be a testament to her greatness as an athlete to pull off something like that. The possibility of a team signing her merely for publicity with only 11 roster spots available seems slim – she would have to earn herself a spot.

Conversely, as WSR panelist Tammy Garner points out, there could also be a silver lining to Jones going to Europe, trying out of for a team and still being cut.

"If an athlete who has the star power and the credibility [of Jones]– even though she was busted for ‘roids at a different time – but in the American sports fans’ eye, if she tries out for a WNBA team and does not make it and is told that she needs to go back and develop her skillset, will that bring actually some credibility to the league?"

Is flash in the pan publicity for Jones with the ultimate message that WNBA talent is too good even for one of the best female athletes of all-time to make it good for the league’s image? Maybe. Maybe not.

But perhaps instead of ridiculing her for trying, we should just wait to see if a team picks her up. If she can make it onto a roster, it would be quite a feat of athleticism, albeit a second chance that many of us might still legitimately hold against her for being undeserved.

Video: Marion Jones Interview w/ Oprah Winfrey

Former WNBA draft pick (and Olympian) Marion Jones on Title IX & race

Marion Jones, Role Model?

Transition Points:

The 2002-03 Miami Heat team that Gonzalez did not make ended up missing the playoffs with a 25-57 record. The rookies who made the team ahead of Gonzalez were fellow Cal alum Sean Lampley, Ken Johnson, Rasual Butler, and future all-star Caron Butler (who I badly wanted the Warriors to draft that year).
For some reason, Marion Jones' attempt to return to the WNBA reminds me of comedian Chris Rock's commentary on former DC mayor Marion Barry, only in a very, very abstract sense of course: public figure loses their job because they used drugs and manages to get a second chance to return to public life, something that the average person would likely not have the opportunity to do (audio available here):

“How the hell did Marion Barry get his job back? Smoked crack and got his job back. How the hell did that happen? I mean, if you get caught smoking crack at McDonald’s, you can’t get your job back. … Marion Barry! Come on, how you gonna tell little kids not to get high when the mayor’s on crack?” (text via theRoot.com)

Poll

Should Marion Jones continue her attempt to make the WNBA?

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

sireric — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:00:22 -0000

Buffalo Bills (4-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-9)
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Two long-time rivals get re-acquainted this week when the Buffalo Bills travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. This will be the 41st all-time meeting between these two storied franchises, dating all the way back to November 6, 1960, when the Bills lost to the Dallas Texans 45-28 in their first-ever meeting. The Bills hold the all-time series lead 22-18, even with this being the sixth time in the last seven meetings that the Bills have had to travel to Kansas City. Recaps of the last five meetings between these two teams are after the jump.

November 19, 2000: Bills 21, Chiefs 17
Elvis Grbac and Tony Gonzalez beat up on the Bills' defense in this one. Grbac finished with 341 yards and two touchdowns, and those two touchdowns were both hauled in by Gonzalez, who had nine total catches for 76 yards and the two scores. The Bills countered with Rob Johnson. Yes, you read that correctly. Johnson only had 196 yards passing, but he did throw two touchdowns - one each to Jay Riemersma and Eric Moulds - and he was the leading rusher with 42 yards, including a score of his own. The rushing score came with under three minutes to play and gave the Bills the win. If you can believe this, Grbac was sacked more than Johnson, too. The Bills had five sacks - two each by Sam Rogers and Marcellus Wiley, and one by Keith Newman. Chris Mohr even hit Daryl Porter for a 44-yard gain on a fake punt.

November 17, 2002: Chiefs 17, Bills 16
Almost exactly two years to the day after their last meeting, the Chiefs again scored 17 points against the Bills; this time, however, their defense holds the Bills' offense to only 16 points in victory. In the battle of the running backs, Travis Henry got the better of Priest Holmes. Henry finished with 126 yards on 24 carries and added another 38 yards on four catches. It is a safe bet that he went out and fathered another child to celebrate his good day. Holmes finished with 104 yards on 31 carries and added 23 yards on three catches. Holmes, however, put the ball into the end zone, while Henry did not. Mike Hollis hit three field goals and Moulds brought in a nine-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe for a score, but it was a nine-yard scramble by the ever fleet-footed Trent Green that proved to be the decisive score. Chidi Ahanotu recorded the only Bills sack.

October 26, 2003: Chiefs 38, Bills 5
The Bills started the game by blocking a punt out of the end zone for a safety; it was pretty much all downhill from there. Three straight Kansas City touchdowns - two by Priest Holmes - would provide all the scoring Chiefs needed. After Rian Lindell hit a meaningless field goal, Gonzalez and that Holmes guy each scored to put the game away. Holmes was again out-rushed by Henry, 83 to 124 respectively, but again it was Holmes who put it in the end zone. Henry again fathered a child after the game as per his post-game ritual.

November 13, 2005: Bills 14, Chiefs 3
After Lawrence Tynes opened the scoring with a field goal for Kansas City, the Chiefs' offense went and hid. The Bills didn't do much better, and were in fact out-gained on the day 316-209. The Bills, however, benefited from two J.P. Losman-to-Lee Evans touchdown passes to get the win. The Bills sacked Green six times, with Aaron Schobel (2.0), Justin Bannan, Angelo Crowell, London Fletcher and Ryan Denney doing the honors.

November 23, 2008: Bills 54, Chiefs 31
Turnovers were the story of this game. The Chiefs had five turnovers and the Bills had none. Neither defense could stop the other offense, but Leodis McKelvin's two interceptions, one of which he took back 64 yards for a touchdown, helped put the Bills over the top. The Bills kicked the ball off eleven times. Think about that - when was the last time the Bills kicked the ball off ten or more times in a game? I also have to throw some love Trent Edwards' way. He had his best day as a pro in this game, completing 24 of 32 passes for 273 yards and two touchdown passes. He also scrambled for 38 yards and two more scores.

The Linc - 4th & 26 one of the decade's 10 best plays

JasonB — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:00:31 -0000

The 10 best plays of the decade - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Among them... none other than 4th and 26.

DeSean Jackson of Philadelphia Eagles says he blacked out after concussion, unlikely to play vs. Atlanta Falcons - ESPN
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, in his first public comments since suffering a concussion last Sunday against the Washington Redskins, says it is extremely unlikely he will play this Sunday in Atlanta against the Falcons. "I don't think I can go," Jackson said. "I blacked out."

Rookie Focus: Eagles' McCoy rewarding team's faith in him - USATODAY.com
The Philadelphia Eagles acted at an opportune time when they drafted running back LeSean McCoy in the second round, taking him 53rd overall, to back up Brian Westbrook.

Paul Domowitch: McNabb's final stop is likely to be Canton | Philadelphia Daily News | 12/02/2009
This being America, everybody's entitled to their opinion, including me. When the subject is Hall of Fame-worthiness, though, my opinion matters a little bit more than Joe from Roxborough's because I'm one of the 44 members of the Hall's board of selectors.

More after the jump

Vick going back to Atlanta as spectacle and afterthought | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
Michael Vick "returns" to Atlanta this Sunday as an NFL player, but what does that mean? Simply that Vick will be in the Georgia Dome, dressed in his No. 7 jersey, when the Philadelphia Eagles play the Falcons.

The Atlanta Falcons' loss of Matt Ryan shouldn't hurt other Falcons fantasy options (Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White, Michael Turner) - ESPN
I can't think of many cases in which I call an injury a "good thing" in fantasy football, but the fact is, those who have been relying on Matt Ryan shouldn't be too upset about the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback already being ruled out for the team's Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles because of turf toe. If you noticed the trend in our rankings, we weren't counting on Ryan for much anyway, as he's been struggling for much of this season and rarely approaching his draft-day value. Now you have no choice but to sit him, which you should have been doing anyway.

Brent Celek signs 6-year extension; Vernon Davis begins salivating

Fooch — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:09:34 -0000

While this is not 49ers news, it is something that will certainly play into the 49ers long term plans. TE Brent Celek has reportedly agreed to a 6-year contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles worth $33 million, with $11 million guaranteed. I bring this up because our own monster TE Vernon Davis is signed through the 2010 season. If the 49ers intend to lock him up, the numbers are probably starting to fall into place. First, a quick comparison of Celek and Davis this season:

Celek: 54 receptions, 601 yards, 5 TDs, 8 catches of 20+ yards

Davis: 57 receptions, 670 yards, 9 TDs, 10 catches of 20+ yards

Celek, like Davis, is in the midst of a breakout season. The former 5th round pick certainly didn't come with the fanfare of Vernon Davis, but he's steadily improved and become a huge weapon for Donovan McNabb this season. If the 49ers do extend Davis at some point, I think it's safe to say it will end up being more than Celek's contract. I say this because I think Davis is a greater all around weapon than Celek, and also because of the fact that as time passes, contracts continue to inflate. Of course, this can be countered with the fact that we're looking at a whole lot of labor instability in the NFL, so who really knows what that means for contracts.

Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd pull up the contracts of some of the other elite tight ends in the NFL (with date it was signed in parentheses). These are from Rotoworld, which I consider a solid source, although obviously there's no guarantees on accuracy:

Dallas Clark (2/2/08): 6 years, $36 million - looks like $11 or so million was guaranteed

Jason Witten (7/22/06): 6 years, $29 million - $12 million guaranteed

Antonio Gates (8/30/05): 6 years, $24 million - $10.5 million guaranteed

Tony Gonzalez (1/12/06): 5 years $35 million - $17.75 million guaranteed

At this point, I'd imagine Dallas Clark is Davis's starting point for a contract. Of course, I'd imagine Vernon will be asking for more than that. If he continues his development at its new pace, one could argue he's well on his way to becoming the best tight end in the NFL. Heck, in my fantasy league with no PPR and basic scoring stats (where I snagged him for a 12th round pick and can keep him as a 12th rounder next year!), Davis is the highest scoring tight end in the league by 7 points over Dallas Clark. While Davis might not be using those fantasy numbers in his contract negotiations, it goes to show how far the man has come.

The only way I see Davis's contract value going up is if he goes into next season and puts up similar, or better numbers than this year to show an ability to be consistently great. The 49ers have done a good job signing young players to contract extensions, but they definitely missed the boat with Vernon Davis. If Davis and his agent told the 49ers he was going to wait to sign an extension, well then Davis is a smart individual. Either way, we'll see how long it takes for the 49ers to get a deal worked out, if it happens at all any time soon.

Falcons And Bucs Recap: The Pit And The Pendulum

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

Victory is sweet, no matter how sour the path to get there may be. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

View full size photo »

The Atlanta Falcons were going to lose to the Tampa Bay Bucs.

You could see it in the way they were playing. You could hear it in the comments offered up by readers of this very site, readers who have learned over time that the Falcons have historically found a way to lose the games they're supposed to win. It was apparent from a series of increasingly despondent text messages tlozwarlock and I sent back and forth. It was especially apparent after Jason Elam missed another field goal, the final twist of the knife after a day of injuries and ineptitude.

But let us not forget that the Falcons didn't lose this game. It wasn't an inspiring win, the kind you're going to tell your grandkids while you bounce them on your bionic knee in your floating space condominium after the Great Mars Wars of 2073. This was just a win, an ugly win, that moved us to 6-5. It doesn't speak well to the future of this team, necessarily, but it's still a damn win. At the end of the day, we're one step closer to throwing off the shackles of our losing reputation, and that's the greatest victory of all.

So I urge you to keep some perspective today, especially after I finish telling you how badly the Falcons stunk on Sunday, with a little praise mixed in. There's the pit we've just come out of, and the pendulum which could swing back the other way at any moment. Makes it tough to plan out the next few weeks, doesn't it? You can find that after the jump, of course.

HIGHLIGHTS

Chris Redman? More like Chris Reliable! Am I right?

Redman put the Falcons on his back. He doesn't have the arm Matt Ryan does or the long-term potential, but he played an efficient game of football, avoided costly turnovers and made throws when he absolutely had to. That touchdown strike to Roddy White was a thing of beauty. Given the circumstances and the fact that two-fifths of the starting offensive line had to leave the game, Redman played a terrific game. He had some miscues, but I find it difficult to aim too much criticism his way when he did everything he could to earn the W. Huge credit to Redman.
Give huge props to the receiving corps, as well. Tony Gonzalez and Michael Jenkins were open often and made nice catches, and Roddy White sealed the win with a great catch in the end zone. Down to Marty Booker and Eric Weems behind them, the big three in our passing game stepped up their game and made things happen, and that goes hand-in-hand with Redman's performance. Awfully proud of them.
Welcome back, Jerious Norwood. With a touchdown catch and a couple of nice runs, Norwood looked weapons-grade again and made a dent in the Bucs defense. Glad he's healthy, because we're going to need him.
The USS Babineaux fired some serious fumble missiles at Josh Freeman, as did the SS Chevis Jackson. Babineaux continues to be the best the offensive line has to offer and Jackson delivered a pair of punishing hits yesterday, giving him the appearance of our most physical cornerback. Really, though, the team needs to figure out some way to help Babineaux out more so he can rush. He's got the nose for it.
Michael Koenen can boot it. That kid's got more leg than a chorus line.
Jason Elam did hit two field goals and both of his extra points, but....

LOWLIGHTS

...he also missed another field goal. There's a reasonable argument to be made that the change in long snappers has caused Elam some problems, and there have been bad snaps on a couple of his field goals. Still, he's converting field goals at well under the league average rate and that missed field goal Sunday could very well have cost the Falcons the game. If the coaching staff has any trust in him left, it had to have been struck with a heavy hammer yesterday.
There are no words that can properly express how angry I was with the decision to play Michael Turner before he got injured, and the fact that he got injured again—same ankle, mind you, regardless of which part of the ankle—made me apoplectic. There was no need to trot him out there when he would've benefitted from another week of rest, no matter how much of a warrior he is, and aside from one admittedly very nice run he had zero luck moving the ball down the field. I know he probably wanted to play and the Falcons are treating each week like it's the playoffs, but playing Turner against the Bucs cost us far more than it helped us. Still pretty pissed off about that one.
The injuries in general hurt a lot. Matt Ryan's loss didn't end up being as terrible as it might have been, but we need him down the line. Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl are critical pieces of in pass protection and absolutely must get healthy or we're boned. This has been a problem all year and it actually got worse in a hurry Sunday.
Jason Snelling. Four carries isn't nearly enough to get a good rhythm going, but he also managed to fumble the ball at a very, very bad time and lose it. That will hurt the coaching staff's confidence any day of the week.
I happen to think that Josh Freeman is a promising young quarterback with a very bright future in the NFL. I do. That doesn't lessen the sting of allowing him to put up his best game as a pro, a game which saw him pass for 250 yards and two touchdowns without a single pick. John Abraham can point the finger all he likes, but outside of a few hurries later in the game, the line got little to no pressure on the quarterback today and Freeman had more time than a clock factory. And the secondary? Let's just say inserting Chris Owens into the lineup didn't cure all of those very noticeable woes.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: You could make an argument for either the wide receivers and Gonzo or Redman, but I'm going with Rojohombre. Just an inspired performance from the backup.

Game Theme Song: This one because it's semi-relaxing and hey, we could all stand to find a little beauty after Sunday's game.

One Thing To Take Away: There are 100 ways to win and lose the game of football, and the Falcons experimented with a lot of them. It's going to be awfully tough to beat a team like the Eagles if we can't get our act together.

Next Week: Speaking of the Philadelphia Eagles, they're up next. Dealing them a defeat would significantly bolster our playoff hopes, so go do some scouting over at Bleeding Green Nation.

Final Word: Whoa.