BallHype - Latest Atlanta Falcons News Articles

The better team won

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:01:00 +1900

ATLANTA -- Kyle Orton isn't given to uncontrollable shows of emotion, but there the Bears quarterback stood -- or rather there he jumped -- slapping at teammates and hugging coaches after skipping to the sideline following a legend-building 77-yard touchdown drive that gave the Bears their first lead Sunday at 20-19 with 11 seconds to play. A 17-yard strike to Rashied Davis in the corner of the end zone looked like the game-winner against a scrappy Atlanta Falcons team.

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Falcons erase Bears' late TD, win on walk-off FG

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:44:38 +1900

Making up for a miss just minutes earlier, Jason Elam kicked a 48-yard field goal on the final play, giving the Atlanta Falcons ...

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Bears Fall to Falcons in Thriller

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:47:22 +1900

The Bears came from behind yet again behind the right arm of Kyle Orton Sunday, but fell just short of claiming the victory. Just 11 seconds short, in fact. That's all it took for the Falcons to score a field goal and beat the Bears 22-20. Orton drove the Bears down the field late in the game to score what looked like the game winning touchdown with only 11 seconds left in the game. Orton completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Davis to give the Bears a 20-19 lead. The Falcons' rookie quarterback, Matt Ryan, looked spectacular again in the game. Ryan topped off the Falcons' win with a 26-yard pass to Michael Jenkins with less than 11 seconds left in regulation to get the Falcons within field goal range. Jason Elam sealed the Bears' fate by making a 48-yard field goal with one second remaining to give the Falcons the win. Next week the Bears (3-3) will host the Vikings (3-3) in a battle of division leaders, before the bye week.

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Jason Elam makes up for miss, gives Falcons unlikely win

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:05:12 +1900

ATLANTA - Jason Elam stood on the sideline with head bowed, figuring he had cost the Atlanta Falcons a win. Then, a kickoff return and a quick pass gave him a second chance. In...

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Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons Is Not Your Typical Rookie QB

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:38:44 +1900

Check his ID. Take his fingerprints. Look under the Atlanta Falcons helmet just to make sure. Matt Ryan isn't really a rookie quarterback, is he? Ryan blushed when I asked that very question shortly after he guided the Falcons to Sunday's improbable 22-20 home victory over the Chicago Bears. As those inside the Falcons' interview room laughed, Ryan smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm sure." I'm not. Rookie quarterbacks usually play—if they're even playing at all—like Baltimore's Joe Flacco did when throwing three interceptions in Sunday's 31-3 loss at Indianapolis. They don't complete 22 of 30 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown against one of the NFL's fiercest defenses. They don't lead a team that won just four games all of last season to a 4-2 record and a share of first place in the NFC South. And they don't handle pressure the way Ryan did in the waning moments of what seemed a certain Falcons loss after the Bears took a 20-19 lead with 11 seconds remaining. Chicago's decision to ...

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New Coach, New Attitude Has Falcons Flying

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:29:11 +1900

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The quarterbacks carpool to work. The offensive line is known as the "Breakfast Club" for gathering collectively each morning to watch game film. The defensive line is planning a birthday dinner for one of its own (Jonathan Babineaux). And the new head coach holds "Over 30" meetings to solicit feedback from his veteran players. These are the Atlanta Falcons? It's not just a 3-2 record entering Sunday's home game against Chicago that distinguishes this group from the horrific Falcons squad of 2007. This is an actual team , one quickly distancing itself from the Michael Vick/Bobby Petrino era that gave a whole new meaning to the term "Dirty Bird." "I thought it was going to take considerably longer for this team to gel because they were getting to know each other," Falcons first-year general manager Thomas Dimitroff said Friday. "I feel like that's really been expedited. In my mind, it has a lot to do with the group bonding." Re-establishing trust was needed after ...

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Kickers deliver winners for Falcons, Seahawks

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:04:00 +1900

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Falcons' Ryan is not your typical rookie QB

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:10:57 +1900

The roster says Matt Ryan's a rookie but after he set up the Falcons' last-second win over the Bears, Alex Marvez has his doubts.

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Don Banks: Snap Judgments for Week 6

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:00:03 +1900

In his Snap Judgments, Don Banks details Peyton's return to dominance, a Sunday of fantastic finishes and the Falcons, the feel-good story of the year.

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Iyer: Ryan has Falcons looking professional again

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:31:32 +1900

Does anyone even remember the disaster that was last season's Atlanta Falcons? From Michael Vick goi...

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Chicago Bears Have Game Ripped From Their Hearts by Atlanta Falcons

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:19:45 +1900

You can read this article and many other articles at BearsBacker.com . It's THE BLOG for any Chicago Bears fan. How do the Chicago Bears allow a catch like that and for Michael Jenkins to get out of bounds? How do the Bears call a FB dive on a 3rd and one with eight minutes to go? How do they squib kick it with 11 seconds to go? Those are the questions many Bears fans are asking right now after a 22-20 stunning loss to the Atlanta Falcons. We all know what happened. Jason Elam kicked a 48 yard field goal with one second remaining on the clock. The play calling was awful for most of the game. Kyle Orton ran the offense to perfection in two important drives in the second half. Jason McKie is not the answer on a 3rd and one, either give it to Forte or run a QB sneak. Ron Turner should be ashamed of himself. The squib kick was really dumb because if you simply kicked it to Norwodd, that would of been the last play of the game and it was unlikely he would of ...

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Bears Come up Short: Kickoff Haunts Chicago

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:58:07 +1900

It was one heck of a game. It was something the Bears offense needed to shut up the skeptics. It was one that would have built confidence. It is one that got away because of a coaching staffs call. The Bears' offense put them in a position to win it. Especially after a day full of the Bears' secondary getting picked apart on third downs. Though the defense only gave up one touchdown, the secondary looked shaky most of the afternoon. This, due to injuries to top cornerbacks Nathan Vasher and Charles "Peanut" Tillman—the latter was removed in the first half. After the offense brought the team back, and got the lead with eleven seconds to go, the call that I am wondering about is the pooch kick. With the amount of time on the clock, I cannot understand why you would do this. On the previous kickoff, Jerious Norwood did return a kick for 85 yards, but that is something very uncommon against the Bears' special team units. In this ...

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Bears left stunned

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:28:00 +1900

Kyle Orton hit Rashied Davis with 11 seconds left in the game for a go-ahead touchdown, but the Falcons answered right back by returning the Bears squib kick and hitting a long pass to set up a game-winning field goal to hold on 22-20 on Sunday afternoon. Bear with Us: Play-by-play, commentary David Haugh: Receivers beating a bad rep Mike Downey: Score one for Orton

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Elam makes up for miss, gives Falcons unlikely win

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:25:31 +1900

Jason Elam made the most of his second chance, kicking a 48-yard field goal on the final play to give the Atlanta Falcons a stunning 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

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Atlanta beats Chicago on final play

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:20:00 +1900

Making up for a miss just minutes earlier, Jason Elam kicks a 48-yard field goal on the final play to give the Falcons an improbable 22-20 victory over the Bears. > Jason Elam made the most of his second chance, kicking a 48-yard field goal on the final play to give the Atlanta Falcons a stunning 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

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Falcons beat Bears on FG as time expires (AP)

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:19:59 +1900

Making up for a miss just minutes earlier, Jason Elam kicked a 48-yard field goal on the final play, giving the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The Bears appeared to have won it when Kyle Orton threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Rashied Davis with 11 seconds remaining.

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Halftime Report: Bears-Falcons

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:50:05 +1900

Well the first half has not been pretty for the Bears on either side of the ball. Neither the Bears or the Falcons have been able to do what they are known for and that's running the ball. Bears RB Matt Forte has eight carries for 25 yards, 10 of which came on the last play of the half. Falcons RB Michael Turner has 13 carries for 39 yards, 23 of it came on one run. Not much excitement from the ground game yet. Falcons QB Matt Ryan is winning the passing battle going 14/19 for 159 yards. Kyle Orton is staying in there though going 8/13 for 88 yards. They key here for the Falcons is that Ryan has not been sacked. In games where Matt Ryan is sacked two or more times, the Falcons lose. The Bears have had some chances on defense to disrupt the Falcons offense. What was thought a fumble by the Falcons in the first quarter was overturned and on 3rd-and-long in the second, RB Norwood coughed it up and it would have brought up a 4th down except for a Brian Urlacher Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. ...

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Bears missing Vasher, Lloyd vs. Falcons (AP)

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:19:36 +1900

The Chicago Bears placed cornerback Nathan Vasher and receiver Brandon Lloyd on the inactive list for their game Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Both starters were sidelined for the second straight week, Vasher with an injured wrist and Lloyd with an injured knee. Return specialist Devin Hester replaced Lloyd, who leads the Bears with 249 yards receiving and one touchdown.

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Bears-Falcons play-by-play

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:49:00 +1900

Play-by-play of the Bears' first trip to Atlanta since 2002 from a guy whose boys in gold lost Nerd Bowl 2008 . > Play-by-play of the Bears' first trip to Atlanta since 2002 from a guy whose boys in gold lost Nerd Bowl 2008. David Haugh: Receivers beating a bad rep Mike Downey: Score one for Orton Picking the game: Print staff Web staff Dan Pompei: Bradley just wasn't good fit for Bears

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Bears vs. Falcons, join us for a live chat!

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:01:00 +1900

Watch the game on TV, but keep your computer close and join hundreds of fans in our chat room as we engage in lively debate, silly banter, polls, videos and more. We'll get going at 11 a.m.

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Bears drop thrilling 22-20 decision in Atlanta

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:01:00 +1900

The Bears dropped a thrilling 22-20 decision to the Atlanta Falcons after Jason Elam redeemed himself with a 48-yard field goal with one second left. Elam had missed one earlier to allow the Bears a shot at a victory, and Kyle Orton orchestrated a brilliant scoring drive to put the Bears up 20-19.

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Bears rally late, fall to Falcons on last-second FG

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:01:00 +1900

Kyle Orton sat on a chair in front of his locker and muttered unbelievable. Other players simply hung their heads, not long after the Bears sideline had been a scene of jubilation. If you thought previous losses to NFC South clubs Carolina and Tampa Bay were irksome, well, those hold nothing on this one.

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Fans deserve answers after loss

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:01:00 +1900

Greg Couch: What really baffles me is how the Bears allowed that last pass. Yeah, also how they could come out with everything right there for them, then play without passion, as if they think a little too much of themselves. Yes, too, how they could give Atlanta perfect field position with six seconds left. By design.

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Mora Speaks: Former Coach Opens Up to Atlanta

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:20:01 +1900

It's no secret the Atlanta Falcons have had a troubled history. The events of the last 15 years reads like the Adam Jones rap sheet: *Losing Deion Sanders to free-agency *Signing Jeff George *The Jeff George/June Jones Sunday-night-fight *Eugene Robinson's arrest for soliciting an undercover police officer on the eve of the Super Bowl in 1999 *Vick's broken leg and season down the tubes in 2003 *The firing of Dan Reeves * Various ill-fated free agent signings and draft choices *The hiring and middle-of-the-season abandonment of Bobby Petrino *The Michael Vick dog-fighting case The list goes on and on. Fans have found few bright spots over the years. Just when things look to be turning around for this franchise, an injury ends a season or a comment is made to disengage the fans. The bad luck is no more evident than in the Falcons' most dubious claim to fame: There has never been back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. What has been overlooked, and understandably so ...

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New coach, new attitude has Falcons flying

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:15:06 +1900

The Falcons were a disaster in 2007. One year later, Atlanta is flying high with a new coach and a new attitude, Alex Marvez says.

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Join us for Bears chat during the game

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:01:00 +1900

Join us Sunday when we continue our live chat sessions as the Bears take on the Atlanta Falcons at noon.

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Falcons in big rush to hide weakness at DB

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:42:10 +1900

Sometimes, identifying your weaknesses is more important than assessing your strengths. If the Atlanta Falcons have picked up anything from their first five games, it's that they're having a devil of a time covering anyone downfield with cornerbacks Chris Houston and Brent Grimes.

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Tribune staff picks 'em: Bears at Falcons

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:16:00 +1900

Terry Bannon: Bears 23, Falcons 17

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Falcons WR White questionable for Sunday

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:56:44 +1900

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- The Atlanta Falcons listed Roddy White as questionable for Sunday's game...

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Falcons' White questionable against Bears

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:44:56 +1900

The Atlanta Falcons listed Roddy White as questionable for Sunday's game against Chicago after the receiver missed a second straight practice Friday. White, whose 454 yards receiving rank third in the league, was knocked out of Wednesday's practice after hitting his head in a collision with safety Lawyer Milloy. White said, "I'm OK. It's no big deal" after he missed Thursday's practice, but he was held out again Friday. White leads the Falcons with 26 catches for 454 yards and two touchdowns.

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Falcons WR White questionable

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:40:54 +1900

The Atlanta Falcons listed Roddy White as questionable for Sunday's game against Chicago after the receiver missed a second straight practice Friday.

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Falcons' White questionable after hitting head

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:37:15 +1900

he Atlanta Falcons listed Roddy White as questionable for Sunday's game against Chicago after the receiver missed a second straight practice Friday.

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Falcons WR White misses practice again (AP)

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:20:27 +1900

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Falcons WR White questionable

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:20:24 +1900

The Atlanta Falcons listed Roddy White as questionable for Sunday's game against Chicago after the receiver missed a second straight practice Friday.

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The Bell Tolls: Ryan, Falcons have Atlanta believing again

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:42:16 +1900

Each week, Falcons rookie quarterback Matt Ryan gets a new test in his NFL education. Last weekend, he won his first road game ...

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NW Briefs | Falcons drop to 3-13 in volleyball

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:01:27 +1900

The Seattle Pacific volleyball team fell in four sets to Western Oregon, which captured its 11th straight win Thursday. Western Oregon (13-1, 6-0...

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In Bears' book, Hall has spot reserved for Turner

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:46:23 +1900

The legend of Michael Turner reached new proportions Thursday as the Bears continue to hone in on ways to shut down the Atlanta Falcons running back Sunday.

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Da Bears Take On The Faclons! Who Will Win? Da Bears!

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 18:12:40 +1900

The Chicago Bears play the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday at noon. The Bears are 6th in the NFL in stopping the run while the Falcons are 21st. The Bears are 9th in rushing yards while the Falcons are 2nd. This should be a great battle between a good running team in the Falcons against a good run defense in the Bears. Not so fast! Thankfully I do my homework. The Falcons are running frauds. Let me prove it to you. In week 1 they played the 30th ranked run defense of the Detroit Lions who allowed them 320 total rushing yards. In week 2 they played the 14th ranked run defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and were held to 105 total rushing yards. In week 3 they played the 31st ranked run defense of the Kansas City Chiefs who allowed them 194 total rushing yards. In week 4 they played the 13th ranked run defense of the Carolina Panthers and were held to 118 total rushing yards. In week 5 they played the 27th ranked run defense of the Green Bay Packers who ...

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Atlanta Falcons: Michael Turner Is Turning Heads in the ATL

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 16:23:02 +1900

I normally stick to the sport I know best, baseball. However, the Falcons have been near and dear to my heart ever since their Super Bowl run in 1998 so I decided to try my hand in the football realm. I remember exactly where I was during that infamous NFC championship game against the Minnesota Vikings. I remember Morton Anderson's field goal, I remember the dirty bird dance, I remember Andre Rison. Even though the Falcons may have lost that Super Bowl it made me pay attention to the team. It even brought me, my oldest brother, and my father together for a final regular season game five years ago. I've been a fan when Michael Vick electrified the crowd with his feet and was a part of the "DVD" package of Duckett, Vick, and Dunn several years back. I was still a fan even after the indictment and eventual conviction of Vick back in 2007. The Falcons have always been the team I watched on Sundays and the team my Mom cheered for so loudly whenever they scored a touchdown or made a big play. I ...

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Bears-Falcons: Can Chicago Maintain Momentum in Atlanta?

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 15:17:15 +1900

The 3-2 Chicago Bears will be traveling to Atlanta to take on the young 3-2 Falcons this week. Chicago is coming off of a blowout win in Detroit and a home win against the Eagles two weeks ago. The Bears have won eight of the last nine meetings with the Falcons and lead the all-time series 12-10. Their strength this season has been the running game behind rookie RB Matt Forte, even with QB Kyle Orton establishing himself in the offense the Bears will still claim to be a ground team. “Since we’re a running team and we don’t keep that a secret,” Smith said. “We know that teams will have to come in thinking they have to stop that, which has made us throw the football a little bit more.” The Bears are 16th in the NFL passing the ball, averaging 206 yards a game. They are still ranked ninth, running the ball with 126.2 yards on the ground. I think the Bears will come out early running the ball and mixing in the pass. “Uh, no, ...

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Bears-Falcons: Chicago Looks to Keep Their Streak Alive in Atlanta

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 14:37:41 +1900

After steamrolling the Lions, the Bears head into another dome this week against the upstart Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta is fresh off a victory up in Green Bay. No doubt the Falcons have surprised many people in the NFL, none more so than the Falcon fans. This is the first time this season the Bears will face a rookie QB. So far this season, the Bears have played a quarterback who’s either has Super Bowl experience (Delhomme, Manning, McNabb) or been in the league for a few years (Kitna, Griese). Some would argue that Griese had an inside track on the Bears' D after playing in Chicago. So it will be interesting to see how rookie Matt Ryan will approach the Bears' defense, who needs to prove they can stop the pass. Matt Forte’s rushing numbers have dropped in recent weeks but his impact on the team has not. Forte made a heads-up play at the goal line against the Lions and a good candidate for the screen pass. It would be very nice to see Forte’s rushing numbers go up in the ...

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Falcons' Turner tower of power

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 05:35:49 +1900

If there was one common theme to the struggles of the Bears' defense a year ago, it was poor tackling, a problem that has been wiped out this season.

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Rattle Ryan

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 05:00:00 +1900

The Bears are impressed with Ryan, but they'll still invite Atlanta's rookie QB to try to beat them > Only one of the Boston College buddies will end Sunday smiling. For that to be Bears offensive lineman Josh Beekman, the defense has to create as much disorder as possible for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

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Falcons adding balance to run-first philosophy

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 23:19:07 +1900

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- The first five games of Mike Smith's career as a head coach have proved ...

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Brown: Turner The Burner setting Atlanta afire

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 14:46:35 +1900

The Falcons love Michael Turner. The Chargers miss Michael Turner. Signing Turner during free ag...

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Where Do the Green Bay Packers Go from Here?

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 07:48:05 +1900

Last Sunday's game between Green Bay and Atlanta has left another bitter taste in fans' mouths. Despite a valiant effort to rally back from an early deficit, the Packers came up short, again. This team is becoming an enigma as each week passes. The running game and defense are a far cry from last year's performance, and Aaron Rodgers' ability to lead this team past a competitive opponent leaves many questions unanswered. The defense has been affected by injury, but this team is still solidly built with the foundation of last year's personnel. At this point, if the current performance becomes status quo, the season looks to become a wasted opportunity for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is, unfortunately, still in the shadow of greatness, despite the "great one" being in another conference. Until Rodgers brings victories over more prominent opponents, he may still find himself in the shade of Favre. Regardless of his statistical numbers, regardless of his touchdown to interception ...

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Falcons Bring New Attitude to Sports in Atlanta

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 02:57:12 +1900

The city of Atlanta, despite popular belief, tries so hard to be considered a professional sports town. As a native of Atlanta, I wont lie, I cant help but to notice the overwhelming advantage college sports have over professional sports in Atlanta. And in the past year, professional sports here have shot themselves in the foot. The primary areas of interest down here are Georgia and Georgia Tech football. Then you have the Atlanta Braves, usually. And then its a toss up. But let me review the reader on how awful professional sports have been here in Atlanta. Our most popular team this season was the 37-45 Atlanta Hawks. They made the playoffs, and played three amazing games here at Philips Arena. The Braves just had their worst season since I have been alive, by far. The next best thing would be considered to be the Atlanta Thrashers, but people down here didn't even know sports could be played on ice for the longest time. But in 2002, I couldn't help but notice how the city of ...

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Rodgers to be limited in practice, expects to play

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 19:00:52 +1900

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss practice time again this week but is expected to play at Seattle next Sunday. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday he plans to have Rodgers on the field against the Seahawks despite the sprained right shoulder that nearly sidelined him for the 27-24 loss to Atlanta. Rodgers played through pain against the Falcons, and played well.

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Colts Burn Sage, Falcons Stun Packers: NFL Week Five Recap

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 13:58:45 +1900

Chicago Bears 34 - Detroit Lions 7 The Detroit Lions could not defend the run, defend the pass, or establish any offense as the Chicago Bears drubbed their NFC North foe. Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky amassed 131 passing yards on 39 attempts for the Lions. The Bears looked great. Devin Hester doubled his season stats, with five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Orton passed for 334 yards against the Lions' horrid secondary. Apparently, the firing of Matt Millen won't have much of an effect on Detroit's season. Atlanta Falcons 27 - Green Bay Packers 24 At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Packers tied the game at 17 when Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Atlanta answered with 10 straight points and the Packers could not respond, resulting in a loss at Lambeau. Rodgers went 25-for-37 for 313 yards and three TDs but threw a fourth quarter interception that hindered the Packers' comeback hopes. Michael Turner ...

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Falcons-Packers: Ryan and Falcons Remain Relevant with Win Over Packers

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 12:08:43 +1900

If you'll recall, the last time the Falcons took a trip out to Lambeau, it was 2002. Dan Reeves was the coach and Michael Vick was the offense, running and throwing (just a little bit). We all know how that turned out. Fast forward to 2008, and the 2-2 Atlanta Falcons returned to Lambeau, led by rookie Matt Ryan, rookie Head Coach Mike Smith and practically a rookie running back in Michael Turner. A glance at this game on the schedule in the preseason would have inspired many to say "surely a loss." Not so fast. With the health of another young quarterback, Packers' Aaron Rodgers, questionable, Vegas left the line up in the air for most of the week. And with that, the Falcons entered a damp Green Bay, hoping to continue the season-long learning curve of this young team, with two goals: win on the road and run the ball effectively on the road. Put a check next to both of those goals. Not only did they accomplish this, against what many still believe is a good Green Bay team, but they ...

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