NFC South: Rookie mistakes plague Falcons in tough loss
Sports Network | October 28, 2008
(Sports Network) -- The Atlanta Falcons' matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday served as a harsh learning experience for one of the team's rookies, but it wasn't quarterback Matt Ryan or any of the other young players that suffered a case of growing pains.
The person in question is actually first-year head coach Mike Smith, whose decision to burn his entire allotment of timeouts prior to the two-minute warning played an unexpected role in Atlanta's 20-14 loss to the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Smith used his final timeout after the Falcons' Chauncey Davis stopped Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook short on a 3rd-and-1 play with 2:28 remaining. The choice wound up backfiring, however, when a controversial call spoiled Atlanta's chances of mounting a comeback drive.
Officials ruled that Falcons return man Adam Jennings muffed his attempt to field the resulting punt and the Eagles had recovered at the Atlanta 40-yard line. Replays would show that Jennings had successfully avoided touching the ball, but Smith wasn't able to challenge the play with his team now out of timeouts.
Two plays after the game-changing sequence, Westbrook broke free for a 39-yard touchdown that essentially put the game out of reach.
While Smith's strategy failed to pan out, that was hardly the only factor in his team's stinging defeat. The Eagles abused the Falcons' work-in-progress defense for 192 rushing yards on the afternoon, while three Atlanta turnovers led to the undoing as well.
"I don't think that you can say that there is one play in a football game that makes the difference," Smith remarked afterward. "There are a number of plays that we would've liked to have back in that ball game."
Ryan, a Philadelphia-area native, threw for 277 yards and teamed up with wide receiver Roddy White for a pair of touchdowns in his homecoming. The third overall selection of the 2008 draft also tossed a pair of interceptions, including a costly pick in the end zone that thwarted a potential Falcons scoring drive late in the third quarter.
Atlanta, now 4-3 on the season and in sole possession of third place in the rugged NFC South, had a string of two straight victories halted with Sunday's loss. The Falcons were aiming for their first three-game win streak since October 16-November 6, 2005.
QUICK HITS: White ended with 113 receiving yards on eight catches, the third consecutive game he has eclipsed the century mark...Defensive tackle Grady Jackson was among a handful of NFL players who tested positive for a banned diuretic, according to report in Monday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and could be subject to a four-game suspension for violating the league's steroid policy...Running back Michael Turner, who entered the contest ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards, was held to 58 yards on 17 attempts...Defensive end Jamaal Anderson left the game in the second quarter after suffering a concussion...Starting left offensive tackle Sam Baker was inactive due to a strained hip, an injury the rookie incurred in practice during Atlanta's bye week.
NEXT UP: The Falcons play the second of back-to-back road games when Smith's charges visit the Oakland Raiders this Sunday. Atlanta, which is 1-3 as the away team this year, will be making its first appearance at McAfee Coliseum since a 41-14 setback to the Raiders in 2000. The running game figures to take center stage in this matchup. Atlanta and Oakland rank third and seventh, respectively, in rushing offense, while each team is among the bottom third in the league in defending the run.
CAROLINA: The Panthers are now all alone atop the NFC South standings following Sunday's 27-23 stirring home win over Arizona, in which Carolina overcame a 14-point second-half deficit with an impressive barrage of points following the intermission.
Trailing 17-3 midway through the third quarter, the Panthers scored touchdowns on three straight drives -- two of which came within a 44-second span -- to grab a one-point lead.
After running back DeAngelo Williams capped a six-play, 80-yard march with a 15-yard touchdown run to pull Carolina within seven points, defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu forced the Cardinals' Edgerrin James to fumble on the ensuing possession, with linebacker Thomas Davis pouncing on the loose ball at the Arizona 18. Quarterback Jake Delhomme found top wideout Steve Smith in the end zone on the very next play to tie the game at 17-17.
Arizona answered with a touchdown on the following series, but the Panthers again delivered a swift response when Smith hauled in a Delhomme strike and shook free of a defender for a 65-yard score that put Carolina up by a 24-23 count. The Cardinals had missed the extra point on their previous touchdown.
Carolina's normally stodgy offense erupted for 229 total yards and 24 points in the second half, while converting 5-of-6 third-down opportunities over the final two quarters.
"The leadership on that side of the ball definitely came through and made plays," said head coach John Fox of his team's offense. "These games are all about adversity, and we definitely hit some in the first half. It's a credit to those guys in that locker room coming back in that second half."
The Panthers, whose current 6-2 record matched the best mark in franchise history after eight games, have now come back from 14 points down to win twice this season. Carolina also erased a 17-3 hole to pull out a 20-17 decision over Chicago at Bank of America Stadium back in Week 2.
Carolina also started out 6-2 during both the 2003 and 2005 seasons. The team advanced to the NFC Championship Game in each of those years, and won the 2003 edition over Philadelphia to make its lone Super Bowl appearance.
QUICK HITS: Smith amassed 117 yards on five catches for the game and has now surpassed 100 receiving yards in three straight outings...Delhomme, who completed 20-of-28 throws for 248 yards and wasn't intercepted, has a stellar 109.4 quarterback rating at home this year. He has thrown eight touchdown passes and just two picks in Carolina's five games at Bank of America Stadium...The Panthers finished with 113 rushing yards and are now 6-0 this season when amassing over 100 yards on the ground...Second-year defensive end Charles Johnson posted a career-high two sacks against Arizona...Reserve defensive tackle Darwin Walker was inactive with a stiff neck, the result of a minor car accident he was involved in on Saturday.
NEXT UP: The Panthers will be able to savor first place in the division for at least one more week, as the club will have its bye before heading to Oakland on November 9 for an interconference clash with the Raiders. Carolina will play three of its next four on the road following the hiatus.
NEW ORLEANS: Drew Brees was once considered the future of the San Diego Chargers. The Saints are quite happy he's part of their present.
In his first meeting with his old team since being cut loose by the Chargers following the 2005 season, Brees delivered another prolific performance under center to propel the Saints to a crucial 37-32 victory over San Diego this past Sunday in a game held at London's Wembley Stadium.
The standout quarterback provided plenty of thrills for the international crowd, shredding a shaky San Diego secondary for 339 yards and three touchdowns while hitting on 30-of-41 passes. Brees has now thrown for 320 yards or more in six of New Orleans' eight games in 2008, and is on pace for an unbelievable 5,126 passing yards over the course of the season.
The two-time Pro Bowler narrowly got the better of counterpart Philip Rivers, whom the Chargers obtained to be Brees' successor on the day of the 2004 draft. Rivers lit up the Saints for 341 yards through the air and also tossed three scoring passes, but the former first-round pick did have one costly interception that sealed New Orleans' wild win.
With the Saints clinging to a 37-30 lead in the waning minutes, Rivers marched San Diego inside the New Orleans 30-yard line before having a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma snared the ball in mid-air to kill the potential game-tying drive with 1:09 remaining.
"This game was not about me proving a point or anything like that," said Brees afterward. "We beat a very good team today and a team that needed a win as badly as we did. I am just glad we won today."
New Orleans did yield a whopping 451 yards of offense for the game, but came up with a pair of key turnovers that were instrumental to the final outcome. In addition to Vilma's late pick, reserve safety Chris Reis forced a fumble on a kickoff return that was converted into a Deuce McAllister touchdown run early in the second quarter.
McAllister saw the bulk of the rushing duties with Reggie Bush sitting out the first of what's expected to be a series of games after undergoing recent knee surgery. The veteran back managed 55 yards on 18 carries while adding another 30 yards on four receptions.
QUICK HITS: McAllister is one of three New Orleans players, along with starting defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith, who are facing a possible league suspension after reportedly testing positive for a banned diet pill...Guard Jamar Nesbit, who received a four-game penalty for the same substance earlier in the season, was reinstated last week and played in Sunday's win...Tight end Jeremy Shockey was active for a second straight test in his return from hernia surgery, but managed just one catch for six yards. Billy Miller received most of the snaps at the position and compiled 82 yards on a team-best seven grabs...In addition to Bush, center Jonathan Goodwin was inactive for Sunday's game after spraining his left knee in the Saints' Week 7 loss at Carolina...Rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis did return to action after missing three weeks while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery.
NEXT UP: New Orleans gets some extended time to recover from its transatlantic voyage, as the club won't play until a November 9 showdown with fellow division member Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. The 4-4 Saints currently trail the Falcons by a half-game for third place in the NFC South pack.
TAMPA BAY: After winning five times in their previous six games by using a sound fundamental approach, the Buccaneers finally turned in a clunker with a maddening 13-9 loss to the desperate Dallas Cowboys last Sunday at Texas Stadium.
Penalties and an inability to cash in on scoring opportunities primarily accounted for Tampa's defeat. The Buccaneers marched deep into Dallas territory three times during the first half, yet came away with nothing more than a pair of Matt Bryant field goals. Bryant also misfired on a 51-yard try that was made longer because of a holding penalty and a sack of quarterback Jeff Garcia on third down.
The Bucs were also stopped on downs after marching to the Cowboys' 18-yard line in the game's final seconds, underscoring a season-long problem of producing within the red zone. Tampa Bay is 29th out of the NFL's 32 teams in red-zone efficiency this season, having made just 11 touchdowns in 31 chances within the opponent's 20-yard line.
"Obviously, it was very deflating," said Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden of his team's scoring woes. "We move the ball pretty good, but we have to score touchdowns to win in this league."
Tampa's accomplished defense limited a punchless Dallas attack to a meager 172 yards on the afternoon, but the unit was also hampered by mistakes at critical times. The Cowboys' only touchdown drive of the game was aided by four Buccaneer penalties, two of which negated third-down stops.
Cornerback Ronde Barber was called for a horse-collar tackle on Dallas running back Marion Barber, who was stopped about 10 yards short of the first-down marker, to keep the series alive. Corner Phillip Buchanon was later flagged for pass interference on a 3rd-and-5 play inside the Tampa Bay 30-yard line.
The Buccaneers, who fell one game behind first-place Carolina in the division, failed to score a touchdown for the first time since a 20-6 setback at Seattle in the 2007 season opener.
QUICK HITS: Wide receiver Joey Galloway returned to the Tampa lineup for the first time since Week 3 and caught three Garcia passes for 38 yards. The veteran speedster had missed five straight games with a foot sprain...Fellow wideout Ike Hilliard also played in the Dallas game, just one week after being carted off with a concussion in the Bucs' 20-10 decision over Seattle in Week 7. He ended with 23 yards on three grabs...Strong safety Jermaine Phillips fractured his forearm during Sunday's loss and is slated to miss at least 4- to-6 weeks. Second-year pro Sabby Piscitelli will fill in for the time being...Running back Warrick Dunn, who's dealing with a pinched nerve in his back, had just three touches against the Cowboys...Linebacker Derrick Brooks started his 200th consecutive game on Sunday.
NEXT UP: The Bucs will try to rebound in this Sunday's tilt with the lowly Kansas City Chiefs from Arrowhead Stadium, Tampa Bay's first visit there since 1986. The Chiefs fell to 1-6 on the season with last weekend's 28-24 loss to the New York Jets and haven't beaten the Buccaneers since a 27-3 triumph in Tampa on September 5, 1993. The Bucs will come in having dropped three of their four games on the road this year.
