• Archives

Tag Archives: sean weatherspoon

Mike Smith Readies Falcons for Rams’ Blitz of the Day

November 18, 2010   Ray Glier   No comments

Filed under: , , ,

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The St. Louis Rams lead the NFL with 28 sacks. They are going to come after the Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, but they won’t do it with old stuff; blitzes they nailed other quarterbacks with this season. They have something new cooked up for Ryan.

Call it The Blitz of the Day.

It will be a new splash, something not yet on film, and Todd McClure, the Falcons‘ veteran center, said the Rams won’t wait to use it. It will come early in Sunday’s game, perhaps on the first third-down play for the Falcons (7-2). The Rams will try and set a tone.

“I think once we see it, we’ll be ready for it again,” McClure said. “You have to see it one time. At most, teams have time to come up with three new blitzes, but there will be one in particular to watch for.”

The Rams (4-5) feature defensive end James Hall who has 7.5 sacks and defensive end Chris Long, who has 5.5 sacks. Linebacker James Laurinaitis has three sacks.

“They get effort sacks, they don’t stop, they have high motors,” McClure said. “I think it speaks for their talent and the kind of coaching they are getting there with that staff. It’s really an impressive defense.”

The sacks show up with the Rams’ productivity on third down. They can get off the field as well as any NFL team. St. Louis is tied for second in the NFL on third down defense allowing opponents to convert just 32 percent on third down.

That’s where Sunday’s matchup is intriguing. The Falcons’ offense is tied for the league lead in third down conversion percentage (48 percent).

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Sean Weatherspoon Misses Falcons’ Practice; Not Ruled Out vs. Rams

November 15, 2010   Ray Glier   No comments

Filed under: ,

Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith said Monday that strongside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon did not practice, but Smith did not rule him out of Sunday’s game at St. Louis.

“We anticipate that he’ll get an opportunity to practice before the end of the week and then we’ll have to make a decision as we get closer to the weekend,” Smith said.

Weatherspoon suffered a right knee sprain Oct. 10 in a win over Cleveland. He has not played in the last four games.

Stephen Nicholas, the 2009 starter, has played in place of Weatherspoon.

The Falcons (7-2) play at St. Louis (4-5) on Sunday.

Extra Points:

o. What does it say about a team’s coaching that after nine games it has a mere 35 penalties? The Falcons are the least penalized team in the NFL and it’s not even close.

“It’s a point of emphasis for our players,” Smith said. “It’s something that each and every week we put up what penalties we had and what kind of affect they really had on the ball game.

“Often times you think that a penalty is a five-yard penalty and it only counts for five yards, but if it was a special teams penalty for example, that five-yard penalty could have negated a 30-yard return or it could have negated a 50-yard return.”

Smith said NFL games are so close in the fourth quarter the Falcons emphasize being “clean” because one flag could swing the outcome.

o. I tried to ask Justin Blalock, the starting guard, when was the last time he had a penalty. Dumb question. It’s like telling a pitcher he has a no-hitter going.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Roddy White Injury Update: Listed Questionable With Sore Knee

November 10, 2010   Ray Glier   No comments

Filed under: , ,

Roddy White said Tuesday he is playing against the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL Network game in the Georgia Dome on Thursday night. We will have to take him at his word, but for now he is listed as questionable with a sore knee.

The Falcons leading receiver injured his knee Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and did not have a typically big game statistically (49 yards). Some of that had to do with the sore knee and also the devotion of the Bucs’ defense toward him with cornerback Aqib Talib.

White did not practice Monday and Tuesday. He was limited in practice on Wednesday.

The Falcons offense is humming along and hitting its stride with a balanced offense of run-pass. The loss of White right now would be a blow against a formidable team like the Ravens, who are giving up just 17 points a game, sixth best in the NFL.

It wouldn’t help to also not have veteran center Todd McClure, who was limited in practice with a knee issue. McClure and quarterback Matt Ryan work in harmony in pass protection, which is particularly important this week against the fast Ravens, who are known for pressures.

McClure is also listed as questionable.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said linebacker Sean Weatherspoon did not practice Wednesday, but he is listed as questionable for the Baltimore game.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Dunta Robinson, Sean Weatherspoon Remain Great Uncertainties for Falcons

November 01, 2010   Ray Glier   No comments

Filed under: ,

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is not permitted to speak to reporters, as per club rules, if he is injured and not practicing. But before he left the locker room Monday afternoon, Weatherspoon did tell a reporter he was not practicing today.

Apparently, his knee still hurts and his status is uncertain for Sunday’s NFC South showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Georgia Dome.

It is not clear whether cornerback Dunta Robinson will play Sunday. He was not in the Falcons locker room when it was open to media on Monday.

Extra Points:

William Moore, the strong safety from Missouri, played against the Tampa quarterback Josh Freeman in college. Freeman went to a Big 12 rival, Kansas State, and Moore called him “a friend.”

Freeman, a second-year pro like Moore, has led six fourth quarter comeback wins in just 16 starts for the Bucs.

“He uses his size to his advantage,” Moore said of the 6-6 Freeman. “You aint going to run back there and grab him by his jersey and pull him down like the average quarterback. You definitely got to run through him.”

Moore sacked Freeman in college and also intercepted a pass. “It wasn’t easy,” Moore said of the sack.

“His improvement was fast coming out of college and then last year,” Moore said. “It looks like he has been in the league five or six years the way he is playing right now.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Falcons Injury Update: Sean Weatherspoon Misses Practice Wednesday

October 13, 2010   Ray Glier   No comments

Filed under: , ,

The Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon did not practice Wednesday because of a knee sprain suffered in the win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

“We are going to hold him out definitely tomorrow and then we’ll look at what happens on Friday and Saturday and make a determination,” Smith said.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Atlanta Falcons Week 5 Injury Update: Sean Weatherspoon Questionable

October 08, 2010   Ray Glier   No comments

Filed under: , , , ,

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons defense has been making strides to become a unit that can be trusted and carry the team on those days the offense does not click.

Now, it’s just a matter of keeping all the parts in order.

The Falcons released their injury report Friday and it was cautious. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (knee) and rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (ankle) have been ruled questionable for Sunday’s game in Cleveland.

Weatherspoon did not play last week in the win over the 49ers. Stephen Nicholas played for Weatherspoon and had 13 tackles (12 solo).

Coy Wire, a nine-year veteran, is listed as the backup to Lofton.

In addition, wide receiver Michael Jenkins has been ruled questionable for Sunday’s game with the Browns in Cleveland. He has not played all season with a shoulder injury.

Veteran strong safety Erik Coleman has been injured and has not played since Week One against the Steelers, but he was not listed on the injury report Friday. Second-year pro William Moore is expected to start at strong safety Sunday in Cleveland.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Dunta Robinson Eager to Repay Falcons’ Massive Investment

August 09, 2010   Chris Harry   No comments

Filed under: ,

FLOWDunta RobinsonERY BRANCH, Ga. — Drills weren’t totally live and the contact wasn’t anywhere close to full, but Monday made for the next-best-thing at Atlanta Falcons team headquarters.

Those were Jacksonville Jaguars across the line of scrimmage.

The first of four joint practices against a different foe made for a welcome relief for both teams, not to mention a welcome release of athleticism, skills, technique and physicality after a full offseason and 10 long training camp days of intrasquad gaming.

They all needed it. Dunta Robinson wanted it, but couldn’t have it.

“Not to be out there and setting a tone for the way we’re supposed to practice against another team, man, it’s frustrating,” said Robinson, the Falcons‘ cornerback temporarily sidelined with a sore hamstring. “I feel like I could contribute by showing these young guys how to practice.”

Truth be told, Robinson — in not practicing — was doing just that.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Combined Preseason Practices Could Be NFL’s Wave of the Future

August 09, 2010   Knox Bardeen   No comments

Filed under: , ,

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The idea popped into the head of Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio at the NFL’s scouting combine this year. It wasn’t an original idea — teams have been practicing against each other for years. But Del Rio thought that if he could find a situation against a team that he had connections with, an opposing head coach he could trust, he’d like to add a combined practice to the Jaguars’ training-camp schedule.

He almost instantly thought of Falcons head coach Mike Smith.

“Both Mike and I have the same goals coming out of this thing: get some good solid work and let’s come out of this as healthy as possible,” Del Rio said Monday morning after the first of four practices the Jaguars will go through with the Falcons.

Practicing against another team during training camp is beneficial for a number of reasons. It can break up the monotony of going through minicamp, OTA’s and training camp, which all usually involve only hitting players with the same colored jerseys. It can also help teams evaluate their own player personnel as they get opportunities to play against opposing players, whose tendencies and tells might be unfamiliar.

“It’s going to be great for our personnel department to evaluate our guys against other guys,” Smith said. “We’ve had 31 practices up to this time, and we’ve worked against the same guys.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Saints and Falcons’ Race to Defensive Power Decides NFC South

August 06, 2010   Ray Glier   No comments

Filed under: , ,

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons are the boss of the NFC South. We have that established.

The Saints’ offense is better than the Falcons’ offense because Drew Brees is a better quarterback than Matt Ryan. For now.

Michael Turner is more productive that Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. Right? But the Saints offensive line is better.

So what decides things? OK, besides injuries, what decides things?

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More

Sean Weatherspoon, Atlanta Falcons’ First-Round Pick, Signs

July 29, 2010   Knox Bardeen   No comments

Filed under:

Sean WeatherspoonSean Weatherspoon, the Atlanta Falcons first-round draft pick, came to terms with his new team on Thursday. He signed a five-year deal worth $17.5 million with $10.5 million guaranteed.

The No. 19 overall pick in the draft was expected to have the deal signed before a Falcons team meeting on Thursday evening.

Weatherspoon arrived in Flowery Branch on Thursday to check in for training camp — which starts on Friday. He, along with every other draft pick from the 2010 draft, will be signed and in attendance. This is the third year in a row that every Falcons draft pick has been signed prior to the first day of camp.

The linebacker from the University of Missouri played outside linebacker in college and will compete for a starting job on the outside for Atlanta. Whether he’ll eventually win a job over Stephen Nichols or Mike Peterson — if he wins a starting job at all — remains to be seen.

Weatherspoon comes to Atlanta as one of three players in school history to lead the team in tackles for three seasons. This is paramount because it will be Weatherspoon’s ability to tackle at the NFL level which will go a long way in determining whether or not he starts as a rookie.


The Falcons struggled in pass coverage last season and coverage is one of Weatherspoon’s strong suits. If his success at tackling translates well in to the professional level, it will be hard to keep him off of the field, since the team could really use a linebacker with his coverage skills.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read More
« Older posts
Powered by WordPress | Designed by: suv | Thanks to toyota suv, infiniti suv and lexus suv