QuoteFALCONS REPORT: Hall welcomes one-on-one time against Owens
Steve Wyche - Staff
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Flowery Branch --- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb might not have much to say to teammate Terrell Owens, but Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall might have a few words for the loquacious and ultra-dangerous wide receiver when they face off in the season- opener Monday night at the Georgia Dome.
"He's going to talk his trash, and he's going out there to compete," Falcons linebacker Ed Hartwell said of Hall. "D. Hall isn't competing to lose either. He's competing to win --- and to dominate. I'm from Vegas, and I'm putting my money on D. Hall."
Hall, a second-year player projected to become a shut-down corner, will be one-on-one with Owens, the type of receiver who tends to stunt the growth of defensive backs with "potentially" listed somewhere before a flattering adjective on their resume.
"I can't wait to see how I match up against him," said Hall, who intercepted two passes last season. "Atlanta fans want to know how I'll match up against him. The football world wants to know."
The Hall-Owens duel might be the most intriguing individual match up in this rematch of teams that played for the NFC championship last season. Hall, speedy, strong and fearless, is probably the one Falcons' defensive back coaches feel comfortable enough to risk on Owens in single coverage --- although Atlanta likely will use zone coverages most of the time.
"He recognizes that T.O. is a great competitor and a great player, and DeAngelo likes that challenge," coach Jim Mora said. "Last year he got the opportunity to match up against Torry Holt in the playoff game, and Torry got him a couple of times, and he got Torry a couple of times. But he loved the matchup, and that's one of the neat things about DeAngelo. He's a great competitor, and he loves being challenged. He gets bored if he's not challenged."
As much as Hall said he's looking forward to the game inside the game, he warned not to forget about The Game.
"A lot of people forget this team beat us without Terrell Owens last year," Hall said of the NFC championship Owens missed because of an ankle injury. "You add him to the mix, and it's just another weapon they have."
Eagles wide receivers Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell are gone, but Greg Lewis, who had two receptions that game, and Georgia rookie Reggie Brown have replaced them.
"This is a challenge for me, for our whole secondary and our whole team," Hall said. "We're champing at the bit to put our scheme against their team. We take pride in the things we do as a defense, and we're eager to show people how much we've progressed from our last game last season to now."
Hall is an emotional player (remember him getting ejected against TEN this PS for punching a WR several times?) so when TO beats him like a drum he could start committing dumb penalties.
And Ed Hartwell has a big mouth. That dude was running his mouth before the BAL game last year too and got shut up.
What limpdick excuses are those Hoydas going to use when the Eagles offense marches up and down the field on them at will?
Again, I ask the following questions.
What has changed for the Falcons to make them think they are markedly better than last year to think they'll dominate this game AND TO?
What has changed for the Eagles to make them think they are markedly WORSE than last year to think they'll GET dominated and TO would play like shtein?
The AC in the dome was too cold?
Vick had a flare-up of the Herpes?
The Eagle fans were too loud in their house?
I want to see Mora stomping like a kid again on the sidelines.
Quote"The Dome is going to make a huge difference. I don't think Philadelphia has ever seen anything close to what they're about to run into when they come in here on Monday night," he said. "You know, we went up there and for the most part, the weather, the fans ... it wasn't all what everyone talked it up to be. So when they come in, it's really going to be a change of scenery. It's going to be a hostile environment for them."
There's Hall talking again (from Spads' article)...
Yo D-Hall...the Eagle fans will be louder than the pansy Falcon fans, jerk.
So the weather and the fans and the dome...there is my answer.
Those are the apparent reasons that have made the Falcons a markedly better team this year.
Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on September 10, 2005, 09:56:25 AM
Quote"The Dome is going to make a huge difference. I don't think Philadelphia has ever seen anything close to what they're about to run into when they come in here on Monday night," he said. "You know, we went up there and for the most part, the weather, the fans ... it wasn't all what everyone talked it up to be. So when they come in, it's really going to be a change of scenery. It's going to be a hostile environment for them."
There's Hall talking again (from Spads' article)...
Yo D-Hall...the Eagle fans will be louder than the pansy Falcon fans, jerk.
:-D :-D :-D
My Uncle (Chiropractor dude that comes to games with me) went to Life College in Atlanta for 4 years and said "they're the worst fans in the entire universe". He called me from a Falcons MNF game and said the Vet was livlier during our 3-13 season. I'm sure playing in the SB last year isn't anything close to what we're going to see there. Our record under AR on MNF is what again? Exactly.
Defensively they added Hartwell...who...okay, is better than what they had. Pasquerelli wrote in his notes that they were bleeding Ike dry for info about our D. Whatever. Studying films will get you the same info. They're not going to have any new twist that shut down our offense. Focus will have to shift to TO beating their coverage deep and NOT solely on Westbrook. I really think the X-Factor in this game is going to be Reggie Brown. He played his college ball in Georgia and is basically an unknown. I see him exploiting the Falcons D underneath.
Offensively I guess they think Vick is 'more accurate' this season (De ja Vu?) and he'll be able to fly on the turf. Whatever. :-D
How about THIS for an X-factor?
TO is playing in this game. They couldn't stop the Eagles WITHOUT him.
Period.
Atlanta fans really have no clue what we're about. I had a discussion "elsewhere" with a few of them and they refuse to believe that there was 20,000-30,000 Eagles fans in Miami in 2003 and a similar amount in Atlanta the last time we played there.
The only reason I can come up with for their ignorance about their own fans and stadium is that most of them weren't actually Falcons fans the last time we played them there.
Just the worst city in America when it comes to bandwagoning fans.
PS: Tampa's # 1-A.
Hey, our team is going to the World Series (again), lets not sell out our ballpark (again) in the playoffs!
What has changed for the Falcons to make them think they are markedly better than last year to think they'll dominate this game AND TO?
im not saying atlanta is going to win cause i believe the eagles will...but you can go back and look at any year and find the case of a team who whipped another the previous year only to come back and lose even tho neither team changed all that much
watch out for allen rossum vs the eagles special teams for example...maybe ike reese meant more than people thought...i think rossum is going to bust a return or two..maybe not for a td but he will have a big day
or maybe burgess is the perfect DE to chase a guy like vick on the dome turf as opposed to kalu
and if anyone doesnt think the change of venue and weather is a big deal yous are nuts...dunn is a different animal on the turf...and vick basically admitted that the whole team Hoydad out in the weather last year
in the end the eagles will win cause atlanta wont be able to score with them...but its gonna be real close...and if atl won it wouldnt surprise me...this and at kc are the two toughest games of the year and to lose either would not be a big deal
Quote from: Jerome99RIP on September 10, 2005, 10:13:02 AM
Atlanta fans really have no clue what we're about. I had a discussion "elsewhere" with a few of them and they refuse to believe that there was 20,000-30,000 Eagles fans in Miami in 2003 and a similar amount in Atlanta the last time we played there.
The only reason I can come up with for their ignorance about their own fans and stadium is that most of them weren't actually Falcons fans the last time we played them there.
Just the worst city in America when it comes to bandwagoning fans.
PS: Tampa's # 1-A.
:-D Ain't that the truth? I went to a few Flyers games in the St. Pete Times Forum, and the Flyers fans there were at least a full third of the crowd. I'm sure that the Lightning fanbase magically doubled in the Cup year, though.
Quote from: ice grillin you on September 10, 2005, 10:27:13 AM
What has changed for the Falcons to make them think they are markedly better than last year to think they'll dominate this game AND TO?
im not saying atlanta is going to win cause i believe the eagles will...but you can go back and look at any year and find the case of a team who whipped another the previous year only to come back and lose even tho neither team changed all that much
watch out for allen rossum vs the eagles special teams for example...maybe ike reese meant more than people thought...i think rossum is going to bust a return or two..maybe not for a td but he will have a big day
or maybe burgess is the perfect DE to chase a guy like vick on the dome turf as opposed to kalu
and if anyone doesnt think the change of venue and weather is a big deal yous are nuts...dunn is a different animal on the turf...and vick basically admitted that the whole team Hoydad out in the weather last year
in the end the eagles will win cause atlanta wont be able to score with them...but its gonna be real close...and if atl won it wouldnt surprise me...this and at kc are the two toughest games of the year and to lose either would not be a big deal
Psst. Biggest change?
TO is playing.
Quote from: ice grillin you on September 10, 2005, 10:27:13 AM
What has changed for the Falcons to make them think they are markedly better than last year to think they'll dominate this game AND TO?
im not saying atlanta is going to win cause i believe the eagles will...but you can go back and look at any year and find the case of a team who whipped another the previous year only to come back and lose even tho neither team changed all that much
watch out for allen rossum vs the eagles special teams for example...maybe ike reese meant more than people thought...i think rossum is going to bust a return or two..maybe not for a td but he will have a big day
or maybe burgess is the perfect DE to chase a guy like vick on the dome turf as opposed to kalu
and if anyone doesnt think the change of venue and weather is a big deal yous are nuts...dunn is a different animal on the turf...and vick basically admitted that the whole team Hoydad out in the weather last year
in the end the eagles will win cause atlanta wont be able to score with them...but its gonna be real close...and if atl won it wouldnt surprise me...this and at kc are the two toughest games of the year and to lose either would not be a big deal
Did you see Burgess during the Pats game on Thursday--neither did I.
Quote from: Geowhizzer on September 10, 2005, 10:28:22 AM
Quote from: Jerome99RIP on September 10, 2005, 10:13:02 AM
Atlanta fans really have no clue what we're about. I had a discussion "elsewhere" with a few of them and they refuse to believe that there was 20,000-30,000 Eagles fans in Miami in 2003 and a similar amount in Atlanta the last time we played there.
The only reason I can come up with for their ignorance about their own fans and stadium is that most of them weren't actually Falcons fans the last time we played them there.
Just the worst city in America when it comes to bandwagoning fans.
PS: Tampa's # 1-A.
:-D Ain't that the truth? I went to a few Flyers games in the St. Pete Times Forum, and the Flyers fans there were at least a full third of the crowd. I'm sure that the Lightning fanbase magically doubled in the Cup year, though.
The first game of the conference finals in 2004 there were at least 5,000 Flyers fans in that building.
Just the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in an opposing arena. When we starting doing "Let's Go Flyers" chants, they started booing. Now there's irony for you.
Tampa had tons of seats available before each of the games in the Finals 2 years ago.
How long do you think it would take Flyers fans to buy up Finals tickets when they went on sale? lol
Yeah well. This at least makes it more interesting. D. Hall can go suck a chode.
It's just inconceivable to me. How can the franchises allow that during the playoffs? For God's sake, remove the tickets quietly and distribute them to the poor or something, but don't allow opposing fans to invade your stadiums and arenas.
:-D
Quote from: Jerome99RIP on September 10, 2005, 10:42:56 AM
It's just inconceivable to me. How can the franchises allow that during the playoffs? For God's sake, remove the tickets quietly and distribute them to the poor or something, but don't allow opposing fans to invade your stadiums and arenas.
:-D
Devils fans were the same way. No one ever bought them in the Finals. They were dominating the game, yet the fans stayed away.
Did you see Burgess during the Pats game on Thursday--neither did I
nice 3rd grade non relevant comeback...shoo fly
Psst. Biggest change?
TO is playing
i understand this...but maybe the noise in the dome effects the eagle passing game somewhat...thus limiting TO's effectiveness
i dont know maybe the eagles win by 27 this time...im just saying every year and every game is different...
i dont think you can go back and point to one single game from the previous season and say thats why one team will win
Quote from: Jerome99RIP on September 10, 2005, 10:42:56 AM
It's just inconceivable to me. How can the franchises allow that during the playoffs? For God's sake, remove the tickets quietly and distribute them to the poor or something, but don't allow opposing fans to invade your stadiums and arenas.
:-D
Opposing teams fans buy lots of beer and food, the poor dont. ;)
I think Eagles fans make more noise in open air stadiums than a bunch of clueless Falcons fans hissin' in a dome.
Quote from: Jerome99RIP on September 10, 2005, 10:42:56 AM
It's just inconceivable to me. How can the franchises allow that during the playoffs? For God's sake, remove the tickets quietly and distribute them to the poor or something, but don't allow opposing fans to invade your stadiums and arenas.
:-D
(http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~cotto1/ochosting/inconceivable.jpg)
Quote from: Eaglez on September 10, 2005, 10:47:54 AM
I think Eagles fans make more noise in OPPOSING TEAMS' open air stadiums than a bunch of clueless Falcons fans hissin' in a dome.
:P
The first game of the conference finals in 2004 there were at least 5,000 Flyers fans in that building.
Just the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in an opposing arena
you werent in washington for the 98 cup finals when the red wings had 45-50%...most amazing thing ive ever seen
regular season is not the same but the flyers often have 50% in dc...its great...i always get 50-100 tickets and we roll mobb deep
When I lived in LA, and the Kings still played at the Forum, it was like a Flyers home game in there. Unreal. 65% Flyers fans. I was talking to these ESPN camera crew people and they were like, "Yup, LA doesn't give a shtein about hockey and there are so many Philly people out here...we see it every year." :-D
I think Eagles fans make more noise in open air stadiums than a bunch of clueless Falcons fans hissin' in a dome.
not this week...not with them having the monday nite opener against the team that beat them last year in the champ game...its going to be lous as ish in there...thats why i believe it to be so unfair to the birds...being the nfc superbowl representative they dont deserve being put in this position imo
Quote from: ice grillin you on September 10, 2005, 11:04:27 AM
thats why i believe it to be so unfair to the birds...being the nfc superbowl representative they dont deserve being put in this position imo
Please tell me you are kidding...lmfao
not in the least
the monday nite opener should be in philly against the cowboys where we can celebrate our nfc championship in style...not at some cheesy week two 1pm start against sf
I'm almost putting money on D. Hall getting a 15 yard p.f. I hope to GOD Mora Jr. (Donatell, whoever) calls for jamming TO at the line. D Hall will be TO's bitch all day.
Hall says "weather wasn't a factor" yet Vick says differently...hmmmm. Vick sounds like a gigantic Hoyda in this article.
QuoteVick vows to stay in pocket more
By DAVID WEINBERG Staff Writer, (***) 272-7186
Published: Friday, September 9, 2005
Updated: Friday, September 9, 2005
If Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick never sees his breath again, it would be fine with him.
His every exhale produced an icy cloud during the Falcons' 27-10 loss to the Eagles in last season's NFC championship game at Lincoln Financial Field.
He much prefers to play in the air-conditioned comfort of Atlanta's Georgia Dome - the site of the rematch on "Monday Night Football."
"The weather made a big difference last time we played them," Vick said Thursday in a phone interview. "You try going out there and playing in minus-10 degree temperatures. It's tough when you're not used to it. We didn't play a game all year last year in cold-weather conditions. We weren't prepared for that."
The Falcons evidently weren't prepared for the Eagles' defense, either. Defensive ends Derrick Burgess and Jevon Kearse and free safety Brian Dawkins combined to contain the league's most dangerous offensive weapon.
Vick, who rushed for over 900 yards last season, managed just 26 yards on four carries in that game. He also completed just 11 of 24 passes for 136 yards and threw an interception.
"I don't like to hear anyone mention the weather factor as being a reason why we lost," Falcons coach Jim Mora said. "(The Eagles) were better than us that day and they deserved to win.
"I know Mike mentions the weather all the time, but he's a quarterback, so what do you expect? Of course, I also wasn't the one who had to take 55 snaps from center with a rock-hard football and had to play against a crazed defense. I had a jacket on and he didn't."
Besides the weather, Vick is also planning on a change in atmosphere. Despite his prowess as a runner, he has vowed to stay in the pocket more in an effort to better execute the Falcons' version of the West Coast offense.
It will not be easy, for the Falcons' receiving corps is unproven. Peerless Price (45 catches last season) was cut during the preseason, leaving Dez White (30) as the most productive returning wide receiver. Michael Jenkins (seven catches) and rookie Roddy White are the other wideouts, along with ex-Eagle Brian Finneran.
"I'm not saying I don't want to be known as a running quarterback," Vick said. "It just doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether you label me as a running quarterback, passing quarterback or prototypical pocket passer.
"People are going to say what they want, anyway. Just call me the quarterback from here on out. Just the quarterback. Michael Vick, the quarterback."
If he keeps his promise to run more, the Eagles will undoubtedly be breathing easier. According to Kearse and others, Vick's speed and agility is what separates him from the rest of the NFL quarterbacks, even Eagles' passer Donovan McNabb.
McNabb can still tuck the ball under and pick up big yards, but he prefers to throw. His 41 carries and 220 rushing yards last season were both career lows. Conversely, Vick ran for 902 yards on 120 carries - the third-most yards by a quarterback in NFL history - while compiling mediocre passing stats. Vick completed 181 of 321 passes (56.4 percent) for 2,313 yards last season with 14 TD passes and 12 interceptions.
"He takes a lot of heat for running so much, but if I had a bunch of 300-pound guys chasing me, I'd run, too," Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown said.
The Eagles have traditionally done a decent job of keeping Vick under control.
Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson usually concocts a scheme designed to take away the outside lanes and thereby free middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and Dawkins to take aim at Vick when he tries to come up the middle.
When he does break free, the Eagles have landed their share of punishing licks on him. Dawkins and defensive tackle Hollis Thomas have both delivered big shots on Vick in recent years.
The Eagles' defense promises to be a bigger pain than the weather.
"Every guy on that defense is accountable," Vick said. "You can't just point out one guy and try to focus on him and prevent him from stopping you."
because another guy will step up. It's going to take 11 guys on our side of the ball outexecuting the 11 guys on their side of the ball.
"But we've got good players and we believe in ourselves and we believe in what we do. We know we're a good football team and that's all we need to know. We might not get respect from anybody else, but respect is not given, it's earned. And we're ready to walk that path and try to earn that respect."
QuoteTen reasons Atlanta does not deserve to go to the Super Bowl.
1. The city's fans were voted the worst in America by the Sporting News and GQ magazine.
2. The night Henry Aaron hit his 711th career home run on the way to breaking Babe Ruth's record, fewer than 1,500 people showed up at the Braves' ballpark. "This was a pretty strong statement of what Atlanta thought of me and my record," Aaron said.
3. The Georgia Bulldogs outdraw the Falcons.
4. In a span of 15 post-season home games, the Braves failed to sell out nine times.
5. Relatives of the Falcons' once cheered when the team's starting quarterback, Chris Chandler, was injured in a game. When Chandler's wife complained, one of the relatives threw a can of beer at her.
6. The town was called "Loserville, USA," by Sports Illustrated.
7. Its topless Gold Club is known for luring innocent sports stars like Patrick Ewing and Dennis Rodman with sex favors.
8. During the 2003 National League playoffs, not a single local network affiliate agreed to televise the Braves-Cubs series. It was finally broadcast by a low-wattage UHF station.
9. When the Falcons clinched just their third division title in 39 years in a game against the Raiders last month, there were more than 5,000 no-shows at the Georgia Dome. The stadium was half-empty by the fourth quarter.
10. "Frankly, dear, I don't give a damn." - The most famous quote by the town's most famous fan, Rhett Butler.
:-D Good stuff.
I was gonna poke fun of Vick and the cold weather stuff, but he did win in G.B. that one time in the post-season...and it was cold. But he makes it sound like he's playing on Mars.
he looks forward to 1 on 1 time with TO.. hahahaha. good stuff. if their really not going to roll a safety to help D Hall out he's in for a long day.
DeAngelo Hall is a tool.
I'll be heading down there Monday; is anyone else from the site going?
Quote from: Eagles_Legendz on September 10, 2005, 04:15:29 PM
DeAngelo Hall is a tool.
I'll be heading down there Monday; is anyone else from the site going?
Yup...
Quote"The Dome is going to make a huge difference. I don't think Philadelphia has ever seen anything close to what they're about to run into when they come in here on Monday night," he said. "You know, we went up there and for the most part, the weather, the fans ... it wasn't all what everyone talked it up to be. So when they come in, it's really going to be a change of scenery. It's going to be a hostile environment for them."
I can't wait to hear his humbled comments after the game where T.O. torched his ass for a TD or three.
Yeah their fans suck but you also have to realize that 3/4 of them are from different parts of the country. A lot of people move down to Atlanta because it has a booming business industry, so there aren't a whole lot of 'natives' around there to cheer on the Atlanta teams. A lot of people actually come down from the northeast to settle there. My one friend's wife's family moved down there recently from Philly. They said the sports scene is pretty horrible but seemingly no one down there is a native Atlantian.
It does get pretty bad when you go down to a Thrashers game and they have to show you an instructional video for the fans on hockey before the faceoff. Why go to the game if you don't even know whats going on? And why bring a team there? Stupid.