With the Super Bowl a week away, the NFL is pushing a product on fans that no longer holds the same meaning that it did before. They are trying to tell the world that a Pro Bowl game will be played, yet it is devoid of the very best in the NFL has to offer.
Roger Goodell is the commissioner of the league, and his legacy is forever tarnished by some recent moves that has most calling the fascist commissioner a moron. His moving the Pro Bowl a week ahead of the Super Bowl is certainly near the top of his list of moves that has fans, coaches, and players scratching their heads.
Perhaps Goodell should have this game retitled the Consolation Bowl, because not all the best has to offer will play. There will be several Pro Bowl players from the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts not playing so they can avoid injury and prepare for Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. The fact that 13 players chosen will be forced to skip the event shows that the NFL commissioner has turned the game into a fraudulent sham whose only real purpose is to steal a few more dollars from their fans to put on a game filled with more mediocre players than ever before.
Though critics like to lament how the players, who participate in the Pro Bowl, give little effort because the game means nothing more than a paycheck, the main reason is that the modern player needs more incentive to find their source to draw pride in the abilities from. Gone are the players who used to give a great effort because they wanted to show they were the best by winning this game. Goodell, who has dropped the ball on many moments in his tenure, continues to spit in the eye of tradition here by thinking he has taken the easy way out once again.
Thinking outside of the box of confined thought is something the league should consider. Major League Baseball added an important incentive that has their upper echelon players give full effort, and the NFL should go this same route. The winning conference can earn home field advantage in the Super Bowl, which is what baseball has done to success so far. It makes for a better game for the fans, players, and even sponsors who pour millions of dollars into these games.
The NFL would most likely never consider this idea because they do not want a Super Bowl played in nine feet of snow with winds at 110 miles per hour if the Buffalo Bills reach the Super Bowl a year when the AFC held home field rights by winning the previous Pro Bowl. But that is where Goodell and the league are missing the point.
Giving players incentive to work and play hard in the Pro Bowl can bring out the very best from their All-Stars. The league may fret the fair weathered fan, who brings a family of four or more to a game where ticket prices skyrocket to obscene proportions, will eschew a cold weathered venue. Yet this is a tax free organization who sells luxury boxes in each stadium, licensed seating, and has never had a problem even filling seats in an exhibition game played by free agents and rookies making their last appearance in a uniform during the preseason. The Super Bowl would be sold out even if it was played on an iceberg in the Antarctic.
The NFL likes to use catchphrases like "giving back" and "community." These are phrases, since it is the fans who made the league what it is. A Super Bowl in a city like Buffalo would do wonders for that city's economy. That is the truest way to give back to the community instead of continuing to bite the hands that feed and keep the game alive.
Goodell will choose continue the work of former commissioner Paul Tagliabue by eroding the game and exiling the fans with a "shut up and like it" message. Defense is becoming as extinct as the dodo bird, and exerts about as much flight right now. The only future is the league adopting the moronic college football overtime rule. That's more of Goodell's speed, and is the easy way out that he usually takes. That is, of course, the league avoids another players strike.
Now let us take a look back at my predictions for this season and measure them versus reality.
NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia Eagles - This year they are on a mission.
2. New York Giants - They are not easy to stop on the ground attack.
3. Dallas Cowboys - As flawed as that horrid TV at the fifty yard line.
4. Washington Redskins - Mediocre coaches get mediocre results.
*Philadelphia did get in the playoffs, but the Cowboys pulled together in the stretch run to win the division while the Giants faded out of the picture. Washington was where I knew they would be in standings, but played even worse.
NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings - Blah, blah, blah Brett. It's all about the trenches.
2. Green Bay Packers - The defense is very good.
3. Chicago Bears - They are a year away...maybe.
4. Detroit Lions - They will win games this year.
* Minnesota ran away with the division as I predicted, while the Packers willed their way into the playoffs. The Bears and Lions stayed where I thought they would be.
NFC South
1. Carolina Panthers - They like to ground and pound you old school style.
2. New Orleans Saints - If Pierre Thomas runs well, they will do well.
3. Atlanta Falcons - The mirrors used last year will be shattered this year.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - It will take time to get better.
* Carolina has to be one of the biggest disappointments this season, while it was a pleasure to see the Saints unite and excel. Atlanta had their first consecutive winning seasons ever this year, while it appears Tampa Bay will take a long time to be good again.
NFC West
1. Arizona Cardinals - Warner has one good year left.
2. Saint Louis Rams - They are getting real good in the pits.
3. Seattle Seahawks - The rebuilding stage hits harder next year.
4. San Francisco 49ers - They appear on the right track.
* Arizona won as expected, while the dark horse Rams pick was shattered by injuries on defense early on. The Seahawks continue to rebuild while the 49ers seem to be a few pieces away from winning the West next year.
NFC Championship
Philadelphia Eagles over New York Giants - The mission for Jim Johnson continues.
The Giants did not make the playoffs, and the Eagles were run out in their first game
AFC East
1. New England Patriots - Hopefully Brady plays, yet they proved they win without him.
2. Buffalo Bills - The offense is more explosive than you think.
3. Miami Dolphins - The talent pool is getting deeper each year.
4. New York Jets - Rookie QB's rarely do well at first.
The Patriots won as expected, but the Bills didn't have a quarterback who could get the ball to their weapons. The Dolphins finished where I thought, but Rex Ryan took a Jets team further than most expected.
AFC North
1. Baltimore Ravens - Lewis inspires his teammates to overachieve again.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers - They will be in it to win it.
3. Cincinnati Bengals - The offense will score, the defense is underrated.
4. Cleveland Browns - The trenches look shaky.
The Bengals won the division, but I was not shocked. The biggest surprise was how well the offensive line did. The Ravens still got in the playoffs, while the Steelers proved that champions have a hard time repeating. The Browns finished where I thought they would be.
AFC South
1. Houston Texans - The kids are ready this year.
2. Indianapolis Colts - Dungy will be missed in crunch time.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars - A few drafts away from coming back.
4. Tennessee Titans - Passing game will not produce, Young finishes the year starting.
* Houston was so up and down this year, they didn't even make the playoffs. Indianapolis just keeps rolling, even after the retirement of Dungy. My Tennessee pick looks brilliant in thought, especially after their horrid start. The way they rebounded shows what an excellent coach Jeff Fischer is. Jacksonville looks like an up and coming team, but needs another good draft like they had last year.
AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers - The class of the weakest division in football.
2. Oakland Raiders - The collection of talented running backs will win some games.
3. Kansas City Chiefs - Things are improved in some areas, but aging in others.
4. Denver Broncos - The rebuilding process will take awhile.
* San Diego won as expected, but the hot start Denver had shows they may have a pretty good coach. Oakland was an oddity. They destroyed the Eagles yet were creamed by a Redskins team that had a horrible offense. The Chiefs are rebuilding, but there is optimism.
AFC Championship
San Diego over Baltimore - San Diego wins this with big plays on defense.
* Neither team made it, though both were in the playoffs.
SUPER BOWL
San Diego over Philadelphia - L.T. runs for 150 yards and two scores.
* L.T. is probably done as an effective running back and Charger.
Offensive MVP : Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia
*Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis : Add another trophy to the mans legendary career.
Defensive MVP : Julius Peppers, DE, Carolina
*Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay : He had perhaps the best year of his fine career.
Offensive Rookie Of The Year : Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia
*Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota : His return ability won him this award, but Baltimore offensive tackle Michael Oher deserved it more.
Defensive Rookie Of The Year : James Laurinaitis, LB, St. Louis
*Brian Cushing, LB, Houston : Laurinitis was great this year, but Cushing was too.
Coach Of The Year : Gary Kubiak, Houston
*Sean Payton/ Marvin Lewis : Both these men are winning the awards, while some question if Kubiak is the answer in Houston.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Brett Favre : An Overhyped Legacy Ends As Expected
It was a fitting end to a career carried by the glow of media hype that inappropriately placed it amongst the very best predecessors.
It ended much like the career had begun on November 10, 1991. That was the first time Brett Favre threw passes in the NFL. He threw four passes for the Atlanta Falcons and the only two caught were by the opposing team. The last pass was caught by Andre Collins of the eventual Super Bowl XXVI champion Washington Redskins. Collins proceeded to rumble 15 yards for a touchdown, ending the game in a 56-17 Redskins victory.
Favre was traded after the 1991 season to the Green Bay Packers for a first round draft pick, which turned out to be running back Tony Smith. Smith was a teammate of Favre in college, but lasted just three seasons in the NFL. One of the reasons the Falcons traded Favre was because their team doctor had diagnosed him with having a hip condition called avascular necrosis, which is the same condition that ended many athletic careers. Bo Jackson may be the most famous example.
Favre proved the Falcons doctor wrong by taking over the Packers starting job before the fourth week of the 1992 season and not letting go of it until the end of the 2007 season. He never missed a start in his 16 years in Green Bay, and was on the team that won Super Bowl XXXI behind an excellent defense and a record setting return specialist named Desmond Howard.
His first significant action as a Packer was a prelude of the madness that would capsulize much of his career. He fumbled four times, yet the Packers were able to win the game. This was the theme of his career, one where Favre would turn over the ball more than any other player that has even played in the NFL before.
Despite his penchant for mental errors, he became a fan favorite. Many followed the career of the man with a good arm, average mobility, and questionable intelligence. He became so well liked, he was forgiven by some after throwing teammates under the bus for wanting more money. Even despite the fact he had just signed a lifetime contract for $100 million.
The journey was given a personal touch by his media buddies, which is not entirely common. His family suffered deaths, a cancer scare, and the loss of his family home to Hurricane Katrina. His allowances of media intrusion for society to see vignettes of personal pains was an intelligent marketing move by his agent so the legend could grow further with deeper roots.
When his time in Green Bay was coming to an end in 2007, he waffled on what he wanted. Once again putting the team second, he knew Aaron Rodgers was ready to take the mantle but Favre was not willing to pass the torch. Tiring of his act and pettiness, the Packers gave him extra money to go away so it could allow Rodgers to develop into the Pro Bowl quarterback they had envisioned him being when they drafted him in the first round before the 2005 season.
After parting shots at the Packers through his media adherents, the New York Jets became a fallback choice so he could play again in 2008. After a hot start of 8-3, the team won just once in the next five games. Though it appeared his 39 year old body betrayed him through a lack of proper conditioning, after rarely showing up at the Jets training camp, he leaked out a story that he had hurt his arm and that was the reason his team fell short of the playoffs instead of the league leading 22 interceptions he tossed.
Seeing where this was going, and holding no allegiances to him, the Jets cut him. The Vikings came calling, which set the stage for perhaps his finest season ever. A year that may have surpassed the four times he led the league in touchdown passes, or the two times he led the NFL in passing yards.
He appeared to finally had learned to play his position with real leadership. Though it took him 19 years to do so, Favre stopped forcing passes as much and generally kept his mouth shut through much of the year. This helped the Vikings become a well balanced team that won 13 games before falling one victory short of reaching the Super Bowl.
It was the sixth time he threw for over 4,000 yards, and his 4,202 yards was the third highest total in his career. This was accomplished by throwing less passes than in any other of his previous 4,000 yard seasons. It also was the only time in his career that he led the league in lowest interception percentage per pass attempts, and he fumbled the ball a career low two times if his two games in Atlanta are disregarded.
Brett was still Brett, unfortunately, in the 2009 season. He butted heads with his head coach, questioned the offensive system, and refused to come out of a game when Vikings coach Brad Childress called for a change of signal callers. Once again, he put his ego ahead of the team.
This ego was the reason he threw a record 317 interceptions in his career, and allowed him to lead the NFL in interceptions thrown three times. He also fumbled the ball 159 times in his career, which is the second most in league history. His propensity for the stupid play was lovingly referred to as a gunslinger mentality by his devoted media partisans.
This mentality ended the Vikings season almost exactly like it ended the Packers 2007 season, and several others before that. With the game on the line, his ego overtook the team concept, and an entire franchise suffered because of it.
The game ended in a fit of spite from many of his fans. Without noticing the referees had called a clean hit a roughing the passer penalty that enabled the Vikings to stay in the game, fans are trying to compare his last game to the time Drew Pearson, of the Dallas Cowboys, shoved Nate Wright of the Vikings to the ground in the Cowboys 1975 NFC Championship win.
Though Favre's zealous army of toadies would like to say he is the greatest football player ever, they tend to never mention the era he played in. An era that had rules that protected the quarterback to disturbingly effeminate proportions, allowing blockers to hold on every play, and allowing receivers to frolic untouched after the first five yards from the line of scrimmage.
The type of fans who fail to realize Archie Manning was a better athlete and quarterback than his sons or how the changes in the way the game today is played has been a enormous boon to offenses and the quarterback particularly. Rules that make Ron Jaworski's consecutive starts streak more impressive than the surpassed total Farve has currently accumulated.
Those who forget about history and prefer his story of the here and now. Every few years a new player gets anointed the greatest ever at his position even though their games are inferior to their predecessors. Favre has statistics that are favorable and disagreeable. The unfriendly statistics helped prevent him from hoisting more than one Super Bowl trophy. Despite trying to gloss over these facts, his fans throw statistics in retort.
Yet none of his fans can feign surprise when their deity threw away another game with victory just moments away. Those who pretend they were can be accused of having not paid attention to the NFL the past 19 years.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Conference Championship Choices
New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are right where many expected to be this week, while the Jets have exceeded everyone's expectations. This isn't Davis versus Goliath, but a Jets victory here will be almost as surprising as the time they beat the Colts in Super Bowl III.
What To Watch From The Jets
While opponents have shut down Jets star running back Thomas Jones to just 71 yards rushing on 29 attempts in New York's two playoff wins, rookie Shonn Greene has become the hot hand for them to lean on.
Greene had 135 yards on 21 carries in the Wild Card win, then followed that up with 128 yards on 23 carries last week. He even had his first career reception last week. The Jets will be hoping he can continue his production, but they also need more production from Jones.
Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez is in elite company right now. Not many rookie quarterbacks have played this deep into a season, and only a few have in the Super Bowl. He isn't asked to do much more than hand the ball off, but this could change if the Colts shut down the Jets running game much like they did to the Ravens last week. Sanchez has played a controlled passing game, but he may be asked to take shots down the field if the Jets fall behind.
Darrelle Revis has become the star Jets fans already knew of for awhile. He is getting the credit he deserves by playing pretty much the same way he has throughout all of his young career. He matches up against Colts veteran Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne, who should have a few tricks ready to show. If Revis shuts Wayne down, the Jets chances of victory increase greatly.
The Jets did not stop San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates last week, but they did a decent job containing him from going far after each of his eight receptions. Now they get to face the other AFC Pro Bowl tight end in Dallas Clark. Clark poses a huge threat to the Jets because Indianapolis likes to line him up all over the field. With the multiple wide receiver sets the Colts like to run, there is a question as to whether or not any of the Jets safeties or linebackers can cover Clark. This could be the key match up of the game.
The Jets rank first in the NFL in rushing first downs, total rushing plays and yardage. This speaks very highly of their offensive line. The unit is strongest on their left side behind guard Alan Faneca and center Nick Mangold, and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. All are Pro Bowl players. If the Colts shut down the run, the Jets will be in trouble. The Jets must block well on the run, because the thought of the Colts Pro Bowl defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis lining up across veteran right tackle Damien Woody appears to favor Indianapolis.
What To Watch From The Colts
The Colts need to run the ball. Their offensive line has been better on pass plays this year, but the unit needs to make sure the Colts ground out respectable results. The rushing attack has been mostly average all season for Indianapolis, even in spite of having a special passing attack to make their jobs easier. Another mediocre showing could spell doom to championship hopes.
Indianapolis has a pair of Pro Bowl defensive ends in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. They are undersized players who rely on speed and quickness off the edge. The Colts have dealt with injuries to their defensive secondary superbly all of this season, and much of that success came from the chaos created by Freeney and Mathis. Though starting rookie cornerback Jerraud Powers is dinged up, the Colts can start rookie cornerback Jacob Lacey and not miss a beat. Lacey is second on the team with three interceptions.
The players to spotlight on the defense are outside linebackers Gary Brackett and Clint Session. Both are undersized players with good quickness. If either can cover Jets tight end Dustin Kellar, it will allow safeties Melvin Bullitt and Antoine Bethea to come closer to the line of scrimmage or help the cornerbacks on pass plays.
One thing the Colts need to do is run the football, even if the game is being played in the Colts domed stadium. They won last week against Baltimore with three running backs averaging less than two yards per carry on 22 attempts. This type of formula is against the grain as how a team is supposed to win in the playoffs. If there is no improvement in this area, it makes the Colts task of winning that more daunting a task.
Not that future Hall Of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning can't accept the challenge. Manning is a player who seems to thrive under pressure. Many of his fans are almost expecting him to add another championship ring to his collection. Manning's time with the Colts almost has some fans of the team putting him in the same breath as Johnny Unitas. Unitas, a Colts Hall Of Famer, is considered by many experts to be the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
The battle on the field Sunday that may be most interesting is between two Pro Bowlers away from the fray. Wide receiver Reggie Wayne with battle cornerback Darrelle Revis much of the game. Wayne is a gym rat who studies film when he isn't working out. He has certainly studied Revis thoroughly this week. A play or two between these stars could determine the outcome of the contest.
The Colts are trying to become just the second team, and the first since 1967, to win a Super Bowl after ending a regular season with two straight losses.
Quarterback : Definite Edge Colts
Running Back : Edge Jets
Receivers : Edge Colts
Offensive Line : Edge Jets
Defensive Line : Even
Linebacker : Even
Secondary : Edge Jets
Special Teams : Even
Coaching : Slight Edge Jets
Every time I pick the Colts to lose, because I expected them not to go undefeated in 2009, they win. When I pick them to win, they lost. The Jets are facing the 24th ranked run defense, and they have the top ranked running offense.This isn't a guarantee like New York icon Joe Namath had just over 31 years ago before Jets beat the Colts, but it is very possible New York wins this game.
One intangible Manning and Namath share is the indomitable will to win. This has made the difference several times before, and I see it happening again. Let's see if this pick reverses my trend on the Colts.
Colts 26 Jets 17
Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints
Minnesota is a week removed from such an impressive victory, their opponents accused them of running up the score. The Saints destroyed their opponents so quickly, they called off the dogs in the third quarter and ran out the clock.
What To Watch From The Vikings
The Vikings come at opposing defenses with a balanced offensive attack that features a powerful running game. Adrian Peterson is a Pro Bowler and their best weapon. Veteran Chester Taylor is an excellent running back who once gained 1,000 yards in a season. The offensive line is built for the power game, which usually leads to post season success. With the Saints defensive line not at full strength, expect the Vikings to run often.
Bret Favre holds a lot of NFL records right now, and he may have just had the most efficient season of his illustrious career. The Canton bound Favre made the Pro Bowl because he became a huge weapon in just his first season in Minnesota. Throwing to a tall wide receiver Sidney Rice, along with speedy receivers Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin, Favre has helped make them better players. He must curtail his penchant for turnovers if the Vikings want to get the first Super Bowl win in franchise history.
Harvin poses a double threat if he is healthy. He has been battling migraine headaches the past several weeks, and even missed a game because of it. He is to be accounted for on offense, but he is a dangerous return specialist. The 2009 Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler is needed if the Vikings want a better chance at winning.
Minnesota takes pride in their play along the line of scrimmage. They didn't exactly pushed the Cowboys all over the field last week, especially along the defensive line. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams and Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen lead the way. Dallas almost matched the Vikings in rushing yards last week, but abandoned the run in favor of the pass after falling behind. They need to control the Saints in this area in order to keep the high powered New Orleans offense off the field as much as possible.
What To Watch From The Saints
Though the Saints have a reliable Pro Bowl quarterback in Drew Brees, they need the running game to continue to be effective.. Pierre Thomas was effective last week, and Reggie Bush was excellent. New Orleans can't rely on Bush averaging almost 17 yards per carry like last week, but Thomas is needed to average over four yards per carry again.
New Orleans in hurting along their defensive line, which was an area Arizona failed to explore often enough last week. Of the Cardinals 14 rushing attempts last week, one went for a 70 yard touchdown. The Saints might see 14 rushing attempts well before halftime against Minnesota
The kicking game is very questionable for the Saints. Garrett Hartley has been mostly untested, though he did hit a 43 yard field goal during the Saints rout last week. The one thing in his favor is that he will be kicking in a domed stadium. The lack of natures forces helps the youngster, but the clutch kick needed for victory will certainly present an uncertainty when he takes the field.
The one thing to watch is how the Vikings secondary matches up against tight end Jeremy Shockey. Shockey has a sore knee right now, but he did grab three balls and a touchdown last week. If he is effective, it will get the attention of safeties Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson. That will leave veteran Viking cornerbacks Cedric Griffin and the hobbled Antoine Winfield exposed to the deep corp of wide receivers New Orleans will run out in multiple sets all game.
Quarterback : Slight Edge Saints
Running Back : Edge Vikings
Receivers : Even
Offensive Line : Even
Defensive Line : Edge Vikings
Linebacker : Slight Edge Saints
Secondary : Even
Special Teams : Slight Edge Vikings
Coaching : Even
The run game is not the only weapon these teams have at their disposal. Both teams are exceptional in the passing game, and use a large group of players to accomplish their goals to victory. This game will be determined who has the most versatile defenses. Shockey and Harvin present match up problems for both sides. The play of the linebackers could be ultimately what the result of the game come down to.
Saints 37 Vikings 31
NFL Lucubrations
This years playoffs come at a time in NFL history where the excitement has wavered through league changes.
The Pro Bowl is a week away, and it will be the first Pro Bowl that the very best in the NFL will not all play. There will be several Pro Bowl players who, no matter what teams reach the Super Bowl, will skip the game so they don't have to risk their health a week before the championship.
Though critics like to lament how the players who participate in the Pro Bowl gives little effort because the game means nothing more than a paycheck. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has never been accused of thinking outside the box, dropped the ball on this. What he could have done is giving the winning conference home field advantage in the Super Bowl.
Now, I know the NFL would never consider this. They do not want a Super Bowl played in nine feet of snow with winds at 110 miles per hour if Buffalo reached the title game. But that is where Goodell is missing the point.
It would give players incentive to work and play hard in the Pro Bowl. Then the game can be moved back a week after the Super Bowl, and the leagues very best can play. The NFL, a tax free entity, likes to use catch phrases like "giving back" and "community". Well, these are key phrases, since it is the fans who made the league what it is. A Super Bowl in Buffalo would do wonders for that city's economy. That is the truest way to give back to the community instead of continuing to bite the hands that feed.
But Goodell will continue the work of former commissioner Paul Tagliabue by eroding the game and exiling the fans with a "shut up and like it" message. Defense is becoming as extinct as the dodo bird, and exerts about as much flight right now. The only future is the league adopting the moronic college football overtime rule. That's more of Goodell's speed.
But the first need is a resolution of the impending players strike.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The ALMOST All-Time Atlanta Falcons Defense
Defensive Tackle : Tony Casillas
Casillas was drafted in the first round of the 1986 draft by the Falcons. The team was switching to a 3-4 base defense, so they needed him to be their nose tackle. He responded with 111 tackles and a sack.
In the strike shortened 1987 season, he played nine contests and averaged eight tackles per game. After getting 111 tackles the next season, he exploded in the 1989 season with a whopping 152 tackles. It is a team record by a defensive lineman to this day.
He was injured much of the next year, appearing in nine games as a reserve. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1991 and was put in the starting lineup. His ability to collapse the middle allowed defensive ends Jim Jeffcoat, Charles Haley, and Tony Tolbert come off the edges hard and get to the quarterback easier.
He had a career best three sacks in 1992. Dallas would go on to win Super Bowl XXVII. The team repeated as champions the next year, and Casillas left the team after that year to join the New York Jets for the 1994 season.
In the two years he spent in New York, he dealt with injuries that caused him to miss eight games and only start 16 total. He then rejoined the Cowboys as a reserve for the 1996 season. It was the only season in his career he failed to record a sack. After starting in 14 games the next year, matching his career high total of three sacks, he retired.
Tony Casillas had 478 tackles with Atlanta, and it is the most ever by any Falcons defensive lineman. It also ranks fourth best overall by any Falcons defender. He may be the best defensive tackle the team has ever had.
Defensive Tackle : Moe Gardner
Gardner was drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 1991 draft. He quickly worked his way into the starting lineup, and had had an impressive 96 tackles and three sacks playing nose tackle. He followed that up with 111 tackles and a career best 4.5 quarterback sacks.
The Falcons switched to a 4-3 base defense in 1993, so Gardner moved to the right defensive tackle slot and had a career high 128 tackles. His statistics dwindled over the next two seasons, but he was a steady force in the middle of Atlanta's defense. In the tenth game of the 1996 season, he was injured bad enough that it forced him to retire from the game.
The Falcons have had a lot of good defensive tackles in their history, yet only pass rush specialist Rod Coleman has made the Pro Bowl for the team once. There have been many players to come and go for the team at this position.
I chose Gardner because he had three special seasons where he was a huge force to be reckoned with. His 420 career tackles still ranks as the fifth most ever by a Falcons player.
Mike Lewis, Travis Hall, Shane Dronett, Rod Coleman, and the versatile Don Smith deserve mention.
Defensive End : Claude Humphrey
Humphrey was selected in the first round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Falcons. He started right away for Atlanta and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie Of The Year in. In 1976, Humphrey unofficially recorded a career high 15 quarterback sacks because sacks were not recognized by the NFL at that time. In addition Humphrey was named to the Pro Bowl six times between 1970-'74 and in 1977. He is the first Falcons defensive lineman to ever make the Pro Bowl.
He was long recognized as one of the best defensive ends in his era, but had played on some mediocre Falcons squads. The 1971 season was their first with a winning record. He retired from the Falcons with 12 games left on the 1978 schedule, saying he felt unappreciated.
He once lamented, "In 1969, the Vikings came to town and I scored the winning touchdown (on a fumble return), sacked the quarterback twice, and didn't even get a game ball. They gave the punter a game ball".
He would then be traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for two fourth round draft picks before the 1979 season. He chose the Eagles because Marion Campbell, who had been his head coach in Atlanta from 1974 to 1976, was the defensive coordinator of Philadelphia.
Humphrey said, "I just wanted to reunite with Marion and see if he couldn't help boost my career at that time."
It worked, because he led the team with 31 quarterback hurries and finished second in sacks in 1979. He recorded a team high 14.5 sacks the next year, helping the Eagles become NFC Champions and earn a ticket their first Super Bowl in the franchises history. He permanently retired after the 1981 season.
Humphrey was a consistent, and constant force. He had to deal with at least a double team on every snap of the ball. The opponents game plan, during his Atlanta years, was to try to contain him specifically.
He still managed to average 10 QB sacks a year, despite only have played four games in 1978. Many fans, during that era, missed out on his exploits due to the Falcons overall woes. The lack of publicity had him respected by his peers only, for the most part.
He is still the Falcons all-time sacks leader with 94.5, and his six Pro Bowls are the most in team history. His two First Team All-Pro nods are tied as the most in franchise history.
Claude Humphrey is a member of the Georgia Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Hall of Fame. Hopefully he will soon finally be put in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame and the Falcons Ring of Honor. He is the greatest defensive end in Falcons history.
Defensive End : John Zook
Zook was drafted in the fourth round of the 1969 draft by the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams soon traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles, who then traded him to the Falcons. Atlanta immediately put him in the starting lineup to bookend Falcons legend Claude Humphrey, and he intercepted two passes that rookie year.
He intercepted another ball the next season, and continued to be a force for Atlanta. In 1972, he scooped up a fumble and rumbled 37 yards for the only touchdown of his career.
Zook became the second Falcons defensive lineman to ever be named to a Pro Bowl in 1973. It was the only time in his career he garnered this award. He then intercepted the last pass of his career in 1974. He left the team after the 1975 season to join the Saint Louis Cardinals. He retired at the conclusion of the 1979 season.
His four interceptions are a Falcons record for a defensive lineman. Tackles and sacks were not recorded in his era, so the novice cannot truly understand his impact. Zook played with a non-stop motor and made opposing teams pay when they would double team Humphrey.
John Zook is one of the best defensive linemen to ever wear a Falcons uniform.
Jeff Merrow, Brady Smith, Lester Archambeau, Mike Gann, Rick Bryan, Chris Doleman, Jeff Yeates, Chuck Smith, and Patrick Kerney deserve mention.
Outside Linebacker : Greg Brezina
Brezina was drafted in the 11th round of the 1968 draft by the Falcons. He appeared in 11 games that year, and started in one. His play that year had Atlanta put him in the starting lineup the next year. He would start in every game that he played for the rest of his career from that point on.
He rewarded the Falcons with the move in 1969 by leading the NFL with a career best five fumble recoveries and an interception. He was named to his only Pro Bowl, becoming the second Falcon defender ever to attain this honor.
Brezina missed the entire 1970 season after a preseason injury, but rebounded in 1971 with three interceptions and fumble recoveries. After getting a career high four interceptions in 1975, he missed the last three games of his career the next year.
When he retired at the end of the 1979 season, his 12 career interceptions tied Tommy Nobis as the most ever by a linebacker in Falcons history. That record still stands today. His 14 fumble recoveries are still the most by any defender in team history.
Atlanta has had quite a few good outside linebackers in their history, but perhaps none are better than Greg Brezina. His 141 straight starts is an example of his greatness.
Middle Linebacker : Tommy Nobis
Nobis was the first draft pick ever by the expansion Atlanta Falcons in the 1966 NFL draft. He was also the first player chosen overall. He started right away for the Falcons, and was very busy on a new team that struggled to a 3-11 record. He set a Falcons record, that still stands today, when he amassed 294 tackles. It may be an NFL record, but that stat is unofficial and kept by individual teams.
He was named to his first Pro Bowl team, and was the 1966 NFL Rookie of the Year. He is the very first Falcon to ever be awarded either honor.
He intercepted the first three passes of his career the next season, and returned one for a touchdown. He was also selected to his second Pro Bowl team and his only First Team All-Pro honor. In 1968, he was named to his third Pro Bowl team, as the struggling Falcons went through a coaching change by hiring Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin after the third week of the season.
Nobis was injured in the fifth game of the following year, and missed the rest of the season. He came back in 1970 and was named to the Pro Bowl team. He then was injured in the fourth game of the following season, and missed the rest of the year. He would only miss two games for the rest of his career, retiring after the 1976 season.
He made his last Pro Bowl in 1972, and also scored the last touchdown of his career. The 1973 season would be the best record the Falcons had during Nobis' career. They went 9-5. Atlanta won 50 games in his eleven seasons.
His number was the first to be retired by the team, and he is a member of the Falcons' Ring of Honor, Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame. He has also been named the NFL Man of the Year (Dodge and Vitalis), and Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. award, due to his work with the Special Olympics as a member of the Falcons front office and in his own foundation.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history. His 12 career interceptions is tied as the most ever by any Falcon linebacker. His 13 fumble recoveries is tied as the second most by any Falcons defender.
Tommy Nobis is on the NFL's All-1960s team, which is quite an accomplishment if you consider he didn't even play half of the decade.
It is truly astounding that 'Mr. Falcon' still has yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. His exclusion for all of these years belies that thought. Nobis epitomizes what a Hall Of Fame football player is supposed to symbolize. Both on and off the field. It is truly disgraceful, and disrespectful, that he is not in Canton.
Linebacker : Jessie Tuggle
Tuggle joined the Falcons as an undrafted rookie in 1987, and soon found himself starting at left inside linebacker after 1980 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Buddy Curry went down with a career ending injury.
He split time with Joel Williams the next year, starting in eight games. He was still able to rack up 103 tackles and score a touchdown off of a fumble recovery. Atlanta handed him the job full time the rest of his career, and he missed just three starts over that time.
After getting 183 tackles in 1989, he had 201 tackles and a career high five quarterback sacks the next year. He also took a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown. He followed that up in 1991 with a career best 207 tackles, and scored again off of a fumble recovery. He also had his first career interception.
The 1992 season saw him finally get recognized as a Pro Bowler after somehow not being named in either of his two previous stellar seasons. He had 193 tackles, and interception, and he scored off a career long 69 yard fumble recovery.
After getting 185 tackles the next year, he returned to the Pro Bowl in 1994 after getting 93 tackles. The 1994 season was the last time he exceeded 100 tackles, when he had 111. He also had a career high three interceptions, the last of his career. One was returned for a touchdown, and he made the Pro Bowl again.
After making the Pro Bowl in 1997, he made his last Pro Bowl the next year. He also scored his last touchdown, which happened off of a fumble recovery. The Falcons would reach Super Bowl XXXIII, their only championship appearance in franchise history, but lost.
He had 3.5 sacks in 1999, but missed two games. After missing half of the 2000 season, he retired with a Falcons record of 1,640 tackles. His five fumble recoveries for touchdowns was an NFL record until Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins surpassed it by one in 2009.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history.
"The Hammer" has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and he is a member of the teams Ring of Honor.
Though Jessie Tuggle was a middle linebacker, I had to put him on this team. Tommy Nobis may be the best Falcon ever at that position, but Tuggle is right up there with him. I figured he could play the strong side outside linebacker on this team, being the ultimate team player that he was. He still has a shot at induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
Buddy Curry, Keith Brooking, Fulton Kuykendall, John Rade, Don Hansen, Joel Williams, and Al Richardson deserve mention.
Strong Safety : Ray Brown
Brown was drafted in the sixth round of the 1971 draft by the Falcons. He started 10 games at free safety in his rookie year, and intercepted three passes. He was moved over to strong safety the next season.
After getting two interceptions his first year at the position, he had six more in 1973. He then had a career high eight interceptions for 164 yards the next year, including a touchdown return on a career long 59 yard return.
He was moved back to free safety in 1974, and had four interceptions for 119 yards. He also scored the last touchdown of his career on a interception return. Atlanta then moved him back to strong safety in 1976, where he would stay the rest of his career.
After getting eight interceptions in 1976 and 1977, he joined the New Orleans Saints. He stayed with the Saints until 1980, intercepting a total of eight balls. He then retired, having started 131 of 137 games played. He started in every game that he played as a Falcon.
His 31 interceptions and 574 return yards with Atlanta is the second most ever, and the most ever by a Falcons safety. His two touchdowns off interceptions are the most ever by a Falcons safety, and is tied as the second most overall in team history.
Ray Brown was a versatile playmaker who always produced no matter where Atlanta played him. He may be the greatest safety in team history.
Ray Easterling deserves mention.
Free Safety : Scott Case
Case was drafted in the second round of the 1984 draft by the Falcons. He spent his rookie year playing mostly special teams, but was able to record the only safety of his career. He earned the starting job at strong safety in his second season. He started in 13 of the 14 games he played, and intercepted four passes.
Atlanta asked him to play cornerback in 1986, and he had four more swipes. After getting one more the next year, he had his best season in 1988. He led the NFL with a career best 10 interceptions. He was also named to his only Pro Bowl that year.
His 1989 was full of injuries, and he was able to only start in eight of the 14 games he played. He still was able to intercept two balls, but Atlanta decided to move him to free safety the next year. He stayed there the rest of his career.
From 1990 to 1993, Case gained a reputation as one of the hardest hitting free safeties in the league. He intercepted seven passes over that time, and racked up 557 tackles. He had a career best 170 tackles in 1990, an astonishing number for a free safety, and followed that up with 162 the next year. After starting in just three games in 1994, he joined the Dallas Cowboys the next year as a reserve. The Cowboys would go on to win Super Bowl XXX, then Case retired.
His 30 interceptions as a Falcon is tied as the third most ever in franchise history, and his 946 tackles are the second most ever by a Falcon. It is safe to say that the Falcons have never had another player who could excel at three defensive back positions the way Scott Case did.
Tom Pridemore deserves mention.
Cornerback : Rolland Lawrence
Lawrence joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 1973. He had one interception his rookie year, as a reserve, where he took the ball 81 yards to set up a Falcons scoring opportunity.
He earned the starting job the next year, and picked off one pass. In 1975, he set career high marks with nine interceptions for 163 yards. He took one interception 87 yards for a touchdown. The Sporting News and UPI named him First Team All-Conference.
Atlanta asked him to be their return specialist in 1976. He led the NFL with a career high 54 punt returns for 372 yards. He also returned a career high 21 kickoff returns for 521 yards. He had six interceptions the next year.
In 1977, Lawrence picked off seven balls and was named to the Pro Bowl team. He was also named First Team All-Pro, becoming the first Falcons defensive back to ever accomplish both honors together in one season. He also found time to return 51 punts and return the last kickoff of his career.
He would then intercept six passes in each of the next two seasons. The 1980 was his final year, where he picked off three passes. His career total of 39 interception are still the most in Falcons history. He also recovered 13 fumbles in his career, which is the most ever by any Falcons cornerback, and the tied as the second most be any Falcons defender ever.
Rolland Lawrence was a top flight cornerback who was given the assignment to cover the oppositions best wide receiver the Falcons faced week to week. He may not have gotten the accolades he so richly deserved throughout his career, but opponents who played against him will tell you that he was an excellent player. He is probably the best cornerback in Falcons history.
Cornerback : Ken Reaves
Reaves was drafted in the fourth round of the 1966 draft by the expansion Falcons. He spent his rookie year as an extra defensive back, but did manage an interception. He earned the starting left cornerback job the next year, and stayed there the rest of his Falcons career.
He responded that first year with a career best seven interceptions for 153 yards. The 1968 season saw him intercept one pass, but it went for a team record 90 yard touchdown. This record stood until 1981, and is still the third longest in team history.
Reaves made more Falcons history in 1969 by becoming the first Atlanta defensive back ever to make the Pro Bowl after getting three interceptions. He then had 17 over the next four years before joining the New Orleans Saints in 1974.
The Saints moved him to strong safety, then traded him after four games to the Saint Louis Cardinals. He finished the year with one interception for 57 yards. He stayed with the Cardinals three more years as their starting strong safety, getting seven interceptions total. He retired after the 1977 season.
His 29 interceptions for 439 yards as a Falcon still ranks the fifth most in team history. He excelled on the Falcons during a time the fledgling club struggled to gain their identity as they struggled for a few victories.
There are few cornerbacks in Falcons history as good as Ken Reaves was.
Bobby Butler, Ray Buchanan, Tom Hayes, Kenny Johnson, Elbert Shelley, who went to the Pro Bowl four times as a special teams player, and Ashley Ambrose deserve mention.
Punter : John James
James was signed as an undrafted rookie by the Falcons in 1972. He quickly became one of the busiest punters in the NFL. He led the league in punt attempts and yardage in 1974. He then began a Pro Bowl streak in 1975 that lasted three years.
After leading the league with a career long 75 yard punt that year, he led in punts attempts and yardage from 1976 to 1978. He averaged 105 punts per year over that time, peaking at 109 attempts in 1979. After 249 punts over the next three years, he joined the Detroit Lions in 1982. He played two games with Detroit, then was released. He joined the Houston Oilers for the final six games and stayed with them until the end of the 1984 season before retiring.
No other Falcons punter has ever gone to the Pro Bowl. He owns virtually every team punting record there is to own. There is no Falcons punter greater than John James.
Punt Returner : Allen Rossum
Rossum was drafted in the third round of the 1998 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.He stayed two years with them, but managed to score his first touchdown and get his first sack. He joined the Green Bay Packers in 2000, and played two years with them. He scored off both a kickoff and punt return with the Packers.
Atlanta signed him in 2002, and he scored off of a kick return. He led the NFL with 545 punt return yards the next year, averaging a career high 14 yards per return. One return went 72 yards for a score.
Rossum made his only Pro Bowl in 2004. He had 457 punt return yards, a 12.4 per return average, and scored off a career long 75 yard return. He also had 1,291 kickoff return yards on a career best 62 attempts, had his last career sack, and had the only two interceptions of his career.
He left the Falcons at the end of 2006, then joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He scored one touchdown off a kickoff return that year, then signed with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2008 season. He had an NFL leading kickoff return for a touchdown that year of 104 yards. San Francisco also spotted Rossum on offense a few times. He caught his first career pass, and also carried the ball one yard for a touchdown.
After playing three games for the 49ers the next year, he was cut. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2009, where he got hurt the first time he touched the ball.
Allen Rossum owns the Falcons team records for the most kickoff and punt return attempts and yards gained. His two punt returns for touchdowns is tied as the most in Falcons history. He may be their greatest overall return specialist ever.
Tim Dwight, Eric Metcalf, and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson deserve mention.
Casillas was drafted in the first round of the 1986 draft by the Falcons. The team was switching to a 3-4 base defense, so they needed him to be their nose tackle. He responded with 111 tackles and a sack.
In the strike shortened 1987 season, he played nine contests and averaged eight tackles per game. After getting 111 tackles the next season, he exploded in the 1989 season with a whopping 152 tackles. It is a team record by a defensive lineman to this day.
He was injured much of the next year, appearing in nine games as a reserve. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1991 and was put in the starting lineup. His ability to collapse the middle allowed defensive ends Jim Jeffcoat, Charles Haley, and Tony Tolbert come off the edges hard and get to the quarterback easier.
He had a career best three sacks in 1992. Dallas would go on to win Super Bowl XXVII. The team repeated as champions the next year, and Casillas left the team after that year to join the New York Jets for the 1994 season.
In the two years he spent in New York, he dealt with injuries that caused him to miss eight games and only start 16 total. He then rejoined the Cowboys as a reserve for the 1996 season. It was the only season in his career he failed to record a sack. After starting in 14 games the next year, matching his career high total of three sacks, he retired.
Tony Casillas had 478 tackles with Atlanta, and it is the most ever by any Falcons defensive lineman. It also ranks fourth best overall by any Falcons defender. He may be the best defensive tackle the team has ever had.
Defensive Tackle : Moe Gardner
Gardner was drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 1991 draft. He quickly worked his way into the starting lineup, and had had an impressive 96 tackles and three sacks playing nose tackle. He followed that up with 111 tackles and a career best 4.5 quarterback sacks.
The Falcons switched to a 4-3 base defense in 1993, so Gardner moved to the right defensive tackle slot and had a career high 128 tackles. His statistics dwindled over the next two seasons, but he was a steady force in the middle of Atlanta's defense. In the tenth game of the 1996 season, he was injured bad enough that it forced him to retire from the game.
The Falcons have had a lot of good defensive tackles in their history, yet only pass rush specialist Rod Coleman has made the Pro Bowl for the team once. There have been many players to come and go for the team at this position.
I chose Gardner because he had three special seasons where he was a huge force to be reckoned with. His 420 career tackles still ranks as the fifth most ever by a Falcons player.
Mike Lewis, Travis Hall, Shane Dronett, Rod Coleman, and the versatile Don Smith deserve mention.
Defensive End : Claude Humphrey
Humphrey was selected in the first round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Falcons. He started right away for Atlanta and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie Of The Year in. In 1976, Humphrey unofficially recorded a career high 15 quarterback sacks because sacks were not recognized by the NFL at that time. In addition Humphrey was named to the Pro Bowl six times between 1970-'74 and in 1977. He is the first Falcons defensive lineman to ever make the Pro Bowl.
He was long recognized as one of the best defensive ends in his era, but had played on some mediocre Falcons squads. The 1971 season was their first with a winning record. He retired from the Falcons with 12 games left on the 1978 schedule, saying he felt unappreciated.
He once lamented, "In 1969, the Vikings came to town and I scored the winning touchdown (on a fumble return), sacked the quarterback twice, and didn't even get a game ball. They gave the punter a game ball".
He would then be traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for two fourth round draft picks before the 1979 season. He chose the Eagles because Marion Campbell, who had been his head coach in Atlanta from 1974 to 1976, was the defensive coordinator of Philadelphia.
Humphrey said, "I just wanted to reunite with Marion and see if he couldn't help boost my career at that time."
It worked, because he led the team with 31 quarterback hurries and finished second in sacks in 1979. He recorded a team high 14.5 sacks the next year, helping the Eagles become NFC Champions and earn a ticket their first Super Bowl in the franchises history. He permanently retired after the 1981 season.
Humphrey was a consistent, and constant force. He had to deal with at least a double team on every snap of the ball. The opponents game plan, during his Atlanta years, was to try to contain him specifically.
He still managed to average 10 QB sacks a year, despite only have played four games in 1978. Many fans, during that era, missed out on his exploits due to the Falcons overall woes. The lack of publicity had him respected by his peers only, for the most part.
He is still the Falcons all-time sacks leader with 94.5, and his six Pro Bowls are the most in team history. His two First Team All-Pro nods are tied as the most in franchise history.
Claude Humphrey is a member of the Georgia Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Hall of Fame. Hopefully he will soon finally be put in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame and the Falcons Ring of Honor. He is the greatest defensive end in Falcons history.
Defensive End : John Zook
Zook was drafted in the fourth round of the 1969 draft by the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams soon traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles, who then traded him to the Falcons. Atlanta immediately put him in the starting lineup to bookend Falcons legend Claude Humphrey, and he intercepted two passes that rookie year.
He intercepted another ball the next season, and continued to be a force for Atlanta. In 1972, he scooped up a fumble and rumbled 37 yards for the only touchdown of his career.
Zook became the second Falcons defensive lineman to ever be named to a Pro Bowl in 1973. It was the only time in his career he garnered this award. He then intercepted the last pass of his career in 1974. He left the team after the 1975 season to join the Saint Louis Cardinals. He retired at the conclusion of the 1979 season.
His four interceptions are a Falcons record for a defensive lineman. Tackles and sacks were not recorded in his era, so the novice cannot truly understand his impact. Zook played with a non-stop motor and made opposing teams pay when they would double team Humphrey.
John Zook is one of the best defensive linemen to ever wear a Falcons uniform.
Jeff Merrow, Brady Smith, Lester Archambeau, Mike Gann, Rick Bryan, Chris Doleman, Jeff Yeates, Chuck Smith, and Patrick Kerney deserve mention.
Outside Linebacker : Greg Brezina
Brezina was drafted in the 11th round of the 1968 draft by the Falcons. He appeared in 11 games that year, and started in one. His play that year had Atlanta put him in the starting lineup the next year. He would start in every game that he played for the rest of his career from that point on.
He rewarded the Falcons with the move in 1969 by leading the NFL with a career best five fumble recoveries and an interception. He was named to his only Pro Bowl, becoming the second Falcon defender ever to attain this honor.
Brezina missed the entire 1970 season after a preseason injury, but rebounded in 1971 with three interceptions and fumble recoveries. After getting a career high four interceptions in 1975, he missed the last three games of his career the next year.
When he retired at the end of the 1979 season, his 12 career interceptions tied Tommy Nobis as the most ever by a linebacker in Falcons history. That record still stands today. His 14 fumble recoveries are still the most by any defender in team history.
Atlanta has had quite a few good outside linebackers in their history, but perhaps none are better than Greg Brezina. His 141 straight starts is an example of his greatness.
Middle Linebacker : Tommy Nobis
Nobis was the first draft pick ever by the expansion Atlanta Falcons in the 1966 NFL draft. He was also the first player chosen overall. He started right away for the Falcons, and was very busy on a new team that struggled to a 3-11 record. He set a Falcons record, that still stands today, when he amassed 294 tackles. It may be an NFL record, but that stat is unofficial and kept by individual teams.
He was named to his first Pro Bowl team, and was the 1966 NFL Rookie of the Year. He is the very first Falcon to ever be awarded either honor.
He intercepted the first three passes of his career the next season, and returned one for a touchdown. He was also selected to his second Pro Bowl team and his only First Team All-Pro honor. In 1968, he was named to his third Pro Bowl team, as the struggling Falcons went through a coaching change by hiring Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin after the third week of the season.
Nobis was injured in the fifth game of the following year, and missed the rest of the season. He came back in 1970 and was named to the Pro Bowl team. He then was injured in the fourth game of the following season, and missed the rest of the year. He would only miss two games for the rest of his career, retiring after the 1976 season.
He made his last Pro Bowl in 1972, and also scored the last touchdown of his career. The 1973 season would be the best record the Falcons had during Nobis' career. They went 9-5. Atlanta won 50 games in his eleven seasons.
His number was the first to be retired by the team, and he is a member of the Falcons' Ring of Honor, Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame. He has also been named the NFL Man of the Year (Dodge and Vitalis), and Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. award, due to his work with the Special Olympics as a member of the Falcons front office and in his own foundation.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history. His 12 career interceptions is tied as the most ever by any Falcon linebacker. His 13 fumble recoveries is tied as the second most by any Falcons defender.
Tommy Nobis is on the NFL's All-1960s team, which is quite an accomplishment if you consider he didn't even play half of the decade.
It is truly astounding that 'Mr. Falcon' still has yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. His exclusion for all of these years belies that thought. Nobis epitomizes what a Hall Of Fame football player is supposed to symbolize. Both on and off the field. It is truly disgraceful, and disrespectful, that he is not in Canton.
Linebacker : Jessie Tuggle
Tuggle joined the Falcons as an undrafted rookie in 1987, and soon found himself starting at left inside linebacker after 1980 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Buddy Curry went down with a career ending injury.
He split time with Joel Williams the next year, starting in eight games. He was still able to rack up 103 tackles and score a touchdown off of a fumble recovery. Atlanta handed him the job full time the rest of his career, and he missed just three starts over that time.
After getting 183 tackles in 1989, he had 201 tackles and a career high five quarterback sacks the next year. He also took a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown. He followed that up in 1991 with a career best 207 tackles, and scored again off of a fumble recovery. He also had his first career interception.
The 1992 season saw him finally get recognized as a Pro Bowler after somehow not being named in either of his two previous stellar seasons. He had 193 tackles, and interception, and he scored off a career long 69 yard fumble recovery.
After getting 185 tackles the next year, he returned to the Pro Bowl in 1994 after getting 93 tackles. The 1994 season was the last time he exceeded 100 tackles, when he had 111. He also had a career high three interceptions, the last of his career. One was returned for a touchdown, and he made the Pro Bowl again.
After making the Pro Bowl in 1997, he made his last Pro Bowl the next year. He also scored his last touchdown, which happened off of a fumble recovery. The Falcons would reach Super Bowl XXXIII, their only championship appearance in franchise history, but lost.
He had 3.5 sacks in 1999, but missed two games. After missing half of the 2000 season, he retired with a Falcons record of 1,640 tackles. His five fumble recoveries for touchdowns was an NFL record until Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins surpassed it by one in 2009.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history.
"The Hammer" has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and he is a member of the teams Ring of Honor.
Though Jessie Tuggle was a middle linebacker, I had to put him on this team. Tommy Nobis may be the best Falcon ever at that position, but Tuggle is right up there with him. I figured he could play the strong side outside linebacker on this team, being the ultimate team player that he was. He still has a shot at induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
Buddy Curry, Keith Brooking, Fulton Kuykendall, John Rade, Don Hansen, Joel Williams, and Al Richardson deserve mention.
Strong Safety : Ray Brown
Brown was drafted in the sixth round of the 1971 draft by the Falcons. He started 10 games at free safety in his rookie year, and intercepted three passes. He was moved over to strong safety the next season.
After getting two interceptions his first year at the position, he had six more in 1973. He then had a career high eight interceptions for 164 yards the next year, including a touchdown return on a career long 59 yard return.
He was moved back to free safety in 1974, and had four interceptions for 119 yards. He also scored the last touchdown of his career on a interception return. Atlanta then moved him back to strong safety in 1976, where he would stay the rest of his career.
After getting eight interceptions in 1976 and 1977, he joined the New Orleans Saints. He stayed with the Saints until 1980, intercepting a total of eight balls. He then retired, having started 131 of 137 games played. He started in every game that he played as a Falcon.
His 31 interceptions and 574 return yards with Atlanta is the second most ever, and the most ever by a Falcons safety. His two touchdowns off interceptions are the most ever by a Falcons safety, and is tied as the second most overall in team history.
Ray Brown was a versatile playmaker who always produced no matter where Atlanta played him. He may be the greatest safety in team history.
Ray Easterling deserves mention.
Free Safety : Scott Case
Case was drafted in the second round of the 1984 draft by the Falcons. He spent his rookie year playing mostly special teams, but was able to record the only safety of his career. He earned the starting job at strong safety in his second season. He started in 13 of the 14 games he played, and intercepted four passes.
Atlanta asked him to play cornerback in 1986, and he had four more swipes. After getting one more the next year, he had his best season in 1988. He led the NFL with a career best 10 interceptions. He was also named to his only Pro Bowl that year.
His 1989 was full of injuries, and he was able to only start in eight of the 14 games he played. He still was able to intercept two balls, but Atlanta decided to move him to free safety the next year. He stayed there the rest of his career.
From 1990 to 1993, Case gained a reputation as one of the hardest hitting free safeties in the league. He intercepted seven passes over that time, and racked up 557 tackles. He had a career best 170 tackles in 1990, an astonishing number for a free safety, and followed that up with 162 the next year. After starting in just three games in 1994, he joined the Dallas Cowboys the next year as a reserve. The Cowboys would go on to win Super Bowl XXX, then Case retired.
His 30 interceptions as a Falcon is tied as the third most ever in franchise history, and his 946 tackles are the second most ever by a Falcon. It is safe to say that the Falcons have never had another player who could excel at three defensive back positions the way Scott Case did.
Tom Pridemore deserves mention.
Cornerback : Rolland Lawrence
Lawrence joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 1973. He had one interception his rookie year, as a reserve, where he took the ball 81 yards to set up a Falcons scoring opportunity.
He earned the starting job the next year, and picked off one pass. In 1975, he set career high marks with nine interceptions for 163 yards. He took one interception 87 yards for a touchdown. The Sporting News and UPI named him First Team All-Conference.
Atlanta asked him to be their return specialist in 1976. He led the NFL with a career high 54 punt returns for 372 yards. He also returned a career high 21 kickoff returns for 521 yards. He had six interceptions the next year.
In 1977, Lawrence picked off seven balls and was named to the Pro Bowl team. He was also named First Team All-Pro, becoming the first Falcons defensive back to ever accomplish both honors together in one season. He also found time to return 51 punts and return the last kickoff of his career.
He would then intercept six passes in each of the next two seasons. The 1980 was his final year, where he picked off three passes. His career total of 39 interception are still the most in Falcons history. He also recovered 13 fumbles in his career, which is the most ever by any Falcons cornerback, and the tied as the second most be any Falcons defender ever.
Rolland Lawrence was a top flight cornerback who was given the assignment to cover the oppositions best wide receiver the Falcons faced week to week. He may not have gotten the accolades he so richly deserved throughout his career, but opponents who played against him will tell you that he was an excellent player. He is probably the best cornerback in Falcons history.
Cornerback : Ken Reaves
Reaves was drafted in the fourth round of the 1966 draft by the expansion Falcons. He spent his rookie year as an extra defensive back, but did manage an interception. He earned the starting left cornerback job the next year, and stayed there the rest of his Falcons career.
He responded that first year with a career best seven interceptions for 153 yards. The 1968 season saw him intercept one pass, but it went for a team record 90 yard touchdown. This record stood until 1981, and is still the third longest in team history.
Reaves made more Falcons history in 1969 by becoming the first Atlanta defensive back ever to make the Pro Bowl after getting three interceptions. He then had 17 over the next four years before joining the New Orleans Saints in 1974.
The Saints moved him to strong safety, then traded him after four games to the Saint Louis Cardinals. He finished the year with one interception for 57 yards. He stayed with the Cardinals three more years as their starting strong safety, getting seven interceptions total. He retired after the 1977 season.
His 29 interceptions for 439 yards as a Falcon still ranks the fifth most in team history. He excelled on the Falcons during a time the fledgling club struggled to gain their identity as they struggled for a few victories.
There are few cornerbacks in Falcons history as good as Ken Reaves was.
Bobby Butler, Ray Buchanan, Tom Hayes, Kenny Johnson, Elbert Shelley, who went to the Pro Bowl four times as a special teams player, and Ashley Ambrose deserve mention.
Punter : John James
James was signed as an undrafted rookie by the Falcons in 1972. He quickly became one of the busiest punters in the NFL. He led the league in punt attempts and yardage in 1974. He then began a Pro Bowl streak in 1975 that lasted three years.
After leading the league with a career long 75 yard punt that year, he led in punts attempts and yardage from 1976 to 1978. He averaged 105 punts per year over that time, peaking at 109 attempts in 1979. After 249 punts over the next three years, he joined the Detroit Lions in 1982. He played two games with Detroit, then was released. He joined the Houston Oilers for the final six games and stayed with them until the end of the 1984 season before retiring.
No other Falcons punter has ever gone to the Pro Bowl. He owns virtually every team punting record there is to own. There is no Falcons punter greater than John James.
Punt Returner : Allen Rossum
Rossum was drafted in the third round of the 1998 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.He stayed two years with them, but managed to score his first touchdown and get his first sack. He joined the Green Bay Packers in 2000, and played two years with them. He scored off both a kickoff and punt return with the Packers.
Atlanta signed him in 2002, and he scored off of a kick return. He led the NFL with 545 punt return yards the next year, averaging a career high 14 yards per return. One return went 72 yards for a score.
Rossum made his only Pro Bowl in 2004. He had 457 punt return yards, a 12.4 per return average, and scored off a career long 75 yard return. He also had 1,291 kickoff return yards on a career best 62 attempts, had his last career sack, and had the only two interceptions of his career.
He left the Falcons at the end of 2006, then joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He scored one touchdown off a kickoff return that year, then signed with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2008 season. He had an NFL leading kickoff return for a touchdown that year of 104 yards. San Francisco also spotted Rossum on offense a few times. He caught his first career pass, and also carried the ball one yard for a touchdown.
After playing three games for the 49ers the next year, he was cut. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2009, where he got hurt the first time he touched the ball.
Allen Rossum owns the Falcons team records for the most kickoff and punt return attempts and yards gained. His two punt returns for touchdowns is tied as the most in Falcons history. He may be their greatest overall return specialist ever.
Tim Dwight, Eric Metcalf, and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson deserve mention.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The ALMOST All-Time Atlanta Falcons Offense
Quarterback : Steve Bartkowski
Bartkowski was the first overall pick in the 1975 draft, and the Falcons put him in as a starter right away. Though he missed three games that season, he was named NFL Rookie of the Year.
After playing just 13 games over the next two years, he led the Falcons to their first playoff appearance in 1975. Atlanta won their first playoff game ever against the Philadelphia Eagles after Bartkowski threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes in the 14-13 victory. The Dallas Cowboys defeated them 27-20 the next week.
In 1980, he led the Falcons to a 12-4 season. It was the most wins in team history until the 1998 team won 14 in their Super Bowl season.
Bartkowski threw an NFL leading 31 touchdown passes that year, which was also his career best total. He was named to the Pro Bowl that year.
He went back to the Pro Bowl the next year for the final time in his career. By throwing for 30 scores, he became just the third quarterback ever in NFL history to have consecutive seasons of at least 30 touchdown passes. Hall Of Famer Dan Fouts had become the second a week earlier. Only five more quarterbacks have accomplished this feat since.
In the strike shortened 1982 season, Bartkowski led the league with an 86 yard touchdown pass. It was the longest passing play of his career. He led the league in quarterback rating in 1983, by posting a career best 97.6 mark. He also led the NFL with the lowest interception rating of 1.2 percent. In 1984, he led the league with a career best 67.3 completion percentage, though he missed five games because of injury.
After Atlanta lost their first five games in 1985, he was traded to the Washington Redskins. He did not play, so he joined the Los Angeles Rams for the 1986 season.
He started six games that year, and threw his last career touchdown pass against the Falcons. The Rams would get to the playoffs, but lose to the Redskins. Bartkowski then retired.
Steve Bartkowski has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and he is a member of the teams Ring of Honor.
He still leads the franchise in virtually every statistical category that a quarterback can attain. It is pretty easy to say that he is the greatest quarterback in Falcons history.
Bob Berry, Chris Miller, and Bobby Hebert deserve mention.
Fullback : William Andrews
Andrews was drafted in the third round of the 1979 draft by the Falcons. He earned a starting job immediately and ran for 1,023 yards along with 39 receptions and five touchdowns.
He piled up 1,308 rushing yards the next year, at a career best clip of 4.9 yards per carry, to go with 51 receptions and five scores. Atlanta reached the playoffs after winning 12 games, but lost in the first round. Andrews was named to his first Pro Bowl that year, and would be return to the Pro Bowl in each of the following three seasons as well.
Andrews led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage via rushing and receiving in 1981, and was second in all-purpose yards. He had a career best 81 receptions for 735 yards and 12 total touchdowns, along with 1,301 rushing yards.
That season saw him, along with O.J. Anderson, join Hall Of Famers Earl Campbell and Tony Dorsett as the first four running backs in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons.
The strike shortened season of 1982 stopped his streak of 1,000 yard seasons. He still was able to average a career best 12 yards on 42 receptions, including an NFL long 86 yard touchdown reception, and run for 573 yards in just nine games.
He was the main offensive weapon for Atlanta in 1983. He carried the ball a whopping 331 times and also caught 59 balls. His 390 touches were the second most in the NFL that year, and is still the 51st most in league history.
Gaining a career best 1,560 yards that still ranks 50th best in NFL history, along with 609 receiving yards, his 2,176 all-purpose yards were second best in the NFL that year, and is still the 51st most in league history for one year. He also scored 11 times.
While he was already a star, he was also considered a player on his way to being inducted in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. As the Falcons prepared for the 1984 season, Andrews suffered a devastating knee injury. It was so severe that it kept him off the field for two seasons.
Though he tried to return in 1986, he had to adjust his role to being a blocking back for Gerald Riggs. Though he still averaged a respectable 4.1 yards per carry, he only had 52 carries and five receptions and scored the last touchdown of his career. He then retired.
He still ranks second in team history with 5,986 career rushing yards. His 277 receptions is the most ever by a Falcons running back, and ranks seventh best overall.
Andrews has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and is a member of the teams Ring of Honor. He is also in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
There is no question that William Andrews is the best fullback in Falcons history.
James "Cannonball" Butler and Dave Hampton deserve mention.
Halfback : Gerald Riggs
Riggs was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 1982 draft. That season was shortened to just nine games because of a players strike, yet Riggs was able to score five times on 78 carries for 299 yards. Atlanta made the playoffs, but lost. The franchise would have to wait until 1991 to return to postseason play.
The Falcons ran their offense through fullback William Andrews in 1983, but Riggs was able to contribute with 437 rushing yards and eight scores along with the only 17 kickoff returns of his career. When Andrews got hurt before the start of the 1984 season, Atlanta decided to run the offense through Riggs.
He responded that year by carrying the ball 353 times for 1,486 yards and a career high 13 touchdowns. His 13 touchdowns remained a team record until Jamal Anderson broke it by one in 1998. He also caught a career best 42 passes that year.
Now the teams main weapon, he carried the ball a whopping 397 times in 1985. It led the NFL that year, and is still the sixth most in league history. It was a team record until Anderson passed it in 1998.
He gained a career best 1,719 yards that year, which was also a team record until Anderson passed it in 1998, and caught 33 balls along with 10 touchdowns. He was named to the first of his three straight Pro Bowl nods.
The 1986 season would be the last time he exceeded the 1,000 yard mark. He gained 1,327 yards on 343 carries, along with nine scores. He was able to gain 875 yards in 1987, but played in just 12 games because of a players strike.
Playing injured the next year, he missed seven games. He then joined the Washington Redskins for the 1989 season and gained 834 rushing yards in the 12 games he played. He was part of a backfield that saw him split carries with players like Earnest Byner, Jamie Morris, and Ricky Ervins.
The Redskins decided to use him as their short yardage specialist. He scored 17 times over the next two years. In 1991, the Redskins put together one of the greatest teams in modern football history. They won their first 11 games before finishing 14-2 and setting several team records.
Riggs was put to work in the postseason. He scored two touchdowns against the Falcons in the Redskins 24-7 win. He then had two more in the NFL Championship and in the Redskins Super Bowl XXVI win. His six postseason rushing touchdowns tied an NFL record. He then retired.
His 1,587 carries for 6,631 yards and 48 rushing touchdowns with Atlanta are all team records.
Though Atlanta has had quite a few good halfbacks in their history, none have been better than Gerald Riggs.
Jamal Anderson, Warrick Dunn, Haskal Stanback, Lynn Cain, Junior Coffey, Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, and John Settle deserve mention.
Wide Receiver : Terance Mathis
Mathis was drafted in the sixth round of the 1990 draft by the New York Jets. He was brought along slowly as a receiver in his rookie year, catching 19 passes, but he was also used as a return specialist. He scored on a NFL record 98 yard punt return. The record stood until it was surpassed in 1994, but is still the second longest in league history. He also returned a career best 43 kickoff returns.
The Jets used him mostly as an extra receiver and part time return specialist over the next three years. He was able to grab 74 balls and three scores over that time, as well as run in two touchdowns off handoffs. Tiring of his reserve role, he signed with the Falcons before the 1994 season.
It was his only Pro Bowl year. He caught a team record 111 passes that year while gaining 1,342 yards and scoring 11 times. He followed that up with 78 receptions for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns despite missing the only two games of his career.
Mathis continued to be the Falcons top receiver for years. The 1998 season was one of his best, averaging a career high 17.8 yards on 68 receptions and matching his career high total of 11 touchdowns. Atlanta would go on to reach Super Bowl XXXIII, where Mathis scored the teams only offensive touchdown off of seven receptions in the Falcons loss.
After getting 1,016 yards on 81 receptions in 1999, he caught 108 balls over the following two seasons. He was released by the Falcons before the 2002 season, so he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had 23 receptions in a reserve role, then retired.
His 573 receptions for 7,349 yards and 57 touchdowns are all the most in Falcons history. Terance Mathis was a self made receiver who worked hard and came into his own in Atlanta. He is certainly one of the best receivers in team history.
Wide Receiver : Alfred Jenkins
Jenkins was signed as a free agent before the 1975 season by the Falcons. He had already played pro football in 1974 for the Birmingham Americans of the World Football League. He was a member of the team that won the only World Bowl championship.
Atlanta put him in the starting lineup immediately, and he soon became the Falcons best deep threat. He had 38 receptions and 6 touchdowns as a rookie, and averaged a career high 20.2 yards per reception. One catch went for a career long 69 yard score.
After 80 receptions and 10 touchdowns over the next two years, Jenkins was hurt in the first game of the 1978 season and missed the rest of the year. The NFL then changed the ten yard chuck rule to just five yards. Blockers were allowed to extend their arms and grab defenders, allowing receivers even more time to get open.
Jenkins had 50 receptions and three touchdowns in 1979, then exceeded the 1,000 yard mark by catching 58 balls for 1,035 yards and six scores. He was named to the Pro Bowl, becoming the first Falcons wide receiver to ever be awarded that honor.
His best season was in 1980, his last Pro Bowl year. He led the NFL with 1,358 receiving yards, 13 touchdown receptions, and a 84.9 receiving yards per game average. All were team records that have now been broken.
After catching 24 balls in the strike shortened season of 1982, he missed six games the next year. He then retired at the end of 1983 with 360 receptions, 6,267 receiving yards, 40 touchdowns, and an excellent average of 17.4 yards per reception. He still has the second most receiving yards in Falcons history, and the third most receptions and touchdowns.
Because he played on just three winning teams in his nine years, many fans did not get to see Jenkins unless Atlanta happened to play their team. In a era where few games were broadcast, the Falcons games were rarely shown outside of the state of Georgia.
But those who got to see him play will probably tell you that Alfred Jenkins is the greatest wide receiver in Falcons history.
Andre Rison, Michael Haynes, Eric Metcalf, Alfred Jackson, Bert Emanuel, Ken Burrow, and Wallace Francis all deserve mention.
Tight End : Alge Crumpler
Crumpler was drafted in the second round of the 2001 draft by the Falcons. His father and older brother also were NFL players.
He was brought along slowly his first two seasons, starting in 21 of the 32 games he played. Atlanta then made him a full time starter in the 2003 season, and he responded with his first Pro Bowl nod after catching 44 balls. It was the first of his four straight Pro Bowl nods.
His 2004 season may have been his best. He caught 48 passes at a career best average of 16.1 yards per reception. He also scored six times, despite missing two games that year because of injury. He had a career best 65 catches for 877 yards the next year, and a career high eight touchdown catches off of 56 receptions in 2006.
After an injury marred 2007 season that saw him grab 44 passes, he was released by Atlanta. The Tennessee Titans signed him, and he has played as a reserve tight end over the last two seasons.
His four Pro Bowl games are the most by any tight end in Falcons history, as is his 316 receptions for 4,212 yards and 35 touchdowns. He is currently has the fourth most receptions and touchdown catches in Atlanta history. His 4,212 yards are the second most by a tight end in Falcons history, and is 146 yards behind Jim R. Mitchell.
This was not an easy choice because Mitchell had such an excellent career with the Falcons. I decided on Crumpler because he had two more Pro Bowls than Mitchell, and was, at one time, the only reliable target the Falcons had in their passing attack.
Jim R. Mitchell and Junior Miller deserve mention.
Tackle : George Kunz
Kunz was a first round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 1969 NFL draft. He started right away for the Falcons, and made an immediate impact on the NFL. He was named to the Pro Bowl, despite playing on a young Falcons offensive line that started two more rookies.
He was injured the following year, but was able to start in all of the nine games he played in. He came back strong in 1971, and was named to the Pro Bowl again. He would be named to the Pro Bowl every year until 1977. He also would not miss a game until 1975.
Kunz was traded to the Baltimore Colts before the 1975 season.The Colts relied on Pro Bowl running back Lydell Mitchell, who often would run behind Kunz for huge chunks of yardage.
His last year as an Pro Bowler was 1977, and the Colts would win their division for the third straight season. This time the Colts faced the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs. They would lose a heart breaker as Oakland scored with time expiring.
He would suffer an injury in the first game of the 1978 season. It was so severe that he would not play again until 1980. That year saw him start in six of the nine games he played before retiring at the conclusion of the season.
No other Falcon offensive lineman has been named to the Pro Bowl more than Kunz. In fact, his five nods are the second most in franchise history. Despite the fact he only played three healthy seasons as a Colt, his three Pro Bowls are the third most by any offensive tackle in that franchises illustrious history.
George Kunz dominated his opponents. He may be the best offensive tackle in Falcons history.
Tackle : Mike Kenn
Kenn was the Falcons first round draft choice in 1978. He was immediately put in as their starting left tackle, and would hold that job his entire career. He missed just 10 games his entire 17 years, starting in all 251 games he played. He holds the Falcons record for most starts and games played.
The 1980 season was when the rest of the world found out how great Kenn was. He was named to the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro as the Falcons finished the season with a 12-4 record. This was the most wins in team history until the 1998 team won 14 games on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.
He was named five straight years to the Pro Bowl from 1980 to 1984. He then missed the first five games of his career in 1985, but would not miss a game again until the 1989 season.
He was named First Team All-Pro in 1991, but did not play in the Pro Bowl because of injury. When he retired after the 1994 season, he was 38 years old.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history. He has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and he should one day soon be a member of the teams Ring of Honor.
Mike Kenn may be the best blocker in Falcons history. He certainly had a career worthy of induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
Bob Whitfield and Chris Hinton deserve mention.
Guard : Bill Fralic
Fralic was drafted in the first round of the 1985 draft by the Falcons. He was soon named a starter and held the job his entire career. He missed just seven games total after his rookie season.
He was named First Team All-Pro in both 1986 and 1987, making him the omly Falcons guard to ever achieve this honor more than once. He went to the Pro Bowl four straight years from 1986 to 1989, which is the most by any guard in team history.
The Detroit Lions signed him at the beginning of the 1993 season, and he caught his only career pass that lost four yards. He retired after that season having started in 131 of 132 games played. He and R.C. Thielemann are the only guards in Falcons history to go to the Pro Bowl.
Bill Fralic is probably the best guard the Falcons ever saw in their uniform.
Guard : R.C. Thielemann
Thielemann was drafted in the second round of the 1977 draft by the Falcons. He started in every game that he played with the Falcons, and missed just three games in his eight years with the team.
He went to three straight Pro Bowls from 1981 to 1983, and was named First Team All-Pro in 1982. He teamed with Jeff Van Note, Mike Kenn, Dave Scott, and Warren Bryant to make the Falcons one of the top NFC offenses several seasons.
Thielemann ended up with the Redskins in 1985. He only played three games that year. R.C. started 13 games in 1986, then 12 in 1987. That year, he earned a Super Bowl ring when the Redskins won Super Bowl XXII and set eight Super Bowl records. He started eight games the following year, then retired.
R.C. Thielemann was the first Pro Bowl guard in Falcons history, and his three appearances are just one game behind Bill Fralic as the most by a guard in team history. He and Fralic are the only guards in Atlanta history to named to the Pro Bowl.
Dave Scott, Andy Maurer, Dennis Havig, and John Scully deserve mention.
Center : Jeff Van Note
Van Note was an 11th round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1969 as a linebacker. He would go on to play his entire 18-year NFL career as a center for the Atlanta Falcons from 1969 to 1986.
Van Note was soon moved to center by Falcons NFL Hall of Fame head coach Norm Van Brocklin. He eventually became an upper echelon center in the NFL. His 18 NFL years is amongst the top 25 longest in NFL history and is the second longest while staying with the same team. He played in 246 games over this stretch, and his 225 games started is second in Falcons history. Van Note only missed four games in his entire NFL career.
The Falcons retired Van Note's number at halftime of his final home game. He was voted the franchise's favorite player during the Falcons' 25th Anniversary season in 1991 by fans. Van Note was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, and to the Falcons' Ring of Honor.
He was a athletic, strong, and technically sound player. He languished on some bad teams, but was one of the players the Falcons could rely on week in and week out for many years. His name was constantly bandied about as one of the games top centers during his career. His status as a fan favorite exemplifies this.
The Falcons had great players, but Van Note is the guy many Falcon fans say is the symbol as the franchise best. He may not be the greatest center who ever played, but he is certainly amongst those mentioned as one of the greats.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history.
Jeff Van Note should be inducted into Canton, and is certainly is the greatest center in Falcons history.
Jamie Dukes deserves mention.
Kicker : Morten Anderson
Anderson was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1982 draft. He stayed in New Orleans for 13 seasons and set virtually every team record for kickers they have.
He was named a Pro Bowler five times and First Team All-Pro twice. He led the league in field goal attempts twice, and field goal conversions and percentage once.
He signed with the Atlanta Falcons before the 1995, and was named to his last Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors. The Saints had let him go because they thought he was at the end of his career, but he repaid them by becoming the first kicker ever to make three field goals in one game that season.
The highlight of his career may have occurred in the 1998 season. In the NFC Championship, he kicked three field goals in the second half. The last one lead the Falcons to a 30-27 come from behind victory. It propelled Atlanta into Super Bowl XXXIII, the first ever in franchise history, where he kicked two field goals in the Falcons loss.
He left Atlanta after the 1999 season to join the New York Giants. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2002 and played two years there. He led the NFL in extra point attempts and conversions both seasons. He then joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2004 for one season.
After sitting out the 2005 season, he rejoined the Falcons in 2006 at the age of 46 years old. He kicked five field goals in one game that year, making him the oldest player ever to kick five field goals. He stayed there until retiring at the end of the 2008 season, and owns the teams records for the most career field goal and extra point conversions made.
He is all over the NFL record books with the most career points, most games played, most field goal attempted and made in a career, most consecutive games scoring, most field goals attempted of 50 or more yards, and most game winning field goals. He scored 98 points or more 18 times, 90 or more 22 times, and 79 points or more 24 times. All are NFL records.
He might not only be the greatest kicker in Falcons history, but he may very well be the best the NFL ever saw.
Bob Etter, Norm Johnson, Tim Mazzetti, Mick Luckhurst, and Nick Mike-Mayer deserve mention.
Kick Returner : Darrick Vaughn
Vaughn was drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2000 draft. He quickly became a star. He set a team record by leading the league with three touchdowns off of just 39 kickoff returns. He also led the league with a team record 27.7 kickoff return average. One returns went for 100 yard, which is tied as a team record. His three touchdowns in one year is the second most in NFL history.
He led the NFL with a career high 61 returns the next year for a career best 1,491 yards. It is the 30th most returns ever in NFL history. He took one 96 yards for the last score of his career, and had his only interception.
He got injured and missed the entire 2002 season. He joined the Houston Oilers in 2003, but was primarily used as an extra defensive back. He returned the last three kickoffs of his career. He then was out of the league and retired.
His 2,573 kickoff return yards still ranks fifth most in Falcons history. I could easily have picked Allen Rossum, who owns the team records in returns and yards, but I chose Vaugn because he had two magical seasons that still heads the Falcons record books to this day.
Allen Rossum, Tim Dwight, and Byron Hanspard all deserve mention.
Bartkowski was the first overall pick in the 1975 draft, and the Falcons put him in as a starter right away. Though he missed three games that season, he was named NFL Rookie of the Year.
After playing just 13 games over the next two years, he led the Falcons to their first playoff appearance in 1975. Atlanta won their first playoff game ever against the Philadelphia Eagles after Bartkowski threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes in the 14-13 victory. The Dallas Cowboys defeated them 27-20 the next week.
In 1980, he led the Falcons to a 12-4 season. It was the most wins in team history until the 1998 team won 14 in their Super Bowl season.
Bartkowski threw an NFL leading 31 touchdown passes that year, which was also his career best total. He was named to the Pro Bowl that year.
He went back to the Pro Bowl the next year for the final time in his career. By throwing for 30 scores, he became just the third quarterback ever in NFL history to have consecutive seasons of at least 30 touchdown passes. Hall Of Famer Dan Fouts had become the second a week earlier. Only five more quarterbacks have accomplished this feat since.
In the strike shortened 1982 season, Bartkowski led the league with an 86 yard touchdown pass. It was the longest passing play of his career. He led the league in quarterback rating in 1983, by posting a career best 97.6 mark. He also led the NFL with the lowest interception rating of 1.2 percent. In 1984, he led the league with a career best 67.3 completion percentage, though he missed five games because of injury.
After Atlanta lost their first five games in 1985, he was traded to the Washington Redskins. He did not play, so he joined the Los Angeles Rams for the 1986 season.
He started six games that year, and threw his last career touchdown pass against the Falcons. The Rams would get to the playoffs, but lose to the Redskins. Bartkowski then retired.
Steve Bartkowski has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and he is a member of the teams Ring of Honor.
He still leads the franchise in virtually every statistical category that a quarterback can attain. It is pretty easy to say that he is the greatest quarterback in Falcons history.
Bob Berry, Chris Miller, and Bobby Hebert deserve mention.
Fullback : William Andrews
Andrews was drafted in the third round of the 1979 draft by the Falcons. He earned a starting job immediately and ran for 1,023 yards along with 39 receptions and five touchdowns.
He piled up 1,308 rushing yards the next year, at a career best clip of 4.9 yards per carry, to go with 51 receptions and five scores. Atlanta reached the playoffs after winning 12 games, but lost in the first round. Andrews was named to his first Pro Bowl that year, and would be return to the Pro Bowl in each of the following three seasons as well.
Andrews led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage via rushing and receiving in 1981, and was second in all-purpose yards. He had a career best 81 receptions for 735 yards and 12 total touchdowns, along with 1,301 rushing yards.
That season saw him, along with O.J. Anderson, join Hall Of Famers Earl Campbell and Tony Dorsett as the first four running backs in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons.
The strike shortened season of 1982 stopped his streak of 1,000 yard seasons. He still was able to average a career best 12 yards on 42 receptions, including an NFL long 86 yard touchdown reception, and run for 573 yards in just nine games.
He was the main offensive weapon for Atlanta in 1983. He carried the ball a whopping 331 times and also caught 59 balls. His 390 touches were the second most in the NFL that year, and is still the 51st most in league history.
Gaining a career best 1,560 yards that still ranks 50th best in NFL history, along with 609 receiving yards, his 2,176 all-purpose yards were second best in the NFL that year, and is still the 51st most in league history for one year. He also scored 11 times.
While he was already a star, he was also considered a player on his way to being inducted in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. As the Falcons prepared for the 1984 season, Andrews suffered a devastating knee injury. It was so severe that it kept him off the field for two seasons.
Though he tried to return in 1986, he had to adjust his role to being a blocking back for Gerald Riggs. Though he still averaged a respectable 4.1 yards per carry, he only had 52 carries and five receptions and scored the last touchdown of his career. He then retired.
He still ranks second in team history with 5,986 career rushing yards. His 277 receptions is the most ever by a Falcons running back, and ranks seventh best overall.
Andrews has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and is a member of the teams Ring of Honor. He is also in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
There is no question that William Andrews is the best fullback in Falcons history.
James "Cannonball" Butler and Dave Hampton deserve mention.
Halfback : Gerald Riggs
Riggs was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 1982 draft. That season was shortened to just nine games because of a players strike, yet Riggs was able to score five times on 78 carries for 299 yards. Atlanta made the playoffs, but lost. The franchise would have to wait until 1991 to return to postseason play.
The Falcons ran their offense through fullback William Andrews in 1983, but Riggs was able to contribute with 437 rushing yards and eight scores along with the only 17 kickoff returns of his career. When Andrews got hurt before the start of the 1984 season, Atlanta decided to run the offense through Riggs.
He responded that year by carrying the ball 353 times for 1,486 yards and a career high 13 touchdowns. His 13 touchdowns remained a team record until Jamal Anderson broke it by one in 1998. He also caught a career best 42 passes that year.
Now the teams main weapon, he carried the ball a whopping 397 times in 1985. It led the NFL that year, and is still the sixth most in league history. It was a team record until Anderson passed it in 1998.
He gained a career best 1,719 yards that year, which was also a team record until Anderson passed it in 1998, and caught 33 balls along with 10 touchdowns. He was named to the first of his three straight Pro Bowl nods.
The 1986 season would be the last time he exceeded the 1,000 yard mark. He gained 1,327 yards on 343 carries, along with nine scores. He was able to gain 875 yards in 1987, but played in just 12 games because of a players strike.
Playing injured the next year, he missed seven games. He then joined the Washington Redskins for the 1989 season and gained 834 rushing yards in the 12 games he played. He was part of a backfield that saw him split carries with players like Earnest Byner, Jamie Morris, and Ricky Ervins.
The Redskins decided to use him as their short yardage specialist. He scored 17 times over the next two years. In 1991, the Redskins put together one of the greatest teams in modern football history. They won their first 11 games before finishing 14-2 and setting several team records.
Riggs was put to work in the postseason. He scored two touchdowns against the Falcons in the Redskins 24-7 win. He then had two more in the NFL Championship and in the Redskins Super Bowl XXVI win. His six postseason rushing touchdowns tied an NFL record. He then retired.
His 1,587 carries for 6,631 yards and 48 rushing touchdowns with Atlanta are all team records.
Though Atlanta has had quite a few good halfbacks in their history, none have been better than Gerald Riggs.
Jamal Anderson, Warrick Dunn, Haskal Stanback, Lynn Cain, Junior Coffey, Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, and John Settle deserve mention.
Wide Receiver : Terance Mathis
Mathis was drafted in the sixth round of the 1990 draft by the New York Jets. He was brought along slowly as a receiver in his rookie year, catching 19 passes, but he was also used as a return specialist. He scored on a NFL record 98 yard punt return. The record stood until it was surpassed in 1994, but is still the second longest in league history. He also returned a career best 43 kickoff returns.
The Jets used him mostly as an extra receiver and part time return specialist over the next three years. He was able to grab 74 balls and three scores over that time, as well as run in two touchdowns off handoffs. Tiring of his reserve role, he signed with the Falcons before the 1994 season.
It was his only Pro Bowl year. He caught a team record 111 passes that year while gaining 1,342 yards and scoring 11 times. He followed that up with 78 receptions for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns despite missing the only two games of his career.
Mathis continued to be the Falcons top receiver for years. The 1998 season was one of his best, averaging a career high 17.8 yards on 68 receptions and matching his career high total of 11 touchdowns. Atlanta would go on to reach Super Bowl XXXIII, where Mathis scored the teams only offensive touchdown off of seven receptions in the Falcons loss.
After getting 1,016 yards on 81 receptions in 1999, he caught 108 balls over the following two seasons. He was released by the Falcons before the 2002 season, so he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had 23 receptions in a reserve role, then retired.
His 573 receptions for 7,349 yards and 57 touchdowns are all the most in Falcons history. Terance Mathis was a self made receiver who worked hard and came into his own in Atlanta. He is certainly one of the best receivers in team history.
Wide Receiver : Alfred Jenkins
Jenkins was signed as a free agent before the 1975 season by the Falcons. He had already played pro football in 1974 for the Birmingham Americans of the World Football League. He was a member of the team that won the only World Bowl championship.
Atlanta put him in the starting lineup immediately, and he soon became the Falcons best deep threat. He had 38 receptions and 6 touchdowns as a rookie, and averaged a career high 20.2 yards per reception. One catch went for a career long 69 yard score.
After 80 receptions and 10 touchdowns over the next two years, Jenkins was hurt in the first game of the 1978 season and missed the rest of the year. The NFL then changed the ten yard chuck rule to just five yards. Blockers were allowed to extend their arms and grab defenders, allowing receivers even more time to get open.
Jenkins had 50 receptions and three touchdowns in 1979, then exceeded the 1,000 yard mark by catching 58 balls for 1,035 yards and six scores. He was named to the Pro Bowl, becoming the first Falcons wide receiver to ever be awarded that honor.
His best season was in 1980, his last Pro Bowl year. He led the NFL with 1,358 receiving yards, 13 touchdown receptions, and a 84.9 receiving yards per game average. All were team records that have now been broken.
After catching 24 balls in the strike shortened season of 1982, he missed six games the next year. He then retired at the end of 1983 with 360 receptions, 6,267 receiving yards, 40 touchdowns, and an excellent average of 17.4 yards per reception. He still has the second most receiving yards in Falcons history, and the third most receptions and touchdowns.
Because he played on just three winning teams in his nine years, many fans did not get to see Jenkins unless Atlanta happened to play their team. In a era where few games were broadcast, the Falcons games were rarely shown outside of the state of Georgia.
But those who got to see him play will probably tell you that Alfred Jenkins is the greatest wide receiver in Falcons history.
Andre Rison, Michael Haynes, Eric Metcalf, Alfred Jackson, Bert Emanuel, Ken Burrow, and Wallace Francis all deserve mention.
Tight End : Alge Crumpler
Crumpler was drafted in the second round of the 2001 draft by the Falcons. His father and older brother also were NFL players.
He was brought along slowly his first two seasons, starting in 21 of the 32 games he played. Atlanta then made him a full time starter in the 2003 season, and he responded with his first Pro Bowl nod after catching 44 balls. It was the first of his four straight Pro Bowl nods.
His 2004 season may have been his best. He caught 48 passes at a career best average of 16.1 yards per reception. He also scored six times, despite missing two games that year because of injury. He had a career best 65 catches for 877 yards the next year, and a career high eight touchdown catches off of 56 receptions in 2006.
After an injury marred 2007 season that saw him grab 44 passes, he was released by Atlanta. The Tennessee Titans signed him, and he has played as a reserve tight end over the last two seasons.
His four Pro Bowl games are the most by any tight end in Falcons history, as is his 316 receptions for 4,212 yards and 35 touchdowns. He is currently has the fourth most receptions and touchdown catches in Atlanta history. His 4,212 yards are the second most by a tight end in Falcons history, and is 146 yards behind Jim R. Mitchell.
This was not an easy choice because Mitchell had such an excellent career with the Falcons. I decided on Crumpler because he had two more Pro Bowls than Mitchell, and was, at one time, the only reliable target the Falcons had in their passing attack.
Jim R. Mitchell and Junior Miller deserve mention.
Tackle : George Kunz
Kunz was a first round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 1969 NFL draft. He started right away for the Falcons, and made an immediate impact on the NFL. He was named to the Pro Bowl, despite playing on a young Falcons offensive line that started two more rookies.
He was injured the following year, but was able to start in all of the nine games he played in. He came back strong in 1971, and was named to the Pro Bowl again. He would be named to the Pro Bowl every year until 1977. He also would not miss a game until 1975.
Kunz was traded to the Baltimore Colts before the 1975 season.The Colts relied on Pro Bowl running back Lydell Mitchell, who often would run behind Kunz for huge chunks of yardage.
His last year as an Pro Bowler was 1977, and the Colts would win their division for the third straight season. This time the Colts faced the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs. They would lose a heart breaker as Oakland scored with time expiring.
He would suffer an injury in the first game of the 1978 season. It was so severe that he would not play again until 1980. That year saw him start in six of the nine games he played before retiring at the conclusion of the season.
No other Falcon offensive lineman has been named to the Pro Bowl more than Kunz. In fact, his five nods are the second most in franchise history. Despite the fact he only played three healthy seasons as a Colt, his three Pro Bowls are the third most by any offensive tackle in that franchises illustrious history.
George Kunz dominated his opponents. He may be the best offensive tackle in Falcons history.
Tackle : Mike Kenn
Kenn was the Falcons first round draft choice in 1978. He was immediately put in as their starting left tackle, and would hold that job his entire career. He missed just 10 games his entire 17 years, starting in all 251 games he played. He holds the Falcons record for most starts and games played.
The 1980 season was when the rest of the world found out how great Kenn was. He was named to the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro as the Falcons finished the season with a 12-4 record. This was the most wins in team history until the 1998 team won 14 games on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.
He was named five straight years to the Pro Bowl from 1980 to 1984. He then missed the first five games of his career in 1985, but would not miss a game again until the 1989 season.
He was named First Team All-Pro in 1991, but did not play in the Pro Bowl because of injury. When he retired after the 1994 season, he was 38 years old.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history. He has his jersey retired by the Falcons, and he should one day soon be a member of the teams Ring of Honor.
Mike Kenn may be the best blocker in Falcons history. He certainly had a career worthy of induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
Bob Whitfield and Chris Hinton deserve mention.
Guard : Bill Fralic
Fralic was drafted in the first round of the 1985 draft by the Falcons. He was soon named a starter and held the job his entire career. He missed just seven games total after his rookie season.
He was named First Team All-Pro in both 1986 and 1987, making him the omly Falcons guard to ever achieve this honor more than once. He went to the Pro Bowl four straight years from 1986 to 1989, which is the most by any guard in team history.
The Detroit Lions signed him at the beginning of the 1993 season, and he caught his only career pass that lost four yards. He retired after that season having started in 131 of 132 games played. He and R.C. Thielemann are the only guards in Falcons history to go to the Pro Bowl.
Bill Fralic is probably the best guard the Falcons ever saw in their uniform.
Guard : R.C. Thielemann
Thielemann was drafted in the second round of the 1977 draft by the Falcons. He started in every game that he played with the Falcons, and missed just three games in his eight years with the team.
He went to three straight Pro Bowls from 1981 to 1983, and was named First Team All-Pro in 1982. He teamed with Jeff Van Note, Mike Kenn, Dave Scott, and Warren Bryant to make the Falcons one of the top NFC offenses several seasons.
Thielemann ended up with the Redskins in 1985. He only played three games that year. R.C. started 13 games in 1986, then 12 in 1987. That year, he earned a Super Bowl ring when the Redskins won Super Bowl XXII and set eight Super Bowl records. He started eight games the following year, then retired.
R.C. Thielemann was the first Pro Bowl guard in Falcons history, and his three appearances are just one game behind Bill Fralic as the most by a guard in team history. He and Fralic are the only guards in Atlanta history to named to the Pro Bowl.
Dave Scott, Andy Maurer, Dennis Havig, and John Scully deserve mention.
Center : Jeff Van Note
Van Note was an 11th round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1969 as a linebacker. He would go on to play his entire 18-year NFL career as a center for the Atlanta Falcons from 1969 to 1986.
Van Note was soon moved to center by Falcons NFL Hall of Fame head coach Norm Van Brocklin. He eventually became an upper echelon center in the NFL. His 18 NFL years is amongst the top 25 longest in NFL history and is the second longest while staying with the same team. He played in 246 games over this stretch, and his 225 games started is second in Falcons history. Van Note only missed four games in his entire NFL career.
The Falcons retired Van Note's number at halftime of his final home game. He was voted the franchise's favorite player during the Falcons' 25th Anniversary season in 1991 by fans. Van Note was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, and to the Falcons' Ring of Honor.
He was a athletic, strong, and technically sound player. He languished on some bad teams, but was one of the players the Falcons could rely on week in and week out for many years. His name was constantly bandied about as one of the games top centers during his career. His status as a fan favorite exemplifies this.
The Falcons had great players, but Van Note is the guy many Falcon fans say is the symbol as the franchise best. He may not be the greatest center who ever played, but he is certainly amongst those mentioned as one of the greats.
His five Pro Bowls is tied with five other players as the second most in team history.
Jeff Van Note should be inducted into Canton, and is certainly is the greatest center in Falcons history.
Jamie Dukes deserves mention.
Kicker : Morten Anderson
Anderson was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1982 draft. He stayed in New Orleans for 13 seasons and set virtually every team record for kickers they have.
He was named a Pro Bowler five times and First Team All-Pro twice. He led the league in field goal attempts twice, and field goal conversions and percentage once.
He signed with the Atlanta Falcons before the 1995, and was named to his last Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors. The Saints had let him go because they thought he was at the end of his career, but he repaid them by becoming the first kicker ever to make three field goals in one game that season.
The highlight of his career may have occurred in the 1998 season. In the NFC Championship, he kicked three field goals in the second half. The last one lead the Falcons to a 30-27 come from behind victory. It propelled Atlanta into Super Bowl XXXIII, the first ever in franchise history, where he kicked two field goals in the Falcons loss.
He left Atlanta after the 1999 season to join the New York Giants. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2002 and played two years there. He led the NFL in extra point attempts and conversions both seasons. He then joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2004 for one season.
After sitting out the 2005 season, he rejoined the Falcons in 2006 at the age of 46 years old. He kicked five field goals in one game that year, making him the oldest player ever to kick five field goals. He stayed there until retiring at the end of the 2008 season, and owns the teams records for the most career field goal and extra point conversions made.
He is all over the NFL record books with the most career points, most games played, most field goal attempted and made in a career, most consecutive games scoring, most field goals attempted of 50 or more yards, and most game winning field goals. He scored 98 points or more 18 times, 90 or more 22 times, and 79 points or more 24 times. All are NFL records.
He might not only be the greatest kicker in Falcons history, but he may very well be the best the NFL ever saw.
Bob Etter, Norm Johnson, Tim Mazzetti, Mick Luckhurst, and Nick Mike-Mayer deserve mention.
Kick Returner : Darrick Vaughn
Vaughn was drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2000 draft. He quickly became a star. He set a team record by leading the league with three touchdowns off of just 39 kickoff returns. He also led the league with a team record 27.7 kickoff return average. One returns went for 100 yard, which is tied as a team record. His three touchdowns in one year is the second most in NFL history.
He led the NFL with a career high 61 returns the next year for a career best 1,491 yards. It is the 30th most returns ever in NFL history. He took one 96 yards for the last score of his career, and had his only interception.
He got injured and missed the entire 2002 season. He joined the Houston Oilers in 2003, but was primarily used as an extra defensive back. He returned the last three kickoffs of his career. He then was out of the league and retired.
His 2,573 kickoff return yards still ranks fifth most in Falcons history. I could easily have picked Allen Rossum, who owns the team records in returns and yards, but I chose Vaugn because he had two magical seasons that still heads the Falcons record books to this day.
Allen Rossum, Tim Dwight, and Byron Hanspard all deserve mention.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Peyton Manning Will Have To Wait Until Next Season
Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints
The Saints are trying to become the first team ever to win a Super Bowl after losing their final three regular season games. The Cardinals are coming off an overtime victory that saw a combined 96 points fly up on the scoreboard.
What To Watch From The Saints
New Orleans last three games were so unimpressive, and they played so uninspired, running back Duece McAllister was recently signed. Though much cannot be expected from the Saints all-time leading rusher on the gridiron, he was brought in to show leadership and as a token of respect for a man who gave everything he is to the team.
Though the Saints have a reliable Pro Bowl quarterback in Drew Brees, it would behoove them to hand to ball off to their running backs. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell need to be effective enough to be able to handle that ball over 25 times, and Reggie Bush should get a few carries as well. Though Bell has been the short yardage back all season, it will be interesting to see if McAllister gets a few touches.
New Orleans in hurting along their defensive line. They have lost both defensive end Charles Grant and defensive tackle Rodney Leisle for the season recently. Though Leisle was a deep reserve, Grant was a starter and was second on the team in sacks and also in tackles made by a defensive lineman. Veterans Bobby McCray and Paul Spicer need to step up their games to make Grant's absence seem less noticeable.
The kicking game has been mostly untested since Garrett Hartley returned from a suspension that began at the start of the season. He has attempted just one of his 11 attempts beyond 40 yards, which was missed. The question will be if the young kicker can handle a long distance attempt, or if the team will even have enough faith to let him try.
What To Watch From The Cardinals
Arizona is an exciting team to watch on offense, but their defense showed last week it is inconsistent. Kurt Warner is a quarterback who has a wide range of options at his dispense every time he calls for the ball to be hiked. New Orleans may have to blitz more because of their losing Grant. This could lead to big plays for the Cardinals, especially if star wide receiver Anquan Boldin is healthy enough to play effectively.
The play of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Darnell Dockett could hold the key to the game. The teams sack leader should be greeted often by the Saints Pro Bowl guard Jahari Evans. Calais Campbell, who shares the teams sack lead with Dockett, also needs to be effective. If they are slowed down, the Cardinals might be forced to blitz more. This will leave them with less pass defenders, which is something Brees would prefer.
The Cardinals defensive backs head into their second straight game against a high powered passing attack, but are dealing with more injuries in the unit. Cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie played last week with a bad knee, now he is dealing with an injured toe as well. Bryant McFadden is the other starting cornerback, and he hurt his chest during last weeks game. Their main backup, rookie Greg Toler, came up with a career best six tackles filling in last week despite injuring his elbow. Factor in starting free safety Antrel Rolle's thigh injury, and it is evident to see that the focus will be on whether or not this unit can keep up with the Saints receivers the entire game. Considering the performances they turned in last week versus Green Bay, one cannot help but being skeptical.
Quarterback : Even
Running Back : Even
Receivers : Even
Offensive Line : Edge Saints
Defensive Line : Even
Linebacker : Slight Edge Saints
Secondary : Slight Edge Cardinals
Special Teams : Definite Edge Cardinals
Coaching : Slight Edge Cardinals
Though most will look at both teams excellent passing attacks as a primary focus, this is a game that should be won by the team with the better ground game. Expect both teams to feature multiple wide receiver sets often, even when they decide to run the ball. Both quarterbacks are excellent leaders who know how to carve up opposing defenses. The outcome could be decided by a field goal in the waning moments of the game.
Saints 37 Cardinals 35
Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts
This is the battle of the old Baltimore team versus the new team that now represents Charm City. The Colts won three NFL Championships and one Super Bowl in their 31 years in Baltimore before the infamous midnight move that brought them to Indianapolis after the 1983 season completed. They have won one Super Bowl, in 2006, since then.
The Ravens were previously known as the Cleveland Browns until they dealt The Forest City a hard blow by moving to Baltimore just before the 1996 season. Though most residents of Baltimore still are angry over the Colts departure, they are happy the Ravens were able to secure a Super Bowl victory in the 2000 season.
What To Watch From The Ravens
The Ravens play the type of football that is conducive for the playoffs. They enjoy trying to run the ball down opponents throats all day, while relying on their experienced defense to set them up with excellent field position by shutting the oppositions offense down. Expect a heavy dose of handoffs to running backs Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le'Ron McClain if they have not fallen too far behind Indianapolis.
One extra big reason the Ravens need to be successful running the ball this week is because of the health of their quarterback Joe Flacco. Because of his hip injury, the Ravens asked him to pass just 10 times last week. The Ravens won handily, despite the fact Flacco accrued just 34 yards through the air. It is doubtful they can win again with that lack of production from him, but it remains to be seen exactly how healthy he is now.
If the Ravens have on defensive weakness, it is their secondary. Free safety Ed Reed looked good returning from injury last week, and he was part of the reason Baltimore shut down the Patriots aerial attack. The unit will tested again by another team with a prolific quarterback known just as much for his leadership as he is throwing the ball. Baltimore needs a repeat performance if they want a chance at victory.
If the secondary can hold up, Baltimore can again use exotic blitz packages. It was very effective against the Patriots Tom Brady last week, causing the Canton bound quarterback to cough up three interceptions and a fumble. The Colts also have a quarterback whose Canton bust has already been made. Rattling him with the same impact could carry the Ravens a long way towards victory.
What To Watch From The Colts
The Colts need to run the ball. Their offensive line has been better on pass plays this year, but the unit needs to make sure the Colts ground out respectable results. The rushing attack has been mostly average all season for Indianapolis, even in spite of having a special passing attack to make their jobs easier. Another mediocre showing could spell doom to championship hopes.
Tight end Dallas Clark is a Pro Bowl player and one of the Colts primary weapons. He will matched up against Ravens strong safety Dawan Landry, who has played mostly excellent all season. The Colts like to line up Clark all over the line of scrimmage, so it is possible Pro Bowl safety free safety Ed Reed will also be used in coverage schemes against him. If Clark is ineffective, it takes away a huge chunk of the Colts offensive attack.
Indianapolis has a pair of Pro Bowl defensive ends in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. They are undersized players who rely on speed and quickness off the edge. The Ravens have two mammoth offensive tackles in Jared Gaither and rookie Michael Oher. The Colts have dealt with injuries to their defensive secondary superbly all of this season, and much of that success came from the chaos created by Freeney and Mathis.
The Colts are carrying two excellent placekickers on their playoffs roster this year. One of them, Adam Vinatieri, has been dealing with a bad knee most of this year. He was shut down and replaced by Matt Stover, who kicked for the Browns/ Ravens from 1991 until he retired at the end of 2008. Stover was lured out of retirement after their sixth game, and has missed just two field goal attempts all year. He now is a symbol of both teams ties to Baltimore.
The Colts are trying to become just the second team, and the first since 1967, to win a Super Bowl after ending a regular season with two straight losses.
Quarterback : Definite Edge Colts
Running Back : Definite Edge Ravens
Receivers : Definite Edge Colts
Offensive Line : Definite Edge Ravens
Defensive Line : Even
Linebacker : Definite Edge Ravens
Secondary : Even
Special Teams : Even
Coaching : Slight Edge Ravens
If the Ravens get off to a hot start anything like last weeks win over New England, the Colts could be in trouble. If Baltimore can shut the Colts down on the ground, Manning will be the only target for the Ravens to focus on. The Ravens offensive line needs to dominate again to give them a chance at victory.
Ravens 27 Colts 24
Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have yet to reach a Super Bowl since they became a dome team in 1982, after reaching four from 1969 to 1976. They plan to move into a new stadium in 2012, but unfortunately will have a retractable roof. The Vikings of old gained an edge using the harsh Minnesota winters as an allie.. The Cowboys are a week removed from their first playoff win since 1996. That win was against the Vikings.
What To Watch From The Cowboys
Dallas has been on fire defensively lately. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer has been coming into his own, showing why Dallas drafted him in the first round in 2007. He had two sacks in last weeks win over the Philadelphia Eagles. His emergence allowed Pro Bowl outside linebacker Demarcus Ware get two sacks of his own as well. This duo poses a huge threat to the Vikings huge but lumbering offensive tackles.
Inside linebackers Keith Brooking and Bradie James are veterans who piled up 219 tackles combined this year. Their leadership is just as important as their production. If Pro Bowl nose tackle Jay Ratliff can keep Minnesota's Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson occupied, then Dallas can use Brooking and James in exotic blitz packages to get to Favre as well as attempt to shut down the Vikings run game.
One thing the Vikings do know is Dallas will use their three excellent running backs often, but the key to this game may rest on the Cowboys passing attack. That part of their game hasn't always been consistent, but quarterback Tony Romo may be coming off his best season ever. He will need his Pro Bowlers, tight end Jason Witten and wide receiver Miles Austin, to be big this week, and wide receiver Roy Williams could be a x-factor.
What To Watch From The Vikings
The Vikings come at opposing defenses with a balanced offensive attack that features a powerful running game. Adrian Peterson is a Pro Bowler and their best weapon. Veteran Chester Taylor is an excellent running back who once gained 1,000 yards in a season. The offensive line is built for the power game, which usually leads to post season success.
Bret Favre holds a lot of NFL records right now, and he may have just had the most efficient season of his illustrious career. The Canton bound Favre made the Pro Bowl because he became a huge weapon in just his first season in Minnesota. Throwing to a tall wide receiver Sidney Rice, along with speedy receivers Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin, Favre has helped make them better players. He must curtail his penchant for turnovers if the Vikings want to get the first Super Bowl win in franchise history.
Harvin poses a double threat to Dallas. Not only is he to be accounted for on offense, but he is a dangerous return specialist. Dallas has had good special teams play for the most part this year, despite the fact they had woes at the placekicker position, but facing Harvin is a whole new animal. The 2009 Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler could provide the Vikings an extra weapon this game that has the opportunity to lead them to victory.
Minnesota takes pride in their play along the line of scrimmage, especially along the defensive line. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams and Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen lead the way. Veteran defensive tackle Pat Williams is dinged up with an elbow injury right now, and his backup, veteran Jimmy Kennedy, is dealing with a thumb injury. If these men can not play up to their expected level, it could be a long day trying to stop the Cowboys vaunted running game.
Quarterback : Edge Vikings
Running Back : Even
Receivers : Even
Offensive Line : Slight Edge Cowboys
Defensive Line : Slight Edge Vikings
Linebacker : Definite Edge Cowboys
Secondary : Edge Cowboys
Special Teams : Definite Edge Vikings
Coaching : Slight Edge Vikings
The run game will be king for both teams. Both teams have inconsistent offensive lines and fairly stout defensive lines. Whatever success had through the passing game will be built from a solid rushing attack. The team that has to rely on the passing game most could have their season end earlier than they expected.
Vikings 30 Cowboys 24
New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers
The Chargers have had some excellent teams the past six years, and have won their division five times. Yet none of the previous teams won a title, and time may be running out on these types of opportunities for awhile. Key players appear to be nearing the end of their careers, so it is now or never for the Bolts.
The Jets are as confident of a victory here as they were in last weeks win over the Cincinnati Bengals. They feature an excellent running game and a trio of cornerbacks who can shut many opposing wide receivers down an entire game. This Jets team has an excellent chance at upsetting the Chargers.
What To Watch From The Jets
Thomas Jones is a running back that leads the charge in the team's offensive game plan. He has carried the team much of the season, since their passing game has mostly been impotent. The ten year veteran has averaged a steady 4.2 yards per carry on a career high 331 attempts. His 1,402 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground are also career high marks.
Rookie Shonn Greene spells Jones, and has been very impressive. He played 14 regular season games, but has been used in just five games with frequency. He has still piled up 540 yards at a average of five yards per carry. He hasn't been used in the passing game at all, but he helps keep the Jets churning forward.
The Jets rank first in the NFL in rushing first downs, total rushing plays and yardage. This speaks very highly of their offensive line. The unit is strongest on their left side behind guard Alan Faneca and center Nick Mangold, and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. All are Pro Bowl players.
Darrelle Revis is a shutdown cornerback, and veteran Lito Sheppard bookends the Pro Bowler. Dwight Lowery is one of the top third cornerbacks in the league. This is the group who will have to carry the team again like they did last week against Cincinnati. They allow Ryan to use the front seven in with his blitz schemes.
The Jets have a pair of average safeties, and San Diego should target Pro Bowl Antonio Gates all day. This is a mismatch that could make the difference. New York prefers to use their outside linebackers as pass rushers, since both starters are converted defensive ends. If Gates is allowed to dominate, his reception total could reach double digits in this game.
What To Watch From The Chargers
The Chargers have one of the better passing games in the NFL. Philip Rivers is the Pro Bowl quarterback who gets the team going by spreading the ball all over the field. Though Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates is often thrown to, the Chargers also have a duo of tall wide receivers with excellent speed. Vincent Jackson was so spectacular this year, many pundits felt the wide receiver should have made the Pro Bowl as well. The Jets have excellent cornerbacks, but none are as tall as Jackson or Malcom Floyd. Legedu Naanee is their third receiver. If he can be productive against Lowery, the Chargers chances for victory increase.
All good things must come to an end, and we may be witnessing the last games of running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Though Tomlinson did score 12 times this year, he failed to rush for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his nine year career. He gained his 730 yards at a career low clip of 3.3 yards per carry. Nine years is an extraordinarily long career for an NFL running back, especially one that has carried the ball as often as Tomlinson. San Diego hopes he has something special left in his tank for the post season, which may be his last, but it is a nearly empty tank they are trying to squeeze juice from.
Darren Sproles provides San Diego with a variety of weapons. He backs up Tomlinson, and he was also able to catch 45 passes this year at an impressive 11 yards a reception. He also is a dangerous return specialist who is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. Expect San Diego to try to get the ball in his hands often, especially since they have not had an effective ground game all season.
The key for San Diego this game will be the play of their defensive line. The Chargers have five Pro Bowl players this year, but none play defense. Though the secondary has been the best part of the unit, the front seven has been up and down all year. If the defensive line plays another game where they appear invisible, the Jets will just pound Jones and Greene all day and increase their chances of victory.
Quarterback : Definite Edge Chargers
Running Back : Edge Jets
Receivers : Definite Edge Chargers
Offensive Line : Slight Edge Jets
Defensive Line : Even
Linebacker : Even
Secondary : Slight Edge Jets
Special Teams : Slight Edge Chargers
Coaching : Slight Edge Jets
The Jets could come away with a win if they can run the ball all day to control the clock and keep the Chargers offense off of the field. The amount of third down conversions they accumulate will be critical, as will be the distance to the first down marker. They do not want to put the balance of their season in the hands of the rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez at this juncture.
San Diego should exploit the fact no one can cover Gates on the Jets, and even get some production from their other tight ends. Some production out of the ground game is also a big need. This game might depend on the amount of time Rivers has to find his plethora of targets.
Chargers 37 Jets 16
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)