Despite a stinker, Falcons say they'll be ready
By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 9/3/04
Landover, Md. -- In a big-picture way, NFL coaches rarely attach much weight to the their final exhibition game. Starters, after all, almost never play much.
But team officials look for signs and some earnest work from starters.
In that regard, the Falcons were shut out twice -- on offense and defense -- Friday night at FedEx Field, where a 27-0 loss to the Washington Redskins was absolute.
Funny thing was, coach Jim Mora said after his team became the first in the 39-year history of the franchise to be shut out twice in a preseason that he thought his players did try. He said he saw it in the faces of key players at halftime and after the game.
And the Falcons' new field boss was bold when asked whether quarterback Michael Vick (0-for-3, one interception and one fumble Friday; 5-for-12, 35 yards and a pick for the entire preseason) will be ready for the season opener at San Francisco.
"Absolutely ready," Mora said. "On September 12th, he'll be ready, and we'll be ready. You're ready when it starts. You have no choice."
At least Mora admitted that what he saw during the first 11 minutes, 38 seconds, when the Falcons (2-2) fell behind 24-0, was dreadful.
"It was very evident that as a team we weren't completely ready to play, because that doesn't happen to you if you are," he said after Atlanta turned the ball over five times.
The Falcons have played plenty of bad football over the years, but it would be hard to find a quarter worse than the first Friday. There were no positive signs from the starting defense, offense or kicker Jay Feely, who missed both his field goal tries.
The starting defense was invisible even before its only Pro Bowl player, linebacker Keith Brooking, left with a strained right hamstring.
On the game's opening possession, the Redskins (3-2) took a 7-0 lead on a nine-play, 78-yard drive that left would-be tacklers missing left and right.
On the first play after the kickoff, Vick fell under a red-hot rush. He somehow wiggled his left arm loose as blitzing cornerback Shawn Springs corraled him after breezing past right tackle Todd Weiner. Vick threw a knuckleball toward tight end Alge Crumpler. Bad decision. Safety Matt Bowen intercepted it.
Soon, the Redskins made it 10-0. Next, the Falcons went three plays and out. Six plays after a 27-yard punt return by Washington's Chad Morton, it was 17-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, fullback Justin Griffith missed Washington kicker John Hall, who bent Woody Dantzler backward so hard that Dantzler hobbled off the field with a sprained right ankle.
Atlanta's starting offense took the field again. And again, Vick came under duress as the Redskins, like the Ravens three weeks earlier, made it clear the book on Atlanta's quarterback is to blitz him.
Washington linebacker LaVar Arrington body-slammed him, the ball squirting out. Linebacker Antonio Pierce recovered, and 23 yards later the Redskins led 24-0.
And the Redskins kept blitzing, registering four sacks while also limiting Atlanta to 57 rushing yards.
"We got our [butts] whipped today, and we can't let it happen next week," reserve offensive tackle Bob Whitfield said.
Mora doesn't seem to think it will, even though the 49ers blitz a lot.
"I hope teams blitz the heck out of us. I do; I want 'em to blitz Mike," he said. "Bring it. Bring it every play. Seriously."
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