| | Falcons flying on their way to Philadelphia
By Jeff Reynolds
Pro Football Weekly
GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- The Falcons arrived at the team practice facility last
week and were waiting for the coaches' game plan when Bob Whitfield
delivered the wake-up call.
"If you aren't confident, if you have any doubts we're going to beat Green
Bay, don't get on the plane," Whitfield said. "Everybody got on the plane."
Call it the Dirty Bird Declaration if you wish, but you have to call the
motivating plea successful. A united Falcons team deboarded that same plane,
diced the Packers in impressive fashion and quickly -- perhaps unexpected of
a young flock -- turned its attention to the top-seeded Eagles.
No team better defined the opening round better than Atlanta -- a true wild
card. Having lost their first two games by a combined four points -- 37-34 in
overtime at Green Bay and 14-13 to Chicago -- the Falcons lost just one of
their next 10 contests. Late in the season, the Falcons looked up in the
standings and came to this realization: We could win the NFC South.
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I hope they don't give us a chance. Being an underdog is
stress-free. Nobody expects you to do (expletive). You aren't answering
questions like, 'How many points will you beat them by?' Like this week,
they will ask 'How are you going to hang in the game?' ” |
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— Bob Whitfield, Falcons offensive tackle on being an underdog |
"I think losing that first game of the season, to the Packers and in Green
Bay, changed our entire season," rookie running back T.J. Duckett said. "It prepared
us for what was to come. By coming a couple of plays short to a team so many
people thought was a top team, that was a lesson. We knew we could play with
anyone and learned from that throughout the season."
Duckett was part of a three-headed rushing attack, along with RB Warrick Dunn
and quarterback Mike Vick, that ranked fourth in the NFL with 147.9 yards per game.
Running behind an underrated offensive line, which one scout ranks in the
top five in the NFL, the Falcons' ability to control the ball and the clock
helped them create positive momentum going into the divisional round of the
playoffs.
"We've got young players who are playing above expectations," Dunn said after
gaining 64 of the team's 192 rushing yards last week. "When you have that,
guys can mature beyond their years, and that even goes for veterans. It
helps because if one player picks it up, everyone raises their game another
level. We couldn't have asked for it to work out any better."
Vick strolled into the league in 2001 caped with the greatest pressure.
Talent evaluators predicted Vick could transform the quarterback position, be the
Michael Jordan of the NFL and evolve into the definition of bigger,
stronger, faster. One rocky rookie season, primarily as Chris Chandler's
backup, didn't do much to help those long-term projections. In his first
full season as Atlanta's starter, Vick rolled out an MVP-caliber campaign
and had some wondering whether the aforementioned assessments of stardom
were selling him short.
"He's an incredibly talented player," Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila said.
"I'm speechless. He can run, throw. He's a one-of-a-kind athlete. I've never
seen a player who can do all the things he can do."
Gbaja-Biamila had 12 sacks during the regular season. A pass rusher who
thrives on quickness and agility with very good closing speed, Biamila
couldn't capture the slippery Vick. Any time Vick drops back, the footage
has a chance to be spliced into a signature, vintage highlight.
Case in point, Vick beat Biamila three separate times on third down, helping
his club convert 8-of-17 such situations. The great escape you'll be seeing
all week was Vick's 11-yard scamper with two minutes remaining in the second
quarter.
On 3rd-and-3 from the Packers' 39, Vick had three wide receivers in a shotgun
formation. Wide receiver Quentin McCord came in motion, and Vick faked the counter, and
rolled to his left, picking up a key block from Whitfield. With nothing
available downfield, Vick was forced to the sideline, slammed on the brakes,
and Biamila lunged, grabbing Vick's helmet.
"I had his head, and not to use an excuse, but I wanted to get to his
shoulder pads," Biamila said. "By the time I tried to move my hands down and
wrap him up, he was out ... and gone. I probably should have just grabbed
the facemask to get some kind of handle on him."
Vick gained 11 yards, and the Falcons got a field goal to go up 24-0 before
halftime.
"He's amazing," Falcons head coach Dan Reeves said. "It seems like the
tougher the situation, the better he is."
Vick deserves as much or more credit as he receives for getting the Falcons
to this point. But the opening-round win defines the term "team victory."
Wide receiver Shawn Jefferson's 10-yard TD reception on the opening drive was the first
time this season the Falcons went the distance on their first try. Praised
be the offense.
Two minutes later, linebacker Mark Simoneau sliced through the middle of the Packers'
line and blocked Josh Bidwell's punt on the 1-yard line; Artie Ulmer
pounced on the ball in the end zone to give the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Applaud
the defense for pinning Green Bay deep, and pat the special teams on the
back for making its first of two key plays in the game.
"We were trying to take it upon ourselves all game to win it on special
teams," said reserve S Kevin McCadam, who forced a fumble in punt coverage
with 14:36 left in the second quarter, leading to a 6-yard Duckett
touchdown. "We knew if we could create a few opportunities, the offense was
going to score. We proved a lot. Green Bay didn't respect us coming in here -- we like that role."
Oh, these Falcons love, covet, pine to be overlooked.
Upon entering the locker room, defensive end Patrick Kerney made his intent to converse
with a Milwaukee sports writer about his comment in a pregame article that,
by Kerney's interpretation, dubbed the Falcons a one-man show. Kerney said
he read another Packers' beat writer piece that said, "Brady Smith makes
only the occasional play."
"I was looking forward to speaking with him," said Kerney, who had a sack,
forced fumble and fumble recovery in the game. "But that is the best part
about football. You have everybody outside saying what you are and aren't.
We get the chance to go on the field and have the last word. We proved them
wrong."
Rest assured, we haven't heard the Falcons' closing argument. The hunt is on
among an inspired bunch to find effusive billboard material coming from the
City of Brotherly Love.
"I hope they don't give us a chance," Whitfield said. "Being an underdog is
stress-free. Nobody expects you to do (expletive). You aren't answering
questions like, 'How many points will you beat them by?' Like this week,
they will ask 'How are you going to hang in the game?' "
Whitfield will play a big part if the Falcons indeed hang with Eagles. Teams
that have controlled Vick, namely Tampa Bay, have used a speed rusher to
keep him in the pocket. Eagles defensive Hugh Douglas (12½ sacks this season)
might lack the initial burst of Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice, but he still can
be effective.
"Hell yeah, I'm looking forward to facing Hugh," Whitfield said. "I like
playing Hugh. I like matchups like that. It's like heavyweight boxing. If
you want the title, you've got to knock the champ out."
The plane to Philly boards behind Dunn this week. An unrestricted free agent
prior to the season, Dunn nearly landed with the Eagles before his ultimate
destination became Atlanta.
"I was this close," Dunn said, shrinking the distance between his
straightened thumb and index finger. "Great visit, good people. But I'm
here, this is where I want to be. It's been a long journey for me to get to
this point. It is satisfying. But we're focused on keeping it going."
Jeff Reynolds is an Associate Editor for Pro Football Weekly.
Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com
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Divisional Playoffs
