The Atlanta Falcons kicked off their 2007-2008 season with a 31-16 preseason loss against the New York Jets. The loss doesn’t mean much since it is preseason football, but what did matter was how the Falcons would react without Michael Vick. In my opinion, although the game was meaningless, the team needed to win, the offensive needed to look consistent and efficient, and most importantly, the team needed to show that Atlanta Falcons football could be exciting and interesting without Michael Vick. Unfortunately, Coach Petrino and the rest of the Falcons’ players did little to inspire this Birds fan that there can be successful football without Vick at the quarterback position. Additionally, it aggregated me that Rich McKay continued to downplay the importance of Vick’s contributions to team. Regardless of whether you think Vick is innocent or guilty, he was an integral part of the team and the Falcons are wrong for trying to act as if he never existed.
An encouraging sight was the play of rookie wide receiver Laurent Robinson. He led all receivers with 5 receptions. He showed great speed and superb hands. If he continues to play like this, then Roddy White’s future as a starter will be in serious doubt. Joey Harrington looked serviceable, going 6 of 9 for 88 yards. Running back Jerious Norwood continued to show promise with 8 carries for 29 yards and 1 touchdown.
The big disappointment of the night was former UGA quarterback D.J. Shockley’s performance. He looked erratic and uncomfortable behind center. I think he played poorly because he entered the game at the end of the third quarter; therefore, it was really hard for him to get into the flow of the game. He’s definitely a better quarterback than he appeared. I hope he has a good practice this week and has a better game next week against the Bills, as I want him to be the starter by midseason because he’s a great on-the-field leader, a community guy, and he has a great arm and he’s able to scramble. If it’s not realistic for him to start, then I’d like to see him as the sole backup for Harrington.
No comments:
Post a Comment