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Thursday, February 12, 2009
Falcons’ Brooking: ‘I know I can still play’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are certain things you expect from an NFL linebacker after 11 seasons. One is that he’ll probably look about 3 inches shorter than in his rookie season. The other is that no matter how slow or battered or spent he might seem, he isn’t likely to hyperventilate when it matters most.
In his last game for the Falcons — and it remains to be seen if it will be his last game for the Falcons — Keith Brooking now admits: “I was in a funk the whole game.” The fact that game was a playoff loss in Arizona means it will linger for a while.
“I hold myself accountable, and I’ll say that’s one of the worst games I’ve ever played,” Brooking said. “I’m never a person who makes excuses. I was extremely motivated for that game. We were back in the playoffs. I think I just let all of that take over. The adrenaline took me out of my game. I should know better from experience.”
Let’s start with what should be the obvious. Football teams do not lose games because of one player or one play. Even if no other Falcon would say they saved their worst game for Arizona, it’s at least safe to assume nobody saved their best.
But Brooking, who seemingly has been a lightning rod for criticism from some fans since signing a $42 million contract in 2003, has taken a brunt of the blame. A lot of that stems from the game’s final decisive play: a 23-yard pass to a pedestrian tight end, Stephen Spach, whom Brooking lost in coverage on third-and-16. With three minutes left and the Falcons trailing on the road 30-24, it’s not like the odds favored them winning. But given the backdrop, the play made him an easy target.
It would be a strange way for his career to end in Atlanta. He hasn’t missed so much as a play because of injury in the past eight years. He is the Falcon whose career stretches back to the Super Bowl season. He has survived four coaching staffs and three roster architects. They all must be seeing something that the message board bozo doesn’t.
But Brooking is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent — the Falcons hold an option to void the final year of his contract — and general manager Thomas Dimitroff wants to rebuild the defense. The GM has not closed the door to his return, but it would be at a significantly reduced price — and even then it depends on who else could be acquired in free agency.
Brooking wants to come back for at least one more season. He grew up here and played at Georgia Tech. Just the thought of leaving the state, he said, “seems surreal.” But he has come to realize he’s not universally embraced.
“I guess it’s already been written — my better days are behind me,” he said. “I’m a realist. Am I the same player I was four years ago? Heck no. But I felt I performed at a very high level. The one thing missing was game-changing plays.”
Brooking has led the Falcons in tackles eight straight years. In the past six, his 708 tackles are second in the NFL only to London Fletcher. Tackle totals are not trivial, but they can be misleading since they are partly dictated by scheme. As for the aforementioned game-changing plays: Brooking, who was moved to outside linebacker and rarely blitzed, did not have a sack, an interception or a forced fumble this past season.
His agent, Pat Dye Jr., said criticism “comes with the territory of signing a $42 million contract. Keith is not a guy who makes three hits a game that show up on ‘SportsCenter.’ Teams look at Brian Urlacher and think, ‘We don’t have a chance.’ Keith isn’t that guy. He’s not flashy. He’s a productive, blue-collar player.”
It will be the basis of Dye’s pitch. Brooking, meanwhile, has struggled to forget his last game. He called it, “One of the toughest things I’ve had to deal with in my career.” But he doesn’t believe it should signal the end.
“People have a right to be disappointed when key players make mistakes,” he said. “But I know I can still play. I just think I should be judged by my body of work, not one play or one game.”
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