AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > September > 12 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTime for an early gut check
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Flowery Branch — John Abraham’s groin hurts. Nobody can be certain how much it hurts because he was locked in the Falcons’ training room Monday and predictably was unavailable to hovering media vultures, whose job — and I’m ashamed to admit this — partly is to obsess about other people’s groins.
Now, I’m forced to go out on a limb here, because NFL teams tend to embrace vagueness in their injury reports. So expect the Falcons’ injury report this week to list Abraham as “questionable” with “an ailment somewhere south of his nasal cavity.”
I’m going to make a reasonable guess that Abraham isn’t going to play. That’s pure speculation, based on a lifetime of watching athletes with pained expressions after something went wrong in areas south of the nasal cavity.
And if Abraham does miss the game? In a sense, the season starts this week.
Injuries happen. Adversity happens. The Falcons are 1-0 following a dominating performance in Carolina. But that’s no more impressive than the fact they were 1-0 after an emotional win over Philadelphia last season. We soon learned about the significance of that game and a 6-2 start.
Suddenly, the whole franchise seemed doubled-over with groin issues.
Abraham is hurt. Patrick Kerney is iffy. Ed Hartwell has been absent (although he’s pretty much been only a rumor since the Falcons got him). Welcome to the test. What better time to see what substance this team is comprised of?
“Some teams say woe is me,” Lawyer Milloy said, “and some teams keep moving.”
The Carolina Panthers were all about woe Sunday. They were missing Steve Smith and responded as if somebody robbed them of several vital organs.
The Falcons were floating in woe for much of the second half last season and in the final week went under. Milloy wasn’t here a year ago, but he has seen things unravel before. The flip side: He also played for the New England Patriots, whose collective resolve, toughness and discipline have done more to lead that team to three Super Bowl titles than any single player on the roster, Tom Brady included.
So it follows that when Milloy was asked about how significant injuries can sometimes create doubts in a locker room, he responded like somebody questioned his manhood: “Does it look like I care?”
Well, no. And please don’t punch me.
“Obviously we want [Abraham] out there, but if he’s not we’ve got guys ready to go,” said Milloy, who’s rapidly becoming the pulse of the defense. “This league is a league of opportunity. The real stars go in when the starters go down. Drew Bledsoe goes down and Tom Brady has probably the best five years in NFL history. That’s part of being a pro. You don’t sit back and eat popcorn and watch John Abraham sack the quarterback. You should be sitting back and watching some of his moves in case things like that happen. If you perform well, you might have his spot.
“We’re a unit. Injuries happen. That’s part of the makeup of a champion.”
In his first game with the Falcons, Abraham only had one of the single greatest performances of any defensive player in franchise history. He had two sacks, two forced fumbles and constantly was around the quarterback and/or the ball. The Falcons’ defensive line might be the best in the league. When healthy.
Great players can’t be replaced. But neither can a team react like it’s a kitchen table with a leg cut off. Falcons coach Jim Mora doesn’t know that his team’s resilience is bulletproof yet, but believes they’re getting there.
“It’s a mind-set, but a mind-set born of maturity,” he said. “It doesn’t just happen if you’re playing five rookies. It takes more than a year. It takes more than a game. I don’t want to say we’re there, that no matter who plays we can overcome. But we’re headed in that direction.”
This might be the week to gauge how close they are.
Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment | Categories: Jeff Schultz
Comments
By The Man
September 12, 2006 09:38 AM | Link to this
Jeff - where are you going for high holidays? I know a synagogue giving free tickets for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Blog back if you’re interested.
By Bodacious
September 12, 2006 10:05 AM | Link to this
Jeff, It’s better you write this article than your counterparts Mark and Terrence.Otherwise we would be reading about the doom and gloom perceptions as it relates to the falcons that honestly only exists in their heads.
By Pago Pago
September 12, 2006 10:06 AM | Link to this
I watched (have to say “caught” I guess) a few mins of an NFL game….mostly saw commercials. BORING…..May watch (catch) the Super Bowl..better commercials.
By Iceman
September 12, 2006 10:08 AM | Link to this
The Falcons will be Super Bowl chanmps this year. I guarantee it!
By Iceman
September 12, 2006 10:20 AM | Link to this
Sorry. I meant “Champs”.
By Ace
September 12, 2006 10:49 AM | Link to this
Lawyer Milloy gets better and better every time he opens his mouth… unlike certain other members of the secondary.
Reminds me of the influence another veteran and former champ in the secondary brought to the team in 1998. He, as it turned out, had other issues “south of the nasal cavity” the night before the Super Bowl.
But I think Lawyer is the real deal.
By baerdawg
September 12, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this
Pago, go buy a tivo. I paused the game right after kickoff to go mow the lawn. Skipped the commercials when I got back to my media center.
By Andy
September 12, 2006 12:49 PM | Link to this
Jeff - Wherever you go for your holidays, hopefully it will be somewhere without internet access so we’ll have at least one or two weeks without your constant negative and unintelligent columns. This is the best team the Falcons have put on the field since 1998. Abraham and Kerney will play Sunday and we’ll pound the Bucs and be 2-0 in the NFC South. I’m so sick of you stupid columnists trying to find negative when there was nothing but positive to discuss. I didn’t read Terrance Moore’s column this week, but I’m sure he found something to whine about too…Your drab banter is old and worn out…Us Falcon fans are sick of it. Why don’t you go cover the Thrashers? That way, no one with a life will be forced to read your crap.
By Manweez
September 12, 2006 01:07 PM | Link to this
Hey Schultz! Enough with Hartwell cracks. Either he’s been hurt or he’s been bricking it. If you think the latter, say so. Otherwise the jabs are pointless and a little mean spirited. All of us are frustrated with Edge’s injury situation. I suspect no one more than he
By Iceman
September 12, 2006 01:43 PM | Link to this
The subsequent return of Hartwell will catapult the Falcon’s D to all time greatness status. The ICEMAN has spoken.
By GeorgeW
September 12, 2006 02:45 PM | Link to this
I didn’t see much negative from Jeff’s article. What I read was truth. This is indeed “gut check” time for the Falcons. Last year they did fold after some injuries. This article is a reminder of that as well as a challenge to the players to not allow that mindset to creep in. probably not unlike what Mora himself will be telling the players. Lawyer said the same thing in so many words. Jeff Shultz is the only columnist I saw anywhere predict a Falcons victory over Carolina. That doesn’t equal a negative Falcons basher to me.
Good article, Jeff.
By Nikki
September 12, 2006 03:37 PM | Link to this
I absolutely LOVE Lawyer’s attitude. The Birds could have really used him in the locker room these past few years. Nobody wanted to lead the team and hold other players accountable. Welcome to the fold, Lawyer.
By Jeff Schultz
September 12, 2006 04:08 PM | Link to this
The Man … I’ve never had anybody ask that before. Thanks, but I’m a member of a temple in Roswell. Andy … Thanks for the love. I’m not sure exactly what you’re talking about in terms of searching for the negative. It’s just that you can tell the most about a team when something doesn’t go well. That’s hardly an attack. Manweez … Actually, I think that’s the first Hartwell crack I’ve made since he’s been here. And I never said he WASN’T hurt. That’s the problem — he’s always hurt. George W … Thanks. I’m sure Andy’s just having a bad day.And for what it’s worth, everybody, Milloy was a great addition in this locker room. Obviously he’s not the player he was several years ago, but he’s certainly the best at that position that this team has seen for a long time, and his attitude would help any team in the league. JS
By Jeff Schultz
September 12, 2006 04:10 PM | Link to this
The Man … I’ve never had anybody ask that before. Thanks, but I’m a member of a temple in Roswell. Andy … Thanks for the love. I’m not sure exactly what you’re talking about in terms of searching for the negative. It’s just that you can tell the most about a team when something doesn’t go well. That’s hardly an attack. Manweez … Actually, I think that’s the first Hartwell crack I’ve made since he’s been here. And I never said he WASN’T hurt. That’s the problem — he’s always hurt. George W … Thanks. I’m sure Andy’s just having a bad day.And for what it’s worth, everybody, Milloy was a great addition in this locker room. Obviously he’s not the player he was several years ago, but he’s certainly the best at that position that this team has seen for a long time, and his attitude would help any team in the league. JS
By Iceman
September 12, 2006 04:16 PM | Link to this
Jeff, thanks for you unexpected response to your bloggers. You ought to do this more often.
By Hunter
September 12, 2006 04:44 PM | Link to this
The Falcons better go to the playoffs, they have the highest payroll in the NFL. Know wonder Authur wants a new stadium. Here are the salary figures for all 32 teams for 2006 from Foxsport.com.
NFL Team Payrolls Rk Team Payroll (US$) 1 Falcons $109,591,963 2 Seahawks $103,326,102 3 Broncos $90,358,683 4 Panthers $90,273,684 5 Raiders $89,708,160 6 Rams $88,924,958 7 Dolphins $87,861,962 8 Jaguars $86,625,934 9 Ravens $86,625,934 10 Texans $86,625,934 11 Cardinals $86,125,017 12 Giants $85,024,906 13 Chiefs $84,398,705 14 Steelers $83,191,476 15 Vikings $82,773,897 16 Patriots $82,687,690 17 Bears $81,407,174 18 Jets $80,301,956 19 Saints $79,952,552 20 Bengals $77,734,023 21 Eagles $77,492,520 22 Cowboys $76,218,437 23 Buccaneers $75,260,596 24 49ers $73,746,733 25 Lions $73,685,732 26 Redskins $73,035,725 27 Browns $71,462,432 28 Chargers $69,356,170 29 Packers $67,922,614 30 Colts $65,472,365 31 Titans $64,272,718 32 Bills $61,982,732
By Mr C.
September 13, 2006 09:27 AM | Link to this
Did not know that we have the highest payroll in the league. Thanks for the update Hunter. Arthur Blank definitely deserves a new stadium. He is committed to winning. Too bad that AJC couldn’t report on tht story.
Jeff, can’t AJC hire an intern to fix the website. You joined the party by posting twice. Is AJC so inept that they can’t fix the error. Management suck at ur office. Make sure that you pass the info. to the appropriate office. I’m sick of double/triple posts on the blog site.
I will come up there and do it for free if AJC is cutting costs. Sh——t, some columnist should get a paycut in order to fix the website so that it doesn’t take 20 mins to make a post.
By BarkinDog
September 13, 2006 10:32 AM | Link to this
Jeff, great post! I love your slant on all things football. I do get tired of bloggers pasting you about trivial slights. Sometimes I think they have something wrong in areas north of their nasal cavities. By the way, nice picking this weekend (take note, you naysayers of JS prognostications)… you got 9 right, only missing Dallas ATS. I used them and cleaned up. Tip of the hat for your hot tips, Jeff… and keep the comic relief coming. I love it! GO DOGS & GO BIRDS!
By Connie Lingous
September 13, 2006 04:01 PM | Link to this
I’m very surprised the AJC hasn’t had a story reporting the news that the Birds have (by far) the highest payroll in the League. It certainly seems significant and newsworthy to me, and could for the basis for all sorts of interesting opinion pieces.
By Jeff Schultz
September 13, 2006 05:04 PM | Link to this
Hunter, I don’t know how up-to-date that list is, but, suffice to say, the Thrashers are about maxed out against the cap. They’ve given out some big contracts the last 3 years and are still taking a hit for Peerless Price’s deal. Blank wants a new stadium because he gets very little revenue from the Dome contract, unlike other new stadium deals, but it’s the contract he inherited. … Mr. C: There are a lot of things in this world I’d like to fix. Multiple-blog issues is way down the list. And trust me, trimming my salary isn’t going to help. … BarkinDog — thanks for the love. Forward me the customary 18 percent fee. JS
By Vinny
September 13, 2006 07:24 PM | Link to this
What - no artical about the Braves being dethrone by the METS? What happen to the cocky sports writer and the braves fans? All those big comments back in April, by the way the braves are 8 games out of last place.