Sports Columnists

By Tired of This

December 17, 2006 07:43 PM | Link to this

I’m with you Terence. When I saw Michael Vick line up at tailback, I thought that this regime has hit an all time low. As a season ticket holder, if Blank doesn’t do the inevitable, I will be greatly disappointed.

By FalconsFan

December 17, 2006 07:48 PM | Link to this

In case you don;t remember Vick gets a groin injury about every other week.

At least Mora and Knapp were trying something differant, instead of the same old things.

We knew falcons would miss the playoffs at the start of the season. we were just hoping.

By lawton

December 17, 2006 07:48 PM | Link to this

the only explanation i can think of is mora knows knapp and or donatell have to go and he is doing his version or remaining loyal to them, in other words, if they go, he goes,thus, his comments out in seattle? i may not be far from the truth, look at what he does, anytime he needs a player, he goes and get a san fransisco player, he hired all his buddies out there, to compliment the loser donatell. anyway,i distinctly remember telling everybody that blank messed up firing dan reaves. he should have fired the players who quit on reeves when vick got hurt intead. lastly, why do people let rich mckay get a pass? what has he done? hes another one who made it into the nfl because his father was a head coach.

By e.b.

December 17, 2006 07:54 PM | Link to this

I can’t believe it, T.M……WE AGREE ON SOMETHING!!!!! That was the bottom of the barrel last nite, putting Vick at Running Back. It was forced desperation, and it didn’t work any better the 4th or 5th time.

By Supad

December 17, 2006 07:54 PM | Link to this

I second your opinion, this marriage is on the rocks/over. This is what happens when you hire a inexperienced coach who is nothing but a lot of hot air and no substance. Blank will learn, in his next hire not to be swayed by fancy talk but by accomplishments. What i would really like to see discussed on this blog is who do we hire to fix this mess, Coaches or players?

By DrJay

December 17, 2006 07:56 PM | Link to this

I couldn’t agree more with your article that Mora’s comments were a HUGE distraction. No polished head coach such as Belicheck, Parcells, Reeves, Gibbs, etc.. would say such a thing whether they were kidding or not, especially before one of the biggest games of the season. However, the thing I am most ticked off about is the 20,000 plus Atlanta fans wearing there Dallas Cowboys attire to the dome. Do us all a favor and stay home next time.

I’ve been a fan since I moved to Atlanta in 1979. Michael Vick was magical with 4 TD’s, 237 yds passing and 56 more on the ground. I hope the critics that compare him to the lowly Reggie Fall and Kordell Stewart were watching. What these insane idiots don’t realize is that Vick was a champion in High School, an NCAA Division I runner-up at V Tech, and has made the playoffs in 2 of 3 seasons that he has completed. All these Vick bashers talk about 6 years, blah blah blah.

Here’s the stats:

2001 - Chris Chandler started, Vick played backup

2002 - Falcons make the playoffs under Reeves; Vick throws for nearly 3,000 yds and runs for 777.

2003 - vick breaks leg in pre-season. goes 3-1 when he returns

2004 - Falcons and Vick go 11-5; win the division, beat the RAms in the playoffs at a loud packed out DOME and then lose to the eagles in the NFC championship game.

2005 - Falcons go 8-8 after losing 4 games during the season by a deciding field goal. Run defense was the problem , porous, pitiful.

2006 - 7-7 and a chance at playoffs if the falcons beat Carolina and philly. philly will need to lose to dallas next week.

Bottom line: Vick is 38-26-1 as a Falcon. Broke the NFL rushing record for a QB and has made the Falcons sell out all games since 2002. Falcons have also been playoff contenders with Vick every year he has played from start to finish. This has not happened in this franchise since Bartkowski was QB and Bennett was coach.

* Notice to all pretenders; Keep your Cowboys jerseys at home and support your home team. What a pathetic bunch of loser fans we have that jumps on the “Tony Homo” bandwagon…*

By e.b.

December 17, 2006 07:57 PM | Link to this

Yeh FalconsFan, you’d get a groin injury every other week if you’re O-Line didn’t block for you either, and you had no choice but to run for your life.

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 17, 2006 07:58 PM | Link to this

Good column. I have been saying since last year that this offense is too gimmicky, and as a result too unreliable and stifles Vick’s development as a passer. When the Falcons call regular drop back pass plays, Vick does fine. When Vick has to sprint sideways and throw, or follow a moving pocket, or take a pitch from Schaub before looking downfield, he can’t make his reads as easily because there is pressure in his face already. And I think this offense has also proven that all the heat TJ Duckett took was undeserved as well — Jerome Bettis couldn’t score in short yardage behind this offensive line scheme. Mora and company have shown all year that they are completely inept as coaches — they can’t develop players, they can’t create schemes that maximize the considerable talent they have, they can’t call plays properly, and they can’t manage a game properly.

I don’t think firing the coaching staff at this point in the season, when the Falcons still have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, is a good idea. As many problems as this team has, they still control their own playoff destiny — based on tiebreakers, the Falcons make the playoffs if they win their next two games. Firing the coach before the season is over accomplishes nothing, because the interim coach is going to be a lame duck anyway (see Wade Phillips, 2003). However, regardless of how we finish the season, I think Mora and company have to be fired.

And let me make something else clear — Mora is incompetent, but he is not the only problem. His coordinators are arguably worse than him, and they deserve to go as well. The only coach on this staff I would keep is Joe DeCamillis, who has presided over a decent special teams group. Coincidentally, he was the only holdover from Dan Reeves’ staff. And though it doesn’t reflect in the stats, I believe Bill Musgrave has done an OK job all things considered — Vick definitely looks much more fundamentally sound this year than last year (especially in his footwork), at least when he gets time to throw the ball. The new coach should at least consider keeping him here, but only as a QBs coach, not as an offensive coordinator.

By e.b.

December 17, 2006 07:58 PM | Link to this

Well Lawton, i think McKay gets a pass, only because of the team he built in Tampa. other than that, I agree -he’s totally accountable.

By Tired of This

December 17, 2006 07:59 PM | Link to this

Just think. Lovie Smith was beat out by a salesman with a bag of books. He had no experience. Lovie had championship defenses. Boy did Arthur learn a lesson in hiring. He’ll get it right next time.

You want to talk about next possible coaches? Go after Ken Whisenhunt. The former Falcon comes home, great story.

Blank, say “no” to Mariucci. Mora learned well from him.

By Sautee Dawg

December 17, 2006 08:04 PM | Link to this

Agree with you on several things Terence, however Mora shouldn’t shoulder all the blame for Saturdays loss. Hall should have been benched for trash talking, i have nothing against talking trash on the field if you can back it up. Hall cannot. He made one good play on owens all night, the rest of his time was spent playing catch up, and talking smack.

Moras coaching career in Atlanta is probally over, never did understand how he got the job in the first place. no experience whatsoever at coaching, anyone could have taken the talent base that Dan Reves left Atlanta with and went to the playoffs in his first year. Oh well, Stanford and Washington sounds like a good match up to me.!!

By The real David

December 17, 2006 08:04 PM | Link to this

Great next year we can blame the new coach for the Falcons problems. The owner will walk around, smiling and glad handing, when they win. Call the coach in to his office when they lose. As long as we have this carnival with the owner (I think in certain ways, he’s worse than the last), the Falcons will fail to ever be an elite team in the league. Who, except an untested or coaching failure, would come to the Falcons. The GM needs to give him an ultimatum to stay in the background, or quit. This guy knows nothing about a professional football franchise, and he thinks he can give it the same strategy as Home DePot, and that’s disaster.

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 17, 2006 08:07 PM | Link to this

I don’t think this team is lacking in talent at any position other than offensive line. The D-line, the linebackers, and even the DBs are all either up and coming young players or veterans who have performed well elsewhere. We have pro bowl players at QB, RB, TE, DT, DE, OLB, and CB, when everyone is playing up to their abilities. Even the WRs would benefit from having a coaching staff that can develop them as players. In the past couple of weeks the WRs have played a lot better — and although they haven’t played well all year they are still young and definitely have potential to play well under a good coaching staff. The only area that needs a major overhaul is OL, where we haven’t spent a first-round pick since 1994 (Bob Whitfield). Every elite team in the NFL spends big money and high picks on the offensive line — it’s about time the Falcons started doing the same thing. This team has plenty of talent — teams with much less talent are performing better than the Falcons in this league.

Rich McKay seems to be taking a lot of heat from people — I don’t think all of it is deserved. His trades have not panned out for the most part (the Bryan Scott for Wayne Gandy trade is the only trade you can say he really won) but he is a good talent evaluator and has selected talented players in all rounds of the draft. You have to take into account that he has to draft players who can fit Mora’s scheme — the GM and coach have to be on the same page, and if the coach is running a flawed scheme it increases the likelihood that the GM will acquire a flawed player. For the most part, McKay has drafted well, and I think with a better coach his player acquisitions will look better as well.

The coaching staff obviously is terrible and must be replaced. I would look at the Steelers’ OC Ken Whisenhunt, and the Bears’ DC Ron Rivera. I would stay away from college coaches, especially ones who don’t have a lot of pro experience — Charlie Weis is the only one I would consider from college. I would also stay away from retreads — Dan Reeves might have been better than Jim Mora, but he wasn’t a great coach either. The best way to find a long term solution is to get a young coordinator somewhere who is having success. Similar strategy they tried when they got Mora, except it would be nice to get a coordinator whose unit is actually doing well.

By Tyrone Willingham

December 17, 2006 08:12 PM | Link to this

If the Atlanta Falcons job ever opened up, and I think Mora is doing a fine job, but if it ever opened up, I’d be at the friggin’ front of the line with my resume in my hand.

I wouldn’t care if I was in the middle of playing in the Poinsettia Bowl versus TCU, I’d pack my bags and move to Atlanta.

By eddiedawg

December 17, 2006 08:13 PM | Link to this

Terence- You are an idiot….Vick did not hurt his groin because he was used as a running back…..he likes to run the ball, remember? He could have hurt it just as easily on a scramble…..frankly I am shocked you have not called Blank a racist for hiring a white head coach…..lastly-I LOVED the gimmicks-they generated 28 pts..-I thought Knapp was high-he has never been this wide open….but once again, the second half the creativity goes away (guess he sobered up) and we can’t pick up a third and fourth and short….. and Donatell’s sorry bend don’t break defensive can’t stop ANYONE on third and long…..Mora, Knapp, and Donatell-been nice knowing ya….see ya……

By Josh(but you can call me Bubba)

December 17, 2006 08:13 PM | Link to this

Terence I have read your stuff for years. Sometimes you make me feel sick, especially when you drag race into issues where race doesn’t belong.

That said, you are absolutely right.

When Mora first started I was excited. His attitude reminded me of a certain young, innovative coach of a rival down in Florida who had just won it all. In three years he and his staff have managed to completely alienate me as a fan.

My first issue is the total misuse of Mike Vick. His athletic ability works wonders in a conventional offense when the pass pro breaks down. How many times (think playoffs in Wisconsin) did Vick drop back, go through his reads, then take off and make magic under Reeves? These designed QB runs are borderline worthless.

My second issue is the obvious lack of accountability. On other teams players get pulled off the field after bonehead plays (i.e. personal fouls). On this team you might hurt someone’s feelings so you don’t pull them. And BTW, who trades for a player then makes it clear that he has NO CHANCE to compete for a starting job? Even if that was your intention wouldn’t it serve you better to let your incumbent feel the pressure of competition?

Lastly, I am sick of watching other teams play solid, aggressive football while we play not to lose. Donatell is absolutely horrible. People blame Hall (somewhat justifiably) for the Owens big play. I would submit that any great receiver would make that play on any corner not named Deion when given a perfectly clean release.

Notice I didn’t even get into the ridiculous PR gaffes. Y’know, now that I think about it, Chucky is getting a pretty raw deal down in Tampa. McKay brought him to Tampa. Thoughts anyone?

By Sir Stealth

December 17, 2006 08:14 PM | Link to this

I would prefer that the Falcons coaching staff be gone next season. However, now is not the time to count the home team out. Underwhelming or not, they still have a great chance to get into the playoffs (no matter how much Terence wants to write them off). That means we should still be cheering for the team to keep fighting, because if they get, all bets are off. Saturday night’s game was not a disaster by any means. The Falcons looked real good at times and ultimately lost to a good team. Let’s concentrate on thumping Carolina and hopefully set up a showdown with the Eagles in Philly, where the third time up should surely be the charm.

By Sam

December 17, 2006 08:14 PM | Link to this

First time I’ve ever agreed with you, Terence. Mora acts like his medication isn’t quite right.

By G'Vegas Dawg

December 17, 2006 08:16 PM | Link to this

I will hardly EVER agree with Terrance Moore, but, in this case this column is right on time. Jim Mora-on has completly lost his mind. Mike Vick showed his true colors as a player/QB/Man by siting out the last series with his infamous “groin pull”. I wander if it is really a groin pull or a herpes inflamation. Anyway, right now is the time to start over. Get rid of Mora-on, Knapp, and Donatell. While we’re at it trade Vick and his herpes while we can still get something for him. Build the franchise around Matt Schaub, who is the best QB the falcons have.

By Tired of This

December 17, 2006 08:18 PM | Link to this

Excellent post Najeh Davenpoop. I agree with everything thing you said. I must add that “discipline” should be a top priority. We don’t need any buddy, buddy players coaches. Did you see what Parcells did to that kick returner who almost fumbled? He chewed his @#! out. I think that Falcons have talent but they lack discipline, especially in crunch time. One thing about Dan Reeves, he coached the greatest come from behind QB of our time, John Elway. Vick looked like he would take that mantle away from Elway under Reeves’ era. However, if you’ve noticed, Vick is just not able to the same under Mora/Knapp.

By Don Johnson

December 17, 2006 08:18 PM | Link to this

AS a former sportswriter in Philadelphia when Jim Mora, Sr. was starting his head coaching career with the Philadelphia USFL Stars (appearances in all three USFL title games and wins in the last two), I watched “Prince Valiant” (as he was known then) play high school football in Southern New Jersey and then matriculate to the University of Washington. He is the same smug guy now as he was then: an average talent who parlayed family connections into a D-1 scholarship and then onto and pro staff. The betting line is that after his brief; albeit noisy, career is over in Atlanta, he wil have a difficult time findind a job, even aa an assistant in the recycled losers club better known as “NFL assiatant coaches.”

By G'Vegas Dawg

December 17, 2006 08:19 PM | Link to this

In my humble opinion, Rich McKay is useless in ATL. He is a GREAT GM when he is given any power. Everyone knows he is Blank’s puppet and has no decision making power.

By Ronny

December 17, 2006 08:22 PM | Link to this

Despite the racist comments on all of these blogs— Mike Vick is the least of the Falcons’ problems. Give him a bigger, more PROTECTIVE offensive line, please. Secondly, this coaching staff is all wrong. Jimmy is just like his dad, a big mouth who’s a mediocre head coach, at best. They’re outta here, but probably not before their last game. So where do we go from here? First of all folks, Jimmy Johnson wouldn’t touch this Atlanta mess with a ten-foot pole. And Arthur badly botched his initial hiring process— overlooking the gem that’s Lovie Smith. So let’s go to the possibilities for head coach now. Charlie Weiss would have to be the first choice. But it’s doubtful he would or could leave Notre Dame this soon, or would even be interested in the Falcons job. How about two other college head coaches with pro experience? Both Ralph Friedgen, an offensive genius, and George O’Leary, a top defensive mind, have strong Atlanta ties, and would probably be largely embraced by most Falcons fans. Granted, George (Central Florida) had his problems with his Notre Dame resume, but has paid for it ten-fold. Ralph has been a huge (no pun intended) boost for the Maryland program. Both coached under Bobby Ross at Tech, and followed him to the San Diego Chargers. They went to the Super Bowl. They’re buddies last I heard, so probably wouldn’t have problems with either as head coach. One as assistant head coach. Co-head coaches or whatever. Both are hard-nosed, intelligent no-nonsense head coaches, who could take what’s here ( whatever they’d want to keep) and build upon it. I think Arthur should look at both of these outstanding men and coaches,as he moves to set a foundation for the NEW FALCONS!

By Ol' dead bird

December 17, 2006 08:22 PM | Link to this

Michael Flick is an inconsistent thug and part idiot. Yes, we realize he has tremendous athletic ability and can make impressive plays occassionally (for almost 2 quarters last night). However, he will NEVER win the big game. When an OC has to take the screen pass out his reportoire because his NFL QB doesn’t have enough touch to trust him to, something is wrong…he is a coach killer and we should be glad because we have a slew of them that need to be taken out on a long, dark, boat ride…

By The Grinch

December 17, 2006 08:27 PM | Link to this

Najeh Davenpoop: 7:58 and 8:07 posts are right on the money.

By Don Johnson

December 17, 2006 08:30 PM | Link to this

As a retired former sportswriter in Philadelphia, I covered Jim Mora, Sr. as he embarked on his head coaching career with the Philadelphia Stars. (appearances in all three league title games with wins in th e last two) I watched his son Jim, Jr. - “Prince Valiant” as he was known then - parlay a non-descript high school football career in Southern New Jewrsey into a D-1 scholarship at the University of Washington. Gee, I wonder how that happened; better still, how did this guy wind up on an NFL staff in San Francisco; let alone with the head job inn Atlanta? He is the same guy now as he was then: a cocky, smug individualist who banked unbelievable family connections into tremendous opportunities. After his brief; albeiot noisy, NFL head cvoaching career ends in two weeks, the smart money has Junior finding a hard time hooking on with another pro staff, even in the recycled losers club known as NFL assistant coaches.

By Josh(but you can call me Bubba)

December 17, 2006 08:31 PM | Link to this

The comment about screens is foolish. The Falcons have a tough time running screens because there are always spies laying back watching Vick. Since you never know which player is spying before the snap it is risky to call a screen for fear of interception.

By Dawgs2006

December 17, 2006 08:32 PM | Link to this

I used to think Arthur Blank was our savior. He came in and waved his hand and everything jumped.

Now, I have lost all respect for the man. I feel ripped off for the Two thousand dollars I have spent the past two season for tickets.

I waited for my name to be called on the wait list, feeling it ws a good investment for spending time with my kids and introducing them to a football tradition(Outside of Athens).

Next year, we will not renew our tickets. The kids can grow up on the college tradition and the Falcons can be enjoyed from afar. It is not worth the money or the 80 mile drive into Atlanta to watch that garbage.

If Arthur Blank was man enough to fire the best coach the Falcons have ever had before the season was out, why not fire Mora?

We have to sit through anopther coaching change, while a new staff instills a new offense for Vick.

Blank has ruined Vick. He should have left well enough alone with Reeves. Should have given Reeves another full season with a healthy Vick.

As for next year, I really do not care anymore. Probally another 7-9 or 8-8. I will never get my hopes up again with this sorry franchise.

By Reverend Run

December 17, 2006 08:37 PM | Link to this

i am going to bore you ol’ dead bird with a repost of statistical crap:

if your QB did this, would you want to get rid of him?:

2002: 344 completions; 534 attempts; 3713 total yards; 24 touchdowns; 12 turnovers; 64% effective completion percentage; 8-6-1; playoff win at lambeau

2004: 301 completions; 441 attempts; 3215 total yards; 17 touchdowns; 12 turnovers; 68% effective completion percentage; 11-4; playoff victory; berth in NFC conference championship game

2005: 316 attempts; 489 attempts; 3009 total yards; 21 touchdowns; 15 turnovers; 65% completion %; 8-7

2006: (projected over 16 games) 346 completions; 537 attempts; 3742 yards; 24 touchdowns; 15 turnovers; 64% effective completion %; 7-7; playoff bound still to be determined

career average gor every 16 games: 353 completions; 546 attempts; 3723 total yards; 22.4 touchdowns; 14.5 turnovers; 65% effective completion %; 38-26-1; 2-2 in the playoffs; average record of 9-7 every year for a franchise which has never had any success

Well, those are mike vick’s true records. you all are too simple minded to analyze it that way. instead of realizing that you have a unique QB who you have to quantify his “effective production” in a manner different than you have to quantify other QBs, you all are lazy and insist on being reliant upon the traditional numbers.

if you look at the effective production for all the QBs from today and from the past, you would realize that his effective production is right up there with everyone else.

If you do not understand that, then understand this: mike vick is essentially throwing screen passes to himself when he runs, thus this should be included in his effective rate of production. look at brees: he looks for horn, colston, but then dumps, and dumps and dumps again to bush, deuce, and LT for his whole career. young and montana did the same thing: they looked for rice and taylor and then dumped and dumped and dumped to brent jones, ricky watters, william floyd, and roger craig. vick is just doing the same thing: he looks for alge, looks for a receiver, and then dumps to himself because who else on the team is going to average 8 yards on a screen or dump pass other than vick.

but whatever. i am wasting my breath. if you hate vick, you hate vick. nothing i say or show you is going to make a darn bit of difference with your hating hearts. vick ain’t perfect. he is far from it. he also ain’t an all time great or HOF yet either. BUT if takes the next step during the next 8 or so years like most QBs do between 27 years old and 35 years old, then he may yet go down as the one of the all time greats. If not, oh well. his current effective rate of production is good enough for me.

He may never end up being Michael Jordan but as a long suffering Falcons fan, I sure as hell will settle for the modern day football version of Nique and the 80s Hawks. Why won’t you?

BUT maybe you all want to go back to those Jeff George years, huh?

BTW, George’s average effective production per 16 games was 297 completions; 497 attempts; 3357 yards; 19 touchdown; 15 turnovers; 60% completion percentage; 6.75 yards per attempts.

Again, Vick’ effective production per 16 games is this: 353 completion; 546 attempts; 3723 yards; 22 touchdowns; 15 turnovers; 65% rate; 6.82 yards per attempt

Elway per 16: 335 cmps; 549 atts; 3753 yards; 23 tds; 15 turnovers; 61%; 6.84 yards per attempt

Brees per 16: 358 cmps; 546 atts; 3728 yards; 24 tds; 14 turnovers; 66%; 6.83 yards per attempt

McNabb per 16: 361 cmps; 570 atts; 3816 yards; 27 tds; 11 turnovers; 63%; 6.69 yards per attempt

aikman per 16: 313 cmps; 489 atts; 3293 yards; 17 tds; 14 turnovers; 64%; 6.74 yards per attempt

kordell stewart per 16: 316 cmps; 491 atts; 2968 yards; 19 tds; 14 turnovers; 64%; 6.04 yards per attempt

randall cunningham per 16: 309 cmps; 488 atts; 3365 yards; 23 tds; 13 turnovers; 63%; 6.89 yards per attempt

aaron brooks per 16: 353 cmps; 576 atts; 3790 yards; 24 tds; 16 turnoversl 61%; 6.58 yards per attempt

steve mcnair per 16: 331 cmps; 508 atts; 3435 yards; 21 tds; 11 turnovers; 65%; 6.77 yards per attempt

vince young per 16: 347 cmps; 568 atts; 3459 yards; 24 tds; 21 turnovers; 61%; 6.09 yards per attempt

tom brady per 16: 355 cmps; 551 atts; 3680 yards; 25 tds; 13 turnovers; 64%; 6.67 yard per attempt

peyton manning per 16: 377 cmps; 574 atts; 4255 yards; 32 tds, 16 turnovers; 66%; 7.42 yards per attempt

marino per 16: 348 cmps; 572 atts; 4063 yards; 28 tds; 17 turnovers; 61 %; 7.10 yards per attempt

montana per 16: 322 cmps; 487 atts; 3519 yards; 24 tds; 12 turnovers; 66%; 7.22 yards per attempt

steve young per 16: 321 cmps; 461 atts; 3537 yards; 26 tds; 10 turnovers; 70%; 7.67 yards per attempt

favre per 16: 368 cmps; 579 atts; 3935 yards; 29 tds; 18 turnovers; 64%; 6..79 yards per attempt

namath per 16: 224 cmps; 438 atts; 3177 yards; 21 tds; 25 turnovers; 51%; 7.25 yards per attempt

bradshaw per 16: 235 cmps; 414 atts; 2881 yards; 23 tds; 20 turnovers; 57%; 6.96 yards per attempt

fouts per 16: 311 cmps; 515 atts; 3847 yards; 24 tds; 21 turnovers; 60%; 7.47 yards per attempt

phil simms: 285 cmps; 487 atts; 3387 yards; 20 tds; 15 turnovers; 59%; 6.95 yards per attempt

bulger: 389 cmps; 589 atts; 4395 yards; 28 tds; 17 turnovers; 66%; 7.46 yards per attempts

big ben per 16: 298 cmps; 448 atts; 3456 yards; 23 tds; 18 turnovers; 67%; 7.72 yards per attempt

carr: 321 cmps; 496 atts; 3122 yards; 14 tds; 14 turnovers; 65%; 6.29 yards per attempt

delhomme: 322 cmps; 523 atts; 3609 yards; 25 tds; 17 turnovers; 62%; 6.90 yards per attempt

carson palmer: 362 cmps; 544 atts; 3902 yards; 29 tds; 16 turnoversl 67%; 7.17 yards per attempt

do what you want with all of that. i think that a true look at the effective production reveals that vick ain’t the greatest and he ain’t the worst. it also reveals that he is better than the mediocre label some of you like to pin on him. because if he is average, then i guess so was john elway just from a statistical standpoint. and if you think elway was only average, then i am going to have a serious problem with you.

for those of you who like to be lazy and compare vick to his cousin and to kordell, take a good look at the effective production stats: the yards per attempt clearly reveals that vick is far better than aaron brooks and that he is light years better and more effective than kordell. but keep pretending not to be racist when you make that comparison if that is what you lazy simpletons want to do. or you can bring out a calculator or an excel spreadsheet and figure out if the stats truly back up your silly opinions

YOU ALL KEEP HATING ON VICK IF YOU WANT TO. THE MAN IS 38-26-1 DURING HIS CAREER, A 59% WINNING PERCENTAGE. HE WAS ACTUALLY 22-11-1 WITH A 66% WINNING PERCENTAGE BEFORE THE INEPT BUFFOONS MORA, MCKAY, AND BLANK RUINED A GOOD THING. ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY ARE 9-20 IN THE GAMES HE HAS NOT STARTED SINCE HE WAS DRAFTED. COMPARE THE LIFETIME RECORD OF VICK TO SOME RECORDS OF THE FOLLOWING CURRENT AND FORMER PROMINENT NFL COACHES:

JOHN MADDEN== 103-32-7-0.750 %

LOMBARDI==96-34-6-0.728

GEORGE ALLEN==116-47-5- .705

SHULA==328-156-6-0.676

HALAS=====315-148-31-0.669

JIM LEE HOWELL==53-27-4-0.655

JOE GIBBS 140-76-0-0.648

SEIFERT 114-62-0-0.648

DUNGY 102-58-0-0.638

COWHER 141-82-1-0.632

SWITZER 40-24-0-0.625

ANDY REID 70-42-0-0.625

LAMBEAU 227-133-22-0.623

SHANAHAN 122-74-0- 0.622

PAUL BROWN 166-100-6-0.621

BUD GRANT 158-96-5-0.620

HOLMGREN 138 86 0 0.616

BILL WALSH 92 59 1 0.609

LANDRY 250 162 6 0.605

MARTY 186 124 1 0.600

STEVE OWEN 151 100 7 0.599

MIKE SHERMAN 57 39 0 0.594

MIKE MARTZ 57 39 0 0.594

MV7 38 26 1 0.592

BOBBY ROSS 74 63 0 0.540

AL DAVIS 23 16 1 0.588

ART SHELL 54 38 0 0.587

GREASY NEALE 73 51 7 0.584

BUDDY PARKER 110 81 9 0.573

CORYELL 111 83 1 0.572

HANK STRAM 131 97 10 0.571

GRUDEN 73 55 0 0.570

PARCELLS 163 123 1 0.570

CHUCK NOLL 193 148 1 0.566

DENNIS GREEN 108 83 0 0.565

MORA, JR 26 20 0 0.565

CHAN GAILEY 18 14 0 0.563

JOHN FOX 36 28 0 0.563

BELICHICK 99 77 0 0.563

MARV LEVY 143 112 0 0.561

DITKA 121 95 0 0.560

CHUCK KNOX 186 147 1 0.558

JIMMY JOHNSON 80 64 0 0.556

BILLICK 62 50 0 0.554

WADE PHILLIPS 48 39 0 0.552

RAY BERRY 48 39 0 0.552

SID GILLMAN 122 99 7 0.550

DELRIO 26 22 0 0.542

FAIRBANKS 46 39 0 0.541

JIM MORA, SR. 125 106 0 0.541

REEVES 190 165 2 0.535

JEFF FISHER 97 85 0 0.533

COUGHLIN 85 75 0 0.531

JACK PARDEE 87 77 0 0.530

JOHN ROBINSON 75 68 0 0.524

VERMEIL 120 109 0 0.524

FASSEL 58 53 1 0.522

MARIUCCI 72 67 0 0.518

BUM PHILLIPS 82 77 0 0.516

WEEB EWBANK 130 129 7 0.502

BUDDY RYAN 55 55 1 0.500

WAYNE FONTES 66 67 0 0.496

DAN DEVINE 25 27 4 0.482

GLANVILLE 60 67 0 0.472

HASLETT 45 51 0 0.469

CALLAHAN 15 17 0 0.469

HERMAN EDWARDS 29 35 0 0.453

SAM WYCHE 84 107 0 0.440

DENNIS ERICKSON 40 56 0 0.417

BUTCH DAVIS 24 35 0 0.407

GENE STALLINGS 23 34 1 0.405

JUNE JONES 22 36 0 58 0.379

STEVE SPURRIER 12 20 0 0.375

HENNING 38 73 1 0.344

JOHN MCKAY 44 88 1 133 0.335

LOU HOLTZ 3 11 0 14 0.214

COMPARE WHAT THEIR AVERAGE RECORDS ARE FOR EVERY 16 GAME SEASON:

JOHN MADDEN 12.0 4.0

LOMBARDI 11.6 4.4

GEORGE ALLEN 11.3 4.7

SHULA 10.8 5.2

HALAS 10.7 5.3

JIM LEE HOWELL 10.5 5.5

JOE GIBBS 10.4 5.6

SEIFERT 10.4 5.6

DUNGY 10.2 5.8

COWHER 10.1 5.9

SWITZER 10.0 6.0

ANDY REID 10.0 6.0

LAMBEAU 10.0 6.0

SHANAHAN 10.0 6.0

PAUL BROWN 9.9 6.1

BUD GRANT 9.9 6.1

HOLMGREN 9.9 6.1

BILL WALSH 9.7 6.3

LANDRY 9.7 6.3

MARTY 9.6 6.4

STEVE OWEN 9.6 6.4

MIKE SHERMAN 9.5 6.5

MIKE MARTZ 9.5 6.5

MV7 9.5 6.5

BOBBY ROSS 9.5 6.5

AL DAVIS 9.4 6.6

ART SHELL 9.4 6.6

GREASY NEALE 9.3 6.7

BUDDY PARKER 9.2 6.8

CORYELL 9.1 6.9

HANK STRAM 9.1 6.9

GRUDEN 9.1 6.9

PARCELLS 9.1 6.9

CHUCK NOLL 9.1 6.9

DENNIS GREEN 9.0 7.0

MORA, JR 9.0 7.0

CHAN GAILEY 9.0 7.0

JOHN FOX 9.0 7.0

BELICHICK 9.0 7.0

MARV LEVY 9.0 7.0

DITKA 9.0 7.0

CHUCK KNOX 8.9 7.1

JIMMY JOHNSON 8.9 7.1

BILLICK 8.9 7.1

WADE PHILLIPS 8.8 7.2

RAY BERRY 8.8 7.2

SID GILLMAN 8.8 7.2

DELRIO 8.7 7.3

FAIRBANKS 8.7 7.3

JIM MORA, SR. 8.7 7.3

REEVES 8.6 7.4

JEFF FISHER 8.5 7.5

COUGHLIN 8.5 7.5

JACK PARDEE 8.5 7.5

JOHN ROBINSON 8.4 7.6

VERMEIL 8.4 7.6

FASSEL 8.4 7.6

MARIUCCI 8.3 7.7

BUM PHILLIPS 8.3 7.7

WEEB EWBANK 8.0 8.0

BUDDY RYAN 8.0 8.0

WAYNE FONTES 7.9 8.1

DAN DEVINE 7.7 8.3

GLANVILLE 7.6 8.4

HASLETT 7.5 8.5

CALLAHAN 7.5 8.5

HERMAN EDWARDS 7.3 8.8

SAM WYCHE 7.0 9.0

DENNIS ERICKSON 6.7 9.3

BUTCH DAVIS 6.5 9.5

GENE STALLINGS 6.5 9.5

JUNE JONES 6.1 9.9

STEVE SPURRIER 6.0 10.0

HENNING 5.5 10.5

JOHN MCKAY 5.4 10.6

LOU HOLTZ 3.4 12.6

HMMMMMMMMMMMM……

UMMMMMMMMMMM….. MIKE VICK AIN’T SO BAD AFTER ALL IS HE NOW.

APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GOT FOLKS BECAUSE YOU JUST MAY LOSE HIM SOMEDAY JUST LIKE YOU ONCE LOST NIQUE.

THE HAWKS AND THE ATL WERE NEVER THE SAME AGAIN AFTER NIQUE’S DEPARTURE AND THE SAME WILL BE TRUE IF YOU ALL PUSH MV7 OUT OF TOWN ANYTIME SOON.

VERY INTERESTING TO SEE RICHIE’S DADDY JOHN MCKAY HAD A VERY TERRIBLE RECORD. LOOKS LIKE DADDY’S BOY RICH MCKAY IS HELLBENT ON DRAGGING OUR FALCONS DOWN TO THE STANDARDS SET IN THE NFL BY HIS DADDY. HIS DADDY WAS A GREAT COLLEGE COACH BUT NOT SO MUCH IN THE NFL, EXPANSION TEAM OR OTHERWISE. MAYBE THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE A BUNCH OF PAC-10 GREATS HERE WITH THE FALCONS. WE NEED TO SEND MCKAY TO BE THE AD FOR USC AND KEEP HIS FAMILY LEGACY OVER THERE, SEND KNAPP TO STANFORD, AND MORA TO HIS BELOVED WASHINGTON.

MAN, I AM TURNING MYSELF INTO A BIG PAC 10 FAN. IMAGINE IF USC, STANFORD, AND WASHINGTON DECIDED TO SOLVE ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS FOR KING ARTHUR BY “STEALING” AWAY THE INEPT MORA, MCKAY, AND KNAPP.

I CAN ONLY HOPE AND PRAY……

SANTA, ARE YOU LISTENING…….

SEND THESE MORONS OUT TO THE PAC-10 FOR ME

the falcons all time record is 250-364-6. the falcons have an all time winning percentage of .408. Their average record over a 16 game season is 6.5 wins and 9.5 losses

9-20 without vick starting since he was drafted in 2001. 38-26-1 with vick starting since he was drafted in 2001.

3-12 when he does not start since 2002. 37-25-1 since 2002 when vick starts.

2-10 in 2003 without Vick. 3-1 with Vick in 2003.

6-8 with chandler in 2001. 9-7-1 with vick over his next 17 starts over 2001 and 2002.

yes, they are 15-14 with vick over his last 29 starts. but what the hell are they without vick? they would be at best 12-17 if they had a decent QB like Chandler but based upon track record that 3-12 with subpar QBs multiplied by 2 would be 6-24 over the last 30 games. There is no promise that Schaub will ever be as good as Chandler or anywhere near as bad as Kittner and Doug Johnson. But, bottomline, their win totals over the last 29 games would be somewhere between 5 wins and 12 wins without vick and schaub starting. the track record of the team’s success without vick makes it clear what the difference is in the win totals with him out there.

So, yes, the results have been disappointing over the last 30 games. BUT what would the results be if Vick was not the starting QB. the record so far with and without record clearly tells you what the results would be.

this team was in the conference championship game 2 years ago with the guys reeves handed off to the inept crew of Blank, McKay and Mora. They have all tinkered and tinkered and tinkered and screwed the team up. the supporting cast surrounding the stars reeves handed these McKay, Blank, and Mora clowns have failed not only Vick but Dunn, Crump, Griffith, Finneran, Kerney, and Brooking. I do not only look at Vick. All of these other core Reeves guys showed me that they can win too. BUT even all of these other guys lost an awful lot during all of those games I mentioned where Vick was not in there playing.

Hell, vick went 3-1 with the bumbling fool Wade Phillips as his coach. Now, that is monumental and very telling about just how very inept Mora, Blank, Knapp, Donatell and McKay truly are as a collective dunce crew.

Vick’s record with a team that was a combined 3-11 without him during 2002, 2003, 2004 was 22-11-1 with him during that same time period. That is all I need to know about the difference Vick makes on a ball field and for this team. If he has only gone 15-14 over the last 29, that just tells me that they would have been 5-24 without him.

BUt keep attacking Vick. Keep being lazy like that. keep picking on convenient targets. do not ever use your mind. Or you can for once start applying some real analysis to your posts instead of your typical I hate Mike Vick nonsense

By Edward

December 17, 2006 08:39 PM | Link to this

Who do we hire? A Offensive Guru or a Defensive Guru? Do we bring someone from college(Bobby Petrino) or do we get a coordinator off a NFL staff (Ken Wisenhunt, Ron Rivera)? I know one thing…I don’t trust Mckay with choosing a coach for us…or players…

By Ahman Gangrene

December 17, 2006 08:47 PM | Link to this

I agree with most of what my former teammate, Najeh Davenpoop said above.

By Dawgs2006

December 17, 2006 08:48 PM | Link to this

FYI, Nobody reads long post!

Just get to the damn point.

By dean

December 17, 2006 08:56 PM | Link to this

I think that anyone that claims vick is a great quarterback or a bad one is wrong. vick is an average qb. until vick can learn to come from behind in the 4th quarter he can not be considered a great qb.

By billy g

December 17, 2006 08:57 PM | Link to this

Jr. did not have the qualifications to be hired as Head Coach of the Falcons. Mr Blank fell in love with him and that was that.

Jr still does not have the qualifications to be a NFL Head Coach. He adds nearly nothing to this team. He is supposed to be a defensive guy, yet his defense consistently underwhelms. Does he add anything to this offense? Don’t bother, I already know the answer.

By Jerry

December 17, 2006 09:09 PM | Link to this

Launch Mora!

What planet does this guy come from thinking that he’s qualified for one of top slots in the PAC10 ??

By Covington,Ga

December 17, 2006 09:16 PM | Link to this

Like father like son….Mora is a idiot..we should have never hired this dude…from the statements that his father to him wanting another job during the season…These guys are a bunch of thugs…let get rid of them

By DB

December 17, 2006 09:16 PM | Link to this

From day one, Jim Mora, Jr. and his new coaching staff were a major part of the Falcons problems. There have been major flaws in our offense, defense, special teams, play calling, red zone, receiving core, defensive line, offensive line, secondary, kicking game, etc. During Mora’s 1st winning seasons (the team and winning record he inherited from Dan Reeves) there were major problems, last year’s 8-8- season there were major problems, pre-season there were major problems and each week there have been major and different problems.

Rich McKay did a great job of finding key talent (at least the players were before they put on our Black and Red and started spending time with Mora and his coaches) and Arthur Blank is a superb owner (unless he and Rich doesn’t address the root problems of our very talented and grossly under-performing team). There has to be a reason why our initial players and the new upgraded group of players that Rich McKay brought in were extremely successful prior to joining the Falcons and not now. There is no reason we should have so many problems with the team considering with have Mike Vick, the X Factor, and probably more pro bowl players than any other team in the NFC, if not the NFL. I have always been skeptical about Mora, his rah-rah, and his coaches’ sometime excuses of injuries because injuries are a part of football and many of the Falcons problems were prevalent when the team was healthy (remember the 1st New Orleans game in which Jerious Norwood only played one play in a loosing effort, don’t forget about New York, or better don’t forget about Cleveland and Detroit). Yes, we all know that the receivers haven’t been catching the ball consistently, but the Falcons problems are many and it is deeper than the receivers.

Mora’s radio interview, record, and disrespect for the team gave Arthur and Rich another reason to make a change and they should, because Mora will never be able to lead the Falcons to compete for or win a Superbowl. I always thought that winning a championship is a professional team’s goal, or at least Arthur’s goal. I am hard pressed to believe the Falcons can do it with Mora at the helm!

When Mora leaves or asked to leave and takes his West Coast offense back to the West Coast, Arthur and Rich can hire a competent emotionally mature head coach. Hopefully, the new coach will hire a great coaching staff, work with Rich to improve the secondary and hire numerous offensive linemen from Nebraska. Hopefully, the new coach will also understand the difference from having a great practice versus practicing the right things.

In closing, we love the Falcons and its organization, but they are too talented to not have a highly talented effective and successful coach. Mora has sealed his faith and it is now time for the Falcons to move forward in a positive way. Hire a coach that can help build a winning franchise (Lovie Smith type vs. well, you know the, Jr.). Mora good luck in the NCAA!

By Bird-dog

December 17, 2006 09:18 PM | Link to this

Dear Rev. Run, Are you aware of the fact that Mr. Flick (you’re all everything) is not paid an average salary…so don’t compare him to all the average QB’s from present or past. Not to mention, he is a thug (he has no class and very little heart). You want to address that one in a brief, readable post? He is a thug…he will NEVER win the big one. Additionally, how in the world can you predict how many games we would have won if Matt S. had been taking the snaps? Come on, dude - Matt S. is now more ready than Flick is to be an NFL QB - nothing racial or personal about it…

By moBEbetter

December 17, 2006 09:19 PM | Link to this

I thinks we need a black coach, what do you thinks, T.Moore?

By domeOFpain

December 17, 2006 09:19 PM | Link to this

I have never commented on one of your columns, mostly because I disagree with them; so why bother. However, I agree, when I saw MV7 at tailback I was p**. Mora and his coaches are in over their head. Its time for him -Jim Mora - to go.

By I am the decider

December 17, 2006 09:22 PM | Link to this

I agree 100%. Mora and the rest of the staff has to go. Sniffing inhalers on the sideline, not being able to conduct himself professionally, but most of all, and as other have pointed out, just wanting to be “one of the guys.” I wonder what sort of discipline he dishes out after players are called for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and the like. I had no problem with Vick being in the backfield with Schaub, esp. since Norwood was out, but it did appear to be an act of desperation by a desperate man. I will be surprised is this man is ever a head coach in the NFL again.

By taco slammer

December 17, 2006 09:29 PM | Link to this

Jimmy Jr can borrow a line from his dad and his coaching days. Playoffs? What Playoffs?

By ATLplayer

December 17, 2006 09:33 PM | Link to this

I know Mr. Blank will not see this but, Fire Jim Mora Jr. now!!!! You can not continue to allow this guy to lead your team. He has made it perfectly clear where his head is and it’s not with the Falcons. You gave Dan Reeves a very short leash and fired him during the season. Jr. makes Reeves look like the greatest coach ever! You fired Reeves and he was the only coach ever to lead the Falcons to the SB! Now, I know you will fire him after the season is over, however, I say you can’t wait. Mora Jr. has embarrass us enough.

By dean

December 17, 2006 09:35 PM | Link to this

this headline from the chicago daily says it all vick, anderson set records, cowboys win game.

By BCTROJAN

December 17, 2006 09:47 PM | Link to this

I THINK THAT IF NOT DAN REEVES THEN WE KEEP MORA. TELL ME SOMEONE THAT HAS NOT MADE A MISTAKE OR TWO. WHAT EVERY HAPPEND TO FORGIVENESS. THIS TEAM SEEMS TO BE JUST THAT A TEAM. THESE GUYS ARE LIKE FAMILY, IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO BREAK THAT UP. I SAY BE PATIENT AND GOOD THINGS WILL COME. LETS NOT FORGET THAT WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL KEY INJURIES TO KEY PLAYERS THIS YEAR JUST AS WE DID WHEN VICK BROKE HIS LEG REMEMBER!!!! GIVE THIS TEAM A CHANCE MR BLANK IF THE COACHES WANT TO BE HERE LET THEM BE HERE, WE HAVE A GOOD THING HERE AND SOME OF US JUST DONT REALIZE IT, I GET JUST AS UPSET AS SOME OTHER FANS BUT REMEMBER U DONT WIN THEM ALL LOOK AT CAROLINA, PITTSBURGH, NEWYORK. THIS IS THE SAME MORA THAT EVERYONE WAS PRAISING NOT LONG AGO, THAT GIVES OF HIS TIME AND FINANCES IN THE COMMUNITY. I BET MR BLANK WAS’NT A SUCCESS IN 1, 2, OR EVEN THREE YEARS, IT TOOK TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SO LET EVERYTHING JUST FALL IN PLACE. LET THE MAN WORK OUT HIS CONTRACT!!!!

By Reverend Run

December 17, 2006 09:50 PM | Link to this

bird-dog - i do believe the QBs mentioned above were not average QBs. there are alot of HOFers up there and a bunch of Pro Bowler up there and a bunch of people racists like you love to compare him to. the coaches are all HOFers or prominent names.

i also find this very interesting: do you refute any of the things i posted? no! not at all! i hit you with facts and you hit me with mike vick is a thug. what a response! the reason the post was so long was to prove my point which you so amply proved with your retarded response. Thank you for that BTW. The point is this: no matter how much truth you are hit with, you can not help but have a hateful heart. The post was long on purpose. I was trying to bait the likes of yourself. Thanks for being so stupid to take the bait.

Mike Vick is far from a thug. What thuggish thing has he ever done? Your dearly beloved Schaubie is actually the one who has been arrested for a bar room brawl he took part in as a rookie during the middle of the season. Do I call Schaub a thug? No! i live in the real world. he was just a stupid young man like the rest of us in our early twenties.

Very little heart, huh? I think that not many, even your fellow racists, would you agree with you on that one.

BUT you also probably say that he can’t pass, can’t read defenses, has no heart, is a thug, is a glorified RB, etc., etc., Well then how is he able to basically not be very different from a statistical stanpoint from the prominent (not average) QBs and coaches named above? open your mind, you dumb little neck. You are embarrasing your race.

What makes you think schaub is any good? You have no reason to think he is. NONE! You have no basis for any opinion about Schaub. None of us do. Not even me. he could be great, good, average, horrible. None of us know. I hope he is good someday. BUT for now I have a QB on my team who has proven, as explained in detail up above, that his franchise is far beter with him starting than without him starting.

Dawgs2006, of course, you did not like a long post either. The facts destroyed your simpleton opinions of Vick. I have seen you post too often over the last 4 months. I know for a fact you are racist. FYI to you, if that was a long post blasting Vick, you would have been eating it up. Ain’t that right there little fella? what an embarrassment to the dawg nation you are? remove the dawgs from your moniker now you little neck

By Ol' Dead Bird

December 17, 2006 09:58 PM | Link to this

BCTROJAN:

Is your last name Mora? Are you sure…

By skydog

December 17, 2006 10:08 PM | Link to this

I agree that putting Vick at RB was dangerous, but if you are going to do it why leak the “plan” days ahead?

Mora`s got to go.

By Allen McWhorter

December 17, 2006 10:10 PM | Link to this

Hey, terrance, this is one great article! This may be the most sensible column you have ever written! I am certainly saying that Mora’s days are numbered after last night’s loss to the Cowboys. I agree one hundred percent with everything you are saying in this column. Mora just isn’t mature enough to be a head coach in the N.F.L. He has obviously proven that! And why in the world would a coach call two pass plays on fourth and 1 when he supposedly has a team with the best running attack in the N.F.L.? I agree totally! Mora will be fired soon! Could be as early as next week! Superb article Moore. You described Mora to a tee!!!

By Ryder

December 17, 2006 10:25 PM | Link to this

All that matters right now is that Atlanta wins out and they make the playoffs, regardless of what Philly does to Dallas next week. The way this season (actually this whole week) has gone no one can predict what’s going to happen. I believe in the Falcon players (only if Vick could play cornerback) it’s the coaching staff I have no faith in.

By Reverend Run

December 17, 2006 10:31 PM | Link to this

one last point for the dear ole reverend:

Vick has had 3 coaches in his career thus far:

Vick winning%: 59.2%, 9.5w; 6.5 losses per 16

Mora, Jr winning%: 56.5%; 9w, 7 losses per 16

Reeves winning%: 53.5%; 8.6wins; 7.4 losses per 16

Wade Phillips winning%: 55.2%; 8.8 wins; 7.2 losses per 16

WOW! Mike Vick is some coach killer, huh? Nope! Looks like he actually makes his coaches better than they historically would be otherwise, don’t it?

I hit you with facts. Too many for most of you. Now hit me back with something better than the good ole racist he’s a dumb, heartless thug. Can you do that?

well, that’s it. i’m done boring y’all for the night. i am sorry that i hate to bore the rest of you while teaching the necks a lesson they will never understand because they are too hateful to open up their minds

By Fan since ' 78

December 17, 2006 10:37 PM | Link to this

Jim Mora has proven himself to display less discretion than his father. This is ridiculous and completely inexcusable!! I applaud Vick’s efforts week in and week out to help this team win. I wouldn’t bring this staff in to coach a high school team. Any reasonably educated footbal fan can see they routinely make horrible defensive adjustments as well as lack effective game planning. Looks like Mora had another decent start to the season, however once they hit the 6th game, unfortunately this team folds, which indicates to me a lack of effective leadership. They have good players on both sides of the ball, so long as they stay healthy and can catch.

Mora must really be “jacked up” and “excited” now that the Falcons are, for all intents and purposes, out of the playoffs. I’ve seen local high school coaches display more tact and leadership than Jr. has. This is just so disappointing.

By Informant

December 17, 2006 10:39 PM | Link to this

Obviously the hiring of Mora looks and smells worse by the day. He is a tempestuous product of privilige.

Lovie Smith has just gone 12-2, secured home field, back-to-back winning seasons, is 10-0 in the conference. While not as slick in front of a camera, he is a man of real maturity and character.

Mora makes Blank look like a fool to the world for giving him an extension. Mora knows Knapp will be fired so he pulls this to force a firing. This way this unprincipled blackguard gets paid his salary for 3 years — sticking it to Blank, the man who would dare fire his best friend. Mora’s behavior is reprehensible.

Next time Blank should look at a man’s accomplishments and not be swayed by big talk or other suspect criteria.

By Dirtie Birdie

December 17, 2006 10:44 PM | Link to this

did anyone else notice marshall faulk being a hypocrite last night? who was more injured that marshall faulk? that man was never on the field during the last 6 years of his career. Do you think the Rams would have been far better over the last 6 years of his career if marshall was actually healthy once in a while and if his team actually knew he was going to be on the field for every minute of every game? it never happened over the last 6 years of his career. SO, Marshall, I am sorry, I am calling B.S. on you, on calling you a conveniently forgetful hypocrite!!!!

By Falcons Correspondent

December 17, 2006 10:47 PM | Link to this

How about the fact that Mr. Vick is 8-15-1 against teams with a winning record at the time he plays them. That is a .354 winning percentage. Vick can beat up on poor teams (except this year – see Detroit and Cleveland box scores) but he can’t compete with the good ones.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/fantasy/corrstory?teamId=15&sportId=1&datePosted=11152006&timePosted=0948

By theedge56

December 17, 2006 10:58 PM | Link to this

Call Norm Chow now dammit! If we want some offense. Find a great defensive mind for DC. And then lets go!

By reverend run

December 17, 2006 11:05 PM | Link to this

now correspondent, that is a helluva stat. (makes me angry). BUT thanks for the link. hard to refute that one.

By DrJay

December 17, 2006 11:13 PM | Link to this

Reverend Run, great post my friend. I would have you know that I am a white, 30-something male and have been a fan since 1979. If you go back and read my post near the top, you will find that I was trying to explain the same thing to people like bird dog. The problem with these idiots is that they are used to playing teams like Vandy, Ga Southern, Western Kentucky, and East Boonfart, going 10-2 in college football and considering themselves the best football team. What these ignorant, uninformed people also do not realize is that this is the NFL and any team can beat the other on a given day. Just look at Carolina and NY Giants. Both of these teams were expected to go to the superbowl this season, but where the heck are they now?? 6-8 and 7-7 respectively.

Bottom line, *GREAT POST Reverend Run. * I have watched every game from start to finish nearly every year since 1979. I am happy to have a franchise player like Michael Vick that is giving this team a chance year after year.

Let’s not also forget that the Falcons receivers have the most drops as a team but less pass attempts than any team in the NFL. These receivers have also dropped 6 TD passes this season.

Let’s see, does anyone have Carolina tickets?!?? I am a Falcons fan for life and am permanently ignoring the idiotic redneck dawg fans like bird dog that know nothing about pro football.

By trikdaddy

December 17, 2006 11:29 PM | Link to this

i loved your post revernd run best of the season i think i am going to print it and hang it up on my job bullention board i am not a racist i may be a little pro black true vick has done some bad things but he is truly the reason why sundays fell like saturdays to this dawg fan go falcons what it is the falcons reflect so much of what atlanta has become the new south that most people dont want to accept including our all-world qb greatest athelete to represent this great state since hershel walker go falcons like my boy pac said keep ya heads up i will be weatching on sundays just like most of your haters

By Caleb King

December 17, 2006 11:31 PM | Link to this

MV has done the franchise and the city well !!! Mora and his crew have tried and have been given thier chance but they are in over thier heads. MV must be moved so the salary can go with him, the team gets some decent drafts picks and/or players, and he has an opportunity to try his hand somewhere else. Change for the sake of change is bad, but in MV’s case it could be very good. I wish him well and thank him for all of the exicitment and wins he brought us. As for Mora and crew - GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK!!!!!

By Buck Man

December 17, 2006 11:34 PM | Link to this

Josh/Bubba: Glad to see you’re such an astute football fan, especially when it comes to the Bucs. McKay didn’t hire Chucky. He offered the job to Marvin Lewis (see Cincinnati Bengals), the owners nixed the deal and went behind his back and negotiated directly with Al Davis.

By Redrum

December 17, 2006 11:40 PM | Link to this

Reverend Run, I’ve got to hand it to you; your posts have been dead-on about Vick and all of the dawg/bird bloggers. I too have noticed that the bigoted dawg/bird bloggers have NOTHING positive to say about Vick, and continue to send nothing but hate blogs. But your FACTS have put those idiots hate blogs to the toilet.

By DrJay

December 17, 2006 11:47 PM | Link to this

Falcons Correspondent:

When Michael Vick has started with the Falcons, their record is 38-26-1. When Vick has not started during this same period, the Falcons are 9-20. This proves that his supporting cast is not up to the task. Whether it be coaches or subpar players, the Falcons would suck without Vick. Now, go back to washing your Dallas Cowboys Emmitt Smith jersey, you bandwagon loser.

By Caleb King

December 17, 2006 11:48 PM | Link to this

Hey drjay and the rest. Do you understand that the NFL is a business? If a company is under performing year in year out you have to make tough choices based on your assets at hand. My point is, MV is the one asset that my have to be sold for the long term health of the corporation. It is long term thinking by management to have tied him up but it my have been at the expense of the other offensive assets of the team. There is no doubt what MV has done here is more positive than negative but it my be the one true change that can make a huge difference long term. If the coaching staff gets blown out (which should happen) where will that put MV then- back to square one…

By MORA SUCKS

December 17, 2006 11:50 PM | Link to this

PLAYOFFS?!?!?!?

By Get Real

December 17, 2006 11:55 PM | Link to this

There were not 20,000 Falkin’ fans wearing Cowboys jerseys at the Dome. Those were DALLAS fans who bought their tickets from Flakin’ season ticket-holders. This doesn’t happen in Pittsburgh, KC, Denver or Green Bay. But, it happens all the time in Charlotte and Atlanta. And, don’t count on getting ken Whisenhunt as HC. He’ll be taking the job at a REAL team when Cowher retires.

By mrworf

December 17, 2006 11:57 PM | Link to this

I appreciate the above article for the point blank honesty it portrays. I’ve always known Falcons fans, for that matter, Atlanta fans, to be like the ostrich who sticks his head in the sand. All you do is offer someone a good shot at your rear end when you do that. If the coaching staff is changed, the Falcons will have another style of coaching to get used to and have another sub-par year. But then again, since its already been 40 years of pain and agony, maybe a few more won’t hurt.

By ATLborn

December 18, 2006 12:10 AM | Link to this

Folks just stop it with this “Dan Reeves” glory days B.S. Our offense was horrible under Reeves. He didn’t play Crumpler until he absolutely had to because he liked big blocking tight ends that couldn’t catch. He would almost always run the ball on 1st and 2nd down, then a pass on 3rd. That 3-4 Defense with Wade Phillips was horrible. And with a healthy Vick, the best record he mustered was 9-6-1.

It’s true Mora is not the answer but all of this pining for Dan Reeves is ridiculous. Makes as much sense as calling the Jerry Glanville regime the good ol days in Falcons history.

We need to bring in a proven head coach or a top assistant coach, that actually has a clue, from a winning franchise. Mora was a puzzling hire in the first place, he hadn’t done anything but put lousy defenses on the field in San Fran, Knapp was a joke there as well, and Donatell had just got run out of Green Bay for being a bum. We have an all reject coaching cast and folks are wondering why we’re not a consistent contender in the league. Blank needs to bring in a new coaching staff, overhaul the O-line with some talent (makes no sense at all for Vick to roll out to his left and be greeted by half the Cowboy’s unblocked defense), sign number 1 & 2 receivers that can create separation from defenders and catch consistently, dump Hartwell and go after a stud middle linebacker, and find a good starting Safety (send Crocker to the bench), Nickel back and start Jimmy Williams at the corner opposite D Hall (and a good back up in case JW doesn’t work out).

Our squad needs a lot of work but I don’t think Blank takes to losing to well so I’m pretty sure he’ll fix this mess and surround our good players like Vick, Crumpler and Dunn with coaches and talent they need to win a Super Bowl.

By Caleb King

December 18, 2006 12:13 AM | Link to this

RE: Coaching changes - Look at the Saints this year. I know Reggie is a difference maker but the new staff and QB are the real difference in thier first year togather. An NFL team can under go wholesale changes and thrive in a very short period of time. DO we move MV for the good of the future or does a move like that come back to bite us in the a* like the Brett Farve deal?

By Mirna from smyrna

December 18, 2006 12:33 AM | Link to this

Get post and link about Vick against times with .500 or better records. I think I agree with those of you who suggest trading him. Maybe get what you can while his stock is still up.

By Steve

December 18, 2006 12:46 AM | Link to this

I am fine with firing Mora, but only if we bring in a DEFENSE first coach. Offensive ‘geniuses’ are a dime a dozen and unless they are willing to give up their schemes and sculpt one to Vick’s abilities then they would be useless as a head coach.

Oh, and T.Moore, you do put your starting QB at RB if it the disparity between your starting QB and backup is less than that of your RB’s to your backup QB. It’s called utilizing your talent in the best way possible. Besides, it was only to keep the Defense guessing .. not like they were going to run Vick off-tackle or something.

That being said, it’s time we let Griffith play tailback every snap in the Red Zone. I love ya Warrick, but you don’t cut the mustard when they stack the LB’s in tight.

By Rutuger

December 18, 2006 12:47 AM | Link to this

If there were 20,000 Dallas fans in the Dome last night, then they were the quietest group of 20,000 people ever assembled in the history of the universe.

The Falcons fans were loud as hell and came out in full force to support a franchise who has gone to great lengths to discourage them from doing so.

By Given up

December 18, 2006 01:01 AM | Link to this

I agree with you about Mora. Blank should never have hired him anyway. I said that at first; then, I thought maybe I would eat my words after the first season………but………Vick is under coached and unprepared. He has too much talent to be put in a square hole. Mora must go!

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 01:04 AM | Link to this

some more data for you:

Vick’s .592 winning percentage ranks fifth behind only Tom Brady (.736), Donovan McNabb (.663), Peyton Manning (.638), and Brett Favre (.611).

By David

December 18, 2006 01:11 AM | Link to this

www.bustedplay.com

Great site for sports blogging.

By David

December 18, 2006 01:12 AM | Link to this

www.bustedplay.com

Great site for sports blogging. Check it out.

By David

December 18, 2006 01:12 AM | Link to this

www.bustedplay.com

Great site for sports blogging.

By David

December 18, 2006 01:15 AM | Link to this

www.bustedplay.com

Great sports blogging site

By Moses

December 18, 2006 01:31 AM | Link to this

Move MV?????? Is this guy for real??????????

You think we lost out on Farve…..We Move MV and we will lose a WHOLE lot more than just FANS!!

By Fan with a brain

December 18, 2006 01:31 AM | Link to this

Reverend Wrong, how can you give Vick total credit if the team loses or wins? It is a team sport you fool, maybe the winning percentage would be higher with another QB, or lower, you can not isolate one player from a team. I guess I will be called a racist because I am not from the VICK IS GOD camp. Maybe all you Vick fans can wave your welfare checks over your heads during the Carolina game as a show of unity!

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 01:59 AM | Link to this

no. fan with a brain. you will not be called a racist because you are not a Vick is God guy. I do not believe Vick is a God either. it is fine to criticize vick. it is more than fine to do that. but you do have to acknowledge his accomplishments and the team’s accomplishments with him as QB.

I WILL HOWEVER CALL YOU AN UNDENIABLE RACIST FOR SAYING THAT ALL OF US VICK FANS WILL WAVE OUR WELFARE CHECKS OVER OUR HEADS AS A SHOW OF UNITY. THAT IS QUITE SIMPLY DISGUSTING! IS JOHN ROCKER YOUR BROTHER? OR ARE YOU RELATED TO COSMO KRAMER OR MEL GIBSON? YOU ARE JUST EMBARRASING YOURSELF. I WILL NOT PIN YOUR STUPIDITY ON THE REST OF THE WHITE RACE —— EVEN GOOD WHITE FOLKS CAN’T STAND NECKS LIKE YOU!

I have never said that you isolate him from the rest of the team. 9-20 as opposed to 38-26-1 is a stark contrast or did you not read that part? 2-10 as opposed to 3-1 in 2003 is quite a difference. 3-12 in 2002, 2003, 2004 combined as opposed to 22-11-1 in 2002, 2004, and 2004 combined is just too ridiculous to ignore. it is hard to deny the huge difference he makes just from a pure stat standpoint and winning standpoint when he is out there.

then compare his winning % to that of his three coaches and you see that his winning % is higher than that of any of his coaches.

oh, i am tired of this. again, i hit you with facts, and you hit me with an allegation that i collect welfare checks. maybe you are not racist. maybe your point is that anyone who is a Vick fan, be they black or white, has to be a poor uneducated ignorant welfare recipient? is that what you are trying to say? well, then that is pretty sad. because poor uneducated ignorant folks have more reason than any to hate. but your argument is that poor white folks can only love vick because they are poor ignorant uneducate fools. so poor uneducated white folks who have every reason to hate the world find it in their heart to love or just merely like or appreciate vick but you can not? what is implied in your statement is that you have $$$$, that you are educated, and that you are not ignorant? Then, the question becomes, why are you still so hateful? if you ain’t poor, and you are educated, and you are not ignorant, and you are still filled with so much hatred, then you are to me a truly scary and very sad individual because you have absolutely no excuse to be filled with such hatred. to have that kind of hatred nevertheless makes you a sociopathic redneck. beware of this fan with a brain, he may be on the verge of going postal with a homicidal/suicidal spree.

How can you call yourself a Fan with a Brain and then fight back with no facts of your own when I hit you with facts?

Never mind. Keep bringing that hateful knife to a gunfight with me, and i will keep blazing away with facts and logic.

By Mirna from smyrna

December 18, 2006 02:08 AM | Link to this

Moses, We lost a great QB when Farve was sent packing. He was a over weight drunken neck hangin in bhead all the time. No one knew the upside including him! He admitted that! He said he didn’t blame ATL for anything. There is so much to be gained by moving MV to the highest bidder and running Mora and possibly making a run at the Super Bowl instead of the 8-8 crap we living with. Use your brain not emotions. We owe MV a lot of thanks but the game is up for him and the city - Trade MV and can Mora NOW !!!!!

By Mirna from smyrna

December 18, 2006 02:19 AM | Link to this

david your sight is fine except you seem to be the only one there. I see you have spit out the same retreaded crap you watched on ESPN. The only sader part is I actully spent 30 seconds of my life looking at that crap.

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 02:26 AM | Link to this

Mirna: Where do you see getting rid of Vick getting you? the all time winning % for the falcons is 40%. is that what you are trying to return to? i just do not understand your logic. Do you understand that if you get rid of vick, the cap hit on the team is going to be crippling? When you keep stating let’s trade Vick at least tell me where the hell that is going to bring us! You seem to be so nonchalant about the impact of getting rid of Favre. I do understand why they got rid of him at the time (sort of). But getting rid of Favre has dramatically altered the fortunes of this team. Getting rid of Vick will do the same. Just as getting rid of Nique did the same for the Hawks. I could understand your point better if you could simply tell me where you are going with all of this trade MV7 nonsense. I do not see where you are going with this or what good will come out of it. Please explain some of your logic to me. You tell us to use your brains and not our heart and emotions but the reality is that your trade MV7 demands despite 38-26-1 sounds like you are being the emotional one because they are only 15-15 over the last 30. Explain your seemingly irrational trade demand logic in a logical manner and maybe we can all understand where you are coming from on this.

By RC

December 18, 2006 05:21 AM | Link to this

for once, I agree with Moore…..Mora should go, he’s as bad as his dad about sticking his foot in his own mouth. Too bad about the Falcons and their defense. D. Hall should get on the same plane Mora gets on. Big time corner? Yeah right…I’m almost 50 and could’ve covered TO about as well……Hey Hall! Quit talking about howe great you are and start playing ball you idiot.

Maybe we need to try Vick at cornerback too?

By drew

December 18, 2006 06:07 AM | Link to this

The dilemma facing Falcons fans is this:

Win their last two and they go to the payoffs, and Mora probably keeps his job.

Lose, miss the playoffs, and Mora (and hopefully his whole bunch) are gone.

In all honesty, which outcome best serves the Falcons’ longterm interests?

Generally, until the Falcons are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, I’m pulling for them. But this year, the best thing for this team, in the long run, is to lose. Face it, this team is going nowhere, even if they do make the playoffs.

If they make the playoffs, and Mora stays, we will be relegated to continued mediocrity. It is obvious that he is not up to the task, and the worse thing that could happen (longterm) to the Falcons would be for him to remain.

So here I am, a longtime Falcon’s fan, pulling for the Panthers next week…

…for the good of the team.

By Jerry L

December 18, 2006 06:38 AM | Link to this

Vick has got to get better in the passing game. His passes are not on time, in the wrong place and thrown like a bullet. Makes the recievers look bad, any reciever. If he ever learns the art of throwing the ball, the rest of the league is in trouble. Go Falcons!

By ShadyGrady

December 18, 2006 06:49 AM | Link to this

“Falcon Fan”,

What are you talking about? Mike Vick has a groin every week? Are you serious? Come on. Pay attention in class before you speak as an ignoramus. Mike Vick is the stud of this franchise. Mora and his giddy band of imbeciles are a circus leaders that need to exit asap.

By WallStBro

December 18, 2006 07:08 AM | Link to this

Terrance Moore, good job, you finally earned your paycheck.

By VDavis

December 18, 2006 07:10 AM | Link to this

Somebody in the ATL please answer these for me: Why do the falcons pass on 3rd and short and elect to run on 2nd and 20? Seems like they should do the opposite.. Why do the DBs play so far off of the receivers basically giving them the 1st down yardage?

By jerry

December 18, 2006 07:14 AM | Link to this

I’m a long-time, die-hard Falcons fan! Blank has done some wonderful thigns in Atlanta, having Vick as his franchise QB is not one of them. Up and down. Inconsistent. Flashes of brilliance and seasons of mediocrity. This is Michael Vick. Sure, he looked great…at times…on Saturday. What’s next? Who knows? Unfortunately, Mora or not, we still have Vick, and we will forever be frustrated with what “might” happen if/when Vick matures into a seasoned NFL QB.

By TaraqraqRaqraq

December 18, 2006 07:25 AM | Link to this

Well Vick had a good year in Fantasy…Mora Blows…Mora Jr…blows twice as much…

Vick isnt the coach killer Mora…its your damn tongue..

Get the hell out of Atown…your DONE

By need two

December 18, 2006 07:28 AM | Link to this

It has been evident for a while that Mora is in over his head. He is immature as a coach and a person. The Seattle fox-pass gives Blank the perfect reason to do what needed to happen anyway.

By Barry

December 18, 2006 07:30 AM | Link to this

Hey Y’all:

This has been on stressful week of keeping up with our Falcons. I mean I had to sit dumbfounded after hearing Mora make such an ungrateful comment about wanting the Washington Huskies job while his team is playing and is still playing for a playoof berth in the NFL. Today, I have to agree with Terrance Moore. I love our local sports team, but Mora did the unexcusable as a coach for a professional football team. It appears his comments were vindictive to some extent agaist someone or something in the Falcon organization that may have ticked him off. Nevertheless, what was done or said, does not mean he takes the whole ship down. His behavior remainds me of a “spoil brat” if that’s the case. Other professional and college teams need to look at his behavior in this matter and be very concerned at having an individual like this running their team. I mean man, we do not know what the impact his commentsmay have had on the Falcon players confidence before the Dallas game, but being real, I know the trust level for the coacj diminished. By how much? I don’t know. I mean this coach made a T.O. comment that is unheard of in coaching at the high school, college, and/or professional level. A day before a very critical game. Arthur Blank had to be in total shock of his comments toward his team as its leader. He gave this ingrateful, young SOB a job as head coach of his men and footbal team and this man, at the expense of the owners money, media time, team, sports attention, stabs the owner, the team, and the Atlanta sports community in the back by making such an insane , silly, childish, stupid, ungodly comment to the national media befor a critical game. This guy must have some type of mental problem and/or obsession for destruction because he truly showing some crazinnes within the Falcons right now. I do not know how he can fix it. This is SERIOUS. He used his so called marketing skills and gift of gabb to get the Falcon job. Now he is using his marketing skills and gift of gab to hurt the Falcon organiztion. All I have to say to any team that attempts to hire this guy “Don’t believe the hype.” that he is talking in that interview. It appears if this man does not get his way, like a spoiled brat, he will make an effort to destroy your organization, tactically,right before a major game. Wil you take that risk. SAVE YOUSELVES THE TIME AND LOOK FOR A MORE MATURE COACH!!!! I lvoe you Mora, but D-MN, this one is too hard to take.

SSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! This is a SECRET among us FALCON fans. Don’t tell nobody,

Ringold

You know I liked

By Dominick

December 18, 2006 07:31 AM | Link to this

First off I would have not gotten rid of coach Reeves, Vick was a much better passer under Reeves eventhough he was younger. That said, the reason we are 7-7 has aa lot to do with injuries. Guys remember we are playing with a Defense without Abraham for much of the year, Kerney, Webster and maybe the most important of all KEVIN MATHIS! That’s right Kevin Mathis! Those are some very good players not to have on D, not to mention Ed. On offense we had soo many drop footballs that could have changed some games, that is all on the WR’s….not Vick……Not Mora……Not Blank.

Bottomline: Keep Mora, the guy is a better coach than Moore gives him credit for.

By Dominick

December 18, 2006 07:42 AM | Link to this

By the way, about Vick playing RB, I don’t know how Moore can say that is bad move based on injury? Vick Runs the ball from the QB posistion anyway, lining him up at RB IS NOT SO DIFFERENT. Now that does not mean giving him the rock 25-30 times a game out of the backfield. The falcons have the luxury of having a talentin Vick and one is Schaub, I say use it….prudently, but use it. Blackwave

By dewan lee

December 18, 2006 07:44 AM | Link to this

1st thing 1st. Mora needs to be gone bye bye. Like his dad said he has a COah Killer. Yep exactly right. Vick went on Radio and said he would leave in the playoff run and take a job that is not available. Mora needs to call Ty Wilingham and offer an apology.
AS far as Matt Schaub please stop telling me how great he is. If he was so greaet then he would have been a 1st round pick. He had his chances to beat out Vick but his record was 0-2 against Vick while playing at UVA. The backup is the backup for a reason and usually when they play for longer than a game or quarter then they show true colors. Shall I bring Doug Johnson in as Exhibit A. Yeah that Doug that you bloggers oh so proudly lobbbied for before Vick went down and then you saw how totally inept he is as a QB. Last I heard he was seen working at Home Depot for Mr. Blank. I am a Redskin fan and we will gladly give you Joe Gibbs and Mark Brunell, Brandon Lloyd, and Adam Archuletta for Mike Vick. I love Jason Campbell but you guys need to understand that Vick is a money maker for that team and he is the reason that all those CowGirls were able to show up to the DOme to watch you all play.

DHall got smoked then to add insult TO spit on him to cool off that fire (HAHAHAHAHAHA).

By Special K

December 18, 2006 07:48 AM | Link to this

Let me guess Terrence, he should be replaced with Dennis Green? Or perhaps Art Shell? Or how about promote one of the many “quota-ed” BLACK assistants? You and your blatant racism sicken me to the core.

By Catherine

December 18, 2006 08:03 AM | Link to this

Everyone talking about Moran if you can remember he came from the 49’ers team. That team beleive in team effort not just one person(that’s why they have 5 superbowl rings not “0” like the Falcons) that’s what he tried to bring to the Falcons. It’s not all about Vick but the owner who pays his salary tried to coach the team within his wallet. It’s not about Vick it’s about team work that’s the only way we can get it done. After he walked off the field Saturday as to say I got mine forget about the rest. Who knows what could have happen in the last few minutes of the game. You know people there is a GOD up there. If the world would only believe.

By B-Rad

December 18, 2006 08:08 AM | Link to this

I heard that it wasn’t actually a groin injury…just his herpes acting up again.

By Knowitall

December 18, 2006 08:10 AM | Link to this

The last two days of blogs have been STUPID. “TRADE VICK”. Remember when Dallas traded WALKER to the Vikings for all those draft choices. That turned the DALLAS franchise around. There are teams that would take the man. He may be a great talent but he will never be a winner in the ATL. It is not time to fire coaches. How to you ever expect to build any consistancy in the program. This franchise needs consistancy and consistacy comes with the coaching staff. Turn over every 3 years will not provide consistancy. The talented Mr. Vick is not a consistant QB and it shows in each and every game that he plays. He will make the great play then 3 bone head plays. “TRADE VICK AND GET ALL THE DRAFT PICKS YOU CAN GET. MAKE #8 YOUR STARTER. IF THIS IS DONE THE BIRDS WILL FLY AND FLY RIGHT TO THE SB.”

By Blankety Blank

December 18, 2006 08:12 AM | Link to this

Blank is the problem. Nothing will improve until he either sells the franchise or has vision from God that football is not retailing. Since he only listens to himself, the latter is our best hope, but don’t hold your breath.

By Russ Brock

December 18, 2006 08:28 AM | Link to this

They finally put Vick where he belongs - running back - Schaub comes in cold and does something Vick does barely half the time - completes a pass, and here you are b***. Vick tweaked his groin at QUARTERBACK, again trying to run because, as usual, he can’t find a wide-open receiver even his all-time fave, Alge Crumpler, standing waving his arms, no Cowboy within 20 yards, Vick tosses to a tightly covered Leleigh to end any hopes of a comeback - even Vick’s for the end of this one game as he wimped out and took himself out of the game and letting the teams best quarterback try to bring them back. Moore will not be satified untl the NFL becomes the AAFL - the African American Football League - no whites allowed.

By R N Atlanta

December 18, 2006 08:30 AM | Link to this

Honestly, both Mora and Vick should go!

I’m a die hard Cincy fan, and I’m ashamed that we dropped a game in October to the lowly birds.

But a loss is a loss, so there you have it…

Meanwhile, tune in to MNF tonight to see what a true “In The Pocket” passer can do [ Carson Palmer ]

And finally, your chance to see the “West Coast / No-Huddle Offense” realized!

Truly Falcons fans, you made the biggest mistake by getting rid of Reeves! And after he took your sorry B’s to the SuperBowl.

You deserve what you’re getting.

My parting advice:

Get a new stadium w/out a roof so these playboys (save for Brooking, Dunn, and Anderson) can get a taste of the real ELEMENT game called American Football.

And A. Blank, stay off the field and in your damn box, or better yet, sign some papers to make real things happen for your team. Take a hint from the Georgia Aquarium, “If you build it, they will come…”

Where you at “85”

Fly “Air Carson”

“In Marvin We Trust”

Who Dey! Who Dey!

• Ron

By Dave

December 18, 2006 08:33 AM | Link to this

“Unprecedented?” You mean like June Jones going to Hawaii as head coach after Jeff George put a skirt on him?

By wash

December 18, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this

I agree that Mora should leave after this season, even though I like him. I also think that Vick should be traded too, because he is a loser.

By Mo

December 18, 2006 08:45 AM | Link to this

Arthur Blank PLEASE give Jimmy Johnson a call and tell him to name his price for 2 yrs only….do the same thing for Norm Chow(sp) and make him your Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Coach. After 2 years make Chow the head coach!!

By CQ

December 18, 2006 08:47 AM | Link to this

The receiver and Vick played very well. The offensive problem had to do with is the offensive line. If Vick had the time to throw in that game he probably would had thrown for 400 yards.

Mora, there is no way you put a $120 million player at running back. Heck, LT will not make $120 million when his contract is up.

I am now on the fire Mora and his whole coaching staff and get Reeves back in here. Mora’s father was a loud mouth and his son is just like him.

Vick is not a coach killer, his son killed himself

By jimmie

December 18, 2006 08:49 AM | Link to this

Moore you forgot something - Shouldn’t the key issue with playing Schaub have been that’s he’s white? And that Vick was moved to tailback for a few plays b/c he’s black.. I mean come on! What happened to the race baiting? Surely there’s some agenda here to conspire about.

Mayhaps David Dukes has a direct line to Jim Mora? I think there’s an expose here to be uncovered. Surely the Klan has something to do with this.

By Darrin "The Vent King"

December 18, 2006 08:49 AM | Link to this

I’ve lost all respect for Mr. “D-Fall”. Never have I seem such animmature child blowing so much hot air. His is the best jersey I never bought. All that “tough guy” talk in the interviews saying he’ll fight anyone, anytime, anywhere is just bull. You are so-ooo bad right? why didn’t you whup T.O.’s a* right there when he spit on you? As far as Mora goes, if he isn’t gone, I am as a season tic holder. The dude is as big of a bi-polar mess as his father and this team does not need his cirucs anymore. Blank should hire someone elsse to make football decisions for him and replace McKay too. It is apparent that this team is softer than ice cream on a hot summer day. Wen need some guys with Marion Barber’s type of mojo,guys who are going to go hard every play every game whether they are having a good game or not. We need a power back to get those seemingly impossible “1 or 2” yards that we can’t seem to get. This team lacks confidence and focus and that is a clear sign of poor leadership. I never wanted to believe Mora would not work out, but it isn’t at all. Time to move on….

Anybody got Jimmie Johnson’s number?

GO FALCONS!!! (and find a REAL coach!)

By Gene

December 18, 2006 08:53 AM | Link to this

There is no doubt that Vick is a remarkable athlete. Under a strong coach, who demands discipline, Vick could develop into one of the all-time greats. I like the above comparison of Mora to Prince Valiant. Mora is an incompetent adolescent, prone to tantrums. The team assumes the personality of the coach. I don’t know what to make of Arthur Blank. He was a tyrant at Home Depot. With the Falcons, he wants to be one of the boys.

By I wish

December 18, 2006 08:55 AM | Link to this

-Indy loses in 1st round & fire Dungy -Tampa fires Gruden and Indy hires Gruden -ATL fires Mora, and then hires Dungy -Tampa hires Mora or the coach from UoW

By sckot

December 18, 2006 09:02 AM | Link to this

Can anyone tell me why the def. coord. won’t call a blitz on third and long? It seemed the Cowboys had a few in Sat. game and I don’t remember any blitzs being called.

By tonio

December 18, 2006 09:11 AM | Link to this

Why are we still making Vick the target of these conversations? Let’s take a look at the other side of the ball. What team in the league has a winning record giving up as many points as the Falcons defense? None of them. Especially when we have a LB who has no clue what he is doing out there(Keith Brooking). That’s who the Falcons need to be getting rid of. He is HORRIBLE!!!

By Darrin "The Vent King"

December 18, 2006 09:11 AM | Link to this

And oh yeah for you Vick-haters:

Vick might as well leave, these folks down here will NEVER think of you as nothing more than a loser. Not because of your play obviously, but because of who you are. It’s enough to make me want to stop living in this town. The guy throws four tochdowns, 250 yards passing, AND runs for almost sixty yards and guess why that still isn’t good enough? It’s obvious the guy could win the Superbowl and certain people will still crab. You want proof this team us terrible without him? What were they doing the season prior to Vick starting? Nothing. What did they do when he broke his leg in ‘03 and they had to play with out him? Nothing. What did they do when he returned the last five games of that season? Won more games then, then in the ELEVEN they played without him that year. This team sucked before he came and after he was out. The ONLY time they have a chance is when he plays. You hear other teams watching film on how to stop Dunn? No. Roddy White? No. Griffith? No. Are they worried about our awesome “D”? No. Our great special teams play? No. Anyone in awe of our coach’s game plan? No. Anybody in particular on defense you need to be wary of ala Urlacher or Merriman? No. The ONLY thing EVERY coach in the league prepares for when facing the Falcons is Vick because they all know, he is the only consistently dangerous weapon we have-period. Nobody else on this squad is of concern to no one. “D-Fall” escorts rcvrs to the endzone. Rossum couldn’t cover a baby with a blanket. Brooking is old. Abe stays hurt. Same for Hartwell. Kerney is gone for the season. The O-line can’t block. Rcvrs for the most part can’t catch. The coach is a moron. The offensive co-ordinator sucks. All these things and they still want to fuss about Vick. Matt Schaub, even though I like him, can NOT possibly make up for all that. Hell I doubt Dan Marino could. Just plain ignorance. The South will never change so do yourself a favor Vick and move to another state where the “hick” level is not so high cause as long as you live here, you will have to keep one eye open for torches outside your window.

Go Falcons!

By jimmie

December 18, 2006 09:12 AM | Link to this

Hey Moore;

Maybe if we work at it we can get Mora charged with the Kennedy assassination.

By Dictator

December 18, 2006 09:15 AM | Link to this

Mora Jr is garbage and so is his entire staff. Having had a young team since he took over, Arthur Blank should have kept Dan Reeves on as coach or hired someone else with just as much HEAD COACHING experience. To hire a coach whom still thinks he is in jersey was not a good move and we are paying with it now with or immature and incosistant play. Just my opinion.

By Call me Earl

December 18, 2006 09:15 AM | Link to this

See ya Mora!

Thanks T.O. for spitting on D.Hall. You burned him all day, he had to be sizzling from the flames.

By Joe

December 18, 2006 09:16 AM | Link to this

Russ Brock, don’t you have a Klan meeting to attend? You pale face peckerwood!! Your mom told me last night that your Dad is probably black(she can’t remember..most hoes can’t) so stop hating on men that look like your pops…lol

By Hal

December 18, 2006 09:23 AM | Link to this

Mora must go and I sgree with Terence Moore, the new coach should be black because he would know how Vick thinks.So, the great black coach who is availabe, is the SUPER COACH of Mississippi State.

By Bubba

December 18, 2006 09:24 AM | Link to this

Tonio, Mike Vick will always be the target of these klansmen. Mike could throw for 300yds, rush for 150, w/ 4 TD’s and no inmterceptions and these Klansmen would still be whining and crying about this black man’s money and skills. They need to watch NASCAR..punks!!

They hide behind blogs and would NEVER have the balls to step to a black man face to face…lol

By Mike Vick

December 18, 2006 09:26 AM | Link to this

Russ Brock,

Come pick up your momma, me and my boys are finish with her, but the Bit#$ will not leave!!

By fred

December 18, 2006 09:27 AM | Link to this

Seeing Vick line up at RB is the Football version of “jumping the shark” in sitcoms. Basically, we’ve given up on beating teams through compentent scheming and have to resort to pure give-in-to-the-lunatic-fringe trickery that is desperate to see Vick at anything but QB.

Remember: Fish rot from the head down. There’s a reason why Arthur was #2 at HD and Bernie ran the show there, and we’re seeing that it had to do with the ability to make the proper decisions. Mora’s no different today then the day he was hired, but its funny how the laughs he got for being a jerk when he was 11-5 turn to being calls for his head when he’s 7-7 and in the midst of a 2nd straight late year swoon.

My only hope is they don’t drag in a re-tread..unless Dungy gets blown out when Indy loses in the playoffs…

What’s Dan Reeves doing these days? Heard he used to be able to coach a little.

By Jack

December 18, 2006 09:31 AM | Link to this

DEAR MR. BLANK FIRST FIRE MORA AND THE ENTIRE COACHING STAFF. NEXT HIRE AN EXPERIENCED COACH NEXT TRADE VICK WHILE HE STILL HAS GREAT TRADE VALUE. FINNALLY GET YOUR A*******OFF THE SIDELINES AND INTO THE OWNERS BOX. THE COACH AND PLAYERS ARE NOT YOUR BUDDIES—-THEY ARE EMPLOYEES. THIS IS THE NFL NOT HOME DEPOT.

By cohinton

December 18, 2006 09:36 AM | Link to this

Sure would be nice to have Jimmy Johnson as Head Coach.

By mo

December 18, 2006 09:39 AM | Link to this

OK, so we all know that Mora’s gone after this season… win, lose, or draw.

Who’s going to be the next head coach for the Falcons??

Personally, I want to see a veteran head coach with a proven system. I do not want another experiment in the coaching system, but I would like to see some former players as assistant coaches.

Also, for all of those who thought that Vick’s performance on Saturday was from an ‘average’ or ‘bad’ QB, is simply stupid and racist. Yes, it’s racist because if you had a white QB that throws for 4 TDs and had over 300 total yards in probably the biggest game- plus line up at tailback as a threat, all with a groin injury… He’ll be the toast of the town.

But Vick has to be seen as “average.” I mean, to call that mere stupidity would be too complimentary. You would have to be blind to reality. Only blatant racism can make otherwise sane people make comments that sounds like they belong in some institution for the REALLY insane!

What the Falcons need is a good, veteran, hard-nosed coach that has the management ability of a CEO. We need a coach that can bring discipline. The LAST thing we need is a coach that all of the players love. Who cares if the coach is the players’ best friends? I would like to see someone like a Bill Parcells to come in here and right this ship. Perhaps a Dan Reeves together with a genius at OC will do wonderful.

By wes

December 18, 2006 09:39 AM | Link to this

Terrence, I’m with ya’ on this one (especially about Mora’s erratic behavior), but what the hell does this mean?

“nearly significantly bruised somebody”

By Croom for President

December 18, 2006 09:41 AM | Link to this

I agree with Hal, we need a BLACK SUPER COACH like Sylvester. I mean surely a black HC would have immeasurable skills not possessed by a white HC.

Misssissippi States’ has won what 4 National Championships in a row right? Didn’t they blow out USC 66-0, (whitey surely learned from that). Why didn’t you think of this Moore??? Bring Croom to the FALCONS!!!

By Cairo

December 18, 2006 09:42 AM | Link to this

Moore,

I can not believe I am in agreement with you. You finally wrote something that is thought provoking and on the money. I could have thrown up seeing #7 in the backfield as a running back. It is disgrace. As a season ticket holder and I truly disappointed in this coaching staff. Mora, Knapp and Donatell need to find employment elsewhere because they are no longer wanted in the ATL.

By theedge56

December 18, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this

What am I invisible? Fire Mora and company and bring in Norm Chow! He is an offensive guru that knows how to adapt to strengths of a team. Lord knows we need more Asian American head coaches in the NFL. Steal someone from the Baltimore or Chicago defensive staff for the defensive coordinator job. Tell Toast (D. Hall) to shut up and play. Shore up the entire defense and offnsive line through the draft and trading M. Schaub not Mike. And get the owner out of the kitchen he is spoiling the stew!

By Big Pimpin'

December 18, 2006 09:48 AM | Link to this

Hall thinks he was a man to walk away from T.O. spitting in his face. But doesn’t think about how T.O p** all over him the rest of the game.

A MAN, would have walked away AND shut him down the rest of the game.

King Arthur … I have Jimmy Johnson’s number !!!!!

By Cairo

December 18, 2006 09:48 AM | Link to this

To Joshua/Bubba,

I have thought the excact same thing with bring Chucky to the ATL. He has already said he would love to work with Vick and do things with him. I believe him and I really think it would be a good fit. As crazy as people may look at it, the thought is worth the mention.

By Phil

December 18, 2006 09:48 AM | Link to this

Falcons record = 0-18 when entering the 4th quarter behind. Passing completions %, running yards, etc. are MEANINGLESS if your quarterback CANNOT score in the 4th quarter.

Staubach’s and Terry Bradshaws’s QB ratings were a whole lot higher than Vicks, but the are considered great because how they perform at crunch time.

With the exception of possibly 1 game in Green Bay 4 years ago (which was actually won by defensive holds in Q4), can anyone name 1 game in which Vick stepped up at crunch time and got a result?

Don’t give me the ‘the team didnt step up, its not just him’ BS. To be considered a GREAT QB, you win despite that. A GOOD QB can win if he steps up and the team also steps up. A GREAT QB can do it by himself (at least once in his career).

Right now, Vick is a GOOD QB, not a GREAT QB. And for $130m a year, we should be getting a GREAT QB. We sacrifice OL depth, Defensive secondary depth, because VIck eats up all our salary cap. Why do you think we have to play Rossum at DB? Other teams have more depth because they have more cap room to sign decent 2nd stringers. We don’t. Vick’s contract caused that.

So, if we are giving up depth, then we better get our money’s worth out of Vick. And so far, a GOOD QB is underperforming his pay grade.

By regular guy

December 18, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this

Vick looks better every game—as a passing quarterback. 4 passing TDs. In a loss. If they could just protect him, he would be the greatest. Look what he can do when Roddy White can actually hold onto the ball. Get rid of Mora, Knapp, and Donatell. Get a coaching staff that can make an offensive line that can protect Vick so he can pass. Then get a Def. Coordinator that can blitz and call something other than soft zones that let Romo march down the field at will. THEN the Falcons will make the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl. Vick can do it. He can win a Super Bowl, but someone has to build a team around him to let him do it.

By jpop379

December 18, 2006 09:57 AM | Link to this

Reading this blog, it seems to me that you may have saw something other Atlanta Media didn’t/want to see in the “Dallas” game. Mainly Fred Kalil, Gerald Riggs & Sam Crenshaw…saw it as a positive??? If you watched Falcons Extra you’d of thought we won the game!

**nothing negative only positive even putting Vick at tailback saying “at least they’re trying something new”. Sure Mort got a record but they lost!

I think the most telling thing from the game was a NFL network shot of Arthur Blank walking off the field in disgust. Mora’s gone…and he should be.

Try talking to your co-workers at the watercooler & say “boy I’d leave this place even with a big project underway to join “x” company in a heartbeat…” You’d better get your resume ready!

With Carolina in such disarray it should be another 8-8 season…Keep Mora through the Phili game… Hope the weathers the same as his coaching… crappy…

“ho-ho-ho-hum….”

By excellent driver

December 18, 2006 10:00 AM | Link to this

Vick played great but when he comes out and says “it felt like nothing I’ve ever felt before” what he’s saying is I quit again just I did last season.Fire Mora, let Vick sit the last 2 games and let Matt Schaub take over and if he beats Carolina and Philly and gets us in the playoffs, then iits his job next year,hopefully Blank will be smart enough to bring back a real coac, Dan Reeves and trade Vick for a 1 and a 2 and LET’S MOVE ON FOM THIS NIGHTMARE!

By Phil

December 18, 2006 10:03 AM | Link to this

regular guy = you cant build a team around Vick when his contract is $130m. There is something called a salary cap. Blank doesnt decide to have no depth at Defense and OL, he HAS TO because he choose to spend so much CAP on Vick.

As long as Vick has that contract, he CANNOT be surrounded, consistently, with equal supporting team.

As long as he has that contract, and that NFL adheres to a salary cap, Vick is going to have to learn to win with less than average teammates.

It’s pretty simple when you look at the economics of it

By Tee

December 18, 2006 10:03 AM | Link to this

It’s funny how nobody is talking about that AWESOME play where Mike picked up that fumble and ran for several yards. If that was ANY other QB they would have played the replay constantly on every channel, including CNN!!

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 10:04 AM | Link to this

The Hall family kindly asks that you send flowers, cards, gifts, letter, donations to DHALL at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Road, Augusta, Georgia 30909. www.doctors-hospital.net They say he is hanging in there and that he should make a full recovery in a few months after suffering first degree burns over 85% of his body. TO was just playing a fireman when he spit on DFALL. TO felt really bad. TO had torched DHALL like an arsonist and he said, “What am I supposed to do, let the chump burn to death? I didn’t have water. All I had was spit. So I spit on him hoping to put the fire out. You just hate to see a “GROWN MAN” burning up like that. Oh well, it didn’t work. Actually, the spit only made the fire worse - he got so burned up, his team ended up with unnecessary roughnesses. HA! HA! Oh well. I may have been the arsonist who put him on fire, but at least I tried to play firefighter and put out the fire with my spit.”

SINCE DFALL LOVES DEION SO MUCH AND THINKS OF HIMSELF AS THE SO-CALLED NEXT PRIMETIME, WHY DON’T WE ALL OBLIGE HIM BY CALLING HIM THIS:

FRIED TIME

By Cairo

December 18, 2006 10:05 AM | Link to this

Tonio,

You are my hero! Someone finally has the BALLS to call out #56. He is TERRIBLE. He can’t cover, make tackle for losses, cause fumbles, recover fumbles or make interceptions. Hell, DMo and Boley are our best linebackers. And just for those that think this a hidden agenda. Hartwell should be arrested for GRAND THEFT.

By Falcons Stink

December 18, 2006 10:10 AM | Link to this

Vicks true career stats: 2001 attempts 113 completions 50 percentage 44.2 yards 785 TD 2 Int 3 2002 attempts 421 completions 231 percentage 54.9 yards 2936 TD 16 Int 8 2003 attempts 100 completions 50 percentage 50.0 yards 585 TD 4 Int 3 2004 attempts 321 completions 181 percentage 56.4 yards 2313 TD 14 Int 12 2005 attempts 387 completions 214 percentage 55.3 yards 2412 TD 15 Int 13 2006 attempts 354 completions 187 percentage 52.8 yards 2284 TD 19 Int 11 Hmm, looks to me like Vick is right on track except having a career year with TD passes. So how is this Knapp’s fault? Vick fummbles, Vick throws wild passes, vick throws incomplletions, all this staff can do is call the plays they don’t execute them. Yes the Falcons run a college offense for a highschool quarterback. That is where to lay the blame. Vick has not grown into a true NFL quarterback! He has not put in the work and the sacrifice needed to become a great quarterback. I remeber Vick broke his leg running against Baltimore. Wasn’t he playing quarterback and not running back then? Vick has been hurt many times so this groin injury is nothing new and has nothing to do with playing running back. Vick is not a leader of men. he is a player more concerned with stats and money then winning. Wasn’t it Vick who said he didn’t always give 100% last year? Shades of Randy Moss. Wasn’t it Vick crying about not running enough, so they let him run. Then he cries they don’t let me pass, so they let him pass. Then he cries they don’t let me audible, hell I wouldn’t let him audible either, Vick has demonstrated time and time again that his decision making is poor at best! Nothing changes with him, when the going gets hard he quits and whines! This coaching staff could not win with Vick at quarterback, no staff will win a championship as long as they have to bend philosophies to suit Vick. Good bye Jim Mora and good luck! Get the hell out of Atlanta and go somewhere you can succeed and that is not Atlanta where disaster and disappointment will reign as long as Vick is running the show!

By Jack

December 18, 2006 10:10 AM | Link to this

I DONT UNDERSTAND ALL THIS ABOUT BRINGING IN A BLACK COACH, OR AN ASIAN COACH. BRING IN AN EXPERIENCED COACH AND HIS COLOR IS IRREVALENT. THE COLOR OF THE COACH IS MEANLESS IF HE IS A WINNER IFORGOT TO MENTION THAT MCKAY SHOULD BE FIRED AT THE SAME TIME MORA IS SHOWN THE DOOR.

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 10:12 AM | Link to this

imagine if Mark Richt said to one of his former buddies, “I’d leave UGA in a heartbeat, even if we were in the middle of an SEC run or National Championship hunt, with my resume in hand to go take the FSU or MIami jobs. HOw fast do you think that the dawg nation and Mr. Adams would make sure that he was fired or forced to have a letter of resignation in the hand that is not holding his resume.

I have a question: What kind of paper do you all think Mora uses for his resumes? I am pretty sure it ain’t the normal kind of paper. He is probably the crazy, wacky, goofy guy who puts it on like construction paper and has all of these weird anecdotes contained within the resume. Every line in his resume refers to his precious notebooks.

What is the deal with the notebooks anyway? IS he a schoolgirl who keeps a diary or journal?

I think the thing with the notebook is this: He is like the guy in Memento. He is too stupid to remember what he just did, why he did it, when he did it, where he did, who he did it with, so he writes endlessly in his precious little notebooks so that he trick himself into remembering later on.

By Tampa Dirty Bird

December 18, 2006 10:13 AM | Link to this

1. What nut says trade Vick while he have trade value? I live in Buc country and kids down here are wearing his jersey. People drive hundreds of miles to see Vick play in the dome. Blank makes money when ticket master says “sold out”, not when the seats are full. Why would you as a business man trade the one assest that brings you the most money. Some of you folks are just plain dumb.

2. Mike is good right now, he could be better. Right now a lot of folks out there are comparing him to other “great qb’s”. Behind every great QB, there’s a great coach. Marino/Shula….Brady/Belichick…Elway/Shanahan….Montana/Walsh…..Young/Walsh. There’s a trend there. Most critics of Mike Vick totally ignore all of the pertinent factors that contribute to QB greatness. Coaching and Receivers. Please folks, don’t watch Sportscenter Monday morning or read the newspaper and judge one player. Watch the game. Better yet, listen to what other football players and former players say about Mike Vick, and stop listening to little skinny nerds with hair pieces that think they’re sports experts because they’ve “reported” sports for years. Defense wins championships….Ron Rivera next head coach.

By D Pilcher

December 18, 2006 10:14 AM | Link to this

They have a great “running QB” in DJ Shockley. If they want to line up a QB at the RB position and not risk an injury to Vick, why not put in DJ?

By Alex

December 18, 2006 10:15 AM | Link to this

I lost a lot of respect for MeAngelo, and not just b/c he got torched again by a premiere receiver. Like Sterling said on the NFL show sun. night on NBC, if a man spits in his face, there will be a fight. MeAngelo is all talk an no fight. I guess he was afraid T.O. would whip his a&& in a fight to top off his 2 TD game. I don’t want to hear about class…MeAngelo doesn’t have any, if he did, he would shut up, learn to play shutdown corner, humble himself like Champ Bailey an actual shut down pro bowl corner instead of trying to act like a Deion Sanders wannbe. He isn’t Deion and will never be! So MeAngelo, wake up! You are the joke of the league.

To the blogger calling for Keith Brooking’s head…how about putting that washed up, no good Ed Hartwell on the carpet instead? The reason Keith can’t do anything is b/c he has to cover Ed’s blown assignments and missed tackles where the RB runs right around his attempts.

This entire defense is a joke, thanks coach Donatell. You have the 5-8 Rossum covering the tall athletic receivers, when Jimmy Williams. is nowhere to be found at CB?

Play the young guys at LB…Boley, Williams, Beck…etc. Put Hartwell on the bench or release him. The guy is the biggest joke as MLB in the NFL.

By Phil

December 18, 2006 10:16 AM | Link to this

Tee, you are missing it. In every game Vick does make some GREAT plays. But the price the team pays for his salary cap does not justify it. He is really good, but he is not THAT good.

Remember when Dallas traded Hershel Walker to Minnesota and got about 10 players, a bunch of drafts picks, etc? That was the start of their dynasty in the 1990s. You can’t become a great team with 1 player - no team has EVER done that. You can take a very good team and make them great with 1 player (Brady, for example), but you can’t take an average team and make them great with 1 player, regardless of who that player is.

By arthur blanks son

December 18, 2006 10:20 AM | Link to this

Dear Dad,

You are embarassing our family. Dad can’t you just explain why you even fired Dan Reeves anyway? was it Vick’s decision. Mora is a joke dad, we new it from the day you even considered him. His dad is better than he is and well, there you have it. You should of never fired Reeves without someone decent in line, therefore you have even delayed us evem more with a stupid hiring of Mora. Gwinnett County has better High School coaches than Mora. Cmon dad, get rid of him and act like you have a pair. Yeah I know, who do we get? Oh yeah dad, go ahead and get rid of Vick and our GM while you are at it. Where’s Leeman Bennett?

By Jeffrey C

December 18, 2006 10:21 AM | Link to this

Let’s just make this plain and simple. No trying to critique how they played. No trying to critique the defense or even the coaching staff. It all comes down to three little words THE FALCONS SUCK! That’s as pure and simple as it gets. When a good team is down they don’t just flop over like the Falcons. Look at the steelers. 2-5 and now they are 7-7. The Falcons 5-2 and now 7-7. Plus the Steelers have a Super Bowl Championship. Something I don’t think the Falcons will ever get Vick or not, Mora or not.

By MoJohnson

December 18, 2006 10:24 AM | Link to this

Mike Vick is under a huge microscope because he’s being paid a large amount of money TO PRODUCE.

Blank got rid of Reeves - the only coach who took the birds to the Superbowl. That’s what the people want - winners. just like when Bobby Cox started the Braves

By tiffany

December 18, 2006 10:25 AM | Link to this

Terrance, you are right on with this one. If Mr. Blank has the Falcons best interest at hand it should be Mora’s last days as the Falcon’s head coach. Hey, this is a great team but they lack leadership. And when the head coach states he don’t even want to be their how do you think that makes the players feel.

By gdawg

December 18, 2006 10:26 AM | Link to this

Bird-dawg - You just love your precious “Shaubie” because you share the same first name. Isn’t that right Cafaro? You idiot!

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 10:28 AM | Link to this

stop with the hershel walker trade already! that was a flukish once in a lifetime thing that totally killed the Vikings for years and helped the Cowboys accumulate championships. No one is ever going to do that again because of what happened to the Vikings as a result. Every GM has learned and remembers the painful lesson set forth by the Vikings and their downfall and the resultant rise of the Cowboys. It will never happen again. So stop dreaming. That was like 20 years ago, why do you think it has never happened again.

Well, I guess it did happen to a certain degree with Mike Ditka and the Saints trading away everything to get Ricky Williams. That really worked wonders for the fortunes of Ditka and the Saints. SO, again, who is going to be so stupid to trade away everything for Vick even if he is worth trading away everything for. It just is not going to happen.

So, stop being 13 years old and making that trade demand based upon the Hershel Walker example.

By # 1 Falcon Fan

December 18, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this

I LOVE THE FALCONS.. WE CAME ALONG WAY AND STILL GO WAYS TO GO.. BUT I THINK WE ARE DURING A FANTASTIC JOB.. I ALSO SUPPORTS WHAT EVERY DECISION THAT MR. BLANK MAKES ABOUT HIS HEAD COACH..MR. BLANK HAD ADD LIFE TO THE ORIGANIZATION,I APPRIECATED AND RESPECT HIM… GO FALCON AND JUST TO LET YOU NONE FALCON FAN KNOW… WE ARE GOING TO THE PLAY… TAKE THAT AND CASH IT TO THE NEAR BANK OF AMERICA IN YOUR NEIGHBOR HOOD…. # 1 FAN

By # 1 Falcon Fan

December 18, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this

I LOVE THE FALCONS.. WE CAME ALONG WAY AND STILL GO WAYS TO GO.. BUT I THINK WE ARE DURING A FANTASTIC JOB.. I ALSO SUPPORTS WHAT EVERY DECISION THAT MR. BLANK MAKES ABOUT HIS HEAD COACH..MR. BLANK HAD ADD LIFE TO THE ORIGANIZATION,I APPRIECATED AND RESPECT HIM… GO FALCON AND JUST TO LET YOU NONE FALCON FAN KNOW… WE ARE GOING TO THE PLAY… TAKE THAT AND CASH IT TO THE NEAR BANK OF AMERICA IN YOUR NEIGHBOR HOOD…. # 1 FAN

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 10:31 AM | Link to this

and phil, mike vick has proven that he can take a 3-11 team in 2002, 2003, and 2004 and make that same exact team a 22-11-1 team during that same exact 2002, 2003, and 2004 time span. the realitry is that we a re watching an awful talentless bunch being elevated to mediocrity by VIck. But keep putting your head in the sand.

By Jay

December 18, 2006 10:31 AM | Link to this

To Jim Mora: Good riddance Moran. Thanks for hurting the team and mkaing our humiliation a national headline. You should read the espn article that says Blank is tired of you.

To “Falcons fans” who want Vick traded STILL: I guess you missed his 66% completion % this past saturday against a solid defense along with his four touchdowns. That wasnt good enough? This proves that some people are obsessed with getting rid of Vick, whether he does good or not.

To “Falcons fans” who either sold their tickets to Cowboys fans or wore Cowboys jerseys, shirts, etc: Screw you. You’re the reason Atlanta gets a bad rap. To me you all are trash.

By falcon200441

December 18, 2006 10:32 AM | Link to this

Bring back Dan Reeves and make a bunch of trades. First trade Keith Brooking,Ed “bank robber” Hartwell for younger guys that can really cover guys.Or they could let could bench Brooking and let Demorrio Williams start. I know we don’t have the cap space to trade vick right now. If we did I would trade him and schaub both and let shockley be the starter. Just from what I saw in the preseason he is already better than vick.

By CQ

December 18, 2006 10:37 AM | Link to this

Its funny how some of these fans can point out Vicks problems but never see anything Keith Brooking does wrong. Keith has a $4 million contract not to mention the large signing bonus he received. He cannot cover any back out of the backfield or tigh end in the NFL. I did not see 1 solo tackle by him in the game.

Rossum does not deserve to play corner in the NFL, hes to short and not physical.

Ed Hartwell needs to go. He is too slow. His kness are to bad to be playing in the NFL.

Can we get some size on Offense. Im tired of looking at 275lbs linemen.

The coaches are the worse in the league.

By jbd

December 18, 2006 10:46 AM | Link to this

I was at the game 4th row behind Dallas. We had blue all around us. What’s up w/ATL.. Don’t sell your tickets to big games. The crowd is very important especially down low.. We need to make it a little uncomfortable for folks wearing the wrong colors. No spitting, cussing etc.. Just uncomfortable this is our house… PROTECT THIS HOUSE..

By tony

December 18, 2006 10:47 AM | Link to this

The truth of the matter is that this coaching staff was not very good in San Francisco or he (Mora) would have been given the head coaching job there. When he was hired Mr. Blanks was impressed that he came to the interview with a bag of books. The bag of books were more impressive than Lovie Smith’s superior coaching experience, and Romeo Crennel’s solid background in New England. Neither of these coaches received a call back from Mr. Blank, a major mistake. Chicago is 11-3 with less talent. Cleveland, as we all know, beat the Falcons at home. Maybe next time hopefully Mr. Blank will realize that the bag of books gimmick is just like Mora’s coaching ability. EMPTY. Fans deserve better that this emptiness.

By Sylvester Croom

December 18, 2006 10:49 AM | Link to this

Great Article Terrance. I think i should get the job… Dont you

By Cap Logic

December 18, 2006 10:50 AM | Link to this

Phil, Cairo… PLEASE stop talking about the salary cap when it is CRYSTAL clear you have no idea what you’re talking about. For God’s sakes, Vick isn’t making $20 million a year!!! He ISN”T the biggest hit to the cap this year, or the next…He isn’t even in the top 5 of our cap hits!!!!!!!!!! For what he brings to the table, Vick is substantially UNDERPAID.

By tonio

December 18, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this

The Falcons are the Phil. 76rs of the NFL. You have a superstar, who is willing to put it all on the line every game dispite all this negitivity every week, surrounded by roleplayers. And if there is nothing done about it soon, he too, will be asking for trade out of here. And then what? Hockey? Give me a break.

By CAV

December 18, 2006 10:52 AM | Link to this

Run: my god, could all of the “you’re a racist!” crap stop already. Damn, is this column about football or race relations? Get your heads out of your asses, all of you. Why keep playing a race card? You’re kicking a dead horse here, stop bringing it up and trying to blast people you’ve never met as being a racist. “I know for a fact you’re a racist”… how do you know? what statistics do you have to back that up? You put a lot of time and effort in to showing real stats and then followed it up by calling particular folks out as being “known” racists. And how is it any less racist for you to run around calling folks “necks”? Answer me that. You’re stereotyping and slinging racial slurs, that makes you know better than anyone else that you’re bashing. Nobody likes a hypocrite.

Why is this a p** match and not about football?

I don’t know why I keep reading this crap and letting myself get sucked into stupid pointless rants.

Vick is a solid QB, needs OL help for sure. We have great talent all over the field. SOmething is missing in the coaching, I think that’s pretty clear. Any coach who acts immature like Mora does needs to do some growing up before he is considered the boss. We have players on the field that are 10 times the leader that Mora is. We need someone that commands respect, treats his players with respect but also holds them accountable when the sh*t hits the fan. Don’t accept mediocrity, not with the talent we have.

People, football opinions are great, that’s why we’re all reading this stuff, but stop b*tching about race relations already. Why pick a fight that isn’t necessary?

By Real Bird Fan

December 18, 2006 10:53 AM | Link to this

Some of you guys are not Falcons fans your just Vick haters talk about something else, Vick dosent play defense. When was the last time Brady or Manning and co. Put up 28 points and people where blaming them instead of the defense who allowed the scores?

I guess some of you idiots thinks Vick plays corner or linebacker.

Opinons of idiots are like ………………………….well who cares.

By Phil

December 18, 2006 10:58 AM | Link to this

Tony, Lovie Smith I would agree with, but not Crennel. He is about to go 0-6 against his conference. Noone has done that since the 0-14 Bucs. Not too impressive.

What about Jeff Fisher? Look what he has done with a ‘running QB’ and still being buried with salary cap. 5-0, best record in the league since 11/12.

Chucky would bring some heart to this team, something desperately lacking. Falcons remind me of the saying from White Men Cant Jump - “You would rather look good losing, then win” (something like that). The fact to DeAngela is more upset about being ‘dissed’ with spit than he is being burned by TO is pure evidence of that.

By Mo

December 18, 2006 11:01 AM | Link to this

Real Bird Fan = Real simple thinker.

Read what Phil wrote - Vick’s salary and presence is the cause for a weak defense - NO DEPTH. Vick took all the money.

If you make your bed, you better sleep in it.

VICK’S PRESENCE ON THE TEAM HAS A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL IMPACT ON DEFENSE

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 11:07 AM | Link to this

the guy who was called out as a known racist, is a known racist. if you read his posts over the last 4 months, you would have known that. that is why he was called out. i am as tired of the race baiting and racial crap as anyone else. but when some of these guys call him a dumb, heartless, glorified RB thug, what are you supposed to think they are trying to say? i just tried to talk about real facts and they could only reply with those sorts of comments, what are you supposed to think?

BUT you are right in that it is not right to call them necks. BUT i try to differentiate between normal white folks and the idiots. i have to find a better way to do that.

I do like your description of vick as solid. that is accurate. he ain’t great. he is not the worst. right now, he is just solid. I wish everyone would start with their opinions and proposals from where you are standing with vick and then branch out from there and say whatever they want.

OOOOH, I agree with you. This is ridiculous. I keep getting sucked in to this pointless argument just like you

By GT

December 18, 2006 11:10 AM | Link to this

White man’s blood in the water. Merry Christmas Hack Moore

By Time for Change

December 18, 2006 11:12 AM | Link to this

Time for change in the GM, coaching staff, and personnel. McKay is the architecht of a building that won’t pass inspection. Mora is unqualified, Knapp & Donatell’s philosphies are flawed and are too slow to make changes, and many players on the team are overpaid & overrated. This team was closer to winning a Superbowl when Dan Reeves left than where they are now. That said, McKay and the entire coaching staff should be replaced. When the new staff is hired, I would evaluate each player for what they cost the team versus what they produce. That would eliminate players such as Hall, Brooking, Rossum, all WRs, Hartwell, all OL personnel, and others. The Falcons should cut the most glaring and try to resign some to lower contracts. Rossum should only play special teams and should be paid accordingly.

This team is a disaster and needs to be dismantled.

By greg mccrary

December 18, 2006 11:15 AM | Link to this

THE reqiurement to be a Head Football coach in the PRO’S Should be more than hanging around, being a ballboy because your daddy is the coach,ATLANTA,TAMPA,ETC.

By Ronnie D.

December 18, 2006 11:16 AM | Link to this

Coach Mora inherited a good nucleus from Coach Reeves. Today, we have players who show signs of greatness and signs of lack of discipline. We need a coaching staff that can relate to players and instill the discipline necessary to win games beyond the first 5 or 6 weeks. Coach Mora: It’s your job to keep or your job to lose.

By GREG

December 18, 2006 11:17 AM | Link to this

FALCONS LAID LOGS ALL OVER THE DOME!!!

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 11:22 AM | Link to this

so is vick supposed to not take the $$$$$?? that has worked out real well for tom brady hasn’t it? they fooled him into signing a lesser contract and now the team has not taken the extra$$ to resign their own players and to go out and surround him with quality receivers. the Pats are nowhere near spending the $$$$ they should be spending. They have a good record, much better than the Falcons. BUT the Pats are not as good as they should be: Brady is not playing as well as he should because the supporting cast is not as good. I guess as a player you are damned if you do, damned if you don’t. If you take the $$$$, you are blamed for the team supposedly not having any $$$$$ to get other players (Peyton & Vick). If you leave the $$$$$ on the table and cheat yourself out of $$$$$, you have to trust your owners and GMs to go out there and spend the extra $$$$$ to go out and get the quality players with the extra $$$$. Unfortunately, owners never do spend the extra $$$$$$$. They just pocket the money. So, Stop blaming the players for taking the money. If they do not take it, the owners will. The reality of the Falcons is that we have an overpaid RB DUnn, an overpaid LB Hurtwell, and overpaid LB Brooking, an overpaid DE Abraham, an overpaid first round CB who goes by the name Fried Time, three overpaid busts of first round pick WRs in WHite, Jenkins, and Lelie. This is after ARTHUR overpaid for Peerless Price and that caused cap problems. SO, if you want to blame vick for cap problems go ahead. You are partially right about that. BUT the real cap problems are being caused by overpaid underperforming Hurtwel, Dunn, Abe, Brooking, DFALL, Jenkins, WHite, and Lelie. That is where all the cap problems are if you want to be honest about it all

By Josh

December 18, 2006 11:23 AM | Link to this

Mr. Mora,

You had your chance. Goodbye and farewell.

By DJ

December 18, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this

The simple fact of the matter is this: Jim Mora, Jr. parlayed great family connections into a D-1 football scholarship at the University of Washington and eventaully used them to springboard onto an NFL staff. Anybody check out the 49’ers lately? The smart money says it will be very difficult for Junior to land on another pro staff, even in the recycled, “Old Boy Network” known as the NFL.

By Finn

December 18, 2006 11:26 AM | Link to this

Folks - You have it made! You should try being a Detroit Lions fan for a year! Whatever you end up doing, don’t woo Mariucci for your head coach! At least the Falcons have an owner who cares about the image of his team.

By michael

December 18, 2006 11:29 AM | Link to this

I put the blame right at the foot of Blank. Lovie Smith built a a good defense in Tampa and St Louis. Because of Mora contacts and who he know he get hired. The biggest mistake was the firing of Dan Reaves. Bring Reaves back. Parcells, Gibbs, and Shell came back. It takes an experience coach to develope a young team like the Falcons. Also get rid of McCay. The championship team in Tampa was Dungy teams. Moral should have been fire Friday night.

Beard

By ED FR0M ELLIJAY

December 18, 2006 11:30 AM | Link to this

KEEP VICK AT TAILBACK.HE CAN’T THROW. KEEP SCHAUB AT QB, HE’S BETTER THAN MV FIRE MORA FOR STUPIDITY, GO TO WASH. KNAPP???JUST PLEASE GO… BLANK, STAY OFF THE BLANKING FIELD.

By CAV

December 18, 2006 11:30 AM | Link to this

There are a lot of good points that are getting put up here, and a lot of trash.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the garbage and miss the good stuff.

Anybody that says that Vick is a hindering factor to the team is wearing blinders. He has rough moments, but can you honestly blame all the bad on him. If our receivers had caught half of what was thrown to them this year, we’d be sitting pretty right now. They’ve played good football the last couple of games, but we took some major losses that shouldn’t have happened, and I honestly believe wouldn’t have happened had folks caught the passes that hit them in the numbers, and maybe snagged a couple that weren’t perfect but they got their fingers on them.

Its great to see how the receivers have come around lately, but on the other hand, it makes the drops and lack of effort shown earlier this season hurt that much worse. To know that it wasn’t a lack of talent, just screw ups and lack of heart/effort… that’s irritating.

Personally, the game saturday night hurt, but its wasn’t horrible. The cowboys have played good football lately, they’ve been on a tear (except for that a** beating they took from the saints…), and had a few things gone the other way, we could have won that ball game. The INT TD hurt for sure, but it wasn’t a solo back breaker. The 3rd down conversions that the defense gave up ALL NIGHT LONG, that was deadly and I would have to say that was our downfall. An inability to stop their offense when it counted.

Our O played pretty good, can’t blame the loss on them. And considering that our D held them consistently on 1st and 2nd down most of the night, I’d have to say that the Defensive scheme on the 3rd and longs was the problem, not the players.

I hate to condemn anyone when a TEAM sport is faultering, but it looks like coaching is the issue here - not the talent on the field. Head Coach, OC, and DC need to be evaluated seriously.

By Phil

December 18, 2006 11:34 AM | Link to this

Finn, the difference is that in detroit, your owners and media didnt ‘commit to excellence’, ’ promise great things’, etc.

Blank made all these promised and has failed to deliver.

The Falcons arent a bad team, they just UNDERACHIEVE to their potential.

The Lions achieve exactly to their potential.

One can leave with poor teams with poor potential, without getting angry

One can’t live with underachievement to potential

By No more gimmicks

December 18, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this

Please….no more @#!* gimmicks!!! It’s obvious that the current staff is working on a short string. So coaches, please don’t risk the future by possibly getting the back-up and the starting quarterbacks hurt on one play!!!!

By B Turner

December 18, 2006 11:46 AM | Link to this

DeAngelo Hall is overrated. He reminds me of one Ray Buchanan. He makes a few good plays but gets burned all the time. Everytime T.O. caught a ball, Hall would go cry to the ref about something. Hall needs to sit out a few games. Also, Jimmy Williams must be really bad if he cannot crack the lineup over Rossum.

By Dr. Football

December 18, 2006 11:47 AM | Link to this

Lets face it. The Falcons name is a cnacer which cannot be cured. A 1st rounder gets drafted and he immediately comes down with a cancer-turns into a fumbling/bumbling/lazy/useless example of an athlete!

Mr. Blank, sell this useless franchise to another city and rid Georgia of an incompetent bunch of losers!!!!

By MoJohnson

December 18, 2006 11:49 AM | Link to this

The devil in the Falcons, as they say in The Exorcist, is named “Legion.” There are a number of devils possessing the birds right now but Mike V. is rightly (and wrongly) the player demonized by most bloggers.

Mike’s devil is what I call a low “Falcons’ performance/salary” ratio. His high salary (for a young, immature athlete) is known by all and so he carries an inordinate burden when the team loses.

Now, mind you, it’s hard to fault this Falcons offense when they post 28 points on the board (good job O-line; are you listening “D”) but I again refer back to my performance ratio above to explain the ire towards Mike.

The Mike V. situation kinda reminds of Alex Rodriguez - a really superb athlete whose salary level places unrealistic expectations not only of his play but (rightly) saddles him with his team’s play as well.

I wish Mike could have “played into” a large contract after winning a Superbowl instead of getting the upfront bundle (now who’s being unrealistic, MoJo!!) lol.

By CAV

December 18, 2006 11:50 AM | Link to this

How is Dunn such a letdown? Atlanta’s rushing game isn’t the problem, we’re still top of the league in that dept but you can’t win most ballgames on running alone. Dunn plays hard, runs well, catches the ball well, blocks better than most backs that dwarf his size… what more do you want from him? To run like he has on an offense where a defense can almost assume we’re going to run it and easily stack the box against him… and usually do, and still produce good numbers…?

I don’t get some of you people, why even watch the falcons? Stop hating everything about the team, and learn to SUPPORT your team or find a new one. Go buy a #9 Cowboys Jersey and jump on that wagon if there’s still room for you b/c the folks around here that watch and support the Falcons when they’re winning or losing don’t need you.

By GREG

December 18, 2006 11:59 AM | Link to this

YEAH FIRE MORA!!FALCONS ARE A PROVEN WINNER!LOL!!!!!!!!…..ATLANTA AND THERE SPORTS!!!!LOL!!!!!!!

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 12:01 PM | Link to this

CAV:

Dunn is not a letdown in that he plays real hard, plays hurt, never complains, never is a problem, usually produces very well, and is a very good man from what I am told and from what I have seen. BUT the problem is that he is too small and he is paid to be a featured back. When we get in short yardage and when we get in the red zone, he is essentially useless. Late in games, in the 4th quarter, he can not grind out the clock for us. That is the reason why I would say Dunn is a letdown. He is being paid Featured Back $$$$$, but is really only a complimentary piece.

BUT I hate to say that about DUnn because I would say that he probably is only one of the few real “GROWN MAN” on the team and that includes the coaches.

By j

December 18, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

As a season ticket holder all of this is unacepatable. Mr. Blank Jim has got to go. I am done with Falcons this year. Not a fair weather fan I’m still an fan but we a playing horrible and well below the talent level of this team. Anyone want tickets for Next weeks game?

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

CAV:

Dunn is not a letdown in that he plays real hard, plays hurt, never complains, never is a problem, usually produces very well, and is a very good man from what I am told and from what I have seen. BUT the problem is that he is too small and he is paid to be a featured back. When we get in short yardage and when we get in the red zone, he is essentially useless. Late in games, in the 4th quarter, he can not grind out the clock for us. That is the reason why I would say Dunn is a letdown. He is being paid Featured Back $$$$$, but is really only a complimentary piece. They need to also pay another back to pound the ball in the times of the game he simply can not get the job done - thus more $$$ has to be wasted to do the job one RB should be able to do himself.

BUT I hate to say that about DUnn because I would say that he probably is only one of the few real “GROWN MAN” on the team and that includes the coaches.

By go doves

December 18, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

Mr. Blank, Here is your next Atlanta coach: Jimmy Johnson.

By Jerry

December 18, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

As I watched the game Sunday morning here in Iraq I was very disappointed. I was even more disappointed that Mora would take the chance on getting his quarterback (Vick)injured. It seems every week when you watch the Falcons play I never know which Falcon team you will see play. It is my imagination or is Vick trying to do it all and forgetting about the other players on the field. Well Falcons you got one last chance to win the last two and MAYBE get a wildcard berth. For those of us in Iraq who watch you every week on AFN. Get it done!

By The Swami

December 18, 2006 12:05 PM | Link to this

No doubt the best reason in Moore’s mind why Mora should be fired is the most obvious….. he’s not black.

By Mike

December 18, 2006 12:05 PM | Link to this

If you were really Arthur’s son you wouldnot talk like an idiot.

By Mac

December 18, 2006 12:06 PM | Link to this

There is only one thing I agree with T. Moore on and that is Jim Mora should have been gone like yesterday.

Let’s get a couple of facts straight:

1) Michaeal Vick is not a leader in any way ON THE FIELD…yesterday/today or tommorow. You look at all the great QB’s in history and they were already leaders. It is either bread at a young age or is just aint there. Look at his brother if you need a reference.

2) If you took every general manager in the league and let them pick there top 10 QB’s (Brees, Manning, Brady, just for starters)he would not be in anyones top 10 including his own team

3) Terrance Moore “The Great Matt Schwabb”, almost sounds like a black/white comment to me. I will simply say this, Schwabb is a better leader and passing QB today than Vick will ever be. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. If the francise wants to win a SB they would insert him today. Let’s compare his intelligence level and ability to read defenses to Vick’s. I am so sick and tired of writers like Moore making excuses for Vick or playing the political card. Fact is he is an average NFL QB at best.

4) This is not a racial issue, but name me every black QB that has won a Superbowl. Give me the top 5 greatest black QB’s of all time? Now on the other hand in the last 20 years tell me how many teams won a Superbowl with a premier running back that was white?You can say it is stereotyping, but a fact is a fact. If you think I am racist how many black guys were in that fight on Sat. night? How many as a percentage to players in the NBA. My point is (Jimmy the Greek was right) blacks are superior athletes in most case, and we are all cut out to do different things. History shows that!

5) A lot of you will think I am racist…Let me tell you in HS I was one of 3 white guys on basketball trips and that includes the coach. I had just as many black friends as I did white. This has nothing to do with racism….only trying to point out facts and the fact is VICHAEL VICK WILL NEVER WIN A SUPER BOWL AND WILL NEVER BE A GREAT QB.

By Long time fan

December 18, 2006 12:06 PM | Link to this

Jimmy Johnson?

By GREG

December 18, 2006 12:10 PM | Link to this

LOL!!!!!!

By Corey

December 18, 2006 12:15 PM | Link to this

Please look at Vick’s stats and stop concentrating on the fact that he sports braids etc. In the south, if you are black and no matter how good you are, as long as you don’t fit the expected persona all your mistakes will be magnified and scrutinized for eternity. Year after year Vick has been in the pro-bowl. Saturday night he set a new record as a QB, ran his hind off etc. , and on this blog we hear the same refrain, “thug” etc. This is almost a disease with southerners. God only knows how long Andruw Jones would have lasted here with braids, despite the numerous golden gloves he’s received. News flash-don’t expect all black atheletes to look and sound like UGA’s atheletic director.

By GODAWGZ

December 18, 2006 12:16 PM | Link to this

CAV, I agree with you 100%. I don’t blame Mike Vick for flicking off the fans. As a true falcon fan I want to flick off other so called falcon fans too because they suck. Look at Green Bay Packer fans, they love their team thick and thin because they are real fans. They are not just looking for a bandwagon to jump on. For me, I was a fan when the falcons had a team of no name thugs that one 2-3 games a year, so 7-7 is pretty good to me. GO BIRDS!!!

By StatMan

December 18, 2006 12:20 PM | Link to this

ReverendRun, Where in the hell did you get your Vick stats from? Your completions couldn’t possibly be way more off. You posted:

“2002: 344 completions; 534 attempts; 3713 total yards; 24 touchdowns; 12 turnovers; 64% effective completion percentage; 8-6-1; playoff win at lambeau

2004: 301 completions; 441 attempts; 3215 total yards; 17 touchdowns; 12 turnovers; 68% effective completion percentage; 11-4; playoff victory; berth in NFC conference championship game

2005: 316 attempts; 489 attempts; 3009 total yards; 21 touchdowns; 15 turnovers; 65% completion %; 8-7

2006: (projected over 16 games) 346 completions; 537 attempts; 3742 yards; 24 touchdowns; 15 turnovers; 64% effective completion %; 7-7; playoff bound still to be determined”

Um, if you go to espn.com and look up Vick’s career stats, here are is actual completions numbers for the seasons:

2002 - 231 2003* - 50 2004 - 181 2005 - 214 2006 - 187 (projected 214)

Also, his highest completion percentage ever occurred in 2004, when he completed 56.4% of his passes. His career completion percentage is 53.8%.

Where in the world are you getting these 300 completion numbers from? Those aren’t even close to reality. For his entire carreer as a starter (for this I’m not counting 2001 or 2003, just 2002, 2004, 2005, and the projected numbers for 2006) he has averaged 210 completions a year, not this rediculous figure of 326.75 that your bogus stats come out to for that time period. Also, please define exactly what “effective completion %” is? Sounds like some made up number coming from an agent.

You would think someone who spent half his night typing up a post would do a little better research first.

Here’s a link to espn for the statistically impaired people out there:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=2549

By TRUE FALCONS_FAN

December 18, 2006 12:20 PM | Link to this

Thanks DrJay and CAV, very well said. You both put everything in perspective. Good game, GO FALCONS!

By RA

December 18, 2006 12:30 PM | Link to this

First, to Greg: Referring to your 11:59 post, please learn how to use english properly. The use of “there” in your post is incorrect and makes you look even more like a fool than the meaning of your post. The correct usage is “their” which refers to possession.

Second, Mac hit the nail on the head when he stated the word “leader”. Leadership is lacking within the Falcons organization, and that includes Vick. Mora made a huge blunder in his radio statements and showed bad leadership, which will trickle down to the players. The fact remains that without leadership, the Falcons will never be a great team. Leadership wins games and titles.

By CAV

December 18, 2006 12:37 PM | Link to this

J, if you’re looking to let a falcons fan use/buy your tickets to the last home game I’d love to go!

if you’re serious, let me know.

By Dawgs

December 18, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this

I can’t believe it but I agree with Terence. Only b/c I said get rid of Mora and his staff when we lost to Detroit. Now that Mora has shown his true colors what is the hesitation? I feel sorry for Vick b/c he might be a casualty of war. There are some real problems with this franchise and like any other corporation you have to look at the CEO. Hey Arthur to save face and fire Mora and his staff yesterday and hope we can get a coach that can have a plan for Vick otherwise you might have to trade him.

Oh and “longtimefan”…Jimmy “yank your” Johnson.

By Robert Lynn

December 18, 2006 12:45 PM | Link to this

Excuses are like a*******holes, everybody’s got one.

By Ricky .D

December 18, 2006 12:45 PM | Link to this

Your right T.M. it’s time for mora and his crew to get out of georgia. Play calling sucks and you don’t see the colt’s or bengal’s placing their franchise QB’s in the backfield to run the ball. They give Vick no respect as a QB and that’s not just the falcons coaching staff but the so call commentators of the NFL. Dick Vermil did not give Vick any credit but praised Romo!!!!

By Forever_UGA

December 18, 2006 12:46 PM | Link to this

Glad to see that the Falcons are grooming Hall to be the next DB with the “Ray Crocket Syndrome”..All mouth and can’t back it up on the field. Pathetic.

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 12:48 PM | Link to this

statman, you clearly can not read. you have to measure the effective production of vick by counting the runs of vick as screen passes he is essentially throwing to himself. if you actually read, you would know that. brees has made a career of looking for gates, receiver, then dump to LT and then look for colston, horn and then dump to Bush and Deuce just the same way YOung and Montana made a career out of looking for Rice and Taylor and then dumping, dumping, dumping to Craig, Watters, Floyd, and Brent Jones their whole careers. The thing is with Vick’s talent, he looks for Alge, looks for a receiver and then dumps a screen pass to himself when he scrambles because as a screen pass receiver of sorts he is very much as talented as LT and Reggie Bush. How do you not understand that? IS this all over your little head? Is your mind too closed up for that sort of analysis? Thus, when you add his runs to his pass stats, you see that his overall effective production is exactly similar to most of the guys you want to say he is not as good as. AGAIN, take the runs add them to the pass, take the rushing yards add them to the passing yards, take the passing touchdown and add them to the rushing rouchdowns, take the interceptions and add them to the fumbles lost and you will see what I am talking about and you will see that his stats as explained in great boring detail by myself up above are striking similar to many QBs you say he is not as good as. BUT keep relying on traditional stats if that is all your closed mind will permit you. I know you will say that makes no sense. But I guess you would say that in basketball that it does not make sense to take 3 point % and field goal %, crunch the two numbers together and figure out what the effective adjusted field goal percentage of the 3 point shooter is. DIG A LITTLE DEEPER CLOSED MINDED STAT MAN.

By Randy Duncan

December 18, 2006 12:48 PM | Link to this

THE PROBLEM WITH THE FALCONS STARTS AT THE TOP BLANK WHO OWNS THE TEAM NEEDS TO TAKE HIS OLD A* UP IN THE PRESS BOX AND STAY OFF THE FIELD.THEN RICH MCKAY HAS MADE TRADES THAT PUT THEM WAY OVER IN THE SALARY CAP AND THEN SIGNING A QB WHO HASN’T YET EARNED A LONG TERM CONTRACT YOU GIVE HIM MONEY BRADY AND MANNING GET WHO HAVED PROVED THIER WORTH.THIS ORGANIZATION IS NO BETTER THAN WHEN THE SMITHS HAD IT .AT LEAST HIS OLD A* WULDN’T COME DOWN TO THE SIDELINE

By GODAWGZ

December 18, 2006 12:49 PM | Link to this

When are people going to learn. Lets be realistic. If you fire your coach in the NFL everytime they have a bad year or even two bad years back to back chances are you are going to have a big turnover in that dept. Look at Cower for the Steelers, he has been coaching them for how long? Like 15 years or something like that. He has had bad years and good years, but they stuck with him and won the Super Bowl last year. Firing the coach has never worked for the Falcons before so why do it again???? Can someone please answer that?

By Forever_UGA

December 18, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this

errrrrrrrrrrr. Ray Buchanan…… Like I care anyway. You get my point :)

By John

December 18, 2006 12:55 PM | Link to this

1. Mora and his staff are gone. Maybe the sooner the better. The guy is in over his head. He’s immature and it’s evident his boss’ high profile undermines his authority with the players.

2. It’s crucial the Falcons hire a proven commodity to coach this crew. And they need a head guy who’s flexible enough to succeed with the talent on hand and not re-invent the wheel. Their franchise players ain’t getting any younger and they can’t afford to spend two years on a learning curve for a new system.

3. A coach with instant credibility borne of pro-level success is mandatory. An audacious (i.e. expensive) move is needed. Pry Belichick away from the Pats, Weiss from ND, whatever it takes.

4. The Falcons won’t get such a coach unless Arthur Blank assumes a less conspicuous profile with the day-to-day operations of the team. Think about this Mr. Blank: do you think any of the players would give you the time of day if you weren’t signing their paychecks? You’re an accomplished international businessman and a leader in the Atlanta community. Why the heck do you need to hang around with a bunch of self-centered jocks anyway?

By drmojo

December 18, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this

Anyone who wonders why Vick haters are considered racist, check the consistent use of the word “thug” with a man who has never been arrested, never been in trouble with the law, never violated sportsmanship, and has only had one ill-thought out incident which he immediately and personally apologized for twice.

Schaub was arrested for a bar brawl in college, yet no one has called him a thug.

Jake Plummer fired birds at the crowd ( not just an individual) and he was never called a thug.

“Thug” has become the new buzz word for black athletes that the user of the word does not like.

Sean Taylor is a thug. Bill Romanowski was a thug. Chris Henry is a thug. Tank Johnson is a thug. Marcus Vick can be considered a thug. Kyle Turley is a thug. Albert Haynesworth is a thug. Carmelo Anthony is a thug.

Michael Vick is in no way shape or form a thug. He is a black QB with cornrows who likes hip hop and is not well-spoken.

By R.E. H.

December 18, 2006 12:57 PM | Link to this

The only thing that seems remotely logical is that Mora knew he was on the way out and was trying to throw his hat into the ring for his next paycheck. The rest was desperation.

By Tim

December 18, 2006 12:59 PM | Link to this

sissy moore, if someone should be booted for poor performance, you, mike vick and the whole receving squad of the falcons shall ride out on the same train!

By drmojo

December 18, 2006 12:59 PM | Link to this

Anyone who wonders why Vick haters are considered racist, check the consistent use of the word “thug” with a man who has never been arrested, never been in trouble with the law, never violated sportsmanship, and has only had one ill-thought out incident which he immediately and personally apologized for twice.

Schaub was arrested for a bar brawl in college, yet no one has called him a thug. Jake Plummer fired birds at the crowd ( not just an individual) and he was never called a thug.

“Thug” has become the new buzz word for black athletes that the user of the word does not like.

Sean Taylor is a thug. Bill Romanowski was a thug. Chris Henry is a thug. Tank Johnson is a thug. Marcus Vick can be considered a thug. Kyle Turley is a thug. Albert Haynesworth is a thug. Carmelo Anthony is a thug.

Michael Vick is in no way shape or form a thug. He is a black QB with cornrows who likes hip hop and is not well-spoken.

What would make Warrick Dunn a thug? Corn Rows, or slightly larger gold chains?

By Corey

December 18, 2006 01:00 PM | Link to this

See ya later MORA… Good Riddens JERK!!!

By Tyrone Willingham

December 18, 2006 01:04 PM | Link to this

If the Atlanta Falcons job ever opened up, and I think Mora is doing a fine job, but if it ever opened up, I’d be at the friggin’ front of the line with my resume in my hand.

I wouldn’t care if I was in the middle of playing in the Poinsettia Bowl versus TCU, I’d pack my bags and move to Atlanta.

By Tony

December 18, 2006 01:06 PM | Link to this

Same ole Falcons…Jim Mora was never the right choice for for HEAD COACH of the Falcons anyway. He should have been fired on Friday for his comments…

And by the way, or defense played horribly on Saturday night. Allen Rossum is a liability at corner. D.Hall needs work on the fundamentals.

By Observations

December 18, 2006 01:11 PM | Link to this

I was at the game and from the looks of it Vick is not the problem. I agree with those who feel Mora is not a very good coach. The team has an extreme lack of discipline which is Mora’s fault.

Sure it was totally punk and biatch like for T.O. to spit on Deangelo Hall, but Deangelo should spend more time concentrating on coverage than trash talking if he is getting beat like that. Addressing this is Mora’s job.

Using Vick as a running back was stupid. Subjecting your franchise QB to the risk of taking the hits a running back takes is sensless. There is a big difference in the punishment a player takes between scrambling durring a break down of the pocket and trying to hit gaps in the line like a running back.

Considering everytime the formation was used the entire defense keyed on Vick, it did not look like the formation fooled anyone.

By NAJEH, BIRDDAWG, DIRRTYBYRD, MADDENKING '07 CAMPAIGN

December 18, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this

YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY: I SAY THAT THEY SHOULD HIRE BIRDDAWG AS THE HEAD COACH, NAJEH DAVENPOOP AS THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, MADDENKING AS THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, AND DIRRTYBYRD AS THE GM. THAT WOULD SOLVE ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS. THEY KNOW MORE THAN EVERYONE. MAYBE KEN STRICKLAND CAN BE THE TEAM PRESIDENT WHILE WE ARE AT IT. BOOTS CAN BE THE QB COACH. WHO ELSE IS LOOKING FOR A JOB?!?!?! LET STRICKLAND AND BYRD KNOW. THEY JUST MIGHT HIRE YOU - THERE WILL BE CERTAIN QUALIFICATIONS WHICH DISQUALIFY MANY OF YOU OF COURSE;)

By GODAWGZ

December 18, 2006 01:25 PM | Link to this

Everybody wanted to get rid of coach Reeves because he was old and outdated and Yada Yada. That was a great idea huh??

By CQ

December 18, 2006 01:32 PM | Link to this

Question?

Why didn’t the Defensive players try to knock T.O. out every chance they got in that game. If someone spits on your teamate you try to take them out every chance you get.

A real team does that. do you think if that were the Baltimore Ravens. Ray Lewis would have let that slide????

By Mal Moore

December 18, 2006 01:36 PM | Link to this

Dear Mr. Jim Mora Jr.,

The Washington Huskies don’t need a head football coach but I do know of a college that does. Considering nobody wants this job, we would love for you to have it. You will be replacing a coach who had a winning record despite the team being under some of the harshest sanctions in NCAA history with the death penalty being the only thing worse.

You see due to the school’s boosters, administration and fans unrealistic expectations, we fired him because he didn’t win any SEC or national titles.

Now with the coaching position being a shell of what it once was, nobody wants the job including the coachof Central Florida. So if you want it Jim Mora Jr., the job is yours.

By R N Atlanta

December 18, 2006 01:36 PM | Link to this

Take it from a tried and true Bengals fan, I went through this crap first hand…

Sam Wyche (good coach) got run out of Cincy and it was 15 years of losing we all had to endure. PS - I moved to another town!

Thank god for Marvin Lewis’ arrival!

Dan Reeves (good coach) got run out of town in Atlanta, i.e. - fired.

Mora is no Marvin Lewis…

next coach please.

Atlanta fans, I don’t envy what’s ahead for you.

Go Bengals!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Tom

December 18, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

CQ, I don’t think most of D-Hall’s teammates knew what had happened. Alge said he didn’t find out until he got home and saw it on TV.

By StatMan

December 18, 2006 01:43 PM | Link to this

Reverend run,

You’re a fool. Anyone that adds in running attempts into passing stats is a moron. What a desperate attempt at spin. No point in waisting my time with your idiotic reasoning, as you don’t have a clue. Good day putz.

By Non-Vick Fan

December 18, 2006 01:44 PM | Link to this

After 6-7 Seasons of being the worst QB in the League, I think we should keep the Coach and send Vick away. We have a running game and good receivers and an excellent coaching staff. Why get rid of 15-20-30 people over a QB who has no anticipation, knows maybe 2 plays and can’t see the open man- ever.

He’s a coach killer and team killer.

By jay

December 18, 2006 01:44 PM | Link to this

b. Most overrated coverman in the NFL: DeAngelo Hall. From Si.com Plz take off that 21` cuz u aint Deion!!!

By James

December 18, 2006 01:44 PM | Link to this

Why are you “punks” crying about Mike Vick taking himself out of the game with 2 minutes left? You’ve been whining about seeing Matt Schaub for 4 years……you got your 2 minutes and you see what happened…an interception!!

Matt Schaub hasn’t proven SH&T in 4 years. You punks just want to see a white boy playing QB…..after we trade his azz in a couple of months you can move with him!!

By Play that funky music whiteboy

December 18, 2006 01:45 PM | Link to this

I have been saying since the day they hired Mora that he was the wrong guy for this job. I know what Arthur Blank was trying to do, but this team and our superstar QB needs a Vermeil/Parcells/Weis type personality. Michael Vick would be an unstoppable force on a team with a coach whom he truly respected and even feared, just a little bit.

Mora, just like every other member I’ve ever known of the “lucky sperm club” has no business being in the position he’s in - and if his name was Jim Smith, he never would have gotten the job in the first place. The day Blank fires him will be a great day.

By Play that funky music whiteboy

December 18, 2006 01:49 PM | Link to this

CQ - Ray Ray would have had his boys stab TO! You’re right!

By Brandon

December 18, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this

I may be in the minority here, but I say we keep Jim Mora. I think he’s a good coach; I wouldn’t say he’s a great coach. But he has put the Falcons in a position to make the playoffs 3 straight years, and he took us to an NFC title game. If the Falcons could find a way to win a couple more games between November and December, there would be a whole lot less complaining. I know the finishes to last season and this season are disapointing, but it happens in sports. It could be worse, we could be the Raiders or Texans, which is what the Falcons used to be.

By Non-Vick Fan

December 18, 2006 01:54 PM | Link to this

whatever James…

Vick sux We coulda had Drew Brees and kept half of the team…

Do you actually watch some of the other QG’s in the League? They may not be faster or more elusive but this lack of “Wheels” actually makes them better because they see everything that Vick doesn’t… Instead of any anticipation or vision, Vick does his drop and scans and plans on running away… If he did not have that ability, he would have had his last game against FSU in which they killed him… he should go play with his criminal Brother somewhere… he has had his day here…

By SCBird

December 18, 2006 01:55 PM | Link to this

Mr. Blank,

Can you please get Mike Martz on the phone before someone else does?

By Matthew

December 18, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this

Mora, just like every other member I’ve ever known of the “lucky sperm club” has no business being in the position he’s in - and if his name was Jim Smith, he never would have gotten the job in the first place. The day Blank fires him will be a great day.

I totally agree. It is just like that incomeptant president G.W. Bush. At least nobody is dead yet due to Mora’s incompetance….well at least not yet.

By mo

December 18, 2006 02:08 PM | Link to this

When I saw the game on the NFL network, I also saw DeAngelo Hall screaming and flailing his arms to Mora. D-Hall’s helmet was off, and I guess he was explaining to Mora that TO spit in his face.

Mora’s reaction looked like he was talking to some kid who is making up a story. Mora drew his chin in, and looked at Hall out out of the side of his face, as if to say “Are you serious? C’mon…”

In other words, I do not think anyone from the Falcons actually believed Hall when he said that TO spit in his face. If they did, they would have done something about it.

By Vick needs to go

December 18, 2006 02:11 PM | Link to this

Vick is the greatest running Quarterback of all time. Now if we only had the greatest throwing running back, we might have a decent offense.

Vick is not and will not become a franchise team player. He is the most exciting and predictable player in the NFL. He is too scared to throw, so he runs and everyone hoots at what a great player he is. Yet he fumbles the ball so often and kills drives that he should be given a permanent seat on the bench.

We have placed all of our hopes on a one-hit wonder. Time to find a quarterback of quality and of class.

By Tonya

December 18, 2006 02:17 PM | Link to this

Mora, while you and Knapp are packing PLEASE take the conditioning coach(s) with you!! This team has the MOST nagging injuries in the HISTORY of football.

And to you wuzzies who think Mike quit at the end of the game…CRACK IS WHACK!! I bet you idiots wouldn’t know how to put on a jockstrap!! You probably pull a hamstring getting out of bed.

By Gary

December 18, 2006 02:19 PM | Link to this

Since all Vick wants to do is run the ball, what’s the big deal about him playing tailback. Until Vick learns to stay in the pocket like Peyton Manning and the other greats, he (and the Falcons) are going no where. Nobody wants a rushing quarterback. Starr, Unitas, Merino, all your great quarterbacks stayed in the pocket and read off defenders and threw the ball. When you get rid of baby face Mora, get rid of “restless leg syndrome” Vick as well.

By Bruce

December 18, 2006 02:22 PM | Link to this

Geez! Is everyone one on here an expert at coaching, management, and ownership? What do you do for a living? There’s a reason for that ya know. Please do not publically criticize the ownership, management, or coaching staff unless you have the credentials to back it up. Save that chatter for the pub. If we were winning and headed to the playoffs with the same ownership, same management, and same coaching staff calling the same plays, you guys would be the very ones prasing them for being geniuses.

“Better a man thing you a fool than you open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

By Mark

December 18, 2006 02:22 PM | Link to this

The Klan is alive and well….I wish some of you would remove your hoods and come to the Swats and say the same things you are saying now..PUNKS.lol!!

By JW

December 18, 2006 02:23 PM | Link to this

Mora is but 1/3 of the problem as long as he takes Vick with him; you will never have a good coach here as long as Vick and Mr. HomeDepot are connected to this team;

By SC Bird

December 18, 2006 02:25 PM | Link to this

“Since all Vick wants to do is run the ball, what’s the big deal about him playing tailback. Until Vick learns to stay in the pocket like Peyton Manning and the other greats, he (and the Falcons) are going no where. Nobody wants a rushing quarterback. Starr, Unitas, Merino, all your great quarterbacks stayed in the pocket and read off defenders and threw the ball. When you get rid of baby face Mora, get rid of “restless leg syndrome” Vick as well.”

Peyton Manning? Please. Has his, “staying in the pocket” really gotten him any further in the playoffs than Vick? Really, look it up. I’m interested in hearing the comparison…..

By Pops

December 18, 2006 02:26 PM | Link to this

Gary move your punk azz to Indy. Peyton has the same number of rings as Mike Vick…ZERO!! Passing for 300-400 yds don’t mean nothing when you p** in your pants in the playoffs.

By Reverend Run Is Full of Crap

December 18, 2006 02:30 PM | Link to this

Reverend Run is full of crap. Why don’t you just makeup a bunch of stats for Vick, oh that’s right you did. Vick’s stats even over a 16 game season aren’t even close to what you put down. Just like most, you have to lie to justify Vick.

By ES

December 18, 2006 02:30 PM | Link to this

Bring back Dan to coach!

Maybe Mora should talk to ‘Bama about their open college coach position.

By victordome

December 18, 2006 02:39 PM | Link to this

Hey, good job. I am with you all the way DrJay, great supporter and true fans stick together, if u don’t support the Falcon, then farewell ,

By KJill

December 18, 2006 02:51 PM | Link to this

With all the analyses and the seriousness of this blog (I’m a Falcons fan, and I’m hurting too after Saturday night) Sam’s comment (Dec 14, 8:14 pm)was the one that made me laugh out real loud, made me feel better, and sums up Mora - his medication ain’t quite right … Sorry for what I’m about to say Defense, but is it just me, or did it seem like our Defense needed more Gator Aide and No Doz in the 3rd and 4th quarter - appears they were worn out and just took a nap while the game was still in progress…

By John Lovelace

December 18, 2006 02:51 PM | Link to this

By CQ

December 18, 2006 02:56 PM | Link to this

Gary, The reasons those QB’s stayed in the pocket was because they had no choice. They were slowwwwwwwwwww. Manning can’t avoid a rush if his life depended on it.

Also the spead of the NFL today is much faster than 30 years ago.

By Tom Pridemore

December 18, 2006 02:58 PM | Link to this

Pray to the Almighty that TN let Jeff Fisher walk…

Why hasn’t one NFL Coach, GM, or Owner approached the Falcons with a 1st or 2nd round pick if for Matt Schaub if is as good as some of the people on this board thinks?

Why is MV’s trade value greater than MS if MS is better than MV?

The only QBs that are currently playing to win a Superbowl is BR, TB, BF, KW, and BJ. So, does that mean the rest of the QBs in the NFL are average or below average QBs because they haven’t won a Superbowl?

Should the other teams in the NFL trade their starting QBs because they haven’t won a Superbowl?

Is winning a Superbowl an individual award or a team award?

Since Payton Manning hasn’t won a Superbowl does he deserve his contract?

Why is a QB’s rushing yard not apart of a QB’s rating?

Mac your logic is missing the FACT that the NFL, NBA, and MBL all refused to allow Black people to play the sport. So you will have alot of SB winner with white QBs, RB, OL, DL etc.. If you did your history you will learn that in several cases a white QB was playing when the Black backup QB was better (one example: TB and JG in Pittsburg). Also, to answer your NBA question with a question… How many white player where on the team? Also, if the team had as many white player would fight still happened? So what you are saying is that Dan Marino isn’t a great QB because he didn’t win a SB? What about Jim Kelly? What about Dan Fouts? What about Warren Moon?

Lets stick to sports and your personal view out of the comments. If you don’t like Vick, Schaub or Mora fine but keep it sports related.

By JohnGTFan

December 18, 2006 03:04 PM | Link to this

It’s funny how people are agreeing with TMoore. All he did was write an article that the entire city of Atlanta, and the NFL already knows…Mora should be fired ASAP. But I guess when you’re as awful at writing as Moore, you’ll take what you can get.

By mo

December 18, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this

T.O. was fined $35,000? Is that true??

Also, did someone say that Mike Singletary is looking to get into coaching? Not a fit here, but uh, Mike Holmgren might be. Word on the street is that he’s trying to get out of Seattle.

By JohnGTFan

December 18, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this

I personally would not care to see Reeves come back…he did get us to a superbowl…but his time has well passed. There are a number of good candidates…but someone I would enjoy seeing get a shot at defensive coordinator is Jon Tenuda at GT. Yes, I’m biased, but he has a great defensive mind, and I believe he could really help this defense…not to mention light a fire under their *. He’s not afraid to get on anyone. You don’t see it on TV because he’s in the booth…but during practice, he’s a no-nonsense guy…whether you’re a star or not.

By JohnGTFan

December 18, 2006 03:12 PM | Link to this

T.O. got fined 35K…no suspension

By mo

December 18, 2006 03:18 PM | Link to this

Yep, you heard it here first:

TO was fined $35,000 for spitting on D-Hall’s face.

No suspension…

By Randy Chicken

December 18, 2006 03:20 PM | Link to this

Wow. For all of the going back and forth about Mora’s incompetence, does anyone remember Vick’s comments after the game about breaking the rushing record? It didn’t seem like he was upset about losing at all.

He said something about that record being his main career goal (don’t quote me). How about making your career goal winning a Super Bowl, Michael?

As a Falcon fan for as long I knew what football was, I have to say that I hate all of the racist comments on here. It clouds the issue.

The bottomg line is that neither Vick nor Mora has a committment to winning. Mora apparently has one foot out the door, Vick is apparently interested in selling #7 jerseys.

In all of these years that I suffered through with the Falcons, I have seen uniform changes, gimmicks (Gritz Blitz, Dirty Bird anyone?), bad draft picks - basically just marketing ploys. Does anyone in the ATL care about fielding a decent team? Another year of mediocrity. Thanks, Mr. Blank.

Too bad there isn’t a Darryl Strawberry-type guy in the NFL to say, “Atlanta will never be a football town”. Maybe that would light a fire under our collective butts.

By CQ

December 18, 2006 03:21 PM | Link to this

The Falcons do not need another coach the wants to run a West Cost offense or a coach that believes in zone blocking. Thats the problem we have now.

By Gary

December 18, 2006 03:22 PM | Link to this

Okay, wiseguy, I looked it up, and you can to, by googling QB stats. Vick is not even in the top ten—did you get that. Manning is in the top five. That’s bull crap that QBs are no longer staying in the pocket. The fact of the matter is: the good ones are staying in the pocket—that’s why they’re good. I just watched Jeff Garcia stay in the pocket all night the other night and watched him beat the GIants. He threw one interception—his first in 170 throws. Even Vick can’t match that. Get over this race defending thing, guys, For God’s sake, even Tarkington finally threw the freakin’ ball, and he was the best scambler around. One of these days Vick’s going to get hurt from running the ball, and when he’s moaning on the sidelines with his foot stove up, he can then watch what a quarterback can accomplish by staying in the pocket.

By ET

December 18, 2006 03:26 PM | Link to this

To summarize all of the above…Atlanta without Terence Moore and Jim Mora would be a better sports town.

By Cap

December 18, 2006 03:29 PM | Link to this

Good afternoon. Did any of the Vick haters see Matt Schaub’s body language when he entered the game when Vick went out? Usually, the back up is bouncing on his toes throwing warm up passes with his chest out and a look on his face like “I’m going to show these coaches I should have been out there all along!” Schaub, on the other hand, was quiet and looked sullen like he really did not want to go back out. Vick is not a coward, neither is Schaub. They are two actually good QBs who know the coaching staff is moronic and the receiving corps/offensive line units leave a lot to be desired in the way of helping out the QB. Schaub haters will point to the interception he threw at the end. It was actually a well thrown ball to the back of the end zone where only his receiver should have been able to get it or the pass fall incomplete. Because Falcons WRs generally have ZERO ability to get position and do not fight for balls, of course the pass was intercepted. Vick has been dealing with this all year and Schaub just got a taste, like he knew he would when he dejectedly entered the game. Vick haters, SCHAUB DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE VICK’S PLACE!!! Some of you act like Falcons QB is one of the most desired positions in the league. If you recall, before Vick we were playing with the castoffs of other teams, most notably the Indianapolis Colts because no one else wanted the job. Schaub is in practice every day and he knows why the Falcons are last in the league in passing yardage and it’s not because of Vick. Schaub knows his value to the league and as a free agent and he does not want to get crunched behind a sorry O-line before he has a chance to take his #8 jersey and replace one of the other “Crazy 8s” in the league (Kitna, Grossman, Carr, Hasselbeck) as a free agent. So you Vick haters are right, you will be in Atlanta p** when Schaub is going deep into the playoffs with Chicago while you’re stuck with QB that has gone to the Pro Bowl in every full season that he has played using all of his ability to sidestep 3-man pass rushes and overcoming the inadequacies of his substandard team. Sorry haters, Schaub does not want to preside over this motley crew nor does he want to be elevated in status in a sorry sports town just because he is white. Those aren’t the kind of perks pro football players are looking for. They want chicks, not to lead the Southern hillbilly white power movement against inner city stadiums. And no, no other three (soon to be four) time Pro Bowl quarterback wants to come in here and take Vick’s place. Why would they? But don’t worry, Schaub will get his chance to lead the crew next week. Worst case scenario for Schaub, “I lose but everybody knows the Falcons suck”. Best case scenario, “I win and use the exposure to catapult myself into a high priced free agent acquisition”. Whatever happens, I just hope he’s wearing a cup.

By Rob

December 18, 2006 03:34 PM | Link to this

Terance you’re funny because, if Mora was black you would have written about all the positives he has done and how he is the best coach for the job. You really don’t have a clue. You’re no better than Bortz always trying to stir up crap instead of putting together good and accurate stories.

By David

December 18, 2006 03:50 PM | Link to this

The Falcons play calling is absolutely atrotious. What happened when the Falcons had 4th down and one when they were at Dallas’ 37 yard line. When you have a 4th and 40 it is obviously a passing situation. But conversely when all you need is ONE yard to get a first down, why are you passing the football. My next question is what distance of yardage requires a running situation. Is it when you have less than a foot or when you simply have inches to go? These coaches are so stupid and they are not helping Vick out at all in those situations. Vick is simply running plays that the coaches are sending in. If your coaches don’t have confidence in the running backs for them to get them one yard, they need to get rid of those backs and bring in somebody who you do have confidence in. I remember last year we had T.J. Duckett was in those short yardage situations and he responded by getting more than 10 rushing touchdowns for us. I think we really miss T.J. this year and I wish we had him for those short yardage situations. Obviously we have no faith in Norwood, Dunn and Griffith to get us one lousy yard. That is ridiculous. We’re losing games because of poor coaching decisions and I think the present coaching staff needs to be fired immediately.

By Cap

December 18, 2006 03:58 PM | Link to this

Many of you haters should read the Jones article about Vick on ESPN.com. He is a hater too but even he admits Vick’s stats compare favorably to Terry Bradshaw’s. And they also compare favorably to Bob Griese’s. Both of those teams had two (or more) backs capable of going over 1000 yards. Tarkenton and Staubach were also exceedingly mobile. How does Vick differ? Those teams had some of the all-time great defenses. I wish a lot of the black people on this blog would stop getting sucked in by these stupid remarks by racists. In the free agency era, there are two types of successful QBs. These two phenotypes were on display in the Rams/Titans Super Bowl here in Atlanta. You either have an exceedingly mobile dynamic black QB that gets drafted high, is so successful so early that the team never drafts high again, the team continues to suck, but this quarterback is good enough to keep taking his team to the playoffs until they get beat in the playoffs by an actual team. This brings us to the second type of QB that always wins the super bowl in the modern, free agent era. This QB is white, is generally a free agent cast off or was signed essentially off of the street. Sometimes this QB has had character flaws or ability issues that made him impossible to keep with the previous team(s) that had him so he’s come cheap. If he was drafted, he had severe flaws that caused his stock to drop precipitously on draft day. His defenses are stellar and his offensive unit can do it all and could have feasibly been an unbeatable dynasty if the QB was marginally better. You will see both QB phenotypes play out with vince young and tony romo if you haven’t recognized the phenotypes already. Was Kurt Warner a good QB? Absolutely not. The moment he left the Rams it was obvious why he was bagging groceries. Is Tom Brady a good QB? the Miami Dolphins, unlike 30 other teams, seem to repeatedly demonstrate why he is not that good. If Brady ever has the occasion to be forced out of New England everyone will remember why he lasted until the 7th round. But haters, the Mannings, Carson Palmer, David Carr, and all of the other 1st round pocket passers have not won a Super Bowl either except Roethlisberger (see why Ben is the exception below). More often then not, these first round pocket passers get cast out of the league or let go by their original teams within a few years. So Vick is doing everything he can. But when it is all said and done, Vick, Manning, and Palmer will all be sitting at home while the Super Bowl teams are quarterbacked by Romo and Rivers. I thought Rivers might be too good to go to the big one because he was such a high draft pick but last night’s performance against the Chiefs demonstrated why he was never able to beat out Drew Brees and that he is perfectly capable of a Roethlisbergeresque meltdown that forces the strengths of the Chargers to play even better because the QB sucks. BenBurgers has the worst Super Bowl performance ever and has been able to get along in the league because he has significantly more mobility than the typical white first round QB draftee. So San Diego could still go to the Super Bowl even with Schottenheimer as coach. Unbelieveable.

By Cap

December 18, 2006 03:59 PM | Link to this

No, if Mora was black he would not have gotten the job at all or got fired after a year like Ray Rhodes in Green Bay.

By Mike Gansey

December 18, 2006 04:14 PM | Link to this

Mora is a bad coach because he is too dumb to realize that he has a better qb sitting on the bench.

By Cap

December 18, 2006 04:18 PM | Link to this

If you don’t win it on the field you should get fired. But the study has already been done how aggregately black head coaches have a higher winning percentage than their white counterparts. White coaches get second chances that black ones don’t. Except for Art Shell.

By Falcon4LIfe

December 18, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this

TRADE VICK NOW!!!!

I’ve been a Falcon fan for over 35 years and I’m tired of the treatment of M. Vick. Please trade Vick, no matter the salary cap implications. Just trade him NOW!!! I am willing to unselfishly go back to the time when the Clampetts (Smiths) owned the Falcons and we were mired in 2-16, 3-13, 4-12 seasons year after year. Yeah, that’s it. Lets go back to our glory days of Billie Joe Tolliver, David Archer, Chris Miller & Crystal Chandelier as our QB’s that led us to the “promised land” annually. Get Vick out NOW!! Make sure you trade him to another team in the NFC South so that we can boo him incessantly TWICE a year when his teams visits. So what if they plaster our *sses each year. We will be rid of our problem. WE ARE THE REDNECKS OF GEORGIA. Proud to cheer losers. We’ve cheered and idolized users for as long as we can remember. We cheered that ragtag band of rednecks, the confederacy, even after they got their @sses handed to them. We’ve even reveled in the fact that we are descendants of the great terrorist organization, the confederacy (really no different than Al-Quaida and they killed more Americans annually than any 9-11 terrorist). Now our favorite pasttime is hating anyone who beats us at our own National pasttime, NASCAR. As long as one of the good ole boys win, we’re in heaven for 1 full week. Oh, but let one of those California boys or Jeff Gordon win a race (or God forbid, the season championship) and we despair until another D. Earnhart clone crashes someone on their last lap and wins. TRADE VICK NOW!!!! Don’t refurbish the Georgia Dome. Move the Falcons home games to a new stadium in Cumming and that’s what every redneck in the proud state of ga will be doing as they watch the game with a white QB in the white-est metro county, Forsyth.

BUT ALAS, this will never happen. Because A. Blank is one of the most inspiring entrepreneurs in our country’s history (and a friggin Jew. He is the best owner the Falcons have ever had. He sees the value in his new company (The Falcons) and will trim the fat away. Ladies and rednecks, M. Vick is not fat but Jim Mora is. Maybe you can get one of your redneck Billionaires to buy a NFL team and run it like you so desire. But I doubt it because you just don’t find a lot of billionaires that happen to be rednecks (kind of makes you think, doesn’t it).

By joe mama

December 18, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this

This is to Don Johnson….you seem to be a typical member of the media, can’t seem to get your facts straight so you use a bunch of incorrect facts mush em up together and write an incorrect sensational piece of crap. First of all Jim mora Jr. NEVER played ball in south jersey, that was his youngest brother stephen, who was in fact a scolarship athlete, and did in fact go on to play at the nationally ranked (at the time) u of w. second Jim mora jr. was a WALK-ON at the u.w., after attending Interlake high school in Bellevue, WA. Through hard work and determination he earned a spot as a starter and played in the rose bowl. So who exactly is this “prince Valiant” you speak of? nice work sportswriter….How are we supposed to respect any of the sportswriters out there with you as a representative…but alas, you are the perfect example of what starts to happen when facts go unchecked, sound bites become sensationalized out of context, and losers like yourself who live pathetic lives turn on people with real ones.

By Matthew

December 18, 2006 05:02 PM | Link to this

Atlanta should fire Mora and hire Danny White as their head coach. He learned under one of te all-time greats in Tom Landry (just like Reeves) and he is a proven winner. I also think his knowledge of the high scorring offensive strategies use in the arena leagues could turn Vick into the next Curt Warner when Warner was the QB of “The Greatest Show On Turf”.

Sure the Falcon “fans” would complain about it first but once they started winning it would be all good.

By BJohnDawg

December 18, 2006 05:08 PM | Link to this

You might be able to run a reverse or a halfback pass every once in a while…but…Teams dont get to and win Super Bowls playing college gimmick football.

You dont have to be a head coach in the NFL to know that, but it seems you can be a head coach or assistant coach n the NFL to ignore it.At least in Atlanta.

Why does Atlanta lose? Has nothing to do with MV. IT has to do with the play calling.Pure and Simple.

By Vic

December 18, 2006 05:08 PM | Link to this

I seem to remember a headline that read “Vick The Savior of Atlanta Sports!!” Yeah Right. The one that needs to go is Vick not Mora. Don’t use Mora as the scapegoat. We all know what the real issue is here, but no one wants to come out and say it.

By Matthew

December 18, 2006 05:09 PM | Link to this

…but alas, you are the perfect example of what starts to happen when facts go unchecked, sound bites become sensationalized out of context, and losers like yourself who live pathetic lives turn on people with real ones.

Don Johnson will become the White House Press Secretary and/or join FOX News?

By Teggiebussa

December 18, 2006 05:10 PM | Link to this

Owens should have received $35,000 fine and 1 game suspension. Oh well, maybe next time! Even if the Falcons end the season 9-7, Mora & Knapp need to be fired. Make it happen Mr. Blank!

By E. Hollis

December 18, 2006 05:35 PM | Link to this

What with that pass with fourth and three yards to go, if you don’t trust your o-line to get you three yards, then you need to go shopping.

By Brian Pastor

December 18, 2006 05:35 PM | Link to this

Mora is gone. No questions about it. The radio interview, the “coach killer” comment, the consistent mediocre performance, the QB-receiver failure to connect, the underwhelming record, the STUPID gaffs by the coach (come on - there is NO misinterpreting that radio show transcript!!!) - In fact the radio transcript looked like deliberate professional suicide by Mora.

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 18, 2006 05:40 PM | Link to this

Why is it so hard for people to just appreciate that we have two good quarterbacks? Not a lot of teams have that luxury. We have the most talented player in the league, and a pretty good QB, as our starter. We have a pretty solid QB as our backup. Just because you like Vick doesn’t mean you have to hate Schaub, and vice versa. Me personally, I’m happy that we have 3 talented and effective QBs on this roster, and I’m glad the right one is currently starting.

Unfortunately, we compensate for having 3 good QBs by having 0 good coaches.

By Al Goldstein

December 18, 2006 05:42 PM | Link to this

Terrence I normally don’t agree with your columns as I see racial overtones in almost every opinion. This time I take my hat off to you no overtones and hitting the problem on your first snap. Jim Mora Jr, nice personable guy immature in his everyday coaching phiosophy, believes good friends will carry him thru and does’nt recognize the inability of his coordenators to bring out the the true abilities of his athletes He must go with them or Mr Mckay now that his mind isn’t on the commissioners job gets him straightend out and they make the moves on the staff. The Falcons have never had such a capable team and its going down the drain This team can be a wionner with a few moves but not with most of the staff. Vick is a great performer but with the calls he is wasted. How about him adding a flanker spot to his resume. Lets not let him rot in the nest and we loose our back up too as he is probaly as good as most starters and better than any we can pickup later Merry Christmas

By A White Person

December 18, 2006 06:01 PM | Link to this

Funny, I am white and I never see any racism in Mr. Moore’s articles. I do see racism in a lot of people’s replies to Mr. Moore though.

I also see a lot of people saying they hate Mr. Moore claiming that he is the one who is racist.

I feel a lot of people claim Mr. Moore is a “racist” because they might disagree with his opinions in an article. I feel they play the “racist” card because they lack the skills and the actual facts to articulate their opinions as eloquently as Mr. Moore.

Thus they have to resort to the “race” card in a “Limbaugh” type attempt to discredit Mr. Moore since they are unable to counter the facts.

The reason they don’t see any “racism” in this article is because this time they agree with him.

Those people I am referring to need to get over being intimidated so bad by an educated and opinionated black man and to grow the balls to admit they are wrong when proven so by that said educated and opinionated black man.

If you see racism in averything Mr. Moore wrotes, just maybe the problem lies with YOU.

By robert

December 18, 2006 06:18 PM | Link to this

Blank is a buisness man. He is not going to to buy into your B.S. Terrance. While I se changes to Moras staff, I.E. Knapp. I dont expect Mora to leave town . The so called sports writers in this town need to build a relationship with there home town teams instead of trashing them every chance they get. Then maybe they might get some real sporting news to right about. YOU GUYS ARE PATHETIC…..

By Falcon4LIfe

December 18, 2006 06:19 PM | Link to this

Stand by, “A White Person”. The floodgates are about to open.

By Terry

December 18, 2006 07:05 PM | Link to this

I Haven’t watched a game since Vickie got promoted to first string QB, whats the big deal about his playing his real postion? He’s a freaking RB people get over it!! A qb has to throw the ball and actually complete most of his passes most most of the time. This isn’t the 60’s and the NFL is not high school ball, you need a leader not a candy A$$.

By Aladawg

December 18, 2006 07:10 PM | Link to this

Mr. Moore, if Vick was white would you be yelling as loud about the coachs who have held him back?

By Football Expert

December 18, 2006 07:33 PM | Link to this

There were players on that field that had more than a groin injury, but then they were trying to win at all costs. It’s past time for Mora and Vick to go. This team will never win a championship with Mora or Vick.

By Voice of Reason

December 18, 2006 07:42 PM | Link to this

How can someone say Vick can read defenses when he can’t audible in the system? So if he’s stuck with a bad play, he’s got to create a to move the ball. Maybe the folks crying for Schaub should talk about specificities and not generalities. For example…ever notice Vick’s passer rating when the offensive line plays well. Here’s a better question for you folks who want Vick out of town…when was the last time one of his linemen went to the Pro Bowl? Now ask yourself about the QB’s that you call “great”. Once you answer that, tell me if Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Ben Rothleisburger, Kurt Warner, Joe Theisman, and Mark Rypien are great QB’s. Last I checked they all have SB rings. Ever notice how the former coaches and players never have the large number of negative things to say about Vick that “Falcons fans” do. Does Vick’s contract equate to the team wins….no. Does his contract equate to the revenue of the franchise….yes. Can we win with him, hmmmmm….let’s see…first team to win a playoff game in Lambeau, NFC championship game, winning record version division foes. Finally, let’s be realistic….when you draft a QB #1 overall, you expect things to get better instantly…they did as we routinely finish the season at .500 or better with Vick as the starter. When we surround him with receivers with hands, pass blockers, and a top 15 defense and he throw’s picks in crucial points in the game…lets get rid of him. Right now, he gets sacked to end games because when the pressure to win games is on, no one player can do it himself. Keep Vick, find someone with enough coaching experience to make him look better than he really is a la Weis/Brady, Payton/Brees, Reid/Garcia who by the way has one of the best lines in football. Guess the Eagles recognize that if you want your QB to stay in the pocket, you’ve gotta put big butts in front of him to keep him off the ground. McNabb bad line=broken leg getting sacked in the pocket. McNabb good line + star receiver+Super Bowl. You tell me………

By Stretch

December 18, 2006 07:44 PM | Link to this

Can’t we just go back to discussin Hee Haw and Moonpies. I miss the good ole days.

By Football Expert

December 18, 2006 07:44 PM | Link to this

Vick is never a fault. It’s the offensive line, it’s the receivers, it’s the coaches, it’s the referees, it’s the game plan, it’s the fans but it is never Vick’s fault. Fourteen games this year and Vick has been decent in three of them. His protectors have to go backa to Greenbay to find a caomeback win. Ninteen straight games he has trafiled after three quarters and could not maount a come back. He is no Montana, no Unitas, no Steve Young, he isn’t even a Phillip Rivers.

By Stretch

December 18, 2006 07:44 PM | Link to this

The Stones just got off tour, I say bring in Keith Richards as OC.

By Drew

December 18, 2006 07:51 PM | Link to this

Who cares about Vicks stats???? Lenny Wilkins is the winningest coach in NBA history, we all know where that stat got the Hawks. Stats dont win games. The bottom line is he will have a LOSING record when he leaves here, as have most Falcon QB’s. He’s good, not great. The rest of the team is awful starting with Burnt Toast big mouth De Hall. 7-9 this year. 5-11 next year……Believe it!!!!!!

By Bill

December 18, 2006 08:14 PM | Link to this

Anyone got a picture of Vick’s Super Bowl Ring?

By trez-paz

December 18, 2006 08:39 PM | Link to this

A different coach, yea, that’s what we need. Blank will get another coach and Vick and company will just make that poor sap look bad too. Playing 50% of your games looking great and the other 50 % looking like you been hanging out way too late in the clubs before game day DOES NOT MAKE YOU GREAT! A coach cannot make players have class and he can’t make them competitive.

By S Hicks

December 18, 2006 08:40 PM | Link to this

Mora and Michael Vick

By Cap

December 18, 2006 08:46 PM | Link to this

I’m with a white guy on this one. Jim Mora is hispanic. WHO CARES ?!? Shouldn’t we be talking about wins here? The reason why blacks on this blog are inquisitive of the Vick bashing is because Atlanta has a history. A divisive history. And a persistent legacy of a white northside and a black southside in general terms. But what makes Atlanta different is that Detroit is racially and geographically divided in the same way. The Lions are also one of the worst franchises in the modern era. But no one I ever met from Detroit, EVER, EVER, EVER questioned the presence of Barry Sanders on that team. Sanders even played with Herman Moore who held the record for the most catches in a single season until Marvin Harrison shattered it. Sanders even played with a QB who was second in the Heisman balloting and had a third string QB who won the Heisman. But there was never a doubt that without Sanders, Detroit was nothing. And that has been proven. Now in the present-day, Vick is the savior of this franchise. Sorry he hasn’t been able to win a championship but you know, the Falcons are just not that good. But he has brought respectability to a franchise that essentially did nothing to deserve it outside of drafting Vick. As I state every week, Atlanta is the worst drafting franchise since at least 1987 after the Tony Casillas draft. Yet, people are calling for Vick to be replaced by Matt Schaub. A move like that would be unparalleled in NFL history. That would be like Indy fans calling for Jim Sorgi because you know, Peyton just can’t win the big one. But that would never happen because you even have Atlanta ‘fans’ defending Peyton and all the while criticizing Vick. They don’t say get Vick a Marvin Harrison, a Reggie Wayne, and a Tony Dungy. They just want Vick gone, and incredulously replaced by Schaub. I wonder why that is?

By Cap

December 18, 2006 08:53 PM | Link to this

OH MY GOD!!! Carson Palmer just made a stupid fumble against the Colts!! Let’s trade him! He’s killing this franchise! We were horrible without him and drafted him number one and he got hurt last year and we haven’t won a super bowl yet! Let’s trade him while we can, we will never win a Super Bowl with him! Let’s put in Anthony Wright! He won games with the Ravens!

Can you imagine Bengals fans doing this on a blog? So Vick haters, imagine how ridiculously stupid you sound when you do it here in Atlanta.

By Cap

December 18, 2006 08:54 PM | Link to this

And if Peyton Manning is so great, how come Vick threw more touchdowns on Saturday than Manning has thrown in the past four games?

By dale in newnan

December 18, 2006 09:05 PM | Link to this

Vick is a wuss. Farve would not of left with a groin tweek. And for you brothers who refuse to see the light. Macnabb played weeks laast year with a broken sternum. Its not racial, he is and will always be an average qb. Iam glad to spit on dhall, it showed us how much he was going to back up all that chatter he spews forth. What a p***.

By JockEwing

December 18, 2006 09:40 PM | Link to this

What we know is, we can improve. Michael Vick our quarterback needs a new coach and we will win the Championship.

We’re looking to next season, looking to make some noise now.

And I wanna kiss Suzy Kolber!!

YEAH!!!

By reverend run

December 18, 2006 10:02 PM | Link to this

terry, you said: I Haven’t watched a game since Vickie got promoted to first string QB, whats the big deal about his playing his real postion? He’s a freaking RB people get over it!! A qb has to throw the ball and actually complete most of his passes most most of the time. This isn’t the 60’s and the NFL is not high school ball, you need a leader not a candy A$$.

terry, you said it yourself, you have not watched a game since 2001, so how the hell do even have an opinion on what vick is or isn’t? that is quite bizarre. it is fine to criticize him but to say you think he is a RB but admit you have never actually seen him start a game, that is friggin ludicrous.

BTW, terry, you have missed alot with the falcons during the last 6 years. during the last six years, you have missed the falcons with their 40% all time winning% (38% without vick), go 9-20 without him starting and 38-26-1 (59.2% winning%) with that so called glorified RB starting. that glorified RB also somehow managed to lead a team with a 4-6 lifetime playoff record in the 35 years prior (2-5 excluding 1998), to a 2-2 playoff record with an appearance in the conference championship game. Kind of amazing isn’t it that a so called glorified RB in the NFL today can somehow lead his team to such a record and to playoff victories and conference championship game appearances? WOW! the NFL today must really suck if a glorified RB can go 38-26-1, right? Go tell the chargers and chiefs to stop being stupid and line up LT and LJ at QB because according to your logic, even a glorified RB can line up at QB in the NFL today and go 38-26-1, 2-2 in the playoffs while his team went 9-20 without him starting, and his team with a slew of prototype QBs before him had only managed to go 212-338-5 (38% winning %) without Mr. Vick, whereas the glorified running back has managed to somehow win 59.2% of his games.

a few idiots chimed in above and said i was making up stats. say what you want. it is a different way to look at things. the stats are not made up at all. the stats are just combined in an intelligent manner. if the ones who want to criticize my stats above were intelligent enough to invest in stocks, they would know what intrinsic value is.

vick’s intrinsic value as measured by effective production stats was merely what was pointed out in my post up above. they were not made up at all. that is what you are so angry about and frustrated with. you see that his overall effectiveness as a QB is not much different than most QBs playing today and all time QBs from the past. you just can not accept that. YOu just want to be lazy and look at his passing stats. AND yes his passing stats are not stellar. BUT his running stats are. AND if you are an intelligent fan who knew how to do math, you would be able to see that his overall effectiveness on total yardage and yards per play is not really that bad. BUT whatever. I can not open up your minds.

Look at the way they crunch a 3 point shooter’s stats in baskebtall to determine his effective adjusted shooting percentage.

Look at the statistical revolution caused by Bill James in the way they determine each player’s overall worth and effectiveness and contribution to a team’s success.

As more and more running QBs come into the league, you will see the stat geeks change how they measure a QB’s rating and effective production. BUT for now there is not enough of them, so you fantasy geeks can keep being lazy and keep relying upon stupid stats like total yards passing and pass completion % and so forth.

for almost 100 years, people just looked at batting average, hrs, rbis, runs scored and thought that measured the success of a baseball player as well. BUT as the years have gone by, intelligent people have started to realize that OBP is more important than batting average and so on and so forth. go buy a bill james type sabermetrician book if you do not understand what I am trying to say.

I am not saying that Vick is a great passer because he is not. But look at his winning % as explained in great boring detail above. How does that winning % come about. From a pure passing statistical standpoint, you wold not think it possible. BUT IF YOU DARE YOURSELF TO DIG DEEPER, you realize that you cannot ignore his running as a component to the overall effectiveness and winning % of the team. if you combine the running and passing stats together (as you should because he is essentially throwing screen passes to himself when he scrambles just the same way brees has made a career dumping to LT, Deuce, & Bush), you will readily discover that overall throughout his career that he is statistically very similar to Mr. Brees.

I am wasting my breath and keyboard strikes. If you are too ignorant, intellectually challenged, immature, or close minded, you will not try at all to understand what I am trying to say or how to compute those stats or how to truly compute and measure Mike Vick’s intrinsic value to the Falcons from an effective production statistical standpoint.

BUT look at any business. Look at the AJC. You can look at their paper sales and say they are doing bad and say that they are a struggling paper. But you can look at their internet component of their business and say that they are doing well. The point is that you never look at just one component of the business to determine the overall productivity of the whole business. You can say that the AJC should only be measured by how many newspapers they sell and traditionally you would be right. But in today’s day and age, that is no longer true. You have to measure the success of these newspapers also by their internet component. The newspaper industry is changing just as the QB position is changing right before your eyes. They are no longer measured by how many newspapers they sell. Someone could say that they are not doing as well as they were 10 years ago because who buys the paper anymore? if you are like me, you just go straight to the internet and read whatever you want to read. The reason they have these blogs is because they want us to post like a bunch of nuts so that they can sell ad space on these blogs. Someday you will see ad space and banners lined up all the way down the right and left side of these columns. Just watch for that. That is why they hire people like Mr. Moore to be controversial and say things we do not like to hear. They want us to care and fight back, so that they can get more hits and thus more advertising $$$$.

The AJC therefore may currently be struggling with actual newspaper sales just as mike vick is struggling with his passing. BUT the AJC is currently making the transition to the new internet age of news (albeit a little bit too slowly judging from the lack of ad space being sold on their web site but they appear to be getting the hang of how to get people to keep coming to their web site with these blogs which is actually putting them light years of most newspapers in this country, therefore placing them in prime position to make a truly successful transition to the internet age.) The AJC is therefore being smart and no longer be stone age about measuring their success solely by newspapers sold. They are making the transition so that they can get to the point where they measure their success by both newspapers sold, the success of their web site, and the amount of ad space sold in their newspapers and on their web site. That is where the Falcons and the whole NFL are right now.

You have to be like the AJC and be progressive. You no longer should measure QBs solely by passing stats alone in the modern age of football. Running is also an important component to the measure of the QB’s effective production. If you do not analyze the two of those stats together to determine effective production and intrinsic value of a QB like Vick, how the hell else are you going to be able to make sense of his 38-26-1 record? You couldn’t. Just by looking solely at his passing stats, you would never be able to make sense of his career winning %.

Just look at telephone companies. The ones who refuse to develop and maintain a cell phone component have been left behind in the stone age. Phone companies can no longer measure themselves solely by the success and failures of their landline business. They measure it also by the success of their cell phone business component. Many like Verizon have also made the transition to including the success of their internet service provider component with the success of their landline and cell phone components. they are also making the transition to measuring their success by making themselves a cable tv provider.

That is why in today’s day and age, you must analyze a QB’s intrinsic value and effective production, by looking at his total production and not just by being a stone age dork who only looks at passing stats. If you continue to only look at passing stats, then you are like the newspaperman who wonders how they are still making money even though they are not selling as many papers as they did 10 years ago or you are like the telephoneman who does not understand why they are making far more money than they did ten years ago even though you can not sell even half the amount of landlines that you used to be able to sell.

if you look at only vick’s passing stats, you will never understand why a team with a historical 38% winning percentage can have a 59% winning % with a QB with mediocre passing stats.

i’ll stop wasting my breath now

By real qb

December 18, 2006 10:15 PM | Link to this

Reverend, turn on Monday night football and watch a real qb make decisions, not one that takes off running when he can’t decide who to throw to. He had an alright game Saturday, but he has been to inconsistant. Let’s end the Vick experiment and give Schaub or Shockey a chance, and see if they can turn things around.

By Randy

December 18, 2006 10:29 PM | Link to this

P-l-e-a-s-e….

We have an Offense designed for a ‘short passer’ with running backs who catch the ball as well as they run.

We have a QB who can throw the ball 60 yards back peddling. We have perhaps the best tight end in the game..

Who’s fault is this? The Head Coaches fault. It’s his scheme. It’s true MV hasn’t progressed as much as anyone would like. How much of this is the system? Stretch the field, open up the middle with deep throws and give MV the chance to break off some big gains while the defense is stretched out.

New coach, new philosophy and maybe a new GM, while they are at it…

By NorthsideWRGrad

December 18, 2006 10:32 PM | Link to this

Terrance and most of the bloggers here, I agree with most of your posts. I have two major points I want to touch on. 1st, I think Mor(on)a and his staff are highly underqualified. Only one other person brought up the point that McKay brought in the new “hot young coach” in both Tampa and Atlanta. Keep in mind in both cases, Dungy in Tampa and Reeves in Atlanta, the new “hot young coach” took their respective teams to the conference championship and/or Superbowl with essentially talent assembled by the previous “experienced/seasoned” coach. In both cases, the original coaches basically blew-up a very underachieving roster and re-built the teams from scratch. It was just like in Vegas, one guy “warmed up the slot machine but somebody else hit the jackpot.” And at the center of it all was McKay who hired both Gruden and Mora after coming in when the previous coach were at the edge but were one season away from winning it all. Now look at both cases, a pattern is developing.

2nd, If yall remember Blank fired Reeves in the middle of the season with a few games left. Reeves was too old school and classy to play a “lame duck” coach. Reeves would have rather left than try to half-heartedly tried to coach. It wouldn’t have been fair to his players or himself. He was like if I have to go, why should I stick around for “a two weeks notice” so to speak that would benefit nobody but Blank. Besides, with Reeves contract, he got paid for the rest of his contract, whether he stayed or went home. Everybody is acting all surprised over Mora’s comments on the radio show last week. If yall remember, it was at about this time of the season when Blank fired Reeves. What people may not realize is that Mora has to put out those “job feelers” because maybe he wasn’t smart enough to put in his contract a safety clause. Mark my words, he is gone by the end of the year but he is trying to hold on for two things, his paycheck and exposure for potential positions.

By Mark

December 18, 2006 10:33 PM | Link to this

Mora is not mature enough to be a successful long-term NFL coach. I would like the Falcons to pursue Pete Carroll, if he has an interest. He’d be my choice.

By NorthsideWRGrad

December 18, 2006 10:36 PM | Link to this

Terrance and most of the bloggers here, I agree with most of your posts. I have two major points I want to touch on. 1st, I think Mor(on)a and his staff are highly underqualified. Only one other person brought up the point that McKay brought in the new “hot young coach” in both Tampa and Atlanta. Keep in mind in both cases, Dungy in Tampa and Reeves in Atlanta, the new “hot young coach” took their respective teams to the conference championship and/or Superbowl with essentially talent assembled by the previous “experienced/seasoned” coach. In both cases, the original coaches basically blew-up a very underachieving roster and re-built the teams from scratch. It was just like in Vegas, one guy “warmed up the slot machine but somebody else hit the jackpot.” And at the center of it all was McKay who hired both Gruden and Mora after coming in when the previous coach were at the edge but were one season away from winning it all. Now look at both cases, a pattern is developing.

2nd, If yall remember Blank fired Reeves in the middle of the season with a few games left. Reeves was too old school and classy to play a “lame duck” coach. Reeves would have rather left than try to half-heartedly tried to coach. It wouldn’t have been fair to his players or himself. He was like if I have to go, why should I stick around for “a two weeks notice” so to speak that would benefit nobody but Blank. Besides, with Reeves contract, he got paid for the rest of his contract, whether he stayed or went home. Everybody is acting all surprised over Mora’s comments on the radio show last week. If yall remember, it was at about this time of the season when Blank fired Reeves. What people may not realize is that Mora has to put out those “job feelers” because maybe he wasn’t smart enough to put in his contract a safety clause. Mark my words, he is gone by the end of the year but he is trying to hold on for two things, his paycheck and exposure for potential positions.

By T Jones

December 18, 2006 10:39 PM | Link to this

For the life of me I just can’t believe Mora would do something so stupid. I guess he gets it from his father “Mr. Quarterback Killer”.

Mr. Blank is a businessman and has stated that he wants a GOOD product on the field. With that said, Mora unfortunately is bad for business.

If the Falcons end up at 500 or worst, then Mora and his crew on Pee-Wee play-calling coaches should pack it up and move to Washington. That we he doesn’t have far to go when the Huskie job becomes available.

By surfrider

December 19, 2006 12:01 AM | Link to this

The point I guess now is there is good money in college coaching and it’s more fun so these average pro coaches like Mora can go and try and be good college coaches. The Falcons problem is business. It was suppose to be well run under Blank but he first paid too much for the organization. Then he/they paid too much for Vick. They paid too much for the Wr’s with two first round picks. They have paid too much with the GM. A good businessman will make changes immidiately to free up the money to rework the team. Starting with an offensive coach and possibly head coach if he does’nt mature fast, real fast. Immaturity is not allowed in the NFL, supposedly in the coaching ranks at least.

By Bolash

December 19, 2006 01:04 AM | Link to this

Reverend Run, well said if the majority would leave their old fashion way of thinking out, and judge this situation for what it is, they probally could let go of the past!!! Vick is the best thing Atlanta could have invest in. Do your research haters. GO VICK GO! The man hands are full, just give him a little help, you old timers will see, Vick is here to stay.

By Kutzo

December 19, 2006 02:38 AM | Link to this

Central to all this seems to be the fact that unless the illustrious owner gets out of the way, we might be bound to see more of the same, regardless of who is fired, who is hired and who is given the keys to Fort Knox. Please, can somebody call Jimmy Carter, and get him to set up a summit meeting with Ted and Arthur (maybe over some bison burgers at the grill), so Ted can gently explain that history repeats, and the King would best be served by spending a little more time away from the office, and perchance not constantly looking over his delegated leader’s shoulder WHILE HE OR SHE IS TRYING TO COACH AT THE MOST CRUCIAL TIME OF EVERY GAME. Cuz you know that if it’s happening on national tv, in plain sight, it’s darn sure goin’ on all the time at practice, etc. too. Just my three scents. Thought I’d never say it, but let’s hope this man never buys the Braves.

By Stretch

December 19, 2006 02:39 AM | Link to this

Is it too late to sell the team back to Jed Jr.???