AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > October > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPetrino can win players with W’s
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Flowery Branch — Despite many around the locker room wishing to choke Bobby Petrino rather than hug him, maybe all isn’t lost for the Falcons this year.
OK, my bad. It’s just that the NFC South is evolving into the NFC Sorry, and then you have this other matter to consider: During the 87 years of the National Football League, it’s never been about whether or not you like your head coach.
Paul Brown wasn’t warm and cuddly. Norm Van Brocklin scorched more than a few egos with his sizzling tongue. Then you had Henry Jordan’s quote for the ages about Vince Lombardi: “He treats us all the same — like dogs.”
From Bill Walsh and his self-projected aura of superiority to the grumpy Bill Parcells to however you describe Tom Coughlin, not exactly a Mister Rogers clone, it has been more about whether you respect your NFL head coach. Whether enough Falcons players respect Petrino is the question. Nobody knows the answer, and that’s the problem for a 1-4 team searching to solve a slew of issues before the New York Giants come to town on Monday night.
For instance: The Falcons’ offensive line already was significantly flawed, but due to injuries, they’ll face the Giants’ monster defensive ends of Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora with two undrafted tackles. The Falcons also have no running game, and they barely have a kicking game. Plus, they have Michael Vick and his dogfighting mess to blame for an underwhelming quarterback situation that only gets worse.
This Petrino thing is the most potentially damaging thing for the Falcons, though. Such was the case before and after their 20-13 disaster on Sunday in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans. In fact, nothing changed on the Petrino love/hate/indifferent meter on Wednesday after a survey of the Falcons’ locker room. This was despite the fact that Petrino’s detractors and shruggers had time to adjust their opinions after a two-day break from practice.
“I mean, [Petrino] hasn’t given me no reason not to like him,” said Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson, choosing to ignore Petrino leaving his impressive stint at the University of Louisville after last season for an ugly start with the Falcons that has featured baffling coaching decisions and sniping from veterans.
Jackson isn’t among them, by the way. Added Jackson, in his 11th NFL season overall and second with the Falcons, “Me and him haven’t talked much, but we’ve talked sometime. Hate is nowhere around, and it’s just that he’s like [Steve] Spurrier and all them guys from college. They just got to get adjusted to it.”
That’s the problem. Such adjustments for college guys turned pros often don’t come before they are shoved out the NFL door, or they vanish on their own.
Sounds like a lot of Falcons players are going to have to hold their noses and do the adjusting to Petrino if they wish to salvage this season.
After all, NFL players often have done so before.
“A lot of times, I don’t think it’s a matter of players disliking a coach. It’s just change. You don’t care for changing,” said Falcons defensive end John Abraham, in his eighth NFL season, who joined the New York Jets in 2000 after the forgettable Al Groh replaced Parcells.
Then Abraham watched Herm Edwards follow Groh. Even during Abraham’s two seasons with the Falcons, he has gone from players-friendly Jim Mora to no-nonsense Petrino. “I think it’s just that when you’re not winning, you tend to find things you don’t like, and it happens everywhere around the league,” Abraham said. “If we were winning, and if everything went right like it should have in so many games, you wouldn’t have anybody saying anything about these things.”
The Falcons aren’t winning, and everything isn’t going right, and folks are saying these things, and Petrino isn’t showing signs of becoming Lombardi anytime soon.
Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Terence Moore
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By midnite
October 10, 2007 8:25 PM | Link to this
Give it a rest T-Mo. That love/hate situation isn’t nearly as bad as you spin it. A few wins and all will be well at Flowery Branch. I wonder if any of the delusional Vick slurpers are boycotting the Hawks game since Heatleys in town. We all know that Heatley was a main talking point of the radical Vick KoolAid drinkers.
By Hate Falcons
October 10, 2007 8:28 PM | Link to this
The Falcons should have never hired Petrino in the first place. Even if Vick was atill on the team we would still stink because we can’t kick a field goal. Everbody needs to be fired especially Rich McKay when he could have at least got Culpepper but now we really suck.
By larry w.
October 10, 2007 8:32 PM | Link to this
It appears that the local media is hell bent on creating some type of locker room mutiny. It is understandable for veterans like Alge to be upset after losing what was a very winnable game once again. FrustraTion does mount with each and every loss, from Pop Warner on up to the NFL.
Personally, I feel that the Falcons have been very competetive in all of their games and with a little more maturing from the coaching staff and the players, the close losses will trun into wins.
By midnite
October 10, 2007 8:32 PM | Link to this
er, uh, duh, that should be Thrashers game. Still confused from that nightmare Titans game last Sunday.
By Richard Handler
October 10, 2007 8:44 PM | Link to this
Petrino will screw up the Falcons the way he screwed up Louisville. Just look at all the players that have been kicked off that team. He didn’t leave it in the shape he’d like everyone to believe it was in.
By Jt
October 10, 2007 8:50 PM | Link to this
It is time for Blank and McKay to come forward and reinforce that Petrino is THEIR man. That they are COMMITTEDto his philosophy. There is not another option. To reverse course is to bring into question their own judgement. They hired him. And as far as Alge Crumpler- being a leader- he has proven that he is no leader. You cannot lead by questioning the coach publicly. To bring this questioning of control of the head coach dooms the team. I am not surprised by D-Hall. I hoped for better, but look who is role model is. A great player with great skills (Deion) but not to be confused with a TEAM player. I guess the true colors of some players is coming out. Maybe if Alge could have participated in training camp his head coach would know how to use him. Now they are trying to figure it out.
By Mr T
October 10, 2007 8:56 PM | Link to this
What an original thought! I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say winning takes care of everything! I would love once to read a column of yours that wasn’t race baiting, taking an idiotic stance to stir the pot, or blatently stating the obvious because of lack of creativity. At this point I get amused thinking about what loads of crap you will come up with tomorrow. Did you and the CBS Sportsline writer Frreman go to the same school, Jackass U?
By Dawgs2007
October 10, 2007 8:58 PM | Link to this
It does not matter what these current players think. They will be out here before too long. Petrino will bring in his kind of guys and build from the ground up. It takes time and I am fine with that.
The Vick/Mora foulness will take at least three years to be gone. In that time, these underachieving veterns will be either traded or not resigned.
The “Good Guy” coach is gone and there is now a coach who means business.
It reminds me of the Clint Eastwood movie, “Heartbreak Ridge”. In that movie, Eastwood had to take over an underachieving squad of marines and they did not like him. Eventually, they earned his respect.
By D. Bell
October 10, 2007 9:21 PM | Link to this
Several of these games have been shoulda/woulda/coulda games. The chances are there, the players just have to do their part and stop running their mouths.
By Brian Hunt
October 10, 2007 9:45 PM | Link to this
Petrino is the least of this team’s problems. He’s handicapped by the team’s personnel. He can’t call all of the down field passing routes that he wants because the line can’t block that long. No way either QB can take seven step drops. They can’t run the ball in short yardage with success either. It’s going to take a couple of seasons to make this a team capable of contending. They’re already competitive, nobody’s blowing them out. It’s just that competitive isn’t good enough.
By Sweet D
October 10, 2007 9:53 PM | Link to this
Crumpler should shut his mouth, get in shape by losing weight, and become a team leader. Team leaders don’t snipe at their head coach, they communicate with them behind closed doors in a professional manner. I bet Coach Petrino would appreciate and welcome feedback from a true team leader. This guy hasn’t been there six months yet and people are on his back. Wonder what the Falcons record would be had he been able to operate with a cohesive team with strong veteran leadership? If Crumpler wants to blame someone, he should blame Arthur Blank; after all he is the one who fired Dan Reeves and he turned his head when Vick was constantly getting into trouble.
By Dan
October 10, 2007 9:55 PM | Link to this
Abraham said it right when he said people look for something to blame when you’re losing. I like a no nonsense attitude. The “be you’re friend” mentality certainly doesn’t work (reference the Jim Mora debacle). I’m not suprised some people are whining. Alge saying something though does deserve some attention. I’d be frustrated too if I a was a premier tight end and never got the ball. What a mess
By Rerun
October 10, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
Am I alone? I am (was) a diehard Falcons fan, but now I just don’t care. I honestly do not want to see Petrino succeed, but if he doesn’t that only puts the Falcons in worse shape. Uggh! I still blame the Smith family for this mess.
By Bowman
October 10, 2007 10:30 PM | Link to this
“I mean, [Petrino] hasn’t given me no reason not to like him,”
i dont understand what the big man is saying ..no wonder we keep losing.. we have people that cant even speak clearly as one of our defensive anchors :(
By The Grinch
October 10, 2007 10:35 PM | Link to this
Please give the man a chance. Why is it acknowleged around the league that a new coach needs three years to get a program where it needs to go, but Petrino (who inherited a roster with many, many more holes in it than most) doesn’t get any slack whatsoever? This city is in danger of getting what it asks for.
By Jeff in Roswell
October 10, 2007 10:36 PM | Link to this
Did you expect anything different?
By Get the Picture
October 10, 2007 10:39 PM | Link to this
Mr. Moore’s columns have made a theme of the perceived difficulties college coaches have had after moving to the NFL. But don’t almost all NFL coaches, no matter what their background, ultimately fail? Very few retire with ticker tape parades. The overwhelming majority are fired amidst the proverbial “chorus of boos.” The failure of college coaches stems from the nature of the beast that is coaching in the NFL and not because of some deficiency stemming from their college background.
By cmorrisdee
October 10, 2007 10:57 PM | Link to this
This team is just lost without MV7. All you haters out there that thought this team would improve without Vick must be swallowing a nice chunk of humble pie right about now.
By Just Like Nick
October 10, 2007 11:01 PM | Link to this
I’d be very surprised if Pertrino returns next season - unless of course there is the chance to draft Brian Brohm. Otherwise, its another Nick Saban situation. Its going to get a lot worst before it gets better.
My advise to Atlanta fans and the Atlanta media, ESPECIALLY 790 The Zone MICHAEL VICK is GONE….GET OVER IT So freakin’ tired of hearing stuff about MV7. Move on already.
By Just Like Nick
October 10, 2007 11:01 PM | Link to this
I’d be very surprised if Pertrino returns next season - unless of course there is the chance to draft Brian Brohm. Otherwise, its another Nick Saban situation. Its going to get a lot worst before it gets better.
My advise to Atlanta fans and the Atlanta media, ESPECIALLY 790 The Zone MICHAEL VICK is GONE….GET OVER IT So freakin’ tired of hearing stuff about MV7. Move on already.
By Anthony
October 10, 2007 11:04 PM | Link to this
like i said before, if we start winning some games some of the negative crap will go away starting with the players and fans and media. It takes winning to start buying into a new system and the players, fans, and media haven’t seen the proof that this situation is going to work yet. The jury is still out for the time being. I’m still behind my falcons though, thru the good times and bad.
By Mike
October 10, 2007 11:08 PM | Link to this
That’s true that winning solves everything. Look at Green Bay. The last two years everyone wanted Brett to leave. He’s too old can make good judgements. Now look. To me the falcons don’t have all the right personnel in place yet. I can see a differance in the defense with Zimmer that with Donnatell. We are a year or two away from winning again.
By Singletary
October 10, 2007 11:08 PM | Link to this
I’m prepared to think Petrino has a plan and is the antiMora. Blank and McKay must have seen something in him that superceded Whisenhunt, Singletary etc.
That being said, those who referenced his departures, arrivals and “almosts” didn’t paint a picture of someone tenaciously bound by a devotion to pure, uncompromised truth. AFter calling out your own players, he may have a bit to do to repair and repatriate the locker room …
Or this will be a miserable season and he’ll bring in his own team next year when we are 20M richer in salary cap.
By A. Blank
October 10, 2007 11:13 PM | Link to this
Some Falcon players should forget about Jim Mora (Mr Feelgood). He was a non-disciplinarian which makes it more difficult for anyone who places winning above players having a warm and fuzzy feeling.
By D_Costa
October 10, 2007 11:35 PM | Link to this
It’s no big secret that winning is a cure-all. This is quite the far-cry from your other article which bluntly stated that Petrino was in over his head, huh TM? Of course, I thought you were wrong about that assessment as well. But that’s no shocker.
But come on, give me a break in suggesting that Petrino is our only problem or a problem at all. The problems with this team go far beyond it’s head coach. Granted, Petrino isn’t the most lovable guy to work for, but lack of quality personnel along the OL, secondary and let’s not forget the biggest one of all, the ex-number 7 factor all play a more significant part in all of our attitudes, not just the Falcons roster. Believe it or not, ex-number 7 is missed on the team more than what’s being reported and I’m not talking from just an athletic point of view.
The Falcons imo are headed in the right direction, it’s just that this city had been accustomed to a certain level of respectability thanks to a certain ex-number 7 and we’re not in a hurry to go back to the days of ole.
Nobody wants to be labeled a loser, but in most cases you must hit an all-time low before you can reach that all-time high. The Pats, Indy, Philly, etc were all the cellar teams of the NFL not too long ago, but they waited their turn, now they’re successful and it’s been a reversal of fortune for the teams that were once on top; i.e. Washington, San Fran, Miami.
So, I say let’s be patient with Coach Petrino instead of knocking him every chance we get. Losing and disappointment are two words we’re all too familiar with, but if we can give this man the same benefit of the doubt we gave Bobby Cox when he 1st rolled into town, I think he can build something for the future as well.
We’ve actually been in every single game we’ve played in so far this season. I cannot remember that ever being the case during Mora’s reign. If we win a couple of those games, we’re not having this discussion.
By David Duke
October 11, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this
The Falcons should have a record of, at least, 3-2 right now. That they don’t is attributable to the sorry job Petrino has done. He’s undermined his team by cutting their kicker just prior to game one and by changing quarterbacks when there was a chance to win. He is not a legitimate NFL head coach. He’s an interloper who has already been identified as such.
By Jeremy
October 11, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this
To every one that keeps that thinks we need help at kicking. You are never going to find a kicker that can consistently kick 50-55 yards. There isn’t a kicker in the NFL that can. Most kickers range is the same as Morten Anderson, who has proved he is reliable from that range. So give the kickers some slack. That’s not our biggerst problem. Our biggest problem is blocking and getting the running game going.
By Jeremy
October 11, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this
To every one that keeps that thinks we need help at kicking. You are never going to find a kicker that can consistently kick 50-55 yards. There isn’t a kicker in the NFL that can. Most kickers range is the same as Morten Anderson, who has proved he is reliable from that range. So give the kickers some slack. That’s not our biggerst problem. Our biggest problem is blocking and getting the running game going.
By westsidebob
October 11, 2007 7:01 PM | Link to this
no mike vick it all over with ha ha ha that’s why the falcons can’t win. without him the falcon would have been a last place team along time ago. you people act like he kill somebody.
By westsidebob
October 11, 2007 7:01 PM | Link to this
no mike vick it all over with ha ha ha that’s why the falcons can’t win. without him the falcons would have been a last place team along time ago. you people act like he kill somebody.
By falconman
October 11, 2007 7:53 PM | Link to this
To Coach Petrino; This is not college football! You dont take your starting quaterback out in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the the game! This is the NFL, which means not for long if you keep making those bone-headed decisions!
By Vasily De Efferins
October 11, 2007 9:02 PM | Link to this
So, the point is, win and things will be better. You figure that out all by yourself, Terence?
By Dr. Spock
October 11, 2007 9:19 PM | Link to this
Petrino can’t even deal with the side-show players, and he was going handle a self-proclaimed “Superman” juvenile like Vick? God, it would have been an even bigger disaster than the one we have now. On the other hand, it sure would have been more entertaining - while it lasted anyway.
By Some One That Knows
October 11, 2007 11:03 PM | Link to this
This team is not performing because the upper management (blank & Co.)are treating these players with no LOYALITY. Instead of standing behind vick he encouraged the commish to do something (listen to the press conf). They robbed vick of all his money and wrecked his future. A cop just shot a dog outside atlanta, and where is PETA when you need them. This is the same thing they did to run away slaves whip and beat the biggest and baddest and the rest will fall in line. People will say this is BS but it is not, Check your history. Yeah vick fought dogs, smoked weed and it wasn’t a good thing. But to break him this way is a repeat in history. All I can say is this team will have to change things, because the air is fowl at the falcon camp