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Two wins and you’re out is curious strategy

By Furman Bisher | Sunday, November 18, 2007, 10:45 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Furman Bisher

Sunday afternoon I went to a Falcons game. But they didn’t show up. They were scheduled to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who haven’t been having the best of it themselves. This would turn out to be one of most dismal afternoons at the bedside of the Falcons since those dreary afternoons at old Atlanta Stadium. For that matter, even the officiating crew wasn’t having a good day themselves, but you can’t fire the zebras. I’ve never seen as much time spent trying to sort out calls since officials began wearing stripes. It took Walt Coleman and his crew 15 minutes to sort out one confusing play, and they still didn’t get it right.

First, get this: The Falcons had won two games in a row with Joey Harrington at quarterback. I know, the learned exponents of the game had ruled that the two teams they had beaten were “bad teams,” San Francisco and Carolina. I don’t care who you beat in the National Football League, if they’re in the league, you beat them, it counts.

This story all begins when early in the week Bobby Petrino, the Falcons coach, had said if Byron Leftwich was able to stand and take nourishment, Leftwich would be his quarterback this week. A coach is the coach, and this is his team, but what didn’t make sense was that this was a slap in the face of Joey Harrington, who had won two games in a row for him. This was a Bobby Petrino decision, a college coach working his first season in the league. But why?

If there were reasons to bench Harrington, let us know. He is no Michael Vick, true, and I will say as I walked into the Georgia Dome I saw a lot of No. 7 jerseys on the backs of die-hard Vick fans. Had they lost track with time? As for Leftwich, when Jack Del Rio decided he wasn’t the man for quarterbacking the Jaguars, it should have sent a message. I don’t propose to be a sports page coach, but was this unemployed fellow worth a $4 million investment?

This was a turn-the-corner game for the Falcons. They could move up in their division against the Bucs, and they needed to play their best hand. By the end of the second quarter, cries of “Joey! Joey!” were rising from the stands. When Leftwich returned to the field, waves of boos followed him. No coach has ever been influenced by booing, but finally, after it became painfully obvious that this $4 million investment wasn’t working out too well, Petrino finally bent. The thirsting crowd got Joey. Too late, not that Harrington would have made that much difference early on, but what were the grounds for ditching him until given the chance to play his way out? It seemed only fair.

Harrington did produce a touchdown, but it was meaningless. Across the line, there was Jeff Garcia, a journeyman with a knack for leading and being the glue that holds a team together. He has a track record that backs it up. He’s not Hall of Fame stuff. But he’s reliable, efficient, and puts winning numbers on the board. He completed just 10 of 20 passes against the Falcons, but he kept order on the offense, and ran his team like a good engineer. The Bucs saw value in him, which is why he is there.

As the game wound down, and Harrington produced the lone touchdown, Arthur Blank was on the sideline standing with the quality control director, and surely depressed at this dismal scene. His team is in serious trouble. It’s not the absence of Michael Vick — oh, by the way, did you notice that Matt Schaub returned from injury and won a game against New Orleans for the Texans on Sunday? — but it is an accumulation of sad decisions that find these Falcons as deep in disrepute as in the dreariest days of Marion Campbell, Dan Henning, Jerry Glanville and June Jones. And whoever even dreamed that those nightmares might return?

If that isn’t enough, this is a team at the bottom of the curve that will be the main course in the defending NFL champions’ Thanksgiving dinner. They play the Indianapolis Colts with four days of this to dwell upon. There’s no way out of it. They can’t call in sick.

Permalink | Comments (51) | Post your comment | Categories: Furman Bisher

Comments

By Gary D

November 18, 2007 11:09 PM | Link to this

Mr. Bisher, as a long-time observer of the Falcons since the Tommy Nobis days, perhaps you would agree with me that somewhere in Georgia on evenings like tonight, a man named Dan Reeves is chuckling to himself!

Mr. Blank, ever thought about “what would have been” if a Mike Vick would have remained under the watchful eye of coach with character named Dan Reeves instead of a coach who made sideline cell calls like Jimmy “Chest Bump” Mora, Jr.?

You fire Dan Reeves. What goes around, comes around.

By Orra

November 18, 2007 11:19 PM | Link to this

What a terrible decision to replace Harrington with Leftwich. We’ll never know what could have happened without Petrino’s botched coaching. Harrington can get the ball out much quicker than Leftwich. How could Petrino not know this?

Tampa didn’t even blitz as much as they should have—imagine that, this could have been worse. To my mind that’s a legitimate three games Petrino has cost the Falcons.

By reddawg

November 18, 2007 11:23 PM | Link to this

Arturo doesn’t have a clue

First he kissed Vick’s butt, even to the point of letting Mikey suggest # 1 draft choices.

Then he canonizes Warrick Dunn. OK, Warrick is a nice guy; but if he a Saint - send him to New Orleans.

Now today.

Joey Herrington isn’t Bart Starr, but he had won 2 games in a row. Guess who else won today …… Jacksonville. Remember them, they dumped Leftwich like Hillary dumps stocks.

Just go away, Arthur

By Tom

November 18, 2007 11:56 PM | Link to this

Gary D, you are 100% right. Coach Reeves was determined not to make the same mistakes with Vick that he made with Elway. I think he really liked Vick as a person, and tried to be somewhat of a father figure to him. He had him working with a speech coach, knowing that he would be the face and voice of the Falcons for years to come. I believe he had Vick’s best interests at heart. However, when he suggested that it was time for Vick to return to the field after his broken leg had healed, even if it meant playing with pain, Arthur “Spotlight On Me” Blank did not back Reeves up one bit. At this point, I believe Vick realized HE was the one in charge. Ironically, a few years later it turns out Mike was personally in VA seeing to his “operation” at the very time Reeves was asking for him to return to the field. I hate to see the Falcons having a season like this, and I hate it especially for the players. But I do not feel one bit of sympathy for Blank. Hopefully we won’t bypass Matt Ryan for another wide receiver.

By Luke

November 19, 2007 1:10 AM | Link to this

Didn’t Arthur Blank promise not to raise ticket prices for like five years. Then he raises prices every year?

Of course he doesn’t have a clue.

Rich McKay is a bum. Tony Dungy is what brought Tampa ro what it is not McKay.

Jim Mora took the 2004 Falcons (Dan Reeves team to the NFC Championship) Mora could not repeat that feat.

Petrino needs to start acting like a Pro Coach. His Playing calling is horrible. He will not committ to a QB which is dividing the team

Arthur needs to drop ticket prices, fire petrino McKay and go and Pay Bill Cowher, Bill Parcels, or Marty Schotinhiemer to come and restore the Falcons!!!!!!!!!

By Luke

November 19, 2007 1:12 AM | Link to this

Didn’t Arthur Blank promise not to raise ticket prices for like five years. Then he raises prices every year?

Of course he doesn’t have a clue.

Rich McKay is a bum. Tony Dungy is what brought Tampa ro what it is not McKay.

Jim Mora took the 2004 Falcons (Dan Reeves team to the NFC Championship) Mora could not repeat that feat.

Petrino needs to start acting like a Pro Coach. His Playing calling is horrible. He will not committ to a QB which is dividing the team

Arthur needs to drop ticket prices, fire petrino McKay and go and Pay Bill Cowher, Bill Parcels, or Marty Schotinhiemer to come and restore the Falcons!!!!!!!!!

By Luke

November 19, 2007 1:12 AM | Link to this

Didn’t Arthur Blank promise not to raise ticket prices for like five years. Then he raises prices every year?

Of course he doesn’t have a clue.

Rich McKay is a bum. Tony Dungy is what brought Tampa ro what it is not McKay.

Jim Mora took the 2004 Falcons (Dan Reeves team to the NFC Championship) Mora could not repeat that feat.

Petrino needs to start acting like a Pro Coach. His Playing calling is horrible. He will not committ to a QB which is dividing the team

Arthur needs to drop ticket prices, fire petrino McKay and go and Pay Bill Cowher, Bill Parcels, or Marty Schotinhiemer to come and restore the Falcons!!!!!!!!!

By BirdBrain

November 19, 2007 1:40 AM | Link to this

The last QB to beat the glorified Patriots in the regular season was none other than Mr. Joey Harrington. That 21-0 victory was one of five wins out of the last six games he started. Basking in the glow of the New England win, he was told that he would be platooning with a Mr. Chet Lemon. Miami hasn’t won a game since. Who was that master of strategy???? A Mr. Nick Saban, the great COLLEGE coach who tried to turn his NFL team into LSU EAST, and left for BAMA after figuring out NFL players don’t respond to his sort of motivational speaking. Petrino hasn’t learned this yet, but somewhere out there is a big campus just waiting for him to arrive. That can’t happen soon enough.

By Gunner

November 19, 2007 3:07 AM | Link to this

Leftwich ought to go out for the Braves with a pitching motion like his.

How about investing in an Offensive Line, Mr. Blank?

By bf_smiff

November 19, 2007 4:00 AM | Link to this

Okay, it can’t be easy being an NFL coach, but Bobby P. is making it look that way. Easy…not effective. Bet Mrs. P could do as well.

By Jim@PineMountain

November 19, 2007 6:22 AM | Link to this

What is with the long wind up. Talking about holding the ball too long this is amazing. I have never seen an NFL quarterback hold the ball out so exposed. The Jags knew something.

By GE

November 19, 2007 6:25 AM | Link to this

Lets see, dropped balls, bad offensive line, bad play calling, etc. Harrington should be glad that he did not have to play. When he did come in, it looked like the same team to me….bad. Why not blame everybody for this. There is something terribly wrong with this team beginning with the coaching. I do not think that the players and the coaches are on the same page.. You can not treat pro athletes like college players. They will not respond in a positive way as witnessed Sunday.

By doobird

November 19, 2007 6:26 AM | Link to this

This coaching change had AB all over it! Due to the empty seats AB thinks he needs a QB “of color” to satisfy the fans so they will come back and fill the Dome … say it’s so Bobby … surely you are not really that stupid to make a change in the middle of a win streak … tell the DAMN TRUTH for a change. You’re gonna be gone anyway!

By Greg

November 19, 2007 6:44 AM | Link to this

The thing that disturbs me the most is that Petrino, who had a great college record and is supposedly a great offensive football mind, has not been able to see that with the personnel he has we simply cannot be a running football team. How many times have we seen Dunn into the line twice, then third-and-long? How can he not see that the Falcons, if they are to have any chance at all, are going to have to pass to set up the run? Second, he and McKay knew they had a weak O-line, and P. talks all the time about the necessity of quick release in a Q-back, but they go and hire Leftwich! What was anyone thinking?! Lwftwich’s mechanics are the worst I have ever seen, in college or the pros. He begins his passing motion with the ball at his hip. You can add 1-2 seconds to the time he needs for his release because of this awkward and wasteful motion. No Q-back is going to be successful doing this unless he’s behind a fantasy O-line.

By Big Ed

November 19, 2007 7:05 AM | Link to this

Hey where did all the Byron lovers go. I guess they have been relegated to the bench as well. Petrino has shown that absolutely nobody is in charge of this team and the players know it. They have abandoned the ship. Start working on trades for next year. How about MeAngelo or Brady Quinn. How about MeAngelo for anybody. We have got to cut the cancer out of this team and start over. Stop the MV talk. If you think a Company’s responsibility is to babysit it’s employees ala Dan Reeves to MV then you’ve hired the wrong employee. Hire grown up men with character.

By ldi

November 19, 2007 7:53 AM | Link to this

If I remember correctly, wasn’t Petrino’s chief complaint about Harrington was that he held the ball too long? The artificial grass around Leftwich was growing faster than he was unloading.

By john

November 19, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this

Petrino started the better quarterback. Is that wrong?

By SCBird

November 19, 2007 8:18 AM | Link to this

This organization has so many problems, and no one to lead. Blank needs to cut ties with McKay,Petrino, Leftwich,Harrington, and Hall, and just start over. Maybe an experienced Coach like Marty or Mike Martz.

By hawkgirl

November 19, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this

Are you guys KIDDING me??!!!!!!!!! Harrington is a joke and so is Leftwich. Black or White, they both suck and so does this team. Neither one will be the starting QB next year so why is everyone so upset? IF JOEY is the QB next year, I will PROTEST my a* off!!!!!!! Where were the booes when Joey was stinking it up. You people are ridiculous. If I was a player, i would’nt want to play for this stupid racist city. Thats where we are headed, no legit free agent is going to want to come to this town. Let’s except the fact that we are not a good team. Either support them or shut the Hell up. No matter what stupid decisions Petrino makes or how bad the QB plays. Or else this franchise will be gone in ten years.

Boo Mike Vick, boo the falcons organization for making him the team, Boo the O-line, Boo the sorry a* recievers. I dont want to hear nothing about the lack of chemistry, you suck when you drop wide open passes that could have resulted in a TD. Just make sure its even. WE beat two God awful teams( not a blow out)and we think we actually still have a chance to make some noise?!!!!!!! BACK to REALITY people… Why are we trying win?? Joey isnt going to lead us to nothing. you people are hilarous. You ought to ashamed of yourselves. WE are already the laughing stock of the NFL. WE are losing key players to injury every week. Play the rookies and see what they got.

STAY home thursday if you are going to act a fool. You already know its going to be a massacre. If we thought the Refs were bad Sunday its going to be mind-blowing Thursday. I’ll be there rooting us on externally but hoping we lose internally ( sorry, thats just the way it is)

By hawkgirl

November 19, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this

By hawkgirl

November 19, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this

By Matt

November 19, 2007 8:43 AM | Link to this

John. Have you watched the games at all this year??? Joey with the exception of the Giants game has put this team in a position to win every single game! Yesterday proves who is the best QB. Leftwitch’s stats ‘15-28 passing with only 106 yards. 3 turnovers! That horrible!!! Check out Joeys stats. ‘next to perfect’! I really honestly believe that if Joey was black this Falcons organization would treat him like he’s superman or something! If Leftwich was white they would have never even given the thought about signing him! Nevertheless,I’m a Falcons fan for life “Unfortunately” ! GO FALCONS!

By Marty

November 19, 2007 8:45 AM | Link to this

The play calling was astonishingly painful to watch. The Birds aren’t very high on this list in doing anything offensively…except 3rd down conversions (among the tops in the league). Against the Bucs, converting 3rd downs somehow fell on the narrow shoulders of rookie Robinson. Maybe that’s why we couldn’t string a drive together. How about the decision to pitch out to a 180 RB instead of having the 6-5/250 QB fall forward on 4th and short. I don’t know who to blame as I spent most of the game either calling Leftwich a lummox or Petrino a dumb*ss.

Joey’s not the best QB in the league but he’s a leader and a TEAM player and the TEAM responds to him. 3rd downs are converted and Roddy earns his 4 million salary. As a leader, he was on the sideline attempting to encourage Leftwich who appeared to want nothing to do with him.

With Leftwich under center, it was the worst offensive performance of the year. Harrington may not have won the game but he certainly would have given us a shot.

They say hindsight is 20/20 but I think Petrino needs a new prescription.

By Steve Hatchett

November 19, 2007 9:07 AM | Link to this

This is all part of Dan Reeves diabolical plan for world domination. You have been warned!

By willdave

November 19, 2007 9:11 AM | Link to this

Thanks, Mr. Bisher, for confirming that I haven’t lost my mind. Although I’ve never coached an NFL game in my life, I couldn’t understand why Petrino would bench Harrington after he had won two games in a row for this sorry team. Not only was it a foolish move, but, as you mentioned, it was a slap in the face to Joey, who has put forth such a heroic effort for the Falcons this whole difficult season. The one play that exemplifies Harrington to me came last week. Joey was sacked and appeared to be injured. He came off the field for just one play. Then he went right back in and led this team to a much needed third win. Had “Baby” Leftwich taken that hit, he probably would have been out for the rest of the season. I agree: Stick with Harrington as the starter until you have a reason to make a change.

By Indydawg

November 19, 2007 9:21 AM | Link to this

Matt, let’s not make this about race. It completely undermines your intelligence.

Sorry is sorry. Black, white, green, yellow, brown.

Joey and Byron both suck…either you can play, or you can’t.

By Jerry

November 19, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this

Okay everybody. Lets point a finger. Our line is terrible because everyone is hurt. Granted the starters weren’t the best but a line playing together gets better. Injuries stop that growth.

Dropped passes. everyone knows thats the right tackles fault.

Penalties at critical times. Look to the trainer.

15 rushes for 28 yards. Yep, you guessed it. Milloys fault.

Absurd.

Shaub was let go to let Vick know that he was the man. Vick could never truly play with an albatross like that hanging around.

Mora ruined this team and the only way to get it back is to let the cancers go. Who are the cancers. You read their quotes in the paper all the time.

Dunns a team player so long as he’s the featured back. Heck with that. Play the best.

Crumpler, in his own mind is the man, so long as he catches all the balls.

Hall will let you know real quick what kind of team player he is. “I’m sorry sir but I don’t do punt & kick returns

I’m just venting.

How many people watching today said “I wish we had Garcia”

Petrino’s offense is intriguing. I honestly feel it will work in the NFL. I don’t know what is going on in the locker room. There is not a reporter I trust to tell me the truth. I listened to the analyst during the game and I get more out of him then I do Bisher, Moore or anyone.

Here’s is my suggestion. If you don’t like it leave. Don’t wait out the season. If you don’t buy into the system leave.

Bisher, Moore and the rest of you wannabes, write about what you know. Oh yeah. The pages would be blank.

Bisher, go back to your “Whatever Happened To” columns, yes tell me about the past and Moore can write about the civil rights movement and the conspriacy to keep the black man down.

Petrino, you need to get off the me against the world. This is your team. The 4th down run, the sweep to the left is stupid. Your offense is 3 or 4 wideouts and a feature back that strikes fear into the defense. Spread them wide and go from there.

Try the no huddle. Its perfect for your system. We don’t need a quarterback, we need an O-line. Take your 2 or 3 most tradeable players for draft picks and use them on the O-line. Granted we would have a rookie line 1 year but they would get better.

Its not the quarterback. When Brady gets hit he messes up. I would to. When the line does their job its Touchdown Jesus. A secondary looks good when the D-line works and gets pressure. It all starts there.

Thanks for letting me vent. I don’t feel better though.

By Sam Jam

November 19, 2007 9:35 AM | Link to this

Talk about cherry picking. Remember - Harrington was there for all the losses, too. Still, Leftwich’s delivery and pocket sense leave a lot to be desired.

What was amazing was the gifts we got from the refs on that one series. Crazy. And incorrectly analyzing the fumble replay. Even motor-mouthed meat-head Boselli got that one. What a bunch of maroons.

Of course, a subjective pass interference judgement can theoretically be a 99 yard penalty and personal fouls of the most maliscious sort are only 15.

The lesson being - men in suits are not always as smart as they’d like you to think. So…………..

Vote Ron Paul For Save Our Country.

By CDS

November 19, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this

I think Petrino just let his obvious man-crush on Leftwich out of the closet. A 3 year old would know that you can’t play a fragile, immobile QB behind that o-line with virtually no running game.

Petrino is simply trying to get us the best pick in the draft. And in return, he’s going to gut the team of our remaining pro bowl caliber players (Brooking, Crumpler, Hall, and Dunn). $40 million on a fullback but you pitch it on 4th and inches?

By AL

November 19, 2007 10:03 AM | Link to this

Not that you were piling on, but we probably should lay off of the people wearing the Vick jerseys. I know Vick is a horrible person, but those jerseys ain’t cheap. For some people that is a significant investment. You want to go after people? Go after the people who tuck in their jerseys. Wow, talk about lame…

By season ticket holder

November 19, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this

NOW WE ALL KNOW HOW VALUABLE MIKE VICK WAS TO THIS FRANCHISE. VICK TRULY WAS A ONE MAN TEAM AND WORTH EVERY DIME HE WAS PAID. NEXT YEARS ATTENDANCE WILL BE AVERAGE AROUND 10,000 AND NO ONE I KNOW IS RENEWING THEIR TICKETS. MATTER OF FACT NOT EVEN “PETA” OR ANGRY VICK PROTESTERS WILL STEP UP AND BUY THEM. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR PEOPLE….. YOU GOT IT NOW. SOMEBODY TURN THE LIGHTS OUT GAME OVER.

By cb

November 19, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this

Its amazing how Harrington gets slammed over and over even though he led the team to two straight wins and for the most part, played respectibly in the other games. The problem is that Atlanta fans want another Black quarterback minus the M. Vick antics and immaturity. When it comest time for the draft next year you can bet a new black quarterback will be the first priority. A wiser choice would be the best quarterback available…black or white! But then again, this is Atlanta.

By EXPLAINTHISTOMEPLEASE

November 19, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this

How can 1 mere mortal man be blamed for an entire teams demise? What about the other 50+ players on this team? Did they all share the same brain or something? I understand in the beginning of the season they may have been distracted by all the Vick news but when are the players (and the fans) going to get over this? He has not played a game this season so to continue to blame Vick on the Falcons problems is a moot point now. He is 1 man, not a team but obviously he was more than that to the players because they seem like lost sheep without a shepard. The only people the Falcons have to blame at this point are themselves. To suit up week after week and have to same results have to be embarrassing at this point and to almost have 2 blackout games. This is sad but it�s time to take the spotlight off Vick and put it where it belongs, on the 50+ players who suit up week after week. So again I ask, how can 1 mere mortal man be blamed for an entire lost football season when he never got a chance to suit up this season. It�s time to move past Vick, love him or hate him. He was not the team�..or was he?

By Carroll

November 19, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

I realize that it is tempting to harken back to the Dan Reeves days and proclaim that it was a mistake to get rid of him. But the problem with nostalgia is that we have a tendency to remember only the good things.

With Reeves, for the vast majority of his time here, this team was every bit as sad and hopeless and disoriented as it ever was. It was two players: Jamal Anderson in 1998, and Mike Vick in 2002 that were able to mask Reeves’ sucktitude, but only briefly. So please please spare me the Reeves nonsense. What we really need to is to purge this sorry franchise from the Atlanta psyche and start all over again.

By jv

November 19, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this

one of the most embarrassing depressing games ever…the mistakes did start with firing Reeves…why in the world would you not start Joey..he was winning, has a great attitude..so next year..another year of $100 season tickets?? Better try something Arthur

By Deacon Carl

November 19, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

Harrington is a leader & an effective quaterback. I see no problem with him. The switch to Lefkowitz was bad timing on Petrino’s part.Just awful. With a 2 game winning streak with Harrington, why switch. Lefkowitz held the ball so long I thought he was waiting for AB to spread some mustard on the ball before he attempted to throw it. Bad,Bad decision making on Petrino to wait so long to repalace Lefkowitz.He should have started the 2nd half.

By Soryu

November 19, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this

Hawkgirl:

“Or else this franchise will be gone in ten years.”

We can only hope…if we’re lucky sooner than that. My vote is for Yellowknife or perhaps Medicine Hat.

Oh and take the Hawks with you.

By archimedes

November 19, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this

Come on, no one, and I stress NO ONE, with any football sense believes that Joey Harrington should have started this game. as it ocurred after the fact, Byron’s performance is non-withstanding. The weeks-ago decision was predicated on Leftwich digesting enough of the playbook to, you know, actually play. Remember how, before leaving with an injury, Byron actually had the Falcons looking pretty good on offense in his first start. Joey Harrington plays his heart out, and is genuinely a likeable guy, but come on Bisher, you’re gonna say that Jacksonville cutting Leftwich makes him trash, but Harrington gets a free pass for helping keep Detroit and Miami moribund? At least we know that Leftwich can lead a team to the playoffs. Look, the truth remains that neither quarterback will be a long-term starter for this team, but until we get some lineman who decide to stop resembling a collander with Grady Jackson-sized holes, I feel sorry for whichever QB gets brought in next.

By MV7

November 19, 2007 1:22 PM | Link to this

ATLANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!