DEL.ICIO.USDespite not practicing, White makes catches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White woke up Sunday morning not certain if he was going to be allowed to play against Chicago.
After suffering a head injury in a collision with Lawyer Milloy at practice on Wednesday, he had not practice with the team. He was cleared to play on Saturday, but the final call went down to a “game time decision.”
Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com
Roddy White’s second touchdown catch was nullified by a penalty. The Falcons’ wide receiver did, however, have nine receptions for 112 yards, his 10th career 100-yard game and third this season.
“I meet with the doctors and everything,” White said. “They were just checking on me Sunday morning, making sure that I was all right. I came in and I didn’t have any headaches. No nausea or anything.”
So with the all clear, White started and did some of the heavy lifting in the Falcons’ 22-20 victory.
“It was big for Roddy to get out there,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We worked him out yesterday after our workout to just see how he would be able handle the strain of running.”
White finished with nine receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. He had another touchdown catch nullified by penalty.
It was White second consecutive 100-yard receiving game, his third of the season and 10th overall.
The Hester plan
The Falcons were able to contain Chicago’s Pro Bowl returner Devin Hester by squibbing the ball down on most kickoffs.
On two punts, Hester did not get a return. The first Michael Koenen punt went into the end zone for a touchback.
His fourth-quarter punt had so much hang time that Hester was forced to call a fair catch.
While the Falcons were able to control Hester in the return game, he did have six receptions for 87 yards while playing slot receiver.
Dirty Bird formation
Running back Jerious Norwood took a direct snap from center and ran up the middle for 21 yards, his longest run of the day.
Norwood finished with 31 yards on three carries.
On special teams, Norwood saves his biggest returns for key times in the game. After Green Bay tied the game 17-17 last week, Norwood had a 54-yard return.
After Chicago moved within six points, 19-13, Norwood had a 85-yard return.
“I had a wedge left,” Norwood said. “I’d set up the guys on the outside and got them over flowing. Once I cut back it was me and the kicker. I ended up beating him, but I had one guy left with a good angle. He ran me down from the backside.”
Douglas gets loose
Wide receiver Harry Douglas had his best day in the NFL, catching five passes for 96 yards, including a 47-yarder in the third quarter.
“H.D. was out there in High Definition,” White said. “He was making plays out there and everything.”
Finneran set-up man
Wide receiver Brian Finneran set up White’s key fourth-quarter touchdown.
On third-and-11 from Chicago’s 18-yard line, Finneran got inside of Corey Graham on a slant route and picked up 13 yards and the first down. Graham was called for defensive holding, but the Falcons declined the penalty.
“Fin is consistent,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “He made a couple of key third-down catches. He seems to always get open. He’s crafty.”
Held sackless
The Falcons offensive line did not give up a sack for the second consecutive game.
“I thought that our offensive line did a tremendous job in terms of pass protection today,” Ryan said. “Holding those guys long enough for us to get the ball out of [my] hands was key.”
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