Falcons players wanted to show their respect for injured opponent
Credit: AP
Falcons kicker Lenny Krieg, a native of Berlin, had an eventful first NFL game Friday night.
The Falcons were trailing 17-10 when Lions safety Morice Norris went down with a serious injury and left the stadium via ambulance.
“It looked scary,” Krieg said. “Just that kind of uncertainty of what’s going on with him and his teammates.”
The Falcons and Lions decided not to finish the game, and the league office suspended play with 6:33 left on the clock.
“The decision that he (Falcons coach Raheem Morris) and coach (Dan) Campbell made from the Lions was about the player,” Krieg continued. “The player is above the games. It was about his health, and just the mindset the team was in after that was more important than finishing the game in the fourth quarter.”
For Krieg, it was a daunting situation.
“Coach Morris made a good point, it’s just about respect for the player and his family,” he said. “The game of life is bigger than football.”
Krieg played in the European League of Football with the Stuttgart Surge. In 24 games, he made 19 of 26 field-goal attempts, with a long of 52 yards. He’s also made 101 of 126 extra-point attempts.
He made a 57-yarder for the Falcons in the first quarter and missed a 53-yarder in the third quarter.
“I really enjoyed it,” Krieg said. “It was great playing here. I went to a couple of games here ... soccer games. Being on the pitch, playing and making the first kick, it was a lot of excitement.”
Krieg also handled the kickoff duties.
He also shared some perspective on his miss.
“I think I just kind of overcompensated to the left,” Krieg said. “Didn’t want to push the ball to the right. Gave it a little too much power to the left. Yeah, that’s where it ended up. “
The Falcons were mainly stunned by the injury and how the game ended.
“Thoughts are heavy right now, that was hard to see,” Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington said.
“Thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” Washington added. “Just kind of came in here and glad to hear he was breathing, God is good.”
The Falcons will try to pick up the pieces before returning to practice.
“Some things are bigger than football, and situations like that, all you can do is pray for his family and hope that he’s all right,” Washington said. “The whole thing is tough.”
The Lions were 15-2 last season before losing in the playoffs to the Commanders. They are considered one of the NFC powerhouses.
Even though most of the starters didn’t play, the Falcons wanted to see how their backups measured up.
Veteran quarterback Easton Stick played the first half of the game before giving way to Emory Jones. He was on the sideline when the injury happened to Norris.
“That stuff is always scary,” Stick said. “You understand that it’s a violent game. You understand that, you accept that risk. But you just never expect stuff like that to happen. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
Stick, 29, was signed in free agency after playing with the San Diego Chargers since 2019. He couldn’t remember being a part of another major injury scare.
Stick was an efficient 15-of-18 passing for 149 yards and a touchdown in the game.
“It was exciting to be back and to play football again,” Stick said. “That part’s exciting, and we’ll move forward.”
But he’ll remember the ending of the game the most.
“We’re just trying to show respect to him, and that’s where everyone’s thoughts are right now,” Stick said.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
