FLOWERY BRANCH -- Roddy White knows there will be growing pains for Julio Jones, the rookie wide receiver who had a tough day in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Texans.
Jones dropped several passes, including a potential game-tying catch in the end zone as time expired that bounced off his hands. He was penalized for illegal touching less than a minute earlier when he caught a pass after stepping out of bounds. Jones also was caught too far downfield following a play in the second half that forced the Falcons to call timeout.
Jones finished with four catches for 68 yards.
“You are going to have games like that,” said White, the veteran receiver. “He’s still a rookie. People have to understand that. It’s still his first year in the league. He’s still learning. That’s just how it is when you bring young guys in and put them out there. Sometimes they get lost."
No Moore
Active the past two weeks, safety William Moore did not play against the Vikings and the Texans. Moore was inactive the two previous games with a quadriceps injury.
Moore was not listed on the injury report this week and was a full participant in practice.
“It’s a coach’s decision about when I’m ready to go back in,” Moore said Monday. I’m still getting more treatment and trying to get 100 percent.”
James Sanders has started in place of Moore, and had 10 solo tackles against the Texans.
"William is been coming back from a quadriceps and groin," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "We hope that we get him back and ready to go. He's been practicing. You have to be very careful when you are dealing with two major muscle groups."
Streak ends
The Falcons streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher was snapped Sunday in a big way: The Texans' Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown in the 17-10 victory.
The performance ended the Falcons' run at 15 consecutive games, including the playoffs, of not allowing an opposing player to reach the century mark. The Texans received another 41 yards out of Ben Tate. Houston finished with 162 yards on the ground, the most the Falcons have allowed this season.
Still life in Peterson
Mike Peterson admitted he has been eager waiting his chance to play a significant number of snaps through the first 11 games. Peterson, who played all 16 games last season with 13 starts, has been in a limited role behind Stephen Nicholas.
Peterson, a 14-year veteran, was given his chance Sunday with Nicholas inactive with a thigh injury. He responded with 10 combined tackles, two for losses, and one pass defensed. He had a potential game-changing interception for a touchdown called back because of a penalty.
“I’m just doing what is asked,” Peterson said. “That’s the slogan of this league: When one guy is down, another has to step up. I’m no different than anyone else. Of course [I was eager to play]. I’ve got to be honest. That’s the competitive side of me. Probably when I’m 50 or 60 [years old] I will still be chomping for one last play.”
Etc.
The Falcons had two 12-play drives and neither resulted in points. They lost the ball on downs on both possessions. In their opening drive of the second half, they failed to convert on a fourth-and-3 play; in the fourth quarter, they failed on a fourth-and-6 play with less than three minutes remaining. … The Texans were 9-for-18 on third-down conversions and made their only fourth-down attempt. … Smith took responsibility for a delay of game penalty that turned a fourth and 1 into a fourth-and-6 situation. “Unacceptable,” Smith said. “It’s nobody’s fault but mine. We have a structure in terms of if the clock is running down, and we didn’t execute it. I take full responsibility for that. It’s not anyone’s fault but my own. Now we go from fourth and 1 to fourth and 6, and it’s much more difficult to convert.”
About the Author
