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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The moments have been passing like hours for Falcons linebacker Demorrio Williams.

Coaches have been limiting the four-year veteran as he recovers from a torn muscle in his chest. He suffered the injury in the offseason but was well enough to get back on the field for the first day of training camp, but he has yet to play in a preseason game.

That changes Monday night when the Falcons welcome the Bengals to the Georgia Dome.

“I love to play football,” Williams said. “So, when you’re out there and see your teammates running around and then you get another opportunity to step out on the field it’s always good to kind of heal you, kind of get yourself back into it.

“The main thing is I just kept my faith and kept working in the offseason. I just knew if I stuck with it and didn’t let it get me down I’d be OK.”

Head Coach Bobby Petrino said he and other coaches have worked hard to keep Williams, who is known for his high energy, from overworking himself in practice.

“We have to tame him to make sure he doesn’t extend his arm trying to hit,” Petrino said in training camp. “I think that’s been the hardest part on him. It’s good to see that speed out there running.”

Given the chance, Williams plans to open up the throttle Monday night. The injury hasn’t been on his mind, nor will it when he makes his first tackle against the Bengals.

"If I go out there thinking like that – thinking that I’m going to get hurt – then I’m not going to be able to play the type of game I want to play,” he said.

But Williams will be just one player and storyline to watch as the Falcons (1-1) take on the Bengals (0-2) in the third preseason game for both teams.

If the preseason is all about getting ready for the drama that is the regular season, the third preseason game is the final – and most important – dress rehearsal. Petrino said fans can expect the first-team offense and defense to play into the third quarter.

“We will bring them out of the locker room following the first half and they’ll play the first series of the third quarter,” Petrino said Thursday. “We want them to get used to the routine of coming out of the locker room and getting started. Then, we will go from there with the rest of the depth.”

The model is not unfamiliar to players or those that follow the NFL. The third preseason game has, historically, pitted starter against starter for a half or more.

“(The regular season is approaching fast) and that’s why it’s an important week for us to do a good job of preparation,” Petrino said. “Everybody has to know and understand the routine on how to prepare. We may still have to tweak and adjust as the season goes on, but that’s just part of it. We have everything introduced and we will utilize certain packages each week. We will have to get better as the week goes on.”

The Falcons drew a good opponent and setting for such an important game. The contest will be broadcast on Monday Night Football and the Bengals finished eighth in points per game last season and 17th in points allowed.

Atlanta spent more time this week game-planning for their opponent -- a first for the preseason.

“We are trying to go through the exact routine as we will throughout the season,” Petrino said. “We had our meetings this morning, our walk-throughs, and then our routine for practice. It is always fun practicing with the ones on the ones and the twos on twos. For that reason, we’re servicing each other and getting the best look for Cincinnati.”

Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who coached wide receivers for the Bengals from 2004 to 2006, said his unit, led by quarterback Joey Harrington, has made improvements over the first two preseason games and is ready for the extended challenge in game No. 3.

“You hope you’re making progress at this time,” Jackson said. “You’ve had two preseason games. The first one, obviously, you hope you get some of the cobwebs out. The second one you play a little bit better. The third one is to kind of get ready for the season. So, obviously, it’s a big game for our offensive football team. We want to go out and play well in our home stadium and get our home stadium started off in a good fashion.”

As for going against his old team, however, Jackson is all professional.

“I work for the Atlanta Falcons,” he said. “It’s Monday Night Football and they’re keeping score. Our job is to go get a win and that’s the most important thing to me. Obviously I have a lot of good friends, a lot of players that I coached and drafted over there on the other side, but they understand when they come in to Monday night it’s about business.”

Warrick Dunn also plans to return Monday night. If Alge Crumpler does the same, the offense will be close to full strength.

“I feel like we’re making good strides,” Harrington said. “We’ve got to get our guys back in the lineup. We’ve had a few key injuries and guys have been missing for a little while. It’s nice to see them back on the field and kind of getting into a rhythm. I think they’ve done a pretty good job of staying with it up to this point and studying. I think it’s going to be a smooth transition.

“I’m just excited to see everybody out there at full strength. We’ve moved the ball very well as a first offense. I’m just excited to see us do it as a full group.”


INJURY REPORT: Wide receiver Laurent Robinson was limited this week with what team officials described as “a tweaked hamstring.” His status for the game is unclear.

“We want to make sure that he is ready to go,” Petrino said. “We don’t want to lose his availability versus Minnesota. If he is ready to play Monday versus Cincinnati then he will play, but we’re shooting for the season opener.”

Running back Jerious Norwood missed last week’s game at Buffalo with an abdominal infection but returned to practice this week. Both he and Crumpler took reps Friday afternoon. Petrino said Crumpler will get playing time against the Bengals, possibly "through the first quarter" of play.

Defensive back Omare Lowe is out with a knee problem. Petrino said he will not be ready for the Bengals or Ravens game on Aug. 31.

Well, one thing is clear: Robinson is a factor in this team's plans. He's not a "rookie who needs to show what he can do" any longer. And I love it. That kid is a natural WR.

Another thing that should excite you guys is that DMo will be back and Brooking will be rejuvenated due to the competition from Taylor and (hopefully) Beck. I expect Brooking to make some real plays when the season starts as he lays it on the line to fight off the younger competition.

Don't underestimate this team's chances. We were 7-9 with The Worst Coaching Staff in NFL History(r) holding the team back. We lost the best QB in team history but picked up the best coach available this offseason. This should be a real interesting team to watch.

Christmas in August......He was probably the 3rd or 4th best in History...and the biggest Black mark in Franchise history as well....he won't be missed. Buh Bye!!!

Birdman, I love ya, but wow that is a stupid statement even for you... Vick the best QB? Did you become a fan in 2000 or what? Sheesh!

MF1

Why doesn't Wease mess with this nut case instead me, another nut case? I was enjoying reading it all till BM came in with that.

okay,...let's understand this boys and girls,...Michael Vick is GONE. We don't have to endure games in which only 140 yards were gained by the pass with two QB fumbles and 140 yards rushed by the QB in a LOSS!

Birdman,...you are a glutton.

I'm curious who you put ahead of Vick?

Vick started for 4 years and he went to the Pro Bowl 3 of those years, and won playoff games in 2 of those years. In the year between the two playoff years, when Vick didn't play, the Falcons were horrible.

In Vick's worst year he still had a QB rating of 75, averaged 8.4 yards a carry, and the Falcons won 7 games.

I certainly don't remember another Falcons QB winning playoff games more
frequently, going to the Pro Bowl more often, or winning more consistently.

Chandler was damn good in 97 and 98 but he was practically run out of town due to alleged lack of toughness. Bart also had a nice run but his early years were pretty rough and later he tailed off quickly.

I'm not sure who else you guys might be thinking of, but if we go through
the list of names, stats, and w/l records, it will get ugly pretty quickly. You won't find any Montana's or Brady's in the Falcons media guide.

If Vick tried to wear Bartkowki's jock strap, it would fall off due to lack of a backside, not to mention the other side.

Let's wait and see how many more Pro Bowls Vick plays in now. The little dude had it made and went to fighting dogs if you didn't hear. He had a future destined to be in a brass bust in Ohio and threw it away by being a gang member instead of a citizen.

You can defend Vick all ya want man,...and it just makes you look like a dog fighter yourself. They're just dogs ya know. And deer hunters are just as bad. Deion Sanders piece was quelled when he wrote that many pro athletes fight dogs. That fool Clinton Portis was the first one and then Marbury had to EAT his words.

I'm still fascinated by this one brother in Macon,...he says Vick is gay and will not back down from it. I don't care anymore because guess the **** what man?

Vick will never play as a Falcon again. Oh how it feels like we've lost something here.

I dont think any one is trying to defend Vick, he did a horrible thing, we all know that and he will have to pay his debt to society. I agree, Vick did have it all and his stupid ass threw it all away for some stupid s#!t. His career may or may not be over but we can all agree that he will never be what he could have been, but that said it doesn't change what he did on the field for this franchise. In his brief career he did more for this franchise than any other player in its history, and though he has tarnished our falcons legacy as well as his own it doesn't change what he did on the field.

Michael Vick brought excitement back to the dome, not to mention the fact that he put people in the seats. Some of those same people he put in those seats always wanted Vick to fail and are the very same hypocrites that are selling their tickets now. Some of the people that are saying good riddance now will be some of the same hypocrites that will blame Vick if or when our team falters(hopefully not).

I can't, couldn't, and will not defend his actions of the field but I can and will defend everything he did on it, because people I am no hypocrite. I know what he did then and wont forget, distort, or bury it, however tarnished it may be. Some of you will say Im a Vick hugger and thats fine but one thing Im not is a hypocrite, at least not on this issue.

Go Falcons, just win birdies, good things... good things.

Yep...i can't forget his career...but I will somehow push through the pain.

Hey BirdBrain, that is one funny sig, LMAO!!! Good things ...good things.

Going back through this thread, it appears BM is intentionally muddying the water refering to the worst passing QB in Falcons history and pretty much going completely off topic. But I've seen it before in the 11 years posting on message boards,...a mod from another site causing some disturbances just for the heck of it.

I hear ya TECO! All good!

Back to the original post in this thread,...note Petrino said they're going through, well, here's what he said,...“We are trying to go through the exact routine as we will throughout the season,” Petrino said. “We had our meetings this morning, our walk-throughs, and then our routine for practice. It is always fun practicing with the ones on the ones and the twos on twos. For that reason, we’re servicing each other and getting the best look for Cincinnati.”

We know what that means. Coach P is doin a lil game plannin' here.

On Monday night, this may be the most important preseason game in Falcons history. We need a win but what we need more is a dominant performance in the first half and into the 3rd qtr.

Althoguh this is probably going to make this thread go to the Lounge, I don't think you can simply outright say that Vick's 6-year run in Atlanta was better than any other QB in team history.

Sure, Bart, Chandler, and Chris Miller have better numbers for the most part, but Miller's is mainly due to his time in the Run N' Shoot. Sure, Chandler had 1998, but that was the only time the Falcons made the playoffs in the 5 years he was here. Vick made it to the playoffs 2 times in a 5-yr. span as the starter.

Bart is a harder point to argue, and I think he would get the nod just because of longevity more so than any particularly great accomplishments that were done during his tenure here.

Sure, Vick is a far lesser passer than any of those guys, but abilities as a passer (i.e. passer rating) is not the only thing involved in being a QB. Helping your team win is a bigger part, IMO.

Here we go again...the same hugger argument, which didn't hold water the last few years."All he does is win".... You can't crown a person who admitted he quit in games. All of his stats should be erased from the books, just as his memories.....good and bad. Too bad a rather innocent thread about the Falcons was turned into a Vick thread by bozo. To the Lounge we go!!!!lol

Ok for the sake of argument let's ignore wins and losses and just look at individual accomplishments.

Bartkowski (yes one of my personal favorites) went to exactly 2 pro bowls over 11 years as a Falcon.

Vick went to 3 Pro Bowls in 6 years.

Bartkowski: 75.6 career QB rating
Vick: 75.7 career QB rating

For Bart's first 5 years in the league he not only completed fewer than 55% of his passes every year, he never once threw more TDs than interceptions. Yep he was pretty bad those first 5 years - it was only in years 6 through 10 that he became an elite QB. Remember??

Vick was only a starter for 4 years


Perhaps, if you're willing to ignore the fact that his first 5 years as a passer were far worse statistically than any of Vick's.


I agree that wins (and running yards) are important, but you also might be surprised if you look up the actual passer ratings:

Chandler: 79.3
Vick: 75.7
Bartkowski: 75.6
Miller: 74.9

And career Pro Bowls:

Vick: 3
Chandler: 2
Bartkowski: 2
Miller: 1

In the equation of being the best QB in Falcons history we do need to realize this is something of a world's tallest midget thing. I agree with TECO though. Talking about Vick's criminal problems is moot regarding a discussion of the relative merits of everyone's on field play. Scratch his stats from the books?Please explain the logic there. sort of a Bonds' records should be scratched and I don't like him and I don't like Vick so let's scratch his too? As far as that goes, describing Mora, etc. as the Worst Staff in NFL History is also, of course, erroneous. Is the sympathy for dogs so great here that you have to respond with Pavlovian predictability every time your chain gets yanked?

bnb, you're right. Being the greatest Falcon QB of all-time is only interesting in so far if future Madden games have an All-Time Falcon team. Beyond that, it's rather unimportant. I'm sure Brett Favre is in a real fuss on whether he's considered the greater Packer QB over Bart Starr. Rather, Favre if he cares about anything, is probably more concerned about where he ranks among the tens of thousands of QBs that have played anywhere in the NFL over the past 80 years.

But the fact remains that it is arguable that Vick is the greatest Falcon QB. It reminds me of the argument, who is the greatest RB of all-time. IMO, you can make good cases for Jim Brown, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders. And who you pick is dependent on your criteria.

Between Bartkowski, Vick, and Chandler it's the same thing.

And I resent the fact BB that you are lumping me into the "huggers" just because I haven't been as condemning of Vick's overall record as of late.

The whole huggers, azz hats thing is just baiting and simplism. People who wanted Vick gone from the get go now feel vindicated for holding their opinion when, in truth, vick was not let go for his football performance which is what most of us "huggers" liked about him...not his posse, not his hip hop style, not his dog fighting, not his leadership skills or lack thereof. The eternal argument will never really end because of this out-of-left-field ending. It is ironic that the same argument used to champion the Mora staff (winning percentage) is not applicable to the QB who was at the helm for all of the wins. The fairer argument--and the one you point out, Pudge--is not where Vick stands in Falcon annals but in NFL ones and he really is not in the conversation of greatest QBs. Could he have been? We will never know. As has been said by BB and others...he was/is hands down the most polarizing QB in Falcons history leaving even J. George in his dust.

I believe the word is spelled "ass."

W

Roger that, Wease. I know Pudge has a MF of a filter on this GD thing so you have to f*ck around and go phonetical when you're feeling like a sailor.