Falcons get first win over Schaub and Texans

The Falcons finally get one in the win column by defeating the Houston Texans by a score of 26-16. This win also ends the team's five-game losing streak at home, and marks head coach Bobby Petrino's first win in the NFL. The defense was able to come through with some key stops and turnovers in order to lead the team to victory in the end with the Texans keeping it close.

Joey Harrington led the team with 223 passing yards, completing 23 of 29 passes for 2 scores. Warrick Dunn rushed for 62 yards on the ground on 18 carries (3.4 avg), while Jerious Norwood added 29 yards on 9 carries (3.2 avg). Dunn also had 4 catches for 9 yards. Michael Jenkins led the receivers with 6 catches for 64 yards (10.7 avg) and 2 scores. Roddy White (3 catches for 64 yards), Laurent Robinson (4 catches for 31 yards), and Alge Crumpler (3 catches for 34 yards) also contributed.

While the Falcons secondary gave up 305 passing yards, for the most part the defense did their job in keeping the Texans out of the endzone. The Texans had 3 trips to the red zone, but came up empty all three times. Michael Boley led the team with 9 tackles, and also forced a fumble. The team also got contributions from Keith Brooking (5 tackles, 1 pass defended), Stephen Nicholas (4 tackles, 1 fumble recovery), John Abraham (3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble), and Lawyer Milloy (6 tackles).

On special teams, Morten Andersen connected on 4 of 5 field goals. His lone miss was a blocked 42-yarder in the fourth quarter. But he connected on field goals of 28, 22, 36, and 46 yards. Michael Koenen punted 3 times for an average of 43.7 yards. Adam Jennings had 1 punt return for 18 yards.

The Falcons will travel to Tennessee next week to take on the Titans (2-1), hoping to begin a winning streak with two victories.

Lewis to start on Sunday

Contrasting earlier reports that he was suffering from only a mild knee injury, the Falcons updated defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux's status to indicate that he will not play this weekend against the Houston Texans. Babineaux had been serving as an injury replacement for Rod Coleman in the starting lineup, but will now be replaced by rookie Trey Lewis. Head coach Bobby Petrino was hopeful that Babineaux might be able to return next week, but the AJC is reporting that he might miss three weeks. This injury leaves the Falcons with only three active defensive tackles for Sunday. Sharing time with Lewis will be Montavious Stanley, who will perform swing duties at both tackle spots, backing up Lewis and nose tackle Grady Jackson as well. Petrino indicated earlier in the week that it is possible that Coleman will return to the lineup next week. Lewis will be the fourth Falcon rookie to start this season, following Jamaal Anderson, Justin Blalock, and Laurent Robinson. Although there is a good possibility that another rookie starter will be joining him in the lineup, either cornerback Chris Houston or David Irons due to the possible benching of DeAngelo Hall.

In other injury news, both Chris Crocker and Todd Weiner are expected to start and play this weekend. But tight end Dwayne Blakley is listed out once more.

Coleman still out with sore knee

Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman was held out of practice today, and is currently listed as out on the Falcons injury report as of Wednesday. He is not expected to play this weekend against the Houston Texans.

Coleman underwent knee surgery just prior to the start of the regular season, and the initial prognosis was that he would miss four games. Coach Petrino indicated during his Wednesday press conference that it is doubtful that Coleman will play this week, and that the team hopes to get him ready for next week. His still has soreness in knee after working it over the weekend.

In other injury news, tight end Dwayne Blakley (pectoral), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (knee), safety Chris Crocker (knee), and offensive tackle Todd Weiner (knee) also missed practice today due to various injuries. Blakley did not play last week. Babineaux has filled in for Coleman in the starting lineup. Crocker missed the first two games due to the same knee injury, but managed to start against the Panthers this past week. Petrino indicated he expects both Crocker and Weiner to participate in Thursday practices, indicating they should play this weekend. But Blakley is likely to be out for at least another week. No update as of yet on Babineaux. The AJC reports that his knee injury is only mild.

Hall to appeal fine

As an update to previous reports, the Associated Press reports that DeAngelo Hall will be fined $100,000 and may sit for at least a quarter in this week's upcoming bout with the Houston Texans. Hall plans to appeal the fine through the NFL Players Association.

The report indicates that Hall may be benched this week for a quarter or the entire first half. Hall indicated that he did not believe that the team's punishment was fair.

Hall to be fined, not suspended

ESPN reports that sources indicate that Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall will not be suspended for his outbursts and penalties that occurred during the Falcons recent loss to the Carolina Panthers, but rather fined.

Exact details to the amount of the fine are unknown, but the sources report it will be in the low six-figure range, but not be as much as a single game check. Due to Hall's $3.11 million salary, he receives payment of about $183,000 per game.

It is not known whether Hall will appeal the fine, but words spoken to the AJC imply that he will not: "If it's a suspension or a fine, especially if it's a suspension, I take it in full stride. It don't feel good to be the reason your team loses a game. Whether you give up a touchdown pass or you get a stupid penalty, it all feels the same."

Vick indicted again

Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted once more, this time by a grand jury in Surry County on Tuesday. He and his three co-defendants, all of whom plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges on running dogfighting operations, have now been indicted on two state charges of killing a dog and engaging in and promoting dogfighting. They will be arraigned on October 3.

The AJC reports that these two additional felony charges can carry the maximum penalty of ten years in prison, which could be served either consecutively or concurrently with his federal term. He is set to be sentenced in the federal case in December.

The AJC also reports that an arbitrator is set to meet the day after Vick's arraignment to hear arguments on the Falcons attempts to recoup roughly $20 million in paid bonus money from Vick.

Falcons drop heartbreaker

Falcons lost a close one to the Carolina Panthers by a score of 27-20 in their home opener, dropping the team to 0-3 for the first time since 1999. The game had some questionable officiating, but ultimately the Falcons inability to stop the Panthers ground game cost them the win.

Joey Harrington answered most of his skeptics having a fine day. He completed 31 of 44 passes for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns. Warrick Dunn led rushers with 55 yards on 11 carries (5.0 avg), and Jerious Norwood added 32 yards on 6 carries (5.3 avg). Roddy White had another good day for the receivers with 7 catches for 127 yards (18.1 avg) with a 69-yard score. Alge Crumpler (6 catches for 63 yards) had the Falcons other score, and Michael Jenkins had 6 catches as well for 76 yards.

DeShaun Foster slashed the Falcons with 122 yards on the ground, as the Falcons gave up 182 yards on the ground. 99 of them came in the second half. Michael Boley led the defense with 8 tackles. Chris Crocker (6 tackles, 1 sack), Lawyer Milloy (6 tackles), and John Abraham (2 tackles, 2 sacks) had notable games. DeAngelo Hall was flagged three times on a third quarter drive which led to the Panthers tying up the score 17-17. The first penalty was a defensive pass interference, in which Hall was beat by Steve Smith deep. On the very next play, he was penalized for a personal foul for shoving Smith. And then two plays later, he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after a lengthy jawing session wtih Smith. Two plays later Jake Delhomme found Jeff King for a 5-yard touchdown pass. Those two latter penalties certainly raised a few eyebrows, and perhaps sapped any momentum that the Falcons might have had following their score on the previous drive to take the lead 17-10. Despite those penalties, Hall played well as he was matched up against Steve Smith the entire game, and shutting down the 3-time Pro Bowl receiver. Smith only had 1 catch for 10 yards.

Morten Andersen connected on both field goal attempts. He had one in the first quarter botched by a poor hold by Michael Koenen. Koenen had 4 punts for an average of 43.8 yards with 1 placed inside the 20-yard line. Adam Jennings was pretty non-effective on punt returns with 2 returns for 5 yards. Jerious Norwood was the opposite on kickoffs, returning 5 for 145 yards (29.0 avg).

Next week the Falcons will stay home to face off against the Houston Texans (2-1), which will bring former Falcon quarterback Matt Schaub back to Atlanta since he was traded last March.

Falcons close to signing Leftwich

The AJC reports that the Falcons are very close to signing free agent passer Byron Leftwich, with an agreement coming as early as tonight.

Leftwich had a physical this morning, after meeting with Falcon officials last night, including owner Arthur Blank.

Leftwich, 27, is expected to provide insurance in case Joey Harrington continues to struggle.

UPDATE: NFL.com is reporting that the Falcons have agreed to terms with Leftwich on a two-year contract. Terms of his deal were undisclosed.

Mort is back once more

NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports that the Falcons have come to terms with free agent kicker Morten Andersen. Andersen served as the team's replacement kicker after a rocky start for Michael Koenen last season. This season, new kicker Matt Prater has missed three of four field goal attempts through the first two games, including a 26-yarder on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Last season, Andersen connected on 20 of 23 field goal attempts in his bid to become the league's all-time leading scorer.

Due to his age and lessening leg strength, the Falcons utilized Koenen, the team's punter, on field goals of longer than 45 yards. It is unknown if that will be the case this season. Although it is likely that Koenen will return to kickoff duties, something that Prater had been handling this season.

It is not yet known if the Falcons released Prater to make room for Andersen.

The AJC had previously reported that the team had contacted the agent of kicker Billy Cundiff on Monday. Cundiff was released prior to the final preseason game in order for the team to make way for Prater.

UPDATE: The Falcons did release Matt Prater in order to make room on the roster for Andersen.

Falcons to work out Leftwich

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported on Monday Night Countdown that the Falcons plan to meet with free agent quarterback Byron Leftwich and possibly work him out as soon as Tuesday. Leftwich was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars at the end of prseasason after having been the starter since the second half of the 2003 season. Leftwich was the Jaguars No. 1 draft choice that year. But he has battled injuries, his weight, and inconsistency over the past three-plus seasons. He's missed a total of 17 games in the past three seasons. He had entered the summer as the Jaguars starter, but was demoted in favor of David Garrard.

For his career, Leftwich has completed 789 of 1344 attempts (58.7%) for 9042 yards, 51 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions.

If the Falcons choose to sign Leftwich, it may end the stint of Joey Harrington as the Falcons starter.

Jaguars disappoint Falcons

The Falcons dropped a second game this time to the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 13-7. The Falcons had a chance to drive down the field late in the game to tie it up, but failed to move the ball. Special teams failed to come through as Matt Prater missed two field goals of 43 and 26 yards.

Joey Harrington completed 12 of 20 passes for 200 yards. Warrick Dunn had a bit better day rushing for 50 yards on 13 carries (3.8 avg) and an 8-yard score, their first of the season. Jerious Norwood added 30 yards on 9 carries (3.3 avg). Roddy White led receivers with 4 catches for 81 yards. Alge Crumpler (3 catches for 53 yards) and Joe Horn (2 catches for 34 yards) also contributed in the passing game.

The Falcons defense played a bit better this week, but couldn't create any turnovers to give the offense an edge. They gave up 113 yards on the ground on 34 carries (3.3 avg) and 251 yards passing, but also had 4 sacks. Although the Jaguars only converted 5 of 14 third downs on the day, they were able to convert 4 of 8 in the second half. Michael Boley and Keith Brooking led the team with 7 tackles each. DeAngelo Hall (6 tackles), Trey Lewis (4 tackles), Jonathan Babineaux (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble), Grady Jackson (3 tackles, 1 sack), and John Abraham (2 tackles, 1 sack) also had notable games.

Prater's two misses making him 1 of 4 on the season. Michael Koenen averaged 37.2 yards on 5 punts, placing 1 inside the 20-yard line. Jerious Norwood handled kickoffs, returning 2 for 22 yards, while Adam Jennings added 3 yards on a single punt return.

The Falcons will look for a warm homecoming next week against the Carolina Panthers (1-1) as they try to get into the win column this season.

Vikings take down Falcons

The Falcons struggled putting points on the board in their opener, losing to the Minnesota Vikings 24-3. Joey Harrington had two interceptions returned for touchdowns, one of which sealed any chance of a late comeback.

Harrington completed 23 of 32 passes for 199 yards with two interceptions. His first turnover occurred on the Falcons first offensive series, leading to a 54-yard return by Kevin Williams. The second came late in the fourth quarter as the Falcons tried to mount a comeback down 17-3. Harrington was sacked 6 times. Warrick Dunn led rushers with 55 yards on 22 carries (2.5 avg), while Jerious Norwood added 33 yards on 5 carries (6.6 avg). Alge Crumpler, Warrick Dunn, and Roddy White led the team with 4 receptions each for 40, 29, and 26 yards respectively. Rookie receiver Laurent Robinson also had 3 grabs for 32 yards as well.

Defensively, the Falcons played fairly well, but gave up a few big plays. They allowed 139 rushing yards on 27 carries (5.1 avg). In the air, they were better, only giving up 163 yards, but they did give up a 60-yard scoring reception to Adrian Peterson. Keith Brooking led the team with 8 tackles. Lawyer Milloy (6 tackles), Jimmy Williams (5 tackles), Michael Boley (5 tackles), Stephen Nicholas (5 tackles), and DeAngelo Hall (1 tackle, 1 interception) had notable performances as well.

Kicker Matt Prater missed his first field goal attempt of 44 yards, but later connected on a 45-yarder for the team's only score. Michael Koenen punted 5 times for an average of 46.8 yards. Adam Jennings had 5 kickoff returns for 98 yards, including a 31-yarder.

Next week the Falcons will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars (0-1), hoping to get their first win of the 2007 regular season under new head coach Bobby Petrino.

Coleman undergoes knee surgery

Today defensive tackle Rod Coleman underwent a procedure to repair damage in his left knee. Coleman could miss up to four games. He is currently recovering from a torn quadriceps suffered this past April, and was not expected to play this upcoming weekend against the Vikings. This additional procedure is just a minor setback.

Jonathan Babineaux is slated to start instead of Coleman this week.

The Falcons also announced that quarterback Casey Bramlet was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad. Remi Ayodele was released in order to make room for him.

Falcons add seven to practice squad

The Falcons announced more roster moves on Monday, including adding seven players to their practice squad. The team claimed two free agents as well, and made room by cutting two players. The players added were offensive tackle D'Anthony Batiste and running back Artose Pinner. Making room for them was linebacker Jordan Beck and running back Jason Snelling. The seven players added to the practice squad were quarterback Casey Bramlet, tight end George Cooper, cornerback Brent Grimes, offensive guard Kurt Quarterman, wide receivers Todd Watkins and Eric Weems, and linebacker Travis Williams.

Batiste was with the Carolina Panthers this past summer, after spending time with both the Panthers and on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad in 2006. Originally out of Louisiana-Lafayette, he played in both af2 and CFL prior to entering the NFL last season.

Pinner was a fourth round pick in 2003 by the Detroit Lions. He spent three seasons with the Lions before being released last year and was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings. For his career, he's appeared in 40 games, starting 7 of them. He has 812 rushing yards on 245 carries (3.3 avg) with 8 touchdowns and 39 receptions.

Snelling led the Falcons in rushing this preseason after being a seventh round pick this past April. Beck was a third round pick of the team in 2005, but fell behind undrafted rookie Tony Taylor on the depth chart this summer.

Six of the practice squad players were released by the Falcons over the weekend. The lone newcomer, Watkins, was a seventh round pick out of BYU last year for the Arizona Cardinals.

The league allows up to eight players being on a team's practice squad. That last spot may go to Snelling, who impressed this summer, if he is able to clear waivers.

Falcons claim DT Ayodele

The Falcons claimed defensive tackle Remi Ayodele off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys. Ayodele is a first-year player out of Oklahoma, that originally entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2006 with the New England Patriots. He spent two weeks on the Cowboys practice squad last November and spent this past spring with the Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europa.

The Falcons had an open roster spot due to the trading of Allen Rossum to the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN's John Clayton reports that it was in exchange for a conditional seventh round choice in 2008.

Much speculation has been that the open roster spot would be used on a quarterback. Clayton reports that the Falcons have shown only moderate interest in free agent quarterback Byron Leftwich, recently released from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Clayton also reports that the Falcons could have targetted Tampa Bay Bucs passer Chris Simms had he been released yesterday. The team certainly can still add a third quarterback, it would now just require them to release a player on the roster.

Falcons trade Rossum to Steelers

The Falcons traded cornerback/return specialist Allen Rossum to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional 2008 draft pick. The condition is likely dependent on Rossum being on the Steelers roster on opening day.

Rossum has spent the past five seasons with the Falcons and is the team's all-time leader in both kickoff and punt return yards. He has averaged 11.0 and 22.0 yards on punt and kickoff returns, respectively as a Falcon, contributing a total of 3 scores. He also has 7 games defensively, recording 67 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions in that span.

This trade leaves the Falcons with one roster position to fill before the start of the regular season next Sunday.

Falcons cut 22

The Falcons announced the release of 22 players to finalize their roster down the league mandate of 53 players. Among them, the most stunning of moves was the release of kicker Billy Cundiff. He will be replaced by Matt Prater, a first-year player that was signed only a few days ago. Prater however shined against the Ravens on Friday night, making two of three field goal attempts, and putting three of his four kickoffs in the endzone. The Falcons also released tight end Daniel Fells, center P.J. Alexander, tackle Frank Omiyale, defensive end Paul Carrington, defensive tackles T.J. Jackson and Darell Shropshire, and linebacker John Leake, all players that were holdovers from last year. Quarterback Casey Bramlet was also released, leaving the team with only two quarterbacks on the roster, opening speculation that another will be added in the coming days.

Among the other cuts were: running backs Arlen Harris and Justin Vincent, receivers Otis Amey, Noriaki Kinoshita, Vincent Marshall, and Eric Weems, tight end George Cooper, offensive linemen Bo Lacy and Kurt Quarterman, defensive end Nic Clemons, linebacker Travis Williams, and cornerbacks Tony Franklin and Brent Grimes.

None of the eleven players among the Falcons 2007 draft class was released, although center Doug Datish is currently on injured reserve. Offensive tackle Renardo Foster and linebacker Tony Taylor are the lone undrafted rookie free agents that made the roster.

The Falcons will have to establish an eight-man practice squad tomorrow. Many of those players added to the practice squad will likely be among the twenty players released today.