Natod12

at LT yea matthews will be an upgrade probably around week 6, remember he is a rookie. at RT they are fkd, its the same bums they had starting last year when ryan was eating turf all day lamar holmes or schraeder who suck , but this year there is only 1 flaw on the oline instead of 4. should be fine, at least on the right side he can see the rush coming

i'm a falcons fan so either 13-3 or 2-14

you don't ask you don't get, he aimed high and will probably get about 16-17mil a year. i'd probably let smith play it out this year and see what i have in aaron murray

Falcons running back Antone Smith has quietly gone about his business of being a special teams star. Over the past two seasons, when the Falcons have asked him to run the ball from scrimmage, he has been electric. After another fine showing against the Miami Dolphins in the exhibition opener Friday, the Falcons are now planning to get Smith more involved in the offense. With Steven Jackson out with a left hamstring injury, Smith stole the show with two dazzling plays against the Dolphins in the 16-10 victory at the Georgia Dome. Falcons coach Mike Smith said that Smith’s role in the offense must expand after he caught a check-down pass, eluded a linebacker and raced up the field for 34 yards. Later, he made a decisive cut in the open field to make a defender miss. He wasn’t done. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Smith set-up the safety with a move and then darted past him on his way to an apparent 76-yard touchdown run. “It is a start,” Antone Smith said. “I mean, it is a first impression. That is the biggest thing from the first game. It was my first impression, so I think my first impression was very good.” However, both explosive plays were nullified by penalty. “I mean, it is frustrating, but we know it is the first (exhibition) game for a lot of people out there, so a lot of stuff is changing,” Antone Smith said. “We expect a lot of penalties.” Also, with the retirement of Jason Snelling, the Falcons need someone to step forward in the backfield. The Falcons want to improve their rushing attack, which was ranked 32nd in the league last season at 77.9 yards yards per game. “We feel like, when you look at somebody like Antone Smith, who made some big plays for us and gives us some more explosiveness, we want to make sure that we see him do that again,” running backs coach Gerald Brown said. “Snelling was a playmaker. … that’s what we are looking for.” In spot duty last season, Smith averaged 29 yards per carry. He never did earn regular playing time even though the Falcons were sliding to a 4-12 finish. On Smith’s 34-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter Falcons veteran wide receiver Harry Douglas was lined up illegally. A holding penalty on right tackle Jake Matthews nullified Smith’s 76-yard run in the second quarter. Antone Smith is ready to take on a bigger role in the offense. “I want the guys to have confidence in me,” he said. Brown said that Smith has improved his blocking as a pass-protector and that should not be a factor that would limit his playing time. “The guy who has really stepped up and actually, so far, is Smith,” Brown said. “He’s shown that he understands protection and he backs it up with physical protection.” Quarterback Matt Ryan was impressed with Smith’s big plays. “He showed the explosiveness that he has and the speed,” Ryan said. “He can change a game on any given play. That was fun to watch.” The Falcons signed Smith as a free agent in 2009. He had a solid career at Florida State after being tabbed the No. 1 all-purpose back in the nation in 2005 by rivals.com. After going undrafted, Detroit gave him a tryout. He was added to the roster and then released. He had brief stints at Minnesota and Houston. He was signed by the Falcons after they released quarterback D.J. Shockley in Oct. 2009. Smith has found his niche as a special teams star. Before last season Smith had just one carry in his previous three seasons with the Falcons. “Antone’s a guy that can do some things when we get the ball in his hands,” Mike Smith said. “I would imagine we would want to make sure to help him get some touches, put him in an advantageous situation.” For two plays that didn’t count, Antone Smith has created a major buzz. “It’s really always about your first impression,” Mike Smith said. might be worth the flyer. dude looked great in preseason except 1 snap where he missed the block and got ryan clobbered lol

i'd take the risk with gronk

i guess i'm the only one really big on green. green>ebron>ertz

he wont get touches,falcon fans were screaming for him to get more last year but he can't pass block and is like 30. devonta just passed quizz on depth chart today so antone is 4th when jackson gets back. i think the only reason they keep him on the team is because he is an ace gunner and special teams guy

sucks for him, but wouldnt a 4 game suspension mean its the 2nd time this has happen?

you were right, missed him by 1 pick

Atlanta - mack, LB buffalo

denvers D outplays seahawks, donkeys win by 20 points

why? this just made this man millions, he will be the talk of the country for the next 2 weeks and then get all kinds of commercial deals in the offseason. this was a complete win for him, boosted his name recognition and embarrassed one of his biggest rivals.

and thats fine you feel that way but not everyone has to be mutes or choirboys in interviews. i think this was a good business decision by him. dude is already a top 3 corner in the league and now he will be talked about for years for 1 outburst.

lol i never really liked seattle but u gotta love a man who talks his mind in this PC world where everyone is walking on eggshells and trying to be corporately boring. people will hate him which is good for his marketability, he will be the most talked about corner since deion now

nm i didnt see the one thrown as soon as it happened

i hate these super late flags, seems like the refs arent going to do anything unless the player begs for a call at the end

this game is a snooze fest

thats tough, i think play will stand

lol cams nba flop

this isnt much further than any regular season game, other than the headbutt the calls have been pretty bogus. the defenseless player hit while the ball was in the air was horse sht, the phantom hold where luke kuekly or whatever his name is jammed anquan within 5 yards.

im not a panthers fan but these refs are sht, this is playoff football man

panthers already getting jobbed

or he could just be claiming 250k was in there for insurance purposes

if u are going to pretend the spike didn thappen then put 12 second sback on the clock and let them respike

what a clusterfck, how can they review it after another play when bengals spiked?