Brent Grimes redeems himself against the Jets
Atlanta Falcons' Brent Grimes, left, tries to escape from New York Jets' Braylon Edwards, right, after intercepting a pass during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Falcons beat the Jets 10-7. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
NEW YORK – Cornerback Brent Grimes snuggled Mark Sanchez’ third interception as he went down to the turf.
It was his second of the game and he now leads the team with four.
“I just read the receiver and made a break on the ball,” said Grimes after the 10-7 victory over the New York Jets.
Grimes was playing right cornerback for Chris Houston. He’s been in out of the lineup this season.
Thomas DeCoud congratulates Brent Grimes. (Kathy Willens/AP)
He opened the season playing outside in the nickel package after Brian Williams was acquired. When Williams went down, Grimes started there fulltime before the team started shuffling him, Tye Hill and eventually rookie Christopher Owens.
Grimes got a chance to get back on the field after Houston pulled his hamstring.
He’s had a tough year, but appears to be finishing it strong.
“Two real big interceptions, Brent’s play all through the season has been fairly steady,” said Falcons head coach Mike Smith. “It was nice to see him get the opportunity to make some game-changing plays. I thought that both of those plays that he made were game-changing.”
It was Owens who got beat by Cleveland Browns castoff Braylon Edwards on the 65-yard touchdown.
Grimes didn’t want to have a let down just because the Falcons were eliminated from the playoffs.
“That always hurts, but you have to go out and compete,” Grimes said. “We went out and played the game and
PRE-GAME: The Sideline Communications Center behind the Jets bench.
competed even though we heard some news that nobody wanted to hear.”
CHIN STRAPS WERE NECESSARY: The Falcons didn’t like Jets coach Rex Ryan telling them they’d better button up their chin straps because it was going to be a physical game.
“I heard about it last night,” right tackle Tyson Clabo said. “I hadn’t heard about it before that, but that’s just talk and that’s not what we are about.
“We are not about running our mouths and doing all of that. We just show up and play.”
Clabo didn’t like the comment, but conceded that Ryan was correct.
“I’ll give their defense credit, it was a physical game,” Clabo said. “There was a lot of hitting going on. A lot of jawing. They came ready to play defensively. He was right. We needed to bring our chin strap and I think we brought them. We didn’t back down.”
GAME TIME DECISION, FOR REAL: More than two hours before kickoff, Matt Ryan was dropping back and rolling out under the watchful eyes of Smith, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.
After that workout, the Falcons made the decision to play Ryan over Chris Redman despite the fact that Redman had received most of the work during practice last week.
PRE-GAME: NFL Logo on the field at Giants Stadium.
“The decision to play Matt was a decision that we made right prior to the football game,” Smith said. “Matt had got some limited work during the week. We said we are going to play the guys that give us the best opportunity to win the football game. We decided to go with Matt and Michael Turner.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We kept scratching around and finally made some plays,” Smith said of the Falcons game winning touchdown drive.
PICKING UP THE BLITZ: Ryan got his cage rattled a few times by the blitz-happy Jets, but was not sacked.
“I feel very good about that,” Smith said. “We were short handed. Some guys were banged up and didn’t practice. That was a team that prides itself on putting pressure on the quarterback. It was a big challenge for our offensive line, but I thought they kept our quarterback very clean. . . .Schematically, we had a very good scheme in place to keep our quarterback clean.”
DAVIS ON THE BLOCKED FIELD GOAL: Chauncey Davis‘ blocked field goal was a key play in the game to set up the winning drive.
“We are taught to get off the ball, take three steps and get your hands up,” Davis said. “We got that good push and I got my hands up. It was just in the way of the line of the ball.”
A fan throws a snowball onto the field during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Falcons beat the Jets 10-7. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
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114 comments Add your comment
truth
December 22nd, 2009
4:56 pm
MV#777………….go to bed you silly little boy.
MV#777
December 22nd, 2009
6:46 pm
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LOL……
cdog
December 22nd, 2009
7:01 pm
I WONDER DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY BELIEVE THE DALLAS COWBOYS LEGITILLY BEAT THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS LAST WEEK? IT WAS JUST LIKE PRO WRESTLING,OUTCOME WAS ALREADY DECIDED BY THE LEAGUE.BREES COULDN’T DEGUISE THE FACT HE WAS DELIBERATELY UNDERTHROWING RECIEVERS,LINEMAN FOR NEW ORLEANS WAS LITERALLY LETTING DALLAS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN THROUGH. I HAD ALREADY CALLED WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.THOUGH IT HAPPENED, IT WAS BEST THE FALCONS NOT GO TO THE PLAYOFFS WITH A HIGH SCHOOL MAYBE TALENTED SECONDARY, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN A JOKE IN A PLAYOFF GAME.MATT RYAN QUIT AFTER THE TAMPA GAME, PLAYOFFS? FALCONS? BE FOR REAL.
planb
December 22nd, 2009
9:11 pm
MV#777
Let’s talk about the great MV. Starting in 2002 – 9-6-1; 2003 – Out; 2004 – 11-5; 2005 – 8-8; 2006 – 7-9. That’s 35-28-1 according to my calculations. That is a .555 winning percentage. How could we get rid of a man with this kind of record just because he killed a few dogs.
planb
December 22nd, 2009
9:17 pm
MV#777
Lets talk about the great MV during his years with the Falcons. Starting 2002 – 9-6-1; 2003 – out; 2004 – 11-5; 2005 – 8-8; 2006 – 7-9. That’s 35-28-1 or a staggering .555%. How could we get rid of a man with this kind of record even if he did kill a few dogs.
bobwhite
December 22nd, 2009
11:57 pm
Good “Tough” Win! Kudo’s To The Birds..Now, Lets Buckle It Up For The Bills!!
Falcon’s Are Still 6-8 “PLAYERS” Away From Being A “Real” Contender..
I “See” Michael Jenkins, John Abraham & Several Others Being Released Or Traded Before
The 2010 Campaign Begins..If M.Smith Has The “Guts” He Will Also Get NEW Offensive-
Defensive Coach’s!
Tommy
December 22nd, 2009
11:58 pm
The Eagles or Cowboys are winning the NFC. The Vikings and Saints peaked too early. If Brees has a bad game, the Saints lose. As for the Vikes, I don’t think they could beat the Packers at this point.
It’s not what your top level is, it’s when you do it.
Tommy
December 23rd, 2009
12:00 am
And I have a feeling you’ll see me on the 2010 Falcons before you see John Abraham or Michael Jenkins. . .
Birddawg
December 23rd, 2009
12:22 am
What? No Matt “Choke” Ryan on this blog? That guy is hilarious.
MV#777
December 29th, 2009
7:15 pm
IT FIRST BECAME obvious, this feeling between Michael Vick and his new teammates, a couple of weeks ago in Atlanta. It was his homecoming game, as it were. It was where he scored his first touchdown for the Eagles and his teammates bounded off of the bench in celebration, where cornerback Sheldon Brown said that he and some of the players were telling each other before the game that they wanted to win it for Vick.
I mean, win one for Mike? Really? We all observe from a distance, and it was so hard to see or to understand. But it was real. There is no doubt that it was real, this bond between Vick and his new teammates.
And, now, this:
The Eagles’ players have unanimously voted Vick as the team’s recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, given annually to the player on each NFL team who exemplifies “commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.”
Guilty of horrific crimes. Sentenced to a federal prison term. Forfeited millions and millions of dollars. Back in the league for only a few months, only through the good graces of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Eagles coach Andy Reid. Now, a convicted felon honored by his teammates for overcoming a terrible situation into which he had put himself.
“I’m not sure you can explain it unless you’ve gone through it here with him,” Reid said yesterday. “Everybody is going to have their opinion on it, I’m sure. Until you’ve been with him for the hours that his teammates have been with him and seen him through all these different things that he’s had to go through, that time-tested part of it, you can’t appreciate it quite as much.
“I don’t expect everybody to understand it, no, but I think it’s a tribute when it’s a slam dunk by his teammates voting him that. It was just a unanimous vote there.”
That this is just a gut punch to the people who have opposed Vick’s reinstatement goes without saying. For them, a PETA spokesman said:
“The Philadelphia Eagles fumbled when they gave Michael Vick the Ed Block Courage Award, which was named after a man who advocated in behalf of abused children. Michael Vick should not be the person anyone points to as a model of sportsmanship, even though he has now exchanged dogs for touchdowns after serving time for extreme cruelty to animals. We wish him well in educating others, but this is not appropriate and does not mark a joyous moment in NFL history.”
It is hard to disagree with any of that. It does seem too soon to be celebrating Vick. It does not feel right – and this comes from somebody who thought Vick deserved a chance to play this year, somebody who was looking forward to seeing what he could do on the field.
But here is the thing: I did not get a vote and you did not get a vote. This is a players’ award, voted upon by players. And whatever your personal feelings, it is impossible not to be fascinated by this team’s embrace of Vick, right from the start.
“I never worried that guys wouldn’t accept me,” Vick said. “That probably was one of the last things on my mind. The most important thing was to get in here and get to know the guys and get acclimated in the city and playing football again. You just let things happen naturally. You just be yourself.”
This is more than just teammates supporting a teammate. It is clear that they like the guy. Talking to them through the season, it is clear that they thought the punishment for the crime was so severe, prison-wise and especially financially, only because Vick was a celebrity. Their inclination as fellow celebrities was to root for him, and as fellow teammates to root for his ability to help them on the field. But the feelings still ended up going deeper, and this award demonstrates it.
“It means a great deal,” Vick said. “I’ve only been in this locker room for 3 1/2 months. For those guys to feel that way about me, it means a lot to me. The bond that I have with the players on this team and the way we’ve jelled has been outstanding.”
Someone asked Vick what kind of courage he demonstrated, per the award.
“I’ve had to overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can bear,” he said. “Take a look at what I’ve been through. You ask certain people to walk in my shoes, they probably couldn’t do it – probably 95 percent of the people in this world. Because nobody had to endure what I’ve been through, situations I’ve been put in, situations I’ve placed myself in, decisions that I’ve made, whether they were good or bad. There are always consequences behind certain things and there are repercussions behind them, too. Then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective or it’s a totally different outlook on you.
“You just have to be strong and believe in yourself and be optimistic. That’s what I’ve been able to do and that’s what I display.”
When you talk to Vick, it sometimes takes him a minute to get to the key point: situations I’ve placed myself in. That is what rankles for some, still, that minute it sometimes takes. But it is all part of a longer process.
Anyway, Vick said, “The thing I told Roger [Goodell] was that, 4 or 5 years from now, when I come to him, I’ll be able to say everything I told you I was going to do, I’m still doing it. That’s what I pride myself on. That’s my focus and that’s my goal.”
That might have seemed a more appropriate time for an award such as this one, not now. Then again, this is all about a bond within a locker room, a place that none of us can hope to understand from the outside
MV#777
January 2nd, 2010
2:58 pm
WHAT GOES AROUND….
COMES AROUND……
LOL………..
southernbird7
January 11th, 2010
7:07 pm
Has anyone else notice, it may just be me, but all the top or winning teams carry 3 RB , differnt styles though, hard to conquer. we got turner, snelling , now we need that sprint back with power. CB Haden would be perfect, but abraham needs help from the other side and we need that terror in the middle(GRADY) that require 2 ol to hold out.A true 6′5″ or taller tough WR who can fly, along with roddy ,douglas will become the leagues triple threat. oh yeah put Baker back to 2nd string backup and get a smart end who can move there feet. please learn to play the play and stop giving up the 10 yards so easily, speed ,speed ,speed the falcons need more speed alon with smart playing. if you dont keep Redman then bring back Schockley for his legs.
dub366
January 13th, 2010
10:27 pm
Barry, when you make it to the playoffs, you have to go through the best to get to the top, & the FALCONS weren’t ready to make that step. On Monday, you read to keep the coaches together & then on Wednesday, you let Emmett go, like he was the reason the secondary played like they did. He didn’t draft those little corners.
dub366
January 13th, 2010
10:29 pm
what r u going to do about the coach on the d-line.