OTAs: Tony Gonzalez plans a trip to Super Bowl
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and tight end Tony Gonzalez get on the same page. Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com
FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez has heard owner Arthur Blank’s message, loud and clear.
Loading ...Gonzalez knows that Blank was not talking about wedding rings, either.
“On paper right now, this is probably the best team that I’ve ever been on,” Gonzalez said after Wednesday’s OTA session. “It’s exciting. It’s good to know that we can go out there and accomplish some big things this year.
Running backs Jason Snelling, Dmitri Nance (30), Turner and Jerious Norwood line up to participate in a drill. Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com
When I say that, I’m thinking Super Bowl.”
Gonzalez isn’t shy about talking about the team’s high aspirations.
“Why would I think any other way?” Gonzalez said. “Why would I, especially at this point in my career and with the talent that we have on this team. We can go a far ways if we want to, if we work the right way.”
Gonzalez hasn’t played on a team that’s won a playoff game, but he was on the 2003 Kansas City team that posted at 13-3 regular season record and had the AFC’s No. 2 seed. They were upset by the Indianapolis Colts 38-31 in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Gonzalez believes the Falcons are on par with those Chiefs who featured record-breaking seasons by running back Priest Holmes, quarterback Trent Green and returner Dante Hall.
“I know that offensively, we are comparable to that 2003 team out there in Kansas City when we had a lot of Pro Bowlers on that side of the ball,” Gonzalez said. “We have that same talent on the offensive side of the ball.”
Falcons coach Mike Smith is expected a big bounce-back year from John Abraham. But should he be at OTAs? (Curtis Compton/compton@ajc.com)
The Chiefs’ leaky defense failed them against the Colts. Gonzalez believes the Falcons defense has the potential to be much stronger unit.
“On defense with the pick up of Dunta (Robinson) coming in, (John) Abraham, (Curtis) Lofton and we have a lot of guys going into their third year,” Gonzalez said. “That third year is when it really clicks for you. There is really no excuse at that point.”
There has been a lot of talk about players making a big jump in their third year.
“You’ve had a chance to go out there and play,” Gonzalez said. “Now you are out there in that comfort zone. That’s when you start to hit your stride as a player. We have a lot of those types of guys on defense right now.”
Also, quarterback Matt Ryan is entering his third year.
“I think if he keeps playing the way he is right now and keep improving, I’ve always said with Matt, it’s not ‘if’, it’s ‘when’,” Gonzalez said. “It’s just up to him and to have us around him to make sure that our learning curve is accelerated. . . mentally, it’s a no brainer for him. . . I’ve got big plans for Matt this year. But it takes all of us coming together.”
Getting sized for your ring? Gonzalez is attending the OTAs, should defensive end John Abraham be at the “voluntary” workouts?
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OTAs: Mike Smith looking for some consistency
OTAs: William Moore takes part in first session
Chauncey Davis helping to fight childhood obesity
At the polls: Fans say no to T.O.
Thomas Dimitroff to play D.J. on DAVE:FM
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135 comments Add your comment
Chop Buster
May 27th, 2010
7:52 pm
Talk is cheap. Having the best team on paper does not win one game. Let’s see how you perform on the field before we go making any predictions. Confidence is always a good thing…just keep it to yourself and PERFORM consistently on the field.
Who dat?
May 27th, 2010
7:53 pm
Drew Brees says hi! Says you gals gotta get through him and the Saints.
Good luck, dirty birds!
Atl Resident
May 27th, 2010
7:58 pm
Someone on here said Falcons are loaded, with what? So far this same situation where we got some draft picks that supposed to be good but until they play and we win this is just same thing that was said last year. I know better than to not get caught up in all that BS cause we have seen this same thing, over and over for so many years.
Falster
May 27th, 2010
10:01 pm
Hiramsaint will be in for an extremely H U G E shock if he believes that , “two losses to the saints won’t ruin your chances for another WINNING season” will actually “happen”! He will most likely be struck dumbfounded when the FALCONS beat them BOTH meetings this coming 2010 NFL season!
Chop Buster
May 27th, 2010
10:32 pm
Who dat? Tell Drew Decoud says he’s looking forward to seeing him again.
martin2323
May 27th, 2010
10:41 pm
That’s so FUNNY. I’m on the floor after that remark by your tight end. What does he think the super bowl champions saints will be doing, while the falcants attempt to even make it to the super bowl.I’m glad he thinks that way, but IT AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN. The saints are will be better on defense, and you falcants fans already know about their offense. I say the saints continue their beat down of the falcants, let’s see it the last 7-8 games the saints have won. Make that TWO more after this season. You guys know without the saints fans in the stands in the georgia dome, you guys don’t get a sell out.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
May 27th, 2010
11:05 pm
The Falcons will be better on defense – better means better than average. The o-line, however, will probably take a step back. Injuries and age are catching up and they need some new blood. WR will be about the same – no big pick ups there. Hopefully Turner and Norwood can stay healthy. Pass blocking was below average last season and will need to get better for the Falcons to get the ball more than 20 yards down the field. Special teams were also a problem with inconsistency and I don’t see an upgrade there. So, better on defense but a step back on offense and about the same on special teams leads to a season similar to last year but I will give them one more win for their 3rd winning season in a row and a possible wild card bid.
I been to N.O. once. GAY!
May 28th, 2010
7:29 am
You New Orleans fans must be confused. You’re cleaning up the dirty birds from the gulf, not the Dirty Birds of Atlanta. That reminds me…get to work!
rekingball
May 28th, 2010
8:16 am
saints….take Brees away, what have you got? Nothing.
They wont have the Refs backing them up this year.
martin
May 28th, 2010
10:07 am
At least we have a SUPER BOWL BANNER that will be hanging from the rafters, what does the FELL-CANTS have, NOTHING. As a matter of fact, make that three flags hanging from the rafters when the season starts. NFC SOUTH CHAMPS, NFC CHAMPIONS, AND SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS. UNTIL THE FELL-CANTS WIN A SUPER BOWL, YOU guys CAN’T SAY NOTHING. Sure tony will be in the super bowl, WATCHING THE SAINTS REPEAT. The fell-cants ain’t even on the same level with the saints anymore, we own that sorry team, just look up the last eight games. The saints have won 7 of 8 games. Now, until you guys win a championship, go crawl under a rock, along with the panthers. The saints and tampa bay can talk super bowl, they’ve won one. The fell-cant’s are one of about 17 teams never to win the super bowl. Oh, and another thing, that bs about the refs helping the saints,because of katrina, give me a break. If the refs and the league felt sorry for the saints, how come win the saints and bears played for the nfc championship right after katrina in 2006, did the saints not make it to the super bowl. It seems to me that would have been the time, the refs and everybody else would want them to win the super bowl, so that stupid argument needs to go the way of the sorry fell-cants. I say fell-cant’s because you guys will fell to make it to a super bowl, and cant’s because you will never and i mean never win one. The saints won super bowl 44 because they had the number one offense in the league. Check the stats, NUMBER ONE OFFENSE THE LAST 3 OUT OF 4 YEARS IN THE LEAGUE. Just the facts, that all I speak, not some bs you guys make up in your heads.
Paddy O
May 28th, 2010
10:54 am
hiram – didn’t you think the pump fake was just a progession for Ryan, that he just hadn’t become comfortable enough to manipulate the defense?
Also, defensively, rushing the quarterback, last year we were vanilla. Occasional CB blitz. The teams I mentioned, at their height, made you nervous playing them. That is the rep we want. Next year, if we win less than 10 games, I will be big time disappointed.
Paddy O
May 28th, 2010
10:59 am
Saints fans need to get realistic – the Vikings & Colt kicked their asses most of the games. They were the team of destiny, just like the Giants. How did the Giants do the following year? That said, I was happy for the Saints. People forget that for 80% of the Super Bowl, Indy was winning – and the newbie coach is really the guy who lost it for them.
truth
May 28th, 2010
11:25 am
I do remember the aints had to come from behind quit a bit last year. Not to good for a “high powered” offence. Also, some of those come from behinds were luck and refs. I know you aint fans hate that but it’s the truth. Do the research yourself. Heck we were close to beating the aints w/a backup QB and RB. But phantom interference calls stopped that. Go figure.
ELVISINTHEHOUSE.
May 28th, 2010
11:56 am
Keep dreaming tony,the only way you will get a ring is being a future TE coach for a good team.Wishing and hoping in this league is not good enough.Unless ofcourse that you are a goooood playstation player playing madden,you probably can make the superbowl with trades.
Paddy O
May 28th, 2010
12:09 pm
Follow up: If Dungy had been the Colts coach, New Orleans loses. No way would Freeney have been left in there the second half – the Saints were playing him bad.
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
1:07 pm
if “if” was a skiff we could all go sailing. thats all you falcons do is complain and say “if”. we won and thats the fact. y’all lost your sb and thats a fact along with being ancient history. a really good team has the skill and determination to be able to come from behind under adverse conditions and get a win, other teams simply go 9-7, miss the playoffs and celebrate a WINNING season.
truth
May 28th, 2010
2:01 pm
ADVERSE CONDITIONS!!! Hiram you’re a freak’n moron. When a call goes your teams way and it’s so obveous to everyone including the announcers and it’s a call that pushes your team ahead in a game….how is that adverse conditions? stupid……
truth
May 28th, 2010
2:04 pm
The aints are who we thought they where……and the ref’s let’m get away with it. lol
Chop Buster
May 28th, 2010
2:04 pm
HiramSaint, the Falcons never celebrated having a WINNING season…it was these sorry A** media folks that kept that in the news (the fact that the Falcons never had back to back winning seasons in the team’s existence). There were some fans on here happy that the monkey was finally off of our backs, but there was never any celebrating. So where do you continually get this garbage from? And enjoy your SB win…you guys won it. You were exactly where we were when Sean and Drew first came to your team…winning nothing. It took a couple of years before you even started to win. How quickly we forget. We’ll be in that A** this year! Try and say we’re the same ole Falcons all you want, but you know better.
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
2:10 pm
and the falcons have never had a call go their way? we came back and won games , your team didn’t -live with it . had y’all won that game it would make no difference ’cause we still win the div. and you watch the playoffs from home. i won’t stupe to your lack of education, meaning knowing nothing else but name calling, but how would have things been different. thats right false, they wouldn’t have
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
2:12 pm
chop- with smitty and ryan?
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
2:13 pm
truth– superbowl win, LOL
truth
May 28th, 2010
2:25 pm
hiram-aint…..I knew it wouldn’t take you long to come back with something….not much…..but good effort. You are so gullible. I can reel you in like a fish. Here’s to hoping Brees don’t get the Madden curse all over his cajin a**.
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
2:30 pm
good comeback truth. brees is not actually cajun but seeing as you don’t know very much about anything , we won’t hold it against you.
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
2:31 pm
p.s. – did you have a good report card this year ?
Chop Buster
May 28th, 2010
2:33 pm
Hiram…Ryan isn’t Brees, but he’s only in his third year. Smitty is the best we’ve had next to Dan Reeves. Reeves problem was he couldn’t change with the game. So yes, we will get there with Ryan and Smitty to answer your question.
truth
May 28th, 2010
2:36 pm
cajin, cajun, kaygin. Honestly, stop and consider this. If Brees goes down what would that do to your aints? We lost our stating QB and starting RB and a botch call gave your aints the game. Think for a moment we were in smelling distance of beating the aints with Chris Redman!!!! The aints aint all that. For such a high powered offense the aints had to came from behind to many times with help from those in stripes. Your team is a superbowl joke. congrates none the less but face reality, with your team.
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
2:47 pm
truth, the reality is the lombardi thats in new orleans. again i say we had the talent to come back where the falcons didn’t. i’ve seen so many saints teams doing what the falcons are doing now. that is hiring a no-name asst. coah and putting him in a situation way beyond his skill level then paying astronomical amounts of money to a player who is average and actually thinking we were gonna be good. it doesn’t work like that and as long as blank wants to control the team instead of letting a real coach do it, the falcons will remain a .500 [give or take a game] team. that too is the reality !
truth
May 28th, 2010
3:08 pm
No…………the aints had the stripes to help them come back. It wasn’t just in the games between the Falcons and aints there were others. You can spin all you want, but I’ve watched the replays, so should you. The fact is your “high powered” offense only showed against teams they should have beat’n. Truth is all of this is under the bridge…..we will see soon who’s for real and who “AINT.”
Oh, your comment at 2:47pm is way off base. Horrible talking points.
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
3:17 pm
with your name you should know i’m right. i’ve watched the replays and all the games with nfl sunday ticket. perhaps your the one that should watch.our HIGH POWERED offence showed enough to be ranked with a lombardi trophy. what has 72 mil. matt done except throw completions to defenders.—.500 at best till blank gets off the sidelines and hires a real head coach
truth
May 28th, 2010
3:32 pm
Ok……just keep watching, you’ll learn. But like I’ve said, we’ll see once the season starts. Just don’t forget this and be man enough to eat your crow. I will. Gotta go.
hiramsaint
May 28th, 2010
3:43 pm
see ya truth- i’ll be lookin’ forward to the season too and i’m always here . banter with ‘ta later.
Paddy O
May 28th, 2010
5:29 pm
hiram aint knows that the Colts coach gave the game away, due mostly to being a novice. Dungy would have smoke em. The Vikings kicked the crap out of the Saints, and now they got rid of Sharper & Vilma. We shall see how good they are. Brees played great, and I root for Brees – thought he got a raw deal in San Diego just like Plummer got screwed in Denver by Shanahan – Shanahan hooking his team up to that wanna be Vanderbilt ten cent headed Cutler – who may have the best coach firing record this side of Mike Vick.
truth
May 29th, 2010
9:40 am
Agree with you Paddy except the aints resigned the old man Sharper. Flame away hiram.
hiramsaint
May 29th, 2010
8:31 pm
we still have vilma which means vilma will have smoked ryan for lunch twice this year along with a side of blackened falcon