Weatherspoon was cramping up late in the game
Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes (20) intercepts a Drew Brees pass in front of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devery Henderson (19). Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS – Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon had a severe case of cramping and was taken to the locker room on a golf cart during the overtime session on Sunday, but some fluids and a 27-24 victory over New Orleans did a lot for his recovery.
“I was just locking up,” said Weatherspoon, the team’s 2009 first-round draft pick. “I feel much better know.”
Weatherspoon, making his third NFL start, was drafted in part because of his coverage skills and his ability to play in spaces against teams like the Saints. He had seven tackles and a quarterback hit against New Orleans. He wasn’t a liability in coverage and had a couple of other big hits in his first game in the Superdome.
“It was amazing,” Weatherspoon said. “We needed everybody. We just kept fighting and fighting. We knew this game was going to be tough.”
Weatherspoon has now played in two overtime games in three outings in his young NFL career.
San Francisco next up at home
Last season, the Falcons slapped around the 49ers 45-10 at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, and suspect they’ll be in a foul mood when they arrive at the Georgia Dome on Sunday.
“They played New Orleans really tight,” Weatherspoon said. “They almost won that game. We know what we’ve got coming in. … They are going to be really fired up about playing us.”
Get instant updates on Twitter at AJCFalcons and you can join the Facebook Fan page at AJC Falcons.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
72 comments Add your comment
Cejay
September 27th, 2010
4:02 pm
And your reasonable debate was “lucky”……..
Joe Tess Fish House
September 27th, 2010
4:06 pm
Lucky?…You bet. A chip shot feild gold should not be hooked that bad. It was xtra point distance. Kickers dont miss those indoors. Out side in the rain maybe, but not in a dome.
Cejay
September 27th, 2010
4:12 pm
“luck” isn’t debatable….
Why don’t you people just accept the fact that you lost !!!!
Talk about it for months and it’s still a lose !!!!
We brought it to you in your house !!!!!!
You can blame the kicker, the team should not have put him there. If the team as a whole would have played better it wouldn’t have come down to a field goal !!!
Joe Tess Fish House
September 27th, 2010
4:16 pm
Im not a Sanits fan. Im a Falcons fan….Been 1 since 2001. I just pointing the things I see that our wrong with the team.
Hamp
September 27th, 2010
4:17 pm
scoreboard Ho!
Cejay
September 27th, 2010
4:33 pm
Joe you need to read this post:
Bored of the go-Dawg AND Who-Dat Nations
September 27th, 2010
3:00 pm
The way the ESPN/national media as well as scorned Saints fans play this game out is like the Falcons were ‘lucky’ to win. there has yet to be a single mention of the fact that it took a play reminiscent of the Emaculate Reception to keep this from being a 2 possession affair. The Saints were dominated in their own building. The Saints, if anyone, were lucky to be in the game. The Falcons D held the Saints scoring in check as best as possible given the scenarios (1st drive began in red zone after uncharacteristic shoddy punt coverage, a blown assignment td on 2nd and 15, then lastly an extra possesion after a 3 and out as a result ofthe aforementioned emaculate reception off of DeCoud) and carved them up systematically on offense. Complete victory on the Falcons behalf. Lucky? Garrett Hartley hit a duck hook twice in a row. The first one started out far enough to the right and made it through. The 2nd…well…it was unwatchable. Perhaps if the 49ers guy hadn’t tipped the FG in week 2 it would have gone sour on its own and the Super Saints would be 1-2. Think about it.
Bluto
September 27th, 2010
4:37 pm
Joe Tess Fish House (aka Internet tough guy) How many people have you “beat up” this week? Are you still challenging falcon fans to meet you in RL? LOL
Joe Tess Fish House
September 27th, 2010
4:41 pm
RL?
Bluto
September 27th, 2010
4:42 pm
Joe Tess Fish House I have never seen a “falcons fan” put down their team as much as you do. How is T.O. working out in Cincy? I see you brought up your homie Vick, but you seem to have forgot your boyfriend T.O. LOL. Uh oh I might have made Joe Tess Fish House mad enough for him to challenge me to a fight in the waffle house parking lot. hehehehehehe
Bluto
September 27th, 2010
4:42 pm
Real Life.
Bored of the go-Dawg AND Who-Dat Nations
September 27th, 2010
5:57 pm
Maybe the media is playing it out this way because they have to devote all of their attention to the unimpressive 1-2 Cowboys. Who knows. All I know is we havve a tougher-than-it-seems test against the 49ers this week. Us coming off a big win, them coming off a disappointing start…its concerning. My hope is that our Atlanta area fans will fill up the dome prior to 1:20pm since we just finished polishing off the Champs in their house. We need to make it hostile on San Fran.
Zoomie
September 27th, 2010
6:45 pm
Good game, but there were moments that give one pause. Kickoff and punt coverage were terrible. That alone was nearly enough to cost the Falcons the game. Whoever called pass plays on third-and-four and then fourth-and-four should be taken out, shot, buried, then disinterred and summarily fired. DeCoud seemed quite lost at times. HD and MR don’t quite seem to be clicking. That leaves us with only RW and TG in the pass game. Hopefully, HD and MR will get a little homework done this week.
What’s a bit different is that the Falcons never lost their intensity. In addition, the ball bounced the Falcons’ way for a change.
Good win. Correct a few of the small, but crucial, bits and the Falcons could have a really good season. Next up: the 49ers, who will be looking for a little retribution after the 45-10 beatdown they took in their house last year. Don’t let up, Falcons!
Take Good With Bad
September 27th, 2010
6:58 pm
I hope everyone here is true falcons some of you are wagon jumpers dont let me spot you cause I will toss you off b4 and the rest better stay lost true fans come ride with us this is the falcon POLICE TAKE GOOD WITH BAD over and out.
bcinbuford
September 27th, 2010
7:06 pm
JTFH why are we even talking about Vick? Philly isn’t for a few more weeks. Why do you think we would be better if Vick was still here? He has already CONFESSED that he really didn’t try while here in Atlanta. He was bailed out of trouble by the organization countless times (Ron Mexico, Miami Airport, giving the home town fans the finger, need I say more?). Vick needed to be released by Atlanta and sent to prison if for no other reason than to make him get his mind right. Maybe Atlanta “letting him go” was the best thing for him? It seems to have set his mind right. Where are the thank-you’s that all of you Vick fans owe to Arthur Blank and the Falcon organization for helping him straighten out his life? Instead of blowing all this BS at the team in the name of Vick, say thanks to it!
bcinbuford
September 27th, 2010
7:16 pm
The NFL had four quarterbacks starting this past weekend that were all Drafted by the Falcons. Matt Ryan as we all know. Mike Vick, Matt Schaub, and Brett Farve. Out of all three of the ones not playing for Atlanta, the only one we should have kept was Schaub. Brett Farve was so busy partying in the strip clubs he never would have been any good if he had stayed in Atlanta. We all saw what happened to Vick while here. Matt Schaub was the only one of the three that was released for the wrong reason, to keep Vick and look where that got us. We have Matt Ryan now and he has showed great potential. As well as a maturity needed to succeed in a “party’ town like Atlanta. Yes we will get down on him when he screws up, but we should also give him his praise when he succeeds like he did this past Sunday in New Orleans.
waynelaster
September 27th, 2010
7:31 pm
City plays a small part of a player. Character, that is what an organization serch for. All were great QB’S. Ryan is surrounded by players with talent & characters. Go Falcons!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bcinbuford
September 27th, 2010
8:18 pm
@Waynelaster…The city might be a small part of the player, but a person’s surroundings is a big part of who he is. Many people have been on this blog downing the organization for passing on a player with greater talent and opting for one with better character. Thank you for proving my point.
Big Ray
September 27th, 2010
10:18 pm
Charlie
September 27th, 2010
5:10 am
Big Ray and bigslow.
And just who gave you bozos the right to criticize David? If he doesn’t like DOL’s journalistic efforts, that is his concern, not yours. As far as STFU is concerned, I’d say stick it in your ear.
Your entire post is a great example of hypocrisy, Charlie . David has the right to speak his piece. I have the right to disagree with it. You have a right to stick your nose in where it ain’t wanted and toss your two cents worth. It’s a blog. Which means nobody has had anything said to their actual faces.
Enjoy that simple, health preserving fact. And STFU.
hiramsaint
September 27th, 2010
10:29 pm
i’ve read most of the post and i’m amazed at how hung up y’all are on excuses. i said my congrats to the falcons for the win but sorry -no excuses. the players you fielded won against the players we fielded-plain and simple. we’re not blaming the refs , the qb or anything. we’re not calling for the head of the off. coordinator or def coor. we lost as a team and we’ll win as a team. a word of advice from someone who’s been there. when you win , act like you’ve done it before but more importantly- when you lose , know that it’s not forever and move on- again , congrats to the falcons for the win and to both teams for one of the best games i’ve ever seen
Big Ray
September 27th, 2010
10:35 pm
Joe Tess Fish House
Vick wasn’t leading anybody to the SuperBowl. He isn’t now . That is a crock of foolishness. Four reasons why:
1. Vick had ZERO chemistry with his receivers, O-line, and running backs outside of Alge Crumpler. His O-line zone-blocked because they had no idea what he might or might not do.
2. Our defense stunk, and only started getting good last year. You don’t go to the Super Bowl with a crappy defense. You just DON’T.
3. Blank never turned his back on him. His relatives and friends did, when they were faced with giving state’s evidence or doing time. Blank would have supported him if he hadn’t lied and said he wasn’t involved. Unfortunately for Vick, his buddies and relatives blabbed it all about his involvement, which led to his conviction, sentencing, and a disappointed Blank removing his support. Why support a guy you gave $130 million to, after he lied to your face?
4. Blank would have never been able to overturn the judge’s sentence, or Roger Goodell’s League suspension. Which means, Vick would have still been away from football for 2 years or so. If he was good enough to get this team to the SB, then he should have done it in Philly by now. But he hasn’t, and he won’t this year either.
You forget about what happened each time Vick and the Falcons got knocked out of the playoffs. We got beat because the Eagles figured out how to beat Vick. They played a “spy” on him all game long. It was easy for them. You think others don’t know how to do this? Call me back when Vick delivers a SB victory to Philly. Until then, this idea has zero credibility.
Big Ray
September 27th, 2010
10:37 pm
Gosh hiramsaint , that’s the most encouraging thing you’ve ever said to Falcons fans on the blog. I guess it took a beating to finally drag the sportsmanship out of you, huh?
heh heh heh
Joe Tess Fish House
September 28th, 2010
9:24 am
I point out a few concerns and I get insulted and atacked……Some Falcon fans u are.