Weatherspoon out; Robinson likely to miss Bengals game, too
Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins (12) pushes off Eagles defender Ellis Hobbs (31). AP
FLOWERY BRANCH –Rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who suffered a right knee sprain against Cleveland, will not play this week against the Cincinnati Bengals, Falcons coach Mike Smith said.
“He’s not responding as quickly as we thought,” Smith said. “We are going to rule him out for this week and hopefully get him back after the bye week.”
Cornerback Dunta Robinson, who suffered a concussion on the big hit he put on Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson on Sunday, will not likely be cleared in time to play against Cincinnati.
Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson on Monday, March 8, 2010. D. Orlando Ledbetter, dledbetter@ajc.com
“Right now, Dunta is in the league concussion protocol,” Smith said. “He will have to go through it this week and we’ll have to wait and see if he’s cleared by an independent doctor. That’s where we are with him physically.”
Smith went on to address the play.
“I think that we all know Dunta, he’s been in this league a long time,” Smith said. “He’s a guy that plays the game very, very hard. That was a bang-bang play in terms of the contact. From my vantage point, it looked like there was no helmet-to-helmet contact. But it was a bang-bang play. I’m glad that both of those guys are going to be all right. It was a big time hit.”
Smith is not sure how the league will interpret Robinson’s hit. He could be facing a fine or a suspension. He was called for a personal foul on the play.
“It’s a very complicated rule,” Smith said. “It’s not just head to head contact. It’s contact with the shoulder pads or the arm or any part of the body with the helmet or neck area. Again, a defenseless player, I’m not exactly 100 percent sure how they want to say a guy is defenseless. But again, it was a bang-bang play and I’m glad those guys are going to be all right.”
Smith was careful and picked his words carefully when talking about the play.
“That was two guys moving very fast, going for the same thing and that was the ball,” Smith said. “It was a very, very explosive play. I 
know that the rules are for the players’ safety.”
Here are some of the other subjects that Smith touched on Monday during his press conference with the local media.
ON HOW THE EAGLES TARGETTED THEIR TOP 3 RECEIVERS 13 TIMES AND COMPLETED 13 PASSES FOR 255 YARDS AND THREE TOUCHDOWNS: “They were using a lot of max protection. When you are using seven-man and six-man protections, the players who are going to be targeted are going to be the wide receivers. They threw the ball effectively. We had a plan that we hoped to execute more effectively and we did not execute. . . they wanted to make sure they protected the quarterback and that’s why the balls went to the wide receivers in the game yesterday.”
ON THE THIRD QUARTER REDZONE TRIP THAT COULD HAVE MADE IT 21-14 IF THE FALCONS DIDN’T HAVE TO
SETTLE FOR A FIELD GOAL: “On one of the plays, one of our receivers got tripped up. He was probably going to be open, but he got tripped up. On the second pass play we had down there, there was a blitz and we had to throw it hot and we ended up being short from getting the first down. Again, we’ve got to continue to address this. . . We know that this is something that we have to get better at in terms of red-zone efficiency. It’s not where it needs to be right now.”
ON GETTING MICHAEL JENKINS BACK: “It was good to have Michael back. Michael made a big play there early in the game. He caught the skinny post and got the ball down into the red-zone. . . He played approximately 40 snaps in the ball game yesterday. ”
ON SLOW STARTS THIS SEASON: “We’ve got to start faster. Historically, since we’ve been here, we’ve started fast and have out-scored our opponents significantly in the first quarter. We are not doing it right now and it’s a thing that we have to continue to work
Head coach Mike Smith was not happy with the pass protection against the Eagles. Quarterback Matt Ryan (2) is hit by Eagles defensive end Trent Cole (58). Associated Press
on. It’s not just the players. It’s the coaching staff. We have got to make sure we put our guys in the best opportunity to be successful and right now, we are not getting that done.”
ON ALL OF PHILLY’S MIS-DIRECTION PLAYS: “We have to be more sound in that area. It was not a good start to the ball game defensively, when on the second play of the game they run the ball for a touchdown on a reverse. It’s something we knew they were going to do. They were going to run reverses.”
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219 comments Add your comment
Chucktown
October 19th, 2010
3:39 pm
Is Philly the little sister to San Fran? Bunch of Pirates!
Double Zero Eight
October 19th, 2010
3:42 pm
Look for the secondary to get “lit up” this week. The Falcons were outcoached and outplayed by the Eagles. Ryan is a mediocre QB against top tier defenses. The play calling was predictable in the red zone. One of the reasons for half time is to make adjustments. The coaching staff failed to do so against the Eagles.
Johnny Fever
October 19th, 2010
4:14 pm
@008, Why would you say that. The bengles are having passing problems as well. Carson is not the same as years past even with the TO-OCHO experience. Their team is not lighting up anyone.
Gamer
October 19th, 2010
4:38 pm
Dunta should put football on hold and return after the bye-week. That was a serious collision between two physical players. THE POWERFUL SPEED OF D. JACKSON MET WITH THE SPEED AND CRUSHING POWER BY D. ROBINSON RESULTING IN BOTH PLAYERS COLLAPSING ONTO THE FIELD.
Neither players should play for a couple of weeks to ensure no relapse happens. SIT DUNTA, LET HIM RETURN AFTER BYE WEEK!!!! CHRIS OWENS CAN HANDLE THE ASSIGNMENT…
GET WELL SOON DUNTA…GOOD FORTUNES DUNTA.
Atlanta Housewife
October 19th, 2010
6:14 pm
ah, where is PHILLY Phan ?!? you’re team about to be down 2 games to 1 !!! i luv it loser !!!!!! ha ! ha ! ha !
Atlanta Housewife
October 19th, 2010
6:17 pm
maybe he’s fixing those raggedy ass pot hole streets and highways !!!!!! raggedy ass city !!!!
Atlanta Housewife
October 19th, 2010
7:01 pm
where you at B-I-T-C-H ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Falcon Jim
October 19th, 2010
8:40 pm
Awh give em a break. After-all, they do have to put up with being from Philly. Winning is the only thing they have. We have SO much in Atlanta. I won’t root for em, but won’t kick em when they are down………………at the moment!
tyger
October 19th, 2010
9:08 pm
OUTCOACHED
tyger
October 19th, 2010
9:10 pm
Bethune Cookman #1 FCS offense stymies FCS #9 S.Carolina State 14-0.
FVSU shuts out AFCA #16 Tuskegee, 26-0
Hampton owns the Bay, 7-6, over Norfolk St.
Albany St. (7-0) vs. Morehouse (6-1) this weekend.
Full story: hbcuclassics.com
Falcon Jim
October 20th, 2010
10:23 am
RISE UP. Stick it to the man! Show the NFL Nazis we don’t have to take it.
RISE UP.
FREE DUNTA ! ! ! ! !
Falcon Jim
October 20th, 2010
10:24 am
RISE UP.
RISE UP Sunday at the Dome and walk out during the first series. Have “Free Dunta” written on an undershirt, or your chest, and pull up your shirt and show it to the cameras.
Of course you can come back to your seats after you and your breatheren all RISE UP and walk out.
Barry
October 20th, 2010
11:02 am
Hey Y’all:
One game at a time. One game at a time in “ONE HEARTBEAT!!” That’s how we play this game. Sunday, we got out played and out coached on offense, defense, and special teams. I do not know what our Falcons were drinking before the Philly game but they better leave it at home.
On offense, everthing they did was too predictable. I knew when they were going to run and when they were going to throw. They appeared to be sluggish walking to the line of scrimmage as if they had no fire in their eyes. They could not surprise anyone on the opposition defense because the playcalling stunk up the place. Rarely did they throw the ball downfield. There were no trick plays against Philly as Philly trick played us to death. We have the talent on this offense to be explosive. But the playcalling is too, too, standard and predictable. We got to fix this in “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!”.
The defense, on the other hand, had no pass rush. NONE AT ALL!!! I saw no creative blitz packages to attack the quarterback. I SAW NO INDIVIDUAL LINEEN BEING “NASTY” AND MAKING AN “IMPACT.” We made an average quaterback look like Joe Namath. Of course, the defensive backs were getting burnt. There was no bass rush. The defensive linemen appear to be engage in individuals battles with thee oppositions offensive linemen without trying to shred the lineman and go for the quarterback or the running back. IT APPEARS THE DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ARE NOT BEING TAUGHT HOW TO “SHRED BLOCKERS” ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE. THEY GET INTO INDIVIDUAL BATTLES WITH THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN FOR TOO LONG WHILE THE PLAY DEVELOPS AGAINST THE DEFENSE FOR PLAYS BY THE QUARTERBACK AND THE RUNNING BACK. GET THOSE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN OUT OF YOUR WAY AND MAKE A TACKLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU CAN’T YOU WILL NOT BE HERE IN ATLANTA. YOU WILL BE NFL (NOT FOR LONG). COACHES INCLUDED. THEY SHOULD BE TEACHING Y’ALL THIS STUFF. Let’s go Falcons.
Special teams stunk up the place. Our punter was kicking 30 yard punts 4 of the 5 times he punted. I do not know what his problem is but it looks like he is losing his heart in kicking the ball since he got blocked in a previous game. We got to fix this, COACH.
I know it is “ONE GAME”. But I never want to see a game like that again. We were outplayed and out coached at every phase of the game. We need to do more homework at Flowery Branch for the upcoming games. I KNOW WE WILL DO IT. I KNOW WE WILL DO IT IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!”. JUST KEEPING IT REAL REAL. ONE GAME AT A TIME. That loss to Philly probably enhaced how we will play for the rest of the season . IT think our FALCONS will be playing “PRETTY NASTY” here on out. I believe that in “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!”
LET’S GO FALCONS!! THE “PROCESS” CONTINUES. IT CONTINUES IN
“ONE HEARBEAT!!!!”. “WE RISE!!” IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!!”.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a SECRET from a FALCON FAN. TELL EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!
……………………”ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!!!…………….
chris in HOUSTON TX
October 20th, 2010
12:51 pm
Atlanta is a gay kind of town. Is there any straight men in Atlanta? probaly not ……what a lousy sports town Atlanta is known to being. Dunta hit was illegal so wakeup people. I love Philly by the way it’s a great historic city. I live in Houston , its also a great city.
ctfalconsfan
October 20th, 2010
2:17 pm
DOL which AJC writer is going to be the first to write an article detailing the short comings of this offense and Mike Mularkey?
After Cincy you guys will probably grade the Falcons and give the offense a B- instead of the D+ THEY DESERVE!
I want to see one of you writers go after this problem.
ClaudeHumphrey
October 20th, 2010
4:25 pm
Dunta’s hit was not clean. Dunta was attempting a helmit transplant. Dunta tried to drive Jackson into the carpet using his head as a projectile missile, attempting to plant his helmit into Robinsons chest. Now that Duntas wallet is about $50K lighter, maybe the next time that type of collision is imminent, Dunta will alter his tackling style and talkle from the waste, driving himself to the defenders sternum. That is the correct way to tackle. The style that Dunta used this past sunday was like the old rock-em, sock-em robots where you try to knock somebodys block off.
JeanE
October 21st, 2010
12:52 pm
What I want to know is: what is Mike Mularkey’s contingency plan if we get into a big whole, are behind and must score points quickly? Then, the whole ball control grind it out style of offense doesn’t work. He doesn’t seem to HAVE any kind of plan B. And our offense if way too predictible. We always run the very 1st play from scrimmage of the game. Just for once, I’d love to see us open it up and pass the damn ball on that 1st play. The offensive line has got to do a better job protecting Ryan. And for the love of God, get Snelling involved with some screen passes!
ShempHoward
October 21st, 2010
1:02 pm
I hope the Falcons have a solid game plan against the Cincinnati Bengals this sunday. The Bengals have great wide receivers (T-O and Ochocinco) and will stretch the field on the falcons if the Falcons cornerbacks and safeties dont cover the receivers well. The Falcons should still beat the Bengals because Carson Palmer is in a throwing slump. This might be a good time for the Falcons to face the Bengals because when Carson is playing well, the Bengals score a ton of points and Palmer throws for over 4000 yards in a season.
Fantasy: Value Town – Week 7 Edition
October 22nd, 2010
2:56 pm
[...] gave up 3 passing scores to the Eagles. They currently grade out at just -2.1 in pass coverage, and lose starting corner Dunta Robinson (+2.6) for at least this week to a concussion. In his place, Chris Owens (-3.5) will get the start. [...]