Hardy says Panthers are better than the Falcons; want some revenge
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and tight end Tony Gonzalez celebrate a 30-28 victory over the Carolina Panthers to remain undefeated at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Sunday , Sept. 30, 2012. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Carolina Panthers are raving mad at the Falcons.
They didn’t like how they lost the 30-28 squeaker on Sept. 30, nor did they approve of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan telling them to “Get the (expletive) off our field” while walking to the locker room after that thrilling game.
Maybe Carolina defensive end Greg Hardy is going to be a general manager someday. He believes the Panthers (3-9) have proven that they are better than the Falcons (11-1).
Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant makes a field goal in the final seconds of the game for a 30-28 victory over the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Sunday , Sept. 30, 2012. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM
Loading ...“I’m trying to mess up their whole playoff experience,” Hardy said. “I want them to go home sick in the stomach, mad about life, a couple depression issues, all types of things. It’s going to be a long day from my point of view. I’m coming.”
Hardy and mates sacked Ryan seven times in the previous meeting. But the Panthers, who pinned the Falcons back to their 1-yard line, couldn’t hold onto a 1-point lead with 59 seconds to play.
Ryan tossed a bomb that gained 59 yards to Roddy White.
After an incomplete pass, the Falcons picked up 5 yards on a defensive pass interference, then a 7-yard gain on a pass to Tony Gonzalez followed by a 6-yard gain on a pass to Harry Douglas.
After calling their last timeout, Matt Bryant came on to make the game-winning 40-yard field goal.
After the game, the Panthers heard about Ryan’s comments on their way to the airport.
“I think we marked this day down since (then),” defensive end Charles Johnson said. “He had all due respect to say that. Hey, you got to come in our house now.”
The Falcons face the Panthers at 1 p.m. Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
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119 comments Add your comment
NuclearJim
December 5th, 2012
7:19 pm
First!
NuclearJim
December 5th, 2012
7:21 pm
I hope the Bird’s punk this kid all game long……….what an arrogant Arse!
RA
December 5th, 2012
7:22 pm
Well, it’s nice that the Panthers have confidence. It’s better to have wins though. If I were on a 3-9 team that was supposed to compete for AT LEAST a division title, I’d watch my smack…
Elderly
December 5th, 2012
7:24 pm
Well, the truth is they might very well be better. I’m not sure. But I am sure that Hardy’s remarks will fire up the Birds, and they will play harder than they would otherwise have done. I hope we humiliate them.
cliff
December 5th, 2012
7:25 pm
FIRST!
The Panthers need to worry abut next year instead of trying to get mad off of something Ryan said, they dont win because they put WAY too much emotion in their game… atleast they didnt have eggs thrown at them. I expect a Falcons win on Sunday 31-7
RA
December 5th, 2012
7:28 pm
Here’s the bottomline, these are two teams that don’t like each other, and they’re not supposed to, and the Panthers are sitting squarely in the role of spoiler at this point. But here’s the thing, the Falcons still haven’t played their best ball, and if I was Carolina, that fact would scare the crap out of me. In short, the Falcons have gone through most of this season sleeping. I REALLY wouldn’t want to wake them up.
Ninja
December 5th, 2012
7:28 pm
didnt the panthers put out an ad saying they were gonna win the superbowl?? 2011 Eagles all over again, when they claim to be a dream team, that means they only succeed in their dreams
come on
December 5th, 2012
7:30 pm
So how is Cam Newton’s look at me moment in the endzone after every touchdowns any less disrespectful. They better not have any questionable hits in this game because they will have a hard time denying intent after making this statement.
BravesFan79
December 5th, 2012
7:45 pm
Turns out Newtons superman dance in the endzone is a perfect fit for the Panthers, celebrate like you just won the superbowl even when getting slaughtered!
keith
December 5th, 2012
8:12 pm
Devin Harris should be our starting point guard!!!
Man...
December 5th, 2012
8:20 pm
Alright. better team. Of course they are. The coach is gone after this season, the GM is gone, and the QB thinks its great to do his thing when they’re getting their behind’s whupt. After we beat them this week, they’ll still be better. What fun!
lowdownjj
December 5th, 2012
8:39 pm
Only way Hardy can mess up “our whole playoff exprience” is…is…mn domm… how the he!! does he plan on doing that??
ernisTbass
December 5th, 2012
8:41 pm
let me get this straight, Brees is sure the Stains own this division and this clown is certain that the Panthers are better than the Falcons, aren’t you supposed to wait until after the season to go to Disney?
JayCool
December 5th, 2012
8:50 pm
Hardy is right, the Panthers are better than the Falcons, just at losing games and being over-hyped.
PMC
December 5th, 2012
8:53 pm
Cut him, Cut him, Cut him, and then when he gets up Cut him again.
PMC
December 5th, 2012
8:54 pm
Other than Thomas Davis, is there a likeable human being in their entire organization?
PMC
December 5th, 2012
8:56 pm
Hopefully it fires up the offensive line to play adequately.
Mario
December 5th, 2012
8:57 pm
Now he knows damn well the Panthers aren’t better than the Falcons. Falcons have won more games in 12 weeks (11) tha the Panthers have won in the past two seasons combined. We’re division champs and headed to the playoffs and they will have a top 5 draft pick. Now whose better?
Cutter
December 5th, 2012
8:59 pm
Greg Hardy put the Hookah down son you 3 and 9.
Mario
December 5th, 2012
9:01 pm
The Canthers have won 11 games in the past 3 seasons. (2 with Clausen in 2010), (6 with Cam last season), and (3 so far this season)…the Falcons have already won that many in one season. If I were Greg Hardy, I’d shut my mouth.
dg58
December 5th, 2012
9:02 pm
So the Falcon’s have a little brother too!
Mario
December 5th, 2012
9:05 pm
At the end of the day all this “talk” is thrown out of the window. It’s all about playing football and executing. They can say whatever they want to say but how they block and tackle will determine who wins. All this jibberish and nonsense really means nothing once 1:00 hits and that ball is kicked off.
Mario
December 5th, 2012
9:06 pm
Is that talk going to make him run harder or faster? Is it really? Think about it. Is it going to make him hit harder? Better his pass rush moves? No. All that talk doesn’t matter.
okeetee
December 5th, 2012
9:07 pm
Frankly, I’m very surprised we are only 3 point favorites Sunday. I don’t think we will play as bad a game as we did against these clowns in Atlanta in Sept. and I think we’ve improved since then and the Panthers have regressed. We should win this game by 10 points. By the way, from here on out, until Superbowl Sunday, the bookies will have the Falcons favored to win all remaining regular season games…..and the first two playoff games as well! That’s if we get home field throughout! The bookies are rarely wrong!!!
gdub
December 5th, 2012
9:11 pm
Matt Ryan is utterly incapable of making that type of statement…if he did I guarantee it was in response to an expletive laced statement made to him by a Panther player. Just sayin…
KingNoCojones
December 5th, 2012
9:18 pm
“Yes, better than the Falcons, who have clinched the NFC South Division title and have the NFC’s best record at 11-1. The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a loss to Kansas City, which had won only one game this season before Sunday.”
KingNoCojones
December 5th, 2012
9:21 pm
“After Matt Bryant’s 40-yard field goal gave the Falcons a 30-28 lead with five seconds left, the Fox cameras caught Ryan saying: “Get the (expletive) off our field!”
Defensive end Charles Johnson said the Panthers heard Ryan’s comment on a highlight show on the team bus en route to the Atlanta airport after the game.
“I think we marked this day down since (then),” Johnson said. “He had all due respect to say that. Hey, you got to come in our house now.”
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/05/4463496/panthers-defense-seeks-revenge.html#storylink=cpy
MaxxFalcon
December 5th, 2012
9:30 pm
“Mess up their playoff experience”…nonsensical words from someone who has clearly never made the playoffs. Don’t speak about something that you don’t understand Hardy!
Whadda Ya Know?
December 5th, 2012
9:32 pm
Somebody need to slap Hardy outta that dream he’s having and wake him up. They feel disrespected…please bunch of Pantie azzes.
cdog
December 5th, 2012
9:36 pm
no wonder the panthers are losing. look at the mentality of their players.you are what your record says you are,. which means at 3-9 you are not better than the team that is 11-1.the panthers has psyco players who needs help.one says they’re better than the winning team when their record says they are chronic losers which carolina is.then they have a quarterback who said they will win the superbowl. my question to him is, on what planet? not on this one
Decatur Joe
December 5th, 2012
9:37 pm
Get the **** off our field!!!! love it!
The Grinch
December 5th, 2012
9:38 pm
I DVR’d that game and thought I saw him (Ryan) say that…had to rewind it a couple of times to believe it. I’m glad; I didn’t think he had that kind of fire.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
December 5th, 2012
9:39 pm
I don’t know y’all, Hardy better worry about getting drug-tested by the league. He might be sniffing some of that Adderall or something.
nobodyyouknow
December 5th, 2012
9:41 pm
There’s a big mouth badass on every team. I wonder how his teammates feel about him running his big mouth off?
D. Orlando Ledbetter
December 5th, 2012
9:42 pm
dg58 — It appears that they do have a little brother, too.
Felix
December 5th, 2012
9:42 pm
Yeah. Carolina players predicted a super bowl win this year. They would have a lot more wins if the game lasted only 3 quarters, but they have been awful in the 4th quarter.
Whadda Ya Know?
December 5th, 2012
9:43 pm
DLed, next time you talk to the Falcons ask them if they’re going to let Hardy & Johnson punk them like that?
Elijah Snow
December 5th, 2012
9:45 pm
You might want to check out #stuffgreghardysays on Twitter.
Delbert D.
December 5th, 2012
9:48 pm
I’m pretty sure that Hardy is a regular troll under several names on the AJC sports blogs.
Hugh Jass
December 5th, 2012
9:56 pm
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Panthers are better! BWAHAHAHAHA! I’m sorry. My eyes teared up because I was laughing hysterically.
NuclearJim
December 5th, 2012
10:01 pm
This says it all!
The Panthers (3-9) have lost five in a row to Atlanta – giving up at least 30 points in each – and are within a game of the NFL’s worst record.
DL
December 5th, 2012
10:02 pm
Probably wouldn’t have been so pissy if Cam wasn’t being an arse, dancing an Irish jig in the endzone. Karma, baby, karma.
kerryb
December 5th, 2012
10:05 pm
This is what an Ole Miss education gets for you. The guy is a total dumb A.
Johnny Vaught
December 5th, 2012
10:06 pm
Give’em hell Greg — we Rebels love you brother!
Brew Dees
December 5th, 2012
10:26 pm
We own this division!
Oh wait…..
Jethro
December 5th, 2012
10:27 pm
Don’t sing it. Bring it.
Isawthiscoming
December 5th, 2012
10:29 pm
Even if the thugs win instead of us, it don’t matter, we are going to playoffs and they aint and the aints aint. Ha ha ha. Merry Christmas.
Time
December 5th, 2012
10:39 pm
Me thinks weak Carolina pass D is just what Matt, Roddy and Julio need. And just in time for fantasy playoffs. Yipeeeeee
Falcon Fan #1
December 5th, 2012
10:43 pm
How can someone that promised a Super Bowl victory this year, a team that has already lost to the Falcons, a team that will not finish at .500 much less in the playoffs say they are better than anyone, much less the class of the NFC. Hardy needs to get his head out of the clouds and smell the roses.
I'm Drew Brees Damnit
December 5th, 2012
10:53 pm
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