Archives for September 25, 2005

‘”Man, that’s a bunch of baloney,” said Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes. “When people say things like that, they’re really jealous because of what they couldn’t do. The ones who usually say it are the former quarterbacks who used to play the game and now are analysts. So who cares? I’d rather have a guy on my team who wins rather than someone who sits back and throws for 200, 300 yards a game. Give me a winner. Point blank, period.”‘

‘J.P. Losman will be under the business end of a microscope for the next five games since he experienced a Billy Joe Hobert-Todd Collins-Joe Dufek afternoon against the Bucs’ gilt-edged defense. Losman has more talent than that trio, so the optimistic view from this vantage point is that he needs to take a series of deep breaths so that he’ll be able to recognize his own end zone from the twilight zone from now on.’

‘The Braves don’t sell out playoff games, hockey hasn’t really caught on and the NBA’s Hawks have to market the opposing team’s stars to boost attendance. If it weren’t for Vick, arguably the city’s most popular superstar since Dominique Wilkins and Deion Sanders, the Falcons’ attendance figures would undoubtedly hover near the bottom of the NFL. At least in Los Angeles fans arrive late and leave early. In Atlanta, they just don’t bother.’

‘The Bills stunk the joint in Tampa Bay last week but were impressive in Week 1 at home against Houston. The Falcons started big as well, defeating the Eagles at home then looked average against Seattle in Week 2.’

‘”It’s extremely motivating,” Losman said of the drubbing the Bucs administered to him and the Bills. “It’s like you’ve been punched in the mouth. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a street fight before, but I have, and I didn’t like when I got hit in the face. How you retaliate is you get back. When someone attacks you like that, you take it out on the next team. That’s the goal.”‘

‘There’s nobody who can play like Michael Vick, and he usually wins. That has been a huge part of his appeal.’

‘OK Tim, how often have you mentioned to Willis McGahee that your Buckeyes beat his Hurricanes for the national title?

“Oh, it’s come up a couple of times, but usually the conversation doesn’t last too long. But hey, I’ve got the ring sitting at home and he doesn’t.”‘

‘WR Michael Jenkins is averaging 25 yards per reception, but the Falcons passing game – largely because of Vick’s erratic completion percentage – shouldn’t be Buffalo’s prime concern. If the Bills can keep Vick contained and stuff the running game, the Falcons will struggle to score, especially at the fired-up Ralph.’

Safest bet: Reveal injuries (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Five keys for the Falcons (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Falcons must persist against a defensive-minded Buffalo (Macon Telegraph)

Falcons, Bills have both struggled on offense (Savannah Morning News)