Herschel Walker: In 1980, "We Didn't Think We Could Lose"

I found this great video with Herschel Walker talking about the mentality that he, and the whole 1980 National Championship team, kept during their undefeated season. He makes the point that if everyone is on "one page", then you will have a team that is tough to beat.

Considering the various disappointments from last season, it seems safe to say that the 2010 team was definitely not on one accord.

If nothing else, coach Richt has to get his team back to feeling like it can win on Saturday—against any opponent. They need to get their confidence back, on defense and offense because, otherwise it will be tough to best the poor 6-7 record of last year.

Perhaps Herschel needs to come in and give a pep talk. He's already expressed a willingness to help the program in any way that he, legally, can. So, I say bring No. 34 into the weight room, throw him out there on the field with some pads on, and let these kids see what a true athlete looks like.

I have no doubt that Herschel could still run a few people over right now.

Here's the clip,



(h/t jwhat01)

Dunta Robinson: "I Grew Up A Bulldog Fan..."

Falcon's defensive back, Dunta Robinson attended the University of South Carolina, had a better than average college football career (he was taken 10th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft), and is now a starter on the 11-2 Atlanta Falcons.
He was recently interviewed by The Post and Courier and one of the first things he was asked was how he, an Athens, GA native (Robinson was a three-sport start at Clarke Central High School) ends up playing football at South Carolina.

Said Robinson:

"The University of Georgia never offered me a scholarship. That's how. I grew up a Bulldogs fan. It was the first college team I fell in love with and had they offered me a scholarship, I would have gone there. But coach (Jim) Donnan didn't think I was good enough to play at Georgia. My senior year, they had a player I knew, not even a coach, ask me if I was interested in playing wide receiver. When I said, 'no' I never heard from them again."

Wow, hopefully, the Georgia Bulldogs are a lot better at scouting the local talent now, than they were under Jim Donnan's watch.

DeSean Jackson: Stupid Is As Stupid Does...(VIDEO)

Apparently, DeSean Jackson made the unfortunate error of likening his team to "pit bulls". While the analogy is cool for most, it's ignorant coming from a player wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey—especially considering their quarterback's past experiences.

However, the mental gaffe brought to mind another time when DeSean Jackson failed to use his noggin...



Ahhhh, some guys never learn.

Just catch the football and keep your mouth closed, DeSean. You don't always have to find a shiny light to dance or talk in front of—silence can be golden too.

Let's Be Blount: Tampa Bay Coach, Raheem Morris, Can't Blame Sunday's Loss on His Radio

This is just comical: Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach, Raheem Morris, is making a thinly-veiled attempt at blaming his team's loss on Sunday to radio problems.

Tampa Bay beat writer, Rick Stroud, posted this message, via his Twitter account, on Monday afternoon:

 

Really, Raheem? That's your best excuse for losing the game? Come on, man. We all know that you believe you're the coach of the "best team in the NFC",  but that doesn't mean they won't get beat every now and then, does it?

Even more, you still had another opportunity to win the game, or at least take over the lead, on 4th down when you decided to run LeGarrette Blount. Did the Falcons brass also ensure that an invisible force field dropped down from the Georgia Dome's rafters to stop his progress as well?

Hmm, let's take a look and see:



No...nothing to see there—except a Falcons defense that managed to hold.

Just tip your hat to the Falcons, Raheem. Your guys played tough, but they lost this one and, radio malfunction or not, you had every opportunity to win the game on Sunday.

So, take your lumps and move on—don't offer excuses.

You lost. They won. End of story.

The Atlanta Falcons And Matt Ryan Are Flying Under The Radar in 2010

2009 was supposed to be a big year for Matt Ryan. By all accounts, his stellar rookie campaign (2008) set the bar high in Atlanta. Most predicted, at worst, a 10-6 season and a possible playoff berth. While others were pegging the team as a sleeper pick for the Super Bowl.

Well, as it turned out, the New Orleans Saints had a little more to say about that than most gave them credit for and they took the NFC South by storm. They rode their offense and that gigantic chip on their shoulders all the way to their first ever Super Bowl Championship.

The Saints are now the darlings of the south—leaving the Falcons looking like the little team that couldn't.

This offseason, there has been virtually no conversation about the Falcons or their multi-talented quarterback. People seem to be content to believe that the team will return to its usual level of mediocrity and the Saints will continue their dominance of the NFC behind the stellar coaching of Sean Payton and the talented arm and leadership of Drew Brees.

So, what happened to the Falcons? Why have they suddenly lost all of their luster again? Are they really doomed to fall back into the rut of being 'nothing special'? After all, it did take them more than 40-years to register back-to-back winning seasons.

That fact aside, bad breaks were a big part of why the Falcons didn't live up to expectations in 2009.

They drafted defensive tackle, Peria Jerry in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He was supposed to be the guy who solidified the Falcons on the interior line while also becoming a much-needed compliment to John Abraham—the team's exceptional defensive end and 2008 sack leader. Jerry didn't make it through the second game of the season. He sustained a major knee-injury and was lost for the year.

Michael Turner was the workhorse in 2008, carrying the ball 376 times for 1,699 yards. He was expected to show that same type of production in his second full season with the team. However, he was slowed by injuries. Compound that with the fact that Turner would later admit that he was out of shape in 2009—causing him to lose a step.

A lackluster rushing attack meant more time to focus on the passing game. Defenses turned their attention to Ryan and the result was a Matt Ryan that seemed a lot more human.

Although he still put up respectable stats, the second-year QB found himself in a lot more situations where he was either hurried or pressured to make a play—which led to more interceptions and a lower completion percentage.

Add to that a toe injury, sustained in week 12, which seemed to linger, and you have the recipe for a team that appeared to collapse under the weight of their own hype.

2010 will not be the same ol' song.

Ryan is ready to get back to the business of being the leader of this team. He's focused and ready to be better than he was last year. He took the time to study tape of himself and find out where he needed to make improvements in 2010 and he feels that the foundation is in place to be a force in the NFC South. 

Michael Turner has slimmed down and, according to reports, he's back to his 2008 form. That bodes well for the Falcons as they will depend on his talents to open up the passing lanes that Ryan will need to make smarter plays on first and second down.

Ryan has taken his lumps. He went through his "sophomore slump" and he hit the proverbial "wall". This year he can focus on being the guy that no one is really talking about at all. Expectations, at least on a national level, are low. No one is looking for him or the Falcons to do much of anything and, as far as Ryan is concerned, that's just fine.