birdz4i

Posted 5 hours ago Will McFadden AtlantaFalcons.com Twitter While the Falcons are in the midst of preparing for the 2017 season, their owner, Arthur Blank, will be profiled in a new NBC documentary. FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- While the Falcons are in the midst of preparing for the 2017 season, their owner, Arthur Blank, will be profiled in a new NBC documentary entitled, “On a Mission: Atlanta Rising.” The one-hour documentary, airing on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. ET, will explore Blank’s personal and professional life. Ranging from topics such as his father’s death, his experiences as co-founder of The Home Depot and the lessons he’s learned as an NFL owner, this profile is expected to unmask one of the most influential businessmen in Atlanta’s history. HOW TO WATCH Date: Saturday, Sept. 2 Time: 2 p.m. ET Channel: NBC (check your local listings) Among the most recent moments from Blank’s life that will be explored are the Falcons’ run to Super Bowl LI last season, the creation of Atlanta United FC and the building of the one-of-a-kind Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Included in the documentary are interviews with Matt Ryan, Dan Quinn, Devonta Freeman, Thomas Dimitroff, Michael Vick, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. “The story of Arthur Blank extends far beyond the playing fields of his Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC,” said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports Group. “Viewers will enjoy this look at Arthur's life from boyhood through his building of The Home Depot to the present day, as he plays vital business and philanthropic roles in the downtown revitalization of Atlanta. He is an exceptional example of a true leader and visionary.” Blank purchased the Atlanta Falcons in 2002, and he founded MLS expansion club Atlanta United FC, which began its inaugural season in 2017. On July 13, Blank was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Atlanta Sports Council. http://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/article-1/Falcons-owner-Arthur-Blank-to-be-profiled-in-upcoming-NBC-documentary-/ba4a33fe-cee0-4d38-9682-b8faded49c02

troffed!

Fact: Michael Turner is an accomplished amateur pineapple juggler by James Rael@falcoholicjames Aug 19, 2017, 4:00pm EDT Former Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner is back! But don’t get too excited, he isn’t taking a victory lap as the Falcons third running back. He’s got a whole new gig at The Mothership, this time as a part-time reporter covering the team. Turner’s credentials are outstanding. He was an amazing asset during his five year tenure with the Falcons. He rushed for over 1,300 rushing yards three times, racking up 1,699 rushing yards during Matt Ryan’s rookie campaign. That 2008 season meant the world to Falcons fans, as the team tried desperately to reinvent itself after Michael Vick went to prison and Bobby Petrino ghosted us following his thirteen game experiment as an NFL head coach. Turner scored 60 rushing touchdowns during his time with the Falcons, including 17 rushing touchdowns in 2008 alone. It’s not clear exactly how involved Turner will be in covering the team or how frequently we will see his features. The Mothership is giving us just enough to get excited, like when your local Piggly Wiggly lets you sample the fancy wine. Michael Turner, you are our fancy wine. Your thoughts? https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2017/8/19/16167174/former-atlanta-falcons-rb-michael-turner-helping-with-atlantafalcons-com-coverage-this-season

that is kind of what i was thinking. he has at least been with mack before, so hopefully he can help him get brought up to speed quickly.

By: Tim Weaver | August 18, 2017 10:22 am The Atlanta Falcons visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday for their second preseason game of the year. To help get you ready, here’s four rookies you should keep your eye on. 1. G Sean Harlow Oregon State product and fourth-round draft pick Sean Harlow is projected to be the team’s primary backup for Andy Levitre and whoever winds up starting at right guard. Harlow is a bit raw, but he had a strong showing last week against the Miami Dolphins and could do himself a lot of favors if he continues to play well against a stout Steelers front seven this weekend. 2. LB Duke Riley Nobody makes better football players than the state of Louisiana (sorry) and the Falcons found a good one in Riley. The LSU product is projected to start at weak-side linebacker next to his old college teammate Deion Jones. Riley led Atlanta with five tackles during last week’s preseason opener, flashing the speed and coverage skills that must have been too attractive for Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff to pass on during the draft. Look for more of the same on Sunday, plus a lot more snaps to boot. 3. RB Brian Hill No Falcons rookie is feeling the heat quite like Hill. Over the last week, the team has brought in two free agents: Fred Taylor’s son Kelvin and New Mexico product Jhurell Pressley, adding even more competition to an already stacked backup running back battle. Hill only managed 10 yards on nine carries against Miami. He’ll need to do better in order to move up from the No. 4 spot on the team’s RB depth chart. 4. DE Takkarist McKinley We don’t know whether or not Takk is going to make his NFL debut this weekend, but just in case he does you’re going to want to tune in. McKinley may see some time on special teams but he was drafted for only one reason: get after the quarterback. He led a talented class of edge rushers in pressure rate last season and has all the looks of a potentially great sack artist. Pittsburgh QB Joshua Dobbs had a rough debut last week and adding McKinley to the mix would certainly make his adjustment that much harder. Kickoff is 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. http://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2017/08/18/4-falcons-rookies-to-watch-for-preseason-week-2-vs-steelers/

By: Tim Weaver | August 17, 2017 6:06 pm If you think these Atlanta Falcons are not motivated to silence those awful 28-3 jokes, then you’d better think again. Training camp is over but Atlanta’s players are practicing harder than ever before as they prepare for the beginning of the 2017 NFL season. MMQB’s Robert Klemko was on hand for today’s practice and he reported 57 players stayed late to do more drills, even though the coaches originally intended for only younger players to continue practicing after the whistle: For some perspective, Klemko says he saw about 16 players going late earlier this week when he saw a joint practice between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars: You can criticize some of what coach Dan Quinn has done with this team, but there’s no arguing that he’s an unusually talented motivator. So long as they stay healthy, Atlanta should still be a top NFC contender this year. The Falcons continue their preseason schedule on Sunday when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. http://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2017/08/17/57-falcons-stayed-after-todays-practice-to-do-more-drills/

i'd say with free possibly looking at being done till the real games, he will definitely get a shot.

CHARLES ODUM (AP Sports Writer) The Associated Press Aug 16, 2017, 5:56 PM FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- Rookie running back Brian Hill is still adjusting to the speed of the NFL as he tries to win a backup job with the Atlanta Falcons. The problem is there isn't much time in the preseason for Hill to make that adjustment. Hill and Terron Ward are considered the favorites to win a backup job behind Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Freeman, who left last Sunday's practice with concussion symptoms , won't play in this Sunday's preseason game at Pittsburgh. Coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday he expects Freeman, who agreed to a five-year , $41.25 million contract extension last week, to be cleared from the concussion protocol ''the next couple days.'' ''It's not going to be a long-term issue,'' Quinn said. Hill, a fifth-round pick from Wyoming, was too tentative in last week's preseason opener at Miami, when he ran for only 10 yards on nine carries. Hill impressed Quinn on special teams against Miami. Ward, who ran for 48 yards, was better at finishing runs. The Falcons want their running backs to be decisive and headed up the field after one cut. There is no room in the team's blocking schemes for what Quinn called the ''stutter'' in Hill's runs against the Dolphins. Hill must show a more aggressive style in Sunday's game at Pittsburgh or risk falling behind Ward and possibly others. ''That's a real emphasis for Brian this week to make sure our tracks are correct,'' Quinn said. Hill (6-1, 219) needs a bounce-back game to show he can be a complement to Freeman and Coleman. He said it's all about his timing. ''Sometimes coming in as a rookie you can approach the line way too fast or way too slow,'' Hill said. ''One of the things I feel is very important is you've got to find the right pace, the way to approach the line on certain runs and know how long it's going to take. Some blocks take longer to develop than others.'' Coleman is expected to start against the Steelers, but the emphasis will be the competition for the No. 3 job. ''We're definitely going to have most of the game,'' Hill said of the backups. Ward, who ran for 151 yards in five games in 2016, said he is not focused on the battle for the No. 3 job. ''It puts more pressure when people say it's a competition,'' Ward said. ''If you come out here and do what you're supposed to do, everything will take care of itself.'' There was a change on the depth chart at running back. The team reached an injury settlement with B.J. Daniels (hamstring) and signed Jhurell Pressley, who spent time on the team's practice squad last season. Last week the team signed running back Kelvin Taylor , the son of former NFL running back Fred Taylor. NOTES: Quinn said he'll schedule a practice at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium early next week before the Aug. 26 preseason game against Arizona, which will be the first event at the new facility. Quinn said he has been in the stadium only once this summer, before the new field was installed. He said players ''haven't been inside. We're excited to show them that.'' ... WR Josh Magee was not in pads as he watched practice, apparently limited by an undisclosed injury. https://sports.yahoo.com/falcons-looking-more-decisive-runs-rookie-hill-215651461--nfl.html

he is paid to stir pots.

Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports Published 2:21 p.m. ET Aug. 15, 2017 | Updated 3:39 p.m. ET Aug. 15, 2017 FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When Dan Quinn invited Steve Sarkisian to visit Atlanta Falcons headquarters during the 2016 offseason, the request was both one coach helping out a peer and a preliminary job interview. Sarkisian, who had been fired by the University of Southern California in October 2015 after a series of alcohol-related incidents, attended practices in the spring and during training camp, and sat in with Quinn’s staff during meetings. Quinn was impressed enough with his acumen that Sarkisian, who spent 2016 working as an offensive consultant on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, was one of the first people the Falcons coach called.when offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan took the top job with the San Francisco 49ers after the Super Bowl in February. Quinn thought Sarkisian’s experience in a West Coast offense, both as a player at BYU and throughout his coaching career, would help ensure a smooth transition. “To me, he has not only called (plays) in this system before, but he has such a background from playing quarterback and being a play caller for a long time. I thought he was the perfect fit for me,” Quinn told USA TODAY Sports recently. “Kyle did a fantastic job, and I was thinking, ‘Who would be the best guy, so we could be our best self?’ And (Sarkisian) was that.” With a stop as the Oakland Raiders' quarterbacks coach in 2004 serving as his lone experience at the NFL level, Sarkisian returns to the league after more than a decade in college football. He inherits last season's top-scoring offense, which features the reigning MVP in quarterback Matt Ryan, an all-pro receiver in Julio Jones and a strong running game powered by Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Sarkisian isn't trying to reinvent the attack, but rather keep it on track. The scheme Shanahan orchestrated for two years remains largely intact, with Sarkisian looking to make minor tweaks. Such changes could include more no-huddle drives, a staple of Sarkisian’s offenses at Washington and USC. Immediately after he was hired in February, while the rest of Quinn’s staff was on vacation, Sarkisian pored over video of all of the Falcons’ 2016 games and examined how Atlanta used star players like Jones. His next step, when players were allowed to return to the facility in April, was to establish a relationship with Ryan. “We think a lot alike when it comes to schemes and styles of play, when it comes to what we're thinking on different types of plays and how to attack different coverages,” Sarkisian said of Ryan. “Our dialogue is really good. We have open dialogue that is comforting for both of us.” Sarkisian voluntarily checked into a rehab facility in October 2015 when he was fired by USC, and Quinn said he did his own research into the coach's past before hiring him. Quinn said the Falcons have a plan in place to help with Sarkisian’s recovery, though he declined to discuss specifics. Now Sarkisian wants to pay the Falcons back for giving him another chance to coach. “I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity,” Sarkisian said. “For all of them to trust me to come and do this job is something I'm very grateful for. Now I'm just trying to do my best to continue to show them that they made a great choice to have me.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/falcons/2017/08/15/steve-sarkisian-dan-quinn-atlanta-falcons-offensive-coordinator/554131001/

By: Tim Weaver | August 14, 2017 12:50 pm The Atlanta Falcons finished out their 2017 training camp schedule this morning with their final practice in Flowery Branch. Here’s your last training camp takeaways for the year. 1. Devonta Freeman sits Yesterday starting running back Devonta Freeman left practice early after experiencing some heat-related illness. As a precaution, the team held him out of action today. Update: apparently Freeman has a concussion and is going through the protocol. He has already been ruled out against Pittsburgh: 2. Julio Jones’ visor This isn’t a takeaway so much as a shameless plug for Julio Jones’ picture-perfect tinted visor game. Jones was a full participant at practice and told the media he feels great and has no setbacks. He also said he likes how new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is moving him around on the field: There was a lot of talk about getting Jones more looks in the red zone today, as well. 3. Joe Vellano has an eye problem One of the defensive standouts for Atlanta against Miami was veteran tackle Joe Vellano, who was singled out by coach Quinn for his performance. Unfortunately, Vellano had to leave practice early with some kind of eye issue: 4. Trench warfare Coach Quinn sounds like he is very happy with what the team has on both sides of the trenches right now. Kelsey Conway says Quinn is impressed by defensive linemen Ra’Shede Hageman, Dontari Poe and Adrian Clayborn as well as veteran center Alex Mack: 5. Takk trying special teams In one of the most intriguing developments for the 2017 draft class, first-round pick Takkarist McKinley has been getting some work in on special teams for punt returns: That’s all the notes for today. Practice for the team now shifts to the ordinary season schedule. The Falcons visit the Steelers on Sunday. http://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2017/08/14/falcons-2017-training-camp-takeaways-from-final-day-of-practice/

lets draft one in the 2nd round next year!

wonderful new and continued blessings in her fight.

It sounds like there is not much competition to backup Keanu Neal. by Matthew Chambers@FalcoholicMatt Aug 12, 2017, 5:00pm ED Atlanta Falcons defensive back Sharrod Neasman has had to overcome a lot. He attended Florida Atlantic, a college that is far from an NFL factory. He went undrafted last year, and was eventually cut and landed on the team’s practice squad. He was named after an ancillary character in Moby ****. Lets say it is looking like he made it. He started at strong safety with Keanu Neal out, and even looked pretty good. Even Dan Quinn said so. Impressive performance by Neasman, who looks to be another in an already long line of undrafted players that can make an impact on the field. We say it around here often, but Quinn is doing an impressive job around here. This success with undrafted players is something unseen under the last coaching staff, and drastically improves team depth. You can’t build a consistent competitor without coaching up a few late rounders and undrafted players, and Quinn definitely knows that. https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2017/8/12/16137962/sharrod-neasman-likely-locking-up-strong-safety-backup-spot-keanu-neal-dan-quinn

i am disappoint that cat down the mountain melted theater butter