Milloy hit may draw fine

[nativefalcon]

Milloy hit may draw fine

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Philadelphia — Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy might be getting a call from the NFL office this week.

His bone rattling hit on Eagles tight end L.J. Smith Sunday drew an unnecessary roughness penalty and could lead to a possible fine for taking his shoulder pads under Smith’s helmet.

“We all know everything is questionable,” Milloy said. “I felt like it was bang-bang. The quarterback’s eyes got bigger. I got a great break. I didn’t see that [the ball] hit my [teammate]. Somebody on the sideline said it. It was a call. I have to deal with it.”

Milloy isn’t sure if he’ll be fined or even suspended for the play.

“The thing about it is, if the quarterback is looking and he throws the ball on a rope, I have to do my job also,” Milloy said. “I can’t let that take away from my play. I’m not a dirty player. I’m hoping he’s OK. But I’ve played this game for 13 years. I don’t want to be labeled a dirty player for something like that.”

The league is cracking down on helmet-leading hits with unnecessary roughness penalties.

“If he catches it and I make the hit and it causes a fumble, then I look like a superstar,” Milloy said. “I’m not in this game to intentionally hurt anybody. That’s not what I’m about.”

There was another questionable unnecessary roughness call earlier in the game. Philadelphia’s Trent Cole appeared to put a great hit on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, but he was flagged for the play.

Ryan had trouble getting up after the hit and had ice on his back after the game.

Injury update

Tackle Todd Weiner (knee) and defensive end Jamaal Anderson (head, possible concussion) suffered injuries in the game and didn’t return to action. Anderson had a sack before leaving the game.

Quinn Ojinnaka took over at left tackle for Weiner and Chauncey Davis finished the game for Anderson.

Also, Brian Finneran had an X-ray on his right hand after the game.

“I dislocated a couple of fingers but nothing is broken, it should be all right,” Finneran said.

Grits blitz is back

For the first time this season, the Falcons unleashed a flurry of blitz packages even using a cover-zero, all-out blitz at least once.

Rookie middle linebacker Curtis Lofton got a sack and stripped the ball from Donovan McNabb on a blitz. Davis recovered the fumble.

“He thought it was time for me to start putting some pressure on,” Lofton said of defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. “It worked really well.”

Lofton’s blitz caught the Eagles off guard.

“I thought the center was going to come over, but I came free to McNabb,” Lofton said.

Baker inactive

Starting left tackle Sam Baker, who injured his hip in practice on Wednesday, was declared inactive after the injury flared up.

Baker practiced on Friday and head coach Mike Smith thought he’d be available for the Eagles game.

“It was one of those things where I tried to go and the doctors just said not to risk it,” Baker said.

Other inactive players included wide receiver Laurent Robinson, safety Thomas DeCoud, cornerback David Irons, linebacker Tony Gilbert, center Alex Stepanovich and defensive end Simon Fraser.

Foxworth starts

Domonique Foxworth started at right cornerback for Brent Grimes, who suffered a bruise knee against Chicago.

Foxworth, who came over in a trade from Denver before the start of the season, was tested on the Eagles’ first play of the game.

McNabb threw a deep pass down the middle to DeSean Jackson, Foxworth was in tight coverage and safety Erik Coleman came over the top to knock the ball down.

Grimes, who had a sack full of ice on his right knee after the game, played on special teams and had one tackle.

Finneran factor

Ryan opened the game looking for Finneran on third downs.

In the first quarter, on the Falcons first third down, Finneran caught a slant for seven yards to pick up the first down.

On the Falcons second series, on third-and-six from Atlanta’s 44-yard line, Ryan found Finneran again for an 8-yard pass on a square-in with Asante Samuel hanging all over him.

— Staff writers Jeff Schultz and Carroll Rogers contributed to this report.

sorry if already posted

[BlacksburgHokie]

Maybe that's why Finn dropped the ball in the endzone? Or does Ryan throw the ball so hard that it breaks the receivers fingers? :P

[frankthetank966]

Uh oh are some of these injuries serious?

[edZep]

I hope Finneran finds those dislocated fingers !

I guess thats why he dropped that ball. No fingers.

[Falconsfan567]

We better hope that those aren't serious injuries.

[nativefalcon]

Uh oh are some of these injuries serious?

weiners isn't lol hes like a human turnstile like ojinakka holdbacks from the midgets fom alex gibbs system.

[#1 pick™]

Finny also needs to be cut

[bossFALCON™]

i hope these arent serious. we've been doing a good job at staying healthy up until now.

[Lord Sarcomere]

I hope the injury to Jamaal Anderson isn't anything serious...he's been playing well as of late (I think that first sack was a huge confidence lifter). Hes been getting a lot of pressure on the QB, too. He's a big part of our run D as well. When he left the game our run D withered away.

[nativefalcon]

Finny also needs to be cut

BULL he made multi catchs. cut yourself farve. :P

[crumplin]

Lawyer should appeal any fine the NFL hands down to him

[V-Town Falcon]

Lawyer should appeal any fine the NFL hands down to him

I understand Goodell wants to protect the players...but ITS FOOTBALL!!! U cant ask defenders to pull up on guys when there tryin to make a play. It wasnt helmet to helmet & had he caught the ball, then dropped it...it would've been an incomplete pass. A Fine is one thing...but there better not be a suspension.