FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The task of defending one of the more explosive receivers in the National Football League wouldn't seem to bring too many smiles to a defenders' face.
But Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall has quite the happy disposition this week as his team prepares to face Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith and the 1-1 Carolina Panthers.
"It's about going out there and having fun," Hall said. "We get the ball thrown our way and try to make plays."
Of course, that doesn't mean anyone is over-looking Smith and his skills.
Through two games Smith has accounted for 274 of the Panthers 740 net yards. He has four of the team's six touchdowns (24 of the team's 47 points). The Pro Bowler is also fresh off an eight-catch, three-touchdown performance in a loss to the Texans.
But it's not simply the numbers that make Smith a threat.
He's shown ability to score from anywhere on the field and against seemingly insurmountable odds, as he did in one play last week after emerging from a pile of Texans defenders and sprinting more than 60 yards to the end zone. He also had a score after tipping the ball to himself in the end zone and beating blanket-like coverage from Houston cornerback Demarcus Faggins.
"He is a very good football player," Falcons Head Coach Bobby Petrino said. "He is a guy that does everything well because he can catch the deep ball, run great routes and run after the catch, which is my main concern. We have to be able to tackle him right when he catches the ball. We will certainly know where he is at every play."
The Falcons have options to defend Smith, beginning with Hall.
Hall has played four games against the Panthers with a combined 15 tackles, three passes defensed and one interception. His best game came at Carolina in 2005 when he totaled seven tackles and one interception.
The cornerback says he hasn't been tested much this season as both the Vikings and Jaguars lack anything similar to Smith's star power at the receiver position. Hall still has seven tackles, two passes defensed and an interception in 2007, however.
There's been little talk between Hall and Smith through the media this week, as is sometimes customary before marquee match ups. Hall, a three-year veteran who has emerged as a key leader in the Falcons locker room, is staying focused on the task at hand.
"You have to do what you have to do to get yourself prepared to play a game," he said Wednesday. "At the same time, you have to go out on the field and back it up. Right now I'm just excited about going out there and getting some balls thrown my way. The last two weeks I haven't had hardly any balls thrown my way."
Teams have tried several different schemes against Smith in the past. Petrino said the Falcons will look to use a few different options to shut him down on Sunday, including a heavy dose of the team's shutdown cornerback.
"We feel comfortable with D-Hall on anybody," Petrino said. "I know he's excited about playing the game."
That he is.
"I'm a competitor. He's a competitor," Hall said when asked about the match up with Smith. "You always like to go against the best and you will see that on Sunday."
