J. Mike's Missives

Last Call

Crews here at the Georgia Dome are removing the Falcons logo from midfield to get ready for another event. It's fitting considering the Falcons team will want to erase this game from their memories. The NFL is a 17-week battle and the team has plenty of time to rebound from an 0-3 start. This one stings, but the offense took flight and there's another home game on the horizon. More from Flowery Branch tomorrow.

Sunday, Sept. 23, 9:37 p.m.
J. Michael Moore

Fourth Quarter Notes

12:12 -- A 38-yard completion to Colbert has the Panthers entering Falcons territory again as we near the midway mark in the fourth quarter.

8:09 -- A touchdown threat ends as safety Chris Crocker drops David Carr for a 10-yard loss on third down. That brings up a 49-yard field goal attempt for the Panthers, which is true down the middle. 27-17 Carolina.

6:58 -- Down 10 the Falcons are working from the shotgun and hurrying to the ball between snaps.

6:16 --Well, I'm off to get the site ready to bring you all the latest postgame news. Keep it right here. Good night and I hope you enjoyed the blog.

Sunday, Sept. 23, 7:04 p.m.
J. Michael Moore

Third Quarter Notes

13:20 -- The Falcons picked up one first down on the opening drive of the third quarter before punting back to the Panthers. A note... Harrington's 262 passing yards in the first half was the highest first-half total of his career.

12:31 -- Clock running. Third-and-11 from the Falcons 24 and the defense drops into coverage. The ploy works and Lewis Sanders tackles Kerry Colbert short of a first down. The Panthers come in to punt.

10:51 --Add 15 yards on a 26-yard run from Jerious Norwood. A face mask penalty pushed the Falcons up to the Carolina 21.

9:09 -- Touchdown Crumpler! Harrington stepped out of the pocket for this one and found Crumpler over the middle. The Pro Bowl tight end did the rest, using some speed to get to the goal line on the 13-yard score.

7:13 -- We have a tie game at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers scored on a Delhomme to King touchdown pass on a drive that included three penalties on DeAngelo Hall. Norwood returned the kickoff out to the 45, however, giving the Falcons their best field position of the afternoon.

1:42 -- The Falcons didn't score on their last possesion and now the Panthers are working their way toward the end zone. But, there was a setback when Delhomme left the game with an apparent arm injury. That brings in former No. 1 pick David Carr. His first shot is to the end zone, but he overthrows Colbert.

0:47 -- Foster just got the Panthers on the board again with a 10-yard touchdown run. Extra point is good. 24-17 Panthers.

Sunday, Sept. 23, 6:47 p.m.
J. Michael Moore

Second Quarter Notes

14:55 -- Harrington is sacked on third down, bringing in Koenen for his first punt of the afternoon. He'll line up at his own 12.

11:57 -- The Panthers are marching down the field at the Georgia Dome with the run games. A 12-yard run by DeShaun Foster and a 13-yard scamper by DeAngelo Williams has Carolina knocking on the door inside the Falcons 30.

11:02 -- The Falcons defense again turned away a touchdown opportunity for the Panthers, forcing a third-down incompletion by Delhomme. John Kasay comes in now to attempt a 45-yard field goal, which he makes. 3-0 Carolina.

10:45 -- Jerious Norwood, returning kicks for a second straight week broke a return out to the Atlanta 48 (avoiding the wedge all together and breaking to the other side). However, a holding call on the Falcons brights the ball back to the 20 (penalty on Marcus Wilkins).

9:30 -- Harrington has rookie Laurent Robinson deep down the near side but the ball fell, harmlessly, three yards short of the receiver. The play, if completed, would have given the Falcons the ball inside the Panthers 30.

9:19 -- Turns out, the play didn't matter. Harrington hit Roddy White the next snap over the middle. White, a sizeable receiver, broke away from two tacklers and then sprinted un-touched for a 69-yard touchdown (with a flip for good measure). The kick... good. 7-3 Falcons. At the moment, White now has five receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown (a career high).

8:41 -- If possible, the Falcons defense has turned up an extra notch with the recent score. Two plays, two big hits on Delhomme. But, the Panthers are still in an offensive groove, as Delhomme finds Jeff King for an 19-yard gain down to the Falcons 44.

4:32 -- Capping off a drive that seemed more about brute force and than precision, Delhomme finds DeShaun Foster with a lob into the front corner of the end zone. It wasn't a crisp play, however, and Head Coach Bobby Petrino launched his flag out to the feet of referee Larry Nimmers. After a lengthy review, the rulling stands (much to the displeasure of the fans at the Georgia Dome. Extra point... 10-7 Carolina.

3:45 -- Michael Jenkins sure knows how to redeem himself from a bad play. On the next snap after a dropped pass in the flat, the Ohio State product brings in a 29-yard pass over the middle and retains possesion even after a big hit from the Panthers secondary. First-and-10 Falcons from their own 45. Two plays later, Jenkins again brings in a Harrington pass -- this one for a trip to Panthers territory.

2:00 -- Some notes from the two-minute warning. Well, one note from the two-minute warning. Harrington is quietly having his best game of the year (14 of 20, 226 yards, one touchdown and a 124.2 passer rating).

1:15 --Hello Alge Crumpler! It never gets old... seeing the tight end turn a catch over the middle into a few extra yards by lowering his shoulder into a safety. First down in the red zone for the Falcons.

0:20--Clock rolling. Time out. With fourth-and-2 from the 6 yard line, the Falcons appear to be getting ready for a fourth-down try. But Andersen trots on the field after the break for a chip-shot field goal. Tie game. 10-10.

Sunday, Sept. 23, 5:37 p.m.
J. Michael Moore

First Quarter Notes

15:00 -- Carolina won the toss and elected to receive to start this game.

13:30 -- Three-and-out, a trio of words the Falcons defense loves to see and hear. It didn't take long for the group to force a Panthers punt. Adam Jennings didn't have much running room, however, and the Falcons started first-and-10 at their own 21.

12:11 -- The clock rolling, the Falcons line up for third-and-9 at the 22. Shotgun snap and Harrington looks over the middle for Joe Horn. The veteran hauls in the pass in coverage for a 17-yard gain and a first down.

10:26 -- A big play just went for naught as running back Warrick Dunn sprinted ahead for a 17 yard gain deep into Panthers territory before fumbling at the Panthers 33.

8:53 -- John Abraham just left the field after a big third-down sack by defensive end John Abraham. In a fashion that fans are getting used to seeing, Abraham powered through left tackle Travelle Wharton for the sack. Fans may also remember the incredible game Abraham had against the Panthers in the season-opener last year (two sacks).

7:07 -- Wide receiver Roddy White, at least for the early going, has carried over his great play into the home opener. The receiver just hauled in a 23-yard pass from Harrington to give the Falcons first-and-10 at the Falcons 41.

4:37 -- A red-zone holding penalty stymied the Falcons chance for a touchdown, but you can't tell that from the crowd. On fourth-and-9 from the Panthers 17, kicker Morten Andersen comes in for his first attempt to quite the ovation... But, a bad snap puts that on hold as the ball slipped away from holder Michael Koenen and onto the turf. First-and-10 Carolina at their own 18.

1:10 -- Another three-and-out for the Falcons defense, which is putting heavy pressure on Jake Delhomme early in the game.

0:00 -- The first quarter ends with the Falcons looking at third-and-3 at their own 37.

Sunday, Sept. 23, 4:48 p.m.
J. Michael Moore

It's Going to be a Good Day

I'm not normally one to get so excited about food, but the chocolate bread pudding they ladle out here in the press box every few weeks is, to quote DenverBroncos.com's Andrew Mason, is exquisite.

You can't be angry when you're eating chocolate -- I'm convinced of this. You also can't be nervous or ina bad mood. It's going to be a good day.

The crowd is electric here at the Dome, even though we're still a good 20 minutes before kickoff. Matt Moore and I talk more about this in our normal pregame Falconcast.

Sunday, Sept. 23, 3:56 p.m.
J. Michael Moore

Inactives and More

Quarterback Byron Leftwich, as expected, is listed as the team's emergency quarterback today. He won't play unless both Joey Harrington and Chris Redman leave the game. But, unlike other "inactives" fans will get a chance to see the signal-caller's new, No. 4 jersey.

Two rookies are also among the inactives -- defensive tackle Trey Lewis and safety Daren Stone. One rookie that isn't sitting out is wide receiver Laurent Robinson who guaranteed Friday he has recovered from a hamstring injury.

In other, unrelated news, kicker Morten Andersen has taken the field for his pre-game stretching and kicking (he just nailed kicks from 46 and 49 yards with 49 yards with more than a few yards to spare).

Now I'm off to do a pregame Falconcast with Matt Moore. Check back shortly for our thoughts leading up to kickoff.

Sunday, Sept. 23, 3:14 p.m.
J. Michael Moore

Finally... A Home Game

Sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by family and the remains of breakfast and wondering if I should take a stab at the lone survivor from that plate of sausage...

Well, for once I get to write a blog from home. Road trips aren't only hard on the team. Two weeks away from home takes it's toll. And, after an 0-2 start on the road, everyone out at Flowery Branch is ready for the familiar sights of the Georgia Dome.

A win tomorrow and the Falcons are right in the middle of the NFC South race. Two teams in the division -- including the visiting Carolina Panthers -- are 1-1. That was a topic of conversation around the facility this week as the team prepared for a homecoming.

"In college you lose two games and you're definitely not fighting for a national title," team captain Alge Crumpler said. "That has nothing to do with it at the NFL level. It's about how you finish seasons.

"We've got to get back to winning... We can get right back in it."

The home-field advantage certainly helps that mission, especially since the Panthers are 3-9 at the Georgia Dome and coming off a loss to Houston where they surrendered 34 straight points.

Saturday, Sept. 22, 9:12 a.m.
J. Michael Moore