Falcons-Titans Coverage

Friday, Oct. 5

Thursday, Oct. 4

• FEATURE: Boley energized by winning
• ASK THE COACH: Bill Musgrave talks about Joey Harrington 
• VIDEO: Head Coach Bobby Petrino
• TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Bobby Petrino

Wednesday, Oct. 3

• NOTEBOOK: Coleman returns to practice
• VIDEO: Head Coach Bobby Petrino
• TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Bobby Petrino
• VIDEO: Quarterback Joey Harrington
• TRANSCRIPT: Quarterback Joey Harrington
• VIDEO: Defensive end John Abraham
• VIDEO: Wide receiver Michael Jenkins
• VIDEO: Defensive tackle Rod Coleman
• VIDEO: Cornerback Chris Houston
• VIDEO: Long snapper Mike Schneck
• VIDEO: Wide receiver Joe Horn
• VIDEO: Cornerback DeAngelo Hall
• AUDIO: Linebacker Keith Brooking
• CONFERENCE CALL: Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher
• CONFERENCE CALL: Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck

Tuesday, Oct. 2

• NEWS: Petrino, Harrington nominated for awards
• NEWS: Falcons waive Stutz, sign Schneck
• FEATURE: Jenkins' play highlights win
• VIDEO: Play of the Game
• VIDEO: Highlighting the Texans game

Monday, Sept. 10

• NEWS:  Stress put aside on Victory Monday 
• VIDEO: Head Coach Bobby Petrino
• TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Bobby Petrino
• VIDEO: Touring the Tailgates with Falcon Al

J. Mike's Missives

Music City Blues

Here I am in the press box in Music City... The team is gone (I will be driving back to Atlanta in a few hours).

No blues music playing, but you can hear it in your mind if you try hard enough.

What happened in the closing moments of today's 20-13 loss is something like I've never seen. So many chances... But, I know from experience most teams would start asking questions about now. Not the Falcons, though. Look no further than the lead up to last week's win over Houston. The team put everything behind them, focused and got a win. This was a crazy day, for sure, but don't look for the craziness to linger.

We'll see you next week at home against the Giants.

5:45 p.m. CDT, Sunday Oct. 7
J. Michael Moore

Fourth Quarter Notes

13:39 -- Koenen just missed his second field goal of the day, and the Falcons trail 20-13.

10:56 -- A 47-yard field goal attempt by Bironas is no good, giving the Falcons some life in the fourth quarter and ending a Titans drive that ate up several minutes of the fourth quarter.

That's it for me, for now. Off to work on some of the postgame coverage. Keep checking AF.com for press conference video and more.

10:34 -- Byron Leftwich is now in the game for the Falcons. More to come in postgame coverage. Leftwich, the emergency quarterback, was among the inactives. But, NFL rules allow him to come into the game in the fourth quarter.

2:06 p.m. CDT, Sunday Oct. 7
J. Michael Moore

Third Quarter Notes

13:37 -- With his start today, Trey Lewis became one of four rookies to contribute regularly on the Falcons defense. He came up big early in the second half, hauling in a Young interception at the Titans 22.

10:13 -- The Falcons did pick up their first third down conversion of the game on the next drive, but didn't put the ball in the end zone. Instead, Andersen connected on a 28-yard field goal. 13-10 Falcons.

8:49 -- The Titans are at the Falcons 24 now thanks, in part, to a 20-yard scramble by Young.

7:24 -- It would be big if the Falcons could hold the Titans to another field goal attempt. It's now third-and-8 at the Atlanta 22. Young back to throw and the pass is almost intercepted by Hall. The corner got the ball on a short hop and forced another field goal try by Bironas. The 40-yard field goal attempt is good. Tie game. 13-13.

6:45 -- The defense has done it's part. Now the special teams has stepped in. Jerious Norwood just ran a kickoff back 76 yards to give the Falcons offense a first down at the Titans 25.

6:04 -- Harrington was just hit and an errant throw was tipped and picked off by Titans safety Chris Hope. Hope returned the ball toward midfield. Two penalties... offsides on the defense, accepted. On interception, illegal block in the back. So, the Falcons keep the ball with 5 yards. So, a bullet dodged if you will.

5:59 -- David Thornton almost picks off a screen pass on the next play. Calvin Lowry knocks the ball away from Roddy White on the next play. Andersen in for a 48-yard field goal attempt. Kick is just short.

4:22 -- The Falcons defense did it's job, holding the Titans and forcing a punt. Adam Jennings fields the punt inside the 15.

2:42 -- Another three-and-out, for the Falcons, who gained just 6 yards. The third-down play went to Joe Horn, who was dropped short of the first down. The big play, again, came on special teams though as Chris Davis bobbled the punt and Corey McIntyre recovered at the Titans 42.

1:46 -- A heads up play by Harrington might have saved another interception, as the quarterback knocked his own pass -- which was tapped into the air -- to the turf, incomplete.

1:00 -- In a play eerily similar to a Week 1 interception return, a pass intended for Michael Jenkins was just picked off by Vincent Fuller, who returned it 76 yards for a touchdown. Extra point. 20-13 Titans.

0:53 -- Norwood just returned the Titans kickoff to the Titans 45.

2:06 p.m. CDT, Sunday Oct. 7
J. Michael Moore

Second Quarter Notes

13:48 -- Just when you think the Falcons were going to end another series without a first down, the play book opens up. We just saw a fake punt from the Atlanta 29. The ball went to reserve running back Artose Pinner, who scampered 49 yards to the Tennessee 22. Three plays later, however, the Falcons brought in the field goal team. Morten Andersen's 32-yard field goal was good. 10-7 Falcons.

11:07 -- Here are some first quarter stats...

The Titans had nine first downs to the Falcons zero. Ten rushing plays for the Titans, seven passes. Atlanta ran the ball three times for a total of zero yards.

10:21 -- Hall knocked away a pass on third-and-10 to force the Titans first punt of the game. Leading 10-7, the Falcons offense took the field again at their own 29.

8:44 -- The Falcons went three-and-out on their last possession and are now 0-of-5 on third down.

5:08 -- The Falcons just picked up another first down and are inching their way toward midfield with the pass. As I type, Harrington rolls out of the pocket to his left and hits White deep. The play goes for 34 yards and a first down at the Tennessee 31.

2:58 --That quickly turns into third-and-14 after two negative plays. Harrington throws incomplete and Michael Koenen comes in to attempt a 53-yard field goal. The kick is short and the Titans take over at their own 43.

2:00 --Tennessee goes for it on fourth-and 1 and Young's pass is incomplete. That brings the offense back on the field with great field position -- their own 48 with 1:57 to go in the half.

1:42 -- The Falcons are now 0-of-7 on third downs after another three-and-out complicated by a second-down penalty. Koenen's punt is nearly blocked by the Titans and Chris Davis returns the kick to the Titans 45 with just more than a minute-and-a-half to go in the half.

0:04 -- Rob Bironas connects on a field goal to tie the game at 10 at halftime. The Falcons had a chance to close out the half with points, but a three-and-out gave the ball back to the Titans and a short drive -- complete with three completions to Moulds -- put the Titans in field goal range.

1:26 p.m. CDT, Sunday Oct. 7
J. Michael Moore

First Quarter Notes

15:00 -- After a stirring National Anthem and a fly over of sorts by members of the 101st Airborne's jump team, we're ready for some football at L.P. Field. The Falcons have won the toss and have elected to receive.

14:08 -- The Falcons opened the game with some trickery, giving the ball to wide receiver Roddy White on a reverse. That didn't work out too well, as White was eventually dropped for a 2-yard loss. The team got some help on the next play as the Titans jumped offside on the next play.

13:09 -- It's a noisy day at L.P. Field as the 2-1 Titans are playing their first home game in three weeks. Harrington had to call a timeout on this first series because of noise and Todd Weiner just moved early on second down to back the team up on a slow first series. Atlanta was forced to punt.

10:00 -- When opportunity knocks, you have to open the door. Just call DeAngelo Hall a man at the right place at the right time. LenDale White's fumble just a few moments ago bounced right into Hall's arms and the cornerback took the ball 56 yards the opposite way for a touchdown. 7-0 Falcons.

8:26 -- Quickly, the Titans are into Falcons territory. A kick return by Michael Griffin went out past the Titans 40 and a big run by White put the Titans in play inside the Falcons 40. Tight end Ben Troupe has two catches thus far on this drive -- the first two catches of the season for the Florida product.

6:41 -- Hall nearly got involved in another turnover as Roydell Williams hauled in a pass just shy of the goal line and lost the ball as Hall took him to the ground. Officials ruled the ground caused the fumble.

6:15 -- Chris Brown just scored for the Titans, cutting and dancing his way into the end zone. It's his first touchdown in two years, according to the Titans Radio Network, which is getting pumped over my headphones. 7-7 tie.

4:47 -- The Falcons offense hasn't gotten much going yet, going three-and-out on this series for a net gain of minus-3. Koenen's punt is short and it takes a Titans bounce to the Tennessee 45. An unnecessary roughness penalty backs the Titans up to the 30.

1:21 -- Chris Houston has been in the game for the past two series at cornerback and he just got to meet one of the Titans veterans -- wide receiver Eric Moulds. Moulds spun out of a tackle to get a few extra yards and set up third-and-1 at the Titans 49 as the first quarter draws near a close.

0:00 -- The first quarter ends on a very high note as linebacker Michael Boley picks off Vince Young. Young was looking for tight end Bo Scaife deep down the near side and Boley picked it off at the Atlanta 24.

12:41 p.m. CDT, Sunday Oct. 7
J. Michael Moore

Pregame Notes

The sun is out, the grass is green and football is in the air. Heads up for some pregame notes...

Inactives feature no surprises, except for defensive tackle Rod Coleman, who will miss his fifth straight game after getting surgery on his knee. It's a bit of a surprise because Coleman practiced during the week, but Head Coach Bobby Petrino and Coleman made no guarantees that he'd be ready to go. Rookie Trey Lewis gets his second straight start in Coleman's place because defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will miss Sunday's game as well...

On a fashion note, the Titans have again made news with their uniforms. If you're catching the game on television it will be hard to miss the team's light blue pants, dark blue jersey combo. As a Nashville native and son of Titans season ticket holders, I can't say I've ever seen such a combo...

The Falcons have yet to take the field for pregame warmups, staggering their time with the Titans, who have been on the field for a good five minutes. The crowd is starting to file in at L.P. Field for what will be a hot day (those on the field are looking for a high of 93 degrees...

So, what are some keys to the game for the Falcons (I'll thank Matt Moore for that one from our pregame Falconcast). Simple. Stop the run and be patient. The Titans are second in the league against the run (63 yards per game). The Falcons will have to stick with the plan and chip away at the Titans and look to take their shots at the right times. The Titans are also the league's second best team in running the football and the Falcons will have to keep an eye on the LenDale White-Chris Brown combination. Tennessee runs the ball a lot (more than twice the amount they've passed as a matter of fact).

11:20 a.m. CDT, Sunday Oct. 7
J. Michael Moore

Homecoming

My wife, Kelli, always asks me how I can watch any football game on the television, even if it features teams I have no ties or fan relationship with. In what has become a Saturday tradition, I roll my eyes and answer: “Because it’s football!”

When you work for a professional football team and just about every one of your waking hours gets devoted to the sport, this answer doesn’t always go over to well. Most of the time, however, Kelli understands and lets me watch or listen to a game in peace.

It’s for the same reason – because it’s football – that I can watch tomorrow’s game between the Titans and Falcons and not get too caught up in any personal struggles.

I grew up in a Nashville suburb and enjoyed season tickets to the Titans. I watched them when they were still the Tennessee Oilers playing at Vanderbilt Stadium. I watched them on television when they opened Adelphia Coliseum (coincidently a photo commemorating that day is hanging over me as I type at my parents’ desk). And, I was sitting in the upper deck on Jan. 8, 2000 as the soon-to-be AFC Champion Titans won their first playoff game with the “Music City Miracle.” I even interned with the organization for a summer.

There’s some history there with me and my family, who will watch tomorrow’s game from their seats just above and to the left of my press-box perch.

But don’t worry Falcons fateful, I’m very much supporting the Falcons – and not just because of a paycheck. I’ve developed quick relationships with most of the players in the locker room and I know what a road win against a surging AFC team would mean. It would mean an extra shot of creditability and, more importantly, a step closer to .500 in a division where all four teams could be alive at the end.

Besides, we played the Titans twice while I was employed by the Houston Texans. We won them both and I couldn't have been more excited.

So, forgive me if I get a little sentimental tomorrow in my in-game blog. It will be my first trip back to the stadium since 2004 and I’m sure to meet plenty of old friends.

Old friends… Yeah, it will be good to talk some smack after a Falcons win. Go Birds!

10:25  a.m. CDT, Saturday Oct. 6
J. Michael Moore