Falcons Defeat Redskins, DeAngelo Hall Abused by 50-Year-Old Coach

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Sunday's Redskins-Falcons game didn't disappoint those of you still reeling from the Fedor fight on CBS Saturday night. It was one of those games where everyone was juiced up.

The Redskins came into the game needing a win to validate their season to this point. In a year of bad decisions, the Redskins were trying to implement an offense led by former retirement community member Sherm Lewis.

Lewis, formerly the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers during the Brett Favre Super Bowl days, had put the NFL in his rearview mirror. His hiring put head coach Jim Zorn in a precarious position. The offensive play calls were out of his hands.

But in what became known as the "Return of Over-Rated King," ex-Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall put on a show.

Not with his corner skills. None of us expected that. But with his mouth. We all expected that.

It all began last week when preparing for the game. Hall, never one short of words, took a jab at Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

"I didn't trust Dimitroff at all," Hall said Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . "He lied to me several times. He promised me he was going to get something done [on a contract] and he's behind my back trying to shop me at the draft."

And shop Hall he did. That will go down as one of the best deals made in Falcons history. The Raiders received Hall in return for a second-round pick the Falcons later used to trade up and draft left tackle Sam Baker from USC.

In the second quarter, Washington safety LaRon Landry hit Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan late out of bounds and drew a penalty flag. Hall took the opportunity to run that notoriously over-hyped mouth.

Once Ryan got up from the turf, he and Landry shared a quick moment where Ryan patted the safety on the back as if to say, "No hard feelings." Ryan and the former LSU stud walked back onto the field, unaware that behind them, the 200-pound (soaking wet) Hall had stirred the proverbial pot against the Falcons.

One of the first to greet Hall was second-year standout linebacker Curtis Lofton. Behind Lofton, coach Mike Smith stood by. After several pushes, Hall ended up face-to-face with the Falcons coach and the two exchanged words. Hall went as far as to accuse the coach of taking a shot at him.

Hall rambled on after the game about Smith “talking [stuff] to me, saying he’ll kick my [rear] and all this other [stuff]...[If] Mike Smith wants to see me, he can find me.”

Now DeAngelo, you're in pads and a helmet and Smith is 50 years old and unprotected. Did he really threaten your health? You say you still live in Atlanta and would love to beat up on the much older man. Did the pill delivered by the Falcons taste that bitter?

Are you still mad Michael Jenkins abused you in a Raiders uniform or are you just coming to realize any team that you sign with quickly becomes a joke?

Regardless, the Falcons players got a good laugh out of the ordeal.

Center Todd McClure joked about it later. “When Smitty pokes that lip out, you know he’s pretty heated.”

“He got me juiced,” Curtis Lofton said.

“I know he’s a head coach now,” said Mike Peterson, who played for Smith in Jacksonville. “But he was a [defensive] coordinator and a linebackers coach before that. It’s still in him — that fire, that emotion. I love that man.”

If you ask me, DeAngelo, the Falcons should play whatever team will have you each season to remind the team how good they have it since you left and Smith took over.

The rest of the game was pretty much expected. The Falcons dominated all but the third quarter. After falling behind 24-3 at halftime, the Redskins mounted a comeback that proved to be too little, too late.

In the fourth quarter the Falcons put the game away. Three plays after the Redskins closed to within seven points, Michael Turner broke loose for a 58-yard touchdown.

After driving back down the field, the Redskins went for it on fourth-and-1 on the Falcons 44-yard line. It was foiled by linebackers Curtis Lofton and Mike Peterson. Two-yard loss, game over.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

While taking notes for the game, I looked down at my pad and, to my surprise, defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux had already amassed six tackles and two sacks. He played his best game this season and his first-half performance helped hold the Redskins to three points.

WELCOME ABOARD TYE HILL

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