Pre-Season Open Thread: Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 6:00 PM EDT in Events

The pre-season will end after tonight, after the Falcons crush the Ravens and ride a big wave into the season. Look for guys on the roster bubble to get a ton of playing time tonight, led by D.J. Shockley at quarterback. Above all, have fun out there.

Let's start this off right, after the jump.

Who? Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens, 7 p.m. EST

Where? M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Weather? It might be a rainy, messy game, which doesn't bode well.

Fun Fact? The Falcons will face former tight end and team great Alge Crumpler for the first time today.

Injuries? The Ravens are out two quarterbacks and a lot else. We're out...well, not nearly as much.

Odds? Evens?

Foe? Rexx at Baltimore Beatdown has the run down on all things Ravens. Be sure to stop over there and heckle.

GO FALCONS! Let's ensure these Ravens win nevermore!

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Comments

Weirdly

Ryan still playing well into the first quarter.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 7:39 PM EDT reply actions

Flacco

Showing a strong arm on this drive. Kid could be terrific someday.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 7:42 PM EDT reply actions

Ravens playing to win

Ray Rice and Flacco just chewing up yardage.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 7:45 PM EDT reply actions

Ravens settle

A field goal and the Falcons get another shot, with a different guy under center.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 7:48 PM EDT reply actions

Ben Wilkerson holds

And the penalty parade resumes.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 7:51 PM EDT reply actions

Shock Watch

1/2, 1 yard. Great start.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 7:56 PM EDT reply actions

Thomas DeCoud!

Picks off Casey Bramlet! Woo!

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 8:01 PM EDT reply actions

And then fumbles out of bounds

At least it was out of bounds.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Shock Watch

1 for 4 and looking skittish. Uh oh.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 8:05 PM EDT reply actions

Awful offensive game

The Falcons are getting really good at this whole ugly offense thing.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 8:17 PM EDT reply actions

high, you look lonely. I'm a Ravens fan and I can't watch the fricking game.

Can I join you!

And may all your Touchdowns be on Frank Walker so that the Ravens cut his sorry self.

by math_geek on Aug 28, 2008 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions

There's your touchdown...

I saw that Ronnie Prude got the def pass interference call. They should cut him too.

by math_geek on Aug 28, 2008 8:30 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for coming by, man

Sorry your guys lost.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions

meh, it's preseason. I would've liked a TD for Flacco though.

by math_geek on Aug 28, 2008 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's go Joey!

Lose that third string spot!

by widderslainte on Aug 28, 2008 9:17 PM EDT reply actions

Joey shoots himself in the foot

That interception just isn’t a good sign.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 9:45 PM EDT reply actions

Didn't the interception bounce off of Jennings' hands?

Wasn’t paying too much attention but thought it wasn’t Joey’s fault.

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Aug 28, 2008 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't believe it was

But the simple fact that he’s Joey Joe Joe throwing an interception does not bode well for him. It also doesn’t bode well for Adam Jennings, thankfully.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Jennings' fate may be sealed

Guess we’ll know in a couple of days.

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Aug 28, 2008 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Hard to believe

Unless they decide to keep four backs, Snelling has clearly earned the third spot after his pre-season performance. I like Brown, but Snelling’s been a monster.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 9:46 PM EDT reply actions

Absolutely

Tarzan say…“Snelling STRONG, like mighty elephant”.
You’ve got to keep a bull that can run over people like he does. Great leg drive, reminds me a little bit of William Andrews (my personal favorite Falcon felon).

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Aug 29, 2008 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Biermann

Crushes Casey Bramlet. This kid doesn’t just have a nose for the quarterback—he’s got a laser-guided rocket nose.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 9:50 PM EDT reply actions

Follow-Up

So many doubters pre-pre-season, but so far has brought “more than meets the eye” performances.

by RookieFan08 on Aug 29, 2008 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Best part of tonight?

Eric Weems (!) with a single catch for 31 yards and a single rush for -11 yards. That’s just poetry.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 9:54 PM EDT reply actions

Ernie Wheelwright, Ravens WR

Any relation to the Ernie Wheelwright that played for the Giants, Falcons and Saints in the 1960s? Think he was our starter at RB for a while.

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Aug 28, 2008 9:57 PM EDT reply actions

Wow

What an obscure reference. Now I have to check up on that.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Can't find that anywhere

I’ll keep looking.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe not obscure, just OLD

Ernie the elder was the rushing star of the Falcons’ first win in 1966. It was his best year as a pro, a big 458 yards. The name rang a bell as soon as I heard the announcer say it, and I HAD to check it out.

At my age, it’s best to verify your sanity daily.

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Aug 28, 2008 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Sanity?

Is that English?

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Kidding, right?

It had better be English, I’ve been using it all my life! As Mrs. Krabapple would say, it’s a perfectly ‘cromulent’ word…

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanity

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Aug 28, 2008 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Super Nintendo Chalmers?

I bent my wookie.

by Dave Choate on Aug 29, 2008 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Falcons win 10-9

What a barn burner!

Still, a win’s a win, and Shock played (barely) well enough to claim the #3 job. Let’s see how this all shakes out over the weekend.

by Dave Choate on Aug 28, 2008 10:09 PM EDT reply actions

Winning's nice, but...

…I’m more grateful that nobody got hurt (I think). Can’t knock 2 preseason wins for a rebuilding team though; it’s a confidence builder that you can’t quantify.

Bring on Detroit and let’s start building on an encouraging start.
Go Falcons!

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Aug 28, 2008 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions