Game Notes | Week 4: Falcons @ Panthers

Is that a Brian Finneran sighting? I read this week that he hasn't caught a pass since 2005. Amazing. Three and out for the Falcons, which I expect to see a lot today against a real NFL opponent (as opposed to the Lions and Chiefs).

Steve Smith -- so underrated. He can't be stopped.

Panthers tackle Jordan Gross just got knocked out after taking a blow to the head. He was already on the ground after getting chop blocked, and a Falcons defender kicked or kneed him in the head.

Beautiful fade pass from Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad. Timed perfectly, nice touch, and Muhammad laid out for the grab. Lawyer Milloy down and looks injured. No update on his status yet.

Jonathan Stewart 8-yard TD run. He's a touchdown machine.

Falcons in the red zone after a nice catch & run from Roddy White down the sideline. Michael Turner with a shot at a first down, but he slips on the turf. They're going to have to settle for an Elam field goal.

Muhsin Muhammad doesn't look like an old, slow WR. I don't see D.J. Hackett taking the starting job from him.

Delayed draw to Jonathan Stewart, and that play went nowhere. John Abraham blew it up in the backfield. Three yard loss.

Falcons get the ball deep in Panthers territory, but once again they can't move the ball in the red zone. They'll settle for another field goal.

Falcons rolling the coverage to Steve Smith, and Muhammad is making them pay against Brent Grimes. That's going to lead to good news for Smith owners down the road b/c he's not used to having a legit 2nd receiver who can draw some attention.

Jonathan Stewart nice 16-yard run showing quickness and explosiveness. He's going to keep getting a bigger share of the load. He's averaging a full yard per carry more than DeAngelo Williams.

Steve Smith showing his trademark playmaking ability with a 56-yard TD catch and run. He broke a couple of tackles and basically waltzed into the endzone. He's lethal after the catch.

Jerious Norwood 40-yard gain on a draw play. That dude is fast. He seems to make a big play every week, and he adds an element of quickness that Michael Turner lacks. The two complement each other well.

Julius Peppers just destroyed a throwback screen attempt by Matt Ryan. He didn't buy the fake screen at all. Elam 49 yards wide right. Ouch, too many men on the field for the Panthers . . . which gives color man Tony Boselli a chance to do the "let's count the defenders -- 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12" schtick. As Bill Simmons would say, nothing puts a bounce in an announcer's step quite like a too many men on the field demonstration. Elam nails a 44-yarder with his second chance.

Matt Ryan has played pretty well and shown poise. The Falcons have even gone no huddle at times.

Thomas Davis just exploded into the backfield and stopped Michael Turner cold in the backfield for a 6-yard loss. How many 6-yard losses to you see on a non-draw run play? Turner isn't finding any running room this game.

Like most young QBs, Matt Ryan needs to concentrate on setting his feet more. He's had a few balls sail on him when he doesn't plant.

Muhsin Muhammad just caught his 6th pass for 93 yards, and Tony Boselli says it's a "career game" for Moose. Really? Come on. Why even say something that wrong? That's not even hyperbole. It's just a waste of air time. Moose has had much bigger games than today's. Much bigger.

Jake Delhomme just floated a ball to Steve Smith on an improv play, and he almost got Smith killed. Bad idea.

Muhsin Muhammad wide open, and Delhomme hits him for a 36-yard TD. Muhammad passes Wesley Walls for the alltime franchise lead in TD catches. OK, he's making Boselli look a bit better, but it's sill not a career game for a guy with 10,000 receiving yards.

Jonathan Stewart is running hard. He doesn't ever go down on the first hit.

Falcons get in the red zone but turn it over on downs. Ryan just telegraphed a slant pass and was lucky it didn't turn into a pick-6.