Falcons Beat Writer Throws Unprovoked Jab At Former Running Back
Falcons Beat Writer Throws Unprovoked Jab At Former Running Back originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer D. Orlando Ledbetter had a bit of an unprovoked jab ready to fire off at former Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, and let it fly.
Advertisement
Freeman tweeted, "The Atlanta Falcons didn't want me to be a starter, but I took that (Expletive). In response, Ledbetter would say, "Warrick Dunn would have made that block in the Super Bowl!"
Freeman's post itself wasn't about anything in particular, just a statement. The play that Ledbetter is referring to was in Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots. Freeman failed to pick up a block from Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower on a third-and-one. Hightower would strip-sack Matt Ryan, and New England recovered the fumble with just over eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, up by 16 points.
Falcons QB Matt Ryan hands the ball off to RB Devonta Freeman against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The play can be argued until you're blue in the face, but no one knows if the Patriots would still score two touchdowns if the Falcons were to punt or score. Momentum was already swinging in New England's favor.
Advertisement
After the missed block, Freeman's career ran out of steam, even though he would rush for 865 yards the following season for Atlanta. Fans continued to criticize and pick due to the bitterness surrounding the play, as Freeman was not even able to chip Hightower on the play.
Freeman would never get back into the good graces of Falcons fans because he would sign with the New Orleans Saints later on. In all honesty, this shouldn't have an effect on what he did on the football field. After all, Warrick Dunn spent the first half of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but fans turned a blind eye because it was before his time with Atlanta and not afterwards.
The Falcons inducted Devonta Freeman into the team's ring of honor in 2017, but maybe, just maybe, if he had made that block, his name would be closer to a Super Bowl banner as well.
Related: Falcons Safety Jessie Bates' Ready To Ignite A New Atlanta Defensive Scheme
Related: What Is The Game Plan For The Atlanta Falcons To Finally Overtake The NFC South?
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
24 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Rams' Jared Verse and Braden Fiske look to run it back again
Jared Verse and Braden Fiske joined the Rams last season as something of a one-two punch. The former Florida State teammates were drafted in the first and second rounds, respectively, and lived up to their billing as individuals and as a collective force. Verse, an edge rusher, became the NFL defensive rookie of the year. Fiske, a defensive lineman, was a finalist for the award. 'I think we did good, but I think we became more focused on helping the team than trying to do our own little thing and having a good little duo going on,' Verse said, adding, 'So now we finally took another step — having another year together to figure out, 'Hey, this is how I work, this is how he works.' 'So, I feel like this year is going to be a good one for us to play together.' As they prepare for their second seasons, the two young stars are part of a front that could rank as one of the NFL's most dynamic. The unit includes tackle Kobie Turner, edge rusher Byron Young and several additions, including tackle Poona Ford and rookie edge rusher Josaiah Stewart and rookie tackle Ty Hamilton. With organized team activities underway, Verse, 24, remains a boisterous presence on and off the field for a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender. After recording 4 1/2 sacks and 18 quarterback hits last season, Verse said he took the advice of a former NFL player and spent part of the offseason reviewing video of every snap. He focused on the 'bad' plays and studied ways to improve. 'The biggest thing I realized was how many sacks — and not even just sacks but big plays — that I missed out on,' he said, adding, 'Realizing that this really is a game of inches — whether it's stopping the ball or actually just doing your job — there's a couple of things I could've done better.' Not that defensive coordinator Chris Shula wants Verse to change much. 'We're not looking for any stats,' Shula said. 'Not looking for anything else — just want him to play hard and be his best self every single day.' Fiske, 25, amassed a team-best 8 1/2 sacks and 10 quarterback hits last season while playing through a knee issue. He aggravated the injury in the NFC divisional-round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and then had offseason surgery. Though he said he was 'feeling great,' trainers are limiting Fiske's reps during organized team activities. 'There's no need to rush,' Fiske said. 'The big goal in mind is training camp and, obviously, September when it's time to go.' Fiske rehabilitated from upper body injuries during his college career, but the process of recovering from the knee injury forced him to slow down for the first time since prepping for his final season at Florida State. 'My entire career has been [centered on] just go, go, go, nonstop. No offseason. No time off,' Fiske said. 'So it's been probably good for me mentally and physically, of just like, 'Hey, it's all right to take a break and ease back into it.'' The rehab work and the structured workload has paid off, he said. 'I dealt with it all last season, so where I'm at now is awesome,' he said. The coaching staff's expectations for Fiske are 'just like Verse,' Shula said. 'We just want him to be himself and to continue to elevate the strengths in his game and work on the weaknesses in his game,' Shula said. 'That's exactly what he's doing.'
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Eagles will wait a little longer for the Super Bowl 59 ring ceremony
Eagles will wait a little longer for the Super Bowl 59 ring ceremony EJ Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Eagles have postponed their ring ceremony, which was originally scheduled for Friday June 6 The Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champions, but they'll have to wait a little longer to receive those coveted rings, the Inquirer reports. EJ Smith is reporting that Philadelphia has postponed a June 6 ring ceremony due to the commissioned jewelers needing more time to finish the rings. The Eagles' original date fell in line with the players' spring workout schedule. The final voluntary practice of organized team activities is set for Thursday before a one-day, mandatory minicamp scheduled for next Tuesday. Players and coaches will then break for a little over a month before returning for training camp in late July. Following the Eagles' first Super Bowl victory in 2018, the organization gave out 10-karat white gold rings with 219 diamonds and 17 green sapphires. They also included a dog mask inscribed on the inside for each player and coach as a nod to the 'Underdogs' theme the team adopted during that postseason run. Players were sized for their rings and selected designs during the locker room cleanout and exit interviews with the media in February. With the mandatory mini camp schedule for next Tuesday, the Eagles will a little over a month between the end offseason activities and the late July date for training camp to hold a formal ring ceremony.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Adam Silver Addresses 'Small Market Teams' Amid Pacers vs Thunder NBA Finals
Adam Silver Addresses 'Small Market Teams' Amid Pacers vs Thunder NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. This month, the NBA will crown its seventh different champion in as many years. It is a stretch that began in 2019, when the Toronto Raptors upended the Golden State Warriors to win their first-ever title; the Denver Nuggets joined them as first-time champs in 2023. Advertisement The Boston Celtics (in 2024) and the Los Angeles Lakers (in 2020) also added to their title-rich histories during this span, while the Warriors claimed the 2022 championship one year after the Milwaukee Bucks ended a 50-year wait for a title. When the Finals tip off in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, the Thunder franchise will seek its first championship since its 2008 relocation from Seattle. The underdog Indiana Pacers are chasing their first NBA championship, having won three ABA titles before the two leagues merged in 1976. The variety among recent champions has been interpreted as the end of the NBA's "superteam" era. Though traditional powers in Boston and Los Angeles have reached and won the Finals in recent years, "small market" teams are enjoying more sustained success than ever before. Advertisement According to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, this is the byproduct of a very intentional process. "If we were going into a Super Bowl and it was Packers vs. Steelers, you guys would celebrate that," Silver said Wednesday on "Breakfast Ball." "People wouldn't talk about Pittsburgh being a small market. It's been intentional to create a CBA that allows more teams to compete." In a league well known for dynastic championship runs, Silver believes the most recent collective bargaining agreements have made parity the name of the game in the NBA. And last year, the league signed off on an 11-year broadcast rights package with Amazon, Comcast and Disney – an agreement that is worth an estimated $76 billion. In short, Silver is not worried about low ratings, especially as the league's most recent playoff game was this spring's most-viewed. The Pacers-Thunder matchup proves to him that the NBA is in a healthy place. Advertisement "At the end of the day, we are a league of relatively small markets," Silver said. "The goal is to have a league where every team is in position to compete." Related: Shaquille O'Neal Predicts Winner of Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
