blacksaint

Harrington steps in under center after Leftwich injures ankle

Monday, October 22, 2007
By Brian Allee-Walsh

Former Saints kicker Morten Andersen and wide receiver Joe Horn left the Superdome on Sunday with a loss and the sound of boos ringing in their ears.

"It was brutal," Andersen said after the Saints rallied to beat the Atlanta Falcons 22-16. "They booed the hell out of me. I guess that's tough love. But it's always tough when you come in here, especially with Atlanta. You have to expect some dissent among the ranks. But I was prepared for the booing."

"I didn't expect everybody to cheer me," said Horn, one of three Atlanta game captains Sunday. "I still love the fans. Some of them booed, but I'm sure in their heart they still love me. I understood. I just smiled and kept going on my way."

Andersen, the oldest active player in the NFL at 47, did his best to keep the Falcons (1-6) in the game. He kicked field goals of 38, 33 and 21 yards, extending his NFL record to 552. A smattering of boos greeted him each time he trotted on to the field.

"At this point, it's all for naught," said Andersen, who played 13 seasons in New Orleans before his departure before the 1995 season. "I feel like a gerbil spinning the wheels sometimes. But you do your best."

Horn, who scored 50 touchdowns during his seven seasons in New Orleans (2000-06), caught three passes for 25 yards. He's still looking for his first score with Atlanta, where his role includes mentoring the Falcons' younger receivers.

"I came to win a football game, and I didn't," said Horn, 35. "I came up short. It is what it is. I try to catch what they throw to me. The guys who are catching the football right now are doing a great job. It would be a problem if I wasn't getting any balls, but the young cats are balling. They're working hard, and I'm not selfish. I play my part and do what I have to do to win football games. Right now, it's just not happening.

"Sometimes you got to start at the bottom to get to the top. I was with the Saints when we weren't that good, and it took some years. Hopefully, the Atlanta Falcons can be a winning organization before I leave. That's what happened here with the Saints. Right now, it's gloomy for the Falcons, but trust me it'll all come around."

INJURY REPORT: The Falcons sustained two serious injuries Sunday. Starting quarterback Byron Leftwich left the game with 9:45 remaining in the third quarter after suffering a high right ankle sprain. Rookie free agent left tackle Renardo Foster left with 3:32 remaining after injuring his right knee. He is expected to undergo an MRI today. Saints Coach Sean Payton extended his hand to Foster as he was carted off the field.

QB CHANGE: Joey Harrington, who had been benched Tuesday in favor of Leftwich, entered the game with Atlanta trailing 14-13. He led the Falcons to a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter on his second full possession. Andersen's 21-yard field goal gave the Falcons a 16-14 lead with 10:19 remaining.

"I've been in this position before," said Harrington, who had started the Falcons' previous six games. "My commitment is to this team, and my job is to be ready for this team. And today was an example that anything can happen. We all hope Byron is OK. That's an unfortunate thing to have happen. But my job is to be ready to go play for this team and I was."

Leftwich completed 15 of 23 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown. Harrington was 12-of-18 for 128 yards.

COSTLY PENALTY? With his team trailing 22-16 and facing a fourth-and-13 at the Falcons' 47, Petrino elected to punt with 1:58 remaining. The Falcons would have faced a fourth-and-8 from the Saints' 48, but running back Warrick Dunn spiked the ball after dropping a screen pass resulting in a 5-yard penalty for delay of game. Punter Mike Koenen pinned the Saints at their 10-yard line, but Atlanta never got the ball back.

"On fourth-and-13 the percentages (of making a first down) are not very good. We had three time outs, and Mike had been kicking the ball very well all day long," Petrino said of his decision. "We had to have three stops. But they converted (one first down), and that was it."

WORTH REPEATING: "I gave him a hug. All that other stuff doesn't matter no more. (Payton) has a job to do. I'm an Atlanta Falcon now. I respect what he has done for this organization. Bygones are bygones. That's a chapter, a saga in my life with Coach Payton, that is gone. That's water under the bridge." -- Horn on his release March 1 by the Saints.

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