Atlanta, GA

Falcons ‘Violent, Big’ DL Impressing Raheem Morris, Coaches with Strong Summer

Published

1 year ago

September 2, 2024

Falcons ‘Violent, Big’ DL Impressing Raheem Morris, Coaches with Strong Summer

Before suffering a season-ending torn MCL in 2022, Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham was in the midst of a breakout second campaign.

Graham, a fifth-round pick out of Texas in 2021, had become a consistent pressure player on Atlanta’s defensive line, and his steady growth allowed minds to ponder the heights of his ceiling.

Across 11 games and nine starts, Graham had eight quarterback hits to his name. His one tackle for loss and no sacks did little to represent the problems he’d caused for opposing offensive lines.

Graham’s step forward in 2022 created optimism for 2023 — but the Killeen, Texas, native was hindered by the injury that cost him the final six games of the year prior. It took until the midpoint of last season for Graham to feel back up to strength.

As such, the 25-year-old Graham trudged through a difficult campaign. He saw action in 15 games and made a pair of starts but registered only one sack — the first of his career — and one tackle for loss with just two quarterback hits. He was a healthy scratch twice due to inadequate practice habits, Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray alluded to last October.

Now, Graham is at a crossroads. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract and playing under new head coach Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.

Uncertain exists — but Graham knows this: He felt great physically during training camp and will enter the season fully confident in his 6-foot-4, 307-pound frame holding strong.

“Camp is the roughest part on our bodies and I think I’ve been handling it pretty well in how I feel and how I attack every day,” Graham said. “So, I think I’m in a pretty good spot personally with my health.”

With the fitness box checked, Graham is working toward proving he’s still the same disruptive piece he was becoming two years ago. This summer, Graham has played extensively with the first-team defense, serving as one of many rotational pieces on a deep defensive line.

Given a chance to prove himself with the starters, Graham feels he performed at a level much closer to the standard he once set.

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“I think I’ve been having a pretty good training camp,” Graham said. “There’s always room for improvement, always things I want to fix. Hindsight can be 20/20 at times, and I’m just working on improving, but I feel like I’ve been having a solid camp.”

Graham said he hasn’t focused much on the order of the rotations; there have been lots of different groups, so he has little idea where, exactly, he stands inside the room. He added he likely won’t know until this week’s practices in the lead-up to Sunday’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Falcons’ defensive line is led by Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata. Graham appears likely to factor into the next group, which includes Eddie Goldman, Kentavius Street, Zach Harrison and rookies Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus.

Even with heightened competition, Graham said he thinks it’s a positive the Falcons expensed a second-round pick on Orhorhoro and fourth-round choice on Dorlus.

“The more depth in the room, the better,” Graham said. “Personally for me, I’m just focused on myself and how I can contribute to the team and how I can improve my performance.”

Lake, similarly, likes the defensive line room being crowded. He also likes the way Graham has produced from the Falcons’ interior this summer.

“He’s one of those big bodies up front,” Lake said. “He’s tough, he’s physical. He’s also made his share of plays in practice. He knows the defense. Still room for improvement leverage-wise, some pass rush, but he’s right where he needs to be and just continuing to improve.

“I feel like TQ is just gaining confidence by the day.”

Graham emphasized strength and conditioning this summer and feels he made progress in both. On the field, he’s trying to first stop the run before converting his attack into a pass-rushing rep when needed.

The former University of Texas standout said he’s enjoyed learning from Rodgers this summer and believes the decade-long NFL defensive line coach has been a “pretty solid addition” to the room.

Relationships and cohesiveness have been established. According to Morris, so has Graham’s return to form.

“I’ve seen a violent, big human that’s absolutely learning how to practice versus his teammates,” Morris said. “And some of the stuff you like, some of the stuff you got to say, ‘whoa’, but he is strong. He’s got great length. He’s throwing his hands. He’s being physical. He’s doing things the right way.

“I’ve really been impressed.”

Now, Graham gets another chance to turn promise into production — with his first opportunity coming against the Steelers at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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Atlanta, GA

Blazers Outclassed in Every Aspect By Atlanta

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Blazers Outclassed in Every Aspect By Atlanta

The Portland Trail Blazers put up an absolute stinker on Sunday, getting destroyed by the .500 Atlanta Hawks, 135-101. It was a soul-destroying loss. Jrue Holiday and Donovan Clingan have at least some reason to hold their heads high, with Holiday putting up 23 points on 56.3% shooting and Clingan getting a 15 point/15 rebound double-double. Otherwise you have to squint pretty hard to take away anything positive for the Blazers.

Here are a few observations from the game:

First Quarter Disaster Class

Not a whole lot went right for the Blazers in the first quarter other than Jrue Holiday’s 14 points in the frame. No other Blazer could manage more than three points. At the other end of the court, the Hawks were getting to the free throw line with ease, taking 15 freebies against only two for the Blazers. Atlanta found it easy to get wide-open shots too. Simple penetrate-and-kick was the order of the day, and it was shockingly successful. Five turnovers for Portland didn’t help either. With everything going wrong, the refs added to the misery, ignoring some laughably physical play for a steal at one end, while whistling Vit Krejci for a block on a clear charge on the other. Poor whistles led to frustration, with Clingan losing the plot a bit and picking up his third foul in the quarter out of frustration. Finishing down 19 at the end of the first quarter is no way to win a basketball game, yet somehow it could have been worse. With a bit over a minute to go, the Blazers had been down 24. Credit for not giving up I guess, but… yeesh.

Okongwu was terrific. At one point in the 2nd quarter, he had 20 points on 77.8% shooting from the field and 75% shooting from deep. Not bad for a 6’10” center. He was always open in the corner. Every time down the court. If Atlanta had wanted to make feeding him a priority, Okongwu might have finished with 60. Instead, they ignored the obvious and gave every Hawk who took the court plenty of touches and shots. It’s hard to argue with a 34-point win, but it really should have been a 40-point lead at halftime if the Hawks had pressed their advantage.

Henderson’s Three-Point Shot

It’s still early days for Henderson’s 25-26 season, but he’s shown good things coming back from injury. His strength and first step are encouraging. His three-point shooting, however, has been a real problem. For a team that was already at or around the worst three-point percentage in the NBA before Henderson took the court, the last thing they needed was him to come in and shoot 24% for the season. In this game he attempted 4 of them, making one. Two of his misses were so ugly that Atlanta fans were embarrassed for him. Without a functional shot from range, he’s just not showing enough to win the starting job.

Three Quarters of Garbage Time

One way to look at this game is to give the Blazers credit for keeping it pretty even for most of the game after the soul-crushing first quarter. You could also give Portland credit for finding their way to the arena today. This game was decided early and nothing the Blazers did the rest of the way gave anybody a sense that they could mount a comeback. That’s pretty discouraging.

Nice Shooting Percentage From Krejci, But…

75% shooting from the field and 66% from three for Krejci? Yes, please! Three total shots from deep and five overall in a game when they needed points? No, no, no. Krejci seemed like a brilliant pickup for the Blazers, what with him shooting over 40% from three the last three season in Atlanta. He just hasn’t had the kind of impact we all imagined so far. It’s still early in his Blazer career, but the 31.7% that Krejci is shooting from beyond the arc for the Blazers isn’t what anyone had in mind. Today he made his first three shots, with two of them from deep. Would this be the game that could get him on track? Unfortunately he’d only take one more three-pointer the rest of the game. It’s incredible that they wouldn’t at least try to lean into him a bit more when he looked like he might be poised to break out of his Blazers’ shooting slump.

The Blazers will get two days off before taking on the apparently lottery-bound Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. A Portland win would probably suit both clubs just fine.

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Atlanta, GA

Drama mars finish of half-marathon national championships in Atlanta

Published

13 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Drama mars finish of half-marathon national championships in Atlanta

The 2026 Publix Atlanta Marathon, which served as the USA Track & Field Half Marathon Championships, met chaos Sunday in the women’s half marathon event.

Three runners — Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat — were led off course by an official race vehicle with less than 2 miles to go. The nearly-half-mile error, according to data from Hurley’s Strava account, cost the runners their top-three finishes.

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Atlanta, GA

Police increase presence across metro Atlanta amid teen takeover rumors

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Police increase presence across metro Atlanta amid teen takeover rumors

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Popular gathering spots across metro Atlanta saw heightened law enforcement presence Saturday night following rumors of potential “teen takeovers.”

Authorities say a similar event last weekend led to more than a dozen teenagers and adults being taken into custody. In response, agencies across the metro area are stepping up patrols in several high-traffic areas, including the Beltline and the Cumberland Mall and Battery districts.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 9 juveniles, 8 adults charged after weekend ‘takeover’ event at The Battery

Along the Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta police confirmed they increased staffing levels as a precaution. An APD officer on scene told Atlanta News First that officers are maintaining an enhanced presence due to the takeover rumors. An Atlanta News First crew observed multiple people put in handcuffs and an APD officer at the Beltline said four guns had been confiscated.

Multiple patrol units were visible along the Beltline, with officers monitoring foot traffic and briefly detaining several individuals. Police said the show of force is intended to deter large, disruptive gatherings before they begin.

Cumberland Mall to have teen curfew Saturday after ‘takeover’ at The Battery

In Cobb County, law enforcement agencies are coordinating efforts around Cumberland Mall and The Battery Atlanta. The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office deployed its mounted patrol unit, with four deputies on horseback circling the mall. Units from the Cobb County Police Department, Marietta Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol were also seen monitoring traffic and pedestrian activity in the area.

Electronic message boards and posted signage between Cumberland and The Battery warned visitors of the increased law enforcement presence. Officers said the goal is to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s arrests and ensure public safety.

For now, officials say the evening remains calm, but they are prepared to respond quickly if large crowds begin to form.

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