NEWS » mpeders punted and ther

ATLANTA -- One final defensive stand to close out Thursday nights preseason win over Washington was a perfect ending for Falcons coach Dan Quinn.Quinn, the former Seattle defensive coordinator beginning his second season in Atlanta, was pleased his defense allowed only 79 yards rushing and 234 total yards in the 23-17 win over the Redskins. A review of the game film also left Quinn pleased on Friday with the closing speed on tackles.It showed the speed and thats what were looking to see, Quinn said Friday. ... How fast can we close to make those kind of hits. There were probably about three or four occasions where we saw a number of either safeties or linebackers or a combination really close to go finish.Washington took possession at its 29 with 1:30 remaining and was held without a first down.Following the game, Quinn said linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and DeVondre Campbell and cornerback Brian Poole stood out for their contact hits we want.On Friday, he added linebackers Deion Jones and LaRoy Reynolds and safety Kemal Ishmael to his list of players making strong tackles.Campbell and Jones are rookies whose speed also has been evident in training camp.Its an important part of how we want to play, Quinn said. I felt it was a start of what it would feel like. Weve still got a long way to go, but I think they have established how hard they have to play.All the news wasnt good. The first-team offense with quarterback Matt Ryan struggled. Ryan was 0 for 4 passing and did not lead the offense to a first down on his two possessions.When you get one of those situations in the preseason, you can learn from it, adjust from it and hopefully when we get those chances in the regular season, well be more productive in that situation than we were tonight, Ryan said.Quinn said he stuck with his planned substitution plan even though the starters wanted another chance to get untracked.They all wanted more turns, for sure, he said. That was just my decision not to allow that to happen.Among the standouts were backup receivers Aldrick Robinson, who had three catches for 118 yards, and J.D. McKissic, who returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown.Newly signed defensive end Dwight Freeney was held out against the Redskins and is expected to make his debut at Cleveland.But dont expect to see Freeney on the field for many snaps.I dont think hell lead the league in play time this preseason, if you know what I mean, Quinn said.Game notes Ishmael has a sprained shoulder and will be held out of Sundays practice. S Keanu Neal (trunk) and TE Levine Toilolo (hand) are expected to return to practice after being held out of the game.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Bart Starr Super Bowl Jersey . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Geronimo Allison Super Bowl Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. http://www.officialgreenbaypackerspro.com/ . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Oren Burks Super Bowl Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. For the Toronto Argonauts last year was magical. Or perhaps to be more accurate, the last five weeks made for a magical year. But when you consider at this time last year the organization had a new executive Chairman and CEO in Chris Rudge, a new head coach in Scott Milanovich, a new defensive coordinator in Chris Jones, and a new quarterback in Ricky Ray, to win the 100th Grey Cup 35-22 over Calgary was remarkable. That being said, they were just a 9-9 team during the regular season and that still needs to improve. On offence, three issues stand out: sixth in the league scoring points has to improve because 24 points per game is not enough; eighth in the league in rushing should easily improve with Chad Kackert now established as a true No. 1 running back; and most significant, eighth in red zone offence is a complete priority. Settling for field goals instead of touchdowns was a big reason for Torontos 9-9 regular season. The key to the Argos success last season was on defence and specifically, in leading the league in forcing opponents to run two plays and punt. It gave their offence extra opportunities and frustrrated their opposition profusely.dddddddddddd. It was the teams best trait last year and made a big difference at the end of games. I remember in the Grey Cup, opening possession for Toronto resulted in an interception, leading to a great opportunity for the Stampeders to score early, which in championship games is huge. Two plays later the Stampeders punted and there was no consequence for that early mistake. There is no comparison between the Argos now and the team they were at this time last year. The offence, defence, and special teams playbook is the same so it is now so much more about mastering plays and technique than learning plays and technique. Chad Owens will be productive and Ray, as always, will be calm, cool, and collected. The defensive personnel will change but with Brandon Isaac, Marcus Ball, and Robert McCune the middle level will make the plays until the front and back can catch up. Thats right, the opportunity is there for the Argos to repeat when November 24 rolls around. A little red zone here offence, a little running game there, and one more impact receiver. Its that simple. ' ' '