Falcons defensive end John Abraham felt he could beat Browns left tackle Joe Thomas going into the game -- and he was right.
A common sight throughout Sunday's game was the Browns quarterback -- in this case, Jake Delhomme -- trying to find time to pass while being rushed by Atlanta's John Abraham (left).Mary Kay Cabot
and Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporters
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Falcons defensive end John Abraham watched films of Browns left tackle Joe Thomas during the week and was confident he could get the best of the three-time Pro Bowler.
He was so certain, in fact, that he persuaded his coaches to let him stay on Thomas all game.
Abraham's hunch was correct: he beat Thomas for two sacks, including the one that knocked Seneca Wallace out of the game with a sprained right ankle. He also pressured Jake Delhomme into his second interception, the one that preserved the Falcons' 20-10 victory.
"I watched [Thomas] on film, but I don't think he's seen somebody like me yet," said Abraham, a three-time Pro Bowler himself. "I saw a weakness against the bull rush and a weakness on the inside rush."
It was an outside move that knocked Wallace out of the game, meaning Abraham was successful on just about any technique he tried.
"[The Falcons coaches] wanted me to play against [right tackle Tony] Pashos, but I told them I wanted to stay against Joe," Abraham said. "After watching film, I felt like I had the edge on him. It worked pretty much the whole game."
Despite Thomas' credentials -- he was a first-team All-Pro in 2009 -- Abraham was undaunted.
"I wanted to go against Joe," said Abraham. "He's a Pro Bowl player, but I liked the matchup. I felt like I could beat him with my speed rush and power rush."
Thomas, who spent more than an hour on the trainers' table after the game receiving treatment on both knees, admitted it wasn't one of his best games. He also said he wasn't limited physically despite the post-game treatment.
"I think he's probably the best, maybe the second-best pass-rusher in the NFL," said Thomas of Abraham. "I think him and [Indianapolis'] Dwight Freeney are [the two best]. I know [Abraham] has the second-most sacks in the NFL since 2000 [91.5].
"He's very fast, he's very quick and very strong. On first and second down he's on the sideline drinking water and then when it's time to rush the passer on third down they put him in there. He's fresh and when you can't run the ball against them, it just plays into their game."
But Thomas wasn't ready to concede that it was the worst game of his four-year career.
"I'll have to watch the film but in the NFL sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days," he said. "It wasn't my best day, but I don't know if I'd go that far."
That's because with Peyton Hillis hampered by a pulled quad muscle, the Browns' power rushing game fizzled. He was supposed to be their antidote to the Falcons' smaller, quicker rushers. But he gained only 28 yards on 10 carries, and Jerome Harrison gained only six on six. All told, the Browns rushed for 48.
"If they can stop the run, they've got four excellent pass rushers," said Thomas. "They've got more than that. They want to make you throw the ball and they'll be able to tee off on you. We knew we had to run to win the game and we weren't able to do that."
When Jake Delhomme limped into the game on a high right ankle sprain, the Falcons smelled "blood in the water" as Delhomme put it.
Normally, Delhomme can step away from the rush. But not on an ankle that given a painkilling injection before the game, according to a league source.
"Certainly when you've got a guy who can't move quite as well in the back, they're going to maybe pin their ears back a little bit more," said Thomas. "We knew we were going to have to protect him and we didn't do a good-enough job."
Thomas, who also gave up the pressure in Tampa that resulted in Delhomme's high ankle sprain, allowed a six-yard sack of Wallace in the first quarter that led to a punt and then the nine-yard loss that knocked him out off the game with about 25 seconds left in the first half.
"I ran [Abraham] upfield, tried to run him around the hoop, didn't push him far enough past and he was able to get Seneca from behind," said Thomas.
But Thomas wasn't exactly clamoring for help.
"Personally I don't really like getting chips and stuff like that, because you don't always know when it's going to be there," he said. "It's nice to move the pocket, but when you've got a guy who can't, that makes it a little tougher. I'd actually prefer the one-on-one like we had it today."
Pashos defended Thomas' game.
"I've been blessed to play with some of the best tackles -- Jonathan Ogden, Joe Staley -- and I think Joe Thomas is right up there. So whether he struggled or not, those are tough situations for whoever goes against that guy. He fought his tail off to the very end. I'll go to war with him any day of the week."