Head coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after the offense gained a first down against the Carolina Panthers at Georgia Dome on September 20, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images)more pics »Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall was in the wrong place at the wrong time Sunday. Hall found himself on the Atlanta Falcons' sideline after a late hit on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
Falcons coach Mike Smith and Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall at the center of a near brawl on the Falcons sidelines (From Fox) The late hit came by way of Redskins safety LaRon Landry, who threw an elbow into Ryan as he ran out of bounds, but Falcons coach Mike Smith took his anger out on Deangelo Hall. The incident sparked a dangerous situation for both Landry and Hall, who were the only Redskins surrounded by opposing players. A brawl nearly broke out as players, coaches and referees attempted to take control of the situation.
After the game, Hall told a team representative that he planned to pursue the incident through the NFL Players Association, seeking to penalize Mike Smith for his behavior. Redskins coach Jim Zorn backed him up after the game Sunday.
Zorn said Hall was on the sidelines trying to pull Landry out of the hostile territory when he got caught in the fray. "I read what he said," Zorn said, "and it looked to me on video that's exactly what happened."
Zorn went on to say: "LaRon was going [away from the sideline], and then [Hall] got grabbed. And when he got grabbed, everybody came around. I think there was some emotion involved because their player just got hit out of bounds, their quarterback. That's a tough deal in itself.
"So the emotion rose, and he was the only guy in there, and he's trying to -- he didn't know what was going to happen, basically. So I started seeing things happen, and I took off and actually got out there to try to make sure that our group didn't go and enter into their sideline."
The video also seems to vindicate Hall's retelling of the events. Hall was not penalized on the play, but at one point it looks as if Mike Smith might have tried to punch him. Watch the video and see for yourself.
Falcons coach Mike Smith and Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall at the center of a near brawl on the Falcons sidelines (From Fox)
