By John Manasso
FOXSportsSouth.com
December 6, 2010
With Sunday's 28-24 victory at Tampa Bay, in which the Falcons overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, they improved to 10-2, staying alone atop the NFC. Here are five observations why the Falcons are still at the top of the heap in the NFC and head coach Mike Smith's Monday news conference:
1. The big play by Eric Weems. Last year, he seemed lucky to make the team and might have only done it because of a season-ending injury to Harry Douglas in the opening days of training camp.
But wide receiver Eric Weems, out of little Bethune-Cookman, gradually saw his role increase as the season went on. This season, Weems has secured his role as a No. 4 or 5 wide receiver and as the team's punt and kickoff returner, becoming one of the NFL's best in that latter role.
On Sunday, Weems turned in arguably the play of the game with his 102-yard kickoff return with 10:03 left in regulation that cut the deficit to 24-21. Weems ranks sixth in the NFL in kickoff return yardage with 985 and has averaged 28.1 yards on his 35 returns, which ranks him third among those who have 10 or more returns.
"It was a great individual effort by Eric to stay alive around the 30-yard line and then to keep his balance and stay in bounds and then to scoot through," Smith said. "His speed -- there you saw him able to break away
