Anybody here seen our old friend Abraham?

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, November 23, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Atlanta Falcons
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The return of Abraham. It sounds almost Biblical, doesn't it?

But if Atlanta Falcons DE John Abraham actually takes the field against New Orleans on Sunday, it will be not the second coming of Abraham, but the third.

Atlanta fans were ecstatic when their team acquired the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder from the New York Jets for next year's first-round draft pick. Abraham had more than 50 career sacks and 20 over the past two years, giving the Falcons a proven pass rusher opposite Patrick Kerney.

As it turned out, however, the Abraham Era was short-lived. The University of South Carolina product suffered a groin injury near the end of a dominant performance (two sacks) against Carolina, and was out three games. He tried to return against the Giants, had a sack and a forced fumble, then limped to the sidelines again.

Minor surgery followed -- although to quote Dennis Miller: "As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as minor groin surgery."

There's no question that Atlanta, which has lost three straight, needs Abraham back. He's actualy third on the team in sacks despite playing in only a game and a half, and Kerney, the leader in that department with 4.5, is down for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Moreover, DT Rod Coleman has been bothered by turf toe and Grady Jackson - picked up as a "space eater" - has been largely eating space on the bench with an assortment of aches and pains. Paul Carrington, an undrafted free agent, has been filling in for Abraham of late.

Even so, Atlanta coach Jim Mora said: "I'm not going to go to John and say, 'We need you back.' He's a smart kid. He knows his body and what he can and can't do."

Abraham practiced on Wednesday and said it went well.

"I'm not going to go out there unless I feel 100 percent," he said. "The biggest thing (about practice) was being back on the field with my teammates. I've been around them in the locker room for the longest time, and it's getting kind of boring."

The NFC South rivals are both in freefall, New Orleans having lost three of its last four games and Atlanta now a game back at 5-5.

Like the song says: "Anybody here seen our old friend Abraham?"

Maybe this week.
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