DeAngelo Hall to file complaint against Falcons coaches

November 9, 2:44 PMWashington Redskins ExaminerMark Newgent

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Mike Smith mixes it up. (AP Photo/ John Amis)

The AP is reporting that DeAngelo Hall plans to file a complaint to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell against members of the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff for their actions during the melee after LaRon Landry’s late hit on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

According to Hall Atlanta strength and conditioning coach, Jeff Fish, “put his hands on me started pulling on me and grabbing me.” Then Hall claimed, Falcons head coach, Mike Smith jumped into the fracas and threatened him. “It’s different when a coach comes over to break guys up,” Hall said. “But when a coach comes over to put his hands on you in a harmful way, something needs to be done about that.”
Hall contended that the Falcons initiated the incident.

Smith indicated it had nothing to do with Hall, the ex-Falcon. "Those sidelines are very, very hectic during a game. "Our quarterback was hit late and there was a [skirmish] over there. All I was trying to do was restore order to the sideline and did not want to get into a situation where any of our guys were injured. That was my view of it. Again, it happened so very, very quickly?”

"There were a bunch of guys on that sideline. Some of them were wearing black helmets and some were wearing maroon helmets. I can't tell you anything more about it. It was very, very hectic on that sideline. There were a lot of things going on and my main goal was for the safety of our football team and restoring order."

The video is inconclusive on as to who started it as the camera is focused on Ryan getting up from Landry’s hit, and pans up to the melee after it started. The only thing it really shows is Hall, Fish, Smith, and nearly the entire Falcons bench in a scrum—and Albert Haynesworth throwing his weight around—before the referees restored order. Matt Terl offers a qualified defense of Hall, writing that the video bears out Hall’s post- game explanation. Michael Silver says the imaginary friend living in Hall’s helmet made him do it. Silver argues that Hall should be grateful given the nice scratch he has picked up ($30 million) since Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, whom Hall called a liar, traded him.

In the end, I think had it been any other Redskin other than Hall trailing that play, we wouldn’t be talking about this.