Skins’ Hall fond of Falcons, no fan of Petrino

ASHBURN -- DeAngelo Hall has plenty of positive things to say about his old team, the Atlanta Falcons.

His old coach? That's another matter.

The Washington Redskins cornerback made it clear yesterday that he's still no fan of Bobby Petrino, the coach who quit the Falcons during the 2007 season. The former Virginia Tech star and Petrino got in a shouting match on the sideline that year, leading to a $100,000 fine for the player and no doubt hastening the coach's abrupt departure for the University of Arkansas.

The Falcons already were reeling from the loss of quarterback Michael Vick before the season and finished 4-12. Hall then was traded to Oakland.

Atlanta bounced back to go 11-5 last season, was 4-2 headed into last night's game against New Orleans and will host the Redskins on Sunday. Asked if he was surprised that the Falcons have resurrected themselves so quickly, Hall had no problem explaining why.

"Mike was gone -- we didn't have a quarterback," Hall said. "Petrino . . . he left. Those were the two things.

"Obviously they drafted a great quarterback, Matt Ryan, got a coach, so this team wasn't in total disarray like everybody made it out to be. There was a lot of speculation around the team because of the Michael Vick situation and about the Petrino situation, but it wasn't a bad football team. It wasn't a team that was 0-19. They missed a quarterback who was probably the most exciting player in the NFL, and they had a coach who came in trying to change too many things and then left in the middle of it. So to see what they did last year -- was it a little bit surprising? Yeah, a little bit, but they still had talent."

Hall was a first-round draft pick by the Falcons and made two Pro Bowls during his four outspoken years in Atlanta. He still has a home in the area, but Sunday will be his first game in the Georgia Dome since the trade to the Raiders.

"I'm not Brett Favre walking back into Lambeau, but there's definitely going to be a little emotion tied into this thing," Hall said. "I saw a lot of those guys mature as players, mature as people on and off the field. Can't wait to go out there and mix it up with them.

"I'm proud of the guys. They're playing lights out right now. We just need a win. Will I be emotional going back in there? A little bit, a little bit, but the goal is to get a win. I'll cry if we win."

The Redskins (2-5) are pining for a win of any sort, having lost three straight.

Asked if he expects the Falcons to target him, Hall said: "I hope so."

"If they're coming after me, I can live with that," Hall said. "A chance for me to try to make a play and help us win? I can live with that all day. I hope they do."