ATLANTA (AP) —
Michael Turner
and the Falcons didn’t want to settle for just making the playoffs.

They wanted momentum and the best seed possible.

Hoping for a fast start, the Falcons set a team record with 42 first-half points, including two touchdown runs by Turner,
and Atlanta cruised to a 45-24 win over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
on Sunday to clinch the No. 5 seed.

Julio Jones
caught two touchdown passes in a span of 26 seconds in the first quarter as the Falcons gave the Buccaneers their 10th straight
loss.

“We didn’t want to come down to the wire, backing into the playoffs,” Turner said.

The Falcons were motivated by two blowout losses – 48-21 to Green Bay in last year’s playoffs and 45-16 at New Orleans last
week.

“Getting embarrassed like that last year, that’s not who we were,” Turner said. “We just wanted another chance.”

The Falcons (10-6) and Detroit (10-6) are the NFC wild cards. Atlanta, which beat Detroit on Oct. 23, won the tiebreaker with
the Lions for the more favorable seeding. The Falcons will play at the winner of Sunday night’s Dallas-
New York Giants
game in the first round of the playoffs.

“We wanted to play our final regular-season game with a lot of intensity and energy, and I think we did that in all three
phases,” Falcons coach
Mike Smith
said.

Josh Freeman
threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the first half as the Buccaneers (4-12) closed their season with their 10th straight
loss, leaving the status of coach Raheem Morris in doubt.

“If I was in the business of working out my future, I wouldn’t be coaching,” Morris said. “I’m going to go to work tomorrow
until they tell me to stop.”

The Falcons led 42-0 when they began resting some starters, including quarterback
Matt Ryan
and Turner, late in the first half.

“We had opportunities the week before and just didn’t make the plays,” Ryan said. “Today, we made the plays and I think that’s
what we needed moving forward.”

Ryan was 6 of 9 for 106 yards, including touchdown passes of 17 and 48 yards to Jones in the first quarter.

Tampa Bay, which finished 10-6 last season and started 4-2 this season, is left with its longest losing streak in one season
in 34 years. The Buccaneers also lost 10 straight in 1977. They lost 11 straight between the 2008 and `09 seasons.

“This is not the season we wanted or expected, but we will need to rededicate ourselves and get ready for this offseason,”
Morris said.

Turnovers were a problem for the Buccaneers all season. Freeman began the day tied for the league lead with 19 interceptions
before completing 31 of 45 passes for 274 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

With Atlanta leading 42-0, Freeman threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to
Dezmon Briscoe
with about 2 minutes remaining in the first half. Freeman threw a 5-yard TD pass to Briscoe in the fourth quarter.

Tampa Bay’s other touchdown came on
Elbert Mack
‘s 40-yard interception return against Falcons’ backup
Chris Redman
in the third quarter.

Turner ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard scoring run late in the first half. The score capped the
Falcons’ run of six unanswered touchdowns.

The Falcons led 21-0 after the first quarter and then put the game away with three more touchdowns in the second quarter.

The strong showing was important for the Falcons. Last week’s loss at New Orleans was the worst in four seasons with Smith.

“The main thing we wanted to do was flush out of our system last week,” tight end
Tony Gonzalez
said.

The Falcons announced before the game Gonzalez, 35, has signed a one-year contract extension, ending speculation he might
retire after this season.

The Falcons had the No. 1 seed in the playoffs last year before losing to the Packers.

Despite the team’s lower seed, Gonzalez said the Falcons are prepared for a longer postseason run.

“Honestly, I’ve said it all year: I think we’re a better team than we were last year,” Gonzalez said.

Rookie
Jacquizz Rodgers
scored on a 1-yard run for his first career touchdown to start the Falcons’ scoring. Rodgers lost a fumble at the Tampa Bay
2 in the fourth quarter.

After Ryan’s first TD pass to Jones,
Dominique Franks
‘ interception on Tampa Bay’s first down gave the ball back to Atlanta.

On first down from the Buccaneers 48, Ryan again threw to Jones, who fought off safety
Tanard Jackson
for the catch. Jones then jumped up from the turf, hit cornerback E.J. Biggers with a stiff-arm and then dragged Biggers into
the end zone.

Turner had two touchdown runs and
Curtis Lofton
returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Matt Bryant
kicked a 20-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter after the Buccaneers were stopped on fourth down at their 10.

Notes: Ryan passed Jeff George for the Falcons’ most yards passing in a season. George threw for 4,143 yards in 1995. Ryan
has 4,177. … Turner has 50 rushing touchdowns in four seasons with the Falcons, passing Gerald Riggs’ team record of 48.
… WR
Roddy White
also celebrated a milestone, passing Terance Mathis for the most yards receiving with the Falcons. Mathis had 7,349 yards
from 1994-2001. White finished the game with 7,374 for his career. … By playing in his 225th game with Tampa Bay, CB
Ronde Barber
passed Derrick Brooks for the team record.

© 2011 STATS LLC

ATLANTA — Michael Turner and the Falcons didn’t want to settle for just making the playoffs.

They wanted momentum and the best seed possible.

Hoping for a fast start, the Falcons set a team record with 42 first-half points, including two touchdown runs by Turner, and Atlanta cruised to a 45-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday to clinch the No. 5 seed.

Julio Jones caught two touchdown passes in a span of 26 seconds in the first quarter as the Falcons gave the Buccaneers their 10th straight loss.

“We didn’t want to come down to the wire, backing into the playoffs,” Turner said.

The Falcons were motivated by two blowout losses — 48-21 to Green Bay in last year’s playoffs and 45-16 at New Orleans last week.

“Getting embarrassed like that last year, that’s not who we were,” Turner said. “We just wanted another chance.”

The Falcons (10-6) and Detroit (10-6) are the NFC wild cards. Atlanta, which beat Detroit on Oct. 23, won the tiebreaker with the Lions for the more favorable seeding. The Falcons will play at the New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs.

“We wanted to play our final regular-season game with a lot of intensity and energy, and I think we did that in all three phases,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said.

Josh Freeman threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the first half as the Buccaneers (4-12) closed their season with their 10th straight loss, leaving the status of coach Raheem Morris in doubt.

“If I was in the business of working out my future, I wouldn’t be coaching,” Morris said. “I’m going to go to work tomorrow until they tell me to stop.”

The Falcons led 42-0 when they began resting some starters, including quarterback Matt Ryan and Turner, late in the first half.

“We had opportunities the week before and just didn’t make the plays,” Ryan said. “Today, we made the plays and I think that’s what we needed moving forward.”

Ryan was 6 of 9 for 106 yards, including touchdown passes of 17 and 48 yards to Jones in the first quarter.

Tampa Bay, which finished 10-6 last season and started 4-2 this season, is left with its longest losing streak in one season in 34 years. The Buccaneers also lost 10 straight in 1977. They lost 11 straight between the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

“This is not the season we wanted or expected, but we will need to rededicate ourselves and get ready for this offseason,” Morris said.

Turnovers were a problem for the Buccaneers all season. Freeman began the day tied for the league lead with 19 interceptions before completing 31 of 45 passes for 274 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

With Atlanta leading 42-0, Freeman threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe with about 2 minutes remaining in the first half. Freeman threw a 5-yard TD pass to Briscoe in the fourth quarter.

Tampa Bay’s other touchdown came on Elbert Mack’s 40-yard interception return against Falcons’ backup Chris Redman in the third quarter.

Turner ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard scoring run late in the first half. The score capped the Falcons’ run of six unanswered touchdowns.

The Falcons led 21-0 after the first quarter and then put the game away with three more touchdowns in the second quarter.

The strong showing was important for the Falcons. Last week’s loss at New Orleans was the worst in four seasons with Smith.

“The main thing we wanted to do was flush out of our system last week,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said.

The Falcons announced before the game Gonzalez, 35, has signed a one-year contract extension, ending speculation he might retire after this season.

The Falcons had the No. 1 seed in the playoffs last year before losing to the Packers.

Despite the team’s lower seed, Gonzalez said the Falcons are prepared for a longer postseason run.

“Honestly, I’ve said it all year: I think we’re a better team than we were last year,” Gonzalez said.

Rookie Jacquizz Rodgers scored on a 1-yard run for his first career touchdown to start the Falcons’ scoring. Rodgers lost a fumble at the Tampa Bay 2 in the fourth quarter.

After Ryan’s first TD pass to Jones, Dominique Franks’ interception on Tampa Bay’s first down gave the ball back to Atlanta.

On first down from the Buccaneers 48, Ryan again threw to Jones, who fought off safety Tanard Jackson for the catch. Jones then jumped up from the turf, hit cornerback E.J. Biggers with a stiff-arm and then dragged Biggers into the end zone.

Turner had two touchdown runs and Curtis Lofton returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Matt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter after the Buccaneers were stopped on fourth down at their 10.

Notes: Ryan passed Jeff George for the Falcons’ most yards passing in a season. George threw for 4,143 yards in 1995. Ryan has 4,177. … Turner has 50 rushing touchdowns in four seasons with the Falcons, passing Gerald Riggs’ team record of 48. … WR Roddy White also celebrated a milestone, passing Terance Mathis for the most yards receiving with the Falcons. Mathis had 7,349 yards from 1994-2001. White finished the game with 7,374 for his career. … By playing in his 225th game with Tampa Bay, CB Ronde Barber passed Derrick Brooks for the team record.

Tampa Bay 0 7 11 6–24

Atlanta 21 21 0 3–45

First Quarter

Atl–Rodgers 1 run (Bryant kick), 8:12. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:48. Key Plays: Turner 26 run; Ryan 23 pass to White on 3rd-and-11; Ryan 8 pass to Gonzalez on 3rd-and-6; Turner 2 run on 3rd-and-1. Atlanta 7, Tampa Bay 0.

Atl–Jones 17 pass from Ryan (Bryant kick), 3:30. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:52. Key Plays: Bennett 15-yard roughing the passer penalty; Turner 13 run. Atlanta 14, Tampa Bay 0.

Atl–Jones 48 pass from Ryan (Bryant kick), 3:04. Drive: 1 play, 48 yards, 0:12. Key Play: Franks interception at Tampa Bay 48. Atlanta 21, Tampa Bay 0.

Second Quarter

Atl–Turner 1 run (Bryant kick), 11:40. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:34. Key Plays: Abraham fumble recovery (Freeman); Turner 14 run. Atlanta 28, Tampa Bay 0.

Atl–Lofton 26 interception return (Bryant kick), 10:43. Atlanta 35, Tampa Bay 0.

Atl–Turner 81 run (Bryant kick), 6:49. Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:50. Atlanta 42, Tampa Bay 0.

TB–Briscoe 2 pass from Freeman (Barth kick), 2:04. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:45. Key Plays: Freeman 48 pass to Parker; Freeman 13 pass to Winslow. Atlanta 42, Tampa Bay 7.

Third Quarter

TB–FG Barth 41, 4:19. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:27. Key Plays: Freeman 10 pass to Blount; Freeman 11 pass to Parker; Freeman 31 pass to Williams; Freeman 10 pass to Winslow. Atlanta 42, Tampa Bay 10.

TB–Mack 40 interception return (Winslow pass from Freeman), 3:32. Atlanta 42, Tampa Bay 18.

Fourth Quarter

TB–Briscoe 5 pass from Freeman (run failed), 11:13. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:03. Key Plays: Freeman 22 pass to Winslow; Freeman 11 pass to Blount; Freeman 9 pass to Briscoe on 3rd-and-8. Atlanta 42, Tampa Bay 24.

Atl–FG Bryant 20, 3:59. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:10. Key Play: Gained possession on downs at Tampa Bay 10. Atlanta 45, Tampa Bay 24.

A–68,167.

TB Atl

FIRST DOWNS 18 22

Rushing 3 13

Passing 15 8

Penalty 0 1

THIRD DOWN EFF 6-12 6-11

FOURTH DOWN EFF 0-1 1-1

TOTAL NET YARDS 294 428

Total Plays 61 59

Avg Gain 4.8 7.3

NET YARDS RUSHING 35 251

Rushes 14 38

Avg per rush 2.5 6.6

NET YARDS PASSING 259 177

Sacked-Yds lost 2-15 0-0

Gross-Yds passing 274 177

Completed-Att. 31-45 13-21

Had Intercepted 3 1

Yards-Pass Play 5.5 8.4

KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 5-4-4 8-7-5

PUNTS-Avg. 3-49.7 2-50.5

Punts blocked 0 0

FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0

TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 108 58

Punt Returns 2-15 1-9

Kickoff Returns 3-53 0-0

Interceptions 1-40 3-49

PENALTIES-Yds 2-20 3-20

FUMBLES-Lost 3-1 1-1

TIME OF POSSESSION 29:52 30:08

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Tampa Bay, Freeman 3-14, Blount 6-12, J.Johnson 1-5, Madu 2-4, Lumpkin 2-0. Atlanta, Turner 17-172, Snelling 9-50, Rodgers 8-24, Jones 1-9, Redman 3-(minus 4).

PASSING–Tampa Bay, Freeman 31-45-3-274. Atlanta, Ryan 6-9-0-106, Redman 7-12-1-71.

RECEIVING–Tampa Bay, Briscoe 8-53, Winslow 7-56, Lumpkin 5-27, Parker 4-74, Madu 3-19, Blount 3-14, Williams 1-31. Atlanta, Jones 4-76, White 4-69, Gonzalez 1-8, Weems 1-8, Palmer 1-7, Rodgers 1-5, Snelling 1-4.

PUNT RETURNS–Tampa Bay, Spurlock 2-15. Atlanta, Weems 1-9.

KICKOFF RETURNS–Tampa Bay, Parker 2-41, Spurlock 1-12. Atlanta, None.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS–Tampa Bay, Asante 7-1-0, Foster 4-2-0, Mack 3-2-0, Barber 3-1-0, Biggers 3-1-0, Haynesworth 3-0-0, Okam 3-0-0, Bennett 2-0-0, Bowers 2-0-0, Briscoe 2-0-0, Miller 2-0-0, A.Black 1-2-0, Q.Black 1-1-0, Freeman 1-0-0, Jackson 1-0-0, Lewis 1-0-0, Hayes 0-3-0, Jones 0-3-0, Clayborn 0-1-0, Price 0-1-0. Atlanta, Lofton 8-6-0, DeCoud 6-2-0, Owens 3-3-0, Weatherspoon 3-3-0, Franks 3-2-0, Moore 2-4-0½, Biermann 1-3-0½, Adkins 1-2-0, Babineaux 1-1-0, Abraham 1-0-1, Edwards 1-0-0, Sidbury 1-0-0, Smith 1-0-0, Dent 0-2-0, Sanders 0-2-0, Peters 0-1-0, Rodgers 0-1-0.

INTERCEPTIONS–Tampa Bay, Mack 1-40. Atlanta, Lofton 1-26, Walls 1-23, Franks 1-0.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.

OFFICIALS–Referee Scott Green, Ump Bruce Stritesky, HL Tom Stabile, LJ Tom Barnes, FJ Dyrol Prioleau, SJ Larry Rose, BJ Scott Helverson, Replay Carl Madsen.

Time: 2:58.

Recapping the New Orleans Saints’ 45-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints clinched the NFC South title and remain in contention for the No. 2 seed in the playoff race.

DID YOU SEE?

MARQUES COLSTON

Once again, when the NFL’s Pro Bowl rosters are announced today, the Saints’ sure-handed receiver will be left out.

He’ll probably finish as a distant alternate behind players with flashier statistics from offenses that don’t spread the ball around as much as the Saints do, but it’s quite possible Colston is the best player in the league who has never been invited to the Pro Bowl. In another offense, he might catch 90-plus passes with double-digit touchdowns.

Colston surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his six-year career with another typical performance in Monday night’s 45-16 victory over the visiting Atlanta Falcons — seven catches, 81 yards and a touchdown. He especially was clutch early, catching four passes for third-down conversions in the first half, including an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

“That’s my role,” Colston said in his usual humble fashion. “I think everyone in the receiving corps has their role, so I just try to play it to the best of my ability.”

JIMMY GRAHAM

Graham, on the other hand, will undoubtedly earn an invite to the Pro Bowl, which will make him the Saints’ first skill-position player to do so since receiver Joe Horn in 2004.

Graham had a pedestrian game by his standards Monday night, catching four passes for 42 yards. But his 9-yard touchdown late in the second quarter was one of the best of his young career. He leaped high over cornerback Brent Grimes to make the grab, showing his old power-forward form from his basketball days at the University of Miami. That was Graham’s 10th touchdown catch of the season, which set a franchise record for tight ends. He has a chance to set a NFL record against the visiting Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He’s 67 yards behind Kellen Winslow, who set the NFL record for tight ends in 1980 with 1,290 receiving yards. However, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is 6 yards ahead of Graham and could also break that record.

After the Falcons game, Graham gave praise to quarterback Drew Brees, insisting that he never wants to play for another quarterback.

“He only makes me look better,” Graham said.

HOW THE GAME WAS WON

The Saints’ offense was in fine form, converting its first nine third-down attempts en route to a 28-10 lead in the third quarter.

But once again, the Saints’ defense came up equally big.

After allowing Atlanta to score 10 points on its first two drives, the Saints’ defense went into shut-down mode. They held the Falcons scoreless on their next four drives, and then forced them to settle for field goals on the next two drives. After New Orleans’ offense then stalled, the defense came up with the biggest play yet — a forced fumble by linebacker Scott Shanle that was returned 30 yards for a touchdown by safety Malcolm Jenkins in the fourth quarter.

Jenkins had a great effort, coming up with two huge hits earlier in the game that led to punts.

Also big for the Saints was second-year defensive end Junior Galette, who made a rare start and came up with two hits against quarterback Matt Ryan that led to drive-killing incompletions and a third that forced a holding call.

LOOKING AHEAD

REMATCH IN TWO WEEKS?

The Saints finally put together a convincing victory against their rivals, snapping a streak of four games in this series that were decided by three points.

And for their reward? They’ll probably face the Falcons again in less than two weeks at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The Saints (12-3) are the third seed in the NFC, and the Falcons (9-6) are the sixth seed, which would set up a first-round playoff rematch. New Orleans can move up if it defeats the Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers lose at St. Louis. The Falcons can move up if they win and the Detroit Lions lose at Green Bay (questionable since the Packers might rest their starters).

If the rematch happens, it won’t be a “gimme” for the Saints. The Falcons are a bona-fide playoff team, but please spare me the argument that it’s “tough to beat the same team three times.” That’s bogus, based on historical data and common sense. It would be even tougher for the Falcons to come to the Superdome and beat a Saints team that has proven to be the better team twice.

DILEMMA FOR PAYTON?

The Saints are alive for the No. 2 seed, but they could consider resting their starters against Carolina.

Last season, Coach Sean Payton admitted that his biggest regret was playing his starters in Week 17 when New Orleans had a slim chance of earning the No. 1 seed. As a result, key players Graham, Jenkins and Chris Ivory all got hurt and couldn’t play in the playoffs.

The Saints now are in the same boat, with the 49ers unlikely to lose at St. Louis, though the Saints did Oct. 30.

Further complicating matters, if Brees doesn’t play, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady could pass him up for the all-time single-season passing record.

The Saints should and will try to win — at least until the scoreboard shows the 49ers comfortably ahead.

Atlanta (9-5) has won four of five and closes the regular season with games at New Orleans on Dec. 26 and at home against Tampa Bay on Jan. 1. The Falcons seem poised to make consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in their 46-year history.

“Four or five days off couldn’t come at a better time,” said Ryan, who threw three touchdown passes in a 41-14 victory over Jacksonville on Thursday night. “I think everybody will use this extended little break that we have to let our bodies heal a little bit so that we can be fresh when we go down and play New Orleans.”

Ryan believes his team is brimming with confidence even though it’s coming off consecutive wins over teams with a combined 8-19 record. The Falcons ripped off 65 consecutive points from the start of Sunday’s third quarter at Carolina to the 2:12 mark of Thursday’s third quarter.

“That’s what we need,” Ryan said. “We’re in a position where we have two games left now, and I think still control our own destiny. That’s the kind of football we need to play moving forward, and I think it’s good that we’re doing it at this time.”

Atlanta trails the NFC South-leading Saints by 1½ games. New Orleans, which earned a 26-23 overtime victory five weeks ago at the Georgia Dome, takes a five-game winning streak into Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings in Minnesota.

With the top three NFC playoff spots likely to going to Green Bay, San Francisco and New Orleans, the Falcons would benefit if New York, Detroit, Chicago or Dallas loses this weekend. Atlanta currently has the fifth-best record in the race for the NFC’s six postseason berths.

The Falcons moved past a disappointing 17-10 loss at Houston two weeks ago by returning to the core principles that have fueled their success under fourth-year coach Mike Smith.

They jumped out to a fast start against Jacksonville in all three phases of the game, building a 27-0 halftime lead with big plays on offense, defense and special teams.

Sean Weatherspoon helped Atlanta pull away with a key fumble recovery after Jacksonville muffed a punt in the second quarter. He fell on the loose ball at the 5, and Michael Turner ran for a touchdown on the next snap to make it 17-0.

“Winning on a short week is never an easy proposition, but I really think our team handled it very well and I really think it showed the way that they worked in the ballgame,” Smith said after the Falcons improved to 27-1 in his tenure when they win the turnover battle.

“They started fast and I think that they played well for most part of the ballgame. I liked their effort and I liked that the guys played, and we got the result that we wanted. Now it’s an opportunity to try to go get (victory) No. 10.”

A 41-0 lead allowed Smith to rest Ryan for the final 17 minutes, a deserved break after his quarterback threw three touchdown passes in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Ryan completed 19 of 26 passes for 224 yards and is 22-0 when he records an NFL passer rating of 100 or higher.

Three-time Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White and rookie Julio Jones, the league’s No. 6 overall draft pick, combined to catch 15 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns.

“I feel like we played a good three quarters,” White said. “The fourth quarter, the starters were out, so we didn’t get a chance to see what we could do then. The first three were really, really good. We got after the quarterback, scored a lot of points on offense, and got down in the red zone and scored.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cleaning out the notebook:

It is hard to believe that the Atlanta Falcons have taken such a step backward this season.

A year after finishing at 13-3, the best record in the NFC, the Falcons are floundering at 7-5 after an inexplicable loss at the Houston Texans last week. The Texans were down to their third quarterback, rookie T.J. Yates.

Although no one is going to confuse Atlanta’s defense with the best in the NFL, the problem most of the season has been the offense.

After a drubbing by the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs last season, the Falcons went into panic mode, thinking they had to revamp their ground-it-out offense into one that could throw the ball long all the time.

Part of that panic came on draft day when they threw away multiple draft picks to trade up and get Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones, who has turned out to be a drop machine in the NFL. If he doesn’t drop a touchdown pass on the last play of the game last week, the Falcons would have beaten the Texans.

When the Falcons were changing offensive philosophy, it is unlikely they thought about the fact that they don’t have the quarterback for a vertical passing game.

Peter Keating of ESPN.com did a study to find the best and worst deep throwers. For his study, a deep throw is one of 20 yards or more.

Through Week 10, Matt Ryan was the fifth worst. The only ones worse were Mark Sanchez, John Beck, Donovan McNabb and Curtis Painter.

On his throws of 20 yards or more, Ryan was averaging just 7.1 yards. As a contrast, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is averaging 29.5 yards on such throws.

Even rookie Cam Newton, whom the Falcons face today, is averaging 15.7.

If you saw the opening series against the Texans last week, then you don’t need stats to know throwing deep is not one of Ryan’s strengths.

On the first play of the game, he overthrew a wide open Roddy White by 5 yards. Two plays later, he overthrew a wide open Jones.

Right now, the Falcons’ offense is a mess.

The Falcons have a favorable schedule over the final quarter of the season with games against the Panthers, Jaguars and Buccaneers, three games they should win. They also play the Saints.

But with the offense sputtering like it is, none of those games look easy right now.

No Pujols? No problem

Although no one in the St. Louis Cardinals organization would ever admit it, but they were likely happy when Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim earlier this week.

The Cardinals made an offer to Pujols that was big enough for it to appear publicly that they wanted him back. They also made the offer small enough that they knew he would never accept because someone out there, i.e., the Angels and the Marlins, would overpay for the slugger.

Pujols is listed as 31. There have been some in the media that have questioned his age, suggesting that he might be older.

But for the sake of argument, let’s say he is indeed 31. That means he will be 41 by the time the 10-year, $254-million contract ends.

Unlike the days when players took steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, players can no longer get away with that.

Therefore, the days of players seeing no drop off in their performance as they get into their late 30s and early 40s is gone.

In fact, Pujols has already seen three straight years of declines in his numbers.

He hit 47 homers and batted .327 in 2009, followed by 42 and .312 in 2010 and 37 and .299 last season.

As his numbers continue to decline, so too will his ability to play first base.

If the Cardinals had signed him, they would have had no choice but to play him at first base or have a $25.4-million-a-year pinch-hitter.

At least the Angels will have the option to move him to designated hitter.

Kevin Price, kprice@ledger-enquirer.com, 706-320-4493

Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones returned to practice on Thursday and appears likely to play this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings, barring any setbacks.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Jones looked crisp in his first practice of the week, though the rookie receiver only participated on a limited basis.

“It felt good to get back out there, running routes,” Jones said, via the newspaper. “I thought I was going to be rusty, but I wasn’t. So, it just felt good to be back out there with my teammates.”

Jones has battled a nagging hamstring injury throughout the year. He originally suffered the injury Oct. 9 against the Green Bay Packers and missed the following two games. Jones then came back Nov. 6 against the Indianapolis Colts, exploding for two touchdowns and 131 yards, but he re-aggravated his hamstring the next week against the New Orleans Saints and sat out last week’s win over the Tennessee Titans.

Cornerback Brent Grimes (knee) also returned to practice Thursday on a limited basis.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson did not practice for a second consecutive day as he attempts to overcome a sprained left ankle he sustained last Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. Peterson was in a walking boot Wednesday, and Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said Peterson would need to practice by Friday in order to be available against the Falcons.

Tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring) and Kyle Rudolph (quadriceps) did not practice Thursday, while wideout Percy Harvin (ribs) and quarterback Christian Ponder (knee) were limited.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—Facing Drew Brees(notes) is never easy for the Atlanta
Falcons.

New Orleans’ record-setting quarterback is 8-2 in the NFC South rivalry and
has put up some staggering numbers: 3,010 yards passing, a 68.1 completion
percentage and 20 touchdowns.

“I really don’t think there’s anything to stopping him. I would say slowing
him down is the key,” Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton(notes) said. “He’s a very
special player.”

Sunday’s home matchup could be one of Atlanta’s toughest against Brees now
that new running back Darren Sproles(notes) complements an already talented group of
receivers.

The Saints rank at or near the top of nearly every NFL offensive category,
including a league-high 44 possessions in the red zone and an overall scoring
average that ranks second.

“Sproles is a big factor in the red zone because he’s a fast guy,”
defensive end John Abraham(notes) said. “They use screens and a lot of things to get
him the ball. You would think the rookie (Mark Ingram(notes)) would be doing stuff in
there, but you see Sproles in the red zone really getting a lot of touches.”

Brees is having one of the best seasons of his remarkable career. He is the
first NFL passer with 3,000 yards in the first nine games of a season and has
thrown a TD pass in 36 straight games to tie Brett Favre(notes) for the league’s
second-longest streak.

“The thing is when we get to him we’ve got to get him down,” said Abraham,
a four-time Pro Bowl selection. “He’ll throw the ball in any situation. He’ll
flip in the backfield. He’ll do a lot of different things to get the ball out of
his hands. We’ve got to wrap him up when we get to him.”

Sproles’ numbers are impressive, too. After spending his first six seasons
with San Diego, Sproles leads the NFL with 9,759 all-purpose yards since 2007.
He’s on pace to break New Orleans’ single-season record for a running back
(Reggie Bush(notes) had 88 catches for 742 yards in 2006).

At 5-foot-6, 190 pounds, Sproles zips through the backfield as elusively as
he runs through coverage units on special teams. His 1,499 all-purpose yards
lead the NFL this season.

For Lofton, it was already hard enough trying to defend a New Orleans scheme
that includes tight end Jimmy Graham(notes), running back Pierre Thomas(notes) and receivers
Marques Colston(notes), Devery Henderson(notes), Robert Meachem(notes) and Lance Moore(notes).

Brees doesn’t give a defense much time to attack the pocket.

“He sets (his feet) short and gets the ball out of his hand quick, so our
pass rush is going to have to get there and knock him off point,” Lofton said.
“We may not get sacks, but we can’t let him sit back there and have all that
time. We’ve got to mix up our coverages. It can’t just be sitting ducks for
him.”

Abraham believes the Falcons (5-3) have improved their tackling since
starting the season poorly. They can’t afford to be fundamentally weak against
the Saints (6-3).

“Even in the playoff loss (last season) against Green Bay, we were
blitzing,” Abraham said. “We just weren’t getting them down, and I think it
ended up biting us in a big way. This year I think people are a lot more
confident blitzing and I think they understand what they have to do.”

Defending the Saints on third down will be critical. New Orleans’ 55.7
percentage ranks second in the league. Atlanta’s defense ranks 24th.

Lofton knows how important it is to avoid getting frustrated. The Falcons’
defensive captain estimates that Atlanta had 10 free runs at Brees in a Week 16
home defeat last season, finishing with just one sack.

There was some satisfaction in causing Brees to throw two interceptions, but
not nearly enough.

“We definitely want to get him a little antsy back there,” Lofton said.
“He has a tendency to move around and extend plays. Sometimes that works out
for him and sometimes it’s been good for us. We definitely want to keep that
going this year. He’s an elusive guy. Then again, Sproles is, too. It’s going to
be a tough matchup, but we’re a confident team right now.”

by

George Henry, The Associated Press

Atlanta Falcons

Dunta Robinson, seen here in action earlier this season, earns more notoriety for a physical style of play than his coverage skills. (Ted S. Warren, AP Photo/File)

slideshow

FLOWERY BRANCH — Dunta Robinson’s second year with Atlanta is much like his first.

The $22 million cornerback has earned more notoriety for his physical style of play than his coverage skills. Though he doesn’t mind having a tough image, Robinson would appreciate a few more interceptions. He has no picks this season and just one in 23 games with the Falcons, including last season’s playoff loss to Green Bay.

“Of course, you’d like to be all over the field making a ton of plays,” Robinson said Thursday, “but it’s just not presented right now.”

When Robinson signed a six-year free-agent contract with Atlanta in March 2010, the Falcons introduced him as the shut-down cornerback they desperately lacked in the secondary.

Many fans might have expected more interceptions for such a high-priced player, but coach Mike Smith says Robinson has filled his role with aplomb.

For Smith, it’s simple: In the Falcons’ 4-3 defense, the eighth-year veteran is doing exactly what he’s asked to do.

Brent Grimes, who starts at left cornerback, has more chances at interceptions because opponents continue to challenge him in hopes he will jump routes. Grimes was targeted as often as any cornerback in the NFL last year, but the former practice squad player turned those chances into a Pro Bowl season.

Meanwhile, Robinson goes about his business in blanketing the right side and providing strong run support.

“This year, I’m not even sure what the (targeted) numbers say, but Dunta has been an integral part of what we’re trying to do,” Smith said. “He fits very well into our scheme.”

Smith has strongly defended Robinson’s hard style during their season and a half together.

Games against Philadelphia the last two years included a pair of penalized hits in which Robinson was flagged for leading with his helmet. In a Week 6 loss last season, Robinson was fined $25,000 for a hit on DeSean Jackson that caused concussions for both players.

In a Week 2 victory this year, Robinson’s hit on Jeremy Maclin resulted in another $25,000 fine.

Robinson doesn’t seem to mind that his reputation might have changed in some people’s minds.

He’s only following the same approach that led Houston to draft him No. 10 overall in 2004 out of South Carolina. Robinson will not apologize for playing his position hard.

“I’ve always, always been a physical presence,” he said. “I’ve always been a physical corner and that’s what got me drafted at the No. 10 spot, you know? So that part of my game hasn’t changed. I made the same physical plays in college and for years in Houston.”

When the Falcons (4-3) return from their bye Sunday at Indianapolis (0-8), Robinson expects another tough game despite the absence of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. He believes Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie and running back Joseph Addai are still capable of hurting opponents.

Robinson certainly won’t miss Manning. In the 10 games he played for Houston against Indianapolis, the Texans went 1-9.

“Yeah, but it’s certainly not a game that’s going to be given to us,” Robinson said. “We’re going to still to go out there and play ball because those guys have a lot of pride. The most dangerous team is the team that doesn’t have a win because they’re hungry to win a football game.”

Atlanta still has plenty of loose ends to tie up defensively. Despite ranking seventh against the run and tied for seventh with nine interceptions, the Falcons are 27th in net passing yards per attempt, 26th in third-down efficiency and 25th in sacks per passing attempt.

And Robinson would love to make a couple of big, clean plays in the secondary.

”The rules have changed a little bit, so now it’s looked upon maybe as a dirty play, but I’ve seen dirty players,” Robinson said. “Dirty players are cheap-shot artists. To me, that’s what dirty players are considered to be. I’ve seen dirty players trying to poke your eye, gouge your eye and do a lot of things under the pile and stuff like that, but it’s not something I get wrapped up in. This is the way I’ve played since I first stepped on a football field.”

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Dunta Robinson’s second year with Atlanta is much like his first.

The $22 million cornerback has earned more notoriety for his physical style of play than his coverage skills. Though he doesn’t mind having a tough image, Robinson would appreciate a few more interceptions. He has no picks this season and just one in 23 games with the Falcons, including last season’s playoff loss to Green Bay.

“Of course, you’d like to be all over the field making a ton of plays,” Robinson said Thursday, “but it’s just not presented right now.”

When Robinson signed a six-year free-agent contract with Atlanta in March 2010, the Falcons introduced him as the shut-down cornerback they desperately lacked in the secondary.

Many fans might have expected more interceptions for such a high-priced player, but coach Mike Smith says Robinson has filled his role with aplomb.

For Smith, it’s simple: In the Falcons’ 4-3 defense, the eighth-year veteran is doing exactly what he’s asked to do.

Brent Grimes, who starts at left cornerback, has more chances at interceptions because opponents continue to challenge him in hopes he will jump routes. Grimes was targeted as often as any cornerback in the NFL last year, but the former practice squad player turned those chances into a Pro Bowl season.

Meanwhile, Robinson goes about his business in blanketing the right side and providing strong run support.

“This year, I’m not even sure what the (targeted) numbers say, but Dunta has been an integral part of what we’re trying to do,” Smith said. “He fits very well into our scheme.”

Smith has defended Robinson’s style during their season and a half together.

Games against Philadelphia the last two years included a pair of penalized hits in which Robinson was flagged for leading with his helmet. In a Week 6 loss last season, Robinson was fined $25,000 for a hit on DeSean Jackson that caused concussions for both players.

In a Week 2 victory this year, Robinson’s hit on Jeremy Maclin resulted in another $25,000 fine.

Robinson doesn’t seem to mind that his reputation might have changed in some people’s minds.

He’s only following the same approach that led Houston to draft him No. 10 overall in 2004 out of South Carolina. Robinson will not apologize for playing his position hard.

“I’ve always, always been a physical presence,” he said. “I’ve always been a physical corner and that’s what got me drafted at the No. 10 spot, you know? So that part of my game hasn’t changed. I made the same physical plays in college and for years in Houston.”

When the Falcons (4-3) return from their bye Sunday at Indianapolis (0-8), Robinson expects another tough game despite the absence of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. He believes Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie and running back Joseph Addai are still capable of hurting opponents.

Robinson certainly won’t miss Manning. In the 10 games he played for Houston against Indianapolis, the Texans went 1-9.

“Yeah, but it’s certainly not a game that’s going to be given to us,” Robinson said. “We’re going to still to go out there and play ball because those guys have a lot of pride. The most dangerous team is the team that doesn’t have a win because they’re hungry to win a football game.”

Despite ranking seventh against the run and tied for seventh with nine interceptions, the Falcons are 27th in net passing yards per attempt, 26th in third-down efficiency and 25th in sacks per passing attempt.

And Robinson would love to make a couple of big, clean plays in the secondary.

“The rules have changed a little bit, so now it’s looked upon maybe as a dirty play, but I’ve seen dirty players,” Robinson said. “Dirty players are cheap-shot artists. To me, that’s what dirty players are considered to be. I’ve seen dirty players trying to poke your eye, gouge your eye and do a lot of things under the pile and stuff like that, but it’s not something I get wrapped up in. This is the way I’ve played since I first stepped on a football field.”

In one of the more bizarre fan fights that I have seen, a Green Bay Packers fan got into a fight with Atlanta Falcons fan over nothing more than a dropped hat.

The video itself dates back to the Falcons match-up against the Pack back on week five and starts when a cheese-head wearing Packers fan begins to jeer a Falcons fan.

The Falcons fan takes the jeering rather well until the other fan throws his Falcons hat down the nearby stairwell and causes a fan fight for the ages:

***

Cheesehead vs. Falcons Meathead In Battle Over Hats [Busted Coverage]

By PAULA PASCHE
JRC News Service

ALLEN PARK — The similarities between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons might start with their young quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Matt Ryan, but they don’t end there.

Both teams have strong defensive lines, wide receivers with size and playmakers in the secondary.

But the Falcons, who finished 13-3 last season, can boast something that the Lions can’t.

“We’re still a work in progress. That team’s been a playoff team and that says something that we aspire to do, so I don’t want to put ourselves in their category just yet, but I think there are some pretty obvious similarities,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

That was last year though.

This is a different Lions’ team with attitude and the ability to pull out wins.

When the two meet today at Ford Field, the Lions will be coming off their first loss of the season, 25-19 to San Francisco (5-1).

This season the Falcons (3-3) have lost-won-lost-won-lost-won. The teams they have beaten — Philadelphia, Seattle and Carolina — now have a combined 5-12 record. The teams that have beaten the Falcons — Chicago, Tampa Bay and Green Bay — have a combined 13-5 record. Not a good sign for Atlanta.

Like the Lions, the Falcons have plenty of talent at the skill positions.

“Well, that’s a team that was 13-3 last year and it wasn’t just because of Michael Turner — Hall of Fame tight end (Tony Gonzalez) — one of the best receiving tight ends in the history of National Football League; Roddy White was, I think he was the leading receiver in the NFL last year, you know, he’s got size, he’s got great hands, he’s got great agility and things like that — can make a big play, but can also catch short passes. And obviously, they went very hard after Julio Jones in the draft to add another playmaker to that group,” Schwartz said. Continued…

“You have an outstanding quarterback, outstanding tight end, outstanding receiver, outstanding running back, and just added another receiver — we’ll see where he is with his hamstring and everything else — but, you know, that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve got a very, very good young core to go forward with,” Schwartz added.

Julio Jones (hamstring) didn’t practice all week and is listed as doubtful for Sunday.

Another big difference between the teams is their records in the NFC. While the Lions have won four of their five NFC contests, the Falcons have lost three NFC contests which could come back to haunt them when it comes to playoff tie-breakers.

“Any time you go through the up and down, win, loss, win, loss, win, loss — you feel like you’re on a roller coaster and you need to string some wins together,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “It’s such a competitive division that we play in, and it’s such a competitive league, and especially I think the NFC this year, it’s important to put a string of good performances together — and that’s something that we haven’t done in the first six games.

“We’ve been very inconsistent and on the flip side, Jim and his staff have had the Detroit team playing with a lot of consistency and a lot of confidence,” he added.

That could be the big difference on Sunday at Ford Field.

By PAULA PASCHE
JRC News Service

ALLEN PARK — The similarities between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons might start with their young quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Matt Ryan, but they don’t end there.

Both teams have strong defensive lines, wide receivers with size and playmakers in the secondary.

But the Falcons, who finished 13-3 last season, can boast something that the Lions can’t.

“We’re still a work in progress. That team’s been a playoff team and that says something that we aspire to do, so I don’t want to put ourselves in their category just yet, but I think there are some pretty obvious similarities,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

That was last year though.

This is a different Lions’ team with attitude and the ability to pull out wins.

When the two meet today at Ford Field, the Lions will be coming off their first loss of the season, 25-19 to San Francisco (5-1).

This season the Falcons (3-3) have lost-won-lost-won-lost-won. The teams they have beaten — Philadelphia, Seattle and Carolina — now have a combined 5-12 record. The teams that have beaten the Falcons — Chicago, Tampa Bay and Green Bay — have a combined 13-5 record. Not a good sign for Atlanta.

Like the Lions, the Falcons have plenty of talent at the skill positions.

“Well, that’s a team that was 13-3 last year and it wasn’t just because of Michael Turner — Hall of Fame tight end (Tony Gonzalez) — one of the best receiving tight ends in the history of National Football League; Roddy White was, I think he was the leading receiver in the NFL last year, you know, he’s got size, he’s got great hands, he’s got great agility and things like that — can make a big play, but can also catch short passes. And obviously, they went very hard after Julio Jones in the draft to add another playmaker to that group,” Schwartz said.

“You have an outstanding quarterback, outstanding tight end, outstanding receiver, outstanding running back, and just added another receiver — we’ll see where he is with his hamstring and everything else — but, you know, that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve got a very, very good young core to go forward with,” Schwartz added.

Julio Jones (hamstring) didn’t practice all week and is listed as doubtful for Sunday.

Another big difference between the teams is their records in the NFC. While the Lions have won four of their five NFC contests, the Falcons have lost three NFC contests which could come back to haunt them when it comes to playoff tie-breakers.

“Any time you go through the up and down, win, loss, win, loss, win, loss — you feel like you’re on a roller coaster and you need to string some wins together,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “It’s such a competitive division that we play in, and it’s such a competitive league, and especially I think the NFC this year, it’s important to put a string of good performances together — and that’s something that we haven’t done in the first six games.

“We’ve been very inconsistent and on the flip side, Jim and his staff have had the Detroit team playing with a lot of consistency and a lot of confidence,” he added.

That could be the big difference on Sunday at Ford Field.

ATLANTA – Cam Newton cheered on the Atlanta Falcons during their only Super Bowl season. He always joined right in for the team’s trademark dance.

“The Dirty Bird era,” Newton recalled, a tinge of nostalgia in his voice. “On Monday, every kid would come to school doing the Dirty Bird. There’s a lot of history with me loving the Falcons.”

Now, he’s trying to beat them.

Newton will lead the Carolina Panthers into the Georgia Dome on Sunday, a homecoming for the Heisman Trophy winner who’s off to a blistering start as an NFL rookie.

The native of College Park, which is south of downtown Atlanta, threw for more than 400 yards in his first two games, and tacked on a 374-yard performance at Chicago two weeks ago. Only three quarterbacks have thrown for more yards this season, and it’s not a bad group — Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, who’ve got five Super Bowl rings between them.

“He’s their leader,” Falcons safety James Sanders of Newton. “He’s making plays for them. He’s running that offence and leading them like a 10-year veteran. I’m sure he’s learning along the way, but he definitely doesn’t look like a rookie out there.”

Of course, Newton is more than just a passer, as he showed during one brilliant college season at Auburn. He’s also become Carolina’s primary goal-line weapon, accounting for five of the team’s six rushing touchdowns. Throw in seven TD passes, and he’s had a hand (or legs) in all but one of the team’s 13 trips to the end zone.

To demonstrate how much of a boost he’s been to a team that was downright feeble a year ago, the Newton-led Panthers are three TDs away from their total for all of 2010.

“He’s gotten off to a great start,” said Newton’s Atlanta counterpart, Matt Ryan. “I think everybody is surprised when a rookie comes in and performs the way he has. But he’s a talented guy.”

After running the spread in college, Newton figured to face a steep learning curve in a pro-style offence — especially when the lockout wiped out the off-season program, usually the time when a rookie will get familiar with the playbook and begin to mesh with his new teammates.

Even with a short training camp and four preseason games, Newton took over like this has been his team for years.

“I thought he was talented in college. He made some incredible plays at Auburn,” Ryan said. “But to have a short preparation time just adds to the difficulty. So credit to him. He’s done a tremendous job since he’s come in.”

The only thing missing from Newton’s resume is a few more wins. Carolina (1-4) has been in every game, its losses coming by a combined 18 points.

Well, the team he grew up rooting for as a kid would like to keep that trend going for at least another win. The Falcons need a win, too, in the worst way.

Projected as a Super Bowl contender coming off a 13-win season and NFC South championship, Atlanta (2-3) has been one of the major disappointments in the early going this season. A supposedly high-powered offence has looked out of sync,and the defence hasn’t been playing well enough to bail the team out.

Last week’s loss to defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay was especially frustrating. The Falcons raced to a 14-0 lead on their first two drives, then managed nine first downs and 106 yards the rest of the way, continually shooting themselves in the foot with silly penalties and untimely mistakes.

“There’s a sense of urgency,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “We can’t keep winning one game, losing one game, winning one, then losing one. We need to get off that. We need to start being consistent and put together a string of wins, start being the team that we can be.”

Playing from behind much of the season, the Falcons haven’t been able to establish their trademark running game. Michael Turner has gone three straight weeks without reaching 100 yards, and Ryan is throwing a lot more than the coaching staff would prefer, tied for second in the league with an average of 39.2 passing attempts per game.

The Panthers look like an inviting target for Atlanta to turn things around. They’re 27th in the league against the run (135.2 yards) and a rash of injuries on defence makes them appear even more vulnerable.

“They’re giving up a lot of yards rushing,” Falcons receiver Roddy White said. “We’ve got to be able to run the ball, play-action pass, do things like that.”

Besides, Atlanta will be short-handed in the passing game. Rookie Julio Jones, who has 25 catches for 358 yards, is out because of a hamstring injury. Harry Douglas will take his place, a speedy player but not nearly the target that Jones usually provides as a complement to White.

“We’d like to be a little bit better balanced,” said Ryan, who ranks 21st in the league in passing efficiency. “But we’ve put ourselves in some tough positions. We haven’t been able to remain balanced because of mistakes that have kind of backed us up into a corner. I think it comes down, point blank, that we need to play more consistent. If we do that in the run game and the pass game, that will add up to a little bit of balance.”

The Falcons certainly aren’t taking this one for granted. Facing a division rival they dominated a year ago, Atlanta knows it has taken a step backward, while the Panthers have taken a major leap forward. The record doesn’t show it yet, but Carolina has all the signs of a team on the move — and moving fast.

The Panthers are tied with New England for the most big plays, both teams going for at least 20 yards on 33 snaps. The Falcons, by comparison, have only 16 plays that the coaches like to call “explosive.”

“When you look at the film, they’re just making little mental mistakes, a turnover here, a turnover there,” White said. “That’s why they’re not winning. But they’re a real dangerous team. They’re really explosive.”

Newton looks forward to returning home, but his main focus is on getting a second victory.

Close just isn’t cutting it.

“I’ve done all right,” he said. “But I can’t hide the fact that each and every game, we’ve had a chance to win.”

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

By Ryan Van Bibber

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Oct 14, 2011 – The Atlanta Falcons are reeling right now. Mike Smith’s team has just two wins, and last week stood by helpless watching the Green Bay Packers score 25 unanswered points to erase a 14-0 deficit for the win. Instead of battling with the Saints for the NFC South title, their locked in a fight for survival to stay out of the basement. 

Sitting in that basement and playing with the gusto that says they’ll do anything to get out of it are the Carolina Panthers, who pay a visit to Atlanta this week. Carolina has come close to upsetting some favorites, including the Saints and Packers. This could be the week they finally pull off that upset, leaping over Atlanta in the NFC South standings. 

Peter King predicts the upset in his picks for the week. 

Uh-oh. The fans at the Georgia Dome, lovebirds six weeks ago, turn boo-birds. I’ve been saying this for weeks: The Panthers are a far different team with Cam than without. (Duh.) Average score of 2010 games: Foe 26, Carolina 12. Average score of 2011 games: Foe 26, Carolina 23. Newton should be able to take advantage of a generous Falcons secondary.

The expert panel at ESPN split their picks for the game. Two of five pick the Panthers at CBS. 

For more on the Panthers, head over to Cat Scratch Reader. To get the latest on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic. 

Read More: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons, Oct 16, 2011 1:00 PM EDT

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Read More: John Abraham (DE – ATL), Todd McClure (C – ATL), William Moore (S – ATL), Christopher Owens (CB – ATL), Sean Weatherspoon (LB – ATL), Julio Jones (WR – ATL), Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith had little to say about the team’s suddenly lengthy injury list at his Monday conference, saying only that the hamstring condition of wide receiver Julio Jones and other various other team wounds will be updated Wednesday.

One piece of good news: Smith said starting center Todd McClure will return Sunday.

Safety William Moore, defensive end John Abraham, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, nickel back Christopher Owens and others all suffered some sort of damage that caused them to miss portions of Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers. While those are all major setbacks, Jones’ injury is of the most immediate concern to the average Falcons fan. 

He’s the team’s leading receiver and one of the few things that’s gone right about the offense. Not to mention taking on the Carolina Panthers or Detroit Lions without him would feel like charging into battle with exactly the same team that lost in the 2010 playoffs, as he was Atlanta’s primary offseason pickup.

For more on this game, visit Atlanta Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Green Bay Packers blog Acme Packing Company, plus SB Nation’s NFL news hub.