If Matt Ryan threw for 3,705 yards and 28 touchdowns without a second wide receiver threat, then what’s he going to do with Julio Jones in his arsenal? The Falcons made a huge splash in the 2011 NFL Draft, ponying up a ton of picks to draft Jones with the sixth overall choice. He’ll fill in opposite Roddy White and be a part of an incredible-looking offense in Atlanta.

And it was that trade that set expectations for the Falcons higher than they’ve ever been. A season after going 13-3 and landing the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture, Fantasy owners expect not just a repeat of big stats from the Falcons’ skill-position players, but improvement. With White posting career highs in catches (115) and yards (1,389) to go with 10 scores, Michael Turner rumbling for double-digit touchdowns for the third straight year in Atlanta, and career-best numbers across the board for Ryan, improvement is going to be tough to come by.

But the Falcons worked on it. While other players couldn’t organize team workouts with their mates, Ryan got his teammates — including Jones — together in Atlanta and held some training sessions. Time will tell if they serve the team well, but at the very least it built chemistry and camaraderie while getting Jones, a key cog in the offense, a chance to get his feet wet with his new quarterback.

The Falcons’ coaching staff more or less remains intact (quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave is gone). Jones was a healthy addition, as was fellow rookie rusher Jacquizz Rodgers, and for now there doesn’t seem to be any major subtractions from the offense. With a schedule that favors the dome-loving team quite a bit, those lofty expectations the Falcons have built for themselves are attainable.

Impact rookie … Julio Jones, WR

When Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt entered the league paired with big-time receivers, it took them a little bit of time to get acclimated to the speed of the game. Wayne didn’t score in his rookie season and collected just four touchdowns in his second year; Holt sped out to a faster start but still had just less than 800 yards with six scores as a rookie. The same kind of slow start happened to recent first-round rookies like Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin and Santonio Holmes. Really, the last first-round rookie receiver who paired with a veteran and had a lights-out campaign was Randy Moss back in 1998. Sure, there have been other 1,000-yard rookie wideouts, but they all came into the league with no one else on the roster to threaten their precious targets. Jones not only must fight for balls opposite White, but tight end Tony Gonzalez will also be an option for the Falcons’ pass attack. Jones, who became familiar with the Falcons’ offense quickly because it was a lot like what he ran at Alabama, should be a candidate for a good first season, but 1,000 yards and anything more than, say, seven touchdowns would be a huge shock. Remember that when you think about drafting Jones — a bona fide low-end No. 3 Fantasy option — in your league.

Keeper-league target … Jacquizz Rodgers, RB

Michael Turner has the starting job on lockdown … so long as he’s healthy. Back in 2009 Turner was coming off of a 394-carry season (including the playoffs) and ran into ankle problems after eight and a half games. Last year Turner totaled 344 carries, and chances are the Falcons won’t grind Turner for 20 touches a game every single week. Enter Rodgers, a terrific change-of-pace option with quick-twitch moves and speed. He’ll step into the role Jerious Norwood couldn’t stay healthy enough to play and could get in the mix if Turner slows down in 2011.

Bounce-back candidate … Tony Gonzalez, TE

It’s amazing how Gonzalez has just fallen and fallen in Fantasy drafts I’ve been in this summer. Maybe no one wants him because he’s not the shiny new kid on the block like Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham. Maybe everyone just thinks he’s an old man who can’t get it done anymore. But Gonzo has finished as a Top 10 Fantasy tight end in each of his two seasons in Atlanta, and now he might be the guy to ultimately benefit from Jones coming to town. There will definitely be opportunities for Gonzalez that he didn’t have before because safeties can’t shadow him with two towering and speedy receivers along the outside. Tack on his red-zone involvement and Gonzalez is a sensational starter for shrewd owners who spend a middle- to late-round pick on him.

Schedule breakdown

If the Falcons bomb out in 2011, they can’t blame the schedule. If they’re not up against a tough opponent, chances are they’re at least playing indoors as 12 of 16 games will be under a roof. Their toughest road game (at Chicago) kicks off the season, and at no point will Turner face a shut-down run defense after that first game. Remember all those expectations we talked about? The schedule is a big reason for them, and the schedule should be a key factor in some big statistics, too.

Training camp topics

How soon will Jones jell? While the offense he was in at Alabama is comparable to what he’ll be in with the Falcons, and while he did spend a good amount of time this offseason running and catching passes from Matt Ryan, the fact remains that he went months after the draft without coaching and is probably behind in his development. Push comes to shove, that might not be a factor past the midpoint of the season, but obviously as soon as Jones gets in gear this offense might be on the level of the Packers from 2010: nearly unstoppable.

Turner enters the 2011 season healthy but there’s some chatter that he won’t be on the field as much compared to previous years. The Falcons know they have to limit his touches so he doesn’t break down. To that end, they drafted Jacquizz Rodgers and should retain Jason Snelling. That provides not only great depth but also some opportunities to use younger, fresher backs at different stages throughout a game. Turner’s done nothing to lose the starting job and should still be the main back to cash in from the goal line, so really the only strikes against Turner for Fantasy owners shopping for an early round running back are that he doesn’t catch many passes and could get banged up as he did in ’09. Really, these aren’t issues that owners should toss and turn over — or so we’ve been led to believe based on Turner’s track record.

Defensively, the big question is whether head coach Mike Smith’s crew can finally slam down on the pass. The Falcons were adept against the run, giving up just nine touchdowns on the ground all of last season, but the pass defense gave up some big plays. Still, the 23 passing touchdowns allowed vs. the 22 interceptions the team had were impressive. This could go either way — the Falcons might have to throw to keep up with their opponents throwing on them, or their opponents will have to throw to keep up with Matt Ryan. Either way, chances are they’ll still get shelled through the air.

Injury update

Jerious Norwood (knee; questionable for the start of training camp) … Kerry Meier (knee; questionable for the start of training camp).

Stay in touch with the most passionate Fantasy staff in the business by following us via Twitter . You can also follow Dave at @daverichard . Do you have a question or a comment for our Fantasy staff? Drop us a line at dmfantasyfootball@cbs.com .

The Atlanta Falcons have been very quiet this offseason. The lockout has kept them from making any transactions and their players haven’t been in any trouble (see Aqib Talib in Tampa Bay). Perhaps the biggest move so far in Atlanta has been the hiring of quarterbacks coach Bob Bratkowski.

Bill Musgrave had been in that position through Matt Ryan’s entire tenure in the league. Along with offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, Musgrave widely was credited with Ryan’s rapid development. But Musgrave left after this past season to become offensive coordinator in Minnesota.

The Falcons quickly went out and hired Bratkowski, who recently had been fired by Cincinnati after serving as offensive coordinator there from 2001 through last season. Bratkowski is the son of former University of Georgia quarterback Zeke Bratkowski, but that has nothing to do with why he got the job.

Much of Bratkowski’s time in Cincinnati was spent working with Carson Palmer, who had some good seasons, but also had his career interrupted by injury. Bratkowski’s offense with the Bengals was fairly similar to what the Falcons run and Ryan, like Palmer, is mostly a pocket passer.

Bratkowski also had stints as an assistant coach in Pittsburgh and Seattle, after starting his coaching career on the college level. He did a stint as Seattle’s offensive coordinator. At the owners meeting, I asked coach Mike Smith about the hiring of Bratkowski and he said he expects the transition to be very smooth.

“Bob has worked with a very successful quarterback in this league and is highly respected,’’ Smith said. “He’s been an offensive coordinator for a number of years and a number of teams. I feel Bob is going to be a very solid addition to our coaching staff. He has a very good background in the passing game. His teams through the years have always been able to throw the football. We’re excited about integrating Bob into our coaching staff and our offensive system.”

There’s a little more to this and Smith didn’t get into that, but I will. There had been some thinking around the Falcons that Mularkey could be moving on to a head-coaching job and Musgrave was viewed as his logical heir apparent as coordinator. Mularkey drew some interest this offseason, but only interviewed for one job. He could be a candidate for another job after next season and it’s wise for the Falcons to have a guy like Bratkowski already in place.

He’s experienced as a quarterbacks coach and can be fine in that job. But he also could step up and be a coordinator again if Mularkey moves on.

An open letter in the name of Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank was released on the team’s site Sunday, described as an update for fans on the league’s labor dispute. The letter places responsibility for the ongoing lockout on the players, who “walked away from a deal that was more than fair” in order to fiddle around with the legal system.

Blank also claims the owners “offered to share financial information that goes far beyond the requirements of federal labor law.”

Not every NFL owner built a business from the ground up, especially not businesses based around physical labor, so Blank does have more experience with the matter than many others involved. Blank’s associate and Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, however, does appear to have strikingly negative views on labor unions in general – though there’s no reason to assume Blank and Marcus agree in all instances on the viability of unions, of course. 

Following the lockout hasn’t been easy for Falcons fans. Besides the obvious NO FOOTBALL thing, there’s the fact that most of us actually like our team’s owner. While it’s preferable to hear from him as often as possible during the process, it’s still concerning to read his description of the league’s latest offer in light of the team’s push to have an expensive new stadium built.

Visit SB Nation’s NFL hub for more NFL lockout news.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/David GoldmanMike Smith led the Falcons to 13 victories this season.

Coach of the Year: Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons. There was strong temptation to go with Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris here. He did a fantastic job, but I’m also trying to spread things out. I’ll go with Smith. Forget the debacle in the playoff loss to Green Bay. The Falcons won 13 games, and they did that by playing disciplined, smart football.

General Manager of the Year: Mark Dominik, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the league’s lowest payroll and a slew of injuries, the Bucs managed to win 10 games. Dominik pulled some rabbits out of a hat by finding some impact players late in the draft, off the waiver wire and off the practice squads of other teams.

Rookie of the Year: Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Exhibit A of Dominik’s success. Williams was a fourth-round draft pick, but he immediately was Tampa Bay’s No. 1 receiver.

Coordinator of the Year: Greg Olson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are bigger names. But I’ll take Olson just on this season. With Josh Freeman in his first full season as a starting quarterback, a bunch of young guys playing at receiver and running back, and an offensive line that was hit hard by injuries, Olson still made this the most entertaining offense in franchise history.

Defensive Player of the Year: John Abraham, Atlanta Falcons. This was probably the hardest choice on this list. It was not a banner year for defense in the NFC South. I narrowed the list to Abraham and New Orleans’ Jonathan Vilma and Malcolm Jenkins. Vilma might be the most consistent and best overall defensive player in the division, and Jenkins probably has the most upside. But Vilma didn’t make a lot of big plays, and I’m hesitant to give Jenkins this honor in his first full season as a starter. Abraham had 13 sacks and made more big plays than any defensive player in the division.

Offensive Player of the Year: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons. Yes, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Freeman got consideration here. So did Atlanta running back Michael Turner. All those guys are good. But when you look at their production this season only, can you really make a case that they were the best in the league at their position? I think you can do that with White, and that’s why I’m going with him.

Special Teams Player of the Year: Eric Weems, Atlanta Falcons. He did it all for the Falcons, returning kickoffs and punts and also helping out on the coverage units. He became a big-play guy as a return man, and that’s why he’s going to the Pro Bowl.

Breakout Player of the Year: Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints. He moved from cornerback to free safety, and even made a brief return to cornerback when injuries piled up. He made some huge plays and showed signs he could become a force for the long term.

Equipment Manager of the Year: Jackie Miles, Carolina Panthers. Hey, I had to get the Panthers involved somehow, and there really wasn’t a legitimate case for any of their players, coaches or executives. But the one guy with the Panthers who is the absolute best in the league at what he does is Miles. He might not be an owner, player, coach or general manager, but there are times you watch Miles do his thing and you feel like you are watching Ted Williams (the baseball player, not the guy with the big voice) taking batting practice.

Most Valuable Player: You’ll have to wait a bit. That’s going to be announced in a column that is to appear Friday afternoon.

THE MACON TELEGRAPH

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Ovie Mughelli sat on the stool in front of his locker and shook his head.

“I can’t even turn on the TV without somebody saying that we’re going to be the underdog,” said the Atlanta Falcons fullback. “What, 13-3 underdogs every single week? I think most people think we’re going to be underdogs at home, again, (today).”

But maybe it fits. Mughelli talked of being an underdog his whole life. Several of the Falcons’ stars didn’t play at BCS schools: Roddy White (Alabama-Birmingham), Michael Turner (Northern Illinois), Kroy Biermann (Montana) and Brent Grimes (Shippensburg), among others.

Coach Mike Smith had never been a coordinator before taking over in Atlanta, and he played college football at East Tennessee State, which dropped the sport in 2003.

The top seed in the NFC is perhaps the low seed at times when it comes to attention or, certainly with the Falcons’ fan base, a perceived lack of attention.

“I love being the underdog,” said Mughelli, who played at Wake Forest. ” I love not getting all the credit, and force them to respect you when you get on the field by your play.”

But even owner Arthur Blank understands why there are skeptics out there.

“It’s only the fourth time in our history we’ve won our division,” he said, “only the second time in our history we’ve been the No. 1 seed.”

That history started with a 3-11 debut season in 1966 and includes only 10 trips to the postseason .

Fan perception aside, the Falcons are among the most respected teams in the NFL. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have had a league-high seven selections to the Pro Bowl.

Of course, those seven will be busy in chilly Atlanta as Green Bay comes to town in the NFC divisional playoff game tonight at the Georgia Dome.

As it is, the Falcons are about a 21/2-point favorite, while two of the other three home teams remaining — Chicago and New England — are favored by around 10. Pittsburgh is a three-point favorite over Baltimore.

Another sign that plenty of people know about the Falcons was The Sporting News naming Smith its coach of the year earlier this week — for the second time in three years — and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey the top coordinator in the league.

But the Falcons haven’t won big or pretty this season, and the rematch with the Packers is certainly one they could lose, even at home, where they’re 20-4 over the past four seasons and 21-2 when quarterback Matt Ryan starts in the Georgia Dome.

So there’s a school of thought that the NFC’s sixth seed is equal to the top seed.

“We know what our plan of attack is,” Smith said. “Our guys have a very good understanding of it. We really don’t concern ourselves with outside perceptions.”

Atlanta went 13-3 but didn’t dominate many opponents. Of the Falcons’ wins over nonplayoff teams, only three were by 20 or more points.

And there was but one more win by 17 points, those four wins coming against teams that went 16-48 (including 2-14 Carolina twice). The Falcons average only 8.7 more yards per game than opponents despite having run 140 more plays.

But Ryan is known throughout the league as “Matty Ice,” tight end Tony Gonzalez is a likely future Hall of Famer, White led the NFL with 115 catches and was second with 1,389 yards, and John Abraham was fifth with 13 sacks. Turner, Mike Peterson, Dunta Robinson and Biermann are among the other Falcons with substantial reputations.

The Falcons are fairly young at linebacker and in the secondary, and have a lunch-bucket offensive line.

Atlanta isn’t a team of drama, or the NFL version of drama queens. Smith offers no bombast like New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, and Atlanta doesn’t have any end zone choreography as it did back in 1998 when the Dirty Birds rolled to the Super Bowl.

Even Blank is less prominent publicly than he was in the early stages of his ownership and throughout the Michael Vick controversy. He still appears on the sideline at the end of games — and he got soaked after the win over Carolina that clinched the top seed — but has pulled back and let Smith, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and president Rich McKay run the team.

He’s not sure about talk that the Falcons are underappreciated.

“I think people look at our record, and we’ve won a lot of games in the last quarter and overtime,” he said. “That’s a lot of close games. We’re not No. 1 in anything.”

But Atlanta is, in fact, first in fewest penalties (48) and plays from scrimmage (1,097) as well as third in third-down conversion offense and turnover margin, stats that aren’t considered interesting except to those who play, coach, scout and analyze the game.

“We don’t make a lot of mistakes,” Blank said. “That’s a big part of winning in the NFL .”

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons weren’t about to fool around with NFC home-field advantage at their fingertips.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons put a decisive stamp on the NFC South title and the conference’s best record by beating Carolina 31-10 on Sunday in John Fox’s last game as Panthers coach.

The Falcons (13-3) earned their first division title since 2004 and a bye next weekend. Team owner Arthur Blank took a bath afterward as players dumped a cooler of liquid on him.

The time off for Ryan and other starters came early, as backups took over in the fourth quarter.

Carolina (2-14) had a weak finish to an awful season under Fox as the league’s worst offense was held without a touchdown until the final minute.

The Panthers on Friday formally announced Fox and his staff will not return in 2011.

Ryan passed for 236 yards with touchdowns to Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White, and Eric Weems scored on a 55-yard punt return. Ryan went 22 of 32 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Redman took over on Atlanta’s first possession of the fourth quarter.

The Panthers were kept out of the end zone until Jimmy Clausen’s 2-yard pass to tight end Jeff King with 23 seconds remaining.The rookie completed 19 of 33 passes for 182 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Carolina can now turn its attention to the search for a new coach and to owning the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

The Panthers managed only four first downs and 97 total yards in the first half as the Falcons led 21-0.

The Falcons dominated the first half despite being stopped on two fourth-down plays.

Atlanta led 14-0 when fans encouraged coach Mike Smith to leave his offense on the field for a fourth-and-3 play from the Carolina 4 early in the second period. Smith granted the wish, but Ryan couldn’t connect on a pass for White.

On Atlanta’s next possession, Ryan was stopped on a fourth-and-1 run from the Carolina 26.

Weems, a Pro Bowl selection on special teams, had his first career punt return for a touchdown after scoring on a kickoff return earlier this season. Michael Turner added a 3-yard scoring run for Atlanta late in the third quarter, after John Kasay and Matt Bryant traded field goals.

Carolina’s offense, last in the league in points, total yards and yards passing, was without leading receiver Steve Smith (calf injury). The Panthers, held to a field goal in last week’s 27-3 loss to Pittsburgh, were almost kept out of the end zone again.

Rookie Brandon LaFell started for Smith and had four catches for 63 yards plus a 60-yard run on a reverse to set up Kasay’s 23-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Including the possession which ended with Kasay’s field goal, Carolina finished only three drives in Atlanta territory before the late touchdown. Mike Goodson fumbled on a hit by Thomas DeCoud at the Atlanta 25 early in the second quarter. Jonathan Babineaux sacked Clausen on a fourth-down play from the Atlanta 45 late in the half.

The Falcons’ fourth division title came with some personal milestones.

Ryan’s 33rd win matched Dan Marino’s mark for most wins by a quarterback in his first three seasons since 1970. When starting at the Georgia Dome, Ryan is 20-2.

White passed Terance Mathis’ team record of 111 catches in the 1994 season. With six catches, White has 115.

White also topped his team record for yards receiving in a season. He had 1,382 in 2008 and, with six catches for 62 yards, has 1,389 this season.

Turner had 17 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown, but fumbled from the 13 on Atlanta’s second possession. It was Turner’s second red-zone fumble in two games.

The Falcons have much on the line: the NFC South championship, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

The Panthers are headed to the Georgia Dome with little to shoot for, except sending coach John Fox out with a win.

On Friday, the Panthers formally announced Fox will not return in 2011.

Falcons receiver Roddy White’s eyes grew big when asked how seriously the Falcons are regarding the last-place Panthers (2-13).

“Very seriously,” White said. “This is for all the marbles. This is for the No. 1 seed. We’ve got to go out there and play real well and get us a W to set ourselves up for where we want to be.”

The Falcons (12-3) claimed an almost-casual 31-10 win at Carolina on Dec. 12. Those still-fresh memories don’t ease White’s concern.

“They’re going to throw everything at us,” said White of the Panthers. “That’s going to be the tough part, playing a team that has nothing to lose.”

White and other Falcons players said the Panthers will be motivated to spoil Atlanta’s season. If the Falcons lose and New Orleans beats Tampa Bay, Atlanta would lose the division title to the Saints, lose the first-round bye and lose home-field advantage.

“It’s a division opponent and possibly their coach’s last game,” said Falcons running back Michael Turner. “They’re probably going to come out and try to send him off right. On top of that they get to spoil something that we’ve been working hard for.”

Fox has said little about his emotions after nine years as Carolina’s coach, including the only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

When asked about his personal feelings, Fox said “It’ll be another road trip to the Georgia Dome. We’ll see what happens after that.”

Carolina cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said this will be more than just another road game.

“I’ve got a special place in my heart for coach Fox,” Munnerlyn said. “I go out there and lay it all out on the line for him every Sunday.”

Asked about his team’s motivation in the game, Fox said, “We haven’t won on the road this year. We haven’t beaten a division team this year. Like to finish off the right way and definitely be competitive in the game.”

Richardson declined to extend Fox’s contract after Carolina’s blowout loss to Arizona in playoffs following the 2008 season. Fox’s contract expires Feb. 1.

“I wish we could have won more games,” Fox said when asked if he has regrets. “This is new territory for me, being through this whether it be an assistant or a head coach.”

Fox wouldn’t speculate about his interest in another NFL job.

“I think right now it’s been the end of a long, hard season,” he said. “I’ll evaluate that when the season is over, after Sunday.”

Munnerlyn is already looking ahead to next season.

“We want to win. We want to win every game,” Munnerlyn said. “Going out there, we know we don’t have nothing to play for but ourselves and our coaches, because you never know what’s going to happen next year. It’ll be excellent to knock them guys down and start off 2011 right.

“We know how it feels to lose. Hopefully, next year will be a whole lot better because we don’t want this nasty taste in our mouth.”

The Falcons’ eight-game winning streak ended with Monday night’s 17-14 home loss to the Saints. Matt Ryan was held to 148 yards passing with one touchdown against the Saints.

Ryan was back at the team’s practice facility on Tuesday morning.

“One of the things I’ve learned in my short time in this league is that win or loss, you have to get over the week before fast,” Ryan said. “You have to learn from the wins and losses, but you have to get over them and start preparing for the next opponent. I think our team has done that. We were in here the next morning. Guys have done a great job in the meetings.”

Ryan needs only two completions against Carolina to match Jeff George’s club record of 336 set in 1995.

The loss to the Saints left the Falcons with much to achieve as they seek their first sweep of the Panthers since 2004.

“We’re going to see a very dangerous football team because they don’t have anything to lose,” said Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson. “They can bring out all the gadgets and try some different things because they’re trying to see what they have to look forward to next year.

“We plan on seeing a team that is going to go out and play as hard as they can because you want to end the season on a good note. It is a long time between now and the start of next season, so you don’t want to end the season with another loss. We think we will get their best shot, which makes this team even more dangerous.”

The Panthers don’t have to worry about how a win could affect their position in April’s NFL draft. They have already locked up the league’s worst record and No. 1 pick.

Three story lines to watch

Falcons can clinch. With a victory over Carolina, the Falcons can win their first division title since 2004 and secure home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs. The Falcons, coming off a 17-14 loss to New Orleans, have been steady under coach Mike Smith. In 47 regular-season games under Smith, they have dropped two games in a row only three times. All three of those occurred during the injury-marred 2009 season.

Panthers are rested. The Panthers put up a fight in the last matchup before going down 31-10. Behind the running of Jonathan Stewart, they amassed 212 yards rushing the most put up against the Falcons’ defense this season. The Falcons are expecting the Panthers, who have had extra time to prepare after playing on Thursday last week, to put forth a fight in what is expected to be coach John Fox’s last game.

Tuning up. The Falcons want to recharge the offense after a disappointing performance against the Saints. WR Roddy White was held to a season low in catches (3) and yards (43), TE Tony Gonzalez was held to a season low in yards (12) and Michael Turner was limited to 48 yards on 17 carries. Clearly, the Falcons would like to smooth out some things and head into the playoffs on a roll.

Three key Panthers

DE Charles Johnson. He has tied Kevin Greene’s franchise record by producing at least one sack in six consecutive games. Johnson had two sacks against the Steelers and has 11½ for the season after collecting only 10 sacks in his first three seasons. He will be matched up against Falcons RT Tyson Clabo, who allowed one sack to Johnson in the previous meeting.

RB Jonathan Stewart. Since he entered the league in 2008, his power running has been difficult for the Falcons to stop. In the earlier meeting, he rushed for 133 yards on 18 carries and broke loose on a 48-yard run. The Panthers know they’ll have to lean heavily on Stewart and his backup Mike Goodson to pull off the shocker.

LT Jordan Gross. He was selected to the Pro Bowl this week for the second time in three seasons. Though the offense doesn’t have a functional pro-level quarterback, the Panthers have still been able to run the ball, mostly behind Gross. They rank 14th in the league with 113.9 yards rushing per game.

Three key Falcons

RB Michael Turner. After being bottled up last week, he’ll be looking to pop off some big runs against the Panthers, who are ranked 23rd against the run (125.5 yards per game). He was effective on stretch plays in the last meeting, when he ran for 112 yards on 28 carries.

WR Roddy White. White entered the Saints game leading the league with 33 catches for 465 yards on third down. He didn’t have a third-down catch in the game and was only thrown at once on 12 third-down plays. The Falcons entered the game ranked second in the league in third-down percentage, converting 105 of 217 attempts (48.4 percent). Against the Saints they were only 3 of 12 (25 percent). Look for White to get his third-down groove back.

MLB Curtis Lofton. He collected only five solo tackles his second-lowest total of the season in the first meeting. The Panthers were able to break some stretch runs because Lofton didn’t come over fast enough to help out. He appears to have shaken off the aftereffects of a lingering right knee issue and is playing near top speed again.

The bottom line

With the NFC South title and home-field through the playoffs on the line, the Falcons can’t afford to stumble against the lowly Panthers, who have the top draft pick secured. Look for quarterback Chris Redman to take over the offense early in the second half. Prediction: Falcons 45, Carolina 3.

— SN correspondent D. Orlando Ledbetter

Published: Monday, December 27, 2010, 4:01 PM

The Atlanta Falcons lead the series against the New Orleans Saints 45-37, but the Saints have won seven of the past nine. It’s been an intense rivalry since the Saints joined the league in 1967.

Date Result Stadium Attendance

11/26/67 W 27-24 Tulane Stadium 83,437
12/7/69 L 17-45 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 51,021
9/20/70 L 3-14 Tulane Stadium 77,042
10/25/70 L 14-32 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 58,850
10/24/71 L 6-28 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 58,850
12/19/71 L 20-24 Tulane Stadium 75,954
10/15/72 L 14-21 Tulane Stadium 66,294
11/12/72 L 20-36 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 58,850
9/16/73 L 7-62 Tulane Stadium 66,428
12/16/73 L 10-14 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 34,147
9/29/74 W 14-13 Tulane Stadium 62,273
10/20/74 W 13-3 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 47,217
10/5/75 L 7-14 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 29,444
11/2/75 W 23-7 Superdome 49,342
10/10/76 W 30-0 Superdome 51,521
10/31/76 L 20-23 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 34,127
11/20/77 W 21-20 Superdome 43,135
12/18/77 L 7-35 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 36,895
11/12/78 L 17-20 Superdome 70,323
11/26/78 L 17-20 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 55,121
9/2/79 L 34-40 ot Superdome 70,940
11/25/79 W 37-6 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 42,815
10/19/80 L 14-41 Superdome 62,651
11/16/80 L 13-31 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 53,871
9/6/81 L 0-27 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 57,406
11/1/81 L 10-41 Superdome 63,637
12/12/82 L 0-35 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 39,535
1/2/83 W 35-6 Superdome 47,336
10/9/83 W 19-17 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 51,654
11/6/83 W 27-10 Superdome 67,062
9/2/84 L 28-36 Superdome 66,652
11/11/84 W 17-13 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 40,590
10/20/85 L 24-31 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 44,784
12/22/85 L 10-16 Superdome 37,717
9/7/86 L 10-31 Superdome 67,950
12/14/86 W 14-9 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 39,994
11/1/87 W 38-0 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 42,196
9/11/88 W 29-21 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 48,901
12/18/88 W 10-9 Superdome 60,566
10/29/89 W 20-13 Superdome 65,153
11/19/89 W 26-17 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 53,173
10/7/90 L 27-28 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 57,401
11/25/90 W 10-7 Superdome 68,629
9/29/91 W 27-6 Atlanta-Fulton Co. Std. 56,556
11/24/91 L 20-23 ot Superdome 68,591
9/20/92 W 10-7 Georgia Dome 67,328
12/3/92 W 22-14 Superdome 68,591
9/12/93 W 34-31 Georgia Dome 64,287
10/24/93 L 15-26 Superdome 69,043
11/13/94 W 33-32 Superdome 60,313
12/11/94 W 29-20 Georgia Dome 61,307
9/17/95 L 24-27 ot Superdome 57,442
12/10/95 L 14-19 Georgia Dome 54,603
11/17/96 L 15-17 Georgia Dome 43,119
12/8/96 L 15-31 Superdome 32,923
10/12/97 L 17-23 Superdome 65,619
11/23/97 L 3-20 Georgia Dome 48,620
10/18/98 L 23-31 Georgia Dome 60,774
12/13/98 L 17-27 Superdome 61,678
10/10/99 L 17-20 Superdome 57,289
12/5/99 L 12-35 Georgia Dome 62,568
10/22/00 W 21-19 Georgia Dome 56,508
12/17/00 W 23-7 Superdome 64,900
10/21/01 L 13-20 Superdome 70,020
12/9/01 W 28-10 Georgia Dome 68,826
10/27/02 L 35-37 Superdome 67,883
11/17/02 L 17-24 Georgia Dome 70,382
10/19/03 W 45-17 Georgia Dome 70,837
11/16/03 W 23-20 ot Superdome 68,432
11/28/04 L 21-24 Georgia Dome 70,521
12/26/04 W 26-13 Superdome 64,900
10/16/05 L 31-34 Alamodome 65,562
12/12/05 L 17-36 Georgia Dome 70,083
9/25/06 W 23-3 Superdome 70,003
11/26/06 W 31-13 Georgia Dome 70,933
10/21/07 W 22-16 Superdome 69,994
12/10/07 W 34-14 Georgia Dome 69,553
11/9/08 L 20-34 Georgia Dome 64,826
12/7/08 W 29-25 Superdome 70,011
11/2/09 W 35-27 Superdome 70,088
12/13/09 W 26-23 Georgia Dome 68,930
9/26/2010 L 24-27-ot Superdome 70,051

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Falcons simply don’t do the types of things that are going to get you beat. Look at their two losses. They came to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on the road. They also came at times when the Steelers and the Eagles simply were better than the Falcons.

You might lose some games here and there when you don’t have the most talented team on the field on a given day. But you’re also going to win a lot of games when you play smart football over the course of an entire season.

How do you quantify “smart’’ football? Well, I’ve never been a big math guy and I’m not going to come up with some fancy formula. But I think all you have to do to see if a team is playing smart football is look at three basic categories: Giveaways, takeaways and penalties. Those are the things you can control and the Falcons are doing a very nice job of controlling them.

As they have for much of the season, the Falcons remain the league’s least-penalized team this week. According to our friends at ESPN Stats & Information, the Falcons have been whistled for a league-low 66 penalties and 53 of those have been accepted, which also represents a league low.

Now, let’s move over to giveaways, which is the same thing as turnovers. Here, the Falcons rank third in the league with 14 giveaways. The league leader in this category (nine turnovers) is New England and I don’t think anyone would argue that the Patriots also fit the profile of a smart team.

When it comes to takeaways, Atlanta isn’t right at the top, but the Falcons are close. They have 27 takeaways (19 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries), which puts them in a tie for No. 6 in the NFL.

That team reached the Super Bowl

By PAUL NEWBERRY

AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — They were known as the “Dirty Birds,” a colorful cast of characters who came closer than any other team to bringing a Super Bowl championship to Atlanta.

Now they’re rooting on a new group of Falcons to win that last game of the season.

“I still say ‘we.’ I can’t help myself,” said Jamal Anderson, the star running back of the only Falcons team to reach the biggest game of them all. “Wherever I go, any airport, any city … people are screaming ‘Dirty Bird!’ That’s my reality. I’ve accepted it. I’ve even copyrighted it, so wear it out!”

The comparisons are plentiful between the team that reached the Super Bowl a dozen seasons ago and this year’s squad, which is 11-2, has won seven in a row and leads the NFC heading into Sunday’s final road game of the regular season at Seattle.

“The potential is there,” said Terance Mathis, who caught 11 touchdown passes in 1998 and still lives in Atlanta. “They play together, they overcome adversity and they believe they can win every week. That’s the way we were.”

A punishing ground game is the starting point for both teams. With Anderson rushing for a franchise-record 1,846 yards, the ’98 Falcons led the league in time of possession (33:10). This offense features 1,174-yard rusher Michael Turner and almost identical control-the-clock number (33:05).

Throw in the steady-as-a-rock quarterbacks who don’t make many mistakes (Chris Chandler then, Matt Ryan now) and opportunistic defenses (the ’98 Falcons led the league in takeaways, the current group ranks 10th), and it’s sometimes hard to tell the teams apart.

“There’s a lot of eery comparisons, huh?” Anderson said.

But bring up that Super Bowl team to this group of players and all you’ll get is a puzzled look. Ryan was just 13 years old when the Falcons played in their only Super Bowl. Star receiver Roddy White was still in high school. Chris Redman, who is Ryan’s backup, was playing his college ball at Louisville.

“Obviously, I remember the ‘Dirty Bird.’ That’s about it,” the 33-year-old Redman said. “We don’t want to compare ourselves to anybody else. We want to go out there and make our own identity.”

In all likelihood, that identity won’t be nearly as outrageous as the one established by the ’98 team. Start with the nickname, which came from an arm-flapping dance that Anderson insists he invented but first came to prominence when tight end O.J. Santiago used it — complete with a squawking sound that was picked up on television — during an end-zone celebration at New England.

From then on, they were known as the “Dirty Birds.” Everyone in Atlanta, it seemed, was flapping their arms — even no-nonsense coach Dan Reeves, who joined the celebration after the Falcons pulled out a thrilling overtime win over the favored Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game.

ATLANTA (AP) — They were known as the “Dirty Birds,” a colorful cast of characters who came closer than any other team to bringing a Super Bowl championship to Atlanta.

Now they’re rooting on a new group of Falcons to win that last game of the season.

“I still say ‘we.’ I can’t help myself,” said Jamal Anderson, the star running back of the only Falcons team to reach the biggest game of them all. “Wherever I go, any airport, any city … people are screaming ‘Dirty Bird!’ That’s my reality. I’ve accepted it. I’ve even copyrighted it, so wear it out!”

The comparisons are plentiful between the team that reached the Super Bowl a dozen seasons ago and this year’s squad, which is 11-2, has won seven in a row and leads the NFC heading into Sunday’s final road game of the regular season at Seattle.

“The potential is there,” said Terance Mathis, who caught 11 touchdown passes in 1998 and still lives in Atlanta. “They play together, they overcome adversity and they believe they can win every week. That’s the way we were.”

A punishing ground game is the starting point for both teams. With Anderson rushing for a franchise-record 1,846 yards, the ’98 Falcons led the league in time of possession (33:10). This offense features 1,174-yard rusher Michael Turner and almost identical control-the-clock number (33:05).

Throw in the steady-as-a-rock quarterbacks who don’t make many mistakes (Chris Chandler then, Matt Ryan now) and opportunistic defenses (the ’98 Falcons led the league in takeaways, the current group ranks 10th), and it’s sometimes hard to tell the teams apart.

“There’s a lot of eery comparisons, huh?” Anderson said.

But bring up that Super Bowl team to this group of players and all you’ll get is a puzzled look. Ryan was just 13 years old when the Falcons played in their only Super Bowl. Star receiver Roddy White was still in high school. Chris Redman, who is Ryan’s backup, was playing his college ball at Louisville.

“Obviously, I remember the ‘Dirty Bird.’ That’s about it,” the 33-year-old Redman said. “We don’t want to compare ourselves to anybody else. We want to go out there and make our own identity.”

In all likelihood, that identity won’t be nearly as outrageous as the one established by the ’98 team. Start with the nickname, which came from an arm-flapping dance that Anderson insists he invented but first came to prominence when tight end O.J. Santiago used it — complete with a squawking sound that was picked up on television — during an end-zone celebration at New England.

From then on, they were known as the “Dirty Birds.” Everyone in Atlanta, it seemed, was flapping their arms — even no-nonsense coach Dan Reeves, who joined the celebration after the Falcons pulled out a thrilling overtime win over the favored Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game.

Anderson said he purposely invented the dance and nickname, hoping it would bring some attention to a franchise known mostly for losing until that magical year.

“That’s the reason the thing came about,” he said. “We were playing too good to have nobody talking us.”

Certainly, there was no shortage of talkers on that team.

Anderson had grown up around the entertainment industry and was looking to become a bigger-than-football media star. Cornerback Ray Buchanan showed up on Super Bowl media day wearing a dog collar — symbolizing the Falcons’ underdog status against Denver — and yapped that Broncos star Shannon Sharpe looked like a horse. Even Reeves created a stir when he went back over his bitter departure from the Mile High City shortly before facing his old team in the title game.

And let’s not forget, Reeves underwent major heart surgery late in the regular season, turning over the coaching duties to Rich Brooks before returning for the playoffs.

“As far as personalities, I’m partial to ’98,” said Morten Andersen, who kicked the NFC-winning field goal against the Vikings. “They have some great players on this team, but we had some characters on our football team. This team strikes me as a little more of a corporate football team.”

That might not be a bad thing if the Falcons should reach the Super Bowl a second time. On the eve of their first appearance, team leader Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer. He still played the next day, but was burned on a long touchdown pass that helped the Broncos cruise to a 34-19 victory.

“Maybe it’s a good thing when you’re boring,” Andersen said.

On the field, the current Falcons appear a bit more dangerous on offense.

White is the NFL’s leading receiver with 99 catches, and Hall of Famer-to-be Tony Gonzalez also draws plenty of coverage. The ’98 team had an effective pair of 30-something receivers in Mathis and Tony Martin but lacked a true downfield threat.

Where that Super Bowl team stood out was on defense. The “Bomb Squad” front four of Chuck Smith, Lester Archambeau, Shane Dronett and Travis Hall combined for 29.5 sacks. Tackling machine Jessie Tuggle and longtime star Cornelius Bennett anchored the linebacker corps. The secondary was in good hands with in-his-prime Buchanan (a team-high seven interceptions) and veteran safeties Robinson and William White.

“The offenses essentially match up star for star,” Anderson said. “The biggest difference is the defense. … We had that intensity level. We had that production. This team doesn’t have that.”

But these Falcons might set up better for the long haul. Five key members of that ’98 defense were already in their 30s, while this team features a bunch of third- and fourth-year players. Chandler was 33, Ryan is eight years younger. The 29-year-old White should be in the prime of his career, with more good years ahead of him than either Mathis or Martin.

Then again, fate can deal a cruel hand.

Anderson was only 26 when Atlanta went to the Super Bowl, poised to become one of the league’s signature stars. Two games into the following season, he went down with the first of what would be two serious knee injuries. He was never the same running back.

The Falcons were never the same team, either.

In 1999, they won only five games.

“I look back at what we accomplished, but also what could have been,” Anderson said. “You definitely have to jump on it and take advantage when you get the chance.”

 

Strategy and personnel · Inside slant · Notes, quotes

 

Former Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy would love nothing more than to derail, or at least temporarily sidetrack, Atlanta’s march to the playoffs.

Back in 2008, after the Falcons were eliminated from the wildcard playoffs by Kurt Warner and Arizona, Milloy said he wanted to return to the team.

In part because he was a liability in pass coverage and because the team didn’t like his heavy-handed leadership approach, they elected not to offer him a new contract.

In Seattle, Milloy got to reunite with former Falcons coach Jim Mora and then with his former New England coach Pete Carroll this season.

At 35, he’s starting for the Seahawks and is respected by Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.

Milloy started 48 of 49 games for the Falcons from 2006 to 2008. The Falcons expect Milloy to have the Seahawks’ young defense riled up and ready to hit.

“I know what he brings to the table on game days,” Mularkey said. “He’s very intense and he’s still a big hitter. Nothing has changed about the guy.”

Milloy is a four-time Pro Bowler and was first-team All-Pro in 1999.

“We definitely know Lawyer,” wide receiver Michael Jenkins said. “He’s going to be down in the box to stop the run.”

The Falcons can clinch a playoff berth with a victory over Milloy and the Seahawks.

Then, the last two regular-season games will be for the NFC South title and playoff seeding. If they win out, the Falcons would secure the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“It’s all about making sure that we stay focused and we keep that goal in mind,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said.

Last week, the Falcons needed some bizarre trifecta that almost worked out thanks to Detroit’s upset of Green Bay and Dallas’ near upset of Philadelphia.

The Falcons can also clinch a playoff berth with a loss or tie by the New York Giants, Chicago or Green Bay.

The Giants (9-4) host the Philadelphia Eagles (9-4).

Green Bay (8-5) plays at New England (11-2) Sunday night.

Chicago (9-4) is scheduled to play at Minnesota (5-8) on Monday night.

“To reach our ultimate goal, the older guys talk about making sure that we keep things in the right perspective and don’t listen to what everybody is saying because we could get caught up in that,” rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “If we go out there taking it one week at a time, we’ll be in the right place and everybody will have to come through Atlanta.”

The Falcons set out to improve their defense this offseason and have received some mixed results.

While they are giving up yards, they are not hemorrhaging points. They are allowing an average of 18.7 points, which is seventh in the league.

However, the run defense has been weak at the edges.

“Typical of when you play bad run defense usually a misfit and/or poor tackling is involved,” defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. “That’s really the case the last couple of games. In Tampa we didn’t tackle well. We have a couple of fit issues.”

The Falcons have been able to create turnovers on defense, as they are tied for sixth in the league with 16 interceptions.

“We’ve been better in that particular area,” VanGorder said. “We’d still like to be a little bit more stubborn. We’ve had some big red-zone plays and some takeaways that have allowed us to play some good scoring defense.”

There is some hope that rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon can return to health and perhaps help shut down the run.

“He’s still trying to get back to 100 percent, both physically and back into the speed of the game,” VanGorder said. “He hasn’t impacted the games like he was earlier, but I see signs of improvement. We are getting him closer to where we want to get him.”

The Falcons could replace their smallish ends — Kroy Biermann and John Abraham — with the stout ones — Jamaal Anderson and Chauncey Davis — in obvious running situation.

On the back end, the secondary has been a little bit more firm with the improving play of Brent Grimes, the former undrafted free agent from Shippensburg University, and safety William Moore.

“William Moore, for being thrown into the starting position after the season had begun, has held up very well,” VanGorder said. “He’s still learning the game, so there are mistakes from him, but with the physical traits that he has, he can impact the game. We just look for him to keep getting better.”

SERIES HISTORY
12th regular-season meeting. Seahawks lead series, 8-3. In the last meeting, the Falcons won 44-41 under interim head coach Emmitt Thomas.

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