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

The Atlanta Falcons grabbed the lead _ and the No. 5 seed in the
playoffs _ and wouldn’t let go.

Julio Jones caught two touchdown passes in a span of 26 seconds,
Michael Turner ran for two scores and the Falcons used a
team-record 42 first-half points to cruise to a 45-24 win over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday to clinch the No. 5 seed in the NFC
playoffs.

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.

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

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.

Turnovers were a problem for the Buccaneers all season. Freeman
began the day tied for the league lead with 19 interceptions before
adding three to the dismal total, including one with 1:39
remaining.

Freeman completed 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, who were
coming off a 45-16 loss at New Orleans that was the worst loss in
four seasons with Smith.

“We had some things we needed to get fixed from the previous
game and I’m really proud of the way the guys bounced back,” Smith
said.

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

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.

Turner’s two touchdowns gave him a team-record 50 rushing scores
with the Falcons, passing Gerald Riggs’ record of 48.

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 began Sunday 44 yards behind Mathis and
set the mark in the third quarter.

There won’t be much in this game that the New Orleans Saints haven’t seen from Atlanta, and vice versa. The teams know each other very well and are bound to play a close game. With both teams playing at a high level, it is becoming one of the most recognizable rivalries league-wide.

This time around, the Saints are playing for a chance to clinch the NFC South championship for the second time in three seasons and the third time under Coach Sean Payton. A New Orleans victory would also keep intact that no team in NFC South history has won back-to-back division crowns.

Payton has had much success against the Falcons, going 9-2 against the Dirty Birds since becoming the Saints’ coach in 2006, and New Orleans has taken five of the past six meetings. The Saints look to have an advantage because the game is being played on Monday night. The teams have played five times on “Monday Night Football,” and the Saints are 4-1. This is the third consecutive season the teams are playing on “MNF.”

FALCONS OFFENSE

Matt Ryan passed for 351 yards the last time they met, but historically Ryan hasn’t been at his best against the Saints. In six career starts against New Orleans, Ryan is 2-4, and the Saints are one of the two teams Ryan has played more than once against whom he doesn’t have a winning record (Philadelphia is the other).

Still, Ryan is having a career season and has more than receiver Roddy White to thank for it. In the offseason, the Falcons gave up a lot in the draft to get Julio Jones, and the rookie receiver is paying off. He has 42 catches for 755 yards and five touchdowns and is developing into a deep threat. And Tony Gonzalez, the ageless wonder at tight end, is second on the team in receptions (74), yards (755) and touchdown catches (seven).

White is again looking like one of the top receivers in the game. He has had three 100-yard receiving games in his past five after having just one such game in his first nine. In his past five games, White has 38 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns. He had 10 catches for 135 yards and two scores in last week’s 41-14 win against Jacksonville. He’s third in the league in catches (85), eighth in yards (1,100) and ninth in touchdowns (eight).

But running back Michael Turner is still the key figure in the Falcons’ attack. In Atlanta’s nine wins this season, Turner has averaged 90.3 yards per game and scored eight touchdowns. However, in the Falcons’ five losses, he only has averaged 63.2 yards per game and scored one touchdown. Taking out a 10-carry, 100-yard performance in Week 1 against Chicago, Turner is only averaging 3.4 yards per carry in the losses. Turner did rush for 96 yards the last time he played the Saints.

FALCONS DEFENSE

John Abraham is coming off one of his best games after posting 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles against the Jaguars. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Abraham needs just 1.5 sacks to have his seventh season of 10 sacks or more. He anchors a defense that is ninth in the league in yards allowed per game and fourth against the run. The Saints struggled in this aspect last game, gaining only 41 yards.

Sean Witherspoon, a player many Saints fans coveted in the 2010 draft, has 107 tackles and is tied with Lawrence Sidbury for second on the team, with four sacks. Curtis Lofton leads the team in tackles with 124, fifth in the league. Lofton finished with nine tackles against the Saints last time and has made 10 or more tackles six times.

Atlanta’s secondary is primed to get a boost, as Brent Grimes and Kelvin Hayden are looking to return from injury. Grimes has missed three games because of a knee injury, and Hayden has been out since Nov. 20 with a toe injury. Grimes has one interception but leads the team with 12 pass deflections.

FALCONS SPECIAL TEAMS

Eric Weems was one of the best return men in the league last season but has been mediocre this season, as the Falcons rank 18th in punt-return and kick-return averages. Weems is averaging 23.3 yards per kick return and 9.9 yards per punt return and has yet to return one for a touchdown.

Kicker Matt Bryant has been a steady force this season. After making 90.3 percent of his field-goal attempts last season, Bryant is hitting 92 percent (23-of-25) this season. Bryant, who once kicked a 62-yarder with Tampa Bay, has a long this season of 50.

Matt Bosher has placed 26 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, sixth-most in the NFL. He’s averaging 42.1 yards per punt and a 39.1 net averag,e and only three of his punts have been touchbacks. Opponents are only averaging 4.7 yards a return against Atlanta this season.

LAST TIME THEY MET

Nov. 13, 2011, Georgia Dome

John Kasay kicked a 26-yard field goal in overtime to give the Saints a 26-23 victory. New Orleans seemingly had things in control when Kasay kicked a 44-yarder to give the Saints a 23-13 lead with 7:13 remaining, but the Falcons stormed back. Ryan threw a career-high 52 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Harry Douglas gave the Saints’ defense fits and finished with eight receptions for 133 yards. Saints safety Roman Harper finished with a season-high 13 tackles, including a sack, two tackles for losses and one pass deflection and was credited with two quarterback hits. 

Yates threw a touchdown pass, Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards and Houston overcame another injury to Andre Johnson to beat Atlanta 17-10.

The Texans (9-3) have won a franchise-record six straight games, a remarkable feat considering they’re down to their third-string quarterback and have played the bulk of their streak without their star receiver.

“This is a league of talented players,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “First-teamers, second-teamers, third-teamers — I think we had the advantage on paper, but you’ve always got to go out and play the game. It doesn’t matter who was on the other side.”

Johnson left in the third quarter after hurting his left hamstring. He injured his right hamstring in Week 4, underwent minor surgery and sat out six games.

Coach Gary Kubiak said after the game that he was told the injury was not severe, but he couldn’t be certain until Johnson underwent tests Monday.

The Falcons (7-5) sputtered offensively much of the day and lost for just the second time in seven games. Houston’s top-ranked defense knocked down two passes by Matt Ryan in the end zone in the closing seconds.

“We had opportunities to make some plays and we didn’t make them,” Ryan said. “It’s disappointing.”

Atlanta hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in its previous 14 games and entered having allowed the second-fewest yards rushing per game in the NFL.

“We figured they would run the ball (and) that is what they did,” Atlanta linebacker Curtis Lofton said. “They mixed the run with the pass and they kept us off guard. We really couldn’t pin our ears back and play solid defense.”

Yates was thrust into his pro debut last week in Jacksonville when Matt Leinart broke his collarbone. Leinart was starting in place of Matt Schaub, who broke his right foot in Houston’s previous game.

Smith wasn’t surprised that the Texans were able to play well with Yates at quarterback.

“It is a system offense,” Smith said. “It is based on the running game and, so, regardless of whom the quarterback is, there are the same actions.”

The Falcons couldn’t capitalize on Yates’ biggest mistake, either.

Early in the fourth quarter, linebacker Mike Peterson intercepted and returned for an apparent touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter. But cornerback Dunta Robinson and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon were both called for defensive holding.

Foster kept the drive going with a 12-yard scamper and finished the 19-play march with a 1-yard run with 6:05 left.

Then it was up to the Texans’ defense to finish.

Atlanta got the ball back with 59 seconds left, and Ryan threw a deep pass to Julio Jones to the Texans 25. But Ryan overthrew Roddy White in one corner of the end zone and Kareem Jackson swatted away a pass to Jones in the other corner as time expired.

“I had the opportunity to make that play and I just had to come up with the catch at the end,” Jones said.

Ryan completed 20 of 46 passes for 267 yards, but also threw two interceptions.

Johnson pulled in a 50-yard pass from Yates to the Atlanta 5 in the second quarter. Yates then snapped a quick pass to Joel Dreessen for his first career TD.

Ryan completed three passes to Tony Gonzalez to get the Falcons moving. Atlanta drove and finished with a 19-yard field goal by Matt Bryant.

Yates took a hard hit from John Abraham early in the third quarter, but Abraham was disappointed they weren’t able to disrupt him more.

“It was our fault for not getting him down,” Abraham said. “We got a few good pressures on him. But there’s a difference between making him move and making him take hits and getting him on the ground. We didn’t get him on the ground that much. He did a good job.”

Ryan kick-started Atlanta’s best drive of the game with an 18-yard pass to Gonzalez. Jones made an over-the-shoulder catch to the Houston 4, and Ryan found White wide-open for the tying score with 1:46 left in the third quarter.

Notes: Gonzalez has a catch in 175 consecutive games, the league’s longest active streak. Gonzalez also reached 60 receptions for the 13th consecutive season, an NFL record. … The Texans had a positive turnover ratio (plus-1) for the eighth time in 12 games. … Houston has already matched its highest single-season wins total (9-7 in 2009).

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

ATLANTA (AP) — The Falcons held on for the win, which was the most important thing.

They still don’t look like the same team as a year ago.

Roddy White had seven receptions for a season-high 147 yards and Atlanta fended off a comeback led by rookie quarterback Jake Locker, beating the Tennessee Titans 23-17 Sunday.

The defending NFC South champion Falcons (6-4) were solid but hardly spectacular, struggling to finish drives and settling for three short field goals by Matt Bryant. They had to sweat it out at the end after Locker, taking over for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, nearly led an improbable comeback.

“We made it a little harder than it needed to be,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “There’s a number of things we need to address, that we need to get fixed.”

Locker took over late in the third quarter after Hasselbeck went out with a sprained right elbow, having endured an ineffective day even before he was hurt.

The youngster hooked up with Nate Washington on a pair of touchdown passes that made a game of it, but the Falcons managed to run out the clock after Matt Ryan completed a third-down pass to Harry Douglas that was barely enough for the first down.

At least the Falcons shook the hangover from their stunning overtime loss to New Orleans the week before. The Saints prevailed 26-23 in the crucial division game after Smith made a much-debated decision to go for it on fourth down deep in his own territory. Michael Turner was stuffed, and the Saints kicked the winning field goal.

But, as they’ve done so many times under Smith, the Falcons bounced back. They improved to 16-3 after losses since their coach took over in 2008.

“It starts at the top,” said Ryan, who completed 22 of 32 for 316 yards. “In this league, you’re going to have some tough losses. You need to move on from that.”

Atlanta jumped out to a 13-0 lead on Ryan’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez and Bryant’s first two field goals. Turner, who rushed for 100 yards, stretched the lead to 20-3 with a 4-yard touchdown run on the opening possession of the second half. But Turner’s fourth-quarter fumble deep in Tennessee territory allowed the Titans (5-5) to get back in it.

But Tennessee simply made too many mistakes to win on the road for the second week in a row. The Titans were penalized 10 times — two of which came on third down to extend Atlanta scoring drives — and Hasselbeck threw an interception that led to the first Atlanta field goal.

Plus, Chris Johnson had one of the worst games of his career in what has already been a hugely disappointing season. He followed up a 130-yard effort against Carolina with a season-low 13 yards on 12 carries, his longest gain going for only 6 yards.

“You go back to the last game and I got 130 and everything was good,” Johnson said. “You come back to this game and nothing is working. It goes back to the offense not executing, not being consistent.”

White was in the midst of a disappointing season, as well, leading the NFL with nine dropped passes. He bobbled another one against the Titans but more than made up for it with his longest reception of the season, a 43-yarder that set up Turner’s touchdown. White also took a short pass for a 32-yard gain, leading to Bryant’s final field goal and a 23-3 lead that looked safe, especially when Hasselbeck went out.

“I got in a little groove,” White said. “I feel like I get faster into the game, get a groove going, when they get me the ball early in the game.”

Locker at least gave the Titans hope. On his third snap, he threw a deep pass to Washington, who came down with the ball and got away from two defensive backs for a 40-yard touchdown.

The Falcons were driving for the clinching score when Turner had the ball knocked loose at the Tennessee 8 by Colin McCarthy. Will Witherspoon fell on the ball, and Locker guided Tennessee on a 14-play, 84-yard drive capped by a 4-yard scoring pass to Washington with 3:06 remaining.

The rookie didn’t get a chance to complete the comeback, watching as Ryan kneeled down in the final seconds.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Locker, who was 9 of 19 for 140 yards. “I would have liked a better outcome, but it was fun to be out there competing.”

Hasselbeck, who passed for 124 yards, injured his elbow when a Falcons defender struck him on his follow-through. Coach Mike Munchak said he didn’t think the injury would keep Hasselbeck out for an extended period and left little doubt he’s still the No. 1 quarterback.

“I’m happy for the team that we bounced back,” Hasselbeck said. “It hurts to come up short.”

by

Paul Newberry, AP Sports Writer

Atlanta Falcons

ATLANTA — The Falcons shook the hangover from their stunning overtime loss.

They still had to sweat it out at the end.

Roddy White had seven receptions for a season-high 147 yards and Atlanta fended off a comeback led by rookie quarterback Jake Locker, beating the Tennessee Titans 23-17 Sunday.

Locker took over late in the third quarter after Matt Hasselbeck went out with a sprained right elbow, having endured an ineffective day even before he was hurt.

The youngster hooked up with Nate Washington on a pair of touchdown passes that made a game of it, but the Falcons managed to run out the clock after Matt Ryan completed a third-and-6 pass to Harry Douglas that was barely enough for the first down.

Atlanta (6-4) jumped out to a 13-0 lead on Ryan’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez and a pair of short field goals by Matt Bryant. Michael Turner stretched the lead to 20-3 with a 4-yard touchdown run on the opening possession of the second half, but Turner’s fourth-quarter fumble deep in Tennessee territory allowed the Titans (5-5) to get back in it.

The Falcons were solid if unspectacular, while the Titans simply made too many mistakes to win on the road for the second week in a row. Tennessee was penalized 10 times — two of which came on third down to extend Atlanta scoring drives — and Hasselbeck threw an interception that led to the first of Bryant’s three field goals.

The Falcons were coming off a 26-23 loss to the Saints, who prevailed in overtime after Atlanta coach Mike Smith made a much-debated decision to go for it on fourth down deep in his own territory. New Orleans stuffed Turner for no gain and kicked a game-ending field goal four plays later.

Smith and his players insisted that game was behind them, and they turned in a solid if unspectacular performance most of the day.

Much of the credit goes to White, who was leading the NFL in dropped passes (nine) and personal fouls by an offensive skills player (three). He dropped another one against the Titans but more than made up for it with his longest reception of the season, a 43-yarder that set up Turner’s touchdown. White also took a short pass for a 32-yard gain, leading to Bryant’s final field goal and a 23-3 lead that looked safe, especially when Hasselbeck went out.

But Locker rallied the Titans. On his third snap, he threw a deep pass to Washington, who came down with the ball and got away from two defensive backs for a 40-yard touchdown.

The Falcons were driving for the clinching score when Turner had the ball knocked loose at the Tennessee 8 by Colin McCarthy. Will Witherspoon fell on the loose ball, and Locker guided Tennessee on a 14-play, 84-yard drive capped by a 4-yard scoring pass to Washington with 3:06 remaining.

But the rookie didn’t get a chance to complete the comeback.

Hasselbeck had a forgettable day, going 13 of 25 for 124 yards. Locker finished 9 of 19 for 140 yards. Chris Johnson was totally stifled after his best game of the season, a 130-yard effort against Carolina. He was held to 13 yards on 12 carries, his longest gain going for only 6 yards.

Gonzalez became just the 13th player in NFL history to go past 13,000 yards receiving. He finished with six catches for 74 yards.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

By: SportsDirect

It’s a familiar script for the Saints this week as they travel to Atlanta for the second game of an NFC South back-to-back. First place is on the line in the division — like a week ago against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers — when New Orleans (6-3) meets the Falcons (5-3) in a most passionate rivalry that dates to 1967, the year of the Saints’ inception.

The clubs have met 83 times, and the Falcons hold a 45-38 advantage. But since 2006, the Saints have had a decided edge, winning eight times in the past 10 games. Falcons Coach Mike Smith has been around for the past six, and he has beaten the Saints only twice.

“I think they’re a very good football team,” Smith told the Atlanta media Monday. “Since we’ve been here, we’ve had some very competitive games with them. We’ve ended up on top of the standings one time. They’ve done it a time or two as well. It’s very competitive.

“It’s the most important game because it’s the next game, and the guys will hear that Wednesday, like they hear it every week.”

The Saints have won the past two meetings at the Georgia Dome, and the past three in the series have each been decided by three points. Since Smith took over as Atlanta’s coach in 2008, the largest margin of victory in the six games has been eight, a 35-27 win by the Saints at the Superdome on Nov. 2, 2009.

FALCONS OFFENSE

When looking at the Falcons’ talent, it’s head-scratching that Atlanta is, statistically at least, only average.

Atlanta ranks 14th in total offense, averaging 347.1 yards per game. In another era, that would be prolific. In pass-happy NFL circa 2011, it’s middle of the road.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has plenty of weapons, primarily receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones and tight end Tony Gonzalez. The Ryan-led Falcons passing offense ranks 17th overall, averaging 228.1 yards. Ryan has thrown 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

White is the favored target in volume with 43 catches for 501 yards and three touchdowns. But Gonzalez, a huge tight end who has served as the prototype for the modern-day version of the position, has caught five scoring passes among his 39 receptions.

Jones is the deep threat, averaging 17.5 yards per catch on 28 receptions, with seven catches of 20 or more yards and two scores. He’s averaging 81.5 yards per game and has accumulated 154 yards after the catch.

Running back Michael Turner is an effective between-the-tackles runner, with seven touchdowns and a 4.4 per-carry average on 157 carries. While the Falcons’ rushing offense ranks 13th, Turner has the capability of putting up a big number.

Ryan has been sacked 19 times in 276 passing attempts.

FALCONS DEFENSE

This group might not be confused with the storied “Grits Blitz” teams of the past led by former coach Jerry Glanville, but Atlanta does offer two Pro Bowl-caliber defensive linemen in tackle Jonathan Babineaux and defensive end John Abraham.

They’re a big reason Atlanta’s run defense ranks seventh in the league, allowing only 96.5 yards per game, a 4-yard per carry average and six touchdowns.

Babineaux is rounding into playing form after missing most of September with a knee injury he sustained in Atlanta’s season opener. He had a sack last week against the hapless Indianapolis Colts. Abraham leads the Falcons with three sacks

The Falcons attempt to funnel most plays inside, where middle linebacker Curtis Lofton usually makes the stop, evidenced by his team-leading 76 total tackles. He also has an interception and a forced fumble.

Left outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon ranks second in total tackles with 70, and he has two sacks.

The Falcons come into Sunday’s game ranked 14th in total defense, allowing opponents 341.8 yards — 245.2 in the air, which puts Atlanta 19th against the pass. The Falcons have intercepted 10 passes, three by free safety Thomas DeCoud. He ranks third in total tackles with 40.

FALCONS SPECIAL TEAMS

Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant is as steady as they come.

He has hit all 12 of his field-goal attempts, including five from 40 to 49 yards, and his only attempt from the 50-yard mark. He’s also flawless on extra points in 21 attempts.

Punter Matt Bosher hasn’t been booming kicks, averaging just 38.5 yards on 39 punts. But his net average of 35.6 is an indication that Atlanta’s punt coverage team is doing a nice job down the field. Bosher has downed 14 punts inside the 20, and opponents have just 92 return yards, a 6.1 per-return average.

The Falcons’ return game is completely in the hands of Eric Weems, who’s back on punts and kickoffs. Weems has returned 17 punts for a 9.5 per-return average and a long of 37, and he has 14 kickoff returns and a 22.9 average — with a long of 37.

Atlanta’s punt-cover team is allowing 6.1 yards per return on 15 kicks.

LAST TIME THEY MET

Saints 17, Falcons 14

Dec. 27, 2010, at the Georgia Dome

The Saints clinched back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 season with the come-from-behind victory over the Falcons.

Quarterback Drew Brees connected with tight end Jimmy Graham on a 6-yard touchdown pass, culminating a seven-minute, 11-second fourth-quarter scoring drive that gave the Saints the lead with 3:24 remaining.

THEY SAID IT

“I found out real quickly by traveling down to New Orleans for our first trip down there that it is a heated rivalry, very heated. That makes it fun for the fans. … There’s some kind of chant down there, I’m not exactly sure.” — Falcons Coach Mike Smith

Indianapolis —
The game — Atlanta Falcons (4-3, 1-1 NFC South) at Indianapolis Colts (0-8, 0-2 AFC South), Lucas Oil Stadium (FieldTurf), Indianapolis, IN, 1 p.m. (EST).

Coverage — FOX Sports (Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Drea Avent); Colts Radio Network (Bob Lamey, Will Wolford, Kevin Lee); Sirius NFL Radio Channel 91 (Falcons), Channel 113 (Colts); XM NFL Radio Channel 228 (Titans).

The coaches — Colts: Jim Caldwell (24-16, 3rd year); Falcons: Mike Smith (37-18, 4th year). Caldwell has a 4-0 career coaching record against Tennessee. Today’s game will be Caldwell’s first meeting as a head coach against Atlanta. This will also be Smith’s first-ever meeting against the Colts.

The series — 15th regular-season meeting. The Colts lead the regular-season series, 13-1. That 13-1 edge is the most lopsided by one team over another in a series involving at least 10 meetings. Atlanta’s only win occurred in 1998, with the Falcons posting a 28-21 victory. The Colts are 6-0 in home games against Atlanta. Indianapolis has won the last three meetings (2001, 41-27; 2003, 38-7; 2007, 31-13). The Falcons have never defeated the Colts on the road.

Noting it — Last Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Titans sent Indianapolis to just the fourth 0-8 start in franchise history…In 1986, Indianapolis’ losing streak reached 13 before the misery ended with a 28-23 victory at Atlanta. Tate Randle sparked the unlikely victory by blocking a fourth-quarter punt that Eugene Daniel returned for a touchdown…DE Jamaal Anderson spent four seasons with the Falcons (2007-10). Anderson was Atlanta’s first-round draft pick in 2007…OT Quinn Ojinnaka played for the Falcons from 2006-09. He made 12 starts for Atlanta…WR Reggie Wayne is looking to register his third straight game with a touchdown catch against the Falcons…WR Pierre Garcon is averaging 103.5 yards receiving in his last two home games this season…DE Dwight Freeney needs 1.5 sacks in order to become the 26th player with 100 career sacks. Freeney has 98.5 career sacks…RB Donald Brown has two rushing touchdowns in his past three games (vs. Cincinnati and Tennessee).

Did you know? –  Falcons CB Kelvin Hayden was the Colts’ second-round draft pick in 2005. Hayden spent six seasons with Indianapolis (2005-2010). LB Mike Peterson was Indianapolis’ second-round pick in 1999. PK Matt Bryant played for the Colts during the 2005 season.

Did you know 2? — WR Reggie Wayne needs six catches to surpass Larry Centers for the 19th most all-time in NFL history. Wayne has 822 career receptions, Centers had 827 career NFL receptions.

Did you know 3? — RB Delone Carter is averaging 7.1 yards per carry over his last two games (vs. New Orleans and Tennessee).

Did you know 4? — RB Joseph Addai has 12 rushing touchdowns in 17 career games against NFC teams.

Stat of the week — Atlanta is the third NFC South team that the Colts have faced this season. Indianapolis lost 24-17 at Tampa Bay and 62-7 at New Orleans. Carolina comes to Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 27.

The game plan — Find a way to come up with winning plays. Stay away from penalties and bad plays.

Play smart. Score touchdowns in the red zone and don’t settle for field goals. Force turnovers on defense. Indianapolis hasn’t forced a turnover in five games.

The Colts keep finding ways to shoot themselves in the foot on both sides of the ball during their current eight-game losing streak.

Indianapolis wants to be able to establish the running game on offense and to keep improving the team’s inconsistent run defense.

Key matchups — Colts run defense vs. Falcons RB Michael Turner. The Colts are ranked 31st in the league against the run, allowing an average of 144 yards per game. Atlanta has the NFL’s 17th best running attack with Turner rushing for 621 yards and six touchdowns.

Falcons QB Matt Ryan vs. Colts DEs Dwight Freeney/Robert Mathis. Ryan has been sacked 18 times this season. Freeney and Mathis have not recorded a sack for the past three games.

Colts QB Curtis Painter vs. Falcons pass rush. Painter has been sacked nine times in five-and-a-half games. Atlanta has registered 13 sacks this season, led by defensive end John Abraham’s three.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons finally played a game that’s more their style.

For Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers , it was just another tough loss.

Michael Turner ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns, Matt Ryan scored the tie-breaking TD with 7 minutes remaining, and Corey Peters came up with a huge interception that helped the Falcons seal a 31-17 victory over the Panthers on Sunday.

The Falcons (3-3) were clearly intent on re-establishing their trademark running game against a vulnerable defense. Led by Turner, they ran the ball 35 times – 13 more than they threw it.

“We’d like to be able to do that every week,” Ryan said.

Newton, who grew up just a few miles south of the Georgia Dome, wowed the crowd most of the day. He threw for 237 yards and took off on a 14-yard touchdown run that put the Panthers (1-5) ahead 17-14 heading to the final quarter. He even celebrated with Deion Sanders’ high-step dance in the end zone, marking a day when the retired Hall of Famer was honored by the Falcons at halftime.

But the homecoming turned sour.

After Matt Bryant ‘s tying field goal and Ryan’s 1-yard sneak, Newton made his biggest blunder of the day trying to set up a screen pass. Peters, a 305-pound defensive tackle, caught the rookie off guard by dropping into coverage. Newton flipped a short pass toward DeAngelo Williams , but Peters reached up with one hand to pick it off at the Carolina 40.

“I kind of fell into it,” Peters said. “It’s a lot different than you imagine it in the sense that when you catch the ball, you freeze. ‘Oh, I got the ball!”‘

The Falcons offense did the rest, driving 39 yards for the clinching touchdown. Turner barreled into the end zone from 2 yards out with 1:56 left to hand the Panthers another excruciating loss. Their first four defeats were by a total of 18 points, and this one was much closer than the two-touchdown margin.

“At some point, you’ve got to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what can you do to make it better,” Newton said. “I’m doing a self-evaluation as we speak. It’s not the time that you point the fingers and say, ‘It’s his fault.’ It’s time that we as a team take ownership of ourselves.”

Turner also scored on a 1-yard run at the end of the first quarter, carrying a season-high 27 times and breaking a streak of three straight games without reaching 100 yards.

“It started with the O-line. They came out with a nasty attitude today, that they were going to move the line of scrimmage,” Turner said. “I love to see green, man. You give me some space, I’ll do what I do.”

Ryan, who was averaging more than 39 passes a game, completed 14 of 22 for 163 yards in a performance that looked more like the Atlanta teams of the last three seasons, not the one that got off to a sluggish start this year and was in danger of dropping two games below .500 for the first time since 2007.

“We need to get our identity back, and that starts with running the football,” Turner said. “We want to bury teams, not just let up.”

Newton finished 21 of 35 but was picked off three times. The other two were a little easier to take, the first coming on a deflected pass, the last on a desperation pass into the end zone on the final play of the game.

The rookie also led the Panthers in rushing with 50 yards on six carries.

Ryan threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Ovie Mughelli , giving the Falcons a 14-10 lead at halftime. Jonathan Stewart scored Carolina’s first touchdown on a 1-yard run, after Olindo Mare opened the scoring for the Panthers with a 42-yard field goal.

The Panthers didn’t have to punt until late in the third quarter, but the Atlanta defense took control in the final period. Carolina’s final four possessions ended with two punts and a pair of interceptions.

Atlanta did a good job shutting down Carolina’s top receiver, Steve Smith , who came into the game averaging nearly 23 yards per catch and more than 121 yards per game. He was held to five receptions for 66 yards.

Newton was playing at the Georgia Dome for the first time since he accounted for six touchdowns in the Southeastern Conference championship game last December, leading Auburn to a 56-17 rout of South Carolina. The Tigers went on to claim the national title, then Newton headed to the pros as the top overall pick.

Carolina took the second-half kickoff and burned 8 1/2 minutes off the clock, finishing with Newton’s touchdown scamper. He dropped back to pass, couldn’t find anyone open and took off around left end, shrugging off one would-be tackler along the way before dancing like Deion and posing for the crowd in the corner of the end zone.

The Panthers had nothing to celebrate at the end.

“Not good. Not acceptable,” first-year coach Ron Rivera said. “We’re six weeks into this. It’s time for us to start to play like we’ve been around

ATLANTA (AP) -

The Atlanta Falcons are looking to have another big season.

They’re certainly glad the exhibitions are over.

Chykie Brown returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown and Baltimore scored the clincher after another Atlanta turnover, an appropriate way to decide a dreadful game won by the Ravens 21-7 on Thursday night to complete a winless preseason for the Falcons.

Not that this finale was much of an indicator of how either team will look once the score actually matters. Both teams sat out of many of their key starters, including quarterbacks Matt Ryan of the Falcons and Joe Flacco of the Ravens. They were mainly concerned with staying healthy going into the regular season.

Baltimore had the only injury of note, and it didn’t sound like any big deal. Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who started in place of Flacco, sustained a bruised shoulder.

“We will have to see how serious it is, but it looks like it won’t be that serious,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “If we find out he can’t play, then we will definitely have an issue.”

Atlanta coach Mike Smith didn’t want to sound glib about the winless record. But he’s not placing too much importance on it, either.

“We have a saying: `If you play, it’s worth winning,”‘ Smith said. “Am I disappointed? Yeah. Am I concerned? No. We have a mature football team. We got some things accomplished that we needed to accomplish.”

Most of those who did play were battling for roster spots, or may have been out of the running no matter how well they performed.  Given who was on the field, the results were to be expected.

The Ravens (3-1) failed to generate much offense, totaling just 175 yards. Atlanta (0-4) turned it over four times, basically handing Baltimore its two TDs.

Third-string quarterback John Parker Wilson was intercepted twice, including the pick that Brown, a rookie, grabbed right in front of the Atlanta bench and took down the sideline for a touchdown to erase Atlanta’s 10-7 lead with 1:59 left in the third.

After Billy Cundiff kicked his second field goal to stretch Baltimore’s lead to 13-7, the Falcons’ last gasp ended with yet another turnover. Wilson, who took quite a beating, was leveled by Michael McAdoo and coughed up the ball. It was recovered by Jason Phillips at the Atlanta 5 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the game.

On the next  play, Damien Berry took it to the end zone to finish off the Falcons, who failed to win a preseason game for the first time since 2003.

That year, Michael Vick broke a leg in an exhibition game — against the Ravens, no less — and the Falcons spiraled to a 5-11 record that led to the firing of coach Dan Reeves before the year was done. This team has much higher hopes, coming off a NFC South title and bolstered by the drafting of receiver Julio Jones and the signing of defensive end Ray Edwards.

“There’s definitely not any panic in here,” fullback Ovie Mughelli said. “If anything, it gives us a little extra motivation. If teams are going to sleep on us or take us for granted because we went 0-4, they’re going to be in for a surprise.”

Jones caught a 25-yard pass from Chris Redman on the first snap of the game, and Edwards chased Taylor into the arms of teammate Kroy Biermann for a sack.

The only other highlight for the home team came early in the third, when Antone Smith broke off a 46-yard touchdown run that might help his chances of sliding onto the Falcons final 53-man roster.

Smith rushed for 114 yards on 11 carries and hauled in a 42-yard screen pass. Still, it figures to be a restless night for a second-year back who knows he’s behind at least three others on the depth chart.

“It’s not going to be decided on one game, but I hope it helps,” Smith said. “I’ve always been a guy who’s got one foot in, one foot out. I’m always nervous.”

Taylor, the rookie out of Virginia Tech, broke off a 9-yard run with his first play. But he didn’t stay in very long after hurting his shoulder, completing two passes for 16 yards and having his other throw picked off by Brent Grimes.

Third-stringer Hunter Cantwell went most of the way for the Ravens. He was 13 of 28 for 111 yards and had an interception. The Ravens rushed for only 74 yards, led by Berry with 31 on eight carries.

The defense performed much better, especially third-year linebacker Jason Phillips. He helped his roster chances by coming up with an interception, a fumble recovery, four tackles and breaking up a pass.

“Jason Phillips is outstanding and really stepped up,” Harbaugh said. “He was all over the field making tackles.”

Redman was 4 of 8 for 58 yards during his limited time. He gave up Atlanta’s first turnover when blindsided by Paul Kruger, the ball coming loose and recovered by Bernard Pollard. The makeshift offensive line had a tough night — Redman was sacked twice, Wilson three times.

When not running for his life, Wilson managed to complete 16 of 33 for 146 yards.

“Everybody is out there as an individual performer,” Smith said. “But it’s a group effort, a team effort. Obviously, we didn’t have the type of performance we wanted to have.”

Even the officials had a rough night. Two calls were challenged by Smith, and both were overturned after the referee checked out the replay.

Notes: Cundiff missed a 57-yard field goal, while Atlanta’s Matt Bryant was wide left on his only attempt from 54 yards. … Both punters got plenty of work, and Baltimore’s Sam Koch had the clear edge. He averaged 49.4 on eight punts, while Falcons rookie Matt Bosher only managed a 37.7-yard average on seven punts.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

 

ATLANTA — Phillip Livas scored on a 75-yard punt return in the third quarter to help Miami overcome a difficult start by quarterback Chad Henne in the Dolphins’ 28-23 preseason victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. Atlanta rookie receiver Julio Jones, quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner contributed on first-quarter scoring drives that gave the Falcons a 17-0 lead. Henne threw interceptions on two of Miami’s first three possessions before connecting with Brian Hartline for a 44-yard touchdown pass that made it 17-7 early in the second quarter. Henne, who completed 4 of 8 passes for 77 yards, did his best work against Atlanta’s defensive reserves. But the same could be said, too, of Ryan, who completed just one of his first passes against Miami’s defensive starters. The difference, however, was that the Atlanta QB threw one TD pass and didn’t have an interceptions. Ryan finished 6 of 10 for 90 yards. For the Dolphins, who host Carolina at home next week and open the regular season at home Sept. 12 against New England, it was more a matter of who didn’t play as coach Tony Sparano decided to avoid injury risk. Running back Reggie Bush, receiver Brandon Marshall, defensive end Jason Taylor wore uniforms, but not helmets, and stood on the sideline. Left tackle Jake Long wasn’t in uniform. Daniel Thomas started in Bush’s place and ran four times for 5 yards. Davone Bess subbed for Marshall and caught two passes for 8 yards. Miami is coming off 7-9 season after which Dolphins owner Stephen Ross considered firing Sparano but brought him back when Jim Harbaugh took the San Francisco job. Atlanta, which went 13-3 last year to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed, will visit Jacksonville for a preseason game next week. The Falcons open the regular season Sept. 11 in Chicago. On Henne’s first interception, tight end Anthony Fasano was running right to left when the pass arrived behind him. Defensive end John Abraham, who had dropped into coverage, grabbed the bobbled ball to set up the offense at the Atlanta 44. Three plays later, Ryan threw a soft pass over the middle to Jones, who was running a left-to-right drag route just outside the line of scrimmage against cornerback Vontae Davis and advanced to the Miami 14 behind before safety Reshad Jones pulled him down. Turner had a 2-yard TD run one play later. Atlanta’s next drive started at the 17 before Ryan connected with Jones, the NFL’s No. 6 overall draft pick, for a 22-yard gain on an end route down the right side. On the next snap, Jones took a reverse handoff and sped 12 yards to the Falcons 49. Ryan and Harry Douglas made it 14-0 seven plays later, connecting on a 20-yard touchdown pass that beat cornerbacks Nolan Carroll and Nate Ness. Henne’s second interception, which came on the Dolphins’ next play from scrimmage, was a poorly thrown ball intended for Bess and picked off by cornerback Brent Grimes on the right side. With Ryan and Atlanta’s other offensive starters out of the game, Third-string quarterback John Parker Wilson took charge of the offense and oversaw a six-play drive that ended with Matt Bryant’s 27-yard field goal and a 17-0 lead. Wilson, who completed 12 of 19 passes for 111 yards and one interception, was knocked out of the game with an undisclosed injury midway through the third and had to be escorted off the field. He lost a fumble near the end of the second quarter that led to Roberto Wallace’s 28-yard TD pass from Matt Moore and cut it to 17-14. Moore connected with Edmond Gates on a 6-yard TD pass in the third quarter. Adam Froman, a rookie from Louisville, played the rest of the game at quarterback for Atlanta, ending the game with an interception deep in Miami territory.

Undrafted rookie Philp Livas returned a punt 75 yards to give the Miami Dolphins a 28-20 lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at the Georgia Dome.

Louisiana Tech’s Livas, a tiny 5-foot-7, 179 pounds, sprinted, stumbled, then sprinted again down the sideline for Miami’s first punt return touchdown since Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007.

Earlier, Matt Moore hit rookie Clyde Gates on a six-yard touchdown pass to give the Miami Dolphins, trailing 17-0 after the first quarter, a 21-20 lead — it’s first lead of the game.

Moore also connected with Roberto Wallace on a 28-yard touchdown strike.

Said coach Tony Sparano at halftime: “Roberto’s done a nice job, I like the throw that Matt Moore just made, he hung in there and made a big throw for us.”

Miami’s seventh-round draft pick Jimmy Wilson forced a fumble by Falcons’ quarterback John Parker Wilson that was recovered by Austin Spitler at the Atlanta 28, leading to the touchdown in the next play.

“I thought those guys came into the game and did a pretty nice job,” coach Tony Sparano said at halftime. “We had a stop down there in a sudden change situation off an interception, so the second team defense did a good job.”

Sparano also was referring to Bennie Sapp, who had an interception in the second quarter.

Jimmy Wilson also broke up a pass that prevented a touchdown early in the third quarter that led to a Matt Bryant field goal giving the Falcons a 20-14 lead.

Henne tossed a touchdown and two interceptions for Miami.

Henne hit Brian Hartline for a 44-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to open the scoring for Miami and cap a seven-play, 82-yard drive. Henne hit Davone Bess (three yards) and Daniel Thomas (25 yards) before the scoring strike to Hartline.

Henne’s first INT was on a pass on target to Anthony Fasano that slipped through the tight end’s hands into the arms of the Falcons’ John Abraham. Six plays later Michael Turner scored on a two-yard run.

Henne threw his second interception of the first quarter when a pass to Davone Bess fell short and was picked off by Brent Grimes. The interception led to a Matt Bryant 27-yard field goal.

“Chad made a good throw earlier on the deep ball,” Sparano said. “But too many things early in the ball game we need to clean up, sudden change defense, not catching the ball, those type of things.”

The Falcons also scored when Matt Ryan hit Harry Douglas on a 20-yard pass to cap a 10-play, 83-yards first-quarter drive.

Marshall, Taylor, Bush not active

Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Reggie Bush won’t start on Friday night in the team’s first preseason game here at the Georgia Dome against the Atlanta Falcons.

Jason Taylor also will be held out of tonight’s game.

Davone Bess will start in place of Marshall, and Daniel Thomas, the rookie whom the Dolphins drafted in the second round in April, will start in place of Bush.
It was unclear before the game whether Marshall or Bush would play.

Left tackle Jake Long, cornerback Will Allen and offensive guard Garrett Chisolm won’t dress in uniform and won’t be available to play. All three have been rehabbing from injuries.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—Almost a week after their training camp opened,
the Atlanta Falcons finally worked Thursday for the first time with their full
roster, including defensive end Ray Edwards(notes) and cornerback Brent Grimes(notes).

A smiling Edwards, wearing No. 93, was flanked by defensive end John
Abraham(notes), receiver Roddy White(notes), tight end Tony Gonzalez(notes) and cornerback Dunta
Robinson(notes) as he walked onto the practice field.

Edwards appeared comfortable in the company of some of the team’s other
stars and said he didn’t feel pressure.

The Falcons ranked 20th in the league with 31 sacks, including 13 by
Abraham, last season. Edwards, who had 16.5 sacks the last two years with
Minnesota, is expected to give the team a needed pass-rush complement to
Abraham. Kroy Biermann(notes) had only three sacks as a starting end last season.

“I just view it as a blessing,” Edwards said. “I just want to continue to
help out any way I can.”

He said his goal for the first day was to start developing a chemistry with
Abraham and the other defensive linemen.

“We’re just working together, just playing together and working on getting
the whole chemistry across the line in order so we can produce big things,” he
said.

Edwards was lured to Atlanta by a five-year, $30-million contract that
includes a guarantee of $11 million.

The Falcons twice pushed back the start of their full-pads workout on
Thursday afternoon while waiting on players to ratify the collective bargaining
agreement. The players’ vote to approve the deal meant the Falcons’ only
free-agent addition, Edwards, and the free agents they have re-signed, including
Grimes, were cleared to practice.

Coach Mike Smith said Edwards “got indoctrinated into how we do things
today.”

Smith said he already is confident Edwards, who has attended team meetings
during the first week of camp, will be able to quickly pick up the new scheme.

“I think Ray is very smart,” Smith said. “We’ve had an opportunity to
work with him in meeting rooms the last few days, and he shows that he’s going
to be able to pick it up. The thing that is going to be the most difficult is
just the verbiage. They did very similar things to what we do, It’s just the way
that they call it.”

Grimes, a 2010 Pro Bowl pick, signed his $2.61 million first-round tender
Thursday. He was a restricted free agent and said he wasn’t interested in
waiting for offers from other teams.

“My whole goal was to come back here,” Grimes said.

Also practicing Thursday for the first time in training camp were starting
offensive linemen Tyson Clabo(notes) and Justin Blalock(notes), kicker Matt Bryant(notes) and
linebackers Mike Peterson(notes) and Stephen Nicholas(notes), who re-signed as free agents.

By returning most of their starters and top backups from a 13-3 team, the
Falcons believe they are in position to turn the NFL lockout into a positive.
Unlike teams that now must quickly adjust to new schemes, new coaches or new
quarterbacks, the Falcons return most of their top players, including
quarterback Matt Ryan(notes), running back Michael Turner(notes) and White.

Only Edwards and the rookies, including receiver Julio Jones(notes), the
first-round pick from Alabama, have to learn the playbook without the benefit of
the normal offseason workouts and camps.

“I see that as absolutely a strength,” said linebacker Coy Wire(notes), the
Falcons’ player representative. “We have the familiarity of our schemes and our
systems. We just have to get just a few of the new guys caught up.

“If it was strategy of management to keep the core guys of our group
together, I’d say that was a smart play, given that we had such a short
offseason and we had a pretty darn good football team last year. We just made a
few adjustments and hopefully that’s the difference we need.”

The Falcons lost offensive guard Harvey Dahl(notes), who signed with St. Louis, but
return their other four linemen.

“We’d love to have 100 percent of the guys back, but given the fact we have
the majority of our team back together is going to be a huge advantage for us
compared with other teams,” said fullback Ovie Mughelli(notes).

“It’s going to be a great thing for our team. We’re just going to be a
little ahead of the game compared with teams that don’t have that continuity and
that team structure.”