In what has been an all too familiar refrain this season, the Panthers blew yet another fourth quarter lead Sunday in a 31-23 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Panthers led by 16 at halftime and by 6 entering the final quarter, but their offense bogged down, and they were outscored 24-0 in the second half at home.

It’s the sixth time this season the Panthers have led or been tied in the fourth quarter only to lose.

“We still have a long ways to go as a football team,” coach Ron Rivera said. “We are a young team that has to understand you have to keep going and put the foot down on the accelerator, which we didn’t do.”

Cam Newton started strong, completing 9 of 14 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Panthers built a 23-7 lead. But Newton was intercepted twice in the second half, one of them on a poor decision when he tried to shovel the ball ahead with his non-throwing left hand as he was falling to the ground.

“Both interceptions were my fault and you can’t do that,” Newton said. “If you expect to win in this league, you have to protect the football. I did a poor job in doing that today. Without those two picks, the team would have had a better chance of winning today.”

Matt Ryan seems to have Carolina’s number. He’s won six of his last seven starts against the Panthers.

Ryan threw for 320 yards, and his four TD passes matched a career high. He threw two of them in the fourth quarter to rookie Julio Jones to lead the Falcons (8-5) back.

The first time the teams met, the Falcons trailed by three points in the fourth quarter but rallied for a 31-17 win Oct. 16.

Jones, who finished with 104 yards receiving, was quiet for most of the game but caught a 17-yard touchdown pass to give the Falcons a 24-23 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Despite their struggles in the second half, the Panthers looked poised to regain the lead, but Newton couldn’t hook up with Greg Olsen in the back of the end zone, and the Panthers had to settle for a 36-yard field goal attempt.

Olindo Mare, just as he’d done against Minnesota, pushed a potential go-ahead kick wide left.

“You can’t do that; you really can’t,” Rivera said.

Rivera said he planned to sit down with Mare — who was given a four-year, $12 million contract this offseason — to talk about what’s wrong.

“It’s the second one he’s hooked left, pretty much from almost the same area (on the field),” Rivera said.

The Falcons seized the momentum.

Two plays later, on second-and-11, Jones caught a pass over the middle, broke a tackle and raced 75 yards to the end zone.

Ryan was particularly sharp in the second half, throwing for 232 yards and three scores.

Looking to increase the tempo, the Falcons went to a no-huddle offense quite a bit in the second half and tried to take advantage of a matchup with reserve cornerback Darius Butler on Jones

Both of Jones’ touchdown catches came against Butler.

“You know, they were coming at me a few times with Julio,” Butler said. “They like that matchup. I made some plays early, and he made some big plays late. You’ve got to hold up. That’s the name of the game. You got to finish it out.”

The Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

A glum Newton called his decision to try a shovel pass to Jonathan Stewart as he was being tackled “terrible.”

“I tried to get the ball to Stew and tried to avoid the sack,” he said. “I should have just ate the ball and taken the sack.”

Earlier this week, Rivera said this was a statement game for his young team. The statement was that their youth still shows.

And the Falcons took advantage.

“This game is about playing 60 minutes,” Falcons coach Mike Smith. “They’re not 30-minute ballgames, and I think that’s what our guys did good today.”

NOTES: The Falcons are 21-0 when Ryan has a quarterback rating of 100 or more. … Carolina’s Steve Smith became the 35th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards receiving for his career on a 16-yard catch in the second quarter. … Travelle Wharton moved from left guard to left tackle for the Panthers to replace Jordan Gross, who sat out with a right ankle injury. Mackenzy Bernadeau started at Wharton’s regular spot at left guard. … With starting defensive tackles Sione Fua and Terrell McClain going on injured reserve earlier this week, Frank Kearse and Andre Neblett got the start for the Panthers.

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

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez is still too busy catching passes to pause and appreciate all he has accomplished. Only one player — Jerry Rice — has caught more passes in the NFL than Gonzalez, whose 1,135 catches is
414 behind Rice.

With seven catches in a Falcons’ loss at Houston last Sunday, Gonzalez extended his streak of seasons with at least 60 catches to 13, an NFL record.

He is 189 yards from cracking the top-10 in career receiving yards, has 95 career touchdown catches and is insistent on ignoring Father Time’s effects on his soon-to-be-36-year-old body for as long as he can.

Gonzalez doesn’t just play tight end. He has redefined it.

“I am very proud of what I’ve done and deeply satisfied, but at the same time I don’t want to look back yet,” said Gonzalez, whose Falcons visit the Panthers on Sunday.

“If I look back, I might miss what’s going on now and being able to improve today. During the offseason is when I kind of look back, but, really more so when I retire, that’s when I’ll really take a look at it and say, ‘wow,’ I had a great career.

“But right now I still have something to prove. I’m always trying to challenge myself to be the best player I can be and not let the people say, ‘you’re 35 and you’ve lost a step.’ That kind of motivates me.”

On a Falcons’ offense that includes quarterback Matt Ryan, rumbling running back Michael Turner and razor-blade dangerous wideouts Roddy White and Julio Jones, Gonzalez remains a headache for opposing defenses. In his 15th season,
Gonzalez knows how to use his 6-foot, 5-inch, 247-body to play even larger than his dimensions.

He has transformed the tight end position, showing teams what having their own big, quick, multi-dimensional player who can work the middle of the field, mixing muscle with moxie can do. The Panthers have two Gonzalez prototypes in
Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen.

A former college basketball player at California, Gonzalez can be more dangerous than a wide receiver because of the way he works in traffic or block on running plays. In short-yardage and red-zone situations, Gonzalez has delivered for 15
seasons.

“Where you really have trouble with him is certain situations: third-and-6, third-and-5, third-and-4,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “You know there’s a good opportunity the ball is going to him. I watch and some teams on third-and-4 are
actually doubling him with a linebacker and a safety. You look in the red zone and you see certain formations where they split him out and try to create a mismatch. Now you have a safety on him or a linebacker extended and you’ll see the ball
(go) to Tony.”

3 Consecutive wins by Atlanta over the Panthers. The Falcons won six in a row from 2000-02.

8 Rushing yards needed by Michael Turner to reach 1,000. It would be Turner’s third 1,000-yard season since joining the Falcons in 2008.

14 Seasons in which tight end Tony Gonzalez has caught 50 or more passes. Only Jerry Rice, with 17, has more seasons with at least 50 receptions.

166 Rushing yards for the Falcons – a season high – in their first meeting with Carolina.

Starting Lineup

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

Injuries

OUT: CB Brent Grimes (knee). DOUBTFUL: CB Kelvin Hayden (toe), LB Stephen Nicholas (quadriceps). QUESTIONABLE: T Will Svitek (groin). PROBABLE: DE John Abraham (not injury related), T Sam Baker (back), WR Harry Douglas (groin), DE Ray Edwards (shoulder), TE Tony Gonzalez (not injury related), C Joe Hawley (ankle), WR Julio Jones (hamstring), C Todd McClure (not injury related), RB Michael Turner (groin), DT Vance Walker (groin), WR Roddy White (shoulder).

Schedule/Results

NOTE: * Time subject to change.

All season long, this Atlanta Falcons offense has remained a mystery to most. The addition of Julio Jones, the “revival” of a dominant Tony Gonzalez, and the supposed full recovery of Harry Douglas from his torn ACL two seasons ago should have meant the offense would have an outstanding year.

That has clearly not been the case. You can point to a host of reasons as to why exactly the offense hasn’t really clicked; almost every fan has cited Mike Mularkey’s inability to effectively use all of his weapons as a potential explanation (and rightfully so).

But unfortunately, that situation won’t change until next season at the earliest. Sitting at 7-5 with one quarter of the 2011 season remaining, the Falcons will have to make a few adjustments on the fly as try to push past a few weaker opponents (and the Saints) and on towards the playoffs.

Today, I come to you, Mr. Mularkey, bearing three simple changes that can improve the offense against the likes of Carolina and others as the season draws to a close.

1- Divide up the RB carries and more evenly
In the Falcons’ archaic offense, Michael Turner is the feature back and clearly has received an overwhelming majority of the team’s carries. In fact, see for yourself:

Total carries – 338    Michael Turner – 233 carries Jacquizz Rodgers – 39 carries Jason Snelling – 27 carries

The Falcons have not only two, but three backs that are more than capable of carrying the ball. Rodgers is the very definition of “change-of-pace back.” Heck, Snelling has proven he can be just as effective as Turner as an every-down back. What’s more, the Falcons are really the only team doing this. Don’t believe me? Here’s a look at the top five rushing attacks in the NFL and how they divide their carries:

DEN 399 total carries Willis McGahee – 182 carries  Lance Ball – 71 carries
PHI 340 total carries LeSean McCoy – 215 carries Ronnie Brown – 19 carries
HOU 432 total carries Arian Foster – 224 carries Ben Tate – 138 carries
OAK 366 total carries Michael Bush – 173 carries Darren McFadden – 113 carries
CAR 333 total carries DeAngelo Williams – 119 carries Jonathan Stewart – 107 carries

While Philly looks to be the one exception, don’t forget they have ‘ole No. 7, who has over 70 rushes of his own. Also factor in that both Denver and Carolina have two very mobile QBs in Newton and Tebow, both of whom account for a large chunk of their team’s carries.

Point is: if you have a capable No. 2 back, use him! Teams that don’t monitor carries almost always have running backs that experience injury (see: Peterson, McFadden, McGahee… heck, Turner’s on the injury report right now)

2- More screen passes and halfback flares
As our good friend Dave Choate over at The Falcoholic has aptly pointed outed, the Falcons have only even attempted 16 screen passes all year. Why? Great question.

It’s not as if the Falcons don’t have a physical receiver on the roster (I’m looking at you, 6’4/220 Julio Jones). They are ridiculously easy completions that often times result in “cheap,” easy yardage. Talented offensive minds such as Andy Reid often use these plays to help a struggling offense (see: Falcons) get back into its rhythm.

And for all that is holy, stop throwing the ball to Michael Turner. He has stone hands. The Falcons have two other running backs in Rodgers and Snelling who have proven to be reliable receiving options. Actually, Snelling has proven himself to be a great receiving option.

3- Less emphasis on deep passing plays
Not that there much existed to begin with, but I actually agree with Roddy on this one. Think about it: timing on deep passing routes is not the sort of offensive facet quarterbacks can usually fix mid-season. You don’t “become” a gunslinger overnight.

Clearly, that ‘gunslinger’ label also doesn’t apply to Matt Ryan. He is now 7-of-32 on passing attempts of 20 yards or greater. As an offensive coordinator, you have to play to your quarterback’s strengths.

Fewer deep passing plays on first and second downs will also eliminate the possibility of third-and-long, another area Ryan has really struggled with this season (in third down and six+ yardage situations, Ryan is currently 45-of-79 with three interceptions, compared to six TDs and no INTs in third-and-short)

4- Less Roddy White, more Julio Jones/Harry Douglas
White, who currently leads the league in dropped passes with 12, is the most-targeted wideout in the NFL as well (128). I’m all for featuring White as one of the main receiving threats in this offense. He’s a talented receiver to be sure.

But at this point, his inconsistency in actually catching the ball, his tendency to commit stupid penalties, and the tendency for his drops to turn into interceptions make him a liability for the offense and the entire team.

As for Jones and Douglas, both have shown pretty consistent hands this season and both have the speed to turn a short completion into a long gain. I understand where to throw the ball on any given play is obviously Ryan’s decision to make, but at least for now I feel the Falcons should de-emphasize Roddy.

For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic; for the Panthers, head over to Cat Scratch Reader.

He’s less than 200 yards from cracking the top-10 in career receiving yards, has 95 career touchdown catches and is insistent on ignoring Father Time’s effects on his soon-to-be-36-year-old body for as long as he can.

Gonzalez doesn’t just play tight end. He has redefined it.

“I am very proud of what I’ve done and deeply satisfied, but at the same time I don’t want to look back yet,” said Gonzalez whose Falcons visit the Panthers Sunday.

“If I look back, I might miss what’s going on now and being able to improve today. During the offseason is when I kind of look back, but, really more so, when I retire, that’s when I’ll really take a look at it and say, ‘wow,’ I had a great career.

“But right now I still have something to prove. I’m always trying to challenge myself to be the best player I can be and not let the people say, ‘you’re 35 and you’ve lost a step.’ That kind of motivates me.”

On a Falcons’ offense that includes quarterback Matt Ryan, rumbling running back Michael Turner and razor-blade dangerous wideouts Roddy White and Julio Jones, Gonzalez remains a headache for opposing defenses. In his 15th season, Gonzalez knows how to use his 6-foot, 5-inch, 247-body to play larger than his dimensions.

He has transformed the tight end position, showing teams what having their own big, quick, multi-dimensional player who can work the middle of the field , mixing muscle with moxie can do. The Panthers have two in Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen.

A former college basketball player at California, Gonzalez can be more dangerous than a wide receiver because of the way he works in traffic or block on running plays. In short-yardage and red-zone situations, Gonzalez has delivered for 15 seasons.

“Where you really have trouble with him is certain situations: third-and-6, third-and-5, third-and-4,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “You know there’s a good opportunity the ball is going to him. I watch and some teams on third-and-4 are actually doubling him with a linebacker and a safety. You look in the red zone and you see certain formations where they split him out and try to create a mismatch. Now you have a safety on him or a linebacker extended and you’ll see the ball (go) to Tony.

“Watch him at the 6 or 7-yard line going in, you’ll see he’ll become like a rebounder where he’ll get in position on just the other side of the goal line, positions his body and the ball gets thrown opposite of where the defender is on him. He’s very savvy.”

When the Falcons traded to draft Jones last spring, it brought a focus to their deep threats. But, a season after being the NFC’s top seed with a 13-3 record, Atlanta comes to Charlotte with a 7-5 record and caught in a fight for a playoff spot.

What seemed to come easily a season ago hasn’t been the same this season.

“I’ve thought about that a lot,” Gonzalez said. “The way I look at it is sometimes you’ve got to have some luck in this league. The ball has to bounce your way. Last week (at Houston) was the perfect example of it. We had two touchdowns called back for whatever reason and that kills you. You get the turnover and it nullifies it. It’s those type of opportunities we’re not capitalizing on this year.

“I remember last year the ball was going our way all the time. We were winning close games. We were making kicks, getting turnovers … It makes me optimistic and hopefully I speak for the rest of the team because it shows how good we can be and we are.”

The Carolina Panthers host the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 11^th. The Panthers are coming off back-to-back wins as the Falcons lost their last game to the Houston Texans. Here are some keys to a Carolina victory.

Keep Michael Turner Quiet

In Turner’s career he has lit up the Panthers. He has amassed 707 yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry and scoring 11 touchdowns in his past seven meetings against the Panthers . He gained 139 yards and scored twice when the teams last met in Week 6. The Panthers already have a struggling rush defense, ranking 27^th in the league allowing 132.5 yards per game. It will be even more difficult for the Panthers with a further two defensive injuries. Defensive tackles Sione Fua (hamstring) and Terrell McClain (knee) will both miss out. Turner is also one touchdown shy of Gerald Riggs’ record of 48 set in 1988, so I expect him to be ready to go in this game. The Panthers could have problems stopping Turner, but they need to do their best to slow him down.

Cam Newton Must Continue To Not Throw Interceptions

Newton has gone the last two games without throwing an interception and both games turned out to be wins. Yes, they were both against weaker opponents, but not turning the ball over is a reason for that success. If you take care of the ball good things will happen. Facing a solid Falcons offense, it is imperative Newton doesn’t throw interceptions. If he does, it will give Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense a shorter field and more opportunities to score. Newton threw three interceptions in his last meeting with the Falcons and this certainly can not happen for Carolina to have any chance in this one.

Continue Own Strong Rushing Performances

The Panthers rushing attack ranks 5^th in the league with 137.6 yards per game. A lot of that has to do with Newton who has 518 total yards on the season and the single-season rushing touchdowns record for quarterbacks with 13. He also has six rushing touchdowns over the last three games. However, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have both been playing better over the last few weeks as well. The Panthers will need to continue this trend to control the game and keep the Falcons offense off the field. If they can do that and put up points of their own, they will be in a good position for the win.

*All stats found on espn.com

Although living several hundred miles from Charlotte, Matthew Levine bleeds Carolina blue. He has followed the Panthers since their inaugural season in 1995 and was absolutely heart-broken over the 2003 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates (13) reacts after rushing for a gain and coming up short of a first down as Atlanta Falcons free safety Thomas DeCoud (28) looks on in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011, in Houston.

No matter how many obstacles the Houston Texans face, they keep finding ways to overcome them.
On Sunday rookie quarterback T.J. Yates led them to their franchise-record sixth straight win with a 17-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Yates threw a touchdown pass in his first NFL start, Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards and Houston (9-3) kept rolling despite another injury to Andre Johnson.
“It’s a great win because of everything this team has been through,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “We found a way to win.”
The Texans’ success is remarkable considering they’re down to their third-string quarterback and have played many of their games without their star receiver.
The Falcons (7-5) sputtered offensively most of the game in losing for 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.
“(The win) is big because it proves a lot because of the adversity we went through,” linebacker Brian Cushing said. “Coming in here with your No. 3 quarterback against a defense like that and playing an offense like that, I think it really says a lot about our team.”
Yates went 12 for 25 for 188 yards without an interception, an impressively poised performance after a dizzying week.
The fifth-round pick 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.
The 24-year-old Yates went 8 for 15 for 70 yards in his earlier-than-expected debut against the Jaguars. He was sacked three times by the Falcons, but never looked overwhelmed.
Yates took a hard hit from John Abraham early in the third quarter, but Abraham was disappointed that 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.”
Johnson looked like he’d be Yates’ go-to guy early, making leaping catches on the quarterback’s first two completions. The All-Pro receiver also atoned for an earlier drop by pulling in a perfect 50-yard pass from Yates to the Atlanta 5 in the second quarter.
Yates then snapped a quick pass to tight end Joel Dreessen for his first career TD, and chants of “T.J.! T.J.!” emerged from the capacity crowd.
“I was studying my butt off all week long,” Yates said, “and it paid off.”
Naturally, the Texans couldn’t make it through a game without more adversity.
Johnson left in the third quarter after hurting his left hamstring. He injured his right hamstring in Week 4, had minor surgery and sat out six games.
Kubiak said after the game that he was told the injury was not severe, but he couldn’t be certain until Johnson has tests on Monday.
“I know it’s not as bad as the last injury I had, but I’m definitely worried about it,” Johnson said. “It just didn’t feel right.”
After Johnson went down, Foster took over the offensive load, carrying 10 times on Houston’s decisive drive. Foster scored on a 1-yard run with 6:05 left, and 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 with two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. The Texans have intercepted a pass in 11 consecutive games.
“We played in spurts,” Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. “We didn’t do the things we wanted to accomplish. We had way too many dropped footballs, way too many things that we normally don’t do.”
After Johnson went down, Foster kept Houston on track, converting a fourth-and-1 with a 7-yard run to the Atlanta 2. The Texans took more than 10 minutes off the clock with the decisive, 19-play drive, which tied a team record.
Notes: Sunday was the ninth game this season in which the Texans have held an opponent under 20 points. … Tony Gonzalez has a catch in 175 consecutive games, the league’s longest active streak. The tight end 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 win total (9-7 in 2009).

Another exciting weekend of football action concluded when the New Orleans Saints defeated the Detroit Lions during Sunday Night Football. The NFC playoff picture was made hazier with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Lions all losing. For fantasy owners looking to make the playoffs, a lineup full of busts was the last thing they wanted to see. What were some of the biggest busts of the week?

Michael Turner(notes) and Matt Ryan(notes) – Atlanta Falcons – 4.4 and 13.68 points

The Falcons suffered a disappointing loss to the Houston Texans, watching their record fall to 7-5. The Texans defense stuffed Turner each time he got the ball, except for the one time he broke away for 16 yards.

Ryan struggled to gain momentum for the Falcons, completing just 43% of passes and throwing two costly interceptions. Both players are owned in more than 97% of Yahoo leagues, making it a rough day for owners.

Brandon Lloyd(notes) and Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams – 3.4 and 3.0 points

The Falcons duo weren’t the only teammates to struggle as Lloyd and Jackson couldn’t gain any offense during their shutout loss to the San Francisco 49ers. With A.J. Feeley(notes) starting at quarterback, Lloyd was able to make just one catch for 34 yards, while Jackson carried the ball 10 times for 19 yards. Lloyd has failed to live up to the hype this season following a career year in 2010 and not even the change of scenery during the season has helped the veteran receiver get going.

Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers – 3.2 points

Despite their big victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Smith failed to make an impact for the Panthers. Carolina had a perfect blend of passing and rushing, but Smith was left out of the loop when it came to picking up the yards. He made just two catches for 32 yards, barely gaining more receiving yards than star quarterback Cam Newton(notes) (one reception, 27 yards).

Jason Witten(notes) – Dallas Cowboys – 4.7 points

The Cowboys suffered a tough defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals on a 52 yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling(notes). While Witten made five receptions (great for PPR leagues), players of basic Yahoo fantasy leagues earned just 4.7 points off his 47 receiving yards.

More from this contributor:

LeSean McCoy is Top Fantasy Running Back in 2011

Backup Running Backs to make Splash in 2011

Don’t Give up on These Players too Early

Drafting Individual Defensive Players?

Top 2011 Fantasy Football Rookies

Hobson Lopes has been playing fantasy football for more than 10 years and can be followed on Twitter @HobsonLopes.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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.

The surging Atlanta Falcons appeared to have the advantage
heading into Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, whose rookie
quarterback T.J. Yates was making his first NFL start.

It didn’t turn out that way.

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).

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Matt Ryan is enjoying a strong recovery from his disappointing slow start to the season.

Ryan, the Falcons’ fourth-year quarterback who was coming off his first Pro Bowl season, appeared to be having a career setback when he threw six interceptions in Atlanta’s disappointing 2-3 start.

The Falcons, bolstered by improved stability on their offensive line, have won five of six as Ryan has been on a roll.

He has nine TD passes and only two interceptions the last four weeks.

Ryan was especially sharp in last week’s win over Minnesota.

He threw three TD passes with no interceptions.

He had a season-high passer rating (128.3) and completed 27 of 34 passes for 262 yards for the second-highest completion percentage (79.4) of his career.

Ryan’s resurgence is good news for the playoff hopes of the Falcons (7-4), who play at Houston on Sunday. Atlanta is No. 6 in the NFC playoff standings.

“He’s getting into a hot rhythm right now,” running back Michael Turner said Wednesday. “That’s what you want to do. That’s what you want out of your quarterback and every player, constant improvement, and he’s been doing that. Hopefully he doesn’t slow down anytime soon.”

Ryan threw six interceptions in the 2-3 start. He has thrown only four interceptions in the Falcons’ 5-1 recovery.

He said he still isn’t happy with his overall totals of 18 TD passes — tied for eighth in the league — and 10 interceptions.

“I think there are things I can certainly do better, that’s for sure,” Ryan said. “I think we’ve turned the football over a little too much. That’s an area we’d like to clean that up. There have been some things we’ve done well, too. My goal is always to get better week to week, year to year and I think I’ve continued to move in that direction.”

One key for Ryan’s improvement may be newfound stability on the offensive line.

Center Todd McClure missed three of the first five games while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Will Svitek took over at left tackle for Sam Baker in late October and will make his sixth straight start against the Texans.

Coach Mike Smith said Wednesday Baker had surgery on his back in the Falcons’ Oct. 30 bye week and “is fighting very hard to get back.”

Baker had surgery in his 2008 rookie season to repair a herniated disk.

Meanwhile, Garrett Reynolds and Joe Hawley have alternated at right guard, with Hawley starting the last four games.

The patchwork offensive line wasn’t good for Ryan’s health.

Ryan was sacked 13 times in the first three games — an alarming total for a player whose career high was 23 sacks in 16 games last season. He has had better protection with only four sacks in the last four games.

“Continuity is very important on the offensive line,” Smith said.

“Our quarterback has been very efficient throwing the football, but for the quarterback to be efficient he has to have time and has to be able to be on his spot to be where he is supposed to be, and I think we’ve done a good job. I think the numbers say it, not only in the number of sacks we’ve given up, but in the efficiency we’ve thrown the football over the last five weeks.”

Svitek (6-6, 308), a sixth-round pick by Kansas City in 2005, is in his third season with Atlanta.

The former defensive end at Stanford said he’s happy to finally have a full-time position after playing a backup role at guard and tackle.

Svitek has the responsibility of protecting Ryan’s blind side.

“It’s definitely a big responsibility,” Svitek said. “You take a lot of pride in keeping Matt clean and keeping him safe. It’s definitely a challenge every week.”

Ryan shrugged when asked Wednesday if he feels he is in a zone.

“I don’t worry too much about that kind of stuff,” he said. “I think offensively we still have a lot of areas to improve and that’s our focus week to week. That’s where my focus is every week, trying to be consistent and I think we’ve been a little more consistent the last two or three weeks.”

NOTES: CB Brent Grimes will have what Smith said is a “minor” surgery on his right knee Thursday and will miss at least two weeks. Smith said another CB, Kelvin Hayden, is “probably very doubtful” after missing the Minnesota game with a toe injury. Chris Owens or Dominique Franks likely will start for Grimes. Smith said CB Darrin Walls likely will be active for the first time this season. … LB Stephen Nicholas (quadriceps) missed practice and may return later in the week. … WR Julio Jones (hamstring) and Turner (groin) also were held out.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Nov. 27, 2011

ATLANTA — Mike Smith cracked a joke after the Falcons held on for another win that was probably closer than it should’ve been.

“We make it exciting enough for you?” the Atlanta coach said, managing a smile.

Then he took a swig of water and breathed a sigh of relief. His team held on in a game it absolutely couldn’t afford to lose.

Matt Ryan tossed three touchdown passes and the Falcons came through with a goal-line stand after Percy Harvin’s 104-yard kickoff return, preserving a 24-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Atlanta (7-4) had to beat the lowly Vikings to maintain its spot in a tight NFC playoff race. Minnesota (2-9) didn’t appear much of a threat without star running back Adrian Peterson, who was sidelined by a sprained left ankle. To make matter worse for the visiting team, three more players went down to injuries in the first half.

The game started according to plan for the Falcons, who raced to a 17-0 lead by halftime. Ryan hooked up with Harry Douglas on a 27-yard touchdown and Roddy White on a 6-yarder. The Vikings had only two first downs and 38 yards until their final possession of the first half, when they padded their numbers a bit against the prevent defense. Even then, Minnesota went to the locker room with five first downs and 97 yards.

Instead of putting the Vikings away, the Falcons let them back in the game.

“We know we’re a lot better than that,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “Sooner or later we’re going to hit our stride.”

Toby Gerhart, filling in for Peterson, scored on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter. Then, after Dominique Franks inadvertently touched a punt the Falcons were trying to run away from, allowing the Vikings to recover, Christian Ponder went to Harvin for a 39-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-13 to make it 17-14.

Ryan responded with two long completions to White before hitting backup tight end Michael Palmer with a 3-yard touchdown that extended the lead with 6:40 remaining.

Still, the Vikings wouldn’t go away.

Harvin took the ensuing kickoff 7 yards deep in the end zone, found a wall of blockers to the right and took off right in front of the Falcons bench. Christopher Owens made a diving tackle at the 3, and that might’ve saved the Falcons.

“That was the most pivotal play of the game,” Smith said. “We were able to put our defense out there and live to play another play.”

The Vikings got it to the 1 and decided to go for the touchdown on fourth down. But Sean Weatherspoon burst into the backfield and stuffed Gerhart right after he took the handoff, throwing him for a 2-yard loss. The Falcons ran out the clock.

“When the guy comes screaming off the edge like that, you have no chance,” Gerhart said.

The game was a near repeat of Atlanta’s performance the previous week against Tennessee, and doesn’t bode well for this team — considered a Super Bowl contender before the season — making a long run in the playoffs even if they do get in.

The Falcons built a 20-point lead on the Titans but staggered to the finish, barely preserving a 23-17 win.

Now, another close call.

“At the end of the day, we had more points than they did,” Smith said. “That’s the most important stat.”

Vikings rookie coach Leslie Frazier admitted it was mistake to go for a touchdown on fourth down, instead of kicking a chip-shot field goal that would’ve made it a one-score game.

“That’s purely on me,” he said. “I let my emotions get the best of me.”

The Vikings looked a lot better over the final two quarters than they did in the first two, though they were still outgained 335-226 in total yards.

“The first half was ugly,” Gerhart said. “There’s no rhythm. We came back after halftime and wanted to get the ball back and wanted to get a little momentum. Unfortunately, they stopped that momentum at the end of the game.”

Ryan completed 27 of 34 for 262 yards and had his best efficiency rating of the season. White, showing signs of turning around a disappointing season, had his second straight big game with 10 catches for 120 yards.

“It’s kind of the nature of NFL. Teams execute at a high level and things are going exactly as planned. Then there are times where you don’t execute as well as you would like,” Ryan said. “The most important thing is how we responded to that and played in the fourth quarter. We did a great job when we needed to score.”

Ponder was 17 of 25 for 186 yards but was sacked four times and had to scramble away from pressure several more times. Gerhart managed only 44 yards rushing, while Harvin had eight catches for 95 yards to go along with his big play on the kickoff, which was the longest non-scoring return in the NFL since at least 1991.

Since then, according to STATS LLC, Kevin Faulk in 1999 and Eddie Royal three seasons ago had the longest returns that failed to reach the end zone, each covering 95 yards.

Notes

• Falcons CB Brent Grimes (right knee) went out in the first half and didn’t return.
• The Vikings lost S Tyrell Johnson (hamstring), CB Asher Allen (shoulder) and deep snapper Cullen Loeffler (back). DE Jared Allen took over the snapping duties from Loeffler.
• Harvin took advantage when the Falcons dropped linebacker Curtis Lofton into coverage on the fourth-and-13. He had no chance of keeping up with the speedy receiver. “We’ll take that matchup every day,” Ponder said.

Read More: vikings football, minnesota vikings football, falcons football, atlanta falcons football, vikings at falcons, vikings vs falcons, minnesota at atlanta, minnesota vs atlanta, vikings falcons scores, vikings falcons injuries, vikings falcons updates, Jared Allen (DE – MIN), Michael Turner (RB – ATL), E.J. Henderson (LB – MIN), Harry Douglas (WR – ATL), Percy Harvin (WR – MIN), Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons, Nov 27, 2011 12:00 PM CST

After the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons exchanged punts on their first possessions, the Falcons have taken the lead at the Georgia Dome late in the first quarter.

The Falcons started out at their own 20-yard line, and moved down the field in nine plays, thanks largely to the running of Michael Turner. The Falcons also got an assist from a 15-yard face mask penalty on Jared Allen on the drive.

The Falcons got their touchdown on 2nd-and-19 on the Minnesota 27 after a penalty pushed them back. Matt Ryan took the shotgun snap, scanned the field, and four receiver Harry Douglas across the middle. Douglas broke through an E.J. Henderson tackle, and danced into the end zone to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead.

The Vikings will start out at their own 20-yard line, and hope to put together a much better drive than their first effort, when two passes to Percy Harvin and an incompletion netted the Vikings minus-four yards.

With a shade more than six minutes left in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome, the Minnesota Vikings trail the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 7-0.

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) runs against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in Atlanta. The Falcons won 23-17.

(AP Photo by Rich Addicks)

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.”