The 2012 Atlanta Falcons’ schedule gives the team a great chance to make a run at the NFC South title. With the challenges that the New Orleans Saints will face in 2012, now is the time for the Falcons to make a move on the division.

The Falcons open Week 1 with a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a great opportunity to get a quick win and start out the season right. The team follows that up with its only Monday night football appearance of the season in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos.

Outside of the divisional rivalries, two great games on the schedule include a Week 9 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys and then a Week 15 game against the New York Giants.

2012 Atlanta Falcons Schedule

Week 1: Sun, Sep 9 – Atlanta at Kansas City, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 2: Mon, Sep 17 – Denver at Atlanta, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Week 3: Sun, Sep 23 – Atlanta at San Diego Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 4: Sun, Sep 30 – Carolina Panthers at Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 5: Sun, Oct 7 – Atlanta at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 6: Sun, Oct 14 – Oakland Raiders at Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 7: BYE

Week 8: Sun, Oct 28 – Atlanta at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 9: Sun, Nov 4 – Dallas at Atlanta, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

Week 10: Sun, Nov 11 – Atlanta at New Orleans, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 11: Sun, Nov 18 – Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 12: Sun, Nov 25 – Atlanta at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 13: Thu, Nov 29 – New Orleans at Atlanta, 8:20 p.m. ET (NFL)

Week 14: Sun, Dec 9 – Atlanta at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 15: Sun, Dec 16 – New York Giants at Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 16: Sat, Dec 22 – Atlanta at Detroit Lions, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Week 17: Sun, Dec 30 – Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Source:

Falcons Team Page

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

They wanted momentum and the best seed possible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tampa Bay 0 7 11 6–24

Atlanta 21 21 0 3–45

First Quarter

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

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

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

Second Quarter

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

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

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

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

Third Quarter

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

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

Fourth Quarter

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

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

A–68,167.

TB Atl

FIRST DOWNS 18 22

Rushing 3 13

Passing 15 8

Penalty 0 1

THIRD DOWN EFF 6-12 6-11

FOURTH DOWN EFF 0-1 1-1

TOTAL NET YARDS 294 428

Total Plays 61 59

Avg Gain 4.8 7.3

NET YARDS RUSHING 35 251

Rushes 14 38

Avg per rush 2.5 6.6

NET YARDS PASSING 259 177

Sacked-Yds lost 2-15 0-0

Gross-Yds passing 274 177

Completed-Att. 31-45 13-21

Had Intercepted 3 1

Yards-Pass Play 5.5 8.4

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

PUNTS-Avg. 3-49.7 2-50.5

Punts blocked 0 0

FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0

TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 108 58

Punt Returns 2-15 1-9

Kickoff Returns 3-53 0-0

Interceptions 1-40 3-49

PENALTIES-Yds 2-20 3-20

FUMBLES-Lost 3-1 1-1

TIME OF POSSESSION 29:52 30:08

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.

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

Time: 2:58.

Jeff Triplette, Shutdown Corner’s favorite NFL official, is at it again. This time, Triplette took his tremendous combination of “skills” to the Monday Night Football game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. You’d think the NFL would want one of its best guys working a game of this importance, but as you’ll see when Triplette no doubt gets another playoff assignment, the NFL doesn’t seem to enforce any real standards when it comes to the competence of its officials.

Anyway, here’s the Triplette goof this time. The Saints have third-and-12 at their own 8-yard line with 7:27 left in the game. Drew Brees drops back, doesn’t see what he wants from the coverage reads, and scrambles to the right for a nine-yard gain and the end of New Orleans’ offensive possession. Pretty innocuous play, especially since the Saints were beating the tar out of the Falcons and the result was academic at that point.

And that’s when Triplette decided to make things more interesting. There was a flag thrown for holding, and after a mercifully brief discussion, Triplette made this ruling:

“There is no hold on the play … as it is a screen pass. The blocker was shedding him to the side.”

Uh … what?

Well, here’s the first problem, Jeff. We don’t know who either “the blocker” is, based on your description. You’re having a conversation with your umpire about a flag that apparently shouldn’t have been thrown, and that’s fine. But it would help if you informed us of your thought process in the first place. We’re assuming you’re just not smart enough to realize that you have an obligation to describe the penalty, whether it’s waved off or not, once you turn on your little microphone.

Unless, of course, our ancillary theory is correct and you’re one of the increasing number of officials who are throwing and then picking up flags in a weak and completely lame attempt to get more TV facetime.

Fortunately, Ron Jaworski spelled it out in the ESPN booth.

“You can see [Saints left tackle] Jermon Bushrod laying on [Falcons defensive end] John Abraham,” Jaworski said. “I’m not so sure it was a screen, though. In fact, it wasn’t a screen.”

Yeah … that’s the second problem, Jeff. It WAS a hold, because it WASN’T a screen pass. It wasn’t a pass at all. And there is no specific exception in the rulebook for a screen pass overthrowing a holding call even if it was a screen pass.

There is a provision that holding will not be called if it happens after a pass is clearly thrown, but Brees didn’t throw a pass at all. He read his coverage, saw nobody open, and scrambled. There is another provision that holding won’t be called if the action occurs away from the point of attack and not within close-line play. But Bushrod took Abraham to the ground and held him there, while Brees was still in the pocket and not two yards away from the hold.

So, Mr. Triplette, we ask you as we frequently do: What the hell were you talking about?

Related: Jermon Bushrod, Drew Brees, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Adventures in Officiating

The New Orleans Saints have already secured a spot in the playoffs, but they
still have plenty to play for in the final two weeks of the regular season.

Two games behind the Saints in the NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons are primed
to join them in the postseason.

Needing a win to clinch their second division title in three years, the
Saints look to continue their recent success against the Falcons on Monday night
at the Superdome.

Riding a season-high six-game winning streak, New Orleans (11-3) is
postseason-bound for a third consecutive year. Hoping to earn a first-round
playoff bye, the Saints can wrap up the South title with a third straight win
over second-place Atlanta (9-5).

“The sky’s the limit and that’s where we’re trying to get to,” New Orleans
safety Roman Harper said. “Our goal is nothing less than a victory in the Super
Bowl, and right now we just trying to stay focused and take it one step at a
time.”

The Falcons, meanwhile, simply need to win either of their final two games
to return to the playoffs. If Atlanta wins both contests and the Saints drop two
straight, the Falcons would win their second consecutive South title by virtue
of a better record within the division.

Atlanta concludes the regular season at home versus Tampa Bay while New
Orleans hosts Carolina, both on New Year’s Day.

“We control what we can control,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “It’s
obvious our guys are familiar with the scenarios we are in. I know our guys are
aware of it. We’re not going to change our preparation, how we prepare. We try
to be as steady as we can and just continue to move forward like we have all
season.”

Though the Falcons have had more than enough time to prepare for their
division rival since posting a 41-14 home win over Jacksonville on Dec. 15, they
face a huge challenge against the NFC’s hottest team.

The Saints, who totaled 573 yards in a 42-20 road rout of Minnesota last
Sunday, have scored at least 31 points in three of their last four games. They
have not allowed more than 24 points during the six-game winning streak that has
followed a 31-21 defeat at St. Louis on Oct. 30.

“We’re peaking at the right time,” linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “I’m
talking about jelling as far as a team – offense, defense, special teams.”

Drew Brees went 32 of 40 for 412 yards and matched a season high with five
touchdowns against the lowly Vikings. With an NFL-leading 4,780 passing yards,
Brees is 305 shy of breaking Dan Marino’s single-season NFL record (5,084) set
in 1984.

“I’m as comfortable now in this offense as I’ve ever been,” Brees said.
“I’m aware that we’re close. I just know if we keep doing what we’re doing all
of that stuff will take care of itself.”

Brees improved to 9-3 against the Falcons after throwing for 322 yards and
two touchdowns in a 26-23 overtime win at Atlanta on Nov. 13.

New Orleans has won two straight and nine of 11 against Atlanta, but needed
overtime to win their first 2011 meeting and lost 27-24 at home to the Falcons
in 2010. Each of the last four games between the teams has been decided by three
points – three of them won by the Saints.

“We’re going to play a very good opponent and someone we’re very familiar
with in a game that obviously has a lot riding on it,” New Orleans coach Sean
Payton said. “We look forward to that challenge and we’ll go from there.”

Atlanta had little trouble taking care of the Jaguars, one week after
rallying from a 16-point second-half deficit to win 31-23 at Carolina. In a span
from the start of the third quarter at Carolina to the 2:12 mark of the third
versus Jacksonville, the Falcons scored 65 unanswered points – though it did
come against a pair of teams with a combined 9-19 record.

“That’s what we need,” said quarterback Matt Ryan, who has thrown seven
touchdowns without an interception over the last two weeks. “That’s the kind of
football we need to play moving forward, and I think it’s good that we’re doing
it at this time.”

Roddy White caught 10 passes for 135 yards and two TDs against the Jaguars.
It was the third time in five games he recorded at least 120 receiving yards.
White, who has five touchdowns in those five contests, has averaged 112.8 yards
and scored three times during his last four games against the Saints.

Teammate Michael Turner has rushed for 265 yards and two TDs on 50 carries
in his last two games at the Superdome.

So what will it come down to this time? A fourth-and-1 attempt in overtime? A missed field-goal attempt? A 90-yard touchdown drive? Two late defensive stands?

Each of the past four games between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons has been decided by three points, so why should Monday night’s showdown at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome be different?

As has become the norm, these longtime rivals will meet with an awful lot on the line. The Saints (11-3) can clinch the NFC South Division and stay alive for the conference’s No. 2 seed. The Falcons (9-5) can clinch a playoff spot and stay alive in the division title race.

“We already know emotionally we don’t have to get up for this game,” New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “It’s probably going to be about trying to calm your emotions so we can function, so we can do the things we need to do to win this game. It’s a huge game for both sides. … It’s going to be a great battle and a lot of fun.”

Even without the playoff implications, this would be a huge game for both sides.

This rivalry, which dates to the 1960s, has never been more intense, and both teams are in the midst of the greatest extended runs in their franchises’ histories.

The Saints have won 11 games or more for three consecutive seasons, and the Falcons have put together four straight winning seasons after never having done it twice in a row before.

New Orleans has won nine of the past 11 games since Coach Sean Payton arrived in 2006, but those wins haven’t come easily in recent years.

The past six games in the series have been decided by eight points or less, including the Saints’ 26-23 overtime victory at Atlanta on Nov. 13, which was ultimately decided by New Orleans’ fourth-and-1 stop in Falcons territory in overtime.

In September of 2010, Garrett Hartley missed a 29-yard field goal attempt in overtime that would have won the game, and Matt Bryant kicked a 46-yarder as the Falcons won 27-24.

Later that season, the Saints drove 90 yards late in the fourth quarter, capped by a 6-yard pass from quarterback Drew Brees to tight end Jimmy Graham, to win 17-14.

In their second meeting of 2009, Vilma stopped Jason Snelling on a pass from Chris Redman on a fourth-and-2 as the Saints held on for a 26-23 win. Vilma also had an interception with 3:55 to go.

Saints receiver Lance Moore said Monday night’s game is mostly important because it’s the “next game” and because of all the playoff implications, but he did admit that there’s something special about games against Atlanta.

“It’s a divisional game, so we’re familiar with one another, and neither team wants to lose to the other. That’s just how it is,” Moore said. “People can call it bragging rights or whatever, but we’re focused on just letting it be one game. We can’t make it bigger than it is. It’s an extremely important game, but we can’t put any extra pressure or any stress on ourselves. I mean, we’ve just got to go out and play.”

Vilma pointed out that Monday night’s game will be the exact reverse of last season, when the Saints went to Atlanta for a Monday night game in Week 16 and won 20-17 to keep their longshot hopes alive for the NFC South title.

Moore said he hopes the similarities end there, with the home team winning this time.

“They’re a real good team,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said. “Every time it seems we play them it comes down to a last possession or field goal. We’ve just played so many close games, so many hard-fought games, that it’s a sign that typically both teams are pretty evenly matched, very competitive and very good.”

Like the Saints, the Falcons seem to be playing their best football after an inconsistent start. They’ve stayed alive in the NFC South race by winning seven of their past nine games, including two in a row. And their last victory was their most impressive, a 41-14 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars last Thursday night.

The Saints are even hotter, though, having won six in a row, and they are tied with the New England Patriots for the NFL’s longest active streak.

New Orleans’ 42-20 victory at Minnesota on Sunday was dominant despite some early miscues. The Saints have been even better at home, though, especially in prime time. Their past two home games were a 31-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night in Week 13 and a 49-24 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night in Week 12.

Before defeating the Vikings, Payton pointed out to his team that they hadn’t won a Week 15 game since 2007. They steamrolled through that roadblock this season, which he said is significant because teams want to peak heading into the playoffs.

“You’d like to be hitting your stride and playing your best football,” said Payton, though he pointed out that the Saints were the exception to that rule when they lost their final three regular-season games in 2009 before winning Super Bowl XLIV. “You still recognize the importance of playing well here. I think you’re seeing some teams that are doing it, and you’re seeing some teams that maybe aren’t doing it as well. Fortunately for us, we’ve been able to get on a pretty good run, and we hope to continue it.”

EYE ON THE 49ERS: The Saints are openly rooting against the San Francisco 49ers (11-3), who need to lose one more game to allow New Orleans a shot at the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Vilma was asked if he watched the 49ers’ 20-3 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

“I was all for watching it closely until Ben (Roethlisberger) threw those two interceptions early in the game, and then I realized I was bad luck, so I went and watched Sherlock Holmes,” Vilma said.

And when Moore was asked what he wants for Christmas besides a victory over the Falcons, he said: “A win by Seattle over San Francisco (on Saturday) would be good.”

‘DIRTY’ TALK: Vilma and Payton said they’re unfazed by recent accusations from other teams that their defense plays “dirty.”

Payton compared it to the whistle-blowing accusations from the Tennessee Titans last week, and Vilma said whether the accusations are fair or unfair, “it really doesn’t bother me.”

“You know, we’re an aggressive defense, we’ve always been an aggressive defense. I’d rather be labeled that than labeled a finesse defense,” Vilma said. “So I know we’re not out there maliciously trying to hurt anybody. If you’ve seen the way we play, if you’ve seen our games, we go hard — and that’s really about it. If we get a personal foul here or there it’s not intentional, and I know we’re not trying to hurt people.”

VILMA’S HEALTH: Vilma, who has been fighting through a knee injury since having a clean-up surgery performed last month, was asked how he has been feeling.

“The best I can say is good enough,” said Vilma, who said he plans to keep playing through it for the rest of the season. “I got to do what I got to do.”

ATLANTA – Matt Ryan likes how the Atlanta Falcons are playing with two games left in the regular season.

He is even more pleased that the Falcons can rest this weekend while other NFC playoff contenders compete.

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

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

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

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

Atlanta trails the NFC South-leading Saints by 1 1/2 games. New Orleans, which earned a 26-23 overtime victory five weeks ago at the Georgia Dome, takes a five-game winning streak into Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings in Minnesota.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Atlanta Falcons crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-14 on Thursday, December 15. The win ensured the Falcons that they would have a winning season for the fourth straight year. That continues the best run in franchise history. The game was also historic for running back Michael Turner. Turner picked up his 48^th rushing touchdown as a member of the team. That ties him for the most in franchise history. Here is a look at the top five Atlanta Falcons in terms of rushing touchdowns.

Michael Turner – 48

After spending a few seasons backing up LaDanian Tomlinson with the San Diego Chargers, Turner was signed as the feature back in Atlanta after the 2007 season. He has been a star since joining the team. Turner ran for 17 touchdowns in his first season with the Falcons. He has nine through 14 games in 2011. If he gets one more, it will be the fourth straight season in which he has double digit rushing touchdowns.

Gerald Riggs – 48

Riggs spent seven seasons in Atlanta between and 1982 and 1988. He picked up 48 rushing touchdowns during that time. Riggs was never quite as spectacular as Turner. His career high single season total was 13 in 1984. He only reached double digits one other time when he ran for 10 touchdowns in 1985.

Jamal Anderson – 34

Anderson played with the Falcons from 1994 through 2001. He had a couple of big season in terms of rushing yards but only one season stood out in the touchdown category. In 1998, Anderson scored 14 touchdowns on the ground. That went a long way in helping the Falcons reach their first Super Bowl.

T.J. Duckett – 31

Duckett had 31 rushing touchdowns in four seasons with the Falcons. He was never the featured running back but his size helped him become a force in the red zone. He had 11 touchdowns in 2004 and eight in each of the following two seasons. Duckett never ran for more than 800 yards in any of his seasons with the team.

Warrick Dunn and William Andrews – 30

Dunn spent six seasons with the Falcons and had 30 rushing touchdowns. He never had a season with a double digit total. Meanwhile, Andrews reached the Pro Bowl four times in his five seasons with the Falcons. His best year came in 1981 when he ran for more than 1,300 yards and had 10 touchdowns.

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By Jason Kirk

– Regional Editor

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Dec 11, 2011 – After beating the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith was overheard on 790 The Zone telling his players it was time to quickly switch from Panthers week to Jacksonville Jaguars week. He made it clear the time to celebrate win No. 8 would need to be abridged, and the drive for win No. 9 on Thursday would begin immediately.

Hours later, he was hospitalized for chest pains, but is expected to make it to Atlanta on Monday.

Smith also told his players to ready for walkthroughs on Monday, another short week necessity. Smith’s medical condition may complicate what was obviously a carefully constructed schedule, but, as he made clear, the plan was already in place for this week even before Sunday’s game against Carolina.

In a statement on his condition, the Falcons said the following:

Following the Falcons game vs. Carolina today, Head Coach Mike Smith was transported to a hospital in Charlotte for a non-emergency matter. Coach Smith is resting comfortably, his tests reaffirmed his health, and he is expected to be in Atlanta on Monday. The Falcons will provide further information as it becomes available.    

For more on Smith and the Falcons, stay tuned to Falcons blog The Falcoholic.

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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.”

Cleaning out the notebook:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Right now, the Falcons’ offense is a mess.

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

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

No Pujols? No problem

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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 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 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 playoff seed with a 13-3 record, Atlanta comes to Charlotte with a 7-5 record and caught in a fight for a playoff spot.

Ryan is coming off his lowest-rated performance in 35 games, Jones has been injured and White leads the league in dropped passes. 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.”