FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) The Atlanta Falcons got off to a low-key start in free agency, agreeing to terms on new deals with backup quarterback Chris Redman and third receiver Harry Douglas.

The Falcons announced the deals Tuesday night, a few hours after the start of the NFL free agency period.

Redman has been Matt Ryan‘s backup the past four years. Last season, the second-stringer appeared in five games, completing 18 of 28 passes for 188 yards.

Douglas works in three-receiver sets with Roddy White and Julio Jones. Douglas is coming off a career-best season: 39 receptions for 498 yards and one touchdown.

The bulk of the Falcons’ work is still to come. Their unrestricted free agents include linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive end John Abraham.

White filed legal documents in Georgia earlier this month … acknowledging he DID father a child with a Georgia banker named Stacey Hott … and he’s willing to accept responsibility.

But according to the docs, White isn’t ready to fork over child support just yet — despite Hott’s claim that he’s capable of providing a “generous” amount due to his massive NFL salary.

Unless the two can strike a settlement quickly, a judge will get to decide Roddy’s payments.

Calls to Roddy’s people have not been returned. more on this story

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freeman completed 31 of 45 passes for 274 yards with two
touchdowns and three interceptions.

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

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

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

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

The strong showing was important for the Falcons, who were
coming off a 45-16 loss at New Orleans that was the worst loss in
four seasons with Smith.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roddy White also celebrated a milestone, passing Terance Mathis
for the most yards receiving with the Falcons. Mathis had 7,349
yards from 1994-2001. White began Sunday 44 yards behind Mathis and
set the mark in the third quarter.

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

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

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

FALCONS OFFENSE

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

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

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

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

FALCONS DEFENSE

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

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

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

FALCONS SPECIAL TEAMS

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

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

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

LAST TIME THEY MET

Nov. 13, 2011, Georgia Dome

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

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.

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.

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.”

The Panthers were hurting from injuries on defense even before losing rookies tackles Sione Fua and Terrell McClain for the year on Tuesday. They’ll be counting on second-year player Andre Neblett and undrafted rookie Frank Kearse to plug the middle and keep Turner from running wild — again.

Turner has destroyed the Panthers since joining the Falcons as unrestricted free agent in 2008, running for 651 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in his last six games.

“It kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit,” Rivera said of the injuries to Fua and McClain. “They both hit the rookie wall a few weeks ago and recovered and starting playing well again. It was disappointing.”

Fua suffered a significant right hamstring strain prior to Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay and didn’t play. McClain sprained his left knee during the first half and did not return.

Rivera said it’s unclear if either will need surgery.

“It’s a shame because just as Fua and McClain were learning and growing and finally realizing where they need to be something like this happens,” said linebacker James Anderson. “But that’s been the story of the season.”

The Panthers, who have 14 players on injured reserve, have learned time and time again the lesson of “the next guy up.”

In this case it will be Kearse, signed off Miami’s practice squad earlier in the year, and Neblett, who has bounced back from a slow start this season to play extremely well. Rivera said Kearse will start at nose tackle for Fua, while Neblett will play the three-technique in the team’s 4-3 defense.

“I have to do the same thing I’ve been doing, now I just have to do it as a starter,” Neblett said.

Said Rivera: “I’m excited to see what they can do.”

The Falcons are coming off a big loss last week against Houston and need to make a strong push the final four weeks of the season if they hope to return to the NFC playoffs beginning with Sunday’s game.

Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has seen what Turner can do to the Panthers and expects they’ll lean heavily on him again this week.

In Atlanta’s 31-17 win over the Carolina in October at the Georgia Dome Turner ran for 139 yards and scored twice

“He’s going to be real big, especially this week,” White said. “He’s had a lot of success against these guys. We always get off to a good start and get the ball in his hands. He opens up the play action pass for us. In this game, it’s really crucial to get him off to a really, really good start, just let him pound those guys for a little while then throw it over their heads. He’s going to be a real focal point this week.

Then White added with a smile, “Hey, we might run it 50 times. I don’t know if he’s going to have 50 carries, but we might run it 50 times.”

In the past six games against the Panthers, Turner has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in five games.

“I don’t know what it is about Carolina,” Turner said. “It always seems like we’re playing them coming off a loss. We lost last week, so we’ve got to go out there and play hard.

Turner said there’s no extra added personal motivation in playing Carolina, adding that he’s simply doing his job.

But Turner is certainly aware of how well he’s run against the Panthers since coming to Atlanta.

So too are the Panthers.

“He’s a big physical back and we know we have to come ready to play, similar to what we did last week,” Neblett said.

A week ago the Panthers held Tampa Bay’s LaGarrette Blount to 19 yards on 11 carries in part because they jumped out to an early lead.

That’s something the Panthers may need to replicate against the Falcons.

Rivera said the key for the team’s new defensive tackles will be to stay in their gaps and not try to do too much.

“He has a great low center of gravity and runs with his shoulders over his knees and his pad level down,” Rivera said of Turner. “The big thing with him is you can’t allow him to get started because he is tough to bring down. And they have a good scheme and block it very well.”

Notes: Rivera gave a pair of veterans — wide receiver Steve Smith and tight end Jeremy Shockey — Wednesday off to rest. Also, free safety Charles Godfrey (sprained right shoulder), Travelle Wharton (back), offensive Jordan Gross (right ankle), tight end Greg Olsen (right knee) and linebacker Jason Phillips (right calf) sat out practice, although none of the injuries appear serious. … Kick returner Kealoha Pilares practiced full after missing last week’s game with a strained right quadriceps.

___

AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Flowery Branch, Ga., contributed to this report.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Slowing down running back Michael Turner(notes) has never
been an easy task for the Carolina Panthers.

But it might be even more difficult to put the clamps on him in Sunday’s
divisional rematch against the Atlanta Falcons (7-5) with both starting
defensive tackles moving to injured reserve.

The Panthers were hurting from injuries on defense even before losing
rookies tackles Sione Fua(notes) and Terrell McClain(notes) for the year on Tuesday. They’ll
be counting on second-year player Andre Neblett(notes) and undrafted rookie Frank
Kearse(notes) to plug the middle and keep Turner from running wild—again.

Turner has destroyed the Panthers since joining the Falcons as unrestricted
free agent in 2008, running for 651 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in his last
six games.

“It kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit,” Rivera said of
the injuries to Fua and McClain. “They both hit the rookie wall a few weeks ago
and recovered and starting playing well again. It was disappointing.”

Fua suffered a significant right hamstring strain prior to Sunday’s game
against Tampa Bay and didn’t play. McClain sprained his left knee during the
first half and did not return.

Rivera said it’s unclear if either will need surgery.

“It’s a shame because just as Fua and McClain were learning and growing and
finally realizing where they need to be something like this happens,” said
linebacker James Anderson(notes). “But that’s been the story of the season.”

The Panthers, who have 14 players on injured reserve, have learned time and
time again the lesson of “the next guy up.”

In this case it will be Kearse, signed off Miami’s practice squad earlier in
the year, and Neblett, who has bounced back from a slow start this season to
play extremely well. Rivera said Kearse will start at nose tackle for Fua, while
Neblett will play the three-technique in the team’s 4-3 defense.

“I have to do the same thing I’ve been doing, now I just have to do it as a
starter,” Neblett said.

Said Rivera: “I’m excited to see what they can do.”

The Falcons are coming off a big loss last week against Houston and need to
make a strong push the final four weeks of the season if they hope to return to
the NFC playoffs beginning with Sunday’s game.

Falcons wide receiver Roddy White(notes) has seen what Turner can do to the
Panthers and expects they’ll lean heavily on him again this week.

In Atlanta’s 31-17 win over the Carolina in October at the Georgia Dome
Turner ran for 139 yards and scored twice

“He’s going to be real big, especially this week,” White said. “He’s had
a lot of success against these guys. We always get off to a good start and get
the ball in his hands. He opens up the play action pass for us. In this game,
it’s really crucial to get him off to a really, really good start, just let him
pound those guys for a little while then throw it over their heads. He’s going
to be a real focal point this week.

Then White added with a smile, “Hey, we might run it 50 times. I don’t know
if he’s going to have 50 carries, but we might run it 50 times.”

In the past six games against the Panthers, Turner has eclipsed 100 yards
rushing in five games.

“I don’t know what it is about Carolina,” Turner said. “It always seems
like we’re playing them coming off a loss. We lost last week, so we’ve got to go
out there and play hard.

Turner said there’s no extra added personal motivation in playing Carolina,
adding that he’s simply doing his job.

But Turner is certainly aware of how well he’s run against the Panthers
since coming to Atlanta.

So too are the Panthers.

“He’s a big physical back and we know we have to come ready to play,
similar to what we did last week,” Neblett said.

A week ago the Panthers held Tampa Bay’s LaGarrette Blount to 19 yards on 11
carries in part because they jumped out to an early lead.

That’s something the Panthers may need to replicate against the Falcons.

Rivera said the key for the team’s new defensive tackles will be to stay in
their gaps and not try to do too much.

“He has a great low center of gravity and runs with his shoulders over his
knees and his pad level down,” Rivera said of Turner. “The big thing with him
is you can’t allow him to get started because he is tough to bring down. And
they have a good scheme and block it very well.”

Notes: Rivera gave a pair of veterans—wide receiver Steve Smith and tight
end Jeremy Shockey(notes)—Wednesday off to rest. Also, free safety Charles Godfrey(notes)
(sprained right shoulder), Travelle Wharton(notes) (back), offensive Jordan Gross(notes)
(right ankle), tight end Greg Olsen(notes) (right knee) and linebacker Jason Phillips(notes)
(right calf) sat out practice, although none of the injuries appear serious. …
Kick returner Kealoha Pilares(notes) practiced full after missing last week’s game with
a strained right quadriceps.

AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Flowery Branch, Ga., contributed to this
report.

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).

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.