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	<title>Atlanta Falcons Blog and Schedule with NFL News</title>
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		<title>Welcome Falcons Fans to your Atlanta Falcons Blog!</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/welcome-falcons-fans-to-your-atlanta-falcons-blog/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/welcome-falcons-fans-to-your-atlanta-falcons-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 03:28:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>info</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Welcome Falcons fans! FalconsWire is a Atlanta Falcons blog and fan site dedicated to other Atlanta Falcons fans like yourself. We update our Falcons Blog with news and Falcons Rumors every single day. Looking for an updated Falcons Schedule or Atlanta Falcons Tickets? We can direct you to the right places for those things as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="announcement_post"><p>Welcome Falcons fans!</p>
<p>FalconsWire is a Atlanta Falcons blog and fan site dedicated to other Atlanta Falcons fans like yourself. We update our Falcons Blog with news and Falcons Rumors every single day. Looking for an updated Falcons Schedule or Atlanta Falcons Tickets? We can direct you to the right places for those things as well.</p>
<p>We are also taking applications for new Atlanta Falcons bloggers at FalconsWire.</p>
<p>The 2011 NFL season is upon us. Keep FalconsWire in your favorites for all of Atlanta Falcons News.</p>
<p>And if you need <a href="http://www.yaytickets.com/nfl-football-tickets/atlanta-falcons-tickets.php">Atlanta Falcons Tickets</a>, you can find the image link on the left side panel.</p>
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		<title>Atlanta Falcons&#8217; Roddy White Admits Fathering Baby</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-admits-fathering-baby/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-admits-fathering-baby/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:40:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>hcgdietpro</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[falcons-news]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[child-support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[georgia]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ (TMZ) Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White is stepping up to the plate in his paternity case and admitting he IS the father of a 5-month-old baby boy -- but there's a catch ... TMZ has learned. White filed legal documents in Georgia earlier this month ..]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
<div>(TMZ) Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White is stepping up to the plate in his paternity case and admitting he IS the father of a 5-month-old baby boy &#8212; but there&#8217;s a catch &#8230; TMZ has learned.
<p>White filed legal documents in Georgia earlier this month &#8230; acknowledging he DID father a child with a Georgia banker named Stacey Hott &#8230; and he&#8217;s willing to accept responsibility. </p>
<p>But according to the docs, White isn&#8217;t ready to fork over child support just yet &#8212; despite Hott&#8217;s claim that he&#8217;s capable of providing a &#8220;generous&#8221; amount due to his massive NFL salary. </p>
<p>Unless the two can strike a settlement quickly, a judge will get to decide Roddy&#8217;s payments. </p>
<p>Calls to Roddy&#8217;s people have not been returned. more on this story</p>
</div>
<p>What do you guys think about this. </p>
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		<title>Atlanta Falcons reflect on past failures</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-reflect-on-past-failures/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-reflect-on-past-failures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:03:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>breessemailub</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Matt Ryan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Smith]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[playoffs]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-reflect-on-past-failures/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Mike Smith wants his first two playoff losses with the Falcons to be "growing experiences" that will help his team prepare for Sunday's first-round road game against the New York Giants. With Smith in his first season as coach and Matt Ryan starting as a rookie quarterback, the Falcons lost to Arizona in the first round of the playoffs after the 2008 season. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="132">
<p>FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. &#8212; Mike Smith wants his first two playoff losses with the Falcons to be &#8220;growing experiences&#8221; that will help his team prepare for Sunday&#8217;s first-round road game against the New York Giants.</p>
<p>With Smith in his first season as coach and Matt Ryan starting as a rookie quarterback, the Falcons lost to Arizona in the first round of the playoffs after the 2008 season. The Falcons had a first-round bye last year before losing 48-21 to Green Bay.</p>
<p>Smith said it&#8217;s important the Falcons (10-6) learn from the losses. He said based on those lessons he is planning tweaks to the Falcons&#8217; practice this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know we&#8217;ve had two postseason games prior to this,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;We haven&#8217;t gotten the outcome we&#8217;ve wanted. We are learning from those experiences. We&#8217;re going to use those as growing experiences and we&#8217;re looking forward to competing this week, and that&#8217;s not just Matt Ryan.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s Mike Smith and every member of our team.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Falcons, who never enjoyed back-to-back winning seasons before Smith&#8217;s arrival in 2008, now have four straight winning seasons and the team&#8217;s first back-to-back playoff berths. The obvious missing piece in Smith&#8217;s otherwise impressive record is a playoff win.</p>
<p>Smith said he&#8217;s glad the Falcons, who capped their regular season with Sunday&#8217;s 45-24 win over Tampa Bay, can move straight into their playoff week.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think the way that it went down last year, I&#8217;d rather be up this week and go ahead and play,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That was one of the things I don&#8217;t know that we handled as well as we should of, the way that I structured it. I think if we get in that situation again we&#8217;ll handle it a little bit differently.&#8221;</p>
<p>Smith said he also discussed other changes for this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;In our staff meeting today, I brought out the notebook in terms of things we wrote down,&#8221; Smith said, referring to his notes from the last two playoff games. &#8220;You learn from everything that you do in terms of how you prepare. In terms of the actual scheduling, we&#8217;re not going to change that, but there are some things we definitely are going to do a little bit differently.&#8221;</p>
<p>He wouldn&#8217;t provide details of his planned changes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Some things I&#8217;d rather not talk about in terms of subtle changes in our installation and how we&#8217;re going to present things to our football team,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The NFL&#8217;s new collective bargaining agreement strictly limits the number of practices in full pads. Smith said the Falcons have not worked out in full pads since Week 13. He said his players could work in full pads in one practice this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;So it changes a little bit from what we&#8217;ve been doing in the last six or seven weeks of the season,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The Falcons had four turnovers, including two interceptions by Ryan, in last year&#8217;s playoff loss to Green Bay. They had three turnovers, including Ryan&#8217;s two interceptions, in their 30-24 loss to Arizona.</p>
<p>&#8220;There was a common theme in terms of you can&#8217;t turn the football over,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;That was the pressing thing.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s no different than regular-season football, but we&#8217;ve got to make sure that we have ball security. We cannot turn the ball over in the postseason. It&#8217;s imperative.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Falcons led the Buccaneers 42-0 on Sunday before pulling Ryan and other starters out of the game.</p>
<p>Ryan said the runaway win gave the offense momentum for the playoffs.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think it kind of put us in a little bit of a rhythm,&#8221; Ryan said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We made the plays and that&#8217;s what we need to do moving forward. I think everybody&#8217;s confidence is very high heading into next week.&#8221;</p>
<p>Smith said the Falcons have given the Jacksonville Jaguars permission to interview offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey for their head coach position. The interview is likely to take place next week.</p>
<p>Linebacker Stephen Nicholas, held out of Sunday&#8217;s game with a toe injury, worked on the practice field with trainers on Monday but is doubtful for the Giants game, according to Smith.</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>That&#8217;s all for today guys, i&#8217;ll be back to blog you tomorrow.</p>
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		<title>NFL playoffs: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/nfl-playoffs-atlanta-falcons-at-new-york-giants/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/nfl-playoffs-atlanta-falcons-at-new-york-giants/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:32:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>mooerssz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Tony Gonzalez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[become-the-most]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cowboys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[falcons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[julio-jones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[league]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[most-dependable]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Sunday, 1 p.m., MetLife Stadium, WTTG-5 Falcons 10-6, Giants 9-7 How the Falcons can win … The Falcons are a relatively balanced team, at least by the standards of some of this year’s top playoff contenders. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="32.5">
<p><b>Sunday, 1 p.m., MetLife Stadium, WTTG-5</b></p>
<p><b>Falcons 10-6, Giants 9-7</b></p>
</div>
<div readability="38.5">
<p><b>How the Falcons can win</b>… The Falcons are a relatively balanced team, at least by the standards of some of this year’s top playoff contenders. They ranked 10th in the league in total offense and 12th in total defense during the regular season. The Atlanta defense ranked sixth against the run, and seems likely to shut down a Giants’ running game, which struggled all year. The Falcons rediscovered RB Michael Turner when he ran for 172 yards Sunday, and QB Matt Ryan has the receivers&#8211;in WRs Roddy White and Julio Jones and TE Tony Gonzalez—to exploit the Giants’ 29th-ranked pass defense.</p>
<p><b>How the Giants can win… </b>The Giants enter the playoffs feeling good about themselves after beating the Jets and Cowboys on the final two weekends of the regular season to win the NFC East. They get to play at MetLife Stadium again, and they’re talking about re-creating the magic of  their postseason run to a  Super Bowl title after the 2007 season. QB Eli Manning has been one of the league’s most dependable players all season, leading the Giants to five victories with fourth-quarter comebacks. The defense played well against the Cowboys, sacking QB Tony Romo six times. DE Jason Pierre-Paul has become the most disruptive of the Giants’ pass rushers; he had 16-1/2 sacks during the regular season.</p>
<p><i>&#8211;Mark Maske</i></p>
</div>
<p>Not much else going on in the NFL world today. </p>
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		<title>Falcons blow out Bucs, avoid Saints in 1st round</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/falcons-blow-out-bucs-avoid-saints-in-1st-round/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/falcons-blow-out-bucs-avoid-saints-in-1st-round/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:34:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>galinakiraevas</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ ATLANTA (AP) -- Michael Turner and the Falcons didn't want to settle for just making the playoffs. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="167.98820445609">
<p>
      ATLANTA  (AP) &#8212;<br />
      Michael Turner<br />
      and the Falcons didn&#8217;t want to settle for just making the playoffs.</p>
<p>They wanted momentum and the best seed possible.</p>
<p>
      Hoping for a fast start, the Falcons set a team record with 42 first-half points, including two touchdown runs by Turner,<br />
      and Atlanta cruised to a 45-24 win over the<br />
      <span>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</span><br />
      on Sunday to clinch the No. 5 seed.</p>
<p>      <span>Julio Jones</span><br />
      caught two touchdown passes in a span of 26 seconds in the first quarter as the Falcons gave the Buccaneers their 10th straight<br />
      loss.</p>
<p>&#8220;We didn&#8217;t want to come down to the wire, backing into the playoffs,&#8221; Turner said.</p>
<p>The Falcons were motivated by two blowout losses &#8211; 48-21 to Green Bay in last year&#8217;s playoffs and 45-16 at New Orleans last<br />
      week.
   </p>
<p>&#8220;Getting embarrassed like that last year, that&#8217;s not who we were,&#8221; Turner said. &#8220;We just wanted another chance.&#8221;</p>
<p>
      The Falcons (10-6) and Detroit (10-6) are the NFC wild cards. Atlanta, which beat Detroit on Oct. 23, won the tiebreaker with<br />
      the Lions for the more favorable seeding. The Falcons will play at the winner of Sunday night&#8217;s Dallas-<br />
      <span>New York Giants</span><br />
      game in the first round of the playoffs.</p>
<p>
      &#8220;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<br />
      phases,&#8221; Falcons coach<br />
      Mike Smith<br />
      said.</p>
<p>      <span>Josh Freeman</span><br />
      threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the first half as the Buccaneers (4-12) closed their season with their 10th straight<br />
      loss, leaving the status of coach Raheem Morris in doubt.</p>
<p>&#8220;If I was in the business of working out my future, I wouldn&#8217;t be coaching,&#8221; Morris said. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to go to work tomorrow<br />
      until they tell me to stop.&#8221;
   </p>
<p>
      The Falcons led 42-0 when they began resting some starters, including quarterback<br />
      <span>Matt Ryan</span><br />
      and Turner, late in the first half.</p>
<p>&#8220;We had opportunities the week before and just didn&#8217;t make the plays,&#8221; Ryan said. &#8220;Today, we made the plays and I think that&#8217;s<br />
      what we needed moving forward.&#8221;
   </p>
<p>Ryan was 6 of 9 for 106 yards, including touchdown passes of 17 and 48 yards to Jones in the first quarter.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay, which finished 10-6 last season and started 4-2 this season, is left with its longest losing streak in one season<br />
      in 34 years. The Buccaneers also lost 10 straight in 1977. They lost 11 straight between the 2008 and `09 seasons.
   </p>
<p>&#8220;This is not the season we wanted or expected, but we will need to rededicate ourselves and get ready for this offseason,&#8221;<br />
      Morris said.
   </p>
<p>Turnovers were a problem for the Buccaneers all season. Freeman began the day tied for the league lead with 19 interceptions<br />
      before completing 31 of 45 passes for 274 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
   </p>
<p>
      With Atlanta leading 42-0, Freeman threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to<br />
      <span>Dezmon Briscoe</span><br />
      with about 2 minutes remaining in the first half. Freeman threw a 5-yard TD pass to Briscoe in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>
      Tampa Bay&#8217;s other touchdown came on<br />
      <span>Elbert Mack</span><br />
      &#8216;s 40-yard interception return against Falcons&#8217; backup<br />
      <span>Chris Redman</span><br />
      in the third quarter.</p>
<p>Turner ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard scoring run late in the first half. The score capped the<br />
      Falcons&#8217; run of six unanswered touchdowns.
   </p>
<p>The Falcons led 21-0 after the first quarter and then put the game away with three more touchdowns in the second quarter.</p>
<p>The strong showing was important for the Falcons. Last week&#8217;s loss at New Orleans was the worst in four seasons with Smith.</p>
<p>
      &#8220;The main thing we wanted to do was flush out of our system last week,&#8221; tight end<br />
      Tony Gonzalez<br />
      said.</p>
<p>The Falcons announced before the game Gonzalez, 35, has signed a one-year contract extension, ending speculation he might<br />
      retire after this season.
   </p>
<p>The Falcons had the No. 1 seed in the playoffs last year before losing to the Packers.</p>
<p>Despite the team&#8217;s lower seed, Gonzalez said the Falcons are prepared for a longer postseason run.</p>
<p>&#8220;Honestly, I&#8217;ve said it all year: I think we&#8217;re a better team than we were last year,&#8221; Gonzalez said.</p>
<p>
      Rookie<br />
      <span>Jacquizz Rodgers</span><br />
      scored on a 1-yard run for his first career touchdown to start the Falcons&#8217; scoring. Rodgers lost a fumble at the Tampa Bay<br />
      2 in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>
      After Ryan&#8217;s first TD pass to Jones,<br />
      <span>Dominique Franks</span><br />
      &#8216; interception on Tampa Bay&#8217;s first down gave the ball back to Atlanta.</p>
<p>
      On first down from the Buccaneers 48, Ryan again threw to Jones, who fought off safety<br />
      <span>Tanard Jackson</span><br />
      for the catch. Jones then jumped up from the turf, hit cornerback E.J. Biggers with a stiff-arm and then dragged Biggers into<br />
      the end zone.</p>
<p>
      Turner had two touchdown runs and<br />
      <span>Curtis Lofton</span><br />
      returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.</p>
<p>      <span>Matt Bryant</span><br />
      kicked a 20-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter after the Buccaneers were stopped on fourth down at their 10.</p>
<p>
      Notes: Ryan passed Jeff George for the Falcons&#8217; most yards passing in a season. George threw for 4,143 yards in 1995. Ryan<br />
      has 4,177. &#8230; Turner has 50 rushing touchdowns in four seasons with the Falcons, passing Gerald Riggs&#8217; team record of 48.<br />
      &#8230; WR<br />
      <span>Roddy White</span><br />
      also celebrated a milestone, passing Terance Mathis for the most yards receiving with the Falcons. Mathis had 7,349 yards<br />
      from 1994-2001. White finished the game with 7,374 for his career. &#8230; By playing in his 225th game with Tampa Bay, CB<br />
      <span>Ronde Barber</span><br />
      passed Derrick Brooks for the team record.</p>
<p>
      © 2011 STATS LLC <img src="http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/STATSlogo.gif" align="absmiddle" alt="STATS, Inc" /></p>
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		<title>Atlanta Falcons finish regular season with romp&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-finish-regular-season-with-romp/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-finish-regular-season-with-romp/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:21:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ScallyReelt</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ ATLANTA -- Michael Turner and the Falcons didnt want to settle for just making the playoffs. They wanted momentum and the best seed possible]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="66">
<p>			ATLANTA &#8212; Michael Turner and the Falcons didnt want to settle for just making the playoffs.</p>
<p>They wanted momentum and the best seed possible.</p>
<p>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.		</p>
</p></div>
<div readability="379">
<p>
			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.</p>
<p>We didnt want to come down to the wire, backing into the playoffs, Turner said.</p>
<p>The Falcons were motivated by two blowout losses &#8212; 48-21 to Green Bay in last years playoffs and 45-16 at New Orleans last week.</p>
<p>Getting embarrassed like that last year, thats not who we were, Turner said. We just wanted another chance.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The Falcons led 42-0 when they began resting some starters, including quarterback Matt Ryan and Turner, late in the first half.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Ryan was 6 of 9 for 106 yards, including touchdown passes of 17 and 48 yards to Jones in the first quarter.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>This is not the season we wanted or expected, but we will need to rededicate ourselves and get ready for this offseason, Morris said. </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>Tampa Bays other touchdown came on Elbert Macks 40-yard interception return against Falcons backup Chris Redman in the third quarter.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The Falcons led 21-0 after the first quarter and then put the game away with three more touchdowns in the second quarter. </p>
<p>The strong showing was important for the Falcons. Last weeks loss at New Orleans was the worst in four seasons with Smith.</p>
<p>The main thing we wanted to do was flush out of our system last week, tight end Tony Gonzalez said. </p>
<p>The Falcons announced before the game Gonzalez, 35, has signed a one-year contract extension, ending speculation he might retire after this season.</p>
<p>The Falcons had the No. 1 seed in the playoffs last year before losing to the Packers. </p>
<p>Despite the teams lower seed, Gonzalez said the Falcons are prepared for a longer postseason run.</p>
<p>Honestly, Ive said it all year: I think were a better team than we were last year, Gonzalez said.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>After Ryans first TD pass to Jones, Dominique Franks interception on Tampa Bays first down gave the ball back to Atlanta. </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Turner had two touchdown runs and Curtis Lofton returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.</p>
<p>Matt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter after the Buccaneers were stopped on fourth down at their 10.</p>
<p>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. &#8230; Turner has 50 rushing touchdowns in four seasons with the Falcons, passing Gerald Riggs team record of 48. &#8230; 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. &#8230; By playing in his 225th game with Tampa Bay, CB Ronde Barber passed Derrick Brooks for the team record.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay	0	7	11	6&#8211;24</p>
<p>Atlanta	21	21	0	3&#8211;45</p>
<p>First Quarter</p>
<p>Atl&#8211;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.</p>
<p>Atl&#8211;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.</p>
<p>Atl&#8211;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.</p>
<p>Second Quarter</p>
<p>Atl&#8211;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.</p>
<p>Atl&#8211;Lofton 26 interception return (Bryant kick), 10:43. Atlanta 35, Tampa Bay 0.</p>
<p>Atl&#8211;Turner 81 run (Bryant kick), 6:49. Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:50. Atlanta 42, Tampa Bay 0.</p>
<p>TB&#8211;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.</p>
<p>Third Quarter</p>
<p>TB&#8211;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.</p>
<p>TB&#8211;Mack 40 interception return (Winslow pass from Freeman), 3:32. Atlanta 42, Tampa Bay 18.</p>
<p>Fourth Quarter</p>
<p>TB&#8211;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.</p>
<p>Atl&#8211;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.</p>
<p>A&#8211;68,167.</p>
<p>	TB	Atl</p>
<p>FIRST DOWNS	18	22</p>
<p> Rushing	3	13</p>
<p> Passing	15	8</p>
<p> Penalty	0	1</p>
<p>THIRD DOWN EFF	6-12	6-11</p>
<p>FOURTH DOWN EFF	0-1	1-1</p>
<p>TOTAL NET YARDS	294	428</p>
<p> Total Plays	61	59</p>
<p> Avg Gain	4.8	7.3</p>
<p>NET YARDS RUSHING	35	251</p>
<p> Rushes	14	38</p>
<p> Avg per rush	2.5	6.6</p>
<p>NET YARDS PASSING	259	177</p>
<p> Sacked-Yds lost	2-15	0-0</p>
<p> Gross-Yds passing	274	177</p>
<p> Completed-Att.	31-45	13-21</p>
<p> Had Intercepted	3	1</p>
<p> Yards-Pass Play	5.5	8.4</p>
<p>KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB	5-4-4	8-7-5</p>
<p>PUNTS-Avg.	3-49.7	2-50.5</p>
<p> Punts blocked	0	0</p>
<p>FGs-PATs blocked	0-0	0-0</p>
<p>TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE	108	58</p>
<p> Punt Returns	2-15	1-9</p>
<p> Kickoff Returns	3-53	0-0</p>
<p> Interceptions	1-40	3-49</p>
<p>PENALTIES-Yds	2-20	3-20</p>
<p>FUMBLES-Lost	3-1	1-1</p>
<p>TIME OF POSSESSION	29:52	30:08</p>
<p>INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS</p>
<p>RUSHING&#8211;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).</p>
<p>PASSING&#8211;Tampa Bay, Freeman 31-45-3-274. Atlanta, Ryan 6-9-0-106, Redman 7-12-1-71.</p>
<p>RECEIVING&#8211;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.</p>
<p>PUNT RETURNS&#8211;Tampa Bay, Spurlock 2-15. Atlanta, Weems 1-9.</p>
<p>KICKOFF RETURNS&#8211;Tampa Bay, Parker 2-41, Spurlock 1-12. Atlanta, None.</p>
<p>TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS&#8211;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.</p>
<p>INTERCEPTIONS&#8211;Tampa Bay, Mack 1-40. Atlanta, Lofton 1-26, Walls 1-23, Franks 1-0.</p>
<p>MISSED FIELD GOALS&#8211;None.</p>
<p>OFFICIALS&#8211;Referee Scott Green, Ump Bruce Stritesky, HL Tom Stabile, LJ Tom Barnes, FJ Dyrol Prioleau, SJ Larry Rose, BJ Scott Helverson, Replay Carl Madsen.</p>
<p>Time: 2:58.		</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>What do you guys think about this.</p>
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		<title>Falcons beat Bucs, 45-24, clinch NFC&#8217;s No. 5 seed</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/falcons-beat-bucs-45-24-clinch-nfcs-no-5-seed/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/falcons-beat-bucs-45-24-clinch-nfcs-no-5-seed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:32:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NaseCalay</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ The Atlanta Falcons grabbed the lead _ and the No. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="152">
<p>The Atlanta Falcons grabbed the lead _ and the No. 5 seed in the<br />
playoffs _ and wouldn&#8217;t let go.</p>
<p>Julio Jones caught two touchdown passes in a span of 26 seconds,<br />
Michael Turner ran for two scores and the Falcons used a<br />
team-record 42 first-half points to cruise to a 45-24 win over the<br />
Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday to clinch the No. 5 seed in the NFC<br />
playoffs.</p>
<p>The Falcons (10-6) and Detroit (10-6) are the NFC wild cards.<br />
Atlanta, which beat Detroit on Oct. 23, won the tiebreaker with the<br />
Lions for the more favorable seeding. The Falcons will play at the<br />
winner of Sunday night&#8217;s Dallas-New York Giants game in the first<br />
round of the playoffs.</p>
<p>&#8220;We wanted to play our final regular-season game with a lot of<br />
intensity and energy, and I think we did that in all three phases,&#8221;<br />
Falcons coach Mike Smith said.</p>
<p>Josh Freeman threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the<br />
first half as the Buccaneers (4-12) closed their season with their<br />
10th straight loss, leaving the status of coach Raheem Morris in<br />
doubt.</p>
<p>The Falcons led 42-0 when it began resting some of its starters,<br />
including quarterback Matt Ryan and Turner, late in the first<br />
half.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay, which finished 10-6 last season and started 4-2 this<br />
season, is left with its longest losing streak in one season in 34<br />
years. The Buccaneers also lost 10 straight in 1977. They lost 11<br />
straight between the 2008 and `09 seasons.</p>
<p>Turnovers were a problem for the Buccaneers all season. Freeman<br />
began the day tied for the league lead with 19 interceptions before<br />
adding three to the dismal total, including one with 1:39<br />
remaining.</p>
<p>Freeman completed 31 of 45 passes for 274 yards with two<br />
touchdowns and three interceptions.</p>
<p>With Atlanta leading 42-0, Freeman threw a 2-yard touchdown pass<br />
to Dezmon Briscoe with about 2 minutes remaining in the first half.<br />
Freeman threw a 5-yard TD pass to Briscoe in the fourth<br />
quarter.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay&#8217;s other touchdown came on Elbert Mack&#8217;s 40-yard<br />
interception return against Falcons&#8217; backup Chris Redman in the<br />
third quarter.</p>
<p>Turner ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including an<br />
81-yard scoring run late in the first half. The score capped the<br />
Falcons&#8217; run of six unanswered touchdowns.</p>
<p>The Falcons led 21-0 after the first quarter and then put the<br />
game away with three more touchdowns in the second quarter.</p>
<p>The strong showing was important for the Falcons, who were<br />
coming off a 45-16 loss at New Orleans that was the worst loss in<br />
four seasons with Smith.</p>
<p>&#8220;We had some things we needed to get fixed from the previous<br />
game and I&#8217;m really proud of the way the guys bounced back,&#8221; Smith<br />
said.</p>
<p>Ryan was 6 of 9 for 106 yards, including touchdown passes of 17<br />
and 48 yards to Jones in the first quarter.</p>
<p>Rookie Jacquizz Rodgers scored on a 1-yard run for his first<br />
career touchdown to start the Falcons&#8217; scoring. Rodgers lost a<br />
fumble at the Tampa Bay 2 in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>After Ryan&#8217;s first TD pass to Jones, Dominique Franks&#8217;<br />
interception on Tampa Bay&#8217;s first down gave the ball back to<br />
Atlanta.</p>
<p>On first down from the Buccaneers 48, Ryan again threw to Jones,<br />
who fought off safety Tanard Jackson for the catch. Jones then<br />
jumped up from the turf, hit cornerback E.J. Biggers with a<br />
stiff-arm and then dragged Biggers into the end zone.</p>
<p>Turner had two touchdown runs and Curtis Lofton returned an<br />
interception 26 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.</p>
<p>Matt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal late in the fourth<br />
quarter after the Buccaneers were stopped on fourth down at their<br />
10.</p>
<p>Turner&#8217;s two touchdowns gave him a team-record 50 rushing scores<br />
with the Falcons, passing Gerald Riggs&#8217; record of 48.</p>
<p>Roddy White also celebrated a milestone, passing Terance Mathis<br />
for the most yards receiving with the Falcons. Mathis had 7,349<br />
yards from 1994-2001. White began Sunday 44 yards behind Mathis and<br />
set the mark in the third quarter.</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>What are your opinions.</p>
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		<title>Drew Brees&#8217; passing game against the Atlanta&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/drew-brees-passing-game-against-the-atlanta/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/drew-brees-passing-game-against-the-atlanta/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>IntikeVeife</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/drew-brees-passing-game-against-the-atlanta/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ A look at Drew Brees' passing accuracy during the New Orleans Saints' 45-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons last Monday night. This weekly graphic breaks the field into six zones, depicting Brees' hotspots and occasional rough patches. Noteworthy: Brees broke Dan Marino's 1984 record of most passing yards in a regular season on his last throw of the game, a touchdown to Darren Sproles. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="40.962774957699">
<p>A look at Drew Brees&#8217; passing accuracy during the New Orleans Saints&#8217; 45-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons last Monday night. This weekly graphic breaks the field into six zones, depicting Brees&#8217; hotspots and occasional rough patches.</p>
<p><b>Noteworthy:</b> Brees broke Dan Marino&#8217;s 1984 record of most passing yards in a regular season on his last throw of the game, a touchdown to Darren Sproles. Brees has thrown for 5,087 yards this season, three more than Marino threw 27 years ago. Brees also threw his four touchdowns to a different part of the field. <br/></p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>Thanks for reading! .</p>
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		<title>Tampa Bay Buccaneers scheme for Atlanta Falcons&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/tampa-bay-buccaneers-scheme-for-atlanta-falcons/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/tampa-bay-buccaneers-scheme-for-atlanta-falcons/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:39:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>omiblyVoild</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ By Stephen F. Holder , Times Staff Writer Tampa Bay Times In Print: Saturday, December 31, 2011 TAMPA — As Tony Gonzalez walked off the field Monday night at the Louisiana Superdome, a certain rising young star stopped him to ask what everyone wants to know. Saints TE Jimmy Graham , named to the Pro Bowl this week in just his second season, had to ask Gonzalez: What's his secret? ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
<p>
			By <span><span>Stephen F. Holder</span></span>, Times Staff Writer<span><span>Tampa Bay Times</span></span><br/>In Print: Saturday, December 31, 2011</p>
<div readability="119">
<p>TAMPA — As <b>Tony Gonzalez </b>walked off the field Monday night at the Louisiana Superdome, a certain rising young star stopped him to ask what everyone wants to know.</p>
<p>Saints TE <b>Jimmy Graham</b>, named to the Pro Bowl this week in just his second season, had to ask Gonzalez: What&#8217;s his secret?</p>
<p>&#8220;I get that question a lot,&#8221; said Gonzalez, the Falcons tight end and likely Hall of Famer who plays the Bucs on Sunday. </p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not really something I can sum up in a few words. I guess, to put it simply, it&#8217;s hard work, perseverance (and) you have to have to mind-set of total conviction and a passion for the game. </p>
<p>&#8220;And you have to kind of be obsessed. It&#8217;s borderline crazy. Not everybody can do it. Most people can&#8217;t do it. You have to be obsessed with being the best player you can be. That means you&#8217;re going to put in a lot more work than the next guy. That means before practice, during practice, after practice. There&#8217;s really no offseason.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Bucs can attest. Gonzalez has been a matchup nightmare for Tampa Bay, which has opted to use CB <b>Ronde Barber</b>, also a 15-year veteran, against him.</p>
<p>Gonzalez, 35, and Barber, 36, share a mutual admiration.</p>
<p>&#8220;We came in (to the league) together, so obviously we&#8217;ve had a chance to go against each other a lot,&#8221; Gonzalez said of Barber. &#8220;I respect him so much because, when you talk about perseverance and being able to stick around and play at such a level like he does for a long time, obviously I know firsthand how hard it is.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not an easy thing to do. It has little to do with athletic ability. It has more to do with mind-set, and I really respect him for that. He&#8217;s always in the right place at the right time. You&#8217;re looking at the film and you say, &#8216;How did he make that play?&#8217; It&#8217;s probably not even in their defensive package. But he saw something and hit the hole and made the play. It&#8217;s results, and this guy gets results. It&#8217;s a privilege to go against someone like him.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Bucs have had mixed results against Gonzalez. He had just two catches for 18 yards in the first meeting this season. But he had an eight-catch, 72-yard performance last season and caught nine passes for 83 yards in a meeting in 2009.</p>
<p><b>TRUEBLOOD OUT:</b> <b>Jeremy Trueblood</b>&#8216;s season is over, with the veteran right tackle ruled out for Sunday after a concussion.</p>
<p>According to Bucs coach <b>Raheem Morris</b>, Trueblood will be replaced in the lineup by <b>James Lee</b>, a player who becomes a free agent in the offseason but gets a final chance to impress his current team. Lee has been slowed by injuries this season, one year after he replaced Trueblood down the stretch of a 10-6 season.</p>
<p>The Bucs also might take a look at <b>Demar Dotson</b> at right tackle, Morris said. He has played extensively as a tight end in two-tight end, short-yardage situations, but he hasn&#8217;t played much as a tackle.</p>
<p><b>injury updates:</b> WR <b>Arrelious Benn</b> is questionable after not practicing this week because of a neck injury. DT <b>Alb</b><b>ert Haynesworth</b> (knee) also missed practice and is questionable. He missed last week&#8217;s game at Carolina, as did DT <b>Brian Price </b>(ankle). Morris said Price was improving and had a chance to play after practicing Friday.</p>
<p><i>Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com or </i><i>(813) 22</i><i>6-3377. View his blog at </i><i>tampabay.c</i><i>om/blogs/bucs. Follow him on </i><i>Twitte</i><i>r at @BucsBeat.</i></p>
<p><br/></div>
</p>
<p> Gotta run!. </p>
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		<title>Adventures in Officiating: Jeff Triplette is just&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/adventures-in-officiating-jeff-triplette-is-just/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:16:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dothetentyLes</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/adventures-in-officiating-jeff-triplette-is-just/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Jeff Triplette, Shutdown Corner's favorite NFL official, is at it again. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="76.810446780552">
<p><img width="609" alt="" src="http://l.yimg.com/lk/api/res/1.2/LGaxyjRoJ0BPQ0XkHlzuBQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW1lZGlhO2g9MzQwO3c9NjEw/http://mit.zenfs.com/209/2011/12/yahoo_triplette.jpg" title="yahoo_triplette" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14833" height="340" /></p>
<p>Jeff Triplette, Shutdown Corner&#8217;s favorite NFL official, is at it again. This time, Triplette took his tremendous combination of &#8220;skills&#8221; to the Monday Night Football game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. You&#8217;d think the NFL would want one of its best guys working a game of this importance, but as you&#8217;ll see when Triplette no doubt gets another playoff assignment, the NFL doesn&#8217;t seem to enforce any real standards when it comes to the competence of its officials.</p>
<p>Anyway, here&#8217;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. <span>Drew Brees</span> drops back, doesn&#8217;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&#8217; 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.</p>
<p>And that&#8217;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:</p>
<p>&#8220;There is no hold on the play … as it is a screen pass. The blocker was shedding him to the side.&#8221;</p>
<p>Uh &#8230; what?</p>
<p>Well, here&#8217;s the first problem, Jeff. We don&#8217;t know who either &#8220;the blocker&#8221; is, based on your description. You&#8217;re having a conversation with your umpire about a flag that apparently shouldn&#8217;t have been thrown, and that&#8217;s fine. But it would help if you informed us of your thought process in the first place. We&#8217;re assuming you&#8217;re just not smart enough to realize that you have an obligation to describe the penalty, whether it&#8217;s waved off or not, once you turn on your little microphone.</p>
<p>Unless, of course, our ancillary theory is correct and you&#8217;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.</p>
<p>Fortunately, Ron Jaworski spelled it out in the ESPN booth.</p>
<p>&#8220;You can see [Saints left tackle] <span>Jermon Bushrod</span> laying on [Falcons defensive end] <span>John Abraham,&#8221;</span> Jaworski said. &#8220;I&#8217;m not so sure it was a screen, though. In fact, it <em>wasn&#8217;t</em> a screen.&#8221;</p>
<p>Yeah … that&#8217;s the second problem, Jeff. It WAS a hold, because <em><strong>it WASN&#8217;T a screen pass. It wasn&#8217;t a pass at all</strong></em>. And there is no specific exception in the rulebook for a screen pass overthrowing a holding call even if it was a screen pass.</p>
<p>There is a provision that holding will not be called if it happens after a pass is clearly thrown, but Brees didn&#8217;t throw a pass at all. He read his coverage, saw nobody open, and scrambled. There is another provision that holding won&#8217;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.</p>
<p>So, Mr. Triplette, we ask you as we frequently do: What the hell were you talking about?</p>
<p>Related: Jermon Bushrod, Drew Brees, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Adventures in Officiating</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p> Running low on time today, i&#8217;ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. </p>
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		<title>Atlanta Falcons 2011 Fantasy Football Stars:&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-2011-fantasy-football-stars/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>onlinedatesite</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-2011-fantasy-football-stars/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Although the Atlanta Falcons failed to live up to the expectations their 13-3 2010 season brought upon them, they are still in the NFC playoffs and are still a dangerous team to play. The team possesses top ranked skill position players across the offense, starting with Matt Ryan and ending with rookie wide out, Julio Jones. The 2011 fantasy football season saw several Falcons players inserted into weekly lineups, but who are the biggest surprise and disappointments, and which star can say they were the Falcons 2011 fantasy MVP? ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="84.822308233638">
<p>Although the Atlanta Falcons failed to live up to the expectations their 13-3 2010 season brought upon them, they are still in the NFC playoffs and are still a dangerous team to play. The team possesses top ranked skill position players across the offense, starting with <span>Matt Ryan</span> and ending with rookie wide out, <span>Julio Jones.</span> The 2011 fantasy football season saw several Falcons players inserted into weekly lineups, but who are the biggest surprise and disappointments, and which star can say they were the Falcons 2011 fantasy MVP?</p>
<p><b>MVP &#8211; Matt Ryan</b></p>
<p>While quarterbacks are always critiqued on their playoff record (Ryan is winless), Ryan has continued to grow during the regular season and has become a top-tier fantasy quarterback. He has already surpassed his career high by more than 300 yards and needs one touchdown in the season finale to tie his career high. For the second straight season, the Falcons are relying on Ryan&#8217;s arm to get them to the playoffs, which is something Ryan doesn&#8217;t seem to mind.</p>
<p><b>Biggest Surprise &#8211; Julio Jones</b></p>
<p>The Falcons mortgaged their future to draft the rookie from Alabama and if this season is any indication of the future, they will be alright. Despite missing three games, Jones put together a great fantasy season for fantasy GMs who wanted to give him a go. If he gets another 113 yards in the season finale, Jones will reach 1,000 yards on the year, putting him in great rookie company this season in that club (<span>Victor Cruz</span> and <span>A.J. Green).</span></p>
<p><b>Biggest Disappointment &#8211; <span>Michael Turner</span></b></p>
<p>It&#8217;s hard to say that a man who rushed for more than 1,100 yards this season is a disappointment, but for Turner, that is the case. When you look at his numbers, they are on par or even less than what he has done since coming to Atlanta. That is the problem. He was expected to do more than 78 yards per game. Fantasy GMs were hoping to see 85-88 yards per game like they saw a season ago, but it didn&#8217;t happen. He has five more receptions this season than he did a year ago, but those 15 catches don&#8217;t make managers jump at selecting Turner in PPR leagues.</p>
<p><i>With most fantasy leagues complete following week 16, I have started my end of season reports prior to the end of the week 17. This notation is for readers to be aware that the statistics mentioned are not final.</i></p>
<p>For a closer look at All-Injury teams for all major fantasy positions, click here.</p>
<p>More from this contributor:</p>
<p>LeSean McCoy is Top Fantasy Running Back in 2011</p>
<p>Backup Running Backs to make Splash in 2011</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t Give up on These Players too Early</p>
<p>Drafting Individual Defensive Players?</p>
<p>Top 2011 Fantasy Football Rookies</p>
<p><i>Hobson Lopes has been playing fantasy football for more than 10 years and can be followed on Twitter</i> <i>@HobsonLopes</i><i>.</i></p>
<p><i>Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.</i></p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p> That&#8217;s all  for today.</p>
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		<title>Atlanta Falcons say they won&#8217;t let up in season&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-say-they-wont-let-up-in-season/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:03:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>accidenthelp</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ By Stephen F. Holder , Times Staff Writer Tampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, December 29, 2011 TAMPA — The Falcons could have a very limited ability to impact their playoff position in Sunday's game against the Bucs, but Atlanta maintains it will play to win. Coach Mike Smith suggested Wednesday that he would not rest his starters or coach differently, but he wasn't entirely specific. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
<p>
			By <span><span>Stephen F. Holder</span></span>, Times Staff Writer<span><span>Tampa Bay Times</span></span><br/>In Print: Thursday, December 29, 2011</p>
<div readability="122">
<p>TAMPA — The Falcons could have a very limited ability to impact their playoff position in Sunday&#8217;s game against the Bucs, but Atlanta maintains it will play to win.</p>
<p>Coach <b>Mike Smith </b>suggested Wednesday that he would not rest his starters or coach differently, but he wasn&#8217;t entirely specific.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our preparation week is going to be no different than any other week,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;We know there are some things that are set in concrete. We know we&#8217;ll be playing the following week. We don&#8217;t know who or where or when, and we&#8217;ve just got to go through our normal preparation and prepare to beat Tampa Bay.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s our entire focus this week. We&#8217;re not thinking about the second season.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Bucs (4-11) hope to end the season by snapping a nine-game losing streak.</p>
<p>The Falcons (9-6), meanwhile, will know by the 4:15 kickoff if their game affects their playoff seeding. If the Lions defeat the Packers earlier in the day, the Falcons are the sixth seed, no matter the outcome of the Bucs game. But if the Lions lose, the Falcons can grab the fifth seed with a win.</p>
<p>All-Pro TE <b>Tony Gonzalez </b>said the Falcons want to play to win after their 45-16 thumping at the hands of the Saints on Monday night.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s business as usual around here,&#8221; Gonzalez said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to try to go out and win a football game against a really good team that beat us earlier in the season. I don&#8217;t think anybody&#8217;s mind-set around here is that we&#8217;re going to go ahead and rest, especially after last week the way we performed against the Saints. We have to go out there and put on a good performance going into the playoffs.&#8221;</p>
<p><b>WELL DESERVED:</b> RG <b>Davin Joseph</b>&#8216;s selection to the Pro Bowl this week didn&#8217;t surprise QB <b>J</b><b>osh Freeman</b>. And it probably shouldn&#8217;t have surprised some of the Bucs&#8217; opponents, either.</p>
<p>&#8220;I remember Ndamukong Suh before the first game said, &#8216;Man, you&#8217;ve got to keep (No.) 75 from cheap (shots),&#8217; &#8221; Freeman said of the Lions&#8217; defensive tackle. &#8220;I&#8217;m like, &#8216;Are you really telling me this? You of all people?&#8217; Guys throughout the year said the same thing. (Texans LB) <b>Brian Cushing </b>comes to mind. They know about Davin. They know what a great player he is, and it&#8217;s great to have him on our team.&#8221;</p>
<p>For his part, Joseph, headed to his second Pro Bowl, said he&#8217;d take team accomplishments over individual ones.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you give me 10 wins, I&#8217;d trade it all in,&#8221; said the 2006 first-round pick out of Oklahoma. &#8220;It just shows we have talent, and there&#8217;s no doubt we put in a lot of work. It just hasn&#8217;t panned out for us right now. But, soon, it will.&#8221;</p>
<p>In a season full of negatives, Joseph&#8217;s play has stood out, according to Freeman: &#8220;Davin has been a major bright spot, the effort that guy gives, his intensity. I hear guys all the time talk about, &#8216;You&#8217;ve got to keep that No. 75, watch out for him. Tell him to cut out the cheap shots.&#8217; (They) are not cheap shots. They&#8217;re hustle plays.&#8221;</p>
<p><b>INJURY REPORT:</b> The Bucs are limping into their final game as decimated by injuries as they&#8217;ve been all season. The injury report includes seven players who were unable to practice Wednesday in any capacity: WR <b>Arr</b><b>elious Benn </b>(neck), DE <b>Micha</b><b>el Bennett </b>(toe), DT <b>Alb</b><b>ert Haynesworth </b>(knee), DT <b>R</b><b>oy Miller </b>(back), DT Brian Price (ankle), WR <b>Pres</b><b>ton Parker </b>(concussion) and RT <b>Jeremy Trueblood </b>(concussion). The defensive line is particularly thin, with only three defensive tackles available Wednesday: <b>Frank Okam</b>, new signee <b>Jovan Haye </b>and practice squad member <b>Lamar Divens</b>.</p>
<p><i>S</i>taff writer Rick Stroud contributed to this report.</p>
<p><br/></div>
</p>
<p>Leave your comments on the news below.</p>
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		<title>Smith looks to fix Falcons</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/smith-looks-to-fix-falcons/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:12:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>HakeZooxetedo</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Coach Mike Smith has led the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs in three of his four seasons. FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Coach Mike Smith has led the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs in three of his four seasons. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="137">
<p>Coach Mike Smith has led the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs in three of his four seasons.</p>
<p>FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. &#8212; Coach Mike Smith has led the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs in three of his four seasons.</p>
<p>Right now, he couldn&#8217;t care less.</p>
<p>Smith spent Tuesday trying to find answers for major breakdowns following the Falcons&#8217; blowout loss the night before in New Orleans.</p>
<p>A 45-16 defeat left him determined to fix these problems before the postseason begins in two weeks.</p>
<p>The Falcons (9-6) host Tampa Bay (4-11) in the regular-season finale on Sunday and will learn later that day where they will travel to open the playoffs.</p>
<p>But Smith has more immediate concerns after watching his team lose badly to the Saints.</p>
<p>&#8220;We did not match their physicality,&#8221; Smith said, &#8220;and I don&#8217;t think we played real smart either.&#8221;</p>
<p>Atlanta&#8217;s offense, which had scored a combined 72 points in the previous two games, was inconsistent:</p>
<p>n Before the score was lopsided, the Falcons had to settle for field goals on three red zone possessions and went three-and-out both times the defense picked off Saints quarterback Drew Brees.</p>
<p>n Running back Michael Turner, the NFL&#8217;s sixth-leading rusher, finished with 39 yards on 11 carries.</p>
<p>n Rookie receiver Julio Jones lost a fourth-quarter fumble that New Orleans&#8217; Malcolm Jenkins returned for a 30-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach.</p>
<p>The Falcons&#8217; defense was worse:</p>
<p>n New Orleans, which leads the NFL in third down rate, converted its first nine chances and finished 10-for-13 as Atlanta failed to match the Saints&#8217; frenetic substitution patterns.</p>
<p>n The Falcons were a mess in the red zone, allowing four touchdowns in six opportunities. It seemed appropriate that Brees ended the night by setting the league&#8217;s single-season passing record with a 9-yard TD pass on second-and-goal.</p>
<p>n And after falling to 2-6 against New Orleans in his tenure as Atlanta&#8217;s coach, Smith was frustrated by his team&#8217;s inability to pressure Brees consistently. He was only sacked once.</p>
<p>&#8220;We had a couple of opportunities with blitzes in which we had some free runners at them and we did not make the play,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;But our pass rush was not what it needs to be. You can&#8217;t give that guy time if you&#8217;re playing matchup coverages, man coverages and if he gets time, those guys are going to get open. That was the case on a number of occasions.&#8221;</p>
<p>With so much at stake in the division, right end John Abraham never believed the Falcons would begin the night playing timidly on defense.</p>
<p>But even though a win over New Orleans would&#8217;ve given Atlanta the chance to win the NFC South and host a playoff game, Abraham wondered if his team was overly confident after beating Jacksonville 41-14 the week before.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know why we came out a little sluggish, but we did,&#8221; Abraham said. &#8220;And in the end they got the momentum and held onto it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Whether the Falcons have some kind of identity crisis remains to be seen. They had won four of five since losing in overtime to New Orleans six weeks ago, but have just two victories this season over teams with winning records (Detroit and Tennessee).</p>
<p>Tampa Bay, which visits the Georgia Dome on Sunday, isn&#8217;t likely to give Atlanta much of a gauge. The Buccaneers have lost nine straight and are coming off a 32-point road loss at Carolina.</p>
<p>Smith promises, though, that he will keep his team focused on Tampa Bay and not on the playoffs. Atlanta is 0-2 in the postseason during his tenure.</p>
<p>&#8220;I can assure you that for our organization, our goal is not just to make the playoffs,&#8221; Smith said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our goals are much higher than that, and we have a roadmap that you have to follow to get there, meaning that you&#8217;ve got games to play and we didn&#8217;t play very good last night. I think it is a humbling experience for all of us because we didn&#8217;t play Atlanta Falcon football like we know we&#8217;re capable of playing.&#8221;</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p> Leave any suggestions in the comment box.</p>
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		<title>Following blowout loss at New Orleans, Falcons&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/following-blowout-loss-at-new-orleans-falcons/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/following-blowout-loss-at-new-orleans-falcons/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:13:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jarappext</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/following-blowout-loss-at-new-orleans-falcons/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Smith spent Tuesday trying to find answers for major breakdowns following the Falcons’ blowout loss the night before in New Orleans. A 45-16 defeat left him determined to fix these problems before the postseason begins in two weeks. The Falcons (9-6) host Tampa Bay (4-11) in the regular-season finale on Sunday and will learn later that day where they will travel to open the playoffs]]></description>
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<p>Smith spent Tuesday trying to find answers for major breakdowns following the Falcons’ blowout loss the night before in New Orleans.</p>
<p>A 45-16 defeat left him determined to fix these problems before the postseason begins in two weeks.</p>
<p>The Falcons (9-6) host Tampa Bay (4-11) in the regular-season finale on Sunday and will learn later that day where they will travel to open the playoffs.</p>
<p>But Smith has more immediate concerns after watching his team lose badly to the Saints.</p>
<p> “We did not match their physicality,” Smith said, “and I don’t think we played real smart either.”</p>
<p>Atlanta’s offense, which had scored a combined 72 points in the previous two games, was inconsistent:</p>
<p>— Before the score was lopsided, the Falcons had to settle for field goals on three red zone possessions and went three-and-out both times the defense picked off Saints quarterback Drew Brees.</p>
<p>— Running back Michael Turner, the NFL’s sixth-leading rusher, finished with 39 yards on 11 carries.</p>
<p>— Rookie receiver Julio Jones lost a fourth-quarter fumble that New Orleans’ Malcolm Jenkins returned for a 30-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach.</p>
<p>The Falcons’ defense was worse:</p>
<p>— New Orleans, which leads the NFL in third down rate, converted its first nine chances and finished 10 for 13 as Atlanta failed to match the Saints’ frenetic substitution patterns.</p>
<p>— The Falcons were a mess in the red zone, allowing four touchdowns in six opportunities. It seemed appropriate that Brees ended the night by setting the league’s single-season passing record with a 9-yard TD pass on second-and-goal.</p>
<p>— And after falling to 2-6 against New Orleans in his tenure as Atlanta’s coach, Smith was frustrated by his team’s inability to pressure Brees consistently. He was only sacked once.</p>
<p> “We had a couple of opportunities with blitzes in which we had some free runners at them and we did not make the play,” he said.</p>
<p> “But our pass rush was not what it needs to be. You can’t give that guy time if you’re playing matchup coverages, man coverages and if he gets time, those guys are going to get open. That was the case on a number of occasions.”</p>
<p>With so much at stake in the division, right end John Abraham never believed the Falcons would begin the night playing timidly on defense.</p>
<p>But even though a win over New Orleans would’ve given Atlanta the chance to win the NFC South and host a playoff game, Abraham wondered if his team was overly confident after beating Jacksonville 41-14 the week before.</p>
<p> “I don’t know why we came out a little sluggish, but we did,” Abraham said. “And in the end they got the momentum and held onto it.”</p>
<p>Whether the Falcons have some kind of identity crisis remains to be seen. They had won four of five since losing in overtime to New Orleans six weeks ago, but have just two victories this season over teams with winning records (Detroit and Tennessee).</p>
<p>Tampa Bay, which visits the Georgia Dome on Sunday, isn’t likely to give Atlanta much of a gauge. The Buccaneers have lost nine straight and are coming off a 32-point road loss at Carolina.</p>
<p>Smith promises, though, that he will keep his team focused on Tampa Bay and not on the playoffs. Atlanta is 0-2 in the postseason during his tenure.</p>
<p> “I can assure you that for our organization, our goal is not just to make the playoffs,” Smith said.</p>
<p> “Our goals are much higher than that, and we have a roadmap that you have to follow to get there, meaning that you’ve got games to play and we didn’t play very good last night. I think it is a humbling experience for all of us because we didn’t play Atlanta Falcon football like we know we’re capable of playing.”</p>
<p>Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</p>
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<p> Gotta run!.</p>
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		<title>Smith takes little delight in making playoffs</title>
		<link>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/smith-takes-little-delight-in-making-playoffs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/smith-takes-little-delight-in-making-playoffs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:12:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Viegairegiamp</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drew Brees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[falcons-news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Abraham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Turner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[atlanta-falcon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[falcons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[malcolm-jenkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[orleans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[playoffs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postseason]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[running]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tenure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.falconswire.com/atlanta-falcons/smith-takes-little-delight-in-making-playoffs/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—Coach Mike Smith has led the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs in three of his four seasons. Right now, he couldn’t care less]]></description>
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<p>FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—Coach Mike Smith has led the Atlanta Falcons to<br />
the playoffs in three of his four seasons.</p>
<p>Right now, he couldn’t care less.</p>
<p>Smith spent Tuesday trying to find answers for major breakdowns following<br />
the Falcons’ blowout loss the night before in New Orleans.</p>
<p>A 45-16 defeat left him determined to fix these problems before the<br />
postseason begins in two weeks.</p>
<p>The Falcons (9-6) host Tampa Bay (4-11) in the regular-season finale on<br />
Sunday and will learn later that day where they will travel to open the<br />
playoffs.</p>
<p>But Smith has more immediate concerns after watching his team lose badly to<br />
the Saints.</p>
<p>“We did not match their physicality,” Smith said, “and I don’t think we<br />
played real smart either.”</p>
<p>Atlanta’s offense, which had scored a combined 72 points in the previous two<br />
games, was inconsistent:</p>
<p>— Before the score was lopsided, the Falcons had to settle for field goals<br />
on three red zone possessions and went three-and-out both times the defense<br />
picked off Saints quarterback <span>Drew Brees.</span></p>
<p>— Running back <span>Michael Turner,</span> the NFL’s sixth-leading rusher, finished with<br />
39 yards on 11 carries.</p>
<p>— Rookie receiver <span>Julio Jones</span> lost a fourth-quarter fumble that New Orleans’<br />
<span>Malcolm Jenkins</span> returned for a 30-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach.</p>
<p>The Falcons’ defense was worse:</p>
<p>— New Orleans, which leads the NFL in third down rate, converted its first<br />
nine chances and finished 10 for 13 as Atlanta failed to match the Saints’<br />
frenetic substitution patterns.</p>
<p>— The Falcons were a mess in the red zone, allowing four touchdowns in six<br />
opportunities. It seemed appropriate that Brees ended the night by setting the<br />
league’s single-season passing record with a 9-yard TD pass on second-and-goal.</p>
<p>— And after falling to 2-6 against New Orleans in his tenure as Atlanta’s<br />
coach, Smith was frustrated by his team’s inability to pressure Brees<br />
consistently. He was only sacked once.</p>
<p>“We had a couple of opportunities with blitzes in which we had some free<br />
runners at them and we did not make the play,” he said.</p>
<p>“But our pass rush was not what it needs to be. You can’t give that guy<br />
time if you’re playing matchup coverages, man coverages and if he gets time,<br />
those guys are going to get open. That was the case on a number of occasions.”</p>
<p>With so much at stake in the division, right end <span>John Abraham</span> never believed<br />
the Falcons would begin the night playing timidly on defense.</p>
<p>But even though a win over New Orleans would’ve given Atlanta the chance to<br />
win the NFC South and host a playoff game, Abraham wondered if his team was<br />
overly confident after beating Jacksonville 41-14 the week before.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why we came out a little sluggish, but we did,” Abraham<br />
said. “And in the end they got the momentum and held onto it.”</p>
<p>Whether the Falcons have some kind of identity crisis remains to be seen.<br />
They had won four of five since losing in overtime to New Orleans six weeks ago,<br />
but have just two victories this season over teams with winning records (Detroit<br />
and Tennessee).</p>
<p>Tampa Bay, which visits the Georgia Dome on Sunday, isn’t likely to give<br />
Atlanta much of a gauge. The Buccaneers have lost nine straight and are coming<br />
off a 32-point road loss at Carolina.</p>
<p>Smith promises, though, that he will keep his team focused on Tampa Bay and<br />
not on the playoffs. Atlanta is 0-2 in the postseason during his tenure.</p>
<p>“I can assure you that for our organization, our goal is not just to make<br />
the playoffs,” Smith said.</p>
<p>“Our goals are much higher than that, and we have a roadmap that you have<br />
to follow to get there, meaning that you’ve got games to play and we didn’t play<br />
very good last night. I think it is a humbling experience for all of us because<br />
we didn’t play Atlanta Falcon football like we know we’re capable of playing.”</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>Comment Below!.</p>
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