fbpx
Wikipedia

2008 Atlanta Falcons season

December 07, 2023

The 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). Overcoming a disappointing 4–12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding phase,[1] completed the regular season with a surprising 11–5 record and earned the #5 seed in the NFC playoffs under first-year head coach Mike Smith; however, the team fell to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in the wild-card round of the playoffs.[2]

2008 Atlanta Falcons season
OwnerArthur Blank
General managerThomas Dimitroff
Head coachMike Smith
Home fieldGeorgia Dome
Results
Record11–5
Division place2nd NFC South
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(at Cardinals) 24–30
Pro BowlersRB Michael Turner
WR Roddy White

Mike Smith was named 2008 NFL Coach of the Year, and quarterback Matt Ryan earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Offseason edit

NFL Draft edit

 
Matt Ryan was the Falcons first round pick in 2008 NFL Draft.

On February 22, prior the start of the NFL Combine, the Falcons won a coin toss that gave them the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft in a gathering with the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs to break a three-way-tie. Each team finished 2007 with a 4–12 record.[3] Some experts said that the Falcons should have used this selection to pick LSU Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey, but the Falcons used their first-round pick to draft Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.[4] The Falcons also traded two of their second-round picks (No. 34 and No. 48) and a fourth-round pick (No. 103) with Washington Redskins to move to No. 21 overall and select USC tackle Sam Baker.[5][6]

Draft edit

Main article: 2008 NFL Draft
2008 Atlanta Falcons draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 3 Matt Ryan *  QB Boston College
1 21 Sam Baker  OT USC
2 37 Curtis Lofton  LB Oklahoma
3 68 Chevis Jackson  CB LSU
3 84 Harry Douglas  WR Louisville
3 98 Thomas DeCoud *  S California
5 138 Robert James  LB Arizona State
5 154 Kroy Biermann  DE. Montana
6 172 Thomas Brown  RB Georgia
4 123 Wilrey Fontenot  CB Arizona
7 232 Keith Zinger  TE LSU
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Transactions edit

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

Final cuts edit

On August 30, the Falcons made 22 roster moves to reach the NFL's 53-player limit.[7]

Minicamp edit

The Falcons opened the first mini camp of 2008 on Monday, April 14. The team had multiple "mini camp" sessions under new Head Coach Mike Smith before the start of training camp in late July. The team worked for three days before the NFL Draft and came back to Flowery Branch for another workout May 10–12.[8] During the minicamp, the Falcons signed tender offers to punter Michael Koenen and defensive end Chauncey Davis.

Training camp edit

For the fourth consecutive year, the Falcons held Russell Falcons Training Camp at the team's Flowery Branch headquarters. Atlanta's 43rd training camp was held from July 25 – August 15, with select morning and afternoon practices open to the public. The Falcons held 30 practices, which included 13 two-a-day sessions. Atlanta traveled to Jacksonville on August 9 for its first preseason contest followed by two home preseason games against Indianapolis the day after training camp breaks (August 16) and Tennessee Titans on August 22 . The Falcons concluded the 2008 preseason schedule with a meeting against the Baltimore Ravens on August 28 at M&T Bank Stadium . In 2007, Russell Athletic and the Atlanta Falcons announced an agreement that includes title sponsorship of the team's three-week preseason training camp at its in-season training facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. The four-year agreement designates Russell Athletic as an official sponsor of the Falcons.[9][10][11][12]

Staff edit

2008 Atlanta Falcons staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Director of athletic performance – Jeff Fish
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Bill Hughan

Roster edit

2008 Atlanta Falcons final final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 11 inactive, 9 practice squad

Preseason edit

Schedule edit

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1[13][14] August 9 Jacksonville Jaguars L 17–20 0–1 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Recap
2[15][16] August 16 Indianapolis Colts L 9–16 0–2 Georgia Dome Recap
3[17][18] August 22 Tennessee Titans W 17–3 1–2 Georgia Dome Recap
4[19][20] August 28 Baltimore Ravens W 10–9 2–2 M&T Bank Stadium Recap

Regular season edit

Schedule edit

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 September 7 Detroit Lions W 34–21 1–0 Georgia Dome Recap
2 September 14 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 9–24 1–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap
3 September 21 Kansas City Chiefs W 38–14 2–1 Georgia Dome Recap
4 September 28 at Carolina Panthers L 9–24 2–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap
5 October 5 at Green Bay Packers W 27–24 3–2 Lambeau Field
6 October 12 Chicago Bears W 22–20 4–2 Georgia Dome Recap
7 Bye
8 October 26 at Philadelphia Eagles L 14–27 4–3 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
9 November 2 at Oakland Raiders W 24–0 5–3 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Recap
10 November 9 New Orleans Saints W 34–20 6–3 Georgia Dome Recap
11 November 16 Denver Broncos L 20–24 6–4 Georgia Dome Recap
12 November 23 Carolina Panthers W 45–28 7–4 Georgia Dome
13 November 30 at San Diego Chargers W 22–16 8–4 Qualcomm Stadium Recap
14 December 7 at New Orleans Saints L 25–29 8–5 Louisiana Superdome Recap
15 December 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 13–10 (OT) 9–5 Georgia Dome Recap
16 December 21 at Minnesota Vikings W 24–17 10–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Recap
17 December 28 St. Louis Rams W 31–27 11–5 Georgia Dome Recap

Standings edit

NFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Carolina Panthers 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 414 329 W1
(5) Atlanta Falcons 11 5 0 .688 3–3 8–4 391 325 W3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 7 0 .563 3–3 8–4 361 323 L4
New Orleans Saints 8 8 0 .500 2–4 5–7 463 393 L1

Game summaries edit

Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 14 7021
Falcons 21 0 10334

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

The Falcons began their 2008 campaign at home against the Detroit Lions. In the first quarter, Atlanta immediately took flight at rookie quarterback Matt Ryan throws his first career NFL pass to WR Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard TD pass.[21] Afterwards, RB Michael Turner (acquired from the Chargers) made an immediate impact as he got a 66-yard TD run and a 5-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Lions responded with RB Kevin Smith getting a 5-yard TD run, while quarterback Jon Kitna completed a 21-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams.[22] In the third quarter, the Falcons went back to work as kicker Jason Elam got a 50-yard field goal, while RB Jerious Norwood got a 10-yard TD run. Detroit tried to rally as Kitna completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Casey FitzSimmons. Atlanta closed out their rout in the fourth quarter with Elam nailing a 25-yard field goal.

With the impressive win, the Falcons began their season at 1–0.

Quarterback Matt Ryan had a good rookie debut completing 9 of 13 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. RB Michael Turner had an outstanding Falcon debut, setting a single-game franchise record with 220 rushing yards. Ryan, who became the first rookie to start a season for the Falcons since Steve Bartkowski in 1975, finished with a solid 161 passing yards and 137.0 quarterback rating. Turner led a ground game that picked up a franchise-record 318 rushing yards 7.6 yards per carry. Game Notes.

  • With the 34–21 victory, Mike Smith earned his first win as a head coach in the NFL
  • Following a 44–41 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the 2007 season finale, the Falcons posted back-to-back games with over 30 points.
  • The win gave the Falcons their first season opening victory since 2006 (20–6 vs. Carolina), their first season opening win at the Georgia Dome since 2005 (vs. Philadelphia, 14–10) and their first win against the Lions at home since 2002 (36–15).
  • By opening the game as a starter, LB Keith Brooking extended his consecutive games starting streak to 113 games dating back to 2000, which moved him past long-time C Jeff Van Note into second place in Falcons history. (Former T Bob Whitfield holds the record with 123 consecutive starts, from week 1, 1993 to week 11, 2000.)
  • Center Todd McClure also extended his consecutive games starting streak to 97-straight games to move past DE Patrick Kerney and WR Terance Mathis into fifth place all-time in that category.
  • The Falcons had 10 players earn opening day starts for the first time in their NFL careers. The players were QB Matt Ryan, LT Sam Baker, RB Michael Turner, TE Ben Hartsock, RG Harvey Dahl, RT Tyson Clabo, DT Jonathan Babineaux, MLB Curtis Lofton, CB Brent Grimes and CB Chris Houston.
  • Curtis Lofton became the first rookie to man the middle of the Falcons defense on opening day since linebacker Buddy Curry in 1980. It was exactly 28 years ago on this date, September 7, 1980, that Curry (the team's second round draft pick) started in the middle of the Falcons defense (at Minnesota, 8 tackles, 0.5 sack).
  • The Falcons broke a team rushing record with 318 yards and 7.4 avg. against Detroit. The previous record was set on September 17, 2006, against Tampa Bay with 306 yards. Atlanta's 318 yards marked the first game Atlanta totaled over 200 rushing yards since December 3, 2006, against Washington, with 256 yards.
  • On Atlanta's first offensive possession of the 2008 season, the Falcons recorded a three-play 74-yard drive that was capped off by WR Michael Jenkins 62-yard touchdown reception from rookie QB Matt Ryan, his first career NFL pass.
  • Matt Ryan became the first quarterback to throw a touchdown on his first career NFL pass since October 8, 2000, when Michael Bishop completed the feat as member of the New England Patriots.
  • Michael Jenkins 62-yard touchdown reception was the longest of his career and the longest touchdown pass recorded by the Falcons since December 23, 2007, when Chris Redman completed a 74-touchdown against Arizona.
  • Atlanta's 62-yard touchdown to WR Michael Jenkins on the first offensive possession of the game was the longest touchdown pass for the Falcons on opening day since September 3, 2000, when Chris Chandler completed a 48-yard touchdown in a 36–28 win.
  • The last time the Falcons scored a touchdown on their opening offensive possession of a game came against the Carolina Panthers on November 11, 2007. Atlanta won the game 20–13.
  • On Atlanta's second possession of the game, RB Michael Turner rushed for a 66-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 14–0 lead. The 66-yard scamper was the fourth-longest rush in Turner's career and the seventh-longest rush in Falcons history.
  • Michael Turner's 117 rushing yards in the first quarter were the most in an opening quarter of a game for the Falcons in at least two decades.
  • Atlanta's 216 yards of total offense in the first quarter was also the highest total in over two decades. The previous high for the Falcons was on October 13, 1991, with 172 yards against San Francisco.
  • Michael Turner ran for 220 yards in his debut with the Falcons. This marked the highest single-game rushing record for the Falcons, formerly held by Gerald Riggs, who set the previous record of 202 rushing yards on September 2, 1984.

Week 2: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 3 339
Buccaneers 7 10 0724

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Following their outstanding home win over the Lions, the Falcons flew to Raymond James Stadium for a Week 2 NFC South duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[23] In the first quarter, Atlanta trailed as Bucs QB Brian Griese completed a 5-yard TD pass to TE John Gilmore. In the second quarter, the Falcons continued to trail as former Falcons RB Warrick Dunn gave Tampa Bay a 17-yard TD run, along with kicker Matt Bryant getting a 33-yard field goal. Atlanta closed out the half with kicker Jason Elam getting a 32-yard field goal.[24] In the third quarter, the Falcons crept closer as Elam kicked a 27-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta tried to rally as Elam nailed a 24-yard field goal. However, the Buccaneers pulled away as RB Earnest Graham got a 68-yard TD run. With the loss, the Falcons fell to 1–1. With Michael Turner running for a franchise-record 220 yards in his Falcons debut, Ryan only threw the ball 13 times against Detroit. Sunday, he had more attempts than that in the first half alone. The Bucs limited Turner to 42 yards on 14 carries. WR Joey Galloway, who did not play in the preseason because of a sore groin, sprained an ankle in the fourth quarter. Falcons rookie LT Sam Baker was hit in the head in the first half and did not return. A week after beating Detroit in his pro debut, Matt Ryan threw incompletions on his first nine passes before settling down to keep Atlanta in the game with three field goal drives that trimmed a 17-point deficit to eight with five minutes to go.

  • The Falcons defense allowed Tampa Bay to rush for only two yards in the first quarter on six attempts. The Buccaneers two yards is the lowest total for a Falcons opponent in the first quarter of a game since December 14, 2003, when the Indianapolis Colts posted two rushing yards on seven carries. At the end of the first half, Tampa's rushing total was 36 yards, the lowest total for a Falcons opponent in the first half of play since December 31, 2006, when Philadelphia only managed 34 yards in the first two-quarters.
  • Matt Ryan led the Falcons on a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive in the third quarter, which was capped by a Jason Elam 27-yard field goal. Ryan completed six of seven passes on the drive for 62 yards.
  • On his second career carry, wide receiver Harry Douglas took an end-around and rushed for 33 yards to give the Falcons their third first down of the game. The 33-yard scamper is the second longest rush for Atlanta in two games this season.
  • With two minutes remaining in the second quarter, wide receiver/punt returner Adam Jennings set a career-high with a 37-yard punt return topping his old mark of 23 yards set in 2007. The return was also the longest for the Falcons since Allen Rossum returned a punt 37 yards against Cleveland on November 12, 2006. Jennings’ punt return led to a Falcons 32-yard field goal by Elam, the first points of the game for Atlanta.
  • Elam notched three field goals of 32, 27 and 25 yards to extend his streak of splitting the uprights to 20 consecutive kicks.
  • Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux dropped Buccaneers quarterback Brian Griese in the third quarter for his 5.5th career sack. The sack led to a Tampa Bay punt on its first offensive possession of the second half. Three of Babineaux's 5.5 career sacks have come in the first two games of a season (2.0 in 2007, 1.0 in 2008).
  • Falcons defensive end John Abraham posted his fourth sack of the season and his sixth in three consecutive games when he dropped Griese in the fourth quarter to stall a Buccaneers drive in the red zone. On the sack, Abraham forced a fumble which was recovered by defensive tackle Jason Jefferson. The sack was Abraham's 14th in the last 17 games and the 71.5th of his career. The fumble recovery by Jefferson was the first of his career.
  • Following Abraham's fourth quarter sack, the Falcons have now recorded three consecutive games with at least two sacks dating back to the 2007 season finale against the Seattle Seahawks.
  • Head Coach Mike Smith is one for one in challenges after challenging the spot of the ball on a Roddy White reception in the third quarter. After the review the officials determined White had reached the first down marker, which kept the Atlanta drive alive.

Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 7 7014
Falcons 14 10 7738

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta[25]

Michael Turner ran for three touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons scored the first 24 points to beat Kansas City 38–14, giving the Chiefs their 12th straight loss.[26]

Turner had scoring runs of 4, 1 and 2 yards, his first career game with three rushing touchdowns, while leading the Falcons with 104 yards rushing. Jerious Norwood added 75 yards rushing.[27] Turner dragged Chiefs linebacker Pat Thomas for a few steps before breaking free and running through other defenders for a 38-yard run from the Falcons 8. A 30-yard pass from Ryan to Norwood helped set up Turner first touchdown run. Turner 1-yard scoring run in the second quarter gave Atlanta a 24–0 lead. Turner determined run helped to soften the Kansas City defense. Ryan found Roddy White for a 70-yard touchdown pass on Atlanta's next possession, and the Falcons were on their way to a big early lead, ( Ryan 70-yard touchdown pass to White is the longest pass completion for the Falcons since 12/23/07 when wide receiver Laurent Robinson caught a 74-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Redman against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 16 meeting) .

On Kansas City first offensive possession of the game, defensive end John Abraham logged his fifth sack of the season, which led to a Chiefs punt. Abraham tallied his second sack of the game at the end of the third quarter, which included a forced fumble. The two sacks gave Abraham eight in his last four games, 16 in his last 18 games and 73.5 for his career. Entering the Kansas City game, he led the NFL with four sacks after three games, the forced fumble was the 29th of his career, which ranks fourth in the NFL from 2000 to 2008. Turner sparked an Atlanta scoring drive when he posted a 38-yard rush in the first quarter, he capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown, his third of the season. The Falcons drove 92 yards in six plays and also received help from running back Jerious Norwood on the drive who contributed with 45 combined yards (two rushes for 15 yards and one 30-yard reception). Atlanta 92-yard scoring drive, the first of the game, is the longest scoring drive since 12/3/06 at Washington when the Falcons drove 98 yards on six plays capped by a Norwood touchdown run. Kicker Jason Elam was successful on his long field goal attempt of 27 yards against Kansas City, improving his streak of consecutive field goals to 27. Elam also added five extra points for an eight-point day.

Tyler Thigpen, the third starting quarterback in three weeks for Kansas City, threw three interceptions in his first career start. The third interception, by cornerback Chris Houston, was returned 10 yards for a touchdown with 1:01 left in the game.

Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said during the week he would turn to veteran Damon Huard if Thigpen struggled. Thigpen played the full game and was 14-for-36 passing for 128 yards with one touchdown. Down 24–0, Thigpen led a 13-play scoring drive capped by his 15-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe with three seconds left in the first half.

The Chiefs' 12th straight loss came 11 months to the day after their last win. They lost their last nine games in 2007 after a 12–10 win at Oakland on October 21, 2007. The Chiefs comeback continued when Larry Johnson's 48-yard run set up his 1-yard scoring plunge to open the second half, cutting Atlanta lead to 24–14. It was Johnson first rushing touchdown of the season. Johnson, who had 96 yards rushing in his first two games, had 24 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. Johnson has 4,981 yards rushing for his career to pass Christian Okoye (4,897) for second place on the Chiefs all-time list.

The Falcons had a quick answer to Johnson touchdown. Ryan, making his third start, had a 15-yard run and a 17-yard pass to White to set up Turner third touchdown, a 2-yard run. The Chiefs were forced to punt on their first five possessions. Their next two drives ended with interceptions by Erik Coleman and Brent Grimes, Coleman intercepted his first career pass in a Falcons uniform, which also gave him the eighth of his career, it was Coleman first interception since 11/12/06 against the New England Patriots . Coleman pieced together a stellar performance against the Chiefs which included 10 tackles to lead the team and one forced fumble, and Grimes intercepted his first career pass when he stepped in front of a Tyler Thigpen pass in the second quarter. Grimes returned the interception 25 yards, which led to a Falcons touchdown. The Falcons defense allowed only 14 rushing yards in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs, continuing their trend of holding opponents to under 15 rushing yards over the first three contests of the season. Against Tampa Bay in Week 2, Atlanta held the Bucs to two rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes of play, which was the lowest total in the first quarter of a game since for a Falcons opponent since 12/14/03 (vs. Colts, two rushing yards). Below is a look at Atlanta opponent rushing totals in the first quarter of each game this season.

The Falcons moved to 2–0 at the Georgia Dome on the season and gave Head Coach Mike Smith his second career win as a head coach.

Michael Turner became only the fifth Falcons running back in team history to register three or more touchdowns in a game, with the win over the Chiefs improved its record to 5–1 in its last six meetings against AFC West opponents.

Player Opponent Date Rushing TDs
T. J. Duckett Oakland Raiders 12/12/04 4
Michael Turner Kansas City Chiefs 9/21/08 3
Jamal Anderson Detroit Lions 10/6/96 3
Lynn Cain Los Angeles Rams 10/7/84 3
Gerald Riggs Los Angeles Rams 11/17/85 3

Week 4: at Carolina Panthers edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 6 009
Panthers 7 7 3724

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina[28]

Coming off their home win over the Chiefs, the Falcons flew to Bank of America Stadium for a Week 4 NFC South duel with the Carolina Panthers.[29] The Falcons found a way to stick around for three-quarters in Sunday game at Bank of America Stadium but injuries, dropped passes and untimely penalties filled the afternoon. Atlanta lost starting strong safety Lawyer Milloy in the first half after he took a shot to the ribs and played the entire game without starting left tackle Sam Baker. In the first quarter, Atlanta trailed early as Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart getting an 8-yard TD run. The Falcons responded with kicker Jason Elam getting a 33-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Falcons crept closer as Elam kicked a 44-yard field goal. However, Carolina answered with quarterback Jake Delhomme completing a 56-yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith. Atlanta closed out the half with Elam getting a 44-yard field goal. The Panthers (3–1, 1–0) lost starting offensive tackles Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah in the game to injury and also went several series without starting cornerback Ken Lucas. But that didn't stop the NFC South leaders from imposing their will on both sides of the ball and put up more than 400 yards of total offense. For the fourth consecutive game this season, the Falcons defense held their opponent to 16 rushing yards or less in the first quarter of play after the Panthers managed only 16 yards on six carries. John Abraham blocked his first career punt in the second quarter, which led to Elam second field goal of the day. The blocked punt was the first for Atlanta since the 2004 season finale when Demorrio Williams blocked Seattle first kick of the game at Qwest Field. Running back Jerious Norwood posted his second longest rush of the season with a 40-yard scamper in the second quarter. The rush was four yards shy of his season high (44), which he set against Kansas City in Week 3. Norwood has now posted five rushes of 40 yards or more in this three-year career, punter Michael Koenen booted his longest punt of the season with a 60-yard kick in the second quarter. The punt is the longest for Koenen since December 16, 2007, when he nailed a 63-yard punt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, running back Jason Snelling earned his first career start while tight end Justin Peelle started his first game in a Falcons uniform. Brian Finneran caught his first pass of the 2008 campaign on a five-yard reception in the second quarter. The catch was the first for Finneran since the 2005 season finale when he caught four passes for 45 yards against the Carolina Panthers. Roddy White led the Falcons in receiving with seven catches for 90 yards. He continues to remain on pace for a 1,000-yard season. In his fourth career start, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed passes to eight different receivers, a season-high for the Boston College graduate, Ryan finished the game having completed 21 of 41 passes for 158 yards and a 60.8 passer rating

In the third quarter, the Panthers increased their lead with kicker John Kasay nailing a 44-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Carolina sealed the win with Delhomme completing a 36-yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad. The first-year head coach Mike Smith made a concise list in explaining the problems that plagued his offense in Charlotte.

  • Third down conversions (the Falcons were 2-of-13)
  • Red zone penalties (two knocked the Birds outside the 10)
  • six dropped passes (three on third down)

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 2–2.

Week 5: at Green Bay Packers edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 10 7 01027
Packers 0 7 31424

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Panthers, to Falcons flew to Lambeau Field for a Week 5 duel with the Green Bay Packers.[30][31] Entering Week 5, the Falcons led the league in first quarter scoring with 38 points. Atlanta added to that total with 10 points on a touchdown and field goal. The Falcons have also outscored their opponents in the first quarter by a 48–14 margin.

 
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hands off to Ryan Grant in Atlanta's week 5 encounter at Lambeau Field
 
Green Bay DB Patrick Lee#22 chases Atlanta wide receiver #84 Roddy White

Michael Turner posted his third 100-yard game of the season after finishing with 26 carries for 121 yards and one touchdown. Turner score came at the 3:35 mark in the fourth quarter to give Atlanta a two-possession lead (27–17) which sealed the victory. In the first quarter, Atlanta took flight as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Justin Peelle, along with kicker Jason Elam getting a 42-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Packers responded with quarterback Aaron Rodgers completing a 44-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver. The Falcons closed out the half with Ryan completing a 22-yard TD pass to WR Roddy Whiteto give the Falcons a 17–7 advantage. The catch was his sixth of the day giving White 115 yards in the first half at that point. White contributed with 67 first quarter receiving yards, falling three yards short of his career-high in the first 15 minutes of play (70), which he set on September 21, 2008, against Kansas City. White also finished the first half with 132 yards, which is the most in two-quarters of play for the four-year veteran in his career and the second highest total since Terance Mathis posted 136 on November 19, 1995. On Atlanta first play of the game, Quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 37-yard pass to White crossing into Packers territory. Ryan completed two more receptions to White on the drive for a total of 64 yards, the three completions led to an Atlanta touchdown, which marked the second occasion this season the Falcons scored on their first drive of the game (Week 1 vs. Detroit) and the first time they scored on their first possession of the game on the road, Ryan started the game having completed six of six passes for 72 yards and one touchdown pass, also compiled the best half of football in his rookie career thus far when he completed 13 of 18 passes for 154 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 135.0 passer rating. Ryan finished the game with a season-high 194 passing yards. The Falcons posted a touchdown on their first offensive possession of the game when Ryan led the team 81 yards on 10 plays and completed a one-yard touchdown strike to tight end Justin Peelle, his first as an Atlanta Falcon and the eighth of his career. Center Ben Wilkerson saw his first action of the season at the center position when he briefly replaced Todd McClure on Atlanta first offensive drive of the game. Wilkerson was at center when the Falcons scored their first touchdown in the first quarter. Defensive tackle Grady Jackson logged his first sack of the season and the 34.5th of his career when he dropped Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Green Bay first offensive play of the game, the sack led to a Green Bay punt. Following the first quarter of play the Falcons recorded eight first downs opposed to the Packers who finished the opening 15 minutes of play with zero. Atlanta also racked-up 147 net yards to Green Bay's 10 in the quarter.

At the 6:02 mark in the second quarter, Ryan tallied his second touchdown pass of the day when he found White in the end zone for a 22-yard strike to give the Falcons a 17–7 advantage. The catch was his sixth of the day giving White 115 yards in the first half at that point. White pieced together his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and the ninth of his career after catching eight passes for 132 yards and one touchdown. Following the two-minute mark in the second quarter, defensive end John Abraham notched his seventh sack of the season, dropping Rodgers. The sack was the ninth in his last six games, the 17th in his last 20 contests and the 74.5th of his career. The sack forced a Packers field goal attempt and following an offensive holding call on a converted attempt, Green Bay missed a re-kick.

In the third quarter, Green Bay answered with kicker Mason Crosby getting a 50-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Packers tied the game with Rodgers completing a 25-yard TD pass to WR Greg Jennings, Michael Boley intercepted his first pass of the season and the fifth of his career when he stepped in front of an Aaron Rodgers pass late in the fourth quarter. The INT led to the game-sealing touchdown by Turner, yet Atlanta replied with Elam nailing a 41-yard field goal and RB Michael Turner getting a 2-yard TD run. Fullback Ovie Mughelli carried the ball nine yards on his first rush of the season in the fourth quarter. Following a Packers touchdown to tie the game at 17, running back/kick returner Jerious Norwood returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards into Green Bay territory, marking the second-longest kickoff return of his career, Norwood return set up a Falcons game-sealing touchdown. Green Bay tried to rally as Rodgers completed a 4-yard TD pass to TE Donald Lee, yet the Falcons' defense stiffened for the win.

With the win, Atlanta improved to 3–2.

Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 3 71020
Falcons 6 3 31022

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Coming off their road win over the Packers, the Falcons went home for a Week 6 duel with the Chicago Bears.[32] In the first quarter, Atlanta took flight as kicker Jason Elam got a 29-yard and a 48-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Falcons increased their lead as Elam kicked a 32-yard field goal.[33] The Bears responded with kicker Robbie Gould getting a 36-yard field goal. Entering Sunday game with the Bears, the Falcons led the NFL in first quarter scoring with 48 points. After posting two field goals for a 6–0 lead following the first 15 minutes of play against Chicago, Atlanta has now outscored its opponent in the first quarter by a 54–14 margin.

A chance at a touchdown came with 9:16 remaining in the first half after a curious turn of events near the goal line. A third-down run by Jerious Norwood came up short and ended with a fumble. Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris recovered but lost the ball before he was touched down. Jason Snelling recovered the ball for the Falcons, who got a fresh set of downs. Following the first half of play, the Falcons defense held the Bears to 20 first half rushing yards. The 20 yards are the fewest given up in the first half of a game by Atlanta's defense since October 1, 2006, against Arizona (two yards).

In the third quarter, the Falcons continued to add onto their lead as Elam got a 41-yard field goal, yet Chicago answered with RB Matt Forté getting a 3-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta replied with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 3-yard TD pass to WR Roddy White. Defensive end Jamaal Anderson paced a defense that fed off the crowd's energy. He finished with four tackles (two for loss) and the first sack of his two-year career. Anderson also had two pass deflections on the Bears' first drive of the second quarter. The Falcons offense started the second half with a no-huddle offense and added another Elam field goal to take a 12–3 lead. Chicago stuck with the running game and added a touchdown from Forte with 2:24 remaining in the third quarter. Chicago drove within inches of the end zone, but Matt Forte was stuffed on fourth down as he attempted to leap across the line. Michael Boley came in low to trip up the runner, then Lawyer Milloy and Keith Brooking finished him off. The Bears took the lead with Gould getting a 32-yard field goal, along with quarterback Kyle Orton completing a 17-yard TD pass to WR Rashied Davis. The Falcons got the last laugh as Elam nailed the game-winning 48-yard field goal. The 16-year veteran's celebration was interrupted by a swarm of teammates near midfield. It was his fifth successful kick of the day but just moments before, he missed a kick that could have iced the game. Chicago came off the miscue with a 77-yard touchdown drive to take a 20–19 lead with 11 seconds to play. But a 9-yard return off a short kickoff by Harry Douglas and a 26-yard strike from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins set Elam up for the game-winner with 1 second left.

"I'm really happy that one went through", Elam said. "Our guys have been fighting so hard for so long. I hate to even mention what happened last year but to hear some of the stories I know the guys are really hungry to get some wins on the board and show our fans what we're all about." With time to throw Ryan thrived. The rookie found five different receivers and performed regular Houdini-like acts to find open players down the field for third-down conversions. Fellow rookie Douglas caught five passes for 96 yards including a 47-yard strike on third down that set up a 3-yard scoring toss to White with 13:25 remaining. Ryan opened the game 8-of-8 for 107 yards and captained nearly identical scoring drives in the first quarter, leading the team on 48- and 49-yard marches that ended with field goals. "I think everybody is excited with the win", Ryan said. "I thought we played a very good Chicago Bears team today. They played an entire 60 minutes and we did the same thing. We just had the last punch. We were able to make a couple big plays at the end of the game with Elam clutch kick being the biggest one. This win is a great story heading into the bye week." Bears CB Nathan Vasher (wrist) missed his second straight game, and the other starting corner, Charles Tillman, went out in the first half with a shoulder injury. Backup FS Danieal Manning left, too, with an injured hamstring., White went over 100 yards receiving for the second week in a row, Forte led the Bears with 76 yards rushing.

With the win, Atlanta entered their bye week at 4–2.

Not only did Matt Ryan (22/30 for 301 yards and a touchdown) pick up his first-ever 300-yard day, but he acquired the best record for a rookie quarterback in his first six games as a starter since 1998 (4–2), besting Kyle Orton in '05 and Kyle Boller in '03 (both with 3–3).

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 7 0714
Eagles 0 10 71027

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Coming off their bye week, the Falcons flew to Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 8 duel with the Philadelphia Eagles,[34] as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan (a native of the Philly suburb of Exton, Pennsylvania) took on his hometown team.[35] Ryan threw for 277 yards in his seventh career start but also had a pair of interceptions. The defense held the Eagles after the first turnover but Ryan's second mistake came in the end zone, eliminating a red-zone scoring chance.

After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta finally took flight in the second quarter as Ryan completed a 55-yard TD pass to WR Roddy White with 8:56 remaining in the first half when he threaded a pass between two Eagles defenders. White scampered toward the end zone for a 55-yard score and a 7–0 lead."We had worked on that fade pass all week in practice and Matt threw it up there and really I should have batted the ball down", said White, who had 113 receiving yards. "I think on that play, I had the responsibility to help him out. We thought we were going to put some points on the board and we let it get away from us. I put that play on myself, because I really should have knocked that down." White tallied his third consecutive 100-yard game after catching eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. White has now posted four 100-yard games this season and 11 for his career, the 55-yard strike is the third longest pass for the rookie quarterback this season. The second score came on an eight-yard pass in the fourth quarter, Ryan returned to the sight of first collegiate touchdown pass at Lincoln Financial Field against the Temple Owls on November 20, 2004.

But Philadelphia responded with 20 unanswered points, including scoring drives of 60, 70 and 69 yards. Twice McNabb scrambled for key first downs. The Falcons did not record a sack in the second half. The Falcons run game sputtered and suffered from untimely penalties. Starting left tackle Sam Baker missed the game with a hip injury and was replaced by Todd Weiner. Weiner left with an injury and was replaced by Quinn Ojinnaka. Michael Turner rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries. The Eagles took the lead with quarterback Donovan McNabb getting a 3-yard TD run, along with kicker David Akers getting a 36-yard field goal. McNabb turned from prolific passer to game-manager as the afternoon progressed, finding openings in the Falcons zone defense for short to medium gains and handing the ball off to Westbrook, the All-Pro rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries in the first half and finished with 22 carries for 167 yards. He also had six catches for 42 yards, one of six Eagles receivers with two or more catches. The Falcons spent much of the first half keeping McNabb and the Eagles high-flying offense on the ground. Atlanta didn't allow a first-quarter-point for the fifth time this season and picked up two sacks, a forced fumble and a turnover in the first 30 minutes In the third quarter, the Falcons continued to trail as RB Brian Westbrook got a 16-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia increased its lead with Akers nailing an 18-yard field goal. Brian Finneran tied his season-high in receptions (three) and contributed with two catches on third down to convert a new set a downs for the Falcons on both occasions in the first half. Jerious Norwood posted his second-highest receiving total when he caught five passes for 55 yards, he set his career-high of 57 yards against the Saints last season Atlanta tried to rally as Ryan hooked up with White again on an 8-yard TD pass, but the Eagles flew away as Westbrook got a 39-yard TD run. A late goal-line stand held the Eagles to a field goal and kept it a two-possession game with 7:57 remaining. Ryan led a no-huddle offense into the red zone on the next series and found White with a second touchdown with less than four minutes to play. Trailing 20–14, the Falcons defense stepped up with a key three-and-out but an odd turn of events kept the Birds offense from getting a shot at the win. Return man Adam Jennings decided at the last second not to field the punt after the Eagles' three-and-out drive. Officials ruled Jennings touched the ball and the muffed punt was recovered by the Eagles. The Falcons did not have a timeout left and, by rule, could not challenge the play. Replays in the press box showed Jennings did not touch the ball. Three plays later Westbrook rushed over the left side for a 39-yard, game-clinching touchdown. Defensive end Jamaal Anderson posted his second sack of the season when he dropped Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for a six-yard loss in the first quarter, the sack stalled an Eagles drive, forcing a punt. Anderson has now totaled one sack in two consecutive games. Rookie Curtis Lofton earned his first career sack when he dropped McNabb for an eight-yard loss in the second quarter while forcing a fumble. The ball was recovered by defensive end Chauncey Davis. "It never felt like we were out of the game, even when we didn't get that touchdown when we needed it, it still felt like we stopped them to get a chance to put some more points on the board and that's what we did", defensive end John Abraham said. "Like I said, it's part of the game and everybody played well, it was a tough fought game. I think everybody got a lot of bumps and bruises from the game, but it definitely was a good game." With the loss, the Falcons fell to 4–3.

Week 9: at Oakland Raiders edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 14 10 0024
Raiders 0 0 000

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

 
Ryan takes a snap against the Raiders on November 2.

Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Eagles, the Falcons flew to the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum for a Week 9 interconference duel with the Oakland Raiders.[36] In the first quarter, Atlanta took flight as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 37-yard TD pass to WR Michael Jenkins, while RB Jerious Norwood got a 12-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Falcons added onto their lead with Ryan hooking up with Jenkins again on a 27-yard TD pass, along with kicker Jason Elam nailing a 48-yard field goal. From there on out, Atlanta cruised towards its easy win, as they greatly outgained the Raiders in time of possession (45:15 to 14:45) and total offensive yards (453 to 77).[37]

With the easy win, the Falcons improved to 5–3.

Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Saints 3 3 01420
Falcons 7 10 31434

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Coming off their shutout road win over the Raiders, the Falcons went home for a Week 10 NFC South duel with the New Orleans Saints.[38] In the first quarter, Atlanta took flight as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 16-yard TD pass to WR Roddy White. The Saints responded with kicker Garrett Hartley getting a 24-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Falcons increased their lead as RB Michael Turner got a 2-yard TD run. New Orleans answered with Hartley making a 44-yard field goal. Atlanta closed out the half as kicker Jason Elam got a 22-yard field goal.[39]

In the third quarter, the Falcons got the period's only points as Elam nailed a 27-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta continued to soar as Ryan completed a 67-yard TD pass to RB Jerious Norwood. The Saints tried to rally as quarterback Drew Brees completed a 15-yard TD pass to RB Deuce McAllister, yet the Falcons flew away as rookie CB Chevis Jackson returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown. New Orleans closed out the scoring with Brees completing a 32-yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore.

With the win, Atlanta improved to 6–3.

Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 7 0 71024
Falcons 3 10 0720

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Coming off their win over the Saints, the Falcons stayed at home for a Week 11 interconference duel with the Denver Broncos.[40] In the first quarter, Atlanta trailed early as Broncos FB Peyton Hillis got a 7-yard TD run. The Falcons answered with kicker Jason Elam (a former Bronco) getting a 46-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Atlanta took the lead as Elam made a 36-yard field goal, while RB Michael Turner got a 9-yard TD run.[41]

In the third quarter, Denver retook the lead as Hillis got a 2-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos increased their lead as kicker Matt Prater nailed a 20-yard field goal. The Falcons tried to rally as Turner got a 28-yard field goal, yet Denver replied with quarterback Jay Cutler competing a 9-yard TD pass to TE Daniel Graham. From there on out, the Broncos' defense stopped any other possible comeback attempt.

With their first home loss of the year, Atlanta fell to 6–4. This was the first of only two home losses suffered by Matt Ryan in the NFL through December 27, 2010. The second was to the New Orleans Saints on December 27, 2010, the final Monday Night Football game of the 2010 season.

Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 3 101528
Falcons 10 7 02845

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

 
Falcons offense against the Panthers in Georgia Dome

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Broncos, the Falcons stayed at home, donned their alternate uniforms, and played a Week 12 NFC South rematch with the Carolina Panthers. In the first quarter, Atlanta took flight as kicker Jason Elam got a 23-yard field goal, while rookie WR Harry Douglas got a 7-yard TD run.[42] In the second quarter, the Falcons increased their lead as RB Michael Turner got a 1-yard TD run. The Panthers closed out the half as kicker John Kasay got a 23-yard field goal. On his third carry of the game, Turner rushed for a six-yard gain and eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau this season. He became the first Falcons running back to reach 1,000 yards in a campaign since 2006 when Warrick Dunn had 1,140 and the 20th running back in franchise history to reach 1,000 yards in a season. Turner's career day continued after he tied a team record with four rushing touchdowns of T. J. Duckett posted on December 12, 2004.[43] It was also the second career three-score game and the fourth multiple-touchdown game of his career. Turner first found the end zone on a one-yard rush in the second quarter, scored for the second occasion on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter, logged his third TD on a one-yard run with 7:13 remaining and tallied his last on a 16-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to seal a Falcons 45–28 victory. With four scores, Turner became the third player in Falcons history to post 13 or more rushing touchdowns in a season. Turner finished the game with 24 carries for 117 yards and four touchdowns, which marked his eighth career 100-yard game. Matt Ryan and the offense faced a quick third down on the next possession, but the quarterback found rookie wide receiver Harry Douglas on a 69-yard pass play to the Panthers 6. Four plays later Turner got his key, fourth-down touchdown.[44]

The Panthers faced an energized defense and a raucous crowd on the next possession. Chauncey Davis recorded his second sack of the day and back-to-back false start penalties backed Carolina into the shadow of its own goal line. The Panthers punted from the end zone, giving Douglas a chance for a big return. The rookie brought the kick back up the middle 61 yards for a touchdown. Delhomme found Muhsin Muhammad for a touchdown on the next series but the Falcons had already done plenty of damage. Still, Turner found the end zone for a final time with just 54 seconds to play. Eric Weems caught his first career pass in the first quarter for a four-yard gain. The reception led to a Falcons touchdown. Douglas scored his first two career touchdowns; he first found the end zone on a seven-yard end around in the first quarter to give the Falcons a 10–0 lead; Douglas then became the 10th player in Falcons history to return a punt for a touchdown and the first since 2004 when Allen Rossum returned a kick 61 yards in the fourth quarter. Douglas's return was the longest in his career, topping the previous mark of 33 yards against New Orleans in Week 10; along with a 61-yard punt return, Douglas totaled career-highs in offensive touches with six (two rushing, four receiving and all purpose yards 188, which included 3 rushing, 92 receiving and 93 yards on punt returns), he also became the Falcons' third rookie this season to account for a touchdown; along with Douglas's run and punt return, quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown 11 touchdown passes and cornerback Chevis Jackson returned an interception 95 yards for a score against New Orleans in Week 10, Douglas posted a career-long reception with a 69-yard catch in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 92 receiving yards, which led the team and fell four yards short of his career high ( 96 yards vs. Chicago, October 12 ). Roddy White caught Ryan first pass of the game for a 30-yard gain, marking the 11th reception of 20-plus yards, White finished the game with four receptions for 70 yards and is 27 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. Atlanta outscored Carolina in the first quarter by a 10–0 margin, marking the seventh time this season a Falcons opponent was held scoreless in the opening 15 minutes of play. Atlanta outscored its opponents in the first quarter by an 88–24 mark and led the NFL in first quarter scoring entering Sunday's game. Following the first quarter of play, the Falcons offense posted 162 net yards of offense compared to zero by the Panthers . Brian Finneran caught one pass for nine yards on a third down in the second quarter, giving the Falcons a new set of downs. In his career, the nine-year veteran has caught 127 of 187 receptions that have gone for a first down or touchdown (67.9 percent).

John Abraham logged his 12th sack of the season and stalled a Carolina two-minute drive at the end of the second quarter; the sack is the 14th in his last 12 games, his 22nd in his last 26 contests and has now recorded 79.5 for his career. In his tenure with the Falcons, Abraham has posted 26 sacks in 34 games played. Abraham's 12 sacks through 11 games this season already ranks tied for the fifth most in a single season in Falcons history. Atlanta defense held Carolina to three-consecutive three and outs to start the game while allowing only eight net yards; entering Sunday's game, the Falcons ranked fourth in the NFC and eighth in the NFL in opponent three and out drives. Jason Snelling caught a 27-yard pass in the first quarter and broke a tackle to take the ball into Carolina territory, the reception is a career-long for the second-year running back, topping his old mark of 18 yards, which he set earlier in the season at Philadelphia.

In the third quarter, Carolina began to claw their way back into the game as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 5-yard TD run, while Kasay nailed a 21-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta answered with Turner getting a 4-yard TD run. The Panthers replied with quarterback Jake Delhomme getting a 12-yard TD run (along with Williams' 2-point conversion run), yet the Falcons struck right back with Turner getting a 1-yard TD run, while Douglas returned a punt 61-yard field goal. Carolina tried to rally as Delhomme completed a 16-yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad, yet Atlanta flew away as Turner got a 16-yard TD run. "It was great to get off to a good start and score 17 points", said Ryan, who managed the game with 259 passing yards on a 94.5 passer rating. "For the most part, we were able to maintain our ebb and flow on the offensive side of the ball. Our defense stepped up and did a heck of a job keeping Carolina from making big plays. I didn't think we would score 45 points, but I’ll take that any day."

With the win, the Falcons improved to 7–4.

Week 13: at San Diego Chargers edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 6 9 0722
Chargers 7 0 6316

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

Coming off their divisional home win over the Panthers, the Falcons flew to Qualcomm Stadium for a Week 13 interconference duel with the San Diego Chargers.[45] In the first quarter, Atlanta took off as kicker Jason Elam got a 35-yard field goal. The Chargers responded with RB LaDainian Tomlinson getting a 3-yard TD run, yet the Falcons stayed close with Elam getting a 40-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Atlanta regained the lead as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed an 18-yard TD pass to TE Justin Peelle, along with their defense forcing opposing quarterback Philip Rivers to commit intentional grounding from his own endzone, giving Atlanta a safety.

In the third quarter, San Diego answered with safety Eric Weddle returning a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown (with a failed two-point conversion). In the fourth quarter, the Falcons replied with Ryan completing a 5-yard TD pass to rookie WR Harry Douglas. The Chargers tried to come back, as kicker Nate Kaeding nailed a 28-yard field goal. Atlanta's defense stiffened for the victory.[46]

With the win, the Falcons improved to 8–4.

Week 14: at New Orleans Saints edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 14 3825
Saints 7 9 01329

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Coming off their west coast win over the Chargers, the Falcons flew to the Louisiana Superdome for a Week 14 NFC South rematch with the New Orleans Saints.[47] Atlanta trailed fairly early in the first quarter as Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to RB Reggie Bush. In the second quarter, the Falcons continued to trail as kicker Garrett Hartley got a 26-yard field goal. Atlanta responded RB Michael Turner getting a 5-yard TD run, yet Hartley gave New Orleans a 46-yard field goal. The Falcons struck back with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 2-yard TD pass to WR Brian Finneran, but the Saints closed out the half with Hartley's 25-yard field goal.

Atlanta got the third quarter's only points as kicker Jason Elam nailed a 23-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans tried to pull away as Brees completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to RB Pierre Thomas, yet their 2-point conversion attempt failed. The Falcons then took the lead as Ryan got a 12-yard touchdown run, followed by a 2-point pass to wide receiver Michael Jenkins. However, the Saints got the last laugh as Thomas got a 5-yard TD run.[48]

With the loss, Atlanta fell to 8–5.

Week 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers edit

Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Buccaneers 0 7 03010
Falcons 10 0 00313

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Michael Turner rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown, and Jason Elam kicked the winning 34-yard field goad at 10:56 of overtime to give the Falcons (9–5–0) a much-needed division victory.[49] The Falcons overcame two Matt Ryan interceptions and some sloppy play. The victory over the Buccaneers (9–5–0) kept them in the hunt for a playoff spot, and guaranteed the Falcons first winning season since 2004. Also with the win, the Falcons managed to knock the Saints out of playoff contention. Turner's touchdown was his 15th for the Falcons this season, breaking the record of 14 set in 1998 by Jamal Anderson.[50]

Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 10 7024
Vikings 7 0 01017

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Coming off their divisional home win over the Buccaneers, the Falcons flew to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 16 battle with the Minnesota Vikings.[51] Atlanta got an early first quarter lead with running back Michael Turner getting a 1-yard touchdown run. The Vikings responded with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson completing a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. In the second quarter, the Falcons regained the lead as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to running back Jerious Norwood, followed by kicker Jason Elam getting a 22-yard field goal.[52]

Atlanta added to their lead in the third quarter as Ryan tried to run into the endzone for a touchdown, fumbled the ball into the endzone, and offensive guard Justin Blalock recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Minnesota tried to come back as kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a 29-yard field goal, along with Jackson hooking up with Shiancoe again on a 17-yard touchdown pass. The Falcon defense stiffened for the win.

With the win, not only did Atlanta improve to 10–5, but they also clinched a playoff berth for the first since 2004.

Week 17: vs. St. Louis Rams edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 7 7 31027
Falcons 3 14 7731

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

With the playoffs on the horizon, the Falcons closed out the regular season at home in a Week 17 duel with the St. Louis Rams. Atlanta took off in the first quarter with kicker Jason Elam making a 39-yard field goal, but the Rams responded with running back Steven Jackson getting a 4-yard touchdown run. The Falcons answered in the second quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run from running back Michael Turner. St. Louis answered with quarterback Marc Bulger completing a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donnie Avery, yet Atlanta took the halftime lead with running back Jerious Norwood's 8-yard touchdown run.

In the third quarter, the Falcons added to their lead with quarterback Matt Ryan completing an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White. The Rams closed out the period with kicker Josh Brown making a 31-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, St. Louis got the lead again as Jackson got a 2-yard touchdown run, followed by Brown nailing a 27-yard field goal. Atlanta then took the lead for good as Norwood got a 45-yard touchdown run.

With the win, the Falcons closed out the regular season at 11–5 and due to Carolina's victory over New Orleans, earned the NFC's #5 seed.

Postseason edit

NFC Wild Card Round: at Arizona Cardinals edit

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 17 0724
Cardinals 7 7 14230

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Entering the playoffs as the NFC's fifth seed, the Falcons began their playoff run at the University of Phoenix Stadium against the #4 Arizona Cardinals. Atlanta trailed early in the first quarter as Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner completed a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The Falcons responded in the second quarter as kicker Jason Elam got a 30-yard field goal, but Arizona answered with Warner completing a 71-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Afterwards, Atlanta took a halftime lead as running back Michael Turner got a 7-yard touchdown run, followed by rookie quarterback Matt Ryan's 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Justin Peelle.

In the third quarter, the Cardinals retook the lead as safety Antrel Rolle returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown, followed by running back Tim Hightower's 4-yard touchdown run. The Falcons' postseason run was fading in the fourth quarter as Ryan was sacked in his endzone by defensive end Antonio Smith for a safety. Afterwards, Atlanta tried to rally as Ryan completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White, but Arizona's offense ran out the clock for the win.

With the loss, the Falcons' season ended with an overall record of 11–6.

2009 Pro Bowl selections edit

 
Roddy White was named to his first career Pro Bowl.

Michael Turner and Roddy White[53] were named to the 2009 Pro Bowl NFC squad as reserves. It will be his first trip to Hawaii.[54][55] White and Turner are the 112th and 113th Pro Bowl selections in team history, they are the second Falcons RB and WR duo to be voted to the Pro Bowl in the same year (first since 1980). White is the fourth Falcons wide receiver to earn Pro Bowl accolades and the first since Terance Mathis in 1995. Turner is the eighth different Falcons runningback to earn Pro Bowl honors. Matt Ryan finished second amongst rookies in fan Pro Bowl voting, Ryan[56] (416,468 votes) was the top rookie quarterback in the category but ranks behind Titans running back Chris Johnson (534,170 votes).[57]

References edit

  1. ^ . Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  2. ^ Weintraub, Robert (December 31, 2008). "The Falcons and Dolphins prove that the Detroit Lions can turn things around". Slate Magazine. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  3. ^ Falcons win coin toss, will pick third in Draft[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Matt Ryan Draft Preview Feature
  5. ^ Sam Baker Highlights
  6. ^ Draft-day trade opens door for Baker selection[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Birds make roster moves to reach 53-man limit November 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Energy key at Falcons first mini camp practice[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ . Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  10. ^ . Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  11. ^ . Archived from the original on August 23, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  13. ^ . Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved August 30, 2008.
  14. ^ . Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  15. ^ . Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved August 30, 2008.
  16. ^ . Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  17. ^ . Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved August 30, 2008.
  18. ^ . Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  19. ^ . Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved August 30, 2008.
  20. ^ . Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  21. ^ . Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  22. ^ . Archived from the original on September 9, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  23. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  24. ^ . Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  25. ^ ATL-KC Preview[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  27. ^ . Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  28. ^ ATL-CAR Preview
  29. ^ . Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  30. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  31. ^ . Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  32. ^ . Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  33. ^ . Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  34. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  35. ^ . Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  36. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  37. ^ . Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  38. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  39. ^ . Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  40. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  41. ^ . Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  42. ^ . Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  43. ^ Atlanta vs Carolina
  44. ^ . Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  45. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  46. ^ . Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  47. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  48. ^ . Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  49. ^ . Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  50. ^ . Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  51. ^ . Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  52. ^ Falcons clinch postseason spot with win March 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  53. ^ Falcons' White no longer one of league's best kept secrets
  54. ^ . Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
  55. ^ . Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
  56. ^ Arthur Blank: ‘Ryan exceeded all our expectations’ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  57. ^ . Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2008.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 Atlanta Falcons season.
  • Atlantafalcons.com
  • Falcons at CBS Sportsline

December 07, 2023
2008, atlanta, falcons, season, 43rd, season, team, national, football, league, overcoming, disappointing, record, quarterback, michael, vick, fighting, scandal, head, coach, bobby, petrino, abrupt, resignation, 2007, falcons, were, expected, rebuilding, phase. The 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League NFL Overcoming a disappointing 4 12 record quarterback Michael Vick s dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino s abrupt resignation in 2007 the Falcons who were expected to be in a rebuilding phase 1 completed the regular season with a surprising 11 5 record and earned the 5 seed in the NFC playoffs under first year head coach Mike Smith however the team fell to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in the wild card round of the playoffs 2 2008 Atlanta Falcons seasonOwnerArthur BlankGeneral managerThomas DimitroffHead coachMike SmithHome fieldGeorgia DomeResultsRecord11 5Division place2nd NFC SouthPlayoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs at Cardinals 24 30Pro BowlersRB Michael Turner WR Roddy White 2007 Falcons seasons 2009 Mike Smith was named 2008 NFL Coach of the Year and quarterback Matt Ryan earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award Contents 1 Offseason 1 1 NFL Draft 1 2 Draft 1 3 Transactions 1 4 Final cuts 1 5 Minicamp 1 6 Training camp 2 Staff 3 Roster 4 Preseason 4 1 Schedule 5 Regular season 5 1 Schedule 5 2 Standings 5 3 Game summaries 5 3 1 Week 1 vs Detroit Lions 5 3 2 Week 2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 3 3 Week 3 vs Kansas City Chiefs 5 3 4 Week 4 at Carolina Panthers 5 3 5 Week 5 at Green Bay Packers 5 3 6 Week 6 vs Chicago Bears 5 3 7 Week 8 at Philadelphia Eagles 5 3 8 Week 9 at Oakland Raiders 5 3 9 Week 10 vs New Orleans Saints 5 3 10 Week 11 vs Denver Broncos 5 3 11 Week 12 vs Carolina Panthers 5 3 12 Week 13 at San Diego Chargers 5 3 13 Week 14 at New Orleans Saints 5 3 14 Week 15 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 3 15 Week 16 at Minnesota Vikings 5 3 16 Week 17 vs St Louis Rams 6 Postseason 6 1 NFC Wild Card Round at Arizona Cardinals 6 2 2009 Pro Bowl selections 7 References 8 External linksOffseason editNFL Draft edit nbsp Matt Ryan was the Falcons first round pick in 2008 NFL Draft On February 22 prior the start of the NFL Combine the Falcons won a coin toss that gave them the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft in a gathering with the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs to break a three way tie Each team finished 2007 with a 4 12 record 3 Some experts said that the Falcons should have used this selection to pick LSU Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey but the Falcons used their first round pick to draft Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan 4 The Falcons also traded two of their second round picks No 34 and No 48 and a fourth round pick No 103 with Washington Redskins to move to No 21 overall and select USC tackle Sam Baker 5 6 Draft edit Main article 2008 NFL Draft 2008 Atlanta Falcons draftRound Pick Player Position College Notes1 3 Matt Ryan QB Boston College1 21 Sam Baker OT USC2 37 Curtis Lofton LB Oklahoma3 68 Chevis Jackson CB LSU3 84 Harry Douglas WR Louisville3 98 Thomas DeCoud S California5 138 Robert James LB Arizona State5 154 Kroy Biermann DE Montana6 172 Thomas Brown RB Georgia4 123 Wilrey Fontenot CB Arizona7 232 Keith Zinger TE LSU Made roster Pro Football Hall of Fame Made at least one Pro Bowl during careerTransactions edit January 8 Signed DE Willie Evans to reserve futures contract 13 Announced a 17 month extension of contract of team president Rich McKay 13 Named former Patriots director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff as new general manager 16 Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer signed to same position with Cincinnati Bengals 23 Named Mike Smith head coach 24 Named Emmitt Thomas assistant head coach Bill Musgrave quarterbacks coach and Brian VanGorder defensive coordinator 25 Named Mike Mularkey offensive coordinator 26 Named Terry Robiskie offensive coordinator Ray Hamilton defensive line coach Gerald Brown running backs coach and Glenn Thomas offensive quality control coach 29 Named Keith Armstrong special teams coordinator Jeff Fish strength and conditioning coach Bill Hughan assistant strength and conditioning coach and retrained Tom McMahon as assistant special teams coach 30 Named Chris Scelfo tight ends coach and Paul Dunn assistant offensive line coach 31 Named Paul Boudreau offensive line coachFebruary 4 Named Joe Danna defensive quality control coach 5 Re signed free agent TE George Cooper 6 Named Alvin Reynolds defensive backs coach 9 Assistant general manager Billy Devaney named Executive Vice President of Player Personnel for the St Louis Rams 11 Waived WR Todd Watkins 15 Released TE Alge Crumpler QB Byron Leftwich T Wayne Gandy CB Lewis Sanders WR Jamin Elliott LB Marcus Wilkins and DT Rod Coleman 29 Re signed QB Chris RedmanMarch 1 Agreed to terms with free agent S Erik Coleman and CB Von Hutchins 2 Agreed to terms with free agent TE Ben Hartsock and RB Michael Turner 3 Released RB Warrick Dunn 5 Released QB Joey Harrington 7 Signed free agents DT Rashad Moore DT Kindal Moorehead and DE Simon Fraser 10 Signed free agent DT Tim Anderson 10 Signed free agent C Alex Stepanovich 12 Re signed QB Joey Harrington 14 Signed free agent TE Jason Rader 19 Retained exclusive rights to T Tyson Clabo 20 Traded CB DeAngelo Hall to Oakland for a second round pick in 2008 and a fifth round pick in 2009 21 Signed free agent K Jason Elam 24 Retained exclusive rights to DT Montavious StanleyApril 24 Signed free agent K Kevin Lovell 26 Drafted QB Matt Ryan R1 3 overall OT Sam Baker R1 21 overall and LB Curtis Lofton R2 37 overall in the 2008 NFL Draft 26 Traded two second round choices 34 and 48 overall and a fourth round choice 103 to the Washington Redskins for a first round choice 21 overall T Sam Baker a third round choice 84 overall and a fifth round choice 154 overall 27 Drafted CB Chevis Jackson R3 68 overall WR Harry Douglas R3 84 overall S Thomas DeCoud R3 98 overall LB Robert James R5 138 LB Kroy Biermann R5 154 overall RB Thomas Brown R6 172 overall CB Wilrey Fontenot R7 212 overall and TE Keith Zinger R7 232 overall in the 2008 NFL Draft 28 Signed undrafted free agents LB Isaac Brown Central Michigan University P Jimmie Kaylor Colorado State University CB Glenn Sharpe Miami FS D J Wolfe University of Oklahoma DE Brandon Miller University of Georgia RB Jamar Brittingham Bloomsburg University and T Michael Butterworth Slippery Rock University 29 Signed free agents WR Chandler Williams and DB Nick TurnbullMay 19 Released LB Earl Everett and DB Nick Turnbull and signed WR Tony Gonzalez wide receiver S Eric Brock and S Jamal Lewis 20 Agreed to contract terms with QB Matt Ryan first round draft choice 21 Signed free agent TE Brad Listorti 22 Waived P Jimmie Kaylor 23 Waived SS D J WolfeJune 7 Signed Draft pick TE Keith Zinger to a four year contract 10 Waived TE George Cooper 10 Signed Draft picks CB Chevis Jackson and S Thomas DeCoud 17 Released DB Jimmy Williams and signed Draft pick Wilrey Fontenot 18 Signed Draft pick RB Thomas Brown 20 Agreed to contract terms with veteran free agent S Deke Cooper 20 Agreed to contract terms with Draft pick WR Harry Douglas 20 Released OT Michael Butterworth DE Derrick Jones S Jamal Lewis and OL Kurt Quarterman 23 Released C Doug Datish 26 Signed Draft pick DE Kroy BiermannJuly 18 Released WR Tony Gonzalez wide receiver 15 Signed Draft pick LB Robert James 23 Named Georgia Force Head Coach Doug Plank Falcons coaching assistant 25 Signed Draft pick LB Curtis Lofton 25 Signed CB Blue Adams LB Coy Wire and OL Michael Butterworth waived CB Glenn Sharpe and OL Pat McCoy reached an injury settlement with LB Travis Williams placed DT Trey Lewis on the active non football injury list and placed T Renardo Foster and the physically unable to perform list 26 Signed Draft pick T Sam BakerAugust 4 Released RB Jamar Brittingham and signed TE George Cooper 6 Signed LB Mickey Pimentel and placed LB Robert James on injured reserve 7 Signed C Doug Datish and waived K Kevin Lovell 11 Waived injured TE Brad Listorti 19 Released WR Joe Horn and waived injured LB Isaac Brown 24 Released TE George Cooper and signed TE Marcus Pollard 26 Placed DT Trey Lewis on the reserve non football injury list and T Renardo Foster on the reserve physically unable to perform list 30 Waived OL D Anthony Batiste S Eric Brock OL Michael Butterworth S Deke Cooper C Doug Datish DE Willie Evans QB Joey Harrington CB Wilrey Fontenot OL Kynan Forney DE Brandon Miller DT Rashad Moore OL Terrance Pennington LB Mickey Pimentel TE Marcus Pollard CB Glenn Sharpe DT Montavious Stanley S Daren Stone LB Cameron Vaughn WR Eric Weems WR Chandler Williams TE Keith Zinger and placed RB Thomas Brown on injured reserve 31 Claimed DT Jason Jefferson off waivers released DT Tim Anderson and signed TE Keith Zinger WR Eric Weems OL D Anthony Batiste DB Glenn Sharpe DB Eric Brock and DE Brandon Miller to the practice squad Final cuts edit On August 30 the Falcons made 22 roster moves to reach the NFL s 53 player limit 7 Offensive lineman D Anthony Batiste Safety Eric Brock Offensive lineman Michael Butterworth Safety Deke Cooper Center Doug Datish Defensive end Willie Evans Quarterback Joey Harrington Cornerback Wilrey Fontenot Offensive lineman Kynan Forney Defensive end Brandon Miller Defensive tackle Rashad Moore Offensive lineman Terrance Pennington Linebacker Mickey Pimentel Tight end Marcus Pollard Cornerback Glenn Sharpe Defensive tackle Montavious Stanley Safety Daren Stone Linebacker Cameron Vaughn Wide receiver Eric Weems Wide receiver Chandler Williams Tight end Keith ZingerMinicamp edit The Falcons opened the first mini camp of 2008 on Monday April 14 The team had multiple mini camp sessions under new Head Coach Mike Smith before the start of training camp in late July The team worked for three days before the NFL Draft and came back to Flowery Branch for another workout May 10 12 8 During the minicamp the Falcons signed tender offers to punter Michael Koenen and defensive end Chauncey Davis Training camp edit For the fourth consecutive year the Falcons held Russell Falcons Training Camp at the team s Flowery Branch headquarters Atlanta s 43rd training camp was held from July 25 August 15 with select morning and afternoon practices open to the public The Falcons held 30 practices which included 13 two a day sessions Atlanta traveled to Jacksonville on August 9 for its first preseason contest followed by two home preseason games against Indianapolis the day after training camp breaks August 16 and Tennessee Titans on August 22 The Falcons concluded the 2008 preseason schedule with a meeting against the Baltimore Ravens on August 28 at M amp T Bank Stadium In 2007 Russell Athletic and the Atlanta Falcons announced an agreement that includes title sponsorship of the team s three week preseason training camp at its in season training facility in Flowery Branch Ga The four year agreement designates Russell Athletic as an official sponsor of the Falcons 9 10 11 12 Staff edit2008 Atlanta Falcons staff Front office Owner chief executive officer Arthur Blank President Rich McKay general manager Thomas Dimitroff Director of football administration Nick Polk Director of pro personnel Les Snead Assistant director of player personnel Lionel Vital Director of college scouting David CaldwellHead coaches Head coach Mike Smith Assistant head coach secondary Emmitt Thomas Assistant to the head coach Andrew WeidingerOffensive coaches Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey Quarterbacks Bill Musgrave Running backs Gerald Brown Wide receivers Terry Robiskie Tight ends Chris Scelfo Offensive line Paul T Boudreau Assistant offensive line Paul Dunn Offensive assistant Glenn Thomas Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder Defensive line Ray Hamilton Linebackers Glenn Pires Defensive backs Alvin Reynolds Defensive assistant Joe DannaSpecial teams coaches Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong Assistant special teams Tom McMahonStrength and conditioning Director of athletic performance Jeff Fish Assistant strength and conditioning Bill HughanRoster edit2008 Atlanta Falcons final final roster Quarterbacks 8 Chris Redman 2 Matt Ryan 3 D J ShockleyRunning backs 34 Ovie Mughelli FB 32 Jerious Norwood KR 44 Jason Snelling 33 Michael TurnerWide receivers 83 Harry Douglas PR 86 Brian Finneran 12 Michael Jenkins 14 Eric Weems 84 Roddy WhiteTight ends 87 Justin Peelle 81 Marcus Pollard 85 Jason Rader Offensive linemen 72 Sam Baker T 63 Justin Blalock G 77 Tyson Clabo T 73 Harvey Dahl G 68 Wayne Gandy T 62 Todd McClure C 76 Quinn Ojinnaka G T 69 Alex Stepanovich C G 74 Todd Weiner T 67 Ben Wilkerson CDefensive linemen 55 John Abraham DE 98 Jamaal Anderson DE 95 Jonathan Babineaux DT 71 Kroy Biermann DE 92 Chauncey Davis DE 75 Simon Fraser DE 90 Grady Jackson DT 99 Jason Jefferson DT 94 Kindal Moorehead DT Linebackers 59 Michael Boley OLB 56 Keith Brooking OLB 51 Tony Gilbert MLB 50 Curtis Lofton MLB 54 Stephen Nicholas OLB 52 Coy Wire OLBDefensive backs 42 Eric Brock SS 26 Erik Coleman FS 28 Thomas DeCoud FS 24 Domonique Foxworth CB 29 Jamaal Fudge SS 20 Brent Grimes CB 23 Chris Houston CB 22 Chevis Jackson CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 37 Glenn Sharpe CBSpecial teams 1 Jason Elam K 9 Michael Koenen P 46 Mike Schneck LS Reserve lists 27 Thomas Brown RB IR nbsp 79 Renardo Foster T PUP nbsp 41 Antoine Harris S IR nbsp 89 Ben Hartsock TE IR nbsp 25 Von Hutchins CB IR nbsp 30 David Irons CB IR nbsp 45 Robert James LB IR nbsp 97 Trey Lewis DT NF Inj nbsp 64 Pat McCoy T IR nbsp 19 Laurent Robinson WR IR nbsp 7 Michael Vick QB Susp Practice squad 38 Chris Barclay RB 66 Nate Bennett G C 70 Michael Butterworth T 96 Willie Evans DE 11 Noriaki Kinoshita WR Int l 91 Tywain Myles DT 35 Darius Vinnett CB 18 Chandler Williams WR 82 Keith Zinger TERookies in italics 53 active 11 inactive 9 practice squadPreseason editSchedule edit Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL comrecap1 13 14 August 9 Jacksonville Jaguars L 17 20 0 1 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Recap2 15 16 August 16 Indianapolis Colts L 9 16 0 2 Georgia Dome Recap3 17 18 August 22 Tennessee Titans W 17 3 1 2 Georgia Dome Recap4 19 20 August 28 Baltimore Ravens W 10 9 2 2 M amp T Bank Stadium RecapRegular season editSchedule edit Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL comrecap1 September 7 Detroit Lions W 34 21 1 0 Georgia Dome Recap2 September 14 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 9 24 1 1 Raymond James Stadium Recap3 September 21 Kansas City Chiefs W 38 14 2 1 Georgia Dome Recap4 September 28 at Carolina Panthers L 9 24 2 2 Bank of America Stadium Recap5 October 5 at Green Bay Packers W 27 24 3 2 Lambeau Field Recap6 October 12 Chicago Bears W 22 20 4 2 Georgia Dome Recap7 Bye8 October 26 at Philadelphia Eagles L 14 27 4 3 Lincoln Financial Field Recap9 November 2 at Oakland Raiders W 24 0 5 3 Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Recap10 November 9 New Orleans Saints W 34 20 6 3 Georgia Dome Recap11 November 16 Denver Broncos L 20 24 6 4 Georgia Dome Recap12 November 23 Carolina Panthers W 45 28 7 4 Georgia Dome Recap13 November 30 at San Diego Chargers W 22 16 8 4 Qualcomm Stadium Recap14 December 7 at New Orleans Saints L 25 29 8 5 Louisiana Superdome Recap15 December 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 13 10 OT 9 5 Georgia Dome Recap16 December 21 at Minnesota Vikings W 24 17 10 5 Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome Recap17 December 28 St Louis Rams W 31 27 11 5 Georgia Dome RecapStandings edit NFC Southviewtalkedit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK 2 Carolina Panthers 12 4 0 750 4 2 8 4 414 329 W1 5 Atlanta Falcons 11 5 0 688 3 3 8 4 391 325 W3Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 7 0 563 3 3 8 4 361 323 L4New Orleans Saints 8 8 0 500 2 4 5 7 463 393 L1Game summaries edit Week 1 vs Detroit Lions edit Period 1 2 34TotalLions 0 14 7021Falcons 21 0 10334at Georgia Dome Atlanta Game time 1 00 pm EDTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 62 310Referee Ron WinterTV announcers Fox Matt Vasgersian J C Pearson amp Nischelle Turner The Falcons began their 2008 campaign at home against the Detroit Lions In the first quarter Atlanta immediately took flight at rookie quarterback Matt Ryan throws his first career NFL pass to WR Michael Jenkins for a 62 yard TD pass 21 Afterwards RB Michael Turner acquired from the Chargers made an immediate impact as he got a 66 yard TD run and a 5 yard TD run In the second quarter the Lions responded with RB Kevin Smith getting a 5 yard TD run while quarterback Jon Kitna completed a 21 yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams 22 In the third quarter the Falcons went back to work as kicker Jason Elam got a 50 yard field goal while RB Jerious Norwood got a 10 yard TD run Detroit tried to rally as Kitna completed a 1 yard TD pass to TE Casey FitzSimmons Atlanta closed out their rout in the fourth quarter with Elam nailing a 25 yard field goal With the impressive win the Falcons began their season at 1 0 Quarterback Matt Ryan had a good rookie debut completing 9 of 13 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown RB Michael Turner had an outstanding Falcon debut setting a single game franchise record with 220 rushing yards Ryan who became the first rookie to start a season for the Falcons since Steve Bartkowski in 1975 finished with a solid 161 passing yards and 137 0 quarterback rating Turner led a ground game that picked up a franchise record 318 rushing yards 7 6 yards per carry Game Notes With the 34 21 victory Mike Smith earned his first win as a head coach in the NFL Following a 44 41 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the 2007 season finale the Falcons posted back to back games with over 30 points The win gave the Falcons their first season opening victory since 2006 20 6 vs Carolina their first season opening win at the Georgia Dome since 2005 vs Philadelphia 14 10 and their first win against the Lions at home since 2002 36 15 By opening the game as a starter LB Keith Brooking extended his consecutive games starting streak to 113 games dating back to 2000 which moved him past long time C Jeff Van Note into second place in Falcons history Former T Bob Whitfield holds the record with 123 consecutive starts from week 1 1993 to week 11 2000 Center Todd McClure also extended his consecutive games starting streak to 97 straight games to move past DE Patrick Kerney and WR Terance Mathis into fifth place all time in that category The Falcons had 10 players earn opening day starts for the first time in their NFL careers The players were QB Matt Ryan LT Sam Baker RB Michael Turner TE Ben Hartsock RG Harvey Dahl RT Tyson Clabo DT Jonathan Babineaux MLB Curtis Lofton CB Brent Grimes and CB Chris Houston Curtis Lofton became the first rookie to man the middle of the Falcons defense on opening day since linebacker Buddy Curry in 1980 It was exactly 28 years ago on this date September 7 1980 that Curry the team s second round draft pick started in the middle of the Falcons defense at Minnesota 8 tackles 0 5 sack The Falcons broke a team rushing record with 318 yards and 7 4 avg against Detroit The previous record was set on September 17 2006 against Tampa Bay with 306 yards Atlanta s 318 yards marked the first game Atlanta totaled over 200 rushing yards since December 3 2006 against Washington with 256 yards On Atlanta s first offensive possession of the 2008 season the Falcons recorded a three play 74 yard drive that was capped off by WR Michael Jenkins 62 yard touchdown reception from rookie QB Matt Ryan his first career NFL pass Matt Ryan became the first quarterback to throw a touchdown on his first career NFL pass since October 8 2000 when Michael Bishop completed the feat as member of the New England Patriots Michael Jenkins 62 yard touchdown reception was the longest of his career and the longest touchdown pass recorded by the Falcons since December 23 2007 when Chris Redman completed a 74 touchdown against Arizona Atlanta s 62 yard touchdown to WR Michael Jenkins on the first offensive possession of the game was the longest touchdown pass for the Falcons on opening day since September 3 2000 when Chris Chandler completed a 48 yard touchdown in a 36 28 win The last time the Falcons scored a touchdown on their opening offensive possession of a game came against the Carolina Panthers on November 11 2007 Atlanta won the game 20 13 On Atlanta s second possession of the game RB Michael Turner rushed for a 66 yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 14 0 lead The 66 yard scamper was the fourth longest rush in Turner s career and the seventh longest rush in Falcons history Michael Turner s 117 rushing yards in the first quarter were the most in an opening quarter of a game for the Falcons in at least two decades Atlanta s 216 yards of total offense in the first quarter was also the highest total in over two decades The previous high for the Falcons was on October 13 1991 with 172 yards against San Francisco Michael Turner ran for 220 yards in his debut with the Falcons This marked the highest single game rushing record for the Falcons formerly held by Gerald Riggs who set the previous record of 202 rushing yards on September 2 1984 Week 2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 0 3 339Buccaneers 7 10 0724at Raymond James Stadium Tampa Florida Game time 4 05 pm EDTGame weather 89 F 32 C Partly cloudy Game attendance 63 611Referee Jeff TripletteTV announcers Fox Ron Pitts Tony Boselli amp Nischelle Turner Following their outstanding home win over the Lions the Falcons flew to Raymond James Stadium for a Week 2 NFC South duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23 In the first quarter Atlanta trailed as Bucs QB Brian Griese completed a 5 yard TD pass to TE John Gilmore In the second quarter the Falcons continued to trail as former Falcons RB Warrick Dunn gave Tampa Bay a 17 yard TD run along with kicker Matt Bryant getting a 33 yard field goal Atlanta closed out the half with kicker Jason Elam getting a 32 yard field goal 24 In the third quarter the Falcons crept closer as Elam kicked a 27 yard field goal In the fourth quarter Atlanta tried to rally as Elam nailed a 24 yard field goal However the Buccaneers pulled away as RB Earnest Graham got a 68 yard TD run With the loss the Falcons fell to 1 1 With Michael Turner running for a franchise record 220 yards in his Falcons debut Ryan only threw the ball 13 times against Detroit Sunday he had more attempts than that in the first half alone The Bucs limited Turner to 42 yards on 14 carries WR Joey Galloway who did not play in the preseason because of a sore groin sprained an ankle in the fourth quarter Falcons rookie LT Sam Baker was hit in the head in the first half and did not return A week after beating Detroit in his pro debut Matt Ryan threw incompletions on his first nine passes before settling down to keep Atlanta in the game with three field goal drives that trimmed a 17 point deficit to eight with five minutes to go The Falcons defense allowed Tampa Bay to rush for only two yards in the first quarter on six attempts The Buccaneers two yards is the lowest total for a Falcons opponent in the first quarter of a game since December 14 2003 when the Indianapolis Colts posted two rushing yards on seven carries At the end of the first half Tampa s rushing total was 36 yards the lowest total for a Falcons opponent in the first half of play since December 31 2006 when Philadelphia only managed 34 yards in the first two quarters Matt Ryan led the Falcons on a 13 play 75 yard scoring drive in the third quarter which was capped by a Jason Elam 27 yard field goal Ryan completed six of seven passes on the drive for 62 yards On his second career carry wide receiver Harry Douglas took an end around and rushed for 33 yards to give the Falcons their third first down of the game The 33 yard scamper is the second longest rush for Atlanta in two games this season With two minutes remaining in the second quarter wide receiver punt returner Adam Jennings set a career high with a 37 yard punt return topping his old mark of 23 yards set in 2007 The return was also the longest for the Falcons since Allen Rossum returned a punt 37 yards against Cleveland on November 12 2006 Jennings punt return led to a Falcons 32 yard field goal by Elam the first points of the game for Atlanta Elam notched three field goals of 32 27 and 25 yards to extend his streak of splitting the uprights to 20 consecutive kicks Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux dropped Buccaneers quarterback Brian Griese in the third quarter for his 5 5th career sack The sack led to a Tampa Bay punt on its first offensive possession of the second half Three of Babineaux s 5 5 career sacks have come in the first two games of a season 2 0 in 2007 1 0 in 2008 Falcons defensive end John Abraham posted his fourth sack of the season and his sixth in three consecutive games when he dropped Griese in the fourth quarter to stall a Buccaneers drive in the red zone On the sack Abraham forced a fumble which was recovered by defensive tackle Jason Jefferson The sack was Abraham s 14th in the last 17 games and the 71 5th of his career The fumble recovery by Jefferson was the first of his career Following Abraham s fourth quarter sack the Falcons have now recorded three consecutive games with at least two sacks dating back to the 2007 season finale against the Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Smith is one for one in challenges after challenging the spot of the ball on a Roddy White reception in the third quarter After the review the officials determined White had reached the first down marker which kept the Atlanta drive alive Week 3 vs Kansas City Chiefs edit Period 1 2 34TotalChiefs 0 7 7014Falcons 14 10 7738at Georgia Dome Atlanta 25 Game time 1 00 pm EDTGame weather Played Indoors Domed StadiumGame attendance 63 611Referee Scott GreenTV announcers CBS Gus Johnson amp Steve Tasker Michael Turner ran for three touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons scored the first 24 points to beat Kansas City 38 14 giving the Chiefs their 12th straight loss 26 Turner had scoring runs of 4 1 and 2 yards his first career game with three rushing touchdowns while leading the Falcons with 104 yards rushing Jerious Norwood added 75 yards rushing 27 Turner dragged Chiefs linebacker Pat Thomas for a few steps before breaking free and running through other defenders for a 38 yard run from the Falcons 8 A 30 yard pass from Ryan to Norwood helped set up Turner first touchdown run Turner 1 yard scoring run in the second quarter gave Atlanta a 24 0 lead Turner determined run helped to soften the Kansas City defense Ryan found Roddy White for a 70 yard touchdown pass on Atlanta s next possession and the Falcons were on their way to a big early lead Ryan 70 yard touchdown pass to White is the longest pass completion for the Falcons since 12 23 07 when wide receiver Laurent Robinson caught a 74 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Redman against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 16 meeting On Kansas City first offensive possession of the game defensive end John Abraham logged his fifth sack of the season which led to a Chiefs punt Abraham tallied his second sack of the game at the end of the third quarter which included a forced fumble The two sacks gave Abraham eight in his last four games 16 in his last 18 games and 73 5 for his career Entering the Kansas City game he led the NFL with four sacks after three games the forced fumble was the 29th of his career which ranks fourth in the NFL from 2000 to 2008 Turner sparked an Atlanta scoring drive when he posted a 38 yard rush in the first quarter he capped the drive with a four yard touchdown his third of the season The Falcons drove 92 yards in six plays and also received help from running back Jerious Norwood on the drive who contributed with 45 combined yards two rushes for 15 yards and one 30 yard reception Atlanta 92 yard scoring drive the first of the game is the longest scoring drive since 12 3 06 at Washington when the Falcons drove 98 yards on six plays capped by a Norwood touchdown run Kicker Jason Elam was successful on his long field goal attempt of 27 yards against Kansas City improving his streak of consecutive field goals to 27 Elam also added five extra points for an eight point day Tyler Thigpen the third starting quarterback in three weeks for Kansas City threw three interceptions in his first career start The third interception by cornerback Chris Houston was returned 10 yards for a touchdown with 1 01 left in the game Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said during the week he would turn to veteran Damon Huard if Thigpen struggled Thigpen played the full game and was 14 for 36 passing for 128 yards with one touchdown Down 24 0 Thigpen led a 13 play scoring drive capped by his 15 yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe with three seconds left in the first half The Chiefs 12th straight loss came 11 months to the day after their last win They lost their last nine games in 2007 after a 12 10 win at Oakland on October 21 2007 The Chiefs comeback continued when Larry Johnson s 48 yard run set up his 1 yard scoring plunge to open the second half cutting Atlanta lead to 24 14 It was Johnson first rushing touchdown of the season Johnson who had 96 yards rushing in his first two games had 24 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown Johnson has 4 981 yards rushing for his career to pass Christian Okoye 4 897 for second place on the Chiefs all time list The Falcons had a quick answer to Johnson touchdown Ryan making his third start had a 15 yard run and a 17 yard pass to White to set up Turner third touchdown a 2 yard run The Chiefs were forced to punt on their first five possessions Their next two drives ended with interceptions by Erik Coleman and Brent Grimes Coleman intercepted his first career pass in a Falcons uniform which also gave him the eighth of his career it was Coleman first interception since 11 12 06 against the New England Patriots Coleman pieced together a stellar performance against the Chiefs which included 10 tackles to lead the team and one forced fumble and Grimes intercepted his first career pass when he stepped in front of a Tyler Thigpen pass in the second quarter Grimes returned the interception 25 yards which led to a Falcons touchdown The Falcons defense allowed only 14 rushing yards in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs continuing their trend of holding opponents to under 15 rushing yards over the first three contests of the season Against Tampa Bay in Week 2 Atlanta held the Bucs to two rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes of play which was the lowest total in the first quarter of a game since for a Falcons opponent since 12 14 03 vs Colts two rushing yards Below is a look at Atlanta opponent rushing totals in the first quarter of each game this season The Falcons moved to 2 0 at the Georgia Dome on the season and gave Head Coach Mike Smith his second career win as a head coach Michael Turner became only the fifth Falcons running back in team history to register three or more touchdowns in a game with the win over the Chiefs improved its record to 5 1 in its last six meetings against AFC West opponents Player Opponent Date Rushing TDsT J Duckett Oakland Raiders 12 12 04 4Michael Turner Kansas City Chiefs 9 21 08 3Jamal Anderson Detroit Lions 10 6 96 3Lynn Cain Los Angeles Rams 10 7 84 3Gerald Riggs Los Angeles Rams 11 17 85 3Week 4 at Carolina Panthers edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 3 6 009Panthers 7 7 3724at Bank of America Stadium Charlotte North Carolina 28 Game time 1 00 pm ESTGame weather 78 F 26 C Partly cloudy Game attendance 72 688Referee Ed HochuliTV announcers Fox Ron Pitts Tony Boselli amp Charissa Thompson Coming off their home win over the Chiefs the Falcons flew to Bank of America Stadium for a Week 4 NFC South duel with the Carolina Panthers 29 The Falcons found a way to stick around for three quarters in Sunday game at Bank of America Stadium but injuries dropped passes and untimely penalties filled the afternoon Atlanta lost starting strong safety Lawyer Milloy in the first half after he took a shot to the ribs and played the entire game without starting left tackle Sam Baker In the first quarter Atlanta trailed early as Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart getting an 8 yard TD run The Falcons responded with kicker Jason Elam getting a 33 yard field goal In the second quarter the Falcons crept closer as Elam kicked a 44 yard field goal However Carolina answered with quarterback Jake Delhomme completing a 56 yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith Atlanta closed out the half with Elam getting a 44 yard field goal The Panthers 3 1 1 0 lost starting offensive tackles Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah in the game to injury and also went several series without starting cornerback Ken Lucas But that didn t stop the NFC South leaders from imposing their will on both sides of the ball and put up more than 400 yards of total offense For the fourth consecutive game this season the Falcons defense held their opponent to 16 rushing yards or less in the first quarter of play after the Panthers managed only 16 yards on six carries John Abraham blocked his first career punt in the second quarter which led to Elam second field goal of the day The blocked punt was the first for Atlanta since the 2004 season finale when Demorrio Williams blocked Seattle first kick of the game at Qwest Field Running back Jerious Norwood posted his second longest rush of the season with a 40 yard scamper in the second quarter The rush was four yards shy of his season high 44 which he set against Kansas City in Week 3 Norwood has now posted five rushes of 40 yards or more in this three year career punter Michael Koenen booted his longest punt of the season with a 60 yard kick in the second quarter The punt is the longest for Koenen since December 16 2007 when he nailed a 63 yard punt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Jason Snelling earned his first career start while tight end Justin Peelle started his first game in a Falcons uniform Brian Finneran caught his first pass of the 2008 campaign on a five yard reception in the second quarter The catch was the first for Finneran since the 2005 season finale when he caught four passes for 45 yards against the Carolina Panthers Roddy White led the Falcons in receiving with seven catches for 90 yards He continues to remain on pace for a 1 000 yard season In his fourth career start rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed passes to eight different receivers a season high for the Boston College graduate Ryan finished the game having completed 21 of 41 passes for 158 yards and a 60 8 passer ratingIn the third quarter the Panthers increased their lead with kicker John Kasay nailing a 44 yard field goal In the fourth quarter Carolina sealed the win with Delhomme completing a 36 yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad The first year head coach Mike Smith made a concise list in explaining the problems that plagued his offense in Charlotte Third down conversions the Falcons were 2 of 13 Red zone penalties two knocked the Birds outside the 10 six dropped passes three on third down With the loss the Falcons fell to 2 2 Week 5 at Green Bay Packers edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 10 7 01027Packers 0 7 31424at Lambeau Field Green Bay Wisconsin Game time 1 00 pm EST 12 00 pm CSTGame weather 60 F 16 C Sunny Game attendance 70 610Referee Carl CheffersTV announcers Fox Ron Pitts Tony Boselli amp Charissa Thompson Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Panthers to Falcons flew to Lambeau Field for a Week 5 duel with the Green Bay Packers 30 31 Entering Week 5 the Falcons led the league in first quarter scoring with 38 points Atlanta added to that total with 10 points on a touchdown and field goal The Falcons have also outscored their opponents in the first quarter by a 48 14 margin nbsp Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hands off to Ryan Grant in Atlanta s week 5 encounter at Lambeau Field nbsp Green Bay DB Patrick Lee 22 chases Atlanta wide receiver 84 Roddy WhiteMichael Turner posted his third 100 yard game of the season after finishing with 26 carries for 121 yards and one touchdown Turner score came at the 3 35 mark in the fourth quarter to give Atlanta a two possession lead 27 17 which sealed the victory In the first quarter Atlanta took flight as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 1 yard TD pass to TE Justin Peelle along with kicker Jason Elam getting a 42 yard field goal In the second quarter the Packers responded with quarterback Aaron Rodgers completing a 44 yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver The Falcons closed out the half with Ryan completing a 22 yard TD pass to WR Roddy Whiteto give the Falcons a 17 7 advantage The catch was his sixth of the day giving White 115 yards in the first half at that point White contributed with 67 first quarter receiving yards falling three yards short of his career high in the first 15 minutes of play 70 which he set on September 21 2008 against Kansas City White also finished the first half with 132 yards which is the most in two quarters of play for the four year veteran in his career and the second highest total since Terance Mathis posted 136 on November 19 1995 On Atlanta first play of the game Quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 37 yard pass to White crossing into Packers territory Ryan completed two more receptions to White on the drive for a total of 64 yards the three completions led to an Atlanta touchdown which marked the second occasion this season the Falcons scored on their first drive of the game Week 1 vs Detroit and the first time they scored on their first possession of the game on the road Ryan started the game having completed six of six passes for 72 yards and one touchdown pass also compiled the best half of football in his rookie career thus far when he completed 13 of 18 passes for 154 yards two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 135 0 passer rating Ryan finished the game with a season high 194 passing yards The Falcons posted a touchdown on their first offensive possession of the game when Ryan led the team 81 yards on 10 plays and completed a one yard touchdown strike to tight end Justin Peelle his first as an Atlanta Falcon and the eighth of his career Center Ben Wilkerson saw his first action of the season at the center position when he briefly replaced Todd McClure on Atlanta first offensive drive of the game Wilkerson was at center when the Falcons scored their first touchdown in the first quarter Defensive tackle Grady Jackson logged his first sack of the season and the 34 5th of his career when he dropped Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Green Bay first offensive play of the game the sack led to a Green Bay punt Following the first quarter of play the Falcons recorded eight first downs opposed to the Packers who finished the opening 15 minutes of play with zero Atlanta also racked up 147 net yards to Green Bay s 10 in the quarter At the 6 02 mark in the second quarter Ryan tallied his second touchdown pass of the day when he found White in the end zone for a 22 yard strike to give the Falcons a 17 7 advantage The catch was his sixth of the day giving White 115 yards in the first half at that point White pieced together his second 100 yard receiving game of the season and the ninth of his career after catching eight passes for 132 yards and one touchdown Following the two minute mark in the second quarter defensive end John Abraham notched his seventh sack of the season dropping Rodgers The sack was the ninth in his last six games the 17th in his last 20 contests and the 74 5th of his career The sack forced a Packers field goal attempt and following an offensive holding call on a converted attempt Green Bay missed a re kick In the third quarter Green Bay answered with kicker Mason Crosby getting a 50 yard field goal In the fourth quarter the Packers tied the game with Rodgers completing a 25 yard TD pass to WR Greg Jennings Michael Boley intercepted his first pass of the season and the fifth of his career when he stepped in front of an Aaron Rodgers pass late in the fourth quarter The INT led to the game sealing touchdown by Turner yet Atlanta replied with Elam nailing a 41 yard field goal and RB Michael Turner getting a 2 yard TD run Fullback Ovie Mughelli carried the ball nine yards on his first rush of the season in the fourth quarter Following a Packers touchdown to tie the game at 17 running back kick returner Jerious Norwood returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards into Green Bay territory marking the second longest kickoff return of his career Norwood return set up a Falcons game sealing touchdown Green Bay tried to rally as Rodgers completed a 4 yard TD pass to TE Donald Lee yet the Falcons defense stiffened for the win With the win Atlanta improved to 3 2 An Atlanta 27 24 victory gave the Falcons their first win on the road this season and their first victory at Lambeau Field since the 2002 NFC Wild Card playoff Week 6 vs Chicago Bears edit Period 1 2 34TotalBears 0 3 71020Falcons 6 3 31022at Georgia Dome Atlanta Game time 1 00 pm EDTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 64 096Referee Alberto RiveronTV announcers Fox Thom Brennaman amp Brian Billick Coming off their road win over the Packers the Falcons went home for a Week 6 duel with the Chicago Bears 32 In the first quarter Atlanta took flight as kicker Jason Elam got a 29 yard and a 48 yard field goal In the second quarter the Falcons increased their lead as Elam kicked a 32 yard field goal 33 The Bears responded with kicker Robbie Gould getting a 36 yard field goal Entering Sunday game with the Bears the Falcons led the NFL in first quarter scoring with 48 points After posting two field goals for a 6 0 lead following the first 15 minutes of play against Chicago Atlanta has now outscored its opponent in the first quarter by a 54 14 margin A chance at a touchdown came with 9 16 remaining in the first half after a curious turn of events near the goal line A third down run by Jerious Norwood came up short and ended with a fumble Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris recovered but lost the ball before he was touched down Jason Snelling recovered the ball for the Falcons who got a fresh set of downs Following the first half of play the Falcons defense held the Bears to 20 first half rushing yards The 20 yards are the fewest given up in the first half of a game by Atlanta s defense since October 1 2006 against Arizona two yards In the third quarter the Falcons continued to add onto their lead as Elam got a 41 yard field goal yet Chicago answered with RB Matt Forte getting a 3 yard TD run In the fourth quarter Atlanta replied with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 3 yard TD pass to WR Roddy White Defensive end Jamaal Anderson paced a defense that fed off the crowd s energy He finished with four tackles two for loss and the first sack of his two year career Anderson also had two pass deflections on the Bears first drive of the second quarter The Falcons offense started the second half with a no huddle offense and added another Elam field goal to take a 12 3 lead Chicago stuck with the running game and added a touchdown from Forte with 2 24 remaining in the third quarter Chicago drove within inches of the end zone but Matt Forte was stuffed on fourth down as he attempted to leap across the line Michael Boley came in low to trip up the runner then Lawyer Milloy and Keith Brooking finished him off The Bears took the lead with Gould getting a 32 yard field goal along with quarterback Kyle Orton completing a 17 yard TD pass to WR Rashied Davis The Falcons got the last laugh as Elam nailed the game winning 48 yard field goal The 16 year veteran s celebration was interrupted by a swarm of teammates near midfield It was his fifth successful kick of the day but just moments before he missed a kick that could have iced the game Chicago came off the miscue with a 77 yard touchdown drive to take a 20 19 lead with 11 seconds to play But a 9 yard return off a short kickoff by Harry Douglas and a 26 yard strike from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins set Elam up for the game winner with 1 second left I m really happy that one went through Elam said Our guys have been fighting so hard for so long I hate to even mention what happened last year but to hear some of the stories I know the guys are really hungry to get some wins on the board and show our fans what we re all about With time to throw Ryan thrived The rookie found five different receivers and performed regular Houdini like acts to find open players down the field for third down conversions Fellow rookie Douglas caught five passes for 96 yards including a 47 yard strike on third down that set up a 3 yard scoring toss to White with 13 25 remaining Ryan opened the game 8 of 8 for 107 yards and captained nearly identical scoring drives in the first quarter leading the team on 48 and 49 yard marches that ended with field goals I think everybody is excited with the win Ryan said I thought we played a very good Chicago Bears team today They played an entire 60 minutes and we did the same thing We just had the last punch We were able to make a couple big plays at the end of the game with Elam clutch kick being the biggest one This win is a great story heading into the bye week Bears CB Nathan Vasher wrist missed his second straight game and the other starting corner Charles Tillman went out in the first half with a shoulder injury Backup FS Danieal Manning left too with an injured hamstring White went over 100 yards receiving for the second week in a row Forte led the Bears with 76 yards rushing With the win Atlanta entered their bye week at 4 2 Not only did Matt Ryan 22 30 for 301 yards and a touchdown pick up his first ever 300 yard day but he acquired the best record for a rookie quarterback in his first six games as a starter since 1998 4 2 besting Kyle Orton in 05 and Kyle Boller in 03 both with 3 3 Week 8 at Philadelphia Eagles edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 0 7 0714Eagles 0 10 71027at Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Game time 1 00 pm EDTGame weather 63 F 17 C Sunny Game attendance 69 144Referee Jerome BogerTV announcers Fox Sam Rosen Tim Ryan amp Chris Myers Coming off their bye week the Falcons flew to Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 8 duel with the Philadelphia Eagles 34 as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan a native of the Philly suburb of Exton Pennsylvania took on his hometown team 35 Ryan threw for 277 yards in his seventh career start but also had a pair of interceptions The defense held the Eagles after the first turnover but Ryan s second mistake came in the end zone eliminating a red zone scoring chance After a scoreless first quarter Atlanta finally took flight in the second quarter as Ryan completed a 55 yard TD pass to WR Roddy White with 8 56 remaining in the first half when he threaded a pass between two Eagles defenders White scampered toward the end zone for a 55 yard score and a 7 0 lead We had worked on that fade pass all week in practice and Matt threw it up there and really I should have batted the ball down said White who had 113 receiving yards I think on that play I had the responsibility to help him out We thought we were going to put some points on the board and we let it get away from us I put that play on myself because I really should have knocked that down White tallied his third consecutive 100 yard game after catching eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns White has now posted four 100 yard games this season and 11 for his career the 55 yard strike is the third longest pass for the rookie quarterback this season The second score came on an eight yard pass in the fourth quarter Ryan returned to the sight of first collegiate touchdown pass at Lincoln Financial Field against the Temple Owls on November 20 2004 But Philadelphia responded with 20 unanswered points including scoring drives of 60 70 and 69 yards Twice McNabb scrambled for key first downs The Falcons did not record a sack in the second half The Falcons run game sputtered and suffered from untimely penalties Starting left tackle Sam Baker missed the game with a hip injury and was replaced by Todd Weiner Weiner left with an injury and was replaced by Quinn Ojinnaka Michael Turner rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries The Eagles took the lead with quarterback Donovan McNabb getting a 3 yard TD run along with kicker David Akers getting a 36 yard field goal McNabb turned from prolific passer to game manager as the afternoon progressed finding openings in the Falcons zone defense for short to medium gains and handing the ball off to Westbrook the All Pro rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries in the first half and finished with 22 carries for 167 yards He also had six catches for 42 yards one of six Eagles receivers with two or more catches The Falcons spent much of the first half keeping McNabb and the Eagles high flying offense on the ground Atlanta didn t allow a first quarter point for the fifth time this season and picked up two sacks a forced fumble and a turnover in the first 30 minutes In the third quarter the Falcons continued to trail as RB Brian Westbrook got a 16 yard TD run In the fourth quarter Philadelphia increased its lead with Akers nailing an 18 yard field goal Brian Finneran tied his season high in receptions three and contributed with two catches on third down to convert a new set a downs for the Falcons on both occasions in the first half Jerious Norwood posted his second highest receiving total when he caught five passes for 55 yards he set his career high of 57 yards against the Saints last season Atlanta tried to rally as Ryan hooked up with White again on an 8 yard TD pass but the Eagles flew away as Westbrook got a 39 yard TD run A late goal line stand held the Eagles to a field goal and kept it a two possession game with 7 57 remaining Ryan led a no huddle offense into the red zone on the next series and found White with a second touchdown with less than four minutes to play Trailing 20 14 the Falcons defense stepped up with a key three and out but an odd turn of events kept the Birds offense from getting a shot at the win Return man Adam Jennings decided at the last second not to field the punt after the Eagles three and out drive Officials ruled Jennings touched the ball and the muffed punt was recovered by the Eagles The Falcons did not have a timeout left and by rule could not challenge the play Replays in the press box showed Jennings did not touch the ball Three plays later Westbrook rushed over the left side for a 39 yard game clinching touchdown Defensive end Jamaal Anderson posted his second sack of the season when he dropped Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for a six yard loss in the first quarter the sack stalled an Eagles drive forcing a punt Anderson has now totaled one sack in two consecutive games Rookie Curtis Lofton earned his first career sack when he dropped McNabb for an eight yard loss in the second quarter while forcing a fumble The ball was recovered by defensive end Chauncey Davis It never felt like we were out of the game even when we didn t get that touchdown when we needed it it still felt like we stopped them to get a chance to put some more points on the board and that s what we did defensive end John Abraham said Like I said it s part of the game and everybody played well it was a tough fought game I think everybody got a lot of bumps and bruises from the game but it definitely was a good game With the loss the Falcons fell to 4 3 Week 9 at Oakland Raiders edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 14 10 0024Raiders 0 0 000at Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Oakland California Game time 4 15 pm EDT 1 15 pm PSTGame weather 63 F 17 C Sunny Game attendance 61 196Referee Walt AndersonTV announcers Fox Matt Vasgersian J C Pearson amp Nischelle Turner nbsp Ryan takes a snap against the Raiders on November 2 Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Eagles the Falcons flew to the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum for a Week 9 interconference duel with the Oakland Raiders 36 In the first quarter Atlanta took flight as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 37 yard TD pass to WR Michael Jenkins while RB Jerious Norwood got a 12 yard TD run In the second quarter the Falcons added onto their lead with Ryan hooking up with Jenkins again on a 27 yard TD pass along with kicker Jason Elam nailing a 48 yard field goal From there on out Atlanta cruised towards its easy win as they greatly outgained the Raiders in time of possession 45 15 to 14 45 and total offensive yards 453 to 77 37 With the easy win the Falcons improved to 5 3 Week 10 vs New Orleans Saints edit Period 1 2 34TotalSaints 3 3 01420Falcons 7 10 31434at Georgia Dome Atlanta Game time 1 00 p m EDTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 64 826Referee Gene SteratoreTV announcers Fox Ron Pitts Tony Boselli amp Charissa Thompson Coming off their shutout road win over the Raiders the Falcons went home for a Week 10 NFC South duel with the New Orleans Saints 38 In the first quarter Atlanta took flight as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 16 yard TD pass to WR Roddy White The Saints responded with kicker Garrett Hartley getting a 24 yard field goal In the second quarter the Falcons increased their lead as RB Michael Turner got a 2 yard TD run New Orleans answered with Hartley making a 44 yard field goal Atlanta closed out the half as kicker Jason Elam got a 22 yard field goal 39 In the third quarter the Falcons got the period s only points as Elam nailed a 27 yard field goal In the fourth quarter Atlanta continued to soar as Ryan completed a 67 yard TD pass to RB Jerious Norwood The Saints tried to rally as quarterback Drew Brees completed a 15 yard TD pass to RB Deuce McAllister yet the Falcons flew away as rookie CB Chevis Jackson returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown New Orleans closed out the scoring with Brees completing a 32 yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore With the win Atlanta improved to 6 3 Week 11 vs Denver Broncos edit Period 1 2 34TotalBroncos 7 0 71024Falcons 3 10 0720at Georgia Dome Atlanta Game time 1 00 pm ESTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 64 644Referee Peter MorelliTV announcers CBS Kevin Harlan amp Rich Gannon Coming off their win over the Saints the Falcons stayed at home for a Week 11 interconference duel with the Denver Broncos 40 In the first quarter Atlanta trailed early as Broncos FB Peyton Hillis got a 7 yard TD run The Falcons answered with kicker Jason Elam a former Bronco getting a 46 yard field goal In the second quarter Atlanta took the lead as Elam made a 36 yard field goal while RB Michael Turner got a 9 yard TD run 41 In the third quarter Denver retook the lead as Hillis got a 2 yard TD run In the fourth quarter the Broncos increased their lead as kicker Matt Prater nailed a 20 yard field goal The Falcons tried to rally as Turner got a 28 yard field goal yet Denver replied with quarterback Jay Cutler competing a 9 yard TD pass to TE Daniel Graham From there on out the Broncos defense stopped any other possible comeback attempt With their first home loss of the year Atlanta fell to 6 4 This was the first of only two home losses suffered by Matt Ryan in the NFL through December 27 2010 The second was to the New Orleans Saints on December 27 2010 the final Monday Night Football game of the 2010 season Week 12 vs Carolina Panthers edit Period 1 2 34TotalPanthers 0 3 101528Falcons 10 7 02845at Georgia Dome Atlanta Game time 4 15 pm ESTGame weather None domed stadium Game attendance 64 841Referee Tony CorrenteTV announcers Fox Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick nbsp Falcons offense against the Panthers in Georgia DomeHoping to rebound from their loss to the Broncos the Falcons stayed at home donned their alternate uniforms and played a Week 12 NFC South rematch with the Carolina Panthers In the first quarter Atlanta took flight as kicker Jason Elam got a 23 yard field goal while rookie WR Harry Douglas got a 7 yard TD run 42 In the second quarter the Falcons increased their lead as RB Michael Turner got a 1 yard TD run The Panthers closed out the half as kicker John Kasay got a 23 yard field goal On his third carry of the game Turner rushed for a six yard gain and eclipsed the 1 000 yard rushing plateau this season He became the first Falcons running back to reach 1 000 yards in a campaign since 2006 when Warrick Dunn had 1 140 and the 20th running back in franchise history to reach 1 000 yards in a season Turner s career day continued after he tied a team record with four rushing touchdowns of T J Duckett posted on December 12 2004 43 It was also the second career three score game and the fourth multiple touchdown game of his career Turner first found the end zone on a one yard rush in the second quarter scored for the second occasion on a four yard run in the fourth quarter logged his third TD on a one yard run with 7 13 remaining and tallied his last on a 16 yard scamper in the fourth quarter to seal a Falcons 45 28 victory With four scores Turner became the third player in Falcons history to post 13 or more rushing touchdowns in a season Turner finished the game with 24 carries for 117 yards and four touchdowns which marked his eighth career 100 yard game Matt Ryan and the offense faced a quick third down on the next possession but the quarterback found rookie wide receiver Harry Douglas on a 69 yard pass play to the Panthers 6 Four plays later Turner got his key fourth down touchdown 44 The Panthers faced an energized defense and a raucous crowd on the next possession Chauncey Davis recorded his second sack of the day and back to back false start penalties backed Carolina into the shadow of its own goal line The Panthers punted from the end zone giving Douglas a chance for a big return The rookie brought the kick back up the middle 61 yards for a touchdown Delhomme found Muhsin Muhammad for a touchdown on the next series but the Falcons had already done plenty of damage Still Turner found the end zone for a final time with just 54 seconds to play Eric Weems caught his first career pass in the first quarter for a four yard gain The reception led to a Falcons touchdown Douglas scored his first two career touchdowns he first found the end zone on a seven yard end around in the first quarter to give the Falcons a 10 0 lead Douglas then became the 10th player in Falcons history to return a punt for a touchdown and the first since 2004 when Allen Rossum returned a kick 61 yards in the fourth quarter Douglas s return was the longest in his career topping the previous mark of 33 yards against New Orleans in Week 10 along with a 61 yard punt return Douglas totaled career highs in offensive touches with six two rushing four receiving and all purpose yards 188 which included 3 rushing 92 receiving and 93 yards on punt returns he also became the Falcons third rookie this season to account for a touchdown along with Douglas s run and punt return quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown 11 touchdown passes and cornerback Chevis Jackson returned an interception 95 yards for a score against New Orleans in Week 10 Douglas posted a career long reception with a 69 yard catch in the fourth quarter He finished the game with 92 receiving yards which led the team and fell four yards short of his career high 96 yards vs Chicago October 12 Roddy White caught Ryan first pass of the game for a 30 yard gain marking the 11th reception of 20 plus yards White finished the game with four receptions for 70 yards and is 27 yards shy of a 1 000 yard season Atlanta outscored Carolina in the first quarter by a 10 0 margin marking the seventh time this season a Falcons opponent was held scoreless in the opening 15 minutes of play Atlanta outscored its opponents in the first quarter by an 88 24 mark and led the NFL in first quarter scoring entering Sunday s game Following the first quarter of play the Falcons offense posted 162 net yards of offense compared to zero by the Panthers Brian Finneran caught one pass for nine yards on a third down in the second quarter giving the Falcons a new set of downs In his career the nine year veteran has caught 127 of 187 receptions that have gone for a first down or touchdown 67 9 percent John Abraham logged his 12th sack of the season and stalled a Carolina two minute drive at the end of the second quarter the sack is the 14th in his last 12 games his 22nd in his last 26 contests and has now recorded 79 5 for his career In his tenure with the Falcons Abraham has posted 26 sacks in 34 games played Abraham s 12 sacks through 11 games this season already ranks tied for the fifth most in a single season in Falcons history Atlanta defense held Carolina to three consecutive three and outs to start the game while allowing only eight net yards entering Sunday s game the Falcons ranked fourth in the NFC and eighth in the NFL in opponent three and out drives Jason Snelling caught a 27 yard pass in the first quarter and broke a tackle to take the ball into Carolina territory the reception is a career long for the second year running back topping his old mark of 18 yards which he set earlier in the season at Philadelphia In the third quarter Carolina began to claw their way back into the game as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 5 yard TD run while Kasay nailed a 21 yard field goal In the fourth quarter Atlanta answered with Turner getting a 4 yard TD run The Panthers replied with quarterback Jake Delhomme getting a 12 yard TD run along with Williams 2 point conversion run yet the Falcons struck right back with Turner getting a 1 yard TD run while Douglas returned a punt 61 yard field goal Carolina tried to rally as Delhomme completed a 16 yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad yet Atlanta flew away as Turner got a 16 yard TD run It was great to get off to a good start and score 17 points said Ryan who managed the game with 259 passing yards on a 94 5 passer rating For the most part we were able to maintain our ebb and flow on the offensive side of the ball Our defense stepped up and did a heck of a job keeping Carolina from making big plays I didn t think we would score 45 points but I ll take that any day With the win the Falcons improved to 7 4 Week 13 at San Diego Chargers edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 6 9 0722Chargers 7 0 6316at Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Game time 4 15 pm EST 1 15 pm PSTGame weather 73 F 23 C sunny Game attendance 67 200Referee Mike CareyTV announcers Fox Matt Vasgersian J C Pearson and Nischelle Turner Coming off their divisional home win over the Panthers the Falcons flew to Qualcomm Stadium for a Week 13 interconference duel with the San Diego Chargers 45 In the first quarter Atlanta took off as kicker Jason Elam got a 35 yard field goal The Chargers responded with RB LaDainian Tomlinson getting a 3 yard TD run yet the Falcons stayed close with Elam getting a 40 yard field goal In the second quarter Atlanta regained the lead as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed an 18 yard TD pass to TE Justin Peelle along with their defense forcing opposing quarterback Philip Rivers to commit intentional grounding from his own endzone giving Atlanta a safety In the third quarter San Diego answered with safety Eric Weddle returning a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown with a failed two point conversion In the fourth quarter the Falcons replied with Ryan completing a 5 yard TD pass to rookie WR Harry Douglas The Chargers tried to come back as kicker Nate Kaeding nailed a 28 yard field goal Atlanta s defense stiffened for the victory 46 With the win the Falcons improved to 8 4 Week 14 at New Orleans Saints edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 0 14 3825Saints 7 9 01329at Louisiana Superdome New Orleans Louisiana Game time 1 00 pm EDTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 70 011Referee Bill LeavyTV announcers Fox Dick Stockton Brian Baldinger Brian Billick amp Laura Okmin Coming off their west coast win over the Chargers the Falcons flew to the Louisiana Superdome for a Week 14 NFC South rematch with the New Orleans Saints 47 Atlanta trailed fairly early in the first quarter as Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed a 5 yard touchdown pass to RB Reggie Bush In the second quarter the Falcons continued to trail as kicker Garrett Hartley got a 26 yard field goal Atlanta responded RB Michael Turner getting a 5 yard TD run yet Hartley gave New Orleans a 46 yard field goal The Falcons struck back with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 2 yard TD pass to WR Brian Finneran but the Saints closed out the half with Hartley s 25 yard field goal Atlanta got the third quarter s only points as kicker Jason Elam nailed a 23 yard field goal In the fourth quarter New Orleans tried to pull away as Brees completed a 7 yard touchdown pass to RB Pierre Thomas yet their 2 point conversion attempt failed The Falcons then took the lead as Ryan got a 12 yard touchdown run followed by a 2 point pass to wide receiver Michael Jenkins However the Saints got the last laugh as Thomas got a 5 yard TD run 48 With the loss Atlanta fell to 8 5 Week 15 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers edit Period 1 2 34OTTotalBuccaneers 0 7 03010Falcons 10 0 00313at Georgia Dome Atlanta Game time 1 00 pm EDTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 65 045Referee Terry McAulayTV announcers Fox Dick Stockton Brian Baldinger amp Laura Okmin Michael Turner rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown and Jason Elam kicked the winning 34 yard field goad at 10 56 of overtime to give the Falcons 9 5 0 a much needed division victory 49 The Falcons overcame two Matt Ryan interceptions and some sloppy play The victory over the Buccaneers 9 5 0 kept them in the hunt for a playoff spot and guaranteed the Falcons first winning season since 2004 Also with the win the Falcons managed to knock the Saints out of playoff contention Turner s touchdown was his 15th for the Falcons this season breaking the record of 14 set in 1998 by Jamal Anderson 50 Week 16 at Minnesota Vikings edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 7 10 7024Vikings 7 0 01017at Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis Minnesota Game time 4 15 pm EST 3 15 pm CSTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 62 889Referee Scott GreenTV announcers Fox Dick Stockton Brian Billick amp Brian Baldinger Coming off their divisional home win over the Buccaneers the Falcons flew to the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 16 battle with the Minnesota Vikings 51 Atlanta got an early first quarter lead with running back Michael Turner getting a 1 yard touchdown run The Vikings responded with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson completing a 21 yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe In the second quarter the Falcons regained the lead as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed an 8 yard touchdown pass to running back Jerious Norwood followed by kicker Jason Elam getting a 22 yard field goal 52 Atlanta added to their lead in the third quarter as Ryan tried to run into the endzone for a touchdown fumbled the ball into the endzone and offensive guard Justin Blalock recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown In the fourth quarter Minnesota tried to come back as kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a 29 yard field goal along with Jackson hooking up with Shiancoe again on a 17 yard touchdown pass The Falcon defense stiffened for the win With the win not only did Atlanta improve to 10 5 but they also clinched a playoff berth for the first since 2004 Week 17 vs St Louis Rams edit Period 1 2 34TotalRams 7 7 31027Falcons 3 14 7731at Georgia Dome Atlanta Game time 1 00 pm ESTGame weather None Domed Stadium Game attendance 64 617Referee Walt AndersonTV announcers Fox Sam Rosen Tim Ryan amp Chris Myers With the playoffs on the horizon the Falcons closed out the regular season at home in a Week 17 duel with the St Louis Rams Atlanta took off in the first quarter with kicker Jason Elam making a 39 yard field goal but the Rams responded with running back Steven Jackson getting a 4 yard touchdown run The Falcons answered in the second quarter with a 9 yard touchdown run from running back Michael Turner St Louis answered with quarterback Marc Bulger completing a 16 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donnie Avery yet Atlanta took the halftime lead with running back Jerious Norwood s 8 yard touchdown run In the third quarter the Falcons added to their lead with quarterback Matt Ryan completing an 18 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White The Rams closed out the period with kicker Josh Brown making a 31 yard field goal In the fourth quarter St Louis got the lead again as Jackson got a 2 yard touchdown run followed by Brown nailing a 27 yard field goal Atlanta then took the lead for good as Norwood got a 45 yard touchdown run With the win the Falcons closed out the regular season at 11 5 and due to Carolina s victory over New Orleans earned the NFC s 5 seed Postseason editNFC Wild Card Round at Arizona Cardinals edit Period 1 2 34TotalFalcons 0 17 0724Cardinals 7 7 14230at University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale Arizona Game time 4 30 pm EST 2 30 pm MSTGame weather None Dome Closed Game attendance 62 848Referee John ParryTV announcers NBC Tom Hammond Cris Collinsworth amp Tiki Barber Entering the playoffs as the NFC s fifth seed the Falcons began their playoff run at the University of Phoenix Stadium against the 4 Arizona Cardinals Atlanta trailed early in the first quarter as Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner completed a 42 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald The Falcons responded in the second quarter as kicker Jason Elam got a 30 yard field goal but Arizona answered with Warner completing a 71 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Anquan Boldin Afterwards Atlanta took a halftime lead as running back Michael Turner got a 7 yard touchdown run followed by rookie quarterback Matt Ryan s 2 yard touchdown pass to tight end Justin Peelle In the third quarter the Cardinals retook the lead as safety Antrel Rolle returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown followed by running back Tim Hightower s 4 yard touchdown run The Falcons postseason run was fading in the fourth quarter as Ryan was sacked in his endzone by defensive end Antonio Smith for a safety Afterwards Atlanta tried to rally as Ryan completed a 5 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White but Arizona s offense ran out the clock for the win With the loss the Falcons season ended with an overall record of 11 6 2009 Pro Bowl selections edit nbsp Roddy White was named to his first career Pro Bowl Michael Turner and Roddy White 53 were named to the 2009 Pro Bowl NFC squad as reserves It will be his first trip to Hawaii 54 55 White and Turner are the 112th and 113th Pro Bowl selections in team history they are the second Falcons RB and WR duo to be voted to the Pro Bowl in the same year first since 1980 White is the fourth Falcons wide receiver to earn Pro Bowl accolades and the first since Terance Mathis in 1995 Turner is the eighth different Falcons runningback to earn Pro Bowl honors Matt Ryan finished second amongst rookies in fan Pro Bowl voting Ryan 56 416 468 votes was the top rookie quarterback in the category but ranks behind Titans running back Chris Johnson 534 170 votes 57 References edit Falcons preview Beginning massive rebuilding project Archived from the original on February 6 2009 Retrieved January 21 2009 Weintraub Robert December 31 2008 The Falcons and Dolphins prove that the Detroit Lions can turn things around Slate Magazine Retrieved July 19 2022 Falcons win coin toss will pick third in Draft permanent dead link Matt Ryan Draft Preview Feature Sam Baker Highlights Draft day trade opens door for Baker selection permanent dead link Birds make roster moves to reach 53 man limit Archived November 1 2008 at the Wayback Machine Energy key at Falcons first mini camp practice permanent dead link First year players energetic on first day of camp Archived from the original on November 20 2008 Retrieved November 23 2008 Taylor Falcons ready to put on the pads Archived from the original on December 31 2008 Retrieved November 23 2008 Coleman patrolling defensive backfield in camp Archived from the original on August 23 2008 Retrieved November 23 2008 2008 Training Camp Coverage Archived from the original on December 21 2008 Retrieved November 23 2008 Birds fall but Ryan solid in preseason debut Archived from the original on August 29 2008 Retrieved August 30 2008 Falcons Jaguars Game Notes Archived from the original on December 22 2008 Retrieved November 16 2008 Turner s runs christen new look Georgia Dome Archived from the original on August 29 2008 Retrieved August 30 2008 Falcons Colts Game Notes Archived from the original on November 20 2008 Retrieved November 16 2008 Falcons get victory in Ryan s first start Archived from the original on August 30 2008 Retrieved August 30 2008 Falcons Titans Game Notes Archived from the original on November 20 2008 Retrieved November 16 2008 Reserves lead Falcons to victory in Baltimore Archived from the original on August 30 2008 Retrieved August 30 2008 Falcons Ravens Game Notes Archived from the original on November 20 2008 Retrieved November 16 2008 Falcons Lions Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 20 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Turner leads Falcons to the victory against Detroit Archived from the original on September 9 2008 Retrieved September 10 2008 Falcons Bucs Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Birds stumble against NFC South rival Archived from the original on September 16 2008 Retrieved September 16 2008 ATL KC Preview permanent dead link Falcons Chiefs Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Chiefs Game recap Archived from the original on September 25 2008 Retrieved September 27 2008 ATL CAR Preview Birds drop division game at Carolina Archived from the original on December 31 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Packers Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Savvy Ryan White lead Falcons to upset win Archived from the original on December 31 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Bears Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 25 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Last second field goal gives Falcons victory Archived from the original on December 25 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Eagles Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 First half flashes fade in road loss Archived from the original on December 24 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Raiders Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Defense smothers offense sizzles in big win Archived from the original on December 26 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Saints Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Birds deflate Saints passing game in division win Archived from the original on December 26 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Broncos Gameday Wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Turner s scores aren t enough to carry Falcons Archived from the original on December 31 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Panthers Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 24 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Atlanta vs Carolina Birds use big plays to get win over Panthers Archived from the original on December 26 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Chargers Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons neutralize Chargers in San Diego 22 16 Archived from the original on December 19 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Saints Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Offense puts up numbers but Saints grab victory Archived from the original on December 21 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Bucs Gamedaywrap Archived from the original on December 30 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Turner defensive stops key in overtime victory Archived from the original on December 18 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons Vikings Gameday wrap Archived from the original on December 23 2008 Retrieved December 27 2008 Falcons clinch postseason spot with win Archived March 7 2009 at the Wayback Machine Falcons White no longer one of league s best kept secrets A Little Hawaii 8 4 and 3 3 Archived from the original on December 21 2008 Retrieved December 26 2008 The Final Countdown Pro Bowl Roster Archived from the original on December 19 2008 Retrieved December 26 2008 Arthur Blank Ryan exceeded all our expectations The Atlanta Journal Constitution Ryan Second Among Rookies in Pro Bowl Votes Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 26 2008 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 Atlanta Falcons season Atlantafalcons com Falcons at CBS Sportsline Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2008 Atlanta Falcons season amp oldid 1174812159, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.