Atlanta Falcons 2008 Season in Review

2008 atlanta falconsseason in review

11-5, 0-1, second in nfc South

In just one season, the AtlantaFalcons rebounded from four wins in 2007to an 11-5 regular season record and theteam’s first playoff berth since 2004. The‘08 campaign was a year of firsts as firstyear Head Coach Mike Smith and firstyear quarterback Matt Ryan became thefirst rookie head coach and quarterbackduo to compete in a playoff contest since1945 when the Cleveland Rams accom-plished the feat. In Smith’s stellar firstseason, he also became only the fourthHead Coach in franchise history to record

11 or more victories in a single year en route to Associated PressCoach of the Year honors. The distinction marked only the secondoccasion a Falcons coach earned the award in franchise history.

The Falcons witnessed an entire team effort in the turnaroundas an organization with a fresh look that took the NFL by storm,winning five of their last six games on the way to a second placefinish in the NFC South Division. Atlanta garnerned two Pro Bowlselections in running back Michael Turner and wide receiverRoddy White who will both be making their first visits to theleague’s all-star game. Quarterback Matt Ryan earned AssociatedPress Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and was named NFCRookie of the Month (October), a first in both categories in teamhistory. The Falcons also finished the regular season with five NFCPlayer of the Week accolades. Turner earned the honor on threeoccasions, while Ryan was named NFC Offensive Player of theWeek after his performance against the Oakland Raiders in Week9 and wide receiver Harry Douglas was named NFC SpecialTeams Player of the Week after returning a punt 61 yards againstCarolina in Week 12.

In his first season with the Atlanta Falcons, Turner was votedtied for second in the final NFL MVP voting as he finished secondin the league in rushing (1,699 yards) while topping the 1,000-yardplateau for the first time in his career. Turner also posted 17 rush-ing touchdowns, which set a new franchise record. White alsologged a career year as he set a new franchise record with 1,382receiving yards in a single-season while becoming the first widereceiver in team history to post back-to-back 1,200-yard cam-paigns. Defensively, John Abraham set a new team record and apersonal best with 16.5 sacks, topping the old record of 16.0 heldby Joel Williams, which was set in 1980.

a revived franchise leadsto 11 wins & playoff berth

www.atlantafalcons.com/press • Username: press • Password: falcons

Team W L T Pct. PF PA Div. Conf.

Carolina 12 4 0 .750 414 329 4-2 8-4

Atlanta 11 5 0 .688 391 325 3-3 8-4

Tampa Bay 9 7 0 .563 361 323 3-3 8-4

New Orleans 8 8 0 .500 463 393 2-4 5-7

final 2008 nfc south standings

REGGIE ROBERTS - Vice President of Football Communications TED CREWS - Manager of Football [email protected], (770) 965-2761 [email protected], (770) 965-2764

FRANK KLEHA - Senior Director of Media Relations MATT CONTI - Football Communications [email protected], (770) 965-2763 [email protected], (770) 965-4350

Head Coach Mike Smith

PreseasonDate Opponent Time ResultAug. 9 at Jacksonville 7:30 p.m. L, 20-17 Aug. 16 INDIANAPOLIS 7:30 p.m. L, 16-9Aug. 22 TENNESSEE 7:30 p.m. W, 17-3Aug. 28 at Baltimore 7:00 p.m. W, 10-9

Regular SeasonDate Opponent Time ResultSept. 7 DETROIT 1:00 p.m. W, 34-21Sept. 14 at Tampa Bay 4:05 p.m. L, 24-9Sept. 21 KANSAS CITY 1:00 p.m. W, 38-14Sept. 28 at Carolina 1:00 p.m. L, 24-9Oct. 5 at Green Bay 1:00 p.m. W, 27-24Oct. 12 CHICAGO 1:00 p.m. W, 22-20Oct. 26 at Philadelphia 1:00 p.m. L, 27-14Nov. 2 at Oakland 4:15 p.m. W, 24-0Nov. 9 NEW ORLEANS 1:00 p.m. W, 34-20Nov. 16 DENVER 1:00 p.m. L, 24-20Nov. 23 CAROLINA 1:00 p.m. W, 45-28Nov. 30 at San Diego 4:05 p.m. W, 22-16Dec. 7 at New Orleans 1:00 p.m. L, 29-25Dec. 14 TAMPA BAY 1:00 p.m. W, 13-10 OTDec. 21 at Minnesota 4:15 p.m. W, 24-17Dec. 28 ST. LOUIS 1:00 p.m. W, 31-27

Postseason - NFC Wild CardDate Opponent Time ResultJan. 3 at Arizona 4:30 p.m. L, 30-24

HOME GAMES - BOLDAll Times Eastern*

ATLANTA FALCONS 2008SCHEDULE and results

falcons reach playoffs for first time since 2004

Head Coach Mike Smith following the Falcons performanceagainst the Arizona Cardinals -

"First, let me say I'm disappointed, our whole football team is dis-appointed, in the outcome of the game today, but we're not dis-couraged. I'm proud of the way these guys fought today. We justdidn't get it done. They made the plays when they had to. It's toughto win when you're minus on the turnover ratio. The three turnoversI thought were very, very big. I really thought the guys foughtextremely hard and they showed their resiliency there. It's tough tohave a chance there at the end to get a stop and we weren't ableto get a stop. That's tough. My hat's off to Coach (Ken)Whisenhunt. I congratulate his football team. They played verypassionate, hard-nosed football and I thought it was a hard-nosedgame. We'll go into this off season with some issues we've got toaddress. This is all part of the process. It's just another step in theprocess. We're going to remember how we feel as a football teambecause we plan on being back in this situation and we want toremember how this feels."

2008 Final Regular Season StatisticsFalcons (NFL rank)

Points Per Game 24.4 (10)

Total Offense Per Game 361.2 (6)

Net Rushing Yards Per Game 152.7 (2)

Net Passing Yards Per Game 208.5 (14)

Possession Average 30:49

Opponent Points Per Game 20.3 (11)

Opponent Total Offense Per Game 347.9 (24)

Opponent Net Rushing Yards Per Game 127.5 (25)

Opponent Net Passing Yards Per Game 220.4 (21)

Turnover Differential -3 (21)

TALE OF THE TAPE

QUOTING THE COACH

Leading Passers: Comp. Att. Yards TDs INTs Rating

Matt Ryan 265 434 3,440 16 11 87.7

Leading Rushers: Att. Yards Avg. Long TDs

Michael Turner 376 1,699 4.5 70 17

Leading Receivers: Rec. Yards Avg. Long TDs

Roddy White 88 1,382 15.7 70t 7

2008 REGULAR SEASON LEADERS

Atlanta will attempt to top its 2008 regular season record (11-5)next season with a challenging schedule that includes opponentsfrom the AFC East, NFC East, two meetings against NFC Southrivals a home meeting against Chicago and a road match-up atSan Francisco. The Falcons will face four 2008 playoff teams,including the Carolina Panthers twice, the New York Giants,Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins. Atlanta will also makea trip to Dallas and the Cowboys’ brand new stadium which willopen next season. Collectively, the Falcons hold a 74-64 recordagainst their NFC South foes and have posted 90 victories againsttheir remaining opponents on the 2009 schedule.

HOME 2007 Record Last Time Played Result

Carolina 12-4 Nov. 23, 2008 W, 45-28New Orleans 8-8 Dec. 7, 2008 L, 29-25Tampa Bay 9-7 Dec. 14, 2008 W, 13-10 OTPhiladelphia 9-6-1 Oct. 26, 2008 L, 27-14Washington 8-8 Dec. 3, 2006 W, 24-14Chicago 9-7 Oct. 12, 2008 W, 22-20Buffalo 7-9 Sept. 25, 2005 W, 24-16Miami 11-5 Nov. 6, 2005 W, 17-10

AWAY 2007 Record Last Time Played Result

Carolina 12-4 Nov. 23, 2008 W, 45-28New Orleans 8-8 Dec. 7, 2008 L, 29-25Tampa Bay 9-7 Dec. 14, 2008 W, 13-10 OTDallas 9-7 Dec. 16, 2006 L, 38-28New York Giants 12-4 Oct. 15, 2007 L, 31-10San Francisco 7-9 Nov. 4, 2007 W, 20-16New England 11-5 Oct. 9, 2005 L, 31-28New York Jets 9-7 Oct. 24, 2005 W, 27-14

2009 falcons opponents

January 10-11 Divisional PlayoffsJanuary 18 Conference ChampionshipsFebruary 1 Super Bowl XLIII, Tampa, Florida (NBC)February 8 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii (NBC)February 18-24 NFL Scouting Combine, Indianapolis, IndianaFebruary 23 Falcons offseason conditioning beginsFebruary 27 Free agency beginsMarch 22-25 NFL Annual Owners Meeting, Dana Point,

CaliforniaApril 25-26 NFL Draft, New York City

nfl offseason dates

Atlanta welcomed 31 members to the team in 2008. Below is abreakdown of how the Falcons were built in 2008.

By Draft (10):QB Matt Ryan (first round), OT Sam Baker (first round), LB CurtisLofton (secon round), CB Chevis Jackson (third round), WR HarryDouglas (third round), S Thomas DeCoud (third round), LB RobertJames (fifth round, injured reserve), DE Kroy Biermann (fifthround), RB Thomas Brown (sixth round, injured reserve), TE KeithZinger (seventh round, practice squad)

Free Agents (20):S Eric Brock, S Erik Coleman, K Jason Elam, DE Simon Fraser, SJamaal Fudge, OT Wayne Gandy, LB Tony Gilbert, TE BenHartsock (injured reserve), CB Von Hutchins (injured reserve), DTGrady Jackson, DT Jason Jefferson, DT Kindal Moorehead, TEJustin Peelle, TE Marcus Pollard, TE Jason Rader, CB GlennSharpe, C Alex Stepanovich, RB Michael Turner, WR Eric Weems,LB Coy Wire

By Trade (1):CB Domonique Foxworth (Trade from Denver)

who was new in 2008

PLAYOFF WING TIPS

Following Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff meeting against the ArizonaCardinals, below is a look at the Falcons single and team playoffrecords.

Rushing

Rushing Yards – 142, Warrick Dunn (1/15/05) vs. St. LouisRamsRushing Attempts – 29, Jamal Anderson (1/9/99) vs. SanFrancisco 49ersRushing Touchdowns – 2, two players tied (last) Warrick Dunn(1/15/05) vs. St. Louis RamsRushing Long – 62t, Warrick Dunn (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis RamsRushing Average – 8.4, Warrick Dunn (1/15/05) vs. St. LouisRamsTeam Rushing Yards – 327, 1/15/05 vs. St. Louis Rams (third-highest rushing total for a playoff game in NFL history)

Passing

Passing Yards – 366, Jeff George (12/31/95) vs. Green BayPackersPassing Attempts – 54, Jeff George (12/31/95) vs. Green BayPackersPassing Completions – 30, Jeff George (12/31/95) vs. GreenBay PackersPassing Completion % – 65.0, Matt Ryan (1/3/09) vs. ArizonaCardinalsPassing Touchdowns – 3, two players tied (last) Chris Chandler(1/17/99) vs. Minnesota VikingsPassing Long – 70, Chris Chandler (1/17/99) vs. MinnesotaVikings

Receiving

Receiving Yards – 155, Alfred Jenkins (1/4/81) vs. DallasCowboysReceptions – 11, Roddy White (1/3/09) vs. Arizona CardinalsReceiving Touchdowns – 2, two players tied (last) TeranceMathis (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota VikingsReceiving Long – 70, Tony Martin (1/17/99) vs. MinnesotaVikings

Miscellaneous/Defense/Special Teams

Points – 47, (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis RamsTotal Net Yards – 427, (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota VikingsTotal Net Yards Allowed – 217, (12/24/78) vs. PhiladelphiaEagles

Team Interceptions – 3, (1/9/99) vs. San Francisco 49ersIndividual Interceptions – 2, two players tied (last) KeionCarpenter (1/4/03) vs. Green Bay Packers

Team Sacks – 4, (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis RamsIndividual Sacks – 1, 15 players tied (last) Patrick Kerney(1/23/05) vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Field Goals – 3, (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota VikingsIndividual Field Goals Made – 3, Morten Andersen (1/17/99) vs.Minnesota VikingsField Goal Long – 52, Jay Feely (1/11/03) vs. PhiladelphiaEagles

FALCONS TEAM AND INDIVIDUALPLAYOFF RECORDS

In Atlanta’s NFC Wild Card Playoff meeting against Arizona, HeadCoach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan became the firstrookie Head Coach and rookie quarterback to compete in a play-off game since the Cleveland Rams accomplished the feat in 1945.Baltimore Head Coach John Harbaugh and rookie quarterback JoeFlacco followed with the same acheivement the following day in anAFC Wild Card match-up against the Miami Dolphins.

playoff first

Wide receiver Roddy White caught eightreceptions in the first half of Atlanta’sWild Card playoff meeting againstArizona setting a new franchise postsea-son record. The old mark was held byAndre Rison, who totaled five first halfcatches at Washington on January 4,1992. White finished the game with 11receptions for 84 yards and one touch-down on a five-yard reception in thefourth quarter. His total of 11 catches inthe game also set a franchise record forreceptions in a postseason game, best-

ing Eric Metcalf’s total of eight, which he set against the Green BayPackers on December 31, 1995.

receiving a record

Wide receiver Roddy White

Against the Arizona Cardinals, Falconsquarterback Matt Ryan set a franchiserecord for completion percentage in apostseason contest with a 65.0 mark.Ryan completed 26 of 40 passes, whichincluded a streak of nine consecutivecompletions from the 1:54 mark in thefirst quarter to the 8:21 mark in the sec-ond quarter. Since starting the game oneof four in passing, Ryan went on to com-plete a streak of 17 of 21 passes. He seta NFL playoff rookie record with 26 com-pletions in a single postseason game.

Ryan also became the first Falcons quarterback to throw for twotouchdown passes in a playoff game since January 15, 2005. Hecompleted his first career postseason touchdown pass on a two-yard strike to tight end Justin Peelle with 23 seconds remaining inthe second quarter. The score gave the Falcons a 17-14 halftimelead. The touchdown for Peelle was the first of his postseasoncareer. Ryan added his second touchdown strike of the game on afive-yard completion to WR Roddy White. The score and kickerJason Elam’s extra point cut Arizona’s lead to 30-24. The touch-down was the first in the postseason for White in his career.

dueling in the desert

Quarterback Matt Ryan

another playoff firstCornerback Chevis Jackson intercepted his first career postsea-son pass to give the Falcons possession at the Cardinals 23-yardline in the in the second quarter. The interception was the first forAtlanta in a postseason game since Jason Webster picked off St.Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger on January 15, 2005.

PLAYOFF WING TIPS

• The Falcons made their first postseason appearance since 2004season (11-5 regular season record).

• The playoffs marked the ninth occassion the team reached post-season play in the club annals. The other years Atlanta made play-off appearances include: 1978, 1980, 1982, 1991, 1995, 1998,2002 and 2004.

• Atlanta competed in its 15th postseason game in the team’s his-tory (four at home, 10 on the road and one neutral site).

• The Falcons finished the regular season with a 1,000-yard rush-er and a 1,000-yard receiver for the eighth time in franchise histo-ry. Atlanta made playoff appearances in the seven previous sea-sons the team accomplished the feat.

• Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw for3,440 yards in the regular season. TheFalcons have seen five occasions wherea quarterback has thrown for over 3,000yards and made the playoffs. Thoseyears include: 1980, 1991, 1995, 1998and 2008.

Below are the Falcons players with the most postseason

experience:

K Jason Elam: nine years (1993, 1996-98, 2000, 2003-05, 2008) TE Marcus Pollard: eight years (1995-96, 1999-00, 2002-04, ‘07, ‘08)DT Grady Jackson: seven years (2000-02, 2003-04, 2007, 2008)S Lawyer Milloy: five years (1996-98, 2000, 2008)

LB Keith Brooking: four years (1998, 2002, 2004, 2008) T Todd Weiner: four years (2000, 2002, 2004, 2008)DE John Abraham: three years (2001, 2002, 2008)S Erik Coleman: three years (2004, 2006, 2008) WR Brian Finneran: three years (2002, 2004, 2008)T Wayne Gandy: three years (2001, 2002, 2008) C Todd McClure: three years (2002, 2004, 2008)

FB Ovie Mughelli: three years (2003, 2006, 2008)RB Michael Turner: three years (2006-08)CB Domonique Foxworth: two years (2005, 2008)S Jamal Fudge: two years (2007, 2008)LB Tony Gilbert: two years (2005, 2008)WR Michael Jenkins: two years (2004, 2008)DT Kindal Moorehead: two years (2005, 2008)TE Justin Peelle: two years (2004, 2008)QB Chris Redman: two years (2001, 2008)

PLAYOFFs by the numbers

Falcons linebacker Keith Brookingmade his fourth-career playoffappearance.

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan

Prior to the start of the 2008 season, the Falcons organization sawa drastic coaching change bringing in 13 new members, includingHead Coach Mike Smith, Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkeyand Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong. As a whole,Atlanta’s 2008 coaching staff totaled 188 years of combined NFLexperience. At the start of the 2008 playoffs, the staff had logged54 years of playoff experience (93 games), with 43 playoff wins.Three coaches, including Head Coach Mike Smith (Baltimore,2000), Assistant Head Coach/Secondary Emmitt Thomas(Washington, 1987, 1991) and Wide Receivers Coach TerryRobiskie (Oakland, 1983) have all won Super Bowls. Below is alook at the current Falcons coaching staff’s playoff experience.

Assistant Head Coach/Secondary

Emmitt Thomas: 12 years(1982, 1986-87, 1990-92, 1995-96, 2000,2002, 2004, 2008)Offensive Line Coach Paul Boudreau:12 years (1987, 1990-92, 1994-95, 1997-2000, 2005, 2008)Defensive Line Coach Ray Hamilton:Nine years (1985-86, 1993, 1997-98,2002, 2005, 2007-08)Wide Receivers Coach Terry Robiskie:Nine years (1982-85, 1990, 1993, 1999,2002, 2008)Head Coach Mike Smith: Five years

(2000-01, 2005, 2007-08)Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey: Five years (1996-97,2001-02, 2008)Defensive Backs Coach Alvin Reynolds: Four years (1993,2005, 2007-08)Special Teams Coordinator

Keith Armstrong: Three years (1995, 2001, 2008)Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder: Two years (2005,2008)Quarterbacks Coach Bill Musgrave: Two years (2005, 2008)Linebackers Coach Glenn Pires: Two years (1998, 2008)Running Backs Coach Gerald Brown: One year (2008)Defensive Assistant Joe Danna: One year (2008)Assistant Offensive Line Coach Paul Dunn: One year (2008)Assistant Special Teams Coach Tom McMahon: One year(2008)Tight Ends Coach Chris Scelfo: One year (2008)Offensive Assistant Glenn Thomas: One year (2008)

Total years: 71Total games: 110Total record: 43-67Total Super Bowls: four

coaching playoff experience

Head Coach Mike Smith is one ofthree Falcons coaches who haswon a Super Bowl.

postseason return

With an 11-5 regular season record and 7-1 home mark at theGeorgia Dome, the Falcons tied their best record in a campaign infour years (2004). Atlanta also reached the postseason in ‘04 andmade a NFC Championship game appearance against thePhiladelphia Eagles.

PLAYOFF WING TIPS

Following a tumultuous 2007 campaign, the Falcons rebounded injust one season and posted their best record (11-5) since 2004.The turnaround is one of the best in franchise history as the seven-win difference is tied for the best in the 43-year history. Below arethe biggest turnarounds in club annals and the postseason appear-ances in that year.

Record Difference Game Difference Postseason

2007 (4-12) - 2008 (11-5) Seven games NFC Wild Card Game1997 (7-9) - 1998 (14-2) Seven games NFC Divisional Game

NFC ChampionshipSuper Bowl XXXIII

2003 (5-11) - 2004 (11-5) Six games NFC Divisional GameNFC Championship

1979 (6-10) - 1980 (12-4) Six Games NFC Wild Card Game1990 (5-11) - 1991 (10-6) Five Games NFC Wild Card Game

NFC Divisional Game

u-turn

Year Record Game Date Opponent Score1978 9-7 NFC Wild Card 12-24 vs. Philadelphia (W) 14-13Recap: The Falcons scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarterand QB Steve Bartkowski threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns as theFalcons earned their first playoff victory in franchise history.

NFC Divisional 12-30 at Dallas (L) 27-20Recap: After capturing an early lead at halftime, the Cowboys posted 14points in the second half to claim a 27-20 win. Atlanta RB Bubba Beanrecorded 72 yards and one touchdown in the effort.

1980 12-4 NFC Divisional 1-4-81 vs. Dallas (L) 30-27Recap: Falcons QB Steve Bartkowski completed 18 of 33 passes for 320yards and two touchdowns in a 30-27 loss against Dallas.

1982 5-4 NFC Divisional 1-9-83 at Minnesota (L) 30-24Recap: Atlanta K Mick Luckhurst rushed for a touchdown and DB BobGlazebrook returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in a 30-24loss at Minnesota.

1991 10-6 NFC Wild Card 12-28 at New Orleans (W) 27-20Recap: The Falcons earned their second playoff victory in franchise histo-ry with the help of WR Michael Haynes who caught six passes for 144yards and two touchdowns in a 27-20 win over New Orleans.

NFC Divisional 1-3-92 at Washington (L) 24-7Recap: Washington jumped out to a 14-point lead in the second quarterand the Falcons offense coud not make up the difference, falling 24-7against the Redskins.

1995 9-7 NFC Wild Card 12-31 at Green Bay (L) 37-20Recap: Falcons WR Eric Metcalf finished with eight receptions for 114yards and one touchdown, but it was not enough to overcome a Packers27-10 lead at halftime.

1998 14-2 NFC Divisional 1-9-99 vs. San Francisco(W) 20-18Recap: Atlanta took its first steps toward a Super Bowl appearance asJamal Anderson paced a ground attack with 29 carries for 113 yards andtwo touchdowns in a Falcons 20-18 win.

NFC Championship1-17-99 at Minnesota (W) 30-27Recap: The underdog Falcons fought back from a 10-point fourth quarterdeficit to win the NFC title on the road in an overtime thriller. Kicker MortenAndersen split the uprights on a 38-yard attempt to clinch the win in OT.

Super Bowl XXXIII1-31-99 vs. Denver (L) 34-19Recap: The Falcons lost their only Super Bowl appearnce, 34-19, at thehands of the Denver Broncos. WR Tim Dwight returned a kickoff 94 yardsfor a touchdown and RB Jamal Anderson registered 96 yards in the losingeffort.

2002 9-6-1 NFC Wild Card 1-4-03 at Green Bay (W) 27-7Recap: The Falcons became the first team ever to defeat the Green BayPackers in the postseason at Lambeau Field with a 27-7 victory. Atlantalogged 309 net yards and three touchdowns in the win.

NFC Divisional 1-11-03 at Philadelphia (L) 20-6Recap: Eagles QB Donovan McNabb completed 20 of 30 passes for 227yards and one touchdown as the Falcons fell, 20-6, in a Divisional playoffgame at Veterans Stadium.

2004 11-5 NFC Divisional 1-15-05 vs. St. Louis (W) 47-17Recap: Atlanta used the fourth-highest team rushing total in NFL postsea-son history (327 yards) to defeat the Rams, 47-17 at the Georgia Dome.

NFC Championship 1-23-05 at Philadelphia (L) 27-10Recap: In their second NFC Championship Game appearance in franchisehistory, Atlanta failed to contain a potent Eagles offense as the Falcons fell,27-10, at Lincoln Financial Field.

2008 11-5 NFC Wild Card 1-3-09 vs. Arizona (L) 30-24Recap: Following a slow start, Atlanta grabbed a halftime lead, however,turnovers caused the team in the second half as the Falcons fell 30-24.

FALCONS PLAYOFF RECAP

Since the NFL merger took place in1970, only three rookie quarterbackshave started all 16 games of a season.Those players include Rick Mirer(Seattle) in 1993, Peyton Manning(Indianapolis) in 1998 and David Carr(Houston) in 2002. Falcons quarterbackMatt Ryan and Baltimore QB Joe Flaccojoined the trio following the regular sea-son finale last Sunday. Ryan and Flaccoboth became the only rookies to leadtheir respective teams to the playoffsafter starting every game in the regular

season. Below is a look at the success of the five rookie QBs whohave started all 16 games in their first seasons.

Player Year Reg. Season Rec. Postseason

Matt Ryan, Atl 2008 11-5 NFC Wild Card

Joe Flacco, Bal 2008 11-5 AFC Wild CardDavid Carr, Hou 2002 4-12 -Peyton Manning, Ind 1998 3-13 -Rick Mirer, Sea 1993 6-10 -

from rookie to playoffs

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan ledthe Falcons to a 11-5 regular sea-son record this year.

This season, running back MichaelTurner set a new franchise record with17 rushing touchdowns while contribut-ing with 1,699 rushing yards. In Atlanta’sNFC Wild Card Playoff meeting againstArizona, Turner found the end zone onelast time on the season with a seven-yard carry in the second quarter. The 14-play 77-yard scoring drive cut theCardinals lead to 14-10. The touchdownwas the second for Turner in his post-

season career and the first since January 14, 2007 when he wasa member of the San Diego Chargers.

rush to the end zone

Running back Michael Turner

UNDER HIS FIRST YEAR AT THE HELM MIKE SMITHLEADS THE FALCONS TO THE PLAYOFFS

Head Coach Mike Smith led the Atlanta Falcons to one of the biggest turnarounds in team his-tory (11 wins) while leading the team to its first playoff berth since 2004. Atlanta witnessed severalimprovements from the previous season, which included points per game average, rushing yards pergame average, passing touchdown to interception ratio and sacks allowed. Smith had the Falcons readyto play in every game this season as Atlanta ranked first in the NFL in first quarter points scored and sixthin first quarter points allowed. The team also recorded a streak of 12 of 15 games holding opponents tounder 20 rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes of play.

Under Smith’s guidence, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan quickly developed into an offensiveleader as he became the first Falcons quarterback to win 10 games in his first season. Ryan also threwfor over 3,000 passing yards, becoming Atlanta’s first rookie quarterback to accomplish the feat. Freeagent running back Michael Turner revived the Falcons rushing attack and he finished the regular sea-son ranked second in the league in rushing yards. Turner also topped the 1,000-yard plateau for the firsttime in his career. Finally, Smith witnessed Roddy White become the first wide receiver in franchise his-tory to post back to back 1,200-yard seasons while setting a single-season mark with 1,382 yards.

WING TIPS

Coach (Team - Year) Record Previous Season Playoffs (Round)

Mike Smith (Atlanta, 2008) 11-5 4-12 0-1 (NFC Wild Card Game)

John Harbaugh (Baltimore, 2008) 11-5 5-11 1-0 (AFC Wild Card Game)Tony Sparano (Miami, 2008) 11-5 1-15 0-1 (AFC Wild Card Game)Jim Mora (Atlanta, 2004) 11-5 5-11 1-1 (NFC Championship Game)Bill Cowher (Pittsburgh, 1992) 11-5 7-9 0-1 (Divisional Playoff Game)Bobby Ross (San Diego, 1992) 11-5 4-12 1-1 (Divisional Playoff Game)Jim Fassel (NY Giants, 1997) 10-5-1 6-10 0-1 (Wild Card Playoff Game)Eric Mangini (NY Jets, 2006) 10-6 4-12 0-1 (AFC Wild Card Game)Sean Payton (New Orleans, 2006) 10-6 3-13 1-1 (NFC Championship Game)Jim Haslett (New Orleans, 2000) 10-6 3-13 1-1 (Divisional Playoff Game)Chan Gailey (Dallas, 1998) 10-6 6-10 0-1 (Wild Card Playoff Game)Ray Rhodes (Philadelphia, 1995) 10-6 7-9 1-1 (Divisional Playoff Game)

best records for rookie head coaches takingover teams that finished below .500

the previous season (since 1978)

Coach Team Win Improvement

Tony Sparano 2008 Miami Dolphins +10 (11-5 from 1-15)

Al Davis 1963 Oakland Raiders +9 (10-4 from 1-13)

Bill Parcells 1997 New York Jets +8 (9-7 from 1-15)

Ted Marchibroda 1992 Indianapolis Colts +8 (9-7 from 1-15)

Ted Marchibroda 1975 Baltimore Colts +8 (10-4 from 2-12)

Mike Smith 2008 Atlanta Falcons +7 (11-5 from 4-12)

Sean Payton 2006 New Orleans Saints +7 (10-6 from 3-13)

Jim Haslett 2000 New Orleans Saints +7 (10-6 from 3-13

Bobby Ross 1992 San Diego Chargers +7 (11-5 from 4-12)

Don Shula 1970 Miami Dolphins +7 (10-4 from 3-10-1)

John Harbaugh 2008 Baltimore Ravens +6 (11-5 from 5-11)

Jim Mora 2004 Atlanta Falcons +6 (11-5 from 5-11)

Eric Mangini 2006 New York Jets +6 (11-5 from 5-11)

GREATEST IMPROVEMENT IN WINS BETWEEN SEASONS BY A FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH

rookie head coaches who won 11+ games

Coach Record Year

Dan Reeves 14-2 1998Leeman Bennett 12-4 1980Jim Mora 11-5 2004Mike Smith 11-5 2008

Jerry Glanville 10-6 1991

MOST FalconsHEAD COACHING

WINS IN A SEASON

Coach Team Year Wins

Mike Smith Atlanta 2008 11

John Harbaugh Baltimore 2008 11Tony Sparano Miami 2008 11Jim Mora Atlanta 2004 11Bill Callahan Oakland 1997 11Steve Mariucci San Francisco 1994 12

Coach Team Year Wins

Barry Switzer Dallas 1994 12Bill Cowher Pittsburgh 1992 11Dennis Green Minnesota 1992 11Bobby Ross San Diego 1992 11George Seifert San Francisco 1989 14

NFL LEADING RUSHERS (Yards)Rusher Yards

1. Adrian Peterson, Min. 1,760

2. Michael Turner, Atl. 1,699

3. DeAngelo Williams, Car. 1,515

4. Clinton Portis, Was. 1,487

5. Thomas Jones, NYJ 1,312

NFL LEADING RUSHERS (Carries)Rusher Carries

1. Michael Turner, Atl. 376

2. Adrian Peterson, Min. 363

3. Clinton Portis, Was. 342

4. Matt Forte, Chi 316

5. Ryan Grant, GB 312

NFL LEADING RECEIVERS (Yards)Receiver Yards

1. Andre Johnson, Hou. 1,575

2. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. 1,431

3. Steve Smith, Car. 1,421

4. Roddy White, Atl. 1,382

5. Calvin Johnson, Det. 1,331

NFC LEADING RECEIVERS (Receptions)Receiver Receptions

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. 96

2. Anquan Boldin, Ari. 89

3. Roddy White, Atl. 88

4t. Antonio Bryant, TB 83

4t. Chris Cooley, Was. 83

NFL LEADING RECEIVERS (Third Down Receptions)Receiver Receptions

1. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin. 31

2t. Roddy White, Atl. 29

2t. Jason Witten, Dal. 29

2t. Tony Gonzalez, KC 29

5. Derrick Mason, Bal. 26

NFL LEADING SCORERS (Nonkickers)Player Points

1. DeAngelo Williams, Car 122

2t. Michael Turner, Atl. 102

3t. Three players tied 90

NFL LEADING SCORERS (Touchdowns)Player TDs

1. DeAngelo Williams, Car. 20

2. Michael Turner, Atl. 17

3t. Brandon Jacobs, NYG 15

3t. Thomas Jones, NYJ 15

3t. LenDale White, Ten. 15

NFC LEADING SCORERS (Kickers)Kicker Points

1. David Akers, Phi. 144

2. John Carney, NYG 143

3. Matt Bryant, TB 131

4. John Kasay, Car. 130

5. Jason Elam, Atl. 129

NFL YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGEPlayer Yards

1. Adrian Peterson, Min. 1,885

2. Michael Turner, Atl. 1,740

3. Matt Forte, Chi. 1,715

4. Clinton Portis, Was. 1,705

5. Steve Slaton, Hou. 1,659

NFL LEADERS IN FIRST DOWNSPlayer First Downs

1t. Michael Turner, Atl. 86

1t. Clinton Portis, Was. 86

1t. Matt Forte, Chi. 86

4. Adrian Peterson, Min. 85

5. Andre Johnson, Hou. 79

NFL LEADERS IN YARDS PER COMPLETIONPlayer Yards/Completion

1. Jake Delhomme, Car. 13.37

2. Matt Ryan, Atl. 12.98

3. Philip Rivers, SD 12.85

4. Tony Romo, Dal. 12.49

5. Drew Brees, NO 12.27

NFL LEADERS IN SACKSPlayer Sacks

1. DeMarcus Ware, Dal. 20.0

2. Joey Porter, Mia. 17.5

3. John Abraham, Atl. 16.5

4. James Harrison, Pit. 16.0

5. Jared Allen, Min. 14.5

FALCONS MOST RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASONPlayer Yards

1. Jamal Anderson, 1998 1,846

2. Gerald Riggs, 1985 1,719

3. Michael Turner, 2008 1,699

4. William Andrews, 1983 1,567

5. Gerald Riggs, 1984 1,486

FALCONS SINGLE-GAME RUSHING TOTALSPlayer Yards

1. Michael Turner, 2008 220


3. Gerald Riggs, 1984 202

FALCONS MOST RUSHING TDS IN A GAMEPlayer Touchdowns


2. T.J. Duckett, 2004 4

3. Three players tied 3

WING TIPSfinal 2008 regular season rankings

WING TIPS

FALCONS MOST RECEIVING YARDS IN A SEASONPlayer Yards

1. Roddy White, 2008 1,382

2. Alfred Jenkins, 1981 1,358

3. Terance Mathis, 1994 1,342

FALCONS MOST RECEPTIONS IN A SEASONPlayer Receptions

1. Terance Mathis, 1994 111

2. Eric Metcalf, 1995 104

3. Andre Rison, 1992 93

4. Roddy White, 2008 88

5. Andre Rison, 1993 86

FALCONS MOST SACKS IN A SEASONPlayer Sacks

1. John Abraham, 2008 16.5

2. Joel Williams, 1980 16.0

3. Claude Humphrey, 1976 15.0

FALCONS MOST NET YARDS GAINED (Season)Season Yards

1. 2008 5,779

2. 1981 5,661

3. 1980 5,650

FALCONS MOST RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASONTeam Yards

1. 2006 2,939*

2. 2004 2,672*

3. 2005 2,546*

4. 1985 2,466

5. 2008 2,443

*Led NFL

FALCONS BEST COMPLETION % IN A SEASONTeam Percentage

1. 1982 64.0

2. 1983 63.3

3. 1984 61.5

4. 1992 61.3

5. 2008 61.1

FALCONS MOST POINTS IN A SEASONTeam Points

1. 1998 442

2. 1981 426

3. 1980 405

4. 2002 402

5. 2008 391

FALCONS SACKS ALLOWED PER PLAY (Season)Season Sacks/Per Play

1. 2008 25.5

2. 1997 17.1

3. 1994 17.1

NFL TEAM RUSHING LEADERSTeam Rushing Avg.

1. New York Giants 157.3

2. Atlanta Falcons 152.7

3. Carolina Panthers 152.3

4. Baltimore Ravens 148.5

5. Minnesota Vikings 145.8

NFC TEAM LEADERS IN TOTAL OFFENSETeam Yardage Avg.

1. New Orleans Saints 410.7

2. Arizona Cardinals 365.8

3. Atlanta Falcons 361.2

4. New York Giants 355.9

5. Green Bay Packers 351.1

NFL FIRST QUARTER POINTS SCOREDTeam Points

1. Atlanta Falcons 114

2. Chicago Bears 109

3. Denver Broncos 106

NFC FIRST QUARTER POINTS ALLOWEDTeam Points

1. New York Giants 39

2. Chicago Bears 47


NFL FIRST QUARTER RUSHING YARDS ALLOWEDTeam Rushing Yards

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 255


3t. Atlanta Falcons 310

3t. Dallas Cowboys 310

NFL LEADERS IN RUSHING PLAYS OF 10+ YARDSTeam Plays



3. Carolina Panthers 63

NFL PUNT RETURN YARDS ALLOWED (Season)Team Return Yards

1. Atlanta Falcons 49 (NFL Record)


3. San Diego Chargers 146

4. New England Patriots 158

5. Buffalo Bills 187

final 2008 regular season rankings

falcons in the pro bowl

The National Football League announced that Atlanta Falcons running back MichaelTurner and wide receiver Roddy White have been selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl. BothTurner and White will be making their first Pro Bowl appearances.

“It’s always a good thing when players from your team are recognized for outstandingseasons,” said Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith. “Michael and Roddy have each playedextremely well this season and I’d like to congratulate them both on behalf of our entireorganization.”

In his first season in an Atlanta Falcons uniform, Michael Turner posted 1,699 rushingyards, which ranks second the NFL in the category. Along with producing eight 100-yard

games this season, Turner set a franchise single-game rushing record with a 220-yard performance against the Detroit Lions in the open-ing week of the season. He also tied a club record with four rushing touchdowns in one game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12and in the same contest, topped the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the first time in his career. Turner also scored 17 touchdowns this sea-son, which sets a team record for rushing touchdowns in a campaign. On three occasions, Turner was named NFC Offensive Player of theWeek. The first was for his performance against the Lions in Week 1. Turner earned the award again following Week 3 against Kansas Cityand the season finale against the St. Louis Rams.

“Every player who plays this game wants to be recognized by his peers, coaches and fans as being one of the top players in the game,”said Turner. “Nobody gets to the Pro Bowl by themselves and I want to thank my coaches and my teammates, especially my offensive line-men. Those guys have done a great job all season and I wouldn’t be in the NFL’s all-star game without them.”

White became the first Falcons receiver to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since 1998-99 and the first player in team history to reg-ister back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns. His 1,382 receiving yardage total ranks fourth in the NFL and set a new franchise record forreceiving yards for a season. He also broke career highs in receptions (88) and touchdowns (seven). White recorded seven 100-yard gamesthis year, which included a Week 14 performance at New Orleans where he set a career-high in receiving yards (164) on 10 receptions.White also ranks second in the NFL in third down receptions (29) and leads the league in third down receiving yards (516).

“It’s great to finally accomplish one of my goals I’ve had since I was drafted into the NFL,” said White. “I’d like to thank all of my teammatesfor their hard work this season. Those guys are a big reason why I’m getting to play in my first Pro Bowl.”

39TH PRO BOWL

FEBRUARY 8, 2009

ALOHA STADIUM - HONOLULU, HAWAII

RB Michael Turner WR Roddy White

falcons pro bowl notes

• White and Turner are the 112th and 113th Pro Bowl selections in team history. • White and Turner are the first Falcons selections to the Pro Bowl since 2006.

• Both White and Turner are making their first Pro Bowl appearances. • 2008 marks the 10th season Atlanta has posted a winning record with at least

• Turner is the eighth different Falcons running back to earn Pro Bowl honors. one Pro Bowl selection.

• White is the fourth different Falcons wide receiver to earn Pro Bowl accolades • Turner and White are the second Falcons RB and WR duo to be voted to the

and the first since Terance Mathis in 1995. Pro Bowl in the same year (first since 1980).

TURNER 2008 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Set a Falcons single-game rushing record with 220 yards against the Detroit Lions in

the first week of the season.

• Set a franchise record with his 17th rushing touchdown in a game against St. Louis

(Week 17).

• Topped the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the first

time in his career after posting 117 yards on 24 car-ries against Carolina in Week 12.

• Tied a team record with a four-touchdown game

against the Panthers in Week 12.

• Recorded eight 100-yard games this season (third

most ever for the Falcons in a season).

• Ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,699)

behind Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.

• Has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week

on three occasions and Fed Ex Ground Player of theWeek twice.

• The Falcons posted an 8-0 record when Turner

rushed for 50 yards or more in the first half.

• Totaled four multiple-TD games this year.

WHITE 2008 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Became the first Falcons wide receiver to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons

since 1998-99 and the first receiver in franchise history to total back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns.

• Ranked fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,382) while setting a career-high in

receptions (88) and touchdowns (seven).

• Ranked second in the league in third down recep-

tions (29) and led the league in third down receivingyards (516).

• Finished third in the conference and ninth in the

NFL in receptions with 88 and topped his old career-high of 83 catches.

• Finished the season ranked third in the NFL in

receptions of over 25 yards with 14.

• Posted seven 100-yard games this season, includ-

ing a career-high in receiving yardage (164) at NewOrleans in Week 14.

• Set a career-high with two receiving touchdowns in

one game against Philadelphia in Week 8.

COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS

FALCONS HEAD COACH MIKE SMITHNAMED NFL COACH OF THE YEAR

Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith was named the prestigious Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year in an announcement by theAP. In his first season with the Falcons, Smith led the team to an 11-5 regular season record and the club’s first playoff appearance since2004.

Under Smith’s guidance, the Falcons posted one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history (+7 wins from 2007) while finishing secondin the NFC South Division. Since 1978, Smith’s 11 victories tie him for the best record for rookie head coaches in the NFL taking over ateam that finished below .500 the previous season. He joins other 2008 rookie head coaches, John Harbaugh (Baltimore) and TonySparano (Miami) in that category.

Smith led a Falcons offense which witnessed massive improvements from 2007. The rushing attack finished second in theleague with a 152.7 average, while running back Michael Turner ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,699), toppedthe 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his career and was named to the 2009 Pro Bowl. Atlanta posted a 24.4 points pergame average in 2008, which was an 8.2-point upgrade from 2007 and the offensive line set a franchise record by allowingonly 17 sacks. The Falcons passing offense, led by Associated Press Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan, improved four spotsin the conference from ’07 (18th to 14th) and the team’s total offensive average of 361.2 ranked third in the NFCcompared to a 12th place finish last season. Wide receiver Roddy White was the recipient of a franchise record1,382 receiving yards as the four-year veteran will make his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Ryan became the first rook-ie quarterback in team history to win 11 games and the first rookie in franchise annals to throw over 3,000 passingyards (3,440) in his first season. Smith and Ryan also became the first rookie Head Coach and rookie quarterback tocompete in a playoff game since the Cleveland Rams accomplished the feat in 1945.

Defensively, Smith guided defensive end John Abraham to a career season as the South Carolina alum set a new fran-chise record with 16.5 sacks in a single-season while forcing four fumbles and blocking one punt against Carolina inWeek 4. Atlanta’s special teams were also a highlight this season as the unit set a NFL record allowing only 49 puntreturn yards. Wide receiver/punt returner Harry Douglas also became the first Falcon to return a punt for a touchdown(61 yards against Carolina in Week 12) since 2004.

Smith becomes only the second Head Coach in Falcons history to earn coach of the year honors and the first since DanReeves achieved the award after leading Atlanta to a 14-2 regular season record and a Super Bowl appearance in 1998.

MIKE SMITH BY THE NUMBERS

1 - The Falcons ranked first in the NFL in first quarter points and

outscored their opponent in the opening 15 minutes of play by a

114-52 margin.

2 - Atlanta’s rank in the NFL in rushing average (152.7) at the

conclusion of the 2008 regular season. The Falcons improved 24spots in rushing average compared to last season.

4 - Coach Smith was the fourth head coach in Falcons history to

record 11 or more wins in a season.

4 - The number of years (2004) between the last playoff appear-

ance for the Falcons and the NFC Wild Card game against theArizona Cardinals on January 3, 2009.

4 - The number of consecutive home victories to open the 2008

campaign, the highest amount of consecutive home wins to start aseason since 1998.

7 - The Falcons win improvement from the 2007 season under the

leadership of Coach Smith. The seven wins are tied for the sixth-highest improvement between seasons by a first-year head coachin NFL history.

8.2 - Atlanta’s improvement in points per game average com-

pared to the 2007 campaign. The Falcons finished the seasonaveraging 24.4 points per game.

9 - Coach Smith is the ninth head coach in the NFL to win 11-plus

games in his rookie campaign.

10 - The number of players who earned opening day starts for

the first time in their NFL careers.

11 - The number of regular season wins Coach Smith and the

Falcons accumulated during the 2008 campaign.

17 - The number of sacks allowed by the offensive line in the

2008 regular season, which set a new franchise record low.

51 - The number of points the Falcons totaled off of 18 no-huddle

possessions in 2008. Atlanta scored six touchdowns and three fieldgoals.

5,779 - The total number of net yards for the Falcons offense in

2008, which set a team record for a single-season.

rookie of the year honors

FALCONS QUARTERBACK MATT RYAN NAMED NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Matt Ryan was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in an announcement by the Associated Press. This season, Ryan complet-ed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for an 87.7 passer rating. He also contributed with 104 rushingyards and one rushing touchdown. His 3,440 passing yards ranks sixth in a single-season in Falcons annals as he became only the sec-ond rookie quarterback ever in the NFL to amass over 3,000 passing yards. Ryan became one of two rookie quarterbacks in the NFL since2003 to start a regular season opener. He guided Atlanta to an 11-5 record, which made him the first rookie quarterback in franchise histo-ry to win 11 games. Ryan also became the first quarterback in club history to reach the 3,000-yard passing plateau. Along with Ravens quar-terback Joe Flacco, Ryan became the first rookie quarterback to start all 16 regular season games and lead his team to the playoffs.

On his first career NFL passing attempt against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, Ryan found wide receiver Michael Jenkinsfor a 62-yard touchdown to become the first quarterback in the NFL since 2000 to throw a TD on his first career pass-ing attempt. He led Atlanta to a 7-1 record at the Georgia Dome and guided the Falcons to a 6-2 mark in games decid-

ed by one score or less this year.

For his performance in the month of October, Ryan earned NFC Rookie of the Month accolades, becoming thefirst player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. In October, Ryan and the Falcons defeated the GreenBay Packers at historic Lambeau Field in Week 5 and posted a victory against the Chicago Bears in Week 6.

Against the Bears, Ryan tallied his first career 300-yard passing game (301) and completed a 26-yard passto Jenkins with one second remaining to set up kicker Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal. During themonth of October, Ryan completed 61 of 100 passes for 772 yards and five touchdowns.

One week after being named NFC Rookie of the Month, the Falcons posted a shutout over the Oakland Raiders(24-0) at Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. In that game, Ryan registered the ninth-highest NFL passer ratingin a single game this season with a 138.4 mark. For his efforts, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

This season, Ryan totaled a streak of nine consecutive 200-yard passing games from Weeks 6-15 and notchedeight contests with a 65.0 completion percentage or higher. He also ranked second in the league in yards percompletion with a 12.98 average.

Ryan is the only player in franchise history to earn offensive rookie of the year honors. He joins linebackerTommy Nobis (1966-76) and defensive end Claude Humphrey (1968-74, 76-78) as the only other Falcons toearn rookie of the year accolades (both defensive rookie of the year).

MATT RYAN BY THE NUMBERS

1 - The number of passes it took for Matt Ryan to throw his first

career touchdown pass (62 yards to Michael Jenkins, Week 1).

2 - The number of conference accolades Ryan earned throughout

the season (NFC Rookie of the Month in October and NFCOffensive Rookie of the Week following a contest vs. Oakland).

6 - The number of victories Matt Ryan and the Falcons earned in

games decided by one score or less.

7 - The number of wins Matt Ryan and the Falcons earned at the

Georgia Dome this season as the rookie quarterback completed121 of 188 passes for 1,777 yards and six touchdowns for a 94.7quarterback rating in eight home contests.

9 - The number of consecutive 200-yard passing games this sea-

son from Weeks 6-15.

11 - The number of wins Matt Ryan compiled this season,

becoming the first rookie quarterback in team history to win 11games in a campaign.

11 - The number of interceptions Matt Ryan threw this season

becoming one of two rookie quarterbacks in the history of the NFLto start every regular season game and throw under 15 INTs.

11 - The number of seconds remaining in a fourth quarter come-

back against the Chicago Bears when Ryan completed a 26-yardpass to set up K Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal.

16 - The number of games Matt Ryan started (entire regular sea-

son) while becoming one of two rookies in NFL history to lead histeam to the playoffs in his first season.

12.98 - The yards per completion percentage for Matt Ryan this

season, which ranked second in the NFL this season.

138.4 - Matt Ryan’s passer rating against the Oakland Raiders

in Week 9, the ninth-highest rating in a single-game this seasonamong quarterbacks in the NFL.

3,440 - The number of passing yards Matt Ryan threw for in his

rookie campaign, which ranks sixth in a season in team history. Healso became this first rookie in team history to throw for over 3,000passing yards.

2008 falcons starters

The Falcons featured 10 new starters in 2008 compared to the 2007 regular season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. Different startersare underlined while rookies are bolded.

2007 Offensive Starters 2008 2007 Defensive Starters 2008

Roddy White WR Roddy White Jamaal Anderson LE Jamaal AndersonQuinn Ojinnaka LT Sam Baker Montavious Stanley NT Jonathan BabineauxJustin Blalock LG Justin Blalock Jonathan Babineaux UT Grady JacksonTodd McClure C Todd McClure John Abraham RE John AbrahamKynan Forney RG Harvey Dahl Michael Boley BLB Michael BoleyTyson Clabo RT Tyson Clabo Keith Brooking MLB Curtis Lofton

Alge Crumpler TE Justin Peelle Demorrio Williams WLB Keith BrookingJoe Horn WR Michael Jenkins DeAngelo Hall LCB Domonique Foxworth

Chris Redman QB Matt Ryan Chris Houston RCB Chris HoustonWarrick Dunn RB Michael Turner Lawyer Milloy SS Lawyer MilloyOvie Mughelli FB Ovie Mughelli Chris Crocker FS Erik Coleman

a new starting staff

OFFENSE

WR Roddy White - Led the Falcons in receiving with 88 catches for1,382 yards and seven touchdowns. His receiving total set a newfranchise record for receiving yards in a season. Tallied seven 100-yard games and back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons while earning hisfirst trip to the Pro Bowl.

LT Sam Baker - Started in five career games at the left tackle posi-tion in his rookie season.

LG Justin Blalock – Assisted a Falcons rushing attack that posted2,443 yards this season, the sixth-highest total in team history.

C Todd McClure - Started his 112th consecutive game on the offen-sive line in Week 17.

RG Harvey Dahl - Started his 16th career NFL game in a Week 17meeting against the St. Louis Rams.

RT Tyson Clabo - Made his 37th career start following the Falconsmeeting with the Rams in Week 17.

TE Justin Peelle - Caught 15 passes for 159 yards and two touch-downs.

WR Michael Jenkins - Totaled 50 catches for 777 yards and threetouchdowns, which included a 62-yard touchdown on Matt Ryan’sfirst career pass against Detroit in Week 1.

QB Matt Ryan - Started every game under center and completed265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 intercep-tions for a 87.7 passer rating en route to earning AP Rookie of theYear honors.

RB Michael Turner - Posted 376 carries for 1,699 yards and 17touchdowns while setting a Falcons single-game record with 220yards against Detroit in Week 1. Also tallied four touchdowns againstCarolina in Week 12 while topping the 1,000-yard rushing plateaufor the first time in his career. Turner earned his first trip to the ProBowl as well.

FB Ovie Mughelli - Created lanes for Falcons rushers to total 2,443rushing yards this season.

KEY CONTRIBUTOR:

RB Jerious Norwood - Finished the season with 489 rushing yards,338 receiving yards and six TDs. Also tallied 1,311 kickoff return yards.

offensive starters

DEFENSE

RE John Abraham - Posted his third three-sack performance inWeek 15 against Tampa Bay as his 16.5 sacks in 2008 set a seasonrecord in club annals. This year, totaled 42 tackles (35 solo), fourforced fumbles and one pass defensed.

DT Grady Jackson - Totaled 23 tackles (21 solo), two sacks andone pass defensed.

DT Jonathan Babineaux - Recorded 38 tackles (30 solo), a career-best 3.5 sacks for a loss of 26.5 yards, two passes defensed andone fumble recovery in 2008.

LE Jamaal Anderson - Totaled two sacks, which includes his first-career quarterback takedown in Week 6 vs. Chicago. Also added 36tackles and three passes defensed.

OLB Keith Brooking - Increased his starting streak to 128 consec-utive regular season games following the season finale against St.Louis and has now led the Falcons in tackles for eight straight sea-sons with 133 (80 solo).

MLB Curtis Lofton - Totaled his first-career sack againstPhiladelphia in Week 8, while forcing a fumble on the play. Rankedfourth on the team in tackles with 108.

OLB Michael Boley - Recorded 90 tackles, nine passes defensedand one interception.

RCB Chris Houston - Intercepted his first-career pass against theKansas City Chiefs in Week 3 and returned it 10 yards for a touch-down. Added his second INT against New Orleans (Week 10) andcontributed with 59 tackles and 16 passes defensed.

LCB Domonique Foxworth - Started 10 games in 2008 and totaled39 stops, 11 passes defensed and one interception.

SS Lawyer Milloy - Ranked third on the team in tackles with 117 (76solo) while adding one interception and five passes defensed.

FS Erik Coleman - Ranked second on the Falcons in tackles with acareer-high of 127 and contributed with three interceptions, six pass-es defensed and two forced fumbles.

KEY CONTRIBUTOR:

RE Chauncey Davis - This season, recorded 35 tackles, three fum-ble recoveries, one forced fumble and four sacks, which included atwo-sack game against Carolina in Week 12.

defensive starters

Defensive end John Abraham continuedhis dominance on opening day as the nine-year veteran posted three sacks for a lossof 16 yards and four tackles against theDetroit Lions in Week 1. He registered histhird three-sack performance of the sea-son against Tampa Bay (Week 15) enroute to a 13-10 Falcons overtime victory.At the conclusion of the season, he hasnow tallied 18.5 sacks in his last 17 games,

26.5 in his last 31 contests and has recorded 84.0 for his career.As a Falcon, Abraham has posted 30.5 sacks in 40 games played.

NFL Sack Leaders 2008Rank Player Sacks Yards

1 DeMarcus Ware, Dal 20.0 113.02 Joey Porter, Mia 17.5 96.03 John Abraham, Atl 16.5 109.54 James Harrison, Pit 16.0 114.5

NFL Sack Leaders 2000-2008 (Active Players)Rank Player Sacks Yards

1 Jason Taylor, Was 104.0 680.02 John Abraham, Atl 84.0 534.03 Joey Porter, Mia 81.0 510.0

John Abraham’s Sacks In 2008Date Opponent Sacks Yards9/7 vs. Detroit 3.0 16.0

9/14 at Tampa Bay 1.0 5.09/21 vs. Kansas City 2.0 11.010/5 at Green Bay 1.0 5.011/2 at Oakland 3.0 16.011/9 vs. New Orleans 1.0 6.0

11/23 vs. Carolina 1.0 8.011/30 at San Diego 0.5 4.512/14 vs. Tampa Bay 3.0 33.012/21 at Minnesota 1.0 5.0

climbing the charts

WING TIPS

In four games this September, defensive end John Abrahamtotaled six sacks, which included a three-sack performance againstthe Detroit Lions in the season opener at the Georgia Dome. Sincesacks became an official NFL stat in 1982, Abraham’s six sacks inthe month are the most by a Falcons player in team history. Belowis a look at the Falcons top three in this category.

Player Season Sacks in Sept.

John Abraham 2008 6.0

Chris Doleman 1995 5.5Patrick Kerney 2004 5.0

brisk september

After dropping Minnesota quarterback Tarvaris Jackson for onesack in a Week 16 meeting, John Abraham forced a fumble on thetakedown and increased his career forced fumble total to 31.Following his ninth season, 26 of his forced fumbles have come ona sack, which is just under one-third of his career sack total of 84.0(30.9 percent). Below is a list of Abraham’s forced fumbles on asack by season.

Year Sack Total Forced Fumbles Percent

2008 16.5 4 .242

2007 10.0 4 .4002006 4.0 4 1.0002005 10.5 6 .5712004 9.5 2 .2112003 6.0 1 .1662002 10.0 1 .1002001 13.0 2 .1532000 4.5 2 .444Total 84.0 26 .309

forcing the issue

Defensive end John Abraham ranks fourth in the league in forcedfumbles from 2000-2008. Abraham knocked his first ball to groundin 2008 against Tampa Bay in Week 2, added his second againstKansas City in Week 3, posted his third in a Week 9 contest atOakland and tallied his latest in Week 16 at Minnesota. Below is alook at the NFL’s forced fumble leaders over the last nine seasons.

Player Forced Fumbles

Jason Taylor, Was 37Dwight Freeney, Ind 35Leonard Little, Stl 33John Abraham, Atl 31

A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Defensive end John Abraham has shown that he has the ability toget to the quarterback no matter what the situation presents.Abraham’s 16.5 sacks in 2008 came from both sides of the defen-sive line in Atlanta’s 4-3 defense.

QB

RT RG C LG LT

DE NT NT DE

(five sacks, one FF) (11.5 sacks, three FF)

Mr. VERSATILITY

55John Abraham

Defensive End6-4, 263 pounds9th year in the NFLSouth Carolina

Acquired by the Falcons ina trade with the New YorkJets in 2006

John Abraham registered 16.5 sacks this season setting a newseason-high for the nine-year veteran, topping his previous high of13.0, which he set with the New York Jets in 2001. His 16.5 sacksalso rank first in a season in Falcons annals.

Atlanta Falcons Highest Sack Totals in a Season

Player Year Sacks

John Abraham 2008 16.5

Joel Williams 1980 16.0Claude Humphrey 1976 15.0

sack master

WING TIPS

1Jason Elam

Kicker5-11, 194 pounds16th year in the NFLHawaii

Signed by the Falcons asan unrestricted free agent(Den.) in 2008.

Falcons kicker Jason Elam split theuprights on five of six field goal attemptsagainst the Chicago Bears in Week 6. Inthe fourth quarter of the game, he missedhis first attempt of the season, which brokea streak of 30 consecutive field goals dat-ing back to the 2007 campaign. This year,Elam totaled 129 points and registered his16th career 100-point season. He becamethe first player in NFL history to record atleast 100 points in each of his first 16 sea-

sons, which is also the longest streak in the league. He is also sec-ond in the league to former Falcons kicker Morten Andersen inconsecutive games scoring at least one point (252). Andersenended last season with his streak at 360 games.

30-straight

elam’s career bests

Field Goals Made Field Goals Attempted Longest Field Goal Made

5, four times 6, three times 63 (tied NFL record)(last vs. Chicago 10/12/08) (last vs. Chicago 10/12/08) vs. Jacksonville (10/25/98)

PATs Made PATs Attempted Points Scored

7 vs. Philadelphia (10/20/05) 7 vs. Philadelphia (10/20/05) 16, four times

(last vs. Chicago 10/12/08)

Jason Elam ranks third all-time in the NFLwith 38 field goals of 50 yards or more. Hetallied his best season total of five field goalsfrom 50-plus yards in 1995 and tied the markagain in 1999. Elam is also perfect in 50-plus-yard field goals throughout the postsea-son, splitting the uprights on one attempt in1997 and one attempt in 2005. Below is a listof the top five kickers in 50-plus yard fieldgoals and their percentages.

Player 50-plus FG made (att.) Percentage

Jason Hanson, Det 41 (75) 54.7Morten Andersen 40 (84) 47.6Jason Elam, Atl 38 (63) 60.3

John Kasay, Car 36 (70) 51.4Jeff Wilkins 26 (36) 72.2

fifty-plus is a must

This season, the Falcons battled the AFC West, which is familiarterritory for kicker Jason Elam. The 16-year veteran has competedin 92 games against AFC West opponents (Kansas City, Oakland,San Diego and Denver), 90 of which as a member of the DenverBroncos.

Games 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 Total Pct. PATs Pts

Kansas City 30 0/0 14/14 20/23 12/16 5/8 51/61 .836 78/78 231Oakland 30 0/0 26/27 19/19 11/19 3/5 59/70 .843 63/63 240San Diego 31 0/0 17/19 17/18 11/19 7/10 52/66 .788 80/80 236Denver 1 0/0 0/0 1/1 1/1 0/0 2/2 1.000 2/2 8Total 92 0/0 57/60 57/61 35/55 15/23 164/199 .824 223/223 715

WILD WEST

Rewind to a chilly October day inDenver, Colorado in 1998. TheBroncos were hosting theJacksonville Jaguars and wereabout to enter halftime with a 24-10 lead. Instead of running out theclock, Broncos Head Coach MikeShanahan wanted to see if hecould increase his lead against astrong Jaguars team. Kicker JasonElam jogged to his position andlined up for a monumental kick. Hebooted the ball, which sailed 63yards through the uprights and tiedTom Dempsey’s 28-year-oldrecord. Elam’s cleats from that game are currently displayed in thePro Football Hall of Fame.

IT’S LONg GONE

K Jason Elam celebrates after splitting theuprights on a 63-yard field goal which tied the

NFL record.

This season, kicker Jason Elam split theuprights on 29 of 31 field goal attemptswhile converting all 42 PATs to log 129points. His scoring total ranks fifth in theNFC and was 15 points shy ofPhiladelphia Eagles kicker David Akers’total (144). Elam’s 129 points this yearfell nine points shy of an Atlanta fran-chise record for a season (138 set bykicker Jay Feely in 2002). The point totalalso fell three points shy of Elam’scareer-high (132 set in 1995).

NFC Leading Scorers Among Kickers

Player PAT FG Total Points

David Akers, Phi 45/45 33/40 144John Carney, NYG 38/38 35/38 143Matt Bryant, TB 35/36 32/38 131John Kasay, Car 46/46 28/31 130Jason Elam, Atl 42/42 29/31 129

Falcons Franchise Scoring Leaders In a Season

Player Year PAT FG Total Points

Jay Feely 2002 42/43 32/40 138Jason Elam 2008 42/42 29/31 129

Morten Andersen 1995 29/30 31/37 122Morten Andersen 1998 51/52 23/28 120Jay Feely 2001 28/28 29/37 115

RACKING UP THE POINTS

WING TIPS

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completednine of 13 passes for 161 yards and onetouchdown for a 137.0 passer rating in hisfirst career start under center againstDetroit in Week 1. Ryan became the firstFalcons rookie quarterback to start a sea-son opener since Steve Bartkowski in1975. On Atlanta’s first offensive posses-sion of the 2008 season, the Falconsrecorded a three-play, 74-yard drive thatwas capped by a WR Michael Jenkins 62-yard touchdown on Ryan’s first careerNFL pass. Ryan became the first quarter-

back to throw a touchdown on his firstcareer pass since October 8, 2000 whenMichael Bishop completed the feat asmember of the New England Patriots.The 62-yard touchdown strike madeRyan the first player to throw a touch-down pass of 50 yards or longer in thefirst quarter of his NFL debut since RogerStaubach tossed a 75-yard touchdown toLance Rentzel in 1969.

Starting early


2Matt Ryan

Quarterback6-4, 220 poundsRookieBoston College

Selected as a first round(3rd overall) draft choice bythe Falcons in 2008

Matt Ryan and Ravens QB Joe Flacco started their respectiveWeek 1 match-ups under center marking the first time since 2003a rookie quarterback started on opening day (Kyle Boller,Baltimore). The last time the league saw two rookie QBs startingon the same day came in 1971 when Archie Manning (Saints) andJim Plunkett (Patriots) started at quarterback. In the past 11 sea-sons (1998-2008), only five rookie quarterbacks prior to Ryan andFlacco have started the first game of the regular season. In Week1 of the 2008 campagin, both Ryan and Flacco recorded victoriesin their first career starts.

Rookie QBs Starting In Regular Season Openers (‘98-‘08)

Team Player Year Note

Atlanta Matt Ryan 2008 NFC Wild Card GameBaltimore Joe Flacco 2008 AFC Wild Card GameBaltimore Kyle Boller 2003 AFC North ChampsHouston David Carr 2002 Won season openerCarolina Chris Weinke 2001 Won season openerIndianapolis Peyton Manning 1998 Lost season openerSan Diego Ryan Leaf 1998 Won season opener

already a first

Quarterback Roger Staubach

Quarterback Matt Ryan was named NFCRookie of the Month (for October) becoming thefirst player in franchise history to earn confer-ence Rookie of the Month accolades. In threegames during October, Ryan completed 61 of100 passes for 772 yards and five touchdowns

while leading the Falcons to a 2-1 record. Atlanta defeated theGreen Bay Packers by a 27-24 margin on October 5 as Ryan threwfor 194 yards with two touchdowns. The second victory of themonth was an unprecedented comeback against the ChicagoBears with a 22-20 win. In that game, Ryan completed 22 of 30(73.3 pct.) passes for 301 yards (his first career 300-yard passingouting) and a 116.1 passer rating. With 11 seconds remaining inthe game, Ryan completed a 26-yard pass to wide receiverMichael Jenkins, setting up the game-winning field goal as timeexpired from kicker Jason Elam. In Week 8, the Falcons fell to thePhiladelphia Eagles, however, Ryan totaled 277 passing yards inthe outing while throwing two touchdown strikes to wide receiverRoddy White.

MR. OCTOBER

This season, quarterback Matt Ryancompleted 265 of 434 passes for 3,440yards and 16 touchdowns. His streakof nine consecutive games with 200 ormore passing yards ended againstMinnesota in Week 16. He also record-ed seven contests with a 60 percent orbetter completion percentage. Ryan’spassing total ranked sixth in a single-season in Falcons annals. Below arethe top 10 Atlanta quarterbacks inpassing yards in a season.

Player Season Passing Yards

*Jeff George 1995 4,143Steve Bartkowski 1981 3,829*Jeff George 1994 3,734Steve Bartkowski 1980 3,544Chris Miller 1989 3,459Matt Ryan 2008 3,440

Steve Bartkowski 1983 3,167Chris Chandler 1998 3,154*Bobby Hebert 1996 3,152*Chris Miller 1991 3,103*Bobby Hebert 1993 2,978

*Run ‘N Shoot Offense

flying high


Quarterback Steve Bartkowski

ONE AND ONLY

This season, Matt Ryan and Baltimore quarterback Joe Flaccobecame the first NFL rookie quarterbacks to have played in all 16games and thrown fewer than 15 interceptions. Only three priorrookie quarterbacks have started 16 games of a season (RickMirer in 1993, Peyton Manning in 1998 and David Carr in 2002)and none threw fewer than 15 INTs in their respective seasons.

In Atlanta’s eight home contests this season, quarterback MattRyan showed flashes of brilliance and looked anything but a rook-ie. Ryan completed 121 of 188 passing attempts for 1,777 yardsand six touchdowns while guiding the Falcons to a 7-1 record. Healso posted three touchdown passes of 60 yards or more. The firstwas a 62-yard strike to wide receiver Michael Jenkins on his firstcareer pass against Detroit. Two weeks later against Kansas City,Ryan hit wide receiver Roddy White for a 70-yard score, markingthe longest passing touchdown in his career. In Week 10 againstNew Orleans, Ryan found RB Jerious Norwood for a 67-yardtouchdown, the longest reception and score for the third-year run-ning back in his career. In eight home games, Ryan has also accu-mulated a 94.7 passer rating. This season in dome venues, Ryancompleted 158 of 245 passes for 2,226 yards and eight touch-downs en route to an 8-2 record.

Matt Ryan’s Home Performances This Season

Week Opponent Comp Att Yards TD INT QB Rating

1 Detroit 9 13 161 1 0 137.03 Kansas City 12 18 192 1 0 120.66 Chicago 22 30 301 1 0 116.1

10 New Orleans 16 23 248 2 0 134.011 Denver 20 33 250 0 1 71.512 Carolina 17 27 259 0 0 94.515 Tampa Bay 15 23 206 0 2 57.516 St. Louis 10 21 160 1 2 49.8

dome sweet dome

In a Week 6 meeting against the Chicago Bears, Matt Ryan com-pleted 22 of 30 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown in a 22-20 victory. The 301 yards mark the first time Ryan reached the300-yard passing plateau in his rookie season. The total was alsothe highest for the Falcons as a team since QB Chris Redmanposted 315 yards last season against Arizona in Week 17. With 11seconds remaining in the game, Ryan completed a 26-yard passto wide receiver Michael Jenkins, setting up the game-winning fieldgoal from kicker Jason Elam. Ryan also completed one touchdownpass to wide receiver Roddy White in the fourth quarter, which washis fifth scoring strike of the season. On Atlanta’s first offensivedrive of the game, Ryan completed all five of his passing attemptsfor 57 yards en route to a Falcons field goal and a 3-0 lead. Hecontinued his completion streak and went eight for eight to start thegame while tallying 107 yards. Ryan also posted a previous sea-son-high in first half passing yards with 159 on 14 completions. Forhis performance against the Bears, Ryan was named Diet PepsiRookie of the Week (6) on an online vote from fans at NFL.com.

bear attack

Against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, Matt Ryan completed 17of 22 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and a 138.4 passerrating. The rating is his highest this season, which topped his firstcareer start against Detroit (137.0). His mark against the Raiderswas the ninth-highest passer rating this season among all quarter-backs in the league. Below are the highest single-game passer rat-ings this season.

Player Date Opponent Rating

Kurt Warner, Ari 9/14 Miami 158.3Drew Brees, NO 11/24 Green Bay 157.5Drew Brees, NO 10/12 Oakland 144.4Matt Schaub, Hou 10/26 Cincinnati 144.0Shaun Hill, SF 11/16 St. Louis 142.3Philip Rivers, SD 10/12 New England 141.9Philip Rivers, SD 12/28 Denver 141.0Peyton Manning, Ind 12/18 Indianapolis 140.7Matt Ryan, Atl 11/2 Oakland 138.4

highly rated

In a Week 9 contest against the OaklandRaiders, quarterback Matt Ryan completed13 of 16 passes in the first half for 184 yardsand two touchdowns en route to a 24-0Falcons win. In the opening drive of thegame, wide receiver Michael Jenkins slippedby former Falcons cornerback DeAngeloHall to haul in a 37-yard touchdown grab, hisfirst of two touchdowns in the game. Thescore marked the fourth time that Atlanta tal-lied points on its opening offensive posses-sion this season. Ryan also tabbed the contest as his third multi-ple-touchdown game after totaling two TDs at Green Bay and twoat Philadelphia. He achieved first half career-highs in passingyardage (184), completion percentage (81.3) and tallied a passerrating of 154.2. Ryan went on to finish the game with a career-highpasser rating of 138.4 and final completion percentage of 77.3.

Playing in front of 60,000 hostile fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Matt Ryan guided theFalcons to a victory against the Oakland Raiders andearned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, just

one week after being named NFC Rookie of the Month (October).Ryan joins Michael Turner (two NFC Offensive Player of the Weekhonors) as one of two Falcons who have earned conference acco-lades this season.

raiding oakland

WING TIPS

perfect 10Matt Ryan won 11 of 16 starts this season and became the firstrookie quarterback in Falcons history to win 11 games. Ryan alsothrew for 3,440 yards and also became the first Falcons rookie toreach the 3,000-yard plateau.

This season, Matt Ryan completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440yards and 16 touchdowns for a 61.1 completion percentage. Therookie quarterback did an excellent job finding his targets for biggains as he ranked third in the NFL in yards per completion with a12.98 mark. Below is a look at the top five quarterbacks in the cat-egory.

Quarterback Yards Per Completion

Jake Delhomme, Car 13.37Matt Ryan, Atl 12.98

Philip Rivers, SD 12.85Tony Romo, Dal 12.49Drew Brees, NO 12.27

X MARKS THE SPOT

four and looking for more

Matt Ryan became the first rookie quarterback in the NFL to starthis first six games under center and win at least four since the NFLmerger took place in 1970.

WING TIPS

From 2005-07, Matt Ryan started in 31 games at Boston College,including every game in 2006 and 2007. Over the span of his 31starts during that time, Ryan and the Eagles recorded an 11-4record in games decided by one score (seven points) or less. Tenof the 11 wins also came against teams who finished their respec-tive seasons with a winning record. Below is a look at the BostonCollege victories decided by one score or less.

Ryan continued this trend to the professional ranks as he led theFalcons to a 6-2 record this season in games decided by one scoreor less. The Falcons recorded wins against Green Bay in Week 5,Chicago in Week 6, San Diego in Week 13, Tampa Bay in Week15, Minnesota in Week 16 and St. Louis in the season finale.Against the Bears Ryan notched his first 300-yard passing game,which included one touchdown and a late completion with one sec-ond remaining to set-up kicker Jason Elam’s game-winning fieldgoal. Atlanta’s two losses by one possession were a 24-20 defeatversus Denver in a Week 11 meeting and a 29-25 loss againstNew Orleans in Week 14.

Matty ice

200710/25 at Va. Tech 14-10

11/17 at Clemson 20-17

12/28 vs. Mich. State 24-21

20068/31 Central Mich. 31-24

9/9 Clemson 34-33

9/16 BYU 30-23

10/21 at Fla. State 24-19

12/30 Navy 25-24

20059/24 Clemson 16-1310/15 Wake Forest 35-3012/28 Boise State 27-21

RYAN’S FALCONS career bests

Completions Attempts Passing Yards

24 at New Orleans (12/7/08) 44 at Philadelphia (10/26/08)315 at New Orleans (12/7/08)23 at Philadelphia (10/26/08) 41 at Carolina (9/28/08) 301 vs. Chicago (10/12/08)22 vs. Chicago (10/12/08) 33 (three times), Last 277 at Philadelphia (10/26/08)

at New Orleans (12/7/08)

Passing Touchdowns Longest Passes Quarterback Rating

2 (five times), last 70t vs. Kansas City (9/21/08) 138.4 at Oakland (11/2/08)at San Diego (11/30/08) 69 vs. Carolina (11/23/08) 137.0 vs. Detroit (9/7/08)

67t vs. New Orleans (11/9/08) 134.0 vs. New Orleans (11/9/08)

Rushing Yards

19 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14/08)

Quarterback Matt Ryan emerged as aHeisman Trophy candidate during hissenior season at Boston College aftercompleting 388 of 654 passes for4,507 yards and 31 touchdowns. Hewas also named ACC Player of Yearfor his efforts last season. Below is alook at other highlights and accom-plishments during Ryan’s career withthe Eagles.

Career:

Completed 807 of 1,347 passes for 9,313 yards and 56 touch-downs. His career completions and attempts are both schoolrecords.

His 9,313 passing yards placed him third in school annals behindDoug Flutie and Glenn Foley.

2007:

Boston College ranked eighth in the nation in total offense whileRyan established school records for 400-yard passing performanc-es in both a career and a season.

Became only the third quarterback in ACC history (Philip Rivers,North Carolina State and Ben Bennett, Duke) to complete over 300passes in a season (388).

His 31 touchdown passes broke the old school season-record of27 by Doug Flutie in 1984.

His career-high 435 passing yards against Georgia Tech rankssixth on the school’s game-record passing list.

Named ACC Player of the Week on six occasions.

2006:

Set school records after completing 263 of 427 passes while con-tributing with 2,942 pasing yards and 15 touchdowns.

Named an ACC first-team choice.

Led the ACC in total offense (242.3 ypg.) and passing yards pergame (245.2).

IMPACT IN Beantown

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was impressive leading theoffense throughout the season. In 2008, he put up numbers thatare not conducive to a rookie quarterback and made dents in sev-eral franchise seasonal records. Ryan compiled a season passerrating of 87.7 and faired better at the Georgia Dome, posting a 7-1 record while averaging a 94.7 rating. He also totaled nine gameswith zero interceptions and ended a streak of nine consecutivecontests with 200-plus passing yards in Week 15. Ryan’s 87.7quarterback rating, ranks 12th in a campaign in Falcons history.Below is a look at the top Falcons passer ratings in a year.

Year Quarterback Rating*1992 Wade Wilson 110.21969 Bob Berry 106.71998 Chris Chandler 100.91983 Steve Bartkowski 97.61997 Chris Chandler 95.11985 Steve Bartkowski 92.81992 Chris Miller 90.72007 Chris Redman 90.41984 Steve Bartkowski 89.71995 Jeff George 89.51980 Steve Bartkowski 88.22008 Matt Ryan 87.7

*Only started three games

Ryan finished the season with 434 pass attempts, which ranksseventh in a season in Falcons annals. His 265 completions at theconclusion of the season also ranks seventh in franchise history.

pace yourself

sweet 16Quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) arethe first rookies in NFL history to start all 16 regular season gamesand lead their respective teams to the playoffs.

WING TIPS

33Michael Turner

Running Back5-10, 244 pounds5th year in the NFLNorthern Illinois

Signed by the Falcons asan unrestricted free agent(S.D.) in 2008.

Running back Michael Turner posted his 11th career 100-yardgame after totaling 25 carries for 208 yards and one touchdownagainst St. Louis in Week 17. Turner topped the 200-yard mark forthe second time this season and hit the century mark for the eighthoccasion (220 yards vs. Detroit, 104 yards vs. Kansas City, 121yards at Green Bay, 139 at Oakland, 117 yards vs. Carolina, 120yards at San Diego and 152 yards vs. Tampa Bay) and recorded1,699 yards this season, which ranks second in the NFL. Below isa look at Turner’s career 100-yard games.

Date Opponent Carries Yards TDs

9/7/08 vs. Detroit 22 220 2

12/28/08 vs. St. Louis 25 208 1

12/14/08 vs. Tampa Bay 32 152 1

10/7/07 at Denver 10 147 111/2/08 at Oakland 31 139 0

9/17/06 vs. Tennessee 13 138 010/5/08 at Green Bay 26 121 1

11/30/08 at San Diego 31 120 0

11/23/08 vs. Carolina 24 117 4

12/18/05 at Indianapolis 8 113 19/21/08 vs. Kansas City 23 104 3

CENTURY MARK

At the 12:46 mark in the first quarteragainst the Carolina Panthers inWeek 12, Falcons running backMichael Turner rushed for a six-yardgain and topped the 1,000-yardplateau for the first time in hiscareer. Turner is Atlanta’s first run-ning back to accomplish the featsince 2006 (Warrick Dunn, 1,140)and the 20th running back in fran-chise history to reach 1,000 yards ina season. In 2008, Turner recorded1,699 rushing yards, which ranksthird in a campaign in Falcons

annals. Below is a look at Atlanta’s top five rushers in a season.

Year Player Yards

1998 Jamal Anderson 1,8461985 Gerald Riggs 1,7192008 Michael Turner 1,699

1983 Williams Andrews 1,5671984 Gerald Riggs 1,4862005 Warrick Dunn 1,416

burning through 1,000

Running back Michael Turner reached the1,000-yard plateau for the first time in hiscareer.

In a Week 12 meeting against the Carolina Panthers, MichaelTurner tied a franchise record with four touchdowns in one game,tying T.J. Duckett’s mark in 2004. The game was also his fourth-career multiple-touchdown contest and his second three score ormore game. Turner’s career-high of four TDs made him only thesecond Falcons running back in team history to register four touch-downs in a game. Turner finished the season ranked second in theleague in scoring (non-kickers) with 102 points and second in theNFL rushing touchdowns with 17. Below is a look at Turner’s mul-tiple-touchdown games this season.

Opponent Date Rushing TDs

Carolina 11/23/08 4Kansas City 9/21/08 3Denver 11/16/08 2Detroit 9/7/08 2

Against the Panthers, Turner first found the end zone on a one-yard rush in the second quarter, scored for the second occasion ona 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 scam-per in the fourth quarter to seal a Falcons 45-28 victory.

Falcons Most Rushing Touchdowns in a Game

Player Touchdowns Game

Michael Turner 4 vs. Carolina (11/23/08)

T.J. Duckett 4 vs. Oakland (12/12/04)Three Players Tied 3 -

Against St. Louis in Week 17, Turner found the end zone in thesecond quarter, which marked his 17th rushing touchdown. Thelast score continued his new franchise record for the most rushingTDs in a campaign, which topped the previous record of 14 held byJamal Anderson (1998).

Falcons Most Rushing Touchdowns in a Season

Player Touchdowns Year

Michael Turner 17 2008

Jamal Anderson 14 1998Gerald Riggs 13 1984

four score and seven

Running back Michael Turner totaled1,699 rushing yards, which ranked sec-ond in the NFL following the regularseason. In a Week 17 meeting againstthe St. Louis Rams, Turner posted 208yards and fell just 61 yards shy of AdrianPeterson who paced the NFL in the cat-egory with 1,760 yards. Turner’s secondplace ranking is the highest mark for aFalcons running back since JamalAnderson led the NFL in rushing at theconclusion of the 1998 season with

1,846 yards on 410 carries. Below is a look at the top three NFLrushers at the conclusion of the 2008 regular season

2008 NFL Rushing Leaders

Rank Player Att. Yards Avg. TDs

1 Adrian Peterson, Min 363 1,760 4.8 102 Michael Turner, Atl 376 1,699 4.5 17

3 DeAngelo Williams, Car 273 1,515 5.5 18

rushing to the top

WING TIPS

Michael Turner was named NFC OffensivePlayer of the Week on three occassions and FedEx Ground Player of the Week twice in 2008.Turner earned both accolades for his perform-ance against the Detroit Lions in his Atlanta

Falcons debut, earned conference acco-lades again following a Week 3 gameagainst Kansas City and posted his latest inthe season finale against the Rams. His last

Fed Ex Ground Player of the Week recognition came in Week 12after recording four touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.

Turner set a Falcons single-gamerushing record with 220 yards on 22carries for a 10.0 yards per carryaverage in the season openeragainst Detroit while adding twotouchdowns in a Falcons 34-21 win-ning effort. The two touchdownsmarked his first multiple-touchdowngame of his career. Turner con-tributed with a 66-yard touchdownrun on Atlanta’s second offensivepossession of the game, which is thefourth-longest rush in his career andthe eighth-longest carry in Falconshistory. His 220 yards against the

Lions are also the most in NFL annals by a player in his first gamewith a team.

Against the Chiefs, Turner recorded his fifth-career 100-yard gameafter totaling 23 carries for 104 yards and career-high three touch-downs. He sparked the Falcons first scoring drive of the gamewhen he posted a 38-yard rush in the first quarter and capped thedrive with a four-yard touchdown run, his first of the day. Turnerfound the end zone on two more occasions logging his secondcareer multiple-touchdown game.

In Week 12 against Carolina, Turner posted 24 carries for 117yards and four touchdowns, becoming only the second player inteam history to tally four touchdowns in a game. The performancealso marked his fifth 100-plus rushing contest of the season.

In the 2008 season finale, Turner posted 208 rushing yards, thesecond-highest total in a game in Falcons history. He also con-tributed with one touchdown in the winning effort.

Turner became the first Falcons player to earn NFC OffensivePlayer of the Week accolades three times in a year and the firstplayer to earn it twice in a three-week span in team history.Following his record-setting performance against Detroit in Week1, Turner became the first Falcons offensive player to earn playerof the week honors after a season opener since 1984 (GeraldRiggs).

conference accolades

half way there

Following the first half of play against the St. Louis Rams in theseason finale at the Georgia Dome, running back Michael Turnertallied 13 carries for 59 yards. This season, when the fifth-yearrunning back rushed for 50 yards or more in the first half, theFalcons registered an 8-0 record.

Seldom has a new acquisition to a teammade as impressive of an opening dayperformance as running back MichaelTurner made against the Detroit Lions atthe Georgia Dome in Week 1. In his firstgame in a Falcons uniform, Turner set ateam single-game rushing record afterposting 220 yards on 22 carries for anextraordinary 10.0 yards per carry aver-age. Not only are the 220 yards a career-high for Turner, but he eclipsed Atlanta’sold record held by Gerald Riggs (202yards) which was previously set onSeptember 2, 1984 at New Orleans. Inthe regular season finale, Turner also

recorded the second-highest single-game rushing total with 208yards against the Rams.

Falcons Top 5 Single-Game Rushing RecordsPlayer Game Carries YardsMichael Turner 9/7/08 vs. Detroit 22 220Michael Turner 12/28/08 vs. St. Louis 25 208Gerald Riggs 9/24/84 at New Orleans 35 202Gerald Riggs 12/8/85 at Kansas City 26 197Erric Pegram 9/19/93 at San Francisco 27 192

The five-year veteran also added two touchdowns in a Falcons 34-21 winning effort against Detroit, which marked his first-career mul-tiple-touchdown game. Turner’s last touchdown prior to the seasonopener came on October 7, 2007 at Denver as a member of theSan Diego Chargers.

Finally, on Atlanta’s second offensive possession in the first quar-ter against the Lions, Turner posted a 66-yard touchdown, which isthe fifth-longest rush in his career and the ninth-longest rush inFalcons history. The 66-yard run led to 117 rushing yards in thefirst quarter, which marked the most in an opening quarter of agame for the Falcons in at least two decades. Turner topped hisWeek 1 season-high rush after scampering for a 70-yard gainagainst St. Louis in Week 17, marking the Falcons fourth-longestcarry in team history.

Falcons Top 9 Longest RushesPlayer Game Long RushWarrick Dunn 10/15/06 vs. NYG 90tJerious Norwood 10/1/06 vs. Arizona 78tByron Hanspard 9/14/97 vs. Oakland 77Michael Turner 12/28/08 vs. St. Louis 70Jerious Norwood 12/3/06 at Washington 69tWarrick Dunn 10/19/03 vs. New Orleans 69tJerious Norwood 10/15/07 vs. NYG 67tMike Rozier 12/30/90 vs. Dallas 67Michael Turner 9/7/08 vs. Detroit 66tHarmon Wages 12/7/69 vs. New Orleans 66t

first impression

If Michael Turner’s career day against Detroit in the regular seasonopener wasn’t already impressive, the fifth-year running back fell30 yards short of tying a record held by a legendary running backand Hall of Famer. Turner’s 220 yards against the Lions markedthe second-highest opening day rushing total behind O.J. Simpson(Bills) who rushed for 250 yards in a season opener in 1973.Turner’s total was also the most in NFL history by a player in hisfirst game with a new team.

grand opening

Running back Michael Turner recordedthe Falcons single-game rushing recordwith 220 yards against Detroit.

WING TIPS

TURNER’S career bests

Rushing Yards Rushing Attempts Rushing Touchdowns

220 vs. Detroit (9/7/08) 32 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14/08) 4, vs. Carolina (11/23/08)

208 vs. St. Louis (12/28/08) 31 at San Diego (11/30/08) 3, vs. Kansas City (9/21/08)

152 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14/08)31 at Oakland (11/2/08)

Long Rushes Rushing Avg. min 10 att.

83T at Indianapolis (12/18/05) 14.7 at Denver (10/7/07)

74T at Denver (10/7/07) 10.6 vs. Tennessee (9/17/06)

73 vs. Tennessee (9/17/06) 10.0 vs. Detroit (9/7/08)

This season, running back Michael Turner ranked second in theNFL in fourth quarter rushing, contributing with 389 yards on 74rushes and five touchdowns. The Falcons finished the year with an11-1 record when taking a lead into the fourth quarter. Below arethe league’s top fourth quarter rushers.

2008 Fourth Quarter Rushing Leaders

Rank Player Carries Yards Avg. TDs

1 Steve Slaton, Hou 83 464 5.6 52 Michael Turner, Atl 74 389 5.3 5

3 Le’Ron McClain, Bal 80 388 4.9 34 Clinton Portis, Was 80 378 4.7 3

to the finish line

Running backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood contributed inseveral ways through the 2008 season. Another example of thepowerful duo’s success this year were the 62 combined rushes of10 or more yards between the two. Turner finished the seasonranked first in the category.

2008 Rushes of 10-Plus Yards

Player 10+ Yd. Rushes 10+ Yd. TDs 10+ Yd Avg.

Michael Turner, Atl 45 3 18.4

Adrian Peterson, Min 42 5 21.6DeAngelo Williams, Car 39 10 21.6Chris Johnson, Ten 36 5 19.0

big gains

In the first starting role in his five-year career, Michael Turner hadnot seen close to the amount of carries the Falcons coaching staffhad given him this season. Turner responded well and showed nosigns of wearing down as he led the NFL in carries with 376.Turner’s total also ranks third for a season in franchise history.Below is a look at the top five NFL rushers in terms of carries.

Player Rushes Yards Touchdowns

Michael Turner, Atl 376 1,699 17

Adrian Peterson, Min 363 1,760 10Clinton Portis, Was 342 1,487 9Matt Forte, Chi 316 1,238 8Ryan Grant, GB 312 1,203 4

carrying the load

Running back Michael Turner was a reliable option for the Falconswhen the team looked to earn a first down. The five-year veteranfinished the season tied for first in the NFL with 86 first downs, 84of which came on the ground. Turner has also converted 10 of 13third-and-one rushing opportunities for a new set of downs. Belowis a look at the league leaders in first downs.

Player Rush Rec Total

Michael Turner, Atl 84 2 86

Matt Forte, Chi 63 23 86Clinton Portis, Was 75 11 86Adrian Peterson, Min 81 4 85

A NEW SET

five and counting

Michael Turner’s three touchdowns in a Falcons 38-14 win overthe Chiefs gave him a total of five TDs in his first three games withAtlanta. That total matched the highest total that any player hasrecorded in his first three games for a team during the NFL's mod-ern era (since 1933). The last player to do that before Turner washis former teammate, LaDainian Tomlinson, for the Chargers in2001. The all-time NFL record in a player's first three games witha team is six touchdowns by Dutch Sternaman of the DecaturStaleys in 1920.

The duo of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood gave the Falconsa signifcant “one-two punch” at the running back position.Following the season opener against Detroit, the two combined for313 yards (Turner - 220, Norwood - 93) and were seven yards shyof tallying a 200 and 100-yard rusher in the same game. At theconclusion of the season, Turner ranks second in the league inrushing while Norwood contributed with 489 yards. Both runningbacks posted impressive rushing averages as Turner held a 4.5mark while Norwood contributed with a 5.1 average. From 2007-08, Norwood ranks at the top of the league in rushing average(minimum 100 attempts). In 2006, Turner set his career-high witha 6.3 average on 80 carries, which ranked second in the NFLbehind Norwood. Turner also registered a 5.9 average on 57attempts in 2005 and a 5.2 average on 20 carries in 2004.Norwood boasts a career average of 5.8 yards per carry.

2007-08 NFL Rushing Avg. Leaders (100-plus att.)

Player Rushing Avg.

Jerious Norwood, Atl 5.6

Leon Washington, NYJ 5.4DeAngelo Williams, Car 5.4Kevin Faulk, NE 5.3

Michael Turner, Atl 4.5

two-headed monster

Michael Turner’s rushing total against St. Louis in Week 17 (208yards) contributed to his final season mark of 1,699 rushing yards,which surpassed William Andrews’ total of 1,567 yards (1983) forthird place on the Falcons single-season rushing yards list. Turnerfinished the season 20 yards shy of second place on the list(Gerald Riggs, 1,719 yards in 1985) and 147 yards behind JamalAnderson’s record of 1,846 yards, which he set in the 1998 sea-son.

franchise gain

WING TIPS

Last season, wide receiver Roddy Whiterecorded 1,202 receiving yards becoming thefirst Falcons receiver since 1999 to top the1,000-yard receiving mark (TeranceMathis). White also established numer-ous career-highs in receptions (83), yards(1,202) and touchdowns (six) while post-ing five 100-yard games.

Following a Week 13 meeting at SanDiego in 2008, White topped the 1,000-yardplateau following his first two receptions of 19and nine yards in the first quarter and became the first receiver torecord back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since Terance Mathisaccomplished the feat in 1998 (1,136) and ‘99 (1,016). Following acareer-high 164-yard performance in Week 14 against the NewOrleans Saints, White also became the first receiver in franchisehistory to post back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns. Following theregular season finale against St. Louis, White caught three passesfor 48 yards to set a new Falcons single-season receiving yardagerecord after ending the year with 1,382 yards. With his three catch-es against the Rams, the fourth-year receiver finished the regularseason with a streak of 36 contests with at least one catch and setnew career-bests with 88 catches and seven 100-yard games.Below is a look at the top three single-season receivers in fran-chise history.

Player Year Yardage Total

Roddy White 2008 1,382

Alfred Jenkins 1981 1,358Terance Mathis 1994 1,342

Below is a glance at Falcons receivers who have tallied back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in franchise history.

Player Years (Yards)

Roddy White 2007 (1,202) and 2008 (1,382)

Terance Mathis 1998 (1,136) and 1999 (1,016)Terance Mathis 1994 (1,342) and 1995 (1,039)Andre Rison 1992 (1,119), 1993 (1,242) and 1994 (1,088)Alfred Jenkins 1980 (1,035) and 1981 (1,358)

BACK-TO-BACK FOR 1,000

84Roddy White

Wide Receiver6-0, 208 pounds4th year in the NFLUAB

Selected as a first round(27th overall) draft choiceby the Falcons in 2005

record that markThis season, the Falcons finished 4-3 in games where widereceiver Roddy White totaled 100 or more receiving yards. Atlantawas also 5-1 when White recorded one or more touchdowns in agame.

Roddy White fell just short of becoming the first receiver in fran-chise history to lead the NFL in receiving yards since AlfredJenkins accomplished the feat in 1981 (1,358 yards). To this point,Jenkins is the only Atlanta receiver to have led the NFL in receiv-ing yards in a season. This year, White logged 1,382 yards, whichranked third in the NFC and fourth in the league. Below is a lookat the 2008 top five in NFL receiving yardage.

Player Rec. Yards Avg. TD

Andre Johnson, Hou 115 1,575 13.7 8Larry Fitzgerald, Ari 96 1,431 14.9 12Steve Smith, Car 78 1,421 18.2 6Roddy White, Atl 88 1,382 15.7 7

Calvin Johnson, Det 78 1,331 17.1 12

tops through the air

Wide receiver Roddy White stiff arms a Denver defender en route to a 102-yard perform-ance against the Broncos in Week 11.

Roddy White and Michael Turner became the firstFalcons duo to record 1,000-yard rushing and

receiving campaigns in the same season since1998. Atlanta only saw seven previous occasions

where a receiver and running back both posted1,000-yard seasons, includingback-to-back years from running

back William Andrews and widereceiver Alfred Jenkins. White andTurner were the first teammates inthe NFL to have both recorded

over 1,000 yards this season. Below is a lookAtlanta’s 1,000-yard combinations in fran-chise history.

Year 1,000-Yard Rusher 1,000-Yard Receiver

2008 Michael Turner (1,699) Roddy White (1,382)

1998 Jamal Anderson (1,846) Tony Martin (1,181) Terance Mathis (1,136)

1995 Craig Heyward (1,083) Eric Metcalf (1,189), Terance Mathis (1,039)Bert Emanuel (1,039)

1993 Erric Pegram (1,185) Andre Rison (1,242)1984 Gerald Riggs (1,486) Stacey Bailey (1,138)1981 William Andrews (1,301) Alfred Jenkins (1,358)1980 William Andrews (1,308) Alfred Jenkins (1,035)1979 William Andrews (1,023) Wallace Francis (1,013)

DYNAMIC DUO

WR Roddy White

RB Michael Turner

WING TIPS

WHITE’S career bests

Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving Touchdowns

12 at Arizona (12/23/07) 164 at New Orleans (12/7/08)2, at Philadelphia (10/26/08)

10 at New Orleans (12/7/08)146 at St. Louis (12/2/07) 1 (10 times), Last

10 at St. Louis (12/2/07) 141 at Arizona (12/23/07) vs. New Orleans (11/9/08)

Long Reception

70t vs. Kansas City (9/21/08)

69t vs Carolina (9/23/07)59 at New Orleans (12/7/08)

55t vs. Philadelphia (10/26/08)

Wide receiver Roddy White established himself as a go-to receiv-er for quarterback Matt Ryan. Along with leading the team inreceiving, White also ranked second in the NFL in third downreceptions (29) and led the league in third down receiving yards(516). He added two touchdowns on third down plays, including along catch of 70 yards, which went for a score. Below is a glanceat the league’s top players in the category at the end of the year.

Player Rec Yards Avg Long TD

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin 31 344 11.1 26 3Roddy White, Atl 29 516 17.8 70t 2

Tony Gonzalez, KC 29 325 11.2 28 2Jason Witten, Dal 29 315 10.9 30 1Derrick Mason, Bal 26 355 13.7 35 2

IN THE CLUTCH

On top of a potent rushing attack, the Falcons balanced theiroffense with impressive receiving numbers, led by Roddy Whitewho posted over 1,000 receiving yards this season. This year,Atlanta ranked second in the NFL in receiving average with a 13.0yards per catch mark. Below is a look at the top three teams in thecategory.

Team Rec. Yards Avg.

Carolina Panthers 246 3,288 13.4Atlanta Falcons 265 3,440 13.0

San Diego Chargers 312 4,009 12.8

airborne

Following a Week 14 meeting againstNew Orleans, wide receiver RoddyWhite totaled his seventh 100-yardcontest of the season (breaking a fran-chise record) and the 14th of hiscareer. After finishing with 112 yardsagainst San Diego in Week 13, Whitetopped his career total of five 100-yardperfomances in a campaign (2007).Below is a look at his 100-yard gamesthis season.

Game Rec Yards Avg Long TD

Week 3 vs. Kansas City 5 119 23.8 70t 1Week 5 at Green Bay 8 132 16.5 37 1Week 6 vs. Chicago 9 112 12.4 26 1Week 7 at Philadelphia 8 113 14.1 55t 2Week 11 vs. Denver 5 102 20.4 37 0Week 13 at San Diego 6 112 18.7 38 0Week 14 at New Orleans 10 164 16.4 59 0

breaking 100

The year 2007 was without a doubt abreakout campaign for wide receiverRoddy White. In 2008, White continuedhis strong play as he set numerousseason and career marks. Mostnotably, White topped his career-highin receiving yards (1,202) after finishingthe year with a franchise-best 1,382.He also overtook his career highs inreceptions and touchdowns as well.

Category Previous Career High 2008 Total

Receiving Yards 1,202 1,382Receptions 83 88Receiving Touchdowns 6 7Long reception (70t which was set in Week 3)

pro bowl caliber play

This season, Roddy White caught 88 passes, which ranked third inthe NFC and ninth in the NFL. His 2008 reception total eclipsed hiscareer-high of 83, which was previously set last season. Below isa look at the top nine receivers in the NFL in terms of receptions.

Player Rec Yards Avg Long TD

Andre Johnson, Hou 115 1,575 13.7 65 8Wes Welker, NE 111 1,165 10.5 64 3Brandon Marshall, Den 104 1,265 12.2 47 6Larry Fitzgerald, Ari 96 1,431 14.9 78t 12Tony Gonzalez, KC 96 1,058 11.0 35 10T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin 92 904 9.8 46 4Eddie Royal, Den 91 980 10.8 93t 5Anquan Boldin, Ari 89 1,038 11.7 79t 11Roddy White, Atl 88 1,382 15.7 70t 7

catch this

Along with recording a career-long reception of 70 yards in Week3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roddy White ranked third in theleague this season in receptions of over 25 yards with 14. His totalalso includes catches of 46 yards (Week 1 vs. Detroit), 55 yards(Week 8 at Philadelphia), 38 yards (Week 13 at San Diego) and 59yards (Week 14 at New Orleans). Below is a look at the leagueleaders in the category.

Player Receiving Yards Receptions of 25+

Steve Smith, Car 1,421 19Calvin Johnson, Det 1,331 17Roddy White, Atl 1,382 14

Two players tied - 13

Rowdy Roddy

WING TIPS

Falcons wide receiver/punt returnerHarry Douglas scored his first twocareer touchdowns in a Week 12meeting against Carolina. He firstfound the end zone on a seven-yardend around in the first quarter to givethe Falcons a 10-0 lead. “HD” thenbecame the 10th player in Falcons his-tory and the first since 2004 (AllenRossum) to return a punt for a touch-down when he returned a kick 61yards in the fourth quarter. Douglas’return is the longest in his career, top-

ping the previous mark of 33 yards against New Orleans in Week10. Below is a look at the last five punt returns for a touchdown inFalcons history.

Player Punt Return Yardage Game

Harry Douglas 61t 11/3/08 vs. Carolina

Allen Rossum 75t 10/24/04 vs. Kansas CityAllen Rossum 59t 11/23/03 vs. TennesseeTim Dwight 70t 1/3/00 vs. San FranciscoTim Dwight 70t 10/1/00 vs. Philadelphia

Along with a 61-yard punt return, Douglas totaled career-highs inoffensive touches with six (two rushing, four receiving) and all pur-pose yards with 188 (including three rushing, 92 receiving and 93yards on punt returns) against the Panthers. He also became theFalcons third rookie this season to account for a touchdown alongwith QB Matt Ryan’s 16 touchdown passes and one rushing TDand CB Chevis Jackson’s 95-yard interception return in Week 10.

Finally, Douglas posted a career-long reception with a 69-yardcatch in the fourth quarter against the Panthers. He finished thegame with 92 receiving yards, which led the team and fell fouryards short of his career-high (96 vs. Chicago, October 12). Belowis a glance at Atlanta’s longest receptions in a game this season.

Player Reception Long Game

Roddy White 70t Week 3 vs. Kansas CityHarry Douglas 69 Week 12 vs. CarolinaJerious Norwood 67t Week 10 vs. New OrleansMichael Jenkins 62t Week 1 vs. Detroit

high definition

Wide receiver Harry Douglas

In Week 9, the Atlanta Falcons made its first trip to Oakland since2000 and not only brought a victory back to Atlanta, but shut outthe Raiders, 24-0. The result was the first shutout for the Falconssince November 24, 2002 in a road meeting against the CarolinaPanthers (41-0). In the same year, the Falcons shut out Carolinaagain, this time at the Georgia Dome, 30-0, on October 20. SafetyErik Coleman preserved the shutout after intercepting Oaklandquarterback JaMarcus Russell in the end zone for his second pickof the season and the ninth of his career. In total, Atlanta sackedRussell on four occasions, three of which came from defensive endJohn Abraham, while defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux recov-ered his first fumble of the season and the fourth of his career.

• Along with the shutout victory, the Falcons offense and defense

both pieced together impressive performances. Atlanta totaled 453net yards compared to Oakland’s 77, which was the lowest total forthe Raiders in a game since 1961. Oakland’s 10 net passing yardsis the lowest total for a Falcons opponent since December 9, 1973when the Falcons held St. Louis to nine net yards. The Raiders 67rushing yards is the lowest mark for a Falcons opponent sinceOctober 3, 2004 when Atlanta held New Orleans to 67 yards.

•The Falcons also held the advantage in the first down category,

finishing with 30 compared to three by the Raiders. After the firsthalf, Atlanta led Oakland in first downs, 20-0, which was the high-est difference since October 28, 2001 when Tampa Bay posted 20first downs compared to zero by Minnesota.

•The Falcons defense held the Raiders to -2 net yards in the first

half marking the first time a NFL team has held an opponent tonegative net yardage in the first half of a game since November 1,1992 when the San Diego Chargers defense held the IndianapolisColts to negative net yardage in the first two quarters.

shut out and shut down

Harry Douglas was named NFC Special TeamsPlayer of the Week for his performance against theCarolina Panthers in a Week 12 victory. Douglasnotched his first career punt return for a touchdownwhen he returned a kick 61 yards in the fourth quar-

ter against the Panthers, giving the Falcons a 38-21 lead. Thereturn made Douglas the 10th player in Falcons history and thefirst since 2004 (Allen Rossum) to return a punt for a touchdown.Douglas finished the game with three punt returns for 93 yards(31.0 avg.) and his long return of 61 yards topped his previous highof 33 yards, which he set against New Orleans in Week 10. Atlantawitnessed several other contributions from Douglas againstCarolina as the rookie posted a seven-yard end around, whichwent for his first career touchdown in the first quarter. He led theteam in receiving with four receptions for 92 yards (23.0 avg.) andtotaled career-highs in offensive touches with six (two rushing, fourreceiving), all-purpose yards with 188 (which included three rush-ing, 92 receiving and 93 yards on punt returns) and a long recep-tion of 69 yards, which he registered in the fourth quarter. Douglasbecame the third Falcons player this season to earn conferenceaccolades. Running back Michael Turner was named NFCOffensive Player of the Week following performances againstDetroit (Week 1), Kansas City (Week 3) and St. Louis (Week 17)and quarterback Matt Ryan was named NFC Rookie of the Month(October) and NFC Offensive Player of the Week after a 24-0shutout against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9.

something special

what a difference

In 2008, Atlanta witnessed a drastic difference in statistics from the2007 regular season totals. Along with the most notable differ-ence, the team’s record (11-5), the Falcons also dominated sever-al offensive categories from the previous season. Below is a lookat some comparisons.

2007 2008

W-L 4-12 11-5PPG 16.2 24.4Rush YPG 95.0 152.7 (2nd in NFL)Pass TDs-INT 18-15 16-11Sacks Allowed 47 17

WING TIPS

Atlanta notched a field goal on its opening offensive possessionagainst the St. Louis Rams in Week 17 when kicker Jason Elamsplit the uprights from 39 yards. The field goal marked the eighthoccasion the Falcons scored on their opening drive of the game,which led to an 8-0 record. Atlanta also posted an 11-1 recordwhen scoring first in a game in 2008.

Week Opponent Scoring Result1 Detroit QB Matt Ryan 62-yard touchdown

pass to WR Michael Jenkins5 Green Bay QB Matt Ryan 1-yard touchdown pass

to TE Justin Peelle6 Chicago K Jason Elam 29-yard field goal9 Oakland QB Matt Ryan 37-yard touchdown

pass to WR Michael Jenkins12 Carolina K Jason Elam 23-yard field goal13 San Diego K Jason Elam 35-yard field goal16 Minnesota RB Michael Turner one-yard TD run17 St. Louis K Jason Elam 39-yard field goal

Following a 12-yard touchdown run by running back JeriousNorwood on Atlanta’s second offensive possession against theOakland Raiders in Week 9, the Falcons registered their third con-test in which they posted a rushing and receiving touchdown in thefirst quarter.

Making a statement

Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith stressed a fast start in each gamein 2008 and the Falcons responded. This season, Atlanta outscoredits opponent 114-52 in the opening 15 minutes of play. The Falcons114 first quarter points led the NFL while the 52 first quarter pointsallowed ranked tied for third in the NFC. Below is a look at Atlanta’sfirst quarter point totals against their opponents this season, the topthree teams in the NFL in first quarter scoring and the top threeteams in first quarter points allowed in the NFC.

2008 NFL Team Leaders in First Quarter Scoring

Team First Quarter Points

Atlanta Falcons 114

Chicago Bears 109Denver Broncos 106

2008 NFC Team Leaders in First Quarter Points Allowed

Team First Quarter Points

New York Giants 39Chicago Bears 47Atlanta Falcons 52

OFF TO A FAST START

Opponent 1st Quarter Score Opponent 1st Quarter Score

Week 1 vs. Det 21-0 Week 10 vs. NO 7-3Week 2 at TB 0-7 Week 11 vs. Den 3-7Week 3 vs. KC 14-0 Week 12 vs. Car 10-0Week 4 at Car 3-7 Week 13 at SD 6-7Week 5 at GB 10-0 Week 14 at NO 0-7Week 6 vs. Chi 6-0 Week 15 vs. TB 10-0Week 8 at Phi 0-0 Week 16 at Min 7-7Week 9 at Oak 14-0 Week 17 vs. Stl 3-7

POINT well TAKENAtlanta’s 24 points in the first half against the Raiders are tied forthe fifth-highest total in franchise history since 1991. The first halfpoint total is also the most in a game since October 2, 2005against Minnesota where the Falcons defeated the Vikings, 30-10.

Dating back to the 2000 season, the Falcons have remained con-sistent with their rushing attack, which includes leading the NFL inthe category for three seasons (2004, 2005 and 2006). Part ofAtlanta’s success in the rushing game has been gaining yardagein chunks. Over the last nine seasons (2000-08), the Falcons ranksecond in the league in rushes of 10-plus yards.

NFL Team Leaders in 10+ Yard Rushes 2000-08

Team 10+ Yard Rushing Plays

Minnesota Vikings 541Atlanta Falcons 525

Jacksonville Jaguars 516Pittsburgh Steelers 512New York Giants 499

Along with ranking second in the NFL in rushing plays of 10-plusyards from 2000-08, Atlanta contributed to this total with 69 playsof 10-plus rushing yards in 2008, which ranked second in theleague behind the New York Giants.

2008 NFL Team Leaders in 10+ Yard Plays

Team 10+ Yard Plays

New York Giants 73Atlanta Falcons 69

Carolina Panthers 63Minnesota Vikings 59Two teams tied 55

RUNNIN’ WILD

This season, the Falcons rushingattack ranked second in the NFL aver-aging 152.7 yards per game. Atlanta’srushing total also led to a total offen-sive effort which ranked third in theNFC with a 361.2 yards per gameaverage. Running back Michael Turnerranked second in the league in rushingwith 1,699 yards while quarterbackMatt Ryan contributed with 3,440 pass-ing yards en route to a 208.5 net pass-ing average per game.

2008 NFL Team Rushing Leaders

Team Total Rushing Yards Rushing Avg.

New York Giants 2,518 157.4Atlanta Falcons 2,443 152.7

Carolina Panthers 2,437 152.3Baltimore Ravens 2,376 148.5Minnesota Vikings 2,332 145.8

2008 NFC Team Leaders in Total Offense

Team Rushing Avg. Passing Avg. Yardage Avg.

New Orleans Saints 99.6 311.1 410.7Arizona Cardinals 73.6 292.1 365.8Atlanta Falcons 152.7 208.5 361.2

New York Giants 157.4 198.6 355.9Green Bay Packers 112.8 238.3 351.1

TOTAL PACKAGE


WING TIPS

Atlanta’s 22-20 win over the Chicago Bears in a Week 6 meetingat the Georgia Dome is only the third game since the NFL merger(1970) in which a team won despite the fact that their opponenttook the lead with fewer than 15 seconds remaining in the 4thquarter. All three teams that lost in this category had taken the leadwith exactly 11 seconds remaining in the game. Below is a recapof the three victories.

October 12, 2008 – Falcons 22, Bears 20

The Bears, with 11 seconds remaining,take a 20-19 lead at the Georgia Domewith a 17-yard TD strike from Chicagoquarterback Kyle Orton to wide receiverRashied Davis. The ensuing kickoff is asquibb kick and returned to the Falcons44-yard line by wide receiver HarryDouglas. Falcons quarterback MattRyan finds wide receiver MichaelJenkins on a corner route for a 26-yardgain to set up the potential game-win-ning FG. Falcons kicker Jason Elamconnects from 48 yards away to give theFalcons the walk-off win as time expired.

September 15, 2003 – Cowboys 35, Giants 32 (OT)

The Giants, on Monday Night Football at the Meadowlands, got a30-yard FG with 11 seconds remaining from Matt Bryant to take a32-29 lead. Bryant then booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds.Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter then hit wide receiver AntonioBryant for a 26-yard gain with four seconds remaining. Cowboyskicker Billy Cundiff then forced OT with a 52-yard FG for theCowboys. Cundiff later kicked the game-winning 26-yarder in OTto give Dallas a 35-32 win in the OT period.

November 8, 1970 – Saints 19, Lions 17

The Saints get their final win of a 2-11-1 year in Week 8. The Lionskicked a FG with 11 seconds remaining to take a 17-16 lead at oldTulane Stadium. The Saints received the ensuing kickoff, andstepped out of bounds immediately and then completed a pass toset up a 63-yard FG attempt by Tom Dempsey. Dempsey wouldkick the game-winning FG (setting the NFL record for the longestFG ever made) and the Saints won 19-17.

at the buzzer

Wide receiver Michael Jenkins caught this 26-yard passwith one second remaining in the game to set-up kicker

Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal.

Following a Week 1 game against Detroit where Atlanta set a teamrecord with 318 rushing yards, the Falcons used a balanced offen-sive attack in eight of their last 16 games, including a 222 net-yardperformance against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16. Againstthe Vikings, Atlanta posted a difference of 26 yards between its netrushing and passing totals. Below is a breakdown of Atlanta’soffensive attack in each game this season.

Game Net Rushing Net Passing Net Yards

vs. Detroit (Week 1) 318 156 474at Tampa Bay (Week 2) 105 129 234vs. Kansas City (Week 3) 186 192 378at Carolina (Week 4) 118 150 268at Green Bay (Week 5) 176 194 370vs. Chicago (Week 6) 75 301 376at Philadelphia (Week 8) 77 258 335at Oakland (Week 9) 252 201 453vs. New Orleans (Week 10) 113 248 361vs. Denver (Week 11) 114 250 364vs. Carolina (Week 12) 133 259 392at San Diego (Week 13) 141 207 348at New Orleans (Week 14) 99 315 414vs. Tampa Bay (Week 15) 175 198 373at Minnesota (Week 16) 98 124 222vs. St. Louis (Week 17) 263 154 417

BALANCED ATTACK

Atlanta’s rushing offense totaled 727 yards in four games throughthe month of September, which led the NFL and was the third high-est total for the month in franchise history. The Falcons rushingmark also tops September totals from 2004 (531 yards), 2005 (551yards) and 2006 (675 yards) when Atlanta finished the seasonleading the league in rushing. Below is a look at the Falcons high-est rushing totals in the month of September in team annals.

Year Games Att Yards

1986 4 183 8711984 5 162 7502008 4 129 727

fall rush

This season, the Atlanta Falconsoffense recorded 5,779 net yards enroute to an 11-5 record and a 7-1mark at home. Running back MichaelTurner paced a ground game whichposted 2,443 yards while quarter-back Matt Ryan and wide receiversRoddy White and Michael Jenkinscontributed to an air attack which tal-lied 3,336 net passing yards. TheFalcons 2008 net yardage total set afranchise record for total offensivenet yards in a season, topping theprevious best of 5,661 yards in 1981.Below is a look at Atlanta’s top offenses in terms of net yards in aseason.

Year Net Yards Gained

2008 5,779

1981 5,6611980 5,6501983 5,628

Along with posting an impressive offensive package, the Falconsfinished fifth in points scored in a season (391) and tied for sixth intouchdowns (43). Below is a glance at Atlanta’s top seasons interms of points.

Year Points in the Season

1998 4421981 4261980 4052002 4022008 391

rolling off

Wide receiver Michael Jenkins and theFalcons celebrate a touchdown.

WING TIPS

This season Atlanta saw suc-cess utilizing the no-huddleoffense in 13 contests. Falconsfans first saw Head Coach MikeSmith and the offense use theno-huddle this season againstTampa Bay in Week 2 andthrough Week 17, used it for atotal of 18 offensive posses-sions while totaling 51 points.Below is a look at Atlanta’s suc-cess with the no-huddle offenseby game this season.

Game No-Huddle Possessions Result

Week 2, vs. Tampa Bay 1 PuntWeek 4, at Carolina 1 Field GoalWeek 5, at Green Bay 1 TouchdownWeek 6, vs. Chicago 1 PuntWeek 8, at Philadelphia 1 TurnoverWeek 9, at Oakland 3 TD, TD, PuntWeek 10, vs. New Orleans 1 PuntWeek 11, vs. Denver 1 TurnoverWeek 12, vs. Carolina 1 TouchdownWeek 14, at New Orleans 2 FG, TDWeek 15, vs. Tampa Bay 1 TurnoverWeek 16 at Minnesota 2 TD, PuntWeek 17 vs. St. Louis 2 FG, PuntTotal 18 51 points

HUDDLE IS OPTIONAL

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan makes adjust-ments at the line of scrimmage.

Running back Jerious Norwood talliedhis longest career kickoff return afterbrining back a kick 92 yards in the sec-ond quarter against the St. Louis Ramsin Week 17 to set up a Falcons touch-down. The return topped his previousseason-high of 85 yards, which he setagainst the Chicago Bears in Week 6.This season, Norwood notched 1,311kickoff return yards on 51 attempts(25.7 avg). His 25.7 yards per return

average ranked 4th in the NFC. Norwood’s five kickoff returns for192 yards against St. Louis marked the seventh-highest kickoffreturn yardage total in a game in club annals.

In his career (2006-08) with the Falcons, Norwood has posted atotal of 2,948 kickoff return yards, which ranks third in team annals.His 25.4-yard career kickoff return average currently ranks secondin the 44-year history of the franchise as well.

Most Kickoff Return Yards in Falcons History

Player Yards Years

Allen Rossum 5,489 (2002-06)Deion Sanders 3,388 (1989-93)Jerious Norwood 2,948 (2006-08)

Tim Dwight 2,597 (1998-00)Darrick Vaughn 2,573 (2000-01)

COVERING THE DISTANCE

Running back Jerious Norwood

Against the Detroit Lions in a Week 1 match-up, the Falconslogged 474 yards of total offense, the third highest total for a teamin the opening weekend and broke a team regular season rushingrecord with 318 yards (7.4 avg.), topping the previous record,which was set on September 17, 2006 against Tampa Bay (306yards). Atlanta’s 318 yards marked the first game the Falconstotaled over 200 rushing yards since December 3, 2006 againstWashington (256).

Highest Team Rushing Yards in a Game in Falcons History

Date Opponent Rushing Yards

9/7/08 vs. Detroit 3189/17/06 vs. Tampa Bay 30610/1/72 vs. Los Angeles Rams 297

On Atlanta’s first offensive pos-session of the 2008 season, theFalcons recorded a three-play74-yard drive that was capped bya wide receiver Michael Jenkins62-yard touchdown receptionfrom rookie quarterback MattRyan on his first career NFLpass. Jenkins’ touchdown catchwas the longest of his career andthe longest touchdown passrecorded by the Falcons sinceDecember 23, 2007 when ChrisRedman completed a 74-yard

touchdown to wide receiver Laurent Robinson against Arizona. Itwas also the longest touchdown pass for the Falcons on openingday since September 3, 2000, when Chris Chandler completed a48-yard touchdown in a 36-28 win.

On Atlanta’s second possession ofthe game, running back MichaelTurner rushed for a 66-yard touch-down to give the Falcons a 14-0 lead.Including Turner’s 117 first quarterrushing yards, Atlanta went on tototal 216 yards of total offense in thefirst quarter, which is the highest totalin over two decades. The previoushigh for the Falcons came onOctober 13, 1991 with 172 yardsagainst San Francisco.

The Falcons 21 points in the firstquarter marked the fifth time in team

history Atlanta posted that point total in an opening quarter of play.The last time it happened came on November 23, 2003 againstTennessee.

Highest Falcons Point Totals in a First Quarter

Date Opponent Point Total

9/7/08 vs. Detroit 21

11/23/03 vs. Tennessee 2112/27/98 vs. Miami 219/9/90 vs. Houston 219/23/84 vs. Houston 21

offensive explosion

Wide receiver Michael Jenkins took his onlyreception against the Lions 62 yards for atouchdown.

RB Michael Turner

WING TIPS

Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, Falcons RB JeriousNorwood registered a total of 178 all-purpose yards by rushing for17, receiving for 88 and totaling 73 yards on two kickoff returns. Inthe fourth quarter, Norwood grabbed a 67-yard touchdown passfrom QB Matt Ryan to give the Falcons a 27-6 lead over theirSouthern Division foe. The touchdown reception marked the first ofNorwood’s three-year career and also set a career-long, surpass-ing his previous best of 46 yards vs. New Orleans on December10, 2007. The catch was also the fourth play of 60-plus yards fromscrimmage for Norwood in his career as the explosive runningback has amassed five career catches of over 30 yards in 44career games. Below is a look at his longest career receptions.

Norwood’s Longest Career Receptions

Date Opp. Long

11/9/08 vs. New Orleans 67t12/10/07 vs. New Orleans 4612/30/07 vs. Seattle 3510/29/06 at Cincinnati 329/21/08 vs. Kansas City 30

go long

home stand

With a 31-27 victory over St. Louis in Week 17, the Falcons wontheir seventh game at home and brought their 2008 record at theGeorgia Dome to 7-1. Prior to a Week 11 loss against Denver,Atlanta’s previous 4-0 mark set the best start at home for theFalcons since 1998 when Atlanta finished with an undefeatedGeorgia Dome record (8-0) en route to a Super Bowl appearance.The ‘98 and ‘08 campaigns are the only two seasons the Falconshave started 4-0 at home in franchise history.

This season, the Falcons beefed up itsstarting five on the offensive line as thesquad was collectively 22 pounds heav-ier than the starting five in the first weekof the 2007 regular season. Atlanta alsofeatured Sam Baker, the Falcons secondselection in the first round of the 2008NFL Draft. Baker, weighed in at 312pounds and started five games at lefttackle in 2008.

Weight of Atlanta’s 2008 Starting Offensive Line

LT Sam Baker 312 poundsLG Justin Blalock 333 poundsC Todd McClure 301 pounds

RG Harvey Dahl 308 poundsRT Tyson Clabo 332 pounds

Total Weight - 1,586 pounds

Weight of Atlanta’s 2007 Starting Offensive Line in Week 1

LT Wayne Gandy 315 poundsLG Justin Blalock 329 poundsC Todd McClure 295 pounds

RG Kynan Forney 311 poundsRT Todd Weiner 314 pounds

Total Weight - 1,564 pounds

A WALL UP FRONT

starting debuts...The Falcons had 10 players earn opening day starts for the firsttime in their NFL careers. The players lining up as starters for thefirst time included: QB Matt Ryan, LT Sam Baker, RB MichaelTurner, TE Ben Hartsock, RG Harvey Dahl, RT Tyson Clabo, DTJonathan Babineaux, MLB Curtis Lofton, LCB Brent Grimes andRCB Chris Houston.

Three of the 10 new opening day starters included Falcons offen-sive linemen who helped block for an Atlanta offense that record-ed a team record 318 rushing yards and 474 yards of total offensein a Week 1 meeting against Detroit.

“The most underappreciated but most outstanding position groupof Week 1 in the NFL was the Atlanta Falcons offensive line. Leftto right: Sam Baker, Justin Blalock, Todd McClure, Harvey Dahland Tyson Clabo. The line paved the way for 318 rushing yards.The line allowed one sack and one pressure of Matt Ryan. Theline cleared the way for an average of 8.3 yards per play.”

- Peter King Monday Morning Quarterback, CNNSI

The Falcons allowed an average of only one sack for every 25.5plays, which set a team record and topped the old average of onesack for every 17.1 plays (1994, ‘97). Atlanta’s offensive line alsoallowed only 17 sacks on 434 passing attempts, which broke thecurrent club record of 25 sacks allowed in one campaign (1982 on219 passing attempts).

MAX PROTECTION

Center Todd McClure

Running back Jerious Norwood slides past a Denver defender.

Against the Minnesota Vikings in aWeek 16 meeting, wide receiver BrianFinneran logged one reception on thirddown for a gain of 13 yards and a newset of downs. At the conclusion of theregular season, Finneran has posted132 of 194 career receptions that havegone for a first down or touchdown(68.0 percent). This season, the veter-an receiver was a target for rookiequarterback Matt Ryan as 16 of his 24catches came on third down plays, 13

of which were converted for a new set of downs. Finneran’s team-mate, Roddy White, led the team in the category with 29 third downreceptions for a first down.

first down fin

Wide receiver Brian Finneran

WING TIPS

Falcons defensive end Jamaal Anderson registered one of his bestgames in a Falcons uniform in a Week 6 meeting against theChicago Bears. Anderson logged his first career sack as an AtlantaFalcon when he dropped Bears quarterback Kyle Orton in the sec-ond quarter. The sack led to a Bears punt. Along with adding twotackles, Anderson also finished the day with two passes defensed,both of which came on Chicago’s opening possession of the thirdquarter to force a punt.

CAREER DAY

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW...• The oldest player - K Jason Elam, 38 years old (3/8/70)• The youngest player - LB Curtis Lofton, 22 years old (6/9/86)• The tallest player - OT Tyson Clabo, DE Jamaal Anderson and DE

Simon Fraser, 6-6.• The shortest player - S Jamaal Fudge and WR Eric Weems, 5-9• The heaviest player - DT Grady Jackson, 345 pounds• The lightest player - WR Harry Douglas, 171 pounds• Most seasons with the Falcons - LB Keith Brooking, 11 seasons• Most seasons in the NFL - K Jason Elam, 16 seasons• The farthest distance a player has to travel from their hometown toFlowery Branch, Ga. - S Erik Coleman is 2,559.9 miles from his home-town of Sacramento, Ca.• The shortest distance a player has to travel from their hometown toFlowery Branch, Ga. - QB D.J. Shockley is 54.6 miles away from hishometown of College Park, Ga.• The college that is represented the most on the roster - Ohio State andLSU with three players.• The state that is represented the most on the roster - Nine players rep-

resent the state of Florida.

Following linebacker Keith Brooking’s 11-tackle performanceagainst the St. Louis Rams in the 2008 season finale, the 11-yearveteran solidified his eighth consecutive year leading the team intackles. Brooking finished first on the team with 133 stops and ledthe defensive unit with 53 assisted tackles. He also contributedwith three passes defensed throughout the course of the 2008campaign.

Keith Brooking’s Tackle Totals from 2001-2008

Year Tackles Solo Assisted Rank on Falcons

2001 167 110 57 1st2002 212 100 112 1st2003 207 130 77 1st2004 144 71 73 1st2005 150 90 60 1st2006 165 109 56 1st2007 127 82 45 1st2008 133 80 53 1st

TACKLING THE TOP

Linebacker Keith Brooking stops Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

Defensive tackle JonathanBabineaux pieced together a strongseason as a full-time starter andtotaled 38 tackles (30 solo) and acareer-high 3.5 sacks for a loss of26.5 yards in 2008. In Week 13against San Diego, he droppedChargers QB Philip Rivers for 1.5sacks in the fourth quarter, his sec-ond career multiple-sack game. Atthe conclusion of the 2008 regularseason, Babineaux ranked fourth inthe NFL in tackles for loss with 9.5(not including sacks) according to STATS, Inc. Below is a look atthe league’s top five in the category.

Rank Player Tackles for Loss

1 Alex Brown, Chi 11.52 Terrell Suggs, Bal 11.03 Clint Session, Ind 10.04 Jonathan Babineaux, Atl 9.5

5 Two players tied 9.0

BABINEAUX IN THE BACKFIELD

DT Jonathan Babineaux

The Falcons defensive unit allowed St. Louis to rush for 67 yardsin the first quarter of Week 17, marking only the fourth time thisseason a team has rushed for over 20 rushing yards in the open-ing 15 minutes of play. Against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, theFalcons tied their season best which was set against Tampa Bayin Week 2. Atlanta held the Buccaneers to two rushing yards in theopening 15 minutes, which was the lowest total in the first quarterof a game for a Falcons opponent since December 14, 2003 (vs.Indianapolis, two rushing yards). Below is a look at Atlanta’s oppo-nent rushing totals in the first quarter of each game this season.

Atlanta’s defensive performance in the first quarter also ranked tiedfor third in the NFL in opponents first quarter rushing yards allowed.

Team 1st Quarter Att. 1st Quarter Yards

Pittsburgh Steelers 100 255New York Giants 92 288Atlanta Falcons 82 310

Dallas Cowboys 100 310

first things first

Opponent Rushing Yards Opponent Rushing Yards

Week 1 vs. Det 13 Week 10 vs. NO 37Week 2 at TB 2 Week 11 vs. Den 8Week 3 vs. KC 14 Week 12 vs. Car 6Week 4 at Car 16 Week 13 at SD 8Week 5 at GB 7 Week 14 at NO 65Week 6 vs. Chi 6 Week 15 vs. TB 9Week 8 at Phi 17 Week 16 at MIN 33Week 9 at Oak 2 Week 17 vs. Stl 67

WING TIPS

current falcons streakS

252 Consecutive regular season games K Jason Elam has scored at least one point.

128 Consecutive regular season games LB Keith Brooking has started, dating back to 2000.

112 Consecutive regular season games C Todd McClure hasstarted, dating back to 2001.

36 Consecutive regular season games in which WR Roddy White has caught at least one pass.

33 Consecutive regular season games DE John Abraham has started, dating back to 2006.

32 Consecutive field goals K Jason Elam has converted from 20-29 yards.

26.5 The number of sacks John Abraham has totaled in his last 31 games on the defensive line.

15 Consecutive field goals K Jason Elam has converted from 40-49 yards.

8 Consecutive seasons LB Keith Brooking has led the Falconsin tackles.

This season, the Falcons rookie class played a role in helping theteam to a successful campaign. Three rookies, including QB MattRyan, OT Sam Baker and LB Curtis Lofton all earned the startingjob at their respective positions while another four first-year play-ers saw action. Below is a breakdown of Atlanta’s contributionsfrom its rookie class in 2008.

Quarterback Matt Ryan - Started all 16 games under center andcompleted 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns and11 interceptions for an 87.7 passer rating. Ryan completed a 62-yard touchdown strike on his first career NFL pass in Week 1against Detroit.

Offensive Tackle Sam Baker - The USC graduate pieced togeth-er an impressive preseason and started five games at left tackle.

Linebacker Curtis Lofton - This season, led all Falcons rookiesand ranked fourth on the team with 108 tackles (67 solo).

Wide Receiver Harry Douglas - Douglas posted his first twocareer touchdowns in Week 12 against Carolina. His first came ona seven-yard end around in the first quarter. Douglas stuck againwith a 61-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. In 2008, he totaled320 receiving yards, 69 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Cornerback Chevis Jackson - Posted 33 tackles and five passesdefensed this season. Returned his first career INT 95 yards for atouchdown against New Orleans in Week 10.

Defensive End Kroy Biermann - Posted his first career sack in aWeek 13 match-up against San Diego and added his second in theseason finale against St. Louis. Also contributed with 14 tackles in2008.

Safety Thomas DeCoud - Saw action on special teams and fin-ished the season with five special teams tackles.

ROOKIE IMPACT

Following the 2008 regular season finale, the Falcons defenseforced 47 negative rushes this season, which accounted for a lossof 100 yards (does not include quarterback kneeldowns). Atlantaalso forced a total of 88 negative plays totaling a loss of 356 yards.

negative progress

This season, the Falcons defense ranked ninth in the NFC and tiedfor 13th in the NFL in opponent three-and-out drives. AgainstTampa Bay in Week 15, the Falcons held the Bucs to three three-and-outs in the contest. In 178 defensive series, the Falconsforced 42 three-and-outs for a 23.6 percentage. Below is a look atthe top NFC teams in three-and-out percentage.

Team Defensive Series 3 & Out Drives Percentage

Philadelphia 198 58 29.3Washington 176 56 31.8Tampa Bay 192 51 26.6Chicago 207 49 23.7Green Bay 192 45 23.4Dallas 185 44 23.8Minnesota 191 43 22.5New York Giants 174 43 24.7Atlanta 178 42 23.6

three and out

The Falcons defense significantly helped the offense utilize its timeon the field, especially in the first half of play this season. Atlantaheld its opponents to an average of six minutes and one-second intime of possession in the first quarter, which ranked first in theleague. Along with a seven-minute and 14-second average in thesecond quarter, the Falcons ranked second in the league in oppo-nents first half time of possession with a 13-minute and 16-secondmark.

time on your side

Atlanta did not wait to put nose tack-le Grady Jackson back in a Falconsuniform after his stint with theJacksonville Jaguars at the end ofthe 2007 campaign. In 15 gamesplayed in 2008, Jackson recorded 23tackles (21 solo). From 2005-08,Jackson ranks tied for fifth in theleague in tackles for loss (30)according to STATS, Inc. while col-laring 4.5 stops behind the line ofscrimmage in 2008. Below is a lookat the NFL’s leaders in tackles forloss from 2005-08.

Player Tackles for loss

Trent Cole, Phi 31.5Terrell Suggs, Bal 31.5Jared Allen, Min 31.0Lance Briggs, Chi 30.5Grady Jackson, Atl 30.0

behind enemy lines

Nose tackle Grady Jackson posts his firstsack of the season after dropping Green

Bay QB Aaron Rodgers in Week 5.

WING TIPS

Following the 2007 season the Falcons made adjustments to theirlinebacker positions. Although Michael Boley remained at the out-side linebacker spot, Keith Brooking moved from the middle line-backer position to outside linebacker and 2008 NFL Draft secondround selection, Curtis Lofton, earned the starting role at middlelinebacker. This season, the three all ranked in the Falcons top fivein tackles and combined for 331 stops.

OLB Keith Brooking - Ranked first on theFalcons with 133 tackles and led the teamstops for the eighth consecutive season. Alongwith starting in every contest, Brooking alsolead Atlanta in assisted tackles with 53.

MLB Curtis Lofton - Led all Falcons rookieswith 108 tackles (67 solo) and ranked second inthe league in stops among first year players. InWeek 6 versus Chicago, he led the team with11 tackles. Two Sunday’s later againstPhiladelphia, Lofton tallied his first career sackwhile forcing a fumble on the play.

OLB Michael Boley - Ranked fifth on theFalcons with 90 tackles and contributed withnine passes defensed and one interception.Set a season-high with nine tackles in a Week6 meeting against Chicago and tied the markagainst the Saints in Week 10.

they’ve got your back

This season, the Falcons offensive line did not allow a sack ofquarterback Matt Ryan on seven occasions. Atlanta out-sacked itsopponents in 2008 by a 34.0-17.0 margin and held an 11-1 recordwhen posting more sacks then its opponent in a game.

Atlanta’s 2008 Victories When Out-Sacking its Opponent

Opponent Sack Difference

Week 1 vs. Detroit Atl 3.0 - Det 1.0Week 3 vs. Kansas City Atl 2.0 - KC 0.0Week 5 at Green Bay Atl 2.0 - GB 0.0Week 6 vs. Chicago Atl 1.0 - Chi 0.0Week 9 at Oakland Atl 4.0 - Oak 3.0Week 10 vs. New Orleans Atl 1.0 - NO 0.0Week 12 vs. Carolina Atl 3.0 - Car 1.0Week 13 at San Diego Atl 3.0 - SD 0.0Week 15 vs. Tampa Bay Atl 4.0 - TB 1.0Week 16 at Minnesota Atl 3.0 - Min 2.0Week 17 vs. St. Louis Atl 3.0 - Stl 1.0

record takedown

For the third consecutive year, the Falcons featured Lawyer Milloyin the starting safety position. Milloy, who just finished his 13th reg-ular season, ranked third on the Falcons in tackles with 117 andranked fourth in the NFC in tackles among safeties (92), threestops behind his teammate Erik Coleman, according to STATS,Inc. He also intercepted his 25th career pass in the season open-er against Detroit. Milloy has accumulated 1,586 tackles, 17.0sacks and 85 passes defensed and has earned Pro Bowl honorson four occasions (1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002).

LAW DOG

Following safety Erik Coleman’s performance againstKansas City in Week 3, the Falcons realized exactlywhy they signed the free agent acquisition during the

free agency period this past offseason. Colemanfinished third on the team in tackles with nineagainst the Chiefs, while contributing with oneinterception, one pass defensed, one forced

fumble and one tackle for loss. On several occa-sions, the five-year veteran made significanttackles to prevent big plays from Kansas City,including a touchdown-saving tackle on Chiefs

running back Larry Johnson on the first play of the third quarter.Coleman also forced a fumble on the stop. This season, Colemanranked second on the team with a career-high 127 stops (82 solo).

TO THE RESCUE

In a Week 3 meeting against the KansasCity Chiefs, the Falcons secondary wit-nessed three players record interceptionsoff of Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen. The firstcame from S Erik Coleman who talliedhis first INT in a Falcons uniform and theeighth of his career. CB Brent Grimes fol-lowed with his first career interception inthe second quarter, which was returned25 yards leading to a Falcons touch-down. Finally, CB Chris Houston pickedoff his first pass in the fourth quarter andreturned the ball 10 yards for his first career touchdown to seal aFalcons 38-14 victory.

Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, the Falcons intercept-ed quarterback Drew Brees on three occasions (tied for his highesttotal in a game this season). Atlanta safety Erik Coleman stepped infront of a Brees pass on the Saints first offensive play of the game,which marked his second pick of the season. Cornerback ChrisHouston followed in the fourth quarter when he stalled a potentialNew Orleans scoring drive with an interception in the end zone.Finally, rookie cornerback Chevis Jackson intercepted his first careerpass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown to seal a Falcons vic-tory.

pick three

Safety Erik Coleman

Rookie cornerback Chevis Jacksonrecorded his first career interception in aWeek 10 meeting against the NewOrleans Saints. Jackson stepped in frontof a pass from QB Drew Brees intendedfor WR Devery Henderson and returned itfor a 95-yard touchdown. His returnbecame the second-longest in Falconshistory behind a 101-yard INT return byTom Pridemore against the San Francisco49ers on September 20, 1981. Jacksonalso became the third Falcons defensiveback to record his first career interceptionthis season, along with cornerbacks BrentGrimes and Chris Houston (Week 3 vs. Kansas City).

jacked up

Cornerback Chevis Jackson

WING TIPS

Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith was one of fournew head coaches to start the NFL season. Theothers include: John Harbaugh (Ravens), TonySparano (Dolphins) and Jim Zorn (Redskins). In2007, three of four new head coaches to theleague led their teams to a higher win total thanthe previous 2006 season. Ken Whisenhunt ofthe Arizona Cardinals posted the highest marginwith a plus-3 mark followed by Lane Kiffin of theOakland Raiders (plus-2) and Mike Tomlin of thePittsburgh Steelers (plus-2). Below is a look at 2008 first year headcoaches and their team’s record from the previous season.

Coach Team 2008 Record 2007 Record

Mike Smith Atlanta Falcons 11-5 4-12

John Harbaugh Baltimore Ravens 11-5 5-11Tony Sparano Miami Dolphins 11-5 1-15Jim Zorn Washington Redskins 8-8 9-7

With Atlanta’s Week 17 win over the Rams, the combination ofMike Smith and Matt Ryan coupled with Ravens Head Coach JohnHarbaugh and QB Joe Flacco tied for the most wins by a rookiehead coach and quarterback since 1966.

FIRST YEAR AT THE HELM

The 2008 Atlanta Falcons competed with arevamped coaching staff, complete with 17coaches who hold 188 years of combined NFLexperience. The Falcons also brought aboardOffensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey who,along with Assistant Head Coach/SecondaryEmmitt Thomas and Wide Receivers CoachTerry Robiskie, have served as previous headcoaches. Mularkey served as the Head Coachof the Buffalo Bills from 2004-05, Thomas

served as the Interim Head Coach of the Falcons for three gameslast season and Robiskie totaled three games as Interim HeadCoach of the Washington Redskins (2000) and five games with theCleveland Browns (2004). Below is a breakdown of the Falcons2008 coaching staff and their NFL experience (including this sea-son).

Assistant Head Coach Emmitt Thomas - 28 yearsWide Receivers Coach Terry Robiskie - 27 yearsOffensive Line Coach Paul Boudreau - 22 yearsDefensive Line Coach Ray Hamilton - 22 yearsDefensive Backs Coach Alvin Reynolds - 16 yearsOffensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey - 15 yearsSpecial Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong - 15 yearsLinebackers Coach Glenn Pires - 13 yearsHead Coach Mike Smith - 10 yearsQuarterbacks Coach Bill Musgrave - 10 yearsDefensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder - 3 yearsAssistant Special Teams Coach - Tom McMahon - 2 yearsRunning Backs Coach Gerald Brown - first yearDefensive Assistant Joe Danna - first yearAssistant Offensive Line Coach Paul Dunn - first yearTight Ends Coach Chris Scelfo - first yearOffensive Assistant Glenn Thomas - first year

Total Years of NFL experience - 188

BUILT FOR SUCCESS

Assistant Head CoachEmmitt Thomas haslogged 28 seasons in theNFL.

Fans who entered the Georgia Dome in 2008 enjoyed the result ofa two-year, $50 million investment by the Falcons and GeorgiaWorld Congress Center. Following renovations to suites and theclub seat area, and the addition of super suites and LED ribbonboards in 2007, the Falcons, along with the GWCC Authority, com-pleted enhancements this year to the interior and exterior of theDome. The Dome feels more like the “home of the Falcons,” withred and black paint on the exterior, and red and black seatsthroughout the interior. In addition, refurbished concourse areasboast enhanced lighting and signage and improved concessionsand restrooms.

“We think it’s important to maintain the Georgia Dome to NFL stan-dards for our fans,” Falcons Owner & CEO Arthur Blank explained.“It’s another way we can add value to their game day experience.”

Inside the Georgia DomeCapacity: 71,228Club Seats: 5,737Suites: 203 (16 or 24 seats)Cost: $210 millionFinanced: Hotel/motel tax, no taxpayer moneyGroundbreaking: 11-22-89Owned by: The State of GeorgiaManaged: World Congress CenterConstruction: 859 days to build,covers 8.6 acres, 275 feet tall (27 stories)

• The Georgia Dome is the second largest cable-supported Domein the world with a translucent teflon roof to allow natural lighting.

• First Preseason Game: August 23, 1992 - Falcons 20 Eagles 10

• First Regular Season Game:September 6, 1992 - Falcons 20 Jets 17

INSIDE THE GEORGIA DOME

This season the Falcons faced the NFC North and AFC West incross-division play while battling NFC South opponents, TampaBay, New Orleans and Carolina twice a year. Atlanta also matched-up with the St. Louis Rams in a home game at the Georgia Domeand traveled to Philadelphia to meet the Eagles for the first timesince the 2006 season finale. Collectively, the Falcons hold a 74-64record against their NFC South foes while totaling 94 all-time victo-ries against their opponents on the 2008 schedule. The NFC Southalso tallied a 26-5 combined home record in 2008.

HOME Last Time Played Prior to ‘08 Result 2008 ResultCarolina Nov. 11, 2007 W, 20-13 W, 45-28New Orleans Dec. 10, 2007 L, 34-14 W, 34-20Tampa Bay Dec. 16, 2007 L, 37-3 W, 13-10 OTDetroit Nov. 5, 2006 L, 30-14 W, 34-21Chicago Dec. 18, 2005 L, 16-3 W, 22-20Kansas City Dec. 24, 2004 L, 56-10 W, 38-14Denver Oct. 31, 2004 W, 41-28 L, 24-20St. Louis Dec. 2, 2007 L, 28-16 W, 31-27

AWAY Last Time Played Prior to ‘08 Result 2008 ResultCarolina Nov. 11, 2007 W, 20-13 L, 24-9New Orleans Dec. 10, 2007 L, 34-14 L, 29-25Tampa Bay Dec. 16, 2007 L, 37-3 L, 24-9Green Bay Nov. 13, 2005 L, 33-25 W, 27-24Minnesota Sept. 9, 2007 L, 24-3 W, 24-17Oakland Dec. 12, 2004 W, 35-10 W, 24-0San Diego Oct. 17, 2004 W, 21-20 W, 22-16Philadelphia Dec. 31, 2006 L, 24-17 L, 27-14

2008 falcons opponents

WING TIPS

Opponent Date/Result Regular Season Finale Result Final RecordDetroit W, 34-21 Lost to the Green Bay Packers, 31-21 0-16 at Tampa Bay L, 24-9, W, 13-10 OT Lost to the Oakland Raiders, 31-24 9-7Kansas City W, 38-14 Lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 16-6 2-14at Carolina L, 24-9, W, 45-28 Defeated the New Orleans Saints, 33-31 12-4at Green Bay W, 27-24 Defeated the Detroit Lions, 31-21 6-10Chicago W, 22-20 Lost to the Houston Texans, 31-24 9-7at Philadelphia L, 27-14 Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 44-6 9-6-1at Oakland W, 24-0 Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-24 5-11New Orleans W, 34-20, L, 29-25 Lost to the Carolina Panthers, 33-31 8-8Denver L, 24-20 Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 52-21 8-8at San Diego W, 22-16 Defeated the Denver Broncos, 52-21 8-8at Minnesota W, 24-17 Defeated the New York Giants, 20-19 10-6St. Louis W, 31-27 Lost to the Atlanta Falcons, 31-27 2-14

ATLANTA’S 2008 REGULAR SEASON OPPONENTS

2008 NFL RANKINGS

Offensive Rankings - 2008 Week by Week

Total Rush Pass NFC NFL

Week 1 (after Det.) 474.0 318.0 156.0 3-1-13 3-1-24T

Week 2 (after T.B.) 354.0 211.5 142.5 6-1-14 9-3-26

Week 3 (after K.C.) 362.0 203.0 159.0 7-1-14 9-1-23

Week 4 (after Car.) 338.5 181.8 156.8 8-1-16 10-1-26

Week 5 (after G.B.) 344.8 180.6 164.2 7-2-14 8-2-25

Week 6 (after Chi.) 350.0 163.0 187.0 6-2-13 8-2-21

Week 7 (BYE)

Week 8 (after Phi.) 347.9 150.7 197.1 7-3-13 10-3-21

Week 9 (after Oak.) 361.0 163.4 197.6 5-1-14 7-1-22

Week 10 (after N.O.) 361.0 157.8 203.2 4-2-11 6-2-19

Week 11 (after Den.) 361.3 153.4 207.9 5-2-7 7-2-14

Week 12 (after Car.) 364.1 151.5 212.5 4-2-7 6-2-14

Week 13 (after S.D.) 362.8 150.7 212.1 4-2-7 6-2-14

Week 14 (after N.O.) 366.7 146.7 220.0 3-2-7 5-2-13

Week 15 (after T.B.) 367.1 148.7 218.4 3-1t-7 5-1t-13

Week 16 (after Min.) 357.5 145.3 212.1 3-4-7 6-5-14

Week 17 (after Stl.) 361.2 152.7 208.5 3-2-8 6-2-14

Defensive Rankings - 2008 Week by Week

Total Rush Pass NFC NFL

Week 1 (after Det.) 308.0 62.0 246.0 7-3-14 15-5-27T

Week 2 (after T.B.) 309.5 113.0 196.5 8-11-7 17-20-18

Week 3 (after K.C.) 306.7 136.7 170.0 9-13-3 15-23-10

Week 4 (after Car.) 332.3 131.3 201.0 11-13-4 20-23-13

Week 5 (after G.B.) 347.4 125.8 221.6 11-11-10 23-21-22

Week 6 (after Chi.) 349.7 118.0 231.7 12-11-13 25-20-24

Week 7 (BYE)

Week 8 (after Phi.) 361.4 128.6 232.9 13-13-11 25-23-24

Week 9 (after Oak.) 325.9 120.9 205.0 9-13-8 16-22-16

Week 10 (after N.O.) 347.6 119.1 228.4 12-12-10 23-21-22

Week 11 (after Den.) 346.0 119.6 226.4 12-13-10 23-22-22

Week 12 (after Car.) 351.6 120.9 230.7 13-12-12 24-21-23

Week 13 (after S.D.) 339.1 116.7 222.4 12-12-12 22-21-23

Week 14 (after N.O.) 344.8 121.8 223.0 12-13-11 22-22-23

Week 15 (after T.B.) 343.4 120.2 223.2 12-13-11 23-22-23

Week 16 (after Min.) 343.9 122.5 221.3 13-12-11 24-21-22

Week 17 (after Stl.) 347.9 127.5 220.4 13-13-11 24-25-21

This season, Falcons punter MichaelKoenen punted on 63 occasions for2,566 yards and a 40.7 average. Histotal included four touchbacks and along kick of 60 yards. Koenen alsopinned 25 punts inside the opponent’s20-yard line, which ranked fourth in theconference. Koenen was vital in helpingthe Falcons rank second in the NFL inopponents average starting field positionfollowing kickoffs with a 24.6-yard lineaverage.

PINNED DEEP

LAND OF NO RETURN

Against the St. Louis Rams in the season finale, the Falconsallowed zero punt return yards. The total gave Atlanta 49 puntreturn yards on the season, which set a new NFL record, toppingthe old mark of 53 yards allowed (Buffalo Bills in 1991).

Punter Michael Koenen

In a Week 6 meeting against theChicago Bears, wide receiver HarryDouglas was insterted as the main puntreturner for the Falcons through theduration of the season. In the 12 weeksthat he returned punts, Douglas rankedfifth in the NFC in punt return yards with226. He averaged 11.9 yards per returnand also returned one kick 61 yards for atouchdown against the CarolinaPanthers in Week 12.

dirty harry

Wide receiver Harry Douglas

Atlanta kicker Jason Elam converted 29 of 31 field goal attempts inhis first season in a Falcons uniform. He finished the season with129 points, just three shy of his career-high (132 set in 1995).Elam’s 93.5 field goal percentage in 2008 ranked second in a sea-son in team history behind Norm Johnson who hit 26 of 27 fieldgoal attempts (96.3) in 1993.

splitting the uprights

WING TIPS

Currently, the Falcons yield four players from the state of Georgiaon their active roster. Two Falcons including quarterback D.J.Shockley and linebacker Tony Gilbert hail from the University ofGeorgia. Linebacker Keith Brooking, a native of Senoia, Ga., is analum of Georgia Tech.

Where They’re From

1. Keith Brooking - Senoia, Ga.2. Harry Douglas - Jonesboro, Ga.3. D.J. Shockley - College Park, Ga.4. Tony Gilbert - Macon, Ga.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

1

23

Falcons Assistant Head Coach/Secondary CoachEmmitt Thomas was inducted into the Pro FootballHall of Fame on August 2, 2008. It was a well-deserved and long-overdue accomplishment forthe Kansas City Chiefs cornerback who played 13

stellar seasons in the League. Thomas competedin 181 career games, including Super Bowls I andIV and five Pro Bowls. He finished with 58 inter-ceptions, which is still tied for the eighth-mostever in NFL history, as he led the League twice inINTs in a single season. Thomas is a member ofthe Chiefs Hall of Fame and his name is etchedon the walls at Arrowhead Stadium.

immortalized in the hall

The Falcons were one of five teams with two selections in the firstround of the NFL Draft. With the third overall selection, Atlantadrafted quarterback Matt Ryan. The Falcons then made a deal withthe Washington Redskins to trade back into the first round andgrab offensive tackle Sam Baker with the 21st overall pick. Bothplayers earned opening day starts coming out of training camp.Below is a look at the five teams with multiple first round picks andthe players selected this year.

TEAM PLAYERS

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan and T Sam BakerCarolina Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart and T Jeff OtahDallas Cowboys RB Felix Jones and CB Mike JenkinsKansas City Chiefs DT Glenn Dorsey and T Branden AlbertNew York Jets LB Vernon Gholston and TE Dustin Keller

FIRST ROUND FINDS

For the second consecutive year, the Falcons drafted 11 players, aparticularly large draft class. Following the first round selections ofBoston College quarterback Matt Ryan and USC offensive tackleSam Baker, the Falcons solidified the linebacker position,addressed the secondary, found a gem at wide receiver andselected two players from the National Champion LSU Tigers.Below is Atlanta’s draft class breakdown and a look at players fromthe 2008 Falcons draft class who earned a spot on the roster. Twodraft picks, LB Robert James and RB Thomas Brown are current-ly on the injured reserve list.

Round Name Pos. College Roster Status

1 Matt Ryan QB Boston College Active Roster1 Sam Baker OT USC Active Roster

*from Washington2 Curtis Lofton LB Oklahoma Active Roster3 Chevis Jackson CB LSU Active Roster3 Harry Douglas WR Louisville Active Roster

*from Washington3 Thomas DeCoud S California Active Roster5 Kroy Biermann DE Montana Active Roster

*from Washington7 Keith Zinger TE LSU Practice Squad

*from Pittsburgh

DRAFT BREAKDOWN

4

prep honors

Local Falcons athletes LB Keith Brooking and WR Harry Douglaswere honored by their high schools. Douglas, a graduate ofJonesboro High, had his No. 25 jersey retired while Brookingreceived the same honor when his No. 35 jersey was retired byEast Coweta High School.

SCORING IN BUNCHES

In the first three games of the 2008 season, Atlanta totaled 81points (34 against Detroit, nine against Tampa Bay and 38 againstKansas City). The 81 points marked the higest total in the firstthree games of a season for the Falcons since 1986 when Atlantacollected 101 points. The Falcons started with a 5-1-1 record intheir first seven games to open the ‘86 campaign. On only twoother occasions has Atlanta posted more than 81 points in the firstthree contests of a season. In 1981, the Falcons totaled 92 pointsand in 1972, the team registered 88 points.

POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN

quarterbacks (3)

RUNNING BACKS (4)

WIDE RECEIVERS (5)

No Name

2 Matt Ryan - Started 16 games under center and completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16touchdowns and 11 interceptions for an 87.7 passer rating. Was named NFC Rookie of the Month (October) and NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 9). Guided the Falcons to a 7-1 home record. Totaled a career-high with 315 passing yards against the Saints in Week 14.

3 D.J. Shockley - Listed as the third (inactive) quarterback in all 16 contests this season.

8 Chris Redman - Served as the back-up quarterback to Matt Ryan in 2008.

No Name

32 Jerious Norwood - Compiled 489 rushing yards on 95 carries for a 5.1 average, 338 receiving yards on 36 catches and six total touchdowns. Led the Falcons in receiving with 88 yards against New Orleans (Week 10) while recording his longest reception and first receiving touchdown of 67 yards. Posted two rushing touchdowns, one against the Lions in Week 1 and the other at Oakland inWeek 9. Recorded 51 kickoff returns for 1,311 yards and a long return of 92 yards against St. Louis in Week 17.

33 Michael Turner - In his first game in an Atlanta uniform, set the Falcons single-game rushing record with 220 yards on 22 carries (10.0 avg.) vs. Detroit. Totaled his 11th-career 100-yard game against St. Louis in Week 17. This season, ranked second in the NFL with 376 carries for 1,699 yards while contributing with 17 touchdowns (set a franchise-high for a single season). Turner also topped the 1,000-yard mark in Week 12 while tying a club record with four touchdowns. Was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week on two occasions (Week 1 vs. Detroit and Week 3 vs. Kansas City).

34 Ovie Mughelli - Blocked for a Falcons running game which totaled 2,443 rushing yards this sea-son (ranked second in the NFL). Caught a season-high 18-yard reception against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9 and contributed with 57 receiving yards and 16 rushing yards.

44 Jason Snelling - Led the Falcons with 17 special teams tackles and posted 15 rushes for 62 yards.

No Name

12 Michael Jenkins - Caught Matt Ryan’s first-career NFL pass and ran 62 yards for a touchdown against Detroit in Week 1. Added his second-career multiple-touchdown game after grabbing two touchdown passes against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9 while leading the team in receiving yardage. This season, compiled 50 catches for 777 yards and three TDs.

14 Eric Weems - Caught his first-career catch against Carolina in Week 12 with a four-yard gain in the first quarter and provided a key block for WR Harry Douglas’ seven-yard touchdown run in the same game. Recovered his first career fumble on a Minnesota muffed punt in Week 16.

83 Harry Douglas - Rushed 12 times for 69 yards and caught 23 passes for 320 yards this season. Tallied his first-career touchdowns in a Week 12 meeting against Carolina, when he rushed for a seven-yard score and became the 10th player in Falcons history to return a punt for a touchdown with a 61-yard return in the fourth quarter. Also caught one touchdown against San Diego in Week 13. Totaled 19 punt returns for 226 yards (11.9 avg.).

84 Roddy White - Tallied his seventh 100-yard receiving game of the season and set a career-high with 164 yards on 10 receptions against New Orleans in Week 14. Topped the 1,000-yard plateau after catching six passes for 112 yards against San Diego in Week 13. Led the team and ranked fourth in the NFL in receiving with 88 receptions for 1,382 yards and six touchdowns. His 1,382 yards made him the first Falcons receiver to record back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons in franchise history. His yardage total also set a new franchise record for receiving yards in a season.


OFFENSIVE LINE (10)

No Name

86 Brian Finneran - Totaled 21 receptions for 169 yards and a long catch of 14 yards in 2008. Caught his first touchdown since November 6, 2005 on a two-yard strike from QB Matt Ryan against the Saints in Week 14. Also lined-up to return punts.

No Name

81 Marcus Pollard - Was signed to the Falcons active roster on December 16, 2008.

85 Jason Rader - Caught his first-career pass for 26 yards in a Week 15 meeting against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

87 Justin Peelle - Significantly contributed with 15 receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Caught his first touchdown pass in an Atlanta Falcons uniform against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5 and added his second score against the Chargers in Week 13.

No Name

62 Todd McClure - Started his 112th consecutive game on the offensive line to tie Jeff Van Note for third place in Falcons annals in that category.

63 Justin Blalock - Started every game of the season for the second consecutive year.

67 Ben Wilkerson - Saw action for the Falcons primarily on special teams.

68 Wayne Gandy - Was signed to the Falcons active roster in Week 9 and saw action on the offensive line in seven games.

69 Alex Stepanovich - Competed in four games on special teams and the offensive line.

72 Sam Baker - Started in five contests as a rookie and helped open holes for Atlanta’s 2,443 rushing yards.

73 Harvey Dahl - Competed in his 17th game in a Falcons uniform after starting every game in the 2008 season.

74 Todd Weiner - Assisted the offense in averaging 361.2 net yards per game and 152.7 net rushing yards per game in 2008.

76 Quinn Ojinnaka - Saw action on the offensive line and special teams in eight weeks this year.

77 Tyson Clabo - Started in 37 career contests and helped the Falcons rush for a team record of 318 yards in the season opener against Detroit.

No Name

55 John Abraham - Ranked second in the NFC with a franchise-best 16.5 sacks, which included three three-sack performances against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, the Oakland Raiders in Week 9 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. Also posted four forced fumbles all on sacks to give him 31 for his career. This season, registered 42 tackles (35 solo).

71 Kroy Biermann - Contributed with 14 tackles and two sacks in his rookie campaign.

75 Simon Fraser - Posted two tackles this season and added one pass defensed against Carolina in Week 12.

90 Grady Jackson - Totaled 23 tackles (21 solo), one pass defensed and two sacks, one of which against Green Bay (Week 5) and one versus Tampa Bay in Week 15 this season.

Defensive Line (9)

TIGHT ENDS (3)

WIDE RECEIVERS CONT...


No Name

92 Chauncey Davis - Notched 35 tackles (27 solo), three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one pass defensed this season. Also totaled four sacks, including a career-high two sacks against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12.

94 Kindal Moorehead - Made 18 stops (15 solo), one sack, one pass defensed and one forced fumble on the defensive line in 2008.

95 Jonathan Babineaux - This season, recorded 38 tackles (30 solo), 3.5 sacks, two passes defensed and one fumble recovery. Notched 1.5 sacks against San Diego in Week 13.

98 Jamaal Anderson - In 2008, totaled 36 tackles (29 solo), two sacks and three passes defensed. Posted a career day against the Chicago Bears in Week 6 after earning his first-career sack and deflecting two passes. In Week 13 against San Diego, blocked his first-career field goal to help the Falcons maintain a 22-13 lead.

99 Jason Jefferson - Competed in 14 games and posted his best outing in Week 2 at Tampa Bay when he notched three tackles and recovered a fumble. Logged nine stops this year.

No Name

50 Curtis Lofton - Led all Falcons rookies and ranked fourth on the team with 108 tackles (67 solo). According to STATS Inc., Lofton finished second in the league among rookies in stops. In a Week 8 meeting at Philadelphia, posted his first-career sack while forcing a fumble on the play.

51 Tony Gilbert - Was listed as inactive for Atlanta in every contest this season.

52 Coy Wire - Posted 24 tackles while lining up at outside linebacker and 15 stops competing on the special teams unit in 2008.

54 Stephen Nicholas - Competed at both linebacker and on special teams this season. Ranked third on the Falcons with 13 special teams tackles and added one sack against the Rams in Week 17.

56 Keith Brooking - Extended his consecutive games starting streak to 128 and ranked first on the team in tackles for the eighth straight season with 133 (80 solo).

59 Michael Boley - This season, tallied 90 tackles (65 solo), one interception and nine passes defensed. His lone interception of the year came against the Green Bay Packers in a Week 5 meeting.

No Name

20 Brent Grimes - Intercepted his first-career pass against Kansas City in Week 3 and contributed with36 tackles (29 solo) and six passes defensed.

22 Chevis Jackson - In 2008, recorded 33 tackles, five passes defensed and one interception. His first-career INT, the second-longest in Falcons history, was returned 95 yards for a touchdown against New Orleans in Week 10.

23 Chris Houston - Returned his first-career interception in Week 3 versus Kansas City 10 yards for a touchdown. Also added 59 tackles (52 solo), 16 passes defensed and another INT while starting all 16 games at right cornerback.

24 Domonique Foxworth - Started in 10 contests and contributed with 39 tackles (34 solo), 11 passes defensed and his first interception of the season, which he made against the Tampa Bay Buccaneersin Week 15.

26 Erik Coleman - Ranked second on the team with 127 tackles (82 solo) while adding six passes defensed, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2008.

DEFENSIVE LINE cont...

DEFENSIVE BACKS (10)

linebackers (6)


No Name

28 Thomas DeCoud - Saw action in 10 games and recorded five special teams tackles.

29 Jamaal Fudge - Saw action in 11 games, starting in one at strong safety, while posting 12 tackles and two special teams stops this season.

36 Lawyer Milloy - Ranked third on the team in tackles with 117 (76 solo) and deflected five passes. Intercepted his 25th career pass against the Detroit Lions in the season opener.

37 Glenn Sharpe - Was inactive for the final three contests of the 2008 season.

42 Eric Brock - Saw action on special teams in the season finale against the St. Louis Rams.

No Name

1 Jason Elam - Split the uprights on 29 of 31 field goal attempts and 42 points after touchdowns for 129 points this season. Following a missed field goal in Week 6, the 16-year veteran posted a streak of 30 consecutive field goals dating back to 2007. Notched his 38th field goal of 50-plus yardsin the season opener versus Detroit.

9 Michael Koenen - Totaled 63 punts for 2,566 yards, 25 of which were pinned inside the 20-yard line and a long kick of 60 yards. Set a career-high with five punts downed inside the 20-yard line in Week 8 at Philadelphia.

46 Mike Schneck - Served as the Falcons long snapper in every contest this season and finished the year with one special teams stop.

SPECIALISTS (3)

DEFENSIVE BACKS cont...

2008 Atlanta Falcons Alphabetical Roster

# PLAYER POS H W Birthdate EXP COLLEGE ACQUIRED HOMETOWN55 Abraham, John DE 6-4 263 5/6/78 9 South Carolina Tr '06 (NYJ) Timmonsville, SC98 Anderson, Jamaal DE 6-6 282 2/6/86 2 Arkansas D1 '07 Little Rock, AR95 Babineaux, Jonathan DT 6-2 284 10/12/81 4 Iowa D2 '05 Port Arthur, TX72 Baker, Sam OT 6-5 312 5/30/85 R USC D1b '08 Tustin, CA71 Biermann, Kroy DE 6-3 241 9/12/85 R Montana D5b '08 Hardin, MT63 Blalock, Justin OG 6-4 333 12/20/83 2 Texas D2a '07 Dallas, TX59 Boley, Michael LB 6-3 223 8/24/82 4 Southern Miss D5a '05 Gadsden, AL42 Brock, Eric S 6-0 202 4/24/85 R Auburn FA '08 Alexander City, AL56 Brooking, Keith LB 6-2 241 10/30/75 11 Georgia Tech D1 '98 Senoia, GA77 Clabo, Tyson OT 6-6 332 10/17/81 3 Wake Forest FA '06 Knoxville, TN26 Coleman, Erik S 5-10 206 5/16/82 5 Washington State FA '08 Sacramento, CA73 Dahl, Harvey OG 6-5 308 6/24/81 2 Nevada-Reno FA '07 Fallon, NV92 Davis, Chauncey DE 6-2 274 1/27/83 4 Florida State D4 '05 Bartow, FL28 DeCoud, Thomas S 6-0 197 3/19/85 R Cal-Berkeley D3c '08 Vallejo, CA83 Douglas, Harry WR 5-11 171 9/16/84 R Louisville D3b '08 Jonesboro, GA1 Elam, Jason K 5-11 194 3/8/70 16 Hawaii UFA '08 (Den) Ft. Walton Beach, FL

86 Finneran, Brian WR 6-5 206 1/31/76 9 Villanova FA '00 Mission Viejo, CA24 Foxworth, Domonique CB 5-11 180 3/27/83 4 Maryland Tr '08 (Den) Cantonsville, MD75 Fraser, Simon DE 6-6 274 3/27/83 4 Ohio State FA '08 Upper Arlington, OH29 Fudge, Jamaal S 5-9 194 5/17/83 3 Clemson W '08 (Jax) Jacksonville, FL68 Gandy, Wayne OT 6-5 308 2/10/71 14 Auburn FA '08 Haines City, FL51 Gilbert, Tony LB 6-0 248 10/16/79 5 Georgia FA '08 Macon, GA20 Grimes, Brent CB 5-10 185 7/19/83 1 Shippensburg FA '07 Philadelphia, PA23 Houston, Chris CB 5-11 175 10/18/84 2 Arkansas D2b '07 Austin, TX22 Jackson, Chevis CB 5-11 185 12/11/85 R LSU D3a '08 Mobile, AL90 Jackson, Grady DT 6-2 345 1/21/73 12 Knoxville FA '08 Greensboro, AL99 Jefferson, Jason DT 6-1 295 12/20/81 4 Wisconsin W '08 (Buf) Chicago, IL12 Jenkins, Michael WR 6-4 215 6/18/82 5 Ohio State D1b '04 Tampa, FL9 Koenen, Michael P 5-11 199 7/13/82 4 Western Washington FA '05 Ferndale, WA

50 Lofton, Curtis LB 6-0 248 6/2/86 R Oklahoma D2 '08 Kingfisher, OK62 McClure, Todd C 6-1 301 2/16/77 10 LSU D7a '99 Baton Rouge, LA36 Milloy, Lawyer S 6-0 216 11/14/73 13 Washington FA '06 St. Louis, MO94 Moorehead, Kindal DT 6-2 299 10/14/78 6 Alabama UFA '08 (Car) Memphis, TN34 Mughelli, Ovie FB 6-1 245 6/10/80 6 Wake Forest UFA '07 (Balt) Boston, MA54 Nicholas, Stephen LB 6-3 232 5/1/83 2 South Florida D4a '07 Jacksonville, FL32 Norwood, Jerious RB 5-11 202 7/29/83 3 Mississippi State D3 '06 Jackson, MS76 Ojinnaka, Quinn OT 6-5 305 4/23/84 3 Syracuse D5 '06 Seabrook, MD87 Peelle, Justin TE 6-4 250 3/15/79 7 Oregon FA '08 Fresno, CA81 Pollard, Marcus TE 6-3 255 2/8/72 14 Bradley FA '08 Valley, AL85 Rader, Jason TE 6-4 271 4/12/81 3 Marshall FA '08 St. Albans, WV8 Redman, Chris QB 6-3 221 7/7/77 6 Louisville FA '07 Louisville, KY2 Ryan, Matt QB 6-4 220 5/17/85 R Boston College D1a '08 Exton, PA

46 Schneck, Mike LS 6-1 234 8/4/77 10 Wisconsin FA '07 Whitefish Bay, WI37 Sharpe, Glenn CB 6-0 185 2/27/84 R Miami (Fla.) FA '08 Miami, FL3 Shockley, D.J. QB 6-0 222 3/23/83 2 Georgia D7 '06 College Park, GA

44 Snelling, Jason RB 5-11 229 12/29/83 2 Virginia D7 '07 Chester, VA69 Stepanovich, Alex C 6-4 296 9/25/81 5 Ohio State UFA '08 (Cin) Berea, OH33 Turner, Michael RB 5-10 244 2/13/82 5 Northern Illinois UFA '08 (SD) Waukegan, IL14 Weems, Eric WR 5-9 191 7/4/85 1 Bethune-Cookman FA '07 Ormond Beach, FL74 Weiner, Todd OT 6-4 300 9/16/75 11 Kansas State UFA '02 (Sea) Coral Springs, FL84 White, Roddy WR 6-0 208 11/2/81 4 Alabama-Birmingham D1 '05 James Island, SC67 Wilkerson, Ben C 6-4 310 11/22/82 3 LSU FA '07 Port Arthur, TX52 Wire, Coy LB 6-0 228 11/7/78 7 Stanford FA' 08 Camp Hill, PA

38 Barclay, Chris RB 5-10 180 10/15/83 2 Wake Forest FA '08 Louisville, KY66 Bennett, Nate OG 6-4 315 1/19/84 R Clemson FA '08 Dallas, GA70 Butterworth, Michael OL 6-7 298 1/7/85 R Slippery Rock FA '08 Northern Cambria, PA96 Evans, Willie DE 6-1 267 3/5/84 1 Mississippi State FA '08 Waynesboro, MS11 Kinoshita, Noriaki** WR 5-10 179 12/29/82 1 Ritsumeikan (Japan) FA '08 Osaka, Japan91 Myles, Tywain DT 6-2 305 10/1/84 R Tarleton State FA '08 Nacogdoches, TX35 Vinnett, Darius CB 5-8 170 9/30/84 2 Arkansas FA '08 New Orleans, LA18 Williams, Chandler WR 5-11 178 8/9/85 1 Florida International FA '08 Miami, FL82 Zinger, Keith TE 6-4 268 10/9/84 R LSU D7b '08 Leesville, LA

27 Brown, Thomas RB 5-8 200 5/15/86 R Georgia D6 '08 Tucker, GA41 Harris, Antonie S 5-10 197 4/8/82 2 Louisville FA '07 Columbus, OH89 Hartsock, Ben TE 6-4 264 7/5/80 5 Ohio State FA '08 Chillicothe, OH25 Hutchins, Von CB 5-10 185 2/14/81 5 Mississippi FA '08 Natchez, MS30 Irons, David CB 5-11 197 10/9/82 2 Auburn D6b '07 Dacula, GA51 James, Robert LB 5-11 218 12/26/83 R Arizona State D5a '08 Glendale, AZ64 McCoy, Pat OL 6-5 328 12/14/80 2 West Texas A&M FA '07 Fairfield, CA19 Robinson, Laurent WR 6-2 194 5/20/85 2 Illinois State D3 '07 Fort Lewis, WA

79 Foster, Renardo OL 6-7 340 7/15/84 2 Louisville FA '07 Ripley, TN97 Lewis, Trey DT 6-3 323 5/23/85 2 Washburn D6a '07 Topeka, KS

** International practice squad player

PRACTICE SQUAD

INJURED RESERVE

RESERVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM

Ray Hamilton (Defensive Line), Josh Hingst (Team Nutritionist), Bill Hughan (Assistant Director of Athletic Performance), Tom McMahon (Assistant Special Teams),Bill Musgrave (Quarterbacks), Glenn Pires (Linebackers), Doug Plank (Coaching Assistant), Alvin Reynolds (Defensive Backs), Terry Robiskie (Wide Receivers),

COACHING STAFFMike Smith (Head Coach), Emmitt Thomas (Assistant Head Coach/Secondary),

Mike Mularkey (Offensive Coordinator), Brian VanGorder (Defensive Coordinator), Keith Armstrong (Special Teams Coordinator),Paul Boudreau (Offensive Line), Gerald Brown (Running Backs), Joe Danna (Defensive Assistant), Paul Dunn (Assistant Offensive Line), Jeff Fish (Director of Athletic Performance),

Chris Scelfo (Tight Ends), Glenn Thomas (Offensive Assistant).

updated 1/6/2009

2008 Atlanta Falcons Numerical Roster

# PLAYER POS H W AGE EXP COLLEGE ACQUIRED HOMETOWN1 Jason Elam K 5-11 194 38 16 Hawaii UFA '08 (Den) Ft. Walton Beach, FL2 Matt Ryan QB 6-4 220 23 R Boston College D1a '08 Exton, PA3 D.J. Shockley QB 6-0 220 25 2 Georgia D7 '06 College Park, GA8 Chris Redman QB 6-3 221 31 6 Louisville FA '07 Louisville, KY9 Michael Koenen P 5-11 199 26 4 Western Washington FA '05 Ferndale, WA

12 Michael Jenkins WR 6-4 215 26 5 Ohio State D1b '04 Tampa, FL14 Eric Weems WR 5-9 191 23 1 Bethune-Cookman FA '07 Ormond Beach, FL20 Brent Grimes CB 5-10 200 25 1 Shippensburg FA '07 Philadelphia, PA22 Chevis Jackson CB 5-11 185 23 R LSU D3a '08 Mobile, AL23 Chris Houston CB 5-11 175 24 2 Arkansas D2b '07 Austin, TX24 Domonique Foxworth CB 5-11 180 25 4 Maryland Tr '08 (Den) Cantonsville, MD26 Erik Coleman S 5-10 206 26 5 Washington State FA '08 Sacramento, CA28 Thomas DeCoud S 6-0 197 23 R Cal-Berkeley D3c '08 Vallejo, CA29 Jamaal Fudge S 5-9 194 25 3 Clemson W '08 (Jax) Jacksonville, FL32 Jerious Norwood RB 5-11 202 25 3 Mississippi State D3 '06 Jackson, MS33 Michael Turner RB 5-10 244 26 5 Northern Illinois UFA '08 (SD) Waukegan, IL34 Ovie Mughelli FB 6-1 245 28 6 Wake Forest UFA '07 (Balt) Boston, MA36 Lawyer Milloy S 6-0 216 35 13 Washington FA '06 St. Louis, MO37 Glenn Sharpe CB 6-0 185 24 R Miami (Fla.) FA '08 Miami, FL42 Eric Brock S 6-0 202 23 R Auburn FA '08 Alexander City, AL44 Jason Snelling RB 5-11 229 25 2 Virginia D7 '07 Chester, VA46 Mike Schneck LS 6-1 234 31 10 Wisconsin FA '07 Whitefish Bay, WI50 Curtis Lofton LB 6-0 248 22 R Oklahoma D2 '08 Kingfisher, OK51 Tony Gilbert LB 6-0 248 29 5 Georgia FA '08 Macon, GA52 Coy Wire LB 6-0 228 30 7 Stanford FA' 08 Camp Hill, PA54 Stephen Nicholas LB 6-3 232 25 2 South Florida D4a '07 Jacksonville, FL55 John Abraham DE 6-4 263 30 9 South Carolina Tr '06 (NYJ) Timmonsville, SC56 Keith Brooking LB 6-2 241 33 11 Georgia Tech D1 '98 Senoia, GA59 Michael Boley LB 6-3 223 26 4 Southern Miss D5a '05 Gadsden, AL62 Todd McClure C 6-1 301 31 10 LSU D7a '99 Baton Rouge, LA63 Justin Blalock OG 6-4 333 25 2 Texas D2a '07 Dallas, TX67 Ben Wilkerson C 6-4 310 26 3 LSU FA '07 Port Arthur, TX68 Wayne Gandy OT 6-5 308 37 14 Auburn FA '08 Haines City, FL69 Alex Stepanovich C 6-4 296 27 5 Ohio State UFA '08 (Cin) Berea, OH71 Kroy Biermann DE 6-3 241 23 R Montana D5b '08 Hardin, MT72 Sam Baker OT 6-5 312 23 R USC D1b '08 Tustin, CA73 Harvey Dahl OG 6-5 308 27 2 Nevada-Reno FA '07 Fallon, NV74 Todd Weiner OT 6-4 300 33 11 Kansas State UFA '02 (Sea) Coral Springs, FL75 Simon Fraser DE 6-6 274 25 4 Ohio State FA '08 Upper Arlington, OH76 Quinn Ojinnaka OT 6-5 305 24 3 Syracuse D5 '06 Seabrook, MD77 Tyson Clabo OT 6-6 332 27 3 Wake Forest FA '06 Knoxville, TN81 Marcus Pollard TE 6-3 255 36 14 Bradley FA '08 Valley, AL83 Harry Douglas WR 5-11 171 24 R Louisville D3b '08 Jonesboro, GA84 Roddy White WR 6-0 208 27 4 Alabama-Birmingham D1 '05 James Island, SC85 Jason Rader TE 6-4 271 27 3 Marshall FA '08 St. Albans, WV86 Brian Finneran WR 6-5 206 33 9 Villanova FA '00 Mission Viejo, CA87 Justin Peelle TE 6-4 250 29 7 Oregon FA '08 Fresno, CA90 Grady Jackson DT 6-2 345 36 12 Knoxville FA '08 Greensboro, AL92 Chauncey Davis DE 6-2 274 26 4 Florida State D4 '05 Bartow, FL94 Kindal Moorehead DT 6-2 299 30 6 Alabama UFA '08 (Car) Memphis, TN95 Jonathan Babineaux DT 6-2 284 27 4 Iowa D2 '05 Port Arthur, TX98 Jamaal Anderson DE 6-6 282 22 2 Arkansas D1 '07 Little Rock, AR99 Jason Jefferson DT 6-1 295 27 4 Wisconsin W '08 (Buf) Chicago, IL

11 Noriaki Kinoshita** WR 5-10 179 26 1 Ritsumeikan (Japan) FA '08 Osaka, Japan18 Chandler Williams WR 5-11 178 23 1 Florida International FA '08 Miami, FL35 Darius Vinnett CB 5-8 170 24 2 Arkansas FA '08 New Orleans, LA38 Chris Barclay RB 5-10 180 25 2 Wake Forest FA '08 Louisville, KY66 Nate Bennett OG 6-4 315 25 R Clemson FA '08 Dallas, GA70 Michael Butterworth OL 6-7 298 24 R Slippery Rock FA '08 Northern Cambria, PA82 Keith Zinger TE 6-4 268 24 R LSU D7b '08 Leesville, LA91 Tywain Myles DT 6-2 305 24 R Tarleton State FA '08 Nacogdoches, TX96 Willie Evans DE 6-1 267 24 1 Mississippi State FA '08 Waynesboro, MS

19 Laurent Robinson WR 6-2 194 23 2 Illinois State D3 '07 Fort Lewis, WA25 Von Hutchins CB 5-10 185 27 5 Mississippi FA '08 Natchez, MS27 Thomas Brown RB 5-8 200 22 R Georgia D6 '08 Tucker, GA30 David Irons CB 5-11 197 26 2 Auburn D6b '07 Dacula, GA41 Antoine Harris S 5-10 197 26 2 Louisville FA '07 Columbus, OH51 Robert James LB 5-11 218 25 R Arizona State D5a '08 Glendale, AZ64 Pat McCoy OL 6-5 328 28 2 West Texas A&M FA '07 Fairfield, CA89 Ben Hartsock TE 6-4 264 28 5 Ohio State FA '08 Chillicothe, OH

79 Renardo Foster OL 6-7 340 24 2 Louisville FA '07 Ripley, TN97 Trey Lewis DT 6-3 323 23 2 Washburn D6a '07 Topeka, KS

* Birthdays through the month of January


PRACTICE SQUAD


INJURED RESERVE


Bill Musgrave (Quarterbacks), Glenn Pires (Linebackers), Doug Plank (Coaching Assistant), Alvin Reynolds (Defensive Backs), Terry Robiskie (Wide Receivers),

Paul Boudreau (Offensive Line), Gerald Brown (Running Backs), Joe Danna (Defensive Assistant), Paul Dunn (Assistant Offensive Line), Jeff Fish (Director of Athletic Performance),


Mike Mularkey (Offensive Coordinator), Brian VanGorder (Defensive Coordinator), Keith Armstrong (Special Teams Coordinator),

Ray Hamilton (Defensive Line), Josh Hingst (Team Nutritionist), Bill Hughan (Assistant Director of Athletic Performance), Tom McMahon (Assistant Special Teams),

updated 1/6/2009

2008 Atlanta Falcons Roster By Experience

# PLAYER POS H W Birthdate EXP COLLEGE ACQUIRED HOMETOWN1 Elam, Jason K 5-11 194 3/8/70 16 Hawaii UFA '08 (Den) Ft. Walton Beach, FL

68 Gandy, Wayne OT 6-5 308 2/10/71 14 Auburn FA' 08 Haines City, FL81 Pollard, Marcus TE 6-3 255 2/8/72 14 Bradley FA '08 Valley, AL36 Milloy, Lawyer S 6-0 216 11/14/73 13 Washington FA '06 St. Louis, MO90 Jackson, Grady DT 6-2 345 1/21/73 12 Knoxville FA '08 Greensboro, AL56 Brooking, Keith LB 6-2 241 10/30/75 11 Georgia Tech D1 '98 Senoia, GA74 Weiner, Todd OT 6-4 300 9/16/75 11 Kansas State UFA '02 (Sea) Coral Springs, FL62 McClure, Todd C 6-1 301 2/16/77 10 LSU D7a '99 Baton Rouge, LA46 Schneck, Mike LS 6-1 234 8/4/77 10 Wisconsin FA '07 Whitefish Bay, WI55 Abraham, John DE 6-4 263 5/6/78 9 South Carolina Tr '06 (NYJ) Timmonsville, SC86 Finneran, Brian WR 6-5 206 1/31/76 9 Villanova FA '00 Mission Viejo, CA87 Peelle, Justin TE 6-4 250 3/15/79 7 Oregon FA '08 Fresno, CA52 Wire, Coy LB 6-0 228 11/7/78 7 Stanford FA' 08 Camp Hill, PA94 Moorehead, Kindal DT 6-2 299 10/14/78 6 Alabama UFA '08 (Car) Memphis, TN34 Mughelli, Ovie FB 6-1 245 6/10/80 6 Wake Forest UFA '07 (Balt) Boston, MA8 Redman, Chris QB 6-3 221 7/7/77 6 Louisville FA '07 Louisville, KY

26 Coleman, Erik S 5-10 206 5/16/82 5 Washington State FA '08 Sacramento, CA51 Gilbert, Tony LB 6-0 248 10/16/79 5 Georgia FA '08 Macon, GA12 Jenkins, Michael WR 6-4 215 6/18/82 5 Ohio State D1b '04 Tampa, FL69 Stepanovich, Alex C 6-4 296 9/25/81 5 Ohio State UFA '08 (Cin) Berea, OH33 Turner, Michael RB 5-10 244 2/13/82 5 Northern Illinois UFA '08 (SD) Waukegan, IL95 Babineaux, Jonathan DT 6-2 284 10/12/81 4 Iowa D2 '05 Port Arthur, TX59 Boley, Michael LB 6-3 223 8/24/82 4 Southern Miss D5a '05 Gadsden, AL92 Davis, Chauncey DE 6-2 274 1/27/83 4 Florida State D4 '05 Bartow, FL24 Foxworth, Domonique CB 5-11 180 3/27/83 4 Maryland Tr '08 (Den) Cantonsville, MD75 Fraser, Simon DE 6-6 274 3/27/83 4 Ohio State FA '08 Upper Arlington, OH99 Jefferson, Jason DT 6-1 295 12/20/81 4 Wisconsin W '08 (Buf) Chicago, IL9 Koenen, Michael P 5-11 199 7/13/82 4 Western Washington FA '05 Ferndale, WA

84 White, Roddy WR 6-0 208 11/2/81 4 Alabama-Birmingham D1 '05 James Island, SC77 Clabo, Tyson OT 6-6 332 10/17/81 3 Wake Forest FA '06 Knoxville, TN29 Fudge, Jamaal S 5-9 194 5/17/83 3 Clemson W '08 (Jax) Jacksonville, FL32 Norwood, Jerious RB 5-11 202 7/29/83 3 Mississippi State D3 '06 Jackson, MS76 Ojinnaka, Quinn OT 6-5 305 4/23/84 3 Syracuse D5 '06 Seabrook, MD85 Rader, Jason TE 6-4 271 4/12/81 3 Marshall FA '08 St. Albans, WV67 Wilkerson, Ben C 6-4 310 11/22/82 3 Louisiana State FA '07 Port Arthur, TX98 Anderson, Jamaal DE 6-6 282 2/6/86 2 Arkansas D1 '07 Little Rock, AR63 Blalock, Justin OG 6-4 333 12/20/83 2 Texas D2a '07 Dallas, TX73 Dahl, Harvey OG 6-5 308 6/24/81 2 Nevada-Reno FA '07 Fallon, NV23 Houston, Chris CB 5-11 175 10/18/84 2 Arkansas D2b '07 Austin, TX54 Nicholas, Stephen LB 6-3 232 5/1/83 2 South Florida D4a '07 Jacksonville, FL3 Shockley, D.J. QB 6-0 222 3/23/83 2 Georgia D7 '06 College Park, GA

44 Snelling, Jason RB 5-11 229 12/29/83 2 Virginia D7 '07 Chester, VA20 Grimes, Brent CB 5-10 185 7/19/83 1 Shippensburg FA '07 Philadelphia, PA14 Weems, Eric WR 5-9 191 7/4/85 1 Bethune-Cookman FA '07 Ormond Beach, FL72 Baker, Sam OT 6-5 312 5/30/85 R USC D1b '08 Tustin, CA71 Biermann, Kroy DE 6-3 241 9/12/85 R Montana D5b '08 Hardin, MT42 Brock, Eric S 6-0 202 4/24/85 R Auburn FA '08 Alexander City, AL28 DeCoud, Thomas S 6-0 197 3/19/85 R Cal-Berkeley D3c '08 Vallejo, CA83 Douglas, Harry WR 5-11 171 9/16/84 R Louisville D3b '08 Jonesboro, GA22 Jackson, Chevis CB 5-11 185 12/11/85 R LSU D3a '08 Mobile, AL50 Lofton, Curtis LB 6-0 248 6/2/86 R Oklahoma D2 '08 Kingfisher, OK2 Ryan, Matt QB 6-4 220 5/17/85 R Boston College D1a '08 Exton, PA

37 Sharpe, Glenn CB 6-0 185 2/27/84 R Miami (Fla.) FA '08 Miami, FL

38 Barclay, Chris RB 5-10 180 10/15/83 2 Wake Forest FA '08 Louisville, KY35 Vinnett, Darius CB 5-8 170 9/30/84 2 Arkansas FA '08 New Orleans, LA96 Evans, Willie DE 6-1 267 3/5/84 1 Mississippi State FA '08 Waynesboro, MS11 Kinoshita, Noriaki** WR 5-10 179 12/29/82 1 Ritsumeikan (Japan) FA '08 Osaka, Japan18 Williams, Chandler WR 5-11 178 8/9/85 1 Florida International FA '08 Miami, FL66 Bennett, Nate OG 6-4 315 1/19/84 R Clemson FA '08 Dallas, GA70 Butterworth, Michael OL 6-7 298 1/7/85 R Slippery Rock FA '08 Northern Cambria, PA91 Myles, Tywain DT 6-2 305 10/1/84 R Tarleton State FA '08 Nacogdoches, TX82 Zinger, Keith TE 6-4 268 10/9/84 R LSU D7b '08 Leesville, LA

89 Hartsock, Ben TE 6-4 264 7/5/80 5 Ohio State FA '08 Chillicothe, OH25 Hutchins, Von CB 5-10 185 2/14/81 5 Mississippi FA '08 Natchez, MS41 Harris, Antonie S 5-10 197 4/8/82 2 Louisville FA '07 Columbus, OH30 Irons, David CB 5-11 197 10/9/82 2 Auburn D6b '07 Dacula, GA64 McCoy, Pat OL 6-5 333 12/14/80 2 West Texas A&M FA '07 Fairfield, CA19 Robinson, Laurent WR 6-2 194 5/20/85 2 Illinois State D3 '07 Fort Lewis, WA27 Brown, Thomas RB 5-8 200 5/15/86 R Georgia D6 '08 Tucker, GA51 James, Robert LB 5-11 218 12/26/83 R Arizona State D5a '08 Glendale, AZ

79 Foster, Renardo OL 6-7 340 7/15/84 2 Louisville FA '07 Ripley, TN97 Lewis, Trey DT 6-3 323 5/23/85 2 Washburn D6a '07 Topeka, KS


INJURED RESERVE


PRACTICE SQUAD

Ray Hamilton (Defensive Line), Josh Hingst (Team Nutritionist), Bill Hughan (Assistant Director of Athletic Performance), Tom McMahon (Assistant Special Teams),Bill Musgrave (Quarterbacks), Glenn Pires (Linebackers), Doug Plank (Coaching Assistant), Alvin Reynolds (Defensive Backs), Terry Robiskie (Wide Receivers),


Mike Mularkey (Offensive Coordinator), Brian VanGorder (Defensive Coordinator), Keith Armstrong (Special Teams Coordinator),Paul Boudreau (Offensive Line), Gerald Brown (Running Backs), Joe Danna (Defensive Assistant), Paul Dunn (Assistant Offensive Line), Jeff Fish (Director of Athletic Performance),


updated 1/6/2009

2008 Atlanta Falcons Roster By PositionOffense: 25 Defense/Special Teams: 28Coordinator: Mike Mularkey Coordinator: Brian VanGorderOffensive Assistant: Glenn Thomas Defensive Assistant: Joe Danna

QUARTERBACKS (3)Coach: Bill Musgrave Coach: Ray Hamilton2 Matt Ryan 55 John Abraham3 D.J. Shockley 71 Kroy Biermann8 Chris Redman 75 Simon Fraser

90 Grady JacksonRUNNING BACKS (4) 92 Chauncey Davis

Coach: Gerald Brown 94 Kindal Moorehead32 Jerious Norwood 95 Jonathan Babineaux 33 Michael Turner 98 Jamaal Anderson34 Ovie Mughelli 99 Jason Jefferson44 Jason Snelling

LINEBACKERS (6)WIDE RECEIVERS (5) Coach: Glenn Pires

Coach: Terry Robiskie 50 Curtis Lofton12 Michael Jenkins 51 Tony Gilbert14 Eric Weems 52 Coy Wire83 Harry Douglas 54 Stephen Nicholas 84 Roddy White 56 Keith Brooking86 Brian Finneran 59 Michael Boley

TIGHT ENDS (3) Coach: Chris Scelfo Coach: Emmitt Thomas81 Marcus Pollard Coach: Alvin Reynolds85 Jason Rader 20 Brent Grimes87 Justin Peelle 22 Chevis Jackson

23 Chris Houston OFFENSIVE LINE (10) 24 Domonique Foxworth

Coach: Paul Boudreau 26 Erik Coleman62 Todd McClure 28 Thomas DeCoud63 Justin Blalock 29 Jamaal Fudge67 Ben Wilkerson 36 Lawyer Milloy68 Wayne Gandy 37 Glenn Sharpe69 Alex Stepanovich 42 Eric Brock72 Sam Baker73 Harvey Dahl74 Todd Weiner Coach: Keith Armstrong/Tom McMahon76 Quinn Ojinnaka 1 Jason Elam77 Tyson Clabo 9 Michael Koenen

46 Mike Schneck

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)

DEFENSIVE BACKS (10)

SPECIALISTS (3)

2008 ATLANTA FALCONS UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART(End of the Season)

OFFENSEWR 12 Michael Jenkins 86 Brian Finneran LT 72 Sam Baker 76 Quinn Ojinnaka 68 Wayne GandyLG 63 Justin Blalock 67 Ben Wilkerson C 62 Todd McClure 67 Ben Wilkerson 69 Alex Stepanovich RG 73 Harvey Dahl 77 Tyson ClaboRT 77 Tyson Clabo 74 Todd WeinerTE 87 Justin Peelle 85 Jason Rader 81 Marcus PollardWR 84 Roddy White 83 Harry Douglas 14 Eric WeemsQB 2 Matt Ryan 8 Chris Redman 3 D.J. Shockley RB 33 Michael Turner 32 Jerious Norwood 44 Jason Snelling

FB 34 Ovie Mughelli

DEFENSERE 55 John Abraham 92 Chauncey Davis 71 Kroy Biermann DT 90 Grady Jackson 99 Jason JeffersonDT 95 Jonathan Babineaux 94 Kindal Moorehead LE 98 Jamaal Anderson 75 Simon FraserOLB 59 Michael Boley 54 Stephen Nicholas MLB 50 Curtis Lofton 51 Tony Gilbert OLB 56 Keith Brooking 52 Coy Wire RCB 23 Chris Houston 22 Chevis JacksonLCB 24 Domonique Foxworth 20 Brent Grimes 37 Glenn SharpeSS 36 Lawyer Milloy 29 Jamaal Fudge 42 Eric Brock

FS 26 Erik Coleman 28 Thomas DeCoud

SPECIALISTSK 1 Jason ElamKO 9 Michael Koenen 1 Jason ElamP 9 Michael Koenen 1 Jason ElamKR 32 Jerious NorwoodPR 83 Harry DouglasLS 46 Mike SchneckH 9 Michael Koenen

Jonathan Babineaux BAB-in-NO

Kroy Biermann Beer-man

Thomas DeCoud DAY-coo

Michael Koenen KANE-in

Ovie Mughelli OH-vee mah-HAY-lee

Jerious Norwood JAIR-ee-us

Quinn Ojinnaka O-ja-NAH-ka

Todd Weiner WINE-er

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

2008 PARTICIPATIONDET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL *PL S DNP IA

55 Abraham, J. RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RE RD 16 16 0 0

98 Anderson, J. LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE IA 15 15 0 1

95 Babineaux, J. DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT P DT DT DT 16 15 0 0

72 Baker, S. LT LT LT IA LT LT IA IA IA IA IA IA IA P P P 8 5 0 8

71 Biermann, K. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

63 Blalock, J. LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG LG 16 16 0 0

59 Boley, M. OLB OLB P OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB P P P 16 13 0 0

42 Brock, E. IA P 1 0 0 1

56 Brooking, K. OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB OLB 16 16 0 0

77 Clabo, T. RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT 16 16 0 0

26 Coleman, E. FS FS FS FS FS FS FS P FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS 16 15 0 0

73 Dahl, H. RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG RG 16 16 0 0

92 Davis, C. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P LE 16 1 0 0

28 DeCoud, T. DNP P P P P IA IA IA IA IA P P P P P P 10 0 1 5

83 Douglas, H. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

1 Elam, J. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

86 Finneran, B. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

24 Foxworth, D. IA P P P P P LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB 15 10 0 1

75 Fraser, S. IA P IA IA P P IA IA IA IA P IA IA IA IA P 5 0 0 11

29 Fudge, J. DNP IA IA P P P P P P P IA IA P P P SS 11 1 1 4

68 Gandy, W. P P P P P P IA P IA 7 0 0 2

51 Gilbert, T. IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA 0 0 0 16

20 Grimes, B. LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB P P P IA P IA IA IA P P 12 6 0 4

41 Harris, A. P P P P P P P P P P P P IA IR IR IR 12 0 0 1

89 Hartsock, B. TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE IR IR IR IR IR 11 11 0 0

23 Houston, C. RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB 16 16 0 0

30 Irons, D. P IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA P IA P P P IR IR 5 0 0 9

22 Jackson, C. P P P P P P P CB P P P P CB P P P 16 2 0 0

91 Jackson, G. DT IA DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT DT 15 15 0 1

99 Jefferson, J. IA DT P P IA IA P P P P P P P P P P 12 1 0 3

12 Jenkins, M. WR WR WR P WR WR P P P WR WR WR WR WR WR WR 16 11 0 0

81 Jennings, A. P P P P P P P IA IA 7 0 0 2

9 Koenen, M. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

50 Lofton, C. MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB P MLB MLB MLB 16 15 0 0

62 McClure, T. C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C 16 16 0 0

96 Miller, B. DNP 0 0 1 0

36 Milloy, L. SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS IA 15 15 0 1

88 Milner, M. IA IA 0 0 0 2

94 Moorehead, K. P P P P P P P P P IA IA P DT P P P 13 1 0 2

34 Mughelli, O. FB FB FB P FB FB P FB FB FB FB FB FB FB FB FB 16 14 0 0

54 Nicholas, S. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

32 Norwood, J. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

76 Ojinnaka, Q. IA IA IA P IA IA P P IA P P P P P IA IA 8 0 0 8

87 Peelle, J. P P P TE P TE TE TE TE TE P TE TE TE TE TE 16 11 0 0

81 Pollard, M. IA P 1 0 0 1

85 Rader, J. IA IA IA DNP TE P P P P P 6 1 1 3

8 Redman, C. DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 0 0 16 0

19 Robinson, L. P P P IA IA IA IA P P P IA IA IA IA IR IR 6 0 0 8

2 Ryan, M. QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB 16 16 0 0

46 Schneck, M. P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 0 0 0

37 Sharpe, G. IA IA IA 0 0 0 3

3 Shockley, D. IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA 0 0 0 16

44 Snelling, J. P P P FB P P P P P P P P P P P P 16 1 0 0

69 Stepanovich, A. IA IA IA IA IA IA IA IA P IA P P P IA IA IA 4 0 0 12

33 Turner, M. RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB 16 16 0 0

14 Weems, E. P P P P P P 6 0 0 0

74 Weiner, T. P P P LT P P LT LT LT LT LT LT LT LT LT LT 16 11 0 0

84 White, R. WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR 16 16 0 0

67 Wilkerson, B. P P P P P P P P P P IA IA IA P P P 13 0 0 3

52 Wire, C. P P OLB P P P P P P P P P P OLB OLB OLB 16 4 0 0

Position - start P - played IA - inactive DNP - did not play IR - injured reserve MR - reserve/military NFI - reserve/non-football injury

PUP- physically unable to perform SR - Supsended/Reserve PS/IN - practice squad/Injured

Year By Draft By Trade Undrafted Free Agents Free Agents

2008 QB Matt Ryan (D1a-‘08) CB Domonique Foxworth S Eric BrockOT Sam Baker (D1b-‘08) (Tr ‘08 - Den) S Erik ColemanLB Curtis Lofton (D2-‘08) K Jason Elam (UFA-‘08 - Den.)CB Chevis Jackson (D3a-‘08) DE Simon FraserWR Harry Douglas (D3b-‘08) S Jamaal Fudge (W ‘08 - Jax)S Thomas DeCoud (D3c-‘08) OT Wayne GandyDE Kroy Biermann (D5b-‘08) LB Tony Gilbert

DT Grady JacksonDT Jason Jefferson (W ‘08 - Buf)DT Kindal Moorehead (UFA-‘08 - Car.)TE Justin PeelleTE Marcus PollardTE Jason RaderCB Glenn SharpeC Alex Stepanovich (UFA-‘08 - Cin.)RB Michael Turner (UFA-‘08 - S.D.)WR Eric WeemsLB Coy Wire

2007 DE Jamaal Anderson (D1-‘07) G Harvey DahlOG Justin Blalock (D2a-‘07) CB Brent GrimesCB Chris Houston (D2b-‘07) FB Ovie Mughelli (UFA-‘07 - Bal.)LB Stephen Nicholas (D4a-‘07) QB Chris RedmanRB Jason Snelling (D7-‘07) LS Mike Schneck

C Ben Wilkerson

2006 RB Jerious Norwood (D3-‘06) DE John Abraham (Tr-‘06 - NYJ) OT Tyson ClaboOT Quinn Ojinnaka (D5-‘06) S Lawyer MilloyQB D.J. Shockley (D7-‘06)

2005 WR Roddy White (D1-‘05) P Michael KoenenDT Jonathan Babineaux (D2-‘05)DE Chauncey Davis (D4-‘05)LB Michael Boley (D5a-‘05)

2004 WR Michael Jenkins (D1b-‘04)

2003

2002 OT Todd Weiner (UFA-‘02 - Sea.)

2001

2000 WR Brian Finneran

1999 C Todd McClure (D7a-‘99)

1998 LB Keith Brooking (D1-‘98)

HOW THE FALCONS WERE BUILT

Date TransactionJanuary 2 Signed LB Earl Everett, DB C.J. Gaddis, LB Cameron Vaughn and WR Todd Watkins to Reserve/Future contractsJanuary 2 Offensive Line Coach Mike Summers and Offensive Quality Control Coach Derrick Nix resign from the teamJanuary 8 Signed free agent DE Willie EvansJanuary 10 Linebackers Coach Brian VanGorder resigns from the teamJanuary 13 Named Thomas Dimitroff General Manager of the FalconsJanuary 16 Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer resigns from the teamJanuary 23 Named Mike Smith the 14th Head Coach of the Atlanta FalconsJanuary 23 Named Emmitt Thomas Assistant Head Coach/Secondary CoachJanuary 25 Named Mike Mularkey Offensive CoordinatorJanuary 25 Named Brian VanGorder Defensive CoordinatorJanuary 26 Ollie Wilson not retained as Running Backs CoachJanuary 26 Andy Sugarman not retained as Offensive AssistantJanuary 26 Kevin Wolthausen not retained as Defensive Line CoachJanuary 26 Hue Jackson not retained as Offensive CoordinatorJanuary 26 Evan Marcus not retained as Head Strength and Conditioning CoachJanuary 26 Dave Puloka not retained as Assistant Strength and Conditioning CoachJanuary 26 Jon Gannon not retained as Defensive AssistantJanuary 26 Jerry Rosburg not retained as Special Teams CoordinatorJanuary 26 Named Terry Robiskie Wide Receivers CoachJanuary 26 Named Ray Hamilton Defensive Line CoachJanuary 26 Named Gerald Brown Running Backs CoachJanuary 26 Named Glenn Thomas Offensive AssistantJanuary 29 Named Keith Armstrong Special Teams CoordinatorJanuary 29 Named Jeff Fish Director of Athletic PerformanceJanuary 29 Named Bill Hughan Assistant Strength and Conditioning CoachJanuary 30 Named Chris Scelfo Tight Ends CoachJanuary 30 Named Paul Dunn Assistant Offensive Line CoachJanuary 31 Named Paul Boudreau Offensive Line Coach

February 4 Named Joe Danna Defensive AssistantFebruary 5 Signed free agent tight end George CooperFebruary 6 Named Alvin Reynolds Defensive Backs CoachFebruary 11 Waived WR Todd WatkinsFebruary 11 Joe Whitt Jr. not retained as Assistanta Defensive Backs CoachFebruary 11 Keith Rowen not retained as Tight Ends CoachFebruary 13 Named Glenn Pires Linebackers CoachFebruary 13 Retained Billy “White Shoes” Johnson as Assistant Strength and Conditioning CoachFebruary 15 Released LB Marcus Wilkins, CB Lewis Sanders, QB Byron Leftwich, TE Alge Crumpler, DT Rod Coleman, OL Wayne

Gandy and WR Jamin ElliottFebruary 29 Re-signed QB Chris Redman and waived RB Taurean Henderson

March 1 Signed free agent S Erik Coleman and signed free agent CB Von HutchinsMarch 2 Signed unrestricted free agent (SD) Michael Turner and signed free agent TE Ben HartsockMarch 3 Released RB Warrick DunnMarch 5 Released QB Joey HarringtonMarch 7 Signed unrestriced free agent (Car) DL Kindal Moorehead and free agents DL Simon Fraser and Rashad MooreMarch 10 Re-signed DT Tim Anderson and signed Unrestricted Free Agent (Cin) Alex StepanovichMarch 12 Re-signed QB Joey HarringtonMarch 14 Signed free agent TE Jason RaderMarch 19 Retained exclusive rights for OL Tyson ClaboMarch 20 Traded CB DeAngelo Hall to the Oakland Raiders for a second round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and a future fifth

round selection in the 2009 draftMarch 21 Signed unrestricted free agent (Den) K Jason ElamMarch 24 Retained exclusive rights for DT Montavious Stanley

April 9 LB Michael Boley signs tender offerApril 14 DE Chauncey Davis and P Michael Koenen sign tender offersApril 18 FB Corey McIntrye signs tender offerApril 24 Signed free agent K Kevin LovellApril 26 Acquired the No. 21, No. 84 and No. 154 overall selections in the 2008 NFL Draft for the No. 34, No. 48 and No. 103 over

all selections in a trade with the Washington RedskinsApril 26 Drafted QB Matt Ryan in the first round (3rd overall), OT Sam Baker in the first round (21st overall) and LB Curtis Lofton in

the second round (37th overall)April 27 Drafted CB Chevis Jackson in the third round (68th overall), WR Harry Douglas in the third round (84th overall), S Thomas

DeCoud in the third round (98th overall), LB Robert James in the fifth round (138th overall), DE Kroy Biermann in the fifth round (154th overall), RB Thomas Brown in the sixth round (172nd overall), CB Wilrey Fontenot in the seventh round (212thoverall) and TE Keith Zinger in the seventh round (232nd overall)

April 28 Signed rookie free agents LB Isaac Brown, P Jimmie Kaylor, CB Glenn Sharpe, FS D.J. Wolfe, DE Brandon Miller, RB Jamar Brittingham and OT Michael Butterworth

April 29 Signed free agent WR Chandler Williams and claimed the contract of free agent CB Nick Turnbull from the Cincinnati Bengals

April 30 David Caldwell hired as the Director of College Scouting

2008 ATLANTA FALCONS TRANSACTIONS

May 8 Lionel Vital hired as the Assistant Director of Player PersonnelMay 11 Waived CB C.J. GaddisMay 19 Signed free agents WR Tony Gonzalez, S Eric Brock and S Jamal Lewis. Waived S Nick Turnbull and LB Earl EverettMay 20 Signed QB Matt Ryan to a six-year contractMay 21 Signed free agent TE Brad ListortiMay 22 Waived P Jimmie KaylorMay 23 Waived S D.J. Wolfe

June 7 Signed TE Keith Zinger to a four-year contractJune 10 Signed CB Chevis Jackson and S Thomas DeCoud to four-year contracts. Waived TE George CooperJune 17 Waived S Jimmy Williams and signed CB Wilrey Fontenot to a four-year contractJune 18 Signed RB Thomas Brown to a four-year contract, waived OL Michael Butterworth, DE Derrick Jones, OL Kurt Quarterman

and DB Jamal Lewis, signed free agent DB Deke CooperJune 20 Signed WR Harry Douglas to a four-year contractJune 23 Waived C Doug DatishJune 26 Signed DE Kroy Biermann to a four-year contract

July 15 Signed LB Robert James to a four-year contractJuly 18 Waived WR Tony GonzalezJuly 23 Signed Doug Plank as a seasonal coaching assistantJuly 23 Signed Noriaki Kinoshita as the team’s international practice squad playerJuly 25 Signed LB Curtis Lofton to a four-year contract agreed to terms with OL Sam Baker, signed OL Michael Butterworth, signed

linebacker Coy Wire, signed CB Blue Adams, placed DT Trey Lewis on Active/Non-Football Injury list, placed OT Renardo Foster on the Physically Unable to Peform list, waived OL Pat McCoy, waived LB Travis Williams and waived CB Glenn Sharpe

July 29 Signed DT Grady Jackson and CB Glenn Sharpe, placed CB Von Hutchins on injured reserve and waived DL David Patterson

August 4 Signed TE George Cooper and waived RB Jamar BrittinghamAugust 5 Waived/Injured LB Robert JamesAugust 6 Signed LB Mickey Pimentel and placed LB Robert James on injured reserveAugust 7 Signed C Doug Datish and waived K Kevin LovellAugust 11 Waived/Injured TE Brad ListortiAugust 19 Released WR Joe Horn and waived/injured LB Isaac BrownAugust 24 Waived TE George Cooper and signed TE Marcus PollardAugust 26 Moved OL Renardo Foster to the reserve physically unable to perform list and moved DT Trey Lewis to the reserve non

football injury listAugust 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

August 31 Signed TE Keith Zinger, WR Eric Weems, OL D’Anthony Batiste, DB Glenn Sharpe, DB Eric Brock, DE Brandon Miller and WR Noriaki Kinoshita to the practice squad and DT Jason Jefferson off of waivers (Buf)

September 1 Signed RB Kenneth Davis and DE Sean Conover to the practice squad, signed free agents TE Justin Peelle and LB Tony Gilbert and released TE Jason Rader and LB Tony Taylor

September 2 Traded a 2009 seventh round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for CB Domonique Foxworth, claimed Jamaal Fudge off of waivers (Jax) and released CB Blue Adams and FB Corey McIntyre

September 16 Waived TE Martrez Milner September 17 Signed TE Jason Rader

October 14 Signed free agent RB Chris Barclay to the practice squad, RB Kenneth Darby signed off of the Falcons practice squad to the St. Louis Rams active roster

October 29 Signed free agent OT Wayne Gandy, signed free agent DT J’Vonne Parker to the practice squad, released TE Jason Rader and released DE Sean Conover from the practice squad

November 11 Released WR Adam Jennings, signed DE Brandon Miller from the practice squad to the active roster and signed free agent WR Chandler Williams to the practice squad

November 19 Waived DE Brandon Miller and signed WR Eric Weems from the practice squad to the active rosterNovember 20 Signed DE Willie Evans to the practice squadNovember 26 Placed TE Ben Hartsock on injured reserve and signed free agent TE Jason Rader

December 9 Placed S Antoine Harris on injured reserve, signed CB Glenn Sharpe from the practice squad to the active roster and signed OG Nate Bennett to the practice squad

December 10 OL D’Anthony Batiste was signed off the practice squad to the Washington Redskins rosterDecember 16 Placed CB David Irons and WR Laurent Robinson on injured reserve, signed S Eric Brock from the practice squad to the

active roster, signed free agent TE Marcus Pollard to the active roster and signed OL Michael Butterworth and CB Darius Vinnett to the practice squad

December 24 DT J’Vonne Parker signed from the Falcons practice squad to the Carolina Panthers roster, signed DT Tywain Myles to the practice squad

2008 ATLANTA FALCONS TRANSACTIONS

ATLANTA FALCONS / WEEK 17 / THROUGH SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2008 WON 11, LOST 5 * RUSHING No. Yds Avg Long TD 09/07 W 34-21 Detroit 62,310 Turner 376 1699 4.5 70 17 09/14 L 9-24 at Tampa Bay 63,611 Norwood 95 489 5.1 45t 4 09/21 W 38-14 Kansas City 62,434 Ryan 55 104 1.9 17 1 09/28 L 9-24 at Carolina 72,688 Douglas 12 69 5.8 33 1 10/05 W 27-24 at Green Bay 70,610 Snelling 15 62 4.1 13 0 10/12 W 22-20 Chicago 64,096 Mughelli 5 16 3.2 9 0 10/26 L 14-27 at Philadelphia 69,144 White 2 4 2.0 2 0 11/02 W 24- 0 at Oakland 61,196 TEAM 560 2443 4.4 70 23 11/09 W 34-20 New Orleans 64,826 OPPONENTS 415 2040 4.9 68t 17 11/16 L 20-24 Denver 64,358 * RECEIVING No. Yds Avg Long TD 11/23 W 45-28 Carolina 64,841 White 88 1382 15.7 70t 7 11/30 W 22-16 at San Diego 67,200 Jenkins 50 777 15.5 62t 3 12/07 L 25-29 at New Orleans 70,011 Norwood 36 338 9.4 67t 2 12/14 W 13-10 OT Tampa Bay 65,045 Douglas 23 320 13.9 69 1 12/21 W 24-17 at Minnesota 62,889 Finneran 21 169 8.0 14 1 12/28 W 31-27 St. Louis 64,617 Peelle 15 159 10.6 18t 2 Atl. Opp. Snelling 8 89 11.1 27 0 TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 313 309 Mughelli 8 57 7.1 18 0 Rushing 131 108 Turner 6 41 6.8 18 0 Passing 157 189 Robinson 5 52 10.4 23 0 Penalty 25 12 Hartsock 3 26 8.7 17 0 3rd Down: Made/Att 95/219 79/208 Rader 1 26 26.0 26 0 3rd Down Pct. 43.4 38.0 Weems 1 4 4.0 4 0 4th Down: Made/Att 6/13 10/20 TEAM 265 3440 13.0 70t 16 4th Down Pct. 46.2 50.0 OPPONENTS 325 3771 11.6 56t 20 POSSESSION AVG. 30:49 29:11 * INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg Long TD TOTAL NET YARDS 5779 5566 Coleman 3 48 16.0 32 0 Avg. Per Game 361.2 347.9 Houston 2 10 5.0 10t 1 Total Plays 1011 998 C. Jackson 1 95 95.0 95t 1 Avg. Per Play 5.7 5.6 Milloy 1 38 38.0 38 0 NET YARDS RUSHING 2443 2040 Grimes 1 25 25.0 25 0 Avg. Per Game 152.7 127.5 Boley 1 16 16.0 16 0 Total Rushes 560 415 Foxworth 1 1 1.0 1 0 NET YARDS PASSING 3336 3526 TEAM 10 233 23.3 95t 2 Avg. Per Game 208.5 220.4 OPPONENTS 11 74 6.7 23 0 Sacked/Yards Lost 17/104 34/245 * PUNTING No. Yds Avg Net TB In Lg B Gross Yards 3440 3771 Koenen 63 2566 40.7 37.5 4 25 60 2 Att./Completions 434/265 549/325 TEAM 65 2566 39.5 37.5 4 25 60 2 Completion Pct. 61.1 59.2 OPPONENTS 76 3458 45.5 39.2 5 21 64 1 Had Intercepted 11 10 * PUNT RETURNS Ret FC Yds Avg Long TD PUNTS/AVERAGE 65/39.5 76/45.5 Jennings TM 23 6 151 6.6 37 0 NET PUNTING AVG. 65/37.5 76/39.2 Douglas 19 3 226 11.9 61t 1 PENALTIES/YARDS 71/591 109/854 Finneran 1 3 2 2.0 2 0 FUMBLES/BALL LOST 18/10 18/8 TEAM 43 12 379 8.8 61t 1 TOUCHDOWNS 43 38 OPPONENTS 20 27 49 2.5 12 0 Rushing 23 17 * KICKOFF RETURNS No. Yds Avg Long TD Passing 16 20 Norwood 51 1311 25.7 92 0 Returns 4 1 Douglas 4 46 11.5 22 0 * SCORE BY PERIODS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT PTS Finneran 1 5 5.0 5 0 TEAM 114 120 43 111 3 391 Mughelli 1 17 17.0 17 0 OPPONENTS 52 87 60 126 0 325 Weems 1 19 19.0 19 0 * SCORING TD-Ru-Pa-Rt K-PAT FG S PTS Wilkerson 1 10 10.0 10 0 Elam 0 0 0 0 42/42 29/31 0 129 TEAM 59 1408 23.9 92 0 Turner 17 17 0 0 0 102 OPPONENTS 71 1536 21.6 88 0 White 7 0 7 0 0 42 * FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Norwood 6 4 2 0 0 36 Elam 0/ 0 11/11 7/ 8 10/10 1/2 Jenkins 3 0 3 0 0 20 TEAM 0/ 0 11/11 7/ 8 10/10 1/2 Douglas 3 1 1 1 0 18 OPPONENTS 1/ 1 9/ 9 6/ 7 3/ 5 1/3 Peelle 2 0 2 0 0 12 Elam: (50G,25G)(32G,27G,24G)(27G)(33G,44G,44G) Blalock 1 0 0 1 0 6 (42G,41G)(29G,48G,32G,41G,33N,48G)()(48G,51N) Finneran 1 0 1 0 0 6 (22G,27G)(46G,36G)(23G)(35G,40G)(23G)(26G,34G) Houston 1 0 0 1 0 6 (22G)(39G) C. Jackson 1 0 0 1 0 6 OPPONENTS: ()(33G)(32N)(44G)(53N,50G)(36G,32G) Ryan 1 1 0 0 0 6 (36G,18G)()(24G,44G)(49N,20G)(23G,21G)(43B, TEAM 43 23 16 4 42/42 29/31 1 391 28G)(26G,46G,25G)(53N,38G)(29G)(31G,27G) OPPONENTS 38 17 20 1 35/35 20/25 0 325 2-Pt. Conversions: Jenkins, TEAM 1-1, OPPONENTS 1-3 SACKS: Abraham 16.5, Davis 4, Babineaux 3.5, Anderson 2, Biermann 2, G. Jackson 2, Lofton 1, Moorehead 1, Nicholas 1, (group) 1, TEAM 34, OPPONENTS 17 FUM/LOST: Ryan 6/1, Jennings (TM) 3/2, Turner 3/2, Norwood 2/1, Douglas 1/1, Finneran 1/1, Rader 1/1, White 1/1 * PASSING Att Cmp Yds Cmp% Yds/Att TD TD% Int Int% Long Sack/Lost Rating Ryan 434 265 3440 61.1 7.93 16 3.7 11 2.5 70t 17/ 104 87.7 TEAM 434 265 3440 61.1 7.93 16 3.7 11 2.5 70t 17/ 104 87.7 OPPONENTS 549 325 3771 59.2 6.87 20 3.6 10 1.8 56t 34/ 245 84.6

2008 ATLANTA FALCONS DEFENSIVE/SPECIAL TEAMS STATS

Based on Coaches Breakdown

DEFENSIVE STATS SPECIAL TEAMS STATSPLAYER TOTAL SOLO ASSISTS SK/YDS INT PD FF FR PLAYER TOTAL SOLO ASSISTS FF FR blk

Keith Brooking 133 80 53 0.0 0 3 0 0 Jason Snelling 19 16 3 0 0 0

Erik Coleman 127 82 45 0.0 3 6 2 0 Coy Wire 15 11 4 0 0 0

Lawyer Milloy 117 76 41 0.0 1 5 1 0 Stephen Nicholas 12 10 2 0 0 0

Curtis Lofton 108 67 41 1.0/7.0 0 2 1 0 Ovie Mughelli 8 8 0 0 0 0

Michael Boley 90 65 25 0.0 1 9 0 0 Kroy Biermann 7 7 0 0 0 0

Chris Houston 59 52 7 0.0 2 16 0 1 Curtis Lofton 6 6 0 0 0 0

John Abraham 42 35 7 16.5/109.5 0 1 4 0 Thomas DeCoud 5 4 1 0 0 0

Domonique Foxworth 39 34 5 0.0 1 11 0 0 Adam Jennings 4 4 0 0 0 0

Jonathan Babineaux 38 30 8 3.5/26.5 0 2 0 1 Jerious Norwood 4 3 1 0 0 0

Brent Grimes 36 29 7 0.0 1 6 0 0 David Irons 4 3 1 0 0 0

Jamaal Anderson 36 29 7 2.0/10.0 0 3 0 0 Michael Koenen 3 3 0 0 0 0

Chauncey Davis 35 27 8 4.0/25.0 0 1 1 3 Brent Grimes 3 2 1 0 0 0

Chevis Jackson 33 27 6 0.0 1 5 0 0 Eric Weems 3 3 0 0 0 0

Coy Wire 24 17 7 0.0 0 1 0 0 Jamaal Fudge 2 1 1 0 0 0

Grady Jackson 23 21 2 2.0/14.0 0 1 0 0 Antoine Harris 2 2 0 0 0 0

Kindal Moorehead 18 15 3 1.0/29.0 0 1 1 0 Brian Finneran 2 2 0 0 0 0

Kroy Biermann 14 11 3 2.0/13.0 0 0 0 0 Mike Schneck 1 1 0 0 0 0

Jamaal Fudge 12 9 3 0.0 0 0 0 0 Chris Houston 1 0 1 0 0 0

Jason Jefferson 9 8 1 0.0 0 0 0 1 Laurent Robinson 1 1 0 0 0 0

Stephen Nicholas 9 7 2 1.0/6.0 0 2 0 0 Michael Boley 1 1 0 0 1 0

Simon Fraser 2 1 1 0.0 0 1 0 0 John Abraham 0 0 0 0 0 1

Team Sack 0 0 0 1.0/5.0 0 0 0 0 Jamaal Anderson 0 0 0 0 0 1

TOTALS 1004 722 282 34.0/245.0 10 76 10 6 TOTALS 103 88 15 0 1 2

ATLANTA FALCONS / WEEK 18 / THROUGH SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2009 / POSTSEASON WON 0, LOST 1 * RUSHING No. Yds Avg Long TD 01/03 L 24-30 at Arizona 62,848 Turner 18 42 2.3 13 1 Atl. Opp. Norwood 2 12 6.0 8 0 TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 20 15 Ryan 4 6 1.5 2 0 Rushing 6 5 TEAM 24 60 2.5 13 1 Passing 14 9 OPPONENTS 28 86 3.1 10 1 Penalty 0 1 * RECEIVING No. Yds Avg Long TD 3rd Down: Made/Att 6/14 6/15 White 11 84 7.6 12 1 3rd Down Pct. 42.9 40.0 Jenkins 5 51 10.2 21 0 4th Down: Made/Att 1/1 0/0 Peelle 3 11 3.7 6 1 4th Down Pct. 100.0 0.0 Finneran 2 11 5.5 7 0 POSSESSION AVG. 29:58 30:02 Pollard 2 7 3.5 6 0 TOTAL NET YARDS 250 357 Norwood 1 28 28.0 28 0 Avg. Per Game 250.0 357.0 Turner 1 7 7.0 7 0 Total Plays 67 60 Douglas 1 0 0.0 0 0 Avg. Per Play 3.7 6.0 TEAM 26 199 7.7 28 2 NET YARDS RUSHING 60 86 OPPONENTS 19 271 14.3 71t 2 Avg. Per Game 60.0 86.0 * INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg Long TD Total Rushes 24 28 C. Jackson 1 0 0.0 0 0 NET YARDS PASSING 190 271 TEAM 1 0 0.0 0 0 Avg. Per Game 190.0 271.0 OPPONENTS 2 3 1.5 3 0 Sacked/Yards Lost 3/9 0/0 * PUNTING No. Yds Avg Net TB In Lg B Gross Yards 199 271 Koenen 5 212 42.4 42.6 0 0 49 0 Att./Completions 40/26 32/19 TEAM 5 212 42.4 42.6 0 0 49 0 Completion Pct. 65.0 59.4 OPPONENTS 6 239 39.8 34.7 0 4 49 0 Had Intercepted 2 1 * PUNT RETURNS Ret FC Yds Avg Long TD PUNTS/AVERAGE 5/42.4 6/39.8 Douglas 3 0 31 10.3 21 0 NET PUNTING AVG. 5/42.6 6/34.7 TEAM 3 0 31 10.3 21 0 PENALTIES/YARDS 6/52 6/47 OPPONENTS 2 1 -1 -.5 0 0 FUMBLES/BALL LOST 2/1 0/0 * KICKOFF RETURNS No. Yds Avg Long TD TOUCHDOWNS 3 4 Norwood 2 54 27.0 30 0 Rushing 1 1 TEAM 2 54 27.0 30 0 Passing 2 2 OPPONENTS 5 86 17.2 23 0 Returns 0 1 * FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ * SCORE BY PERIODS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT PTS Elam 0/ 0 0/ 0 1/ 1 0/ 0 0/0 TEAM 0 17 0 7 0 24 TEAM 0/ 0 0/ 0 1/ 1 0/ 0 0/0 OPPONENTS 7 7 14 2 0 30 OPPONENTS 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/1 * SCORING TD-Ru-Pa-Rt K-PAT FG S PTS Elam: (30G) Elam 0 0 0 0 3/ 3 1/ 1 0 6 TEAM: (30G) Peelle 1 0 1 0 0 6 OPPONENTS: (51N) Turner 1 1 0 0 0 6 White 1 0 1 0 0 6 TEAM 3 1 2 0 3/ 3 1/ 1 0 24 OPPONENTS 4 1 2 1 4/ 4 0/ 1 1 30 2-Pt. Conversions: TEAM 0-0, OPPONENTS 0-0 SACKS: TEAM 0, OPPONENTS 3 FUM/LOST: Pollard 1/0, Ryan 1/1 * PASSING Att Cmp Yds Cmp% Yds/Att TD TD% Int Int% Long Sack/Lost Rating Ryan 40 26 199 65.0 4.98 2 5.0 2 5.0 28 3/ 9 72.8 TEAM 40 26 199 65.0 4.98 2 5.0 2 5.0 28 3/ 9 72.8 OPPONENTS 32 19 271 59.4 8.47 2 6.3 1 3.1 71t 0/ 0 94.7

2008 ATLANTA FALCONS POSTSEASON DEFENSIVE/SPECIAL TEAMS STATS

Based on Coaches Breakdown

DEFENSIVE STATS SPECIAL TEAMS STATSPLAYER TOTAL SOLO ASSISTS SK/YDS INT PD FF FR PLAYER TOTAL SOLO ASSISTS FF FR Blk

Erik Coleman 11 6 5 0.0 0 0 0 0 Thomas DeCoud 3 3 0 0 0 0

Lawyer Milloy 8 3 5 0.0 0 0 0 0 Eric Weems 2 2 0 0 0 0

Coy Wire 8 5 3 0.0 0 0 0 0 Jason Snelling 1 1 0 0 0 0

Keith Brooking 7 6 1 0.0 0 1 0 0 Coy Wire 1 1 0 0 0 0

Curtis Lofton 6 5 1 0.0 0 0 0 0

Domonique Foxworth 4 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 0

Grady Jackson 4 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 0

Jonathan Babineaux 3 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 0

Chauncey Davis 3 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 0

Chris Houston 3 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 0

Kroy Biermann 2 2 0 0.0 0 1 0 0

Michael Boley 2 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 0

Chevis Jackson 2 2 0 0.0 1 1 0 0

Stephen Nicholas 2 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 0

John Abraham 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0

Kindal Moorehead 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0

TOTALS 67 43 24 0.0/0.0 1 3 0 0 TOTALS 7 7 0 0 0 0

OFFENSEWR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB

09/07 DET M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

09/14 @TB M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

09/21 KC M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

09/28 @CAR J. Peelle (TE) T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner J. Snelling

10/05 @GB M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

10/12 CHI M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock J. Peelle (TE) M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

10/26 @PHI J. Rader (TE) T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner J. Peelle (TE)

11/02 @OAK R. White T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock J. Peelle (TE) M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

11/09 NO J. Peelle (TE) T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

11/16 DEN M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner J. Peelle (TE)

11/23 CAR M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

11/30 @SD M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

12/07 @NO M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

12/14 TB M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

12/21 @MIN M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

12/28 STL M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli

DEFENSELE DT DT RE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS

09/07 DET J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

09/14 @TB J. Anderson J. Jefferson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

09/21 KC J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

09/28 @CAR J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

10/05 @GB J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houstoin L. Milloy E. Coleman

10/12 CHI J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

10/26 @PHI J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

11/02 @OAK J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy C. Jackson

11/09 NO J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

11/16 DEN J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

11/23 CAR J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

11/30 @SD J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

12/07 @NO J. Anderson G. Jackson K. Moorehead J. Abraham M. Boley C. Jackson (CB) K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

12/14 TB J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

12/21 @MIN J. Anderson G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman

12/28 STL C. Davis G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Abraham C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston J. Fudge E. Coleman

2008 GAME-BY-GAME STARTERS

2008 gameday inactivesDET D. Shockley (3rd QB) D. Foxworth T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich S. Fraser Q. Ojinnaka M. Milner J. Jefferson

@TB D. Shockley (3rd QB) J. Fudge D. Irons T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich Q. Ojinnaka M. Milner G. Jackson

KC D. Shockley (3rd QB) J. Fudge D. Irons T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich S. Fraser Q. Ojinnaka J. Rader

@CAR D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson D. Irons T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich S. Baker S. Fraser J. Rader

@GB D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson D. Irons T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich Q. Ojinnaka J. Rader J. Jefferson

CHI D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson T. DeCoud D. Irons T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich Q. Ojinnaka J. Jefferson

@PHI D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson T. DeCoud D. Irons T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich S. Baker S. Fraser

@OAK D. Shockley (3rd QB) T. DeCoud D. Irons T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich S. Baker S. Fraser A. Jennings

NO D. Shockley (3rd QB) T. DeCoud D. Irons T. Gilbert S. Baker S. Fraser Q. Ojinnaka A. Jennings

DEN D. Shockley (3rd QB) B. Grimes T. Decoud T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich S. Baker S. Fraser K. Moorehead

CAR D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson J. Fudge D. Irons T. Gilbert B. Wilkerson S. Baker K. Moorehead

@SD D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson B. Grimes J. Fudge T. Gilbert B. Wilkerson S. Baker S. Fraser

@NO D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson B. Grimes A. Harris T. Gilbert B. Wilkerson S. Baker S. Fraser

TB D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Robinson B. Grimes G. Sharpe T. Gilbert W. Gandy A. Stepanovich S. Fraser

@MIN D. Shockley (3rd QB) G. Sharpe E. Brock T. Gilbert A. Stepanovich S. Fraser Q. Ojinnaka M. Pollard

STL D. Shockley (3rd QB) L. Milloy G. Sharpe T. Gilbert W. Gandy A. Stepanovich Q. Ojinnaka J. Anderson

3rd and 4th DOWN CONVERSIONS

FALCONS OPPONENTS

3rd Down 4th Down 3rd Down 4th Down

OPPONENT Made Att. Effic. Made Att. Effic. Made Att. Effic. Made Att. Effic.

DET 3 9 33% 0 0 0% 2 9 22% 0 0 0%

@TB 7 19 37% 0 1 0% 6 14 43% 0 1 0%

KC 6 13 46% 0 0 0% 8 18 44% 1 2 50%

@CAR 2 13 15% 0 2 0% 3 12 25% 0 0 0%

@GB 6 12 50% 1 1 100% 7 13 54% 0 0 0%

CHI 6 14 43% 0 0 0% 9 16 56% 1 2 50%

@PHI 6 16 38% 1 2 50% 3 12 25% 0 0 0%

@OAK 9 17 53% 1 2 50% 1 9 11% 0 1 0%

NO 5 11 45% 0 0 0% 7 15 47% 2 3 67%

DEN 11 18 61% 0 1 0% 7 12 58% 0 0 0%

CAR 6 13 46% 2 2 100% 5 14 36% 1 1 100%

@SD 8 16 50% 1 2 50% 3 12 25% 0 1 0%

@NO 7 12 58% 0 0 0% 4 10 40% 1 1 100%

TB 6 14 43% 0 0 0% 3 14 21% 0 0 0%

@MIN 5 12 42% 0 0 0% 6 13 46% 2 4 50%

STL 2 10 20% 0 0 0% 5 15 33% 1 3 33%

TOTALS 95 219 45% 6 13 46.2% 79 208 37.9% 10 20 50%

2008 ATLANTA FALCONS RED ZONE STATISTICS “INSIDE THE 20”

Score Drives in

OPPONENT ATL Opp Red Zone Scores Scoring % Pts TDs TD% FGs Turnovers

DET 34 21 4 3 75.0 17 2 50.0 1 0

@TB 9 24 3 3 100.0 9 0 0.0 3 0

KC 38 14 4 4 100.0 24 3 75.0 1 0

@CAR 9 24 2 1 50.0 3 0 0.0 1 0

@GB 27 24 3 2 66.7 14 2 66.7 0 1

CHI 22 20 4 3 75.0 13 1 25.0 2 0

@PHI 14 27 2 1 50.0 7 1 50.0 0 1

@OAK 24 0 4 2 50.0 14 2 50.0 0 1

NO 34 20 4 4 100.0 20 2 50.0 2 0

DEN 20 24 2 2 100.0 10 1 50.0 1 0

CAR 45 28 6 6 100.0 38 5 83.3 1 0

@SD 22 16 4 3 75.0 17 2 50.0 1 0

@NO 25 29 4 4 100.0 25 3 75.0 1 0

TB 13 10 3 3 100.0 13 1 33.3 2 0

@MIN 24 17 4 3 75.0 21 3 75.0 0 0

STL 31 27 3 3 100.0 21 3 100.0 0 1

TOTALS 391 325 56 47 83.9 266 31 55.3 16 4

2008 ATLANTA FALCONS OPPONENTS’ RED ZONE STATISTICS “INSIDE THE 20”

Score Drives in

OPPONENT ATL Opp Red Zone Scores Scoring % Pts TDs TD% FGs Turnovers

DET 34 21 2 2 100.0 14 2 100.0 0 0

@TB 9 24 5 3 60.0 17 2 60.0 0 1

KC 38 14 4 2 50.0 14 2 50.0 0 0

@CAR 9 24 1 1 100.0 7 1 100.0 0 0

@GB 27 24 1 1 100.0 7 1 100.0 0 0

CHI 22 20 5 4 80.0 20 2 40.0 2 0

@PHI 14 27 4 4 100.0 20 2 50.0 2 0

@OAK 24 0 1 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 1

NO 34 20 4 2 50.0 10 1 25.0 1 2

DEN 20 24 4 4 100.0 24 3 75.0 1 0

CAR 45 28 5 5 100.0 28 3 60.0 2 0

@SD 22 16 2 2 100.0 10 1 50.0 1 0

@NO 25 29 5 5 100.0 26 3 60.0 2 0

TB 13 10 1 1 100.0 3 0 0.0 1 0

@MIN 24 17 3 1 33.0 7 1 33.3 0 1

STL 31 27 3 4 70.0 21 3 100.0 0 0

TOTALS 391 325 50 40 80.0 228 27 54.0 12 5

2008 FALCONS SCORING DRIVES

Opponent Qtr Time Rem. Plays Net Yards Poss. How Acquired Scoring PlayDetroit 1 13:33 3 74 1:27 Kickoff M. Jenkins 62yd. pass from M. RyanDetroit 1 7:33 4 80 2:06 Punt M. Turner 66 yd. runDetroit 1 3:20 6 67 3:11 Punt M. Turner 5 yd. runDetroit 3 9:45 5 17 2:25 Interception J. Elam 50 yd. Field GoalDetroit 3 5:57 5 68 2:09 Punt J. Norwood 10 yd. runDetroit 4 10:23 12 73 6:17 Kickoff J. Elam 25 yd. Field Goal@ Tampa Bay 2 0:12 7 9 1:34 Punt J. Elam 32 yd. Field Goal@ Tampa Bay 3 1:03 13 75 6:43 Punt J. Elam 27 yd. Field Goal@ Tampa Bay 4 5:12 13 77 6:22 Fumble J. Elam 24 yd. Field GoalKansas City 1 3:20 6 92 3:24 Punt M. Turner 4 yd. runKansas City 1 0:07 3 69 1:26 Punt R. White 70 yd. pass from M. RyanKansas City 2 9:15 4 9 1:49 Interception J. Elam 27 yd. Field GoalKansas City 2 2:11 10 40 5:44 Interception M. Turner 1 yd. runKansas City 3 5:13 8 60 4:36 Kickoff M. Turner 2 yd. runKansas City 4 1:01 1 10 0:06 Interception C. Houston 10 yd. interception return@ Carolina 1 1:33 12 65 5:40 Kickoff J. Elam 33 yd. Field Goal@ Carolina 2 12:12 4 -1 1:18 Blocked Punt J. Elam 44 yd. Field Goal@ Carolina 2 0:37 7 57 1:54 Kickoff J. Elam 44 yd. Field Goal@ Green Bay 1 9:53 10 81 5:07 Kickoff J. Peelle 1 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ Green Bay 1 4:15 8 37 3:52 Punt J. Elam 42 yd. Field Goal@ Green Bay 2 6:02 9 90 3:40 Kickoff R. White 22 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ Green Bay 4 7:19 6 25 2:49 Kickoff J. Elam 41 yd. Field Goal@ Green Bay 4 3:35 3 19 0:58 Interception M. Turner 2 yd. runChicago 1 9:13 10 48 5:47 Kickoff J. Elam 29 yd. Field GoalChicago 1 0:59 11 49 5:30 Punt J. Elam 48 yd. Field GoalChicago 2 7:49 4 -2 1:27 Fumble J. Elam 32 yd. Field GoalChicago 3 10:36 8 56 3:19 Punt J. Elam 41 yd. Field GoalChicago 4 13:25 10 76 3:59 Kickoff R. White 3 yd. pass from M. RyanChicago 4 0:00 2 26 0:11 Kickoff J. Elam 48 yd. Field Goal@ Philadelphia 2 8:56 5 66 1:57 Punt R. White 55 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ Philadelphia 4 3:55 14 82 4:02 Kickoff R. White 8 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ Oakland 1 8:56 10 88 6:04 Kickoff M. Jenkins 37 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ Oakland 1 5:02 7 70 2:50 Punt J. Norwood 12 yd. run@ Oakland 2 12:54 13 88 5:31 Punt M. Jenkins 27 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ Oakland 2 6:29 9 42 5:02 Punt J. Elam 48 yd. Field GoalNew Orleans 1 9:07 5 50 1:59 Punt R. White 16 yd. pass from M. RyanNew Orleans 2 12:04 9 80 5:11 Kickoff M. Turner 2 yd. runNew Orleans 2 3:05 12 75 5:28 Kickoff J. Elam 22 yd. Field GoalNew Orleans 3 2:06 13 60 8:30 Punt J. Elam 27 yd. Field GoalNew Orleans 4 14:40 5 80 1:52 Punt J. Norwood 67 yd. pass from M. RyanNew Orleans 4 1:17 1 95 0:13 Interception C. Jackson 95 yd. interception returnDenver 1 2:26 12 41 7:00 Kickoff J. Elam 46 yd. Field GoalDenver 2 12:33 8 54 2:42 Punt J. Elam 36 yd. Field GoalDenver 2 7:34 7 61 3:53 Missed FG M. Turner 9 yd. runDenver 4 10:41 8 77 4:15 Kickoff M. Turner 28 yd. runCarolina 1 11:16 8 70 3:44 Kickoff J. Elam 23 yd. Field GoalCarolina 1 5:03 7 75 4:37 Punt H. Douglas 7 yd. runCarolina 2 13:20 10 37 5:19 Punt M. Turner 1 yd. runCarolina 4 14:57 12 80 5:30 Kickoff M. Turner 4 yd. runCarolina 4 7:13 7 74 3:44 Kickoff M. Turner 1 yd. runCarolina 4 4:47 1 61 0:16 Punt H. Douglas 61 yd. punt returnCarolina 4 0:54 5 36 1:29 Kickoff M. Turner 16 yd. run@ San Diego 1 5:56 10 49 4:38 Downs J. Elam 35 yd. Field Goal@ San Diego 1 0:00 5 42 1:41 Kickoff J. Elam 40 yd. Field Goal@ San Diego 2 9:24 8 46 3:31 Punt J. Peelle 18 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ San Diego 2 7:54 - - - - Penalty on P. Rivers enforced in end zone

for a safety@ San Diego 4 14:56 11 72 5:46 Punt H. Douglas 5 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ New Orleans 2 9:55 4 74 2:10 Kickoff M. Turner 5 yd. run@ New Orleans 2 2:13 10 77 3:57 Kickoff B. Finneran 2 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ New Orleans 3 3:06 15 69 9:15 Punt J. Elam 23 yd. Field Goal@ New Orleans 4 7:51 11 73 5:04 Kickoff M. Ryan 12 yd. runTampa Bay 1 6:50 7 26 3:40 Punt J. Elam 26 yd. Field GoalTampa Bay 1 1:01 9 72 3:46 Punt M. Turner 1 yd. runTampa Bay OT 4:04 11 55 6:23 Punt J. Elam 34 yd. Field Goal@ Minnesota 1 8:47 12 74 6:13 Kickoff M. Turner 1 yd. run@ Minnesota 2 14:06 5 22 1:20 Kickoff J. Norwood 8 yd. pass from M. Ryan@ Minnesota 2 0:03 9 43 3:52 Fumble J. Elam 22 yd. Field Goal@ Minnesota 3 2:49 7 51 3:29 Punt J. Blalock fumble recovery in end zoneSt. Louis 1 10:02 8 55 2:52 Punt J. Elam 39 yd. Field GoahSt. Louis 2 4:43 5 55 2:28 Downs M. Turner 9 yd. runSt. Louis 2 0:11 2 8 0:21 Kickoff J. Norwood 8 yd. runSt. Louis 3 12:20 5 75 2:40 Kickoff R. White 18 yd. pass from M. RyanSt. Louis 4 3:41 6 80 2:58 Kickoff J. Norwood 45 yd. run

FALCONS KICKOFF ANALYSIS

Opponent No. No. in EZ TB Opp. Ret. Ret. Yds. Ret. Avg. Squib Out of Bounds Onside Rec/AttDET 7 3 1 6 123 20.5 0 0 0/0@TB 4 3 1 3 61 20.3 0 0 0/0KC 7 0 0 7 130 18.6 0 0 0/0@CAR 4 3 1 3 62 20.7 0 0 0/0@GB 6 1 1 5 110 22.0 0 0 0/0CHI 6 0 0 6 121 20.2 0 0 0/0@PHI 3 0 0 3 47 15.7 0 0 0/0@OAK 5 2 0 5 123 24.6 0 0 0/0NO 7 4 2 5 127 25.4 0 0 0/0DEN 5 2 0 5 159 31.8 0 0 0/0CAR 8 5 3 5 86 17.2 0 0 0/0@SD 5 3 1 4 75 18.8 0 0 0/0@NO 5 4 1 4 147 36.8 0 0 0/0TB 4 2 0 4 72 18.0 0 0 0/0@MIN 5 3 2 3 40 13.3 0 0 0/0STL 6 4 3 3 53 17.7 0 0 0/0

TOTALS 87 39 16 71 1,536 21.6 0 0 0/0

MOST POINTSFalcons: 45 vs. Carolina 11/23

Opponents: 29 at New Orleans 12/7

MOST POINTS IN A HALFFalcons: 24 (two times) at Oakland 11/2

Opponents: 17 at Tampa Bay 9/14

MOST FIRST DOWNSFalcons: 30 at Oakland 11/2

Opponents: 25 vs. New Orleans 11/9

MOST RUSHING YARDSFalcons: 318 vs. Detroit 9/7 (franchise-high)

Opponents: 202 vs. St. Louis 12/28

MOST RUSHING ATTEMPTSFalcons: 57 at Oakland 11/2

Opponents 37 vs. St. Louis 12/28

MOST PASSING YARDSFalcons: 315 at New Orleans 12/7


MOST PASS ATTEMPTSFalcons: 44 at Philadelphia 10/26


MOST PASS COMPLETIONSFalcons: 23 at Philadelphia 10/26


MOST SACKSFalcons: 4 (2 times) vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

Opponents: 4 at Tampa Bay 9/14

MOST TOTAL NET YARDSFalcons: 474 vs. Detroit 9/7


MOST TIME OF POSSESSIONFalcons: 45:15 at Oakland 11/2

Opponents: 34:46 vs. Tampa Bay 12/14 OT

MOST INTERCEPTIONSFalcons: 3 (2 times) vs. New Orleans 11/9

Opponents: 2 (3 times) vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

MOST PENALTIES (No.)Falcons: 8 at Tampa Bay 9/14

Opponents: 11 (3 times) vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

MOST YARDS PENALIZEDFalcons: 70 at Minnesota 12/21

Opponents: 97 at Green Bay 10/5

FEWEST POINTSFalcons: 9 (2 times) at Carolina 9/28

Opponents: 0 at Oakland 11/2

FEWEST POINTS IN A HALFFalcons: 3 at Tampa Bay 9/14


FEWEST FIRST DOWNSFalcons: 14 at Tampa Bay 9/14


FEWEST RUSHING YARDSFalcons: 75 vs. Chicago 10/12

Opponents: 62 vs. Detroit 9/7

FEWEST RUSHING ATTEMPTSFalcons: 23 at Carolina 9/28


FEWEST PASSING YARDSFalcons: 134 at Minnesota 12/21


FEWEST PASS ATTEMPTSFalcons: 13 vs. Detroit 9/7


FEWEST PASS COMPLETIONSFalcons: 9 vs. Detroit 9/7


FEWEST SACKSFalcons: 0 (2 times) at New Orleans 12/7

Opponents: 0 (7 times) at New Orleans 12/7

FEWEST TOTAL NET YARDSFalcons: 222 at Minnesota 12/21


FEWEST TIME OF POSSESSIONFalcons: 24:47 vs. St. Louis 12/28

Opponents: 14:45 at Oakland 11/2

FEWEST INTERCEPTIONSFalcons: 0 (10 times) at Minnesota 12/21

Opponents: 0 (7 times) at Minnesota 12/21

FEWEST PENALTIES (No.)Falcons: 2 (2 times) vs. New Orleans 11/9

Opponents: 3 (3 times) vs. St. Louis 12/28

FEWEST YARDS PENALIZEDFalcons: 14 vs. St. Louis 12/28

Opponents: 13 vs. Kansas City 9/21

2008 TEAM HIGHS & LOWS

MOST YARDS RUSHING

Falcons: 220 Michael Turner (franchise-high) vs. Detroit 9/7

Opponents: 167 Brian Westbrook at Philadelphia 10/26

MOST RUSHING ATTEMPTS

Falcons: 32 Michael Turner vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

Opponents: 30 Steven Jackson vs. St. Louis 12/28

MOST RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

Falcons: 4 Michael Turner vs. Carolina 11/23

Opponents: 2 (two times) Steven Jackson vs. St. Louis 12/28

MOST YARDS PASSING

Falcons: 315 Matt Ryan at New Orleans 12/7

Opponents: 422 Drew Brees vs. New Orleans 11/9

MOST PASSING ATTEMPTS

Falcons: 44 Matt Ryan at Philadelphia 10/26


MOST COMPLETIONS

Falcons: 24 Matt Ryan at New Orleans 12/7


HIGHEST COMPLETION PCT. (min. 15 att.)

Falcons: 77.3 Matt Ryan at Oakland 11/2

Opponents: 72.7 Jon Kitna vs. Detroit 9/7

MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES

Falcons: 2 Matt Ryan (5 times) at San Diego 11/30

Opponents: 3 Aaron Rodgers at Green Bay 10/5

MOST RECEPTIONS

Falcons: 10 Roddy White at New Orleans 12/7

Opponents: 8 Antonio Bryant vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

MOST RECEIVING YARDS

Falcons: 164 Roddy White at New Orleans 12/7

Opponents: 168 Steve Smith vs. Carolina 11/23

MOST TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS

Falcons: 2 Michael Jenkins (2 times) at Oakland 11/2

Opponents: 1 Antonio Bryant vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

MOST POINTS

Falcons: 24 Michael Turner vs. Carolina 11/23

Opponents: 12 (3 times) Steven Jackson vs. St. Louis 12/28

MOST SACKS

Falcons: 3.0 John Abraham (3 times) vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

Opponents: 2.0 Gaines Adams at Tampa Bay 9/14

MOST INTERCEPTIONS

Falcons: 1 Domonique Foxworth vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

Opponents: 1 (three times) Jonathan Wade vs. St. Louis 12/284

RUSHING YARDS

220 Michael Turner (franchise-high) vs. Detroit 9/7

208 Michael Turner vs. St. Louis 12/28

152 Michael Turner vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

139 Michael Turner at Oakland 11/2

121 Michael Turner at Green Bay 10/5

RUSHING ATTEMPTS

32 Michael Turner vs. Tampa Bay 12/14

31 Michael Turner at San Diego 11/30

30 Michael Turner at Oakland 11/2

27 Michael Turner vs. New Orleans 11/9


LONGEST RUSH


66T Michael Turner vs. Detroit 9/7

45 Jerious Norwood vs. St. Louis 12/28

44 Jerious Norwood vs. Kansas City 9/21

40 Jerious Norwood at Carolina 9/28

38 Michael Turner vs. Kansas City 9/21

33 Harry Douglas at Tampa Bay 9/14

RECEPTIONS

10 Roddy White at New Orleans 12/7

9 Roddy White vs. Chicago 10/12

8 Roddy White at Philadelphia 10/26

8 Roddy White at Green Bay 10/5

RECEIVING YARDS

164 Roddy White at New Orleans 12/7

132 Roddy White at Green Bay 10/5

119 Roddy White vs. Kansas City 9/21

113 Roddy White at Philadelphia 10/26

LONGEST RECEPTION

70T Roddy White vs. Kansas City 9/21

69 Harry Douglas vs. Carolina 11/23

67T Jerious Norwood vs. New Orleans 11/9

PASSING YARDS

315 Matt Ryan at New Orleans 12/7

301 Matt Ryan vs. Chicago 10/12

277 Matt Ryan at Philadelphia 10/26

259 Matt Ryan vs. Carolina 11/23

PASSING ATTEMPTS


41 Matt Ryan at Carolina 9/28

PASS COMPLETIONS

24 Matt Ryan at New Orleans 12/7


LONGEST KICKOFF RETURn

92 Jerious Norwood vs. St. Louis 12/28

85 Jerious Norwood vs. Chicago 10/12

54 Jerious Norwood at Green Bay 10/5

LONGEST FIELD GOAL

50 Jason Elam vs. Detroit 9/7

2008 individual highs FALCONS TOP PERFORMANCES

THE FALCONS RECORD WHEN...

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 5-Year Total

W L W L W L W L W L W L T

Overall Record 11 5 4 12 7 9 8 8 11 5 41 39 0Home 7 1 2 5 3 5 4 4 7 1 23 16 0Away 4 4 1 7 4 4 4 4 4 4 17 23 0

By MonthSeptember 2 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 0 10 7 0October 2 1 0 3 3 1 3 1 3 2 11 8 0November 4 1 2 2 0 4 2 2 3 0 11 9 0December 3 1 1 4 2 3 1 3 2 2 9 13 0January 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0

vs. AFC 3 1 1 3 2 2 3 1 3 1 12 8 0South 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0East 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 3 1 0North 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0West 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 6 2 0

vs. NFC 6 4 3 9 5 6 5 7 8 4 27 30 0South 3 3 1 5 3 3 2 4 4 2 13 17 0East 0 1 0 1 1 3 1 0 1 0 3 5 0North 4 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 1 6 5 0West 1 0 2 2 1 0 0 1 3 1 7 4 0

Playing ConditionsOn grass 3 3 1 4 3 1 1 3 3 2 11 13 0On Turf 8 2 3 8 4 7 7 5 8 3 30 25 0Outdoors 3 3 1 3 4 2 2 4 4 3 14 15 0Indoors 8 2 3 9 3 7 6 4 7 2 27 24 0Day 10 5 4 9 7 8 5 7 10 5 36 34 0Night 0 0 0 3 0 1 3 1 1 0 4 5 0Temp. 85 or higher 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0Temp. 32 or lower 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

Following a win 5 5 1 2 4 4 3 3 7 4 20 18 0Following a loss 5 0 3 9 2 5 4 3 3 1 17 18 0

Falcons score on first drive 8 0 1 2 2 1 5 1 5 2 21 6 0Opp. score on first drive 0 3 2 2 5 3 1 3 1 1 9 12 0Falcons score first 11 1 2 3 4 2 7 3 9 3 33 12 0Opp. score first 0 4 2 9 3 7 1 5 2 2 8 27 0

Leading at halftime 11 1 2 2 3 2 8 1 9 1 33 7 0Tied at halftime 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 2 4 0Trailing at halftime 0 4 1 8 4 6 0 6 1 4 6 28 0Ahead going into 4th quarter 10 1 2 1 7 0 7 1 9 0 35 3 0Tied going into 4th quarter 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 3 4 0Trailing going into 4th quarter 1 4 1 11 0 9 0 6 0 2 2 32 0

Outcome 3 points or less 3 0 1 1 2 0 2 3 5 1 13 5 0Outcome 7 points or less 3 2 2 4 1 3 4 4 6 2 16 15 0

Scoring 20 or more points 10 2 4 2 5 1 6 4 9 1 34 10 0Allowing 20 or more points 6 5 1 11 2 7 2 6 4 4 15 33 0

+ turnover margin 5 0 4 3 7 1 4 3 6 0 26 7 0Even turnover margin 2 1 0 2 0 4 3 0 3 1 8 8 0- turnover margin 4 4 0 7 0 4 1 5 2 4 7 24 0

Falcons 300+ total offense yards 10 3 2 5 6 6 7 4 10 2 35 20 0Falcons -300 total offense yards 1 2 2 7 1 3 1 4 1 3 6 19 0Falcons 30+ rushing attempts 10 2 2 1 7 2 8 3 8 1 35 9 0Falcons -30 rushing attempts 1 3 2 10 0 7 0 5 3 4 6 29 0

Time of Poss. 30:00+ 6 2 3 6 6 2 5 3 6 2 26 15 0Time of Poss. -30:00 5 3 1 6 1 7 3 5 5 3 15 24 0

Falcons 100-yard rusher 8 0 1 0 4 2 5 0 6 1 24 3 0Falcons 100-yard receiver 4 3 0 5 1 1 1 2 2 0 8 11 0Falcons 300-yard passer 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 0

Opp. 100-yard rusher 3 3 0 4 1 4 1 7 2 2 7 20 0Opp. 100-yard receiver 5 1 3 3 3 3 1 4 5 0 17 11 0Opp. 300-yard passer 2 0 1 4 1 3 0 1 3 0 7 8 0

OFFENSE DEFENSEOVERALL RUSH PASS OVERALL RUSH PASS

Week 1 3/474.0 1/318.0 24T/156.0 15/308.0 5/62.0 27T/246.0

Week 2 9/354.0 3/211.3 26/142.5 17/309.5 20/113.0 18/196.5

Week 3 9/362.0 1/203.0 23/159.0 15/306.7 23/136.7 10/170.0

Week 4 10/338.5 1/181.8 26/156.8 20/332.3 23/131.3 13/201.0

Week 5 8/344.8 2/180.6 25/164.2 23/347.4 21/125.8 22/221.6

Week 6 8/350.0 2/163.0 21/187.0 25/349.7 20/118.0 24/231.7

Week 7 BYE WEEK BYE WEEK

Week 8 10/347.9 3/150.7 21/197.1 25/361.4 23/128.6 24/232.9

Week 9 7/361.0 1/163.4 22/197.6 16/325.9 22/120.9 16/205.0

Week 10 6/361.0 2/157.8 19/203.2 23/347.6 21/119.1 22/228.4

Week 11 7/361.3 2/153.4 14/207.9 23/346.0 22/119.6 22/226.4

Week 12 6/364.1 2/151.5 14/212.5 24/351.6 21/120.9 23/230.7

Week 13 6/362.8 2/150.7 14/212.1 22/339.1 21/116.7 23/222.4

Week 14 5/366.7 2/146.7 13/220.0 22/344.8 22/121.8 23/223.0

Week 15 5/367.1 1t/148.7 13/218.4 23/343.4 22/120.2 23/223.2

Week 16 6/357.5 5/145.3 14/121.1 24/343.9 21/122.5 22/221.3

Week 17 6/361.2 2/152.7 14/208.5 24/347.9 25/127.5 21/220.4

NFLOFFENSE DEFENSE

OVERALL RUSH PASS OVERALL RUSH PASS

Week 1 3/474.0 1/318.0 13/156.0 7/308.0 3/62.0 14/246.0

Week 2 6/354.0 1/211.5 14/142.5 8/309.5 11/113.0 7/196.5

Week 3 7/362.0 1/203.0 14/159.0 9/306.7 13/136.7 3/170.0

Week 4 8/338.5 1/181.8 16/156.8 11/332.3 13/131.3 4/201.0

Week 5 7/344.8 2/180.6 14/164.2 11/347.4 11/125.8 10/221.6

Week 6 6/350.0 2/163.0 13/187.0 12/349.7 11/118.0 13/231.7

Week 7 BYE WEEK BYE WEEK

Week 8 7/347.9 3/1450.7 13/197.1 13/361.4 13/128.6 11/232.9

Week 9 5/361.0 1/163.4 14/197.6 9/325.9 13/120.9 8/205.0

Week 10 4/361.0 2/157.8 11/203.2 12/347.6 12/119.1 10/228.4

Week 11 5/361.3 2/153.4 7/207.9 12/346.0 13/119.6 10/226.4

Week 12 4/364.1 2/151.5 7/212.5 13/351.6 12/120.9 12/230.7

Week 13 4/362.8 2/150.7 7/212.1 12/339.1 12/116.7 12/222.4

Week 14 3/366.7 2/146.7 7/220.0 12/344.8 13/121.8 11/223.0

Week 15 3/367.1 1t/148.7 7/218.4 12/343.4 13/120.2 11/223.2

Week 16 3/357.5 4/145.3 7/121.1 13/343.9 12/122.5 11/221.3

Week 17 3/361.2 2/152.7 8/208.5 13/347.9 13/127.5 11/220.4

NFC

2008 falcons weekly team rankings

2008 TURNOVER TABLE

---TAKEAWAYS--- ---GIVEAWAYS---OPPONENT FUMBLES INT TOTAL FUMBLES INT TOTAL DIFFERENCE RESULT

DET 0 1 1 0 0 0 +1 W, 34-21

@TB 1 0 1 0 2 2 -1 L, 24-9

KC 0 3 3 1 0 1 +2 W, 38-14

@CAR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 L, 24-9

@GB 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 W, 27-24

CHI 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 W, 22-20

@PHI 1 0 1 1 2 3 -2 L, 27-14

@OAK 1 1 2 1 0 1 +1 W, 24-0

NO 0 3 3 0 0 0 +3 W, 34-20

DEN 0 0 0 0 1 1 -1 L, 24-20

CAR 0 0 0 1 0 1 -1 W, 45-28

@SD 0 0 0 3 0 3 -3 W, 22-16

@NO 0 0 0 0 1 1 -1 L, 29-25

TB 0 1 1 1 2 3 -2 W, 13-10

@MIN 4 0 4 0 0 0 +4 W, 24-17

STL 0 0 0 1 2 3 -3 W, 31-27

TOTALS 8 10 18 10 11 21 -3

TAKEWAYS POINTS OFF TAKEAWAYS

INT Fumbles Total TDs FGs Total Score % Points

FALCONS 10 10 20 5 5 10 50.0 54

Opponents 11 18 29 7 5 12 41.4 63

YDS RECEIVER PASSER QTR DATE OPP

70T R. White M. Ryan 1 9/21 KC69 H. Douglas M. Ryan 4 11/23 CAR

67T J. Norwood M. Ryan 4 11/9 NO62T M. Jenkins M. Ryan 1 9/7 DET

59 R. White M. Ryan 2 12/7 @NO55T R. White M. Ryan 2 10/26 @PHI

46 R. White M. Ryan 3 9/7 DET47 H. Douglas M. Ryan 3 10/12 CHI41 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 2 12/28 StL38 R. White M. Ryan 1 11/30 @SD37 R. White M. Ryan 2 11/16 DEN

37T M. Jenkins M. Ryan 1 11/2 @OAK37 R. White M. Ryan 1 10/5 @GB32 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 2 11/9 NO31 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 4 10/5 @GB30 R. White M. Ryan 1 12/14 TB30 R. White M. Ryan 1 11/23 CAR30 J. Norwood M. Ryan 1 9/21 KC28 H. Douglas M. Ryan 2 12/7 @NO27 J. Snelling M. Ryan 1 11/23 CAR

27T M. Jenkins M. Ryan 2 11/2 @OAK26 J. Rader M. Ryan 3 12/14 TB26 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 2 12/14 TB26 R. White M. Ryan 3 12/7 @NO26 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 4 10/12 CHI26 R. White M. Ryan 3 10/12 CHI26 R. White M. Ryan 2 10/5 @GB25 R. White M. Ryan 3 11/30 @SD23 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 1 12/14 TB23 R. White M. Ryan 2 9/28 @CAR23 L. Robinson M. Ryan 4 9/14 @TB22 J. Norwood M. Ryan 1 12/28 StL22 R. White M. Ryan 3 12/28 StL22 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 3 9/21 @MIN22 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 2 11/30 @SD22 H. Douglas M. Ryan 1 10/12 CHI

22T R. White M. Ryan 2 10/5 @GB22 R. White M. Ryan 1 9/28 @CAR21 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 3 12/7 @NO21 J. Norwood M. Ryan 2 11/9 NO21 M. Jenkins M. Ryan 4 10/26 @PHI21 H. Douglas M. Ryan 3 9/14 @TB20 J. Norwood M. Ryan 4 10/26 @PHI20 J. Norwood M. Ryan 3 10/26 @PHI

YDS RECEIVER PASSER QTR DATE OPP

56T S. Smith J. Delhomme 2 9/28 @CAR48 M. Colston D. Brees 4 11/9 NO47 B. Marshall J. Cutler 4 11/16 DEN

44T D. Driver A. Rodgers 2 10/5 @GB41 S. Smith J. Delhomme 3 11/23 CAR38 C. Johnson J. Kitna 2 9/7 DET37 T. Humphrey A. Rodgers 4 10/5 @GB36 S. Jackson M. Bulger 3 12/28 StL36 D. Henderson D. Brees 4 12/7 @NO36 G. Jennings A. Rodgers 4 10/5 @GB

36T M. Muhammad J. Delhomme 4 9/28 @CAR36 J. Gilmore B. Griese 4 9/14 @TB33 T. Holt M. Bulger 4 12/28 StL

32T L. Moore D. Brees 4 11/9 NO31 V. Shiancoe T. Jackson 4 12/21 @MIN31 S. Smith J. Delhomme 2 11/23 CAR30 D. Jackson D. McNabb 2 10/26 @PHI29 J. Klopfenstein M. Bulger 4 12/28 StL27 S. Smith J. Delhomme 4 11/23 CAR27 C. Buckhalter D. McNabb 3 10/26 @PHI25 K. Curtis D. McNabb 3 10/26 @PHI

25T G. Jennings A. Rodgers 4 10/5 @GB23 B. Miller D. Brees 4 11/9 NO23 B. Miller D. Brees 4 11/9 NO23 M. Muhammad J. Delhomme 1 9/28 @CAR22 A. Bryant B. Griese 2 12/14 TB22 S. Smith J. Delhomme 3 11/23 CAR22 D. Jackson D. McNabb 2 10/26 @PHI22 G. Olsen K. Orton 4 10/12 CHI21 V. Shiancoe T. Jackson 3 12/21 @MIN

21T V. Shiancoe T. Jackson 1 12/21 @MIN21 J. Shockey D. Brees 2 12/7 @NO21 D. Rosario J. Delhomme 4 11/23 CAR21 M. Colston D. Brees 4 11/9 NO21 L. Smith D. McNabb 3 10/26 @PHI21 M. Muhammad J. Delhomme 1 9/28 @CAR

21T R. Williams J. Kitna 2 9/7 DET21 C. Johnson J. Kitna 1 9/7 DET21 D. Campbell J. Kitna 2 9/7 DET20 B. Wade T. Jackson 1 12/21 @MIN

20T A. Bryant B. Griese 2 12/14 TB20 M. Clayton B. Griese 2 12/14 TB20 D. Henderson D. Brees 4 11/9 NO20 D. Jackson D. McNabb 2 10/26 @PHI20 B. Celek D. McNabb 2 10/26 @PHI20 G. Jennings A. Rodgers 3 10/5 @GB

FALCONS COMPLETIONS OVER 20 YARDS OPPONENTS COMPLETIONS OVER 20 YARDS

YDS RUSHER QTR DATE OPP70 M. Turner 4 12/28 StL

66T M. Turner 1 9/7 DET45 J. Norwood 4 12/28 StL44 J. Norwood 4 9/21 KC40 J. Norwood 2 9/28 @CAR38 M. Turner 1 9/21 KC33 H. Douglas 2 9/14 @TB29 M. Turner 1 9/7 DET

28T M. Turner 4 11/16 DEN26 M. Turner 1 12/7 @NO23 M. Turner 2 10/12 CHI22 M. Turner 3 12/14 TB22 M. Turner 3 10/26 @PHI22 M. Turner 1 10/5 @GB21 J. Norwood 3 10/12 CHI20 M. Turner 2 11/9 NO19 M. Turner 1 11/23 CAR18 M. Turner 1 12/14 TB18 H. Douglas 1 10/5 @GB17 M. Turner 3 12/28 StL17 M. Turner OT 12/14 TB17 M. Turner 1 10/26 @PHI17 M. Ryan 4 10/5 @GB17 M. Turner 1 9/14 @TB17 M. Turner 4 9/7 DET17 J. Norwood 2 9/7 DET

16T M. Turner 4 11/23 CAR16 M. Turner 4 11/23 CAR16 M. Turner 3 11/16 DEN16 M. Turner 2 11/2 @OAK16 M. Turner 3 9/7 DET15 M. Turner 2 12/14 TB15 M. Turner 3 11/30 @SD15 M. Ryan 3 9/21 KC15 M. Turner 4 9/7 DET

YDS RUSHER QTR DATE OPP

68T E. Graham 4 9/14 @TB48 L. Johnson 3 9/21 KC43 R. Bush 1 12/7 @NO

39T B. Westbrook 4 10/26 @PHI36 S. Jackson 1 12/28 StL30 D. Henderson 2 11/9 NO29 T. Jackson 2 12/21 @MIN28 J. Hester 4 11/30 @SD24 J. Russell 4 11/2 @OAK23 S. Jackson 2 12/28 StL22 J. Russell 4 11/2 @OAK21 D. Williams 3 11/23 CAR21 D. Williams 3 9/28 @CAR20 B. Westbrook 4 10/26 @PHI20 B. Westbrook 2 10/26 @PHI20 M. Forte 3 10/12 CHI18 T. Jackson 3 12/21 @MIN18 P. Thomas 2 12/7 @NO18 P. Thomas 2 12/7 @NO18 B. Westbrook 3 10/26 @PHI17 A. Peterson 2 12/21 @MIN

17T W. Dunn 2 9/14 @TB16 D. Williams 4 11/23 CAR

16T B. Westbrook 3 10/26 @PHI16 J. Stewart 2 9/28 @CAR15 P. Pope 3 11/16 DEN

FALCONS RUSHES OVER 15 YARDS OPPONENTS RUSHES OVER 15 YARDS

BIG PLAYS

SCORE

Game Atl Opp

DET 34 21

@TB 9 24

KC 38 14

@CAR 9 24

@GB 27 24

CHI 22 20

@PHI 14 27

@OAK 24 0

NO 34 20

DEN 20 24

CAR 45 28

@SD 22 16

@NO 25 29

TB 13 10

@MIN 24 17

STL 31 27

TOTALS 391 325

2008 GAME-BY-GAME rushing

HARRY DOUGLAS

Att Yds Avg LG TD

1 7 7.0 7 0

1 33 33.0 33 0

1 -8 -8.0 -8 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 18 18.0 18 0

1 -11 -11.0 -11 0

2 10 5.0 6 0

1 2 2.0 2 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 3 1.5 7T 1

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 11 11.0 11 0

1 4 4.0 4 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

12 69 5.75 33 1

OVIE MUGHELLI

Att Yds Avg LG TD

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 9 9.0 9 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

3 5 1.7 3 0

1 2 2.0 2 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

5 16 3.2 9 0

JERIOUS NORWOOD

Att Yds Avg LG TD

14 93 6.6 17 1

6 18 3.0 6 0

11 75 6.8 44 0

3 51 17.0 40 0

4 12 3.0 5 0

3 31 10.3 21 0

4 5 1.3 4 0

14 63 4.8 12T 1

6 17 2.8 8 0

4 18 4.5 12 0

4 11 2.8 8 0

4 18 4.5 10 0

5 18 3.6 11 0

4 -7 -1.7 2 0

6 10 1.7 8 0

3 56 18.7 45 2

95 489 5.1 45 4

MATT RYAN

Att Yds Avg LG TD

5 -2 -0.4 2 0

6 10 1.7 7 0

1 15 15.0 15 0

2 11 5.5 6 0

4 16 4.0 17 0

1 1 1.0 1 0

1 4 4.0 4 0

4 1 0.3 3 0

2 -2 -1.0 -1 0

5 18 3.6 9 0

3 2 0.7 2 0

4 -3 -0.7 1 0

4 13 3.3 12T 1

6 19 3.2 9 0

3 2 0.7 4 0

4 -1 -0.2 1 0

55 104 1.9 22 1

SCORE

Game Atl Opp

DET 34 21

@TB 9 24

KC 38 14

@CAR 9 24

@GB 27 24

CHI 22 20

@PHI 14 27

@OAK 24 0

NO 34 20

DEN 20 24

CAR 45 28

@SD 22 16

@NO 25 29

TB 13 10

@MIN 24 17

STL 31 27

TOTALS 391 325

2008 GAME-BY-GAME rushing

JASON SNELLING

Att Yds Avg LG TD

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

8 47 5.9 13 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 -3 -3.0 -3 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 1 1.0 1 0

2 5 2.5 3 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

3 12 4.0 8 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

15 62 4.1 21 0

MICHAEL TURNER

Att Yds Avg LG TD

22 220 10.0 66T 2

14 42 3.0 17 0

23 104 4.5 38 3

18 56 3.1 10 0

26 121 4.7 22 1

25 54 2.2 23 0

17 58 3.4 22 0

30 139 4.5 16 0

27 96 3.6 20 1

25 81 3.2 28T 2

24 117 4.9 19 4

31 120 3.9 15 0

18 61 3.4 26 1

32 152 4.8 22 1

19 70 3.7 13 1

25 208 8.3 70 1

376 1,699 4.5 70 16

RODDY WHITE

Att Yds Avg LG TD

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 2 2.0 2 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 2 2.0 2 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 4 2.0 2 0

MATT RYAN

Att Comp Comp% Gross Net Long TD Int Rate

13 9 69.2 161 156 62T 1 0 137.0

33 13 39.4 158 129 23 0 2 29.6

18 12 66.7 192 192 70T 1 0 120.6

41 21 51.2 158 150 23 0 0 60.8

26 16 61.5 194 194 37 2 1 94.1

30 22 73.3 301 301 47 1 0 116.1

44 23 52.3 277 258 55T 2 2 68.1

22 17 77.3 220 201 37T 2 0 138.4

23 16 69.6 248 248 67T 2 0 134.0

33 20 60.6 250 250 37 0 1 71.5

27 17 63.0 259 259 69 0 0 94.5

23 17 73.9 207 207 38 2 0 130.2

33 24 72.7 315 315 59 1 1 99.9

23 15 65.2 206 198 30 0 2 57.5

24 13 54.2 124 134 22 1 0 84.4

21 10 47.6 160 154 41 1 2 49.8

434 265 61.1 3,440 3,336 70T 16 11 87.7

SCORE

Game Atl Opp

DET 34 21

@TB 9 24

KC 38 14

@CAR 9 24

@GB 27 24

CHI 22 20

@PHI 14 27

@OAK 24 0

NO 34 20

DEN 20 24

CAR 45 28

@SD 22 16

@NO 25 29

TB 13 10

@MIN 24 17

STL 31 27

TOTALS 391 325

2008 GAME-BY-GAME PASSING

CHRIS REDMAN

Att Comp Comp% Gross Net Long TD Int Rate

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

DID NOT PLAY

0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0

SCORE

Game Atl Opp

DET 34 21

@TB 9 24

KC 38 14

@CAR 9 24

@GB 27 24

CHI 22 20

@PHI 14 27

@OAK 24 0

NO 34 20

DEN 20 24

CAR 45 28

@SD 22 16

@NO 25 29

TB 13 10

@MIN 24 17

STL 31 27

TOTALS 391 325

2008 GAME-BY-GAME rECEIVING

HARRY DOUGLAS

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 34 17.0 21 0

2 10 5.0 6 0

2 8 4.0 5 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

5 96 19.2 47 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 12 12.0 12 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

4 92 23.0 69 0

3 13 4.3 5T 1

2 45 22.5 28 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 4 4.0 4 0

1 6 6.0 6 0

23 320 13.9 69 1

BRIAN FINNERAN

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 10 5.0 5 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

3 29 9.7 13 0

3 20 6.7 8 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 6 6.0 6 0

4 44 11.0 14 0

1 9 9.0 9 0

2 14 7.0 7 0

2 8 4.0 6 1

1 4 4.0 4 0

1 13 13.0 13 0

1 12 12.0 12 0

21 169 8.0 14 1

BEN HARTSOCK

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

1 17 17.0 17 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 7 7.0 7 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 2 2.0 2 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

INJURED RESERVE

INJURED RESERVE

INJURED RESERVE

INJURED RESERVE

INJURED RESERVE

3 26 8.7 17 0

MICHAEL JENKINS

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

1 62 62.0 62T 1

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 19 9.5 16 0

3 32 10.7 12 0

3 38 12.7 31 0

4 58 14.5 26 0

3 50 16.7 21 0

2 64 32.0 37T 2

6 72 12.0 32 0

5 55 11.0 15 0

4 48 12.0 19 0

1 22 22.0 22 0

5 69 13.8 21 0

3 55 18.3 26 0

4 61 15.3 22 0

4 72 18.0 41 0

50 777 15.5 62T 3

SCORE

Game Atl Opp

DET 34 21

@TB 9 24

KC 38 14

@CAR 9 24

@GB 27 24

CHI 22 20

@PHI 14 27

@OAK 24 0

NO 34 20

DEN 20 24

CAR 45 28

@SD 22 16

@NO 25 29

TB 13 10

@MIN 24 17

STL 31 27

TOTALS 391 325

OVIE MUGHELLI

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

1 3 3.0 3 0

1 6 6.0 6 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 2 2.0 2 0

2 23 11.5 18 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 22 11.0 14 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 1 1.0 1 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

8 57 7.1 18 0

JERIOUS NORWOOD

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

2 6 3.0 3 0

1 8 8.0 8 0

1 30 30.0 30 0

4 1 0.3 7 0

3 9 3.0 7 0

1 6 6.0 6 0

5 55 11.0 20 0

2 20 10.0 14 0

2 88 44.0 67T 1

3 25 8.3 11 0

1 5 5.0 5 0

2 8 4.0 8 0

4 20 5.0 9 0

2 24 12.0 17 0

2 11 5.5 8 1

1 22 22.0 22 0

36 338 9.4 64T 2

JUSTIN PEELLE

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

1 13 13.0 13 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 7 7.0 7 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 15 7.5 14 1

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 17 17.0 17 0

3 33 11.0 16 0

1 14 14.0 14 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

3 38 12.7 18T 1

1 9 9.0 9 0

1 5 5.0 5 0

1 8 13.0 8 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

15 159 10.6 18T 2

LAURENT ROBINSON

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

0 0 0.0 0 0

4 45 11.3 23 0

1 7 7.0 7 0

INACTIVE

INACTIVE

INACTIVE

INACTIVE

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

INACTIVE

INACTIVE

INACTIVE

INACTIVE

INJURED RESERVE

INJURED RESERVE

5 52 10.4 23 0

SCORE

Game Atl Opp

DET 34 21

@TB 9 24

KC 38 14

@CAR 9 24

@GB 27 24

CHI 22 20

@PHI 14 27

@OAK 24 0

NO 34 20

DEN 20 24

CAR 45 28

@SD 22 16

@NO 25 29

TB 13 10

@MIN 24 17

STL 31 27

TOTALS 391 325

JASON SNELLING

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 11 11.0 11 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 20 10.0 18 0

1 12 12.0 12 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 2 2.0 2 0

2 31 15.5 27 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 13 13.0 13 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

8 89 11.1 27 0

MICHAEL TURNER

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

1 6 6.0 6 0

1 6 6.0 6 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

1 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

2 30 15.0 18 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

6 41 6.8 18 0

ERIC WEEMS

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

1 4 4.0 4 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 0

0 0 0.0 0 00 0 0.0 0 0

1 4 4.0 4 0

RODDY WHITE

Rec Yds Avg LG TD

2 54 27.0 46 0

4 59 14.8 19 0

5 119 23.8 70T 1

7 90 12.9 23 0

8 132 16.5 37 1

9 112 12.4 26 1

8 113 14.1 55T 2

5 54 10.8 17 0

5 68 13.6 16T 1

5 102 20.4 37 0

4 70 17.5 30 0

6 112 18.7 38 0

10 164 16.4 59 0

4 61 15.3 30 0

3 24 8.0 12 0

3 48 16.0 22 1

88 1,382 15.7 70T 7

SACKS (NUMBER, YARDS)

PLAYER 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/26 11/02 11/09 11/16 11/23 11/30 12/7 12/14 12/21 12/28 TOTALS

DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL

DE John Abraham 3.0/16.0 1.0/5.0 2.0/11.0 1.0/5.0 3.0/16.0 1.0/6.0 1.0/8.0 0.5/4.5 3.0/33.0 1.0/5.0 16.5/109.5

DT Jonathan Babineaux 1.0/8.0 1.0/8.0 1.5/10.5 3.5/26.5

DT Grady Jackson 1.0/4.0 1.0/10.0 2.0/12.0

DE Jamaal Anderson 1.0/4.0 1.0/6.0 2.0/10.0

LB Curtis Lofton 1.0/7.0 1.0/7.0

TEAM SACK 1.0/5.0 1.0/5.0

DE Chauncey Davis 2.0/13.0 1.0/4.0 1.0/8.0 4.0/25.0

DE Kroy Biermann 1.0/3.0 1.0/10.0 2.0/13.0

DT Kindal Moorehead 1.0/29.0 1.0/29.0

LB Stephen Nicholas 1.0/6.0 1.0/6.0

TEAM TOTALS 3.0/16.0 2.0/13.0 2.0/11.0 0.0/0.0 2.0/9.0 1.0/4.0 2.0/13.04.0/21.0 1.0/6.0 1.0/8.0 3.0/21.0 3.0/18.0 0.0/0.0 4.0/43.0 3.0/38.0 3.0/24.0 34.0/245.0

2008 GAME-BY-GAME SACKS

INTERCEPTIONS (NUMBER, YARDS)

PLAYER 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/26 11/2 11/9 11/16 11/23 11/30 12/7 12/14 12/21 12/28 TOTALS

DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL

S Lawyer Milloy 1/38 1/38

S Erik Coleman 1/16 1/0 1/32 3/48

CB Brent Grimes 1/25 1/25

CB Chris Houston 1/10 1/0 2/10

LB Michael Boley 1/16 1/16

CB Chevis Jackson 1/95 1/95

CB Domonique Foxworth 1/1 1/1

TEAM TOTALS 1/38 0/0 3/51 0/0 1/16 0/0 0/0 1/0 3/127 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/1 0/0 0/0 10/233

2008 GAME-BY-GAME INTERCEPTIONS

GAME FIRST DOWNS 3RD TOTAL OFFENSE RUSHING PASSING PENALTIES FUMBLES PUNTINGDOWN

T R P PN PCT. Plays Yards Att Yds Net Sacked Gross Att-Comp-Yds-TD-Int No-Yards No-Lost No-Avg T.O.P

DET 23 17 5 1 3-9-33% 56 474 42 318 156 1/5 161 13 - 9 - 161 - 1 - 0 7 - 68 0 - 0 3 - 38.3 29:07

@TB 14 2 8 4 7-19-37% 65 234 28 105 129 4/29 158 33 - 13 - 158 - 0 - 2 8 - 60 2 - 0 5 - 36.2 29:38

KC 16 9 7 0 6-13-46% 54 378 36 186 192 0/0 192 18 - 12 - 192 - 1 - 0 4 - 22 1 - 1 6 - 43.2 30:10

@CAR 17 5 9 3 2-13-15% 66 268 23 118 150 2/8 158 41 - 21 - 158 - 0 - 0 5 - 45 0 - 0 6 - 42.3 27:45

@GB 22 10 9 3 6-12-50% 62 370 36 176 194 0/0 194 26 - 26 - 194 - 2 - 1 2 - 15 1 - 0 3 - 41.7 28:43

CHI 18 4 14 0 6-14-43% 60 376 30 75 301 0/0 301 30 - 22 - 301 - 1 - 0 6 - 46 1 - 1 2 - 41.0 30:50

@PHI 19 3 13 3 6-16-38% 70 335 24 77 258 2/19 277 44 - 23 - 277 - 2 - 2 6 - 51 1 - 1 7 - 37.7 27:39

@OAK 30 14 12 4 9-17-53% 82 453 57 252 201 3/19 220 22 - 17 - 220 - 2 - 0 4 - 40 1 - 1 2 - 16.5 45:15

NO 18 6 11 1 5-11-45% 59 361 36 113 248 0/0 248 23 - 16 - 248 - 2 - 0 2 - 25 0 - 0 4 - 35.3 31:12

DEN 20 6 13 1 11-18-61% 68 364 35 114 250 0/0 250 33 - 20 - 250 - 0 - 1 5 - 36 0 - 0 2 - 31.0 33:42

CAR 21 10 10 1 6-13-46% 61 392 33 133 259 1/0 259 27 - 17 - 259 - 0 - 0 3 - 25 1 - 1 3 - 43.0 28:49

@SD 20 9 10 1 8-16-50% 66 348 43 141 207 0/0 207 23 - 17 - 207 - 2 - 0 3 - 20 3 - 3 2 - 53.0 34:58

@NO 22 9 13 0 7-12-58% 63 414 30 99 315 0/0 315 33 - 24 - 315 - 1 - 1 5 - 34 1 - 0 4 - 47.5 32:52

TB 18 9 9 0 6-14-43% 67 373 43 175 198 1/8 206 23 - 15 - 206 - 0 - 2 3 - 20 3 - 1 6 - 37.5 36:10

@MIN 18 9 7 2 5-12-42% 58 222 32 98 124 2/10 134 24 - 13 -124 -1- 0 6 - 70 1 - 0 6 - 42.2 27:05

STL 17 9 7 1 2-10-20% 54 417 32 263 154 1/6 160 21- 10-160 -1-2 3 - 14 0 - 0 4 - 36.8 24:27

2008 GAME-BY-GAME OFFENSIVE STATISTICS

GAME FIRST DOWNS 3RD TOTAL OFFENSE RUSHING PASSING PENALTIES FUMBLES PUNTINGDOWN

T R P PN PCT. Plays Yards Att Yds Net Sacked Gross Att-Comp-Yds-TD-Int No-Yards No-Lost No-Avg T.O.P

DET 21 4 14 3 2-9-22% 57 308 21 62 246 3/16 262 33 - 24 - 262 - 2 - 1 5 - 30 1 - 0 6 - 42.5 30:53

@TB 15 5 10 0 6-14-43% 61 311 28 164 147 2/13 160 31 - 18 - 160 - 1 - 0 11 - 94 1 - 1 5 - 46.6 30:22

KC 17 10 7 0 8-18-44% 71 301 33 184 117 2/11 128 36 - 14 - 128 - 1 - 3 3 - 13 2 - 0 6 - 51.5 29:50

@CAR 19 5 13 1 3-12-25% 62 401 33 107 294 0/0 294 29 - 20 - 294 - 2 - 0 11 - 90 0 - 0 6 - 40.8 32:15

@GB 21 6 14 1 7-13-54% 62 408 23 104 304 2/9 313 37 - 25 - 313 - 3 - 1 9 - 97 0 - 0 3 - 41.0 31:17

CHI 22 4 17 1 9-16-56% 67 361 23 79 282 1/4 286 43 - 26 - 286 - 1 - 0 6 - 57 1 - 1 3 - 43.3 29:10

@PHI 24 11 11 2 3-12-25% 68 432 32 192 240 2/13 253 34 - 19 - 253 - 0 - 0 7 - 70 1 - 1 7 - 40.9 32:21

@OAK 3 3 0 0 1-9-11% 34 77 11 67 10 4/21 31 19 - 6 - 31 - 0 - 1 7 - 55 2 - 1 6 - 50.2 14:45

NO 25 5 20 0 7-15-47% 76 521 17 105 416 1/6 422 58 - 31 - 422 - 2 - 3 7 - 45 0 - 0 3 - 48.3 28:48

DEN 19 7 11 1 7-12-58% 53 332 25 124 208 1/8 216 27 - 19 - 216 - 1 - 0 6 - 36 0 - 0 3 - 42.3 26:18

CAR 22 7 15 0 5-14-36% 64 408 26 134 274 3/21 295 35 - 21 - 295 - 1 - 0 8 - 48 0 - 0 6 - 46.2 31:11

@SD 13 5 7 1 3-12-25% 52 201 19 70 131 3/18 149 30 - 17 - 149 - 0 - 0 9 - 84 1 - 0 4 - 43.5 25:02

@NO 24 9 14 1 4-10-40% 62 414 30 184 230 0/0 230 32 - 18 - 230 - 2 - 0 3 - 30 0 - 0 3 - 50.7 27:08

TB 19 5 14 0 3-14-21% 67 325 26 99 226 4/43 269 37 - 26 - 269 - 1 - 1 11 - 76 0 - 0 9 - 45.9 34:46

@MIN 24 11 11 2 6-13-46% 70 350 31 155 195 3/38 233 26 - 22 - 195 - 2 - 0 3 - 15 7 - 4 1 - 44.0 32:55

STL 22 11 11 0 5-15-33% 72 408 37 202 206 3/24 230 32 - 19 -230 - 1 - 0 3 - 14 0 - 0 5 - 48.8 35:13

2008 GAME-BY-GAME OPPONENTS STATISTICS

UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE

T SAM BAKER 72

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 312 Year: RookieSouthern California GP /GS /DNP / IA: (8/5/0/8)Career GP/GS: (8/5)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Started at left tackle in his NFL debut and helped open running lanesfor a ground attack that amassed a franchise single-game high 318yards vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Started at left tackle at Tampa Bay (9/14) before leaving the gamewith an injury (head).

• Started at left tackle vs. Kansas City (9/21), but left the game follow-ing the second quarter (head).

• Inactive at Carolina (9/28).• Started at left tackle for an offensive line that did not allow a sack on

26 pass attempts at Green Bay (10/5).• Member of an offensive line that helped produce a season-high 301

passing yards vs. Chicago (10/12).• Inactive at Philadelphia (10/26).• Inactive at Oakland (11/2).• Inactive vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Inactive vs. Denver (11/16).• Inactive vs. Carolina (11/23).• Inactive at San Diego (11/30).• Inactive at New Orleans (12/7).• Saw his first action on the offensive line in nine weeks against

Tampa Bay (12/14).• Competed on the offensive line against Minnesota (12/21) and

helped the team rush for 98 yards in a victory over the Vikings.• Helped open holes for RB Michael Turner to record 208 rushing

yards aginst St. Louis (12/28).• Was part of an offensive line that blocked for QB Matt Ryan to com-

pleted two touchdowns passes against Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFCWild Card meeting.

G JUSTIN BLALOCK 63

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 333 Year: 2ndTexas GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (30/30)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Started on an offensive line that paved the way for a franchise sin-gle-game high 318 rushing yards vs. Detroit (9/7), including a careerand franchise-high 220 rushing yards by RB Michael Turner.

• Member of a an offensive line that opened running lanes for aground attack that totaled 105 yards at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 18 passattempts vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Started at left guard at Carolina (9/28).• Member of an offensive line that cleared rushing lanes for a ground

attack that recorded 176 total yards at Green Bay (10/5).• Started on an offensive line unit that did not allow a sack on 30 pass

attempts vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at left guard at Philadelphia (10/26).• Member of an offensive line that opened rushing lanes for a ground

attack that posted 252 total yards at Oakland (11/2).• Part of an offensive attack that recorded 361 total yards vs. New

Orleans (11/9).• Started at left guard vs. Denver (11/16).• Member of an offensive line that helped tie a franchise-high in rush-

ing touchdowns (five) vs. Carolina (11/23).• Started for an offensive line that cleared rushing lanes for a ground

attack that recorded 141 yards at San Diego (11/30).• Started at left guard for an offensive line that did not allow a sack on

33 pass attempts at New Orleans (12/7).• Started at left guard and helped block for RB Michael Turner’s 152

rushing yards vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Recovered a Matt Ryan fumble in the end zone and became the first

Falcons offensive lineman to record a touchdown since 1996 (RobieTobeck) against Minnesota (12/21).

• Blocked for a Falcons rushing attack, which totaled 263 yardsagainst St. Louis (12/28).

• Opened holes for RB Michael Turner to rush for 42 yards and onetouchdown against Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFC Wild Card match-up.


T TYSON CLABO 77

Ht: 6-6 Wt: 332 Year: 3rdWake Forest GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (37/37)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Started on an offensive line that helped produce 474 total offensiveyards vs. Detroit (9/7), including a franchise single-game high 318rushing yards.

• Part of an offensive line that cleared running lanes for a groundgame that tallied 105 total rushing yards at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Member of an offensive line that opened rushing holes for a groundattack that recorded 186 total yards vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Started at right tackle at Carolina (9/28).• Started on an offensive line that did not allow a sack in 26 pass

attempts at Green Bay (10/5).• Member of an offensive line that assisted in producing 376 total

yards vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at right tackle at Philadelphia (10/26).• Started on an offensive line that helped posses the ball for a fran-

chise-high 45:15 at Oakland (11/2).• Member of an offensive unit that did not allow a sack on 23 pass

attempts vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Started at right guard vs. Denver (11/16).• Part of an offensive unit that produced 392 total yards of offense vs.

Carolina (11/23).• Member of an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 23 pass

attempts at San Diego (11/30).• Started at right tackle for an offensive line that helped produce 414

total yards of offense at New Orleans (12/7).• Started at right tackle and paved the way for Atlanta’s 175 rushing

yards against Tampa Bay (12/14).

• Started at right tackle and blocked for the Falcons to produced 222yards of net offense in a win against Minnesota (12/21).

• Started his 16th game at right tackle against St. Louis (12/28) andwas part of an offensive line that gave up only one quarterback sackwhile Matt Ryan threw for 160 passing yards.

• Started in his first career postseason contest and provided time forthe offense to record 190 net passing yards at Arizona (1/3/09) in aNFC Wild Card contest.

G HARVEY DAHL 73

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 308 Year: 2ndNevada GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (21/16)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Made his first career NFL start vs. Detroit (9/7) for an offensive linethat led the way for RB Michael Turner career and franchise single-game high 220 rushing yards.

• Member of an offensive line that created holes for a ground attackthat recorded 105 total rushing yards at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Started on an offensive line that did not allow a sack in 18 passattempts vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Started at right guard at Carolina (9/28).• Part of an offensive line that cleared rushing lanes for a ground

attack that tallied 176 total rushing yards at Green Bay (10/5).• Started at right guard for an offensive line that did not allow a sack

on 30 pass attempts vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at right guard at Philadelphia (10/26).• Member of an offensive line that cleared rushing lanes for a ground

game that amassed 252 total yards at Oakland (11/2).• Part of an offensvie line that helped tally 248 passing yards vs. New

Orleans (11/9).• Started on an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 30 pass

attempts vs. Denver (11/16).• Member of an offensive group that tied a franchise-high in rushing

touchdowns (five) vs. Carolina (11/23).• Part of an offensive line unit that opened running lanes for a ground

attack that recorded 141 total yards at San Diego (11/30).• Started at left guard at New Orleans (12/7) for an offensive line that

did not allow a sack on 33 pass attempts.• Started at left guard against Tampa Bay (12/14) and blocked for QB

Matt Ryan’s 206 passing yards.• Started at left guard at Minnesota (12/21) and created rushing lanes

for RB Michael Turner to record 70 yards and one touchdown.• Started at left guard versus St. Louis (12/28) and helped open holes

for Atlanta’s 263 net rushing yards.• Started at right guard in Atlanta’s NFC Wild Card game at Arizona

(1/3/09) and opened holes for the Falcons to register 60 rushingyards and one rushing touchdown.

WR HARRY DOUGLAS 83

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 171 Year: Rookie

Louisville

GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)

Career GP/GS: (16/0)

2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)

Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Tallied seven rushing yards on one carry in his NFL debut vs. Detroit

(9/7).

• Posted a career-high 33 rushing yards on one carry at Tampa Bay

(9/14) in addition to adding two receptions for 34 yards.

• Recorded two catches for 10 yards vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Logged two receptions for eight yards at Carolina (9/28).

• Registered one carry for 18 yards at Green Bay (10/5).

• Hauled in a career-high five grabs for a career-high 96 yards vs.

Chicago (10/12).

• Posted 10 rushing yards on two carries at Philadelphia (10/26).

• Hauled in one reception for 12 yards and carried the ball one time for

two yards on offense at Oakland (11/2) and added 13 punt return

yards on two attempts on special teams.

• Notched 33 punt return yards on two attempts vs. New Orleans

(11/9), including a season-long 25-yard return in the first quarter

leading to the Falcons first score of the game.

• Tallied nine yards on one punt return vs. Denver (11/16).

• Logged 188 all-purpose yards vs. Carolina (11/23) by recording 92

receiving yards on four catches, three rushing yards with one score

on two carries and a career-high 93 punt return yards on three

attempts with one touchdown. His 61-yard punt return in the fourth

quarter was the first punt returned for a touchdown by a Falcon since

Allen Rossum in 2004 (at KC, 10/24/04).

• Recorded three receptions for 13 yards and his first career receiving

touchdown at San Diego (11/30) in addition to posting two punt

returns for 32 yards.

• Posted 45 receiving yards on two receptions at New Orleans (12/7)

and added two punt return yards on two attempts.

• Logged one rush for 11 yards in his 14th career game vs. Tampa Bay

(12/14) and contributed with four punt returns for 37 yards.

• Totaled one rush for four yards, one reception for four yards and one

punt return for four yards at Minnesota (12/21).

• Caught one pass for six yards against St. Louis (12/28) while con-

tributing with two punt returns.

• Earned his first career start in the Falcons Wild Card meeting against

Arizona (1/3/09), caught one pass and returned three punts for 31

yards including a long return of 21 yards.

douglas’ Game-By-Game StatisticsDATE OPP REC YDS AVG LG TD RUSH YDS AVG LG TD

9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 7 7.0 7 0

9/14 @TB 2 34 17.0 21 0 1 33 33.0 33 0

9/21 KC 2 10 5.0 6 0 1 -8 -8.0 -8 0

9/28 @CAR 2 8 4.0 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 18 18.0 18 0

10/12 CHI 5 96 19.2 47 0 1 -11 -11.0 -11 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 10 5.0 6 0

11/2 @OAK 1 12 12.0 12 0 1 2 2.0 2 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR 4 92 23.0 69 0 2 3 1.5 7T 1

11/30 @SD 3 13 4.3 5T 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 2 45 22.5 28 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 11 11.0 11 0

12/21 @MIN 1 4 4.0 4 0 1 4 4.0 4 0

12/28 STL 1 6 6.0 6 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 23 320 13.9 69 1 12 69 5.8 33 1

CAREER 23 320 13.9 69 1 12 69 5.8 33 1

douglas’ Game-By-Game RETURN

Statistics

DATE OPP. KR YDS AVG. TD PR YDS AVG. FC LG TD

9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 1 10 10.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0 2 13 6.5 0 7 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0 2 33 16.5 0 25 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0 1 9 9.0 1 9 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0 3 93 31.0 0 61T 1

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0 2 32 16.0 1 32 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0 2 2 1.0 0 2 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0 4 37 9.3 1 17 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0 1 4 4.0 0 4 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 2 3 1.5 0 6 0

2008 TOTALS 1 10 10.0 0 19 226 11.9 3 61T 1

CAREER 1 10 10.0 0 19 226 11.9 3 61T 1

douglas’ POSTSEASON Statistics

DATE OPP REC YDS AVG LG TD RUSH YDS AVG LG TD

1/3/09 ARI 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

douglas’ POSTSEASON RETURN

Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0 3 31 10.3 0 21 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 3 31 10.3 0 21 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 3 31 10.3 0 21 0

season highs

RECEPTIONS: 5 vs. Chicago (10/12)

RECEIVING YARDS: 96 vs. Chicago (10/12)

PUNT RETURN YARDS: 93 vs. Carolina (11/23)

PUNT RETURN ATTEMPTS: 4 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)

LONG PUNT RETURN: 61T vs. Carolina (11/23)


WR BRIAN FINNERAN 86

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 206 Year: 9thVillanova GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (102/35)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (5/2)

• Saw action in a regular season game for the first time in two seasonsafter missing time with a knee injury vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Saw action at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Recorded two catches for 10 yards at Carolina (9/28) in his 90th

career game.• Saw action at Green Bay (10/5).• Tallied three catches for 29 yards vs. Chicago (10/12).• Logged three receptions for 20 yards at Philadelphia (10/26).• Saw action on special teams and at wide receiver at Oakland (11/2).• Registered one catch for six yards vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Notched season highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (44)

vs. Denver (11/16).• Hauled in one reception for nine yards vs. Carolina (11/23).• Posted 14 receiving yards on two catches at San Diego (11/30).• Recorded two catches for 18 yards and his first receiving touchdown

since November 11, 2005 at Miami.• Caught one pass for four yards and fair caught one punt vs. Tampa

Bay (12/14).• Registered one catch for 13 yards, which was converted for a new

set of downs at Minnesota (12/21).• Caught one pass for 12 yards against St. Louis (12/28).• Posted two receptions for 11 yards, including one third down catch

for a new set of downs at Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFC Wild Card match-up.

finneran’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 2 10 5.0 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 3 29 9.7 13 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 3 20 6.7 8 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/9 NO 1 6 6.0 6 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 4 44 11.0 14 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR 1 9 9.0 9 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD 2 14 7.0 7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 2 8 4.0 6 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 1 4 4.0 4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 1 13 13.0 13 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 1 12 12.0 12 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 21 169 8.0 14 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 208 2,816 13.5 53 16 0 0 0.0 0 0

FINNERAN’S Game-By-Game RETURN

Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 1 0 0

11/23 CAR 1 5 5.0 0 1 2 2.0 0 2 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 1 0 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 1 0 0

2008 TOTALS 1 5 5.0 0 1 2 2.0 0 2 0

CAREER 2 7 3.5 5 5 9 1.8 14 5 0

FINNERAN’S POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 2 11 5.5 7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 2 11 5.5 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 14 159 11.4 29 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

FINNERAN’S POSTSEASON RETURN

Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

season highs

RECEPTIONS: 4 vs. Denver (11/16)

RECEIVING YARDS: 44 vs. Denver (11/16)


T WAYNE GANDY 68

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 308 Year: 14thAuburnGP /GS /DNP / IA: (7/0/0/1)Career GP/GS: (219/205)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/1)Career Postseason GP/GS: (4/4)

• Saw action on the offensive line at Oakland (11/2).• Saw action on the offensvie line vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Saw action in his 215th career game vs. Denver (11/16).• Saw action on special teams vs. Carolina (11/23).• Saw action on special teams at San Diego (11/30).• Saw action on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).• Listed as inactive against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Saw action on special teams at Minnesota (12/21).• Listed as inactive against St. Louis (12/28).• Listed as inactive for Atlanta’s Wild Card contest at Arizona (1/3/09).

TE BEN HARTSOCK 89

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 264 Year: 5thOhio State GP /GS /DNP / IA: (11/11/0/0)Career GP/GS: (56/26)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (3/1)

• Hauled in one catch for 17 yards in his Falcons debut vs. Detroit(9/7).

• Started at tight end at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Started at tight end vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Posted seven receiving yards on one reception at Carolina (9/28).• Started at tight end at Green Bay (10/5).• Started at tight end vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at tight end at Philadelphia (10/26).• Tallied one reception for two yards at Oakland (11/2).• Started at tight end vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Started at tight end vs. Denver (11/16).• Started at tight end vs. Carolina (11/23).• Placed on injured reserve November 26.

hartsock’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 1 17 17.0 17 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 1 2 2.0 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD INJURED RESERVE

12/7 @NO INJURED RESERVE

12/14 TB INJURED RESERVE

12/21 @MIN INJURED RESERVE

12/28 STL INJURED RESERVE

2008 TOTALS 3 26 8.7 17 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 27 273 10.1 27 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

hartsock’s POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI INJURED RESERVE

2008 TOTALS INJURED RESERVE

CAREER 3 16 5.3 6 0 0 0 0.0 0 0


WR MICHAEL JENKINS 12


• Logged a career-long 62-yard touchdown reception vs. Detroit (9/7).• Started at wide receiver at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Hauled in two receptions for 19 yards vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Registered three receptions for 32 yards at Carolina (9/28).• Recorded three receptions for 38 yards at Green Bay (10/5).• Posted four catches for 58 yards vs. Chicago (10/12). His 26-yard

grab with one second remaining in the game led to the game-winning48-yard field goal by K Jason Elam as time expired.

• Tallied three receptions for 50 yards at Philadelphia (10/26).• Logged two receptions for 64 yards with two touchdowns at Oakland

(11/2).• Notched a team-high six receptions for a season-high 72 yards vs.

New Orleans (11/9).• Recorded five catches for 55 yards vs. Denver (11/16).• Hauled in four receptions for 48 yards vs. Carolina (11/23).• Registered one catch for 22 yards at San Diego (11/30).• Posted 69 receiving yards on five receptions at New Orleans (12/7)

and caught a two-point conversion.• Made his 10th start of the season vs. Tampa Bay (12/14) and caught

three passes for 55 yards (18.3 avg.) and a long catch of 26 yards.• Led the team in receiving with four receptions for 61 yards (15.3 avg.)

and a long catch of 22 yards at Minnesota (12/21).• Caught four passes from Matt Ryan for 72 yards to match his sea-

son-high in receiving for a second time this season against St. Louis(12/28).

• Started his first career postseason game in Atlanta’s Wild Card meet-ing at Arizona (1/3/09) and finished second on the team in receivingwith five receptions for 51 yards (10.2 avg.).

jenkins’ Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 1 62 62.0 62T 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/21 KC 2 19 9.5 16 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 3 32 10.7 12 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/5 @GB 3 38 12.7 31 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 4 58 14.5 26 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 3 50 16.7 21 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 2 64 32.0 37T 2 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/9 NO 6 72 12.0 32 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 5 55 11.0 15 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR 4 48 12.0 19 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD 1 22 22.0 22 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 5 69 13.8 21 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 3 55 18.3 26 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 4 61 15.3 22 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 4 72 18.0 41 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 50 777 15.5 62T 3 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 185 2,372 12.8 62T 17 2 4 2.0 2 0

jenkins’ POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 5 51 10.2 21 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 5 51 10.2 21 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 8 77 9.6 21 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

season highs

RECEPTIONS: 6 vs. New Orleans (11/9)

RECEIVING YARDS: 72 (two times) last time vs. St. Louis (12/28)

RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS: 2 at Oakland (11/2)


C TODD MCCLURE 62

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 301 Year: 10thLSU GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (136/134)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (5/5)

• Started on an offensive line that helped open rushing lanes for aground attack that recorded a franchise single-game high 318 rush-ing yards vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Started his 120th career game at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Member of an offensive line that cleared running lanes for a ground

game that tallied 186 total yards on 36 attempts vs. Kansas City(9/21).

• Started his 100th consecutive game at Carolina (9/28).• Part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack in 26 pass attempts

at Green Bay (10/5).• Started at center for an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 30

pass attempts vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at center for his 125th career start at Philadelphia (10/26).• Member of an offensvie line that helped produce 252 total rushing

yards at Oakland (11/2) and record a franchise-high 45:15 minutesof time of possession.

• Started at center for an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 23pass attempts vs. New Orleans (11/9), marking the fouth time theoffensvie line has accomplished the feat in 2008.

• Part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 30 pass attemptsvs. Denver (11/16).

• Started on an offensive line that helped produce five rushing scoresvs. Carolina (11/23).

• Member of an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 23 passattempts in his 130th career start at San Diego (11/30).

• Started on an offensive line that helped Matt Ryan throw for a career-high 315 yards at New Orleans (12/7).

• Started at center against Tampa Bay (12/14) in his 110th consecutivegame and blocked for an offensive attack which registered 373 netoffensive yards.

• Started at center at Minnesota (12/21) and blocked for quarterbackMatt Ryan who threw for 134 yards and one touchdown.

• Started at center against St. Louis (12/28) and set a franchise recordas a member of an offensive line that allowed only 17 quarterbacksacks this season.

• Started his fifth career postseason contest in the Falcons Wild Cardgame at Arizona (1/3/09) and blocked for QB Matt Ryan to complete65 percent of his passes (26 of 40).

FB OVIE MUGHELLI 34

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 245 Year: 6thWake ForestGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/14/0/0)Career GP/GS: (69/33)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (3/0)

• Recorded one reception for three yards vs. Detroit (9/7) in addition toopening running lanes for a ground game that totaled a franchise sin-gle-game high 318 yards.

• Hauled in one catch for six yards at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Helped open rushing lanes for a ground attack that recorded 186

total yards vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Saw action at fullback for an offense that recorded 118 rushing yards

at Carolina (9/28).• Tallied one carry for nine yards at Green Bay (10/5).• Started a fullback vs. Chicago (10/12).• Registered one catch for two yards at Philadelphia (10/26) in his 60th

career game in addition to recording 17 kickoff return yards on oneattempt.

• Logged two catches for 23 yards at Oakland (11/2) and helped blockfor a rushing game that tallied 252 total yards.

• Started at fullback vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Notched two receptions for 22 yards vs. Denver (11/16).• Started at fullback for an offensive attack that totaled 392 yards vs.

Carolina (11/23).• Recorded five rushing yards on three carries at San Diego (11/30).• Posted one carry for two yards at New Orleans (12/7).• Started his 12th game of the season in a Week 15 contest vs. Tampa

Bay (12/14) and caught one pass for one yard.• Started his 13th game at fullback and helped block for a running

game which totaled 98 yards against Minnesota (12/21).• Saw action at fullback for an offensive unit that totaled 417 yards

against St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action in Atlanta’s Wild Card contest at Arizona (1/3/09) and

paved the way for RB Michael Turner to record 42 yards and one TD.

Mughelli’s Game-By-Game Statistics

DATE OPP RUSH YDS AVG LG TD REC YDS AVG LG TD

9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 3 3.0 3 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 6 6.0 6 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/5 @GB 1 9 9.0 9 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2 2.0 2 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 23 11.5 18 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 22 11.0 14 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD 3 5 1.7 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 1 2 2.0 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 1 1.0 1 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 5 16 3.2 9 0 8 57 7.1 19 0

CAREER 23 73 3.2 12 1 38 288 7.6 30T 2

Mughelli’s Game-By-Game Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 2 6 3.0 3 0 2 11 5.5 9 0


RB JERIOUS NORWOOD 32

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 202 Year: 3rdMississippi StateGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (45/2)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Registered 164 all-purpose yards vs. Detroit (9/7) by posting 93 rush-ing yards on 14 carries with one touchdown, 65 kickoff return yardson two attempts and six receiving yards on two catches.

• Logged 84 kickoff return yards on four attempts at Tampa Bay (9/14)in addition to recording 18 rushing yards on six carries.

• Posted a season-high 149 all-purpose yards vs. Kansas City (9/21)by recording 75 rushing yards on 11 carries, 44 kickoff return yardson two attempts and 30 receiving yards on one catch.

• Recorded 51 rushing yards on three carries at Carolina (9/28) andadded 37 kickoff return yards on two attempts on special teams.

• Tallied 85 kickoff return yards on three attempts including a season-long 54-yard return at Green Bay (10/5). He also added 12 rushingyards on four carries and hauled in three catches for nine yards.

• Logged a career-high 178 kickoff return yards on four attempts vs.Chicago (10/12) including a career-long 85-yard return in the fourthquarter. Added 31 rushing yards on three carries and hauled in onereception for one yard on offense to record 215 all-purpose yards.

• Registered 128 all-purpose yards at Philadelphia (10/26) by record-ing a season-high 55 receiving yards on a career-high five receptionsand five rushing yards on four carries on offense, in addition to post-ing 68 kickoff return yards on four attempts.

• Posted 63 rushing yards on 13 carries with one touchdown and twocatches for 20 yards on offense at Oakland (11/2) in addition to log-ging 26 kickoff return yards on one attempt.

• Notched 178 all-purpose yards by recording 17 rushing yards, 73kickoff return yards and 88 receiving yards on two catches and hisfirst career receiving touchdown vs. New Orleans (11/9).

• Recorded 123 all-purpose yards vs. Denver (11/16) by posting 18rushing, 25 receiving and 80 kickoff return yards.

• Tallied 11 rushing yards on four carries and one catch for five yardson offense vs. Carolina (11/23) and added 47 kickoff return yards onthree attempts on special teams.

• Logged 80 all-purpose yards at San Diego (11/30) by recording 18rushing, eight receiving and 54 on three kickof returns.

• Registered 180 all-purpose yards at New Orleans (12/7) by posting142 kickoff return yards, 20 receiving yards and 18 rushing yards.

• Caught two passes for 24 yards and logged four rushes againstTampa Bay (12/14). Also added three kickoff returns for 56 yards anda long return of 20 yards.

• Tallied six rushes for 10 yards and two receptions for 11 yards.Recorded his fourth touchdown of the season (second receiving) onan eight-yard shovel pass from Matt Ryan in the second quarter atMinnesota (12/21). Also returned three kickoffs for 80 yards.

• Posted 192 kickoff return yards to set a new season high while alsorecording a 92-yard return in the second quarter against St. Louis(12/28). Also totaled three rushes for 56 yards, which includes a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal a Falcons victory andadded one reception for 22 yards.

• In his first career postseason contest tallied two rushes for 12 yardsand one reception for 28 yards in Atlanta’s Wild Card contest atArizona (1/3/09). Also returned two kickoffs for 54 yards (27.0 avg.)and a long return of 30 yards.

norwood’s Game-By-Game StatisticsDATE OPP RUSH YDS AVG LG TD REC YDS AVG LG TD

9/7 DET 14 93 6.6 17 1 2 6 3.0 3 0

9/14 @TB 6 18 3.0 6 0 1 8 8.0 8 0

9/21 KC 11 75 6.8 44 0 1 30 30.0 30 0

9/28 @CAR 3 51 17.0 40 0 4 1 0.3 7 0

10/5 @GB 4 12 3.0 5 0 3 9 3.0 7 0

10/12 CHI 3 31 10.3 21 0 1 6 6.0 6 0

10/26 @PHI 4 5 1.3 4 0 5 55 11.0 20 0

11/2 @OAK 14 63 4.8 12T 1 2 20 10.0 14 0

11/9 NO 6 17 2.8 8 0 2 88 44.0 67T 1

11/16 DEN 4 18 4.5 12 0 3 25 8.3 11 0

11/23 CAR 4 11 2.8 8 0 1 5 5.0 5 0

11/30 @SD 4 18 4.5 10 0 2 8 4.0 8 0

12/7 @NO 5 18 3.6 11 0 4 20 5.0 9 0

12/14 TB 4 -7 -1.7 2 0 2 24 12.0 17 0

12/21 @MIN 6 10 1.7 8 0 2 11 5.5 8 1

12/28 STL 3 56 18.7 45 2 1 22 22.0 22 0

2008 TOTALS 95 489 5.1 45 4 36 338 9.4 67T 2

CAREER 297 1,735 5.8 78T 7 76 717 9.4 67T 2

NORWOOD’S Game-By-Game StatisticsDATE OPP. KR YDS AVG. TD PR YDS AVG. FC LG TD

9/7 DET 2 65 32.5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 4 84 21.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 2 44 22.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 2 37 18.5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 3 85 28.3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 4 178 44.5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 4 68 17.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 1 26 26.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 2 73 36.5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 4 80 20.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 3 47 15.7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 3 54 18.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 6 142 23.7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 3 56 18.7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 3 80 26.7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 5 192 38.4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 51 1,311 25.7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

CAREER 116 2,948 25.4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

norwood’s postseason StatisticsDATE OPP RUSH YDS AVG LG TD REC YDS AVG LG TD

1/3/09 ARI 2 12 6.0 8 0 1 28 28.0 28 0

2008 TOTALS 2 12 6.0 8 0 1 28 28.0 28 0

CAREER 2 12 6.0 8 0 1 28 28.0 28 0

NORWOOD’S postseason returnStatistics


1/3/09 ARI 2 54 27.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 2 54 27.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

CAREER 2 54 27.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

season highsRUSHING ATTEMPTS: 14 vs. Detroit (9/7)

RUSHING YARDS: 93 vs. Detroit (9/7)

LONGEST RUSH: 45T vs. St. Louis (12/28)

RECEPTIONS: 5 at Philadelphia (10/26)

RECEIVING YARDS: 88 vs. New Orleans (11/9)

LONGEST RECEPTION: 67T vs. New Orleans (11/9)

KICKOFF RETURNS: 6 at New Orleans (12/7)

KICKOFF RETURN YARDS: 192 vs. St. Louis (12/28)

ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: 270 vs. St. Louis (12/28)



T QUINN OJINNAKA 76

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 305 Year: 3rdSyracuseGP /GS /DNP / IA: (8/0/0/8)Career GP/GS: (30/7)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/1)Career Postseason GP/GS: (0/0)

• Inactive vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Inactive at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Inactive vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Saw action at Carolina (9/28).

• Inactive at Green Bay (10/5).

• Inactive vs. Chicago (10/12).

• Saw action at Philadelphia (10/26).

• Saw action on special teams at Oakland (11/2).

• Inactive vs. New Orleans (11/9).

• Saw action on special teams vs. Denver (11/16).

• Saw action vs. Carolina (11/23).

• Saw action on special teams at San Diego (11/30).

• Saw action on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).

• Saw action on special teams vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).

• Inactive at Minnesota (12/21).

• Inactive vs. St. Louis (12/28).

• Inactive in Atlanta’s Wild Card match-up at Arizona (1/3/09).

TE JUSTIN PEELLE 87

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 250 Year: 7thOregonGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/11/0/0)Career GP/GS: (109/50)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (2/2)

• Posted 13 receiving yards on one grab in his Falcons debut vs.Detroit (9/7).

• Saw action at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Hauled in one catch for seven yards vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Started at tight end at Carolina (9/28).• Recorded two grabs for 15 yards and one touchdown at Green Bay

(10/5).• Started at tight end vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at tight end and hauled in one reception for 17 yards at

Philadelphia (10/26).• Tallied season highs in receptions (three) and receiving yards (33) at

Oakland (11/2).• Logged one catch for 14 yards vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Started at tight end vs. Denver (11/16).• Saw action at tight end vs. Carolina (11/23).• Posted a season-high 38 receiving yards on three receptions at San

Diego (11/30), including a season-long 18-yard touchdown recep-tion.

• Registered one reception for nine yards at New Orleans (12/7).• Caught one pass for five yards against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Made his 10th start at tight end and caught one pass for eight yards

at Minnesota (12/21).• Started his 50th career game at tight end against St. Louis (12/28).• Started at tight end in Atlanta’s Wild Card contest at Arizona (1/3/09)

and caught three passes for 11 yards and one touchdown.

Peelle’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 1 13 13.0 13 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/21 KC 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/5 @GB 2 15 7.5 14 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 1 17 17.0 17 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 3 33 11.0 16 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/9 NO 1 14 14.0 14 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD 3 38 12.7 18T 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 1 9 9.0 9 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 1 5 5.0 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 1 8 8.0 8 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 15 159 10.6 18T 2 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 100 773 7.7 35 9 0 0 0.0 0 0

peelle’s POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 3 11 3.7 6 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 3 11 3.7 6 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 6 45 7.5 20 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

TE MARCUS POLLARD 81

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 255 Year: 14thBradleyGP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/1)Career GP/GS: (192/133)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (14/10)

• Inactive at Minnesota (12/21).• Saw action against St. Louis (12/28).• Caught his first two passes of the season for seven yards in Atlanta’s

Wild Card meeting at Arizona (1/3/09).

Pollard’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET

9/14 @TB

9/21 KC

9/28 @CAR

10/5 @GB

10/12 CHI

10/26 @PHI

11/2 @OAK

11/9 NO

11/16 DEN

11/23 CAR

11/30 @SD

12/7 @NO

12/14 TB

12/21 @MIN INACTIVE

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 349 4,280 12.3 86T 40 0 0 0.0 0 0

pollard’s POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 2 7 3.5 6 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 2 7 3.5 6 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 19 235 12.4 32 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

TE JASON RADER 85

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 271 Year: 3rdMarshallGP /GS /DNP / IA: (5/1/1/3)Career GP/GS: (9/2)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Signed on September 17.• Inactive vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Inactive at Carolina (9/28).• Inactive at Green Bay (10/5).• Did not play vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at tight end at Philadelphia (10/26).• Waived on October 29.• Signed on November 26.• Saw action at San Diego (11/30).• Saw action at New Orleans (12/7).• Caught his first career pass on a 26-yard strike from quarterback

Matt Ryan against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Saw action at Minnesota (12/21).• Saw action against St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action in the Falcons Wild Card match-up at Arizona (1/3/09).

rader’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET

9/14 @TB

9/21 KC INACTIVE

9/28 @CAR INACTIVE

10/5 @GB INACTIVE

10/12 CHI DID NOT PLAY

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/2 @OAK

11/9 NO

11/16 DEN

11/23 CAR

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 1 26 26.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 1 26 26.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 1 26 26.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

rader’s POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0


QB CHRIS REDMAN 8

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 221 Year: 6thLouisvilleGP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/15/0)Career GP/GS: (17/10)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/1/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (2/0)

• Did not play Weeks 1-17.• Did not play in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff meeting at Arizona (1/3/09).

redman’s Game-By-Game Statistics

DATE OPP ATT CMP PCT YDS TDINT LG SK RTG RSH YDSAVG TD

9/7 DET DID NOT PLAY

9/14 @TB DID NOT PLAY

9/21 KC DID NOT PLAY

9/28 @CAR DID NOT PLAY

10/5 @GB DID NOT PLAY

10/12 CHI DID NOT PLAY

10/26 @PHI DID NOT PLAY

11/2 @OAK DID NOT PLAY

11/9 NO DID NOT PLAY

11/16 DEN DID NOT PLAY

11/23 CAR DID NOT PLAY

11/30 @SD DID NOT PLAY

12/7 @NO DID NOT PLAY

12/14 TB DID NOT PLAY

12/21 @MIN DID NOT PLAY

12/28 STL DID NOT PLAY

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0

CAREER 347 195 56.2 2,190 17 10 74T 43 79.5 21 28 1.3 0

redman’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI DID NOT PLAY

2008 TOTALS DID NOT PLAY

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0

WR LAURENT ROBINSON 19

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 194 Year: 2ndIllinois StateGP /GS /DNP / IA: (6/0/0/8)Career GP/GS: (21/6)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (0/0)

• Saw action on special teams vs. Detroit (9/7).• Tallied four receptions for 45 yards at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Posted one catch for seven yards vs. Kansas City (9/21) before leav-

ing the game with an injury (knee).• Inactive at Carolina (9/28).• Inactive at Green Bay (10/5).• Inactive vs. Chicago (10/12).• Inactive at Philadelphia (10/26).• Saw action on special teams at Oakland (11/2).• Saw action at wide receiver vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Saw action on special teams vs. Denver (11/16).• Inactive vs. Carolina (11/23).• Inactive at San Diego (11/30).• Inactive at New Orleans (12/7).• Inactive vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Placed on injured reserve December 16.

robinson’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/14 @TB 4 45 11.3 23 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/21 KC 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR INACTIVE

10/5 @GB INACTIVE

10/12 CHI INACTIVE

10/26 @PHI INACTIVE

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR INACTIVE

11/30 @SD INACTIVE

12/7 @NO INACTIVE

12/14 TB INACTIVE



2008 TOTALS 5 52 10.4 23 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 42 489 11.6 74T 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

robinson’s POSTSEASON Statistics




CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0


QB MATT RYAN 2

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 220 Year: RookieBoston CollegeGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (16/16)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Started his first NFL game vs. Detroit (9/7) and completed nine of 13passes for 161 yards with one touchdown. His first career pass was com-pleted for a 62-yard touchdown strike to WR Michael Jenkins, makinghim the first quarterback to throw a touchdown pass on his first careerNFL pass since October 8, 2000 when Michael Bishop accomplished thefeat as a member of the New England Patriots.

• Completed 13 of 33 passes for 158 yards at Tampa Bay (9/14) and addedsix carries for 10 yards on the ground.

• Threw for 192 yards on 12 of 18 passing with one touchdown vs. KansasCity (9/21) and added 15 rushing yards on one carry.

• Completed 21 of 41 passes at Carolina (9/28) in addition to throwing for158 yards.

• Connected on 16 of 26 passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns atGreen Bay (10/5) in addition to recording 16 rusing yards on four carries.

• Recorded 301 passing yards on 22 of 30 passing with one touchdown vs.Chicago (10/12). He completed a caree-high 73.3 pct. of his passesincluding his final completion of 26 yards to WR Michael Jenkins with onesecond remaining; setting up a game-winning field goal by K Jason Elamas time expired.

• Set career highs in completions (23) and attempts (44) at Philadelphia(10/26) in addition to throwing for 277 yards and two scores.

• Completed a career-high 77.3 pct of his passes (17 of 22) for 220 yardswith two touchdowns and a career-high 138.4 passer rating. at Oakland(11/2).

• Notched 248 passing yards on 16 of 23 passing with two touchdowns vs.New Orleans (11/9).

• Threw for 250 yards on 20 of 33 passing vs. Denver (11/16) in additionto recording a career-high 18 rushing yards on five carries.

• Completed 17 of 27 passes for 259 yards vs. Carolina (11/23), includingcompleting his second-longest pass of his career, a 69-yard completionto WR Harry Douglas in the fourth quarter.

• Connected on 17 of 23 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns at SanDiego (11/30).

• Logged a career-high 315 passing yards on 24 of 33 passing with onetouchdown at New Orleans (12/7) and added four carries for 13 yardswith his first career rushing touchdown.

• Completed 15 of 23 passes for 206 yards and added six rushes for 19yards against Tampa Bay (12/14).

• Completed 13 of 24 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown whileadding three rushes for two yards at Minnesota (12/21). Hit RB JeriousNorwood for an eight-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

• Connected with Michael Jenkins for a 41-yard strike en route to com-pleteing 10 of 21 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown against St.Louis (12/28).

• In his first career playoff start in Atlanta’s Wild Card contest at Arizona(1/3/09), completed 26 of 40 passes (65 percent) for 199 yards, twotouchdowns and two interceptions. Also rushed on four occasions for sixyards. Set a NFL rookie postseason record with 26 completions and his65 percent completion percentage ranks first for a Falcons quarterbackin postseason franchise history.

ryan’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 13 9 69.2 161 1 0 62T 1 137.0 5 -2 -0.4 0

9/14 @TB 33 13 39.4 158 0 2 23 4 29.6 6 10 1.7 0

9/21 KC 18 12 66.7 192 1 0 70T 0 120.6 1 15 15.0 0

9/28 @CAR 41 21 51.2 158 0 0 23 2 60.8 2 11 5.5 0

10/5 @GB 26 16 61.5 194 2 1 37 0 94.1 4 16 4.0 0

10/12 CHI 30 22 73.3 301 1 0 47 0 116.1 1 1 1.0 0

10/26 @PHI 44 23 52.3 277 2 2 55T 2 68.1 1 4 4.0 0

11/2 @OAK 22 17 77.3 220 2 0 37T 3 138.4 4 1 0.3 0

11/9 NO 23 16 69.6 248 2 0 67T 0 134.0 2 -2 -1.0 0

11/16 DEN 33 20 60.6 250 0 1 37 0 71.5 5 18 3.6 0

11/23 CAR 27 17 63.0 259 0 0 69 1 94.5 3 2 0.7 0

11/30 @SD 23 17 73.9 207 2 0 38 0 130.2 4 -3 -0.7 0

12/7 @NO 33 24 72.7 315 1 1 59 0 99.9 4 13 3.3 1

12/14 TB 23 15 65.2 206 0 2 30 1 57.5 6 19 3.2 0

12/21 @MIN 24 13 54.2 134 1 0 22 2 84.4 3 2 0.7 0

12/28 STL 21 10 47.6 160 1 2 41 1 49.8 4 -1 -0.2 0

2008 TOTALS 434 265 61.1 3,340 16 11 70T 17 87.7 55 104 1.9 1

CAREER 434 265 61.1 3,340 16 11 70T 17 87.7 55 104 1.9 1

RYAN’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 40 26 65.0 199 2 2 28 3/9 72.8 4 6 1.5 0

2008 TOTALS 40 26 65.0 199 2 2 28 3/9 72.8 4 6 1.5 0

CAREER 40 26 65.0 199 2 2 28 3/9 72.8 4 6 1.5 0

season highs

COMPLETIONS: 24 at New Orleans (12/7)

ATTEMPTS: 44 at Philadelphia (10/26)

PASSING YARDS: 315 at New Orleans (12/7)

PASSING TOUCHDOWNS: 2 (four times) last time: vs. New Orleans (11/9)

COMPLETION %: 77.3 at Oakland (11/2)


QB D.J. SHOCKLEY 3

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 222 Year: 3rdGeorgiaGP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/16)Career GP/GS: (0/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/1)Career Postseason GP/GS: (0/0)

• Designated as the third quarterback Weeks 1-17.• Listed as the third quarterback in Atlanta’s Wild Card meeting against

Arizona (1/3/09).

Shockley’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET INACTIVE

9/14 @TB INACTIVE

9/21 KC INACTIVE

9/28 @CAR INACTIVE

10/5 @GB INACTIVE

10/12 CHI INACTIVE

10/26 @PHI INACTIVE

11/2 @OAK INACTIVE

11/9 NO INACTIVE

11/16 DEN INACTIVE

11/23 CAR INACTIVE

11/30 @SD INACTIVE

12/7 @NO INACTIVE

12/14 TB INACTIVE

12/21 @MIN INACTIVE

12/28 STL INACTIVE

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0

Shockley’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI INACTIVE

2008 TOTALS INACTIVE

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0

RB JASON SNELLING 44

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 229 Year: 2ndVirginiaGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/1/0/0)Career GP/GS: (23/1)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Saw action on special teams vs. Detroit (9/7).• Posted a team-high three tackles on special teams at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Collared two special teams tackles vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Started his first career game at Carolina (9/28) and hauled in one recep-

tion for 11 yards.• Recorded two tackles on special teams at Green Bay (10/5).• Logged a team-high three special teams tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Hauled in two receptions for 20 yards at Philadelphia (10/26) in addition

to adding one tackle on special teams.• Tallied 47 rushing yards on eight carries and hauled in one pass for 12

yards at Oakland (11/2) in addition to adding one tackle on specialteams.

• Saw action on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Hauled in one catch for two yards vs. Denver (11/16) in addition to post-

ing minus-three rushing yards on one carry.• Notched a career-high 31 receiving yards on two catches vs. Carolina

(11/23), including a career-long 27-yard reception in the first quarter.• Posted one rushing yard on one carry at San Diego (11/30).• Collared one tackle on special teams at New Orleans (12/7) and added

five rushing yards on two attempts.• Saw action on special teams vs. Tampa Bay (12/14) and notched one

tackle.• Recorded three rushes for 12 yards and caught one pass for a 13-yard

gain at Minnesota (12/21).• Notched two tackles on special teams against St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action in his first career playoff game in Atlanta’s Wild Card match-

up at Arizona (1/3/09) and posted one special teams tackle.

snelling’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 11 11.0 11 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 20 10.0 18 0

11/2 @OAK 8 47 5.9 13 0 1 12 12.0 12 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 1 -3 -3.0 -3 0 1 2 2.0 2 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 31 15.5 27 0

11/30 @SD 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 2 5 2.5 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 3 12 4.0 8 0 1 13 13.0 13 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 15 62 4.1 13 0 8 89 11.1 27 0

CAREER 28 105 3.8 17 1 8 89 11.1 27 0

SNELLING’S postseason StatisticsDATE OPP RUSH YDS AVG LG TD REC YDS AVG LG TD

1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0


C ALEX STEPANOVICH 69


• Inactive vs. Detroit (9/7).• Inactive at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Inactive vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Inactive at Carolina (9/28).• Inactive at Green Bay (10/5).• Inactive vs. Chicago (10/12).• Inactive at Philadelphia (10/26).• Inactive at Oakland (11/2).• Made his Falcons debut on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Inactive vs. Denver (11/16).• Saw action on special teams vs. Carolina (11/23).• Saw action on special teams at San Diego (11/30).• Saw action on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).• Inactive vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Inactive at Minnesota (12/21).• Inactive vs. St. Louis (12/28).• Listed as inactive for the Falcons Wild Card Playoff meeting at

Arizona (1/3/09).

RB MICHAEL TURNER 33

Ht: 5-10 Wt: 244 Year: 5thNorthern IllinoisGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (75/17)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (5/1)

• Logged a franchise and career single-game high 220 rushing yardswith two touchdowns on 22 carries in his Falcons debut vs. Detroit(9/7). His 220 rushing yards led a Falcons ground attack thatamassed a franchise single-game high 318 total yards.

• Recorded 14 carries for 42 yards at Tampa Bay (9/14) in addition tohauling in one catch for six yards.

• Posted a team-high 104 rushing yards on 23 carries with a career-high three touchdowns vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Tallied 56 rushing yards on 18 attempts at Carolina (9/28).• Registered 26 rushing attempts for 121 yards with one touchdown at

Green Bay (10/5).• Logged 54 rushing yards on 25 attempts vs. Chicago (10/12).• Posted 17 carries for 58 rushing yards at Philadelphia (10/26).• Recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season at

Oakland (11/2) with 139 yards on a career-high 31 carries.• Notched 96 rushing yards on 27 carries with one score vs. New

Orleans (11/9).• Tallied 25 carries for 81 yards with two touchdowns vs. Denver

(11/16).• Tied single-game franchise highs in rushing touchdowns (four) and

points scored (24) vs. Carolina (11/23) by recording 117 rushingyards on 24 carries.

• Carried the ball a career-high 31 times for 120 yards at San Diego(11/30).

• Registered 61 rushing yards on 18 attempts with one touchdown atNew Orleans (12/7). His rushing score tied Jamal Anderson for themost rushing scores (14) in a single-season in team history.

• Logged his third-highest rushing total of his career with 152 yards on32 attempts against Tampa Bay (12/14). Added his 15th rushingtouchdown of the season, which set a franchise record and movedinto fifth place in rushing yards for a season (1,421). Also caught twopasses for 30 yards, both of which went for his first two receiving firstdowns of the season.

• Led the team in rushing with 19 carries for 70 yards and added onetouchdown on Atlanta’s opening offensive possession of the game atMinnesota (12/21). His touchdown was the 16th of the season, tyinga Falcons franchise record for the most TDs in a campaign.

• Posted 208 yards on 25 carries against St. Louis (12/28) to mark hissecond 200-yard game this season and set the second-highest rush-ing total in a single game in franchise history. Turner also finished theregular season with 1,699 yards, which ranks third in a single-sea-son in franchise history.

• In his first career playoff start in a Wild Card contest at Arizona(1/3/09), totaled 18 carries for 42 yards and one touchdown in thesecond quarter. Also caught one pass for seven yards.

UPDATED PLAYER bios - offense

turner’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 22 220 10.0 66T 2 1 6 6.0 6 0

9/14 @TB 14 42 3.0 17 0 1 6 6.0 6 0

9/21 KC 23 104 4.5 38 3 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 18 56 3.1 10 0 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

10/5 @GB 26 121 4.7 22 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 25 54 2.2 23 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 17 58 3.4 22 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 30 139 4.5 16 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/9 NO 27 96 3.6 20 1 1 0 0.0 0 0

11/16 DEN 25 81 3.2 28T 2 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR 24 117 4.9 19 4 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD 31 120 3.9 15 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 18 61 3.4 26 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 32 152 4.8 22 1 2 30 15.0 18 0

12/21 @MIN 19 70 3.7 13 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 25 208 8.3 70 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 376 1,699 4.5 70 17 6 41 6.8 18 0

CAREER 604 2,956 4.9 83T 23 17 112 6.6 30 0

turner’s postseason StatisticsDATE OPP RUSH YDS AVG LG TD REC YDS AVG LG TD

1/3/09 ARI 18 42 2.3 13 1 1 7 7.0 7 0

2008 TOTALS 18 42 2.3 13 1 1 7 7.0 7 0

CAREER 64 230 3.6 19 2 2 12 6.0 7 0

season highs

RUSHING ATTEMPTS: 32 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)

RUSHING YARDS: 220 vs. Detroit (9/7)

RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS: 4 vs. Carolina (11/23)

LONGEST RUSH: 70 vs. St. Louis (12/28)

POINTS SCORED: 24 vs. Carolina (11/23)

WR ERIC WEEMS 14

Ht: 5-9 Wt: 191 Year: 1stBethune-CookmanGP /GS /DNP / IA: (6/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (7/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Hauled in one catch for four yards vs. Carolina (11/23).• Saw action at San Diego (11/30).• Saw action at New Orleans (12/7).• Saw action on special teams against Tampa Bay (12/14) and logged

two special teams tackles.• Competed against Minnesota (12/21) mainly on special teams.

Recovered his first career fumble on a muffed Vikings punt.• Saw action against St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action in the Falcons Wild Card meeting at Arizona (1/3/09) and

totaled two special teams stops.

weems’ Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET

9/14 @TB

9/21 KC

9/28 @CAR

10/5 @GB

10/12 CHI

10/26 @PHI

11/2 @OAK

11/9 NO

11/16 DEN

11/23 CAR 1 4 4.0 4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 1 4 4.0 4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 1 4 4.0 4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

weems’ POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0


T TODD WEINER 74

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 300 Year: 11thKansas State GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/11/0/0)Career GP/GS: (152/118)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (6/5)

• Saw action vs. Detroit (9/7).• Saw action at left tackle at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action at left tackle for an offensive line that did not allow a sack

in 18 pass attempts vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Started at left tackle at Carolina (9/28).• Saw action at Green Bay (10/5).• Saw action vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started at left tackle at Philadelphia (10/26) before leaving the game

with an injury (knee).• Started on an offensive line that helped post 252 total rushing yards

at Oakland (11/2).• Started at left tackle on an offensive line that did not allow a sack on

23 pass attempts vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Started at left tackle vs. Denver (11/16).• Member of an offensive line that helped tie a franchise record in rush-

ing touchdowns (five) vs. Carolina (11/23).• Part of an offensive line that helped produce 141 total rushing yards

at San Diego (11/30).• Started on an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 33 pass

attempts at New Orleans (12/7).• Started at left tackle and helped block for a Falcons rushing attack,

which totaled 175 net rushing yards vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Started at left tackle and opened holes for a Falcons running game

which produced 98 rushing yards at Minnesota (12/21).• Started at left tackle against St. Louis (12/28) for an offensive unit that

set a franchise recored with allowing only 17 quarterback sacks inthe regular season.

• Started at left tackle in Atlanta’s Wild Card contest at Arizona (1/3/09)and opened holes for RB Michael Turner to rush for 42 yards andone touchdown.

WR RODDY WHITE 84

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 208 Year: 4thAlabama-BirminghamGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/15/0/0)Career GP/GS: (64/43)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Posted two receptions for 54 yards vs. Detroit (9/7).• Led the team in receiving with four grabs for 59 yards at Tampa Bay

(9/14).• Logged 119 receiving yards on five receptions with one touchdown

vs. Kansas City (9/21). His 70-yard touchdown catch in the first quar-ter marked the longest reception of his career and his 100-yardreceiving game was the eighth of his career.

• Recorded seven catches for 90 yards at Carolina (9/28).• Hauled in eight catches for a season-high 132 yards with one touch-

down at Green Bay (10/5).• Posted a season-high nine receptions for 112 yards with one score

vs. Chicago (10/12).• Registered 113 receiving yards on eight grabs with a season-high

two touchdowns at Philadelphia (10/26).• Logged five receptions for 54 yards at Oakland (11/2).• Notched five catches for 68 yards with one score vs. New Orleans

(11/9).• Tallied his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season by hauling in

five catches for 102 yards vs. Denver (11/16).• Recorded 70 receiving yards on four grabs vs. Carolina (11/23).• Hauled in six receptions for 112 yards at San Diego (11/30). He

became the first Falcons receiver to record back-to-back 1,000-yardreceiving seasons since Terance Mathis (1998 and 99).

• Recorded a career-high 164 receiving yards on a season-high 10receptions at New Orleans (12/7).

• Led the team in receiving with four receptions for 61 yards vs. TampaBay (12/14) and his long reception of 30 yards in the first quartermoved him into ninth place on Atlanta’s career receiving list (3,464).

• Caught three passes for 24 yards at Minnesota (12/21) and moved intofifth place in club annals for receptions in a season (85).

• Recorded his seventh receiving touchdown of the season against St.Louis (12/28) while setting the franchise record for receiving yards in aseason with 1,382.

• Started his first career playoff game in Atlanta’s Wild Card match-up atArizona (1/3/09) and led the team in receiving with 11 receptions for 84yards and one touchdown. Set postseason franchise records witheight first half catches and 11 total receptions in a game.

white’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 2 54 27.0 46 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/14 @TB 4 59 14.8 19 0 1 2 2.0 2 0

9/21 KC 5 119 23.8 70T 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 7 90 12.9 23 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/5 @GB 8 132 16.5 37 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/12 CHI 9 112 12.4 26 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 8 113 14.1 55T 2 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 5 54 10.8 17 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/9 NO 5 68 13.6 16T 1 1 2 2.0 2 0

11/16 DEN 5 102 20.4 37 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/23 CAR 4 70 17.5 30 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

11/30 @SD 6 112 18.7 38 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/7 @NO 10 164 16.4 59 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/14 TB 4 61 15.3 30 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 3 24 8.0 12 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

12/28 STL 3 48 16.0 22 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 88 1,382 15.7 70T 7 2 4 2.0 2 0

CAREER 230 3,536 15.4 70T 16 7 14 2.0 16 0


white’s POSTSEASON Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 11 84 7.6 12 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 11 84 7.6 12 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

CAREER 11 84 7.6 12 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

season highs

RECEPTIONS: 10 at New Orleans (12/7)

RECEIVING YARDS: 164 at New Orleans (12/7)

RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS: 2 at Philadelphia (10/26)

LONGEST RECEPTION: 70T vs. Kansas City (9/21)

C BEN WILKERSON 67

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 310 Year: 3rdLSUGP /GS /DNP / IA: (13/0/0/3)Career GP/GS: (32/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Saw action on special teams vs. Detroit (9/7).• Saw action on special teams at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action on special teams vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Saw action on special teams at Carolina (9/28).• Saw action on speical teams at Green Bay (10/5).• Saw action on speical teams vs. Chicago (10/12).• Saw action on special teams at Philadelphia (10/26).• Saw action on special teams at Oakland (11/2).• Saw action on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Saw action on special teams vs. Denver (11/16).• Inactive vs. Carolina (11/23).• Inactive at San Diego (11/30).• Inactive at New Orleans (12/7).• Saw action on special teams vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Saw action on special teams at Minnesota (12/21).• Saw action on special teams vs. St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action on special teams in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff meeting

at Arizona (1/3/09).


K JASON ELAM 1

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 194 Year: 16thHawaii GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (256/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (15/0)

• Tallied 10 points by connecting on two field goals (50 and 25) in addi-tion to making all four PATs in his Falcons debut vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Logged nine points at Tampa Bay (9/14) by splitting the uprights onthree field goals (32, 27 and 24).

• Connected on five PATs vs. Kansas City (9/21) in addition to connect-ing on a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter.

• Recorded nine points at Carolina (9/28) by connecting on all threefield goal attempts (33, 44 and 44). His second field goal of 44 yardsmarked his 100th career successful field goal between 40 and 49yards.

• Posted nine points at Green Bay (10/5) by hitting two field goals (42and 41) and splittng the uprights on all three PATs.

• Tied his career highs in points (16) and field goals made (five) vs.Chicago (10/12) including a game-winning 48-yard field goal as timeexpired. The field goal marked the 22nd game-winning field goal ofhis career.

• Connected on both PAT attempts at Philadelphia (10/26).• Tallied six points at Oakland (11/2) by hitting on all three PATs and a

48-yard field goal.• Notched 10 points by connecting on two field goals (22 and 27) and

four PATs vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Logged eight points in his 250th career game vs. Denver (11/16) by

hitting two field goals (46 and 36) and two PATs.• Posted nine points vs. Carolina (11/23) by connecting on all six PATs

and splitting the uprights on a 23-yard field goal.• Recorded eight points by hitting both PATs and connecting on two

field goals (35 and 40) at San Diego (11/30).• Tallied five points by connecting on one field goal (23 yards) and two

PATs at New Orleans (12/7).• Split the uprights on both of his field goal attempts and one PAT,

which included his second game-winning kick of the season (34yards) in overtime against Tampa Bay (12/14). His seven points gavehim 116 for the season, which moved him into fourth place in teamhistory in points for a season.

• Tacked on his 28th field goal this season with three seconds remain-ing in the first half at Minnesota (12/21). On top of three extra points,the veteran kicker finished with six points on the day, moving into atie for the second-most points in a season with 122.

• Totaled seven points against St. Louis (12/28) to give him 129 for theseason. Elam’s total ranks second in scoring in a season and is thehighest total since Jay Feely (138) in 2002.

• Split the uprights on one field goal attempt from 30 yards and addedthree PATs to give him six points at Arizona (1/3/09) in Atlanta’s WildCard Playoff game.

elam’s Game-By-Game Statistics

OPP 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ TOTAL LG PCT PATS PTS

DET 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 1-1 2-2 50 1.00 4-4 10

@TB 0-0 2-2 1-1 0-0 0-0 3-3 32 1.00 0-0 9

KC 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 27 1.00 5-5 8

@CAR 0-0 0-0 1-1 2-2 0-0 3-3 44 1.00 0-0 9

@GB 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-2 0-0 2-2 42 1.00 3-3 9

CHI 0-0 1-1 1-2 3-3 0-0 5-6 48 .833 1-1 16

@PHI 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 --- --- 2-2 2

@OAK 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-1 1-2 48 .500 3-3 6

NO 0-0 2-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-2 27 1.00 4-4 10

DEN 0-0 0-0 1-1 1-1 0-0 2-2 46 1.00 2-2 8

CAR 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 23 1.00 6-6 9

@SD 0-0 0-0 1-1 1-1 0-0 2-2 40 1.00 2-2 8

@NO 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 23 1.00 2-2 5

TB 0-0 1-1 1-1 0-0 0-0 2-2 34 1.00 1-1 7

@MIN 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 22 1.00 3-3 6

STL 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 1-1 39 1.00 4-4 7

2008 0-0 11-11 7-8 10-10 1-2 29-31 50 .933 42-42 129

CAREER4-4 146-152 128-139 108-163 39-64 424-521 63 .813 641-644 1,915

elam’s postseason Statistics

OPP 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ TOTAL LG PCT PATS PTS

ARI 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 1-1 301.000 3-3 6

2008 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 1-1 301.000 3-3 6

CAREER14-0 2-2 8-9 4-6 2-2 16-19 51 .842 42-43 90

UPDATED PLAYER bios - special teams

P MICHAEL KOENEN 9

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 199 Year: 4thWestern Washington GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (64/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Logged three punts for 115 yards with a long of 51 vs. Detroit (9/7) inaddition to posting six kickoffs with one touchback.

• Registered five punts for 181 yards with two being downed inside the20-yard line at Tampa Bay (9/14) including a season long of 55yards. He also recorded one touchback on four kickoffs.

• Tallied six punts for a season-high 259 yards vs. Kansas City (9/21)with a season-high three being downed inside the 20-yard line.

• Posted one touchback on four kickoffs at Carolina (9/28) and addedsix punts for 254 yards with one being downed inside the 20-yardline, including a season-long 60-yard punt.

• Recorded three punts for 125 yards at Green Bay (10/5) with all threebeing downed inside the 20-yard line.

• Logged two punts for 82 yards vs. Chicago (10/12).• Registered season highs in punts (seven) and punting yards (264) in

addition to posting a career-high in punts downed inside the 20-yardline (five).

• Tallied one punt for 33 yards with one being downed inside the 20-yard line at Oakland (11/2).

• Recorded four punts for 141 yards with three being downed insidethe 20-yard line vs. New Orleans (11/9). Also added two touchbackson seven kickoffs.

• Notched 62 yards on two punts with one being downed inside the 20-yard line vs. Denver (11/16).

• Logged a season-high three touchbacks on eight kickoffs vs.Carolina (11/23) and added three punts for 129 yards.

• Posted one touchback on five kickoffs at San Diego (11/30) and aver-aged 53 yards on two punts.

• Registered one touchback on five kickoffs at New Orleans (12/7) andadded four punts that covered 190 yards with one being downedinside the 20-yard line.

• Recorded five punts for 225 yards, two of which were pinned insidethe 20-yard line and a long kick of 52 yards vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).

• Totaled six punts for 253 yards (42.2 avg.) on touchback, and twokicks pinned inside the 20-yard line at Minnesota (12/21).

• Posted five punts for 147 yards and a long kick of 40 yards againstSt. Louis (12/28).

• In his first career postseason game in Atlanta’s Wild Card meeting atArizona (1/3/09), punted on five occasions for 212 yards (42.4 avg.)and a long kick of 49 yards. Also tallied one touchback in six kickoffs.

KOENEN’S Game-By-Game Statistics

DATE OPP FGATTFG% LG PATPTSPUNT YDS AVG NET IN20LGKO/TB

9/7 DET 0 0 --- --- 0 0 3 115 38.3 38.3 0 51 7/1

9/14 @TB 0 0 --- --- 0 0 5 181 36.2 36.2 2 55 4/1

9/21 KC 0 0 --- --- 0 0 6 259 43.2 40.8 3 51 7/0

9/28 @CAR0 0 --- --- 0 0 6 254 42.3 34.8 1 60 4/1

10/5 @GB 0 0 --- --- 0 0 3 125 41.7 41.7 3 53 5/1

10/12 CHI 0 0 --- --- 0 0 2 82 41.0 31.0 0 45 6/0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 --- --- 0 0 7 264 37.7 38.4 5 53 3/0

11/2 @OAK0 0 --- --- 0 0 1 33 33.0 16.5 1 33 5/0

11/9 NO 0 0 --- --- 0 0 4 141 35.3 35.3 3 44 7/2

11/16 DEN 0 0 --- --- 0 0 2 62 31.0 31.0 1 34 5/0

11/23 CAR 0 0 --- --- 0 0 3 129 43.0 43.0 0 48 8/3

11/30 @SD 0 0 --- --- 0 0 2 106 53.0 47.0 1 55 5/1

12/7 @NO 0 0 --- --- 0 0 4 190 47.5 47.5 1 52 5/1

12/14 TB 0 0 --- --- 0 0 5 225 45.0 34.8 2 52 4/0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 --- --- 0 0 6 253 42.2 37.7 2 50 5/3

12/28 STL 0 0 --- --- 0 0 4 147 36.8 36.8 0 40 6/3

2008 0 0 --- --- 0 0 63 2,566 40.7 37.5 25 60 86/17

CAREER 4 13 30.8 58 4-4 16 300 12,888 43.0 37.3 103 67 283/56

KOENEN’S postseason Statistics

DATE OPP FGATTFG% LG PATPTSPUNT YDS AVG NET IN20LGKO/TB

11/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 5 212 42.4 42.6 0 49 6/1

2008 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 5 212 42.4 42.6 0 49 6/1

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 5 212 42.4 42.6 0 49 6/1


LS MIKE SCHNECK 46

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 234 Year: 10thWisconsin GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (152/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (7/0)

• Handled all snapping duties Weeks 1-17.• Served as the Falcons long snapper in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff

game at Arizona (1/3/09).


UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE

DE JOHN ABRAHAM 55

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 266 Year: 8thSouth Carolina GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (113/102)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (4/4)

• Collared five tackles and three sacks (16 yards) vs. Detroit (9/7). Histhree sacks are the most in single-game for him since 2004 (vs.Buffalo, 3.0) and have him 70.5 for his career.

• Recorded two tackles, one sack (five yards) and one forced fumbleat Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Posted two tackles, two sacks (11 yards) and one forced fumble vs.Kansas City (9/21) in his 100th career game.

• Tallied one tackle at Carolina (9/28).• Registered a season-high six tackles and one sack (five yards) at

Green Bay (10/5).• Collared three tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Logged two tackles at Philadelphia (10/26).• Logged three sacks (16 yards), one forced fumble and five tackles

at Oakland (11/2) for a defense that recorded the first shut-out infranchise history since 2002 at Carolina (11/24).

• Recorded two tackles, one sack (six yards) and one pass defensedvs. New Orleans (11/9).

• Notched one tackle vs. Denver (11/16).• Tallied three tackles and one sack (eight yards) vs. Carolina (11/23).• Collected one tackle and a half of sack (4.5 yards) at San Diego

(11/30).• Collared one tackle at New Orleans (12/7).• Totaled his third three-sack game this season (33 yards) vs. Tampa

Bay (12/14) while adding three tackles.• Posted four tackles and added one sack at Minnesota (12/21). His

sack gave him 16.5 on the year, which sets a new single-seasonrecord in franchise history.

• Logged one tackle in his 16th start against St. Louis (12/28).• Started at right defensive end and notched one tackle in Atlanta’s

Wild Card Playoff game at Arizona (1/3/09).

ABRAHAM’s Game-By-Game Statistics

DATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

9/7 DET 5 4 3.0 16.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 2 2 1.0 5.0 0 1 0 0

9/21 KC 2 2 2.0 11.0 0 1 0 0

9/28 @CAR 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 6 5 1.0 5.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 2 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 5 5 3.0 16.0 0 1 0 0

11/9 NO 2 2 1.0 6.0 0 0 0 1

11/16 DEN 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 3 3 1.0 8.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 1 1 0.5 4.5 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 3 3 3.0 33.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 4 3 1.0 5.0 0 1 0 0

12/28 STL 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 42 35 16.5 109.5 0 4 0 1

CAREER 431 305 84.0 534.0 0 31 5 12

ABRAHAM’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 14 9 2.0 20.0 0 0 0 1

season highs

TACKLES: 6 at Green Bay (10/5)

SOLO TACKLES: 5 (two times) last time: at Oakland (11/2)

SACKS: 3 (three times) last time: vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)

FORCED FUMBLES: 1 (four times) last time: at Minnesota (12/21).

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL TEAMS STAT: Blocked a punt against

Carolina (9/28)


DE JAMAAL ANDERSON 98

Ht: 6-6 Wt: 283 Year: 2nd

Arkansas

GP /GS /DNP / IA: (15/15/0/1)




• Posted five tackles vs. Detroit (9/7) for a defense that allowed 62

rushing yards in the 34-21 win.

• Tied a career-high in tackles (seven) including a career-high six solo

tackles at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Recorded three tackles vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Logged three tackles at Carolina (9/28).

• Collared two tackles at Green Bay (10/5).

• Registered two tackles, two passes defensed and his first career

sack (four yards) vs. Chicago (10/12).

• Tallied two tackles and one sack (six yards) at Philadelphia (10/26).

• Started at defensvive end for a defensive unit that did not allow a first

down in the first half at Oakland (11/2).

• Notched two tackles vs. New Orleans (11/9).

• Posted two tackles vs. Denver (11/16).

• Logged two tackles and one pass defensed vs. Carolina (11/23).

• Recorded two tackles and blocked his first career field goal at San

Diego (11/30).

• Started at defensive end at New Orleans (12/7).

• Started at defensive end vs. Tampa Bay (12/14) and recorded two

tackles.

• Started at defensive end at Minnesota (12/21) and collared one tack-

le.

• Listed as inactive due to an injury against St. Louis (12/28).

• Inactive for Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff meeting at Arizona (1/3/09).

Anderson’s Game-By-GameStatistics


9/7 DET 5 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 7 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 2 2 1.0 4.0 0 0 0 2

10/26 @PHI 2 2 1.0 6.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/30 @SD 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 2 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 36 28 2.0 10.0 0 0 0 3

CAREER 81 57 2.0 10.0 0 1 0 6

ANDERSON’S postseason StatisticsDATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

1/3/09 ARI INACTIVE


CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

season highsTACKLES: 7 vs. Tampa Bay (9/14)

SOLO TACKLES: 6 vs. Tampa Bay (9/14)

PASSES DEFENSED: 2 vs. Chicago (10/12)

DT JONATHAN BABINEAUX 95

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 288 Year: 4th

Iowa

GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/15/0/0)




• Recorded three tackles vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Collared three tackles and one sack (eight yards) at Tampa Bay

(9/14).

• Tallied three tackles vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Logged three tackles at Carolina (9/28) in his 50th career game.

• Posted two tackles at Green Bay (10/5).

• Registered a season-high five tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).

• Recorded one tackle at Philadelphia (10/26).

• Notched one tackle and one fumble recovery at Oakland (11/2) for a

defense that allowed a franchise-low three first downs in the contest.

• Started at defensive tackle vs. New Orleans (11/9).

• Tallied two tackles and one sack (eight yards) vs. Denver (11/16).

• Collared three tackles and one pass defensed vs. Carolina (11/23).

• Posted two tackles, 1.5 sacks (10.5 yards) and one pass defensed

at San Diego (11/30).

• Registered three tackles at New Orleans (12/7).

• Collared three tackles while making his 13th start of the season

against Tampa Bay (12/14).

• Started at defensive tackle and posted one tackle for loss at

Minnesota (12/21).

• Posted three tackles, which included one tackle for loss against St.

Louis (12/28).

• Started in Atlanta’s Wild Card meeting at Arizona (1/3/09) and tallied

three tackles (two solo).

BABINEAUX’S Game-By-GameStatistics


9/7 DET 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 3 2 1.0 8.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 5 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 2 2 1.0 8.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 3 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/30 @SD 2 2 1.5 10.5 0 0 0 1

12/7 @NO 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 38 30 3.5 26.5 0 0 1 2

CAREER 165 117 8.0 54.0 1 3 4 8

BABINEAUX’S postseason StatisticsDATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

1/3/09 ARI 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

season highsTACKLES: 5 vs. Chicago (10/12)

SOLO TACKLES: 4 vs. Chicago (10/12)

SACKS: 1.5 at San Diego (11/30)


DE KROY BIERMANN 71

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 241 Year: RookieMontana GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (16/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Saw action at defensive end in his NFL debut vs. Detroit (9/7).• Tallied one tackle at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Saw action at Carolina (9/28).• Recorded one tackle at Green Bay (10/5).• Collared one tackle vs. Chicago (10/12).• Registered two tackles at Philadelphia (10/26).• Saw action on special teams at Oakland (11/2).• Logged a team-high three tackles on special teams vs. New Orleans

(11/9).• Notched one tackle on special teams vs. Denver (11/16).• Saw action on special teams and defense vs. Carolina (11/23).• Posted two tackles and his first career sack (three yards) at San

Diego (11/30).• Recorded one tackle on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).• Notched three tackles (two solo) against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Tallied two tackles at Minnesota (12/21).• Notched two solo tackles and contributed with his second sack of the

season against St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action against Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFC Wild Card contest and

posted two tackles and one pass defensed.

biermann’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 2 2 1.0 3.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 2 2 1.0 10.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 14 11 2.0 13.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 14 11 2.0 13.0 0 0 0 0

biermann’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

2008 TOTALS 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

CAREER 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

LB MICHAEL BOLEY 59

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 242 Year: 4thSouthern Miss GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/12/0/0)Career GP/GS: (63/53)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Logged six tackles and one pass defensed vs. Detroit (9/7). • Collared four tackles in his 50th career game at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Posted six tackles vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Recorded eight tackles and one pass defensed at Carolina (9/28).• Tallied four tackles, one pass defensed and one interception at Green

Bay (10/5).• Posted nine tackles and one pass defensed vs. Chicago (10/12).• Collared seven tackles including a season-high six solo tackles at

Philadelphia (10/26).• Notched one tackle for a defense that allowed a franchise-low 77 net

yards at Oakland (11/2).• Tied a season-high in tackles (nine) and logged two passes defensed

vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Logged three tackles and one pass defensed vs. Denver (11/16).• Registered seven tackles vs. Carolina (11/23).• Tallied three tackles and one pass defensed at San Diego (11/30).• Posted six tackles and one pass defensed at New Orleans (12/7).• Saw action vs. Tampa Bay (12/14), but did not record a tackle.• Registered four tackles (two solo) and recovered a fumble on special

teams at Minnesota (12/21).• Against St. Louis (12/28), compiled a season-high 13 tackles which

also led the team.• Started at outside linebacker in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff game at

Arizona (1/3/09) and finished with two tackles.

boley’s Game-By-Game StatisticsDATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

9/7 DET 6 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

9/14 @TB 4 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 6 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 8 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/5 @GB 4 2 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 1

10/12 CHI 9 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/26 @PHI 7 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 9 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2

11/16 DEN 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/23 CAR 7 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/7 @NO 6 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 4 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 13 11 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 90 65 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 9

CAREER 365 260 6.0 33.0 5 5 3 28

boley’s postseason StatisticsDATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

1/3/09 ARI 2 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 2 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 2 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

season highsTACKLES: 13 vs. St. Louis (12/28)

SOLO TACKLES: 11 vs. St. Louis (12/28)

PASSES DEFENSED: 2 vs. New Orleans (11/9)

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL TEAMS STAT: 1 fumble recovery at Minnesota

(12/21)

S ERIC BROCK 42

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 202 Year: RookieAuburn GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/1)Career GP/GS: (1/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/1)Career Postseason GP/GS: (0/0)

• Inactive for his first contest on the 53-man roster at Minnesota(12/21).

• Saw his first NFL action on special teams against St. Louis (12/28).• Inactive for Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff meeting at Arizona (1/3/09).

brock’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET

9/14 @TB

9/21 KC

9/28 @CAR

10/5 @GB

10/12 CHI

10/26 @PHI

11/2 @OAK

11/9 NO

11/16 DEN

11/23 CAR

11/30 @SD

12/7 @NO

12/14 TB

12/21 @MIN INACTIVE

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0

brock’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI INACTIVE


CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

LB KEITH BROOKING 56

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 241 Year: 11th

Georgia Tech

GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)




• Tied for the team lead in tackles (eight) vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Posted seven tackles at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Logged a season-high 10 tackles vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Registered seven tackles at Carolina (9/28).

• Collared a team-high 12 tackles at Green Bay (10/5) in his 150th

career game.

• Recorded 10 tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).

• Tallied eight tackles at Philadelphia (10/26).

• Collected one tackle at Oakland (11/2) for a defense that allowed a

franchise-low three first downs.

• Notched 10 tackles vs. New Orleans (11/9).

• Logged five tackles vs. Denver (11/16).

• Led the team in tackles (eight) vs. Carolina (11/23).

• Collared seven tackles at San Diego (11/30).

• Posted a team-high 10 tackles and one pass defensed at New

Orleans (12/7).

• Tied a season-high with 12 tackles while making his 14th start of the

season against Tampa Bay (12/14). Also registered two passes

defensed.

• Totaled seven tackles (five solo) at Minnesota (12/21).

• Started his 128th consecutive game at linebacker and collared 11

tackles against St. Louis (12/28). Finished with 133 tackles on the

season to lead the Falcons for the eighth straight year in the catego-

ry.

• Started at middle linebacker for Atlanta’s Wild Card match-up at

Arizona (1/3/09), collared seven tackles (six solo) and deflected one

pass.

brooking’s Game-By-Game StatisticsDATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

9/7 DET 8 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 7 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 10 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 7 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 12 9 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 10 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 8 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 10 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 5 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 8 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 7 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 10 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/14 TB 12 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2

12/21 @MIN 7 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 11 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 133 80 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 3

CAREER 1,474 886 17.0 115.5 12 8 10 47

brooking’s postseason StatisticsDATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

1/3/09 ARI 7 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

2008 TOTALS 7 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

CAREER 49 35 2.0 31.0 0 0 0 2

season highsTACKLES: 12 (two times) last time: vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)

SOLO TACKLES: 9 at Green Bay (10/5)


S ERIK COLEMAN 26

Ht: 5-10 Wt: 206 Year: 5thWashington St. GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/15/0/0)Career GP/GS: (79/64)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (4/4)

• Led all defensive backs with eight tackles in his Falcons debut vs.Detroit (9/7).

• Tallied six tackles at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Posted a season-high nine tackles, one interception, one pass

defensed and one forced fumble vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Logged eight tackles and one pass defensed at Carolina (9/28).• Recorded 10 tackles at Green Bay (10/5).• Collared six tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Registered a team-high 10 tackles and one pass defensed at

Philadelphia (10/26).• Notched two tackles, one interception and one pass defensed at

Oakland (11/2). His interception came in the endzone in the fourthquarter to preserve the Falcons first shut out since November 24,2002 at Carolina.

• Collected a team-high 11 tackles, one interception, one passdefensed and one forced fumble vs. New Orleans (11/9).

• Registered nine tackles vs. Denver (11/16).• Logged seven tackles vs. Carolina (11/23).• Posted four tackles and one pass defensed at San Diego (11/30).• Collared four tackles at New Orleans (12/7).• Tallied 10 tackles against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Started his 14th game at free safety and tied his season-high of 11

tackles (seven solo) at Minnesota (12/21).• Compiled a season-high with 12 tackles against St. Louis (12/28)

while starting at free safety.• Led the team in tackles (11) in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff contest at

Arizona (1/3/09).

coleman’s Game-By-Game Statistics

DATE OPP. TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS INT FF FR PD

9/7 DET 8 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 6 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 9 7 0.0 0.0 1 1 0 1

9/28 @CAR 8 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/5 @GB 10 10 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 6 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 10 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/2 @OAK 2 2 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 1

11/9 NO 11 7 0.0 0.0 1 1 0 1

11/16 DEN 9 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 7 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 4 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/7 @NO 4 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 10 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 11 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 12 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 127 82 0.0 0.0 3 2 0 6

CAREER 478 322 2.0 9.0 10 3 1 28

coleman’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 11 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 11 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 35 20 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 1

season highs

TACKLES: 12 vs. St. Louis (12/28)

SOLO TACKLES: 10 at Green Bay (10/5)

INTERCEPTIONS: 1 (three times) last time: vs. New Orleans (11/9)

PASSES DEFENSED: 1 (six times) last time: at San Diego (11/30)


DE CHAUNCEY DAVIS 92

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 274 Year: 4thFlorida St. GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/1/0/0)Career GP/GS: (64/10)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Recorded two tackles vs. Detroit (9/7) for a defense that allowed only62 rushing yards.

• Posted two tackles in his 50th career game at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Tallied a season-high three tackles at Carolina (9/28).• Logged one tackle at Green Bay (10/5).• Registered two tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Led all defensive linemen with five tackles and one fumble recovery

at Philadelphia (10/26).• Member of a defensive unit that did not allow a first down in the first

half at Oakland (11/2).• Saw action vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Posted two tackles vs. Denver (11/16).• Collared two tackles and two sacks (13 yards) vs. Carolina (11/23),

marking the first time he had recorded two sacks in a single-game inhis career.

• Recorded his first career forced fumble at San Diego (11/30).• Led all defensive linemen in tackles (five) at New Orleans (12/7).• Contributed with four tackles against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Finished with four tackles while adding one sack for a loss of four

yards and two fumble recoveries at Minnesota (12/21).• Made his first start of the season at left defensive end and contributed

with three tackles and his fourth sack of the season for a loss of eightyards against St. Louis (12/28).

• Started at defensive tackles in Atlanta’s Wild Card game at Arizona(1/3/09) and finished the game with three tackles (two solo).

davis’ Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 5 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/16 DEN 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 2 2 2.0 13.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 1 0 0

12/7 @NO 5 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 4 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 4 1 1.0 4.0 0 0 2 0

12/28 STL 3 2 1.0 8.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 35 27 4.0 25.0 0 1 3 1

CAREER 147 104 8.0 49.0 1 1 7 3

davis’ postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

S THOMAS DECOUD 28

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 197 Year: RookieCal-Berkeley GP /GS /DNP / IA: (10/0/1/5)Career GP/GS: (10/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Did not play vs. Detroit (9/7).• Saw action on special teams in his NFL debut at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action on special teams vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Saw action on special teams at Carolina (9/28).• Saw action on special teams at Green Bay (10/5).• Inactive vs. Chicago (10/12).• Inactive at Philadelphia (10/26).• Inactive at Oakland (11/2).• Inactive vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Inactive vs. Denver (11/16).• Assisted on one special teams tackle vs. Carolina (11/23).• Saw action on special teams at San Diego (11/30).• Recorded one tackle on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).• Saw action on special teams against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Saw action on special teams at Minnesota (12/21).• Saw action on special teams against St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action on special teams in Atlanta’s Wild Card contest at Arizona

(1/3/09) and registered three tackles.

decoud’s Game-By-Game Statistics



9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI INACTIVE

10/26 @PHI INACTIVE

11/2 @OAK INACTIVE

11/9 NO INACTIVE

11/16 DEN INACTIVE

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

decoud’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0


CB DOMONIQUE FOXWORTH 24

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 180 Year: 4thMarylandGP /GS /DNP / IA: (15/10/0/1)Career GP/GS: (61/28)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (3/3)

• Inactive vs. Detroit (9/7).• Saw action on defense and special teams at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action on special teams vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Saw action on special teams at Carolina (9/28).• Saw action at defensive back at Green Bay (10/5) in his 50th career

game.• Saw action at defensive back vs. Chicago (10/12).• Started his first game as a member of the Falcons and logged four

tackles and one pass defensed at Philadelphia (10/26).• Started his 20th career game at Oakland (11/2) and logged one tack-

le and one pass defensed.• Tallied three tackles and three passes defensed vs. New Orleans

(11/9).• Notched a season-high five tackles vs. Denver (11/16).• Logged four tackles vs. Carolina (11/23).• Recorded three tackles and one pass defensed at San Diego (11/30).• Collared five tackles at New Orleans (12/7).• In his eighth start this season, totaled four tackles, three passes

defensed and his first interception in a Falcon uniform against TampaBay (12/14).

• Started his ninth game at left cornerback and posted five solo tacklesat Minnesota (12/21).

• Started his 10th game at left cornerback and tied a season-high withfive tackles while adding two passes defensed against St. Louis(12/28).

• Started at left cornerback in Atlanta’s Wild Card match-up at Arizona(1/3/09) and posted four tackles (two solo).

FOXWORTH’S Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET INACTIVE

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 4 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/9 NO 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 3

11/16 DEN 5 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 4 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/7 @NO 5 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 4 3 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 3

12/21 @MIN 5 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 5 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2

2008 TOTALS 39 34 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 11

CAREER 205 172 0.0 0.0 4 3 1 45

FOXWORTH’S postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 4 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 4 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 24 15 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

DE SIMON FRASER 75


• Saw action vs. Detroit (9/7). • Tallied one tackle in his 50th career game at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Inactive vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Inactive at Carolina (9/28).• Saw action at Green Bay (10/5).• Saw action vs. Chicago (10/12).• Inactive at Philadelphia (10/26).• Inactive at Oakland (11/2).• Inactive vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Inactive vs. Denver (11/16).• Recorded one pass defensed vs. Carolina (11/23).• Inactive at San Diego (11/30).• Inactive at New Orleans (12/7).• Inactive against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Inactive at Minnesota (12/21).• Competed in his sixth game of the season against St. Louis (12/28)

and finished with one tackle.• Saw action in his first career playoff contest when the Falcons battled

Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFC Wild Card meeting.

fraser’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC INACTIVE

9/28 @CAR INACTIVE

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI INACTIVE

11/2 @OAK INACTIVE

11/9 NO INACTIVE

11/16 DEN INACTIVE

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/30 @SD INACTIVE

12/7 @NO INACTIVE

12/14 TB INACTIVE

12/21 @MIN INACTIVE

12/28 STL 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 2 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

CAREER 56 37 4.5 11.5 0 1 1 5

fraser’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0


S JAMAAL FUDGE 29

Ht: 5-9 Wt: 194 Year: 3rdClemsonGP /GS /DNP / IA: (10/1/1/4)Career GP/GS: (30/1)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (3/0)

• Did not play vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Inactive at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Inactive vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Saw action on special teams and defense at Carolina (9/28).

• Saw action on special teams at Green Bay (10/5).

• Saw action on special teams vs. Chicago (10/12).

• Saw action on special teams at Philadelphia (10/26).


• Saw action on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9).


• Inactive vs. Carolina (11/23).

• Inactive at San Diego (11/30).

• Saw action on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).

• Saw action on special teams against Tampa Bay (12/14).

• Recorded his first two tackles of the season at Minnesota (12/21).

• Made his first start of the season at strong safety and set a career-

high with 10 tackles (eight solo) against St. Louis (12/28).

• Competed in the secondary and on special teams in Atlanta’s Wild

Card contest at Arizona (1/3/09).

fudge’s Game-By-Game Statistics



9/14 @TB INACTIVE

9/21 KC INACTIVE

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR INACTIVE

11/30 @SD INACTIVE

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 10 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 12 9 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 27 21 0.0 0.0 1 1 1 2

fudge’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

LB TONY GILBERT 51

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 248 Year: 5thGeorgiaGP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/16)Career GP/GS: (56/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/1)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Inactive Weeks 1-17.• Inactive for Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff game at Arizona (1/3/09).

gilbert’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET INACTIVE

9/14 @TB INACTIVE

9/21 KC INACTIVE

9/28 @CAR INACTIVE

10/5 @GB INACTIVE

10/12 CHI INACTIVE

10/26 @PHI INACTIVE

11/2 @OAK INACTIVE

11/9 NO INACTIVE

11/16 DEN INACTIVE

11/23 CAR INACTIVE

11/30 @SD INACTIVE

12/7 @NO INACTIVE

12/14 TB INACTIVE

12/21 @MIN INACTIVE

12/28 STL INACTIVE

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 23 15 1.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

gilbert’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI INACTIVE


CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0


CB BRENT GRIMES 20

Ht: 5-10 Wt: 185 Year: 1stShippensburg GP /GS /DNP / IA: (12/6/0/4)Career GP/GS: (14/6)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Started his first NFL game at left cornerback vs. Detroit (9/7) andposted six tackles.

• Collared three tackles and one pass defensed at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Tallied four tackles, two passes defensed and his first career intercep-

tion vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Logged a season-high 11 tackles and one pass defensed at Carolina

(9/28).• Recorded six tackles at Green Bay (10/5).• Posted five tackles and two passes defensed vs. Chicago (10/12).• Registered one tackle on special teams at Philadelphia (10/26).• Saw action on special teams at Oakland (11/2).• Saw action on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Inactive vs. Denver (11/16).• Saw action vs. Carolina (11/23).• Inactive at San Diego (11/30).• Inactive at New Orleans (12/7).• Inactive vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Saw action at Minnesota (12/21).• Saw action on special teams against St. Louis (12/28).• Saw action on special teams in Atlanta’s Wild Card meeting at

Arizona (1/3/09).

grimes’ Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 6 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

9/21 KC 4 2 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 2

9/28 @CAR 11 9 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/5 @GB 6 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 5 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN INACTIVE

11/23 CAR 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD INACTIVE

12/7 @NO INACTIVE

12/14 TB INACTIVE

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 36 29 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 6

CAREER 47 39 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 6

grimes’ postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

season highs

TACKLES: 11 at Carolina (9/28)

SOLO TACKLES: 9 at Carolina (9/28)

INTERCEPTIONS: 1 vs. Kansas City (9/21)

PASSES DEFENSED: 2 (two times) last time: vs. Chicago (10/12)

CB ANTOINE HARRIS 41

Ht: 5-10 Wt: 197 Year: 2ndLouisvilleGP /GS /DNP / IA: (12/0/0/1)Career GP/GS: (25/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (0/0)

• Saw action on speical teams vs. Detroit (9/7).

• Saw action on special teams at Tampa Bay (9/14).

• Saw action on special teams vs. Kansas City (9/21).

• Saw action on spectial teams at Carolina (9/28).

• Saw action on special teams at Green Bay (10/5).

• Saw action on special teams vs. Kansas City (10/12).

• Logged a team-high two tackles on special teams at Philadelphia

(10/26).


• Saw action on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9).


• Saw action on special teams vs. Carolina (11/23).

• Saw action on special teams at San Diego (11/30).

• Inactive at New Orleans (12/7).

• Placed on injured reserve December 9.

harris’ Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO INACTIVE

12/14 TB INJURED RESERVE



2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 10 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

harris’ postseason Statistics




CAREER 13 8 2.0 20.0 0 0 0 1


CB CHRIS HOUSTON 23

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 175 Year: 2ndArkansasGP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/16/0/0)Career GP/GS: (32/27)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Logged three tackles vs. Detroit (9/7).• Tallied three tackles at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Recorded a career-high four passes defensed and his first career

interception vs. Kansas City (9/21) in addition to posting one tackle.He returned the interception 10 yards for a touchdown.

• Posted three tackles at Carolina (9/28).• Collared one tackle at Green Bay (10/5).• Registered a season-high six tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Logged three tackles and one pass defensed at Philadelphia (10/26).• Notched one tackle at Oakland (11/2) for a defense that allowed a

franchise-low 77 total net yards.• Posted three tackles, two passes defensed and one interception vs.

New Orleans (11/9).• Tallied six tackles and one pass defensed vs. Denver (11/16).• Collected three tackles and one pass defensed vs. Carolina (11/23).• Logged a season-high eight tackles and one pass defensed at San

Diego (11/30).• Collared six tackles and a team-high three passes defensed at New

Orleans (12/7).• Notched seven tackles (five solo) while contributing with one pass

defensed in his 14th start of the season vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Started in his 15th game at right cornerback and totaled three solo

tackles and one fumble recovery at Minnesota (12/21).• Started at right cornerback and posted two solo tackles and two pass-

es defensed against St. Louis (12/28).• Started at right cornerback and logged three tackles (two solo) in

Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff contest at Arizona (1/3/09).

houston’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 1 1 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 4

9/28 @CAR 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 6 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 3 3 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 2

11/16 DEN 6 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/23 CAR 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/30 @SD 8 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/7 @NO 6 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 3

12/14 TB 7 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/21 @MIN 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

12/28 STL 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2

2008 TOTALS 59 52 0.0 0.0 2 0 1 16

CAREER 112 100 0.0 0.0 2 1 1 25

houston’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

season highs

TACKLES: 8 at San Diego (11/30)

SOLO TACKLES: 7 at San Diego (11/30)

INTERCEPTIONS: 1 (two times) last time: vs. New Orleans (11/9)

PASSES DEFENSED: 4 vs. Kansas City (9/21)


CB DAVID IRONS 30

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 197 Year: 2ndAuburn GP /GS /DNP / IA: (5/0/0/9)Career GP/GS: (20/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (0/0)

• Saw action on special teams vs. Detroit (9/7).• Inactive at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Inactive vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Inactive at Carolina (9/28).• Inactive at Green Bay (10/5).• Inactive vs. Chicago (10/12).• Inactive at Philadelphia (10/26).• Inactive at Oakland (11/2).• Inactive vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Logged one tackle on special teams vs. Denver (11/16).• Inactive vs. Carolina (11/23).• Collared a team-high two tackles on special teams at San Diego

(11/30).• Recorded one tackle on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).• Saw action on special teams against Tampa Bay (12/14) before exit-

ing the game with a knee injury.• Placed on injured reserve December 16.

irons’ Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB INACTIVE

9/21 KC INACTIVE

9/28 @CAR INACTIVE

10/5 @GB INACTIVE

10/12 CHI INACTIVE

10/26 @PHI INACTIVE

11/2 @OAK INACTIVE

11/9 NO INACTIVE

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR INACTIVE

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0



2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

irons’ postseason Statistics




CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CB CHEVIS JACKSON 22

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 185 Year: RookieLSU GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/2/0/0)Career GP/GS: (16/2)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/1)

• Tallied two tackles in his NFL debut vs. Detroit (9/7). • Saw action at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Recorded one tackle at Carolina (9/28).• Posted two tackles and one pass defensed at Green Bay (10/5).• Logged a season-high three tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Collared one tackle at Philadelphia (10/26).• Started his first career NFL game and tallied one pass defensed at

Oakland (11/2).• Notched one tackle, three passes defensed and his first career inter-

ception vs. New Orleans (11/9). He returned the interception 95 yardsfor a touchdown, marking the second longest interception return inFalcons history.

• Tallied two tackles vs. Denver (11/16).• Collected four tackles vs. Carolina (11/23).• Registered three tackles at San Diego (11/30).• Started at cornerback at New Orleans (12/7) and recorded four tack-

les.• Recorded three tackles (two solo) vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Tallied three tackles (two solo) at Minnesota (12/21).• Tied a season-high with four tackles against St. Louis (12/28).• Earned a start in the secondary in Atlanta’s Wild Card game at

Arizona (1/3/09), posted two tackles, one pass defensed and theFalcons first postseason interception since January 15, 2005.

jackson’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/12 CHI 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/9 NO 1 1 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 3

11/16 DEN 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 4 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 4 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 4 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 33 27 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 5

CAREER 33 27 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 5

jackson’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 2 2 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 1

2008 TOTALS 2 2 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 1

CAREER 2 2 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 1


DT GRADY JACKSON 90

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 345 Year: 12thKnoxville GP /GS /DNP / IA: (15/15/0/1)Career GP/GS: (170/117)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (10/7)

• Posted three tackles vs. Detroit (9/7) for a defensive unit that allowedonly 62 rushing yards.

• Inactive at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Logged one tackle vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Tallied three tackles and one pass defensed at Carolina (9/28).• Recorded two tackles and one sack (four yards) at Green Bay (10/5).• Collared one tackle vs. Chicago (10/12).• Registered one tackle at Philadelphia (10/26).• Started at defensive tackle for a defense that allowed a franchise-low

77 total net yards at Oakland (11/2).• Collected one tackle vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Started at defensive tackle vs. Denver (11/16).• Tallied two tackles vs. Carolina (11/23).• Started at defensive tackle at San Diego (11/30).• Logged one tackle at New Orleans (12/7).• Posted his second sack of the season (10 yards) while adding six

solo tackles vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Made his 14th start at defensive tackle at Minnesota (12/21).• Started his 15th game of the season at defensive tackle against St.

Louis (12/28) and finished the game with two solo tackles.• Totaled four tackles (three solo) while competing on the defensive line

in Atlanta’s Wild Card playoff match-up at Arizona (1/3/09).

JACKSON’S Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 3 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB INACTIVE

9/21 KC 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/5 @GB 2 2 1.0 4.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 6 6 1.0 10.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 23 21 2.0 14.0 0 0 0 1

CAREER 530 383 35.5 256.0 0 8 7 27

JACKSON’S postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 4 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 4 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 39 30 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

season highs

TACKLES: 6 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)

SOLO TACKLES: 6 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)

DT JASON JEFFERSON 99

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 295 Year: 4thWisconsin GP /GS /DNP / IA: (13/1/0/3)Career GP/GS: (33/2)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Inactive vs. Detroit (9/7). • Started at defensive tackle and logged three tackles and one fumble

recovery in his Falcons debut at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Saw action at Carolina (9/28).• Inactive at Green Bay (10/5).• Inactive vs. Chicago (10/12).• Saw action at defensive tackle at Philadelphia (10/26).• Collected one tackle at Oakland (11/2).• Recorded one tackle vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Saw action on defense vs. Denver (11/16).• Collared one tackle vs. Carolina (11/23).• Saw action on defense at San Diego (11/30).• Saw action on defense at New Orleans (12/7).• Finished with one tackle against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Saw action on the defensive line at Minnesota (12/21).• Against St. Louis (12/28), collared two solo tackles.• Saw action in his first career postseason contest in Atlanta’s Wild

Card game at Arizona (1/3/09).

jefferson’s Game-By-Game

Statistics


9/7 DET INACTIVE

9/14 @TB 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB INACTIVE

10/12 CHI INACTIVE

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 2 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 9 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

CAREER 35 19 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0

jefferson’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0


LB CURTIS LOFTON 50

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 248 Year: RookieOklahoma GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/15/0/0)Career GP/GS: (16/15)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Registered five tackles in his NFL debut vs. Detroit (9/7).• Tallied a team and career-high 10 tackles at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Posted six tackles vs. Kansas City (9/21) and added one tackle on

special teams.• Recorded 10 tackles at Carolina (9/28).• Logged six tackles at Green Bay (10/5).• Collared a career-high 11 tackles vs. Chicago (10/12) including a

career-high eight solo tackles.• Tallied two tackles, one forced fumble and his first career sack (seven

yards) at Philadelphia (10/26).• Notched a team-high seven tackles at Oakland (11/2) for a defense

that did not allow a first down in the first half and allowed a franchise-low three in the whole game.

• Registered six tackles and one pass defensed vs. New Orleans(11/9).

• Posted seven tackles vs. Denver (11/16).• Collected six tackles vs. Carolina (11/23).• Logged eight tackles at San Diego (11/30).• Collared nine tackles at New Orleans (12/7).• Posted seven tackles and one special teams stop in his 13th start of

the season against Tampa Bay (12/14).• Notched five tackles (three solo) at Minnesota (12/21).• Started at middle linebacker and totaled three tackles and two pass-

es defensed against St. Louis (12/28).• Collared six tackles (five solo) in Atlanta’s Wild Card meeting at

Arizona (1/3/09).

lofton’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 5 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 10 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 6 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 10 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 6 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 11 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 2 1 1.0 7.0 0 1 0 0

11/2 @OAK 7 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 6 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/16 DEN 7 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 6 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 8 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 9 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 7 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 5 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2

2008 TOTALS 108 67 1.0 7.0 0 1 0 3

CAREER 108 67 1.0 7.0 0 1 0 3

lofton’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

season highs

TACKLES: 11 vs. Chicago (10/12)

SOLO TACKLES: 8 vs. Chicago (10/12)

S LAWYER MILLOY 36

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 216 Year: 13thWashington GP /GS /DNP / IA: (15/15/0/1)Career GP/GS: (202/196)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (10/10)

• Collared six tackles, one pass defensed and one interception vs.Detroit (9/7). The interception marked the 25th of his career.

• Led all secondary players in tackles (nine) at Tamp a Bay (9/14).• Tallied a team-high 12 tackles and two passes defensed vs. Kansas

City (9/21).• Posted seven tackles at Carolina (9/28).• Logged eight tackles at Green Bay (10/5).• Recorded five tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Collared eight tackles at Philadelphia (10/26).• Notched three tackles at Oakland (11/2) for a defense that allowed

only 10 net passing yards.• Collected 10 tackles and one pass defensed vs. New Orleans (11/9)

in his 190th career start.• Registered a team-high 10 tackles vs. Denver (11/16).• Tallied seven tackles and one pass defensed vs. Carolina (11/23).• Logged six tackles at San Diego (11/30).• Posted seven tackles at New Orleans (12/7).• Collared a season-high 13 tackles (eight solo) vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Tallied six solo tackles at Minnesota (12/21) while added one forced

fumble.• Listed as inactive against St. Louis (12/28) with an injury.• Finished with eight tackles (three solo) while starting at strong safety

in the Falcons Wild Card game at Arizona (1/3/09).

milloy’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 6 6 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 1

9/14 @TB 9 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 12 9 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2

9/28 @CAR 7 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 8 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 5 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 8 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 3 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 10 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/16 DEN 10 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 7 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

11/30 @SD 6 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 7 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 13 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 6 6 0.0 0.0 0 1 0 0

12/28 STL INACTIVE

2008 TOTALS 117 76 0.0 0.0 1 1 0 5

CAREER 1,586 1,032 17.0 144.5 25 11 9 85

milloy’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 8 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 8 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 65 43 0.0 0.0 2 0 0 7

season highs

TACKLES: 13 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)

SOLO TACKLES: 9 vs. Kansas City (9/21)

INTERCEPTIONS: 1 vs. Detroit (9/7)

PASSES DEFENSED: 2 vs. Kansas City (9/21)


DT KINDAL MOOREHEAD 94

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 299 Year: 6thAlabama GP /GS /DNP / IA: (14/1/0/2)Career GP/GS: (89/14)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/1/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (4/1)

• Tallied two tackles vs. Detroit (9/7). • Saw action at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Saw action vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Recorded one tackle at Carolina (9/28).• Logged one tackle and one pass defensed at Green Bay (10/5).• Registered four tackles vs. Chicago (10/12).• Collared four tackles at Philadelphia (10/26).• Member of a defensive unit that allowed only three total first downs at

Oakland (11/2).• Saw action vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Inactive vs. Denver (11/16).• Inactive vs. Carolina (11/23).• Tallied one tackle at San Diego (11/30).• Started at defensive tackle at New Orleans (12/7).• Recorded one assisted tackle vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Against Minnesota (12/21), collared three tackles, his first sack of the

season for a loss of 29 yards and a forced fumble.• Posted one solo tackle against St. Louis (12/28).• Tallied one solo tackle in Atlanta’s Wild Card match-up at Arizona

(1/3/09) while starting at left defensive end.

moorehead’s Game-By-Game

Statistics


9/7 DET 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/12 CHI 4 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 4 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN INACTIVE

11/23 CAR INACTIVE

11/30 @SD 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 3 2 1.0 29.0 0 1 0 0

12/28 STL 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 18 15 1.0 29.0 0 1 0 1

CAREER 156 100 10.5 101.0 1 1 3 5

moorehead’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

LB STEPHEN NICHOLAS 54

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 232 Year: 2ndSouth Florida GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/0/0/0)Career GP/GS: (29/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Posted one tackle on special teams vs. Detroit (9/7).• Saw action at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Collared three tackles on special teams vs. Kansas City (9/21).• Registered one tackle on defense at Carolina (9/28) and added two

tackles on special teams.• Recorded three tackles and one pass defensed at Green Bay (10/5).• Tallied two tackles on special teams vs. Chicago (10/12).• Saw action at Philadelphia (10/26).• Member of a denfense that allowed a franchise-low 77 total net yards

at Oakland (11/2).• Collared one tackle vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Assisted on one tackle vs. Denver (11/16).• Logged two tackles vs. Carolina (11/23).• Saw action on defense and special teams at San Diego (11/30).• Posted one pass defensed and one tackle on special teams at New

Orleans (12/7).• Saw action on defense and special teams vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).• Competed against Minnesota (12/21) and added one special teams

tackle.• Logged his first career sack which went for a loss of six yards against

St. Louis (12/28).• Posted two tackles in his first career postseason game in Atlanta’s

Wild Card meeting at Arizona (1/3/09).

nicholas’ Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 3 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/21 @MIN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 1 1 1.0 6.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 9 7 1.0 6.0 0 0 0 2

CAREER 20 17 1.0 6.0 0 0 0 2

nicholas’ postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 2 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0


CB GLENN SHARPE 37

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 185 Year: RookieMiami (Fla.)GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/3)Career GP/GS: (0/0)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (0/0/0/1)Career Postseason GP/GS: (0/0)

• Signed to the Falcons active roster on December 9, 2008.• Inactive Weeks 15-17.• Inactive for Atlanta’s Wild Card meeting at Arizona (1/3/09).

SHARPE’S Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET

9/14 @TB

9/21 KC

9/28 @CAR

10/5 @GB

10/12 CHI

10/26 @PHI

11/2 @OAK

11/9 NO

11/16 DEN

11/23 CAR

11/30 @SD

12/7 @NO

12/14 TB INACTIVE

12/21 @MIN INACTIVE

12/28 STL INACTIVE

2008 TOTALS 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

SHARPE’S postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI INACTIVE


CAREER 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

LB COY WIRE 52

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 228 Year: 7thStanford GP /GS /DNP / IA: (16/4/0/0)Career GP/GS: (96/25)2008 Playoffs GP /GS /DNP / IA: (1/0/0/0)Career Postseason GP/GS: (1/0)

• Recorded one tackle on special teams vs. Detroit (9/7). • Saw action on special teams at Tampa Bay (9/14).• Started at outside linebacker vs. Kansas City (9/21) and posted five

tackles in addition to recording three tackles on special teams.• Saw action on special teams at Carolina (9/28).• Saw action on special teams at Green Bay (10/5).• Assisted on one tackle on special teams vs. Chicago (10/12).• Saw action on special teams at Philadelphia (10/26).• Saw action on special teams at Oakland (11/2).• Tallied one tackle vs. New Orleans (11/9).• Saw action on special teams vs. Denver (11/16).• Registered a team-high two tackles on special teams vs. Carolina

(11/23).• Assisted on one tackle on special teams at San Diego (11/30).• Saw action on special teams at New Orleans (12/7).• Made his second start of the season at outside linebacker and regis-

tered a season-high nine tackles (eight solo), one pass defensed andthree special teams stops vs. Tampa Bay (12/14).

• Started his second consecutive game at linebacker and totaled eighttackles (five solo) and one special teams stop at Minnesota (12/21).

• Started his fourth game of the season at outside linebacker againstSt. Louis (12/28) and notched one solo tackle.

• Totaled eight tackles (five solo) in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff game atArizona (1/3/09).

wire’s Game-By-Game Statistics


9/7 DET 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/14 @TB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/21 KC 5 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

9/28 @CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/5 @GB 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/12 CHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

10/26 @PHI 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/2 @OAK 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/9 NO 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/16 DEN 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/23 CAR 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/30 @SD 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/14 TB 9 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

12/21 @MIN 8 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

12/28 STL 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 24 17 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1

CAREER 188 117 5.0 0.0 0 1 0 5

wire’s postseason Statistics


1/3/09 ARI 8 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

2008 TOTALS 8 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0

CAREER 8 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0


DOMONIQUE FOXWORTHCORNERBACK

TRANSACTIONS

• Selected as a third round (97th overall) draft choice by the Denver Broncos in 2005.• Traded to the Falcons on September 2, 2008.

CAREER

• Has competed in 46 games starting in 18 while contributing with 166 tackles (138 solo), three interceptions, 34 passes defensed, threeforced fumbles and one fumble recovery.• Averaged 55 tackles and 11 passes defensed each season with the Broncos while seeing regular season action for the club on spe-cial teams, registering 18 career stops on coverage units.

2007 (BRONCOS)

• Played in 14 games with six starts while totaling 42 tackles (32 solo), four passes defensed and one forced fumble.• Led the secondary with 10 tackles filling in for injured cornerback Champ Bailey vs. Pittsburgh (10/21).

2006 (BRONCOS)

• Saw action in all 16 games, starting in five and finished the season with 58 tackles (47 solo), one interception, 12 passes defensedand one forced fumble.• Intercepted his lone pass of the season against Baltimore (10/9) and posted a 45-yard return.• Led Denver with a career-high 14 tackles and a forced fumble that led to a turnover versus Cincinnati (12/24).

2005 (BRONCOS)

• Competed in all 16 games (seven starts) and tallied 66 tackles (59 solo), two interceptions, 18 passes defensed, one forced fumbleand one fumble recovery.• Named to USA Today’s All-Joe Team• Earned Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors after posting seven tackles, one interception for a return of 23 yards and one fum-ble recovery against Jacksonville (10/2).• Had one interception and a season-high four passes defensed against Philadelphia (10/30).

COLLEGE

• Played four seasons at the University of Maryland, where he started all 40 career games played and earned All-Atlantic CoastConference honors during each of his last three seasons.• Totaled 143 tackles (121 solo), eight interceptions, 31 passes defensed and four fumble recoveries.

PERSONAL

• Attended Western Tech High School in Catonsville, Md.• Chosen as a consensus all-state defensive back and Big School All-State choice (Associated Press) while earning first-team All-Metroand All-Baltimore County honors from the Baltimore Sun.• Totaled a school-record 14 interceptions and recorded 2,037 all purpose yards as a senior.

HT: 5-11 WT: 180 COLLEGE: Maryland NFL SEASON: 4th

GP/GS: 46/18 POSTSEASON: 2/2 BORN: March 27, 1983 ACQ: Tr. ‘08 (Den)

24

FOXWORTH’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS

Year Team GP/GS Tackles Solo Asst. Sacks Yards INT YDS TD PD FF FR YDS TD

2005 Den 16/7 66 59 7 0.0 0.0 2 23 0 18 1 1 0 0

2006 Den 16/5 58 47 11 0.0 0.0 1 45 0 12 1 0 0 0

2007 Den 14/6 42 32 10 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0

Totals 46/18 166 138 28 0.0 0.0 3 68 0 34 3 1 0 0

JAMAAL FUDGESAFETY

TRANSACTIONS

• Originally signed as a rookie free agent in 2006 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.• Claimed off of waivers by the Falcons on September 2, 2008.

CAREER

• In 20 career games, has totaled 15 tackles (12 solo), one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

2007 (JAGUARS)

• Played in a career-high 14 games, seeing action on special teams and as a back-up safety.• Finished the season with 10 tackles (seven solo), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.• Saw action in 25 snaps while contributing with two passes defensed and his first career interception against Oakland (12/23).

2006 (JAGUARS)

• Competed in six games and posted five tackles.• Saw extensive action at free safety for Deon Grant and posted five tackles against New England (12/24).

COLLEGE

• A three-year starter at Clemson, competing in 49 consecutive games.• Totaled 74 tackles and three interceptions in 2005.• Started all 11 games as a junior and finished with three interceptions and 10 passes defensed.

PERSONAL

• Attended Ed White High School in Jacksonville, Florida.• Registered 81 tackles and nine interceptions.• Named All-Area and All-Conference as a junior and senior.

HT: 5-9 WT: 194 COLLEGE: Clemson NFL SEASON: 3rd

GP/GS: 20/0 POSTSEASON: 2/0 BORN: May 17, 1983 ACQ: W ‘08 (Jax)

29

FUDGE’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS

Year Team GP/GS Tackles Solo Asst. Sacks Yards INT YDS TD PD FF FR YDS TD

2006 Jax 6/0 5 5 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2007 Jax 14/0 10 7 3 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0

Totals 20/0 15 12 3 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0

ERIC BROCKSAFETY

TRANSACTIONS

• Signed by Atlanta on May 19, 2008.• Waived by the Falcons on August 30, 2008 and was signed to the Atlanta practice squad one day later.• Signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad on December 16, 2008.

COLLEGE

• Finished fifth on an Auburn Tigers defense with 59 tackles in 2007 while setting a season-high with eight stops against LSU.• Finished fourth on the team in tackles with 50 in 2006 and tied for third on the team with five tackles against Nebraska in the CottonBowl.• Competed in all 12 games in 2005 making seven starts and posting 30 stops.

PERSONAL

• Attended Benjamin Russell High School (Alabama) and finished with 84 tackles, six interceptions and four blocked punts as a senior.• Caught 25 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns on offense.• Helped lead his team to a 13-2 record and 5A state championship as a junior and a 10-3 record as a senior.

HT: 6-0 WT: 202 COLLEGE: Auburn NFL SEASON: Rookie

GP/GS: 0/0 POSTSEASON: 0/0 BORN: April 24, 1985 ACQ: FA ‘08

42

TONY GILBERTLINEBACKER

TRANSACTIONS

• Originally selected by Arizona in the sixth round (210th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft.• Released by the Cardinals on September 1, 2003 and was signed to the Arizona practice squad the following day.• Signed off of the Arizona practice squad by the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 29, 2003.• Signed by the Falcons as a free agent on August 31, 2008.

CAREER

• Dominant special teams player who has served as a backup middle linebacker.• Has seen action in 56 career games with Jacksonville while contributing with 23 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery.• Tied for sixth in Jacksonville team history with 38 special teams tackles.• Allocated to the Rhine Fire of NFL Europa in 2005.

2007 (JAGUARS)

• Spent the season on the team’s injured reserve list.

2006 (JAGUARS)

• Played in all 16 games for the third consecutive season and led the squad with 16 special teams tackles.• Recorded a career-high 16 tackles and one sack. Posted his first career sack against the New York Jets (10/8).

2005 (JAGUARS)

• Appeared in all 16 games and ranked fifth on the squad with nine special teams stops.• Finished the season with seven tackles and one fumble recovery.

2004 (JAGUARS)

• Saw action in all 16 games playing primarily on special teams. Made six special teams stops.

2003 (JAGUARS)

• After being signed off of the Arizona practice squad on October 29, 2003, appeared in eight games for the Jaguars while totaling sevenspecial teams tackles.

COLLEGE

• Earned All-SEC second-team honors as a senior at Georgia as he tied for the team lead with 114 tackles.• Voted the team’s most valuable player as a junior middle linebacker.

PERSONAL

• Attended Central High School in Macon, Georgia where he was named a 4-A all-state first-team selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.• Served as the team’s captain his senior season while contributing with 105 tackles and two interceptions.• Played on the varsity basketball team and threw shot put for the track team.

HT: 6-0 WT: 248 COLLEGE: Georgia NFL SEASON: 5th

GP/GS: 56/0 POSTSEASON: 1/0 BORN: October 16, 1979 ACQ: FA ‘08

51

GILBERT’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS

Year Team GP/GS Tackles Solo Asst. Sacks INT YDS TD PD FF FR YDS TD

2003 JAX 8/0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2004 JAX 16/0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2005 JAX 16/0 7 3 4 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

2006 JAX 16/0 16 12 4 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2007 INJURED RESERVE

Totals 56/0 23 15 8 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

COY WIRELINEBACKER

TRANSACTIONS

• Selected as a third round (97th overall) pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2002 NFL Draft.• Signed by the Falcons as a free agent on July 25, 2008.

CAREER

• Spent the first six seasons of this career in a Buffalo Bills uniform and tallied 164 tackles in 80 games played.• Was voted the Bills special teams captain in 2007.

2007 (BILLS)

• Named the Bills special teams captain prior to the start of the season.• Competed in seven games with one start and finished the season with four tackles.

2006 (BILLS)

• Saw action in all 16 games and contributed with 16 tackles and 19 special teams stops.

2005 (BILLS)

• Played in 13 games and recorded six tackles and one forced fumble.

2004 (BILLS)

• Competed in 12 games, starting in three and totaled 31 tackles (12 solo) and one sack.

2003 (BILLS)

• In 16 games, finished the year with 15 tackles (10 solo), one sack and two passes defensed.

2002 (BILLS)

• Pieced together a stellar rookie season after starting in 15 of 16 games and finished fourth on the team in tackles with 92 (67 solo).• Recorded his first career NFL sack when he dropped Brian Griese for an eight-yard loss at Denver (9/22).• Was second on the team with a career-high 12 tackles (nine solo) in a loss to New England (11/3).

COLLEGE

• Competed at running back, linebacker and safety in his collegiate career at Stanford University.• Led Stanford in rushing in 1998 and then in tackles in 2000 and ’01.• Finished his career with 177 tackles (111 solo) and 11 sacks for 70 yards.• Was a first-team All-Pac 10 Conference choice in 2001.

PERSONAL

• Attended Cedar Cliff High School and was an All-America selection after rushing for 2,087 yards and 29 touchdowns on 334 carries.• Was voted Conference Offensive Player of the Year as well as Central Pennsylvania Player of the Year.• Full name is Coy Michael Wire.

HT: 6-0 WT: 228 COLLEGE: Stanford NFL SEASON: 7th

GP/GS: 80/21 POSTSEASON: 0/0 BORN: November 7, 1978 ACQ: FA ‘08

52

WIRE’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS


2002 Buf 16/15 92 67 25 3.0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

2003 Buf 16/1 15 10 5 1.0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

2004 Buf 12/3 31 12 19 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2005 Buf 13/0 6 3 3 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

2006 Buf 16/1 16 8 8 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2007 Buf 7/1 4 0 4 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 80/21 164 100 64 5.0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0

WAYNE GANDYOFFENSIVE TACKLE

TRANSACTIONS

• Originally selected as a first round (15th pick overall) draft choice by the Los Angeles Rams in 1994.• Signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers on April 6, 1999.• Signed as an unrestricted free agent by the New Orleans Saints on March 2, 2003.• Traded to the Falcons for safety S Bryan Scott and the Falcons 2007 seventh-round draft pick on April 6, 2006.• Signed as a free agent on October 29, 2008.

CAREER

• Consistent player on the offensive line, who has played in 212 career games while starting in every contest from 1995-2007.• Has started all 16 games in 10 of the past 12 seasons, missing only one start in 2001 and 11 in 2007.

2007 (FALCONS)

• Started the first five games of the season before being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury following a Week 5 match-up atTennessee.

2006 (FALCONS)

• Started all 16 games for the fifth consecutive season, helping the team lead the NFL in rushing for the third consecutive year, whilesetting a Falcons franchise record with 2,939 rushing yards (ninth highest in NFL history).• Blocked for a running game that tallied six, 200-yard rushing games, while also leading the NFL in rushes of 20+ yards (23) and 10+yards (82).• Blocked for an offense that produced 252 rushing yards at Carolina (9/10), followed by a franchise-record 306 rushing yards vs. TampaBay (9/17).• Paved the way for Vick to rush for 166 rushing yards vs. New Orleans (11/26), which marked the second highest rushing total for aquarterback in a single game.

2005 (SAINTS)

• Started all 16 games for the fourth straight season and for the tenth time in his 12-year career.

2004 (SAINTS)

• Started all 16 games at left tackle for the third straight season, and the ninth time in his career.

2003 (SAINTS)

• Started all 16 regular season games and was part of a unit that helped pave the way for RB Deuce McAllister's record-breaking sea-son. McAllister finished second in the NFC with a career-high 1,641 yards (4.7 avg. on 351 carries) and posted a club-record nine-straight 100-yard games (from vs. Indianapolis, Sept. 28 to vs. Tampa Bay, Dec. 7). McAllister's nine-straight 100-yard performancestied for the third-longest streak in NFL history.

2002 (STEELERS)

• Started all 16 regular season games and both postseason contests.• Was instrumental in the offense's record-setting performance vs. Atlanta (11/10), in which the team amassed 645 total yards.• Started his third postseason game in a Wild Card clash vs. Cleveland (1/5/03) and his fourth postseason game in the Divisional Playoffgame at Tennessee (1/11/03).

2001 (STEELERS)

• Earned first-team All-Pro honors from Football Digest as he started 15 games.• Anchored an offensive line that produced a third-straight 200-yard rushing performance at Tampa Bay (10/21).• Had his string of 102 straight games end vs. Baltimore (11/4) because of a hamstring injury.• Started the first postseason game of his career vs. Baltimore (1/20/02) and started his second postseason game in the AFCChampionship Game vs. New England (1/27/02).

HT: 6-5 WT: 308 COLLEGE: Auburn NFL SEASON: 14th

GP/GS: 212/205 POSTSEASON: 4/4 BORN: February 10, 1971 ACQ: FA ‘08

68

2000 (STEELERS)

• Produced a solid season despite playing the majority of it with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.• Helped the offense finish as the fourth-best rushing team in the NFL and one of only 10 units in the league to compile more than 2,000yards.

1999 (STEELERS)

• Started every game at left tackle and provided stability in his first season with the Steelers.• Instrumental in his Steelers debut as the team produced 460 total yards, including 213 rushing yards, at Cleveland (9/12).

1998 (RAMS)

• Started in all 16 games at right tackle for the Rams.

1997 (RAMS)

• Showed versatility by starting Games 1-4 and 10-12 at left tackle, and Games 5-9 and 13-16 at right tackle.• Played in 1,005 of possible 1,011 plays.

1996 (RAMS)

• Started 16 games at left tackle.• Received game ball from coaches vs. Atlanta (11/10) after not allowing a sack and helping the Rams to 279 rushing yards.

1995 (RAMS)

• Started 16 games at left tackle.

1994 (RAMS)

• Played in 16 games with nine starts at right tackle. Was only Rams rookie offensive lineman to start more than half of season since GTom Newberry (14) in 1986.• Made first career start vs. New York Giants (10/16), replacing an injured Jackie Slater.

COLLEGE

• Started 37 games during his four-year career at Auburn, earning first-team All-America honors from Football Writers Association and aunanimous All-Southeastern Conference selection as a senior. Was also a finalist for the Outland Trophy.• Started every game at left tackle as junior and senior.

PERSONAL

• Lettered three times in football, basketball and track (shot put) at Haines City (FL) High School.• Was an All-State first-team selection as two-way lineman as a senior. Averaged 10 tackles per game and had 20 sacks as senior.• Member of National Honor Society.• Born Wayne Lamar Gandy on February 10, 1971 in Haines City, Florida.

GANDY’S CAREER GAMES PLAYED/STARTED

Career Totals: 212/205 Regular season: 2007 (Atl 5/5), 2006 (Atl 16/16), 2005 (NO 16/16), 2004 (NO 16/16), 2003 (NO 16/16), 2002 (Pit 16/16), 2001 (Pit15/15), 2000 (16/16), 1999 (Pit 16/16), 1998 (StL 16/16), 1997 (StL 16/16), 1996 (StL 16/16), 1995 (StL 16/16), 1994 (StL 16/9)Postseason: 2002 (Pit 2/2), 2001 (Pit 2/2)

MARCUS POLLARDTIGHT END

TRANSACTIONS

• Originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent on January 24, 1995.• Signed from the Colts practice squad to the active roster on October 10, 1995.• Signed by the Detroit Lions as an unrestricted free agent on March 7, 2005.• Released by the Lions on March 3, 2007 and was signed by the Seattle Seahawks on March 13, 2007.• Signed by the New England Patriots as a free agent on April 23, 2008.• Released by the Patriots on August 20, 2008 and was signed by the Falcons as a free agent on August 24, 2008.• Signed by the Falcons as a free agent on December 16, 2008

CAREER

• Has competed in 191 career games with 133 starts and has caught 349 passes for 4,280 yards (12.3 avg.) and 40 touchdowns.• Posted eight career 100-yard receiving games and has also recorded 57 special teams tackles.• Led Seattle tight ends in receiving in 2007 with 28 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns.• Left the Indianapolis Colts after the 2004 season ranked second among the franchise’s tight ends with 263 career receptions, third with3,391 receiving yards and third with 35 touchdowns.• Set career highs in all receiving categories in 2001, catching 47 passes for 739 yards and eight touchdowns while starting in all 16games for the first time in his career.

2007 (SEAHAWKS)

• In 14 games, totaled 28 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns.• Started his first game against Tampa Bay (9/9) and caught five passes for 43 yards.• Caught two passes for 23 yards and a 14-yard touchdown, his first in a Seahawks uniform at San Francisco (9/30).• Caught a key two-point conversion in a Wild Card Playoff Game against Washington (1/5).

2006 (LIONS)

• Saw action in 15 games while registering 12 catches for 100 yards.• Surpassed 4,000 career receiving yards for his career against San Francisco (11/12).

2005 (LIONS)

• Started all 16 games during the regular season and led the team with 46 receptions while tallying 516 yards and three touchdowns.• Caught his first touchdown pass as a Lion against Green Bay (9/11) while finishing the game with 58 receiving yards.• Tied his career long pass of 86 yards to set up a Lions field goal versus Carolina (10/16).• Led the team with six receptions at New Orleans (12/24) which included his 300th career catch.

2004 (COLTS)

• Started in all 13 games he appeared in while logging 29 catches for 309 yards and six touchdowns.• Totaled two receptions for 29 yards, which both went for a season-high two touchdowns against Minnesota (11/7).• Posted a season-high 52 yards on three catches with a 26-yard long against Jacksonville (10/24).

2003 (COLTS)

• Played in 14 games starting in 13 and notched 40 receptions for 541 yards and three touchdowns.• Made a season-high 51-yard grab at Miami (11/2) finishing the game with 68 yards.• Caught a seven-yard touchdown pass in the AFC Championship Game at New England (1/18).

2002 (COLTS)

• Started in 15 games and caught at least one pass in every contest, totaling 43 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns.• Caught a season-long 41-yard touchdown catch at Pittsburgh (10/21) capping a three-game touchdown streak from 10/6-10/21.

2001 (COLTS)

• Started in all 16 games and set career highs in receptions (47), yards (739) and a long catch of 86 yards for a touchdown.• Averaged 15.7 yards per catch (a career best) which ranked first among all NFL tight ends with 40-plus receptions.• Pulled down an 86-yard touchdown pass at New Orleans (11/18), the fifth longest touchdown reception in Colts history and the sec-ond longest by a tight end.

HT: 6-3 WT: 255 COLLEGE: Bradley NFL SEASON: 14th

GP/GS: 191/133 POSTSEASON: 13/10 BORN: February 8, 1972 ACQ: FA ‘08

81

2000 (COLTS)

• Started 14 games and registered 30 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns.• Had a season-high five catches for 74 yards and a 50-yard touchdown at Miami (12/17).

1999 (COLTS)

• Started in 10 of 16 games and finished the season with 34 receptions for 374 yards and four touchdowns.

1998 (COLTS)

• Started in 11 games and caught four touchdowns on 24 receptions for 309 yards.• Made a then-career-high six catches at New England (9/13) for 53 yards.• Caught a 44-yard touchdown pass against Carolina (12/27).

1997 (COLTS)

• Started in six contests while seeing action in every game and finished the season with 10 catches for 116 yards.

1996 (COLTS)

• Started in four contests and finished the campaign with six catches for 86 yards and one touchdown.• His first career reception was also his first career touchdown on a 48-yard grab from quarterback Jim Harbaugh at Dallas (9/15).

1995 (COLTS)

• Played in eight games in his rookie season and saw action primarily on special teams.

COLLEGE

• Did not play college football, but was a two-year starter at power forward in basketball for Bradley.• Transferred to Bradley after starting two years at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas.

PERSONAL

• Attended Valley High School in Valley, Alabama.• Grew up idolizing Billy “White Shoes” Johnson and the Atlanta Falcons as a child.• An avid golfer who sports a handicap of 10.• Coached the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa in 2006.• Majored in Criminal Justice.• Marcus and his wife Amani have two sons, Myles Ashton and Micah Jayden, and one daughter, Aja Amani.

POLLARD’S OFFENSIVE STATISTICS

Year Team GP/GS Rec Yds Avg LG TD Rush Att Yds Avg LG TD

1995 Ind 8/0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

1996 Ind 16/4 6 86 14.3 48t 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

1997 Ind 16/6 10 116 11.6 28 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

1998 Ind 16/11 24 309 12.9 44t 4 0 0 0.0 0 0

1999 Ind 16/10 34 374 11.0 33 4 0 0 0.0 0 0

2000 Ind 16/14 30 439 14.6 50t 3 0 0 0.0 0 0

2001 Ind 16/16 47 739 15.7 86t 8 0 0 0.0 0 0

2002 Ind 15/15 43 478 11.1 41t 6 0 0 0.0 0 0

2003 Ind 14/13 40 541 13.5 70 3 0 0 0.0 0 0

2004 Ind 13/13 29 309 10.7 31 6 0 0 0.0 0 0

2005 Det 16/16 46 516 11.2 86 3 0 0 0.0 0 0

2006 Det 15/5 12 100 8.3 22 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2007 Sea 14/10 28 273 9.8 22 2 0 0 0.0 0 0

Totals 191/133 349 4,280 12.3 86t 40 0 0 0.0 0 0

POLLARD’S POSTSEASON OFFENSIVE STATISTICS

Year Team GP/GS Rec Yds Avg LG TD Rush Att Yds Avg LG TD

1995 Ind 2/0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

1996 Ind 1/0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

1999 Ind 1/1 1 10 10.0 10 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2000 Ind 1/1 1 13 13.0 13 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2002 Ind 1/1 1 16 16.0 16 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2003 Ind 3/3 10 156 15.6 32 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2004 Ind 2/2 3 30 10.0 25 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2007 Sea 2/2 1 3 3.0 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

Totals 13/10 17 228 13.4 32 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

JUSTIN PEELLETIGHT END

TRANSACTIONS

• Originally selected as a fourth-round draft choice (103rd overall) by the San Diego Chargers in 2002.• Signed as a free agent by the Miami Dolphins on March 20, 2006.• Signed as a free agent by Atlanta on August 31, 2008.

CAREER

• Has competed in 93 games (39 starts) in six NFL seasons.• Has caught 85 career passes for 614 yards and seven touchdowns.

2007 (DOLPHINS)

• Competed in all 16 games starting in 10 and tallied career-high totals of 29 receptions for 228 yards and two touchdowns.• Posted at least one reception in 13 of 16 games.• Caught one touchdown reception in the season opener at Washington (9/9).• Totaled 10 receptions for 84 yards in back-to-back contests against New England (10/21) and the New York Giants (10/28).

2006 (DOLPHINS)

• Played in 15 games, starting in 10 and finished the season with 16 catches for 116 yards and one touchdown.• Caught a season-high three catches for 21 yards and one touchdown on an 11-yard pass versus Minnesota (11/19).

2005 (CHARGERS)

• Saw action in all 16 games with four starts and caught 11 passes for 38 yards and one touchdown.• Caught three passes for 20 yards and one touchdown pass from RB LaDainian Tomlinson against Oakland (10/31).

2004 (CHARGERS)

• Started in four of 16 contests and recorded 10 receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns.• Caught a 10-yard touchdown from Drew Brees in a Chargers victory over Tennessee (10/3) and notched his second score of the yearon a 17-yard strike against Oakland (10/31).

2003 (CHARGERS)

• Appeared in 15 games starting in nine and caught 16 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown.• Caught lone touchdown pass on a seven-yard strike from Drew Brees at Oakland (9/28).

2002 (CHARGERS)

• Saw action in 15 games during his rookie campaign while catching three passes for 15 yards.

COLLEGE

• Started 28 of 42 games at Oregon totaling 63 receptions for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns.• Was a first-team All-Pac 10 selection as a senior when he caught 34 passes for 491 yards and nine touchdowns.

PERSONAL

• Attended Dublin High School (CA) and earned first-team Tri-County Athletic League offensive and defensive honors.• Peellee and his wife, Sara, have one son, Morris David.

HT: 6-4 WT: 250 COLLEGE: Oregon NFL SEASON: 7th

GP/GS: 93/39 POSTSEASON: 1/1 BORN: March 15, 1979 ACQ: FA ‘08

87

PEELLE’S OFFENSIVE STATISTICS

RECEIVING RUSHING

Year Team GP/GS No. Yards Avg. LG TD No. Yards Avg. LG TD

2002 SD 15/2 3 15 5.0 10 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

2003 SD 15/9 16 133 8.3 24 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2004 SD 16/4 10 84 8.4 17t 2 0 0 0.0 0 0

2005 SD 16/4 11 38 3.5 11 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2006 Mia 15/10 16 116 7.3 25 1 0 0 0.0 0 0

2007 Mia 16/10 29 228 7.9 35 2 0 0 0.0 0 0

Totals 93/39 85 614 7.2 35 7 0 0 0.0 0 0

GRADY JACKSONDEFENSIVE TACKLE

HT: 6-2 WT: 345 COLLEGE: Knoxville College NFL SEASON: 12th

GP/GS: 155/102 POSTSEASON: 9/7 BORN: January 21, 1973 ACQ: FA ‘08

90

TRANSACTIONS

• Originally selected by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round (193rd overall) of the 1997 Draft. • Signed by New Orleans Saints as an unrestricted free agent on April 12, 2002. • Waived by the Saints on November 3, 2003. Claimed off waivers by Green Bay Packers on November 4, 2003. • Signed with the Falcons as an unrestricted free agent on August 22, 2006. • Waived by the Falcons on October 23 and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 31, 2007.• Signed by the Falcons as a free agent on July 29, 2008.

CAREER

• A remarkable athlete and impactful defender, who anchored the Packers defensive line from 2003-05. • Has the ability to generate significant inside pass rush.• An agile force at defensive tackle, Jackson had an impressive year for the Packers in 2005, starting all 16 games for the second time

(also 2001 with Oakland) in his career and tallying a career-high 72 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a career-high four pass-es defensed.

• In 2004, Green Bay allowed nearly 40 less rushing yards per game (39.9) in Jackson’s 10 regular season contests than what thePackers gave up without him.

• Possesses a keen understanding of the game from nearly a decade of working in the NFL trenches.• Led all NFL players with 13 tackles for loss in 2006.

2007 SEASON (FALCONS/JAGUARS)

• Spent the first seven weeks of the season with the Falcons and collared 18 tackles and one sack.• Joined the Jaguars on Oct. 31 and competed in nine games while logging eight tackles.• Recorded his 500th tackle at Tennessee (11/11).

2006 SEASON (FALCONS)

• Led all NFL players with 13 tackles for loss in 2006 while starting in 15 of 16 games.• Logged 52 tackles, one forced fumble and two passes defensed.• Recorded a season-high nine tackles vs. New Orleans (11/26).• Led all defensive linemen with seven tackles at Washington (12/3).

2005 SEASON (PACKERS)

• Started in all 16 games while totaling 72 tackles (47 solo) one sack, four passes defensed and one forced fumble.• Recorded seven tackles, sharing a sack on two occasions, with two pressures and one pass defensed, at Minnesota (10/23).• Led the defensive line with seven tackles vs. Pittsburgh (11/6).• Led the defensive line and matched his season-high with seven tackles at Seattle (1/1).

2004 SEASON (PACKERS)

• Served as a key contributor to the Green Bay run defense in his first full season as the starting nose tackle, finishing with 36 tackles,one sack and two passes defensed in 10 starts. Was inactive the remaining six contests. Also started NFC Wild Card playoff gameagainst Minnesota

• Played in his 100th NFL game at Washington (10/31), recording three stops plus a pass defensed.• Picked up his lone ‘04 sack when he dropped QB Donovan McNabb among three tackles at Philadelphia (12/5).• Posted a season-high seven tackles in a victory over Detroit (12/12), while leading the Packers’ defensive line in stops.

2003 SEASON (SAINTS/PACKERS)

• Saw action in 15 games between the Saints and Packers while notching 54 tackles, six sacks, two passes defensed and one forcedfumble.• Posted a season-high six tackles with the Packers against the Denver Broncos (12/28).• Split a sack of QB Donovan McNabb with Larry Smith, among five tackles, in a Monday night game vs. Philadelphia (11/10), his Green

Bay debut.• With Saints, made a season-best seven tackles, including a sack of Titans QB Steve McNair, in Week 3 loss at Tennessee (9/21).

2002 SEASON (SAINTS)

• Started 14 games at defensive tackle in his first season with New Orleans and led the Saints’ interior linemen in total tackles (55), sacks(5.5), and fumble recoveries (a career-high, three). Also forced a pair of fumbles and had one pass defensed.

• Sacked Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey twice among eight tackles at Washington (10/13).• Had a pair of sacks in season finale with Carolina (12/29), dropping QB Rodney Peete and QB Chris Weinke once each. Additionally,

recovered a first-quarter fumble by RB Nick Goings at the Panthers 12-yard line, setting up a field goal.• Blocked a K Neil Rackers extra point attempt at Cincinnati (12/22).

2001 SEASON (RAIDERS)

• Started all 16 games for the first time in his pro career in addition to two playoff starts as he recorded 69 tackles in his final season withOakland. Also tallied four sacks, one forced fumble and two passes defensed.

• Registered a career-high 10 stops at Seattle (11/11).• Sacked QB Brian Griese twice at Denver (12/30).• Made eight stops against Tennessee (12/22), then finished the regular season with a team-high seven tackles vs. the N.Y. Jets (12/6).


• Moved into the starting lineup in his fourth NFL season, playing in all 16 games for the first time, making 15 starts. Also startedOakland’s two playoff contests.

• Led the Raiders with a career-high 8.0 sacks, second among AFC defensive tackles, behind the Broncos Trevor Pryce (12). Also post-ed 68 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed.

• Enjoyed a pair of two-sack games vs. Denver (9/17) and at New Orleans (11/19).• Matched his then-career high with nine tackles in an AFC Championship Game against Baltimore (1/14).


• Continued to make regular contributions as an Oakland reserve, seeing action in 15 games and was inactive for one contest (vs. Seattle(12/5). Recorded four sacks among 34 total tackles, forced one fumble, recovered a fumble and broke up three passes.

• Made a season-high six stops, including a forced fumble, in an overtime win at Kansas City to end the year (1/2).


• Became more a part of the Raiders’ defensive line rotation in his second season, playing in 15 games and making one start.• Credited with 37 tackles, including three sacks, plus one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and three passes defensed.• Contributed five stops plus a pass defensed in the season finale with Chiefs (12/26).


• Saw action in five games as a rookie and recorded six tackles. Did not play in two contests and was inactive for the other nine games.• Made his NFL debut at Carolina (11/2).• Blocked a Todd Peterson field goal try vs. Seattle (12/14).

COLLEGE

• Spent the 1996 season at Knoxville (Tenn.) College, where he broke the Bulldogs’ single-game sacks record with five.• Initially had played two seasons (1994-95) at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi.• Was a two-time Junior College All-America selection at Hinds.• Also was named a team MVP for the Eagles and National Junior College ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ following the 1994-95 seasons.• Majored in Business and Physical Education.

PERSONAL

• Was an all-state, all-league and All-West Alabama selection in football at Greensboro (AL) East High School, where he lettered in foot-ball and basketball.

• Was named MVP of the basketball team his junior year.• Enjoys hunting and fishing, as well as playing basketball and softball.• Born Grady O’Neal Jackson in Greensboro, Alabama.

JACKSON’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS

Year Team GP/GS Tackles Solo Asst. Sacks YDS INT YDS TD PD FF FR

1997 Oak 5/0 6 4 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1998 Oak 15/1 37 27 10 3.0 21.0 0 0 0 3 1 1

1999 Oak 15/0 34 25 9 4.0 35.0 0 0 0 3 1 1

2000 Oak 16/15 68 51 17 8.0 58.0 0 0 0 4 2 1

2001 Oak 16/16 69 52 17 4.0 31.5 0 0 0 2 0 1

2002 NO 15/14 55 40 15 5.5 30.0 0 0 0 4 1 3

2003 NO 7/6 29 20 9 3.5 21.0 0 0 0 2 0 0

GB 8/1 25 16 9 2.5 32.0 0 0 0 0 1 0

2004 GB 10/10 36 25 11 1.0 5.0 0 0 0 2 0 0

2005 GB 16/16 72 47 25 1.0 3.5 0 0 0 4 1 0

2006 ATL 16/15 52 34 18 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 2 1 0

2007 ATL 7/7 18 16 2 1.0 5.0 0 0 0 0 0 0

JAX 9/0 8 8 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 155/101 507 362 144 33.5 242.0 0 0 0 26 8 7

JASON JEFFERSONDEFENSIVE TACKLE

TRANSACTIONS

• Originally selected in the sixth round (193rd overall) by the New Orleans Saints in the 2005 NFL Draft.• Waived by the Saints on August 28, 2005 and signed was to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad on October 4, 2005.• Signed by the Buffalo Bills from the Eagles practice squad on October 12, 2005.• Claimed off of waivers by the Atlanta Falcons on August 31, 2008.

2007 (BILLS)

• Saw action in a career-high 11 games totaling a career-high 20 tackles.• Tied a career-high of four tackles against the New York Jets (9/30).

2006 (BILLS)

• Competed in four games while contributing with six tackles (two solo).

2005 (BILLS)

• Played in five of the last eight games during the 2005 campaign, but did not record a tackle.

COLLEGE

• Started every game on the Wisconsin defensive line as a senior and posted 25 tackles (14 solo), three sacks and one forced fumble.• Collared 30 tackles and one sack in 14 games as a junior.• Took over the starting role as a sophomore in 2002 and posted a career-best 45 tackles.

PERSONAL

• Attended Leo High School where he was a three-time offensive line MVP and team captain in both football and track.• Won the 1998 state title in the shot put.• Registered 310 career tackles and 43 sacks.• Earned Academic All-State honors.

HT: 6-1 WT: 295 COLLEGE: Wisconsin NFL SEASON: 4th

GP/GS: 20/1 POSTSEASON: 0/0 BORN: December 20, 1981 ACQ: W ‘08

99

JEFFERSON’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS


2005 Buf 5/0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2006 Buf 4/0 6 2 4 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2007 Buf 11/0 20 9 11 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 20/0 26 11 15 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Michael Turner rushed for a franchise-record 220 yards and scoredtwo touchdowns as the Falcons defeated the Detroit Lions 34-21 in the2008 opener.

Atlanta (1-0) exploded out of the gate, scoring on the first threeoffensive possessions and racking up 216 yards of total offense in theopening period. Quarterback Matt Ryan's first pass attempt of the sea-son -- and his career -- was a 62-yard scoring strike to Michael Jenkins.That was followed by 66- and 5-yard touchdown runs by Turner.

Turner rushed for 117 yards and both touchdowns the first quarterbut that was just a sign of big things to come for a Falcons football teameager to show off a new form of intensity for first-year Head Coach MikeSmith.

A 21-0 lead -- and a season-opening victory also seemed to breathenew life into a fan base that witnessed just four 'W's' in a tumultuous2007. Each score in the Falcons first-quarter barrage met with boister-ous approval from the 62,310 inside the refurbished Georgia Dome.

Ryan, who became the first rookie to start a season for the Falconssince Steve Bartkowski in 1975, finished with a solid 161 passing yardsand 137.0 quarterback rating. Turner led a ground game that picked upa franchise-record 318 rushing yards (7.6 yards per carry). The amountof big plays resulted in plenty of big celebrations, as Falcons playersdanced around the field almost nonstop during the game.

In all, 10 young players got their first opening day start with theFalcons on Sunday.

Some excitement was expected.That easygoing mentality helped when the Lions started to make a

run.The defense surrendered 14-second quarter points, but reasserted

itself on the Lions opening drive of the third quarter with a Lawyer Milloyinterception. The 13-year veteran returned the ball 38 yards back to thelions 49. Four plays later, Jason Elam kicked a 50-yard field goal toopen a 24-14 lead.

The Falcons hit the accelerator again on the next possesion, usinga 46-yard completion from Ryan to Roddy White to set up a 10-yardtouchdown run by Norwood.

Turner and Norwood were nothing short of dominant in the secondhalf (158 rushing yards) as they darted through holes in the middle ofthe defense and delivered hits to tiring Lions defenders. The Falconstalked throughout the off-season and training camp about estabilishingan identy based on toughness and a punishing run game. Missionaccomplished.

With Norwood's 93 rushing yards, the Falcons came just sevenyards away from having a 200- and 100-yard rusher for the first time inteam history. Turner rushed for multiple touchdowns for the first time inhis career, which started behind All-Pro LaDanian Tomlinson in SanDiego.

As a Charger, Turner often watched as Tomlinson re-wrote therecord books.

Some would say he shattered the previous numbers (202 yards by Gerald Riggs), which will outshine the solid performance of the team's defense as Week 2 begins.The group bent, but failed to break Sunday as defensive end John Abraham sacked Lions quarterback Jon Kitna three times.

falcons 34 LIONS 21September 7, 2008

Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA

ATLANTA FALCONS DETROIT LIONS

RECEIVING No Yds Avg LG TD

White 2 54 27.0 46 0

Norwood 2 6 3.0 3 0

Jenkins 1 62 62.0 62t 1

Hartsock 1 17 17.0 17 0

Peelle 1 13 13.0 13 0

Turner 1 6 6.0 6 0

Mughelli 1 3 3.0 3 0

Total 9 161 17.9 62t 1

RUSHING No Yds Avg LG TD

Turner 22 220 10.0 66t 2

Norwood 14 93 6.6 17 1

Douglas 1 7 7.0 7 0

Ryan 5 -2 -0.4 2 0

Total 42 318 7.6 66t 3

TEAM STATISTICS

Lions Falcons

TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 21 23

THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 2-9-22% 3-9-33%

FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% 0-0-0%

TOTAL NET YARDS 308 474

NET YARDS RUSHING 62 318

NET YARDS PASSING 246 156

PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 33-24-1 13-9-0

KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 4-2-1 7-3-1

PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 6-42.5 3-38.3

FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0

NET PUNTING AVERAGE 40.0 38.3

TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 0 53

PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 5-30 7-68

FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 1-0 0-0

TOUCHDOWNS 3 4

EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 3-3 4-4

FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 0-0 2-2

RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 2-2-100% 2-4-50%

GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 2-2-100% 2-3-67%

SAFETIES 0 0

TIME OF POSSESSION 30:53 29:07

SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Lions Falcons

Falcons 1 13:33 M. Jenkins 62 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 0 7

Falcons 1 7:33 M. Turner 66 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 0 14


Lions 2 4:06 Kevin Smith 3 yd. run (J. Hanson kick) 7 21

Lions 2 0:16 R. Williams 21 yd. pass from J. Kitna (J. Hanson kick) 14 21

Falcons 3 9:45 J. Elam 50 yd. Field Goal 14 24

Falcons 3 5:57 J. Norwood 10 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 14 31

Lions 3 1:40 C. Fitzsimmons 1 yd. pass from J. Kitna (J. Hanson kick) 21 31



Kevin Smith 16 48 3.0 10 1

R. Johnson 3 14 4.7 12 0

J. Kitna 2 0 0.0 8 0

Total 21 62 3.0 12 1


C. Johnson 7 107 15.3 38 0

Kevin Smith 4 32 8.0 12 0

S. McDonald 4 29 7.3 11 0

R. Williams 3 47 15.7 21t 1

M. Furrey 2 14 7.0 12 0

M. Gaines 2 11 5.5 6 0

D. Campbell 1 21 21.0 21 0

C. Fitzsimmons 1 1 1.0 1t 1

Total 24 262 10.9 38 2

Falcons vs. LIONSStarters

FALCONS LIONS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR R. WilliamsLT S. Baker LT J. BackusLG J. Blalock LG E. MulitaloC T. McClure C D. RaiolaRG H. Dahl RG S. PetermanRT T. Clabo RT G. FosterTE B. Hartsock TE M. GainesWR R. White WR C. JohnsonQB M. Ryan QB J. KitnaRB M. Turner FB J. FeltonFB O. Mughelli RB Kevin Smith

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE J. DeVriesDT G. Jackson NT C. DarbyDT J. Babineaux UT C. ReddingLE J. Anderson RE D. WhiteOLB M. Boley WLB E. SimsMLB C. Lofton MLB P. LenonOLB K. Brooking SLB A. LewisLCB B. Grimes LCB B. KellyRCB C. Houston RCB T. FisherSS L. Milloy FS G. AlexanderFS E. Coleman SS D. Smith

PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT RT

Ryan 13 9 161 1/5 1 62t 0 137.0

Total 13 9 161 1/5 1 62t 0 137.0


Kitna 33 24 262 3/16 2 38 1 103.3

Total 33 24 262 3/16 2 38 1 103.3

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw the first interceptions of hiscareer into an aggressive Buccaneers defense as the Falcons fell totheir division rival 24-9 at Raymond James Stadium Sunday afternoon.Ryan rebounded and the Birds showed incredible heart in the secondhalf, but didn't overcome first-half miscues.

Ryan misfired on his first nine pass attempts as the offense strug-gled to get into the powerful groove it established in a Week 1 victoryover Detroit. The quarterback's first interception came on the first driveas a third-down throw went through the hands of rookie wide receiverHarry Douglas and into the mitts of cornerback Aqib Talib.

Five plays later Brian Griese found tight end John Gilmore with a 5-yard touchdown pass.

Ryan didn't complete a pass until the 6:27 mark of the second quar-ter and the team converted just 2-of-10 third downs in the first half. Ballswere dropped, Ryan was pressured and good plays were erased withholding penalties and shoe-string tackles. Ryan was 13 of 33 for 158yards in the game and was sacked four times.

The Falcons defense held the Bucs to 36 net rushing yards in thefirst half -- the lowest total in a half since the 2006 season finale -- butTampa Bay did just enough in the run game to stay on the move.Former Falcon Warrick Dunn rushed for 49 yards on 12 carries in thegame including a 17-yard touchdown. The score -- a gutsy draw play onthird-and-goal from the 17 -- gave his team a 14-0 lead midway throughthe second quarter.

Ryan's second interception of the day came on the next series. Thatled to a 33-yard field goal by Matt Bryant. But the tide started to turn forthe Falcons at the close of the first half despite a 17-0 disadvantage.

A 37-yard punt return by Adam Jennings set the Falcons up at theBucs 25 with just more than two minutes to play. A key completion toRoddy White on third-and-13 gave Jason Elam a chance at a 32-yardfield goal, which he made to get the Falcons on the scoreboard.

It was the longest return in Jennings' career and the longest for theteam since 2006. The Falcons got on the board again with 6:43 remain-ing in the third quarter with a 27-yard field goal by Elam. The drive cov-ered 75 yards in 13 plays as Ryan completed 6 of 7 passes for 62yards.

The Bucs went on the move on next series, pushing the ball deepinto Falcons territory. But, as he's done numerous times in his career,Abraham made a big play. He sacked Griese and forced a fumble in thered zone that was recovered by Jason Jefferson. Defensive tackleJonathan Babineaux also had a sack in the game. Abraham's sack ishis 14th in the last 17 games.

The play kicked off a key drive for the Birds, who drove into Bucsterritory and took two cracks at the end zone with Ryan's arm. The quar-terback was forced to throw it away on both attempts, however, bring-ing in Elam for a 25-yard field goal which made the score 17-9 with 5:12remaining. It wasn't a one-possession game for long.

Bucs running back Earnest Graham notched a 68-yard touchdownrun on the next series to put the game away. The Falcons got the ball twice more but the Bucs defensive line didn't let up. Ryan was pressured heavily through the endof the game.

BUCCANEERS 24 FALCONS 9

September 14, 2008

Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, FL

ATLANTA FALCONS TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS


R. White 4 59 14.8 19 0

L. Robinson 4 45 11.3 23 0

H. Douglas 2 34 17.0 21 0

J. Norwood 1 8 8.0 8 0

O. Mughelli 1 6 6.0 6 0

M. Turner 1 6 6.0 6 0

Total 13 158 12.2 23 0


M. Turner 14 42 3.0 17 0

H. Douglas 1 33 33.0 33 0

J. Norwood 6 18 3.0 6 0

M. Ryan 6 10 1.7 7 0

R. White 1 2 2.0 2 0

Total 28 105 3.8 33 0

TEAM STATISTICS

Buccaneers Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 3 0





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Bucs Falcons

Bucs 1 12:37 J. Gilmore 5 yd. pass from B. Griese (M. Bryant kick) 7 0

Bucs 2 11:08 W. Dunn 17 yd. run (M.Bryant kick) 14 0

Bucs 2 9:07 M.Bryant 33 yd. Field Goal 17 0




Bucs 4 3:08 E. Graham 68 yd. run (M.Bryant kick) 24 9


E. Graham 15 116 7.7 68T 1

W. Dunn 12 49 4.1 17T 1

B. Griese 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Total 28 164 5.9 68T 2


I. Hilliard 4 41 10.3 13 0

W. Dunn 3 21 7.0 12 0

B. Askew 3 1 0.3 2 0

J. Gilmore 2 41 20.5 36 1

A. Smith 2 20 10.0 10 0

J. Galloway 2 18 9.0 12 0

E. Graham 1 12 12.0 12 0

M. Clayton 1 6 6.0 6 0

Total 18 160 8.9 36 1

Falcons at bucs

Starters

FALCONS BUCS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR J. GallowayLT S. Baker LT D. PennLG J. Blalock LG A. SearsC T. McClure C J. FaineRG H. Dahl RG J. ZuttahRT T. Clabo RT J. TruebloodTE B. Hartsock TE A. SmithWR R. White TE J. GilmoreQB M. Ryan WR A. BryantRB M. Turner QB B. GrieseFB O. Mughelli RB E. Graham

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE K. CarterDT J. Jefferson DT C. HovanDT J. Babineaux DT J. HayeLE J. Anderson RE G. AdamsOLB M. Boley SLB C. JuneMLB C. Lofton MLB B. RuudOLB K. Brooking WLB D. BrooksLCB B. Grimes LCB P. BuchanonRCB C. Houston SS J. PhillipsSS L. Milloy FS T. JacksonFS E. Coleman RCB R. Barber


Ryan 33 13 158 4/29 0 23 2 29.6

Total 33 13 158 4/29 0 23 2 29.6


Griese 31 18 160 2/13 1 36 0 82.7

Total 31 18 160 2/13 1 36 0 82.7

Five touchdowns, 378 yards on offense, three interceptions, adefensive score and a tie for the NFC South lead.

The Birds improved to 2-0 at the Georgia Dome Sunday with animpressive 38-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Running back Michael Turner rushed for 104 yards and acareer-high three touchdowns while rookie quarterback Matt Ryanfound Roddy White on a 70-yard touchdown as the offense recov-ered from a rough outing in Week 2.

Defensive backs Erik Coleman, Brent Grimes and ChrisHouston each recorded an interception off second-year quarterbackTyler Thigpen, who was starting his first NFL game. Houstonreturned his for a touchdown late in the game. The defense openedthe game by forcing five straight three-and-outs.

Turner's performance made a fitting encore after he introducedhimself to the home crowd with a franchise record, 220 yards in aWeek 1 win over Detroit. He took a different route to success thistime, however, giving fans a taste of grit and persistence. He hadjust two yards on his first four carries as the offense eased out of thelocker room. But, as if to prove patience can pay, Turner set the toneon the next carry.

The stout running back broke a tackle and spun away fromanother on his way to a 38-yard run with 6:44 remaining in the open-ing quarter. A 30-yard completion from Ryan to Jerious Norwoodlater in the drive set Turner up for a touchdown run and a 7-0Falcons lead.

Turner's three rushing touchdowns tied for the second-most infranchise history while Ryan's big completion to White set the teammark for longest scoring pass by a rookie. It also marked the longestreception of White's career.

White finished the day with five catches for 119 yards and atouchdown. Ryan didn't throw an interception for the second timethis season and completed 12-of-18 passes for 192 yards (120.6passer rating).

The defense held the Chiefs to just 7 yards and zero first downsin the first quarter while Coleman and Grimes interceptions led to aJason Elam field goal and the second of Turner's touchdowns.Defensive end John Abraham chipped in with two sacks and aforced fumble. He now leads the league with six sacks through threegames.

Kansas City managed consecutive touchdown drives to pullwithin 14 points with 9:42 remaining in the third quarter.

But Turner and the offense responded, putting together a 60-yard drive that ended with a third-quarter touchdown effectively put-ting the game away. The defense kept up the pressure through theend of the game, keeping the Chiefs out of the end zone with afourth-down tackle by rookie Curtis Lofton and Houston's interception return.

falcons 38 chiefs 14

September 21, 2008


ATLANTA FALCONS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS


R. White 5 119 23.8 70T 1

M. Jenkins 2 19 9.5 16 0

H. Douglas 2 10 5.0 6 0

J. Norwood 1 30 30.0 30 0

L. Robinson 1 7 7.0 7 0

J. Peelle 1 7 7.0 7 0

Total 12 192 16.0 70T 1


M. Turner 23 104 4.5 38 3

J. Norwood 11 75 6.8 44 0

M. Ryan 1 15 15.0 15 0

H. Douglas 1 -8 -8.0 -8 0

Total 36 186 5.2 44 3

TEAM STATISTICS

Chiefs Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 2 5





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Chiefs Falcons


Falcons 1 0:07 R. White 70 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 0 14



Chiefs 2 0:03 D. Bowe 15 yd. pass from T. Thigpen (N. Novak kick) 7 24

Chiefs 3 9:49 L. Johnson 1 yd. run (N. Novak kick) 14 24


Falcons 4 1:01 C. Houston 10 yd. interception return (J. Elam kick) 14 38


L. Johnson 24 121 5.0 48 1

J. Charles 7 38 5.4 13 0

T. Thigpen 1 18 18.0 18 0

K. Smith 1 7 7.0 7 0

Total 33 184 5.6 48 1


D. Bowe 4 43 10.8 15T 1

T. Gonzalez 4 35 8.8 12 0

J. Charles 3 24 8.0 13 0

D. Darling 1 11 11.0 11 0

K. Smith 1 8 8.0 8 0

M. Hagans 1 7 7.0 7 0

Total 14 128 9.1 15T 1

Falcons vs. chiefs

Starters

FALCONS CHIEFS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR D. BoweLT S. Baker LT B. AlbertLG J. Blalock LG B. WatersC T. McClure C R. NiswangerRG H. Dahl RG A. JonesRT T. Clabo RT D. McIntoshTE B. Hartsock TE T. GonzalezWR R. White WR D. DarlingQB M. Ryan QB T. ThigpenRB M. Turner RB L. JohnsonFB O. Mughelli FB M. Cox

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE T. McBrideDT G. Jackson DT T. TylerDT J. Babineaux DT G. DorseyLE J. Anderson RE T. HaliOLB C. Wire MLB P. ThomasMLB C. Lofton OLB D. JohnsonOLB K. Brooking OLB D. EdwardsLCB B. Grimes RCB B. FlowersRCB C. Houston LCB B. CarrSS L. Milloy FS J. PageFS E. Coleman SS B. Pollard


Ryan 18 12 192 0/0 1 70T 0 120.6

Total 18 12 192 0/0 1 70T 0 120.6


Thigpen 36 14 128 2/11 1 15T 3 23.8

Total 36 14 128 2/11 1 15T 3 23.8

The Falcons hit the road this week determined to correct the mis-takes that plagued them in their first division game.

The Falcons (2-2, 0-2) found a way to stick around for three quar-ters in Sunday's game at Bank of America Stadium but injuries, droppedpasses and untimely penalties filled the afternoon. Atlanta lost startingstrong safety Lawyer Milloy in the first half after he took a shot to theribs and played the entire game without starting left tackle Sam Baker.

Holding calls extended the field on offense while six dropped pass-es kept the team from picking up momentum. The Falcons finished theday 2-of-13 on third down.

Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme finished the day 20-of-29 for294 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He worked heavily against Falconscornerback Brent Grimes with wide receiver Mushin Muhammad (eightcatches for 147 yards and a score). Later in the game Delhommeworked the middle of the field attacking safeties Erik Coleman andJamaal Fudge, who replaced Milloy.

Wide receiver Steve Smith, in his second game back after a two-game suspension ran through the Falcons secondary to get open on a56-yard touchdown play.

The Panthers (3-1, 1-0) lost starting offensive tackles Jordan Grossand Jeff Otah in the game to injury and also went several series with-out starting cornerback Ken Lucas. But that didn't stop the NFC Southleaders from imposing their will on both sides of the ball and put upmore than 400 yards of total offense.

Atlanta got the ball to start and escaped a game-changing play fromthe Panthers defense. Ryan's first pass attempt was intercepted andreturned for a touchdown by Richard Marshall but the play wasreversed after a roughing the passer call on defensive end JuliusPeppers. Another personal foul penalty helped the Falcons move intoPanthers territory but the team would be forced to punt.

The Panthers answered with an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive thatended with an 8-yard touchdown run by rookie Jonathan Stewart.

Unlike two weeks ago in Tampa, the Falcons clawed back earlier inthe game. The Birds didn't convert a third down in the first half, but ano-huddle offense kept the Panthers off balance enough to create scor-ing opportunities.

Unfortunately those scores came from the foot of Jason Elam. TheFalcons stalled in the red zone as league rushing leader Michael Turnerwas held to 56 yards on the ground.

The veteran kicker connected on field goals of 33, 44 and 44 yardsin the opening half to keep it a one-score game into the third quarter.The Panthers responded, however, with two scores in the second half -- a field goal and the game-clinching touchdown pass to Muhammad.

The Falcons were benefactors of strong special teams playthroughout the game and got select strikes on offense. Defensive endJohn Abraham got the first blocked punt of his career. That set up a field goal, as did a 40-yard run by Jerious Norwood near the end of the second quarter.

Atlanta rushed for 118 yards and got seven-catch, 90-yard game from White.

panthers 24 falcons 9

September 28, 2008

Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC

ATLANTA FALCONS CAROLINA PANTHERS


R. White 7 90 12.9 23 0

J. Norwood 4 1 0.3 7 0

M. Jenkins 3 32 10.7 12 0

B. Finneran 2 10 5.0 5 0

H. Douglas 2 8 4.0 5 0

J. Snelling 1 11 11.0 11 0

B. Hartsock 1 7 7.0 7 0

M.Turner 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Total 21 158 7.5 23 0


M. Turner 18 56 3.1 10 0

J. Norwood 3 51 17.0 40 0

M. Ryan 2 11 5.5 6 0

Total 23 118 5.1 40 0

TEAM STATISTICS

Panthers Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 3 0





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Panthers Falcons

Panthers 1 7:13 J. Stewart 8 yd. run (J. Kasay kick) 7 0



Panthers 2 2:31 S. Smith 56 yd. pass from J. Delhomme (J. Kasay kick) 14 6


Panthers 3 1:39 J. Kasay 44 yd. Field Goal 17 9

Panthers 4 12:03 M Muhammad 36 yd. pass from J. Delhomme (J. Kasay kick) 24 9


D. Williams 16 57 3.6 21 0

J. Stewart 14 52 3.7 16 1

J. McCown 3 -2 -0.7 0 0

Total 33 107 3.2 21 1


M. Muhammad 8 147 18.4 36T 1

S. Smith 6 96 16.0 56T 1

D. Hackett 2 24 12.0 12 0

D. Rosario 2 18 9.0 12 0

D. Williams 2 9 4.5 7 0

Total 20 294 14.7 56T 2

Falcons at panthers

Starters

FALCONS PANTHERS

OFFENSE OFFENSETE J. Peelle WR S. SmithLT T. Weiner LT J. GrossLG J. Blalock LG T. WhartonC T. McClure C R. KalilRG H. Dahl RG K. VincentRT T. Clabo RT J. OtahTE B. Hartsock TE J. KingWR R. White WR M. MuhammadQB M. Ryan QB J. DelhommeRB M. Turner RB D. WilliamsFB J. Snelling FB B. Hoover

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE T. BraytonDT G. Jackson DT M. KemoeatuDT J. Babineaux DT D. LewisLE J. Anderson RE J. PeppersOLB M. Boley SLB N. DiggsMLB C. Lofton MLB J. BeasonOLB K. Brooking WLB T. DavisLCB B. Grimes LCB C. GambleRCB C. Houston RCB K. LucasSS L. Milloy SS C. HarrisFS E. Coleman FS C. Godfrey


Ryan 41 21 158 2/8 0 23 0 60.8

Total 41 21 158 2/8 0 23 0 60.8


Delhomme 29 20 294 0/0 2 56T 0 124.8

Total 29 20 294 0/0 2 56T 0 124.8

On a field that's seen its share of great quarterback-receiver combina-tions Matt Ryan and Roddy White introduced themselves to the NFL.

The Falcons rookie quarterback and veteran wide receiver went to workat historic Lambeau Field Sunday afternoon leading their team to a 27-24 vic-tory over the Green Bay Packers.

The game came down to fourth-quarter heroics, but overall Ryan engi-neered the best game of his short career, completing 16 of 26 passes for 194yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores went to White, who finishedthe day with eight catches for 132 yards, all in the first half.

The duo started quickly, hooking up for 37 yards on the first snap of thegame. Nine plays later Ryan found tight end Justin Peelle in the end zone foran early touchdown. The score -- symbolically and literally -- ended earlierproblems that plagued the Falcons in two previous road games. Ryan finished4-of-4 on the opening drive and found Peelle on a fourth-and-goal play -- anexample of the team's desire to succeed in the red zone.

Atlanta drove down the field on the next possession, but a dropped passkilled the drive before entering the red zone. Jason Elam added points with4:20 left in the first quarter with a 42-yard field goal.

On defense the Falcons found ways to harass quarterback AaronRodgers. Atlanta recorded two sacks (Grady Jackson and John Abraham) anddid enough early to keep Green Bay off balance. The Packers opened thegame with two three-and-out possessions and the Falcons dominated the firstquarter (8-0 on first downs, four plays of 18 yards or more on offense, 147-10on net offensive yards and 75-7 on rushing yards).

Rodgers threw for more than 300 yards in the game, but most of thatcame in the fourth quarter as he put together drives to keep attacking aFalcons lead.

The Falcons were hurt by the big play in Sunday's game, including a 44-yard touchdown from Rodgers to Donald Driver. That ended an eight-play, 87-yard scoring drive for the Packers pulled the home team to within three pointsin the first half.

But Ryan responded with a drive of his own, piloting the Falcons on a anine-play, 90-yard march that ended with the 22-yard touchdown pass toWhite.

As the game continued, penalties and special teams play did more for theFalcons' cause.

Punter Michael Koenen placed two punts inside the Packers 5 yard lineand a holding call on the Packers special teams unit wiped a field goal off theboard for Mason Crosby. The kicker tried again, but missed from 53 yards outwith 1:15 remaining in the first half. Green Bay was penalized nine times for97 yards in the game.The 17-7 score would hold until the 0:32 mark of the third quarter whenCrosby connected on a 50-yard attempt. The Falcons marched down the fieldon the next drive helped by a third-down catch by Michael Jenkins that wentfor 31 yards into Packers territory. A personal foul moved the ball to the GreenBay 12 where Ryan had tight end Ben Hartsock open in the end zone. But thequarterback floated the ball into the hands of cornerack Tramon Williams.

Four plays later Rodgers found Greg Jennings in the back of the endzone to tie the game with 10:08 to play.

Faced with another chance to correct some previous wrongs, the Falconstook the field again.

Return man Jerious Norwood returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards into Green Bay territory to help set up a go-ahead field goal by Elam. An interception by Michael Boley with4:33 remaining gave the Falcons the ball back at the Packer 19-yard line and three plays later Michael Turner busted through the middle for a touchdown. A late score by the Packers would close the gap, but an onside kick attempt failed. A few runs by Turner polished off his 121-yard day and allowed the Falcons to run out the clock.

falcons 27 packers 24

October 5, 2008

Lambeau Field - Green Bay, WI

ATLANTA FALCONS GREEN BAY PACKERS


R. White 8 132 16.5 37 1

M. Jenkins 3 38 12.7 31 0

J. Norwood 3 9 3.0 7 0

J. Peelle 2 15 7.5 14 1

Total 16 194 12.1 37 2


M. Turner 26 121 4.7 22 1

H. Douglas 1 18 18.0 18 0

M. Ryan 4 16 4.0 17 0

J. Norwood 4 12 3.0 5 0

O. Mughelli 1 9 9.0 9 0

Total 36 176 4.9 22 1

TEAM STATISTICS

Packers Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 3 3





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Packers Falcons

Falcons 1 9:53 J. Peelle 1 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 0 7


Packers 2 9:42 D. Driver 44 yd. pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby) 7 10


Packers 3 0:27 M. Crosby 50 yd. Field Goal 10 17

Packers 4 10:08 G. Jennings 25 yd. pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby kick) 17 17



Packers 4 1:56 D. Lee 4 yd. pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby kick) 24 27


R. Grant 18 83 4.6 14 0

B. Jackson 2 11 5.5 9 0

D. Driver 1 6 6.0 6 0

A. Rodgers 2 4 2.0 3 0

Total 23 104 4.5 14 0


B. Jackson 5 12 2.4 7 0

G. Jennings 4 87 21.8 36 1

T. Humphrey 4 67 16.8 37 0

D. Lee 4 25 6.3 10 1

D. Driver 3 68 22.7 44T 1

R. Martin 3 31 10.3 14 0

J. Nelson 1 14 14.0 14 0

J. Jones 1 9 9.0 9 0

Total 25 313 12.5 44T 3

Falcons at packers

Starters

FALCONS PACKERS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR G. JenningsLT S. Baker LT C. CliftonLG J. Blalock LG D. ColledgeC T. McClure C S. WellsRG H. Dahl RG J. SpitzRT T. Clabo RT M. TauscherTE B. Hartsock TE D. LeeWR R. White WR D. DriverQB M. Ryan QB A. RodgersRB M. Turner RB R. GrantFB O. Mughelli FB J. Kuhn

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE A. KampmanDT G. Jackson DT R. PickettDT J. Babineaux DT J. JollyLE J. Anderson RE M. MontgomeryOLB M. Boley SLB B. PoppingaMLB C. Lofton MLB N. BarnettOLB K. Brooking WLB A. HawkLCB B. Grimes LCB C. WoodsonRCB C. Houston RCB T. WilliamsSS L. Milloy SS C. PeprahFS E. Coleman FS N. Collins


M. Ryan 26 16 194 0/0 2 37 1 94.1

Total 26 16 194 0/0 2 37 1 94.1


A. Rodgers 37 25 313 2/9 3 44T 1 109.4

Total 37 25 313 2/9 3 44T 1 109.4

His shot at redemption at hand, kicker Jason Elam left little doubtabout the power in his 48-yard, game-winning field goal. The kick jettedoff his 38-year-old foot and through the uprights as time expired to givethe Falcons a thrilling 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears.

The 16-year veteran's celebration was interrupted by a swarm ofteammates near midfield. It was his fifth successful kick of the day butjust 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 a20-19 lead with 11 seconds to play. But a 9-yard return off a short kick-off by Harry Dougals and a 26-yard strike from rookie quarterback MattRyan to Michael Jenkins set Elam up for the game-winner with 1 sec-ond left.

Ryan finished the game 22-of-30 for a career-high 301 passingyards. He also had a key fourth-quarter touchdown to Roddy White,who posted his second-straight 100-yard receiving game. With the vic-tory the Birds (4-2) match the win total from all of 2007 and go into thebye week on a winning note.

Ryan led an efficient offense that faced off against a Bears teamthat entered the game ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing defense. TheFalcons scored on three of their first four possessions -- all field goals -- and controlled the ball for more than 19 minutes in the first half.Chicago sported trademark blitz looks throughout the game but theFalcons offensive line did not allow a sack for a second week in a row.

The rookie found five different receivers and performed regularHoudini-like acts to find open players down the field for third-down con-versions. Fellow rookie Douglas caught five passes for 96 yards includ-ing a 47-yard strike on third down that set up a 3-yard scoring toss toWhite with 13:25 remaining.

Ryan opened the game eight of eight for 107 yards and captainednearly identical scoring drives in the first quarter, leading the team on48- and 49-yard marches that ended with field goals.

A chance at a touchdown came with 9:16 remaining in the first halfafter a curious turn of events near the goal line. A third-down run byJerious Norwood came up short and ended with a fumble. Bears defen-sive tackle Tommie Harris recovered but lost the ball before he wastouched down. Jason Snelling recovered the ball for the Falcons, whogot a fresh set of downs.

But the Birds didn't convert. A touchdown pass to White was takenoff the board after a penalty and the offense settled for another Elamfield goal and a 9-0 advantage.

The defense made up for an early lack of offensive production bydelivering on the statistical slugfest promised between the two teams.Running back Matt Forte was held to 20 rushing yards in the first halfand the Bears were held scoreless until late in the second quarter.

Defensive end Jamaal Anderson paced a defense that fed off thecrowd's energy. He finished with four tackles (two for loss) and the firstsack of his two-year career. Anderson also had two pass deflections onthe Bears' first drive of the second quarter.

The Falcons offense started the second half with a no-huddleoffense and added another Elam field goal to take a 12-3 lead. Chicagostuck with the running game and added a touchdown from Forte with2:24 remaining in the third quarter.

The Falcons added a fourth-down stop at the goal line with 7:59 inthe game but Gould added two more field goals in the final period. His 32-yard field goal with 4:00 remaining pulled the Bears to within a single possession. Norwoodreturned the next kickoff 85 yards to the Chicago 17-yard line but three plays later Elam misfired on a field goal that nearly proved a fatal mistake. The Bears would drivefor the go-ahead touchdown but the Falcons didn't give up with time on the clock.

falcons 22 bears 20

October 12, 2008


ATLANTA FALCONS CHICAGO BEARS


R. White 9 112 12.4 26 1

H. Douglas 5 96 19.2 47 0

M. Jenkins 4 58 14.5 26 0

B. Finneran 3 29 9.7 13 0

J. Norwood 1 6 6.0 6 0

Total 22 301 13.7 47 1


M. Turner 25 54 2.2 23 0

J. Norwood 3 31 10.3 21 0

M. Ryan 1 1 1.0 1 0

H. Douglas 1 -11 -11.0 -11 0

Total 30 75 2.5 23 0

TEAM STATISTICS

Bears Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 2 1





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Bears Falcons




Bears 2 4:02 R. Gould 36 yd. Field Goal 3 9


Bears 3 2:24 M. Forte 3 yd. run (R. Gould kick) 10 12


Bears 4 4:00 R. Gould 32 yd. Field Goal 13 19

Bears 4 0:11 R. Davis 17 yd. pass from K. Orton (R. Gould kick) 20 19



M. Forte 20 76 3.8 20 1

K. Jones 2 3 1.5 3 0

J. McKie 1 0 0.0 0 0

Total 23 79 3.4 20 1


D. Hester 6 87 14.5 17 0

D. Clark 5 50 10.0 13 0

M. Forte 5 34 6.8 11 0

R. Davis 4 41 10.3 17T 1

G. Olsen 3 41 13.7 22 0

M. Booker 3 33 11.0 15 0

Total 26 286 11.0 22 1

Falcons vs. bears

Starters

FALCONS BEARS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR R. DavisLT S. Baker LT J. St. ClairLG J. Blalock LG J. BeekmanC T. McClure C O. KreutzRG H. Dahl RG R. GarzaRT T. Clabo RT J. TaitTE J. Peelle TE D. ClarkTE B. Hartsock WR M. BookerQB M. Ryan QB K. OrtonRB M. Turner RB M. ForteFB O. Mughelli FB J. McKie

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE A. OgunleyeDT G. Jackson DT I. IdonijeDT J. Babineaux NT D. DvoracekLE J. Anderson RE A. BrownOLB M. Boley WLB L. BriggsMLB C. Lofton MLB B. UrlacherOLB K. Brooking SLB H. HillenmeyerLCB B. Grimes LCB C. TillmanRCB C. Houston RCB C. GrahamSS L. Milloy SS K. PayneFS E. Coleman FS M. Brown


M. Ryan 30 22 301 0/0 1 47 0 116.1

Total 30 22 301 0/0 1 47 0 116.1


K. Orton 43 26 286 1/4 1 22 0 87.9

Total 43 26 286 1/4 1 22 0 87.9

The Falcons spent much of the first half keeping McNabb and theEagles 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, aforced fumble and a turnover in the first 30 minutes.

But McNabb rebounded toward the end of the second quarter andgot Pro Bowler Brian Westbrook involved in the offense late to send theBirds back to Atlanta with a 27-14 defeat. The Pro Bowl quarterbackthrew for 253 yards and rushed for a touchdown in the game.

The Birds rattled McNabb in the early going, holding the Eagles toa 33-percent success rate on third down and coming away with a pairof sacks -- one from upstart defensive end Jamaal Anderson -- in thefirst half. Rookie linebacker Curtis Lofton would later force a fumble.

Ryan gave the Falcons an early lead with 8:56 remaining in the firsthalf when he threaded a pass between two Eagles defenders and intothe hands of Roddy White. White scampered toward the end zone for a55-yard score and a 7-0 lead.

But Philadelphia responded with 20 unanswered points, includingscoring drives of 60, 70 and 69 yards. Twice McNabb scrambled for keyfirst downs. The Falcons did not record a sack in the second half.

McNabb turned from prolific passer to game-manager as the after-noon progressed, finding openings in the Falcons zone defense forshort 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 with22 carries for 167 yards. He also had six catches for 42 yards, one ofsix Eagles receivers with two or more catches.

The Falcons run game sputtered and suffered from untimely penal-ties. Starting left tackle Sam Baker missed the game with a hip injuryand was replaced by Todd Weiner. Weiner would leave with an injuryand was replaced by Quinn Ojinnaka. Michael Turner rushed for 58yards on 17 carries.

Ryan threw for 277 yards in his seventh career start but also had apair of interceptions. The defense held the Eagles after the first turnoverbut Ryan's second mistake came in the end zone, eliminating a red-zone scoring chance.

The Birds would get another shot, however.A late goal-line stand held the Eagles to a field goal and kept it a

two-possesion game with 7:57 remaining. Ryan led a no-huddle offenseinto the red zone on the next series and found White with a secondtouchdown 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 ashot at the win.

Return man Adam Jennings decided at the last second not to fieldthe punt after the Eagles' three-and-out drive. Officials ruled Jenningstouched the ball and the muffed punt was recovered by the Eagles. TheFalcons did not have a timeout left and, by rule, could not challenge theplay.

Three plays later Westbrook rushed over the left side for a 39-yard, game-clinching touchdown.

eagles 27 falcons 14

October 26, 2008

Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia, PA

ATLANTA FALCONS PHILADELPHIA EAGLES


R. White 8 113 14.1 55T 2

J. Norwood 5 55 11.0 20 0

M. Jenkins 3 50 16.7 21 0

B. Finneran 3 20 6.7 8 0

J. Snelling 2 20 10.0 18 0

J. Peelle 1 17 17.0 17 0

O. Mughelli 1 2 2.0 2 0

Total 23 277 12.0 55T 2


M. Turner 17 58 3.4 22 0

H. Douglas 2 10 5.0 6 0

J. Norwood 4 5 1.3 4 0

M. Ryan 1 4 4.0 4 0

Total 24 77 3.2 22 0

TEAM STATISTICS

Eagles Falcons












TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) -5 22



TOUCHDOWNS 3 2





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Eagles Falcons


Eagles 2 2:25 D. McNabb 3 yd. run (D. Akers kick) 7 7

Eagles 2 0:00 D. Akers 36 yd. Field Goal 10 7

Eagles 3 10:24 B. Westbrook 16 yd. run (D. Akers kick) 17 7

Eagles 4 7:57 D. Akers 18 yd. Field Goal 20 7


Eagles 4 1:51 B. Westbrook 39 yd. run (D. Akers kick) 27 14


B. Westbrook 22 167 7.6 39T 2

D. McNabb 6 25 4.2 12 1

C. Buckhalter 4 0 0.0 2 0

Total 32 192 6.0 39T 3


B. Westbrook 6 42 7.0 11 0

D. Jackson 3 72 24.0 30 0

K. Curtis 3 45 15.0 25 0

L. Smith 2 29 14.5 21 0

C. Buckhalter 2 29 14.5 27 0

B. Celek 2 28 14.0 20 0

H. Baskett 1 8 8.0 8 0

Total 19 253 13.3 30 0

Falcons at eagles

Starters

FALCONS EAGLES

OFFENSE OFFENSETE J. Rader WR K. CurtisLT T. Weiner LT T. ThomasLG J. Blalock LG T. HerremansC T. McClure C J. JacksonRG H. Dahl RG M. Jean-GillesRT T. Clabo RT J. RunyanTE B. Hartsock TE L. SmithWR R. White WR D. JacksonQB M. Ryan TE B. CelekRB M. Turner RB B. WestbrookTE J. Peelle QB D. McNabb

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE J. ParkerDT G. Jackson DT M. PattersonDT J. Babineaux DT B. BunkleyLE J. Anderson RE T. ColeOLB M. Boley WLB O. GaitherMLB C. Lofton MLB S. BradleyOLB K. Brooking SLB C. GocongLCB D. Foxworth LCB A. SamuelRCB C. Houston RCB S. BrownSS L. Milloy SS Q. MikellFS E. Coleman FS B. Dawkins


M. Ryan 44 23 277 2/19 2 55T 2 68.1

Total 44 23 277 2/19 2 55T 2 68.1


D. McNabb 34 19 253 2/13 0 30 0 79.7

Total 34 19 253 2/13 0 30 0 79.7

Raider Nation got loud throughout Sunday's game against Atlantaat Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Falcons just made sure toconvert early screams and hisses to a chorus of boos against the hometeam.

The Birds took a big lead into halftime and cruised to a 24-0 victo-ry over the Silver and Black. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw twofirst-half touchdowns to wide receiver Michael Jenkins as Atlanta out-gained Oakland in total yards 309 to minus-2 in the opening two quar-ters. They would finish the game with a 453-77 advantage.

The Raiders (2-6) ran just 13 offensive plays in the first half, threeof which ended with John Abraham sacks.

Atlanta (5-3) kept former Falcon DeAngleo Hall and the rest of theRaiders defense off balance with a mixture of techniques that worked infour previous victories: power running, working without a huddle, andmoving players around before the snap.

It worked well, as the Falcons have now outscored opponents 68-14 in the first quarter and surpassed last season's win total.

Ryan piloted the Falcons on long scoring drives of 88, 77, and 88yards in the game. The team chewed clock in the second half with asteady dose of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood, who combined for202 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Turner talked earlier in the week about bulldozing over teams thatloaded up near the line of scrimmage to stop the run. He did most of theheavy-hitting between the tackles, breaking away from defenders andgaining 139 yards on 31 carries. Second-year man Jason Snellingspelled Turner late in the game and picked up an additional 47 yards.

The Birds picked up 30 first downs. The Raiders, three. Atlanta con-trolled the ball for more than 45 minutes -- the second highest total inthe NFL since 1991.

Abraham led an aggressive defense that feasted on opportunitiesand forced the Raiders offense into mistake after mistake. In theprocess, the Birds shutout an opponent for the first time since 2002.

The only blemish on Ryan's scorecard came late in the second half.The rookie fumbled while waiting for a third-down passing lane to open.The ball was recovered by the Raiders but an Abraham sack ran out thehalf. The rookie finished the game with the highest completion percent-age of his career (77.3). He threw for 220 yards and posted a quarter-back rating of 138.4. He also completed passes to eight differentreceivers.

In fact, Atlanta's defense stepped up each time the Raiders beganto put a drive together.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux recovered a fumble with 8:08remaining in the third quarter that ended a drive. A scramble by quarter-back JaMarcus Russell put the Raiders in scoring range early in thefourth quarter but two tackles for loss and an incompletion on fourth-and-17 gave the ball back to Atlanta.

Safety Erik Coleman intercepted Russell in the end zone with 7:27 left to preserve shutout.

FALCONS 24 RAIDERS 0

November 2, 2008

Alameda County Coliseum - Oakland, CA

ATLANTA FALCONS OAKLAND RAIDERS


R. White 5 54 10.8 17 0

J. Peelle 3 33 11.0 16 0

M. Jenkins 2 64 32.0 37T 2

O. Mughelli 2 23 11.5 18 0

J. Norwood 2 20 10.0 14 0

H. Douglas 1 12 12.0 12 0

J. Snelling 1 12 12.0 12 0

B. Hartsock 1 2 2.0 2 0

Total 17 220 12.9 37T 2


M. Turner 31 139 4.5 16 0

J. Norwood 13 63 4.8 12T 1

J. Snelling 8 47 5.9 13 0

H. Douglas 1 2 2.0 2 0

M. Ryan 4 1 0.3 3 0

Total 57 252 4.4 16 1

TEAM STATISTICS

Raiders Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 0 3





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Raiders Falcons






J. Russell 2 46 23.0 24 0

J. Fargas 6 23 3.8 13 0

M. Bush 3 -2 -0.7 5 0

Total 11 67 6.1 24 0


M. Bush 3 15 5.0 6 0

Z. Miller 2 9 4.5 6 0

J. Walker 1 7 7.0 7 0

Total 6 31 5.2 7 0

Falcons at RAIDERS

Starters

FALCONS RAIDERS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR R. White WR J. WalkerLT T. Weiner LT K. HarrisLG J. Blalock LG R. GalleryC T. McClure C J. GroveRG H. Dahl RG C. CarlisleRT T. Clabo RT C. GreenTE B. Hartsock TE Z. MillerTE J. Peelle WR C. SchilensQB M. Ryan QB J. RussellFB O. Mughelli FB L. LawtonRB M. Turner RB J. Fargas

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham DE K. EdwardsDT G. Jackson DT T. KellyDT J. Babineaux DT G. WarrenLE J. Anderson RE J. RichardsonOLB M. Boley OLB R. ThomasMLB C. Lofton MLB K. MorrisonOLB K. Brooking OLB T. HowardLCB D. Foxworth CB D. HallCB C. Houston CB N. AsomughaCB C. Jackson FS H. EugeneSS L. Milloy SS G. Wilson


M. Ryan 22 17 220 3/19 2 37T 0 138.4

Total 22 17 220 3/19 2 37T 0 138.4


J. Russell 19 6 31 4/21 0 7 1 19.0

Total 19 6 31 4/21 0 7 1 19.0

Members of the Falcons secondary heard talk about the potency of

the Saints passing game all week.

That doesn't mean it affected them.

The Birds (6-3) met the challenges presented by the Saints top-

ranked offense Sunday at the Georgia Dome and came away with a 34-

20 victory. The win snaps a four-game losing streak to the Saints and

keeps the Falcons in the middle of the NFC playoff picture.

Safety Erik Coleman intercepted Saints quarterback Drew Brees on

his first attempt of the afternoon to set the tone for one of the best

defensive performances of the year.

Nine Falcons finished with at least one pass defensed and Brees

was held to his lowest completion rate of the season (53.4 percent). The

Birds also recorded two second-half interceptions, one returned 95

yards for a touchdown by rookie Chevis Jackson.

The Saints did not score a touchdown in the first half for the first

time this season.

Cornerback Domonique Foxworth knocked away three passes in

the first quarter, including a shot to the end zone intended for Marques

Coleston with 3:42 left in the opening quarter.

The Falcons didn't have an issue scoring early and improved to 4-

0 at the Dome this season.

Quarterback Matt Ryan finished 16-of-23 for 248 yards and a pair

of touchdowns in the game, his first going to wide receiver Roddy White

with 9:12 remaining in the first quarter. He also led the Falcons on an

80-yard drive into the second quarter that ended with a Michael Turner

touchdown run.

The Saints managed a pair of field goals in the first half after scor-

ing 107 first-half points in the previous eight games.

They struggled because each time the Falcons defense took the

field a new face made plays.

Defensive end John Abraham picked up his 11th sack of the sea-

son on a key third-down stop in the first half. Chris Houston recorded

an interception in the end zone that put down a fourth-quarter scoring

threat. Linebacker Michael Boley had two pass breakups in one sec-

ond-half series that further took wind out of the Saints' sails.

Atlanta took a 17-6 lead into halftime after a 22-yard field goal by

Jason Elam. Elam added another score in the third quarter but the

Falcons blew the game 20 seconds into the final quarter when Jerious

Norwood took a short pass from Ryan and turned it into an epic, 67-yard

touchdown.

Brees threw a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a Hail

Mary at the end of the game, but the stars of the day were still members of the team's much-examined pass defense, which forced turnovers and slowed down one of

the league's best despite getting just one sack from the defensive line.

FALCONS 34 saints 20

November 9, 2008

The Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA

ATLANTA FALCONS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS


M. Jenkins 6 72 12.0 32 0

R. White 5 68 13.6 16T 1

J. Norwood 2 88 44.0 67T 1

J. Peelle 1 14 14.0 14 0

B. Finneran 1 6 6.0 6 0

M. Turner 1 0 0.0 0 0

Total 16 248 15.5 67T 2


M. Turner 27 96 3.6 20 1

J. Norwood 6 17 2.8 8 0

R. White 1 2 2.0 2 0

M. Ryan 2 -2 -1.0 -1 0

Total 36 113 3.1 20 1

TEAM STATISTICS

Saints Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 2 4





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Saints Falcons


Saints 1 2:15 G. Hartley 24 yd. Field Goal 3 7





Falcons 4 14:40 J. Norwood 67 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 6 27

Saints 4 9:54 D. McAllister 15 yd. pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley kick) 13 27

Falcons 4 1:17 C. Jackson 95 yd. interception return (J. Elam kick) 13 34

Saints 4 0:00 L. Moore 32 yd. pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley kick) 20 34


D. Henderson 1 30 30.0 30 0

P. Thomas 6 26 4.3 9 0

A. Stecker 3 21 7.0 12 0

D. McAllister 5 18 3.6 7 0

D. Brees 2 10 5.0 6 0

Total 17 105 6.2 30 0


M. Colston 7 140 20.0 48 0

L. Moore 6 76 12.7 32T 1

B. Miller 5 65 13.0 23 0

P. Thomas 5 34 6.8 9 0

D. Patten 2 35 17.5 19 0

D. Henderson 2 33 16.5 20 0

D. McAllister 2 23 11.5 15T 1

J. Shockey 2 16 8.0 10 0

Total 31 422 13.6 48 2

Falcons vs. saints

Starters

FALCONS SAINTS

OFFENSE OFFENSETE J. Peelle WR M. ColstonLT T. Weiner LT J. BrownLG J. Blalock LG C. NicksC T. McClure C M. LehrRG H. Dahl RG J. EvansRT T. Clabo RT J. StinchcombTE B. Hartsock TE M. CampbellWR R. White WR D. HendersonQB M. Ryan QB D. BreesFB O. Mughelli TE J. ShockeyRB M. Turner RB D. McAllister

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham NT K. ClancyDT G. Jackson DT S. EllisDT J. Babineaux RDE W. SmithLE J. Anderson SLB S. FujitaOLB M. Boley MLB J. VilmaMLB C. Lofton WLB S. ShanleOLB K. Brooking LCB M. McKenzieLCB D. Foxworth SS R. HarperRCB C. Houston FS K. KaesviharnSS L. Milloy RCB R. GayFS E. Coleman DE B. McCray


M. Ryan 23 16 248 0/0 2 67T 0 134.0

Total 23 16 248 0/0 2 67T 0 134.0


D. Brees 58 31 422 1/6 2 48 3 66.9

Total 58 31 422 1/6 2 48 3 66.9

Running back Michael Turner rushed for two touchdowns, including

a 28-yard score to give the Falcons a fourth-quarter lead, but it wasn't

enough as the Denver Broncos left the Georgia Dome Sunday after-

noon with a 24-20 win.

Turner's last score of the day put the Falcons up 20-17 with 10:41

remaining. That brought a sold-out crowd to life but they could do noth-

ing but watch as Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler piloted his team on a

10-play, 86-yard drive into the red zone.

Cutler hit tight end Daniel Graham with a 9-yard pass for a touch-

down with 5:35 remaining. The Falcons moved the ball to the Denver

45 and took a shot to the end zone, but Matt Ryan's last-chance pass

on fourth-and-18 flew over the head of wide receiver Michael Jenkins.

Atlanta trailed twice in the game but fought back with gritty running

from Turner, who finished with 81 rushing yards, and clutch plays from

Ryan and his receivers. The team was 11-of-18 on third down (61 per-

cent) but didn't stay on the field when it mattered most.

The defense also played well in spurts, closing out the first half by

forcing four-straight three-and-outs.

Denver (6-4) started the game with a score on the opening drive

when reserve fullback Peyton Hillis slammed into the end zone from 7

yards out. Atlanta (6-4) tried to catch a banged-up Broncos defense off

guard in the passing game but struggled out of the gate. The Falcons

managed a pair of Jason Elam field goals to open the game and trailed

7-6 in the second quarter.

But, after a missed field goal by Broncos kicker Matt Prater, the

Falcons went on the move.

Seven plays after the Denver miscue Turner was in the end zone

for his first touchdown, a nine-yard run through the middle of the

defense. The drive included a key, third-down completion to Roddy

White that went for 37 yards into the red zone.

White finished with game-high 102 yards on five catches. He said

Sunday's loss would be tough to swallow and took blame for an incom-

pletion in the end zone with 1:16 left that could have given the Falcons

a win.

Ryan, who threw for 250 yards and an interception in the game,

rolled out of the pocket and found White but the ball slipped through his

hands as he fell toward the ground.

Denver took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter with a two-yard touch-

down run by Hillis -- a rookie that started the season as a fullback. A

goal-line stand by the Falcons defense forced a Prater field goal that

pushed the lead to four with 14:56 to play in the game.

The Broncos converted every third down they faced in the final period as momentum shifted. Cutler threw for 70 yards in the fourth quarter and wrapped up the game

with 216 yards through the air, a touchdown and a 106.4 passer rating.

broncos 24 falcons 20

November 16, 2008


ATLANTA FALCONS DENVER BRONCOS


R. White 5 102 20.4 37 0

M. Jenkins 5 55 11.0 15 0

B. Finneran 4 44 11.0 14 0

J. Norwood 3 25 8.3 11 0

O. Mughelli 2 22 11.0 14 0

J. Snelling 1 2 2.0 2 0

Total 20 250 12.5 37 0


M. Turner 25 81 3.2 28T 2

M. Ryan 5 18 3.6 9 0

J. Norwood 4 18 4.5 12 0

J. Snelling 1 -3 -3.0 -3 0

Total 35 114 3.3 28T 2

TEAM STATISTICS

Broncos Falcons



FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-% 0-1-0%












TOUCHDOWNS 3 2





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Broncos Falcons

Broncos 1 9:26 P. Hillis 7 yd. run (M. Prater kick) 7 0




Broncos 3 9:59 P. Hillis 2 yd. run (M. Prater kick) 14 13

Broncos 4 14:56 M. Prater 20 yd. Field Goal 17 13


Broncos 4 5:35 D. Graham 9 yd. pass from J. Cutler (M. Prater kick) 24 20


P. Hillis 10 44 4.4 12 2

P. Pope 4 35 8.8 15 0

T. Bell 7 34 4.9 9 0

E. Royal 3 7 2.3 12 0

J. Cutler 1 4 4.0 4 0

Total 25 124 5.0 15 2


B. Marshall 6 89 14.8 47 0

E.Royal 4 34 8.5 18 0

B. Stokley 3 26 8.7 12 0

P. Hillis 3 26 8.7 14 0

N. Jackson 2 32 16.0 17 0

D. Graham 1 9 9.0 9T 1

Total 19 216 11.4 47 1

Falcons vs. broncos

Starters

FALCONS BRONCOS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR B. MarshallLT T. Weiner LT R. CladyLG J. Blalock LG B. HamiltonC T. McClure C C. WiegmannRG H. Dahl RG C. KuperRT T. Clabo RT R. HarrisTE B. Hartsock TE D. GrahamWR R. White WR E. RoyalQB M. Ryan QB J. CutlerRB M. Turner RB P. HillisTE J. Peelle FB S. Larsen

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE E. EkubanDT G. Jackson LT D. RobertsonDT J. Babineaux RT M. ThomasLE J. Anderson RE E. DumervillOLB M. Boley WLB W. WoodyardMLB C. Lofton MLB S. LarsenOLB K. Brooking SLB J. WinbornRCB C. Houston LCB J. BellLCB D. Foxworth RCB D. BlySS L. Milloy SS M. ManuelFS E. Coleman FS C. Lowry


M. Ryan 33 20 250 0/0 0 37 1 71.5

Total 33 20 250 0/0 0 37 1 71.5


J. Cutler 27 19 216 1/8 1 47 0 106.4

Total 27 19 216 1/8 1 47 0 106.4

Michael Turner isn't one for flamboyant end zone celebrations.

But the mild-mannered running back couldn't help celebrate a bit

after a fourth-down touchdown run with 7:13 remaining in Sunday's

victory over the Panthers.

An approving Georgia Dome crowd roared as the running back

scored his third touchdown of the day. The gutsy play gave the

Falcons a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead and sparked an exciting

close to a 45-28 victory. Atlanta (7-4) scored 28 fourth-quarter points

in the win.

Attitude was everything for the Falcons, who got off to an early

,17-0 lead, withstood a Panthers surge and put the game away

when it counted. It mattered most after Panthers quarterback Jake

Delhomme rushed for a 12-yard touchdown with 10:57 left in the

game. Carolina (8-4) pulled within three, 24-21, with a two-point

conversion.

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.

The Panthers faced an energized defense and a raucous crowd

on the next possession. Defensive end 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.

The NFL's leader in rushing touchdowns (13) also surpassed

the 1,000-yard mark for the 2008 season. He rushed for 117 yards

Sunday as the Falcons pulled within one game of the NFC South

lead.

Atlanta out-gained Carolina 162-0 in the first quarter thanks to

solid defense and ball-hogging offense.

The Falcons darted down the field on the first series of the game

but settled for a field goal. That was followed by touchdowns from

Douglas and Turner.

Carolina scored 10-straight points in the third quarter negating some of the work the Falcons did in the opening half. But, when it mattered most, the team

found a way to hit the accelerator.

falcons 45 panthers 28

November 23, 2008


ATLANTA FALCONS CAROLINA PANTHERS


H. Douglas 4 92 23.0 69 0

R. White 4 70 17.5 30 0

M. Jenkins 4 48 12.0 19 0

J. Snelling 2 31 15.5 27 0

B. Finneran 1 9 9.0 9 0

J. Norwood 1 5 5.0 5 0

E. Weems 1 4 4.0 4 0

Total 17 259 15.2 69 0


M. Turner 24 117 4.9 19 4

J. Norwood 4 11 2.8 8 0

H. Douglas 2 3 1.5 7T 1

M. Ryan 3 2 0.7 2 0

Total 33 133 4.0 19 5

TEAM STATISTICS

Panthers Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 3 6





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Panthers Falcons


Falcons 1 5:03 H. Douglas 7 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 0 10



Panthers 3 12:21 D. Williams 5 yd. run (J. Kasay kick) 10 17



Panthers 4 10:57 J. Delhomme 12 yd. run (D. Williams run) 21 24


Falcons 4 4:47 H. Douglas 61 yd. punt return (J. Elam kick) 21 38

Panthers 4 2:23 M. Muhammad 16 yd. pass from J. Delhomme (J. Kasay kick) 28 38



D. Williams 19 101 5.3 21 1

J. Delhomme 2 18 9.0 12T 1

J. Stewart 5 15 3.0 9 0

Total 26 134 5.2 21 2


S. Smith 8 168 21.0 41 0

M. Muhammad 4 40 10.0 16T 1

D. Rosario 3 43 14.3 21 0

D. Williams 2 19 9.5 11 0

D. Jarrett 2 15 7.5 11 0

J. King 2 10 5.0 7 0

Total 21 295 14.0 41 1

Falcons vs. panthers

Starters

FALCONS PANTHERS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR S. SmithLT T. Weiner LT J. GrossLG J. Blalock LG T. WhartonC T. McClure C R. KalilRG H. Dahl RG K. VincentRT T. Clabo RT J. OtahTE B. Hartsock TE J. KingWR R. White WR M. MuhammadQB M. Ryan QB J. DelhommeRB M. Turner RB D. WilliamsFB O. Mughelli FB B. Hoover

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE T. BraytonDT G. Jackson LT M. KemoeatuDT J. Babineaux RT D. LewisLE J. Anderson RE J. PeppersOLB M. Boley SLB N. DiggsMLB C. Lofton MLB J. BeasonOLB K. Brooking WLB T. DavisRCB C. Houston LCB C. GambleLCB D. Foxworth RCB K. LucasSS L. Milloy SS C. HarrisFS E. Coleman FS C. Godfrey


M. Ryan 27 17 259 1/0 0 69 0 94.5

Total 27 17 259 1/0 0 69 0 94.5


Delhomme 35 21 295 3/21 1 41 0 96.7

Total 35 21 295 3/21 1 41 0 96.7

The Falcons defeated the Chargers 22-16 Sunday in a game filledwith emotional plays on both sides of the ball.

Three turnovers led to Chargers scores but a solid effort by theFalcons defense turned back the Chargers on multiple occasions. Theunit also forced a key score just before halftime.

Atlanta took an early 3-0 lead off a Jason Elam field goal but fellbehind after a fumbled punt by Harry Douglas inside Falcons territory.Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson got in for a touchdown fourplays later, but that would be some of the only success the All Pro hadin the afternoon.

Tomlinson was held to the second-lowest rushing total of his career(24 yards) and the Chargers didn't have an offensive play of more than18 yards in the game. Michael Turner, who backed up Tomlinson for thefirst four years of his career before joining the Falcons, rushed for 120yards on 31 careers.

Atlanta (8-4) got another Elam field goal in the first quarter, scoredwith a Matt Ryan to Justin Peelle touchdown pass and then opened thegame up off a defensive play. In the process, the Falcons got their firstwin of the season when not leading after the first quarter.

The Falcons defense worked tirelessly to get in the face ofChargers quarterback Philip Rivers and was rewarded for the effort witheight minutes remaining in the first quarter.

A special teams tackle on a kickoff return by David Irons gave SanDiego first-and-10 inside its own 10-yard line. The defense took overfrom there, dropping Tomlinson for a loss and forcing Rivers to throwfrom his own end zone on third down.

Defensive end John Abraham bull rushed over the left side and gothis left arm on Rivers. The quarterback escaped but threw the ball to anempty space just over the line of scrimmage. The subsequent intention-al grounding penalty resulted in a safety and an additional two points forthe Falcons.

It was the first safety for the Birds since Dec. 12, 2005 (NewOrleans) but they would not capitalize after a Chargers free kick, driv-ing down field but getting held out of the end zone on four tries frominside the 2-yard line.

The 15-7 lead carried into halftime.Atlanta got the ball to open the third quarter and again moved down

the field but a rare Brian Finneran fumble was recovered by safety EricWeddle and returned 86 yards for a Chargers touchdown. Smith chal-lenged the play but there wasn't enough to overturn the original call.San Diego missed on a two-point conversion attempt, however, and theFalcons retained a thin, two-point lead, 15-13.

The missed opportunity could have haunted the team, whichmissed out on touchdowns three times in the red zone, but a defensivestop was followed by a key drive for the Birds, who ate up the rest ofthe third quarter with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a five-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Douglas on the first play of thefourth quarter. Ryan finished the game with a solid 207 yards and a pair of touch-downs. He found Roddy White six times for 112 yards as the receiverwent over the 1,000 yard mark for the second-straight season. RookieDE Kroy Biermann got his first professional sack on the next Chargers possession, setting the tone for another defensive stop. But it was a 28-yard gain on a fake puntthat gave San Diego new life in Falcons territory.Forced to answer the bell again, the defense forced a field goal attempt that was blocked by Jamaal Anderson. A fum-ble by Turner gave the ball back to San Diego with 9:05 to play but the defense held the home team to a field goal. Atlanta went three-and-out on the next possession,but the defense held San Diego again thanks to the second of two fourth-quarter sacks by defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux.

falcons 22 chargers 16

November 30, 2008

Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego, CA

ATLANTA FALCONS SAN DIEGO CHARGERS


R. White 6 112 18.7 38 0

J. Peelle 3 38 12.7 18T 1

H. Douglas 3 13 4.3 5T 1

B. Finneran 2 14 7.0 7 0

J. Norwood 2 8 4.0 8 0

M. Jenkins 1 22 22.0 22 0

Total 17 207 12.2 38 2


M. Turner 31 120 3.9 15 0

J. Norwood 4 18 4.5 10 0

O. Mughelli 3 5 1.7 3 0

J. Snelling 1 1 1.0 1 0

M. Ryan 4 -3 -0.7 1 0

Total 43 141 3.3 15 0

TEAM STATISTICS

Chargers Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 2 2





SAFETIES 0 1


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Chargers Falcons


Chargers 1 1:41 L. Tomlinson 3 yd. run (N. Kaeding kick) 7 3



Falcons 2 7:54 Penalty on P. Rivers enforced in the end zone for a safety 7 15

Chargers 3 12:08 E. Weddle 86 yd. fumble return (pass failed) 13 15

Falcons 4 14:56 H. Douglas 5 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 13 22

Chargers 4 5:15 N. Kaeding 28 yd. Field Goal 16 22


J. Hester 1 28 28.0 28 0

L. Tomlinson 14 24 1.7 6 1

P. Rivers 4 18 4.5 10 0

Total 19 70 3.7 28 1


M. Floyd 5 59 11.8 18 0

L. Tomlinson 5 42 8.4 15 0

A. Gates 3 27 9.0 11 0

J. Hester 3 19 6.3 9 0

C. Chambers 1 2 2.0 2 0

Total 17 149 8.8 18 0

Falcons at chargers

Starters

FALCONS CHARGERS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR C. ChambersLT T. Weiner LT M. McNeillLG J. Blalock LG S. MruczkowskiC T. McClure C N. HardwickRG H. Dahl RG M. GoffRT T. Clabo RT J. ClaryTE J. Peelle TE A. GatesWR R. White WR V. JacksonQB M. Ryan QB P. RiversRB M. Turner RB L. TomlinsonFB O. Mughelli FB J. Hester

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham DE I. OlshanskyDT G. Jackson DT J. WilliamsDT J. Babineaux DE L. CastilloLE J. Anderson OLB S. PhillipsOLB M. Boley ILB S. CooperMLB C. Lofton ILB T. DobbinsOLB K. Brooking OLB J. TuckerRCB C. Houston LCB Q. JammerLCB D. Foxworth RCB A. CromartieSS L. Milloy SS C. HartFS E. Coleman FS E. Weddle


M. Ryan 23 17 207 0/0 2 38 0 130.2

Total 23 17 207 0/0 2 38 0 130.2


P. Rivers 30 17 149 3/18 0 18 0 70.0

Total 30 17 149 3/18 0 18 0 70.0

Wide receiver Roddy White notched a new career in receiving

yards and Matt Ryan showed some moxie down the stretch but a sur-

prising Saints running proved too much as the Falcons fell in New

Orleans, 29-25.

The Falcons held a 25-22 lead with eight minutes to play, but an 88-

yard kickoff return by Saints running back Pierre Thomas led to the go-

ahead score.

Falcons linebacker Michael Boley nearly intercepted a Drew Brees

pass on third-and-1 at the Atlanta 7, but the Saints stayed on the field

and converted the fourth down. Thomas went in for the go-ahead touch-

down on the following play.

It was a rough day for the Falcons defense, which faced a Saints

team that stepped away from its dominance in the passing game to run

the ball up the middle with running backs Thomas and Reggie Bush.

The pair combined for 182 yards on the ground and each caught touch-

down passes from Brees inside the red zone. The teams both had 414

yards of total offense in this back-and-forth game but New Orleans held

the advantage in rushing yards, 184-99.

The Saints (7-6) opened the game with five straight running plays

and didn't immediately look to Brees, who leads the NFL in passing

yards, as the first option. He still finished with 230 yards and two touch-

downs on 32 attempts.

Falcons running back Michael Turner had a big, 26-yard run on the

team's first possession, but finished the day with just 61 yards on a

touchdown (3.4 yards per carry).

Ryan bounced back after an early interception to throw for a career-

high 315 yards. He also rushed for his first career touchdown and had

a toss to wide receiver Brian Finneran to cap a 14-point second quarter

for the Birds (8-5). His favorite target, White, caught 10 passes for a

career-high 164 yards.

Atlanta responded from a 10-0 deficit to take a 14-13 lead with 2:13

remaining in the first half. The Saints got down field without a timeout,

however, and took a 16-14 lead into halftime after a Garrett Hartley field

goal.

Atlanta went three-and-out on the first drive of the third quarter but

came back with a 15-play, 69-yard drive that ended in a Jason Elam

field goal. Ryan completed third-down passes of 21, 5 and 6 yards

before missing on a throw to the end zone.

Another key third down almost led to the game-winning score.

After a Brees-to-Thomas touchdown the Falcons got the ball back

and drove into the red zone with a chance to take the lead. Facing third-

and-4 from the New Orleans 12 Ryan opted not to force the ball into

coverage and ran the ball in with eight minutes to play. He found wide

receiver Michael Jenkins in the back of the end zone on the two-point conversion to stretch the Birds lead.

But Thomas got his 88-yard return on the next kickoff. Atlanta got the ball back but was forced to punt, opening the door for Thomas to pick up a final first down that

gave the Saints a chance to run out the clock.

saints 29 falcons 25

December 7, 2008

Louisiana Superdome - New Orleans, LA

ATLANTA FALCONS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS


R. White 10 164 16.4 59 0

M. Jenkins 5 69 13.8 21 0

J. Norwood 4 20 5.0 9 0

H. Douglas 2 45 22.5 28 0

B. Finneran 2 8 4.0 6 1

J. Peelle 1 9 9.0 9 0

Total 24 315 13.1 59 1


M. Turner 18 61 3.4 26 1

J. Norwood 5 18 3.6 11 0

M. Ryan 4 13 3.3 12T 1

J. Snelling 2 5 2.5 3 0

O. Mughelli 1 2 2.0 2 0

Total 30 99 3.3 26 2

TEAM STATISTICS

Saints Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 3 3





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Saints Falcons

Saints 1 8:29 R. Bush 5 yd. pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley kick) 7 0




Falcons 2 2:13 B. Finneran 2 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 13 14



Saints 4 12:55 P. Thomas 7 yd. pass from D. Brees (run failed) 22 17

Falcons 4 7:51 M. Ryan 12 yd. run (M. Ryan-M. Jenkins pass) 22 25

Saints 4 5:47 P. Thomas 5 yd. run (G. Hartley kick) 29 25


P. Thomas 16 102 6.4 18 1

R. Bush 10 80 8.0 43 0

M. Karney 1 2 2.0 2 0

D. Brees 2 0 0.0 1 0

D. McAllister 1 0 0.0 0 0

Total 30 184 6.1 43 1


J. Shockey 5 64 12.8 21 0

D. Henderson 3 72 24.0 36 0

L. Moore 3 35 11.7 15 0

R. Bush 3 26 8.7 15 1

M. Colston 3 26 8.7 11 0

P. Thomas 1 7 7.0 7T 1

Total 18 230 12.8 36 2

Falcons at SAINTS

Starters

FALCONS SAINTS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR M. ColstonLT T. Weiner LT J. BrownLG J. Blalock LG C. NicksC T. McClure C J. GoodwinRG H. Dahl RG J. EvansRT T. Clabo RT J. StinchcombTE J. Peelle TE J. ShockeyWR R. White WR D. HendersonQB M. Ryan QB D. BreesRB M. Turner RB P. ThomasFB O. Mughelli RB R. Bush

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE B. McCrayDT G. Jackson NT K. ClancyDT K. Moorehead DT S. EllisLE J. Anderson RE W. SmithOLB M. Boley SLB S. FujitaNB C. Jackson MLB J. VilmaOLB K. Brooking WLB S. ShanleRCB C. Houston LCB R. GayLCB D. Foxworth RCB J. DavidSS L. Milloy SS R. HarperFS E. Coleman FS J. Bullocks


M. Ryan 33 24 315 0/0 1 59 1 99.9

Total 33 24 315 0/0 1 59 1 99.9


D. Brees 32 18 230 0/0 2 36 0 99.7

Total 32 18 230 0/0 2 36 0 99.7

In a game defined by wild momentum swings, the Falcons had the

ball last.

And that made all the difference.

Jason Elam's 34-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining in overtime lift-

ed Atlanta to a 13-10 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The win moves Atlanta (9-5) into a second-place tie in the NFC South

and keeps playoff hopes very much alive with just two weeks left in the

season.

Running back Michael Turner picked up 34 of his game-high 152

rushing yards on the game-winning drive, setting up Elam for his sec-

ond game-winning kick in the Georgia Dome this season. Tampa Bay

won the coin toss to start the overtime period and took the ball, but John

Abraham sacked quarterback Brian Griese on third-and-eight with

11:07 left to force a punt.

Abraham notched three sacks in the game to move his career-high

sack total to 15.5 for the season.

Turner rushed for more than 100 yards in a game for the seventh

time this season. His first quarter touchdown run (15) also broke the

Falcons single-season record set by Jamal Anderson in 1998.

Turner carried a Falcons offense that jumped out to a 10-0 first

quarter lead but stalled in the second half. Quarterback Matt Ryan

threw a pair of interceptions. A third quarter drive collapsed when tight

end Jason Rader fumbled at the goal line. Another possession ended

with a blocked punt that set up the Bucs game-tying field goal.

The defense forced momentum shifts after almost every offensive

miscue.

Cornerback Domonique Foxworth intercepted his first pass as a

Falcon on the drive following Rader's fumble. He would later knock the

ball away from tight end Alex Smith and tip a pass intended for Antonio

Bryant on consecutive plays. That forced one of nine Buccaneer punts.

The defense also benefited from a missed field goal with 3:38

remaining in regulation. The Bucs rushed for just 99 yards in the game

and committed five false start penalties, which Smith attributed to crowd

noise in an energized Georgia Dome.

Tampa Bay finished with 11 penalties for 76 yards.

Bryant finished with eight catches for 108 yards and touchdown.

Griese, playing in place of an injured Jeff Garcia, helped engineer that

scoring drive just before halftime and cut into the Falcons lead, 10-7.

But the Falcons redirected that momentum swing as well, holding the

Bucs No. 1 receiver to just one catch the rest of the game.

With the win, a playoff picture is starting to take shape for the

Falcons. Sunday's thriller also improved the Birds to 6-1 in the Dome and improved the overall division record to 25-2 at home.

falcons 13 buccaneers 10 (ot)

December 14, 2008


ATLANTA FALCONS TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS


R. White 4 61 15.3 30 0

M. Jenkins 3 55 18.3 26 0

M. Turner 2 30 15.0 18 0

J. Norwood 2 24 12.0 17 0

J. Rader 1 26 26.0 26 0

J. Peelle 1 5 5.0 5 0

B. Finneran 1 4 4.0 4 0

O. Mughelli 1 1 1.0 1 0

Total 15 206 13.7 30 0


M. Turner 32 152 4.8 22 1

M. Ryan 6 19 3.2 9 0

H. Douglas 1 11 11.0 11 0

J. Norwood 4 -7 -1.7 2 0

Total 43 175 4.1 22 1

TEAM STATISTICS

Bucs Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 1 1





SAFETIES 0 0


SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Bucs Falcons



Bucs 2 0:11 A. Bryant 20 yd. pass from B. Griese (M. Bryant kick) 7 10

Bucs 4 0:44 M. Bryant 38 yd. Field Goal 10 10

Falcons OT 4:04 J. Elam 34 yd. Field Goal 10 13


C. Williams 14 59 4.2 12 0

W. Dunn 12 40 3.3 10 0

Total 26 99 3.8 12 0


A. Bryant 8 108 13.5 27 1

W. Dunn 7 50 7.1 16 0

M. Clayton 3 41 13.7 20 0

I. Hilliard 3 29 9.7 12 0

J. Stevens 2 27 13.5 20 0

J. Gilmore 1 12 12.0 12 0

A. Smith 1 2 2.0 2 0

C. Williams 1 0 0.0 0 0

Total 26 269 10.3 27 1

Falcons vs. buccaneersStarters

FALCONS BUCS

OFFENSE OFFENSEWR M. Jenkins WR A. BryantLT T. Weiner LT D. PennLG J. Blalock LG A. SearsC T. McClure C J. FaineRG H. Dahl RG D. JosephRT T. Clabo RT J. TruebloodTE J. Peelle WR M. ClaytonWR R. White TE A. SmithQB M. Ryan TE J. StevensRB M. Turner QB B. GrieseFB O. Mughelli RB W. Dunn

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE K. CarterDT G. Jackson DT J. WilkersonDT K. Moorehead DT R. SimsLE J. Anderson RE G. AdamsOLB C. Wire SLB C. JuneMLB C. Lofton MLB B. RuudOLB K. Brooking WLB D. BrooksRCB C. Houston LCB P. BuchanonLCB D. Foxworth RCB R. BarberSS L. Milloy SS J. PhillipsFS E. Coleman FS T. Jackson


M. Ryan 23 15 206 1/8 0 30 2 57.5

Total 23 15 206 1/8 0 30 2 57.5


B. Griese 37 26 269 4/43 1 27 1 88.7

Total 37 26 269 4/43 1 27 1 88.7

In a matter of a week, the Falcons went from being controllers of their

own playoff destiny to a team that needed help from multiple teams to make

the postseason. In just more than 24 hours in Week 16, the Birds regained

control and played themselves into the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Atlanta held off a fourth quarter charge and defeated the Minnesota

Vikings, 24-17, Sunday afternoon. The win, coupled with Tampa Bay and

Dallas losses, clinches at least a Wild Card spot in the playoffs for Atlanta. The

Falcons can still win the NFC South and get a postseason home game with a

win next week over St. Louis and a Carolina Panthers loss at New Orleans.

Atlanta turned four Vikings turnovers into 10 points Sunday afternoon,

taking advantage of an offense that found ways to put the breaks on itself for

much of the game. Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson fumbled twice and

quarterback Tarvaris Jackson fumbled off a Kindal Moorehead sack in the

third quarter. Wide receiver Eric Weems also forced a Bernard Berrian fumble

on a first quarter punt. The Vikings fumbled thrice more in the game but man-

aged to recover the ball.

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan led a 64-yard scoring drive off the open-

ing kick and got the Falcons in the end zone with a shovel pass to Jerious

Norwood on the first play of the second quarter to put the Birds up 14-7.

Atlanta added a 22-yard Jason Elam field goal to go up 17-7 at halftime.

A lackluster third quarter showed signs of life with Moorhead's sack and

forced fumble with 11:11 remaining. The ball was recovered at the Atlanta 46

by Davis, his second fumble recovery of the afternoon, but the Falcons were

forced to punt after three plays.

The Falcons defense forced another punt with 6:20 left, setting the stage

for one of the more dramatic moments of the season. Atlanta took over at its

own 49 and marched into the red zone. On second and goal from the

Minnesota 5-yard line, Ryan rolled out of the pocket and sprinted toward the

end zone. He dove for the goal line, but the ball was knocked free.

The quarterback was up-ended and landed on his face just inside the end

zone. The ball bounced around a bit but was recovered by offensive lineman

Justin Blalock for a touchdown. The second-year player became the first line-

man to score a touchdown since 1996 (Robbie Tobeck) and put the Falcons up

24-7 with just more than 17 minutes to play in the game. Ryan finished with

134 passing yards on 13 completions. His favorite target was wide receiver

Michael Jenkins, who caught four passes for 61 yards. Minnesota was led by

tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who led all pass catchers with seven grabs for

136 yards (two touchdowns). Besides fumbling three times, Peterson rushed

for 76 yards. The defense was led again by Abraham, who got one sack and set a new franchise record (16.5). Davis also recorded a sack.

Minnesota added 10 fourth-quarter points and pulled within one score with 2:40 remaining. The Vikings had the ball at their own 33 with 2:14 remaining but steady pressure from

the Falcons defense proved too much.

The clock ran out on the Vikings has not finished for the Falcons, who are guaranteed at least 17 games in this magical season.

falcons 24 vIKINGS 17

December 21, 2008

Hubert Humphrey Metrodome - Minneapolis, Minnesota

TEAM STATISTICS

Vikings Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 2 3





SAFETIES 0 0


Falcons vs. VikingsStarters

FALCONS VikingsOFFENSE OFFENSE

WR M. Jenkins WR B. BerrianLT T. Weiner LT B. McKinnieLG J. Blalock LG S. HutchinsonC T. McClure C M. BirkRG H. Dahl RG A. HerreraRT T. Clabo RT R. CookTE J. Peelle TE V. ShiancoeWR R. White WR B. WadeQB M. Ryan QB T. JacksonRB M. Turner HB A. PetersonFB O. Mughelli FB N. Tahi

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LE R. EdwardsDT G. Jackson NT F. EvansDT J. Babineaux UT K. WilliamsLE J. Anderson RE J. AllenOLB C. Wire SLB C. GreenwayMLB C. Lofton MLB N. HarrisOLB K. Brooking WLB B. LeberRCB C. Houston LCB A. WinfieldLCB D. Foxworth RCB C. GriffinSS L. Milloy SS D. SharperFS E. Coleman FS M. Williams

SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Falcons Vikings


Vikings 1 2:00 V. Shiancoe 21 yd. pass from T. Jackson (R. Longwell kick) 7 7

Falcons 2 14:06 J. Norwood 8 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 14 7

Falcons 2 0:03 J. Elam 22 yd. field goal 17 7

Falcons 3 2:38 J. Blalock fumble recovery in end zone (J. Elam kick) 24 7

Vikings 4 11:32 R. Longwell 29 yd. Field Goal 24 10

Vikings 4 2:44 V. Shiancoe 17 yd. pass from T. Jackson (R. Longwell kick) 24 17

ATLANTA FALCONSRUSH. No Yds Avg LG TD

M. Turner 19 70 3.7 13 1

J. Snelling 3 12 4.0 8 0

J. Norwood 6 10 1.7 8 0

H. Douglas 1 4 4.0 4 0

M. Ryan 3 2 0.7 4 0

Total 32 98 3.1 13 1

PASS. Att Cmp Yds TD LG INT RT

Ryan 24 13 134 1 22 0 84.4

Total 24 13 134 1 22 0 84.4

REC. No Yds Avg LG TD

M. Jenkins 4 61 15.3 22 0

R. White 3 24 8.0 12 0

J. Norwood 2 11 5.5 8 1

B. Finneran 1 13 13.0 13 0

J. Snelling 1 13 13.0 13 0

J. Peelle 1 8 8.0 8 0

H. Douglas 1 4 4.0 4 0

Total 13 134 10.3 22 1

MINNESOTA VIKINGSRUSH. No Yds Avg LG TD

A. Peterson 22 76 3.5 17 0

T. Jackson 8 76 9.5 29 0

C. Taylor 1 3 3.0 3 0

Total 31 155 5.0 29 0

PASS. Att Cmp Yds TD LG INT RT

T. Jackson 36 22 233 2 31 0 98.5

Total 36 22 233 2 31 0 98.5


V. Shiancoe 7 136 19.4 31 2

B. Wade 5 38 7.6 20 0

C. Taylor 5 26 5.2 11 0

B. Berrian 2 18 9.0 10 0

A. Peterson 2 16 8.0 11 0

N. Tahi 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Total 22 233 10.6 31 2

Running back Jerious Norwood took his time entering the Georgia

Dome before Sunday's game against the Rams. He greeted security

personnel and cruised to his parking space and into the locker room at

a steady pace.

The speedy running back rushed for a pair of touchdowns, includ-

ing a 45-yard game-winner, in a 31-27 victory over St. Louis. Norwood

also rushed for an 8-yard score off a direct snap just before halftime,

which was setup by his 92-yard kickoff return with 20 seconds to go in

the second quarter.

Norwood split time with Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner (208

yards and a score). Norwood touched the ball just four times on offense

but made every play count in a game that secured a No. 5 seed in the

NFC Playoffs. Atlanta will travel to Arizona next week for a Wild Card

game against the Cardinals.

The Rams (2-14) did not back away from the playoff-bound

Falcons, pulling out a fake punt and an onside kick in the game. St.

Louis led three times, including a 27-24 advantage with 6:39 left in the

ball game. Running back Steven Jackson rushed for 161 yards and a

pair of touchdowns and quarterback Marc Bulger added to a 91.9 rating

with a 16-yard touchdown to Donnie Avery with less than a minute to

play in the first half.

Atlanta scored three-straight touchdowns to take a 10-point lead in

the third quarter but the Rams stormed back, running 24 plays in the

fourth period before the Falcons defense closed out the game by forc-

ing a turnover on downs.

Linebacker Michael Boley was credited with a team-high 11 tackles

while Chauncey Davis, playing for an injured Jamaal Anderson, record-

ed a sack. Rookie Kroy Biermann and linebacker Stephen Nicholas also

dropped Bulger for a loss in the game.

Offensively the Falcons weren't without mistakes.

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw a pair of interceptions, one

leading to a St. Louis score, and Turner had a 70-yard run nullified with

a fumble at the Rams 4-yard line. That play was reviewed, but upheld.

Still the Birds combined to rush for 263 rushing yards -- the second-high-

est total of the season. Wide receiver Roddy White (three catches for 48

yards) also set the team single-season record for receiving yards

(1,382). His 18-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter also gave the

Falcons a 10-point lead.

The biggest plays went to Norwood, who appears fully healed from a rib

injury that limited his explosiveness in the second half of the year. The

Falcons will be with his services -- and speed -- for the "second" season,

which starts in less than a week.

falcons 31 RAMS 27 December 28, 2008

Georgia Dome - Atlanta, Georgia

TEAM STATISTICS

Rams Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 3 4





SAFETIES 0 0


Falcons vs. RamsStarters

FALCONS RamsOFFENSE OFFENSE

WR M. Jenkins WR T. HoltLT T. Weiner LT O. PaceLG J. Blalock LG A. GoldbergC T. McClure C B. RombergRG H. Dahl RG J. GrecoRT T. Clabo RT A. BarronTE J. Peelle TE J. KlopfensteinWR R. White WR D. AveryQB M. Ryan QB M. BulgerRB M. Turner TE A. BechtFB O. Mughelli RB S. Jackson

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham LDE V. AdeyanjuDT G. Jackson UT A. CarrikerDT J. Babineaux NT C. RyanLE C. Davis RDE C. LongOLB C. Wire SLB Q. CulbersonMLB C. Lofton MLB C. DraftOLB K. Brooking WLB P. TinoisamoaRCB C. Houston LCB R. BartellLCB D. Foxworth RCB J. WadeSS J. Fudge FS O. AtogweFS E. Coleman SS T. Johnson

SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Rams Falcons


Rams 1 6:18 S. Jackson 4 yd. run 7 3


Rams 2 0:32 D. Avery 16 yd. pass form M. Bulger (J. Brown kick) 14 10



Rams 3 1:39 J. Brown 31 yd. Field Goal 17 24

Rams 4 13:18 S. Jackson 2 yd. run (J. Brown kick) 24 24

Rams 4 6:39 J. Brown 27 yd. Field Goal 27 24



M. Turner 25 208 8.3 70 1

J. Norwood 3 56 18.7 45 2

M. Ryan 4 -1 -0.2 1 0

Total 32 263 8.2 70 3

PASS. Att Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT RT

M. Ryan 21 10 160 1/6 1 41 2 49.8

Total 21 10 160 1/6 1 41 2 49.8


M. Jenkins 4 72 18.0 41 0

R. White 3 48 16.0 22 1

J. Norwood 1 22 22.0 22 0

B. Finneran 1 12 12.0 12 0

H. Douglas 1 6 6.0 6 0

Total 10 160 16.0 41 1

ST. LOUIS RAMSRUSH. No Yds Avg LG TD

S. Jackson 30 161 5.4 36 2

K. Darby 3 20 6.7 8 0

A. Pittman 2 12 6.0 11 0

K. Burton 1 5 5.0 5 0

T. Minor 1 4 4.0 4 0

Total 37 202 5.5 36 2


M. Bulger 32 19 230 3/24 1 36 0 91.9

Total 32 19 230 3/24 1 36 0 91.9


T. Holt 6 90 15.0 33 0

D. Avery 5 40 8.0 16 1

S. Jackson 4 54 13.5 36 0

K. Darby 2 9 4.5 10 0

J. Klopfenstein 1 29 29.0 29 0

K. Burton 1 8 8.0 8 0

Total 19 230 12.1 36 1

The Falcons wrote the final chapter in a storybook season Saturdayafternoon, losing 30-24 to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of theplayoffs.

The defense gave up touchdown passes of 42 and 71 yards in the firsthalf as the team fell behind 14-3 in the second quarter. But the unit settledin to allow just four first-half first downs and give the offense a chance atthe field.

A Jason Elam field goal got the Falcons on the board with 7:31 remain-ing in the second quarter to start a Falcons rally. Rookie quarterback MattRyan began the game 1 of 4 with an interception but rebounded to pilot a14 play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Michael Turner touchdown run.Ryan completed 17 of his next 21 pass attempts after the shaky start.

The offense held the ball for more than 21 minutes in the first half andsuccessfully flipped the momentum put in play by the Cardinals offense.

Cornerback Chevis Jackson picked off quarterback Kurt Warner on thenext series, giving the ball back to the Falcons in Cardinals territory with2:03 to play. Ryan completed three passes on the ensuing possession, thelast a 2-yard throw to tight end Justin Peelle in the back of the end zone.

The Falcons took a 17-14 halftime lead off that play and stood readyto take the ball to open the third quarter. But a bizarre play sent the Birdsback on their heels for nearly the rest of the game.

A muffed handoff on the second play of the third quarter was recov-ered by Cardinals defensive back Antrel Rolle and returned 27 yards for atouchdown. The play started a rough second half for the Falcons, whowouldn't find the end zone again until late in the game.

A penalty-laden stretch on the next possession forced the Birds to puntfrom their own end zone for the second time in the game. The teamsswapped punts on the next two drives but the Cardinals pieced together aclock-eating march that began with 10:31 left in the third quarter. A TimHightower touchdown run put the Cardinals up by 11.

The Falcons went deep on the next offensive play but Ryan threw hissecond interception of the game, this one to fellow rookie DominiqueRodgers-Cromartie. It was the third, and final, turnover of the day.

Ryan and wide receiver Roddy White, who set a franchise postseasonrecord with 11 catches for 84 yards, hooked up for a touchdown with 4:19to play but the Cardinals offense picked up first downs to wash awayAtlanta's final timeouts.

The Falcons strong running game was held in check, especially as theteam tried to piece together a comeback. Turner rushed for 42 yards on 18carries but was held to just three carries -- zero yards -- in the final two peri-ods.

Warner took a knee on the final three snaps as Cardinal fans celebrat-ed just the second playoff win since the team's move to Arizona. TheFalcons could only watch but left the field with reason to hold their headshigh.

Ryan was named Offensive Rookie of the Year by the AssociatedPress. Turner rushed for a record 17 touchdowns, 1,699 yards and finishedsecond in league MVP voting. White set a new single-season record forreceiving yards and will join Turner at the Pro Bowl in February -- the firsttrip for both players. The offensive line allowed just 17 sacks in the regularseason (down from 47 in 2007) and led the way for the league's No. 2 rushing offense. And that's just a brief list...

Even storybook seasons must come to a close, but the Falcons can always look back on the accomplishments of 2008. And get an early start on a better sequel in2009.

NFC Wild Card GameCardinals 30Falcons 24

January 3, 2008

University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, Arizona

TEAM STATISTICS

Cardinals Falcons















TOUCHDOWNS 4 3





SAFETIES 1 0


Falcons vs. CardinalsStarters

FALCONS CardinalsOFFENSE OFFENSE

WR M. Jenkins WR L. FitzgeraldLT T. Weiner LT M. GandyLG J. Blalock LG R. WellsC T. McClure C L. SendleinRG H. Dahl RG D. LutuiRT T. Clabo RT L. BrownTE J. Peelle TE S. SpachWR R. White WR S. SpachQB M. Ryan QB K. WarnerRB M. Turner RB E. JamesWR H. Douglas WR A. Boldin

DEFENSE DEFENSERE J. Abraham NT B. RobinsonDT C. Davis DT D. DockettDT J. Babineaux RDE B. BerryLE K. Moorehead SLB C. OkeaforOLB M. Boley MLB G. HayesOLB K. Brooking WLB K. DansbyRCB C. Houston LCB R. HoodLCB D. Foxworth RCB D. Rodgers-Cromartie

SS L. Milloy SS A. WilsonFS E. Coleman FS A. RolleDB C. Jackson SS A. Francisco

SCORING DRIVE

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Cardinals Falcons

Cardinals 1 10:28 L. Fitzgerald 42 yd. pass from K. Warner (N. Rackers kick) 7 0


Cardinals 2 8:58 A. Boldin 71 yd.pass from K. Warner (N. Rackers kick) 14 3



Cardinals 3 14:08 A. Rolle 27 yd. fumble return (N. Rackers kick) 21 17

Cardinals 3 2:48 T. Hightower 4 yd. run (N. Rackers kick) 28 17

Cardinals 4 12:37 M. Ryan sacked in end zone by A. Smith for a Safety 30 17



M. Turner 18 42 2.3 13 1

J. Norwood 2 12 6.0 8 0

M. Ryan 4 6 1.5 2 0

Total 24 60 2.5 13 1


M. Ryan 40 26 199 3/9 2 28 2 72.8

Total 40 26 199 3/9 2 28 2 72.8


R. White 11 84 7.6 12 1

M. Jenkins 5 51 102 21 0

J. Peelle 3 11 5.7 6 1

B. Finneran 2 11 5.5 7 0

M. Pollard 2 7 3.5 6 0

J. Norwood 1 28 28.0 28 0

M. Turner 1 7 7.0 7 0

H. Douglas 1 0 0.0 0 0

Total 26 199 7.7 28 2

ARIZONA CARDINALSRUSH. No Yds Avg LG TD

E. James 16 73 4.6 10 0

T. Hightower 6 23 3.8 7 1

K. Warner 4 0 0.0 6 0

J. Arrington 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0

S. Breaston 1 -8 -8.0 -8 0

Total 28 86 3.1 10 1


K. Warner32 19 271 0/0 2 71 1 94.7

Total 32 19 271 0/0 2 71 1 94.7


L. Fitzgerald 6 101 16.8 42 1

S. Spach 3 34 11.3 23 0

A. Boldin 2 72 36.0 71 1

S. Breaston 2 36 19.5 25 0

J. Urban 2 7 3.5 5 0

E. James 1 9 9.0 9 0

B. Patrick 1 8 8.0 8 0

T. Smith 1 4 4.0 4 0

J. Arrington 1 -3 -3.0 -3 0

Total 19 271 14.3 71 2

National Football League Game SummaryNFL Copyright © 2008 by The National Football League. All rights reserved. This summary and play-by-play is for the express purpose of assisting media in their coverage of the game; any other use of this material is prohibited without the written permission of the National Football League. Updated: 1/3/2009

QB 8 C.Redman QB 7 M.Leinart, LB 57 V.Hobson, C 70 P.Ross

QB 3 D.Shockley, CB 37 G.Sharpe, S 42 E.Brock, LB 51 T.Gilbert, OT 68 W.Gandy, C 69 A.Stepanovich, OT 76 Q.Ojinnaka, DE 98 J.Anderson

QB 2 B.St. Pierre, CB 25 E.Green, DE/LB 55 T.LaBoy, T 68 E.Vallejo, T 72 B.Keith, DT 78 A.Branch, WR 80 E.Doucet, TE 82 L.Pope

Atlanta Falcons At Arizona Cardinals Start Time: 2:36 PM MSTat University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Played Indoor on Turf: GrassGame Weather: Indoor/ Dome Closed

Officials

Referee:Line Judge:

Head Linesman:Field Judge:

Umpire:Side Judge:

Back Judge:

Parry, John (132)Marinucci, Ron (107)

Bowers, Derick (74)Wrolstad, Craig (4)

Paganelli, Carl (124)Coleman, James (95)

Paganelli, Perry (46)

Lineups

Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals

K 1 J.Elam, P 9 M.Koenen, WR 14 E.Weems, CB 20 B.Grimes, S 28 T.DeCoud, S 29 J.Fudge, RB 32 J.Norwood, FB 34 O.Mughelli, RB 44 J.Snelling, LS 46 M.Schneck, LB 50 C.Lofton, LB 52 C.Wire, LB 54 S.Nicholas, C 67 B.Wilkerson, DE 71 K.Biermann, OT 72 S.Baker, DE 75 S.Fraser, TE 81 M.Pollard, TE 85 J.Rader, WR 86 B.Finneran, DT 90 G.Jackson, DT 99 J.Jefferson

K 1 N.Rackers, P 5 B.Graham, CB 20 R.Brown, S 22 M.Ware, CB 27 M.Adams, RB 28 J.Arrington, RB 34 T.Hightower, FB 45 T.Smith, FB 46 T.Castille, LS 48 N.Hodel, LB 51 P.Togafau, MLB 52 M.Beisel, G/T 61 E.Brown, WR 85 J.Urban, WR 87 S.Morey, TE 89 B.Patrick, DE 91 K.Iwebema, DE 93 C.Campbell, DE 94 A.Smith, DT 98 G.Watson

VISITOR: Atlanta Falcons 0 17 0 7 0 24

HOME: Arizona Cardinals 7 7 14 2 0 30

1 2 3 4 OT Total

Offense DefenseOffense Defense

Team Qtr Time Play Description (Extra Point) (Drive Info) Visitor Home

Replay Official: Sullivan, Terry

Game Day Weather

Substitutions Substitutions

Did Not Play Did Not Play

Not Active Not Active

Field Goals (made ( ) & missed)

Scoring Plays

Paid Attendance: 62,848 Time: 3:02

Date: Saturday, 1/3/2009

WR 12 M.Jenkins RE 55 J.Abraham WR 11 L.Fitzgerald NT 97 B.RobinsonLT 74 T.Weiner DT 92 C.Davis LT 69 M.Gandy DT 90 D.DockettLG 63 J.Blalock DT 95 J.Babineaux LG 74 R.Wells RDE 92 B.BerryC 62 T.McClure LE 94 K.Moorehead C 63 L.Sendlein SLB 56 C.Okeafor

RG 73 H.Dahl OLB 59 M.Boley RG 76 D.Lutui MLB 54 G.HayesRT 77 T.Clabo OLB 56 K.Brooking RT 75 L.Brown WLB 58 K.DansbyTE 87 J.Peelle RCB 23 C.Houston TE 83 S.Spach LCB 26 R.Hood

WR 84 R.White LCB 24 D.Foxworth WR 15 S.Breaston RCB 29 D.Rodgers-CromartiQB 2 M.Ryan SS 36 L.Milloy QB 13 K.Warner SS 24 A.WilsonRB 33 M.Turner FS 26 E.Coleman RB 32 E.James FS 21 A.RolleWR 83 H.Douglas DB 22 C.Jackson WR 81 A.Boldin DB 47 A.Francisco

J.Elam (30) N.Rackers 51WL

Cardinal L.Fitzgerald 42 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (4-63, 2:03) 0 71 10:28Falcons J.Elam 30 yd. Field Goal (14-80, 7:31) 3 72 10:00Cardinal A.Boldin 71 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (3-72, 1:02) 3 142 8:58Falcons M.Turner 7 yd. run (J.Elam kick) (14-77, 6:03) 10 142 2:55Falcons J.Peelle 2 yd. pass from M.Ryan (J.Elam kick) (6-23, 1:40) 17 142 0:23Cardinal A.Rolle 27 yd. fumble return (N.Rackers kick) 17 213 14:08Cardinal T.Hightower 4 yd. run (N.Rackers kick) (14-76, 7:43) 17 283 2:48Cardinal M.Ryan sacked in end zone by A.Smith for a Safety 17 304 12:37Falcons R.White 5 yd. pass from M.Ryan (J.Elam kick) (9-58, 3:36) 24 304 4:15

Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals

1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium

Final Individual Statistics

24 2860 2.5 13 1 86 3.1 10 1Total Total

199 282 Total40 26 3/9 2 271 71232 19 0/0 1Total

26 19199 7.7 28 2 271 71 2Total Total

1 20 0 0 3 3 0Total

INTERCEPTIONS

PASS RECEIVING NO YDS LG TDAVG

PASSING

RUSHING ATT YDS LG TDAVG

Total

5 212 4942.4 Total

PUNTING NO YDS TB LG

Total 0 0 6 239 4939.8 0 4

AVG IN20

3 31 21 0

PUNT RETURNS NO YDS LG TD

Returns

FC

2 -1 0 0Returns

2 54 30 0

KICKOFF RETURNS

Returns 5 86 23 0Returns

2 1 -3 0 0Total 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 1Total 1 27 1 0

PUNTING NO YDS TB LGAVG IN20


INTERCEPTIONS

PASSING


KICKOFF RETURNS

PUNT RETURNS LG TDFC


14.3

0

0

1

0

ATT YDS LGTDSK/YDCMP IN RT ATT YDS LGTDSK/YDCMP IN RT

NO YDS AVG

-0.5

AVG

10.3

NO YDS LG TDAVG NO YDS LG TDAVG

1.50.0

LG TDFCNO YDS AVGNO YDS LG TDFCAVG

17.227.0

94.772.8

1

0

NET

34.7

NET

42.6

M.Turner 42 2.3 13 118J.Norwood 12 6.0 8 02M.Ryan 6 1.5 2 04

E.James 73 4.6 10 016T.Hightower 23 3.8 7 16K.Warner 0 0.0 6 04J.Arrington -2 -2.0 -2 01S.Breaston -8 -8.0 -8 01

M.Ryan 199 28240 26 3/9 2 72.8 K.Warner 271 71232 19 0/0 1 94.7

R.White 84 7.6 12 111M.Jenkins 51 10.2 21 05J.Peelle 11 3.7 6 13B.Finneran 11 5.5 7 02M.Pollard 7 3.5 6 02J.Norwood 28 28.0 28 01M.Turner 7 7.0 7 01H.Douglas 0 0.0 0 01

L.Fitzgerald 101 16.8 42 16S.Spach 34 11.3 23 03A.Boldin 72 36.0 71 12S.Breaston 39 19.5 25 02J.Urban 7 3.5 5 02E.James 9 9.0 9 01B.Patrick 8 8.0 8 01T.Smith 4 4.0 4 01J.Arrington -3 -3.0 -3 01

C.Jackson 0 0.0 0 01 R.Brown 3 3.0 3 01D.Rodgers-Cromartie 0 0.0 0 01

M.Koenen 212 495 42.4 0 042.6 B.Graham 239 496 39.8 0 434.7

H.Douglas 31 21 03 010.3[DOWNED] 0 0 03 00.0

S.Breaston 0 0 01 10.0A.Rolle -1 -1 01 0-1.0[Blank] 0 0 00 10.0[OUT OF BOUNDS] 0 0 01 00.0

J.Norwood 54 30 02 027.0[TOUCHBACK] 0 0 03 00.0

J.Arrington 51 22 03 017.0S.Breaston 35 23 02 017.5[TOUCHBACK] 0 0 01 00.0

FUMBLES FUM YDS FORCEDTDOWN-REC OPP-REC YDS TD OUT-BDS

Atlanta Falcons

LOST

M.Pollard 0 001 0 00 0 00M.Ryan -3 001 0 00 0 01J.Norwood 0 000 0 01 0 00

FUMBLES FUM YDS FORCEDTDOWN-REC OPP-REC YDS TD OUT-BDS

Arizona Cardinals

LOSTA.Wilson 0 000 0 00 1 00A.Rolle 0 000 27 10 0 10

Final Team Statistics



Visitor HomeFalcons Cardinals

TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 20 15By Rushing 6 5By Passing 14 9By Penalty 0 1



TOTAL NET YARDS 250 357Total Offensive Plays (inc. times thrown passing) 67 60Average gain per offensive play 3.7 6.0

NET YARDS RUSHING 60 86Total Rushing Plays 24 28Average gain per rushing play 2.5 3.1Tackles for a loss-number and yards 4-6 2-10

NET YARDS PASSING 190 271Times thrown - yards lost attempting to pass 3-9 0-0Gross yards passing 199 271

PASS ATTEMPTS-COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 40-26-2 32-19-1Avg gain per pass play (inc.# thrown passing) 4.4 8.5

KICKOFFS Number-In End Zone-Touchbacks 6-3-1 5-5-3

PUNTS Number and Average 5-42.4 6-39.8Had Blocked 0 0

FGs - PATs Had Blocked 0-0 0-0Net Punting Average 42.6 34.7

TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (Not Including Kickoffs) 31 2No. and Yards Punt Returns 3-31 2--1No. and Yards Kickoff Returns 2-54 5-86No. and Yards Interception Returns 1-0 2-3

PENALTIES Number and Yards 6-52 6-47

FUMBLES Number and Lost 2-1 0-0

TOUCHDOWNS 3 4Rushing 1 1Passing 2 2Fumbles 0 1

EXTRA POINTS Made-Attempts 3-3 4-4Kicking Made-Attempts 3-3 4-4

FIELD GOALS Made-Attempts 1-1 0-1RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 3-4-75% 1-1-100%GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 3-3-100% 1-1-100%SAFETIES 0 1FINAL SCORE 24 30TIME OF POSSESSION 29:58 30:02

Ball Possession And Drive Chart



* inside opponent's 20

Time of Possession by Quarter

Home

Visitor

Kickoff Drive No.-Start Average

1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total

8:36

6:24

12:43 4:45 3:54 29:58

2:17 10:15 11:06 30:02

Falcons: 5 - ATL 22 Cardinals: 6 - ARZ 17

(356) Average ATL 27

(378) Average ARZ 29

How Ball Obtained

Drive Began

# Play

Yds Pen

Net Yds

Yds Gain

1st Down

Last Scrm

How Given Up

#

Time Recd

Time Lost

Time Poss

How Ball Obtained

Drive Began

# Play

Yds Pen

Net Yds

Yds Gain

1st Down

Last Scrm

How Given Up

#

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons

Arizona Cardinals

Time Recd

Time Lost

Time Poss

Arizona Cardinals

1 13:56 1:2512:31 Punt ARZ 48 3 4 0 4 0 ARZ 44 Interception2 10:28 3:177:11 Kickoff ATL 20 6 11 -5 6 1 ATL 26 Punt3 4:16 1:232:53 Punt ATL 7 3 -1 0 -1 0 ATL 6 Punt

4 2:31 7:3110:00 Punt ATL 8 14 80 0 80 6 ARZ 12* Field Goal5 8:58 6:032:55 Kickoff ATL 23 14 77 0 77 6 ARZ 7* Touchdown6 2:03 1:400:23 Interception ARZ 23 6 18 5 23 3 ARZ 2* Touchdown

7 15:00 0:5214:08 Kickoff ATL 27 2 0 0 0 0 ATL 30 Fumble8 14:08 1:2112:47 Kickoff ATL 20 3 -1 -14 -15 0 ATL 5 Punt9 11:57 1:2610:31 Missed FG ATL 41 3 5 0 5 0 ATL 46 Punt

10 2:48 0:092:39 Kickoff ATL 20 1 0 0 0 0 ATL 20 Interception

11 0:57 1:0814:49 Punt ATL 16 3 4 0 4 0 ATL 20 Punt12 12:44 0:0712:37 Punt ATL 3 1 -3 0 -3 0 ATL 3 Safety13 7:51 3:364:15 Punt ATL 42 9 53 5 58 4 ARZ 5* Touchdown

1 15:00 1:0413:56 Kickoff ARZ 12 3 8 0 8 0 ARZ 20 Punt2 12:31 2:0310:28 Interception ARZ 37 4 63 0 63 2 ATL 42 Touchdown3 7:11 2:554:16 Punt ARZ 24 5 40 0 40 1 ATL 36 Punt4 2:53 0:222:31 Punt ARZ 45 3 0 0 0 0 ARZ 45 Punt

5 10:00 1:028:58 Kickoff ARZ 28 3 72 0 72 1 ARZ 29 Touchdown6 2:55 0:522:03 Kickoff ARZ 20 3 0 0 0 0 ARZ 20 Interception7 0:23 0:230:00 Kickoff ARZ 16 1 0 0 0 0 ARZ 16 End of Half

8 12:47 0:5011:57 Punt ATL 38 4 5 0 5 0 ATL 33 Missed FG9 10:31 7:432:48 Punt ARZ 24 14 76 0 76 6 ATL 4* Touchdown

10 2:39 1:420:57 Interception ARZ 38 3 5 0 5 0 ARZ 43 Punt

11 14:49 2:0512:44 Punt ARZ 44 4 4 15 19 1 ATL 37 Punt12 12:37 4:467:51 Kickoff ARZ 8 5 33 -15 18 1 ARZ 26 Punt13 4:15 4:150:00 Kickoff ARZ 20 9 51 0 51 3 ATL 27 End of Game

Final Defensive Statistics

Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium

TKL /TK=Tackle AST /AS=Assist COMB=Combined TFL=Tackles for a Loss QH=Quarterback Hit

IN=Interception PD=Pass Defense FF =Forced Fumble FR=Fumble Recovery BL=Blocked

Regular Defensive Plays Special Teams MiscAtlanta Falcons

Special Teams MiscArizona Cardinals Regular Defensive Plays

41 12 53 0.0 0.0 1 3 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1Total

48 6 54 3.0 5.0 2 6 1 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Total

3

9.0

3

7

IN PD FF FR TKL AST FF FR BL TKL AST FF FRQHTKL AST COMB SK / YDS TFL

9 1 10 0.0 0.0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0D.Rodgers-Cromartie 00

6 2 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0K.Dansby 03

6 1 7 0.0 0.0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0R.Hood 00

6 0 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0G.Hayes 11

4 0 4 1.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Okeafor 11

4 0 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0A.Wilson 10

3 0 3 1.0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0B.Berry 11

3 0 3 1.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0A.Smith 11

2 1 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0A.Rolle 00

2 0 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0G.Watson 00

1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0A.Francisco 00

1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0B.Robinson 00

1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0D.Dockett 00

0 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Campbell 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0R.Brown 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0M.Adams 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0N.Rackers 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0M.Ware 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0S.Breaston 00

TKL AST COMB SK / YDS IN PD FF FR TKL AST FF FR BL TKL AST FF FRQHTFL

6 2 8 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0E.Coleman 00

5 2 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Wire 00

6 0 6 0.0 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0K.Brooking 00

5 0 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Lofton 00

4 1 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0L.Milloy 10

3 1 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Davis 02

2 1 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Houston 00

2 0 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0J.Abraham 11

2 0 2 0.0 0.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Jackson 00

2 0 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0D.Foxworth 00

1 1 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0G.Jackson 10

1 1 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0S.Nicholas 00

1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0J.Babineaux 00

1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0J.Fudge 00

0 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0K.Biermann 00

0 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0K.Moorehead 00

0 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0M.Boley 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0T.DeCoud 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0E.Weems 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0J.Snelling 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0R.White 00

0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1J.Norwood 00

First Half Summary


Scoring Plays

Regular Defensive Plays Special Teams MiscAtlanta Falcons

Special Teams MiscArizona Cardinals Regular Defensive Plays

Team Qtr Time Scoring Play ScoreVisitor Home


18 754 3.0 13 1 31 4.4 9 0Total Total

141 211 Total25 18 2/6 1 152 71215 6 0/0 1Total

18 6141 7.8 21 1 152 71 2Total Total


PASSING



PASSING


25.3

Falcons Cardinals

ATT YDS LGTDSK/YDCMP IN RTATT YDS LGTDSK/YDCMP IN RT

TIME OF POSSESSIONPERIOD SCORES0 17 = 17

7 7 = 14

21:19

8:41Falcons (Visitor)Cardinals (Home)

Falcons

Cardinals

82.3 89.4

TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 16 4First Downs Rushing-Passing-by Penalty 5 - 11 - 0 1 - 3 - 0


TOTAL NET YARDS 189 183Total Offensive Plays 45 22


NET YARDS PASSING 135 152Gross Yards Passing 141 152Times thrown-yards lost attempting to pass 2-6 0-0

Pass Attempts-Completions-Had Intercepted 25 - 18 - 1 15 - 6 - 1Punts-Number and Average 2 - 49 3 - 41.7Penalties-Number and Yards 1 - 5 1 - 5Fumbles-Number and Lost 1 - 0 0 - 0Red Zone Efficiency 2-3-67% 0-0-0%Average Drive Start ATL 31 ARZ 26

Cardinal L.Fitzgerald 42 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (4-63, 2:03) 0 71 10:28Falcons J.Elam 30 yd. Field Goal (14-80, 7:31) 3 72 10:00Cardinal A.Boldin 71 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (3-72, 1:02) 3 142 8:58Falcons M.Turner 7 yd. run (J.Elam kick) (14-77, 6:03) 10 142 2:55Falcons J.Peelle 2 yd. pass from M.Ryan (J.Elam kick) (6-23, 1:40) 17 142 0:23

TKL AST COMB SK / YDS IN PD FF FR TKL AST FF FR BL TKL AST FF FRQHTFL

4 0 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0E.Coleman 002 0 2 0.0 0.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Jackson 001 1 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0C.Davis 011 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0J.Babineaux 00

M.Turner 42 2.8 13 115J.Norwood 8 8.0 8 01M.Ryan 4 2.0 2 02

E.James 33 5.5 9 06J.Arrington -2 -2.0 -2 01

M.Ryan 141 21125 18 2/6 1 82.3 K.Warner 152 71215 6 0/0 1 89.4

R.White 70 8.8 12 08M.Jenkins 48 12.0 21 04M.Pollard 7 3.5 6 02B.Finneran 7 7.0 7 01M.Turner 7 7.0 7 01J.Peelle 2 2.0 2 11H.Douglas 0 0.0 0 01

L.Fitzgerald 72 24.0 42 13A.Boldin 72 36.0 71 12B.Patrick 8 8.0 8 01

First Half Summary


2

IN PD FF FR TKL AST FF FR BL TKL AST FF FRQHTKL AST COMB SK / YDS TFL

7 0 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0D.Rodgers-Cromartie 005 2 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0K.Dansby 025 1 6 0.0 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0R.Hood 005 0 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0G.Hayes 11

Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium

1st QuarterPlay By Play Page 11/3/2009ARZ wins toss, elects to Receive, and ATL elects to defend the North goal.M.Koenen kicks 67 yards from ATL 30 to ARZ 3. J.Arrington to ARZ 12 for 9 yards (T.DeCoud).Arizona Cardinals at 15:00, (1st play from scrimmage 14:54)

1-10-ARZ 12 (14:54) K.Warner pass incomplete short left to L.Fitzgerald.2-10-ARZ 12 (14:50) K.Warner pass incomplete deep right to D.Rodgers-Cromartie.3-10-ARZ 12 (14:45) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short right to B.Patrick to ARZ 20 for 8 yards (C.Jackson, S.Nicholas).4-2-ARZ 20 (14:09) B.Graham punts 49 yards to ATL 31, Center-N.Hodel. H.Douglas pushed ob at ARZ 48 for 21 yards

(C.Campbell).Atlanta Falcons at 13:56

1-10-ARZ 48 (13:56) M.Ryan scrambles right end to ARZ 46 for 2 yards (C.Okeafor).2-8-ARZ 46 (13:19) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 44 for 2 yards (K.Dansby).3-6-ARZ 44 (12:37) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right intended for R.White INTERCEPTED by R.Brown at ARZ 34. R.Brown

to ARZ 37 for 3 yards (R.White).Timeout at 12:31.Arizona Cardinals at 12:31

1-10-ARZ 37 (12:31) E.James left end to ARZ 43 for 6 yards (C.Lofton).R12-4-ARZ 43 (11:54) (Shotgun) E.James up the middle to ATL 48 for 9 yards (K.Brooking).

1-10-ATL 48 (11:15) E.James up the middle to ATL 42 for 6 yards (E.Coleman).P22-4-ATL 42 (10:37) K.Warner pass deep left to L.Fitzgerald for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN. flea-flicker

N.Rackers extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Hodel, Holder-B.Graham.Timeout at 10:28.

ATL 0 ARZ 7, 4 plays, 63 yards, 2:03 drive, 4:32 elapsed N.Rackers kicks 70 yards from ARZ 30 to end zone, Touchback.Timeout at 10:28.Atlanta Falcons at 10:28

1-10-ATL 20 (10:28) M.Turner left tackle to ATL 20 for no gain (G.Hayes).2-10-ATL 20 (9:50) PENALTY on ATL-J.Rader, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at ATL 20 - No Play.2-15-ATL 15 (9:30) M.Turner up the middle to ATL 20 for 5 yards (G.Watson, K.Dansby).

P13-10-ATL 20 (8:52) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White pushed ob at ATL 31 for 11 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).1-10-ATL 31 (8:28) M.Ryan pass incomplete short left.2-10-ATL 31 (8:22) M.Turner right end to ATL 28 for -3 yards (K.Dansby).

Timeout #1 by ARZ at 07:50.3-13-ATL 28 (7:49) (Shotgun) M.Ryan sacked at ATL 26 for -2 yards (C.Okeafor).4-15-ATL 26 (7:22) M.Koenen punts 49 yards to ARZ 25, Center-M.Schneck. A.Rolle to ARZ 24 for -1 yards (T.DeCoud).

Timeout at 07:11.Arizona Cardinals at 7:11

1-10-ARZ 24 (7:11) E.James left tackle to ARZ 29 for 5 yards (E.Coleman, C.Davis).P32-5-ARZ 29 (6:32) K.Warner pass deep left to L.Fitzgerald to ATL 41 for 30 yards (E.Coleman).

1-10-ATL 41 (5:53) E.James right tackle to ATL 34 for 7 yards (E.Coleman).Timeout #2 by ARZ at 05:08.

2-3-ATL 34 (5:08) J.Arrington up the middle to ATL 36 for -2 yards (C.Davis).3-5-ATL 36 (4:31) (No Huddle) K.Warner pass incomplete short middle to A.Boldin.4-5-ATL 36 (4:26) B.Graham punts 29 yards to ATL 7, Center-N.Hodel, downed by ARZ-S.Spach.

Atlanta Falcons at 4:161-10-ATL 7 (4:16) M.Turner left tackle to ATL 10 for 3 yards (G.Watson).2-7-ATL 10 (3:36) M.Ryan pass incomplete deep right to M.Jenkins (R.Hood).3-7-ATL 10 (3:30) (Shotgun) M.Ryan sacked at ATL 6 for -4 yards (B.Berry).4-11-ATL 6 (3:03) M.Koenen punts 49 yards to ARZ 45, Center-M.Schneck. S.Breaston to ARZ 45 for no gain (T.DeCoud).

Arizona Cardinals at 2:531-10-ARZ 45 (2:53) K.Warner pass incomplete short right to L.Fitzgerald.2-10-ARZ 45 (2:49) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass incomplete short middle to A.Boldin [L.Milloy].3-10-ARZ 45 (2:45) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass incomplete short middle to A.Boldin (K.Brooking).4-10-ARZ 45 (2:39) B.Graham punts 47 yards to ATL 8, Center-N.Hodel. H.Douglas to ATL 8 for no gain (M.Adams).

Atlanta Falcons at 2:311-10-ATL 8 (2:31) M.Turner up the middle to ATL 10 for 2 yards (B.Robinson).

P22-8-ATL 10 (1:54) M.Ryan pass short left to R.White to ATL 20 for 10 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie) [G.Hayes].1-10-ATL 20 (1:15) M.Turner left end to ATL 22 for 2 yards (R.Hood).

R32-8-ATL 22 (:35) J.Norwood up the middle to ATL 30 for 8 yards (A.Wilson, K.Dansby).END OF QUARTER Score Time

R P X T 3Down 4Down==== Quarter Summary ====First Downs Efficiencies

PossAtlanta Falcons 0 8:36 1 2 0 3 1/4 0/0Arizona Cardinals 7 6:24 1 2 0 3 0/3 0/0


2nd QuarterPlay By Play Page 11/3/2009Atlanta Falcons continued.

R41-10-ATL 30 (15:00) M.Turner left tackle to ATL 43 for 13 yards (R.Hood).P51-10-ATL 43 (14:21) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short left to M.Jenkins to ARZ 44 for 13 yards (K.Dansby, R.Hood).

1-10-ARZ 44 (13:41) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short middle to M.Turner to ARZ 37 for 7 yards (D.Dockett).R62-3-ARZ 37 (13:13) (No Huddle) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 31 for 6 yards (G.Hayes, A.Rolle).

1-10-ARZ 31 (12:39) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short left to H.Douglas to ARZ 31 for no gain (R.Hood).P72-10-ARZ 31 (11:54) (No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White pushed ob at ARZ 21 for 10 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).

Penalty on ARZ-B.Berry, Defensive Offside, declined.1-10-ARZ 21 (11:31) M.Ryan pass short right to M.Pollard to ARZ 20 for 1 yard (A.Wilson). FUMBLES (A.Wilson), recovered by ATL-

J.Norwood at ARZ 20. J.Norwood to ARZ 20 for no gain (A.Wilson).2-9-ARZ 20 (10:48) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 21 for -1 yards (G.Hayes).3-10-ARZ 21 (10:08) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short left to M.Jenkins ran ob at ARZ 12 for 9 yards.

Timeout #1 by ATL at 10:03.4-1-ARZ 12 (10:03) J.Elam 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Schneck, Holder-M.Koenen.

Timeout at 10:00. ATL 3 ARZ 7, 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:31 drive, 5:00 elapsed

M.Koenen kicks 62 yards from ATL 30 to ARZ 8. J.Arrington to ARZ 28 for 20 yards (C.Wire).Arizona Cardinals at 10:00, (1st play from scrimmage 9:54)

1-10-ARZ 28 (9:54) K.Warner pass incomplete short left to L.Fitzgerald (K.Biermann).2-10-ARZ 28 (9:52) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short left to A.Boldin to ARZ 29 for 1 yard (D.Foxworth).

P43-9-ARZ 29 (9:10) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short left to A.Boldin for 71 yards, TOUCHDOWN.N.Rackers extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Hodel, Holder-B.Graham.

Timeout at 08:58. ATL 3 ARZ 14, 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:02 drive, 6:02 elapsed

N.Rackers kicks 71 yards from ARZ 30 to ATL -1. J.Norwood to ATL 23 for 24 yards (A.Francisco).Timeout at 08:53.Atlanta Falcons at 8:58, (1st play from scrimmage 8:53)

1-10-ATL 23 (8:53) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White to ATL 30 for 7 yards (G.Hayes).P82-3-ATL 30 (8:21) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White pushed ob at ATL 37 for 7 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).

1-10-ATL 37 (7:58) M.Ryan pass incomplete deep left to R.White.2-10-ATL 37 (7:50) M.Ryan pass incomplete short right to M.Jenkins.

P93-10-ATL 37 (7:46) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass deep right to M.Jenkins ran ob at ARZ 42 for 21 yards.1-10-ARZ 42 (7:15) M.Ryan pass short right to M.Jenkins pushed ob at ARZ 37 for 5 yards (R.Hood).2-5-ARZ 37 (6:51) (No Huddle) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 38 for -1 yards (K.Dansby).

P103-6-ARZ 38 (6:05) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short left to R.White to ARZ 30 for 8 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).1-10-ARZ 30 (5:22) M.Ryan pass incomplete short right to J.Snelling.

P112-10-ARZ 30 (5:17) M.Ryan pass short middle to R.White to ARZ 18 for 12 yards (A.Rolle).1-10-ARZ 18 (4:33) M.Ryan scrambles right end ran ob at ARZ 16 for 2 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).2-8-ARZ 16 (4:06) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 14 for 2 yards (G.Hayes, C.Campbell).

P123-6-ARZ 14 (3:23) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right to B.Finneran pushed ob at ARZ 7 for 7 yards (R.Hood).R131-7-ARZ 7 (3:00) M.Turner left end for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Schneck, Holder-M.Koenen. ATL 10 ARZ 14, 14 plays, 77 yards, 6:03 drive, 12:05 elapsed

M.Koenen kicks 70 yards from ATL 30 to end zone, Touchback.Arizona Cardinals at 2:55

1-10-ARZ 20 (2:55) E.James up the middle to ARZ 20 for no gain (J.Babineaux).2-10-ARZ 20 (2:14) K.Warner pass incomplete short middle to S.Spach [J.Abraham].3-10-ARZ 20 (2:10) K.Warner pass short middle intended for J.Urban INTERCEPTED by C.Jackson at ARZ 23. C.Jackson to ARZ 23 for no

gain (S.Breaston).Atlanta Falcons at 2:03

1-10-ARZ 23 (2:03) M.Ryan pass short right to M.Pollard to ARZ 17 for 6 yards (C.Okeafor).Two-Minute Warning

R142-4-ARZ 17 (1:57) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 13 for 4 yards (K.Dansby).1-10-ARZ 13 (1:20) PENALTY on ARZ-G.Watson, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at ARZ 13 - No Play. unabated to the quarterback1-5-ARZ 8 (1:18) M.Ryan pass incomplete short left to R.White.

Timeout #2 by ATL at 01:12.2-5-ARZ 8 (1:12) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 7 for 1 yard (A.Smith).

P153-4-ARZ 7 (:32) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White pushed ob at ARZ 2 for 5 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).P161-2-ARZ 2 (:27) M.Ryan pass short right to J.Peelle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Schneck, Holder-M.Koenen. ATL 17 ARZ 14, 6 plays, 23 yards, 1 penalty, 1:40 drive, 14:37 elapsed

M.Koenen kicks 76 yards from ATL 30 to ARZ -6. J.Arrington to ARZ 16 for 22 yards (E.Weems).Arizona Cardinals at 0:23, (1st play from scrimmage 0:17)

1-10-ARZ 16 (:17) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short left to L.Fitzgerald to ARZ 16 for no gain (C.Jackson).END OF QUARTER Score Time

R P X T 3Down 4Down==== Quarter Summary ====

First Downs Efficiencies



3rd QuarterPlay By Play Page 11/3/2009ATL elects to Receive, and ARZ elects to defend the North goal.N.Rackers kicks 73 yards from ARZ 30 to ATL -3. J.Norwood to ATL 27 for 30 yards (N.Rackers).Atlanta Falcons at 15:00, (1st play from scrimmage 14:53)

1-10-ATL 27 (14:53) M.Ryan pass short left to J.Peelle to ATL 30 for 3 yards (C.Okeafor).2-7-ATL 30 (14:17) M.Ryan FUMBLES (Aborted) at ATL 25, RECOVERED by ARZ-A.Rolle at ATL 27. A.Rolle for 27 yards,

TOUCHDOWN.Arizona Cardinals at 14:08

N.Rackers extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Hodel, Holder-B.Graham. ATL 17 ARZ 21, 0 plays, 27 yards, 0:00 drive , 0:52 elapsed

N.Rackers kicks 70 yards from ARZ 30 to end zone, Touchback.Timeout #1 by ARZ at 14:08.

Atlanta Falcons at 14:081-10-ATL 20 (14:08) M.Turner right tackle to ATL 19 for -1 yards (K.Dansby).2-11-ATL 19 (13:30) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White to ATL 30 for 11 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie, K.Dansby) [D.Dockett].

PENALTY on ATL-H.Dahl, Offensive Holding, 9 yards, enforced at ATL 19 - No Play.2-20-ATL 10 (13:07) M.Ryan pass incomplete short middle to J.Snelling.3-20-ATL 10 (13:03) (Shotgun) PENALTY on ATL-M.Ryan, Delay of Game, 5 yards, enforced at ATL 10 - No Play.3-25-ATL 5 (13:03) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass incomplete deep right to M.Jenkins.4-25-ATL 5 (12:58) M.Koenen punts 48 yards to ARZ 47, Center-M.Schneck, downed by ATL.

PENALTY on ATL-C.Jackson, Interference with Opportunity to Catch, 15 yards, enforced at ARZ 47.Arizona Cardinals at 12:47

1-10-ATL 38 (12:47) E.James up the middle to ATL 33 for 5 yards (C.Lofton).2-5-ATL 33 (12:08) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass incomplete deep left to L.Fitzgerald.3-5-ATL 33 (12:02) K.Warner pass incomplete short left to L.Fitzgerald.4-5-ATL 33 (11:59) N.Rackers 51 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-N.Hodel, Holder-B.Graham.

Atlanta Falcons at 11:571-10-ATL 41 (11:57) M.Turner up the middle to ATL 42 for 1 yard (A.Smith).2-9-ATL 42 (11:21) M.Ryan pass short left to R.White to ATL 46 for 4 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).3-5-ATL 46 (10:43) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass incomplete short right to R.White (D.Rodgers-Cromartie) [A.Wilson].4-5-ATL 46 (10:38) M.Koenen punts 30 yards to ARZ 24, Center-M.Schneck, out of bounds.

Timeout at 10:31.Arizona Cardinals at 10:31

1-10-ARZ 24 (10:31) E.James up the middle to ARZ 26 for 2 yards (G.Jackson).2-8-ARZ 26 (9:54) E.James up the middle to ARZ 32 for 6 yards (C.Lofton, E.Coleman).

P53-2-ARZ 32 (9:17) K.Warner pass short middle to S.Spach to ARZ 37 for 5 yards (E.Coleman).1-10-ARZ 37 (8:35) E.James up the middle to ARZ 38 for 1 yard (J.Abraham, C.Wire).2-9-ARZ 38 (7:56) K.Warner pass short right to T.Smith pushed ob at ARZ 42 for 4 yards (C.Wire).

R63-5-ARZ 42 (7:28) (Shotgun) K.Warner scrambles right end ran ob at ARZ 48 for 6 yards (K.Brooking).R71-10-ARZ 48 (7:02) E.James right end pushed ob at ATL 42 for 10 yards (L.Milloy, E.Coleman).

1-10-ATL 42 (6:40) T.Hightower up the middle to ATL 39 for 3 yards (C.Wire, K.Moorehead).2-7-ATL 39 (5:59) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short left to J.Urban pushed ob at ATL 34 for 5 yards (E.Coleman).

P83-2-ATL 34 (5:41) K.Warner pass short right to E.James to ATL 25 for 9 yards (K.Brooking, L.Milloy).1-10-ATL 25 (4:58) T.Hightower right tackle to ATL 20 for 5 yards (L.Milloy).2-5-ATL 20 (4:16) T.Hightower up the middle to ATL 18 for 2 yards (C.Wire, G.Jackson).

P93-3-ATL 18 (3:39) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short middle to S.Breaston to ATL 4 for 14 yards (J.Fudge) [G.Jackson].R101-4-ATL 4 (2:54) T.Hightower left end for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

N.Rackers extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Hodel, Holder-B.Graham. ATL 17 ARZ 28, 14 plays, 76 yards, 7:43 drive, 12:12 elapsed

N.Rackers kicks 70 yards from ARZ 30 to end zone, Touchback.Atlanta Falcons at 2:48

1-10-ATL 20 (2:48) M.Ryan pass deep right intended for R.White INTERCEPTED by D.Rodgers-Cromartie (D.Rodgers-Cromartie) at ARZ 38. D.Rodgers-Cromartie to ARZ 38 for no gain (R.White).

Arizona Cardinals at 2:391-10-ARZ 38 (2:39) E.James right tackle to ARZ 43 for 5 yards (C.Wire).2-5-ARZ 43 (1:59) E.James up the middle to ARZ 43 for no gain (C.Houston).3-5-ARZ 43 (1:15) (No Huddle) K.Warner pass incomplete short right.4-5-ARZ 43 (1:06) B.Graham punts 41 yards to ATL 16, Center-N.Hodel, downed by ARZ-M.Adams.

Atlanta Falcons at 0:571-10-ATL 16 (:57) M.Turner left tackle to ATL 16 for no gain (B.Berry).2-10-ATL 16 (:20) J.Norwood up the middle to ATL 20 for 4 yards (A.Wilson).

END OF QUARTER Score Time

R P X T 3Down 4Down==== Quarter Summary ====

First Downs Efficiencies



4th QuarterPlay By Play Page 11/3/2009Atlanta Falcons continued.

3-6-ATL 20 (15:00) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass incomplete short left to M.Jenkins.4-6-ATL 20 (14:56) M.Koenen punts 36 yards to ARZ 44, Center-M.Schneck, fair catch by S.Breaston.

Arizona Cardinals at 14:491-10-ARZ 44 (14:49) E.James right tackle to ARZ 49 for 5 yards (C.Lofton, C.Wire).

X11PENALTY on ATL-C.Lofton, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at ARZ 49.1-10-ATL 36 (14:24) K.Warner pass short right to J.Arrington to ATL 39 for -3 yards (C.Davis).2-13-ATL 39 (13:42) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short right to J.Urban to ATL 37 for 2 yards (C.Davis).3-11-ATL 37 (13:00) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass incomplete deep left to S.Breaston.4-11-ATL 37 (12:54) B.Graham punts 31 yards to ATL 6, Center-N.Hodel, downed by ARZ-C.Campbell.

PENALTY on ATL-C.Houston, Offensive Holding, 3 yards, enforced at ATL 6.Atlanta Falcons at 12:44

1-10-ATL 3 (12:44) M.Ryan sacked in End Zone for -3 yards, SAFETY (A.Smith).PENALTY on ARZ-D.Dockett, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 yards, enforced between downs.

ATL 17 ARZ 30, Safety, 2:23 elasped M.Koenen kicks 62 yards from ATL 35 to ARZ 3. S.Breaston MUFFS catch, and recovers at ARZ 3. S.Breaston to ARZ 15 for 12 yards (J.Snelling).PENALTY on ARZ-K.Iwebema, Personal Foul, 7 yards, enforced at ARZ 15.Timeout at 12:33.Arizona Cardinals at 12:37, (1st play from scrimmage 12:33)

1-10-ARZ 8 (12:33) K.Warner pass short right to L.Fitzgerald to ARZ 16 for 8 yards (D.Foxworth).R122-2-ARZ 16 (11:50) E.James up the middle to ARZ 22 for 6 yards (K.Brooking).

1-10-ARZ 22 (11:07) PENALTY on ARZ-L.Sendlein, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at ARZ 22 - No Play.1-15-ARZ 17 (10:43) K.Warner pass short right to S.Spach to ARZ 23 for 6 yards (K.Brooking).2-9-ARZ 23 (10:00) E.James left end to ARZ 21 for -2 yards (K.Biermann).

PENALTY on ARZ-L.Sendlein, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at ARZ 23 - No Play.2-19-ARZ 13 (9:28) T.Hightower up the middle to ARZ 20 for 7 yards (C.Wire, K.Biermann).3-12-ARZ 20 (8:42) K.Warner pass short middle to L.Fitzgerald to ARZ 26 for 6 yards (S.Nicholas, M.Boley).4-6-ARZ 26 (8:02) B.Graham punts 42 yards to ATL 32, Center-N.Hodel. H.Douglas to ATL 42 for 10 yards (M.Ware).

Timeout at 07:51.Atlanta Falcons at 7:51

1-10-ATL 42 (7:51) M.Ryan pass incomplete deep left to H.Douglas.2-10-ATL 42 (7:45) M.Ryan pass short right to B.Finneran to ATL 46 for 4 yards (A.Rolle).3-6-ATL 46 (7:10) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass incomplete short left to M.Jenkins (R.Hood).

P174-6-ATL 46 (7:03) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short left to J.Norwood to ARZ 26 for 28 yards (A.Francisco).1-10-ARZ 26 (7:03) M.Ryan pass short middle to J.Peelle to ARZ 20 for 6 yards (G.Hayes, D.Rodgers-Cromartie).2-4-ARZ 20 (5:54) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short left to M.Jenkins to ARZ 17 for 3 yards (R.Hood).

R183-1-ARZ 17 (5:32) M.Ryan up the middle to ARZ 15 for 2 yards (B.Berry).1-10-ARZ 15 (4:57) PENALTY on ARZ-B.Berry, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at ARZ 15 - No Play. unabated to the

quarterbackP191-5-ARZ 10 (4:53) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White to ARZ 5 for 5 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie).P201-5-ARZ 5 (4:19) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Schneck, Holder-M.Koenen.Timeout at 04:15.

ATL 24 ARZ 30, 9 plays, 58 yards, 1 penalty, 3:36 drive, 10:45 elapsed M.Koenen kicks 73 yards from ATL 30 to ARZ -3. S.Breaston to ARZ 20 for 23 yards (E.Weems).Arizona Cardinals at 4:15, (1st play from scrimmage 4:10)

P131-10-ARZ 20 (4:10) K.Warner pass short middle to L.Fitzgerald to ARZ 35 for 15 yards (C.Houston).1-10-ARZ 35 (3:25) E.James right end to ARZ 35 for no gain (K.Brooking).

Timeout #1 by ATL at 03:18.P142-10-ARZ 35 (3:18) K.Warner pass deep left to S.Breaston to ATL 40 for 25 yards (L.Milloy).

1-10-ATL 40 (2:29) T.Hightower right end to ATL 38 for 2 yards (C.Lofton, C.Houston).Timeout #2 by ATL at 02:21.

2-8-ATL 38 (2:21) S.Breaston up the middle to ATL 46 for -8 yards (J.Abraham).Timeout #3 by ATL at 02:17.

P153-16-ATL 46 (2:17) K.Warner pass deep middle to S.Spach to ATL 23 for 23 yards (L.Milloy).Two-Minute Warning

1-10-ATL 23 (2:00) K.Warner kneels to ATL 26 for -3 yards.2-13-ATL 26 (1:17) K.Warner kneels to ATL 27 for -1 yards.3-14-ATL 27 (:36) K.Warner kneels to ATL 29 for -2 yards.

END OF QUARTER Score TimeR P X T 3Down 4Down==== Quarter Summary ====

First Downs EfficienciesPoss

Atlanta Falcons 24 3:54 1 3 0 4 1/3 1/1Arizona Cardinals 30 11:06 1 3 1 5 1/4 0/0

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 1/4/09 Cardinals clipped the Falcons’ ground game By JACK MAGRUDER Glendale, Ariz. — Michael Turner was not accusing the Cardinals of dirty tricks, just a good game plan. “It seemed like they knew what play we were going to run before we ran it,” Turner said after the Falcons’ 30-24 loss to Arizona in the NFC playoffs Saturday. And “run it” is the operative phrase. When Atlanta does not run, it has trouble winning. You can look it up. The Falcons (11-6) suffered all six of their losses this season in their eight worst rushing games, and this one was the biggest stinker at perhaps the most unexpected time. Atlanta ran for a season-low 60 yards and Turner tied his season low with 42 yards against a Cardinals defense that was ranked in the middle of the NFL. They gave up 165 yards to Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson on Dec. 14 and 110 to Philadelphia’s Michael Westbrook two games before that. “They loaded the box and they did a very good job controlling the line of scrimmage,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. Turner, who entered with 1,699 yards and a Pro Bowl invitation, had trouble finding holes from the beginning, rushing for 2, 0, 5, minus-3, 3, 2 and 2 yards on his seven first-quarter carries. When the Falcons dropped into a 14-3 hole shortly thereafter, the game plan skewed away from the running game. He finished with 18 carries. “They just played great football, period. Their defense was fired up. They were running around all day,” Turner said. “It seemed like they had guys everywhere. They had a good game plan.” “Our plan was to fly to the ball and make tackles,” Cardinals outside linebacker Karlos Dansby said. “He’s a great running back. To hold him to 42 yards is huge.” Jerious Norwood was not a factor, carrying twice for 12 yards. Matt Ryan scrambled four times for six yards. That was the extent of the Falcons’ ground game. “I thought they played physical up front,” said Ryan, who completed an NFL rookie playoff-record 26 passes. “Their linebackers scraped (off blocks) and made some plays. Credit them. They played a very good game defensively.” Roddy White had a season-high 11 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown when the Falcons accentuated the passing game, but said he would have liked to see the offensive mix that had worked all season. “Yeah, it’s tough,” he said of the inability to run. “You want to establish the run and the play-action pass. They scored and made two big plays and it kind of threw us behind the eight ball.” The Cardinals had three sacks and three turnovers, the biggest one coming when defensive tackle Darnell Dockett got into the Falcons’ backfield early to force a fumbled exchange between Ryan and Turner that turned into a touchdown. “That’s one of the chips we had on our shoulders all week,” Dockett said. “I was watching the TV before the game started: ‘Michael Turner will have a big game. He’ll run all over the Cardinals defense.’ We can’t stop the run. We suck against the run. The d-line took it as a challenge. “Sixty yards in a playoff game. We did a good job of stopping the run.” The Cardinals were 19th in the NFL in rushing defense entering the playoffs.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 12/29/08 Roddy White’s record-setting day Falcon wide out experiencing most prolific season in Falcon history By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER Falcons wide receiver Roddy White set a franchise record for most receiving yards in a season with a fine game against St. Louis Sunday. After catching three passes for 48 yards, White finished the regular season with 1,382 yards. He broke the 27-year-old team mark of 1,358 yards that was set by Alfred Jenkins in 1981. White caught a pass for eight yards in the first quarter. He caught a deep square-in route in the third quarter for a 21-yard gain to set the record. “It means a lot to me,” White said. “Especially after the first two seasons when everybody was saying that I was going to be a bust. Just to come back and this happen to me, it’s been great. It’s been a great season for us and it’s been a good season for me, too.” White was also selected to his first Pro Bowl this season. Punt coverage record The punt coverage unit broke the NFL mark for fewest punt return yards giving up in a season with 49 yards. The old mark of 53 was set by the 1991 Buffalo Bills. The Falcons, working off Michael Koenen’s booming punts, forced three fair catches against the Rams. One of his punts had 4.97 seconds of hang time. The booming kicks allow defenders to get down the field and stalk the return men, who usually make a fair catch. “That’s not only a tribute to our coverage units, but also to our punter,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “I thought he did a nice job all season long. That’s big when you know that you’re not going to get the field flipped on you.” Two more picks Quarterback , despite throwing two interceptions, became the first rookie quarterback to finish a season having played in all 16 games and thrown under 15 interceptions. Only three quarterbacks — , and — have started 16 games as a rookie and none threw fewer than 15 picks. Ryan has 11 interceptions. Second sack Linebacker ’ sack of Rams quarterback in the first quarter was just the second of the season by a Falcons linebacker. Nicholas was on the field in the Falcons 3-3-5 formation and came on a blitz. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton has the other sack and it came on a blitz against Philadelphia in Week 8. Milloy, Anderson sit Defensive starters safety (back) and defensive end (high ankle sprain) were inactive for the regular-season finale. Milloy was replaced by Jamaal Fudge and Anderson was replaced by Chauncey Davis. Also, defensive end John Abraham started but was pulled right before halftime. St. Louis running back Steven Jackson rumbled for 161 yards rushing and had 54 yards receiving against the defense. “We were a little under-manned in term of the guys, but that’s no excuse,” Smith said. “The next guy has to come in, step up and make plays. I thought that Jamaal Fudge stepped up for Lawyer Milloy.” Davis had a sack.

Starting fast ’s 39-yard field goal on the Falcons opening drive was a good omen. The Falcons are now 8-0 when they score on their opening drive. Burner watch The Falcons are now 8-0 when running back rushes for 50 yards or more in the first half. He had 13 carries for 59 yards at halftime against the Rams. Turner finished with 208 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 12/22/08 Falcons secure playoff spot, hungry for more By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER Minneapolis — Now that the Falcons have done the improbable, they are set on doing something most thought utterly impossible. Making the playoffs after a season of turmoil is just fine. But now, with a taste of success, they want the whole thing. They want to bring the first Vince Lombardi trophy to Atlanta. With Minnesota treating the football like a steaming hot potato, the Falcons capitalized on four turnovers for a 24-17 victory Sunday at the Metrodome. “I don’t think there is a team out there that we can’t compete with,” center Todd McClure said. “I’m looking forward to it, it’s going to be a lot of fun.” The victory secured at least a wild-card playoff berth for the Falcons, their first trip to the playoffs in three years. They could still claim the NFC crown, depending on the results of Sunday night’s Carolina-New York Giants game. In the Falcons jubilant locker room, one thing was clear. Just making the playoff is not enough. “Especially for the older guys, you don’t know how many times you are going to have this opportunity to get in again,” McClure said. “So we have to make the most of it.” The Falcons, predicted by most to be NFL doormats and in a rebuilding mode, are back in the playoffs for the first time since after the 2004 season. They reached the NFC championship game in Jim Mora’s first season before losing to Philadelphia. That was followed by seasons of 8-8 season and 7-9 and Mora’s dismissal. Then there was last season, which started with a federal dogfighting investigation that landed Michael Vick in prison and ended with new coach Bobby Petrino leaving to coach the University of Arkansas. “It’s been a long four years, up and down,” Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White said. Most of the players were thinking big, White included. “It means you’re going to be in this thing until the end,” White said. “It means you’re going to have a chance to win the Super Bowl. You’re in the tournament.” Running back Jerious Norwood, who scored on an 8-yard shovel pass to make it 14-7 early in the second quarter, was also considering the possibilities. “It’s a great feeling, just to have chance,” Norwood said. “All you can ask for is a chance.” With a new general manager, new head coach, rookie quarterback, a re-tooled offensive line and a young secondary, most had the Falcons winning between one and four games this season. They heard the naysayers. “We kind of used that to fuel our fire,” McClure said. “Nobody gave us a chance.” Before the Falcons took the field, they knew their position. Dallas lost on Saturday and 25 minutes before kickoff, news of Tampa Bay’s loss was already making its way up an down the sidelines. The Falcons took the potentially raucous crowd out of the game by scoring on their opening drive out of the no-huddle attack. It was a good omen for them. The Falcons are 7-0 when they score on the opening drive. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey was ruthless with is play calling. He knew the Vikings were without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Pat Williams, so he attacked his replacement Fred Evans. By the time the Falcons drove deep into Minnesota territory, Evans was replaced by Jimmy Kennedy.

“We ran the ball a lot,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “That’s been our trademark this year.” The Falcons didn’t take full advantage of the three first-half fumble, but managed a 17-7 halftime lead. The Falcons opened a 17-point lead, after Ryan scrambled down to the 1-yard line before fumbling. The ball slipped through the hands of Minnesota safety Darren Sharper in the end zone. Left guard Justin Blalock, for the second consecutive week, came away with a key fumble down in the pile. Blalock was credited with a touchdown, the first by a Falcons lineman since Robbie Tobeck scored a touchdown against Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 1996. The Vikings’ rallied, adding a field goal and touchdown, but came up short with cornerback Domonique Foxworth knocked down a pass intended for Bobby Wade late in the fourth quarter. The celebration started. Turner, who scored his 16th rushing touchdown of the season, was not in the middle of the festivities. He’s been to the playoff two times in four seasons with San Diego and reached the AFC Championship game last season. “I was just happy seeing the other guys who have never been, see them celebrate,” Turner said. “The guys that have been there before know this is just the beginning. There is something that’s bigger, out there for us.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: YahooSports.com Date: 12/19/08 Dimitroff’s rise as unlikely as Falcons’ ascent By Charles Robinson Some of the most important moments happened 15 years ago, when almost nobody knew of Thomas Dimitroff. When he would trudge in from his job painting football fields for the Cleveland Browns, slump into a chair across from Scott Pioli, and wonder aloud, what the hell am I doing? Pioli chuckles at the thought of those lunchtime meetings, when he was a scout working up through the ranks for the Browns, and Dimitroff was far, far removed from his current perch as the celebrated 42-year-old architect of the Atlanta Falcons. Long before Pioli would carve out his own esteemed reputation as an executive with the New England Patriots, and long before Dimitroff would vault from that franchise to become general manager and central redeemer of the 9-5 Falcons. “Thomas would come in and there were times where he’d just be covered in paint. He’d have it in his hair and he’d stink from sweat,” Pioli said. “We would be talking and I’m like ‘Thomas, get a shower.’ ” It was the time in Dimitroff’s life when, as Pioli put it, “He was just waiting and hoping for the break.” This is a common yarn for personnel men, who all collect tales of woe while crossing the NFL’s scouting tundra. But even amongst the most hardened talent evaluators, Dimitroff’s path was as unique as it was scattered – from the Canadian Football League in Saskatchewan, to the dying moments of the World League of American Football, to a little-known corporate football league in Japan. It’s a winding path that lends itself to one of the best stories in the NFL this season: how Thomas Dimitroff went from painting football fields to resurrecting a scorched Falcons franchise and leaving the outside world to wonder how the hell did he do it? Fraught with pitfalls It was a staggering nexus – football’s version of a hurricane coming ashore in the midst of an earthquake. One year ago at this time, Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick was incarcerated; Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall was seeking a trade; and head coach Bobby Petrino had abruptly quit after 13 games. And if that wasn’t enough, a courtship with Bill Parcells ended in an embarrassing snub when he headed for Miami to take over football operations for the Dolphins. “People 20, 30, 40 years in the NFL said ‘There’s nobody that ever went through a year like you went through last year,’ ” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. “There’s no franchise in the history of the league that ever did.” Eventually, this was the mess Dimitroff inherited. He took a team that some said would take years to fix, and mended it in his first offseason. And he did it in the best way possible – with a strong draft class, and free-agent signings that were used to accentuate existing talent. A first-year foray that lived up to the billing of former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who called Blank and championed Dimitroff as the right man for the job. “Very smart guy,” Accorsi told Blank. “A little different.” In the world of personnel, those six words are the framework of Dimitroff’s pigeon hole. The son of former Boston Patriots quarterback and football lifer Tom Dimitroff, Thomas always seemed slightly removed from the NFL scouting assembly line. Over the years, he has gotten sideways glances over his hair – which was once long and at the shoulders, but is now tall and spiky. He’s been called a “spy” by one college coach because he didn’t look like a typical scout. “Everyone has something that they are attached to,” Thomas Dimitroff said. “There can be some good things, and there can be some things that aren’t very good. I think that has stuck with me – that I didn’t beat to the same drum always. Maybe I was a little alternative in my approach. And yet, I really felt like in the end I would come through.” But it wouldn’t come without some arrows flung in his direction. He was given a hard time during the 13 years he was a vegan, and still gets the occasional sideways glance for being a vegetarian. While living in Boulder, Colo., and scouting for the Detroit Lions, Dimitroff indulged his enthusiasm for fitness, cycling, rock climbing and snowboarding. Even his demeanor, which has a diplomatic and philosophical feel to it, has been mistaken for West Coast ambivalence.

“I had no issue that he was ‘from Boulder’ and all the things that theoretically meant – long hair, snowboarder and all that kind of stuff,” Blank said. “What impressed me with what Ernie Accorsi told me is ‘This is a very smart young man who has great experience, a fine pedigree, and the fact that he came out of the New England system … all those things are really important to me.” But criticisms naturally come with being a personnel man in the NFL – you are part of a cannibalistic tribe that prides itself on sizing up not only the players, but the other members of the scouting community. “There are a lot of things that just aren’t mainstream for this business from a perception standpoint,” Pioli said. “I think at times people have not been fair in their judgments of him, in terms of how passionate he is about football and how good he is at what he does, and how smart he is. “Because of his personal lifestyle, he doesn’t appear to be a stereotypical football guy.” And yet, in some aspects – particularly the journey across the scouting desert – he couldn’t be more traditional. Whirlwind tour Dimitroff was born in Ohio but spent much of his youth in Canada. He played defensive back at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada. His first scouting job after college would be in the prairies of Saskatchewan with the Roughriders – a two-year stint that involved him in virtually every aspect under the personnel umbrella, from tickets to scouting to promotion and operations. All the while, he earned $16,000 a year and rode his bike though the snow to the team’s facility. When a regime change in the franchise had Dimitroff moving to the video department, he left for the Dallas-based office of the World League of American Football, where he split up an 18-month duration as a self-described “plebe-like administrator”. When the league folded, he headed to – where else? – Japan, to join a friend who was coaching a corporate league football team. Spending his free time hanging out in Shinjuku Station, enjoying sake and stretching his cultural horizons, this is nearly where the football trail went off a cliff. With a pad-less Dimitroff teaching tackling drills to team Hitachi players who understood little English, they often looked at their coach like he was crazy. And it might have ended at that, with Dimitroff considering staying and teaching English, and moving on from his NFL aspirations. It wasn’t entirely unusual. At various times, Dimitroff had thought about going into the business world. But as often happened in his life, his father Tom was there to play the centering force, focusing and renewing his son’s dream. And with Dimitroff in another country, his father delivered a singular dose of reality: NFL teams weren’t going to find Dimitroff in Japan. He needed to come home and join his father, who was scouting with the Browns. After a few months, that’s where Dimitroff ended up, working on Cleveland’s grounds crew, writing reports part-time for the Kansas City Chiefs, and forming a lasting bond with Pioli. After several months of field maintenance, the Detroit Lions offered a full-time scouting position. Dimitroff was officially on his way. He’d eventually return to Cleveland’s personnel department before rejoining Pioli in New England in 2002. His father would eventually succumb to cancer in 1996, but it was his call that ultimately set Dimitroff onto a track that was unimaginable only a few years earlier. The right choice It didn’t take Arthur Blank long to know he had made the right decision. Forget the lovefest over Dimitroff’s hiring, which was locked with a detailed presentation via teleconference. Forget the free-agent coups, which included the signing of running back Michael Turner. Dimitroff’s budding relationship with new head coach Mike Smith, and their work together on the NFL draft board became Atlanta’s shining moment – particularly when the phones were ringing and quarterback Matt Ryan was hanging in the balance. On one line, the Baltimore Ravens wanted to move up for Ryan. On the other, the St. Louis Rams were sitting one spot ahead of Atlanta and using Baltimore’s interest in Ryan as leverage to try to squeeze Atlanta into moving up to the No. 2 spot to get their man. It was a moment ripe for panic. But Dimitroff, who had spent six years in New England watching Pioli in this type of situation, seized on advice his friend had given him: Trust your instincts, and trust your draft. Don’t be manipulated.

“I was impressed he didn’t act ‘stupidly’ [saying] ‘I’m not taking the phone call. I know what I’m doing,’ ” Blank said. “We took all those phone calls. It’s not like we didn’t listen. [Thomas] did listen. At the end of the day, he went around the room. He listened, expressed himself and he and [Mike Smith] made the decision.” By the end of the draft, Dimitroff had selected quarterback Matt Ryan, who he was certain was special; left tackle Sam Baker, who he was sure could fit the same position at the pro level; starting middle linebacker Curtis Lofton; and cornerback Chevis Jackson and wideout Harry Douglas. All that was left was to meld the pieces into a talent base that Dimitroff believed was better than advertised, and a coaching staff that Blank thought was vastly underrated. “Honestly, I think there were guys in the locker room who felt a little shaky about the moves at first,” defensive end John Abraham said. “You were talking about a rookie quarterback, a rookie tackle, and a running back who had never been a starter before. But that’s why [Dimitroff] is who he is. He came from a winning organization.” Fourteen games later? “I don’t think there is anyone in the locker room who isn’t shocked about how things have flipped,” Abraham said. For now, that might be the ultimate validation. A personnel man who was nitpicked and pigeon holed and run to another continent and back has earned the ultimate form of respect: faith in his plan. Surely, the expectations are only beginning, along with a public microscope more brutal than anything he’s faced from the scouting community. And when that moment comes, it will likely be his father’s words that prove most critical. A few months before his passing, Tom Dimitroff urged his son to stick to his core beliefs – both in his work and in his life. “He had said to me ‘You stick to what you believe in,’ ” Dimitroff said. “[He said] ‘That’s what is getting you to where you are. Don’t deviate. Stay the course. You’re doing things the right way, even if they are a little anti-establishment. In the end, your work ethic and abilities will come through.” One year into Dimitroff’s greatest opportunity, truer words have never been spoken.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 12/15/08 Elam field goal gives Falcons 13-10 win in OT Atlanta improves playoff hopes, ensures winning season By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER As Jason Elam’s 34-yard game-winning field goal eased its way through the uprights, Falcons owner Arthur Blank shot both arms into the air. Elam’s kick capped a hard fought 13-10 overtime victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday to guarantee the Falcons a non-losing season and keep their NFC playoff hopes vibrant. A jubilant Blank made his way down the team’s sideline and first greeted the man of the hour, running back Michael Turner, with a slap on the shoulder pads. Blank then gave Roddy White a fist-bump before making his way to the locker room. “This is a big win for us,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We’ve gone through this entire season and have not had back-to-back losses.” The Falcons and Buccaneers both stand at 9-5 and, at least temporarily, hold the wild card spots. The Bucs hold tiebreakers over the Falcons and Dallas based on conference record. The Cowboys, 8-5 heading into Sunday night’s game against the New York Giants, would hold the final wild card spot with a win based on the conference record tiebreaker. The Falcons needed all of the 152 yards rushing that Turner amassed on 32 carries. Also, defensive end John Abraham came up with three timely sacks, but none was bigger than his sack of Brian Griese in overtime on third down. “He was just outstanding,” Smith said. “I think without a doubt John Abraham is having a Pro Bowl year. When we needed him to come up and make a play, he was able to do that. He’s done that all season for us too.” Once the Falcons got the ball back, Turner and the offensive line took over. Quarterback Matt Ryan, who didn’t have one of his better outings, nearly gave the ball back to the Buccaneers, when he fumbled on a scramble. Left guard Justin Blalock dove into the pile and came away with the ball to keep the drive and their playoff hopes alive. “I saw the ball out and I wasn’t even sure if it was a fumble or not,” Blalock said. “One of their guys had a hand on it. He wasn’t able to cradle it. So I got in there and worked by magic.” Two plays later, Turner busted loose for 17 yards down to Tampa Bay’s 18-yard line and well within Elam’s range. The Falcons ran two more plays before sending Elam out to win the game. “We have to keep winning,” Turner said. “The key to our success is somebody stepping up big every week. It’s something special in this locker room right now.” The Bucs had given up 299 yards rushing last week against Carolina. “We just had to be patient,” said Turner, who rushed for a season-low 42 yards in the first meeting with Tampa Bay. “We wanted to stay with it. We knew it was going to open up for us.” The Falcons got the ball at their 29-yard line in overtime. “It seems like in overtime, we just locked in and got on our guys,” right tackle Tyson Clabo said. “We got a good push.” Turner set the tone for the drive with a 9-yard run, carrying about three Buccaneers the last four yards. He picked up three yards on the next play to convert the first down. Ryan made a first-down throw to White to pick up 14 yards to enter in Tampa Bay territory.

“Our offensive line just kept plugging away,” Ryan said. “That’s what they’ve done all year. They kept doing their job and played physical all game and at the end of the game the holes seem to get a little bit bigger.” Behind a 26-yard field goal and a 1-yard touchdown run by Turner, the Falcons held at 10-7 lead at halftime. The Falcons defense came through in regulation after Micheal Koenen had a punt block by Brian Clark. Tampa Bay had the ball at Atlanta’s 22. The Bucs reached the 9-yard line before Abraham, on his hands and knees, fought his way to Griese and dropped him a loss of 11 yards. A holding penalty on Tampa Bay’s Arron Sears pushed them back 10 more yards. After a run by Warrick Dunn, Matt Bryant, who’d missed a 52-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, came on and made a 38-yarder with 48 seconds left. The Falcons lost the coin toss, but the defense was got the ball back for the offense. “When things get tough, we expect to make the plays that will lead us to victory,” said cornerback Domonique Foxworth, who had a third-quarter interception.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: USAToday.com Date: 12/15/08 It's not pretty, but Falcons' win keeps them in playoff spotlight By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY ATLANTA — This time of year, it is not about winning pretty. Matt Ryan undoubtedly knew that all along, but the concept came to life Sunday at the Georgia Dome as the Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback stitched together a game-winning drive in overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, helping notch a 13-10 victory that keeps the NFC South race too close to call. Sometimes, improvisation works. On a second-and-8 from the Buccaneers 43, Ryan scrambled up the middle after a passing play broke down — only to have defensive lineman Kevin Carter poke the ball loose as Ryan fell to the turf. Atlanta's Justin Blalock recovered, but Ryan had to think fast to salvage another busted play on third-and-3. Off a shotgun snap, he faked a toss to tailback Michael Turner then found himself staring at a crack in the middle of the defense and no runner to hand off to. So Ryan put his head down and barreled ahead for the first down. "Mike's first thought on third-and-3 is not to have me running the football," Ryan said, referring to first-year coach Mike Smith. "But that's just the way it worked out. We had to make a play." Ryan didn't pass for a touchdown, threw two interceptions, fumbled twice (the Falcons recovered both) and was thrown for a series of loops by the Bucs' fast, sophisticated defense. But he won. And Ryan had the right kind of help, with a defense fortified by John Abraham's three sacks and a running game powered by Turner's season-high 32 carries for 152 yards and his franchise-record 15th rushing touchdown of the season. After Ryan's back-to-back dashes, Turner took over for four consecutive run plays, ripping off 17- and 9-yard chunks to set up Jason Elam's game-winning 34-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining in the extra period. "Winning a game like this is all part of the process," said Smith, whose 9-5 squad is even with Tampa Bay but two games behind the first-place Carolina Panthers in the division. The Falcons won despite the blown protection that led to the block of Michael Koenen's punt with just 2:29 left in the fourth quarter. That set up a 38-yard field goal by the Bucs' Matt Bryant, forcing overtime. Atlanta won despite three turnovers, including a goal line fumble by tight end Jason Rader. "They didn't have their best stuff," said Falcons owner Arthur Blank. "I said to coach, 'This is a little like when you watch Tiger Woods and he doesn't have his A game but figures out a way to win.' At the end of the day, it's a W. The good teams figure out how to win with their B games." Turner was the last man to leave the Falcons' locker room, still wearing his uniform pants after all of his teammates had departed. It was fitting. He carried a big load all afternoon. Of his 32 carries, 21 were for 3 yards or fewer. But Atlanta kept pounding, and Turner obliged with runs of 18, 15, 22 and 17 yards against a worn-down Tampa Bay defense that allowed a franchise-record 299 rushing yards last Monday night at Carolina. "You've got to stay patient with the running game," Turner said. "You know one's going to pop. You just never know which one it is." But the Atlanta defense did more than just limit Tampa Bay to 10 points. Abraham kept coming at Tampa Bay from all directions, including a possession-ending sack in overtime that caused Bucs tackle Jeremy Trueblood to throw up his hands in frustration. On Abraham's first sack, he shoved a Tampa Bay lineman into Brian Griese. On the second, he crawled under tackle Donald Penn to get at the fill-in quarterback. "This will be a fun game to sit down and watch on film," said Abraham, who had his third three-sack game of the season, giving him 15.5 overall.

The Bucs have back-to-back losses for the first time this season and missed a chance to possibly clinch their playoff berth. They were hampered by 11 penalties for 76 yards. "I'm not going to take any credit away from Atlanta, but I don't feel like they were the better team," said Tampa Bay receiver Antonio Bryant, who had eight catches for 108 yards and got into a brief confrontation with Smith on the Falcons' sideline. The Falcons pulled even with Tampa Bay in the NFC South behind first-place Carolina, ensuring their first winning season since 2004. Turner had his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season against a Tampa Bay defense that was looking for redemption after giving up 299 yards on the ground in a loss to Carolina. The Bucs surrendered 175 yard to the Falcons, most of them piled up by their bull of a running back. Turner had a 1-yard touchdown early on that gave Atlanta a 10-0 lead. He was running just as hard at the end. "As the game wore on, he got stronger and stronger," Smith said. The rookie coach laughed off his staredown with Bryant, who had given cornerback Domonique Foxworth a shove in front of the Atlanta bench. "Antonio was on our sideline and I politely asked him to go back over to his sideline," Smith quipped. The Bucs had to go without starting quarterback Jeff Garcia, sidelined by a calf injury. Griese completed 26 of 37 for 269 yards, hooking up with Bryant on a 20-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left in the first half. But Griese also threw an interception and was sacked four times in all. The Bucs converted just 3-of-14 chances on third down. "We shot ourselves in the foot on offense," he said. The Falcons jumped ahead 10-0 in the first quarter, but two turnovers deep in Tampa Bay territory kept the Bucs in the game. Ryan got greedy and went for the touchdown on second-and-8 from the Tampa Bay 34. The pass was underthrown and Aqib Talib picked it off at the 1. In the third quarter, Ryan found Rader alone down the right sideline, and the backup tight end hauled in the pass and headed for a touchdown. Bucs safety Jermaine Phillips stripped the ball from behind just as Rader was going in, and Phillip Buchanan scooped it up in the end zone. The officials initially ruled TD, but referee Terry McAulay overturned the call after Tampa Bay challenged, even though replays from several angles looked inconclusive. Notes: NFC South teams are now 11-0 at home in division games. ... Turner broke Jamal Anderson's franchise record with his 15th rushing touchdown of the season. ... Former Falcons RB Warrick Dunn rushed for 40 yards and caught seven passes for 50 yards in his return to the Georgia Dome. ... Elam had the 17th game-winning kick of his career in the final 2 minutes of regulation or overtime.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: CBSSports.com Date: 12/14/08 Surprising Falcons won't go down without a fight By Mike Freeman ATLANTA -- Not exactly sure what the hell Atlanta coach Mike Smith was thinking. In a remarkably physical game, a game that had the feel of a postseason contest, Smith decided to channel his inner Cassius Clay, and get in the face of much stronger, fully shoulder-pad armored football player and all but challenge him to a fight on the sideline. The player was Antonio Bryant, who is 6-feet-1 and 205 pounds and seems to be a rider on the crazy train. In the second half of a highly chippy and physical contest -- won in overtime 13-10 by the most dangerous team in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons -- Bryant found himself near the Falcons bench after one particular play. Bryant started to mouth off to Falcons players. Smith momentarily lost his freaking mind and attempted to intimidate Bryant -- and back his players -- by moving to within inches of Bryant's facemask and staring him down. Bryant gave Smith a look that said: "Are you nuts old man?" Smith is as threatening as a grandpa wrapping Christmas presents, and a Bryant beatdown of the coach would be considered patricide in some states. Smith had to be separated from Bryant, and later, after the spirited Buccaneers blocked a Falcons punt with just minutes remaining, Smith was separated from his wits. "I just politely asked him to go back to his sideline," Smith said, laughing, when asked about the confrontation. "I don't recall what he said," Bryant explained. "I just looked at him. It's nothing personal." If there is an underdog coach of the year candidate it has to be Mike "Bonecrusher" Smith. And if there is an underdog for the title of most dangerous team in the conference, it might be held by the Falcons. Because this was a playoff game. It felt like it. It looked like it. It tasted like it. And this young Falcons team stared down a seasoned Buccaneers group and beat them head up even as their coach was about to get his ass beat. Think about how wonderful a story the Falcons are after the disgrace that was Mike Vick. Think about it for a moment. Smith won't talk about the playoffs, but I can. The Falcons have not only a good chance to make the postseason but also do some damage. They've gone the entire season without back-to-back losses, Matt Ryan is one of the best rookie throwers in recent years and the Atlanta defense gets better with every game. What you have to love about this Atlanta team is that it mirrors its hard-nosed coach. The Falcons are tougher than you think, much tougher, and will be a hard out for any team in the playoffs. That is if they can hold on and make it. Their toughness was evident against the Buccaneers, usually the team doing the exclusive head-knocking. While other games coming into Sunday had the billing of being the most brutal of the day, the violence quotient in this one was significant. Scuffles broke out after the first several plays of the Falcons' first possession -- then again after the Buccaneers' first series, and then after Tampa Bay's first punt. It probably didn't help that several Falcons players were taking deep inhalations of those metabolism kick-starting ammonia capsules several times before taking the field. They were chemically primed for a fight or two. The officials were in serious danger of losing control at more than one point. Finally, they regained at least some. In the second half, after Harvey Dahl cheap-shotted one of the Buccaneers players while he wasn't looking, and a Tampa Bay player responded to Dahl, officials flagged both. Nevertheless, soon after that, another scuffle broke out after a Tampa Bay interception. On one play, Buccaneers tight end Alex Smith was hit so hard by defensive back Domonique Foxworth while he was trying to make a catch across the middle -- hit fairly and squarely -- I'm not sure how he ever stayed conscious. There was also so much trash talking in this game it violated local recycling laws, but instead of telling players to shut the hell up and play, game officials let the talking continue.

In the end, Tampa Bay was punch drunk from exchanging swings with a franchise that is clearly on the way up. Atlanta's mental toughness is also impressive. The team could've folded after Michael Koenen's punt was blocked with 2:37 left in the game and the Falcons leading by three. The Buccaneers turned the blocked kick into a game-tying 38-yard field goal. Jason Elam went on to make the game-winning field goal in overtime. Now, if they could only keep their head coach from getting his butt kicked.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 12/11/08 Falcons were right on Ryan, I was wrong By Terence Moore No way did it seem wise for the usually NFL draft-challenged Falcons to use their No. 3 pick overall during the spring on quarterback Matt Ryan instead of defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. No way did it seem likely that Ryan would do anything more than become your typical rookie at that position and stumble when he wasn’t rumbling or bumbling. No way did it seem possible for the Falcons to go from sorry to solid within a year courtesy of that same rookie quarterback. OK, I was wrong. Then again, so were a slew of others, including a Hall of Fame quarterback who still rubs his eyes while watching Ryan become, well, let Steve Young tell you. “Frankly, what this guy is doing is unprecedented in the history of the game, and to be honest with you, I really can’t fathom it all,” said Young, now an ESPN analyst and a Ryan groupie, failing to contain his glee over the phone from his home city of Palo Alto, Calif. This is a guy who owns two NFL MVP trophies. He has the league’s highest career passer rating. He was a Super Bowl MVP after throwing a record six touchdowns. He won six league passing titles. This also is a guy who shuns hyperbole, so this is significant: Young said without hesitation that, ‘“Even though it won’t be a bed of roses along the way, Matt Ryan already has shown me enough to say that he’ll be one of the all-time greats.” Wow. Let’s catch our breath. Young rarely did during this interview. He was so eager to discuss Ryan that he continued to talk on his cellphone while jogging. Said Young, recalling the Falcons’ chaos of last season involving Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino, “It was almost a year ago to the day that I was in Atlanta for a Monday night game, and I thought the Falcons were flat on their backs. There already had been among the worst teams in the NFL for years, and given everything that happened last season, there was absolutely no way you could expect this.” Here’s what “this” entails: Ryan, Ryan and more Ryan. He has helped the 8-5 Falcons double their 2007 victory total to become playoff contenders. He throws every type of pass well (short, medium, deep, impossible, improbable and unbelievable). He is a master at handling the blitz. He inspires his teammates. He looks as poised now as Young did at the height of his career with the San Francisco 49ers. Although the Falcons lost in New Orleans last Sunday, Ryan still was impressive with 315 yards courtesy of clutch throws. His passer rating of 92.0 is ninth-best in the league, but it remains 6.8 points shy of Young’s career mark. So Ryan isn’t there yet. Young laughed, saying, “Just wait. Dan Marino had success as a rookie, but he had a Dolphins team that already was a playoff contender. Ben Roethlisberger had success as a rookie, but his Steelers team also was a playoff contender already. This guy was drafted by the worst team in football, and he’s like a bolt of lightning.” That bolt needed a spark, and it came from Young’s old backup with the 49ers, Bill Musgrave, now the Falcons quarterback coach. “Billy knows football and quarterbacks as well as anybody I’ve ever met, and he’s into details,” Young said. “If you want to be the consummate quarterback, Billy is your guy, and you can see his influence here.” Young stopped jogging to add, “These are just flat-out facts in my mind. (Ryan) passes the eyeball test.” He passes every test.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 12/8/08 Falcons fall to Saints on road By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER New Orleans — In this season of thrilling comebacks, surprising victories and unmatched togetherness, some things started to unravel for the Falcons here in the Big Easy. With a chance to put a stamp on the season and keep marching toward the playoffs, the Falcons couldn’t hold two fourth-quarter leads and fell to desperate New Orleans 29-25 before 70,011 fans Sunday at the raucous Superdome. “We definitely took a step back as a team today,” Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy said. The Falcons dropped to 8-5. They will be two games behind the winner of Monday night’s NFC South Division showdown between Tampa Bay (9-3) and Carolina (9-3) with three games to play. The loss also dropped the Falcons behind Dallas (8-5) for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC. Dallas currently has a better conference win percentage. A division title will likely require a sweep and some help, while making the playoffs as a wild card would likely require winning at least two of the final three games. The Saints were on life support, but put air back into their playoff hopes by improving to 7-6. Milloy, a 13-year veteran, knows about these playoff marches from New England days. “It’s all about controlling your own destiny,” Milloy said. “At the end you never want to be looking at who’s winning and who’s losing. … Most of the times that I’ve been in that situation it has never turned out. To be able to control your own destiny is the way you go about it.” Now, the Falcons will be fighting with a group of teams, which includes Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago and Minnesota for the two NFC wildcard spots. The field is crowded now. “Every game is crucial from here on out,” Milloy said. Wide receiver Roddy White, who turned in a spectacular game with 10 catches for 164 yards, concurred with Milloy. “We felt like we could beat this team,” White said. “We started out good. It was nothing they did. We just did little things to stop our selves today.” White admitted that the defeat, in which the defense couldn’t stop the run, the special teams allowed an untimely 88-yard kickoff return and the offense couldn’t execute on a key fourth-quarter drive, was not playing well in the locker room. “We can’t let this linger, because if we do it’s all downhill from there,” White said. Smith was not happy with the run defense, which gave up 184 yards on 30 carries. Saints running back Pierre Thomas ran for 102 yards on 16 carries and Reggie Bush added 80 yards on 10 carries. “We’ll have to definitely take a good hard look at that,” Smith said. “After our film evaluation, we have lot of things that will have to get corrected.” The Saints were 0-17 when trailing entering the fourth quarter under coach Sean Payton. The Falcons led 17-16 going into the final period. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Thomas. The two-point conversion was stopped to make it 22-17. Riding the hot passing of Matt Ryan — who passed for a career-high 315 yards — the Falcons had scrambled back to take a 25-22 lead with 7:51 left. Ryan scored on a 12-yard scramble and tossed a two-point conversion pass to Michael Jenkins. On the ensuing kickoff, the Saints slipped Thomas into the game. Courtney Roby had been returning kicks.

Thomas hit a seam to his left and then broke back to the middle. Eric Weems, Thomas DeCoud and kicker Michael Koenen all had shots at him, but whiffed. “Yeah, I had a shot at him,” Weems said. “I just missed the tackle. I had a clear opening toward him. … It’s tough, letting one out at the end.” DeCoud and David Irons hustled back to keep Thomas from scoring. But the Saints had the ball at the Falcons’ 16-yard line. “I came from the left side,” DeCoud said. “He tried to bounce it and then he cut back inside through the middle. Then I just had to go run him down.” Smith was not pleased with the return. “It’s very disappointing that we weren’t able to cover that kick more efficiently and make them, at least go a long way,” Smith said. “We put ourselves on a short field.” Thomas would later score from five yards out for the 29-25 lead. The Falcons had the ball with 5:47 to play but were stopped. When faced with a decision to punt or go for it on fourth-and-5 from their 35, Smith elected to punt. “You have to play the odds there,” Smith said. “They get one first down and they are kicking a field goal. The way we approached it was that we were going to go back out there, punt and try to get the stop.” The Falcons had not stopped the Saints, but once on their six previous possessions. The Saints ran out the clock and put a dent in the Falcons playoffs hopes.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 12/1/08 ‘Resilient’ Falcons hold on to beat Chargers By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution San Diego — A sign of a good team is being able to win when all cylinders are not firing. The Falcons didn’t bring anything close to their A-game to the west coast, but made just enough timely plays to hold on for a 22-16 victory over San Diego Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium. “This is a resilient football team,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “This is a group of men that enjoy being around each other. They fight hard every single day.” The Falcons (8-4) remain only one game behind NFC South leaders Tampa Bay (9-3) and Carolina (9-3). Atlanta and the Panthers hold the two wild-card playoff slots with four games remaining. The defense, which has been yielding a lot of passing yards and couldn’t hold a fourth-quarter lead against Denver, came through with clutch plays. The stage was set for San Diego to mount a victory drive with 2:46 to play. However, the Falcons defense came up three big stops to force a punt. Running back Michael Turner then closed out a stellar game with a first down and the Falcons ran out the clock. But it was the defense that came through late. Cornerback Chris Houston chased LaDainian Tomlinson out of bounds for no gain on first down. Jonathan Babineaux and John Abraham crashed the pocket to sack San Diego quarterback Philips Rivers for a 9-yard loss on second down. Then safety Erik Coleman broke up a pass intended for wide receiver Malcom Floyd on third down. “It was something that we needed to work on going into this game, finishing games and finishing critical situations like that,” linebacker Michael Boley said. “We had some problems with that the past few weeks. I think it was huge for us to come in and improve that part of our game.” Babineaux, who signed a contract extension on Tuesday, also had another sack and batted down a pass. “I gave him a head fake outside and I came back underneath him,” Babineaux said of Chargers guard Mike Goff. “I thought LaDainian (Tomlinson) was going to chip me but he didn’t. (John) Abraham had a piece of (Rivers) and I just finished him off.” Babineaux summed it up. “Sacks kill drives,” he said. In addition to the key stop, the defense held San Tomlinson, a two-time rushing champion, to 24 yards rushing on 14 carries, his second lowest total over his career. “I thought it was, beside our trip out to Oakland, it was our best defensive performance,” Smith said. “We had some guys step up. Babineaux rushing the passer. “They were able to get some yards in the passing game, but this quarterback is the No. 1 rated quarterback in the league in terms of passer rating.” Turner, returning to play against his former team, powered the offense with 120 yards rushing on 31 carries. The Falcons did have miscues. Three turnovers resulted in all 16 Chargers points. Quarterback Matt Ryan missed an open receiver in the end zone. Harry Douglas muffed a punt. A Brian Finneran fumble was returned 86 yards for a touchdown. Turner even had a fourth-quarter fumble when the Falcons were trying to run out the clock. “You’ve got to win the ugly ones sometimes,” center Todd McClure said.

San Diego, one of the league’s hardluck stories with four losses in the final 24 seconds of games, dropped to 4-8. The Falcons held a 15-7 lead at halftime, but could have built a larger lead if they hadn’t got stuffed on four tries from the 1-yard late in the second quarter. “That’s part of the game,” Ryan said. “You have to understand that there are going to be some ups and downs.” The Falcons got the ball to start the second half, but a promising drive was stopped when Finneran fumbled the ball while fighting for a first down. San Diego’s Eric Weedle scooped up the fumble and returned it for a touchdown. The Chargers two-point conversion attempt, a pass to Floyd was incomplete to make it 15-13. After an exchange of punts, the Falcons cobbled together a nice 11-play, 72-yard scoring drive. Douglas was wide open in the left corner of the end zone an a third-and-goal from the 5. Elam’s kick made it 22-13 with 14:56 left. Defensive end Jamaal Anderson blocked a field goal attempt on San Diego’s ensuing possession. The Falcons took over at their 25 with 11:33 left. Turner fumbled and it was recovered by San Diego’s Quentin Jammer with 9:05 left. San Diego got a 28-yard field goal to make it 22-16 with 5:15 left. The Falcons defense stood firm and closed the door. “Our team has been growing every week,” safety Lawyer Milloy said. “We showed our progression. It’s been a steady progression even through some of our losses. We are team that is getting stronger as the season goes on.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: ProFootballWeekly.com Date: 11/30/08 No turning back After fighting through some false starts, Falcons WR Roddy White has turned a corner to become one of the league’s top receivers By Dan Parr It can be a long, lonely road from first-round bust to potential Pro Bowler. Roddy White’s path from the bottom up was marked by failure, struggles and self-doubt. There are still lapses for the Falcons’ first pick, 27th overall, of 2005. Drops and diminished confidence have yet to be completely wiped out of his game, but when they creep back in, he has someone who doesn’t just remind him of how good he can be, but demands that he be even better. Falcons WR Roddy White After White dropped two passes in a crucial loss to the Panthers in late September, he turned to his mentor, former Falcons and Saints receiver Joe Horn, as the two sat across the table from each other at Stoney River, a steak house just outside Atlanta. Horn was fuming. He gets angry when mistakes are made by the player he helped guide once they became teammates months prior to White’s breakout year last season. “You want people to respect you?” Horn asked that night over dinner. “The only way you’re going to get respect is if you show those (defensive backs) on Sunday that they’re not at your level. You got to show all those receivers around the league that you are the best in the business.” Then Horn simplified his message. “I just said he needed to be more pissed off,” he said. Horn, a four-time Pro Bowler and veteran of 13 NFL seasons, told White he wasn’t going to watch his next game. If he didn’t respond after that conversation, Horn said he didn’t think White would ever rise to become one of the best. Tough treatment from the man you look up to, but White came up with a strong rebuttal. Against the Packers a few days later, White had eight catches, 132 yards and a touchdown by halftime. He didn’t have a single catch in the second half and didn’t need one as the Falcons won at Lambeau, 27-24. He still has moments of weakness — a brief glimpse of the past shows up once in a while, as it did in the Carolina game and again in Week 11, when White, in his fourth year out of UAB, dropped what could have been the game-winning touchdown pass in the endzone during Atlanta’s loss to the Broncos. However, White ranks among the league’s leaders in receiving yards (973), receptions (62) and has matched a career high in touchdowns (six). His turnaround from a guy who couldn’t live up to the hype to one of the most feared weapons in the league has helped lead the Falcons to their surprising 7-4 start. Last season, he became the first Falcons receiver of this decade to gain 1,000 yards — he had fewer than 1,000 in his first two years combined. “It was disappointing, because I knew I was talented enough,” White said of the slow start to his career. “I never folded my tent, though. I always kept my head up. I just walked around and thought to myself, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ “At the time I wasn’t doing my job. I was letting the team down. “But I got myself going.” The Falcons’ success and White’s individual milestones over the past two seasons make his trying times seem far away. Horn, though, hasn’t forgotten the Roddy White he met before things started to change. “(He was) quiet,” Horn said. “He held a lot of stuff inside of him, and I noticed that before the (’07) season started. We went on a trip to Florida, and I got to know him a little bit. I started telling him what I felt would bring him out, what would make him one of the elite receivers.

“He listened to the formula. … He had to earn his respect, and the only way he was going to do that was catching balls and talking junk if he had to talk junk and walking the walk.” The talent that Atlanta’s scouts were enamored with was always there, but it took Horn’s prodding, White’s determination and a decision to clean up some things in his personal life, particularly his diet, that led him in the right direction for the first time as a pro. “Joe Horn had a lot to do with it,” White said. “He said, ‘I’ve been watching you, man, you can play.’ But he said, ‘You’re playing like you don’t want to be that guy, but you can be that guy.’ “(Horn) caught (603) balls in this league. So when he tells you, ‘You can be that guy, you can be a No. 1 in this league,’ then, you should know you can be a No. 1. “That was the thing for me.” White needed to believe. Growing up in James Island, S.C., White didn’t have a lot of reasons for optimism, he said. White was raised by a single mother and didn’t have many positive influences. “We were in neighborhoods with a lot of people that had drugs and things like that,” he said. “That’s kind of what we saw every day. Everybody thought that was the way of living. “When I went to high school, that’s all I thought about. I just wanted to find a way to get my family out of there.” We’ve heard that type of story before. Many players have come and gone from the league in short order because they were unable to shake the bad habits and bad people that latched on to them in their younger days. White’s former teammate, Michael Vick, is an example. With the help of Horn, White was able to push back on the tide he’d been succumbing to in his first couple of seasons. “I finally realized it was me,” White said. “I have to live with myself and go out there and do what I’m supposed to do. “I told myself I’m not ever going back.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: CBSSports.com Date: 11/27/08 That's dandy, kid: Ryan's in mix as best rookie QB ever By Pete Prisco It was a Tuesday in September and Mike Smith, the first-year head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, was sitting in his office looking out onto the practice field below him. Since it was the players' day off, Smith didn't expect to see much activity. "You know what's going on out there now?" Smith asked. "My rookie quarterback is working on his drops. He's out there putting in the time." That rookie is Matt Ryan. Putting in the time is what he does. The rookie wants to be great. He's off to a heck of a start in trying to get there. The Falcons are one of the shocking stories of 2008. They are 7-4, and Ryan's a big reason. He has been the starter since opening day and he hasn't disappointed. Some have already said he's the best rookie quarterback ever. I think one Dan Marino might have something to say about that. Some might point to Ben Roethlisberger, who went 13-0 as a starter for the Steelers in 2004 and threw 17 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. But Ryan is having an outstanding season and making a case for himself. In 11 starts, he has thrown for 2,418 yards, 11 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He has completed 60 percent of his passes and his yards-per-attempt is an impressive 7.8, which shows he isn't just managing the game. As a rookie, Marino threw for 2,210 yards in nine starts -- he opened the season on the bench -- threw 20 touchdown passes and six interceptions and had a completion percentage of 58.4. His yards-per-attempt average was 7.5. So Ryan has him on completion percentage and yards-per-attempt. He'd need to catch fire to overtake him in touchdown passes, and yards-per-game is Marino's. Marino lost his first playoff game before reaching the Super Bowl the following year. Matt Ryan's stats show only part of his rookie success story. (US Presswire) Can Ryan take the Falcons there in his first try? If he does, it just might be the greatest rookie quarterback season ever. This Falcons group was a team picked to win maybe two games. And now they're one game out of the lead in the NFC South. "I think one of the best things we've done is that we haven't worried about the outside expectations," Ryan said. "We believed in ourselves. We bought into it. The hard work could pay off." You're not surprised? "I don't think you use the word surprised," Ryan said. "We had expectations for ourselves, even if others didn't." When the Falcons drafted him with the second overall pick last April, they were hoping to get the franchise passer they badly needed after the Mike Vick fiasco. Ryan is everything Vick wasn't. Call him the anti-Vick. He throws from the pocket. He scans the field. He works at his job tirelessly. And, no, he doesn't own any pit bulls.

How do I know? I always ask. I asked him at the scouting combine. I asked during a chat during training camp and I asked again during this interview. "Still no pit bulls," Ryan said. What Ryan has done in 11 games is make people forget the misery of the Vick situation. Those who held on to the notion that Vick might someday be back in a Falcons uniform can forget that. Owner Arthur Blank has said as much, and Vick isn't a better quarterback than Ryan. Not when it comes to throwing the football -- and that's what the NFL is all about. The challenge of taking over as quarterback was daunting for Ryan. He was thrown into a situation where people were labeling him the savior, while others were saying he's no Vick, many of those Vick backers holding onto their No. 7 jerseys. It didn't take long for teammates, coaches and even the fans to realize that Ryan has that "it" you need from the quarterback position. "He never seemed like a rookie," Falcons center Todd McClure said. McClure did say it was a few games before Ryan really took over the huddle. That's understandable for any rookie quarterback. Now it's his huddle for sure. "I think it takes time to earn the respect of your teammates," Ryan said. "The early playing time helps that happen, but in a lot of ways I'm still working toward that." To see Ryan work and practice and talk to him made me think he's cut from Peyton Manning-Tom Brady fiber. That's high praise. He isn't there yet, of course, but he has that look playing the position. "It's a great compliment," Ryan said. "But I have a long way to go to get to that level." As a rookie in 1998, Manning threw 26 touchdown passes but 28 interceptions. His completion percentage was 56.7 and his yard-per-attempt was 6.5. And his team won only three games. That's an advantage to Ryan. Brady threw three passes as a rookie, completing one for 6 yards. That's a blowout for Ryan. The hard part is sustaining it. Manning and Brady got better and better. It's hard to imagine that Ryan won't follow their lead. Showing up at the practice facility on a day off to work on minor details is all the proof of that we need. "Doing the extra work comes with playing the position," Ryan said. The next five weeks will decide whether the Falcons are a playoff team or not. If they make it, and even make some noise once there, I just might have to re-evaluate my thinking that Marino is the greatest rookie quarterback ever. The fact that Ryan is even in the debate has to make Falcons fans happier than a pit bull tearing into a steak.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/24/08 Turner, Douglas power Falcons over Panthers By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER Jason Elam had already trotted onto the field. Falcons head coach Mike Smith had another notion. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, he ordered the place-kicker back to the sideline. On this day, with the secondary hemorrhaging yardage again and the Falcons holding a precarious three-point lead, Smith made the call of the season. The first-year coach determined that a field goal wasn’t going to help the team’s cause against division leader Carolina Sunday at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons needed a touchdown. The Falcons went for it and running back Michael Turner barreled into the end zone, making a statement and paving the way to a stunning 45-28 victory over the Panthers before a sellout crowd of 64,841. The Falcons are now one game out of first place in the NFC South. “We were able to get ourselves into what we felt was the best play,” Smith said. “Our offensive line did a great job on the surge.” Smith was bucking the old football axiom to put the sure points — the field goal — on the scoreboard. But after Carolina has stormed back from a 17-0 deficit to make it 24-21, the Falcons needed much more than three points. “I really felt there was no other choice but to go ahead and do it,” Smith said. “A three point field goal, gives you a six-point lead. I thought we could score a touchdown. That made it a real easy decision.” The call was a big hit in the huddle. “The call came in from Smitty,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “He’s got confidence in us. Any time that you’ve got an offensive line and guys like Mike Turner, it makes those decisions a little easier.” The linemen wanted to prove their mettle and Turner had been pounding the ball at the Panthers all day. “It was just an attitude thing,” said Turner, who rushed for four touchdowns. “Carolina had a little momentum. We had to try to counter that. It was just an attitude thing. Go in there and punch it in and try to put them away.” The left side of the Falcons line all blocked down. Wayne Gandy appeared to get a good block on Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers. “It wasn’t a situation were we were trying to attack Peppers or anything,” said Turner, who finished with 117 yards on 24 carries and went over the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his five-year career. “It was just a play we wanted to execute. Peppers just happened to be on that side.” There was no hesitation along the line. Nobody ran off the field. “Smitty said there wasn’t a doubt in his mind,” center Todd McClure said. “That was huge. To get that ball into the end zone at that point in the game, that was huge. “It just comes down to a mentality and a mindset.” The touchdown gave the Falcons a 31-21 lead. After the defense got a stop, rookie Harry Douglas, who put on a show of his own, caught a Carolina punt and hit the middle seam of the coverage at rocket speed. He bounced out to the right side and scored on a 69-yard return. Elam’s extra point made it 38-21 with 4:47 to play. It was Douglas’ second touchdown, he’d scored earlier on a 7-yard run. He finished with 3 yards rushing (two carries), 92 receiving on four catches and 93 on three punt returns — 188 total yards. The Panthers would not go away.

Delhomme, who carved up the secondary for 295 yards on 21-of-35 passing, tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad with 2:23 left to close with in 10. Turner closed the day with his fourth touchdown, a 16-yard run with 54 seconds left to secure the victory. With the victory, the Falcons have thrust themselves into the NFC South Division title race as they improved to 7-4, 2-2 division, one game behind Carolina and Tampa Bay. The Panthers, which had won four straight, dropped to 8-3, 2-2. Behind the pinpoint passing of Ryan and running of Turner, the Falcons held a 17-3 halftime lead. The Falcons got a field goal on their opening drive. They are now 5-0 when they score on the opening drive. In Carolina’s 24-9 victory on Sept. 28, the Panthers held Turner to 56 yards rushing on 18 carries. He had 56 yards on 12 carries by halftime. “We didn’t maintain our blocks,” McClure said the earlier meeting. “We tried to get to the second level too quick, up to the linebackers. We didn’t spend enough time pushing their lineman and that’s what we focused on today.” Carolina came out strong in the third quarter. Passing the ball to Steve Smith, the Panthers cut the Falcons lead to 17-13 heading into the fourth quarter. The Falcons were forced to move the Domonique Foxworth over to right cornerback and sit down starting cornerback Chris Houston. Brent Grimes was inserted at left cornerback. Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith finished with eight catches for 168 yards. When the game was on the line, the Falcons put the ball in the hands of Turner and powered their way to victory.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/24/08 Ryan playing like no rookie before him By Mark Bradley It was a moment in a game that was slipping away, and if this game slips away then maybe this improbably sunny season does, too. Third-and-10 at the Atlanta 45-yard line, Carolina having closed within 17-13, and here the Falcons looked at their rookie quarterback and said, “Make a play.” The play as designed fizzled on the launch site. The pocket collapsed and the rookie was forced to scramble to his left, away from his first read, and now he had a choice: He could keep running and come up short of the vital first down, or … Running left, he threw to his right. Michael Jenkins caught the ball and skittered for 19 precious yards, and five snaps later the Falcons had an 11-point lead. And right about here the realization struck: In Matt Ryan, we are watching the greatest rookie quarterback ever. Tom Brady threw three passes his rookie season; Brett Favre threw four. Bart Starr and Joe Montana each started one game as rookies. Troy Aikman had to be benched midway through, having gone 0-11 as a starter. Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions his first season. John Elway completed 47.5 percent of his rookie passes, Terry Bradshaw 38.1 percent. Joe Namath was 3-5-1 as a lavishly salaried — he was making $400,000 — rookie. Fran Tarkenton was 2-8 as a first-year starter; Johnny Unitas was 4-3, Bob Griese 3-7. Ben Roethlisberger was 13-0 as a rookie quarterback on a loaded Pittsburgh team but didn’t start until Week 3. Sammy Baugh made All-Pro as a rookie but threw six more interceptions than touchdown passes. Bob Waterfield was league MVP as a rookie but started only four games. (Doubtless he got bonus points for being married to Jane Russell.) Dan Marino is considered the gold standard of rookie quarterbacks, but his first start only came in Week 6, and he joined a team that had reached the Super Bowl the previous season. And now we consider Matt Ryan, who has started from Day 1 for a dilapidated team the Sporting News pegged to finish 1-15, who stands now as the chief reason the refurbished Falcons are 7-4. He completed 17-of-27 passes for 259 yards against Carolina Sunday. He completed nine of his first 11 passes in staking the Falcons to a 17-0 lead. Said Roddy White, who ran under a 30-yard rainbow off a Ryan pump-and-go on the second snap Sunday: “Sometimes you luck up and get the guy. We got the guy.” Eleven games in, the Falcons have stopped waiting for Ryan to have a Rookie Moment. “He hasn’t given me a reason to [expect one],” said Mike Mularkey, the offensive coordinator. And then, asked if Ryan has already absorbed the entire playbook and thereby given the Falcons license to call anything at any time, Mularkey said, “Yes.” We saw it again Sunday, same as we’ve seen it since August. We saw it in the fourth quarter, the Panthers having drawn within a field goal again, the Falcons facing third-and-11 at their 25 with eight minutes left. We saw Ryan drop back and step forward into a big rush and loft the ball down the right side for Douglas to snatch, and the 69-yard gain positioned the Falcons to bang home the clincher. “I threw it on time, actually a little early,” Ryan said. “He had man coverage, and I was hoping he’d roll his hips back toward me. But he was able to put his foot in the ground and stop [and make the catch]. It was a great play by Harry Douglas, not me.” That’s typical Ryan. Everybody else makes the plays. He just carries out his assignments. But we on the periphery, having watched all along, know better. We know this rookie quarterback has made a difference in a way no other rookie quarterback — not Marino, not Roethlisberger, not anybody — ever has.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/19/08 Finally a feature back, Turner key to Falcons' turnaround By Dennis Dillon Among the numbers Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner has put up this season -- 220 rushing yards in the season opener, nine touchdowns, an average of 4.3 yards per carry -- the one that stands out in bold type is his league-leading 227 rushing attempts. Turner has one fewer carry in 10 games this season than he did in four seasons in San Diego, where he was the understudy for LaDainian Tomlinson. After finally stepping out of L.T.'s shadow, Turner has proved he has the makeup to be a No. 1 back. He has rushed for 971 yards, third in the NFL behind Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (1,100) and Washington's Clinton Portis (1,063). Turner is a primary reason why the Falcons are 6-4 and in the hunt for a playoff spot one year after they went 4-12. There's no arguing this point: The Falcons have received a good return on their six-year, $34.5 million ($15 million guaranteed) investment. Their addition of Turner was one of the best free-agent moves of the offseason. "It was a great signing, and it has made a difference for their team, obviously," said Mark Dominik, director of pro personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "He's been a big part of their turnaround." Last year was one of the darkest in the history of the Atlanta franchise. There was the dogfighting saga involving Michael Vick, coach Bobby Petrino's walking out on the team with three games left and a lot of empty seats in the Georgia Dome. Now, the Falcons are enjoying a rebirth largely because of three men: first-year head coach Mike Smith, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan and Turner, who is reducing the stress level of each of the other two. What distinguishes Turner is his rare combination of power and speed. He is a big back (5-10, 240) who can hit the seam and go long distances. He has 25 runs of 10 yards or more, including a 28-yarder, a 38-yarder and a 66-yarder. "There aren't a lot of guys like him in the NFL," said linebacker Na'il Diggs, whose Carolina Panthers take on Turner and the Falcons on Sunday in an NFC South clash. "They're doing a great job in Atlanta as far as getting him the ball and letting him just run down the middle, which is what he likes to do." Because of his size and speed, Turner presents a big challenge for defenses. "You've got to try to get early penetration -- you can't let him build up a lot of steam going downhill -- and obviously you've got to tackle well," Dominik said. "You can't be a coward. You've got to go up and want to hit him, even though he's a big man." This is the time of year when every NFL player's body feels tired and beat up. But Turner went through that phase earlier in the season -- it took several games for his body to get used to taking a full-time beating -- and now he says he feels energized. "I'm feeling fresh," he said. "I'm ready to go." The statistics support Turner's claim that he's not wearing down. He is averaging almost as many yards per attempt in the fourth quarter (4.8) as he is in the first (4.9). His average on his first 10 carries in a game (4.5) is similar to his average on carries 21 to 30 (4.4). One reason Turner has stayed fresh is that the Falcons have rotated in Jerious Norwood at running back. Norwood, who is more of an edge runner than Turner, has carried 69 times for 383 yards. The Falcons have the second-best rushing average per game in the NFL (153.4 yards) behind only the New York Giants (172.7). At his current pace (22.7 carries per game), Turner would wind up with 363 carries in his first year as a feature back. That would be more than any running back had in 2007. Can he continue to handle that kind of load? "I don't know," Turner said. "I've never been through a whole season as a starting running back, so this is my trial year. I'm going with the flow. When coach calls my number, I'm ready every time." And Smith will continue to call on Turner. He knows a winning number when he sees one.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/17/08 Falcons fall to Broncos at home By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER The stage was set for another magical finish at the Georgia Dome. Quarterback Matt Ryan’s fourth-quarter dagger intended for the Denver Broncos’ heart, went in and out of the outstretched arms of wide receiver Roddy White in the end zone. “I just dropped it,” White said. The key drop allowed Denver to hold on for a 24-20 victory on Sunday before the announced sellout crowd of 54,644 fans. White has made big plays all season long and registered another 100-yard receiving game against the Broncos. But with the Falcons needing a big catch to pull out the game, White was tough on himself. Denver took the lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 5:35 left in the game. The Falcons picked up three first downs on its final drive and converted on a third-and-7. Ryan connected with Brian Finneran for a 13-yard gain. On third-and-18 from Denver’s 45-yard line, White got open and made his way to the right corner of the end zone. Ryan’s pass wasn’t perfect, but White got to it. Receivers live by the creed that if they touch the ball, they are supposed to catch it. “I felt it hit my hands,” White said. “I was trying to reach for it again, but by that time it had already gotten away from me.” White finished with five catches for 102 yards and had a long catch of 37 yards. It wasn’t a routine catch, but White felt he still should have made it. The touchdown would have put the Falcons ahead 27-24 with 1:16 left. “Yeah, I feel responsible for this one,” White said. “I’m a leader on this team and you know, when they expect me to go out there and makes plays for us to win, when we have a chance to win, I have to go out there and make those. It’s a tough one. We should be celebrating right now.” White appeared to have his feet down in bounds. All he needed was the ball. “Every time that you’re in that position, you know the sidelines are there,” White said. “You know you have to get the ball in and get your feet in. I just kind of dropped it basically.” The defeat dropped the Falcons to 6-4 and was their first loss at home. Denver improved to 6-4. “It’s a tough loss for us, especially for us at home,” White said. “We have to bounce back next week. We have to let this one go.” White didn’t have to shoulder all of the blame for the loss. The Falcons held a 13-7 halftime lead behind two field goals from kicker Jason Elam and a 9-yard touchdown by running back Michael Turner. Denver scored on the opening drive of the second half. Peyton Hillis’ 2-yard touchdown run made it 14-13. On the Falcons ensuing drive, Ryan threw an interception while under duress on a third-down blitz. The Falcons had converted a 37-yard Ryan-to-White pass play earlier on similar blitz, but Denver cornerback Dre Bly was ready the second time. “But (Bly) kind of ran over there and Matt threw the ball,” White said. “Good job by the defense.” The Broncos converted the turnover into a 20-yard Matt Prater field goal to take a 17-13 lead. “It was a cover zero,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We didn’t make a good decision there. We’d like to have that one back if we could.”

The Falcons battled back and Turner scored on a 28-yard touchdown run to make it 20-17 with under 11 minutes to play. The Falcons defense was off balance for most of the day. They were expecting long passes, but Denver threw underneath. They weren’t expecting Denver to run, but they ran the ball effectively. Even though the Broncos were staying two steps ahead of the defense, the unit still had a chance to stop the drive and protect the three-point lead. They stopped Denver running back P.J. Pope for three yards on first down and quarterback Jay Cutler threw an incomplete pass on second down. On third-and-7 from Denver’s 20, the Dome came alive with chants of “Defense, Defense.” With the Falcons looking for underneath routes, Cutler tossed a strike deep down the field for Brandon Marshall for a 47-yard gain. Cornerback Chris Houston was in coverage. “He’s a real big receiver and he’s athletic,” Houston said. “He came down with the ball.” Seven plays later, Cutler threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Graham for the winning margin. The Falcons had their final shot, but White’s drop and a holding call on Tyson Clabo hurt their chances. “That last drive was a big drive for us,” running back Jerious Norwood said. “You’ve got to take the good with the bad and keep rolling.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: NFL.com Date: 11/15/08 Mularkey has given Falcons extreme makeover on offense By Steve Wyche ATLANTA -- The success of the Atlanta Falcons this season has been, to say the least, unexpected, especially with first-time leadership charged with fixing a franchise mired in on- and off-field ruin. But it's even more remarkable when you consider that rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, free-agent tailback Michael Turner, emerging star wide receiver Roddy White and a hodgepodge of characters on the offensive line were turned over to a new offensive coaching staff that managed a combined eight NFL victories with their respective teams in 2007. On top of that, Mike Mularkey, who lost his play-calling duties as offensive coordinator in Miami and was re-assigned to be the woeful Dolphins' tight ends coach last season, was named offensive coordinator in Atlanta, hired to design the scheme that would be the foundation for years. In addition, the only coach on the Falcons' staff that Mularkey had ever worked with before was wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie, who was with him in Miami. "I guess you can say things are going pretty good," Mularkey, 46, said. The one-time offensive guru who had helped turn Kordell Stewart into a Pro Bowl quarterback, who revitalized the career of journeyman quarterback Tommy Maddox in Pittsburgh, who spent two unsuccessful seasons as the Buffalo Bills head coach, who was Miami's offensive coordinator under Nick Saban in 2006, and who was Cam Cameron's tight ends coach with the Dolphins in 2007, got his groove back. Through 10 weeks, Mularkey's offense in Atlanta ranks second in rushing and sixth overall. "My experience in Miami, I'm not going to say it was bad, but I was attempting to call and run other people's offenses that I didn't have familiarity with," Mularkey explained. "This (in Atlanta) is the one I used in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. It's nice to have some common things back. The coaching staff picked right up on it, which was the biggest thing. "I went to Miami (in 2006) thinking I was expected to run (former Dolphins offensive coordinator) Scott Linehan's offense, use the same terminology and succeed. I've seen other coaches try to do that and fail. I said I would not fail, and I did. It's hard to explain to people. As hard as you want to try, if it's not your philosophy, you can't just call a game." With a cerebral quarterback in Ryan and a group of intelligent, if not overly physical offensive linemen, Mularkey has been able to call plays that he could not do with Daunte Culpepper, Joey Harrington, Drew Bledsoe, J.P. Losman or Kelly Holcomb -- or even Stewart, for that matter. The recognition ability of Ryan is off the charts, which is why the third overall draft pick has been so effective so early into his career. In Atlanta's 34-20 victory over the Saints on Sunday, the Falcons drove to the New Orleans 34-yard line in the second quarter using a no-huddle set. Slot receiver Harry Douglas went in motion, from left to right, and a defensive back went with him, signaling man coverage. Ryan, in shotgun formation, changed the play and threw a deep lob down the left sideline to Michael Jenkins, who was matched up in man coverage on Aaron Glenn. Jenkins caught it and was brought down at the 2. Less-cerebral quarterbacks wouldn't have been able to make that read, and Mularkey wouldn't have put many in the position to make that decision. The offense is a personnel-based scheme, where Mularkey and his staff tailor plays and play calls to the abilities of the talent. It's a system Mularkey devised as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator in 2001 with fellow offensive assistants Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt, currently the assistant head coach and head coach, respectively, with the Arizona Cardinals, who, like the Falcons, boast a 6-3 record. "It started with us meeting and evaluating our personnel, and in reality, this system started with Kordell and worked its way down from there," Mularkey said. "We saw what we had offensively, player-wise, and said, 'Let's fit what we have here. Tinker some things -- don't even install things -- that we know our left tackle can't do. Even though it looks good or another team is successful with it, let's not put any player in a position where he is uncertain if he can do it.' "You want your quarterback to have success, but if one guy isn't put in the position to be successful, you can't run that play." The only real constants through the years in Mularkey's system have been blocking tight ends and tough tailbacks. The quarterbacks and offensive lines have had a variety of skill sets, so Mularkey has had a variety of ideas, sets and schemes.

Veteran offensive tackle Wayne Gandy was with Mularkey in Pittsburgh and now is a reserve with the Falcons. Before getting cut last spring and re-signed two weeks ago, Gandy predicted Mularkey would run a semi-pedestrian, mistake-free offense based on the team's personnel. The mistake-free part was dead on but Mularkey's offense has hardly been vanilla. "Mike likes to change stuff up, and with Matt and the offensive line, which is very heady, that allows Mike to change this and that weekly," Gandy said. "This system is about allowing the quarterback to play, to make throws or runs or do things he can do. It's about moving the chains. If it's second-and-2 you go get the first down. Not, 'Oh, it's second-and-2, let's go long.' It's a very efficient offense. It's about constantly keeping the pressure on the defense and using the talent. He's not trying to make Jerious Norwood into Jerome Bettis or make Michael Turner try things he's not comfortable with." As well as things have run over nine games, Mularkey isn't looking to acquit himself for his past failures, including his 14-18 mark as head coach of the Bills. He's also not angling for another head-coaching job. "I have coaching aspirations," said Mularkey, clearly leaving "head coaching" out of his answer. "l love coaching. I don't have to be anything more than I am. If it's less, I'll be happy. I enjoy coaching. I'm not doing this for any other reason. I'm enjoying this job. I enjoyed coaching tight ends last year. "People say, 'You went from head coach to a tight ends coach. How do you feel about that?' I looked at it as a privilege and I had fun being in the classroom again. I don't have to be any more than I already am to be happy. If it happens, great; if not, that's fine. I'm not reaching out for it." Mularkey's trek in coaching is very much in the now. He's only had Ryan for nine games, which is hardly enough time to get everything right. With seven regular-season games left, there's also plenty of time to mess things up. What has helped the Falcons offense more than anything is that it's getting off to quick starts and being able to dictate the tempo. Falling behind and putting more pressure on players who aren't quite equipped -- as was the case in losses to Tampa Bay and Carolina -- makes the good work he and his staff have managed thus far look very ordinary. "This is a work in progress," Mularkey said. "We've got a long way to go. We've come a long way. It's been a long time since I've seen a whole group work like this -- especially with the situations we've all come from."

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: USAToday.com Date: 11/14/08 Ryan's quick development turning Falcons' hope to reality By Skip Wood, USA TODAY FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Last January, when general manager Thomas Dimitroff took over an Atlanta Falcons team still reeling from the Michael Vick dogfighting travesty, he knew that whomever he selected with the third overall pick in the draft may have to deal with becoming the new face of a troubled franchise. Dimitroff wrestled with the weight of the decision. "I knew in the back of my mind I more than likely was going to be defined by this move in the draft, being my first as a general manager," he says. "And it obviously was going to be very crucial for this franchise." Enter quarterback Matt Ryan. Dimitroff hoped the Boston College product could help erase the memory of Vick's 2007 conviction on federal charges related to dogfighting and the defection of then-coach Bobby Petrino to the college ranks 13 games into what would be a 4-12 season. Dimitroff, who had spent the previous five years as director of college scouting for the New England Patriots, liked what he had heard from multiple sources about the quarterback who played his home games about 25 miles from Foxborough. He liked what he saw when watching hours of video footage and liked Ryan's unmistakably genuine, yes-sir-no-sir demeanor. In Ryan, he sees a player with a rare, innate grasp of the position. He initially saw it when he and a group of Falcons representatives, including first-year coach Mike Smith and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave, visited Ryan last season. "We're in a meeting room, and Bill is tossing around and firing a lot of what we refer to as 'exotics' at him," Dimitroff says. "So Matt just gets up and goes to the dry-erase board and starts drawing what Bill was asking about. It reminded me of the character in A Beautiful Mind. It was almost as if he finished drawing all these things, plopped the marker back down and basically said, 'You got anything else for me?' " So far, the general manager's instinct about the man who would become his first draft pick have been dead-on. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, Ryan has become one of the few quarterbacks in history to find success in his rookie season and has helped lead the Falcons to an unlikely 6-3 record and a tie for second in the NFC South. Among those who have been impressed is Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard, whose team beat the Falcons on Oct. 26. "I mean, he throws the ball up there to a lot of places where only his receivers can make plays," Sheppard says. "As long as he keeps doing that and they keep making plays, he can be something special." Ryan's nickname, going back to high school, is "Matty Ice." Those who know him say that when the politely humble player steps onto the field, he becomes a different person. Steely. Focused. Demanding. Times 10. "When he walks into the huddle," says his college coach, Jeff Jagodzinski, "everybody knows it's going to be OK, no matter how dire the situation. Some guys have it and some guys don't. He has it. It's hard to put your finger on it, but he just has that 'it' factor." Ryan has a strong sense of the responsibility the Falcons have placed upon him. He views it as a simple but all-important job requirement. "That's what a quarterback has to do," he says. "You've got to get in there and get everybody on the same page. But that's kind of the way I've always been in terms of playing. Whatever my personality is in the locker room or whatever, when it's time to go to work, it's time to go to work." Similarities to Brady Safety Lawyer Milloy, a 13-year veteran and four-time Pro Bowler, was with the New England Patriots in 2001 when Drew Bledsoe was injured and replaced by second-year man Tom Brady. All Brady did that season was lead the Patriots to the first of three Super Bowl wins.

"The similarities are scary," Milloy says about the immediate impact of Brady and now Ryan. "They both have all the intangibles, the pocket presence, the leadership qualities. "With Matt, you get a feeling that every time you go out there and he has the ball in his hands, we have a chance to win, and you can't say that about too many quarterbacks in this league. "He doesn't play like a rookie," Milloy says. Ryan already has thrown for 1,909 yards and 11 touchdowns, has the fifth-highest single-game quarterback rating (138.4) of the season, and perhaps most importantly, has grabbed — and earned — the leadership mantle on a team that desperately needed a rudder. "No doubt about it," says wide receiver Roddy White, who already has tied a career high with six touchdowns and has 801 receiving yards. "He commands everybody's attention. At first, you were kind of surprised about that because ... he's a rookie, but he doesn't act like one in the huddle." Other acquisitions pay off, too Ryan and the Falcons' surprising success this season has been aided by another of Dimitroff's acquisitions in his first few months on the job. After spending his entire five-year NFL career backing up LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego, running back Michael Turner ended up becoming the steal of the free agent market. Turner has punished defenses for 890 yards and seven touchdowns and given Atlanta the NFL's second-ranked rushing offense, all while taking the pressure off of his rookie quarterback. End John Abraham, ranked first in the NFC with 11 sacks, leads an improving defense that has helped the Falcons post a plus-4 turnover differential. Still, Ryan appears to be the player who brings it all together. "He is very polished (and) he has great mechanics," says Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, whose team visits the Falcons on Sunday. "He's ahead of the curve as a rookie because he has such great fundamentals and he reads coverages extremely well." Asked whether he hit a home run in his first career at-bat, the energetic but suddenly cautious Dimitroff pauses and sighs. "Geez, that's tough," he says. "I'd say we're very encouraged by his development and his wise-beyond-his-years maturity. ... Obviously, his natural leadership skills are rising to the top." Despite the accolades, Musgrave says Ryan's early success hasn't gone to his head. "There are some guys in this league, rookies included, who kind of change when success comes their way," he says. "But with Matt, he's the same guy as he was when I got here for the post-draft meetings." Ryan is quick to deflect praise. "I think I've been getting better week in and week out in terms of recognizing defenses and trying to make better decisions, but I've still got a long, long way to go," he says. "That's evident when you get in there on Mondays and you look at the tape. "But I'm also excited about that, because I think I can get a whole lot better."

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/13/08 Harmony brings success for Falcons By Terence Moore Flowery Branch — John Abraham has played a while. Nine NFL seasons, to be exact. So it is rather significant that the brilliant defensive end for the Falcons sat at his locker on Wednesday, thought about the last time he experienced this much togetherness among teammates and thought some more. He kept thinking. So when was it? Abraham kept thinking, before glancing up to say, “It’s been a while,” he said, reflecting on a career that included six years with the New York Jets. Then he added, “Actually, probably never. I’ve been on some hard teams, and to have this kind of chemistry, as far as in the locker room and on the field, along with everybody communicating with each other — this probably is the best team when it comes to that situation.” Sounds like Thomas Dimitroff knows what he’s doing. He’s in his first season as an NFL general manager. Even so, he envisioned building a team without knuckleheads long before he spent six years in the scouting department of the New England Patriots, supposedly the league’s team of teams. “What we did [after taking over the Falcons] is evaluate the players, and then we discussed the other stuff, whether there were character issues and what not, whether there were personality traits on and off the field that we felt wouldn’t fit into our system,” said Dimitroff, 42, involved with pro scouting since 1990. “We spent a lot of time talking about that as a group. There are a lot of good football players that we didn’t feel, kicking this off, would necessarily fit into a rebuilding program.” The results? The NFL rookies at general manager, head coach and quarterback for the Falcons are helping them shock reality in the rugged NFC South. They’ve won four of their past five games for a 6-3 record, and they’ve done so with harmony. Since the Falcons’ 2007 season of disharmony (4-12 finish, No. 7 and his dogs, Bobby Petrino), the Falcons’ roster has changed 60 percent. The purging involved some familiar names. Alge Crumpler. DeAngelo Hall. Warrick Dunn. Kynan Forney. Joey Harrington. Said offensive tackle Todd Weiner, in his sixth season with the Falcons: “It’s clear that the administration and the front office purposely went after guys that were going to jell together. Some players may not have gotten some name recognition in the past that they acquired in the offseason, but they looked for a certain attitude in a guy. The idea was that when good things happened, they were going to stick together, and when bad things happened, they still were going to stick together.” Consider: After the Falcons dismantled a bad Detroit team in their season opener, they were clobbered at Tampa Bay. Unlike the past, when Abraham hinted that such a drastic turnaround would have produced “whining and bickering” across the Falcons’ locker room, they recovered to flatten a bad Kansas City team. Then the Falcons were clobbered again at Carolina the next week, but that’s when they responded with a victory at Green Bay the next week to start their current surge to sit a game behind first-place Carolina. You have rookies Matt Ryan at quarterback and Curtis Lofton at middle linebacker among those leading the way for the Falcons. You also have mighty contributions from free agents such as running back Michael Turner, safety Erik Coleman, kicker Jason Elam and tight end Ben Hartsock, all signed by Dimitroff since the end of last season. As a result, you have the Falcons trying to become another team of teams.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: CBSSports.com Date: 11/12/08 Power Rankings: For the record, Falcons are for real By Pete Prisco For weeks we've been waiting for the right time to say it, hesitant because it just didn't seem right to say the Atlanta Falcons were a real playoff threat. Is it because we expected them to take the young-team fall we anticipated from a group that came into the season in rebuilding mode? That hasn't happened, so it's time to let it rip: The Falcons are a real playoff threat. There's no denying it any more. The way they handled the New Orleans Saints on Sunday is the all the proof we need. The Atlanta defense was the last remaining question for this team, but shutting down Drew Brees the way it did says that unit has improved enough to call it a playoff defense. The story of the Falcons is the best of this season in a league full of great ones. It's so shocking that many inside the building are even surprised, even if they won't admit it. This was to be a rebuilding season with an eye on 2010 as the playoff year. It was a three-year plan to turn the Falcons around. First-year coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff won't admit it now, but they had to be realistic and a three-year plan to turn the Falcons around made sense. Now that timetable is off. This team is good. They can run it. They can throw it with Matt Ryan and the defense is growing up under a rising coaching star, defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. If the Falcons make the playoffs and Smith isn't the coach of the year, then the award should be eliminated. The Falcons started out in the CBSSports.com Power Rankings at No. 31, which means one away from last. Now they're in the top 10. That's hard to believe. After the Michael Vick fiasco, the Bobby Petrino mess and the feeling of disconnect from Atlanta fans, the Falcons are a great story. The best thing for their chances to win the division is that Tampa Bay and Carolina -- the two teams ahead of them in the NFC South -- both have to come to Atlanta. The amazing thing about the Atlanta start is that most thought the two lines would be problem areas. The coaching staff said they were the worry spots before the season. They've been the opposite of that. The offensive line plays with a nasty streak, making up for some athletic limitations, and the defensive line has overachieved, especially inside. Defensive end John Abraham is having a huge season rushing the passer, but the rest of the defense isn't exactly star-studded. Atlanta also starts four rookies if you count the nickel back (Chevis Jackson), the third receiver (Henry Douglas) and injured left tackle Sam Baker, who is expected back in a few weeks. The best of the first-year players is Ryan. Without him, this wouldn't be happening. He's the best rookie quarterback since Peyton Manning. He sees the field. He plays with a swagger. He works his butt off doing the little things. He's cut from the Manning-Tom Brady cloth. The Falcons did the right thing starting him on opening day, thinking that this would be a building year for the future. But Ryan's play has accelerated the timetable. So go ahead and say it: The Falcons are for real.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/10/08 Falcons stun Saints to remain undefeated at home By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution John Abraham did not stutter. He didn’t dodge the question or give that “one game at a time” response. For anybody who wanted to take note, the Falcons defensive end said it’s OK to go ahead and pencil the Falcons in the playoffs. “Definitely, I felt that from the first game and I’m going to keep saying it until we make it,” Abraham said. “We play good as a team. That’s the best thing that you could say right now.” Such playoff talk was unheard at the beginning of the season, with so much change coming off a 4-12 record last season. But after the Falcons received a stellar performance from the secondary and beat New Orleans 34-20 on Sunday at the Georgia Dome to climb to 6-3, maybe the playoffs are not such a pipe dream. “At this point we are 6-3, and have seven more to go,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “A lot will be determined through those seven weeks. Right now we’re just focused on trying to beat the Broncos.” The victory was the Falcons first win against a NFC South foe to move to 1-2 in the division, with road losses to Tampa Bay and Carolina. Falcons head coach Mike Smith will not hear of any playoff talk in Week 10 of the season. “We look at our next game, Denver,” Smith said. “We’ll focus on them.” As expectations have been exceeded and goals have to be reset, the playoffs are something that’s realistically with the Falcons’ grasp. The Falcons are undefeated at home and have four more home games. If they simply keep defending the Dome, they’ll reach the 10-win mark. They also have road games at San Diego, New Orleans and Minnesota. “As we continue to work the process, and work it well, we will have opportunities to have the outcomes that we desire,” Smith said, coming about as close as he wants to in addressing the team’s playoff chances. The Saints, with the top-rated passing attack in the NFL, let it been known on the first play of the game what they thought of the Falcons secondary. Brees stood tall in the pocket and launched a deep pass into double coverage to speedster Devery Henderson. Falcons cornerback Chris Houston dropped back into his zone and had Henderson covered underneath and safety Erik Coleman came over the top to intercept the pass. “We were able to steal a possession there,” Smith said. “I think that was big. That’s a team that I don’t think you want to give them a whole lot of offensive opportunities because they are very, very potent.” From that point, the secondary, which focused on re-routing the Saints’ receivers, stayed in coverage. “I thought most all passes were contested,” Smith said. “There were very few open receivers. I thought they had a good understanding going into the game of how they were going to attack us.” Led by cornerback Domonique Foxworth, the Falcons knocked down 15 passes and had three interceptions, including Chevis Jackson’s fourth-quarter pick that he returned 95 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-13. The Saints scored meaningless touchdown as time expired. “It was a great challenge for our [secondary] today with Drew Brees and their passing game,” linebacker Keith Brooking said. “The key thing was disrupting the receivers at the line of scrimmage. That threw off the timing of their passing game.”

The Saints did pass for 422 yards, but a lot of that came in the fourth quarter while trying to scramble back after Jerious Norwood shot up the right sideline for a 67-yard touchdown to make it 27-6 with 9:54 left. Falcons rookie quarterback Matt Ryan was hot early and helped the Falcons build a 17-6 halftime lead. “I just try to pull my weight out there,” Ryan said. Ryan tossed two touchdown passes and spread the ball around to six different receivers. “Our quarterback is maturing each week,” Smith said. “As long as he can continue to develop we can continue to add to what we can do offensive.” But in the end, it was the defense that controlled the Saints passing attack and got in Brees’ face. Abraham had one sack, which gives him 11. “We just wanted to come and play together,” Abraham said. “Sure, he’s a good quarterback, but we wanted to get him out of his rhythm. We put a lot of pressure in his face and kept him moving around.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/10/08 Falcons have the make of a good team By Mark Bradley This is no longer just a good story. What we’re watching is a good team. The Falcons need only to win the rest of their home games to finish 10-6, and 10-6 puts you in any playoff discussion any year. And how stout have they been at home? They’ve played 240 minutes in the Georgia Dome this season. They’ve trailed for a total of 11 seconds, and those 11 — the time it took the Falcons to lose the Chicago game and then win it — are part of NFL history. This is a team that keeps tending to business with such dogged resolve that we are, believe it or not, coming to regard winning as business as usual. “You keep hearing that Atlanta is going to fail at some point,” said Lawyer Milloy, the free safety, “but this is happening the right way.” Here he smiled, and you should know that Milloy is stingy with his smiles. “Every year there’s a team that has you scratching your head, that you never saw coming. Why not us?” It sounds silly until you watch this team play, but when you do you see no silliness about it. You see a team that comes to work, that hits really hard and plays really smart. On Sunday the Falcons took the ball from New Orleans on the first snap and saw the frazzled Saints use the last snap to cut their deficit to 14 points. In between the Falcons were dominant. Forget total yardage, for it meant nothing. All that mattered was that the Falcons needed barely five minutes to score their first touchdown and Drew Brees, hailed as the NFL’s best player, required 50 minutes to get one for his team. All that mattered was that Brees threw 58 passes and accomplished less than the rookie Matt Ryan, who didn’t throw half so many. “I liked the way we played,” said Mike Smith, the Falcons’ coach, and how could you not? There are no Glanvillian gimmicks in these Falcons, no Mora-like false chatter. This a simply a collection of proud pros — hey, even rookies can have pride — that has developed a sense of itself and has cottoned to its coaches. Said Todd McClure, the center: “It’s about time everybody else started thinking we’re a good team.” It is. It’s November, and by now any football flukes have begun to wilt. The Falcons are gathering strength. Maybe they surprised themselves back in September, but no more. They’ve played nine times and haven’t been routed yet. Why shouldn’t they expect to win? “We’ve been very fortunate with our acquisitions,” said Thomas Dimitroff, the general manager, and never had those acquisitions stood out more than Sunday. Ryan worked another lovely game. Erik Coleman, a free agent, stole Brees’ first pass. Domonique Foxworth, acquired by trade, broke up three passes. And the third-rounder Chevis Jackson capped it all by scoring on a 95-yard interception return. “I can’t stress this enough,” Dimitroff said, “but all our new guys are about the team. It’s not just about them.” And we saw — or at least we thought we saw — a moment Sunday when Smith appeared to make the same point. Jerious Norwood had scored on a 67-yard yard catch-and-run. But, by breaking into high-step at the 27, he was nearly caught by Usama Young. Thus did it come as no shock that Smith waved the back over. But not for a dressing-down. “I was just congratulating him,” Smith said. “I said, ‘Nice run, Jerious.’ “ Really? “Sometimes you’ve got to let them go,” said Smith, shrugging. Then, reconsidering: “But we may talk about it Monday or Tuesday.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 11/3/08 Falcons shut out the Raiders By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Oakland — The Falcons were happy to see their old pal, Oakland cornerback DeAngelo Hall. So happy they went right after him. Throwing Hall’s way, the Falcons got a quick touchdown and some early momentum to carry them to a 24-0 rout over the Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday. The Falcons defense dominated Oakland’s pitiful offense and posted the franchise’s first shutout since beating Carolina 30-0 on Oct. 20, 2002. “Defensively, I thought it was our best performance,” said Falcons coach Mike Smith, who awarded game balls to the defense for keeping the league’s lowest scoring offense (just nine touchdowns on the season) out of the end zone. The Falcons dealt with the Raiders quickly and decisively. On the game’s 10th play, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who hasn’t been shy about throwing at top cornerbacks, unleashed a strike to Michael Jenkins, who had gotten behind Hall, for a 37-yard touchdown. “It was just kind of a press and fade up the sideline,” Jenkins said. “Matt threw a great ball and I was able to get by DeAngelo.” Hall, who played his first four seasons with the Falcons and made two Pro Bowls, was traded to the Raiders last March. He went by the Falcons’ team hotel to visit with Jenkins and linebacker Michael Boley on Friday. Ryan wasn’t shy about throwing to Philadelphia’s Asante Samuel’s side of the field last week, so Hall had to figure he was going to see action. Hall was dressed and gone when the Raiders locker room was open to the media. The Falcons built on Jenkins’ play. During their surprising start, the 5-3 Falcons have been the masters of the quick start, throwing early-knock down punches in all of their victories. The Falcons established early leads in all of their previous victories — Detroit (21-0), Kansas City (24-0), Green Bay (17-7) and Chicago (9-0) — and did the same to the Raiders. Scoring on their first four possessions, the Falcons jumped out to a 24-0 by halftime. The Falcons scored on their opening drive, which was a good omen. They are now 4-0 when they score on the opening drive this season. The Falcons came out determined to get their struggling running game on track. They ran the ball with Michael Turner or Jerious Norwood on six of the first eight plays. With the Raiders starting to creep up in run support, Jenkins ran past Hall to make it 7-0. The Raiders, who were held to just three first downs the entire game, were forced to punt after their first possession. Wide receiver Harry Douglas replaced Adam Jennings as the Falcons return man. Jennings, who played at Fresno State and is from Granite Bay, Calif., was inactive for the game. Jennings lost his job after he botched a return in the final three minutes against Philadelphia that cost the Falcons a chance at a final drive. After Douglas had a 6-yard return, the Falcons started their second drive at their 30-yard line. The tried to mix things up and started passing from their no-huddle attack.

Ryan drove the Falcons to midfield before hitting tight end Justin Peelle for a 16-yard gain. A roughing the passer penalty on Oakland’s Jay Richardson, moved the ball down to Oakland’s 19. Three plays later, Norwood took a toss and got escorted into the end zone by lineman Tyson Clabo from 12 yards to make it 14-0. “Clabo got out in front, he was pulling from the right side,” Norwood said. “I had to set my blocks up and wait for him to get there. Once he dove at the cornerback he ended up on the ground. I had to jump over him to get in the end zone.” The Raiders could only manage four yards on their second series and were forced to punt. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell missed a shot on third down when Oakland wide receiver Ashley Lelie ran past cornerback Chris Houston, but the pass was overthrown. The Falcons third drive started at their 12-yard line. Ryan mixed in some passes with the run to drive down to Oakland’s 19 before right guard Harvey Dahl was called for holding, moving the ball back to the 27 after the spot foul. Ryan threw an incompletion before finding Jenkins again for a 27-yard touchdown to make it 21-0. “It was just kind of a corner route from inside,” said Jenkins, who beat safety Stanford Routt on the play. “Kind of like a tight end route.” The Falcons had their fourth drive stall on Oakland’s 24, when Ryan was sacked for a third-and-3. Jason Elam came on and kicked a 48-yard field goal to make it 24-0. That’s all the scoring that was needed. The Raiders did not pick up their first down until 9:19 was left in the third quarter as Russell struggled mightily The Raiders most promising drive ended when safety Erik Coleman intercepted Russell in the end zone with 7:27 to play.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 10/26/08 Late call hurts as Falcons fall to Eagles By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Philadelphia — The stage was set for another thrilling fourth-quarter ending for the Falcons. In their last game, the Falcons showed that 11 seconds was enough time to snatch back a victory and that rookie quarterback Matt Ryan has a flare for the dramatic. On Sunday, trailing Philadelphia by six points, the Falcons defense had did their job and forced a punt. Ryan was on the sideline with quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave getting the calls from offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who was up in the booth. However, a controversial call on the punt return left the Falcons without the ball and sent them spiraling to a 27-14 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field. The Falcons were trailing 20-14 in a hard-hitting contest and figured to get the ball back with just over two minutes remaining. The Falcons had a punt return set up, but the ball was short. Punt returner Adam Jennings tried to field the punt and then backed off. The officials ruled that the ball touched him and that the Eagles’ Akeem Jordan recovered it. “I felt like it didn’t touch me, but I can’t control what people see,” Jennings said. Falcons coach Mike Smith didn’t want to place the defeat on Jennings’ decision to back off with a punt return called. “I don’t think you can ever say that there is one play in the football game that makes the difference,” Smith said. “There are a number of plays that we’d like to have had back in that ball game.” The defeat dropped the Falcons to 4-3, while the Eagles improved to 4-3. When the Falcons got word that the replay indicated that Jennings did not touch the ball, they were in bad spot because Smith had already used the last timeout. Without a timeout, the Falcons had to live with the call on the field. Smith, clutching the red challenge flag, vehemently protested to referee Jerome Boger, of Atlanta. “He said that since we do not have a timeout that we could not challenge it,” said Smith, who considered throwing the challenge flag anyway. “It would be a 15-yard penalty if we threw the flag. His explanation was what he thought he saw. He thought he saw the ball touch the return man’s hands. That’s the call that was made.” After stopping the Eagles, the Falcons used their timeout with 2:28 remaining. Smith explained the decision to burn the last timeout. “At that point in time when there was two minutes and 30 seconds [actually 2:28] to go, we used the timeout to have more time,” Smith said. “By using the time out there we would save 31 seconds (actually 28). We still had a timeout technically with the two-minute warning. If we let that roll to the two minute warning we basically run 28, 29 seconds off. That was a decision that we made.” Two plays after the muffed punt, Philadelphia running back Brian Westbrook broke free for a 39-yard touchdown run for the game’s final touchdown. “I think we had our chances and opportunities to win the football game at the end and that’s all that you can ask for,” Smith said. The Falcons defense had trouble with Westbrook all day. He ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

“Anytime he gets the ball in his hands he can make plays,” defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux said. “He did a good job against us making plays. He got the edge a few times on us and was able to make some plays.” The Falcons rushing attack, which entered the game ranked second in the league, was stymied. Running back Michael Turner was held to 58 yards on 17 carries. The Falcons scored first when Ryan hooked up with Roddy White for a 55-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Philadelphia answered with a 3-yard touchdown run from quarterback Donovan McNabb. The Eagles got a 36-yard field goal with four seconds left in the second quarter after driving down from Atlanta’s 12 in 41 seconds to take 10-7 halftime lead. On the Eagles opening drive of the second half, Westbrook scored on a 16-yard run to make it 17-7. After an exchange of punts, the Falcons drove down to Philadelphia’s 1-yard line. On second-and-1, Ryan’s pass for White on a fade route was intercepted by Lito Sheppard. “That’s obviously frustrating, especially as a quarterback when you throw an interception on the 1-yard line,” Ryan said. “That was just a poor throw by myself. The ball needs to get outside.” After another exchange of punts, the Eagles added a 18-yard field goal by David Akers to make it 20-7. The Falcons answered with a 14-play drive. Ryan tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to White with 4:01 left. The defense got the necessary stop, to set the stage for the punt return that never happened.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 10/13/08 Elam makes up for miss to give Falcons win 48-yard field goal caps dramatic finish as Atlanta improves to 4-2 By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution While the game-winning kick was still sailing through the air, Falcons long snapper Michael Schneck and lineman Jonathan Babineaux were sprinting downfield. They were in a foot race for the souvenir. After Jason Elam’s 48-yard field goal went through the uprights, Babineaux picked it up and raced back up field with the ball in hand. Elam was being mobbed by holder Michael Koenen and several other teammates, as the Falcons had pulled off a heart-stopping 22-20 victory over Chicago Bears Sunday. “I’ve been in some wild games, but this one trumps them all,” said rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who had his first career 300-yard passing game. The Falcons improved to 4-2 and continued their march through the NFC North as they also have victories over Green Bay and Detroit. They play Minnesota later this season. The Bears dropped to 3-3. “This is one of the most exciting games I have ever seen,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “I haven’t been in a game that finished quite like this. There were a lot of ebbs and flows in terms of emotions for everybody out there.” The Falcons had dominated the Bears the entire day, but their inability to score touchdowns, instead settling for field goals, nearly came back to haunt them. Leading 19-13, Elam missed a 33-yard field goal with 2:46 left to play. Despite being outplayed, the Bears had life. They had the ball on their 28-yard line and marched right down the field to take a 20-19 lead after wide receiver Rashied Davis caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Orton with 11 seconds to play. It was their first lead of the day and it looked like a deal sealer. “It looked bleak there for a minute,” Smith said. “It really did.” After giving up an 85-yard kickoff return to Jerious Norwood on the previous kickoff, the Bears decided to kick it low and short. Wide receiver Harry Douglas scooped up the kick and returned it 10 yards to the Falcons 44-yard line before sliding down in order to save some precious seconds on the clock. The Bears loaded up all day to stop running back Michael Turner, daring Ryan to beat them. Well, Ryan did and his last dagger was his best. With six seconds remaining, wide receiver Michael Jenkins ran a deep corner route. He started it inside and then broke back out to the sideline. The ball was there waiting for Jenkins, who tapped down his two feet and got out of bounds with one second to burn. “[Ryan] pretty much put it where I couldn’t miss it,” Jenkins said. The 26-yard gain, set the stage for Elam’s redemption kick, that had room to spare. “I’m really happy that one went through,” Elam said. Ryan didn’t want to look at the kick as players were congratulating him about the pass to Jenkins. “I was crossing my fingers, doing everything superstitious that you can do,” Ryan said. Before Jenkins’ catch, Elam was dejected on the sidelines. He thought his missed 33-yarder may have cost the Falcons the game. He quickly forgot about that blunder when Jenkins came down with the ball.

“Michael actually made the catch and I saw two seconds on the clock,” said Elam, who has made 16th game-winning kick in the last two minutes or in overtime of a game. “You just go on the field and try to make it just like any other kick. It’s like a golf swing.” Elam didn’t dwell on the previous miss. “Things don’t always go the way that you want them too,” said Elam, who had made 30 consecutive field goals before that miss. “You just don’t want to have the previous play affect you in any way. So you just try to concentrate on your swing and trust it.” He trusted his swing and a big party broke out on the field. Turner, who entered the game as the league’s leading rusher, was held to 54 yards rushing on 25 carries. The Falcons top weapon was taken away. “That’s going to happen sometimes when you play against a very good defense like the Chicago Bears,” Ryan said. “I think their front seven is as good as anybody in the league.” With Bears concentrating on Turner, Roddy White, Harry Douglas and Brian Finneran worked their way open for Ryan’s passes. Ryan completed 22-of-30 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown. He had a quarterback rating of 116.1. “Matt has got ‘it’ ” Smith said. “We say that he’s got ‘it.’ We don’t know what ‘it’ is, but he’s got ‘it.’ “ This type of clutch come-from-behind victory is going to give Ryan more cache in the locker room. “The team has really taken to Matt,” Smith said. “He knows how to be a leader. He was an outstanding leader in college. “To go out and operate the way he did against a very fine Chicago defense was a part of his maturation process. I think it’s been accelerated through these first six weeks more than we anticipated.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: FOXSports.com Date: 10/13/08 Falcons' Ryan is not your typical rookie QB by Alex Marvez Check his ID. Take his fingerprints. Look under the Atlanta Falcons helmet just to make sure. Matt Ryan isn't really a rookie quarterback, is he? Ryan blushed when I asked that very question shortly after he guided the Falcons to Sunday's improbable 22-20 home victory over Chicago. As those inside the Falcons' interview room laughed, Ryan smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm sure." I'm not. Rookie quarterbacks usually play — if they're even playing at all — like Baltimore's Joe Flacco did when throwing three interceptions in Sunday's 31-3 loss at Indianapolis. They don't complete 22 of 30 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown against one of the NFL's fiercest defenses. They don't lead a team that won just four games all of last season to a 4-2 record and a share of first place in the NFC South. And they don't handle pressure the way Ryan did in the waning moments of what seemed a certain Falcons loss after the Bears took a 20-19 lead with 11 seconds remaining. Chicago's decision to squib the ensuing kickoff backfired when Harry Douglas' 10-yard return gave the Falcons possession at their 44-yard line with six seconds left. The field position prompted offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey to change a desperation play call that wide receiver Michael Jenkins said involved "pitching the ball around and trying to get downfield." Mularkey instead called double corner routes designed to put the Falcons in position for a long field goal. Before relaying Mularkey's orders, Ryan did something else you wouldn't expect from a 23-year-old. "He comes in the huddle and says, 'We're going to win this game,' " Falcons wide receiver Roddy White said. Ryan then backed up his words. Just before being hit by Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, Ryan connected with Jenkins along the Falcons' sideline for a 26-yard gain with one second left. Jason Elam did the rest, kicking a 48-yard field goal while Ryan watched from a distance with his fingers crossed. Told he looked like a "little kid" while awaiting Elam's attempt, Ryan said, "I am just still a kid, really." That's what makes Ryan's performance even more amazing. He started eight-for-eight passing and made just about every type of throw imaginable — deep patterns, sideline routes, quick slants and one completion to White that saw a hurried Ryan throw across almost the entire width of the Georgia Dome field. Ryan picked apart a Bears defense that lost so many members of its secondary to injury that effective nickel and dime packages couldn't be fielded. "Unreal," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said shortly after giving Ryan a post-game hug. "Unreal" was being used in another context by Blank last year during the Michael Vick/Bobby Petrino debacles that devastated the franchise. The selection of Ryan with the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft was supposed to provide hope for the future. Nobody, though, thought the future would be now. "I was talking to some guys not that long ago about how the rookies were performing," said Falcons wide receiver Brian Finneran, a nine-year NFL veteran who caught three passes Sunday. "I went through Sam Baker, Harry Douglas, Curtis Lofton and Chevis Jackson and just stopped there. "Matt is so composed and shows such confidence in the huddle that you don't think of him as a rookie any more. You can see it. Today was just a telltale sign that the kid is growing up really fast." Falcons running back Michael Turner also offered praise when asked to compare Ryan to one of the NFL's top young quarterbacks. While playing for San Diego, Turner saw Philip Rivers have the luxury of two years of tutelage sitting behind Drew Brees before becoming a starter in 2006. "They remind me of each other a lot as far as taking the game seriously, studying, knowing what everybody is supposed to do and what plays would be good against a certain defense," said Turner, who signed with Atlanta during the offseason. "The thing is Philip had to wait, but Matt is going in there right away. I don't know if we'd be (4-2) if Philip had started as a rookie."

Like with Rivers, Ryan has benefitted from having a solid supporting cast. Turner entered the game leading the NFL in rushing; White was second in receiving yards. The offensive line also has played much better than expected, not allowing a sack against a Bears defense known for its strong pass rush. Ryan had yet to win a game in which Turner rushed for less than 60 yards. The Bears, now 3-3 on the year, limited Turner to 54 yards on 25 carries, forcing Ryan to carry the offensive load. "He took exactly what we were giving him," Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said. "He knew exactly where to go. He threw the ball with authority. He didn't look like a rookie." But he is. I guess.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: FOXSports.com Date: 10/12/08 New coach, new attitude has Falcons flying By Alex Marvez FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The quarterbacks carpool to work. The offensive line is known as the "Breakfast Club" for gathering collectively each morning to watch game film. What we've learned The defensive line is planning a birthday dinner for one of its own (Jonathan Babineaux). And the new head coach holds "Over 30" meetings to solicit feedback from his veteran players. These are the Atlanta Falcons? It's not just a 3-2 record entering Sunday's home game against Chicago that distinguishes this group from the horrific Falcons squad of 2007. This is an actual team, one quickly distancing itself from the Michael Vick/Bobby Petrino era that gave a whole new meaning to the term "Dirty Bird." "I thought it was going to take considerably longer for this team to gel because they were getting to know each other," Falcons first-year general manager Thomas Dimitroff said Friday. "I feel like that's really been expedited. In my mind, it has a lot to do with the group bonding." Reestablishing trust was needed after Vick and Petrino left Atlanta burned in General Sherman-like fashion. A ship that was too loose under 2006 coach Jim Mora had become rudderless last season with Petrino, who retreated to the college ranks after just 13 games. But even that embarrassment paled in comparison to the damage caused by Vick, who was arrested and sentenced to prison for dog fighting after initially lying about his involvement. Atlanta's descent to a 4-12 record was so depressing that defensive end John Abraham said friends and family stopped calling to ask for game tickets. Not that he was complaining. "I really didn't want anyone to come anyway, to be honest," Abraham said. "When you don't feel your team is playing up to par, you really don't want to be seen." Abraham's telephone is ringing once again — and there are plenty of reasons why. Let's start with the healing process. Shortly after being hired in January for his first head coaching job, Mike Smith began arranging face-to-face meetings with Falcons players who lived in the Atlanta area. Smith's honesty and straight-forward approach struck a chord with Falcons who felt betrayed by Petrino and a coaching staff that Abraham said left players "scared to voice their opinion." Smith also hired assistants who have a combined 188 years of NFL coaching experience. "From the very beginning, we've talked about being communicative with one another," said the 49-year-old Smith, who had spent the past five seasons as Jacksonville's defensive coordinator. "When you have open lines, it fosters that (positive) atmosphere." A roster overhaul soon followed that reflected the knowledge Dimitroff gained while working in New England's front office the previous six seasons. Falcons mainstays like running back Warrick Dunn, cornerback DeAngelo Hall and tight end Alge Crumpler were released or traded. Dimitroff used that salary cap space to add the best running back (Michael Turner) and most reliable kicker (Jason Elam) available in free agency. The draft was even more fruitful. Quarterback Matt Ryan was the bell-cow selection, but Atlanta's next four picks — left tackle Sam Baker, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, cornerback Chevis Jackson and wide receiver Harry Douglas — are either starting or heavily contributing as backups. The next step was getting the pieces to mesh together. Ryan started coming out of his shell after being named one of 10 new starters during the preseason.

"When he first got here, he was a little timid in the huddle," Turner said. "He wasn't calling plays. He was whispering. Now, he's taken command of the offense. He's telling guys where they need to be and giving little reminders like, 'You've got to get a little closer on your split.' "He's not a rookie to me." Turner has helped accelerate Ryan's development, carrying the rushing load with an NFL-high 543 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson's former understudy made an immediate impact in his Falcons debut, pounding the Detroit Lions for 220 yards and two touchdowns. That 34-21 victory in the season-opener went a long ways toward exorcising the Vick/Petrino ghosts. "We wanted to change the look of this team right away," Turner said. "You only get one chance to make a first impression. We left a pretty good one." The Falcons are a modest 2-2 since that win, but these birds of a feather continue to flock together. When players have Tuesdays off during the regular season, only the starting quarterback is expected at team headquarters to get a head start studying the game plan and upcoming opponent. In Atlanta, Ryan and backups Chris Redman and D.J. Shockley drive in together for an extra day of work. "Everybody is pulling for one another," said Ryan, who already has as many victories as Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning posted during his 1998 rookie season. "We've got a bunch of unselfish people in that locker room as well, guys who are willing to do whatever it takes to win and get better. It's fun to be part of those types of teams." Smith tries to keep his finger on the locker room's pulse by meeting semi-regularly with the 11 Falcons players who are age 30 and older. When the veterans asked for a slight change in the way practices were being run, Smith acquiesced. "It lets them know how important they are in disseminating information to the whole team," Smith said. "You've got to have your lieutenants out there. That's what veteran players are." Smith has set modest goals for a roster where 25 of the 53 players have three years or less of NFL experience. One objective was accomplished last Sunday when Atlanta won its first road game at Green Bay. The next can be reached Sunday if the Falcons string together consecutive victories for the first time by defeating Chicago (3-2). These are reasonable expectations for a team that may fade from playoff contention as the season unfolds. Although wide receiver Roddy White is playing at a Pro Bowl level, Ryan is probably too inexperienced to carry the offense if Turner can't get on track. Turner failed to reach 60 rushing yards in both of Atlanta's losses. Besides Abraham — who has an NFL-high seven sacks — the defensive line needs off-season upgrading. The same goes for a secondary that is surrendering too many big pass plays. "In my mind, we're still at a different place than most teams simply because of the process of re-tooling the roster and going through this," Smith said. "But I think we're laying a foundation that is very solid." Just like the bonds that are being built between the Falcons themselves.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: CBSSportsline.com Date: 10/11/08 Smith's demeanor, relationship with players equals wins on field By Pete Prisco The words were a bit salty. But they needed to be to make Mike Smith's point. Smith, the Atlanta Falcons' first-year coach, gathered his team last week and gave the young squad a lesson on the history of Lambeau Field. Mike's Smith's players call him Smitty -- he prefers it that way. (Getty Images) "That ----- field is 100 yards long and 53½ yards wide just like all the other --- fields," Smith told them. Message: Don't get awed by your surroundings They didn't. The Falcons went to Green Bay and upset the Packers to go to a shocking 3-2 for the season, one game out of first place in the NFC South. "Some of the young guys came up to me during warm-ups and said it was cool being there," Smith said. "But they weren't awed by it. It was just cool. Not intimidating." Said veteran linebacker Keith Brooking: "I've been on teams that had success there, but that doesn't matter to these guys. Hearing that from Smitty, it had a big impact." Smitty. That's right. The Falcons call their coach Smitty. And he likes it, prefers it in fact. That easy-going demeanor and open relationship with his players is a far cry from the iron-fisted regime that was in place last season. "Stalog Petrino" is what it was under coach Bob Petrino. Players and staff alike loathed the Petrino way, which was such a dictatorship it made Fidel Castro's look democratic. There was no middle ground. It was Petrino's way -- or else. Just ask DeAngelo Hall -- the coach wanted his picture taken down from outside his office because he didn't like the way the ex-Falcons corner was working. Coming on the heels of the Mike Vick dog nightmare, which ended with the team's marquee player in jail, the last thing players wanted or needed was a coach who was standoffish. "I remember talking to my wife about how miserable I was then," center Todd McClure said. "I hated the drive into work everyday." Brooking agreed. "For the first time in my career, I wanted to be going somewhere else every day and I love football," Brooking said. "It was misery." Thankfully for almost all in the Falcons' building, including a staff that was subjected to Petrino's daily verbal bombs, he left for Arkansas before the season ended. There were no tears shed in the locker room. "We didn't talk to Petrino much," Brooking said. So here was a team without its marquee player, without a coach, without direction and with a fan base deteriorating in front of owner Arthur Blank's eyes. What to do to fix it? The Falcons thought about Bill Parcells, but he used them to get a better deal from the Dolphins. They then hired crack scout Thomas Dimitroff to run the football side of things. He, in turn, helped hire Smith, who was the defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars the four years before that. When Smith got the job, it sent out a cry around the league. Mike who?

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 10/6/08 White stole the show early By ROB REISCHEL Green Bay, Wis. — Roddy White had seen enough of the turtle-like road starts. So the Falcons’ blossoming wide receiver decided to take matters into his own hands Sunday in Green Bay. White and his teammates had been outscored, 31-12, in the first half of their first two road games this season. Not surprisingly, the Falcons had been blistered in those away contests. White stole the show early against the Packers, catching eight first-half passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. White’s performance helped the Falcons build a 10-point halftime lead and they held on for a 27-24 win. “It was a real big lift, going out there and making plays early in the game,” White said. “In our other two road games, we didn’t get off to good starts and that was our thing all week: ‘Get off to a good start. Get off to a good start.’ “We did that today and got off to the kind of start we wanted. And the game just kind of came a little bit slower from there. The last couple of games on the road have been confusion and everybody not doing what they’re supposed to do. Today, I felt everybody did their job.” No one did it better than White early on. And even though White didn’t have a second-half catch, his dominating first half set the tone and gave the Falcons confidence they could win away from the Georgia Dome. “Yeah, he hurt us,” Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said of White. “We knew about him coming in, but he just kind of got loose, I guess.” He sure did. On the Falcons’ opening score, White had three catches and accounted for 64 of the Falcons’ 81 total yards. On the game’s opening play, White beat Charles Woodson off the line of scrimmage and hauled in a 37-yard pass from quarterback Matt Ryan. Three plays later, with the Falcons operating out of the shotgun and employing four receivers, White schooled rookie cornerback Pat Lee and made a 19-yard reception. White later made an 8-yard catch against Williams on a drive that ended with Ryan hitting tight end Justin Peelle for a 1-yard touchdown. “First drive, for him to get three catches and help us get seven [points] right away on the road, that was huge for us,” wideout Michael Jenkins said of White. “It just really got us going in the right direction.” Atlanta led, 10-7, midway through the second quarter when it embarked on a 90-yard scoring drive. White again was at the forefront, accounting for 68 of those yards, including a 22-yard touchdown. White drew a 20-yard pass interference penalty against Lee on a third-and-9 to keep the drive going. “I thought it was going to be Charles [Woodson] covering me, but when [Blackmon] came out there, I was like, ‘Oh, boy!’ ” White said on the touchdown. “Matt [Ryan] looked over and I knew he was going to throw the ball deep.” Green Bay shadowed White with Woodson, its top corner, much of the second half. And while that took White out of the spotlight, it opened up plenty for his teammates. “I just wanted to compete and show my stuff,” said White, who now has 26 catches for 454 yards. “I feel like I can be an elite receiver in this league and that’s something I want to show every week.” It’s something he certainly accomplished Sunday.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 9/28/08 Falcons learn where they stand in Carolina loss Running game stalls and mistakes mount against Panthers By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER Charlotte – The Falcons wanted to come to Carolina and make a statement about their worthiness. They’d taken care of weaker teams — Detroit and Kansas City — on the schedule and needed a victory over a team with a winning record to show how far they’ve progressed. But the inability to score touchdowns, convert on third downs and a porous pass defense contributed mightily to a 24-9 loss to the Panthers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. “We wanted to come out and show ourselves and everybody out there that we’re a good football team,” wide receiver Brian Finneran said. “With the penalties, the third downs, not scoring touchdowns in the red zone, we weren’t able to do that today.” Carolina improved to 3-1, while the Falcons dropped to 2-2. The Falcons problems were numerous. The running attack that powered them in their victories was shut down. The Falcons entered the game leading the league in rushing with 203 yards per game. The Panthers stuffed running back Michael Turner, holding him to 56 yards on 18 carries. They held the Falcons to 118 yards total. “That’s football,” Turner said. “There are going to be grind it out games. There’s not going to be big long runs every week.” When rookie quarterback Matt Ryan had to pass, his receivers didn’t always help out. Unofficially, there were at least seven dropped passes. Ryan threw the ball 41 times, completing 21 passes for 158 yards and finished with a 60.8 quarterback rating. He would not place the blame for the offense’s woes on the receivers. “Physical mistakes are going to happen in games,” Ryan said. “There is nothing that you can do.” Wide receivers Roddy White and Harry Douglas had two drops each. Finneran had a drop and running backs Turner and Jerious Norwood also dropped passes. “Those were balls that we should catch,” White said. “That’s on us. We’ve got to get better. We’ve got to get out there and help the young fellow (Ryan) out.” In both of the Falcons’ losses, the offense has failed to score a touchdown. Against the Panthers they settled for three field goals. “It’s a learning process for Matt right now and where we are at right now,” Falcons head coach Mike Smith said. “We’ve got to take a positive out of every game and every thing that we do. I think it’s very important to be positive because it’s very big learning curve in this league.” With the dropped passes being a contributing factor, the Falcons converted just 2-of-13 third downs. “Third down kind of killed us,” left tackle Todd Weiner said. “We were in a bunch of makeable third downs and we just didn’t get that done.” Despite all of the Falcons woes, Mike Smith felt they were not major issues. “The things that went on out there as far as the Falcons are concerned, they are all things that we can fix,” Smith said. “They are fixable.” Carolina held a 14-9 lead at halftime.

The Panthers’ undisciplined play helped the Falcons keep it close in the first half. Ryan’s first pass of the game was intercepted and returned for an apparent touchdown by Richard Marshall. The play was nullified by a roughing the passer penalty on Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers. The Falcons added their third field after Jason Elam had missed a 49-yard attempt. The Panthers were called for having 12 men on the field and from five yards closer, Elam made the field goal. The Panthers entered the game having committed 13 false start penalties and added two more in the first half. The Falcons were hanging around in the third quarter, needing to come up with a big play. On third-and-10 from Carolina’s 43 yard line, Douglas was open in the middle of the Panthers zone and appeared to have room to run, but he dropped the pass. On the next possession, the Panthers added a field goal to make it 17-9. After stopping the Falcons, Muhsin Muhammad got open for a 56-yard touchdown. Muhammad caught the ball between safety Erik Coleman and cornerback Brent Grimes, who had a rough day. Muhammad had eight catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, mostly all over Grimes. “They did a good job of finding a hole in the zone,” Coleman said.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 9/21/08 Turner’s 3 TDs lead Falcons past Chiefs By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER Falcons running back Michael Turner could not put a number on how many Kansas City defenders that he ran over, through or around Sunday. Early in the new regime, his bruising running style has been the team’s trademark. It’s the physical brand of power football that the re-made Falcons want to establish under general manager Thomas Dimintroff and head coach Mike Smith. Turner had several key runs and three rushing touchdowns to help the Falcons defeat Kansas City 38-14 at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons improved to 2-1, while the Chiefs dropped to 0-3. Turner, who rushed for 220 yards in the season opener, finished with 104 yards on 23 carries. He was bottled up last week against Tampa Bay, rushing for only 42 yards on 14 carries. “We committed ourselves to running the football,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We talked all week about how that’s what we were going to do and our guys went out and executed it. It’s really enjoyable as a coach to see a game plan executed like they executed it today.” The Chiefs, after giving up 300 yards rushing last week to Oakland, were determined to crowd the line of scrimmage on Turner. “We just had a better plan for it,” Turner said. “Last week kind of took us off guard. We really weren’t sure how teams were going to try to defend against the run.” The Falcons were not able to run the ball against the Chiefs early. They were stopped on their opening three possessions and forced to punt. “We weren’t panicking when they came out playing great defense,” Turner said “We had to be patient with the run and big things were going to happen.” After the offense misfired early, the Falcons went to Turner, who became the fifth Falcon to rush for at least three touchdowns in a game, to get things going. Backed up to their 7-yard line after a special teams penalty, Turner slipped off the left side of the line and through five tackles on a 38-yard gain. It appeared that he carried Kansas City linebacker Pat Thomas for about five of those yards. When asked how many people he ran over during the brutish run, Turner said, “I have no idea. I have to see it on film” and started smiling. “It’s a great thing to see when your running backs are bouncing off three, four or five guys,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “That wears on a defense. When they are running through the first and second tackle and getting to the secondary play-in and play-out. That’s takes a toil on the defense.” The Falcons used Turner’s 38-yard run to score 24 unanswered points, that included touchdown runs of four and one yards by Turner. On the possession following the key run, Ryan tossed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White. With the safeties creeping up to the line of scrimmage looking for Turner, White just took off up the right side and ran past Kansas City cornerback Dimitri Patterson and safety Jarrad Page. He caught Ryan’s strike in the middle of the field at the 20-yard and ran in for the score. “We are not one dimensional,” Turner said. “When we can get that big start, it shows that we can run and pass and keep the defense on its heels.” Ryan tossed a 62-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins against Detroit. For a team that wants to establish the run, it must show that it can effectively connect on deep passes. “It’s part of football, if they are going to protect against the run,” Turner said. “They have to worry about the deep ball. We can hit those plays. If we can show teams that we can hit the deep ball, there’s no telling what we can do this year.”

A week after Ryan was hit 18 times — four sacks and 14 quarterback hits — the offensive keep his uniform clean against the Chiefs. “They played phenomenal up front,” Ryan said. “I don’t think I got hit all day and that’s credit to those guys up front.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 9/14/08 Bucs capitalize on Ryan’s early miscues Falcons rookie misfired on his first nine passes, threw two interceptions By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER Tampa — Somewhere between the first two performances of the season, likely lie the real Atlanta Falcons. There was no white-hot start to open the game, no punishing ground attack and no rookie quarterback playing like a savvy and seasoned signal-caller. In their road opener, the Falcons fell behind early, running back Michael Turner was made to look mortal and rookie Matt Ryan nearly threw away more passes than he completed. Tampa Bay built an early lead and got a long touchdown run late to defeat the Falcons 24-9 at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. The Bucs improved to 1-1 and Falcons dropped to 1-1. “I thought we started out entirely too slow both on offense and defense,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Our third down efficiency wasn’t what we needed to have, both on offense on defense.” In the season opener, the Falcons jumped all over Detroit, building a 21-0 lead before winning 34-21. Against Tampa Bay then got behind 17-0 and could never string together enough plays to mount a legitimate comeback. Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, got off to a horrid start before bouncing back with a respectable second half. Ryan was befuddled by Tampa Bay’s coverage schemes. He misfired on his first nine passes, which also included two interceptions. “Matt saw a whole bunch of things today,” Smith said. Ryan didn’t complete a pass until the 6:22 mark of the second quarter. After completing just 3 of 15 passes in the first half, Ryan came back to comlete 10 of 18 in the second half. The Falcons had some scoring opportunities, but Ryan couldn’t pull the trigger. “A couple of times there were throws that were there that I’ve got to be on time a little bit better with,” Ryan said. “But at the end of the day, they did a really good job.” After throwing the two interceptions, Ryan threw away several passes. “They had some good coverage today,” Ryan said. “That’s a credit to those guys. They’ve got some talented players in the secondary.” Ryan completed 9 of 13 passes in the opener against Detroit. The Buccaneers were determined to stop the Falcons run game and make the rookie beat them passing the ball. Right now, in just his second game in the NFL, Ryan wasn’t ready to take that challenge. “As a rookie, it’s never going to be easy,” Ryan said. Turner, who ran for 220 yards in the season-opener, was held to 42 yards rushing and suffered an ankle injury. “They loaded the box,” Smith said. “We had to make checks to get out of the run game when they loaded the box.” The Falcons came out passing. After two incompletions, Ryan’s pass intended for Harry Douglas was intercepted by fellow rookie Aqib Talib at Atlanta’s 19 yard line. Five plays later, Brian Griese tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to John Gilmore to make it 7-0. “That one was on me,” Ryan said. “I just threw it a little high. Trying to get the ball out of my hand quickly. The most important thing is being accurate and I wasn’t accurate on that pass.”

Former Falcon Warrick Dunn came back to haunt them on Tampa Bay’s second scoring drive. Dunn helped the Bucs put together a brutish 15-play touchdown drive. They converted on four consecutive third downs with Dunn scoring on 17-yard draw play on third down-and goal from the 17. Dunn also broke free for a 12-yard gain on third down-and-10 to keep the drive moving. “When you don’t get off the field on third down, you’re usually going to pay for that,” Smith said. On the Falcons ensuing possession, Ryan was intercepted by safety Sabby Piscitelli on a pass that was intended for Michael Jenkins. Tackle Sam Baker, who would later leave the game with a blow to head, made a touchdown saving tackle. The pass appeared to be thrown behind Jenkins. Tampa Bay had a first down at Atlanta’s 17. The defense held and forced the Bucs to settled for a field goal. Matt Bryant made a 33-yarder to make it 17-0. The Falcons got field goals of 32-, 27- and 24-yards from Jason Elam to make it 17-9. But Tampa Bay’s Earnest Graham broke loose for a 64-yard touchdown run with 3:08 to play to end all of the drama. “I didn’t have a good enough grab on him,” Falcons defensive end Jamaal Anderson said. “I was expecting some help from the outside, but it wasn’t there.” Next week, against lowly Kansas City it will be interesting to see which Falcons teams shows up. The one that mauled Detroit or the one that faced the Buccaneers.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 9/8/08 Ryan, Turner lead Falcons to win in opener By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER After throwing his first NFL pass, Matt Ryan was gliding around the Georgia Dome like he’d just won the lottery. First stop, the end zone to congratulate Michael Jenkins and celebrate with his teammates. Then Ryan, the new face of the franchise and quarterback of the future, ran up the sidelines back to the bench, raising his arms to excite the crowd while taking a few leaps in the air. It was a spectacular way to start his career and help send his team to a 34-21 victory over Detroit Sunday at the Georgia Dome. “I think anybody would get excited in that situation,” Ryan said. “I was fired up. Jenks was fired up. That was a good start for us.” On the 62-yard touchdown, Jenkins got behind Detroit’s cornerback and Ryan threw a masterful strike before the safety could come over to help. It’s not a touchdown if Ryan’s pass doesn’t hit Jenkins in stride. “I had a skinny post and Matt put it right on the money,” Jenkins said. “I couldn’t believe I was kind of by myself. All I had to do was take it in.” Ryan was so happy after the play, he forgot to get the ball for a keepsake. “I kind of lost track of the ball,” Ryan said. Ryan’s touchdown pass got things started, but it was the running of Michael “The Burner” Turner and Jerious Norwood that was the bulk of the offense. Turner rushed for a team record 220 yards as the offense set a team-record with 318 yards. Turner, who backed up LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego for the last four season, was also making his first NFL start. On the Falcons second possession, Turner broke loose for a 66-yard touchdown run. That clearly was the Falcons offensive plan for success. Run Turner and open things up for Ryan to throw the ball. “I was just impressed,” Ryan said. “Sometimes you find yourself sitting back there watching these runs, then you snap to it because you realize that you’ve got to run down there and help out because he might break through some more of those tackles.” Turner and Norwood took a great deal of pressure off of Ryan. “To have that one-two punch is nice,” Ryan said. The rookie from Boston College, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the draft and signed a $72 million contract, completed 9-of-13 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. He had a quarterback rating of 137. “He was very composed,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Way, way back when we were doing our due diligence with [GM] Thomas [Dimitroff] and his staff, when we met with Matt, you knew this guy had something about him. He was very calm, cool and collected.” The Falcons may not have asked Ryan to do too much, but the offensive players knew who was in control in the huddle. “He didn’t seem like a rookie out there today,” Turner said. “He took control of the huddle. … He was being a real drill sergeant out there, letting everybody know that he was in control.” The Falcons didn’t ask Ryan to throw 30 times or try to get 300 yards. He stayed within the framework of the offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey’s system. “Matt did some good things at the line of scrimmage, getting us out of bad plays and into good plays,” Turner said.

On the Falcons third drive, Turner scored against on a 5-yard run to make it 21-0. The Lions battled back with two touchdowns and were driving for a tying score to open the third quarter, but safety Lawyer Milloy intercepted a Jon Kitna pass intended for an open Roy Williams. Milloy returned the ball 38 yards to set up the Falcons offense is good field position. The Falcons added Jason Elam’s 50-yard field goal off Milloy’s turnover. After holding the Lions, Norwood scored on a 10-yard run to make 31-14. “That’s probably the turning point in the game,” Smith said. “They were moving the football.” To close out the victory, the Falcons ran the final 5:53 off the clock by pounding Turner and Norwood into the heart of the Lions defense. In his first NFL game, Ryan got to take the victory stance — kneeling down — three times after the Lions used their final timeout with 1:41 left. When asked if Ryan got an A or an F in his debut, Jenkins said, “Obviously an A, that was something he’ll never forget.”

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 7/29/08 Players know Falcons head coach means business By Terence Moore The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Flowery Branch — Nobody knew the outwardly compassionate Bill Walsh would evolve into a secretly ruthless NFL head coach. Chuck Noll was more about actions than words from the start. Then you had the sideline calisthenics of John Madden, Jerry Glanville and the rest. Anyway, who is Mike Smith, and what will he become? You just can’t tell, especially since this particular “Mike Smith” is entering his seventh month with the Falcons as a first-year NFL head coach. What we do know is that Smith has coached for 26 years overall, including nine in the NFL. He also has the facial profile of a kinder, gentler Vince Lombardi, and he smiles like Steve “wild and crazy guy” Martin. Plus, despite having a team that began training camp this week dominated by question marks instead of exclamation points, he gives you the impression that he is eternally joyful. So why did Falcons defensive end John Abraham raise his eyebrows after easing into a smile between two-a-days on Tuesday after our last comment? “I’ve seen him angry,” said Abraham, before adding in a hurry, “It wasn’t fiery angry, but I’ve seen him get an attitude a couple of times. He puts his foot down when he needs to, and a lot of times, you can have a tendency to overlook that, because if you look at his exterior, he’s such a nice guy. But when you have somebody who is always happy, you don’t want to see him when he gets mad.” That’s true, which means the Falcons may have what they need — a head coach who makes players comfortable, but only to a point. In other words, Smith isn’t wearing the blinders of Jim Mora, who was so chummy with his players that he once climbed into the Lamborghini of DeAngelo Hall to follow the bus containing the rest of the Falcons to a team event. Then again, Smith is sort of like Mora, suggested Abraham, who has seen more than a few coaching styles during his nine seasons in the league that began with the New York Jets. “To me, [Smith] is a mix of a several people, including Jim Mora, and he’s a little bit of Herm Edwards,” Abraham said. “Both of those coaches know how to treat guys on and off the field. That’s the biggest thing to me. You can always go to Mike’s office and talk to him.” Bobby Petrino, not so much. He was Smith’s predecessor, and he also was a rookie NFL head coach. His style was to treat professional athletes as if they were the same as the college players he was used to coaching. The word “dictatorship” comes to mind. Not surprisingly, with much of the Falcons locker room threatening to shove a goalpost down his mouth, he bolted in the middle of the night to call Hogs in Arkansas near the end of last season. You had Mora before Petrino, and you had Dan Reeves and his traditional ways as a veteran NFL head coach before that. As for other Falcons skippers, their styles aren’t worth mentioning, except for moments of goodness by a Leeman Bennett here and a Glanville there. Now you have Smith and his occasionally deceptive calmness. “I’m not a hothead by any stretch, but the guys know when it’s time to get on point,” Smith said, straight-faced, forgetting to add … or else.

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 5/13/08 Nice pick to rescue franchise QB Ryan's wholesome image a boon to Falcons By STEVE HUMMER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Place all you think you know about Mike Vick in a strongbox and bury it somewhere deep. Absolutely nothing in there is relevant to the story that follows. The Falcons' fallen star is at one pole of the quarterback planet. At the exact opposite is the third of Mike and Bernie Ryan's four kids from the not-so-mean cul-de-sacs of Exton, Pa. He's a striking piece of statuary in the pocket, who agrees that his upbringing was '50s-sitcom idyllic and who comes off about as hip as a pair of Birkenstocks. "I think I'm just pretty normal, like everybody else," said Matt Ryan after his second Falcons minicamp practice Saturday. "I enjoy going out getting some good food. I love the beach — my family has a house on the Jersey Shore, I love spending the summers there just kind of hanging out. Beach-goer, golfer, TV watcher, just like everybody else. Normal — kind of boring, really." The Falcons could use a touch of boring after a wild ride through the animal cruelty statutes this past year and change. When the Falcons took Ryan with their No. 3 pick in the NFL draft, it represented a turning of the page. Actually, they ripped out the page, burned it and scattered the ashes to the wind. If there are no other promises in selecting Ryan to lead the Falcons back to self-respect — and former Baltimore Ravens coach turned NFL Network analyst Brian Billick has put his chances at long-term success at no better than 50-50 — there is this: "He'll do everything he possibly can to turn Atlanta into a winning franchise," assured his high school coach, Brian McCloskey. "He'll always say the right things and do the right things." Here is a player reeking of stability, one very ordered guy. A little guarded on the details, Ryan already has his house in the Atlanta area secured. He and his father knocked out that detail during a visit shortly after the draft. He has been seeing the same young woman for a while now. Per his request, we'll leave it at the fact she is a former basketball player at his alma mater, Boston College. Dad has a business wiring new offices. Mom is in the field of raising Ryans, all of them tilting toward the athletic, even though their parents weren't exactly built that way. Matt's uncle, John Loughery, was a good man to have on board. A quarterback, too, at Boston College, he laughingly pegs himself as "the guy Doug Flutie replaced." He also was the guy who could begin to fill in his nephew on the wonderful methods of turning a safety to pudding. Matt's oldest brother, Mike, his father's namesake, began the tradition of game-playing in the Ryan household. He was the light in the distance to which Matt was always drawn. He was the big brother who inspired a powerful competitive instinct. A Division III quarterback at Widener University, Mike Ryan was home in the spring of 2001, out with his little brother to do what else — compete. With 16-year-old Matt at the wheel of the car, they were waiting to turn left into a local golf course when they were rear-ended. The collision pushed them into the path of an oncoming fuel truck. Matt suffered a broken ankle. Mike had a shattered throwing elbow that a series of surgeries couldn't make completely right. Football career over. "Looking back, he and Michael were very fortunate to walk away from that," said their father. "Obviously, they were very close before [the accident]. I think they were even closer after that." It was difficult for Matt to take anything for granted after the accident. Seemed that everything he was and did could be traced back to the bedrock of family. That has been his biggest asset through the first 22 years (he'll turn 23 Saturday). Even the man's high school is a monument to a well-grounded life. There aren't many Matt Ryan mementos in the halls of the William Penn Charter School, said his former football coach, McCloskey. As the nation's oldest Quaker school, founded by Mr.

Penn himself in 1689, it's not that kind of place. They tend to take pride in not being prideful. You don't have to be a Quaker — and the Ryans are not — to absorb a little of the ethos of the place. What they do have are the memories of a three-sport athlete who always seemed to hit the big 3-point shot, drive in the key run or convert on third down on demand. The player who wowed the Falcons with his ability to riff on offense as they tested him before the draft — the master of the dry-erase board — was showing his stuff early. Big game against Malvern Prep his senior year; third-and-long, and the big-play quarterback checks off to a fullback dive. Someone wrap the coaches in blankets, they're in shock. But the play goes for 15. " 'You know what? That's why we're on the sidelines and he's out there,' " McCloskey remembers telling his coaches at the time. "Matty Ice" was the nickname he picked up in high school for his coolness under duress, and it followed him to Boston College. His father can't remember the last time he saw his boy rattled — that is, if you don't count when the Ryan men are on the golf course. Wait until he gets his hands on these Falcons; the nickname will undergo a real crash test. Need more evidence that there's a different sheriff in town? Others come by their YouTube stardom by juggling beer kegs or setting their hair on fire or even, say, flipping off the fans in the stands. Ryan's arrived when, out of a sense of release, he threw up on the sideline after leading B.C. to two touchdowns in 131 seconds to beat Virginia Tech on the road last year. His was a college career that peaked with 11 wins in 2007, Boston College's highest total since 1940. He threw for 4,507 yards, 31 touchdowns and those troublesome 19 interceptions. Along the way, heroic odes were written to his ability to tough it out, whether it was popping up after his head went one way and his helmet went the other against Clemson or playing the bulk of his junior season with a broken foot. Ryan calls a timeout. "The things I've gone through are similar to what everybody on this team has gone through at some point," he said, once more securing his own anchor. Ryan's first impressions of Atlanta were all lollipops and rainbows. He came into town last September, spent a night at a nice Buckhead hotel and threw for 435 yards against Georgia Tech with the lights of the city as a shimmering backdrop. Then he sent a foreshadowing text message to his mother about what a great place this Atlanta seemed to be. Why, he wouldn't mind playing there one day. On his return for Falcons minicamp, he was talking to old Boston College teammate Tony Gonzalez, a Falcons free-agent tryout receiver. The setting has changed. He has a dome full of disaffected fans to win over. But the tone of his message hasn't changed all that much. "The thing he was real adamant about," said Gonzalez, recalling their conversation, "was getting down here and working, proving to everyone that he's not just a first-round draft pick, the wonder boy. He's coming in here to show — not only the Atlanta Falcons, but every team in the NFL — that's he's here for real."

ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS CLIPS Publication: AJC.com Date: 1/26/08

Shade of gray suits new Falcons coach Smith Grounded coach lands on club badly in need of stability By STEVE HUMMER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution In breaking down the anatomy of the new guy, let's do it very systematically. Mike Smith would want it that way. So, start at the top. The head of the new Falcons head coach is as snow-capped as Kilimanjaro. Smith is 48, admits he looks 58, and hardly gets upset at all when a stranger comments on what a cute little granddaughter he has. Seven-year-old Logan is his one and only daughter. Turns out it was a very short trip from long-haired Daytona Beach surfer boy to hoary-headed tendency wonk. The first flecks of white began appearing in Smith's thatch at 23. By 28 he was all gray and unwilling to buy Grecian Formula by the barrel. "It wasn't worry, it wasn't stress, he got it honestly," said his mother, Carol, whose eight children all have inherited their mother's and father's premature gray gene. Thanks, folks. The eyes, it is said, are particularly adept at spotting talent. When the Falcons' new general manager first met Smith, Thomas Dimitroff was struck by just how much they had in common on that score. They could have talked hip turn and shuttle run times all night. Smith's scouting acumen was evident early, in 1982, when he was just starting his entry-level gig as a "quality control" coach at San Diego State. Just-fired Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick was on that staff, too. One night, when Billick and his wife had other plans, he asked the kid if he would take out his wife's sister, who was visiting from out of town. "Does she look anything like your wife?" Smith asked. "Well, yeah, they're sisters," came Billick's answer. "I'm in." His instincts were accurate, the movie and dinner went well, and Mike and Julie Smith have been married for nearly the entire length of his coaching journey. For those keeping score, that would be: San Diego State (1982-85), Morehead State (1986, D-line coach), Tennessee Tech (1988-1998, eventual D-coordinator), Baltimore Ravens (1999-2002, D-line and linebackers coach), Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-07, D-coordinator). As well as squaring away Smith's personal life, Billick was his great professional bridge, bringing him to the NFL when he took over the Ravens and installing him behind a defense that was the reason Baltimore won the Super Bowl in the 2000 season. 'This guy is a worker' Being related by marriage to the head coach has it perks, but there also are drawbacks. In the never-ending battle for locker room respect — something Smith is bound to face with the Falcons

— whispers of nepotism are pure poison. "I think what happens when you come in that situation, you're going to present who you are in the first three or four months that you're there," Smith said. "That's what happened in Baltimore. People knew after 60 or 90 days, hey, this guy is a ball coach. This guy is a worker. This guy has an eye for personnel. "In every situation there is going to be somebody who is skeptical about your situation. Over the long haul, your true colors will always come out." Shoulders: Broad enough. As the oldest of eight children — Sam and Carol determined early that there was a critical shortage of Smiths in the world — Mike found himself in a coaching position from a young age. "You're the mentor to a number of siblings," he said, speaking as the eldest. "There is eight of us [four sisters, three brothers,

himself] within 13 years. We're a very tight-knit group." Both parents are educators — his father currently heads an alternative high school in Daytona, and his mother, semi-retired, still substitute teaches special education classes. (A local aside: His father actually lived in the Druid Hills area until moving to Florida when he was 14. His mother, Mike's 94-year-old grandmother Frances Smith, still lives in Atlanta. She's not much of a football fan, though, Sam Smith says. But has always been a big Braves backer.) As the eldest, Mike was there for the full, brief tenure of Sam Smith's run as a middle school football coach, and is thus the only child who veered into serious sports. It was dad's habit to involve his son in the process. At the end of practice, he'd send his 8-year-old boy on a deep pass pattern. If he caught the ball, no more wind sprints for the team. If the coach wanted his team to run more, he'd throw the ball higher, harder, more beyond his son's reach. The notions of work and responsibility are a given when you're one of eight children. The beach child would cut his long hair to fit the code at Father Lopez High School in Daytona and fit right into the stricter culture. But there was one catch. If he wanted to stay in private school, his father insisted, Mike would have to work and pony up half the tuition. "And he always came up with the money," Sam Smith said. Heart: In the right place. Smith's senior season at Father Lopez was cut short by a broken arm in the second game. Shattered, he nonetheless couldn't get away from the game. "He loved football," said his high school coach, Phil Richart. "He came to me and said, 'Coach, I've got to do something to be a part of the team.' So I let him coach the other linebackers." Passion for game is total Football had become a part of his soul. "He used to tell me he could go to sleep and play the game in his head," his mother said. OK, one of Smith's former players in Jacksonville, Marcellus Wiley, questioned the Falcons hire, suggesting that Smith was but a functionary while head coach Jack Del Rio did all the heavy lifting on defense. There's the dissenting view.

Others put out the image of a tireless worker who can relate to players as well as dancing X's and O's. "We had a pretty motley crew in Baltimore, and he kept it together really well," former Ravens defensive lineman Rob Burnett said. Then there's the terrible slander — the same one that Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy spent years trying to overcome — that the coach is at heart a nice guy. He can get emotional, he can let fly an excited barrage on the practice field, but he tends to quickly return to center. "When people use the term 'he's a nice guy,' I hope that means you're a quality person," Smith said. "That's what I feel being a nice guy means. There are times when you are going to have to not be nice. There'll be times when you have to talk to a player or a subordinate and they're not going to like what you say. But that's just a part of interacting with one another." Stomach: Cast iron. He has a reputed taste for pickled eggs. 'Nuff said. Legs: Better than you might suspect for an undersized high school Class AA linebacker whose wrecked senior season left only East Tennessee State and Army at his door. "He could go sideline-to-sideline quicker than anyone I ever saw at that position," remembered one of his East Tennessee teammates, defensive back Donnie Cook. "I was a very active player," Smith said. "I was a very passionate player." Smith still holds the single-season tackle record, an almost preposterous 186. And he may very well keep it forever — East Tennessee has since dropped football. Feet: Set firmly on the ground. Even his mother says, "He is one of the less glitzy coaches." Just what the Falcons ordered. It remains to be seen what impact Smith will have on this damaged franchise. By appearances at least, he should do nothing to add to the drama. The perfect Bud Abbott for this Lou Costello of a team.

The man hasn't surfed in close to 15 years, he figures. His hobbies now — fly fishing and kayaking — speak to a contemplative approach. His candidacy came out of nowhere, because he is not one of those coaches who shoot off flares in the media. "He's always been: 'I work hard, and someone will be out, is watching, and they'll notice.' He's not one to flash his name around. He just believes in hard work," said Julie, his wife. There is a pattern emerging here in this version of Mr. Smith Goes to Flowery Branch. If you hang in there long enough, sooner or later the gray hair will fit your place in life. If you are patient, even after nearly 20 years of marriage, your prayers will be answered with the arrival of a beautiful child. And if you put your head down and go to work like you always have, maybe it is possible to pay down all the nonsense the Falcons have accrued.

records / team records

ATLANTA FALCONS ALL-TIME RECORDSTotal Regular Season Games Played: 656Regular Season Record: 267–383–6 (44 seasons)Home: (160–167–2)Away: (107–216–4)Playoff Gms. Played: 14 (4 home, 9 away, 1 neutral)Playoff Rec.: 6–8 (3–1 home, 3–6 away, 0–1 neutral)

MOST GAMES WON, SEASON16 (14 regular — 2 playoff) (1998)12 (all regular season) (1980)12 (11 regular — 1 playoff) (2004)11 (10 regular season — 1 playoff) (1991)

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE, OVERALL SEASON.842 (16–3) 1998.706 (12–5) 1980Best Win. Per., Reg. Season: .875 (14–2) (1998)Fewest Gms. Won, Season: 1 (.077, 1–12–1) (1967)Playoff Berths: 9 (1978, ‘80, ‘82, ‘91, ‘95, ‘98, ‘02, ‘04, ‘08)Division Titles: 3 (1980, ‘98, ‘04)Conference Championships: 1 (1998)

CONSECUTIVESMost Consecutive Wins9 (1998)9 (1980)7 (1973)6 (Last 2, 1985 — 1st 4, 1986)Most Consecutive Home Wins11 (3 in 1997, 8 in 1998)7 (5 in 1980, 2 in ‘81)7 (1978)Most Consecutive Road Wins6 (1980)4 (1973)4 (1998)4 (2005)Most Consecutive Losses11 (Last 7, 1967 — 1st 4, 19689 (1st 9 played, 1984)8 (1st 8 played, 1996)

ATTENDANCEHome Season, (10 games)703,423 (1992)703,361 (2006)701,556 (2005)700,731 (2003)694,793 (2004)Largest Attendance, Home Game71,151 (10–22–06 vs. Pitt.)71,102 (12–16–06 vs. Dal.)71,079 (10–9–05 vs. N. E.)71,001 (11–13–05 vs. G. B.)70,995 (10–24–05 vs. N.Y.J.)Largest Attendance, Away Game83,437 (11–26–67 at NO, Tulane Stadium)

Consecutive Sellouts, Home (Regular Season)38 (2002–07)28 (1971–74)

LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY55 at N.O.,62–7 (9–16–73)41 at Car., 41–0 (11–24–02)41 at S.D., 41–0 (10–21–73)40 vs. Chi., 46–6 (10–14–73)36 vs. T.B., 43–7 (11–17–91)

LARGEST MARGIN OF LOSSES59 at LA Ram., 0–59 (12–4–76)46 at K.C., 10–56 (10–24–04)44 at Balt., 0–44 (12–1–68)43 at StL., 16–59 (11–10–96)

BIGGEST COMEBACKS21 vs. G. B. (11–27–83) Down 21–0, Won 47–41–OT21 at N.Y.J. (10–23–83) Down 21–0, Won 27–2118 at StL. (11–9–80) Down 24–6, Won 33–27 OT17 at Pitt. (11–10–02) Down 34–17, Tied 34–34 OT17 vs. S. F. (12–11–93) Down 24–7, Won 27–2417 vs. LA Ram (10–18–87) Down 17–0, Won 24–2017 at G. B. (9–13–81) Down 17–0, Won 31–17

LONGEST GAME PLAYED4:23 S. F. (10–6–85)

SHORTEST GAME PLAYED2:16 at N. E. (9–24–72)

SCORINGMost Points, Season442 (1998)426 (1981)405 (1980)402 (2002)394 (2008)Most Points, Game62 at N. O. (7) (9–16–73)51 vs. Car. (23) (10–4–98)48 vs. Chi. (31) (11–16–69)47 vs. Hou. (27) (9–9–90)47 vs. G. B. (41), OT (11–27–83)Most Points, First Half34 vs. Det. (10–5–80)33 vs. T. B. (11–17–91)Most Points, Second Half38 at N. O. (9–16–73)Most Points, One Quarter33 vs. T.B., (2nd Qtr) (11–17–91)31 at G.B., (4th Qtr) (9–13–81)Most Points, Each Quarter1st: 21 vs. DET (9-7-08)21 vs. Ten (11–23–03)21 vs. Mia (12–27–98)21 vs. Hou (9–9–90)21 vs. Hou (9–23–84)2nd: 33 vs. T. B. (11–17–91)24 vs. Wash. (12–17–89)24 at N. O. (9–16–73)3rd: 24 at N. O. (10–19–80)4th: 31 at G. B. (9–13–81)Most Points, Both Teams, Game90 Atlanta (33) vs. Pitt. (57) (12–18–66)88 Atlanta (47) at G.B. (41) (11–27–83)85 Atlanta (44) vs. Sea. (41) (12–30–07)80 Atlanta (35) vs. S.F. (45) (10–14–90)79 Atlanta (38) at Det.(41) (10–3–71)79 Atlanta (48) vs. Chi. (31) (11–16–69)Most Points, Both Teams, By Quarter1st: 34 Atlanta (13) at LA Rai. (21) (11–30–75)2nd: 41 Atlanta (20) at N.O.(21) (9–2–79)3rd: 35 Atlanta (14) vs. Pitt. (21) (12–18–66)4th: 43 Atlanta (28) vs. CAR (15) (11–23–08)Most Touchdowns, Season53 (1998)52 (1981)50 (1980)46 (1983)


Most Touchdowns, Game8 at N. O. (9–16–73)6 vs. CAR (11-23-08)6 at Car. (11–24–02)6 vs. Car. (10–4–98)6 vs. Hou. (9–23–84)6 vs. N. O. (12–7–69)6 vs. Chi. (11–16–69)Most Touchdowns, Both Teams, Game12 Atlanta (5) vs. Pitt. (7) (12–18–66)Most PATs, Season51 (1998)51 (1981)46 (1980)43 (1983)Most PATs, Game8 at N. O. (9–16–73)6 Four timesMost PATs, Both Teams11 Atlanta (5) vs. San Fran. (6) (10–14–90)10 Atlanta (5) vs. Sea. (5) (12–30–07)10 Atlanta (5) at G. B. (5) (11–27–83)10 Atlanta (5) at Det. (5) (10–3–71)10 Atlanta (6) vs. Chi. (4) (11–16–69)Most Two–Point Conversions, Season4 (4–for–4) (2005)3 (3–for–8) (1995)3 (3–for–4) (1994)Most FG’s, Season33 (40 att.) (1995)32 (40 att.) (2002)29 (31 att.) (2008)29 (37 att.) (2001)26 (27 att.) (1993)26 (34 att.) (2007)26 (38 att.) (1973)Most FG’s Made, Game6 at N. O. (11–13–94)5 seven times, Last time vs. Det. (12–22–02)Most FG’s Made, Both Teams8 Atlanta (6) at N.O.(2) (11–13–94)7 Atlanta (1) at S.F. (6) (9–29–96)7 Atlanta (2) at Car. (5) (9–1–96)7 Atlanta (1) vs. StL. (6) (12–9–73)7 Atlanta (5) vs. LA Ram. (2) (11–4–73)Most FG’s Attempted, Game6 at N.O.,(6 made) (11–13–94)6 vs. S.F., (3 made) (10–7–73)Most FG’s Attempted, Both Teams10 Atlanta (3) vs. StL. (7) (12–11–66)Most Consecutive Games Scored In160 (1993–2003)114 (1978–86)77 (1988–93)

FIRST DOWNSMost First Downs, Season336 (1980)325 (1983)319 (1998)318 (1981)Most First Downs, Game35 vs. N. O. (1979)34 vs. StL. (Cardinals) (1980)32 vs. N. O. (1973)Most First Downs, Both Teams59 Atlanta (35) at N. Orleans (24) (9–2–79)Most First Downs, Rushing, Season149 (1986)149 (1985)

145 (1980)Most First Downs, Rushing, Game19 vs. N. O. (10–24–71)Most First Downs, Passing, Season218 (1994)216 (1995)202 (1996)194 (1992)190 (1983)Most First Downs, Passing, Game22 vs. Det. (11–5–95)21 at StL. Cardinals (11–9–80)20 vs. LA Ram (9–11–94)Most First Downs, Penalty, Season35 (2000)33 (1998)31 (2004)31 (1978)30 (2002)30 (2001)Most First Downs, Penalty, Game7 at Clev. (9–27–81)

TOTAL YARDSMost Net Yards Gained, Season5,779 (2008)5,661 (1981)5,650 (1980)5,628 (1983)Most Yards Gained, Game587 vs. Cards, (209–R, 378–P) (11–9–80)569 vs. N. O., (257–R, 312–P) (9–2–79)Most Yards Gained, Game, Both Teams1,092 Atlanta (447) at Pitt. (645) (11–10–02)1,061 Atlanta (552) at N.O.(509) (9–2–79)Most Total Plays, Season1,144 (1981)1,090 (1985)1,086 (1986)

RUSHINGMost Yards Gained, Season*2,939 (2006)*2,672 (2004)*2,546 (2005)2,524 (1986)2,466 (1985)* NFL leaderMost Yards Gained, Game318 vs. DET (9-7-08)306 vs. T. B. (9–17–06)297 vs. L. A. Ram (10–1–72)Most Yards Gained, Both Teams, Game476 Atlanta (169) vs. Wash. (307) (11–3–85)Most Rushing Attempts, Season582 (1977)578 (1986)560 (2008)559 (1985)559 (1980)Most Rushing Attempts, Game58 at T. B. (11–27–77)Most Rushing Att. Both Teams, Game105 Atlanta (43) at Oak. (62) (11–30–75)Best Rushing Average, Season5.5 (2006)5.099 (2004)4.79 (2005)4.528 (2002)4.523 (1969)


Most TD’s Rushing, Season23 (2008)23 (2002)20 (200418 (1998)18 (1973)17 (2005)17 (2003)17 (1983)Most TD’s Rushing, Game5 vs. CAR (11-23-08)5 at S. D. (10–21–73)

PASSINGMost Net Yards Passing, Season4,186 (1995)4,112 (1994)3,700 (1981)3,695 (2001)3,655 (1996)Most Net Yards Passing, Game422 vs. Buf. (12–23–01)416 vs. Pitt. (11–15–81)Most Net Yds Passing, Both Teams, Game807 Atlanta (365) vs. S.F. (442) (10–14–90)771 Atlanta (272) at Den. (499) (10–31–04)742 Atlanta (279) a Pitt. (463) (11–10–02)722 Atlanta (346) vs. Wash. (376) (12–17–89)722 Atlanta (378) at Cards (344) (11–9–80)Most Passing Attempts, Season629 (1994)603 (1995)600 (1996)578 (1989)573 (1993)Most Passing Attempts, Game66 vs. Det. (37 comp) (12–24–89)58 at Stl. (33 comp) (12–2–07)56 at Car. (31 comp) (12–17–95)56 vs. LA Raid. (34 comp.) (9–19–82)Most Passing Att. Both Teams, Game102 Atlanta (45) vs. S.F. (57) (10–6–85)Most Passes Completed, Season374 (629 att) (1994)366 (548 att.) (1992)364 (603 att) (1995)356 (600 att.) (1996)336 (555 att.) (2007)Most Passes Completed, Game37 vs. Det. (66 att) (12–24–89)34 vs. Dal. (46 att) (12–21–92)34 vs. LA Raid. (56 att) (9–19–82)33 at StL. (58 att) (12–2–07)33 vs. Phi. (49 att) (9–22–96)Most Passes Comp. Both Teams, Game68 Atlanta (31) vs. S.F. (37) (10–6–85)Best Completion Percentage, Season64.0 (1982)63.3 (1983)61.5 (1984)61.3 (1992)61.1 (2008)Most TD Passes, Season33 (1992)31 (1980)30 (1991, ‘81)28 (1998, ‘93)26 (1997, ‘96, ‘95)Most TD Passes, Game5 at T. B. (12–13–92)

Most TD Passes, Both Teams, Game10 Atlanta (4) vs. S.F. (6) (10–14–90)8 Atlanta (2) at Wash. (6) (11–10–91)Most Passes Had Intercepted, Season32 (501 att.) (1987)31 (355 att.) (1974)30 (600 att.) (1996)29 (388 att.) (1975)26 (297 att.) (1977)Most Passes Had Intercepted, Game6 vs. StL. Ram (12–15–96)6 at Hou. (12–5–93)6 vs. L. A. Ram (10–1–72)Most Passes Had Int, Both Teams, Game8 Atlanta (3) vs. Den. (5) (11–23–75)7 Atlanta (6) vs. StL. (1) (12–15–96)Fewest Passes, Intercepted, Season10 (507 att.) (1983)11(434 att.) (2008)11 (484 att.) (1997)11 (275 att.) (1982)12 (479 att.) (2002)12 (603 att.) (1995)12 (578 att.) (1989)12 (320 att.) (1973)12 (282 att.) (1969)Most Times Sacked, Season70 (527 yds.) (1968)69 (531 yds.) (1985)67 (496 yds.) (1984)Most Times Sacked, Game11 at Clev. (11–18–84)11 at StL. (11–23–68)Most Times Sacked, Game, Both Teams17 Atlanta (8) vs. Phil. (9) (12–14–84)15 Atlanta (10) at N. Orleans (5) (10–12–97)Fewest Times Sacked, Season17 (434 att.) (2008)25 (219 att.) (1982)31 (500 att.) (1991)31 (239 att.) (1971)32 (294 att.) (1975)Fewest Sacks Per Play, Season1 per 25.5 plays (2008)1 per 17.1 plays (1997, 1994)1 per 16.1 plays (1991)1 per 15.2 plays (1981)

PUNTINGHighest Punting Average, Season44.32 (1968)43.69 (1967)43.45 (2007)43.30 (1966)43.25 (1993)Most Punts, Season110 (1978)106 (1977)101 (1976)Most Punts, Game12 vs. Wash. (12–10–78)

PUNT RETURNSHighest Punt Return Average, Season14.3 (2003)13.6 (2001)12.5 (1974)12.4 (2004)11.6 (1999)Most Punt Returns, Season60 (1976)


59 (1977)53 (1980)52 (1997)51 (1974)Most Punt Returns, Game8 at Det. (11–12–00)8 at S. F. (10–23–76)8 vs. Chi. (10–13–74)Most Yards Gained, Season635 (1974)613 (2003)536 (1980)489 (1983)483 (1997)Most Yards Gained, Game139 vs. Dal. (11–11–01)137 vs. N. O. (10–25–70)Most TD Returns, Season2 (1970, 1999)Most TD Returns, Game1 13 Times , Last time vs. CAR (11–23–08)

KICKOFF RETURNSHighest Kickoff Return Average, Season25.15 (1998)25.03 (1971)24.39 (2007)23.94 (1992)23.86 (2008)23.64 (1993)Most Kickoff Returns, Season87 (1996)83 (2000)82 (1966)79 (2003)76 (1999)Most Kickoff Returns, Game10 vs. Pitt. (12–18–66)10 vs. S. F. (9–29–76)9 at StL. . (11–10–96)9 at S. F. (12–4–94)9 at Wash. (11–10–91)Most Yards Gained, Season1,890 (2000)1,825 (1996)1,737 (1966)1,781 (2007)1,700 (1987)Most Yards Gained, Game257 at Den. (9–10–00)249 vs. Pitt. (9–27–93)237 vs. Sea. (12–30–07)214 at Hou. (10–25–87)Most TD Returns, Season3 (2000)2 (1997, ‘92)1 (1967, 69, 78, 85, 87, 90, 91, 93, 98, 01, 02)

TURNOVERS/TAKEAWAYSMost Fumbles Had, Season42 (1972)41 (1978)40 (1973, ‘90)Most Fumbles Lost, Season24 (1974)22 (1969)21 (1973, ‘76, ‘84)Most Fumbles Had, Game7 at L. A. Rams (9–28–69)Most Fumbles Had, Game, Both Teams11 at Det. (Lions 6, Falcons 5) (8–31–97 )

Most Fumbles Lost, Game5 vs. N. O. (11–25–79)5 at N. O. (10–10–76)5 at N. O. (10–15–72)Most Turnovers, Season55 (24 Fum., 31 int.) (1974)49 (17 Fum., 32 int.) (1987)48 (19 Fum., 29 int.) (1975)45 (21 Fum., 24 int.) (1976)Most Takeaways, Season48 (1977)47 (1969)46 (1981)Most Interceptions, Season26 (1980)26 (1977)25 (1975, ‘81, ‘94)24 (1988, ‘02)Biggest Turnover Differential, Season+23 (48 Takeaways, 25 Turnovers) (1977)+20 (44 Takeaways, 24 Turnovers) (1998)+16 (42 Takeaways, 26 Turnovers) (1980)+16 (47 Takeaways, 31 Turnovers) (1969)+12 (39 Takeaways, 27 Turnovers) (2002)+ 9 (30 Takeaways, 21 Turnovers) (1995)Biggest Turnover Deficit, Season–26 (29 Takeaways, 55 Turnovers) (1974)–22 (27 Takeaways, 49 Turnovers) (1987)–18 (23 Takeaways, 41 Turnovers) (1996)–18 (24 Takeaways, 42 Turnovers) (1993)

QUARTERBACK SACKS MADEMost Sacks, Season55 (1997)48 (2004)47 (2002)47 (1978)46 (1980)Most Sack Yardage, Season425 (1978)396 (1980)391 (1977)389 (1989)344 (1997)Most Sacks, Game10 at N.O. (10–12–97)9 vs. Min. (10–2–05)9 vs. Car. (9–3–95)9 vs. N.Y.G. (10–2–77)

OPPONENT FUMBLES/RECOVERIESMost Fumbles, Season45 (1978)43 (1981)37 (1998)37 (1969)Most Recoveries, Season28 (1969)25 (1998)25 (1978)22 (1977)22 (1976)Most Fumbles, Game7 at Min. (12-21-08)7 vs. Phi. (10–5–76)6 vs. Car. (12–18–04)6 at Det. (8–31–97)6 vs. S. F. (12–11–93)6 vs. Hou. (9–23–84)

records / team records & DEFENSIVE BEST

PENALTIESMost Penalties, Season130 (1,083 yds.) (1978)126 (1,149 yds.) (1985)125 (1,004 yds.) (1990)124 (1,011 yds.) (1984)Most Penalties, Game17 at S. F. (11–5–78)16 vs. Hou. (9–9–90)16 at Clev. (11–8–87)16 vs. G. B. (12–26–82)Fewest Penalties, Season63 (601 yds.) (1969)63 (659 yds.) (1968)65 (593 yds ) (1973Fewest Penalties, Game1 14 Times Last vs. Car. (9–23–01)Most Yards, Penalties, Game153 vs. G.B., (16 penalties) (12–26–72)

TIME OF POSSESSIONLargest Advantage, Game (Atlanta in regulation)(45:15) Atl. at OAK (14:45) (11-2-08)(43:21) Atl. vs. LA (16:39) (11–17–85)(42:39) Atl. vs. San Fran. (17:21) (12–19–82)(41:22) Atl. at Dal. (18:38) (10–20–96)(41:18) Atl. vs. K.C. (18:42) (12–24–00)

INTERCEPTIONSMost Interceptions, Season26 (1980)26 (1977)25 (1981)25 (1975)24 (2002)24 (1988)Most Interceptions, Game6 at N. O. (9–16–73)6 vs. LA Rams (10–1–72)

DEFENSIVE BEST

POINTSFewest Points Allowed, Season129 (1977)Fewest Points Allowed, Game0-13 Times Last at OAK. (11–2–08)Fewest TD’s Allowed, Season15 (1977)

FIRST DOWNSFewest First Downs, Season170 (1982)192 (1977)Fewest First Downs, Game3 at OAK (11–2–08)Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Season66 (1982)Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Game1 Six Times Last at Ari. (12–23–07)Fewest First Downs, Passing, Season76 (1977)Fewest First Downs, Passing, Game0 at OAK (11-2-08)0 at L. A. Rams (9–23–73)

PASSINGFewest Net Yards Allowed, Season1,384 (1977)

Fewest Net Yards Allowed, Game9 vs. StL. (12–9–73)10 at OAK (11-2-08)15 vs. N. E. (11–29–92)Fewest Passing Attempts, Game8 vs. G. B. (3 Comp.) (11–22–71)Fewest Passes Completed, Game2 vs. StL. (10 Att.) (12–9–73)Fewest TDs Allowed, Passing, Season9 (1977)9 (1971)

YARDSFewest Net Yards Allowed, Season2,848 (1982)3,242 (1977)Fewest Net Yards Allowed, Game77 at OAK (11-2-08)78 vs. T. B. (62–R, 16–P) (11–27–77)Fewest Yds Rushing Per Attempt, Season3.2 (1998)Fewest Yards Allowed, Rushing, Season1,044 (1982)1,203 (1998)1,357 (1990)1,547 (1995)1,666 (1981)Fewest Yards Allowed, Rushing, Game18 at N. E. (14 att.) (11–8–98)22 vs. Det. (26 att.) (10–15–78)29 vs. Hou. (12 att.) (9–9–90)30 vs. StL. (15 att.) (9–19–04)30 vs. Car. (20 att.) (10–29–00)Fewest Rushing Attempts, Game11 at T.B., (40 yards) (12–2–90)11 at Det., (34 yards) (9–18–83)Fewest TD’s Allowed, Rushing, Season5 (1977)7 (1998)

records / club records - fewest

POINTSFewest Points Scored, Season111 (1974)170 (1968)172 (1976)Fewest Points Scored, Game0-21 Times , Last time at StL. (10–13–03)Fewest Points Scored, Game, Both Teams3 Atlanta (0) at Buf. (3) (10–16–77)6 Atlanta (0) at Chi. (6) (10–3–93)7 Atlanta (7) vs. San Fran. (0) (10–9–77)Fewest Touchdowns, Season12 (1974)20 (1977)20 (1976)20 (1968)Fewest PAT’s, Season12 (1974)17 (1968)19 (1976)Fewest FG’s, Season4 (1974)7 (1967)9 (1966, ‘70, ‘74)Fewest First Downs, Season178 (1968, ‘74)Fewest First Downs, Game2 at L. A. Rams (9–23–73)Fewest First Downs, Game, Both Teams14 Atlanta (5) vs. Min. (9) (12–21–69)Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Season63 (1994)65 (2000)67 (1992, ‘96)Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Game0 Six Times, Last time vs. N.Y.G. (10–8–00)Fewest First Downs, Passing, Season80 (1977)Fewest First Downs, Passing, Game0 at Chi. (11–24–85)Fewest First Downs, Penalty, Season9 (1968)

TOTAL YARDSFewest Net Yards Gained, Season2,800 (1974)Fewest Net Yards Gained, Game44 at San Fran., (83 run, -39 pass) (10–23–76)Fewest Net Yards Gained, Both Teams253 Atlanta (156) at S.F. (97) (11–6–77)

RUSHINGFewest Yards Gained, Season1,155 (1989)1,181 (1982)1,196 (1999)1,214 (2000)1,249 (1994)Fewest Yards Gained, Game13 vs. N.Y.G. (10–8–00)21 at Det. (9–5–93)24 vs. L. A. Rams (12–1–74)24 at Chi. (9–27–92)Fewest Yds Gained, Both Teams, Game79 Atlanta (29) vs. S.F. (50) (10–14–90)Fewest Rushing Attempts, Season310 (1982)318 (1989)322 (1992)329 (1986)

330 (1994)Fewest Rushing Attempts, Game8 at Det. (9–5–93)9 vs. Wash. (12–17–89)10 at Chi. (9–27–92)Fewest Rushing Attempts, Both Teams, Game34 Atlanta (15) vs. S.F. (19) (12–24–95)35 Atlanta (12) at Hou. (23) (12–5–93)

PASSINGFewest Net Yards, Season1,307 (1974)1,356 (1977)1,414 (1976)Fewest Net Yards, Game(-39) at S. F. (10–23–76)Fewest Net Yards Both Teams, Game37 Atlanta (-39) at S.F. (76) (10–23–76)Fewest Passes Attempted, Season275 (176 Comp.) (1982)282 (149 Comp.) (1969)Fewest Passes Attempted, Game9 at L. A. Rams (9–23–73)9 at Chi. (9–17–72)9 vs. L. A. Rams (10–1–72)Fewest Passes Att. Both Teams, Game21 Atlanta (9) at Chi. (12) (9–17–83)Fewest Passes Intercepted, Season10 (507 att.) (1983)Fewest Passes Completed, Season140 (297 att.) (1977)Fewest Passes Completed, Game2 vs. L. A. Rams (10–1–72)2 at L. A. Rams (9–23–73)Fewest Passes Comp., Both Teams, Game10 Atlanta (8) vs. StL. (2) (12–9–73)10 Atlanta (6) vs. Chi. (4) (9–17–72)10 Atlanta (6) vs. Min. (4) (12–21–69)Fewest Touchdown Passes, Season4 (1974)Fewest Sacks Allowed, Season17 (2008)25 (1982)31 (1971, ‘91)

INTERCEPTIONSFewest INT’s, Season*6 (1996)* NFL Record*10 (1982)* Strike season11 (2008)11 (1992)12 (1999, ‘84, ‘78)13 (1993)

PUNTINGFewest Punts, Season43 (1982)60 (1971)65 (2008)Fewest Punts, Game1 Six times, Last time vs. S. F. (10–16–94)

PENALTIESFewest Penalties, Season63 (601 yards) (1969)63 (659 yards) (1968)Fewest Penalties, Game1 14 Times, Last time vs. Car. (9–23–01)

records / club records - fewest & OPPONENT RECORDS

Fewest Yards Penalties, Season542 (1988)

FUMBLESFewest Fumbles, Season14 (1982)18 (2008)18 (2007)19 (1991)20 (1967)21 (1995)Fewest Fumbles Lost, Season9 (2007, 98, ‘95, ‘80, ‘77)

OPPONENT TEAM RECORDSMost Points Scored, Game59 Rams (at StL.), (11–10–96)59 Rams (at LA),(12–4–76)Points By Quarters, Game1st: 28, Bills (11–22–92)2nd: 28, Redskins (11–3–85)28, Cardinals (12–17–78)28, Vikings (9–14–68)3rd: 21, Raiders (9–14–97)21, Redskins (12–17–89)21, Vikings (9–16–84)21, Dolphins (11–3–74)21, Packers (10–6–68)21, Steelers (12–18–66)4th: 24, Rams (11–19–67)Most Yards Gained, Game*645 Steelers (463 pass), (182 rush) (11–10–02)595 Colts (426 Pass), (169 Rush) (11–12–67)590 49ers (399 Pass), (191 Rush) (10–18–92)569 Ram. (359 Pass), (210 Rush) (12–4–76)*overtimeMost Yards Rushing, Game321 Browns (57 Att.) (10–17–76)315 Bills(44 Att.) (11–22–92)307 Redskins (37 Att.) (11–3–85)*286 Rams (62 Att.) (11–30–75)*overtimeMost Rushing Att, Game64 Vikings (211 yds.), (11–9–75)Most TDs Rushing, Game8 Chiefs (10–24–04)7 Rams (12–4–76)5 49ers (11–9–92)Most Net Yds Passing, Game499 Broncos (10–31–04)463 Steelers (11–10–02)451 Redskins (11–10–91)442 49ers (10–14–90)Most Pass Attempts, Game58 Saints (11-9-08)57 49ers (10–6–85)Most Pass Comp, Game37 49ers (10–6–85)36 Cardinals (12–23–07)35 Dolphins (12–3–95)Most TD Passes, Game6 Redskins (11–10–91)6 49ers (10–14–90)6 Browns (10–30–66)Most Had Intercepted, Game6 Rams (11–10–96)6 Saints (9–16–73)Most Punts, Game11 Giants (10–25–81)10 13 times

Most Punt Returns, Game9 49ers (10–29–72)Most Fair Catches, Game6 Giants (10–15–07)6 Vikings (11–28–71)Most Yards, Punt Ret, Game219 Rams (10–11–81)Most TD’s Punt Ret, Game2 Rams (12–27–92)2 Rams (10–11–81)Most KO Returns, Game9 Panthers (10–4–98)9 Lions (10–5–80)Most KO Return Yds, Game242 Chargers (10–21–73)Most Fumbles, Game7 2 times, Last at Vikings (12-21-08)Most Fumbles Lost, Game4 11 times, Last at Vikings (12-21-08)Most Penalties, Game16 49ers (1–3–00)16 Saints (11–17–02)15 Bills (12–18–83)15 Rams (9–19–82)14 Titans (12–19–99)14 Chiefs (9–18–94)Most Penalty Yards, Game137 Cardinals (9 penalties) (11–28–82)135 Raid., (11 penalties) (11–19–70)135 Ram., (12 penalties) (11–19–67)133 Saints, (16 penalties) (11–17–02)133 Browns, (13 penalties) (9–17–78)Most Combined Penalty Yds, Game253 Atl, (9–125) . at Raid., (10–128) (10–14–79)

records / individual records

SCORINGMost Points Career806 Morten Andersen (1995–00, 2006-07)558 Mick Luckhurst (1981–87)436 Jay Feely (2001–04)395 Norm Johnson (1991–94)354 Terance Mathis (1994–01)338 Andre Rison (1990–94)288 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)271 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973–77)250 Jamal Anderson (1994–01)246 William Andrews (1979–86)240 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)236 Greg Davis (1987–90)230 Tim Mazzetti (1978–80)216 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)212 Alge Crumpler (2001–07)204 Michael Haynes (1988–93, ‘97)186 T.J. Duckett (2002–05)186 Jim Mitchell (1969–79)168 Wallace Francis (1975–81)156 Haskel Stanback (1974–79)150 Lynn Cain (1979–84)147 Bill Bell (1971–72)144 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)144 Art Malone (1970–74)132 Alfred Jackson (1978–84)Most Points, Season138 Jay Feely (2002)129 Jason Elam (2008)122 Morten Andersen (1995)120 Morten Andersen (1998)115 Jay Feely (2001)114 Mick Luckhurst (1981)112 Norm Johnson (1993)112 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973)106 Greg Davis (1990)104 Todd Peterson (2005)104 Morten Andersen (1997)103 Tim Mazzetti (1980)102 Michael Turner (2008)101 Mick Luckhurst (1985)99 Morten Andersen (2007)98 Morten Andersen (2000)98 Jamal Anderson (1998)97 Morten Andersen (1996)95 Norm Johnson (1991)95 Norm Johnson (1994)94 Jay Feely (2004)94 Mick Luckhurst (1983)93 Norm Johnson (1992)91 Mick Luckhurst (1984)90 Andre Rison (1993)89 Jay Feely (2003)82 Greg Davis (1988)79 Morten Andersen (1999)79 Bill Bell (1972)

Most Points, Game24 Michael Turner vs. CAR (11-23-08)24 T.J. Duckett vs. Oak. (12–12–04)20 Norm Johnson at N. O. (11–13–94)18 Jay Feely vs. Det. (12–22–02)18 Morten Andersen vs. S.F. (9–3–00)18 Tim Dwight vs. S. F. (1–3–00)18 Jamal Anderson vs. StL. (11–1–98)18 Jamal Anderson at Det. (10–6–96)18 Terance Mathis vs. StL. Rams (11–19–95)18 Andre Rison at S. F. (9–19–93)18 Andre Rison at Chi. (9–27–92)18 Andre Rison vs. T. B. (11–17–91)18 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Rams (11–17–85)18 Lynn Cain at LA Rams (10–7–84)18 William Andrews at Buf. (12–18–83)18 William Andrews at G. B. (11–27–83)18 William Andrews at Den. (12–5–82)18 Alfred Jenkins at N. O. (11–1–81)18 Lynn Cain at Oak. (10–14–79)17 Morten Andersen vs. K.C. (12–24–00)17 Greg Davis vs. Hou. (9–9–90)16 Jason Elam vs. CHI (10-12-08)16 Morten Andersen at Dal (5 FGs) (10–20–96)16 Morten Andersen vs. N.E. (5 FGs) (10–1–95)15 Jay Feely vs. Buf. (12–23–01)15 Morten Andersen vs. Car. (10–4–98)15 Terance Mathis vs. Phi. (11–27–94)15 Norm Johnson at S. F. (10–13–91)15 Tim Mazzetti vs. LA Ram. (10–30–78)15 Nick Mike–Mayer vs. LA Ram. (11–4–73)Most Consecutive Games Scoring*124 Morten Andersen (1995–WK 1, 2000,

2006 W2–W17, 2007 W 2–W 17)68 Mick Luckhurst (1981–WK 12, 1985)Most Touchdowns, Career57 Terance Mathis (1994–01)56 Andre Rison (1990–94)48 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)41 Jamal Anderson (1994–01)41 William Andrews (1979–86)40 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)36 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)34 Michael Haynes (1988–93, ‘97)31 T.J. Duckett (2002–2005)31 Jim Mitchell (1969–79)28 Wallace Francis (1975–81)26 Lynn Cain (1979–84)24 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)24 Art Malone (1970–74)Most Touchdowns, Season17 Michael Turner (2008)16 Jamal Anderson (1998)15 Andre Rison (1993)13 Gerald Riggs (1984)13 Alfred Jenkins (1981)12 Andre Rison (1991)12 William Andrews (1981)11 T.J. Duckett (2003)11 Terance Mathis (1998)11 Terance Mathis (1994)11 Andre Rison (1992)11 Michael Haynes (1991)11 William Andrews (1983)11 Eddie Ray (1973)10 Jamal Anderson (1997)10 Eric Metcalf (1995)10 Michael Haynes (1992)10 Andre Rison (1990)10 Gerald Riggs (1985)10 Art Malone (1972)


Most Touchdowns, Game4 Michael Turner vs. CAR (11-23-08)4 T.J. Duckett vs. Oak. (12–12–04)3-15 times, Last time by Michael Turner vs. KC (9-21-08)Most Consecutive Games, TD Scored7 T.J. Duckett (2003)6 Terance Mathis (1998)5 Eric Metcalf (1995)4 T.J. Duckett (2005)4 Bert Emanuel (1997)4 Andre Rison (1993)4 Andre Rison (1991)4 Gerald Riggs (1986)4 Jim Mitchell (1975)4 Dave Hampton (1975)Most Two–Point Conversions, Career6 Terance Mathis (1994–01)3 Brian Finneran (2000–08)Most Two–Point Conversions, Season3 Terance Mathis (1995)3 Brian Finneran (2005)2 Terance Mathis (1994)1 Alge Crumpler (2005)1 Jamal Anderson (2000)1 Shawn Jefferson (2001)1 Jamal Anderson (1998)1 Terance Mathis (1996)1 Andre Rison (1994)1 Michael Jenkins (2008)

KICKINGMost PAT’s Made, Career254 Morten Andersen (1995–00, 2006–07)216 Mick Luckhurst (1981–87)144 Norm Johnson (1991–94)144 Jay Feely (2001–04)106 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973–77)Most PAT’s Attempted, Career256 Morten Andersen (1995–00, 2006–07)216 Mick Luckhurst (1981–87)148 Norm Johnson (1991–94)144 Jay Feely (2001–04)108 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973–77)104 Tim Mazzetti (1978–80)Most PAT’s Made, Season51 Morten Andersen (1998)51 Mick Luckhurst (1981)46 Tim Mazzetti (1980)43 Mick Luckhurst (1983)Most PAT’s Attempted, Season52 Morten Andersen (1998)51 Mick Luckhurst (1981)49 Tim Mazzetti (1980)45 Mick Luckhurst (1983)Most PAT’s Made, Game8 Nick Mike–Mayer at N. Orleans (9–16–73)Most PAT’s Attempted, Game8 Nick Mike–Mayer at N. Orleans (9–16–73)Most Consecutive PAT’s Made153 Morten Anderson (1998 W4–2000,2006–07)139 Norm Johnson (1991–94)134 Mick Luckhurst (1983–87)Most FG’s Made, Career184 Morten Andersen (1995–00, 2006–07)115 Mick Luckhurst (1981–87)98 Jay Feely (2001–04)84 Norm Johnson (1991–94)56 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973–77)51 Greg Davis (1987–90)

Most FG’s Made, Season32 Jay Feely (2002)31 Morten Andersen (1995)29 Jason Elam (2008)29 Jay Feely (2001)26 Norm Johnson (1993)26 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973)Most FG’s Made, Game6 Norm Johnson at N. O. (11–13–94)5 Jason Elam vs. CHI (10-12-08)5 Jay Feely vs. Det. (12–22–02)5 Morten Andersen vs. K.C. (12–24–00)5 Morten Andersen vs. S.F. (9–3–00)5 Morten Andersen at Dal. (10–20–96)5 Morten Andersen vs. N.E. (10–1–95)5 Nick Mike–Mayer vs. LA Ram. (11–4–73)5 Tim Mazzetti at LA Rams (10–30–78)Most FGs Attempted, Career224 Morten Andersen (1995–00, 2006–07)164 Mick Luckhurst (1981–87)127 Jay Feely (2001–04)104 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973–77)97 Norm Johnson (1991–94)Most FGs Attempted, Season40 Jay Feely (2002)38 Nick Mike–Mayer (1973)37 Jay Feely (2001)37 Morten Andersen (1995)33 Mick Luckhurst (1981)33 Greg Davis (1990)Most FGs Attempted, Game6 Jason Elam vs. CHI (10-12-08)6 Norm Johnson at N. O. (11–13–94)5 Morten Andersen vs. Hou. (9–30–07)5 Morten Andersen vs. Ari. (10–1–06)5 Jay Feely vs. Det. (12–22–02)5 Morten Andersen vs. K.C., (12–24–00)5 Morten Andersen vs. S.F., (9–3–00)5 Morten Andersen at Dal., (10–20–96)5 Morten Andersen vs. N.E., (10–1–95)5 Mick Luckhurst at N.O., (12–22–85)5 Mick Luckhurst vs. Phi., (12–16–84)5 Nick Mike–Mayer vs. LA Ram., (11–4–73)5 Nick Mike–Mayer at Chi., (9–26–76)5 Nick Mike–Mayer at Chi., (10–23–77)5 Tim Mazzetti at LA Ram., (10–30–78)5 Tim Mazzetti at StL. Cardinals, (11–9–80)5 Greg Davis at Pitt., (11–4–90)Most Consecutive FGs Made26 Norm Johnson (1992) (5), (1993) (1st 21)18 Todd Peterson (2005)18 Morten Andersen (1995) (Wks. 1–9)17 Mick Luckhurst (1984) (3), (1985) (1st 14)16 Morten Andersen (2007) (Wks. 7–17)Best FG Percentage, Career (Min. 35).866 Norm Johnson (84 of 97) (1991–94).821 Morten Andersen (184 of 224) (95–00,2006–07).772 Jay Feely (98 of 127) (2001–04).701 Mick Luckhurst (115 of 164) (1981–87).662 Tim Mazzetti (45 of 68) (1978–80)Best FG Percentage, Season.963 Norm Johnson (26 of 27) (1993).935 Jason Elam (29 of 31) (2008).920 Todd Peterson (25 of 27) (2005).892 Morten Andersen (25 of 28) (2007).870 Morten Andersen (20 of 23) (2006).851 Morten Andersen (23 of 27) (1997)Most 50–yard FGs, Career15 Morten Andersen (1995–00)8 Norm Johnson (1991–94)


8 Mick Luckhurst (1981–87)Most 50–yard FGs, Season8 Morten Andersen (1995)4 Norm Johnson (1992)3 Mick Luckhurst (1984)Most 50–yard FGs, Game3 Morten Andersen* vs. N.O.(12–10–95)*( tied for NFL Record, Neil Rackers in ‘04)Longest Field Goal, Career59 yds Morten Andersen vs. S.F., (12–24–95)58 yds Michael Koenen vs. N.E., (10–9–05)55 yds Jay Feely at Ari., (9–30–01)55 yds Morten Andersen at N.O., (10–12–97)55 yds Morten Andersen vs. N.O., (12–10–95)(Andersen hit two 55–yarders in that game)

RUSHINGMost Yards Gained, Career6,631 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)5,986 William Andrews (1979–86)5,981 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)5,336 Jamal Anderson (1994–01)3,859 Michael Vick (2001–06)3,482 Dave Hampton (1972–76)2,662 Haskel Stanback (1974–79)2,263 Lynn Cain (1979–84)2,250 Jim Butler (1968–71)2,183 Craig Heyward (1994–95)2,175 T.J. Duckett (2002–05)2,118 Art Malone (1970–74)1,981 Erric Pegram (1991–94)1,801 John Settle (1987–90)1,735 Jerious Norwood (2006–08)1,699 Michael Turner (2008)1,612 Junior Coffey (1966–67, 1969)1,528 Bubba Bean (1976–80)1,472 Steve Broussard (1990–93)1,321 Harmon Wages (1968–73)1,036 Mike Rozier (1990–91)Most Yards Gained, Season1,846 Jamal Anderson (1998)1,719 Gerald Riggs (1985)1,699 Michael Turner (2008)1,567 William Andrews (1983)1,486 Gerald Riggs (1984)1,416 Warrick Dunn (2005)1,327 Gerald Riggs (1986)1,308 William Andrews (1980)1,301 William Andrews (1981)1,185 Erric Pegram (1993)1,140 Warrick Dunn (2006)1,106 Warrick Dunn (2004)1,083 Craig Heyward (1995)1,055 Jamal Anderson (1996)1,039 Michael Vick (2006)1,024 Jamal Anderson (2000)1,024 John Settle (1988)1,023 William Andrews (1979)1,002 Jamal Anderson (1997)1,002 Dave Hampton (1975)Most 1,000–yard Seasons4 Jamal Anderson (1996–98, 2000)4 William Andrews (1979–81, 1983)3 Warrick Dunn (2004–06)3 Gerald Riggs (1984–86)Most Consecutive 1,000–yard Seasons3 Warrick Dunn (2004–06)3 Jamal Anderson (1996–98)3 Gerald Riggs (1984–86)3 William Andrews (1979–81)

Most Yards Gained, Game220 Michael Turner vs. Det. (22 att), (9-7-08)208 Michael Turner vs. StL. (25 att), (12-28-08)202 Gerald Riggs at N.O.(35 att), (9–2–84)197 Gerald Riggs at K.C. (26 att), (12–8–85)192 Erric Pegram at S.F. (27 att), (9–19–93)188 Jamal Anderson at StL (31 att), (11–29–98)180 Erric Pegram at Cin. (37 att), (12–16–93)178 Warrick Dunn at N.Y. Gia. (25 att), (11–9–03)*173 Michael Vick at Min. (10 att), (12–1–02)172 Jamal Anderson vs. StL (22 att), (11–1–98)172 Gerald Riggs at Mia. (33 att), (11–30–86)167 William Andrews at N.O.(30 att), (9–2–79)166 Michael Vick vs. N.O.(12 att), (11–26–06)162 Warrick Dunn at N.O.(23 att), (11–16–03)162 Jamal Anderson vs. StL (20 att), (11–2–97)162 Steve Broussard at Was. (26 att), (12–19–93)* NFL record for most rushing yards by a QBMost Rushing Attempts, Career1,587 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)1,413 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)1,329 Jamal Anderson (1994–01)1,315 William Andrews (1979–86)882 Dave Hampton (1972–76)Most Rushing Attempts, Season410 Jamal Anderson (1998)397 Gerald Riggs (1985)376 Michael Turner (2008)353 Gerald Riggs (1984)343 Gerald Riggs (1986)331 William Andrews (1983)292 Erric Pegram (1993)290 Jamal Anderson (1997)289 William Andrews (1981)286 Warrick Dunn (2006)282 Jamal Anderson (2000)280 Warrick Dunn (2005)265 Warrick Dunn (2004)265 William Andrews (1980)263 Dave Hampton (1973)250 Dave Hampton (1975)247 Haskel Stanback (1977)239 William Andrews (1979)237 Maurice Smith (2001)236 Craig Heyward (1995)232 Jamal Anderson (1996)Most Rushing Attempts, Game41 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Rams (123 yds), (11–17–85)39 Gerald Riggs at N.O.(158 yds), (12–22–85)37 Erric Pegram at Cin. (180 yds), (12–26–93)35 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Rams (141 yds), (10–12–86)35 Lynn Cain at LA Rams (145 yds), (10–7–84)35 Gerald Riggs at N.O.(202 yds), (9–2–84)Most 100–Yard Games, Career25 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)22 William Andrews (1979–86)19 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)19 Jamal Anderson (1996–2000)Most 100–Yard Games, Season12 Jamal Anderson (1998)9 Gerald Riggs (1985)8 Michael Turner (2008)7 William Andrews (1983)7 William Andrews (1980)6 Gerald Riggs (1986)Most TD’s Rushing, Career48 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)34 Jamal Anderson (1994–01)31 T.J. Duckett (2002–05)30 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)


30 William Andrews (1979–86)Most TDs Rushing, Season17 Michael Turner (2008)14 Jamal Anderson (1998)13 Gerald Riggs (1984)11 T.J. Duckett (2003)10 Gerald Riggs (1985)10 William Andrews (1981)Most TD’s Rushing, Game4 Michael Turner vs. CAR, (11-23-08)4 T.J. Duckett vs. Oak., (12–12–04)3 Michael Turner vs. KC, (9-21-08)3 Jamal Anderson at Det., (10–6–96)3 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Ram., (11–17–85)3 Lynn Cain at LA Ram., (10–7–84)Most Consecutive Games, Rushing TD7 T.J. Duckett (2003)4 Gerald Riggs (1986)4 Dave Hampton (1975)Highest Average Gain, Career (300 carries)7.29 Michael Vick (2001–06)4.55 William Andrews (1979–86)4.45 Craig Heyward (1994–96)4.23 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)4.23 Steve Broussard (1990–93)Highest Average Gain, Season (Minimum 150 Carries)4.94 William Andrews (1980)4.73 William Andrews (1983)4.59 Craig Heyward (1995)4.55 Jamal Anderson (1996)4.50 Jamal Anderson (1998)4.50 William Andrews (1981)Highest Average Gain, Game (Minimum 10 Carries)*17.30 Michael Vick at Min. (10–173), (12–1–02)13.83 Michael Vick vs. N.O.(12–166), (11–26–06)10.42 Warrick Dunn vs. NYG (14–146), (10–15–06)10.40 Steve Broussard at S.F. (10–104), (10–13–91)10.20 John Settle vs. N.O.(10–102), (9–11–88)* NFL record

PASSINGMost Yards Gained Passing, Career23,470 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)14,066 Chris Miller (1987–93)13,268 Chris Chandler (1997–01)11,505 Michael Vick (2001–06)8,575 Jeff George (1994–96)Most Gross Yards Passing, Season4,143 Jeff George (1995)3,829 Steve Bartkowski (1981)3,734 Jeff George (1994)3,544 Steve Bartkowski (1980)3,459 Chris Miller (1989)Most 300–Yard Games, Career12 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)8 Chris Miller (1987–93)6 Jeff George (1994–96)5 Chris Chandler (1997–01)4 Bobby Hebert (1993–96)Most 300–Yard Games, Season4 Jeff George (1995)3 Wade Wilson (1992)3 Chris Miller (1989)3 Steve Bartkowski (1981 and 1983)Most Gross Yards Passing, Game431 Chris Chandler vs. Buf. (28–40), (12–23–01)416 Steve Bartkowski vs. Pitt. (33–50), (11–15–81)386 Jeff George at N.O. (27–39), (9–17–95)378 Steve Bartkowski at StL (31–47), (11–9–80)375 Steve Bartkowsk vs. Raid. (36–54), (9–19–82)

Most Passes Attempted, Career3,330 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)2,089 Chris Miller (1987–93)1,730 Michael Vick (2001–06)1,672 Chris Chandler (1997–01)1,180 Jeff George (1994–96)Most Passes Attempted, Season557 Jeff George (1995)533 Steve Bartkowski (1981)526 Chris Miller (1989)524 Jeff George (1994)488 Bobby Hebert (1996)Most Passes Attempted, Game66 Chris Miller vs. Det. (37 comp), (12–24–89)56 Steve Bartkowski vs. Oak. (34 comp), (9–19–82)53 Jeff George at Car. (29 comp), (12–17–95)52 Bobby Hebert at Hou. (30 comp), (12–5–93)50 Steve Bartkowski vs. Pitt. (33 comp), (11–15–81)50 Chris Chandler at GB (29 comp), (11–18–01)50 Chris Miller at Det. (26 comp), (9–5–93)Most Passes Completed, Career1,871 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)1,129 Chris Miller (1987–93)981 Chris Chandler (1997–01)930 Michael Vick (2001–06)714 Jeff George (1994–96)Most Passes Completed, Season336 Jeff George (1995)322 Jeff George (1994)297 Steve Bartkowski (1981)294 Bobby Hebert (1996)280 Chris Miller (1989)Most Passes Completed, Game37 Chris Miller vs. Det., (12–24–89)34 Steve Bartkowski vs. Raid (56 att), (9–19–82)33 Steve Bartkowski vs. Pitt (50 att), (11–15–81)31 Joey Harrington vs. Car. (44 att), (9–23–07)31 Bobby Hebert vs. Hou (46 att), (10–13–96)31 Jeff George vs. Det. (40 att), (10–29–95)31 Wade Wilson at Ram. (47 att), (12–29–92 )31 Steve Bartkowski at Cards (47 att), (11–9–80)Most Consecutive Passes, Completed13 Jeff George vs. Det., (11–5–95)13 Jeff George vs. N.O., (12–11–94)12 Jeff George at Det., (9–4–94)11 Jeff George vs. Phi., (9–22–96)11 Jeff George vs. Det., (11–5–95)Highest Completion Percentage, Career61.1 Matt Ryan (2008)60.5 Jeff George (1994–96)59.8 Bobby Hebert (1993–96)58.7 Chris Chandler (1997–01)57.0 Doug Johnson (2000–03)57.0 Bob Berry (1968–72)Highest Completion Percentage, Season.681 Wade Wilson (1992).673 Steve Bartkowski (1984).634 Steve Bartkowski (1983).633 Steve Bartkowski (1982).618 Joey Harrington (2007)Highest Completion Percentage, Game( Minimum 20 Att.).857 Steve Bartkowski vs. Det. (24–28), (9–9–84).826 Steve Bartkowski at Pitt (19–23), (10–28–84).826 Steve Bartkowsk at S.F. (19–23), (9–25–83).800 Joey Harrington vs. T.B. (16–20), (11–18–07).793 Joey Harrington vs. Hou. (23–29), (9–30–07).792 Michael Vick at Car (19–24), (11–24–02).792 Steve Bartkowski vs. Raid (19–24), (9–19–82).784 Jeff George at Det. (29–37), (9–4–94)


.778 Chris Chandler at Car (21–27), (9–17–00)

.775 Jeff George vs. Det. (31–40), (11–5–95)

.773 Matt Ryan at OAK (24-0), (11-2-08)

.763 Jeff George vs. Rams (29–38), (9–11–94)

.762 Bob Berry vs. GB (16–21), (11–27–71)

.762 Bob Berry vs. S.F. (16–21), (9–19–71)

.760 Doug Johnson at NYG (19–25), (10–13–02)Best QB Rating, Career87.7 Matt Ryan (2008)87.4 Chris Chandler (1997–01)85.6 Jeff George (1994–96)78.8 Bob Berry (1968–72)76.4 Bobby Hebert (1993–96)76.0 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)Best QB Rating, Season (Minimum 100 Att.)110.2 Wade Wilson (1992)106.7 Bob Berry (1969)100.9 Chris Chandler (1998)97.6 Steve Bartkowski (1983)95.1 Chris Chandler (1997)92.8 Steve Bartkowski (1985)90.7 Chris Miller (1992)90.4 Chris Redman (2007)89.7 Steve Bartkowski (1984)89.5 Jeff George (1995)88.2 Steve Bartkowski (1980)87.7 Matt Ryan (2008)84.1 Chris Chandler (2001)84.0 Bobby Hebert (1993)83.5 Chris Chandler (1999)83.3 Jeff George (1994)Most TD Passes, Career154 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)87 Chris Chandler (1997–01)87 Chris Miller (1987–93)71 Michael Vick (2001–06)57 Bob Berry (1968–72)Most TD Passes, Season31 Steve Bartkowski (1980)30 Steve Bartkowski (1981)26 Chris Miller (1991)25 Chris Chandler (1998)24 Jeff George (1995)24 Bobby Hebert (1993)23 Jeff George (1994)22 Bobby Hebert (1996)22 Steve Bartkowski (1983)20 Michael Vick (2006)20 Chris Chandler (1997)17 Chris Miller (1990)17 Steve Bartkowski (1979)16 Michael Vick (2002)16 Chris Chandler (2001)16 Chris Chandler (1999)16 Chris Miller (1989)16 Bob Berry (1970)15 Michael Vick (2005)15 Chris Miller (1992)Most TD Passes, Game5 Wade Wilson vs. T. B. (12–13–92)4 Chris Redman vs. Sea. (12–30–07)4 Michael Vick vs. Dal. (12–16–06)4 Michael Vick vs. Pitt. (10–22–06)4 Chris Chandler at Car. (11–28–99)4 Jeff George vs. StL. Ram. (11–19–95)4 Jeff George at Den. (11–20–94)4 Chris Miller vs. Chi. (9–27–92)4 Steve Bartkowski vs. Cardinals (10–18–81)4 Steve Bartkowski vs. N.O.(10–19–80)4 Randy Johnson vs. Chi. (11–16–69)

Most Consecutive Games, TD Pass27 Chris Chandler (1997–99)14 Chris Miller (1991–92)14 Steve Bartkowski (1980–81)13 Chris Miller (1989–90)9 Bobby Hebert (1993)9 Steve Bartkowski (1983)Most Consecutive Passes Without Int.197 Steve Bartkowski (1982–83)185 Chris Miller (1989)171 Michael Vick (2002)Most Consecutive Games Without Int.6 Michael Vick (2002)5 Steve Bartkowski (1983)Lowest Interception Pct., Career2.18 Matt Ryan (2008)2.71 Jeff George (1994–96)3.32 Michael Vick (2001–06)3.35 Chris Chandler (1997–01)3.45 Chris Miller (1987–93)4.23 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)Lowest Interception Pct., Season ( Minimum 150 Att.)1.16 Steve Bartkowski (5–432) (1983)1.90 Michael Vick (8–421) (2002)1.90 Chris Miller (10–526) (1989)1.97 Jeff George (11–557) (1995)1.98 Scott Hunter (3–151) (1977)2.05 Chris Chandler (7–342) (1997)2.18 Matt Ryan (9-413) (2008)2.30 Joey Harrington (8–348) (2007)2.37 Chris Milller (6–253) (1992)2.45 Wade Wilson (4–163) (1992)3.06 David Archer (9–294) (1986)Most Interceptions, Career141 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)72 Chris Miller (1987–93)65 Randy Johnson (1966–70)56 Chris Chandler (1997–01)56 Bob Berry (1968–72)Most Interceptions, Season25 Bobby Hebert (1996)23 Steve Bartkowski (1981)21 Randy Johnson (1967)21 Randy Johnson (1966)20 Steve Bartkowski (1979)Most Interceptions, Game6 Bobby Hebert vs. StL., (12–15–96)6 Bobby Hebert vs. Hou., (12–5–93)5 Scott Campbell vs. N.O., (11–1–87)5 Kim McQuilken vs. Min., (11–9–75)

RECEIVINGMost Passes Caught, Career573 Terance Mathis (1994–01)423 Andre Rison (1990–94)360 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)316 Alge Crumpler (2001–07)305 Jim Mitchell (1969–79)277 William Andrews (1979–83, 86)266 Michael Haynes (1988–93, 97)260 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)244 Wallace Francis (1975–81)230 Roddy White (2005-08)Most Passes Caught, Season111 Terance Mathis (1994)104 Eric Metcalf (1995)93 Andre Rison (1992)89 Roddy White (2008)86 Andre Rison (1993)83 Roddy White (2007)


82 Andre Rison (1990)81 Terance Mathis (1999)81 Andre Rison (1994)81 Andre Rison (1991)81 William Andrews (1981)Most 50+ Catch Seasons8 Terance Mathis (1994–01)5 Andre Rison (1990–94)3 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)3 William Andrews (1979–86)3 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)Most Passes Caught (Three Week Period)30 Eric Metcalf 9–3 to (9–17–95)30 Andre Rison 9–23 to (10–14–90)29 Andre Rison 9–4 to (9–18–94)28 Terance Mathis 11–13 to (11–27–94)28 Terance Mathis 9–11 to (9–25–94)Most Passes Caught, Game15 William Andrews vs. Pit. (124 yds), (11–15–81)14 Andre Rison at Det. (193 yds), (9–4–94)13 Terance Mathis vs. K.C. (123 yds), (9–18–94)13 William Andrews at T.B. (98 yds), (12–6–81)12 Roddy White at Ari. (141 yds), (12–23–07)12 Peerless Price vs. Min. (168 yds) (10–5–03)12 Terance Mathis at Pit. (166 yds), (10–25–99)12 Andre Rison vs. LA Ram (123 yds), (9–11–94)Most Yards Gained Receiving, Career7,349 Terance Mathis (1994–01)6,267 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)5,633 Andre Rison (1990–94)4,358 Jim Mitchell (1969–79)4,220 Michael Haynes (1988–93, 97)4,212 Alge Crumpler (2001–07)3,695 Wallace Francis (1975–81)3,600 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)3,488 Roddy White (2005-08)3,422 Stacey Bailey (1982–89)Most Yards Gained Receiving, Season1,382Roddy White (2008)1,358 Alfred Jenkins (1981)1,342 Terance Mathis (1994)1,242 Andre Rison (1993)1,208 Andre Rison (1990)1,202 Roddy White (2007)1,189 Eric Metcalf (1995)1,181 Tony Martin (1998)1,138 Stacey Bailey (1984)1,136 Terance Mathis (1998)Most Yards Gained Receiving, Game198 Terance Mathis at N.O.(6 rec), (12–13–98)193 Andre Rison at Det. (14 rec), (9–4–94)193 Alfred Jackson vs. S.F. (11 rec), (12–2–84)190 Michael Haynes vs. Wash. (6 rec), (12–17–89)190 Ken Burrow at Det. (6 rec), (10–3–71)190 Ken Burrow at N.O.(8 rec), (12–19–71)187 Michael Haynes at N.O.(6 rec), (11–24–91)184 Terance Mathis vs. StL Rm (10 rec), (11–19–95)182 Quentin McCord vs. Det. (7 rec), (12–22–02)182 Michael Haynes vs. N.O.(7 rec), (9–12–93)Most 100–Yard Games, Career16 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)15 Andre Rison (1990–94)14 Roddy White (2005–08)14 Terance Mathis (1994–01)9 Michael Haynes (1988–93, ‘97)9 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)8 Stacey Bailey (1982–1989)6 Ken Burrow (1971–1975)Most 100 Yard Receiving Games, Season7 Roddy White (2008)

6 Tony Martin (1998)5 Roddy White (2007)5 Terance Mathis (1994)5 Michael Haynes (1991)5 Andre Rison (1990)Most TD Receptions, Career57 Terance Mathis (1994–01)56 Andre Rison (1990–94)40 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)34 Michael Haynes (1988–93, ‘97)30 Alge Crumpler (2001–06)28 Jim Mitchell (1969–79)27 Wallace Francis (1975–81)24 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)22 Alfred Jackson (1978–84)Most TD Receptions, Season15 Andre Rison (1993)13 Alfred Jenkins (1981)12 Andre Rison (1991)11 Terance Mathis (1998)11 Terance Mathis (1994)11 Andre Rison (1992)11 Michael Haynes (1991)10 Michael Haynes (1992)10 Andre Rison (1990)9 Bert Emanuel (1997)9 Terance Mathis (1995)9 Junior Miller (1980)Most TD Receptions, Game3 Terance Mathis vs. StL., (11–19–95)3 Andre Rison at S.F., (9–19–93)3 Andre Rison at Chi., (9–27–92)3 Andre Rison vs. T.B., (11–17–91)3 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.O., (11–1–81)Highest Per Catch Average, Season (minimum 20 catches)22.5 Ken Burrow(33) (1971)22.4 Michael Haynes (50) (1991)21.3 Brian Finneran (23) (2001)20.9 Tim Dwight (32) (1999)20.2 Alfred Jenkins (38) (1975)19.4 Alfred Jenkins (70) (1981)18.5 Paul Flatley (45) (1969)18.3 Ken Burrow (31) (1973)18.0 Jim Mitchell (33) (1971)17.9 Tony Martin (66) (1998)

KICKOFF RETURNSMost Return Yards, Career5,489 Allen Rossum (2002–06)3,388 Deion Sanders (1989–93)2,948 Jerious Norwood (2006-08)2,597 Tim Dwight (1998–00)2,573 Darrick Vaughn (2000–01)1,989 Ron Smith (1966–67)1,934 Sylvester Stamps (1983–88)1,860 Jim Butler (1968–71)1,655 Reggie Smith (1980–81)1,453 Tony Smith (1992–94)Most Return Yards, Season1,491 Darrick Vaughn (2001)1,317 Jerious Norwood (2007)1,311 Jerious Norwood (2008)1,291 Allen Rossum (2003)1,250 Allen Rossum (2004)1,164 Allen Rossum (2002)1,143 Reggie Smith (1981)1,082 Allen Rossum (2006)1,082 Darrick Vaughn (2000)1,067 Deion Sanders (1992)


Most Return Yards, Game249 Tony Smith vs. Pitt., (9–27–93)198 Darrick Vaughn at StL., (1–6–02)198 Clarence Verdin vs. N.O., (12–11–94)195 Darrick Vaughn at Ind., (12–16–01)193 Sylvester Stamps at Hou., (10–25–87)190 Deion Sanders at N.O., (12–3–92)181 DeAndra Cobb vs. Car., (1–1–06)180 Jamal Anderson at Ari., (11–26–95)178 Jerious Norwood vs. CHI, (10-12-08)177 Sylvester Stamps at S.F., (12–20–87)Highest Average Return, Career (Min. 25)25.70 Darrick Vaughn (2000–01)25.41 Jerious Norwood (2006-08)24.89 Tony Smith (1992–94)24.68 Byron Hanspard (1997)24.26 Ron Smith (1966–67)24.16 Jim Butler (1968–71)24.07 Gerald Tinker (1974–75)23.20 Tim Dwight (1998–00)23.62 Rolland Lawrence (1973–80)23.41 Willie Belton (1971–73)Highest Average Return, Season (Min. 25)27.70 Darrick Vaughn (2000)27.50 Sylvester Stamps (1987)27.02 Tim Dwight (1998)26.68 Deion Sanders (1992)26.48 Dennis Pearson (1978)25.32 Jerious Norwood (2007)25.21 Willie Belton (1971)25.03 Ron Smith (1967)24.95 Tony Smith (1993)Most Returns, Career250 Allen Rossum (2002–06)147 Deion Sanders (1989–93)116 Jerious Norwood (2006-08)112 Tim Dwight (1998–2000)100 Darrick Vaughn (2000–01)83 Sylvester Stamps (1984–88)82 Ron Smith (1966–67)77 Jim Butler (1968–71)72 Reggie Smith (1980–81)62 Roell Preston (1995–96)Most Returns, Season62 Allen Rossum (2003)61 Darrick Vaughn (2001)58 Allen Rossum (2004)53 Allen Rossum (2002)52 Jerious Norwood (2007)51 Jerious Norwood (2008)49 Eric Metcalf (1996)47 Reggie Smith (1981)46 Allen Rossum (2006)44 Tim Dwight (1999)Longest Kickoff Returns100t Darrick Vaughn at Den., (9–10–00)100t Deion Sanders at S.F., (10–13–91)100t Dennis Pearson at StL., (12–17–78)99t Byron Hanspard at S.D., (12–7–97)99t Deion Sanders at Wash., (9–13–92)99t Ron Smith at Balt., (9–17–67)97t Tony Smith vs. Pitt., (9–27–93)97t Sylvester Stamps at S.F., (12–20–87)96t Darrick Vaughn at StL., (1–6–02)96t Darrick Vaughn at StL., (10–15–00)Most Touchdowns, Kickoff Returns, Career4 Darrick Vaughn (2000–01)3 Deion Sanders (1989–93)2 Byron Hanspard (1997–99)

PUNT RETURNSMost Return Yards, Career1,723 Allen Rossum (2002–06)1,251 Billy Johnson (1982–87)792 Tim Dwight (1998–00)789 Deion Sanders (1989–93)734 Rolland Lawrence (1973–80)679 Eric Metcalf (1995–96)539 Ray Brown (1971–77)485 Tony Smith (1992–94)484 Todd Kinchen (1997–98)437 Darrien Gordon (2001)Most Return Yards, Season545 Allen Rossum (2003)489 Billy Johnson (1983)457 Allen Rossum (2004)446 Todd Kinchen (1997)437 Darrien Gordon (2001)383 Eric Metcalf (1995)372 Rolland Lawrence (1976)360 Ray Brown (1973)352 Rolland Lawrence (1976)344 Al Dodd (1974)Most Return Yards, Game139 Darrien Gordon vs. Dal. (11–11–01)116 Billy Johnson at N.Y Jets (10–23–83)108 Al Dodd vs. Chi. (10–13–74)102 Gerald Tinker at Chi., (9–29–74)Highest Return Average, Career (Min. 30)14.10 Darrien Gordon (2001)11.80 Al Dodd (1973–74)11.19 Allen Rossum (2002–05)10.29 Eric Metcalf (1995–96)10.09 Billy Johnson (1982–87)9.89 Kenny Johnson (1980–86)9.43 Tim Dwight (1998–00)9.03 Reggie Smith (1980–81)8.85 Ray Brown (1971–77)8.66 Tony Smith (1992–94)Highest Return Average, Season (Min. 20)14.10 Darrien Gordon (2001)14.00 Allen Rossum (2003)12.74 Al Dodd (1974)12.35 Allen Rossum (2004)12.22 Kenny Johnson (1980)Highest Return Average, Game (Min. 3)46.3 Darrien Gordon vs. Dal., (11–11–01)31.0 Harry Douglas vs. CAR, (11-23-08)31.0 Billy Johnson vs. LA Raid., (11–21–82)29.0 Billy Johnson vs. N.Y.J., (10–23–83)28.3 Tim Dwight at Phi., (10–1–00)Most Returns, Career154 Allen Rossum (2002–06)124 Billy Johnson (1982–87)109 Rolland Lawrence (1973–80)93 Deion Sanders (1989–93)84 Tim Dwight (1998–00)66 Eric Metcalf (1995–96)60 Ray Brown (1971–77)58 Todd Kinchen (1997–98)56 Tony Smith (1992–94)53 Adam Jennings (2006-08)47 Billy Ryckman (1977–80)47 Willie Belton (1971–73)


Most Returns, Season54 Rolland Lawrence (1976)52 Todd Kinchen (1997)51 Rolland Lawrence (1977)46 Billy Johnson (1983)40 Ray Brown (1973)39 Allen Rossum (2003)39 Eric Metcalf (1995)37 Allen Rossum (2004)37 Allen Rossum (2006)34 Lew Barnes (1988)Most Returns, Game8 Tim Dwight at Det. (11–12–00)8 Rolland Lawrence at San Fran., (10–9–77)Most Touchdowns, Punt Returns, Career2 Allen Rossum (2002–06)2 Tim Dwight (1998–2000)2 Deion Sanders (1989–93)1 Harry Douglas (2008)1 Winslow Oliver (1999–00)1 Eric Metcalf (1995–96)1 Billy Johnson (1982–87)1 Gerald Tinker (1974–75)1 Tom McCauley (1969–71)1 John Mallory (1967)Longest Punt Returns79t Deion Sanders vs. Cin., (10–28–90)77t Tom McCauley vs. N.O., (10–25–70)75t Allen Rossum at K.C., (10–24–04)75t John Mallory vs. Min., (12–20–70)74 Darrien Gordon vs. Dal., (11–11–01)72 Allen Rossum vs. Phi., (11–2–03)72t Gerald Tinker at N.O., (9–29–74)71t Billy Johnson at N.Y.J., (10–23–83)70t Tim Dwight at Phi, (10–1–00)70t Tim Dwight vs. S.F., (1–3–00)

COMBINED RETURNSCombined Return Yards, Career7,212 Allen Rossum (2002–06)4,177 Deion Sanders (1989–93)3,389 Tim Dwight (1998–00)2,948 Jerious Norwood (2006-08)2,573 Darrick Vaughn (2000–01)2,161 Ron Smith (1966–67)2,016 Reggie Smith (1980–81)1,991 Eric Metcalf (1995–96)1,942 Sylvester Stamps (1983–88)1,938 Tony Smith (1992–94)1,860 Jim Butler (1968–71)Most Combined Return Yards, Season1,836 Allen Rossum (2003)1,707 Allen Rossum (2004)1,491 Darrick Vaughn (2001)1,452 Allen Rossum (2002)1,370 Allen Rossum (2006)1,330 Eric Metcalf (1996)1,317 Jerious Norwood (2007)1,311Jerious Norwood (2008)1,242 Reggie Smith (1981)1,236 Tim Dwight (1998)1,203 Tony Smith (1993)Most Combined Returns, Career404 Allen Rossum (2002–06)240 Deion Sanders (1989–93)196 Tim Dwight (1998–2000)138 Rolland Lawrence (1973–80)129 Billy Johnson (1982–87)127 Eric Metcalf (1995–96)117 Tony Smith (1992–94)

116 Jerious Norwood (2006-08)113 Ron Smith (1966–67)111 Reggie Smith (1980–81)Most Combined Returns, Season101 Allen Rossum (2003)95 Allen Rosum (2004)77 Allen Rossum (2002)76 Eric Metcalf (1996)75 Rolland Lawrence (1976)70 Tony Smith (1993)68 Deion Sanders (1990)67 Tim Dwight (1998)67 Clarence Verdin (1994)65 Tim Dwight (2000)

COMBINED NET YARDS(Rushing, Receiving, KO & Punt Returns)Most Combined Yards, Career8,704 William Andrews (1979–86)8,345 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)7,616 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)7,613 Jamal Anderson (1994–2000)7,392 Terance Mathis (1994–2000)7,208 Bert Emanuel (1994–97)6,718 Allen Rossum (2002–06)6,336 Alfred Jenkins (1975–83)5,634 Andre Rison (1990–94)5,400 Jerious Norwood (2006-08)Most Combined Yards, Season2,207 Jerious Norwood (2007)2,176 William Andrews (1983)2,165 Jamal Anderson (1998)2,138 Jerious Norwood (2008)2,036 William Andrews (1981)1,986 Gerald Riggs (1985)1,983 Eric Metcalf (1995)1,937 Eric Metcalf (1996)1,861 Tim Dwight (1999)1,836 Allen Rossum (2003)Most Combined Yards, Game296 Eric Metcalf (0/97/176/23) vs. Phi., (9–22–96)264 Tim Dwight (5/60/149/50) at Den., (9–10–00)261 Tony Smith (0/0/249/12) vs. Pit., (9–27–93)242 Tim Dwight (0/55/102/85), at Phi., (10–1–00)241 Tim Dwight (0/162/0/79) vs. S.F., (1–3–00)235 Tim Dwight (3/102/115/15) at Car., (11–28–99)235 Eric Metcalf (16/155/0/64) at N.O., (9–17–95)226 B. Johnson (53/57/0/116) at NYJ, (10–23–83)225 J. Norwood (87/51/87/0) vs NYG (10–15–07)224 Eric Metcalf (4/44/176/0) at S.F., (9–29–96)

PUNTINGHighest Punting Average, Career43.0 Michael Koenen (2005-08)42.6 Rick Donnelly (1985–88)41.8 Scott Fulhage (1989–92)41.6 Harold Alexander (1993–94)41.3 Billy Lothridge (1966–71)40.9 Ralph Giacomarro (1983–84)40.8 John James (1972–81)40.5 Dan Stryzinski (1995–2000)Highest Punting Average, Season (Min. 35)44.32 Billy Lothridge (1968)44.03 Rick Donnelly (1987)43.86 Rick Donnelly (1986)43.69 Billy Lothridge (1967)43.63 Rick Donnelly (1985)43.50 Michael Koenen (2007)43.25 Harold Alexander (1993)42.80 Scott Fulhage (1991)


Highest Punting Average, Game (Min. 4)66.6 Scott Fulhage vs. S.F., (10–14–90)52.1 Rick Donnelly at Phi., (11–10–85)Highest Net Punting Average, Season38.8 Michael Koenen (2007)38.7 Chris Mohr (2002)38.1 Billy Lothridge (1968)37.9 Dan Stryzinski (2000)37.6 Harold Alexander (1993)37.5 Rick Donnelly (1985)37.1 Dan Stryzinski (1999)36.9 Michael Koenen (2005)36.9 Chris Mohr (2004)Most Punts, Career873 John James (1972–81)469 Dan Stryzinski (1995–00)424 Billy Lothridge (1966–71)303 Scott Fulhage (1989–92)300 Michael Koenen (2005–08)299 Chris Mohr (2001–04)296 Rick Donnelly (1985–88)167 Ralph Giacomarro (1983–84)Most Punts, Season109 John James (1978)105 John James (1977)101 John James (1976)98 Rick Donnelly (1988)96 John James (1974)Most Punts, Game12 John James vs. Wash., (12–10–78)11 Rick Donnelly at Phi., (10–30–88)Most Punts Inside 20, Season30 Michael Koenen (2007)28 John James (1976)27 Dan Stryzinski (2000)27 Dan Stryzinski (1999)27 Rick Donnelly (1988)Longest Punt75 Harold Alexander at Chi., (10–3–93)75 John James vs. Oak., (11–30–75)72 John James vs. NO, (9–16–73)71 Rick Donnelly vs. N.Y.J., (11–9–86)Most Fair Catches Forced, Season45 Dan Stryzinski (1997)34 Dan Stryzinski (1999)33 Chris Mohr (2003)31 Michael Koenen (2007)31 Dan Stryzinski (2000)29 Dan Stryzinski (1998)26 Chris Mohr (2001)25 Dan Stryzinski (1996)24 Chris Mohr (2002)21 Chris Mohr (2004)21 Dan Stryzinski (1995)

INTERCEPTIONSMost Passes Intercepted, Career39 Rolland Lawrence (1973–81)31 Ray Brown (1971–77)30 Ray Buchanan (1997–03)30 Scott Case (1984–94)29 Ken Reaves (1966–74)27 Bobby Butler (1981–92)24 Deion Sanders (1989–93)21 Tom Pridemore (1978–85)17 DeAngelo Hall (2004–07)17 Tom Hayes (1971–75)

Most Passes Intercepted, Season10 Scott Case (1988)9 Rolland Lawrence (1975)8 Ray Brown (1974)7 Ray Buchanan (1998)7 Deion Sanders (1993)7 Tom Pridemore (1981)7 Al Richardson (1980)7 Rolland Lawrence (1977)7 Ken Reaves (1967)Most Passes Intercepted, Game2-28 times, Last time by, Ashley Ambrose at G.B., (11–18–01)Most Consecutive Games Pass Int.4 D.J. Johnson (Weeks 2–5, 1994 Season)4 Ken Reaves (3 games–1970, 1–1971)Most Interception Return Yards, Career658 Rolland Lawrence (1973–80)574 Ray Brown (1971–77)520 Deion Sanders (1989–93)442 Ray Buchanan (1997–03)439 Ken Reaves (1966–73)Most Interception Return Yards, Season221 Tom Pridemore (1981)177 DeAngelo Hall (2005)164 Ray Brown (1974)163 Rolland Lawrence (1975)153 Deion Sanders (1990)153 Ken Reaves (1967)142 Tom Hayes (1973)139 Ashley Ambrose (2000)139 Al Richardson (1980)138 Rolland Lawrence (1977)Most Interception Return Yards, Game101 Tom Pridemore vs. S.F. (1 INT), (9–20–81)Most Interceptions For TD’s, Career3 Kevin Mathis (2002–04)3 Deion Sanders (1989–93)2 Kenny Johnson (1980–86)2 Robert Pennywell (1977–80)2 Ray Brown (1971–77)2 Tom Hayes (1971–75)2 Tommy Nobis (1966–76)Most Interceptions For TD’s, Season2 Kevin Mathis (2004)2 Deion Sanders (1990)2 Kenny Johnson (1983)2 Tom Hayes (1973)Most Interceptions For TD’s, Game2 Kenny Johnson vs. G.B. (26 and 31), (11–27–83)

FUMBLE RECOVERIESMost Recoveries, Career14 Greg Brezina (12) (1968–79)13 Tom Pridemore (50) (1978–85)13 Rolland Lawrence (20) (1973–80)13 Tommy Nobis (6) (1966–76)12 Chuck Smith (89) (1992–99)11 Mike Gann (90 (1985–93)11 Claude Humphrey (49) (1968–78)11 Don Hansen (14) (1969–75)10 Keith Brooking (0) (1998–08)10 Patrick Kerney (6) (1999–06)10 Travis Hall (0) (1995–04)10 Jessie Tuggle (155) (1987–00)10 Rick Byas (68) (1974–80)


Most Recoveries, Season5 Jeff Yeates (0) (1979)5 Frank Reed (13) (1978)5 Ralph Ortega (14 yards) (1977)5 Greg Brezina (0) (1969)Most Recoveries, Game2 Four Times, Last time by Travis Hall vs. Mia., (12–27–98)Most Yards, Fumble Recoveries, Career155 Jessie Tuggle (10 recoveries) (1987–97)113 Bob Glazebrook (4) (1978–83)111 Joel Williams (8) (1979–89)107 Bobby Butler (9) (1981–92)90 Mike Gann (11) (1985–93)90 John Mallory (6) (1967–71)Most Yards, Fumble Recoveries, Season91 Bob Glazebrook (2) (1982)86 DeAngelo Hall (2) (2005)75 Oliver Barnett (1) (1991)74 Jim Weatherford (3) (1969)73 James Britt (2) (1986)Most TD’s, Fumble Recoveries, Career*5 Jessie Tuggle (10 recoveries) (1987–98)* NFL record2 DeAngelo Hall (4) (2004–07)2 Mike Gann (10) (1985–93)2 Bobby Butler (8) (1981–92)2 Joel Williams (8) (1979–89)2 Kenny Johnson (7) (1980–86)2 John Mallory (6) (1967–71)Most TD’s, Fumble Recoveries, Season2 Kenny Johnson (1981)1-44 Times, Last time by DeAngelo Hall at Ten., 56 yds, (10–7–07)Most TD’s Fumble Recoveries, Game1-44 Times Last time by DeAngelo Hall at Ten., 56 yds, (10–7–07)Safeties, Career2 Brian Jordan (1989–91)2 Mike Lewis (1971–79)2 Claude Humphrey (1968–78)1-14 Players, last safety by Antwan Lake vs. N.O., (12–12–05)

SACKSMost Sacks, Career94.5 (757 yds) Claude Humphrey (1968–78)58.5 (321.5 yds) Chuck Smith (1992–99)58.0 (318.5 yds) Patrick Kerney (1999–06)47.0 (395 yds) John Zook (1969–75)41.5 (205.5 yds) Travis Hall (1995–04)38.5 (311 yds) Don Smith (1979–84)36.5 (211.5) Lester Archambeau (1993–99)36.0 (314 yds) Jeff Merrow (1975–83)32.0 (180 yds) Brady Smith (2000–05)30.5 (214.5 yds) John Abraham (2006-08)30.5 (232 yds) Rick Bryan (1984–91)Most Sacks, Season16.5 John Abraham (2008)16.0 Joel Williams (1980)15.0 Claude Humphrey (1976)13.0 Patrick Kerney (2004)12.5 Claude Humphrey (1974)12.0 Patrick Kerney (2001)12.0 Chuck Smith (1997)12.0 Claude Humphrey (1971)11.5 Rod Coleman (2004)11.5 Claude Humphrey (1968)11.0 Chuck Smith (1994)

Most Sacks, Game5.0 Chuck Smith at N.O., (10–12–97)5.0 Claude Humphrey (Twice)4.0 Claude Humphrey at N.O.,( 12–19–71)3.5 Travis Hall vs. N.O., (11–23–97)3.5 Chris Doleman vs. Car., (9–3–95)3.0 John Abraham vs. TB, (12-14-08)3.0 John Abraham at OAK, (11-2-08)3.0 John Abraham vs. DET, (9-7-08)3.0 Michael Boley vs. Ind., (11–22–07)3.0 Patrick Kerney vs. Ari., (3–26–04)3.0 Brady Smith at Car., (11–24–02)3.0 Lester Archambeau at Car., (11–28–00)3.0 Chuck Smith vs. Car., (10–31–99)3.0 Travis Hall at N.O., (10–12–97)3.0 Clay Matthews vs. Car., (11–3–96)3.0 Chuck Smith vs. Phi., (11–27–94)3.0 Jumpy Geathers at Den., (11–20–94)Most Sack Yards, Career757.0 Claude Humphrey (1968–78)395.0 John Zook (1969–75)359.5 Chuck Smith (1992–99)340.5 Patrick Kerney (1999–2006)314.0 Jeff Merrow (1975–83)311.0 Don Smith (1979–84)238.5 Travis Hall (1995–2004)232.0 Rick Bryan (1984–91)219.0 Greg Brezina (1968–69, 1971–79)211.5 Lester Archambeau (1993–99)Most Sack Yards, Season137.5 Joel Williams (1980)127.5 Claude Humphrey (1976)109.5 John Abraham (2008)103.5 Claude Humphrey (1971)94.5 Patrick Kerney (2004)91.0 Jeff Merrow (1977)91.0 Al Richardson (1981)88.0 Claude Humphrey (1977)82.0 Chuck Smith (1994)81.5 Rod Coleman (2004)75.0 Chuck Smith (1997)

records / opponent individual records

Most Points Scored30 (5 TDs), Jerry Rice, S.F. (10–14–90)24 (4 TDs), Priest Holmes, K.C. (10–24–04)24 (4 TDs), Derrick Blaylock, K.C. (10–24–04)24 (4 TDs), Roy Jefferson, Pitt. (11–3–68)24 (4 TDs), Dan Reeves, Dal. (11–5–67)Most TDs Scored5 Jerry Rice, S.F. (10–14–90)4 Priest Holmes, K.C. (10–24–04)4 Derrick Blaylock, K.C. (10–24–04)4 Dan Reeves, Dal. (11–5–67)4 Roy Jefferson, Pitt. (11–3–68)Most PAT Attempts8 Chip Lohmiller, StL . (11–10–96)8 Don Chandler, G.B. (10–23–66)Most PATs Made8 Lawrence Tynes, K.C. (10–24–04)8 Chip Lohmiller, StL . (11–10–96)8 Mike Cofer, S.F. (10–18–92)8 Chip Lohmiller, Wash. (11–10–91)8 Don Chandler, G.B. (10–23–66)Most FG Attempts7 Jim Bakken, Ari. (12–9–73)6 Jeff Wilkins, S.F. (9–29–96)Most FGs Made6 Jeff Wilkins, S.F. (9–29–96)6 Jim Bakken, Ari. (12–9–73)Longest FG56 Yds Mike Cofer, S.F. (10–14–90)54 Yds Josh Brown, Sea. (12–30–07)54 Yds Michael Husted, T.B. (11–9–97)54 Yds Jan Stenerud, Min. (9–16–84)54 Yds John Hall, Wash. (9–14–03)Most Yds Rushing208 Marshall Faulk, StL (25 Att.) (10–15–00)191 Greg Pruitt, Browns, (26 Att.) (10–17–76)Most Carries37 Amos Zereoue, Pitt. (123 yds) (11–10–02)33 Lydell Mitchell, Bal .Colts, (151 yds) (11–17–74)Highest Average10.4 Delvin Williams, S.F., (10–104) (12–14–75)10.3 Keith Griffin, Wash., (16–164) (11–3–85)Most TD’s Rushing4 Priest Holmes, K.C. (10–24–04)4 Derrick Blaylock, K.C. (10–24–04)Longest Run91t Herschel Walker, Phi. (11–27–94)85t Brian Mitchell, Phi. (10–1–00)Most Yds Passing499 Jake Plummer, Den. (10–31–04)476 Joe Montana, S.F. (10–14–90)473 Tommy Maddox, Pitt. (11–10–02)442 Mark Rypien, Wash. (11–10–91)429 Joe Montana, S.F. (10–6–85)Most Passing Attempts58 Drew Brees, N.O. (11-9-08)57 Joe Montana, S.F. (10–6–85)Most Completions37 Joe Montana, S.F. (10–6–85)35 Kurt Warner, Ari. (12–23–07)35 Dan Marino, Mia. (12–3–95)Most Consecutive Completions17 Ken O’Brien, Jets (11–9–86)Best Completion Pct.93.8 (15–of–16), Steve Young, S.F. (10–16–94)85.7 (18–of–21), Troy Aikman Dal. (12–21–92)85.0 (17–of–20), Johnny Unitas, Bal Col. (11–12–67)Longest TD Pass99 yds Ron Jaworski, Phi. (11–10–85)97 yds Steve Young, S.F. (11–3–91)

Most TD Passes6 Mark Rypien, Wash. (11–10–91)6 Joe Montana, S.F. (10–14–90)Most Passes Had Intercepted5 by Jim Hart, Ari. (11–9–80)5 by Archie Manning, N.O. (9–16–73)Most Yds. Receiving253 by Plaxico Burress, Pitt. (11–10–02)233 by Isaac Bruce, StL . (11–2–97)226 by Eddie Kennison, StL . (12–15–96)Most Receptions13 by Anquan Boldin, Ari. (12–23–07)13 by Jerry Rice, S.F. (10–14–90)12 by Jerry Rice, S.F. (12–24–95)12 by Roger Craig, S.F. (10–6–85)Most TD Receptions5 Jerry Rice, S.F. (10–14–90)4 Roy Jefferson, Pitt. (11–3–68)Longest Reception99t Mike Quick, Phi. (11–10–85)97t John Taylor, S.F. (11–3–91)93t Freddie Solomon, S.F. (9–27–80)Most Interceptions3 Keith Lyle, StL . (12–15–96)3 Albert Lewis, K.C. (9–1–91)3 Albert Lewis, K.C. (12–8–85)3 Paul Martha, Den. (10–18–70)Longest INT Return93t by Deion Sanders, S.F. (10–16–94)Longest KOR103t Tony Horne, StL . (10–15–00)102t Tony Horne, StL . (11–29–98)102t Alexander Wright, Dal. (12–22–91)Most KOR’s9 Michael Bates, Car. (10–4–98)Most KOR Yards207 Kevin Williams, Ari. (12–21–97)206 Tony Horne, StL . (11–1–98)201 Michael Lewis, N.O. (10–27–02)Most KOR TD’s1 15 times, Last time byMichael Spurlock, T.B. 90 yards (12–16–07)Most Punt Returns9 Ralph McGill, S.F. (10–29–72)Most Punt Return Yards204 LeRoy Irvin, LA Ram. (10–11–81)Most TDs by Punt Return2 Todd Kinchen, LA Rams (12–27–92)2 LeRoy Irvin, LA Rams (10–11–81)Most Punts11 Dave Jennings, N.Y.G. (10–25–81)Highest Punting Avg.54.7 Todd Sauerbrun, Car. (11–25–01)Highest Return Avg.(3 return min.)34.7 (3 ret), Henry Ellard, LA Rams (10–22–84)Longest Fumble Return97t Chuck Howley, Dal. (9–18–66)94t Keith Lyle, StL . (9–24–00)

records / top performances

RUSHING YARDAGE220 Michael Turner vs. DET, (22 att) (9-7-08)208 Michael Turner vs. StL, (25 att) (12-28-08)202 Gerald Riggs vs. N. O, (35 att) (9–2–84)197 Gerald Riggs vs. K. C., (26 att) (12–8–85)192 Erric Pegram vs. S.F., (27 att) (9–19–93)188 Jamal Anderson at StL., (31 att) (11–29–98)180 Erric Pegram at Cin., (37 att) (12–26–93)178 Warrick Dunn at N.Y.G., (25 att) (11–9–03)173 Michael Vick at Min., (10 att) (12–1–02)172 Jamal Anderson vs. StL., (22 att) (11–1–98)172 Gerald Riggs vs. Mia., (33 att) (11–30–88)167 William Andrews vs. N.O.,(30 att) (9–2–79)166 Michael Vick vs. N. O, (12 att) (11–26–06)162 Warrick Dunn at N. O, (23 att) (11–16–03)162 Jamal Anderson vs. StL., (20 att) (11–2–97)162 Steve Broussard vs. Was, (26 att) (12–19–93)161 William Andrews vs. Mia, (21 att) (12–10–83)161 Dave Hampton vs. L. A., (29 att) (10–1–72)158 Gerald Riggs vs. N. O, (39 att) (12–22–85)158 William Andrews vs. Buf, (28 att) (12–17–83)155 Warrick Dunn vs. NYJ, (24 att) (10–24–05)155 Mike Rozier vs. Dal., (21 att) (12–30–90)152 Michael Turner vs. TB, (32 att) (12-14-08)152 Jamal Anderson at Ari., (33 att) (12–21–97)150 William Andrews vs. Phi., (25 att) (10–2–83)150 William Andrews vs. Det., (32 att) (9–18–83)148 Maurice Smith vs. Dal., (27 att) (11–11–01)148 Jamal Anderson at N. O, (27 att) (12–13–98)147 Jamal Anderson at Det., (30 att) (12–20–98)146 Warrick Dunn vs. N.Y.G., (14 att) (10–15–06)145 Lynn Cain vs. LA Ram. (35 att) (10–7–84)142 Warrick Dunn at N. O, (23 att) (10–27–02)141 Michael Vick vs. Car., (14 att) (12–7–03)141 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Ram., (35 att) (10–12–86)139 Michael Turner at OAK, (30 att) (11-2-08)139 Gerald Riggs vs. Sea., (23 att) (10–13–85)136 Gerald Riggs vs. S.F., (28 att) (9–30–84)136 Gerald Riggs vs. Indian., (30 att) (12–7–86)135 Dave Hampton vs. StL., (23 att) (9–21–75)134 Warrick Dunn vs. T.B., (21 att) (9–17–06)134 Warrick Dunn vs. Car., (28 att) (12–18–04)134 Gerald Riggs vs. Wash., (27 att) (11–5–84)133 Gerald Riggs vs. S.F., (30 att) (12–2–84)132 Warrick Dunn at Car., (29 att) (9–10–06)132 Warrick Dunn at Sea., (25 att) (1–2–04)132 Warrick Dunn vs. Det., (30 att) (12–22–02)132 Jamal Anderson vs. N.O., (25 att) (10–18–98)131 Gerald Riggs vs. Det., (31 att) ( 9–8–85)131 William Andrews vs. S.D., (21 att) (12–2–79)129 Warrick Dunn at Pitt., (20 att) (11–10–02)129 Gerald Riggs vs. Phi., (27 att) (11–10–85)129 William Andrews vs. G. B., (20 att) (11–27–83)129 Haskel Stanback vs. N.O.,(22 att) (12–18–77)129 Gerald Riggs vs. T.B., (27 att) (9–28–86)128 Erric Pegram at LA Ram., (27 att) (11–14–93)127 Michael Vick vs. T.B., (14 att) (9–17–06)127 Gerald Riggs vs. Wash., (22 att) (11–3–85)127 Gerald Riggs vs. Dal., (24 att) (10–27–85)127 Jim Butler vs. S.F., (17 att) (10–4–70)126 Warrick Dunn vs. Min., (18 att) (10–02–05)126 William Andrews vs. S. F.,(28 att) (9–25–83)125 William Andrews vs. N.E., (25 att) (10–30–83)125 John Settle vs. Den., (25 att) (10–16–88)124 William Andrews vs. N. E., (19 att) (9–14–80)123 Jamal Anderson at S.F., (13 att) (9–27–98)123 Erric Pegram at N.O.,(34 att) (10–24–93)123 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Ram., (41 att) (11–17–85)123 Lynn Cain vs. Min., (24 att) (9–7–80)123 Woody Thompson vs. N.O., (24 att) (11–20–77)

122 Jamal Anderson vs. Ind, (30 att) (12–6–98)121 Michael Turner at GB, (26 att) (10-5-08)121 William Andrews vs. Phil, (24 att) (9–10–79)120 Michael Turner at SD, (31 att) (11-30-08)120 Craig Heyward vs. N.Y.J., (19 att) (9–24–95)120 Gerald Riggs vs. Wash., (23 att) (9–20–87)120 Gerald Riggs vs. Hou., (25 att) (9–23–84)119 Jamal Anderson at Det., (25 att) (11–12–00)119 William Andrews vs. Ram., (21 att) (11–21–82)119 William Andrews vs. Ram., (21 att) (10–11–81)119 Gerald Riggs vs. Dal., (30 att) (12–6–87)117 Michael Turner vs. CAR, (24 att) (11-23-08)117 Warrick Dunn vs. Ari., (20 att) (9–26–04)117 Jamal Anderson vs. Car., (31 att) (10–4–98)117 Craig Heyward vs. StL., (20 att) (11–19–95)117 Junior Coffey vs. Clev., (17 att) (10–30–66)115 Michael Vick at Den., (12 att) (10–31–04)115 William Andrews vs. StL., (20 att) (11–9–80)115 William Andrews vs. Ram., (23 att) (12–14–81)115 Gerald Riggs vs. S.F., (19 att) (9–18–88)115 John Settle vs. Sea., (21 att) (10–2–88)115 Mike Rozier vs. T.B., (23 att) (12–2–90)114 Jim Butler vs. N.O.,(20 att) (10–24–71)113 Gerald Riggs vs. Hou., (21 att) (10–25–87)112 Gerald Riggs vs. Cin., (23 att) (11–15–87)112 Haskel Stanback vs. T.B., (23 att) (9–24–78)111 William Andrews vs. Ram., (20 att) (10–26–80)111 William Andrews vs. Wash., (24 att) (11–30–80)111 Gerald Riggs vs. StL., (29 att) (9–14–86)110 Jamal Anderson vs. N.Y.G., (29 att) (10–11–98)110 Gerald Riggs vs. Chi., (30 att) (11–24–85)109 Michael Vick vs. StL., (12 att) (9–19–04)109 Jamal Anderson vs. Car., (22 att) (11–3–96)109 Gerald Riggs vs. Dal., (25 att) (9–21–86)108 Jamal Anderson at Car., (14 att) (9–1–96)108 William Andrews vs. S.F., (24 att) (12–19–82)108 Gerald Riggs vs. StL., (29 att) (9–14–86)107 Jerious Norwood at Wash, (9 att) (12–3–06)107 Jamal Anderson vs. K.C., (28 att) (12–24–00)107 Sonny Collins vs. S.F., (31 att) (11–14–76)106 Jerious Norwood vs. Ari.,(6 att) (10–1–06)106 Dave Hampton vs. Den., (26 att) (11–23–75)105 William Andrews vs. S.F., (18 att) (12–4–80)104 Michael Turner vs. KC, (23 att) (9-21-08)104 Jamal Anderson at N.E., (32 att) (11–8–98)104 Michael Vick at N.Y.G., (15 att) (11–21–04)104 Bubba Bean vs. Ram., (17 att) (11–19–79)104 Cliff Austin vs. N.O.,(27 att) (9–7–86)104 Steve Broussard vs. S.F., (10 att) (10–13–91)104 Dave Hampton vs. N.O.,(19 att) (9–16–73)103 Warrick Dunn vs. Oak., (25 att) (12–12–04)103 Jamal Anderson vs. Mia., (18 att) (12–27–98)103 Jamal Anderson at Det., (16 att) (10–6–96)103 Art Malone vs. Ram., (18 att) (10–1–72)102 Byron Hanspard vs Ari., (26 att) (12–26–99)102 Craig Heyward at N.O.,(25 att) (9–17–95)102 Lynn Cain vs. Det., (21 att) (10–5–80)102 John Settle vs. N.O., (10 att) (9–11–88)102 Mike Rozier vs. Ram., (21 att) (12–23–90)101 Michael Vick vs. Ari., (11 att) (10–1–06)101 Warrick Dunn vs. Sea., (20 att) (12–15–02)101 William Andrews vs. Phi., (18 att) (12–7–80)101 William Andrews vs. Hou., (25 att) (11–19–81)101 Dave Hampton vs. N.O., (25 att) (10–5–75)101 Steve Broussard vs. S.D., (20 att) (9–15–91)100 Warrick Dunn at N.O., (22 att) (10–16–05)100 T. J. Duckett at Car., (14 att) (9–28–030100 Jamal Anderson vs. S.F., (31 att) (11–15–98)100 Sonny Collins vs. Sea., (17 att) (11–7–76)100 William Andrews vs. S.F., (21 att) (9–28–80)

records / top performances

100 Warrick Dunn vs. S.F. (27 att) (11–4–07)RECEIVING YARDAGE198 Terance Mathis at N.O., (6 rec) (12–13–80)193 Andre Rison at Det., (14 rec) (9–4–94)193 Alfred Jackson vs. S.F., (11 rec) (12–2–84)190 Michael Haynes vs. Wash., (6 rec) (12–17–89)190 Ken Burrow vs. Det., (6 rec) (10–3–71)190 Ken Burrow vs. N.O., (8 rec) (12–19–71)187 Michael Haynes vs. N.O., (6 rec) (11–24–91)184 Terance Mathis vs. Ram., (10 rec) (11–19–95)182 Quentin McCord vs. Det., (7 rec) (12–22–02)182 Michael Haynes vs. N.O., (7 rec) (9–12–93)179 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.O., (5 rec) (11–1–81)177 Andre Rison vs. Chi., (10 rec) (9–27–92)173 Bert Emanuel vs. Ram., (9 rec) (12–15–96)172 Andre Rison vs. S.F., (9 rec) (10–14–90)169 Stacey Bailey vs. Dal., (4 rec) (9–25–88)168 Peerless Price vs. Minn, (12 rec) (10–5–03)166 Terance Mathis at Pitt., (12 rec) (10–25–99)164 Roddy White at NO, (10 rec) (12-7-08)164 Ken Burrow vs. S.F., (5 rec) (10–28–73)163 Terance Mathis at Den., (8 rec) (11–20–94)162 Tim Dwight vs. S.F., (7 rec) (1–3–00)161 Andre Rison vs. Ram., (5 rec) (10–21–90)159 Stacey Bailey vs. Wash., (9 rec) (12–4–83)158 Stacey Bailey vs. Ram., (7 rec) (10–7–84)155 Eric Metcalf at N.O., (11 rec) (9–17–95)154 Andre Rison vs. N.O., (10 rec) (10–7–90)153 Billy Johnson vs. N.O., (11 rec) (10–20–85)153 Wallace Francis vs. N.Y.G., (7 rec) (10–1–78)152 Alfred Jenkins vs. Wash., (7 rec) (9–25–77)148 Shawn Jefferson vs. S.F., (7 rec) (9–3–00)148 Wallace Francis vs. S.F., (4 rec) (12–14–80)148 Michael Haynes vs. Dal., ( 5 rec) (12–22–91)147 Andre Rison vs. T.B., (11 rec) (12–31–93)147 Alfred Jenkins vs. S.F., (7 rec) (12–14–75)146 Roddy White at StL., (10 rec) (12–2–07)146 Floyd Dixon vs. Phi., (8 rec) (10–5–86)144 Alex Hawkins vs. Phi., (9 rec) (9–18–66)143 Jim Mitchell vs. LA Ram., (4 rec) (9–26–71)141 Roddy White at Ari., (12 rec) (12–23–07)140 Tony Martin vs. Ind., (7 rec) (12–6–98)140 Stacey Bailey vs. Phi., (8 rec) (12–16–84)138 Wallace Francis vs. Den., (8 rec) (9–16–79)136 Bert Emanuel vs. Ari., (4 rec) (12–24–94)136 Billy Johnson vs. Raid., (6 rec) (12–1–85)136 Alfred Jenkins vs. Clev., (6 rec) (9–27–81)136 Alfred Jenkins vs. Mia., (4 rec) (9–21–80)134 Alfred Jenkins vs. S.F., (7 rec) (11–8–81)132 Roddy White at G.B., (8 rec) (10-5-08)132 William Andrews vs. StL., (8 rec) (10–18–81)131 Shawn Jefferson at Pitt., (9 rec) (11–10–02)131 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.O., (7 rec) (9–2–79)130 Terance Mathis at S.F., (7 rec) (9–27–98)129 Warrick Dunn vs. Ten., (9 rec) (11–23–03)129 Alfred Jenkins vs. Den., (5 rec) (9–16–79)128 Terance Mathis at S.F., (7 rec) (12–4–94)128 George Thomas vs. Min., (7 rec) (9–8–91)128 Andre Rison vs. S.F., (11 rec) (9–23–90)127 Roddy White vs. Car., (7 rec) (9–23–07)126 Shawn Collins vs. G.B., (5 rec) (10–1–89)125 Terance Mathis at N.O., (10 rec) (9–13–94)124 Terance Mathis vs. Phi., (10 rec) (11–27–94)124 Andre Rison vs. G.B., (8 rec) (12–1–91)123 Terance Mathis at Car., (4 rec) (9–1–96)123 Terance Mathis vs. K.C., (13 rec) (9–18–94)123 Andre Rison vs. Ram., (12 rec) (9–11–94)123 Alfred Jackson vs. Det., (5 rec) (9–18–83)122 Eric Metcalf at Cin., (9 rec) (11–24–96)122 Alfred Jenkins vs. Ram., (7 rec) (11–5–72)

121 Bert Emanuel at T.B., (9 rec) (10–22–95)120 Andre Rison vs. Ram., (5 rec) (11–14–93)120 Wes Chesson vs. Ram., (7 rec) (11–5–72)120 Paul Flatley vs. Phi., (4 rec) (12–14–69)119 Roddy White vs. KC, (5 rec) (9-21-08)119 Charlie Brown vs. N.O., (7 rec) (9–7–86)118 Alge Crumpler vs. T.B., (4 rec) (11–14–04)118 Andre Rison at N.O., (8 rec) (11–13–94)117 Alge Crumpler vs. Pitt., (4 rec) (10–22–06)117 Terance Mathis at N.E., (8 rec) (11–8–98)117 Junior Miller vs. N.E., (8 rec) (9–14–80)116 Tony Martin vs. N.O., (7 rec) (10–18–98)116 Bert Emanuel vs. Min., (9 rec) (9–8–96)116 Billy Johnson vs. Det., (8 rec) (9–9–84)115 Aubrey Matthews vs. StL., (7 rec) (11–29–87)114 Brian Finneran at Min., (5 rec) (12–1–02)113 Roddy White at PHI, (8 rec) (10-21-08)113 Alfred Jackson vs. S.F., (4 rec) (11–22–78)113 Michael Haynes vs. T.B., (5 rec) (12–13–92)113 Paul Flatley vs. Ram., (6 rec) (9–28–69)112 Roddy White at SD, (6 rec) (11-30-08)112 Roddy White vs. CHI, (9 rec) (10-12-08)112 Charlie Brown vs. N.Y.J., (6 rec) (11–9–86)112 Michael Haynes vs. Ram., (6 rec) (12–8–91)111 Jim Mitchell vs. N.O., (7 rec) (9–16–73)110 Roddy White at N.O., (8 rec) (10–21–07)110 Billy Johnson vs. Den., (7 rec) (9–22–85)110 Paul Gibson vs. Ram., (5 rec) (11–22–70)110 Lynn Cain vs. Oak., (6 rec) (10–24–79)110 Charlie Brown vs. T.B., (7 rec) (9–28–86)110 Michael Haynes vs. Ram., (4 rec) (10–27–91)109 Shawn Jefferson at Oak., (7 rec) (11–26–00)109 Tony Martin at N.O., (8 rec) (12–13–98)109 Bert Emanuel at Ram., (4 rec) (11–10–96)109 Stacey Bailey vs. N.O., (7 rec) (10–9–83)109 Milton Barney vs. Ram., (6 rec) (10–18–87)109 Alfred Jackson vs. Pitt., (5 rec) (11–15–81)109 Jim Mitchell vs. Ram., (7 rec) (12–1–74)108 Roddy White vs. T.B., (4 rec) (11–20–05)108 Maurice Smith at Ari., (2 rec) (9–30–01)108 Bert Emanuel vs. StL., (6 rec) (11–2–97)108 Wallace Francis vs. Ram., (10 rec) (12–9–79)108 Arthur Cox vs. N.Y.J., (4 rec) (11–9–86)107 Terance Mathis at Car., (8 rec) (10–26–97)107 Andre Rison vs. S.F., (6 rec) (12–11–93)107 Drew Hill vs. Ram., (8 rec) (12–27–92)107 Billy Ryckman vs. Chi., (8 rec) (11–19–78)106 Andre Rison vs. Det., (6 rec) (9–5–93)106 Stacey Bailey vs. Phi., (7 rec) (10–2–83)106 Stacey Bailey vs. Ram., (6 rec) (10–16–83)106 William Andrews vs. Den., (3 rec) (12–5–82)106 Alfred Jenkins vs. Oak., (4 rec) (11–30–75)106 Alfred Jenkins vs. Den., (6 rec) (11–23–75)106 John Settle vs. S.D., (10 rec) (11–13–88)106 Eric Metcalf at T.B., (4 rec) (10–22–95)105 Tony Martin vs. Mia., (3 rec) (12–27–98)105 Floyd Dixon vs. Wash., (5 rec) (9–20–87)105 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.Y.G., (6 rec) (11–11–79)105 Harmon Wages vs. N.O., (3 rec) (12–7–69)105 Michael Haynes vs. Wash., (2 rec) (11–10–91)105 Mike Pritchard vs. Dal., (9 rec) (12–21–92)104 Roddy White vs. Ind., (6 rec) (11–22–07)104 Roddy White vs. Dal., (3 rec) (12–16–06)104 Alge Crumpler vs. Det., (4 rec) (11–24–05)104 Brian Finneran at Car., (5 rec) (11–24–02)104 Bert Emanuel at N.O., (6 rec) (9–17–95)104 Bert Emanuel vs. Det., (7 rec) (11–5–95)104 Billy Johnson vs. S.F., (6 rec) (11–20–83)103 Brian Finneran vs. N.E., (5 rec) (10–9–05)103 Alge Crumpler vs. N.O., (4 rec) (11–28–04)

records / individual performances

102 Roddy White vs. DEN, (5 rec) (11-16-08)102 Tim Dwight at Car., (5 rec) (11–28–99)102 Terance Mathis at Car., (8 rec) (12–17–95)102 Stacey Bailey vs. Min., (4 rec) (9–16–84)102 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.O., (4 rec) (11–2–75)102 Alfred Jenkins vs. Hou., (5 rec) (11–28–76)102 Alfred Jenkins vs. StL., (5 rec) (12–17–78)101 Terance Mathis at Dal., (5 rec) (10–20–96)101 Paul Flatley vs. Balt., (3 rec) (10–5–69)101 Alfred Jenkins vs. G.B., (6 rec) (12–12–76)101 Alfred Jenkins vs. StL., (4 rec) (10–18–81)101 Michael Haynes vs. Dal., (5 rec) (12–21–92)100 Trevor Gaylor vs. N.O., (3 rec) (11–17–02)100 Tony Martin vs. Chi., (6 rec) (11–22–98)100 Bert Emanuel at Buf., (6 rec) (11–12–95)100 Andre Rison vs. Clev., (6 rec) (12–16–90)100 Andre Rison vs. Mia., (7 rec) (10–11–92)

PASSING YARDAGE431 Chris Chandler vs. Buf., (28–of–40) (12–23–01)416 Steve Bartkowski vs. Pitt., (33–of–50) (11–15–81)386 Jeff George at N.O., (27–of–39) (9–17–95)378 Steve Bartkowski vs. StL., (31–of–47) (11–9–80)375 Steve Bartkowski vs. Raid., (36–of–54) (9–19–82)374 Wade Wilson vs. Ram., (31–of–47) (12–27–92)371 Steve Bartkowski vs. Hou., (18–of–25) (11–29–81)366 Steve Bartkowski vs. Det. (24–of–34) (9–18–83)366 Chris Miller vs. N.O.,(23–of–44) (10–7–90)364 Jeff George vs. Phi., (26–of–46) (11–27–94)363 Bobby Hebert vs. Ram., (28–of–49) (12–15–96)362 Jeff George vs. Det., (31–of–40) (11–5–95)361 J. Harrington vs. Car., (31-of-44) (9–23–07)352 Doug Johnson vs. Min., (28–of–40) (10–5–03)352 Chris Chandler at G.B., (29–of–50) (11–18–01)352 Jeff George vs. Ram., (20–of–34) (11–19–95)351 Chris Miller vs. Chi., (30–of–48) (9–27–92)350 Dave Archer vs. N.Y.J., (21–of–36) (11–9–86)345 Chris Chandler at N.O., (19–of–28) (12–13–98)340 Wade Wilson vs. Dal., (30–of–41) (12–21–92)340 Chris Miller vs. Ram., (28–of–39) (10–8–89)337 Michael Vick vs. Det., (20–of–38) (12–22–02)337 Chris Miller vs. S.F., (25–of–41) (9–23–90)335 Erik Kramer vs. Ram., (27–of–46) (10–18–87)334 Chris Miller vs. Det., (37–of–66) (12–24–89)332 Steve Bartkowski vs. Mia., (18–of–36) (9–21–80)328 Jeff George at N.O., (29–of–49) (11–13–94)326 Steve Bartkowski vs. Den., (20–of–29) (9–16–79)325 Chris Miller vs. Dal., (19–of–39) (12–22–91)324 Wade Wilson vs. T.B., (19–of–26) (12–13–92)317 Bobby Hebert vs. Hou., (30–of–52) (12–5–93)315 Matt Ryan at NO, (24 of 33) (12-7-08)315 Chris Chandler at Car., (24–of–42) (11–28–99)315 Chris Redman at Ari., (28-of-42) (12–23–07)315 Bobby Hebert vs. Dal., (24–of–32) (11–21–93)313 Steve Bartkowski vs. N.Y.J., (25–of–36) (10–23–83)312 Steve Bartkowski vs. N.O., (22–of–38) (9–2–79)311 Steve Bartkowski vs. N.Y.G., (24–of–28) (10–25–81)310 Jeff George at Car., (29–of–53) (12–17–95)310 Chris Miller vs. Wash., (17–of–35) (12–17–89)309 Bob Berry vs. Det., (13–of–23) (10–3–71)306 Michael Vick vs. T.B., (21–of–38) (11–20–05)306 Chris Chandler vs. S.F., (19–of–37) (1–3–00)305 Steve Bartkowski vs. S.F., (19–of–37) (12–14–75)304 Bobby Hebert at Cin., (23–of–40) (11–24–96)303 Mike Moroski vs. G.B., (22–of–35) (11–27–83)302 Bob Berry vs. G.B., (28–of–44) (9–27–70)301 Matt Ryan vs. Chi., (22 of 30) (10-12-08)301 Bob Berry vs. Ram., (15–of–22) (9–26–71)301 Steve Bartkowski vs. S.F., (28–of–39) (11–20–83)300 Chris Miller vs. Min., (27–of–41) (9–8–91)

LONGEST PUNTS (65+ YARDS)75 Harold Alexander vs. Chi. (10–3–93)75 John James vs. Oak. (11–30–75)72 John James vs. N. O. (9–16–73)71 Rick Donnelly vs. N.Y.J. (11–9–86)70 Billy Lothridge vs. Clev. (10–27–68)68 Rick Donnelly vs. Wash. (11–3–85)68 Rick Donnelly vs. Phi. (10–5–86)67 Michael Koenen at Sea. (9–18–05)67 John James vs. N. O. (10–31–76)65 Michael Koenen at Cin. (10–29–06)65 Rick Donnelly vs. Chi. (11–16–86)65 Scott Fulhage vs. N. E. (10–15–89)

LONGEST RUNS FROM SCRIMMAGE (50+ YARDS)90t Warrick Dunn vs. N.Y.G. (10–15–06)78t Jerious Norwood vs. Ari. (10–1–06)77 Byron Hanspard vs. Oak. (9–14–97)70 Michael Turner vs. StL. (12-28-08)69t Jerious Norwood at Wash. (12–3–06)69t Warrick Dunn vs. N. O. (10–19–03)67t Jerious Norwood vs. NYG . (10–15–07)67 Mike Rozier vs. Dal. (12–30–90)66t Michael Turner vs. Det. (9-7-08)66t Harmon Wages vs. N. O. (12–7–69)65 Warrick Dunn vs. N.Y.J. (10–24–05)65 Ernie Wheelwright vs. L. A. (9–11–66)62 John Settle vs. N. O. (9–11–88)60t Jim Butler vs. Det. (12–8–68)60t Bubba Bean vs. T. B. (11–4–79)60 Warrick Dunn vs. Ari. (9–26–04)59 Warrick Dunn at Buf. (9–25–05)59t Warrick Dunn at Pitt. (11–10–02)58 Michael Vick vs. Ari. (9–26–04)58 Maurice Smith vs. N. E. (11–4–01)57 Byron Hanspard vs. Den. (9–28–97)57 Gerald Riggs vs. N. O. (9–2–84)56 Warrick Dunn at N. O. (10–27–02)56 Dave Hampton vs. Ram. (10–1–72)55 T.J. Duckett vs. Min. (10–5–03)55t Haskel Stanback vs. Det. (9–23–79)54 Warrick Dunn at N. O. (11–16–03)53 Bob Christian at Car. (11–25–01)53 Byron Hanspard vs. Phi. (12–14–97)51 Michael Vick vs. N. O. (11–26–06)50 Gerald Riggs vs. K. C. (12–8–85)50t Steve Broussard vs. Cin. (10–28–90)

LONGEST PASS COMPLETIONS (75+ YARDS)98t Bobby Hebert to Michael Haynes vs. NO (10–12–93)94t Chris Chandler to Jamal Anderson vs. CAR (9–23–01)89t Chris Miller to Michael Haynes vs. WASH (9–13–92)88t Bob Berry to Harmon Wages vs NO (12–7–69)86t Doug Johnson to Warrick Dunn vs. TEN (11–23–03)86t Steve Bartkowski to William Andrews vs. DEN (12–5–82)85t Jeff George to Bert Emanuel vs. AZ (12–24–94)84 Bob Berry to Ken Burrow vs. NO (12–19–71)82t Randy Johnson to Ray Ogden vs. SF (12–10–67)81 Jeff George to Terance Mathis at SF (12–4–94)81t Steve Bartkowski to Wallace Francis vs. SF (12–14–80)80t Chris Miller to Michael Haynes vs. NO (11–24–91)79t Chris Chandler to Maurice Smith at AZ (9–30–01)78t Chris Chandler to Terance Mathis vs. SF (11–15–98)76t Steve Bartkowski to Floyd Hodge vs. SF (9–25–83)75t Tom Moore to Tommy McDonald vs. BAL (11–12–67)75t Chris Miller to Andre Rison vs. SF (10–14–90)75t Billy Joe Tolliver to Michael Haynes vs. WASH (11–10–91)

records / individual performances

LONGEST FIELD GOALS (50+ YARDS)59 Morten Andersen vs. S. F. (12–24–95)58 Michael Koenen vs. N.E. (10–9–05)55 Jay Feely, at Ari. (9–30–01)55 Morten Andersen at N. O. (10–12–97)55 Morten Andersen vs. N. O. (12–10–95)54 Morten Andersen at Dal. (10–20–96)54 Morten Andersen vs. N. E. (10–1–95)54 Norm Johnson vs. Det. (9–5–93)54 Norm Johnson vs. N.Y.J. (9–6–92)54 Norm Johnson vs. N. E. (11–29–92)54 Paul McFadden vs. Buf. (11–5–89)53 Morten Andersen at N.Y.J. (10–25–98)53 Greg Davis vs. Phi. (11–18–90)52 Jay Feely, at G. B. (9–8–02)52 Jay Feely, vs. Buf. (12–23–01)52 Morten Andersen vs. S. F. (12–24–95)52 Norm Johnson vs. Mia. (10–11–92)52 Greg Davis vs. G. B. (11–6–88)52 Mick Luckhurst vs. Sea. (10–13–85)52 Mick Luckhurst vs. L. A. Ram (10–7–84)52 Nick Mike–Mayer vs. S. F. (10–28–73)51 Michael Koenen vs. Ari. (10–1–06)51 Morten Andersen at S. F. (11–19–00)51 Morten Andersen vs. Oak. (9–14–97)51 Morten Andersen vs. N. O. (12–10–95)51 Morten Andersen vs. Car. (9–3–95)51 Norm Johnson vs. Clev. (11–28–93)51 Norm Johnson vs. S. F. (10–18–92)51 Mick Luckhurst vs. Det. (9–9–84)51 Mick Luckhurst vs. Den. (12–5–82)51 Mick Luckhurst vs. Den. (12–5–82)50 Morten Andersen vs. N. O. (10–22–00)50 Morten Andersen vs. Chi. (11–22–98)50 Morten Andersen at Buf. (11–12–95)50 Norm Johnson vs. Phi. (11–27–94)50 Paul McFadden vs. Buf. (11–5–89)50 Mick Luckhurst vs. T. B. (9–13–87)50 Mick Luckhurst vs. Det. (12–27–87)50 Mick Luckhurst vs. Ram. (10–7–84)50 Tim Mazzetti vs. Buf. (11–2–80)50 Norm Johnson vs. N. O. (11–24–91)

LONGEST INTERCEPTION RETURNS (60+ YARDS)101t Tom Pridemore vs. S. F. (9–20–81)95t Chevis Jackson vs. N.O. (11-9-08)90t Ken Reaves vs. L. A. Ram (10–20–68)87t Rolland Lawrence vs. Oak. (11–30–75)85 Aaron Beasley at S. F. (9–12–04)82t Deion Sanders vs. Hou. (9–9–90)81t Rolland Lawrence vs. S. D. (10–21–73)77t Lee Calland vs. Balt. (9–17–67)74 Vinnie Clark vs. T. B. (10–9–94)73t Jimmy Burson vs. S. F. (12–15–68)72t Rick Byas vs. N. O. (11–20–77)71t Alton Montgomery vs. Car. (9–3–95)66t Kevin Mathis at Den. (10–31–04)65 DeAngelo Hall at T. B. (12–24–05)65t Tom Hayes vs. N. O. (9–16–73)62t Bob Riggle vs. Min. (12–4–66)61t Deion Sanders vs. Dal. (12–30–90)60 Ray Buchanan vs. T. B. (11–5–00)

LONGEST PUNT RETURNS (50+ YARDS)79t Deion Sanders vs. Cin. (10–28–90)77t Tom McCauley vs. N. O. (10–25–70)75t Allen Rossum at K. C. (10–24–04)75t John Mallory vs. Min. (12–20–70)74 Darrien Gordon vs. Dal. (11–11–01)72 Allen Rossum vs. Phi. (11–2–03)

72t Gerald Tinker vs. N. O. (9–29–74)71t Billy Johnson vs. N.Y.J. (10–23–83)71 Billy Johnson vs. L. A. Ram. (11–21–82)70t Tim Dwight at Phi. (10–1–00)70t Tim Dwight vs. S. F. (1–3–00)68t Deion Sanders vs. L. A. Ram (9–10–89)67 Darrien Gordon at Ind. (12–16–01)66t Eric Metcalf at StL. Ram. (10–12–95)61t Harry Douglas vs. Car. (11-23-08)60 Dennis Pearson vs. Det. (9–23–79)60 Lew Barnes vs. Phi. (10–30–88)59t Allen Rossum vs. Ten. (11–23–03)58t Winslow Oliver vs. S. F. (12–12–99)57 Ray Brown vs. Phi. (11–11–73)57 Al Dodd vs. Chi. (10–13–74)56 Kenny Johnson vs. Chi. (9–23–80)51 Tony Smith vs. T. B. (10–31–93)

LONGEST FUMBLE RETURNS (50+ YARDS)91t Bob Glazebrook vs. N.Y.G. (9–12–82)75t Oliver Barnett vs. T. B. (11–17–91)74t Jim Weatherford vs. S. F. (10–19–69)71t Chuck Smith at N. E. (11–8–98)69t Jessie Tuggle vs. N. O. (12–3–92)66t DeAngelo Hall at N.O. (10–16–05)65t James Britt vs. L. A. Ram (10–26–86)65t Jessie Tuggle vs. Hou. (9–9–90)64t Blane Gaison vs. S. F. (11–20–83)60t Tom Hayes vs. Oak. (12–5–71)57t Joel Williams vs. G. B. (9–13–81)56t DeAngello Hall at Ten. (10–7–07)*55t Jim Mitchell at Min. (11–28–71)54t John Mallory vs. L. A. Ram. (10–17–71)50t Jim Mitchell vs. N. O. (10–5–75)* Ball was fumbled by teammate and run in for a TD.

LONGEST KICKOFF RETURNS (60+ YARDS)100t Darrick Vaughn at Den. (9–10–00)100t Deion Sanders vs. S. F. (10–13–91)100t Dennis Pearson vs. StL. Cards (12–17–78)99t Byron Hanspard at S. D. (12–7–97)99t Deion Sanders vs. Wash. (9–13–92)99t Ron Smith vs. Balt. (9–17–67)97t Tony Smith vs. Pitt. (9–27–93)97t Sylvester Stamps vs. S. F. (12–20–87)96t Darrick Vaughn at StL. (1–6–02)96t Darrick Vaughn at StL. (10–15–00)94t Cliff Austin vs. N. O. (10–20–85)93t Tim Dwight vs. Car. (10–4–98)93t Byron Hanspard at Sea. (11–30–97)92 Jerious Norwood vs. StL. (12-28-08)91t Allen Rossum vs. Sea . (12–15–02)88t Darrick Vaughn at N. O. (12–17–00)85 Jerious Norwood vs. Chi. (10-12-08)82 Jim Butler vs. G. B. (11–22–71)80 Ron Smith vs. Chi. (11–27–66)76t Keith Jones vs. Dal. (12–30–90)76 Jerious Norwood at Ten. (10–7–07)74 Sylvester Stamps vs. Hou. (10–25–87)73t Deion Sanders vs. Buf. (11–22–92)72 Deion Sanders vs. N. O. (10–29–89)61 Adam Jennings vs. Sea. (12–30–07)

Atlanta Falcons 2008 Season in Review

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