Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions Preseason Game 1

8/14/2019 Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions Preseason Game 1

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The Atlanta Falcons open the 2009preseason slate at Ford Field to battlethe Detroit Lions. The Falcons andLions have met in the preseason onthree occasions as Atlanta currentlyholds a 2-1 record. The meeting marksthe first time the Falcons visit FordField since a 2006 regular seasonmeeting where Detroit claimed a 30-14victory.

For the first time on Saturday, newlyaquired tight end Tony Gonzalez, line-backer Mike Peterson and first rounddraft selection Peria Jerry will competein a Falcons uniform. Gonzalez,arguably the best tight end in NFL his-

tory, is the League record holder for receptions (916), receivingyards (10,940) and touchdowns (76) among all players at his posi-tion.

This season, Atlanta will look to piece together another winningcampaign after finishing 11-5 last year, which included the teamsfirst playoff berth since 2004. Head Coach Mike Smith and quar-terback Matt Ryan, the first rookie head coach and quarterbackduo to compete in a playoff contest since 1945, want to continuethe momentum in 2009 as the two along with General Manager Thomas Dimitroff all earned Sporting News accolades at the con-clusion of 2008.

Following the preseason contest against Detroit, the Falcons willreturn home to continue training camp at the teams FloweryBranch headquarters. Practice resumes on Monday, August 17 at9:30 a.m.

P RESEASON WEEK 1ATLANTA FALCONS (0-0)

atDetroit Lions (0-0)

4:00 p.m. (EST), Saturday, August 15, 2009, Ford Field

THIS WEEKS MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Tight End Tony Gonzalez

Monday, August 10- Practice

8:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.

- Coach Smith available onthe field following the

morning practice.

- Players available on thefield after both practices.

Tuesday, August 11- Practice

8:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m.


morning practice.


Wednesday, August 12- Practice

8:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.


morning practice.


Thursday, August 13- Practice

8:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.


morning practice.


2009 Atlanta Falcons first round draft pick Peria Jerry will take the field for the first timein a Falcons uniform against the Detroit Lions.

h t t p : / / p r . a t l a n t a f a l c o n s . c o m U s e r n a m e : f a l c o n s p r P a s s w o r d : a f m e d i a

Friday, August 14- Practice

10:25 a.m.

- Coach Smith availableon the field following

practice.

- Travel Day

Saturday, August 15

- Atlanta Falconsvs.

Detroit Lions

4:00 p.m.Ford Field

Team W L T Pct. PF PA Div. Conf.Carolina 12 4 0 .750 414 329 4-2 8-4Atlanta 11 5 0 .688 391 325 3-3 8-4Tampa Bay 9 7 0 .563 361 323 3-3 8-4New Orleans 8 8 0 .500 463 393 2-4 5-7

RADIOCoverage Provided ByDAVE-FM (92.9)

Play-by-Play: Wes DurhamColor Analyst: Dave Archer

TELEVISIONCoverage Provided By WXIA

Play-by-Play: Randy WatersColor Analyst: Brian Baldinger Sideline: Fred Kalil

REGGIE ROBERTS - Vice President of Football Communications MATT CONTI - Manager of Football [email protected], (770) 965-2761 [email protected], (770) 965-4350

FRANK KLEHA - Senior Director of Media Relations BRIAN CEARNS - Football Communications Coordinator [email protected], (770) 965-2763 [email protected], (770) 965-4318

FALCONS OPEN PRESEASONSCHEDULE AT DETROIT

BROADCAST INFORMATION

2008 nfc south standings

ATLANTA FALCONS WEEKLY PRESS RELEASEWWW.ATLANTAFALCONS.COM 4400 FALCON PARKWAY fLOWERY bRANCH, ga 30542


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THIS WEEKS OPPONENT: THE DETROIT LIONS

gameday storyline

The 2009 preseason kickoffs when the Falcons travel to Detroit tobattle the Lions. Atlanta fans will witness newly acquired tight endTony Gonzalez, linebacker Mike Peterson and first round draftselection, Peria Jerry in action for the first time in a Falcons uni-form. Detroit will showcase the number one overall draft selectionin 2009, quarterback Matthew Stafford, as well as tight end

Brandon Pettigrew and cornerback Louis Delmas. Atlanta has notregistered a losing preseason record since 2003.

ALL-TIME RESULTS

All-time preseason results: Falcons lead series, 2-1All-time regular season results: Lions lead series, 23-10All-time postseason results: No meetings

Falcons regular season home record vs. Lions: 6-8Falcons regular season road record vs. Lions: 4-15Falcons regular season record at Ford Field: 1-1Current regular season streak: Falcons - one gameLast preseason meeting: 1999 - Falcons 35 Lions 31 (Atl)Last regular season meeting: 2008 - Falcons 34 Lions 21 (Atl)

PreseasonFalcons lead, 2-1

Year Result Location1997 Lions 20 Falcons 17 Det1998 Falcons 7 Lions 3 Det1999 Falcons 35 Lions 31 Atl

Regular SeasonLions lead, 23-10

Year Result Location1966 Lions 28 Falcons 10 Det1967 Lions 24 Falcons 3 Det1968 Lions 24 Falcons 7 Atl1969 Lions 27 Falcons 21 Det1971 Lions 41 Falcons 38 Det1972 Lions 26 Falcons 23 Atl1973 Lions 31 Falcons 6 Det1975 Lions 17 Falcons 14 Atl1976 Lions 24 Falcons 10 Det1977 Falcons 17 Detroit 6 Atl1978 Falcons 14 Detroit 0 Atl1979 Lions 24 Falcons 23 Det1980 Falcons 43 Detroit 28 Atl1983 Falcons 30 Detroit 14 Det1984 Lions 27 Falcons 24 OT Atl1985 Lions 28 Falcons 27 Atl1986 Falcons 20 Detroit 6 Det1987 Lions 30 Falcons 13 Atl1988 Lions 31 Falcons 17 Det1989 Lions 31 Falcons 24 Atl1990 Lions 21 Falcons 14 Det1993 Lions 30 Falcons 13 Det1994 Lions 31 Falcons 28 OT Det1995 Falcons 34 Detroit 22 Atl1996 Lions 28 Falcons 24 Det1997 Lions 28 Falcons 17 Det1998 Falcons 24 Lions 17 Det2000 Lions 13 Falcons 10 Det2002 Falcons 36 Detroit 15 Atl2004 Lions 17 Falcons 10 Atl2005 Falcons 27 Lions 7 Det2006 Lions 30 Falcons 14 Det2008 Falcons 34 Lions 21 Atl

Running back Michael Turner set aFalcons single-game rushing record witha 220-yard performance against Detroit in the 2008 regular season opener.

TALE OF THE TAPE

2008 Final Regular Season StatisticsFalcons (rank) Lions (rank)

24.2 (10) Points Per Game 16.8 (27)361.2 (6) Total Offense Per Game 268.3 (30)152.7 (2) Net Rushing Yards Per Game 83.3 (30)

208.5 (14) Net Passing Yards Per Game 185.0 (24)30:49 Possession Average 26:59

20.3 (11) Opponent Points Per Game 32.3 (32)347.9 (24) Opponent Total Offense Per Game 404.4 (32)127.5 (25) Opponent Net Rushing Yards Per Game 172.1 (32)220.4 (21) Opponent Net Passing Yards Per Game 232.3 (27)

-3 (21) Turnover Differential -9 (28)

Leading Passers: Comp. Att. Yards TDs INTs RatingMatt Ryan 265 434 3,440 16 11 87.7Dan Orlovsky 143 255 1,616 8 8 72.6

Leading Rushers: Att. Yards Avg. Long TDsMichael Turner 376 1,699 4.5 70 17Kevin Smith 238 976 4.1 50 8

Leading Receivers: Rec. Yards Avg. Long TDsRoddy White 88 1,382 15.7 70t 7Calvin Johnson 78 1,331 17.1 96t 12

2008 regular season leadersFalcons Head Coach Mike Smith on the culture of the team -Well, were ahead of where we were last year, because of the

familiarity with one another. Were a group of men and when wecome together on the practice field, were going to work hard. Atthe same time we want to have a communicative culture. We wantguys to feel like they are part of the process, and not only the play-ers, but everybody in the organization. I think when you set thattone and you have that culture in place, then everyone feels likepart of the process. I think were ahead of last year because theseguys are familiar with me and what were trying to get done as acoaching staff.

quoting coach smith

PRESEASONDate Opponent Time Result/Network

Aug. 15 at Detroit 4 p.m. WXIA Aug. 21 at St. Louis 8 p.m. WXIAAug. 29 SAN DIEGO 8 p.m. WGCL (national)

Sept. 3 BALTIMORE 7:30 p.m. WXIAREGULAR SEASONDate Opponent Time NetworkSept. 13 MIAMI 1:00 p.m. CBSSept. 20 CAROLINA 1:00 p.m. FOXSept. 27 at New England 1:00 p.m. FOXOct. 4 BYE WEEKOct. 11 at San Francisco 4:05 p.m. FOXOct. 18 CHICAGO 8:20 p.m. NBCOct. 25 at Dallas 4:15 p.m. FOXNov. 2 at New Orleans 8:30 p.m. ESPNNov. 8 WASHINGTON 1:00 p.m. FOXNov. 15 at Carolina 1:00 p.m. FOXNov. 22 at New York Giants 1:00 p.m. FOX*Nov. 29 TAMPA BAY 1:00 p.m. FOX*Dec. 6 PHILADELPHIA 1:00 p.m. FOX*Dec. 13 NEW ORLEANS 1:00 p.m. FOX*Dec. 20 at New York Jets 1:00 p.m. FOX*Dec. 27 BUFFALO 1:00 p.m. CBS*Jan. 3 at Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. FOX** Denotes Flexible Scheduling

2009 regular season schedule


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MIKE SMITH Coaching Years in NFL: 11th Year Falcons Head Coach: 2nd Year

Regular Season: 11-5 (.687)Postseason: 0-1 (.000)

In his first season asHead Coach of theFalcons, Mike Smith led

Atlanta to one of thebiggest turnarounds in NFLhistory (+7 wins from 2007)while finishing second inthe NFC South Divisionand guiding the team totheir first playoff appear-ance since 2004. For hisefforts, he earned NFL Coach of the Year honors from the

Associated Press and Sporting News . Smiths 11 victories tied himfor the best record for rookie head coaches in the NFL taking over a team that finished below .500 the previous season. Atlanta wit-nessed several improvements from the 2007 season, which includ-ed points per game average, rushing yards per game average,passing touchdown to interception ratio and sacks allowed. Atlantaalso ranked first in the NFL in first quarter points scored and sixthin first quarter points allowed.


Former Falcons: Detroit DT Grady Jackson played in 38 games with the Falcons over the span of the 2006-08 seasons.

Former Lions: Falcons Offensive Line Coach Paul Boudreau coached the offensiveline for Detroit from 1994-96.

Georgia/Michigan Connections: Detroit WR Calvin Johnson played at Sandy Creek High School inTyrone, GA and played college football at Georgia Tech. Lions 2009 first round draft pick QB Matthew Stafford played football atthe University of Georgia for three seasons (2006-08). Detroit TE Will Heller played high school football at Marist School in

Atlanta, Georgia and played at Georgia Tech as a walk-on.

College Connections: Falcons QB Matt Ryan played with Detroits T Gosder Cherilus for twoseasons (2005-06) at Boston College. Falcons DE Chauncey Davis was former teammates with Detroit LB

Ernie Sims and DE Andre Fluellen at Florida State for two seasons(2003-04).

Coaching Connections: Detroit Head Coach Gunther Cunningham coached Falcons TE TonyGonzalez at Kansas City as the Head Coach in both 1999 and 2000.

notable connections

Falcons 34 Lions 21September 7, 2008

Georgia Dome

1 2 3 4 Final

Falcons 21 0 10 3 34Lions 0 14 7 0 21

Recap:The Falcons jumped out to a 21-0 lead following the first quarter of playon two rushing touchdowns from Michael Turner and a 62-yard TD catchfrom wide receiver Michael Jenkins. The Lions rebounded with twoscores in the second quarter to cut Atlantas lead to 21-14 at halftime.Kicker Jason Elam posted his first points in a Falcons uniform with a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter and following a Jerious Norwood 10-yard touchdown run, Atlanta took a comfortable 31-14 lead entering thefinal 15 minutes of play. Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna logged his secondtouchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter, however a Detroitcomeback fell short as Atlanta claimed a 34-21 victory in the seasonopener.

Highlights: Matt Ryan recorded a 62-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Michael Jenkins on his first career NFL pass becoming the first quarter-back to throw a touchdown on his first career attempt since October 8,2000 when Michael Bishop completed the feat (New England). Ryan became the first Falcons rookie quarterback to start a seasonopener since Steve Bartkowski in 1975 and completed nine of 13 passesfor 161 yards and one touchdown for a 137.0 passer rating. Michael Turner set a Falcons single-game rushing record after posting220 yards against Detroit. The 220 yards are a career-high for Turner andeclipsed Atlantas old record held by Gerald Riggs, which was previouslyset on September 2, 1984 (202 yards). The Falcons broke a team rushing record with 318 yards (7.4 avg.)against Detroit. The previous record was set on September 17, 2006against Tampa Bay (306 yards). John Abraham posted his first three-sack day since 2004. Abraham hasposted 11 of his career sacks on opening day.

THE LAST TIME OUT...

A FALCONS WIN WOULD...

Give the Falcons their first victory in a preseason opener since 2006(26-23 vs. New England). Give the Falcons their third consecutive win over Detroit in a preseasoncontest. Give the Falcons their second consecutive road preseason win.

COACHINGBACKGROUND

1982 S.D. State Asst. Coach1983-85 S.D. State Linebackers1986 Morehead St. Def. Line1987 Tenn. Tech Def. Line

1988-95 Tenn. Tech Spec. Teams Coord.1996-98 Tenn. Tech Def. Coord.1999-2001 Balt. Ravens Def. Asst./Def. Line2002 Balt. Ravens Linebackers2003-07 Jac. Jaguars Def. Coord.2008-09 Atl. Falcons Head Coach

JIM SCHWARTZ Coaching Years in NFL: 14th Year

Lions Head Coach: 1st Year Regular Season: 0-0 (.000)

Postseason: 0-0 (.000)

Saturdays preseasoncontest will be the first NFLaction for Jim Schwartz ashe enters his first season asHead Coach of the DetroitLions. Schwartz comes to

the team with 14 years of NFL coaching experience.He spent the past 10 yearson the coaching staff of theTennessee Titans as aDefensive Assistant (1999-2000) and Defensive Coordinator (2001-08). In 2008, Schwartzs defense helped guide the Titans to an NFL-best record of 13-3. Under his tutelage, the Titans clinched two AFCSouth titles (2002, 2008), earned two AFC Wild Card playoff berths(2003, 2007) and finished with 10 wins in four seasons (2002, 2003,2007, 2008). Schwartz also logged stints with the Baltimore Ravens(Defensive Assistant) and Cleveland Browns (Personnel Scout). Heholds four years of collegiate coaching experience, which includes theUniversity of Maryland (1989), the University of Minnesota (1990), N.C.Central (1991) and Colgate University (1992).

COACHINGBACKGROUND

1989 Maryland Grad. Asst.1990 Univ. of Minn. Grad Asst.1991 N.C. Central Secondary1992 Colgate Linebackers

1993-95 Cle. Browns College/Pro Scout1996-98 Balt. Ravens Def. Asst.1999-2000 Tenn. Titans Def. Asst.2001-08 Tenn. Titans Def. Coord.2009 Det. Lions Head Coach


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OFFENSE

WR Roddy White - After setting a franchise record for receivingyards in a season (1,382) and earning his first Pro Bowl berth in2008, White is looking to post his third consecutive 1,200-yard cam-

paign this year.LT Sam Baker - Enters his second NFL season as the starter at lefttackle. Last season, he logged three starts.

LG Justin Blalock Will look to start every game of the season for the second consecutive year.

C Todd McClure In his 11th season with the Falcons, will enter theseason looking to improve his consecutive games started streak to113.

RG Harvey Dahl - Started every game in 2008, and will look to blockfor a successful rushing attack, which finished second in the NFLlast season.

RT Tyson Clabo - Listed as the starter at right tackle following asuccessful campaign last year where he started every game for thefirst time in his career.

TE Tony Gonzalez - Holds League records for the most receptions(916), receiving yards (10,940) and touchdown catches (76) by atight end. His 10 Pro Bowl selections are more than any other tightend.

WR Michael Jenkins - Posted a career-high 777 receving yards in2008 while adding three touchdowns. Has finished second on theteam in receiving in each of the last four seasons.

QB Matt Ryan - In 2008 was voted Associated Press NFL OffensiveRookie of the Year and Sporting News Rookie of the Year after com-pleting 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns for a87.7 passer rating. He became the first player in franchise history toearn NFC Rookie of the Month accolades (October).

RB Michael Turner - Earned his first career Pro Bowl berth last sea-son after finishing second in the NFL with 1,699 rushing yards. Lastseason also marked the first time he topped the 1,000-yard plateauin his career.

FB Ovie Mughelli - In 2008, opened holes for a Falcons rushingattack, which averaged 152.7 yards per game. He also added eightreceptions for 57 yards.

DEFENSE

RE John Abraham - Will look to top his career and franchise recordof 16.5 sacks which he set last season. He also posted three-sackperformances in Weeks 1, 9 and 15 of 2008.

DT Peria Jerry - Atlantas first-round selection will look to make aninstant impact on the defensive line after earning Associated Pressfirst-team honors in his senior season at Ole Miss.

DT Jonathan Babineaux - Enters his fifth season as an AtlantaFalcon this year. In 2008, posted 3.5 sacks and 38 tackles. He wasalso selected to the USA Today All-Joe team.

LE Jamaal Anderson - In his first two seasons with the Falcons, hehas totaled 81 tackles and two sacks. His sacks came in back-to-back games against Chicago and Philadelphia in 2008.

OLB Mike Peterson - A veteran and vocal leader, Peterson entershis first year with the Falcons starting at linebacker. In 135 career games, he has totaled 1,365 tackles (792 solo) and 19.5 sacks.

MLB Curtis Lofton - Will look to build off of his impressive rookiecampaign where he totaled 108 tackles (second in the NFL amongrookie players). Lofton also garnered 2008 All-Rookie honors by theSporting News and Pro Football Weekly .

OLB Stephen Nicholas - Entering his third year with the Falcons,Nicholas has collected 46 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recov-ery over the past two years. He also ranked third on the team in spe-cial teams tackles with 12 last season.

RCB Chris Houston - Last season, Houston started every contestat cornerback and finished the season with 59 tackles and two inter-ceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

LCB Brent Grimes - After entering the NFL as a rookie free agent in2006, Grimes has made his mark after seeing action in 14 games over the last two seasons. In 2008 he contributed with 36 tackles andadded his first career interception.

SS Erik Coleman - The leader in the secondary unit, Colemanenters his second season with the Falcons after piecing together asteller campaign in 2008. He set a career-high with 127 tackles andadded three interceptions.

FS Thomas DeCoud - One season after contributing heavily onspecial teams, fans will look for DeCoud to up his game and com-pete with the same athleticism which earned him All-Pac 10 honorsfollowing his senior season at the University of California.


Probable starters this week Probable starters this week

LAST GAME AT A GLANCEWild Card Playoff Game (1/3/09)

The Falcons impressive 2009 campaign came to a close with aloss to the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, 30-24, atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium. Quarterback Matt Ryan set a fran-chise record for completion percentage in a postseason contestwith a 65.0 mark (26 of 40) while adding two touchdowns. Atlantatook a 17-14 halftime advantage with touchdowns coming fromrunning back Michael Turner and tight end Justin Peelle and aJason Elam field goal. Two turnovers and a safety plagued theFalcons in the second half as Atlanta fell one possession short of a potential game-winning touchdown. Turner finished the contestwith 42 yards and one touchdown while wide receiver Roddy Whitepaced the Falcons receivers with 11 catches for 84 yards and onetouchdown.

Falcons - 24Cardinals - 30 RB Michael Turner 2008 - Set a franchise single-game rushing record with a 220-yard perform-ance in his first game in a Falcons uniform.

DE John Abraham2008 - Contributed with three sacks for a loss of 16 yards and five tackles.

RB Jerious Norwood2008 - Rushed for 93 yards on 14 carries and added one touchdown.

TE Tony Gonzalez2007 - Totaled 10 receptions for 137 yards with a long catch of 29 yards.2003 - Notched six receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

WR Michael Jenkins2008 - Took quarterback Matt Ryans first career NFL pass 62 yards for atouchdown.

FALCONS BEST GAMESVERSUS DETROIT


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WING TIPS

what to look for on atlantafalcons.com

AtlantaFalcons.com is an award-winning website, which features exclusiveteam content for fans and the media alike. This weeks schedule includes:

Tuesday, August 11 - Photos and coverage of Falcons RussellTraining Camp.

Wednesday, August 12 - Updates on training camp and more in J.Mikes Missives.

Thursday, August 13 - Video of Head Coach Mike Smiths pressconference.

Friday, August 14 - A preview of the preseason and what to lookfor in Detroit.

Saturday, August 15 - LIVE coverage of the Falcons first preseasongame of 2009 against Detroit.

Sunday, August 16 - A recap of Atlantas preseason opener againstthe Lions.

2009 sTRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

This season the Falcons will face the NFC East and AFC East incross-division play while continuing to battle NFC South oppo-nents, Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Carolina twice a year. Atlantawill also match-up with the Chicago Bears on Sunday NightFootball in a home game at the Georgia Dome and will travel to

San Francisco to battle the 49ers. Collectively, the Falcons hold a74-64 record against their NFC South foes while totaling 90 all-time victories against their remaining opponents on the 2009schedule. The Falcons rank fourth in strength of schedule this sea-son with their opponents combining for a .588 winning percentagein 2008 (150 wins, 105 losses and one tie). The Carolina Panthersare the only NFC team ranked higher in strength of schedule enter-ing the season (second).

HOME 2008 Record Last Time Played ResultCarolina 12-4 November 23, 2008 W, 45-28New Orleans 8-8 December 7, 2008 L, 29-25Tampa Bay 9-7 December 14, 2008 W, 13-10 OTMiami 11-5 November 6, 2005 W, 17-10Chicago 9-7 October 12, 2008 W, 22-20Washington 8-8 December 3, 2006 W, 24-14Philadelphia 9-6-1 October 26, 2008 L, 27-14Buffalo 7-9 September 25, 2005 W, 24-16

AWAY 2008 Record Last Time Played ResultCarolina 12-4 November 23, 2008 W, 45-28New Orleans 8-8 December 7, 2008 L, 29-25Tampa Bay 9-7 December 14, 2008 W, 13-10 OTNew England 11-5 October 9, 2005 L, 31-28San Francisco 7-9 November 4, 2007 W, 20-16

Dallas 9-7 December 16, 2006 L, 38-28New York Giants 12-4 October 15, 2007 L, 31-10New York Jets 9-7 October 24, 2005 W, 27-14

The Falcons 2009 training camp includes 28 practices, whichincludes 12 two-a-day sessions. Fourteen of the practices will beopen to the public. Practice lengths and times are subject tochange based on weather and Coach Smiths discretion.

Media members are encouraged to obtain updates to the sched-ule by:

Calling a member of the Falcons Communications staff Logging on to www.atlantafalcons.com Calling the Falcons Training Camp hotline: (770) 965-2752

Date # of practices Practice Times Open to the Public Aug. 9 No Practice Aug. 10 2 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. First Practice Aug. 11 2 8:30 a.m., 3:20 p.m. First Practice Aug. 12 2 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. First Practice Aug. 13 2 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m First Practice Aug. 14 1 10:25 a.m. OpenAug. 15 Falcons at Detroit - 4 p.m.

Aug. 16 No Practice Aug. 17 2 9:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. Both Closed Aug. 18 2 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. Both Closed Aug. 19 2 8:30 a.m., 3:45 p.m. Both Closed Aug. 20 1 10:25 a.m. ClosedAug. 21 Falcons at St. Louis - 8 p.m.Aug. 29 Falcons vs. San Diego - 8 p.m.Sept. 3 Falcons vs. Baltimore - 7:30 p.m.

Training camp schedule


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WING TIPS

The Atlanta Falcons enter the 2009 season with essentially thesame coaching staff as the previous year, complete with 17 coach-es who hold more than 200 years of NFL experience. Last season,Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey guided a Falcons offensewhich ranked second in the League in rushing (152.7 ypg.) andsixth in total offense (361.2 ypg.). In his first season as DefensiveCoordinator, Brian VanGorder coached a defensive unit that heldopponents to 20.3 points per game as defensive end John

Abraham logged a franchise record 16.5 sacks. Speical TeamsCoordinator Keith Armstrong and the Falcons punt coverage unitset a NFL record allowing only 49 punt return yards in 2008.Falcons kicker Jason Elam also posted 129 points, falling threepoints shy of his personal high.

Below is a breakdown of the Falcons 2009 coaching staff and their NFL experience including this season.

Assistant Head Coach/Secondary Emmitt Thomas - 29th year Wide Receivers Coach Terry Robiskie - 28th year Offensive Line Coach Paul Boudreau - 23rd year Defensive Line Coach Ray Hamilton - 22nd year Defensive Backs Coach Alvin Reynolds - 17th year Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey - 16th year Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong - 16th year

Linebackers Coach Glenn Pires - 14th year Head Coach Mike Smith - 11th year Quarterbacks Coach Bill Musgrave - 11th year

Assistant Special Teams Coach - Eric Sutulovich - 6th year Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder - 4th year Running Backs Coach Gerald Brown - 2nd year Defensive Assistant Joe Danna - 2nd year

Assistant Offensive Line Coach Paul Dunn - 2nd year Tight Ends Coach Chris Scelfo - 2nd year Offensive Assistant Glenn Thomas - 2nd year

Total Years of NFL experience - 207

Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey

Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder

Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong

The Falcons hired Eric Sutulovich as the clubs new AssistantSpecial Teams Coach this offseason. Prior to joining the Falcons,he served as an Offensive Assistant for the Detroit Lions in 2008.He logged a one-year stint as a Football Assistant for theUniversity of Kansas, before spending four seasons (2002-05) asthe Assistant Special Teams Coach for the Houston Texans.Sutulovich also spent time in the collegiate ranks with Fort ScottCommunity College as the Offensive Coordinator (2001), theUniversity of Pittsburgh as the Offensive Graduate Assistant(2000-01) and Louisiana Tech as the Offensive Graduate Assistantfrom 1997-99. Sutulovichs coaching experience also spans to theIndoor Football League as he spent one season as the OffensiveCoordinator for the Casper Calvary in 2000.

The Atlanta Falcons 2009 preseason includes road meetings atDetroit (Week 1) and St. Louis (Week 2) and home contestsagainst the San Diego Chargers (Week 3) and Baltimore Ravens(Week 4). The Falcons matchup against San Diego will be broad-cast nationally on Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Preseason Week 1 - at Detroit LionsSaturday, August 15, 2009, 4:00 p.m.

Atlanta holds a 2-1 record against the Lions in thepreseason and will make its first trip to Detroit sincea 2006 regular season meeting at Ford Field. TheFalcons were victorious in the last two preseasonmeetings, which includes a 7-3 win in 1998 and a

35-31 victory in 1999. The meeting in 99 was highlighted by a RayBuchanan 43-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Preseason Week 2 - at St. Louis RamsFriday, August 21, 2008, 8:00 p.m.

The Falcons will battle St. Louis in the preseasonfor the first time since 1979 and will look to earntheir second win of the series against the Rams.The lone victory came in 1977 (3-0) in St. Louis,which still stands as the lowest scoring preseason

contest in Falcons franchise history.

Preseason Week 3 - vs. San Diego ChargersSaturday, August 29, 2008, 8:00 p.m.

In a nationally televised preseason game, San Diegoand Atlanta will meet for the sixth time in the presea-son with the Chargers holding a 4-1 series advan-tage. Atlantas only win against San Diego came in1994 at Jack Murphy Stadium (21-17). The Chargers

will be making their first trip to the Georgia Dome since 2004 whenthe Falcons claimed a 21-20 win. Dez Whites 32-yard touchdownreception in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winningscore.

Preseason Week 4 - vs. Baltimore RavensThursday, September 3, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

The Falcons have pieced-together three consecu-tive preseason victories against the BaltimoreRavens, two in each of the last two years (2007 and

2008). The Ravens will visit Atlanta for the fifth time in thepreseason series. In six overall

contests, each team has wonthree games each. Last year,reserve quarterback D.J.Shockley led the Falcons to a 10-9 victory over Baltimore after hecompleted seven of 14 passesfor 98 yards and one touchdown.

Quarterback D.J. Shockley completed a20-yard touchdown strike to BrianFinneran in second quarter against Baltimore.

support staff 2009 preseason opponents

sutulovich new to staff


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WING TIPS

Against the Chicago Bears in Week 6 of the 2008 season, quarterback Matt Ryan completed 22 of 30 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown. He completed an all-important fourth quarter 26-yard strike to wide receiver Michael Jenkins with one second remaining on the clock, which set up kicker Jason Elams 48-yard game-winning field goal. Thegame marked the first contest since the NFL merger (1970) in which a team won despite the fact that their opponent took the lead with fewer than 15 seconds remaining in thefourth quarter.

Matt Ryan impresses in first year

Last year was a special season for Matt Ryan who revitalized the Falcons organ-ization as a rookie, leading the team to an 11-5 regular season record and

Atlantas first playoff berth since 2004. For his efforts, he was named the Associated Press and Sporting News NFL Rookie of the Year. Having started in all16 contests in 2008, Ryan completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touch-

downs and 11 interceptions for an 87.7 passer rating. His passing total rankedsixth in a single season in Falcons annals as he became only the second rookiequarterback ever in the NFL to amass over 3,000 passing yards. Along withRavens quarterback Joe Flacco, Ryan became the first rookie quarterback to startall 16 regular season games and lead his team to the playoffs.

Matt Ryan by thenumbers in 2008

1 - The number of passes it took for Matt Ryanto throw his first career touchdown pass (62 yards

to Michael Jenkins, Week 1 of the 2008 season).

2 - The number of conference accolades Ryanearned (NFC Rookie of the Month in October of

08 and NFC Offensive Rookie of the Week fol-

lowing a contest vs. Oakland in November of 08).

6 - The number of victories Matt Ryan and theFalcons earned in games decided by one score

or less.

11 - The number of wins Matt Ryan compiled in2008, becoming the first rookie quarterback in

team history to win 11 games in a single season.

11 - The number of interceptions Matt Ryanthrew in 2008 becoming one of two rookie quar-

terbacks in the history of the NFL to start every

regular season game and throw under 15 inter-

ceptions.

16 - The number of games Matt Ryan started in2008 (entire regular season) while becoming one

of two rookies in NFL history to lead his team to

the playoffs in his first season.

12.98 - The yards per completion percentagefor Matt Ryan in 2008, which ranked second in

the NFL.

3,440 - The number of passing yards MattRyan threw for in his rookie campaign, which

ranks sixth in a season in team history. He also

became this first rookie in team history to throw

for over 3,000 passing yards.

DOME SWEET DOME

Matt Ryan will look to build upon a 7-1 career home record heading into the 2009season. Ryan and the Falcons won the first four contests at the Georgia Dome in08, before falling to the Denver Broncos by a 24-20 margin in Week 11. Two of the last three victories at home came against division opponents (Carolina andTampa Bay). Atlanta defeated visiting opponents by an average of nearly 10 points

as the Falcons record atthe Georgia Dome was thebest since the 2004 NFCChampionship Game sea-son.

Matt Ryan contributed withimpressive numbers at theGeorgia Dome, completing 121 of 188 passes for 1,777 yards and six touchdowns.

playoff first

In Atlantas NFC Wild Card playoff meeting against Arizona last season, quarter-back Matt Ryan and Head Coach Mike Smith became the first rookie head coachand quarterback to compete in a playoff game since the Cleveland Rams accom-plished the feat in 1945. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and Head Coach JohnHarbaugh followed with the same acheivement last season as well. Against theCardinals, Ryan set a franchise record for completion percentage in a postseasoncontest with a 65.0 mark. He completed 26 of 40 passes, which included a streakof nine consecutive completions in the first half.


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WING TIPS

Take a pass

At the conclusion of his rookie season,quarterback Matt Ryan logged 3,440 pass-ing yards, the highest total for a Falconsquarterback in a season since Jeff Georgethrew for a franchise season-record 4,143

yards in a pass-first offense in 1995. Ryanstotal was the highest for a Falcons rookieand it also ranks sixth in a season in teamannals. Along with Indianapolis Colts quar-terback Peyton Manning, Ryan becameonly the second rookie quarterback in NFLhistory to reach the 3,000-yard passingplateau. Part of his success in reaching themilestone last season were the nine con-secutive 200-yard passing outings fromWeeks 6-15. He tallied his highest gametotal with a 315-yard performance at NewOrleans in Week 14. This year, Ryan willlook to become only the third quarterback in

team history behind Jeff George and SteveBartkowski to finish with back-to-back3,000-yard passing seasons.

Player Years Total Passing YardageMatt Ryan 2008, ? 3,440 (2008), ? (2009)Jeff George 1994, 1995 3,734 (1994), 4,143 (1995)Steve Bartkowski 1980, 1981 3,544 (1980), 3,830 (1981)

Steve Bartkowski

Jeff George

In 2008, Matt Ryan completed265 of 434 passes for 3,440

yards, 16 touchdowns and 11interceptions for an 87.7 passer rating in his rookie season. His3,440 passing yards ranked sixthfor a Falcons single-season ashe became only the second rook-ie quarterback ever in the NFL toamass over 3,000 passing yards.Ryan became one of two rookie quarterbacks in franchise historyto win 11 games and along with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco,became the first rookie quarterback to start all 16 regular seasongames and lead his team to the playoffs. Among other accomplish-ments, Ryan became the first player in club history to earn NFCRookie of the Month accolades (October) and tallied a streak of nine consecutive 200-yard passing games from Weeks 6-15.Below is a list of where Matt Ryan ranked among the NFC andNFL last season.

3,440 Passing Yards - Ranked 6th in the NFC and 13th in theNFL.

265 Completions - Ranked 9th in the NFC.

61.1 Completion Percentage - Ranked 8th in the NFC.

16 Touchdowns - Ranked 8th in the NFC.

87.7 Passer Rating - Ranked 6th in the NFC and 11th in the NFL.

ENCORE, encore

FRANCHISE FIND

Following a stellar season which featured Sporting News and Associated Press Rookie of the Year honors, Matt Ryan earnedother accolades throughout the media, which included a top honor from FoxSports.com . Ryan was voted the NFLs top franchise play-er under 30 years old. Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com wrote

the following:

It's a quarterback's league, so our top build-ing block is Ryan (24 years old), who com-pletely changed the mindset for folks intend-ing on starting a rookie quarterback with ahistoric 2008 season. Now a year later with a

full season and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year under his belt,Ryan proved how much Atlanta's front office thinks of him by build-ing its offseason around him namely trading for veteran tightend Tony Gonzalez. You only deal away a second-round draft pickfor a 33-year-old tight end if you are planning to win ... NOW.

Adrian Hasenmayer

Other players that Ryan topped on the list include:10. Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo9. Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald8. Steelers safety Troy Polamalu7. Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha6. Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth5. Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware4. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson3. Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas2. Texans defensive end Mario Williams

In his rookie season, quarterback Matt Ryans num-bers topped numerous passing categories com-

pared to Falcons totals over the past five years.In 2008, Ryan pieced together a passingattack which ranked 14th in the NFL and took

the top spot in completion percentage, yardsper attempt, interceptions and passer rating

among all Falcons quarterbacks dating backto 2004. Against the Oakland Raiders in a Week

9 meeting last season, Ryan compiled a 138.4passer rating after completing 17 of 22 passesfor 220 yards and two touchdowns. The ratingwas the ninth-highest for a single game amongany NFL quarterback. For his efforts, Ryan was

also named NFC Offensive Player of theWeek. The passer rating was also the highest for a Falcons quar-terback since 2006. Listed below are Ryans 2008 final statisticscompared to collective Falcons quarterbacks over the past fiveseasons.

Category (stat and rank over the last five seasons)2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

NFL Passing Rank 14th (1) 18th (2) 32nd (5) 27th (3) 30th (4)Passing Yards 3,440 (2) 3,573 (1) 2,682 (5) 2,907 (3) 2,692 (4)Completion % 61.1 (1) 60.5 (2) 53.4 (5) 54.8 (4) 54.9 (3)Yards Per Attempt 7.93 (1) 6.44 (5) 6.50 (3) 6.45 (4) 6.82 (2)Touchdowns 16 (3) 18 (2) 15 (4t) 19 (1) 15 (4t)Interceptions 11 (1) 15 (3t) 15 (3t) 13 (2) 16 (5)Passer Rating 87.7 (1) 78.9 (2) 75.2 (4) 76.6 (3) 72.0 (5)

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE


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WING TIPSHe is arguably the best player to compete at his position in NFLhistory and he is a future Hall of Famer. This past offseason theFalcons aquired 10-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez in atrade with the Kansas City Chiefs on April 23, 2009. In exchange,the Falcons gave the Chiefs their second round selection in the2010 NFL Draft.

Gonzalez, 6-5, 251 pounds, has estab-lished himself as one of the premier tight

ends in NFL history following 12 seasons,all with Kansas City. A native of Torrance,California, Gonzalez holds League recordsfor the most receptions (916), receivingyards (10,940) and touchdown catches(76) by a tight end. His 10 Pro Bowl selec-tions are more than any other tight end inthe game and he has also earned eightfirst or second-team Associated Press All-Pro selections, his latest coming last sea-son.

Tony brings a new dynamic to the Falconsoffense and we are very pleased that we

were able to make the trade with KansasCity, said Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff. His career numbersand records are top notch and he will nodoubt be an integral part of our offense.

Gonzalez has competed in 190 career games with 174 starts in aChiefs uniform. The University of California graduate has compiledfour 1,000-yard receiving campaigns, 26 100-yard receiving con-tests and is just the fifth player and the first tight end in NFL historyto produce 11 consecutive seasons with 50 or more receptions.

Gonzalezs career numbers lead all Kansas City receivers in fran-chise history and his 916 career catches are the ninth-most in NFLhistory and fourth-highest among active players.

Tony is one of the best tight ends in NFL history and will be agreat addition to our team, said HeadCoach Mike Smith. He will be a leader both on and off the field for our organiza-tion.

In 2008, Gonzalez caught a team-high 96passes for 1,058 yards (11.0 avg.) and 10touchdowns (second in the AFC). Hisreception total led all NFL tight ends andwas tied for fourth among all receiverswhile his yardage total ranked sixth overallin the AFC. Gonzalez also ranked tied for first among tight ends in the League andwas second in the NFL among all receiverswith 29 third down catches. Against theTennessee Titans on October 19, 2008, hesurpassed Shannon Sharpe (10,060) for the most receiving yards by a tight end in

NFL history on a six-yard catch in the firstquarter. For his efforts in 2008, Gonzalezwas selected to his 10th Pro Bowl as astarter and was named a first-team

Associated Press All-Pro.

Tonys arrival will make an instant impact not only on the offensiveside of the ball, but on the overall team in general, said Falconsquarterback Matt Ryan. I feel privileged to be throwing the ball toa future Hall of Famer.

for the record...Below is a list of records achieved by Tony Gonzalez over the course of his 12 NFL seasons.

NFL RECORD BOOK MOST RECEPTIONSTIGHT END, CAREER

Rank Receptions Player Years1. 916 Tony Gonzalez 1997-082. 815 Shannon Sharpe 1990-033. 662 Ozzie Newsome 1978-904. 541 Kellen Winslow 1979-875. 505 Frank Wycheck 1993-03

NFL RECORD BOOK MOST RECEIVING YARDS,TIGHT END CAREER

Rank Yards Player Years1. 10,940 Tony Gonzalez 1997-082. 10,060 Shannon Sharpe 1990-033. 7,980 Ozzie Newsome 1978-904. 7,918 Jackie Smith 1963-785. 6,741 Kellen Winslow 1979-87

NFL RECORD BOOK MOST TD RECEPTIONSTIGHT END, CAREER

Rank Yards Player Years1. 76 Tony Gonzalez 1997-082. 62 Shannon Sharpe 1990-033. 60 Jerry Smith 1965-774. 54 Wesley Walls 1989-035. 52 Dave Casper 1974-84

NFL RECORD BOOK MOST 100-Y ARD REC. GAMES,TIGHT END, CAREER

Rank Games Player Years1. 26 Tony Gonzalez 1997-082. 24 Kellen Winslow 1979-873. 22 Jackie Smith 1963-784. 19 Shannon Sharpe 1979-885. 14 Todd Christensen 1979-88

Mike Ditka 1961-72

MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION, ACTIVE PLAYERSGames Player Team(s) Streak Began

183 Terrell Owens Buffalo Dallas, Phi., S.F. vs. Cincinnati (10/20/96)162 Hines Ward Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay (11/9/98)153 Torry Holt St. Louis vs. Cleveland (10/24/99)131 Tony Gonzalez Kansas City at New England (12/4/00)

NFL RECORD BOOK MOST 1,000-YARD RECSEASONS, TIGHT END

Rank # Seasons Player Years

1. 4 Tony Gonzalez 00, 04, 07-082. 3 Kellen Winslow 1980-81, 83

Todd Christensen 1983-84, 86Shannon Sharpe 1994, 96-97

2 Ozzie Newsome 1981, 84


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WING TIPS

In his first season in an Atlanta Falcons uniform,Michael Turner posted 1,699 rushing yards,which ranked second the NFL in the category.

Along with producing eight 100-yard gameslast season, Turner set a franchise single-

game rushing record with a 220-yard per-formance against the Detroit Lions in theopening week of the season. He also tied aclub record with four rushing touchdowns in onegame against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12and in the same contest, topped the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the first time in hiscareer. Turner scored 17 touchdowns lastyear, which set a team record for rushingtouchdowns in a campaign. On three occa-sions, Turner was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Thefirst was for his performance against the Lions in Week 1. Turner earned the award again following Week 3 against Kansas City andthe season finale against the St. Louis Rams. Turner along withteammate Roddy White, was named to his first Pro Bowl.

TURNERs 2008 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Set a Falcons single-game rushing record with 220yards against the Detroit Lions in the first week of the season. Set a franchise record with his 17th rushing touch-down in a game against St. Louis (Week 17). Topped the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the firsttime in his career after posting 117 yards on 24 car-ries against Carolina in Week 12. Tied a team record with a four-touchdown gameagainst the Panthers in Week 12. Recorded eight 100-yard games last season (thirdmost ever for the Falcons in a season). Ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,699)

behind Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. Was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week on three occasions and Fed ExGround Player of the Week twice. The Falcons posted an 8-0 record when Turner rushed for 50 yards or more in thefirst half of a game. Totaled four multiple-TD games this year.

RUSHING REVAMPED

The Falcons organization knew one of the steps to improving theteams offense following the 2007 season would be the acquisitionof a running back. Just days into free agency, General Manager Thomas Dimitroff signed Michael Turner who was ready to breakinto a starting role following four seasons playing behind perennial

Pro Bowler LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego. Atlanta led the NFLin rushing for three consecutive seasons from 2004-06. After the07 campaign, Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey was hired torejuvenate the rushing attack that opposing defenses have knownto fear. Turners solo performance last season was among the bestin franchise history (1,699 rushing yards ranking third for a singleseason). Even with the Falcons leading the League in rushing for three straight seasons, Turners numbers in 2008 trumped any run-ning back since 1998 when Jamal Anderson set the club recordwith 1,846 yards. To the right is a look at Turners rushing presencedirectly affecting the Falcons win/loss total last season.

With Turner in 2008...

Note Falcons RecordWhen Turner rushed for 8-0over 100 yards in a game

When Turner recored 20 10-1or more carries per game

When Turner averaged 4.5 7-0yards per carry or more in a game

When Turner scored one 8-2or more touchdowns in a game

When Turner posted a long 7-3rush of 20 yards or more in a game

taking it to the next level

In 2008, Michael Turner led the NFL in carries with 376, which alsoset his personal career-high. The sixth-year NFL veteran alsoestablished a franchise record with 17 rushing touchdowns, whichincluded four multiple-touchdown games. Last season, Turner averaged one touchdown per every 22.1 carries leading all running

backs in the NFL with 300-plus carries. Below is a look at the topfive running backs on this list.

Players Carries Touchdowns TDs per carryMichael Turner, Atl. 376 17 22.1

Adrian Peterson, Min. 363 10 36.3Clinton Portis, Was. 342 9 38.0Matt Forte, Chi. 316 8 39.5Ryan Grant, G.B. 312 4 78.0

carrying the load

IT ONLY TOOK ONE

In just his first season with the Falcons, running back Michael

Turner rushed for 1,699 yards, the third-highest total in franchisehistory. If Turner can record another 1,000-yard campaign in 2009,he will already surpass Haskel Stanback for seventh place on theclub all-time rushing yards list (needs 964 yards to jumpStanback).


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WING TIPS

In 2008, Michael Turner contributed with one of the most consistentrushing seasons in Falcons history. Along with Jamal Anderson(1998) and Gerald Riggs (1985), Turner became only the third run-ning back in franchise history to rush for over an average of 100.0yards per game (106.2). Turner dipped below 50 total rushing yards

in a game on only two occassions last season (42 vs. Tampa Bayin Week 2 and 42 vs. Arizona in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game).More impressively, Turner tallied eight contests having recordedover 100 yards. That includes his inaugural game with the team inWeek 1 when he set the single-game rushing record with a 220-yard performance against the Detroit Lions. Turner provided anencore in the season finale when he rushed for 208 yards againstthe St. Louis Rams. His 1,699 yards ranked second to AdrianPeterson of the Minnesota Vikings. For his efforts, he was nameda 2008 Associated Press first-team All-Pro and was voted to hisfirst career Pro Bowl selection. The chart to the right showsTurners 2008 yardage per game in relation to his carries.

taking it to the next level

Last season, Falcons widereceiver Roddy White becamethe first player in club history topost back-to-back 1,000-yardseasons through the air since1998-99 and the first player inteam history to register back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns.His 1,382 receiving yardagetotal ranked fourth in the NFLand set a new franchise recordfor receiving yards for a sea-son. White also broke career highs in receptions (88) andtouchdowns (seven). Herecorded seven 100-yard games in 2008, which included a Week14 performance at New Orleans where he set a career-high inreceiving yards (164) on 10 receptions. White ranked second in theNFL in third down receptions (29) and led the League in third downreceiving yards (516). For his efforts last season, the fifth-year receiver earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

This season, White is looking to become only the second player inteam history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.Only Andre Rison has accomplished the feat in a string of 1,000-yard seasons from 1992 (1,119), 93 (1,242) and 94 (1,342).

Below is a look at where White compares to Risons streak.

Player Yards SeasonRoddy White ? 2009Roddy White 1,382 2008Roddy White 1,202 2007

Andre Rison 1,088 1994 Andre Rison 1,242 1993 Andre Rison 1,119 1992

Wide Receiver Roddy White

Wide Receiver Andre Rison

WHITE ON PACE

Roddy White has logged four seasons in an Atlanta Falcons uni-form and in the past two years alone, he has established himself as a deep threat. With a 1,200-receiving yard campaign in 2007,White followed his performance with a career-high and franchiserecord 1,382 yards en route to his first Pro Bowl berth last season.In his career, White has now posted 36 big plays or receptions of 25-plus yards. He ranks tied for second in franchise history behindclub leader Terance Mathis who caught 49 receptions of 25-plusyards in his eight-year career with the Falcons. Below is a look at

Atlantas career big play receivers in franchise history.

Falcons Leaders in Career Big Plays

Player Seasons Plays of 25-plus yardsTerance Mathis 1994-2001 (8) 49Roddy White 2005-2008 (4) 36Bert Emanuel 1994-1997 (4) 36

Fourteen of Whites 36 receptions of 25-plus yards came last sea-son, which also includes his career long reception of 70 yards for a touchdown against Kansas City in Week 3. He also posted sevencontests where he notched a long reception of 35-plus yards.Below is a look at the Falcons franchise leaders for plays of 25-plus yards in a season.

Falcons Big Plays For a SeasonPlayer Season Plays of 25-plus yardsMichael Haynes 1991 16Roddy White 2008 14

Andre Rison 1994 14

BIG PLAY RODDY

Michael Turner Rushing Attempts vs. Rushing Yards


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WING TIPS

Last season, Falcons defensive end John Abraham registered 16.5 sacks setting a new season-high for the 10-year veteran, topping hisprevious mark of 13.0, which he set with the New York Jets in 2001. His 16.5 sacks also rank first in a season in Falcons annals.Throughout the season, Abraham made several impacts on the field. While contributing with 42 tackles (35 solo), one pass defensed andfour forced fumbles, Abraham also posted three contests in which he tallied three sacks each. At the conclusion of the season, he hasnow totaled 18.5 sacks in his last 17 games, 26.5 in his last 31 contests and has notched 84.0 for his career, which ranks second in the

NFL among active players.

the predator earns his keep

Atlanta Falcons Highest Sack Totals in a SeasonPlayer Year SacksJohn Abraham 2008 16.5Joel Williams 1980 16.0Claude Humphrey 1976 15.0

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

1 Jason Taylor, Mia 104.0 680.02 John Abraham, Atl 84.0 534.03 Joey Porter, Mia 81.0 510.07

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

Abrahams 16.5 sacks in 2008 came from both sidesof the defensive line in Atlantas 4-3 defense.

QBRT RG C LG LTDE NT NT DE

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

sack attack

After nine seasons in the NFL, its no surpriseto opposing offenses that John Abrahammakes a difference on every snap. His 84.0

career sacks currently rank second in theLeague among active players and lastseason, he posted a career-best and fran-

chise record 16.5 quarterback take-downs. To take it a step further, Abrahams 19 multiple-sack gamesover his career have made an even

bigger difference as he has contributedto a collective 14-5 record. Last year, the

Falcons posted 4-0 record when Abrahamlogged a multiple-sack performance. Thosegames included: three sacks against Detroit

(Week 1), two sacks against Kansas City (Week 3), three sacksagainst Oakland (Week 9) and three sacks against Tampa Bay(Week 15).

Year Multiple-Sack Games Team Record2008 Four Games Falcons 4-02007 Two Games Falcons 1-12006 One Game Falcons 1-02005 Two Games New York Jets 1-12004 Two Games New York Jets 2-02003 Two Games New York Jets 0-22002 Three Games New York Jets 2-12001 Two Games New York Jets 2-02000 One Game New York Jets 1-0Total 19 Games 14-5

KEEPING PACE

Now entering just his fourth season in an Atlanta Falcons uniform,defensive end John Abraham has already broken into the top 10sack leaders list in franchise history, holding down the 10th spotwith 30.5 sacks. His total with the Falcons has contributed to hiscareer mark of 84.0, which ranks second in the NFL among allactive players. The Predator is looking to piece together another impressive campaign, which would have major implications in thestat books. If he matches his career-high and franchise record of 16.5 quarterback takedowns from last season, he will finish theyear with 47.0 career sacks as a member of the Falcons, whichwould rank tied for fourth in club annals with John Zook whologged seven seasons with the team.

Atlanta Falcons Career Sack LeadersPlayer Years SacksClaude Humphrey 1968-78 (11) 94.5Chuck Smith 1992-98 (7) 58.5Patrick Kerney 1999-2006 (8) 58.0John Zook 1969-75 (7) 47.0Travis Hall 1995-2004 (10) 41.5Don Smith 1979-84 (6) 38.5Jeff Merrow 1975-83 (9) 36.0Brady Smith 2000-05 (6) 32.0Lester Archambeau 1993-99 (7) 31.0John Abraham 2006-08 (3) 30.5


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WING TIPS

BET YOU DIDNT KNOW ... The oldest player - K Jason Elam , 39 years old (3/8/70) The youngest player - OT Garrett Reynolds , 22 years old (7/1/87) The tallest player - OT Garrett Reynolds and OL MichaelButterworth , 6-7 The shortest player - RB Thomas Brown , 5-8

The heaviest player - OT Tyson Clabo , 331 pounds The lightest player - WR Chandler Williams , 176 pounds Most seasons with the Falcons - C Todd McClure , 11 seasons Most seasons in the NFL - K Jason Elam , 17 seasons The farthest distance a player has to travel from their hometown toFlowery Branch, Ga. - OT Will Svitek is 4,800 miles from his birthplaceof Prague, Czech Republic. The shortest distance a player has to travel from their hometown toFlowery Branch, Ga. - RB Thomas Brown is 32.2 miles away from hishometown of Tucker, Ga. The college that is represented the most on the roster - Ohio State andLSU with four players each. The state that is represented the most on the roster - The state of Florida with 11 players.

leaders of the pack

Following the 2008 season, it was clearly evident that two members of the Falconswould return the following year to take more of a leadership role. Sixth-year safetyErik Coleman and second-year linebacker Curtis Lofton fit the trend as both com-piled impressive 2008 campaigns, leading the Falcons to an 11-5 regular seasonrecord and their first playoff berth since 2004. Coleman, one of the more tenured

players in the secondary, will continue to help the development of young corner-backs Chris Houston, Brent Grimes, Chevis Jackson and 2009 third round draft pickChris Owens while doing the same for safeties Thomas DeCoud and WilliamMoore. In 2008, Coleman pieced together one of his best statistical seasons, finish-ing with a career-high 127 tackles (82 solo), three interceptions, two forced fumblesand six passes defensed.

In his rookie season, Lofton ranked second in the League in tackles among rookiesbehind Jerod Mayo (according to STATS, Inc.) and garnered 2008 All-Rookie acco-lades by Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly . Competing in all 16 games (15

starts), he contributed with 108 tackles (67 solo), one sack, three passes defensed and one forced fumble.Safety Erik ColemanLinebacker Curtis Lofton

LOOKING FOR 17

In 2008, Falcons kicker Jason Elamlogged 129 points, three shy of acareer-high and nine shy of a Falconsfranchise record. Last season was alsoElams 16th 100-point campaign, whichmade him the first player in NFL historyto record at least 100 points in each of his first 16 seasons. Elam also rankssecond in the League in consecutivegames scoring at least one point (252)and sits behind former Falcons kicker Morten Andersen who totaled one pointin 360-straight contests.

Jason Elams Top Three Seasons (Points) Year PAT FG Total Points1995 39/39 31/38 1322008 42/42 29/31 1292004 42/42 29/34 129

FALCONS MAKE ROSTER MOVES

Since the start of training camp on July 31, 2009, the Falconsmade three significant roster signings. Atlanta signed eighth-year veteran linebacker Jamie Winborn and followed with the additionof wide receivers Marty Booker and Robert Ferguson.

Winborn, 5-11, 230 pounds, competed primarily withthe San Francisco 49ers from 2001-04. In 92 career games (32 starts), he has logged 407 tackles (105solo), 10.0 sacks, three interceptions, 23 passesdefensed, four forced fumbles and three fumblerecoveries. Last year with the Denver Broncos, hesaw action in all 16 games while contributing with

117 tackles (84 solo) and nine passes defensed. An accomplishedspecial-teamer, Winborn has also posted 46 career tackles cover-ing kicks.

Booker, 6-0, 205 pounds, is entering his 11th NFLseason after spending the majority of his career withthe Chicago Bears (1999-2003, 2008) and four sea-sons with the Miami Dolphins (2004-2007). In 141career games (116 starts) he has totaled 523 recep-tions for 6,522 yards (12.5 avg.) and 36 touchdowns.Booker currently ranks tied for third in Bears history

in receptions (329) and sixth in receiving yardage (3,895). He post-ed two 1,000-yard receiving campaigns in 2001 and 02 while com-bining for 14 touchdowns in those seasons. In 2002, Booker post-ed his best statistical season with 1,189 yards on 97 receptions

and six touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl nomination.

Ferguson, 6-1, 219 pounds, is a seven-year veteranwho recently competed with the Minnesota Vikings(2007-2008). He also logged five seasons with theGreen Bay Packers after the team selected him inthe 2001 NFL Draft. In 82 career games (34 starts),Ferguson has totaled 151 receptions for 1,993 yardsand 13 touchdowns.


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WING TIPS

The Atlanta Falcons selected eightplayers in the 2009 NFL Draft,which included seven players onthe defensive side of the ball. TheFalcons also made a trade with

Dallas, giving the Cowboys their fifth round (143rd overall) pick inexchange for Dallas fifth (156thoverall) and seventh round (210thoverall) selections.

With the 24th overall selection inthe first round of the 2009 NFLDraft, the Atlanta Falcons selecteddefensive tackle Peria (pur-ray) Jerry from the University of Mississippi. Jerry became the Falcons first defensive tackle select-ed in the first round since Tony Casillas (Oklahoma) was drafted in1986. Jerry is also the first player from Mississippi to be selectedby Atlanta in the first round and only the third player from the uni-versity to be selected in franchise history.

Jerry was a first-team All-America selection by the Associated Press and ESPN following the 2008 season. He finished the year ranked first in the SEC in tackles for loss (18.0), fifth in quarterbacksacks (7.0) and tied for sixth in forced fumbles (two). A consensusfirst-team All-SEC selection, Jerry also helped the Rebel defenserank second in the conference and fourth in the nation in rushdefense (85.5 ypg.) last year.

We are very excited about having Peria on board, said FalconsGeneral Manager Thomas Dimitroff. Peria is a big, strong, coun-try guy. He is going to hold the point of attack. He also has the abil-ity to be a one-gap guy and be disruptive behind the line of scrim-mage.

In his Ole Miss career, Jerry totaled 132 tackles (79 solo), 11.5sacks, 33.0 tackles for loss, three passes defensed, two forcedfumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. He alsorecorded his first career touchdown on a 13-yard fumble recoveryagainst Vanderbilt in 2008.

I think (Peria) is a guy that can be very disruptive, said AtlantaHead Coach Mike Smith. He creates plays in the backfield. I thinkthat is very important when you have negative yardage plays pre-sented by the defense. I like his work ethic and he did a great joblast season at Ole Miss.

Below is a look at the Falcons 2009 draft class.

Rd. Overall Player Pos Ht Wt College1 24 Peria Jerry DT 6-2 290 Mississippi2 55 William Moore S 6-0 221 Missouri3 90 Chris Owens CB 5-9 181 San Jose St.4 125 Lawrence Sidbury DE 6-2 266 Richmond5 138 William Middleton CB 5-11 186 Furman5 156 Garrett Reynolds OT 6-7 310 North Carolina6 176 Spencer Adkins LB 5-11 246 Miami (Fla.)7 210 Vance Walker DT 6-2 293 Georgia Tech

Defensive tackle Peria Jerry

draft breakdown

Currently, the Falcons yield seven players from the state of Georgia on their roster. Three Falcons including: QB D.J.Shockley, RB Thomas Brown and LB Tony Gilbert all attended theUniversity of Georgia.

Where Theyre From1. Thomas Brown - Tucker, Ga.2. Tony Gilbert - Macon, Ga.3. Aaron Kelly - Marietta, Ga.4. William Middleton - Atlanta, Ga.5. Robert Shiver - Thomasville, Ga.6. D.J. Shockley - College Park, Ga.7. Tony Tiller - Stone Mountain, Ga.

1

2

34

5

67

georgia on my mind

current falcons streakS

251 Consecutive regular season games K Jason Elam hasscored at least one point.

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

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

32 Consecutive field goals K Jason Elam has converted from20-29 yards dating back to 2006.

26.5 The number of sacks John Abraham has totaled in his last31 games on the defensive line.

15 Consecutive field goals K Jason Elam has converted from40-49 yards dating back to 2007.

10 Consecutive years TE Tony Gonzalez has been named tothe Pro Bowl.


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WING TIPS

2009 DRAFT PICKS

DT Peria Jerry6-2, 294 poundsD1 - 09 (Mississippi)

In 38 career games at Ole Miss, totaled 132 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 33tackles for loss, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles, two fumblerecoveries and one interception.

Named to the All-SEC team twice in his collegiate career (first team in2008 and second team in 2007). Jerry became the first defensive tackle selected by the Falcons in thefirst round of the NFL Draft since Tony Casillas (Oklahoma) in 1986.

S William Moore6-0, 218 poundsD2 - 09 (Missouri)

Started 32 of 48 games at Missouri and finished his career havingtotaled 284 tackles (182 solo), which was the fourth-highest total amongTigers defensive backs. Totaled 11 interceptions for 162 yards, breaking Erik McMillans schoolcareer record (three) by returning four of those for touchdowns.

CB Christopher Owens5-9, 179 pounds

D3 - 09 (San Jose State) Started 38 of 48 games at San Jose State, including his final 37 con-tests at right cornerback. Recorded 228 tackles (132 solo), one sack, seven tackles for loss, 20passes defensed and 13 interceptions. His 13 INTs placed fourth on the school career-record list.

DE Lawrence Sidbury6-3, 265 poundsD4 - 09 (Richmond)

Started 31 of 52 games at Richmond, recording 145 tackles (71 solo),20.5 sacks, 38 tackles for loss four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveriesand four passes defensed. His 20.5 sacks rank fourth in school history. Set the NCAA record for the most sacks in a playoff game againstMontana in a 2008 FCS title game victory with four.

Was voted the Virginia Defensive Player of the Year his senior season.

CB William Middleton5-11, 194 poundsD5a - 09 (Furman)

A three-year starter (35 starts) and a team captain his senior season. Also a notable contributor as a return specialist. In his last three seasons, totaled 186 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss,seven interceptions and 15 passes defensed.

OT Garrett Reynolds6-7, 317 poundsD5b - 09 (North Carolina)

A second-team All-ACC selection by the Associated Press and first-team All-ACC pick by The ACC Sports Journal .

Named to the 2008 Lombardi Award Watch List.LB Spencer Adkins5-11, 242 poundsD6 - 09 (Miami, Fla.)

Saw action in 31 games in four seasons and totaled 72 tackles (42solo), 10 tackles for loss, five sacks and one interception.

DT Vance Walker 6-2, 307 poundsD7 - 09 (Georgia Tech)

Finished his Georgia Tech career with 110 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss,13.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

KEY ACQUISITIONS

TE Tony Gonzalez6-5, 243 poundsCaliforniaTrade - 09 (Kansas City) In 12 NFL seasons, has earned 10 Pro Bowl

appearances and eight first or second-team Associated Press All-Pro selections. Holds NFL records for career receptions (916), receiving yards(10,940), touchdown catches (76), 100-yard receiving games(26), Pro Bowl appearances (10) and 1,000-yard seasons (four)among all tight ends. Is the only tight end in League history to record 900 or morereceiving yards in seven seasons and currently stands as onlythe third tight end (Ozzie Newsome, Cleveland and ShannonSharpe, Denver) in NFL history to lead their respective franchisesin all-time receiving. Will enter the 2009 season looking to extend his streak of catching at least one pass in a game, which currently stands at131 contests. Trails Ozzie Newsome (150 games) for the longest

streak by a tight end in NFL history.

LB Mike Peterson6-1, 233 poundsFloridaUnrestricted Free Agent - 09 (Jax) In 135 career games (127 starts), Peterson hastotaled 1,365 tackles (792 solo), 19.5 sacks, 15

interceptions, 40 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and sevenfumbles recoveries. Collected 837 tackles in his Jaguars career, which ranks secondin team history behind safety Donovin Darius (858). Has tallied double-digit tackles in 73 career games and 15-plus

tackles in 23 games.

WR Marty Booker 6-0, 205 poundsLousiana-MonroeFree Agent - 09 In 141 career games (116 starts) has totaled 523receptions for 6,522 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Currently ranks tied for third in Bears history in receptions (329)and sixth in receiving yardage (3,895). Posted two 1,000-yard receiving campaigns in 2001 and 02while combining for 14 touchdowns in those seasons.

WR Robert Ferguson6-1, 219 poundsTexas A&MFree Agent - 09 A seven-year veteran who has posted 151receptions for 1,993 yards and 13 touchdowns in

82 career games (34 starts).


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POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN

quarterbacks (4)

RUNNING BACKS (4)

No Name2 Matt Ryan - Started 16 games in 2008 and completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touch-

downs 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 acareer-high with 315 passing yards against the Saints in Week 14.

8 Chris Redman : 6-3, 229 pounds, third year with the Falcons3 D.J. Shockley : 6-4, 218 pounds, fourth year with the Falcons4 John Parker Wilson : 6-2, 218 pounds, first year with the Falcons

No Name33 Michael Turner - In his first game in an Atlanta uniform last year, set the Falcons single-game rushing

record with 220 yards on 22 carries (10.0 avg.) vs. Detroit. Totaled his 11th-career 100-yard gameagainst St. Louis in Week 17. Ranked second in the NFL with 376 carries for 1,699 yards while con-tributing with 17 touchdowns (set a franchise-high for a single season). Turner also topped the 1,000-yard mark in Week 12 of 08 while tying a club record with four touchdowns. Was named NFCOffensive Player of the Week on two occasions (Week 1 vs. Detroit and Week 3 vs. Kansas City).

32 Jerious Norwood : 5-11, 209 pounds, fourth year with the team44 Jason Snelling - 5-11, 233 pounds, third year with the team27 Thomas Brown - 5-8, 203 pounds, second year with the team

No Name34 Ovie Mughelli - In 2008 blocked for a Falcons running game which totaled 2,443 rushing yards this

season (ranked second in the NFL). Also caught a season-high 18-yard reception against theOakland Raiders in Week 9 and contributed with 57 receiving yards and 16 rushing yards.

36 Verron Haynes : 5-9, 233 pounds, first year with the team

No Name84 Roddy White - Tallied seven 100-yard receiving games last 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 catch-ing six passes for 112 yards against San Diego in Week 13. Led the team and ranked fourth in theNFL in receiving with 88 receptions for 1,382 yards and six touchdowns. His 1,382 yards made himthe first Falcons receiver to record back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons in franchise history. Hisyardage total also set a new franchise record for receiving yards in a season.

80 Marty Booker : 6-0, 205 pounds, first year with the team81 Robert Ferguson : 6-1, 219 pounds, first year with the team14 Eric Weems : 5-9, 194 pounds, third year with the team11 Tory Bergeron : 6-2, 195 pounds, first year with the team

No Name12 Michael Jenkins - Caught Matt Ryans 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 twotouchdown passes against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9 while leading the team in receivingyardage. This season, compiled 50 catches for 777 yards and three TDs.

86 Brian Finneran : 6-5, 210 pounds, 10th year with the team18 Chandler Williams : 5-11, 176 pounds, second year with the team15 Aaron Kelly : 6-5, 203 pounds, first team with the team

FULLBACKS (2)

WIDE RECEIVERS (4)

WIDE RECEIVERS (5)


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No Name88 Tony Gonzalez - Has established himself as one of the premier tight ends in NFL history following

12 seasons, all with Kansas City. A native of Torrance, California, Gonzalez holds League records for the most receptions (916), receiving yards (10,940) and touchdown catches (76) by a tight end. His10 Pro Bowl selections are more than any other tight end in the game and he has also earned eightfirst or second-team Associated Press All-Pro selections, his latest coming last season.

87 Justin Peelle : 6-4, 251 pounds, second year with the team89 Ben Hartsock : 6-4, 270 pounds, second year with the team85 Jason Rader : 6-4, 263 pounds, second year with the team82 Keith Zinger : 6-4, 258 pounds, second year with the team

No Name62 Todd McClure - Has started in 112 consecutive games on the offensive line, which ties Jeff Van

Note for third place in Falcons annals in that category.

66 Brett Romberg : 6-2, 293 pounds, first year with the team67 Ben Wilkerson : 6-4, 313 pounds, third year with the team

No Name72 Sam Baker - Started in five contests as a rookie and helped open holes for Atlantas 2,443 rushing

yards.

74 Will Svitek : 6-6, 309 pounds, first year with the team

No Name77 Tyson Clabo - Has started in 37 career contests and helped the Falcons rush for a team record of

318 yards in the season opener against Detroit last season.

75 Garrett Reynolds : 6-7, 317 pounds, first year with the team70 Michael Butterworth : 6-7, 304 pounds, second year with the team

No Name63 Justin Blalock - Started every game of the season for the second consecutive year in 2008.

76 Quinn Ojinnaka : 6-5, 299 pounds, fourth year with the team69 Adam Speer : 6-3, 301 pounds, first year with the team

No Name73 Harvey Dahl - Competed in his 17th game in a Falcons uniform after starting every game in the

2008 season.

65 Jose Valdez : 6-6, 324 pounds, first year with the team68 Ryan Stanchek : 6-3, 300 pounds, first year with the team

No Name55 John Abraham - Ranked second in the NFC with a franchise-best 16.5 sacks last season, which

included three three-sack performances against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, the Oakland Raiders inWeek 9 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. Also posted four forced fumbles all on sacks togive him 31 for his career. Last season, also registered 42 tackles (35 solo).

Right guard (3)

center (3)

TIGHT ENDS (5)

LEFT TACKLE (2)

right tackle (3)

Left guard (3)

right defensive end (3)


18/66


No Name71 Kroy Biermann : 6-3, 260 pounds, second year with the team90 Lawrence Sidbury : 6-2, 307 pounds, first year with the team

No Name98 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 anddeflecting two passes. In Week 13 against San Diego, blocked his first-career field goal to help theFalcons maintain a 22-13 lead.

92 Chauncey Davis : 6-2, 262 pounds, fifth year with the team96 Willie Evans : 6-1, 269 pounds, second year with the team64 Maurice Lucas : 6-4, 267 pounds, first year with the team

No Name95 Jonathan Babineaux - In 2008, 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.

97 Trey Lewis : 6-3, 316 pounds, third year with the team91 Tywian Myles : 6-2, 319 pounds, first year with the team

No Name94 Peria Jerry - The 24th overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft will look to make an instant impact on

the defensive line. In his senior season, the Ole Miss graduate was named a first-team All-Americaselection by the Associated Press .

99 Jason Jefferson : 6-1, 297 pounds, second year with the team93 Thomas Johnson : 6-2, 304 pounds, first year with the team

61 Vance Walker : 6-2, 307 pounds, first year with the team

No Name54 Stephen Nicholas - Competed at both linebacker and on special teams last season. Ranked third

on the Falcons with 13 special teams tackles and added one sack against the Rams in Week 17.

52 Coy Wire : 6-0, 225 pounds, second year with the team45 Robert James : 5-11, 220 pounds, second year with the team

No Name50 Curtis Lofton - Last year, 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 aWeek 8 meeting at Philadelphia, posted his first-career sack while forcing a fumble on the play.

51 Tony Gilbert : 6-0, 245 pounds, second year with the team43 Edmond Miles : 6-0, 235 pounds, first year with the team

No Name53 Mike Peterson - In 135 career games (127 starts), Peterson has totaled 1,365 tackles (792 solo),19.5 sacks, 15 interceptions, 40 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and seven fumbles recoveries.Collected 837 tackles in his Jaguars career, which ranks second in team history.

right defensive end cont...

middle linebacker (3)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (3)

left defensive end (4)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (4)

strongside linebacker (3)

weakside linebacker (3)


19/66


No Name49 Jamie Winborn : 5-11, 230 pounds, first year with the team59 Spencer Adkins : 5-11, 242 pounds, first year with the team

No Name23 Chris Houston - In 2008, 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 whilestarting all 16 games at right cornerback.

21 Chris Owens : 5-9, 179 pounds, first year with the team24 Von Hutchins : 5-10, 180 pounds, second year with the team35 William Middleton : 5-11, 194 pounds, first year with the team

No Name20 Brent Grimes - Intercepted his first-career pass against Kansas City in Week 3 of 2008 and con-

tributed with 36 tackles (29 solo) and six passes defensed.

22 Chevis Jackson : 5-11, 193 pounds, second year with the team37 Glenn Sharpe : 6-0, 184 pounds, second year with the team38 Tony Tiller : 6-0, 187 pounds, first year with the team

No Name28 Thomas DeCoud - Saw action in 10 games last season and recorded five special teams tackles.

41 Antoine Harris : 5-10, 205 pounds, third year with the team42 Eric Brock : 6-0, 204 pounds, second year with the team

No Name26 Erik Coleman - Ranked second on the team with 127 tackles (82 solo) last year while adding six

passes defensed, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

25 William Moore : 6-0, 227 pounds, first year with the team29 Jamaal Fudge : 5-9, 190 pounds, second year with the team

No Name1 Jason Elam - Last season, split the uprights on 29 of 31 field goal attempts and 42 points after

touchdowns for 129 points. Following a missed field goal in Week 6, the 16-year veteran posted astreak 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 - In 2008, 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-yardline in Week 8 at Philadelphia.

46 Mike Schneck : 6-1, 231 pounds, third year with the team48 Robert Shiver : 6-3, 237 pounds, first year with the team

cornerback (4)

weakside linebackers cont...

cornerback (4)

specialists (4)

free safety (3)

Strong SAFETY (3)


20/66


quarterbacks (4)

RUNNING BACKS (4)

No Name2 Matt Ryan - Started 16 games in 2008 and completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touch-

downs 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 acareer-high with 315 passing yards against the Saints in Week 14.

8 Chris Redman : 6-3, 229 pounds, third year with the Falcons3 D.J. Shockley : 6-4, 218 pounds, fourth year with the Falcons4 John Parker Wilson : 6-2, 218 pounds, first year with the Falcons

No Name33 Michael Turner - In his first game in an Atlanta uniform last year, set the Falcons single-game rushing

record with 220 yards on 22 carries (10.0 avg.) vs. Detroit. Totaled his 11th-career 100-yard gameagainst St. Louis in Week 17. Ranked second in the NFL with 376 carries for 1,699 yards while con-tributing with 17 touchdowns (set a franchise-high for a single season). Turner also topped the 1,000-yard mark in Week 12 of 08 while tying a club record with four touchdowns. Was named NFCOffensive Player of the Week on two occasions (Week 1 vs. Detroit and Week 3 vs. Kansas City).

32 Jerious Norwood : 5-11, 209 pounds, fourth year with the team44 Jason Snelling - 5-11, 233 pounds, third year with the team27 Thomas Brown - 5-8, 203 pounds, second year with the team

No Name34 Ovie Mughelli - In 2008 blocked for a Falcons running game which totaled 2,443 rushing yards this

season (ranked second in the NFL). Also caught a season-high 18-yard reception against theOakland Raiders in Week 9 and contributed with 57 receiving yards and 16 rushing yards.

36 Verron Haynes : 5-9, 233 pounds, first year with the team

No Name84 Roddy White - Tallied seven 100-yard receiving games last 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 catch-ing six passes for 112 yards against San Diego in Week 13. Led the team and ranked fourth in theNFL in receiving with 88 receptions for 1,382 yards and six touchdowns. His 1,382 yards made himthe first Falcons receiver to record back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons in franchise history. Hisyardage total also set a new franchise record for receiving yards in a season.

80 Marty Booker : 6-0, 205 pounds, first year with the team81 Robert Ferguson : 6-1, 219 pounds, first year with the team14 Eric Weems : 5-9, 194 pounds, third year with the team11 Tory Bergeron : 6-2, 195 pounds, first year with the team

No Name12 Michael Jenkins - Caught Matt Ryans 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 twotouchdown passes against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9 while leading the team in receivingyardage. This season, compiled 50 catches for 777 yards and three TDs.

86 Brian Finneran : 6-5, 210 pounds, 10th year with the team18 Chandler Williams : 5-11, 176 pounds, second year with the team15 Aaron Kelly : 6-5, 203 pounds, first team with the team

FULLBACKS (2)

WIDE RECEIVERS (4)

WIDE RECEIVERS (5)


21/66


No Name88 Tony Gonzalez - Has established himself as one of the premier tight ends in NFL history following

12 seasons, all with Kansas City. A native of Torrance, California, Gonzalez holds League records for the most receptions (916), receiving yards (10,940) and touchdown catches (76) by a tight end. His10 Pro Bowl selections are more than any other tight end in the game and he has also earned eightfirst or second-team Associated Press All-Pro selections, his latest coming last season.

87 Justin Peelle : 6-4, 251 pounds, second year with the team89 Ben Hartsock : 6-4, 270 pounds, second year with the team85 Jason Rader : 6-4, 263 pounds, second year with the team82 Keith Zinger : 6-4, 258 pounds, second year with the team

No Name62 Todd McClure - Has started in 112 consecutive games on the offensive line, which ties Jeff Van

Note for third place in Falcons annals in that category.

66 Brett Romberg : 6-2, 293 pounds, first year with the team67 Ben Wilkerson : 6-4, 313 pounds, third year with the team

No Name72 Sam Baker - Started in five contests as a rookie and helped open holes for Atlantas 2,443 rushing

yards.

74 Will Svitek : 6-6, 309 pounds, first year with the team

No Name77 Tyson Clabo - Has started in 37 career contests and helped the Falcons rush for a team record of

318 yards in the season opener against Detroit last season.

75 Garrett Reynolds : 6-7, 317 pounds, first year with the team70 Michael Butterworth : 6-7, 304 pounds, second year with the team

No Name63 Justin Blalock - Started every game of the season for the second consecutive year in 2008.

76 Quinn Ojinnaka : 6-5, 299 pounds, fourth year with the team69 Adam Speer : 6-3, 301 pounds, first year with the team

No Name73 Harvey Dahl - Competed in his 17th game in a Falcons uniform after starting every game in the

2008 season.

65 Jose Valdez : 6-6, 324 pounds, first year with the team68 Ryan Stanchek : 6-3, 300 pounds, first year with the team

No Name55 John Abraham - Ranked second in the NFC with a franchise-best 16.5 sacks last season, which

included three three-sack performances against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, the Oakland Raiders inWeek 9 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. Also posted four forced fumbles all on sacks togive him 31 for his career. Last season, also registered 42 tackles (35 solo).

Right guard (3)

center (3)

TIGHT ENDS (5)

LEFT TACKLE (2)

right tackle (3)

Left guard (3)

right defensive end (3)


22/66


No Name71 Kroy Biermann : 6-3, 260 pounds, second year with the team90 Lawrence Sidbury : 6-2, 307 pounds, first year with the team

No Name98 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 anddeflecting two passes. In Week 13 against San Diego, blocked his first-career field goal to help theFalcons maintain a 22-13 lead.

92 Chauncey Davis : 6-2, 262 pounds, fifth year with the team96 Willie Evans : 6-1, 269 pounds, second year with the team64 Maurice Lucas : 6-4, 267 pounds, first year with the team

No Name95 Jonathan Babineaux - In 2008, 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.

97 Trey Lewis : 6-3, 316 pounds, third year with the team91 Tywian Myles : 6-2, 319 pounds, first year with the team

No Name94 Peria Jerry - The 24th overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft will look to make an instant impact on

the defensive line. In his senior season, the Ole Miss graduate was named a first-team All-Americaselection by the Associated Press .

99 Jason Jefferson : 6-1, 297 pounds, second year with the team93 Thomas Johnson : 6-2, 304 pounds, first year with the team

61 Vance Walker : 6-2, 307 pounds, first year with the team

No Name54 Stephen Nicholas - Competed at both linebacker and on special teams last season. Ranked third

on the Falcons with 13 special teams tackles and added one sack against the Rams in Week 17.

52 Coy Wire : 6-0, 225 pounds, second year with the team45 Robert James : 5-11, 220 pounds, second year with the team

No Name50 Curtis Lofton - Last year, 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 aWeek 8 meeting at Philadelphia, posted his first-career sack while forcing a fumble on the play.

51 Tony Gilbert : 6-0, 245 pounds, second year with the team43 Edmond Miles : 6-0, 235 pounds, first year with the team

No Name53 Mike Peterson - In 135 career games (127 starts), Peterson has totaled 1,365 tackles (792 solo),19.5 sacks, 15 interceptions, 40 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and seven fumbles recoveries.Collected 837 tackles in his Jaguars career, which ranks second in team history.

right defensive end cont..

Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions Preseason Game 1

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